|
Post Date: |
Tuesday, 2017-08-22 |
| SCRIPTURE | |
|
From: |
Luke 17:30-36 (TLB) |
|
Text: |
30 Yes, it will be ‘business as usual’ right up to the hour of my return. 31 “Those away from home that day must not return to pack; those in the fields must not return to town— 32 remember what happened to Lot’s wife! 33 Whoever clings to his life shall lose it, and whoever loses his life shall save it. 34 That night two men will be asleep in the same room, and one will be taken away, the other left. 35-36 Two women will be working together at household tasks; one will be taken, the other left; and so it will be with men working side by side in the fields.” |
| OBSERVATION: | |
| The word “apocalypse” comes from the Greek word apokalypto, meaning “to appear,” that occurs here. Jesus’ sudden appearing at the Second Coming will constitute the greatest apocalypse in history. When it begins it will not help to flee for cover – like many did yesterday in the USA with the eclipse. Everyone was told not to look at the sun during the time that the eclipse occurred. At the time of the apocalypse it will matter whether you have been looking forward to the return of the SON and whether you know Him as Savior and Lord. In the eclipse you stood a chance of losing your eyesight if you were careless about looking at the sun without eye protection. With apocalypse you stand to lose your life if you are unprepared to receive the King of all kings, Jesus Christ. | |
| APPLICATION: | |
| The most common answer for most people to the question “How was your day?”, is ” It was business as usual”. Interesting, because those are the words used by Scripture to drill into us what our state of readiness should be for the return of Christ. I believe this means that my work calendar may not be as critical as it appears to be every day. In other words, if I don’t remember an appointment, a reminder will pop up on my computer screen reminding me of that meeting. My lunch hour is marked on my calendar so someone doesn’t make a vain trip to my office during that time. I prepare ahead for most of my meetings, and I prepare well ahead by packing a lunch and taking it with me each morning. Why we could have even put the eclipse on our calendars, and purchased protective glasses in advance, because scientists had calculated precise times for various points in the country. To the contrary, Jesus said that not even He knows the day or the hour of His return, however He teaches throughout Scripture that when He appears (apocalypse), He will gather those who are prepared and ready to go. Then how and when should we be ready for that? I’m so glad you asked, because an apocalypse sounds nothing like the Hurricane Tracking Station watching a weather disturbance begin off the coast of Africa, then turn into a tropical depression several days later, then a hurricane that appears to be heading for a highly populated area of our country, giving us several days of warnings and preparation time. If God is the only One who knows when His Son will appear, and we know from His Word that He is returning for a prepared people, then it behooves us to be ready right now, in case He decides to return before breakfast, or perhaps while we’re at lunch or even in that important long scheduled meeting this afternoon. There’s nothing to pack, like we would for a trip or a long absence from home. There’s no planning for boarding the pets or announcing to the neighbors. The Bible says that Jesus will come for one purpose only – to take His children home to glory. ‘His children’ are composed of those who accepted His lordship before He returns. If you have done that, then you are ready for the apocalypse. If not, your chance will end in a instant – when He appears. There is nothing we can prepare ahead of time, other than our heart. Be obedient to the call of Jesus and accept Him as Lord and Savior, and you will be saved – according to the Scripture. Your changed life will overflow with evidence of that and Jesus will include you in the number that He will return to take with Him to heaven. Those who fail to do this will not remain with business as usual, for Satan will begin turning up the heat as he introduces you to your new home – Hell. I write this blog everyday hoping that you will not be left behind friend. Please read my Footnote and take advantage of the hyperlinks to help you change your life today, please? | |
| PRAYER: | |
| Lord Jesus Your Word is clear that You will return to collect Your own to spend eternity around Your throne in heaven with You and the Father. You have given us, what seems like an eternity, to recognize our need for the Savior, and to surrender our life of sin to the only One capable of washing our slate clean, and therefore presenting ourselves holy and righteous before our awesome God. Thank You for the provision dear Jesus, and thank You for hearing my heart’s cry for forgiveness. Please guide me to be an ambassador for You before a lost and dying world. I ask that You also touch the heart of each reader today, so that they may have the same assurance as I do, so that together we may meet at Your heavenly throne as we bow before You and the Father. Should You return before this blog hits the internet highway, or at any time You decide. May we be ready to go! May Your name be exalted today by Your children, and may You be sought earnestly by those who have doubts about their state of readiness. This is my heart-cry today oh Lord. AMEN! | |
| FOOTNOTE: | |
| There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog could indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and read more, or you may freely to subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us! | |
Tag: Know Jesus
A Faith That Heals and Saves
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Post Date: |
Monday, 2017-08-21 |
| SCRIPTURE | |
|
From: |
Luke 17:14-19 (MSG) |
|
Text: |
14-16 Taking a good look at them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.”They went, and while still on their way, became clean. One of them, when he realized that he was healed, turned around and came back, shouting his gratitude, glorifying God. He kneeled at Jesus’ feet, so grateful. He couldn’t thank him enough—and he was a Samaritan.
17-19 Jesus said, “Were not ten healed? Where are the nine? Can none be found to come back and give glory to God except this outsider?” Then he said to him, “Get up. On your way. Your faith has healed and saved you.” |
| OBSERVATION: | |
| This is known as the story of the Ten Lepers. Leprosy is a dreaded decease where those afflicted were placed outside the city gates in order not to infect others. However these 10 lepers had heard about Jesus, and had some hope that He would heal them, if only they could get close enough to let Jesus know their heart’s cry. This happened as they had hoped and wished for, but the healing demanded a lot of faith from the lepers. Let’s examine this closer and see what God might say to us through His Word…. | |
| APPLICATION: | |
| For every person that passed within eye-shod of these lepers, I’m sure that 99.99% of them turned their heads and went on their way to avoid any type of contact with this dreaded decease. However, just as He does when He looks at the sinner today, Jesus looked beyond the physical needs of these lepers and saw the cry of their hearts; their desperate need; and their sincere need of salvation and healing. For the lepers, I could only imagine that the words of an old gospel hymn may have been written based on their mindset: ‘Where could I go but to the Lord’. I want us to look very carefully at the way this healing was performed. Without anything changing in their lives, the lepers were told by Jesus to go and show themselves to the priests. To humanly look at their skin, nothing had changed, yet they obeyed Jesus by going to the priests, as demanded. How many of you would be prepared to do that? Imagine that in one of your church services, one comes forward for prayer with obvious signs of an incurable skin decease, and I have researched and found that in spite of today’s excellent research and medical advancements, there are still incurable skin deceases. So after much prayer by your pastor, elders and leaders of your church, the pastor jumps up and demands that the afflicted ones leave at once and confirm with their doctors that they have been completely healed. As the afflicted look at their skin and notice that nothing has changed, what do you suppose they will do? As the congregation looks on, do you suppose they will stop praying and start celebrating? The Bible says that nothing occurred until the lepers started their journey towards the priests to whom they were sent, but the important lesson is that they acted on their faith in the healing process. If they had not, they would have gone back to their caves and brushed aside all they had heard about Jesus as a farce. Friends, if we believe on the One who died for our sin, then we must be willing to act on our faith. When we do, we will earnestly pray for those in need of healing, and when we ourselves are pressed with hardship and affliction, we will quickly follow the Master’s commands, in faith, knowing that only Jesus can heal, and only He can love the vilest sinner as His very own righteous son/daughter. Do you know this Jesus of whom I have spoken in this blog, friend? If you don’t, or are unsure, please click on the link in my Footnote entitled ‘To Know Jesus’, otherwise follow the other tips noted in my Footnote. Jesus loves you friend, and He want’s You to place your trust in Him. Whether you have never accepted Jesus as Lord, or if you are facing leprosy, cancer or some other decease, Jesus loves you and would like to see you surrender your life and your circumstances to Him. May I encourage you to seek the face of Jesus today for whatever you may be facing? | |
| PRAYER: | |
| Lord Jesus, thank You for loving us in spite of who we are and all that we may have done in our lifetime. You cared about the lepers who cried out to You, and I am convinced that You care for each of Your children who call on You today. Thank You for loving us unconditionally. Please guide us to a love like that, so that we may not only love You in the same way, but also our fellow man. Your willingness to heal men who were rejected by society, is yet one more reminder that You also love each of us today, and would be willing to heal us if we call on You. Oh that we will show our appreciation by allowing You control of our lives. 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! | |
Willing To Forgive
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Post Date: |
Saturday, 2017-08-19 |
| SCRIPTURE | |
|
From: |
Luke 17:1-4 (CEV) |
|
Text: |
1 Jesus said to his disciples: There will always be something that causes people to sin. But anyone who causes them to sin is in for trouble. A person who causes even one of my little followers to sin 2 would be better off thrown into the ocean with a heavy stone tied around their neck. 3 So be careful what you do.
Correct any followers of mine who sin, and forgive the ones who say they are sorry. 4 Even if one of them mistreats you seven times in one day and says, “I am sorry,” you should still forgive that person. |
| OBSERVATION: | |
| Jesus knew that there were believers who looked down on others, and even in the case of other new believers they would do things to temp them, rather than offer a hand up, or an encouraging word to help them overcome. Additionally, Jesus knew that there were some who struggled with forgiveness, especially when being asked for forgiveness more than once. I bet if you hadn’t read the Scripture reference you may have thought that this was a sermon addressed to Christians today! Let’s look into the application. | |
| APPLICATION: | |
| I believe that as each of us read scriptures such as this one today, we quickly reflect on that relative that struggles with similar issues to those addressed by Jesus, or perhaps a neighbor or a friend. I’m sure there are folk who told us, or told the church, that they had given their hearts to the Lord, and we walked away thinking “right, I’ll have to see it to believe it”. Jesus wanted to make sure that He expects us to help lift that young Christian up, encourage them, love on them so that they may be assured of the fellowship of the saints – brothers and sisters of the same Father. Knowing that Jesus has perfect insight into a person’s heart, and that He died on the cross so that ALL might come to Him for salvation, He doesn’t expect us to understand or even analyze how Jesus could possibly accept this person or that person. For His ways are not our ways. We tend to look at how a change of heart might affect that person’s relationship with us, but Jesus looks at that person just as He looked at us when we came to Him for salvation. We all came to the cross in just the same condition – sinners. Jesus saved us and redeemed us of our sin, so that we are all equal at the foot of the cross. Who are we to look down our noses and think otherwise? Jesus gave a pretty serious warning for those who try to cause a young Christian to stumble – the consequence would be as serious as death, for He said that it would be just as if you were thrown overboard with a heavy rock around your neck. Jesus went on to warn us of another sin that could be very serious for us. I’ve heard fellow believers say that a Christian Brother or Sister hurt them and later sought forgiveness. They forgave them once, but they will never trust them again or get close to that person again. I believe verse 4 is telling us that it’s not our job to bring judgment on another believer. If they ask forgiveness, it is our Christian obligation to forgive them. In fact, if they don’t ask forgiveness, it is our Christian responsibility to approach them as a friend, a helper, a prayer warrior, a brother or sister, who will work with them and pray with them to overcome the thing that we see going on in their life. I’m afraid that we could teach this lesson at least once a day to ourselves and others who would acknowledge similar challenges in their lives. What about you friend? Will you be able to stand in front of our Father shoulder to shoulder with that brother or sister that you felt on earth was not the perfect Christian and handle the rebuke from the Father? I would much prefer hearing God say, ‘well done good and faithful servant, for you did what I commanded’. | |
| PRAYER: | |
| Lord I humbly approach Your throne today, knowing that these very things taught in the Scriptures seem impossible to us, because our culture has led us in to a very selfish and judgmental lifestyle. Lord, we need more of You in more of us, so that our families, our churches, our towns, states and country will live more aligned with Your teachings and commands. My readers and I acknowledge that You are the only way, and in believing that we have an obligation to live according to Your commands. Lord, this is contrary to the ways of this world in which we live, so this becomes very challenging. Please work with us and guide us to all truth and give us wisdom and strength to be obedient to You in every way. All glory to You oh King eternal. AMEN! | |
| FOOTNOTE: | |
| There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog could indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and read more, or you may freely to subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us! | |
The Desire For, and Joy of Restoration
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Post Date: |
Friday, 2017-08-18 |
| SCRIPTURE | |
|
From: |
Psalm 51:7-13 (TLB) |
|
Text: |
7 Sprinkle me with the cleansing blood and I shall be clean again. Wash me and I shall be whiter than snow. 8 And after you have punished me, give me back my joy again. 9 Don’t keep looking at my sins—erase them from your sight. 10 Create in me a new, clean heart, O God, filled with clean thoughts and right desires. 11 Don’t toss me aside, banished forever from your presence. Don’t take your Holy Spirit from me. 12 Restore to me again the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you. 13 Then I will teach your ways to other sinners,…… |
| OBSERVATION: | |
| David had sinned in his acts with Bathsheba and in the murder of her husband. Terrible sins for which many would be challenged to forgive. But there came a time that David knew that if he would ever expect to see the joy of his relationship with God restored, then he needed to seek forgiveness from Him first of all. And when things were right with God, David could then go in boldness to seek forgiveness of others he may have hurt. It’s only with a clean and upright heart that David could truly be a witness again for God. | |
| APPLICATION: | |
| Like David, I believe that many Christians suffer today in their witness for God because of sin that they know is hiding in their life, but may feel it is tucked away and unknown to most people, maybe even God. Friends, let me remind you that nothing is hidden from God, so if you have un-confessed sin, you may as well break down the walls of pride and self-will, seek God’s face, and have a little talk with Him. Just as David feared that his sin may have been impacting his people, you may be surprised to hear how your sin may have walls built around you that prevent your witness being evident; your love being experienced; and the warmth and power of God’s love being expressed through you. David wanted to be an influence for his God and spread the joy that God brings to the Christian, but for some reason that just doesn’t happen through a broken vessel filled with sin. David remembered the sweet, open and rich fellowship that he enjoyed with God and he badly wanted that relationship restored. I truly believe that God desires that of each one of us that are separated from Him by sin. But friends, may I suggest that if you are not deeply desiring to see that relationship restored, there may never have been one? I know, you were a deacon in your church, or you may have been in the choir, or you may have attended every service while a certain pastor was at your church. Don’t be fooled by this, for our church doors, like many other churches, are opened to whosoever will come. None of what I mentioned are qualifications for making you right with God. The Bible is very clear on this, and I would encourage you to click on the link in my Footnote ‘To Know Jesus’ to be reminded of what the Bible says. When you truly ask God to forgive you of your sin, and you develop a loving relationship with Him, it turns into a daily communion with Him. You bless Him with your praises and thanksgiving, and He blesses You with endless goodness and mercy to live each day looking more and more like Him. That’s the kind of life you will long for if it is broken by sin that causes you to wander. Seek God my friend and ask Him what stands in the way of your relationship with Him, if anything. Then work it out with Him. This brings joy to any soul willing to ask and follow through with His demands! | |
| PRAYER: | |
| Lord Jesus, oh how sweet the name! Lord Jesus, the name that is above all names! The name represented by perfect love, and a relationship that is only damaged by our sin. Churches have hundreds on their membership roles, yet they are seldom full. This makes me think that there are broken relationships with You that result in them staying away instead of seeking restoration with You. Lord please work on Your flock first. Allow us to draw closer to You and commune with You each and every day, so that as we speak with the unsaved, we will give in to Your Holy Spirit and speak from personal experience, if appropriate. To You oh Lord be all glory, honor and praise! AMEN! | |
| FOOTNOTE: | |
| There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog could indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and read more, or you may freely to subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us! | |
Celebration Time!!
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Post Date: |
Wednesday, 2017-08-15 |
| SCRIPTURE | |
|
From: |
Luke 15:6-10 (ERV) |
|
Text: |
6 …. go to your friends and neighbors and say to them, ‘Be happy with me because I found my lost sheep!’ 7 In the same way, I tell you, heaven is a happy place when one sinner decides to change. There is more joy for that one sinner than for 99 good people who don’t need to change. …. 9 And when she finds it, she will call her friends and neighbors and say to them, ‘Be happy with me because I have found the coin that I lost!’ 10 In the same way, it’s a happy time for the angels of God when one sinner decides to change.” |
| OBSERVATION: | |
| Can you imagine the joy that we feel when we hear the good news that one whom we have prayed for, surrendered their hearts to Jesus? Now top that off with the party the angels have when they rejoice around the throne in heaven! It’s ‘Celebration Time’ on earth and in heaven when a lost person accepts the call of Jesus upon their life! To God be the glory! | |
| APPLICATION: | |
| Many parents pray for, and worry about their children who are opposed to surrendering their lives to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. There are many children who do the same for hardened parents. We all have friends that we love dearly and we are concerned about their eternal destination. But friends I want to challenge you and I to take our prayer responsibility way more serious for unsaved loved ones. Let me explain: Does it happen at your house, like it does at mine, that when we lose something we value, we call in all family members resident in our home, and we begin a search that sometimes result in emptying certain draws, moving furniture around, looking under lose objects, etc. You know similar to the two stories in our Scripture today? There’s usually a time of rejoicing when we all find the missing object – often exactly where we then remember placing it!!! Well, imagine if we were that concerned about our lost family and friends? Imagine if we called in the troops for regular prayer meetings to pray for God to soften their hearts to the point of surrendering to Him? Imagine if we asked God to melt our hearts and help us to live such godly lives in front of them that they would want the same thing (the same One) that made a difference in us? Now imagine your lost friend(s) accepting your invitation to join you at church one weekend, and the anticipation that would build in your soul as you look for them to walk the isle and accept your risen Lord! Can you see where a huge celebration might break out? Imagine for a moment that every time things quiet down a little in your rejoicing, you could still hear the angels around the throne singing, praising God and celebrating like you could never have imagined? Friends if there ever was a glorious worship service that was unplanned or organized into the order of service, that would be it! Let’s get busy praying for that brothers and sisters! It’s super important! | |
| PRAYER: | |
| Heavenly Father, as I stop and reflect back to the night that I surrendered my heart to You, I never knew about the celebration that was going on by the angels and those who played a part in my life up to that point. The times of encouragement from my parents; The lessons taught by Sunday School teachers; Words of encouragement from church leaders and elders of my community; VBS teachers who probably thought that they were going through the motion with us kids but not really having an impact. Now that we have many that we unknowingly mentor, teach or model for, I pray that we will seek the power of God to allow us to represent Him perfectly so that nothing is lost in the translation of something we might carelessly say or portray in our actions. Help us to be the eyes, feet and heart of Jesus in every way, knowing that others are following in our footsteps and they need to know You personally. Thanks be to God. 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! | |
About Your Priorities
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Post Date: |
Monday, 2017-08-14 |
| SCRIPTURE | |
|
From: |
Luke 14:16-20 (TLB) |
|
Text: |
16 Jesus replied with this illustration: “A man prepared a great feast and sent out many invitations. 17 When all was ready, he sent his servant around to notify the guests that it was time for them to arrive. 18 But they all began making excuses. One said he had just bought a field and wanted to inspect it, and asked to be excused. 19 Another said he had just bought five pair of oxen and wanted to try them out. 20 Another had just been married and for that reason couldn’t come. |
| OBSERVATION: | |
| One of the disciples sitting with Jesus was reflecting on the joy that would be theirs as they are welcomed into the kingdom. Jesus demonstrated how easy it is for the non-committed to find excuses, because of other things that suddenly consume their time. This still happens today, so this teaches a valuable lesson to us. | |
| APPLICATION: | |
| Throughout life we hear it over and over about how busy we’ve become and how we need to cancel some of our plans because of other more important things that have since developed. Our most common excuse for not doing certain things for God, or for the church, or for the pastor, is we just don’t have the time. To help you get your priorities straight, may I suggest that in lieu of not having time, that you always respond “that was not a priority for me”. Think about it, the meaning is the same, but I believe it more accurately reflects what we allowed to happen in our lives. Suppose God directed me to visit someone in hospital, to encourage them and pray with them. However before my visit I received a call from a friend who wanted me to take a leisurely ride in a beautiful boat near by. Realizing how badly I need some relaxation in my life, I accept the ride in the boat. I can truly say to the friend in hospital that I really didn’t have time to visit yesterday, or I can more accurately say to him that I didn’t make my visit a priority and it got missed. It would really hurt to say the latter, but we do that all the time with things that we promise to God. It’s almost like we promise something to God under the premise that it will be done, if nothing more important comes up. But, standing before God on Judgment Day, do you feel like you could honestly tell the King of all kings and Lord of all lords; the Creator of this universe and you and me; the one who knows ever deed and thought we ever had; that He was always top priority in our lives? Think about it friends. The example in our Scripture was over attending a dinner. Would we have responded any differently if the Savior was inviting us to dine with Him? | |
| PRAYER: | |
| Lord Jesus, please let our yea be yea and our nah be nah. May You always be top priority in our lives, and may we earn the respect of those that we mix with as being a child of the King in every aspect of our lives. Thank You Lord Jesus for making us Your top priority in everything Your did, including Your sacrificial death on the cross. Lord, we are looking forward to dining with You one day in glory! Come soon Lord Jesus! AMEN! | |
| FOOTNOTE: | |
| There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog could indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and read more, or you may freely to subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us! | |
Sin Will Hold Back God’s Hand of Blessing
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Post Date: |
Wednesday, 2017-08-09 |
| SCRIPTURE | |
|
From: |
Joshua 7:13 (TLB) |
|
Text: |
13 “Get up! Tell the people, ‘Each of you must undergo purification rites in preparation for tomorrow, for the Lord your God of Israel says that someone has stolen from him, and you cannot defeat your enemies until you deal with this sin. |
| OBSERVATION: | |
| When God sent Joshua and the Israelites to conquer Jericho, He gave specific instructions to them about what should be destroyed (pretty much everything), and what must be brought back for the temple of the living God (silver and gold). God knew that there were some who disobeyed Him and brought back valuables for themselves. They sinned against God. Because of this unconfessed sin, God chose to see the Israelites punished when they went to battle against the people of Ai. | |
| APPLICATION: | |
| In chapter 7 of Joshua, we could see where the sinful acts mentioned above was performed by one person, yet God allowed many of the Israelite army to be killed by the very small army of Ai. Joshua was crushed by this and he mourned and prayed before God. Of course, God knew who was guilty, but He found a way to show the Israelites that it all boiled down to one man who then confessed his sin before God and the people. This made me think of how this applies to us today. Friends, we often sit and ponder why certain things happen to us, our church, our town, our state and even our country. We are quick to judge that it must be our run-away child that’s bringing judgment on our home; or the pastors and leaders of our church who make bad judgment calls that, in turn, causes churches to close its doors; or perhaps the president of a country who is so awful that our country is going to Hell. Friends, I don’t believe that we have to look very far, for often there is sin right within our own lives, even though we try our best to portray perfection. One of the very sad truths that come from this story is that, the sins of one man destroyed his whole family, a fair number of his army, and wreaked havoc on his leader who was totally heartbroken about what was happening under his leadership. Often we think that our absence from church is unnoticeable and our sin is insignificant because it only impacts us personally, but isn’t it a good reminder that our lack of commitment and our willingness to do our own thing, could impact a whole family; a whole church; or a whole lot more? We must remember friends, that a Christian might influence those around him into accepting Jesus as Lord, or he might be so hardened and obstinate towards God that he causes God’s anger to flare against a whole church or community because of his selfish and sinful attitude. You do make a difference friend, so seek the face of Jesus to help you be all that you have committed to Him, and more. Allow God to make you a usable vessel in His vineyard and not a roadblock to others. | |
| PRAYER: | |
| Lord Jesus, thank You for showing Your love towards us, even while we were still sinners without any hope. Representing You before our lost family and friends is such a great honor and privilege, but please help us to always be mindful that we could very easily become an ‘Achan’ as we take our eyes off You and allow sin to filter into our lives again. I don’t believe that anyone desires to be like ‘Achan’, so please help us Lord to stay closely in tuned with You so that our hearts will recognize when Satan tries to attack. We are Yours Lord, and we want to keep it that way until You call us home to glory, but we need You to guide us daily, and we need Your strength to help us make decisions that honor You. The glory belongs to You 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! | |
A Reminder of Who our God Is
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Post Date: |
Monday, 2017-08-07 |
| SCRIPTURE | |
|
From: |
Joshua 4:21-24 (TLB) |
|
Text: |
21 Then Joshua explained again the purpose of the stones: “In the future,” he said, “when your children ask you why these stones are here and what they mean, 22 you are to tell them that these stones are a reminder of this amazing miracle—that the nation of Israel crossed the Jordan River on dry ground! 23 Tell them how the Lord our God dried up the river right before our eyes and then kept it dry until we were all across! It is the same thing the Lord did forty years ago at the Red Sea! 24 He did this so that all the nations of the earth will realize that Jehovah is the mighty God, and so that all of you will worship him forever.” |
| OBSERVATION: | |
| God performed many miracles for the Israelites as he brought them across the desert from Egypt to the land He had promised them for their freedom. In wanting these miracles to be burnt into their minds and referred back to often, God demanded that they build a memorial in, and near the Jordan River crossing so that if they forget to tell their children, they themselves will see the memorial and ask about it’s purpose. God still acts miraculously in our lives today, so let’s examine if we might learn something to apply from this experience! | |
| APPLICATION: | |
| Cemeteries are plastered with memorials of loved ones buried there. Some tomb stones are simple, with the name and dates between which the person lived, while others may have a favorite saying of the individual or their favorite verse. Crosses, flowers and placards naming person(s) killed in a car crash are often seen along road-sides. Huge memorials are placed at military cemeteries marking the names of individuals who served and died while defending our country in war. National disasters, such as the 9-11 event have similar huge memorials established. However, what do we do to preserve the memories of the huge evangelistic events, such as the one where God spoke to our heart and where many miracles may have been witnessed? Many great things may have been said at the funeral of your grandfather, but how will those things be related to your grandchildren many years down the road? Our memories seem to be getting shorter and shorter as we depend on computers more and more! It might be good for us to do something like Joshua did and place a marker, or a memorial about certain highlights in our lives, so that our children, grandchildren and future generations might be told of that awesome miracle that God performed in our lives. Hearing our story might be the exact encouragement that a relative or friend needs when they are drifting away from God or beginning to question His awesome power. Friends, we may never encounter a Red Sea or Jordan River miracle like Joshua and his people did, but as God personalizes our miracle, it sure would be good to establish a memorial of that miracle, if for no other reason than to cause family and friends to ask you about it when they visit – giving you the opportunity to brag on God and His awesome miracles in your life. Don’t feel like you will be bragging on yourself, for there was nothing that Joshua and his thousands of men did to help hold the Jordan River waters back while they all crossed to the other side on a dry river bed. Only God can receive the praise for that! | |
| PRAYER: | |
| Heavenly Father, we are often overwhelmed by the miracle-working God that we serve, for Your Word relays incident after incident of Your great power. These miracles still happen today, because You are still alive and very active in the lives of Your children. Help us to stop attributing Your wondrous works to things such as good luck; or the good doctors; or happen-chance. If we have faith to trust in You enough to ask for Your divine help, then please help us to be bold in declaring Your miracles that You might perform to help us through a situation. Just as You proved Yourself faithful to Joshua and the Israelites, we know without a doubt that You can do it again for us, no matter what our need might be! Praise to our awesome God! 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 Miracle Working God!
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Post Date: |
Friday, 2017-08-04 |
| SCRIPTURE | |
|
From: |
Joshua 3:14-17 (TLB) |
|
Text: |
14 …..it was the harvest season and the Jordan was overflowing all its banks; but as the people set out to cross the river and as the feet of the priests who were carrying the Ark touched the water at the river’s edge, 15-16 suddenly, far up the river at the city of Adam, near Zarethan, the water began piling up as though against a dam! And the water below that point flowed on to the Dead Sea until the riverbed was empty. Then all the people crossed at a spot where the river was close to the city of Jericho, 17 and the priests who were carrying the Ark stood on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan and waited as all the people passed by. |
| OBSERVATION: | |
| At this point, Moses had died, and Joshua was about to begin one of his greatest challenges – getting the Ark of the Covenant and the people across the Jordan River. However, Joshua had the leading hand of God directing his path, and the awesome, powerful hand of God making a pathway for he and his people. In Joshua’s eyes, there were huge obstacles in the pathway, but with God all things are possible. We have similar scenarios in our lives, so let’s see how we could apply this…. | |
| APPLICATION: | |
| Like me, I’m sure there are times that you look at life’s obstacles and question yourself about how you will overcome this problem or the next. I believe that the first thing we must analyze is whether our dilemma is strictly a personal one, or whether we sought God’s guidance throughout every aspect of the project that we now feel stuck on. There can be obstacles in both scenarios that seem way larger than anything we could handle. For those things that you brought before Jesus before you ever began, and have felt guided by Him every step of the way, let me encourage you to hold fast to what God has led you through so far. When He is ready for you to move on, He will give you further instructions. Remember, God will never lead you to something that He’s not prepared to lead you through! As for the cases that you started on your own and have been trying to accomplish on your own, please never be afraid to go before our awesome God and apologize for being out there in left field on your own. Ask God if this is something that you should abandon or do differently. Invite Him to join you on your journey and to redirect you, if necessary. Friends, God held the river waters back so that His people might go safely across the Jordan River on dry land. Do you think there is any problem or challenge that He can’t easily handle for you? There is no need to worry or be anxious when God is on our side, Surrender yourself, your troubles and your trials to Him so that He might lead, guide and direct you my friend. He’s got this! | |
| PRAYER: | |
| Lord Jesus, thank You for Your awesome power, love and guidance that You carefully display towards Your children at just the right times. You have helped many cope with loss of loved ones, guided some to foreign lands, helped many across troubled waters, healed the sick and comforted the broken hearted. In spite of all this, yet we doubt when things are not moving in the direction we choose or at the speed we prefer. Thank You Lord for loving us like Your very own children, and thank You for Your promise to be with us until the very end. Help us to be forever grateful and appreciative and to always seek Your face first, before making our decisions and our moves. 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! | |
Leadership Qualities
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Post Date: |
Thursday, 2017-08-03 |
| SCRIPTURE | |
|
From: |
Joshua 1:6-9 (TLB) |
|
Text: |
6 “Be strong and brave, for you will be a successful leader of my people; and they shall conquer all the land I promised to their ancestors. 7 You need only to be strong and courageous and to obey to the letter every law Moses gave you, for if you are careful to obey every one of them, you will be successful in everything you do. 8 Constantly remind the people about these laws, and you yourself must think about them every day and every night so that you will be sure to obey all of them. For only then will you succeed. 9 Yes, be bold and strong! Banish fear and doubt! For remember, the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” |
| OBSERVATION: | |
| Moses was a proven entity, for he brought upwards of 1 million Israelites through 40 years in the wilderness, where they learned to trust God for food, shelter and all life saving things. Joshua was now faced with the awesome responsibility of finishing the journey to get the people safely into their new country. However, his God had excellent advice and encouragement for him – Be bold and courageous – strong, because the God all powerful was with him. | |
| APPLICATION: | |
| Trying to fill the shoes of Moses was probably like one who is looking up at a grand mountain that you are seriously questioning how to get over or around it. I’m sure that this would be a daunting task for Joshua, from a self confidence point of view, and for the people from a trust stand-point. But for Joshua, chosen by God to complete this awesome task, he was given assurances by God. In just 4 short verses, God told him to be bold; courageous; strong; and brave – all characteristics of a warrior leader. But more than that just to be assured that the Lord God would be with Him. I’m sure this was comforting for Joshua because surely he witnessed God at work in many wonderful ways while Moses led the group. Friends the difference between a godly leader and the best educated and prepared leader of the world, is that God is the only one that knows what’s up ahead; the only one who fought battles for His leaders when they felt overwhelmed or outnumbered. So how or why is this done, you might ask. As we have seen in the Bible on many occasions, when we surrender ourselves, including our self-will to God, and submit ourselves to do what is commanded by our God, then He will lead us in the right path, prepare us for battle, and overshadow the enemy. Friends, we are a victorious people because of our awesome leader – our Lord and Savior – the God who created this universe and everything in it. I would encourage you to know God personally today so that you might gain the assurance of depending on One that you trust in every battle or circumstance of life. It’s a personal thing, but perhaps the tips offered in my ‘Footnote’ might help you! Of course, I would be thrilled to pray with you about this important decision also friend! | |
| PRAYER: | |
| Lord Jesus, we face daunting tasks and decisions every day. We leave our homes each day and even though we may have our day mapped out on the best calendar, only You know what lies ahead for us. But Lord, as Your obedient children, we place our hand in yours, we depend wholly and solely on You to be our protector, our guide and our everlasting Father. Thank You Lord for loving us unconditionally. 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 