by Pastor Cecil | Jul 2, 2009 | John
John 1:29-30
“The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, ‘Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.'”
I once read of the work of a man who was ministering in Eskimo villages along the Bearing Sea. As he shared the Word of God with them he noted a lack of understanding from time to time.
On one occasion he was sharing the Gospel using the Scripture I have chosen for today. The response from the people was blank and empty. He knew something was missing, so he decided to pray more earnestly about it.
The next day he spoke with one of the elders and asked him why the people acted so confused about this passage. The elder scratched his head and asked, “We do not understand what the word ‘Lamb’ means. Please explain to us.”
Not long after this, the missionary observed the seals calving on the ice. The baby seals were tiny and totally helpless. Their mothers would be gone for long periods seeking food and the babies were totally vulnerable. He knew he had found his answer for the elders.
The next time the people gathered to hear the Word of God, he read John 1:29, but with a difference: “The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, ‘Look, the Baby Seal of God, who takes away the sin of the world!'” He explained to the group that Jesus was as innocent as a baby seal. Jesus never used His divine power, but allowed Himself to die so men, women, boys and girls could have their sins taken away and be prepared for heaven.
This man’s creative use of God’s Word reached into a culture of ice and snow to reveal that Jesus died for them. Many of the people repented of their sins and accepted Jesus into their hearts. Praise the Lord for His tender mercy!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jun 24, 2009 | John
John 14:27
“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.”
One of my most vivid memories growing up was time spent at Payette Lakes in Idaho. The days may be in the eighties, but you needed a warm blanket or sleeping bag to keep warm at night.
I am an early riser and even then I enjoyed waking early and walking down to the lake side and looking across to the opposite shore. Many times the water was so serene and calm that it clearly reflected the scene from the far shore—a double blessing.
In these moments of reverie I could recall the hectic activities of the previous day. There were boats, water skiers, swimmers and even a sudden storm that churned the waters and cleared off the boaters.
Life is very much like that. There are times of frantic activity that will be fun and enjoyable, but nonetheless chaotic. There are also times when gales blow in and create stormy waters.
We long for peace! Is it possible in the midst of the storm? Remember that Jesus was with His disciples in a small boat on a tempestuous sea. Even these men who were professional fishermen thought they were doomed. It was when they called out to Jesus that they found perfect peace.
In today’s Scripture, Jesus promises peace for all of us. His peace is not the kind of peace the world knows. It is a peace that gives us serenity even when the world is blowing like a hurricane around us. He promises that when we come to Him, our hearts will not be troubled and we need not be afraid. That is sweet peace!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jun 10, 2009 | John
John 14:25-27
“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.”
Back when I was 20 years old, I was in the US Air Force and stationed at Rapid City, South Dakota. I was a jet aircraft mechanic with the 54th Fighter Interceptor Sqaudron. Someone had the bright idea that we buy a car and take it to the local stock car racetrack to see how we would fare against the veteran stock car racers.
With our limited resources we could only afford an old jalopy that looked like a relic from by-gone days (it was!). We slapped some red, white and blue paint on it and someone painted our squadron emblem on the side. Even with the paint it still looked like an old beat up wreck that was better suited for the junkyard than the race track.
Our driver made a pretty good showing the first week the car raced. As I recall he came in second or third. There was an old mechanic in our outfit that knew just about everything there was to know about engines. He took the engine apart and rebuilt it completely. I can still remember him throwing parts out saying, “We don’t need these they just take up room!”
The next race was a farce. Our car was untouchable. The seasoned drivers, who had laughed at the broken-down old jalopy at the beginning, were now wanting to know what was on the inside! He wouldn’t tell them!
I hope you will immediately be able to see that there is a spiritual application to all of this. It is not what is on the outside that counts, but what is on the inside! We live in a world that is increasingly cynical because they have observed some spiritual leaders who talked holy but were full of corruptible things.
That inward vileness was what Jesus observed in the religious leaders of His day. As we read today’s Scripture we observe that Jesus did not treat these “holier than thou” teachers with the respect they demanded of the people.
How could He do that? Very easy, Jesus was the Son of God and, although He was very man, He was also very God. This gave Jesus the ability to know what was in the human heart. No matter how good the religious leaders looked and acted, Jesus told them that they were full of death.
What would Jesus see in our heart? We may be able to fool family and/or friends, but the Lord knows our heart. He knows if there has truly been repentance and a sincere turning away from the path that leads to death. Pay heed! Your eternal destiny is at stake.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jun 9, 2009 | John
John 14:25-27
“All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. 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.”
From time to time you see short video clips of a distinguished looking man stepping off of an airplane raising a paper in his hand. He stood before cameras and uttered the phrase “Peace for our time.” This very thing happened on September 30, 1938—the man was British Prime Minister, Neville Chamberlain, and he referred to the Munich Agreement.
It is primarily remembered for its ironic value. The Munich Agreement gave the Sudetenland of Czechoslovakia to Adolf Hitler in an attempt to satisfy his desire for Lebensraum or “living space” for Germany. The German occupation of the Sudetenland began on the next day, October 1, 1938.
Less than a year after the agreement—following continued aggression from Germany and its invasion of Poland—Europe was plunged into World War II and England suffered horrible bombing raids.
Why bring this up at this time in history? Because there are many people in our modern world (Christians included) who are seeking after peace—but not the Prince of Peace. They violate the absolute truth of God’s Word for man-made solutions that never have nor ever will bring peace.
God did not call His people to compromise principle for peace, yet that is what we are seeing many of our religious leaders doing. Here is real peace: “My peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives.” That is real peace! We must never replace God’s perfect peace with man’s false peace!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jun 8, 2009 | John
John 14:2-4
“In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.”
An elderly woman was as thrilled as a young schoolgirl. Her brother was taking her back to visit the old family home she had not seen since she was a young girl. They were looking for Kentucky Street. It didn’t seem to be there any longer, but then they saw the sign. What had seemed to be a broad boulevard when they were young, now looked more like a lane.
As they drove down the street they noticed that the small homes were neat and had been well cared for. They were becoming more and more optimistic as they neared the address for the family home.
Their hopes were dashed when they realized that there was no longer a house where their family home had once stood. Instead there was a large vegetable garden.
They noticed a man sitting on his porch nearby and asked him if he knew what had happened to the house that had once been there. He told them a wealthy man had decided he wanted a garden more than the old house, so he tore it down.
There was sadness in the hearts of the siblings as they drove away from their old neighborhood. Everything had changed. They were not the young kids they had been so long ago. The neighbors were all different and the house that had lived in their memories for so many years was no longer there.
They stopped at a small café to discuss what they had just experienced. It suddenly dawn on them that this world is really not our home. The woman spoke for both of them: “You know, these earthly abodes where we have lived can crumble or be bulldozed. Our bodies are destined to also be destroyed. But since both of us know the Lord as our personal Savior, our true home is waiting for us. We have not seen it yet, but it is being prepared just for us!”
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | May 25, 2009 | John
John 14:1-3
“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.”
Memorial Day is a day to recall the past and to pay tribute to those who have been gone before us. It is a time for us to remember. It is also a time for us to reflect upon the future. It is also a time to pay respect to the men and women who have dedicated their lives, sometimes paying the ultimate sacrifice in order to insure our freedom.
Our kids used to ask me to tell them about the “good old days.” That was always difficult for two good reasons: First—I was not good! I used to wake each morning wondering what I would get a spanking for that day. It was certain that I would deserve it and receive it—I just did not know for what. Second—I was not old, but was young. I guess I could share with them about my “bad-young days,” but that was not what they asked for and I was not going to tell them!
There are many in my life that left a lasting memory. It is to them I choose to recall on this Memorial Day. I recall former pastors who stood strong in delivering the pure Word of God with unwavering diligence. I recall my Sunday School teachers who must have thought I was not hearing a word they said—but I did!
I bless my precious grandparents and parents who provided an example of solid Christian faith day after day and year after year so that almost everyone in our family have become born again Christians. I take this time to remember my dear wife who has been beside me for almost fifty-seven years.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
