by Pastor Cecil | Jul 12, 2012 | 1 Peter
1 Peter 2:1-3
Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.
I love this time of year. It is the time many of the birds that come to our feeders and birdbath appear with their new hatchlings. We have several new chickadees that have recently made their appearance. These young birds are about the same size as their parents, but you can always tell them apart.
The first identifying characteristic is that they tremble and flutter. They also have a constant cheeping sound. It sounds quite demanding and I am sure that the parents who feed these little offspring of theirs wonder if it will ever stop. They usually have their mouths open wide to receive anything a parent, or any other bird, will offer them.
In the past it has been a joy and delight to observe baby Christians who have some of these same characteristics. They are so eager to hear more of the pure Word of God that they tremble and flutter with excitement. They have their spiritual mouths wide open to take in the life giving Word. It is fulfilling to be one of those who are available to feed these baby believers.
Now is the time to examine your life. Are you a baby believer who needs the food of the Word in order to grow? Do you actively seek out a mature believer who will respond to your need and feed you? Are you a mature Christian who is able to teach and nourish the new believers around you? If so, what is holding you back from serving?
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Apr 20, 2012 | 1 Peter
1 Peter 4:12-13
“Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.”
Fanny J. Crosby was a remarkable woman. There are so many accomplishments in her life that it is hard to comprehend them all. She lost her eyesight because of the treatment of a careless doctor. In spite of her loss she memorized huge portions of Scripture just by listening to her grandmother read them to her. She is credited with writing over 10,000 hymns during her life.
Fanny began writing poetry at an early age, but another amazing fact is that she did not accept Jesus as her personal Savior until she was 31. She was attending a service on November 20, 1850. The congregation was singing a hymn by Isaac Watts; “At the cross, at the cross, where I first saw the light.” She knew she needed the Lord and that very night He became her Savior and Lord.
Her desire was to always stay close to Jesus who had paid the ultimate price for her salvation. Her desire was to remain near her Lord. She immediately wrote the words to this week’s hymn, “Near the Cross.”
Near the Cross
Jesus, keep me near the cross;
there a precious fountain,
free to all, a healing stream,
flows from Calvary’s mountain.
Refrain: In the cross, in the cross, be my glory ever,
till my raptured soul shall find rest beyond the river.
Near the cross, a trembling soul,
love and mercy found me;
there the bright and morning star
sheds its beams around me.
Refrain: In the cross, in the cross, be my glory ever,
till my raptured soul shall find rest beyond the river.
Near the cross! O Lamb of God,
bring its scenes before me;
help me walk from day to day
with its shadow o’er me.
Refrain: In the cross, in the cross, be my glory ever,
till my raptured soul shall find rest beyond the river.
Near the cross I’ll watch and wait,
hoping, trusting ever,
till I reach the golden strand
just beyond the river.
Refrain: In the cross, in the cross, be my glory ever,
till my raptured soul shall find rest beyond the river.
To access Near the Cross, this week’s inspirational video from GloryScapes.com, please go to: http://www.gloryscapes.com/nearthecross/ 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 | Mar 30, 2012 | 1 Peter
1 Peter 5:6-7
“Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that He may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.“
There have been times in my life when I felt isolated and alone. It seemed that I was alone and could not sense the nearness of God in my life. When I experienced these times of spiritual drought, I was prone to wonder if Jesus really cared, even though I am usually happy and optimistic. It has been in these times that I have felt the enemy of my soul attack. I rush to God’s Word for comfort.
Frank E. Graeff was known as the “sunshine minister.” He had a cheery disposition, a winsome personality, spiritual optimist, and was a great friend of children. He was known to have a child-like faith. That being said, he did pass through times of deep trials. It was then that he turned to the Scriptures as his guide in the darkness.
As I read the words of this hymn that he wrote, I can see the change from gloom and despair to hope and victory. That is what I want in my life.
Does Jesus Care?
Does Jesus care when my heart is pained
Too deeply for mirth or song,
As the burdens press, and the cares distress
And the way grows weary and long?
Refrain: Oh yes, He cares, I know He cares,
His heart is touched with my grief;
When the days are weary, the long nights dreary,
I know my Savior cares.
Does Jesus care when my way is dark
With a nameless dread and fear?
As the daylight fades into deep night shades,
Does He care enough to be near?
Refrain: Oh yes, He cares, I know He cares,
His heart is touched with my grief;
When the days are weary, the long nights dreary,
I know my Savior cares.
Does Jesus care when I’ve tried and failed
To resist some temptation strong;
When for my deep grief there is no relief,
Though my tears flow all the night long?
Refrain: Oh yes, He cares, I know He cares,
His heart is touched with my grief;
When the days are weary, the long nights dreary,
I know my Savior cares.
Does Jesus care when I’ve said “goodbye”
To the dearest on earth to me,
And my sad heart aches till it nearly breaks,
Is it aught to Him? Does He see?
Refrain: Oh yes, He cares, I know He cares,
His heart is touched with my grief;
When the days are weary, the long nights dreary,
I know my Savior cares.
To view the GloryScapes inspirational video Does Jesus Care? please go to: http://www.gloryscapes.com/doesjesuscare/ 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 | Feb 27, 2012 | 1 Peter
1 Peter 5:14
“Greet one another with a kiss of love. Peace to all of you who are in Christ.”
Last Friday I was walking down the hallway of a local establishment and saw a man named Tom walking toward me. I smiled and said, “Hi Tom!” A voice behind him said, “Hi Cecil!” It was then I realized that both of them were named Tom. It reminded me of an incident that occurred when I served as an associate pastor of a large church.
Joyce and I had stopped by the church tape room to pick up a recording of the previous service. The tape room was at one end of a long hallway. At the far end was an entrance that a few people used to enter the church. One of the greeters was at the door that day was a good friend of ours.
Let me just say that Joyce is far more reserved than I am. That is a gross understatement. If I think it I usually say it and often wish I had remained silent. On this Sunday Joyce saw Bob and waved an exaggerated wave and gave a loud HELLO! What happened next was fantastic! Two little ladies were walking down the hall toward us and when Joyce waved and shouted an exaggerated, “HELLO!” The two ladies felt she was greeting them. They lit up like spotlights and mimicked her greeting.
It made me realize that there are many people around us, young and old, who feel that they are alone and nobody cares about them. I for one want to go out of my way to reach out to lonely hearts with a sincere and friendly greeting. It just very well could be the most spiritual thing I can do. Will you join me?
Blessings dear hearts. Greet one another as unto the Lord, and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Feb 14, 2012 | 1 Peter
1 Peter 1:22
Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart.
February 14th is celebrated as Valentine’s Day. It is the day that florists, jewelers and chocolatiers look forward to. It is often the one and only time during the year that love is shown by husband and wife. To me that seems shallow and empty. I would much rather demonstrate love by action each and every day than giving a gift on one day.
My precious bride and I have been married almost 58 years. She is the gift of God to me and I delight in showing my love for her in sacrificial ways each and every day. Joyce is not as strong as she once was (who is?) and it is my joy and delight to assume many of the tasks that she once was able to do. If I did these tasks with a grumbling attitude it would be the opposite of love. I will let you in on a little secret. We are more in love now than when we first met as young teens.
So how does Joyce show her pure love for me? By acknowledging the things I do and making by me feel like the most important person in her life. We can hardly bear being apart even for a few hours when I have some ministry to perform.
Jesus demonstrated His pure love for us by giving His very life for us. It is not the things that we do for Him that gives us entry into the heaven He has planned for us. It is accepting the blood that He shed on Calvary. His pure love was so great that it covers all our sins as we confess our need and accept His precious gift of eternal life. Praise the Lord for that wonderful gift of eternal life!
Blessings dear hearts. Give obediently to the Lord, be willing to make the Lord’s deliveries when asked and above all, be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Oct 5, 2011 | 1 Peter
I Peter 5:5-6
Young men, in the same way be submissive to those who are older. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that He may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.
It has been a long time since I first took my driving test, was given a driver’s license and was able to operate my dad’s car. It was always a mystery to me why he was so ashen faced and somber when the keys were placed into my youthful hands and I rocketed out to the car and backed carefully out of the driveway.
I discovered the reason for his terrified appearance when my own kids applied for their first driver’s license and waited eagerly for my shaking hands to deliver the car keys into their all too eager hands. Ah, the passage of time has a way of bringing around memories of the past—some good, some terrifying.
Our eagerness to be the one to operate a motor vehicle is an object lesson to teach us about our spiritual life—WE WANT TO DRIVE! We may not be qualified or adequately aware of the hazards which may lie up ahead, but we still want to take control.
The Apostle Peter tells the young men of the world to demonstrate humility. While this is a quality that is greatly prized by writers of Scripture, unfortunately it is not esteemed in our society. We are more prone to see strutting, swaggering, bragging and disdain by many young people who are disrespectful of their elders.
So you want to drive, do you? If you insist, I want to warn you of the dangers you face. The way is far too treacherous for us to do the driving. Our inexperience can only lead to disaster. It is so much better to let the One who knows the way control the wheel of our life.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
(360) 570-0074
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.
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