by Pastor Cecil | Apr 10, 2013 | Luke
Luke 21:29b-32
Look at the fig tree, and all the trees.When they are already budding, you see and know for yourselves that summer is now near. So you also, when you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near. Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all things take place.
I have no idea what it would feel like to be a horticulturist, but this year I have made a stab at getting a feel for producing plants from seeds. Last fall I saved seeds from a tomato plant and our favorite squash that we had bought at the store. I saved the seeds in an envelope and started them several weeks ago in potting soil. Now they are growing like crazy!
Before long I will transplant them into the garden with every expectation of seeing a crop this summer and fall. It is the law of seed time and harvest. When I first saw the tiny leaves poke through the potting soil, I could visualize a harvest.
As we read this passage in Luke 21, it is with the understanding that Jesus is giving us a prophetic message. I am told that the fig tree is a symbol of the nation of Israel. On May 14, 1948, Israel became a nation in spite of all odds. We might say that the prophetic time clock began on that day.
Notice that Jesus tells us that the generation that observes this birth will not pass away before God establishes His kingdom. There will be a shout and the saints will rise to meet Him in the air. The long-expected rapture of the church! Now is the time to work as we have never worked before to insure that the lost are reached for the Lord. I eagerly look forward to meeting each of you on that great and glorious day!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jan 28, 2013 | Luke
Luke 12:35-36
Let your waist be girded and your lamps burning; and you yourselves be like men who wait for their master, when he will return from the wedding, that when he comes and knocks they may open to him immediately.
In the past few months there has been a program on the Weather Channel that has intrigued me. It is called Iceberg Hunters. The reason for my interest is that the iceberg hunters live and work out of St. Anthony, Newfoundland. That was where I was stationed with the US Air Force back in 1967. Our radar site was an early warning station to protect our nation against surprise attack.
One of the major elements in defending against aggression is being on alert at all times. I can still recall the long night hours when I was on alert for any sign of threat to our nation. Thankfully we were never attacked, but there were many simulated threats to insure our readiness to react.
When you are wide awake and expectant it is much easier to react quickly and appropriately. When the night hours slip by and your eyes feel like they are filled with sand, it is necessary to react in a professional manner that comes from long hours of training.
In our spiritual walk we never know when the enemy will mount an attack. We can almost be certain that this attack will occur when we are weary and worn. If we have not spent the time in self examination, prayer, and Bible study, we will be very vulnerable to the attack.
There is one thing we can be sure about—we will meet our Lord face to face. It may be at the moment our eyes close in death or it may be when the trumpet sounds and we are called up to meet the Lord in the air. Either way, we must be on the alert with our lamps burning bright. Are you on the alert?
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jan 25, 2013 | Luke
Luke 18:35-38
As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. When he heard the crowd going by, he asked what was happening. They told him, ‘Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.’ He called out, ‘Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!’
Several years ago I was watching an episode of The First 48. This is a program that follows homicide detectives as they try to solve murder cases. The suspect in the homicide was a young woman with an extensive criminal history. As the detectives questioned her, she was defiant and bitter. She railed out at them because of her miserable life and denied any involvement in the murder.
It just so happened that her interrogation took place on Thanksgiving Day. There were many police officers who had to work that day and in order to show kindness, the department had brought in a complete buffet of tasty food.
After spending fruitless time interrogating the young woman, the detectives left her alone and went into the main office to get a plate of food. One of the detectives suddenly remembered the young woman and filled a plate for her and returned to the interrogation room.
The detective placed the plate of food in front of the young woman and said, “Let’s thank the Lord for the food.” He took her hand and the other detective’s hand. He prayed for each of them at that table and thanked the Lord for the food. Suddenly there was a heart-stopping transformation.
The young woman began to weep and poured out her need to get right with the Lord. She confessed the terrible crime she had committed and asked the Lord’s forgiveness for the horrendous crime she had committed. Wow! In that moment, this miserable girl cried out to the Lord to not pass her by, and He didn’t. It reminds me of the old hymn, Pass Me Not, O Gentle Savior.
Pass Me Not, O Gentle Savior
Pass me not, O gentle Savior,
Hear my humble cry;
While on others Thou art calling,
Do not pass me by.
Refrain:
Savior, Savior, Hear my humble cry;
While on others Thou art calling, Do not pass me by.
Let me at Thy throne of mercy
Find a sweet relief,
Kneeling there in deep contrition;
Help my unbelief.
Refrain:
Savior, Savior, Hear my humble cry;
While on others Thou art calling, Do not pass me by.
Trusting only in Thy merit,
Would I seek Thy face;
Heal my wounded, broken spirit,
Save me by Thy grace.
Refrain:
Savior, Savior, Hear my humble cry;
While on others Thou art calling, Do not pass me by.
Thou the Spring of all my comfort,
More than life to me,
Whom have I on earth beside Thee?
Whom in Heav’n but Thee?
Refrain:
Savior, Savior, Hear my humble cry;
While on others Thou art calling, Do not pass me by.
To access Pass Me Not, this week’s inspirational video from GloryScapes.com, please go to: http://www.gloryscapes.com/passmenot/ 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
by Pastor Cecil | Jan 15, 2013 | Luke
Luke 2:51-52
Then He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was subject to them, but His mother kept all these things in her heart. And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.
Years ago I worked for an unforgettable character who served as the Juvenile Court Judge in our county. I was the one and only Juvenile Probation Officer and had close contact with Judge Ben Riordan.
The Judge once shared with me about the problem one of his sons had in coming under parental authority. When the son was a teenager he secured a job and began to earn his own money. More and more he resisted the established rules of the house and came close to being disrespectful.
To deal with the problem, Judge Ben explained to his rebellious son that since he was earning his own money he could now buy his own food. That meant that he would not be allowed to eat at home with the family until he changed his attitude and came under the authority of his parents. For about two weeks the boy ate away from home, but soon learned that much of his salary was going to pay for his meager meals. He made his apologies and was once again restored to the good graces of the family.
Sometimes we get away from God’s authority and feel that we are able to make it on our own. How foolish! It does not work that way and continued rebellion makes us miserable to ourselves and others. It is time to come home and make the Lord the leader of our life.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Dec 31, 2012 | Luke
Luke 23:42-43
Then he said to Jesus, ‘Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.’
A quick glance at the date on the Daily-E-Votional for today will reveal that this is the last day of the year 2012. Since I send these e-mails out in the afternoon of the previous day, some will receive them on the date given, while others of you will have received them much earlier. At any rate, it is the last gasp of the year 2012.
For some this has been a year of challenge and loss. For others it has been a year of victory and joy. Regardless of what has gone on throughout the year, it is almost a part of history. Now we face the challenge of a new year 2013.
I recall being called to the bedside of a dying man. I had officiated at his wedding several years earlier and now was within a few days of conducting his funeral. As I sat beside his hospital bed there was no indication that he could hear what I was saying. Regardless, I shared the wonderful plan of salvation with him as if he could hear. As I concluded my prayer of repentance and acceptance in his behalf, I saw a tear form in his eye and roll down the side of his face. I truly believe he heard and prayed that prayer. His last gasp of life seemed to be an acceptance of salvation.
You may face the last gasp of life this year. I pray that you have opened your heart and received Jesus Christ as your personal Savior. Just confess your sinful condition and invite the Lord to come into your heart and life. Make a break with the world and become a part of the family of God.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Dec 27, 2012 | Luke
Luke 17:3-4
Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you,rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him.And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, “I repent,” you shall forgive him.
If you are like me, there are times when a song pops into your head and it seems that you go over and over it. In the past day or so I have had that experience. The song is one that Bing Crosby sang many years ago . . . Easy to Remember, But So Hard to Forget.
The song Bing Crosby sang referred to a sweetheart that was gone but not forgotten. As I have thought about the words, I have been reminded how difficult it is for some people to forgive. We can remember the offense against us—that is the easy part—forgetting the offense is the hard part.
Across the years I have been called upon to counsel many people who deal with the issue of forgiveness. They may say they have forgiven the offender, but at the same time their actions reveal that their thought life centers on the way they were treated by the other party.
I have come to realize that the only reasonable way of dealing with our inability to forget the sins of others is to focus on our own faults. Imagine a situation where another person is guilty of 85 percent and we are guilty of 15 percent. Rather than digging our heels in and demanding recompense for the more guilty party, we must remember our own transgressions. We need the Lord to show us how to forget our own hurt.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
