by Pastor Cecil | Feb 8, 2012 | Isaiah
Isaiah 6:8
Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for Us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”
Ben was an immigrant from Russia and spoke with a heavy accent and a raspy voice. I was very good at imitating his loveable speech, not in mockery, but with deep love for this man of faith. He was a member of a church I had once served as interim pastor. One day I was driving by and noticed Ben, mowing the church lawn.
Later I asked him if the church paid him to mow the lawn. He laughed and said, “Naw, dat’s just someting I can do for da Lord.” On a hunch I asked him if he mowed any other lawns. He said, “Oh, Ya, dere is a few little widow ladies dat can’t do much, so I juss go by and mow da lawn for dem.”
Wow! Here was a precious man who was not a minister of the gospel or a teacher in one of the Bible Classes, but he was doing the work of ministry in his own unique and precious way. The Lord spoke to him about the practical needs and Ben responded, “Here am I, send me!”
It is very easy to use our lack of formal training as an excuse for not doing the work of the Lord. I am a firm believer that if we have a sincere heart’s desire to work for the Lord the door will open. I have frequently heard people mention that they’ve learned there is a particular need. My immediate response is to let them know that those to whom the Lord reveals a need are the ones to get involved. May our attitude always be, here am I send me!
Blessings dear hearts. Give obediently to the Lord and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Feb 7, 2012 | 1 Kings
1 Kings 17:13-14
Elijah said to her, “Don’t be afraid. Go home and do as you have said. But first make a small loaf of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me, and then make something for yourself and your son. For this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: “The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the LORD sends rain on the land.”
All too often we think of sacrificial giving in terms of foregoing the purchase of some little bauble and giving the money for the work of the Lord. We somehow have the idea that our money is our money and we can do with it as we please. In a way that is true, but the consequences of doing with our money as we wish is dangerous.
I have always been awed by the story of Elijah and the widow of Zarephath. You may recall that there was a terrible drought in the land that God had sent as a punishment of the godless King Ahab, and his wife, Jezebel. I am sure that many had died of starvation and the widow in this passage was near death.
We are told earlier that the Lord had told her that the prophet was coming and she should be prepared for him. I have no idea how long that had been, but there was barely enough flour and oil to make that last meal for herself and her son—then they faced death by starvation. Was it really God who told her to provide when she had nothing.
Incredibly, Elijah told the widow to prepare a small loaf for him FIRST, then make the meal for her and her son. In faith believing, she obeyed and brought Elijah his small meal. We must realize that this was no small gift. It was her ultimate act of sacrificial giving.
Above all else we need to inquire of the Lord what He wants us to give and how we are to do it. An obedient spirit is what the Lord is seeking. It is not the amount you possess, but your willingness to give it all that matters to God. Are you a sacrificial giver?
Blessings dear hearts. Give obediently to the Lord and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Feb 6, 2012 | Mark
Mark 12:43:44
Calling His disciples to Him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”
The subject of giving to the Lord has been a hot topic for as long as I can remember. As I read today’s Scripture I see that it was just as much an issue at the time Jesus walked the dusty paths of Israel.
As a teenager I recall a typical statement, actually a question, being posed by a minister in response to whether the tithe should be paid on the gross before withholdings or on the net after all of the deduction? The reply was; “Do you want to be blessed on the net or on the gross?”
I have come to realize that it is not simply the ten percent that belongs to the Lord, but one hundred percent. Look again at this passage from Luke’s gospel. Jesus and His disciples were in the temple watching as the crowds were making their offerings into the treasury. Many rich people gave large amounts, but one poor widow threw in only a few pennies. It seemed to be nothing at all compared to the vast amounts others gave.
Jesus used this incident to teach a valuable lesson. The rich people, perhaps even those with moderate means brought significant offerings. The thing that made the difference is that this poor widow gave her all. It was not the extra, but the very means of her life.
For the next few days I would like to explore the topic of giving Jesus our all. I hope it will be a benefit for someone, even if it is only for my own personal growth.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Feb 3, 2012 | Titus
Titus 3:3-5
“At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.”
Joyce and I are not rich by any means, but compared to others we are prosperous. That being the case, I feel that God has given us the privilege and burden to keep our eyes open to observe needs around us. One of the greatest pleasures is to see a young family with a need and then do something about it.
It is always better if you can do it without being seen, but sometimes it cannot be done covertly. This week Joyce had a doctor’s appointment and I was alone in the waiting room reading from my Kindle. A woman came to the reception desk to check in for a tread mill test. She was nervous and did not have the money for the $10.00 co-pay. She was flustered and asked the receptionist if she could be billed for it.
While the receptionist was looking for the form to bill her, I slipped in beside the lady and gave her the $10.00. It shocked her and the receptionist. I wanted to remain invisible, but then I realized something— it was a blessing for both. The receptionist said it made her day and the lady agreed. Just before Joyce came back from her appointment, the receptionist came up and handed me a gift certificate from a gourmet coffee shop. I tried to refuse, but she said she wanted to do something nice as well. Wow!
Of course the greatest payment in our behalf is the gift of eternal life. It cost the horrible death of our precious Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. He paid what we could not pay. He went to the cross voluntarily because He knew we would never be able to pay the cost.
Jesus Paid It All
I hear the Savior say,
“Thy strength indeed is small!
Child of weakness watch and pray,
Find in Me thine all in all.”
Refrain:
Jesus paid it all,
All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain
He washed it white as snow.
For nothing good have I,
whereby Thy grace to claim
I will wash my garments white,
In the blood of Calv’ry’s Lamb.
Refrain:
Jesus paid it all,
All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain
He washed it white as snow.
And when before the throne,
I stand in Him complete,
I’ll lay my trophies down,
All down at Jesus’ feet.
Refrain:
Jesus paid it all,
All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain
He washed it white as snow.
To access Jesus Paid It All, this week’s inspirational video from GloryScapes.com, please go to: http://www.gloryscapes.com/jesuspaiditall/ 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
by Pastor Cecil | Feb 2, 2012 | 1 Chronicles
1 Chronicles 29:14-15
“But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from You, and we have given You only what comes from Your hand. We are aliens and strangers in Your sight, as were all our forefathers. Our days on earth are like a shadow, without hope.”
The second day of February! Ah yes—that day of the year when a groundhog crawls out of his den. Here is what Wikipedia says about the event:
“Groundhog Day is a holiday celebrated in United States and Canada on February 2. In weather lore, if a groundhog, also known as a woodchuck or marmot, emerges from its burrow on this day and fails to see its shadow because the weather is cloudy, winter will soon end. If on the other hand, it is sunny and the groundhog sees its shadow, the groundhog will supposedly retreat into its burrow, and winter will continue for 6 more weeks.”
Pardon me if I am skeptical about the ability of the shadow of a rodent in Pennsylvania to forecast the weather here in the State of Washington. As a matter of fact, I seriously doubt the accuracy to predict the weather near his burrow.
Shadows are interesting. They are larger than reality yet they are not the real thing. It is not the valley of death that produces the fear, but the valley of the shadow of death. Shadows will always magnify an object.
At the beginning of the month of February, it is a good time to consider what is important in our life. Are we going to devote our efforts to the shifting shadows of this world, or are we going to lay up treasures in heaven?
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
