by Pastor Cecil | Jan 31, 2008 | Daily-E-Votionals
Jeremiah 29:11-13
“‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart.’ “
Today’s Scripture is a strong passage that contains both promises and a condition. In addition it gives us an insight into the heart of God. He tells us that He has specific plans for us and that they are good plans. He explains that His desire is for our good.
All too often we are presented with an image of God who is out to get us and to cause us harm and discomfort. That is not the case. God is a holy and righteous God and desires that we be holy and righteous. Thank the Lord, He forgives us when we fall short of His plan and purpose for us.
I once heard someone quote something that Chuck Swindoll had said. Chuck was commenting on the memories he desired to have fixed in the minds of his kids. He said that he would much rather have them recall their dad as the one who threw their mom into the swimming pool fully clothed, (and lived to tell about it), than a stern faced preacher who looked down his nose at those who did not measure up to his standards of conduct. ME TOO, CHUCK!
My heart aches for the openness that we need in our world. It is my desire to be vulnerable rather than safe! I would rather be misused than never to be used at all. I hope that makes sense. If it doesn’t to you, it does to me. The reason is that I was a kid, who for most of my early years, considered myself as being just a little slower than others.
I was told by teachers in my early grades that I was below normal, so I lived up to their expectations of me. God had another plan! He brought a girl into my life at age 14, who turned me inside out and upside down. She let me know in no uncertain terms that I was what God wanted me to be and to strive to be my best. I married that dear sweetheart of mine when we were both 18—just six weeks after graduating from high school. That was back in ’52, so you smart ones can figure out our age.
What does this have to do with the passage in question? Everything! It means that we can do—and should do things as God leads us. We need to be convinced that God has special things in store for us who call upon Him and seek His will and His way. NEVER, NEVER, try to tell God that you are not qualified to do what He calls you to do. He knows you better than you know yourself, and will enable you to do His work in His way.
Our Scripture indicates that the first step in the process is to recognize that God has good and prosperous plans for us. This is not a prosperity gospel, but an awareness that it is for His glory and honor. As we are faithful in His service He will give us the sense of fulfillment that satisfies far more than the wealth of this world.
After we are convinced that God is leading us, we are then ready to draw near to Him. We do this in a conscious way by spending time in his Word and in our prayerful conversations with Him. God promises that He will listen to us. You may feel that no one hears your heart’s cry—but the Lord does. You can pour out your deepest thoughts, hopes, desires, disappointments, and anything that you are holding in, and He will listen to you.
There is also an addendum in the passage. He says we will seek Him and find Him (when) we seek Him with all of our heart. That, my dear friend, is total commitment! It is not simply a little now I lay me down to sleep type of prayer, but a deep and sincere call to the God who loves us and has provided His Son as the ultimate payment for our sinful condition.
Wherever you have come from—wherever you are right now—God calls you to come to Him. Regardless of your situation in life He calls to you right there. He heard Joseph from the pit back in Canaan, from Potiphar’s house, from the prison, and from the palace. His location did not determine whether God would hear him or not. Even when it seemed that God did not hear him—God heard and He directed Joseph’s steps to be a blessing to many. The same goes for you. SEEK HIM!
Let me share something that a dear friend has shared: “God doesn’t call the qualified; He qualifies the called.” The “prosperity gospel” is better identified as a “generosity gospel” – because HE is generous. (Isaiah 65:24).
Blessings dear hearts. Walk with God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing.
— Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jan 30, 2008 | Daily-E-Votionals
John 14:1-3
“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in Me. In My Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with Me that you also may be where I am.”
I have not always been a pastor. For many years I worked in the field of Criminal Justice. (Police Officer, Probation Officer and Criminal Justice Planner.) With that background I have a particular interest in “authentic” television police stories.
One of the most authentic of these television programs is called “The First 48”. It is somewhat gruesome since it deals with detective work to solve murder cases. The premise of the program is that the chance of solving the case is much higher during the first 48 hours.
This causes me to ponder about what would happen if we could somehow know that we had only 48 hours to live? I would like to think of it as: “THE LAST 48!” Try to imagine with me what it may be like if a person knew that the next 48 hours would be his last 48.
Ned was aroused from a very deep sleep in a state of panic. He was not sure how he knew it, but he just knew that he only had 48 hours left to live. He immediately slipped out of bed quietly not to awaken his sleeping wife. He went into the office and sat down at his computer.
For a considerable amount of time he just sat staring at the monitor. He wanted to insure that these last 48 hours would be lived in the best way possible. It came to him that he needed to prepare a list of the things he would do, and then follow that list carefully.
As he thought about what to include on the list, he was stunned by an overwhelming realization. The things that were self-centered had no interest to him. The most prevalent thought was to insure that he was prepared to meet the Lord. He rummaged through a desk drawer and finally found a copy of the “Four Spiritual Laws” booklet that someone had given him after he had prayed to accept Christ into his life.
He wanted to read that prayer over again and make it “his” prayer without reservation. He was relieved when he finally found it. There on page 10 he found the prayer. “Lord Jesus, I need You. Thank You for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life and receive You as my Savior and Lord. Thank You for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Take control of my life and make me the kind of person You want me to be.”
As he prayed that prayer once again, he felt a peace that he could not explain. Rather than trying to do things that would please him, he now had the desire to spend these last hours sharing his love and Christ’s love with his wife and three children. He also thought of several friends that he wanted to see immediately to tell them about Jesus while they still had time. He was so burdened that he began to sob and cry out: “Before it’s too late! Before it’s too late!”
He suddenly felt his wife shaking him. All of this had been a dream! But it was a dream like he had never had before. As he held his wife, he silently committed to the Lord to spend each and every day for the rest of his life as if it were his “LAST 48”.
How will you spend your next 48 hours? The same as all the rest or as if they were the last 48 hours of your life?
Blessings dear hearts. Walk with God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing.
— Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jan 29, 2008 | Daily-E-Votionals
Revelation 21:10-11
“And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. It shone with the glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal.”
There is a caustic comment that I have heard, and have used more than one time: “It’s hard to soar with the eagles, when you have to live with a bunch of turkeys!” The problem with that attitude is that we tend to focus our minds on the things of this world that will pass away, and fail to visualize the heaven that is waiting for us.
Thinking about heaven is especially comforting when you are going through the storms or valleys of life. Joyce and I have just been talking about how many of our family and friends who are experiencing many trials related to serious medical conditions or the loss of loved ones.
We remind each other to pray for people during their times of crisis. We have gone through quite a bit ourselves. We lost our oldest daughter to a rare heart condition in 1991. Our youngest daughter had a successful kidney transplant in 2001 and a pancreas transplant in 2002. This old world is just not a pleasant place to live at times.
Faced with the trials of life, we have two choices. We can either choose to whimper and whine about all of the painful experiences of life, or we can see life through a whole new dimension by looking forward to heaven. That is what I choose to do, so fasten your computer belts, and away we go.
We have to understand that we are not going to be able to get much more than a blurry view of our eternal home. From this side, we can only catch glimpses by the word pictures that are painted for us. John describes his view of the New Jerusalem in chapters 22 and 23 of the Book of Revelation.
John describes gold, crystal clear jewels, and light that is indescribable. Sometimes we are treated to the view of spectacular jewels. I can recall several years ago, going through the Smithsonian Museum in Washington D.C., and seeing the Hope Diamond. Think of entire buildings being made of the same type of material, but even more brilliant and clear!
Heaven will be a place where there will not even be a concept of darkness. Here on earth we have light supplied by the sun, moon, stars and artificial sources. We are told that in the New Jerusalem, the glory of God will be the source of light. When the sources of light are gone, or even in the shadows, we experience darkness.
We will be released from fear and foreboding. In this world of sin and shame, we know darkness that comes from separation from the source of light. That engenders a dread of what lies ahead. We might enjoy the day in which we live, but there is always tomorrow! Oh, the tomorrows of life! They are filled with shadows of sickness, pain, turmoil and death. In heaven we will experience the glory of God and there will be no shadow, or darkness, or pain or any of the things that we live with in this life.
I know that many have been afraid of reading from the Book of Revelation. When we see the awful judgment that comes upon the world because of the sin of man, we shy away from it. Let me encourage you to start by reading chapters twenty-one and twenty-two. It will give you a fantastic rush to see the glorious home that God has prepared for us. Keep in mind that Jesus is the winner and we are going to be with Him forever and forever. The few bumps and lumps that we go through here are nothing in view of what we have waiting for us.
I want everyone who reads this to have your heart right with God. Confess that you are a sinner and ask Jesus Christ, God’s dear Son who shed His blood for you, to come into your heart. Experience the new birth that Jesus promised. He is more anxious to come into our lives than we are to let Him in. When we say yes to God, He will say yes to us and receive us. Then read about your new home! See you there!
Blessings dear hearts. Walk with God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing.
— Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jan 28, 2008 | 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 heard a song on Christian radio early this morning. I have heard it before but have not been able to get all of the words correctly. Even though I do not have all of the lyrics, the message is quite clear. It goes something like this: “If I could see the world like God sees, I would live more like Him.”
In a way we can see the world as God sees. We see the world as God sees the world by spending time in God’s Word. The Bible is not simply the words and logic of human creation—It is the voice of God—the breath of God which breathed through the writers and reveals to us His view of the world.
Psalm 139:1-4 reveals the depth of God’s plan purpose and provision for us: “O LORD, You have searched me and You know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; You perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; You are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue You know it completely, O LORD.”
Since God knows us more intimately than anyone else we can be sure that He wants us to view the world and all of the inhabitants in the world through His eyes. As a child I can remember us singing a song that has tremendous impact: “Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world. Red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in His sight, Jesus loves the little children of the world.”
Does God love the little children of the world? Does He love the “big” children (adults) of the world? The answer is a resounding—YES! When a member of the Jewish ruling council came to Jesus one night, he wanted to know more about the Lord.
What Jesus revealed to Nicodemus, was a view of how Jesus sees the world. In John 3:16-17, we observe how Jesus sees the world: “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.”
Look around you. Who do you see? It may be the most educated and sophisticated person you have ever seen. On the other hand you may be viewing the most repulsive and offensive person. Do you see the similarity between the two? God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to offer them His love through His death on the cross.
If Jesus came into this world with the express purpose of shedding His blood for the remission of sins for all who will come to Him, how should you and I view each and every person?
In the city of Portland, Oregon, a little girl came from a poor home. Someone invited her to come to a small church in her neighborhood. On the first Sunday she came, she wore dirty clothes and was not too clean herself. Praise God there were a group of people who saw her as Jesus saw her. She was welcomed and made to feel a part.
One day she prayed and invited Jesus to come into her heart. Over the years she grew in the Lord and also grew in wisdom and knowledge. She attended college and graduate school and eventually she became a faculty member of a Christian College.
I was serving on the staff of a church with the man who had been her pastor those many years ago when she first came to his church. He shared with me that every time he saw this lovely and educated woman, he thought back to the first day she had come to his church. Vernon saw her as God saw her! May we all see as God sees!
Blessings dear hearts. Walk with God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing.
— Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jan 25, 2008 | Daily-E-Votionals
Judges 2:19
“But when the judge died, the people returned to ways more evil and corrupt than those of their fathers, following other gods and serving and worshiping them. They refused to give up their evil practices and stubborn ways.”
I live in Olympia, Washington. It should come as no surprise to you that it rains here in western Washington. Statistics will show that there are many cities in the United States that have more rain than we do. Be that as it may—we try to advertise that rain so it will curtail the influx of people to our land of green. (Just a little ad thrown in here)
You probably know that rainy roadways soon create a dirty car. In fact you may have spent time washing your car only to have it rain and get your shiny clean car as dirty as it was before the wash. There is a little secret that I have discovered—cars dry off after a short time in the garage. (Aren’t you impressed?)
I am not sure if you have ever used a California duster. Perhaps you don’t even know what it is. Let me take a few minutes to tell you and I am sure you will see the direction my mind is heading today. From time to time I make the trip out to the garage for a little cleaning of the old car.
A California duster is about 18 inches long and 4 inches wide, and is made of long wool-like shag material. You run it over the dirty car while it is dry and it picks up the dirt and grime.
Here is the punch line. When it is new, it does not work too well. The dirtier it becomes, the better it attracts dirt and grime. Let me repeat that for emphasis; “The dirtier it becomes, the better it attracts dirt and grime!”
We have been told repeatedly across the years that bad company corrupts. We are sort of like that California duster in the trunk of my car. The only use for my dirty California duster is to attract even more grime and crud from the surface of the car. That is what happens when we get away from God and walk with the world.
God has called us to be living testimonies. Unfortunately we may be prone to become covered with the dirt and grime of this world. Jesus associated with the “grimy” people of His day, but never did He stoop to their level. He held out the invitation for them to leave their sin and be made new.
Our Scripture for today was given in the time of the Judges of Israel. It relates to the effect of God’s people when they leave God out of their lives and attempt to do that which is right in their own eyes. Doing what is right in our own eyes is a sure way to become filthy and corrupted with Satan’s deceit.
The answer is to stay close to the Lord. The more time with the Lord and His people, the more we become like Him. He becomes more and more a part of our life. Here is a great way to insure a holy walk with the Lord. Always pray and ask ourselves: “What would Jesus do?” or even more pertinent: “What would Jesus like for me to do?”
Blessings dear hearts. Walk with God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing.
— Pastor Cecil
