by Pastor Cecil | May 9, 2008 | Daily-E-Votionals
Matthew 1:20-21
“But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a Son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins.’ “
A few days ago Joyce and I were watching the British Antiques Roadshow. It is one of our favorites since there are so many antiques that date back several hundred years. One of the appraisers was commenting on a painting of a Newfoundland Dog.
When he pronounced the name of the breed, he pronounced Newfoundland wrong, as many of us are prone to do. He placed the emphasis on the “new” Newfoundland. Others pronounce it; Newfoundland, while still others; Newfoundland.
When I was assigned to serve in Newfoundland back in the 1960’s, the Newfoundlanders taught me very quickly how to pronounce it correctly. The Canadian province includes the island of Newfoundland as well as the mainland of Labrador. I was told that the emphasis is the same for each word and it is easy if you say the two: New found land and Lab ra dor. Thrilling isn’t it?
At a graveside service that I was conducting yesterday, I made the same type of mistake. As I named one of the son-in-laws, I placed the emphasis on the wrong syllable. He had an unusual name and after the service he said that I did quite well considering the way some people butcher his name. With a name like Cecil, I also get a few clinkers. The most irritating is for someone to use the feminine sounding Cecile, pronounced, Cee Ceil. Grrrrr!
The name of Jesus stands out from all of the rest of human names. Why was He named Jesus? The answer is that the angel told Joseph that he was to name the baby, Jesus. The name Jesus means; “Jehovah is salvation.”
Jesus did not come into the world to teach wonderful truths—He did! Jesus did not come into the world to perform mighty miracles—He did! Jesus did not come into the world to provide a living example—He did! Jesus, the Son of God, the Savior of mankind, God incarnate came into the world to pay the price for the sins of all who come to Him in faith believing!
The price that is required is the price of blood. In the Old Testament it was the blood of an innocent lamb whose blood was applied for the forgiveness of sins. God loves this old sin sick world. We certainly do not deserve His mercy, but we certainly need it. In fact we are lost if we do not receive it.
This wonderful Jesus is God in the flesh. He truly has loved us to death—His death. There is a day coming when we will see Him with our own eyes. What a day that will be!
The day is coming when everyone will bow before the Lord in total submission. The terrible thing is that many will bow and confess Him as Lord, but their fate will be sealed because they waited too long. Please receive His salvation before it is too late.
Blessings dear hearts. Walk with God today. Trust Him completely and be a blessing.
— Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | May 8, 2008 | Daily-E-Votionals
Luke 6:37-38
“Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”
The favorite pastime for many people is judging others. Teacher’s pet, employee of the month, or other favorite people, often become the targets of vicious tongues. I guess you would not even have to be in a favored position to have others “bad mouth” you. It is very easy to sit in some type of judgment of those around us if they do not come up to our expectations.
When we pray the personal prayer of confession and invitation inviting Jesus Christ to come into our heart and life as our personal Savior, we become new creatures. According to 2 Corinthians 5:17, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”
Now, while we may have a new life in the Lord Jesus Christ, it does not mean that we have a holy life. The old ways of the flesh are still with us. We may try to deny them or pass over them, but every so often, even we are able to see what is so evident to others.
Little by little, or perhaps even in significant strides, we may begin to grow in God’s grace, and see old habits eliminated. There is one that seems to persist beyond all others – critical spirit and being judgmental of other people. It is almost as if we were placed as judges in an arena, and as we watch the performances of others, we give them a thumbs up or a thumbs down.
Jesus says we are not to judge others, nor are we to condemn others. But what about standards? So what about standards? Usually they are my standards imposed upon some other person’s life! I just have to believe that the God who is over all is able to do His own job of judging and condemning.
Before performing weddings, I counsel the couple. Most of them do not profess any spiritual background. I have them fill out a premarital questionnaire that will give me an idea of their background. In our modern age, it is common to see that they both have the same address.
I do not profess to be the most brilliant person in the world, but I can figure that one out fairly quickly, so I put on my straightest face and say, “I notice that you have the same address. Does that mean you are living together?” They answer, “Yes.” Here is the greatest revealer of God’s convicting power. I ask these two sitting in front of me, “Do you know that is contrary to God’s Word and not pleasing to Him?” I have yet to hear a “no” answer. They always say “yes.” I go on to work out some special arrangements with them. Notice, if you will, that I was not judging or condemning. I just presented God’s Word as it applies to their situation.
I would like for people to treat me that way. It is interesting that Jesus says that when we judge (that applies to us Christians as well as the unsaved), we will be judged. When we condemn, we will be condemned. He does not leave it in the negative, but gives us a positive promise. When we forgive, we will be forgiven. When we give, we will receive. There are some that reach into this passage and pull out the bit about giving and teach a doctrine that is not in context with the passage.
As believers we need to remind ourselves that we are always under the looking glass. We have a world of unbelievers who have seen others who claimed much but lived little. They talked more of a godly walk than they displayed. We must be different. We need to have the love of Jesus so completely permeating our life, that we will love other people. We will not doubt their relationship with the Lord, but will ask them about it.
Here is a question to determine if a person is truly a child of God? “What were the steps that led you to accept Jesus Christ as your personal Savior?” (Be silent and listen to the reply). If they say they have never accepted Him, ask if they would like to. Have a supply of the soul winning aids to use in presenting the plan of salvation. On the other hand, if they say that they have received the Lord, ask if they have ever doubted their salvation? Once again, listen. If they want to know for sure, share in the same way as you did with those who are first time seekers.
I hope that I have not wandered too far today. It may be of help to someone who is feeling on the edge of being judge, jury and executioner of the ungodly. Be loving, open and eager to listen before presenting God’s beautiful plan for their life.
Blessings dear hearts. Walk with God today. Trust Him completely and be a blessing.
— Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | May 7, 2008 | Daily-E-Votionals
Psalm 81:13-16
“If My people would but listen to Me, if Israel would follow My ways, how quickly would I subdue their enemies and turn My hand against their foes! Those who hate the LORD would cringe before Him, and their punishment would last forever. But you would be fed with the finest of wheat; with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.”
There is an old hymn that is seldom sung in our churches anymore. That is so sad. We have missed many vital messages by ignoring some of these wonderful hymns. One of those hymns was (is) “Honey In the Rock.” One line of the song goes something like this: “Leave your sins for the blood to cover—there is honey in the rock for you.”
When I enter the words “honey in the rock” into the Blue Letter Bible, I find there are two Scriptural references that use the words “honey from the rock.” The one here in Psalm 81 and the other in Deuteronomy 32:13. As I have been thinking on these two verses, I feel that there is a lesson that the Lord wants us to learn. But first we must establish the conditions.
God has always been—is now and always will be, displeased when His people turn their back on Him and go their willful way. A few verses earlier in Psalm 81, God laments that His people would not listen to Him, nor would they submit to Him. As a result He gave them over to their own devices. That is a scary thought! Our own devices always result in tragedy and chaos.
Look around us today. Pick up a newspaper, turn on the T.V. or radio, and see all of the violence. People riot, destroy and kill without regard for life or property. We hear of road rage that results in accidents or shootings. We are told of gang violence that cuts off the life of kids in their teens. We are now hearing of desk violence, where even offices are hazard zones.
Violence has always been with us, but there is no doubt that today it is more widespread. I think it all goes back to one single cause: The people who fail to honor the Lord are a people who will suddenly be overcome with violence. As the Lord has said, “He will leave them to their own devices.”
Virtually every nation on the face of the earth has turned away from God. We have shut God out of our homes, our schools, our government and our courts, dare I say it—our churches—and then wring our hands about why all of these evil things are seen all around us. How sad!
God gives a fantastic promise here in Psalm 82 that we need to start applying to every area of our life. God’s promise is that we need to listen to Him and follow His ways. We think, that sounds easy! Let me talk to my shrink, or bring it up in my group, or check our church manual.
NO! We need to listen to HIM! That means in His Word, on our knees in prayer, attending church in a Bible believing church, humbling ourselves in regular brokenness and fasting, and such other things that the Holy Spirit will lay upon our hearts. The result is that our enemies will be subdued by the Lord. He is going to do it, so please, do not try to do it yourself. Rest in Him and let Him bring it all to pass.
We might describe our sin-sick world as a huge barren rock. The beauty is that God has promised that He will bring honey from the rock. Honey does not come from a rock. For that matter, water does not come from the rock, but it did in the Exodus. God provided water for His people from a rock.
God is not confined to doing the things that are explainable. When He performs the miracle of the honey you need in your life, just return thanks, and spread it on your toast. Now is the time to start living in the richness of the promises of God—There is honey there!!!
Blessings dear hearts. Walk with God today. Trust Him completely and be a blessing.
— Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | May 6, 2008 | Daily-E-Votionals
Isaiah 53:4-6
“Surely He took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered Him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.”
In today’s Scripture, Isaiah is speaking of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. As we read this 53rd chapter of Isaiah, we see the terrible condition of each one of us. Our sinful condition demands the payment of death. You will find no innocent people on planet earth.
An unknown author sets the stage in a courtroom outside of heaven. The scene is dramatic, but I feel it is theologically inaccurate, as is the case with many such stories. The story suggests that it is our actions or deeds that determine our entry into God’s heaven. That is patently false since it is has already been determined when we are born again.
There are two judgments mentioned in Scripture; the Judgment Seat of Christ for believers, and the Great White Throne of judgment for unbelievers. I certainly want to be present at Judgment Seat of Christ, not at the Great White Throne judgment.
We are told in Revelation 12:10, that Satan is the accuser of the brethren (also the sisters). It speaks in the present tense–“He is the accuser.” Right now, at this very moment, there is a constant barrage of lies being told to God the Father about each of us. There is too much truth about our sins of commission and omission, so you wonder why Satan would even need to resort to lies. Sorry, perhaps I am only speaking about myself.
I read, or heard one time about a native village in Africa, where someone ran through the village yelling as loud as possible; “They know!” “They know!” “They know!” Immediately, from all over the village, people rushed out and hid in the scrub brush surrounding the village. I guess that each one had a guilt that they felt had been exposed.
In the book of Job, we have a picture of the way Satan accuses and maligns those who love God. Job was a very righteous man, but he was accused by Satan of being righteous only because it was to his benefit. In other words, he was attacking the motives of the heart. What if Satan attacked the motives of your heart—would you be able to stand the testing?
But wait a minute! There is more to it than this. It is not our human righteousness that gives us a right standing with God. The Prophet Isaiah, writing a few chapters later, 64:6 says that “- -all our righteous acts are like filthy rags.” Please do not think I am being gross, but I want you to know the exact meaning of his statement. His use of the term “filthy rags,” refers to the cloths that a woman uses during her monthly period. AND THAT IS OUR RIGHTEOUS ACTS! Think how bad our rotten acts are in the sight of God! How in the world can we ever be justified?
Let me switch back to the story about the attorney representing us at the gates of Heaven. It is important that we always remember that Satan is our accuser. It is after Satan has accused the defendant before God the Father that our Defense Attorney rises:
Our Lawyer asks if he might approach the bench. The judge allows this over the strong objection of Satan, and beckons him to come forward. As he walks toward the bench, I am able to see Him in his full splendor and majesty. I realized why he seemed so familiar.
This is Jesus, my Lord and my Savior, who is representing me. He stops at the bench and softly says to the judge, “Hi Dad.” He turns to address the court. “Satan was correct in saying that this man has sinned, I won’t deny any of these allegations. And yes the wages of sin is death, and this man deserves to be punished.”
Jesus takes a deep breath and turns to His Father with outstretched arms and proclaims, “I died on the cross so that this person might have eternal life and he has accepted Me as his Savior, so he is mine.” My Lord continues; “His name is written in the Book of Life and no one can snatch him from me. Satan still does not understand the law of grace. This man is not to be given justice, but rather mercy.”
As Jesus sits down, He quietly pauses and looks at his Father and replies, “There is nothing else that needs to be done. I’ve done it all.”
The judge lifts His mighty hand and slams the gavel down. The following words bellow from his lips: “This man is free. The penalty for him has already been paid in full. Case dismissed.” As my Lord leads me away, I can hear Satan ranting: “I won’t give up, I’ll win the next one.”
I ask Jesus; “Have you ever lost a case?” Christ lovingly smiles and says, “Everyone that comes to Me and asks Me to represent them, receives the same verdict as you, PAID IN FULL!”
Blessings dear hearts. Walk with God today. Trust Him completely and be a blessing.
— Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | May 5, 2008 | Daily-E-Votionals
2 Corinthians 1:3-5
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort over flows.”
I recall counseling a young mother of three. She sat across from my desk with an expression of expectancy. She said she needed to know what to say to a woman who had carried a heavy burden since she was a little girl. She asked me if I could listen to the story, and then give her Biblical counsel to equip her to counsel the woman who was deeply disturbed. I agreed to do so, and sat very prayerful as I listened to the story. I prayed that I might be given insight for her to share with the woman. Here was the woman’s story:
When she was a little girl of seven or eight, her father meant everything to her. She could hardly wait for the time when he would come home from work. He would read to her, go for walks with her, and they would talk and laugh together. She would stand in the front yard and wave to him each day that he would leave for work. Her siblings teased her about her strong love for her father, but she didn’t care, it was her dad, and he was special to her.
Her dad and mom argued a lot, and the arguments seemed to get worse and worse. She was so frightened when they would fight, and tried to get them to stop, but she couldn’t. One day, her dad told her at the breakfast table that he was going to leave and would not be coming back. She cried and pleaded for him not to go, but he would not listen to her.
He rose from the breakfast table, kissed her tenderly, and walked out of the house. She stood in the yard calling for him to come back, but he never even turned around, but just walked out of her life. That was about thirty years ago, and he has just now contacted this daughter for the first time in all of those years. He said he wants to come and meet her to apologize for not being there for all of those years.
The woman across the desk from me, “How should I advise her? How should this woman act toward her father?” I was praying more fervently, now that I had had heard the story. I honestly cannot recall if today’s Scripture was the one that I shared with her to pass on to her friend, but if not, it would certainly have been appropriate.
I did counsel her to pass on to her friend that God accepted us in our sins, and we need to be accepting of others, even when they have sinned against us. It is especially at these times, that we have the opportunity of showing forth a forgiving spirit that comes from the Lord.
I was not sure how she would go about passing the information on to her friend. I told her that I would be praying for her, as she shared the insight with her friend. She then dropped the bomb on me. She said, “I was that little girl!” I think we both began to cry at that time. She said that her dad was coming to meet her in a few days, and she wanted to meet him, as Christ would have her meet him. A few days later her dad arrived. Both she and her father were blessed, and God received the glory!
Comfort comes from God, but it never is to remain with us. Notice that as we are comforted, we are then to comfort those who need comfort. This passage also says that Christ’s sufferings overflow into our life, and His comfort also overflows out of our lives. It is like a spring of water that refreshes the parched throat of those in need of comfort. We can bring comfort to others in the same manner that we ourselves are comforted. Don’t hoard the comfort, instead pass it on!
Blessings dear hearts. Walk with God today. Trust Him completely and be a blessing.
— Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | May 2, 2008 | Daily-E-Votionals
Proverbs 14:10-12
“Each heart knows its own bitterness, and no one else can share its joy. The house of the wicked will be destroyed, but the tent of the upright will flourish. There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.”
Not long ago I was watching a program that interviewed people in the center of a large city. They were asked their view on God and specifically about Jesus Christ being the Savior. It was distressing to view their erudite responses and the cynical attitude they expressed toward God.
Since that time I have spent a considerable amount of time thinking about the issue of faith. One of my richest preparations for ministry was working in fields that were far removed from religious activity. Military, police, corrections, sales, and management, just to mention some of the areas I have experienced.
In the course of living a diverse life I have encountered people who expressed the opinion that there was no God and we were simply a product of evolution. I will not go off into my feelings toward such a ridiculous theory, but will just state that I have encountered unbelievers.
Now here is the observation that I do want to share. These doubting and cynical people have, for the most part, been the most miserable people I have ever met. Rather than enjoying the life they say is the only thing that exists, they grumble and growl with discontent. I have had the blessing of seeing some of these people come to accept Jesus as their Savior. They became content and full of joy.
What If there was no God? What if the faith that true believers possess is a myth? The answer is that those of us who have been born again will have experienced a peace that the world cannot even imagine.
There is another side of that coin. What if God is real? (He is) What if He sent His one and only Son, Jesus Christ, into the world to offer salvation to anyone who will receive Him? What if there is a terrible hell awaiting those who refuse to receive salvation through Jesus? (There is!)
I just happen to believe that all of the denials about God being real are bogus. Deep within the heart of each person there is an awareness of God and a desire to know Him personally. In Romans 1:18-20, we read these words:
“The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—His eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.”
Did you read that? There is no excuse! I have read of men who had never heard a gospel message or even read a single word of Scripture who came to faith by being drawn to the Lord in some unique way.
Years ago I read a book by a Chinese Christian, Watchman Nee. He told of returning to the city where he had attended university. He went to speak with his favorite professor, who was disappointed that he had become a believer. He felt that Watchman Nee was foolish.
Watchman Nee left a Bible with him and urged him to read it with an honest mind. A few days later he came to one of Watchman’s meetings and made a public profession of his faith. He said it was as if the words in the Bible became real and he knew he must obey God and be saved.
“Lord, I pray for each person who is reading this message right now. May Your blessed Holy Spirit open their mind to hear Your truth that they have been resisting. I pray that the shed blood of Your Son, Jesus Christ, may be applied and cleanse them from all unrighteousness. I pray this in and through the name Jesus. Amen.”
Blessings dear hearts. Walk with God today. Trust Him completely and be a blessing.
— Pastor Cecil
