by Pastor Cecil | Jul 26, 2013 | Isaiah
Isaiah 55:6-7
“Seek the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, and He will have mercy on him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.”
It was the final service of our annual Camp Meeting. The old tabernacle was crowded on a warm summer evening. The evangelist had been delivered a message outlining clearly the plan of salvation and the penalty that faced anyone who failed to accept the Lord Jesus as personal Savior.
I was sitting with my cousin and across the aisle from us was his dad. We knew that Uncle Harold had rejected the Lord, but were hopeful that this would be the time he would open his heart. The congregation was led in the old invitation hymn, Softly and Tenderly.
Wayne and I could see his dad weeping with conviction. We went over to him and pleaded with him to go forward and invite Jesus into his heart. Even though tears were flowing, he shook his head and refused to be moved. As far as we know he never made that choice. How sad that God?s free gift of eternal life was rejected. How about you? Have you honestly and sincerely invited Jesus Christ to be the Lord of your life? He is calling, O sinner, come home. All you have to do is open your heart and invite Him to come in.
Softly and Tenderly
Softly and tenderly, Jesus is calling,
calling for you and for me;
See, on the portals He’s waiting and watching,
watching for you and for me.
Refrain: Come home, come home.
You who are weary come home;
Earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling,
calling, O sinner, come home.
Why should we tarry when Jesus is pleading;
pleading for you and for me?
Why should we linger and heed not His mercies;
mercies for you and for me?
Refrain: Come home, come home.
You who are weary come home;
Earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling,
calling, O sinner, come home.
Time is now fleeting, the moments are passing,
passing from you and for me.
Shadows are gathering, deathbeds are coming,
coming for you and for me.
Refrain: Come home, come home.
You who are weary come home;
Earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling,
calling, O sinner, come home.
O, for the wonderful love He has promised,
promised for you and for me!
Though we have sinned, He has mercy and pardon,
pardon for you and for me.
Refrain: Come home, come home.
You who are weary come home;
Earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling,
calling, O sinner, come home.
To access Softly and Tenderly, this week’s inspirational video from GloryScapes™ Christian Music Hymns & Songs, please go to: http://www.gloryscapes.com/softlyandtenderly/ 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 25, 2013 | Matthew
Matthew 11:28-30
Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.
It seems that our lives are filled with threatening situations of every description. Every new medication comes with a list of side effects that seems worse than the condition the medicine is designed to treat.
When we watch the latest news reports, we discover threats of every kind. Even the weather reports tend to lead to feelings of dread and gloom. Some, seeking to find a safe place, have left civilization for a life of isolation only to find themselves confronted by wild beasts. There just seems to be no safe place to which we can escape the ravages of our world.
Reading the histories of the suffering saints of God across the ages reveals that this world never has been a safe place. The Old Testament is full of war and strife that in a way appears more violent than our modern age.
The answer is to be found in the gentle words we discover in this passage from Matthew 11:28-30. The Lord promises rest and peace in the midst of the storms of life. When we surrender to Him and His will for our life, we find our very own SAFE PLACE. It is our haven from the storms of life.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jul 24, 2013 | Psalm
Psalm 112:1-3
Praise the LORD. Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, who finds great delight in His commands. His children will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed. Wealth and riches are in His house, and His righteousness endures forever.
When I was a young boy my father worked for a time as a bus driver. From time to time my mother and I would drive the ten miles to the bus depot and pick dad up after his shift was over.
One of these trips changed my life in a remarkable way. As my mom and I were sitting in the parking lot waiting for dad’s bus to arrive, we saw a young black boy about my age standing waiting for the city bus. He was holding a large ceramic platter, which he was clutching with great care.
My mom kept urging me to go and ask him about the plate he held so lovingly. This white boy (me) had never met and talked with a black boy before. I had no idea how he would respond to me. I finally gave in to her prompting and hesitantly went over and introduced myself. In just a few minutes the color of our skin faded into insignificance—we were just two young boys who were having fun talking with each other.
He told me that he had won the platter at a local amusement park. He could hardly wait to get home so he could give it to his mother. He spoke of his deep love for his mother. I was drawn into his world and felt his eager anticipation to present this trophy of love to his dear mother.
Our reverential love for the Lord is so much more than any earthly love that words can never fully express it. We may express our love and awesome respect for the Lord here on earth, but our humanity can never truly express the honor and praise the Lord deserves. What joy it will be to lay our crowns at Jesus’ feet! I can hardly wait for that day.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jul 23, 2013 | Matthew
Matthew 13:23
But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.
Well, things have changed in the past week. I mentioned earlier about starting tomato plants from seeds that I had saved from last year. The plants grew like, yes, you guessed it . . . they grew like weeds. They looked fantastic and produced many blossoms . . . but no fruit.
Well, all of that has changed. I was astounded to discover several small tomatoes growing among the leaves. To see the small fruit growing on the vines has lifted my spirits, and each day I can hardly wait to check for new produce.
It has reminded me that it is easy to become discouraged in the spiritual realm if we do not see results. Over and over I have counseled people not to base their emotions on the responses people have when we share the Gospel with them. We do not share in order to see the results, but because we are told to be faithful witnesses for Jesus. Many times it will be others who reap the harvest.
I want to encourage each of us. Be faithful servants of the Lord Jesus Christ. Share as the Lord moves you and plant the seeds of salvation. Eternity will reveal the fruit of our faithfulness.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jul 22, 2013 | Romans
Romans 8:28
And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.
I spend much of my driving time watching my rear-view mirror. It prevents being surprised by what may be over-taking me. The older I get the more I recall things from the past. I guess you might call it looking in the rear-view mirror of my life.
When I mention looking in the rear-view of my life, I do not mean that I long for the good old days. There have been many experiences that I did not consider good at the time and would not have chosen if I had the choice. Yet it has been many of these situations that God has used to bring about His work in my life.
Joyce and I know what it is to stand by the bedside of a daughter who has only a brief time to live. We have waited expectantly outside the operating room while our granddaughter donated one of her kidneys to her aunt (our youngest daughter). We have spent hours in a hospital with our son who almost lost his arm in a horrible automobile accident.
In these, as well as other incidents, God has given us an opportunity to stand beside others who were passing through the deep valleys of their life. We can honestly say that Romans 8:28 rings true—God uses everything for His good and glory!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
