by Pastor Cecil | Jul 10, 2015 | Luke
Luke 24:29
“But they constrained Him, saying, ‘Abide with us: for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent.’ And He went in to tarry with them”
There are days when it seems we have more need for the Lord abide with us. July 10th is one of those days for me. It was on July 10, 1952 that Joyce Elaine Harper became Mrs. Cecil Adrain Thompson. If you are counting, that was 63 years ago. My precious wife is not with me to celebrate our anniversary this year since she went to be with the Lord on January 13th of this year.
In 1991 it was just one day after our anniversary, July 11th that our dear daughter Brenda Joy made her journey to be with the Lord. I know they are rejoicing in the presence of our Jesus right now, but for those of us who are left behind, (for this old pastor), there is a need for the Lord to abide with us. I want the words of this old hymn to be our prayer and bring comfort.
Abide With Me
Abide with me—fast falls the eventide;
The darkness deepens—Lord, with me abide;
When other helpers fail and comforts flee,
Help of the helpless, O abide with me!
Swift to its close ebbs out life’s little day;
Earth’s joys grow dim, its glories pass away;
Change and decay in all around I see;
O Thou who changest not, abide with me!
I need Thy presence every passing hour;
What but Thy grace can foil the tempter’s power?
Who like Thyself my guide and stay can be?
Through cloud and sunshine, O abide with me.
Hold Thou Thy word before my closing eyes,
Shine thru the gloom and point me to the skies;
Heaven’s morning breaks and earth’s vain shadows flee
In life, in death, O Lord, abide with me!
Enjoy this week’s free inspirational video from Gloryscapes.com. To access Abide With Me, this free inspirational video from GloryScapes™, please go to:http://www.gloryscapes.com/abidewithme/
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jul 9, 2015 | 1 Timothy
1 Timothy 6:13b-16
“I charge you to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which God will bring about in His own time—God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To Him be honor and might forever. Amen.”
There have been many situations in my life where it seemed as if I could hardly wait. Being old enough to drive, graduating from high school, graduating from college, graduating from graduate school and certainly between high school and college was that momentous event when I married my precious wife Joyce.
But life passes so quickly that the things of this earth pale in comparison to the glory that awaits those of us who have received Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord. That above everything on this earth should hold our highest priority.
Paul was leaving his last wishes for his son in the faith, Timothy. What do you say when you feel it will be the last words that your loved ones will hear? I cannot believe that we would encourage loved ones to make more money or be more popular. Those things pass away. The things that last are spiritually obtained. It is not by how good we are or how many good deeds we perform it’s a relationship that can only be achieved by personal invitation as we ask Jesus into our heart.
Paul instructed Timothy to live without spot or blame until the end. That same charge applies to us as well. We need to be constantly looking toward the skies as we wait for the Lord to return. Look up dear hearts, the best is yet to come!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jul 8, 2015 | Philippians
Philippians 2:1-4
“Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from His love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.”
There is a word that describes the process of looking outward. It is the word . . . OTHERS! I admire the concept of being others-minded. That may not be an acceptable word, but it certainly is an acceptable trait.
When I read the words of today’s Scripture, I am tempted to stop and say nothing more than the Scripture itself says. This passage from the book of Philippians sums up the entire concept of looking outward. It makes me want to give more of myself than I ever have before.
Looking outward frees us from dealing with the pain in our own lives. The early Disciples were willing to sacrifice everything they owned and all that they were for the sake of Christ. It makes me bow in humility.
This Daily E-Votional may not have an effect on you, but it does on me. Here and now I make a new commitment to make others a higher priority than myself — to put my feelings in the hands of the Lord and devote myself to helping those in need.
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jul 7, 2015 | Romans
Romans 7:21-24
“So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death?”
There is a word that describes the process of looking within. It is the word . . . ME! There are many counselors who try to sell the concept of thinking well of ourselves first, but I have a difficult time buying into that concept.
It has been my experience that crushed feelings focus more on us than others. If we go through tragic loss or devastating injury, we have a choice. We can either get our eyes off of our own situation or we can crumble into a heap of self-pity. To be honest I do not find self-pity to be pretty!
Pride and covetousness are also attributes of focusing within. It led to the first sin when Adam and Eve thought they could be like God. It was what THEY wanted rather than trusting God to provide them with what they needed . . . HIM!
In the next few days I will try to direct our attention to seeing things the way God desires for us to see them. It is essential that we begin the process of seeing that the world does not revolve around our emotions. God has called us, as believers, to go out into the world with a message of deliverance. That will not be accomplished by feeling good about ourselves, but by being obedient to His Word!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jul 6, 2015 | Acts
Acts 7:38-39
“He was in the assembly in the wilderness, with the angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our ancestors; and he received living words to pass on to us. But our ancestors refused to obey him. Instead, they rejected him and in their hearts turned back to Egypt.”
My mother often told stories about me that that I find hard to believe (since I am sure that I was a perfect child. Cough! Cough!). She said that she would be so frustrated with my constant talking that she would make me sit in a chair until I would learn to be quiet. Evidently I was like a firecracker ready to explode!
It reminded me of the story of another young boy who found himself in the same situation. His mother would push him down on the seat, but he would soon pop back up. This routine continued for quite some time before the little boy stated, “I may be sitting down on the outside, but I am standing up on the inside!”
Does that sound familiar to you? Many times we encounter people who say things with their lips, but it is evident that something quite different is going on inside of them. Let’s get more personal. We can find that in her own life as well! We go through the motions, but what are we really thinking?
It is interesting to read in today’s Scripture that even though the Israelites had been delivered from the harsh bondage of Egypt, their hearts turned back. Sin has such a deceitful grasp on the human heart that even when set free our heart can once again turn back to the slavery that we were delivered from. If the Spirit has set us free, we are free indeed. Let us live in that freedom. ONWARD TO GLORY!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
