by Pastor Cecil | Aug 10, 2020 | 2 Corinthians
2 Corinthians 5:17
“Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold new things have come.”
Life never stays the same. That can either be for the good or for the bad. If we are growing and maturing in the Lord, it is good. If we are sinking into the mire of sin and degradation, it is bad. Which direction are you heading?
I served as Pastor of the Summit Lake Community Church, in Olympia, Washington, after over 15 years of ministry. When I resigned to devote full time to the Daily-E-Votional, I had no idea of it growing into a worldwide ministry. You who read this are a part of this unique, cyberspace congregation.
I view this new area of ministry as God’s plan and provision. You are welcome to be a part. The signs are all around us that the coming of the Lord is near. My desire is to keep on keeping on as the Lord gives me the strength.
Ask the Lord to show you what you can do to be more productive in allowing His power and strength to flow through you to others. The time is short and what we do for the Lord needs to be accomplished now! Be that new creature for Christ!
Blessings dear hearts. May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Aug 7, 2020 | Matthew
Matthew 6:27
“Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.”
True Christian character is certainly seen in our biblical heroes, but it may often be seen in those of more recent times. Hope is a character quality that looks beyond our immediate circumstances and shows what we as believers have waiting for us.
In the Sweet By and By is one of the most enduring songs written after the Civil War. It was composed by Sanford Bennett who was the owner of a drugstore in Elkhorn, Wisconsin. He had just returned from the war. A friend, Joseph Webster, a gifted musician trained formally in composition, came to the store each day to talk and play chess. Often Webster would be depressed and down.
When asked what was wrong, Webster would often reply; “It will be alright by and by.” That idea hit Bennett like a flash of sunlight! As Bennett later described the incident, he took out a pen and it was all over in thirty minutes. A new hymn was born. In short order he was singing the words along with Webster and two other friends. That hymn was perfect for the post-Civil War era because it conveyed pathos with a mixture of comforting warmth. It came to typify the virtues of spiritual hope.
Sweet By and By
- There is a land that is fairer than day,
And by faith we can see it afar;
For the Father waits over the way,
To prepare us a dwelling place there.
Chorus: In the sweet by and by,
We shall meet on that beautiful shore;
In the sweet by and by;
We shall meet on that beautiful shore.
- We shall sing on that beautiful shore,
The melodious songs of the blest;
And our spirits shall sorrow no more,
Not a sigh for the blessing of rest.
Chorus: In the sweet by and by,
We shall meet on that beautiful shore;
In the sweet by and by;
We shall meet on that beautiful shore.
- To our bountiful Father above,
We will offer our tribute of praise,
For the glorious gift of His love,
And the blessings that hallow our days.
Chorus: In the sweet by and by,
We shall meet on that beautiful shore;
In the sweet by and by;
We shall meet on that beautiful shore.
Enjoy this free inspirational video from Gloryscapes.com by going to: https://gloryscapes.com/sweetbyandby/
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Aug 6, 2020 | Ephesians
Ephesians 6:13
“Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”
I often recall this old saying: If you are not standing on the promises, you will find yourself sitting on the premises. Standing is an active process of involvement; sitting is a passive pastime of taking up space but contributing very little. The gripers, moaners, and fault finders of the world are generally composed of those who are just sitting on God’s premises.
A long time ago I read about a man who was traveling across the Atlantic on a ship. He could just barely scrape up the money for his ticket and a few provisions to eat on during the trip. A few days after he ran out of food he knew he had to do something. He summoned up all of his courage and went to a steward and asked if he might be able to do some work so he could be able to eat a meal or two. The steward, startled by the destitute passenger’s request, explained to him that the ticket he had purchased included all the food he could eat during the voyage. It was his all along, but he was literally starving because of the lack of knowledge of what he possessed.
Many of us have that traveler’s problem. He didn’t read his ticket and we don’t read our Bible! It is just as simple as that. God has given us His very great and precious promises. They are given to us so that we might stand tall for the Lord.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Aug 5, 2020 | 2 Timothy
2 Timothy 4:2
“Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.”
Sometimes God uses dire circumstances as a means of ministry. A missionary was rushed to a hospital with a ruptured appendix. While recuperating in a two-bed room, he was able to share a witness with his roommate in the other bed and lead him to the Lord.
During the cold war years there were many Christians who were imprisoned due to their belief in Jesus Christ. Rather than collapsing in a heap and feeling sorry for themselves, many used prison as an opportunity to preach the gospel.
In my own life I have endured occasional tests and trials. As I surrendered each situation to the Lord, He opened doors of ministry that could never have opened in any other way. It is not necessary for us to be perfect before He can use us—just forgiven. It is not necessary for us to complete a course of study to be used—just available. It is not necessary for us to be of a certain age to be used—just willing.
You may be enduring trials and tests right now. Please do not allow what you are experiencing to paralyze you from being used. Step forward and volunteer to serve in God’s army. Neither age nor physical limitations will disqualify. “God doesn’t call the qualified; He qualifies the called.”
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Aug 4, 2020 | Proverbs
Proverbs 14:5
“A faithful witness does not lie, but a false witness will utter lies.”
Years ago, in the middle of the night while my wife Joyce was awake feeding our baby son, she happened to spot a small mouse out for a leisurely stroll. Now to me this seemed to be normal and proper behavior for a mouse. To Joyce it was a national crisis. With a scream she fled into our bedroom and issued this ultimatum: “You will be getting up with the kids in the middle of the night until that mouse is gone!”
Well, needless to say, that got my attention! Traps were immediately set at every logical location. After a week the traps were still empty and I was on permanent night duty. It was then I came up with a remarkable plan (although not necessarily an honest one). I walked into the kitchen and got down on my knees to look under the refrigerator. I pulled out the empty trap and called in my best fake happy voice, “Honey, do you want to see it?”
In a way it was one of my finest hours—but in reality is was pure and simple deception. I have already confessed it to the Lord and to Joyce, so do not hammer me about dealing with the issue. Joyce squealed and said, “Just get it out of here!” I walked outside and made noises as if I was throwing it in the garbage can. Remember, it was all just a farce—there was no mouse. I did not actually say there was, but I had lied by intimation.
Do you have any “mice” in your life? Are there things that you say and do in order to lead to a conclusion that is not true? Do you lead people to believe you are a dedicated Christian when, in fact, you are hiding sin in your life? Confess!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
