by Pastor Cecil | Nov 12, 2012 | Matthew
Matthew 10:34
Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword.
November 11th is celebrated as Armistice Day or Veteran’s Day in several countries. It was established to commemorate the armistice signed between the Allies of World War I and Germany at the cessation of hostilities of World War I. The armistice took effect at eleven o’clock in the morning the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month of 1918.
There was a great celebration around the world to revel in the peace that had finally arrived. It was hoped that this would be a war to end all wars. That was not to be, barely twenty years later in 1939, war again erupted. World War II was to engulf the entire world.
Peace, peace, but there is no peace. Statesmen and rulers have aimed to assure peace in their time, but until the Lord returns to establish His kingdom here on earth, there will always be wars and rumors of wars.
So does that mean we cannot have peace? Absolutely not! The Lord has promised His peace that passes all understanding. In the midst of pain, suffering, strife, and conflict, we can experience peace. I like to call it peace in the midst of the storm. I hope you have found that peace in Jesus Christ our Lord.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Nov 8, 2012 | Matthew
Matthew 6:19-21
Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
It is sad to observe people work themselves into a frenzy trying to amass a nest egg that will provide them with ease and luxury when they retire. The problem is that many work so hard with such singleness of heart that they destroy their closest relationships and many sacrifice those closest to them in their frantic efforts.
From time to time we read about famous and wealthy people who become so despondent when their fortunes slip away that they resort to suicide. The things of this world will always fail to bring the contentment that so many pursue so passionately.
Jesus was well aware of the fickle nature of the human heart. He knew that wealth never brings peace and harmony. Solomon was a classic example of how cheap and hollow the accumulation of worldly riches really is. He seemed to have it all but concluded that it was all vanity.
Jesus teaches us that we are not to devote our efforts to attain the things of this world that will vanish. The Lord will provide us with what we actually need, and when we surrender our will to find and follow His will, we will lay up treasures in heaven that will last for eternity. Treasure in heaven and peace here below.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Oct 26, 2012 | 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.
Jesus did not mince His words when directed His disciples to rejoice and be exceedingly glad. It is sad that many modern Christians fail to follow His words and instead spend the majority of their time complaining and being exceedingly sad.
Over the years I have served in many churches where there were a few of our members who violated this principle of rejoicing and being exceedingly glad. They were always quick to share with any listening ear how heavy was the load they had to carry. It was evident that most folks liked to steer clear of them when possible.
There is an interesting aspect to this passage of Scripture in Matthew chapter 5. The admonition to rejoice and be exceedingly glad is not the result of receiving the things of this world. It is not based upon achieving health, wealth or prestige. Instead it is to be found when we are reviled, persecuted and abused verbally.
Those are times when it is most common to feel sorry for ourselves and whimper away in some corner. I want to assure you that whimpering and whining will never draw others to Christ. When we do that we are acting like the rest of the world. We are called to live differently. That means we are to rejoice and be exceedingly glad in the midst of the storms of life. Are you rejoicing today?
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing to others!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Aug 13, 2012 | Matthew
Matthew 5:11-12
Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
A number of years ago we lived next door to a neighbor who was, what you might call, an old crank. Her husband was a little namby-pamby, but she was just miserable. We tried to do things that would show a spirit of Christ, but she remained hostile.
One day we were returning home and saw her out in front of her house working feverishly on her landscaping. I stopped the car and made a pleasant comment about how nice it looked. It was like I turned on the power to a chainsaw. She lashed out at me that the reason she was doing it was that I had complained about it to the manager.
I was taken back and assured her that I had not said anything to anybody about her yard. She snarled back that I was a liar and a trouble maker. As long as we lived there she remained entrenched in her bitterness toward us. There are times when we will not be able to avoid the adverse reaction of some people. We can be totally innocent yet there will be some who will misunderstand our actions.
I thought about this incident as I was fighting through a problem with the way some of our readers receive weird symbols instead of the proper punctuation marks. I always send the Daily-E-Votionals out correctly, but some of you do not receive them that way.
It is like I am misunderstood. My intent is to have good clean copy, but then I get the feedback that a quotation mark is replaced with something like: +#@&. By the way, if you are one of those readers, please let me know and I may be able to correct it. The best any of us can do is to keep our hearts right with the Lord and our attitudes sweet, regardless of the reaction of people. Please God and love those who are unlovable.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jul 31, 2012 | Matthew
Matthew 28:18-20
Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.
In the middle of the night I was awake and thinking of the day so long ago when I stood, along with several hundred other Officer School graduates, in the middle of the parade ground at Lackland AFB, in San Antonio, Texas. After a long and exhaustive training, we were about to be commissioned as Second Lieutenants in the United States Air Force.
Finally, a high-ranking officer rose and asked us to raise our right hands and repeat after him: I, (state your full name), do solemnly swear or affirm, that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States, against all enemies, foreign and domestic, that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same, and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States, and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice, so help me God.
As we were dismissed, hats were thrown into the air and new gold bars that marked our rank as Second Lieutenants were pinned onto our lapels. For better or worse we were now called upon to obey the commission we had just been given. Ours was not to reason why, ours was just to do or die!
In today’s Scripture we read of the Great Commission that Jesus left for His church. It is imperative that we understand that we are not our own, but are bought with the price of the precious blood of our Savior. To fulfill His commission may lead many of us through deep water and trying circumstances. May we be faithful to His call!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jul 2, 2012 | 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.
Over the years I have had numerous occasions to spend time in Critical Care Units. At times I have been there as a pastor to support family members whose loved ones are in critical condition. At other times it is my own family members who are in jeopardy, and still at other times I have been the patient in need of expert care.
Thinking back over my lifetime of ministry, there have been many more occasions when people have faced spiritually critical emergencies. Various circumstances may have arisen, that brought people to the end of their own human ability to cope.
It is easy to feel callous toward people who have rejected the Lord for year after year and turn to Him only as a last resort. It is clear that the Lord does not feel this way. In our Scripture for today it is very clear that the Lord encourages people to come to Him regardless of the circumstances.
You may be passing through a deep valley in your own life. The world may be collapsing in around you and you feel there is no hope. I can assure you that when we cry out to the Lord He hears us and responds to us. Remember that Jesus says he is gentle and lowly in heart. He is eager to welcome you into His Critical Care Unit to heal the most damaged heart. He loves you so much He died for you!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
