by Pastor Cecil | Jan 20, 2010 | Psalm
Psalm 59:16-17
“But I will sing of Your strength, in the morning I will sing of Your love; for You are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble. O my Strength, I sing praise to You; You, O God, are my fortress, my loving God.”
It was just before 3:00 a.m. this morning when Joyce spoke words that sent a cold chill down my spine ― “Honey, the power is out!” In the blackness I rose and gingerly made my way into the living room and looked out the window. It was dark everywhere. The wind was howling and I only hoped for a quick return.
Huddled snug under the covers we eagerly anticipated the return of power that would restore warmth and lights. The sun rose to a very cool house, but the power still had not returned. In fact we experienced over 12 hours before it returned.
In the twelve hours we spent with no power, we were limited in what we could do. Before sun-up we stumbled around in the dark, we experienced the lack of heat, I had an extremely hard time preparing and sending Tuesday’s Daily-E-Votional, and those were only a few of the difficulties.
As I contemplate about our relative short stint with no power, I can relate it to the lack of spiritual power. So many times we stumble around in the dark areas of our spiritual life and wonder why we lack spiritual energy. Instead of leading the lost to the light, we thrash around seeking the light ourselves. May the Holy Spirit prompt us to find His strength and power to touch a lost and dying world.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jan 19, 2010 | Psalm
Psalm 112:1-3
“Praise the LORD. Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, who finds great delight in His commands. His children will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed. Wealth and riches are in His house, and His righteousness endures forever.”
When I was a young boy my father worked for a time as a bus driver. From time to time my mother and I would drive the ten miles to the bus depot in Vancouver, Washinton, and pick dad up after his shift was over.
One of these trips changed my life in a remarkable way. As my mom and I were sitting in the parking lot waiting for dad’s bus to arrive, we saw a young black boy about my age standing waiting for the city bus. He was holding a large ceramic platter, which he was clutching with great care.
My mom kept prompting me to go and talk with him and ask him about the plate he held so lovingly. This white boy (me) had never met and talked with a black boy before, and I had no idea how he would respond to me. I finally gave in to mom’s urging and hesitantly went over and introduced myself. In just a few minutes the color of our skin faded into insignificance—we were just two young boys who were enjoying each other’s company.
He told me that he had won the platter at a local amusement park. He could hardly wait to get home so he could give it to his mother. He spoke of his deep love for his mother. I was drawn into his world and felt his eager anticipation to present this trophy of love to his dear mother.
Our reverential love for the Lord is so much more than any earthly love that words can never fully express it. We may express our love and awesome respect for the Lord here on earth, but our humanity can never truly express the honor and praise the Lord deserves. What joy it will be to lay our crowns at Jesus’ feet! I can hardly wait for that day.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jan 18, 2010 | Psalm
Psalm 111:10
“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise.”
There are moments in our life that we can never prepare for. Many of these situations are ultimately embarrassing. An example of this occurred when our new pastor was introducing his family to the congregation.
He named his wife and then each of his sons, ending with the youngest son who was standing next to him. As he mentioned the boy’s name, he reached out to place his hand on the boy’s shoulder. The boy threw up his arm as if defending himself from a blow. The place erupted with laughter! It was later learned that this kid was a prankster and thought it would be funny to embarrass his pastor father.
Unfortunately many Christians interpret the fear of the Lord with much the same response as this young son, but to us it is serious. We seem to have a picture of God looking over the parapets of heaven, just waiting to strike us with lightening.
So what exactly is “godly fear?” The Hebrew word for fear is the word, “yi’rah.” As it applies to our relation to God and it means; respect, reverence or piety. Wow! That is a lot different than cowering in terror before the God who loves us so much He sent His only Son, Jesus to die in our place that we might have eternal life. Yes, it is an awesome thing to enter the presence of the Lord, but it a blessed privilege!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Dec 31, 2009 | Psalm
Psalm 23:4
“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.”
At least two things strike me each time I consider Psalm 23: First, the mortality rate for all humans is 100%. Isn’t that an amazing bit of truth? I am sure that you are impressed with my grasp of reality. The fact is, however, that many of us seem to forget that reality. As believers we often struggle and fight to hold onto a life that is destined for the grave.
I am not sure how many of you have experienced looking down the barrel of a loaded gun. I had that experience only one time. When I was a police officer, we were chasing a deranged man with a gun. He fired one shot and grazed one officer. As we tackled him I suddenly saw his gun aimed at my forehead. The Lord had more plans for me, so we disarmed him and here I am still serving the Lord.
In Ecclesiastes 3:2, Solomon says that there is a time to be born and a time to die. That fact is a certainty. Far too many Christians hold onto life as if there is no promise of everlasting life with the Lord. When those who know the Lord slip beyond this earthly tent, there is joy unspeakable and full of glory. We need to comfort ourselves with this reality.
The second thing that strikes me about Psalm 23:4 is the word shadow. As I have noted before, shadows always appear larger than the real object. Satan loves to make things appear to be huge and frightening. The promise that the Lord gives us is that He is with us. That being the case, we need not fear.
Are you experiencing fear right now? Trust Him as your personal Savior and Lord and allow Him to fight the battles for you. He is worthy of our trust! Meditate on 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.”
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Dec 17, 2009 | Psalm
Psalm 75:4-5
“To the arrogant I say, ‘Boast no more,’ and to the wicked, ‘Do not lift up your horns. Do not lift up your horns against heaven; do not speak with an outstretched neck.’ ”
What an unusual phrase; “- – an outstretched neck.” It is rendered that way in the New International Version of the Bible. In the King James Version it is “- – a stiff neck.” In the New American Standard it is “- – an insolent pride.” In the first two versions we have a word picture, while in the NASB we find more of a definition.
One of the places where we see the display of insolent pride is during sporting events. Not always, but frequently we observe athletes with outstretched necks parading back and forth like proud peacocks. It has become common enough that penalties are often assessed because it is described as taunting.
But that is nothing compared to the picture of those arrogant boasters who, in their pride, stand opposed to God. These people may claim to be wise, but wisdom is in their own eyes and God will have the last word. Oh, how much better it would be if they would turn from their arrogance and honor God.
From time to time a story is passed around the Internet about an atheistic college professor who seemed to delight in demeaning any student professing faith in Jesus Christ. One student was adamant about her faith in God and in His Son, Jesus Christ. It was a simple faith, and she did not make an issue of it, but it affected her whole life.
One day this teacher thought of a way to humiliate this girl and at the same time demonstrate his atheistic position. He told her to go to the window and then asked, “Mary, look all around. Do you see the flowers and grass and trees?” Mary responded that she did. “Do you see God anywhere?” Mary answered, “No.” He then asked her to look up into the sky. He asked her, “Mary, do you see God in the sky?” Again Mary answered, “No.”
When Mary had returned to her seat, the teacher smiled smugly (with an “outstretched neck”) and said, “You see class, we have just proved that there is no God!”
Mary raised her hand and asked to speak. The arrogant teacher granted her request. Mary called to Ted, a boy who was seated in the first row. “Ted,” she said, “Do you see our teacher, Mr. Smith?” Ted answered that he did. Mary then asked, “Ted, do you see Mr. Smith’s brain?” Ted said, “No.” Mary smiled to Mr. Smith and quietly asked, “Have we just proven that you do not have a brain?” Mr. Smith hurriedly gave the class the next-day’s assignment and never tried such a stunt again.
A silly story? Yes it is. But it is no more silly than the people with pompous attitudes toward God. They seem to feel that their rejection of God proves that there is no God. How ridiculous. It only proves that they do not believe in God!
But wait! What about those who believe in God but have never entered into a personal experience with Him? I am sad to say that there are those believers who also stretch out their necks in pride and arrogance. They rely on themselves rather than trusting in the Lord. In their pride they call upon God only when they get into trouble.
Let me close for today with this passage in Proverbs 3:5-6, which is the best way to steer clear of having an outstretched neck — “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.”
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Dec 1, 2009 | Psalm
Psalm 139:7-10
“Where can I go from Your Spirit? Where can I flee from Your presence? If I go up to the heavens, You are there; if I make my bed in the depths, You are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there Your hand will guide me, Your right hand will hold me fast.”
Over the years I have had the privilege of experiencing a variety of professions. One of the most enjoyable was working as a County Juvenile Officer. I had come into the position directly from serving as a city police officer, so I was well acquainted with the patrol officers who worked the night shift.
I frequently rode around with one of the officers as he made his rounds. From time to time I would spot a juvenile who was part of my caseload. I would note the time, location and who else was present. Many times the probationer was on a court ordered curfew.
The next time that individual came in to report I would ask if they were adhering to their curfew. The response was usually that they were. I would then ask about the day and time I had observed them. The look of astonishment was priceless. I would then proceed to take the necessary action that was merited. It wasn’t long before they felt like I was everywhere and they had better keep on the straight and narrow.
In today’s Scripture we see that the Lord is everywhere and He knows all about us. There are no time-outs when it comes to living for the Lord. He knows each and everything about us. That is not a bad thing, but a constant reminder that He is always there when we call. Praise the Lord!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
