by Pastor Cecil | Nov 30, 2011 | 1 Corinthians
I Corinthians 2: 9-10
“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him. But God has revealed it to those who love Him.”
We don’t like to let too many people in on our secret about what a fantastic area we live in here in the Pacific Northwest. The beauty is spectacular. Just to the east of us is the majestic Mount Rainier. On Sunday, one of our members gave Joyce and me a fantastic framed photo showing an early morning sunrise. The sun cast a shadow of the mountain on a layer of clouds that looked like a searchlight only it was dark. But that is nothing!
Flying at night on a commuter airline is especially revealing. Here in the State of Washington; it is a fairly large state, you can virtually see across the entire state. Flying at a relatively low altitude, the lights of the cities, Seattle, Tacoma, Olympia, Portland, Tri-cities, Walla Walla, Yakima, Moses Lake, Spokane — are all clearly seen. What a view! But that is nothing!
In today’s Scripture, Paul gives us just a hint of what we will be seeing when we are gathered together with the Lord. God has given us a new life that is in Him. His view is never covered with clouds or smoke, or anything else which may block our view. We are new creations! We have been born again when we invite the Lord into our heart. WHAT A VIEW! AND THAT IS EVERYTHING!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
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 | Nov 29, 2011 | 2 Corinthians
II Corinthians 5:1
“For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.”
I enjoy hearing people talk about their occupation. I recall listening to fighter pilots talk about the thrill of combat and how close they came to death. I was enthralled by the stories of the deep sea fishermen in Newfoundland. Police officers share with other officers interesting, sometimes dangerous, incidents.
The apostle Paul was a tent-maker by trade. I can almost visualize his calloused fingers and hands. They would almost certainly have been the marks from years of stretching and stitching the fabric to create or repair tents.
In II Corinthians 5:1-3, Paul uses his profession as a tent-maker to illustrate a spiritual truth: This human body of ours is not going to survive. Today there are those who try to reverse the aging process in various ways, but nothing is going to keep us from coming to the end of our life and entering eternity.
It is sad that most of us spend far too much time and effort on things that will pass away. By spending so much time on earthly things we neglect the things that really count—those things that have eternal value.
Spending time with God in prayer and reading His Word will prepare us for that heavenly home that will never pass away. What home are you spending your time and effort to build?
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
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 | Nov 28, 2011 | Proverbs
Proverbs 3:5-6
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”
How much do we truly place our trust in the Lord? When we are faced with the tough times of life, do we depend upon Him or do we tend to work things out in our own strength or by using some other human resources.
It is interesting to explore the Hebrew word for trust used in this passage of Scripture. It is the word batach, and is defined as: to trust in – to have confidence – to be to be bold – to be secure.
That gives it an entirely different flavor doesn’t it? There is no namby-pamby pie in the sky attitude in trusting in the Lord. It means that before we do anything else, we turn the matter over to Him and allow Him to deal with it.
If you want to see the power of the Lord displayed, go back to the book of II Kings 19, and see what happened when Jerusalem was surrounded by the army of King Sennacherib of Assyria. Hezekiah went to the Temple and spread the letter that the king had written which mocked the Lord and His people. That night the Lord fought the battle for Israel and in one night slew the entire enemy army.
When we place our trust in the Lord we can rest in the confident assurance that He hears and will bring about His will for our life. Are you trusting?
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
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 | Nov 25, 2011 | Psalm
Psalm 145:9-12
“The LORD is good to all; He has compassion on all He has made. All You have made will praise You, O LORD; Your saints will extol You. They will tell of the glory of Your kingdom and speak of Your might, so that all men may know of Your mighty acts and the glorious splendor of Your kingdom.”
The older I get (and I am getting up there), the more disturbed I am about senseless killing. This is true of attacks on other people, but also on killing animals just for the sport of it. In my hunting days I did shoot game, but it was for food not for sport. Now there are many that hunt for bragging rights, not for food. God meant for us to be keepers and protectors, not killers.
In 1225, when he was feeling ill and losing his sight, Francis of Assisi wrote about what was always on his heart: the praise of God. In All Creatures of Our God and King, Francis’ love for God and the world He made comes out very strongly.
Probably because he lived such a simple life, he “noticed” things that we, in our busy-ness, overlook. Francis believed that all earth’s creatures get their life from God and that we all depend on Him for our continual existence.
All Creatures of Our God and King
1. All creatures of our God and King
Lift up your voice and with us sing
O, praise Him, Alleluia!
Thou burning sun with golden beam
Thou silver moon with softer gleam
O praise Him, O praise Him, Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
2. Thou rushing wind that art so strong,
Ye clouds that sail in heav?n along,
O, praise Him! Alleluia!
Thou rising morn, in praise rejoice,
Ye lights of evening, find a voice!
O praise Him, O praise Him, Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
3. Let all things their creator bless
And worship Him in humbleness
O, praise Him! Alleluia!
Praise, the Father, praise the Son,
And praise the Spirit, Three in One!
O praise Him, O praise Him, Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
4. And all ye men of tender heart,
Forgiving others, take your part,
O, praise Him! Alleluia!
Ye who long pain and sorrow bear,
Praise God and on Him cast your care!
O praise Him, O praise Him, Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
To access All Creatures of Our God and King, this week’s inspirational video from GloryScapes™ Inspirational Music Videos, please go to: http://www.gloryscapes.com/allcreaturesofourgodandking/ 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.
by Pastor Cecil | Nov 24, 2011 | Psalm
Psalm 100:4-5
Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. For the LORD is good; His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations.
When I was stationed in St. Anthony, Newfoundland, Canada, I was introduced to the fact that Canada does not celebrate Thanksgiving Day on the same date that we do in the US. They set aside the second Monday of October for their time of giving thanks. It was a great year for many of us who acknowledged both dates that year.
As I recall the years I was there (1968-1969), I remember the large dinners that we had on both of the Thanksgiving days, and we were equally grateful for all of the abundance that the Lord had bestowed upon us.
But what about all of the other days of the year?
I don’t know about you, but I find that it is necessary to jog my memory from time to time about thanking the Lord. It is not that I am not thankful, it is just that I get so used to all of the good things the Lord has done that I fail to stop and say thanks. With that in mind I frequently use Psalm 103:1-5 as my prayer. TRY IT!
“Bless the LORD, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, who heals all your diseases, Who redeems your life from destruction, who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, who satisfies your mouth with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.”
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
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
