by Pastor Cecil | Aug 24, 2012 | Luke
Luke 24:29
But they constrained Him, saying, Abide with us: for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. And He went in to tarry with them.
Henry F. Lyte was a man who greatly loved the Lord with his whole being. He came up with the saying, “It is better to wear out than to rust out,” and it perfectly described his life.
During the last 23 years of his life he pastored a poor church in England. He always suffered from poor health but during this time his health started to decline even more. When he finally preached his last sermon on September 4, 1847, it is reported that he practically had to crawl to the pulpit.
Shortly before preaching his last sermon he wrote the words and tune to the hymn, Abide With Me. He based his hymn on today’s Scripture that tells the story of Jesus walking with two disciples on the way to Emmaus and their statement, “Abide with us: for it is toward evening and the day is far spent.” He went to be with the Lord shortly after writing the hymn.
Later William Monk wrote a new tune for the hymn. During a time of personal sorrow, he was inspired by the beauty of a magnificent sunset.
Abide With Me
Abide with me—fast falls the eventide;
The darkness deepens—Lord, with me abide;
When other helpers fail and comforts flee,
Help of the helpless, O abide with me!
Swift to its close ebbs out life’s little day;
Earth’s joys grow dim, its glories pass away;
Change and decay in all around I see;
O Thou who changest not, abide with me!
I need Thy presence every passing hour;
What but Thy grace can foil the tempter’s power?
Who like Thyself my guide and stay can be?
Through cloud and sunshine, O abide with me.
Hold Thou Thy word before my closing eyes,
Shine thru the gloom and point me to the skies;
Heaven’s morning breaks and earth’s vain shadows flee
In life, in death, O Lord, abide with me!
To access Abide With Me, this week’s inspirational hymn video from GloryScapes.com, please go to: http://www.gloryscapes.com/abidewithme/ 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
by Pastor Cecil | Jul 4, 2012 | Luke
Luke 21:33-34
Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away. But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly.
In the last week a horrible forest fire has ravaged the area around Colorado Springs, Colorado. More than 350 homes were incinerated and only a heap of ashes remains to mark where they once stood. I just watched an interview with a mother who was stunned to finally be allowed on the scene and confirm that nothing was left. Her son, who is on deployment, sent his mom a text that said that they still had their memories. Wow, what a fantastic attitude!
That interview caused me to think of my own childhood home in Camas, Washington. I typed in the address and was rewarded with an aerial view of the present neighborhood. I could see our house and the houses of many of the neighbors who once lived there.
To the west of our old house I could see the field where we once played. It had a slope so we used it to slide on sleds during our rare winter snows. Then I saw it. On the far side of this field were the distinct markings of a small vineyard. The neighbor on the far side of the field grew concord grapes. My friend Jerry and I would make ourselves sick eating those grapes. What wonderful memories.
In the spiritual realm we have memories that we need to visit as often as possible. Think about the day we prayed a sinner’s prayer and invited Jesus into our heart. Spend time strolling down your spiritual memory lane. Realize that these precious memories will never be destroyed. Throughout eternity we will still be thanking Him.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jun 5, 2012 | Luke
Luke 12:15
Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.
Over twenty years ago I was asked to visit our county jail and speak with a young man who had been convicted of a fairly serious crime. As I sat down at a table in the visiting room, Ben approached with a wide smile and placed his Bible on the table. It was a very touching meeting as Ben shared from his heart.
Ben told me that a year ago he felt he had it all—a new pickup, a boat and a motorcycle. Ben also had a wife and two kids and his future looked bright. Then he made some foolish decisions, because even with all of his possessions, Ben wanted even more. He committed a crime to get them. As a result he lost his wife and family, house and vehicles.
The smile on his face did not match the story Ben was relating to me. Ben shared how he had given his heart to the Lord Jesus while he was locked up in the county jail. I still can recall as Ben placed his hand on his Bible and said that the only things he could now count as his own were his Bible and a sweater back in his cell. Ben related that with Jesus in his heart he was the richest man in the world.
Ben deeply regretted his sin and offenses and what he had done to his family, but he was rejoicing in the fact that he had passed from death to eternal life and now possessed treasures which are of far more value than anything the world has to offer. It reminds me that when we come to the place that Jesus is all we have, we will find that He is all that we will ever need.
Many passages in Scripture bring us to the vital truth—Jesus is all we will ever need. Like that young man in the county jail, with Jesus in our heart we are richer than the wealthiest man in the world. It is time we start living with that truth.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | May 24, 2012 | Luke
Luke 12:15
Then He said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”
There once was a man in my congregation who owned an extensive gun collection. I am not that much of a gun nut, but it was an amazing sight to see such a collection worth several thousand dollars.
Then word came that there was a burglary in his home. As you might guess, the only items stolen were the guns that he had collected over many years and with such careful attention to detail.
Driving to his home, I wondered what his response would be to this loss and was prepared to console him. Quite frankly, I expected for him to be angry with the intruders.
Surprisingly, the robbery victim greeted me at the door with a huge smile and a hearty laugh—he had not held onto this valuable collection as being the most important thing in his life. Even when I asked if the guns were insured, he just grinned. No, they were not insured and there was no way that he would be compensated for the loss. But Wayne did not mourn the loss of such valuable items. His treasure was laid up in heaven and was waiting for him there
Several years later, after we had moved to another church and he and his wife moved across the state, we heard that Wayne had died. I could just imagine him seeing the true value of those eternal things that this world can never value. I can hardly wait to see him some day and rejoice with him in the true value of eternal life with the Lord!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | May 11, 2012 | 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 | Apr 13, 2012 | Luke
Luke 1:31-33
“You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call Him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David, and He will reign over Jacob?s descendants forever; His kingdom will never end.“
In the early 1900’s, a woman by the name of Lela Long heard a medical missionary on furlough from China share the story of his work. Whenever someone came to him for treatment he would always tell them the story of Jesus.
One morning, before the doors of the clinic were opened, there was a knock at the missionaries door. There stood an elderly woman, stooped with age. He could tell by the dust on her feet and clothing that she had come a long way. He treated her and as always, told her about Jesus. As she heard the beautiful story of Jesus love, she opened her heart to receive Jesus as her personal Savior. Tears trickled down her cheeks as she accepted the gift of eternal life.
Quite some time had passed and there was a knock at the missionary’s door. When he opened the door, he found the same old woman that had come to him several weeks before. She said, “Sir, He has saved me and I know He lives in my heart. He has made my life so happy! But sir, I have forgotten His name. Could you please tell me his name again?” The missionary repeated over and over again the name, “Jesus,” “Jesus,” “Jesus.” Each time the little old lady echoed that name, “Jesus.”
After hearing this story, Lela Long wrote the following hymn:
Jesus Is the Sweetest Name I Know
There have been names that I have loved to hear,
But never has there been a name so dear
To this heart of mine, as the Name divine,
The precious, precious Name of Jesus.
Refrain: Jesus is the sweetest name I know,
And He’s just the same as His lovely Name,
And that?s the reason why I love Him so;
Oh, Jesus is the sweetest name I know.
There is no name in earth or heav’n above,
That we should give such honor and such love
As the blessed Name, let us all acclaim,
That wondrous, glorious Name of Jesus.
Refrain: Jesus is the sweetest name I know,
And He’s just the same as His lovely Name,
And that?s the reason why I love Him so;
Oh, Jesus is the sweetest name I know.
And some day I shall see Him face to face
To thank and praise Him for His wondrous grace,
Which He gave to me, when He made me free,
The blessed Son of God called Jesus.
Refrain: Jesus is the sweetest name I know,
And He’s just the same as His lovely Name,
And that’s the reason why I love Him so;
Oh, Jesus is the sweetest name I know.
To view the GloryScapes inspirational video Jesus Is the Sweetest Name I Know please go to: http://www.gloryscapes.com/jesusisthesweetestnameiknow/ 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
