by Pastor Cecil | Feb 8, 2008 | Daily-E-Votionals
Hebrews 11:3
“By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.”
This morning at men’s Bible study, we were talking about how deceived the world has become. I wonder if most of us realize that we live in a time of deception? The enemy of our souls, Satan, has so blinded the eyes of the world, that millions have been convinced that what is false is true and what is true is false.
If you keep calling a blue item pink long enough—people will start to believe it. In fact they will become so convinced that it is pink that they will ridicule you for calling it blue! I hope you understand what I am trying to get across.
Just because many people have twisted the truth for as long as you can remember, it does not make it so. That is what has happened to the Biblical view of creation. It has been attacked so long in our schools and by the scientific community, that even with incredible scientific discoveries recently, the evolutionists still hold firm to their FAITH.
That’s right—I said FAITH. Evolution is not science, it is faith. It is not supported by recent scientific discoveries, and yet is still held firmly as the belief system that the world teaches as a fact. It is reasonable to conclude that the reason for holding on to what has been unsupported scientifically, is that it would require believing in the Bible. It would mean an adherence to the biblical view of creation, and believe me, that is not what they want!
Some of you may be thinking that the old boy has fallen off of his rocker. While that may be closer to the truth than I want to admit, let me just give one proof (out of a multitude) for the Biblical accounts of creation.
At 8:32 a.m. on Sunday morning, May 18, 1980, Mount St. Helens erupted. There was an earthquake measuring 5.1 on the Richter scale. The whole north face of this beautiful and symmetrical mountain collapsed in a massive avalanche. Nearly 230 square miles of forest was blown down or buried beneath volcanic deposits. The eruption lasted 9 hours, but Mount St. Helens and the surrounding landscape were dramatically changed within moments.
The devastation was so complete that almost immediately scientists began to hypothesize that it would be decades before any life would appear. WRONG! Almost immediately life began to appear. Plants and animals began to replace death and destruction.
One indication is that the elk herd at the Mountain has swelled to over 12,000 animals. In fact it has grown so much that the wildlife department had to develop a plan to transfer some of the herd to other areas. HELLO! I thought the scientists said that it would be decades before life would reappear.
Our faith does not rely upon scientific discoveries, but recent findings in fields of astronomy, geology, micro-biology and numerous other disciplines have supported the Biblical view of creation. Many sincere scientists, after considering many new discoveries, have become believers in Christ and have turned away from their former evolutionary view.
It is not necessary to be able to understand how God works. In fact it is impossible to understand it! God spoke it into being. The passage above confirms that God created the visible out of the invisible. It is beyond our dimension of understanding. When we get to heaven, we will have a new understanding and it will be plain then. For now we can simply trust in God’s Word! We believe because we choose to believe.
This applies to the critical area of creation, but it has to do also with salvation. It is by faith and trust in the completed work of Jesus Christ. He has given us a new birth and an assurance of eternal life through faith and reliance in Him. That is better than anything the world can offer!
Blessings dear hearts. Walk with God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing.
— Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Feb 7, 2008 | Daily-E-Votionals
I Peter 4:15-19
“If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name. For it is time for judgment to begin with the family of God; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God? And, ‘If it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?’ So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.”
“God’s will, done God’s way, in God’s time, will never lack God’s blessing!” But what is God’s will? Very often what we say is God’s will is nothing more than our attempt to justify our wants by saying: “It’s God’s will.” In Romans 8:5 we read: “Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.” Where do we set our minds?
It saddens me to hear some Christians—ministers and laymen alike—who presume to say something is God’s will even when it is contrary to Scripture. For instance they will claim that healing is always God’s will. A very brief search of God’s Word will reveal that this is not always the case.
Paul was not healed from his thorn in the flesh. Timothy had a stomach condition that required medication. Stephan was stoned to death. Each of the disciples except John, were killed for their faith. John was dipped into a vat of hot oil but survived.
In the Old Testament, Joseph endured years of lonely imprisonment. Job experienced financial loss, physical pain, the loss of all ten of his children and was subjected to false accusations. Daniel spent almost all of his life separated from his beloved Jerusalem.
Across the centuries of time, God’s people have been subjected to torture and death. In Hebrews 11:36-38, we read of what many believers have had to suffer: “Some faced jeers and flogging, while still others were chained and put in prison. They were stoned; they were sawed in two; they were put to death by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated—the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground.”
James was the earthly half-brother of Jesus. He did not come to faith in Christ until after the Resurrection. Tradition says that he was stoned to death for his faith. That being the case, it is important to see what he said about the trials and sufferings of God’s people. In James 1:2-4: “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”
Doing the will of God will not always result in good jobs, good pay, good looks or good health. Sometimes the Lord will lead us through “the valley of the shadow of death” in order to show forth His glory in the midst of pain and suffering. Even in our darkest hour the Lord has promised to bless us in heavenly places.
I am saddened by recent reports of some prominent ministers. They present the faces of starving children in order to have people give money to help feed them. It all sounds wonderful and that the funds will be for a worthy cause. Perhaps it is, but all too often we receive reports of the ultra extravagance of these ministers. Wouldn’t God’s will be furthered if more of the money that was sent went to the cause of the children instead of buying million dollar estates or private jets?
Jesus made the issue very plain in Matthew 25:40: “I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me.” Remember, “God’s will, done God’s way, in God’s time, will never lack God’s blessing!”
Blessings dear hearts. Walk with God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing.
— Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Feb 6, 2008 | Daily-E-Votionals
2 Timothy 1:3-5
“I thank God, whom I serve, as my forefathers did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers. Recalling your tears, I long to see you, so that I may be filled with joy. I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.”
It seems like an eternity ago that I was a kid who lived near a Christian college campus in Nampa, Idaho. That narrows it down for those of you who are familiar with the area. Back in the day (I think that is how they now refer to the good old days) meals were served in a dining hall, family style.
My mom was one of several women who cooked in the dining hall kitchen. These were not just cooks, they were women who loved the Lord and were godly “mothers” to students who were far away from home attending college. It was not uncommon to see students sharing their joys and sorrows with one or more of these precious women.
If the truth were known, these wonderful (cook-mother-confidant-spiritual advisors) probably did as much or more to shape the spiritual lives of many of the students than their professors. Why? Because they were the real thing! The cooks did not simply serve up home cooked food, they served up the reality of God’s Word in action.
The apostle Paul, was very much aware of the powerful influence that Timothy’s mother and grandmother had in him being shaped and molded into a man of God. The faith of these two women was passed along to Timothy.
Sometimes it is hard for men to admit that their mother or grandmother played a significant role in their spiritual life. They would rather take all of the credit themselves and even belittle these precious women who loved them enough and loved Jesus enough to point them to Christ.
It really does not matter who has touched your life for Christ. The important thing is to fan the flames of faith in your life and get busy helping others. The one or ones you help may be family or friends. It really does not matter who they are–just share Jesus with the one nearest to you.
If you are a bit reticent about whether you are qualified, let me share what Paul wrote in Galatians 3:26-29: “You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.”
You may be a mother, grandmother, father, grandfather, educated or uneducated, wealthy or in poverty, young or old, native born or another race—there is no excuse for not sharing and caring. Commit yourselves to be God’s FAITHFUL SERVANTS!
Blessings dear hearts. Walk with God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing.
— Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Feb 5, 2008 | Daily-E-Votionals
Hebrews 11:4
“By faith Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was commended as a righteous man, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith he still speaks, even though he is dead.”
In Matthew 21:28-31, Jesus told the parable of two sons. He asked both to go and work in the vineyard. The first refused but later changed his mind and went. The second son said he would go but he did not go. He asked the hearers which of the two did the will of his father? The answer from His hearers was the first.
Doing what is right in the sight of God is more than mere words. That does not mean that we are not to speak words of faith, but we certainly must follow them up by faithful action. The book of Hebrews presents a gallery of men and women who were faithful to the Lord by their lives. They are true heroes and heroines of the faith and we need to spend time considering what they did, or were, that makes them examples of faith.
Abel was the second man born in the world. Adam was created by God, Eve was fashioned from a rib taken from man, and Cain was their firstborn son, followed by his brother, Abel. We need to stop, close our eyes, and think what it was like at this early stage of man’s life on the planet that God had prepared for them.
God had created a paradise for man that was beyond anything we can imagine. Just think—no weeds, perfect weather, harmonious relationship, animals were no threat, no sickness and no death. Got the picture? But then Adam and Eve sinned and were forced out of the Garden of Eden, weeds began to grow, work was essential to survive, sweat poured from the brow, pain was experienced, and death became a reality, both physically and spiritually.
In chapter four of Genesis, we are told that Adam lay with his wife and she became pregnant and gave birth to a son named Cain. Later she gave birth to a second son named Abel. We are not told very much about life during those early days, but a number of things may be inferred.
Each of these two sons of Adam and Eve had their own occupations. In the second part of verse two, it is Abel, the younger son that is mentioned first. We are told that he kept flocks. He was a shepherd of the sheep. David realized in Psalm 23, that “- – the LORD is my shepherd.”
It was possible that in the times alone with his sheep, Abel communed with God and gained a knowledge of what would be pleasing in His sight. Abel seems to have developed a sweet attitude and a desire to do what was right in the sight of the Lord. He must have considered what he could offer to the Lord that would be acceptable.
After Adam and Eve had sinned they were aware that they were naked and tried to deal with their guilt by fashioning aprons made from fig leaves. After pronouncing judgment on them and their seed, God made garments of skin. That implies the shedding of blood to cover the sin of Adam and Eve, and foreshadowed the shedding of the blood of His own dear Son, Jesus Christ, to cover our sin.
Abel was a keeper of the flocks. In some manner he knew that the sacrifice of the most dear and precious of the flock would please God. In contrast, Cain was a worker of the soil. We might refer to him as a dirt farmer. There were no John Deere tractors back then, and his work was hard and laborious. We have no idea of the type of plants he planted, weeded, and harvested. It appears that in the day to day labors of life, that Cain developed a bitter, resentful attitude. There is no mention as to why he brought his offering of “SOME” fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord. Not the first and best, but just “some” of the fruits of the ground.
The words describing Abel’s offering start with the word “BUT” in contrast to the offering of Cain. Abel brought the fat portions of the firstborn of his flock. Again this is a foreshadowing of the Firstborn of the Father who would be sacrificed as the supreme payment of sins. Abel demonstrated faith in God. He knew somehow what would be pleasing to God and he gave his best.
God was pleased with Abel’s sacrifice, but not with Cain’s. The result of Cain’s bitterness and resentment was the murder of his brother. That is how his faith speaks to us today. We do not need others around us to hold our hand and try to map out our life—we need to spend time with God.
Abel is a true hero of the faith. He was close enough to God to know what would be pleasing to Him. Hebrews 11 says his life of faith still speaks, even though he is dead. Will your life still speak of faith after you are dead? Does it speak of faith while you are still alive? Trust, believe, and act in faith!
Blessings dear hearts. Walk with God today. Trust Him completely and be a blessing.
— Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Feb 4, 2008 | Daily-E-Votionals
II Samuel 12:4-7
“Now a traveler came to the rich man, but the rich man refrained from taking one of his own sheep or cattle to prepare a meal for the traveler who had come to him. Instead, he took the ewe lamb that belonged to the poor man and prepared it for the one who had come to him. David burned with anger against the man and said to Nathan, ‘As surely as the LORD lives, the man who did this deserves to die! He must pay for that lamb four times over, because he did such a thing and had no pity.’ Then Nathan said to David, ‘You are the man!’ This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul.’ “
It was either in high school or college that I memorized a portion of a poem by the famous Scotsman, Bobbie Burns. It was the last stanza of his poem; “To A Louse”. This humorous poem was composed upon seeing a louse on a ladies bonnet at church.
Here is the portion I still recall: “O wad some power the Giftie gie us to see oursels as ithers see us! It wad frae monie a blunder free us an foolish notion: What airs in dress an gait wad lea’es us, an ev’n devotion!”
Here is my attempt at a loose translation: “Oh that I would have the power that God gives us, to see ourselves as others see us. It would from many a blunder free us and a foolish notion. What snooty airs in dress or strutting would leave us and bring us to true devotion.” (Very loosely paraphrased)
How do people in the world see you? Do they see you as one who is true and authentic, or one who lacks integrity and dependability?
I have shared in the past about a young man who was referred to me while I was a Juvenile Probation Officer in Idaho. This young man had been arrested and convicted before I was hired by the county. The judge sentenced him to a long term in the State Juvenile Correction Center.
One day I received a letter from the Superintendent of the Correction Center. He related how totally incorrigible this young man was. He said that he was such a disruptive force that he was being returned to the community. It was his suggestion that I notify the police to keep a watch on him and if he committed another offense, to try him as an adult.
I was stunned by the candid nature of the letter. I had just finished reading it when this young man knocked on my door. He wore a smile and acted enthused about me setting up a schedule for his supervision. Not knowing what to do, I asked him if he had any idea what people thought of him?
He said that he thought they probably had a good opinion of him. I passed the letter from the Superintendent across the desk for him to read. The smile disappeared from his face and a look of shock appeared. It was very obvious that it was a shock to him. (By the way–it was a turning point and he never re-offended).
So what things do we cover up in our life? What secrets do we “sweep under the carpet” rather than cleaning them up with the help of the Lord? It is only as we confess our sins that Jesus is able to give us His forgiveness and cleanse us through and through. We may be able to fool ourselves, but He knows the truth.
Blessings dear hearts. Walk with God today. Trust Him completely and be a blessing.
— Pastor Cecil
