by Pastor Cecil | Jul 17, 2017 | 1 Chronicles
1 Chronicles 16:25-26
“For the Lord is great and greatly to be praised; He is also to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the peoples are idols, but the Lord made the heavens.”
Some people try to convince us that it really does not matter what you believe as long as you are sincere. That is rubbish! I might be sincere in saying that touching a bare electric wire will not hurt me, but in reality it might even kill me.
The mighty defender of the faith, the Apostle Paul, was at one time the violent persecutor of the faith. Was he sincere? Absolutely! He was convinced that he was doing God’s work by persecuting the believers in Jesus Christ.
The problem with Paul, as well as others, is that they served or are serving gods of their own making, not the God of the universe. Our God is the blessed controller of all things and the One who created everything. He always stands ready to receive each and every person who comes to Him by faith.
Do you serve the true God? Is Jesus Christ the Lord of your life or have you replaced Him with the gods of money, pleasure, pride, sensuality, greed, sloth, indifference, or some other man-made indulgence? Turn to the True God!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | May 4, 2016 | 1 Chronicles
1 Corinthians 13:12
“For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.”
As a pastor I have been called upon to officiate at hundreds of funerals. In most cases I was not acquainted with the deceased individual prior to their death. In order to make the service meaningful and personal, I always meet with their families before the service to “get acquainted” with the deceased through the family’s memories.
Interestingly, after the service people have asked me how long I had known the deceased person since it sounded like we were friends. They said they knew very little of the information I shared about the person.
At times I’ve read the obituary of someone I have known for years, but had no idea the things they had experienced. I have often wished I had known that information while they were alive so we could have discussed it.
Thinking about this makes me long for a time in heaven when we will be able to know every individual who has ever lived and rejoice about the steps that brought them to accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior. What a day that will be!
Blessings dear hearts!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Nov 26, 2015 | 1 Chronicles
1 Chronicles 16:8-9
“Oh, give thanks to the Lord! Call upon His name; make known His deeds among the peoples! Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him; talk of all His wondrous works!”
The last Thursday in November is designated Thanksgiving Day (at least here in the United States). Other countries celebrate Thanksgiving Day on different dates. It is a wonderful day of enjoying family, friends, and food … not necessarily in that order!
There are a few thoughts that run through my mind concerning Thanksgiving Day. For one thing, it seems sad that we have just one day in order to express our thanks. What about all the other days of the year? Many people never even take time to bow their heads and thank the Lord before they partake of their regular daily meals.
There are so many other things that we need to thank the Lord for besides providing the food. We can certainly thank Him for the physical things that we have been given, but we need to stop and also thank Him for the spiritual things.
I want to urge you on this Thanksgiving Day to take time to thank God for salvation. Thank Him for loving us even when we are unlovable. Thank Him for the people that He has brought into each of our lives to make our life complete.
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jul 21, 2014 | 1 Chronicles
1 Chronicles 29:11
Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is Yours. Yours, Lord, is the kingdom; You are exalted as head over all.
Presidents, kings, prime ministers, or other officials can get the idea that they are something special. They may watch as their minions bow and scrape in their presence, but when their eyes close in death, they will discover who really is the Head over all!
We may be critical of those in leadership positions, but what about us who were not born into aristocracy or have never been elected to some prestigious office? What about those of us who have not attained a title after our name and been treated with respect because of it?
Here it comes! We can be just as guilty as the titled office holders. We may be king or queen of a particular area. Someone may feel in charge of the kitchen. Another person controls the family car. At work someone may dominate the scene like a little Caesar. I think you get the picture.
Back in the Old Testament book of 1 Chronicles, we discover that King David in his last days gave us a reality check on where we are to direct our praise. The God who created all things is deserving of our honor, glory, and adoration. He is to be exalted as the head over everything. How do you measure up?
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Mar 14, 2013 | 1 Chronicles
1 Chronicles 4:10
And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, ‘Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain!’ So God granted him what he requested.
I look at the date above and it causes me to bow in humble adoration before the Lord Jesus Christ. It is on this date that I celebrate my 79th birthday. Our kids used to tease that you have already lived one year before your first birthday so I you need to add one year to that total and say that I have lived 79 years and am now entering my 80th year. Kids can be so cruel about things like that. At least they were before they reached their 50th year. HA!
As I write this Daily-E-Votional I am in awe of the way the Lord has answered my prayer. I had never imagined that I would still be involved in active ministry at this age, but the Lord had other plans for me.
It was several years ago when I first saw this prayer of Jabez and made it my prayer. I was anxious for the Lord to expand my territory of ministry. Little did I realize that He had a world-wide ministry in which I would write daily encouragement that would reach hearts of people I have never met and will probably never meet until we are gathered together in Heaven. What a day of rejoicing that will be.
On the other extreme, He has allowed me to have a ministry with a small group of believers who are like family. God has used our tiny group to grow spiritually in fantastic ways. The love reaches all who enter and causes us to feel like we are having a family gathering each week. As a matter of fact, that is what it is. A FAMILY OF GOD!
I want to thank each of you who write from time to time and share how God has used a particular E-Votional to meet a need in your life. Keep me in your prayers!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Dec 11, 2012 | 1 Chronicles
1 Chronicles 29:11
Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, the power and the glory, the victory and the majesty; for all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours; Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and You are exalted as head over all.
Back in my U.S. Air Force days I served as a Minuteman Missile Combat Crew Commander. The last year of my active duty I was assigned as Nuclear Safety Officer for our Strategic Missile Wing. Our wing had 150 missiles—each missile was tipped with a nuclear warhead, so there were many nuclear devices to maintain.
One day I was scheduled to monitor a weapons crew that was removing and inspecting the nuclear component of a warhead. I had observed such an operation before, but this time was different. The sergeant who was in charge asked me if I had ever held a nuclear device. I had seen them and studied about them, but I had never actually held such a device.
The nuclear component itself was just larger than a softball and was encased in a titanium shell. As I took it from his hands it felt so warm that it gave me a start. He laughed at my surprise and said it was the same reaction that everyone had. I was aware that the destructive power in that small ball was greater than the two bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki combined.
As great as the horrible power of all of the world’s weapons of mass destruction is, the power of God is far greater. His power is a creative power. He only spoke and His words created everything in our universe and beyond. I will always think of my personal nuke encounter and remind myself that the power of God is more than sufficient for my every need. What a mighty God we serve!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
