by Pastor Cecil | Dec 31, 2013 | James
James 4:13-14
Now listen, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.’ Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.
Fewer and fewer of us are still alive who recall those terrifying days of World War II. Evening radio reports heralded the tides of the battle. Some were encouraging and others heart breaking. In November 1942, as the battle raged, Winston Churchill gave a speech that was filled with both encouragement and caution: “Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is perhaps, the end of the beginning.”
The end of the beginning! As we stand on the threshold of 2014, there have been battles won and lost over the past years. We may have reached the point where we feel that there is nothing left for us to live for. WRONG!
The battle still rages around us and no matter how weak or frail we may feel, there is still work for us to do. God calls us to be fruitful. I spoke with a dear friend in the past few days, and we talked about what “fruit bearing” really means. While it does include soul winning, there is a more basic aspect of bearing fruit.
Galatians 5:22-23a, gives us a list of spiritual fruit: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” Here is the question: Are you bearing this kind of fruit?
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Nov 19, 2013 | James
James 1:2-4
Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
When trials arise, the last thing we feel like doing is expressing pure joy. Let’s face it . . . trials hurt. They hurt us physically, emotionally, and even spiritually. I have sat at the bedside of saints who are just one heartbeat from eternity. Often the family grieves, but the grief is for themselves. They know that in a few moments their loved one will (hopefully) be physically experiencing joy and contentment that is beyond our imagination.
Another trial that we sometimes encounter is the emotional strain that results from the actions of our loved ones. These family members make unwise choices. Their sinful choices break our hearts and strain our patience. If only they would live pleasing to the Lord!
Across the years of my ministry I have been confronted by Christians who were seriously wounded by the words and/or actions of other believers. Many of these “walking wounded” even left the church because of the hurtful actions of fellow Christians.
Can you identify with any of these areas, or others? Rather than being overcome with devastation, we can have victory. James gives us a simple solution, but one that is very difficult to follow. It starts with joy. Choosing the joy of the Lord brings His power to mold and make us in His image.
Blessings, Dear Hearts, draw near to God today, trust Him completely, and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Oct 28, 2013 | James
James 4:13-17
Now listen, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.’ Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, ‘If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.’ As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil. If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.
Hardly a day goes by when word comes that someone has experienced some sort of catastrophic occurrence in their life. As a pastor I seem to be a conduit of these reports that have an impact on the lives of those closest to the victims.
It is not necessarily restricted to the death of a loved one, although that is certainly one of the examples. A healthy individual may be going about his or her regular business when suddenly a stroke occurs—that healthy person has become an invalid. A lab report may be returned that reveals the presence of cancer—the life of that individual and the entire family has now changed.
Rather than focusing our attention on these debilitating examples, we need to bring the reality of change into our life. If we have not prepared ourselves spiritually for these circumstances, we will be flattened out.
James gives us a strong dose of reality. Life is just a mist that will soon vanish. Rather than putting all of our effort into the things of this world, we need to make preparation for eternity. It begins with being born again and must also be followed by growing mature by constantly seeking God’s will for our life.
Blessings, Dear Hearts, draw near to God today, trust Him completely, and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jun 17, 2013 | James
James 3:3
When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal.
An expert assisted a major airline in reducing their cost of operation. He began to analyze the effect of weight on the amount of fuel used by the planes. Reducing weight conserves fuel. It seems that instead of going to the heavier items he started with rather small things.
He interviewed the flight attendants about how often the passengers seemed to read the company magazine that was placed in each seat pocket. They said the magazines were almost never read. The magazines averaged about 50 pounds per plane. It seemed like such a tiny amount that it would not make a difference. Not so! Removing the magazines from all of the planes in the American Airlines fleet saved about $1 million dollars annually. That is a significant figure!
Have you ever considered that a small stretching of the truth is actually a lie? We realize we are going to be late for work and call the office to say we have a flat tire and it is taking longer because the spare tire is also flat. (That is more than a little lie—it is a bold faced lie).
The small things in our life are not small in the sight of the Lord. It is vital for us to view things the way God views them. There are also positive things that also seem small. We may say that we have a terrible memory and are unable to memorize Scripture, but if we memorize only one verse each week we will have memorized 52 verses in a year. Isn’t that amazing! At the end of the year we bow before the Lord and use the verses we have hidden in our heart to glorify His name. What are the SMALL THINGS in your life?
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jun 10, 2013 | James
James 1:17
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.
Shifting shadows! What a concept. As I started to write this Daily-E-Votional, I was thinking about how shadows are constantly changing. In the warm summer months it is always a treat to be able to park in the shade of a tree when the sun is beating down. I recall the times I have done this only to return after an appointment and discover that the shadows from the tree have shifted and the car is in the blazing sun.
I mention that, and must add something that has just happened. I received a phone call from Midwest City, Oklahoma. It was the wife of an officer I served with while stationed with the Air Force in St. Anthony, Newfoundland. Jean related how Billy had been experiencing deteriorating health over the past year and finally passed away several weeks ago.
I know that Billy had received Jesus as his personal Savior and that he is now with the Lord. The shadows of those who once were family or friends here on earth have a new home. Those who have been born again have a home where there are no shadows. Those who have failed to respond will never see the light again but will live eternally in the shadow of darkness. It has caused me to have a new desire to share the gospel message as never before. Let there be light!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | May 22, 2013 | James
James 4:14
Whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.
By now I am sure that you are aware of the devastating tornados that have torn across the State of Oklahoma. Many lives were snuffed out in the violent winds that in many cases, reached around 200 miles per hour.
Buildings were splintered and vehicles were tossed and piled one on another as if they were toys. In a matter of seconds, lives were changed completely. The hopes and dreams that seemed to be certain are now completely altered.
I just saw a video on YouTube of a group that had escaped by taking refuge in an underground storm shelter. Homes all around the neighborhood had been reduced to piles of splinters. The man who was taking the pictures was heard to utter the words of Job 1:21, The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; Blessed be the name of the Lord.
While we cannot know what the next second will hold for us, we can certainly know that the Lord will be with us in every situation of life. When we give our lives over to the Lord and allow Him to direct us in the valleys of life as well as the mountains, we can experience a peace that passes all understanding. I pray that the people of God will shine brightly in the dark times of life.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
