by Pastor Cecil | Sep 25, 2018 | Proverbs
Proverbs 18:24
“A man who has friends must himself be friendly, 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.
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.”
You may have dear friends 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. 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. 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. May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Sep 17, 2018 | Proverbs
Proverbs 16:21
“Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.”
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 to 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. May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Sep 14, 2018 | Proverbs
Proverbs 3:5-6
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”
When we graduated from high school in 1952 our class voted this hymn to be our class hymn to take with us. My dear wife Joyce always would brighten up when she heard the hymn and remind me it was our class hymn.
I confess I did not know the story behind the hymn until I did a little investigation for this week’s hymn. The words were composed by Civilia Martin and the music by her husband W. Stillman Martin. One Sunday afternoon Civilia was ill and her husband was on a preaching assignment. She composed the words and when her husband returned he immediately sat at his organ and wrote the music.
This song is credited for transforming the life of James Cash Penney, founder of the American department store chain J. C. Penney. He heard it one morning in the chapel of the Kellogg Sanitarium in Battle Creek, Michigan, where he had been hospitalized with a severe case of shingles, as well as exhaustion and depression.
“GOD WILL TAKE CARE OF YOU!”
- Be not dismayed whate’er betide, God will take care of you;
Beneath His wings of love abide, God will take care of you.
Refrain: God will take care of you,
Through every day, over all the way;
He will take care of you,
God will take care of you.
- Through days of toil when heart doth fail, God will take care of you;
When dangers fierce your path assail, God will take care of you.
Refrain: God will take care of you,
Through every day, over all the way;
He will take care of you,
God will take care of you.
- All you may need He will provide, God will take care of you;
Nothing you ask will be denied, God will take care of you.
Refrain: God will take care of you,
Through every day, over all the way;
He will take care of you,
God will take care of you.
- No matter what may be the test, God will take care of you;
Lean, weary one, upon His breast, God will take care of you.
Refrain: God will take care of you,
Through every day, over all the way;
He will take care of you,
God will take care of you.
There is no video for this week. For other videos, please go to: http://www.gloryscapes.com/
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jul 10, 2018 | Proverbs
Proverbs 5:18
“May your fountain be blessed, and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth.”
This is a very special and poignant day for me. If my precious wife Joyce was still alive (actually she is more alive than I can even imagine), we would be celebrating our 66th wedding anniversary.
We were blessed beyond measure to meet when we were just fourteen and knew that God had intended us to spend our life as husband and wife. Naturally we had to wait until after high school, so just four weeks after graduation we pledged our lives to one another.
My Joyce was not only my wife, she was my dearest friend. I have never enjoyed things when she was not beside me so we could share them together. I know she is with the Lord and the things she is experiencing now she will be sharing with me when we meet once again.
I want to encourage each of you to seek a closer walk with the Lord and with the one who is closest to you. Make each day and each hour leave lasting memories that will linger in the hearts of those you will leave behind.
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | May 18, 2018 | Proverbs
Proverbs 3:5-6
“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.”
I once read about a forest service worker who was walking through an area that had just been ravaged by a forest fire. He saw a strange mound and stopped to check it out. To his astonishment it was a mother bird that had been killed by the fire. As he knelt to examine the bird, he heard a peep from under the pile of ashes. When he turned the bird over he found several chicks.
Instead of flying to save herself, the mother had sacrificed herself in order to protect her brood from the fire that was sweeping toward them. That is what Jesus has done for us. He wants to shelter us under His wings from the firestorm of life.
In 1896, William Cushing wrote the words and Ira Sankey composed the music to the hymn, Under His Wings. Enjoy this featured hymn from GloryScapes.
Under His Wings
Under His wings, I am safely abiding,
Though the night deepens and tempests are wild.
Still I can trust Him; I know He will keep me,
He has redeemed me and I am His child.
Refrain: Under His wings, under His wings,
who from His love can sever?
Under His wings my soul shall abide,
safely abide forever.
Under His wings, what a refuge in sorrow!
How the heart yearningly turns to His rest!
Often when earth has no balm for my healing,
There I find comfort, and there I am blessed.
Refrain: Under His wings, under His wings,
who from His love can sever?
Under His wings my soul shall abide,
safely abide forever.
Under His wings, oh, what precious enjoyment!
There will I hide till life’s trials are over;
Sheltered, protected, no evil can harm me,
Resting in Jesus, I’m safe evermore.
Refrain: Under His wings, under His wings,
who from His love can sever?
Under His wings my soul shall abide,
safely abide forever.
To access Under His Wings, this week’s free inspirational video from GloryScapes.com, please go to: http://www.gloryscapes.com/underhiswings/
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | May 17, 2018 | Proverbs
Proverbs 18:24
“A man who has friends must himself be friendly, 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 from companions. Companions may be close by, but are not sufficiently close that we can share our deepest feelings.
When I resigned as pastor in Burns, Oregon, a close friend, Chris Vosler, gave me a plaque and a card. The plaque reads: 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. The card reads: Cecil, Thanks for being that friend. Chris.
As close as our dearest friend or friends may be, we have a friend who is still closer. Of course I am speaking of the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the One who is with us at all times. When we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, He is there beside us. When we receive devastating news, He is there to provide the comfort and solace to ease the pain. When we receive news that calls for rejoicing, He makes it even better for we have One who rejoices with us. At all times and in every circumstance, our dearest Friend makes our life worth living.
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
