COME, THOU LONG-EXPECTED JESUS!

Luke 2:29-32 – Devotional

Luke 2:29-32

“Now you are releasing your servant, Master, according to your word, in peace; for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared before the face of all peoples; a light for revelation to the nations, and the glory of your people Israel.”

Charles Wesley was a prolific hymnwriter who wrote over 6,500 hymns during his lifetime (1707-1788). His works include “And Can It Be”, “O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing”, “Christ the Lord Is Risen Today”, “Love Divine, All Loves Excelling”, the carol “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing”, and “Lo! He Comes With Clouds Descending”.

Jason E. Vickers states that Charles Wesley’s ‘conversion experience’ in 1738 had a clear impact on his doctrine, especially doctrine concerning the power of the Holy Spirit. The change was most prominent in his hymns written after the same year.

From his published work Hymns and Prayers to the Trinity and in Hymn number 62 he writes, “The Holy Ghost in part we know, For with us He resides, Our whole of good to Him we owe, Whom by His grace he guides, He doth our virtuous thoughts inspire, The evil he averts, And every seed of good desire, He planted in our hearts.”

In this hymn, Charles communicates several doctrines: the personal indwelling of the Holy Spirit, the sanctifying work of the Spirit, the depravity of mankind, and humanity’s personal accountability to God.

We hope you enjoy today’s featured hymn from Charles Wesley entitled, Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus, written in 1744.

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

Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus

Come, thou long expected Jesus,
born to set thy people free;
from our fears and sins release us,
let us find our rest in thee.

Israel’s strength and consolation,
hope of all the earth thou art;
dear desire of every nation,
joy of every longing heart.

Born thy people to deliver,
born a child and yet a King,
born to reign in us forever,
now thy gracious kingdom bring.

By thine own eternal spirit
rule in all our hearts alone;
by thine all sufficient merit,
raise us to thy glorious throne.

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

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

– – – Pastor Cecil

P.S. – Thanks for partnering with us to help spread the Good News–Please CLICK HERE or on the Donate Button below if you feel led to help us financially with Pastor Cecil’s ministry. As of September 11th, we have a $1,958 need for September 2026 (was $2,000). To read about how the money is used, please go to https://DailyEvotional.com/donations/

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Enjoy the Song of the Week below created by Russ Hansen
Please send him your feedback at inspiration@thegoodbookcompany.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.

TIME!

Luke 12:19-21 – Devotional

Luke 12:19-21

“And I’ll say to myself, ‘You have plenty of grain laid up for many years.
Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.’

“But God said to him, ‘You fool!
This very night your life will be demanded from you.
Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’

“This is how it will be with whoever stores up things
for themselves but is not rich toward God.”

When I was young I seldom, if ever, thought about my life ending.

In my 20’s I laughed at my brother when he reached the ripe old age of 30. He was seven years older and it would be a long time before I got that old.

I should not have laughed, for in what seemed like a blink of an eye, I reached 30 . . . then 40 . . . and here I am at the unbelievable age of 90! Time has flown by.

Many of my friends and classmates have died, and we never know what lies ahead for any of us.

On Saturday, January 8, 2011, a man went on a shooting rampage at a supermarket in Tucson, Arizona. This horrific event took place at a meet-and-greet event held by congressworman Gabrielle Giffords. Six people, including a nine-year-old girl, were killed—and 13, including representative Giffords, were seriously wounded.

Stop and think about this event for a few uncomfortable moments.

Here was a crowd of people and a Representative, happy and very much alive. I can imagine some had come to shake her hand or to implore her about a particular issue.

Then, in a moment in time, everything changed. Suddenly several people were wounded . . . and just as suddenly, several others are forever thrust into eternity as their time here on earth ends.

Regardless of age, we never know when our time will come. Are you ready?

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

– – – Pastor Cecil

P.S. – Thanks for partnering with us to help spread the Good News–Please CLICK HERE or on the Donate Button below if you feel led to help us financially with Pastor Cecil’s ministry. As of September 9th, we have a $1,796 need for September 2026 (was $2,000). To read about how the money is used, please go to https://DailyEvotional.com/donations/

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

You can share the Lord with someone by directing them to https://PastorCecil.com.

Enjoy the Song of the Week below created by Russ Hansen
Please send him your feedback at inspiration@thegoodbookcompany.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.

GOD UNDERSTANDS THIS TIME!

Luke 12:56 – Devotional

Luke 12:56

“You hypocrites, you can comprehend the face of the sky and of the earth;
but how is it that you do not understand this time?”

In a world that seems consumed with knowing everything about everything, it seems that we find more questions than answers. We may be able to accurately know the time and extent of a solar eclipse, but we have little comprehension of what will happen in the next few minutes of our life.

This is why it is so vital for those who have accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, to find comfort and peace in times of chaos and turmoil. We may not be able to know what will happen in our future, but we know the ONE who does!

As we set out to live this day that the Lord has given us, we will have numerous opportunities to demonstrate our faith in Christ as our Lord. As we do, let us find comfort in serving a Lord that understands this time and all time!

Who will you chose to trust this day? Will it be you, who has no comprehension of what will happen in the next few minutes, or the Lord who knows each fraction of a second of eternity? I place my trust in God!

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

– – – Pastor Cecil

P.S. – Thanks for partnering with us to help spread the Good News–Please CLICK HERE or on the Donate Button below if you feel led to help us financially with Pastor Cecil’s ministry. As of September 2nd, we have a $2,000 need for September 2026. To read about how the money is used, please go to https://DailyEvotional.com/donations/

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

You can share the Lord with someone by directing them to https://PastorCecil.com.

Enjoy the Song of the Week below created by Russ Hansen
Please send him your feedback at inspiration@thegoodbookcompany.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.

ONE HEARTBEAT FROM ETERNITY!​

Luke 23:43 – Devotional

Luke 23:43

“And Jesus said unto him, ‘Verily I say unto thee,
today you shall be with Me in paradise.’“

Listen to today’s Message of the Week, “One Heartbeat From Eternity!” followed by Pastor Cecil’s Prayer by clicking above on the play button.

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

– – – Pastor Cecil

P.S. – Thanks for partnering with us to help spread the Good News–Please CLICK HERE or on the Donate Button below if you feel led to help us financially with Pastor Cecil’s ministry. As of July 11th, we have a $1,864 need for July 2026 (was $2,000). To read about how the money is used, please go to https://DailyEvotional.com/donations/

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

You can share the Lord with someone by directing them to https://PastorCecil.com.

Enjoy the Song of the Week below created by Russ Hansen
Please send him your feedback at inspiration@thegoodbookcompany.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.

A STORY OF TWO SONS!

Luke 15:30 – Devotional

Luke 15:30

“As soon as this son of yours came,
who has devoured your livelihood with harlots,
you killed the fatted calf for him.”

I once encountered a brother and sister that had been hostile toward each other for years. Even their children had deep hostility toward their cousins because of their parent’s anger toward each other. Prior to the funeral of their mother I met with the families and with God’s help and scripture we restored their relationship.

It is interesting that when the younger brother had received his inheritance, his older brother received his as well. While the younger brother departed for a far country, it appears the elder brother departed for a far field, one of envy and resentment.

He had no idea what his younger brother was doing, yet he accused him of spending his money on harlots. Sometimes our false accusations reveal what our own temptations are. This older brother who had also received his inheritance evidently did not enjoy it.

His refusal to join the feast reveals the condition of his heart. While his brother had been willing to become a servant, this older brother rejected his father’s plea to come home. Which sibling describes you? The one who returned or the one who resented?

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

– – – Pastor Cecil

P.S. – Thanks for partnering with us to help spread the Good News–Please CLICK HERE or on the Donate Button below if you feel led to help us financially with Pastor Cecil’s ministry. As of June 11, 2026, we have a $1,754 need for June 2026 (was $2,000). To read about how the money is used, please go to https://DailyEvotional.com/donations/

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

You can share the Lord with someone by directing them to https://PastorCecil.com.

Enjoy the Song of the Week below created by Russ Hansen
Please send him your feedback at inspiration@thegoodbookcompany.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.

JESUS ALONE!

Luke 12:15 – Devotional

Luke 12:15

“Take heed and beware of covetousness,
for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.”

I was once asked to visit our county jail and speak with a young man who had been convicted of a fairly serious crime. As I sat down at a table in the visiting room, Ben approached with a wide smile and placed his Bible on the table. It was a very touching meeting as Ben shared from his heart.

Ben told me that a year ago he felt he had it all—a new pickup, a boat and a motorcycle. Ben also had a wife and two kids and his future looked bright. Then he made some foolish decisions, because even with all of his possessions, Ben wanted even more. He committed a crime to get them. As a result he lost his wife and family, house and vehicles.

The smile on his face did not match the story Ben was relating to me. Ben shared how he had given his heart to the Lord Jesus while he was locked up in the county jail. I still can recall as Ben placed his hand on his Bible and said that the only things he could now count as his own were his Bible and a sweater back in his cell. Ben related that with Jesus in his heart he was the richest man in the world.

Ben deeply regretted his sin and offenses and what he had done to his family, but he was rejoicing in the fact that he had passed from death to eternal life and now possessed treasures which are of far more value than anything the world has to offer. It reminds me that when we come to the place that Jesus is all we have, we will find that He is all that we will ever need.

Many passages in Scripture bring us to the vital truth—Jesus is all we will ever need. Like that young man in the county jail, with Jesus in our heart we are richer than the wealthiest man in the world. It is time we start living with that truth.

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

– – – Pastor Cecil

P.S. – Thanks for partnering with us to help spread the Good News–Please CLICK HERE or on the Donate Button below if you feel led to help us financially with Pastor Cecil’s ministry. As of June 8, 2026, we have a $1,754 need for June 2026 (was $2,000). To read about how the money is used, please go to https://DailyEvotional.com/donations/

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

You can share the Lord with someone by directing them to https://PastorCecil.com.

Enjoy the Song of the Week below created by Russ Hansen
Please send him your feedback at inspiration@thegoodbookcompany.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.