by Pastor Cecil | Sep 24, 2015 | John
John 17:11
“Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me that they may be one as We are.”
Yesterday was Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. This morning as I was glancing over the copy of Blessings From The Heart, the word “atonement” seemed to jump out at me and the three words AT-ONE-MENT seemed to flow. We know that Jesus is our atoning sacrifice and He desires for us to be “at one” with Him.
For years I have heard and frequently use the expression of “someone being so heavenly minded that they are of no earthly use.” I am sure that if you think about it you will immediately think of people that unfortunately fit this category.
I love the last few words of today’s Scripture: “…. that they may be one as We are.” Every time I read those words my heart skips a beat. Jesus is praying to His Father that we may be one with Him. To me that is the ultimate of AT-ONE-MENT. It is not doing our own thing, but yielding ourselves to His control so that we are at one with Him in thought, word, and deed.
There is another step that needs to be added to this equation. We need to be at one with each other. There is so much divisiveness in the body of Christ that it is the opposite of AT-ONE-MENT. That does not mean to compromise the basic fundamentals of the faith, but it does mean standing together at the foot of the cross with our hearts as one!
May God Richly Bless You As You bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Sep 7, 2015 | John
John 9:4
“I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work.”
Today, September 7, 2015, is Labor Day here in the US and Labour Day in Canada. Isn’t it interesting that it is called Labor/Labour Day, when usually no work is done on this holiday? One of the great mysteries of life! Go figure!
There are so many times in our life when the opportunity is lost to witness to someone because we are afraid — afraid to appear outdated, use the wrong Scriptures, or to be misunderstood in some other way.
I once heard of a young man who was being trained in soul-winning evangelism. He told his trainer that he would go along on the calls they made, but he would never be able to do the witnessing himself. There came a day, however, when the young man wanted to witness to his college roommate. As they talked, the young man seemed to have forgotten everything in which he had been instructed. He used the “wrong” scriptures and was very blunt in his approach. He finally asked his roommate, “Well, are you going to accept Jesus as your Savior or not?” The roommate replied, “Of course I will. You made it so plain to me.” They knelt and the roommate received Jesus!
If someone was approaching a bridge that had been washed away and you were stopped ahead of them, I’m sure you would immediately wave your hands to warn them of the dangerous precipice that lie ahead. Believe me, there is one! Let’s labor every day!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jul 3, 2015 | John
“Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (John 14:27).
We have a liberal college in our community and from time to time we see bumper stickers from this group that read, World Peace. Some jokesters have made a play on this sticker by coming up with one of their own; Whirled Peas. I suppose the second sticker is much more easily achieved.
From the day that Adam and Eve sinned and were evicted from the garden there has been strife, conflicts and wars. For all of the rhetoric about attaining peace we are no closer to world peace, nor will we ever be until Jesus comes again to establish His Wonderful Peace over all the earth. What a fantastic day it will be when there is eternal peace. The featured hymn this week from GloryScapes, isWonderful Peace.
Wonderful Peace
Far away in the depths of my spirit tonight
Rolls a melody sweeter than psalm;
In celestial strains it unceasingly falls
O’er my soul like an infinite calm.
Refrain: Peace, peace, wonderful peace,
Coming down from the Father above!
Sweep over my spirit forever, I pray
In fathomless billows of love!
What a treasure I have in this wonderful peace,
Buried deep in the heart of my soul,
So secure that no power can mine it away,
While the years of eternity roll!
Refrain
I am resting tonight in this wonderful peace,
Resting sweetly in Jesus’ control;
For I’m kept from all danger by night and by day,
And His glory is flooding my soul!
Refrain
And I think when I rise to that city of peace,
Where the Anchor of peace I shall see,
That one strain of the song which the ransomed will sing
In that heavenly kingdom will be:
Refrain
Ah, soul! are you here without comfort and rest,
Marching down the rough pathway of time?
Make Jesus your Friend ere the shadows grow dark;
O accept of this peace so sublime!
Refrain
To access Wonderful Peace, this week’s inspirational video fromGloryScapes™ Inspirational Music Videos, please go to:http://www.gloryscapes.com/wonderfulpeace/ in your browser or click on the image below.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | May 26, 2015 | John
John 13:3-5
“Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going to God, rose from supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself. After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded.”
I think most of us have heard of Dwight L. Moody—the world famous evangelist. It seems he never thought more of himself that he should, but was always one who had a servant spirit. In the late 1800’s he invited a number of ministers to attend the Northfield Evangelistic Conference in Massachusetts.
These pastors stayed in a dormitory during the conference. The first night as Moody looked down the hallway he noticed that most of the pastors had placed their shoes outside their doors. Evidently they expected there would be servants who would shine their shoes for them before morning. Not wishing to embarrass them D.L. Moody took their shoes to his room and laboriously polishing each pair before placing them outside their owners door.
Every time I think of this prominent worldwide renowned minister of the gospel stooping to polish shoes I am impressed. He did not want to embarrass his visitors. I think of a true servant of the Most High God becomes a servant to others.
I’m not sure how many of us will find shoes outside of someone’s door but I know one thing . . . there will be people who need to be served. We are given a choice . . . we either act with pride or with purpose. I purpose to be a God’s servant.
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | May 21, 2015 | John
John 10:1-3
“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.”
Voice recognition is a strange thing. Something in the tone of a voice identifies who it is that is speaking or calling. When I was a boy we would be outside playing, and in the evening our mother would call us to come home for dinner. Without any identification other than the sound of her voice, each of us would know whether it was our mother or the mother of one of our friends. Just the sound of the voice made the difference.
When I was in college we lived in a housing project with other married college students. It was not too long after World War II and the housing was former military barracks. Not the most glamorous place to live, but the camaraderie that existed between all of the married families was wonderful.
One evening several of us men were visiting outside, discussing college and some of the difficult professors we had (yes there were some of them), when the wife of one of the men opened her door and yelled at the top of her voice, “Chester! Come in right now! It is getting dark!” We would have recognized her voice a block away. Poor Chester! We felt for him!
I am told that the sheep can identify the voice or the sound of their shepherd. It may be a whistle or a guttural sound. It may be a hand signal or body language. No matter what means of communication, the sheep know when the Shepherd is calling. How do we know when the Lord is speaking to us? The more time we spend in His Word and in prayer, the more familiar we become with the way He speaks. Listen for His voice and obey!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | May 20, 2015 | John
John 16:32-33
“Indeed the hour is coming, yes, has now come, that you will be scattered, each to his own, and will leave Me alone. And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me. These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”
“Be of good cheer!” How easy it is to pronounce statements like that without considering the cost. According to Jesus, we are going to have tribulations. Have you experienced them yet? Some wise person once observed that if you haven’t already, you will. They are not just mere words—they are reality. This world is not an easy place in which to live. But, we are called to live here and to be an example.
I really haven’t had to suffer too much in my lifetime. I’ve lost many family members that were very close and very dear. I have gone through financial reversals. I have known physical restrictions and conflicts. But I can’t truly say that I have really suffered the way many have suffered and are suffering.
John the beloved disciple wrote the book in which we read today’s Scripture. We are told that he was the only one of the disciples that was not martyred. But believe me, he did not escape suffering. We are informed that he was dipped into boiling oil and yet survived. I hate to even consider the thought of what that must have felt like. Since he was tortured and expected to die, I doubt that there was any thought of making it easier for him by giving him any form of anesthesia.
So what do we do when we have troubles in this world? According to the words of Jesus in today’s Scripture, we are to be of good cheer. What reason does Jesus give? The reason is that He has overcome the world and we can overcome the world through Him. Are you living that victorious life in the face of difficult situations right now?
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
