by Pastor Cecil | Oct 17, 2008 | Mark
Mark 9:21-24
“Jesus asked the boy’s father, ‘How long has he been like this?’ ‘From childhood,’ he answered. ‘It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.’ ‘If you can?’ said Jesus. Everything is possible for him who believes.’ Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, ‘I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!'”
In John seventeen, Jesus begins His prayer by glorifying His Father in heaven and speaking of the things that have been fulfilled through Him, and that the time of His departure and return to be once more with His Father was very near. He then begins to pray for His disciples. Note what He has to say in verse 6 to the first part of verse 8: “I have revealed You to those whom You gave Me out of the world. They were Yours; You gave them to Me and they obeyed Your Word. Now they know that everything You have given Me comes from You. For I gave them the Words You gave Me and they accepted them.”
As I meditate on these words I think of that group of twelve disciples who behaved so much as we do today. Two steps forward and one step back. It causes me to wonder where our Lord’s confidence in them came from.
Many times when I have questions in my mind of this nature, I read back in Scripture looking for an answer. I think I found it in this case. In the previous chapter, John 16:29-30, we read of the disciples response to His teaching that He was going to be leaving them: “Then Jesus’ disciples said, ‘Now You are speaking clearly and without figures of speech. Now we can see that You know all things and that You do not even need to have anyone ask You questions. This makes us believe that You came from God.'”
As disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ, we need to quit trying to figure out the impossible things that the Lord wants us to accept by faith. The Lord is the only One who knows our present situation as well as what lies ahead for us. Our greatest problem is looking at the situations of life – – – instead of looking at the One who is in control of our situations.
Our Scripture for today in Mark 9, records an incident in which a man brought his son to Jesus. The boy was possessed by an evil spirit. From a human perspective, there was no hope for the boy. But this father knew that if he brought his son to the Master, he could be healed.
Jesus told the father that everything was possible for him who believes. Watch the words of the father as he responds to Jesus: Mark. 9:24 ” – – I do believe; help me to overcome my unbelief.” We are told that Jesus rebuked the evil spirit and it left the boy. Jesus’ healing took place right after the confession of the boy’s father. We can paraphrase it as: “Lord I believe a little bit, but I need you to give me the power to believe totally.”
What is the impossible thing in your life that dominates your life. Let me tell you that you have three choices:
1. You can try to solve the problem with you own abilities and continue with the conflict you now are experiencing.
2. You can place it in the hands of the Lord, but still keep your focus on the impossible situation.
3. You can place it in His hands and then keep your eyes on Him. The choice is yours. I trust and pray that you make the third choice!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
— Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Oct 16, 2008 | Matthew
Matthew 24:10-13
“At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.”
I am writing this Daily-E-Votional specifically to those of you who are born again Christians. It is possible that this Daily-E-Votional has been forwarded by a friend or family member. Whether you are a regular subscriber or it was forwarded to you, there is one thing I want all of us to know: True believers are more and more accused of being out of step with reality.
It is not a character defect that we possess, but a dramatic shift in society that puts the faith of the believer at odds with the world. It is all happening so quickly that it is phenomenal. In our own lifetime we have degraded into a miserable world.
In the past I have mentioned the difference in kids in school. When many of us were in school, teachers and principals were the ultimate authority and when a spanking was merited, a spanking was received. (Being perfect that never applied to me. Cough! Cough!)
The thought of suing a teacher, principal or school was never considered. Most of the time kids didn’t even consider telling their folks about spankings at school—it would mean receiving an even harder one at home.
Things that were presented in the media at least had a form of righteousness to them. Then gradually words and scenes slipped into television and the movies that were questionable. Profanity became the “normal.” Questionable things became the norm. Morality became more and more prudish and out of date.
This trend is taking on more sinister overtones as of late. Christians who hold firmly to the Word of God as their source of righteousness are now becoming the enemy of the left. Permissiveness has now become, not the exception, but is held forth as the accepted standard.
An indication of how far from God’s standard of righteousness we have strayed is easily displayed. States are voting to determine if marriage should be classified legally as only a union between a man and a woman. We do not have to vote on it—God has firmly established that homosexuality is abhorrent. We do not need to vote, we need to obey!
In some circles, Conservative Christians are considered the enemy. We believers who have received Jesus Christ as personal Savior, and who accept the Bible as God’s inerrant authority, are counted as being warped and a hindrance to progress. Morals which are established on the Word of God are pushed aside and replaced by personal desires. Righteousness is now defined by that which will bring the individual the greatest pleasure.
A revival of God’s righteousness and holiness is always needed, but now more than ever. There is a entire generation of people who are in danger of being lost without a mighty move of the Spirit of God in our midst. May we pray as we have never prayed before, and act in obedience to God’s unfailing Word.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
— Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Oct 15, 2008 | Luke
Luke 6:35-36
“But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.”
In this morning’s newspaper was a picture of Chrissie Wellington. After 9 hours 6 minutes and 23 seconds, she became a two-time Ironman Triathlon world champion. By the way, you need to know what a Triathlon entails. There is a 2.4 mile swim, a 112 mile bike ride and a 26 mile run. It makes me exhausted to just think about it.
But that is not the real story. You see, Chrissie was riding the bike portion of the race and leading by about ten minutes when her tire went flat. The air canisters that she carried with her failed to work so it seemed as if her race was over.
Then Rebecca Keat of Australia came to the rescue. She stopped, gave Chrissie one of her canisters which allowed Chrissie Wellington to quickly regain the lead which she held throughout the race.
So the question is—who really won the race? Perhaps the answer is that there were two winners. Chrissie Wellington was crowned as the official winner, but Rebecca Keat was also a winner.
Giving ourselves for others is never a losing matter. The more we are able to help others in need, the more we become winners ourselves. The world may stand and applaud those who cross life’s finish line first, but the Lord takes note of the way we give of ourselves to make others successful.
In today’s Scripture, Jesus presents a revolutionary concept. This concept is that we are to give without consideration of what we will benefit. “- – – do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back.”
Be honest with yourself, do you give to others without any thought about getting anything in return? How about when we complain that all we have done for someone has not been acknowledged with even so much as a thank you?
This is the time for quiet reflection. When was the last time you freely sacrificed of yourself? Did you do it in order to help another person receive a champion’s laurel? What did you expect in return? It makes us squirm doesn’t it?
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
— Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Oct 14, 2008 | Psalm
Psalm 19:7-11
“The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes. The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever. The ordinances of the LORD are sure and altogether righteous. They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb. By them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.”
What a fantastic passage of Scripture! If you have not memorized it before, I suggest that you take the time to write it down on a 3×5 card and start putting it to memory. The next time you wonder: “Where did my joy go?” Here is your answer.
A few days ago I watched a brief portion of a TV program where a needy family received a complete new home. Four of the five members in the family had life threatening medical problems.
An eight year-old daughter had a condition known as Spinal Muscular Atrophy. She was not able to walk and had to be in a wheelchair or carried everywhere she needed to go. As she was being interviewed I was so impressed by her words that I hit the record button and was able to record her comments: “Even though I’m in pain, I’m always happy—because if you always look at the bright side—it really changes your life.”
Years ago I was praying with a young woman who was weeping her eyes out. I asked her if she had received Jesus as her personal Savior? She responded that she had. I asked if there were any sins that she knew of that needed to be confessed? She couldn’t think of any.
She had prayed at the altar for quite a lengthy period of time yet continued to be broken up and no closer to having peace in her heart. I finally became very blunt. That was back before I was sweet and gentle like I am today. – – – Cough! Cough!
I pulled her head up so our eyes were only a few inches apart. Very firmly I asked; “Why are you wasting our time and God’s time unless you really say what you want Him to do for you?” With tears still streaming out of her eyes she replied; “I just want to be happy!”
I exploded in laughter. She looked shocked by my reaction. I took her hands in mine and prayed, “Lord, Your sweet daughter has lost her joy and can’t seem to find it. Your Word tells us that You are our source of joy, so please pour some out right now!” HER JOY CAME!
Sometimes we become so focused on ourselves and our own concerns that we lose sight of the source of our joy—the Lord and His Word!
I am humbled by those of you around the world who have been called upon to endure pain and persecution for the sake of Jesus Christ. How can I be justified in complaining for my own minor inconveniences when so many have suffered so much?
Father, I bow before You right now. I pray that the joy which we believers seek will not be for our own physical satisfaction, but for Your blessed spiritual joy. May the things of this world pass away as we come nearer to You. In Jesus name I pray. Amen
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
— Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Oct 13, 2008 | Psalm
Psalm 119:9-12
“How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to Your Word. I seek You with all my heart; do not let me stray from Your commands. I have hidden Your word in my heart that I might not sin against You. Praise be to You, O LORD; teach me Your decrees.”
Over the past few years, my wife, Joyce, and I have been blessed as we have watched the Discovery Health Channel’s look into the life of a large family who live in Springdale, Arkansas. When I say large, I mean LARGE! At this point, Jim Bob and Michelle Dugger have 17 children and number 18 is on the way.
As extraordinary as that may be, that is not the thing that has gripped us the most. The greatest blessing is to see a family who is committed to live in a way that is pleasing to the Lord Jesus Christ. A family who stands firmly on the principle: “God says it—I believe it—that’s good enough for me!”
In the back of my mind I have wondered what would happen as the children were old enough to leave the nest. I should not have worried. God’s Word is very plain as it says in Proverbs 22:6; “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”
The last installment of the Dugger family program featured their oldest son Joshua, as he chose a beautiful young lady, Anna Keller, to become his wife. Josh asked the permission of his father and her father before proceeding with his proposal to Anna. (His proposal was caught on tape!)
Here is another remarkable thing: Josh and Anna purposed in their hearts that they would not kiss until their wedding day. That was not a requirement imposed by either set of parents, but a godly choice they had made themselves.
Let me share with you the following announcement that was made on Josh and Anna’s web page:
“We are pleased to announce that as of Friday, September 26, 2008, we are married! Praise The LORD! We are excited our parents have given their full blessing on our relationship and we have been blessed entering marriage with purity and a commitment to each other that will last forever.
We would like to express our appreciation to God for His great love toward us by sending His son Jesus Christ to die for our sins, that we might have life eternally and His blessing & abundant grace by trusting in Christ’s finished work on the cross. As Paul exhorted the Ephesians, “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it.” God has given us the greatest example of sacrificial love and we trust that we will always be able to share that kind of selfless love for each other.
We are grateful to our parents, who have given us both the opportunity to be raised in loving homes where Christ is the center focus. Training us in the ways of God, they have instilled in us a solid Biblical Worldview rooted in the truths of God Word, the Bible, clearly displayed by their faith in Him in daily living. We cannot express enough our deep gratitude for all the ways that they have invested in our lives.
We are forever indebted to so many of you for devoting so much into Anna & I over the years. We value our relationships with you and look forward to enjoying your friendship for years to come.”
Reading that glorious announcement gives me hope and confidence that the Lord is still in control and He calls us to live holy lives that stand out from the sin of the world around us.
May God bless and enrich Josh and Anna as they walk as one before the Lord!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
— Pastor Cecil
