JUST AS I AM!

Ephesians 2:8-9 – Devotional

Ephesians 2:8-9

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.“

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I suppose many of us have heard humorous stories about someone approaching the gates of heaven and being required to prove that their actions on earth merited entry into God’s heavenly kingdom. Beep! Wrong answer!

A person may do amazingly good works here on earth and still miss heaven. It is not what we do for God that determines where we will spend eternity—it is what He has done for us. When we repent of our sins and accept Him as Savior and Lord then—and only then—is our name written down in glory.

The writer of this week’s hymn, Charlotte Elliot, was offended when someone asked her if she was a Christian. She told him to mind his own business. Later as she was contemplating his question, she began to wonder what it took to become a Christian. She called him and he explained to her the plan of salvation which she accepted. It was then that she wrote this hymn, “Just As I Am.”

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Just As I Am

Just as I am, without one plea,
But that Thy blood was shed for me,
And that Thou bidst me come to Thee,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, and waiting not
To rid my soul of one dark blot,
To Thee whose blood can cleanse each spot,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, though tossed about
With many a conflict, many a doubt,
Fightings and fears within, without,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, poor, wretched, blind;
Sight, riches, healing of the mind,
Yea, all I need in Thee to find,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, Thou wilt receive,
Wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve;
Because Thy promise I believe,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, Thy love unknown
Hath broken every barrier down;
Now, to be Thine, yea, Thine alone,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, of that free love
The breadth, length, depth, and height to prove,
Here for a season, then above,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come!

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You can go to https://gloryscapes.com/justasiam/ to watch the Just As I Am video devotional.

Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!

– – – Pastor Cecil

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MOM AND THE BEAR​​!

Ephesians 6:17-18 – Devotional

Ephesians 6:17-18

“And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints.“

When I was a young teenager, our family went to Yellowstone National Park for a vacation. We took along my best friend at the time, Penny my Cocker Spaniel. Penny was like one of the family, but he was the closest to me since I had raised him from a pup.

It was a few days into our trip and we were comfortable in our rustic cabin. Most of us were in front of the cabin when we heard a commotion out back. We ran around the corner just in time to see Mom hitting a black bear with a stick with one hand and grabbing Penny with the other. The bear had been going through a garbage can and Penny had charged out to defend his family.

If it were possible, I can imagine that black bear telling all of his family and friends, “Do not mess with that little 5 foot ball of fire that is staying in cabin seven. SHE’S MEAN!”

All too often we live fearful lives dominated by the black bear of what might be. It is time we recognize that the Lord has equipped us for battle. Read Ephesians 6, to see what He has given us. LOOK OUT BEAR!

Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!

– – – Pastor Cecil

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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.

LOVE AS CHRIST LOVED!

Ephesians 5:25 – Devotional

Ephesians 5:25

“Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it.“

What determines a life of success? For some it may be achieving great prominence or a lofty promotion. I once experienced a little taste of that kind of success when I was elected Student Body President in high school. (Okay, it was a very small high school.)

As a youngster I was blessed to receive words of praise from both my grandfather and my father; they always let me know that they were proud of me. I have also received words of love and devotion from each of my children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

The words that struck closest to my heart were some of the final words my precious wife of 62 years spoke before going to be with the Lord. With tears in her eyes, she reached out her frail hand to softly touch mine and said, “Honey, you are love personified!”

Husbands, fathers, all of you men who read this, I beg you to stop trying to be a rock in the garden of life and become fertilizer. Die to yourself in order that your life can become the source of growth in others. Become love personified!

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

– – – Pastor Cecil

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

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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.

GOD’S FULL ARMOR​!

Ephesians 6:13 – Devotional

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 am sure that you have heard the expression: Well, that’s the last straw! We’ve probably all experienced a time when it felt like life’s pressures had become so great we could hardly go on when another discouraging issue suddenly arose. It was then that “the last straw” phrase was muttered.

There is certainly little doubt that we live in an evil day. Not only do we live in an evil day, but the evil seems to get worse with each passing day. Doing what is Godly and right is now seen as being wrong and evil.

Along with the reality of facing “the last straw,” we also come to the reality that it is time to stand for what is right. It is time for battle! Today’s Scripture passage indicates that we are to take on the full armor of God and stand firm in our defense of the Word of God.

In standing firm and sure for the Gospel, there may be casualties. I would much rather be wounded or even killed in defending the cause of Christ than going along with the masses who deny the faith. This is the last straw — what are we going to do about it? I, for one, am going to stand clad with God’s full armor. Join me?

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

– – – Pastor Cecil

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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.

LET HIM BE OUR AIM!

Ephesians 3:21 – Devotional

Ephesians 3:21

“To Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.“

I have two cousins who are expert marksmen. One of them once explained to me that each of us has a dominant eye that may or may not be the same as whether we are left or right handed. For example, both cousins are right handed, but shoot by sighting with their left eye.

The Bible repeatedly calls us to look to Jesus as the author and finisher of our faith. In today’s Scripture Paul admonishes his readers to focus their attention TO HIM. That means making the rational decision to focus our aim at the target of our faith, which is to obey His Word.

In a world that is increasingly cluttered with things that draw our attention away from the spiritual realm, it is vital that we stop and take careful aim at the things that will matter for eternity. We know that the things of this world grow strangely dim as we focus on His glory and grace.

What are you aiming at? If you have no target in mind, you will find yourself lost in the frustrating confusion of life. If you direct your attention TO HIM, you will find that He is worthy of all of your efforts. TO HIM!

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

– – – Pastor Cecil

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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.

IMITATE CHRIST’S LOVE!

Ephesians 5:25 – Devotional

Ephesians 5:25

“Husbands, love your wives, in the same way Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her.“

Across the years of my Christian life I have tried my best to be a faithful follower of our Savior, but I always seem to fall short of my best intentions. Even so, I do my best to imitate Christ’s love.

Today is the 71st anniversary of my marriage to my wife, Joyce. She slipped the bonds of this old sin-sick world back in 2015, but her sweet spirit still lingers in the memory bank of my mind.

I cherish the years we had together and eagerly yearn for the day when we will be together again with all of the other saints in glory. We will be a part of that glorious choir singing praises to our precious Savior and Lord.

Until that glorious reunion day dawns there is work to be done. We are called to be faithful in serving the Lord as He leads us. There are no small tasks that we are called to perform. A cup of cool water or an encouraging smile may be just what someone needs to keep on keeping on! As Christ has loved us, love others!

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

– – – Pastor Cecil

Share a blessing by inviting your friends and family to subscribe to Pastor Cecil’s Daily E-Votional 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.