by Pastor Cecil | Oct 11, 2018 | Luke
Luke 12:6-7
“Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God? But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows.”
Whenever I read today’s Scripture, I have to ask if the hairs of our head are numbered before or after we lose most of them? That is meant to be humorous, but I know that the words are intended to show just how intimately the Lord knows us.
I love birds and enjoy a varied collection of birds that visit the feeders I have for them outside my window. Some of these precious creatures have become accustomed to me and stay close when I fill their feeding stations.
It always bothers me when I hear Christians speak as if the Lord was not aware of the details of their lives. Perhaps our problem is that we lack a proper understanding of God’s Word. From Genesis to Revelation we read of God’s intimate knowledge of us and our surroundings. In Psalm 139 we read: “You are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue You know it completely, O LORD.”
The next time you are tempted to feel alone and abandoned by the Lord, start looking around for the nearest sparrow (or any other bird). The Lord knows that bird by name and cares for it. If He does that, be assured that He will also take care of you.
Blessings dear hearts. May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Aug 10, 2018 | Luke
Luke 15:20
“And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him.”
In the parable of the Prodigal Son the wayward son returned to the home of his father. He did not expect to be received as a son, but was in hopes that he could be employed as a servant.
We know the story of how the father was lovingly anticipating the return of his son. He loved the wayward youth and eagerly met him with love and extravagance. It was not because the boy deserved it, but because he needed. The father was eager to give it to this son who had returned.
Clara Fiske Scott lived from 1841 to 1897 and tragically died after being thrown from a buggy being pulled by a runaway horse. She was a prolific hymn writer, but only this week’s featured hymn is still in circulation. Think of her hymn as it relates to a wayward son who has come home.
Open My Eyes
Open my eyes, that I may see,
glimpses of truth Thou hast for me;
Place in my hands the wonderful key,
that shall unclasp and set me free.
Refrain: Silently now I wait for Thee,
ready my God, Thy will to see.
Open my eyes, illumine me, Spirit divine.
Open my ears, that I may hear,
voices of truth Thou sendest clear;
And while the wave notes fall on my ear,
everything false will disappear.
Refrain: Silently now I wait for Thee,
ready my God, Thy will to see.
Open my eyes, illumine me, Spirit divine.
Open my mouth, and let me bear,
gladly the warm truth everywhere;
Open my heart and let me prepare,
love with Thy children thus to share.
Refrain: Silently now I wait for Thee,
ready my God, Thy will to see.
Open my eyes, illumine me, Spirit divine.
May the words of this hymn become our constant prayer. In the moments when the cares of this world tend to blind us to the mighty power of God unto salvation may our eyes see the open arms of the Savior waiting to receive us home.
To access; Open My Eyes, this week’s inspirational video from please go to: http://gloryscapes.com/openmyeyes/
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jul 19, 2018 | Luke
Luke 11:1
“Now it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, that one of His disciples said to Him, ‘Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.’”
Over 150 years ago, in the mid 1800’s, George Mueller operated orphanages supported totally by prayer and God’s supernatural provision. He was a man of great faith who lived in Bristol, England, and was traveling to Quebec, Canada, for a speaking engagement.
On a Wednesday afternoon, a sea captain was carefully inching his steamer through thick fog off the banks of Newfoundland. The going was slow or at a complete stop. The captain felt someone tap him on the shoulder. As he turned, George Mueller spoke with great conviction, “Captain, I must be in Quebec by Saturday!”
The captain explained that there was simply no way this could be done. He said, “Mr. Mueller, do you realize the density of this fog? There is no way we can make it.” George Mueller replied, “My eye is not on the density of the fog, but on the living God who controls every circumstance of my life.” He explained that he had not missed a speaking engagement in 57 years and that by some means the Lord would make a way.
He asked the Captain to go with him to the chartroom to pray. In the chartroom, George Mueller dropped to his knees and prayed a simple but powerful prayer: “O Lord, if it is consistent with Thy will, please remove this fog in five minutes. You know the engagement You made for me in Quebec on Saturday. I believe it is your will.”
As the captain returned to the bridge, he saw a sight which stunned him and he had never witnessed in his many years on the sea. The fog which would ordinarily linger for days or weeks had disappeared.
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jul 17, 2018 | Luke
Luke 22:31-32
“And the Lord said, ‘Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.’”
The sifting process is a separation of the pure from the impure. The shaking and tossing can cause discomfort and pain, but the object is to have the grain separated from the chaff and husks. The wind (a picture of the Holy Spirit) blows away the “junk” of life and leaves the grain of spiritual truth.
There it is. We need never complain about the times of “sifting” which come into our life. In these times we can keep our eyes upon the Lord and seek to be conformed into His image. We can hasten the process by getting rid of those things in our life which are not the pure grain. We can even pray that God will show us those things which are not right and pure so we can get rid of them ourselves.
Here is a word for those who are being “sifted” at the present time. Do not be discouraged with a sense of failure. Draw near to the Lord and picture yourself as the prodigal son heading back home to the father after his time spent in the pig pens of the world. Just as his father eagerly welcomed the prodigal home, so will our heavenly Father meet us with open arms of love and acceptance.
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | May 31, 2018 | Luke
Luke 11:1
“Now it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, that one of His disciples said to Him, ‘Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.’”
True prayer is not presenting God with a long list of requests and hoping that at least one of them is answered! Rather, it is being in harmony with Him and speaking with Him in confident expectation.
In today’s Scripture, it is evident that John the Baptist had taught his disciples how to pray. Since John preached a message of repentance, it seems reasonable that his instructions for prayer focused on repentance. As the disciples of our Lord listened to His prayers, they must have detected a difference and wanted to know how they should pray. From their request we have the words which we have come to know as the “Lord’s Prayer,” but may be more accurately called the “Disciple’s Prayer.”
All too often people pray with selfish motives. They want to increase health, wealth or wisdom for their own benefit. On the other hand, God desires to meet our needs but also provide extra resources. These resources, however, are not intended for us to provide ourselves with lavish lifestyles. When God opens heaven’s floodgates, He will also open a door of opportunity for us to wisely invest in eternal matters.
“LORD, PLEASE TEACH ME TO PRAY IN FAITH, BELIEVING!”
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | May 14, 2018 | Luke
Luke 9:25
“For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost?“
When our kids were young they enjoyed going to visit Joyce’s parents. Besides enjoying the normal pleasures of grandma’s house there was something special to anticipate. Less than a block away was a small grocery store. Outside the store was a pay phone. As with many pay phones, this one had a coin return. Several times a day the kids would go check the coin return to see if someone had failed to pick up their change. A few coins in their hands that they had “found” made their day.
The owner of the little grocery became very upset and chased them off as often as he saw them. We all wondered why he would be so mean to small children, until one day we happened to notice that he made a practice of going to the pay phone himself to check for “lost” change. He was a bitter man!
In Matthew 19 we learn of a young man that came to Jesus asking about eternal life. He claimed to have kept the commandments and wanted to know what else was required. The Lord told him to go and sell all of his possessions and follow Him. The young man went away sad, for he had great riches. He was unwilling to “lose” the things of this world in order to “find” the greatest of all riches.
Losing our lives for the sake of Christ means we save it for eternity. Hanging on to our selfish ways is a dead-end street, in more ways than one. Daily “losing” ourselves to Christ insures “finding” the new life which is eternal riches.
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
