by Pastor Cecil | Jul 2, 2010 | Daily-E-Votionals, Luke
Luke 18:15-17
“People were also bringing babies to Jesus to have him touch them. When the disciples saw this, they rebuked them. But Jesus called the children to him and said, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.'”
I have been reading of the Lord’s dealing in the life of George Müller in the early 1800’s. This man of such great faith lived totally dependent upon the Lord. He felt to ask people for money or to be paid a salary from the church would take away from his dependence upon the Lord. He purposed to bring his requests to the Lord alone and allow Him to prompt people to meet the needs of his family and ministry. It worked. Year after year the Lord was faithful.
There was a terrible outbreak of disease in 1834 that took the life of his father-in-law. Three days later his own son became gravely ill and died. He comforted his dear wife and reminded her that their dear infant was so much better off with the Lord Jesus than with them. It eased their loss and enabled them to weep for joy.
The words of this week’s hymn gives those of us who have lost our own loved ones to rejoice in the wonderful hope of being able to see them again in heaven.
“Jesus Loves Me“
Jesus loves me this I know,
For the Bible tells me so.
Little ones to Him belong;
They are weak, but He is strong.
Refrain:
Yes, Jesus loves me! Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me! The Bible tells me so.
Jesus loves me He who dies,
Heaven’s gate to open wide;
He will take away my sin,
Let His little child come in.
Refrain:
Yes, Jesus loves me! Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me! The Bible tells me so.
Jesus , take this hear of mne,
Make it pure and wholly thine;
On the cross You died for me,
I will ever more live for thee.
Refrain:
Yes, Jesus loves me! Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me! The Bible tells me so.
To access Jesus Loves Me, this week’s inspirational video from GloryScapes™ Christian Music Hymns & Songs, please go to: http://www.gloryscapes.com/jesuslovesme 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
by Pastor Cecil | Mar 3, 2010 | Daily-E-Votionals
Matthew 11:28-30
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
Do you ever feel so tired that you can hardly take another step? There have been times in my life that I experienced these feelings. As a young father I was taking a full college load and working 48 hours a week as a police officer. It makes me tired just to recall those days. I averaged about 5 hours of sleep each day.
As I prayed to find relief, I was struck by the most unbelievable passage of Scripture ― it was today’s passage. I could hardly believe that the Lord would ask me to do more than I was already doing, but in obedience I volunteered to teach a class of teenage boys.
I cannot really explain the feeling, but the one thing I know is that I suddenly felt more energy and strength than I had felt before. The few hours of sleep refreshed more than they had before, and I was able to touch kids that needed to hear about Jesus. In coming obediently to the Lord I received renewed strength.
Humanly speaking, it did not make sense to take more responsibility when I was so tired, but the Scripture is so very plain. Those who are at ease are ignored. It is the weary and burdened believers that Jesus invites to take on His yoke. If you feel that your load is crushing you down, take His yoke and you will feel His refreshing touch in your life.
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
by Pastor Cecil | Jan 5, 2010 | 2 Timothy, Daily-E-Votionals
2 Timothy 3:16-17
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
For those of you with a keen eye and a photographic memory, you will notice that this is the same Scripture that I used in yesterday’s E-Votional. That is by design rather than by accident.
One of the most common accusations against Christians is that they are too judgmental. What does that mean? I think it basically means that we sometimes are prone to play Holy Spirit for other people. We tell them what they should or should not do in areas that are not mentioned in Scripture.
In this wonderful passage of Scripture in 2 Timothy, we find that God’s
Word is “useful.” In the King James it is translated “profitable.” In either case it sounds more like a tool than a weapon doesn’t it?
A careful study will show that it is not used as a weapon of judgmentalism, but rather as a tool used to teach, rebuke (correct false teaching), correct, and train in righteousness. A teacher soon learns that if you drive a student off by a harshness you may never be able to bring about understanding. Proverbs 15:1; “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.”
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jan 1, 2010 | Daily-E-Votionals
“Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.”
When I was stationed at St. Anthony, Newfoundland, our radar site was located high on a hill of solid rock. The buildings were held in place by steel rods that were drilled deep into the bedrock. When the terrible gales swept over our site, the solid rock is what kept the buildings from being blown away.
As we travel through this life we often will encounter storms that will shake us to the very core of our being. It is at this time that we need the solid rock of the Lord Jesus Christ to keep us close to Him. John Rippon published this hymn in 1787.
“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.com, 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
by Pastor Cecil | Dec 30, 2009 | Daily-E-Votionals
Jeremiah 2:13
“My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken Me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water.”
There is an expression that was popular a number of years ago, and it may still be in use for all I know: “It’s the pits!” Generally speaking it implies that things are not going the direction we would like them to go. Have you ever felt that way?
I can relate to that feeling at the moment because of something that happened earlier this afternoon. I have been trying to update some of my files and in doing so I have been shifting from program to program. I had Wednesday’s Daily-E-Votional completed and instead of saving it, I deleted it! That’s the pits!!!
I say that, but at the same time I must confess that such events have always been the work of the Lord. He is in complete control of my life and ministry. What may appear to be a fractured pit has often resulted in ministry beyond my ability.
I recall the story of a young lad that was told to bring water from the spring to the house using two wooden buckets. One of these had a fairly large leak and by the time he would reach the house, most of the water was gone.
Day after day he asked his grandfather for a new bucket or to just take one bucket to the spring, but he refused. After several weeks the boy threw something of a fit and wanted to know why he was required to use the leaky bucket. The old man took the boy by the hand and showed him the path to and from the spring. On the side where the bucket had leaked, there were flowers growing, but on the other side nothing but bare ground.
Perhaps the Lord has sown seeds along our path and our fractured container may be the life giving source that is needed.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Dec 3, 2009 | 2 Corinthians, Daily-E-Votionals
2 Corinthians 2:15-16
“We are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life. And who is equal to such a task?”
Back in the 1940’s our family had just moved from the State of Washington to the State of Idaho. It was a dramatic change from the lush green vegetation along the Columbia River to the dry, and often sagebrush covered, Boise Valley.
One thing that stands out in my mind is gathering onions in the late summer. The farmers in our county grew onions for seeds. They would then dig up the onion bulbs and truck them out and dump them in the desert. You located the free bounty by smell. Onions may have an odor to some people, but to our family they have always had beautiful aroma.
As I started writing this, I had no idea where it would lead me, but now I know. Just as onions may be either an odor or an aroma—depending on one’s point of view—so does our Christian witness.
The important thing for us to carefully consider is how the Lord considers us. Are we a sweet smelling aroma of vibrant life to Him, or an odor of dead flesh?
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
