by Pastor Cecil | Jan 9, 2009 | 2 Corinthians
2 Corinthians 12:9a-10
“‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
If you have been receiving these Daily-E-Votionals for very long, you know that I am far from perfect. Even using Spell Check and having it proofed, I sometimes read over a copy after it has been sent and find glaring errors which make me wonder how I could have made such a glaring error.
There is a lesson here that I want to share with you—I am not perfect! I hope this does not shatter your expectations. This ministry of sending out daily messages of hope and encouragement, does not come from one who is adept at doing such a thing. I am in way over my head.
Some of you may know that I began this ministry in September of 2000 by sending out an inspirational message to our updated list of church members with e-mail addresses. I knew that the addresses were wrong, I would get a notice of non-delivery from their mail server, and then I could call and get the correct address.
The response was not from the mail servers, but from individuals saying what a blessing it was. I decided to try it for awhile. Since that time I have sent out 2,444 issues. This is only with the Lord’s enablement. It has been a learning experience to use the right fonts, format and whatever. I know that some of you have experienced some problems in that you receive things in a different format than the way I send it.
I have realized many times that it is not my strength that counts, but only my willingness to be used. Several years ago I was having trouble with my Internet connection. When I called my server about the problem, the first technician did not have the answer and referred me to his manager. After explaining what I was doing, the manager asked me to send him one of my Daily-E-Votionals. After he read it and realized what I was doing, he helped correct the problem and then asked to be included on my list of subscribers.
Does God work? Yes! I have no idea who that man was or what he was going through. I do know, however, that he received a copy of that message. The Lord is the One who does the real work in individual hearts.
This is a ministry which you can use to touch the lives of those around you. Share copies freely as God leads you. You can also go directly to our website; www.Daily-E-Votional.com and browse over past Daily-E-Votionals. If you have names to be added to my mailing list, please forward them to me. Above all, please make this ministry a matter of prayer.
If you have questions, please write them down and I will prayerfully promise to give you counsel that comes from the Word of God, rather than worldly wisdom. It may be a few days before I can respond, but I will respond.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jan 8, 2009 | Psalm
Psalm 139:14-16
“I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from You when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, Your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in Your book before one of them came to be.”
Have you ever heard that grandparents tend to dote on their grandchildren? It’s true and Joyce and I are no exceptions. When our oldest grandson was just a little guy, Joyce used to say to him, “Honey, you are so special!” or “Honey, you are so precious.” Those two words were repeated over and over again. I think it brought as much–or even more joy to Grandma Joyce as it did to Grandson Zane.
One day Joyce and I were driving along a country road with Zane in the car with us. Out of the clear blue we heard him say: “Gran, I specious!” He had combined the two words into one.
When you get the time I would like for you to go to a mirror and read these three verses to yourself. This is not an act of pride, but rather an acknowledgment that God has a plan for each of us. We truly are the work of His hands!
One of our great failings is to presume to think that we know more about ourselves than God does. Rubbish! If you would take the time to read Psalm 139 in its entirety you would discover that God knows exactly what we are going to do even before we do it. He even knows what we are going to say before we utter a word.
You may argue and claim that the only thing you can do is pound nails. Great! Pound them straight for the glory of God and with joy. You may wait on tables and listen to complaining customers all day. Great! Slide those platters with praise and a smile that is the praise of God’s glory.
Years ago we had a developmentally disabled man in our church. He had a limited ability, but we knew he loved Jesus. He was not able to work, but he was able to bowl. Each Sunday he would make a dash to me after the service to show me his latest scores. He was not able to speak more than a few words, but his smile and joy always filled my heart. If for no one else, he ministered to me, even with his limited resources.
You, my dear friend are “SPECIOUS!” God has created you to be a blessing to those around you. Regardless of the work you do, at home or away, do it with such joy and enthusiasm that you will light those around you.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jan 7, 2009 | Luke
Luke 9:23-25
“Then He said to them all: ‘If anyone would come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for Me will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self?'”
When our children were young, as well as Joyce and I, they enjoyed going to visit Joyce’s parents. Besides enjoying the normal pleasures of Grandma’s house there was something special to anticipate. Less than a block from their house was a small grocery store. On the corner, outside the store was a pay phone. As with many pay phones, this one had a coin return.
Those of you who are keen know what is coming next! Yes, you are right, they loved to go several times a day to check and see if someone had “lost coins” by failing to pick up the change which was returned when the call could not be completed. A few coins in their hands that they had “found” made their day.
(The owner of this little market became very upset with them and chased them off as often as he saw them. We all wondered why he would be so mean to small children, until we happened to notice one day that he made a practice of going to the pay phone himself to check for “lost change,” but that’s a story for another time).
Jesus was giving us a deeper meaning of lost and found described in today’s Scripture. It is not a few coins, but a person’s eternal destiny which hangs in the balance. Jesus extends a call to discipleship which comes with a price—denial of self. It is a price which many are unwilling to pay.
In Matthew 19, a young man comes to Jesus asking about eternal life. He claimed to have kept the commandments and wanted to know what else was required. The Lord told him to go and sell all of his possessions and follow Him. The young man went away sad, for he had great riches. He was unwilling to “lose” the things of this world in order to “find” the greatest of all riches.
Denial of self goes against our natural tendencies. Our human nature is self-centered and self-preserving. To deny this selfish self of ours is most difficult, but it is required in order to “find” what we need most. It is evident from what Jesus says in this passage, that denial is not a one-time thing. Notice His words; “- – he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me.” That dear hearts is what will bring peace of mind and assurance of purpose.
The rationale which Jesus gives makes so much sense it is amazing that we have not figured it out ourselves. Losing our lives for the sake of Christ means we save it for eternity. Hanging on to our selfish ways is a dead-end street, in more ways than one. Daily “losing” ourselves to Christ insures “finding” the new life which empowers us for meaningful ministry.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jan 6, 2009 | Job
Job 19:25-27
“I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end He will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see Him with my own eyes—I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me”
Have you ever thought about what you will leave behind when you leave this world? Let me phrase it in another way: What comments will people make about you when they hear you have died? A bit morbid, But worth thinking about.
Several years ago I officiated at the funeral service for a man who had been married four times and had been divorced by all four of them. The family had requested time for people to share their remembrances during the service. When I asked for remembrances, three of the man’s former wives came forward.
They cried and spoke such endearing words that people in attendance began to have amused looks as if to ask; “If he was so wonderful, why did you divorce him?” But one of the ex-wives remained seated and did not comment.
At the graveside, the ex-wife who had not made comment came up to me before the rest of the entourage had gathered. Quietly she whispered: “Did you notice I did not comment during the chapel service?” I remarked that I had noticed that. She continued: “There was nothing good I could say about the man. He was the most disgusting man I ever met. I only came to make sure he was dead and gone!” Wow! How do you respond to that kind of comment? I simply replied: “I’m very happy that you did not share that with the group in the chapel.”
In today’s Scripture we are treated to the response of a righteous man who was under intense trials. Job had lost all of his wealth, virtually all of his servants, all ten of his children. He was wracked with painful sores and finally, was surrounded by friends who accused him of hiding some secret sin that caused God to send these plagues upon him.
I marvel at the integrity of this man who had suffered such calamity. His wife was not at all understanding. She urged him to curse God and die. (Thanks for that support, Honey!)
Here is how Job responded to her: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised.”
That, my dear friend, is absolute trust in God. Job did not look at the circumstances to determine whether he was being treated fairly or not—he praised the Lord in the midst of the most devastating circumstances.
How about you? Are you critical of God for the things you are going through? I would urge you to read the book of Job and discover why he was tempted and tried and how he was rewarded for his faith—then make his proclamation of faith in today’s Scripture your own.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jan 5, 2009 | Proverbs
Proverbs 3:5-7
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil.”
Have you ever been lost? I have. Not just once, but several times. I have been lost on a hunting trip, making the wrong turn on a highway and a few other times I will not go into detail to explain.
Now it is not as if I lack a sense of direction. I was able to find the headstones of my grandparents that I had not visited since I was a boy of about eight. I could find our old family home when even my dad and brother could not locate it after a freeway had dissected the area and things were much different.
I can recall having a part-time job during my high school years. It was for a dairy, and sometimes involved delivering milk door-to-door on an unfamiliar route. The way I could do it was by a direction code. Turn left was coded TL. Turn right was coded TR. If you are going to cross intersection(s) without turning you would code it with the number of streets and an X. I still use that code from time to time.
Do you know what strikes me at this moment? Without the route book I would have been in an impossible situation. It told me how to get to a particular customer and what they had ordered. The same concept is true concerning our spiritual life. God’s Word is our “order book” to give us direction and what to do when we get there. Brilliant!
Most of our problems arise when we fail to read the directions or when we do our own thing when we get God’s order wrong. STOP! Be honest and admit how many times you have failed to consult God and His Word before you acted?
When you found yourself lost and undone did you blame God for the mess you found yourself in? It’s getting uncomfortable isn’t it? Just remember that this is directed at me just as much (possibly more) than you.
So what are we expected to do? Just read and re-read today’s Scripture. There are several key steps that instruct us: We are to “TRUST God with all of our heart.” We are not to “lean on our own UNDERSTANDING” “In all of our ways we are to “ACKNOWLEDGE Him!” I love the promise God gives when we do this: HE WILL MAKE OUR PATHS STRAIGHT!
Solomon gives us three final words of admonition: “Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil.” In reply to the question and theme of today’s E-Votional: “WHICH WAY?” the question seems very clear: GOD’S WAY!!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
