by Pastor Cecil | Jul 25, 2011 | 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.”
I do not recall many times when people gather around a living room to discuss death and dying. It certainly would not make for a popular pastime. Oh, I well know that after the death of a family member, the family gathers to recall the life of the deceased, but that is not the same as simply talking about death.
Even though death is not a popular topic, it is an ever present reality. Unless the Lord calls us to meet Him in the air, we are all destined to die. With that reality on the table, what are we going to do about it? What do we think or feel about the reality of our demise?
Today’s Scripture has been a favorite verse of mine for many years. To me it speaks of real hope. I am told that at one time grains of wheat were found in an ancient tomb. Because of the dry and dark conditions the wheat remained as it was when placed there thousands of years ago.
Someone took a few of the grains of wheat and planted them in good soil with just the proper amount of moisture. Sure enough, the wheat began to grow and finally developed into a stalk and head that had multiplied many times over.
The only way that the wheat reproduced was by going into the ground and dying. You and I are like grains of wheat. Unless we are willing to die to self and the flesh, we will never hope to produce a crop. Are you willing to die in order to allow the Lord to bring a bountiful harvest of souls? I pray that you are.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
(360) 570-0074
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 Please feel free to forward this E-Votional on to your family and friends.
by Pastor Cecil | Jun 28, 2011 | John
John 15:12-13
“I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on His own; He will speak only what He hears, and He will tell you what is yet to come.”
I enlisted in the Air Force back in 1953. My first assignment was as a jet mechanic. It was quite a thrill to tear a jet engine apart to repair and/or inspect it, and then rebuild it to an air worthy condition.
Needless to say, jet engines are under great pressure and vibration — to say nothing of the forces of gravity that they would be subjected to. In an effort to reduce the possibility of a bolt becoming loose, holes were drilled all around the hex-headed bolts or nuts. It was one of our jobs to twist safety wire from one bolt to the next in order to insure that they did not become loose during the vibration of flight.
There was sometimes a problem. In order to reach certain locations on the engine, we almost had to work upside down. The result was that from time to time we did the wire twisting in reverse. That meant that any movement would tend to loosen rather than tighten the bolts. Bad medicine! In order to prevent that, we had an inspector who would always check our work to insure we did it right.
Spiritually we have safety wire to keep us from coming dislodged. It is the Word of God. We also have an Inspector who is ever present to insure that what we do is good, acceptable and pleasing. It is the precious Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity. He never leaves us nor forsakes us, but is always there beside us to show us the way. Praise the Lord for His gracious concern for us!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil (360) 570-0074
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 Please feel free to forward this E-Votional on to your family and friends.
by Pastor Cecil | Jun 6, 2011 | John
John 14:1-6
“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. And where I go you know, and the way you know.” Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?’ Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.’ ”
I was asked to do a devotional for my dear friend, Sam Tubb, who went to be with the Lord on Wednesday, June 1st. I wanted to share it with all of our readers in the hope that it may touch others who have been or will be experiencing the loss.
What wonderful words of comfort we find in these six verses. Jesus knew that He was going to leave His disciples in the very near future. I think He knew that there would be very heavy hearts because of His departure. He wanted to leave them (and us) with words that would lift grief stricken hearts to see the hope of eternity.
For the true born again believer, there is reason for assurance and joy as we say farewell to our days on earth and hello to an eternity that will never end. Actually for the true believer, we have already died to Christ and passed from death to life. So the last breath we take on this side of eternity will prepare us for the first breath of celestial air. Sam is breathing that crystal clear celestial air right now. He fought long and hard to beat the ravages of cancer, and prayed for healing. God has heard his prayer and he has received his “perfect healing.”
Back in 1990 our daughter was very near death. I was visiting her in her hospital room one afternoon. It was just the two of us in her room. She looked over at me and said, “You know dad, I feel that I have been cheated. Grandpa lived to be 74 (Sam’s age) and I am just 35. I feel as if I have been cheated out of half of my life.”
Wow! For once in my life I did not respond immediately. On the way home that night I prayed for wisdom. I needed to have some graphic way to speak hope and encouragement when I returned the next day. It was then that the Holy Spirit directed me to use sand as an example.
When I got home I took a piece of typing paper and went into the garage. I brushed some sand onto the paper and went directly to the kitchen. With a bright light and sharp knife I counted out 74 tiny grains of sand. It was such a tiny amount of sand that I wondered what to put it in. Then I thought of those tiny sample perfume bottles. Luckily my wife had one, so I poured the grains into it. It hardly covered the bottom.
The next day when I entered our daughter’s room, I placed the bottle on her bed. She looked puzzled and asked what it was. I told her it was grandpa. Then she really looked puzzled. I said, “You remember yesterday when you said you felt like you had been cheated out of half of your life?” She nodded.
I went on. “Try to imagine that the entire earth was one big ball of fine sand and each tiny grain represents one year of eternity. It would be more than that, but just start there. Now imagine that you remove these 74 grains of sand from the huge ball of sand. What are these 74 grains compared to all the billions and billions of others?” She replied, “Nothing.”
It was time for my words of reality. I pointed out that if 74 years was nothing, then her 35 years were also nothing. It really does not matter how long or how short our life span might be. It is the decision we make to receive Jesus Christ by personal invitation that really matters.
I have known Sam Tubb for well over 40 years. First in Officer’s Training School, and later as Minuteman Missile Combat Crew Commanders. Over the years I have been blessed to see Jesus become more and more real in Sam’s life. That is the greatest accomplishment he could ever achieve.
As we come to confirm the reality of Sam Tubb’s final departure from this earth, his spirit we leave with God. For we know the merciful Judge of all the earth will do right. It is up to us who remain to receive Jesus Christ by personal invitation. It is only in this manner that we will obtain eternal life and spend all of eternity with our precious Lord and those believers, such as Sam, who have gone on before us. What a reunion we will have when we are all gathered together to never part!
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
P.S. – You can help! Please consider trying to get one other person to subscribe to the Daily-E-Votional. This worldwide ministry asks for no funds and is sent to glorify our precious Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Have them go to https://dailyevotional.com/prior2020/subscribe and enter their email address.
by Pastor Cecil | May 16, 2011 | John
John 10:11-12
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them.”
Over the years it has been my rich blessing to know many medical doctors and count them as dear friends. Some of you doctor friends of mine may be reading this and it in no way discredits how important you are to me and all of your other patients.
Last week Joyce and I were recalling how difficult it was for her to give our daughter Lori her insulin shot when we first discovered that she was a diabetic. Doctor Quentin Howard asked for Joyce to come by the house and he had her practice on him by using an empty syringe. What a godly and sweet man of God as well as an excellent doctor. That is why I titled today’s E-Votional, “Now That’s A Doctor!”
As I think of the wonderful way he allowed her to practice giving him shots, I think of the greater sacrifice Jesus made for us. He knew we could never do the job ourselves because salvation required the blood of a perfect man. The only one who could ever fill that role was the Man, Christ Jesus. Now that’s a Savior! Praise the Lord for His redeeming work on the cross in our behalf.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil (360) 570-0074
P.S. – You can help! Please consider trying to get one other person to subscribe to the Daily-E-Votional. This worldwide ministry asks for no funds and is sent to glorify our precious Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
by Pastor Cecil | Mar 8, 2011 | John
John 17:15-17
“I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.”
I am once again treading on the sacred ground of prayer. It may well get me in trouble once again, but the Lord is laying it on my heart, and I would rather be led by the Holy Spirit than fear the reactions of others.
Have you ever listened to prayer requests and then heard the prayers offered by the believers who gather? “Let’s remember to pray for my neighbor’s brother’s uncle’s son who is having his tonsils out.” We do not know who it is and how do we know what God is doing in that family?
As I search out the prayers in the Bible, I see that almost all of them focus on the Lord strengthening the believers to do the work of the Lord. In today’s Scripture I am impressed that Jesus did not pray for the deliverance of His disciples—He prayed instead that the Father would “keep them from the evil one.”
I really wonder what would happen to bring about revival if we spent as much time imploring the Lord to bless, empower, enlighten and lead His people as we do praying for someone’s tonsils.
I pray for each one of you reading this that the Spirit of God may open your heart and mind and fill you with His grace. I pray that you may become a more effective witness for Jesus Christ than ever before.
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
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. – I have completed my first book, 100 of Pastor Cecil’s Select Illustrations. The cost is $12.95 plus shipping. You can now order it online by going to https://dailyevotional.com/prior2020/book-by-pastor-cecil . . . You may want to consider this book as a thoughtful gift idea for those who do not have Internet access or as helpful sermon illustrations for your Pastor.
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by Pastor Cecil | Mar 7, 2011 | John
John 16:33
“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”
In our pursuit to achieve happiness and contentment our normal reaction to any uncomfortable situation is get out from under it. I have spent a lifetime counseling individuals and couples, and have found that their primary aim is to be happy and comfortable.
I have been the bearer of bad news that in this world we will not be protected from pain, suffering and tragedy. Does that mean we cannot be happy? Not on your life. The words of today’s Scripture were spoken by Jesus Himself.
As we read His words, we notice that our source of peace is to be found in Jesus Himself. Jesus says that in this world we will have tribulation. He immediately gives us the instruction to be of good cheer.
STOP! Notice that the good cheer follows His words that we will have tribulation in this old sin-sick world. There are two major points that I hear Jesus saying: 1) In Him we have the source of peace. That should be our primary goal—to be in Him.
2) We can be of good cheer because He has overcome the world. Did you notice that? He has already overcome the world! Jesus wins! That being the case we need to stop when tribulations arise and ask Him what He wants to teach us. We are not alone, He is leading us and guiding us, even in the times of tribulation. What joy!
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
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. – I have completed my first book, 100 of Pastor Cecil’s Select Illustrations. The cost is $12.95 plus shipping. You can now order it online by going to https://dailyevotional.com/prior2020/book-by-pastor-cecil . . . You may want to consider this book as a thoughtful gift idea for those who do not have Internet access or as helpful sermon illustrations for your Pastor.
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