by Pastor Cecil | Jun 12, 2021 | Hebrews
DEALING WITH UNBELIEF!
Hebrews 3:12-13 Devotional
Hebrews 3:12-13
“Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; but exhort one another daily, while it is called ‘Today,’ lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.”
Please listen to Pastor Cecil’s devotional today by clicking on the audio play above.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
One Year Bible Reading for June 12th:
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- 1 Kings 9:1-10:29
- Acts 8:14-40
- Psalm 130:1-8
- Proverbs 17:2-3
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.
by Pastor Cecil | May 20, 2021 | Hebrews
Hebrews 12:2
“Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
This week’s hymn was written by Isaac Watts. It would be impossible to fully know the number of lives it has touched. One of those lives was the blind hymn writer, Fanny J. Crosby. In the autumn of 1850 revival meetings were being held in the Thirtieth Street Methodist Church in New York City.
Fanny and some of her friends attended each night and she craved for spiritual joy, but could not find it. On the evening of November 20, 1850, it seemed to her that the light must indeed come then or never. After a prayer was offered, they began to sing this hymn. When they sang “Here Lord, I give myself away,” her soul was flooded with a celestial light. She realized what her problem had been. She realized that she had been trying to hold the world in one hand and the Lord in the other.
AT THE CROSS
Alas! and did my Savior bleed, And did my Sovereign die?
Would He devote that sacred head, Fo r sinners such as I?
Refrain: At the cross, at the cross where I first saw the light, And the burden of my heart rolled away, It was there by faith I received my sight, and now I am happy all the day!
Thy body slain, sweet Jesus, Thine—And bathed in its own blood—
While the firm mark of wrath divine, His Soul in anguish stood.
Refrain: At the cross, at the cross where I first saw the light, And the burden of my heart rolled away, It was there by faith I received my sight, and now I am happy all the day!
Was it for crimes that I had done, He groaned upon the tree?
Amazing pity! grace unknown! And love beyond degree!
Refrain: At the cross, at the cross where I first saw the light, And the burden of my heart rolled away, It was there by faith I received my sight, and now I am happy all the day!
Well might the sun in darkness hide, And shut his glories in,
When Christ, the mighty Maker died, For man the creature’s sin.
Refrain: At the cross, at the cross where I first saw the light, And the burden of my heart rolled away, It was there by faith I received my sight, and now I am happy all the day!
Thus might I hide my blushing face, While His dear cross appears,
Dissolve my heart in thankfulness, And melt my eyes to tears.
Refrain: At the cross, at the cross where I first saw the light, And the burden of my heart rolled away, It was there by faith I received my sight, and now I am happy all the day!
But drops of grief can ne’er repay, The debt of love I owe:
Here, Lord, I give myself away, ‘tis all that I can do.
Refrain: At the cross, at the cross where I first saw the light, And the burden of my heart rolled away, It was there by faith I received my sight, and now I am happy all the day!
Are you like Fanny Crosby—looking for joy to fill your soul? Her answer is our answer— Here, Lord, I give myself away, ’Tis all that I can do.
Enjoy this week’s free inspirational video from GloryScapes.com. To access “At the Cross”, this week’s free inspirational video, please go to: https://gloryscapes.com/atthecross/
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Feb 8, 2021 | Hebrews
Hebrews 4:16
“Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”
There are at least two ways we may approach God’s throne of grace — barely or boldly. Barely means we slink our way toward His throne expecting to be thrown out at any second. Boldly means we accept God’s open invitation to come into His presence as His own dear child.
When our oldest grandson, Zane, was quite small, he used to follow my dad around like a shadow. Zane and his great grandfather had a close relationship. From time to time, being a normal boy, something that he was playing with would break. Zane would never be upset. He would confidently exclaim, “Papa fitz it!” For those of you who have a hard time with kid talk, that means “Grandpa will fix it!” That should be our attitude toward the Lord.
How then should we pray? With praise and assurance that God will use all situations to bring about His goodness and grace. We pray with anticipation, looking for the answers, paying attention to what is happening, and eager to give God the glory. Three things to remember when we go to the Lord in prayer: ATTITUDE! ATTITUDE! ATTITUDE!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Feb 1, 2021 | Hebrews
Hebrews 11:7
“By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.”
The definition of spiritual faith is found in Hebrews 11:1: “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Now unless I am missing something, substance and evidence are things that can be touched, held, and collected as exhibits. Faith on the other hand is usually described as being unseen but needing trust to believe that it is real. Hebrews 11:1 melds the two ideas together.
I have often used the analogy of going to a favorite ice cream store on a hot day. The enjoyment of your favorite ice cream cone does not begin when you take your first lick of that delectable treat — it is thinking about it on the way to the store.
In like manner we begin to enjoy the pleasures of our eternal home with the Lord as we walk this pathway of life. We may encounter conflicts, pain, and distress along our pathway, but we can demonstrate our righteousness by believing what God says is true. When we doubt God’s word, we demonstrate our unrighteous nature and this is displeasing to God. God desires for us to trust and believe!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Dec 22, 2020 | Hebrews
Hebrews 13:8
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”
Back when I was eight or nine my parents owned a café in Camas, Washington, called Kelly’s. I have many fond memories of spending time in and around that place. Sometimes I would help the dish washer, but in reality was more hindrance than help.
Years after we had moved away from Camas I always wanted to drive by and see if Kelly’s was still open. I had told my wife Joyce about it enough times that she was no doubt tired of hearing my stories. A day came when I took a trip down memory lane with Joyce. We were able to find my family’s old house and the old church where I had given my heart to the Lord, but my heart saddened when we saw the building where Kelly’s had once been. It was now an insurance agency. Rats!
There were other instances where we tried to find some favored spot only to discover the use had changed and it was entirely different from the way we remembered. It is disappointing to have the buildings of our past change, but it is heart breaking to discover that some people have changed for the worse.
In today’s Scripture we are urged stay the course and walk in such a way that our life will be an example to others. Jesus is always the same and that is the rock upon which we are to build our life.
Blessings dear hearts. May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Oct 2, 2020 | Hebrews
Hebrews 12:1-2
“Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
This week’s hymn was written over 300 years ago by Isaac Watts. It would be impossible to fully know the number of lives it has touched since he wrote it. One of those lives was the blind hymn writer, Fanny J. Crosby. In the autumn of 1850 revival meetings were being held in the Thirtieth Street Methodist Church in New York City.
Fanny and some of her friends attended each night and she craved for spiritual joy, but could not find it. On the evening of November 20, 1850, it seemed to her that the light must indeed come then or never. After a prayer was offered, they began to sing this hymn. When they sang “Here Lord, I give myself away,” her soul was flooded with a celestial light. She realized what her problem had been. She realized that she had been trying to hold the world in one hand and the Lord in the other.
AT THE CROSS
- Alas! and did my Savior bleed, And did my Sovereign die?
Would He devote that sacred head, For sinners such as I?
Refrain: At the cross, at the cross where I first saw the light, And the burden of my heart rolled away, It was there by faith I received my sight,
And now I am happy all the day!
- Was it for crimes that I had done, He groaned upon the tree?
Amazing pity! grace unknown! And love beyond degree!
Refrain: At the cross, at the cross where I first saw the light, And the burden of my heart rolled away, It was there by faith I received my sight,
And now I am happy all the day!
- Well might the sun in darkness hide, And shut his glories in,
When Christ, the mighty Maker died, For man the creature’s sin.
Refrain: At the cross, at the cross where I first saw the light, And the burden of my heart rolled away, It was there by faith I received my sight,
And now I am happy all the day!
- But drops of grief can ne’er repay, The debt of love I owe:
Here, Lord, I give myself away, ‘Tis all that I can do.
Refrain: At the cross, at the cross where I first saw the light, And the burden of my heart rolled away, It was there by faith I received my sight,
And now I am happy all the day!
Are you like Fanny Crosby—looking for joy to fill your soul? Her answer is our answer – – Here, Lord, I give myself away, ’Tis all that I can do.
To access this week’s free inspirational video from GloryScapes.com. please go to: https://gloryscapes.com/atthecross/
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – Pastor Cecil
