Month: April 2016

Where Is Your Hope For Tomorrow?

On By Ed AlgreenIn Hope, Tomorrow, TrustLeave a comment

May I encourage you to get your spiritual ‘Nuggets’ to start your day off right? Are you hoping for riches, or for your boat of good luck and good fortune to magically come in? There is only One in whom we can place our faith and our trust for all things heavenly! May I encourage you to read this devotional in light of what you know for sure about your tomorrow?

Today’s Bible Reference: Psalm 146:3-5
Today’s Bible Text: Don’t put your confidence in powerful people;
there is no help for you there. When they breathe their last, they return to the earth, and all their plans die with them. But joyful are those who have the God of Israel as their helper, whose hope is in the Lord their God.
The Bible Translation: The New Living Translation

My Take Away: Friends, I don’t know about you, but I have had a very challenging week in the eyes of man. In reading this scripture today, I believe that God has humbled me to think on my blessings instead of my challenges, and be reminded of where my strength comes from and where my hope lies. Let me share with you how God has proven Himself faithful this week without even sharing what my challenges were, because I want you to join me in always depending on God in every circumstance of life, and to always look for His hand of mercy in all that happens to us. I’m sure that you can also stop and fill a page with ways that God has blessed you and been present with you this week, and I encourage you to do that, but here are are some personal blessings my family and I received this week in spite of our challenges:

  • We are all safe, in spite of something that could have taken at least one of us away;
  • We had opportunities to reflect a witness of our faith. Without saying anything about our faith, we suddenly had a medical technician talk with us about the Lord, as if we had been co-laborers in the faith all of our lives. He obviously felt led of the Holy Spirit that we were followers of Christ. No Bible under our arms nor any sermons from our lips, but apparently our actions spoke louder than our words could ever have done. What a calming peace came over us;
  • We had a call very early after our incident offering food for our afternoon meal. Children of our King lovingly came to comforts help us by providing meals for us each day. Friends, this is evidence from our Master how He takes care of us, and this is evidence of our Lord working in and through His precious children. Read the verses above again and consider where else we could possibly have been blessed like this, apart from the love and grace of our precious Savior!
  • God sent Angels to encourage us – phone calls, emails, texts, Whatsapp, etc. Messengers being obedient to the voice and will of God.

Friends, We saw the church in action. We witnessed the hands and feet of Jesus in very visible and practical ways. We have truly placed our faith and hope in the Lord God Almighty, and I pray that you have also. Perhaps you have had a fairly smooth week, and I thank God with you for that, but a week ago I had no idea what this week would hold for us. Please let me encourage you to draw close to God. Place your hope in the Lord Jesus Christ for He cares for you. He has promised that He would never leave you alone. That’s a lot more than you can say about anyone else you know here on this earth friend! Furthermore, He has prepared a wonderful eternal home for us when we retire from this earth, and it’s in the presence of royalty, for our God is King over all kings that ever lived or reigned! What a mighty God we serve!

Prayer: Father, I pray that each of my friends reading this devotional today will be reminded of the everlasting, most loving God that we serve. I pray that there will be some that will take time to read this, that don’t know You as their Lord and Savior yet, and that the Holy Spirit will imprint the words from the Psalmist upon their minds and give them a glimpse of the hope that could be theirs, if only they would trust You as Lord of their life. This next week could end very differently for me, and it could also do the same for a reader. Father, I pray many will pray to You today for understanding, and Your mercy will draw them into the fold of Your loving care and protection. No matter what our earthly circumstances might be, I pray that our heavenly arrangements are in order, and that our Hope is fixed in You dear Lord. Touch lives today as only You can, for I ask this in the precious and loving name of my Master 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 contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog could 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 to 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, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! 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!

2016

Live Today With The End In Mind

On By Ed AlgreenIn Exemplary Living, Live in peace, Without SinLeave a comment

May I encourage you to get your spiritual ‘Nuggets’ to start your day off right? You will be encouraged to live in the light of eternity each and every day. We can do this friends! Read on for your ‘Nugget’ from God!

Today’s Bible Reference: 2 Peter 3:10-14
Today’s Bible Text: 10 The day of the Lord is surely coming, as unexpectedly as a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and the heavenly bodies will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be burned up. 11 And so since everything around us is going to melt away, what holy, godly lives we should be living! 12 You should look forward to that day and hurry it along—the day when God will set the heavens on fire, and the heavenly bodies will melt and disappear in flames. 13 But we are looking forward to God’s promise of new heavens and a new earth afterwards, where there will be only goodness.14 Dear friends, while you are waiting for these things to happen and for him to come, try hard to live without sinning; and be at peace with everyone so that he will be pleased with you when he returns.
The Bible Translation: The Living Bible (TLB)

My Take Away: Without sounding too morbid today, I just want to say how interesting it is how loved ones react to the passing of their relatives. I have seen cases where close relatives want to be near to their loved ones during this time, while others rather remember them as they were. Some relatives cry and react boisterously while others mourn silently and barely shed a tear. I believe a lot that affects the reaction of loved ones is based on the relationship that the mourner and the deceased had while both were alive. There will come a time when all life here on earth will end, and Peter  wants us to catch a glimpse of what to expect at that time. For those with a purpose – a plan to be with the Master of this universe throughout eternity, we are advised to live without sinning and be at peace with everyone, while we wait for God to put His plan into motion, so that He will be pleased with us when He returns to take us home to heaven with Him. Friends, I sincerely believe that if we know Jesus as Lord, we will have a very strong desire to do just this. I believe that our daily lives will be examples of what we learn about Jesus in His Word. I believe that we will live in anticipation of the day that He returns to gather His church together for the most exciting last trip of our lives! I believe our Master will return soon, because He has given us certain landmarks, or indicators that will signal His return. May I encourage you today to live without sinning (opposing God’s commands) and be at peace with everyone today? This will be a strong indication of your faith in the Word of God, for our study verses today indicate that this will be an indicator of whose you are and the goal you are striving to achieve. Be faithful and true to the Master, friend!

Prayer: Dear God, thank You for a place called Heaven, that You have prepared just for us! Thank You also for providing a way for us get to our eternal home with You. In our study today You have reminded us that we have certain responsibilities to fulfill while we wait to be with You. Please bless us with Your presence today Lord, so that we might live in the light of our eternal destination in the presence and care of our Lord and Savior. Father, please speak again to my family and friends who do not know You as Savior. May they make the most important decision in life, this day, please? We depend on You daily to teach us Your ways so that we may live according to Your will and in full reflection of all that You did while here on earth. I ask these things in the name of Jesus, and fro His glory, 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. Allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog could 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 to 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, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! 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!

2016

A Warning To Those Running From God

On By Ed AlgreenIn Devoted, Unswerving, Warning2 Comments

May I encourage you to get your spiritual ‘Nuggets’ to start your day off right? We tend to adhere to warnings about approaching natural disasters like hurricanes or earthquakes, but today I am sharing a warning about turning your back on God. Read up, take heed, and be blessed friend..

Today’s Bible Reference: 2 Peter 2:20-22
Today’s Bible Text: 20 People can be made free from the evil in the world. They can be made free by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. But if they go back into those evil things and are controlled by them, then it is worse for them than it was before. 21 Yes, it would be better for them to have never known the right way. That would be better than to know the right way and then to turn away from the holy teaching that was given to them. 22 What they did is like these true sayings: “A dog vomits and goes back to what it threw up.”[Prov 26:11]And, “After a pig is washed, it goes back and rolls in the mud again.”
The Bible Translation: Easy To Read Version (ERV)

My Take Away: I will do my very best to keep personal feelings out of this friends, because the Word of God is very capable of speaking earth-shattering truth to us all by itself! These verses come at the end of a discussion about false teachers who looked for opportunities with weak Christians to lure them back into their previous worldly lifestyles. I believe that if we think about the two choices here: (1) to encourage and promote someone on their walk for the Lord, or (2) to tempt someone with things from their past; we all may have some guilt here! However, Peter also saw this as prevalent in the day he wrote this book, and I believe God used the opportunity for Peter to warn all of us, because He knew we would fall into the same traps today. But here is a vivid picture of what Peter is talking about:

  • Where you were: You were a part of the world controlled by Satan and filled with sin and all kinds of acts and habits that lead a person to sin against the commands of the God who placed us here in the first place;
  • Christianity: You recognized the voice of Jesus who called you from this old world of sin, so you surrendered your life to Jesus and accepted Him as Lord. You learned about His commands and you did your level best to be obedient to God in every way;
  • Your return: Through a gradual slipping away from God; From many invitations from friends in your prior life; From a lack of plugging yourself into a Christian environment and friends; Through listening to the temptations of Satan through his earthly followers, you returned to a place in your life that was once attractive to you.

I believe you might get the picture, right? So I believe the warning is this for the child of God: If there was a time in your life that you stepped from the first stage above into the 2nd stage mentioned. You probably learned a lot about the character of God; the love of God and the instructions of God. Just because you might return to your former life, you did not have a strong magnet that erased all memory about what you learned, lived and experienced as a child of God. Therefore you return to a life of sin, while daily acknowledging to yourself that you know what you are doing is wrong, but you’re going to do it anyway. Friends, our God is a very faithful God, but He is a very jealous God. I don’t believe He has extended patience for a stubborn and obstinate child that looks Him in the face and says that I’m going to do it anyway, even though I know better and that it opposes the will of God. Be warned friend. Read the Old Testament and be reminded of how many were killed because they ‘chose’ to disobey or turn away from the God of this universe. Please don’t be fooled into thinking that this can’t happen again, especially to dear ones that you know, or perhaps to you personally.

Prayer: Dear God, You showed us sincere, sacrificial love like we have never seen before, yet some have chosen to leave a life that You have called them into, and return to the superficial love that this old world has to offer. Please once again work in the lives of my family and friends, and in the lives of those who will read this devotional today. May they feel Your holy presence so strongly that they would surrender their live to You today, oh Lord. I would be forever thankful. Please protect me with a wall of strength that will help me to stay strong in the faith and eternally grateful for the Savior who loved me so much. I ask these things in the precious and 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 contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog could 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 to 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, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! 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!

2016

Intimacy with God!

On By Ed AlgreenIn Daily communion with God, Guidance, Intimacy with God, Love, Obedience, Prayer2 Comments

May I encourage you to get your spiritual ‘Nuggets’ to start your day off right? Pretty amazing that our awesome God would consider feeding even us with His Word! May I encourage you to read the whole devotional, and look for a blessing, friend!………

Today’s Bible Reference: Psalm 143:8–10
Today’s Bible Text: Each morning let me learn more about your love because I trust you. I come to you in prayer, asking for your guidance. Please rescue me from my enemies, LORD! I come to you for safety.  You are my God. Show me what you want me to do, and let your gentle Spirit lead me in the right path.
The Bible Translation: The Contemporary English Version (CEV)

My Take Away: The Psalms is filled with David’s intimacy with God. Sometimes David was upset at God because things happened that David felt like he could have done them a whole lot better than God, or at least different than He did. David was at times very close to God because it was evident in his writings, but then there were times that David felt like he had distanced himself from God. There are some Psalms that begin with David being very upset at God, and by the end he realizes that his God really is on top of things and has everything under His control. Throughout the book David found many ways to express his love to, and his respect of God, yet in these verses today he is still calling out for God to help him love and trust Him more. David is still asking God for guidance, protection and wisdom on how to best deal with his enemies. David is still surrendering himself to the safety and security of our awesome, strong, caring and loving God, for he reflects on, and feels assured of God’s love and security. Although he has a very intimate, lasting and proven relationship with God, yet David still pleads for direction, leadership and guidance so that he might travel down the right path where he may remain victorious, but true and committed to his God. So what about you friend, are you like me where, too often we tend to do our own thing and only seek God’s help when we run into trouble? Is there a time of daily intimacy with God? Do you carve out time to spend meditating on the Word of God so that you might be reminded of the heart of God and learn about His instructions and direction for you that day? Friends, intimacy with, and trust in God, is not something you can purchase at the local Christian Bookstore, or acquire at church over the weekend if you pay your tithes. This comes ONLY from an intimate two-way relationship with God. Pouring your wants, needs and desires out to God is one thing, but unless you are willing to stop, listen to Him, and obey His commands, then at best you have succeeded in pouring your heart out to Him without caring enough about what He has to say back to you. Intimacy is a two-way thing. May I encourage you today to seek two-way intimacy with God, each and every day? He created us, longs to be allowed to lead us while here on earth, and I believe that He can’t wait to have us in Heaven when we graduate from this earth! Let’s live with the end in mind, knowing that we can enjoy His presence here on earth also!

Prayer: Lord God, thank You for loving us enough to care about our every move, thought or word. For those who have accepted You as Lord, we are living life down here as just a taste of all that You have in store for us as we come to join You in glory! May we live in daily communion with You and may we always be obedient to Your call on our life, and the direction You point us in here on earth. May we love You more, listen to You more and then be totally obedient to all that You direct us in, so that Your glory might be fulfilled in and through us. I ask these things 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 contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog could 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 to 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, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! 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!

2016

The Word–Like Light to a Dark World

On By Ed AlgreenIn Impacted by the Word, Light, The WordLeave a comment

May I encourage you to get your spiritual ‘Nuggets’ to start your day off right? We live in such a dark, cold world, but praise God we know and represent the only true Light of the world. In this devotional you will be reminded of the importance of allowing THE Light of the world to shine through you every day!

Today’s Bible Reference: 2 Peter 1:19
Today’s Bible Text: 19 So we have seen and proved that what the prophets said came true. You will do well to pay close attention to everything they have written, for, like lights shining into dark corners, their words help us to understand many things that otherwise would be dark and difficult. But when you consider the wonderful truth of the prophets’ words, then the light will dawn in your souls and Christ the Morning Star will shine in your hearts.
The Bible Translation: The Living Bible (TLB)

My Take Away: Based on an encounter by Peter, he spoke with great assurance in his text about how his eyes were opened – much like light being brought into a dark room, and how his life was impacted by that experience. I felt compelled by God to recognize that this is what I am faced with each day. I recognized that unless you, my Christian friend, and I stop our selfish view on life and get serious about seeking God’s His love and His faithfulness, and then share that with everyone we come into contact with, how else will our family and friends know? How will they know that there is a Light just waiting to brighten their dark world and fill their life with encouragement and hope? Friends, how will they know if we don’t tell them? In a more personal perspective, how are you doing in your daily, personal, intimate experience with God? Are you going so fast and furious that you are hoping God would catch up with you and impress upon you how much He cares about you? Friends, remember that God loved us so much that He allowed His very own Son to die a cruel death so that we might have a chance at heaven and enjoy eternity with Him. In appreciation for all that God did, what can be considered too much to ask of you in return? Are you ok in telling God at the end of the day that it just wasn’t a priority for you to meet with Him that day or study His Word? Throughout the Word of God, we are encouraged to tell everyone about this same Jesus and how He has impacted our lives. We may not be impacted because we hear the pastor tell us about God at a weekend service. We may not be impacted because of the awesome, Christian parents or grandparents that we have. There’s a song that says it well: ‘Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path’, but I am convinced that this not only happens to enrich our life, but to create a glow in us that tells those around us that we must have the Light of all lights deep within us. God’s light within us must not only serve as a light for our path, but as a hope for others who see that light. Be intentional about letting Your Light shine brightly today so that the world will see and believe!

Prayer: Loving Father, thank You for providing the means for us to be saved from this old sinful, dark world. Please help us to be conduits of the love You have promised to those who need Your forgiveness and Your love, and not an obstacle that sheds no Light into this dark world of sin and hopelessness. May we stay close to the source each day, for it is only through a connected, vibrant relationship with the Light that we can ever expect to ‘glow’ and impact those we come into contact with. Lord, may they see the Light of the world today as they encounter this messenger of the Light. I ask these things in faith, believing in the only true Light of the world, 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. Allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog could 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 to 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, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! 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!

2016

Prove It

On By Ed AlgreenIn Committed, Proof-positive, TrueLeave a comment

May I encourage you to get your spiritual ‘Nuggets’ to start your day off right? In our lesson today we are reminded that if we claim Jesus as Lord, our lives will reflect it in everything we do or say. We will prove it – daily!

Today’s Bible Reference: 2 Peter 1:10-11
Today’s Bible Text: 10 My brothers and sisters, God called you and chose you to be his. Do your best to live in a way that shows you really are God’s called and chosen people. If you do all this, you will never fall. 11 And you will be given a very great welcome into the kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, a kingdom that never ends.
The Bible Translation: Easy-To-Read Version (ERV)

My Take Away: I believe my readers will agree with me that there is nothing worse than a person saying that they are something but yet you never see evidence of that in the way they actually live. I believe there are two reasons God is indicating through Peter that we live out our testimony:

  1. So that others could be convinced of our changed lives – imagine if we announce to the church and the community that we have accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior, but yet they see no change in our lives. For example the very next night we are at the same bar and with yet a different woman, while our wife and kids are at home worried about us? Would that convince those we told about our conversion that this is something they really would want to seek after?
  2. Accountability to ourselves to live the life we claim to have in Christ Jesus – Think about it friends: if we tell our friends that we got married over the weekend, they will want to see our spouse, and they would hope to not see you hanging around the streets looking for a different lady every night. In fact, you should feel really guilty if those friends saw you chatting intimately with a different lady at a nearby club. That guilty feeling is ‘accountability’ kicking in. So then, what would be the difference if you say that you had a life changing event happen over the weekend, where Jesus actually transformed your life, and you were convicted of your sin, and impressed upon you a need to give the Savior of the world total control of your life? Can you imagine what would happen, if on Monday morning you are back to the challenges of the work week, and you automatically put your ‘worldly’ hat back on to deal with the various challenging circumstances? Do you suppose anyone would believe that you changed? Friends, please allow your friends to help keep you accountable – Christian and non-Christian friends alike. Tell them about your new life in Christ, and live the life taught by the Bible, not the old life you were taught by the world. Live so that they never see you say or do something that would be contrary to Biblical teachings. Allow them to keep you accountable to the commitment you told them that you made. Some friends will try hard to pull you back into the sinful things of this world, but quickly recognize Satan’s pull for your life and know that greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world!

Friends, there are real rewards awaiting those of us who stay true to God, verse 11 says that God will welcome us warmly into His heaven, a kingdom that lasts forever and that has no temptation or weakness like we find at work each day. Won’t that be a glorious day fellow Christian? I long for that day, and I long to see you there!

Prayer: Thank You heavenly Father for providing a way for us to one day be with You in glory! Oh, what a day that will be when my Jesus I shall see, when I look upon His face, the One who saved me by His wonderful grace! Thank You for loving me that much dear God. Thank You for touching my life and reminding me of the importance of living the life I claim to possess. Please also impact my readers with Your Word today, so that Your army might hit the road of life in good standing and stay true to the commitment we have made with You. We want to aid Your kingdom today oh Lord, and not be a hindrance in any way. Have Your way in our lives, 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 contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog could 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 to 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, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! 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!

2016

How To Improve Your Faith

On By Ed AlgreenIn Faith, Obedience, SubmissionLeave a comment

May I encourage you to get your spiritual ‘Nuggets’ to start your day off right? In today’s world we are constantly looking to ways to improve ourselves. Our study today encourages us to improve our faith, then goes on to tell us how. Look for a blessing, friend!………

Today’s Bible Reference: 2 Peter 1:4-8
Today’s Bible Text: … by that same mighty power he has given us all the other rich and wonderful blessings he promised; for instance, the promise to save us from the lust and rottenness all around us, and to give us his own character.   But to obtain these gifts, you need more than faith; you must also work hard to be good, and even that is not enough. For then you must learn to know God better and discover what he wants you to do. Next, learn to put aside your own desires so that you will become patient and godly, gladly letting God have his way with you. This will make possible the next step, which is for you to enjoy other people and to like them, and finally you will grow to love them deeply. The more you go on in this way, the more you will grow strong spiritually and become fruitful and useful to our Lord Jesus Christ.
The Bible Translation: The Living Bible (TLB)

My Take Away: We are reminded that God has showered His rich and wonderful blessings on us and He is doing everything possible to form us more and more into His character. However, there is work for us to do, so that He might have freedom to work in our lives, and mold us into His likeness. I believe these additional qualities help us to be devoted to our calling and gives God opportunity to respond in marvelous ways to help us attain. Can you imagine us accomplishing anything by just sitting back and allowing someone to do it for us? Don’t you know that the more we are involved in something, the more that we ‘buy-in’ on the idea and the more committed we are to the end result? So let’s look closely at some of the things we are told to work on:

  • We need more faith – Remember, Jesus told Peter about his lack of faith when he took his eyes off the Master.  Remember that James said that our good deeds and our actions will prove our faith. Friends, if we say we have it, then our lives should reflect it!
  • We must work hard to be good – moral excellence
  • We must be studious in knowing more about God – get in the Word for yourself. Get to know as much as possible about the Savior who gave up His very life so that you might live eternally with the Father!
  • We must ‘dig deep’ and discover what God wants us to do – The only way to be obedient to the will of God is to go before Him in daily prayer and study His Word for all that He will guide you to do.
  • We must put aside our own desires and be more subjective to God’s will for our lives – Often you will find that the worldly things that you want to do is opposed to what you might discern that the Word of God wants you to do. Be willing to put aside your personal agenda so that you might be totally obedient to God.
  • Enjoy other people and grow to love them deeply – When the love of God is deeply entrenched in you, then you will begin to love His people. When you grow to desire all that God desires, your love for others will grow as deep as God’s love for them. Remember how much He loves them? He sacrificed everything for their eternal welfare! Glory to God for loving me that much!!

Our reward: We will grow strong spiritually AND become fruitful and useful for our Lord!

Is it worth it all? I desire to commit fully to all that God teaches and directs me to do, including all of the above. I hope that you will do the same!!

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for showing me the way to the Father, and thank You for sacrificing Your very life so that I might have the only avenue opened for me to one day see You in heaven. I pray that my readers, my family and my friends might find this same peace today! Please continue to direct our path so that we might grow in our faith; in the knowledge of Your Word; and the unhindered obedience of Your will for our lives. Thank You Lord 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 contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog could 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 to 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, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! 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!

2016

Expectations of Church Leaders

On By Ed AlgreenIn Elders, Expectations, Leadership2 Comments

May I encourage you to get your spiritual ‘Nuggets’ to start your day off right? Pretty amazing that our awesome God would consider feeding even us with His Word! May I encourage you to read the whole devotional, and look for a blessing, friend!………

Today’s Bible Reference: 1 Peter 5:2–4
Today’s Bible Text: Just as shepherds watch over their sheep, you must watch over everyone God has placed in your care. Do it willingly in order to please God, and not simply because you think you must. Let it be something you want to do, instead of something you do merely to make money. Don’t be bossy to those people who are in your care, but set an example for them. Then when Christ the Chief Shepherd returns, you will be given a crown that will never lose its glory.
The Bible Translation: The Contemporary English Version (CEV)

My Take Away: We tend to expect a lot out of our pastors. In fact, we tend to think that they are invincible and not subject to the same sin and temptations that we encounter daily. Some translations tend to see this section of scripture addressed to elders, while some use more general terms of church leaders. I am not here to clarify either of these, but rather to remind us that if we hold a place of leadership in God’s church, then we have a responsibility to watch over those we lead with the same love and care that God has for us. We should not be in a place of leadership unless from a heart of love for the Lord and for His local church. We should have within us the desire to see the work of the Lord flourish for His glory, therefore our work should be done unselfishly and because we want to work for our master, not because of anything that we might personally gain from the position that we might hold. Most people learn better from what they are shown than from what they are told, therefore Peter warns that leaders are to lead by example rather than trying to throw around your authority. The super great news is that regardless whether we are ignored for our efforts in the work of the church here on earth, all we do for Jesus will be recognized by Him when we see Him face to face one day. In fact, Peter suggested that we would gain a crown that will never lose its glory! I could only imagine the smile on my Savior’s face as He welcomes me home and thanks me for returning the favor for what He did for me on Calvary, by all that I attempted to do to promote His kingdom while here on earth! Oh that will be, glory for me! Are you looking forward to this also friend?

Prayer: Lord we work hard around our churches and sometimes we get discouraged because we feel unappreciated by church leaders and/or members. Thank You for using Your servant Peter to show us that our expectations are unimportant here on earth, for our efforts should always be directed towards pleasing the only One that we serve, our Lord and Savior! In fact I believe that most often when we expect glory here on earth, it could easily mean that we may not necessarily be doing kingdom work. May we be found faithful in all that we do for Your ultimate glory. May You be lifted higher when others recognize a benefit from our efforts here below. I ask these things in the name of the Lord that I adore, the Lord that I seek to please by all that I do here below, 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. Allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog could 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 to 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, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! 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!

2016

Being Refined For The Glory Of God

On By Ed AlgreenIn Changed, Evidence of Faith, Persecution, Share God’s Word2 Comments

May I encourage you to get your spiritual ‘Nuggets’ to start your day off right? You may be going through times of spiritual refining so that you may be drawn closer to the Lord, or brought back on track in being more like Him. Read more and be blessed!

Today’s Bible Reference: 1 Peter 4:12–14
Today’s Bible Text: Friends, when life gets really difficult, don’t jump to the conclusion that God isn’t on the job. Instead, be glad that you are in the very thick of what Christ experienced. This is a spiritual refining process, with glory just around the corner. If you’re abused because of Christ, count yourself fortunate. It’s the Spirit of God and his glory in you that brought you to the notice of others.
The Bible Translation: The Message (MSG)

My Take Away: I found it intriguing how God covers all of life’s possible issues or scenarios in His Word. I believe that He truly intended for us to know that His Word is our central reference point in life. It’s our ‘everything’ manual! Throughout God’s Word we read where God’s people were picked on and often killed because of their stand for the Lord, and while I realize that most of us meditating on this devotional today may never have experienced persecution for the sake of the gospel, I do believe that it still goes on in our world today. I don’t believe that Peter is suggesting that we go off looking for trouble, in order to prove anything about our Christian stance, but I believe that God is getting it across to us that His very Son went through persecution, and if we are seriously trying to imitate Him here on earth, then we should expect the same treatment that He received. However, He wanted us to know that when this happens to us, it will serve to refine us, or strengthen our will to serve God with even greater determination, or remind us of why we are serving our great, big, wonderful God! The refining process always hurts, but the glory at the end of the journey is worth it all! May I suggest that you look at indicators of refining, as encouragement in knowing that God’s not finished with you yet, but that He is still very actively involved in growing and maturing you in His service, for His ultimate glory!

Prayer: Father, it almost sounds crazy that we would rejoice when we feel picked on or abused for our Christian work, but I also believe that it would seem even more crazy if we were not seeing some reaction to Your work that we do. After all, no reaction would often indicate that our work, or even our words, are not a whole lot different to what people hear every day in their jobs or even on the street. I strongly believe that if we dedicate ourselves fully to the work of the Lord, and stand up for we believe He is leading us towards saying and doing, then that will be totally strange to a lost person. Christians, please don’t take that as a bad thing, for why would an unsaved person want to hear from us if we are no different to what they hear from their unsaved buddies? Please dear God, make us more like You, even if it makes us totally different to those we may be called upon to share Your Word with. We want them to see Jesus, and for them to be impacted by Your love that was expressed so vividly throughout Your Word. We need You heavenly Father, please bless us as we go our way today! 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. Allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog could 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 to 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, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! 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!

2016

Use God-Given Gifts for His Glory!

On By Ed AlgreenIn gifts, God's Glory, HonorLeave a comment

May I encourage you to get your spiritual ‘Nuggets’ to start your day off right? Pretty amazing that our awesome God would consider feeding even us with His Word! May I encourage you to read the whole devotional, and look for a blessing, friend!………

Today’s Bible Reference: 1 Peter 4:10–11
Today’s Bible Text: Each of you has been blessed with one of God’s many wonderful gifts to be used in the service of others. So use your gift well. If you have the gift of speaking, preach God’s message. If you have the gift of helping others, do it with the strength that God supplies. Everything should be done in a way that will bring honor to God because of Jesus Christ, who is glorious and powerful forever. Amen.
The Bible Translation: The Contemporary English Version (CEV)

My Take Away: I thought this was awesome to be reminded that we are all gifted. So often we hear folk say that they admire a certain individual because of their wonderful gifts, and that they wish that they were as gifted. Friends according to this scripture we are calling God a liar when we say such things. I wonder if just like everything else in life, perhaps we are constantly wishing that we had something different. You see, I believe that God knew exactly what He was doing when He gifted each of us, so I am reminded that whenever I am tempted to say such a thing, I must be careful because I am really saying that God messed up, and we all know that is not the case. Perhaps the key to recognizing our God-given gift and being thankful for it, is when we stop to consider how we are using that gift to bless, or serve others. After all, of what use will a gift be to us unless we use it to bless or serve others? I can’t imagine it giving us extra credit, or something that we can store up for our own benefit at a later date! Friends we really need to get outside of our own little world of self-pity and selfishness and look at how we might bless someone else. It may be a word of encouragement at just the right time, or a timely prayer especially during a time that a friend is in dire need of a touch from God. Most often the use of our gift(s) do not involve money, because you are then looking to purchase something that will satisfy a need. Instead we should be asking God to use us as His hands extended, or His words to bless or encourage someone. Remember friends, when we use our ‘gift’, it is God who will receive the glory, so please don’t do something expecting anything in return. He gives us our gift, we use it for His glory, honor and praise. It’s all about Jesus, friend. We’re just His humble servant that He allows to represent Him here on earth. How are you doing with that?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, we are blessed with so much from the bounty of Your hand. Please help us to pass the blessing along by using our gifts for Your honor and Your glory. You are so worthy of receiving the praises of Your people, please allow us to continue being Your hands and feet here on earth as You bless others through everything we do or say. I ask these things in total humility, but a very thankful heart, in the name of Jesus my all sufficient 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 contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog could 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 to 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, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! 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!

2016