|
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! | |
Category: Righteousness
The Awe of Our Wonderful Lord
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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’!
|
Post Date: |
Thursday, 2017-01-19 |
| SCRIPTURE | |
|
From: |
Matthew 7:21–23 (MSG) |
|
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! | |
Faith That God Accepts
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Post Date: |
Monday, 2017-01-16 |
| SCRIPTURE | |
|
From: |
Genesis 15:4–6 (NCV) |
|
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! | |
Because of God’s Unfailing Love
|
Post Date: |
Friday, 2017-01-13 |
| SCRIPTURE | |
|
From: |
Psalm 5:7–8 (NLT) |
|
Text: |
7 Because of your unfailing love, I can enter your house; I will worship at your Temple with deepest awe. 8 Lead me in the right path, O LORD, or my enemies will conquer me. Make your way plain for me to follow.
|
| OBSERVATION: | |
| The Psalmist was very open in declaring that it was only because of God’s unfailing love that he could even enter the house of the Lord – His temple, to worship Him. In spite of his victories in battle, David could easily have kept his head lifted high in pride, but instead he continued to plead with God for His direction – the right path that he (David) should follow. | |
| APPLICATION: | |
| Friends, I am so afraid that we have assumed way too much pride when it comes to church attendance. At my church, we were reminded last Sunday that our singing, our praise and our worship is intended for an audience of ONE. We don’t need to impress the Brother in front of us, or the Sister beside us, but in all humbleness of heart we walk into the presence of the Almighty God, and in spite of our sin and shameful deeds of that week, we come asking God to accept us – mere sinful humans, as we are, presenting all we have to offer Him – our act of worship. Friends, the mere picture of that, presents us with the fact that although we might seem like peons, yet we are the creation of the God that we have now come to return thanks, and offer our sacrifices of praise. We have nothing to boast of, outside of the awesome work that God has chosen to do through us. The thankfulness of heart from just the fact that He accepted us after forgiving us of our sins, is worth hours of worship and thanksgiving each time we think of it. The willingness to use vessels that were torn by sin and separation from God, is enough to blow our minds, but fill us with thankfulness because of His great love and forgiveness. Friends, we must realize that each and every day that we’re alive deserves our humble, yet ultimate act of worship as we come before a God who loved us enough to accept us as we were when we approached His throne of grace. It was because of God’s amazing grace that He listened to our plea for forgiveness, and accepted us as pure and holy, even as He is holy. To the one who has not sought that forgiveness of sin yet, you might ask ‘What shall wash away my sin’? To which Jesus and His holy saints would respond ‘Nothing but the blood of Jesus’. May I encourage the unbeliever to seek the face of Jesus today and His righteousness, please? May I encourage the saints to take another look at the way that you approach Jesus and His holiness. Re-read how David looked at this, and consider approaching Him in deepest respect and awe, just for who He is! | |
| PRAYER: | |
| Lord God, You created us in Your own image, and I’m sure You were so proud of what You had created! I believe that You are still proud of us, and loves us unconditionally, in spite of our straying away from You and our tendency to lean towards those things that the adversary offers in this sinful world. Thank You for loving us in spite of our evil desires and straying hearts. Lord, You have made it clear in Your Word that Your desire is to see the sinner return to You, seek Your face and Your forgiveness. Some might read this devotional today who have not placed their faith and trust in You. May I ask that You humble their hearts as they read Your word, so that they may surrender their heart to You, please Heavenly Father? I would also love for You to touch the hearts of believers today that may have allowed the freshness of their conversion to fade into the background and now take Your presence for granted. Please dear God, always keep us humble to remember the Love that You showed for us when You hung on the cross of Calvary. As we enter your courts, Your temple, Your church, may our hearts be so fill up with praise and thanksgiving, that our time together with You will be overwhelming worship of the King of all kings! I love You Lord! AMEN! | |
| FOOTNOTE: | |
| There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog could indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and read more, or you may freely to subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us! | |
Is Your ‘Light’ Evident?
|
Post Date: |
Wednesday, 2017-01-11 |
| SCRIPTURE | |
|
From: |
Matthew 5:14–16 (CEV) |
|
Text: |
14 You are like light for the whole world. A city built on top of a hill cannot be hidden, 15 and no one would light a lamp and put it under a clay pot. A lamp is placed on a lampstand, where it can give light to everyone in the house. 16 Make your light shine, so that others will see the good that you do and will praise your Father in heaven.
|
| OBSERVATION: | |
| I believe that it was evident to Jesus that the witness of the people He was addressing was so dim, or invisible, that He gave them first an example of Salt. He knew that everyone would know if salt was present on food, because it added such flavor to food. Likewise, He wanted the world to know without a doubt that the love of Christ in a believer was so important that others would have no doubt about whether a believer was who he claimed to be. Just in case His hearers missed that point, Jesus gave yet another example – light. He wanted his hearers to know that if the ‘Light’ of the world played a role in their life, then they themselves would be seen as a ‘light’ to a world filled with the darkness of sin. Verse 16 stands out in my mind, because Jesus wanted His hearers to know that this was not a thing of performance or self-gratification, but rather that the example of Christ and the application of His commands might be so evident in their lives, that Jesus would be glorified, not the believers themselves. | |
| APPLICATION: | |
| Friends, we are taught by Jesus, that He said nothing, nor did anything without a word from His Father. Likewise, when we surrender our lives to Jesus, we surrender our will and our very being to His will and His control. When this happens, we start speaking like Him, and acting like Him. Then it becomes very natural for others to see Jesus in us, and therefore create a sense of praise, honor and glory by unbelievers to the holy Son of God. Remember, for us to pretend being Jesus, will create such a false impression on others that they will want nothing to do with us, or the one we are pretending to be. However, when we allow God to work His will and His way out in our lives, and we simply trust and obey, then the world begins to see the image and person of Jesus Christ. Whenever the people praise us, they have missed the point. Unless they praise the One to whom all glory and honor belongs, then we had best draw closer to God and become even more transparent in our actions and our words. Let’s aim at letting Jesus be glorified today because of what people may see in our lives. We are mere messengers, so let’s deliver the One whom we represent so that Jesus may be glorified, honored and accepted today. | |
| PRAYER: | |
| Lord Jesus, thank You for being the Light of this world and the Light of my life. As each reader and I approach the throne today, we come as candles wanting to be lit with Your everlasting flame. As we enter our dark world today, we want others to see the ‘Light’ without even wondering what the candle or the holder of the candle looks like. Lord, it’s You that we honor, praise and seek to glorify and represent today. Please help us to hide behind the Light so that others might see Jesus and believe on the only Light that can save them from the darkness that surrounds them in this evil world. Jesus, Light of the world, be glorified in and through each of Your representatives 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! | |
We Are Blessed When….
|
Post Date: |
Tuesday, 2017-01-10 |
| SCRIPTURE | |
|
From: |
Matthew 5:10–12 (MSG) |
|
Text: |
10 “You’re blessed when your commitment to God provokes persecution. The persecution drives you even deeper into God’s kingdom. 11–12 “Not only that—count yourselves blessed every time people put you down or throw you out or speak lies about you to discredit me. What it means is that the truth is too close for comfort and they are uncomfortable. You can be glad when that happens—give a cheer, even!—for though they don’t like it, I do! And all heaven applauds. And know that you are in good company. My prophets and witnesses have always gotten into this kind of trouble.
|
| OBSERVATION: | |
| Jesus had the attention of thousands when He shared, what we know today as, the ‘beatitudes’. These teachings showed the people that when they stand up for what is right, or to what is taught and demonstrated by Jesus, then they will often be living in way that might be totally opposite to what the world has ‘hung its hat on’. For the world looks to win, whether it’s financially, or being at the top of its class, or just in name through immense marketing efforts. Unfortunately, the world will do this at every expense, even if its walking over the downtrodden or seeing the poor and needy do without. Contrary to the normal trend of the world, God teaches that there is eternal hope and joy for those who follow Him and obey His commands. In fact in the preceding 9 verses of Matthew 5, Jesus teaches that in cases of obedience and faith in Him, His followers are more than conquerors, for they are blessed because of their faithfulness to Him. | |
| APPLICATION: | |
| When Jesus taught, it was not just for those in His physical audience group, but it was for all His followers who might follow, even till the end of time. Friends, that includes me, and I sincerely pray that includes each of you that may meditate on this devotional also. If not, I urge you to read my ‘Footnote’ and sure up your position, while you are still able to. For many that may read this, you may be like me and know nothing about persecution, other than what we have heard from others who have done missions in a foreign country. I believe that this quoted Scripture today exists because God wants us to realize that if we were to boldly proclaim His Word and live according to His teachings – in other words, live like He did, then we should expect to not fit in with the world at large. This results in us being looked down on when applying for some jobs, when trying to befriend someone who lives very differently, and be rejected by all those that will absolutely refuse to follow such narrow views and practices. Friends, we make a choice everyday, will we accept Jesus and follow His example and His way, or will we simply go with the flow and be tolerant of everything the world teaches. Today that means pretty much anything, and of course that is attractive to most people. God had a plan from the very beginning of time, and He backed that up through the intense love of His very own Son, Jesus, for all who place their faith and trust in Him. Blessed are those who accept that love and who agree to be directed by the Son of the living and true God. For theirs is the kingdom of God, for ever and for ever, Amen! | |
| PRAYER: | |
| Lord, thank You for providing for us, even though You knew right from the beginning that we would be a hard ‘nut to crack’, because of our stubbornness and desire to please everyone but You. Please forgive us for our weaknesses, and please continue to draw us closer to the source of our hope, our joy and our salvation. Lord, we want to be just like You. Please help us ignore the evil desires of this world and instead concentrate on the immense joy that’s in store for all who love, trust and obey You. We can only do this with You by our side to strengthen us and help us overcome the many sinful distractions that come our way every day. I ask these things in faith, and in confidence of who You are, 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! | |
Choices Today for 2017 and Possibly Beyond
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Post Date: |
Monday, 2017-01-02 |
Scripture |
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Bible Text From: |
Psalm 1 |
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Bible Text: |
4 But for sinners, what a different story! They blow away like chaff before the wind. 5 They are not safe on Judgment Day; they shall not stand among the godly. 6 For the Lord watches over all the plans and paths of godly men, but the paths of the godless lead to doom. |
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Translation: |
The Living Bible (TLB) |
Observation: |
This short Psalm is power-packed with information on what each of us can expect when we come face-to-face with our Master and Lord. In verses 1 thru 3 the Psalmist, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, shared with us all that believers in Jesus Christ might expect. There are such words as: Joy; Fruitfulness; Delight; Searching for ways to please God more; Fresh; Alive; Perky (and not withering). However, God knew from the very beginning of time that there would be some who would choose to ‘do their own thing’ and ignore the commands of the Lord. Unfortunately, we find throughout God’s Word that He is a jealous God and will not stand for disobedience to His commands, or contempt, or deliberate sinful actions. Because of the deliberate disobedience to God’s commands, these individuals are considered ‘sinners’ by God. So in verses 4-6 God draws the contrast of what will happen to them. There some words used in this section that we try to also avoid in our lives here on earth: Inconsistent; Unstable; Easily swayed to believe something else; Unsafe on Judgment Day; Segregation – for they will not stand with the righteous. This all results in a destiny of doom. |
Application: |
Based on the Word of God, we know that the parallel drawn by the Psalmist is not just a ‘What If’ scenario, or a scare tactic, for God confirms throughout His word that there is a place prepared for every person. He also declares in advance what the criteria is that He will use to determine our destiny. Therefore, we had best prepare for the outcome, rightfully assuming that today might be the day that God might call us out of this world, and therefore the day that He will decide who will reign over us throughout eternity. God has prepared a place called Heaven for those of us who have placed our faith and trust in Him. There we will spend eternity at the feet of Jesus and His Father, God. The path of doom mentioned in verse 6 points to the doom that will come to those who have decided to do life alone, and don’t see the need for a Savior. In todays vernacular, these individuals are sometimes called unbelievers; or sinners; or the unsaved. The doom referred to here is the unfortunate leadership of the Evil One – Satan, in a place called Hell. Knowing that you can decide today where you will spend eternity, is there any reason why you would deliberately choose Hell? Unfortunately, the default location is Hell, because unless you make a decision to accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior , that’s where you will go – according to the Word of God. So what’s your decision friend? You can settle the issue TODAY by reading my Footnote and following the directions included there. It is your choice! |
Prayer: |
Lord Jesus, I thank You for prompting this humble man many years ago into making a decision to accept You as my Lord and Savior, and giving me the peace of one day being with You in heaven. Many of my readers have, no doubt, made that same decision, however Lord, I pray that You will direct one to read this devotional today who might be looking for the way to make this change in their life’s ultimate direction. You have been plain throughout your Word of how the end will turn out for us, based on the decisions made while right here on earth. We claim to be smart folk who know how to make good decisions. Lord, may this be a day of good decisions, especially as we start off this New Year with so many uncertainties. There is only one way to heaven, and it is solely based on our acceptance of the awesome plan You put in place for our good. Thank You Lord Jesus for making the way and giving us opportunity after opportunity to accept that plan. 2017 could be the year You will come to take us home with You, may we all be ready and waiting for Your return, is my humble plea, 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 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! |
The Old vs The New
Saturday, 2016-12-31
Scripture
Bible Reference: John 19:28-30
Bible Text: 28 Jesus knew that everything was now finished, and to fulfill the Scriptures said, “I’m thirsty.” 29 A jar of sour wine was sitting there, so a sponge was soaked in it and put on a hyssop branch and held up to his lips. 30 When Jesus had tasted it, he said, “It is finished,” and bowed his head and dismissed his spirit.
Bible Translation: The Living Bible (TLB)
My Take
This passage of scripture is generally heard around Easter time, when we hear about the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. In considering what happened around that time, we might consider what the followers of Jesus were thinking as they saw their Master crucified. This was a crossroads for them on what the future might hold. Similarly, today is a crossroads for each of us, for many things will change, if God allows us to welcome a New Year in tomorrow. Putting aside the obvious changes such as government leadership; increased taxes; new church leadership; new benefit packages at work, etc., I want us to center our thoughts around the purpose of my blog – to help us stop and think spiritually about how God may have been involved in the old vs how we will permit Him to be involved in the new. Stop for a few minutes and consider some of the key events of the current year that is quickly drawing to a close. What would you tell an unbeliever may have been the most exciting time of your Christian walk this year? Think about a time that God may have been so real to you that you felt there was only one thing better, and that was to be at His side in glory! Think about a time when you thought God was not listening and had no interest in your prayer request, only to find out later that He was there all the while answering your prayer in ways that you weren’t expecting, but that you later discovered was the best thing for you. Take a moment and praise Him for all these things and acknowledge His presence with you in so many unbelievable ways. Jesus’ situation was much more dire, but in verse 30 He realized that all Scripture had been fulfilled, and in accordance with the will of the Father, His time had come to give up His earthly ministry and prepare for what was ahead. Today you will not only give thanks for the many ways that God accomplished His work through You, but I believe many of us will also have regrets for the times that we took the reigns of life and ‘did it our way’, only to find out later that things didn’t always turn out right. May I suggest that you use this as an opportunity to speak to God about your regrets, and possibly ask Him to help you seek Him first and His righteousness as you approach this brand new year? In preparing for a long road trip, you may easily remember the gas, water, snacks, head rests, GPS, etc, but in facing a New Year you will be taking this trip without knowing about the bumps in the road, the crazy drivers on the road, road construction, etc. However, I am here to remind you and/or enlighten you to the fact that for those who have place their faith and trust in Jesus Christ, we serve the One who knows exactly what lies ahead for us – the good, the bad and the ugly. The fascinating, and encouraging part for the Christian is that we know the creator of life and death and of each person. He has already proved His love for us in very extreme ways, so we have no doubt that He will be watching every step that we take, and help us over every hurdle that we will meet. Our part is to stay loyal to the Director of it all – worship Him when everything seems perfect to us, and when we wish things were different, but in ALL things, knowing that our Savior leads the way for our good and for His glory! So while the THINGS of this earth seems so uncertain for many, the ONE who holds the whole earth together is the One who holds our hand and guides us along to the end of all time! That’s the One I have placed my faith and trust in friend. Have you? If not, please, please read my Footnote and take advantage of the help offered to you.
Prayer
Father, as we reflect on the blessings and the undeserved grace that You have showered on us throughout this year that is ending, may we also gain strength and confidence in knowing that You are still so very faithful, so very loving, so very kind and that You will be our friend and guide even until the very end of time. Lord, we have no idea what tomorrow holds, but I praise You for knowing the One who not only holds tomorrow, but who knows what every day in this New Year will hold for each child that meditates on this devotional today. So Lord, I praise You for everything that You are, and for all that You will do in my life and in the lives of those that I love and care for. You are forever faithful and true, and in You I can assure my readers that we must place our faith and our trust. You were faithful to the very end in fulfilling the word of Your Father, may we be found faithful to You in all aspects of our lives this coming year, for this is my humble plea for Your help to achieve all this, 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 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!
What Happened?
Friday, 2016-12-23
Scripture
Bible Reference: Luke 2:15-17
Bible Text: 15 When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” 16 They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. 17 After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child.
Bible Translation:New Living Translation (NLT)
My Take
Perhaps this Christmas, as we are reminded again about the actions, excitement, awe and obedience of those involved in the story of the birth of Christ, we might ask ourselves “What Happened?”. Why is it that poor shepherds who saw nothing but stink, four-legged sheep all day and then watched over them even by night, why is that they ‘got it’, and we still look through blurred glasses and see nothing but gifts, shopping, stress, children singing and preachers bellowing, but we never stop to consider the thought of meeting or knowing the One that this whole thing of Christmas is all about? I believe that way too often we would represent the shepherds who saw and heard angels for the very first time, recognized that yes, they are directing their message towards us, but then sit back and say “oh well, that was nice. They were in tune and did a wonderful job” and then roll back on our side and go to sleep. Please stop and read the story again, the shepherds didn’t settle for hearing about this miraculous birth, they wanted to see, feel, and witness the scene, the baby, the parents and understand the whole concept of what this whole thing was about! So what do you suppose happened to you and I? We have attended, and probably still will attend church events where we hear in song and word about a God who loves us so much that He miraculously caused His Son to be born among us; lived among us and performed many miracles to prove His relation to God; humbly and obediently died between two common criminals, just to prove His love for us and to provide the means of eternal life for us. Yes friend, that’s the kind of amazing story that surrounds the One we will hear about this Christmas, but will you look deeper than the ones singing, the ones preaching and the nagging mother who tries every year to get you out to church with her, and instead commit to knowing more about the One whom this whole Christmas thing is about? If your best friend told you they were having chest pain, you would not simply smile at them and express your disappointment, most of us would start researching for ways to help that friend overcome the problem. So what happened to us that we would hear of Jesus and deflect that good news and reject the offer that still stands today – to know Him personally and accept His free gift of salvation that leads to life eternally with He and our Father! Friends, may I encourage you to know Him; know the true meaning of ‘love’ in its purest form, and know about that peace that surpasses everything we could every imagine or understand this Christmas season? This could then truly be the merriest of all Christmases for you and those you love, friend!
Prayer
Lord God, we are thankful that You gave to us in the form of Your precious Son in greatest humility back in Bethlehem many years ago. We are compelled to seek Your forgiveness for the ways that we have focused attention from Your birth and more towards the commercial aspects of Christmas that we now find ourselves caught up in. I believe that what has happened is that the evil one has found ways to distract us from Your birth and instead more towards the worldly pleasures that pull us away from You. Please restore a desire within us to know You personally and a deep commitment to serve You and share Your love with others. May we be reminded that because You gave to us of your very best, we too might give You our heart and share our love with others in ways that might draw them to You this Christmas. 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!
Nuggets From God's Word 