by Pastor Cecil | May 31, 2011 | 1 Corinthians
1 Corinthians 3:8-9
“The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor. For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building.”
There is theology all around us if we take time to apply what we see to what God desires for us to understand about Him. Just this morning I read the Sunday comics and discovered a spiritual nugget in one of my favorite strips, For Better or For Worse.
The family dog, Farley is lapping water out of the toilet bowl. (Why do cats and dogs like to do that?) The youngest daughter, Elizabeth, about age four sees Farley lapping the water and repeatedly bangs the lid down on his head. Farley staggers away in a daze.
The next box shows Farley looking fearful toward the bowl. The father shouts out that all his training has finally paid off and Farley has learned not to drink out of the toilet bowl.
It is far too easy for us to take credit for another person’s spiritual birth or growth. As we read today’s Scripture, different ones have a part to play, but ultimately it is the Lord who is the One who is in control. It is the Holy Spirit who prepares the heart to receive the word of truth. We are merely the instruments that the Lord can use to do His work.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
(360) 570-0074
P.S. – You can help! Please consider trying to get one other person to subscribe to the Daily-E-Votional. This worldwide ministry asks for no funds and is sent to glorify our precious Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Have them go to https://dailyevotional.com/prior2020/subscribe and enter their email address.
by Pastor Cecil | May 30, 2011 | Matthew
Matthew 4:18-20
“As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. ‘Come, follow Me,’ Jesus said, ‘and I will send you out to fish for people.’ At once they left their nets and followed Him.”
It is amazing that as much as I have loved fishing across the years, it has been years since I have gone fishing. It seems that the love of fishing for men has far more appeal than fishing for the finned denizens of the deep.
A few of my past fishing adventures resulted more in fishing than in catching. I recall fishing with my spiritual father, Doctor John Hall and his mentor, Jack Dedman in the lakes of Louisiana when I was stationed there. It was frustrating as I stood next to them in a boat and watched while they reeled in the fish and my pole remained still. Frustrating!
Perhaps every fisherman has encountered days like that, but catching fish is nothing compared with being fishers of men and seeing souls brought into the kingdom. Across the years it has been a joy to lead people to the Lord. Catching fish leads to a fish fry on the shore, but leading a lost soul into a saving knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ lasts for eternity.
Perhaps you feel that you are not equipped to lead someone to the Lord. Can I ask you a very personal question? When was the last time you asked someone if they would like to give their heart to Jesus? You can’t catch fish without getting your line in the water and you can’t save a soul without asking. Please ask!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
(360) 570-0074
P.S. – You can help! Please consider trying to get one other person to subscribe to the Daily-E-Votional. This worldwide ministry asks for no funds and is sent to glorify our precious Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Have them go to https://dailyevotional.com/prior2020/subscribe and enter their email address.
by Pastor Cecil | May 27, 2011 | Luke
Luke 2:28-32
“Simeon took Him in his arms and praised God, saying: ‘Sovereign Lord, as You have promised, You now dismiss Your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen Your salvation, which You have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.'”
Charles Wesley lived from 1707 to 1788. During his life he wrote hundreds of hymns and poems and was one of the most prolific English poets. Back in 1744 he wrote the wonderful hymn, “Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus.” In the first verse he introduces Jesus Christ as the fulfillment of Israel’s promised Messiah.
Isaiah 7:14, spoke of a virgin giving birth to a child whose name “Immanuel” which means “God with us.” In Isaiah 9:6, this long-expected One would be called “Wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty God, eternal Father, the Prince of Peace.”
Because of these and many other prophecies, many devout Jews prayed earnestly for the day when He would arrive. Luke 2 tells of Simeon, a man of faith who was “looking for the consolation of Israel.” When he saw Jesus as an infant, Simeon knew that this Child was the fulfillment of his messianic hope. Charles Wesley was borrowing from this passage when he described Jesus in this song as “Israel’s strength and consolation.”
The second verse tells us that Jesus was “born a child and yet a King.” As the One who is both God and man, Jesus was able to satisfy God’s wrath completely by dying on the cross for our sins. When Wesley wrote about Jesus’ “all sufficient merit,” he was referring to Christ’s ability to bring us to salvation.
“Come Thou Long-Expected Jesus“
Come, Thou long-expected Jesus,
born to set Thy people free;
from our fears and sins release us;
let us find our rest in Thee.
Israel’s strength and consolation,
hope of all the earth Thou art;
dear desire of every nation,
joy of every longing heart.
Born Thy people to deliver,
born a child, and yet a King,
born to reign in us forever,
now Thy gracious kingdom bring.
By Thine own eternal Spirit
rule in all our hearts alone;
by Thine own sufficient merit,
raise us to Thy glorious throne.
To access Come Thou Long-Expected Jesus, this week’s inspirational video from GloryScapes.com, please 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 help! Please consider trying to get one other person to subscribe to the Daily-E-Votional. This worldwide ministry asks for no funds and is sent to glorify our precious Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Have them go to https://dailyevotional.com/prior2020/subscribe and enter their email address.
by Pastor Cecil | May 26, 2011 | Job
Job 42:4-6
“You said, ‘Listen now, and I will speak; I will question you, and you shall answer Me.’ My ears had heard of You but now my eyes have seen You. Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes.”
A dear friend of mine is a retired pastor. He once shared with me a situation he had when he became pastor of a new church. The former pastor informed him that one of the men in the congregation was a real headache. In fact he was glad to leave the contrary member to someone else.
The man indeed lived up to his reputation and was a thorn in his side. It so happened that after several months, he was speaking to a returned missionary from another denomination. He shared with her the terrible problem he had with this man. She smiled and told him that it was not the man, but the Lord.
She wisely told him that the Lord chips away areas of our life that He is not pleased with. After the chipping and shaping, He uses sandpaper that scours and smoothes those area of our life that need perfecting. She suggested that this man was the sandpaper in his life.
The pastor went home and began to be honest with God about the man. He confessed that he hated the man instead of loving him. The more he prayed for God to give him a sincere love toward the man, the closer they became. God had done a work in his heart that only God can do. Praise the Lord for the sandpaper He uses to make us more life Him!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
(360) 570-0074
P.S. – You can help! Please consider trying to get one other person to subscribe to the Daily-E-Votional. This worldwide ministry asks for no funds and is sent to glorify our precious Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Have them go to https://dailyevotional.com/prior2020/subscribe and enter their email address.
by Pastor Cecil | May 25, 2011 | Matthew
Matthew 28:18-20
“Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.’”
Yesterday I wrote about the controversy caused by a radio preacher who had erroneously prophesied that the rapture of the church would occur on May 21st. His much publicized prophecy failed to occur.
What should be the reaction of the true believers to such false prophets? It offers a great opportunity to share the true gospel message. When Jesus was preparing His disciples for His ascension, He assured them that He would return again. Praise the Lord, we can be assured that it is coming and we need to be prepared.
When false prophets give wrong information or when religious leaders become involved in sinful activities, it is not the end of the world. In fact this is the time for us to share the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
We need to equip ourselves for spiritual warfare by keeping our individual noses in our individual Bibles and humbly sharing the truth with those we meet. It is not enough to get people to attend church, they need to be born again and ready when their life on earth is over. By death or by rapture, they must be prepared.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
(360) 570-0074
P.S. – You can help! Please consider trying to get one other person to subscribe to the Daily-E-Votional. This worldwide ministry asks for no funds and is sent to glorify our precious Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
