Month: May 2018

UPLIFT, Not Tear Down

On By Ed AlgreenIn Blood of Jesus, SalvationLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE  FROM:   1 Corinthians 8:11-12 (TLB)

TEXT:  11 So because you “know it is all right to do it,” you will be responsible for causing great spiritual damage to a brother with a tender conscience for whom Christ died. 12 And it is a sin against Christ to sin against your brother by encouraging him to do something he thinks is wrong.

OBSERVATION:   Paul was actually addressing the subject of some followers finding guilt in eating certain foods prescribed in the Old Testament as ‘forbidden’, while some had heard Jesus say that nothing He made should be considered unclean. Therefore the latter group would often come across as smearing their new-found freedom in the faces of those who were still convicted of such eating to be a sin. While this may still be an issue today, I believe there are many other things that may work the same way, and we should therefore meditate on this for a moment….

APPLICATION:   We still have scenarios today where some believe that they could eat anything, based on the New Testament promise that anything God made and blessed is clean and good to eat. However there are some who are convinced that based on Old Testament teachings, and because Jesus said that He came to re-emphasize the former teachings and not tear down, then they should follow teachings such as the various foods mentioned that are forbid-able. Friends, we are talking about items here that have nothing to do with the path to heaven, but one group may easily feel like God will hold the other group responsible for disobeying his commands. I believe that if we are convinced in our hearts, the same heart where the Holy Spirit (God) resides to give us wisdom and direction in our earthly Christian walk and ministry, then we need to move on to the next subject, for there are many out there who have no idea who Jesus is, nor how sinful man can be reconciled with Him. That, my friend, is the gospel of Jesus Christ, and that is THE most important fact that we must follow, and in turn, share with those who are about to die and go straight to Hell. Yes, we should be passionate in discussing various philosophies and teachings that we hold close to our heart, but please friends, let’s return to placing the ‘main thing’ back into the mainstream of our witness and our preaching and teaching, for unless those who we come into contact with, know Jesus as Lord, they will die and go to Hell, whether they obey Old Testament teachings on certain food, or not. But let’s not misunderstand what Paul was teaching here in these few verses, for the Spirit of God led Him to share with us that if we hang around with friends, that believe in not eating such food that they think are declared ‘unclean’, then we who are Christ followers, should not provoke them by eating in their presence exactly what they feel convinced by the Holy Spirit is indeed unclean. Unfortunately, this concept can cover so many areas of our lives, for there are some that feel like going to the movies is a sin, or cooking on the Sabbath is a sin, or doing any kind of manual labor on that special day set aside to worship God is also a sin. Friends, let’s think back to what Paul said when he was so burdened about the unsaved in his time, he said that he would be all things to all people, if it meant that their eyes and hearts would be opened to the gospel of Jesus Christ. How far would you be prepared to go? If the only time that your friends could attend church is a Sunday evening, but you don’t normally attend any church at that time, will you make the sacrifice to make sure that they get under the preaching of the Word? Are you prepared to sit and chat with a friend who has a strong smell of alcohol on his breath, but crying over his life’s condition? People need the Lord dear friends, and this should be our priority, way more than any other personal preferences we might have. There is no teaching greater than that of salvation – please pray and be willing to do whatever the Holy Spirit leads you to do, in order to help someone come to know Christ!

PRAYER:   Heavenly Father, it is challenging to know that You accepted us just as we were, yet we tend to set so many expectations on those who need to know You as Lord. In Your Word you declare that we should come ‘just as we are’ for there is no ‘cleaning up’ that we can do under our own power. For You sacrificed Your very own life, so that we might be saved. Please help us realize that only You can save us from the sin and the wretchedness of this world. There is no prescription for good living, or healthy living, or even good behavior that could save us from our sin. Nothing but the blood of Jesus, as one favorite hymn declares! Lord, thank You for saving my soul, please help me to never stand in the way of another who needs You. 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!

 

The Lord Is Here To Help

On By Ed AlgreenIn God our Helper, Help, Helper, Our Help comes from God, SalvationLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE  FROM:   1 Corinthians 7:23-24 (TLB)

TEXT:  23 You have been bought and paid for by Christ, so you belong to him—be free now from all these earthly prides and fears. 24 So, dear brothers, whatever situation a person is in when he becomes a Christian, let him stay there, for now the Lord is there to help him.

OBSERVATION:   Paul had just addressed married individuals where one in the union may have been saved and the other unsaved. While Paul spoke to the challenges this brings to a marriage, he wanted them, and us, to understand that the thing that trumps our circumstances in life, is the condition of our heart before God. We know that God has an unconditional love for us, but do we need to change to receive that love? Let’s examine this…

APPLICATION:   Paul had just emphasized that it was critical, as part of accepting Jesus as our Savior, that we begin to faithfully obey His Word. To obey God’s Word, means that we must read it and meditate on the overall meaning of what God is saying to us. This should bring us to a point of changing the ways that we have looked, reacted and dealt with life’s circumstances. I found it interesting that Paul would remind us that most often these changes will not dictate us changing who we’ve always been, but instead we might do those things in much the same way that Jesus would have done them when He was here on earth. As part of becoming a child of the King, we want to also be more like Him, knowing that He was the only ‘perfect’ One. We would also have a strong desire, and a definite nudge from the Holy Spirit that now lives inside of us, to now imitate Jesus in all that we say and do. There is no doubt, life’s circumstances will come our way. Hopefully we will not really be put to the test like Job was challenged with, but we should be close enough to God that if we were challenged like Job, then like him, we would have the lasting joy of knowing where our help comes from, even in our toughest times.

PRAYER:   Oh Lord our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth! A calm assurance to know that You are with us when life around us seems so out of control. Yet You are our strength, our vibrancy, and our reassuring hope when the stresses of this world seems like it is resting right on our shoulders. Thank You Lord for creating us in Your image! Thank You Lord for looking out for us from the very beginning of life, through various walks of our life, and for giving us assurance even while we live, that You have a much better place prepared for us, where there will be no sin but instead the everlasting joy of worshiping You and the Father for all eternity! It – will – be – worth – it – all, friends! Are you ready? Read my Footnote and follow the appropriate link so I might help you KNOW without a doubt where you will spend 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 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!

Reflections For Praise

On By Ed AlgreenIn Appreciation, Praise, ThanksgivingLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE  FROM:   Psalm 104:7-12 (TLB)

TEXT: 7-8 You spoke, and at the sound of your shout the water collected into its vast ocean beds, and mountains rose and valleys sank to the levels you decreed. 9 And then you set a boundary for the seas so that they would never again cover the earth. 10 He placed springs in the valleys and streams that gush from the mountains. 11 They give water for all the animals to drink. There the wild donkeys quench their thirst, 12 and the birds nest beside the streams and sing among the branches of the trees.

OBSERVATION:   The Psalmist saw beyond answered prayer in his own life, or blessings showered on him personally, to also recognizing that the same God who does all of that, is also the God who created everything around us with such purpose and creativeness in mind. Our God is indeed an Awesome God and Creator!

APPLICATION:   I sometimes wonder if we truly ever slow down enough to reflect on the ways that God blesses each and every day. For I believe that if we did, there would not be enough hours in the day for us to thank our Creator for doing all of this just for us. You think about your typical day and I will share a few things that I can think of right from the start of my typical day:

  • I am able to rise from my warm bed each day – so I can praise God that I didn’t have to sleep in the cold, on a piece of cardboard under a bridge, with or without a blanket; I was blessed with air to breathe on my own; I was blessed with strength and mobility to actually get out of bed;
  • I had an inside bathroom to use and didn’t have to go to an outhouse or a nearby tree!
  • I was able to put on a different set of clothes than I’ve been wearing all week, and they have been washed and prepared;
  • I have a wonderful wife who will sacrifice her morning sleep-in to get up and prepare lunch for me. Yes there was food to prepare.
  • I have a job to go to, and had no reason to wait on long lines at the unemployment agency;
  • I am blessed to have a car to drive to work in, and not have to wait for a bus service or wait by the roadside for a ride with a friend; Thankful for the wisdom God gave to His children to make automobiles and especially hybrid powered cars;

Friends, can you see how much we overlook praising God for before we even begin our trek to work? I could easily have gone on to speak about the wild life, animals and trees that I enjoy seeing as I travel, and multiple other things that we would ordinarily pass by every day without thinking of praising God for His blessings on us. Remember, He did all of this for us, plus a whole lot more, and I believe that we would have done this if we were the only ones that He wanted to bless! Praise God from whom all blessings flow! Our God is an awesome God! How Great Thou Art! How Great is our God! These are just a quick reminder of songs of praise we can offer up to God, and yes, He loves your singing voice just the way it is, for He never made any junk!

PRAYER:   Thank You Lord for Your mercies on me! Lord, You are so good and so merciful to me, and I’m sure that as my readers meditate on this devotional today, they too will realize that even when things appear to be going sideways for them, yet they can still find so many ways that You are blessing them. Please help us to keep our minds so fixed on You and the many wonderful blessings that You bestow on us that the minor issues that we face each day would seem immaterial. Lord I know that You bless us, please help us to recognize those blessings more vividly each day, and pour out our thanksgiving to You. 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!

 

Your Body – Resident to The Holy Spirit

On By Ed AlgreenIn Accountability, Holiness, Holy Spirit, Leadership of the Holy SpiritLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE  FROM:   1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (TPT)

TEXT:  19 Have you forgotten that your body is now the sacred temple of the Spirit of Holiness, who lives in you? You don’t belong to yourself any longer, for the gift of God, the Holy Spirit, lives inside your sanctuary. 20 You were God’s expensive purchase, paid for with tears of blood, so by all means, then, use your body to bring glory to God!

OBSERVATION:   Paul dealt with similar issues that our pastors deal with today in exposing sin, with hopes that parishioners might come to their senses and try to stay in tune with the Son of God, who gave up everything so that we might have eternal life. It appears like the sermon here is that if Jesus gave up so much for us, shouldn’t we consider giving up worldly pleasures in order to give Him priority in our lives? 

APPLICATION:   Most couples dating, or recently married, will often run into times of jealousy towards each other as they build trust in their marriage partner. When we love one another, we tend to become very possessive and defensive, in order to protect the oneness that you feel one towards the other. But what if we were able to go as far as placing a part of ourselves inside our spouse, so that we would be available every moment of every day to help give them guidance while they drive, or as they make decisions in the store, or to prompt them along when they struggle in understanding God’s Word, etc. Wouldn’t that be neat? But how would it impact us when we are tempted to look at, or flirt with others of the opposite sex? Guys, do you think that you would still run off with the guys to secretly visit the girl’s club? Girls, do you think that you would still have your night out with the girls to visit the strip club? Friends, when we take the Holy Spirit, who lives inside of Christians, into places that we tend to question ourselves about, can you even imagine how He must feel and what His conversations must be like with God the Father, and Jesus the Son? I could only imagine that they must feel like their work and sacrifice must have been in vain. I could only imagine how they must shake their heads in disappointment at the thought that we are so unappreciative of what they did for us? But I don’t want today’s blog to be totally negative, for I know that the Holy Spirit will use the challenges already presented to prompt your heart into action, if it applies to you. But I also want to remind those of us that strive hard to live for Jesus each and every day, because we are His born-again child, and we must have confidence in following the will of the Master through what we have learned from His Word, and from what the Holy Spirit prompts us to do or say throughout our day. Let’s not only protect ourselves from the sin of this world, but let’s really be protective of the sweet Holy Spirit that has taken up residence inside of believers in Jesus Christ.

PRAYER:   Lord I thank You for accepting me as Your very own son. I thank You for all those who will read this devotional today. As Your Word has sobered my thoughts and drawn my attention to the ever present Holy Spirit that You have entrusted to me. I pray, asking that You will cause me to remember the accountability of Your presence within me at all times. I also ask this of my readers Lord, for in this evil and wicked world we need more and more believers who take their relationship with You seriously and who respects the Holy Spirit inside of them to guide, direct and empower them to share Your love and ministry with all those who still doubt Your existence or everlasting power. You are an awesome God, and we love, respect and need You every moment of every day dear 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 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 Hope That Comes With Change

On By Ed AlgreenIn Committed, Faithful, Faithfulness, Hope, Totally committedLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE  FROM:   1 Corinthians 6:8-11 (GNT)

TEXT:  8 …. you yourselves wrong one another and rob one another, even other believers! 9 Surely you know that the wicked will not possess God’s Kingdom. Do not fool yourselves; people who are immoral or who worship idols or are adulterers or homosexual perverts 10 or who steal or are greedy or are drunkards or who slander others or are thieves—none of these will possess God’s Kingdom. 11 Some of you were like that. But you have been purified from sin; you have been dedicated to God; you have been put right with God by the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

OBSERVATION:   Paul pointed out to the Corinthian church the harsh reality of the wrong and unacceptable things that were going on among them. However, using the fact that God had already brought about change in some of them, he also showed them that there is hope that comes to the body of Christ when believers seek God’s face, ask for forgiveness and turn from their wicked ways. I believe that the church today is very much in need of this type of revival, for the lost still need to know that there is hope.

APPLICATION:   I love the excitement that comes to the church when an unbeliever accepts Jesus as Lord of their lives, and to see the ‘fire’ that lit inside of them how it stirs them into wanting the world to know about their new-found Savior.  However, there are times when a believer drifts away from God, and allows the sin of this world to become attractive to them once again. I believe that there is only one thing more enthusiastic and rewarding to a church, and that is, after much prayer and supplication before the Master on behalf of that Brother of Sister, their eyes are opened and their hearts are once again restored to new life in Jesus Christ! Friends, we should remember from our Scripture today that the world is not only attractive to unbelievers, but for those who claim Jesus as Lord, but enrich their souls with nothing more than the world, then they are just as apt to follow the things of this world. May I encourage those who claim Jesus as Lord, to connect with Him in a personal relationship? This includes: talking to Him through frequent prayer; allowing Him to respond to you and challenge you through the Bible – this involves daily time in the Word, and seeking God’s face for a full understanding of it while looking for proper ways to implement it in your life. In a marriage relationship, communication is the number one tool for a better marriage. In a Christian’s life, communication between you and God is also of vital importance. Without it, you will quickly assume communication with Satan and his earthly forces.

PRAYER:   Precious Lord, take my hand and lead me unto all righteousness today and every day. My readers are also reaching out for the miraculous hand of the Father to strengthen them and guide them to all truth each and every day. So Lord, I plead with You to touch Your children anew today. Please give us peace and contentment in Your love and protection so that we may serve You faithfully, and that we may bless others as we represent You more faithfully. 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!

 

Our Savior, Friend and Intercessor

On By Ed AlgreenIn Merciful Savior, Savior, Wonderful SaviorLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE  FROM:   Job 16:19-21 (ERV)

TEXT:  19 Even now there is someone in heaven who will speak for me.
    There is someone above who will testify for me.
20 My friend speaks for me,
    while my eyes pour out tears to God.
21 He speaks to God for me,
    like someone presenting an argument for a friend.

OBSERVATION:   It may seem impossible just from reading these few verses, but so far in this book we have seen where Job has lost everything of any earthly value through the persistent hand of Satan, who tempted Job under the approval of God. Yet Job stood firm in his faith, knowing that he served the living God, who was also his Savior, Friend and Intercessor. Can you claim that kind of confidence in your God today, friend?

APPLICATION:   A young child will stand on a wall and jump to her dad below, having full confidence that her dad will save her – faith; trust; confidence; etc. Job went through ‘hell’ here on earth, as Satan was allowed to take his livestock; his family and everything he owned. One would expect Job to be hiding in a dungeon without the light of day and totally removed from God, right? Wrong… here is Job bragging on the work of the Holy Spirit who is interceding on his behalf before the Father! Are you there yet, friends? When a hurricane passes through and wipes out most of the earthly things that you own, are you able to praise God and continue loving and helping others? When a loved one or a close family member is taken from you at an early age, can you praise God in spite of the loss? Friends, what Job is showing us here is that we must fix our eyes on the goal. Out of all that happened to Job, nothing changed in his relationship with God. Perhaps I should have said that nothing negative happened, because lots of positive things happened. For when Job could turn around and say that in spite of all his losses and troubles, yet he knows that his Redeemer lives and that he feels more love from His Maker than ever before, then we could only conclude that as for Job, and us, we serve one awesome God. An unchanging, all powerful, caring, loving, awesome God who loves us in spite of our shortcomings and our endless weaknesses. So may I encourage you friend, to keep your eyes fixed on Jesus, and the awesome place that He has gone to prepare for us. Know that God loves you unconditionally and is awaiting your arrival in His eternal home one day! There’s no turning back now, for who would miss this opportunity to be with the Designer, Creator, Savior and Everlasting Father of this world? I would not miss it for the world! And I pray that you are on board this train headed to heaven also, friend!

PRAYER:   Lord Jesus, it is so challenging for us to see beyond our struggles and know that You are working all things out for our good. In times like reading this Scripture today, we are reminded of Your great love, so we say ‘Thank You’ from the bottom of our hearts, as we reaffirm our faith and take joy in the wonderful message of grace, and be reminded of the time when we will be with You in Glory! Oh what a day that will be! 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!