NUGGET Today's Devotional

Welcome to the Nugget
February 15, 2014
Prepare the Way for Easter, Part 1: Lent Address, 2014

By Answers2Prayer 
It is nearing the Easter season, and as I think about what God wishes to place on each of your hearts this Easter, I am drawn to the words of Luke 3:4-6. 

Wait a minute, you say, Shouldn't you be taking us a few chapters farther in the Gospel of Luke? Something like Luke 22? Luke 3 marks the beginning of Jesus' ministry!

True enough, but as I contemplated this same question, I was overcome with the conviction that this is exactly where the Easter story began! You see, Jesus' death and resurrection would mean absolutely nothing to us if the hearts of the people were not prepared to receive this glorious gift!

And preparation of hearts was the task given to Jesus' cousin, John the Baptist. To him was given the task to "Prepare the way of the Lord", and with Jesus' final command to us, to "go and make disciples of all nations..." (Matt 28:19, NIV2), preparing the way of the Lord becomes our task as well!

It makes sense, really. We are told that no one comes to the Father except that they are convicted of their sin through the Holy Spirit: "...for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment..." (John 16:7-8, NKJV) 

Thus, it is absolutely not our job to convict our unbelieving brothers and sisters of their sin. Rather, it is the job of the Holy Spirit, the "Helper!"

Not convinced? Let's take John the Baptist as our example. His job was not to convict the world of their sin, but rather, to "prepare the way of the Lord!" 

How, then, can we fulfill the Great Commission by preparing the way for the Holy Spirit to convict the world of the need of a Savior? 

Let's take a look at what the prophets said John the Baptist would do: "The voice of one crying in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the LORD; Make straight in the desert A highway for our God. Every valley shall be exalted And every mountain and hill brought low; The crooked places shall be made straight And the rough places smooth...'" (Isa 40:3-4, NKJV).

Do we know that John succeeded in his quest?

Absolutely! Didn't Jesus Himself say of John, "For I say to you, among those born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist..." (Luke 7:28, NKJV)?

So if John was given the commission to "prepare the way of the Lord", and if Jesus Himself said that John was the greatest prophet ever born of women, then perhaps we would do well to study his techniques! 

We actually know very little about John's ministry. We only know that he baptized in the River Jordan, that he baptized Jesus, and that he called the people to repent and to prepare their hearts for Jesus. One little glimpse into his character is given to us by his own words, however: "He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom's voice. Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease." (John 3:27-31, NKJV)

From this passage we learn one vitally important part of John's character: He was humble! He knew his place was to prepare the way of the Lord, and he did so with all of his conviction and might. 

But, you say, it is different in our day. We can't just emerge from the wilderness and start baptizing people and calling them to repentance! 

True enough. So what can we do to "prepare the way of the Lord"? 

The answer to that question, my friends, can be found in the example of Jesus. Join us next Saturday, for Preparing the Way for Easter, Part 2!

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:

Just what are the basics of Christianity?  Join us next Tuesday for the concluding part of "Back to the Basics!" 
©Copyright 2011 Answers2Prayer | Matt 10:8 "Freely you have received, freely give."

Welcome to the Nugget
February 13, 2014
Reality or Deception
By Answers2Prayer 
 
Looking through the window, I see the likeness of a miniature magpie. It is formed by a rose branch and some leaves hanging down and is the image of a magpie standing alert with head looking upward and forward. Even the colouring of black with white on the back of the neck and a white strip down the length of the wing looks real. 

However, it is not real. Seen from any other angle it is just part of a branch overhung with a few leaves. 

How easily we are deceived if we believe without questioning origins.

Then I looked at a silhouetted pure white face about the height of a finger with a high-backed head and marvelled at its likeness to an intelligent, observant child.

Others have seen both my imaginary magpie and the sculpture and all agree they see clearly the apparent reality of both.

However, the sculpture is equally as fake as the magpie. The sculpture is the accidental shape of tissues in a tissue box forming the face. Looked at from any other angle it is just a blob of tissue paper.

After his resurrection Jesus warned his disciples about worse deceptions when he said "take heed that no man deceive you," (Luke 24:4). Then in verse 24, he went on, "For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect."

Always check origins of reality. Please, please, do not be deceived.

Elizabeth Price
Announcement:
Good news!

"Aboard God's Train", the personal testimony of my walk with God through the valley of cancer in 2012, has been published and is now available for purchase through Sable Publishing House. 

May God bless each of you abundantly as you continue to draw closer to Him through the trials of your life!

Lyn Chaffart, Moderator, The Nugget
©Copyright 2011 Answers2Prayer | Matt 10:8 "Freely you have received, freely give."

Welcome to the Nugget
February 11, 2014
Back to the Basics, Part 2

By Answers2Prayer
The Readership of the Nugget would know that we addressed a basic question of Christianity, "What is the Gospel" in the previous part of this series. Today let's focus on yet another basic question: What makes Christian Salvation, so great?

The Author of the epistle to Hebrews qualifies the word Salvation as great Salvation... 

"how shall we escape if we ignore so GREAT A SALVATION?" (Heb 2:3) 

In order that we glorify our Heavenly Father with all our heart, mind and soul, let us now focus on what makes Christian Salvation truly Great... 

Free...

Imagine the plight of common folks, if the good Lord had attached a price tag to our Salvation and said (hypothetically speaking that is), "I would guarantee Heaven to only those who give me 10 crore (10,000,000) dollars." This would make only the elite rich such as a Tata a Birla an Ambani or a Bill Gates eligible for salvation. Poor folks such as we would be left in the lurch. But our great and loving Heavenly Father is offering salvation to one and all free of cost. That is why one Biblical Scholar put it creatively when he said, "the difference between other religions and Christianity is that while other religions preach salvation based on costly works, only Christianity preaches salvation based on an already accomplished work." It (redemption work) is finished shouted Christ triumphantly on the Cross (John 19:30). We cannot add anything to what the Saviour completed on the Cross nor can we takeaway anything from it. Just believe it in the heart and confess it with our mouth... 

Oh-so-Close... 

Our mouths would go dry and our hearts would miss many a beat if the good Lord were to say (hypothetically speaking once again that is), "I would guarantee Heaven only to those who climb Mount Everest or plumb the depths of a Pacific ocean." Then the only strong and fit like say an Edmund Hillary or Tenzing Norgay would qualify for it. But the Good News with capital G for weak folks like us is, "Salvation is as close to us as our own hearts (believe therein that Jesus died for your sins) and our mouths (confess the same with your mouth)."  If you have not done it already, do it now!!!

In the next, concluding part of the Series, we shall continue to focus on what makes Christian Salvation so great.

Prayer: Father, we thank Thee, for making our Salvation free and so easily accessible through the indescribable atoning work of Jesus our Saviour. Accept our praises in Jesus' Name. 
Suresh Manoharan
J and SM Ministrie
Announcement:

Easter?  Already?  Haven't we only just finished with Christmas?

True enough, but it is already the season of Lent, and Easter will be upon us before we know it.  Are we ready?  And if we aren't, how can we get ready?  

Join us on Saturdays for "Preparing for Easter: Lent Address 2014!"
 
©Copyright 2011 Answers2Prayer | Matt 10:8 "Freely you have received, freely give."

Welcome to the Nugget
February 8, 2014
The Nehemiah Solution, Part 6: The Exuberance of Praise 

By Answers2Prayer
 
Last week, in The Nehemiah Solutions, Part 5, we saw that God has a mission for each of us. For some, it is across the ocean. For some, it is across town. For some, it is right next door. 

But we have now come to the place in Nehemiah's story where the wall is completed. Is there any further solutions that can be learned from Nehemiah? 

Most definitely! 

Have you ever taken the time to meditate upon the work that goes into each miracle of God? The amount of effort and planning that God must do for even the most mundane little miracle? Even the ones that we will probably never even recognize as a miracle?

I hadn't, but Nehemiah did: "So I brought the leaders of Judah up on the wall, and appointed two large thanksgiving choirs." (Neh 12:31, NKJV)

As I read this text I had to ask myself: Why would Nehemiah appoint two thanksgiving choirs, and not just any thanksgiving choirs but large ones? 

Vs. 27 tells us why: "Now at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem…" (Neh 12:27a, NKJV). 

But why does he need choirs to dedicate the wall? 

The book of Nehemiah records that answer, too: "...to celebrate the dedication with gladness, both with thanksgivings and singing, with cymbals and stringed instruments and harps." (Neh 12:27, NKJV)

But why? What is so special about the dedication of a wall? True enough, it was a miracle that the wall was completed, but two whole thanksgiving choirs? Isn't this overkill? 

It's true that the rebuilding of the wall was a miracle in itself. The fact that it was rebuilt in just 52 days (Nehemiah 6:15), despite fierce opposition (See Nehemiah 4:13-18) was, indeed, a miracle. But was the miracle even bigger than that? 

Think about it! God sent Hanani (See Nehemiah 1:2) to Nehemiah months before the building ever began, and then, with the news that Hanani brought, God placed the task of rebuilding the wall heavily on Nehemiah's heart. 

But even before that God had been busy.  He had already placed Nehemiah in the king's court, in a position of responsibility and trust, and He had already placed a king on the throne who would be concerned for the plight on a city wall! And God had prepared the king's heart to agree to have Nehemiah leave his service and return to Jerusalem, and to write letters for supplies and to quell opposition! 

Hum! The miracle seems a bit bigger now, doesn't it? 

But I would wager that the miracle goes back even farther than this! I seriously doubt that Nehemiah just got up one day and said, "Jerusalem. Hum. I think I'll go there and build a wall!" I suspect that God had placed a love for Jerusalem on Nehemiah's heart from his childhood on. And likely He did so through Nehemiah's parents and grandparents--people who maybe actually saw Jerusalem before it fell and cared enough to transmit that longing for Jerusalem to the heart of a young and impressionable Nehemiah!

Wow! This celebration that Nehemiah planned wasn't just about a wall, it was about a miracle that had been decades, maybe even centuries in the making! 

And what about the miracles God performs in our lives today? Do we give Him the praise He deserves? Do we even recognize them as miracles? Do we even notice them? Yet more than likely God had been planning those little miracles for years! 

Think about it! Maybe you work part-time and you need full-time employment. Suddenly another part-time job opens up where you work! Wow God, Thanks! You accept the position and you have your full-time job. 

But just what went into the making of that miracle? 

I found myself in this situation 6 years ago, but what I didn't realize was that for months before I even considered working full-time, my work place had been asking for funding for 15 more rehab beds. They had been doing needs' studies and writing proposals, and just at the time when I needed full-time employment, God brought it all together. 

My response? 

You must understand that although I needed full-time employment, I didn't want it. So when I took the new position, I am ashamed to say that I didn't do it happily. I didn't give God the praise He deserved! How much better would it have been had if I had recognized the enormity of this miracle, if I had only given Him the praise He was due? 

Friends, I encourage you to watch for God's miracles in your lives today, and when you see one, spend some time meditating on the depths of that miracle! Think about how long God had been planning it, how intricate his timing is, and then use the Nehemiah solution: Give God the praise He is due! Then maybe we, too, will see the need for "two large thanksgiving choirs" to celebrate even the smallest of miracles! 

Thank you, Nehemiah, for reminding us of the need to be exuberant in our praise, to recognize just how intricate each miracle of God is, and to appreciate each part of it! 

And thank you, Nehemiah for all of your the practical solutions! This is the last lesson in the Nehemiah Solutions series. If you have missed any of these practical solutions to common, everyday problems, you will find them published online by clicking here. Or email me, and I'll be happy to send them to you. May God bless you abundantly as you strive to try some of Nehemiah's excellent, practical solutions! 

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:

Do you know any facebook fans? Why not invite them to visit Answers2Prayer on Facebook! This is their opportunity to discover that our Heavenly Father truly cares for them, and that Jesus is not only their Saviour by their friend as well!

The Illustrator and the Nugget have joined forces and are now on Facebook under the name Answers2Prayer. This group is dedicated to bringing people closer to our loving God through daily thought-provoking devotionals and inspirational stories.

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.

As always, this is a free. Our goal is to help your friends and family make Jesus their focus!
©Copyright 2011 Answers2Prayer | Matt 10:8 "Freely you have received, freely give."

Welcome to the Nugget
February 6, 2014
Getting it Just Right

By Answers2Prayer
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." (Philippians 4:6)

My husband enjoys relaxing in the living room once in awhile and listening to me play the piano. Amateur though it is, I try to get it just right. He is gracious, and tells me how much he likes it.

Several years ago for his birthday, I planned to surprise him with a tape of me playing his favorite songs. Was that ever a project! Taping, re-taping, and patching it into my hand-held recorder was more than tedious. Still, I wanted to get it just right. My piano playing is riddled with mistakes, yet to my husband it sounds wonderful. He doesn't notice the errors. He simply enjoys the music.

How often we want to do everything just right for our heavenly father. We want to please him, be as good and nice as possible, make him proud of us. Because we are human, we can never be perfect and do everything just right. However, what is so cool is that, in God's eyes, we are perfect. He loves us just as we are, and sees us as we will be.

What a relief we don't have to get everything just right for Him. God has already gotten everything just right for us. When we believe in Jesus, His sacrifice for us and how it is the bridge to reconciling us with the Father, it all falls into place. Perfectly.

That is good news.

Inspirational Messages, Sally I. Kennedy 2013 

Announcement:

Do you know any facebook fans? Why not invite them to visit Answers2Prayer on Facebook! This is their opportunity to discover that our Heavenly Father truly cares for them, and that Jesus is not only their Saviour by their friend as well!
As always, this is a free. Our goal is to help your friends and family make Jesus their focus!'
©Copyright 2011 Answers2Prayer | Matt 10:8 "Freely you have received, freely give."

Welcome to the Nugget
February 4, 2014
Back to the Basics, Part 1

By Answers2Prayer
At the outset, I praise my Heavenly Father for placing this message in my heart. 

In this series of three parts, permit me to begin with a basic question of Christian faith. What is the Gospel? The word gospel derives from the Old English god-spell (rarely godspel), meaning "good news" or "glad tidings". The word Gospel is the shortened form of the word god-spell . It is considered the "good news" because it speaks about Kingdom of Messiah (all His followers are of the Kingdom), and of redemption through the life and death of Jesus--the central Christian message. 

As Christians, if we are asked to define the Gospel Biblically, often our minds (considering the upbringing, I wouldn't fault anyone) turn to John 3:16 which enshrines the agape love of God the father who gave His only begotten Son as a sacrifice for the atonement of our sins in order we the sinners are saved from the Holy God's just wrath against our sins (I Thess 1:10). While on the subject, God hates sin which is lawlessness (1 John 3:4) in His sight. Period. So the price has to be paid. Jesus our Saviour paid the price on the Cross by His indescribable suffering on it. Our Heavenly Father is the Creator of every cell in our bodies, its support system and our eternal spirit and fairness quite naturally demands that we live our lives on His terms (which in ultimate analysis is again aimed at our welfare-His precious Creation) and not ours. 

While arriving at the exact definition of the Gospel, it would serve us well to look at what Bible says about the Gospel. Didn't somebody say that the Golden rule for proper Biblical understanding is "interpret Scripture by using the Scripture." So how does the God-inspired Bible (2 Tim 3:16) itself define the word Gospel? Consider this New Testament Scripture portion culled from I Cor 15:1-4...

"Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain." 

"For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures..." 

The emboldened Scripture portion represents the accurate, Biblical definition of the word Gospel. The entire redemption plan was foretold by the Almighty God through His prophecies recorded in the scriptures lest anyone attribute His Sacrificial death on the Cross and subsequent Glorious redemption to some accident. If Psalm 22 and Isaiah 53 describe His atoning work on the Cross then Psalms 16:9-11 and 40:1-3 speak about His miraculous resurrection. If anyone (whatever be his/her fallen condition) accepts this truth in his/her heart and confesses the same with his/her mouth, a new life is given to that person (Romans 10:9-10). Without confirmation of this life-transforming born-again experience, Baptism ought not to be given by the Church authorities, otherwise it would be reduced to no more than a farcical exercise of making "dry sinner emerge out of the Baptismal waters as a wet hypocrite." 

On the other hand, in genuine cases only the concerned person knows the height and depth of Divine, Blessed joy of salvation (Romans 4:6-8) that enters his/her life, which brings us to the next basic topic "great Salvation." 

Prayer: Father we are so thankful to the Gospel and Salvation which we receive on accepting it. Give us Your Spirit at all times to please you in everything we do. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Suresh Manoharan
J and SM Ministries

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

Welcome to the Nugget
February 1, 2014
The Nehemiah Solutions, Part 5: By His House
By Answers2Prayer 
 
Last week, in The Nehemiah Solutions, Part 4, we discovered that the best way to deal with distractions is to simply ignore them.  But the moment I heard we would have new neighbors, God placed it on my heart to make contact with them, to greet them to the neighborhood. 

Now that sounds like a very neighborly thing to do, something that anyone would do, but being incredibly shy by nature, such tasks definitely push me out of my comfort zone! 

Since these new neighbors moved in the very same week I had cancer surgery, I had a jewelled excuse to put it off. 

Didn't I? 

I convinced myself I did. There would be plenty of time for welcoming the new neighbors when I didn't have so much on my own plate! 

Then there was recovery from surgery. Surely God didn't expect me to limp over there in such a poor state.  Of course, once I had recovered from surgery, I had to return to work.  That was a major thing because my energy was low.  There just wouldn't be enough energy to do what I needed to do around the house, work, AND welcome the new neighbors!

Then Christmas came. What a golden opportunity to welcome the new neighbors! I could take them a little "welcome to the neighborhood/Christmas" gift...but things are so busy at Christmas time.  Besides, I had a touch of the flu...

I know, just a bunch of excuses.  Want to hear my latest one?  "It's too late to welcome the new neighbors!  That's something that should have been done the first few weeks!"

God knows I often need a "push" from Him, and that's what He did this morning, through Nehemiah, chapter 3. 

Now Nehemiah 3 is the chapter that describes who rebuilt what part of the wall of Jerusalem, and if you ask me, it's downright boring.  In fact, I was tempted to speed through the chapter the day before so that I could move on to something more "inspiring".  But after reading about 12 verses of: "Then Eliashib the high priest rose up with his brethren the priests and built the Sheep Gate; they consecrated it and hung its doors. They built as far as the Tower of the Hundred, and consecrated it, then as far as the Tower of Hananel. Next to Eliashib the men of Jericho built..." (Neh 3:1-2, NKJV), God wouldn't let me continue. 

"Tomorrow!" He said. "Tomorrow you may finish reading this chapter!"

"Why, Lord?" I started to argue.  But I already knew the answer. The remainder of chapter 3, as dull as it was, contained a message for me, one that God wanted me to hear "tomorrow!" 

When tomorrow came, I must say that I wasn't exactly looking forward to my Bible passage from Nehemiah.  Especially as it went on and on: "Hanun and the inhabitants of Zanoah repaired the Valley Gate. They built it, hung its doors with its bolts and bars, and repaired a thousand cubits of the wall as far as the Refuse Gate. Malchijah the son of Rechab..." (Neh 3:13-14, NKJV) 

At one point, despite my deep-rooted belief that every word of God's blessed Scripture has a specific meaning for me today, I looked up and said, "Lord, this is downright boring!" 

God's response? 

"Keep reading!"

I did. And I'm ashamed to say that I almost missed it. In fact, I got to the end of the chapter and even said, "See Lord? Nothing!" 

I was immediately impressed to reread a specific section, and as I did, it was like the words were written in bold letters in my Bible: "After him Benjamin and Hasshub made repairs opposite their house. After them Azariah the son of Maaseiah, the son of Ananiah, made repairs by his house." (Neh 3:23, NKJV).

I still didn't completely understand the depth of God's message to me, but one thing I knew: God was speaking to me loudly and clearly: "My mission for you is right here, right in your neighborhood, right 'by your house!'"

Think about it!  We think that to fulfill God's mission we must go abroad or donate money or clothing to food banks and local charities.  These are good things to do, but each of these people mentioned in Nehemiah 3 had a specific section of the wall that they were in charge of!  Some rebuilt around the temple, some around the palace, and some rebuilt by his house, or opposite their house! While we're busy helping the world afar, our very neighbors cry out for help, cry out for a touch of the Lord, cry out for Salvation! 

As I contemplated this, God's instructions were clear: "Enough with your excuses! Go and greet the new neighbors!" 

I wish I could say I dropped everything and went right over, but I didn't. In fact I spent the next few minutes arguing.  

Maybe it was just as well, for it was a bit early in the morning to be visiting.  But God was persistent, and I soon found myself in the kitchen baking cookies.  When they are done, I prayed for God to give me the courage to overcome my shyness, and I went over and welcomed the new neighbors to the neighborhood with a plate of homemade cookies. 

The message to us today is clear: God has a mission for each of us.  For some, it is across the ocean.  For some, it is across town.  For some, it is right next door.  Thank you, Nehemiah, for the important reminder that sometimes the work for us to do is literally by our house! 

Then the wall was finished.  Life would go back to normal, and before long the people would begin to forget the series of major miracles that brought about the completion of the wall. Nehemiah was aware of this human tendency, and he was ready with a solution. Join us next Saturday for the final edition of The Nehemiah Solutions: The Exuberance of Praise. 

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 Answers2PrayerMinistries.

Announcement:

Good news!

"Aboard God's Train", the personal testimony of my walk with God through the valley of cancer in 2012, has been published and is now available for purchase through Sable Publishing House. 

May God bless each of you abundantly as you continue to draw closer to Him through the trials of your life!

Lyn Chaffart, Moderator, The Nugget
©Copyright 2011 Answers2Prayer | Matt 10:8 "Freely you have received, freely give."

Welcome to the Nugget
January 30, 2014
God of Regeneration, Part 5
By Answers2Prayer 
Today, we come to the concluding part of the series on God of regeneration:

Spiritual and Universal

Man is only a spirit living inside a tent (2 Cor 5:1) so more than perishable physical bodies or temporary financial setbacks, one needs to be more concerned about the ever-lasting spirit. Good News for all spiritual back-sliders with a capital "G" is that only if we let Him, the great re-generating God can regenerate us in our fallen spiritual condition also anytime.

Now of all the soul-stirring visions that came to God's Prophets from time to time in Old Testament days, if there is one vision that makes tears flow copiously from my eyes every single time I read it, it is that of barren, dry bones coming to life in the Book of "Mr. Meticulous" Prophet Ezekiel (Chapter 37).

Oh boy, oh boy...not dead Lazarus of four days coming back to life but dead and dry bones are fully regenerated to become once again not businessmen or Government officials but soldiers ready to fight the Lord's battles like every Christian ought to do (Eph 6:10-17). Say Christian, is your spiritual life dead, dry and barren?  Are you no longer fighting the Lord's battles, the way you used to?  Now take heart.  There is none greater than our Lord when it comes to regenerating anything.  Seek Him and He will regenerate you spiritually once again. 

Now Dear Friends, have you ever noticed a remarkable sidelight to this prophecy of the "meticulous" Prophet Ezekiel? Firstly, why do I call the Prophet Ezekiel "Mr. Meticulous?"  Because he always dates his prophetic visions.  Now consider some Scripture portions which validate this truth...

"In my thirtieth year, in the fourth month on the fifth day, while I was among the exiles by the Kebar River, the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God..." (Ezekiel 1:1)

"In the sixth year, in the sixth month on the fifth day, while I was sitting in my house and the elders of Judah were sitting before me, the hand of the Sovereign LORD came on me there." (Ezekiel 8:1)

"In the seventh year, in the fifth month on the tenth day..." (Ezekiel 20:1)

Now the amazing fact is that this meticulous Prophet by Divine Inspiration deliberately does not date the vision of dry bones becoming an army (Ezekiel 37), so as to say that it is a timeless, universal message applicable at all times to those who seek the God who regenerates in the only way, He can. Hallelujah!!!

Hey, no theology ought to end without doxology.  Mouth a loud hallelujan to our God of regeneration!

Happy New Year of renewal to one and all!

Prayer: Father, what a joy it is to know that You can regenerate anyone as soon as they seek your help. We praise Thee once again in Jesus' Name. Amen 

Suresh Manoharan
J and SM Ministries 
 
Announcement:

Looking for practical solutions to everyday problems?  Join us for the next two Saturdays for concluding parts of The Nehemiah Solution!  A Mini-series on the book of Nehemiah, by Lyn Chaffart
©Copyright 2011 Answers2Prayer | Matt 10:8 "Freely you have received, freely give."

Welcome to the Nugget
January 28, 2014
Wheat in the Weeds
By Answers2Prayer 
 
"Here is another story Jesus told: 'The Kingdom of Heaven is like a farmer who planted good seed in his field. But that night as the workers slept, his enemy came and planted weeds among the wheat, then slipped away. When the crop began to grow and produce grain, the weeds also grew. The farmer's workers went to him and said, "Sir, the field where you planted that good seed is full of weeds! Where did they come from?" "An enemy has done this!" the farmer exclaimed. "Should we pull out the weeds?" they asked. "No," he replied, "you'll uproot the wheat if you do. Let both grow together until the harvest. Then I will tell the harvesters to sort out the weeds, tie them into bundles, and burn them, and to put the wheat in the barn."'" (Matthew 13:24-30, NLT)

"Then, leaving the crowds outside, Jesus went into the house. His disciples said, 'Please explain to us the story of the weeds in the field.' Jesus replied, 'The Son of Man is the farmer who plants the good seed. The field is the world, and the good seed represents the people of the Kingdom. The weeds are the people who belong to the evil one. The enemy who planted the weeds among the wheat is the devil. The harvest is the end of the world, and the harvesters are the angels. Just as the weeds are sorted out and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the world. The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will remove from his Kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. And the angels will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in their Father's Kingdom. Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand!" (Matthew 13:36-43, NLT)

When the disciples heard this parable they knew about the weeds that enemies would sow among wheat to make the wheat be of less quality. When both plants are young you cannot tell them apart. When they mature you can see the grain on the wheat and tell which plant is which. But by then the roots of the weeds have grown so and meshed with the roots of the wheat so that if the weeds were pulled the wheat would come up with them.

What does this parable say to us?

First, Jesus is telling us that there will be a judgment. This will happen when He returns.

Second, Jesus is telling us it is not our place to condemn people. Why are we not to condemn? One reason may be that even though we might know the Bible from cover to cover we might think we know who is wheat and who is a weed but we could be wrong. It could be like once when I was younger when my mother took me out to a flower bed. She pointed out the different flowers then told me the other plants were weeds and that I was to pull them up. 

Later when she checked on me I found out that I had pulled some flowers and left some weeds. I thought I knew what should stay and what should go. The same would happen if we were in charge of the condemning.

Another reason we are not to condemn is that we may not be able to tell the wheat from the weeds. The disciples didn't know there was a weed among them. 

At the Last Supper Jesus told them that one of them would betray Him. The disciples didn't point at Judas. They asked, "Lord, Is it I?" We need to examine ourselves to see if we are truly trusting in what Jesus did for our salvation and whether we are living the way He would want us to.

So that is all this parable is saying but that would mean that we are not to condemn but just let the weeds be and let them burn later. If we read the Bible we know that Jesus wishes that no one would perish so it is up to us to show the world His love.

We need to show love to other wheat (believers) to encourage them and not do things to uproot them. We need to show the love of Christ to the weeds (unbelievers) also. In nature a weed can never become wheat but a human weed can become human wheat. As we show the love of Christ to the unbelievers they might become believers. So let us all be wheat in the weeds.
By Dean W. Masters
Owner of the Master's List
 
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Welcome to the Nugget
January 25, 2014
The Nehemiah Solution, Part 4: What to do with Distraction

By Answers2Prayer 
 
Last week, in The Nehemiah Solutions, Part 3, we are reminded that the practical solution to the problem of disobedience to God is simply outrage, followed by a cry for purity in all that we do. But disobedience wasn't Nehemiah's only hurdle. In fact, as you read the book, you will note distraction upon distraction. 

Doesn't that sound familiar? I mean, I know I could be more productive if I didn't get so distracted. Distraction affects my productivity at work and at home, it affects my social engagements and even my stress management activities. But perhaps most importantly, it affects my spiritual productivity. It affects my personal prayer time, my focus on any God-given task and my ability to positively impact others for the Lord!

Where do these distractions come from? 

From...well...just about everywhere! And the devil uses these distractions to keep me from doing God's Work! I can't count how many times I've been convicted to do something for someone on any given day, only to get to the end of the day without doing it. And when I look back to seek the reason I didn't do it, it's because something came up, or I forgot, or I hadn't wanted to stray from my "to-do" list long enough to do the God-given task. 

After long contemplation, I've come to the conclusion that my problem is two-fold: 

1. Sometimes I don't recognize the distraction for what it is: something orchestrated by the devil to keep me from being productive for the Lord. I don't see that whatever is thrown my way is a distraction! I simply see it as something that must be dealt with instead of what it is distracting me from! 

2. Sometimes I recognize the distraction, but I am simply unable to do anything about it. 

Nehemiah to the rescue. 

Our friend Nehemiah knew all about dealing with distraction. When he returned to Jerusalem to rebuild the city walls, he met up with distraction from all sides, beginning with the moment he made his purpose in Jerusalem known: "But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem the Arab heard of it, they laughed at us and despised us, and said, 'What is this thing that you are doing? Will you rebel against the king?'" (Neh 2:19 NKJV)

Some would say the devil was trying to discourage Nehemiah, and that is certainly one of the many purposes that distraction serves. But Nehemiah saw it for what it was: A simple distraction, and he knew what to do about it: "So I answered them, and said to them, 'The God of heaven Himself will prosper us; therefore we His servants will arise and build, but you have no heritage or right or memorial in Jerusalem.'" (Neh 2:20, NKJV) 

Another recorded distraction went like this: "But it so happened, when Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, that he was furious...And he spoke before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said, 'What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they fortify themselves? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they complete it in a day? Will they revive the stones from the heaps of rubbish--stones that are burned?' Now Tobiah the Ammonite was beside him, and he said, 'Whatever they build, if even a fox goes up on it, he will break down their stone wall.'" (Neh 4:1-3, NKJV). 

You and I would call that "mockery," but mockery is also one of many forms of distraction. Nehemiah didn't get caught up in it. Instead, he saw it for what it was: A simple distraction. He said, "'Hear, O our God, for we are despised; turn their reproach on their own heads...for they have provoked You to anger before the builders.' So we built the wall, and the entire wall was joined together up to half its height..." (Neh 4:4-6, NKJV).

Time and time again the book of Nehemiah records that Nehemiah encouraged the people to not be deterred by distraction but to keep focused on the task at hand. Even when there was fear of physical combat, Nehemiah didn't stop the builders from building. Instead, he had the people pray, and he set a watch: 

"...and all of them conspired together to come and attack Jerusalem and create confusion. Nevertheless we made our prayer to our God, and because of them we set a watch against them day and night." (Neh 4:7-9, NKJV)

In another place, it is recorded: "Therefore I positioned men behind the lower parts of the wall, at the openings...and arose and said to the nobles, to the leaders, and to the rest of the people, 'Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, great and awesome, and fight for your brethren, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses.'" (Neh 4:13-14, NKJV)

Nehemiah was living out the sound advice that comes to us centuries later from the writer of the book of Hebrews: "Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith..." (Heb 12:1-2, NKJV)

That, friends, is how to deal with the distractions the devil throws our way. We need, first, to recognize the distraction for what it is, and then we need to give it to God and keep our eyes fixed on Jesus as we continue with the task at hand. 

Thank you, Nehemiah, for the valuable tip on how to deal with the distractions that the devil will throw our way when we set out to do God's work! 

Is there anything we can learn from Nehemiah about the various problems that arise with doing God's will? Join us next The Nehemiah Solutions, Part 5: By My House.


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:Regeneration is something we all desire for the New Year, and God is truly a God of regeneration!Join us next Thursday for the final edition of God of Regeneration!  A mini-series by Suresh Manoharan.

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

Welcome to the Nugget
January 23, 2014
God of Regeneration, Part 4

By Answers2Prayer 
 
Continuing with series on "God of regeneration", now in the fourth part of the series, let's focus on yet another subject... 

GLOBAL
God can not only regenerate an individual's fortunes, a family, a nation but He can regenerate the whole wide world, as the following Scripture portion testifies in relation to the Millennial Kingdom of Christ which shall follow the imminent Church rapture and the subsequent 7 years of fiery tribulation...

Jesus said to them, "Truly I tell you, at the RENEWAL of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel." (Matt. 19:28)

Tired of moral corruption and escalating violence all around, with our supposed problem solvers (political leaders) themselves having pending criminal charges against them?

Do not our hearts bleed to see the plight of innocent victims of violence and corruption? At the onset of this New Year, for those of us desperately wanting to breathe "pure air," free of moral corruption, there is bad news to start with. It would get worse before it would become better. The world would plumb further the depths of ethical bankruptcy. Remember the timing of eventual Divine judgment on sinful Canaanites who were having sexual relationship with even animals before God purged that Land (Leviticus 18:23-27). 

"In the fourth generation your descendants will come back here, for the sin of the Amorites has not yet REACHED ITS FULL MEASURE." (Genesis 15:16)

It was only when sin of the decadent Canaanite nations had "ripened" that the good Lord moved the Israelites from Egypt, whose population had grown in the intervening period (their stay in Egypt) to fill the entire Land of Canaan.

When the sin of this decaying World would reach its full measure, the Master would come to purge it off its sin and set-up His righteous Kingdom. Let these words really come alive when we utter them even as most of us ritualistically and mechanically parrot what is popularly known in the Christian parlance as the Lord's prayer:

"may Your kingdom come.  May Your will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven."

Come Lord Jesus and take over soon the rotting world and renew it in the way only You can.  

Moral renewal aside, hey, there is going is to be physical renewal of our once Green Planet once again... 

The all encompassing "oxygen tent" in the clouds which was there before the Flood (no wonder with extra-supply of oxygen to their bodies life-expectancy in the Pre-flood times was 900!  See Genesis 5) but was destroyed subsequently (Genesis 7:11) with the onset of the flood (human life span decreased after the flood) shall miraculously return.  No wonder the life-expectancy in the Millennium, when we would be ruling with Christ, shall once again go up...

"No longer will babies die when only a few days old. No longer will adults die before they have lived a full life. No longer will people be considered old at one hundred..." (Isaiah 65:20)

I can stand-up and testify personally from roof-tops nay mountain-tops on the benefits of breathing more oxygen. Due to severe sinus problem from childhood (untreated because of no noticeable debilitating effects in active, sports-filled childhood), I developed hyper-tension and Diabetes problems by the time I was into my early thirties. If Diamonds are forever, then so are some life-style diseases like hyper-tension and diabetes. Now can you believe it? After undergoing sinus operation in 2004 and subsequently reducing weight, I bid goodbye to both diabetes and hypertension...nothing quite like good ole O2 really!

Prayer: Father, we wait with bated breath for the time Your son would set-up His Millinnial Kingdom and Your will would be done on Earth, as it is in Heaven. May it be soon. In Jesus' Name. Amen

Suresh Manoharan
J and SM Ministries. 
 
Announcement:

Looking for practical solutions to everyday problems?  Join us on Saturdays in January for The Nehemiah Solution!  A Mini-series on the book of Nehemiah, by Lyn Chaffart
©Copyright 2011 Answers2Prayer | Matt 10:8 "Freely you have received, freely give."

Welcome to the Nugget
January 21, 2014
Making a Way

By Answers2Prayer 
 
"I will.. make a way." (Isaiah 43:19)
A peaceful little park was just up at the end of the street, so I strolled up to check out the view of the water. What a surprise to see a small pod of dolphins, there in the early morning surf. In what seemed like slow motion, they moved through the waters, rolling in sync. I stood, mesmerized by the grace of beauty of God's creation.

As I sat on a nearby bench, the humming of a little bee caught my eye. A yellow jacket, maybe? It landed next to a small hole, then wiggled backwards and flicked away the sand with its legs.

The hole became larger with each flick of the insect's legs. When he disappeared, I stuck a twig down the hole and it was fairly deep. Maybe it was a way to make a nest, or perhaps a way to hide from the day's heat?

That little bee was a strong kicker. I thought about how sometimes I kick my heels, or drag my feet, and stir up some dust, try to make a way for something I want to happen, or fix. 

These are lyrics from a praise and worship song Don Moen sang: "God can make a way, where there seems to be no way, He works in ways we cannot see, God can make a way for me. He will be my guide, hold me closely to His side; with each new day...He will make a way."

We can always ask the Lord to make a way. He is more than able, ready and wiling; "nothing is impossible with God." (Luke 1:37) 

That's good news.

Inspirational Messages by Sally I. Kennedy 2013 

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

Welcome to the Nugget
January 18, 2014
The Nehemiah Solution, Part 3: Leadership By Example

By Answers2Prayer 
 
Last week, in The Nehemiah Solution, Part 2, we left off the story of Nehemiah's outrage against Israel for "gouging" their brothers in interest by giving his reason for his outrage.  In the very next verse he gives us the solution: 

"I also, with my brethren and my servants, am lending them money and grain. Please, let us stop this usury! Restore now to them, even this day, their lands, their vineyards, their olive groves, and their houses, also a hundredth of the money and the grain, the new wine and the oil, that you have charged them." (Neh 5:10-11, NKJV).

Nehemiah's solution? He himself lent the people money and grain, but not with interest, and he urged the people to follow his example! 

But does Nehemiah truly put his "money where his mouth is," so to speak? Does he truly give freely of his own money and wealth to help the poor in the land? 

"Moreover, from the time that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year until the thirty-second year of King Artaxerxes, twelve years, neither I nor my brothers ate the governor's provisions. But the former governors who were before me laid burdens on the people, and took from them bread and wine, besides forty shekels of silver. Yes, even their servants bore rule over the people, but I did not do so, because of the fear of God. Indeed, I also continued the work on this wall, and we did not buy any land. All my servants were gathered there for the work. And at my table were one hundred and fifty Jews and rulers, besides those who came to us from the nations around us. Now that which was prepared daily was one ox and six choice sheep. Also fowl were prepared for me, and once every ten days an abundance of all kinds of wine. Yet in spite of this I did not demand the governor's provisions, because the bondage was heavy on this people." (Neh 5:14-18, NKJV)

The governors who came before Nehemiah laid burdens on the people. The end result of their example? They motivated the wealthier of the Jewish leaders to treat the people in the same way. But not Nehemiah. Nehemiah valued purity. He valued right-doing. And in order to maximally encourage this, he led by example: He lived his life exactly how he envisioned the other powerful leaders would live theirs. 

It is true that the Bible teaches we must not judge others, and that we are accountable for our own sins, no matter who or what influenced us to commit them. But we are also admonished to set a good example: "but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity." (1Tim 4:12, NKJV)

Why? 

Paul tells us in his letter to the Thessalonians: "Not because we do not have authority, but to make ourselves an example of how you should follow us." (2Thess 3:9, NKJV)

But is this just Paul? What about Jesus? Didn't He teach: "You are the light of the world...Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven" (Matt 5:14-16, NKJV)? Didn't He also teach: "You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men" (Matt 5:13, NKJV)? Think about it: What kind of light do you wish to shine on God's Word? What kind of "flavouring" do you wish to leave behind in the mouths of those who do not know the Lord? 

Friends, we need to follow the Nehemiah solution: We need to lead by example, ever letting God's light shine through us to the world. And in so doing, we must be careful that our own lives reflect the purity of Jesus Christ! 

Thank you, Nehemiah, for reminding us of the need to set a pure, exemplary personal example so that we can maximally carry out the work of the Lord! 

But Nehemiah's problems are far from over. As you read through his story it becomes evident that he encounters distraction after distraction. Now I don't know about you, but distractions usually hinder me from doing God will! Does Nehemiah have a solution for this problem as well? Join us next Saturday for The Nehemiah Solutions, Part 4: What to do with Distractions. 

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:/h4> Regeneration is something we all desire for the New Year, and God is truly a God of regeneration!Join us on Thursdays in January for God of Regeneration!  A mini-series by Suresh Manoharan.

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

Welcome to the Nugget
January 16, 2014
God of Regeneration, Part 3

By Answers2Prayer 
 
Well, the good Lord can not only be the Master of renewal in the life of an individual and a family but that of one whole Nation. Permit me to hit the rewind button here. Let me also plead for some patience on the part of my committed readership gently forewarning them that this part (3rd) of the series is lengthier than other parts.

NATIONAL

Some years ago, the International media was agog with the News of Israel celebrating its 60th formation day. In my own favorite Newspaper, The Hindu (now they have their own ideological stance on West Asian crisis, to which they are perfectly entitled), I remember reading an article, "Israel at 60" on May 8th, 2008. Now what is that about Israel that interests all keen Bible students? The reason is as simple as it is profound. The World's future events are not so much linked as inter-twined with Israel's second birth, as it were. Take the Biblical prophecy for instance in Isaiah 11:11, which clearly foretold the formation or re-formation of Israel way back in 7th century BC -- with its attendant implications (we shall attempt to study these "attendant implications" in light of other Biblical prophecies, later on in this message) but first things first. 

"In that day the Lord will reach out his hand a second time to bring back the remnant of his people -- those who remain in Assyria and northern Egypt; in southern Egypt, Ethiopia, and Elam; in Babylonia, Hamath, and all the distant coastlands." (Isaiah 11:11 NLV) 

When I ponder on this prophecy especially on the light of what all happened just before the United Nations approved "Mandate of Palestine" in 1947 came to pass, I cannot but cry like a little child holding my Bible in my hands. 

Let's travel back in time to Good Friday. There was Pontius Pilate the Rome-appointed Governor of Judea trying his best to release Jesus, who he knew was innocent, even as the Jews led by their religious leaders bayed for Jesus' blood (Matt 27:11-26). Let the Scripture take over at this stage...

"When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. 'I am innocent of this man’s blood,' he said. 'It is your responsibility!'  All the people answered, 'His blood is on us and on our children!'" (Matt 27:24-25)

Though our Lord died after speaking words of forgiveness on the cross (Luke 23:34), Divine comeuppance of the One who has said "vengeance is mine" (Romans 12:19) was going to catch up with the Jews soon.  And it it did in 70 AD, decimating them in the process, when consequent to Jewish insurrection Roman army totally killed one million Jews, destroying in the process the Jewish temple. Need any further proof that God can be love (1 John 4:8) as well as a consuming fire in His judgment (Hebrews 10:31/12:29)? 

Now, after 2000 years of Divine indictment, if the Sovereign God in His Sovereign plan "for a special purpose" (I would focus upon it soon) forgives them and eventually brings them back to the Promised Land (in accordance with His promise to their ancestors) in perfect fulfillment of Isaiah 11:11, (permit me to quote it again): 

"In that day the Lord will reach out his hand a second time to bring back the remnant of his people -- those who remain in Assyria and northern Egypt; in southern Egypt, Ethiopia,and Elam; in Babylonia, Hamath, and all the distant coastlands."  

Should we not all be excited? The basic point that one more prophecy of the Bible has been fulfilled with pin-point precision should excite us, for it simply means, other unfulfilled prophecies are also soon going to be fulfilled. If a friend of ours, with a proven track record of always fulfilling his promises, gives his word on giving us a gift after a week, would we not take him at his word? Ditto this with our Promise-keeping God. Countless times He has brought the Biblical prophecies to fruition. This begs a question. Now should we not believe Him, with regard to some prophecies, which are not yet fulfilled but would be fulfilled soon in His own perfect timing like the birth of His son Jesus was (Galatians 4:4)? 

I reiterate that when I ponder on this prophecy (Isaiah 11:11) especially on the light of what all happened just before the United Nations approved "Mandate of Palestine" in 1947, I cannot but cry like a little child holding my Bible in my hands. How true is this Grand ole' Book! It leaves absolutely no room for speculation! Now this prophecy recorded eons back, is certainly not about the return of Jewish exiles from Babylon or for that matter from Assyria (Jews of Northern Kingdom of Israel were exiled to Assyria in 742 BC approx -- 2 Kings 17:18). Kindly underscore the point that the above-captioned Scripture portion, while listing the names of Nations from which the Jews would return does not limit itself to merely mentioning Assyria or Babylon, but rather it even goes on to mention somberly "distant coast lands", as though to reserve the best for the last. Dear readers, do you know the process of formation of Modern-day Israel was triggered amongst others by initial settling of 4000 Jews brought by the Ship Knesset Israel from Yugoslavia (a country with a huge coast line) in November 1946? Then what about that Ship "Exodus" captained by its legendary Captain Harel that captured International imagination in its epochal attempt to bring 4500 Jewish families in 1947 from the coastal city of Marseilles, France? In fact, Captain Harel in total commanded four expeditions that took thousands of refugees to the shores of Palestine. Many of the Ship Exodus who were originally refused entry into Palestine, latter arrived there...from...you guessed it...yet another Island country...Cyprus! As the import of these historical events register, oh Boy...oh Boy...I cannot help falling in love one more time with my oh-so-sweet, oh-so-perfectly prophetic Bible!!! For those of us, who feel that it would have been terrific to see some awe-inspiring Biblical miracles like parting of Red Sea captured in camera, how about this? 

Hey, the Almighty can regenerate not only one's physical body but He can regenerate one complete nation. Well, He has regenerated the Nation of Israel with a purpose. To trumpet this truth about the redeemer Christ's imminent return!!!  Consider the words of the Master recorded here...

"Now learn a lesson from the FIG TREE. When its branches bud and its leaves begin to sprout, you know that summer is near. In the same way, when you see all these things, you can know his return is very near, right at the door." (Matt 24:32-33)

The proverbial Fig tree is the Nation of Israel (Jeremiah 24) which had withered in 70 AD but is now green and budding once again.

Mouth a loud Hallelujah for the God of regeneration. In my next message let's focus on other areas where the good Lord can bring about regeneration.

Prayer: Father, this miracle of Thee regenerating Israel is seen right in front of our own eyes. We ascribe glory to Thy name and believe you would regenerate us in "barren and dry" areas of our lives. In Jesus' Name. Amen

Suresh Manoharan
J and SM Ministries. 
 
Announcement:

Looking for practical solutions to everyday problems?  Join us on Saturdays in January for The Nehemiah Solution!  A Mini-series on the book of Nehemiah, by Lyn Chaffart
©Copyright 2011 Answers2Prayer | Matt 10:8 "Freely you have received, freely give."

Welcome to the Nugget
January 14, 2014
Fireflies in the Moonlight

By Answers2Prayer 

It was the so called "Super Moon" evening the other night. That is when the moon is at its closest and brightest point. I decided to take a break from the book I was reading and go out to gaze upon it for awhile. A gentle rain was falling as I stepped out into my yard and looked up at the sky. At first I thought the rain clouds would ruin my view, but it wasn't long before they parted right where the giant moon was resting in the sky. It was so beautiful to see. The bright, shining face of the man in the moon smiled down on me while the golden light from it lit up the sky. I stood there for a long time soaking up the sight and barely noticed the cold raindrops bouncing off my balding head.

When I finally took my eyes off the sky, though, I saw something else shining in the night. Dozens of little fireflies were blinking their own lights on and off. It was so wonderful seeing my lightening bug buddies again. They had always made my Summer nights more lovely with their lights. Their little blinks were so tiny compared to the giant, glowing moon, yet they too made the dark, rainy night look a little brighter.

You know, sometimes I feel like one of those tiny fireflies trying to shine my light in this world. God's love and light are so powerful and complete that my own sharing seems unbelievably small in comparison. Yet, I know that if I don't shine my light and share my love that this world becomes a darker place. I know too that the brighter I blink and the more I love the more others will share their own loving light as well.

Don't let this sometimes dark world discourage you then. Shine your own light as brightly as you can. Invite others to shine theirs as well. Share your love with laughter and joy. Grow in oneness with God. And your soul will always dance like fireflies in the moonlight.

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

By Joseph J. Mazzella 

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FREEDOM FROM FEAR 

Fear of heights, fear of being alone, fear of pain, fear of close spaces, fear of death ... This world if riddled with paralyzing fear. This all important series will be tracing fear back to its roots, defining it, and providing tips for complete "Freedom From Fear!" Check it out at by clicking here!
©Copyright 2011 Answers2Prayer | Matt 10:8 "Freely you have received, freely give."

Welcome to the Nugge
January 11, 2014
The Nehemiah Solution, Part 2: The Need for Purity

By Answers2Prayer 
 
Last week, in The Nehemiah Solutions, Part 1, we saw that risk taking is not so risky when we're taking risks for God Work! And so Nehemiah returned to Jerusalem, but what he found there was more than a ruined city without a protective wall. He found that the people, who had only just been allowed to return to Jerusalem after 70 years of captivity, were not living the way they should. What will Nehemiah do, and how can his solution help us today? 

Wait. This was approximately 500 years before Jesus' death on the cross. Didn't Jesus die for all of our sins? And once we've accepted His gift of grace, we no longer need to worry about purity in our lives, for we can simply confess it as a sin, and we know Jesus will forgive us. Right? Surely Nehemiah's solution doesn't apply to those under the New Covenant...

I invite each of you to see how Nehemiah responds to this problem with purity, and then you can judge for yourselves if it still warrants our attention under the new covenant!

Nehemiah's trip to Jerusalem came about after the temple was rebuilt and the refugees had already settled in the land. But despite the fact that they were now growing crops and returning to their former lives, there was trouble: "And there was a great outcry of the people and their wives against their Jewish brethren." (Neh 5:1 NKJV) 

As you read through the next four verses, you begin to understand the reason for this outcry: 

"We, our sons, and our daughters are many; therefore let us get grain, that we may eat and live. We have mortgaged our lands and vineyards and houses, that we might buy grain because of the famine. We have borrowed money for the king’s tax on our lands and vineyards. Yet now our flesh is as the flesh of our brethren, our children as their children; and indeed we are forcing our sons and our daughters to be slaves, and some of our daughters have been brought into slavery. It is not in our power to redeem them, for other men have our lands and vineyards." (Neh 5:2-5, NKJV)

Caught up in the hardship of famine, the common people were forced to mortgage their lands. When this didn't give them enough money, they sold their children into slavery. But then they didn't have the means to redeem their children because their land, their livelihood, lay in the hands of others! 

Nehemiah's solution? 

Outrage! 

"And I became very angry when I heard their outcry and these words. Each of you is exacting usury from his brother!" (Neh 5:6-7, NKJV) Or as it is stated in The Message: "Each one of you is gouging his brother!" 

Now "gouging" one's neighbor or brother is not exactly the essence of the law, under either the old covenant or under the new! Taking advantage of those around us is just plain wrong, and Nehemiah's words confirm this: "What you are doing is not good!" (Neh 5:9)

Let's remember that the entire Babylonian captivity, the one the people were just being released from, was a result of wrong-doing in the land, a result of disobedience to God: "And the LORD God of their fathers sent warnings to them by His messengers, rising up early and sending them, because He had compassion on His people and on His dwelling place. But they mocked the messengers of God, despised His words, and scoffed at His prophets, until the wrath of the LORD arose against His people, till there was no remedy." (2Chr 36:15-16, NKJV) 

Thus we might surmise that Nehemiah's outrage was fueled by his desire to not repeat the sins of their fathers. To stay pure before God, and thus, prevent another exile. And this was likely an important part of his reasoning. But the reasons Nehemiah records for his outrage had nothing to do with preventing another exile! "Is there no fear of God left in you? Don't you care what the nations around here, our enemies, think of you?" (Neh 5:9, MSG)

Friends, Nehemiah was outraged because he was worried what others would think of Israel! 

And therein lies a powerful reason that we, who live under the New Covenant, should be concerned about purity: We should be concerned about what others around us think! If our lives are no different than theirs, wherein lies the motivation to know Christ? When we fail to demonstrate God's purity in our lives, we can stand in the way of those who might otherwise desire to know Him! We hinder ourselves from fulfilling the Great Commission! 

Is it for naught that Jesus taught: "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)? 

Yes, friends, we are covered by the blood of Jesus. Yes, this means that when we've accepted Jesus' forgiveness, every sin we ever committed or ever will commit is forgiven. But it does not give us license to live as we wish. Purity is still our goal. Not because we won't get to Heaven without it, but because without it, we may cause others to not make it there! 

Thank you, Nehemiah, for reminding us that the problem of impurity must not be overlooked. Thank you for teaching us that we must become just as outraged by impurity as he did! 

But wait. It's pretty easy to condemn others of wrong doing, but do we put our money where our mouths are? Nehemiah did. Join us next Saturday for The Nehemiah Solutions, Part 3: Leadership by Example. 

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:Regeneration is something we all desire for the New Year, and God is truly a God of regeneration!Join us on Thursdays in January for God of Regeneration!  A mini-series by Suresh Manoharan.

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

Welcome to the Nugget
January 9, 2014
God of Regeneration, Part 2
By Answers2Prayer 
 
Continuing with our series on "God of Regeneration," let's focus on yet another dimension to this subject...
Physical 

When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him. "No longer will you be called Abram; your name will be AbraHam, for I have made you a father of many Nations." (Genesis 17:5)

God also said to Abraham, "As for Sarai your wife, you are no longer to call her Sarai; her name will be SaraH." (Genesis 17:15)

From the case of individual Job, let's move onto a family. The one of Abram and Sarai. Well, the aged couple representing the "Biblical first family of Faith" had long given-up hope of becoming parents, so much so they had used debatable surrogacy to have a child thirteen years earlier (Genesis 16). Lo and behold suddenly at a grim period in their lives when all of vim, vigour and vitality had ebbed out of their ageing bodies, there comes a renewal (Genesis 17:16-17) of Divine promise made earlier (Genesis 15:4) that they would have a son. Quite justifiably Father Abraham being well aware of the effects of Father Time had had on his and his wife's body (all of 90 years old) initially laughed at the prospect of begetting a son at that age. However, he took the omnipotent God at His Word (for the word "impossible" does not figure in the Creator's dictionary). And the result? Boy, there were such metabolic, physical changes in the bodies of this aged couple that Grammy (of that age) Sarah acquires a new and glowing look which even modern-day rejuvenating beauty creams simply cannot bring about. Some time later, awed by her beauty a pagan King takes her into his harem and it is another story altogether that God delivers this Blessed Couple from this messy situation (Genesis 20). Shortly afterwards arrives Baby Issac (in Hebrew means Laughter) bringing joyous laughter in the lives of now youthful Abraham and Sarah. Talk of 30 year olds "living inside" 90 year old bodies...

Now for some semantic study of the Scriptures. Raise your hands those who know that "H" is an aspirate word (cannot pronounce it without inhaling revitalizing oxygen). Notice in the above-captioned Scripture portion the good Lord added "H" into the names of this epochal couple, so as to say, He was breathing new life into their bodies (a la Creation account of Adam -- See Genesis 2:7), which were well past the age of child-bearing.

Feeling down and out physically at the dawn of a New Year? Take heart, if EL-SHADDAI God (in Hebrew meaning of the word is ALMIGHTY -- Genesis 17:1) could regenerate the bodies of two nonagenarians, it wouldn't take him long to renew you physically too, once you look unto Him prayerfully seeking the same. In God's scheme of things, whenever it comes to recovering from physical, incurable, chronic ailments, it is always right to do our part (whatever is within our means) and leave the remainder to Him (2 Kings 20:7).

Prayer: Father, we uphold all the sick and the shut-ins, let your healing touch of regeneration be upon their bodies so that they recover and testify of Thy faithfulness. 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
January 7, 2014
Frontierland

By Answers2Prayer
 During my elementary school days I went on several field trips to what you might call a theme park called Frontierland which was in western North Carolina. It was a big fort that you could go inside to see how the pioneers and Indians lived.

The pioneers made forts to protect themselves against the enemy. They also had a real community where the people helped each other. It would be hard to defend a group of enemies by yourself so you had help from the others in the fort.

The psalmists wrote about a fortress a number of times:

"The poor can run to you because you are a fortress in times of trouble." (Psalm 9:9 CEV)

"The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold." (Psalm 18:2 NASB95)

"Incline Your ear to me, rescue me quickly; Be to me a rock of strength, A stronghold to save me. For You are my rock and my fortress; For Your name's sake You will lead me and guide me." (Psalm 31:2-3 NASB95)

"The LORD saves the godly; he is their fortress in times of trouble. The LORD helps them, rescuing them from the wicked. He saves them, and they find shelter in him." (Psalm 37:39-40 NLT)

"God is our mighty fortress, always ready to help in times of trouble." (Psalm 46:1 CEV)

Martin Luther was inspired by this last verse to write his famous hymn:

"A mighty fortress is our God,
A bulwark never failing;
Our helper He amid the flood
Of mortal ills prevailing;
For still our ancient foe
Doth seek to work us woe;
His craft and pow'r are great,
And armed with cruel hate,
On earth is not His equal"

God is a fortress for those who belong to Him. In Him we have protection from our enemies. In Him we have a community of believers to help each other so that we will not feel like we are facing life on our own. The pioneers would take in strangers who needed protection also. We need to reach out to others and let them know there is a fortress where they can be safe and become part of a real community that loves and cares for each other.

We don't have to build a Frontierland. As you live through Jesus Christ, you have an invisible fortress around you. Go invite others into the fort.

By Dean W. Masters
Owner of the The Master's List.
 
 Announcement:
Looking for practical solutions to everyday problems?  Join us on Saturdays in January for The Nehemiah Solution!  A Mini-series on the book of Nehemiah, by Lyn Chaffart
©Copyright 2011 Answers2Prayer | Matt 10:8 "Freely you have received, freely give."

Welcome to the Nugget
January 4, 2014
The Nehemiah Solution, Part 1: Risk Taking

By Answers2Prayer 
 
I love reading the book of Nehemiah. I find this man to be quite inspirational, someone who has a practical solution for the common problems even of today. This 6 part series, appearing on Saturdays beginning in January, will be taking a look at the practical solutions that Nehemiah has for us today. 

Today's lesson from Nehemiah? 

An important lesson on risk taking...

When it comes to risk taking, I am a bit double-minded. 

There are things I do, for example, that my husband is sure are full of risks. Unfortunately I don't see them as risky at all. Take mountain climbing, for example. My husband used to call me the "Mountain Goat" because of the fact that when I was out climbing -- rocks, mountains, whatever -- I never looked down! I just kept my mind on the climb! Oh, I knew there were slight risks in the sport, but I figure I just won't cross those lines! 

Then there are other things that I see as way too risky to even try. I wouldn't do anything, for example, to cross my boss. That would risk me losing my job! And I will walk on eggs around people known to have explosive tempers. My tendency is to compromise in order to avoid being the spark that causes the blow. Why take the risk of causing an eruption? 

And then, of course, there is God's work. Sometimes what God asks me to do isn't "risky" at all. It falls well within my comfort zone! Emailing people, for example. And praying for them. But when God asks me to open my mouth and speak openly of Him? Well, then I risk losing friendships, being labeled "the religious one", being rejected! Definitely not worth the risk!

Nehemiah to the rescue. 

Nehemiah was definitely a risk-taker. He wasn't afraid to do whatever needed to be done, and as a result, history remembers him as the one who rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem! 

Just what kind of risks did he take to do so? 

To understand this, we must first learn a little about Nehemiah. He was employed by the king of Persia, and he had what today would be known as "High Security Clearance"! Nehemiah was the king's cupbearer. This meant that his job was to taste the wine served to the king before the king drank it, to ensure that the wine hadn't been poisoned (See Neh 2:1)! 

Our story begins just days after Nehemiah receives word from a traveler, perhaps his own brother, from Jerusalem: "Hanani one of my brethren came with men from Judah..." (Neh 1:2 NKJV). The news was not good: "The survivors who are left from the captivity in the province are there in great distress and reproach. The wall of Jerusalem is also broken down, and its gates are burned with fire." (Neh 1:2-3, NKJV) 

This news immediately sent Nehemiah into a period of mourning, and he hadn't quite gotten over his sadness when it was time to go back to work! Nehemiah had to make a decision: Either he put his own sadness behind him and paint on the happy face he is supposed to wear in the king's presence, or he takes the risk of being fired by coming in looking sad!

Nehemiah took the risk: "Now I had never been sad in his presence before." (Neh 2:1, NKJV)

And God came through. The king took one look at Nehemiah and said, "Why is your face sad, since you are not sick? This is nothing but sorrow of heart." (Neh 2:2, NKJV)

Now Nehemiah took an even bigger risk. We know he knew it was a risk, because he became "dreadfully afraid" (Neh. 2:2b). But he did it! He told the king what was on his heart! 

The end result? Nehemiah was sent back to Jerusalem to repair the walls! He was given leave of absence from his post, he was given letters to the governors in the region, and he was given materials for the work (See Neh 2:7,8)!

But Nehemiah wasn't finished taking risks...

The Bible records that there was much opposition to the rebuilding of the walls, to the point that it is recorded: "So it was, from that time on, that half of my servants worked at construction, while the other half held the spears, the shields, the bows, and wore armor... Those who built on the wall, and those who carried burdens, loaded themselves so that with one hand they worked at construction, and with the other held a weapon. Every one of the builders had his sword girded at his side as he built." (Neh 4:16-18, NKJV). But Nehemiah was willing to take that risk, as long as it meant the wall was being rebuilt.

And even more, Nehemiah took the risk of death: "Sanballat and Geshem sent to me, saying, 'Come, let us meet together among the villages in the plain of Ono.' But they thought to do me harm." (Neh 6:2, NKJV). 

Why was Nehemiah willing to take so many risks? 

Because it was God's work, and he knew that God would protect him! 

Let's learn from Nehemiah, friends! Let's all become risk-takers! Not the kind that climb dangerous mountains, but the kind that rise up at the risk of personal loss to do the Lord's Work! 

Thank you, Nehemiah, for the important reminder that if it's God's work it's worth the risk! 

But Nehemiah's challenges were far from over. What does he do when he runs into the age-old problem...One that continues to plague us even today: Disobedience to God? Join us next Saturday to discover Nehemiah's practical response: The Nehemiah Solutions, Part 2: The Need for Purity! 

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: Regeneration is something we all desire for the New Year, and God is truly a God of regeneration! Join us on Thursdays in January for God of Regeneration!  A mini-series by Suresh Manoharan.

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

Welcome to the Nugget
January 2, 2014
God of Regeneration, Part 1
By Answers2Prayer 
 
First things first. What is the chief and highest end of man? Let the revered Christian Book namely the Westminster catechism give the answer. Man's chief and highest end is to glorify (worship) God, and fully to enjoy Him forever. When it comes to glorifying Him and fully enjoying Him, let it be said that the entire exercise ought to be "absolutely genuine emanating right from the innermost core of one's being (read spirit)". This would lead to the next question, how could the process of glorifying Him originate right from the depths of one's heart? It is only possible when a person is truly fascinated by His unique traits. Remember, worshipping God for What He is, is the highest form of worship, standing head and shoulders above other forms of worship, which come with strings attached, such as worshipping Him for the blessings He showers upon us. 

While on the subject, at this stage it would serve us well to look at the synonym of the word "Glorify", which is "Magnify". When, one magnifies Him, that is to say, when one keenly observes His Divine nature with a magnifying glass, as it were, the "spiritual explorer" (if you permit me to use this expression) in you is bound to come across several unique attributes of the Almighty, which would at once evoke awe, and in turn lead to spontaneous, heart-felt worship and praise. 

In this New Year's message series of five parts, containing five sub-headings punctuated with...what else... "Hallelujahs" (incidentally Hallel in Hebrew language means To praise and Yah means God), I would like to bring before my Nugget readership, one definite attribute in the Almighty, which at once fills me with a spirit of adoration: He is not only a Master of Creation, He is equally adept in the work of regeneration. Scripture stands as a testimony to the fact that He regenerates His people, Nation and even His Creation.

Financial

Down in the dumps financially as you stand at the threshold of a New Year? Gone broke in the Stock broking business? Now no one would have known better about financial upheavals than one Mr. Job, the resident of Uz (Job 1:13-22) who did not go broke gradually but lost it all in a the space of a few hours of a dreadful day. Worse was to follow. In this message I would stick to the collapse of "Job Corp", as it existed thousands of years back. What was its C.E.O's response? Let the Scripture take over...light shines through his spiritual maturity...

"...Then he fell to the ground in worship and said:'Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised.'" (Job 1:20-21 NLT)

Well, how did the Job story end? For the one who reposed his faith on the Almighty's goodness even at the time of severe provocation (Job 2:9 )...

"...the LORD restored his fortunes and gave him twice as much as he had before." (Job 42:10). Talk of Biblical boom-doom-boom trade cycle...

Surely for those of us, caught in financial troubles, the moral of Job's troubles comes booming: "cast all your burdens on Him". A breakthrough is just around the corner (1 Peter 5:7/10). God can breathe life into any "dead and buried" financial situation and quicken it up.

Prayer: Father, we pray for all those undergoing severe financial difficulties. We pray that you breathe life into those "dead financial situations" and quicken them up. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

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

Welcome to the Nugget
December 31, 2013
Driving Blind
By Answers2Prayer
I have a love/hate relationship with my GPS. Oh, it has its place, and there are times when I rely heavily on the thing. For the most part however, I prefer not to drive with it. It's forever choosing routes I wouldn't choose, and just when I need it the most, it can never find a signal, or the roads no longer match what is in the GPS's data base. 

But perhaps what I dislike the most about driving with a GPS is that I lose the sense of the "big picture." Having been blessed with a relatively good sense of direction, I usually feel the most comfortable when I've spent some time studying a real, paper map! The 
"map" on the GPS is too zoomed in, or if you zoom it out, it's too small to read! 

Needless to say, I don't always follow the advice of my GPS. If it seems to me that the thing is leading me astray, I feel very free to go my own way. And if the incessant, "You are no longer on the selected route;" and "As soon as possible, make a legal U-turn" messages get on my nerves, I simply turn off the volume. 

And this is exactly what I did during a recent trip to Pennsylvania. Frustrated by not being able to see the entire route the GPS had chosen, I was sure it was leading me astray. I felt free to do my own thing, and naturally, the inevitable happened: We got lost. It was with humility that I reprogrammed the GPS and turned up the volume. Within minutes we were back on the right track. 

As I thought about all of this, it occurred to me how driving with a GPS is much like our faith walk with God. When we walk with God we don't see the full picture either. Instead, we are often only given little snippets of the path we are currently trodding. And so often that path seems all wrong! Frustrated by our lack of "sight" and sure that we know "best," we often choose to go our own way. But just like my little adventure with the GPS in Pennsylvania ended up with us getting lost, this is a sure way to become "lost" in life! Unlike my GPS, which occasionally does lead me astray, God's path is always right, no matter how little of it I can see, and no matter how wrong it all seems! 

For hasn't God already promised this? "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight." (Proverbs 3:5-6)

Friends, 2014 is upon us. What will this New Year bring? 

We don't know the answer to this question, because God has only given us a little "snippet" of our path today. More than likely, however, this year will bring many good things; but it will also likely bring much that we would put in the category of "bad." More than likely, we will find ourselves asking how God could possibly be leading us down this particular path! 

In these moments that will arise throughout this New Year, let's all remember that although we are often only privilege to a tiny piece of the big picture as we go through life, this doesn't mean the things have gotten outside of God's control! We can look forward to the time when we will see the big picture, and we can be guaranteed that on that day, we will thank God for the path He allowed us to follow. As long as we are willing to "drive blind" as we follow our "Heavenly GPS" without question, we will praise God, for the "big picture" will be beautiful! 

Friends, the next time you are tempted to think that somehow your "heavenly GPS" has somehow gone very wrong, I invite you to listen to a song by Casting Crowns that speaks volumes to me. It's entitled "Already There", and you can access it on YouTube by clicking here.  Or if you prefer just to read the lyrics, you can find them here. Let this be a reminder to you that although you can't see the "big picture," God can, and He is directing your path!

Happy New Year! 

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:

Nehemiah. A practical man with practical solutions to everyday problems.  Even today's.  Join us on Saturdays in January for The Nehemiah Solution, a mini-series by Lyn Chaffart. 
©Copyright 2011 Answers2Prayer | Matt 10:8 "Freely you have received, freely give."

Welcome to the Nugget
December 28, 2013
An Old Pair of Shoes
By Answers2Prayer 
 
I woke up with a stiff and sore back this morning. This was not unusual since my back has given me problems for years now, but today no amount of stretching or moving would loosen it up. Still, I had 5 dogs waiting patiently by the door to go out for their morning walk, so I slowly bent down, put on their leases, and started to pull my shoes on. When I did, though, I saw that my shoes like my body were showing signs of wear. A split along the seam of a sole let me know that it wouldn't be too long before I would have to replace this pair. I only wished I could replace my back along with them.

Later after walking the dogs, watching the sunrise, eating breakfast, and talking with God I was feeling a lot better on the inside. My back pain had faded too and my smile had returned.

It was then that I remembered a letter a friend had sent me recently. Inside of it she had pasted a delightful picture of an old, worn-out pair of work boots sitting on the ground by a porch. Their leather was cracked, their soles were spilt, and their laces were worn, but they still looked great because inside of them someone had planted a beautiful bunch of Impatiens. The flowers had grown tall and strong in spite of their curious container. This picture reminded me again that while my body may feel like a worn out pair of shoes at times, inside of it was a soul that continued to grow everyday in love, joy, peace, happiness, goodness, and oneness with God.

At some point in your life you need to decide who you really are. Are you the body that grows older everyday or are you the soul within it that remains forever young? One day the loving spirit within you will have to step out of its worn out pair of shoes and walk on without them. May it walk lightly along the path of love until it reaches its Heavenly Home. And may it bless everyone it meets along the way.

Joe Mazzella 
Announcement:

The New Year is nearly upon us, and it's time for a little Regeneration!  Join us on Thursdays in January for The Regeneration!  A mini-series by Suresh Manoharan.
©Copyright 2011 Answers2Prayer | Matt 10:8 "Freely you have received, freely give."

Welcome to the Nugget
December 26, 2013
It's Little, but Guess What?
By Answers2Prayer 
 
"Let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think." (Romans 12:2) 

"Capture.. rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ." (2 Corinthians10:5) 

"Get it!" I squealed from the back room. My husband came in, glanced at the insect, and said, "You want me to get that? It's so little!"

Yes, it was little, but guess what? It would grow, and when it did then I would have to deal with it big.

The saying 'my mind is out to get me' can be so very true at times. When there is a small not-good-thing in my head it's best to nip it in the bud, otherwise...guess what? It grows, too. Yup, it would grow, and somewhere down the road I would have to deal with it big.

Many times I don't even notice when I am harboring a judgmental attitude or holding onto an offense. It takes the Holy Spirit to get my attention and say basically, "Hey, don't let this tiny seed fester in you! 'Cause guess what? The enemy of our souls will in time help it balloon up."

I surely don't want an offense, that I'm holding onto, to grow into a root of bitterness. The bug episode was a little reminder to me about how I need to watch myself and: 1) make sure that small things, like irritations and grudges, get taken care of while they're small; 2) put on my spiritual armor (Eph 6:11-18) daily; and 3) every single morning make the decision to love and forgive.

Inspirational Messages, Sally I. Kennedy 2013 

Announcement:
Looking for practical solutions to everyday problems?  Join us on Saturdays in January for The Nehemiah Solution!  A Mini-series on the book of Nehemiah, by Lyn Chaffart
©Copyright 2011 Answers2Prayer | Matt 10:8 "Freely you have received, freely give."

Welcome to the Nugget
December 24, 2013
The Greatest Gift, Part 3: The Gift that Keeps on Giving
bible
By Answers2Prayer 
One year, about four years ago, my boys and I planned a very special gift for my husband. It was meant to be a gift that he would never, ever forget, one that would be a "giving" gift. We choose a beautiful Ragdoll kitten. My husband dubbed her "Roxy", and she has been a part of our family ever since, ever giving joy to our family. 

This Christmas, we've been discussing the fact that Jesus is the greatest of Gifts. He is the "giving gift", for His gift lasts for eternity, but even better, His gift is a gift that just keeps on giving! Let's take a look at some of the "fringe" benefits of Jesus' Christmas gift to mankind: 

1. Freedom: "The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, Because the LORD has anointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound..." (Isa 61:1, NKJV)

2. Protection: "The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer" (Ps 18:2a)

3. Strength: "My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold." (Ps 18:2b, NKJV)

4. Help: "Our soul waits for the LORD; He is our help and our shield." (Ps 33:20, NKJV)

5. "Sons of God": "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God." (Rom 8:14, NKJV)

6. "Enthroned with Him": "...even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus..." (Eph 2:5-6, NKJV)

7. Peace: "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." (John 14:27, NKJV)

And the list could go on and on! Far beyond the little "benefits" of joy that Roxy brings to our home! 

But I must admit that Roxy doesn't always bring joy in exactly the way we want her to. She is playful and active, not at all cuddly, and she most definitely has a mind of her own. If it isn't her idea, then it isn't a good one, and even if it is her idea, then it is only a good one for about 3 minutes before another "good idea" occurs to her. 

In much the same way, Jesus doesn't say that He will always give His children what they want in life. In fact, He promises that we will go through troubled times: "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation..." (John 16:33a). 
You see, Jesus doesn't promise prosperity. He doesn't promise good health or steady, reliable employment. Instead, He promises to carry us through these troubled times: "but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." (John 16:33, NKJV). He promises that: "...all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose." (Rom 8:28).

But why, we may ask, would a such a giving gift choose to "give" us troubled times? 

Let's take one more look at our cat, Roxy. Though she isn't cuddly, she makes us smile, and she brightens our day with her antics. Take Christmas time, for example. Roxy loves the presents under the Christmas tree. I have had to rebow all of them, and rewrap many as well! She thinks those little ribbons and bows were put there for her personal enjoyment, and enjoy them she does! 

To Roxy, Christmas is a time when the entire house became full of "cat toys". Lots of fun little balls hanging from a tree, candy canes to swat at, boughs to chew on and chase. And though part of me would really like for the house to stay decorated and the packages to stay wrapped, it is so much fun to watch her that she is readily forgiven for her "misunderstanding" of Christmas and its decorations. If something were to ever happen to her, I would truly miss her "badness" at Christmas time! I truly wouldn't have it any other way!

It is much the same with the "undesirable things" that Jesus allows us to go through in life. They are there to bring us greater joy than we could ever imagine.

Let's look at Romans 8:29: "For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren." (Rom 8:29, NKJV). 

Thus it can be said that these "less-desirable" gifts are given to us for the greater good, that we may indeed be more and more able to accept the full benefits of salvation, that we may be "conformed to the image" of Jesus! 

And isn't this the best gift of all? 

Friends, Jesus is the ultimate gift, the gift that lasts for eternity, AND the gift that just keeps on giving. But just like any gift must be received, Jesus' gift must be received in order to enjoy its benefits. Why not receive it today, my friends? If you've never asked Jesus into your heart, please email me. I would be more than happy to help you receive the Greatest of all Gifts for yourself! 

The is the last part of The Greatest Gift. If you have missed any of this three-part series, please find them published online by clicking here, or if you have trouble accessing them online, please email me here, and I will send them to you. May God bless you abundantly this Christmas as you continue to enjoy the "Giving Gift" that just keeps on giving! The gift of Jesus!

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:

Merry Christmas to each and everyone of you!  May God bless you abundantly as you celebrate His birth! 
©Copyright 2011 Answers2Prayer | Matt 10:8 "Freely you have received, freely give."

Welcome to the Nugget
December 21, 2013
The Greatest Gift, Part 2: The Giving Gift

By Answers2Prayer
When I was a kid, I am ashamed to say that I wasn't a very good gift receiver. When I saw the Christmas gifts under the tree, and I would become so curious as to what was in those packages and bags! Would it be the Barbie doll I had asked for? Or what about the boots? Would I receive the book I had been eying?

My curiosity got so bad that I would often pick up the packages and shake them, and one year I couldn't stop myself from unwrapping them. My parents weren't home, so I carefully pulled off the tape and unfolded the paper, just enough to peek inside! And then I carefully rewrapped the packages, retaping them shut, and put them back in their exact location under the tree.

Do you want to know the most amazing part? I was never found out! When as an adult I "confessed" to my mother what I had done as a child, she couldn't have been more surprised!

But somehow, just knowing what was under the tree didn't bring me the sense of satisfaction that I had hoped it would. Instead, it left me feeling somehow "cheated."

Why? After all, it was exactly the gifts I had asked for.

When I read the coveted book, however, it was never as good as I had anticipated. The boots were nice, but I quickly outgrew them. And the Barbie, as pretty as she was, wasn't real.

So what was wrong? I had the most beautiful gifts. Why wasn't I satisfied?

Friends, it is because these gifts were all one-time gifts! Even at that young of an age, before I met Jesus as my Lord and Savior, I realized that earthly gifts are only temporary. My heart yearned for something more, something that my well-meaning, loving parents could never purchase, wrap, or put under a Christmas Tree.

It was only when I met Jesus and made Him Lord and Savior of my life that I began to understand what was wrong with the gifts under the Christmas tree. When Jesus became man and came to dwell among us, He did so to give us the gift of eternal Salvation. It isn't a one-time gift: it is a gift that lasts forever!

There is a famous children's story that is called "The Giving Tree." In the story, the tree gives to his special boy for its entire life. First it gives fruit. Then it gives a place to hide and play. Then, as the boy gets older, it gives its trunk for carving and its shade from the cruel sun. Then when the boy has no money, the tree gives of its wood so that the boy might sell it. And finally, the "Giving Tree" is nothing more than a stump. But it still hasn't stopped giving. It continues to offer itself freely to his special boy, now a man, as a place to sit, as a listening ear.

It is a beautiful story, and what a beautiful description of the way Jesus gives and gives and gives. There is just one thing wrong with this illustration: The poor tree gave of itself so much, that in the end, there was nothing left for the tree to give. But Jesus' Christmas gift for us, the gift of Salvation, will never, ever stop giving. It just keeps on pouring down forgiveness, it just keeps on pumping out Salvation, for eternity. It is truly the "Giving Gift!" In fact, it can be said that it is the gift that just keeps on giving!

"For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God..." (Eph 2:8, NET)

Please join us next ? for Part 3: The Gift that Keeps on Giving!
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:

Christmas carols abound around us. Are there any lessons we can learn from these familiar songs of Christmas? Check out the previously-published mini-series, Lessons From Christmas Carols and find out!
©Copyright 2011 Answers2Prayer | Matt 10:8 "Freely you have received, freely give."