by Pastor Cecil | Nov 3, 2015 | Luke
Luke 9:24-25
“ For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost?”
It only takes losing a significant number of pages of material due to a computer glitch to learn how important it is to save it. Over the past fifteen years I have written about 4,000 Daily-E-Votionals. Over that time I have had the sickening feeling of losing weeks of work because I did not save it.
Losing pages, or even months, of precious work is nothing . . . I mean nothing, compared with losing our relationship with God. Yes, it is essential to save our souls from a sinner’s hell, but we can also lose our intimacy with God!
Do you still have that sweet relationship with the Lord that you once had? Is your daily walk a joyful and meaningful experience that you eagerly anticipate as the sun rises each morning?
We can rekindle that flame of love for the Lord. He wants to save us from ourselves and draw us closer to Him with each passing day. It all begins with our choosing Him over the things of the world. Choose carefully, my precious friend!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Sep 11, 2015 | Luke
Luke 15:19-20
“So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.”
One of my most pleasurable jobs as a pastor is helping families restore broken relationships. I once was called upon to officiate at a funeral service. The son of the deceased told me that he had not spoken to his sister for years and wanted me to reconcile them before the service. Right! Just like that! Less than an hour before the service I met with the two and their families. Each of them had ten or fifteen children, spouses and others on their side. He and his family were on one side and she and her family on the other side of the aisle. I had prayed for just the right words and to this day cannot recall what Scripture I used. I had just finished when the brother stood and walked across the aisle and hugged his sister. The two families merged with great joy.
Fanny J. Crosby lived from 1820 to 1915. This remarkable lady never let problems keep her away from the Lord. Her blindness as an infant meant that she spent her entire life without physical sight, but was blessed with a keen spiritual sight. When she was only eight years old she wrote the following poem: “Oh, what a happy child I am, although I cannot see! I am resolved that in this world contented I will be! How many blessings I enjoy that other people do not! So weep or sigh because I am blind, I cannot – nor I will not.” The hymn, Draw Me Nearer expresses her desire to draw nearer to her blessed Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Draw Me Nearer
I am Thine, O Lord, I have heard Thy voice,
And it told Thy love to me;
But I long to rise in the arms of faith
And be closer drawn to Thee.
Refrain:
Draw me nearer, nearer blessed Lord,
To the cross where Thou hast died;
Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer blessed Lord,
To Thy precious, bleeding side.
Consecrate me now to Thy service, Lord,
By the pow’r of grace divine;
Let my soul look up with a steadfast hope,
And my will be lost in Thine.
Refrain:
Draw me nearer, nearer blessed Lord,
To the cross where Thou hast died;
Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer blessed Lord,
To Thy precious, bleeding side.
Oh, the pure delight of a single hour
That before Thy throne I spend,
When I kneel in prayer, and with Thee, my God
I commune as friend with friend!
Refrain:
Draw me nearer, nearer blessed Lord,
To the cross where Thou hast died;
Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer blessed Lord,
To Thy precious, bleeding side.
There are depths of love that I cannot know
Till I cross the narrow sea;
There are heights of joy that I may not reach
Till I rest in peace with Thee.
Refrain:
Draw me nearer, nearer blessed Lord,
To the cross where Thou hast died;
Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer blessed Lord,
To Thy precious, bleeding side.
To access Draw Me Nearer, this week’s inspirational video from GloryScapes™ Christian Music Hymns & Songs, please go to: http://www.gloryscapes.com/drawmenearer/ 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 | Sep 9, 2015 | Luke
Luke 12:19-20
“And I will say to my soul, ‘Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.’ But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’”
From time to time I see an advertisement for a product to boost your health. (We all need that, don’t we?). In the ad a woman is walking toward the camera and says; “I’m in my 60’s and I have many good years left to live.”
That may sound well in an advertisement, but it is not necessarily true. We have no idea how many years, months, weeks, days, or even hours we have left to live. Isn’t that a sobering thought!
There is a poem written by C.T. Studd, Only One Life, that has one line that many of us have heard so many times we are sure it is from the Bible; “Only one life, ’twill soon be past, only what’s done for Christ will last.” The rest of that verse goes like this; “And when I am dying, how happy I’ll be, if the lamp of my life has been burned out for Thee.”
We may not know the length of our days, but I praise God we can know that there is an eternity with Jesus waiting for us. What a joy it will be when we will join the believers of all ages—for eternity!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jul 10, 2015 | Luke
Luke 24:29
“But they constrained Him, saying, ‘Abide with us: for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent.’ And He went in to tarry with them”
There are days when it seems we have more need for the Lord abide with us. July 10th is one of those days for me. It was on July 10, 1952 that Joyce Elaine Harper became Mrs. Cecil Adrain Thompson. If you are counting, that was 63 years ago. My precious wife is not with me to celebrate our anniversary this year since she went to be with the Lord on January 13th of this year.
In 1991 it was just one day after our anniversary, July 11th that our dear daughter Brenda Joy made her journey to be with the Lord. I know they are rejoicing in the presence of our Jesus right now, but for those of us who are left behind, (for this old pastor), there is a need for the Lord to abide with us. I want the words of this old hymn to be our prayer and bring comfort.
Abide With Me
Abide with me—fast falls the eventide;
The darkness deepens—Lord, with me abide;
When other helpers fail and comforts flee,
Help of the helpless, O abide with me!
Swift to its close ebbs out life’s little day;
Earth’s joys grow dim, its glories pass away;
Change and decay in all around I see;
O Thou who changest not, abide with me!
I need Thy presence every passing hour;
What but Thy grace can foil the tempter’s power?
Who like Thyself my guide and stay can be?
Through cloud and sunshine, O abide with me.
Hold Thou Thy word before my closing eyes,
Shine thru the gloom and point me to the skies;
Heaven’s morning breaks and earth’s vain shadows flee
In life, in death, O Lord, abide with me!
Enjoy this week’s free inspirational video from Gloryscapes.com. To access Abide With Me, this free inspirational video from GloryScapes™, please go to:http://www.gloryscapes.com/abidewithme/
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Apr 3, 2015 | Luke
Luke 24:2-6
“They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, ‘Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; He has risen!”
Alfred Ackley was a Baptist pastor who had two dramatic incidents in his life that led him to write our hymn for this week. He had been conducting an evangelistic service back in 1932 when a young Jewish man threw this question at him; “Why should I worship a dead Jew?”
Then early on Resurrection Sunday morning as he was preparing for the day he listened to the radio. A famous liberal preacher made this statement; “Good morning—it’s Easter! You know folks, it really doesn’t make any difference to me if Christ be risen or not. As far as I am concerned, His body could be dust in some Palestinian tomb. The main truth is, His truth goes marching on!”
Alfred screamed out at the radio, “It’s a lie!” His wife was startled and wanted to know why he was so upset. Following the service that morning his wife prompted him to write a hymn and express his thoughts. He wrote this wonderful hymn.
HE LIVES!
I serve a risen Savior, He’s in the world today;
I know that He is living whatever men may say;
I see His hand of mercy, I hear His voice of cheer,
And just the time I need Him, He’s always near.
Refrain: He lives, He lives, Christ Jesus lives today!
He walks with me and talks with me along life’s narrow way.
He lives, He lives, Salvation to impart!
You ask me how I know He lives? He lives within my heart.
In all the world around me I see His loving care,
And tho’ my heart grows weary I never will despair;
I know that He is leading thro’ all the stormy blast,
The day of His appearing will come at last.
Refrain: He lives, He lives, Christ Jesus lives today!
He walks with me and talks with me along life’s narrow way.
He lives, He lives, Salvation to impart!
You ask me how I know He lives? He lives within my heart.
Rejoice, rejoice, O Christian, lift up your voice and sing
Eternal hallelujahs to Jesus Christ the King!
The hope of all who seek Him, the help of all who find,
None other is so loving, so good and kind.
Refrain: He lives, He lives, Christ Jesus lives today!
He walks with me and talks with me along life’s narrow way.
He lives, He lives, Salvation to impart!
You ask me how I know He lives? He lives within my heart.
Aren’t you glad we serve a risen Savior? Our God is not dead, HE LIVES!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Mar 26, 2015 | Luke
Luke 21:2-3
“For I also am a man placed under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”
Throughout my life I have been in positions of authority. Watching actual police programs on TV we see offenders blaming the officers who arrest them instead of admitting they were in the wrong and submitting to authority. I once served as a police officer and met people who became agitated and belligerent when they were confronted. It was evident that they had just been guilty of some type of violation, but they refused to be responsible for their actions.
In each of the positions of authority I came under the authority of someone who was above me. Authority comes as a result of being assigned to a position of authority and not entirely based upon merit. Each authority figure has someone who is in authority above them. They in turn have someone they answered to and up the chain of command it progresses. Societies experience chaos and disintegration when people demand to do their own thing without regard to the consequences.
More and more, we observe people in this old sin-sick world that detest any form of authority. They rebel and protest in order to reject the rules of the society of which they are a part. The rejection of authority is anarchy. That is not good!
The final authority is God! Every human authority will one day stand facing the Judge of all the earth. Our failure to recognize and submit to His authority has eternal consequences. I for one do not want to have my own way when it comes to the will of God. I choose to allow Him to be my final authority.
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
