by Pastor Cecil | Jul 9, 2012 | Daily-E-Votionals
Acts 16:27-30
And the keeper of the prison, awaking from sleep and seeing the prison doors open, supposing the prisoners had fled, drew his sword and was about to kill himself. But Paul called with a loud voice, saying, “Do yourself no harm, for we are all here.” Then he called for a light, ran in, and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. And he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
There have been times in my life when I found myself confined in a position that seemed very much like I was in prison. Some situations found me cut off from my precious family while other times it was the shadow of death that hung very near.
The more I read God’s precious Word, the more I realize that this world is not our home and we have an enemy that tries to confine us. It is during times of our greatest trials that the Lord gives us the greatest witness. Please read that again. I fear that all too often we spend our efforts trying to escape the prison we are in to become a pulpit to preach the message of salvation.
Paul was a dedicated servant of the Lord. In spite of this he experienced the pain of prison. Rather than feeling sorry for himself, he rejoiced in the Lord and as a result he was able to lead other captives (as well as the keeper of the prison) to accept Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. Joseph had earlier used his years as a slave and prisoner to become the savior of his own brothers who had sold him.
What is the prison that you find yourself committed to at this time? Is it the pain of personal loss or agonizing pain? Are you allowing it to crush your spirit? Are you defeated as the iron doors slam behind you? I pray that you will ask the Lord to illuminate your prison with His presence and allow you to minister where you are.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | May 4, 2012 | Daily-E-Votionals
Psalm 31:2-3
“Turn Your ear to me, come quickly to my rescue; be my rock of refuge, a strong fortress to save me. Since You are my rock and my fortress, for the sake of Your name lead and guide me.”
My wife Joyce and I have had more than a few fiery trials in our life. We have been forced to our knees and cried out to Him to support us. When it seemed that we could not go on, the Lord has always been faithful and our Firm Foundation.
This week’s hymn was the favorite hymn of Andrew Jackson’s wife, Rachel. He requested that it be played for him in the final hours of his life. It was also a favorite of General Robert E. Lee. It was sung at the funerals of American presidents Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson.
On Christmas Eve, 1898, an entire corps of the United States Army was camped on the hills near Havana, Cuba. Almost as a man they spontaneously took up this sacred tune and words. In times of trial and danger it is essential to have a firm foundation in the Lord upon which to stand.
How Firm a Foundation
How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord,
Is laid for your faith in His excellent Word!
What more can He say than to you He hath said,
To you who for refuge to Jesus have fled?
Fear not, I am with thee, O be not dismayed,
For I am thy God, I will still give thee aid;
I’ll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand,
Upheld by My gracious, omnipotent hand.
When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie,
My grace all-sufficient shall be thy supply;
The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design
Thy dross to consume, and thy gold to refine.
The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose,
I will not, I will not desert to his foes;
That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
I’ll never, no never, no never forsake!
To access How Firm a Foundation, this week’s inspirational video from GloryScapes™ Hymn Music Videos, please go to: http://www.gloryscapes.com/howfirmafoundation/ 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
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. You can also find a Kindle version at Amazon.com.
by Pastor Cecil | Dec 16, 2011 | Daily-E-Votionals, Psalm
Psalm 98:4, 9-10
“Shout joyfully to the LORD, all the earth; Break forth in song, rejoice, and sing Let the rivers clap their hands; Let the hills be joyful together before the LORD.”
O Come, O Come, Emmanuel is probably the oldest Christmas carol we still sing today. The words were thought to have been penned before 800 A.D. While the writer is unknown, he was evidently a scholar with a deep knowledge of both the Old and New Testaments. It seems to present the various prophetic roles Jesus fulfilled when He was on earth.
One of the many tragedies connected with modern music is that our hymns are being neglected and belittled. Deep spiritual meaning is being replaced with words and music that is unclean. This hymn is a prayer for the Lord to come and rescue us from our deplorable condition. How sad that at best, we may only hear this hymn once a year. I pray that the Lord will come into our jaded lives.
O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
O come, O come, Emmanuel,
and ransom captive Israel,
that mourns in lonely exile here
until the Son of God appear.
Refrain: Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.
O come, thou Rod of Jesse,
free thine own from Satan’s tyranny;
from depths of hell thy people save,
and give them victory over the grave.
Refrain: Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.
O come, thou Dayspring, come and cheer
our spirits by thine advent here;
disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
and death’s dark shadows put to flight.
Refrain: Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.
O come, thou Key of David, come,
and open wide our heavenly home;
make safe the way that leads on high,
and close the path to misery.
Refrain: Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.
O come, O come, Adonai,
Who in thy glorious majesty
From Sinai’s mountain, clothed in awe,
Gavest thy folk the elder law.
Refrain: Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.
To access O Come, O Come, Emmanuel, this week’s inspirational video from GloryScapes™ Inspirational Music Videos, please go to: http://www.gloryscapes.com/ocomeocomeemmanuel/ 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
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. You can also find a Kindle version online at Amazon.com.
by Pastor Cecil | Dec 7, 2011 | Daily-E-Votionals
Hebrews 10:22-23
Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful.
How much do we truly trust the Lord? When we kneel before Him and seek His will for our lives, do we utterly place our confidence in Him? Hudson Taylor was a missionary to China in the 1800’s. Here is a quote from this man of faith: “God’s work, done God’s way, will never lack God’s supply.” I love the confidence in that statement. That is the kind of faith I seek to have in my life.
When I read the notes of a man like George Müller, who founded many orphan homes in the 1800’s, I bow my head in respect to such a man. He purposed early in his ministry to totally rely upon the Lord to supply his every need. He felt it was a lack of faith to make appeals for financial support. He would pray long hours and God rewarded his faith by supplying, not only his personal needs, but also the funds to build and maintain large orphanages in England.
I fear that many believers as well as Christian ministries run ahead of God’s leadership. They rely on their own efforts to raise the necessary funds. Rather than pray, they plead. It is okay to plead, but we need to plead with God, not others. Extreme faith sees the potential, but it also waits for God’s provision.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
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
My book, 100 of Pastor Cecil’s Select Illustrations, is now available on Kindle books. Just go the Kindle store and type in Pastor Cecil’s Select Illustrations, or Pastor Cecil Thompson.
by Pastor Cecil | Nov 9, 2011 | Daily-E-Votionals
Luke 23:42-43
Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.” Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with Me in paradise.”
Last night I was speaking with a dear friend. Our conversation moved to the death of an acquaintance who had passed away a few months ago. He mentioned that he had shared the gospel with her shortly before her death, but she told him that she was not convinced that Jesus was no more than an illegitimate child of a country girl and who had deceived his followers. It makes me shudder just to think of her words so near to her death.
We could only hope that in the last fleeting moments of her life she had repented and confessed that she was a sinner in need of God’s grace. We will never know until we reach eternity, but we fervently hope that she had a change of heart.
We know that one of the thieves who hung next to Jesus changed from a mocking sinner to a trusting believer. What words of comfort the Lord gave the man when he assured him that he would be with Him (Jesus) that very day.
I will never forget my experience at the bedside of a dying man. He seemed to be in a coma and unresponsive. I shared the plan of salvation with him but felt it to be too late. Then I saw a tear form in his eye and roll down his cheek. I fully expect to meet that man in heaven.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
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
My book, 100 of Pastor Cecil’s Select Illustrations, is now available on Kindle books. Just go the Kindle store and type in Pastor Cecil’s Select Illustrations, or Pastor Cecil Thompson.
by Pastor Cecil | Oct 31, 2011 | Daily-E-Votionals
Luke 18:17
Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.
Yesterday was a very busy day for me. I conducted a memorial service out of the area for a little five year old boy. It was an upbeat service and I was impressed by the way the Lord had blessed the parents with a spirit of grace and beauty even in the face of the loss of this precious son of theirs.
When I returned home our grandson and granddaughter dropped by the house with our 8 week old great granddaughter, Ruby Grace. I make no apologies about the fact that I am crazy about babies. Every child or grandchild has fallen asleep on my chest. (Sometimes I join them in a little snooze).
Ruby was just a little fussy and I was not sure if she would quiet down as I held her, but she seemed to know that this soft chest was a place of rest. She was soon fast asleep and breathing deeply.
As Children of God we are welcomed to lay our head on the soft chest of our heavenly Father and let the cares of this life pass by. It is so sad that we think that it is our responsibility to solve the problems of the world all by ourselves. Instead we need to cast all of our cares on Him because He cares so much for us and He is the One who can make things right.
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
My book, 100 of Pastor Cecil’s Select Illustrations, is now available on Kindle books. Just go the Kindle store and type in Pastor Cecil’s Select Illustrations.
