by Pastor Cecil | Dec 23, 2009 | Proverbs
Proverbs 27:14
“If a man loudly blesses his neighbor early in the morning, it will be taken as a curse.”
Time zones are very interesting. As I type this, it is 8:58 a.m. Pacific Time. That does not mean it is the same time in all areas of the world. For instance, it is 5:58 p.m. in Berlin, Germany. It is 11:58 a.m. in New York. Time is a relative thing and depends on where you live.
There have been numerous times when family members who live in the eastern United States call to offer a happy greeting. The only problem is that we are still fast asleep and their happy greeting is not—–let’s just say it is not well received!
Now what spiritual connection can we make with this passage? To me it is very clear that there is a time when words are well received and a time when quietness is far more appropriate. Many people who have recently experienced some form of trauma in their life are in need of quietness rather than words.
This is especially true when it comes to witnessing for Jesus. There are some who seem to be convinced that people will hear if they speak louder or repeat over and over the claims of the Gospel. Sadly, they often drive people away from the Lord rather than into a personal relationship with the Savior.
I recall working with a couple who were experiencing marital conflict. She knew the Lord as her personal Savior, but he didn’t and was adamant that he was not interested. As our counseling progressed I saw him begin to soften. I began to use this statement; “You know you are coming closer and closer to trust the Lord to save you, aren’t you?” As I began to nod, he nodded back. Within a few months he became a Christian. Praise the Lord for quietness!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Dec 9, 2009 | Proverbs
Proverbs 3:5-7
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil.”
Have you ever found yourself in the midst of a situation that seemed to have no solution? I am tempted to describe one or two, but if I do it may prevent you from relating to your own particular no-win situation. How do we cope?
In today’s Scripture we see that there are two things we are cautioned to avoid: relying on our own understanding or being wise in our own eyes. This is very hard for us to grasp since we want to control things around us.
When we encounter evil or injustice around us, we rise up with righteous indignation and want to correct the situation. James 1:19-20 makes it clear that our fervent anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.
If we are to avoid using our own abilities, is there anything we can do when faced with the problems that confront us? The answer is very clear. It begins with trusting in the Lord with all of our heart. That means letting go and letting God have control.
Secondly we must acknowledge God in all of our ways. The Hebrew word for acknowledge is the word yada’. It means in part, to learn more and more about God and His ways. We do that as we rest in Him, study His Word and discover more of His wonderful attributes.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Nov 24, 2009 | Proverbs
Proverbs 18:24
“A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.”
Being alone is a sad and dismal position. We really do need each other and a friend is one of the greatest possessions we can have. It is a sad and poor man who has no friends. Friends are different than companions. Companions may be close by, but are not sufficiently close that we can share our deepest feelings.
Thinking back across the years of my life, I have had a wealth of friends. Some of those friends have gone on to be with the Lord, but some are still alive. Many years ago I received a plaque from a dear friend that has special meaning to me: “A friend is one who knows you as you are, understands where you’ve been, accepts who you’ve become, and still gently invites you to grow.” Thanks, Chris!
You may have a dear friend like Chris, but we have a friend who is even closer. Of course I am speaking of the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the One who is with us at all times. We are never really alone when others have departed, for He stays with us during the dark hours of the night. When we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, He is there beside us.
You may feel frustrated with life or feel hurt and depressed because of the way things are going. You may even question whether it even helps to pray. Hold it! That fatalistic view of life is myopic. It is like slamming the door in the face of our closest friend who has come to help us. Yet He patiently stands at the door and quietly knocks. Please open the door and allow Him to heal all of the hurts you feel right now.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Nov 9, 2009 | Proverbs
Proverbs 16:25-26
“There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death. The laborer’s appetite works for him; his hunger drives him on.”
Sometimes you have things happen in your life that are both humorous and tragic. When I was working as a police officer, I worked the graveyard shift so I could attend college during the day. Usually the wee early hours of the morning were very quiet.
One time there was a break in the routine. It was in the early hours of the morning when I saw a man stagger into the street and wave for me to stop. When I stopped, the man opened the rear passenger side door and jumped in. It took a moment for him to realize that this was not a taxi.
He said, “I thought this was a taxi cab!” I told him that I wasn’t a cab driver, but that I had a room for him until he was sober enough to tell the difference. Perhaps I spared the man’s life by getting him to a safe environment for a few hours.
As we read today’s Scripture we are reminded that just because we think something is right, it does not mean that it is right. People have been duped into believing that if we do enough good deeds, we will make it to heaven. Wrong cab! If we give enough money to the church we will be blessed. Wrong cab! If we just believe in God that is enough. Wrong cab!
There is only one way to get into God’s cab which is bound for heaven. Repent of our sins, invite Jesus Christ into our heart and be born again. Right cab!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Nov 5, 2009 | Proverbs
Proverbs 16:18-19
“Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall. Better to be lowly in spirit and among the oppressed than to share plunder with the proud.”
What is the difference between beautiful joy and ugly pride? Perhaps we have all seen the distasteful displays of taunting or gesturing after a sports figure has accomplished a particular feat. They seem to enjoy flaunting and taunting their opponents. To me it is an ugly and unsportsmanlike display.
I contrast these ugly displays with the pure joy of believers who have been redeemed and are on the way to heaven. God has allowed me to witness people who have had their sins forgiven and who have won the greatest contest of all. There is a joy that words cannot express.
God hates pride in any way, shape or form. There are far too many Christians who seem to love drawing attention to themselves. There is great danger for those who lead worship services. They should always ask themselves if they are drawing attention to themselves or to the Lord. Self needs to be nailed to the cross.
I pray that the joy of the Lord might be poured out in our quiet times. I just received a call from a precious young woman who felt the Lord speak to her about a direction in her life. As she submitted to this new direction she felt joy flow over her like the waves of the sea. Praise the Lord! May our prayer always be, “Not my will, but Thy will be done.”
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Oct 30, 2009 | Proverbs
Proverbs 14:26-27
“He who fears the LORD has a secure fortress, and for his children it will be a refuge. The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, turning a man from the snares of death.”
Robert Robinson who lived from 1735 to 1790, was saved while attending a service conducted by the famous evangelist George Whitefield. Following his conversion he entered the Christian ministry, but like so many, he would lose his fervor for God.
The words of the hymn “Come Thou Fount” were written to express his own need for a closer walk with the Lord. His prayer is that his heart may be re-tuned to be in perfect harmony with the will of God.
In stanza two he speaks of his conversion. The word “Ebenezer” refers to a time and place when he actually received the Lord into his life as personal Savior and Lord. He goes on to remind himself and others that it is necessary to daily remind ourselves what a debt we owe to the Lord for our salvation at His expense.
“Come Thou Fount“
Come, Thou Fount of every blessing,
tune my heart to sing Thy grace;
Streams of mercy, never ceasing,
call for songs of loudest praise.
Teach me some melodious sonnet,
sung by flaming tongues above;
Praise the mount-I’m fixed upon it-
mount of Thy redeeming love.
Here I raise mine Ebenezer;
hither by Thy help I’m come;
And I hope, by Thy good pleasure,
safely to arrive at home.
Jesus sought me when a stranger,
wand’ring from the fold of God;
He, to rescue me from danger,
interposed His precious blood.
O to grace how great a debtor
daily I’m constrained to be!
Let Thy goodness, like a fetter,
bind my wand’ring heart to Thee;
Prone to wander, Lord I feel it,
prone to leave the God I love;
Here’s my heart, O take and seal it;
seal it for Thy courts above.
To access Come Thou Fount, this week’s inspirational video from GloryScapes.com, please go to: http://www.gloryscapes.com/comethoufount 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
