by Pastor Cecil | Jan 17, 2011 | 1 Corinthians
I Corinthians 15:58
“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.”
The title for today does not refer to a particular style of music. As a matter of fact it has to do with something that happened in Shreveport, LA. Back in the mid 60’s I was stationed there with the US Air Force. A few blocks from our house was a small BBQ restaurant.
The first time we stopped by, we discovered that most people ordered slices of BBQ beef. That left the shreds and ends of the cut. They sold BBQ sandwiches made with these pieces five for a dollar. We had five in our family, so it was perfect. They were some of the most delicious sandwiches we ever tasted.
I received a transfer from there and it was several years later that we returned to Shreveport for a visit. Our family was in great anticipation for one of those fantastic BBQ sandwiches. We drove to the corner and pulled into the parking lot of the BBQ paradise only to suffer bitter disappointment. It had changed ownership and now it was a drycleaners. Sob! Sob!
It is tragic that some so-called Christians are not what they once claimed to be. At one time they were fervent in their service of the Lord, but over time drifted further and further away. Are they truly born-again? Only the Lord knows the answer to that question, but if they are they have given a terrible testimony to those who need a ray of spiritual sunshine in their life. Do people find in you the real thing?
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
P.S. – You can find previous E-Votionals covering a variety of Scriptures and topics to help you in your walk with the Lord at www.Daily-E-Votional.com.
P.P.S. – I have completed my first book, 100 of Pastor Cecil’s Select Illustrations. The cost is $12.95 plus shipping. You can now order it online by going to https://dailyevotional.com/prior2020/book-by-pastor-cecil . . . You may want to consider this book as a thoughtful gift idea for those who do not have Internet access or as helpful sermon illustrations for your Pastor.
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by Pastor Cecil | Jan 14, 2011 | Psalm
Psalm 90:1-2
“Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations. Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.”
O God, Our Help in Ages Past is a hymn by Isaac Watts and paraphrases Psalm 90. It originally consisted of nine stanzas. In present usage, however, the hymn is usually limited to stanzas one, two, three, five and nine.
The hymn was originally part of The Psalms of David Imitated in the Language of the New Testament, published by Watts in 1719. It has often been sung for special occasions in England. It was sung in 1941, at a religious service on board HMS Prince of Wales attended by Winston Churchill and Franklin Delano Roosevelt as part of the conference creating the Atlantic Charter. It was also sung at the funeral of Winston Churchill in 1965.
Later composers subsequently incorporated the tune in their own works. For example, George Handel used the tune in an anthem entitled, O Praise the Lord.
“O GOD, OUR HELP IN AGES PAST“
Our God, our help in ages past,
Our hope for years to come,
Our shelter from the stormy blast,
And our eternal home.
Under the shadow of Thy throne
Thy saints have dwelt secure;
Sufficient is Thine arm alone,
And our defense is sure.
Before the hills in order stood,
Or earth received her frame,
From everlasting Thou art God,
To endless years the same.
A thousand ages in Thy sight
Are like an evening gone;
Short as the watch that ends the night
Before the rising sun.
The busy tribes of flesh and blood,
With all their lives and cares,
Are carried downwards by the flood,
And lost in following years.
O God, our help in ages past,
Our hope for years to come,
Be Thou our guide while troubles last,
And our eternal home.
To access O God Our Help in Ages Past , this week’s inspirational video from GloryScapes™ Christian Hymns, please go to: http://www.gloryscapes.com/ogodourhelpinagespast 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
P.S. – You can find previous E-Votionals covering a variety of Scriptures and topics to help you in your walk with the Lord at www.Daily-E-Votional.com.
P.P.S. – I have completed my first book, 100 of Pastor Cecil’s Select Illustrations. The cost is $12.95 plus shipping. You can now order it online by going to https://dailyevotional.com/prior2020/book-by-pastor-cecil . . . You may want to consider this book as a thoughtful gift idea for those who do not have Internet access or as helpful sermon illustrations for your Pastor.
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by Pastor Cecil | Jan 13, 2011 | Psalm
Psalm 34:8-9
“Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who trusts in Him! Oh, fear the LORD, you His saints! There is no want to those who fear Him.”
Living in the southern part of the United States was a new experience for our family. We were typical “northerners” and our dear friends in Shreveport, LA, had many laughs at our lack of dealing with the “southern way.”
One example was at a good ole fashioned southern fish fry. One of the adult Sunday School classes from the church we attended invited us along. The menu included a pan fish known as “bream” as well as hushpuppies.
The fish was very tasty, but full of bones. I was picking and spitting bones until one of my friends leaned over and said, “Hey, Yankee, let me show you how to eat bream.” With that he deftly removed the dorsal fin then gently pulled each side of the fish away with virtually no bones. (Why didn’t he tell me sooner!)
We are living in a world of lost people who are feasting on the bones of sin and degradation. All the time we are relishing our new life in Christ, they are choking to death.
One of the most effective ways to witness for the Lord is to let people see how much we enjoy our life in Christ. Someone has said, “You may have the joy of salvation in your heart, but you need to let your face know about it.” Do people see the joy of Jesus on our face?
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
P.S. – You can find previous E-Votionals covering a variety of Scriptures and topics to help you in your walk with the Lord at www.Daily-E-Votional.com.
P.P.S. – I have completed my first book, 100 of Pastor Cecil’s Select Illustrations. The cost is $12.95 plus shipping. You can now order it online by going to https://dailyevotional.com/prior2020/book-by-pastor-cecil . . . You may want to consider this book as a thoughtful gift idea for those who do not have Internet access or as helpful sermon illustrations for your Pastor.
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by Pastor Cecil | Jan 12, 2011 | John
John 12:24-25
“Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.”
You may have heard of the story of a young girl with a rare blood type who was dying of kidney failure. After checking with various family members, only her brother was a match to donate one of his kidneys for his sister to live.
The doctors asked him if he was willing to donate his kidney and he quietly replied that he was. As the day for the transplant surgery drew near, the boy became more quiet and introspective. He was to enter the operating room first as the doctors would remove one of his kidneys before transplanting it into his sister’s body to give her new life.
As he lay on the operating table, the doctor asked him if he was ready. He said that he was, but he had a question: “Doctor, how long before I die?” This brave little brother had not understood that he had two kidneys and that both he and his sister would be able to live normal lives after the transplant surgery. That poignant story is especially meaningful to me since our granddaughter, Jenna, donated one of her kidneys to save the life of our youngest daughter, her Aunt Lori. (Some of you may recall that Jenna’s mother was our daughter, Brenda, who died when she was only 35.)
Jesus came into the world to die! He did not come to save His life, but to offer it as a sacrifice that all who will may receive eternal life. Jesus offers us the ultimate transplant. Our old sin-sick heart replaced by a new heart and a new life. What a wonderful gift! New life in Christ, abundant and free! Receive it!
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
P.S. – You can find previous E-Votionals covering a variety of Scriptures and topics to help you in your walk with the Lord at www.Daily-E-Votional.com.
P.P.S. – I have completed my first book, 100 of Pastor Cecil’s Select Illustrations. The cost is $12.95 plus shipping. You can now order it online by going to https://dailyevotional.com/prior2020/book-by-pastor-cecil . . . You may want to consider this book as a thoughtful gift idea for those who do not have Internet access or as helpful sermon illustrations for your Pastor.
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by Pastor Cecil | Jan 11, 2011 | Romans
Romans 2:12-13
“For as many as have sinned without law will also perish without law, and as many as have sinned in the law will be judged by the law (for not the hearers of the law are just in the sight of God, but the doers of the law will be justified).”
My experience on the snow slopes was limited to one “glorious” adventure while on temporary duty at Goose Bay, Labrador, Canada. The Protestant Chaplain invited me to accompany his family on a skiing trip. I had no gear but they assured me that I could rent everything I needed, and since there were no mountains in that area, I was confused.
The day was cold and snowing as we drove across base to a comfy lodge with a roaring fire. I checked out all of my gear, still wondering where the ski slope was. I followed the Chaplain Calvin Roy family in utter confusion. Suddenly we were going downhill. Check that! They were going downhill—I was just going down.
The ski run was into a somewhat steep valley, but to this first-time skier it seemed like a cliff. I have never fallen so many ways in all of my life! I finally had a good run without falling, but my skis were facing up slope and I was sliding backwards.
Graciously the Lord heard my prayer for deliverance and I reached the bottom. It was then that I asked how I could get back up to the top. To my horror I was informed that the only way up was on a rope tow. Did you hear that? A rope tow! They expected me to grab hold of a moving rope tow while keeping my skis pointed up until I reached the top. I think I fell more going up than going down. Fall after fall later I made it to the top. The rest of the trip was spent inside the lodge acting like I had just come inside.
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
P.S. – You can find previous E-Votionals covering a variety of Scriptures and topics to help you in your walk with the Lord at www.Daily-E-Votional.com.
P.P.S. – I have completed my first book, 100 of Pastor Cecil’s Select Illustrations. The cost is $12.95 plus shipping. You can now order it online by going to https://dailyevotional.com/prior2020/book-by-pastor-cecil . . . You may want to consider this book as a thoughtful gift idea for those who do not have Internet access or as helpful sermon illustrations for your Pastor.
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