by Pastor Cecil | Sep 30, 2008 | Mark
Mark 15:33-34
“According to the Lord’s own Word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the Archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage each other with these words.”
We have experienced tremendous major catastrophic events in recent years and it causes even the most cynical doubters to wonder what is happening. Tornados, hurricanes, earthquakes, tidal waves, terrorist attacks—you name it.
Whenever we experience a tragic occurrence the natural response is; denial, depression or some other type of negative reaction. But in today’s Scripture, Paul is telling us that in these times of trial, we are to encourage one another with these words. What words? The assurance that we will rise to meet the Lord in the air, and be with Him forever! Praise the Lord!
In Matthew 24:6-8, Jesus told of many things that were signs which would be indicators of the end of the age. Here are just a few He mentions: “You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom will rise against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All of these things are the beginning of birth pains.”
Jesus says that not only nation rising against nation, but also kingdom against kingdom. That indicates the upheaval within the borders of nations. Just think of the many conflicts as ethnic groups revolt within a nation.
Killer earthquakes have increased so dramatically in the past twenty-five years that it is hard to deny that a significant sign is revealed. Grant Jeffrey, in his book, Armageddon, lists the frequency of killer earthquakes by decade, since 1890, that register more than 6.5 on the Richter scale: 1890-1899 (1); 1900-1909 (1); 1910-1919 (3);1920-1929 (2); 1930-1939 (5); 1940-1949 (4); 1950-1959 (9); 1960-1969 (13); 1970-1979 (56); 1980-1989 (74); 1990-1995 (125); (Notice this is only half a decade). An update will show a continued increase.
As we observe the calamities (natural or manmade) which are occurring with alarming regularity, it should awaken us to the need for action. Jesus speaks of birth pains. I am sure these pains will increase more and more until the time of the end. We need to work as we have never worked before to share the message of salvation. We never have to work to attain our salvation or to maintain our salvation, but we do need to work to share the wonderful message of salvation.
As we anticipate the trumpet call of God, it is time for us to examine our lives. Do we still have a fervent love of God, or have we lost our first love? I think it is a time for us to make a new dedication to the Lord. May our prayer be, In light of what is happening around us, we need to remember a vital truth. We will give an account for every action (or our failure to act) when we stand before the Lord. We should live as if we will be with Him the next minute. We very well might be!!!!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
— Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Sep 29, 2008 | Jeremiah
Jeremiah 17:9-10
“The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? I the LORD search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve.”
That title is meant to imply a questioning analysis of the things going on around us. I have to confess that I can be very cynical when I hear unsaved people sit in judgment of anything spiritual.
Here is an example of an inconsistency I notice. I have heard people from many ethnic groups and religious persuasions take the Lord’s name in vain. It blows my mind that they profane the name of Jesus or God. Why do they not profane their own supposed god? I think that they know the truth but refuse to admit it.
Tragedies are a very real part of the human experience. It may be a personal or family tragedy. On a wider scale it may be something that impacts a whole community or even a nation. It is then that people call out to the One true God and Jesus Christ His Son.
Perhaps you have read the joke about a church who fasted and prayed for lightning to strike a tavern that was scheduled to open next door to the church. Sure enough the night before the tavern was due to open it was struck by lightning and burned to the ground.
The tavern owner sued the church, claiming that they were responsible for his business being destroyed. The church argued that they were not responsible for the destruction.
In his deliberation the judge said that he was confounded. He was dealing with a tavern owner who believed in the power of prayer and on the other hand a church congregation that didn’t! Ouch!!
How about the subject of biblical prophecy? It’s ironic that I read in secular publications that the end is near, while many Christians have steered clear of any serious study of the subject.
They glibly quote the verse in Matthew 24:36; “No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” These people fail to recognize that in the entire 24th chapter, Jesus describes what things to look for prior to His return.
If you want a wake-up call that will take away the hummm from your life, read what Jesus says in Matthew 24:37-39; “As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.”
I pray that we will not be lulled into a sense of lethargy at this critical time of world history. Draw near to the Lord yourself and invite others to receive Jesus Christ by personal invitation. Come, Lord Jesus!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
— Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Sep 26, 2008 | 2 Timothy
2 Timothy 4:2
“Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.”
The answer to the title of today’s Daily-E-Votional, “CAN GOD USE ME?”—is a resounding YES! Not only can He use you, He wants to use you. The only thing standing in the way is- – – – – are you ready? YOU!
As I allow my mind to wander across the years, I am struck by those who have been able to minister under dire circumstances. A missionary I knew was rushed to a hospital with a ruptured appendix. While recuperating in a two-bed room, he was able to share his testimony with the patient in the other bed and lead him to the Lord.
During the cold war years there were many Christians who were imprisoned due to their belief in Jesus Christ. Rather than collapsing in a heap and feeling sorry for themselves, many used prison as an opportunity to preach the gospel.
In our own life we have endured occasional tests and trials. As we surrendered our situation to the Lord, He opened doors of ministry that we could never have entered in any other way.
It is not necessary for us to be perfect before He can use us—just forgiven. It is not necessary for us to complete a course of study to be used—just available. It is not necessary for us to be of a certain age to be used—just willing.
Many of you are enduring trials and tests right now. Please do not allow what you are experiencing to paralyze you from being used. Step forward and volunteer to serve in God’s army. Neither age nor physical limitations will disqualify. “God doesn’t call the qualified; He qualifies the called.”
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
— Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Sep 25, 2008 | 1 Corinthians
1 Corinthians 13:4-7
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”
Confession is always good for the soul. Joyce and I were enjoying a cup of coffee this morning when we happened to think of the episode of—“THE MOUSE!” Not just any mouse, mind you, but “THE MOUSE!”
In a way it was one of my finest hours—but in reality is was pure and simple deception. I have already confessed it to the Lord and to Joyce, so do not hammer me about dealing with the issue.
It all happened one evening in Vancouver, Washington. In the middle of the night, Joyce was awake, feeding our baby son. She happened to see a small mouse out for a leisurely stroll. Now to me this seemed to be normal and proper behavior for a mouse. To Joyce it was a national crisis. With a scream she fled into our bedroom and issued this ultimatum: “You will be getting up with the kids in the middle of the night until that mouse is gone!” That got my immediate attention!
Traps were set at every logical location. After a week the traps were still empty and I was on permanent night duty. It was then I came up with a remarkable plan. The next evening I walked into the kitchen and got down on my knees to look under the refrigerator. I pulled out the empty trap and called in a happy voice, “Honey do you want to see it?”
Joyce squealed and said, “Just get it out of here!” I walked outside and made noise as if I had thrown it in the garbage can. Remember, it was all just a farce, there was no mouse. I did not say there was, but I had lied by intimation.
Do you have any mice in your life? Are there things that you say and do in order to lead people to believe something that is not true? Let me be a little more specific—do you lead people to believe you are a dedicated Christian when, in fact, you are living a sham?
Integrity is a quality that is becoming increasingly rare, in our families, our communities, our nation—but sadly even in our churches. That is a tragedy. Above all else, we need to be authentic.
I am not setting a mouse trap here. I challenge each of us to examine our hearts to see if there are things hidden there that have been disguised as something else. This may be a painful exercise, but it will free us of a heavy burden of guilt. That is real love!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
— Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Sep 24, 2008 | Psalm
Psalm 118:22-24
“The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone; the LORD has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes. This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”
Where do I begin? This is a prophetic passage of Scripture that Jesus used, as recorded in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke. Jesus experienced the rejection of the religious leaders of His day, and many of us experience rejection in our life. I hope to be able to give us some encouragement when we face rejection.
Several years ago I experienced harsh rejection. The only reason for writing about it is to give you a hope and a confidence. Even though you may be rejected by men—you are never rejected by our heavenly Father.
The purpose of my rejection is known only to those who inflicted it. It started with snide remarks and innuendos. Comments became accusations with no basis, so it was hard to endure. Have you ever been there? False statements were made and I found myself feeling like an animal being pursued by hunters ready for the kill.
I want to say right here that I am no perfect example. I make more than my share of mistakes, blunders and oversights. Some of the comments had elements of truth in them, so I could agree to a point, but taken out of context, they became a pretext.
I pray that there may be one or two of you out there who are able to relate to this and I hope that this will be God’s way of sending you assurance. I had those who gave me assurance during my ordeal and it was a blessing.
God was just beginning with us! People came forward to support and stand along beside us. I realized that I was not rejected, but loved and sustained by the Lord. God still continues to surprise us with His new call to exciting ministry.
For over eight years the Lord has given me a vision to write this Daily-E-Votional, which is going out to thousands of people all around the globe.
Here is my conclusion concerning rejection. Jesus was rejected and He was perfect in all ways. Since we are not perfect we can expect to be rejected or at least not appreciated.
When we encounter rejection in our life—whether in the home, at church, at work, or wherever it may be—turn it over to the Lord. Write down on paper what you are encountering and present it to Him in prayer. Keep your eyes fixed steadfastly upon Him and know that He will never, ever reject you.
Now you know a little more about me. I want you to know that I will never reject you. I will pray and intercede for you. We all need that someone who will be constant and based upon God’s Word.
Since God has given us this day—BE GLAD AND REJOICE IN IT!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
— Pastor Cecil
