God’s Word Says….

Acts 25:16-19 (MSG)

Governor Festus continued in verse 16:

“I told them that wasn’t the way we Romans did things. Just because a man is accused, we don’t throw him out to the dogs. We make sure the accused has a chance to face his accusers and defend himself of the charges. So when they came down here I got right on the case. I took my place in the courtroom and put the man on the stand”. The accusers came at him from all sides, but their accusations turned out to be nothing more than arguments about their religion and a dead man named Jesus, who the prisoner claimed was alive.

My Thoughts…..

I believe that God included this passage of scripture so that we may see at least two important things:

1. Like Paul, we should know what we believe, why we believe it and then be willing to stand our ground for what we believe, even if it means having to defend it before the highest authority, or before the majority rule; and
2. Seldom can we take note of an earthly figure head, but Festus was not willing to listen to what his supporters, or the majority, or the town leaders had to say to him about Paul. He wanted a sound footing to base his decision on. In other words he wanted to make his own decision, based on the facts, not based on what the leaders wanted and on their strong influence in order to get what they personally wanted.

Challenge……

Unfortunately when our boat is rocked a little, or when our belief system is challenged, or our leadership is questioned, most of us will normally jump to quickly defending ourselves. Regrettably, we often do this by pulling our opposition down. This might also involve using information at hand against the opponent in order to prove them wrong or incompetent. Governor Festus quickly saw that this was the case with the Jewish leaders who presented Paul. As leaders in our churches, we too must be prepared to separate what is truth, compared to what is exaggeration or twisted facts to suit the opponent’s desire. Thank God that He is our ultimate Judge! Also, notice Paul, then place yourself in his shoes. Some may have caved in to prevent further discussion or to prevent more folk getting involved. Let’s aim to follow Paul’s example – he knew what he believed, he was convinced of what he believed, and he was willing to defend what he believed before the highest authorities. He didn’t mind being made a spectacle before the King or those attending the high court, because he was convinced of his beliefs. Are you that confident of your belief in Christ, that you would defend it before even our highest courts? Many of us need to get off the fence, but we can’t do that until we are 100% sure of what we believe! May I encourage you to devote time towards your relationship with Jesus? In knowing Him in a very personal and intimate way, you will desire more time in the Word and you will want to talk with Him (pray) on a regular basis. When this happens, you too will know Him well enough to defend Him, and defend your love and faith in Him. Let me encourage you to make this a priority friend!

Prayer……

Lord Jesus, unfortunately we have become such a weak and misunderstood people that we are easily led to change our belief to that of the crowd in which we find ourselves. This has caused multiple church denominations and multiple splits in churches. In fact, this has caused the world to look at our churches and want no part of us, so our world is dying and going to hell without being introduced to You. I pray that my heart will be changed to claim You and Your great love with such passion that, that I can easily defend myself and the Savior who purchased my sin with His life on Calvary’s cross. I pray that the residents of my town will find such a sweet aroma of Jesus in my church that they might be attracted to You like a magnet, and that they too will want to experience Your love, because of seeing such love in everything we do and say. I humbly plead with You to grant me peace in the decisions I make. May they be filled from the saturation of prayer, Your subsequent approval, power and guidance, so that I might represent you well, and may You receive honor and glory for any praise derived from my actions. Please give readers who meditate on this devotional a similar desire so that You church may indeed be the church of our respective areas. I ask all this in Your precious and most holy name that is worthy of all my praise, AMEN!

Action…..

In response to God leading You through this devotional today, please get with a Bible teaching Pastor you may know and allow him to guide you. Otherwise feel free to reply to my post online, or you may email me directly at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. I will gladly add you to my prayer list, and/or respond to your request(s) ASAP.

God’s Word Says….

Job 31:13-15 (MSG)

^13–15 “Have I ever been unfair to my employees when they brought a complaint to me? What, then, will I do when God confronts me? When God examines my books, what can I say? Didn’t the same God who made me, make them? Aren’t we all made of the same stuff, equals before God?

My Thoughts…..

Job analyzed all areas of his life to determine what might be out of sync with God’s demands that might be at the root of all his punishment. He carefully examined his dealings to see if he had treated them like an equal human being – like he would want to be treated. Still in today’s society we find where employees might be classified as just a tool to get the job done, not necessarily as a fellow brother or sister. I feel like we should think very much like Job, in that he reflected on the fact that his employees were born humanly just as he was. They were no less human that he was. If he treated them unfairly or unjustly, what might he expect from God when he stands before Him?

Challenge……

To the supervisors or managers that might meditate on this today, I would ask: If God will judge you, based on the way that you treat your employees, what might you expect on Judgment Day? To general employees, I would ask: are you being treated in a manner that resembles the way that you treat your children or your family? Our God is a just God, and I am convinced from His Word that He will not be patient with unjust kids. Are you OK with facing God today, knowing that He will challenge you on the way that you have treated others, including your employees? When we talk about living the Christian life, it means living our lives in a manner obedient and pleasing to God. Do you truly live up to God’s commands on this? This is a case where you must live the Christian life while also being pleasing to your boss. I am here to tell you that it is possible. God will give you wisdom and boldness to live your life like He wants. Please don’t try doing it your way, then asking God to bless it. Although you may have difficulty being honest with yourself, God knows right down to the desires of your heart and the whispers of your mind. Do yourself a favor and live justly before God in all walks of life – even to your very employment.

Prayer……

Lord, I thank You for being a just and holy God. Yes, I thank You for correcting me and giving me a godly conscience so that I may quickly recognize when I’m not aligned with Your will – yes, right down to my worldly employment. Please forgive me for the times I have been less than perfect – less than 100% perfectly aligned with Your will. Father, please continue to be patient with me, but I ask also that You continue to open my eyes to Your Word, as You have done this morning, so that I might receive direction and guidance from You. Lord, I am concerned that many ‘Christians’ might be fooled into a false sense of security because they have followed a preacher’s plan, or through peer pressure have made a decision to carry the label ‘Christian’. Please continue to touch my life, and the lives of all that might meditate on this devotional, that together we might be reminded of the importance of our relationship with You, the most important responsibility this side of heaven. Relationship will only happen when we spend time with You and when we follow Your commands, whether we want to or not. Please help us to develop such a love for You that we will want to be Your humble servants (employees) and that we will treat all those over whom we have authority, in the same fashion that we are being loved and treated by You. This world needs this kind of love, and we need to be this kind of people. Please accomplish Your will through us, for I ask this in Your most precious and holy name, AMEN!

Action…..

In response to God leading You through this devotional today, please get with a Bible teaching Pastor you may know and allow him to guide you. Otherwise feel free to reply to my post online, or you may email me directly at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. I will gladly add you to my prayer list, and/or respond to your request(s) ASAP.

God’s Word Says….

Job 31:2-4 (MSG)

So what can I expect from God? What do I deserve from God Almighty above? Isn’t calamity reserved for the wicked? Isn’t disaster supposed to strike those who do wrong? Isn’t God looking, observing how I live? Doesn’t he mark every step I take?

My Thoughts…..

As I read this passage today, I was reminded of a sermon I once heard that has long since remained in my heart and mind. It was titled “Why do Bad Things happen to Good People”. No doubt we have felt that way before ourselves, for we see the good-hearted Christian person, who has served God and his church faithfully, dying of cancer, while at the same time we see a person living in open sin flourishing in wealth and no health issues, and we tend to ask God “why?”, don’t we? Friends, we see a good example of this in this present stage of Job’s life, and like Job, we may tend to ask God, “why?”

Challenge……

I believe that Job is showing us in his response, that in our acknowledgment of what appears to be punishment by God, we are to open our eyes and seek God’s face all the more, as we are actually witnessing His hand of discipline and we may need help in asking Him to show us in a clearer form exactly what it is that needs our attention. In this chapter Job goes down the list of things that he feels God might be opening his eyes to. No doubt as we see these things happening and we have an honest conversation with self, we can immediately seek God’s face in humility and ask for His forgiveness and subsequent help to overcome that thing that is getting our attention. That thing that is not aligned with God’s written Word and His desire for our lives. I believe that in this wicked world, we seldom find purity in its God-given, honest and true form. In other words, there is often incentives, or ulterior motives in our actions, and not always a sincerity to obedience of God’s will and His Word. Job was going through a litmus test of things that he wanted to check his purity against with God. I challenge you to join me in laying our list of things before God today and seek His approval on everything we do and/or say, that our intentions might be pure, and aligned with His perfect will.

Prayer……

Lord Jesus, I am reminded of that song “Create in me a clean Heart, Oh Lord”, because in and of our own weak selves we cannot see beyond the sin that grips us and holds us hostage every day. Like Job, I want to be honest and guiltless before You oh God, because while here on this earth it becomes an almost impossible task. Please shower Your wonderful blessings on me and Your powerful touch on my life so that I might easily fight the evil around me, the sin that is so prevalent everywhere I turn. It is so difficult to represent You in a world where there is so much opposition to You, but I know that You are all powerful over everything, and that through Your strength and power, I can do all things. As I learn from You each day, may my life and my character exemplify Your love and Your character in every way. Many of my friends are also Your holy children Lord, so I ask that You provoke them into a closer walk with You also, and that You bless them with power from above to live a similar life to the one I requested. May Your army become stronger today as a result of spending time with You, is my humble prayer that I ask in Your name alone, AMEN!

Action…..

In response to God leading You through this devotional today, please get with a Bible teaching Pastor you may know and allow him to guide you. Otherwise feel free to reply to my post online, or you may email me directly at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. I will gladly add you to my prayer list, and/or respond to your request(s) ASAP.

God’s Word Says….

Acts 24:24-25 (GNT)

24 After some days Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish. He sent for Paul and listened to him as he talked about faith in Christ Jesus. ²⁵But as Paul went on discussing about goodness, self-control, and the coming Day of Judgment, Felix was afraid and said, “You may leave now. I will call you again when I get the chance.”

My Thoughts…..

When travelling to another state or country by plane or train, there is often the chance of delays, for one reason or another. If the fault is attributed to the airline, then they will often provide vouchers to the stranded passengers for food, and sometimes even for hotel, if the delay will prevent travelling the same day. Can you begin to imagine the costs paid by carriers for these delays? Now, meditate with me on what happened in your respective church services over the weekend. Hopefully the message of the Gospel was presented, and attendees were given the opportunity to surrender their lives to Jesus as their Lord and Savior. No doubt your church, like mine, saw folk leave without accepting the invitation of the pastor, and the Holy Spirit that tugged on their hearts of sin. They delayed their decision to act at that time for various reasons. The big question is, what might this delay have cost them? Perhaps they said like Felix did, “I will deal with this another time”. Will there be ‘another time’?

Challenge……

Friends, we must leave the last question without an answer, because we have no control over whether we will have another opportunity. Thankfully, I made it all the way home safely yesterday. Did everyone else? Perhaps they did, or perhaps they didn’t. God’s Word has very clear advice for us when it tells us that “now is the accepted time”, the only moment promised to us. Remember, at our borders all those arriving with proper authentication (passports and appropriate visas) are allowed in, others are rejected and expatriated back to their home country. This will be no different at the entrance to Heaven’s portals, only those who have personally accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior (that’s their passport and visa) will be accepted into God’s eternal home, others will be returned to their desired home with Satan and his band of demons. Please don’t delay, it could cost you eternal life with the Master of this universe. The creator, Savior and King, who loved you enough to die in order that you might receive forgiveness of your sin, when you ask Him. Your delay could cost you big time. Don’t even wait for the next service time, contact a pastor or Christian leader of a local church, or contact me so that I may help you, but PLEASE, don’t delay make a decision today.

Prayer……

Lord Jesus, many of us just attended church yesterday and here you are beating up on us again today through this illustration with Felix delaying his decision to hear more from Paul and then follow through in accepting You as Lord. Thank You for loving us enough to do this. Many fathers would just dismiss this as a bad choice by their children, and sometimes they may even disassociate themselves from their kids because of their bad decisions. I praise You for not giving up on me. Today I humbly plead that You melt the hearts of those that meditate on this devotional with me, so that given another opportunity, they may come to their senses and make this vital decision. As indicated above, I am so afraid of, and anxious about my friends not making a very costly mistake in delaying their decision. May today be the day of salvation for all who might meditate on this with me, is my humble and earnest prayer, and it is in Your most powerful name that I ask this, AMEN!

Action…..

In response to God leading You through this devotional today, please get with a Bible teaching Pastor you may know and allow him to guide you. Otherwise feel free to reply to my post online, or you may email me directly at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. I will gladly add you to my prayer list, and/or respond to your request(s) ASAP.

God’s Word Says….

Acts 24:15-16 (NCV)
15 I have the same hope in God that they have—the hope that all people, good and bad, will surely be raised from the dead. 16 This is why I always try to do what I believe is right before God and people.

My Thoughts…..
There are several things worth noting in the passage surrounding these verses highlighted today:
Paul was being presented before the governor (Felix) on charges that he was inciting the people and causing an uproar in the temple and the town. The easiest and safest thing for Paul to have done, was to either keep quiet to avoid further incrimination, or to blast out against his opposers. Instead, Paul chose to use this public forum to further speak the Word of God and so that these hearers, who under normal circumstances may not have visited the temple, would know of the hope that lies within him! Wow, commendable!
Paul had no regrets. If Felix demanded his death, like Tertullus wanted, Paul knew that his conscience would be clear and that he could stand before Jesus without guilt and embarrassment.

Challenge……
How is it with us, friend? Are we consistent with our testimony? Our witness? Our teaching? Our preaching? Can we truly share the Word in an open setting without the worry of fingers being pointed back at our actions on the same subject? Can we stand before God, the One who knows and sees all things, and face Him with without embarrassment that we lived the life He demanded in His Word, and that we honestly shared the Word openly and without guilt ourselves? I know we are not perfect, especially as long as we live here on planet earth, but the question today is “Do we live our lives according to the blessed hope that we possess?” I believe that opposition to what Paul was claiming would have been lies by his openents/accusers. Would we be as confident about the same scenario friend?

Prayer……
Lord Jesus, I pray that I would live my life in total honesty to You, and before all my family and friends. I pray that what they see is exactly what You know to be the case also. Please help me to avoid pretense. Like Paul, may I live, and may I present myself before You with no regrets or embarassment. Please also touch the heart of my friends that might meditate on this devotional so that they too may present themselves before You without regret. May we be the image and voice of You dear Lord to this evil and lost world in which we live. Father, all this is only possible through Your intervention, grace and power, so I ask this in Your awesome name and for Your glory, AMEN!

Action…..
In response to God leading You through this devotional today, please get with a Bible teaching Pastor you may know and allow him to guide you. Otherwise feel free to reply to my post online, or you may email me directly at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. I will gladly add you to my prayer list, and/or respond to your request(s) ASAP.

In the whole chapter of Job 28, Job gives examples of where people might search for wisdom. However, beginning in verse 23 he gets to the point of where most people are today. For most of us have exhausted our efforts in finding wisdom, before we look to the creator of everything that exists, the One who gives undiluted wisdom, God almighty. Friends, we can save so much time, and avoid so many heartbreaks, if only we would look to the Creator for ALL things in life. Let’s acknowledge Him as Lord over everything in our lives, for He created us and has given us everything we need for life and everyday living. We owe it ALL to God. Wisdom is something we all should desire, so let us go to the root of wisdom and ask for it in its purest form. Why waste your time looking in such areas as described by Job in the first part of this chapter? Ask for it straight from its source! Praise God that I know Him personally and can ask anything of Him. Do you, friend?

Job 28:23–28 (NCV)
Only God understands the way to wisdom, and he alone knows where it lives, because he looks to the farthest parts of the earth and sees everything under the sky. When God gave power to the wind and measured the water, when he made rules for the rain and set a path for a thunderstorm to follow, then he looked at wisdom and decided its worth; he set wisdom up and tested it. Then he said to humans, ‘The fear of the Lord is wisdom; to stay away from evil is understanding.’ ”

Feel free to contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com if you would like for me to pray for you, or if I might introduce you to the God of whom I referenced above. It would be my joy!

God’s Word Says….

Job 27:2-6 (NCV)

² “As surely as God lives, who has taken away my rights, the Almighty, who has made me unhappy, ³ as long as I am alive and God’s breath of life is in my nose, ⁴ my lips will not speak evil, and my tongue will not tell a lie. ⁵ I will never agree you are right; until I die, I will never stop saying I am innocent. ⁶ I will insist that I am right; I will not back down. My conscience will never bother me.

My Thoughts…..

If only we would have the determination of Job! After all he had been through, and even after being upset with God for allowing so much to happen to him, yet in verses 4-6 he proclaimed that he would never turn his back on God. He was so sure of himself that he said, hey, my conscience will never bother me – not even before God who knows all things. What a bold statement! Can we begin to imagine that type of loyalty, and how that type of determination and persistence could have a major impact on our churches? Imagine the members who might say that no matter what may come our way, our minds are made up and we will not falter? Wow, if our churches were made up of only 10% of men with that type determination, I can hardly imagine the impact the ministry of that church would have on our community. It is so unfortunate that anytime we hear reference to a church, we hear about the beautiful building, or the great pastor (orator), or the food ministry or possibly its effective Bible teaching, but how often do we hear someone actually refer to the ‘church’ itself? In other words, the ‘church’ is its members and attendees, so how often do we hear “oh do you mean that church located at ???? where so many of its members are filled with God’s Holy Spirit and its ministry is so impactful that you feel God working on you as you enter the church doors?” Unfortunately we tend to hear more of the opposite – “you mean that church with all those hypocrites?”

Challenge……

While I would never want us to undergo the temptations and trials that Job went through, I sure wish that we had the bold determination to live as God’s child right until the end of our lives, regardless of life’s circumstances! How is it with you friend? Can you identify with Job? Would you commit to live your life determined to represent God in all walks of life and through every circumstance of life before Christians and those who have no knowledge of God? I believe that we will see our world change when they see a changed church – people that really represent God at all times and in every circumstance of life. You alone can do this, and you can only change yourself. Don’t worry about the Brother next to you, although pray for him. Leave that Sister alone with her sinful actions, get yourself in order and let your life for Christ impact her. Get yourself in order, and pray consistently and persistently for others.

Prayer……

Lord, I plead with you to help me be so determined in my walk that I would have the kind of clear conscience that Job spoke about in verse 6! Lord, I believe this could have a serious impact on our churches, if only we could be the type of persistent Christian that Job was. Please deal in my heart as I may tend to waiver from that, and please work on the hearts and lives of those that claim You as their Lord. May we commit to serve You, in spite of our circumstances. For I ask all this in Your precious and holy name, Lord Jesus, AMEN!

Action…..

In response to God leading You through this devotional today, please get with a Bible teaching Pastor you may know and allow him to guide you. Otherwise feel free to reply to my post online, or you may email me directly at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. I will gladly add you to my prayer list, and/or respond to your request(s) ASAP.

God’s Word Says….

Job 26:7&14 (NCV)

⁷ God stretches the northern sky out over empty space and hangs the earth on nothing.

¹⁴ And these are only a small part of God’s works. We only hear a small whisper of him. Who could understand God’s thundering power?

My Thoughts…..

As we meditate on these verses, I want to remind you that this is Job speaking to one of his encouragers! For he had been beaten up on and robbed of everything by Satan, yet he knew deep inside that no matter what happened to the flesh, his God still loved him and cared for him! Wow! In fact, although I only chose to show two verses, the whole chapter of 14 verses are filled with the many praises of Job! He showed us that no matter what earthly trials come our way, let us never lose sight of the mighty hand of God, whose love constantly abides within us and is available to us.

Challenge……

Wow, what an example for those of us that whine and complain our whole day. We just have to look outside of our personal problems, many of which we have brought on ourselves. Instead, we have to look for the ways that God has provided for us, especially when we see so many needy around us. We have to thank God for the good health we enjoy, especially when we look at the number in our hospitals and the numerous sick people who are much worse off than we are. We must remind ourselves of the serious need for diet in our lives, while we reflect on the number of persons that go to bed hungry worldwide. We have so much to be thankful for that it would take much more than 14 verses to truly reflect our praises. So much to be thankful for, that we should never have time to complain! We should express so much praise from our thankful hearts that others who truly have needs would be encouraged by just listening to our praises, and there would be ample proof to those praying for sincere needs in their life that they would pray in renewed confidence, knowing that they are praying to a God who cares and loves them, as much as we are constantly bragging about. God is truly, extremely good to us friend!

Prayer……

Lord Jesus, I praise You this morning for who you are! Not just someone I have read about, although I have read the praises of Job, but I too can testify of Your love and goodness towards me! Not just for the love that I read about, or that the pastor preached about, but for the genuine love that I feel deep inside when reminded of the sacrifice that You made for mankind (especially myself) when You hung on that cruel cross at Calvary, with all the power to totally reverse the scene, but yet You chose to show Your love towards all mankind, by suffering under the hands of those You were dying for. Please forgive me Lord for my ungrateful spirit. Please help me to always look for the ways You have blessed, and still are blessing, and that I might exalt You for Your active role in all these things. You have created us with a free choice, please always remind us that we have a choice to praise You or to complain. I pray that we will always make the right choice to praise You in our storms of life, and let You control and help us to overcome the difficulties. I ask all this in Your loving and wonderful name Lord Jesus, AMEN!

Action…..

In response to God leading You through this devotional today, please get with a Bible teaching Pastor you may know and allow him to guide you. Otherwise feel free to reply to my post online, or you may email me directly at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. I will gladly add you to my prayer list, and/or respond to your request(s) ASAP.

God’s Word Says….

Acts 23:10-12 (NCV)

¹⁰ The argument was beginning to turn into such a fight that the commander was afraid some evil people would tear Paul to pieces. So he told the soldiers to go down and take Paul away and put him in the army building.

¹¹ The next night the Lord came and stood by Paul. He said, “Be brave! You have told people in Jerusalem about me. You must do the same in Rome.”

¹² In the morning some evil people made a plan to kill Paul, and they took an oath not to eat or drink anything until they had killed him.

My Thoughts…..

Have you ever been in doubt about whether you were doing God’s will, when suddenly you receive a revelation, or confirmation that you are sure came from God? This is what happened to Paul. His very life was threatened because of his honest words before the Sadducees and Pharisees. The commander saw this coming, so he locked Paul up, for his own protection. However, this gave the people more time to plan a strategy that would lead to murdering Paul. As for Paul though, the Lord came and stood by Paul’s side that night in captivity and reassured him of the next phase of his ministry. Now, did the Lord know what the evil ones was conjuring up in their minds, and their subsequent plans for the next day? Of course He knew, and therefore felt it was imperative to visit with Paul to comfort him (for He stood by Paul’s side), and to give reassurance about his next steps. Was it coincidence that this occurred the night before Paul’s nephew would run to him and tell him about a plot to kill him? Of course not, this was deliberate especially because of the next day’s expectation. Paul then knew that in spite of what the world had planned to do with him, God’s will would be accomplished.

Challenge……

Wow, to imagine that we have that same reassurance as Paul was given! Why do we fear? Why do we worry? Why do we take the concerns of this world on our shoulders? God is in control, no matter what the world or its leaders may have in mind! What a peace is ours dear friends! I plead with you that you join me in building this type relationship with our Savior, that no matter how dismal a situation may seem, be reassured that God is on your side and will accomplish His will in and/or through you. Although I believe that God wants to hear from His children on the desires of their heart, I believe that He is even more interested that we relax and allow Him to be God in our lives and in all of life’s situations. Have you ever stopped and said to yourself, “well I don’t know where to go from here, for I have done everything I know to do”? It is often times like that when we throw our hands up and turn a situation over to God, isn’t it? I believe this lesson is teaching us to allow God in on the very ground level, and if things are about to get out of control, at least in our minds, that God would whisper reassurance to us. In what form might this come today? Friends, our communication lines today are just as they were in Paul’s day. Stay in close communion with God through His Word (the Bible), through prayer, and close communion and fellowship with other believers. Remember that old song, “God will make a way, where there seems to be no way”? Remind yourself of that when you have done all that He demands of you. Friend, let Him be God!

Prayer……

Lord Jesus, how reassuring to know that You are by my side, when life appears to be a daily joy, and when I struggle to see how tomorrow could possibly be any worse than today. You have shown Your presence in so many ways through so many situations in my life already, and You have always come through in so many ways for me. I pray that I might be quick to realize this when Your will may sometime be in opposition to what I envision for me. I pray that I might always be open to, and accepting of, Your will for me, regardless of my plans and my desires. Friends meditation on this devotional with me might be challenged with a day or night of frustration where life here on this earth appears impossible, and especially in their area of ministry. Please stand by their side today, as You did for Paul, and encourage them. Nudge them on their way and show them hope in all that You would have them do for You here on planet earth. Continue to accomplish great things in and through Your willing servants today, is my humble pray that I ask in the precious name of Jesus, AMEN!

Action…..

In response to God leading You through this devotional today, please get with a Bible teaching Pastor you may know and allow him to guide you. Otherwise feel free to reply to my post online, or you may email me directly at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. I will gladly add you to my prayer list, and/or respond to your request(s) ASAP.

God’s Word Says….

Acts 23:1 (NCV)

Paul looked at the council and said, “Brothers, I have lived my life without guilt feelings before God up to this day”.

My Thoughts…..

Sometimes we may feel like we could get away with saying something like Paul did in the above verse when we appeared before Ananias and the chief priests, but we may select our audience, because we know that our best friend, or spouse, or parent(s) may know us too well, so we would never be bold enough to say it in front of them, for fear of correction. Friends, let us never forget that God knows every little detail about our actions and even our thoughts, so we can’t fool Him. In our church service yesterday we meditated on a verse that offered a similar challenge: 1 John 2:28 “Yes, my children, remain in union with him, so that when he appears we may be full of courage and need not hide in shame from him on the Day he comes”. (GNT).

Challenge……

I believe that this helps me to understand that the more we feel that we can share the truth contained in our highlighted verse today with family and friends, the more comfortable we will feel when we stand before Jesus! In other words, I am reminded that my life actions are an open book to my Lord every day, so I had best seek His guidance daily and ask for strength and wisdom to always do His will, so that I may always live with the end in mind. Our goal is to be ‘little Christs’. Are you on target friend?

Prayer……

Lord Jesus, You are the creator and designer of this earth and all that is upon it. You have also created our future home – a place called Heaven, where we will live eternally with You. Lord, I praise You for watching out for us in such wonderful ways, thank You! I am reminded that our testing days are here on this earth where we are expected to live as You lived. While we go about our way living the ‘good life’, please help us to be ever mindful that we can’t fool You, for You know our every action and our thoughts, so You know what reaction we will have to certain events and the, sometimes, stupid stuff that we say. Please help us to be great examples of Yours, so that You may impact the hearts of those that we come into contact with, for Your glory and Your honor. Lord, may we be Your honorable servants, willing to follow Your commands and do Your will while here on this earth. There is coming a day when we will meet You face to face, Lord, may You proudly proclaim, “Well done good and faithful servant”. This is only possible through You oh Lord, so I ask this in Your precious name and for Your sake alone, AMEN!

Action…..

In response to God leading You through this devotional today, please get with a Bible teaching Pastor you may know and allow him to guide you. Otherwise feel free to reply to my post online, or you may email me directly at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. I will gladly add you to my prayer list, and/or respond to your request(s) ASAP.