by Pastor Cecil | May 29, 2009 | Daily-E-Votionals
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.”
Jesus is coming soon! One of the prophecies concerning His return concerns the rise of false prophets and even those who claim to be the Messiah. Since 1891, when the blind hymn writer, Fanny Crosby wrote this week’s hymn, there have many false leaders who claimed to be the promised Messiah. Each of these charlatans lacked the required proof—the prints of the nails in his hands! Read carefully the words the words of this old hymn:
“My Savior First of All“
When my life work is ended,
and I cross the swelling tide,
When the bright and glorious morning I shall see;
I shall know my Redeemer
when I reach the other side,
And His smile will be the first to welcome me.
Refrain: I shall know Him, I shall know Him,
And redeemed by His side I shall stand,
I shall know Him, I shall know Him,
By the print of the nails in His hand.
Oh, the soul thrilling rapture
when I view His blessed face,
And the luster of His kindly beaming eye;
How my full heart will praise Him
for the mercy, love and grace,
That prepare for me a mansion in the sky.
Refrain:
Oh, the dear ones in glory,
how they beckon me to come,
And our parting at the river I recall;
To the sweet vales of Eden they
will sing my welcome home;
But I long to meet my Savior first of all.
Refrain:
Through the gates to the city
in a robe of spotless white,
He will lead me where no tears will ever fall;
In the glad song of ages
I shall mingle with delight;
But I long to meet my Savior first of all.
Refrain:
To access My Savior First of All, this week’s inspirational video from GloryScapes.com, please go to: http://www.gloryscapes.com/mysaviorfirstofall 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 | May 28, 2009 | 1 John
1 John 1:5-7
“This is the message we have heard from Him and declare unto you: God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with Him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin.”
I have a great fear that we have given people the wrong message concerning salvation. We have propounded the idea that you are able to receive Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and go on living a godless lifestyle. That is totally wrong. I find none of that thinking in Scripture. In fact it is just the opposite. This passage is just one of many that indicate our walk must match our talk.
Jesus consistently told those who had been set free from sin and disease to turn away from it and begin to walk a different walk. Now if Jesus said that to people in His day, it still applies today. It seems that somewhere along the line, we have adopted the notion that we can live like the devil and still be a child of the King. BEEP! WRONG!!
It is inventory time. We need to answer a set of questions that may well determine our eternal destiny. That means we cannot take them lightly. Ready?
1. Can you recall when you prayed to ask the Lord to forgive your sins and come into your life?
2. Were you sincere in praying that prayer?
3. Do you have the assurance that Christ is your Savior and Lord at this very moment?
4. In what manner has your way of life changed since you received Christ into your life? Have you turned away from the sins of your past?
5. Are you disciplining yourself daily to read God’s Word?
6. Do you have a meaningful prayer time each day? (Not just before meals or “Now I lay me down to sleep”)
7. Do other people know you are a Christian by your spiritual walk with the Lord?
8. When you sin, does your conscience convict you and lead you to confess the sin?
9. If you were to appear before God right now, would He be pleased with the way you are living?
These are just a few questions that will hopefully reveal what your walk is like. It may be a wakeup call to reestablish your relationship with God. It is so easy to get caught up with the things of the world and ignore the Lord who has promised us eternal life.
We never know when something very sudden and unexpected could end our life on this earth. The few questions above will be nothing compared to the questions we will give about every deed done in the flesh. Are you ready? I urge you to do it now while there is still time.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | May 27, 2009 | Psalm
Psalm 28:6-8
“Praise 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.”
There is always a time for singing. It is when the heart is in communion with the Lord. This can be during times of stress, pain, trial or on the other hand, when we are experiencing great joy. It is a choice of the heart that seeks to be in harmony with the gracious goodness of the Lord.
I recall reading Pastor Richard Wurmbrand’s book Tortured For the Faith. During the cold war years, communist oppression of Christians was intense. He had been confined to prison because he was a Christian. The guards were cruel and sadistic in their torture of the radiant believers. It had such an impact upon some of the guards that a few accepted Christ as their Savior and subsequently became prisoners alongside the men they had once tortured.
One night in the darkness of that prison, one of the new guards ordered the prisoners to lie on the floor of their cell with bare backs. He then proceeded to stomp back and forth with spiked boots on his feet. Pastor Wurmbrand was in great pain and was crying out inwardly to the Lord and feeling that he could not take much more of the torture.
At that moment, a man, who was formerly one of the prison guards, nudged Pastor Wurmbrand. He whispered, “Wurmbrand! I have composed a hymn!” Richard Wurmbrand asked the Lord to forgive him for his lapse of trust.
That was years ago that I read that, and still I marvel at the joy which can be experienced, even in times of suffering. Here were men who were going through a painful ordeal, yet they chose to sing a song of praise to the Lord. So what about my life? Do I turn to the Lord in all situations and find my joy in Him? Do you?
When the Lord is real in our life, we commune with Him at all times. It is not a good morning prayer, an uttering of thanks before our meals and a bedtime prayer— it is constant talking with Him. It is laughing with him as we see His hand at work. It is feeling His arm around our shoulders to comfort us in times of sorrow.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | May 26, 2009 | Colossians
Colossians 3:1-4
“Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.”
Imagine that we are preparing for a major move from Seattle to Miami. We have sold our house, packed our belongings and are just waiting for the movers to come and start the 3,300 mile trip to a new home that was purchased for us.
Should someone call and offer to take us on a tour of homes in Seattle I am sure we would show very little interest. On the other hand we have collected as much information as possible about the Miami area.
What makes the difference? We have a new home just waiting for our arrival. We have never seen this home, but the person who purchased it in our behalf, has given us a clear description of the home and community. Why should we preoccupy our thoughts with Seattle when Miami is going to be our new home?
Are you getting the spiritual application here? Paul is urging us to stop paying so much attention to the things of this world and start spending more time with our hearts tuned in to heaven. Those of us who have truly been born again are on the way to our new home that the Lord has prepared for us—heaven! What a wonderful place that will be!
There is no pain, turmoil or trial in our life that does not fade into nothingness when compared to the glories of heaven. That is why we need to follow the admonitions Paul gives us in today’s Scripture: “Set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.” Where is your heart and mind?
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | May 25, 2009 | John
John 14:1-3
“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.”
Memorial Day is a day to recall the past and to pay tribute to those who have been gone before us. It is a time for us to remember. It is also a time for us to reflect upon the future. It is also a time to pay respect to the men and women who have dedicated their lives, sometimes paying the ultimate sacrifice in order to insure our freedom.
Our kids used to ask me to tell them about the “good old days.” That was always difficult for two good reasons: First—I was not good! I used to wake each morning wondering what I would get a spanking for that day. It was certain that I would deserve it and receive it—I just did not know for what. Second—I was not old, but was young. I guess I could share with them about my “bad-young days,” but that was not what they asked for and I was not going to tell them!
There are many in my life that left a lasting memory. It is to them I choose to recall on this Memorial Day. I recall former pastors who stood strong in delivering the pure Word of God with unwavering diligence. I recall my Sunday School teachers who must have thought I was not hearing a word they said—but I did!
I bless my precious grandparents and parents who provided an example of solid Christian faith day after day and year after year so that almost everyone in our family have become born again Christians. I take this time to remember my dear wife who has been beside me for almost fifty-seven years.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
