by Pastor Cecil | Oct 24, 2011 | Jude
Jude 1:20-23
But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit. Keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life. Be merciful to those who doubt; snatch others from the fire and save them; to others show mercy, mixed with fear–hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.
Somewhere along the line we have perpetuated the notion that the church is only reserved for saints who have their act together. This is totally false! Not only is it false, it is pride, arrogance and will drive people away from the Lord instead of drawing them to the safe harbor of salvation. Let me explain just a little about what we can see in our churches. There are those who have been in the pews so long it seems as if they have been there since the days of Moses.
It may seem like these old-timers have been there forever. Many are righteous, faithful, humble and have a teachable spirit. But, sad to say, others are contrary and stubborn of heart. Their critical attitude is often as bad or worse than the sins they see and condemn in others. TIME SPENT SITTING IN THE PEWS IS NO PROOF OF SPIRITUAL MATURITY!
Just as there is a danger of people relying on attendance to gain maturity, there is also a danger for new Christians. The new believers have a fervency which may lead them to run ahead of the Holy Spirit in their serving the Lord. FERVENCY IS NO PROOF OF SPIRITUAL MATURITY!
Having a growing personal and spiritual relationship with Christ is essential for our growth. It also prepares us for reaching out to others. In many, if not most cases, people are watching us more than listening to us. They want to see what we believe, more than hear what we believe. If we do not live it, why would they be interested in what we only talk about? We need to remind ourselves that all around us are those who will be eternally lost without salvation which comes by grace through faith. Living our faith is being truly spiritual.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
(360) 570-0074
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
by Pastor Cecil | Oct 21, 2011 | Psalm
Psalm 119:33-37
Teach me, O LORD, to follow Your decrees; then I will keep them to the end. Give me understanding, and I will keep Your law and obey it with all my heart. Direct me in the path of Your commands, for there I find delight. Turn my heart toward Your statutes and not toward selfish gain. Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to Your word.
“I do it myself!” Those are the words of one of our children in their early formative years. If you have children of your own, you may have heard something of the sort. The problem is that learning seldom takes place in the presence of this, “I want to do it myself” attitude.
I once heard the story of a snooty woman of some wealth who had a small son. She wanted only the best for her son and always insisted on the finest of everything. She hired a nanny for her son and insisted that he learn to have everything his heart desired. She told the nanny that her son was going to go through life as a wealthy man so he needed to be accustomed to having what he wanted. The nanny was outside with her young charge when he began to scream at the top of his lungs. His mother flew out into the yard in a rage. “Didn’t I tell you to give my son anything he wanted?” demanded the mother! “Yes madam,” replied the nanny. “I remembered well what you told me. He wanted to play with a bumblebee so I let him.”
As I read today’s Scripture I see an important truth. It is the secret to learning the truth from God’s Word. What is this amazing secret? It is being teachable. We cannot be taught until we are willing to be taught. This passage is not asking God to MAKE us do something; rather it shows our submissive attitude toward the process of learning. It is the picture of an eager student who begs the teacher to instruct them.
A skilled musician may have great ability and the music they produce may sound exquisite to the untrained ear, but a professional knows that something is lacking. Even the greatest musician knows that it is important to return to their mentor for more training from time to time.
As we read the words of the Psalmist we might paraphrase it this way: Lord I come under Your authority. Teach me Your decrees. I open my mind for You to give me divine understanding. I will follow where You lead me and find joy in walking in the paths You set before me.
NOT MY WILL, LORD, BUT YOURS BE DONE!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing to others!
—Pastor Cecil
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by Pastor Cecil | Oct 20, 2011 | Daily-E-Votionals
2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
I refuse to watch programs on television that deal with repossession of property. I have seen enough of the advertising for these programs to tell that they contain far too much vulgarity and profanity. I have heard that much of it is staged and not a true depiction of the events.
That being said I truly believe in repossession. Let me be quick to say that when I say repossession, I am referring to the spiritual repossession of a lost sinner that has been repossessed by the Lord Jesus Christ. I have witnessed such remarkable spiritual repossessions across the years that I stand in utter amazement.
In God’s Holy Word we have many instances of transformed lives. Perhaps the most notable was the Apostle Paul. He was a persecutor of Christians, but when the Light from heaven knocked him off his feet, he became possessed by the One who had been his enemy a few minutes before. He was repossessed so completely that he went from one who placed Christians in prison to one who was imprisoned himself.
There are many modern-day believers who have had such a vital change in their lives that it is hard to comprehend it. It is not necessary to understand it, it is just wonderful for us to realize that there is no one who is too far gone for the Lord to repossess. Praise the Lord!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
(360) 570-0074
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.
Special News! My book, 100 of Pastor Cecil?s Select Illustrations, is now available on Kindle books. Just go the the Kindle store and type in Pastor Cecil’s Select Illustrations, or Pastor Cecil Thompson.
by Pastor Cecil | Oct 19, 2011 | Acts
Acts 10:37-38
You know what has happened throughout the province of Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached—how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how He went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with Him.
Gadarenes! (You won’t find that word in the dictionary!) That is what we used to call people who hopped from one church to another. Always searching for the perfect church but not finding it. It reminds me of an old folk story. It seems that there was a family who had moved from their home to resettle in a dryer climate. They had no idea just where to settle so they kept asking questions along the way. They came to one town and, as they filled up their car with gas, they asked one of the residents what the town was like.
The resident in turn asked what their previous community was like. The husband was quick to point out all of the flaws in his previous town and the miserable people who lived there. The man told him that this town was much the same way and he would find the same type of miserable people here. The traveler thanked him and drove off.
A few days later another family stopped and asked the same question. This time the travelers told the man how wonderful their previous town was. The only reason they were leaving was because of the wife’s health. The town resident proudly told him what a wonderful town it was and the people were just like the ones they had left behind. They quickly made plans to settle there.
Someone had overheard both conversations and asked the resident if he was not being two-faced in what he had told the families. The man replied that he was not. Wisely he said that what people saw in others was much what they would always see wherever they would go. We can go about seeing the good or seeing the bad. What are you seeing?
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
(360) 570-0074
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.
Special News! My book, 100 of Pastor Cecil?s Select Illustrations, is now available on Kindle books. Just go the the Kindle store and type in Pastor Cecil’s Select Illustrations, or Pastor Cecil Thompson.
by Pastor Cecil | Oct 18, 2011 | Isaiah
Isaiah 41:10
Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.
There have been a few times that I have experienced fear and foreboding. One of them was while I was serving as a Minuteman Missile Commander. It was during the Cuban missile crisis and we were placed on high alert. Our Combat Capsule was buried deep in the earth with hardened protection all around us, but our families were vulnerable if the enemy chose to launch missiles at our base.
During this tense time of standing on the brink of war, I needed to find the comfort from God’s Word that would bring me a sense of peace. I recalled this passage of Scripture from Isaiah 41:10. It was a verse I had memorized as a young boy. It really was a comfort for me at this time.
I also recalled a few years earlier when I had been stationed at Lackland AFB, Texas. Our oldest daughter was in her classroom when an emergency siren sounded. It meant that there was a possibility of some catastrophic event in the area. The school children had been taught to duck under their desks and cover their heads. When the class was all hunkered down, Brenda shouted out, “Say your prayers and I will see you in heaven!”
She is with the Lord right now and I can hardly wait to see her once again and remind her of that vivid testimony she gave to her class. The one thing I do know is that when we turn to the Lord during our time of fear and dismay, His strong right hand will be our strength and shield. Praise the Lord!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
(360) 570-0074
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.
Special News! My book, 100 of Pastor Cecil?s Select Illustrations, is now available on Kindle books. Just go the the Kindle store and type in Pastor Cecil’s Select Illustrations, or Pastor Cecil Thompson.
