by Pastor Cecil | Apr 16, 2010 | Hebrews
Hebrews 12:2
“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
This week’s hymn was written 302 years ago by Isaac Watts. It would be impossible to fully know the number of lives it has touched since he wrote it. One of those lives was the blind hymn writer, Fanny J. Crosby. In the autumn of 1850 revival meetings were being held at the Thirtieth Street Methodist Church in New York City.
Fanny and some of her friends attended each night and she craved for spiritual joy, but could not find it. On the evening of November 20, 1850, it seemed to her that the light must indeed come then or never. After a prayer was offered, they began to sing this hymn. When they sang “Here Lord, I give myself away,” her soul was flooded with a celestial light. She realized what her problem had been. She realized that she had been trying to hold the world in one hand and the Lord in the other.
“At The Cross“
Alas! and did my Savior bleed,
And did my Sovereign die?
Would He devote that sacred head,
For sinners such as I?
Refrain:
At the cross, at the cross where I first saw the light, And the burden of my heart rolled away,
It was there by faith I received my sight,
And now I am happy all the day!
Was it for crimes that I had done,
He groaned upon the tree?
Amazing pity! Grace unknown!
And love beyond degree!
Refrain:
At the cross, at the cross where I first saw the light, And the burden of my heart rolled away,
It was there by faith I received my sight,
And now I am happy all the day!
Well might the sun in darkness hide,
And shut his glories in,
When Christ, the mighty Maker died,
For man the creature’s sin.
Refrain:
At the cross, at the cross where I first saw the light, And the burden of my heart rolled away,
It was there by faith I received my sight,
And now I am happy all the day!
But drops of grief can ne’er repay,
The debt of love I owe:
Here, Lord, I give myself away,
‘Tis all that I can do
Refrain:
At the cross, at the cross where I first saw the light, And the burden of my heart rolled away,
It was there by faith I received my sight,
And now I am happy all the day!
Are you like Fanny Crosby—looking for joy to fill your soul? Her answer should be our answer—Here, Lord, I give myself away, ‘Tis all that I can do.
To access At The Cross, this week’s inspirational video from GloryScapes.com, please go to: http://www.gloryscapes.com/atthecross 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
360-570-0074
PastorCecil@Daily-E-Votional.com
by Pastor Cecil | Apr 15, 2010 | Proverbs
Proverbs 16:18-19
“Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall. Better to be lowly in spirit and among the oppressed than to share plunder with the proud.”
Pride is an ugly thing! It may be seen in various forms, but it is always ugly. Let me share with you one ugly incident. A pastor had been preaching a series of sermons on the character quality of humility.
Week after week he used God’s Word to show that God desires a broken and contrite heart. The people were busy taking notes and he was encouraged that they were grasping this essential concept.
At the close of the final sermon on this subject, he stood at the rear door and gave his people an encouraging word as they left. Sister Bertha was the last of his congregation to leave the church. She shook the pastor’s hand and wiped him out with this statement; “Pastor I have been so blessed by your series. I have very little in the way of gifts to give the Lord, but I am really proud of my humility.” I think the pastor was last seen weeping against the wall.
Remember that we have nothing of value to present to the King of kings, but our inadequacy. We carry His message in these fractured vessels of ours. The Lord is not interested in the vessel, but the message inside. Are we effective messengers for the Lord Jesus Christ? That is my prayer for all of us.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
360-570-0074
PastorCecil@Daily-E-Votional.com
by Pastor Cecil | Apr 14, 2010 | Proverbs
Proverbs 15:1-2
“A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouth of the fool gushes folly.”
My first job as a police officer was a constant learning experience. It was in the early 50’s (that sounds like the dark ages doesn’t it?). There was no such thing as a training academy. We learned from experienced officers on the job or from time-to-time training courses by outside specialists.
I recall one such session that was being taught by an FBI agent. One of the things he shared with us was the value of using a soft voice while dealing with someone who was under the influence of alcohol. I filed it under the section of my brain called “good to know, but what use is it?”
It was some months later that I had developed a first class case of laryngitis and was barely able to speak above a whisper. I was called by the police dispatcher to go to a local tavern and deal with an unruly drunk. The bartender pointed the man out to me and wished me luck.
I walked over to the man and whispered, “I understand there is some problem here. Can you come outside with me so we can talk about it?” To my amazement he whispered back, “Okay” and followed me like a little puppy dog. By that time there was back-up patrolmen on the scene to take the man to sober up. When I went back inside, the bartender asked me how I did that when several strong men had trouble controlling him. I simply said, “Get laryngitis!”
The technique also works in all of our dealings. As the writer of Proverbs points out, soft answers avoid wrath, while harsh words lead to anger. Try it the next time there is a conflict in your life.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
360-570-0074
PastorCecil@Daily-E-Votional.com
by Pastor Cecil | Apr 13, 2010 | Acts
Acts 16:27-28
“The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. But Paul shouted, ‘Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!’ ”
Last week I shared the embarrassment of my very first sermon. Several of you have asked what I preached on after discovering that I only had the grocery list and not my sermon notes. My response was that after 50 years I could not recall.
The mind is a funny thing (at least mine is). Out of the clear blue I will recall an incident in my past and wonder how in the world I survived. At 11:37 p.m. on August 17, 1959, there was a large earthquake that was centered in Yellowstone Park. I was working on the night shift for the Nampa, Idaho, Police Department. Things began to shake, rattle and roll in a very threatening manner.
Let Us Out!
I was responsible for all incoming calls and immediately all lines were filled with frightened citizens. It was then that I heard cries from the jail cells. I am not sure how many prisoners we had at the time, but they were terrified that the building would collapse with them locked inside. (I was also confined to this building, but it was my duty to remain). I quickly grabbed the keys to the cells and, leaving the phone unattended, I ran to release the prisoners. I begged them to remain on the lawn outside and not escape.
When things quieted down, I ventured outside and there were all of my prisoners. No one had tried to escape. We all laughed together about how helpless we felt when our world was shaking like the waves of the sea. It may be that your world has been shaken by some outside source. If so, now is the time to call out to the Lord for Him to protect you in the quakes of life.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
360-570-0074
PastorCecil@Daily-E-Votional.com
by Pastor Cecil | Apr 12, 2010 | Luke
Luke 15:20-21
“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ ”
Unfortunately there are times when we seek forgiveness but it is not given. Or if it is given, there are strings attached. We once had a neighbor that was convinced we had lodged a complaint with the manager about their landscape.
We were totally innocent, and asked their forgiveness for the conflict, but it was never given. Have you ever been in that situation? It is possible that we have even been guilty and prayed for God to reveal our fault. We may approach the one who has been offended in the proper manner. “God has revealed to me that I was wrong in my actions and attitude toward you. I have come to ask you to please forgive me.”
Silence or words to the effect that we would never be forgiven for the offence we were guilty of to that person. What do we do then? My answer is that we are to do nothing. We are responsible for asking for forgiveness, but we are not responsible for the reaction.
In today’s Scripture, the wayward son had purposed in his heart what he would say to his father. He had sinned and he confessed it. He was willing to pay the price of his transgression by becoming a servant, but the father had forgiven him.
But there was one who harbored an unforgiving spirit. It was the older brother. We are not told what the final outcome was, but we know the prodigal son had done all that he could do. Having done that, he could leave the matter in God’s hands.
Where do you see yourself in today’s illustration? Have you forgiven someone who has asked you to forgive them? Are you the one who must stand and wait in hopes that your plea for forgiveness will be accepted? Regardless, God will give you the strength. Stand firm in His tender care.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
360-570-0074
PastorCecil@Daily-E-Votional.com
