by Pastor Cecil | Dec 25, 2019 | Matthew
Matthew 2:1-2
“Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, ‘Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.’”
God provided a wonderful sign, a star, to guide these wise men to search out the one whose coming had been foretold. When they arrived in Jerusalem they caused concern by asking where they could find the One born “King of the Jews?” The wise men sought Him with such diligence that they found Him! That is still true today. Those who seek to find the Savior will find Him!
But there is that other group that knew about Jesus, the chief priests and the teachers of the law. It is a sad commentary that even though they knew where Jesus was to be born and that the wise men had a sign to guide them they failed to go and look for Him themselves.
Knowing about Jesus is not the same as seeking Him. The wise men found Jesus and worshiped Him. We know they had spiritual leadership that directed them to return home another way and not tell Herod.
When we seek the Lord and find the Lord and worship the Lord, we can rest in the confident assurance that He will lead us in the path we are to follow. The important thing is for us to wait for His voice before we act.
May God richly bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Dec 19, 2019 | Matthew
Matthew 24:35
“Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.”
Not long ago I was watching a program highlighting the significant sights of Paris. One of those stops was the Notre Dame Cathedral. It was awe-inspiring to view the beauty of this majestic building that had stood for some 800 years. Even by television, it was a magnificent sight; but yesterday it was destroyed by fire!
While it may be rebuilt there are certain details and artifacts that can never be replaced. It is a reminder to me that the things of this world will all pass away. It is a certainty! Jesus has given us His words that all of the things that we can see or touch will be destroyed, but His words will never pass away!
That is a reminder to me about what is important in life. What kind of structure am I placing my confidence in? Anything that human hands can create and construct will be destroyed at some time in the future, but His Words can never end.
This being true, what am I spending my time, treasure, and talents to achieve? I want to devote myself more and more to share the truth of God’s indestructible Word with as many people as possible before it is too late.
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Nov 25, 2019 | Matthew
Matthew 5:11
“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.”
I once had a man from my congregation make an appointment to talk with me. He came to our home and we enjoyed a light lunch before going into my office. Out of the clear blue I heard these words: “I hate your guts!” Wow! You could have knocked me over with a feather. Prior to this there did not seem to be any sort of conflict between us, so his statement was an unexpected blow.
With my mind reeling, I prayed silently for God’s wisdom and strength. With as much sincerity as possible I said, “I am so glad that you feel free to share your feelings with me.” From that incident I would like to suggest a few ways to respond to and love the unlovable:
(1) Rely on God’s wisdom in dealing with the person.
(2) Realize that these unlovable people need love—perhaps more than others.
(3) Remember how unlovable our sins are in God’s sight.
(4) Rejoice that we are counted worthy to encounter persecution.
(5) Respond with love rather than retaliate with resentment.
What happened on that Sunday evening so long ago? We spent time together as he poured out his heart. As he was leaving he looked me directly in the eye and said, “Pastor, I love you so much!” Double Wow! That was certainly a dramatic change from the statement he had declared earlier. God is so good!
May God richly bless you by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Sep 30, 2019 | Matthew
Matthew 6:30
“Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?”
Sometimes we take things for granted. By that I mean that we fail to appreciate what blessings we possess. A trivial object may suddenly cease being trivial the moment we lose it. Far greater is the loss of our precious loved ones who slip into eternity.
I was born and raised in the verdant green of the Pacific Northwest, but I have lived in areas of the country where there is more desert than green growth. I always recall arriving in Idaho and experiencing irrigation that transformed the desert landscape into lush green vistas.
We may often feel that we are insignificant in the broad scheme of things. If you feel that way right now I want to encourage you in the Lord. It is not what you consider yourself to be, but what God clothes you to become that matters.
You may simply be just grass in your own eyes, but remember that it is God who clothes the grass of the field. Allow the Lord to adorn you with His beauty and glorious presence – – FROM JUST GRASS TO JUST GLORY!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Sep 2, 2019 | Matthew
Matthew 11:28-30
“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.
Today is celebrated as Labor Day here in the U.S. and Labour Day in Canada. (They hold fast to the British spelling by adding u’s in the oddest places. When I am around my Canadian friends we like to tease each other — EH?)
As we plow through this life we often become weary and worn. This is just as true in spiritual labor as it is in secular work, if not more. We often find ourselves feeling like we are carrying the weight of the world on our shoulders.
In the midst of our weariness we turn to today’s Scripture and at the outset we feel encouraged. Jesus tells us to come to Him and He will give us rest. Then we read the next verse and are told to take His yoke upon us … Wait! That sounds like more work!
The reality is that when we willingly take His yoke upon us to learn from Him, we find that He becomes our burden bearer and our constant helper. It is when we refuse His yoke that we are left to bear our burden alone. That, dear friend, is LABOR!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Aug 22, 2019 | Matthew
Matthew 8:34
“Then the whole town went out to meet Jesus. And when they saw him, they pleaded with him to leave their region.”
Sometimes, when we are rejected by others, we take it as a personal failure. We need to remember that Jesus was rejected over and over even when He performed acts of kindness and blessing.
In today’s Scripture, Jesus had just healed two demon-possessed men who had been forced from society to live in the tombs. Instead of rejoicing at the mighty miracle of restoration that Jesus brought them, the people of Gadara asked Him to leave their region. Wow!
The loving heart of our Master must have been crushed by yet another rejection from those who should have begged Him to stay near and show them the way to victory over the power of sin. They could rejoice over the two demoniacs who had been set free, or they could get ticked off about the pigs that were now floating on the water. I guess they valued their pigs more than their souls.
Sad to say, there will always be more who reject our message of salvation than those who accept it. If people rejected our Master, there will be many who will reject us. Our response must always be love and continued service for the Lord.
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – Pastor Cecil
