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October 25, 2014
The Serpent in the Wilderness, Part 2

By Answers2Prayer Subscribe Unsubscribe Devotionals Contact us  Last week, in The Serpent in the Wilderness, Part 1, we saw that the only reason the poisonous snakes hadn't always been a problem to Israel was that God was protecting them. It was their complaining against God that pushed His protection away.

Today, we pick up the story in verse in verse 7, just as the children of Israel repent of their complaining: "'We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD and against you; pray to the LORD that He take away the serpents from us." (Num 21:7 NKJV). 

Isn't it interested how quickly the Israelites repent? As soon as the snakes began to bite, they have a sudden change of heart. 

Aren't we exactly the same? It's human nature. We are all praise when things are going the way we think they should, but as soon as they take a turn from the path we have pre-programmed in our hearts, we begin to complain. The moment we begin to experience God's judgment for our complaining, however, we are also quick to repent. We need to remember that no matter what happens to us, God loves us, and He proved this to us through this story of the serpent in the wilderness. As soon as the people began to repent, God moved. He did something!

Now you and I might have simply removed the serpents, but God, in His wisdom, did something very different: "Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and it shall be that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live." (vs. 8).

So why didn't God just remove the snakes? 

Jesus tells us the answer: "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:13-15, NKJV). 

This entire incident would serve as a forerunner for Jesus' mission on Earth. It was an example given so that we might better understand the reasons that brought Jesus to the cross. 

In the same way the people of Israel were being bitten by poisonous snakes, all of mankind is also being killed by a poisonous "snake," the same one who deceived Eve in the garden. 

Just as the Israelites in the wilderness were being bitten because their complaining had pushed away God's protection, we have all been pushed away from God's protection as a result of Adam's choice to disobey God in the Garden of Eden. 

And just like the people in the wilderness were dying from the snakebites, we also are dying: "The wages of sin is death..." (Romans 6:23) 

God, in His mercy and grace, provided a solution to both problems. In the wilderness, He instructed Moses to make a bronze serpent and lift him up on a pole, and the people were instructed to look to that bronze serpent. In the same way, Jesus was also lifted up (See John 3:13-15), and we are instructed to put our trust in His saving power. 

Let's remember that the people weren't healed by the serpent. It was in their symbolic act of obedience to God's command to look to the serpent that they showed faith in the One Who could heal them. Just like the people had to choose to look to the serpent, we must also choose to look to Jesus, and in this symbolic act of obedience, we show our faith in the One Who has provided the solution to sin. 

God doesn't always "remove" our problems, but He always provides a way out. That "way out" comes by looking to the cross, where Jesus was "lifted up." We have hope because Jesus laid down His life for us. We can be healed of the fatal bite of the "serpent," the devil, simply by putting our trust in the One who gave of Himself for all of mankind.

Why not look to Him 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.
 
©Copyright 2011 Answers2Prayer | Matt 10:8 "Freely you have received, freely give."

Welcome to the Nugget
October 23, 2014
Grace Built to Last Forever

By Answers2Prayer 
 Grace that lasts forever. We hear sermons about it. We sing songs about it. But do we truly believe it? 

We all know that Jesus died on the cross to give us grace. But what about when we continue to sin? When we slip up--again!--can God's grace truly be unending? 

You know what I'm talking about: that pet sin that just won't seem to go away, no matter what we do! The moment we think it is vanquished for good, it pops its ugly head back up--again--and we find ourselves--again--falling into the traps of the same sin! For example: you are trying so hard to love your enemy, but during a conversation with a friend, you suddenly realize you've been gossiping about that very same enemy you're sworn to love for the past 10 minutes! Or you truly want freedom from your alcohol addiction, but before you realize what's happening, you have a glass in your hand. Oh God! I sure hope Your grace is built to last forever because I've slipped up my millionth time, and it looks like there are more slips on the horizon! 

The good news is this: God's grace is truly built to last forever! 

Don't believe it? 

Meditate on these words from the Complete Jewish Bible (CJB): "Grace is built to last forever; in the heavens themselves you established your faithfulness." (Ps 89:2)

Friends, if you are feeling weighed down by a burden of guilt, if your pet sin just won't stop cropping up its ugly head, take heart! God's grace is built to last forever, for the Heavens themselves declare His faithfulness! 

But we all know that we can't just go on sinning, for we know that our sin separates us from God ("But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear." Isa 59:2, NKJV), and we know that our sin can cause others to stumble ("But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea." Matt 18:6 NKJV). In fact, Jesus feels so strongly about this that He says: "If your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life lame or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into the everlasting fire. And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire." (Matt 18: 8-10 NKJV) 

So what do we do? 

Friends, the solution lies in Jesus. When we surrender ourselves 100% to His will; when we get into His Word; when we pursue an active relationship with Him, we begin to encourage the life we want to live. And when we find ourselves tempted by the old way of life, we can turn to Him, spend time with Him, work on our relationship with Him, and in such, we begin to separate ourselves from the life we wish to leave. 

This thought is heavy on my heart as I type this devotional today, and I know this can only mean that there is someone out there, one of the readership of The Nugget, who truly needs to read this message. If that person is you, I invite you to email me today. Maybe we can help each other! And let's always remember that when we do slip up, the words of Ps. 89:2 are true: God's grace is truly built to last forever!

 
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
October 21, 2014
Taste Test
By Answers2Prayer  
"Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him." (Psalm 34:8)

We pulled into a packed parking lot and looked for a slot. This particular turnpike stop had an eye-catching fruit stand out front. The salesperson encouraged me as she held out a plate of samples, "Take a taste; they're so juicy!" 

I didn't need much pressuring. They looked beautiful, now for the taste test. They were as delicious as they were pretty to look at.

We bought a bag, and opened them as soon as we got back on the highway. Peeling off the skin, separating the sections of the orange, I ate a piece still attached to the peel. The fruit was seedless and sweet, but the inside of the peel was bitter. The acrid taste lingered.

The bible verse popped into my mind, "Taste and see that the Lord is good" (Psalm 34). Then another, "Test the spirits to see whether they are from God" (1 John 4), because even the elect (believers) can be deceived (See Matthew 24).

Just because something is a 'good thing' doesn't necessarily mean it's a 'God thing.' In addition to choices between good and not good, there are sometimes choices between good, better, and best. Thankfully we don't have to determine this just on intuition; Holy Spirit guides us.

That is good news.

Inspirational Messages, Sally I. Kennedy 2014 
 
Announcement:

The serpent that Moses lifted up in the wilderness is a story full of symbolism and excellent lessons for each of us today. Please join us on Saturdays for the mini-series by Lyn Chaffart, "Serpent in the Wilderness."
©Copyright 2011 Answers2Prayer | Matt 10:8 "Freely you have received, freely give."

Welcome to the Nugget

October 18, 2014
The Serpent in the Wilderness, Part 1

By Answers2Prayer The book of Numbers brings us a very interesting story, one that we are all familiar with: The story of the serpent that Moses raised up in the wilderness. 

The Children of Israel had once again become disheartened, and they cried out against God and Moses: "Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and our soul loathes this worthless bread." (Num 21:5). 

So in the face of the constant grumbling and complaining, God sent snakes, the snakes bit the people, and the people died (vs 6). 

The Children of Israel were instantly repentant: "We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD and against you; pray to the LORD that He take away the serpents from us." (Vs. 7) 

Then God had Moses make a snake out of bronze and set it up on a pole. And anyone who looked at the snake would be healed. (See Num 21:4-9, NKJV)

Now we know that this bronze serpent is a symbol of Christ's death on the cross and of His redemptive power, for didn't Jesus Himself make reference to this story? "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up..." (John 3:14, NKJV) But are there any further lessons that we can learn from this story that would apply to our lives today that would, perhaps, help us in our walk with God? 

The first point I would like to emphasize is found in verses 5 and 6: "And the people spoke against God and against Moses...So the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and many of the people of Israel died."

Did you ever ask yourself where all of those deadly serpents came from? 

A quick Google search confirmed that there are actually many poisonous snakes in the desert. 18 poisonous species live in the Sinai Peninsula alone, and among them is the carpet viper, which alone is thought to be responsible for causing the most snakebite deaths in the world. 

So if the people were living in the wilderness, the home of the poisonous snakes, why does the Bible record that God sent the snakes among the people? Wouldn't it be expected that snake bites would be a common thing? And that deaths from these bites would not have happened on only this one occurrence? 

The inference here, friends, is that all through their desert wanderings, God kept the poisonous snakes from biting the people! The fact that they hadn't suffered from snake bites prior to this was a sign of His protection over them. Therefore, it could be said that in order to send the snakes, all God had to do was to remove His protection from the people! 

Having God "remove" His hedge of protection is a pretty scary thought, and I don't know about you, but I'd like to know how to ensure that God's protection stays with me. Fortunately, this story also provides us with important clues on how to keep God's protection. 

Verse 5 of this story tells us that: "the people spoke against God and against Moses..."

Thus, the thing that caused God to remove His protection from the people was that they spoke against Him and against Moses by their grumbling and complaining about the very things that were gifts of God: "Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and our soul loathes this worthless bread." (Num 21:5)

Isn't it an everyday occurrence to complain? We complain about our jobs, our spouses, our homes, our families, the world politics, the economy, everything. But aren't all of these things that we grumble about actually gifts from God?

It's true that things aren't always exactly the way we want them to be. The desert "menu" was rather limited. But the point is, they had food and water, and when they complained about these things, they were speaking "against God," the One who had provided them with what they had! 

The next time we are tempted to complain, friends, let's remember this story. Let's remember that everything we have is a blessing of God. Instead of complaining that things aren't exactly the way we want them to be, let's thank God for what we do have, for in so doing, we will ensure that God's protective power does not leave us, but will stay over us in all things. 

Join us next week for The Serpent in the Wilderness, Part 2
 
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
October 16, 2014
Your Job is Love
By Answers2Prayer"Beloved, let us love one another." (1 John 4:7)

My kitchen table was covered with papers. It was the end of the month and I was trying to get all of my paperwork done and taken to the office on time. I sat down in a chair, picked up my pen, and started writing on the first page. Just then a flash of motion caught my eye. I looked out my window and saw my neighbors' white beagle standing on my back porch. She had gotten free from her yard and was having fun running loose.

Knowing my neighbors were at work I looked at my paperwork, sighed, and put down the pen. I headed out the backdoor and whistled for the dog to come. She looked like she might come to me for a second, but then she caught a scent in the air and headed for the woods. I ran after her calling and whistling the whole time. As I followed her further and further into the woods, I grew frustrated. "Come on!" I said to no one in particular. "I have work to do!"

Suddenly, I heard a soft, gentle voice that was not my own whisper in my mind. "Your job is to love," it said. At that moment my heart was filled with a warmth and love that are beyond my words to describe. My eyes moistened and I smiled at the same time. I squatted down and called my neighbors' dog again. This time the beagle turned and ran happily into my arms. She licked my face over and over as I carried her the quarter mile back to her yard. Even though my arms were tired my heart was light. I was at peace doing my real job. The paperwork could wait.

God loves us all and His greatest joy is in seeing us love each other as well. To love is our job, our mission, and our purpose in this life. Do your job well then and have the time of your life while you do it. Love God. Love yourself. Love others. Love animals. Love this world. 

Love your life. Share your love in everything you think, feel, say and do. And rejoice in the peace and happiness it brings to you always.

 
By: Joseph J. Mazzella
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Just a reminder that we accept submissions for poems of Christian content to be published on Scriptural Nuggets. If you have a poem you would like to see published on Scriptural Nuggets, please submit it here!
©Copyright 2011 Answers2Prayer | Matt 10:8 "Freely you have received, freely give."

Welcome to the Nugget
October 11, 2014
Unearned Reputation

By Answers2Prayer
"Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes." (Rom 10:4 NIV) 

"I'll wait until you have more babies. I've heard you're a good bird breeder, and I don't want to buy a bird from anyone else."

My eyes were wide open in disbelief as I reread the email. It's true that I try to be the best bird breeder I know how to be, but at the time, I had only raised and sold three lineolated parakeets! There's no way I could have earned a good reputation! Where did that statement come from? 

There was no answer immediately forthcoming, but as the weeks went by, I began to have a waiting list for my linnies. This amazed me, because so many linnie breeders in my province seemed to be having trouble finding homes for their babies. I mentioned this once to my friend and mentor, a well-established breeder in another province, and her response was equally as puzzling: "Folks like good breeders, Lyn! Folks like people that have the bird's best interests at heart and not the almighty dollar..." 

Yes, this was true. I, myself, carefully picked and choose the breeders I purchase my birds from. But how would so many people come to think of me, a breeder who had only sold three linnies, as someone who put my birds above the "almighty dollar?"

It wasn't until a few weeks later that I learned the source of my unearned reputation. My friend and mentor was sending me referrals! I was simply riding on her excellent, well-established reputation! 

This reminds me of another unearned title that I bear: I am righteous. Yes, and I'm not being conceited when I say that. Of course, I am not righteous of my own merit, for "There is none righteous, no, not one" (Rom. 3:10 NKJV). I simply wear the righteousness of One who is more than worthy to bear that title: Jesus Christ, my very best Friend! "But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe." (Rom 3:21-22 NIV) 

There's one difference, though. As I said above, I do everything I know to do to be a good bird breeder. However unearned my reputation may be, hopefully it isn't completely undeserved. My righteousness, on the other hand, is not only an unearned gift, it is an undeserved one as well! 

Not every new bird enthusiast has the opportunity to ride on the reputation of an excellent breeder, and I am very grateful to my friend for making this possible. However righteousness is available to everyone. All you have to do to have unearned and undeserved righteousness is accept Jesus into your heart as your personal friend and Savior. It's as simple as that. 

Would you like this undeserved and unearned gift? Why not try on Jesus' Righteousness? Email me if you'd like some help in doing so!


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

October 9, 2014
"A" All the Way, Part 3

By Answers2Prayer 
  In the concluding part of our series on I Kings 6:29 and the Divinely-inspired order in it, today we come to "open flowers"...

III) Aroma

"He decorated all the walls of the inner sanctuary and the main room with carvings of cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers" (I Kings 6:29)

Finally what would be the outcome of carrying out God-allocated assignments with a heart full of adoration for Him...emanation of "sweet aroma" as symbolized by the "open flower" which would bless God and all His people! When a Christian leader leads an exemplary life, through his life and lip, he would silently be inspiring many to toe his line of godliness, bringing glory to his Saviour, all the while. 

Mind you, this aroma may sometimes last even after the life and ministry of a Christian has come to an end...in other words, it would continue to "encourage many of the Kingdom," long after his physical departure from this World.

Here I want to share the "effect of aroma" of Hudson Taylor's pioneering Evangelistic Ministry in China, even after his ministry had ended therein. Long after he had died, in order to tarnish his image, the ruling Chinese communist government appointed a special officer. This special officer's mission? To tour all the places where Hudson Taylor had "ploughed the lonely furrow," and examine all the related records available of his ministry with a magnifying glass as it were to detect "irregularities" therein. He was then to publish a report to the Government, which in turn would duly publish the same in the National Newspaper. So off went this Special Officer on this "classified assignment" to detect irregularities in the way this pioneer missionary to China went about his ministry. So what did this special officer find? Place after place...in only increasing measure the evidence of Hudson Taylor's sacrificial commitment to Christ borne out of his great love for his Redeemer! The result of it all? This Special Government-deputed Officer was so moved and touched by Hudson Taylor's ministry that he surrendered his life to Christ. Talk of Prophet Elisha's dead bones bringing a deceased man to life...(2 Kings 13:20-21)

Ah, speaking of aroma, doesn't the account of the adoring Mary coming up with an adorable act of anointing the Lord with a very costly ointment come to mind? Yes it does. While on the subject of scents, let me tell you the scent market is a very competitive one. So it is not all a surprise to see one fragrance manufacturer after the other frequently blowing his own trumpet about his brand. Some years back, I vividly recall one advertisement of a scent manufacturer claiming that the fragrance of his brand would last for three full days. You guessed it...his competitor would come up with one more ad, claiming that fragrance of his brand would last for four or five days.

Now what about Mary's "ministry" of anointing the Lord with a heart overflowing with love for Her Saviour? What about the fragrance of that costly spikenard, she used, primarily moved by unbridled devotion for the Master, in anointing Him. Well, the sweet fragrance is still emanating from that bottle of spikenard even after 2000 years. Did not the Word (another name for Jesus) say: "And truly, I say to you, wherever the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her." (Mark 14:9). You can take the Word at His Word, for the Word always keeps His Word. 

In conclusion, let's consider what the Word of God says about the Ministry done with an adoring heart...

"So, my dear brothers, since future victory is sure, be strong and steady, always abounding in the Lord's work, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever wasted as it would be if there were no resurrection." (I Cor 15:58 TLB) 

Prayer: Father, we completely belong to you-body, soul and spirit-use us for Your Glory and the edification of the Body of believers. In Jesus' Name. Amen. 

Suresh Manoharan
J and SM Ministries
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©Copyright 2011 Answers2Prayer | Matt 10:8 "Freely you have received, freely give."

Welcome to the Nugget
October 7, 2014
Finding the Richness of Life

By Answers2Prayer 
  "You got to write about that," my friend said on the phone.

"Naw...people will think I'm a religious nut."

"No, they won't." She argued and won. So here I go.

As most of you know I dedicate Mondays to fasting and prayer. Not that I'm trying to be a holy roller, but I genuinely want to concentrate in my efforts to lift in prayer the heart-wrenching requests that come my way on a regular basis.

Fasting (water and a few slices of bread for the day) is immensely rewarding and doable for me. Unless...my routine changes. And a few weeks ago, it changed drastically. Hubby and I along with friends boarded a cruise ship. And just FYI, I have the habit of judging the caliber of a cruise by three vital criteria: the quality of the food, the food, and the food!

Shame on me, but I just relish those gourmet meals. Well, it happened. The cruise included a Monday--my fasting Monday.

So, I entered into a wrestling match with my conscience. Do I stand firm with my commitment to fast and pass up exquisite dishes?

The answer was clear. I sat with my friends at the table. Ignoring my rumbling stomach, I opened my Ziploc bag and pulled out a limp slice of whole-wheat bread. I took tiny bites while my friends around the table ordered their exotic appetizers, gourmet soups, fresh salads, yummy entrees and desserts to die for.

And while I tried hard not to drool during my torment, something happened. I had one of those amazing, one-in-a-lifetime "Aha!" moments.

I realized how profound it is to have the character to say no to the flesh and yes to a spiritual commitment to God. There is nothing, no around-the-world cruise, no delicacy served in luxurious restaurants, or even living the life of royalty that can ever bring that sense of deep conviction. Nor can they usher in the same level of resolve, fulfillment, satisfaction and soul delight that comes when we strip all flesh desires and, instead, follow through with a commitment to the King.

"Choose to love the LORD your God and to obey him and commit yourself to him, for he is your life. Then you will live long in the land the LORD swore to give your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob." (Deuteronomy 30:20).

Father, thank you for making the priorities clear. You are my life, my source of satisfaction, of delight and of pure contentment. I rejoice in the way you whispered to my soul that commitment to honor you surpasses any pleasure of this world. In Jesus' name, amen.

* What is your heart committed to?
* Is your life truly satisfied, fulfilled, and content?
* Will you accept God's promise of a long life if you're committed to Him?

Janet Eckles

If this message resonated with you, please visit Janet's cyberspace home for more inspiration.
 
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Please join us on Thursday for "A" All the Way! A mini-series on the decor of Solomon's Temple!
©Copyright 2011 Answers2Prayer | Matt 10:8 "Freely you have received, freely give."

Welcome to the Nugget

October 4, 2014
Miscellaneous Lessons From Job, Part 5: The Reality of Hell

By Answers2Prayer 
(This 5-part study is Study #5 from the series, Studies From the Book of Job. You can access the other studies by clicking here.) 

It can be said that although Job's three friends didn't have a complete understanding of God, they seemed to have a very accurate understanding of the punishment of the wicked. Especially Zophar, as recorded in Job 20. Let's take a look: 

"The joy of the godless lasts but a moment." (Job 20:5b)

Solomon tells us something similar: "The truthful lip shall be established forever, But a lying tongue is but for a moment." (Prov 12:19 NKJV)

"...he will perish forever..." (Vs. 20:7a)

This sounds a bit like the book of Revelation, doesn't it? "And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name." (Rev 14:11 NKJV)

"...Though evil is sweet in his mouth and he hides it under his tongue, though he cannot bear to let it go and keeps it in his mouth, yet his food will turn sour in his stomach; it will become the venom of serpents within him." (Vs. 12-14)

"What he toiled for he must give back uneaten." (Vs. 18)

Jesus tells us something similar: "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal..." (Matt 6:19-20 NKJV)

"Surely he will have no respite from his craving; he cannot save himself by his treasure...his prosperity will not endure...distress will overtake him; the full force of misery will come upon him." (Vs. 20-22)

"total darkness lies in wait for his treasures. A fire unfanned will consume him and devour what is left in his tent. The heavens will expose his guilt; the earth will rise up against him. A flood will carry off his house, rushing waters on the day of God's wrath. Such is the fat God allots the wicked, the heritage appointed for them by God." (Vs. 26-29)

Friends, though it isn't popular to talk about it, it doesn't change the fact that there IS a hell, there IS a judgment, there is a day of God's final wrath. And in that day, relying on ourselves and relying on our own strength is like leaning on a spider's web! In fact, Zophar's description of hell is only wrong about one detail! He taught that the judgment of the wicked was immediate, that a sinful person would never prosper. Although we know that the wicked do, indeed, prosper, we also know that they must all go through a final judgment, on the day of the great judgment. 

Consider the following texts: 

"For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness..." (Rom 1:18 NKJV)

"Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience..." (Col 3:6 NKJV)

Do you know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior? 

"But wait a minute," you say. "I'm not evil! I don't do bad things! I don't lie and cheat and steal! I am not a 'son of disobedience'!" 

No matter how good we seem in our own eyes, it does not change the fact that "all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." (Rom. 3:23), and "But we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; We all fade as a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, Have taken us away." (Isa 64:6 NKJV)

We may not be mass murderers. We may have accumulated our wealth by honest means. But if we don't know Jesus as our Lord and Savior, then we will suffer the fate of the wicked.

I've heard numerous people say that God isn't fair because He sends people to hell. 

This, my friends, is a total misrepresentation of God. We are all on the road to hell, not because God isn't fair, but because of the sinful state of this world. And this "unfair" God, as He is so often labeled, in truth stands on the side of the road, begging us to turn aside from our road to destruction, begging us to accept His free gift of Salvation! 

And that free gift is what will stop you from experiencing all the things described by Zophar in Job 20. 

If you haven't already done so, why not accept God's free gift of Salvation? And then, ask Him to be Lord of your life. With your sins forgiven and Jesus as our Lord, there is absolutely no reason to fear hell fire! 

This is the final lesson from the Lessons from Job series. If you have missed any of these lessons, please access them here. May God bless you abundantly as you learn to walk more and more in the abundant life God has planned for you, especially when troubled times come your way! 

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 here and let us pray in agreement with you! Matt 18:20: (NIV) Hallelujah!
©Copyright 2011 Answers2Prayer | Matt 10:8 "Freely you have received, freely give."

Welcome to the Nugget

October 2, 2014
"A" All the Way, Part 2

By Answers2Prayer 
 In our study of I Kings 6:29, on the inspired order which is found therein, today we come to second part of the series, after having focused on Cherubim which symbolized adoration in the previous part...

II) Assignments

"He decorated all the walls of the inner sanctuary and the main room with carvings of cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers" (I Kings 6:29)

Next in order...hmmm...what do the Palm trees signify? Before that raise your hands, those who know as to how many uses a Palm tree can be put to? 360 uses...ladies and gentlemen!!! If it is not a staggering number, then what is?

So what is the ever-so-faithful Scripture teaching us here...if you are a worshipping Christian, first and foremost...then the good Lord would put you into "360" uses...would bring numerous God-honoring responsibilities your way...would take you around 360 cities in the World to glorify His Name and edify His body of believers (read the Universal Church) but for all that fulfilling experiences to come your way, you need to fulfill your primary calling...that is to worship Him with all your heart, strength and soul (Deut 6:5/Mark 12:29-30).

Let's dig a bit deep here and see and how can we go about going about fulfilling the God-given assignments to perfection...

a) Availability

Hey, the good Lord sees the full picture, while we with our finite vision may not be able envisage the "A to Z" of our future...so some of the responsibilities that He sends our way may not be very appealing to us initially, but in hindsight, we would discover they were customized for our temperament fashioned by His upbringing...ask a certain Moses. So in God-given assignments, more than our ability, it is our availability which counts. Once we say "yes" to the Lord, the sky is the limit.

Moses in his finite strength buried one Egyptian in fear and ran away (Exodus 2:11-15). Fast forward by 40 years and what do we see, the same Moses in God-ordained capacity as a deliverer of Jews in Old Testament times, in God's infinite strength, burying the entire, hard-hearted, hostile Pharoah's (a type of anti-christ in Old Testament times, belonging to the genre of Haman, Antiochus Epiphanes etc.) army...now no prizes for guessing where...(Exodus 14:26-28)!!! A foreshadow of what Christ in His capacity of a deliverer of the Jews in New Testament Times (Romans 11:26) would do to the Anti-Christ and his Anti-Semitic army in Armageddon...in the not too distant future...from now (Rev 19:19-21)...

b) Adaptability

Wherever the good Lord has placed us in His sovereign wisdom, the key to effective Ministry is adaptability. On the subject of flexible "flexing of spiritual muscles," none cannot put it better than the apostle Paul...

"To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel that I may share in its blessings." (I Cor 9:19-23)

Wanna see the apostle Paul's adaptability in action...then let's board the time machine and go back in time, visiting the Mars Hill forum in Athens, and what do we see? The blessed apostle standing up to address the Athenian Philosophers prone to idol-worshipping, and how does he begin his message? With words of harsh criticism for idol worship? No! Let the Scripture take over...

"Men of Athens, I notice that you are very religious in every way..." (Acts 17:22) 

Paul addresses them in a tone full of love and absolutely devoid of any sarcasm. Now how's that for "bridge building" before going on to proclaim the Gospel, which the Apostle did with commendable results (Acts 17:22/33-34)!!!

Though the apostle Paul was largely an evangelist, remember he virtually "shepherded" (read Pastored) the Ephesian Church for 3 years (Acts 20:31) and his words "to the weak, I became weak" need to be taken seriously by all pastors when it comes to feeding the "new borns" in Christ. Those taking baby steps in the Christian faith should not be "bombarded" with sermons from the book of Revelation, rather they should be fed with "easy to digest" Scripture, such as the gospel of John, Paul's "prison" epistles (ie Colossians, Ephesians), etc.

c) Accountability

"We're being as careful in our reputation with the public as in our reputation with God." (2 Cor 8:21 The Message). Observe the apostle Paul's words exuding concern when it comes to a minister's accountability to God and men. 

In the assignments given to us by the Almighty, it is imperative we ought to be not only fair, but we must also seem to be fair at all times, as invariably a servant of God's actions are under the public microscope. 

Let me go as far as to say that in going about the God-given assignments, we are not only accountable for our actions but also our thoughts (Pro 23:7a KJV). Let's strive to keep our conscience clear at all times (Acts 23:1).

Prayer: Master equip us with your strength and wisdom to go about our Christian assignments with readily available adaptability and accountability. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Suresh Manoharan
J and SM Ministries

Announcement:
Please join us on Saturday for the final part of Miscellaneous Lessons from Job.
©Copyright 2011 Answers2Prayer | Matt 10:8 "Freely you have received, freely give."

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September 30, 2014
We are Not Alone
By Answers2Prayer Subscribe Unsubscribe Devotionals Contact us
"My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of Heaven and Earth.
He will not let your foot slip - He who watches over you will not slumber."
(Psalm 121:2-4) 

Sometimes I picture my spiritual journey as if, when I wander off the path God has laid for me, God is watching and waiting for me to come back and pick up where I left off. Sometimes when I think of what Satan has stolen from us, it makes me incredibly sad. Picture instead our spiritual journey as that of a baby learning to walk. 

As a baby takes his or her first halting steps, the parent is not sitting by and watching as he wobbles across the floor. No, the parent is walking slowly behind, bent at the waist, arms out. And when baby starts to fall, Mom or Dad is right there to catch him before he even hits the floor, and set him on his feet. 

That's God. We are learning to walk in the spirit, and God is not sitting idly by. He is behind us, bent at the waist, arms out. But you can't walk behind your baby all his life. Eventually he has to learn to walk on his own. And as all parents know, he's going to have to take some falls, but even then Mom or Dad is there to pick baby up. Even when baby is no longer a baby and is able to get around without constant supervision, all it takes is one thud and some tears to bring Mom running!
As we learn to walk in the paths God has laid for us, He is watching, and guiding and rescuing. We are not alone. 

Sonya Richards

Announcement:

Please join us on Thursday for "A" All the Way! A mini-series on the decor of Solomon's Temple!
©Copyright 2011 Answers2Prayer | Matt 10:8 "Freely you have received, freely give."

Welcome to the Nugget

September 27, 2014
Miscellaneous Lessons From Job, Part 4: The Snares of Pride

By Answers2Prayer
(This 5-part study is Study #5 from the series, Studies From the Book of Job. You can access the other studies by clicking here.) 

Poor Job. 

It seems that it isn't enough to have lost his health, wealth and family, the devil continues to torment him with the "comforting words" of his "friends." 

As the discussions go back and forth, the friends dip deeply into judgementalism and presumption (see Other Lessons From Job, Part 3), and Job's retorts become more and more defensive. But the longer this "conversation" takes place, the more Job's responses begin to take a very dangerous turn towards the ugly monster of -- Pride! 

Let's take a look:

"What you know, I also know;
I am not inferior to you." (Job 13:2 NKJV)

"Who is he who will contend with me?
If now I hold my tongue, I perish." (Job 13:19 NKJV)

It isn't that what Job says is inherently wrong. He more than likely does know as much as, if not more than, they do! But just like defensiveness can lead to pride, pride can lead to -- accusation! 

And Job's first accusation is aimed directly at his friends: "But you forgers of lies, You are all worthless physicians." (Job 13:4 NKJV)

Ouch. Not a nice thing to say to someone who is trying to help you! But it gets worse. Job then turns his accusations towards God Himself: 

"Why do You hide Your face, And regard me as Your enemy? Will You frighten a leaf driven to and fro? And will You pursue dry stubble? For You write bitter things against me, And make me inherit the iniquities of my youth. You put my feet in the stocks, And watch closely all my paths. You set a limit for the soles of my feet." (Job 13:24-28 NKJV)

"As water wears away stones, And as torrents wash away the soil of the earth; So You destroy the hope of man." (Job 14:19 NKJV)

How could a man called "righteous" and a man, of whom it is said, "he did not sin against God" become reduce to one who accuses God to His face of being uncaring? Of destroying the hope of man? Of seeing His children as "enemies?" Of writing "bitter things against" him? Of putting his "feet in the stocks" and limiting the "soles" of his "feet?" 

Through the avenue of pride! When we begin to justify ourselves, our pride blossoms, blurring our vision to what is truly happening! Job knew God wouldn't do all of those things, yet in the heat of the moment, the words came out of his mouth. 

And then Job challenges God: 

"...Withdraw Your hand far from me,
And let not the dread of You make me afraid. 
Then call, and I will answer;
Or let me speak, then You respond to me." (Job 13:21-22 NKJV)

In other words, Job is saying: "Take away Your hand of pain and I will answer you!" 

Wow. First of all, we all know it wasn't God's hand on Job! It was the hand of the devil! 

Nonetheless, Job is giving God an ultimatum: I'll answer You if You'll stop hurting me!

But before we begin to point the finger at Job, let's look to ourselves. Are we any different? I've heard it said so many times, "If God would just give me a job, I'd be happy to pay tithe!" Or "If God will heal my child, I'll start to go to church again." Or "God doesn't talk to me when I'm in all of this trouble!" 

Friends, we, like Job, have fallen into a trap of deception. We seem to think that God causes our problems! We seem to think that because He isn't rescuing us from them, that He doesn't care! How far from the truth have we come! 

It is true that God doesn't rescue us from all of our problems, because it is in the valleys of life that we grow, that we can more fully experience His power, that we can learn to trust in Him. But it's when we're in those valleys that He is right there with us, reaching out His hand, offering, not to take away the problems, but to carry us through them! 

This is the lesson that Job's pride and accusation have to teach us, friends. The more we see ourselves as perfect, the less likely we are to be able to see God clearly, and the deeper and deeper into sin it will lead us. And the more we accuse God falsely, the farther He will seem from us. 

And Job's story illustrates this nicely. If you go a few chapters ahead, you find these words: "Though I cry, 'I've been wronged!' I get no response; though I call for help, there is no justice." (Job 19:7 NIV)

Yet the Bible teaches: "Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save, nor His ear too dull to hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God, your sins have hidden his face from you, so that He will not hear." (Is 59:1-2 NIV)

I would like to submit that the great "sin" that Job committed here, the one that blocked God's ears, is his sin of pride. 

Let's try to avoid the pitfalls of Job's sin, and instead, let's follow the advice found in 2 Chron 7:14-15: "If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land." (NKJV) 

It's all about humility, my friends! Let's not add to our sin by denying that we have any sin! It will only lead us farther and farther from God. Instead, let's humble ourselves before Him and seek His face. For then He will reach out His hand of love and hold us up through the bad times! 

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 decorations of Solomon's Temple? Join us on Thursdays this month for "A All the Way!" A Mini-Series by Suresh Manoharan. 
©Copyright 2011 Answers2Prayer | Matt 10:8 "Freely you have received, freely give."

Welcome to the Nugget
September 25, 2014
"A" All the Way, Part 1

By Answers2Prayer 
Not only is all Scripture God-inspired (2 Tim 3:16), even the order in it is God-inspired. In God's scheme of things, a B never comes before an A, so to speak. Consider this Scripture: "He decorated all the walls of the inner sanctuary and the main room with carvings of cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers." (I Kings 6:29)

He, of course in this context is King Solomon and sanctuary in question is the Temple, he built in 1034 AD at Mount Moriah for the Glory of Adonai (Sovereign God). Notice the Scripture and see the order in which the three figures are listed...Palm trees do not come in front of the Cherubim but it is the other way around. What is the faithful Scripture trying to teach us through this singular order in this Biblical portion? In this series of 3 parts, let's navigate through the lessons this Scripture holds for us. Welcome to the World of A's...opps sorry...I mean sub-headings of A's.

I) Adoration

"He decorated all the walls of the inner sanctuary and the main room with carvings of CHERUBIM, palm trees, and open flowers." (I Kings 6:29)

Cherubim are symbolic of worship, for what is the primary calling of angels if not worship. There we see Angels surrounding the throne and whole-heartedly worshipping the Creator in Isaiah's vision of Heaven (Isaiah 6:1-3). 

Nothing, when I say nothing, I mean nothing can take place of Adoration (read Worship) in the life of a Christian too...no not even ministering for Him, for man was primarily created to worship God. Today, we are in the business of winning souls for His Kingdom, because Adam and Eve fell into sin, otherwise we their offspring would have spent all our time enjoying His presence and worshipping Him. By the way, what do you think we would do in Eternity apart from fully enjoying worshipping Him? Hallelujahs will rent the air in Heaven 24x7xEternity. Ministry, however noble minus the worshipping heart, would be like pen without ink in His sight.

While on the subject of Worshipping Him, it is indeed good to worship Him for the good things, He pours graciously into our lives generally (where would we be without regular sunlight or periodic rainfall) and specifically (food, clothing and shelter -- Matt 6:33) but we would be fully fulfilling our potential, only when we worship Him, just for what He is...yes, for His unique qualities and attributes.

Let me take you back in time to Moses and Mount Sinai (Exodus 33). At a time his fellow Israelites were clamoring for Egyptian food (not being content with the Heavenly Manna), Moses got his priorities right...his "A's before his B's" ...as it were...he sought the best from the Lord...he did not settle for anything less than wanting to see the Almighty's glory and lo and behold, how did God respond (Exodus 33:18-34:6)!!! He made all His goodness pass before Moses and declared the virtues in Himself. In other words, God's Glory is actually the sum total of all His unique traits and qualities. When we ascribe glory to Him, we are worshipping Him for what He is. Incidentally, the word worship is derived from the Anglo-Saxon "weorthscipe" which means "worthship" and then "worship."
 
A devout Saint summed up worship thus..."Worshipping God is nothing but opening our hearts to the love of God, quickening our conscience to the Holiness of God, purging our imagination with the beauty of God, filling our minds with the truth of God and committing our purposes to the will of God."
 
Just as a cynic would lose out on not "enjoying" the sublime work of say a Michael Angelo expressed by transcendent brush strokes on a canvas, we would be the biggest losers if we do not worship the person whose awesome, all surpassing greatness can never be adequately captured in words.

Prayer: Father, we worship You just for what You are. Enliven our hearts day after day with your unique traits, so that we spontaneously worship You with all our hearts. In Jesus' Name. Amen

Suresh Manoharan
J and SM Ministries
 
Announcement:

Join us on Saturday for the final lesson of the final study from the book of Job: The Snares of Pride.
©Copyright 2011 Answers2Prayer | Matt 10:8 "Freely you have received, freely give."

Welcome to the Nugget
September 23, 2014
Dancing in the Leaves
bible
By Answers2Prayer
"in everything give thanks. For this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." (1Thess 5:18, NET)

I was taking a walk in the woods on a late August evening. Suddenly, a cool breeze started to blow and a single red maple leaf broke off of its tree and circled down and around until it landed peacefully upon the top of my head. I took the leaf in my hand, looked at it with a smile, and dropped it gently to the ground. "It has started already," I thought to myself. "How early in the year it begins to be late."

I knew that soon the green mountains of my home would be painted by God's own hand. Soon every leaf on every tree would become a masterpiece. Bright, beautiful reds would come first, followed by sunny yellows and glorious golds. Brilliant burgundies, outrageous oranges, and earthy browns would finally complete this colorful canvas.

As I walked on my mind was filled with memories of Autumns past. I remembered the crisp crunch as I walked on the freshly fallen leaves. I remembered the delightful dry leaf smell that filled the air. I remembered raking huge piles of leaves in the park for my children to hide in, jump on, and run through. I even remembered dancing on that colorful carpet while it crackled underneath my feet.

I also thought of how Autumn is the most bittersweet of seasons. It is so beautiful and yet so brief. It is so joyous and yet also a sign of the Winter to come. It is the ultimate reminder that our time on Earth is short and that we need to live now before it is gone. That is why I plan to thank God for everyday of this beautiful season. That is why I plan to take more walks in the woods while the colors last. That is why I plan to love more, laugh more, give more, share more, and smile more in the days I have left here. That is why I plan to dance in the leaves again this Fall and in Heaven when the time comes. May you do the same.

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

Welcome to the Nugget

September 20, 2014
Miscellaneous Lessons From Job, Part 3: The Correct Way to Administer Correction
By Answers2Prayer 
(This 4-part study is Study #5 from the series, Studies From the Book of Job. You can access the other studies by clicking here.)

"With friends like that, who needs enemies!"

I have heard this expression all of my life, but I can't think of any more appropriate application than to Job's friends. They are there to "comfort" Job, but comfort is the last thing they bring him! Let's take a look, first, at the second speech by Eliphaz the Temanite: 

"Are the consolations of God too small for you,
And the word spoken gently with you? 
Why does your heart carry you away,
And what do your eyes wink at, 
That you turn your spirit against God,
And let such words go out of your mouth?" (Job 15:11-13 NKJV)

Is it just me, or does it seem like Eliphaz is setting himself up as the lawyer, the jury, and even the judge? Like he is being more than just a little judgemental? And when you are already miserable, someone's verdict against you is the last thing you want to hear! 

Job's other friends aren't any better. Take, for example, Bildad: 

"When will you end these speeches? Be sensible, and then we can talk!" (Job 18:2)

Job's reply? 

"How long will you torment me and crush me with words?" (Job 19:2)

It sounds to me that rather than "consoling" Job, his friends are escalating things into a full-blown argument! And the next one to speak, Zophar, only makes things even worse: "I hear a rebuke that dishonors me . . ." (Job 20:3a) Since when was this about Zophar! Zophar isn't the one who lost everything! Zophar isn't suffering! Yet the constant accusations back and forth have led Zophar to worry about his honor, rather than Job's! 

But it gets worse. As the barbs continue to be hurled, judgementalism quickly slips into presumptuousness: "If you were pure and upright, Surely now He would awake for you, And prosper your rightful dwelling place." (Job 8:6 NKJV) Basically, Bildad is saying that if Job were pure and innocent, God would respond to his plight! He is pretending to know what pushes God's buttons! 

The thing is, when we judge others, we are presuming to know God's mind! Besides the fact that on one can know the mind of the Lord (See Rom 11:34-36 NKJV), King David warns us that presumptuous sins lead us into greater transgression: "Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins; Let them not have dominion over me. Then I shall be blameless, And I shall be innocent of great transgression." (Ps 19:13 NKJV) 

The Bible has some pretty strong things to say against judgementalism. Here are just a few examples: 

"Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment." (John 7:24 NKJV)
"Therefore you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge, for in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things...And do you think this, O man, you who judge those practicing such things, and doing the same, that you will escape the judgment of God?" (Rom 2:1-4 NKJV)

And God's judgement did come to Job's friends: "And so it was, after the Lord had spoken these words to Job, that the Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite, 'My wrath is aroused against you and your two friends, for you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has'" (Job 42:7-8 NKJV).

But wait. We aren't really here to point the finger at Job's friends. We are here to learn some lessons about correcting our erring brothers and sisters, for we are told to do just that: "Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke..." (2 Tim 4:2a NKJV); "And you, fathers...bring them up in the training and admonition..." (Eph 6:4 NKJV)

So how can we convince, rebuke, train and admonish without being judgemental? 

The secret lies in how we administer the correction! 2 Tim 4:2 goes on to say: "...Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching" and "And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord." (NKJV)

It puts a different spin on things, doesn't it? And it's a far cry from the correction administered by Job's friends! 

The lesson we can learn is this: Sometimes correction needs to happen, but if done in the wrong way, argument and strife will result and our purpose will not be accomplished. We must do what Job's friends did not do:

1. Ensure that our accusations are indeed, correct;
2. Pray to God and ask Him to give us the words to say and the right time to say them.

If we follow God's spirit, we will always speak with all longsuffering and teaching, so as not to provide the one we are correcting to anger. 

Please join us next week for Other Lessons From Job, Part 4: Job's Discourse. 

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 here and let us pray in agreement with you! "For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them." (Matt 18:20 NIV) Hallelujah!

Do you need to be prayed for or do you know someone in need? Don't hesitate to contact us by clicking here. We are here to pray for you and to offer you encouragements.
©Copyright 2011 Answers2Prayer | Matt 10:8 "Freely you have received, freely give."

Welcome to the Nugget
September 18, 2014
In the Moment

By Answers2Prayer
 It was a cold, cloudy and rainy morning outside my kitchen window today. I shivered and walked over to the kitchen table with a hot cup of coffee in one hand and a steaming bowl of oatmeal in the other. I sat down, gave thanks, and took in a spoonful of the oatmeal and a sip of the coffee. I sighed as my chilled insides grew instantly warmer.

Just then I felt a nudge on my knee. I looked down and saw my little beagle, Snoopy's warm brown eyes looking up at me. I petted her head and smiled down at her. Suddenly, I felt two arms wrap gently around my neck as my daughter gave me a loving hug. I squeezed her arms with my hand and said "Good morning" to her. I gazed out the window and saw a single ray of sunshine breaking through the clouds and shining on the Maple tree in the meadow behind my house. A red Cardinal flew down, landed on a branch, and looked at me. It was beautiful. At that moment I felt so loved! I felt loved not only by my daughter and my dog, but by God and life itself. At that moment I had what we all want in this life: sweet, wonderful, glorious happiness! I looked to the heavens, laughed, and thanked God for my life!

Most of us go through life with one eye looking towards the future and the other eye gazing into the past. Half our sight is focused on our goals and desires. The other half is looking back with regret at mistakes and missed opportunities. In order to be happy, though, both of our eyes have to be here in the present. In order to be happy we have to live here now.

The future is only a dream and the past is only a memory. God doesn't want us to live in either. God wants us to live in this moment. God wants us to love each other in this moment. 

God wants us to share kindness and have happiness in this moment. Life is a collection of moments. May you always fill yours with love, joy, and oneness with God.

"Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, 'I will never leave you nor forsake you.'" (Heb 13:5 ESV)

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

Welcome to the Nugget
September 16, 2014
The Conditionals Game

By Answers2Prayer
My boys were playing a game yesterday that they termed "Conditionals." In the game, each player takes a turn offering a longed-for prize to anyone in the game who will accept their condition. Unfortunately, the condition is always on the negative side...For example, my son suggested that you could choose one law and make it totally legal. The condition was that something that you did every day would become illegal, and it was totally out of your control what that something was! 

Silly game? 

Perhaps, but it makes its participants think!

It made me think, too. Especially when I opened my Bible to Exodus 19 this morning. God said to Moses: "Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel: 'You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to Myself. Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.' These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel." (Exod 19:3-6, NKJV)

As I read these words, I realized that the silly game my boys had participated in the previous day was perhaps not so silly at all! In fact, it's a game God also plays! God promised that the people of Israel would be God's special treasure, a kingdom of priests and a holy nation! The condition? They would have to obey God's voice and keep Gods covenants! 

It didn't sound like such a horrible thing to have to commit to. After all, how hard could it be to obey God's voice? And the promise was certainly worth the condition! 

It didn't take Israel long to decided, however, that the promise was not quite worth the condition. You see, the condition set them apart, made them different, from the other nations. They didn't want to be "set apart." They didn't want to be "different." They wanted to worship foreign gods, just like the nations around them did. They wanted to marry foreign women and do all the other things that the other nations did. They rejected God's promise because the condition was just too big. 

"What?" we say, "Are they nuts?"

Are we any better? God continues to promise us that we are a chosen generation, a kingdom of priests, a Holy Nation--"But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light..." (1 Peter 2:9 See also 1 Peter 2:5, Rev. 1:6) But He still has a condition on the offer: "Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you." (James 4:7 NKJV) We are to submit ourselves totally and completely to Him! 

That condition continues to have the same effect on us that it had on Israel: It makes us "different." It sets us apart, and just like Israel of old, we have no desire to be set apart, to be different. Thus, we reject God's promise.

The thing is, God would never make us this promise if it weren't well worth the conditions He has laid out, and those of us who have, even in part, accepted God's conditions, and have, even in part, experienced the beauty of the promise, will attest that the promise is well worth the condition.

Let's put aside our little "problem" with being different. Let's accept His condition and sell ourselves out completely to God. Then and only then will we experience true living, the beauty of the life God has for each of us 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. 
 
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©Copyright 2011 Answers2Prayer | Matt 10:8 "Freely you have received, freely give."

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September 11, 2014
Little Springs
By Answers2Prayer  
I almost missed it, there where the ground was soggy and the trail muddy and puddly .When I looked more closely to where the sound was coming from, a little spring was visible coming from under a rock to the right of the trail.

One little spring. Enough water to give drink to animals, birds. As it meandered across the road, and downhill on the massive mountain, it would join other little springs. 

The little springs would merge and eventually flow together into one mighty river at the base of the mountain. Together they would make beautiful music as one, as they rolled through the floor of the mountain valley.

Little springs. Like different gifts and talents, I thought. Individually they are wonderful, and have a purpose. Sort of like musical instruments. Good individually, but great together as, they create bands and orchestras.

God gives the gifts as He sees fit. And every believer is guaranteed one or more. He alone knows what beautiful music they will make together - for us, as well as for others. 
That is good news!

"To each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines. The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body." (1 Corinthians 12:7,11-12)

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

Welcome to the Nugget
September 13, 2014
Miscellaneous Lessons From Job, Part 2: The Way to Console

By Answers2Prayer 
(This 4-part study is Study #5 from the series, Studies From the Book of Job. You can access the other studies by clicking here.) 

My son had only had his driver's license for a few days when he had his first accident. He called me at work, visibly shaken. Praise God, he wasn't hurt, and as he was the front car in a three car crash, there wasn't even a scratch on the car. Unfortunately the middle and rear cars didn't fare as well...

What did my son want from me when he called?

He wanted a loving ear to hear his story, to tell him it was all okay, to praise God with him that he and his friend weren't hurt, that he wasn't faulted for the accident, and that the car wasn't damaged!

What did I do? 

I believe my exact words went something like this: "What were you doing with the car when I didn't know about it? Why were you driving a friend to lunch without asking my permission? You shouldn't have even been at that intersection!"

Yes, friends, I'm ashamed to say that my first words did go something like this. And why not? I had every right to say those things. He hadn't had my permission to be driving my car, or even to be going out for lunch with a friend, for that matter. It was, after all, my car, and he was a minor who has just gotten his license! 

"I'm sorry, mom," he said. 

And I could tell he truly was. 

"I'm so sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" 

And with each apology I could hear the anguish and fear deepening and spreading. Maybe those things needed to be said. I don't know. But my timing and tact could certainly have been improved upon. 

I think you all can relate. Something bad happens, something that you likely could have prevented, and you hear, "I told you so!" Or "If only you hadn't been..." or "It's your own fault!" 

And yes, all of those things are likely true. But is that what really needs to be said at that moment? This is the lesson we can learn from Job today: 

"I have heard many such things;
Miserable comforters are you all! 
Shall words of wind have an end?
Or what provokes you that you answer?" (Job 16:2-3 NKJV) 

And later, 

"But please, come back again, all of you, 
For I shall not find one wise man among you. 
My days are past,
My purposes are broken off,
Even the thoughts of my heart. 
They change the night into day;
'The light is near,' they say, in the face of darkness. 
If I wait for the grave as my house,
If I make my bed in the darkness..." (Job 17:10-13 NKJV)

You can't really blame Job for saying these things. As you read through the accusations of Zophar, Bildad and Eliphaz, they do not hesitate to tell Job he has brought this all on himself! What kind of a comforter is that? 

The same kind of a comforter that I was when my son called my after his accident! A really bad one! 

There is a time for lecturing, and there is a time for molding character. But it needs to be done in the right way, at the right time, using the right words, because if it isn't, one of four things will happen:

1. Like my son, the person will just sink lower and lower into depression; 
2. Like Job, the person will just stop listening to what you have to say;
3. The person will wish you would go away; or
4. Some combination of the above three!

So what is the right way to console? 

There are probably many "right" ways, but Job gives us an idea of the kind of consolation he would have appreciated: 

"I also could speak as you do,
If your soul were in my soul's place.
I could heap up words against you,
And shake my head at you; 
But I would strengthen you with my mouth,
And the comfort of my lips would relieve your grief." (Job 16:4-5 NKJV) 

Job didn't want to hear about how his sin had brought him to this place! First of all, it wasn't true, secondly, he didn't believe it, even if it had been true, and thirdly, he needed to be held up and strengthened! He needed their comfort to relieve his own grief!

He goes on to say, "Have pity on me, my friends, have pity!" (Job 19:21 NIV)

When we are put in the place of speaking to someone who has suffered greatly, even if it is because of something they have brought on themselves, let's remember Job. Let's build them up. Let's strengthen them. Let's let our lips comfort them and relieve their grief! Let's have pity on them! 

As I talked to my son on the phone that day, I did eventually realize that my words were only making things worse. So I tried to repair the damage. I said something like this, "Okay, I think you get my point, and as long as you promise me you'll never take the car again without asking my permission, I won't say anything more about it!"

I could hear the relief in his voice as he jumped in quickly to say, "I promise, mom!" 

Then I did what I should have done in the first place: I prayed for God to guide my words, and then I obeyed when He told me to not say anything at all, but simply to listen! My son was eternally grateful. 

There would have been a proper time and place for the lecture, but at that moment in time, it was neither the time nor the place. And whoever it is who has turned to you in their time of trouble will also be eternally grateful if you follow the advice given by Job instead of following the example of his friends!

Please join us next week for Other Lessons From Job, Part 3: The Correct Way to Administer Correction.

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
September 9, 2014
How Does God Know How I Feel?

By Answers2Prayer 
"It's the coolest thing!" my friend nearly squealed. "Hubby got it for me. And I wear it on my wrist."

Curiosity nudged me to ask, "What is it? A gorgeous bracelet?"

"No," she chuckled. "It's called a Fit Bit. And it's a bracelet programmed to my cell. It measures every minute activity. How many steps I took during the day. My blood pressure. My pulse. It tells me the calories I've eaten, and even how active I was during the day."

"Kind of scary," I said, "Does it tell you the thoughts you have, too?"

She laughed. And then I started thinking, as I always do...about possibilities. What if God installed that same gadget in our heart and spirit? Gulp. It would measure how actively we were worrying. It would measure the level of fear that flows through our thinking. It would monitor how often we took back that which we had surrendered to Him. The gadget would keep track of the times we added the calories of pride. It would measure how many steps we took away from His instructions. And how much of the day we spent on the couch of discouragement.

So I cheer you on to be the fit, slim, and muscle bound believer who wears the bracelet of reassurance. It records the activity in our soul, displaying this message on the screen: "O Lord you have searched me and You know me. You know when I sit and when I rise you perceive my thoughts from afar you discern my going out and my laying down. You are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue You know it completely, O LORD" (Psalm 139:1-5).

Father, how can I feel alone, unprotected or abandoned when you are familiar with all that's within me? I will exercise my trust in you. I will work out daily to strengthen my confidence that you will take care of my every need. In Jesus' name, amen.

Who knows you best?

How does it feel knowing God knows your every thought, your every step, and each turn your life will take?

What exercise for your soul will you follow from now on?


Janet Eckles

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

 
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Join us on Saturdays this month for the last study on the book of Job: Misc. Lessons From Job. You can access the previous studies on the book of Job by clicking here. May God bless you abundantly!
©Copyright 2011 Answers2Prayer | Matt 10:8 "Freely you have received, freely give."

Welcome to the Nugget
September 6, 2014
Miscellaneous Lessons From Job, Part 1: Our Greatest Fear

By Answers2Prayer 
  (This 5-part study is Study #5 from the series, Studies From the Book of Job. You can access the other studies by clicking here.) 

Poor Job. His life was forever altered. He lost his wealth, his family, and then, even his health. 

His reaction? 

He begins to curse the day he was born, the night he was conceived: "May the day perish on which I was born, And the night in which it was said, 'A male child is conceived.'" (Job 3:3 NKJV); He even questions why he was ever allowed to live, and why he is allowed to continue living: "Why did I not die at birth? Why did I not perish when I came from the womb?" (Job 3:11 NKJV); "Why is light given to him who is in misery, And life to the bitter of soul, Who long for death, but it does not come, And search for it more than hidden treasures; Who rejoice exceedingly, And are glad when they can find the grave?" (Job 3:20-22 NKJV)

You can't blame Job, really. After losing everything, he was struck with a terrible skin disease, one that included painful, festering sores and scabs covering the whole body (See Job 7:5). These apparently caused the skin to peel and become black (Job 30:28,30), resulting in disfigurement and a hideous appearance (Job 2:12; 19:19). The illness also caused nightmares (Job 7:14), bad breath (Job 19:17), emaciation (Job 17:7; 19:20), fever (Job 30:30), and terrible pain (Job 30:18). And with all this, there were no hospitals, trained medical professionals, or drugs to help alleviate his pain! Yes, he certainly had reason to curse the day he was born! 

Have you ever wondered why the devil chose to attack these aspects of Job's life? For that matter, just how does the devil choose what aspects of our lives he will attack? 

The answer can be found in Job 3:25: "For the thing I greatly feared has come upon me, and what I dreaded has happened to me."

We see here that the devil attacked the areas of Job's greatest fear! 

But why would Job so desperately fear an attack on his wealth, his health, and his family? Why would the loss of these things bring him to the state that he wished he had never been born? 

Because the devil chose to attack his treasures! 

You see, whatever it is we value the most will become the source of our greatest fear! If we value our children above all else, then we will live in fear for their safety, their health, their very lives. If we value our wealth above all else, then we will live in fear of being robbed, of having our identity stolen, of a crash of the stock market! Whatever it is we fear the most will serve as a gauge of where our treasure lies! 

And the devil struck dead centre, bulls-eye, right in the middle of what was most important to Job, because that's the way he works. He will always attack the things that are the most important to us. He will attack our treasures.

Jesus has interesting things to say about the things we most treasure. He says, "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (Matt 6:19-21, NKJV)

On what do we base the value of our lives? We need to closely evaluate our greatest fears, for it is here that we will find the truth of what we most value. And we need to realize that our greatest fears will always involve things that we have not surrendered to God! When we hold on to these earthly things, we can expect that they will be attacked, and we, too, will find ourselves saying, "The thing that I feared the most has come to pass!"

Just a bunch of supposition? 

It has been brought to my awareness recently that I valued my health above all else, and that losing my health was one of my most blatant fears. Guess what? That same year, I suffered four different blows to my health, ranging from severe muscle cramping, to broken ribs, to a torn rotator cuff, and finally, to cancer. Fortunately, God revealed to me that I was putting too much value in my health, and I surrendered these things to Him. So when these things all struck, I was saved from the pitfalls that ensnared Job. But the bottom line is this: What we most value will be attacked.

Let's learn an important lesson from Job, friends. Let's spend time searching our hearts, seeking who or whatever it is that we value above God, and then let's surrender that very person or thing completely into God's hands! Let's resolve then to let God be our number one treasure, and when we do, we will no longer fear the blatant attacks of the devil. When he does strike, we won't end up like Job, wishing we had never been born. Instead we will stand firm, letting God carry us through. 

Join us next week for Miscellaneous Lessons From Job, Part 2: The Way to Console. 

In His love,
Lyn
Lyn Chaffart, Speech-Language Pathologist, mother of two teens, 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. 
 
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Invite them to join us at by clicking here. They may either sign in or sign up, and once into their account, they can search for Answers2Prayer in the search bar (on the top right corner of the screen) and hit enter. Here they will find our new group, and they can click on "Join Group", hit "Confirm" and then enjoy daily encouragement.

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

Welcome to the Nugget
September 4, 2014
Who You Need to Be
By Answers2Prayer 
  "Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us." (Romans 5:3-5)

My Dad gave me a few of my Grandma's old photo albums the other day. When I looked through them it was like taking a step back in time. It was so incredible to see my brothers, my Mom, my Dad, and my Grandma all looking so young. And on some pages I even saw a smiling six year old boy with my face staring up at me in sweet innocence.

I wondered what that boy would think if he could see what would happen to him during the next 40 years. He would have his home burn down in the middle of the night and lose everything he owned before he was 12. As a young man he would watch his Mom fight a losing battle with cancer and die far before her time. He would see his Grandma slowly lose her health and her memories to dementia before passing away as well. He would graduate college but still struggle financially for many years because he refused to move away from the family and community he loved. He would have two sons who everyday must live with the challenges of Autism. He would deal with daily physical pain from an injured back. And he would suffer emotional pain too from all he had lost and all he had gone through. Yet, in spite of it all he would look back on the life he had lived so far and thank God for it, because it had helped him become who he needed to be.

Just as God writes straight with crooked lines, He also takes the many twists and turns in our lives and uses them to help us to become the people we were meant to be. Without all of that pain, struggle, and loss I would never have become who I am now. I would never have been able to love as deeply, to help others as much, or to appreciate life as fully as I do today. 

When I look at that boy in the pictures I wouldn't trade a second of his life. Even when his heart was broken again and again he never walled it up from the world. Instead he allowed his love to flow freely through the cracks. Every time he stumbled and fell along the way he took God's hand, rose up, and tried again. And no matter how difficult the path he traveled got, he still walked it with a loving heart and a joyous spirit.

No matter what you have gone through in this life, no matter how many troubles you have faced and agonies you have suffered know that God can use them all for good. God can ease your heartaches with wisdom. God can heal your pain with love. God can temper your trials with joy. 

God can help you to help others as well. God can guide you to become the person you needed to be in this life and in the life to come.


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

Welcome to the Nugget
September 2, 2014
The Jeremiah Solution

By Answers2Prayer 
Joan of Arc was in a tough situation. Falsely accused of crimes against the church and state, she was sentenced to burn at the stake. What was her dying wish? For God to strike these lying dead-beats with holy fire? 

Not at all. The dying wish of Joan of Arc was for a priest to hold up a crucifix at eye level!

Pretty strange, isn't it? Where would she have come up with a bizarre prayer? 

The surprising answer is, "the book of Lamentations!" 

But before we look at the prayer, let's first look at the story behind the prayer... 

It all began in Jerusalem. The prophet Jeremiah had the audacity to speak forth the Word of God, and because that Word wasn't what the king's princes wanted to hear, he was cast into a dungeon. 

Word got back to the king that his princes have thrown the prophet into a pit, and he commanded an Ethiopian named Ebed-Melech to rescue Jeremiah. The Ethiopian had a kind heart. He knew that the rope he threw down to Jeremiah will cut into his arms and hand, so he threw down rags to put under the rope, and Jeremiah was lifted safely from the pit. I would invite you to read the entire story as it is recorded in Jeremiah 38. 

Now, I don't know about you, but if I were to find myself in a dungeon, my prayer would likely go something like this: "Lord, deliver me from this pit, from these ungrateful people, from this thankless ministry!" And upon my deliverance, my prayer of thanksgiving would definitely be: "Thank you, Lord, for getting me out of that hideous hole!"

Jeremiah's actual prayers of help and of thanksgiving are recorded in the book of Lamentations. While in the pit, Jeremiah's prayer went like this: "I called on Your name, O Lord, From the lowest pit...'Do not hide Your ear From my sighing, from my cry for help.'" (Lamentations 3:55, 56b NKJV)

Interesting, isn't it? Jeremiah doesn't ask God to deliver him, he asks God to simply hear his cry of help! 

And upon his release, Jeremiah's prayer goes like this: "You have heard my voice...You drew near on the day I called on You, And said, 'Do not fear!'" (Lam 3:56a, 57 NKJV)

Did you catch that? Instead of praising God for his deliverance, Jeremiah is thanking God for--drawing near! He's thanking God for--His presence! Jeremiah's deepest desire in that pit was the presence of the living God! 

And it was this same desire that drove Joan of Arc to ask for a priest to hold a crucifix up at eye level. The deepest desire of her heart was also just that: The presence of the living God! 

Friends, when we find ourselves in the midst of dire circumstances, what if, like Jeremiah and Joan of Ark, our prayers changed slightly? Instead of saying, "Lord, take away this cancer," what if our prayers went like this: "Lord, be with me through all of these medical tests. Hold my hand through the pain, hold me tight as I learn to take things one day at a time!" 

Instead of praying, "Father, give me a better job," what if we said, "Father, this is the job you have given me, and I am grateful for it. But Lord, You know that I am not able to support my family on this job. Lord, help us to feel your presence through this time! Help us to learn to depend solely on You for our provision!" 

Or instead of praying, "Lord, please remove _____ from my life so he/she will stop bullying me," what if our prayer went like this: "Father, be with me as I go through the abuse that ____ hurls my way. Comfort me, hold me up, help me to realize that words will never hurt me, and nothing will change how you feel about me! Lord, help me to love ____ and to be an example of Your love and mercy and grace, so that he/she might learn to love you, too!"

I believe that this type of prayer would not only help us get through our situations, but would help us to fall head-over-heels in love with the One who gave it all. They would help us to learn to depend upon Him 100%, and they would help us to be shining examples to the unsaved world around us. In the end, when God does deliver us from our situations, I believe, that like Jeremiah, we would then be able to say, "I called on Your name, O Lord, From the lowest pit. You have heard my voice: 'Do not hide Your ear From my sighing, from my cry for help.' You drew near on the day I called on You, And said, 'Do not fear!'" (Lam 3:55-57 NKJV)

What impossible, ugly situation are you in right now? Have you been thrown in a theoretical dungeon? Is everyone around you pacing about the hypothetical stake you are tied to, throwing on the bundles of theoretical dry wood and then drawing aside as someone approaches with the "torch?" Why not follow the example of Joan of Arc? Why not try the Jeremiah solution today!
In His love,
Lyn

Lyn Chaffart, Speech-Language Pathologist, mother of two teens, 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. 
Announcement:

Join us on Saturdays in September for the last study series on the book of Job: Miscellaneous Lessons from the Book of Job!
©Copyright 2011 Answers2Prayer | Matt 10:8 "Freely you have received, freely give."

Welcome to the Nugget
August 30, 2014
Blood-thirsty God? Or God of Love?

By Answers2Prayer
  Why is the God of the Old Testament portrayed as such a blood-thirsty God?

It's a question that often comes up: If God is a God of love, then why did He destroy millions of people in the flood? Why did He kill all of Egypt's firstborn? Why did He command Israel to commit genocide? 

But is this only an "Old Testament" problem? We could also ask, why did He orchestrate the death of His own Son, Jesus, the Christ? 

It's a good question. And when someone I correspond with wrote me this exact same question yesterday, I didn't immediately have an answer. After all, it does seem so opposite of the God of love that is otherwise portrayed in the Bible! 

In order to understand the answer, I believe it is necessary to take a God-view of the world through history.

God created this world to be a perfect place, and He created Adam and Eve, the culminating head of His creation, to be His special friends. He loved them. He walked and talked in the Garden of Eden with them (See Gen. 3:8). And He was forced to see them fall to the clutches of the enemy.

But their fall didn't just affect them personally. It was like a black cloud went out, immediately enveloping the entire earth, affecting all of creation, the plants of the fields, and all of Adam and Eve's offspring (Gen. 3:4-10). Just like that, one mistake, and it was done. The enemy had the foothold he needed to corrupt all of God's beautiful creation in an inky, oily cloud of sin and deceit. 

Nothing can cleanse us from this sin that we've all been born under. Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

So why all the blood and guts in the Old Testament?

God was preparing a way for Jesus!

But wait, that sounds awfully cruel! Ordering genocide? Killing babies? 

We are at war, friends. And any move forward always comes at a certain cost. And just like pieces on a chess board, sometimes you have to sacrifice a piece for the greater good.

But no! That can't be God! Sure, I get the sacrifice thing, but God loves us! He isn't willing that any should perish! Isn't it written in His Word: "The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance." (2 Peter 3:9 NKJV). 

We also know that God never changes: "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever." (Heb 13:8-9 NKJV). 

So why would He command the deaths of some, even for the greater good? It doesn't match up to the image of a loving God!

But wait. Did God ever command the death of anyone without giving them a chance to repent?

The ark took 120 years to be constructed. Was this not an extensively long grace period? No one kept all those millions of people out of the ark. They didn't go in with Noah and his family because they choose not to! 

And what about the deaths of all those first born in Egypt? 

Let's remember that this was the last plague. The first few were but mere annoyances, not causing death at all, and then came ones that caused sickness but not death. During all this time, God was trying to get the attention of those Egyptians! 

We are also told that God didn't immediately allow Abraham to possess the land of Canaan. Instead they stayed in Egypt for 400 years, even enduring slavery, because "...the iniquity of the Amorites not yet complete." (See Gen 15 NKJV). God gave the Canaanites a 400 year grace period, folks! Does that sound like a vengeful, hateful God? Not at all! That sounds like a God of love!

In this world covered with the oily, murky darkness of sin, God prepared a way out, and God did not kill or have anyone killed without giving multiple chances for repentance. Up to 400 years of them!

Now that, my friends, is a God of love! 

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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LESSONS FROM HANDICAPS!!!  Are there lessons you can learn from handicaps? Click here and see!
©Copyright 2011 Answers2Prayer | Matt 10:8 "Freely you have received, freely give."

Welcome to the Nugget
August 28, 2014
Little White Suitcase

By Answers2Prayer 
 
"I will refresh the weary and satisfy the faint." (Jeremiah 31:25)

Many years ago our first grader, little white suitcase in hand, was ready to leave in search of a better place. She had been invited to go to her room to think over some behavior, and apparently thought it the perfect time to pack up and get out of Dodge. I watched from the window as she doggedly made her way to the end of the sidewalk. At the street corner she sat down on the little suitcase, pondering her next move.

Have you ever had a day where you are just ready to throw in the towel and say, "Enough's enough?" A redundant question, as we all have had, or will have. It's just part of life. We never know what kind of curve we might be thrown, as much as we plan things out. Some days you feel like packing up, cashing it all in and running away to a south seas island.

A geographic change doesn't work, though. And as often as we've heard the saying, 'When you get lemons, make lemonade', that doesn't always do the trick either.

I walked outside and walked back home with my daughter; the moment had passed and everything was fine.

God has a great message for us in how to handle times like that. The message is He wants to handle it for you. All you have to do is come to Him. In Matthew 11:28 AMP, Jesus says, "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy-laden and overburdened...and you will find rest, relief, ease, refreshment, recreation and blessed quiet for your souls." Because He is the same yesterday, today, and forever, we know His Word is true and He makes good on His promises.

The next time you think of packing up and running away, remember there's somewhere to go and Someone to go to first.

That's good news.

"The Lord is my shepherd ..he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul." (Psalm 23:1-3)

Inspirational Messages, Sally I. Kennedy 2013 
 
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God is concerned about even the minutest points of our lives, and if we let Him, He will guide us into the right decisions, 100% of the time! Our only job is to seek His guidance every step of the way. Visit us online for the previously-published series, "God Guides"!
©Copyright 2011 Answers2Prayer | Matt 10:8 "Freely you have received, freely give."

Welcome to the Nugget
August 28, 2014
Old Hat

By Answers2Prayer
 "I will not forget you! See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands"
(Isaiah 49:15b-16)

When neighbors moved into a nearby home, they were in their backyard all the time. Barbecues, parties, just hanging out. Now, a year later, they are seldom outside. The fun and thrill of the new tropical patio has become 'old hat.'

For us, places, things, jobs, toys, even people and relationships can become routine and lose their sparkle. Sometimes we want something new altogether, more interesting, more exciting.
Some good news is simple, but true, and that is we never become old hat to God.

His thoughts are ever towards us. He cares for us constantly, and continually. We are ever on His mind and in His thoughts, our names are even written on His palms so He will be sure to not forget!

Great, enduring, lasting is His love for us. We are not and never will be old hat to our heavenly Father.

That is for sure good news today.

Inspirational Messages, Sally I. Kennedy 2013 
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."