by Pastor Cecil | Sep 21, 2015 | Philippians
Philippians 1:3-6a
“I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy, for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it.”
For some of us old folks the name Bob Hope elicits warm memories. One of his signature songs was the title of today’s Blessings From the Heart. Memories are very precious things. Memories will always remain with us. Our precious loved ones may have slipped off into eternity, but the memories that they have left are always there.
I have often mentioned to families that I meet with prior to officiating a funeral service that the greatest inheritance that can ever be given are their sweet memories. Families may fuss, fight, and sue over property and funds, but memories are irrevocable.
Frequently I receive email or snail mail messages from individuals or families that I once served as pastor. They often share the memory of some incident that has remained with them over the years. The flood of memories that I experience fills me with determination to keep on keeping on.
With or without such messages, we can receive encouragement as we recall people who have been a part of our life and ministry. Please consider sending a prayer and a message to them. It will bless you as well as them.
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jul 20, 2015 | Philippians
Philippians 3:7-11
“But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.”
In a split second of time a life can change dramatically. Nothing ever remains the same and we all deal with loss of some type. Death may take a loved one, an accident may cause amputation or loss of capability, or abandonment and divorce may devastate. It is safe to say that loss is inevitable for each of us. I don’t think that is being fatalistic but realistic.
My wounds are still extremely sore from the loss of my wife just over six months ago. From time to time I will pick up something and it will bring back vivid memories. We had sixty-two years of making memories together. Seeing a note that was written, handkerchief that was folded, or just recalling something that we shared together wrenches my heart.
I know that those who have lost limbs, sight, or other faculties experience that same moment of recall when things were normal and good. But what do we do with these heart rendering moments?
I think we have two choices. In fact I know we have two choices. We can either allow them to dominate our life, crush our spirit, and make us emotional invalids, or we can choose to keep our eyes on the prize that awaits us.
Paul knew what it was to experience loss after loss. He seemed to have it all together and was on his way to become one of the Jewish leaders. But when Jesus met him as he was on his road to Damascus, he lost his sight and his vocation. He was given a new assignment directly from the Savior.
Across the years that Paul ministered, he experienced loss after loss. Rather than feeling sorry for himself and curling up in a ball he recognized that he could use the losses to strengthen his ministry.
I would encourage each and every one of us to look beyond the loss that we experience and see the opportunity that each loss can provide.
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jul 14, 2015 | Philippians
Philippians 4:12
“I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.”
Let me ask you a question. What is the level of your contentment? Are you satisfied with your present situation? Are there situations that you feel would make you more content? If you could change anything in your life, would it make you more contented?
One of the Ten Commandments is to not covet. The word “covet” is the Hebrew word châmad. Strong’s Concordance defines it as: to delight, desire, goodly, lust after. Let me ask you once again: Are there things that you find delightful, desirable, goodly, or things that you lust after and do not possess? If you answer yes, you need to find contentment.
Perhaps it has always been like this since the creation of Adam and Eve, but it certainly is true in our day — there is a general lack of contentment. All too often people think that if they had something else, or someone else, they would be contented. Homes are fractured; lives are destroyed — all because there is no contentment.
Paul says in Philippians, chapter four, that he has learned the secret of being content. He goes on to say that he has learned it by having need and suffering without. How in the world can you find contentment when you’re suffering? I think the answer lies in where we are looking. Are we looking at those things that we think will make us feel better or are we looking to the Lord who is able to use those trying situations to bring glory to His name. Join me and choose to glorify God!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jul 8, 2015 | Philippians
Philippians 2:1-4
“Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from His love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.”
There is a word that describes the process of looking outward. It is the word . . . OTHERS! I admire the concept of being others-minded. That may not be an acceptable word, but it certainly is an acceptable trait.
When I read the words of today’s Scripture, I am tempted to stop and say nothing more than the Scripture itself says. This passage from the book of Philippians sums up the entire concept of looking outward. It makes me want to give more of myself than I ever have before.
Looking outward frees us from dealing with the pain in our own lives. The early Disciples were willing to sacrifice everything they owned and all that they were for the sake of Christ. It makes me bow in humility.
This Daily E-Votional may not have an effect on you, but it does on me. Here and now I make a new commitment to make others a higher priority than myself — to put my feelings in the hands of the Lord and devote myself to helping those in need.
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jun 23, 2015 | Philippians
Philippians 4:8-9
“Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.”
Recently I began using a program that uses my voice to type. It is fantastic! I never learned to type so I used a modified hunt and peck system. Now I can just speak and the words are typed out for me. The problem arises when I speak to my dog Izzy, or to someone who comes in the office. It is rather startling to see unexpected words appear on the screen.
Yesterday’s E-Votional focused on keeping our eyes looking upward toward God instead of grumbling and griping about how bad things are. Paul certainly calls each of us to focus our attention on things above, not on the temporary things of the world. He now goes on in this same chapter to give specific directions to believers. It has to do with our thought life.
What kind of things are we to ponder on? Paul says we are to think about things that are JUST – PURE – LOVELY – OF GOOD REPORT! He says those are the things we are to meditate on. But he does not end there. He bravely adds more.
Paul urges believers to meditate on the things they have Learned-Heard-Seen in him! Wow! That is awesome! He puts his life out on the line for them to see. It is not through a sense of pride, however, but a determination that he will be following Jesus so completely that if they see the way he lives, it will be an example to them to follow. I want to be that transparent in my own life!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jun 22, 2015 | Philippians
Philippians 4:6-7
“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
Have you heard the story about the man who asked a friend how he was doing? The friend replied, “Pretty good, under the circumstances.” The man then asked his friend, “Well, what are you doing under there?!”
Read the first four words of today’s Scripture once again. I wonder how often we find ourselves being anxious about the smallest details of our lives instead of turning them over to God? It seems as if we sit as judge and jury about what is small and what is large. The Lord knows our tomorrows, and He knows the situations that we will encounter. According to this passage of Scripture, being anxious for nothing means just what it says: Quit being anxious!
So what are we to do about our stressful situations? Well, the answer is also given in this same Scripture: Encounter everything by prayer and supplication. To me that means praying before situations occur, not after. Commit your way to the Lord and allow Him to direct your path.
There is a key element involved in having victory in this area, and that is making our requests known to God. He already knows, but we need to bring our requests to Him — not in an attitude of begging, but with prayer and thanksgiving. Let Him know that you have placed him on the throne of your life and as our powerful Almighty King, He can do what no one else can do.
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
