I Want To Be Just Like You!

On 2018-03-312018-03-31 By Ed AlgreenIn Example of Christ, Genuine example of Jesus, Godly exampleLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE FROM: Romans 7:24-25 (Voice)

TEXT: ²⁴I am absolutely miserable! Is there anyone who can free me from this body where sin and death reign so supremely? ²⁵I am thankful to God for the freedom that comes through our Lord Jesus, the Anointed One! So on the one hand, I devotedly serve God’s law with my mind; but on the other hand, with my flesh, I serve the principle of sin.

OBSERVATION: Paul arrived at a time that he had a conversation with God about how he really felt his life was going. He knew that he wanted to follow Christ wholeheartedly, like many of us, but he was frustrated with himself because he kept finding himself struggling from doing what he was determined to do. In fact, he was often swayed into sin, which is totally opposite from his goal. Since this is so much like us today, I thought we could take time to sort this out and look at ways that might help us stay on track for God.

APPLICATION: Have you heard it said that the Holy Spirit could leave some churches and it may take a while for members to even notice that He did? Well that may sound a bit funny to some, but when we remember that the church is made up with folk like you and I, then I believe that saying becomes a lot more personal. I believe that the bottom line is for us to stop and think about the type of relationship we have with the Lord Jesus Christ. Obviously Paul had an intimate relationship with God, yet he got to a point where he felt like he had lost touch with Jesus, and that sin was having it’s better way with him. So let’s also consider how we might stay closer to God, and how we might be more obedient to the Holy Spirit that dwells withing us. My mind went onto times that I’m on a diet. I am more convinced then than ever that I should stay clear of sweets, yet if offered ice cream or cheesecake-flan I would probably take a small bit of it. No longer than I start eating it, I start chastening myself for cheating. Similarly, because I have a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, and through His help, I have certain disciplines around Bible Study and being faithful to opportunities at church to learn more about Him, and to draw closer to Him through other believers. When I miss any of these opportunities, or especially if I miss my personal Bible Study, I feel like I have cheated on God, or at least shorted myself of quality time together. Friends, we will speak and act from what our heart is filled with. I pray that each one reading this blog might say like myself, that our desire is to be so filled with the goodness, wisdom and love of Jesus, that we might often be mistaken for Him. There’s a song entitled ‘I want to be just like you’, and I often pray that God would give me the strength and fortitude to sing that song as I talk with Him and walk with Him each day!

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank You for showing us the way to walk and talk ‘just like You’. Lord You are awesome in every way, and You have welcomed our desire to draw close to You and be like You. Please help us to set priorities for getting into Your Word so that we could learn more about You and also hear responses to our prayers. Please give us boldness in our walk and steadiness in our desire to live for You every day of our lives, so that we may set an example for others to follow. Thank You Heavenly Father! Thank You 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 Sebring, 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!

Free Gift!

On 2018-03-302018-03-30 By Ed AlgreenIn Easter, Gift, Ressurrection, SalvationLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE FROM: Romans 6:20-23 (NLT)

TEXT: ²⁰When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the obligation to do right. ²¹And what was the result? You are now ashamed of the things you used to do, things that end in eternal doom. ²²But now you are free from the power of sin and have become slaves of God. Now you do those things that lead to holiness and result in eternal life. ²³For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.

OBSERVATION: Paul relays to the church that there is a different mindset and a different lifestyle when one is transformed from the kingdom of darkness. Old values fade away, and a new life in Christ begins, with new values such as holiness that causes you to be ashamed of the old life that you once lived. There is a freedom that comes with your new life, that causes you to become slaves of God, as you quickly realize that He offers the free gift of eternal life through His Son, Jesus Christ.

APPLICATION: Paul found in his day that believers needed reminding of the world from which they came, and this was such a key point to them that he assured them that they don’t even want to think about it, because it makes them ashamed. This however, reminds the Christian of where our neighbors, family and friends might be at in their lives, and therefore give us a deeper yearning to share the Word of God with them. Friends, in verse 21 we are told that the end for the unbeliever is eternal doom. Is that what we want for those we love? I pray that this lesson today may be a reminder that time is short before the Lord returns to take His church home to glory. We have friends and family who are destined for hell – eternal doom; are we OK with that? As we celebrate this Easter, and the new life we have in our risen Lord, may we be careful to pray for those who are still deeply involved in sin and struggling to see the light and hope that we have in the glory of Easter and our risen Lord. This is a great time to encourage our loved ones to attend church with us, so let’s show them that we care, and pray earnestly for them that God will open their hearts to hear the truths of His Word this weekend.

PRAYER: Lord, in the same way that we would be seriously upset over a neighbor or some other friend perishing in a fire, please make us just as upset in knowing that they have not accepted You as their Lord and Savior, for both brings death. Easter celebrations is all about You, our risen Lord. But please make us ever mindful of the new life the sinner might have in knowing You as their personal Lord and Savior. May this truly be a Resurrection Sunday for many who are lost in the darkness of sin and need You as their Risen Savior. AMEN!

The Greatest Love Ever Shown For Us

On 2018-03-282018-03-28 By Ed AlgreenIn Easter, Forgiven, LoveLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE FROM: Romans 5:6-9 (TLB)

TEXT: ⁶When we were utterly helpless, with no way of escape, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners who had no use for him. ⁷Even if we were good, we really wouldn’t expect anyone to die for us, though, of course, that might be barely possible. ⁸But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. ⁹And since by his blood he did all this for us as sinners, how much more will he do for us now that he has declared us not guilty? Now he will save us from all of God’s wrath to come.

OBSERVATION: The real story of this week ending with the joyous celebration of Easter – the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, is all revealed in these few verses. For last Sunday we celebrated the awesome, sinless Son of God entering into a city filled with sin and with no hope. Yet by the end of the week Christ had risen from the dead for sinners just like those who had mocked Him, those who had lied and convicted Him, those who judged Him, those who led Him up to the hill of Golgotha, those who stood by and mocked Him as He was crucified, and for those who nailed Him to a cross and crucified Him.

APPLICATION: Our verses remind us that it would be extremely challenging to find someone willing to put their life on the line for us, even if we were very close to them. But just so that we may best understand the Scripture here, let’s think of someone you have really been mean to, or perhaps even fought with verbally or physically. In fact you really feel like they may even hate you. However, one day you receive a call and although you don’t recognize the voice on the other end, they seem to be sobbing and very distressed, as they ask you to urgently come and help them out of a very dangerous situation. You determine that it’s the person that always opposed you and fought with you, and it sounds like you would have to put your life on the line in order to help them. What would you do? God had a very similar scenario to deal with, for He created perfect human beings, to be the smartest and most loving species He had made. However, Satan had found his way into their lives, and they were totally sold on all the parties and sinful things that Satan made so appealing to them. In fact, they would seldom think of attending church anymore, because they were so involved in all of the joys that Satan made possible for them. Saints on earth had given up on them because of the hopelessness they saw in them, and they were convinced that Hell was the only option for them. HOWEVER, in steps Jesus, and He says to you in a very convincing and loving manner “It’s OK my child, I once gave my life for people just like that, and because of their desperate plea for forgiveness and help, I have just washed them as white as snow. The sin you once saw in them have been washed into the sea of forgetfulness, and because of the blood that I shed on Calvary, they have been made eternally fit for the Kingdom of God”! Friends, this illustrates the forgiveness that is now possible since that first Good Friday when Jesus hung on the cross and died for us. We can now go to Him for the forgiveness of our sin, and rejoice in the risen Lord, that we celebrate at Easter. He lives my friends! You ask me how I know He lives, He lives within my heart! Today you may fit in with the crowd that nailed Jesus to the cross. But friends, my prayer is that your heart might become tender this weekend and you may say ‘YES’ to the repeated plea by Jesus, and that Sunday you can celebratewith Christians all over the world as we reflect on the joys of our risen Lord and King!

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, I am so thankful for all that you did for us at Calvary, for had it not been so, where would I have been today? Lord, You made it possible for sinners to seek forgiveness and live in the new life that You offer to all those who could do nothing for themselves. I live in a community where statistics show that only about 30% of the population is churched. No, I’m not in a distant land where the Word of God has not been openly shared with everyone, I live in a small county in central Florida, in the United States. This means that people have heard the Word, and chosen instead to live life unassuming but very consumed in sin. Oh Lord, please catch hold of the stubborn hearts and show them a glimpse of Heaven this weekend. May we see many surrender their lives to the New Life that only You can offer – Eternal Life! AMEN!

The Promises of God

On 2018-03-262018-03-26 By Ed AlgreenIn Easter, Forgiveness, Sacrifice, SalvationLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE FROM: Romans 4:23-25 (TLB)

TEXT: ²³Now this wonderful statement—that he was accepted and approved through his faith—wasn’t just for Abraham’s benefit. ²⁴It was for us, too, assuring us that God will accept us in the same way he accepted Abraham—when we believe the promises of God who brought back Jesus our Lord from the dead. ²⁵He died for our sins and rose again to make us right with God, filling us with God’s goodness.

OBSERVATION: Abraham was blessed, and he benefited from the wonderful gifts of God when God blessed he and Sarah with a child in their old age. Paul wants us to know through this Scripture today that God’s grace is all sufficient for His children today, if we would trust in the very One whose death and resurrection we believe in, and celebrate this very week on our church calendars.

APPLICATION: The Scripture today is probably one of the most important ones that we could have come across, especially at this time of the year. For centuries churches have celebrated Holy Week, with the Good Friday and Easter weekend being only second to that of Christmas. On Good Friday we remember the death of Jesus Christ, as recorded in the Bible. For those who have not yet accepted Jesus as Lord of their life, or you’ve been playing around with the relationship that you once started with Jesus, let me remind you that the only reason Jesus died on that cross at Calvary was to satisfy your sin and the sins of mankind. Are you rejecting His sacrifice and turning your head to the sacrifice that someone (Jesus) made just for you? Please take the opportunity this Easter weekend to accept the gift of eternal life, through the forgiveness of your sin, offered through the death of Jesus on the cross. The Bible says in verse 24 above, that God brought Jesus back to life on the 3rd day, signifying that He made Abraham, and us (His born again saints of God) right with His Father (God). Friends, that was quite a sacrifice that Jesus made, just for the sin of mankind. Will you reconsider and accept that gift this week? Easter will bring a fresh encounter for you as you join other saints in worshiping and praising the risen Lord next weekend!

PRAYER: Lord, Your love is beyond anything mankind can imagine. Our Scripture reminds us today of the extent of Your love, and the sacrifice You made to demonstrate that love to us. Never before, and never again will we be blessed with such love and such awesome gifts. Please forgive us when we are unappreciative and reject Your offer of salvation. Lord we offer ourselves to You in return for Your gracious gifts, and we look forward in great anticipation to the day when we see You face to face! What a day that will be! AMEN!

How Evil People are Made Right

On 2018-03-242018-03-24 By Ed AlgreenIn Acceptance, Forgiveness, RighteousnessLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE FROM: Romans 4:5-8 (ERV)

TEXT: ⁵…. people cannot do any work that will make them right with God. So they must trust in him. Then he accepts their faith, and that makes them right with him. He is the one who makes even evil people right. ⁶David said the same thing when he was talking about the blessing people have when God accepts them as good without looking at what they have done:

⁷“It is a great blessing when people are forgiven for the wrongs they have done, when their sins are erased!
⁸It is a great blessing when the Lord accepts people as if they are without sin!”

OBSERVATION: Paul addressed the church as if they were looking down their noses at people who were not just like them, especially those known for their evil deeds, or who were not Jews. He reminded them that there is nothing good that can be done to excuse the sins of mankind, but there is ONE who can forgive them of their sin and make them right with God! I believe that we could probably do with Paul preaching that sermon in some of our churches today, because it is still very easy for us to think that we belong to an exclusive club and others are just too evil to ever make it in. Let’s look closer at this…

APPLICATION: I believe that it’s Scripture like this that causes us to do a system-wide check-up! I really don’t believe in coincidences when it comes to God’s Holy Word. For if He took us to this Scripture, and He causes a Brother to share his heart on the matter, then God probably wants us to stop, listen, meditate, analyze our current situation personally and as a church, and act on what God is teaching or instructing us to do. You see, there are huge percentages of people in our own cities – family, neighbors, friends or acquaintances, that do not attend church. Did we look down our noses one too many times that they felt intimated by, or unwanted in, our cliques at church? Or perhaps unministered to because they are not the same color or race as us, or live their lives differently to what we consider acceptable? May I just remind those who know the Lord, about the clear facts of what our condition was before we met Jesus? I want you to reflect back to your condition before Christ, and compare that to the holy Son of God, not to those friends who are not attending church. Now, do you see any reason why God should have accepted you into His kingdom? Then why do we find it impossible to minister to those I referenced above from our communities? Friends, Jesus is coming again, and I believe that it will be soon. What will you say to Him when asked about the absence of your circle of family, friends, coworkers and loved ones?

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, we are such a blessed people. When we think of the love You poured out for us, when You took into account all the sin of this world, and still You went to the cross anyway, so that we might have the opportunity of becoming right with the Father. Thank You, thank You Heavenly Father for sacrificing Your only Son to prove Your love for us. Please help us to show our love for You and our circle of influence, by sharing Your Word with them so that they also may come to know You in a very personal way. Oh that I may make Psalm 32:2 a daily part of my celebration: ‘It is a great blessing when the Lord accepts people as if they are without sin!’. Thank You Jesus! AMEN!

The Law vs Salvation

On 2018-03-23 By Ed AlgreenIn SalvationLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE FROM: Romans 3:19-20 (VOICE)

TEXT: ¹⁹We want to be clear that whatever the law says, it says to everyone who is under its authority. Its purpose is to muzzle every mouth, to silence idle talk, and to bring the whole world under the standard of God’s justice. ²⁰Therefore, doing what the law prescribes will not make anyone right in the eyes of God—that’s not its purpose—but the law is capable of exposing the true nature of sin.

OBSERVATION: Paul was dealing with the same thing that we still hear today…. I know that God will allow my dad into heaven, because he is truly a good all around man. He loves his family, gets along with his neighbors and he is a true example of all the law expects from anyone. It sounds like am image was drawn of a ‘good’ man according to his obedience of the laws of the land and what mankind has defined in their minds. But is that really all that’s necessary to enter the kingdom of God?

APPLICATION: The law of the land may dictate that: the speed limit on Main Street USA is 30 MPH. Obedience of that law will stop the cops from pulling you over, vs disobedience costing you up to $200 for a speeding ticket. There are a multitude of laws in the Old Testament, and some people choose some of those laws to ‘hang their hats on’ and insist on following them. Friends may look at these people as being kind of weird for following such traditional laws, but they can be praised for being so disciplined and motivated to obey rules that God may have dictated for His rulers and saints of old, because they had no other guidance for right living. However, in light of what God expects of us today, based on what He did for us at Calvary, does that obedience of law have anything to do with the divide between us and our Father? Absolutely not, for the Word is clear, that ‘Whosoever believes on the Son of God will have everlasting life’. Now friends, I am sure that God would delight in His born again saints today, if they studied the laws He gave to His Old Testament saints, and if they try to live according to the laws that still make sense today. But know that Your relationship with Jesus Christ is the deciding factor for allowing you into Heaven. Following the laws of the Old Testament may very well give you good principles to follow in life, but they have no saving grace associated with them. Studying the Old Testament is an excellent way of learning the ways of God and understanding those things that please Him and/or upset Him. It’s an awesome way of seeing the awesome power of God through the many miracles He performed through His prophets there. But at the end of the day, we walk away identifying the good deeds of some versus the bad deeds of many. We’re able to identify that, by comparing what they did vs the law established for them. And afterwards, we are no closer to heaven than when we first started, for the Word of God goes on to tell us how, because of our sin, God sent us Jesus – the only means by which we might be saved from our sin, and through whom we might know that we have eternal life with the Father, Son and Holy Ghost in heaven. Where are you at today friend? Do you know from the laws of God that you’re a pretty good person, or do you have a personal, intimate relationship with the King of all kings and Lord of all lords, Jesus Christ? Without the latter relationship you might obey the laws of God, yet never see the glories of Heaven. Don’t risk that my friend.

PRAYER: Thank You Jesus for saving my soul, that You Lord for making me whole, thank you Lord for giving to me, Thy great salvation – so rich and free! Oh what a Savior! For You came to fulfill the many laws that You laid our for Your children to follow, and because of that we can look forward to the glories of heaven with You and the Father one day! Thank You precious Lord. Please use this devotional to bring You glory through touching the lives of those who read this and whose eyes are opened to the truths of Your Word. I ask these things humbly and with great expectation, AMEN!

God’s Unconditional Promises

On 2018-03-21 By Ed AlgreenIn Promise, Unconditional, Unconditional loveLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE FROM: Romans 3:2-4 (TLB)

TEXT: ²….. First of all, God trusted them with his laws so that they could know and do his will. ³True, some of them were unfaithful, but just because they broke their promises to God, does that mean God will break his promises? ⁴Of course not! Though everyone else in the world is a liar, God is not. Do you remember what the book of Psalms says about this? That God’s words will always prove true and right, no matter who questions them.

OBSERVATION: It seems obvious that Paul had received word that the community was questioning how God could possibly trust the Jews with His Word, when some of them were so unfaithful, and they even break God’s commands at times. In response to these accusations, Paul takes us back to something that the Psalmist declared in Psalm 51:4, that I believe is still very true today: ‘God’s words will always prove true‘!

APPLICATION: Most churches will show you from their bylaws that they were formed because of various Scripture passages that spoke to the hearts of their founding fathers. Hopefully many of us surrendered our hearts to the lordship of Jesus Christ, because of various Scripture verses that spoke to us and resulted in Jesus calling us to repentance. So when we hear grumblings about our respective churches – sometimes because a church member or leader was weakened by sin, do you suppose that does anything towards weakening the church, that God built with His hands and promised to bless it?How does it impact your walk with the Lord, dear Christian? Yet we often hear that a good friend will not attend a certain church if Mr. X still goes there, or we might hear that someone’s children is not allowed to associate with Mr. X’s kids because of what he did 15 years ago. Friends, I’m afraid that these types of silly things like I mentioned, happens all too often. Is it not obvious that we take our eyes off the one thing that is constant and forever true, and instead allow the weaknesses of another Brother or Sister to interfere with our walk with the Lord? May I remind you that in another part of the Bible, we are told to pull up alongside that Brother or Sister who has sinned, and try to help them overcome their challenges, for one day we might be in the same weakened position and need a helping hand. The basic truth that I pray God will give us for a takeaway today, is that His Word never fails, even if we do, or our neighbor next door does. So may I encourage you to stand on the promises of God, not the weaknesses of mankind. Be reminded that although a fellow church member may have shifted their friendship to someone else, you can still stand firm in the fact that Jesus said that He will never leave us alone, and that His love endures right up until the end of time. Those are the facts that you can trust friends, everything else that happens between humans are merely incidental, or can be viewed as opportunities for you to minister to them, with the help and leadership of the One who promised to love them in spite of their mistakes.

PRAYER: In deepest appreciation and love, I am overjoyed and honored to pray to the Creator of this universe and of you and I. In fact to the One who promised to love me until the very end – no conditions. Lord may each one reading this devotional today recommit themselves to a direct relationship with You – the only One that has promised to stick closer than a brother, and love us unconditionally until the very end. As we do that, please help us to ignore the ‘white noise’ of Satan and his cohorts who try every day to distract our relationship with You, through fixing our eyes on individuals who struggle in life, just as we do at times. Teach us to be the image of Jesus to them, while keeping our eyes fixed on You and Your unrelenting love for us throughout this world and the next. I love You Lord, and I lift my voice, heart and song to You in praise this day, AMEN!

Jesus Can Calm The Storms of Your Life

On 2018-03-202018-03-20 By Ed AlgreenIn Caring, God Cares For Us, Jesus Loves youLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE FROM: Mark 4:38-40 (ERV)

TEXT: ³⁸ ….. “Teacher, don’t you care about us? …..” ³⁹Jesus stood up and gave a command to the wind and the water. He said, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind stopped, and the lake became calm. ⁴⁰He said to his followers, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

OBSERVATION: In our verses, the disciples were frightened by the storms all around them, for the waves were much bigger, and more powerful than their boat. Furthermore they had responsibility of keeping the Savior of the world safe, and they weren’t sure how much longer they could do that. However, after they woke Jesus up from His nap, He calmly stood and beckoned to the waters, that His Father had created, to quiet down and be still. Read the Application to see how this might apply to other storms we have in life.

APPLICATION: There are times that we feel like we are in a storm that’s way beyond our understanding or ability to overcome, and we call out to Jesus, knowing that He is the only one who could help us through our storm, or He may even calm our storm for us. In our Scripture, the storm was at sea, and these storms still occur – so some may still call on Jesus to protect them from the angry waves and the boisterous winds. However, for some of us, our overwhelming storms of life might involve work; financial; family; friends; medical issues; or even loved ones who need more care than you can offer them. These are times that we feel like the overwhelming waters are about to flood over our heads, and we need help. But from whom? For relatives and friends are just as bad, or even worse than us. Friends, let me remind you that just as Jesus used His supernatural power to reach out and calm the powerful waters, He can also reach out and calm you down on the issues you feel so overwhelmed with. He may not see the need to make you a millionaire, but He can place the funds at your disposal to meet your needs. He may not do exactly what you ask, in the same fashion as the way you want it to happen, but He knows what’s even better for us. May I encourage you to know my Jesus personally, so that He will recognize the sound of His ‘sheep’ when we have the need to call on Him? May I suggest that you start depending on Jesus for small and large ‘waves’ or struggles in life. Call upon Him while He is near my friend. He’s still God, He will love you without limits, and He still hears our cry for help even today.

PRAYER: Dear God, we are lost without you, just as the disciples were , when they began to feel overwhelmed by the waves hitting their boat that night on the Sea of Galilee. So many times in life today we feel like the waves of doubt; overwhelming financial issues; or just the stress of so many health challenges are about to consume us… but then we remember the God who created these things that worry us, and we remember that He loved us so much that He sent His very own Son to rescue us from a world of sin. Then we come to our senses and recognize that we are loved beyond anything we could ever expect or deserve. Lord, may we be quick to surrender our cares and concerns to You and allow You to calm our ‘stormy seas’ – our worrying minds and our overwhelmed spirits, so that You – the only One who can, will resume charge and calm us to do Your work under the power and authority of the Holy Spirit. Lord, have Your will and way in our lives today, AMEN!

Our God – Loving, But Also Just

On 2018-03-172018-03-17 By Ed AlgreenIn Correction, direction, Discipline, Disciplined, Spiritual CorrectionLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE FROM: 2 Chronicles 36:15-17 (NCV)

TEXT: ¹⁵The Lord, the God of their ancestors, sent prophets again and again to warn his people, because he had pity on them and on his Temple. ¹⁶But they made fun of God’s prophets and hated God’s messages. They refused to listen to the prophets until, finally, the Lord became so angry with his people that he could not be stopped. ¹⁷So God brought the king of Babylon to attack them. The king killed the young men even when they were in the Temple. He had no mercy on the young men or women, the old men or those who were sick. God handed all of them over to Nebuchadnezzar.

OBSERVATION: We can see right at the beginning how God showed His love in trying to do everything possible in order to get to the hearts of His children who were disobeying His commands. However, in verse 17 it is clear that God may have to punish at times, in order to get our attention. I know that we don’t like to concentrate on the bad, or the corrections, but that makes it no less real or effective in our lives. God knew what it took to get the attention of the Israelites, and He also knows what it takes for Him to work on you also, child of God.

APPLICATION: While at your favorite restaurant, you might look across the room and see a dad cuddling with his young son and enjoying some quality time with this child that he loves so much. Later during your visit, you hear a child screaming, and you look around only to see a mom taking her son outside, and you can only imagine what’s in store for that boy when he gets outside! Is that a representation of how a dad loves his child vs how a mom shows love to her child? I believe that most of you reading this devotional will understand that both the mom and dad showed equal love towards their children in the above scenario. However, most of the time that we hear about God, it is mostly about His awesome love and how good He is, which I totally endorse. However, let’s also remember that God established His Word to teach us about His commands and His teachings. He tells in His Word of the ways that He shows His love for us and, as in these verses chosen today, He also tells us what action He may bring on us if we are persistent in disobeying Him, or if we decide to follow our own desires and rules and ignore His. Friends, please know that God is known as a loving and just God. He showed His love for mankind by sending His very own Son to die on a cruel cross, just to display the extreme love that He has for us. However, please know that God also loves us enough to correct us. To draw our attention to the wrong we may be involved in. And He may use anyone or anything within His reach to effect our attitude, our obedience, or our love for Him and our fellow man. May I suggest that you speak with God when things are happening that may impact you and/or your world? See if He is trying to get your attention about something that you thought no one else knew about besides you. Remember, He brought in the king of Babylon to attack the Israelites and even kill off some of the people in the temple. Do you suppose there is a limit to what He might do to get your attention?

PRAYER: Lord, I believe that You show Your love for us in many, many ways. Often this may be through blessings that we enjoy every day. However, that will never get our attention to correct the wrongs that we do, so You are forced to discipline us in order to effectively change our course of action, and in order to draw us closer to You. Lord, may we be grateful in the good things that we are quick to acknowledge and give You praise for. However, please help us to recognize the steering currents that You use to change our course of direction that was leading us to disobedience or disrespect. Lord, may You be glorified in every way through us, and may God receive honor and glory from all things. AMEN!

Struggling Churches Need This

On 2018-03-162018-03-16 By Ed AlgreenIn Godly lives, How to Live, Leadership, Leadership qualifications, Lives ImpactedLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE FROM: 2 Chronicles 35:17-18 (TLB)

TEXT: ¹⁷Everyone present in Jerusalem took part in the Passover observance, and this was followed by the Feast of Unleavened Bread for the next seven days. ¹⁸Never since the time of Samuel the prophet had there been such a Passover—not one of the kings of Israel could vie with King Josiah in this respect, involving so many of the priests, Levites, and people from Jerusalem and from all parts of Judah, and from Israel.

OBSERVATION: It is interesting to note in these 2 verses how, under good leadership, the Israelites came to their senses, listened to their king, and followed him in worshiping the God of the universe for seven days as they celebrated the Passover. Something was different, but it worked. It encouraged them enough to participate willingly and honestly. Let’s look closer into how this happened, because we could definitely use more of this attitude and corporation today!

APPLICATION: There are so many churches that are either struggling to survive, or have already given up and closed their doors. However, there are flourishing churches that continue to grow almost weekly. Throughout the chapters leading up this one, we read where there were lots of issues and corrections by God, because the ruling kings did things that were not pleasing to God. However, at the very beginning of chapter 35 we are told that Josiah was a different kind of king, because he did what was pleasing to God. Friends, the same is true in business, we see where people will follow a good leader who is trying to grow themselves in their field of expertise, and develop good workers who will do the same. This benefits the company, who in turn, can develop more leaders and even better employees. But how does this benefit Christendom? How do we encourage the growth of the kingdom? I believe that it starts at the top. If our leaders are ‘on fire for the Lord’, then there is a chance in rekindling a fire in the pews. If our leaders are deep into the Word, and they make it a principal upon which they base their daily character and decision making, then what do you suppose the people who are following them will do? So my challenge today is for everyone who takes a leadership role in their company, or in their church. Will your followers be led astray based on whether you are growing; or by what you are saying; or by what you are doing? Without having to preach a sermon, do they have a clue where you stand with Christ? Will Jesus find you faithful, if He returns today to take His children home to glory? When God interviews those who worked for you or with you, do you suppose they saw enough of Jesus in you that it led them to seek Him personally? Jesus died, so that we may live eternally. The Bible is filled with examples of how Jesus lived a perfect life on earth. He is our mentor and our example. Please don’t allow any leader to lead you along a path contrary to God’s teachings. Remember, others are following you, and they want to see Jesus!

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for Jesus – the perfect Son of God. Thank You for showing us the way to live in a way that’s pleasing to You and that might also lead an unbeliever to the cross – to salvation. Please continue to guide us and direct our path each and every day. Please make us keenly aware of our character, especially when we are about to mess up. We want to be just like You Lord, so that others might follow the ways of Christ when they follow us. In love, humbleness, and much gratification we ask these things dear Lord, AMEN!

Nuggets From God's Word

Month: March 2018