Psalm 37:7

“Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for Him; don’t fret when other people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.”

From time to time we will encounter friends, family or acquaintances who like to boast that they do not believe in God. They foolishly feel that the decision they have made concerning the existence of God determines whether or not He is real.

Several years ago my wife Joyce and I had stopped at a super market and were just returning to our car. I heard someone scream my name and a young woman I had known for several years ran up and greeted me with sheer delight. It seems that she had heard that I had died and now here I was alive and well.

You see, just because she thought I was dead did not make me dead. She was sincere in believing what she had heard, and in fact she had shared the news of my death with others, but that had no bearing on my being alive.

When we encounter people who pride themselves in their atheistic disbelief it is well to remember that it is the Holy Spirit who will be able to reveal the truth to them. In the meantime we need to live the authentic life in Christ that will reveal the truth that God is not dead, He lives in and through us!

May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!

– – – Pastor Cecil

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

Ephesians 6:10-11

“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.“

I always enjoyed listening to the late Paul Harvey on the radio. His comments were so penetrating and direct that it seemed as if he knew where we all lived.

It was about 60 years ago that he delivered the following message that seems somehow to be prophetic.

IF I WERE THE DEVIL by Paul Harvey (broadcast April 3, 1965)

“If I were the devil . . . if I were the Prince of Darkness, I’d want to engulf the whole world in darkness, and I would have a third of its real estate and a fourth of its population, but I wouldn’t be happy until I had seized the ripest apple on the tree . . . THEE!

“So I’d set about however necessary to take over the United States. I’d subvert the churches first. I’d begin a campaign of whispers. With the wisdom of a serpent I would whisper to you as I whispered to Eve: “Do as you please.” To the young, I would whisper that the Bible is a myth. I would convince them that man created God instead of the other way around. I would confide that what is bad is good, and what is good is “square.”

“And the old I would teach to pray after me: “Our Father, which art in Washington.” And then I’d get organized.

“I’d educate authors in how to make lurid literature exciting so that anything else would appear dull and uninteresting. I’d threaten TV with dirtier movies and vice versa. I’d peddle narcotics to who I could. I’d sell alcohol to ladies and gentlemen of distinction. I’d tranquilize the rest with pills.

“If I were the devil, I’d soon have families at war with themselves, and churches at ware with themselves, and nations at war with themselves, until each in its turn was consumed. And with promises of higher ratings, I’d have mesmerizing media fanning the flames.

“If I were the devil, I would encourage schools to refine young intellects but neglect to discipline emotions–just let hose run wild, until before you knew it, you’d have to have drug sniffing dogs and metal detectors at every schoolhouse door. Within a decade, I’d have prisons overflowing. I’d have judges promoting pornography.

“Soon I could evict God from the courthouse, and then from the schoolhouse, and then from the houses of Congress. And in His own churches I would substitute psychology for religion and deify science.

“I would lure priests and pastors into misusing boys and girls and church money.

“If I were the devil, I’d make the symbol of Easter an egg and the symbol of Christmas a bottle. If I were the devil, I would take from those who have and I would give to those who wanted, until I had killed the incentive of the ambitious.

“And what will you bet I couldn’t get whole states to promote gambling as a way to get rich. I would caution against extremes in hard work, in patriotism, in moral conduct.

“I would convince the young that marriage is old-fashioned, that swinging is more fun, that what you see on TV is the way to be, and thus I could undress you in public, and I could lure you into bed with diseases for which there is no cure.

“In other words, if I were the devil, I’d just keep right on doing what he’s doing!”

May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!

– – – Pastor Cecil