DAILY-E-VOTIONAL

BLESSINGS FROM THE HEART

Pastor Cecil A. Thompson

October 1, 2015

 TO LISTEN TO THE DAILY E-VOTIONAL, CLICK ON THE LINK (OR COPY AND PASTE INTO YOUR BROWSER) FOR MY DAILY BLOG!

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“WORTHY CONDUCT!”

Philippians 1:27

“Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel.”

Back when I was in grade school (that is way back) I had a teacher who consistently used a word that I have not heard for years -- DECORUM.  A quick peek at a dictionary and I find the definition: “correct or proper behavior that shows respect and good manners.”

Respect! What a fantastic word. It has the connotation of showing kindness and honor to another individual. That person does not necessarily have a higher position, but rather it shows a willingness on the one doing the honoring to acknowledge the worth of another. Don’t you wish there were more people showing respect to others?

Good manners! Wow! I think it is safe to say that we lack good manners many times. I hate to bring it up, but do we show good manners when we are behind the wheel of a car? How about when we are in a shopping center? How about with our own family? Ouch!

Paul urges us to have conduct that is worthy of the gospel of Jesus Christ. As you and I stop and take stock of our conduct, is it worthy of the gospel of Jesus Christ? If Jesus were to walk with us throughout the day, would He find our conduct worthy? The sobering reality is that the Holy Spirit is with each and every believer continually. When we do things that we think no one else knows about or can see, the Holy Spirit is present. My desire is to have worthy conduct in thought, word, and deed.

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 Please feel free to forward this E-Votional on to your family and friends  

DAILY-E-VOTIONAL

BLESSINGS FROM THE HEART

Pastor Cecil A. Thompson

September 30, 2015

 TO LISTEN TO THE DAILY E-VOTIONAL, CLICK ON THE LINK (OR COPY AND PASTE INTO YOUR BROWSER) FOR MY DAILY BLOG!

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“PRAYERFUL GOSSIP!”

I Timothy 5:13

“And besides they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house, and not only idle but also gossips and busybodies, saying things which they ought not.”

Many years ago I received a call from a woman who asked for an appointment. I had never met this woman and wondered what she wanted. I will never forget her first words: “I am the other woman.” I was confused since I had never met her before and, in fact, had never heard her name mentioned.

She asked if our Prayer Chain had not been praying about the wicked woman who was having an affair with one of the men in our church. I assured her that her name was not being mentioned in our prayer concerns. She said that several other churches had her name on their prayer lists.

It felt like I had been hit by a ton of bricks. This woman explained that both she and a certain man were members of the same scuba dive club. That was their only contact and nothing more. The man’s wife, nevertheless, became jealous and began to spread rumors about her husband’s supposed infidelity. From there it was picked up by various prayer groups. How sad!

I immediately called the captain of our prayer chain and asked her if she had heard about this situation. She said that a request had been made but there was nothing to substantiate the charges; therefore, it was never put out as a prayer request. Thank God! Be careful, dear heart. We can do great harm by using prayer as a sanctified gossip line!

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 Please feel free to forward this E-Votional on to your family and friends

My latest book, “Life Is A Blast” is available free on Kindle books. Just go to the Kindle store and type in Pastor Cecil’s “Life Is A Blast”, or type in Pastor Cecil Thompson.

DAILY-E-VOTIONAL

BLESSINGS FROM THE HEART

Pastor Cecil A. Thompson

September 29, 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-votional.blogspot.com

“REAL PURPOSE!”

Philippians 1:21-24

“For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from mylabor; yet what I shall choose I cannot tell. For I am hard-pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better. Nevertheless to remain in the flesh is more needful for you.”  

Last week I received an email message with a thought-provoking illustration. Supposedly a teacher stood before a classroom with her arm extended holding a glass of water. She asked the students to guess how much it weighed. The guesses ranged from 12 ounces to 24 ounces. The teacher smiled and said the "weight" depends on how long you hold it. If you hold it for two moments it is very light. If you hold it for two hours it becomes heavier. If you hold it for 10 hours it becomes an unbearable burden.

The Apostle Paul carried many burdens in his ministry. The burdens he bore were for the sake of Christ. He had purpose in his life! He did not bear burdens just for the sake of suffering, but for presenting the message of salvation. His real purpose was to live for Christ in everything he did.

Many people carry burdens that God never intended them to carry. In doing so, they lack the purpose that God intends for his children. Many times it seems that heaven is so close that we can almost reach out and touch it. No matter how anxious we are to be with the Lord, our real purpose must be to serve Him with all of our might. My prayer is that we will have a Christ oriented purpose in our life.

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 Please feel free to forward this E-Votional on to your family and friends

DAILY-E-VOTIONAL

BLESSINGS FROM THE HEART

Pastor Cecil A. Thompson

September 28, 2015

 TO LISTEN TO THE DAILY E-VOTIONAL, CLICK ON THE LINK (OR COPY AND PASTE INTO YOUR BROWSER) FOR MY DAILY BLOG!

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“BE TEACHABLE!”

Matthew 13:15

“For the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, lest they should understand withtheir hearts and turn, so that I should heal them.”

When I was a junior in high school several of us journeyed a few hundred miles from home to work in the harvest. That summer the weather delayed the harvest, however we were able to secure temporary employment at an insecticide processing company.

There was a large platform approximately 10 feet off the floor where various bags of a powder-like product were dumped into a large hopper. To keep the powder from blowing all over, a piece of ½ inch 6’x8’ plywood would be lowered down. When it was open there were chains on either side to prevent it from falling over. An older man who had worked there for quite a while supervised our activities.

The bags weighed anywhere from 50 to 75 pounds. The idea was to empty the product in the center of the opening away from the chains. If a heavy bag hit against the chain it would slam the plywood down striking your head. We quickly learned the process, but that old veteran never seemed to get it through his head. I recall that he was almost bald and his head was covered with sores from where the plywood and hit him so many times. It seemed like it happened several times each shift. As he staggered around, most of us could not contain the laughter.

As I have thought about this incident, it brings to mind how many people know that the wages of sin produce bitter dividends. But in spite of knowing the consequences, they will not be taught. May we all be teachable!

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 Please feel free to forward this E-Votional on to your family and friends

My latest book, “Life Is A Blast” is available free on Kindle books. Just go to the Kindle store and type in Pastor Cecil’s “Life Is A Blast”, or type in Pastor Cecil Thompson.

DAILY-E-VOTIONAL

BLESSINGS FROM THE HEART

Pastor Cecil A. Thompson

September 25, 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-votional.blogspot.com

“THE SANDS OF ETERNITY!”

Ecclesiastes 3:11

“He hath made everything beautiful in His time: also He hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.” 

Years ago I heard a minister tell of an incident in a hospital elevator where he had just come from visiting a very ill patient. A young man overheard him speak about eternity and, perhaps wanting to mock his view, asked the minister where eternity was. The minister told the boy to place his hand on his chest to feel the beat of his heart. Young man, eternity is one heartbeat away! That may answer where eternity is or at least how close we are to it, but just how long is eternity?

Our daughter was in the hospital near death. One afternoon as the two of us spoke quietly, she said she felt she was cheated out of half of her life. She went on to say that grandpa was 74 when he died and here she was just 35.

That evening as I drove into the garage I noticed that the car had been bringing in sand. I took out a sheet of typing paper and swept up some of the sand. I then sat at the kitchen table and counted out 74 grains. Some were larger than others, but all of them were quite small. I placed the 74 grains of sand in a tiny sample perfume bottle.

The next day as I entered her room I placed the bottle on her bed. When she asked what it was I told her it was grandpa. I asked her to imagine the earth being nothing but fine sand. Each grain represented one year of eternity. The 74 grains in the bottle represented grandpa’s life. Compared to the entire globe of sand it was nothing. Whether a person’s life lasted long or short, compared to eternity it was nothing.

It is what we do with the years we are given that matters. We can choose to confess our sins and accept Jesus Christ as our personal Savior or we can continue our own willful way and suffer the dreadful consequences prepared for the lost.

I pray that the video that accompanies today’s Daily-E-Votional will assist you in making the right choice. Please feel free to share it with others while there is still time.

To view the video The Sands of Eternity, go to www.PastorCecil.com 

Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!

- - - 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 Please feel free to forward this E-Votional on to your family and friends

My latest book, “Life Is A Blast” is available free on Kindle books. Just go to the Kindle store and type in Pastor Cecil’s “Life Is A Blast”, or type in Pastor Cecil Thompson.

DAILY-E-VOTIONAL

BLESSINGS FROM THE HEART

Pastor Cecil A. Thompson

September 24, 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-votional.blogspot.com

“AT-ONE-MENT!”

John 17:11

“Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me that they may be one as We are.”

Yesterday was Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. This morning as I was glancing over the copy ofBlessings From The Heart, the word "atonement" seemed to jump out at me and the three words AT-ONE-MENT seemed to flow. We know that Jesus is our atoning sacrifice and He desires for us to be "at one" with Him.

For years I have heard and frequently use the expression of "someone being so heavenly minded that they are of no earthly use." I am sure that if you think about it you will immediately think of people that unfortunately fit this category.

I love the last few words of today’s Scripture: “…. that they may be one as We are.” Every time I read those words my heart skips a beat. Jesus is praying to His Father that we may be one with Him. To me that is the ultimate of AT-ONE-MENT. It is not doing our own thing, but yielding ourselves to His control so that we are at one with Him in thought, word, and deed.

There is another step that needs to be added to this equation. We need to be at one with each other. There is so much divisiveness in the body of Christ that it is the opposite of AT-ONE-MENT. That does not mean to compromise the basic fundamentals of the faith, but it does mean standing together at the foot of the cross with our hearts as one!

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

DAILY-E-VOTIONAL

BLESSINGS FROM THE HEART

Pastor Cecil A. Thompson

September 23, 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-votional.blogspot.com

“ATONEMENT!”

Romans 5:6-8

“For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

This year, September 23, 2015, is designated as Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. It is the most sacred day for Jews. A day for confessing the sins of the people as well as their individual sins. The solemn day is marked by deep contrition and fasting.

Unfortunately, most Christians pay very little attention to the seven Feasts that were established by God and given to Moses. This is one of those days. As we read today’s Scripture, we realize that Jesus is our atoning sacrifice.

What does atonement mean? Basically we can say it means paying a price for sins that have been committed. We can never pay the steep price that is required for our sins. There is no way we can be good enough or to accomplish enough good deeds that merit the atonement for what we are guilty of. Jesus paid the price!

Even though Jesus is our atoning sacrifice, it is important that we go through our memory banks and recall the things that we have done that are displeasing to God as well as hurting others. Let us purpose in our hearts to ask forgiveness for anything that we have done that is displeasing to the Lord. If restitution is required, so be it! If confessing our faults to others is required, so be it!

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

DAILY-E-VOTIONAL

BLESSINGS FROM THE HEART

Pastor Cecil A. Thompson

September 22, 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-votional.blogspot.com

“MY PRAYER FOR YOU!”

Philippians 1:9-11

“And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.”

All too often our prayers for others are limited to their physical or financial needs. While that is well and good, it seems that it is very shortsighted. If we were to study the prayers in the word of God, we would find that seldom are those prayers directed toward healing or financial gain.

Paul is praying for the saints who live in Philippi. It is interesting to notice what he is praying for concerning them: That their love may abound more and more; that they may have more knowledge and discernment; that they may approve of things that are excellent; that they may be sincere; that they may be without offense until the day of Christ, and that they may be filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Christ Jesus. What a fantastic prayer! I would love to have those prayers directed at me.

The question arises about the state of our prayer life. Are we more interested in the things that make us or others comfortable or are we interested in what will make us fruitful? I fear that most of the time we desire to be at ease in Zion.

God calls us to be prayer warriors. As prayer warriors we need to pray and encourage others to be strong and vital in serving the Lord. We need to pray that spiritual insight will be given and maturity increased. Along with our prayers we need to call or write to let others know that we are there for them.

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

DAILY-E-VOTIONAL

BLESSINGS FROM THE HEART

Pastor Cecil A. Thompson

September 21, 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-votional.blogspot.com

“THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES!”

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 

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

DAILY-E-VOTIONAL

BLESSINGS FROM THE HEART

Pastor Cecil A. Thompson

September 18, 2015

TO LISTEN TO THE DAILY E-VOTIONAL, CLICK ON THE LINK (OR COPY AND PASTE INTO YOUR BROWSER) FOR MY DAILY BLOG!

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 “O GOD, OUR HELP IN AGES PAST!”

Psalm 90:1-2

“Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations. Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.” 

O God, Our Help in Ages Past, is a hymn by Isaac Watts and paraphrases Psalm 90. It originally consisted of nine stanzas. In present usage, however, the hymn is usually limited to stanzas one, two, three, five and nine.

The hymn was originally part of The Psalms of David Imitated in the Language of the New Testament, published by Watts in 1719. It has often been sung for special occasions in England. It was sung in 1941, at a religious service on board HMS Prince of Wales attended by Winston Churchill and Franklin Delano Roosevelt as part of the conference creating the Atlantic Charter. It was also sung at the funeral of Winston Churchill in 1965.

Later composers subsequently incorporated the tune in their own works. For example, George Handel used the tune in an anthem entitled, O Praise the Lord.

O GOD, OUR HELP IN AGES PAST

O God, our help in ages past,
Our hope for years to come,
Our shelter from the stormy blast,
And our eternal home.

Under the shadow of Thy throne
Thy saints have dwelt secure;
Sufficient is Thine arm alone,
And our defense is sure.

Before the hills in order stood,
Or earth received her frame,
From everlasting Thou art God,
To endless years the same.

A thousand ages in Thy sight
Are like an evening gone;
Short as the watch that ends the night
Before the rising sun.

The busy tribes of flesh and blood,
With all their lives and cares,
Are carried downwards by the flood,
And lost in following years.

O God, our help in ages past,
Our hope for years to come,
Be Thou our guide while troubles last,
And our eternal home.

To enjoy this free inspirational video:  O God, Our Help in Ages Past, go to: http://www.gloryscapes.com/ogodourhelpinagespast/

Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!

- - - Pastor Cecil

If this email is not displaying properly, click here: www.Daily-E-Votional.com You can also find previous Daily-E-Votionals to help you in your walk with the Lord. Please feel free to forward this E-Votional on to your family

September 17, 2015

DAILY-E-VOTIONAL

BLESSINGS FROM THE HEART

Pastor Cecil A. Thompson

September 17, 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-votional.blogspot.com

“RESTORE ME!”

Psalm 51:10-11

“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.  Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.”

It sometimes feels as if we are continually appealing to the Lord to forgive some sin we have committed in thought, word or deed. We are sinners by birth and without a Savior,  we are eternally lost. Even after receiving Jesus Christ as our personal Savior we find that there are thoughts or actions that need forgiveness.

I heard the story of a saintly man of God who seemed to constantly live close to the Lord. Someone asked him the secret of consistently having a victorious Christian life. His response was electrifying and very revealing; “I try not to allow more than one minute to pass between my sin and my confession.”

Most of us are familiar with first John 1:9; “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive usour sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Knowing it and practicing it are two different things. The longer we try to excuse our actions instead of confessing them as a sin the farther we draw away from God.

If you want victory in your life constantly be prepared to confess when you fail or fall short. There was only one perfect human born on this earth and he was nailed to the cross. Not for his sins but for ours! Restore me Lord to a closer walk with You.

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

DAILY-E-VOTIONAL

BLESSINGS FROM THE HEART

Pastor Cecil A. Thompson

September 16, 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-votional.blogspot.com

“LOVE!”

I Corinthians 13:13

 “Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.  And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”

For the previous two days I have shared thoughts about the qualities of FAITH and HOPE. That brings us to the last of these -- LOVE. I was blessed to have discovered my precious life partner when I was just a boy of 14. Joyce and I knew the joy of walking together, finally holding hands, the first kiss, and the consummation of our love on our wedding night. (I wish couples would depart from the liberal idea that sex before marriage is the norm.)

Our love continued to grow across the years as we experienced the birth of our three children and the establishment of a Christian home. It was easy to love my wife and my children. It was also easy to love my friends and neighbors -- but what about others who were not lovable?

That’s where the rub comes, doesn’t it? We can be self satisfied that we are being the loving Christians that God wants us to be as long as we love the lovable people in our life. Think of the people that are near to you that are totally obnoxious. Can you show true Christian love to them?

In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said we are to love those who are hard to love. Listen to His words in Luke 6:35: “But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil.” That, my dear friend, is true love! I want that for my life.

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