Month: October 2015

Have You Washed?

On By Ed AlgreenIn Cleansing, Transformed, WorthyLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (The New Living Translation – Exodus 30:17-21): 17 Then the Lord said to Moses, 18 “Make a bronze washbasin with a bronze stand. Place it between the Tabernacle and the altar, and fill it with water. 19 Aaron and his sons will wash their hands and feet there. 20 They must wash with water whenever they go into the Tabernacle to appear before the Lord and when they approach the altar to burn up their special gifts to the Lord—or they will die! 21 They must always wash their hands and feet, or they will die.

THOUGHTS: Most of us are diligent about making ourselves presentable in certain places and in select circumstances. As an example, it would not be impressive for one to come for an office job interview straight from working in the yard – filled with sweat and dirt. Growing up, I remember my mom settling into her seat at church, where her first course of action would be to bow her head and pray. I believe that was a prayer of preparation for her in asking God to take away the distractions; forgive her of her sin; and make her worthy to come before Him in worship and adoration. God showed early saints that cleansing themselves before coming into His presence was important, just as He demonstrated in the actions taught in these verses highlighted today. In verse 20 God said that He would strike dead Aaron and/or his sons who may have disobeyed His command to cleanse themselves physically before entering His presence. Earlier in this chapter we are told that Moses ‘burned with anger’ when he saw how his people had turned back to their life of sin so quickly during his absence. I can only imagine how God must burn with anger and disappointment when His children, who claim Him as Lord, enters His house (church) to praise Him but drenched in the sin of our weekly encounters. The unfortunate thing that I believe we must be careful of, is that after our first visit in such a condition, we tend to become hardened to our sinful attitudes; our rude and disrespectful encounters; our disregard for God and/or His Word during the week; and therefore lose the guilt of needing to seek cleansing from God before we seek an audience with Him. Friends, we must be very careful to not make a mockery of God. He is still the Creator of this entire universe and of you and I. He is the same God that sent His Son to us as our ultimate Redeemer, Savior and Lord. He is sin-less and deserves our humility, love and respect so that we approach Him in similar form as He demanded of Aaron and his sons in verse 21 – always clean. The consequence for us could easily be as severe as God threatened Aaron – death. In the New Testament we are warned that some who have taken the Lord’s Supper unworthily have even died. Friends, we must be reminded that we fool no one but ourselves when we deliberately sin in the face of God. There is no need to pretend we are worthy of His praise, when we are saturated in sin. God knows us better than we know ourselves, so we can’t fool Him. Let us therefore humbly bow before Him and ask for His cleansing on a daily basis. Perhaps then we might be more pleasing to Him, and better represent Him to the lost of this world.

PRAYER: Lord, You alone are holy, and we are not. Please help us to acknowledge that, and to always seek Your forgiveness and Your cleansing, for we have learned from this lesson today that You deserve a clean heart from upright people. Please help us to always be conscious of our filth – our sin, and to stay so in tuned with You and Your Word that our sin will be highlighted for us, so that we might be aware of our need for You. Please be very evident in our lives today so that we may enter Your courts with praise and so that we may be worthy of representing You before those within our realm of influence. Please touch the lives of those that need to hear this word today so that they may become more effective witnesses for You in every aspect of their lives. I ask these things in the worthy and all powerful 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 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!

How to Avoid Relapses

On By Ed AlgreenIn Cleansing, Healing, Persistence, SinLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (The New Living Translation – John 5:11-14): 11 But he replied, “The man who healed me told me, ‘Pick up your mat and walk.’ ” 12 “Who said such a thing as that?” they demanded. 13 The man didn’t know, for Jesus had disappeared into the crowd. 14 But afterward Jesus found him in the Temple and told him, “Now you are well; so stop sinning, or something even worse may happen to you.”

THOUGHTS: The casual reader of this passage of scripture might cringe at the thought that Jesus would threaten the healed man that if he didn’t ‘stand up and fly right’ that something worse would come to him. The way that God spoke to me in this is that I was once healed from the awful disease of sin. However, if I keep playing with sin and giving in to temptation, then I will quickly relapse back into the world of sinful things. Often when this happens, the individual will sink deeper into sin than they ever were before. I feel compelled to challenge myself and my readers with this question: Who in their right minds would want to stand idly by and see a relapse of a decease such as cancer or aids (for example) and not want to do everything possible to hinder the relapse? Often a relapse will result into a deepening of the decease and could often lead to death, unless the individual takes the situation in hand and makes every effort to once again contain the decease. In the case of the man in this Bible story, he had been sick for almost 40 years. Although Jesus knew his need, he asked him what kind of help he needed. Jesus healed him of the effects of sin on his life, but He wanted to make sure that the man’s heart was right, so that his life would not become re-infected again. I believe it is evident from this story that doctors may treat us, and Jesus could even cure us of our deceases, but unless we do our part in obeying the same command Jesus gave to the man who was healed in this story, then we are subject to seeing even worse things happen to us. Let us therefore invite Jesus into our hearts and lives, so that by His power, we might be overcomers of sin. Perhaps then we might be healthy enough to actually help those who were once in ‘our shoe’, impacted by sin and seeing no hope of a cure to this world’s burden of sin and its effects on their lives.

PRAYER: ‘Jesus Messiah, name above all name, blessed Redeemer, Emanuel, the rescue for sinners…‘ Thank You Lord for rescuing me from my sin. Thank You for touching the lives of many who will read this devotional today in a very similar way. Thank You for caring about those who are careless and have no desire to invite You into their lives. May this be a day that each reader may examine themselves closely. May they be made aware of the impact of sin on their lives, and may they develop a desire to allow You into their lives and help them overcome the sin and temptations that this old world will quickly impose upon them. Lord, may eyes be opened today as to the effects of sin and the overwhelming impact that it has on our lives. May this prompt us to draw close to You, the only One with power to help us be overcomers. None of us would opt to live a life of sin, or return to a life of sin that we had recovered from. Please fill us with so much of Yourself that Your thoughts might become our thoughts, may Your desire for the lost of this world be our burden so that we might dedicate ourselves to drawing all men unto You. In appreciation, love and concern for my spiritual welfare and that of my readers, I ask all this in the powerful and strong name of Jesus, 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 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!

Faith That Leads to Obedience

On By Ed AlgreenIn Faith, Humility, Obedience, SubmissionLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (The Contemporary English Version – John 4:47-50): 47 ..when the man heard that Jesus had come from Judea, he went and begged him to keep his son from dying. 48 Jesus told the official, “You won’t have faith unless you see miracles and wonders!” 49 The man replied, “Lord, please come before my son dies!” 50 Jesus then said, “Your son will live. Go on home to him.” The man believed Jesus and started back home.

THOUGHTS: There are several things about this story that caught my attention:

  • Reputation: Notice that the official had heard about Jesus and His mighty works in the past, otherwise why would it have mattered if he heard that Jesus was coming to his town? People are burdened with needs today. Have they heard enough about Jesus and His mighty works in our churches and our families that they would become as determined as the official to take their concerns to Jesus? Is this our first stop – to take our deepest needs and concerns to Jesus?
  • Need: The official recognized a need that existed in his family, and he wanted to have it resolved. I believe that when we glorify God for all the good that He does every day, then we will automatically turn to Him in our needs also. Furthermore, I believe it is vital that we redirect our attention from the small selfish things and concentrate on the needs of others – especially our family members. Jesus, our role model, was always more concerned about others than of Himself;
  • Our view of Miracles: The official had predetermined ideas of what Jesus could, or could not do. Jesus chose to change His previous history of ‘hands on’ miracles, to merely heal the official’s son based on the faith of the father who asked and believed. That tells me that we must simply share our concerns with the Lord and not try to tell Him how, or when, to do His mighty works. God declares in His Word that His ways are not our ways, nor are His thoughts our thoughts. He is the potter, and we are merely the clay subject to His molding every day. In His molding process, He can fix broken or marred pieces along the way;
  • Faith and Obedience: Notice that the official didn’t turn away angry because Jesus didn’t do what he asked him to do. He had faith to believe in God and obediently follow His instructions. Will we just as easily turn aside and head back home with just a ‘go back home’ from the Lord? Where is your faith, friend? In this case, the obedience of the official resulted in extreme faith by he and his whole family, for in verse 53 we are told that they all placed their faith and trust in Jesus.

PRAYER: Dear God, Your Word is filled with proof that You are the great Physician; Healer and Miracle Worker. Yet You are also our Creator; our Savior and our Lord. Thank You for reminding us of being obedient to You even when You don’t respond exactly as we expect or may even demand. Thank You for the example of this official, for we are reminded that we are to be the obedient followers and not the demanding children trying to tell the Almighty God what to do or how to do it. This official simply followed Your command and great things happened. Lord, may we too be obedient servants, and simply let You be God. You know our needs and concerns today. Please have Your will and way in each of these and in growing us to be more like You every day, so that others may see, and believe in You. For I ask all this in the precious 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 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!

Then They Will Know

On By Ed AlgreenIn Salvation, WitnessLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (The New Living Translation – John 4:42): Then they said to the woman, “Now we believe, not just because of what you told us, but because we have heard him ourselves. Now we know that he is indeed the Savior of the world.”

THOUGHTS: Humans are generally designed to share with others the news of happenings in their lives. God especially teaches that believers share the Good News of Jesus Christ at every opportunity. In the chosen verse today, we are reminded that Jesus had such an impact on the Samaritan woman He met at the well, that she immediately went to work telling her town’s people about her encounter with Jesus. I was intrigued by the Samaritans who later came back to the woman and acknowledged that although her story impacted their lives, now that they had a personal encounter with Jesus, they indeed KNEW that He is the Savior of the World. I found this encouraging, because although we are told to go into the world and share our story, seldom do we ever know of the impact our story may have had on another person’s life. However, I believe that we need to also realize that when the Samaritan woman left the well and went into town sharing her story, that it was not necessarily to achieve popularity or even to win the lost for the Lord, but she had great news of how her life was impacted by this meeting with Jesus, and she wanted to share that joyous story with anyone who would listen. Think about it friends, not only was this evident to the Samaritans, but don’t you know that there was joy in heaven knowing that a life was impacted to such an extent that the woman was overflowing with excitement and joy, and just needed to share it with anyone who would listen? So how does this story differ from your story? Have you met the Master? Has He impacted your life in such a way that you are a living witness for Jesus in everything you say or do? On this side of heaven, we may never have the honor of knowing how our lives impacted someone else, but I long to hear the words of my Savior say “Well done my son, you were a good and faithful servant”! Praise be to the wonderful name of Jesus! Another great reminder here, is that all the woman could do was to share her story, it was Jesus who impacted their lives, and to acceptance of Himself. This is the same in our case friends. We must be witnesses, while only Jesus can do the life-changing and heart surrendering necessary for our friends to truly know Him and accept the free gift of eternal life. Perhaps there are friends you are praying for their salvation. Are you helping them by the way you live before them, or are you hindering them?

PRAYER: Thank You Father for the gift of salvation! Thank You for the friends whose witness convinced me to find You and know You personally. My readers and I stand before You in awe today, knowing how much You love us and acknowledging all that You have provided for us. Because we see such a need all around us, and because of the reminder shown in this passage of scripture today, I pray that You might truly impact our lives in a way today that we might bubble over with the joy of knowing You as our Lord and Savior. In turn, may those whose lives we touch, encounter a deep desire to know You personally and follow with surrendering their lives to Your lordship and Your care. I’ll be careful to praise You for all that You accomplish dear God, for it’s in the awesome and powerful name of Your Son, Jesus, that I pray, 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 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!

‘True’ Worshipers

On By Ed AlgreenIn Holy Spirit, Truth, WorshipLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (The New Living Translation – John 4:23-24): …. true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way. For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.

THOUGHTS: I wonder if God is finding any ‘true worshipers’ in our corporate worship services each week? I wonder how often during the week God is feeling mocked, because of the filth that we have bottled up inside when we approach Him in personal worship time? According to verse 23 above, God is looking for ‘True’ Worshipers – ones who can worship Him in Spirit and in Truth. Therefore let us meditate on this for a moment. God is often referred to by His triune partner – Holy Spirit. He is also referred to several times in the Bible as ‘Truth’. So if God is Spirit, and He is Truth, can mere man ever truly stand before Him and worship Him in recognition for who He is? Can’t you feel the dirtiness of sin, just thinking about that picture? Can’t you just feel the unworthiness of mortal man coming into the presence of a holy and righteous God? But we know that God wants, desires and expects our worship, so how do we deal with this dilemma? True to its form and purpose, the answer is in the Book – the Word of God. In fact in these verses referenced above we are taught how this can be accomplished. We must approach the presence of God as ‘holy’ people – saints. The way this is done is through inviting the Holy Spirit and Truth (as explained above) to enter into our lives. Now remember, God cannot exist where sin is. So before we invite God through His Holy Spirit and Truth to enter, we must first ask Him to cleanse us of all our sin. I know, you’re a Christian and can’t imagine why you would need to ask for forgiveness, right? Friends, Satan is buffeting us with sin from the very moment we open our eyes each day, so I can assure you that as long as we are this side of heaven, we need to seek God’s forgiveness before attempting to enter into His presence, or inviting Him to lead us into a time of personal worship. Do you suppose that this could be the reason why so many are side-tracked in our worship services? How is it with you friend? Please don’t bring the everyday filth and distractions before the throne of our Holy, Righteous and Awesome God. He deserves, and desires that we worship Him in Spirit and in Truth – ‘Holy’ in His sight, and this could only be accomplished when we seek forgiveness of our sin and invite God to fill us with more of Himself.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, we come before You each day filled with so much of this world that it must disgust You to see Your children being so brazen as to approach You in such a condition. This is especially true after being reminded in these verses today that You are looking for ‘True’ Worshipers who are prepared to cleanse ourselves of sin and worship You in the power of Your Holy Spirit through the worthy name of Jesus (Truth). Please continue to work on us so that we may always be conscious of our sin and seek cleansing before approaching You in worship. My desire is to please You oh Lord. Please fill my readers and I again today with Your grace, Your mercy and Your forgiveness. For I ask this in the powerful 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 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!

‘True’ Worshipers

On By Ed AlgreenIn Truth, WorshipLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (The New Living Translation – John 4:23-24): …. true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way. For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.

 

THOUGHTS: I wonder if God is finding any ‘true worshipers’ in our corporate worship services each week? I wonder how often during the week God is feeling mocked, because of the filth that we have bottled up inside when we approach Him in personal worship time? According to verse 23 above, God is looking for ‘True’ Worshipers – ones who can worship Him in Spirit and in Truth. Therefore let us meditate on this for a moment. God is often referred to by His triune partner – Holy Spirit. He is also referred to several times in the Bible as ‘Truth’. So if God is Spirit, and He is Truth, can mere man ever truly stand before Him and worship Him in recognition for who He is? Can’t you feel the dirtiness of sin, just thinking about that picture? Can’t you just feel the unworthiness of mortal man coming into the presence of a holy and righteous God? But we know that God wants, desires and expects our worship, so how do we deal with this dilemma? True to its form and purpose, the answer is in the Book – the Word of God. In fact in these verses referenced above we are taught how this can be accomplished. We must approach the presence of God as ‘holy’ people – saints. The way this is done is through inviting the Holy Spirit and Truth (as explained above) to enter into our lives. Now remember, God cannot exist where sin is. So before we invite God through His Holy Spirit and Truth to enter, we must first ask Him to cleanse us of all our sin. I know, you’re a Christian and can’t imagine why you would need to ask for forgiveness, right? Friends, Satan is buffeting us with sin from the very moment we open our eyes each day, so I can assure you that as long as we are this side of heaven, we need to seek God’s forgiveness before attempting to enter into His presence, or inviting Him to lead us into a time of personal worship. Do you suppose that this could be the reason why so many are side-tracked in our worship services? How is it with you friend? Please don’t bring the everyday filth and distractions before the throne of our Holy, Righteous and awesome God. He deserves, and desires that we worship Him in Spirit and in Truth – ‘Holy’ in His sight, and this could only be accomplished when we seek forgiveness of our sin and invite God to fill us with more of Himself.

 

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, we come before You each day filled with so much of this world that it must disgust You to see Your children being so brazen as to approach You in such a condition. This is especially true after being reminded in these verses today that You are looking for ‘True’ Worshipers who are prepared to cleanse ourselves of sin and worship You in the power of Your Holy Spirit through the worthy name of Jesus (Truth). Please continue to work on us so that we may always be conscious of our sin and seek cleansing before approaching You in worship. My desire is to please You oh Lord. Please fill my readers and I again today with Your grace, Your mercy and Your forgiveness. For I ask this in the powerful 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 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!

How Moses Became a More Effective Leader

On By Ed AlgreenIn Evangelism, Humility, Leader, MosesLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (The New Living Translation – Exodus 18:18-23): 18 “You’re going to wear yourself out—and the people, too. This job is too heavy a burden for you to handle all by yourself. 19 Now listen to me, and let me give you a word of advice, and may God be with you. You should continue to be the people’s representative before God, bringing their disputes to him. 20 Teach them God’s decrees, and give them his instructions. Show them how to conduct their lives. 21 But select from all the people some capable, honest men who fear God and hate bribes. Appoint them as leaders over groups of one thousand, one hundred, fifty, and ten. 22 They should always be available to solve the people’s common disputes, but have them bring the major cases to you. Let the leaders decide the smaller matters themselves. They will help you carry the load, making the task easier for you. 23 If you follow this advice, and if God commands you to do so, then you will be able to endure the pressures, and all these people will go home in peace.”

THOUGHTS: I believe that these verses today are especially directed to help those of us who lead in God’s work. I have found in my short lifetime that it is very easy to agree to more and more responsibility and leadership in God’s work, probably because we feel like the more we do the more pleased God might be with us as individuals/leaders. There are many problems with this philosophy though, for we tend to:

  • Wear ourselves out, and therefore not energetic and enthused about the work we need to do;
  • Feel like if we don’t do the work, it won’t get done – as if God has only one person qualified to do His magnificent work among so many;
  • Not train others to take over from us, so we short them of opportunities – at our expense;
  • Ignore, or fall way short in our personal responsibilities to our family;
  • Not complete tasks with quality and care, because in our minds we have moved on to the next task that is often already running behind schedule;
  • Not spend quality time with the Lord, because our minds are so busy worry about all that must be accomplished.

I trust that we can learn to share the load, resume our rightful place, and watch God be Himself in our lives and in the lives we touch! Friends, I believe that we must quickly realize that God’s work is of super importance, and it is huge. We must do our best to make sure that we don’t become another Moses, where God’s work is thwarted by our capacity to achieve something. While we may have the skill set to handle many tasks, we must learn to train others and rejoice in their successes. Teamwork promotes growth among team members, and helps the overall work reach so many more, because each team member will be especially effective among those within their realm of influence. Friends, There are no other gods, so let’s allow God to be God, as we humbly take our stand as His humble servants, and allow Him to accomplish His work through us as part of a team of servants, not as little gods. Let’s help folk see God for who He truly is, not see us for something we can never be.

PRAYER: Lord, please touch Your leaders today and help us to be better servants, so that we might improve our submission and leadership skills. Help us to follow the example of Moses and listen to criticism and/or suggestions from others, especially those whom we feel, are led by Your Holy Spirit. There is so much work to be done among our family and friends that we may tend to feel like it will be ineffective if we don’t jump in there and take control. Lord, please help us to always remember that it can only be Your job to actually impact hearts towards recognizing You and allowing You to become a part of their life. Please forgive us for trying to take control. May we serve You with every ounce of our being, but never cross the line of taking Your role as our Master and our Lord. We need You dear Lord, for only You can save the souls of mankind. May Your will be accomplished through me today – one of Your humble servants. For I ask this in the precious and powerful 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 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!

Filled With Awe!

On By Ed AlgreenIn Recognize God, Stand in awe, WorshipLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (The New Living Translation – Exodus 14:31): 31 When the people of Israel saw the mighty power that the Lord had unleashed against the Egyptians, they were filled with awe before him. They put their faith in the Lord and in his servant Moses.

THOUGHTS: I believe that God moves just as mightily in our midst today, as He did for the Israelites when the Egyptians were chasing after them. For you see, anytime we witness, or hear of, a saint of God being healed; or miraculously protected in a terrible accident; or hear of God’s children being saved during a hurricane; these are only examples of miracles that occur in and around us that can only be explained as the hand of God being upon us. So as I meditated on this verse, I wasn’t as much in doubt of God being at work today, as He was with the Israelites, as I was in wondering if perhaps we have become so fast-paced that we hardly stop to recognize and praise God for His wondrous power in us, or in His children with whom we worship or rub shoulders with every day. I wonder if we may have just forgotten to program time for this important aspect into our Christian walk. We very easily ‘blow up’ the bad things that happen all around us, but how often do we stop to celebrate with a Brother or a Sister over an obvious miracle that has occurred in their lives? Part of fellowshipping together as believers, is that we grow spiritually as we celebrate God’s mighty works among our body of believers. It seems like so often our corporate worship services are so programed and rushed, that we tend to meet societies need of getting together for a very limited and prescribed time, but within that programmed time, do we take time to truly remember and/or recognize all that God has done, and is doing among us, then actually celebrate God’s very current mighty works? When last have we stood in awe at the works of God? The Israelites didn’t wait until the next Lord’s Day to be led in praise and worship, for the scripture says that they were filled with awe and placed their faith in the Lord and His servant Moses. Perhaps we’ll see more people place their faith in the Lord, if they think that God’s children have a current, sincere and meaningful relationship with the Savior they are trying to promote. I am of the impression that this corporate worship service took place right on the banks of the Red Sea as they saw God’s mighty works unfolding. I bet that was some kind of awesome worship service that day – unplanned, unorchestrated and no clock watching for a given finish time. As indicated in the next chapter, a new song of deliverance was immediately penned with the expressions of the praise and worship from the people reacting to God’s mighty works! How would that song turn out if it was written at one of our worship services today? What words would you attribute to the song, based on your daily experiences with the King of all kings?

PRAYER: Lord, You are so good to us! You are patient, yet kind enough to work miracles in our lives every day. Please help us to open our spiritual eyes to see the glory of all that You accomplish in and through us, and help us to respond with due honor and praise to Your mighty works. May those who look at us for proof of our relationship with You truly see a child filled with awe over the mighty works You accomplish each day that impact us and draw us closer to You. May they be drawn to You and seek to know You in a very personal and meaningful way. Be glorified in us today Lord, as we strive to recognize You in all that You do. May we again today stand in awe of You and Your mighty works. I love You Lord, and ask all this in the mighty 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 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!

Greatest Need To Take Before Our Master

On By Ed AlgreenIn Distractions, Greatest Need, Sin, SurrenderLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (The Contemporary English Version – John 2:23-25): 23 In Jerusalem during Passover many people put their faith in Jesus, because they saw him work miracles. 24 But Jesus knew what was in their hearts, and he would not let them have power over him. 25 No one had to tell him what people were like. He already knew.

THOUGHTS: It seems to me that it is very much like us to chat with Jesus primarily about all of the issues that our friends appear to have, at least in our eyes. After reading these verses this morning, I am reminded that my first obligation is to walk humbly before my God and plead the blood of Jesus upon all the issues that distract me from a closer walk with the Lord. I may have concern for my family and friends, but as an old spiritual reads, “It’s me standing in the need of prayer“. Friends, when we stand before the master, let’s remember that there is no one that we could think of, no matter what their physical needs are, that is more in need of prayer than ourselves. In the particular case referenced in these Bible verses Jesus had performed various miracles, and the eyes of the people were opened to the awesome power of the Son of God. This softened their hearts to place their faith in Jesus – praise the Lord! However, just as in our case today, Jesus knew that they needed constant help and power from Him every day to overcome the power of Satan and the temptations of the world, so He was cautiously accepting their faith, I believe, because the Word says “BUT He knew their hearts”. Friends, we are very easily swayed into making decisions and saying things to God that ‘rolls off the tongue’ easily, but God knows that we could awaken tomorrow with added temptations and/or trials that might cause us to easily sway, or do things that totally oppose Him and His desire for our lives. To overcome this, I believe it is important for us to have daily communion with God. Let’s ask Him for strength and direction for the day. Let’s ask Him to keep Satan at bay, so that we might truly concentrate on our Master and our Lord, and represent Him well before a lost world. Let’s ask Him to fix our minds on Him so that He, knowing our hearts, can trust us to be faithful to the end. To the uncommitted one who might be reading this devotional, may I introduce you to my Savior, and encourage you to have faith in the only One who holds the keys to our eternity in heaven? Please read my ‘Footnote’ for help on this. I would love to hear from you and pray with you!

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, You know our heart, yet You loved us enough to die a sacrificial death for us so that we would have the means to eternity in heaven with You and our Father. Thank You for such love. Please continue to work with us as we walk this mean, cruel earth where Satan is wondering around and interfering with Your children. We need Your power to overcome the temptation and sin that face us every day. We want to be trusted, and totally dedicated to Your will, especially while still here on this earth, because we believe that You can use us to touch the lives of those that we have connections with. Please forgive us of our past sins, and empower us with Your strength and determination to live our lives pleasing to You. We need You Lord, and we ask all this in the strong and holy 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 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!

Live To Prove ‘To Whom You Belong’

On By Ed AlgreenIn Holy, SurrenderLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (The Contemporary English Version – Ephesians 4:22-24): 22 You were told that your foolish desires will destroy you and that you must give up your old way of life with all its bad habits. 23 Let the Spirit change your way of thinking 24 and make you into a new person. You were created to be like God, and so you must please him and be truly holy.

THOUGHTS: Evil people think evil, wicked things, so they live like evil, wicked people. Does your life show enough evidence of whose you are, that others will be convinced? When we surrender ourselves to someone, we generally release ourselves from the one to whom we were committed before. We become very miserable and confused when we detect any bleeding over of one allegiance into another. Think about it – when you marry someone and commit your life to that person, you are generally happy and living a blissful life together, until one of you start to reflect on an old flame, or perhaps another prospect that Satan has placed in your path. It just doesn’t work friend. The marriage is doomed to fail. Don’t you know then that the same thing happens in our walk with the Lord? Paul calls our mental escape from reality ‘foolish’, for we know that the minute we entertain a bad habit, it will pull us back into bad habits. The very moment that we give in to sin, we have taken our eyes off God, and it becomes easy for Satan to pull us back into his world. This is not abnormal for humans, that’s just the way we are designed. However, just as Paul teaches us in this scripture, we have an Advocate who is standing ready to help us overcome this weakness. It is the Spirit of the Living God that enters the believer, who helps us overcome our weaknesses and makes us into a new person. However, the Spirit does not take control against our will. We must willingly surrender ourselves to the Almighty God, and this is not just a one-time thing where you may have done so in a church service. This is a daily surrender of your will to His will and His control. This is the only way that we can possibly expect to be like our creator. What a reminder in verse 24 – we were created to be like God – WOW! However the ending of that verse is also important, as it is the only way that we stand a chance at getting to this achievement – we must strive to please God and to be truly holy, even as He is holy. When we live under the power and authority of the Holy Spirit, it will be evident to those that we come into contact with, to whom we belong.

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for Your faithfulness to us, in spite of our weaknesses. Thank You for Your Word that teaches us the importance of living our lives to reflect our Master and our Lord, and for teaching us and warning us of the pitfalls that will distract us in our walk for You. Please continue to open our eyes and encourage our spirits so that we might be more determined than ever to live Godly lives, so that the lost might know that our Savior lives, and that Your love for them is unlimited and available. I ask all this in the precious and all powerful 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 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!