by Pastor Cecil | Apr 16, 2018 | Joshua
Joshua 9:17
“Then the men of Israel took some of their provisions; but they did not ask counsel of the Lord.”
The Gibeonites inhabited a part of the territory the Israelites were to possess in the land that God had promised them; they had also heard about what happened to other peoples who had tried to oppose Israel. So the devious Gibeonites devised a clever deception. They dressed in tattered garments and had food that seemed old and moldy. They pretended to be a people from a far country and not inhabitants of the land God had told Joshua to conquer.
Foolishly, Joshua and the Israelite leaders took it upon themselves to inspect the material possessions of the Gibeonites instead of inquiring of the Lord as to who these people were. God would have revealed the truth if only the Israelites had asked Him. The outcome was not a good one for Israel.
That is still the case in our own day and age. We frequently try to make our own decisions without spending time on our knees before the Lord seeking His direction for our life.
What decisions are you facing right now? I encourage you to spend time in prayer to seek the Lord’s will for your situation. He knows all of our days that lay before us and He alone can give us the direction we need.
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Apr 11, 2018 | Joshua
Joshua 1:8
“This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.“
As a boy I had a very close friend who was my age and lived next door. We remained friends over the years through thick and thin. There is one major difference—my friend became consumed with making money while I was consumed with serving the Lord. My dear friend became a millionaire while I have very little of this world’s goods.
Sad to say, many people have become so preoccupied with making money that they have taken their eyes off of Jesus. What a tragedy! I once heard a statement made by one of my favorite Bible teachers that has stirred my thinking. “True prosperity is achieving the will of God.”
Wow! What a clear and concise statement! It reminds me that the richest people I have ever met are some of the poorest. They have little of this world’s goods, but they serve the Lord with such sincerity of mind and purpose that contentment abounds.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Nov 8, 2016 | Joshua
Joshua 24:15
“And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
Moses had presented his “upper-desert discourse” known as the Book of Deuteronomy. His successor, Joshua, likewise had a final challenge to the people. It is found in the 24th chapter of Joshua. Today’s Scripture is his challenge for the people to choose the Lord. They said they would, but they did not do it.
In the United States today we will be voting for individuals to be our leaders in various offices. There is no way that any leader can change the course of a nation. It must be the determination of the people to serve the Lord. Then, and only then, will we be able to see transformation.
2 Chronicles 7:14 makes it very plain how we as believers can direct our nation. That applies here in the U.S. or any other nation: “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”
Let us choose to go God’s way and change our world regardless of the cost.
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Oct 10, 2016 | Joshua
Joshua 24:15b
“But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
Throughout the course of time, countless fathers have bowed in humble submission to their Heavenly Father and dedicated their family to serve Him. I have known many ministers of the Gospel who have prayerfully given their families over to serve the Lord.
The heartbreak is that some of the children who were dedicated to serve the Lord have chosen to turn away from the Faith. It is heart rending for these precious servants of the Lord to feel helpless as their children reject everything they have been taught.
There is no easy answer to the question of why this happens. In some cases there may be something the children see in their father that fails to ring true. But in other instances, it is pure rebellion on the child’s part.
God has established the role of the father to provide an umbrella of spiritual protection for his wife and children. As long as they remain under that umbrella, they experience the blessing of the Lord. As free moral agents, however, it is their choice to step from under that spiritual covering. The only thing that a father can do is stay close to the Lord and be prepared to welcome the prodigal child if and when he or she returns.
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jun 30, 2016 | Joshua
Joshua 24:15
“And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.“
I want to tell you right up front that I am 82. I know that some people think I still act like a kid, but I am a genuinely certified senior citizen, whatever that means. Many others often refer to the fact that I am retired.
Let me see: I pastor a small congregation, write the Daily-E-Votional five days a week, record audio versions of the Daily-E-Votional, as well as audio recordings that take us through the Bible in one year, have published seven books and am just finishing the eighth. Yep! Stop to think of it, I guess I am retired.
In my humble opinion, retirement is one of the saddest occupations a person can have. It will make you old! I do not want to get old, I want to occupy until Jesus comes or until He chooses to take me home. I want to die with my spiritual boots on!
Worldly fame and applause soon fades away. Money and the stuff of this world will soon tarnish and fade away. What we do for the Lord on this earth is the only lasting accomplishment that we will ever achieve.
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Apr 26, 2016 | Joshua
Joshua 24:15
“And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
Yesterday I had lunch with a good friend to celebrate his birthday. As I reviewed the menu, I was faced with many appealing choices. I knew that whatever I chose would be delicious, but would it be good for me? Ah! That’s a different story isn’t it?
From time to time we all are called upon to make choices. As a matter of fact, we are faced with choices each and every day. Some of these choices are relatively insignificant (such as what to order off a restaurant menu) while others could be life changing.
The Israelites had seen the powerful hand of the Lord lead them from their bondage in Egypt to possess the Promised Land. You would think that they would never want to turn their back on God, but they did! Why? Because Satan tempted them to do so.
I have no idea what temptation you are facing right now in your life, but I urge you to make the right choice and, like Joshua, choose to serve the Lord!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
