by Pastor Cecil | Nov 19, 2018 | Psalm
Psalm 118:24
“This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.”
Are you happy in the Lord? Do you anticipate the great and mighty things God has prepared for you to accomplish today? If you say you are happy in your heart, has your heart told your face about it?
There is something about a new day which gives us a hope of a bright new future. The Psalmist in today’s passage looked forward to a day when Messiah, Jesus our Lord, would come and establish a bright new day. He was so much committed to the coming of the Messiah that he chose to rejoice just in the anticipation of what the Lord was going to do.
The word “day” appears 1,732 times in the Bible and it is interesting to read some of the passages. Let me just give you the first and last. Genesis 1:5 is the first: God called the light DAY. The last use of the word is in Revelation 21:25: On no day will its (the New Jerusalem) gates ever be shut, for there shall be no night there.
That is our reason for rejoicing! There is a day in which there will be no night! There is a day when all our tears and sorrows will be a thing of the past. It will be such a day that we will not even be able to recall any of our pain and longing! It will be a day that will be unlike any day before — a day which will never end!
Blessings dear hearts! May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Nov 16, 2018 | Matthew
Matthew 6:27
“Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.”
True Christian character is certainly seen in our biblical heroes, but it may often be seen in those of more recent times. Hope is a character quality that looks beyond our immediate circumstances and shows what we as believers have waiting for us.
In the Sweet By and By is one of the most enduring songs written after the Civil War. It was composed by Sanford Bennett who was the owner of a drugstore in Elkhorn, Wisconsin. He had just returned from the war. A friend, Joseph Webster, a gifted musician trained formally in composition, came to the store each day to talk and play chess. Often Webster would be depressed and down.
When asked what was wrong, Webster would often reply; “It will be alright by and by.” That idea hit Bennett like a flash of sunlight! As Bennett later described the incident, he took out a pen and it was all over in thirty minutes. A new hymn was born. In short order he was singing the words along with Webster and two other friends. That hymn was perfect for the post-Civil War era because it conveyed pathos with a mixture of comforting warmth. It came to typify the virtues of spiritual hope.
Sweet By and By
There’s a land that is fairer than day,
And by faith we can see it afar;
For the Father waits over the way,
To prepare us a dwelling place there.
Chorus: In the sweet by and by,
We shall meet on that beautiful shore;
In the sweet by and by
We shall meet on that beautiful shore.
We shall sing on that beautiful shore,
The melodious songs of the blest;
And our spirits shall sorrow no more,
Not a sigh for the blessing of rest.
Chorus: In the sweet by and by,
We shall meet on that beautiful shore;
In the sweet by and by
We shall meet on that beautiful shore.
To our bountiful Father above,
We will offer our tribute of praise,
For the glorious gift of His love,
And the blessings that hallow our days.
Chorus: In the sweet by and by,
We shall meet on that beautiful shore;
In the sweet by and by
We shall meet on that beautiful shore.
Enjoy this free inspirational video from Gloryscapes.com by going to: http://gloryscapes.com/sweetbyandby/
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Nov 15, 2018 | Ecclesiastes
Ecclesiastes 3:11
“He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end.”
Years ago I heard a minister tell of an incident in a hospital elevator where he had just come from visiting a very ill patient. A young man overheard him speak about eternity and, perhaps wanting to mock his view, asked the minister where eternity was. The minister told the boy to place his hand on his chest to feel the beat of his heart. Young man, eternity is one heartbeat away! That may answer where eternity is or at least how close we are to it, but just how long is eternity?
Our daughter was in the hospital near death. One afternoon as the two of us spoke quietly, she said she felt she was cheated out of half of her life. She went on to say that grandpa was 74 when he died and here she was just 35.
That evening as I drove into the garage I noticed that the car had been bringing in sand. I took out a sheet of typing paper and swept up some of the sand. I then sat at the kitchen table and counted out 74 grains. Some were larger than others, but all of them were quite small. I placed the 74 grains of sand in a tiny sample perfume bottle.
The next day as I entered her room I placed the bottle on her bed. When she asked what it was I told her it was grandpa. I asked her to imagine the earth being nothing but a ball of fine sand. Each grain represented one year of eternity. The 74 grains in the bottle represented grandpa’s life. Compared to the entire globe of sand it was nothing. Whether a person’s life lasted long or short – – compared to eternity it was nothing.
It is what we do with the years we are given that matters. We can choose to confess our sins and accept Jesus Christ as our personal Savior or we can continue our own willful way and suffer the dreadful consequences prepared for the lost.
I pray that the video that accompanies today’s Daily-E-Votional will assist you in making the right choice. Please feel free to share it with others while there is still time.
To view the video The Sands of Eternity, go to: PastorCecil.com or https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LM4xZmygeBI
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Nov 14, 2018 | Romans
Romans 7:19
“For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice.”
I once was enjoying a breakfast at a local restaurant where I noticed a father tending his toddler. She was seated in a booster chair but insisted on standing up. Over and over he asked her to sit down and then would have to pick her up and sit her back down, only to have her pop back up once again.
This scenario was repeated several more times before he finally took the time to fasten the safety belt that prevented her from standing. Just then their order arrived so the little one was distracted by the food and stopped fussing.
It reminded me of the story about a precocious young boy that was driving his mother crazy with his antics. (It may have been me). His mother reached the end of her patience and placed him on a footstool with the threat of a spanking if he got up. The boy defiantly stated, “I may be sitting down on the outside, but I’m standing up on the inside!”
Many people faithfully read the Word of God and understand what it says. They even know the consequences for failure to obey. Some will finally yield and sit in obedience to the Lord on the outside, but they are still standing up on the inside. God has a special blessing for those who not only obey on the outside, but also on the inside. Which are you?
Blessings dear hearts! May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Nov 13, 2018 | Matthew
Matthew 5:44
“But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you.”
I once noticed a car with a prominent bumper sticker that simply stated: OTHERS. As I sat there waiting for the light to change, I reflected on just what that word means to people. I have heard sermons preached and lessons given on reaching out to others, but the words often did not match the lives of the hearers or even of those propounding the message of concern for others.
There is no secret about the fact that we live in a self-absorbed world. People are so focused on what is best for themselves that they tend to be blind to the plight of others around them.
In the 25th chapter of Matthew, Jesus speaks about the final judgment. To the righteous He gives commendation for feeding, clothing, and ministering to Him. To the unrighteous He condemns them for failing to do those same things for Him. In both instances the people had no idea their actions were considered as unto the Lord. It was then that He stunned both groups by proclaiming that when they took care of (or ignored) people’s needs, they were doing it for and to Him. That, my friend, is being OTHERS minded! Are you?
Blessings dear hearts! May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
