The Holy Bible: The Lexham English Bible

John 8:42–44 (Key verses)

42 Jesus said to them, “If God were your father, you would love me, for I have come forth from God and have come. For I have not come from myself, but that one sent me. 43 ⌊Why⌋ do you not understand my way of speaking? Because you are not able to listen to my message. 44 You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father!

My Thoughts:
(How Can I apply what God is saying here to my life today?)

I believe that if we know Jesus intimately and obey His commands we prove that we are children of the King. This is actually very biblical, see John 8:31. The trouble with the Jews (the audience being reached in the passage quoted above) and with many church attendees today, is that they have an expectation of what they want to hear preached and taught. Anything different is almost heresy to them. Jesus recognized that His audience was not just drawing a blank, but they were refusing to listen, because they were fixated on their father, the Devil. Jesus told His audience this in verse 44, but what about you Brother? How is it with you, Sister? Do you go to church and try to listen to the preacher, until God’s Word really starts to challenge you about who you are, or what you may have flippantly said, or your refusal to perhaps help a stranger in need, or just how you ignore God’s instructions? How’s your heart, friend? Do you know my Savior? Have you committed your life totally to Him and promised to follow Him and obey Him the rest of your life? According to verse 31 mentioned above, this is how you prove that you are His disciple. The reason this applies to us is that disciples were the first to be called Christians in the Bible (Acts 11:26). If we are Christ’s disciples, we would listen to His Word, and lovingly obey it, as a way of showing our love to the One who first loved us! Examine yourself friend and decide for yourself if you are truly open to the Word of God and seek to obey it with all of your being. If you are struggling with this, I encourage you to have an urgent talk with your Maker. Seek His forgiveness; surrender your life totally to Him and seek His help to obey His commands.

My Prayer
(What I will ask of God, in order for me to properly apply His Word to my life)

Lord Jesus, thank You for helping us to understand more clearly from this passage on whose side of the fence we reside. Please forgive me for the times I may have refused to listen to your Word and obey Your every command. I am Your disciple and consider it of ultimate importance to be obedient to You in every way. I ask You for additional wisdom to understand Your Word; and strength, boldness and commitment to obey every command taught in it. Thank You for loving me enough to correct me in this way, and draw to me the importance of obedience. Please speak with my friends today about this also, especially as they meditate on this devotional. May they also surrender their lives entirely over to You and obey Your commands like disciples should.

 

**Words underlined may be a hyperlink to a song that God laid on my heart while sharing this devotional this morning. Click it and be blessed by the song, like I was when I listened to it! …… I would be overjoyed to have the opportunity to pray with you about a need in your life that may, or may not have been highlighted by this Nugget today. Why not drop me a note and tell me about it? You may email me at:
nuggetsfromgodsword@yahoo.com
**

The Holy Bible: The Good news Translation

John 8:39–41 (Key verses)

39 …”If you really were Abraham’s children,” Jesus replied, “you would do the same things that he did. 40 All I have ever done is to tell you the truth I heard from God, yet you are trying to kill me. Abraham did nothing like this! 41 You are doing what your father did.”

“God himself is the only Father we have,” they answered, “and we are his true children.”

My Thoughts:
(How Can I apply what God is saying here to my life today?)

Jesus told some of our earlier ancestors that they were doing what their father did. What does He say to us at the end of some days to you? He was telling the Pharisees that their father was the Devil, and they were doing exactly what he would do. How is it with you, friend? Have you accepted the Lord Jesus as your Master, your Lord and your Savior? Are you reading His Word so you can understand what He does, and what He expects of you as His child? Or are you still following the same old ways of this world, and of your first father, the Devil? Jesus is the only way friend, and when we obey His commands (directions from His Holy Word) then we show that we are His. The world needs to see more who are doing what their Father, Jesus Christ, did. Friend, let’s get with the program, and follow the ways of our Father! Let’s make Him proud of His kids, and at the same time show the world what it means to be a true follower of Jesus. They may want to meet Him also!

My Prayer
(What I will ask of God, in order for me to properly apply His Word to my life)

Lord Jesus, thank You for saving me, loving me and being my very best Friend. Thank You for setting such an awesome example for me to follow. Please give me wisdom, strength and boldness to daily prove to whom I belong. May the world clearly see that I am a child of the most high King, and may this impact their lives in such a way that they would want to know You also, is my humble prayer today. Please speak to the hearts of my friends that may meditate on this devotional today. May they be reminded who their father is, based on their actions that will show evidence, and may they be convicted to turn their actions around and follow You instead with all their power and might.

 

**Words underlined may be a hyperlink to a song that God laid on my heart while sharing this devotional this morning. Click it and be blessed by the song, like I was when I listened to it! …… I would be overjoyed to have the opportunity to pray with you about a need in your life that may, or may not have been highlighted by this Nugget today. Why not drop me a note and tell me about it? You may email me at:
nuggetsfromgodsword@yahoo.com
**

The Holy Bible: The Good news Translation

John 8:30–32 (Key verses)

30 Many who heard Jesus say these things believed in him.

31 So Jesus said to those who believed in him, “If you obey my teaching, you are really my disciples;
32 you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

My Thoughts:
(How Can I apply what God is saying here to my life today?)

Many are moved to decision in Jesus Christ, sometimes because of peer pressure, or perhaps pressure from fear of death or disaster, but for those who have truly accepted Jesus as Lord of their lives and then continue to obey Him/His Word, there is evidence that they are truly His disciples. So if Jesus knows all things, why is it necessary to show evidence of our salvation? Think about this friend. If an electrician goes to work and acts as a nurse instead of an electrician, he will probably not have a job very long. If a married man continues to act like a single young man and never adjust to becoming one with his wife, the marriage will probably be short lived. In this passage, and again over in the book of James, it is clear that by our actions, or work, we will be known. If we accept Jesus, study the Bible and do what it says, of course we are showing evidence that our lives have changed and it is evident from our deeds and words, that we are a new person in Christ. I always like to turn the action point around and see if, perhaps, the passage might speak to me more clearly. If I did that with verse 31, it would say if you don’t obey me/my Word, then there is a clear indication that there has been no change in your life and that Jesus is no part of you. Based on your daily actions, what evidence are you showing, saved or unsaved? Friend, we never know about tomorrow. Please don’t wait to get this cleared up with Jesus by asking forgiveness of your sin, then follow Him – show evidence that you are His, every day of your life.

My Prayer
(What I will ask of God, in order for me to properly apply His Word to my life)

Lord Jesus, thank You for who You are and the salvation that You offer to me and all my family and friends. You know that there are unsaved, and uncommitted ones in this group, and I beg of You today to please soften the hardened hearts and help each one to be assured of their salvation. Please help us to not only say that we belong to You, but to show it through our words and deeds that You are truly Lord over our lives. I truly believe that our friends will be saved when they see us less hypocritical and showing more evidence of belonging to the One in whom we believe. Thank You for Your loving kindness to me every day, and thank You for strength and humbleness to honestly serve You every day, regardless of my circumstance. Please help me to always look for ways to draw even closer to You and be even more obedient to You. Please tender the hearts of ones that may meditate on these words today, so that they may be willing to accept You and obey You every command.

 

**Words underlined may be a hyperlink to a song that God laid on my heart while sharing this devotional this morning. Click it and be blessed by the song, like I was when I listened to it! …… I would be overjoyed to have the opportunity to pray with you about a need in your life that may, or may not have been highlighted by this Nugget today. Why not drop me a note and tell me about it? You may email me at:
nuggetsfromgodsword@yahoo.com
**

The Holy Bible: The Good news Translation

2 Kings 2:19–22 (Key verses)

19 Some men from Jericho went to Elisha and said, “As you know, sir, this is a fine city, but the water is bad and causes miscarriages.”

20 “Put some salt in a new bowl, and bring it to me,” he ordered. They brought it to him, 21and he went to the spring, threw the salt in the water, and said, “This is what the LORD says: ‘I make this water pure, and it will not cause any more deaths or miscarriages.’ ” 22And that water has been pure ever since, just as Elisha said it would be.

My Thoughts:
(How Can I apply what God is saying here to my life today?)

This is so much like God, to show us that when we are dealt with a lemon – make lemonade instead of whining and complaining! He can make a good result from any circumstance that we surrender to Him. My God is glorious! In this case He allowed Elisha to purify the water instead of seeing the prophets curse what He divinely made! He can do the same in our situations that we may otherwise think are impossible and/or the worse thing that could have happened to us!

My Prayer
(What I will ask of God, in order for me to properly apply His Word to my life)

Father, please give me a positive attitude always, so that I may recognize all the beauty You have provided for me. No matter how bad things may seem, I am blessed by Your love, Your daily protection and Your provision. Thank You for Your prophets like Elijah and Elisha, and for continuing to work in and through our spiritual leaders of today. You are beyond description, and I adore You today. Please also touch the hearts of my friends that may meditate on these words today.

 

**Words underlined may be a hyperlink to a song that God laid on my heart while sharing this devotional this morning. Click it and be blessed by the song, like I was when I listened to it! …… I would be overjoyed to have the opportunity to pray with you about a need in your life that may, or may not have been highlighted by this Nugget today. Why not drop me a note and tell me about it? You may email me at:
nuggetsfromgodsword@yahoo.com
**

The Holy Bible: The Good news Translation

John 8:12 (Key verses)

12 Jesus spoke to the Pharisees again. “I am the light of the world,” he said. “Whoever follows me will have the light of life and will never walk in darkness.”

My Thoughts:
(How Can I apply what God is saying here to my life today?)

Christ is the Light of the world. God is light, and Christ is the image of the invisible God. One sun enlightens the whole world, and so does one Christ. What a dark dungeon would this world be without the sun! A friend of mine recently gave me a glimpse of what it was like last winter when the weather was so bad outside, that he and his wife could not get out and travel to town for almost 2 weeks. He was depressed, because his world felt very dark. This is exactly how the world would be without Jesus, by whom light came into the world. Those who follow Christ shall not walk in darkness. They shall not be left without the truths which are necessary to live a godly life. Are you comforted in knowing the Son, friend? Just as my friend found a bright hope in finally being able to get out of his home and travel to town, you can find an even brighter hope in knowing Jesus – the Light of the world. Please consult with a local Bible teaching pastor for help in knowing this Jesus, or feel free to contact me using the email address noted below. Brighten your day and brighten your future, by know my Jesus, the Light of the world, and my hope for eternal life in heaven!

My Prayer
(What I will ask of God, in order for me to properly apply His Word to my life)

Lord Jesus, You provide joy for my day, happiness in my relationships, and unending peace in knowing that I have a hope and I have a future, because I know You, the Son, who made the path for me to enter heaven one day and be with You eternally. That really brightens my day and gives me hope even among all the darkness that I see and hear all around me in this old world. What have I done to deserve this? Absolutely nothing, it is all mine because of my faith in You and the gift You provided for me on the cross at Calvary. Thank You for loving me enough to do this, and for giving, and blessing me with Your grace!

 

**Words underlined may be a hyperlink to a song that God laid on my heart while sharing this devotional this morning. Click it and be blessed by the song, like I was when I listened to it! …… I would be overjoyed to have the opportunity to pray with you about a need in your life that may, or may not have been highlighted by this Nugget today. Why not drop me a note and tell me about it? You may email me at:
nuggetsfromgodsword@yahoo.com
**

The Holy Bible: The Good news Translation

John 8:5–7 (Key verses)

5 In our Law Moses commanded that such a woman must be stoned to death. Now, what do you say?” 6They said this to trap Jesus, so that they could accuse him. But he bent over and wrote on the ground with his finger. 7As they stood there asking him questions, he straightened himself up and said to them, “Whichever one of you has committed no sin may throw the first stone at her.”

My Thoughts:
(How Can I apply what God is saying here to my life today?)

It is so easy sometimes to act the part of the Teachers and Pharisees and turn in the ‘guilty’ ones, while we are guilty of so much ourselves. Many times we are self-righteous and say to ourselves that we are merely doing the work of the Lord by pointing out sin to our Brother. We must be very careful with this action friend. We must be sure that God is leading us to correct that person. I feel sure that God will not send an unclean messenger to correct his Brother! If only we can be as understanding and forgiving as our Master. He could tell from the sorrow in this woman’s heart that she was sorry for her sin and wanted true repentance, so He dismissed her in peace and with His blessing. Now a big part of this example is actually found in the verse that follows when Jesus told the woman that she must now go and sin no more. Let’s do our best and seek God’s help to not repeat the same sinful act or deed over and over. Jesus is our helper in these things! Friends, we must learn from our mistakes and experiences, and we must allow them to correct our ways and drive our future. Jesus loved this sinner and forgave her for her sin. We must do the same if we are to follow in Jesus’ footsteps.

My Prayer
(What I will ask of God, in order for me to properly apply His Word to my life)

Heavenly Father, please forgive me for acting in pious ways at times, much like these teachers and Pharisees did. It is so difficult to examine self, and way too easy to point a finger at a Brother or Sister for their wrongs. Please help me to lay out my actions and my words against that which You have taught in Your Word, so that sinful deeds and actions might be highlighted. Help me then to be humble, yet bold enough to immediately seek Your forgiveness, and Your help to overcome. I would sincerely ask Your help and direction on my friends that may meditate on this devotion today, that they too will utilize Your Word in their lives before using this to apply to a Brother or Sister behind them. May our lives be acceptable to You, and clean enough, that they can be used of You today as a channel of Your blessing and opportunity for salvation to the lost that we will come into contact with. Thank You for loving me this much Jesus!

 

**Words underlined may be a hyperlink to a song that God laid on my heart while sharing this devotional this morning. Click it and be blessed by the song, like I was when I listened to it! …… I would be overjoyed to have the opportunity to pray with you about a need in your life that may, or may not have been highlighted by this Nugget today. Why not drop me a note and tell me about it? You may email me at:
nuggetsfromgodsword@yahoo.com
**

The Holy Bible: The Good news Translation

1 Ki 21:27–29 (Key verses)

27 When Elijah finished speaking, Ahab tore his clothes, took them off, and put on sackcloth. He refused food, slept in the sackcloth, and went about gloomy and depressed.

28 The LORD said to the prophet Elijah, 29″Have you noticed how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Since he has done this, I will not bring disaster on him during his lifetime; it will be during his son’s lifetime that I will bring disaster on Ahab’s family.”

My Thoughts:
(How Can I apply what God is saying here to my life today?)

Praise The Lord that we serve such an awesome God who is merciful, to even us! In the scripture leading up to these verses we read about how wicked King Ahab was, and how conniving and deceiving his wife Jezebel was. Yet when God sent His prophet, Elijah, out to tell Ahab about his sinful condition, and what the consequences would be, Ahad actually showed humility, instead of hostility, and showed obvious signs of his regret and sorrow for doing such things. Even knowing the evil of this man, yet God lightened the consequences of this man’s sin, all because of his humility. Friends, we might often mess up, but we know what God desires of us. First of all, He wants a relationship with us. He created us in His own image – so He is very proud of mankind. Don’t you imagine how sorry He must be when He sees us turn away from Him and want nothing to do with Him? Secondly, God wants to see us follow in His footsteps. Think about your children. You want them to be at least as good as you are, so you set good examples for them to follow, and you have certain rules for them to follow so that they could wind up being adults likened to you. This is the same that Jesus wants for us. He wants us to be more like Him every day, because He has prepared the way, the example, for us. He is given us rules to follow, His Holy Bible contains them all, so that one day as we mature into Christians on mission for Him, He might say to us “Well Done good and faithful servant”. Friend, please follow step one and accept this Jesus of mine. Secondly, please follow His example, be more like Him every day, so that You may touch the hearts of others and cause them to hunger for our Lord.

My Prayer
(What I will ask of God, in order for me to properly apply His Word to my life)

Lord Jesus, thank You for loving me enough to give of yourself so that I may live eternally with You. Thank You for teaching me through Your Word what it really means to be humble and forgiving. May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to You oh Lord. Please strengthen me each day and guide me into the way of righteousness, so that I may exemplify You with all of my being. I love You Lord, and I lift my voice, to worship You oh Lord! Your mercies endure forever!

 

**Words underlined may be a hyperlink to a song that God laid on my heart while sharing this devotional this morning. Click it and be blessed by the song, like I was when I listened to it! …… I would be overjoyed to have the opportunity to pray with you about a need in your life that may, or may not have been highlighted by this Nugget today. Why not drop me a note and tell me about it? You may email me at:
nuggetsfromgodsword@yahoo.com
**

The Holy Bible: The Good news Translation

1 Kings 20:18 (Key verses)

28 A prophet went to King Ahab and said, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Because the Syrians say that I am a god of the hills and not of the plains, I will give you victory over their huge army, and you and your people will know that I am the LORD.’ ”

My Thoughts:
(How Can I apply what God is saying here to my life today?)

God performed miracles and gave great successes to the army of King Ahab, with hopes that this might get the attention of the people. Our country today, and many others that we hear about, are in sad shape as far as their spiritual wellbeing. I wonder what it would take to get the attention of the masses. Back at the time of the 911 disaster, many flocked to the churches, for at least a few days. So we know that disasters really work, although we really don’t want to see something so drastic again anytime soon. Miracles happen every day, but do we brag enough about those that those not involved would have a chance of knowing about the wonderful works of God? Christians, we must give God credit when we see things happening in response to our prayers. The things that we hear from non-Christians are anything but godly, because they don’t know our Savior, so we can’t depend on their praises having any impact on fellow lost people. The church is made up of you and I, fellow church attendees. What will it take to get our attention, considering the rush and hustle that we face each day? Many of us are so saturated in the things of this world as pushed by the media, that I would question how long it would take for us to even recognize an actual God-sighting in our homes or neighborhood or church or community? Friends, God loves us so much that He is willing to try almost anything to get our attention. Please join me in being super attentive to God’s hand at work today in our lives and all around us! Let’s get used to doing this so that the world will know that our God is alive and waiting for them to call upon the name of Jesus for salvation.

My Prayer
(What I will ask of God, in order for me to properly apply His Word to my life)

Thank You Lord Jesus for loving me enough to send things my way to wake me up, to get my attention to Your wonderful works. Thank You for providing so much for me to enjoy in this beautiful world that You have created. Thank You for being patient with me and forgiving of me when I am distracted by this old world and other unimportant things. Lord, of what purpose would our journey here on earth be, if others are not pointed to You through our lives? Please work on me today to give You credit for all that You are doing, so that some lost person might want to know more about the Savior that I love, adore and serve. Lord, may You have an impact on the lost today through the words and/or actions of Your saints that may meditate on this devotional today, is my humble prayer.

 

**Words underlined may be a hyperlink to a song that God laid on my heart while sharing this devotional this morning. Click it and be blessed by the song, like I was when I listened to it! …… I would be overjoyed to have the opportunity to pray with you about a need in your life that may, or may not have been highlighted by this Nugget today. Why not drop me a note and tell me about it? You may email me at:
nuggetsfromgodsword@yahoo.com
**

The Holy Bible – The Good News Translation

John 7:16-18

16 Jesus answered, “What I teach is not my own teaching, but it comes from God, who sent me. 17 Whoever is willing to do what God wants will know whether what I teach comes from God or whether I speak on my own authority. 18 A person who speaks on his own authority is trying to gain glory for himself. But he who wants glory for the one who sent him is honest, and there is nothing false in him.

My Thoughts:
The people recognized that that Jesus was an awesome teacher. However Jesus wanted to make it clear that His words came directly from the Father. I believe that verse 18 helped to open my eyes to what we see in churches today. In other words, when we see someone trying to gain glory, or attention to themselves, they are speaking from their own auhority. Unfortunately we see this in preachers, teachers and other leaders, at times. Let’s remember that our godly responsibility is to pray for those who teach us, not make fun of them or ridicule them. That’s where God takes over. Fortunately though, we also have preachers and teachers who displays a true sensitivity to God and His Holy Spirit, and therefore there is a deep honesty about him and nothing false. OK, so what is in this for the laity, like you and I? 1). We have been given the litmus test to help us decide on whether we are being fed the honest truth of God’s Word, or whether we are seeing a popularity contest, or perhaps a self promotion. This helps us to place ourselves under the right preaching/teaching so that we can be truly taught by God. 2). Look inwardly and allow God to show you any faults that may be evident in your life. Perhaps you are the false teacher/preacher. Are you promoting self every opportunity, or are you standing behind the cross of Christ, with Him as your spokesman so that His work might be accomplished? Let Him have His way in your life, friend. Don’t just let Him be the ‘co-pilot’ in your life, but give Him the wheel and let Him pilot you through this life. Let Him receive glory for all that is accomplished in your life and in your ministry.

My Payer:
Lord Jesus, it is so easy to sit back an gloat on the praise that others may give you. Yes, I know it is meant to encourage me and lift me up, but dear Lord, I need the strength and wisdom to pass those praises right on up to You. For without You in my life, without You guiding me every step of the way, my impact on a loss world would be non-existant. Please continue to use my talents and my willingness to serve for Your glory and hopefully the growth of Your church. Please help me to display so much of You that those that I come into contact with may receive Your glory. Please forgive me Lord for those times that I may have promoted self instead of You, the One who makes this whole life possible, and worth it all! To God be the glory, is my constant praise!

Please contact me at NuggestsFromGodsWord@yahoo.com if I might pray with you about a need you would like to surrender to The Lord. If you do not know the Lord in a very personal way, please contact a local pastor of a Bible believing church or also contact me by email. One of us could help you make the most important decision of your life!

The Holy Bible – The Good News Translation

1 Kings 18:21

Elijah went up to the people and said, “How much longer will it take you to make up your minds? If the LORD is God, worship him; but if Baal is God, worship him!” But the people didn’t say a word.

My Thoughts:

No doubt there are some that may read this today and say like I did, Please forgive me Lord for the times when people that I came into contact with may not have recognized who exactly I was serving. Whose side I was on? Was I a Christian, or was I just one of the guys, they may have asked themselves. Friends, I believe that when it comes to parties, or work places or family events or anywhere else we are among people, we must be good representations of our Lord Jesus. Now for some, this will mean that they must be very stiff-necked and not capable of having any fun with non-Christians. I don’t believe that this is what God intended when He said that we are a peculiar people. I believe that we are to be followers of Christ, and this alone will reflect some vast differences in the things we say and the way that we act, compared to those that have no such guidelines for their lives. The problem Elijah had with the prophets is that they would ride the fence, so they were no good to the king, or anyone else. Friends, we are of no earthy good if we live a life pretending to be someone through our speech, but in the presence of others we act totally different. Remember, God knows the inside, so we are not fooling Him. Best of all, remember that God is a loving and forgiving God who wants to see His kids succeed, so call on Him and watch Him perform miracles in your lives that will help us to be the kids He intended us to be. Friends, I believe that Christianity is losing ground today because of ‘Christians’ who fail to be who they claim they are. They consider us ‘hypocrites’, or personal failures! God’s kids are royalty – let’s live up to that, with God as our constant helper!

My Prayer:

As in my remarks, please forgive me oh Lord for the times that I have been so much on the fence that others really couldn’t tell if I was a follower or not. I know this really saddens You, because You see the detrimental effect this is having on our lost world today. Please strengthen Your people today and give us extra boldness to stand up for You. Help us to be bold in our character, so that every word and action may be reflective of what You would have us do, or of what You did while here on earth. Help us to get off the fence oh Lord, for I believe that You could use real warriors today, knowing that You can trust them to be who they claim to be. Knowing that they are doing a great job representing You.

 

Please contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@yahoo.com if I could pray with you about any needs in your life, especially any that may improve your spiritual condition with our Lord.