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Post Date: |
Thursday, 2017-06-29 |
| SCRIPTURE | |
|
From: |
Luke 3:7-9 (MSG) |
|
Text: |
7-9 When crowds of people came out for baptism because it was the popular thing to do, John exploded: “Brood of snakes! What do you think you’re doing slithering down here to the river? Do you think a little water on your snakeskins is going to deflect God’s judgment? It’s your life that must change, not your skin. And don’t think you can pull rank by claiming Abraham as ‘father.’ Being a child of Abraham is neither here nor there—children of Abraham are a dime a dozen. God can make children from stones if he wants. What counts is your life. Is it green and blossoming? Because if it’s deadwood, it goes on the fire.” |
| OBSERVATION: | |
| It was becoming quite a popular thing for people to go down to the river and be baptized by John the Baptist, and John quickly recognized that it was becoming quite the popular thing for folk to do in following the crowd. John felt an obligation to Jesus Christ to make sure that this was not becoming a popularity thing but rather one that followed the teachings of Jesus. We will explore how applicable this is to us today…. | |
| APPLICATION: | |
| As a very young child, my daughter saw a friend baptized, and for weeks afterwards she tried to convince her mom and I on why she should be baptized. I believe that there may be lots of younger people that want the attention of parents, Bible School teachers and friends, or they may run to the pastor without fully understanding the purpose of baptism. There are others that are willing to take this step as a way to get mom, spouse, or perhaps a friend who had been witnessing to them, off their back. In our Scripture reading today we can see how John addressed this, and I’m sure we could follow his example on how to handle similar questions by others. However, we must feel comfortable sharing this in our own words. May I encourage you to click on the Scripture link above and read what Paul taught on this? The main emphasis is that the prospective candidate can clearly tell you how they were Spiritually saved, and also how Jesus has changed their way of living, because now they are about to show witness to the church at large and the world, that there has been a mega change in their life since inviting Jesus to be their Lord and Savior. The candidate must know clearly that baptism has no saving grace, but is scriptural because it demonstrates to the world an inward decision that you made at some point in your life. Friends, in following the commands of Jesus, I pray that you will demonstrate a full understanding of what He demands of you in His Word and not just follow the crowd as the popular thing to do, otherwise God may send another ‘John’ to rebuke you, like he did in this scripture. I encourage you to be brave in declaring to the world that you are a child of the King and that you don’t mind anyone knowing that. Being ashamed of the Lord here on earth might be reason for Jesus to disclaim you before His Father, according to His words in Scripture. If you haven’t surrendered your life to Jesus, then baptism is a mockery to the church and you are telling the world a lie. However, baptism is encouraged for those who have sincerely surrendered their heart and life to Jesus. | |
| PRAYER: | |
| Lord Jesus, You know how much we love baptismal services, because as a church, we celebrate with the candidates the decisions that have been made, and the miraculous change that God has made in their lives! It re-enforces the necessity for the church and personal evangelism. It confirms Your work dear Lord, because only You could truly touch and change broken and sinful lives. May we continue to be about Your work oh Lord, and may You continue to touch the hearts of those that are in need of a Savior. We long to celebrate baptism often as a means of celebrating the wondrous works of our Lord. To You we give hearts filled with glory, honor and praise for all that You do in the center of our family, friends and loved ones. 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: King
Do Not Fear – God’s Got This!
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Post Date: |
Monday, 2017-06-26 |
| SCRIPTURE | |
|
From: |
Matthew 10:29-31 (Voice) |
|
Text: |
29 Look, if you sold a few sparrows, how much money would you get? A copper coin apiece, perhaps? And yet your Father in heaven knows when those small sparrows fall to the ground. 30-31 You, beloved, are worth so much more than a whole flock of sparrows. God knows everything about you, even the number of hairs on your head. So do not fear. |
| OBSERVATION: | |
| In this chapter Matthew talks about the many fears that people have. He assures us that we only need to fear the One who could destroy both body and soul – God Himself. But the only reason we would have to fear Him is if we have disowned Him here on earth, and pledged our allegiance to other masters who could order our death without giving it a second thought. However, to those who claim Jesus as their Lord, we have nothing to fear! Praise the Lord! | |
| APPLICATION: | |
| At home we ‘fear’ our parents, because they take care of us and therefore control our lives, and therefore demand our obedience and best behavior. At work we may ‘fear’ our boss, because if we are not obedient to what they ask of us, they could fire us. For those that have no regard for the Lord Jesus Christ, and saw no importance in allowing Him kingship over your earthly lives, your destination is clear and your eternal master is clearly defined in scripture, so you may start to worry now about the effects of Hell and the severity of it’s ruler – Satan. If instead you have chosen to accept the Lord Jesus – my Lord and Savior, as your King, then this very Scripture that’s quoted in this devotional assures us that we have nothing to fear, for He cares for us and has prepared a home in heaven for us where we will spend eternity together with He and His Father – God. Until that time He is intimately involved in our lives, for He knows every little detail about us and will care for us and protect us no matter what we may face. So friends, to know that we have a Savior who loves us beyond anything we could imagine, watches over us through every little detail of life, comforts us when we are down and out, and has our eternal home prepared for our homecoming, what is there to fear? May I encourage you to give thanks in all things, knowing that our Father, who knows ALL things, has a plan already worked out for us. We serve an awesome God friends! Let us worship Him and thank Him for His mighty works and His preparations for us, even while we still have breath to do so! | |
| PRAYER: | |
| Lord Jesus, thank You for the hope of eternity and also for the assurance of Your love and care for us while still here on this earth. Please touch the hearts of Your people today Lord, may they be reminded that there is nothing to fear when they have placed their faith and trust in You. Lord, may this also speak to the hearts of those who have yet to surrender their lives to You, for they have yet to experience the lack of fear in knowing that You have everything under control for those who have entrusted their lives wholeheartedly to You. Thank You Lord for being my Savior, My Lord, and my soon coming King. Whom then shall I fear, when You are on my side? There is none like You heavenly Father, and I thank You for that assurance today, AMEN! | |
| FOOTNOTE: | |
| There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog could indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and read more, or you may freely to subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us! | |
Thoughts on Listening To God
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Post Date: |
Thursday, 2017-06-22 |
| SCRIPTURE | |
|
From: |
Psalm 81:8 (NLT) |
|
Text: |
8 “Listen to me, O my people, while I give you stern warnings. O Israel, if you would only listen to me! |
| OBSERVATION: | |
| God had miraculously rescued Israel from their slave masters in Egypt and had taken care of their every need during their 40 long years in the wilderness as they traveled to the land of milk and honey that God promised to them. Yet right up to the very end of their journey they were still rebellious and obstinate about listening to God. Learning from the lessons of the Israelites, surely we have this obedience thing under control today, right? ….. we’ll see….. | |
| APPLICATION: | |
| Evidence of more obedient people today because we have learned from the lessons of the Israelites, might be: Children of God who are in the Book every day seeking direction from God; Christians who spend quality, quiet time with God in prayer at least once every day; Getting along with everyone because of being taught by God to follow His example; Churches filled to capacity as indicators of so many being filled to overflowing with the Holy Spirit; Obedience to the Word of God and the Spirit of God causing others to see Jesus in every fiber of our being. Friends it is virtually impossible to accomplish any of these things under our own power, for to fight spiritual battles, we must surrender earthly things, and assume a right relationship with the God of this universe, the One who has all spiritual power, the One who guides us to do things that He commands, and say things ordained by Him. To be like God, we must spend more time with Him than we do with the leader of this world, Satan. God told us in vs 14-16 that if His people would humble themselves and pray and seek His face, then He would intervene and save them and bless them. In verse 8, let’s try removing the word Israel and replacing it with our name, or the name of our church, or our city or state or country. This is what it takes to replace the evil of our land with the good, the blessings and the peace of God that surpasses all human understanding. Are you willing to let it start with you and I? God never said that it would take an army to get His attention or His action, I am convinced that He would move mountains for just one or two, if that’s all that are prepared to follow His commands. | |
| PRAYER: | |
| Lord Jesus, You have proven Your love for us in so many ways, and I thank You again for that amazing love. You sacrificed the most dearest thing to Your Father, to prove Your love for us, yet we are so lackadaisical in commitment to You and in our walk for You. When troubles or challenges come, we try every idea thrown at us before we bow the knee in humility before You and seek Your face and Your miraculous touch. Please forgive us Lord, and as reminded in this Scripture today, please help us to listen carefully and follow Your perfect will for our lives so that we might honor You and allow You priority in our lives. I have every reason to believe that You will send opportunities to us today where someone will need to hear about Jesus, or feel Your sincere love, or be guided by Your all knowing and powerful hand. Fill us with so much of Yourself Lord, that we may be usable vessels for You in this world today, AMEN! | |
| FOOTNOTE: | |
| There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog could indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and read more, or you may freely to subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us! | |
Faith Leads To Obedience
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Post Date: |
Wednesday, 2017-06-14 |
| SCRIPTURE | |
|
From: |
Luke 1:38 (TLB) |
|
Text: |
38 Mary said, “I am the Lord’s servant, and I am willing to do whatever he wants. May everything you said come true.” And then the angel disappeared. |
| OBSERVATION: | |
| A virgin girl approached by an angel with an unheard of proposition from God, was immediately convinced of the awesome task that God had chosen her to partake in. There were no excuses, or running away to avoid the proposition, but simply an openness to allow God to have His way with His humble servant. | |
| APPLICATION: | |
| I would imagine that just like at my church, you are probably not hearing too many stories similar to the very familiar story of Mary, the mother of our Lord Jesus, in the Bible. For in faith she accepted the word from God and conceded to His perfect will for her life, regardless of any possible negative reflection on her by the questioning world. For us today, it often seems like asking a person, where you felt compelled of God to ask them to share in the ministry, is like asking them how many excuses can they find to not follow God’s command to serve in His church. Fathers, may I ask you to personally imagine your virgin daughter approaching you (an elder in your church) boldly with the news that she is pregnant? Adding that “Oh, and by the way, this is by the holy spirit of God” adds no comfort to you, because you have never heard of such a thing before. As for the fiancee, he may also have faith in God, but having never heard of such action by the Holy Spirit before, he is silently questioning as to whether the baby inside is for another man. In the case of Mary and Joseph, thank God that He sent the Holy Spirit to Joseph as well, to prepare him in advance for the news he would receive from Mary. Friends, I believe that what we are being taught in this Scripture today is that when we have an intimate relationship with the Lord Jesus, and we make every effort to follow His commands and His will for our lives, there may be times that He will summon us to do things that are way outside of the realm of our selfish, finite minds. As Christians reflect back over life, we can often see that many of the decisions we made and things that we did, that seemed way out of the ordinary at the time, we could now reflect and see what God had in mind for us the next day, week, month or years. Let’s be careful to remember that His ways are not our ways, so He may ask us to do things that is extraordinary in our eyes, but very purposeful in His eyes. Build a personal relationship with the Lord, friend. Listen to His voice and His direction for your life, and be willing to jump, move or speak when He commands you to do it. He will receive glory, and you will be overwhelmed in joy! | |
| PRAYER: | |
| Lord, I pray that each one reading this blog will join me in committing ourselves fully to Your perfect will. Whether our actions result in our personal joy, or that of a friend or relative, please help us to commit to being faithful to You and therefore obedient to Your every command. May Your perfect will be fulfilled in our lives and in the lives of others as we remain faithful and allow You to bless and work through us to touch others. Thank You for Your willing, obedient servant Mary, may we join her in also being faithful to the end, so that You may be glorified in all that we do, 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! | |
God Hears Our Prayer!
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Post Date: |
Thursday, 2017-06-08 |
| SCRIPTURE | |
|
From: |
Daniel 9:20-23 (TLB) |
|
Text: |
20 Even while I was praying and confessing my sin and the sins of my people, desperately pleading with the Lord my God for Jerusalem, his holy mountain, 21 Gabriel, whom I had seen in the earlier vision, flew swiftly to me at the time of the evening sacrifice 22 and said to me, “Daniel, I am here to help you understand God’s plans. 23 The moment you began praying a command was given. I am here to tell you what it was, for God loves you very much. Listen and try to understand the meaning of the vision that you saw! |
| OBSERVATION: | |
| Unlike many of us that may spend less than 3 minutes in prayer, this whole chapter in Daniel highlights most of the content of Daniel’s conversation/prayer to God, for he was burdened for his people and his land and he knew that the only one who could do anything about the stubbornness of hearts, would be the Eternal God. Daniel took God seriously at His Word, that ‘If my people, who are called by my name, would humble themselves and pray, then God……’. True to His Word, Daniel found out that the minute he humbled himself, opened his mouth in prayer, then God began acting in response! | |
| APPLICATION: | |
A question often asked in Christian circles is: ‘Does God really listen to my prayers, and is it possible that He would ever act on ‘my prayers’? Fortunately we don’t control God, or the prayers that He chooses to answer. But as for our prayers, I would suggest a few tips that I believe Scripture teaches:
God does answer prayer, friends. Do your part to ensure that you are asking of a very personal God with whom you have a very deep relationship with. Daniel did this and God acted immediately. Our God’s not dead, He’ll do the same for you! |
|
| PRAYER: | |
| Lord, thank You for answered prayer! Thank You Lord for accepting me as Your precious child, and for Your continued care and answers to my prayers. On behalf of all who may read this devotional and myself, please continue to work on us with building a closer and stronger relationship with You. I believe that You care about every little concern of ours, so I pray that we will present our cares of all sizes at Your feet and seek Your will and Your blessing. Thank You for being there in so many ways for Daniel and thank You for the promise that You will be with us always. Praise to our wonderful 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 Awesome Lord!
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Post Date: |
Monday, 2017-06-05 |
| SCRIPTURE | |
|
From: |
Psalm 37:3-7 (NCV) |
|
Text: |
3 Trust the Lord and do good. 7 Wait and trust the Lord. |
| OBSERVATION: | |
| This is a very positive Psalm where David gives those of us who trust in the Lord some very positive actions: Do good; Feed on the truth; Enjoy serving the Lord; Depend on the Lord; Trust in the Lord; Wait on the Lord; Don’t envy others who get rich or succeed. In concentrating on these things, our goodness and fairness will shine like the sun! | |
| APPLICATION: | |
I found that some of these very things that David mentioned, are some of the very things that Christians struggle with today. So I believe that it is important that we take note of key points that David teaches us on how to achieve favor with God and be happy in our life experiences:
Friends, verse 6 sums up our rewards in ways that this world cannot understand or appreciate: our goodness will become obvious, and our fairness will be recognized just as the noonday sun! In other words, our efforts to be like Jesus and show His goodness to the world will please God and ultimately bless us in return! Glory to God for His goodness to us, His humble servants! |
|
| PRAYER: | |
| Dear Father, thank You for using Your servant David to encourage us to live our lives pleasing You and blessing others. Lord, You bless us in so many ways and we are eternally thankful. May we be encouraged through Your Word today to be Your hands extended to those in need, and may we love and encourage just as You have done for us, so that You may be glorified in all that we do and say. 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! | |
God Defends His Leaders
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Post Date:- |
Saturday, 2017-06-03 |
| SCRIPTURE | |
|
From: |
Numbers 16:19-22 (TLB) |
|
Text: |
19 Korah had stirred up the entire nation against Moses and Aaron, and they all assembled to watch. Then the glory of Jehovah appeared to all the people, 20 and Jehovah said to Moses and Aaron, 21 “Get away from these people so that I may instantly destroy them.”
22 But Moses and Aaron fell face downward to the ground before the Lord. “O God, the God of all mankind,” they pleaded, “must you be angry with all the people when one man sins?” |
| OBSERVATION: | |
| Three Levites who had served in the temple, gathered 250 others to support their cause in going to Moses to question him about his leadership. Moses had no argument with them, but simply humbled himself before them and submitted to God’s decision and action against the leadership for their revolt to know for sure who would continue to lead the Israelites. I found it humbling when Moses and Aaron bowed before God the next morning at the entrance to the temple and they pleaded with God not to eliminate the whole bunch of the revolution gathered, just the one who stood defiant to the will of God. However it really upset God that sinful men were questioning His decision for leadership. | |
| APPLICATION: | |
| I believe that this story could be a sequel from one of many churches today. For members, or even attendees decide that there is something they don’t care for in their pastor, and they begin gossiping with others. This often leads to a revolution forming against the pastor. The church then becomes useless in ministry, because factions form against the pastor and the revolution quickly places their own sins aside and decides to track those of the pastor and those close to him. What if the God that we serve – the same God who stepped in against Korah and the Levites, decides to settle the issue once and for all on those who oppose His leadership for each of our churches? I wonder how many would fall into the instant sinkhole because they are fighting against the man of God, instead of praying for him; lifting him up with encouraging words; looking for ways to support him in all that God has placed on his heart for God’s people. Friends, it is one thing to know what happens to unbelievers, but for those who claim salvation while still acting like the world, and looking for ways to disrupt the work of the Lord, I dread to think of God’s actions for them when He has taken as much as He could out of their negative impact on His ministry. Friends, may I draw your attention to this whole chapter in Numbers so you could read for yourself, then allow God to minister to your heart about which side of the fence you are on. Are you for the ministry of Christ to the lost of our community through your local church, or are you doing and saying things that tear down and destroy the ministry. One option pleases God and He blesses you and the ministry. The other option destroys the ministry, discourages the worker/leader/pastor sent by God, and you are therefore warned through this study in Numbers, that the same destruction could be in store for you and all those you might encourage into your revolution. Allow God to be your guide and redirect you today, if needed. | |
| PRAYER: | |
| Lord, it is so unfortunate that many a good church has been destroyed by things very similar to the incident Moses faced with his very own temple workers. Should there be anyone guilty of such a revolution today that reads this devotional, please get their attention and work a miracle in their life. There are so many that needs salvation in our communities that our energies would be much more effective evangelizing rather than internal destruction of Your army. Please have Your precious will and way in our lives heavenly Father. AMEN! | |
| FOOTNOTE: | |
| There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog could indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and read more, or you may freely to subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us! | |
When Doubts Arise
|
Post Date: |
Wednesday, 2017-05-31 |
| SCRIPTURE | |
|
From: |
Mark 14:17-19 (TLB) |
|
Text: |
17 In the evening Jesus arrived with the other disciples, 18 and as they were sitting around the table eating, Jesus said, “I solemnly declare that one of you will betray me, one of you who is here eating with me.”
19 A great sadness swept over them, and one by one they asked him, “Am I the one?” |
| OBSERVATION: | |
| A room full of disciples and the Lord Jesus, when Jesus announces that one of them will betray Him. I would have expected them all to try and reassure Jesus that it definitely would not be them, but instead they all questioned Jesus if it was them. I found that very interesting. | |
| APPLICATION: | |
| Perhaps the disciples were very aware of their weaknesses and knew that they would possibly cave in to pressure from the authorities. Perhaps they had been privately chatting about some of the impossible things that occurred during the time they had been following Jesus, and they were having some doubt about the reality of it all. Just as we all sin today – from the preacher, to the faithful member in the pew or the guy who has chosen to never visit a church again in his lifetime, so it could be with us if told by Jesus that we could be the ones who would betray Him. In fact, we would probably start apologizing right away, because we know how possible it would be. Perhaps that’s how the disciples felt that night. What we do know is that one of Jesus’ closest disciples, Peter, swore up and down that he would never deny Jesus Christ, yet under the right conditions, he did exactly that. I believe for the Christian today, our doubts arise when we face the opposition, for how many of us truly stand up for our faith when hanging around a gang of friends who wants nothing to do with Jesus? Would we question, like the disciples did, about whether Jesus was referring to us, because of the guilt we felt very deep inside? So is there a way to improve on this, you might ask. I believe that Jesus knows everything about our nature, and He knows that we are prone to sin as long as we remain here on this earth among sinners. However, we know from His Word that Jesus loves us beyond anything we could ever imagine; we know that He gave of His very life as a substitution for our sin, so that we may appear before the Father spotless. So I am convinced that He also knows our heart and whether we are sincere in our relationship with Him. Friends, it’s not in saying certain words, attending a certain church, hanging around certain friends – although each of these certainly helps us to live a good life, but it’s really all about our heart, because our intent and our will is governed by what’s deep inside of our heart. A personal, sincere and dedicated relationship with Jesus helps you acquire the attributes that He teaches in His written Word. As we reach for perfection as a Christian, we should aim to live, speak and act just like Jesus did. From these qualities, Jesus will know what might come from our mouths and how we might act in the presence of worldly pressures. You could easily overcome doubt and guilt, friend, with the help of our Master and Lord! | |
| PRAYER: | |
| Lord Jesus, weak though we are when depending on inner strength, yet we serve an all powerful and Almighty God. Thank You for loving us enough to cluster us under Your wings and watch over us, and protect us from the evil of this world. Lord, we want to be just like You, and be Your witnesses here in this world. Please give us the strength, wisdom and boldness to be Your hands and Your feet even among those who oppose You. Help us to seek Your face, and develop such a relationship with You that we would constantly grow in the likeness of Jesus every day. AMEN! | |
| FOOTNOTE: | |
| There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog could indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and read more, or you may freely to subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us! | |
Inspired By The Holy Spirit
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Post Date: |
Saturday, 2017-05-27 |
| SCRIPTURE | |
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From: |
Mark 13:11 (Voice) |
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Text: |
11 When people bring you up on charges and it is your time to defend yourself, don’t worry about what message you’ll deliver. Whatever comes to your mind, speak it, because the Holy Spirit will inspire it. |
| OBSERVATION: | |
| Jesus had warned His disciples that there would be some very challenging times ahead, and I’m sure it must have put their minds in high gear wondering what they had gotten themselves into. The words that I bolded are words of encouragement that would have calmed the concerns of the disciples, just as they are for us today! | |
| APPLICATION: | |
| Imagine being told that the authorities will come after you, if they know that you are a Christian. Imagine being told that you would appear in court for being known as a ‘Child of God’, and that there are good chances that you will be mocked and made fun of, especially when asked to say what you believe and why you believe it. For some, this will not be a problem, because they have so committed themselves wholeheartedly to the Lord, that they will stand in town square, walk the busiest streets of the city, or go before the president or any king and boldly proclaim the name of the Lord, for there is no fear of man. For others, their lack of commitment to the Master over the years will quickly come through as they quickly turn away and disclaim the name of the Lord. Friends, what gives me an awesome sense of assurance, of comfort, of peace and restores my faith, is that from the lips of Jesus we hear, in response to our fears and doubts, the words “just speak it, for the Holy Spirit will inspire you”. I believe this also means that when those times come that we doubt whether we should go on mission for the Lord, He is comforting us with the words “just do it for me and with no selfish desire, and the Holy Spirit will protect and guide you”. Our biggest fears of witnessing for Jesus to our lost loved ones and friends, don’t you know that He would want His name proclaimed by each of us, and that He would quickly say “just do it my child, and the Holy Spirit will inspire you with the words”? Friends, our God is awesome and all powerful. He sent the Holy Spirit as our Comforter and Guide. Do you know Him? Do you feel the presence of the Holy Spirit as your Comforter and Guide? Please accept Jesus as your Lord and Master, and be assured of the Holy Spirit that will be with you constantly, especially when difficult times come. | |
| PRAYER: | |
| Thank You Heavenly Father for loving us enough to care for us and provide for us, especially in challenging times when most feel so inadequate and helpless. Thank You Holy Spirit for being our constant friend, comforter and guide. Lord, help us to be a confident people filled with Your grace, knowing that we are continuously inspired by the Holy Spirit, 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! | |
Means + Motive = True Generosity
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Post Date: |
Friday, 2017-05-26 |
| SCRIPTURE | |
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From: |
Mark 12:41-44 (ERV) |
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Text: |
41 Jesus sat near the Temple collection box and watched as people put money into it. Many rich people put in a lot of money. 42 Then a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth less than a penny.
43 Jesus called his followers to him and said, “This poor widow put in only two small coins. But the truth is, she gave more than all those rich people. 44 They have plenty, and they gave only what they did not need. This woman is very poor, but she gave all she had. It was money she needed to live on.” |
| OBSERVATION: | |
| Although Jesus had the advantage of knowing the heart and the intent of each person that gave that day, yet He saw a very obvious lesson in all this for His disciples, and consequently for you and I. Jesus was not dependent on the money that was given, for He proved over and over that He could do a lot with very little, or with nothing at all. He was more concerned about the heart of the giver. | |
| APPLICATION: | |
| I believe that one of the excuses most often used by those who don’t attend church, is that all the church or pastor is looking for is your money. It is very obvious that people find it very challenging, at best, to give charitably from their hard earned money, so let’s look closer at this in our study today. When you stop to consider the unemployed neighbor, or the hospitalized friend who has been out of work for six months, why do you suppose God saw, in His great mercy, to allow you the good health, and the job opportunity to earn a living for your family? So how much of that income can you give Him thanks for? So why again do you feel 100% of it belongs to you, with your choice about where to spend it? And why again do you feel like it is so unfair of God to even suggest that you give 10% of that income to His work? Friends, God has a plan for your life, and for His church. I am convinced that His work will be accomplished with, or without you or I, however I am also convinced that God would rather see nothing more than His children participate in His work and celebrate the blessings as He pours them on us. Don’t let Satan mess with your mind and try to convince you that $100 of that $1,000 bonus you just got is too much to put into the hands of your local church. Don’t believe Satan’s lies that the church is just greedy for your money, more than anything else. When you start looking at that, you have lost sight of the reason you are giving. If you withhold from, or lose the joy of giving, because of all the lies Satan will try to convince you of, will you also look to Satan in your time of need? May I suggest that you consider giving God ALL of you, then you will appreciate the 90% of your income that He allows you to manage your earthly affairs with. It’s all about your relationship with God, friend, and what God will do for you, and absolutely nothing at all about what you feel He wants to rob you of. God’s in the business of blessing His children, not robbing them. Give Him yourself, and watch His blessings flow into each area of your life, even in your finances. | |
| PRAYER: | |
| Lord Jesus, You gave it all for us, even to Your very own life. Please open our eyes and remind us once again that it takes all of us to get all of You in return. Most of us really don’t like to do things half heartedly, so with Your help may we recommit ourselves to You in totality, especially in the one area of our life that seems to bug us most, our finances. Lord, we desire more of You in our lives and in our family and in our church. Please begin with us, even now. 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 