Titus 1:15
“Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; but even their mind and conscience are defiled.”
Listen to today’s Message of the Week by Pastor Cecil by clicking above on the play button.
Blessings dear hearts. Walk with God today and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
John 16:33
“These things I have spoken unto you, that in Me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”
Listen to today’s Message of the Week by Pastor Cecil by clicking above on the play button.
Blessings dear hearts. Walk with God today and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
Hebrews 4:12
“For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”
If you were to look through some of my photograph albums, many of them show me with one of our children or grandchildren lying on my chest sound asleep. In fact many times both the child and I are sound asleep. Perhaps I have the type of chest that is just made for cuddling. I would much rather have the reputation of being a cuddler than a curmudgeon. (That’s a fancy word for an old cantankerous person). I think the warmth of my chest and the steady beat of my heart is comforting to babies.
In the early years of the 20th Century there was a pandemic of diphtheria in the US that claimed many lives. In 1903 Cleland McAfee was chaplain and choir director at Park College in Parkville, Missouri. As the pandemic swept the area, two of his nieces died from the dread disease and the others in the house were quarantined. In his hour of grief he wrote the hymn NEAR TO THE HEART OF GOD and had the college choir sing outside the house.
When you pass through the valley of the shadow of death let these words bring the quiet assurance we need.
1. There is a place of quiet rest,
Near to the heart of God.
A place where sin cannot molest,
Near to the heart of God.
Refrain: O Jesus, blest redeemer,
Sent from the heart of God,
Hold us who wait before Thee,
Near to the heart of God.
2. There is a place of comfort sweet,
Near to the heart of God.
A place where we our Savior meet,
Near to the heart of God.
Refrain: O Jesus, blest redeemer,
Sent from the heart of God,
Hold us who wait before Thee,
Near to the heart of God.
3. There is a place of full release,
Near to the heart of God.
A place where all is joy and peace,
Near to the heart of God.
Refrain: O Jesus, blest redeemer,
Sent from the heart of God,
Hold us who wait before Thee,
Near to the heart of God.
Enjoy this week’s hymn from GloryScapes.com. To access a Video of Near To The Heart of God, please go to: https://gloryscapes.com/neartotheheartofgod/
Blessings dear hearts walk with God today and become a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
Ephesians 2:10
“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”
There is no such word as specious but it rings with sweet memory in my mind. It goes way back when our grandson, Jeremiah was just learning to talk. My wife, Joyce, had been telling Jeremiah that he was special and that he was also precious. Jeremiah grinned and said; “I am specious!”
I think it is accurate (if not grammatically correct) to say that in God’s sight we are indeed; SPECIOUS! Worldly people may mock us and be-little us because of our walk with the Lord, but we need to remind ourselves of the heroes of the faith who have endured mockery, abuse, torture, and even death for the sake of Christ. They were specious!
God has never promised His followers an easy or pleasant life. In fact He has told us to expect to be reviled, persecuted, and rejected. In response to this treatment we are to rejoice and be exceedingly happy. Why? Because we are God’s specious people!
Go out into the world and let your light so shine, that people will be lifted from their pit of despair into the reality that God offers anyone who will to come to Him and be made specious by His saving grace!
Blessings dear hearts walk with God today and become a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
Isaiah 41:10
“Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.”
Yesterday I received an email from a friend I met over 50 years ago. We met in St. Anthony, Newfoundland, where I served in the US Air Force and he served in the local hospital. Roy met a nurse named Jean and they immediately felt that God was drawing them together. Several years after I returned to the States they were married and had a family.
In his message, Roy informed me that Jean had slipped the bonds of this old world and gone to be with the Lord. In the days preceding her death Jean said she had seen the face of Jesus twice. Wow! There need not be any fear of death! What comfort to know that the suffering of this world is nothing knowing that our Savior is waiting for us on the other side.
I have imagined the meeting that took place in Paradise when Jean and my Joyce met for the first time, yet knew each other as if they were sisters. Actually they were sisters in the Lord. We have a wonderful family that we will spend eternity with and some we will meet for the first time when we leave this world. Jesus is with us and will be there to welcome us home! We need never fear death.
Blessings dear hearts walk with God today and become a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
Isaiah 59:1
“Behold, the LORD’S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear.”
As fallen sinners we often eagerly accept God’s forgiveness of our sins and faults. All too often we hold grudges and resentments against those who have done something to cause us pain or inconvenience. (Recall your reaction when someone cut in line ahead of you rather than waiting their turn!)
It is easy to feel justified in our sinful reactions to the irritations others cause us. The only way that I can think of in dealing with the painful situations of life is to ask ourselves; WHAT WOULD JESUS DO?
When we feel resentment when we are insulted and offended, remember that Jesus always forgave when He was treated with cruelty and abuse. Jesus was quick to defend the repentant sinner while just as quick to chastise the self-righteous accusers.
As followers of Jesus we need to be willing to endure insults and hardships in the name of Jesus. That does not mean that we are to be obnoxious pains to those around us and then claim that we are suffering for Jesus. No, we can easily be suffering because we are a pain! Jesus hears and saves. We must be like Him!
Blessings dear hearts walk with God today and become a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
2 Timothy 3:16-17
“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.”
Listen to today’s Message of the Week by Pastor Cecil by clicking above on the play button.
Blessings dear hearts. Walk with God today and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
Galatians 5:19-20a
“Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like.”
Listen to today’s Message of the Week by Pastor Cecil by clicking above on the play button.
Blessings dear hearts. Walk with God today and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
Hebrews 10:22
“Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.”
“I am Thine, O Lord” is one of many hymns written by Fanny Crosby, a prolific American hymn writer. The melody was composed by William Howard Doane.
The former was talking with the latter one night about the proximity of God and penned the words before retiring for the night. Hebrews 10:22 is also reported as being a source of inspiration for the hymn: “Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.”
I am Thine, O Lord, I have heard Thy voice,
And it told Thy love to me;
But I long to rise in the arms of faith
And be closer drawn to Thee.
Draw me nearer, nearer blessed Lord,
To the cross where Thou hast died.
Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer blessed Lord,
To Thy precious, bleeding side.
Consecrate me now to Thy service, Lord,
By the power of grace divine;
Let my soul look up with a steadfast hope,
And my will be lost in Thine.
Draw me nearer, nearer blessed Lord,
To the cross where Thou hast died.
Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer blessed Lord,
To Thy precious, bleeding side.
O the pure delight of a single hour
That before Thy throne I spend,
When I kneel in prayer, and with Thee, my God
I commune as friend with friend!
Draw me nearer, nearer blessed Lord,
To the cross where Thou hast died.
Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer blessed Lord,
To Thy precious, bleeding side.
There are depths of love that I cannot know
Till I cross the narrow sea;
There are heights of joy that I may not reach
Till I rest in peace with Thee.
Draw me nearer, nearer blessed Lord,
To the cross where Thou hast died.
Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer blessed Lord,
To Thy precious, bleeding side.
. . . . . . .
To access this week’s free inspirational video, please go to: https://gloryscapes.com/iamthineolord/
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
John 14:21
“Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”
We live in an increasingly frightening world! I am sure you do not need me to remind you of that fact. We increasingly are exposed to twisted human reasoning where right is considered bigotry and sinfulness is exalted as the new normal!
It is in the craziness of this present age that I am reminded of a passage of Scripture I memorized as a boy. It is Isaiah 41:10: “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.”
These two passages: John 14:21 and Isaiah 41:10, give us assurance that it is only the Lord who can give us absolute assurance of peace. It is a peace that the world it can never give and a peace it can never take away. It is God’s promise of peace!
Blessings dear hearts walk with God today and become a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
Psalm 64:10
“The righteous shall be glad in the LORD, and shall trust in him; and all the upright in heart shall glory.”
When I was a boy (a very long time ago) we attended a church that had many colorful members. Some were happy and others usually looked like they had been baptized in vinegar!
I must confess that I tried to stay as far away from the vinegar people as possible. Come to think about it, I seldom saw anyone spend time with them. It was usually just them standing alone and looking mad at the world.
I think it was at that time that I determined I would try to emulate the joyous and happy Christians. As much as I could I would look like I was on my way to my glorious home in heaven, rather than the other way around!
It is question and answer time! What image do we project to those around us? Do we live a radiance that comes from knowing our sins are forgiven and we are on our way to heaven, or are we vinegar people and cause others to wonder where we are headed? BE GLAD IN THE LORD!
Blessings dear hearts walk with God today and become a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
