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Post Date: |
Thursday, 2017-10-12 |
| SCRIPTURE | |
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From: |
1 Samuel 16:6-7 (NLT) |
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Text: |
6 When they arrived, Samuel took one look at Eliab and thought, “Surely this is the Lord’s anointed!” 7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” |
| OBSERVATION: | |
| God sent Samuel to pick the next king from the sons of Jesse, but it’s a good thing that God stayed in charge of the choice, as Samuel was very impressed with the very first son presented to him. However the lesson God taught to Samuel that day, still rings through to us as we seek His face for decisions we make today, so let’s examine this closer…. | |
| APPLICATION: | |
| No doubt we make decisions that we later reflect on and sometimes wonder what on earth were we ever thinking of when we made that kind of decision. Christians sometimes pray over challenging decisions they need to make, because they want to make sure that they follow God’s plan for their lives. Often we can reflect back on those decisions and see how God must have been in control, as we could see how His plans materialized for everyone involved and for His good. I have a personal experience that fits this scenario, that I will briefly share with you. Some thirty years ago my family and I moved to the United States from the Bahamas. We bathed our decision in prayer and felt like God was in control during the whole process. That’s until I went to tell my parents that we were moving away from their country. They were getting on in age by then, and my dad let me know that it seemed strange to him that I would move away at such a time in their lives. Within a year of us moving, I received a call from my sister that dad was not doing well. We jointly made the decision to get him over to Florida for advanced care. In about a month, after my dad had received a heart stint, Dad sat with me and acknowledged that now he could understand what God was doing in getting me moved to the US! In the example with Samuel, he saw in Eliab (the oldest son) all the attributes of what he through a king should look like, and he was convinced to choose him. However, God not only knew the one He had chosen, but He also knew the heart of the other sons and why they were not suitable as His leader for His people. Friends, we could do a little to improve our outward appearance, but often it takes God to help us change the inward appearance. Just a tip… if we alway strive to be like Jesus, and live our lives according to His will for us, then perhaps we will gain the attributes of our loving Lord. This takes surrendering our hearts and lives to Jesus, because only then will we accept His leadership and His guidance. Will you consider doing this today friend? | |
| PRAYER: | |
| Precious Lord, on behalf of all my fellow Christian Brothers and Sisters, we approach Your throne asking that You grace us with Your presence today. May Your wisdom fill our hearts and our minds so that the decisions that we make will align with Your will for our lives. We acknowledge that in our human eyes, we often see things differently than You can when looking deep into the heart and thoughts of people that we deal with. Help us therefore to look to You in all of our decision making so that we will make decisions pleasing to You and aligned with Your will. Only You can do this Lord, so we ask this in Your precious name, and patiently await Your direction. 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: Decisions
Guilty? Or Acquitted?
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Post Date: |
Tuesday, 2017-10-03 |
| SCRIPTURE | |
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From: |
John 3:16-18 (MSG) |
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Text: |
16-18 “This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn’t go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again. Anyone who trusts in him is acquitted; anyone who refuses to trust him has long since been under the death sentence without knowing it. And why? Because of that person’s failure to believe in the one-of-a-kind Son of God when introduced to him. |
| OBSERVATION: | |
| Most people who have heard the Bible taught or preached, could probably recite verse 16! But the following verses go on to explain why God sent His Son, and what this whole gift has to do with our eternal destiny. This is of super importance to each of us, because it helps us to understand the whole purpose of the gospel, and how it relates to each of us. So let’s make sure we understand this clearly….. |
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| APPLICATION: | |
| If a gift was given to everyone at church, you would find where some would cherish it and recognize the value in it. They would appreciate it and cherish it for everything it’s worth. Others may take the gift home, but they may stash it away in a drawer, somewhere so it is not tarnished or broken. However there are some who will leave it in the seat at church, or throw it in the back seat of the car, because they see no value in the gift at all, nor understands why the church would have spent money to give a gift to everyone. Now compare this to the gift that God gave to us in verse 16. What have you done with that gift, anything? In the verses following, we are told that God saw that the sacrificial practices of the Old Testament were just not working, and He wanted to give His children a gift that was extremely costly to Him, but easy for us to accept as our sacrificial gift back to the Master. This Scripture is clear enough that we could know today where we will spend eternity, for we are told in vs 17 and 18 that if we accept the gift of Jesus as our personal Savior, that we are acquitted of our sin and we appear before the Master as a righteous saint of God. Now it also states that unless that step has been taken, we have personally placed ourselves under a death sentence, meaning that we will not live eternally in the beauty of life with Jesus, but instead condemned to death, where our eternity will be with Satan and his demons for eternity. There is only one decision for you today friend, have you truly accepted the free gift of salvation – the precious gift of God’s Son given for all who call on His name to be saved? If the answer is ‘no’, then you have personally decided to take the option of Hell and damnation. Dear friend, I write these blogs every morning hoping that no one who reads them would ever make a decision like the latter one I just explained, for I am so looking forward to rejoicing with each of you in glory one day! Because of the fact that you are reading this blog, this means that you still have a choice. However, today is the day of salvation, for you may not have the next minute or hour to make a change in your decision where you will spend eternity. |
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| PRAYER: | |
| Lord Jesus, the Scripture is very clear. The stage has been set for us, and it is up to us to make sensible decisions, especially those that involve our lives after spending our last moments on earth. You have made things abundantly clear. May each reader, and loved one of mine, make a responsible decision today about their post life on earth destiny. I want them to join me in heaven with You, Lord, but I can’t make the decision for them. Tender their hearts today to Your Word and the precious gift that You gave to us. 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! | |
On Recognizing Jesus
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Post Date: |
Friday, 2017-04-07 |
| SCRIPTURE | |
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From: |
Matthew 27:54 (AMP) |
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Text: |
54 Now the centurion, and those who were with him keeping guard over Jesus, when they saw the earthquake and the things that were happening, they were terribly frightened and filled with awe, and said, “Truly this was the Son of God!” |
| OBSERVATION: | |
| Scripture mentions a few of the people on the scene at Calvary where Jesus was crucified. Of course there were guards on hand to make sure that Jesus, who some thought was a criminal, would not escape from His destiny, to die on that Roman cross. The guards saw the heart of God in His Son throughout this whole ordeal, especially as Jesus died, for at that very moment, they concluded that, surely, ‘this truly was the Son of God’. | |
| APPLICATION: | |
| There comes a time in our lives that Jesus becomes ‘real’ to us. For some, it might be through the proclamation of His Word in a church service, but for others it might be through something in nature, or a miracle that you witnessed in response to earnest prayer by a saint of God. Some folk respond to these first experiences with Jesus by bending of the knee, seeking His face in prayer, asking for forgiveness of their sin and surrendering leadership of their remaining life to Him. Others become distracted by trying to apply some other phenomenon that may have contributed to the miracle they just witnessed. Friends, for all of us there will come a time that, through the power of the Holy Spirit, we will recognize God for who He is. We will immediately respond to that experience in one of several ways: Try to ignore it; Try to reject it; Try to reason it away from our minds; or stand in awe of the presence of the holy Son of the living God because of His awesome and powerful Holy Spirit convicting us of our need for a Savior. You may have done one or more of these things already in your life, and you are still remaining with us here on this earth for another opportunity. Just yesterday I heard of two men who went into eternity very unexpectedly. In fact, so quickly that they would not have had time to ask for acceptance by Jesus. If at some point in their lives they stopped making excuses and accepted the tug of Jesus on their heart, then their spirits united with Jesus yesterday, otherwise they are facing the damnation of Hell for all eternity. The choice is exactly the same for you today, friend. Your decision today affects where you will spend eternity. If you have read this blog, then you are making a decision again today. If you have never accepted Jesus as Lord, and you do not invite Jesus into your heart today, then you have made the decision to spend eternity in Hell. I would not wish that on anyone, especially you my friend. Know Jesus today and know eternal peace, won’t you? | |
| PRAYER: | |
| Father, You created us to love, honor and follow Your commands as Your loving children. I pray that hearts will be softened and reopened to the truth of Your Word today as this blog goes out to the world. Please allow those who need a Savior to happen across this blog, and may Your all powerful Word return fruit as it is read and understood. Please allow the excuses to cease and acceptance and commitment to prevail. I ask these things solely for Your glory oh 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! | |
Grounded Decisions
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Post Date: |
Friday, 2017-01-20 |
| SCRIPTURE | |
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From: |
Matthew 7:24-27 (TLB) |
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Text: |
24 “All who listen to my instructions and follow them are wise, like a man who builds his house on solid rock. 25 Though the rain comes in torrents, and the floods rise and the storm winds beat against his house, it won’t collapse, for it is built on rock.
26 “But those who hear my instructions and ignore them are foolish, like a man who builds his house on sand. 27 For when the rains and floods come, and storm winds beat against his house, it will fall with a mighty crash.” |
| OBSERVATION: | |
| I believe that Jesus saw men flagging in bad decisions in His day also, so He taught them about what causes those unwarranted decisions, and what they could do about turning that weakness around. This is a lesson for people of all ages to follow, so let’s look at how we might apply this to our lives. | |
| APPLICATION: | |
Jesus is very deliberate in what He instructed, and He used an example to clarify what He taught about making sound, or grounded decisions, and gave examples of what the results might look like. In the example of building a house on solid ground, this rings real close to home with me, because I come from a country where houses are generally built super strong and deeply grounded, because of the hurricanes that often pass over those islands, The Bahamas. However, Jesus was extremely clear in what he taught, so let’s not get too caught up in the examples that Jesus used, but rather concentrate on the simple truth of His Word. Based on this, I feel like I can safely teach you that your premise for making grounded, or safe decisions that are backed by God, are based on the condition used by Jesus when He said that we are to:
Now I believe that many times we will listen and obey God’s instructions and they may not apply to the circumstances at hand. Notice that Jesus didn’t say that we become wise by handling daily situations well. He said that we become wise as we listen and obey His instructions. Remember how important it is for us to teach a child about everyday situations? Even though they don’t need that education for situations they will handle that day, they become wise and able to handle those situations as they arise later in life. And so it is with God, friends! Let’s do what He says, knowing that one day we will act on what we learned. That’s how we make sound, grounded decisions, based on the teachings of our Lord! |
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| PRAYER: | |
| Every day we make decisions, some of which have long-lasting effects on the lives of people that we know, love, and want to see accept You as Lord. Unless we display the love and wisdom of the Lord Jesus Christ, often we will lose their confidence and even sometimes cause them to create a lack of faith in us. Lord, it’s not about us. We want these individuals to clearly see the faith that we have in our all-wise, all-loving God and therefore create a desire in them to know You and accept You as Lord. To do this, please teach us to not only go in Your name, but to stay mindful of, and obedient to, Your teachings, so that our ways, and our thoughts, and our words or instructions, might better align with Yours. This requires that we empty ourselves of self and fill ourselves with You and Your teachings. Please give us the desire to do just that and embolden us to freely share Your love with others. I ask these things in the strong name of Jesus, my Rock and my Redeemer, 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! | |
Slaves to Whomever We Obey
Wednesday, 2016-10-12
Scripture
Bible Reference: Romans 6:15–18
Bible Text: 15 What does all this mean? Does it mean we are free to sin, because we are ruled by God’s wonderful kindness and not by the Law? Certainly not! 16 Don’t you know that you are slaves of anyone you obey? You can be slaves of sin and die, or you can be obedient slaves of God and be acceptable to him. 17 You used to be slaves of sin. But I thank God that with all your heart you obeyed the teaching you received from me. 18 Now you are set free from sin and are slaves who please God.
Bible Translation: The Contemporary English Version (CEV)
My Take
I believe it is safe to say that if asked the meaning of the word ‘Slave’, we would probably respond with one of the typical dictionary meanings “a person who is the property of, and wholly subject to another“, and I believe that we would immediately cringe at the connotations represented by that word. However, what do you call it when you go to work every day and do a serious of tasks that you’ve been ordered to do, that are quite contrary to your description of a happy and successful day for you personally? It sounds like you didn’t personally choose to do those tasks because they were the top 10 on your list of favorite things to do. Similarly in marriage, you are expected to change from the things most kids your age find to do together in the name of ‘fun’, to a life of dedication, support and love of another individual. In our verses today, Paul is helping us to understand that although we may have subjected ourselves to the things and leadership of our friends, to do the things that the world calls ‘fun’, our life-direction does not change and we are still destined for Hell. In fact, we become so caught up in the things of the world (things recommended or promoted by our friends), that we find ourselves doing them without any personal desire or satisfaction. Does that sound just a little like your initial description of ‘slave’? Could it be that you may have become a ‘slave’ to the things of the world? Paul therefore saw where his audience, and many of our friends today, need to be apprised of the only alternative to this dilemma. Jesus came so that we might be free from the hold of this old world, or slavery of this old world. Jesus said that for all who accept Him as Lord and Savior of their lives, He would set them free from the slavery of this world and its ruler, Satan. In fact, Paul likens this to us being determined to become slaves of Jesus Christ, in that we surrender our will to His leadership, so that we might experience the joys of heaven and the promise of everlasting life with He and the Father. This is like comparing night to day; death to life; hell to heaven; everlasting death to everlasting life; children of Satan to a child of the King of all kings; the darkness of hell to the bright and shinning promises of Heaven. Is this really something that you need to stop and consider, or is the choice as straight forward as it appears to me? Think about it friend and make a good choice today. To whom will you commit your allegiance? Unless you decide to follow Jesus, you are a slave to this world and its leader, Satan. Is that really what you want?
Prayer
Lord Jesus, thank You for sacrificing Your life, so that I might live forever with You and the Father in Heaven. You have offered compelling reasons for us to leave the slavery of this old world and its leader of death and destruction, to follow the Savior of this World that leads us to life everlasting in heaven with You and the Father. Thank You Lord Jesus! May this renewed faith, and renewed hope, and brand new life, be so evident in the lives of Your children today that those who are still slaves to sin, will develop a new desire to know You today. May we be obedient to Your will and Your way, so that You may be glorified through us today. I ask these things in faith and because of Jesus, AMEN!
Footnote
If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog could indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to 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!
Find Out What The Lord Says
Tuesday, 2016-09-06
Scripture
Bible Reference: 1 Kings 22:4–5
Bible Text: 4 Then he turned to Jehoshaphat and asked, “Will you join me in battle to recover Ramoth-gilead?” Jehoshaphat replied to the king of Israel, “Why, of course! You and I are as one. My troops are your troops, and my horses are your horses.” 5 Then Jehoshaphat added, “But first let’s find out what the LORD says.”
Bible Translation: New Living Translation (NLT)
My Take
I believe that way too often we make decisions and then ask God to ‘buy in’ on our decisions and bless it. Friends, King Jehoshaphat has demonstrated in these verses today that this is not the order of things for the believer. Think about it, if you say that Jesus is Lord of your life, then you proceed into making your own decisions without first asking God and getting His permission, who really is lord of your life? When you make decisions and then ask God to bless your decisions, you are really saying to God that:
- You are in control, but would appreciate His backing;
- The decision sounds logical and that it would benefit you, even though you don’t have a clue what will transpire beyond the very moment in which you exist;
- You know what you want for your future, and this decision seems to fit just right into that projected path. Notice that in all of the planning that king Ahad and king Jehoshaphat had spoken of, they did not include the piece where King Ahad would be killed in battle.
Friends, our insight and personal decisions are based on the facts at hand and the possibilities that exist, and the desires of our heart, based on our own abilities and the physical attributes available to us at that particular time. Let us always remember that God’s ways are not our ways and that His plans are based on eternity for His children, whereas our decisions are always selfish and based on very temporal and physical benefits for ourselves. One results in eternal ‘D&D’ (damnation and death), and the other results in eternity in heaven with Jesus and His Heavenly Father, God. Two completely opposing results – choose you this day whom you will serve, and who will guide your destiny, friend, and then be obedient to your Master.
Prayer
Lord, You have shown us over and over again that You hold the keys to our future and that You should therefore be consulted before making decisions, so that You can best direct us, in order that our path not be impeded. These verses today have served to remind us of this once again. Please patiently work in the lives of Your children once again today and help us to surrender ourselves to Your perfect will. Lord, it is so critical that we be obedient to Your will, and not stumble and fall because of selfish decisions made because we couldn’t possibly know what’s in store for us in the very next moment. You’re in control Lord, and I pray that You will help us to ensure that our lives are always in sync with Your perfect plan for us. May we learn to surrender everything to You, for our ultimate good, and Your eternal glory, 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!
Which Way?
Saturday, 2016-08-06
Scripture
Bible Reference: Revelation 21:6-8
Bible Text: 6 And He said to me, “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the one who thirsts I will give [water] from the fountain of the water of life without cost. 7 He who overcomes [the world by adhering faithfully to Christ Jesus as Lord and Savior] will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son. 8 But as for the cowards and unbelieving and abominable [who are devoid of character and personal integrity and practice or tolerate immorality], and murderers, and sorcerers [with intoxicating drugs], and idolaters and occultists [who practice and teach false religions], and all the liars [who knowingly deceive and twist truth], their part will be in the lake that blazes with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”
Bible Translation: Amplified Bible (AMP)
My Take
I understand that one of the hardest things for a man to do, is to stop driving and ask for directions!!! For he tries to work out in his own mind and intuition ‘Which Way’ to go. Of course, choosing the right way will get you to the right place, in best time, and saving the most in fuel costs. And oh, less embarrassment from the wife!!! Now, I believe we all can conclude that choosing the wrong route will cause all of the opposite effects! I am convinced that occasionally we need to be reminded of what the impact that our decisions today have on our eternity. Our all knowing-God took this into effect when He showed John, the author of Revelation, what the impact would be. Thankfully God had John share this with us, so that we could be better informed of what the outcome will be based on our decisions today. In other words, because we are informed, we will go into eternity knowing whether we will be treated as sons and daughters of the Most High, or instead enter into eternal destruction and torment. Friends, the decisions we make today determines our eternal destination. May I remind you that we are naturally inclined to follow the evil desires of our heart. Further, we live in a world that promotes and encourages us to follow these evil ways. How then shall we get from what is natural, to the One who is supernatural? I love the way that this translation reads on verse 7, for it tells us that we are to adhere to the teachings of Jesus Christ. However, we will only do this if we surrender ourselves to that Teacher. For if our natural desire is to sin, we need supernatural power to help us overcome the natural, therefore we need to surrender ourselves to the supernatural One (Jesus), to be led by Him and directed in our path here on earth. Friends, I would encourage you to examine these verses very carefully, for we are given only One Way to change the design and destination of our life. There are no options for just good behavior; attending church; having a good attorney; having good Christian parents, or the such. ONE WAY friends. Please be sure you are on the right track. Please check out my Footnote for help on directions.
Prayer
Thank You dear God for providing THE WAY for us to prepare today for where we will spend eternity. It’s like an open book for us, so we know what it takes and what affects that decision. Please make us bold in making right decisions today Lord, for our desire is to enjoy the glories of Heaven with our Master throughout all eternity. We need You Lord Jesus. Amen!
Footnote
If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog could indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to 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 WARNING Signs
May I encourage you to get your spiritual ‘Nuggets’ to start your day off right? Pretty amazing that our awesome God would consider feeding even us with His Word! May I encourage you to read the whole devotional, and look for a blessing, friend!………
Today’s Bible Reference: Luke 21:25–28
Today’s Bible Text: 25 “And there will be strange signs in the sun, moon, and stars. And here on earth the nations will be in turmoil, perplexed by the roaring seas and strange tides. 26 People will be terrified at what they see coming upon the earth, for the powers in the heavens will be shaken. 27 Then everyone will see the Son of Man coming on a cloud with power and great glory. 28 So when all these things begin to happen, stand and look up, for your salvation is near!”
The Bible Translation: New Living Translation (NLT)
My Take Away: I am not a meteorologist, but it seems like there are computers that are constantly analyzing the weather events of the past, so that based on certain wind flows and other conditions today, our favorite weather announcer could be prized with being the first to warn us about a predicted upcoming event, for our safety and security. Jesus shared with us in these verses today about various (obvious) WARNING signs that the Holy Spirit will cause us to stand to our feet and look up in full awe and anticipation to welcome our King, our Savior, our Messiah as He comes to take us with Him! Friends, when events such as this occur, there are often some folk who are waiting for the moment and are ready to go with their Master. However, there will unfortunately be those who have procrastinated, or refused, to surrender their life to our Savior. Please consider me your biblical ‘meteorologist’ today, as based on God’s Holy Word, it is written that the first group mentioned above will be taken with Jesus to reside with His Father, our Almighty Father, to live and reign with Him, to worship and adore Him throughout all eternity. This same good book also tells me to warn you that the second group will cry aloud for the Savior at this time, but because the decision was not made prior to His coming, He will have no choice but to disclaim them at that time and leave them behind with their earthly master, Satan. Friends, until the actual return of the Savior, you still have time to surrender your life to Him. However, because His return could be any minute now, you could very easily be totally out of time. May I encourage you to not tarry; please do not procrastinate, but instead make this a priority over anything else you have planned for today. Not sure how to handle this? Please read my ‘footnote’ for further instructions, or respond to me and I will personally give you guidance. This is way too important to procrastinate friend, please heed the WARNING!
Prayer: Father, I am grateful that Your Holy Spirit visited with me and prompted me of the warning signs regarding my eternal destiny. Thank You for convicting me of my sin, and convincing me of my need for a Savior. I hurt today because of the multitude of friends and family that are playing with their commitment because they are not convinced of the warning signs. Lord, Your Word has been so clear and proven so true in so many ways. Please tender the hearts of my readers and those that are near and dear to each one of us today. May this devotional lead to a time of decision making by many as they listen to Your still small voice regarding your return and the certainty of eternity. We can only depend on You oh Lord, our Master and King, AMEN!
Footnote: If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog could indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to www.nuggetsfromgodsword.org and read more, or you may freely to subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us!
2016
Who Is Jesus To You?
THE HOLY BIBLE (The Living Bible – John 7:40-43): 40 When the crowds heard him say this, some of them declared, “This man surely is the prophet who will come just before the Messiah.” 41-42 Others said, “He is the Messiah.” Still others, “But he can’t be! Will the Messiah come from Galilee? For the Scriptures clearly state that the Messiah will be born of the royal line of David, in Bethlehem, the village where David was born.” 43 So the crowd was divided about him.
THOUGHTS: Individually we have our own ideas of who Jesus is. So much so that I would imagine if we polled an audience of 50 people, we would probably get 50 slightly different responses. In our pastor’s sermon last week we heard of someone whose life has been radically changed, and how this is so evident in writings or correspondence from this individual, because now it is very evident that words/expressions are coming from very deep in this individual’s heart, compared to his previous educated mind and intelligence. I believe this is representative of what we might hear from an audience as well, but the BIG question today is “who is Jesus to you“? Someone reading this devotional may have only heard about Jesus through curse words used by those with no regard for my Lord. Some may have heard their mom or grandmother talk about this Jesus that they seemed to have known. Some may have accepted Jesus as Lord in their earlier days and have found no room for Him in their adult life, because they have managed to survive on their own and really don’t need Jesus. However, some are passionate about their Lord, because they live and breathe the Word of God daily. They have an intimate relationship with Jesus that incorporates daily talks with Him (prayer), and daily hearing from God as they are faithful to read His Word on at least a daily basis. My Savior might be known as ‘Healer’; ‘Deliverer’; ‘Comforter’; ‘Encourager’; ‘Confidant’ or even as ‘Soon Coming King’ to saints who have a personal, living and vibrant relationship with Jesus Christ. Yes, the crowd is still divided, as the responses are still so varied. However, Jesus is still the same today as He was yesterday and the day before. My God’s Not Dead, for He is very much alive in me each and every day. Please allow me to ask again, who is Jesus to you? May I remind you that there will be a reckoning day soon for each of us, where the answer to this very question will be the determining factor on whether you are allowed into the glories of heaven, or whether your earthly decisions on heavenly questions were unimportant to you, and therefore your destination is predetermined by you to the place of eternal damnation – Hell. Friends, our decision today determines our eternal destination. Our God is not mean and out to get you, He is in fact a perfect gentleman and allows you to decide for yourself where you would rather spend eternity. Being smart enough to read this devotional, also qualifies you to make sensible decisions. Ones that you can live with today, and after you pass from this world into the next. Listen to your heart friend. Invite Jesus in and commit your life to the One who holds the future – your future. I’m waiting for the day when I see the smile of the face of my Lord, and I pray that each of you are ready for the same, God being your helper.
PRAYER: Lord God, this world has taken its toll on mankind and influenced mankind to become so independent, yet terribly influenced by sin and the devil. Your Word is clear, that this leads one to Hell itself and eternal damnation without further access to God. You have given us time up to this very moment to make wise decisions that could lead us to our eternal home in glory with You and Your son Jesus. Unfortunately many have not taken time to make wise decisions, and I am very sad, because many of these are my friends and family, and ones that I would never want to see any harm come to them. Lord, I pray that today will be the day of salvation for them. Please tender their hearts once again, convince them of their sin and remind them of Your love that is available to them. I love You Lord, and ask all these things in the name of Jesus Christ, and for His glory, 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!
Nuggets From God's Word 