by Pastor Cecil | Nov 26, 2014 | Psalm
Psalm 136:1-4
Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. His love endures forever. Give thanks to the God of gods. His love endures forever. Give thanks to the Lord of lords: His love endures forever. To Him who alone does great wonders: His love endures forever.
Here in the United States we are preparing to celebrate Thanksgiving Day tomorrow. It is always celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November. When I was stationed with the US Air Force in St. Anthony, Newfoundland, Canada, I discovered that the Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving on the second Monday in October. That year I celebrated with my Canadian friends on their Thanksgiving Day and in turn they celebrated with us.
As I allow my mind to wander through the years of my life I find that there is so much to be thankful for that I scarce know where to begin. I certainly rejoice in the 62 plus years that I have been married to the sweet girl I met back in 1947. Wow! I am so very thankful that we have always been there for each other.
These last few months have been more difficult as Joyce slips a little deeper into her dementia. Through it all we have been able to express such a sincere love with each other that words cannot express it. We are thankful for a love that has seen us through many adversities and will be with us to the end.
That love comes from our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ. We have committed our personal lives to Him and also our marriage. He has been the center of our home across these years and will be with us to the end. Our thanks to Jesus for giving His life that we may have eternal life will echo through the ages of time.
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Nov 25, 2014 | Psalm
Psalm 103:1-2
“Bless (affectionately, gratefully praise) the Lord, O my soul, and all that is [deepest] within me, bless His holy name! Bless (affectionately praise) the Lord, O my soul, and forget not [one of] all His benefits” (Amplified Bible).
The concept of blessing has come to hold more meaning to me than ever before. We can either bless or curse with our spoken words. In recent articles I have written a lot about actions and how they speak louder than words, but that does not mean we are to be silent — rather we are to speak blessing into situations and then act in the manner that is consistent with our words.
In the wedding ceremonies that I perform, I present a challenge to first the groom and then the bride: “Will you listen to (her/his) inmost thoughts and be considerate and tender in your care of (her/him)?” That is very good as a challenge to a couple embarking on their life as husband and wife — it is also a good challenge for each of us. Listen to one’s inmost thoughts! Be considerate! (That means doing to others as you would have them do unto you — the Golden Rule). Be tender! Care for each other! Just think of the difference it would make if we all put those concepts into practice.
Many of us are familiar with the Sermon on the Mount. (Actually it was Teaching on the Slopes.) In Matthew 5-7, Jesus began His public ministry by teaching the basic principles of a godly lifestyle. The teaching begins in chapter five with the Beatitudes. Each of the Beatitudes begins with the phrase “Blessed are you….” The phrase sounds good, but do we really have an understanding of its meaning?
Where do you fit into the concept of blessing? I challenge you to begin blessing people in a meaningful manner. As for me, I will continue to sign my letters and correspondence with a blessing. My deepest desire is that you now will know what I mean when I bless you!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Oct 28, 2014 | Psalm
Psalm 37:5-6
Commit your way to the LORD; trust in Him and He will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.
I heard an illustration years ago about a young boy that really reminded me of me. My problem as a little boy was that I could not stop talking. My mom said I sometimes drove her crazy. (I find that hard to believe since I am so quiet now. RIGHT!!) Anyway, back to the illustration.
This young boy was running around and creating such havoc that his mother grabbed him to make him sit on a footstool for five minutes. He immediately got up and she pushed him down again. This routine was repeated until she threatened to paddle him if he got up one more time. He finally got the message and sat down with his arms folded. He looked up at her and said, “I may be sitting down on the outside, but I am standing up on the inside!”
It is easy for us to be so active that we fail to take the time to listen to the Lord. It is far better to wait for Him than to run headlong with our own agenda. It is amazing the things you hear when you are quiet.
If you find yourself running through your days and weeks like a small tornado, I urge you to sit on God’s footstool and listen to His voice. It will most often come through a prayerful reading of His Word. JESUS LOVES ME THIS I KNOW, FOR THE BIBLE TELLS ME SO!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Oct 17, 2014 | Psalm
Psalm 107:29-30
He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed. They were glad when it grew calm, and He guided them to their desired haven.
It seems that each of us is called upon to face storms in our life. It may be physical infirmity, financial reversals or the loss of a loved one. It is not the storm that matters, but how we react to the storm.
Back in 1873, Horatio Spafford and his family were scheduled to sail on the French steamer ‘Ville de Havre’ from New York to England where he was to assist the great evangelist, D.L. Moody. Because of a last minute business crisis Mr. Spafford sent his family on ahead and he would follow on a later ship.
Unfortunately the ship his family was on collided with another ship and sank. There was a terrible loss of life. Spafford and his wife lost their four daughters. Nine days later Horatio Spafford received a cable from his wife that simply said, “Saved alone.” What poignant words.
Later, as he was sailing to meet his wife, he asked the captain to let him know when they were near where the accident had occurred. It was there that he penned the words of this week’s hymn, It Is Well with My Soul.
It Is Well With My Soul
When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,
It is well, it is well with my soul.
Refrain:
It is well (it is well),
with my soul (with my soul),
It is well, it is well with my soul.
My sin, oh the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to His cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!
Refrain:
It is well (it is well),
with my soul (with my soul),
It is well, it is well with my soul.
And Lord haste the day, when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.
Refrain:
It is well (it is well),
with my soul (with my soul),
It is well, it is well with my soul.
To access It Is Well With My Soul, this week’s inspirational video from GloryScapes.com, please go to: http://www.gloryscapes.com/itiswellwithmysoul/ 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 | Sep 26, 2014 | Psalm
Psalm 103:1-5
Praise the LORD, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise His holy name. Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
I would dare to say that almost all of us experienced some sort of trial in our life. It could be the loss of health, a financial meltdown, death of a mate or child or any number of catastrophic events. It is not whether or not we will encounter these trials, but rather what we will do when they arise.
The phrase, “Praise to the Lord” occurs in at least 155 verses in the Bible. That indicates to me that we need to spend far more time praising the Lord than we do. It would be well to replace our complaints with words of praise to the Lord.
Over 300 years ago, Joachim Neander was a hymn writer for the German Reform church. He was going through a time of trial and testing in his life. He would take long walks and pour his heart out to the Lord. It was on one of these walks that he came to the realization that it was not his strength that would give him victory and peace, but rather the powerful God he served. It was in that state of mind that he composed this week’s featured hymn.
Praise to the Lord, the Almighty
Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation!
O my soul, praise Him, for He is thy health and salvation!
All ye who hear, Now to His temple draw near;
Join me in glad adoration!
Praise to the Lord, who o’er all things so wondrously reigneth,
Shelters thee under His wings, yea, so gently sustaineth!
Hast thou not seen how thy desires e’er have been
Granted in what He ordaineth?
Praise to the Lord, who with marvelous wisdom hath made thee!
Decked thee with health, and with loving hand guided and stayed thee;
How oft in grief hath not He bought thee relief,
Spreading His wings for to shade thee!
Praise to the Lord! O let all that is in me adore Him!
All that hath life and breath, come now with praises before Him!
Let the Amen sound from His people again;
Gladly for aye we adore Him.
To access Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, this week’s inspirational video from GloryScapes™ Inspirational Music Videos, please go to:http://www.gloryscapes.com/praisetothelordthealmighty/ 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 | Sep 22, 2014 | Psalm
Psalm 51:10-12
Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from Your presence or take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.
Some people seem to have the idea that children are born innocent, perfect, and with sinless little hearts — before they have children of their own and experience the temper tantrums which occur when the little ones are hungry, wet, sleepy or just out of sorts. It simply confirms the reality that we are born of the sinful seed of our first parents, Adam and Eve.
I can recall some of the gigantic arguments my siblings and I would get into. Each one wanted to be the boss of the others, so we would be barking orders that nobody seemed to want to heed. There was one expression which stands out in my mind as a true indication of rebellion: MAKE ME! Those two words very often preceded a scuffle.
I hadn’t thought much about those words until recently. I don’t know why, but I have been struck by the words we use in many of our prayers: “Lord, make me . . . !” It makes me wonder if we do much thinking before we phrase our prayers. Does praying “Lord, make me . . . ” imply that God should do to and for us what He tells us to do in obedience?
Let me think for a minute here. (That is hard for me to do, so please be patient.) When I pray “Lord, make me loving,” does that mean that the Lord is to override my unloving behavior and suddenly make me loving? When I pray “Lord, make me a blessing to others,” does that mean unless God sends a bolt of lightening from heaven to open my eyes to see the needs of others, I can remain indifferent to their plight?
I hate it when I ask these types of questions. It always gives me the feeling that I am talking to myself and I start squirming! But that is what we all need to do. We should constantly evaluate our words and actions, being guided by the Holy Spirit to show us our inner motives.
There’s a portion of a poem I recall by the Scottish poet Robert Burns. I think it was in a work called “To A Louse.” Here are the words: “O wad some power the gifie gie us to see oursels as ithers see us! It wad frae mony a blunder free us, An’ foolish notion!” Cecil’s interpretation: Oh would some power the gift giver (God) give us to see ourselves as others see us! It would from many a blunder and foolish notion free us!”
My desire is that my prayers be so transparent and open that there is no hint of pride and pretense. Yes, that is what I said. It is very possible that even our prayers are areas in which too much self shows through. You may want to go back to Luke 18:10-14 and read Jesus’s parable of the Pharisee and Publican. Both prayed in the temple—the Pharisee with great boasting words of his spirituality, but the Publican only looked within and saw his sinful condition and asked for God’s mercy.
What does this all mean? I think what I am trying to get across is that we need to go beyond our words. It is not enough to merely pray that God will “MAKE US” into what we desire, but that we will act in obedience to what He says in His Word. God always wants us to be more like Him in all ways. It is not so much asking Him for what He says we are to be, but in obeying His commands . . . which will transform us into who He wants us to be.
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
