Month: June 2015

Emergency Preparations – While You Wait

On By Ed AlgreenIn Preparation, Readiness, Ready, WarningLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (Contemporary English Version – 2 Peter 3:10-15): 10 The day of the Lord’s return will surprise us like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a loud noise, and the heat will melt the whole universe. Then the earth and everything on it will be seen for what they are. 11 Everything will be destroyed. So you should serve and honor God by the way you live. 12 You should look forward to the day when God judges everyone, and you should try to make it come soon. On that day the heavens will be destroyed by fire, and everything else will melt in the heat. 13 But God has promised us a new heaven and a new earth, where justice will rule. We are really looking forward to that! 14 My friends, while you are waiting, you should make certain that the Lord finds you pure, spotless, and living at peace.
15 Don’t forget that the Lord is patient because he wants people to be saved….

THOUGHTS: Friends, if we were to receive warnings today that a hurricane was approaching the coast of Florida, or perhaps in your case some other natural disaster approaching the area in which you live, don’t you know that everyone will be franticly buying food supplies to see them through a possible time of power outages, or perhaps buying hardware items to help protect earthly belongings? As I read this passage of scripture this morning, I believe God wanted me to share with you a similar warning that He spoke through His New Testament writer to us. For these verses offer warnings to us that our time here on earth is drawing to a close, as this old earth is dissolved away. You see, we are in a time of preparation at this time, for what we do with our time now will determine what happens to us when the events of verse 11 takes place. Note that there is a distinct difference between what happens in the warnings we receive today from meteorologists and what Peter declares in our captioned verses. In the latter, we see no doubt as to what will happen – it is a sure thing that we know in advance, and have time to prepare for its ultimate fruition. When natural disasters are predicted today, there are lists of items available to us that might help us to be better prepared for the impending effects of the disaster. God used a similar format through His servant Peter, and I have bolded the preparation actions that Peter gave to us. Here’s what we are told to do in preparation for the times that will come:

  • Search out Jesus and accept Him as Lord of your life – Yes, I know this is not verbalized in the verses above, but friend there is no way that any of the warnings will be real to you, nor would any of the bolded actions apply to you, if you are not a child of God. You will be the primary objective of Satan, as you are today, and your destination is already set – in the pits of Hell. These preparation items only apply to those who expect to see Jesus, because of firm decisions to accept Him while here on earth;
  • Serve and honor God in the way you live – The joy and peace that’s inside of you will be externalized through the things that you say or do;
  • Live in expectation and excitement about the Day of The Lord – the day of His return – the day He comes to take you with Him!
  • Live pure and spotless before God and at peace with your fellow man – in other words, live as Jesus exampled for us.

Don’t you know that these are items that should be placed prominently before us each day so that we might constantly work on our preparation list for that great and wonderful day? Can you say today, even so Lord Jesus, come today? You should be in that kind of state of readiness friend, because it could be today that He will return to take His bride away with Him! I would love to help you make sure that you are ready for the events referred to in this devotional, please read my ‘Footnote’ and feel free to contact me if there is anything that you would allow me to help you with.

PRAYER: Thank You for the warnings Heavenly Father. The information shared in these verses today are way more critical than any report we might receive from our meteorologists this season. Please help us to take our preparation time very seriously, and ready ourselves for that great day of happy reunion with You in heaven. Help us to be busy in firming up our preparation plans and stand in a state of readiness for Your soon return. What a day that will be when my Jesus I shall see, when I look upon His face…. This is an exciting day that Christians live in anticipation of! Lord, may we not disappoint You in any of the things we might say or do as we live our lives this side of heaven, for we know that our words and actions will reflect the one who controls us. I pray that all of my readers can say without a doubt that greater is He that is in us than He that is in this old sinful world! It’s You I live for, everyday oh God. Fill me with Your joy, love, hope and happiness. For I ask all this in the strong name of Jesus, AMEN!

 

FOOTNOTE: If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please speak with a local Bible Teaching pastor, or read through Biblical truths on How To Know Jesus, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com so that we can pray with you and give you help and or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Any words underlined above will indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to blogger.nuggetsfromgodsword.org and read more, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, Sebring, FL! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us!

Our Unshakable Devotion to God

On By Ed AlgreenIn Commitment, Dedication, Devotion, UnswervingLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (New Century Version – Daniel 3:28): 28 Then Nebuchadnezzar said, “Praise the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Their God has sent his angel and saved his servants from the fire! These three men trusted their God and refused to obey my command. They were willing to die rather than serve or worship any god other than their own.

THOUGHTS: From the subject, I hope that no one gets the impression that this faith of ours is automatic, or that because of our faith in God, all Christians are as devoted to, and stands firm in their faith like Daniel and his buddies did. Yes, we should all be that devoted to our God who sacrificed so much for us, but I believe that for many Christians, we stay way too long in the transitionary stage of releasing all of Satan’s pull on our lives, to a full and dedicated, unshakable faith in God. The reason I believe this is true, is because I don’t believe there are very many people today who, claim that they are ‘Christian’, will be willing to ‘take a bullet’ for their faith. I believe I am safe in going as far as to believe that most church goers are probably in ‘the same boat’, for often we attend church as a ‘status thing’, or as a way to please someone else who places pressure on us, rather than attending to return thanks, worship and learn from the preaching of the Almighty God through His earthly servants. Friends, just take a moment and meditate on the chosen verse very carefully. Notice how the same king who despised the god of Daniel and his friends, was totally changed and even broke out into worship and praise to their God, when he saw their faith in action? Let us remember, that there are no other Gods besides our Master and our King. Daniel was willing to go the distance with his God, even if it meant being burned to death in a fiery furnace. There is no indication of Daniel’s thoughts as he was thrown into the furnace, but I get the distinct impression that there was not a worry of any sort on the mind of Daniel for he knew, like other saints have declared in the Bible, that whether he lived or whether he died, blessed be the name of the Lord. He knew that if this was the time that God would declare him absent from this world, he would be welcomed into a new world in the presence of Jesus and His Almighty Father. A better world, prepared for all of God’s true followers! A bright future that we can all look forward to! The question for each one today is: are you dedicated enough in your walk with the Lord, that you are willing to risk everything – all worldly desires and pleasurers, to truly show Jesus, and this world, to whom your life is devoted, committed as you live in anticipation of His call to join Him at the Father’s feet soon? This type of devotion solidifies our relationship with God and has an awesome impact on those around us who might be watching to see if we are a sincere, truly dedicated child of God, or just another hypocritical, wishy-washy person who claims the title of ‘Christian’ when convenient, or needed? If you are doubtful as to where you stand friend, then it would benefit you to read my Footnote and sure things up with the Lord. In spite of all who you might fool about your relationship with the Lord, He knows the ‘real’ you and wants to help you be truly committed to Him today and until the day He calls you home to himself. Get ‘real’ with yourself friend, for God knows the ‘real’ you!

PRAYER: Father, I believe that there is nothing more disgusting in Your sight than to look at a self-serving, uncommitted, wishy-washy person who claims the name of Jesus for personal gain, rather than in total commitment to You and available for ministry in spreading Your love to all that they come into contact with. Lord, Daniel has shown us that being ‘real’ and standing firm in our commitment to You, will impact even the most challenging persons, as Your love is expressed through Your servants, encapsulates the sinner, and convinces them of Your perfect love, and Your unswerving desire to see them totally surrender themselves to You. Thank You for not giving up on us, but instead expressing unexplainable love towards us while we serve out our time here on this earth. Please use us as Your servants, Your agents of change, Your representatives, as we walk our talk each day. You are in control, so we totally surrender our self-will to You and ask for Your perfection in us as You guide, protect and use us. I ask all this in the precious name of Jesus, my Master, my King and soon coming Lord, AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please speak with a local Bible Teaching pastor, or read through Biblical truths on How To Know Jesus, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com so that we can pray with you and give you help and or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Any words underlined above will indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to blogger.nuggetsfromgodsword.org and read more, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, Sebring, FL! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us!

Acknowledge God In All Things

On By Ed AlgreenIn Honor, Humility, RespectLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (The Contemporary English Version – Daniel 2:26-30): 26 The king asked Daniel, “Can you tell me my dream and what it means?” 27 Daniel answered: Your Majesty, not even the smartest person in all the world can do what you are demanding. 7 But the God who rules from heaven can explain mysteries. And while you were sleeping, he showed you what will happen in the future. 30 However, you must realize that these mysteries weren’t explained to me because I am smarter than everyone else. Instead, it was done so that you would understand what you have seen.

THOUGHTS: Leading up to these verses, the king had declared that he would kill all ‘wise men’ (magicians and such), if they could not tell him his dream and give the interpretation of what the dream meant. Yet, even under these very demanding conditions, Daniel stood tall in acknowledging God as the answer to his (Daniel’s) prayers and he identified God as the one who really interpreted the king’s dream. Now, to many this may look like a brazen young man who insisted on smearing in the face of the king that his God, whom the king despised, was the supernatural answer to all of man’s questions and precarious positions that we find ourselves in. However, I believe that Daniel had no intentions of doing anything spitefully, but merely to acknowledge his King, his Master, his Lord, in all circumstances and to everyone, even if it may have led to persecution. I mean, the life of Daniel, and other such men who considered themselves ‘wise’ before the king, were literally on the verge of extinction, yet it seems like this had no impact on Daniel and the way that he responded to the king. I sincerely believe that Daniel would have responded this way if he was the greatest aid in the king’s court, or if he was brought from a dungeon prison to speak before the king. He acknowledged that his God was responsible for the answer given, and that it was given for His glory and ultimate design, and nothing at all for the glory or benefit of Daniel himself. Friends, God spoke very loudly to me in this passage today, for I was reminded that in all things we must give God preeminence, and honor, and glory, and to always endeavor to praise Him and give Him credit for all that is accomplished in and/or through us, for He is our Guide, our Deliverer, our Creator and answer to all of life’s circumstances. We are as clay in His hands, molded in every way by His might works, for His glory and the advancement of His kingdom. I am here to encourage all of God’s children to join me in humbling ourselves and praying, seeking God’s face and His ways in all things, and turn from our wicked and selfish ways and desires. I believe that it is only then that we will hear from heaven and see our land healed, forgiven and lifted up (2 Chronicles 7:14). This is something that we need personally, corporately as God’s church, and nationally as a hurting, struggling country that seems to be heading down a very ungodly path. Are you willing to be like Daniel today and give God His rightful position in your life? I would challenge you to do this friend. He wants us to stand in awe of Him and represent Him here on this earth, and our nation needs this, especially at this time in our history.

PRAYER: Dear God, we have strayed so far away from You and become so self-sufficient in our own destructive ways. Please forgive us, and in Your own miraculous way, direct our paths and humble us to our rightful position, where You might once again rule and reign over us individually, and as a nation. I sincerely believe that You must first of all impact the lives of Your children, and in turn impact our nation. I acknowledge that You don’t need us in order to impact our nation, but I believe that if our nation is convinced – like king Nebuchadnezzar was, that You are ruling and reigning in the lives of Your children, then they too will know without a doubt that they can surrender their lives to You and, in turn, the nation that they were assigned to rule/lead. We need You Heavenly Father, please forgive us, hear our prayers and heal our land. All these things are possible through Christ, so it is in His name that I plead, seek Your face and ask these petitions today, with thanksgiving, AMEN!

 

FOOTNOTE: If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please speak with a local Bible Teaching pastor, or read through Biblical truths on How To Know Jesus, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com so that we can pray with you and give you help and or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Any words underlined above will indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to nuggetsfromgodsword.org and read more, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, Sebring, FL! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us!

So That You Might Know

On By Ed AlgreenIn Bible Believing, Born Again, Eternal Life, EvangelismLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (Living Bible – 1 John 5:9-13): 9 We believe men who witness in our courts, and so surely we can believe whatever God declares. And God declares that Jesus is his Son. 10 All who believe this know in their hearts that it is true. If anyone doesn’t believe this, he is actually calling God a liar because he doesn’t believe what God has said about his Son. 11 And what is it that God has said? That he has given us eternal life and that this life is in his Son. 12 So whoever has God’s Son has life; whoever does not have his Son, does not have life. 13 I have written this to you who believe in the Son of God so that you may know you have eternal life.

THOUGHTS: Through our court systems, many are convicted of crimes because of the testimony of witnesses. Often unrelated parties will pass judgment on those witnesses wondering if what they testified to, could possibly be true. Yet men and women are convicted of crimes based on what the witnesses testified. I wonder if we would feel better about sentences if we knew without a shadow of a doubt that the witnesses were 100% correct in their testimony. Well, our scripture today talks about a witness that we can absolutely place our faith and trust in. For God Himself is bearing witness to His Son, Jesus, whom He sent into the world so that through Him we might have the assurance of our heavenly home in glory, when life as we know it today, comes to an end here on this earth. So the question for each of my readers today is: do you believe this witness (God)? If not, the scripture says that we are calling God a liar. If we do believe, the scripture declares that We Have A Hope, a promise, a very bright future to look forward to! John wrote this scripture so that we might know where we stand, and what our future holds, based on what we believe and accept today. How is it with you, friend? I can hardly believe that any of you would call God a liar, but have you truly accepted the truth that He has revealed to us in His Word? Based on this one fact only, will you know that heaven is your future home and that you will see Jesus face to face. Nothing else. Being good enough, or thinking that you are pleasing God will not do it. The Bible says that this precious gift of eternal life is for those who have humbled themselves, surrendered their life to the Son of God, invited Him to be their Savior, and committed to live life totally surrendered to Him alone. Please don’t ‘play’ with religion in hopes that it will save you from the pits of hell. What John iterates today is THE only way, based on the truth of God’s Word, and all other supporting scripture that leads to the same fact. Get it straight today friend, SO THAT YOU MAY KNOW! Please feel free to use the information in the Footnote to receive help towards this awesome decision.

PRAYER: Father, we humans purchase life insurance so that we might know that our surviving relatives would survive should we predecease them. I pray that my readers would accept Your Word and Your requirements about what would pave their way to heaven with You, so that they might know even today that their eternity is secured. Thank You for looking out for us, providing the means for us to one day be with You in glory, and for loving us enough to show us the way through Your saints who penned the words in Your Book – the Bible. May souls be touched by this word today and subsequently make things right in their lives, so that they might know what their future holds in store for them. What a comfort to know how to prepare for that very special reunion day with You! I praise You, honor You, and ask all this in the precious name of Your Son, Jesus Christ, AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please speak with a local Bible Teaching pastor, or read through Biblical truths on How To Know Jesus, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com so that we can pray with you and give you help and or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Any words underlined above will indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to nuggetsfromgodsword.org and read more, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, Sebring, FL! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us!

Faith Is The Victory!

On By Ed AlgreenIn Faith, Hope, Surrender, VictoryLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (The Contemporary English Version – 1 John 5:3-5): 3 We show our love for God by obeying his commandments, and they are not hard to follow. 4 Every child of God can defeat the world, and our faith is what gives us this victory. 5 No one can defeat the world without having faith in Jesus as the Son of God.

THOUGHTS: The subject probably sounds like a catchy Christian term that you’ve heard in an old hymn “Faith is the Victory“, plus you may have heard saints of God refer to this in sermons and/or Bible teaching. However, this phrase became alive to me this morning after being led to this passage of scripture immediately after reading Daniel 1, where I read about a determined young man named Daniel and three of his partners who, because of their faith in God, were determined to be obedient to God, in spite of what the king had dictated for them to eat and live by. Of course, in this very first chapter, by verse 15, 17 and 19 it was very evident that because of their faith and determination to be obedient to God, even under very challenging circumstances, He rewarded these young men with extraordinary health and wisdom in the eyes of the king. Friends, no matter what circumstances we face, and no matter what up-hill challenges we may see ahead of us, we must realize that God has a plan for His children. How many of us will consciously seek to do anything other than bless our children? How much more do you suppose that our heavenly Father seeks to do the same for us? Our part of the blessing is to place our faith and trust in Him, knowing that He is for us, and He will not harm us but instead seek to bless us in every way possible. Daniel was just one example of how God blessed His saints mentioned in the Bible. There are also many ‘Daniels’ around us here on earth that have been blessed of God through victories beyond anything man could explain. If you are His child, having invited Jesus into your life and committed yourself to Him in faith, then I firmly believe that You could very well be next in line for God’s rich blessings. However, it takes ‘FAITH‘ to defeat the evil one of this world and to overcome his effects on our lives (see verse 5). So the question is, my friend: do you believe on the King of all kings and Lord of all lords? If so, will you place your faith and trust in Him today so that He might have freedom to lift you up and set you on solid ground, above the evil dished out by this world? Like in the case of Daniel, He wants to be your God also friend, will you let Him!

PRAYER: Dear Father in Heaven, it sounds almost ludicrous for us to beg You for mercy and grace today, for You have shown through Your Word that if we have faith in You, and allow You control of our lives, we will be victorious. Daniel was just one example that we came across today in Your Word, I know of many saints who can be considered ‘Daniels’ for they too have been protected and delivered from the evil one and the setbacks of this evil world. Their faith have found them the necessary victory that only You can offer. Many of us reading this devotional are facing overwhelming challenges, yet we hold the key to the necessary power to help us be more than conquerors, for we have access to You in and through our faith. Please touch the heart of each one that might read this devotional today and who might have a need for Your mercy and Your precious grace. Please touch Your children once again today. For those whom You have directed to read this devotional today that have not surrendered their lives over to You yet, may they find yet another reason to seek You for salvation. I ask all this with a heart of thanksgiving, in the strong name of Jesus, my Savior and Lord, AMEN!

 

FOOTNOTE: If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please speak with a local Bible Teaching pastor, or read through Biblical truths on How To Know Jesus, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com so that we can pray with you and give you help and or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Any words underlined above will indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to nuggetsfromgodsword.org and read more, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, Sebring, FL! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us!

No Fear of The Day of Judgment

On By Ed AlgreenIn Day of Judgment, Faith, Hope, LoveLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (New Living Translation – 1 John 4:16-19): 16 ….God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. 17 And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the Day of Judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world. 18 Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love. 19 We love each other because he loved us first.

THOUGHTS: If we are faced with a court case, we will no doubt live in fear of the outcome, especially on the day that the Judge concludes the case and issues the sentence. If we are summoned to the boss’s office at work, our natural tendency is to well up in fear, as our first reaction is to question in our minds if we have done anything wrong. In our daily walk here on earth, whether we know Jesus personally or not, we live in hopes that our lives would not be in vain, but instead, a blessing to someone else. For those who have invited Jesus into their heart, we live each day praying that we would please God in the way that we live, in total harmony with Him, and in total obedience to all that He has commanded in His Word. John summarizes this for us in these verses today, by saying that we must live in love, for as we do, we will live in the image of God, who loved us sacrificially and unconditionally, in spite of who we were in character and entrenched in sin. When we make it our mission to live like Jesus taught us, our love becomes more perfect (more like the love expressed by Jesus, and expected by Him of us). And when this occurs, we live with a clear conscience and without fear of the Day of Judgment when we stand before Jesus. You see, ‘Judgment’ can result in one of two types of emotion for us: Gladness/happiness/joy as we are declared ‘not guilty of the crime, or sin; or sadness/disappointment/rejection/fear as we are found guilty of the crime, or sinful and without a Savior. So friends, we do have a choice – do nothing about your eternal salvation and be found guilty of sin – without a Savior – with the advanced knowledge that our sentence is eternity in Hell with Satan; OR we can say ‘Yes’ to Jesus, live in obedience to His Word, expressing love to all those we come into contact with and representing the King of all kings in everything we do and say – with a known sentence of eternity in Heaven with Jesus where we will worship and adore Him and His Father (God) forever and forever, amen!! The choice seems obvious to me, but my sole reason in sharing these devotionals each day is in hopes that Jesus will touch the heart of my readers so that you also might come to know Him intimately/personally and therefore live the rest of your life in Hope! In a state of constant celebration and in joyous anticipation of our Judgment Day when we stand for the King. Make it right friend, and make it today, while you are still able to.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, Your Word is very powerful! As You have touched my heart today and spoken to me through Your written Word, please also impact the lives of those that will be led to this devotional that I have shared under Your direction. May Your children be Your children – a splitting image of You in every way – especially in our love for others. However, there will be some who will read this who may be trying to live life on their own and love others as just the right humanly thing to do. Please tender their hearts today oh Lord and help them to see You – the originator of perfect love. May they realize that they too can become Your child if they choose to surrender themselves wholeheartedly to You. May this be the day of great decisions oh Lord, and may all glory be offered up to You for the great work that You will accomplish, because of Your Word being shared. I ask all this in perfect faith and in the name of Jesus, my Savior, AMEN!

 

FOOTNOTE: If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please speak with a local Bible Teaching pastor, or read through Biblical truths on How To Know Jesus, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com so that we can pray with you and give you help and or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Any words underlined above will indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to nuggetsfromgodsword.org and read more, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, Sebring, FL! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us!

Love – A Self-Evaluating Tool

On By Ed AlgreenIn DNA, Good works, Love, Unconditional loveLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (The Message – 1 John 4:8-11): 8–10 The person who refuses to love doesn’t know the first thing about God, because God is love—so you can’t know him if you don’t love. This is how God showed his love for us: God sent his only Son into the world so we might live through him. This is the kind of love we are talking about—not that we once upon a time loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to clear away our sins and the damage they’ve done to our relationship with God.11–12 My dear, dear friends, if God loved us like this, we certainly ought to love each other. No one has seen God, ever. But if we love one another, God dwells deeply within us, and his love becomes complete in us—perfect love!

THOUGHTS: Sometimes, people go to great extremes to determine, or prove who they are, or where they may have come from. I’ve especially heard of grown-up children having a DNA test done to help them determine who their father is, for they want to be identifiable with a birth mother and father. John laid out some tests that we could perform to help us identify to whom we belong, beyond the tests of physical parents and/or children, and this all evolves around one key characteristic – ‘LOVE’. He first demonstrates the true meaning of this word by showing us how much God loved/loves us. Imagine for a moment that you have just been told of God. One of the first things you may hear about is His amazing, unconditional love for you. But to take it one step further into the amazing explanation of God’s love is to learn about Him sacrificing His One and Only Son to die for us, so that we may have the means to eternal salvation with the God of this universe. Now, understand that at the time God did this, everyone in the world was underserving of this awesome love, as you might be at this time. Yet God did this out of pure love for us! So now, put that into perspective. Those who have accepted the gift of God (Jesus, His Son) – our directive is that we imitate His love as we interact with Him and/or others in this world. In your self-evaluation, how would you rate yourself when it comes to loving God in every circumstance of life – yes, through the good and challenging circumstances of life? What about in your relationship with others – yes, not just with those who think the world of you, but for those who make it very challenging for anyone to love them? The scripture indicates that God, and/or your contacts will know to whom you belong, based on your demonstration of God’s love. How do you suppose you are doing?

PRAYER: What Have I Done to Deserve God’s Only Son? Thanks be to God, that the love of God for undeserving folk such as I, is a key attribute of the amazing God that I serve. Please remind me of this love, oh Lord, because I tend to forget, especially when I try to imitate You in everything that I do here on this earth, like loving others that I come into contact with each day. Lord, may it be evident to whom I belong – especially when looking at the love that I demonstrate to others. Father, I believe that my readers might have similar needs today, because we see such a lack of love demonstrated by everyone. We need your power to help us be more like You dear Lord. Please touch us very powerfully today and prompt us towards love and good works in all that we say and do. May we be good representatives of You today. For I ask this in the loving name of Jesus, AMEN!

 

FOOTNOTE: If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please speak with a local Bible Teaching pastor, or read through Biblical truths on How To Know Jesus, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com so that we can pray with you and give you help and or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Any words underlined above will indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to nuggetsfromgodsword.org and read more, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, Sebring, FL! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us!

How To Know If From God

On By Ed AlgreenIn Discern Truth, Unconditional commitmentLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (New Century Version – 1 John 4:4-6): 4 My dear children, you belong to God and have defeated them; because God’s Spirit, who is in you, is greater than the devil, who is in the world. 5 And they belong to the world, so what they say is from the world, and the world listens to them. 6 But we belong to God, and those who know God listen to us. But those who are not from God do not listen to us. That is how we know the Spirit that is true and the spirit that is false.

THOUGHTS: John noticed that some of the people listen to him, and to what God had directed him to say, while others had no interest in him and his workers. He wanted Christians to learn from this, because ordinarily they would be faced with similar challenges. I believe that this was strategically placed in the Word of God so that we today will also know how to discern if folk that come to teach us, or preach to us, actually come from God, or if they are after their own selfish desires and more interested in spreading the misery and hatred of the Devil. Friends, there are other places in the Bible that we are told that not everyone who says that they come in the name of the Lord, are actually as they say. Satan will use every attempt to distract Christians, especially ‘weak’ Christians. Please don’t judge me for calling some ‘weak’, but when we are doing only the very minimum to, supposedly, be included in the ‘God crowd’, in other words we may walk forward at the end of a church service and please our mom, or our friend by saying ‘yes’ to Jesus, but our lives reflects no change, and our walk continues along the same path that we have always walked, then God might question you, as to whom do you belong. When we think no more of our ‘Christianity’ than to visit church a few times each year, and our study of God’s Word is limited only to what we do in Bible School or what we hear from the pulpit, then I’m afraid to break the bad news to you, but you will become fertile ground for false prophets, for you will believe anything and anyone, because you are not used to discerning truth, or leaning on the Holy Spirit that God makes available to us. Friends, for those who know Jesus intimately and have a desire to follow His ways and His commands, we are truly a blessed people and we have the Holy Spirit deep within us to prompt us unto all truth and point us towards the Author of all things. We have an advocate friend, and His name is Jesus! Do you enjoy a personal relationship with Him today, or do you just know of Jesus from a distance? Don’t just say, or think that you know Jesus, but love Him enough to study His Word; obey His commands and serve Him unconditionally. Greater is He that is in us, than he that is in the world! We can do ALL things through Jesus, our Savior, our Lord, our Redeemer, our Comforter and our Deliverer. We’re His children and He is the ultimate Father. Don’t be a stranger to Him. Commit wholeheartedly to Him and obey Him unconditionally!

PRAYER: Father, we are committed to serving You, the only true God. Many will continue to come ‘in your name’ but will not be of You. Please keep us faithful only unto You so that we might discern ungodliness and false prophets. For we want to be pure, holy and righteous as Your children, and in our witness of You. Please protect us from the evil one and his worldly partners who may go as far as claiming You as their leader in order to distract Your children from their walk with You. May we always be reminded that greater by far is He who is in us, than he that is in this world. Get thee behind me Satan. Fill me with all truth and wisdom from above dear Jesus so that I might know You intimately, and discern the way that I should go every day. May I represent You well and in all ways. Bless my readers today with this same power from above so that Your army might be alive and well. I ask these things in the powerful, strong name of Jesus, AMEN!

 

FOOTNOTE: If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please speak with a local Bible Teaching pastor, or read through Biblical truths on How To Know Jesus, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com so that we can pray with you and give you help and or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Any words underlined above will indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to nuggetsfromgodsword.org and read more, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, Sebring, FL! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us!

Let Faith Direct Our Lives

On By Ed AlgreenIn Confidence, Faith, TrustLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE: Since we are surrounded by so many examples ⌊of faith⌋, we must get rid of everything that slows us down, especially sin that distracts us. We must run the race that lies ahead of us and never give up. We must focus on Jesus, the source and goal of our faith….. (‭Hebrews‬ ‭12‬:‭1-2‬ GW) 

THOUGHTS: I believe that these verses are telling us that faith is a tried and proven characteristic that we can build our lives on, in confidence. Often when we are dare try something new, we may have to go on faith believing on the everlasting God to direct our path and take care of us through various circumstances. That kind of faith is supported by a believer’s first-hand experience with the Father. The faith referred to here in our scripture today is a proven faith by our ancestors, and is one that we could bank on, or depend on, or confidently follow. As parents, and based on our experiences, we give lots of advice to our children, and we demonstrate life principles before them that they can follow, or at least take note of. This is the type faith demonstrated by those who have gone on before us. Think about Moses when he ran out of desert and only had the Red Sea ahead of him. He was leading thousands of people who were still doubtful of His leadership. He was under a lot of pressure to keep them safe, but through His faith in the God who first freed him and his people from slavery in Egypt, in continued faith, he followed God’s instructions and saw the miracle of the waters parting to make possible what man thought was impossible. This is just one example of what faith can do friends! However, we have access to the same strong hand of the same God who miraculously parted the Red Sea, knowing that He is as powerful today as He has ever been, and He is as effective in our ‘mountains/problems/challenges/’ as He has ever been in the past. For those of us who have a personal relationship with this awesome God, we know that we must simple surrender to the mighty works of His hand, and in faith, stand by to watch Him perform His mighty works. For my readers who may not know about this faith of which I speak, may I encourage you to read my Footnote for help on how to know my Friend, my Savior, in a personal and intimate way. It is only then that you will receive power to have the kind of faith of which I speak – one that You will then be willing to place your trust and obedience in. It’s your move friend. What will you do with Jesus?

PRAYER: Thank You for Your all-powerful hand dear Father. Thank You for loving me enough to welcome me into your family, and for giving me faith to believe in You and follow Your will and Your way for my life. Lord, You are well aware of the major challenges that face this audience today, and in the minds of many, these problems may seem larger than the challenge that Moses faced at the Red Sea. However, I am confident that Your promise to never leave us alone, and to meet our needs are as relevant today as when You first declared it in Your Word. Father, there is nothing in this world that can comfort us and give us confidence about our future, but I know who holds the future and who holds my hand through every circumstance of life, so I renew my faith in You and look forward to all that You will do in my life for Your ultimate glory! Please touch every reader of this devotional today and reassure them of Your power and the confidence that is theirs as they trust wholeheartedly in You. I ask all this in the all powerful name of Jesus, my Savior and my King, in faith, AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please speak with a local Bible Teaching pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com so that we can pray with you and give you help and or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Any words underlined above will indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to http://www.nuggetsfromgodsword.org and read more, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, Sebring, FL! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us!

Evidence Of Whose We Are

On By Ed AlgreenIn Believers, Honesty, Righteousness, SinLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (New Living Translation – 1 John 3:9-10): 9 Those who have been born into God’s family do not make a practice of sinning, because God’s life is in them. So they can’t keep on sinning, because they are children of God. 10 So now we can tell who are children of God and who are children of the devil. Anyone who does not live righteously and does not love other believers does not belong to God.

THOUGHTS: I remember at one point in my life I was at a gas station pumping gas, when suddenly someone called me by my dad’s name. My head quickly popped up to see who knew my family. Apparently there was enough facial resemblance, or actions, to remind the person of something he had seen in my dad! I find it exciting when I walk away from a sales clerk knowing that they must be a brother or sister, because their actions, their concern, their unselfish care for me as a customer, were all indicators that they must share the same faith that I do, and have the same Father that I have learned about over the years from His handbook, the Bible. Friends there are a few tests in these verses today that I would encourage you to use as a self-examination tool:

  1. Do not make a practice of sinning – When we invite Jesus into our hearts and lives as our Savior and Lord, not only does He forgive us of our sin, but He shows us a new way to live – like Him. Through His example, we are guided and encouraged to live holy lives, even as He is holy. To depend on the power within (the Holy Spirit) to prevent us from performing the same sin that we may have committed without thought, prior to our conversion;
  2. Do not keep on sinning – Very similar to the above, but the difference is that once we have been prompted by the Holy Spirit to stop doing something that He considers sin, we are to make every effort to not repeat that sin. We must not let it rule us. God’s Holy Spirit cannot reside where sin abides!
  3. Live righteously – Live our lives ‘right with God’. We are shown throughout the Bible what God expects of us – what is right and what is wrong. With the awesome power of the Holy Spirit, we are to live our lives ‘right with God’!
  4. Love other believers – We are to live life expressing our love and concern for each other, even if they don’t love us back, or show any appreciation for what we do for them. Sadly there is a saying that “Christians in particular, tend to shoot their wounded”. We are taught in this scripture that when the world sees us loving each other, they will know that we are different and controlled by a greater power. Selfishness and Satan-led malice, jealousy or envy will eat up our desire to love like Jesus did. The power of the Holy Spirit within us will help us to love even those who despitefully use us.

Friends, living like I described above will help us to internalize whether we truly did commit to accepting, loving, serving and practicing the love of God. It will also help confirm to the world that we are who we say we are. However, please remember that God knows our heart, so He knows whether we honestly dedicated our lives to Him. I believe He is ashamed when we act up, but our outward actions only influences the world, they’re not needed to prove anything to God.

PRAYER: Dear God, please help us to be a people who acts, responds and loves like the people we say we are. ‘Hypocritical’ is a word often used when we don’t. Furthermore, folk tend to mistrust us when they feel we are hypocritical, and this destroys our possibility to honestly witness to them. Please help us to live consistent, open lives that will represent You well. Beginning with me Lord, may Your children rededicate themselves to being transparent to those that we come into contact with. May they see Jesus in and through our words and actions so that they may be influenced to follow You, and so that Your kingdom might be glorified even now, here on this earth. Your love is amazing, and Your rich blessings are beyond compare, and more than anything that we can imagine. Please forgive us for the times we fail, and grant us strength and a quick rebound so that we might get back on track without causing damage to our witness of You. I need You every hour of every day, please continue to work on me oh Lord, so that I might be all that You need me to be for the ministry/witness You have in store for me. Bless my readers today with similar grace, so that You may be lifted up more than ever before, for I ask all this in the precious name of Jesus, my Lord, AMEN!

 

FOOTNOTE: If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please speak with a local Bible Teaching pastor, or read through Biblical truths on How To Know Jesus, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com so that we can pray with you and give you help and or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Any words underlined above will indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to nuggetsfromgodsword.org and read more, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, Sebring, FL! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us!