by Pastor Cecil | Aug 9, 2013 | 1 Peter
1 Peter 4:12-13
“Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.”
Fanny J. Crosby was a remarkable woman. There are so many accomplishments in her life that it is hard to comprehend them all. She lost her eyesight because of the treatment of a careless doctor. In spite of her loss she memorized huge portions of Scripture just by listening to her grandmother read them to her. She is credited with writing over 10,000 hymns during her life.
Fanny began writing poetry at an early age, but another amazing fact is that she did not accept Jesus as her personal Savior until she was 31. She was attending a service on November 20, 1850. The congregation was singing a hymn by Isaac Watts; “At the cross, at the cross, where I first saw the light.” She knew she needed the Lord and that very night He became her Savior and Lord.
Her desire was to always stay close to Jesus who had paid the ultimate price for her salvation. Her desire was to remain near her Lord. She immediately wrote the words to this week’s hymn, “Near the Cross.”
Near the Cross
Jesus, keep me near the cross;
there a precious fountain,
free to all, a healing stream,
flows from Calvary’s mountain.
Refrain: In the cross, in the cross, be my glory ever,
till my raptured soul shall find rest beyond the river.
Near the cross, a trembling soul,
love and mercy found me;
there the bright and morning star
sheds its beams around me.
Refrain: In the cross, in the cross, be my glory ever,
till my raptured soul shall find rest beyond the river.
Near the cross! O Lamb of God,
bring its scenes before me;
help me walk from day to day
with its shadow o’er me.
Refrain: In the cross, in the cross, be my glory ever,
till my raptured soul shall find rest beyond the river.
Near the cross I’ll watch and wait,
hoping, trusting ever,
till I reach the golden strand
just beyond the river.
Refrain: In the cross, in the cross, be my glory ever,
till my raptured soul shall find rest beyond the river.
To access Near the Cross, this week’s inspirational video from GloryScapes.com, please go to: http://www.gloryscapes.com/nearthecross 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 | Aug 8, 2013 | Proverbs
Proverbs 16:25-26
There is a way that appears to be right,but in the end it leads to death. The appetite of laborers works for them; their hunger drives them on.
Sometimes you have things happen in your life that are both humorous and tragic. When I was working as a police officer, I worked the graveyard shift so I could attend college during the day. Usually the wee early hours of the morning were very quiet.
One night, in the early hours of the morning, things were quiet and, to be honest, very boring. Suddenly I saw a man stagger into the street and wave for me to stop. As soon as I stopped, the man opened the rear passenger side door and jumped in. It took a moment for him to realize that this was not a taxi.
He was stunned when he saw that I was not a taxi driver. I told him that I was not a cab driver, but I was going to give him a lift. I even was going to provide him with a room until he was sober enough to tell the difference between a cab and a cop car. Perhaps I spared the man’s life by getting him to a safe environment for a few hours.
As we read this Scripture from Proverbs, we are reminded that just because we think something is right, does not mean that it is right. People have been duped into believing that if we do enough good deeds, we will make it to heaven. Wrong cab! If we give enough money to the church we will be blessed. Wrong cab! If we just believe in God that is enough. Wrong cab!
There is only one way to get into the cab that is bound for heaven. We must confess and repent of our sins and invite Jesus Christ into our heart. We must be born again. RIGHT CAB!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Aug 7, 2013 | Mark
Mark 8:35-36
For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for Me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?
I have known many wealthy people in my life. Some have blessed those around them, while others grasp the things of this world, as if they would bring lasting joy. Today I had the responsibility and privilege of sitting in the living room of a magnificent home. The view from the picture window was breathtaking. You could see a portion of the Puget Sound and Mount Rainier in the distance. The landscaping was something that one would expect to see in a home and garden magazine.
There was one sight that detracted from this idyllic scene. The husband and wife sat across from me and he had an oxygen supply in his nostrils. He shared with me that cancer was rampant in his body and the doctors had given him only a few weeks to live.
All of the things of life become of little value when death is so near. I had the opportunity of sharing the gospel message with him and was able to pray with him. As I drove away from this beautiful home, I realized once again that the things of this world hold no real value when compared with eternity.
It is time for each of us to take time to determine what is valuable in our life. What do we value so highly here on earth that it prevents us from placing our priorities on things that will last forever? What treasures are we laying up in glory that will have eternal value?
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Aug 6, 2013 | Psalm
Psalm 42:5
Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.
Do you ever talk to yourself? How many times have you done something that causes pain and start asking why you did something so stupid? When you come to a particularly difficult situation, do you encourage yourself with a few words of encouragement?
The more hopeless a situation appears, the more we need to place our HOPE in the Lord. It is important for us to understand that there will be situations in life that will strike us like a bolt of lightning. The question is how do we respond when everything seems hopeless?
The man who penned the words of this Psalm must have been experiencing a frustrating situation. He even repeats the same words of verse 5 in verse 11. Even while facing a depressing time in his life, he had enough sense to talk to himself about the reality of God being in control.
How about you? Are you ready to talk some sense into your head? Do not let the grind of life keep you from calling upon the Lord. There is HOPE dear friend, and that hope is Jesus Christ who gives us the victory!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Aug 5, 2013 | Romans
Romans 7:19-20
For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do–this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.
For many years before entering the Christian ministry I served in the criminal justice field, from street patrolman to criminal justice planner. I know what it is like to confront an offender who has committed some crime and is faced with the consequence of the offense.
In talking with some of these offenders I tried to determine the reason for their actions. Many of them knew that they were almost certain of being apprehended, so why did they do it? Not always, but in many cases they indicated that the reason for their actions was that they just wanted to do it.
Even small children disobey their parents when told not to do something. When the parents confront the child about why they did it, it is not uncommon for the child to give the same response as the criminal offender. BECAUSE I WANT TO!
When we read the Word of God there are specific things that we are told to do or to refrain from doing. Why do we do it? BECAUSE WE WANT TO! May God forgive us! My prayer for myself as well as others is that we will change our wants from our own will to His will. Lord, not my will, but may Your will be done!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
