by Pastor Cecil | Jan 11, 2013 | 1 Corinthians
1 Corinthians 3:10-11
According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
Back during my high school days, I worked weekends and summers for a concrete contractor. Believe me when I tell you that things were different back then. There was very little pre-mixed concrete that was delivered by large rotating carriers. We were the mixers! We had a pile of sand, another of gravel and sacks of concrete that we had to combine shovel by shovel and bag by bag, water was then added.
In order to get the sloppy concrete into the foundation, we had to deliver it by manual labor. We had large wheelbarrows that we filled then pushed to the point of delivery. In the building process a solid foundation was essential. A weakened foundation could lead to the building falling.
As we travel through this life we often see people that have not laid a foundation that will withstand the storms of life. Sadly when storms strike, their foundations fail. It is during the storms that we need the solid foundation of the Lord Jesus Christ to keep us safe. John Rippon published this hymn in 1787.
How Firm a Foundation
How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord,
Is laid for your faith in His excellent Word!
What more can He say than to you He hath said,
To you who for refuge to Jesus have fled?
Fear not, I am with thee, O be not dismayed,
For I am thy God, I will still give thee aid;
I’ll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand,
Upheld by My gracious, omnipotent hand.
When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie,
My grace all-sufficient shall be thy supply;
The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design
Thy dross to consume, and thy gold to refine.
The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose,
I will not, I will not desert to his foes;
That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
I’ll never, no never, no never forsake!
To access How Firm a Foundation, this week’s inspirational video from GloryScapes Hymn Music Videos, please go to: http://www.gloryscapes.com/howfirmafoundation/ 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
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PastorCecil@Daily-E-Votional.com
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by Pastor Cecil | Jan 10, 2013 | Hebrews
Hebrews 11:25-26
Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward.
The pleasures of sin (if we might call them that) come with a huge price tag. Over the years I have counseled many people who yielded to the siren call of temptation and paid the price that was far more than they expected.
Satan has a deceitful way of making things seem so enticing and appealing that it leads the unwise to indulge. It started in the Garden of Eden when he tempted Adam and Eve to violate the command of God not to eat of the forbidden fruit.
We have no idea what kind of fruit it was, and it really makes no difference. The issue was not the type of fruit, but that God had said that they were not to taste of the fruit. In like manner, the Holy Spirit gives conviction about yielding to certain temptations. When we hear His voice and know it is wrong we need to run, not walk away from tempting fruit.
What is the temptation you are encountering? Get away from it as fast as your feet can carry you. If you have already yielded to the temptation, go to the Lord and confess your sin. Turn away from the thing that consumes you and fill your heart and mind with the living Word of God. God does not want to punish, He wants to forgive the sincere repentant.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jan 9, 2013 | 2 Corinthians
2 Corinthians 12:10
Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
No, that is not a mistake in today’s E-Votional title. I fully intended to spell it W-E-A-K-END. Sometimes when we come to the end of the week, we collapse for a couple of days before returning to work on Monday morning. The activities on our days of rest are intended to refresh, restore, and prepare us for another week in the rat-race. Do we really experience rest?
Every day is a wonderful time to consider the weak-end. It sounds crazy, but God delights in operating opposite to human reasoning. God does things His way and in His timing. We may never understand how or why, but simply trust Him to do what we are never capable of doing ourselves.
Jesus taught the principle of allowing Him to be our strength. It is not our own power or ability that makes the difference, but our willingness to give ourselves fully to Him. Faith demands that I choose to believe without understanding.
When we read what Paul has to say about human weakness it seems to be a paradox for us. How is it possible for us to become strong when we are weak? The less energy, stamina, health, muscle tone, endurance, power, drive–whatever–the more God’s power comes into play. Do we understand it? No! Do we need to understand it? No! We only need to yield to Him and allow Him to be our power.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jan 8, 2013 | Jeremiah
Jeremiah 29:11
For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
During church service on Sunday, one of our members was reflecting about how we have had experiences where God has stepped in and revealed Himself in a way that resolved our problems. Then a very short time later we try to handle problems in our own strength instead of allowing Him to meet our need.
It seems that many people have an erroneous view of the Lord. They see Him as a God that is vindictive and anxious to find a fault in our lives for which to punish us. They fail to see the love of God and the provision of God. Like Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, they hide from God rather than running to Him for salvation and comfort.
The Lord knows what lies ahead for us. He will never leave us nor forsake us. In the most disastrous times of our life He is there beside us giving us a future and a hope, regardless of how hopeless the situation may seem.
What is the greatest ordeal in your future? Are you trying to deal with it in your own strength? God promises us that He is the One who gives us strength for each and every day. He loves us and has a wonderful plan for our life. Are you actively seeking to discover that plan and purpose that He has designed just for you?
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jan 7, 2013 | Nehemiah
Nehemiah 4:6
So we built the wall, and the entire wall was joined together up to half its height, for the people had a mind to work.
As we read these words it is important to understand that Ezra had returned at an earlier time and rebuilt the temple in Jerusalem. Only a remnant returned with Ezra, but even so his group had rebuilt the temple. They faced oppression and conflict with the people living in that area, many of whom were transplants and not the original settlers. They were squatters in a land that did not belong to them. (Much like the Palestinians in modern day Israel).
Word came to Nehemiah that the walls of Jerusalem were broken down and the people were disheartened. He prayed to the Lord and appealed to the king for permission to return and build the walls for stability and protection from the enemies of Israel. God heard his prayer and the king allowed Nehemiah to return and build the walls.
There was considerable opposition from their enemies, but God was in control and gave the people strength to restore the walls. It was not just building that was required, but the people had to be armed and ready to defend themselves from the enemy that threatened them.
Question time! What walls need rebuilding in your life? Walls that give stability and meaning to your life. Who are the enemies who oppose you? What are your weapons against these foes? Nehemiah encouraged the people by reminding them of who their God was and how great and mighty is His name. We need to keep that in our mind as well. We serve a God who is above all of our adversaries! We need to begin living as more than conquerors!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
