Scripture Nugget 8.22.2016

“The days are surely coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant that I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt – a covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, says the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. No longer shall they teach one another, or say to each other, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, says the LORD; for I will forgive their iniquity, and remember their sin no more.” Jeremiah 31:31-34 “Then he took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’ And he did the same with the cup after supper, saying, ‘This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood. But see, the one who betrays me is with me, and his hand is on the table. For the Son of Man is going as it has been determined, but woe to that one by whom he is betrayed!’ Then they began to ask one another which one of them it could be who would do this.” Luke 22:19-23

Have I/you entered in to the new Covenant completely? If there is any sin in me/you? If so, then it is I/you who is the betrayer. Good News! The Lord says, “for I will forgive their iniquity, and remember their sin no more.” O Sister, O Brother repent and believe the Lord! Enter into the covenant, receive the forgiveness offered through God’s grace. Live fully into the potential of the possibilities of life lived in God’s grace.

Scripture Nugget 8.20.2016

“Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! Says the LORD. … In the prophets of Samaria I saw a disgusting thing: they prophesied by Baal and led my people astray. But in the prophets of Jerusalem I have seen a more shocking thing: they commit adultery and walk in lies; they strengthen the hands of evildoers, so that no one turns from wickedness; all of them have become like Sodom to me, and its inhabitants like Gomorrah. Therefore thus says the LORD of hosts concerning the prophets: I am going to make them eat wormwood, and give them poisoned water to drink; for from the prophets of Jerusalem ungodliness has spread throughout the land.” Jeremiah 23:1, 13-15

Who do I follow? Where do I lead others? Those called by God to lead will lead others to God and into Godliness not into evil and ungodliness. Assess your journey, who do you follow? Where do you lead others? I ask the flocks I serve to follow me, only because I follow Jesus. I also ask them to follow me at a distance so they can question me when it appears I may have made a wrong turn. Oh that we all sheep and shepherd stay within the boundaries of God’s pasture!

Scripture Nugget 8.18.2016

“Blessed are those who trust in the LORD, whose trust is the LORD. They shall be like a tree planted by water, sending out its roots by the stream. It shall not fear when heat comes, and its leaves shall stay green; in the year of drought it is not anxious, and it does not cease to bear fruit. The heart is devious above else; it is perverse – who can understand it? I the LORD test the mind and search the heart, to give to all according to their ways, according to the fruit of their doings.” Jeremiah 17:7-10

An honest assessment of my life uncovers times of producing little to no fruit, times of producing bitter fruit as well as times of producing rich juicy plentiful fruit. The times of no fruit are caused by planting myself away from Jesus, the water of life; the times of bitter fruit are caused by planting myself next to bitter toxic ponds of static water, but the times of fruit are when I am rooted right next to the living water God provides. Oh that each moment God may test my heart and mind and find them full of love, grace, and mercy. That I always be about producing good fruit! Fruit formed by God’s Holy Spirit always present and never quenched in my life. May the same be for you!

Scripture Nugget 8.17.2016

“For as the loincloth clings to one’s loins, so I made the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah cling to me, says the LORD, in order that they might be for me a people, a name, a praise, and a glory. But they would not listen. … Hear and give ear; do not be haughty for the LORD has spoken. Give glory to the LORD your God before he brings darkness, and before your feet stumble on the mountains at twilight; while you look for light, he turns it into gloom and makes it deep darkness. But if you will listen, my soul will weep in secret for your pride; my eyes will weep bitterly and run down with tears, because the LORD’s flock has been taken captive.” Jeremiah 13:11, 15-17

Why would I refuse to be God’s person, God’s name, God’s praise and God’s glory, when that is God’s stated desire? Not just for me, but for all! Why do we close our ears and not respond? Certainly to “be for me a people, a name, a praise, and a glory” is much better than to be stumbling around in the dark! O that I and each of you respond to God’s grace and enter fully into the relationship God desires to have with us! To what do I/you cling? To whom or what do we hope?

Scripture Nugget 8.11.2016

“Seek the LORD while he may be found, call upon him while he is near; let the wicked forsake their way, and the unrighteous their thoughts; let them return to the LORD, that he may have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:6-9

Redemption and pardon are possible by God’s grace. But notice what is required. Sinners (the wicked and unrighteous) must forsake their ways and thoughts – repentance. Yes, God welcomes sinners, God has mercy on sinners, God pardons sinners and God does so lavishly. But only after I/you turn from, forsake our ways and thoughts. Let us seek the LORD, seek the LORD’s thoughts and ways. O that I live in God’s thoughts and ways!

Scripture Nugget 8.10.2016

“Draw near to me, hear this! From the beginning I have not spoken in secret, from the time it came to be I have been there. And now the Lord GOD has sent me and his spirit. Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: I am the LORD your God, who teaches you for your own good, who leads you in the way should go. O that you had paid attention to my commandments! Then your prosperity would have been like a river, and your success like the waves of the sea; your offspring would have been like the sand, and your descendants like its grains; their name would never be cut off or destroyed from before me. Go Out from Babylon, flee from Chaldea, declare this with a shout of joy, proclaim it, send it forth to the end of the earth; say, ‘The LORD has redeemed his servant Jacob!’ They did not thirst when he led them through the deserts; he made water flow for them, from the rock; he split open the rock and the water gushed out. ‘There is no peace,’ says the LORD, ‘for the wicked.’” Isaiah 48:16-22

Creator God calls out to Creation. From the very beginning of this creative act God has spoken and creation was, is and is to come. God leads from the front, commands from a position of authority and promises with a permanent attitude of love. God’s Over-the-Horizon Promises demand an Over-the-Horizon Faith. O that I/you would pay attention! Grace flow like a river, one cannot see where the water comes from or where it goes, but it keeps on coming and going. Grace rolls in like waves and though we can stand on the shoreline and see the waves, each different from the one before, we cannot where the water came from or where it goes before and after each wave crashes on the shoreline. God promises deliverance from captors and captivity, God promises freedom and life, life abundant, life everlasting. O that each day I draw near, that I hear that I respond. That I live into God’s Over-the-Horizon Promises by responding with Over-the-Horizon Faith. Will join me in the journey? There we will find peace!

Scripture Nugget 8.9.2016

“Bell bows down, Nebo stoops, their idols are on beasts and cattle; these things you carry are loaded as burdens on weary animals. They stoop, they bow down together; they cannot save the burden, but themselves go into captivity. Listen to me, O house of Jacob, all the remnant of the house of Israel, who have been borne by me from your birth, carried from the womb; even to your old age I am he, even when you turn gray I will carry you. I have made, and I will bear; I will carry and will save. To whom will you liken me and make me equal, and compare me, as though we were alike? Those who lavish gold from the purse, and weigh out silver in the scales – they hire a goldsmith, who makes it into a god; then they fall down and worship! They lift it to their shoulders, they carry it, they set it in its place, and it stands there; it cannot move from its place. If one cries out to it, it does not answer or save anyone from trouble. Remember this and consider, recall it to mind, you transgressors, remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My purpose shall stand and I will fulfill my intention,’ calling a bird of prey from the east, the man for my purpose from a far country. I have spoken, and I will bring to to pass; I have planned, and I will do it. Listen to me, you stubborn of heart, you who are far from deliverance; I bring near my deliverance, it is not far off, and my salvation will not tarry; I will put my salvation in Zion, for Israel my glory.” Isaiah 46:1-14)

“They lift it to their shoulders, they carry it, they set it in its place, and it stands there; it cannot move from its place. If one cries out to it, it does not answer or save anyone.” Regardless of what your idol, your little g, god is made of, regardless of who makes it, it cannot move itself, it sits or stands in one place, it cannot respond with voice or thought, it cannot reach out and change anything, it cannot save! So why do I/you spend time worshiping that which cannot change the situation we find ourselves in? God laughs at our efforts to save ourselves, our lavish attempts to create the perfect god to put on a shelf, light candles around, burn incense on/in or around and cry out to – how futile! All while The Creator God, who lives and moves and breathes calls out to Creation and says, “I am here with you, won’t you be with me?” He lives to save; he desires to save completely. Why do we attempt to create our own savior? How will I respond? How will you respond? To whom will we respond powerless idols made by human hands/minds or Creator God who alone is God, who alone brings salvation?

Scripture Nugget 8.9.2016

“Bell bows down, Nebo stoops, their idols are on beasts and cattle; these things you carry are loaded as burdens on weary animals. They stoop, they bow down together; they cannot save the burden, but themselves go into captivity. Listen to me, O house of Jacob, all the remnant of the house of Israel, who have been borne by me from your birth, carried from the womb; even to your old age I am he, even when you turn gray I will carry you. I have made, and I will bear; I will carry and will save. To whom will you liken me and make me equal, and compare me, as though we were alike? Those who lavish gold from the purse, and weigh out silver in the scales – they hire a goldsmith, who makes it into a god; then they fall down and worship! They lift it to their shoulders, they carry it, they set it in its place, and it stands there; it cannot move from its place. If one cries out to it, it does not answer or save anyone from trouble. Remember this and consider, recall it to mind, you transgressors, remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My purpose shall stand and I will fulfill my intention,’ calling a bird of prey from the east, the man for my purpose from a far country. I have spoken, and I will bring to to pass; I have planned, and I will do it. Listen to me, you stubborn of heart, you who are far from deliverance; I bring near my deliverance, it is not far off, and my salvation will not tarry; I will put my salvation in Zion, for Israel my glory.” Isaiah 46:1-14)

“They lift it to their shoulders, they carry it, they set it in its place, and it stands there; it cannot move from its place. If one cries out to it, it does not answer or save anyone.” Regardless of what your idol, your little g, god is made of, regardless of who makes it, it cannot move itself, it sits or stands in one place, it cannot respond with voice or thought, it cannot reach out and change anything, it cannot save! So why do I/you spend time worshiping that which cannot change the situation we find ourselves in? God laughs at our efforts to save ourselves, our lavish attempts to create the perfect god to put on a shelf, light candles around, burn incense on/in or around and cry out to – how futile! All while The Creator God, who lives and moves and breathes calls out to Creation and says, “I am here with you, won’t you be with me?” He lives to save; he desires to save completely. Why do we attempt to create our own savior? How will I respond? How will you respond? To whom will we respond powerless idols made by human hands/minds or Creator God who alone is God, who alone brings salvation?

Scripture Nugget 8.8.2016

“A voice cries out: ‘In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. Then the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all people shall see it together, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.’” Isaiah 40:3-5

Matthew tells us, “But the one who endures to the end will be saved. And this good news of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the world, as a testimony to all the nations; and then the end will come. (Matthew 24:13-14) Sounds a lot like what will happen when the glory of God is revealed and all see it at the same time. I bet there will be a lot of testimony to that event! Come, Lord Jesus, Come!

Scripture Nugget 8.6.2016

“Therefore the LORD waits to be gracious to you; therefore he will rise up to show mercy to you. For the LORD is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him. Truly, O people in Zion, inhabitants of Jerusalem, you shall weep no more. He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry; when he hears it, he will answer you. Though the Lord may give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your Teacher will not hide himself any more, but your eyes shall see your Teacher. And when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left, your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it.’ Then you will defile your silver-covered idols and your gold-plated images. You will scatter them like filthy rags; you will say to them, ‘Away with you!’” Isaiah 30:18-22

What is it that I/you hold onto, believe in, stake our faith to that is not God? How wonderful, how marvelous it is that God waits to be gracious – that is gracious in and of itself. He will surely be gracious, he responds to our call and leads the way. Grace, we experience it in different ways but God’s grace is ever present and ever leading. Praise God from whom all blessings flow and from whom grace abounds!