by Pastor Cecil | Sep 1, 2009 | Isaiah
Isaiah 29:13
“The Lord says: ‘These people come near to Me with their mouth and honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. Their worship of Me is made up only of rules taught by men.’ ”
I am not sure if you recall a popular song of days gone by, Paper Doll. It was recorded by the Mills Brothers as well as other famous singers. As I remember, the words went something like this: “I’m gonna buy myself a paper doll to call my own, a doll that other fellows cannot steal. And then the flirty, flirty guys with their flirty, flirty eyes will have to flirt with dollies that are real.” It seems that people are seeking reality in the people around them. Someone that will always be there regardless of the circumstance. It seems that such dependable people are becoming harder and harder to find.
If that is true for us, think about what God is confronted with. He has fickle-minded believers who are more interested in their own welfare than in serving the Lord. Their attitude seems to be: “What’s in it for me?”
In today’s Scripture, Isaiah, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit writes about such double-minded people. In other words they talk a good talk, but when it comes to putting their life on the line for the Lord they fall short.
God is not interested in paper-doll believers. He wants Christians who are willing to put their life on the line. Last Thursday I mentioned a quote made by Corrie ten Boom. There is another quote that was made by her father just a few days before the family was arrested by the Gestapo for hiding Jews. He said that even if he was arrested for working to rescue God’s people, he would count it an honor. That is the kind of reality I want in my life!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Aug 17, 2009 | Isaiah
Isaiah 55:8-9
“‘For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,’ declares the LORD. ‘As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.’”
I do not know if you would call me a “bird brain” or not, but I do love watching birds. For years now I have maintained bird feeders in our yard as well as a supply of good clean water for them.
Earlier this year we purchased a beautiful yellow canary to brighten our home with his sweet singing. We placed his cage a few inches from several of the outside bird feeders. It has been delightful to watch him as he interacts with the wild birds. Some of them seem to be his special friends and gaze through the window pane at our Buddy.
Just recently I have been thinking about the scope of Buddy’s world. It does not extend very far—perhaps ten feet to the shrubs and not much more than that on either side. When he turns around he has our 11×14 feet family room and a portion of the kitchen beyond. This is Buddy’s view of the world.
If there were some way for Buddy to communicate to us about the size of his world, do you think he has any concept of what lies beyond? I don’t think so! Buddy’s world is limited to a few square feet.
Let’s apply that same concept spiritually. We are like Buddy. Our view is so drastically limited that we cannot even grasp the ways of God. That is why it is always necessary to pray that His will be done. His knowledge reaches into the tomorrows of our life and only He can always be there for us. Thank you Jesus!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Aug 11, 2009 | Isaiah
Isaiah 41:10
“Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”
Here are two straightforward questions for you to consider: “What can fear do for you in your hour of greatest need?” “How can fear contribute to resolving problems that seem insurmountable?”
The most common trait of fear is paralysis. Perhaps most of us have encountered driving in the dark and suddenly seeing a deer frozen in fear at the sight of our headlights. The expression; “Like a deer in the headlights” has come to express a person’s reaction to fear.
Military planners have been aware of this paralyzing effect. Before the battle, in fact as the initiation into military service, basic training is designed to teach reaction to what has been taught rather than giving in to fear.
The enemy of our souls tries to scare the living daylights out of us, knowing that if he succeeds, we will react like a deer in the headlights and be of little value to the Lord.
So how do we go about overcoming our fear? The answer is to trust the Lord completely. He is the One who knows us and who is able to be with us at all times. Today’s Scripture assures us that He is our God and is with us to provide the strength we need for what lies ahead.
In addition to today’s Scripture, Psalm 23 tells us that even though we pass through the valley of the shadow of death, He is with us and His Rod and Staff will protect us. What a sense of comfort that gives! Don’t be afraid!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Aug 3, 2009 | Isaiah
Isaiah 30:20-21
“Although the Lord gives you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, your teachers will be hidden no more; with your own eyes you will see them. Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it.’ ”
While I was in the US Air Force, stationed at Whiteman AFB, Missouri, I attended Central Missouri State to receive a Master’s Degree in Sociology. In addition to writing a thesis, I had to appear before all of the professors in the department for an oral examination.
I was apprehensive about what questions they may ask and how I would respond. If I failed the orals I would have to repeat much of the work I had completed. Many of the professors in the department had areas of specialization and would be grilling me in these areas.
My major professor had spent many hours with me during my preparation. He coached me on some of the questions that may be asked and told me to follow his questions carefully during the oral examination. I did and was able to pass and receive my degree.
God has given us His precious promises to lead and guide us through all of the pitfalls that line the pathway of life. We can ignore His directions and find ourselves hopelessly lost, or we can choose to listen and stay on the path. “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15b).
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jul 15, 2009 | Isaiah
Isaiah 65:24
“Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear.”
One of my favorite comic strips is “Baby Blues.” Recently the creators, Rick Kirkman and Jerry Scott, had a strip where the first frame showed only the head of a dad lamenting that after feeding, educating, sacrificing, defending, encouraging and loving his children, the last frame revealed him on the ground with his foot tangled in a hammock and saying: “. . .the only thing they will remember about me is the time he fell out of the hammock!”
As I thought about that humorous comic strip, I realized that none of us have the ability to know what people will remember about us. As a matter of fact, we do not know what (if anything) is going into their brain as we speak. It reminds me of the expression: “The lights are on, but nobody is home.”
While this reality may be depressing to some, it is encouraging to me. It allows me to just write or speak as the Lord leads knowing that it His responsibility to take my words to the heart of some soul who needs to hear.
A certain story has circulated for several years that I want to share with you. It seems that late one evening the pastor of the “Almighty God Tabernacle” placed a call to his wife from his office at the church. Even though he let it ring several times, there was no answer and the answering machine did not pick up the call.
He rushed home to insure that his wife was safe, which she was. When he asked her why she had not answered his call, she said that the phone never rang.
A few days later the pastor received a call at his office from a man who wanted to know who had called him. It suddenly dawned on the pastor that when he had tried to call his wife, he had mistakenly dialed this man’s number.
The pastor began to apologize for his mistake, but the man interrupted him. He wanted to tell the pastor a remarkable story: On the night of the call he was contemplating suicide. He asked God to show him some sign if He really existed. It was then that his phone rang and when he looked at his caller ID, he was stunned to see the words “ALMIGHTY GOD,” — the first two words in the church’s name. God had answered the prayer of a disturbed soul by a misdial!
Whether the story is true or merely a legend, it points out to me that God is able to take my most feeble efforts and use them for His purposes. It is none of my business how many people read these daily messages. From the very first day back in September 2000, until today, my prayer is that some person will feel that God had meant it for them.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jun 17, 2009 | Isaiah
Isaiah 34:15
“The owl will nest there and lay eggs, she will hatch them, and care for her young under the shadow of her wings; there also the falcons will gather, each with its mate.”
Today as Joyce and I were driving, we saw a kildeer fly across the road ahead of the car. It reminded us of the antics we have observed from kildeer. We once owned a house that overlooked a flat piece of ground with very little vegetation. (Actually it was our yard that had not yet been planted with grass.)
We noticed that a mother kildeer had made a nest in a very shallow depression, which seemed foolish since the eggs would be so vulnerable. It was then that the remarkable antics of this bird were observed.
Anytime a threat approached—man, bird or beast—the mother would suddenly go into a remarkable bit of acting. The kildeer would suddenly begin to flutter and flop as if it was wounded. When the intruder began to follow the “wounded” bird, it moved further and further away from the nest with its characteristic call that gives its name, “killdeer, killdeer, killdeer.”
Once the threat had been lured far away from the nest, the kildeer would suddenly take wing and fly away to safety. When everything was safe, it would return to continue the task of hatching its eggs.
It is wonderful to realize that God has created these seemingly defenseless kildeer with such unique methods of protecting their eggs. He also has unique ways of defending us. When we place our trust in Him, He will care for us. In Matthew 6:13, our Lord taught His disciples to pray these wonderful words of promise: “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.” He will answer our prayer!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
