That All May Know

On 2018-04-13 By Ed AlgreenIn Ask and Receive, Salvation, WorshipLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE FROM: Romans 11:25-26; 33-34 (TLB)

TEXT: ²⁵I want you to know about this truth from God, dear brothers, so that you will not feel proud and start bragging. Yes, it is true that some of the Jews have set themselves against the Gospel now, but this will last only until all of you Gentiles have come to Christ—those of you who will. ²⁶And then all Israel will be saved…..

³³Oh, what a wonderful God we have! How great are his wisdom and knowledge and riches! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his methods! ³⁴For who among us can know the mind of the Lord? ……

OBSERVATION: In our first few verses, Paul showed the people how God had turned some of the Jews off from the Gospel, so that the Gentiles would have a better opportunity of accepting Him. And although that was only temporary, it served the specific intention of God. In the latter verses Paul is celebrating the wisdom of God as he reflects back. Could this be what God is doing to the church today?

APPLICATION: As I meditate on the Word of God, it never ceases to amaze me on His great wisdom, and His awesome power to fulfill His Godly purpose. This particular Scripture has reminded me of a sad story that brought awesome results. Many years ago, my cousin, a young man about 35 years old, was electrocuted and fell to his death from a roadside electric pole. The mourning of that mother, my aunt, could be heard over most of the small town. However, before the sun set the following day, my dad (brother to the grieving mother) had surrendered his heart to Jesus! He then became a Godly influence to his five children until the day he died. What happened in this Scripture today, also reminds me an awful lot of America today, for it almost seems like the movement of Christ has been slowed down and possibly even dwindled some, and I wonder if it is not God dealing more intensely in the hearts of so many that are totally lost. I know, it doesn’t seem to make sense to you, right? Well friend, I hate to say it, but our wisdom is nothing compared to the wisdom of our awesome God. The Bible reminds us that His ways and thoughts are way beyond our own, so that tells me that I can’t possibly understand all that He is up to. However, I know from the Word that God made us all to worship and adore Him, yet we hate to look at the evening news for all of the crime and acts of hatred that fills our news portals, while churches are closing their doors because of non-attendance, lack of giving and leadership. Friends, we know that Jesus is coming back soon to collect His church. Can you even fathom how few will be taken up to glory with Him, compared to the huge population of earth? To the church, I would say with great urgency that people need the Lord. The Gentile population has grown, and unless we who are Christian, stand firm in our faith, lift up the banner of God so that the lost may recognize God in His greatness and accept Him as Lord, then there will be a massive divide on the day that Christ returns to take His bride away with Him. I have family and friends that I believe will be left behind if they remain unchanged. Assuming that many of you are in a similar position, I would encourage you to join me in praying to the God of this universe for a great movement upon our land. Oh that Jesus may rule and reign in our personal lives, our families, our churches, our communities and in our nations around the world. May the God of this universe become known as Everlasting King of this universe!

PRAYER: Lord You are good and Your mercies endureth forever! In our Scripture today, we are reminded that although You created us to worship You, there are few who meet to worship You. You created us in Your likeness hoping that we would live in similar fashion to Your example while here on earth, yet there are many who mock and scorn You and Your children, much like what occurred in times past. Lord, all of these denials are evident in spite of the many warning signs that were left as reminders for us of Your great power. Heavenly Father, please soften the hearts of Your children this weekend, so that Your churches may be filled to capacity with worshipers longing to draw close to their Creator, our Everlasting God. 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!

Purify Your Inner Life

On 2018-04-11 By Ed AlgreenIn Example, Example of Christ, Genuine example of Jesus, Godly example, True witnesses, Witness, WitnessingLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE FROM: James 4:7-10 (Msg)

TEXT: ^7-10So let God work his will in you. Yell a loud no to the Devil and watch him scamper. Say a quiet yes to God and he’ll be there in no time. Quit dabbling in sin. Purify your inner life. Quit playing the field. Hit bottom, and cry your eyes out. The fun and games are over. Get serious, really serious. Get down on your knees before the Master; it’s the only way you’ll get on your feet.

OBSERVATION: It appears like James may have been dealing with a group of believers just like many of us, where we accept Jesus as Lord, but still hang on to portions of the world that tickle our fancy. James declares that we will never get totally aligned with God as long as we are hanging on to our past and giving Satan his claim on portions of our life. Please read on as we discuss the seriousness of this matter…..

APPLICATION: I often compare marriage to our Christian life, for both involves total commitment to someone else. So with that in mind, imagine for a minute a young couple that marries, and after their honeymoon, you spot the groom at the movies with an old flame, and they are all over each other. After calling him several different names, you may stop and ponder what on earth is he trying to prove. For he married your best friend and has turned his back on her already….. So now switch to a friend with a new found relationship with God. Wouldn’t you advise them to daily seek God’s face as you try to know more about Him and His character? Wouldn’t it be important to remind them that the tempter will continue to knock at their door, but because of the strength and courage of the One who lives inside of them, they must quickly shoo Satan away, as they are not the man/woman that they used to be? It is so serious for your friend, and for each of us to quit playing the field. If we have truly surrendered our life to Jesus Christ, then leave the things of this world alone. Say a loud ‘NO’ to Satan and tell him outright that you’re a Jesus’ kid now, and your desire is to serve only Him, from this day forward, and depend on His strength to help you fight away every temptation.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, we are reminded again to be the person that looks most like our Creator, our Savior and our Lord. There are many who are struggling today, and many of these are Christians. Oh that they may see Jesus today because they have associated with us in some way. May they be drawn to Jesus, because of the difference they see that He has made in our lives, fellow believers. To God be the glory! AMEN!

What’s Your Role In the Plan?

On 2018-04-09 By Ed AlgreenIn True witnesses, Witness, WitnessingLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE FROM: Romans 10:13-15 (NLT)

TEXT: ¹³For “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” ¹⁴But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? ¹⁵And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, “How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!”

OBSERVATION: We are taught here that there is a process for someone to receive the Word of God and act on it, and as I read through it I pondered where you and I might fit into the various steps of getting God’s Word to the unsaved. Let’s look deeper into this….

APPLICATION: Let’s think back to the day we found Jesus. Do you remember the excitement that you felt in knowing the King of all kings and Lord of lords? To know the One who has promised to love you unconditionally for the rest of your life here on earth, then through the joys of heaven as you unite with God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit! Now, imagine keeping that all bottled up inside of you. Will you be able to contain yourself? Well, I don’t believe that God saved you to then force you onto a seat where you could sit, soak and sour. Throughout His Word, He teaches us to go and spread the Good News. So reflect on the verses and notice how someone is anxiously waiting to hear the Good News, if someone will tell them. In fact, they can’t believe in One that they’ve never heard of. I believe that this also means that they need to hear from someone who knows Christ personally and experientially, because they want to believe in someone who’s real. Friends, it’s through hearing the Word of God and your personal experience with Him, that one will come to know Him as Savior and Lord. You can play a vital role by simply sharing what you have. God’s love is given to share with others, not to keep it bottled up inside.

PRAYER: Lord, please touch the lives of my readers today that have accepted You as their Lord and Savior. Please give us all the opportunity to let the light of Jesus shine brightly through us today, so that all of our unsaved friends might hear about You, see You in action through us, and accept You as their personal Savior today. This is my humble prayer today, especially in light of the verses that we meditated on. Thank You Lord Jesus for being willing to use even us to help grow Your kingdom. AMEN!

‘Faith’ Is The Answer

On 2018-04-072018-04-07 By Ed AlgreenIn Believe, Know and Believe, SalvationLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE FROM: Romans 9:30-32 (TLB)

TEXT: ³⁰….. God has given the Gentiles the opportunity to be acquitted by faith, even though they had not been really seeking God. ³¹But the Jews, who tried so hard to get right with God by keeping his laws, never succeeded. ³²Why not? Because they were trying to be saved by keeping the law and being good instead of by depending on faith….

OBSERVATION: There was a wide divide between the Jews and the Gentiles in Paul’s day, and he made an effort to not only correct that divide, but also to help the Jews in truly understanding the Scriptures, even though they often boasted about how studious they were in the Scriptures. Because these were faithful men in obeying the law of God, I am often concerned for those who obey God’s command today by attending church, but never seeking God’s face and committing to a personal relationship with Him. Let’s dig deeper into this, because we can’t afford to be misguided in the truths of God’s Word.

APPLICATION: I once heard of a skilled acrobat that walked across the Niagara Falls on a tight rope/cable. On his returned trip, he pushed an empty wheelbarrow across the cable. No sooner than he hit solid ground, he was congratulated on how well he did and how skilled he truly was. So he felt compelled to offer one of his well wishers the opportunity to ride in the wheelbarrow for another trip across. But, of course, he quickly rejected the offer! Perhaps because his faith in the professional was not enough to trust his life in the hands of the acrobat! Is that why many have refused to invite Jesus into their lives, because they don’t have faith to believe that He would do what He promised in His Word? Friends, we are really backed into a corner on this. God says in His Word that there is only one way to be saved, or get to heaven, and that’s through surrendering your life over to His Son, Jesus Christ. God says that whoever believes in the Son of God will have life eternally with He and His Father. Conversely, if you don’t do this, and feel like you are good enough by not killing, nor stealing, nor breaking any of the other commandments, oh and you actually attend church at least once a month, then you should be allowed into heaven. NO, in man’s eyes you might be considered a good person, but in God’s eyes, unfortunately, you are just as loss as any other sinner on earth. Men would use the above illustrations as an indicator on whether we are dealing with a good man, or with a man you possibly may question. According to the Word of God, He looks at the redeemed of God and those without the Savior. In which group do you belong dear friend? Can you point to a time in your life where you knelt before the King of kings and Lord of lords, asked for forgiveness of your sin, and invited Jesus into your life to rule and reign until He returns to take us home to glory? If not, why not? Life could end for you today, just like it did for many yesterday – what will Jesus say to you, welcome home my child, or go away for I do not know you? Please use the link ‘To Know Jesus’ below in my Footnote, for more information on this, if need be.

PRAYER: Precious Lord, please don’t give up on us. You created us, You sent Your one and only Son to die a cruel death on a cross, so that through Him we might be saved from the sin and strife of planet earth. Yet we stand and proclaim that we know better than You. In fact, some teach that they can choose any part of Your Word and make your stand on it, then perhaps they would be saved. What a chance Your children are taking, for it would seem like it is much better to follow Your total Word completely; know for sure that you are saved; and that heaven is your eternal home with the Father Son and Holy Ghost. The alternative is like taking a chance to look good before men, knowing that your eternal home will be with Satan and his never ending lake of fire. The choice seems obvious dear friend, will you decide today to follow Jesus? I really want to see each of you in Heaven whenever God calls us home to Himself! Please don’t disappoint me, nor God, AMEN!

What’s The Difference?

On 2018-04-062018-04-06 By Ed AlgreenIn Bible Believing, Humble, Humbleness, Power of Prayer, Prayer, Reaching the LostLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE FROM: Nehemiah 9:3 (NLT)

TEXT: ³They remained standing in place for three hours while the Book of the Law of the Lord their God was read aloud to them. Then for three more hours they confessed their sins and worshiped the Lord their God.

OBSERVATION: The Israelites came to themselves, realized their hopeless condition, recognized that God was the only one that could help them, and they turned to God. What’s so different about them – and us?

APPLICATION: Just like the Israelites, I believe that we are plenty smart enough to recognize that we have no control of everything that is going on in this world in which we live. In fact, we should all recognize that we really don’t have full control of our own world – the surroundings in which we find ourselves every day. Yet, in our stubbornness we try to convince ourselves that there are many others out there much worse than us, so we can’t be that bad after all. Here are some things that I would suggest we stop to consider and pray about:

Our lost condition – I know, mom took you to church as a young child and she introduced you to the preacher. It sounded to you like he had everything under control, and he made it sound like God cares for you, so you have nothing to worry about! May I remind you friend, that the Word of God says that unless you have personally invited Jesus into your heart and life and believe on Him as your Lord and Savior, you are personally headed for a sinners’ Hell;
No time for church, Bible study or prayer – Notice that the Israelites spent a quarter of a day (3 hours) hearing from God, through the reading of His Word, and another 3 hours in prayer and worship. This was a great sacrifice from their day of work and/or family, but they made it a priority. Do you find time in your day to read God’s Word, pray, and worship your Father? At the end of each day, try bending your head in reverence before God and tell Him how none of that was a priority to you. If you then feel OK and able to sleep, then you are not yet ready to totally commit yourself to God;
Humbleness – Whenever we stop, listen to God and seek God’s face with humbleness of heart, we will recognize God for who He is, and be willing to listen to Him regarding who we are and who He wants us to be. Friend of God, we are to be His duplicate here on earth, so read His Word and learn the mind of Christ so that you will understand the character of our Lord. People need the Lord, not us.

PRAYER: O what a Savior! O what an example for us to follow! Thank You Lord for saving my soul, thank You Lord for making me whole, thank You Lord for giving to me, Thy great salvation, so rich and free! Thank You also dear God for providing examples of the Israelites as we read in today’s Scripture, for it serves as a wake-up call for us, for it opened our eyes to our weaknesses today, and led us to the cross to seek Your face in forgiveness. Lord, now use the words of Your servant to also touch the hearts of those that may read this devotional today. Speak to Your children Lord and draw them close to You. AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with 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!

The Greatest Love!

On 2018-04-042018-04-07 By Ed AlgreenIn Love, Love God, Love of God, The Father's Love, The love of God, Unconditional loveLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE FROM: Romans 8:38-39 (TLB)

TEXT: ³⁸ … I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from his love. Death can’t, and life can’t. The angels won’t, and all the powers of hell itself cannot keep God’s love away. Our fears for today, our worries about tomorrow, ³⁹or where we are—high above the sky, or in the deepest ocean—nothing will ever be able to separate us from the love of God demonstrated by our Lord Jesus Christ when he died for us.

OBSERVATION: It seems like Paul must have been dealing with accusations around the subject of how temporary the love of God is. No different to questions that might be asked today, I’m sure. So we should be prepared to respond to these questions anytime that we are faced with them as well. After all, as Christians, we promote the greatest love there ever was, by the greatest person that ever lived. So we should be ready to share the hope that lives within us at any time and with anyone who asks!

APPLICATION: If asked the name of our spouse; if we love them; and why do we love them; we will all have a quick response – and it wouldn’t matter if we were told that our response might be aired on public television, with the possibility of it going worldwide, I bet that we would all just share our heart very openly. And I believe that God and the world will congratulate us for doing so! Now, let’s assume that you are a faithful church attender and you were accused of serving a God who: only loves you when you’re good; will only look out for your good as long as you are paying your tithes; and who can only refer you to a doctor for your illnesses, because He has no healing power. What would you say? I’m not suggesting that you pull out the biggest Bible in the house and read multiple verses to this critic, although it may help if you had a few verses readily in mind that would support whatever you decide to answer. But friends, I believe that if we truly know God; have a personal relationship with Him; truly trust Him to do whatever we ask in His name; and we truly believe that He has an eternal home for us in heaven, then the personal words from our heart should flow forth like water. Believe me, there is nothing to be embarrassed or frightened about. When you speak from your heart, it is your personal response to a question. I can’t help but believe that if you are in the Word of God each day, trying to grow your relationship with our Savior, then I’m sure that God will do for you like He did for Paul, He will give you words of wisdom to share, that will not only speak to the heart of the person asking you questions, but will speak to those around, just as this Scripture is speaking to us today. Paul said that he was ‘convinced’ that nothing could separate him from the love of God! Are you convinced? May I suggest that church attendance alone may never convince you? Remember when dating, you may have attended many events that your girlfriend/boyfriend also attended, and it was good to see them, but it was not until you developed a personal relationship with them that you truly came to trust them; love them; and believe in them. I believe that your relationship with God is much the same way, and without that personal relationship, I’m not sure how you will defend the God that you serve. So create, or deepen your relationship with God today dear friend, it’s the Greatest Love ever known – one that you can easily defend!

PRAYER: My Jesus, my Savior, there is nothing like the love You have shown to me, nothing ever so sacrificial that has been demonstrated for me. Thank You Heavenly Father! Lord, please touch the hearts of each reader today. Draw them close to You. Never let them go. May they develop such a sweet communion with You that they will always have something to share with others about the deep, consistent love that lives inside of them. May others who know them, also know the greatest love in their life – the love of Jesus! AMEN!

In The Strength of The Holy Spirit

On 2018-04-032018-04-03 By Ed AlgreenIn Commitment, Committed, Totally committed, Unconditional commitmentLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE FROM: Romans 8:26-27 (ERV)

TEXT: ²⁶Also, the Spirit helps us. We are very weak, but the Spirit helps us with our weakness. We don’t know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit himself speaks to God for us. He begs God for us, speaking to him with feelings too deep for words. ²⁷God already knows our deepest thoughts. And he understands what the Spirit is saying, because the Spirit speaks for his people in the way that agrees with what God wants.

OBSERVATION: Throughout the New Testament we are reminded that we have an advocate that speaks to God on our behalf; We have a Savior who loves us so much that He suffered, bled and died on our behalf; and we sing an old gospel hymn ‘Nobody knows the trouble I’m in’. But Paul reminds us that the Spirit helps us in times like I just mentioned and even more.

APPLICATION: I wonder if you could think of a time when you were speechless before God? You know, the words would not come to you for the urgent prayer that you felt should be going up at that time. I’ve had at least one experience like that. I was taken to a larger city and hospital because of chest pains. Everything was aligned for a cardiac catheterization the next morning, and the many risks were thoroughly explained to me. I knew deep inside that only God could guide the sensitive hands of the physicians, and only He could calm my nerves and give me confidence, but my mind was confused and I just couldn’t concentrate on prayer. But to give you an idea of how awesome our God is: He not only provided His Holy Spirit to intercede on my behalf, but He also sent a friend 100 miles to pray with me that morning, relatives drove about 300 miles to pray with me, a pastor prayed for me over the phone, and I have a praying wife. I went through the test in great confidence, and the doctors were looking for excuses why a blockage seen the day before, no longer existed!! That’s how awesome our God is friends! I believe that it’s just like parenthood – when the Holy Spirit sees the need, He steps right in and meets the need on our behalf, just like any good parent would do. The question for each reader today is: ‘Do you know my Jesus?’; ‘Does the Holy Spirit live inside of you, as He does with believers?’; ‘Let me remind you that the Holy Spirit will not reside where sin abounds. He takes up residence in every believer’. Do you know Him, my friend? If you don’t. May I introduce you to my very best Friend; my Creator; my Savior; my Deliverer; and my Intercessor! Know Him and know peace. No Him and there will be no peace!

PRAYER: Father thank You for the Holy Spirit that You sent to live inside of me, and inside of other believers. For all my friends that may read this devotional today, but don’t know You as Lord, please speak intently to their heart today oh Lord, so that they might sense Your Holy Spirit, and concede to the will of the Father. That You Lord Jesus for doing just that to me many years ago, and for helping me stay on track ever since. I am determined to serve thee to the end, may others make that commitment to You today as well. AMEN!

Who Controls Your Thinking?

On 2018-04-022018-04-02 By Ed AlgreenIn Evidence of Faith, Faithful, Genuine Faith, The Mind of ChristLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE FROM: Romans 8:6-8 (ERV)

TEXT: ⁶If your thinking is controlled by your sinful self, there is spiritual death. But if your thinking is controlled by the Spirit, there is life and peace. ⁷Why is this true? Because anyone whose thinking is controlled by their sinful self is against God. They refuse to obey God’s law. And really they are not able to obey it. ⁸Those who are ruled by their sinful selves cannot please God.

OBSERVATION: Paul taught the church how they could know who their minds are controlled by, and that the determination of that will help them understand what their eternity will look like. This is still true today, so I wanted us to look closely into this and be reminded what our consequences could be.

APPLICATION: It seems like in today’s society, Paul might be labeled a psychologist, because of him evaluating what is going on in the mind! However, it is quite simple, for we were already told that God not only knows what we say and do, but also what we think. So with that in mind, let’s look at the two types of people we will come across, or that we will fit into:

Minds ‘controlled by your sinful self’ – Paul warned the church, and he is warning us, that those who are stuck on doing everything that self desires and dictates, and who wants nothing to do with Christ, will wind up in spiritual death (eternity in Hell). However,
Some are controlled by the Spirit – and we know this to be the case when we have surrendered our hearts to the Lord Jesus Christ, for He promised us that when we do, His Holy Spirit will come and reside inside of us. And for those whose minds are controlled by the Spirit, there is life (meaning life eternally in heaven with God) and peace (meaning peace with self and with God, because you belong to Him).

So each of us can determine who controls our minds, and each of us meditating on this devotional can evaluate what our destiny looks like. Are you pleased with yours? If not, and if you desire a prayer partner to help you deal with issues that might challenge you to change, please consult with your home church pastor, or drop me a note and I will be honored to pray with you.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, with a heart of thanksgiving, especially after being reminded this past weekend of all that You did for us on Calvary, we want to thank You for providing the means for us to live at peace here on earth, knowing that for those who’s mind is fixed on You, our day of celebration is just around the corner, as we see You face to face. Thank You Lord Jesus for being so good to us. May we be found faithful, is my humble plea! AMEN!

Nuggets From God's Word

Month: April 2018