by Pastor Cecil | Jul 24, 2008 | Isaiah
Isaiah 6:8
“Then I heard the voice of the LORD saying, ‘Whom shall I send? And who will go for Us?’ And I said, ‘Here am I, send me!'”
Have you ever felt that the Lord was speaking to you? It may be loud and strong or soft and gentle, but you have no doubt it was the voice of the Lord calling you to action.
Isaiah had seen a wonderful vision of the Lord. It was such radiance and glory that he feared for his life. This passage reminds us that the closer we come to the Lord Jesus Christ, the more aware we are of our sinful condition and our need of confession and cleansing.
After Isaiah confessed his sinful condition and heard the “call” of the Lord, he was left with a choice: He could go himself or wait for someone else to be sent. If he had chosen the latter he would never have been the dynamic prophet who spoke God’s truth.
It is possible for us to read the Bible and be aware of God’s call to people across the ages of time. We may even be distressed by those who turned away from the call as did the rich young ruler in Luke 18:18-30. What do we do when God calls us?
Once Upon A Pew!
Once upon a pew I sat and heard the preacher ask,
“We need someone to teach a class, Now who will take this task?”
Then God sat down beside me there and said, “Son, that’s for you.”
“But, Lord, to stand before a class is one thing I can’t do.
Now Bill would be the man to call, there’s nothing he won’t do.
I’d rather hear the lesson taught from here upon my pew.”
Once upon a pew I sat and heard the preacher ask,
“We need someone to lead the songs, now who will take this task?”
Then God sat down beside me there and said, “Son, that’s for you.”
“But Lord, to sing before a crowd is one thing I can’t do.
Now Brother King will do the job, there’s nothing he won’t do.
I’d rather hear the music played from here upon my pew.”
Once upon a pew I sat and heard the preacher ask,
“I need someone to keep the door, now who will take this task?”
Then God sat down beside me there and said, “Son, that’s for you.”
“But saying things to strangers, Lord, Is one thing I can’t do.
Now Tom can talk to people, Lord, there’s nothing he won’t do.
I’d rather someone come to me and greet me on the pew.”
As years just seemed to pass me by, I heard that voice no more.
Until one night I closed my eyes and woke on heaven’s shore.
It was four of us together there to face eternity.
God said, “I need just three of you to do a job for me.”
“O Lord, I cried, “I’ll do the job, there’s nothing I won’t do.”
But Jesus said, “I’m sorry, friend, in Heaven there’s no pew.”
– Author Unknown
God never calls us to supply Him with names of others to help. When we are aware of a need, it is most often our call to get busy and do it. Across the years I have been all too sadly aware that it is the busiest people who will be willing to do even more. Those who are doing little will do nothing!
Blessings dear hearts. Walk with God today. Trust Him completely and become a real blessing.
— Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jul 23, 2008 | James
James 4:7-10
“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and He will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up.”
Have you ever listened to your own prayers to God? If you are like me it will be a sobering experience. Over and over I hear myself asking God to do things that I should be doing myself! Don’t act so pious, I am sure you just as guilty as me!
There are many passages of Scripture that demonstrate our part and God’s part in having a closer walk. I think of the parable that Jesus told in Luke 15:11-24. It was the son who made the move to return to the father. The father did not send out a search party for the son. (This is a hard truth for parents whose hearts are being broken by wayward children). God uses circumstances to bring rebels to their knees, but it still remains their choice to rise and return.
Think of the many times you have prayed for the Lord to make you do something: “Make me love You better.” “Make me pray more.” “Make me have a better attitude.” “Make me _______.” You get the picture.
Look at today’s Scripture. There are three things mentioned that I think most of us desire in our life: The devil to flee from us, the Lord to be near to us and the Lord to lift us up.
That is all well and good, but what are we told to do? What steps of action are we to take?
1. Submit yourselves, then, to God. (Not my will but Thine!)
2. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. (Say no!)
3. Come near to God (Make a choice to go God’s way)
4. Wash your hands, you sinners (Confess your sins)
5. Purify your hearts, you double-minded. (Bathe yourself in God’s Word)
6. Grieve, mourn and wail. (Experience brokenness for the lost)
7. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. (Recognize that this world will pass and eternity is waiting)
8. Humble yourselves before the Lord (Turn everything over to God and rest in His provision for your life)
The next time you pray for God to do something for you, stop and ask yourself if you have been obedient to do the things He calls each of us, as His disciples, to do for Him. Perhaps it would be better to pray: “Lord show me what You want me to do or be”, not just “What I want You to do for me.”
Blessings dear hearts. Walk with God today. Trust Him completely and be a blessing.
— Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jul 22, 2008 | Psalm
Psalm 28:6-9
“Praise be to the LORD, for He has heard my cry for mercy. The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to Him in song. The LORD is the strength of His people, a fortress of salvation for His anointed One. Save Your people and bless Your inheritance; be their Shepherd and carry them forever.”
Several years ago I happened to hear a song that had a terrible depressing line. I had never heard that song before, but it is appropriate for today’s E-Votional. Here is the line I heard: “There’s music all around, but there’s no song in my heart.” How sad. Above all else, we need a song in our heart!
The cry of God’s people for His mercy is to be done so with praise. It is not the cry of a spoiled child, but the victorious cry of total dependency upon His unlimited grace and love. It is from the heart and with a melodious harmony of rejoicing. It starts with, “Jesus Loves Me This I Know,” and ends with the “Hallelujah Chorus!”
God delights in the praises of His people, and I think that this is especially so when we are so filled with praise, that we break out into joyful singing. I love the sentence in today’s Scripture which reads, “My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to Him in song.”
We need to have more of those times when our hearts leap for joy. Perhaps the opposite of our hearts leaping for joy is having our spirits full of lead. We either break forth in songs of adoration, or we clunk along the dusty road of dismay.
I want to share with you the words of a hymn that expresses our praise to God. It is, “All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name.” As you read the words, allow your own heart to lift in song to Him.
All hail the power of Jesus’ name! Let Angels prostrate fall;
Bring forth the royal diadem, And crown Him Lord of all;
Bring forth the royal diadem, and crown Him, Lord of all!
Ye chosen seed of Israel’s race, Ye ransomed from the fall,
Hail Him who saves you by His grace, And crown Him Lord of all;
Hail Him who saves you by His grace, and crown Him Lord of all!
Let every kindred, every tribe, On this terrestrial ball,
To Him all majesty ascribe, And crown Him Lord of all;
To Him all majesty ascribe, and crown Him Lord of all!
O that with yonder sacred throng We at His feet may fall!
We’ll join the everlasting song, and crown Him Lord of all;
We’ll join the everlasting song, and crown Him Lord of all!
In the midst of this world and all of its troubles, testing and strife, God gives us His song. It is a song that allows us to overcome with a song of praise.
Blessings dear hearts. Walk with God today. Trust Him completely and become a real blessing.
— Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jul 21, 2008 | 2 Corinthians
2 Corinthians 4:5-6
“For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.”
Saturday afternoon I stood at the graveside of a 61 year-old man. We had just come from the funeral service and this was the committal service. I had just read a passage of Scripture when I heard an intake of breath and several hushed comments.
Briefly I wondered what I had said that had made such an impact. It was evident that something was taking place behind me that was capturing the attention of the few family and friends who gathered there.
After I had concluded with a prayer I turned to see what others had been seeing. There, not over 50 yards distance, were two lovely deer. They were peacefully munching away on floral arrangements people had placed over the headstones of their loved ones.
This beautiful incident has reminded me that I am never responsible for the reactions of people around me. The people at this service were far more impressed by what they were seeing than what I was saying.
God wants to be in absolute and complete control of the affairs of His people. We are not the ones to receive the glory—He is the One! Anytime we try to bring glory to ourselves we are entering the “minefield” of pride.
So what is our responsibility as the Lord’s servants? Paul makes it quite clear in today’s Scripture; “For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.” He also advised Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:15; “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the Word of truth.”
What are you doing with your life? Are you presenting yourself to Him in order that He can use you for His service, or are you working in order to be seen by others? I pray it is the former!
“For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.”
Blessings dear hearts. Walk with God today. Trust Him completely and become a real blessing.
— Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jul 18, 2008 | Psalm
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 early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat—for He grants sleep to those He loves.”
Yesterday I received a call from a very dear friend. He asked me if I ever had a hard time sleeping. More specifically, if I ever woke up at say—3:30 a.m., and not be able to go back to sleep? I had to answer that I had no such problem.
I searched my brain for awhile (a very short task) and it dawned on me a very valuable lesson. I shared it with him and I would like to share it with you. We can call it, “God’s Prescription For Sleep!”
To begin, it is important to understand that the devil does everything he can do to make us dull and lethargic. If we lose sleep, we most likely will mope around the next day. That is certainly not conducive for serving the Lord.
If God wakes us up in the middle of the night—it is for a spiritual purpose: To spend time in effective prayer, Bible study or some other spiritual activity. If the devil wakes us up—it is to wear us down and cause us to be slumber bums the next day.
So here is a practice that I have developed for many years. Before I go to sleep at night I ask God for sleep in the Spirit. If I do wake up, I count it a blessing sent by God and thank Him for it. I begin to pray for any people that are on my prayer list. I usually get out of bed and go to my computer for my Bible programs and to work on my Daily-E-Votionals. Let me share a little secret with you. Satan will often become so angry that he will stop waking me up at night.
I had another call from my friend this morning. He told me he had prayed that prayer last night after we talked. He had his Bible open and had been reading it in bed. The next thing he knew it was morning. For the first time in a long time he had been able to spend the entire night in uninterrupted sleep. I would like to call it—sleep in the Spirit.
As we read today’s Scripture we see that our human efforts to improve ourselves will come to naught. “Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain.” Self-help is not God’s answer to man’s problems! God is the answer to man’s problems!
Why not take a daring step? Trust God enough to do what His Word says. Be bold enough to ask Him for sleep in the Spirit and to wake you when He wants to meet with you. Nite—Nite!
Blessings dear hearts. Walk with God today. Trust Him completely and become a real blessing.
— Pastor Cecil
