DATE POSTED Saturday, 2021-11-06
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL
SCRIPTURE FROM: John 3:16-18
TRANSLATION: The Message (MSG)
BIBLE TEXT: 16-18 “This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn’t go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again. Anyone who trusts in him is acquitted; anyone who refuses to trust him has long since been under the death sentence without knowing it. And why? Because of that person’s failure to believe in the one-of-a-kind Son of God when introduced to him.
APPLICATION: A new pastor presented an excellent sermon on his first Sunday at his new church. The leaders were convinced that they had chosen the right man to lead them spiritually. However, on the next 2 or 3 Sundays the pastor repeated the same sermon. This caused the leaders to question him about his repertoire of sermons, to which the new pastor responded: ‘Once I am convinced that the congregation has received and applied the Word to their hearts and lives, I will then move on to my next sermon!!’ That sounds a lot like John 3:16, for it is probably one of the most quoted verses of the Bible, but I wonder how many simple know the words, but haven’t really applied them! I would like for you to carefully read this popular verse in the contemporary translation I chose to present the Scripture today. Perhaps hearing it afresh in simpler terms, may draw your attention and cause you to question God, like Nicodemus did, on what must you do to be saved. You see, unless you make this bold step and present yourself humbly before God, you are still under the death sentence mentioned in our Scripture. Why is that? Well, the Bible says that unless you accept this free gift given to us by God, and believe on His one and only Son, Jesus, then you are under a death sentence – eternity with Satan and his army of fallen angels in Hell where you will receive eternal punishment through fire and brimstone. Friends, this is not just vain religious threats to have you join a church, these are facts presented by the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Out of perfect love for His children that He created, God sent His Son miraculously into this world, to bring hope and the means of us one day making our way back to heaven to be with God the Father and His precious Son, Jesus. If we receive the Son, by inviting Him to be Lord and Master of our lives, then we will be accepted into Heaven when we cease to live here on earth. If we don’t, then God has warned us that there is only one other place – Hell. Besides this Scripture today, I have also provided Scripture references through the link ’To Know Jesus’, referenced in my Footnote. Please consider the open invitation from God, through His Word. I have, and I would love to have every reader and listener join me around the throne of God in heaven. The choice is yours dear friend, please make the obvious, right, choice today – before it’s eternally too late.
BLESSING(S) NOTED: Although we may deserve eternal damnation from Satan, yet God loved us so much that He has given us the opportunity to live in n His ‘palace’ – the portals of heaven, where He and His Son lives and reigns forevermore!
PRAYER: Normally we have to work extremely hard to have a home here on earth, but Lord I thank You for Your love and Your mercy in providing the means for our entry into Heaven, plus the assurance of eternity with You and the Father. Thank You for Your Word, Your promises, and for the place You have prepared for those who love You and allow You to rule and reign in their lives. Please use Your Word to touch the hearts of many who will read this devotional today. May they immediately fall to their knees and seek Your face as they ask You to rule and reign in their lives. Be glorified today in knowing that others will recognize You as Lord, and that they will accept You as Lord today! 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 might 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 subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. You may also visit me on Spotify and listen to Nuggets while you’re out and about. I would encourage you to find a church home near by your home, and attend as frequently as you could. Get to know God, and allow His people to encourage and strengthen you in your Christian walk, while making every effort to be a blessing to them. God is at work among His people! Please consider growing in your faith, as you worship with fellow believers!
Nuggets From God's Word 
I’ve used that illustration about the pastor preaching until everyone applies the message many times. Just wrote in my blog “Bill’s Musings” how to pray for the lost. Blessings my brother.
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Thanks Brother Bill. May God continue to bless you and your ministry as you press on for Him.
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A friend posted this today and I felt the end message tied in beautifully with the message in your scripture. Both of which were medicine to my soul. NEVER stop singing!
Michele Jordan Colburn October 28 at 12:17 PM · This is my first time posting about this. It has been a very special experience for me. On October 6th, I got up from a very restless night. I had not slept well and had a lot on my mind and on my heart. I took Mason to school. I was pulling down my street when I noticed this little guy in the road. I pulled to the side of him thinking he would fly away as my car approached. As I went by, I noticed he did not move. I looked in my side view and he was still there. I pulled my car over and started walking towards him. As I walked towards him, I expected him to either fly or at least start struggling to get away. He did not move. I walked straight to him and picked him up. He never attempted to struggle away from me as you can tell by the pictures, I did not have to restrain him at all. I examined him and saw no sign of injury. Yet I knew something was not right. I pulled him close to my heart and began to gently pet him. I decided I would take him to the CNC. They help a lot of wildlife. It would be a couple of hours before they opened. As I continued to hold him, there was an immediate bond. He would look me right in the eye and put his beak to my nose. I was finally able to take him to CNC. Unfortunately for this little guy, they do not take songbirds. Only birds of prey. However, they were kind enough to examine him. Upon examination, they were able to determine he had broken his clavicle. They told me just like humans, it is very painful for the birds. The thought is he was hit by a car. They recommended a place to take him. It is located in Decatur, which was going to take a little over an hour one way with traffic. I had a full day and did not know how I could do it. As I sat in the car trying to decide what I was going to do, he sang. I stop my thought process and looked down at him. He was looking at me from the little box I had him in. As I continued to look at him he let out a couple of more little notes. Tears began to fill my eyes. Here this tiny little creature was, in pain with a broken clavicle, and yet, he still sang. I sat there for a few minutes just looking at him. I reached over and gave him a gentle stroke on his head and said, thank you, little guy. I called Seth and asked him to reschedule all of my meetings for the day. I called the songbird place and a wonderful human by the name of Nancy told me to bring him in. I took off to Decatur. When we arrived, Nancy examined him and confirmed he had a broken clavicle but that his air sacs were full as well and needed to be released. She explained to me the process and told me he had a three to four-week recovery ahead. She let me know that some make it and some do not because of the uncertainty of what he may have going on internally due to being hit. She also informed me that if he did make it, then at the end of his recovery he would need to be released where I found him. Cardinals generally have a family. He has had a rough road. There were a couple of times she wasn’t sure he was going to make it, as he stopped eating a few times. He pushed through. I am able to pick him up on Monday to release him back into nature. I share this experience with you because this little bird reminded me that we can still sing even when we are struggling. When we are struggling and in pain, we can still make a difference. He reminded me that every living thing is significant, no matter what. If it has life, it deserves love. It is a birthright! He reminded me to stop, take it slow, and always, ALWAYS, let love lead. On a day when I was struggling with some pretty heavy things, he reminded me to…sing!!
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What a neat story Tammy! Wow! Thanks for sharing.
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