by Pastor Cecil | Sep 7, 2007 | Daily-E-Votionals
James 3:6
“The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.”
In ministering as a Christian counselor, I have many times been saddened by reports of gossip which so-called, good people have spread. I recall as a young man sagged in his chair and shared with me about how people had been spreading stories about him all over the school.
Unfortunately, many times the people who spread these reports do not see themselves as “gossips.” They feel that they are merely “reporters of information.” I have often wondered how they would feel if people were saying the things about them that they were saying about others?
We, as servants of the Lord Jesus Christ, are called to give good reports about people. If there are things in a person’s life which we question, we need to go to them personally. The first thing we need to do is to assure them that we have purposed in our heart to give a good report of everyone, but need their help. We then can mention the thing or things that we have observed and ask if they could clarify the matter?
In a counseling session many years ago a husband was telling me about the many terrible things his wife had said to him. After a few moments, he paused and rested his chin on his fist. He said, “You know, those were the exact words she spoke, but not the tone of voice. I realize that I changed the inflection of what she said to make me look good and for her to appear guilty.”
Do you understand what he was saying? Sometimes we can share the words that another person has said, but by the tone of our voice we can completely change the meaning. That husband realized that the problem was more with him than with her! That realization began his healing process.
The modern media screams out of the terrors all around us from extremist groups, but none carry the message of the terrible damage done by the tongues of people. This is not to make light of the evil that terrorists inflict upon innocent people, but we also need to realize that we can do terrible damage with our gossiping tongues.
When we were kids on the playground, we sometimes would begin to call each other names. Did you ever do that? Probably not since you are perfect! I was not perfect! However, if you, like me, were involved in these kid practices, do you remember the phrase that we used to defend ourselves? “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never harm me!”
How wrong that is! Our words can harm. We need to pray that the Lord will show us what terrible damage is done by our tongues. May we commit ourselves to praising, blessings and giving a good report about everyone. Look for the good in others and share that!
Blessings dear hearts. Walk with God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing.
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Sep 6, 2007 | Daily-E-Votionals
Hebrews 4:12-13
“For the Word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.”
I recall hearing the story that Justin Wilson, the Cajun Chef, related. It seems there was a man who took his son with him when he went duck hunting. They slipped up to a pond and there were ten mallard ducks sitting like — yes, like ducks on a pond! The man jumped up and as the ducks took off, he fired; Bam! Bam! Bam!
All ten ducks flew off without any damage. The father looked at his son and remarked; “Son, I am so glad you are with me today. You will always be able to tell people that you saw dead ducks fly!” Silly story, but so very much like us. We can twist the truth in such a manner that reality disappears.
The solution is the Word of God. God’s Word is not simply a book of inspiration and instruction, it is alive, active and will deal honestly with our every situation. We may try to twist the facts, but the Word will reveal what is wrong with our heart. It goes so far as to reveal our basic intents, motives, and attitudes.
We must be honest with ourselves and with the Lord. God knows every little thing about us and His Word gives us the way to deal with our situations. God will never be duped into our “dead flying duck” excuses. He will however, show us from His Word how to deal with our problem.
Let me just close today with this passage in Psalm 119:9-11 which should be a constant reminder of the way we need to practice; “How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to Your Word. I seek You with all my heart; do not let me stray from Your commands. I have hidden Your Word in my heart that I might not sin against You.”
Blessings dear hearts. Walk with God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing.
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Sep 5, 2007 | Daily-E-Votionals
II Chronicles 7:13-14
“When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among My people, if My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”
“A concerned husband went to a doctor to talk about his wife. ‘Doctor, I think my wife is deaf because she never hears me the first time and always asks me to repeat things.’
“‘Well,’ the doctor replied, ‘go home and tonight stand about 15 feet from her and say something to her. If she doesn’t reply move about 5 feet closer and say it again. Keep doing this so that we’ll get an idea about the severity of her deafness.’
“Sure enough, the husband goes home and does exactly as instructed. He starts off about 15 feet from his wife in the kitchen as she is chopping some vegetables and says, ‘Honey, what’s for dinner?’ He hears no response. He moves about 5 feet closer and asks again. No reply. He moves 5 feet closer. Still no reply. He gets fed up and moves right behind her, about an inch away, and asks again, ‘Honey, what’s for dinner?’
“She replies, ‘For the fourth time, vegetable stew!’ ”
Why is it that we see things in others that we fail to see in ourselves? It always seems to be the others who have the problem. Like the husband in this humorous story, we think the problem is with someone else. When that happens, we fail to deal with the problem in our own life.
I am struck by the Scripture for today. It becomes apparent from this passage that God does indeed bring calamity upon the people as a consequence of their sin. It is not to make them suffer, it is to bring them to the place where they will confess their sin and return to Him.
There is no way that I can know what is happening in your life, but God knows. I can not give you spiritual counsel on how to resolve the conflicts you are encountering at this moment, but God knows.
A man honestly shared in one of our Men’s Bible Study groups. He commented about his frustration and the pent up anger that had been seething inside of him over the past week. He was driving along and switched from one radio station to another, just in time to hear this comment from Pastor Chuck Swindoll, “Instead of allowing a situation to produce anger, let it produce character.”
My friend commented that only God could have known that he needed that word at that precise moment. Chuck may have recorded that message weeks, months or years earlier, but as it was aired at that particular moment, the time was right for this message to be delivered to a struggling heart.
There are always situations in our life that challenge us to do something. The right thing to do in any and every situation is always place our trust in God, to confess any sin or fault and turn away from that which is not pleasing to God.
It is interesting that in James 5, he gives instructions about our prayer when we pray for healing. The instruction is given that the sick are to call for the elders to anoint them with oil and pray for their healing. But there is one other element found in James 5:15; “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.”
When you or I approach the Lord about our need, we need to honestly confess our sins before Him and the conflicts with others as well. We need to have our spiritual hearing aids turned up on high so we can hear the voice of the Holy Spirit revealing those things that need confessing and cleansing.
I pray that God will be near to you this day as you develop in you that character which will be a radiant testimony of the power of God to do what we ourselves are not able to do.
Blessings dear hearts. Walk with God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing.
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Sep 4, 2007 | Daily-E-Votionals
Isaiah 43:10-12
“‘You are my witnesses,’ declares the LORD, ‘and My servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe Me and understand that I am He. Before Me no god was formed, nor will there be one after Me. I, even I, am the LORD, and apart from Me there is no Savior. I have revealed and saved and proclaimed— I, and not some foreign god among you. You are my witnesses’ declares the LORD, ‘that I am God.’ “
More and more I feel that I know less and less about the ways of God. There are impossible situations in life that are beyond our comprehension and ability to control. When we pray, God does not always answer in the manner or in the timing that we would expect. Does that mean that God is unfair? No! It simply means that we cannot put God in the bottle of our own understanding.
God says that we are to be witnesses of His mighty presence, but so many times we are consumed with the gods of this world (money, jobs, prestige, family, church, sports, recreation), that we do not experience the presence and power of God Himself.
It is interesting that the list I have just given are good things – necessary things, but they can often control us in such a manner that God is pushed out of our life.
Knowing and experiencing God is so fundamental to spiritual maturity that words fail to explain or describe the process. God has always desired that we, as His children, know Him and enjoy Him. The problem with “things” in our life, is that they separate us from our God.
Great care must be taken to spend quality time with God to see how He is working in our lives. In our flurry of activities, we can become so involved in specific things that we fail to see how God works. We pray for a particular matter, but quite often forget what we had prayed for, so when God answers, we fail to recognize the answer and Give Him the glory. How tragic!
Years ago we had a Prayer Chain Captain named of Blanche Laird. She was a true prayer warrior of the highest order. Not only would she pass prayer requests along to other members of the Prayer Chain, but she would document the date and time of the request and in another column the time and manner in which the prayer was answered in her Prayer Notebook.
One day Blanche went to the Post Office and inadvertently left her prayer notebook on the counter. She was aghast to arrive at home and find it missing. A call to the P.O. produced no results.
Meanwhile, “back at the ranch”, so-to-speak, a young woman from a law office had gone to pick up the mail. She had accidentally also picked up the “Prayer Notebook.” My wife, Joyce, was working in the same office. The young woman asked Joyce if she knew a Blanche Laird? Joyce replied that she did as Blanche was our Prayer Chain captain.
She was stunned to read the requests and especially that almost all of them had a notation as to when and how the prayer was answered. In that moment in time, this young woman knew that there is a God in heaven who not only hears when we pray, but He answers! Do you?
How strong is our faith? Do we believe God enough to bring all of our needs and concerns to Him and then watch carefully as He demonstrates His plan and purpose? May we be doers of His Word, not simply hearers!
Blessings dear hearts. Walk with God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing.
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Sep 3, 2007 | Daily-E-Votionals
Psalm 127:1-2
“Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain. In vain you rise up early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat—for He grants sleep to those He loves.”
Have you seen the television commercial that shows three men in business attire looking down from their office to a crew of construction workers on the street below them? They smirk at the fact that only one man is working while three are standing around watching. All the while a young woman in their own office is the only one working while they watch the scene below. When she discovers a solution, they all rush around her to share the credit.
Labor Day is one of those days that is a contradiction in terms. It is not, in fact a day of labor, but a day when no labor is done. Well, with some notable exceptions. Let’s see if I can figure it out:
1. It is a day to honor those who labor. We all think we labor, so we honor ourselves.
2. Those who labor are to be honored. Since we consider ourselves as laborers, where is our honor?!
3. It is a day when many people do not have to go to work. So we work ourselves silly at home.
4. It is supposedly a day to rest from our labor. We will go back to our labor to rest from our “rest”?!
I am becoming so confused by it all, that my mind is in a whirl. I will leave it to you to get it all sorted out.
I think that it brings us to a distinct conclusion. The holidays which man establishes, very soon lose the understanding for which they were created. Each nation establishes holidays to pay homage to an event, such as Cinco de Mayo (May 5th), in Mexico, in tribute to the defeat on this date, of a French army. Honoring of presidents or kings in various nations, is also common.
Before long, however, the holiday itself is adored, and the reason for its establishment is hazy if not totally forgotten.
God has established His Feasts and Festivals as an ever present reminder of His work that has been completed, or remains to be completed. There are seven Feasts, as mentioned in Leviticus 23. Four of them are in the Spring of the year: Passover, Unleavened Bread, Firstfruits, and Pentecost.
Many of us feel that these four Feast days are a symbol of events that have been completed in and through the work of Christ and the coming of the Holy Spirit.
The three Fall Feasts; Trumpets, Atonement and Tabernacles, are possibly suggestive of prophesied events which are yet to be fulfilled: (Rapture of the Church), (Seven Year Tribulation), (Thousand Year Reign).
There is a time coming, when we will experience a true rest from our labors. We may, and I feel, should study about these Spiritual Feast days, but God calls us to a rest in Him as we watch the unfolding of prophecy around us.
I think I would like to leave with you with this thought. The real celebration of Labor Day is when we accept Jesus Christ as our personal Savior, and find our rest in Him. Casting all of our cares upon Him, knowing that He cares for us and brings His beloved rest and peace.
Blessings dear hearts. Walk with God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing.
– – – Pastor Cecil
