THE POWER OF WAITING!

Mark 15:3 – Devotional

Mark 15:3

“The chief priests accused Him of many things: but He answered nothing.“

During the height of the “Cold War,” David Benson was standing in the center of Red Square with hundreds of Russian Bibles buried in his luggage and sewn into his garments. He was to deliver the Bibles to a Russian believer, but the authorities had unexpectedly relocated that man and David had no idea where he was or how to contact him.

It was at that terrifying place in his life that David Benson took his hands off the situation and did nothing in his own strength. As he waited, totally dependent on the Lord, he was miraculously united with his contact in another part of Moscow in which he had never been. What David Benson was incapable of doing himself, God did for him. He simply experienced the power of waiting.

Throughout His ministry here on earth our Savior did much and said much, but there were times when He did nothing and said nothing. In so doing, He accomplished His purpose.

Sometimes it seems as if we are compelled to say or do something when all the Lord wants us to do is to simply do nothing more than simply wait and watch for Him to accomplish His work.

Blessings dear hearts! Walk with God today 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.

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

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

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.

SALT VERSUS SAND!

Mark 9:50 – Devotional

Mark 9:50

“Salt is good, but if salt loses its salty quality, you can never restore its salty quality again. Be at peace with each other.“

I can recall my teenage years when I worked mixing and hauling concrete. I still can recall how sore my muscles became as I first started working on the laborious task. That is an experience which lingers in one’s mind.

I have read today’s passage from Mark’s Gospel many times and always reflect on how similar sand and salt are to each other, yet they are uniquely different. Sand is simply fine bits of stone, but salt is a chemical with unique qualities.

Salt can season food to make it taste more appealing, it can preserve food to make it last longer, it can be scattered on an icy walk to make it safe to walk, or to be used in many other ways. Fries would just not taste the same without salt!

Making this personal we need to ask ourselves, just how are we similar to the salt we crave so much. Do we act as a preservative to the things which God wants to remain? Do we create a desire for more of God’s Word after we have been with other people? Let’s strive to have more qualities of salt than sand!

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.

ETERNAL VALUE​!

Mark 8:36 – Devotional

Mark 8:36

“What value would it be if someone were to gain the whole world, yet sacrifice their own soul?“

Many prominent people seem to possess everything this world has to offer, yet end up lacking eternal value. People sometimes sacrifice their time and talent to gain notoriety only to end up hiding from that notoriety.

I recall the incident when an extremely wealthy man was asked how much money it would take for him to feel satisfied. His reply to that question was; “Just a little bit more!”

So what should we strive to accomplish in this crazy and self-centered world? It is certainly not the things that will rust, perish and fade away. Things will always fade, perish, and pass away. That is the reality of human existence.

Only as we come to the place of receiving eternal life through the precious blood of our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ, will we find eternal value. Eternal value can never be measured in this world’s currency. It far exceeds the value of anything that can be measured by monetary currency or human achievement. It is the value of eternal life with the Lord which Jesus paid for with His own blood!

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.

CREATE THIRST​​!

Mark 9:50 – Devotional

Mark 9:50

“Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with each other.“

I once heard this wonderful illustration about motivating someone: While it is true that you can lead a horse to water, you can’t make him drink. But, you can salt his oats.

Some of us in Christian ministry wear ourselves out trying to force people to “drink” (spiritually) when they show no inclination and, in fact, flatly refuse. We heap on guilt or glitter, but there are still no slurping sounds. What is the answer? SALT THE OATS! Right! How do we do that? It is a good question and deserves careful consideration.

Salt is a very valuable mineral and has served many purposes throughout centuries. It is used to preserve food, to season foods, and even for its medicinal qualities. In Roman times the soldiers were even paid in salt, which is where the word “salary” came from. If you’ve heard that odd expression that someone “is not worth his salt,” it refers to the payment in salt that a soldier received.

With this bit of information in mind, in what way can we become “salty” Christians? Have you ever been in a room full of people and acted like you were yawning? Do you know what happens? Others start yawning themselves. Perhaps you could say that you “salted” the yawn reflex. We need to salt the oats spiritually!

There is no way we can live indifferent Christian lives and be salt and light to those around us. If we do that, we have lost our saltiness and no longer possess the appeal that will draw others to walk close to Christ. Are you salting the oats?

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.

TAKE HEED​​!

Mark 13:33 – Devotional

Mark 13:33​

“Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is.“

Most true Bible scholars have concluded that there are no further prophecies that need to be fulfilled before the Lord appears to call His church to that wonderful home that has been prepared for us. “Even so, come, Lord Jesus!” (Revelation 22:20).

With the return of Christ so near at hand there is much work for us to do. We live in the midst of a lost and dying world. The word of hope and salvation that the lost need to hear should be on our tongue. As people see Jesus in us, we need to be ready to share the gospel message with them and have their names written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.

Sadly, there are those who treat the prophecies of Christ’s return as only a joke, or they claim that we believers have been deceived. We have already observed enough fulfilled prophecies to know that Christ’s return is real and imminent. It is going to happen!

With such utter disregard of Scripture around us, we must be totally committed to share the only hope for those without eternal salvation. We may be ridiculed and mocked for our stand for Christ, but it may be the eternal lifeline for someone.

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.