by Pastor Cecil | May 31, 2011 | 1 Corinthians
1 Corinthians 3:8-9
“The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor. For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building.”
There is theology all around us if we take time to apply what we see to what God desires for us to understand about Him. Just this morning I read the Sunday comics and discovered a spiritual nugget in one of my favorite strips, For Better or For Worse.
The family dog, Farley is lapping water out of the toilet bowl. (Why do cats and dogs like to do that?) The youngest daughter, Elizabeth, about age four sees Farley lapping the water and repeatedly bangs the lid down on his head. Farley staggers away in a daze.
The next box shows Farley looking fearful toward the bowl. The father shouts out that all his training has finally paid off and Farley has learned not to drink out of the toilet bowl.
It is far too easy for us to take credit for another person’s spiritual birth or growth. As we read today’s Scripture, different ones have a part to play, but ultimately it is the Lord who is the One who is in control. It is the Holy Spirit who prepares the heart to receive the word of truth. We are merely the instruments that the Lord can use to do His work.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
(360) 570-0074
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by Pastor Cecil | Mar 4, 2011 | 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
360-570-0074
PastorCecil@Daily-E-Votional.com
P.S. – You can find previous E-Votionals covering a variety of Scriptures and topics to help you in your walk with the Lord at www.Daily-E-Votional.com.
P.P.S. – I have completed my first book, 100 of Pastor Cecil’s Select Illustrations. The cost is $12.95 plus shipping. You can now order it online by going to https://dailyevotional.com/prior2020/book-by-pastor-cecil . . . You may want to consider this book as a thoughtful gift idea for those who do not have Internet access or as helpful sermon illustrations for your Pastor.
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by Pastor Cecil | Jan 31, 2011 | 1 Corinthians
I Corinthians 8:1-3
“Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. The man who thinks he knows something does not yet know as he ought to know. But the man who loves God is known by God.”
Titles have always disturbed me. Someone bestows an honor on another and suddenly old John now must be referred to as “Sir John.” That may be an exaggeration, but not too far off the mark.
Within church circles various degrees and titles are attached to a person who seems to preen with the new honorific. Someone has said that there are so many doctors in the church today that you would think that God was sick!
I am a solid believer in searching out the deep truths of the word of God. It has always thrilled me to sit under the inspired teaching of someone who has spent time to dig deep into the fertile field of the Bible truth and then freely shares it.
Some of the most humble people I have known have had the highest degrees. At the same time they were the most common and approachable of God’s children. They are a far cry from those who act “uppity” about themselves.
I don’t know about you, but I do not want to be known or remembered by what degree I achieved or honor I received. I want to be remembered as a faithful servant of the Lord Jesus Christ who stayed close to his Lord.
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
P.S. – You can find previous E-Votionals covering a variety of Scriptures and topics to help you in your walk with the Lord at www.Daily-E-Votional.com.
P.P.S. – I have completed my first book, 100 of Pastor Cecil’s Select Illustrations. The cost is $12.95 plus shipping. You can now order it online by going to https://dailyevotional.com/prior2020/book-by-pastor-cecil . . . You may want to consider this book as a thoughtful gift idea for those who do not have Internet access or as helpful sermon illustrations for your Pastor.
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by Pastor Cecil | Jan 28, 2011 | 1 Corinthians
I Corinthians 2:13-14
“These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.”
I am not sure how it happened, but some of you no doubt noticed that you received yesterday’s Daily-E-Votional with some distinctively whiz-bang flourishes that appeared out of the clear blue.
At first I was in dismay, but as I contemplated on the incident I was aware that in accordance with Romans 8:28, “- – – we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” I am sure God wants us to learn something from the gibberish.
Usually on Friday I introduce a hymn from GloryScapes.com. This week I felt led to this passage in I Corinthians 2:13-14. Let’s face it, spiritual things can only be discerned by spiritual minds. To the unsaved, the spiritual truth we share with them is often gibberish in their mind.
Does that mean we should stop sharing? Absolutely not, BUT – – – there is a huge ingredient that we must be aware of. It is the work of the Holy Spirit. We can do terrible damage by trying to force spiritual principles down the throat of friends and family without the Holy Spirit leading us. Waiting is sometimes the hardest thing for us to do. We must remember that without the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit, our words will just sound like gibberish in their ears. Lead on Lord!
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
P.S. – You can find previous E-Votionals covering a variety of Scriptures and topics to help you in your walk with the Lord at www.Daily-E-Votional.com.
P.P.S. – I have completed my first book, 100 of Pastor Cecil’s Select Illustrations. The cost is $12.95 plus shipping. You can now order it online by going to https://dailyevotional.com/prior2020/book-by-pastor-cecil . . . You may want to consider this book as a thoughtful gift idea for those who do not have Internet access or as helpful sermon illustrations for your Pastor.
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by Pastor Cecil | Jan 18, 2011 | 1 Corinthians
I Corinthians 15:57-58
“But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.”
I attended a small Christian high school in Nampa, Idaho, and played on the football team. Our school, being small, played eight man football with other small schools in western Idaho.
The big school in town was Nampa High School, home of the Nampa Bulldogs. The coach was the legendary Babe Brown. He led Nampa High to many championships and his teams were always a football powerhouse in the state.
From time to time, a few members of our team would go out to the Nampa High Stadium to watch the Bulldogs practice. Babe Brown was a hard driving coach and drove his players to levels they did not know they possessed. Once he was running along the sideline near a player who was supposed to be blocking for the runner. I can still remember Babe yelling out to the blocker, “If you can’t block for him, at least cheer for him!”
What is your spiritual mission in life? Has God placed you in a position to carry the ball, as it were? Or has he equipped you to be one who blocks out interference so the “ball carrier” can effectively present the gospel message?
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
P.S. – You can find previous E-Votionals covering a variety of Scriptures and topics to help you in your walk with the Lord at www.Daily-E-Votional.com.
P.P.S. – I have completed my first book, 100 of Pastor Cecil’s Select Illustrations. The cost is $12.95 plus shipping. You can now order it online by going to https://dailyevotional.com/prior2020/book-by-pastor-cecil . . . You may want to consider this book as a thoughtful gift idea for those who do not have Internet access or as helpful sermon illustrations for your Pastor.
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by Pastor Cecil | Jan 17, 2011 | 1 Corinthians
I Corinthians 15:58
“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.”
The title for today does not refer to a particular style of music. As a matter of fact it has to do with something that happened in Shreveport, LA. Back in the mid 60’s I was stationed there with the US Air Force. A few blocks from our house was a small BBQ restaurant.
The first time we stopped by, we discovered that most people ordered slices of BBQ beef. That left the shreds and ends of the cut. They sold BBQ sandwiches made with these pieces five for a dollar. We had five in our family, so it was perfect. They were some of the most delicious sandwiches we ever tasted.
I received a transfer from there and it was several years later that we returned to Shreveport for a visit. Our family was in great anticipation for one of those fantastic BBQ sandwiches. We drove to the corner and pulled into the parking lot of the BBQ paradise only to suffer bitter disappointment. It had changed ownership and now it was a drycleaners. Sob! Sob!
It is tragic that some so-called Christians are not what they once claimed to be. At one time they were fervent in their service of the Lord, but over time drifted further and further away. Are they truly born-again? Only the Lord knows the answer to that question, but if they are they have given a terrible testimony to those who need a ray of spiritual sunshine in their life. Do people find in you the real thing?
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
P.S. – You can find previous E-Votionals covering a variety of Scriptures and topics to help you in your walk with the Lord at www.Daily-E-Votional.com.
P.P.S. – I have completed my first book, 100 of Pastor Cecil’s Select Illustrations. The cost is $12.95 plus shipping. You can now order it online by going to https://dailyevotional.com/prior2020/book-by-pastor-cecil . . . You may want to consider this book as a thoughtful gift idea for those who do not have Internet access or as helpful sermon illustrations for your Pastor.
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