by Pastor Cecil | Sep 9, 2010 | John
John 3:30-31
“He must increase, but I must decrease. He who comes from above is above all; he who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all.”
It has been so long since I was in high school that I forget many things. Yesterday I recalled my high school football days. There was another thing about those years that just came to mind – the “letter!” If you played in a specified number of games during the season, you were awarded a letter. It was a heavy embroidered letter of the first name of your school.
Now, if you received one of these coveted awards you needed a place to display it, so there were garment companies that were eager to sell you a heavy cardigan sweater. The letter would be sewn on the left side, just below the heart.
I am ashamed to admit that the wearing of your letterman’s sweater was a source of pride. It made the players seem more important than the other students. Oh, yes! There was another bit of tradition. When a player started dating a girl, he gave her his sweater to wear. Now it was the girl’s turn to exhibit pride.
When I started writing about the “letter” I had intended to focus on the way we are identified with Christ. The fact of the matter is that we can take pride in just about anything. We can wear the letter of our denomination, theology, self-righteousness or any other seemingly spiritual thing. God hates pride in any form! My advice to all of us is to take the “Letter” off and walk in humility before Him.
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 | Sep 8, 2010 | Romans
Romans 12:3
“For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.”
Just what does it mean to be “a star?” At this time of year I recall my days in high school. (I confess it is getting harder to remember them all the time). When I was a 9th grade freshman I went out for football, but I was too small and not very good. I do recall our team playing a school from a logging community. All of their players looked as big as trees! My friend and I sat at the end of the bench praying that the coach would not notice us and send us into the slaughter. Our prayers were answered.
Over the next four years I grew and made the starting team on our eight-man football league. Eight-man rules opened the door to many wide open and zany plays. One play was used only once and it was the last game I played in. We had six players line up on the left sideline which left only the quarterback and me near the ball. I centered the ball and all of the others headed toward the goal line. Since I was on the end of the right, I was eligible to receive a pass. The ball fluttered to me and I went into the end zone untouched. Not quite a super star, but it was fun.
There are many ministers and Christian workers who seem to strive to be a super star for Jesus. This saddens me to no end. I would rather see myself as a center putting the ball into the hands of Jesus and watching what He is going to do. He is the only super star and I want to play my best for Him.
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 | Sep 7, 2010 | Matthew
Matthew 5:34-37
“Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform your oaths to the Lord.’ But I say to you, do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is God’s throne; nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black. But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.”
I hope that you have read the comic strip Peanuts. It was created by Charles Shulz when he was alive and still is being carried in many newspapers. One of the recurrent themes has Charlie and a girl named Lucy. She urges him to kick a football while she holds it for him.
Over the years this same strip has replayed itself over and over, and each time it ends up with poor Charlie flat on his back because Lucy pulled the ball away at the last moment. Today she again urged him to run and kick the ball while she held it. Charlie refused because he knew that she always pulled the same trick on him.
Today she promised sincerely that she would not pull the ball away. She even went so far as shaking Charlie’s hand to confirm her promise. You could almost know the outcome. Once again she pulled the ball away and Charlie went, WUMP! flat on his back. Lucy stands over Charlie and says; “A woman’s handshake is not legally binding.”
How very sad that we can so easily give our word and then thoughtlessly break our promise. I am so glad that when God gives us His promises they are legally binding because His word is beyond question. We can rely on God and His word as steadfast and sure. Praise the Lord!
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 | Sep 6, 2010 | Matthew
Matthew 6:9-13
“In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.”
In His “Sermon on the Mount,” Jesus gave His disciples this pattern prayer. Most of us know it by heart, but let us explore it in detail to see if we can discover more Bible truth than we may have not seen before:
“Our Father in heaven:” God becomes our true spiritual Father the moment we pray to receive Him as Savior and Lord. When we are “Born again,” our name is recorded in His “Lamb’s Book of Life,” and we are part of his family. We can now look forward to meeting Him in heaven.
“Hallowed be Your name:” God is a holy God and we must treat Him as holy.
“Your kingdom come:” We eagerly look forward to His soon return.
“Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven:” This sin sick world is never going to be renewed until Jesus returns and makes all things new. What a fantastic day that will be!
“Give us this day our daily bread:” God knows just how much we need for this day. We can totally rely on Him to supply our needs not our extravagances.
“And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors:” We do not deserve to be forgiven of our sins of thought, word and deed, but we certainly do need for God to forgive us. We may not feel that others deserve for us to forgive them, but we need to apply how God has forgiven us to forgive others.
“And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one.” God does not desire that we sin and does not cause us to sin. This portion of the prayer is asking God to lead us away from anything that may tempt us to sin. The closer we walk with the Lord and rely on His Word, the more He will be able to deliver us from Satan’s evil devices.
“For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.” The prayer begins with acknowledging the power and position of God and it ends with even more honor, praise and adoration.
The more we discover about who God is and what He has offered to those of us who accept Him, the more the things of this world seem to dim and pass away in light of His glory and grace. EVEN SO, COME QUICKLY LORD JESUS! 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 | Sep 3, 2010 | Psalm
Psalm 31:2-3
“Bow down Your ear to me, deliver me speedily; be my rock of refuge, a fortress of defense to save me. For You are my rock and my fortress; therefore, for Your name’s sake, lead me and guide me.”
Many of us have experienced crushing losses in our life. Who is to say whether the loss of one thing is more burdensome than another. All too often we minimize what others are suffering and focus only on our own struggles.
The hymn, “Hiding In Thee” was written by William Cushing in 1876 following the death of his dear wife at an early age. He was in poor health himself and had been forced to retire from the ministry. It seemed as if his world was crashing down upon him.
At the urging of Ira Sankey, an active musician with D. L. Moody, he was persuaded to write a hymn from the depths of his ordeal. As we read the words of this beloved hymn we can almost feel the cry of his heart as a prayer.
“Hiding in Thee“
O safe to the Rock that is higher than I,
My soul in its conflicts and sorrows would fly;
So sinful, so weary, Thine, Thine, would I be;
Thou blest “Rock of Ages,” I’m hiding in Thee.
Hiding in Thee, hiding in Thee,
Thou blest “Rock of Ages,” I’m hiding in Thee.
In the calm of the noontide, in sorrow’s lone hour,
In times when temptation casts o’er me its power,
In the tempests of life, on its wide, heaving sea,
Thou blest “Rock of Ages,” I’m hiding in Thee.
Hiding in Thee, hiding in Thee,
Thou blest “Rock of Ages,” I’m hiding in Thee.
How oft in the conflict, when pressed by the foe,
I have fled to my refuge and breathed out my woe;
How often, when trials like sea billows roll,
Have I hidden in Thee, O Thou Rock of my soul.
Hiding in Thee, hiding in Thee,
Thou blest “Rock of Ages,” I’m hiding in Thee.
Whatever you may be going through at this very moment, I want you to know that you can flee to our “Blest Rock of Ages” and hide in Him!
To access Hiding In Thee, this week’s inspirational video from GloryScapes™ Christian Music Hymns & Songs, please go to: http://www.gloryscapes.com/pianoconcertono2 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
