by Pastor Cecil | Aug 9, 2019 | 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 is 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.
Enjoy this free inspirational video from Gloryscapes.com by going to: http://gloryscapes.com/sweetbyandby/
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jul 22, 2019 | Matthew
Matthew 14:29-30
“So He said, ‘Come.’ And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, ‘Lord, save me!’”
Many people have been critical of the Apostle Peter because he started to sink as he was walking on the water toward Jesus. Let me ask you a few questions: How many other disciples got out of the boat to take a single step? How many people since that day have walked on water (not counting ice)?
What invitation or invitations has the Lord extended to you and me that require getting out of our “boat of comfort” in order to walk along beside Him? When we do respond to the Lord’s call, how often do we take our eyes off of Him?
The Lord calls us to come to Him, and as long as we obey and keep our eyes on Him as we walk, all will be well. The moment we take our eyes off of the Lord and focus on the threatening waves around us we will start to sink.
God calls us to simply come to Him and abide with Him one step at a time. The important thing is not the size of the waves around us, but the power of our Savior and Lord who is the Master of all of our storms of life.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jul 16, 2019 | Matthew
Matthew 6:14
“For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.”
Forgiveness is something that is much easier to talk about than putting into practice. All of us are perfect and it is so hard to forgive those around us who take advantage of our perfection.
RIGHT! Give me a break! We are not perfect and much of the time we have done something that creates the situation that causes the other person to hurt us, or take advantage of us, or not meet our needs.
I heard the story many years ago about a man that had been unfaithful to his wife. He was caught in his indiscretion and although his wife took him back she made his life miserable from that point on. She did many mean and nasty things to him and always reminded him that it was just pay back and dug her spurs in even harder.
Sometime later the wife developed a serious medical problem. Her husband stayed close beside her and nursed her back to health. After she had recovered, she called her husband to her side and told him that he had paid his price and that she would now forgive him. He told her that she had not forgiven him — he earned it!
FORGIVENESS IS ONLY POSSIBLE WHEN THE PERSON BEING FORGIVEN DOES NOT DESERVE TO BE FORGIVEN!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jun 26, 2019 | Matthew
Matthew 5:11-12
“Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
I think it would be safe to say that most of us are whiners rather than winners. We cry like babies when someone steps on our spiritual toes. The words Jesus speaks in the Beatitudes stand as a sharp contrast to that way of thinking.
To be honest, none of us enjoy painful experiences. We do everything we can to negate the pangs of pain, but let’s face it — there are times when pain is unavoidable and we have to deal with it. That is when spiritual living becomes real.
Jesus says that we are to consider times of reviling, persecution, and false accusations for standing strong for His sake as blessings. Wow! What a revolutionary thought! It is a clarion call to true discipleship. Amazingly, Jesus tells us to REJOICE!
The spiritual justification Jesus gives for this revolutionary reaction is that our reward is not necessarily on this earth, but awaits us in heaven. Secondly, it helps us to identify with the prophets of old who endured with courage and determination. It says to me that we are to EMBRACE PERSECUTION when it comes our way!
Blessings dear hearts. May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | May 16, 2019 | Matthew
Matthew 19:21-22
“Jesus said to him, ‘If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me. But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.”
In today’s Scripture we read a sad story. A young man approached Jesus and asked what good thing he needed to do to inherit eternal life. In questioning him it was determined that this young man was obedient to the Law of Moses and he even loved his neighbor as himself.
In verse 21 Jesus gave him an invitation that could have changed his life. Jesus challenged him to place his priorities in eternal assets instead of temporal assets. If he made the correct choice he would bless people here on earth and gain treasures for eternity. This would not earn salvation but would indicate his trust in Jesus.
Here was an obedient and observant man who prided himself on doing even more than the Law required, yet he went away from Jesus with a sad and heavy heart. His love of worldly possessions robbed him of being a follower of our Lord.
I wonder how long it was before he realized that the puny wealth of worldly goods amount to nothing. It is a question we must ask ourselves and especially in connection with today’s Scripture. Where is our heart of love?
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Apr 17, 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