DRAW ME NEARER! – Luke 15:19-20 Devotional

by | Apr 5, 2024 | Luke

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DRAW ME NEARER​!

Luke 15:19-20 – Devotional

Luke 15:19-20

“So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.“

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

One of my most pleasurable jobs as a pastor is helping families restore broken relationships. I once was called upon to officiate at a funeral service. The son of the deceased told me that he had not spoken to his sister for years and wanted me to reconcile them before the service. Right! Just like that!

Less than an hour before the service I met with the two and their families. Each of them had children, spouses and others on their side. This son and his family were on one side of the aisle and his sister and her family on the other side. I had prayed for just the right words. I just started reading a Scripture. To this day cannot recall what I used. I had just finished reading when the brother stood and walked across the aisle and hugged his sister. The two families merged with great joy.

Fanny J. Crosby lived from 1820 to 1915. This remarkable lady never let problems keep her away from the Lord. Her blindness as an infant meant that she spent her entire life without physical sight, but was blessed with a keen spiritual sight.

When she was only eight years old she wrote the following poem: Oh, what a happy child I am, although I cannot see! I am resolved that in this world contented I will be! How many blessings I enjoy that other people do not! So weep or sigh because I am blind, I cannot – nor I will not.

This hymn, Draw Me Nearer, that she wrote expresses her desire to draw nearer to her blessed Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Draw Me Nearer

1. 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.

Refrain: Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer blessed Lord, To the cross where Thou hast died; Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer blessed Lord, To Thy precious, bleeding side.

2. 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.

Refrain: Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer blessed Lord, To the cross where Thou hast died; Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer blessed Lord, To Thy precious, bleeding side.

3. Oh, 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!

Refrain: Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer blessed Lord, To the cross where Thou hast died; Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer blessed Lord, To Thy precious, bleeding side.

4. 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.

Refrain: Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer blessed Lord, To the cross where Thou hast died; Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer blessed Lord, To Thy precious, bleeding side.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

You can view this GloryScapes video, Draw Me Nearer, by going to https://gloryscapes.com/drawmenearer/

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

– – – Pastor Cecil

The Bible in One Year & Prayer

April 5th: Deuteronomy 28:1-68, Luke 11:14-36, Psalm 77:1-20, and Proverbs 12:18

New Testament Scripture & Prayer

April 5th: Luke 11:14-36, Psalm 77:1-20, and Proverbs 12:18

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THE PERIL OF PRIDE! – Proverbs 16:18-19 Devotional

by | Apr 4, 2024 | Proverbs

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THE PERIL OF PRIDE​!

Proverbs 16:18-19 – Devotional

Proverbs 16:18-19

“Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall. Better to be lowly in spirit along with the oppressed, than to share plunder with the proud.“

A pastor powerfully presented a sermon on humility. He hammered against the sin of pride and the necessity for every true believer to be empty of self in order to defeat the terrible sin of pride and self-righteousness.

Following his sermon, a little lady met him at the door. She thanked him profusely and said, “Pastor, this has been the most meaningful series. I do not have many gifts or talents, but I am so proud of my humility.” The pastor felt like vomiting!

Pride is one of our most prevalent and insidious of sins. It creeps into our life as quiet as a butterfly. To understand this tendency toward pride, stop and listen to the many times the words “I” or “Me” dominate our conversations. Even our spiritual music often has a personal focus.

None of us are immune from this horrible sin. The moment we take our eyes off the Lord and focus on ourselves, we are headed toward the slippery slope of pride. Surely the devil howls with delight every time he watches this scene unfold. The way to deal with pride is to spend more time with the Lord and being concerned with others more than ourselves.

Blessings dear hearts! Walk with God today and be a blessing!

– – – Pastor Cecil

The Bible in One Year & Prayer

April 4th: Deuteronomy 26:1-27:26, Luke 10:38-11:13, Psalm 76:1-12, and Proverbs 12:15-17

New Testament Scripture & Prayer

April 4th: Luke 10:38-11:13, Psalm 76:1-12, and Proverbs 12:15-17

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Share a blessing by inviting your friends and family to subscribe to Pastor Cecil’s DailyEvotional emails by clicking on the Subscribe button above.

Share the Lord with someone by directing them to https://PastorCecil.com.

If you have watched The Sands of Eternity video above and prayed the prayer at the end, please go to https://PastorCecil.com/ and use the form on the webpage to let us know so we can send you follow up resources and/or send an email to pastorcecil@dailyevotional.com and let him know.

RUN TO WIN! – 1 Corinthians 9:24 Devotional

by | Apr 3, 2024 | 1 Corinthians

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RUN TO WIN​!

1 Corinthians 9:24 – Devotional

1 Corinthians 9:24

“Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it.“

There are many types of races: Car races, horse races, foot races, just to name a few. It is interesting that in many races one competitor may lead throughout the race and victory is almost assured … but then comes the finish line!

It is not uncommon for one driver to lead almost all the way only to experience the heartbreak of an accident near the end lap and lose the race. The one who leads for most of the race is not declared the winner, but the one who crosses the finish line first.

I have watched foot races where the competitors have Down syndrome. These precious jewels run with such joy and excitement. Many times they are just as excited about someone else winning as themselves.

When they cross the finish line each one is awarded a prize. I somehow think that is what Paul wants us to understand. Every person in the world is entered in the race, but only those who have Christ in their heart will receive the prize. At the end of our race, the Lord will meet us and reward us for running for Him.

Blessings dear hearts! Walk with God today and be a blessing!

– – – Pastor Cecil

The Bible in One Year & Prayer

April 3rd: Deuteronomy 23:1-25:19; Luke 10:13-37; Psalm 75:1-10; and Proverbs 12:12-14

New Testament Scripture & Prayer

April 3rd: Luke 10:13-37; Psalm 75:1-10; and Proverbs 12:12-14

Subscribe to Daily Evotional

Share a blessing by inviting your friends and family to subscribe to Pastor Cecil’s DailyEvotional emails by clicking on the Subscribe button above.

Share the Lord with someone by directing them to https://PastorCecil.com.

If you have watched The Sands of Eternity video above and prayed the prayer at the end, please go to https://PastorCecil.com/ and use the form on the webpage to let us know so we can send you follow up resources and/or send an email to pastorcecil@dailyevotional.com and let him know.

FOOLISH TRADITIONS! – Mark 7:8 Devotional

by | Apr 2, 2024 | Mark

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FOOLISH TRADITIONS!

Mark 7:8 – Devotional

Mark 7:8

“For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men, such as the washing of pots and cups, and many other such things you do.“

I once heard about a pastor that came to a new church with great expectation. Before long, however, it was clear that the people were not accepting him. A committee was even formed to deal with his incompetence.

Before the committee was scheduled to meet, the pastor asked the janitor of the church if he knew why the people were so upset with him. The janitor was reluctant to say anything, but finally told him it was because of the way he administered the Lord’s Supper — he neglected to touch the radiator before serving.

The young pastor called the former pastor, who roared with laughter and told him that it was all a silly misunderstanding. A few years earlier they had installed new carpeting and it created static electricity that snapped when people were served. In order to prevent this, he would touch the radiator first to get rid of the electricity.

What had been started as a simple act of convenience had taken on spiritual significance. Frequently the enemy of truth is tradition. This is why it is vital to spend time in the bible to discover God’s truth rather than man’s tradition.

Blessings dear hearts! Walk with God today and be a blessing!

– – – Pastor Cecil

The Bible in One Year & Prayer

April 2nd: Deuteronomy 21:1-22:30, Luke 9:51-10:12, Psalm 74:1-23, and Proverbs 12:11

New Testament Scripture & Prayer

April 2nd: Luke 9:51-10:12, Psalm 74:1-23, and Proverbs 12:11

Subscribe to Daily Evotional

Share a blessing by inviting your friends and family to subscribe to Pastor Cecil’s DailyEvotional emails by clicking on the Subscribe button above.

Share the Lord with someone by directing them to https://PastorCecil.com.

If you have watched The Sands of Eternity video above and prayed the prayer at the end, please go to https://PastorCecil.com/ and use the form on the webpage to let us know so we can send you follow up resources and/or send an email to pastorcecil@dailyevotional.com and let him know.

DO NOT BE FOOLISH! – 1 Corinthians 3:18 Devotional

by | Apr 1, 2024 | 1 Corinthians

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DO NOT BE FOOLISH!

1 Corinthians 3:18 – Devotional

1 Corinthians 3:18

“Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you seems to be wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise.“

The first day of April has long been recognized as April Fool’s Day in many countries around the world. It was in 1392 that Geoffrey Chaucer introduced it in his Canterbury Tales. It is a day when practical jokes are the order of the day.

There are many foolish people in the world and the most foolish are those who fail to make the choice to receive Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. It is also very foolish to spend our time and talents on the things of this world that will quickly pass away.

The question for this first day of April is; are we wise or foolish? Have you made that eternal choice to confess your sins and invite the Lord Jesus Christ to come into your heart and become the Lord of your life?

It is imperative for everyone to accept the ultimate reality that this world is temporary. What seems solid and unshakable is not what it seems. “We only have one life and it soon will be past. Only what is done for Christ that will last.”

Blessings dear hearts! Walk with God today and be a blessing!

– – – Pastor Cecil

The Bible in One Year & Prayer

April 1st: Deuteronomy 18:1-20:20, Luke 9:28-50, Psalm 73:1-28, and Proverbs 12:10

New Testament Scripture & Prayer

April 1st: Luke 9:28-50, Psalm 73:1-28, and Proverbs 12:10

Subscribe to Daily Evotional

Share a blessing by inviting your friends and family to subscribe to Pastor Cecil’s DailyEvotional emails by clicking on the Subscribe button above.

Share the Lord with someone by directing them to https://PastorCecil.com.

If you have watched The Sands of Eternity video above and prayed the prayer at the end, please go to https://PastorCecil.com/ and use the form on the webpage to let us know so we can send you follow up resources and/or send an email to pastorcecil@dailyevotional.com and let him know.

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