by Pastor Cecil | May 6, 2015 | Philippians
Philippians 1:12-14
“But I want you to know, brethren, that the things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel, so that it has become evident to the whole palace guard, and to all the rest, that my chains are in Christ; and most of the brethren in the Lord, having become confident by my chains, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.”
Have you ever wondered why God allows His saints to endure suffering, torture, and even death? Couldn’t He simply step in and bring about a great deliverance for those who are going through persecution? The answer is a resounding YES! So why does God allow persecution and suffering? OTHERS!
Frequently we forget that this world is not our home. It is terrible that many believers have been, are being, or will be subjected to torture and even death. But by the way they suffer and die they give a testimony to the Lordship of Christ in their lives.
I recall reading of the terrible persecution of Christians during the Cold War years. Richard Wurmbrand was a youth during a time of anti-Semitic activity in Romania. Prison or death was the price a person paid for trusting in Jesus as their Savior. The remarkable thing is that the suffering saints became such an example to some of the guards that they became Christians who were thus imprisoned and influenced other guards . . . and so on.
The prayer of Jesus concerning His disciples is found in John 17:15: “I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one.” My prayer for suffering saints is that they hold to the faith!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Apr 17, 2015 | Philippians
Philippians 4:4-7
“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. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.“
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: http://www.gloryscapes.com/sweethourofprayer in your browser or click on the image below.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Apr 6, 2015 | Philippians
Philippians 3:10-11
“I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of His resurrection and participation in His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.”
I have enjoyed the song that Bill and Gloria Gaither wrote and have performed many times, Because He Lives. The first words are so powerful that they leave me breathless. God sent His son, they called Him, Jesus; He came to love, heal and forgive. He lived and died to buy my pardon, an empty grave is there to prove my Savior lives!
Yesterday we celebrated Resurrection Day. It was and will always be a cause for rejoicing for every believer that we serve a Savior who is alive. He always was alive, He is alive right now making intercession for us, and He will always be alive as we spend eternity praising Him for giving us eternal life!
Since Jesus has provided us with resurrection life, how should we then live? Paul gives us the answer in Roman 12:18; “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”
We are urged to overcome evil by doing good. We are not saved by doing good, but the fruit of resurrection life is seeing the good and doing it. Sometimes it means doing good to those who have hurt us in some way. Resurrection life is seeing life as Jesus sees it. Ask yourself, “What would Jesus do?” Then do it!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Mar 18, 2015 | Philippians
Philippians 4:12-13
“I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
There was blinding pain and then darkness. The accident had been so catastrophic that the doctors struggled to save the victim’s life. Hour after hour they fought against the odds and finally turned the corner. With a sigh of relief they made their way from the surgical suite.
They had saved a life and for that they rejoiced. The tragedy was that in order to save the patient’s life, they were required to remove both legs just above the knees. Now it was time for the patient to become a cripple or a new creation. Regardless, things would never be the same.
In 1952 I was joined with Joyce, my precious wife, as one flesh. We were not just two people living in the same place, we were truly one. Over the next 62 years we laughed, cried, created, struggled, and served the Lord. That came to a sudden end for me on January 13, 2015. We were no longer one flesh. I had experienced an amputation from the most beautiful part of my life.
Now I face the vivid reality of the choice I must make: Either let the waves of grief cause me to become a cripple or allow the Lord to provide me with the ability to look through the tears and respond to the needs around me. I do not choose to limp through the rest of my life. As I read in Hebrews 12:1-2: “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.”
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Mar 3, 2015 | Philippians
Philippians 3:7-9
“But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.”
I guess we all have the tendency to accumulate more and more stuff. Back in 1953 I had been transferred to Rapid City, South Dakota. Joyce and I stuffed our belongings into a 1948 sedan and began the trip from Idaho. Everything we called our own was packed into that old black car. Can you relate to that?
It did not take long before we began to collect this, that, and the other — three years later we needed a trailer and our vehicle to move everything. We loved the Lord and always served Him with all our heart, but what was I willing to give up for Him?
Paul puts everything on the line in today’s Scripture. He is saying that everything he had gained he now counted as loss for the purpose of serving the Lord. He not only considered them as a loss, he considered them as garbage. Wow!
It challenges me to re-evaluate the things in my life. Having just lost my precious wife of 62 years, I am in a new position of considering what is really important. Without question, I have come to realize that being a servant of the Lord Jesus is all I want and all I need. As long as He gives me breath I will give Him my all!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Dec 17, 2014 | Philippians
Philippians 3:12-14
“Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”
When God’s Word says our sins are forgiven, does that mean we are free, or does He still hold them against me? We might say that we are set free, but do we actually walk away from our sinful past and have victory in our life? Using my experience in law enforcement I want to examine the woman in the Bible like a police officer making a report: Name: Rahab. Address: Jericho. Occupation: Prostitute.
We know nothing of the background of this woman of the night. She is the first person that the Israelites encounter in the land of promise that God has led them to possess. Two spies had been sent out by Joshua to spy out the land, and especially Jericho. She was the one who saved them. In return she and her family were spared when Jericho fell.
In Hebrews 11:31 she is mentioned along with the faithful of the ages. In James 2:25 and 26, she mentioned by James as one who was considered righteous for what she did.
Now, that brings us to the practical aspects of the forgiveness of sins in our lives. When we confess our sins, we can begin to live as new creatures. It is certainly not God who brings your sins of the past to your mind and causes you turmoil. If it is not the Lord, it is coming from the other side, and that means Satan. Trust God!
Blessings dear hearts Look forward not back!
– – – Pastor Cecil
