by Pastor Cecil | Sep 19, 2014 | Genesis
Genesis 9:16
Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.
Years ago my wife Joyce and I were once driving along the beautiful Columbia River gorge in Oregon. A rain shower had recently swept across the area, and now bright sunlight flooded the area. As we drove, a rainbow kept pace beside the car. I know it was just a refraction of the sunlight, but what an awe inspiring sight.
There are two requirements to produce a rainbow, rain and sun. Without rain there could be no rainbow. Without sun there would be no rainbow. In the rainy times of our life, God’s tender care for us brings His rainbow of blessing. God’s covenant of love did not say that we would be free of rain, but He is always with us in the storms of life.
Back in 1879 Rev. J. K. Alwood was equally moved as he observed a rainbow in the western sky late one evening as he was traveling home. When he arrived at his home, he immediately composed the hymn for this week; The Unclouded Day.
The Unclouded Day
O they tell me of a home far beyond the skies,
O they tell me of a home far away;
O they tell me of a home where no storm clouds rise,
O they tell me of an unclouded day.
Chorus: O the land of cloudless day,
O the land of an unclouded sky;
O they tell me of a home, Where no storm clouds rise,
O they tell me of an unclouded day.
O they tell me of a home where my friends have gone,
O they tell me of that land far away;
Where the tree of life in eternal bloom
Sheds its fragrance thru the unclouded day.
Chorus: O the land of cloudless day,
O the land of an unclouded sky;
O they tell me of a home, Where no storm clouds rise,
O they tell me of an unclouded day.
O they tell me of the King in His beauty there,
And they tell me that mine eyes shall behold,
Where He sits on the throne that is whiter than snow,
In the city that is made of gold.
Chorus: O the land of cloudless day,
O the land of an unclouded sky;
O they tell me of a home, Where no storm clouds rise,
O they tell me of an unclouded day.
O they tell me that he smiles on His children there,
And his smile drives their sorrows all away;
And they tell me that no tears ever come again,
In that lovely land of unclouded day.
Chorus: O the land of cloudless day,
O the land of an unclouded sky;
O they tell me of a home, Where no storm clouds rise,
O they tell me of an unclouded day.
Enjoy this week’s free inspirational video The Unclouded Day, from GloryScapes™ Christian Hymns.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jun 18, 2014 | Genesis
Genesis 40:21-23
He restored the chief cup bearer to his position, so that he once again put the cup into Pharaoh’s hand—but he impaled the chief baker, just as Joseph had said to them in his interpretation. The chief cup bearer, however, did not remember Joseph; he forgot him.
Promises! How many times have we had our hearts crushed because the promises that were made have been violated? It seems as if we live in a time when our promise to fulfill a vow is null and void. If we feel like it, okay. If it is easier to do something else–forget the promise!
It is the same way with our relationship with the Lord. We may remember when we were filled with the thrill and excitement of our new walk with Christ. We promised to give our best to the Master, but that promise faded in the light of those temporary pleasures that make us feel good.
Here is a question I want to pose. I frequently ask the question of myself, so this is not intended to sound as if I am Mr. Goody-Goody Two Shoes. Here is the million dollar question: Ten seconds after we breathe our last breath on this earth, what will be important?
Power, prestige, pleasure, popularity, plush surroundings–they will have no value. There is an old quotation that seems as if it is a Scriptural passage, but I can’t find it in the Bible. Here it is: “Only one life, t’will soon be past, only what’s done for Christ will last!”
Remember your first love and the joy you had in serving the Lord!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Feb 14, 2014 | Genesis
Genesis 9:16
Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.
Years ago my wife Joyce and I were once driving along the beautiful Columbia River gorge in Oregon. A rain shower had recently swept across the area, and now bright sunlight flooded the area. As we drove, a rainbow kept pace beside the car. I know it was just a refraction of the sunlight, but what an awe inspiring sight.
There are two requirements to produce a rainbow, rain and sun. Without rain there could be no rainbow. Without sun there would be no rainbow. In the rainy times of our life, God’s tender care for us brings His rainbow of blessing. God’s covenant of love did not say that we would be free of rain, but He is always with us in the storms of life.
Back in 1879 Rev. J. K. Alwood was equally moved as he observed a rainbow in the western sky late one evening as he was traveling home. When he arrived at his home, he immediately composed the hymn for this week; The Unclouded Day.
The Unclouded Day
O they tell me of a home far beyond the skies,
O they tell me of a home far away;
O they tell me of a home where no storm clouds rise,
O they tell me of an unclouded day.
Chorus: O the land of cloudless day,
O the land of an unclouded sky;
O they tell me of a home, Where no storm clouds rise,
O they tell me of an unclouded day.
O they tell me of a home where my friends have gone,
O they tell me of that land far away;
Where the tree of life in eternal bloom
Sheds its fragrance thru the unclouded day.
Chorus: O the land of cloudless day,
O the land of an unclouded sky;
O they tell me of a home, Where no storm clouds rise,
O they tell me of an unclouded day.
O they tell me of the King in His beauty there,
And they tell me that mine eyes shall behold,
Where He sits on the throne that is whiter than snow,
In the city that is made of gold.
Chorus: O the land of cloudless day,
O the land of an unclouded sky;
O they tell me of a home, Where no storm clouds rise,
O they tell me of an unclouded day.
O they tell me that he smiles on His children there,
And his smile drives their sorrows all away;
And they tell me that no tears ever come again,
In that lovely land of unclouded day.
Chorus: O the land of cloudless day,
O the land of an unclouded sky;
O they tell me of a home, Where no storm clouds rise,
O they tell me of an unclouded day.
Enjoy this week’s free inspirational video The Unclouded Day, fromGloryScapes™ Christian Hymns.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jul 10, 2013 | Genesis
Genesis 2:24
That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh.
July 10, 1952 was a blistering hot day in Nampa, Idaho. I am not sure what the official high was for the day, but it was well over 100 degrees. A great day for a wedding! Actually it was! For some of you who may be mathematically challenged (I am one myself), that means we are celebrating sixty-one years of marriage today.
Our wedding day was a day that Joyce and I had been looking forward to for a long time. We had been sweethearts all through high school and had known for years that we would be married when we graduated. It was only a month after graduation that we pledged our love to each other and became ONE FLESH.
In a day when couples usually live together before marriage, we might seem old fashioned and dated. The excuse that many people give for violating the Word of God by living together is that they want to be sure that their marriage will work. The fact of the matter is that a higher percentage of these arrangements end in heartache and divorce.
God established a beautiful gift when He created the marriage union between a man and woman. This is a sacred gift and one that we need to cherish. Joyce and I have had such a fantastic life together that it is hard to explain it to others. I personally do not think that it requires a formula or prior training. It is simply becoming ONE FLESH!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jun 14, 2013 | Genesis
Genesis 9:16
“Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.”
Years ago my wife Joyce and I were once driving along the beautiful Columbia River gorge in Oregon. A rain shower had recently swept across the area, and now bright sunlight flooded the area. As we drove, a rainbow kept pace beside the car. I know it was just a refraction of the sunlight, but what an awe inspiring sight.
There are two requirements to produce a rainbow, rain and sun. Without rain there could be no rainbow. Without sun there would be no rainbow. In the rainy times of our life, God’s tender care for us brings His rainbow of blessing. God’s covenant of love did not say that we would be free of rain, but He is always with us in the storms of life.
Back in 1879 Rev. J. K. Alwood was equally moved as he observed a rainbow in the western sky late one evening as he was traveling home. When he arrived at his home, he immediately composed the hymn for this week; The Unclouded Day.
The Unclouded Day
O they tell me of a home far beyond the skies,
O they tell me of a home far away;
O they tell me of a home where no storm clouds rise,
O they tell me of an unclouded day.
Chorus: O the land of cloudless day,
O the land of an unclouded sky;
O they tell me of a home, Where no storm clouds rise,
O they tell me of an unclouded day.
O they tell me of a home where my friends have gone,
O they tell me of that land far away;
Where the tree of life in eternal bloom
Sheds its fragrance thru the unclouded day.
Chorus: O the land of cloudless day,
O the land of an unclouded sky;
O they tell me of a home, Where no storm clouds rise,
O they tell me of an unclouded day.
O they tell me of the King in His beauty there,
And they tell me that mine eyes shall behold,
Where He sits on the throne that is whiter than snow,
In the city that is made of gold.
Chorus: O the land of cloudless day,
O the land of an unclouded sky;
O they tell me of a home, Where no storm clouds rise,
O they tell me of an unclouded day.
O they tell me that he smiles on His children there,
And his smile drives their sorrows all away;
And they tell me that no tears ever come again,
In that lovely land of unclouded day.
Chorus: O the land of cloudless day,
O the land of an unclouded sky;
O they tell me of a home, Where no storm clouds rise,
O they tell me of an unclouded day.
Enjoy this week’s free inspirational video The Unclouded Day, from GloryScapes™ Christian Hymns.
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 | Oct 17, 2012 | Genesis
Genesis 41:42-43
Then Pharaoh took his signet ring off his hand and put it on Joseph’s hand; and he clothed him in garments of fine linen and put a gold chain around his neck. And he had him ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried out before him, “Bow the knee!” So he set him over all the land of Egypt.
I remember a day that came as a pleasant surprise to me. Joyce and I had known each other for about three years when I asked her to marry me. That may sound like we had taken it rather slow, but let me hasten to add that we were only 17 years old at the time. (I can still see the stunned look in her dad’s eyes when I asked him for permission to propose. He said yes!)
From that moment until we were married a year later, we had a deep joy and anticipation that we would be spending our lives together. That was over 60 years ago and we are more committed to one another than on that blissful day when we took our vows July 10, 1952. How time flies when you are truly in love!
Joseph was a man that has been my hero for as long as I can remember. He seemed to have every reason to hate his brothers for selling him into slavery. As a slave he could have felt sorry for himself and done only the least amount of work he could. But Joseph was a man who knew God and constantly lived his life to please the Lord. Even when he was falsely accused and sent to prison, he continued to honor God.
In one day things changed for Joseph. He was remembered by Pharaoh’s butler and was called to interpret the ruler’s strange dreams. Instead of taking credit himself for his interpretation, he credited the Lord in heaven. In that one day he went from prison to Prime Minister, second only to Pharaoh himself. Now that is a change! But Joseph did not let his position go to his head. All his life he recognized that it did not matter where he was, he was God’s man and he lived to please the Lord. That is the goal for my life as well.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing to others!
—Pastor Cecil
