by Pastor Cecil | Aug 19, 2013 | Matthew
Matthew 16:25-26
For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?
I was stunned to watch an auto auction from Monterrey, California. As I understand it, the auction lasted at least three days. As the cars were rolled into the arena the bids were astronomical. At least one of the autos was sold for over three million dollars. WOW!
I have recalled reports of people who pay huge sums of money to purchase some rare item. The reality is that regardless of the value of the item they now own, it is not going to bring eternal satisfaction.
I always recall the story a fellow minister, Dr. E., from Shelton, Washington shared with me. He and his family lived in Sweden during the dark days of WWII. Toward the end of the war the local German commander was enraged about many of the civilians committing acts of sabotage. He issued a decree that all ministers were to be executed in a few days as an example to the people. (The German officer was transferred and the execution was cancelled.)
Dr. E said that there was a valuable vase that had great value to the family. They had been very strict in preventing their children from playing near the vase. When the death notice had been sent, he saw the vase from a different perspective. It had very little value in relation to what he now faced.
What is important in your life? What will you give? The Lord expects us to give Him everything. In return He gives us peace that surpasses all understanding.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Aug 2, 2013 | Matthew
Matthew 6:27
“Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.“
True Christian character is certainly seen in our biblical heroes, but it may often be seen in those of more recent times. Hope is a character quality that looks beyond our immediate circumstances and shows what we as believers have waiting for us.
In the Sweet By and By is one of the most enduring songs written after the Civil War. It was composed by Sanford Bennett who was the owner of a drugstore in Elkhorn, Wisconsin. He had just returned from the war. A friend, Joseph Webster, a gifted musician trained formally in composition, came to the store each day to talk and play chess. Often Webster would be depressed and down.
When asked what was wrong, Webster would often reply; It will be alright by and by. That idea hit Bennett like a flash of sunlight! As Bennett later described the incident, he took out a pen and it was all over in thirty minutes. A new hymn was born. In short order he was singing the words along with Webster and two other friends. That hymn was perfect for the post-Civil War era because it conveyed pathos with a mixture of comforting warmth. It came to typify the virtues of spiritual hope.
Sweet By And By
There’s a land that is fairer than day,
And by faith we can see it afar;
For the Father waits over the way,
To prepare us a dwelling place there.
Chorus: In the sweet by and by,
We shall meet on that beautiful shore;
In the sweet by and by
We shall meet on that beautiful shore.
We shall sing on that beautiful shore,
The melodious songs of the blest;
And our spirits shall sorrow no more,
Not a sigh for the blessing of rest.
Chorus: In the sweet by and by,
We shall meet on that beautiful shore;
In the sweet by and by
We shall meet on that beautiful shore.
To our bountiful Father above,
We will offer our tribute of praise,
For the glorious gift of His love,
And the blessings that hallow our days.
Chorus: In the sweet by and by,
We shall meet on that beautiful shore;
In the sweet by and by
We shall meet on that beautiful shore.
To access Sweet By And By, this week’s inspirational video from GloryScapes.com, please go to: http://www.gloryscapes.com/sweetbyandby/ 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 | Jul 25, 2013 | Matthew
Matthew 11:28-30
Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.
It seems that our lives are filled with threatening situations of every description. Every new medication comes with a list of side effects that seems worse than the condition the medicine is designed to treat.
When we watch the latest news reports, we discover threats of every kind. Even the weather reports tend to lead to feelings of dread and gloom. Some, seeking to find a safe place, have left civilization for a life of isolation only to find themselves confronted by wild beasts. There just seems to be no safe place to which we can escape the ravages of our world.
Reading the histories of the suffering saints of God across the ages reveals that this world never has been a safe place. The Old Testament is full of war and strife that in a way appears more violent than our modern age.
The answer is to be found in the gentle words we discover in this passage from Matthew 11:28-30. The Lord promises rest and peace in the midst of the storms of life. When we surrender to Him and His will for our life, we find our very own SAFE PLACE. It is our haven from the storms of life.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jul 23, 2013 | Matthew
Matthew 13:23
But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.
Well, things have changed in the past week. I mentioned earlier about starting tomato plants from seeds that I had saved from last year. The plants grew like, yes, you guessed it . . . they grew like weeds. They looked fantastic and produced many blossoms . . . but no fruit.
Well, all of that has changed. I was astounded to discover several small tomatoes growing among the leaves. To see the small fruit growing on the vines has lifted my spirits, and each day I can hardly wait to check for new produce.
It has reminded me that it is easy to become discouraged in the spiritual realm if we do not see results. Over and over I have counseled people not to base their emotions on the responses people have when we share the Gospel with them. We do not share in order to see the results, but because we are told to be faithful witnesses for Jesus. Many times it will be others who reap the harvest.
I want to encourage each of us. Be faithful servants of the Lord Jesus Christ. Share as the Lord moves you and plant the seeds of salvation. Eternity will reveal the fruit of our faithfulness.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jul 18, 2013 | Matthew
Matthew 6:33
But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
As you read the title for this Daily-E-Votional, you may be thinking that I made a typo and intended to say gold instead of good. That was not the case, as I fully knew what I had typed and wanted to explore the subject of seeking the good.
From everything I have been told, mining for gold is not an easy undertaking. I recall seeing pictures of thousands of men struggling through snow and horrible conditions, trying to reach the Klondike gold fields. The relative few that made it discovered that the claims had already been staked by those who had arrived before them. Modern day miners still find the task daunting.
It would appear that the aim of gold miners is to discover a way to achieve wealth quickly. Most have their hopes and dreams shattered. Even those who discover gold or other precious items lack satisfaction.
Jesus wants us to understand that the things of this world will never satisfy. Even if we discovered a vein of pure gold, it would not satisfy. Remember that in heaven gold is used for pavement. The real value is in knowing the Lord intimately and striving to serve Him. That is what I call MINING FOR GOOD. As we discover His good and precious gifts, we will find the peace that passes understanding. This world is not our home, we are just passing through!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jul 17, 2013 | Matthew
Matthew 16:2-3
He answered and said unto them, When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather: for the sky is red. And in the morning, It will be foul weather today: for the sky is red and lowring. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?
Joyce and I have been accused of being overly-ardent viewers of the Weather Channel. It is true that we enjoy checking out the weather conditions across the nation, as well as around the globe. To us it is especially interesting to see what the weather will be in areas where our family or friends live.
Even with the technological advances in detection and monitoring, it is difficult to precisely predict what the weather will do. Hurricane hunters fly into the very eye of oncoming storms to determine when they strengthen from tropical depressions to the various categories of hurricanes, 1 to 5. Even the lower category storms are capable of causing horrendous damage.
We live in tumultuous times, and the forecast is that conditions will continue to deteriorate as the days pass. Across the world we have seen a turn away from the foundations of biblical teachings to humanistic pleasure seeking.
As the world around us darkens with the deceitfulness of sin, our light of hope in Jesus must shine brightly. We must never allow our fervency to dim. We need to hold firm to the Word of God as the source of light and truth. BE A BEACON TO THE LOST!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
