by Pastor Cecil | Jul 17, 2013 | Matthew
Matthew 16:2-3
He answered and said unto them, When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather: for the sky is red. And in the morning, It will be foul weather today: for the sky is red and lowring. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?
Joyce and I have been accused of being overly-ardent viewers of the Weather Channel. It is true that we enjoy checking out the weather conditions across the nation, as well as around the globe. To us it is especially interesting to see what the weather will be in areas where our family or friends live.
Even with the technological advances in detection and monitoring, it is difficult to precisely predict what the weather will do. Hurricane hunters fly into the very eye of oncoming storms to determine when they strengthen from tropical depressions to the various categories of hurricanes, 1 to 5. Even the lower category storms are capable of causing horrendous damage.
We live in tumultuous times, and the forecast is that conditions will continue to deteriorate as the days pass. Across the world we have seen a turn away from the foundations of biblical teachings to humanistic pleasure seeking.
As the world around us darkens with the deceitfulness of sin, our light of hope in Jesus must shine brightly. We must never allow our fervency to dim. We need to hold firm to the Word of God as the source of light and truth. BE A BEACON TO THE LOST!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jul 16, 2013 | Matthew
Matthew 7:13-14
Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
Sunday morning Joyce and I had arrived for our church service. I happened to glance out the window and saw a city police car traveling at high speed with emergency lights and sirens. I wondered what the emergency was and assumed that it was an accident of some kind.
As people arrived for the service, they reported that there were many police cars surrounding a gas station. Officers were seen with rifles at the ready all around the building. We guessed it was some type of hostage situation, but that was just a guess.
After service we received word that a man was in the station with his ex-girl friend and was holding her against her will. Our route home would take us past the station. As we neared the area, we encountered a roadblock. Our access was blocked! It took us much longer than usual to find an alternate way home.
In life there are many roadblocks to a fruitful spiritual life: The desires of life, pursuits for personal achievement, or pre-occupation with hobbies and interests, to name a few. These may be good in and of themselves, but if they block our access we must evaluate the best route to take that is pleasing to the Lord.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jul 15, 2013 | 2 Peter
2 Peter 2:5-8
But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
In March I planted six tomato seeds from a plant I had grown last year. The plant was a gift and we had no idea what variety it was. The plants immediately sprouted and just kept growing larger and larger. I was informed that many of the plants have been genetically engineered in such a way that the seeds will not produce. Since I had already transplanted them in the garden I wanted to observe what would happen.
The plants grew incredibly fast and produced a crescendo of blossoms. (That means a lot!) I was confident since there were so many blossoms that tomatoes would form. I was wrong. I have strong and healthy looking plants with beautiful blossoms, but one by one the blossoms dry up and die.
There have been many Christians that are very much like my tomato plants. They look good and appear spiritually ready to produce fruit for the Lord. But then they start to wither and draw inwardly. They do not produce a crop of blessing for the Lord, but just soak up more and more information.
Do you find yourself in this picture? Do you devote yourself to classes, seminars, sermons, books, and the like, but you are not being a blessing. It is time to cry out to the Lord to pollinate you with His Spirit and power to do His work His way.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jul 12, 2013 | Psalm
Psalm 107:29-30
“He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed. They were glad when it grew calm, and He guided them to their desired haven.”
It seems that each of us is called upon to face storms in our life. It may be physical infirmity, financial reversals or the loss of a loved one. It is not the storm that matters, but how we react to the storm.
Back in 1873, Horatio Spafford and his family were scheduled to sail on the French steamer ‘Ville de Havre’ from New York to England where he was to assist the great evangelist, D.L. Moody. Because of a last minute business crisis Mr. Spafford sent his family on ahead and he would follow on a later ship.
Unfortunately the ship his family was on collided with another ship and sank. There was a terrible loss of life. Spafford and his wife lost their four daughters. Nine days later Horatio Spafford received a cable from his wife that simply said, “Saved alone.” What poignant words.
Later, as he was sailing to meet his wife, he asked the captain to let him know when they were near where the accident had occurred. It was there that he penned the words of this week’s hymn, It Is Well with My Soul.
It Is Well With My Soul
When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,
It is well, it is well with my soul.
Refrain:
It is well (it is well),
with my soul (with my soul),
It is well, it is well with my soul.
My sin, oh the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to His cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!
Refrain:
It is well (it is well),
with my soul (with my soul),
It is well, it is well with my soul.
And Lord haste the day, when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.
Refrain:
It is well (it is well),
with my soul (with my soul),
It is well, it is well with my soul.
To access It Is Well With My Soul, this week’s inspirational video from GloryScapes.com, please go to: http://www.gloryscapes.com/itiswellwithmysoul/ 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 | Jul 11, 2013 | 1 John
1 John 2:15-16
Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world.
Many years ago there was a popular comic strip called Pogo. It featured a possum called Pogo and was set in the Okefenokee Swamp in Florida. Pogo and the other characters in the swamp were certain that they were about to be attacked by an unknown enemy. As they searched for this army they happened to look into the water and discovered who they were looking for. They returned to the others who had been waiting and announced: We have met the enemy and they is us!
Pride is such a persistent transgression that we need to be aware at all times of the many ways it can appear. A preoccupation with our feelings may seem to be a normal reaction to what we are enduring, but it may also be a pride of self that seeks to keep self in control rather than allowing the Holy Spirit to be in control.
The accumulation of things may at first appear to just be a desire to collect things that are special. But closer observation can reveal that the reason we collect things is to own something, or to possess more some-things than others have.
Need I go into the mania to seek a title that inflates the ego? Doctor, Master, Bishop, Reverend, Holiness—Grand Poobah! Some titles may be earned, but even if they have been granted after years of study, they must never be paraded. Mom and Dad gave me the name Cecil, and that is a good enough title for me.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
