by Pastor Cecil | Mar 17, 2008 | Daily-E-Votionals
2 Timothy 3:1-5
“But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God—having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.”
I am sad and grieved at the reports of moral failure on the part of many modern day Christians, even pastors and leaders of large ministries. We have more tell than show in the way we live out our Christian faith. SORRY! I hate to upset the apple cart of these people, but it is suppose to be Show before we Tell.
We hear all too much and see so very little. Some people say they are being Godly, but it is accurate to say that they are just being nasty. Listen! If someone talks about being godly, yet violates the pattern of godliness in Scripture, do not consider them a role model. In fact we should actively seek out role models that put the Word of God into practice.
Several times I have received a meaningful illustration that has circulated the Internet. It seems that a new pastor came to town and was trying to get acquainted. He decided to use a city bus to simply make the round of the city. As he got on the bus, he gave the driver cash and received his change back from the driver.
When he was seated he started to put his change away. As he looked over the money the driver had returned to him, he noticed that the driver had returned too much change. He tried to rationalize that it was just a small amount and that the bus system would not miss that small amount, but he knew that he had to return it.
As he was leaving the bus he stopped and told the driver that he had made a mistake and had given him too much change. As the driver took the money he said, “You’re the new minister who just arrived in town, aren’t you?” The minister nodded. The driver smiled broadly. “I will see you in church, I like what I have seen.”
(Just a little parenthesis here. Several of those who receive this Daily-E-Votional have been appointed as ministers of the Gospel. As such, we must be the living reality of a godly walk at all times. That means being pure and righteous in all of our actions and having the attitude of Christ. Not thinking of ourselves too highly, but rather considering ourselves as servants of all.)
Now that I have put all of the ministers as well as myself on a guilt trip, let me continue. Ooops! Let me be quick to add that the same instruction applies to all believers, so don’t think it is just for us who are called into active ministry. We get paid for being good and you are good for nothing! Yikes! That old joke is below me, but, I am known to say things like that.
It is sad that many feel that spiritual depth is measured by educational achievement. Someone said to me years ago that there are so many doctors in the church today you would think God was sick. That does not mean medical doctors. Some ministers with educational or honorary degrees refuse to be known by anything less than “doctor”. Shame on me for bringing this up. I want to be quick to add that there are many who have their doctorates and who live a life of humility and godliness. It is wrong to show pride and be puffed up, using education or titles, rather than their godly walk, as the foundation of their ministry.
It is possible to know about God, and have a knowledge of what it says in the Word of God, but not put it into practice. In today’s Scripture, Paul is describing for Timothy that it is necessary to look beyond what these men say and instead see what they are really like. It is usually an ugly sight.
There is an old book that I read many years ago. It is called “In His Steps” by Charles Sheldon. The theme of the book is to live ones life in such a way that the question would always be in front of those who wanted to be like Christ, “What Would Jesus Do”?
In the past few years it has become a Christian fashion statement, especially for young people to wear jewelry with the initials WWJD, which stood for this statement. How sad that many wear it but do not live it. Is it any more tragic that we who go to church and read the Bible and bow in prayer so often fail to live our lives as Jesus would desire? Please renew your commitment right now that with God’s help, you will live out WWJD.
Blessings dear hearts. Walk with God today. Trust Him completely and be a blessing.
— Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Mar 14, 2008 | Daily-E-Votionals
Ephesians 6:1-3
“Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. ‘Honor your father and mother’—which is the first commandment with a promise— ‘that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth’ Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.”
Possibly many of you have seen pictures of one of our presidential candidates standing casually with his hands crossed while the National Anthem was being played. The others in attendance had their hands over their hearts. A show of respect on his part? No!
Another scene. The stadium crowd is on their feet with their hands over their hearts and many are singing along while the National Anthem is being played. At the end of the field two athletes laugh and talk. A show of respect on their part? No!
Another scene. An ice hockey match is about to begin. One team is from New York and the other is from Montreal. While the US National Anthem is played, the crowd stands with their hand over their hearts. Then the Canadian National Anthem is played. The crowd remains standing with their hands over their hearts. A show of respect? Yes!
Another scene. It is the year 2000 and the Olympic games are in full swing. After winning the gold medal in the pole vault event, Nick Hysong, knelt with the American flag draped over his shoulders in a silent prayer of thanks. That is honor and respect! That is what is so much lacking in our world today. That is what we need to regenerate in our conversation and teaching.
I feel the problem originally started when our judicial system began to impose its brand of morality into the educational system and threw the Biblical pattern out. From that point on we have seen this lack of respect escalate into the violence and crime that is so common place that it is almost expected.
How do we return to the proper pattern of personal discipline that will show a kindness and consideration for others? We are not able to stand and say a few words and just make it happen immediately. What can we as individuals do? Again, we must turn to the Word of God for our guidance.
Today’s Scripture does not pull any punches. It is God’s absolute demand for respect. In Ephesians 6 we see that there is personal responsibility to act with respect and honor. It makes no difference if it has been taught at home or not, the Word of God is imperative that we must honor and respect our parents. It does not give the option to choose whether they are worthy of respect – – we are to treat them with respect because it is God’s command.
It is interesting that in modern gang culture, there is a demand to be respected. Members may not show respect to others, but want to be respected. The result is violence and murder at an alarming rate. God’s Word is true. Violate it and the result is death.
Today’s Scripture lays a heavy responsibility on fathers by saying that they are to not exasperate their children, but to bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord. That does not mean passing the task off to someone else, but rather accepting what the Lord says and teaching their children what it means to honor and respect – – that means not permitting disrespectful attitudes to their parents or any other adult. Every father should read this chapter and put it into practice.
Even within the church we have permitted a disrespectful attitude. There is a lack of reverence and respect for the Lord. I have even heard the Lord referred to as “the Man upstairs” or other demeaning terms. This is the God of the universe that we refer to, and He is the one that one day we will bow before as we see His blazing, awesome glory. There will be no smart aleck talk at that time. We will be filled with love for Him—yes, but it will be in respectful praise and honor.
This sixth chapter also talks of the respect we should have for everyone. We are told to respect the slave as much as the master. As I write this I am struck with the realization that we start the process by doing what it says ourselves. Be respectful and share that respect with others. We teach more by example than by mere words!
Blessings dear hearts. Walk with God today. Trust Him completely and be a blessing.
— Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Mar 13, 2008 | Daily-E-Votionals
Romans 12:1-3
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
How do you know when something is God’s will? Over the years I have been aware of the number of people who wanted something so badly that they convinced themselves that it was God’s will for them to have it. That is not always the case. Sometimes the thing that seems so pleasant is the thing that will cause us pain.
I had a telephone call today from a woman who suffered an injury several years ago. She was very upset about all of the pain—both physical and emotional—that she had endured. It was hard to know how to respond and give godly counsel for her situation.
After listening to her sobs for a few minutes, I quietly asked if she considered the effect her injury had on others around her? It could be good or bad, depending on how she reacted. It was almost as if God’s hand had reached down and touched her heart.
She then shared that she has had a large number of friends who have called or stopped by to ask her how they could deal with their own pain. They knew she was going through a real trial and she was the one they wanted to give them hope. Just before our conversation ended she asked, “Cecil, do you know how many people I have led to receive Jesus as their Savior through all of this?” I said, “No I don’t.” She replied, “Thirteen!” She hung up the phone with praising the Lord rather than a complaint about her situation.
I have no idea why this topic has come to me just now. It may be that you are faced with an issue in your life right now, or it may be that someone is asking you for advice about a particular decision. It makes no difference whether it is your own situation or trying to advise others, we need to understand that God is at work and wants us to seek guidance from Him.
Please, please – – – please, above all else, do not make any significant decisions in your life without waiting on the Lord for an answer. It is all too easy to rush ahead into things and then afterwards realize that it was one’s own desires rather than Divine leadership that brought us to the situation that was not to our advantage. Let’s just talk about ways to know and do the will of God.
1. Desire to know God’s will. One of the difficulties that often is encountered is not having the desire to know and do God’s will. That is why it is critical that the first step be to always have the desire to know God’s will.
2. Keep looking for God’s will. Consider this illustration: It seems that a man was caught in a flood and was barely able to scramble up a tree to escape from the raging waters. He began to pray to the Lord to save him. While he was praying, a huge log came floating by within easy reach, but he kept waiting for God’s answer. As he continued to pray, a man came near in a row boat and asked if he wanted to get in with him. He said no, that he was waiting for the Lord to answer his prayer. Later a helicopter hovered over him and told him to grab hold of the rope and be pulled to safety. He waved them away saying he was waiting for God’s answer. Before long, the tree, weakened by the flood, was swept away and the man drowned. When he arrived in heaven he asked the Lord why He had not answered his prayer for help? The Lord said He had sent help. He sent a log, a man in a boat and a helicopter!
3. Pray to know God’s will. It is not enough to just think about knowing God’s will, or wanting it; we must pray to discover His will. Psalm 143:10 “Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God; may Your good Spirit lead me on level ground.” This is an example of praying for guidance.
4. Search God’s Word to find His will. There are many times when the answer will be found in the precious Word of God. Psalm 119:105,6 “Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path. I have taken an oath and confirmed it, that I will follow Your righteous laws.” Here the Psalmist is saying that God’s Word will be the guide. It cannot be our guide if we do not read it. Have it ready, search the concordance in the back and pray for insight to understand what it says.
5. Covenant to follow God’s Word. The above passage speaks of making an oath to follow the Word of God. Do that! Tell the Lord that when you find an answer in His Word, you will obey and do what He says to do.
I guess there could be more said, but let me just leave you with this observation. It has been my own experience that when I follow the above steps, God reveals Himself in wonderful ways. It may be a song we hear, a passage of His Word that just comes alive, a sermon on the radio – – – any number of things that confirm that He is interested in guiding and directing in our life. GO FOR IT!
Blessings dear hearts. Walk with God today. Trust Him completely and be a blessing.
— Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Mar 12, 2008 | Daily-E-Votionals
Isaiah 41:10-11
“Fear thou not; for I [am] with thee: be not dismayed; for I [am] thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of My righteousness. Behold, all they that were incensed against thee shall be ashamed and confounded: they shall be as nothing; and they that strive with thee shall perish.”
When I look at today’s title, I have to laugh at myself. I never consider myself as being brave, but at the same time I do not spend much time worrying about things. Let me give you a humorous illustration of my free-wheeling sense of humor and lack of fear.
I was in a supermarket to pick up a bottle of liquid smoke to use in preparing a barbeque sauce. I had just found my item when I saw two women I had never seen before looking intently on the shelf. One mentioned to the woman with her; “Where is the honey? I need to find the honey.” There was no way this clown could keep quiet. Spontaneously I smiled and said, “I’m right here!” I thought they were going to die laughing.
I had no fear in doing such a silly thing, but I wonder what I would do in the face of real danger? I hope I would face it with the same resolve. I have officiated the funeral services for two World War II veterans in the past month. In going through their records, each family made an unexpected discovery. Each had been awarded high medals for their actions in combat. Neither had mentioned it to their family while they were still alive.
Today my mind is drawn to consider the things we fear. Most like to act brave and unflinchable, but there are always those things that go bump in the night of our emotions and scare the living daylights out of us. The things that we fear are as many and varied as we can possibly imagine.
Some fears that are more observable are things like: spiders, snakes, geckos (that’s for Joyce), bats, birds, heights, airplanes— you get the point. But others are equally afraid of such things as growing old, moving to a new house, getting married, not getting married, financial reversals, being alone, facing the unknown, and the biggest of all, many are afraid of dying.
While our fears may be different, the answer is always the same. It is found in today’s Scripture: All of the situations of life that we discuss day by day have a common answer—the strength and presence of the Lord. “Fear thou not; for I [am] with thee: be not dismayed; for I [am] thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of My righteousness.”
It is important to note why the Scripture tells us we do not need to fear—God is with us. That promise is just for those who have been redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ. In place of fear we are told to trust in the trustworthiness of the God who knows all that lies before us.
One of the most devastating aspects of fear is being frozen into inactivity. We have all seen movies of prey animals being so filled with fear of the predator that they become like statues and are easy targets. The enemy of our souls loves to fill us with fear for he knows if we are consumed with fear, we are incapable of doing the things the Lord desires for us to do.
God delights in bringing His power into the impossible situations of life and showing that His power is sufficient for our need. Your marriage, your job, your health, your future—whatever it may be, God is sufficient. When the Scripture above mentions: “The right hand of My righteousness”, it speaks of God’s strength. Anytime we read of God’s right hand in scripture, it always refers His strength that is above all other forces.
Those who have not been born again and do not have a personal relationship with God had better be afraid, for their fate is graphically described. This is the place for fear in our life—the fear of the Lord! Psalm 111:10 “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow His precepts have good understanding. To Him belongs eternal praise.”
I have no idea who this teaching is intended for. If it is for you – – – just thank the Lord that right where you are at this time of your life, He wants you to let go and let God.
Blessings dear hearts. Walk with God today. Trust Him completely and be a blessing.
— Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Mar 11, 2008 | Daily-E-Votionals
1 Peter 4:12-15
“Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler.”
Isn’t that a great passage? I once heard a minister share with a group of us: “When I used to wake up and feel out of sorts, I would greet the day by saying: “Good Lord—morning?!!” It was always a bad day that followed. When he realized that the Lord desired for His children to have a spirit of praise, he developed the practice of falling asleep while he was praising the Lord. In the morning he woke saying: “Good morning, Lord!!!”
It was an expression of anticipation and a good day followed. Expect the best even in the midst of life’s storms. Remember you are not alone. God is with you and will even carry you when things get too hard.
Here is a news flash for you! I am not sure if you are aware of it or not, but we live in a world filled with troubles and frustrations! Isn’t that amazing? These problems may arise from almost any source. It is easy for us to lament because of the bad things that are happening to ourselves or others.
I know what it feels like to experience the loss of a loved one. I do not make light of the afflictions people encounter. I have often wished that I could take the hurt away. I think one of the burdens of a Pastor is that you are called upon to go through the pain that people in your congregation are enduring. But then I really would not want it any other way—that is my ministry.
Many Christians seem to have the notion that since they are a believer they should not have to go through fiery trials or turmoil in their life. There are even some who give the impression that if something terrible happens to us, we must be guilty of some secret sin. (Go back and read the book of Job).
Notice in today’s Scripture that fiery trials are to be expected in the life of believers. Even so we live in a day and age with perhaps the greatest freedom from religious persecution since the time of Christ. Instead of using this freedom to better serve the Lord, we act like wounded ducks if someone happens to say a cross word to us.
We need to be careful that we do not get a persecution complex and become obnoxious. Some of our problems are our own fault. Ouch!! Did I say that? We need to give ourselves an attitude check as often as possible before we start whimpering and whining.
What should our Christian response be if, in fact, we are an innocent victim? It is certainly clear that we are not to cry and moan. God’s instruction is that we are to praise. Notice that Paul says to rejoice that you participate in Christ’s sufferings. (I hope you are still with me). Many counselors, spiritual and worldly, excuse and justify feeling sorry for oneself, but the Word says – – REJOICE!
Another wonderful passage to support the concept of praise in adversity is found, of all places, in the Book of Lamentations. The writer is lamenting over the sins of the people (Godly sorrow over sin is justified and also encouraged). In Lamentations 3:22-26 we see the true hope for the believer in tribulation: “Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, ‘The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for Him.’ The Lord is good to those whose hope is in Him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.”
GOOD MORNING, LORD!
Blessings dear hearts. Walk with God today. Trust Him completely and be a blessing.
— Pastor Cecil
