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Post Date: |
Tuesday, 2017-06-06 |
| SCRIPTURE | |
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From: |
Mark 15:12-14 (Voice) |
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Text: |
Pilate: 12 Then what do you want me to do with the King of the Jews?
Crowd: 13 Crucify Him, crucify Him! 14 But now he called to them. Pilate: Why? What has He done to deserve such a sentence? Crowd (crying all the louder): Crucify Him, crucify Him! |
| OBSERVATION: | |
| Barabbas is an active and a militant Jewish leader. In one sense, the choice that the crowd is offered—to have either Jesus or Barabbas released—can be seen as a choice between two types of revolutions. Do they want a revolution of power, a revolution that is easily visible, a revolution that will conquer their enemies in a way they can understand? Or do they want a revolution of healing, a revolution of love, a revolution that will bring the kingdom of God to earth in a mystical, transcendental way? It’s no wonder they make the choice they do. Who wants a gentle revolution in a time of war? | |
| APPLICATION: | |
| I would like for you to assume that you were in the public square of your town, and that a local judge, accompanied by military police on each side of him, with automatic rifles in plain view, is about to take the stage. Having been coached by your pastor and church leaders about what all of this involves, you stand as part of a large crowd before the judge. Now the question is posed to you, what will you have me do with your King – Jesus? The crowd all around you is shouting “Electric Chair”; “Hang Him”; and you see the smile come across the faces of the Military Police as they point their rifles over the crowd. No response is the same as agreeing with the crowd. However, remember that He’s the same Jesus that healed your mother; made your uncle to see again and raised cousin Lazarus from the grave. But what will you do with Jesus under these circumstances? I know, I made that choice extremely challenging for most of you, but allow me to challenge you with very lightly ways that could easily happen to you today. You arrive at work and immediately hear of a meeting that the president of your company has called with all employees. He comes onto the stage and in an obviously angered tone, lashes out about the reports he has received about these, so called ‘Christian’ workers who keep Bibles on their desks and use one of the board rooms at lunchtime to conduct a prayer meeting. You realize that Satan is making a dig at you and your fellow Christian workers, but what will you do? The 8 hours per day you are being paid for is expected to be worked for the company, and not evangelizing. However, you are convinced that you can’t leave Jesus at the door until you knock off. Friends, the Holy Spirit resides inside of you to guide you, protect you, give you wisdom, tip you off to digs from the evil one, love on you when you feel all alone and encourage you when you feel like you’re losing the battle in testifying for your Master. May I remind you that what’s inside of you will come out in the words you speak, your mannerisms and in the actions you take. I love a recent verse God placed before me, and it read something like this: when placed in situations where you don’t know what to say, simply open your mouth and speak what’s on your mind, as the Holy Spirit who lives inside of you will give you the right words! Wow! Let’s learn to stand up for Jesus, knowing that He’s got our back and will lead us in ways that will glorify Him! Glory to God on high!! | |
| PRAYER: | |
| Lord God, thank You for being my Savior, Lord and soon coming King! You were mocked, beaten and suffered pain and embarrassment on a cross for my benefit. You already know the limits that each of us can take before we ‘break’, or cave in to the opposition. Thank You Father for filling us with Your sweet Holy Spirit as our strength, our guide and our deliverer. Please help us to be bold in our witness, and give us the strength to endure all things, for Your name’s sake. May You be glorified in all things that we do, all places that we visit, and all things that we say, AMEN! | |
| FOOTNOTE: | |
| There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog could indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and read more, or you may freely to subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us! | |
Month: June 2017
Our Awesome Lord!
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Post Date: |
Monday, 2017-06-05 |
| SCRIPTURE | |
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From: |
Psalm 37:3-7 (NCV) |
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Text: |
3 Trust the Lord and do good. 7 Wait and trust the Lord. |
| OBSERVATION: | |
| This is a very positive Psalm where David gives those of us who trust in the Lord some very positive actions: Do good; Feed on the truth; Enjoy serving the Lord; Depend on the Lord; Trust in the Lord; Wait on the Lord; Don’t envy others who get rich or succeed. In concentrating on these things, our goodness and fairness will shine like the sun! | |
| APPLICATION: | |
I found that some of these very things that David mentioned, are some of the very things that Christians struggle with today. So I believe that it is important that we take note of key points that David teaches us on how to achieve favor with God and be happy in our life experiences:
Friends, verse 6 sums up our rewards in ways that this world cannot understand or appreciate: our goodness will become obvious, and our fairness will be recognized just as the noonday sun! In other words, our efforts to be like Jesus and show His goodness to the world will please God and ultimately bless us in return! Glory to God for His goodness to us, His humble servants! |
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| PRAYER: | |
| Dear Father, thank You for using Your servant David to encourage us to live our lives pleasing You and blessing others. Lord, You bless us in so many ways and we are eternally thankful. May we be encouraged through Your Word today to be Your hands extended to those in need, and may we love and encourage just as You have done for us, so that You may be glorified in all that we do and say. AMEN! | |
| FOOTNOTE: | |
| There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog could indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and read more, or you may freely to subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us! | |
God Defends His Leaders
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Post Date:- |
Saturday, 2017-06-03 |
| SCRIPTURE | |
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From: |
Numbers 16:19-22 (TLB) |
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Text: |
19 Korah had stirred up the entire nation against Moses and Aaron, and they all assembled to watch. Then the glory of Jehovah appeared to all the people, 20 and Jehovah said to Moses and Aaron, 21 “Get away from these people so that I may instantly destroy them.”
22 But Moses and Aaron fell face downward to the ground before the Lord. “O God, the God of all mankind,” they pleaded, “must you be angry with all the people when one man sins?” |
| OBSERVATION: | |
| Three Levites who had served in the temple, gathered 250 others to support their cause in going to Moses to question him about his leadership. Moses had no argument with them, but simply humbled himself before them and submitted to God’s decision and action against the leadership for their revolt to know for sure who would continue to lead the Israelites. I found it humbling when Moses and Aaron bowed before God the next morning at the entrance to the temple and they pleaded with God not to eliminate the whole bunch of the revolution gathered, just the one who stood defiant to the will of God. However it really upset God that sinful men were questioning His decision for leadership. | |
| APPLICATION: | |
| I believe that this story could be a sequel from one of many churches today. For members, or even attendees decide that there is something they don’t care for in their pastor, and they begin gossiping with others. This often leads to a revolution forming against the pastor. The church then becomes useless in ministry, because factions form against the pastor and the revolution quickly places their own sins aside and decides to track those of the pastor and those close to him. What if the God that we serve – the same God who stepped in against Korah and the Levites, decides to settle the issue once and for all on those who oppose His leadership for each of our churches? I wonder how many would fall into the instant sinkhole because they are fighting against the man of God, instead of praying for him; lifting him up with encouraging words; looking for ways to support him in all that God has placed on his heart for God’s people. Friends, it is one thing to know what happens to unbelievers, but for those who claim salvation while still acting like the world, and looking for ways to disrupt the work of the Lord, I dread to think of God’s actions for them when He has taken as much as He could out of their negative impact on His ministry. Friends, may I draw your attention to this whole chapter in Numbers so you could read for yourself, then allow God to minister to your heart about which side of the fence you are on. Are you for the ministry of Christ to the lost of our community through your local church, or are you doing and saying things that tear down and destroy the ministry. One option pleases God and He blesses you and the ministry. The other option destroys the ministry, discourages the worker/leader/pastor sent by God, and you are therefore warned through this study in Numbers, that the same destruction could be in store for you and all those you might encourage into your revolution. Allow God to be your guide and redirect you today, if needed. | |
| PRAYER: | |
| Lord, it is so unfortunate that many a good church has been destroyed by things very similar to the incident Moses faced with his very own temple workers. Should there be anyone guilty of such a revolution today that reads this devotional, please get their attention and work a miracle in their life. There are so many that needs salvation in our communities that our energies would be much more effective evangelizing rather than internal destruction of Your army. Please have Your precious will and way in our lives heavenly Father. AMEN! | |
| FOOTNOTE: | |
| There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog could indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and read more, or you may freely to subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us! | |
Asleep On The Job
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Post Date: |
Friday, 2017-06-02 |
| SCRIPTURE | |
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From: |
Mark 14:37-38 (CEV) |
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Text: |
37 When Jesus came back and found the disciples sleeping, he said to Simon Peter, “Are you asleep? Can’t you stay awake for just one hour? 38 Stay awake and pray that you won’t be tested. You want to do what is right, but you are weak.” |
| OBSERVATION: | |
| A crowd followed Jesus up to the garden, however He took just three disciples along with Him to a place of solitude so that He could pray. At the place of prayer, Jesus asked His disciples to stop, watch and pray, while He went on just a little farther for some one on one time with the Father. Knowing what was in store for Him, He had some very serious conversation with His Father, yet He was also concerned about His disciples, so He kept checking on them. I feel like those three disciples vividly represent ‘Christians’ today and, with God’s guidance, I will expand on that in our ‘application’. | |
| APPLICATION: | |
| Jesus was praying so earnestly with the Father that His very heart was broken. I would imagine that He should have felt some relief knowing that His inner circle of disciples were right there praying with Him, or were they? God created this beautiful world in which we live, and He also created each of us especially to worship Him while living on this earth enjoying it. While we are definitely living on this earth and being blessed by everything around us, how would you think we are rated in truly worshipping the one who provided all this for us? Simon Peter had just sworn to Jesus, a short time before the garden scene, that He (Jesus) could depend on him to be faithful right until the end of time. Yet when Jesus returned to check on His three disciples, they were all asleep – including Peter. I often feel like a very large percentage of ‘Christians’ are ‘asleep on the job’ as we plunder through our time here on earth while placing priority on everything else, besides our commitment to worship our Lord and be His faithful followers and missionaries. Some attend church services, while most others are asleep on the job and can’t find an hour a week to join with believers in worship to our Savior and Lord. Unfortunately, many that attend a worship service pretty much represents the three disciples in our Scripture today, for our arms are strapped to our sides, our lips are sealed, and our expression shows that we can’t wait for the service to be over. Many will listen to the pastor pray, the praise team sing and, if we could stay awake, we may listen to the pastor share his heart about something from the Scripture. Excuse me, but where did ‘our time of worship’ fit into any of that I just explained? Our presence inside of a church does not count as worship to the Father, nor the Son, nor the Holy Ghost. Where was our heart, our thoughts and our concentration during that time together? How would we respond to Jesus if He returned today and asked us the same question as He did to Simon Peter? Are we truly appreciative of the sacrifice made for us at Calvary? Is Jesus pleased with our daily expressions of gratitude? In most workplaces employees are fired for falling asleep on the job. How do you suppose God should act about us falling asleep on the job of worshipping Him, witnessing in His name, being good honest representatives of His to a lost world that needs Jesus? | |
| PRAYER: | |
| What a sobering reminder to us today dear Jesus, for I feel like Your saints here on earth are very much in the same boat as Peter, James and John. Please forgive our unfaithfulness and today fill us with Your unction to be the hands, feet and voice of Jesus as we face a bitter world where most have no appreciation for the sacrifice You made and the love that You share with us every day. Regardless of their position in life, please grant us the boldness and deep desire to bear Your cross and be a living witness before them, and all those that we are privileged to come into contact with. Please awaken Your church, so that together our communities may witness the outstretched arms of our Savior and Lord. AMEN! | |
| FOOTNOTE: | |
| There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog could indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and read more, or you may freely to subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us! | |
When God Leaves You Alone
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Post Date: |
Thursday, 2017-06-01 |
| SCRIPTURE | |
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From: |
Numbers 14:41-43 (NCV) |
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Text: |
41 But Moses said, “Why are you disobeying the Lord’s command? You will not win! 42 Don’t go, because the Lord is not with you and you will be beaten by your enemies. 43 You will run into the Amalekites and Canaanites, who will kill you with swords. You have turned away from the Lord, so the Lord will not be with you.” |
| OBSERVATION: | |
| I believe that frustration is shown in the Scripture today by Moses, because it seems like the more he did to direct his people under the careful leadership of God, the more ungrateful, stubborn and determined they were to do their own thing. Imagine how the words of Moses must have penetrated the hearts of the Israelites when the Amalekites and Canaanites came out from the hills towards them. They must have quickly reflected on some of the times that God separated the waters for them to walk through; how water came forth from a rock when it was struck by the staff of Moses, yet the same God that performed those acts honored their request and left them alone to go into the mountains. What a lonely, isolated, hopeless feeling that must have been. | |
| APPLICATION: | |
| Isn’t it interesting how an older child might ask parents to just leave them alone, yet they expect those parents to still be looking out for them and always ready to help them with one problem or another? In the life of a born again Christian, they may make a special effort to get out to church at least one Sunday per month, so that they don’t hear from the pastor; they just don’t have time for personal Bible study; and they really don’t feel like they know how to pray. Often it is these same ‘Christians’ that denounce God for not coming to their rescue when disaster or need comes their way. Friends, my God is honorable and trustworthy. When you make it obvious to Him that you would rather do ‘life’ alone, He honors that and gives you all the space you want. But remember, He is a relational God, not a puppet that you can pull out of the drawer the second time you sneeze, or wind up in hospital with more serious health issues. Moses told the Israelites that God would not be there for them, because they turned away from Him. Based on your relationship with God, do you suppose God is ready and willing to be your God, or will the words of Moses echo in your mind, that because you turned away from the Lord, He will do the same to you? That’s a sad moment when that occurs friend, I hope that each one reading this devotional today will keep that fire burning between you and your God. He deserves our praise and adoration each and every day, and He will be with us always, even until the very end of time here on this earth! | |
| PRAYER: | |
| Lord Jesus, thank You for giving Your very life as a sacrifice for my sin. Thank You for saving my soul from the stench of sin here on this earth, to the glories of heaven one of these sweet and glorious days! We were reminded of some very sobering words spoken by Your servant Moses this morning, and it could very easily reflect the same mindset of many who consider You as their God of convenience. Lord, You are an awesome, loving, caring God. Please help us to be the humble, committed, trustworthy servants worthy of that kind of God. May our eyes be fixed on You and our hearts totally committed to You. Amen! | |
| FOOTNOTE: | |
| There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog could indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and read more, or you may freely to subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us! | |
Nuggets From God's Word 