JESUS LOVES ME!

Luke 18:15-17​ – Devotional

Luke 18:15-17

“People were also bringing babies to Jesus to have him touch them. When the disciples saw this, they rebuked them. But Jesus called the children to him and said, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.’”

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

In 1860, Susan Warner wrote a novel titled, “Say and Seal.” She alluded to the fact that Jesus loves little children. After the novel had been published and circulated, she was informed by a Sunday School teacher that a young boy was lying in the hospital near death.

Susan called her sister, Anna, and asked if she could write a hymn for the teacher to sing to the dying lad. Anna wrote the first verse and two years later, William Bradbury wrote the second and third stanzas.

The simple words of this song speak volumes. I heard the story of an old retired minister who had returned to speak at the church he had pastored for many years. He had not been seen by the congregation for a very long time and they were very anxious to hear what his words of wisdom would be. Slowly he made his way to the microphone and spoke in a soft voice: “Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so!” His words were more powerful than the best prepared sermon.

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

JESUS LOVES ME

1. Jesus loves me! This I know, For the Bible tells me so.
Little ones to Him belong; They are weak, but He is strong.

Refrain: Yes, Jesus loves me! Yes, Jesus loves me! Yes, Jesus loves me! The Bible tells me so.

2. Jesus loves me He who died, Heaven’s gate to open wide;
He will wash away my sin, Let His little child come in.

Refrain: Yes, Jesus loves me! Yes, Jesus loves me! Yes, Jesus loves me! The Bible tells me so.

3. Jesus, take this heart of mine, Make it pure and wholly Thine;
On the cross You died for me, I will try to live for Thee.

Refrain: Yes, Jesus loves me! Yes, Jesus loves me! Yes, Jesus loves me! The Bible tells me so.

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

CLICK HERE to watch the Jesus Loves Me video devotional from GloryScapes.com.

Blessings dear hearts! 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.

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

AN OPEN INVITATION!

Luke 15:31 – Devotional

Luke 15:31

“And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all I have is yours.’”

I love the parables of Jesus. They have taught me so much. Jesus did not spend His earthly ministry teaching the spiritually elite, although He amazed them when He was in the Temple at twelve years of age. His ministry was to share the good news of hope with the common people.

It seems to be very evident that His parable of the Prodigal Son was given to encourage those who had lost their way and that there was a Father waiting to welcome them home with rejoicing.

I know that the Lord is waiting with open arms to receive the discouraged and down-hearted prodigal. It makes me want to shout: What a mighty God we serve! I mean that with all my heart and soul.

It is my desire to always strive to be used by our Heavenly Father to cheerfully welcome home those who wake up and realize that they would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of God than dwell in the tents of wickedness.

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.

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.

GO TELL IT ON THE MOUNTAIN​​​!

Luke 2:16-18​ – Devotional

Luke 2:16-18

“. . . They . . . found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.”

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

A well-produced, short, animated “Christmas movie” is The Very First Noel and features the voice of Andy Griffith narrating. At one point in the video, the shepherds exclaim in excitement, “Who ever thought we’d be invited? . . . We’ll tell it here, we’ll tell it there, we’ll tell it everywhere . . . “ May we be as excited to accept the invitation and proclaim our Savior’s birth.

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

Go Tell It On the Mountain

Over silent flocks by night,
Behold throughout the heavens,
There shone a holy light:
Go, Tell It On The Mountain,
Over the hills and everywhere;
Go, Tell It On The Mountain
That Jesus Christ is born.

The shepherds feared and trembled
When lo! above the earth
Rang out the angel chorus
That hailed our Savior’s birth:
Go, Tell It On The Mountain,
Over the hills and everywhere;
Go, Tell It On The Mountain
That Jesus Christ is born.

Down in a lowly manger
Our humble Christ was born
And God send us salvation,
That blessed Christmas morn:
Go, Tell It On The Mountain,
Over the hills and everywhere;
Go, Tell It On The Mountain
That Jesus Christ is born.

When I am a seeker,
I seek both night and day;
I seek the Lord to help me,
And He shows me the way:
Go, Tell It On The Mountain,
Over the hills and everywhere;
Go, Tell It On The Mountain
That Jesus Christ is born.

He made me a watchman
Upon the city wall,
And if I am a Christian,
I am the least of all.
Go, Tell It On The Mountain,
Over the hills and everywhere;
Go, Tell It On The Mountain
That Jesus Christ is born.

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

You can enjoy this week’s energetic inspirational video, “Go Tell It On The Mountain” by going to: https://gloryscapes.com/gotellitonthemountain/

Happy New Year!

– – – 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.

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

SILENT NIGHT​​​!

Luke 2:2-10​ – Devotional

Luke 2:2-10

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.’

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

Several years ago our church had finished a wonderful Christmas Eve service. Earlier there had been candles placed inside white lunch bags that lined the driveway leading to the church.

Joyce and I had volunteered to extinguish the candles after everyone had left. It had snowed a few days earlier and there were still a few inches on the ground. The temperature was below freezing when we crunched through the snow to the far end of the driveway. It was so quiet and beautiful that we were moved in our spirit with the beauty of God’s creation and the carol Silent Night.

The words of this well loved carol were written in 1818 by Josef Mohr after he had seen a play about the birth of Jesus. He was in a reflective mood and walked to a hill overlooking his village in the Austrian Alps. The view of the snow covering the village reminded him of a poem he had written a few years earlier. The poem was about the night the angel announced the birth of Jesus.

The next day he took the words of his poem to Franz Gruber, who had just composed a melody. He re-worked the melody to match the words to the poem Mohr had written and our beloved carol, “Silent Night” was born.

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

SILENT NIGHT

Silent night, holy night
All is calm, all is bright
Round yon Virgin Mother and Child
Holy Infant so tender and mild
Sleep in heavenly peace
Sleep in heavenly peace

Silent night, holy night!
Shepherds quake at the sight
Glories stream from heaven afar
Heavenly hosts sing Alleluia!
Christ, the Savior is born
Christ, the Savior is born

Silent night, holy night
Son of God, love’s pure light
Radiant beams from Thy holy face
With the dawn of redeeming grace
Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth
Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth

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

CLICK HERE to watch the Silent Night

Blessings dear hearts. 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.

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

O COME, ALL YE FAITHFUL​​​!

Luke 2:15​ – Devotional

Luke 2:15

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.’

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

The beloved Carol “O Come, All Ye Faithful” was originally written in Latin (Adeste Fideles). The words were written by an Englishman, John Wade who had originally intended it as a hymn.

The music to “O Come, All Ye Faithful” was composed by fellow Englishman John Reading in the early 1700s. In 1841, Rev. Frederick Oakley revised the lyrics of “Adeste Fideles”.

While it would be an appropriate hymn at any time of the year, it has become a cherished Christmas Carol. Let us all come and adore, Christ the Lord.

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

O Come, All Ye Faithful

1. O Come All Ye Faithful, joyful and triumphant,
O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem.
Come and behold Him, born the King of Angels;
O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord.

2. O Sing, choirs of angels, sing in exultation,
Sing all that hear in heaven God’s holy word.
Give to our Father glory in the Highest;
O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord.

3. All Hail! Lord, we greet Thee, born this happy morning,
O Jesus! for evermore be Thy name adored.
Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing;
O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord.

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

CLICK HERE to watch the O Come, All Ye Faithful.

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

– – – 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.

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

CAROL OF THE BELLS​​​!

Luke 1:30-33​ – Devotional

Luke 1:30-33

The angel said to her, “Don’t be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and give birth to a son, and shall name him ‘Jesus.’ He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever. There will be no end to his Kingdom.

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

Today we are just celebrating the birth of our Savior, Jesus, with a fun GloryScapes video. They are “words of good cheer . . . filling the air.”

CLICK HERE to watch the Carol of the Bells.

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

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

– – – Pastor Cecil

P.S. – By the way, Russ Hansen, my friend and brother in the Lord who helps me with the technical aspects of The DailyEvotional, has a Christmas GloryScapes video program (about 2 hours in length) in HD (mp4 files) available on a USB Flash Memory Stick that you can enjoy this Christmas and in the future as a Christmas special for $29 (FREE S&H). They are only available for order until next Tuesday, December 10th. CLICK HERE if you are interested in ordering.

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.