“‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’”
I want to send this short note to fill you in on my emergency stay in the hospital. Without going to a lot of morbid details, I was diagnosed with diverticuloses. It was an opportunity to observe God’s sovereignty in action.
I am feeling fine now and will get back to normal E-Votionals tomorrow. Thank all of you for your prayers and concern. GOD IS GOOD!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
- - - Pastor Cecil
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
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Tuesday, August 25, 2015
DAILY-E-VOTIONAL
BLESSINGS FROM THE HEART
Pastor Cecil A. Thompson
August 26, 2015
TO LISTEN TO THE DAILY E-VOTIONAL, CLICK ON THE LINK (OR COPY AND PASTE INTO YOUR BROWSER) FOR MY DAILY BLOG!
“Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near.So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near—at the doors!Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place.Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.”
Sometimes the words we speak are not the words we intended. I seem to be a master of this shortcoming. I was listening to my voice reading of BLESSINGS FROM THE HEART forTuesday when I realized that I had said the 26th instead of the 25th. A friend reminded me that since our subscriber list is global, it really would be a day ahead for part of the world. It still was a mistake on my part!
We may fuss and fidget over dates in our own life, but God knows each and every day before we ever live there. God is sovereign! He does not need to explain anything because He has created everything. Romans 8:28 gives us an assurance of God’s plan of provision for us:“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”
If we truly trust God, and we must, then we will recognize that he knows the end from the beginning. When we read the book of Job we realize that even though Job goes through unbelievable suffering, victory is in store for this suffering saint. I want to close with a passage from Job 42:5-6: “I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees You. Therefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.”
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
- - - Pastor Cecil
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
Feel free to invite friends and family to subscribe to the Daily-E-Votional
Monday, August 24, 2015
DAILY-E-VOTIONAL
BLESSINGS FROM THE HEART
Pastor Cecil A. Thompson
August 25, 2015
TO LISTEN TO THE DAILY E-VOTIONAL, CLICK ON THE LINK (OR COPY AND PASTE INTO YOUR BROWSER) FOR MY DAILY BLOG!
“Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the bones. There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.”
This afternoon I had made a trip to the post office and was on my way home when I noticed a young woman slouched over speaking into a cell phone. That was not what my attention. My eyes were drawn to the sign she was leaning against which read; DEAD END STREET.
Wow! That hit me like a ton of bricks. How many times do we see people around us who are on a dead-end street. We can come to many dead-end streets in our life when we failed to take the action that is necessary. Even though it says dead-end street many times people failed to ignore the warning and come to a sudden stop at the end. At that time it’s either turnaround or crash.
The words of Solomon in today’s Scripture are profound and true. We may listen to the sweet enticement to seek the pleasures of sin, but to do so inevitably leads us into a dead-end street. Many lives, families, and ministries have gone down that dead-end street. Sad! Sad! The bitter wail!
So mentioned earlier there is an option. If we find ourselves on a one-way street we need to immediately make a U-turn. In Scripture we find that U-turn described by one word…REPENTANCE! If you’re on a dead-end street repent as soon as possible. As a team we had an expression; “TURN DON’T BURN!”
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
- - - Pastor Cecil
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
Feel free to invite friends and family to subscribe to the Daily-E-Votional
Sunday, August 23, 2015
DAILY-E-VOTIONAL
BLESSINGS FROM THE HEART
Pastor Cecil A. Thompson
August 24, 2015
TO LISTEN TO THE DAILY E-VOTIONAL, CLICK ON THE LINK (OR COPY AND PASTE INTO YOUR BROWSER) FOR MY DAILY BLOG!
“For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”
There are times in our life when we are faced with the challenge of faith. Things seem to be stacked against us and without the strength of the Lord, we will fail. In both the Old and New Testament we see common ordinary people whom God chose to do mighty things for Him. Sometimes those things are dangerous!
Esther faced one of these fearful times when Mordecai instructed her to go directly to the king and plead for the lives of all the Jews who were to be annihilated in less than a year. She knew that appearing before the king without being summoned was suicide. But she chose to utter those faithful words, “If I perish, I perish!”
Mordecai also exhibited faith. He knew that God was going to come to the aid of His people. If the source of rescue did not come from Esther, it would come from some other source.
Faith has its rewards! Not only were the people saved from the slaughter that the wicked Haman had planned, but Esther was given his property and Mordecai was promoted to Prime Minister, second only to the king. VICTORY!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
- - - Pastor Cecil
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
Feel free to invite friends and family to subscribe to the Daily-E-Votional
Monday, August 17, 2015
DAILY-E-VOTIONAL
BLESSINGS FROM THE HEART
Pastor Cecil A. Thompson
August 18, 2015
TO LISTEN TO THE DAILY E-VOTIONAL, CLICK ON THE LINK (OR COPY AND PASTE INTO YOUR BROWSER) FOR MY DAILY BLOG!
“I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make its boast in the Lord; the humble shall hear of it and be glad.”
I want to ask you a personal question. Do you enjoy listening to someone who is constantly complaining? Do you enjoy being around people who are so negative that they seem to make a conscious effort of seeing the worst in every situation?
If you are like me it’s difficult being around people like this. Unfortunately many Christians seem to fall into this type of behavior. There is very little praise, joy, or expectation from these people. They drag you down spiritually. Personally I think these negative oriented people are not living the life desires.
The psalmist David gives us a beautiful pattern of victorious Christian living. It seems as if he is making this a personal commitment to himself. He first of all starts out by asserting that he will bless the Lord at all times. If you have read anything about David in the Old Testament you will see that there are many times and many situations that were threatening and hard to give the Lord blessing. He goes on to say that he will praise the Lord continually! And finally he says that his boast will be in the Lord! And he just knows that those who are humble before God will hear of his praise and blessing and boasting and be glad.
So the question right now is, are you blessing the Lord enough? Do you praise him for each and every situation regardless of how devastating it may seem? Are you boasting about what you have accomplished or what God has accomplished through you? I encourage you to look deep into your own life and then praise the Lord!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
- - - Pastor Cecil
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
“Woe to you who are at ease in Zion, and trust in Mount Samaria, notable persons in the chief nation, to whom the house of Israel comes!”
A few blocks from my home is a busy intersection where, almost every week, there is a group of young people having a car wash to raise money. They have signs and usually more enthusiasm than I have experienced for years. Sometimes they yell at the top of their voices, but with your windows rolled up you have no way of hearing what they’re saying. But at least they’re excited!
Today, as I came to the intersection I noticed a young man who is sitting on a lawn chair. He was so nonchalant that at first I thought he was asleep. Then I noticed he had a sign advertising the car wash, but instead of holding it up he just had it leaning against the chair as he sat.
The scene prompted me to think of the modern day Church. There are a few who are excited and committed to the task of sharing the good news about Jesus Christ ... but there are many more who seem to be "at Ease In Zion."
It is well for us to understand that we are in the midst of a battlefield -- a battlefield for the souls of men and women, boys and girls. And yet, so many are very much like that young man sitting on a lawn chair -- indifferent and uncommitted. It is time for us to wake up and get busy sharing with our family and friends and others as the Holy Spirit opens the door. Wake up, Beloved! It may be their last chance!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
- - - Pastor Cecil
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
“For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to givethe light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”
A dear friend wrote me about a project she and her husband had been working on. It involved dismantling an old building and saving the wood for special projects. Her husband was talking to a contractor about lighting a shed that had never had light in it before. The man mentioned that it might not be a good idea, which seemed strange. He went on to explain that once there was light in the shed it would reveal things that needed attention.
What a spiritual revelation this is! When the light of the glorious gospel of Christ shines in the heart and soul of an individual, there are things revealed that need to be corrected. This is one of the important reasons for spending time in God’s word and prayer.
I was just watching a spacewalk on the International Space Station traveling some 250 miles above the earth. The two spacewalkers had several very important projects to be completed in their six hour spacewalk. It was interesting to note that the lights on their helmets illuminated only a small area. One of them remarked that they would have to wait until the space station came into daylight in order for them to be able to see clearly.
Let’s face it. We live in a dark world! Day by day sin becomes more and more prevalent and darkness surrounds us. The longer we ignore our need of spiritual light, the more difficult it is to see things clearly. As we open up the dark recesses of our life and spend time with the Lord in order to light our darkness, we will see things we have never seen before -- things that need to be removed and cleansed! TURN ON GOD’S LIGHT!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
- - - Pastor Cecil
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
Tuesday, August 11, 2015
DAILY-E-VOTIONAL
BLESSINGS FROM THE HEART
Pastor Cecil A. Thompson
August 12, 2015
TO LISTEN TO THE DAILY E-VOTIONAL, CLICK ON THE LINK (OR COPY AND PASTE INTO YOUR BROWSER) FOR MY DAILY BLOG!
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”
Over the years I have come to understand that just because someone says you can trust them, it does not mean that you can trust them! You may have experienced that very same thing in your life. There is a sour feeling in the pit of your stomach when you realize that the people you felt you could rely upon were not to be relied upon.
It is at this point that we can choose to be bitter or better. There have been so many who have become so bitter that their lives were turned inside out. They project the bitterness that has come from one situation into the way they conduct themselves about every situation.
I think of Joseph who was so viciously betrayed by his own brothers and sold into slavery. It would have been so easy for him to become bitter and resentful, but the result would have been a dead-end street as a slave in a foreign land. Joseph did not choose that route. He chose to rely upon his God and recognized that God was in control regardless of where he was. He chose to become better. Whether a servant or a falsely accused prisoner, his trust was in the Lord -- not on the circumstances. You know the rest of the story. Joseph found that God was directing his paths!
Where are you right now? In face of the circumstances of life, are you bitter or are you trusting God and allowing Him to make you better? Remember, the choice is ours to make. We can allow the circumstances to crush or create a new opportunity for us. Trusting in the Lord is the answer. I urge you to trust Him and be better!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
- - - Pastor Cecil
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
Monday, August 10, 2015
DAILY-E-VOTIONAL
BLESSINGS FROM THE HEART
Pastor Cecil A. Thompson
August 11, 2015
TO LISTEN TO THE DAILY E-VOTIONAL, CLICK ON THE LINK (OR COPY AND PASTE INTO YOUR BROWSER) FOR MY DAILY BLOG!
“This Ezra came up from Babylon; and he was a skilled scribe in the Law of Moses, which the LordGod of Israel had given. The king granted him all his request, according to the hand of the Lord his God upon him.”
From time to time I speak with people who only read New Testament passages. It shocks me, but at the same time saddens me. There are so many times in the Old Testament where we see the hand of God at work in the lives of those who place their trust in Him. I truly believe that we cannot understand the New Testament without a foundational knowledge of the Old Testament.
The Ezra in today's scripture was a scribe who had been in captivity in Babylon. He was faithful to the Lord regardless of where he was, but Ezra's heart was always in Jerusalem. It was not because of his outstanding abilities that the king’s heart was swayed, but it was because "the hand of the Lord his God upon him."
The people of God through all ages who have placed their trust in the Lord God have felt His hand upon their lives. That does not mean that their life is easy and without difficulty. As a matter of fact, sometimes the people of God are called upon to suffer more than others. So what is the benefit of placing our trust in God? The benefit is being used by Him.
If you really want your life to count for eternity, trust God with and for everything! Do not try to consider some things small and some things large. In God’s sight everything we do for Him is huge. The things of this world will pass away. Our efforts may seem insignificant, but if we act inobedience, it will please God and bring eternal value to us.
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
“Seek the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, and He will have mercy on him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.”
It was the final service of our annual Camp Meeting. The old tabernacle was crowded on a warm summer evening. The evangelist had been delivered a message outlining clearly the plan of salvation and the penalty that faced anyone who failed to accept the Lord Jesus as personal Savior.
I was sitting with my cousin and across the aisle from us was his dad. We knew that Uncle Harold had rejected the Lord, but were hopeful that this would be the time he would open his heart. The congregation was led in the old invitation hymn, Softly and Tenderly.
Wayne and I could see his dad weeping with conviction. We went over to him and pleaded with him to go forward and invite Jesus into his heart. Even though tears were flowing, he shook his head and refused to be moved. As far as we know he never made that choice. How sad that God’s free gift of eternal life was rejected. How about you? Have you honestly and sincerely invited Jesus Christ to be the Lord of your life? He is calling, O sinner, come home. All you have to do is open your heart and invite Him to come in.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
Thursday, August 6, 2015
Published on Aug 6, 2015
DAILY-E-VOTIONAL BLESSINGS FROM THE HEART
Pastor Cecil A. Thompson August 6, 2015
TO LISTEN TO THE DAILY E-VOTIONAL, CLICK ON THE LINK (OR COPY AND PASTE INTO YOUR BROWSER) FOR MY DAILY BLOG https://pastorcecilathompsondailye-vo...
“EXALTATION!” Psalm 108:5-6
“Be exalted, O God, above the heavens, and Your glory above all the earth; That Your beloved may be delivered, save with Your right hand, and hear me.”
Have you ever heard people make a comment about what they are going to say to the Lord when they get to heaven? I don’t think so! That is such prideful boasting I can hardly contain myself whenever I hear such comments.
The first time we see the Lord in glory we are going to be so overwhelmed that we will fall on our face enraptured By His Presence and giving Him ultimate praise. To me that is what exultation is all about.
The beautiful thing is we do not have to wait until we get to heaven. We can begin to give Him exultation right now. Instead of being preoccupied on what we have done or what we accomplish we need to focus our hearts on who He is and what He has done for us.
For those of us who have received Jesus Christ by personal invitation our eternity has begun. These old bodies of ours may cease to function here on earth but they are just a shell. The real eternal part of us lives on forever. The question is where we will spend eternity. For the believer it will be in heaven. For those who failed to receive Jesus Christ there is no other destination but an eternity in hell. How sad! Now is the time to enter into that wonderful relationship with Christ that will last beyond the ability to calculate time---forever! Give him exultation!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
- - - Pastor Cecil
Tuesday, August 4, 2015
Tuesday, August 4, 2015
DAILY-E-VOTIONAL
BLESSINGS FROM THE HEART
Pastor Cecil A. Thompson
August 5, 2015
TO LISTEN TO THE DAILY E-VOTIONAL, CLICK ON THE LINK (OR COPY AND PASTE INTO YOUR BROWSER) FOR MY DAILY BLOG!
“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged because of the king of Assyria and the vast army with him, for there is a greater power with us than with him. With him is only the arm of flesh, but with us is the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battles.”
Many years ago I was listening to a pastor being interviewed on the radio. He was commenting about a man who had been in one of his exhaustive studies in the book of Revelation. The pastor asked if anyone in the class could sum up what the book of Revelation meant to them. An older gentleman stood and quietly stated, "Jesus wins!"
As we look around our world, we sometimes feel as though we are on the losing side. That is absolutely untrue! We have victory in Jesus! Let me be quick to point out that our victory is not because of our strength or are mental superiority. Our victory comes through the Lord Jesus Christ!
In today's Scripture, King Hezekiah of Judah was faced with an enemy that seemed unbeatable. Surrounded by an army that had crushed other nations, he was ordered to surrender. But God told Hezekiah to stand fast. You may recall that Hezekiah took the letter that the Assyrian king had sent ridiculing the Lord into the Temple and laid before the God of Israel. The battle was not Hezekiah's but God's! In one night 185,000 enemy soldiers were cut down and the siege against Jerusalem was over. Never feel that we are on the losing side. Just remember the comment that that older gentleman made: "Jesus wins!"
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
- - - Pastor Cecil
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
