by Pastor Cecil | Apr 9, 2018 | John
John 15:10
“If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.”
One of my all time favorite teachers and speakers is Dr. Howard Hendricks who taught at Dallas Theological Seminary. I once heard him share that early in his life he spent much of his time and effort in trying to change his wife, his children, and his students. The harder he tried, the less change he saw. (Isn’t that strange?!)
It suddenly dawned on him that he was going about it all wrong. He came to realize that he needed to change his wife’s husband, his children’s father, and his student’s professor. It reminds me of that old song: “It’s me, it’s me, it’s me, oh Lord, standing in the need of prayer.”
Howard began to pray for the Lord to make him a better husband, father, and teacher. Amazingly, his wife changed, his children changed, and his students changed! What had happened? He had stopped preaching at them and had started living his faith before them.
It may be easy for us to intellectually agree with this concept, so why is it so hard to put it into practice? It is simply that we live by the flesh and not by the Spirit. We must live in constant relationship with the Lord and allow Him to show us what to do—then how and when to do it.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Apr 5, 2018 | John
John 16:33b
“In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”
It is easy to focus on the promises of good things such as prosperity and contentment. It is not so easy when we are confronted with promises of evil and difficulties. We certainly like to minimize those conditions.
It is encouraging to discover that God’s people have shown good cheer regardless of the circumstances they face. It reminds me of the humorous story about a man asking his friend, “How are you doing?” to which he replied, “Pretty well, under the circumstances.” The first man then asked his friend, “What are you doing under there?”
I think it is a good practice for us to evaluate our personal life to determine if we are living under the circumstances in defeat or above the circumstances in victory and good cheer.
I want to be like the victorious saints across the ages that have faced the tribulations of life with victory and good cheer. If God be for us who can be against us? Praise God for victory in Jesus and the good cheer He promises!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Mar 21, 2018 | John
John 15:16
“You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.”
We often are able to come up with the most feeble excuses as to why we are not able to serve the Lord. We are too young, too old, too uneducated, too shy, too busy, too this, too that. You get the picture. We have excuses!
The next time you feel like GOD can’t use you, just remember: Noah was a drunk, Abraham was too old, Isaac was a daydreamer, Jacob was a liar, Leah was ugly, Joseph was abused, Moses had a stuttering problem, and Gideon was afraid.
Sampson had long hair and was a womanizer, Rahab was a prostitute, Jeremiah and Timothy were too young, David had an affair and was a murderer, Elijah was suicidal, Isaiah preached naked, and Jonah ran from God.
Naomi was a widow, Job went bankrupt, John the Baptist ate bugs, Peter denied Christ, the disciples fell asleep while praying, Martha worried about everything, the Samaritan woman was divorced (more than once), Zaccheus was too small, Paul was too religious, Timothy had an ulcer AND Lazarus was dead! No more excuses now – God can use anyone … even you!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Dec 5, 2017 | John
John 14:2
“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.”
One of the benefits while serving in the US Air Force was base housing. It was nice to know that when you arrived at your new assignment you would have a nice place to live. Each base had different styles, but they were always adequate.
We were reminded that the houses did not belong to us and were only for our use while we were assigned to that particular base. We were required to leave the units spotless when we left so the new officer’s family would feel welcome.
When we were searching to buy a new home of our own we were in a far different frame of mind. The things that we wanted in our own home were often beyond what we could afford. Then there was the maintenance issue. Even in the finest home there were things that needed to be repaired from time to time.
In today’s Scripture, John describes a home that will be our final home. It will be a mansion of beauty that is beyond our imagination. God knows us inside and out and knows what will satisfy us completely.
As a born-again Christian we are part of God’s family and the mansion is now being prepared for us. Not only that, we are going to have resurrected bodies that will be able to enjoy our new home to the fullest. Spend time thinking about it!
Blessings dear hearts. May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Aug 31, 2017 | John
John 14:25
“Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.”
The reality of homelessness has become a great issue in our modern world. In many cases people have been forced from the lives they once knew and been left to spend their time moving from shelter to shelter.
In light of the devastating flooding in Texas, many thousands of people are now experiencing homelessness. It may be temporary, but it is possible that some may never be able to return to their homes.
For the true believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, we can visualize ourselves as being HOMELESS. That is certainly true when we pause to consider that our time in this world is temporary at best. How long we stay here is not so important as is the attitude we have toward our eternal home.
The promise that Jesus offers us here in today’s Scripture is that when we abide in Him, we are at home regardless of where that may be. I was at home when I was on a remote assignment in northern Newfoundland, Canada. I am also at home here in Tumwater, Washington. I just want to abide in Him until He calls me HOME!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Aug 30, 2017 | John
John 14:25
“Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”
There is a peace that is anything but peaceful. I am told that in the midst of major battles a cease fire is ordered in which both sides stop hostilities for a certain period of time. It may be temporarily quiet, but it is not TRUE PEACE.
Prior to the outbreak of WWII in 1938, Sir Neville Chamberlain returned from Germany with a peace compact that was signed by Adolph Hitler. He waved the document and proclaimed, “Peace in our time!” We now know how false that peace really was.
Jesus promises His followers peace that is far different from anything the world can offer. It is peace in the midst of the storms of life. It is the peace that God gave to Stephen when he was being stoned to death (Acts 7:54-60). Other martyrs died with that same peace that can only be described as REAL PEACE.
Perhaps you feel like you are being tossed to and fro in the storms of life. It is time to anchor your life to the rock of our salvation and allow the Lord to give you His TRUE PEACE that will satisfy your soul.
Blessings dear hearts!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
