by Pastor Cecil | Oct 12, 2016 | Matthew
Matthew 6:33
“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”
This passage of Scripture is part of the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus has just given what we have come to know as the Beatitudes. He then proceeds to teach about mankind’s everyday needs such as food, clothing, and shelter. Jesus stresses that we can get the wrong priorities in our life if we focus on those issues of life.
So what does the Lord say we are to place the emphasis on? You are correct if you answer the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. When we devote our energy on pleasing God, He will supply our needs.
It is important that the Lord does not say He will supply our wants, but rather the things that are necessary. Paul repeatedly shares how he endured hardships, but the Lord was always with him and allowed the trials to be used as opportunities for sharing the Gospel.
My desire is to devote myself in the days I have left in this life to seek to please God in everything I do. I want to be more of a giver than a taker. I want to burn out brightly for Jesus in all that I do and all that I say.
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Sep 29, 2016 | Matthew
Matthew 6:8
“Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.”
My wife was an amazing person. She was always neat and organized. It seemed to be one of her greatest delights in our home to insure that everything was in its proper place … and then there was me! I was the one who was clutter prone.
Over the 62 years of our marriage, Joyce tried everything to control my clutter. The number of boxes, baskets, and cubbies she bought to help keep my clutter out of sight, or at least manageable, was astounding.
During the last years of Joyce’s life, she was not as concerned about clutter. Since her death in 2015, I have been on my own to control the household clutter and have become aware of a new reality about it. Oftentimes I think I’ll need a particular article later, so I “store” it beside my chair, on my desk, on the floor … you get the picture. Before long I have a mess that needs attention. It’s then I discover that most of my clutter was unnecessary to keep.
There are areas of our lives that may have eternal value, but are they covered up by the clutter we allow to accumulate. When we make the Lord the focus of our life, He alone can bring order out of chaos. He knows what we need and when we will need it!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Sep 26, 2016 | Matthew
Matthew 11:28
“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
Back in 1954 my wife Joyce and I were stranded in a blinding snow storm in the Black Hills of South Dakota. We knew there was a town not too far away, but we grew weary and suffered with the cold.
When it seemed that we could hardly walk further we saw the lights of the small town. There was only one small hotel in the town and with joy and relief we were able to get a room for the night. Not only that, the wife of the hotel manager fixed us a bite to eat since there was no café open at that time of night.
There have been other times since then that I experienced weariness. Not all of them have been from physical exertion. Sometimes the emotional trials of life cause a deeper weariness. The loss of our loved ones creates a heaviness of heart that seems to drag us down.
It is in the weary times of life that we have the blessed assurance that the Lord Himself will carry our load. The only way that will happen is when we come to Him and cast our burden on Him. The longer we hold on to the things that weigh us down more weary and defeated we become. God promises us His rest, but we receive it only when we come to Him. Don’t carry your burden alone!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jul 1, 2016 | 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 fromGloryScapes.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 | Jun 27, 2016 | Matthew
Matthew 22:37
“Jesus said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment.”
Mankind’s natural tendency seems inclined towards always trying to gain something by investing as little as possible. It is like that old story of the young man who was writing a love letter to his sweetheart vowing he would climb the highest mountain for her. He would swim the widest river for her. He would fight a ferocious tiger for her. He closed his letter to the love of his life by promising he would drop by her house on Saturday … “if it’s not raining.” Ooops!
Much too often we exhibit that same trait in our devotion to the Lord. We talk a good talk, but when it comes down to being sold out to the Lord, we don’t walk the talk. In today’s Scripture the Pharisees are trying to find fault in the teachings of Jesus. He was asked which was the greatest commandment? Matthew 22:37 gives His reply.
Let me ask you a very personal question (I am asking it of myself as well). How well are we doing in our response to this greatest commandment of them all? Can we truly say we love the Lord our God with ALL our heart, our soul, and our mind? It is time to look into the mirror of God’s Word and see what He sees.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jun 7, 2016 | Matthew
Matthew 18:5
“Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me.”
I have written about it before, but in the past few hours I had the pleasure of reliving an incident that originally took place over ten years ago. Joyce and I were trying to select a gift for a young girl in our church. Joyce wanted to get her something feminine and sweet, but I suggested a small toy gorilla. Kailey, the young girl, named the little gorilla “Cecil” and has kept it all of these years.
She is now graduating from Community College and, as a gift, I bought her a larger version of little Cecil the gorilla. How would a sophisticated college girl react to the new Cecil? I just returned from meeting Kailey and her mother. The first thing she did was reach out and show me the little gorilla she has kept all these years.
As Kailey opened the gift bag with the larger Cecil, her face lit up like a neon sign. The only thing I could say was that I wished Joyce were still here to share the joy. I am so glad we took the time those many years ago to befriend a little girl who would one day become a lovely young woman who did not think it silly to hang onto a toy that expressed our love. I hope the new “Big Cecil” also stays with her for a long time!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
