by Pastor Cecil | Apr 5, 2013 | 1 Corinthians
1 Corinthians 6:19-20
Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit.
In recent years piracy on the high seas has increased dramatically. Huge oil tankers or cargo carriers have been boarded and the ship and crew have been held hostage until the price for their release has been met. THEY HAVE TO BE REDEEMED IN ORDER TO BE SET FREE!
The fact that Fanny J. Crosby wrote thousands of poems, many of which became favorite hymns is amazing. The fact that she was totally blind is even more remarkable. Our hymn this week is Redeemed.
Redeemed
(1) Redeemed, how I love to proclaim it!
Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb;
Redeemed through His infinite mercy,
His child and forever I am.
REFRAIN: Redeemed, redeemed,
Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb;
Redeemed, redeemed,
His child and forever I am.
(2) Redeemed, and so happy in Jesus,
No language my rapture can tell;
I know that the light of His presence,
With me doth continually dwell.
REFRAIN:
(3) I think of my blessed Redeemer,
I think of Him all the day long:
I sing, for I cannot be silent;
His love is the theme of my song.
REFRAIN:
(4) I know I shall see in His beauty,
The King in whose law I delight;
Who lovingly guardeth my footsteps,
And giveth me songs in the night.
REFRAIN:
(5) I know there’s a crown that is waiting,
In yonder bright mansion for me,
And soon, with the spirits made perfect,
At home with the Lord I shall be.
REFRAIN:
Notice verse four. It strikes me that Fanny Crosby was eagerly looking forward to that day when her Redeemer would appear and her blinded eyes would be opened and she would behold the most beautiful sight she could ever imagine—Jesus!
To access Redeemed, this week’s inspirational video from GloryScapes.com, please go to: http://www.gloryscapes.com/redeemed/ 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 | Apr 4, 2013 | Proverbs
Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.
There is an old joke that I heard years ago. It seems that a chicken and a pig were discussing what they could do to show their appreciation to farmer Brown. The chicken suggested that they should honor him by providing a breakfast of ham and eggs. The pig snorted that for the chicken it would just be giving an offering—for him it would be a total commitment.
What a silly story . . . yet it becomes all too appropriate when we relate it to our spiritual walk with the Lord. There are many Christians who are satisfied with only giving a token offering. They do not want to be associated with those they consider to be wild eyed religious fanatics—the WERFs.
As I study the lives of the Old Testament and New Testament saints, I find that they were far sighted and solid in faith. They looked beyond the frothy things of this world and saw the reality of eternity with the Lord.
As we read Proverbs 3:5-6, we see the direction that provides us with a road map for our life. When we place our complete trust in the Lord we have the confident assurance that He will direct our paths. I prefer to have the Lord of the universe direct my life rather than to trust in my own human resources. I trust in Him!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Apr 3, 2013 | Proverbs
Proverbs 12:25
Heaviness in the heart of man maketh it stoop: but a good word maketh it glad.
As a pastor and counselor I hear the heart cry of people from all over the world. They are anxious about their situation and want an answer that will give them relief and allow them to get out from under the pressure they feel.
A heavy heart can be caused by grief, uncertainty, loss, or any number of things. It is common to observe people walking around with a frown on their face and their shoulders bent as if they were bearing the weight of the world. As a matter of fact, they probably feel that they are.
When someone is crushed under the pressures of life they need release. One of the most ineffective comments we can make to a person who has a heavy heart is —CHEER UP!
They want to cheer up, but lack the ability to do so. It is at this point that we can be the greatest benefit in lifting them out of the pit of despair. Proverbs 12:25 suggests that a good word makes a heart glad. The question is what is a good word? The answer is that it is a word that comes from the Lord.
As I write this, I am struck by the reality that often the best word we can offer is not a word at all. It is presence. Just to be near during the time of suffering without comment is a word in itself. Our presence can speak hope and deliverance which will allow us to share the ultimate good word—THE WORD OF GOD! Be prepared, you never know when God may call you to lift a weary servant.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Apr 2, 2013 | Psalm
Psalm 65:7
You who still the noise of the seas, the noise of their waves, and the tumult of the peoples.
So you want to get away from the rat race. You long for peace and tranquility which will settle your stress and frustration. You dream of a simpler and more sedate time.
There is a program on Public Television called Alone In the Wilderness that chronicles the year in the life of a man who left civilization and built a cabin in the Alaskan wilderness. The utter isolation was interrupted occasionally by a small bush plane which brought him supplies and mail—but other than that, it was only Dick and the wild animals.
As idyllic as the scenes of the program might be, isolation is not the answer to the hustle and chaos of daily living. Man is by his very nature created to have interaction with others. There may be recluses who cut themselves off from other people, but by their very actions they reveal there are problems which have not been resolved.
In Mark 4, Jesus told His disciples to take the boats to the other side of the lake. While Jesus slept peacefully on a cushion, a furious squall came up and threatened the boats. Remember that many of these disciples were seasoned fishermen who had spent their lives out on this lake in all kinds of weather. Now they trembled! If ever they needed peace and quiet, it was now.
In their fear and alarm they called out to Jesus. It seemed impossible that He could sleep through such a storm. The men woke Jesus and asked Him if He didn’t care if they were about to drown. It is then that we read the quiet words of power which we read in Mark 4:39: Quiet! (peace) Be still! Immediately the wind died down and the sea became calm.
The disciples had concluded that all was hopeless and that they would never reach shore again. It was only then that they called to Jesus—perhaps they thought to wake Him to prepare for the inevitable drowning, because they had never before witnessed Him quieting the wind and waves.
You may be facing situations that are threatening to swamp your boat! Now is the time to call on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Remember . . . it is Jesus who has the power to calm and bring order out of chaos.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Apr 1, 2013 | 1 Corinthians
1 Corinthians 3:18
Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you seems to be wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise.
April first has long been recognized as April Fools Day in many countries around the world. It has been around since 1392 when Geoffrey Chaucer penned the Canterbury Tales.It is a day when practical jokes are the order of the day.
It was over sixty years ago, when I was a jet mechanic in the US Air Force, a few of us decided to play an April Fool prank on one of our co-workers. We called him and pretended to be from the finance company and demanding that he pay his past due account immediately. What we did not know was that he was indeed behind and began to beg for a little leniency. We quickly ended the call and never mentioned what we had done—until now!
There are many foolish people in the world and the most foolish are those who fail to make the choice to receive Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. Also it is foolish to spend our time and talents on the things of this world without coming to the realization that only one life and it soon will be past. Only what is done for Christ that will last.
The question for this first day of April is; are we wise or foolish? Have we made that eternal choice to confess our sins and invite the Lord Jesus Christ to come into our heart and become the Lord of our life? Are we living a life of obedience to His divine will for our life? Do not be an eternal fool!!!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
