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Post Date: |
Wednesday, 2017-04-19 |
| SCRIPTURE | |
|
From: |
Psalm 27:9-11 (NLT) |
|
Text: |
9 Do not turn your back on me. Do not reject your servant in anger. You have always been my helper. Don’t leave me now; don’t abandon me, O God of my salvation! 10 Even if my father and mother abandon me, the Lord will hold me close. 11 Teach me how to live, O Lord. |
| OBSERVATION: | |
| David was not afraid to cry out to God for help, and in this Psalm he was desperate enough to say that even if his parents turned their backs on him, yet he KNEW that his Savior lives and would always listen to his cry and help him in his time of need. Wow! ‘Oh What A Savior’! | |
| APPLICATION: | |
| I was reminded as I read this Psalm this morning, of the importance of developing and maintaining a strong relationship with the Savior of the world. Friends, it is one thing to build a great relationship with your spouse, or relatives, or friends, but can they really do anything for the hurt you feel at times, that seems so deep and troubling? Can they really give you direction for your life, by knowing what’s in store for you tomorrow? Can they really mend a broken heart? Are they truly prepared to prove their love for you by placing themselves in the way of death, so that you may go on and enjoy the glories of your God and King? How desperate are you really, for this type of relationship? Are you willing to set aside the evil and sin that seems like so much fun, to accept Jesus as your personal Savior and Lord, and be filled with joy everlasting about the prospects of heaven one day? Friends, Jesus knows the sincerity of your heart, so please give this your careful attention. Dedicate your life to Jesus today, and allow God to rule, reign, love, protect and guide you while you finish up life’s journey here on this planet. There are much brighter days ahead for those of us that have placed our trust in Him. I pray that you can be counted in that number today. | |
| PRAYER: | |
| Lord Jesus, it is so hard to imagine the love that You have for us, because we have nothing to compare that to here on this earth. I pray that my family, friends and readers will develop the kind of joy that David spoke of here in this Psalm that we read today. He developed such a relationship with You that he was content to celebrate Your help in times of obvious successes, but he also felt very comfortable presenting his troubles at Your feet for help, comfort and direction. Oh Lord, I pray that we will be a people like Your servant David, where we celebrate our joys with You, and then run quickly to You when we can’t figure things out, or feel alone, or frustrated over not knowing which way to turn next, or just desire a more intimate relationship with You. You are my rock and my salvation, and I sincerely thank You for being my guide throughout the rest of my days on earth. I am so looking forward to seeing You and worshiping You face to face in glory, but ‘Until Then, My Heart will Go on Singing’! 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: Our Help comes from God
Evidence of Your Gifts
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Post Date: |
Friday, 2017-02-03 |
| SCRIPTURE | |
|
From: |
1 Corinthians 12:7-11 (Voice) |
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Text: |
7 Each believer has received a gift that manifests the Spirit’s power and presence. That gift is given for the good of the whole community. 8 The Spirit gives one person a word of wisdom, but to the next person the same Spirit gives a word of knowledge. 9 Another will receive the gift of faith by the same Spirit, and still another gifts of healing—all from the one Spirit. 10 One person is enabled by the Spirit to perform miracles, another to prophesy, while another is enabled to distinguish those prophetic spirits. The next one speaks in various kinds of unknown languages, while another is able to interpret those languages. 11 One Spirit works all these things in each of them individually as He sees fit. |
| OBSERVATION: | |
| Notice what the Word of God does not say: It doesn’t say that some will receive a gift from God; or that some who are really blessed will receive more, or better gifts; or that our gift is given to help us look better or get richer; nor dies it say that because some will have better upbringing, they will develop better gifts. In fact, the Scripture says just the opposite to all these things, for it declares in verse 11 that the Spirit works which gift each will receive, as He sees fit, and not if He will decide to give them one. | |
| APPLICATION: | |
| OK, so having concluded that each believer in Jesus Christ has been blessed by God with a gift that should be used for His glory, you can appreciate why today’s blog title never questions whether you have a gift or not, but rather, what are you doing with that gift. Throughout the Bible we’ve seen where believers have questioned God about their gift, for Moses was adamant that he could not speak well, although He was ordained by God to lead the Israelites (a huge crowd of them) out of Egypt; Saul (Paul) was struck down on the road to Damascus and spoken to by God, only for Saul to question “who, me?”, yet from the biggest persecutor of the church, Paul became the biggest evangelist and even wrote much of the New Testament for our benefit. So what’s your excuse friend? Hopefully you are not guilty of doing the same with your gift as Jesus taught about ‘Light’ when He cautioned us to not hide our ‘Light’ under a bushel where it is ineffective. I believe that our first excuse is to talk ourselves out of a task that would showcase our gift. Fortunately, I believe that is also Biblical, for Scripture tells us that we are not to think more highly of ourselves than we should. However Scripture also says that ‘greater is He that is in us, than he that is in the world’. Scripture also teaches that through our weakness and inabilities, He becomes strong – in other words, His worthiness is recognized in and through our weaknesses and inabilities. Ever noticed how God will many times use the most uneducated pastor to reach the lost, than some who have been to seminary and knows all the right words to say? Friends, I believe that there is perfection in what God declared through the words written by Paul. There are family and friends that you will rub shoulders with, or eat with, or play sports with, that I will never know here on this earth. So of course He wants His holiness, and His sanctification to be evident through you, so that those lost ones might know about Jesus and believe on Him. Please don’t underestimate your gift. No matter what God has blessed you with, just allow Him to use that gift through you, for His glory. Giving excuses is like saying that God is unworthy, or incapable of blessing you with your gift. Seek God’s face and recognize His voice, so that when the opportunity arises to use your gift, you will know without a shadow of doubt that God is merely using you as His instrument through whom He could accomplish His work. | |
| PRAYER: | |
| While our talents and our gifts are a blessing from You dear Lord, please humble us to allow You to accomplish Your will and Your work through everything that we attempt to do in Your name. Thank You for entrusting us with gifts that could help us accomplish Your work here on earth. We are so unworthy, and so inadequate in and of ourselves, no matter how much education we might have, or how smart we are in other earthly ways. Unless You build the house – unless You accomplish Your work, it will fail. Likewise, please help us to never underestimate the power of our God. It is so easy for us to conclude that we can’t, or we are incapable, or we have not been educated for that, or we can’t speak comfortably in front of others much more educated than us. Lord, we are questioning, or doubting Your abilities when we do that. Shame on us, for You are more than able to accomplish every good work and to reach every mortal man. Thank You for making us a part of Your plan, so that we may realize that our time here on earth is well worth it! Thine be the glory, for ever and for ever, AMEN! | |
| FOOTNOTE: | |
| There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog could indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and read more, or you may freely to subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us! | |
The Spirit of Our Father Speaks Through Us
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Post Date: |
Saturday, 2017-01-28 |
| SCRIPTURE | |
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From: |
Matthew 10:18–20 (NLT) |
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Text: |
18 You will stand trial before governors and kings because you are my followers. But this will be your opportunity to tell the rulers and other unbelievers about me. 19 When you are arrested, don’t worry about how to respond or what to say. God will give you the right words at the right time. 20 For it is not you who will be speaking—it will be the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.
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| OBSERVATION: | |
| It seems like Jesus faced His chosen men – His disciples, who realized that they were called to go out and share the love of Jesus with those that they came into contact with, even to kings and rulers. Now imagine for a moment that the only times you may have seen some of these men would have been along the seashore as they sold their fish, or chatted with their fellow fishermen. These guys were some who would now go out and preach the gospel! But I believe it is also important to note that the same Jesus who gained their confidence to drop their nets, leave their boats, and follow Him, is the same Jesus now comforting them that everything will be OK, and that they WILL have the words to speak when it becomes necessary. Wow, what a thought to imagine! | |
| APPLICATION: | |
| Some of you reading this devotional today may have been challenged by a pastor or evangelist to surrender your heart to the Lord. This may have followed with an invitation to meet with a small group of believers to study the Word of God and pray, and this may have been a chore that you almost got sick over, because you had been used to staying in your little corner and could never imagine trying to find words to say in front of saints of God, as these type words are just not in your vocabulary. However, you were also approached by members of the group and made to feel at ease joining them. Before too long, you are invited to join with your small group to meet in a public square where there would be government officials present. The rest of the group is excited that the newcomer may have an opportunity to share Jesus with the Mayor, or possible even a Senator or two, or even the Governor. Are you feeling a little nervous yet about the possible encounters you may face? Can you think of all the things you might share with them about your newest, very best friend, Jesus? However, the leader of the small group has encouraging words for you: “Just as Jesus gave confidence to His disciples to go, in His name, and His Holy Spirit will fill them with the words to speak to the rulers and other unbelievers, He will also do the same for you”. I believe you will acknowledge that this requires a bit of faith to grasp hold of, and depend on this, when personally faced with the dilemma yourself, right? Friends, as children of God, we are called on each and every day to do the same thing, for we never know when we will be faced with an opportunity to share a witness for our Lord. It may very well be in the presence of a public figure, or it may be with that family member or coworker who is always outspoken about their dislike of Christians or the nonexistence of a holy God. Furthermore, over in the New Testament we are also encouraged to always be prepared to share the hope that lives inside of us. Friends, may I encourage you to remember that the same Lord who heals a broken heart, or mends a broken limb, or encourages a couple looking at divorce, is the same Lord whose Holy Spirit came to dwell inside of us at our conversion. Therefore have faith that He could also guide us through every situation of life, including words to say so that God might be best represented. Let’s learn to trust Him for who He is, and for all that He has promised. He can, and will accomplish a great work through even us, as we willingly open up our lives to Him for His glory. | |
| PRAYER: | |
| Father, please give us daily strength to never doubt Your Holy Spirit, whom You sent to live inside of us. We have no words to share with unbelievers that would make a difference in their lives, but You have the words of eternal life. So I ask that You might use us to speak to unbelievers of every walk of life and at every level of society, regardless of where we might place them in our minds. Please help us to never be intimated by the status placed upon those we will meet, for we all need the love of Jesus in our hearts. Please help us to never attempt to do this life alone, for You have promised to always be with us and to guide our every step. Into Your hands I commit myself again today. Lord, I pray that my readers will do the same so that Your work may not be hindered in any way today. AMEN! | |
| FOOTNOTE: | |
| There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog could indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and read more, or you may freely to subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us! | |
Faith That God Accepts
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Post Date: |
Monday, 2017-01-16 |
| SCRIPTURE | |
|
From: |
Genesis 15:4–6 (NCV) |
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Text: |
4 Then the LORD spoke his word to Abram: “He will not be the one to inherit what you have. You will have a son of your own who will inherit what you have.”
5 Then God led Abram outside and said, “Look at the sky. There are so many stars you cannot count them. Your descendants also will be too many to count.” 6 Abram believed the LORD. And the LORD accepted Abram’s faith, and that faith made him right with God. |
| OBSERVATION: | |
| In verses 1-3 it seems like Abram had somewhat of a pity party, feeling sorry for himself. God promised a reward to Abram, but he could see no further than having no one to pass the reward on to. However, God didn’t get impatient with Abram as He went on to promise him a son, even at his advanced age, to pass his blessings on to. Now, let’s be sure that we get the picture here, for Abram was already 85-86 years old at the time, having never had a child with his wife Sarai, yet God promised Abram that he would have a son! What would you have done? Now look at verse 6, for we see where Abram never discounted anything that God told him, not even the obvious questionable promise of him have a son at that age. And because of his faith, Abram was considered by God to be righteous, or right with God! | |
| APPLICATION: | |
| We often hear the saying by men “Oh ye of little faith”, when they see us falter or doubt the works of God. Friends, I believe that this story of Abram was uniquely placed in God’s Word for you and I. When we accept Jesus as Lord, and we take our daily concerns to Him, we should be reassured by this story that the action of surrendering our will to God’s will, and the act of asking for things in faith through Jesus, is a demonstration of our faith in the awesome power of the God of this universe. Yes, I realize that we often lay some pretty heavy stuff at the feet of Jesus and ask for His perfect will to be done, however, we often quickly retort to disappointment or rebellion when our prayers are not answered in exactly the same way that we demanded. Praise God that He answers in ways that are perfect and that fits within His design for our lives, and in ways that will bring glory to Himself. Please let’s try and remember that the reason we ask God is to seek His face and His perfect will. Simply demanding that God answer in the way that we ask will create extreme stress and hardship for us, for we are selfish and will only ask using the limitations we can see or expect or dream of. God is much bigger than that, for just as He made us, and the world around us, He also knows what comes next. Being His chosen people who have accepted the Lordship of His precious Son, makes us the ‘apple of His eye’, and as such, He wants for us far more than we could ever dream or imagine! So how’s your faith friend? Would God consider you ‘righteous’ because of the faith you demonstrate in His Son? Perhaps a matter of prayer and commitment today might be in asking God to open our eyes and our heart to trust Him in total faith. Please do me a favor, and consider doing that along with me today! | |
| PRAYER: | |
| Father, You are so good and Your faithfulness endures forever and forever! We serve such an awesome God! Having created us and made every provision for our wellbeing and happiness, yet to see us falter, fail and seek You selfishly must hurt You beyond anything we could imagine. Lord, we are reminded in this story of Abram that You look for, expect and honor our faith. Abram’s faith resulted in You viewing him as ‘righteous’. Lord, please help us to put self aside and to place our faith and trust in You for ALL things. May our faith become so strong, that we never make decisions without feeling reassured that You are in control and directing us towards decision that will bring You glory and draw us closer to You. I ask these things in faith, and through the precious name of Jesus, AMEN! | |
| FOOTNOTE: | |
| There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog could indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and read more, or you may freely to subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us! | |
Learn to Follow Jesus ‘At Once’
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Post Date: |
Monday, 2017-01-09 |
| SCRIPTURE | |
|
From: |
Matthew 4:18-22 (TLB) |
|
Text: |
18 One day as he was walking along the beach beside the Lake of Galilee, he saw two brothers—Simon, also called Peter, and Andrew—out in a boat fishing with a net, for they were commercial fishermen.
19 Jesus called out, “Come along with me and I will show you how to fish for the souls of men!” 20 And they left their nets at once and went with him. 21 A little farther up the beach he saw two other brothers, James and John, sitting in a boat with their father, Zebedee, mending their nets; and he called to them to come too. 22 At once they stopped their work and, leaving their father behind, went with him. |
| OBSERVATION: | |
| In religious circles, we hear a lot of caution used to warn students of the Word not to take things out of context. I had been taught this story over and over from even an early age, but until this morning never really caught the context of Jesus calling His first disciples. Beginning up in verse 12 we are told that Jesus went to Galilee, a place known for its unbelievers. Yet as He walked along the lake and saw these fishermen, He simply gave the call to them, and without hesitation they dropped what they were doing and followed Jesus. This story is nothing short of miraculous, friends! | |
| APPLICATION: | |
| I wonder what has happened to cause so many who sit under the teachings of the Lord Jesus to be in such doubt about the same Lord who they’ve heard for years to be a miracle-working, loving, sacrificial, all-powerful God. I would imagine that in many of our local churches Jesus may walk in today, He could call on the pastor, or the elders, or the deacons, or the Christians who have boasted of Him over the years, and they may ‘prayerfully consider’ the request to follow Jesus into the unknown – although on second thought, to leave everything they have and follow Him wherever He may guide them, well that may create somewhat of a challenge for many! One old faithful retired missionary told us that when he was called to missions, he sold everything he had and gave the money to his local home churches, because he felt like if Jesus called him, then he would provide for him. Furthermore, it increased his faith in the one that he knew he would lean heavily on for the unknowns of a foreign land. That really takes ‘faith’ to a whole new level for me! So in my above analogy, we believe that Jesus may stand a chance getting a few to follow Him among our church leadership, but what if He went down just about any old street in your neighborhood, where people hang out for everything but church-related activities? Would Jesus be accepted there, and will the residents follow Him ‘at once’? Friends, I believe that as we study the Word of God, we are often reminded that our Lord is not just ‘anyone’ walking our streets, or the isles of our churches looking for a handout. He knows us by name, and Scripture says that He knows us so well that He even knows the number of hairs on our head. So when He calls us, it will not be a ‘hey you over there in that red shirt’ type of thing, but He could very well call you by name and give you plenty enough evidence that He is calling you personally, in spite of all the guilt you may feel about your inadequate, feeble walk with Him. If you designed and made a particular tool that you wanted to use every time that you worked on a particular engine, or that you might want to cook a particular dish with, you will remember every peculiarity about that tool. Please don’t forget that God made you also friend, and He knows every little dent or nick that you’ve received over the years. He is simply looking for your availability through which He might mightily move in His earthly ministry. Are you willing to respond unconditionally and immediately? If not, why not? Accept Him today and know that peace that passes all understanding, for He cares for you, and loves you beyond anything you can imagine! Read my Footnote if you would like more information about a personal relationship with my Lord! | |
| PRAYER: | |
| Father, You are so amazing! You created us and gave us the freedom to either follow You in faith and savor that enormous love that You have for us, or to encounter the evil of this world where Satan strives daily to destroy us. Unfortunately, it seems like our faith never matures to the state that we are quick to obey and follow You, like these disciples demonstrated to us. Please forgive us for our lack of faith, and our desire to do our own thing, in spite of the normal bad results that we read about, hear about or have witnessed personally. Lord, we need a fresh dose of Jesus every day of our lives, for we are weak and sinful beyond anything we ever thought possible. Only You can save us, and only You can direct us in the paths that You have set out before us. Please fill us with Your everlasting love, power and commitment to be obedient children of the King of all kings and Lord of all lords. For I ask these things in the precious name of Jesus, my Lord and my Savior, 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! | |
He’s Got This!
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Post Date: |
Friday, 2017-01-06 |
| SCRIPTURE | |
|
From: |
Psalm 3:1-3 (TLB) |
|
Text: |
1O Lord, so many are against me. So many seek to harm me. I have so many enemies. 2 So many say that God will never help me. 3 But Lord, you are my shield, my glory, and my only hope. You alone can lift my head, now bowed in shame. |
| OBSERVATION: | |
| In these verses we see where David was just like us, for he felt like the world was against him and making fun of he and the God that he served and depended on. However, in verse 3 David brushed aside everything that he was feeling depressed about, and instead gave glory to the God who had stayed by his side through many battles and numerous personal defeats. The God who lifted him up and helped him to see the brighter side of things. | |
| APPLICATION: | |
| I would dare say that there are more of us just like David, than we would care to admit! For there are times that we may feel like even our friends are making fun of us and our beliefs. There are times that we tend to feel like friends are even thinking that we waste so much of our time seeking after God. However, I am here to encourage us today! For like David, we must be willing and always ready to say that no matter what our circumstances are, and no matter who we feel might be against us, or trying to discourage us, our God is still God! He is still worthy of our praise! He is even more so a shield to protect us from the evil one and every evil dart that Satan sends our way. I believe that He desires to see our heads lifted up and praising Him, than to see ours heads bowed in shame and defeat. Friends, for those of us who have surrendered our lives to the Lord Jesus Christ, we have every reason to keep looking up, keep praising and keep serving our victorious and risen Lord! Remember, we are children of the King of all kings and Lord of all lords, who loved us enough to die sacrificially on the cross at Calvary to save even an undeserved wretch like you and me. We are royalty – wonderfully made and truly blessed by God, who loves us unconditionally. Let’s learn to praise Him in all circumstances of life – He’s Got This!! | |
| PRAYER: | |
| Lord, You are good, and Your mercies endures forever and forever! You have proven Your love for us in so many ways, including providing a home for us when we pass from this world to the next. Yes, while living among sinful people here on earth, we will encounter discouragement, but Lord, may I ask You humbly today that You might bless us with the encouragement that David found – that in all things we might lift our heads high and proclaim the praises of our wonderful Lord! Please lift us higher and higher each day, so that we might be reminded of the wonders of our King and find encouragement even through the toughest times here on earth. We love You Lord. Please help us to never leave room to question that by our actions when tough times come to us. We’re Yours Lord, may we show whose we are in every circumstance of life, AMEN! | |
| FOOTNOTE: | |
| There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog could indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and read more, or you may freely to subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us! | |
The Repercussion For Sin
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Post Date: |
Wednesday, 2017-01-04 |
| SCRIPTURE | |
|
From: |
Genesis 3:17–19 (NCV) |
|
Text: |
17 Then God said to the man, “You listened to what your wife said, and you ate fruit from the tree from which I commanded you not to eat. “So I will put a curse on the ground, and you will have to work very hard for your food. In pain you will eat its food all the days of your life. 18 The ground will produce thorns and weeds for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. 19 You will sweat and work hard for your food.
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| OBSERVATION: | |
| God gave some very simple rules to the very first family, concerning a tree in the middle of the garden that they were not permitted to eat from. Of course, it seems like anytime that rules are given, it is just human instinct to test the waters and see if anything would happen if we circumvent, or disobey that rule. In the preceding verses we see where the serpent was chastised and punished for his role in this whole act by Adam and Eve, then we see where God also punished Eve, followed by Adam. In each case the punishment was long-lasting, as we never hear about a serpent that does not crawl around on its stomach. Nor do we hear of a woman going through childbirth painlessly. In the above verses we see where Adam’s punishment was also long-lasting as men are still bothered today with weeds and thorns as they garden, plus the effort is so great that no one wants to do farming anymore. Bottom line is that God made it clear from the very beginning that He would not tolerate sin, and that there would be repercussions, if we sin. | |
| APPLICATION: | |
| Why then do we keep on sinning? It seems many times that it must really be in our DNA to rebel or fight against the standards established by God. Is it that Satan is stronger in our lives and therefore prohibits God from fulfilling His mission in us and through us? This may very well be the case friends. But no one deliberately chooses Satan as their leader, so why do we feel he is so prevalent in our lives? Think about this for a moment: if we are born into a sinful world around sinful people doing sinful actions, what exactly do you suppose one would be? Friends, we are told in Scripture that unless we confess our sins, and accept the precious gift God offers to us through His precious Son, Jesus Christ, then we remain in sin and will face eternal damnation, which is our eternal punishment for our sin. However, for those who accept the gift of Jesus Christ, to those shall be granted eternal forgiveness of sin, and therefore eternal happiness in heaven with Jesus and His Father. So to recap: if we continue in sin and do nothing, we will be worse off than Adam and Eve, for we will face eternal damnation with Satan and his cohorts. However, to be obedient to the call of Jesus on our lives and surrender our lives to Him, He has the power to save us and through His grace He will save us. This cleanses us from our sin and allows us entry into the heights of heaven to be with our Master for ever and ever. What’s your choice friend! | |
| PRAYER: | |
| Lord Jesus, I thank You for convicting me of my sin and giving me boldness to surrender my life to You. I look forward to the day when You will welcome me home to glory, because of Your grace! While remaining here on earth I need Your ongoing power and grace to help me overcome evil and to stand firm in my faith. Please be my guide and my stay throughout every circumstance of life. Lord, I have relatives and friends who are very much like the characters in our story today, but they have not surrendered their heart to You yet. In faith, I believe that You will send readers to this devotional who need to hear Your message of salvation today. Please Lord, may Your hand reach gently on the lives of these ones who need a Savior, please soften their hearts and make their will moldable so that they will stop and listen to Your voice. This is Your day oh Lord, please have Your will and way in our lives, so that You may be glorified and praised. 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! | |
Our God-Tools for Dealing with The World
Thursday, 2016-12-08
Scripture
Bible Reference: 2 Corinthians 10:3-6
Bible Text: 3 Although we live in the world, we don’t fight our battles with human methods. 4 Our weapons that we fight with aren’t human, but instead they are powered by God for the destruction of fortresses. They destroy arguments, 5 and every defense that is raised up to oppose the knowledge of God. They capture every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 6 Once your obedience is complete, we are ready to punish any disobedience.
Bible Translation: Common English Bible (CEB)
My Take
I wonder if the usual observer would notice any difference in the way that Christians respond to arguments, or other daily battles and challenges, than they would notice with the ordinary person of this world! I believe that way too often we, followers of Jesus Christ, put Jesus aside while we use our worldly minds and actions to deal with individuals that we believe are getting the upper hand on us. Let me attempt to put these verses into perspective for you. This past Sunday in church, our pastor read the 23rd Psalm – a passage that we either hear read at every funeral, or at least posted inside every obituary, yet there were a few words that popped out off the page at me. In verse 3, the New Century Version reads: He gives me new strength. He leads me on paths that are right for the good of His name. Wow, it never occurred to me that the verse didn’t just say that God would lead me in the right paths, but also added that any praise attained from me walking that right path is for His name’s sake, and for His praise and His honor! Similarly, in these verses from 2 Corinthians, God is saying to me that when I was a follower of the leader of this world, Satan, I acted and spoke and did those things that were indicative of Satan. However, now that I am a child of the King, led by Him, following His example, and filled with the power of His Holy Spirit who has taken up residence inside of me, then what comes out of me, should match what’s inside of me. Why would I dare mess things up by reacting in my old sinful way, when I can surrender my will to that of Jesus Christ, and be led by His Holy Spirit to do miraculous things that only He can do? Friends, I believe these verses are written to show us how Paul dealt with everyday challenges under the unction and power of the Holy Spirit, who was able to do God-like things through him (Paul). Paul told the Corinthian church in verse 6, and I believe that God is still telling us today, that when we claim Jesus as Lord, and become truly submissive and obedient to the Him, then He will show His readiness to work through us to deal with the disobedience in those that we rub shoulders with, and/or are concerned about, every day. May I recommend that we each get before the Lord and ask Him to remove any sin that separates us from His desire to work through us to touch the lives of those in our circle of life, especially those who oppose Him?
Prayer
Lord Jesus, You are so worthy of our praise, for Your know our needs and our weaknesses even before we can voice them to You. Father, we will face even greater challenges today, but in full confidence we petition before a God who never changes, who can handle the challenges of yesterday, and who already knows the challenges that will come before Your saints even today. Please keep us holy, fully committed to You, and submissive to Your will and Your way of handling things. You have reminded us that our fight is not against flesh and blood, but against the powers of the evil one. May we learn to look beyond the faults of others, and instead seek Your face, Your will, and Your awesome power to again deal with the evil powers of Satan, even as they affect our family and friends that we will deal with today. Personally, I have to completely surrender my will and my all to thee again today Lord. May Your will consume me and Your Holy Spirit guide and direct me. May that same power be convincing to my readers today, so they also may surrender their will and their attitudes to You, Oh lord. 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 reason We Pray
Wednesday, 2016-12-07
Scripture
Bible Reference: Psalm 130:1-5
Bible Text: 1 O Lord, from the depths of despair I cry for your help: 2 “Hear me! Answer! Help me!”
3-4 Lord, if you keep in mind our sins, then who can ever get an answer to his prayers? But you forgive! What an awesome thing this is! 5 That is why I wait expectantly, trusting God to help, for he has promised.
Bible Translation: The Living Bible (TLB)
My Take
I believe that very often we fall into need like the Psalmist expressed in the first two verses, for we feel like our needs are desperate and that we must hear from God for us to survive the desperation of the moment. I know what it’s like to cry out to God in desperation, and I believe that many of you meditating on this devotional have probably been there and done that. But then, don’t we stop for a moment and hesitate, wondering why on earth would God listen to somebody like you, or like me? After all, if we never sinned against Him, or turned our backs on Him, wouldn’t we stand a better chance of getting through to God? We’ve learned from our earthly experiences, that we might ask forgiveness of our family or friends, but we often still get the ‘cold-shoulder’ for a long time? Why would God totally separate our sins from as, as far as the east is from the west? Friends, throughout God’s Word we are assured of His forgiveness and His awesome love for us. Further, we have endless examples of miracles that Jesus performed for ordinary people, just like us. He forgave them of their sins and brought about a miraculous change in their lives. Why, He healed them of their blindness, their leprosy, their inability to walk or talk, and He even brought some back to life again. Can you imagine Jesus weeping over us? Can you imagine Jesus going to the cross for us, indicating to His Father that He would bear the burden for our sin? Friends, it is almost impossible for us to understand the sincere love that Jesus has for us, but may I remind you today that it is because of His love that we can humbly come before Him expecting for our prayers to be heard, and it is because of His love and His awesome power, that we can wait expectantly for His help and His answers to our prayers. Will you trust Him with the concerns of your life and the deep needs that only He can meet today? He is able to deliver you, and He loves you enough that He wants to do it. Trust Him to do what He has promised, and that only He can do.
Prayer
Father we recognize, and are eternally thankful for, Your love and Your unrivaled power to touch our lives in miraculous ways. We feel somewhat ashamed to even come before Your throne, because we feel so unworthy, knowing that daily we fall into, and often concede to the temptation of this world and its awful leader, Satan. Lord, we need Your strength and boldness to stand firm in our faith, even when temptation comes, for we want to be Your loyal servants living life in full obedience to Your commands and Your will. Please shower us with Your gracious love and awesome power to stand firm today, for we ask this because of Your grace, 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!
Steeped In Sin, Yet God…
Saturday, 2016-12-03
Scripture
Bible Reference: Isaiah 64:6-9
Bible Text: We’ve sinned and kept at it so long! Is there any hope for us? Can we be saved? We’re all sin-infected, sin-contaminated. Our best efforts are grease-stained rags. We dry up like autumn leaves – sin-dried, we’re blown off by the wind. No one prays to you or makes the effort to reach out to you Because you’ve turned away from us, left us to stew in our sins.
Still, God, you are our Father. We’re the clay and you’re our potter: All of us are what you made us. Don’t be too angry with us, O God. Don’t keep a permanent account of wrongdoing. Keep in mind, please, we are your people—all of us.
Bible Translation:The Message (MSG)
My Take
We hear it often, and we may have even thought it at times ourselves: “I am so dirty with sin, that no one wants anything to do with me – not even God”. However, I hope that many of you who are guilty of that statement are actually reading this devotional today, because like me, I hope that you will find hope in what these verses are really conveying to us. You see, at this Advent season on the church calendar, we especially think of the reason that Jesus came to earth, and we specifically reflect on, and celebrate His miraculous birth at Christmas. Friends, I am convinced that God sent His Son for one specific reason – not just to heal the sick, broken-hearted or discouraged; and not just to raise the dead from the grave; but He also saw how bad it was getting on earth with blatant sin – murder; rape; adultery; and all sorts of wickedness. He realized that sacrificing of animals for forgiveness of sin was just not working, so in spite of the enormous sin going on at that time, He sent His very own Son to simplify the act of one seeking forgiveness of their sin. You see, God’s mission has always been to see His people live like He intended here on this earth, and to always seek His leadership and His guidance, so that we might desire to do what He originally created us for – to worship Him and Him alone. Friends, I wonder how saddened God must be with His creation, when He looks around earth and sees how far we have strayed from His design. Satan is rampant in our families; in our churches; in our cities, states, country, and indeed in our world. Unfortunately, God has given us freedom of choice in deciding who we will follow, and in spite of God’s perfect design; the gift of His precious Son; and the promise of eternity in heaven for those who believe in Jesus; yet it is very evident that the attraction of worldly possessions; fun; and self-indulgence has been more attractive to mankind – even at the expense of knowing that he will spent eternity in the pit of Hell with his worldly leader – Satan, who has nothing to offer but eternal damnation, unending fire, and nothing but pain and destruction. I believe our challenge for today is simply to open our eyes to the love of Jesus, for I don’t believe that anyone who acknowledges the love of God for His children by sacrificing His very own Son, will willfully turn their backs on Him and settle for the only other alternative – the offerings of Satan. We have a Savior who loves us unconditionally, and will accept us today, if only we will harken to His call. There really is no reason to wait friend. God will work with you to rid yourself of everything that causes you to sin against Him, so please don’t confuse the order of things. Accept Him first, and ask for His help to fully dedicate yourself to Him. This could be the best Christmas ever for you and your family and friends who ‘put up’ with you!
Prayer
Lord God, we are such a blessed people. You have been so patient, loving and kind to us in so many ways. I thank You for touching my life and convincing me of my need for Your Son, Jesus. Lord, I am very concerned for the unsaved in my family, my church and throughout my community, and I ask that You patiently tender their hearts again today so that they may hear about You and believe. I have a special place in my heart for my readers also Lord, and I ask that should there be one who happens across this devotional today that have yet to make a decision to surrender their life to You, that this may be the day. Lord, may this be a weekend that churches will be filled with seekers. Lord, may those churches release those parishioners into the world as new-born Christians, because of the preaching of Your Word, and Your miraculous touch on their lives. Lord may they be obedient to Your call on their life and accept You as their Savior, For this is my humble and sincere prayer, 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 