by Pastor Cecil | Sep 4, 2013 | John
John 14:27
Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
As a nine year old boy, I can recall the end of World War II. It was a joyous celebration and people were running into the streets shouting, “PEACE!” The terrible ordeal was over and no longer would we have we live in fear.
That peace did not last very long. For Israel, whose people had been so violently oppressed by the Nazi’s, the oppression continued. They were hung out to dry by Great Britain and the hungry wolves surrounding them were poised to devour them. It was only by the divine intervention of the Almighty God that they were able to declare their independence and become a nation. PEACE IN THE MIDST OF THE STORM!
True peace comes with a price. That price is faith in God and turning our weakness over to His almighty power. There is a photo I have seen of a lighthouse with a huge wave hitting it. While the wave strikes one side, the lighthouse keeper stands in the doorway on the other side, safe from the torrent.
There may be a mighty storm in your life at this very moment. It may be a storm that only you and the Lord know about. I assure you that as you hide in Him, He will be your shelter in the storm and give you a sweet peace. He never promises to take us out of the storms of life, but He is always with us in these storms.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jul 29, 2013 | John
John 13:34-35
A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.
When was the last time you told the Lord that you loved Him? In this and other scriptures I discover that we are to be lovers. It starts with loving the Lord with all of our heart. According to our Lord Jesus, that is the first and greatest commandment. He goes on to add that the second is to love our neighbor as ourselves.
I once heard a Christian Counselor share about his experience in trying to restore a marriage that was near the breaking point. The wife had shared that her husband never told her that he loved her. The husband fired back that he told her he loved her when they were married 35 years ago and he had not rescinded his declaration. It was still in effect!
Wow! That is a hard nut to crack! It may sound reasonable to that husband, but it did not sound reasonable to his wife and it does not sound reasonable to me. Love is a precious thing and it must be demonstrated and expressed as often as possible.
As people grow older they lose the physical abilities they once possessed. This gives us opportunities to show our love. It may be a brother, sister, husband or wife who has a need. We may feel inadequate, but at least we can show our love by doing what we can, even smile while as we show our love. By loving others we demonstrate our love for the Lord!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jun 3, 2013 | John
John 11:25-26
I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?
One of the realities of getting older is saying farewell to loved ones and friends. Many times they are younger than we are. I have learned that none of us can be assured how long we will live; but what about the idea of separation?
If you are anything like me, you are heartsick when a loved one dies or even moves away from your area. In like, many I have been grieved to hear of homes that have been shattered by separation and divorce. I want things to remain!
Death is often thought of as the ultimate separation. For those who do not know the Lord Jesus as their personal Savior, death is just that! But what about those of us who have our name written in the Book of Life. There is an answer!
The answer is that we can see our loved ones again. The assurance the Bible gives us is that those who believe in Jesus will never die. That means when we as believers leave this world, we will be joined together for eternity. There will never be separation. I look forward to that day!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | May 20, 2013 | John
John 3:16-17
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
Sometimes when we are the most unlovable of all creatures . . . we need love the most. I guess it is just the sinful nature within us. We often do and say things that are so ungodly that we try to deny our conduct . . . even to ourselves.
We can and should confess our indiscretions to the Lord, and we are assured that He will forgive us when we confess. But that still leaves us with a feeling of emptiness and alienation from others. At the time we need them the most, we often act like a riled porcupine and keep people far from us.
I recall that I was leading a small group Bible study years ago. One of the men in the group was a prominent business man with a reputation of being cantankerous. I felt uneasy having him in the class for fear that he would drive others away.
One night I encouraged members to share their need of love and prayer from the group. He was the first one to respond and confessed that he needed us to pray that the Lord would cleanse him and give him a new nature. As we prayed for him there was a spirit of love that transformed him completely. The man received pure love from part of the body of Christ. He was changed and his subsequent behavior reflected that change. If you need that kind of love, God is ready to give it to you.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | May 15, 2013 | John
John 12:24-25
Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.
I am not much of a farmer or even a gardener. Even with my limited knowledge about this area I have been aware of one thing: God has established a principle that has remained consistent across the ages of time. In order to have a harvest, there must be a seed time.
Grains of wheat have been found in Egyptian tombs. Being dark and dry it remained just individual seeds for centuries. When these grains were test planted to see what would happen . . . they died! That is, they stopped being dry and dormant seeds. But in death the seeds produced shoots that broke the ground, and after a time a head appeared. These once individual grains reproduced. A seed had to go into the ground and die before it could produce a crop.
My grandparents were wheat farmers on the Oklahoma Panhandle. It was always a delight to travel from our home in the Pacific Northwest to visit and experience the excitement of harvest time. They grew winter wheat which was planted in the fall and harvested in the heat of summer.
I think it is safe to say that seeds are always planted in a different season than when they are harvested. Spiritually we are called to die to ourselves in order to allow a harvest in the future. Are you dying to self that others may find life? Are you planting what others will reap or are you reaping what others have planted? We are all intended to be fruitful servants of the Lord.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Apr 19, 2013 | John
“Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (John 14:27).
We have a liberal college in our community and from time to time we see bumper stickers from this group that read, World Peace. Some jokesters have made a play on this sticker by coming up with one of their own; Whirled Peas. I suppose the second sticker is much more easily achieved.
From the day that Adam and Eve sinned and were evicted from the garden there has been strife, conflicts and wars. For all of the rhetoric about attaining peace we are no closer to world peace, nor will we ever be until Jesus comes again to establish His Wonderful Peace over all the earth.
What a fantastic day it will be when there is eternal peace. The featured hymn this week from GloryScapes, is Wonderful Peace.
Wonderful Peace
Far away in the depths of my spirit tonight
Rolls a melody sweeter than psalm;
In celestial strains it unceasingly falls
O’er my soul like an infinite calm.
Refrain: Peace, peace, wonderful peace,
Coming down from the Father above!
Sweep over my spirit forever, I pray
In fathomless billows of love!
What a treasure I have in this wonderful peace,
Buried deep in the heart of my soul,
So secure that no power can mine it away,
While the years of eternity roll!
Refrain
I am resting tonight in this wonderful peace,
Resting sweetly in Jesus’ control;
For I’m kept from all danger by night and by day,
And His glory is flooding my soul!
Refrain
And I think when I rise to that city of peace,
Where the Anchor of peace I shall see,
That one strain of the song which the ransomed will sing
In that heavenly kingdom will be:
Refrain
Ah, soul! are you here without comfort and rest,
Marching down the rough pathway of time?
Make Jesus your Friend ere the shadows grow dark;
O accept of this peace so sublime!
Refrain
To access Wonderful Peace, this week’s inspirational video from GloryScapes™ Inspirational Music Videos, please go to: http://www.gloryscapes.com/wonderfulpeace/ 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
