by Pastor Cecil | Jul 8, 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.
I recall hearing a seminary professor tell how easy it is to downplay the things that are meaningful or important to another person. If they have achieved some major goal in their life it is easy for us to ignore it or act as if it were insignificant.
This professor related how he would go out of his way to get excited about some accomplishment that someone shared with him. Someone had told him about some verse they had memorized and he exploded with joy and congratulations. It was just the response that person needed. It seems that others near him had always made him feel inferior and worthless. He went on to become a dynamic spiritual leader in his area.
It does not have to be spiritual accomplishments that we give praise to. We had a small man with a severe learning disorder in a church that I served as an associate pastor. The man could barely talk, but he loved to bowl. Somehow I discovered he carried a small book with his bowling scores written down. Each week I made a point of looking at his book and getting excited about his scores. They were sometimes 25 or 30, but I tried to make him feel special. It not only made Roscoe feel special, it made me feel that I had met an angel unaware.
Who do you know that needs to be lifted by your approval? What words can you speak or actions shown that will make that person feel special? Try it!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jul 4, 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.
If your kids are anything like our kids, they went through a stage of independence. They wanted to do things themselves, even when they were not able to accomplish the task they were attempting. Kids are not alone in acting independently.
I once went golfing with my father-in-law and two of his regular golfing mates. I had never been on the links before, but since I was far younger than the others, I felt that I could hold my own. I stood at the first tee and gave a mighty swing! I missed the ball completely! On the next mighty swing I struck the ball, only to have it dribble a few feet from the tee. It was a very long and humiliating day. The others enjoyed the day as I was providing them with great entertainment.
On this day, July 4th, we celebrate Independence Day. While we may rejoice in the freedoms that our forefathers fought to assure us, it is vital that we remember that we never are to live independently. WE NEED EACH OTHER!
Not only do we need each other, we must have the Lord in control of our lives. In Acts 17:28 we are reminded, “In Him we live and move and have our being.” Our independent attitude ends with our total dependence on Him. HAPPY DEPENDENCE DAY!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jun 19, 2013 | 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.
As we consider our lifetime, we have two choices: We can allow the failures of the past to control us, or we can choose to use past failures as reminders of what to steer clear of in the future.
Rahab was a prostitute (Joshua 2:1). There was no way to erase that from her record. But as long as she remained in Jericho she would always be a prostitute, and when the Israelites attacked, she would be a dead prostitute along with everyone else in the city. But Rahab chose to leave her past and move toward the future.
By making the right choice, she changed her entire future. She saved her own life as well as her family and friends who stayed in her house when Israel attacked. In Matthew 1 she is named in the lineage of King David and Jesus. In Hebrews 11 she is remembered along with the faithful across the ages. Not bad for a former loser!
I frequently receive calls or e-mail messages from people who are encountering trials. You may be going through a time of doubt and defeat because of sins of your past. Any time Satan brings them to your mind and wants you to feel defeated for what you did, or were, or caused, just choose to praise the Lord. Give Him the glory and receive his grace that is sufficient to block out the sins that we have committed.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | May 8, 2013 | Philippians
Philippians 2:3
Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.
Modern counselors seem to spend an inordinate amount of time trying to assist their clients in finding self esteem. These counselors feel that when one thinks well about himself then all of their other problems will be resolved. That is the human view of being well adjusted. The problem is that it seldom has the desired effect . . . usually it is just the opposite.
In reading through the Word of God, I discover that God is not interested in how wonderful we think we are. As a matter of fact the more time we spend trying to improve our own self image, the more sessions with the counselor are required.
The answer is for us to see things as God sees them. Our view of what amounts to good and noble is different than the way the Lord views them. We think we will achieve status and acclaim by being better than everybody else. God sees things differently.
God is far more concerned about us giving freely of ourselves to others. It is not the praise that we receive, but the service to others that we perform that He delights in observing. My personal desire is to give freely of all that I am to each and every person I meet. I certainly am not there yet, but it is my goal.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Mar 5, 2013 | Philippians
Philippians 3:13-14
Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
It seems as if the older I get (I am getting up there), the more I recall the stupid things I did when I was younger. They were not necessarily sinful things as much as they were things I am not proud of and I can only imagine what people around me thought when I did these things.
Can I let you in on a little secret? The devil loves to bring our past indiscretions before us to make us feel miserable and to keep us from being effective servants of the Lord Jesus Christ.
It also strikes me that our past accomplishments can also be detrimental. We can glory in past victories so much that we spend far too much time reliving the glory days gone by. Old soldiers never die, they just keep telling about past victories. Sad to say, old preachers fall into the same rut.
Paul sounds the battle cry in this passage in Philippians 3. He determines that the things of the past are to be left in the past and we are to be committed to pressing forward in the power of the Spirit of God. That is the challenge I want to accept and I am determined to continue until the Lord calls me home.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Feb 11, 2013 | Philippians
Philippians 4:8
Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.
I recently read a comment by a Bible teacher to the effect that Satan is not so much interested in getting us to fight with God as he is convincing us to forget about God. Either way, Satan wants to break our relationship with our Heavenly Father.
As we read the Scripture for today, we observe the powerful words that Paul addresses to the church, but which are equally appropriate for us today. He gives us a list of things with which to fill our minds. Things that are: TRUE, NOBLE, JUST, PURE, LOVELY, OF GOOD REPORT. So says the Lord!
Satan is never pleased with the ways of God. He creates an opposite pattern with which to fill our minds. Satan whispers in the ears of all who will hear him to fill their minds with things that are untrue, ignoble, unjust, impure, unlovely, of bad report. No one is perfect, so just go with the flow and do what feels good and is the best for you. This is the devastating change Satan makes to the true Word of God! Whose interpretation will we accept?
The question immediately arises about what we place in our own minds. It is of vital importance for us to carefully examine our thought life. Are the things of God more important than the things of Satan? Choose the Godly thoughts!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
