by Pastor Cecil | May 25, 2015 | 2 Timothy
2 Timothy 1:3-5
“I thank God, whom I serve with a pure conscience, as my forefathers did, as without ceasing I remember you in my prayers night and day, greatly desiring to see you, being mindful of your tears, that I may be filled with joy, when I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you also.”
I have often said that I am better at forgetting that I am remembering. I think this is more true the older I get. But it is so important to remember the things that will last for eternity. It is also important to remember the things that make us what we are today, as well as the people who have contributed to making our lives what they are today.
We celebrate Memorial Day as a time of remembering those who have gone before us and have given so much to us, especially those who have given their lives in the service of their/our country. As a former military enlisted man and commissioned officer, I have stood ready to give my life for my country.
Recalling those times when my life was ready to be given, I knew that it was worth it in order to protect and defend that for which I committed myself. When I took the oath to support and defend my country, I swore that my country was more important than my individual life. I would die rather than live as a coward.
On this Memorial Day it is important that we remember those who have gone before us. It is also vital that we realize that those who come after us will remember us. We are creating memories by the lives we live and the faith we demonstrate. I pray that our children and their children and their children’s children will know that we were faithful to our God and our nation. Take time to reflect on this day and that our God gave us something to remember for as long as we live.
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Apr 13, 2015 | 2 Timothy
2 TIMOTHY 2:1-2
“You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.”
As I typed the title of today’s E-Votional I was struck by another thought. It is not just simply that we might be replaced, we will be replaced! Early or late, we all will pass from this life to that wonderful home that the Lord has prepared for us in heaven.
At times I have held positions that necessitated terminating an employee. One incident concerned a man who had the highest credentials in the field of law enforcement. He came from a large department in California and, after interviewing him, we were certain that he was the right man to assist the police and sheriff departments in Idaho.
We were wrong! The man exhibited a superior attitude when meeting with our local law enforcement authorities. He was soon replaced and was not able to pass on any words of wisdom to his replacement.
What are we doing to insure that when we are gone the work we have done for the Lord will remain? If we were called to be with the Lord in the next hour, would we leave a heritage of service that another could assume? Where is your Timothy?
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Apr 9, 2015 | 2 Timothy
2 TIMOTHY 2:2
“And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.”
Throughout my lifetime I have received many medals and awards–some when I was serving in the Air Force and others as recognition for some accomplishment. The thing about such recognition is that it tends to lead to pride. “LOOK WHAT I DID!” That saddens me.
There is one award that brings tears to my eyes each time I look at it. It is a small statue of a guard dog. It is about six inches long and three inches tall and sits on a wooden base that bears the inscription, “OLD DOG SHEP.” It was a thoughtful birthday gift from a member of our congregation who knew the back story. It sits next to the temporary grave marker that was returned to us when the permanent marker was received.
For the past few years I had the joy of caring for my wife. Gradually, I assumed more and more of the responsibilities as she became weaker, and I found joy in serving her. The two of us would laugh, and I knew that Joyce was paying me the highest compliment a wife could give a husband. I accept the title with pleasure.
God is not interested in us trying to do great and mighty things to please Him. He is constantly calling us to become faithful servants who do not think that we are too good to do the grungy tasks of life. Every time I look at OLD DOG SHEP beside Joyce’s marker, a tear slips out of the corner of my eye. I was the luckiest man in the world to serve my precious wife. Oh, how I long to see her again!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Mar 12, 2015 | 2 Timothy
2 Timothy 3:5,7
“Having a form of godliness but denying its power.” “Always learning but never able to acknowledge the truth.”
It grieves me that there are so many professed believers in the Lord Jesus Christ who tell more than show the way we are to live out our Christian faith. SORRY! I hate to upset their apple cart, but it should rather be first of all Show . . . then Tell.
We hear all too much and see so very little. There are those who claim to be godly, and try to appear godly, but the result is that they look like they have just been baptized in vinegar.
Sadly, many believe that spiritual depth is measured by educational achievement. Years ago someone said to me that there are so many doctors in the church today you would think God was sick. Some seem to be more concerned with earning titles than practicing their calling.
There is an old book that I read many years ago titled “In His Steps” by Charles Sheldon. The theme of the book is to live life with this question in the forefront of our mind: What Would Jesus Do?
It is a call for all of us to be GOD’S GODLY PEOPLE in the way we live and as we search His Word to find the way He wants us to live. In a day of shallow spirituality, we need more men and women to trust and obey!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jan 15, 2015 | 2 Timothy
2 Timothy 4:6-7
“For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.”
I sit here at the bedside of a vital part of my life for some 66 years. I truly have never known what it is like not having her as my best friend, soul mate and wife. Without question she has been flesh of my flesh and bone of my bone.
As I sit here watching her labored breathing, I am aware that it will only be a short time before her breathing stops and her life here on earth ends. At the same time I rejoice in the certainty that she enters into a wonderful eternal life without, pain, suffering or sorrow. The sights she will experience defy our earthly imagination.
–BUT—WHAT DO I DO NOW?
As I prayerfully face this new phase of my life I know that I will continue to do the things God has called me to do. I will be the best father possible to our son and his wife, our daughter, our grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
I will be faithful to the calling God has given me as a Pastor and writer. I will strive every way possible to be God’s servant. I refuse to feel sorry for myself. There are many needy hearts and I purpose to meet the needs as best I can.
Today, 1/13/15, Joyce has just ended her journey here on earth. She has shown us a godly pattern of caring and sharing. Now it is time for us to fill the gap she leaves.
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jan 5, 2015 | 2 Timothy
2 Timothy 2:24-26
“And the Lord’s servant must not quarrel; instead he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.”
We live in a day where pride and arrogance seem to be acceptable behavior. In some venues it takes the form of “trash talking” in which opponents belittle those on the other side while bragging about what they are going to do. I just happen to think that actions speak louder than words.
Many years ago I was meeting with the two daughters of a 92-year-old man whose funeral service I would be conducting. As they reminisced about their dad, one of them commented that he was a gentleman. The other daughter immediately agreed and then added that he was not only a gentleman, he was a gentle man.
Wow! To me that is powerful stuff. As I have reflected on the difference, I can see that a person can be a gentleman (or gentlewoman) without being gentle. One has the idea of position, while the other indicates behavior.
Paul was writing to his son in the faith, Timothy, and encouraging him to behave in a gentle manner regardless of what others did or said. There are many qualities that a servant of the Most High God may demonstrate, but the one I strive to achieve is to be gentle. I may not always achieve my goal, but I am aiming for it.
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
