by Pastor Cecil | Apr 17, 2012 | John
John 12:24
“I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.”
In order to produce a crop there must be a death. That sounds pretty profound, but it is the fundamental truth that the wheat farmer knows very well. He takes perfectly good seed and scatters it on the ground. To be precise, he uses equipment to plant the seeds at just the right depth and spacing to produce his crop.
After the seed is in the ground it must die to itself. Never again will that single grain of wheat be what it was before. As the soil surrounds it and the moisture seeps down to the level of the seed, it swells and breaks open. A blade of grass appears and works its way to the surface. It is still nothing but grass, but there is a harvest day coming!
After weeks and even months of growth, a head forms on the blade and not just one grain is found, but many grains fill the head. Through the hot days of ripening, the grain is ready to harvest and that one grain that went into the ground and died has produced a bountiful increase.
In the human realm we all too often hold tightly to life in order to serve one’s own interests. It is a constant preoccupation with self. True giving to the Lord requires dying to ourselves. As long as we do, we will not produce the way the Lord wants us to. The secret to prosperity in the spiritual realm is by dying to self. My prayer is that I will let go of the trinkets of this world and produce the spiritual bread of life.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Feb 23, 2012 | John
John 4:38
I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor.
From time to time I notice paper that has been dropped on the street or some other item that has not been attended to. I must admit that I usually am tempted to feel that it is another person’s responsibility. It is then that the Lord taps me on the shoulder and reminds me that if I have seen it then I am the one to do the task. Sometimes the job is yukky and it would be easy to ignore it, but the Lord wants me to have a servant spirit and do it with a sweet attitude.
I once had a young man come into my office for Christian counseling. The problem centered on the work he was doing at a local potato processing plant. It was hard for him to deal with some of his co-workers, and he was distressed that his own attitude was not what it should be.
After we talked for a quite awhile, I learned that the most degrading and miserable job at the plant was cleaning up the rotten potatoes at the end of the processing line. I suggested that he volunteer for the job and perform it as a service to the Lord. He did and there was a dramatic result. Because of the terrible smell of the potatoes, other workers kept clear and it gave him time to sing hymns and recite memory verses to himself. He was the last seasonal worker to be let go when the last of the potatoes were processed. Others remarked about how he blessed them.
I think the bottom line is that anything we see that needs to be done can be done as a service to the Lord. It is wrong to think that ministry is restricted to those who stand behind a pulpit. We are all called to serve where God plants us.
Blessings dear hearts. Walk with God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Feb 20, 2012 | John
John 17:15-17
My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; Your word is truth.
In 1966 and 1967 I was on an unaccompanied assignment to the northern tip of the Canadian Province of Newfoundland. By unaccompanied I mean that my precious wife, Joyce and our three beautiful kids could not go with me. I can truly empathize with our men and women of today’s military who are separated from their families. It is hard!
My assignment was to a radar site and I am sorry to say that morality was very low. I often prayed that the Lord would remove me from this place of sin. The Lord did not answer my prayer, but He did change the focus of my attention from how miserable I was to how I could be used by Him. He answered my prayer!
I was recently looking through my Air Force file. I found a certificate that was typically given at the end of an officer’s tour. It was almost always humorous and exaggerated. Mine was no exception except for the last sentence. “He will be long remembered by all for his lay-preaching, Sunday School teaching, Bible Class leadership and community relations.”
God did not remove me from my assignment with the US Air Force, but He did give me a ministry that I cherish. It has taught me that whenever situations arise in our life that distress me, instead of trying to get out it I ask the Lord how He wants to use me in that very situation. He has promised to be with us in the world. Thank you Lord!
Blessings dear hearts. Give obediently to the Lord, be willing to make the Lord’s deliveries when asked and above all, be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jan 11, 2012 | John
John 15:5-7
I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit;apart from Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in Me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, and thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in Me and My words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.
Several years ago I read a brief biographical sketch about the 18th President of the United States, Ulysses S. Grant, who was the President at the close of the Civil War and a very interesting man. Let me give you just a few glimpses into what he was like. He graduated from the US Military Academy at West Point. His roommate was Fred Dent. Once when he was interviewed about what kind of man the President was, Fred Dent replied, “In all the time we roomed together, I never knew Ulysses to use a single vulgar or profane word.” Wow!
Fred spoke highly of Ulysses to his sister, Julia, and finally introduced them in 1844. Ulysses fell in love with Julia and began to court her. It is told that his proposal was somewhat unusual. They were crossing a stream and he told Julia to cling to him and he would see that they made it safely across. When they reached the other side, he told Julia that if she would cling to him the rest of their life, he would like for her to become his wife. SHE CLUNG! We are told that they were one of the most loving couples ever to occupy the White House. They insisted on being together on every occasion. They held hands and always enjoyed their times together. Their children reported that there was never any animosity between them.
Well, so much for today’s history lesson. But it is not merely history, but an example of how we can make a spiritual application. I believe we should always be looking for spiritual applications in the things we see or hear. The Lord wants us to cling closely to Him. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if people view us as walking so close to God that it was as though we were holding hands? I do not desire for that to sound sacrilegious or flippant, but a word picture, no more than simply a word picture. An example of our love for the One who died in order that we might be as little children walking hand in hand with our Lord, in confidence, trust, and total dependence.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jan 10, 2012 | 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
My most recent frustration began early Saturday morning. I had just returned from my exercise and sat down at the computer to check messages. When I moved the mouse the screen went blank. I had lost the power supply unit!
Fortunately I had my old computer in the closet and drug it out and immediately discovered that much had changed—I spent hours trying to get it up and running to a degree. Yesterday’s Daily-E-Votional was typed on the old computer. I lacked the addresses so I had to wait until the new power supply unit was installed. Fortunately I have a friend who did it overnight and he delivered it just before our service started this morning. (Are you keeping up with this story of frustration?) Then the repaired computer would not function and I spent more hours trying to call my friend for help. I decided to look at the back of the computer and saw a switch. I flipped it and guess what… Power!
I must confess that the frustration of the past two days has occupied a large part of my mind. (I do not have much to spare!) God gave us a wonderful worship service today and I was able to counsel a few people who had far more frustration in their life than I did.
The bottom line is this: According to today’s Scripture, God promises His wonderful peace. In the stormy times of life we are promised a peace that passes understanding. We do not need to intellectualize it, but to experience it. Thank you Lord!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jan 5, 2012 | John
John 16:3
I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.
Small things can cause as much pain as a major injury. A new pair of shoes caused blisters and bruising on both of my little toes. I was amazed at how such a small irritation can create such havoc in your life. I am not a namby-pamby when it comes to pain. As a matter of fact I do not get deadening when my teeth are filled.
I had to walk around carefully while the toes healed, which brought to mind an incident during my Air Force days. I had slipped while descending polished stairs in my stockings. The little toe on my right foot struck a banister pole. Ouch! I was not sure if it was broken or just bruised.
I went to the emergency room to see what I should do if it was strained and was told that the treatment would be to tape the injured toe to the one next to it. I then asked what the treatment would be if it was broken—I was told that they would tape the injured toe to the one next to it. They said they wanted to x-ray my foot. When I asked why they would want to do that, they said it was so they would know why they were taping the toe. I hobbled out and taped it myself.
In both of those incidents I could have allowed the pain to put me out of service. I made a choice to keep on with my necessary activities until the pain eased up. Spiritually we also encounter painful seasons of life. We have two choices to make…we can drop out because of the pain…or we take up the yoke of Christ and make a difference in the world. I choose the yoke.
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
P.P.S. – 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.
