by Pastor Cecil | Dec 23, 2011 | Luke
Luke 2:2-10
“And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.'”
Several years ago our church had finished a wonderful Christmas Eve service. Earlier there had been candles placed inside white lunch bags that lined the driveway leading to the church.
Joyce and I had volunteered to extinguish the candles after everyone had left. It had snowed a few days earlier and there were still a few inches on the ground. The temperature was about twenty degrees (F) when we crunched through the snow to the far end. It was so quiet and beautiful that we were moved in our spirit with the beauty of God’s creation and the carol Silent Night.
The words of this well loved carol were written in 1818 by Josef Mohr after he had seen a play about the birth of Jesus. He was in a reflective mood and walked to a hill overlooking his village in the Austrian Alps. The view of the snow covered village reminded him of a poem he had written a few years earlier. The poem was about the night the angel announced the birth of Jesus.
The next day he took the words of his poem to Franz Gruber, who had just composed a melody. He re-worked the melody to match the words to the poem Mohr written. Our beloved carol, Silent Night was born.
Silent Night
Silent night, holy night
All is calm, all is bright
Round yon Virgin Mother and Child
Holy Infant so tender and mild
Sleep in heavenly peace
Sleep in heavenly peace
Silent night, holy night!
Shepherds quake at the sight
Glories stream from heaven afar
Heavenly hosts sing Alleluia!
Christ, the Savior is born
Christ, the Savior is born
Silent night, holy night
Son of God, love’s pure light
Radiant beams from Thy holy face
With the dawn of redeeming grace
Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth
Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth
To access Silent Night, this week’s inspirational video from GloryScapes™ Inspirational Music Videos, please go to: http://www.gloryscapes.com/silentnight/ 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
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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. You can also find a Kindle version at Amazon.com.
by Pastor Cecil | Dec 22, 2011 | Genesis
Genesis 1:16b-18
God made two great lights—the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. God set them in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth, to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good.
It hardly seems possible, but we have reached the time of the winter Solstice. In the north that means we have reached the shortest day of the year, while those of you in the southern hemisphere are now enjoying the longest day of the year.
I do not want to display my ignorance trying to explain how the earth has a slight wobble that creates the seasons. All I know is that God designed the world that way for a purpose. It gives us times of warmth and times of cold. Our life on earth depends upon the way God has designed the seasons.
God has created within each of us the desire to seek after Him. In the first chapter of Romans, the Apostle Paul writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, proves His existence by the way He has created our world.
Each of us must pass through those times of our life when we feel that it is the shortest day of our life. There is more dark than light. It is in these times that God speaks to us and urges us to hold on until His light shines through. It is in the long night of our lives that we need to take His hand and wait for the dawn.
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
My book, 100 of Pastor Cecil’s Select Illustrations, is now available on Kindle books. Just go the Kindle store and type in Pastor Cecil’s Select Illustrations, or Pastor Cecil Thompson.
by Pastor Cecil | Dec 21, 2011 | Luke
Luke 15:20
So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
Jesus presented spiritual truth with practical and everyday parables- – – stories. I am sure it irked the religious elite who loved to speak with high and flowery words that made them feel sophisticated and proud. If I ever tried that I would smile and have chives on my teeth or some other embarrassing human foible.
One of my life-long favorite parables is the Parable of the Lost Son or, as we commonly call it, the Parable of the Prodigal Son. Jesus relates the story of a son who has gone astray and hit the bottom. The wayward son determined to return home and become a servant in his father’s house, which would be far better than his miserable life in the far country.
The son expected to beg his father for employment. He had his speech all prepared and was willing to do anything to earn his board and room. What the son didn’t realize was that his father was expecting him—he had watched that road for a long, long time. When the father saw the form of his son, he ran to meet and greet him. He did not even listen to the son’s well rehearsed plea. He was immediately restored as part of the family once more.
You may feel somewhat like that lost son. You have gone to life’s pits. You never expected to be so low and are just sure that the Lord will never welcome you back. Can I let you in on a little secret? Actually, it’s a gigantic reality. God is eagerly expecting you and longing for you to return to Him. WELCOME HOME!
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 | Dec 20, 2011 | Matthew
Matthew 7:21-23
Not everyone who says to Me, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of My Father who is in heaven. Many will say to Me on that day, “Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name and in Your name drive out demons and in Your name perform many miracles?” Then I will tell them plainly, “I never knew you. Away from Me, you evildoers!”
If you have been locked out of your car or out of your house you know how frustrating it feels. I once had just finished a graveside funeral service and walked to my car only to discover that I had locked myself out. What frustration!
I once heard a man who had been a pastor of a small congregation tell of the conflict he had with the members. He decided to take a few days away with his family to let the situation calm down. When he returned he discovered that they had called a church meeting, changed the locks on the church and he was no longer their pastor. Ouch!
As embarrassing or drastic as those two illustrations are, they cannot even be compared to the ultimate reality that people can be locked out of heaven. There are some who feel secure because they were baptized as a baby, or that they have gone through some type of confirmation, or that they attend church regularly. There is only one key to unlock the door to heaven and that is to be born again.
If you are reading this and have never repented of your sins and asked Jesus to come into your heart, I beg you to do it now. If you need assistance, just reply and I will try to help you come to know the Lord personally.
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 | Dec 19, 2011 | John
John 10:22-24
Then came the Festival of Dedication at Jerusalem. It was winter, and Jesus was in the temple courts walking in Solomon’s Colonnade. The Jews who were there gathered around Him, saying, “How long will You keep us in suspense? If You are the Messiah, tell us plainly.”
The darkest dark I have ever experienced was when we made a trip to the Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico. We were led by a guide who explained the various formations. The only thing I can recall about our tour was when he extinguished all of the lights in order for us to experience total darkness. I didn’t like it!
At this time of year we pause to celebrate the coming of Jesus into a world filled with the darkness of sin, it is important to consider light . . . not just any light, but the light of the world that takes away our sins.
I regret that as Christians we have failed to consider the biblical meaning behind the Feasts and celebrations. One of those days is upon us; it is Hanukkah. Before you get disturbed about Jews trying to create a holiday that is to replace Christmas, read today’s Scripture once again. Jesus celebrated it! Antiochus Epiphanies desecrated the temple about two hundred years before this visit of Jesus. It was Hanukkah, a time to remember the wonderful miracle when there was only enough oil to light the lamps for one day, but miraculously the lamps burned for eight days.
We need those times of miracle in our day and age. We need a doubting world to see the bright light of God’s power demonstrated. We need to allow the Lord to fill our spiritual reservoir so we will burn brightly and miraculously.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing! Be a light for the world to see!
—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
