by Pastor Cecil | Jun 12, 2017 | Matthew
Matthew 11:6
“The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.”
Some dear friends of mine own a cabin in a small community on the Pacific coast. They are very generous in allowing others to use the cabin to rest, relax, and restore themselves.
Recently the owner was doing some clean-up after a few families had used the cabin. As she was sweeping out under one of the bunks, she noticed a note that had been left behind. It actually was a letter to God written by a young seven-year-old girl.
I do not have a copy of the letter, but in essence it read: “Dear God, please help me be nicer to people especially my friends and my mom. I hope you can make this be true. Please watch me at school. Love, xxxxxx.”
The simplicity and openness of this letter must have touched the heart of God. There are those who try to impress by high-sounding words, but God hears the honest prayers of a sincere heart. I want that to exemplify my prayers!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jun 8, 2017 | Matthew
Matthew 5:8
“Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.”
Recently I opened the refrigerator door and happened to notice a bottle of tomato juice. On the label I read words I had not noticed before; 100% Pure Juice. I was intrigued by those words. It made me wonder what the statement implied. Just what could be added to cause it not to be 100% pure? WATER!
Water is wonderful stuff and necessary to sustain life. It can also be used to dilute otherwise 100% pure substances – – like tomato juice. What is essential to sustain life can also detract from the pure essence.
We are called by God to be pure in heart. In fact we are given a promise that the pure in heart shall see God. In John 11:26 Jesus reminds us that those of us who truly believe in Him unto salvation will never die. What a comforting assurance to know that when we breathe our last breath here on earth, our next breath will be celestial, 100% pure and crystal clear.
Are there things added to our life that causes a dilution of God’s spiritual will for us? Are we tempted by the things of the world to get our eyes off the prize of the high calling in Christ Jesus? Let’s keep ourselves 100% pure!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | May 5, 2017 | Matthew
Matthew 6:27
“Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.”
True Christian character is certainly seen in our biblical heroes, but it may often be seen in those of more recent times. Hope is a character quality that looks beyond our immediate circumstances and shows what we as believers have waiting for us.
In the Sweet By and By is one of the most enduring songs written after the Civil War. It was composed by Sanford Bennett who was the owner of a drugstore in Elkhorn, Wisconsin. He had just returned from the war. A friend, Joseph Webster, a gifted musician trained formally in composition, came to the store each day to talk and play chess. Often Webster would be depressed and down.
When asked what was wrong, Webster would often reply; “It will be alright by and by.” That idea hit Bennett like a flash of sunlight! As Bennett later described the incident, he took out a pen and it was all over in thirty minutes. A new hymn was born. In short order he was singing the words along with Webster and two other friends. That hymn was perfect for the post-Civil War era because it conveyed pathos with a mixture of comforting warmth. It came to typify the virtues of spiritual hope.
Sweet By and By
There’s a land that is fairer than day,
And by faith we can see it afar;
For the Father waits over the way,
To prepare us a dwelling place there.
Chorus: In the sweet by and by,
We shall meet on that beautiful shore;
In the sweet by and by
We shall meet on that beautiful shore.
We shall sing on that beautiful shore,
The melodious songs of the blest;
And our spirits shall sorrow no more,
Not a sigh for the blessing of rest.
Chorus: In the sweet by and by,
We shall meet on that beautiful shore;
In the sweet by and by
We shall meet on that beautiful shore.
To our bountiful Father above,
We will offer our tribute of praise,
For the glorious gift of His love,
And the blessings that hallow our days.
Chorus: In the sweet by and by,
We shall meet on that beautiful shore;
In the sweet by and by
We shall meet on that beautiful shore.
To access Sweet By and By, this week’s inspirational video from GloryScapes.com, please go to: http://www.gloryscapes.com/sweetbyandby in your browser or click on the image below.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Apr 3, 2017 | Matthew
Matthew 17:19
“- – – if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.”
What is the most difficult thing you are facing in your life right now? What task or tribulation is so great you feel like it is ready to flatten you out? Who is looming over you ready to do you harm? What mountain threatens to collapse on you?
Faith is not measured by the bushel, but by the seed. Let me repeat that again: Faith is not measured by the bushel, but by the seed. All God asks of us is a tiny seed of faith and He steps in to do the miracle we need.
The Lord is eager to bless those who open their hearts to His blessing. We sometimes feel that the challenges we face are too great for God to handle. That is a lot of baloney! Nothing is impossible with God! Even the disciples of Jesus felt they were not up to the task of working miracles.
Before we are too critical of these disciples, what about the situations in our lives? Do we have mustard-seed size faith to turn our problems into the opportunities for God to bring about His deliverance? Are we committed to trust in His strength and wisdom rather than trying to do things ourselves? By faith we can say: Pass the mustard, please!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Mar 27, 2017 | Matthew
Matthew 5:16
“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”
I can recall way back when I was a small boy singing a sweet little song called “This Little Light of Mine.” As we sang the lyrics we would hold up one finger like it was a candle, protecting it to make sure that Satan could not blow it out and extinguish our light.
Our own children sang that same song, but I’m not sure if children today still sing it. If not, they should. Not only do the children need to sing it, but we adults need to sing that song as well. The darker the night of sin around us, the more important it is that we have the light of Jesus to penetrate the darkness.
Sometimes we feel like the sin surrounding us is so dark that our single light will not make a difference, which reminds me of a tour my family once took at Carlsbad Caverns. Once inside the cavern, our guide extinguished all the lights and we were suddenly enveloped by impenetrable darkness. As I recall, he turned on a single flashlight and it seemed as though the entire cavern was filled with light. Just one little flashlight transformed that thick darkness into light.
Each of us has the opportunity of bringing light to the dark world in which we live. It is a choice that we make whether we will allow our light to shine or whether we will be overcome by the darkness. We need to choose to live our life in such a way that our light will shine brightly. It may be small … but it can change the world!
Blessings dear hearts!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Mar 14, 2017 | Matthew
Matthew 5:16
“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”
Today, March 14, (3/14), is Pi day. Pi is defined as the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter— which is approximately 3.14159. You certainly cannot prove that by me. I always struggled with math and must rely on this definition.
The thing that I celebrate on 3/14 is my birthday. That’s right … I have arrived at another milestone in my life as I celebrate my 83rd birthday. Looking back over the years of my life I am so thankful that I received Christ as my personal Savior as a young boy, and I have loved Him through these many years.
There is a poem by missionary C.T. Studd that is so familiar many people think that it comes from the Bible. These words are repeated in each stanza of the poem: “Only one life,’twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.”
The truth in that statement is deep and profound. When we weigh the fleeting pleasures of this life against the reality of eternity, we discover that all the things that people waste their efforts on will pass away. Only the things we do for Christ will echo down the ages of time when we are all gathered in God’s eternal kingdom!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
