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August 27, 2915
Tangle Untangled, Part 2

By Answers2Prayer 
  Lucifer, the angel, threw everything into his quest to be equal with God. There were "ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands upon thousands" of angels around the throne of God (Revelation 5:11), and Lucifer was the "anointed cherub that covereth," (Ezekiel 28:14). This means he held the highest position among the angels and it was given him by the Lord.

He wanted more and he left nothing to chance. To achieve a good following, he got into the hearts and minds of many of the angels around him and led their thinking.

So the question thrown at worshippers is this; did God create the evil mind that Lucifer developed? If God created everything and "it was good," did He create evil also?
 
My question in reply is this; did God create free choice? Or did He create robots?

Lucifer's wisdom and perfection and beauty is described by Ezekiel in chapter 28, then it says "Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty," (Ezekiel 28:17), and "thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness." Satan had wisdom, the evidence of a brilliant mind. Free choice is a great gift and we all cherish it. There is nothing worse than to be stifled by those who despises depth of thought and the Lord desired us to seek knowledge and wisdom. But He has set the boundaries and the everlasting boundary is that our seeking should remain within the boundaries He put around us at creation.

Just notice the wording -- "thou hast corrupted..." God is saying that Lucifer, also known as Satan, made the choice to do his thinking outside the boundaries set by God. War became inevitable because Satan's choice went into the area of pride and domination, and he wanted a position that was not his. He wanted what belonged to the eternal, immortal trinity, and to be as God.

Now come to Revelation 12:7, and please note that Satan is given many names in Scripture. He is the serpent, Beelzebub, accuser of the brethren, the dragon, and so on. He is clearly identified as Satan in Revelation 20:2: "the dragon, that old serpent, which is the devil, and Satan." and "There was war in heaven: Michael [the archangel] and his angels fought against the dragon." (Rev. 20:9), and "The great dragon was cast out...he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him."
 
This is what Jesus referred to when He said He saw Satan as lightning fall from heaven. Satan became man's representative when "the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord," (Job 1:6).

Today, the Bible's early historical narrative is treated as mythology, and as the culture of our country, it is pointedly ignored or relentlessly disparaged.

Questions have even been raised whether the Lord's Prayer should be said at the beginning of parliamentary sittings, and this in a country whose laws are based on the commandments of God. The last six commandments, for instance, are the basis of any decent society and the first four spell out the identity and compassion of the Lord's government.

Let me say over and over, Christianity is not a religion, it is a culture based on the eternal law of God and on whom God is. Culture should not be laughed at or pushed aside, and the culture of our own country should be taught with respect and in detail. 

We choose what government we want just as Satan chose whether he wanted the government provided by God or whether he wanted an alternative.

I pray that your choice and mine are in harmony with the principles of Psalm 8:8: "I have set the Lord always before me, because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved." Our God put in place from the beginning that which will truly untangle our tangle to keep us safe.

Please join us next Thursday for Tangle Untangled, Part 3.

Elizabeth Price
 
Announcement:

The Nugget has featured several mini-series' on temples in the Bible over the past two years. Please join us on Saturday for the final part of the final series: The Heavenly Temple -- A mini-series by Lyn Chaffart
©Copyright 2011 Answers2Prayer | Matt 10:8 "Freely you have received, freely give."

Welcome to the Nugget
August 25, 2015
Of Empty Seats and Street Markets
By Answers2Prayer
"Et bien, ca c'est le meilleur!"

Roughly translated, and taking into account the rolling of the eyes and the exasperated expression of the tone, this otherwise sweet French-speaking lady from the south of Belgium was saying, "Can you believe the audacity of some people!" 

The object of her disgust was a seat on the Brussels-Brugge train that was occupied by a pair of dachshunds. It was the only one in the coach not occupied by a human being. 

Yes, it did, indeed, look like a complete waste of a good seat, and from her limited knowledge, the lady in the next seat, the owner of the dachshunds, should have moved them off the seat and let her sit down. But I knew something the aggravated traveler did not know: The seat was actually not free. The lady who owned the dachshunds was traveling with her husband, who had simply gotten up to use the WC. Before he had temporarily vacated his seat, he had actually been holding the dogs on his lap.

It was later that same day when we were accosted by a vendor in a street market in Brugge, Belgium. "No! No touching!" she screamed. "See? Do not touch!"

The heavily accented English words were also heavily accented with anger as she snatched the box of strawberries and gooseberries from the hands of my husband and I and slammed them back down on the market table. Before stomping away, she grabbed a sign on the table that had fallen over and waved it under our noses. 

The sign was written in Flemish, and what she didn't realize was that we didn't know enough Flemish to be able to read her "do not touch" sign!

What do these two stories have in common? They are both cases of people getting angry without knowing all the facts. 

The next day, in a crowded street market in Ostend, Belgium, a man rudely pushed me aside, nearly knocking the backpack off my back in his hurry. He didn't stop to say "excuse me" or "pardon" or even "verontschuldigt mij", the Flemish words for "I'm sorry." I glanced over at my husband, but he was intently looking at something and missed the entire exchange. The man standing next to him hadn't missed it, however, and he rolled his eyes and shrugged his shoulders as if to so, "the nerve of some people!" I could feel my own ire rising as well, but then I remembered the incidents of the previous day. I remembered that we can't judge situations without knowing all the facts. Maybe there was an emergency a few stalls down and he needed to get there to administer medical care...Instead of allowing my anger to flare, I prayed and asked God to forgive the man's rudeness and to help him to achieve his objectives, whatever they might have been. 

No matter what happens to you, and no matter how it may seem, remember: We truly do not know all the facts. Instead of judging people, let's resolve to pray for them instead!

"Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment." (Johnn 7:24, NKJV)

Oh, and the next time we are tempted to get angry at God for allowing us to go through troubled times, let's remember these stories as well. We don't see the whole picture, but God does. He knows all the hidden facts, and there is always a good reason for allowing us to pass through trouble. Instead of getting angry, like the street vendor or the lady on the train, let's patiently give the trouble to God, ever trusting that He knows the full picture!

"And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose." (Rom 8:28, NKJV)

In His love,
Lyn


Lyn Chaffart, Speech-Language Pathologist, mother of two, Author -- "Aboard God's Train -- A Journey With God Through the Valley of Cancer", Author and Moderator for The Nugget, a tri-weekly internet newsletter, and Scriptural Nuggets, a website devoted to Christian devotionals and inspirational poems, with Answers2Prayer Ministries. Follow Lyn on Twitter @lynchaffart.
 
Announcement:

Wonder where evil came from? Join us on Thursdays for a new mini-series by Elizabeth Price: Tangle Untangled.
©Copyright 2011 Answers2Prayer | Matt 10:8 "Freely you have received, freely give."

Welcome to the Nugget

August 22, 2015
The Heavenly Temple, Part 8: But There's NO Table of Shewbread in the Heavenly Temple...
bible
By Answers2Prayer 
Last week, in The Heavenly Temple, Part 7, we saw that if we want to know God's glory, we must look to Jesus, to the many images of Him that we are given in the New Testament, for God's glory is written on the face of Christ Jesus. 

This week brings us to the study of one piece of furniture that was in the Earthly sanctuary that does not seem to have any mention in the Heavenly Sanctuary as it is described in the book of Revelation: The Table of Shewbread. 

Why would this be? If the earthly sanctuary is patterned after the Heavenly one, then you would think that there should be a table of shewbread. 

But is there really no table of shewbread? 

Let's take a look at what we know about the table of showbread. It was referred to as the "table of the Presence," and the 12 cakes spoke of God's people who were one with Him as the priests joined together for the fellowship of eating the bread and becoming one. (see Lev. 24:7-9). 
In His mission here on Earth, Jesus referred to Himself as "the Bread of Life:"
 
"And Jesus said to them, 'I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.'" (John 6:35);

"I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world. As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me. This is the bread which came down from heaven--not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead. He who eats this bread will live forever." (Jn 6:51-58);

"It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life." (Jn 6:63).

Jesus says that in eating of this bread, we will live forever. Let's remember that just as the Table of Shewbread speaks of fellowship and communion, so the Table of the Shewbread points to Jesus. But Jesus' work as a high priest is finished. With His great cry, "It is finished," He left the 
"altar" of Calvary and sat down at the right hand of God (See Heb. 12:2). He has made a covenant with us, built on better promises. He has provided a blood covenant meal for us to partake that we might all be one in His Spirit.

Though there is no mention of a "table of shewbread" in the book of Revelation, the book centralizes around the Lamb. In fact, the Lamb is mentioned more than 25 times in the book: The Lamb, worthy, stricken, raised to life: Jesus, the "Bread of Life!" 

Friends, there is no "table of shewbread" in the heavenly Sanctuary because Jesus, the Lamb of God, our Bread of Life, is there. We must partake of Him for our sustenance. We must look to Him for our unity and for our communion and fellowship. He is our table of shewbread, and there is no need of another!

Please join us next week for the final part of The Heavenly Sanctuary, Part 9: the Final Temple.

In His love,
Lyn

Lyn Chaffart, Speech-Language Pathologist, mother of two, Author -- "Aboard God's Train -- A Journey With God Through the Valley of Cancer", Author and Moderator for The Nugget, a tri-weekly internet newsletter, and Scriptural Nuggets, a website devoted to Christian devotionals and inspirational poems, with Answers2Prayer Ministries. Follow Lyn on Twitter @lynchaffart.
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©Copyright 2011 Answers2Prayer | Matt 10:8 "Freely you have received, freely give."

Welcome to the Nugget
August 20, 2915
Tangle Untangled, Part 1

By Answers2Prayer 
 When a small child asks, "where did I come from?" you give an answer appropriate to age and understanding. As time goes on, knowledge and understanding increase and the child takes it in.
The Lord treats His people similarly. As they develop in knowledge and understanding, the Holy Spirit opens more and more to them. All the information is there but it is a tangle until wisdom and understanding provided by the Holy Spirit increase enough to untangle it.

It was different with Adam and Eve because they did not grow from childhood. They were created as adults and they were created "in the image" of their Creator. Understanding and knowledge were built into them giving them a clear picture of where they came from, of whom they represented in relation to the world around them, and of lives equal to their status.

They had it all in one breath. We take years to gain any insight of the meaning of life so a question often posed by those who lack understanding comes from the very first picture presented in Scripture.

Scripture says quite unequivocally that "God saw every thing that he had made, and behold, it was very good," (Genesis 1:31).

So the thought often posed is this: "there was a tree of the knowledge of both good and evil in the Garden of Eden," (Genesis 2:15-17), so obviously God must have put it there. Then He said "everything was good" so it is obvious that God created evil. 

It is time to look at the facts about evil, where it came from and where it leads.

Through history there has been a line of people who cherished what is in our scriptural record of events. When it came to be documented through Moses, people still understood where evil had come from. As generations passed, that knowledge was obscured and so it was given to later prophets to further open our understanding.

Very few people can answer the question accurately, "where did evil in the Garden of Eden come from?" We need to "search the scriptures" for the full story of evil.

Psalm 8 repeats the story of early Genesis about the creation of the world, and Hebrews 2:6 tells us that man was made "a little lower than the angels." So angels were made before Adam. Scriptures points out that there are vast numbers of angels who frequently visit this earth. Luke and John mention two angels at the tomb when the women went to embalm the body of Jesus.
When all of scripture is consulted, it reveals that angels already existed long before us and we read in Luke 10:18 that Jesus said, "I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven." 

This text tells us three things. Firstly it tells us that Jesus existed before He came as a child to this earth because He had already been in Heaven. Secondly it tells us that Satan existed before our creation. Thirdly it tells us that evil existed in heaven before it came to Earth because Satan fell from Heaven.
 
Scripture reveals that Satan was an angel who turned sour. He was of that wonderful order of created spirits who had access to the whole universe and to God. But this angel, Lucifer (Isaiah 14:12) said in his heart, "I will exalt my throne above the stars of God...I will be like the most High."

Whoa! I will be like God? Lucifer wanted to be something he wasn't. He wanted more, he wanted to be God. It was the beginning of his downfall.

Now let me ask, who do you think you are? Even more seriously, who do you want to be? 

We are to seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness as advised by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 6:33. In other words, we are to priorities our wants. We need to untangle our tangle, and my prayer is that you will explore more of the untangling with me. 

Please join us next Thursday for Tangle Untangled, Part 2.

Elizabeth Price
Announcement:

The Nugget has featured several mini-series' on temples in the Bible over the past two years. Please join us on Saturdays in July for the final series: The Heavenly Temple -- A mini-series by Lyn Chaffart
©Copyright 2011 Answers2Prayer | Matt 10:8 "Freely you have received, freely give."

Welcome to the Nugget
August 18, 2015
Circle of Love

By Answers2Prayer 
  It was over 20 years ago. I was holding my baby son in my arms while my two other children played under a big tree in the front yard of an old house. The house was also a local food bank and I was watching my children while my wife went in. I had been laid off work for a long time and we were out of food. I tried to laugh as my children chased each other around the tree but my heart was too heavy. Despair hung around me like a cloud. All I could feel was fear. Finally my wife came out holding a large bag of food and we smiled at each other. Thanks to the kindness of others our children would not go hungry that night.

It was yesterday. I found myself outside the doors of another food bank. Thanks to the kindness of a kindred spirit I had some extra money in my wallet and a longing to share this gift with others. I went to the local grocery store and bought what I could with what I had. Then I carried in the bags of food to help restock the food bank's sparse shelves. The people there thanked me several times, but I felt a little embarrassed as I accepted their gratitude. I was, after all, only completing a circle of kindness that began over twenty years ago.

This world is full of circles of love. Every smile we share, thing we give, and act of kindness we do flows out from us to touch others. Then it continues on going from heart to heart and soul to soul until it circles the world and returns to us again. I was just happy to take my place in one of those circles yesterday and to pass on the loving-kindness that had been shared with me.

Don't be afraid to take your own place in these circles of love. A kind word, a caring smile, a gentle touch, a helping hand, or a simple act of charity can change another's life and this world as well. Circle all of your days with love then. Love will warm your heart. Love will bring you joy. Love will spiral you to Heaven and always lead you back to God.

"Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails." (1 Cor. 13:4-8a) 

By: Joseph J. Mazzella
 
Announcement:

Wonder where evil came from? Join us on Thursdays for a new mini-series by Elizabeth Price: Tangle Untangled.
©Copyright 2011 Answers2Prayer | Matt 10:8 "Freely you have received, freely give."

Inspirational Readings by A.B. Simpson

Days of Heaven on Earth
Wednesday, August 19, 2015

God requires of us a perfect faith, and He tells us that if we believe and doubt not, we shall have whatsoever we ask. The faintest touch of unbelief will neutralize our trust.

But how shall we have such perfect faith? Is it possible for human nature? No, but it is possible to the divine nature; it is possible to the Christ within us. It is possible for God to give us faith, and He does. But Christ is the Author and Finisher of our faith, and He bids us have the faith of God. As we have faith through the imparting of the Spirit of Christ, we believe even as He.

We pray in His name and in His very nature, and, [we] live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved [us], and gave himself for [us] (Galatians 2:20). The love that He requires of us is not mere human love, or even the standard of love required in the Old Testament, but something far higher. The new commandment is to love one another (John 13:34), not as ourselves but as He has loved us

How shall such love be made possible? Our love is simply His love working in us and imparted to us through the Spirit.

Scripture
Have faith in God—Mark 11:22

August 15, 2015
The Heavenly Temple, Part 7: The Glory of God
By Answers2Prayer
Last week, in The Heavenly Temple, Part 6, we saw that our first and foremost reason for approaching God's throne should not be our list of petitions. Rather, the most important reason needs to be to give God glory!

When we think of the throne of God, the thing that often comes to mind is the glory of God. Are there some hints in the Heavenly temple that would help us to comprehend God's glory?

The answer of course is "yes," for the glory of God is what the temple is all about: It is a place of residence for His glory.

There are many references to God's glory in the New Testament, and we will take a brief look at just seven of these to see if there are any lessons we can glean from them for our heart-temples today:

"Jesus said to her, 'Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?'" (John 11:40)

The story takes place at the death and resurrection of Lazarus. Martha, stricken by grief at the death of her brother, warns Jesus to not roll away the story. Jesus reminds her that he had told her she would see God's glory through her brother's death. He then proceeds to call Lazarus forth from the grave.

Just what was this "glory" that Jesus told Martha she would see?

The miracle of the dead coming to life!

Are there any dead areas in our heart-temples? If so, let's surrender them to Jesus, then, like Martha of old, we can sit back and watch while the Glory of God resurrects those dead areas, bringing new life to our hearts!

The next reference to God's glory is found in the book of Acts, taking us to the story of Stephen's stoning. Knowing he will soon make his place in history by becoming the first Christian martyr, Stephen is given a vision of Heaven: "But ...gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God..." (Acts 7:54-55, NKJV)

Why God's glory? Why not show Stephen his mansion in Heaven, or the sea of glass or the throne of God?

What Stephen needed most at that moment in time was the courage and strength to face his eminent death, and God revealed this to him in His glory.

No matter what the valley we are asked to walk in life, let's remember that God's glory is there, in our heart-temples, and it is enough to give us the courage and strength to prevail.

The next reference to God's glory that we will examine is found in Romans 5:2: "...through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God." (Rom 5:2, NKJV)

It is interesting to note that this is the precise text that precedes the famous, much quoted verses of Rom 5:3-5, which gives us clues as the why we suffer trials and tribulations. We don't usually include Rom 5:2 in this quote, but when we look at this, the preceding verse, we see that no matter what we are asked to endure, we can rejoice in hope--in hope of the glory of God! Let's remember this, friends, the next time we are going through troubled times! No matter what, we can rejoice in the hope of the glory of God!

The next three references come to us from the book of Revelation:

"The temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from His power, and no one was able to enter the temple till the seven plagues of the seven angels were completed." (Rev 15:8, NKJV)

In this passage we see that the glory of God keeps everyone from entering the temple. Thus we understand that God's glory is a powerful presence, not to be taken lightly, but One to be respected, awed, even feared.

The next reference is from Rev. 21, where we have a detailed description of the New Jerusalem: "And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, having the glory of God." (Rev 21:10, NKJV)

Why shouldn't Jerusalem have God's glory? After all, His glory cannot be separated from Him!

And finally, Rev. 21:23: "The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light."

Here we see that God"s glory is light, and when God's glory illuminates the lamb, the lamb becomes the light of the city new earth. Thus, we see that God's glory is light, life, courage, strength, hope, resurrection power, and our response to His glory should be one of awe and reverence.

But how can we access this "glory of God?"

This final reference to God's glory that we will address is found in 2 Cor 4:6, and it gives us the answer: "For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." ( NKJV)

We can come to know the glory of God by looking at the face of Jesus Christ.

Let's remember this. When we want to know the glory of God, all we have to do is look to Jesus, to the many images of Him that we are given in the New Testament, and we will know the glory of God, for it is written on the face of Christ Jesus!

Want to shine for God's glory? Look to Jesus. Reflect His ways.

Want to resurrection the dead areas of your life? Submit them to Jesus!

Want to have that hope, courage and strength that will carry you through anything, even death itself? Meditate on Jesus Christ!

Want God to use your heart-temple for a bit of His glory? Let Jesus shine through you!

Join us next week for The Heavenly Temple, Part 8: The Table of Shewbread.

In His love,
Lyn

Lyn Chaffart, Speech-Language Pathologist, mother of two, Author -- "Aboard God's Train -- A Journey With God Through the Valley of Cancer", Author and Moderator for The Nugget, a tri-weekly internet newsletter, and Scriptural Nuggets, a website devoted to Christian devotionals and inspirational poems, with Answers2Prayer Ministries. Follow Lyn on Twitter @lynchaffart.
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FREEDOM FROM FEAR Fear of heights, fear of being alone, fear of pain, fear of close spaces, fear of death ... This world if riddled with paralyzing fear. This all important series will be tracing fear back to its roots, defining it, and providing tips for complete "Freedom From Fear!" Check it out at by clicking here!
©Copyright 2011 Answers2Prayer | Matt 10:8 "Freely you have received, freely give."

Welcome to the Nugget
August 13, 2015
Forecasts

By Answers2Prayer 
 
About a week before leaving on a trip, I begin to check the long-term forecast for my destination on a daily basis. It's interesting that the forecast one day will call for the sun to shine throughout the entire vacation, while the next day rain is predicted every day. Sometimes even the forecast for the very next day is not accurate! What do you do? How do you plan? 

A new friend of mine was diagnosed with cancer some months ago. When I met her a week ago, the "forecast" called for sunshine: the cancer was in remission. Before the end of the week, her "forecast" changed. She was diagnosed with some kind of terminal cancer that travels through the cerebral spinal fluid...Yup, the "forecast" changed, and not for the better!

This made me think about the "forecasts" of this world, and how little we can actually rely on them. It is because of these "faulty" forecasts that the Bible advises us to not make too many set plans..."Come now, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit'; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow..." (James 4:13,14)

Fortunately for us, God knows our future before we even begin to walk it: "Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, The days fashioned for me, When as yet there were none of them." (Ps 139:16, NKJV) As a result, we are instructed to say, "If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that." (Jas 4:15, NKJV)

I don't know what "forecasts" you have in your lives at the moment, friends. For some, the "forecast" is sunny and bright. For others, it is clouded over with financial difficulties, illnesses, job losses, relationship problems, family difficulties, and a myriad of other things that can darken our lives. May I encourage each of you to stop putting your trust in human "forecasts"? Instead, let's all remember God's promises: "If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, Even there Your hand shall lead me, And Your right hand shall hold me. If I say, 'Surely the darkness shall fall on me,' Even the night shall be light about me; Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You, But the night shines as the day; The darkness and the light are both alike to You." (Ps 139:5-12, NKJV) 

During our recent vacation, we had checked and rechecked the weather forecast for our daytrip to Luxemburg, and the message was clear: We would have nothing but rain. In the end we decided we preferred Luxemburg "rain" to any other...Nary a drop fell from a completely cloudless sky. Let's remember that when we leave God is in charge of our future, no matter what we see around us, He will make it beautiful, in His time (Eccl 3:11). We truly will have "Luxembourg Rain!" 

In His love,
Lyn

Lyn Chaffart, Speech-Language Pathologist, mother of two, Author -- "Aboard God's Train -- A Journey With God Through the Valley of Cancer", Author and Moderator for The Nugget, a tri-weekly internet newsletter, and Scriptural Nuggets, a website devoted to Christian devotionals and inspirational poems, with Answers2Prayer Ministries. Follow Lyn on Twitter @lynchaffart.

Announcement:

The Nugget has featured several mini-series' on temples in the Bible over the past two years. Please join us on Saturdays in July for the final series: The Heavenly Temple -- A mini-series by Lyn Chaffart
©Copyright 2011 Answers2Prayer | Matt 10:8 "Freely you have received, freely give."

Welcome to the Nugget

August 11, 2015
What is the Secret of Finding Confidence?
bible
By Answers2Prayer 
We all want to have confidence, but where do we find it?

A few years ago I was in California attending a writer's conference. A friend jokingly asked, "Do you want to drive?"

"Yes," I said with a grin.

"Are you sure?" she said.

"No, The question is are you sure you want me to drive your car?" I said.

"Why not."

I felt my way around to the driver's door. "Okay, here we go." I slipped behind the wheel, started the engine, and changed gears as she gave me verbal instructions.

Not having any sight at all, driving a car had been but a dream for me.

I gripped the steering wheel, feeling a bit in control. I listened to my friend. "Keep it straight now, a little to the left, now to the right just a bit, not much."

Oh what fun! Actually, a bit crazy! But the reason I was able to drive her car was because she was with me sitting on the passenger's seat. I trusted in her ability to give me instructions, her direction and her wisdom to tell me what to do, where to turn and when to slow down.

Life is the same. We have the confidence to do anything at all if we know God is by our side. We're certain He's guiding us, instructing us to make the next move and has the wisdom to give us the steps necessary to reach the place He wants us to be.

While on the road of life, we're often blind to what will be around the corner, what will pop up unexpectedly, and where the ditches of heartache are. But we continue forth because our confidence is nestled in this truth: "...God has said, 'Never will I leave you..., never will I forsake you.' So we say with confidence, 'The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.'" (Hebrews 13:5-6).

Father, so often I've driven the vehicle of my own life, encountering cliffs of adversity, potholes of setbacks and disappointments that took me on unwanted detours. But now, listening to the instructions in your Word, the road is secure and the ride is smooth. In Jesus's name, amen.

* What direction are you going?

* Who's giving you instructions to follow?

* What is your level of confidence while on the road of life?

Janet Eckles

If this message resonated with you, please visit Janet's cyberspace home for more inspiration. 

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©Copyright 2011 Answers2Prayer | Matt 10:8 "Freely you have received, freely give."

Welcome to the Nugget
August 8, 2015
The Heavenly Temple, Part 6: The Throne of God

By Answers2Prayer 
Last week, in The Heavenly Temple, Part 5, we saw from looking at the mention of the Ark of the Covenant in Revelation that we have access to the presence of God through the blood of Jesus, and since Jesus paid such a high price to gain us that access, let us never, ever hold ourselves back from drawing near to God's presence!

But is there more that we can learn from the Heavenly Ark of the Covenant? 

When we think back to the earthly tabernacle, which was patterned after the Heavenly, we see that of the Ark of the Covenant and its cover and mercy seat were there to represent the place from which God would speak to the people: "You shall put the mercy seat on top of the ark...And there I will meet with you, and I will speak with you from above the mercy seat..." (Exod 25:21-22, NKJV). Thus the Mercy Seat in the Earthly Sanctuary represents none other than the throne of God Himself, the Creator of all things.

The throne is a central point in the Heavenly temple as well. When we read through Revelation 4, we see several references to it: "Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne set in heaven, and One sat on the throne...Around the throne were twenty-four thrones...And from the throne proceeded lightnings, thunderings, and voices. Seven lamps of fire were burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God. Before the throne there was a sea of glass, like crystal. And in the midst of the throne, and around the throne, were four living creatures full of eyes in front and in back." (Rev 4:2-6, NKJV)

In fact, as you read John's description of Heaven, it becomes clear that every description is given in reference to the throne. The throne is the central point of the depicted scene. 

But perhaps even more central is the references to the One who sits on the throne: "And He who sat there was like a jasper and a sardius stone in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, in appearance like an emerald." (Rev 4:3, NKJV); and "Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying: 'You are worthy, O Lord, To receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created.'" (Rev 4:9-11, NKJV) 

The One who sits on the throne is none other than God Himself, the Creator of all things.

It is very interesting to note that all of the other descriptions given in Revelation 4 -- The four creatures, the 24 elders, the lights, etc., are all described as being there to give glory to God. If the throne of God is the central point of Heaven, and all Heavenly creatures are there to give Him glory, what does that say for us today? Shouldn't we also see our purpose in life as to give God glory? 

So often we approach the throne of God with our list of petitions. This is not wrong, for Jesus taught that we were to be persistent in our asking (See Luke 18). But what if we descend to the point that the petitions become our only reason for approaching the throne? 

Friends, the important lesson that we can learn from the description of the throne in the Heavenly Temple is this: Although it is not wrong to present God with our list of requests, and although we are even encouraged to do so with persistence, this should not be our first and foremost reason for approaching God's throne! Our most important reason needs to be the same as the 24 elders and the 4 creatures of Revelation 4: to give God glory! 

I would like to challenge each of you today to try going to God in prayer without your list of petitions. Try spending time at His throne with your sole purpose being to give Him glory, to thank Him for all He's done. Be specific, allowing God to open your spiritual eyes to see the extent of each of His miracles. Praise His name and do so until the Spirit of God no longer moves you to give Him glory. Only then present Him with your petitions. I can guarantee you that you will experience such a renewing and refreshing that your prayers will become all the more powerful. 

Please join us next week for The Heavenly Temple, Part 7: The Glory of God.

In His love,
Lyn

Lyn Chaffart, Speech-Language Pathologist, mother of two, Author -- "Aboard God's Train -- A Journey With God Through the Valley of Cancer", Author and Moderator for The Nugget, a tri-weekly internet newsletter, and Scriptural Nuggets, a website devoted to Christian devotionals and inspirational poems, with Answers2Prayer Ministries. Follow Lyn on Twitter @lynchaffart.
Announcement:

Have you ever taken the time to contemplate, I mean REALLY contemplate the depth of God's sacrifice to us through the death of Jesus Christ? Visit us online for the previously-published series,  "The Sufferings of Jesus".  
©Copyright 2011 Answers2Prayer | Matt 10:8 "Freely you have received, freely give."

Welcome to the Nugget

August 4, 2015
Choices

By Answers2Prayer 
  The Train Driver told how he made choices as a very young man. He said, "I have worked through the momentous changes from steam to diesel, and was one of the last crewmen to qualify as an engineman for steam in New South Wales.

"Then there were the various divisions of rail. Passenger became distinct from freight and I signed on with Freight Corp.

"Now, as I put these thoughts together, there is another change. Freight Corp. has been sold to private enterprise.

"Rail in Australia has changed. The history and culture has become blurred and depersonalized. Soon the old stories will be gone and the personalities that made them will become faceless, computerized programs."

The Train Driver has observed culture changes in his work-place that are true of the world in general and his advice about making choices is still important. 

He could make right choices because he had been instructed from birth about making choices that had an affect on the rest of his life. 

There was no leaving him to decide simply from his own observations as is the case today. The advice given by the Lord is simply what it says -- "Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it," (Proverbs 22:6). He knew his choices affected the rest of his life because the same Book of Proverbs also says, "He that turneth his ear away from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination,"  (Proverbs 28:9).

It was the teachers who heard Jesus and who denied and derided Him, Luke 16, verse14, just as they do today about teaching right from wrong according to the law of the Lord, "And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all those things: and they derided him." (Luke 16:14)

And Jesus reiterates choice when He said "No servant can serve two masters," and you "cannot serve God and mammon," (Luke 16:13). Jesus does not want us to become faceless, computerized programs; He wants us alert and invested with him by choice. So my payer is that you also make choices based on true and lawful advice.

Elizabeth Price

 
Announcement:

The Nugget has featured several mini-series' on temples in the Bible over the past two years. Please join us on Saturdays in July for the final series: The Heavenly Temple -- A mini-series by Lyn Chaffart
©Copyright 2011 Answers2Prayer | Matt 10:8 "Freely you have received, freely give."

Welcome to the Nugget

August 1, 2015
The Heavenly Temple, Part 5: The Ark of the Covenant
By Answers2Prayer 
Last week, in The Heavenly Temple, Part 4, we learned two important lessons from the two altars mentioned in the book of Revelation: We need to ask for God's Spirit to help us to know how to pray; and that sacrifice is important, and we offer sacrifices to God when we praise Him, when we give of what we have for others, and when we allow ourselves to be renewed into the image and likeness of Jesus Christ by turning away from the world. 

Today's study takes us to one of the most important pieces of furniture in the Earthly sanctuary: the Ark of God, the place where God spoke to the people: "You shall put the mercy seat on top of the ark...And there I will meet with you, and I will speak with you from above the mercy seat..." (Exod 25:21-22, NKJV).

We know that the ark in the earthly temple was separated from the rest by a veil; and that, amidst a myriad of natural disasters, this veil was torn at the time of Jesus death: "Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split..." (Matt 27:51-52, NKJV)

The first mention we have of the Ark of God in Heaven is in Revelation 11:19: "Then the temple of God was opened in heaven, and the ark of His covenant was seen in His temple. And there were lightnings, noises, thunderings, an earthquake, and great hail." (NKJV)

Here we see that once again, amidst a myriad of natural disasters, the temple is opened and the ark of God can be seen. What is perhaps the most interesting thing is that this "temple opening" in Heaven occurs just after the 7th trumpet is blown and a loud voice is heaven cries out: "The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!" (Rev. 11:15)

Isn't this what happened at the time of Jesus' death? The kingdoms of this world, which had been under the subjection of the evil one, were rightfully put back under Jesus' rule! 

In case there is any further doubt about the relationship between these two incidents, let's go to Revelation 12. Remember that when the Scriptures were written, they weren't divided into chapters and verses, so this was the paragraph that immediately followed Rev. 11:19: "Now a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a garland of twelve stars. Then being with child, she cried out in labor and in pain to give birth." (Rev. 12:1,2)

The verses then go on to tell about the appearance of a great, red dragon that drew away in his tail a third of the stars of heaven and threw them down to the earth, and then the dragon stood, waiting for the woman to give birth so that he might devour her child as soon as it was born. (See Rev. 12:3,4). We pick up the story in verse 5: "She bore a male Child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron. And her Child was caught up to God and His throne." (Rev. 12:5,6). 

This "male child" is, of course, none other than Jesus Himself (See Ps. 2:7-9). Just as the Ark of the Covenant represented God's presence to the children of Israel, the Ark of the Covenant in the Heavenly sanctuary also represents God's presence. That presence was initially hidden, but with Jesus' supreme sacrifice on the cross, the veil was forever torn, giving us direct access to the throne room, to the Ark of the Covenant, to the presence of God: "Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, and having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water." (Heb. 19-22, NKJV)

Thus, the lesson for our heart-temples to be learned from the Ark of the Covenant in the Heavenly sanctuary is this: we have access to the presence of God through the blood of Jesus, and since Jesus paid such a high price to gain us that access, let us never, ever hold ourselves back from drawing near to God's presence!

Join us next week, for The Heavenly Temple, Part 6: The Throne of God.

In His love,
Lyn

Lyn Chaffart, Speech-Language Pathologist, mother of two, Author -- "Aboard God's Train -- A Journey With God Through the Valley of Cancer", Author and Moderator for The Nugget, a tri-weekly internet newsletter, and Scriptural Nuggets, a website devoted to Christian devotionals and inspirational poems, with Answers2Prayer Ministries. Follow Lyn on Twitter @lynchaffart.
Announcement:

Feeling like you're going through a wilderness experience? Join us on Thursdays for "Streams in the Desert", a Mini-Series by Suresh Manoharan.
©Copyright 2011 Answers2Prayer | Matt 10:8 "Freely you have received, freely give."

Welcome to the Nugget
July 30, 2015
Streams in the Desert, Part 2
By Answers2Prayer 
  In the penultimate part of the series on the different dimensions to the heroic account of Sharach, Mesach, Abenego's death-defying act, we come to the second dimension:

Decree...

The wonder of the story of heroic faith of Shadrach, Mesach, Abednego (belonging to the first batch of exiles) is that their matchless act of valor, besides bringing manifold blessings to their own lives, also set right the flawed perception of Israel's neighboring countries on God's power to save his dear ones from harm's way.

Having landed in the foreign land on account of their own sins and that of their countrymen, it is to their eternal credit that without wallowing in self pity or slipping into despair, these three men displayed remarkable resilience in seeking and honoring their Redeemer God in completely alien settings by first abstaining from pagan food (Daniel 1:8-20), a disposition that brought about blessings in its wake by way of their elevation in civil service; and then (when the situation demanded), publicly putting their very lives at stake for preserving Holy name of their God. 

Following the miraculous deliverance from the fiery furnace, one look at the decree of that mighty but fickle Emperor Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 3:28-29 -- See below), extolling the Lord God of these 3 valorous men and warning people of his realm not to take His Holy Name lightly, would convey in no small measure the magnitude of the positive fall-out of this dramatic incident on the restoration of God's Holy Name to its rightful place in the Civilized World of that age. No longer would any pagan nations or its citizens dare to speak ill of His Matchless Name!

Then Nebuchadnezzar said, "Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the king's command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God. Therefore I decree that the people of any nation or language who say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego be cut into pieces and their houses be turned into piles of rubble, for no other god can save in this way." (Daniel 3:28-29)

Prayer: Father, enable us always to stand up for Your glory in order Thy Name is always magnified before all those who are observing us keenly. In Jesus' Name. Amen

Suresh Manoharan
An unworthy servant
J and SM Ministries
 
Announcement:

Do you have a prayer request? Do you know someone who needs to be prayed for? Prayer works! The Bible confirms this in James 5:16: "The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." (NIV) Send your prayer request here and let us pray in agreement with you! Matt 18:20: "For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them." (NIV) Hallelujah!
©Copyright 2011 Answers2Prayer | Matt 10:8 "Freely you have received, freely give."

Welcome to the Nugget

July 28, 2015
Finding out who you Really Are

By Answers2Prayer 
  "We have good news and we have bad news," the immigration department said as I got my papers inline for my exit out of Bolivia last week.

To my surprise, laws had changed. Now anyone born in Bolivia must have an official ID. So being the obedient chica, visiting my own country, I inquired about the process.

The good news is you can get an ID, but you have to update your birth certificate. The bad news is that you need to follow a legal procedure to change the name on your birth certificate to match that of your passport. The process takes time... (and money to race through the bureaucratic maze, I thought).

They were correct. When my family and I became U.S. citizens, my parents changed my name from "Jannetth" to "Janet." Thus, with the discrepancy in the name, both documents, although with the same birthdate, indicated in essence they were two different people.

I gave a silent grin. Of course, they are two different people. I had been "Jannetth Perez Arenas" as reflected on my birth certificate. But now I'm Janet Eckles as shown on my passport.

Thank you, Lord! Little did they know the change was more profound than what appeared on paper. I had been that shy, little girl leaving the comfort of her home in La Paz, Bolivia. And that scared 12-year-old girl soon adjusted to the American way, its requirements, demands and expectations. But years later, she would find herself shoved into dark moments, devastating episodes, and tragic times.

But each step, each painful experience made me a different person. My name had indeed changed--I had been that little girl, in search of dreams to come true. But now I'm the daughter of the King of Kings. And as a new creature, I can walk no longer on shaky ground, but on the solid foundation, the land paved with God's firm promises to sustain, to strengthen, and lift us to victory when facing adversity.

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Father, thank You that through Your son Jesus, the "new" has come into my life. And I relish in the new me, in my new identity, the brand new way to live each day. To cherish the new land of peace when stress comes in waves, tranquility when storms barge in, and calmness when demands pile up. IN Jesus name. Amen.

* What marks your identity?
* Are you still holding on to old things for reassurance?
* Where does your certainty for tomorrow come from?

Janet Eckles

If this message resonated with you, please visit Janet's cyberspace home for more inspiration.

Announcement:

The Nugget has featured several mini-series' on temples in the Bible over the past two years. Please join us on Saturdays in July for the final series: The Heavenly Temple -- A mini-series by Lyn Chaffart
©Copyright 2011 Answers2Prayer | Matt 10:8 "Freely you have received, freely give."

Welcome to the Nugget

July 25, 2015
The Heavenly Temple, Part 4: The Altars

By Answers2Prayer 
In The Heavenly Temple Part 3, we saw that once baptized into Christ Jesus, we are called to walk in the newness of life! Today we will look at the altars mentioned in the Heavenly Temple to see what kinds of lessons these have for us today.

We get a glimpse of the altar of incense from Rev. 8:3: "Then another angel, having a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne." (Rev 8:3, NKJV)

The purpose of the incense, then, had to do with the prayers. It was to be offered with the prayers of the saints. 

We are told that: "...we do not know what we should pray for as we ought..." (Rom 8:26, NKJV), and that we have "unclean lips" (See Is. 6:5). Our prayers, then, offered from "unclean lips," in words that confirm our ignorance about how to pray, are not pure and holy before a pure and holy God. The altar of incense purifies the prayers before the throne of God. 

What does this mean for our heart temples? 

We need to ensure that our prayers are holy before a holy God. The good news is that we don't need physical incense to do so. The apostle Paul tells us: "the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses... the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered." (Rom 8:26-27, NKJV). Thus, when we pray, we need to ask for God's Spirit to help us know how to pray, to make intercession for us; for when we do, we are giving "much incense," that we can "offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne."

But what of the altar of burnt offerings? Do we find it in the Heavenly sanctuary as well?

The answer is, no, or at least, not by that name. However there is mention of another altar in Rev. 6:9: "When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held." (NKJV) 

The Bible doesn't specifically say that this altar represents the altar of burnt offerings, but we know that the Earthly sanctuary was patterned after the Heavenly sanctuary, and we know there was already mention of the Altar of Incense. It is logical to think, therefore, that this reference may be to the altar of burnt offerings. Especially since the poor souls who have been "sacrificed" for the work of the Lord are "under" the altar.

Pure speculation? Perhaps; but as there is no denying that this second altar is in Heaven, the question should perhaps become, "What does this mean for me today? Does it have relevance for our heart-temples?"

The key thing to note in this passage is the presence of the martyred saints under the altar. This speaks of sacrifice for the cause of the Lord; this speaks of the unequivocal giving of one's self. The Bible has some other interesting things to say about personal sacrifice:

"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service." (Rom 12:1 NKJV)

Thus, in a day and age where we no longer have the need of animal sacrifices (thank You, Jesus!), we are still admonished to make sacrifices; only now, instead of bulls and rams, we are to present our bodies as living sacrifices. 

How are we to do this? "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly..." (Rom 12:1-3, NKJV) 

Another clue as to what these sacrifices of our day and age might be is found in Phil 4:18: "I am full, having received from Epaphroditus the things sent from you, a sweet-smelling aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well pleasing to God." (NKJV). Thus, when we give freely and lovingly to help others, it is considered an "acceptable sacrifice, well pleasing to God."

A third application of the idea of "sacrifice" in our day and age is found in Hebrews 13: "Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name." (Heb 13:15, NKJV). From this text we can understand that when we praise God for His blessings, we are offering sacrifices to Him.

Thus, the message to our heart-temples today from the heavenly alter under which is found the souls of the martyred saints is this: Sacrifice is important, and we offer sacrifices to God when we praise Him, when we give of what we have for others, and when we allow ourselves to be renewed into the image and likeness of Jesus Christ by turning away from the world. 

And that, friends, is the message of the two heavenly altars for us today. Please join us next week for The Heavenly Temple, Part 5: The Ark of the Covenant. 


In His love,
Lyn 

Lyn Chaffart, Speech-Language Pathologist, mother of two, Author -- "Aboard God's Train -- A Journey With God Through the Valley of Cancer", Author and Moderator for The Nugget, a tri-weekly internet newsletter, and Scriptural Nuggets, a website devoted to Christian devotionals and inspirational poems, with Answers2Prayer Ministries. Follow Lyn on Twitter @lynchaffart.
Announcement:

Do you have a prayer request? Do you know someone who needs to be prayed for? Prayer works! The Bible confirms this in James 5:16: "The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." (NIV) Send your prayer request to prayerrequest@answers2prayer.org and let us pray in agreement with you! Matt 18:20: "For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them." (NIV) Hallelujah!
©Copyright 2011 Answers2Prayer | Matt 10:8 "Freely you have received, freely give."

Welcome to the Nugget

July 23, 2015
Streams in the Desert, Part 1

By Answers2Prayer Subscribe Unsubscribe Devotionals Contact us  "Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland." (Isaiah 43:18-19)

All throughout the Biblical history, we see numerous examples of those who had made a mess of their lives, landing in barren wilderness, as it were, experiencing His gracious restoration consequent to their repentance. Virtually streams have gushed forth, right where they were...in the dry sterile desert, whenever they have sought Him sincerely with a contrite heart. The juicy one-liner the good Lord creates a message from the mess His loved ones land up in, is not manifested more clearly than in the lives of Shadrach, Mesach and Abednego of the fiery furnace fame. 

The image of these faithful men rescued sensationally by their faithful God from the throes of death even as they defied the King by refusing to bow before an imposing idol, would doubtless inspire people of all ages. But if we were to hit the rewind button just for a moment and dig a bit deep into this thrilling account--by way of some posers--a totally different dimension of this story would emerge. In this series of three parts, Yours truly would like to focus on totally different dimensions of this heroic tale besides remarkable faith of three Jewish youth...here goes...firstly...

History...

What were these 3 Jewish youth in the post David era, doing in Babylon in the first place? Did these natives of the kingdom of Judah come over there either in pursuit of higher education or in search of greener pastures, in the same way we see many doing, in this modern era crossing even several seas in the process? The benumbing, chilling answer to these questions would be that "they like many of their ilk (the exiled Jews) were in Babylon as a punishment for their sin of worshipping idols." Yes, for very same sin, they refrained from, now!

A history flashback at this stage would reveal that despite several warnings through prophets such as Isaiah and Jeremiah the people of Judah who were sold-out to idol-worship, courtesy the wicked reigns of certain kings like Ahaz (2 Chronicles 26) and Zedekiah (2 Chronicles 36: 11-13) would not turn from their idol-worshipping ways, leaving God with no option but to bring to effect all the warnings He had issued up until then. In a nutshell, He perforce had to execute His judgment of exiling them from the land flowing with milk and honey, for they had violated their covenant relationship with Him, which demanded that they be allowed to enjoy the choicest portion of planet Earth only on implicitly obeying Him (Deuteronomy 28:1-14). Disobedience would lead to a tragic situation as brought forth in 2 Chronicles 36:6-21, which too had been prophesied by Moses in his farewell address to his people as recorded in Deuteronomy 28:49-64.

In fact the closer scrutiny of events related to the Judean exile would reveal that it (the exile) took place in three phases:

a) Political -- Daniel 1:1-4 -- during which the Royals and the political class were exiled in 606 BC. To this group belonged our death-defying terrific trio...Shadrach, Mesach and Abednego;

b) Economical -- 2 Kings 24:16 -- during which the craftsmen and the business class were exiled in 597 BC;

c) Universal -- 2 Kings 25:8-9 -- during which everyone, including the Judean King, were exiled in 586 BC. The prestigious Jerusalem Wall was demolished and the Temple in which many Jews prided (built by King Solomon) was burnt...very much in conformity with the Lord's warnings (1 Kings 8:6-9)

The batch-wise exile reinforces the fact that God was giving an opportunity to His chosen ones to repent and seek Him in order their punishment is limited. Doubtless, a loving God would never want a massacre of His loved ones, laced with destruction of His either beloved city or His magnificent temple. But was there a reciprocal response from His select nation to His lenience? Was the first comeuppance adequate to make His special people make amends in their lifestyle? No! His people sadly stuck to their stubborn ways despite several warnings of Prophet Jeremiah of a more serious indictment coming their way. Finally, the somber record of 2 Chronicles 36:14-20 stands as a grim reminder of the fact of what would happen when we foolishly exhaust His patience, for in that is a heart-rending account of a ruthless destruction sweeping across what was once a proud capital of a God-honoring nation, paving the way for yet another exile of those who survived (very few did ) the onslaught of an all powerful Babylonian war machine spurred on by God's Divine wrath. 

The lesson within a lesson here. Just as God's best is reserved for the last (John 2:10) for those who love him (Rev 21-23), His worst, too, is reserved for the last for those who forsake Him relentlessly (Rev 19:17-21, Rev 20:14-15)! Ask the hard-hearted Egyptian Pharoah, who had to bear the ignominy and pain of losing his first-born (Exo 12:29-30), when he did not humble himself after receiving a few divine blows initially...
 
The tragic account of the Judean exile lends itself to yet another corollary in this study. What happens when God's people (be it Jews or their New testament counterparts, Christians) sin and reap just punishment? Not only is there a severing of relationship between Him and his people at the time sin is indulged in (at least temporarily), but more seriously, when the just punishment falls upon God's chosen ones, the unsaved lot are presented an opportunity, on the platter so to speak, of blaspheming God's Name (2 Sam 12:14). Their tongues would wag with impish delight on the perceived inability of God to protect His blessed ones from harm, little realizing that He Himself, of His own accord, had permitted harm to befall His disobedient special ones, in order that they would turn from their errant ways and seek Him once again.

Now how many of us know that the exultant phrase "Hip, Hip, Hooray" is actually an anti-Semitic cry having originated from the Israeli neighbors who rejoiced at the fall of Jerusalem to the Babylonian army???

Prayer: Father, how often we land up in the Deserts of our own making. We praise Thee for Thy grace and mercy displayed again and again in our restoration, when we turn to Thee with contrite hearts. We praise Thee once again the Matchless Name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

Suresh Manoharan
An unworthy servant
J and SM Ministries
 
Announcement:

The Nugget has featured several mini-series' on temples in the Bible over the past two years. Please join us on Saturdays in July for the final series: The Heavenly Temple -- A mini-series by Lyn Chaffart
©Copyright 2011 Answers2Prayer | Matt 10:8 "Freely you have received, freely give."

Welcome to the Nugget


August 21, 2015
My Murphy's Law Vacation

By Answers2Prayer 
 Murphy's law: Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong. 

Not exactly the descriptor most people would like to attach to their vacation notes, but I couldn't help calling our recent trip to Scotland by this name. It all started out with a 15 minute thunderstorm in London's Heathrow airport that prohibited thousands of flights from landing and taking off. As a result, we finally arrived at Heathrow well after our connecting flight to Scotland was scheduled to leave. This affected thousands of travelers, and it was well into the next day before we were able to rebook our flight to Scotland. By this time, we had already missed our connector flight to the Orkneys, and the only way for us to catch up to our itinerary was to cancel the entire eastern part of our Scotland visit. Naturally, this resulted in hundreds of lost dollars for flights, hotels, and rental cars. Then, when we finally did arrive in Scotland, our bag did not, and it took it four days to catch up to us. Of course, this was the bag containing all our toiletries, our electronic chargers, and naturally, my medication...

I could go on and tell you about the narrow Scottish roads, the accident that blocked the only road to our destination for over 6 hours, the midges, and naturally, the incessant rain, but you would likely get bored by the end of the saga. 

I had been feeling kind of cheated out of our wonderful vacation when I read the story of someone whose vacation turned out even worse than mine. This gentleman's vehicle was caught up in a horrible storm for over two weeks, only to be wrecked on an uncivilized island, causing over 3 months of delay. He lost his bags too, and they never did catch up to him. During his first 24 hours on the island, he was accused of being cursed, he was bitten by a deadly snake, and it took him nearly a year to end up at his final destination, which was, by the way, Rome. And did I mention that he was in chains for the entire trip? 

In case you haven't recognized this man's story, you can read it in Acts 27 and 28. His name was...Paul.

Don't these stories sound a bit like our own? We find our lives have come to a sudden standstill, shipwrecked on a desert island called "illness," or "job loss" or "divorce" or "abuse" or "victimization," and we find ourselves stranded with no way to ever again catch up to our itineraries. We feel cheated, frustrated, tempted to ask, "Why God? Why did You let this happen?"

If you read the story of Paul carefully, however, you will not find any record of complaint. He doesn't get upset, there's no bitterness, no cursing God, no "Why God, why me?" In fact, we see Paul encouraging the men in the storm, shaking off the deadly viper, healing the governor's father as well as many other sick people on the island, and we can be sure that when Paul left, the entire population of this island knew about Jesus.

Maybe we could learn some important lessons from Paul about using our less-than-ideal circumstances as jumping boards for blessing others, for demonstrating the love and power of God for all people...What do you think? 

"...who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God." (2Cor 1:4, NKJV)

Maybe I should rename my "Murphy's Law" vacation to Scotland as my "God's blessing" vacation...Oh, and the travel insurance my husband insists on taking out before each trip is actually worthwhile... 
In His love,
Lyn
Lynona Gordon Chaffart, Speech-Language Pathologist, mother of two, Author -- "Aboard God's Train -- A Journey With God Through the Valley of Cancer", Author and Moderator for The Nugget, a tri-weekly internet newsletter, and Scriptural Nuggets, a website devoted to Christian devotionals and inspirational poems, with Answers2Prayer Ministries. Follow Lyn on Twitter @lynchaffart.

Announcement:

Feeling like you're going through a wilderness experience? Join us on Thursdays for "Streams in the Desert", a Mini-Series by Suresh Manoharan.
©Copyright 2011 Answers2Prayer | Matt 10:8 "Freely you have received, freely give."

Welcome to the Nugget

July 18, 2015
The Heavenly Temple, Part 3: The Sea of Glass
bible
By Answers2Prayer 
Last week, in The Heavenly Temple, Part 2, we learned the importance of getting into God's Word so that our heart-windows will let Jesus' light shine through to a lost a hurting world. Today, we look at the next symbol brought to us in the book of Revelation, the Sea of Glass: "Also in front of the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal..." (Rev. 4:5). 

In the construction of Solomon's temple, we see that the washbasin is often called "the sea": "He made the Sea of cast metal, circular in shape, measuring ten cubits from rim to rim and five cubits high. It took a line of thirty cubits to measure around it." (2 Chr 4:2, NIV2). We also know that this "sea," was used for washing: "Then the Lord said to Moses, 'Make a bronze basin, with its bronze stand, for washing...Aaron and his sons are to wash their hands and feet with water from it...'" (Ex 30:17,18) 

Thus, the "sea" in the temple represented a washing. Before the priests in the Old Testament could commune with God, they needed to wash their hands and feet before entering in to the presence of God. 

Why? 

Because God is holy and clean, and we are called to be the same: "And you shall be holy to Me, for I the LORD am holy, and have separated you from the peoples, that you should be Mine." (Lev 20:26, NKJV).

In the Heavenly temple, we see that there are those standing on the sea of glass: "And I saw something like a sea of glass mingled with fire, and those who have the victory over the beast, over his image and over his mark and over the number of his name, standing on the sea of glass, having harps of God." (Rev 15:2, NKJV). The sea of glass in the Heavenly temple, then, is for the saints, those who have already been washed by the blood of the lamb! 

Why would they need cleansing if they were already clean? 

Remember that the priests were already forgiven by their sacrifices, yet they also needed a secondary cleansing because they were continually dirtying their hands and feet. In the same way, even though we have been washed by the blood of the lamb and our sin is as far from us as the east is from the west (See Ps. 103:12), we continue to wade through life, falling into traps of the enemy, sinning again and again. Thus it is important that we continually wash our hands and feet. The fact that Revelation tells us the saints stood on the sea, would suggest that they were continually walking in that cleansing. 

What does this mean for our heart temples?

Simply this: There is a need for us to be holy before a holy and perfect God. We are washed in the blood of the lamb, and our sins are as far from us as the East is from the West (See Ps. 103:12), but God calls us to continually walk in cleansing, to continually walk in holiness. Should we keep on willfully sinning then? 

"Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life." (Rom 6:1-4, NKJV)!

Remember, friends, when we are baptized into Christ Jesus, we are baptized into His death, and just as Christ was raised from the dead, we must also walk in the newness of life! And this is the important lesson that the "sea of glass" in the Heavenly temple has to teach for our heart temples today. 

Please join us next week for The Heavenly Temple, Part 4 to learn what lessons the altars in the heavenly temple have to teach us for our heart-temples today. 

In His love,
Lyn 

Lyn Chaffart, Speech-Language Pathologist, mother of two, Author -- "Aboard God's Train -- A Journey With God Through the Valley of Cancer", Author and Moderator for The Nugget, a tri-weekly internet newsletter, and Scriptural Nuggets, a website devoted to Christian devotionals and inspirational poems, with Answers2Prayer Ministries. Follow Lyn on Twitter @lynchaffart.


Announcement:

Do you have a prayer request? Do you know someone who needs to be prayed for? Prayer works! The Bible confirms this in James 5:16: "The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." (NIV) Send your prayer request to prayerrequest@answers2prayer.org and let us pray in agreement with you! Matt 18:20: "For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them." (NIV) Hallelujah!
©Copyright 2011 Answers2Prayer | Matt 10:8 "Freely you have received, freely give."

Welcome to the Nugget
July 16, 2015
Just the Two of Us

By Answers2Prayer 
 There he was, the main character, doing what he does best as the stunt man for one of the most popular action-packed shows in Disney World.

Among the audience of thousands, on the third row, nestled in her grandma's lap, his 3-year-old daughter's eyes danced with delight. She followed his leaps in the air, daring walls of fire and dropping from incredible heights. His skill displayed in the midst of the action that exploded all around that huge stage.

Then it happened. For a second, he glanced into the crowd and locked his eyes with his little girl's. Then with a subtle move, he lifted his right hand and gave her an "I love you" sign.

Her chubby legs wiggled back and forth, making her brown curls bounce around her cheeks. And with a grin of delight, she made the same sign with her tiny hand back to him.

For a few seconds, there was a magical connection between daddy and daughter. The sign was for her. And her response was for him only.

Isn't that the way God also connects with us? In the midst of His divine performance of making the universe happen, the sun radiate, the moon shimmer and the stars light up the dark night, He's sending an "I love you" sign to each of us, individually, personally and directly.

Don't believe me? The fact you're reading these words is His "I love you" sign through the eyesight He gave you. His signs come in all sizes and forms--the hug of someone you love, the encouraging word you hear, the unexpected promotion at work, or the promise that through the uncertainty He will take care of you.

Goodness gracious, speaking for myself why don't I appreciate those love signs more often? Why did I settle, longing and yearning to merely observe the action on the stage of life? No wonder restlessness dug day and night. The reason? Because I believed signs of His love like the one through this passage was meant for someone else. Or worse yet, I tossed it in the trash can of doubt: "Do not fear, for I am with you; do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you; surely I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." (Isaiah 41:10).

Father, I confess I had doubted your promises, regarded them as "religious or antiquated." But now I vow to be still enough to relish in those signs of love you send my way. Help me to have that connection with you constant enough to make our relationship more vibrant, real and reassuring. In Jesus' name, amen.

* Is doubt ruling your life lately?

* When was the last time you connected with God?

* How does His promise to connect with you personally change your outlook?

Janet Eckles

If this message resonated with you, please visit Janet's cyberspace home for more inspiration. 
Announcement:

The Nugget has featured several mini-series' on temples in the Bible over the past two years. Please join us on Saturdays in July for the final series: The Heavenly Temple -- A mini-series by Lyn Chaffart
©Copyright 2011 Answers2Prayer | Matt 10:8 "Freely you have received, freely give."

Welcome to the Nugget
July 14, 2015
The Speech Impediment

By Answers2Prayer 
"I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go; I will guide thee with mine eye." (Psalm 32:8)

The year I taught a class of 4-year old kindergarten students, I think I learned far more than they did. 

One little boy in the class just could not say the sound of the letter "F". No matter how hard he tried, it always came out with the sound of the letter "P". I had tried everything I could think of to help him overcome this speech impediment but to no avail. Finally, I prayed and asked God to give me wisdom to know how to help Wade. I kept working with him in the reading groups, alone at my desk, with another of his peers; everything I could think of! 

One morning during that winter, I called Wade's group to the reading circle. Many in the group had the sniffles, chapped lips, etc. Wade happened to sit right in front of me in the circle. While other students were reading, I carefully watched his reactions. He had a chapped lip that morning and without thinking, he caught the bottom lip under his top teeth to remove a portion of dried skin. Just as he did so, God spoke to my heart and said, "Audrey, there's your answer." I was stumped. I had no idea what He meant. 

Just then Wade again caught his bottom lip under his top teeth and I caught what God was trying to show me. I said to Wade, "Do that again. Catch your bottom lip under your top teeth." He did so. I said, "Now, blow your breath through it." He looked at me as if I was crazy but he did as I asked. I said, "Now, do it again." He complied. 

I looked at him and softly said, "Wade that is how you make the 'F' sound." His little face lit up. Then I had him put that sound in front of a blend and then in front of a word. That day Wade went home with a beaming face for now he could make the words just like the others in his class.

God had answered my prayer for wisdom to help Wade in a wonderful way; just as He promised us in James 1:5: "If any of you lack wisdom let him ask of God who giveth to all men liberally."

Audrey Mullen
Announcement:

Do you have a prayer request? Do you know someone who needs to be prayed for? Prayer works! The Bible confirms this in James 5:16: "The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." (NIV) Send your prayer request to prayerrequest@answers2prayer.org and let us pray in agreement with you! Matt 18:20: "For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them." (NIV) Hallelujah!
©Copyright 2011 Answers2Prayer | Matt 10:8 "Freely you have received, freely give."

Welcome to the Nugget

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July 11, 2015
The Heavenly Temple, Part 2: The Lampstands
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By Answers2Prayer 
Last week, in The Heavenly Temple, Part 1, we saw that the earthly tabernacles were but copies of the one in Heaven, and we receive glimpses of the Heavenly sanctuary throughout the book of Revelation. 

The very first glimpse of the Heavenly sanctuary is found in Revelation 1: "In front of the throne, seven lamps were blazing..." (Rev. 1:12b) 

Though the book of Revelation is full of symbolism, often leaving us guessing at what is being told, when it comes to the lampstands, no guessing is required: "The mystery of the...seven golden lampstands:...the seven lampstands which you saw are the seven churches." (Rev 1:20, NKJV). 

Why is this important?

Let's take a brief trip back to Exodus for the answer: "Then make its seven lamps and set them up on it so that they light the space in front of it..." (Exod 25:37, NIV2). Thus, the purpose of the lampstand and its seven lamps was to provide light for the space in front of it. If you've ever wondered what the purpose of the church is, it is spelled out for you here: To light up the world around it so that all men can be drawn to the light of the lamb!

What does this have to do with our heart temples?

Just this: A church is only as strong as each of its parts. We, as human beings, make up the parts to the church, and in order for the church to be the light it is designed to be, each of its individual parts must shine forth brightly. That means that you and I must do our part to shine. And why not? Aren't we temples of God's Spirit? Is not the light of Christ burning brightly in each of our hearts? 

The other morning I got up and put on my glasses. As I began stumbling around the house, it occurred to me that despite the light I had switched on, it was awfully dark. It was like the house was filled with smoke! 

I panicked initially, but there was no smell of smoke...Maybe it was my eyes! I pulled off my glasses to rub them, and it was as if the air suddenly cleared. Holding the lenses up to the light I saw the reason for my "smoky darkness": My glasses were filthy!

Friends, the light of Jesus Christ burns brightly in each heart that is dedicated to Him. However, if the windows of our heart are dirty, then the light that shines through them is diffused, darkened, "smoky." 

Taking it a bit farther, if each individual part of the church (read each human being) walks around with dirty heart-windows, then the light from our heart-temples cannot shine out to light the way for a lost and hurting generation. Just like I needed to clean my glasses in order to be able to see, we need to clean our heart-windows so that we can shine for Jesus.

How do we do that? 

Ps. 119 gives us a number of clues: 
1. Vs. 9: "Taking heed to God's Word;"
2. Vs 10: Seeking God with our whole hearts;
3. Vs 11: Hiding God’s Word in our hearts;
4. Vs 12: Begging God to teach us His ways;
5. Vs 13: Declaring the ways of the Lord;
6. Vs 14: rejoicing in God’s instruction;
7. Vs 15: Meditating on God’s Ways
8. Vs 16: Remembering God’s Word

Notice anything that these verses have in common? 

The Word of God! Getting into God's Word, meditating on it, declaring it, rejoicing in it, remembering it. This is the secret to cleaning up our heart-windows so that Jesus'light can shine through us to a lost and broken world, and this is what the lampstands in the Heavenly sanctuary have to teach us for our heart-temples today.

Will you join me today in resolving to get into God's Word so that our heart-windows will let Jesus' light shine through? 

Please join us next week to see what the washbasin of the Heavenly sanctuary has to teach us about our heart-temples in The Heavenly Temple, Part 3! 

In His love,


Lyn

Lyn Chaffart, Speech-Language Pathologist, mother of two, Author -- "Aboard God's Train -- A Journey With God Through the Valley of Cancer", Author and Moderator for The Nugget, a tri-weekly internet newsletter, and Scriptural Nuggets, a website devoted to Christian devotionals and inspirational poems, with Answers2Prayer Ministries. Follow Lyn on Twitter @lynchaffart.


Announcement:

Ever wonder about the Priestly roll of the Lord, Jesus Christ? What is its importance, and how does it compare to the Levitical priesthood? Check out the mini-series, "Of Indy, Community and the Almighty"!  There are many types of crowns mentioned in the Bible. Why are there so many? Check out "The Crowning Glory" miniseries. 
©Copyright 2011 Answers2Prayer | Matt 10:8 "Freely you have received, freely give."

Welcome to the Nugget
July 9, 2015
What to do with Fear

By Answers2Prayer
  Fear is a funny thing. We can stand up strong in the face of the scariest moments, and crumble at the smallest detail. This was my experience as I went through cancer. Oh, there were moments where the fear of having cancer nearly overwhelmed me, but for the most part, I was able to keep that fierce enemy at bay. But there was this one little fear that nearly did me in: I was scared to death of the potential stomach upset that often follows general anaesthesia. It was this fear that prompted me to ask my surgeon if she would consider doing my mastectomy under local anaesthesia! She just looked at me and said, "I don't think so!" 

True enough, she had just described a 2-3 hour procedure. Even I didn't want to have to go through that awake...

Nonetheless, as surgery day drew nearer, I couldn't shake my fear of the anaesthesia, and this silly fear soon mushroomed in my mind to the point that it was all I could think of.

The Children of Israel could relate. They had been brought right to the border of the Land of Canaan, but their fear of the people who lived there robbed them of their chance to enter immediately in. Instead, they had to wander for 40 years in the wilderness. 

In Moses' last address to the people, he gave them some powerful words, words that would help them as they once again stood on the border of Canaan: "If you think to yourselves, 'These nations outnumber us; how can we dispossess them?' nevertheless, you are not to be afraid of them; you are to remember well what Adonai your God did to Pharaoh and all of Egypt—The great ordeals which you yourself saw, and the signs, wonders, strong hand and outstretched arm by which Adonai your God brought you out. Adonai will do the same to all the peoples of whom you are afraid. Moreover, Adonai your God will send the hornet among them until those who are left and those who hide themselves perish ahead of you. You are not to be frightened of them, because Adonai your God is there with you, a God great and fearsome..." (Deut. 7:17-21 CJB)

About 30 minutes before my surgery, I began to remember. I put my fear of anaesthesia in His hands. When I awoke from surgery, I had a wonderful nurse who went against the rules and brought me some Ginger Ale. That was all I needed, my stomach was fine. I had truly nothing to fear, for the Lord my God was there for me, a God great and fearsome!

Whatever it is you fear today, be it something as silly as general anaesthesia, or something as understandable as a bad medical diagnosis or financial or relationship problems, remember these words. Take the time to think back on the goodness of God, on the many blessings He has wrought in your life. And if your mind is so overtaken with the fear that you can't remember any blessings, then ask God to bring them to your mind! Meditate on how He has always been there for you. Contemplate the many wonders and miracles He has already done in your lives, and put your fear of the future directly into His hands. Then you, like the children of Israel of old, will not be frightened, because the Lord your God is there for you, a God great and fearsome!

In His love,
Lyn

Lyn Chaffart, Speech-Language Pathologist, mother of two, Author -- "Aboard God's Train -- A Journey With God Through the Valley of Cancer", Author and Moderator for The Nugget, a tri-weekly internet newsletter, and Scriptural Nuggets, a website devoted to Christian devotionals and inspirational poems, with Answers2Prayer Ministries. Follow Lyn on Twitter @lynchaffart.

 
Announcement:

Burdened by endless trouble? Feel like you're stuck in the valleys of problems? Wonder why you can't spend at least SOME time on the mountain tops? Check out "Mountain Top Experiences", an eight part mini-series designed to help us view the peaks and valleys of life from GOD'S perspective!
©Copyright 2011 Answers2Prayer | Matt 10:8 "Freely you have received, freely give."

Welcome to the Nugget
July 4, 2015
The Heavenly Temple, Part 1: Introduction
By Answers2Prayer 
Over the past few months, the Nugget has featured three studies on temples in the Bible. These include: Wilderness Instructions, a series looking at the significance of the tabernacle in the wilderness; Lessons From Ezekiel's Temple, a series based on the elaborate temple instructions given in the last 9 chapters of Ezekiel; and Building Solomon's Temple, a series based on what we can learn from the building of Solomon’s temple. 

The book of Hebrews teaches us that each piece of the earthly tabernacle and temples was patterned after the temple in Heaven: "They serve at a sanctuary that is a copy and shadow of what is in heaven." (Heb 8:5, NIV2). 

What is this Heavenly temple, and what can we learn from it? 

The upcoming 9 part series will be looking at this Heavenly structure in more detail in order to ascertain what this means for our heart-temples today. 

Our first glimpse of the Heavenly sanctuary comes to us from Revelation 4: 

"At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it...A rainbow that shone like an emerald encircled the throne...In front of the throne, seven lamps were blazing. These are the seven spirits of God. Also in front of the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal. In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures, and they were covered with eyes, in front and in back." (Rev 4:2-6, NIV2) 

When you look carefully through these 5 verses of Rev. 4, you will see several references to things we have previously studied in previous temple studies. First of all, there is the throne itself: The place where God sits. Is this not what the Ark of the Covenant and its cover and mercy seat were to have represented? "You shall put the mercy seat on top of the ark...And there I will meet with you, and I will speak with you from above the mercy seat..." (Exod 25:21-22, NKJV)

Secondly, we see lamps, Remember back in Exodus? The lampstand was to contain seven lamps that were to be kept continually burning: "Then make its seven lamps and set them up on it so that they light the space in front of it...See that you make them according to the pattern shown you on the mountain." (Exod 25:37-40, NIV2)

Thirdly, we see a "sea of glass." In the construction of Solomon's temple, we see that the washbasin is often called "the sea": "He made the Sea of cast metal, circular in shape, measuring ten cubits from rim to rim and five cubits high. It took a line of thirty cubits to measure around it." (2 Chr 4:2, NIV2)

As we move on through the book of Revelation, we get glimpses of the altars: 

"Then another angel, having a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne." (Rev 8:3, NKJV); 

"When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held." (Rev 6:9, NKJV) 

And finally, we get a glimpse of the Earth-made-new, of the holy City, and we see that there is...No temple there! "But I saw no temple in it..." (Rev 21:22, NKJV)

There is just one piece of furniture that appeared in the Tabernacle in the wilderness that is not mentioned at all in the book of Revelation: The Table of Shewbread! 

What does all of this mean? What can we learn from this in regards to our heart-temples? 

Please join us on Saturdays over the next 8 weeks as we further explore the Heavenly Temple. As we do, please join me in making a commitment to God to allow His Spirit to clean out our heart-temples and make way for His glory to shine through us! 

In His love,
Lyn

Lyn Chaffart, Speech-Language Pathologist, mother of two, Author -- "Aboard God's Train -- A Journey With God Through the Valley of Cancer", Author and Moderator for The Nugget, a tri-weekly internet newsletter, and Scriptural Nuggets, a website devoted to Christian devotionals and inspirational poems, with Answers2Prayer Ministries. Follow Lyn on Twitter @lynchaffart.


Announcement:

Are you ever tempted to think that your sin has no consequence? After all, Jesus forgave ALL our sins! Even that one little time when we knew better, but it anyway! What could be the harm? Check out "Lessons From David's Fall," a mini-series designed to help us understand that EACH and EVERY ONE of our actions have a profound affect, not only on our own lives, but on the lives of thousands of others around us.
©Copyright 2011 Answers2Prayer | Matt 10:8 "Freely you have received, freely give."

Welcome to the Nugget
July 7, 2015
Now

By Answers2Prayer 
  I haven't worn a watch for a few years now and I must say I don't miss it. I don't miss the band rubbing the hair off my wrist. I don't miss the heat rash it always gave me during the Summer. Most of all I don’t miss constantly checking it to see if I am late. Still, when a little girl walked up behind me in the store the other day and asked me what time it was I found my arm going up to my face and my eyes glancing down to my bare wrist. When I caught myself I just smiled, showed my empty wrist to the girl, and said, "Now!"

For a long time I missed out on the magical moment of NOW. Instead of enjoying it, I wasted my time playing two very destructive games. The first was called, "I'll be happy when." In it I would make a list of things I had to have or accomplish in order to be happy. No matter how many of them I achieved, though, happiness never came. And for everyone I crossed off the list I added two more. The second game was called, "If I knew then what I know now." In it I would look back at the years I had already lived and regret the mistakes I had made in the past. I would also dream of living them over with my current wisdom, but since I knew I couldn't go back in time I guess I wasn't being very wise.

Finally, after God had given me more than a few taps on the shoulder and kicks in the butt I realized that I was wasting my precious NOW mourning the past and pining for the future. I saw too that if I wanted a great life and true joy I had to live and love today and let yesterday and tomorrow take care of themselves. They were, after all, just former and future nows.

When is the time to live? Now! When is the time to laugh? Now! When is the time to love? Now! When is the time to do good, help others, share joy, and serve God? Now! Now! Now! 

Don't miss out on life then. Live each moment in the eternal, glorious NOW.

"To everything [there is] a season, A time for every purpose under heaven." (Eccl 3:1 NKJV)

By: Joseph J. Mazzella

 
Announcement:

The Nugget has featured several mini-series' on temples in the Bible over the past two years. Please join us on Saturdays in July for the final series: The Heavenly Temple -- A mini-series by Lyn Chaffart
©Copyright 2011 Answers2Prayer | Matt 10:8 "Freely you have received, freely give."

Welcome to the Nugget

July 2, 2015
Your Light

By Answers2Prayer 
  "You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all [who are] in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven." (Matt 5:14-16)

The heat of the July afternoon had finally passed as I took my dogs out for their last walk of the day. The cooler air of the Summer evening felt so refreshing on my face. I breathed it in deep and gazed up at the magnificent full moon sitting alone, smiling down on me from the still blue sky. It was a moment of pure peace that was only made more perfect when I saw my old friends the fireflies in my backyard, doing their dance of love and light. There were hundreds of them. As one flew near, my beagle thought it would be a good snack and snapped at it. I quickly pulled back on her leash and the firefly escaped. The missed meal then flew up to my face, blinked a “thank you†and glided off. I watched it rejoin its friends with a smile and as they lit up the evening I pledged once again to do my best to share my own light in this world.

It hasn't always been easy living up to that pledge. On many days I have felt like the "Splendid Torch" that George Bernard Shaw spoke of, burning bright with the light of love. Yet, at other times I have felt more like a little candle struggling to give out any light at all. After many years, though, I finally realized that even the smallest candle can make a sunny day brighter and even the tiniest firefly can light up the night.

As I bid my lightening bug buddies goodnight and went back into my house I remembered that God doesn’t ask any of us to light up the whole world. He just asks us to light up our own little corner of it. We all can spread joy and share love here. We all can give the light within us to the world around us. We all can add our little glow to the radiance of Heaven.

Take good care of your light then. Nurture it. Grow it. Fan its flames. Share it with others. 

Join it with the light of Heaven and the love of God. Use it to brighten the sunny days and illuminate the darkest nights. And always remember that your loving light is who you really are.


By: Joseph J. Mazzella

Announcement:

The Nugget has featured several mini-series' on temples in the Bible over the past two years. Please join us on Saturdays in July for the final series: The Heavenly Temple -- A mini-series by Lyn Chaffart
©Copyright 2011 Answers2Prayer | Matt 10:8 "Freely you have received, freely give."

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June 30, 2015
How to get rid of Headaches

By Answers2Prayer 
  Does anyone out there have the answer or solutions to get rid of headaches? You know those pesky intruders that alter your day?

I wish I knew. The other day I had one of them. The aching throb spread right around the right eye socket. Yuck. It took my concentration away, made me a bit irritable. And since no meds enter this chica's body, I suffered through it. 

Then it happened. God smiled at me. He sent me the most experienced, dedicated and admirable physical therapist. Who, ahem, happens to be my dear friend.

She pointed to the bed, "Lay down here."

Not only did she do her "magic" as a therapist, but I think what truly made the headache go away completely is the sincere love that poured from her heart and hands. After the pain, there was a soothing peace--a glorious relief.

But forgive my presumptuous approach. As you read this, you might be facing not a temporary headache, But a searing heartache. Painful loneliness. Or serious illness. So how do we endure and keep going with that load pressing on us?

God, the therapist of our soul, has the answer. He first asks us to be still. To quiet our soul so He can do His majestic work in us.

With His hands of love, He'll work for the length of time He needs, in the ways He finds best and in the stages He planned the cure.

In the meantime, we embrace the promise, the reassurance, and the hope in Romans 8:18. One translation says: "I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us." Another says: "The pain that you've been feeling can't compare to the joy that's coming."

Father, no matter what the suffering, all is doable, knowing that you will eventually bring healing, peace, comfort and deep joy. Your power is what not only gets rid of headaches, but gives us the strength to endure all. And resting in the expectation that glory is coming. In Jesus' name, amen.

What hurt are you enduring today?
How does God's promise ease your pain?
How much trust will you have that He will turn all your grief into glory?

Janet Eckles

If this message resonated with you, please visit Janet's cyberspace home for more inspiration. 

Announcement:

Do you have a prayer request? Do you know someone who needs to be prayed for? Prayer works! The Bible confirms this in James 5:16 "The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." NIV Send your prayer request to prayerrequest@answers2prayer.org and let us pray in agreement with you! Matt 18:20 "For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them." NIV Hallelujah!
©Copyright 2011 Answers2Prayer | Matt 10:8 "Freely you have received, freely give."

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June 27, 2015
Neither Slumbers Nor Sleeps

By Answers2Prayer 
  It was four in the morning when it happened. I couldn't sleep, and I finally just got up. I had just picked up my new cell phone the day before, my first "smart" phone, and I decided to play with it a bit. Maybe it would help me go to sleep! I started out to try and turn off the wake-up alarm I had set the night before, but as I touched random buttons here and there, to my horror, it began to dial a number! At 4 am! Frantically I began pushing buttons, but try as I might, I couldn't get the thing to hang up. Where was that lovely little "red" button that I could always rely on to terminate a call? 

And then I heard what I dreaded the most to hear--The very sleepy voice on the other end: "Hello? Hello?" 

It was with shame that I responded: "I'm so sorry! I picked up my phone to turn off the alarm, and I don't know what I did, but it dialed you!"

Fortunately for me, it was my all-forgiving mother and not someone else on my contact list! I know she'll love me no matter how many times I phone her at 4 am. 

Fortunately for all of us, we have a Father who also doesn't mind being contacted at any time. In fact, He never sleeps: "He who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, He who keeps Israel Shall neither slumber nor sleep." (Ps 121:3-4, NKJV). No matter what hour of the day or night, He is there, reaching out to us, holding us together, bringing us through victorious. 

What do you need today? Why not ask our all-loving God who never slumbers of sleeps? Hasn't He promised that He will supply all our needs? "And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus." (Phil 4:19, NKJV)

"And in that day you will ask Me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you. Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full." (John 16:23-24, NKJV)

In His love,
Lyn


Lyn Chaffart, Speech-Language Pathologist, mother of two, Author -- "Aboard God's Train -- A Journey With God Through the Valley of Cancer", Author and Moderator for The Nugget, a tri-weekly internet newsletter, and Scriptural Nuggets, a website devoted to Christian devotionals and inspirational poems, with Answers2Prayer Ministries. Follow Lyn on Twitter @lynchaffart.

 
Announcement:

Just what IS love, anyway? Check out "Lessons In Love From 1 Corinthians 13", a mini-series by Soyna Richards, to find out! 
©Copyright 2011 Answers2Prayer | Matt 10:8 "Freely you have received, freely give."