Scripture Nugget 4.9.2017

Scripture Nugget 4.9.2017

Scripture Read 1 Corinthians 11 - 12

Nugget 1 Corinthians 11:27-32

“Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be answerable for the body and blood of the Lord. Examine yourselves, and only then eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For all who eat and drink without discerning the body, eat and drink judgment against themselves. For this reason many of you are weak and ill, and some have died. But if we judged ourselves, we would not be judged. But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world.”

Devotional Thought: Have any of us made it this far into Lent and not examined ourselves deeply? Have we examined ourselves deep enough? Is there anything in us that separates us from God? That keeps us from being totally Christ like? O God reveal to me and to all, alll that remains so that we may not only judge ourselves, but confess, repent and draw closer to Thee.

Scripture Nugget 4.8.2017

Scripture Nugget 4.8.2017

Scripture Read Mark 7-8

Nugget Mark 7:14-15, 20-23

“Then he called the crowd again and said to them, ‘Listen to me, all of you, and understand: there is nothing outside a person that by going in can defile, but the things that come out are what defile.’ … And he said, ‘It is what comes out of a person that defiles. For it is from within, from the human heart, that evil intentions come; fornication, theft, murder, adultery, avarice, wickedness, deceit, licentiousness, envy, slander, pride, folly. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.’”

Devotional Thought: On this day, the day before Palm Sunday, what is it that comes out from me/you that shows that I/we don’t listen to God and understand; what is it that doesn’t represent Jesus Christ? O God reveal anything else so we may confess, repent and be forgiven. That you may continue to transform us to be like Christ. O that we may welcome Jesus pure inside and out……

Scripture Read Mark 7-8

Nugget Mark 7:14-15, 20-23

“Then he called the crowd again and said to them, ‘Listen to me, all of you, and understand: there is nothing outside a person that by going in can defile, but the things that come out are what defile.’ … And he said, ‘It is what comes out of a person that defiles. For it is from within, from the human heart, that evil intentions come; fornication, theft, murder, adultery, avarice, wickedness, deceit, licentiousness, envy, slander, pride, folly. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.’”

Devotional Thought: On this day, the day before Palm Sunday, what is it that comes out from me/you that shows that I/we don’t listen to God and understand; what is it that doesn’t represent Jesus Christ? O God reveal anything else so we may confess, repent and be forgiven. That you may continue to transform us to be like Christ. O that we may welcome Jesus pure inside and out……

Scripture Nugget 4.6.2017

Scripture Nugget 4.6.2017

Scripture Read Job 27-28

Nugget Job 28:12,20,23-28

“But where shall wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding? … Where then does wisdom come from? And where is the place of understanding? … God understands the way to it, and he knows its place. For he looks to the ends of the earth, and sees everything under the heavens. When he gave the wind its weight, and apportioned out the waters by measure; when he made a decree for the rain, and a way for the thunderbolt; then he saw it and declared it; he established it, and searched it out. And he said to humankind, ‘Truly, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil understanding.’”

Devotional Thought: As we journey through Lent isn’t our quest to be free of sin and find Christ’s likeness similar to searching for true wisdom? The fear of the Lord is loving God first, loving others and self as God does while responding obediently to God’s commands. “Truly, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil understanding.” Stay the course, keep your eye on the prize!

Scripture Nugget 4.5.2017

Scripture Nugget 4.5.2017

Scripture Read Psalms 39-41

Nugget Psalm 40:9-11

“I have told the glad news of deliverance in the great congregation; see, I have not restrained my lips, as you know, O LORD. I have not hidden your saving help within my heart, I have spoken of your faithfulness and your salvation; I have not concealed your steadfast love and your faithfulness from the great congregation. Do not, O LORD, withhold your mercy from me; let your steadfast love and your faithfulness keep me safe forever.”

Devotional Thought: Expressing faith in God’s promises is a demonstration of faithfulness. Sharing God’s saving grace with others is faith in action. This Sunday is Palm Sunday, a day of celebration, a day of remembering Jesus’ grand welcome as He entered Jerusalem. It is a day when it is easy to express faith in God. During the coming week, Holy Week, there will be days of remembrance that will make it hard to express faith as strongly. But, then there comes Easter! The Resurrection, which when believed makes it nearly impossible to contain. “But may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; may those who love your salvation say continually, ‘Great is the LORD!’” (Ps 40:16)   

Scripture Nugget 4.4.2017

Scripture Nugget 4.4.2017

Scripture Read 1 Samuel 16-29

Nugget 1 Samuel 18:12-13, 25

“Saul was afraid of David, because the LORD was with him but had departed from Saul. So Saul removed him from his presence, and made him a commander of a thousand; and David marched out and came in, leading the army. … Then Saul said, ‘Thus you shall say to David, “The king desires no marriage present except a hundred foreskins of the Philistines, that he may be avenged on the king’s enemies.”’ Now Saul planned to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines.”

Devotional Thought: Lessons learned and used later are often based on experiences forced upon us by others. We may not be conscious of how and where we learned to do something we find ourselves doing. I’m sure David never thought he would ever use a similar tactic. Wonder if he remembered this time in his life as he sent Uriah back to the front lines? (2 Sam 11:15) Have I/you ever used a bad example? O Lord I pray that I not be tempted to follow sinful lessons learned against others.

Scripture Nugget 4.3.2017

Scripture Nugget 4.3.2017

Scripture Read Exodus 1-4

Nugget Exodus 1:7,12

“But the Israelites were fruitful and prolific; they multiplied and grew exceedingly strong, so that the land was filled with them. … But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread.”

Devotional Thought: As the Israelites were obedient to God’s original purpose for humankind, “be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it;” (Gen 1:28) and “to till it and keep it” (Gen 2:15) they flourished. Even in captivity, being persecuted and oppressed they grew in number. Why is it then that we Christians seem to dry up and die in places where we are not persecuted and oppressed? In Ezekiel 37:3 God asks, “can these bones live?” The answer ultimately is a resounding Yes! Yes, when we the people of God allow God to lead, allow God’s spirit to empower us and we move in and with that spirit. The Israelites lived in obedience and the multiplied and grew strong, may we follow their example.

Scripture Nugget 4.2.2017

Scripture Nugget 4.2.2017

Scripture Read 1 Corinthians 9-10

Nugget 1 Corinthians 10:16-17

“The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a sharing in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a sharing in the body of Christ? Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.”

Devotional thought: Yesterday, April 1, 2017, I was honored and privileged to baptize our grandson, William Charles, (lil superman, as we affectionately call him). In that service at Dahlonega UMC, our youngest son Nathan preached, and I was allowed to lead Holy Communion as well as the Baptism. How powerful! Returning to our family’s home church, filled with family and friends, we, the body of Christ worshiped together through the hearing of God’s word read and spoken, receiving the body and blood of our savior and entering a child into the covenant of Baptism, while remembering our own. At the center of it all was Jesus Christ, the way, the truth and the life. Having responded to the Christ invitation to the table, we confessed, repented and received forgiveness of our sins. Then we pledged our support to Charlie’s parents to help raise Charlie surrounded by Christ. What better way to enter in to the covenant of baptism than having been forgiven of our sins! What a powerful experience of the Lenten season…….

Scripture Nugget 4.1.2017

Scripture Nugget 4.1.2017

Scripture Read Mark 5-6

Nugget Mark 5:22

“Then one of the leaders of the synagogue named Jairus came and, when he saw him, fell at his feet.

Devotional thought: Jairus comes to Jesus in faith, begging Jesus to come, touch his nearly dead daughter so that she would be made well. Jairus comes humbles himself before Jesus. Every day is an opportunity to humble ourselves before God; Lent is a season that highlights the opportunity. Eight days before Palm Sunday and the start of Holy Week, have I/you made a humble deliberate and faith filled turn toward Jesus? “Wesley wrote, ‘By repentance and lowliness of heart the deadly disease of pride is healed; that of self-will by resignation, and meek and thankful submission to the will of God” (Sermon 44: ‘Original Sin,’ III.3).” (Wesley Study Bible, pg 1215) O that I would seek to become more like Christ, moment by moment, by faith, confessing and repenting from sin; seeking Jesus, just to fall at His feet.  

Scripture Nugget 3.31.2017

Scripture Nugget 

3.31.2017

Scripture Read Jeremiah 1-5

Nugget Jeremiah 5:1

“Run to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, look around and take note! Search its squares and see if you can find one person who acts justly and seeks truth – so that I may pardon Jerusalem.”

Devotional thought: Just one person who acts justly and seeks truth, just one is all God asks Jeremiah to find, so Jerusalem in its entirety would be forgiven. Who will it be? “Is it I?”; we should all asks ourselves. Jeremiah’s response, “O LORD, do your eyes not look for truth? You have struck them, but they felt no anguish; you have consumed them, but they refused to take correction. They have made their faces harder than rock; they have refused to turn back.” (Jer 5:3) God’s response? “How can I pardon you? Your children have forsaken me, and have sworn by those who are no gods. …. Shall I not punish them for these things?” (Jer 7-9) O certainly by now, this deep into Lent we are all ones who act justly and seek truth, no longer is there any rebellion in us and each of has turned back to God fully. Just one. Who will it be? Is it I? Thank God for Jesus Christ, The One who brings pardon, not only to Jerusalem but to the entirety of Creation – to those who believe and repent. Praise God from whom all blessing flow!

Scripture Nugget 3.30.2017

Scripture Nugget 3.30.2017

Scripture Read Job 25-26

Nugget Job 25:4

“How then can a mortal be righteous before God? How can one born of woman be pure?”

Devotional thought: Two great questions, if one believes there is, and seeks the answers. It is possible to be righteous before God. God created humankind in the image of God by breathing His Spirit into them. (Gen 1-2) Enoch walked with God; then was no more, because God took him.” (Gen 5:24) “Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation; Noah walked with God.” (Gen 6:9) Job was blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil. (Job 1:1) Zechariah and Elizabeth, the parents of John the Baptist, were both, righteous before God and lived blamelessly according to all the commandments and regulations of the Lord. (Lk 1:6) Simeon, the man who would not die until he saw the Lord’s Messiah, was righteous and devout. (Lk 2:25-26) Jesus, born of Mary, is the Son of God. Even though born sin prone, he never sinned. How is a mortal made righteous? By faith in Creator God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. By God’s love, grace and mercy present and active from the beginning until the end. Grace, love and mercy that reaches into the future and the past. This is the point of the Lenten season, realizing that forgiveness, restoration, redemption and resurrection are all available from and found in God. Pause a moment, a week and half out from Palm Sunday and the beginning of Holy Week, a week of tremendous spiritual, emotional and theological highs and lows, and ask God to reveal to you; “What sin separates me from being righteous and blameless before God? Once revealed, confess, ask forgiveness, receive forgiveness, then as Christ instructed the woman as he lifted her off the ground, “Neither do I condemn you. Go your way, and from now on do not sin again.” (Jn 8:11)