by Pastor Cecil | Feb 12, 2019 | Luke
Luke 16:10
“He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much.”
I enjoy cooking in cast iron utensils. Just about every time I use a skillet or Dutch oven, I think about the old chuck wagons that became the nerve center of every cattle drive that traveled across the plains states in the early days.
The cook who operated the chuck wagon was not on the lowest rung of the ladder. Actually, he was the highest paid man on the cattle drives and had total authority over his domain. Before retiring each night, he would point the tongue of his wagon toward the North Star. This would give the drive master the direction he needed to keep on course.
The cook would arise about 3:00 a.m. each morning to get his sourdough biscuits rising, the coffee brewing and bacon frying. He operated on less sleep than the rest of the men, so his job was not an enviable position. His rattling pans were the alarm clock for the rest of the hands to get ready for the day. He was often called upon to settle disputes among the cowboys.
God has called some to be a “cook” to those we serve. Many times it means that we must go without sleep and work harder than others that we lead. Our reward will not come until the “drive” is completed, and we hear the words, “Well done, good and faithful Cook!”
Blessings dear hearts! Walk with God today and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Dec 24, 2018 | Luke
Luke 2:13-14
“And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!’”
It is difficult to live in peace when our world is in chaos and strife on every hand. Even within the church of Jesus Christ there are factions that war against each other. If you have ever been involved in a conflict with other Christians, you know that it seems like a no-win situation.
Many times we encounter disruptive people in our churches that become the source of continuous conflicts. We pray for the Lord to sweeten them up, but at times I feel that God leaves them there so we can learn to rely more on Him than on the reactions of those around us.
It is worth our time to look in the mirror of God’s Word to determine if we are a blessing or a burden to others. Would Jesus be pleased at the way we interact with our fellowman? As we anticipate the remembrance and celebration of His birth, are we living in the joy of the anticipation of the coming King of kings and Lord of lords?
One of the best ways to welcome Christmas day tomorrow is to kneel before Him right now and invite Him to take control of every area of your life without reservation. There was no room for Him at the inn, but you can welcome Him into your heart!
Blessings dear hearts. May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Dec 21, 2018 | Luke
Luke 2:8-10
“Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.’”
Several years ago our church had finished a wonderful Christmas Eve service. Earlier there had been candles placed inside white lunch bags that lined the driveway leading to the church.
My wife Joyce and I had volunteered to extinguish the candles after everyone had left. It had snowed a few days earlier and there were still a few inches on the ground. The temperature was below freezing when we crunched through the snow to the far end of the driveway. It was so quiet and beautiful that we were moved in our spirit with the beauty of God’s creation and the carol Silent Night.
The words of this well loved carol were written in 1818 by Josef Mohr after he had seen a play about the birth of Jesus. He was in a reflective mood and walked to a hill overlooking his village in the Austrian Alps. The view of the snow covered village reminded him of a poem he had written a few years earlier. The poem was about the night the angel announced the birth of Jesus.
The next day he took the words of his poem to Franz Gruber, who had just composed a melody. He re-worked the melody to match the words to the poem Mohr written. Our beloved carol, “Silent Night” was born.
Silent Night
Silent night, holy night
All is calm, all is bright
Round yon Virgin Mother and Child
Holy Infant so tender and mild
Sleep in heavenly peace
Sleep in heavenly peace
Silent night, holy night!
Shepherds quake at the sight
Glories stream from heaven afar
Heavenly hosts sing Alleluia!
Christ, the Savior is born
Christ, the Savior is born
Silent night, holy night
Son of God, love’s pure light
Radiant beams from Thy holy face
With the dawn of redeeming grace
Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth
Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth
Enjoy this week’s free inspirational video, “Silent Night” from Gloryscapes.com by going to: http://www.gloryscapes.com/silentnight/
Blessings dear hearts. May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Dec 7, 2018 | Luke
Luke 2:15
“When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.'”
The beloved Carol “O Come, All Ye Faithful” was originally written in Latin (Adeste Fideles). The words were written by an Englishman, John Wade who had originally intended it as a hymn.
The music to “O Come, All Ye Faithful” was composed by fellow Englishman John Reading in the early 1700s. In 1841, Rev. Frederick Oakley revised the lyrics of “Adeste Fideles.”
While it would be an appropriate hymn at any time of the year, it has become a cherished Christmas Carol. Let us all come and adore, Christ the Lord.
O Come, All Ye Faithful
Oh Come All Ye Faithful
Joyful and triumphant,
Oh come ye, Oh come ye to Bethlehem.
Come and behold Him,
Born the King of Angels
Oh come, let us adore Him,
Oh come, let us adore Him,
Oh come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.
Oh Sing, choirs of angels,
Sing in exultation,
Sing all that hear in heaven God’s holy word.
Give to our Father glory in the Highest;
Oh come, let us adore Him,
Oh come, let us adore Him,
Oh come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.
All Hail Lord, we greet Thee,
Born this happy morning,
Oh Jesus for evermore be Thy name adored.
Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing;
Oh come, let us adore Him,
Oh come, let us adore Him,
Oh come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.
Enjoy this week’s free inspirational video, “O Come, All Ye Faithful” from Gloryscapes.com by going to: http://www.gloryscapes.com/ocomeallyefaithful/
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Dec 3, 2018 | Luke
Luke 17:3
“Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him.”
If you are like me, there are times an old familiar song pops into your head and replays itself over and over. In the past day or so I have relived that experience (again). The song this time is one that Bing Crosby sang many years ago as he reminisced;You Are Easy to Remember, But So Hard to Forget; about a sweetheart that was gone but not forgotten.
As I have thought about the lyrics to the song I have been reminded of how difficult it is for some people to forgive. We can remember the offense against us (that is the easy part) — forgetting the offense is the hard part.
Across the years I have been called upon to counsel many people who deal with the issue of forgiveness. They may say they have forgiven, but at the same time their behavior reveals that their thought life centers on the way they were mistreated by the other party.
I have come to realize that the only reasonable way of dealing with our inability to forget the transgressions of others is to focus on our own. Rather than digging our heels in and demanding recompense from the more guilty party, we must rememberour own sins. We need to be QUICK TO FORGIVE!
Blessings dear hearts! May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Oct 15, 2018 | Luke
Luke 17:3-4
“Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, ‘I repent,’ you shall forgive him.”
If you are like me, there are times when a song pops into your head and it seems that you go over and over it. In the past day or so I have had that experience. The song is one that Bing Crosby sang many years ago — Easy to Remember, But So Hard to Forget referred to a sweetheart that was gone but not forgotten.
As I have thought about the words, I have been reminded how difficult it is for some people to forgive. The easy part is remembering the offense against us — forgetting the offense is the hard part.
Across the years I have been called upon to counsel many people dealing with the issue of forgiveness. They may say they have forgiven the offender, but at the same time their actions reveal that their thought life continually dwells on the way they were treated by the other party.
I have come to realize that the only reasonable way of dealing with our inability to forget the offenses of others is to focus on our own. Imagine a situation where another person is guilty of 85 percent and we are guilty of 15 percent. We must remember our own transgressions and ask the Lord to show us how to forget our hurt.
May God richly bless you as you by your words and actions!
– – Pastor Cecil
