by Pastor Cecil | May 18, 2017 | Mark
Mark 9:39-40
“But Jesus said, ‘Do not forbid him, for no one who works a miracle in My name can soon afterward speak evil of Me. For he who is not against us is on our side.’”
It is with some trepidation that I broach the topic for the final installment in my series on bullying — the spiritual kind. Yes, it is all too common that we encounter spiritual bullies. Interestingly, even the disciples of Jesus were prone to bully others who were not in their circle.
We often come across groups that display disgraceful conduct toward other believers for petty differences that have nothing to do with eternal salvation. While it is true that our actions must be grounded in God’s Word, the interpretations can often vary.
I once heard of a new pastor that was held in great suspicion and was subject to the wrath of his new congregation. He could not figure out the problem until he spoke with the church janitor. Apparently he was conducting the Lord’s Supper incorrectly. It seems that this new pastor was not touching the radiator first. The people were indignant!
When the perplexed pastor related his problem to the former pastor, the older man just roared with laughter. It seems that a new carpet had once been installed on the platform and it produced static electricity that sometimes caused an electric snap when he passed the cup. To prevent this he would touch the radiator first and had just kept up the habit. It led to a TRADITION that resulted in the congregation bullying the new minister.
Pastor J. Vernon McGee once shared that he held a different view than a fellow minister on the timing of the rapture of the church. Instead of causing bitterness and division, however, each man simply tried to show Biblical support for his particular view. They delighted in a deeper study of the Word to support their stance. He laughed as he said that he was not going to spend his time belittling the other pastor for his view, but on the way up in the rapture he would just say, “I told you so!”
It is important for each of us to examine our behavior toward others. Are we guilty of being spiritual bullies? Do we find ourselves trying to play the role of the Holy Spirit toward others? Remember … NO SPIRITUAL BULLYING ALLOWED!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions and without bullying!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | May 10, 2017 | Mark
Mark 12:27a
“He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living.”
My Grandpa Thompson died when I was just five. I remember attending his graveside service in Camas, Washington. It was some 70 years later that I took my wife Joyce to the cemetery to see if I could find the head marker. Incredibly, I walked directly to it. As I stood there I was aware that he and Grandma, who died several years later, were not actually there. They were with the Lord!
From time to time I walk across the cemetery where my precious wife was laid to rest. As I read the words on the head marker, I see not only her name, date of birth and date of death, but also my name with only my date of birth.
As often as I stand there I am aware that she is more alive than I am. There is no suffering or pain or heartache in the paradise of God. She is more alive than she has ever been. I find myself not sorry for her, but eagerly looking forward to being with her and all of the other Saints who have gone ahead of us.
If you have never personally confessed that you are a sinner and invited Jesus to come into your heart, I invite you to do so right now. Experience that new birth that will insure your head marker will be a reminder for others that you are not here, but with the Lord in the place He has prepared for us.
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Apr 13, 2017 | Mark
Mark 15:3
“And the chief priests accused Him of many things, but He answered nothing.”
During the height of the “Cold War,” David Benson was standing in the center of Red Square with hundreds of Russian Bibles buried in his luggage and sewn into his garments. He was to deliver the Bibles to a Russian believer, but the authorities had unexpectedly relocated that man and David had no idea where he was or how to contact him.
It was at that terrifying place in his life that David Benson took his hands off the situation and said and did nothing in his own strength. As he totally depended on the Lord, he was miraculously taken to meet his contact in another part of Moscow where he had never been. What David was incapable of doing himself, God did for him when he simply trusted.
When it is appropriate, to do nothing IS to do something. Throughout His ministry here on earth our Savior did much and said much, but there were times when He did nothing and said nothing. In so doing, He accomplished His purpose.
Sometimes it seems as if we are compelled to say or do something when all the Lord wants us to do is to do nothing in our own strength — just wait and watch for Him to accomplish His work.
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Sep 14, 2016 | Mark
Mark 16:15
“And He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.’”
The title for today’s E-Votional came about unexpectedly. I was setting up the title line and had deleted previous letters when I noticed that the only letters left were GO! It was like a neon sign giving immediate instruction.
In the military world, when service members are on the parade ground, specific orders are given. The first command is to call the members to attention. If no further command is given, the group is to continue standing rigid at attention.
I have been on those parade grounds and witnessed what happens when members are called to attention but no further commands are given. Some members suddenly collapse. This is because they have kept their legs rigid, cutting off blood supply to the brain.
On the parade ground things begin to move when the command “Forward march!” is given. In our Spiritual life we have the command from our Commander In Chief, Jesus, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel.” Are you responding to His command or are your knees locked?
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Apr 7, 2016 | Mark
Mark 7:8
“For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men—the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do.”
I once heard about a pastor that came to a new church with great expectation. Before long, however, it was clear that the people were not accepting him. A committee was even formed to deal with his incompetence.
Before the committee was scheduled to meet, the pastor asked the janitor of the church if he knew why the people were so upset with him. The janitor was reluctant to say anything, but finally told him it was because of the way he administered the Lord’s Supper — he neglected to touch the radiator before serving.
The young pastor called the former pastor, who roared with laughter and told him that it was all a silly misunderstanding. A few years earlier they had installed new carpeting and it created static electricity that snapped when people were served. In order to prevent this, he would touch the radiator first to get rid of the electricity.
What had been started as a simple act of convenience had taken on spiritual significance. Frequently the enemy of truth is tradition. This is why it is vital to spend time in the Bible to discover God’s Truth rather than man’s tradition.
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Mar 19, 2015 | Mark
Mark 7:21-23
“For from within, out of a person’s heart, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, lustful desires, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness. All these vile things come from within; they are what defile you.”
This is a somewhat delicate subject, but I was recently thinking of some of the things my mother said to me. From what I hear, there are others of you who heard this same admonition from your own mother; “Be sure to wear clean underwear, you may end up in the hospital and what would they think!”
From my experience in the emergency wards they often just cut off all of the garments of a patient and have no time to inspect whether the underwear was clean or not. I think it is still a good idea to be prepared!
There is a spiritual parallel to being prepared with those things not obvious to the eyes of people around us. It is only as we peel off the façade of our outward appearance that the reality of who we are is revealed. Jesus reveals in this passage that all of the evil things imaginable are from within. It is these things which defile us in the sight of God.
We may walk and talk as holy men and women of God. The real question is what lies beneath? Do we have the clean underwear that can only come by a life lived in submission to the will of God and a readiness to confess our sins in order for Him to forgive us and cleanse us. Remember to PUT ON CLEAN UNDERWEAR!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
