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Post Date: |
Wednesday, 2017-11-15 |
| SCRIPTURE | |
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From: |
2 Samuel 23:3-4 (NIV) |
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Text: |
3 The God of Israel spoke, the Rock of Israel said to me: ‘When one rules over people in righteousness, when he rules in the fear of God, 4 he is like the light of morning at sunrise on a cloudless morning, like the brightness after rain that brings grass from the earth.’ |
| OBSERVATION: | |
| God used David to declare to him, and through him to all of us, that when we rule over others in righteousness, or in a manner obedient and pleasing to God, then the result will be as satisfying, as peaceful and as beautiful as a clear cloudless morning. Does this affect all of us? You bet…. |
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| APPLICATION: | |
| Many of you might have almost skipped reading the application today, because you concluded that you are not a leader or a ruler. This is exactly what caught my attention to this Scripture, for most of us are leaders in some sense, so we can really try to apply this. As an example, what would our workplaces look like, if there was no leadership in the homes of those that work for us? What would our county leaders do, or any other leaders of our nation for that matter, if they had no sense of righteousness or fear of God? I believe that this drills down to the fact that what comes out of us in speech or leadership, can only be based on what’s inside of us. If we have filled ourselves with hatred and ill will towards our neighbors and everyone else along our path to ‘success’, then we will lead with that same sort of attitude. It will become evident in the decisions we make and the choices we make. It will also reflect in any voting that we are a part of. So pastors, church leaders and fellow Christians, it is truly incumbent upon us to reach our families for Christ. We have to encourage righteousness right at the very beginning of a child’s development. For it’s only then that our young ones will become good leaders in their homes, workplaces, churches and in government. David was called a ‘man after God’s own heart’. With a heart like that, is it any wonder why he was also a great king/leader? We have a great example to follow in what Jesus taught, but we also have evidence that we can follow His teachings and become great leaders! |
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| PRAYER: | |
| Lord God, thank You for including so much direction in Your Word for us. There are so many leadership conferences we could attend, yet You have all of the direction for leaders that we could ever need or use. Thank You for raising up saints to prove that Your plan works, otherwise we would be so very skeptical. Please continue to work on us, so that Your light might shine through us, even in our leadership. May You have the victory in everything that we do and say today. AMEN! |
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| 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: Church Leaders
Careful To Keep Christ FIRST
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Post Date: |
Wednesday, 2017-10-04 |
| SCRIPTURE | |
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From: |
John 3:24-26 (MSG) |
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Text: |
John’s disciples got into an argument with the establishment Jews over the nature of baptism. They came to John and said, “Rabbi, you know the one who was with you on the other side of the Jordan? The one you authorized with your witness? Well, he’s now competing with us. He’s baptizing, too, and everyone’s going to him instead of us.” |
| OBSERVATION: | |
| In spite of John repeatedly saying that he was only the forerunner of Christ, his disciples and followers really got attached to him and trusted his ministry. So much so, that when Jesus came along – the One that John had spoken about often, John’s disciples got a little ‘bent out of shape’ and jealous of the following He was quickly getting. I am convinced that this still happens today, so let’s really examine this scripture….. | |
| APPLICATION: | |
| I have a friend pastor who received so many compliments over a new suit that he sported one Sunday, that he vowed never to wear it again in the pulpit, because he was convinced that more folk looked intently at what he was wearing than listening intently to what he said! At the time, we thought it was a little comical, but he was dead serious. That story compares to another pastor who posted on his pulpit the words “Oh that they see Jesus”. Friends, I don’t know that we think about this often enough, but the man who stands in front of us each week and shares the Word of God, is merely an instrument of God. We have a dire responsibility to pray for our pastor, that he would set self aside, and be open with unhindered attention to what God would say through him to us. Pastors know a lot about their parishioners, because we place a lot of faith in them and share our hearts and our concerns with them often. However, they have no wisdom or authority to ‘fix’ us. Only God knows the heart of man, and since we are His design, only He can mend a broken heart; open the eyes of the blind; and lead one from the ways of this world to the lifesaving, eternal benefits of eternity with Him in glory. Do we love our pastor? Without a doubt, and with all of our heart, but remember that he is much like John, for he is the forerunner of the soon coming, glorious Son of God, Jesus the Christ. Let us therefore love those that pastor us and teach us the truths of our glorious Savior, but let us really please them by loving their Master, their Savior and their glorious Lord who we must claim for our own so that we may one day join our pastors at the foot of the cross singing praises to our Lord! |
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| PRAYER: | |
| Lord Jesus, thank You for blessing us with great pastors, who have a lot of patience with us and show incredible love to us through their respective ministries here on earth. Please help us to honor them by looking to You, the Author and Finisher of our faith, and the One that they have chosen to preach and share every week. They’re our coaches, leading us towards the finish line where we will spend eternity with You, praise to Your wonderful and magnificent name, AMEN! |
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| 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! | |
God Defends His Leaders
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Post Date:- |
Saturday, 2017-06-03 |
| SCRIPTURE | |
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From: |
Numbers 16:19-22 (TLB) |
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Text: |
19 Korah had stirred up the entire nation against Moses and Aaron, and they all assembled to watch. Then the glory of Jehovah appeared to all the people, 20 and Jehovah said to Moses and Aaron, 21 “Get away from these people so that I may instantly destroy them.”
22 But Moses and Aaron fell face downward to the ground before the Lord. “O God, the God of all mankind,” they pleaded, “must you be angry with all the people when one man sins?” |
| OBSERVATION: | |
| Three Levites who had served in the temple, gathered 250 others to support their cause in going to Moses to question him about his leadership. Moses had no argument with them, but simply humbled himself before them and submitted to God’s decision and action against the leadership for their revolt to know for sure who would continue to lead the Israelites. I found it humbling when Moses and Aaron bowed before God the next morning at the entrance to the temple and they pleaded with God not to eliminate the whole bunch of the revolution gathered, just the one who stood defiant to the will of God. However it really upset God that sinful men were questioning His decision for leadership. | |
| APPLICATION: | |
| I believe that this story could be a sequel from one of many churches today. For members, or even attendees decide that there is something they don’t care for in their pastor, and they begin gossiping with others. This often leads to a revolution forming against the pastor. The church then becomes useless in ministry, because factions form against the pastor and the revolution quickly places their own sins aside and decides to track those of the pastor and those close to him. What if the God that we serve – the same God who stepped in against Korah and the Levites, decides to settle the issue once and for all on those who oppose His leadership for each of our churches? I wonder how many would fall into the instant sinkhole because they are fighting against the man of God, instead of praying for him; lifting him up with encouraging words; looking for ways to support him in all that God has placed on his heart for God’s people. Friends, it is one thing to know what happens to unbelievers, but for those who claim salvation while still acting like the world, and looking for ways to disrupt the work of the Lord, I dread to think of God’s actions for them when He has taken as much as He could out of their negative impact on His ministry. Friends, may I draw your attention to this whole chapter in Numbers so you could read for yourself, then allow God to minister to your heart about which side of the fence you are on. Are you for the ministry of Christ to the lost of our community through your local church, or are you doing and saying things that tear down and destroy the ministry. One option pleases God and He blesses you and the ministry. The other option destroys the ministry, discourages the worker/leader/pastor sent by God, and you are therefore warned through this study in Numbers, that the same destruction could be in store for you and all those you might encourage into your revolution. Allow God to be your guide and redirect you today, if needed. | |
| PRAYER: | |
| Lord, it is so unfortunate that many a good church has been destroyed by things very similar to the incident Moses faced with his very own temple workers. Should there be anyone guilty of such a revolution today that reads this devotional, please get their attention and work a miracle in their life. There are so many that needs salvation in our communities that our energies would be much more effective evangelizing rather than internal destruction of Your army. Please have Your precious will and way in our lives 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! | |
God’s Chosen One May Not Be Logical To Us
Sunday, 2016-10-16
Scripture
Bible Reference: Romans 9:10–12
Bible Text: 10:12 Don’t forget what happened to the twin sons of Isaac and Rebekah. Even before they were born or had done anything good or bad, the Lord told Rebekah that her older son would serve the younger one. The Lord said this to show that he makes his own choices and that it wasn’t because of anything either of them had done.
Bible Translation: The Contemporary English Version (CEV)
My Take
I believe that a lot of us try to put so many conditions on what a person should be qualified to do, in our eyes, or based on our previous experience with the decisions that were made before us. Case in point: we may have seen our church decline in membership and possibly in Christian growth under an aging pastor that is just about ready for retirement, so our logical next step would be to bring in a young whipper-snapper to take the reigns, excite the congregation and bring in younger families. In fact, I believe we become so practical and logical in our process, that we harden our hearts to the voice of God for who He will have assume the key leadership role in our churches. The same could very easily happen with other positions in our church. I believe that this scripture today references an Old Testament example to not only show the Roman church to whom Paul was teaching, but also to show our churches today, that if we are blessed to participate in the ministry that God is doing through our church, then we had best seek His face, humble ourselves before Him, and wait for His direction on who it is that He would like to have on leadership, so that His work could be properly administered and become most effective before the lost world that enters our doors looking for answers from God. Our chosen ones may very easily become the stumbling block for someone entering our church to hear about Jesus. In our Bible story today, it was automatic for the oldest son to assume the leadership role in his family’s godly and community responsibilities. However we see where God had a different plan for the sons of Isaac and Rebekah. Friends, God’s plans far outwit our knowledge, foresight and judgment, for He knows the plans He has for us – plans that will bless us, and not harm us. Do we really want to interfere with that? Let’s be reminded by this, that for those of us that know Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we have an Advocate, who cares and loves us enough to see His very best worked out in and through us. However, I believe that this will only occur when we invite Jesus to lead the way right from the beginning. Let’s not think for a moment that we could make our uneducated, unqualified decisions and then ask God to bless that. Instead, as we follow His lead and obey His commands, He will bless us in spite of how unqualified we feel the individuals are that we want to lead us. Can you do that friend? Can you put aside your personal agenda and let God have His way?
Prayer
Lord Jesus, have Thine own way in our lives, PLEASE? This means that we need to put our personal agendas aside and our pride and our false ideals of thinking that we have a clue about what needs to be done. There are decisions after decisions that we must make daily, but Lord we make those decisions based on our limited knowledge and foresight. You alone know what the future holds and how we may fit into the plan that You have for us and Your kingdom. Please touch us once again Heavelny Father. Draw us unto Yourself and align us within the boundaries of what You have in store for us and this unsaved world. May Your kingdom come oh Lord and may My readers and I be allowed the opportunity to serve in Your army to accomplish Your will. 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!
How Dare You Criticize The Man of God
THE HOLY BIBLE – Numbers 12:5-10 – The New Living Translation (NLT): 5 …the Lord descended in the pillar of cloud and stood at the entrance of the Tabernacle. “Aaron and Miriam!” he called, and they stepped forward. 6 And the Lord said to them, “Now listen to what I say: If there were prophets among you, I, the Lord, would reveal myself in visions. I would speak to them in dreams. 7 But not with my servant Moses. Of all my house, he is the one I trust. 8 I speak to him face to face, clearly, and not in riddles! He sees the Lord as he is. So why were you not afraid to criticize my servant Moses?” 9 The Lord was very angry with them, and he departed. 10 As the cloud moved from above the Tabernacle, there stood Miriam, her skin as white as snow from leprosy.
THOUGHTS: I would strongly encourage you to read the short chapter from which this scripture reference was taken, for it had a profound impact on me. Click on the scripture reference above and you will be taken to a place where you could read all 16 verses. You will get a better understanding in verse 3 why God took such a fierce stand against the sister and brother of Moses, for the Word declares that Moses was the most humble man on earth at the time. I believe this was included to help us understand that Moses would probably have loved his siblings regardless of what they may have said about him. What a humbling honor to be considered as the humblest man on earth, wow! Does that not automatically cause us to question ourselves and what we might do to be more humble in God’s eyes? However, this criticizing of God’s servant, truly angered God, and He dealt with it head on, and severely. He had Moses and his siblings go to the tabernacle, and there He called Miriam and Aaron to step forward as He was about to speak directly to them, and He wanted Moses to witness this. Friends, I want you to read verses 6 through 8 and imagine yourself in place of Miriam and Aaron for anything derogatory you may have spoken or thought about your Pastor or other called church leader. Don’t you know that these men have sacrificed their entire lives to any possible worldly success, when they surrendered to the call of Christ to serve Him in the positions He has blessed them with? Are we then not like Miriam and Aaron, where we are criticizing God for the man He has placed as His leader in our local assemblies? I would strongly caution you that we had better be very careful to pray for our leaders and their humbleness to closely obey God’s commands for His local church. Notice that there is no indication that Moses complained to God about the bad things his siblings were saying. God knew their hearts, He heard their words, and He subsequently reacted very harshly – not just with a tongue lashing, but actually imposed the ringleader (Miriam) with leprosy, which caused her to be placed outside of the camp (city) for 7 days, even in spite of Moses’ plea with God to heal her. Friends, we must learn from this that we must respect God and His called representatives – our church leaders. We must also learn that God loves His humble servants so much that He will stand in the gap for them. So if you are a called person of God and reading this devotional, please know that God has your back. Be committed to Him and serve Him faithfully, knowing that He will take care of the back-biting, gossip and ridicule. If God has truly placed you as His leader to His people, it is He who is more hurt by the backlash from His people, as they are really questioning His authority. May we all be found faithful and true to our Master, until the day He calls us home to glory!
PRAYER: Lord God, Almighty Father, thank You for the picture of love for Your humble servant, and the reassurance that there is no reason why You would still not protect Your servants even today. It is so easy to get caught up in complaining or whining about our leaders, especially when they don’t pat our backs just right, or say the things that we like to hear. Please help us to stay focused on Your Word, for I believe that as we do, then we will appreciate the words from the leaders You have placed in charge of ministering to us. Please teach us to be humble like Your servant Moses, and also teach us to follow Your pattern of obedience when it comes to our spiritual leaders. As church leaders, we badly need encouragement for boldness before Your people, yet humbleness to always seek Your face so that we can seek Your favor for Your people. As followers of Christ, please help us to always pray for, and encourage our church leaders as they seek to obey You and follow Your commands for our respective churches. You are holy and deserving of our praise, worship and honor, and when we do this, perhaps we won’t have time to ridicule and/or gossip about our Brothers and Sisters! I love You lord for who You are, and I ask these things in faith and in the name of Jesus my Savior, 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 read through Biblical truths on How To Know Jesus, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com so that we can pray with you and give you help and or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Any words underlined above will 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 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, Sebring, FL! 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!
Church Leader-Elder-Pastor
The Holy Bible (The Good News Translation – 1 Timothy 3:1-7): This is a true saying: if a man is eager to be a church leader, he desires an excellent work. A church leader must be without fault; he must have only one wife, be sober, self-controlled, and orderly; he must welcome strangers in his home; he must be able to teach; he must not be a drunkard or a violent man, but gentle and peaceful; he must not love money; he must be able to manage his own family well and make his children obey him with all respect. For if a man does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of the church of God? He must be mature in the faith, so that he will not swell up with pride and be condemned, as the Devil was. He should be a man who is respected by the people outside the church, so that he will not be disgraced and fall into the Devil’s trap.
Thoughts: Because the ‘church’ is the bride of Christ, I believe that instructions for its leadership must be closely adhered to in order that it be pure, legitimate and representative of God’s image. I believe also that anytime we want to validate, or answer any questions regarding God’s intent for us, we should look to His Word for guidance and instruction. In my study of the Word this morning the highlighted verses were part of my study plan, and I felt impelled to share these verses. I have no reason to feel like any of my Pastors or Elders are faulting and specifically need to be reminded of the standards set by God for themselves, although they should always have this in the forefront of their minds. However, I don’t believe that God had Paul include these qualifications just for the purpose of our leaders, because it is incumbent upon the lay persons of the church to responsibly elect those leaders who truly qualify for the said positions, without allowing the overriding factors of wealth, community leadership or worldly skills to force an election, regardless of their spiritual or Biblical based qualifications. Furthermore, I believe you will agree that these are some very stringent guidelines in character, and involve personal decisions and choices over a lifetime. So it is vitally important that we, laypersons, keep these gentlemen foremost in our prayers, asking for God’s constant hand of mercy, leadership, guidance and protection from the Evil one. These guys are a prime target for the Devil, because they are given the task of leading God’s work in this world. However, we know that God’s power is greater than any attempts by Satan, so as we plead the hand of Jesus upon them, we are actually raising the only worthy shield against Satan. Friends, if we are to obey the full extent of God’s Word, then we are to ensure that God’s leaders are properly chosen based on His instruction, for we will be held accountable by God. Once elected, we are then to lift these leaders up in constant prayer so that they may be protected from the Evil one and continue to live Godly lives, and lead God’s church in ways that will magnify Him and win the lost to Him. All of this will lead to the preservation of the church, God’s bride, all for the honor and glory of Jesus Christ! Leaders, Elders, Pastors, only you and God know what happens in the closets of your lives, May you stand boldly before God, as an open book before Him, and without blemish. May His bride flourish through your leadership!
Prayer: Thank You Lord for the Elders and Pastors you have blessed us with at my church! Thank You for the opportunities given to pray for these gentlemen! May I always take my responsibility seriously to pray for Your work in my area, and for the leaders given the responsibility to organize and promote Your cause through my church. May Your church be the church You intended for ministry to this area and as we travel abroad in mission work. May Your work never be hindered by leaders that disqualify themselves because of Satan, for that will not only constitute a failure on the individual(s) but also on laity for not doing our job of praying sufficiently. I pray that You will always have wide open access to the hearts of men, women and children who need to know You, and that no distraction by our leadership might intervene in Your work. Thank You Lord for Your Word, and for the assurance of Your protection as You build a hedge around our leaders who are determined to fulfill Your kingdom work in our community. May I always be a part of Your work and not a detractor. Bless my friends who will read this devotional with the same determination to pray. Please continue to bless our Pastors and Elders with Your will to live holy and upright lives that can be used by You. I pray believing, and in thanksgiving, in the name of Jesus, my Savior, 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 so that we can pray with you and give you help and or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Any words underlined above will 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 blogger.nuggetsfromgodsword.org and read more, or you may freely 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, Sebring, FL! 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 