by Pastor Cecil | Dec 24, 2015 | Daily-E-Votionals
I want to take this opportunity to wish each and every one of you a very Merry Christmas. Stop for a moment and think of the ordeal that Joseph and Mary endured to travel some 70 miles from Nazareth to Bethlehem. It would have been a difficult journey under any circumstance, but with Mary almost nine months pregnant, it is hard to comprehend.
The stress and turmoil that this earthly couple endured was nothing compared to our Savior leaving the realms of Heaven to be born in the most humble setting. He did it for you and me! He was born in that most humble manner in order to let us know that we can relate to Him! From the cradle to the cross, He shared His love for a world that was lost without a Savior.
As we pause to reflect upon the birth of Jesus, may we open our hearts to give birth to His message of hope to a lost and dying world. Jesus brought light and joy to that dirty and dismal stable. Let Him bring light and joy into your heart.
Blessings dear hearts! Walk with God and be a blessing to others!
Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Dec 23, 2015 | Habakkuk
Habakkuk 3:18
“Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.”
I recently received the following email from dear friend who has given me permission to share it with you. It says it all!
Your evotional once again is right on target. Yesterday, I had a co-worker tell me that just because it is Christmas that is no reason for me to be so cheery! She went on to tell me that there really is no reason to celebrate because there are a lot of unhappy people in the world. I took that to mean that she is one of the unhappy. She lives by herself and maybe she is feeling alone and sad?? Today when she gets to work she will find a lovely flower arrangement waiting for her on her desk. It comes with a prayer that she may find the reason for celebrating this year.
I remember when I was newly divorced and had to remain home on Christmas Eve by myself waiting for my daughter to be returned to me late that night by her father. My family was together celebrating and I was sitting there alone. For a few minutes I began to feel sorry for myself, but then I thought this is silly. Just because I am alone does not mean I can’t celebrate. I fixed myself a nice cup of hot chocolate and turned the lights down and lit the Christmas tree. I put a Christmas special on the television. Being a working, single mom at Christmas means you are a very busy person. I enjoyed being able to sit in quiet and relax and unwind and pray. I began to actually look forward to Christmas Eve knowing I would have that time to myself. I am sure I was a happier mom on Christmas morning because of that.
I know it is difficult for you without Joyce physically by your side. My best friend will be spending her first Christmas without her husband of 35 years by her side. I will be praying for you. I think my co-worker brought that to my attention yesterday so that I would be reminded to pray for those missing their loved ones and those that really need to be saved.
The most important thing I can do this Christmas season is to make time to be alone to pray.
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Dec 22, 2015 | Romans
Romans 6:23
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Back in the dark ages when I was attending college, I supported my family by working as a police officer. I worked 48 hours a week and my salary, as I recall, was $120 per month. When I received my paycheck it was not a gift — I had earned it!
There is a vast difference between wages and gifts. Wages are paid for performing a service as required. Gifts are not given on the basis of performance, but rather as an expression of love. The most precious gifts are those into which a person has poured their heart and soul.
Above my desk hangs an 18” x 12” wall plaque that is one of my most precious gifts. It was given to me by our oldest daughter, Brenda, shortly before her death in 1991. It is a counted cross stitch of Isaiah 40:31: “They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.”
In order to enjoy that precious gift, I had to open the package. The joy on Brenda’s face when she watched me open her gift was priceless! It brought her joy just to see how much it pleased me. It brings joy to the Lord when we open His gifts. Please do not leave God’s greatest gift unopened!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Dec 21, 2015 | Luke
Luke 2:20
“Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.”
Have you ever been away from city lights on a clear, cool, and crisp night? You suddenly see stars that you never knew existed. The heavens seem to be alive with stars shining forth in varying degrees of brightness. Some of them even seem to be of different colors. If you consistently live and work in this environment for a while, you may lose your sense of awe.
The shepherds must have fallen into that latter category on the night they were watching their sheep. They may have been sharing a bit of cheese and bread during their night vigil of protecting their sheep. But suddenly things changed!
The heavens seemed to split wide open as an angel of the Lord appeared and delivered the most wonderful message that could ever be heard — “MESSIAH HAD COME!!” After the announcement, the heavens split open with a huge angelic contingent praising God and giving glory! Immediately the shepherds left their sheep to seek the Shepherd of mankind.
These simple shepherds became the first evangelists proclaiming that they had seen the prophesied Messiah! I can almost share their excitement as they happily told friends and family about what they had seen and heard. It reminds me that when we see Jesus for ourselves, we need to get excited and share the news!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Dec 18, 2015 | Luke
Luke 2:2-10
“And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.'”
Several years ago our church had finished a wonderful Christmas Eve service. Earlier there had been candles placed inside white lunch bags that lined the driveway leading to the church.
Joyce and I had volunteered to extinguish the candles after everyone had left. It had snowed a few days earlier and there were still a few inches on the ground. The temperature was about twenty degrees (F) when we crunched through the snow to the far end. It was so quiet and beautiful that we were moved in our spirit with the beauty of God’s creation and the carol Silent Night.
The words of this well loved carol were written in 1818 by Josef Mohr after he had seen a play about the birth of Jesus. He was in a reflective mood and walked to a hill overlooking his village in the Austrian Alps. The view of the snow covered village reminded him of a poem he had written a few years earlier. The poem was about the night the angel announced the birth of Jesus.
The next day he took the words of his poem to Franz Gruber, who had just composed a melody. He re-worked the melody to match the words to the poem Mohr written. Our beloved carol, Silent Nightwas born.
Silent Night
Silent night, holy night
All is calm, all is bright
Round yon Virgin Mother and Child
Holy Infant so tender and mild
Sleep in heavenly peace
Sleep in heavenly peace
Silent night, holy night!
Shepherds quake at the sight
Glories stream from heaven afar
Heavenly hosts sing Alleluia!
Christ, the Savior is born
Christ, the Savior is born
Silent night, holy night
Son of God, love’s pure light
Radiant beams from Thy holy face
With the dawn of redeeming grace
Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth
Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth
To access Silent Night, this week’s inspirational video fromGloryScapes™ Inspirational Music Videos, please go to:http://www.gloryscapes.com/silentnight/ 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
