by Pastor Cecil | Jan 30, 2008 | Daily-E-Votionals
John 14:1-3
“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in Me. In My Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with Me that you also may be where I am.”
I have not always been a pastor. For many years I worked in the field of Criminal Justice. (Police Officer, Probation Officer and Criminal Justice Planner.) With that background I have a particular interest in “authentic” television police stories.
One of the most authentic of these television programs is called “The First 48”. It is somewhat gruesome since it deals with detective work to solve murder cases. The premise of the program is that the chance of solving the case is much higher during the first 48 hours.
This causes me to ponder about what would happen if we could somehow know that we had only 48 hours to live? I would like to think of it as: “THE LAST 48!” Try to imagine with me what it may be like if a person knew that the next 48 hours would be his last 48.
Ned was aroused from a very deep sleep in a state of panic. He was not sure how he knew it, but he just knew that he only had 48 hours left to live. He immediately slipped out of bed quietly not to awaken his sleeping wife. He went into the office and sat down at his computer.
For a considerable amount of time he just sat staring at the monitor. He wanted to insure that these last 48 hours would be lived in the best way possible. It came to him that he needed to prepare a list of the things he would do, and then follow that list carefully.
As he thought about what to include on the list, he was stunned by an overwhelming realization. The things that were self-centered had no interest to him. The most prevalent thought was to insure that he was prepared to meet the Lord. He rummaged through a desk drawer and finally found a copy of the “Four Spiritual Laws” booklet that someone had given him after he had prayed to accept Christ into his life.
He wanted to read that prayer over again and make it “his” prayer without reservation. He was relieved when he finally found it. There on page 10 he found the prayer. “Lord Jesus, I need You. Thank You for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life and receive You as my Savior and Lord. Thank You for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Take control of my life and make me the kind of person You want me to be.”
As he prayed that prayer once again, he felt a peace that he could not explain. Rather than trying to do things that would please him, he now had the desire to spend these last hours sharing his love and Christ’s love with his wife and three children. He also thought of several friends that he wanted to see immediately to tell them about Jesus while they still had time. He was so burdened that he began to sob and cry out: “Before it’s too late! Before it’s too late!”
He suddenly felt his wife shaking him. All of this had been a dream! But it was a dream like he had never had before. As he held his wife, he silently committed to the Lord to spend each and every day for the rest of his life as if it were his “LAST 48”.
How will you spend your next 48 hours? The same as all the rest or as if they were the last 48 hours of your life?
Blessings dear hearts. Walk with God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing.
— Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jan 29, 2008 | Daily-E-Votionals
Revelation 21:10-11
“And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. It shone with the glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal.”
There is a caustic comment that I have heard, and have used more than one time: “It’s hard to soar with the eagles, when you have to live with a bunch of turkeys!” The problem with that attitude is that we tend to focus our minds on the things of this world that will pass away, and fail to visualize the heaven that is waiting for us.
Thinking about heaven is especially comforting when you are going through the storms or valleys of life. Joyce and I have just been talking about how many of our family and friends who are experiencing many trials related to serious medical conditions or the loss of loved ones.
We remind each other to pray for people during their times of crisis. We have gone through quite a bit ourselves. We lost our oldest daughter to a rare heart condition in 1991. Our youngest daughter had a successful kidney transplant in 2001 and a pancreas transplant in 2002. This old world is just not a pleasant place to live at times.
Faced with the trials of life, we have two choices. We can either choose to whimper and whine about all of the painful experiences of life, or we can see life through a whole new dimension by looking forward to heaven. That is what I choose to do, so fasten your computer belts, and away we go.
We have to understand that we are not going to be able to get much more than a blurry view of our eternal home. From this side, we can only catch glimpses by the word pictures that are painted for us. John describes his view of the New Jerusalem in chapters 22 and 23 of the Book of Revelation.
John describes gold, crystal clear jewels, and light that is indescribable. Sometimes we are treated to the view of spectacular jewels. I can recall several years ago, going through the Smithsonian Museum in Washington D.C., and seeing the Hope Diamond. Think of entire buildings being made of the same type of material, but even more brilliant and clear!
Heaven will be a place where there will not even be a concept of darkness. Here on earth we have light supplied by the sun, moon, stars and artificial sources. We are told that in the New Jerusalem, the glory of God will be the source of light. When the sources of light are gone, or even in the shadows, we experience darkness.
We will be released from fear and foreboding. In this world of sin and shame, we know darkness that comes from separation from the source of light. That engenders a dread of what lies ahead. We might enjoy the day in which we live, but there is always tomorrow! Oh, the tomorrows of life! They are filled with shadows of sickness, pain, turmoil and death. In heaven we will experience the glory of God and there will be no shadow, or darkness, or pain or any of the things that we live with in this life.
I know that many have been afraid of reading from the Book of Revelation. When we see the awful judgment that comes upon the world because of the sin of man, we shy away from it. Let me encourage you to start by reading chapters twenty-one and twenty-two. It will give you a fantastic rush to see the glorious home that God has prepared for us. Keep in mind that Jesus is the winner and we are going to be with Him forever and forever. The few bumps and lumps that we go through here are nothing in view of what we have waiting for us.
I want everyone who reads this to have your heart right with God. Confess that you are a sinner and ask Jesus Christ, God’s dear Son who shed His blood for you, to come into your heart. Experience the new birth that Jesus promised. He is more anxious to come into our lives than we are to let Him in. When we say yes to God, He will say yes to us and receive us. Then read about your new home! See you there!
Blessings dear hearts. Walk with God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing.
— Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jan 28, 2008 | Daily-E-Votionals
Hebrews 4:12-13
“For the Word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.”
I heard a song on Christian radio early this morning. I have heard it before but have not been able to get all of the words correctly. Even though I do not have all of the lyrics, the message is quite clear. It goes something like this: “If I could see the world like God sees, I would live more like Him.”
In a way we can see the world as God sees. We see the world as God sees the world by spending time in God’s Word. The Bible is not simply the words and logic of human creation—It is the voice of God—the breath of God which breathed through the writers and reveals to us His view of the world.
Psalm 139:1-4 reveals the depth of God’s plan purpose and provision for us: “O LORD, You have searched me and You know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; You perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; You are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue You know it completely, O LORD.”
Since God knows us more intimately than anyone else we can be sure that He wants us to view the world and all of the inhabitants in the world through His eyes. As a child I can remember us singing a song that has tremendous impact: “Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world. Red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in His sight, Jesus loves the little children of the world.”
Does God love the little children of the world? Does He love the “big” children (adults) of the world? The answer is a resounding—YES! When a member of the Jewish ruling council came to Jesus one night, he wanted to know more about the Lord.
What Jesus revealed to Nicodemus, was a view of how Jesus sees the world. In John 3:16-17, we observe how Jesus sees the world: “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.”
Look around you. Who do you see? It may be the most educated and sophisticated person you have ever seen. On the other hand you may be viewing the most repulsive and offensive person. Do you see the similarity between the two? God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to offer them His love through His death on the cross.
If Jesus came into this world with the express purpose of shedding His blood for the remission of sins for all who will come to Him, how should you and I view each and every person?
In the city of Portland, Oregon, a little girl came from a poor home. Someone invited her to come to a small church in her neighborhood. On the first Sunday she came, she wore dirty clothes and was not too clean herself. Praise God there were a group of people who saw her as Jesus saw her. She was welcomed and made to feel a part.
One day she prayed and invited Jesus to come into her heart. Over the years she grew in the Lord and also grew in wisdom and knowledge. She attended college and graduate school and eventually she became a faculty member of a Christian College.
I was serving on the staff of a church with the man who had been her pastor those many years ago when she first came to his church. He shared with me that every time he saw this lovely and educated woman, he thought back to the first day she had come to his church. Vernon saw her as God saw her! May we all see as God sees!
Blessings dear hearts. Walk with God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing.
— Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jan 25, 2008 | Daily-E-Votionals
Judges 2:19
“But when the judge died, the people returned to ways more evil and corrupt than those of their fathers, following other gods and serving and worshiping them. They refused to give up their evil practices and stubborn ways.”
I live in Olympia, Washington. It should come as no surprise to you that it rains here in western Washington. Statistics will show that there are many cities in the United States that have more rain than we do. Be that as it may—we try to advertise that rain so it will curtail the influx of people to our land of green. (Just a little ad thrown in here)
You probably know that rainy roadways soon create a dirty car. In fact you may have spent time washing your car only to have it rain and get your shiny clean car as dirty as it was before the wash. There is a little secret that I have discovered—cars dry off after a short time in the garage. (Aren’t you impressed?)
I am not sure if you have ever used a California duster. Perhaps you don’t even know what it is. Let me take a few minutes to tell you and I am sure you will see the direction my mind is heading today. From time to time I make the trip out to the garage for a little cleaning of the old car.
A California duster is about 18 inches long and 4 inches wide, and is made of long wool-like shag material. You run it over the dirty car while it is dry and it picks up the dirt and grime.
Here is the punch line. When it is new, it does not work too well. The dirtier it becomes, the better it attracts dirt and grime. Let me repeat that for emphasis; “The dirtier it becomes, the better it attracts dirt and grime!”
We have been told repeatedly across the years that bad company corrupts. We are sort of like that California duster in the trunk of my car. The only use for my dirty California duster is to attract even more grime and crud from the surface of the car. That is what happens when we get away from God and walk with the world.
God has called us to be living testimonies. Unfortunately we may be prone to become covered with the dirt and grime of this world. Jesus associated with the “grimy” people of His day, but never did He stoop to their level. He held out the invitation for them to leave their sin and be made new.
Our Scripture for today was given in the time of the Judges of Israel. It relates to the effect of God’s people when they leave God out of their lives and attempt to do that which is right in their own eyes. Doing what is right in our own eyes is a sure way to become filthy and corrupted with Satan’s deceit.
The answer is to stay close to the Lord. The more time with the Lord and His people, the more we become like Him. He becomes more and more a part of our life. Here is a great way to insure a holy walk with the Lord. Always pray and ask ourselves: “What would Jesus do?” or even more pertinent: “What would Jesus like for me to do?”
Blessings dear hearts. Walk with God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing.
— Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jan 24, 2008 | Daily-E-Votionals
Hebrews 1:1-3
“In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, and through whom He made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His being, sustaining all things by His powerful Word. After He had provided purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.”
Just after 6:00 this morning I stepped out on the front porch. The temperature was standing at 21 degrees and the world was locked in an icy grip. I always relish a few seconds (not much more) standing and gazing into the early morning sky and praising God for His mighty creation.
Today things were a little different. There was a full moon low in the west. It was at such an angle to reflect the full force of the Sun’s brilliance. As I took the few seconds to stare at the moon, it was almost too brilliant to look at. I was struck by the reality that the moon was not the source of the brightness, but just a reflection of it!
As I stood there in the cold, today’s Scripture came to mind—especially: “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His being.” When one of the disciples, Philip, asked Jesus to show them the Father, Jesus responded in John 14:9-10: “Don’t you know Me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in Me? The words I say to you are not just My own. Rather, it is the Father, living in Me, who is doing His work.”
What an amazing reality. Jesus was both very God and very man. Everything that His Father was—He was. He was perfect truth and righteousness—yet He became sin for us. The brilliance of Father God was radiating from Jesus Christ our Lord.
Just as the moon reflects the brilliance of the Sun, so Jesus reflects the brilliance of His Father. But our Savior calls us to reflect His image—His glory—His righteousness. It is impossible to do this in our own strength or by our own power. We can only do it as we yield ourselves to Him in thought, word and deed.
There is an old hymn that expresses this: “Let the beauty of Jesus be seen in me. All His wonderful passion and purity; May His spirit divine, all my being refine; Let the beauty of Jesus be seen in me.” I pray that this may be the desire of us all.
Blessings dear hearts. Walk with God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing.
— Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jan 23, 2008 | Daily-E-Votionals
II Corinthians 5:1-3
“Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked.”
Recently I was watching a documentary about wild animals in south Texas. A man had two tigers and six or seven bears cooped up in small cages. These wild animals were meant to live in large expanses. Instead the owner had placed them in small cages four feet by eight feet and six feet high. Most of these creatures had been there for over eight years; but one of the bears had been there much longer. He was about 30 years old.
It was heartbreaking to see them languishing in these tiny cages that were located in an old abandoned chicken coop. The police along with veterinarians from the Houston Zoo had come to rescue them. The animals had no idea what was happening and were frightened by the team of rescuers.
One by one the animals were coaxed into containers to transport them back to the zoo for examination, treatment and release to natural habitats in the zoo. As horrible as their conditions had been, they were accustomed to them and the fear of the unknown was very stressful for them.
After a few weeks of quarantine at the zoo, the animals were transferred to enclosures that were designed to look like their natural habitat. One of the tigers was shown as he took his first steps into this “new home”. He cautiously took his first steps in his amazing new home.
One of the most memorable things was his reaction to his first steps on grass. All of his life he knew nothing but a hard artificial bit of flooring. Now he had a large new enclosure complete with greenery and even a stream. It was a delight to see him frolic in the water for the first time in his life.
As I watched that tiger coming alive to his new world I thought of our eternal home. Sometimes we become so acclimated to this old miserable world that we fail to think about what the Lord has prepared for those of us who have passed from death to life by being born again by the blood of Jesus.
Perhaps one of the most revealing peeks into our new eternal home is given by Stephen as he was about to be stoned to death. Oh, how glad I am that this dear servant of Jesus Christ showed a glimpse into our glorious new home that is waiting for us.
Here is what Stephen said in Acts 7:55-56: “But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. ‘Look,’ he said, ‘I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.’ “
A few verses later we read that as he was being stoned, he prayed for the Lord to forgive those who were executing him. He then fell asleep. He stepped into a world beyond anything we can begin to imagine. He had entered into a place that was going to be his new home for eternity. I want each of us to be prepared to one day arrive at —OUR NEW HOME! What a day that will be!
Blessings dear hearts. Walk with God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing.
— Pastor Cecil
