by Pastor Cecil | Jun 11, 2010 | Jeremiah
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.”
Back when I was a teenager (believe me, that was a long time ago) I worked for my uncle on the Oklahoma Panhandle. My job was to drive a tractor pulling a disc plow. For those who have not been there or done that, a disc plow is a row of concave circular steel discs that turn over the soil. It is about 15 or 20 feet wide.
You always kicked up large amounts of dust. At times the wind would be blowing and the dust blew back over you, covering you from head to foot with a layer of fine dust. My uncle always told me to go to the pump before coming in the house. The water from the pump was cool as well as washing away the thick grime.
Sin has covered us with layer upon layer of filth and grime. It does not matter what we do to get rid of it, it still remains. It is only by the blood that flows from Calvary’s Fountain that we can be cleansed and refreshed.
“There Is A Fountain“
There is a fountain filled with blood
drawn from Emmanuel’s veins;
And sinners plunged beneath that flood
lose all their guilty stains.
Lose all their guilty stains,
lose all their guilty stains;
And sinners plunged beneath that flood
lose all their guilty stains.
The dying thief rejoiced to see
that fountain in his day;
And there have I, though vile as he,
washed all my sins away.
Washed all my sins away,
washed all my sins away;
And there have I, though vile as he,
washed all my sins away.
Dear dying Lamb, Thy precious blood
shall never lose its power
Till all the ransomed church of God
be saved, to sin no more.
Be saved, to sin no more,
be saved, to sin no more;
Till all the ransomed church of God
be saved, to sin no more.
E’er since, by faith, I saw the stream
Thy flowing wounds supply,
Redeeming love has been my theme,
and shall be till I die.
And shall be till I die,
and shall be till I die;
Redeeming love has been my theme,
and shall be till I die.
Then in a nobler, sweeter song,
I’ll sing Thy power to save,
When this poor lisping, stammering tongue
lies silent in the grave.
Lies silent in the grave,
lies silent in the grave;
When this poor lisping, stammering tongue
lies silent in the grave.
Lord, I believe Thou hast prepared,
unworthy though I be,
For me a blood bought free reward,
a golden harp for me!
‘Tis strung and tuned for endless years,
and formed by power divine,
To sound in God the Father’s ears
no other name but Thine.
To access There Is A Fountain, this week’s inspirational video from GloryScapes™ Inspirational Music Videos, please go to: http://www.gloryscapes.com/thereisafountain 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 | Dec 30, 2009 | Jeremiah
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 28, 2009 | Jeremiah
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.”
I was stunned by a news report a few days ago. The report said a poll was made to determine the spiritual view of people in our state (Washington). It revealed that the majority did not consider themselves, religious, or that spiritual values were important. It was a shock, but at the same time it did not take a rocket scientist to be aware of that prevalent attitude.
I am sure that Jeremiah must have observed this same attitude in the people of his day. Today’s Scripture reveals God’s two-fold judgment on wayward believers: They had forsaken God and they had replaced Him with a poor substitute.
It is interesting to compare the two examples the Lord uses: A spring of living water and leaky cisterns. A spring brings forth fresh clean water. We have a perfect example of this in Olympia, Washington where we live.
In the center of town there is a rustic looking fountain that produces pure drinking water twenty four hours a day. Businesses have built up all around it, but in the middle of a parking lot it goes right on flowing fresh water.
Across town there is a catch basin called Yauger Park. In periods of heavy rains it often becomes a lake. But when the rain stops the water drains or evaporates completely. God says that His people have not only built cisterns, but the ones they constructed were broken and could not retain water. I would like to explore this subject in the next few days.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Aug 19, 2009 | Jeremiah
Jeremiah 9:24
“‘Let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,’ declares the LORD.”
There is a police officer in Phoenix, Arizona, who experienced a life-changing event. He was handsome, a fine officer, married to a beautiful wife and the father of two children.
While he was parked at an intersection, waiting for the light to change, his car was struck and he was engulfed in flames. He survived the fiery crash, but his face was badly disfigured. His beautiful wife had married the man, not because he was handsome, but because of his inner qualities. She stood beside him and loved him as he struggled through rehabilitation and return to duty.
Unfortunately there are those who love for the wrong reasons. They see only the outward appearance and are swept away by their emotions. The reality is that these bodies of our change, either through accident or aging. I can honestly say that my dear wife is more beautiful now than when we married 57 years ago.
In today’s Scripture we see that God finds delight in our boasting about what a great and mighty God we serve. As we praise and glorify His name, He takes delight. Isn’t it amazing that we can delight the God who created the entire universe. I want to boast about His greatness with all of my strength. What a mighty God we serve!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Sep 29, 2008 | Jeremiah
Jeremiah 17:9-10
“The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? I the LORD search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve.”
That title is meant to imply a questioning analysis of the things going on around us. I have to confess that I can be very cynical when I hear unsaved people sit in judgment of anything spiritual.
Here is an example of an inconsistency I notice. I have heard people from many ethnic groups and religious persuasions take the Lord’s name in vain. It blows my mind that they profane the name of Jesus or God. Why do they not profane their own supposed god? I think that they know the truth but refuse to admit it.
Tragedies are a very real part of the human experience. It may be a personal or family tragedy. On a wider scale it may be something that impacts a whole community or even a nation. It is then that people call out to the One true God and Jesus Christ His Son.
Perhaps you have read the joke about a church who fasted and prayed for lightning to strike a tavern that was scheduled to open next door to the church. Sure enough the night before the tavern was due to open it was struck by lightning and burned to the ground.
The tavern owner sued the church, claiming that they were responsible for his business being destroyed. The church argued that they were not responsible for the destruction.
In his deliberation the judge said that he was confounded. He was dealing with a tavern owner who believed in the power of prayer and on the other hand a church congregation that didn’t! Ouch!!
How about the subject of biblical prophecy? It’s ironic that I read in secular publications that the end is near, while many Christians have steered clear of any serious study of the subject.
They glibly quote the verse in Matthew 24:36; “No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” These people fail to recognize that in the entire 24th chapter, Jesus describes what things to look for prior to His return.
If you want a wake-up call that will take away the hummm from your life, read what Jesus says in Matthew 24:37-39; “As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.”
I pray that we will not be lulled into a sense of lethargy at this critical time of world history. Draw near to the Lord yourself and invite others to receive Jesus Christ by personal invitation. Come, Lord Jesus!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
— Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Aug 27, 2008 | Jeremiah
Jeremiah 15:16
“When Your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart’s delight, for I bear Your name, O LORD God Almighty.”
Over the years as a Christian Counselor and Pastor, I have been inundated with people who experience sadness and depression. In most cases there had been, or presently was, a devastating event, but not always.
I may not be the smartest man in the world, but one thing I learned quite early is that you don’t tell someone to cheer up and be happy when their chin is on the ground and they are so low they have to look up to see the ground!
Is there a solution to overcome the problem of our heartache and despair? Well, according to today’s Scripture, joy and delight come from devouring God’s Word. That means more than simply reading His Word—we need to memorize it and meditate on it as well.
Back in 1910 an evangelist by the name of Luther Bridgers was traveling to preach the Word. His wife and three boys stayed with her parents while he was away. One night while she was there, the house caught on fire and Bridger’s wife and three sons died in the flames.
When word of the tragedy reached Rev. Bridgers he was crushed. He immediately went to the Lord in prayer and allowed Him to do what no human counselor could do. After a time, he felt the joy that only the Lord can give. He knew that he would see his family again when he went to be with the Lord.
As he felt the healing strength of the Lord pour over him and fill him with a joy that the world can never know, he penned the words to a song that has filled many of us with hope across the years.
“THERE’S WITHIN MY HEART A MELODY”
There’s within my heart a melody
Jesus whispers sweet and low,
“Fear not I am with thee, Peace, be still
in all of life’s ebb and flow.”
(Refrain) Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Sweetest name I know.
Fills my every longing, Keeps me singing as I go.
Though sometimes he leads through waters deep,
trials fall across the way,
though sometimes the path seems rough and steep,
see his footprints all the way.
(Refrain)
Soon he’s coming back to welcome me
far beyond the starry sky;
I shall wing my flight to worlds unknown;
I shall reign with him on high.
(Refrain)
Is there a melody in your heart today? Are you fractured, broken, full of suffering and pain? In the midst of the stormy seas of life there comes One who is able to give joy and peace in the midst of our turmoil.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing to others!
— Pastor Cecil
