by Pastor Cecil | Nov 21, 2019 | Philippians
Philippians 4:6-7
“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
At times it seems the chief goal of nations is to find a path to peace. That search continues until one nation becomes stronger than others and then adopts an attitude of dominance rather than seeking peace. To that nation, peace would come as other nations yield to its dominant position.
In all their efforts, neither nations nor individuals find peace in achieving rank or position. In fact, the search for peace more often than not leads to conflict and frustration. More never seems to be enough!
Looking at God’s pattern for attaining peace we find the solution in today’s scripture. It begins with ridding ourselves of anxiety. How do we do that? By bringing all of our requests to the Lord and allowing Him to answer our needs.
We find the path to peace when we thank the Lord for His provisions before we ever receive them. That is why we can honestly and sincerely pray that His will be done —not ours. He alone knows what we really need. He is our path to peace!
May God richly bless you by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Nov 7, 2019 | Philippians
Philippians 4:4
“Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!”
Philippians 4:4 should be read and re-read over and over again because we are so prone to moan and complain instead of rejoicing. Remember, the world is watching the way we live more than listening to what we say. This is not an option for us, but rather an imperative. We are to be a people who rejoice! That means to get a smile on our face. You might have the joy of Jesus down in your heart, but you had better let your face know about it. That is what others will see.
If I say I have complete trust in Jesus Christ to see me through every struggle, and then tremble in fear under my covers, which is dominant in my life? What will the unbelievers that I have been witnessing to say about my walk? Will they respond to my words or read my actions?
It is also this joyful attitude that leads us to the place of prayer. We come with rejoicing in our hearts to share our needs with our precious Savior — not with sad countenance as if we are at the end of our ropes, but with praise and rejoicing, in great expectation of God meeting us at our point of greatest need.
Many saints of God across the ages have had the joy and rejoicing in their hearts, even during times of deep distress. They rejoiced even as the flames consumed them. “It is joy unspeakable and full of glory, and the half has never yet been told!”
Blessings dear hearts. May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Oct 25, 2019 | Philippians
Philippians 4:4-6
“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”
William Walford did not allow the fact that he was blind limit his service for his Lord. He was frequently called upon to preach in a small country church. He composed the sermons in his head and also was able to quote large portions of Scripture from memory. Some people thought he had memorized the entire Bible. He also composed verses as the Lord laid the words upon his heart. Above all—he was a man of prayer.
In the mid 1800’s, Thomas Salmon was visiting in England and became acquainted with Pastor Walford. As they were visiting one day the blind pastor quoted a few pieces he had composed. Since he had no one to write them down he had kept them treasured in the storehouse of his mind.
One of the verses he related to Mr. Salmon was, Sweet Hour of Prayer. Mr. Salmon eagerly scribbled the words down on a scrap of paper. When he returned to New York he sent the verses to the Observer and asked if they thought them worth preserving. The Observer did think them worthy and published them on September 13, 1845. The music was added by William Bradbury in 1861.
Sweet Hour of Prayer
Sweet hour of prayer! Sweet hour of prayer!
That calls me from a world of care,
And bids me at my Father’s throne
Make all my wants and wishes known.
In seasons of distress and grief,
My soul has often found relief
And oft escaped the tempter’s snare
By thy return, sweet hour of prayer!
Sweet hour of prayer! Sweet hour of prayer!
The joys I feel, the bliss I share,
Of those whose anxious spirits burn
With strong desires for thy return!
With such I hasten to the place
Where God my Savior shows His face,
And gladly take my station there,
And wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer!
Sweet hour of prayer! Sweet hour of prayer!
Thy wings shall my petition bear
To Him whose truth and faithfulness
Engage the waiting soul to bless.
And since He bids me seek His face,
Believe His Word and trust His grace,
I’ll cast on Him my every care,
And wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer!
Sweet hour of prayer! Sweet hour of prayer!
May I thy consolation share,
Till, from Mount Pisgah’s lofty height,
I view my home and take my flight:
This robe of flesh I’ll drop and rise
To seize the everlasting prize;
And shout, while passing through the air,
‘Farewell, farewell, sweet hour of prayer!’
To access Sweet Hour of Prayer please go to: https://gloryscapes.com/sweethourofprayer in your browser or click on the image below.
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Oct 8, 2019 | Philippians
Philippians 3:7
“But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ.”
There are many burial sites in Egypt left by the former mighty rulers of that ancient nation. Most of these self-proclaimed gods or goddesses wanted to be buried with masses of gold and precious stones that was meant to provide for their afterlife. In the majority of cases, however, tomb robbers discovered the burial sites and plundered everything of value.
We may shake our heads at the foolish idea that we can take anything with us when we depart this life. In Job 1:21 that righteous man gives us wonderful words of wisdom: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return there.”
Jesus shared the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, and we see that the rich man had absolutely nothing of this world’s goods with him — not even a drop of cool water. That should warn us against relying on the things of this world.
What should really capture our efforts are the things that will last for eternity. The more we devote ourselves to the things of God, the more we will find the love and joy He promises to His children that He cherishes. That is what really matters!
Blessings dear hearts! Walk with God today and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Sep 12, 2019 | Philippians
Philippians 2:22
“But you know his proven character, that as a son with his father he served with me in the gospel.”
Paul is describing his son in the faith, Timothy. Over days, weeks, months, and years this young man had proven himself as an obedient follower of Paul and of the Lord Jesus Christ. Proven character does not happen quickly, but over a period of time. Timothy proved a worthy disciple of Paul by his faithfulness. I am reminded of the importance of what we put into our minds:
WATCH YOUR THOUGHTS … THEY BECOME YOUR WORDS.
WATCH YOUR WORDS … THEY BECOME YOUR ACTIONS.
WATCH YOUR ACTIONS … THEY BECOME YOUR HABITS.
WATCH YOUR HABITS … THEY BECOME YOUR CHARACTER.
As I read these words, it is clear that our thought life controls the type of character we will develop. Questionable thoughts will start us down the wrong path and ultimately lead to doubtful character. Good and noble thoughts, based upon the Word of God, will begin the process of developing a Christ-like character. Spend time reading and meditating on the Word of God. It will set the tone of your thought life and ultimately you will achieve a character that is pleasing to the Lord.
Blessings dear hearts! May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Aug 10, 2019 | Philippians
Philippians 3:12
“Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.”
When God’s Word says our sins are forgiven, does that mean we are free, or does He still hold them against us? We might say that we are set free, but do we actually walk away from our sinful past and have victory in our lives? The Lord wants us to be free from the sins of our past once they are confessed. Satan wants to continually dredge up the dregs of our past and accuse us. Trust God!
In the second chapter of Joshua we read that the two spies were saved by the action of a prostitute named Rahab. She was confident that God had given the land to Israel and the whole land was in fear of them. She asked that when they took the land that she and her family might be spared.
Rahab put her confidence in the men who her people considered enemies. The result of her confidence was the salvation of her entire family and the added blessing that she ended up in the human lineage of Jesus.
Sometimes we may feel that the obstacles of life are just too much for us. That may be true, but those same obstacles are nothing to God. He is only interested in our confident trust. We may not be finished with the life the Lord has given us to live, but there are exciting days ahead for us!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
