by Pastor Cecil | Oct 10, 2017 | Matthew
Matthew 20:34
“So Jesus had compassion and touched their eyes. And immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed Him.”
When I was stationed in Louisiana with the U.S. Air Force we had a near tragic accident involving our daughter Lori. She was playing with several neighbor kids when one of the boys shot a homemade arrow that struck Lori’s eye. A trip to the emergency room confirmed that it was an injury that could cause her to lose sight in that eye.
Following what treatment they could give her in the emergency room, she was sent home and we were told to make sure she remained quiet with a cool cloth over her eye. After a few days we were to return to see just how much permanent damage had been done.
We made a bed on the living room couch for Lori and had soothing Christian music playing (not today’s bing-bang-bong stuff). I am not sure if it was hours or possibly a day later that Lori asked, “Mom, did you touch me?” When Joyce told Lori that she was sitting on the other side of the room reading, Lori said, “But Mom, someone just touched my eye.” A return visit to the doctor revealed that the damaged eye was restored.
What are the hurts in your life that need the touch of the Master’s hand? It may or may not be a physical thing. It may be something that you have not revealed to another person. God’s special touch may be the touch that enables you to endure the thorn in your flesh to affirm that God’s grace is sufficient. Touch me, Lord!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Oct 2, 2017 | Matthew
Matthew 10:29-31
“Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”
Many times we face uncertainty and loss. The things or people we counted upon for our support are not there when we need them. Even when we pray, we feel that the Lord is far from us and does not hear our supplications.
When looking back over the years of my life, I discover that in those times when I felt like I was abandoned and alone, God was the nearest to me. It was not so important that I felt Him, but that I just kept on doing what His Word said; eventually I found that these times of quietness were preparing me for increased service.
The more I search the pages of Scripture, the more I find that God’s people have not been immune to the dark days of disappointment. Joseph, for instance, was treated cruelly by his own brothers. Instead of sulking and feeling sorry for himself, he learned the Egyptian language and became the most valuable servant in Potiphar’s house and also later in the prison. Even as Prime Minister in Egypt he was cut off from his home and family.
When the opportunity finally came for him to bestow vengeance upon his brothers who had sold him into slavery, Joseph realized that his time of tribulation was all God’s plan. All he had to do was live one day at a time. That is easy to say, but hard to do. I want to always practice having Godly courage in my own life!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Sep 25, 2017 | Matthew
Matthew 12:50
“For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother.”
Recently I observed a battle being waged between a mother and her daughter who was about two years old. I think they call them the terrible twos! The stand-off occurred in a public square. The little girl stubbornly sat down and refused to walk with her mother.
The frustrated mother walked about fifteen feet away from her daughter and waited for her to come. The girl threw a fit, but she would only walk one or two steps before sitting down once more.
It was more than five or ten minutes before the little one finally gave in and came to her mother. By that time she was bawling her eyes out and both she and her mother were miserable.
As I have relived that scene, I could see the face of God watching us as we fought for our own will instead of yielding to His will. Just as that little girl could not care for herself, so we are not able to adequately know what lies ahead for us. By yielding our will to His will, we allow the Lord to care for us.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Sep 18, 2017 | Matthew
Matthew 26:39
“He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, ‘O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.’”
Communication with God is something that many of us desire to cultivate. I fear that in my own prayer life I tend to have a list of answers I want the Lord to respond to. If I fail to see those requests answered the way I want I begin to wonder if I have prayed in error.
I recently read an eye-opening view of prayer by John Stott: “Prayer is not a convenient device for imposing our will upon God, or bending His will to ours, but the prescribed way of subordinating our will to His.”
When I read that statement by John Stott, I immediately thought of the prayer Jesus prayed in the garden just before His arrest and crucifixion. Our Savior was committed to the Father’s will above His own.
If Jesus subordinated His own desires to the Father, how much more must you and I submit our own requests to the Lord? We all too often pray for our pain to be eased and our needs met instead of seeking to find how God can use what we are going through for His purpose and glory. I want to learn to pray for His will above my own.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Sep 11, 2017 | Matthew
Matthew 5:44-45
“But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.”
It is mind-boggling to read about the devastating rain that has fallen in areas of south Texas from Hurricane Harvey. Some areas received over three feet of rain. It will take months or even years to recover from the catastrophic damage from the rain.
There are other areas of the world that have suffered equal devastation from the lack of rain. Month after month and year after year the skies remain clear and the earth is parched with no rain to bring life.
Sometimes we experience times of drought in our spiritual life as well. It starts with neglecting the personal time with the Lord and what starts as preoccupation with other things turns into total neglect of spiritual matters.
Are you going through times of spiritual drought or is the lord sprinkling His rain drops of blessing on your life? Remember that God is more interested in bringing you into harmony with Him than you can even imagine!
Blessings dear hearts!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Sep 4, 2017 | 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.”
Today is celebrated as Labor Day here in the U.S. and Labour Day in Canada. (They hold fast to the British spelling by adding u’s in the oddest places. When I am around my Canadian friends we like to tease each other — EH?)
As we plow through this life we often become weary and worn. This is just as true in spiritual labor as it is in secular work, if not more. We often find ourselves feeling like we are carrying the weight of the world on our shoulders.
In the midst of our weariness we turn to today’s Scripture and at the outset we feel encouraged. Jesus tells us to come to Him and He will give us rest. Then we read the next verse and are told to take His yoke upon us … Wait! That sounds like more work!
The reality is that when we willingly take His yoke upon us to learn from Him, we find that He becomes our burden bearer and our constant helper. It is when we refuse His yoke that we are left to bear our burden alone. That, dear friend, is LABOR!
Blessings dear hearts!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil