We Are Known By How We Live

May I encourage you to get your spiritual ‘Nuggets’ to start your day off right? Pretty amazing that our awesome God would consider feeding even us with His Word! May I encourage you to read the whole devotional, and look for a blessing, friend!………

Today’s Bible Reference: 1 John 3:7-10
Today’s Bible Text: Dear children, don’t let anyone deceive you about this: When people do what is right, it shows that they are righteous, even as Christ is righteous. But when people keep on sinning, it shows that they belong to the devil, who has been sinning since the beginning. But the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil. Those who have been born into God’s family do not make a practice of sinning, because God’s life is in them. So they can’t keep on sinning, because they are children of God. So now we can tell who are children of God and who are children of the devil. Anyone who does not live righteously and does not love other believers does not belong to God.
The Bible Translation: New Living Translation (NLT)

My Take Away: Friends, I don’t know that I can add a whole lot to what the Word of God is saying to us in this passage. For just as John declared to his followers, God insisted that this become a part of His precious Word to men and women to come, for He knew that we would be challenged with the same struggles in our day. You may ask why I would possibly assume that this is an ongoing challenge. Friends, it is very obvious that many are being lured into a false sense that being a Christian equals: church going; or doing good; or walking the isle of a church after intense pressure by peers/family; or baptism; or hanging with the right crowd. Hopefully if nothing else is gathered from this devotional today, I pray that you will read carefully the above verses, and other related scripture, so that you might discern the following key points:
 **To walk in fellowship with our Lord and Savior, requires an invitation from Him, and a decision/commitment by you;
**You can only be righteous (right in God’s sight) when you accept that invitation from Jesus with all your heart and in deepest sincerity;
**When Jesus is convinced that you are sincere, He will then allow His Holy Spirit to come and live inside your righteous being;
**The Holy Spirit will provide help, inspiration, determination and the power to live a life of righteousness. One that will example His righteousness, and portray His love for mankind so that the lost might see Jesus and have a desire to know Him. By your fruit, or by your right living, others will know whose you are!

So I believe that the challenge for us to look at today is that others will be observing us, just like they’ve done every day. What do you suppose they are seeing? Do they see a man/woman of righteousness, or are they seeing a pretender, or perhaps one that keeps on sinning, as described in the above verses? You will either be a help to someone else searching for righteousness or a Savior, OR you will possibly be a stumbling block to them in their search. Which will it be today, friend?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, You only have the power to call others unto Yourself. You only have the power to save mankind from sin. You only have the power to fill us with Your love and Your righteousness so that others might see and believe. Lord, I realize that The way I live could either impact the lost for You or turn them off from wanting to know You. Please speak to Your children once again today Lord. May we be righteous, as You are righteous. May we reflect love, even as You are the true representation of love in its purest form. Lord, may others see Jesus very evident in all that we say or do today, so that they may see and believe. I ask these things in the precious, righteous and most loving name of Jesus, AMEN!

Footnote: If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. 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 http://www.nuggetsfromgodsword.org 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!

How Awesome is Our God!

May I encourage you to get your spiritual ‘Nuggets’ to start your day off right? Pretty amazing that our awesome God would consider feeding even us with His Word! May I encourage you to read the whole devotional, and look for a blessing, friend!………

Today’s Bible Reference: Psalm 104:1; 5–9
Today’s Bible Text: 1 Let all that I am praise the LORD. O LORD my God, how great you are! You are robed with honor and majesty….. 5 You placed the world on its foundation so it would never be moved. 6 You clothed the earth with floods of water, water that covered even the mountains. 7 At your command, the water fled; at the sound of your thunder, it hurried away. 8 Mountains rose and valleys sank to the levels you decreed. 9 Then you set a firm boundary for the seas, so they would never again cover the earth.
The Bible Translation: New Living Translation (NLT)

My Take Away: The Psalmist shows us how to worship our King. One of the key triggers for worship, is to reflect on the beauty of God’s creation around us, and then on the One who made it all possible. We may visit certain locations where the on-staff horticulturist may have used plants of every description to create a beautiful garden or landscape that just blows you away. But let’s not forget who designed, created and made that plant available to us! That’s the God who created us and made provisions for us to one day join with Him around His heavenly throne for ever! Do you know Him? Do you take time, like the Psalmist, to recognize Him for His awesome power and His mighty works? Have you taken time yet today to worship and adore the God of all creation? You know, He not only made the beauty around us, but He also made you and I. It is way too easy for us to turn up our noses to some folk because we can’t stand how they act, or talk or treat us, but let’s never forget that they are a creation of our loving God, and if they could put up with us, we should make every effort to love them with the love of God. After all, how will you explain to God on Judgment Day that you believe He messed up when He made ______??? Friends, as we go about our day, let’s try to look at creation, or our family, or our coworkers as God’s creation, and let us give Him thanks for blessing us with each other. Remember, God knows even our smallest need, and He is well aware of our major challenges. He will place things and/or individuals in our path today to make us stronger in our faith, or that will draw us unto Him for eternal life. Be vigilant friend, and be ready to recognize God as He pursues your best interest today. He’s just that awesome!

Prayer: Father, You created us, yet we tend to find fault with your creation instead of praising You for ourselves and for those that cross our paths each day. You created awesome beauty all around us, yet we find something to whine about. Lord, from the bottom of my heart I want to thank You for creating me and allowing me to live on this small dot on Your perfect earth. Your majesty is beyond description. Your power is beyond anything we can imagine. Your love is greater than anything we could comprehend, for You allowed Your very own, perfect, Son to be crucified on a cruel cross, so that we would not have to endure that kind of torture in order to one day be with You around Your throne of mercy and grace. Father You are awesome in every way, and I adore You and worship You from the sincerity of my heart. Jesus, thank You for Your amazing sacrifice, so that I may live eternally with You and the Father. Please touch the hearts of all who might read this devotional today. Draw them close to You and help them to see You for who You truly are. In the strong and mighty name of Jesus I ask all this, AMEN!

Footnote: If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. 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 www.nuggetsfromgodsword.org 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!

2016