by Pastor Cecil | Apr 16, 2014 | Philippians
Philippians 3:13-14
Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet 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.
I have often counseled couples to get over previous failures. The fact of the matter is that the past is past. Wow! That is rather profound even for me. THE PAST IS PAST! If we really believe that, why do we spend so much of our time wondering about our yesterdays.
Leaving that cheery thought aside, I would like to consider another aspect on the topic of WHAT IF? Those of us who have received Jesus Christ as our personal Savior know that He lives and that He waits in Heaven for us. Sadly there are those who deny God and live an atheistic existence. It breaks our heart when they reject our appeal for them to be saved.
But what if there were no God? (Believe me—I have no doubt in my mind), but what if there were no God. If that were the case I would feel more than content that I have had a contented life and have no regret.
But What if there is a God and a Jesus Christ who died on the cross for us and a Holy Spirit who beckons us? One split second into eternity that doubter would be faced with an eternity to deal with their stubborn rejection. Take the time to read Luke 16:19-31. It is the story of the rich man and Lazarus. Throughout eternity that rich man would live with the question—WHAT IF?!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Apr 2, 2014 | Philippians
Philippians 1:20-21
I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.
Our modern culture encourages us to think highly of ourselves, to raise our self esteem. Counselors teach their clients to look at themselves in the mirror and repeat over and over, “I’m okay! I’m fine! I’m just great!”
The truth of the matter is that we have been sold a bill of goods. We have been made to focus on ourselves instead of others. Pride is perhaps the greatest sin mankind has ever had to deal with. It started in the Garden of Eden when the serpent enticed our first parents by telling them they could be like God.
What a big lie that was, and Satan has been using the same temptation ever since. He tries to get us to focus on what will make us feel good. That idea is so far removed from what God desires for our life that it seems to be in another universe. There are many feel-good evangelists out there that are purveyors of the “name it and claim it” theology. It is almost as if they are saying we should be telling God what to do.
What did Jesus say was the primary focus that we should strive to achieve? In response to His critics asking for the first and greatest commandment, here is how He responded in Luke 10:27: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind; and, Love your neighbor as yourself.” I think that says it all. Not my will, but Thine be done!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Mar 20, 2014 | 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.
When I think of being nervous my mind goes to the character that Don Knotts played on the old Andy Griffith show. He was the ever nervous and always anxious deputy, Barney Fife.
It was humorous watching as Barney’s anxiety over insignificant situations caused even more problems. I always wanted to put a hand on his shoulder and help him calm down and assure him that everything would be okay (But he was just playing a part).
What about our own life? What are the things that cause us to tremble, shake, and lose sleep? Do you think the Lord is pleased with us when we allow our anxious thoughts to control our lives?
There are several thoughts I see in today’s Scripture that must be a part of our thinking in order to counteract anxiety: REJOICE (always), GENTLENESS THAT IS EVIDENT TO ALL, REMEMBER THAT THE LORD IS NEAR, GET RID OF ANXIOUS THOUGHTS, ALWAYS PRAY WITH THANKSGIVING. The Lord is in control–relax and enjoy Him!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Mar 7, 2014 | 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 | Jan 7, 2014 | Philippians
Philippians 1:20-21
I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.
There are times in our lives that, when facing danger of one sort or another, we experience the tangible grip of fear. We may not be paralyzed in the situation, but our reactions seem to move in slow motion. Twice I have encountered deranged men with loaded weapons that could have easily taken my life. Time stood still in both occurrences, and only later could I normalize.
Fear is not restricted to physical danger. One of the areas that the enemy of our souls uses to impart fear into our spirits is in the sharing of our faith. We may have a sincere desire to share, but the fear of being rejected and scorned causes us to freeze up.
In today’s Scripture, Paul is well aware that he is facing a very uncertain future. He has already encountered persecution and pain, and he knows that more of the same awaits him. Still, Paul’s main concern is that his life will exalt Jesus. His greatest desire, be it torture or death, is to remain faithful: “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.”
The question I continually ask myself is: What am I willing to endure in order to be a faithful servant of the Lord Jesus Christ? Am I willing to endure snickers, scorn, or even worse? I pray that I may always be a worthy Servant!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Oct 7, 2013 | Philippians
Philippians 2:3-4
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.
Today I had a wonderful conversation with a couple who had been members of a church I once pastored in Burns, Oregon. I inquired about a former member, Margaret, who had moved to Boulder, Colorado. In view of the recent terrible floods, I was concerned about her.
The news was both good and bad. Margaret had passed away a couple of years ago, which in itself was both good news and bad news. Bad that she is no longer with us, but wonderful in that she is now with the Lord and all of those who had gone on before. Other good news was that Margaret had celebrated her 100th birthday not long before she died. Not too many are able to achieve that milestone.
As we reminisced about her life, we recalled that Margaret was a wealthy woman who lived a very frugal life . . . always ready to put others ahead of herself. One of the things that my former members remembered was the way she willingly cleaned the bathrooms . . . never thinking of herself as too good to do the menial tasks. She had a sweet servant spirit!
I am not sure how I will be remembered when I have gone to be with the Lord, but I know what I would like for it to be. I fervently pray that I will be remembered as a simple servant who wasn’t too good to do the grungy tasks.
Blessings, Dear Hearts, draw near to God today, trust Him completely, and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
