by Pastor Cecil | Apr 18, 2016 | Matthew
Matthew 24:35
“Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.”
In my mind’s eye I recall our family gathered around the dinner table. All three kids are still at home and we are enjoying a sweet time of sharing. Across the table from me is Joyce, my precious wife. To her right is our oldest daughter, Brenda. Next to Brenda and to my right is our youngest daughter, Lori. On my left and to the right of Joyce is our son, Dan. It is a wonderful picture … but it did not last.
In the blink of an eye it seems, the kids marry and leave home. Grandbabies are born and illness takes my dear daughter. Brenda and my precious Joyce have both slipped the bonds of this earth and soared into Paradise. I will never be able to sit around the table with them on this earth, but oh how I look forward to that day when I will not only see them but all of my loved ones. More than that, I will see the Savior who loved me enough to die for me.
C.T. Studd lived from 1860 to 1931. He composed a poem that is now so familiar that many think it is from Scripture. Here is a verse from that poem: “Only one life, ’twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last. And when I am dying, how happy I’ll be, If the lamp of my life has been burned out for Thee.” That is the moment in time I fervently anticipate! What a day of rejoicing that will be!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Mar 17, 2016 | Matthew
Matthew 25:21
“His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’”
Around 1900, my grandpa Shubert came to this country from Germany. He was only in his teens at the time. Eventually, he ended up in the panhandle of Oklahoma battling the harsh realities of the dust bowl era and was one of the few who became successful. He became one of my heroes.
When I was working as Deputy Director of the Idaho Law Enforcement Planning Commission, Grandpa came for a visit. After introducing him around my office, and even introducing him to the Governor, Grandpa looked me in the eye and in his broken English said, “I proud of you!”
There was another day when my dad and I were traveling along a beautiful Idaho river and he said almost the same words that Grandpa had used. Those two men were my earthly examples of what a man of God should be. I was humbled!
As much as the words of my grandpa and dad meant to me, I long to hear the words that will be so much greater that they can never be measured. I want to hear my Savior say, “Well done, good and faithful servant!”
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Feb 10, 2016 | Matthew
Matthew 26:38
“Then He said to them, ‘My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me.’”
In yesterday’s Blessings From the Heart I used the title “GO!” — so it may sound a little contrary to select the title “STAY!” for today. It appears the two terms are opposed to each other, but even a casual study will reveal that is not the case.
If we go in our own strength and with our own wisdom we will be doomed to fall short of God’s plan and purpose for our life. Jesus was facing the ordeal of the cross and called His disciples to stay with Him and watch. Instead, they allowed their own weariness to supersede His invitation.
Before we reach out and impact the world for Jesus, we need to stay close by His side. The disciples had been by the side of their Master for several years. They had even been able to perform miracles when He sent them out two by two. But now, as always, He needed them to stay close to Him.
It is time to commit ourselves to staying close to the Lord. There is nothing we can do in our own strength that will last for eternity. The fact of the matter is that when we do things in our own strength, it leads to pride of self rather than glory to the Lord. I want to stay close to Him every moment of every day so I will be useful to Him.
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Feb 9, 2016 | Matthew
Matthew 28:18-20
“And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, ‘All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’ Amen.”
When I was growing up, one of my parents would tell me to go and do something. It may have been to go to the store, go mow the lawn, or go do my homework. What it did not mean was to stay.
Somewhere along the line we have concluded that we can do the work of the Lord by having people come to us. We have changed the understanding of the great commission to having people come from all the nations so that we can make disciples of them. But that is not what it says!
We can go in many different ways. My wife Joyce had a wonderful ministry of discipleship by sending cards. I often felt she was far more effective than I was. The Holy Spirit would direct her about the card to send, the person to send it to, and the message she was to impart. In her own way Joyce was “going” to make disciples.
God may be calling you to go as a missionary, a teacher, a preacher, or some other full-time Christian vocation, but we are all called to make disciples. Ask the Lord to show you how you can fulfill the great commission.
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Feb 4, 2016 | 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.”
Do you ever get weary? If you are honest, I am sure that you would respond in the affirmative to that question. These bodies of ours are amazing, but at some point we feel fatigue set in and we need rest.
There have been times in my life when I was so tired that I felt as if I could not move one more step. I recall a time many years ago when I felt that way. It was at that moment that the Lord seemed to draw me near to Him in a new way.
Physically, I certainly did not feel inclined to respond in a positive way. But I am so glad I did. It was a new step to discover a deeper walk with the Lord. He taught me a lesson I have carried with me all these years. When we come to Him and take up His yoke, we feel strength we never felt before.
If you are at that point in your life right now, I want to encourage you to take the step of faith in forgetting all of your aches, pains, and weariness. Say “yes” to the Lord in any and everything He is telling you to do. THAT IS BEING YOKED WITH HIM!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jan 29, 2016 | Matthew
Matthew 28:19-20
“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.”
I was born in 1934 to a humble working class family in the United States. One hundred years earlier, Katherine Hankey was born to a wealthy family in England. Katherine found great joy in sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ with others. She conducted Bible studies all over the city of London.
At age 30, Katherine experienced medical problems that prevented her from leading her Bible studies for one year. It was during that year of rehabilitation that she wrote a long poem about her Jesus. The last part of her poem contains the words of this week’s hymn. The music was composed by William Fisher.
I LOVE TO TELL THE STORY
I love to tell the story of unseen things above,
Of Jesus and His glory, of Jesus and His love;
I love to tell the story, because I know ’tis true,
It satisfies my longings as nothing else would do.
Refrain: I love to tell the story, ’Twill be my theme in glory,
To tell the old, old story, of Jesus and His love.
I love to tell the story, more wonderful it seems
Than all the golden fancies of all our golden dreams;
I love to tell the story, it did so much for me,
And that is just the reason I tell it now to thee.
Refrain: I love to tell the story, ’Twill be my theme in glory,
To tell the old, old story, of Jesus and His love.
I love to tell the story, ’tis pleasant to repeat,
What seems each time I tell it more wonderfully sweet;
I love to tell the story, for some have never heard
The message of salvation from God’s own holy Word.
Refrain: I love to tell the story, ’Twill be my theme in glory,
To tell the old, old story, of Jesus and His love.
I love to tell the story, for those who know it best
Seem hungering and thirsting to hear it like the rest;
And when in scenes of glory I sing the new, new song,
’Twill be the old, old story that I have loved so long.
Refrain: I love to tell the story, ’Twill be my theme in glory,
To tell the old, old story, of Jesus and His love.
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
