by Pastor Cecil | Jan 17, 2013 | Exodus
Exodus 20:17
You shall not covet your neighbor(s) house; you shall not covet your neighbor(s) wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor(s).
You will notice that the tenth commandment is the one that deals with covetousness. It is a condition that afflicts many hearts. When I was a Juvenile Probation Officer I experienced a repetitive behavior. It did not matter if it was cash, computer, or car— the offender would see it, covet it, steal it and most often hide it.
It is no coincidence that we see the same pattern in Scripture. In Joshua 7 we read the tragic saga of a man named Achan, who kept plunder from Jericho in direct violation of what God had commanded. When the lot fell upon him he finally confessed that he had seen these wonderful items (a garment, silver, and gold) and had desired them, took them, then buried them. He and his family paid the ultimate price.
Years later we read how King David peered over the walls of his palatial home, saw Bathsheba bathing, lusted for her, took her into his bed, then tried to hide his sin by arranging for her husband, Uriah, to be killed in battle.
How are we to deal with this tendency to covet and thus violate the tenth commandment? Paul gives us the answer in Philippians 4:12-13, “I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” ALWAYS OBEY THE LORD!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jan 16, 2013 | 1 Peter
1 Peter 5:8-9
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.
I am signed up to receive a jigsaw puzzle each morning which seems to keep me visually aware of shapes and colors. It is always a challenge to meet or exceed the average length of time others have taken to complete the puzzle.
This morning the picture was of a turtle sitting on the head of a crocodile. They were about the same size, so it might not have been a problem. At the same time I can just imagine what would happen in a short period of time. The croc would increase in size and suddenly would see the turtle as a tasty meal. What had once been a resting place for the turtle now would become dangerous territory.
Over the years I have counseled many people who played around with tempting situations, believing that they could only go only so far and then stop just before things went too far. Unfortunately, they would cry their eyes out when the situation got out of hand and the consequences of sin demanded payment.
I pray that you who are reading this are not playing the part of the turtle. If you are, I beg you to immediately get away to a place of safety. That place is the arms of our Savior who died to rescue us from the jaws of the enemy. Confess your sin and turn back to Him. He is waiting to welcome you!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jan 15, 2013 | Luke
Luke 2:51-52
Then He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was subject to them, but His mother kept all these things in her heart. And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.
Years ago I worked for an unforgettable character who served as the Juvenile Court Judge in our county. I was the one and only Juvenile Probation Officer and had close contact with Judge Ben Riordan.
The Judge once shared with me about the problem one of his sons had in coming under parental authority. When the son was a teenager he secured a job and began to earn his own money. More and more he resisted the established rules of the house and came close to being disrespectful.
To deal with the problem, Judge Ben explained to his rebellious son that since he was earning his own money he could now buy his own food. That meant that he would not be allowed to eat at home with the family until he changed his attitude and came under the authority of his parents. For about two weeks the boy ate away from home, but soon learned that much of his salary was going to pay for his meager meals. He made his apologies and was once again restored to the good graces of the family.
Sometimes we get away from God’s authority and feel that we are able to make it on our own. How foolish! It does not work that way and continued rebellion makes us miserable to ourselves and others. It is time to come home and make the Lord the leader of our life.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jan 14, 2013 | 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.
Over the years I have found my mind going back to today’s verse. It was one of the first verses I ever memorized. Come to think about it, it may very well be the reason that I am known as more optimistic than pessimistic. It is not me, but the Lord that makes the difference.
God gives us a tremendous promise in this verse. He promises to strengthen us, to help us and to uphold us. Do you realize what that promise should mean to each of us in our daily walk? It means that we can claim victory over every situation.
As I read this verse again, I see that our requirement is very minimal. We are not called upon to do great and mighty works. We do not even have to possess super human abilities.
So what is our part? To not fear and to not be dismayed.The reason our Scripture gives us for not fearing or not being dismayed is that God is with us and He is our own personal God. With such a powerful God in control we are free to praise Him and give Him the glory even before we see His completed work.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jan 11, 2013 | 1 Corinthians
1 Corinthians 3:10-11
According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
Back during my high school days, I worked weekends and summers for a concrete contractor. Believe me when I tell you that things were different back then. There was very little pre-mixed concrete that was delivered by large rotating carriers. We were the mixers! We had a pile of sand, another of gravel and sacks of concrete that we had to combine shovel by shovel and bag by bag, water was then added.
In order to get the sloppy concrete into the foundation, we had to deliver it by manual labor. We had large wheelbarrows that we filled then pushed to the point of delivery. In the building process a solid foundation was essential. A weakened foundation could lead to the building falling.
As we travel through this life we often see people that have not laid a foundation that will withstand the storms of life. Sadly when storms strike, their foundations fail. It is during the storms that we need the solid foundation of the Lord Jesus Christ to keep us safe. John Rippon published this hymn in 1787.
How Firm a Foundation
How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord,
Is laid for your faith in His excellent Word!
What more can He say than to you He hath said,
To you who for refuge to Jesus have fled?
Fear not, I am with thee, O be not dismayed,
For I am thy God, I will still give thee aid;
I’ll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand,
Upheld by My gracious, omnipotent hand.
When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie,
My grace all-sufficient shall be thy supply;
The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design
Thy dross to consume, and thy gold to refine.
The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose,
I will not, I will not desert to his foes;
That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
I’ll never, no never, no never forsake!
To access How Firm a Foundation, this week’s inspirational video from GloryScapes Hymn Music Videos, please go to: http://www.gloryscapes.com/howfirmafoundation/ 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
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