by Pastor Cecil | Feb 27, 2009 | 1 Peter
1 Peter 5:6-7
“Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that He may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.”
I just received the following e-mail from a good friend:
A 92-year-old, petite, well-poised and proud man, who is fully dressed each morning by eight o’clock, with his hair fashionably combed and shaved perfectly, even though he is legally blind, moved to a nursing home today.His wife of 70 years recently passed away, making the move necessary. After many hours of waiting patiently in the lobby of the nursing home, he smiled sweetly when told his room was ready.As he maneuvered his walker to the elevator, I provided a visual description of his tiny room, including the eyelet sheets that had been hung on his window.“I love it,” he stated with the enthusiasm of an eight-year-old having just been presented with a new puppy.
“Mr. Jones, you haven’t seen the room; just wait.”
“That doesn’t have anything to do with it,” he replied. “Happiness is something you decide on ahead of time. Whether I like my room or not doesn’t depend on how the furniture is arranged… it’s how I arrange my mind. I already decided to love it. It’s a decision I make every morning when I wake up. I have a choice; I can spend the day in bed recounting the difficulty I have with the parts of my body that no longer work, or get out of bed and be thankful for the ones that do.
“Each day is a gift, and as long as my eyes open, I’ll focus on the new day and all the happy memories I’ve stored away. Just for this time in my life. Old age is like a bank account. You withdraw from what you’ve put in. So, my advice to you would be to deposit a lot of happiness in the bank account of memories! Thank you for your part in filling my Memory Bank. I am still depositing.”
Remember the five simple rules to be happy:
- Free your heart from hatred.
- Free your mind from worries.
- Live simply.
- Give more.
- Expect less.
I am sure that is much the same attitude of Frank E. Graeff, when in 1901 he penned the words of this week’s hymn: Does Jesus Care? He was known as the “Sunshine Minister.” It was following a time of personal tragedy that he wrote the words:
Does Jesus care when my heart is pained
Too deeply for mirth or song,
As the burdens press, and the cares distress,
And the way grows weary and long?
Refrain:
Oh, yes, He cares, I know He cares,
His heart is touched with my grief;
When the days are weary, the long nights dreary,
I know my Savior cares.
Does Jesus care when my way is dark
With a nameless dread and fear?
As the daylight fades into deep night shades,
Does He care enough to be near? Refrain:
Does Jesus care when I’ve tried and failed
To resist some temptation strong;
When for my deep grief there is no relief,
Though my tears flow all the night long? Refrain:
Does Jesus care when I’ve said “goodbye”
To the dearest on earth to me,
And my sad heart aches till it nearly breaks—
Is it aught to Him? Does He see? Refrain:
To view the GloryScapes inspirational video Does Jesus Care? please go to: http://www.gloryscapes.com/doesjesuscare in your browser or click on the image below.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Feb 26, 2009 | Matthew
Matthew 6:31-33
“So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you have need of them. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”
I can vividly recall my ordeal as I attended graduate school while serving full-time as an Air Force officer. My major professor, Dr. Joseph Maloof, was a stickler for the meaning of words. It became readily evident to me that I had better know what a word meant before I used it in his hearing. I can still hear his words; “Have you looked up the definition of that word?”
As I read and pray about the words in today’s Scripture I am struck by such a small word as “AND.” We use it so much that we hardly ever stop to think of the meaning. I looked up the definition of the word “AND.” I must confess that I felt a little silly as I started my review, but was delighted with the results. I feel that the definition(s) have a direct application to spiritual understanding. I jotted down a few notes to direct my thoughts.
One aspect of the definition is the joining together of two things—for instance, oranges AND apples. There is a sense of the uniting together of things. We hear so much talk these days about unity it appears that godliness, holiness, righteousness are attained by unity. Not so!
Unity is a worthy goal. But all too often unity has been achieved by compromise of the Word of God. Standards established in God’s Word have been ridiculed as being prudish and dated, so we are prone to compromise and unite with those who have little or no moral righteousness.
Whenever our “AND” causes us to move further away from God, we should immediately stop and ask ourselves, “What would Jesus do in this situation?” When we ask that question and take the time to carefully ponder the answer, our path will be quite clear to us.
Another aspect of the word “AND” is that of a result of or the consequence of our action. People do not like to consider the consequences of their actions in many cases. All too often we refuse to assume the results that one action will have on what follows.
In today’s Scripture, Jesus is teaching on the mountainside. His words have come to be known as the Sermon on the Mount. The wonderful words He gave still remain today as the hallmark of Christian discipleship.
Jesus teaches at least two lessons in this passage. One is well-known, while the other seems to be overlooked. The first lesson in this passage instructs us not to worry about the necessities of life such as food and clothing. Why? Because our heavenly Father knows our needs and will provide them.
Immediately we should stop and ask ourselves whether we are guilty of worry instead of acting in the faith that the Lord wants us to have. Worry and fret will cripple us and limit our ministry. Worry focuses our attention on ourselves instead of keeping our focus on God, where it should be.
The second and more popular lesson is the answer to worry. We are told to seek first His kingdom and His righteousness. That is our assignment. Seek Him—His kingdom—His right way of living. Now we encounter the big “AND.”
The result of our putting Him first in all we do or say is wrapped up in that word “AND.” Jesus says that when we put Him first, all of these things shall be given to us as well. We have the joy of worship and adoration, and the Lord supplies all of our needs as well. Praise the Lord!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Feb 25, 2009 | Psalm
Psalm 23:4-6
“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.”
I have carried a yellowed clipping around for many years. I just ran across it as I was praying about what to write for today. I hope it has as much of an impact upon you as it does on me each time I read it.
Harry Rimmer (1890-1952) was an American creationist, itinerant evangelist and writer of anti-evolution pamphlets. He used science to prove the veracity of the Bible. The following is a remarkable letter he wrote to Charles E. Fuller of the Old Fashioned Revival Hour, shortly before his death:
“Next Sunday you are to talk about Heaven. I am interested in that land because I have held a clear title to a bit of property there for over fifty years. I did not buy it. It was given to me without money and without price; but the donor purchased it for me at a tremendous sacrifice.
I am not holding it for speculation. It is not a vacant lot. For more than half a century I have been sending materials out of which the greatest Architect of the Universe has been building a home for me, which will never need remodeling or repairs because it will suit me perfectly, individually, and will never grow old.
Termites can never undermine its foundation for it rests upon the Rock of Ages. Fire cannot destroy it, floods cannot wash it away. No lock or bolts will ever be placed upon the doors, for no vicious person can ever enter that land, where my dwelling stands, now almost completed and almost ready for me to enter in and abide in peace eternally, without fear of being rejected.
There is a valley of deep shadow between this place where I now live, and that to which I shall journey in a very short time. I cannot reach my home in that city without passing through this valley. But I am not afraid because the best Friend I ever had went through the same valley long, long ago and drove away all its gloom.
He stuck with me through thick and thin since we first became acquainted fifty-five years ago, and I hold His promise in printed form, never to forsake me or leave me alone. He will be with me as I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, and I shall not lose my way because He is with me.
I hope to hear your sermon on Heaven next Sunday, but I have no assurance I shall be able to do so. My ticket to Heaven has no date marked for the journey, no return coupon and no permit for baggage. Yes, I am ready to go and I may not be here while you are talking next Sunday evening, but I will meet you there someday.”
All I can say is, “Praise the Lord!” I can hardly wait for that day! Until then I will do everything I can to show men, women, boys and girls the way to glory.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Feb 24, 2009 | 1 Thessalonians
1 Thessalonians 5:16-24
“Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. Do not put out the Spirit’s fire; do not treat prophecies with contempt. Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil. May God Himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The One who calls you is faithful and He will do it.”
How many times have you had this happen to you? Someone you know comes up to you and thanks you for praying for them. It is only then that you remember that you promised to pray for them for a situation they were going through. In my conversations with different people across the years, I have heard this sad story repeated many times. It is a vivid reminder that we need to devote ourselves to be faithful in our prayers.
Paul gave these final instructions in his first letter to the church at Thessalonica. I find it of deep interest that he says to “pray continually” but tucks it neatly between being “joyful always” and “giving thanks in every circumstance.”
Prayer is not just a shopping list of all of the things that we demand the Lord to do for us. Ooops! Did I say demand? Well that is what some would lead us to believe. I think it is shallow to only go to the Lord when we have emergencies. The prayer that Jesus taught His disciples to pray, which we have come to call The Lord’s Prayer, is literally filled with praise and confession. It is a beautiful pattern for us to use. Try reading Matthew 5:9-15. (No, it is not the “Now I lay me down to sleep” prayer).
In the Old Testament book of Daniel we have a wonderful example of a man who prayed daily. I will not be able to properly cover all of the fantastic things that occurred in the life of this remarkable servant of God. Daniel was used of God and elevated to positions of authority under various pagan rulers. In chapter eleven we are introduced to a new ruler named Darius. Over the governors he assigned three administrators. One was Daniel. Daniel was an old man at this time, but he was still being used mightily of God. Daniel distinguished himself in such a significant way that the other officials were jealous and wanted to get him out of the way.
Without intending to do so, the conspirators testified to Daniel’s faithfulness. They said the only way they could find a fault with his conduct was if it had something to do with the law of his God. They slipped a decree past Darius saying that anyone who prays to any god or man for thirty days, other than to king Darius, is to be thrown into the lion’s den. They knew that Daniel prayed to His God three times a day. This was not simply returning thanks for the food! He prayed in earnest and worshipped his God in prayer.
Sure enough, Daniel prayed three times a day just as he always did—with his windows open toward Jerusalem. It resulted in his one night stand in the lion’s den. He and the big kitty cats had a nice sleep. His God protected him and delivered him. King Darius was a little ticked-off by the trick the others had played on him. After Daniel was pulled up, unharmed, the accusers of Daniel and their families were sent in as replacements. It says that they never even made it to the floor before they were killed. PRAYER—DAILY PRAYER—WORKS MIGHTY MIRACLES!
One way we can pray is by praising God for everything in our life. If you find an inspirational passage of Scripture in your daily Bible reading, pray that Scripture back to the Lord. There is no law that says you must keep your eyes closed when you pray. Read your study notes to the Lord. These can include your plans, hurts, anxieties, joys, sorrows, ups and downs. Be real! The Lord is your closest friend and He loves for you to spend time talking intimately with Him.
When was the last time you really prayed? I urge you to make prayer a vital part of each and every day. If you are busy to the nth degree, you might try praying in the shower (Clean in body and spirit!). Keep your prayer line open to the Lord. Spend time with God in prayer!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Feb 23, 2009 | Job
Job 1:20-21
“At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship and said: ‘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.'”
Sometimes I am amazed at how I can read the same Scripture over and over and then suddenly see something I have never seen before. That is the case with the passage I have used for today’s E-Votional.
Notice the first two words in today’s Scripture—“At this.” That means there is something in the preceding 19 verses that must be considered before going further. As we read the verses 2 and 3, we discover that Job had seven sons, three daughters, 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, 500 donkeys and a large number of servants.
In verses 13-19, we read that Job’s world came crashing down around his shoulders in a matter of minutes. Four servants in rapid succession appeared before Job to give devastating reports. The first reported that his oxen and donkeys had been stolen by the Sabeans and all of the servants killed except him. While he was still speaking a second servant reported that fire had fallen from the sky and killed all of the sheep and the servants watching them except himself.
He was still speaking when a third servant appeared to report that the Chaldeans had rustled all of the camels and killed all of the servants except him. There must have been a feeling of dread in Job’s heart as he saw the forth servant standing with a grief stricken face. It was the most tragic news of all—all ten of his children had been killed by a terrible windstorm.
From wealth and blessing to being a poor man with only four servants. This had all happened in the space of perhaps fifteen minutes. I am sure that Job forgot the loss of his sheep, camels, oxen and donkeys when compared to the loss of his children.
This brings me to the portion of Scripture that I had missed before. It was the reaction of a righteous and godly man when calamity strikes. How would he deal with such a loss? He worshiped!
If I were there with Job I would have liked to comfort him by telling him that things would get better—but that would not be true—they were going to get worse. It is like the joke about the man who was told: “Cheer up, things could be worse.” So he cheered up and sure enough things got worse!!!
Today’s Scripture says that he fell to the ground in worship. There was no way for Job to know that God had held him up before Satan as a righteous man and that these calamities were from Satan to shake his faith. He only knew that God was in control and worthy to be praised.
It is spiritually immature to worship God only when things are going well and complain when things go against us. Those who desire to have true spirituality will remember Romans 8:28: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.”
Job’s act of worship should speak volumes to us today. In the face of every blow that strikes we need to fall on our face before the God of the universe and submit to His divine authority. GOD IS IN CONTROL AS WE ARE BEING REFINED AS PURE GOLD!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
