Your Purpose in the local Church

On 2017-12-30 By Ed AlgreenIn Church, Church attendance, Church growth, Church Leaders, The ChurchLeave a comment

Post Date:	Saturday, 2017-12-30
SCRIPTURE
From:	Acts 6:2-4 (AMP)
Text:	²So the Twelve called the disciples together and said, “It is not appropriate for us to neglect [teaching] the word of God in order to serve tables and manage the distribution of food. ³Therefore, brothers, choose from among you seven men with good reputations [men of godly character and moral integrity], full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this task. ⁴But we will [continue to] devote ourselves [steadfastly] to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”
OBSERVATION:
The apostles were working hard in the ministry of the Word – teaching and preaching, but they heard rumblings that the poor were not being attended to. Instead of them distracting themselves from their convictions about the ministry they were responsible for, they set out to choose seven additional men for that purpose. I want us to think about the purpose that God has placed us in His church? We are about to start a New Year, Lord willing. What does God have in store for you to do in His ministry next year?
APPLICATION:
In just the first few verses of this chapter in Acts we see a few different categories of church attendees. I believe that it would behoove us to examine ourselves before God and identify which group we belong to – or should be striving to achieve. Here are the groups I see, and I will call them what most churches seem to use today: Pastors and Elders: I believe that these are what this Scripture referred to as ‘Apostles’. It was clear from the Scripture that these men took the serious responsibility of prayer and ministry of the word – teaching and preaching. Deacons: I believe that our deacons today are the equivalent of the servants chosen and ordained to help with the serving and administering of the church affairs. These men had to fit the parameters outlined by the apostles. I believe this is important for the church today also, because these men are not just representing the church as they go out to help the poor, but they are also representing God. The Support Team: This would be the congregation who is a part of the church with a very warm and sincere heart. A heart that is in constant prayer for the ministry, and supports the decisions made by their leaders, knowing that those godly men serve as a result of their faithful, personal prayers. As in the case of Moses’ arms being lifted up as he led the battle, so are these folk lifting up their Pastors, Elders and Deacons. These great folk consists of the men and women who will serve as lay leaders and a group from whom the next set of ordained leaders will be chosen. The whiners and complainers: You might say that this group is good for the church as they alert Pastors, Elders and Deacons to things that others may not see. While this could be true, I want you to remember what it feels like to have a thorn stuck in your side all day! Where this group could become helpful, is if they become Positively Critical. This happens when they pray for the success of their leaders and the strength, maturity and growth of the church body. You will always be very positive for those you pray favorably for, and your whining and complaints will become concerns that you want to help resolve and/or pray for! The uncommitted: Unfortunately there are many who are uncommitted in their marriage, their workplace and in their church. Some are known in church circles as Christmas and Easter Christians, because that’s the only time they make an effort to attend church. Some are hit and miss on attending church at all, but since they were raised and baptized in that church, they consider that their church home. Unfortunately these folk tend to be undependable about attending classes or learning more about God, because they are uncommitted to Him and His church. Friends, I believe that you will fit into one of the above groups. But I hope that you are always striving to grow and mature into the next group up. Jesus was perfect, and I believe it would thrill His heart to see us grow and mature into a perfect church under His leadership and development.
PRAYER:
Lord You are faithful to us, even when we are sometimes unworthy and unusable in Your ministry here on earth. Thank You for reaching into our hearts and awakening us from the grip of Satan, and the evil so prevalent in this world. As in any army battling evil and wrong doing, we continually need a few more good men and women to work in Your ministry to try and reach the lost and needy of our community. Please touch us Lord, help us to be Your arms extended and outreached to show the love of Jesus in every way and in everything we do. May our commitment and willingness to serve reach way beyond the four walls of our churches, and wherever man is found. I am so looking forward to the day that we will all look full into the eyes of our blessed Savior and sing Your praises throughout all eternity. Come Lord Jesus, come! AMEN
FOOTNOTE:
There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please 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 Nuggets From God’s Word 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!

Things You Might Do Under Pressure

On 2017-12-292017-12-29 By Ed AlgreenIn Commitment, Evangelism, EvangelizeLeave a comment

Post Date:	Friday, 2017-12-29
SCRIPTURE
From:	Acts 5:40-42 (ERV)
Text:	⁴⁰They called the apostles in, had them whipped, and ordered them never again to speak in the name of Jesus; and then they set them free. ⁴¹As the apostles left the Council, they were happy, because God had considered them worthy to suffer disgrace for the sake of Jesus. ⁴²And every day in the Temple and in people’s homes they continued to teach and preach the Good News about Jesus the Messiah.
OBSERVATION:
For the preaching and teaching of God’s Word, the apostles were sent to jail. However, the prison door were soon opened by God, and the apostles were able to escape. Because they immediately returned to preaching and teaching, the king ordered that they be brought before him and his council. It is evident from the preceding verses that the intent was to kill these men, however one wise priest, Gamaliel, convinced the king that to kill these men, might be like trying to kill God, if they are correct in reporting on who their Master truly is. It is interesting to see what the apostles’ thought of their arrest, their whipping and their warnings upon their release. I wonder how many of us would do the same as the apostles?
APPLICATION:
If the above story was written in today’s news journals, it probably would have had a much different twist. I could see a lot of emphasis being placed on how badly they were beaten – hoping to accuse the palace of battering, and possibly finding reasons why these men were beaten and not other evangelists just like them. I could hear the comments of how long the men should have been imprisoned, for deliberately disobeying the king. I wonder how many ‘Gamiliels’ there would have been who tried to speak to the king on behalf of the apostles/evangelists. I wonder how many government leaders would have stood up to this group for fear of losing votes during the next election, because of their stand. The same applies to leaders who would not have challenged these men, because of their personal faith in God and their conviction of spreading the gospel to an impoverished world. Now, let’s consider the apostles. If a group of us just got out of jail, went back to preaching, and immediately arrested, beaten and warned again, I wonder what we would do? Many churches have closed down over recent years for various reasons. Do you suppose that this would have been yet another reason for church leaders to close the doors and go underground? Friends, what I was really touched by, is the rejoicing from the apostles as they left the meeting with the government leaders, because they were allowed the privilege of suffering for spreading the news of their Savior. Wow, when last have you heard of church leaders rejoicing over the fact that they suffered because of their commitment to, and spreading the news of, Jesus Christ? Thankfully in some countries we are blessed with the privilege of freely preaching the Word of God. However in those same countries, we are already being warned of our freedoms – no prayer in schools; most work places will not allow us to display or share God with customers or fellow employees; some may be arrested if special permits are not obtained for ministering on street corners; etc, etc. In this whole thought today, please know that this message is for you, not for your preacher, or your elders, deacons or Sunday School teachers. Any child of God should be a minister of the same Gospel that saved them. Are you?
PRAYER:
Lord, You are our Savior and our King. If we seriously believe that, we should be willing to tell the world about that. However Lord, we know that Satan will try in every way to cause us to cower and hide the joy of the Lord in our witness to others. I am reminded of a chorus “it you’re happy and you know it say AMEN”, and the last verse goes on to celebrate “if you’re saved and you know it say AMEN”. Oh how I wish that we could all sing that openly as our testimony in every place that we go any day of the week, not just in Sunday School. Savior, You were beaten and crucified publicly to show Your love for us and to save us from our sins. May we be willing to share that love publicly without fear of human rejection or mockery. Thank you for giving to us Lord, may we learn to give more to You so that the lost might know and believe. AMEN!
FOOTNOTE:
There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please 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 Nuggets From God’s Word 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!

Who Are You Lying To?

On 2017-12-282017-12-28 By Ed AlgreenIn Moment of Truth, Salvation, Saved, True to the WordLeave a comment

Post Date:	Wednesday, 2017-12-27
SCRIPTURE
From:	Acts 5:3-4 (MSG)
Text:	^3-4Peter said, “Ananias, how did Satan get you to lie to the Holy Spirit and secretly keep back part of the price of the field? Before you sold it, it was all yours, and after you sold it, the money was yours to do with as you wished. So what got into you to pull a trick like this? You didn’t lie to men but to God.”
OBSERVATION:
In chapter 4, we were told about how unified the disciples and Christians were in living together and pooling their resources to create community, and dependencies on one another. Joseph, also called Barnabas, showed a huge example of this by giving to the disciples 100% of what he sold a piece of land for. Another couple, Ananias and Sapphira wanted to be just like Barnabas, so they also sold land, but they decided to hold back a portion, and give the remainder to the disciples, under the pretense that it was the full amount. God hates pretense, so we need to look at this closer…
APPLICATION:
When God knows right down to our innermost thoughts, what do you suppose that we prove by trying to hold out on Him, or anyone else? Personally, I remember in tithing where I gave a full 10% of my net pay, and often when finances were tight, old Satan would cause me to question the amount I was giving to God. However, at a revival service we were challenged on our giving. We were invited to take our wallets out, and in our prayer to God ask Him to take control of all that He gives to us and allows us to earn. That night I was challenged to begin giving on my gross salary, so that I would be giving to God the first fruits of my earnings. Friends that was probably 10 – 13 years ago, and I have been blessed with the necessary finances ever since. Now, I don’t believe that this lesson is holy and solely about money, but more about the heart. The Christian faith is not one where we preach about doing what we say and not as much on what we do, for it is about a relationship with the Master Creator of this universe, including you and I. I once wrote a fairly complex software program that would run a whole bank. Whenever I received a call about something not working the way it should, my mind would go to all the possible programming around that part of the program. Why then do we feel like we can get away with Satan’s tactics when God, the Creator, knows so much about His precious creation? Do we think for a moment that we are fooling God – the Maker of all things, or are we simply fooling ourselves by thinking that we could pull off our shenanigans without anyone knowing – even God? It just doesn’t work that way friends? Mom, dad, sisters, brothers, friends, coworkers, pastors and everyone else might not realize what we are up to, but the God who created us, and knows all things, always has His finger on the pulse of what is going on in our lives. So why not ‘fess up friends, and do it right the first time, and every time, by asking God to forgive you of all your past sin. Welcome His Son, Jesus, into your heart and life and create a personal relationship with Him, then through the power of the Holy Spirit, ask Him to show you how to live in accordance with His perfect will. Others will soon question you about what has happened in your life, because of the change evident in your walk and in your talk. God can do just that for you, my friend, if you’ll let Him.
PRAYER:
Precious Savior, thank You for being a stable friend that we can depend on and place our faith in. A plumb-line by which we can measure right from wrong, and a loyal friend that we can depend on through all phases of life. I personally thank You for persuading me to surrender my life to You many years ago, but I am just as dependent on You today as I have always been, because I want to live life perfectly and in accordance with Your will, even in a broken and sinful world. For my readers and I that are serious about our relationship with You, please help us to live like You taught us to, and talk like You exampled for us while You were here on earth. For the curious and the lost, please soften their hearts once again today Lord, and may they be reminded about the truths of Your Word in several ways today – to the point that it may cause them to surrender wholly and solely to You oh Lord. AMEN!
FOOTNOTE:
There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please 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 Nuggets From God’s Word 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!

Building One Another Up

On 2017-12-272017-12-27 By Ed AlgreenIn Evangelism, Evangelize, Salvation, Witness, WitnessingLeave a comment

Post Date:	Tuesday, 2017-12-26
SCRIPTURE
From:	1 Thessalonians 5:10-11 (MSG)
Text:	Whether we’re awake with the living or asleep with the dead, we’re alive with him! So speak encouraging words to one another. Build up hope so you’ll all be together in this, no one left out, no one left behind. I know you’re already doing this; just keep on doing it.
OBSERVATION:
In writing to the church at Thessalonica, it seems like Paul may have been addressing some challenges they were facing with imitating the ‘world’ in trying to get as much as they could for themselves, at the expense of anyone who stood in their way. This is evidence of greed and selfishness, without concern for the needs of others. Because this is still a huge issue today, I believe it is worthy of our attention, with hopes of overcoming this weakness, through the strength and help of our Lord.
APPLICATION:
We hear such things as: ‘this is a dog eat dog’ kind of world that we live in; or you must fight for self, because no one else will fight for you; or it’s me first, then if anything else is left, I will share with you. While I realize that none of my readers think and act like this (ha!!), when we hear these things we can’t help but think that some of the people that Paul spoke to at Thessalonica must still be around! I believe that the whole purpose in God having this lesson in His Word, is to teach us in the same way as He used Paul to teach the Thessalonians. Speak encouraging and uplifting words to one another! Please don’t respond about how unworthy that group or family, or coworkers are, because then you should inquire of God why on on earth were you, personally, ever worthy of His love and His sacrifice on the cross. Friends, the best way to get ahead in life is to earn it, not to drag someone down hoping that you will rise above them. Think about it another way, when you are helping someone rise above the worries and troubles of this world, you are considered a hero to them. I believe in God’s eyes, you are considered to be His hands extended here on earth, because He did the same for you and will do the same miracles in your friend’s life as you try to help. Let’s remember, at the foot the cross we are all equal – sinners saved by God’s grace. There is no such thing as ‘heroes’ in God’s eyes, for I believe that He sees His obedient servants. There’s no such thing as poor, marginal, undeserved Christians standing in His presence, but instead I believe that He sees His obedient children/servants. Friends, remember that Jesus sacrificed His life at Calvary so that all who accept Him as Lord, would one day stand before Him in robes of white – being cleansed from the sin, trials and tribulations of this earth. Please also remember that in knowing Jesus personally here on earth, we have that same freedom, as He is also our Lord and Master here as well. No longer necessary to walk around with long drawn faces, for we can celebrate even today our risen, glorious King who showed His amazing love and victory in saving us, even when we approached His throne filled with the sin of this world. Yes, we can celebrate friends, but let’s always remember to encourage those who have taken the risk of holding back on surrendering their lives to Jesus Christ – who is the Way, the Truth and the only means to eternity with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit in heaven.
PRAYER:
Lord Jesus, we are so thankful for Your provision of salvation for us to one day be with You and the Father in glory. Please forgive us for the selfish attitude that we have taken in keeping that joy and promise bottled up inside, while many of our family and friends continue to live sin-sick lives. Please help us Lord that we could celebrate more of the lives You have touched through us, than the ongoing celebration of our own salvation. Yes, we have a lot to be thankful for in knowing that You saved us, but the joy is doubled as we celebrate with a friend that You have touched through using us. Bless us oh Lord, so that we may be a blessing to others. AMEN!
FOOTNOTE:
There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please 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 Nuggets From God’s Word 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!

Our Response To Threats

On 2017-12-25 By Ed AlgreenIn God's Will, Obedient, PersistenceLeave a comment

Post Date:	Monday, 2017-12-25
SCRIPTURE
From:	Acts 4:29-31 (GNT)
Text:	²⁹And now, Lord, take notice of the threats they have made, and allow us, your servants, to speak your message with all boldness. ³⁰Reach out your hand to heal, and grant that wonders and miracles may be performed through the name of your holy Servant Jesus.” ³¹When they finished praying, the place where they were meeting was shaken. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to proclaim God’s message with boldness.
OBSERVATION:
Peter and John were caught in the trap of being verbally attacked by the Sanhedrin, and instead of asking for power from on high to attack them, the disciples instead asked for boldness to declare the Word of God, and for God’s power to become evident in and around them, so that the Sanhedrin may know that God is in control. I believe that this is a model for us to follow even today. Let’s have a closer look….
APPLICATION:
I would like for us to look at two different approaches to these verses today. One is to look at them from a standpoint of supporting them with other such actions by God, and the second is to look at them from an observation of people today: From a ‘God’ perspective: The disciples were asking God to bless those that were persecuting them. Let’s remember that God went to the cross willingly for the sin of those that were persecuting Him. Let’s remember that he reached out and healed the ear of the man that Peter attacked in the garden, even though the man was part of the group that came to arrest Him. In other words, this was just like God, to honor the request of His disciples to do things that would encourage the Jews to come to Jesus, rather than to totally destroy the Jews and get the trouble out of their way. From the perspective of most humans: I believe it is true to say that our first instinct would be to fire back at the ridicule, and find nasty things to say about the leaders of the attackers, or possibly about their messed up belief system, and to point them to look at the sad state of affairs, because of their earthly leaders. Even to Christians, I doubt if many would automatically assume the position of wondering what would Jesus do in the scenario being considered. Let’s remember friends, we might be the only Bible they will ever read! What do you suppose they would gather about our ‘Jesus’, based on our first reaction to their abusive words or actions? I believe that from the above, it is evident that as Christians, we should be following the example of Jesus Christ. We’re not perfect, so why should we expect it of others. We would prefer that others give us a second chance, so why shouldn’t we? Jesus says in His Word that we should forgive 70 times 7. That’s intended to be an indefinite number of times, so don’t bother to start the count now, or at the beginning of a New Year! Friends, as long as God allows us to be here on earth, I believe He wants us to always strive to be like Him. Reach out for the heart of our fellow man and ignore the daggers as we head in that direction. Like Peter and John, seek God’s help to speak Truth boldly into their lives and to see the soul that so badly needs Jesus, while ignoring the evil that Satan will encourage them to use against us.
PRAYER:	.
Father God, we are so influenced by the evil in this world that it becomes more of the norm for us to follow the ways of the world, instead of humbly seeking Your will and Your strength and wisdom in all things. Please forgive us Lord and help us to be better representatives of Yours and to do Your perfect will in all things. Please help us to be imitators of all that You have shown us and exampled before us, no matter who the opposition is or the challenge that we face. We’ll be careful to praise You for all that You accomplish in and through us for Your ultimate glory, AMEN!
FOOTNOTE:
There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please 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 Nuggets From God’s Word 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!

Basic Truths of the Faith

On 2017-12-232017-12-23 By Ed AlgreenIn Good News, New beginnings, True witnesses, WitnessLeave a comment

Post Date:	Saturday, 2017-12-23
SCRIPTURE
From:	Acts 4:12-14 (MSG)
Text:	¹² Salvation comes no other way; no other name has been or will be given to us by which we can be saved, only this one (Jesus).” ^13-14They (the Jewish leaders) couldn’t take their eyes off them—Peter and John standing there so confident, so sure of themselves! Their fascination deepened when they realized these two were laymen with no training in Scripture or formal education. They recognized them as companions of Jesus, but with the man right before them, seeing him standing there so upright—so healed!—what could they say against that?
OBSERVATION:
Peter and John were used by God in the healing of a lame man. Fortunately this happened in sight of the Jewish leaders who had put no relevance in the Lord Jesus Christ. In today’s Scripture I bolded some of the basic truths of the Christian faith: Salvation is only possible through faith in Jesus Christ; For those who have received Jesus Christ as their Savior. Their bragging about Him, and encouraging the lost to be saved, is just as effective as the smartest preacher of the largest church on earth. The Jews were amazed by the effectiveness of these simple, uneducated, laymen! Each one of us live right in the middle of this discussion, let’s look closer at how we might apply ourselves…..
APPLICATION:
I believe that way too often we (Christians) give in to the ways and wishes of the world. At Christmas-time we have gotten used to their wish to not have ‘Christ’ included in the word, so it has become Happy Holidays, or Fall Break, instead of Christmas. When everyone is convinced that God is involved in an activity, it becomes ‘the man upstairs’ instead of giving credit to the God of this whole universe. The God who lovingly created the very one trying to ignore His precious name. In our Scripture today, it is refreshing to be reminded that Peter and John were simple ‘laymen’, a title given to those who try to share God’s Word without having been educated in theology or ordained as a pastor or preacher. That explains the title for many of us that will meditate on this devotional today. So pray tell why so many of us cower up and leave the telling of Jesus to the pastor, or the Sunday School teacher? There is a lot of difference in me telling my friends that Jesus touched me and healed me last Sunday while at church, than the pastor telling those same friends that God moved powerfully in our service last Sunday and Ed was healed. My story would be personal, whereas the Pastor’s story would be a third party story that he would relay for me. Our responsibility is to share what God has, and is doing in our lives. Sure we can say what else God is doing in our church, but the thing that will impact our friends is what happened in the first person – to us! The other thing that will impact our witness, is for others to see what God has done for us. If we say that we are saved, friends should see what we are saved from. If from Satan, then they should see God in everything we say or do – every aspect of our character. If from the sin of this world, then they should see us saying ‘No’ to many of the things that we did when controlled by Satan. The Jewish leaders saw that Peter and John had been with Jesus. Can our friends say the same thing about you and I? We shouldn’t have to tell them, they should see it in our ways, our thoughts and our deeds. Evidence of our experience with Jesus will be the same as the healed man standing there between Peter and John – proof positive!
PRAYER:
At this time on our earthly calendar, we celebrate Your birth Lord Jesus. Thank You for the miracles that surrounded your birth, and thank You for the miracle of new birth every time a sinner surrenders their life to Your Lordship. Lord we adore You and worship You with our whole being. May the world see enough of Your love and Your character in us that they would like to also know You personally. There were angels singing and wise me seeking You to worship you. May we hear the angels sing again today and every day as loved ones and friends find You in us and give their lives to You for eternity. AMEN!
FOOTNOTE:
There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please 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 Nuggets From God’s Word 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!

No Other Name

On 2017-12-222017-12-22 By Ed AlgreenIn Filled With The Spirit, Humble, Humbleness, ObedientLeave a comment

Post Date:	Friday, 2017-12-22
SCRIPTURE
From:	Acts 4:7-10 (TLB)
Text:	…“By what power, or by whose authority have you done this?” the Council demanded. ⁸Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Honorable leaders and elders of our nation, ⁹if you mean the good deed done to the cripple, and how he was healed, ¹⁰let me clearly state to you and to all the people of Israel that it was done in the name and power of Jesus from Nazareth, the Messiah, the man you crucified—but God raised back to life again. It is by his authority that this man stands here healed!
OBSERVATION:
After healing a crippled man, Peter and John were held captive by the Jewish leaders for questioning. Why, they were showing power that was yet unheard of, and the leaders wanted to avoid a coo that would distract the allegiance of the followers from their king to THE KING of kings and LORD of lords. They tried this through accountability and intimidation with Peter and John. To their surprise Peter was primed and ready, filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke in the confidence of the Master that he served. This is a lesson for us all, stay tuned…..
APPLICATION:
It is easy for us to preach, or teach, or sing our praises, or pray beautiful and sanctimonious prayers – all around church and other Christians, but would we get slightly timid doing that in a public arena? How about when we know that the enemy, or opposition is present? Are we still ‘bold’ in our witness, speech or conduct? This Scripture tells us that Peter stood to speak, filled with the Holy Spirit. I believe this is the key to all of the scenarios I just prompted you to think of. You might respond that you have been filled with the Spirit from the day you were saved. To which I would challenge you to consider: What, then, holds you back from a bold public witness? Friends, I am convinced that what this means, is that Peter, a holy man of God, pleaded before the throne for grace to stand and speak boldly that day to anyone that might ask about the strength and power that resided inside of him. In response, the Holy Spirit anointed him with an extra unction of the Holy Spirit, to do the job, and speak the necessary words in support of Christ before leaders who refused to accept, or honor our Lord and Savior. Friends, did you realize that without that indwelling Holy Spirit in us, we too might look on the Peter’s and John’s of today and comment similarly to the Jews? For I believe that each of us must be so in-tuned with God that our spirit might mesh with the Holy Spirit’s presence and work around us, otherwise we tend to look at the individual and judge them based on what we know the capacity of individuals are. I believe that for God’s work to be accomplished in and through individuals and churches today, Christians must strive to be filled, and refilled with the Holy Spirit each day, for we will either be used of God to speak and work boldly into the lives of the unsaved, or we will affirm the work that the Holy Spirit is already doing in the lives of the unsaved through the humblest of men and women, even those that we would ordinarily brush aside as illiterate or uneducated. Let me encourage each of you reading this devotional today to speak with the Master about how He might use you – yes, even you, to speak truth into the lives of those that you come into contact with. Friends, it’s folk like us that the Almighty can use to reach other folk just like us! Let Him do that, won’t you?
PRAYER:
Lord, please have Your way in the lives of believers today, and please work mightily in preparing the hearts of individuals that we will come into contact with that need a touch from You. In our Scripture today, it was a lame man that needed help. Today only You know the spiritual condition of the hearts we will touch in some way. May it be a positive experience in which Your Holy Spirit might draw these ones to You, for this is my humble and desperate plea to You today. AMEN!
FOOTNOTE:
There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please 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 Nuggets From God’s Word 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!

Preconceived Ideas vs Faith

On 2017-12-21 By Ed AlgreenIn Evidence of Faith, Faith, Faith in Action, Faithful, Faithfulness, Genuine Faith, ObedienceLeave a comment

Post Date:	Thursday, 2017-12-21
SCRIPTURE
From:	2 Kings 5:11-12 (ERV)
Text:	¹¹Naaman became angry and left. He said, “I thought Elisha would at least come out and stand in front of me and call on the name of the Lord his God. I thought he would wave his hand over my body and heal the leprosy. ¹²Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, are better than all the water in Israel. Why can’t I wash in those rivers in Damascus and become clean?” He was very angry and turned to leave.
OBSERVATION:
Naaman was a very important man to the king of Aram, for he was the captain of his army. However having a terrible skin disease caused Naaman to seek after help. He was told that there was a man in Israel who could heal him, but because of his elevated status, he had his king send a letter to the king of Israel, commanding that Naaman be healed. To Naaman’s surprise he was referred to a simple prophet, Elisha, who treated him like any other citizen, and sent his servant out to Naaman to tell him what to do to be healed. Let’s compare what happens next with what we might expect to do in a scenario like that.
APPLICATION:
Like Naaman, I believe that we often have our preconceived ideas about how life happens, and how each process should happen as we work towards the results we want. Whats sometimes challenging to deal with, is that we will encounter different opinions for each person you chat with about the problem you are having. I believe that Naaman’s pride came into play when Elisha sent his servant out to give Naaman the word on what he needed to do. After all, he was an important man, and now he was being treated like any other human being by Elisha. From that, it seems like Naaman’s attitude went south. In verse 11, we read about the contrary thoughts Naaman had about Elisha and his commands. In fact, if it was up to him (Naaman), there would have been some different ways of handling the same orders given by Elisha! What about us friends? Aren’t we the same way, in wanting to put our own little twists to things? Now I agree that we will never expect to see different results by doing things the same way that we’ve always done it, yet there are times that we could totally disrupt the spirit of all accomplishments by changing things just to have our name attached to it. Often what happens to churches is that they take their eyes off Jesus and start to look at what they think will make them different to the church next door. Friends, let’s stay true to the Word of God, let’s seek to follow Jesus in all that we do and lets be ready to praise God for His blessings on us. Naaman would not have been near as upset if he had followed the commands given by God’s messenger without a lot of questioning and suggesting. The same is true for us. Obedience to the will of God brings answers from the heart of God.
PRAYER:
Thank You Lord for Your blessings on me! Lord, please speak to the hearts of my friends and I as we meditate on this devotional today. Please fill us with the will to obey, without questioning, so that we may place total faith and trust in You and Your commands. For I ask these things in the precious name of Jesus, AMEN!
FOOTNOTE:
There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please 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 Nuggets From God’s Word 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!

A Community of Believers

On 2017-12-20 By Ed AlgreenIn Church, Humble, Humbleness, Humility, Salvation, Saved, The ChurchLeave a comment

Post Date:	Wednesday, 2017-12-20
SCRIPTURE
From:	Acts 2:42-44 (ERV)
Text:	⁴²The believers spent their time listening to the teaching of the apostles. They shared everything with each other. They ate together and prayed together. ⁴³Many wonders and miraculous signs were happening through the apostles, and everyone felt great respect for God. ⁴⁴All the believers stayed together and shared everything.
OBSERVATION:
Peter and the apostles taught the Word of God and many were saved. At one time over 3,000 joined the church in one day. I believe that these verses may hold the secret, or the key to the reason for the success in these services that started at Pentecost. I wonder if this could be repeated today? I wonder why there was such success? Let’s dig in and have a look…
APPLICATION:
I believe the biggest divide in churches today is probably caused by a few things: 1). Satan is determined to slow, or stop the work of the Holy Spirit and the advancement of God’s kingdom here on earth. 2). Riches and favoritism is probably one of the greatest divides in churches, for the affluent wants what they want, when they want it, or they will stop financially supporting the church and move to another one. This can even affect what is spoken from the pulpit, as the last thing some pastors want, is to ‘step on the toes’ of those that places food on the church family’s table. 3). The less affluent will soon feel left out, or abandoned, or ignored, and will move to a church where they feel like the love of God is extended to all attendees or members. As for this church referred to in these verses, everyone sold what they had and placed the money in a common account for the good of the whole congregation. Going before the throne of grace at that time, then meant that they were all equal in earthly things. It meant that they all went to God with their hands held out, waiting for His blessing and provision. It meant that anything achieved could only come from God. Can you imagine how humbling that would be today if everyone was in the same position when they stood before God? What impact do you suppose this would have on: our pride; our humbleness; our understanding and appreciation of each other; and our ability to feel what others are feeling outside of our group? I believe it will make all the difference in the world, and I believe that it will open our eyes to what it will be like when we stand before Jesus on Judgment Day. Perhaps despondent people will then flock to our churches, and to Christ. No matter how much money we ask our family to pack into our casket with us, we will stand before Christ just as we came into the world – of no earthly value. Perhaps we could learn today to reconsider our attitude toward others, and especially humble ourselves before Jesus as just another sinner saved by grace. If you have not surrendered your life to Jesus Christ yet, may I encourage you to make that a priority today? This may be the last opportunity you will have to approach Him from here on earth, and I really want you to be ready, friend.
PRAYER:
Lord, You used Your servants to minister to Your children gathered for that first Pentecost meeting recorded above. I believe that You are just as concerned for Your children today, and that You want them to be saved and/or encouraged to humble themselves before You just as they are. Thank You for opening our eyes today dear Lord, and thank You for giving us a second chance to rid ourselves of pride and all unrighteousness. Please make us holy, even as You are holy. AMEN!
FOOTNOTE:
There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please 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 Nuggets From God’s Word 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!

The Greatest Gift Ever Given!

On 2017-12-192017-12-19 By Ed AlgreenIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

Post Date:	Tuesday, 2017-12-19
SCRIPTURE
From:	Acts 2:38-39 (ERV)
Text:	³⁸Peter said to them, “Change your hearts and lives and be baptized, each one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ. Then God will forgive your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. ³⁹This promise is for you. It is also for your children and for the people who are far away. It is for everyone the Lord our God calls to himself.”
OBSERVATION:
Peter had the attention of the Jews visiting from all over the world. They had just witnessed the working of the Holy Spirit in the believers gathered for Pentecost, and Peter wanted them to know that this same Holy Spirit was also available to them, and to anyone else who would change their hearts and seek a relationship with the Savior of the world, Jesus Christ. This same ‘Gift’ of God is available still today, so lets see more about how this all works….
APPLICATION:
Around this time of the year, if we hear the word ‘gift’, we automatically assume that it must be something under the Christmas Tree. However, this ‘Gift’ that Peter refers to, is one that it available 365 days a year, or until God calls you out of this world. Notice I didn’t say ‘until God calls you home’, because He will never barge into your life. IF you surrender your life to Him and to His control, He will enter your heart and fill you with His Holy Spirit. You will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit to guide, protect, love and care for you all of your days here on earth, and then top that off with having you join Him and His father (God) in heaven for eternity! Should you decide to continue trying to do life alone, then God will not force the issue. I’m sure He will be disappointed and hurt, that after all He did for you in sacrificing His own life for you, so that you may have the means of being with Him eternally, now for you to turn your head on Him and settle for second best, this would hurt Him beyond anything we could explain or understand. Friends, I’m sure that this type of love and sacrifice shown by Jesus, is greater than anything you could imagine, but I am encouraging you today to have faith in this story, because millions have come and gone, but there’s still room for more, yes, there’s room at the cross for you. It’s up to you friend. It’s your turn. God is waiting to bless you with His greatest Gift this Christmas. Will you accept that gift?
PRAYER:
I am eternally thankful Lord, for the day that You spoke to my heart and drew me to Yourself. I am also eternally thankful for the Gift you gave in that stable in Bethlehem to the humble earthly parents – Joseph and Mary. Because of that Gift, I can call You Father, Deliverer, Everlasting Master and Lord. Thank You Heavenly Father. Amen!
FOOTNOTE:
There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please 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 Nuggets From God’s Word 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!