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Post Date: |
Friday, 2017-02-03 |
| SCRIPTURE | |
|
From: |
1 Corinthians 12:7-11 (Voice) |
|
Text: |
7 Each believer has received a gift that manifests the Spirit’s power and presence. That gift is given for the good of the whole community. 8 The Spirit gives one person a word of wisdom, but to the next person the same Spirit gives a word of knowledge. 9 Another will receive the gift of faith by the same Spirit, and still another gifts of healing—all from the one Spirit. 10 One person is enabled by the Spirit to perform miracles, another to prophesy, while another is enabled to distinguish those prophetic spirits. The next one speaks in various kinds of unknown languages, while another is able to interpret those languages. 11 One Spirit works all these things in each of them individually as He sees fit. |
| OBSERVATION: | |
| Notice what the Word of God does not say: It doesn’t say that some will receive a gift from God; or that some who are really blessed will receive more, or better gifts; or that our gift is given to help us look better or get richer; nor dies it say that because some will have better upbringing, they will develop better gifts. In fact, the Scripture says just the opposite to all these things, for it declares in verse 11 that the Spirit works which gift each will receive, as He sees fit, and not if He will decide to give them one. | |
| APPLICATION: | |
| OK, so having concluded that each believer in Jesus Christ has been blessed by God with a gift that should be used for His glory, you can appreciate why today’s blog title never questions whether you have a gift or not, but rather, what are you doing with that gift. Throughout the Bible we’ve seen where believers have questioned God about their gift, for Moses was adamant that he could not speak well, although He was ordained by God to lead the Israelites (a huge crowd of them) out of Egypt; Saul (Paul) was struck down on the road to Damascus and spoken to by God, only for Saul to question “who, me?”, yet from the biggest persecutor of the church, Paul became the biggest evangelist and even wrote much of the New Testament for our benefit. So what’s your excuse friend? Hopefully you are not guilty of doing the same with your gift as Jesus taught about ‘Light’ when He cautioned us to not hide our ‘Light’ under a bushel where it is ineffective. I believe that our first excuse is to talk ourselves out of a task that would showcase our gift. Fortunately, I believe that is also Biblical, for Scripture tells us that we are not to think more highly of ourselves than we should. However Scripture also says that ‘greater is He that is in us, than he that is in the world’. Scripture also teaches that through our weakness and inabilities, He becomes strong – in other words, His worthiness is recognized in and through our weaknesses and inabilities. Ever noticed how God will many times use the most uneducated pastor to reach the lost, than some who have been to seminary and knows all the right words to say? Friends, I believe that there is perfection in what God declared through the words written by Paul. There are family and friends that you will rub shoulders with, or eat with, or play sports with, that I will never know here on this earth. So of course He wants His holiness, and His sanctification to be evident through you, so that those lost ones might know about Jesus and believe on Him. Please don’t underestimate your gift. No matter what God has blessed you with, just allow Him to use that gift through you, for His glory. Giving excuses is like saying that God is unworthy, or incapable of blessing you with your gift. Seek God’s face and recognize His voice, so that when the opportunity arises to use your gift, you will know without a shadow of doubt that God is merely using you as His instrument through whom He could accomplish His work. | |
| PRAYER: | |
| While our talents and our gifts are a blessing from You dear Lord, please humble us to allow You to accomplish Your will and Your work through everything that we attempt to do in Your name. Thank You for entrusting us with gifts that could help us accomplish Your work here on earth. We are so unworthy, and so inadequate in and of ourselves, no matter how much education we might have, or how smart we are in other earthly ways. Unless You build the house – unless You accomplish Your work, it will fail. Likewise, please help us to never underestimate the power of our God. It is so easy for us to conclude that we can’t, or we are incapable, or we have not been educated for that, or we can’t speak comfortably in front of others much more educated than us. Lord, we are questioning, or doubting Your abilities when we do that. Shame on us, for You are more than able to accomplish every good work and to reach every mortal man. Thank You for making us a part of Your plan, so that we may realize that our time here on earth is well worth it! Thine be the glory, for ever and for ever, 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! | |
Category: Faith
Relief For Your Burdens
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Post Date: |
Thursday, 2017-02-02 |
| SCRIPTURE | |
|
From: |
Matthew 11:27-30 (CEV) |
|
Text: |
27 My Father has given me everything, and he is the only one who knows the Son. The only one who truly knows the Father is the Son. But the Son wants to tell others about the Father, so that they can know him too.
28 If you are tired from carrying heavy burdens, come to me and I will give you rest. 29 Take the yoke I give you. Put it on your shoulders and learn from me. I am gentle and humble, and you will find rest. 30 This yoke is easy to bear, and this burden is light. |
| OBSERVATION: | |
| Jesus makes His relationship to the Father very clear in these verses, and He shares His purpose for the world. He knew there would be many things that mankind would be faced with, and He also knew that there would be only One who could do anything about that. However He makes it clear that His gift of mercy is only extended to those who ask for it, for He said in verse 28: “Come to me and I will give you rest”. | |
| APPLICATION: | |
| Many may look at these verses and say that they have no burdens or concerns, so why should they yoke themselves together with God. Friends, I find it very interesting how the poor seems burdened with debt and wish they were rich; How the rich are constantly worried about who will take advantage of them, or steal from them, or if the stock market is safe enough for them to risk investing their money in it. These are just two comparable financial reasons for concern, or that may appear as burdens. This idea even filters down to the church, as one translation reads that if you feel burdened by all the dictates of church or religion, then come to Jesus. I believe it is very apparent that we all need the Savior, because the Bible tells us that the only way to heaven, and eternal peace with the Father, is through accepting the free gift of eternal life through the Son of God (Jesus), who was sent to this earth, humbled among mankind, for the sole purpose of saving us from our sin. Friends, for everything here on this earth, we either feel an obligation yo reciprocate, to obey certain rules or laws, or a deep sense of commitment to someone – so that they might remain your friend. Jesus tells us that He knows the Father intimately, and that He came to rescue us from the slavery of man’s rules and regulations. We can trust Him, for His rules, or yoke, is very light and easy for all. Furthermore, we know that we can trust Him to look out for our best interest only, with love and admiration. For we are His chosen ones for whom He personally sacrificed His very own life for. So friends, what are you worried about today? What are you burdened with, or about? Jesus loves us unconditionally and with the sincere purpose of saving us so that we could one day be with Him in glory. There are no strings attached, or no fine print that negates His desire for His kids. Are you prepared to trust Him in that and surrender your life totally and completely over to Him? Consider reading my footnote and the noted scriptures to help you understand how to take advantage of this very special offer from the Creator of this universe! | |
| PRAYER: | |
| Lord, we thank You for not giving up on us. You have provided the greatest sacrifice for us, so that we might be relieved of our burdens and have the assurance of eternal life in heaven with You and the Father. Thank you Jesus! Please forgive us for often choosing those things that restricts our opportunity to fully trust and worship You. Please open our eyes to those things today and allow us to clearly see, and be reminded of, the love that You have for us. May we lay our burdens at Your feet and welcome the joy that comes from fully trusting in, and leaning on, You. Lord, we welcome You as our Mediator; Savior; Deliverer; Friend and everlasting Father. May we be faithful to the call You have placed on us. 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! | |
The Spirit of Our Father Speaks Through Us
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Post Date: |
Saturday, 2017-01-28 |
| SCRIPTURE | |
|
From: |
Matthew 10:18–20 (NLT) |
|
Text: |
18 You will stand trial before governors and kings because you are my followers. But this will be your opportunity to tell the rulers and other unbelievers about me. 19 When you are arrested, don’t worry about how to respond or what to say. God will give you the right words at the right time. 20 For it is not you who will be speaking—it will be the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.
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| OBSERVATION: | |
| It seems like Jesus faced His chosen men – His disciples, who realized that they were called to go out and share the love of Jesus with those that they came into contact with, even to kings and rulers. Now imagine for a moment that the only times you may have seen some of these men would have been along the seashore as they sold their fish, or chatted with their fellow fishermen. These guys were some who would now go out and preach the gospel! But I believe it is also important to note that the same Jesus who gained their confidence to drop their nets, leave their boats, and follow Him, is the same Jesus now comforting them that everything will be OK, and that they WILL have the words to speak when it becomes necessary. Wow, what a thought to imagine! | |
| APPLICATION: | |
| Some of you reading this devotional today may have been challenged by a pastor or evangelist to surrender your heart to the Lord. This may have followed with an invitation to meet with a small group of believers to study the Word of God and pray, and this may have been a chore that you almost got sick over, because you had been used to staying in your little corner and could never imagine trying to find words to say in front of saints of God, as these type words are just not in your vocabulary. However, you were also approached by members of the group and made to feel at ease joining them. Before too long, you are invited to join with your small group to meet in a public square where there would be government officials present. The rest of the group is excited that the newcomer may have an opportunity to share Jesus with the Mayor, or possible even a Senator or two, or even the Governor. Are you feeling a little nervous yet about the possible encounters you may face? Can you think of all the things you might share with them about your newest, very best friend, Jesus? However, the leader of the small group has encouraging words for you: “Just as Jesus gave confidence to His disciples to go, in His name, and His Holy Spirit will fill them with the words to speak to the rulers and other unbelievers, He will also do the same for you”. I believe you will acknowledge that this requires a bit of faith to grasp hold of, and depend on this, when personally faced with the dilemma yourself, right? Friends, as children of God, we are called on each and every day to do the same thing, for we never know when we will be faced with an opportunity to share a witness for our Lord. It may very well be in the presence of a public figure, or it may be with that family member or coworker who is always outspoken about their dislike of Christians or the nonexistence of a holy God. Furthermore, over in the New Testament we are also encouraged to always be prepared to share the hope that lives inside of us. Friends, may I encourage you to remember that the same Lord who heals a broken heart, or mends a broken limb, or encourages a couple looking at divorce, is the same Lord whose Holy Spirit came to dwell inside of us at our conversion. Therefore have faith that He could also guide us through every situation of life, including words to say so that God might be best represented. Let’s learn to trust Him for who He is, and for all that He has promised. He can, and will accomplish a great work through even us, as we willingly open up our lives to Him for His glory. | |
| PRAYER: | |
| Father, please give us daily strength to never doubt Your Holy Spirit, whom You sent to live inside of us. We have no words to share with unbelievers that would make a difference in their lives, but You have the words of eternal life. So I ask that You might use us to speak to unbelievers of every walk of life and at every level of society, regardless of where we might place them in our minds. Please help us to never be intimated by the status placed upon those we will meet, for we all need the love of Jesus in our hearts. Please help us to never attempt to do this life alone, for You have promised to always be with us and to guide our every step. Into Your hands I commit myself again today. Lord, I pray that my readers will do the same so that Your work may not be hindered in any way 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 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! | |
Self-Prepared and Confident In Prayer
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Post Date: |
Wednesday, 2017-02-22 |
| SCRIPTURE | |
|
From: |
Psalm 17:3-6 (NLT) |
|
Text: |
3. …. I am determined not to sin in what I say. 4. I have followed your commands, which keep me from following cruel and evil people. 5. My steps have stayed on your path; I have not wavered from following you. 6. I am praying to you because I know you will answer, O God. Bend down and listen as I pray. |
| OBSERVATION: | |
| David went before the Lord in prayer, not as a stranger, but one who had already aligned himself with the laws and will of God. Because of this, he went confidently before God, KNOWING that God would answer his prayers. | |
| APPLICATION: | |
| Oh to have the heart, determination and will of David! Too often we barge into conversations with God, demanding our own way and expecting God to respond like a puppet would, to all of our wishes and demands. But what if God truly responded to us exactly in the same way that we think things should go? What an awful mess that would be friends! I believe our attitude for prayer must be one of honor and gratitude for who God truly is. Then there is Scripture that guides us into the remaining attributes of prayer, for in 2 Chronicles 7:14 we are told that if we are truly known as His children, in fact, if we are called by His name, and if we get off our ‘high horses’ and humble ourselves and pray with every intention and determination to turn from our wicked and sinful ways, then He would hear from the Father and heal us and all there is around us (our land). Friends, this is not rocket science, nor is it unreasonable, for which of you will walk up to a total stranger and ask for anything substantial with full confidence that they would reach into their treasury of physical assets and just start handing them over to you? May I suggest to you that although my Savior knows each of us intimately and, while I am convinced that He will hear your cry, I believe that He is wanting most of all to know that your greatest need is first and foremost and that need is attended to first. Friends, if you are not seeking God’s face as your own personal Savior and Lord, then no matter what your other needs are today, there is one that stands out in priority – you must be born again – new birth in Jesus Christ. This requires a conversation (prayer) with the Master, where you would surrender self to Him, and invite Him to rule and reign in Your life. There is no greater need of mankind today friend, and there is none more important, for what if you gained the whole world through your own efforts and finances, but yet have no hope of tomorrow, or a Savior that you would know is your very own Lord and Father over all the earth? Jesus is the key to heaven friend, know Him and know total peace for today and always. I would be tickled to death to introduce my Lord to you! Drop me a note using the contact information below. I might also suggest that you click on the link below ‘To Know Jesus’ and there you will find scriptural references on what you might do to have eternal life. I look forward to meeting you in the most exciting worship service ever – at the feet of Jesus when we graduate to heaven!! Oh, what a day that will be!! | |
| PRAYER: | |
| Lord You are good, and Your mercies are everlasting. You have opened the means of us communicating with You and seeking Your face. You have shown us the way to Your throne and ultimately to the glories of heaven with You and Your Father! What a blessed people we are! Lord, I am concerned about my friends that might read this devotional and brush off the truths of Your Word. There may be some that will seek Your hand for all they may need or want, but who may ignore the fact of first knowing You intimately. Please soften the hearts of the hardened, and please touch the hearts that simply read and choose to ignore a relationship with You. Thank You Lord for being available to us, and for loving us enough to demonstrate it through the sacrifice You made on Calvary. I am eternally thankful, and I desperately want to see all my readers, friends and family accept You as Lord, so that we may one day rejoice together around Your eternal throne. I commend them to You Lord. Thank You dear Lord Jesus! 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! | |
Walk the Talk
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Post Date: |
Friday, 2017-01-27 |
| SCRIPTURE | |
|
From: |
Matthew 10:5-8 (NLT) |
|
Text: |
5 Jesus sent out the twelve apostles with these instructions: “Don’t go to the Gentiles or the Samaritans, 6 but only to the people of Israel—God’s lost sheep. 7 Go and announce to them that the Kingdom of Heaven is near. 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cure those with leprosy, and cast out demons. Give as freely as you have received! |
| OBSERVATION: | |
| I found it interesting that for the first task Jesus would give to His disciples, His helpers, His ministers, He would tell them to go and minister to the church – His chosen people – the Jews. | |
| APPLICATION: | |
| There is a powerful message for pastors and evangelists in these verses today, as well as to the churches, I feel, for I’m afraid that many are attending church meetings with a false sense of security, feeling like they must be ‘OK’ to stand before God if they, at least attend church. Friends, we could spend as many nights sleeping in our garage as we want, but we will never become a car! Therefore, no matter how many church services we attend, if we have not been obedient to the gospel, we may have merely warmed a seat at the church for an hour or so each week. The Word of God is very clear that heaven is a place for those who have surrendered their lives to the lordship of Jesus Christ. Like the Jews to whom Jesus sent His disciples, although they are God’s chosen people, they too will not see heaven unless they also have accepted Jesus as Lord of their individual lives. You see, this is not something the king, or president could bestow upon their people, it’s not something every pastor could pray down for you, or that grandma’s excellent reputation as a very godly person could pass on to you. It’s all about a personal decision you made, and a personal relationship with Jesus that you live out each and every day. I believe that another reason Jesus wanted to see His chosen people saved, and our church-goers today saved, is that it would never work to evangelize the lost outside of the fold, and have them join a fellowship of church-goers only to be poisoned by their lack of faith and evil living. Friends, to truly believe that the church has an awesome responsibility to not only see the lost saved, but to be conditioned to disciple, encourage and bless them as they come to the church for fellowship and growth in the new Christian walk. Pretense not only sends a person to Hell, but it also harms the one who is trying to live a true and sincere Christian life. Perhaps Jesus is asking you to examine yourself, in the light of His presence, and confirm that your heart is sold out to the Lord Jesus and that you are wholly and solely living the walk that you sometimes talk about. Please be sure that you not harm your chance of heaven and be a stumbling block to others trying to do the same. If there is guilt, may I suggest that you use the advice and Bible references given in my Footnote to clear up your position with Jesus Christ? If you are confident in your claim as a believer in Jesus Christ, may I encourage you to walk daily in the light of His Word, so that He will not be ashamed of You when you see Him face to face, nor will you be a stumbling block to anyone following your example. | |
| PRAYER: | |
| Lord Jesus, we live each day in a way to honor our parents; honor our spouse; or honor our boss; and I believe that many times we succeed at that. Please help us that we will live in Your way, so that when we stand before You we will hear ‘well done good and faithful servant’, because we have represented You well each day and that You were honored to send lost ones our way so that You could use us to ‘rub off’ on them. Lord there have been so many disappointments in Your churches over the years that unbelievers probably look at us as a bunch of hypocrites. Oh how I pray today that Your church will represent You fairly and squarely in every aspect of our walk and talk so that we may be effectively used by You to reach the lost. I am convinced that the work must start within the church. Beginning with me, please give us a renewed mission to be Your witness in our communities. 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! | |
Faith to Receive Healing
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Post Date: |
Thursday, 2017-01-26 |
| SCRIPTURE | |
|
From: |
Matthew 9:27-29 (NCV) |
|
Text: |
27 When Jesus was leaving there, two blind men followed him. They cried out, “Have mercy on us, Son of David!” 28 After Jesus went inside, the blind men went with him. He asked the men, “Do you believe that I can make you see again?” They answered, “Yes, Lord.” 29 Then Jesus touched their eyes and said, “Because you believe I can make you see again, it will happen.” |
| OBSERVATION: | |
| Interesting story of how two individual sought after God for what appears to be very obvious reasons. However, Jesus took nothing for granted, He wanted to make sure that they believed in His power to heal, and that they were actually interested in being healed. I believe that Jesus also knew that the response from the two blind men were 100% honest and that they had the faith to believe in His healing power. While I believe it is clear that it was the miraculous power of Jesus Christ that healed the men, Jesus was adamant that it was their faith that healed them. I believe that Jesus was saying to the men that had they not had confidence, or faith in his healing power, that they were wasting their time following Him and seeking His help. | |
| APPLICATION: | |
| How often do we seek the face of Jesus for a need in our life, but consider it as one of our options, instead of seeking Him wholeheartedly with all of our heart, soul and mind, in total faith that Jesus has the power to do it, if we have the faith to believe in Him and His awesome power? Friends, God’s Word is filled with stories of how Jesus healed every type of malady or handicap; how He forgave; how He brought the dead back to life; and He loved unconditionally. Is there anything too difficult or impossible for Him? So I wonder why we choose to make our petitions to our Master as the very last option? Is it because of our lack of faith? Is it because we want to try all earthly options first? Is it because we don’t want to bother Jesus with our issues? Friends, we gain our faith through experience with our Lord. Think of a child. The first time a dad suggest that the child jump from a wall into his arms. There is much hesitation, but after gaining the confidence that dad could very easily handle the jump, you can barely stop the child from wanting to do it again! When God heals that little toe ache you placed at His feet in prayer, confidently praying in faith, don’t you know that He will also be just as willing to attend to your needs when the heart disease begins to worry you? Our God is able, friend! Let’s show that we believe that by placing our faith and trust in Him to meet our needs miraculously, just as He is able to do. Will you join me in that? | |
| PRAYER: | |
| Lord Jesus, in faith we come to You today, praying for the miracle of ___________. As we each fill that blank with the very deepest need in our lives today, I pray that we will do so in faith believing in the awesome power of a Savior who can….. Please renew such a strength in us Lord Jesus that our faith will be renewed and our relationship with You will be rekindled to such a degree, that those around us will see, hear and believe on the same Son of God that is working miracles in our life. Lord, may Yours be the glory, the honor and all praise, for I ask these things in the name of Jesus, and for His glory only, 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! | |
The Awe of Our Wonderful Lord
|
Post Date: |
Wednesday, 2017-01-25 |
| SCRIPTURE | |
|
From: |
Psalm 8:3, 4, 9 (CEV) |
|
Text: |
3 I often think of the heavens
your hands have made, and of the moon and stars you put in place. 4 Then I ask, “Why do you care about us humans? Why are you concerned for us weaklings?” 9 Our LORD and Ruler,
your name is wonderful everywhere on earth! |
| OBSERVATION: | |
| I believe that David had one of those moments where, in his mind, he stopped everything around him and, as he gazed into the heavens and marveled at the beauty of what God had provided, his heart was overwhelmed and he burst into a time of worship to the Master. David was reminded that yes, God placed mankind on earth to rule over, or lord over everything that He created, but he was also reminded that many of the other things made by the Master is nowhere as rebellious and unthankful as mankind is. I wonder how many ranchers will tell you about the cattle that protest against certain grasses fed to them, or the bitter cold or heat they endure from time to time. They just don’t protest and show their lack of gratitude to the Creator who placed them here on this earth. So David took time to give glory to the One responsible for not only creating the cattle and the skies and stars, but also for caring for comparable insignificant and ungrateful mankind. | |
| APPLICATION: | |
| I realize that we don’t all recognize God’s wonderment in the same way as David did, but if we were to stop and reflect on our typical day, I wonder which moment in our day lends itself to opening our eyes to God’s handiwork. If your mornings are as rushed as many that I hear about, then you probably don’t have time to eat, nor reflect on the goodness of God. My drive to work may be different to many, for I could see God’s handiwork in the skies and pastures, plus the birds and wild animals that sometimes cross my path. But for you city folk, that’s something you could only imagine! If your jobs are like mine, then we hardly have time to remember our spouse during the day, so reflecting on the awesome God that created us may be a stretch for many. Evenings are either filled with meetings for the involved and dedicated, or good TV shows for those who choose to just relax. So when do we find time to truly reflect on the goodness of our faithful Creator? As you can tell from the daily schedule that I painted for you, we can easily say that we just don’t have time, but let me offer to pay you $20 to drive 5 miles to the nearest coffee shop and bring me a cup of their best coffee and a sweet Danish each morning, and I bet that most of you will find time to do that, right? After all, that will pay your gas bill for a few days! So is it really a matter of time, or is it more a matter of priority? Time alone with God fits in that same predicament. You have to decide if your relationship with God is worth prioritizing time with Him every day, and we must always be mindful of the wonderful works of the Master – whether in nature, or each other, or in His provisions for our daily living. Let me assure you friend, our Savior loves us just as we are, and unconditionally. He showed that love in a way that has not been repeated by anyone – He willingly surrendered His life on a cruel cross so that we may have access to the Father because of His sacrifice. To stop and think on that alone, especially at times when we are mad at the world for the least little thing, is worth moments of praise to the Father! | |
| PRAYER: | |
| Wonderful Savior, glorious Lord, to You we sing our song of praise for all that You are and all that You have done for us. Because of You, we have the hope of eternity with You our Heavenly Father in heaven. As David reminded us in scripture today, who are we that a Kind should live and die for? Father, please forgive us for our ungrateful spirit, for we prioritize every other aspect of our lives, except time with You. I ask for personal forgiveness, and I ask that You touch the hearts of my readers that we might be drawn back to the cross where You presented Yourself in obedience to Your Father, just for our salvation. May we be constantly reminded of this precious gift and never fail to worship and thank You for loving us so much. Thine be the glory, the honor and the praises, dear Jesus, 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! | |
Don’t Miss ‘The Boat’!
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Post Date: |
Thursday, 2017-01-19 |
| SCRIPTURE | |
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From: |
Matthew 7:21–23 (MSG) |
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Text: |
“Knowing the correct password—saying ‘Master, Master,’ for instance—isn’t going to get you anywhere with me. What is required is serious obedience—doing what my Father wills. I can see it now—at the Final Judgment thousands strutting up to me and saying, ‘Master, we preached the Message, we bashed the demons, our God-sponsored projects had everyone talking.’ And do you know what I am going to say? ‘You missed the boat. All you did was use me to make yourselves important. You don’t impress me one bit. You’re out of here.’
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| OBSERVATION: | |
| This 7th chapter of Matthew records Jesus teaching a crowd that followed him even to the mountains. Addressing this crowd was probably much like one of our pastors who address our congregations each week. However, Jesus knew the hearts and intentions of each one gathered, so He was able to speak directly into their lives. In this particular instance Jesus addressed folk who may have used church, or used their act of following Him as an act to brag about. They knew what it took to be recognized as a follower, and they thought they knew what to say, although Jesus exposed that thought in His teaching here. Jesus pulled no punches! While I believe He was honored that so many wanted to be near Him and hear His teaching, He also knew that He had to correct their misunderstanding of what it takes to meet His Father face to face on that Day. | |
| APPLICATION: | |
| Much like the crowd that Jesus taught at the edge of the mountain, I believe that many churches are packed with folk each week that may still be under the misguided understanding that church attendance; giving to their local church; wearing a big cross as jewelry every day; or using church-like words interspersed in conversation throughout their day, would convince the world that they know Jesus in a very intimate way. The problem with that, is that the world sees through your pretense almost as much as God does. Friends, it’s not the world that we must impress, and this may come as a shock to you, but it’s not Jesus that you must impress! Jesus knows your heart, friend. Therefore He knows very well when our words are misaligned with our heart and our inner person. Jesus wants us to change from the inside out, and not vice versa. There is only one way to the throne of the Father, and that’s through accepting Jesus, the One whose blood was spilled at Calvary – the sacrifice that He made for the salvation of folk like you and me. You see, this is really simple. As we seek God’s face and His forgiveness, our lives will change from the inside out. His work in our lives, and our aim at living obedient lives to the teachings and example of Jesus Christ, prepares us with honest words and actions where the world will know and believe on the only Son of God, Jesus the Christ. Living that type of life means that it’s not something we calculate, or conjure up, but rather, the love of the Savior that resides inside of us spills out in our words and actions so that the world will know who Jesus is. Are you on the right track friends? If not, I encourage you to go back to the foot of the cross and talk with Jesus about your salvation. Reaffirm your faith in Jesus, so that you can stop trying so hard. Let Him have His way in your life. | |
| PRAYER: | |
| Lord Jesus, we are nothing without You, so of course our efforts without You and Your power will have no impact on unbelievers. Time is precious to all of us, and Lord we would never want to merely pretend to be Your followers to impress those around us, for we are very much like them when witnessing or evangelizing in our own strength. Furthermore, people are smart enough to see through our pretense, for only You can speak to the hearts of Your children. Lord, I commend myself to You again, asking that I do nothing in my own strength, but that I seek Your face daily and allow Your precious Holy Spirit to guide my lips, my actions and my whole self, so that others will see Jesus, not this humble, helpless man. Please tender the hearts of my readers so that they too may realign themselves with Your will for their lives. The world needs You, precious Lord, not us. Use us if needed, but please work in the lives of those that we will come into contact with today, for I ask this in the wonderful, matchless name of Jesus, 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! | |
I Got This – Trust Me!
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Post Date: |
Tuesday, 2017-01-17 |
| SCRIPTURE | |
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From: |
Matthew 6:31–33 (NCV) |
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Text: |
31 Don’t worry and say, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ 32 The people who don’t know God keep trying to get these things, and your Father in heaven knows you need them. 33 Seek first God’s kingdom and what God wants. Then all your other needs will be met as well.
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| OBSERVATION: | |
| The text in this whole chapter of Matthew is in ‘red’, meaning that Jesus was teaching His disciples about what it’s like in their lives when they place their faith and trust in Him as their Savior, Leader, Provider and Protector. It is evident that, much like today, the disciples were worry-warts, and Jesus had to calm their fears and teach them what it’s like to be a follower of Christ. He taught His audience that when there was evidence of worry, they should recognize that their faith in Him might be faltering, otherwise they would quickly remember that when their priority is in seeking God’s kingdom and His righteousness, then all their needs would be met by Him. In fact, Jesus taught that when folk worry about such things as eat, drink and clothing, they are demonstrating evidence of being an unbeliever, as only they tend to worry about such things. | |
| APPLICATION: | |
| I believe that if a preacher stood in the pulpit and declared the truths of this scripture to his audience in any given service, they would probably swear up and down that he had spies in their home, because I am convinced that we probably worry more about these same things than just about anyone that ever existed on earth. Friends, please correct me if you think I am wrong, but when we worry, we are really saying that we have no faith in God nor ourselves to correct a given situation or need. Look at verse 33 very carefully again: If we seek after God’s kingdom and what God wants, then He will meet all of our needs. God resides in His kingdom, so when we seek His kingdom, we are making every effort to live in a way pleasing to Him, because our top priority is to be where He is. Furthermore, we know for a fact that there will be no sin there, so we strive to live holy lives free from all sin. But what exactly does God want from us? Friends, may I encourage you to make it a priority to get into God’s Word on a daily basis, so that You might stay attuned to what He wants you to do? Seek His face and ask Him to direct you into the deep truths of His Word and enlighten you as to how the Word should be applied to your life each day. The reward for doing these things, according to the latter part of verse 33, is that He will meet all of our needs! Our God is so good friends, He desires an intimate relationship with His children and has promised to meet our needs, if we do our part. There is no way that we should let Him down. | |
| PRAYER: | |
| Dear Jesus, You have shown us throughout Your Word that there is no need to worry, and no need to fret, for the same God that put this whole earth together, and the same God who demonstrated His love for us at Calvary, is the same God that declared that He will meet our needs, if we seek after the kingdom of God and what He wants. Lord, please forgive us for our selfishness in demanding so much without any effort to do what we are commanded. You have shown us the way, now please give us the desire to seek Your face and do Your will. This old world has impacted us in ways that have stripped away all Godly desires, but in this scripture today we are reminded that this may be the very cause of our earthly struggles. Lord, I pray that my readers and I will recommit to obedience to our Father, so that we can be more like You in a lost world, but also so You could meet our daily needs. Easy concept, but often harder than most of us can handle. We need You 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! | |
Faith That God Accepts
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Post Date: |
Monday, 2017-01-16 |
| SCRIPTURE | |
|
From: |
Genesis 15:4–6 (NCV) |
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Text: |
4 Then the LORD spoke his word to Abram: “He will not be the one to inherit what you have. You will have a son of your own who will inherit what you have.”
5 Then God led Abram outside and said, “Look at the sky. There are so many stars you cannot count them. Your descendants also will be too many to count.” 6 Abram believed the LORD. And the LORD accepted Abram’s faith, and that faith made him right with God. |
| OBSERVATION: | |
| In verses 1-3 it seems like Abram had somewhat of a pity party, feeling sorry for himself. God promised a reward to Abram, but he could see no further than having no one to pass the reward on to. However, God didn’t get impatient with Abram as He went on to promise him a son, even at his advanced age, to pass his blessings on to. Now, let’s be sure that we get the picture here, for Abram was already 85-86 years old at the time, having never had a child with his wife Sarai, yet God promised Abram that he would have a son! What would you have done? Now look at verse 6, for we see where Abram never discounted anything that God told him, not even the obvious questionable promise of him have a son at that age. And because of his faith, Abram was considered by God to be righteous, or right with God! | |
| APPLICATION: | |
| We often hear the saying by men “Oh ye of little faith”, when they see us falter or doubt the works of God. Friends, I believe that this story of Abram was uniquely placed in God’s Word for you and I. When we accept Jesus as Lord, and we take our daily concerns to Him, we should be reassured by this story that the action of surrendering our will to God’s will, and the act of asking for things in faith through Jesus, is a demonstration of our faith in the awesome power of the God of this universe. Yes, I realize that we often lay some pretty heavy stuff at the feet of Jesus and ask for His perfect will to be done, however, we often quickly retort to disappointment or rebellion when our prayers are not answered in exactly the same way that we demanded. Praise God that He answers in ways that are perfect and that fits within His design for our lives, and in ways that will bring glory to Himself. Please let’s try and remember that the reason we ask God is to seek His face and His perfect will. Simply demanding that God answer in the way that we ask will create extreme stress and hardship for us, for we are selfish and will only ask using the limitations we can see or expect or dream of. God is much bigger than that, for just as He made us, and the world around us, He also knows what comes next. Being His chosen people who have accepted the Lordship of His precious Son, makes us the ‘apple of His eye’, and as such, He wants for us far more than we could ever dream or imagine! So how’s your faith friend? Would God consider you ‘righteous’ because of the faith you demonstrate in His Son? Perhaps a matter of prayer and commitment today might be in asking God to open our eyes and our heart to trust Him in total faith. Please do me a favor, and consider doing that along with me today! | |
| PRAYER: | |
| Father, You are so good and Your faithfulness endures forever and forever! We serve such an awesome God! Having created us and made every provision for our wellbeing and happiness, yet to see us falter, fail and seek You selfishly must hurt You beyond anything we could imagine. Lord, we are reminded in this story of Abram that You look for, expect and honor our faith. Abram’s faith resulted in You viewing him as ‘righteous’. Lord, please help us to put self aside and to place our faith and trust in You for ALL things. May our faith become so strong, that we never make decisions without feeling reassured that You are in control and directing us towards decision that will bring You glory and draw us closer to You. I ask these things in faith, and through the precious name of Jesus, 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 