​PASTOR CECIL · Pastor Cecil's Devotional: COME THOU LONG-EXPECTED JESUS!

COME THOU LONG-EXPECTED JESUS!

Devotional

Charles Wesley was a prolific hymnwriter who wrote over 6,500 hymns during his lifetime (1707-1788). His works include “And Can It Be”, “O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing”, “Christ the Lord Is Risen Today”, “Love Divine, All Loves Excelling”, the carol “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing”, and “Lo! He Comes With Clouds Descending”.

Jason E. Vickers states that Charles Wesley’s ‘conversion experience’ in 1738 had a clear impact on his doctrine, especially doctrine concerning the power of the Holy Spirit. The change was most prominent in his hymns written after the same year.

From his published work Hymns and Prayers to the Trinity and in Hymn number 62 he writes, “The Holy Ghost in part we know, For with us He resides, Our whole of good to Him we owe, Whom by His grace he guides, He doth our virtuous thoughts inspire, The evil he averts, And every seed of good desire, He planted in our hearts.”

In this hymn, Charles communicates several doctrines: the personal indwelling of the Holy Spirit, the sanctifying work of the Spirit, the depravity of mankind, and humanity’s personal accountability to God.

We hope you enjoy today’s featured hymn from Charles Wesley entitled, Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus, written in 1744.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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 all sufficient merit,
raise us to thy glorious throne.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

You can view a GloryScapes video of this hymn by going to https://gloryscapes.com/comethoulongexpectedjesus/

Blessings dear hearts walk with God today and become a blessing!

– – – Pastor Cecil

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​PASTOR CECIL · Pastor Cecil's Devotional: SOARING WITH THE LORD! – Deuteronomy 32:11-12

SOARING WITH THE LORD​​​​​​!

Deuteronomy 32:11-12 – Devotional

Deuteronomy 32:11-12

“As an eagle stirs up its nest, hovers over its young, spreading out its wings, taking them up, carrying them on its wings, So the Lord alone led him, and there was no foreign god with him.”

The eagle is a symbol used many times in Scripture. It is mentioned 38 times throughout the Bible. We can learn some important lessons from this majestic creation of God.

Moses reminds us how God cares for us just like an eagle that stirs up its nest and hovers over its young. The eagle parent spreads its wings to catch their eaglets and carries them on its pinions. In Exodus 19:4 God says that “He will carry the children of Israel on eagles’ wings.”

Eagles do not fly like other birds. They don’t flap their wings but rather soar. When the time is right, they take off and soar upward because they have waited for the right time.

Like the eagle we need to carefully watch for God’s thermals for our life and allow Him to lift us up and let us soar to places He has prepared for us. As we yield to His care for us we will soar higher than we could never imagine!

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

– – – Pastor Cecil

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If you have watched The Sands of Eternity video above and prayed the prayer at the end, please go to https://PastorCecil.com/ and use the form on the webpage to let us know so we can send you follow up resources and/or send an email to pastorcecil@dailyevotional.com and let him know.

​PASTOR CECIL · Pastor Cecil's Devotional: CHRIST IS OUR CROWN OF REJOICING! 1 Thessalonians 2:19

CHRIST IS OUR CROWN OF REJOICING​​​​​​!

1 Thessalonians 2:19 – Devotional

1 Thessalonians 2:19

“What is our hope, our joy, our crown of rejoicing? It is you in the presence of our precious Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ when He comes.”

Some of you feel that you are at the end of your rope. The pressures of life have been crushing in on you from all directions and, one after another, of your safe havens have disappeared. You may even feel that there is no place to go for help.

Hope is more than mere wishful thinking that things may get better. That concept of the meaning of the word hope seems to be all too common. It is not simply wishing for something that probably will not happen.

Let me correct that idea for us once and for all. The Greek word for hope as used in 1 Thessalonians 2:19 is the word elpis. It carries with it the meaning of confident expectation that God is the answer. Do you hear that? It is confidently waiting for something the Lord has prepared especially for us! Please read that last sentence over one more time. It is not what we desire for ourselves, but what God wants to do in and through us. I think the greatest joy in life is to be used of God.

Spend time meditating on the fantastic truth found in Proverbs 3:5-6: “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, rather than leaning on your own understanding; In everything give Him the credit, and He will direct your paths.”

Blessings dear hearts walk with God today and become a blessing!

– – – Pastor Cecil

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If you have watched The Sands of Eternity video above and prayed the prayer at the end, please go to https://PastorCecil.com/ and use the form on the webpage to let us know so we can send you follow up resources and/or send an email to pastorcecil@dailyevotional.com and let him know.

​PASTOR CECIL · Pastor Cecil's Devotional: ANXIETY! Philippians 4:4-7

ANXIETY​​​​​​!

Philippians 4:4-7 – Devotional

Philippians 4:4-7

“Rejoice in the Lord always, I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

When I think of being nervous my mind goes to the character that Don Knotts played on the old Andy Griffith show. He was the ever nervous and always anxious deputy, Barney Fife. It was humorous watching as Barney’s anxiety over insignificant situations caused even more problems.

I always wanted to put a hand on his should and help him calm down and assure him that everything would be okay (but he was just playing a part).

What about our own lives? What are the things that cause us to tremble, shake, and lose sleep? Do you think the Lord is pleased with us when we allow our anxious thoughts to control our lives?

There are several thoughts I see in today’s Scripture that must be a part of our thinking in order to counteract anxiety:

1. Always rejoice
2. Gentleness that is evident to all
3. Remember that the Lord is near
4. Get rid of anxious thoughts, and
5. Always pray with thanksgiving

The Lord is in control — relax and enjoy Him!

Blessings dear hearts. Walk with God today and be a blessing!

– – – Pastor Cecil

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If you have watched The Sands of Eternity video above and prayed the prayer at the end, please go to https://PastorCecil.com/ and use the form on the webpage to let us know so we can send you follow up resources and/or send an email to pastorcecil@dailyevotional.com and let him know.

​PASTOR CECIL · Pastor Cecil's Devotional: ETERNAL VALUE! Luke 12:6-7

ETERNAL VALUE​​​​​​!

Luke 12:6-7 – Devotional

Luke 12:6-7

“Are not five sparrows sold for two cents? Yet not one of them is forgotten before God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows.”

We too often fail to recognize just how valuable a human life is to God. We can be very nonchalant about what our life and witness could mean to those who have not yet made a decision for Christ.

But we carelessly shrug our shoulders, unconcerned whether they do or they don’t — what’s the big deal about one more decision?

Stop for a few moments and try to visualize the terrors of hell. If you need a little help, let me share this passage from Luke 16:23-24, “In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.”

Can you imagine the torment that was so great that just a touch of water on his parched tongue would bring some relief?

Now get your mind around the concept that this torment would last for eternity!

We are not just playing a game here. We are dealing with eternal values. Our actions must match our words so that we will create a desire in the hearts of the lost to make that eternal choice that will mean heaven!

Blessings dear hearts. Walk with God today and be a blessing!

– – – Pastor Cecil

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If you have watched The Sands of Eternity video above and prayed the prayer at the end, please go to https://PastorCecil.com/ and use the form on the webpage to let us know so we can send you follow up resources and/or send an email to pastorcecil@dailyevotional.com and let him know.

​PASTOR CECIL · Pastor Cecil's Devotional: HATE THE EVIL! Romans 12:9-11

HATE THE EVIL!

Romans 12:9-11 – Devotional

Romans 12:9-11

“Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.”

Listen to today’s Message of the Week, “Hate the Evil!” by clicking above on the play button.

Blessings dear hearts. Walk with God today and be a blessing!

– – – Pastor Cecil

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If you have watched The Sands of Eternity video above and prayed the prayer at the end, please go to https://PastorCecil.com/ and use the form on the webpage to let us know so we can send you follow up resources and/or send an email to pastorcecil@dailyevotional.com and let him know.