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Post Date: |
Friday, 2017-10-06 |
| SCRIPTURE | |
|
From: |
1 Samuel 15:27-29 (ERV) |
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Text: |
27 When Samuel turned to leave, Saul caught Samuel’s robe. The robe tore. 28 Samuel said to Saul, “In this same way the Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today. He has given the kingdom to one of your friends, a man who is a better person than you. 29 The one who lives forever, the God of Israel, does not lie and will not change his mind. He is not like a man who is always changing his mind.” |
| OBSERVATION: | |
| Saul sinned against God, and the very man who crowned him king, had to go and confront him about his sin. In obedience to God, Samuel went to Saul and challenged him on what he had done. There is a great lesson for us in verse 28, for God decided not to accept Saul’s apologies and let him remain king, so I believe that we have a lot to consider in this Scripture today… |
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| APPLICATION: | |
| I’m sure you have noticed that some people are quick to say they are sorry, and some will even add to their apology, that they will never do the same thing again. While it is exceptional that you would agree to reconcile with another individual, this Scripture is teaching us that a mistake is something that should never happen again. however when we know deep inside that we are disobeying the law or a commitment that we have made to the contrary, then we are deliberately sinning and have no intention of trying to change our ways. In return, wouldn’t it really hurt to hear God say that you have sinned, and although He will forgive you, you cannot serve in the position He ordained you for? Add to that, God has already found someone better than you? Oh my, that would hurt to the innermost parts of your body and soul! Friends, I believe the message in this for us, is that if we claim Jesus as our Lord and Savior and seek to serve Him, we will seek to follow His ways. When we continue to act as we’ve always done and make our own decisions in spite of what we feel God is saying to us, then we need to go back to step one and make sure that we actually accepted Jesus as Lord, or did we just go through the motions. It is unfortunate, but I believe that in the same way we tend to give God orders in our prayer life, we also commit sin with the intent of pleasing friends, and hoping to immediately afterwards tell God you are sorry. Whose side are you on friend? If you claim Jesus as you Lord, then His Holy Spirit will work in your life to prompt you of right and wrong. You won’t just continue sinning and then run back to God on a regular basis asking for His forgiveness for you ‘taking the wheel’ again. Remember, God is not a robot, He wants to have a personal relationship with you and I, so that we might learn His ways and do His will. He wants others to see Jesus when they talk with us, or in response to the way we act with them. How are you doing with this friend? Let me recommend that you concentrate more on ways that you can please Jesus and be more like Him, rather than worry about the consequences for your sin! For as you become more like Jesus, the things of this world will grow strangely dim! |
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| PRAYER: | |
| Lord Jesus, we are a work in process. For as long as we are here on this earth, we will be impacted by its evil thoughts and deeds – things that we used to do. Please touch Your children today, starting with me, to have such a glow on our faces that reflect the joy of the Lord in our hearts, that the lost will recognize Jesus in us and want to know Him personally. Help us to not stray from the only way You have paved for us, so that we will not be a stumbling block to others. You are our King, Lord, and as Your humble servants, we want to serve You with everything we have, or can gain from You. Please have Your will and way with us even today, so that You may be glorified, 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! | |
Tag: Bible Fellowship Church of Sebring FL
A Test of Obedience
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Post Date: |
Thursday, 2017-10-05 |
| SCRIPTURE | |
|
From: |
1 Samuel 15:22-23 (MSG) |
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Text: |
22-23 Then Samuel said,
Do you think all God wants are sacrifices— |
| OBSERVATION: | |
| Saul’s excuse for not killing all of the livestock of the Amalekites is that he would use them in his sacrifices to God. Saul also saved the king. Saul disobeyed God and did what he thought was best. How often does this happen to us? Let’s have a look…. |
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| APPLICATION: | |
| We’ve heard it said after some have attended Sunday morning service: “well I went to church this morning and got that out of the way”. In other words I got that obligation done, so now I can go on to other things for myself. Others might say “Please don’t ask me to attend another service this weekend, because I want to be there Sunday morning to hear Rev. XYZ preach. In other words, don’t let’s overdo this church thing. Since when do we track good honest relationships like that, friends? I also believe that while we do a pretty good job of showing the pastor and other church leaders that we are fairly honest, or obedient to God’s commands, as long as we are around church people, we tend to be much more open to the things of the world when away from home and from our normal crowd of friends. So what does this say about the inner man? Do we have a personal relationship with the Creator, the Savior of the world, the King of all kings? In a true relationship, we can be trusted to please the other party in their presence, or when we are out of their sight. We do things that would please the other person, even though we may cut corners at times, especially when out of their sight. There are things that we must be reminded about our relationship with God. He is everywhere at all times, so He knows when we are disloyal or disobedient. We may hide our actions from the pastor, but God knows what we did, and He knows our heart – therefore the reasons why we did something contrary to His commands. Friends, if we are going to change the world through our actions, then it is vital that we are very transparent in our relationship with God. If we say that we love God, then let’s give it all we have. Let’s not just listen to, or read His commands, but obey them, knowing that God wants to know that we could be trusted to do that in, or out of His perceived presence. The world must see the honest and dedicated Christian, for them to know it’s OK to follow our example. We can’t fool the world either. |
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| PRAYER: | |
| Thank You Father for placing the example of Saul before us today in this Scripture. This reminds us so much of what we do, or are tempted to do, every day. Lord, please help us to stay steadfast in our walk and our talk so that the world might see Jesus in us, and not mistake us for yet another hypocrite. The world need Jesus. May we influence their need for the Savior, and never be a stumbling block oh Lord. 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! | |
Careful To Keep Christ FIRST
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Post Date: |
Wednesday, 2017-10-04 |
| SCRIPTURE | |
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From: |
John 3:24-26 (MSG) |
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Text: |
John’s disciples got into an argument with the establishment Jews over the nature of baptism. They came to John and said, “Rabbi, you know the one who was with you on the other side of the Jordan? The one you authorized with your witness? Well, he’s now competing with us. He’s baptizing, too, and everyone’s going to him instead of us.” |
| OBSERVATION: | |
| In spite of John repeatedly saying that he was only the forerunner of Christ, his disciples and followers really got attached to him and trusted his ministry. So much so, that when Jesus came along – the One that John had spoken about often, John’s disciples got a little ‘bent out of shape’ and jealous of the following He was quickly getting. I am convinced that this still happens today, so let’s really examine this scripture….. | |
| APPLICATION: | |
| I have a friend pastor who received so many compliments over a new suit that he sported one Sunday, that he vowed never to wear it again in the pulpit, because he was convinced that more folk looked intently at what he was wearing than listening intently to what he said! At the time, we thought it was a little comical, but he was dead serious. That story compares to another pastor who posted on his pulpit the words “Oh that they see Jesus”. Friends, I don’t know that we think about this often enough, but the man who stands in front of us each week and shares the Word of God, is merely an instrument of God. We have a dire responsibility to pray for our pastor, that he would set self aside, and be open with unhindered attention to what God would say through him to us. Pastors know a lot about their parishioners, because we place a lot of faith in them and share our hearts and our concerns with them often. However, they have no wisdom or authority to ‘fix’ us. Only God knows the heart of man, and since we are His design, only He can mend a broken heart; open the eyes of the blind; and lead one from the ways of this world to the lifesaving, eternal benefits of eternity with Him in glory. Do we love our pastor? Without a doubt, and with all of our heart, but remember that he is much like John, for he is the forerunner of the soon coming, glorious Son of God, Jesus the Christ. Let us therefore love those that pastor us and teach us the truths of our glorious Savior, but let us really please them by loving their Master, their Savior and their glorious Lord who we must claim for our own so that we may one day join our pastors at the foot of the cross singing praises to our Lord! |
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| PRAYER: | |
| Lord Jesus, thank You for blessing us with great pastors, who have a lot of patience with us and show incredible love to us through their respective ministries here on earth. Please help us to honor them by looking to You, the Author and Finisher of our faith, and the One that they have chosen to preach and share every week. They’re our coaches, leading us towards the finish line where we will spend eternity with You, praise to Your wonderful and magnificent name, AMEN! |
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| FOOTNOTE: | |
| There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog could indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and read more, or you may freely to subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us! | |
Guilty? Or Acquitted?
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Post Date: |
Tuesday, 2017-10-03 |
| SCRIPTURE | |
|
From: |
John 3:16-18 (MSG) |
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Text: |
16-18 “This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn’t go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again. Anyone who trusts in him is acquitted; anyone who refuses to trust him has long since been under the death sentence without knowing it. And why? Because of that person’s failure to believe in the one-of-a-kind Son of God when introduced to him. |
| OBSERVATION: | |
| Most people who have heard the Bible taught or preached, could probably recite verse 16! But the following verses go on to explain why God sent His Son, and what this whole gift has to do with our eternal destiny. This is of super importance to each of us, because it helps us to understand the whole purpose of the gospel, and how it relates to each of us. So let’s make sure we understand this clearly….. |
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| APPLICATION: | |
| If a gift was given to everyone at church, you would find where some would cherish it and recognize the value in it. They would appreciate it and cherish it for everything it’s worth. Others may take the gift home, but they may stash it away in a drawer, somewhere so it is not tarnished or broken. However there are some who will leave it in the seat at church, or throw it in the back seat of the car, because they see no value in the gift at all, nor understands why the church would have spent money to give a gift to everyone. Now compare this to the gift that God gave to us in verse 16. What have you done with that gift, anything? In the verses following, we are told that God saw that the sacrificial practices of the Old Testament were just not working, and He wanted to give His children a gift that was extremely costly to Him, but easy for us to accept as our sacrificial gift back to the Master. This Scripture is clear enough that we could know today where we will spend eternity, for we are told in vs 17 and 18 that if we accept the gift of Jesus as our personal Savior, that we are acquitted of our sin and we appear before the Master as a righteous saint of God. Now it also states that unless that step has been taken, we have personally placed ourselves under a death sentence, meaning that we will not live eternally in the beauty of life with Jesus, but instead condemned to death, where our eternity will be with Satan and his demons for eternity. There is only one decision for you today friend, have you truly accepted the free gift of salvation – the precious gift of God’s Son given for all who call on His name to be saved? If the answer is ‘no’, then you have personally decided to take the option of Hell and damnation. Dear friend, I write these blogs every morning hoping that no one who reads them would ever make a decision like the latter one I just explained, for I am so looking forward to rejoicing with each of you in glory one day! Because of the fact that you are reading this blog, this means that you still have a choice. However, today is the day of salvation, for you may not have the next minute or hour to make a change in your decision where you will spend eternity. |
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| PRAYER: | |
| Lord Jesus, the Scripture is very clear. The stage has been set for us, and it is up to us to make sensible decisions, especially those that involve our lives after spending our last moments on earth. You have made things abundantly clear. May each reader, and loved one of mine, make a responsible decision today about their post life on earth destiny. I want them to join me in heaven with You, Lord, but I can’t make the decision for them. Tender their hearts today to Your Word and the precious gift that You gave to us. AMEN! |
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| FOOTNOTE: | |
| There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog could indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and read more, or you may freely to subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us! | |
Blessings From Staying True To God
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Post Date: |
Monday, 2017-10-02 |
| SCRIPTURE | |
|
From: |
1 Samuel 12:24-25 (TLB) |
|
Text: |
24 “Trust the Lord and sincerely worship him; think of all the tremendous things he has done for you. 25 But if you continue to sin, you and your king will be destroyed.” |
| OBSERVATION: | |
| Samuel was placed in charge of the Israelites as their ‘Judge’. The people loved Samuel, however now that he was aging and ready to surrender leadership to another servant of God, the people threw in their ‘two cents’ in requesting the return of a ‘king’ as their leader. Samuel, under the leadership of the Holy Spirit, took the opportunity to tell the people that it is important that they remember what their obligations are as children of God, and that they hold their ‘king’ accountable for the same obligation, otherwise there would be consequences. |
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| APPLICATION: | |
| As I read this Scripture today, I thought about the times that church leadership would get together and decide that it’s time for a pastor to move along, because they see where church growth – numerically and spiritually, has become stagnant. So, of course, the answer would always be that a new and exciting pastor would be the magical answer to the dilemma. Friends, I wonder if the answer to the dilemma many of our churches and, indeed our respective countries, may have today is to consider the things that God led Samuel to preach to his people. Think about it. There is so much sin and disregard for God, in our country, that when things start deteriorating, or getting bad, we start looking for someone to blame. In our churches, we generally tend to decide that a new pastor would solve all of the issues. In our country, we tend to immediately look at our governmental leaders. However, let me encourage you to read verse 25 again. I was reminded of an old spiritual with the lyrics: It’s me, it’s me oh Lord, Standing in the need of prayer, It’s me, it’s me oh Lord, Standing in the need of prayer. It’s not my brother or my sister but it’s me oh Lord, standing in the need of prayer…. etc. The point is dear friend, that we easily blame someone else for our problems, but are we perfect in God’s sight? What might improve in our influence of family, friends, coworkers, churches, etc, if we participated from a clean and contrite heart? I believe that God will use any of His children who are righteous in His sight, to help accomplish His will for His church and His people. Let’s do our part Brothers and Sisters. |
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| PRAYER: | |
| Dear God, You’ve placed us here on this earth to be images of You. To live like You and show that example to all that we come into contact with. Please help us to take personal responsibility for our actions and our weaknesses. Direct us to fill ourselves with more of You each and every day, so that the world might be impacted for Your glory. Lord, we want to see our families impacted for You, our churches have a greater impact for You, and in turn, our country be known as a godly nation. Lord, may Your name be lifted high today as You commit these changes to our lives, for it’s in Your precious and holy name that I ask these things, 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! | |
Reasons To Praise God!
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Post Date: |
Saturday, 2017-09-30 |
| SCRIPTURE | |
|
From: |
Psalm 63:2-4 (Voice) |
|
Text: |
2 I have seen You in Your sanctuary and have been awed by Your power and glory. 3 Your steadfast love is better than life itself, so my lips will give You all my praise. 4 I will bless You with every breath of my life; I will lift up my hands in praise to Your name. |
| OBSERVATION: | |
| David was in the wilderness at the time that he wrote this Psalm. In spite of his loneliness, David was still filled with praise and still looked to God in awe and with thanksgiving. I believe that we have a great lesson to learn from this experience….. |
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| APPLICATION: | |
| Generally if the atmosphere is right, the musicians top notch and the praise team one in harmony, most church attendees would consider that they have worshiped God, especially during that part of most weekend services. David was reflecting on his times with God – in the temple/sanctuary and in times of prayer and praise. Friends, I believe that we have to constantly be reminded that God is everywhere, and we have things to praise Him for that will often be forgotten by the time our weekend services rolls around. I believe that we must also learn that we don’t need to wait before praising God for His miraculous work in our lives. His Word declares that we are assured only the very moment that we find ourselves in, and nothing more. Furthermore, if someone blesses us in some way, wouldn’t we very quickly thank them and praise them for their kindness? Why then should God be any different? I believe that a sobering thought for us to consider, is that if we need any of the things I first mentioned above, to prompt us to worship our Father, are we truly worshiping God for something personal, or are we simply being obedient to the worship leader, or ‘turned on’ by the music? Let’s remember that we have a heavenly Father who loves us more than anything that we could even comprehend (Ephesians 3:19). Can you imagine this means that in spite of our weaknesses or sin or lack of praise, He loves us way more than we could understand. Knowing this, and knowing that He has prepared a place for us to spend eternity with Him in glory, why on earth would we be bashful about praising Him for the miracles we see in our own lives and all around us. Wouldn’t it be neat for us to arrive at church early and find someone there praising the Lord – long before the service begins, because their heart is so overfilled with gratefulness? Would it have an influence on friends and coworkers if they knew us for our praise and thankfulness that we express to God everyday? They might begin to think that there is something real about this God we sometime talk about! |
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| PRAYER: | |
| Lord Jesus, thank You for Your faithfulness, and thank You for the hope that we have in You. Please open our hearts and minds to be fully connected to You, so that we will be faithful in our worship and praise of our Savior and Lord! May others be impacted by this and desire to know You personally. May our hearts be so filled with praise and worship that we easily burst forth in praise even at the mention of Your name. AMEN. |
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| FOOTNOTE: | |
| There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog could indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and read more, or you may freely to subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us! | |
A Love That’s Greater Than…
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Post Date: |
Friday, 2017-09-29 |
| SCRIPTURE | |
|
From: |
Ephesians 3:18-20 (ERV) |
|
Text: |
18 … I pray that you and all God’s holy people will have the power to understand the greatness of Christ’s love—how wide, how long, how high, and how deep that love is. 19 Christ’s love is greater than anyone can ever know, but I pray that you will be able to know that love. Then you can be filled with everything God has for you.
20 With God’s power working in us, he can do much, much more than anything we can ask or think of. |
| OBSERVATION: | |
| In leaving his beloved Ephesians, Paul shared that in spite of everything he had dealt with throughout his letter, and while on site with them, he was really hoping that they would remember the sincere love of Jesus Christ that filled his heart before coming to visit with them, filled him while with them and even as he left them. Can’t you imagine that this sort of love will help you to overcome insults and ridicule, and to look at life’s circumstances in a much more meaningful way? |
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| APPLICATION: | |
| Like me, you may remember being spanked by your parents while being told that they were only doing that because they loved you!! That was extremely hard to understand as a child, because we thought that love equated to giving us everything we asked for!! Even as adults, I’m not so sure that we have really grasped the unconditional love of Jesus for us. What could you find to say to a mother who buries her son or daughter, or even a grandchild, that could convince them that God loves them unconditionally? What could a preacher find to say after preaching Hell and damnation to a congregation of believers, and then try to follow that by reassuring them that Jesus loves them more than anything else in this world? I believe that even if we start our day in God’s Word and assure ourselves of His precious love for us, it is extremely challenging for us to stay strong in the faith as we are beat up on during the day and feel like the whole world is against us. However friends, let me encourage you to read the verses again, with particular interest in finding the conditions for God’s love. In finding none, I can only encourage you to stand firm in your faith and never doubt the love of God. Whether in very positive news, or very negative news – God still loves you! Whether you are on ‘cloud nine’ with very positive and encouraging things happening in your life, or quite to the contrary – remember that God still loves you! Whether things are going way better than you could ever have expected under today’s circumstances, or whether it feels like the bottom has fallen out and no one is in control today – know that God loves you unconditionally and that He is always in charge of His universe. Why sweat it friends? Know that God has every little thing under His complete control and that He will always look after His precious children and everything that affect us. |
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| PRAYER: | |
| Lord Jesus, what a privilege to know that we serve a God who loves us in spite of who we are, and in spite of all the circumstances that may be impacting the world around us. The greatest love ever demonstrated was the sacrifice You made at Calvary so that we may have life eternally in heaven with You. Thank You Father, thank You Lord Jesus for loving us so much. May that assurance bring peace and contentment to each of Your children, in every circumstance of life. 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! | |
The One Who Knows You Intimately
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Post Date: |
Thursday, 2017-09-28 |
| SCRIPTURE | |
|
From: |
John 1:46-49 (ERV) |
|
Text: |
46 But Nathanael said to Philip, “Nazareth! Can anything good come from Nazareth?”
Philip answered, “Come and see.” 47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said, “This man coming is a true Israelite, one you can trust.” 48 Nathanael asked, “How do you know me?” Jesus answered, “I saw you when you were under the fig tree, before Philip told you about me.” 49 Then Nathanael said, “Teacher, you are the Son of God. You are the King of Israel.” |
| OBSERVATION: | |
| In life we often say ‘If you want to really know me, come live with me’. To Nathanael’s surprise, he was innocently invited to come and meet a man from Nazareth, who was talked about by ancient prophets. I am convinced that Nathanael agreed to go with Phillip against his best judgment, because everything was just not adding up to him. But there was truly a divine appointment for Nathanael. Let me encourage you to also be open to a divine appointment that God might have for you today…. |
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| APPLICATION: | |
| This story is yet another example of how Jesus knew more about the individual than they ever thought possible. When Jesus met the woman at the well, He was able to tell her about her past relationships. When Jesus met Nathanael, He told him where he was at when Philip first approached him. I believe He could have also told him about how prejudiced he was against people from Nazareth, but Jesus wanted to get to the man’s heart, so He shared only good things with Nathanael. However, it was enough for Nathanael to recognize that Jesus was the Son of God. Friends, I believe that when Jesus calls us unto Himself, it is much like the day that He hung on the cross. For at that time He gave in to the will of the Father, instead of using His divine power to disappear from the scene. Further, He did all that for those who loved Him and for those who hated Him at the time. So if Jesus did all that at Calvary, don’t you know that in the case of your sin, and your evil condition, He sees you just where you’re at; He hears everything you are saying or thinking; but He knows your name and calls you to Himself anyway. Nathanael quickly recognized Jesus as the true Son of God. Will you also be open to His call today, and accept His invitation on your life? We’re not sure when the end will come, but we are told to be ready in case it’s today. So let me implore you to procrastinate no longer. No need to wait for your church’s weekend services, today might be the day, so read my Footnote and follow the suggestions for getting with someone today to help you, or pray with you. |
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| PRAYER: | |
| Lord Jesus, You are my rock and my salvation and in You I place my trust. Thank You for calling me to Yourself many years ago. Being reminded of what You did for Nathanael, has reminded me to bring my unsaved family and friends before You yet again today. Please Lord, send a ‘Philip’ to them today who will open the door for them to accept You as Lord and Savior. Please use me, if necessary. Lord You are good, and I thank You for being my Savior, and a Savior who is still interested in the lost. I pray that many will come to know You even today, AMEN! |
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| FOOTNOTE: | |
| There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog could indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and read more, or you may freely to subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us! | |
Trust In God At All Times
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Post Date: |
Wednesday, 2017-09-27 |
| SCRIPTURE | |
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From: |
Psalm 62:5-8 (MEV) |
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Text: |
5 My soul, wait silently for God, for my hope is from Him. 6 He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my refuge; I will not be moved. 7 In God is my salvation and my glory; the rock of my strength, and my shelter, is in God. 8 Trust in Him at all times; you people, pour out your heart before Him; God is a shelter for us. Selah |
| OBSERVATION: | |
| Even as king in the days of David, there was a lot to be concerned about and/or worried about. However, David had learned to wait before, and depend upon the Lord for all things. I believe that today we are well aware of the power source, but do we really wait for and depend on it – on God, for everything… |
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| APPLICATION: | |
| As a child, most of us learned to depend on our hero/protector – our dad, whenever we felt like we were in over our head. As we grew older, most of us probably buddied up with at least one older or bigger friend, who was the protector for the kids in our neighborhood. David shared in this Psalm today that this need for a defender or protector continues through adulthood, even if you become some major leader. Friends, no matter what our sphere of influence covers, and no matter how protected those under our leadership feel, we soon realize that there are circumstances in which we just feel helpless under our own power. David has shown us that there is One that we can depend on, because He created this world, including all mankind. Through His servants like David and other godly kings, God conquered nations and protected His people from even the biggest and baddest armies. Still God loved His creation enough that He took someone like Moses, who felt he was unworthy to lead, and gave him power and boldness to lead a multitude through 40 years of wilderness travel. He took someone like David, who had messed up so many times, and worked through him to such an extent that He reflected back on David’s life and concluded that he was a man after His own heart. So why again do you feel like you are so unworthy of God’s help? May I suggest that you re-read the verses for today and pray them to God over your personal circumstances? God will protect you! God will guide you! God will be your shelter and protector! You can trust Him at all times, friend! |
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| PRAYER: | |
| Oh Lord, my God, my Fortress; my Deliverer; my Protector; my Hope; my Rock; my Salvation; my Refuge; my Glory and my Shelter, in whom I have placed my trust. Lord, I pray that in all things and in all circumstances of life, I will learn to place my trust in You and allow You to guide me and protect me. I will thank You for the shelter of Your wings and the love You show towards me in so many ways. Lord, there is great peace in knowing You as Savior and Lord. May my readers and I share this Good News with others who are not as convinced about Your power, love and protection. For it’s in You that we trust and assume our contentment, 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! | |
To Bear Witness
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Post Date: |
Tuesday, 2017-09-26 |
| SCRIPTURE | |
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From: |
John 1:6-12 (NKJV) |
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Text: |
6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. 8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.
11 He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. 12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name |
| OBSERVATION: | |
| Right at the outset of the Gospel of John, he claims that his whole purpose in existing is to be a witness for the King who sent him, and who will return to this earth to rule and reign. Wow, what a witness! Let’s apply that to ourselves….. |
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| APPLICATION: | |
| In our lives we are often compared back to one of our parents. We either look like them or act like them. Often our mannerisms, or our smile, or some of the things we say, or the way we act, might remind people of one or both of our parents. I wonder how often we are mistaken for Jesus? Without going around with a placard around our necks, I wonder how often others see the qualities of Jesus Christ in us? One of the things that we must remember when we feel led of God to be a bold witness for Him, is that we will be so totally different to this world, that they will probably feel like we are crazy, just like John was treated. You see, it was very evident to God that Satan was leading this world totally down the opposite road to what God intended. Think about it: Satan encourages lies to get your own way and try to fool the other party you are dealing with, but God wants us to always tell the truth; Satan will lead us to kill, like he did with several in the Bible stories that we read, but God wants us to value the life that He has provided in each of us, because He wants us go on being living witnesses for Him; Satan encourages trickery and deception, but God leads us to be transparent and loving to our Brothers and Sisters, because He wants us to follow His example. Friends, God sent John as the pre-runner to His first coming. I believe that He has sent us as the pre-runner to His second coming. Are you on track for the task assigned to you? There’s no time for procrastination, for I believe that Jesus could return at any moment to take His bride away to glory – that’s His children who have accepted Him as Lord and are anxiously awaiting His return. Our task is similar to that of the apostle John, let’s be busy about the Master’s work so that many will be ready to go when He returns. The alternative is Hell, a place made only for those who refuses to trust in God. Where will you go, if Jesus returned today, friend? |
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| PRAYER: | |
| Like John the Baptist, I feel like You have given us the heads-up on what’s ahead, Lord Jesus. Like our Brother John, we could only resign ourselves to being Your light in the midst of this dark world of sin. Please give us boldness to do Your will, to be Your witness, and to love others enough to care about their well being and their future. The options are totally opposite, and our desire is that everyone we know will see Your light today and accept You as Lord, because tomorrow may be too late. Use us, Your humble servants to be a living witness, a light to the many who need to have their world enlightened with Your grace and Your 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! | |
Nuggets From God's Word 