by Pastor Cecil | Dec 9, 2019 | Romans
Romans 8:38-39
“For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
I once read of a young man who wrote a deeply passionate love letter to his sweetheart proclaiming that he would climb the highest mountain for her—would swim the widest river for her—would even lay down his life for her. At the end he added a thoughtful P.S.: “I’ll stop by to see you this weekend if it doesn’t rain.”
BEEP!
Many people dread the time when we are all destined to appear before the Lord. That is why it is so very critical that our sins are covered by the shed blood of Jesus Christ. Without such great love and His precious blood applied to the doorposts of our hearts, there is no salvation. We can do countless good works, but that will not save us or make us fit for heaven. It is only by confessing our sins and receiving Him into our hearts that His blood covers us and protects us.
One of the most precious hymns ever written was one by F.M. Lehman in 1917 titled The Love of God. “O LOVE OF GOD, HOW RICH AND PURE! HOW MEASURELESS AND STRONG! IT SHALL FOR EVERMORE ENDURE, THE SAINTS’ AND ANGELS’ SONG.”
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Nov 12, 2019 | Romans
Romans 8:18
“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.”
Do we really understand what it means to suffer for our faith? Someone smirks at us when we bow our heads to thank God for our food and we feel we are being persecuted. We may even brag at our Bible study group about our courage in the face of these “vicious” attacks. (Oh, give me a break!)
I am in the process of reading a book on the lives of the Apostles of Jesus Christ. Perhaps you are already aware that all of the disciples of Jesus, except John, died as martyrs. John was tortured by being dipped in hot oil, but survived. What kind of persecution have you endured lately?
Archaeologists have unearthed death chambers under St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. The most hideous was the place where Peter was reported to have been held chained to a post for nine months.
So what happened during those nine months of darkness and suffering? God’s glorious light shone through in the most magnificent way. History tells us the amazing fact that in spite of all the torture, Peter led his jailers, keepers, and forty-seven others to accept Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. Lord, may I demonstrate that same courage!
May God richly bless you by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Sep 4, 2019 | Romans
Romans 5:12
“Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned.”
As a new 2nd Lieutenant in the United States Air Force I was stationed in San Antonio, Texas. I became very good friends with Sergeant Reuben Luna. He received orders transferring him to Saigon and was nervous. There had been numerous terrorist bombings and Reuben expressed concern about his assignment.
Only a few weeks after he left, I was notified that he was back in the states in a hospital.
I called him and asked what had happened? He told me about being there for less than a week and being in a movie theater one afternoon. Someone screamed that there was a bomb! Suddenly there was a dull explosion and many were killed and many more were wounded, including Reuben. As he spoke to me he started crying. He said, “Lieutenant, I was saved by a Marine Captain.” He said the young Captain was near to the bomb that had been thrown into the theater, and without a second thought, had thrown his body over the object of death, and thus had saved many lives. It was his gift of life.
Jesus threw His body on the cross of Calvary, and by so doing, saved all who come to God through Him. He is the only way to life.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jul 29, 2019 | Romans
Romans 8:28
“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”
Years ago I received a call from a dear pastor friend. He explained that he had been having plumbing problems at his house and the estimate he received indicated it was going to cost him something over $400. Ouch!
When he started calling friends for recommendations about who to call to make the repairs, one name kept coming up. Each time he was told that the man was very independent and may not even want to do the work … and if he did, it would be very costly.
Reluctantly my pastor friend made the call to the recommended plumber who was just as he had been described. He was insulting about spiritual things but surprisingly agreed to do the work. When he arrived, however, it seemed he was more interested in finding the Lord than in repairing the plumbing. It was only a very short time before he prayed and received Jesus Christ as his personal Savior. WOW!
My friend was so excited that he was glowing with spiritual energy. It seemed it was not so much a plumbing problem that needed to be fixed, but a heart problem. God had graciously used plumbing as a means to bring that lost man to salvation. (By the way, the bill for the repair was $0).
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jul 9, 2019 | Romans
Romans 8:28
“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”
A retired pastor and his wife were traveling on a remote highway in Nevada. Without warning their car sputtered and they came to a stop on a gravel pullout. Immediately the pastor took his wife’s hand and prayed that they would be alert to how God might want to use this incident for His purposes. Just as he ended his prayer there was the sound of crunching gravel. A car had stopped behind them. Here again it could easily have been a prolonged wait for assistance.
The “good Samaritan” took them into the only town for many miles. He introduced them to the owner of the only garage/service station in town. The man said he would tow the car in and see if he could locate the problem.
The garage owner’s wife entertained the pastor’s wife while the repair work was being done and, in the process, gave her heart to the Lord. The pastor led the owner to the Lord and learned that the couple was having such marital conflicts that they were ready to seek a divorce. They tearfully renewed their vows and promised to bring the Lord into their marriage.
One broken car! One fractured marriage! Two sinners who needed a Savior! In one day God used the broken car and a yielded couple to minister in a mighty way for God’s kingdom here on earth. Wow! How can God use you? Are you making yourself available at all times and looking for His breakdowns to lead you to minister to others?
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jul 1, 2019 | Romans
Romans 8:28
“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”
From time to time I observe people doing or saying things that will bring them “good luck.” People toss coins into wells or fountains to assure success or take particular routes of travel to assure safety. There are also those who carry a particular coin or amulet that supposedly will bring good fortune and success.
I hate to burst your bubble, but there is no such assurance of success or safety no matter how many or what type of actions are taken. For those of us who have given our heart and soul to Jesus to receive eternal salvation, He becomes our confident assurance that He will use everything that happens to us for our good and His glory.
Recently I heard Joni Eareckson Tada thank the Lord for the diving accident at age 17 that left her paralyzed from the shoulders down. She rejoiced that in the years since God has used her in ways she could never have been used before the accident.
We need to constantly remind ourselves that when we leave all of our tomorrows in God’s loving hands, He will take our yielded life in His loving hands and direct the paths that lie before us. NO LUCKY COINS REQUIRED!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
