by Pastor Cecil | Apr 19, 2018 | Luke
Luke 15:30
“But as soon as this son of yours came, who has devoured your livelihood with harlots, you killed the fatted calf for him.”
When Jesus gave the parable of the lost son, I think we naturally assume the lost son was the younger brother who left and went into a far country where he hit rock bottom. We need to remember that Jesus gave the parable in Luke 15 to refute the accusations against Jesus of receiving sinners and eating with them.
I think we have all been thrilled to read of how the younger brother came to his senses when he hit rock bottom in that far country and returned to his father’s house prepared to be a servant, not even a son.
The story we often miss is that of the older brother. He was away from his father’s house as well. It was not in a far country, but in his mind he was just as much in a far country as his young brother. Notice that he accuses his brother of spending his money on harlots. Beep! There was no way he had knowledge of what his brother was doing. Because of the distance there was no communication. This older brother must have been fantasizing about these illicit delights. THAT IS SIN!
The sad thing is that there was never any indication that the older brother saw his need of his father’s love and restoration. He refused his father’s plea to come into the house and rejoice. Which brother do you identify with? I want to be like the younger brother!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Apr 6, 2018 | 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 children, spouses and others on their side. This son and his family were on one side of the aisle and his sister and her family on the other side. I had prayed for just the right words. I just started reading a Scripture. To this day cannot recall what I used. I had just finished reading 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, go to: http://www.gloryscapes.com/drawmenearer/
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Apr 4, 2018 | Luke
Luke 19:45
“Then He went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in it”
There have been a few times in my life when I was so dirty I looked like a dust ball. This was after spending hours on a mower or plow. It was a sheer delight to step into a shower and wash away the accumulated dirt and grime.
In the week of His crucifixion, Jesus exposed the sins of the leaders. The religious hierarchy had departed far from God’s demand for holiness. Jesus saw that they had violated the sanctity of the temple by allowing commercial enterprises to exist in a place they should have kept holy. They compromised in order to profit financially. They may have justified their actions by claiming that allowing peddlers in the temple was just to make it easy for the pilgrims to be able to sacrifice. Jesus was not deceived!
As I read today’s Scripture I am struck with the reality that anytime Jesus comes into our life, He wants to cleanse us. He will not tolerate our feeble excuses for allowing sin to contaminate us. He is the only One who can clean us completely.
How does Jesus go about cleansing the sin in our life? 1 John 1:9: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Is there sin in your life that needs to be cleansed? Read this verse and then obey it!!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Mar 29, 2018 | Luke
Luke 12:56
“Hypocrites! You can discern the face of the sky and of the earth, but how is it you do not discern this time?”
I really enjoy watching the weather channel. It is amazing to see the eye of a hurricane or typhoon from outer space. Modern technology is able to predict the paths of storms long before they actually arrive. On the ground there are teams of weather trackers attempting to study and predict the weather live.
Jesus seems to have something of this in mind when He spoke about people knowing how to predict weather patterns but failing to understand what is happening in fulfillment of the prophecy given in God’s Word.
In Matthew 24, Jesus gives us over twenty signs that mark His second coming. If you go there and read that chapter you will see a description of what is happening in our world at the present time. If you are feeling overwhelmed in your walk with the Lord, there is hope and comfort in knowing that the time is near.
So what does this mean for us? It means that there is a lost and dying world around us facing an eternity in hell unless they repent and accept Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. As we view the signs around us we must be faithful to rescue the perishing while there is time.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Mar 23, 2018 | 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 children, spouses and others on their side. This son and his family were on one side of the aisle and his sister and her family on the other side. I had prayed for just the right words. I just started reading a Scripture. To this day cannot recall what I used. I had just finished reading 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, go to: http://www.gloryscapes.com/drawmenearer/
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Feb 9, 2018 | 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”
If you knew that you were very near the end of your life, what would you write? The author of this week’s hymn, Henry F. Lyle, was preaching his final sermon to the small congregation he had served for over 20 years. He was so weak that he had to be helped to the pulpit.
He encouraged his parishioners to rely on the Savior who loved them enough to die for them. His prayer, reflected in this hymn, is a prayer that each of us can breathe when we approach the valley of death.
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.com, please go to: http://www.gloryscapes.com/abidewithme/
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
—Pastor Cecil
