by Pastor Cecil | Mar 9, 2011 | 2 Corinthians
II 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.”
I conducted a graveside service early today. It was for a ninety-three year old man who was a World War II hero. Because of his age there were very few of his friends still alive to attend the service.
It was a bright and sunny morning, but the temperature was in the low 40’s with a breeze. Let’s face it—it was cold. I had worn a vest along with my suit jacket, but I still felt the cold penetrate these old bones of mine.
It was then that I saw it. One of the great-granddaughters of this man was being carried by her mother. She did not even have a jacket. I felt a little ashamed about my mild discomfort as I considered how she must be feeling the cold. Isn’t it amazing how sorry we can feel for ourselves at times? We snivel and snuff about how hard we have it and then we see others who are in far worse condition.
It makes me want to make a new commitment to stop complaining about those things that cause me discomfort and ask the Lord to use me as He sees fit. It may very well be that our infirmity will be the launching pad to reach others for the Lord Jesus Christ.
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 | Dec 30, 2010 | 2 Corinthians
II Corinthians 5:17
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”
Most of us have had the task of cleaning things out. It may be our desk, our cupboards, a room or perhaps the garage. That is one of my biggies. The problem is that as we start the process of cleaning things out, we are convinced that we will have a use for the item . . . someday!
My precious wife, Joyce, was born with a neat streak in her. Perhaps as a punishment for this trait she married me. We have been married for 58 wonderful years, and it has been her goal in life to get me to get rid of things I do not need.
She has purchased containers of every shape and description to put my various and sundry items in. I am a good boy for a few days and then even the containers have to be organized. I think you get the point.
As we draw close to the end of 2010, it is a good time for reflection. What things have we done for the Lord this year that will count for eternity? Sometimes all of our busyness amounts to a pile of worthless projects and effort.
As we prepare for 2011, it is well to prayerfully take stock of what the Lord desires for us. As for me it is my desire to be like Jesus. Psalm 19:14: “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer.”
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 | Dec 15, 2010 | 2 Corinthians
II Corinthians 11:13-14
“For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light.”
Back in our college days we had far more energy than we do now (which I’m sure is a big surprise to you). Three of us married couples were enjoying a Sunday afternoon visit when we decided to play a prank.
This was before the days of television and radio was the venue. We decided to concoct a game show called the “Grow Pup Dog Hour.” We had music on a record player and those of us in the room would act like a studio audience. Then we started calling people we knew from the church and telling them they had been selected to play for a $50 prize. In those days that was a lot of money.
The music would come up and the announcer (the one with the most dignified voice) would ask the big question: What appears just below the words “GROW PUP DOG FOOD” on a can of Grow Pup Dog Food. As far as we knew, there was no such dog food so they always answered wrong. The music would be turned up loud and we would hang up.
The funny part was listening to people at church that evening telling others about being called from a national radio quiz program. We confessed to our trickery and it was a good laugh for everyone.
As believers we are told to test the spirits to see if they are of Christ. Just because someone claims to be a Christian does not mean that it is true. What kind of fruit do we see in another person? Are they demonstrating a Christ-like life? Is there a love for God and His people? Is there a turning from sin to the Living God? By their fruit we will know them!
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 | Dec 7, 2010 | 2 Corinthians
II Corinthians 10:4-5
“For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.”
December 7, 1941 was a tragic day for the United States. The Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor and thrust this nation into WWII. I was seven years old at the time and remember vividly when I first heard about the attack. We were coming out of church when some teenage girls came running up screaming that Pearl Harbor had been attacked.
Living fairly near the Pacific coast meant that we were on immediate alert. That meant we were required to darken all of our windows at night and the cars could only drive with narrow slits of light to illuminate the way ahead.
There was rationing of gasoline and food items. Various types of metals (pots and pans and whatever) were collected to be melted down to create the instruments of war. There were constant bond drives to raise the money to pay for war expenses.
I have been thinking back over the nearly seventy years since the day we first heard that we had been swept into war. It meant a change in the way we thought and the way we lived. We are in the midst of a spiritual war that many believers fail to recognize. Our instruments to wage war are prayer, spending time in God’s Word, meditating on His Word and obeying what the Word says. Attention! We are in the Lord’s army now. Listen for His commands!
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 | Nov 18, 2010 | 2 Corinthians
II Corinthians 4:7-10
“But we have this treasure (the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ) in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed— always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.”
I can recall many times as I have counseled individuals that there is a recurrent theme: “I deserve . . .” Many modern self-help gurus peddle a doctrine of thinking of yourself rather than others. It usually takes concerted effort to get rid of this “Me first” attitude so that we can begin to look for what is “God’s first” for us.
There is no question about the reality that we live in a self-centered world. Not only that, our modern age is the personification of self-centeredness. It seems that everyone’s favorite melody is “Me! Me! Me!” We are led to believe that we deserve better than we possess. Do we really?
As committed believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, what should be our attitude concerning the situation we find ourselves in? Here is Pastor Cecil’s unadulterated outlook on life. It will cost you nothing (in monetary terms), but it will mean total commitment to the Lord. Are you ready? Read today’s Scripture one more time before you take this step. Do you see yourself there? Let God use you!
MAKE A SOLEMN COVENANT WITH THE LORD TO USE YOUR PRESENT CONDITION TO SERVE HIM TO THE BEST OF YOUR ABILITY.
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 | Oct 19, 2010 | 2 Corinthians
II Corinthians 1:19
“For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us—by me, Silvanus, and Timothy—was not Yes and No, but in Him was Yes.”
“We should have a huge crowd this Sunday!” From time to time I have made that comment to my wife as we made our way to church. The reason for my prediction was based upon people assuring me that they were going to start attending our services.
Week after week the service would commence and those who had said they would be there weren’t. I have come to the place in my pastoral ministry not to expect people to do what they promise to do. Is that being cynical or being realistic? I think it is just a fact of life.
Leaving the promises of attendance aside, what other things do we promise and then not fulfill? We tell the Lord that we will give our all for Him—but spend our time, treasure and talents on everything else. How that must break the heart of a loving God.
There may have been promises we made to be the Lord in the area of serving. When things are going rough we may pray and tell the Lord if He will just get us out of this mess, we will be there for Him—but are we?
We may have every intention of being there for the Lord in the area of giving. We make the Lord a solemn promise that when the funds start coming in, we will give Him the first fruits of our increase. Then, when the Lord has blessed us financially we still hold onto the money as if it were our own. How long has it been since we made that promise to be there in our giving? We have promised the Lord: “I’ll be there!” Can He count on us?
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
