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Post Date: |
Saturday, 2017-04-08 |
| SCRIPTURE | |
|
From: |
Psalm 25:7-10 (Voice) |
|
Text: |
7 Do not HOLD against me the sins I committed when I was young; instead, deal with me according to Your mercy and love. Then Your goodness may be demonstrated in all the world, Eternal One. 8 IMMENSELY good and honorable is the Eternal; |
| OBSERVATION: | |
| Like many of us, David felt like approaching God in the light of who he was as a teenager, might be a hopeless case. However in light of who God is, and the mercy and grace that He is known for, David knew that there was hope for himself and for all who commit to serving Christ and obeying His commands. | |
| APPLICATION: | |
| It is so easy for us to listen to Satan and believe there is no hope for us because of all that we were. I found it refreshing to be reminded that when I committed my life to Jesus and accepted the outstanding grace that He offers to His children, that He not only cleansed me of my sin up to that point in time, but that He looks on me as a sinner saved by His grace. Sure I make mistakes still, but with the Holy Spirit living in me and prompting me to the way of the cross, I am constantly reeled back in and redirected to the King who reigns over me. Friends, I don’t believe I am alone in feeling this way at times, for I’ve heard from many how hopeless they feel at times. May I implore you to be encouraged by the words of David in this Psalm today and be renewed in knowing that those whom Jesus has welcomed into His fold, will never be released to any other Master. Think of your earthly mother and father – you can’t undue the fact that they are your blood parents. Jesus would never accept you into His family and then push you away every time you mess up. He wants you to seek His face daily and realign your will and way with His, every moment of every day. He loves you beyond anything you could every imagine and He wants to see you in glory one day around His throne. Would you commit to follow the last verse of our Scripture today and remain true to God’s Word and keep His commandments? The promise is that He will remain kind and true to you Brothers and Sisters! There is no better companion than to have Jesus on your side while here on earth and when we see Him face to face in heaven! | |
| PRAYER: | |
| Lord You are so good to us. Praise God that You are able to see us as ‘white as snow’, because of being redeemed by Your precious blood. Most of us have nothing that we could brag about from our past, and absolutely nothing that we can place before You as redemption for our sins. Thank You for Your enormous sacrifice, and for Your uncompromising love for us, in spite of who we used to be. In being cleansed by Your blood, because of Your amazing grace, we are united with You in spirit and filled with the promise of eternity around Your throne. Oh what a Savior! Lord teach us daily to live like who we are, and not like who we used to be. 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! | |
Tag: BFCSebring.com
On Recognizing Jesus
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Post Date: |
Friday, 2017-04-07 |
| SCRIPTURE | |
|
From: |
Matthew 27:54 (AMP) |
|
Text: |
54 Now the centurion, and those who were with him keeping guard over Jesus, when they saw the earthquake and the things that were happening, they were terribly frightened and filled with awe, and said, “Truly this was the Son of God!” |
| OBSERVATION: | |
| Scripture mentions a few of the people on the scene at Calvary where Jesus was crucified. Of course there were guards on hand to make sure that Jesus, who some thought was a criminal, would not escape from His destiny, to die on that Roman cross. The guards saw the heart of God in His Son throughout this whole ordeal, especially as Jesus died, for at that very moment, they concluded that, surely, ‘this truly was the Son of God’. | |
| APPLICATION: | |
| There comes a time in our lives that Jesus becomes ‘real’ to us. For some, it might be through the proclamation of His Word in a church service, but for others it might be through something in nature, or a miracle that you witnessed in response to earnest prayer by a saint of God. Some folk respond to these first experiences with Jesus by bending of the knee, seeking His face in prayer, asking for forgiveness of their sin and surrendering leadership of their remaining life to Him. Others become distracted by trying to apply some other phenomenon that may have contributed to the miracle they just witnessed. Friends, for all of us there will come a time that, through the power of the Holy Spirit, we will recognize God for who He is. We will immediately respond to that experience in one of several ways: Try to ignore it; Try to reject it; Try to reason it away from our minds; or stand in awe of the presence of the holy Son of the living God because of His awesome and powerful Holy Spirit convicting us of our need for a Savior. You may have done one or more of these things already in your life, and you are still remaining with us here on this earth for another opportunity. Just yesterday I heard of two men who went into eternity very unexpectedly. In fact, so quickly that they would not have had time to ask for acceptance by Jesus. If at some point in their lives they stopped making excuses and accepted the tug of Jesus on their heart, then their spirits united with Jesus yesterday, otherwise they are facing the damnation of Hell for all eternity. The choice is exactly the same for you today, friend. Your decision today affects where you will spend eternity. If you have read this blog, then you are making a decision again today. If you have never accepted Jesus as Lord, and you do not invite Jesus into your heart today, then you have made the decision to spend eternity in Hell. I would not wish that on anyone, especially you my friend. Know Jesus today and know eternal peace, won’t you? | |
| PRAYER: | |
| Father, You created us to love, honor and follow Your commands as Your loving children. I pray that hearts will be softened and reopened to the truth of Your Word today as this blog goes out to the world. Please allow those who need a Savior to happen across this blog, and may Your all powerful Word return fruit as it is read and understood. Please allow the excuses to cease and acceptance and commitment to prevail. I ask these things solely for Your glory oh Lord, AMEN! | |
| FOOTNOTE: | |
| There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog could indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and read more, or you may freely to subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us! | |
Tips For Living Right
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Post Date: |
Thursday, 2017-04-06 |
| SCRIPTURE | |
|
From: |
Psalm 25:4-5 (Voice) |
|
Text: |
4 DEMONSTRATE Your ways, O Eternal One. |
| OBSERVATION: | |
| David had such a relationship with God that it seemed natural for him to speak his heart to God. David realized how much he had messed up, but He also knew where perfection came from, so he pleaded his case of need before the only Perfect One. |
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| APPLICATION: | |
We could learn a lot from David, for we are so quick to beat up on ourselves, or seek help from every other source, before finally conceding to the One who could lead us to all truth, knowledge and understanding so that we could obediently follow the ways of our Lord and His written Word. There are a few keywords in these two verses that I wanted to expand on, that I believe will help us get to the bottom of David’s plea before his God:
When all is said and done, make it known to God that there is nothing more important in your life than to obey His Word. Honor Him in everything that you do and say, and allow Him to work miraculously through you to reach the lost in your circle of influence for His glory. God referred to David as a man after His own heart, so I believe that as we follow this prayer of David’s in all sincerity, we would also show our desire to have a heart more like that of Christ. May it be so even today dear friends! |
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| PRAYER: | |
| Dear Lord, we want to be just like You! However we have so much that separates us in that quest. There is so much that we need to surrender to You so that we might be filled with Your Holy Spirit completely and therefore be led in total surrender to Your will and Your way for us. Lord, this wicked world needs to see more of You in those who claim You as Lord. Begin with me Lord. Allow me to be so filled with Your grace and Your mercy that those in my realm of influence might desire to know the One who influences my life every day. Thank You for the lesson taught through Your servant David, may all who read this blog be encourage to follow in the steps of David – towards being recognized by You as a person after Your own heart. May You be glorified in and through Your precious children today, is my prayer in deepest humility, AMEN! |
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| FOOTNOTE: | |
| There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog could indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and read more, or you may freely to subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us! | |
Committed to Give!
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Post Date: |
Wednesday, 2017-04-05 |
| SCRIPTURE | |
|
From: |
Exodus 35:4-5; 36:4-7 (NCV) |
|
Text: |
35:4 Moses said to all the Israelites, “This is what the LORD has commanded: 5 From what you have, take an offering for the LORD. Let everyone who is willing bring this offering to the LORD: gold, silver, bronze….
36:4 So all the skilled workers left the work they were doing on the Holy Tent, 5 and they said to Moses, “The people are bringing more than we need to do the work the LORD commanded.”
6 Then Moses sent this command throughout the camp: “No man or woman should make anything else as a gift for the Holy Tent.” So the people were kept from giving more, 7 because what they had was already more than enough to do all the work. |
| OBSERVATION: | |
| In preparing to build the temple, Moses shared with the people what God had commanded them to do as their contribution to the project. Their response was so overwhelming, that Moses had to soon stop them from bringing their gifts. Seems just the opposite to what the response Moses received when he commanded them to stop worshiping idols. Perhaps God got their attention when over 3,000 was killed after the last incidence of disobedience. | |
| APPLICATION: | |
| I found this to be quite the contrast to the half hearted giving of God’s people today! Often when volunteers are needed, the able ones are the first to avoid eye contact and scoot out the back door of the church, because they just don’t have time. When teaching jobs are open, it is extremely challenging to find someone willing to commit the time to the job. Most would rather see the church pay for building repairs or yard work, as they simply don’t have time to do such things. If you read yesterday’s blog, you will remember that we were encouraged to always respond with the words “I just can’t make that a priority”, rather than “I just don’t have time”! I believe that it will be much closer to the truth and reflect more accurately that your priorities are elsewhere. Oooch! I know that hurts, but friends I want you to learn to be 100% honest with yourself, for God already knows your heart! This same attitude of commitment and priority also flows over to the act of giving financially to the Lord. To the able bodied brothers and sisters who may read this blog, may I suggest that you ask a handicapped person who is unable to work, “how much would they be prepared to give to the Lord, if He healed their body and gave them a job?” and I would assure you that they will probably respond 100%. My point is, friends, that in God’s Word He gives us a command to give at least 10% as a tithe to His work at our local church. In today’s peer pressure and wanting everything our neighbor has, how good are we doing with that command? Is it done before any other expenses are taken out of our income? God doesn’t give us the remains of a beautiful day, or half blessings in any way, but He gives us His very best, way more than we deserve. Giving more of self and even in our financial giving, are ways to express our gratitude to God for all that He does for us each and every day. The Bibles says that we will receive in accordance to how we have given. How are you doing friend? | |
| PRAYER: | |
| Lord Jesus, thank You for giving of Your very best so that we may have forgiveness of our sin and one day join You in glory! You’ve not asked us to give of our only son, like You did, so Lord may we learn to be in constant awe of all that You give to us each and every day, and may we give in return as You have commanded, or even more. As we express our appreciation through our giving, may it be obvious to You that our hearts are filled to overflowing. May this be reflected in all phases of our lives so that You may use this appreciation to open the eyes of unbelievers and draw them to Yourself. I ask these things in all humility and great appreciation for Your love and Your mercy to even me, oh Lord, AMEN! | |
| FOOTNOTE: | |
| There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog could indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and read more, or you may freely to subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us! | |
Get Away With The Lord
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Post Date: |
Tuesday, 2017-04-04 |
| SCRIPTURE | |
|
From: |
Exodus 34:23-24 (NIV) |
|
Text: |
23 Three times a year all your men are to appear before the Sovereign Lord, the God of Israel. 24 I will drive out nations before you and enlarge your territory, and no one will covet your land when you go up three times each year to appear before the Lord your God. |
| OBSERVATION: | |
| This is an interesting meeting Moses had with the Lord. After the last similar meeting, Moses returned to his people, and became so angry at finding them worshiping idols again, that he threw down the stones upon which God had written the Ten Commandments. God had Moses write the Commandments on the stones this time, but He also ordered Moses to gather the men together and meet with Him (God) three times per year while they attended festivals. It sounds like God wants time together with His leaders! |
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| APPLICATION: | |
| At a time when it is extremely challenging to get men out to church on the weekends, and especially at midweek prayer and Bible study, we were able to take a group from our church to a Bible based, Spirit led, prayer conference for approximately two full days. These days were filled with the Word of God, as Scripture was given to each participant; songs prompted by the Holy Spirit; and prayer from the heart of each attendee, as prompted by God. No agenda, just waiting before the Lord and obeying the leading of His Holy Spirit. What might seem amazing to many, is that the crowd doubled in size the second year! What a sweet, Holy Ghost filled, time with the Lord! We returned to our church fired up, renewed and ready for the Lord to continue His work in and through us. This helped me to identify with what God was telling Moses to do. I wonder, if your pastor organized a get-away at your church: How many men would sacrifice vacation time to go and spend devoted time with the Lord? How many wives or girlfriends would encourage husbands or boyfriends to please go and participate? How many employers would welcome the time off for employees that they suspect would return and pray for the success of their business? Friends, I wonder how many gods we place before the God of this universe when we can’t find time for church services over the weekend or a discipleship class during the week? We tend to blame it on ‘time’, but may I recommend that you use the word ‘priority’ when explaining why you couldn’t participate/attend? Especially use that word when praying to God at the end of each day. Imagine: Lord Jesus, please forgive me for not making it a priority to hear from You through reading Your Word today? Lord, please forgive me that I made it a priority to take my family to the beach today/took my wife shopping today/went to have lunch with old friends today; played golf today…. but didn’t make it a priority to take my family to church. Can we, in all good conscience, add to the end of those excuses: ‘but bless me anyway and guide the thoughts of my troubled son this week’??? Friends, I believe that we are either all for God, or we’re not. I know that we can’t be at every single church gathering, but sincerely before God, we must be ready to answer His question on the priority of our day/time. Please consider taking time away to draw close to God, so that He might draw close to you. I don’t believe that there could be one thing more strengthening for your relationship with God, which will also enrich your relationship with your family and coworkers. |
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| PRAYER: | |
| Lord God, please forgive us for the many excuses we come up with regarding our priorities. Too often You are placed at the bottom of the list, or as a last resort. This must be turned around if we ever expect to draw close to You, or encourage/convince an unbeliever. Please give us strength, boldness and self-determination to serve You wholeheartedly and without excuses. You gave up Your life for us, how much more can we do in return? Give Your children boldness and commitment today I sincerely plead dear God, AMEN! |
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| FOOTNOTE: | |
| There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog could indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and read more, or you may freely to subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us! | |
Faithful to the End
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Post Date: |
Monday, 2017-04-03 |
| SCRIPTURE | |
|
From: |
Exodus 32:31-32 (NCV) |
|
Text: |
31 So Moses went back to the Lord and said, “How terribly these people have sinned! They have made for themselves gods from gold. 32 Now, please forgive them of this sin. If you will not, then erase my name from the book in which you have written the names of your people.” |
| OBSERVATION: | |
| I believe that this is probably the boldest that I have seen someone approach the Lord. Probably the most sold out I have seen a leader to his people. The most daring act of unselfish sacrifice that I have seen a leader willing to do for the people placed in his charge. Moses had just witnessed the most despicable act that any group of people could probably do in the face of an almighty God, who had been so good to them and brought them through such terrible times. Yet as a leader who felt placed appropriately by God, he was willing to put even his eternity on the line for his people. Wow! |
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| APPLICATION: | |
| I’m pretty sure that unless I clarify, the first person you will think of that identifies with Moses, is your pastor. And while I agree with you that he is probably one that leads the charge of the church overall, some of you reading this blog have also been placed in positions of leadership with the church of Jesus Christ. You might be an elder, a deacon, a department leader in charge of teachers, a teacher, a small group leader, a Christian leader at your job or a Christian husband/leader in your home. Let me ask you to stop and take personal inventory of exactly what you feel like God is holding you responsible for. Friend, please don’t stop and quickly respond that it was just the Sunday School director who asked you teach, for if you felt led of God to accept a position to share His Word with others, then my belief is that He wants you to take responsibility for their eternity. Let me encourage you to read Exodus 32 and 33. You will find in 33:17 that God conceded to the request of His servant Moses, because He (God) had a personal relationship with him and knew his heart intimately. If you went before God after reading this blog for those who have been placed in your charge, will this be a continuation of daily prayer that you have been petitioning before God for a long time, or will this be a ‘new’ request? You have to start somewhere friend, but please be constant in prayer for those whom God has placed in your care. Are you so convinced about what you are teaching, that you are willing to place your life on the line for your students? |
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| PRAYER: | |
| Lord Jesus, it is so humbling that You would choose mere humans to do the holy work of teaching others about You, whether verbally or through the very life that we live. We have been shown by Moses that when we are confident that we are obedient to Your will and obeying Your commands, that we would have no regrets, no fears of what others might say, or have any fear of standing before You and being held accountable by You. Thank You Lord for entrusting us with Your work. Lord, may we be found faithful until the very day that You call us home to glory. AMEN |
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| FOOTNOTE: | |
| There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog could indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and read more, or you may freely to subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us! | |
Guard Your Heart
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Post Date: |
Saturday, 2017-04-01 |
| SCRIPTURE | |
|
From: |
Proverbs 4:20-23 (Voice) |
|
Text: |
20 My son, pay attention to all the words I am telling you. Lean in closer so you may hear all I say. 21 Keep them before you; meditate on them; set them safely in your heart. 22 For those who discover them, they are life. They bring wholeness and healing to their bodies. 23 Above all else, watch over your heart; diligently guard it because from a sincere and pure heart come the good and noble things of life. |
| OBSERVATION: | |
| Solomon was able to share these Godly words to us, but also speak from the experience of his father about the results of letting our minds and imagination run wild, and how it impacts the heart and controls your actions. This matter was close to home for him, experientially, plus you might remember that Solomon was the benefiter of very Godly wisdom. So even though most people feel like they have life under control, Solomon’s advice is still rock solid even today. | |
| APPLICATION: | |
| From the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks! That’s one of many sayings that come to mind as we meditate on this Scripture today. I realize that the first barrier each of us will face with this advice, is that we think we are all ‘good’ people and our intentions are always good, very clear, and abundantly obvious to the person we are dealing with, correct? If you answered ‘yes’ to that question, then I would suggest that after you get up from kneeling before your Maker in sincere repentance, that you re-read the Scripture and possibly this blog! Friends, in case you haven’t noticed: if you hang around drunks, they will soon have you drinking; if you hand around company that curse at every opportunity, you will soon be sneaking in a few curse words in almost every sentence; if you hang around children of God and hear about their many blessings that they attribute to Jesus’ love and mercy, then you will soon be wanting to know about the same and apply it to your life. When you see the scales tipping towards righteous thoughts, words and deeds, then I believe that it will confirm that you are on the right track. If not, I believe that God is opening your mind and heart to realize that something is lacking – perhaps inadequate time in His Word, or perhaps way too much time hanging around folk that answer to a different leader than you do. Yes, I am saying that you will deal with a spiritual battle, if the Holy Spirit lives within you and is leading you in the right path. Friends, if your heart is filled with the love, actions and thoughts of our Lord, then you will act like Him and talk as He would. Conversely, if your heart is polluted with the devil and his evil attitudes and deeds, then you find yourself frustrated, because you have asked Jesus to come and live within you, yet you are heating up the internal battle by pouring in the ways of the world and it’s ungodly leader – Satan. There’s a little chorus I sang in children’s Sunday School “O be careful little eyes what you see”. If you know that chorus, you will remember that it also includes what you hear, what you do and where you walk. In other words, learn, speak, act and look at things that are Godly so that you may guard your heart – the internal barometer of your whole being! | |
| PRAYER: | |
| Lord Jesus, thank You for not only living among us and showing us how to live in a way that is pleasing to Your Father, but also for leaving with us the Comforter – the Holy Spirit, who will guide us into righteous living, and help us guard our hearts that belong to You. Lord, may we be found righteous and sold out to You in every aspect of life. May it be evident to everyone that we come into contact with, and may You be glorified because of everything that You accomplish in us, and through us. 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! | |
Traitor
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Post Date: |
Friday, 2017-03-31 |
| SCRIPTURE | |
|
From: |
Matthew 26:47-50 (NLT) |
|
Text: |
47 … Judas, one of the twelve disciples, arrived with a crowd of men armed with swords and clubs. They had been sent by the leading priests and elders of the people. 48 The traitor, Judas, had given them a prearranged signal: “You will know which one to arrest when I greet him with a kiss.” 49 So Judas came straight to Jesus. “Greetings, Rabbi!” he exclaimed and gave him the kiss. 50 Jesus said, “My friend, go ahead and do what you have come for.” Then the others grabbed Jesus and arrested him. |
| OBSERVATION: | |
| Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane, spending His last hours in this world before His Father in earnest prayer. He knew the moment that this event would take place and He knew who would be the instigator. In fact it would be one very close to Him, but He also knew the pain, agony and public disgrace that was in store for Him as the following events took place. I’m sure that Jesus was no different to us, in that His greatest hurt came from the betrayal by one who was close to Him, and not a stranger who had always hated Him and protested His ministry. Can this possibly apply to us?…. | |
| APPLICATION: | |
| My blog title today is ‘Traitor’, because that’s what Judas is often characterized as. Being specifically called by Jesus to be one of His close followers, who Jesus poured life and ministry into, and who Jesus expected to carry on the ministry after His departure, I believe it is obvious that Jesus had great expectations for Judas and His other disciples. So to see this change in Judas, I’m sure was devastating to Jesus and to the other disciples. In fact, I’m sure that they felt very betrayed by Judas. This part of the Bible is challenging for us to wrap our minds around, isn’t it? In fact, aren’t you glad that the whole event is behind us. Surely there can’t be anyone else around that would do such an awful thing, right? Or is there? Look deeply inside of yourself for a moment. Can you think of a time when you may have been ashamed of something that you said to a friend about the ministry of Christ that you thought was less than godly? Perhaps, instead of calling a prayer meeting to pray for your pastor, or an elder, or a deacon, or another church member, you joined in a conversation intended to bash the individual. Was that showing the same love that Christ offers to you, or do you suppose that you may have betrayed the ministry of Jesus Christ and His mission? Perhaps you’ve had friends praying with you about a personal situation that has really affected your. Were you able to brag with your coworkers about the love of God in answering your prayer, or did you have to ‘mellow’ and tell them what awesome luck came your way? If so, you missed an opportunity to witness to your coworkers about the awesome God who answers even your prayers. You also said to God thanks, but no thanks, for your good luck charm did more good than your prayers to Him. Is that Christ honoring, or is that denying the love and power of the awesome God that You serve? As you reflect on these verses friend, may I encourage you to look inward, instead of beating up on the person and actions of Judas. Don’t be a ‘traitor’ or ‘betrayer’ friend. | |
| PRAYER: | |
| Lord, this is a tough lesson for us, because our eyes are opened to the fact that we still do almost as bad as Judas sometimes. You showed Your love for us publicly on a cross, yet we do our best to keep our relationship with You undercover to the general public, because we don’t want to be rejected just because we are Your follower. Lord, may You rule and reign in our lives, and may we boldly declare Your majesty, love and power to all that we come into contact with. May You receive honor, praise and glory from our actions and never feel betrayed, but Lord we need Your power daily, so that we may remain strong and eternally faithful. Bless us oh Lord, AMEN! | |
| FOOTNOTE: | |
| There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog could indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and read more, or you may freely to subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us! | |
Our Protective Father!
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Post Date: |
Thursday, 2017-03-30 |
| SCRIPTURE | |
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From: |
Matthew 26:40-41 (GW) |
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Text: |
40 When he went back to the disciples, he found them asleep. He said to Peter, “Couldn’t you stay awake with me for one hour? 41 Stay awake, and pray that you won’t be tempted. You want to do what’s right, but you’re weak.” |
| OBSERVATION: | |
| You will recognize this as part of the scene at the Garden of Gethsemane right before the betrayal and arrest of Jesus. Jesus invited a few disciples to join Him for some alone time with the Father. However, I was touched by how unselfish Jesus was even during such a critical time in His life. Notice the words that I bolded and underlined, to see how Jesus was so mindful of His beloved disciples even at a time that He was asking for reprieve from all that He would soon face. | |
| APPLICATION: | |
| I believe that often we recognize danger for our loved ones much faster than we do for ourselves. I often implore my wife and daughter to be careful whenever they are driving, yet I jump behind the wheel and never give a second thought to the impending danger that we each face each day on the road! Clicking on the scripture link will give you a few surrounding verses to remind you of the situation with Jesus in the context of which these verses were taken. He was about to face beatings, mockery, public crucifixion with much pain to His mother and others who loved Him dearly. However even though we know that Jesus prayed over the agony He knew He would face very soon, yet in these verses He shared His concern for the spiritual welfare of His beloved disciples. I find that immensely humbling and gratifying. In fact, I am reminded of the words of a song that I like “when He was on the cross, I was on His mind” and other included words “He knew me, yet He loved me”. Friends, that gives you an outlook on the love of my Savior for not only me, but for all who call on the name of the Lord, and that includes you! Please don’t think that you are beyond the love of Christ. This same Peter that Jesus was encouraging to pray for strength for his hour of temptation, is the same one that stood nearby and watched a sword be drawn and cut off the ear of one of the soldiers that came to arrest Jesus. He’s the same Peter who denied knowing Jesus, out of fear for his own life. Yet Jesus loved him anyway. Our weakness in caving in to the temptations of Satan is no surprise to God. However, He loves us way too much to see us settle for that. His offer of salvation and eternal security is available to ALL who call on Him as Lord – that includes you Brother, and you Sister. Will you consider surrendering to His invitation today? There are eternal rewards for those who do! Like Jesus, I would also love to see each of you reading this blog today, gain eternal life through inviting Him into your heart and life. Will you do it? | |
| PRAYER: | |
| Lord Jesus thank You for all that You went through, in obedience to Your Father, so that I might have peace of mind and security in knowing where I will spend eternity. Thank You for drawing me to Yourself and using me here on earth to reach and encourage others for Your glory. Lord, I have friends and family that still need to make this most important decision. I pray that they, and each reader of this blog, will receive Your invitation today to surrender their lives totally and completely to You, and that they may be drawn closer than ever to the cross upon which You hung so that we might have eternal life with You and the Father. Have Your will and way in our lives today Lord Jesus, is my humble cry, 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! | |
Sanctified Tabernacle
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Post Date: |
Wednesday, 2017-03-29 |
| SCRIPTURE | |
|
From: |
Exodus 29:43-46 (TLB) |
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Text: |
43 And I will meet with the people of Israel there, and the Tabernacle shall be sanctified by my glory. 44 Yes, I will sanctify the Tabernacle and the altar and Aaron and his sons who are my ministers, the priests. 45 And I will live among the people of Israel and be their God, 46 and they shall know that I am the Lord their God.… |
| OBSERVATION: | |
| Through the instructions given to the Israelites about their tabernacle where they would meet to offer sacrifices and praise to God the Father, they were assured that the tabernacle would be sanctified by the glory of God and that their leaders would be appropriately sanctified also. God also assured them that He would live among them and they would know that He is the Lord their God. Wow, how does that work with us today? | |
| APPLICATION: | |
| What do you suppose would be different about our attendance at church if we knew that a world leader would be in worship with us next weekend? Do you suppose that the sanctuary would fill up quickly and the whole service would be filled with awe over the presence of such a leader sharing in worship with us? Do you suppose that leader might gain a new respect from us after they return to their normal weekly duties? Isn’t it interesting that the Creator of the universe has promised to be in our midst whenever two or three would gather in His name to worship Him, yet some can’t be bothered to get up because its the only day they have to sleep in, or the only day they could go to the beach, or clean house, or….. Friends, when we ignore the opportunity to go and spend time in God’s presence to worship Him with other believers, why on earth should we expect to have Him at our beck and call every time during the week that we have need to call on Him. Would you make more of an effort to attend, and would you act any differently when you walked through the doors of the sanctuary if you knew confidently that God’s presence was overwhelmingly there? Do you suppose that we would find time in our respective services to just savor on His presence and offer up individual praise to our Father? Would we be able to break the man-made flow of the service and just recognize God? Would you be able to ‘turn off’ the worries of the week long enough to give Him your undivided attention and recognition of His awesome presence? If you stop and reflect on the Word of God, you will recall that it assures us that God inhabits the praises of His people. He has promised to be in our presence whenever two or three would meet in His name. This assures me that He IS there patiently waiting for us to stop talking to each other, or looking at our cell phones, or worrying ourselves sick of personal issues. Will we continue to disappoint Him and ignore Him friends? I pray that we will come to our senses every time we have opportunity to meet together to worship our Lord. Will you make an effort to give Him your attention, your honor and your praise? | |
| PRAYER: | |
| Lord Jesus please forgive us for ignoring Your presence, especially in our services where we claim that we are there to worship You. The Israelites were promised that Your glory would fill their tabernacle. You have also promised that You would be present in our midst, and I’m sure that wherever You are, that place is filled with Your glory. Thank You Heavenly Father for meeting in our midst and welcoming our praise. Lord, may we be more mindful of Your presence so that the sincerity of our offerings of praise and worship would be evident to You in very meaningful ways. Lord, You know that we love and appreciate You. Please help us to show that in every aspect of our lives, especially in Your sanctuary. 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! | |
Nuggets From God's Word 