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Post Date: |
Wednesday, 2017-09-20 |
| SCRIPTURE | |
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From: |
Galatians 6:9-10 (GNT) |
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Text: |
9 So let us not become tired of doing good; for if we do not give up, the time will come when we will reap the harvest. 10 So then, as often as we have the chance, we should do good to everyone, and especially to those who belong to our family in the faith. |
| OBSERVATION: | |
| Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Paul recognized that the followers at Galatia had become very self-minded, in spite of the dire needs all around them. Paul taught them how serving self, led to spiritual death, versus helping the needy would please the Spirit and bless them personally with a great harvest. I believe that God wanted this in His Word because He knew that one day we would be very much the same. Let’s dig in…. | |
| APPLICATION: | |
| I believe that Satan is just as prevalent today as he has always been, in trying to distract Christians from their personal time with the Lord, and also their corporate time in worship to God, and fellowship with other believers. What this results in, is folk who are either overindulged and/or over over-committed at work, and therefore causes folk to look inward for respite on the weekends. This means that many will only find time for their personal favorite pastimes over the weekend, or who use any excuse at all to avoid outside obligations on their ‘personal time’. That’s when we start using excuses like: Well that’s my only day off, so I had to…..; or that’s my only morning to sleep in, so…..; or I have cheated my spouse and kids of time all week, now it’s their turn. Friends, these sound like reasonable excuses to us, but what do you suppose Jesus might say in response? What if Jesus used excuses like these when he was being led to Calvary to ultimately rescue us from our sin? What if we missed an opportunity to hold the hand of a friend at church and lead them to the altar of salvation? Do you suppose these excuses come from devout Christians who opened the Word each day, and dropped to their knees in prayer before a holy and righteous God before leaving for their busy day? Friends, may I suggest that you look deeply into your heart and your personal relationship with God when you start using excuses to meet with Him, or to help others. Natural disasters such as hurricanes or earthquake really bring people together, and extreme love is shown towards those who were impacted. Churches are often filled when folk feel incapable of helping themselves. Folk call out to God like faithful followers when they feel helpless. Oh that we will always call out to Him each and every day, so that our relationship might grow in Him and be filled with the same characteristics that He displayed while on earth. May that inward excitement overwhelm us and push us towards corporate worship so that we might encourage others and help lead the unsaved to Jesus. May we develop an inward drive to help others, like Jesus did. When we stand before the throne on Judgment Day, may God recognize us as a true and faithful follower who helped many along the way. | |
| PRAYER: | |
| For all You have done for us dear Lord, may we be more diligent and dedicated in our time with You and in displaying Your love through helping others here on earth, for thine is the kingdom, the honor and the glory, 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: Unconditional commitment
Commitment to Whom You Will Serve
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Post Date: |
Saturday, 2017-08-26 |
| SCRIPTURE | |
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From: |
Joshua 24:14-15 (MSG) |
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Text: |
14 “So now: Fear God. Worship him in total commitment. Get rid of the gods your ancestors worshiped on the far side of The River (the Euphrates) and in Egypt. You, worship God. 15 “If you decide that it’s a bad thing to worship God, then choose a god you’d rather serve—and do it today. Choose one of the gods your ancestors worshiped from the country beyond The River, or one of the gods of the Amorites, on whose land you’re now living. As for me and my family, we’ll worship God.” |
| OBSERVATION: | |
| Joshua knew that he was dying, and he wanted to have one last meeting with the leaders and heads of families, to reemphasize the importance of them giving their full commitment to God, the One who had brought their forefathers out of Egypt; provided for them while traveling through the wilderness for forty years; won all the battles in ousting the residents of the Promised Land so that they could live there in peace; and provided good godly leaders who were totally obedient to lead the people during these long journeys. In leading them to a commitment to whom they will serve, Joshua led the way by committing right up front who he and his family would serve. Let’s see how God would have us apply this to our lives today! | |
| APPLICATION: | |
| Joshua did what most pastors do at our services today. They show us where we were; where God brought us from; how He got us to where we are; how we may be living contrary to God’s Word that may deter us from moving forward with Him; and what we need to do in order to achieve our final goal – heaven. Like the Israelites, if we stop and honestly ponder we will quickly conclude that God has graciously brought us through so many things, and we can reflect back on so many miracles, yes miracles in our own lives. But where are you at now Brother? Are you standing strong, and just as committed to God as you’ve always been? Are you convinced that if Jesus came this very moment that He would be proud of where you stand with Him? Are you living the life that an unsaved person could easily follow and find Jesus? Joshua was willing to commit to every leader that he was speaking to, that he and his household were committed to God and that they would worship the Lord God. Although the text doesn’t say it, I believe Joshua meant that commitment to be from that day forward. Are you committed enough to take that stand? I believe this lost world is looking for committed Christians that they cannot classify as hypocrites. What will they conclude about you Brothers and Sisters? Remember they only see what you allow them to see, but God knows your innermost thoughts and feelings. So as you go to God, be honest and confess all your sin before Him. | |
| PRAYER: | |
| Lord God, please touch the hearts of myself, and all those who might read this devotional today. Please help us to examine our hearts before You and seek Your forgiveness as necessary. Lord, we need clean hearts that we might commit right back to You, so that we may live godly lives that will testify of Your goodness and Your forgiveness. We have nothing to brag about, for it’s by Your grace alone that we are made whole and live our lives pleasing to You.. But we want to do that Lord, so please humble us, and give us boldness to step into Your presence and allow You to work in us. Let us be followers of Joshua’s example and commit to You that as for me and my house, we will serve the 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! | |
Train Yourself To Serve God
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Post Date: |
Saturday, 2017-06-17 |
| SCRIPTURE | |
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From: |
1 Timothy 4:7-8 (NCV) |
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Text: |
7 But do not follow foolish stories that disagree with God’s truth, but train yourself to serve God. 8 Training your body helps you in some ways, but serving God helps you in every way by bringing you blessings in this life and in the future life, too. |
| OBSERVATION: | |
| It is interesting that Paul recognized the importance that the people of his day had, with a strong emphasis on a few extracurricular things, that seem to have taken priority over their allegiance to God. | |
| APPLICATION: | |
| I found it fascinating that Paul would teach Timothy that we must train ourselves to serve God. That indicates that our normal selfish tendency is to serve self and get as much for ourselves as we possibly could. Thankfully most of us are very centered around healthy living, in our eating and in exercise. In fact, you can find friends along dark streets very early in the morning jogging or walking, or you might see friends coming out of the gym looking like they had a shower in their own sweat. What if we saw that kind of dedication and energy in Christians connecting with friends to introduce them to their Savior? I’ve also heard loads of excuses on why folk can’t, or won’t attend church functions. All the way from being afraid of crowds, to their only day to sleep in or be with their family. However most sports events are often sold out, even if it took a whole week’s salary to buy the tickets. Crowds are not a problem there, nor is early or late afternoon start times. You are bound to sit next to strangers, some of whom might even be obnoxious, but fans are not affected by that. To the only One who knows even our inmost thoughts, what will we tell God when He asks why could you not find priority for Me and in being with my people, or serving me, or giving to my work, or encouraging others? When we committed ourselves to our spouse, or to our job, we were able to lay aside our selfish desires and serve them unswervingly, why is it different with our commitment to God? Are there things that you need to clear up between you and God to restore that allegiance that you once promised Him, or perhaps that you would like to promise Him now? | |
| PRAYER: | |
| Lord Jesus, You know us all very well. Our comings and our goings, our excuses and our level of dedication to You and Your work. Please help us to search out the Savior of this world, and for those who already know You personally, please teach us to draw close to You and allow You to guide us and train us to give priority to You in every aspect of our lives. For those who have not been concerned about their eternity, please touch them precious Lord and draw their attention to the need for a Savior. You created us to worship and lift up the name of Jesus, oh that we may be found faithful! 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! | |
When God Leaves You Alone
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Post Date: |
Thursday, 2017-06-01 |
| SCRIPTURE | |
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From: |
Numbers 14:41-43 (NCV) |
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Text: |
41 But Moses said, “Why are you disobeying the Lord’s command? You will not win! 42 Don’t go, because the Lord is not with you and you will be beaten by your enemies. 43 You will run into the Amalekites and Canaanites, who will kill you with swords. You have turned away from the Lord, so the Lord will not be with you.” |
| OBSERVATION: | |
| I believe that frustration is shown in the Scripture today by Moses, because it seems like the more he did to direct his people under the careful leadership of God, the more ungrateful, stubborn and determined they were to do their own thing. Imagine how the words of Moses must have penetrated the hearts of the Israelites when the Amalekites and Canaanites came out from the hills towards them. They must have quickly reflected on some of the times that God separated the waters for them to walk through; how water came forth from a rock when it was struck by the staff of Moses, yet the same God that performed those acts honored their request and left them alone to go into the mountains. What a lonely, isolated, hopeless feeling that must have been. | |
| APPLICATION: | |
| Isn’t it interesting how an older child might ask parents to just leave them alone, yet they expect those parents to still be looking out for them and always ready to help them with one problem or another? In the life of a born again Christian, they may make a special effort to get out to church at least one Sunday per month, so that they don’t hear from the pastor; they just don’t have time for personal Bible study; and they really don’t feel like they know how to pray. Often it is these same ‘Christians’ that denounce God for not coming to their rescue when disaster or need comes their way. Friends, my God is honorable and trustworthy. When you make it obvious to Him that you would rather do ‘life’ alone, He honors that and gives you all the space you want. But remember, He is a relational God, not a puppet that you can pull out of the drawer the second time you sneeze, or wind up in hospital with more serious health issues. Moses told the Israelites that God would not be there for them, because they turned away from Him. Based on your relationship with God, do you suppose God is ready and willing to be your God, or will the words of Moses echo in your mind, that because you turned away from the Lord, He will do the same to you? That’s a sad moment when that occurs friend, I hope that each one reading this devotional today will keep that fire burning between you and your God. He deserves our praise and adoration each and every day, and He will be with us always, even until the very end of time here on this earth! | |
| PRAYER: | |
| Lord Jesus, thank You for giving Your very life as a sacrifice for my sin. Thank You for saving my soul from the stench of sin here on this earth, to the glories of heaven one of these sweet and glorious days! We were reminded of some very sobering words spoken by Your servant Moses this morning, and it could very easily reflect the same mindset of many who consider You as their God of convenience. Lord, You are an awesome, loving, caring God. Please help us to be the humble, committed, trustworthy servants worthy of that kind of God. May our eyes be fixed on You and our hearts totally committed to You. 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! | |
When Doubts Arise
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Post Date: |
Wednesday, 2017-05-31 |
| SCRIPTURE | |
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From: |
Mark 14:17-19 (TLB) |
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Text: |
17 In the evening Jesus arrived with the other disciples, 18 and as they were sitting around the table eating, Jesus said, “I solemnly declare that one of you will betray me, one of you who is here eating with me.”
19 A great sadness swept over them, and one by one they asked him, “Am I the one?” |
| OBSERVATION: | |
| A room full of disciples and the Lord Jesus, when Jesus announces that one of them will betray Him. I would have expected them all to try and reassure Jesus that it definitely would not be them, but instead they all questioned Jesus if it was them. I found that very interesting. | |
| APPLICATION: | |
| Perhaps the disciples were very aware of their weaknesses and knew that they would possibly cave in to pressure from the authorities. Perhaps they had been privately chatting about some of the impossible things that occurred during the time they had been following Jesus, and they were having some doubt about the reality of it all. Just as we all sin today – from the preacher, to the faithful member in the pew or the guy who has chosen to never visit a church again in his lifetime, so it could be with us if told by Jesus that we could be the ones who would betray Him. In fact, we would probably start apologizing right away, because we know how possible it would be. Perhaps that’s how the disciples felt that night. What we do know is that one of Jesus’ closest disciples, Peter, swore up and down that he would never deny Jesus Christ, yet under the right conditions, he did exactly that. I believe for the Christian today, our doubts arise when we face the opposition, for how many of us truly stand up for our faith when hanging around a gang of friends who wants nothing to do with Jesus? Would we question, like the disciples did, about whether Jesus was referring to us, because of the guilt we felt very deep inside? So is there a way to improve on this, you might ask. I believe that Jesus knows everything about our nature, and He knows that we are prone to sin as long as we remain here on this earth among sinners. However, we know from His Word that Jesus loves us beyond anything we could ever imagine; we know that He gave of His very life as a substitution for our sin, so that we may appear before the Father spotless. So I am convinced that He also knows our heart and whether we are sincere in our relationship with Him. Friends, it’s not in saying certain words, attending a certain church, hanging around certain friends – although each of these certainly helps us to live a good life, but it’s really all about our heart, because our intent and our will is governed by what’s deep inside of our heart. A personal, sincere and dedicated relationship with Jesus helps you acquire the attributes that He teaches in His written Word. As we reach for perfection as a Christian, we should aim to live, speak and act just like Jesus did. From these qualities, Jesus will know what might come from our mouths and how we might act in the presence of worldly pressures. You could easily overcome doubt and guilt, friend, with the help of our Master and Lord! | |
| PRAYER: | |
| Lord Jesus, weak though we are when depending on inner strength, yet we serve an all powerful and Almighty God. Thank You for loving us enough to cluster us under Your wings and watch over us, and protect us from the evil of this world. Lord, we want to be just like You, and be Your witnesses here in this world. Please give us the strength, wisdom and boldness to be Your hands and Your feet even among those who oppose You. Help us to seek Your face, and develop such a relationship with You that we would constantly grow in the likeness of Jesus every day. 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! | |
Where’s Your Heart?
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Post Date: |
Friday, 2017-05-19 |
| SCRIPTURE | |
|
From: |
Mark 11:7-10 (TLB) |
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Text: |
7 So the colt was brought to Jesus, and the disciples threw their cloaks across its back for him to ride on. 8 Then many in the crowd spread out their coats along the road before him, while others threw down leafy branches from the fields.
9 He was in the center of the procession with crowds ahead and behind, and all of them shouting, “Hail to the King!” “Praise God for him who comes in the name of the Lord!” . . . 10 “Praise God for the return of our father David’s kingdom. . . . ” “Hail to the King of the universe!” |
| OBSERVATION: | |
| Many will recognize these verses as a scene that’s often taught or preached in church services leading up to Palm Sunday. Many different people involved in this story: Jesus; His followers; the town’s people; the obedient disciples who went and got the colt; the believing bystanders and the unbelieving bystanders. Very interesting roles that each of these folk took in this story and we will examine this closer to see which group each of us may have fit into. | |
| APPLICATION: | |
As I read this Scripture this morning, it got my attention as to which group of people I may have been included in, so as you meditate on this devotional I would ask that you do the same. One thing about this exercise is that it is one thing to recognize which group you might fit into today, but an altogether different thing to seek the face of God for the desired group you may want to fit into, or ask Him to place you in the group where you would see the most growth, and be drawn the absolute closest to Him. Let’s think about some of the groups:
Friends, I would really like you to take a moment and reflect on which of these groups you would most likely fit into. As you do this, evaluate your personal relationship with Jesus Christ; your boldness in being His witness; your commitment to spending time with Him daily; your lifestyle as seen in the eyes of the unbeliever – do they see enough of Jesus in you, to claim you as His child? Or do they see you as hypocritical because your actions and words do not match who you claim to be? Where’s your heart, friend? |
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| PRAYER: | |
| Lord Jesus, You know us intimately. In fact, You know us better than we know ourselves. As we evaluate our stance in life today, I pray that You will open our eyes of understanding and our stony hearts so that our shortcomings will be evident. Please give us clear thoughts and vision on where we should be in Your plan for our lives, then give us boldness and commitment to follow through, in Your strength. Lord, I pray that my readers and I will draw close to You and allow You to take full control of us, all for Your glory, honor and praise. 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! | |
What Pleases God
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Post Date: |
Thursday, 2017-03-02 |
| SCRIPTURE | |
|
From: |
Exodus 4:10-14 (TLB) |
|
Text: |
10 But Moses pleaded, “O Lord, I’m just not a good speaker. I never have been, and I’m not now, even after you have spoken to me, for I have a speech impediment.”
11 “Who makes mouths?” Jehovah asked him. “Isn’t it I, the Lord? Who makes a man so that he can speak or not speak, see or not see, hear or not hear? 12 Now go ahead and do as I tell you, for I will help you to speak well, and I will tell you what to say.” 13 But Moses said, “Lord, please! Send someone else.” 14 Then the Lord became angry. “All right,” he said, “your brother, Aaron, is a good speaker. And he is coming here to look for you and will be very happy when he finds you. |
| OBSERVATION: | |
| Moses was commanded to do something that was waaayyyy outside of his comfort zone. This caused Moses to say ‘no’ to God, and refuse to obediently get on with the job. This was unpleasing to God, as He became angry at Moses. In applying this Scripture to our lives today, we will examine whether this disobedience continues, or whether we truly make every effort to please God…. | |
| APPLICATION: | |
| I would imagine that books that promise to prompt you towards things that please your spouse, or your teacher or your parents or your boss, probably sell out very quickly. For I believe that we are generally a people that prefer to please one another – especially if we believe that there are return benefits for us. But just for a moment, imagine one whose comfort zone is filling a support position behind the scenes. An extremely hard worker, but could care less about fanfare or public recognition. In fact, they prefer to see others recognized over themselves, as they prefer to get the job done and see the overall operation succeed. This sounds somewhat like Moses. He was being asked to do something that he always shied away from, because he felt so inadequate in speaking publicly. In fact, speaking in public was just not his forte. But wait a moment, why would the God of this universe ask him to do something that He knew Moses would be uncomfortable with, or feel unqualified for? Could it be that the task would then demand Moses to look upwards and depend on God, rather than his own known strengths? Friends, I am so sold out on the power of my God, that I truly believe that He outfits and prepares those that He calls to perform their assignments. I believe that if you are asked to teach, by a praying, God-honoring individual who tells you that God directed them to ask you to teach, what is there that you need time to pray about? Hoping that God, or is it perhaps Satan, will give you excuses on how to wiggle out of the assignment God has sent your direction? Unfortunately, I believe that way too often we spend more time meditating on the reasons we shouldn’t take a God-honoring position that could ultimately bring glory to Him, than we do in praising God for the opportunity to serve Him. After all, who are we that God should choose us to serve in His vineyard and influence others for the kingdom of God? Rightfully so, we are often unqualified for the job, but when we bring God into the equation, is there really anything too difficult, or impossible for Him? All things achieved though our inadequacies, shows the world that God is still in control and willing to work through even humble individuals like you and I. Please read verses 11 and 12 over again before you give a decision on whether you will accept your next assignment! Consider giving God an avenue through which He could accomplish His work to bring glory to himself and His kingdom. | |
| PRAYER: | |
| Lord, we are your servants, willing to be used by You to accomplish Your work here on earth. We believe in You, please help our unbelief; our doubt; our lack of trust; and our natural desire to be well qualified for everything we do. Depending on You will require faith and total dependence on You. Lord, please fill us and make us usable instruments that You can work through to touch the hardenend hearts of our dear friends, family, coworkers, and all those that You place in our path. Please forgive us for the time wasted in turning away from You and circumventing Your holy appointments. Help us to totally surrender our all to You, dear 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! | |
Your Ashamedness vs God’s Ashamedness
Friday, 2016-11-25
Scripture
Bible Reference: Luke 9:23-26
Bible Text: 23 Jesus continued to say to all of them, “Any of you who want to be my follower must stop thinking about yourself and what you want. You must be willing to carry the cross that is given to you every day for following me. 24 Any of you who try to save the life you have will lose it. But you who give up your life for me will save it. 25 It is worth nothing for you to have the whole world if you yourself are destroyed or lost. 26 Don’t be ashamed of me and my teaching. If that happens, I[a] will be ashamed of you when I come with my divine greatness and that of the Father and the holy angels.
Bible Translation: Easy-to-Read Version (ERV)
My Take
While on the way to a business reception I remember being challenged in the presence of about 4 others, why is that I don’t drink alcoholic beverages and whether it was related to my religious beliefs. I’m not sure if the businessman was starting to think that he might be ashamed of me while at the reception if I was one of the few not drinking, but I believe it was intended to question my Christian stand on the subject of drinking alcohol. There are many other stories I hear of individuals being challenged with similar questions. At times, I believe it opens the door for entertainment while the Christian is put on the spot about a belief that may be contrary to the worldly beliefs of others in the group, but I also believe that many times Satan is using his messengers to challenge us on our beliefs so that we may question our selves and possibly sweep our God-infused beliefs ‘under the rug’. Friends, there are many times that it is safer to blend in with the rest, than to stand out like a sore thumb, all alone in believing something contrary to the crowd. Might I suggest that this challenge is our ‘cross’ that we must carry every day? Let’s compare for a moment. Jesus carried a cross all the way up to Calvary that He knew He would be hung on to die. He also knew that, as the Son of God, He had all power to reverse the whole crucifixion, for we know that previously He had disappeared from a crowd of witness during His earthly ministry. He had miraculously turned water into wine, caused the blind to see and brought the dead back to life. Was there something about this crucifixion that was more difficult or impossible than any of the miracles just mentioned? However, remember when He prayed to His Father in the garden? In response to His own pleading for the cup of suffering to be taken from Him, Jesus said to His Father “none the less, may Your will be done”. Now let’s consider our ‘cross’ that we are called to carry every day. Like Jesus, we may commit to Him in private that we are determined to carry our ‘cross’ each day. However, like Peter, I believe we often cave in to the popular thing to do – the joys of partying and going along with the crowd, even if it takes us into choice areas that we would never agree to, if we sought to do the will of God withough any worldly pressures. Friends, I believe this all boils down to two things: First – Popularity – which means that we want to be super popular with the organizer of an event where we may have to compromise, or we just allow Satan to misguide us into putting God into a ‘box’ – a segregated comfortable ‘box’ we call the church, or even in the privacy of our home. We want to fit in with the crowd. However, Secondly – is Integrity – which means that we will stand firm to our commitment to serve God in season and out of season; at church or on the byways and at our parties or worldly events. Friends, if we surrender our lives to Jesus Christ, then transgress to living like the world, are we not saying that we are ok being a Christian in private, but publicly we are really ashamed of standing up for what God really teaches in His Word? Please allow me to be the first to tell you: that is not being a person of integrity. If you commit to something, or someone, let it exude from your mouth, your actions and every aspect of your life. If it’s in you, it will exude from you! I feel like these verses basically say that when we choose to be popular, or feel ashamed to be obedient to God, we are showing that we are ashamed of Him. Isn’t that the same as saying that you are really not sure that you want to commit to God for all aspects of your life? God declares that if this happens, He will shun us when He returns, for He will be ashamed of us. Is that what you truly want to happen? I pray that each of you reading this devotional today will stand firm and practice obedience to everything God teaches you to say and do, God being your helper!
Prayer
Lord, as I reflect on this today, my mind goes back to the sign that I see near the exit of many churches ‘you are now entering your mission field’, for daily we leave the comfort of our homes, and the safety of our commitment to you, to be bombarded by the practices of the world and the dictates of it’s leader. Lord, I pray that daily we can mimick Your words to Your Father and commit ourselves in saying: not my will oh Lord, but may the words of our mouth, the meditation of our heart and the actions we take, be pleasing to You and represent Your compassion for our lives and witness, 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 http://www.nuggetsfromgodsword.org and read more, or you may freely to subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us!
How To Know If From God
THE HOLY BIBLE (New Century Version – 1 John 4:4-6): 4 My dear children, you belong to God and have defeated them; because God’s Spirit, who is in you, is greater than the devil, who is in the world. 5 And they belong to the world, so what they say is from the world, and the world listens to them. 6 But we belong to God, and those who know God listen to us. But those who are not from God do not listen to us. That is how we know the Spirit that is true and the spirit that is false.
THOUGHTS: John noticed that some of the people listen to him, and to what God had directed him to say, while others had no interest in him and his workers. He wanted Christians to learn from this, because ordinarily they would be faced with similar challenges. I believe that this was strategically placed in the Word of God so that we today will also know how to discern if folk that come to teach us, or preach to us, actually come from God, or if they are after their own selfish desires and more interested in spreading the misery and hatred of the Devil. Friends, there are other places in the Bible that we are told that not everyone who says that they come in the name of the Lord, are actually as they say. Satan will use every attempt to distract Christians, especially ‘weak’ Christians. Please don’t judge me for calling some ‘weak’, but when we are doing only the very minimum to, supposedly, be included in the ‘God crowd’, in other words we may walk forward at the end of a church service and please our mom, or our friend by saying ‘yes’ to Jesus, but our lives reflects no change, and our walk continues along the same path that we have always walked, then God might question you, as to whom do you belong. When we think no more of our ‘Christianity’ than to visit church a few times each year, and our study of God’s Word is limited only to what we do in Bible School or what we hear from the pulpit, then I’m afraid to break the bad news to you, but you will become fertile ground for false prophets, for you will believe anything and anyone, because you are not used to discerning truth, or leaning on the Holy Spirit that God makes available to us. Friends, for those who know Jesus intimately and have a desire to follow His ways and His commands, we are truly a blessed people and we have the Holy Spirit deep within us to prompt us unto all truth and point us towards the Author of all things. We have an advocate friend, and His name is Jesus! Do you enjoy a personal relationship with Him today, or do you just know of Jesus from a distance? Don’t just say, or think that you know Jesus, but love Him enough to study His Word; obey His commands and serve Him unconditionally. Greater is He that is in us, than he that is in the world! We can do ALL things through Jesus, our Savior, our Lord, our Redeemer, our Comforter and our Deliverer. We’re His children and He is the ultimate Father. Don’t be a stranger to Him. Commit wholeheartedly to Him and obey Him unconditionally!
PRAYER: Father, we are committed to serving You, the only true God. Many will continue to come ‘in your name’ but will not be of You. Please keep us faithful only unto You so that we might discern ungodliness and false prophets. For we want to be pure, holy and righteous as Your children, and in our witness of You. Please protect us from the evil one and his worldly partners who may go as far as claiming You as their leader in order to distract Your children from their walk with You. May we always be reminded that greater by far is He who is in us, than he that is in this world. Get thee behind me Satan. Fill me with all truth and wisdom from above dear Jesus so that I might know You intimately, and discern the way that I should go every day. May I represent You well and in all ways. Bless my readers today with this same power from above so that Your army might be alive and well. I ask these things in the powerful, strong name 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 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 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 