by Pastor Cecil | Dec 2, 2011 | Luke
Luke 2:15
“When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.'”
The beloved Christmas carol O Come, All Ye Faithful was originally written in Latin (Adeste Fideles). The words were written by an Englishman, John Wade, who had intended it as a hymn.
The music to O Come, All Ye Faithful was composed by fellow Englishman John Reading in the early 1700s. In 1841, Rev. Frederick Oakley revised the lyrics of “Adeste Fideles.”
O Come, All Ye Faithful
Oh Come All Ye Faithful
Joyful and triumphant,
Oh come ye, Oh come ye to Bethlehem.
Come and behold Him,
Born the King of Angels
Oh come, let us adore Him,
Oh come, let us adore Him,
Oh come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.
Oh Sing, choirs of angels,
Sing in exultation,
Sing all that hear in heaven God’s holy word.
Give to our Father glory in the Highest;
Oh come, let us adore Him,
Oh come, let us adore Him,
Oh come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.
All Hail Lord, we greet Thee,
Born this happy morning,
Oh Jesus for evermore be Thy name adored.
Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing;
Oh come, let us adore Him,
Oh come, let us adore Him,
Oh come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.
To access O Come, All Ye Faithful, this week’s inspirational video from GloryScapes™ Inspirational Music Videos, please go to: http://www.gloryscapes.com/ocomeallyefaithful/ 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
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. You can also find this at Amazon.com available on Kindle for all of you electronic book readers.
by Pastor Cecil | Nov 21, 2011 | Luke
Luke 23:42-43
Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.” Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with Me in paradise.”
I once read of an experiment that was given to a group of volunteers to measure the degree of pain they could endure. Each one of the volunteers had one hand on a heat pad that was only slightly warm. They were also given a button in the other hand that they were to push when the heat was as much as they could endure.
It sounds straight forward so far, but the experiment was rigged. Instead of turning the heat down, the researchers increased the heat very slightly. The final result of the test showed that the volunteers in the experiment could withstand about twice the heat than when they pushed the button the first time.
Just what does that illustration have to do with the subject of today’s E-Votional? All of us will endure those times in our life when we experience pain and suffering of some sort. We cry out to the Lord to stop the pain in our life. God hears our plea for help, but He alone knows how much we can bear and also how to use our pain as a ministry to reach out to others.
When we give the Lord our all we can rest in Him to, He alone knows just how much our “all” really is. If you are passing through that valley of suffering right now, just trust in Him to see you through, He cares for you!
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
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.
by Pastor Cecil | Sep 12, 2011 | Luke
Luke 22:45-46
When He rose from prayer and went back to the disciples, He found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow. “Why are you sleeping?” He asked them. “Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.”
For several years I served on a pastoral staff with a most delightful individual, Vernon Wilcox. He was the most dignified of all of the other staff members and delighted that for the first time in his life, he was given a nickname—Rocky. I cannot recall why that name was given to him, but he would always smile with delight when the name was used.
Rocky once shared an embarrassing incident in his life. He was attending a service at a camp ground where the auditorium was attached to the kitchen area. The speaker for the morning session was rather long-winded and the lunch being prepared filled the auditorium with fragrant smells. Unfortunately Rocky had nodded off during the message. He suddenly heard his name called to pray. Instead of pronouncing the benediction for the service, he prayed a blessing on the food they were about to eat. It was evident to everyone that he had made an error.
All too often God’s disciples allow their eyelids to become heavy and we slip into a drowsy haze rather than being awake and alert to hear the voice of the Lord speaking to us. If ever there was a time for God’s people to be alert and awake, it is the day in which we live. But sad to say, there is probably more lethargy now than ever before.
It is my fervent prayer that we will discipline ourselves to remain awake and expectant for the Lord to reveal Himself to us. There is a lost world around us and we need to be prepared to share the gospel of Jesus Christ, even one person at a time, while there is still time remaining. Awake, O sleepers!
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.comPlease feel free to forward this E-Votional on to your family and friends.
by Pastor Cecil | Jul 14, 2011 | Luke
Luke 19:8
“But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, ‘Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.’ ”
His name was Zacchaeus and he was a wealthy tax collector from Jericho. The tax collectors of Jesus’ day were not the most popular people. As a matter of fact they were possibly on the lowest rung of the ladder of popularity.
This man Zacchaeus was not only wealthy, but in this chapter we are told that he was short. How short was he? He wanted to see Jesus, but he couldn’t see over the crowd. (That is how short he was!)
A man with his position and reputation might be expected to show restraint and aplomb, but not our man Zack. He wanted to see Jesus so much that he ran around the crowd to a place where he knew Jesus would pass. In order to see him better, he even climbed up into a tree. (So much for showing restraint and aplomb)!
The unbelievable happened. Jesus stopped and called him by name. How did Jesus know? He is the One who created all things and He knows every hair on our head. He knows each tiny sparrow by name. It was natural that Jesus knew the heart of this man and told him that He, Jesus was going to have a meal with him at his house.
During that meal we see a righteous man revealed. In today’s passage Zack suddenly declares that he is giving half of all he owns to the poor. Wow! How many of us are that committed? He goes on to reveal just how righteous he has been. He agrees to pay back four times the amount if he has been guilty of cheating anybody. Do the math–he has just given away half of his wealth so if he was guilty he would not have enough to repay four times over what he was guilty of cheating someone.
Answer these questions: Are we so anxious to see Jesus that we forget what others will think? Can we honestly say that we are guilt free in our dealings with others? Think about it!
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 | Jul 8, 2011 | 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!'”
Some time ago I was watching an episode of The First 48. The suspect in a 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 on duty that day and so 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 as he and another 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. He observed a heart-stopping transformation.
The young woman began to weep and said, “I need to get right with the Lord. I want to tell you everything that I did and I want the Lord to forgive me.” 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
360-570-0074
PastorCecil@Daily-E-Votional.com
P.S. – Please feel free to forward this E-Votional on to your family and friends. They’ll appreciate the encouragement.
P.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.
by Pastor Cecil | May 27, 2011 | Luke
Luke 2:28-32
“Simeon took Him in his arms and praised God, saying: ‘Sovereign Lord, as You have promised, You now dismiss Your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen Your salvation, which You have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.'”
Charles Wesley lived from 1707 to 1788. During his life he wrote hundreds of hymns and poems and was one of the most prolific English poets. Back in 1744 he wrote the wonderful hymn, “Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus.” In the first verse he introduces Jesus Christ as the fulfillment of Israel’s promised Messiah.
Isaiah 7:14, spoke of a virgin giving birth to a child whose name “Immanuel” which means “God with us.” In Isaiah 9:6, this long-expected One would be called “Wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty God, eternal Father, the Prince of Peace.”
Because of these and many other prophecies, many devout Jews prayed earnestly for the day when He would arrive. Luke 2 tells of Simeon, a man of faith who was “looking for the consolation of Israel.” When he saw Jesus as an infant, Simeon knew that this Child was the fulfillment of his messianic hope. Charles Wesley was borrowing from this passage when he described Jesus in this song as “Israel’s strength and consolation.”
The second verse tells us that Jesus was “born a child and yet a King.” As the One who is both God and man, Jesus was able to satisfy God’s wrath completely by dying on the cross for our sins. When Wesley wrote about Jesus’ “all sufficient merit,” he was referring to Christ’s ability to bring us to salvation.
“Come Thou Long-Expected Jesus“
Come, Thou long-expected Jesus,
born to set Thy people free;
from our fears and sins release us;
let us find our rest in Thee.
Israel’s strength and consolation,
hope of all the earth Thou art;
dear desire of every nation,
joy of every longing heart.
Born Thy people to deliver,
born a child, and yet a King,
born to reign in us forever,
now Thy gracious kingdom bring.
By Thine own eternal Spirit
rule in all our hearts alone;
by Thine own sufficient merit,
raise us to Thy glorious throne.
To access Come Thou Long-Expected Jesus, this week’s inspirational video from GloryScapes.com, please 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
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