Month: June 2018

A Transformation

On By Ed AlgreenIn New beginnings, Renewal, Transformation, TransformedLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE  FROM:   Romans 12:1-2 (TPT)

TEXT: 1 Beloved friends, what should be our proper response to God’s marvelous mercies? I encourage you to surrender yourselves to God to be his sacred, living sacrifices. And live in holiness, experiencing all that delights his heart. For this becomes your genuine expression of worship.  2 Stop imitating the ideals and opinions of the culture around you, but be inwardly transformed by the Holy Spirit through a total reformation of how you think. This will empower you to discern God’s will as you live a beautiful life, satisfying and perfect in his eyes.

OBSERVATION:   Two things really stand out in these verses that ultimately pleases God: (1) Paul addresses the subject of genuine worship; and (2) How we should be doing what pleases Christ, and not necessarily what the world is doing around us. Let’s open these two things up and see how they could be applied to our scenarios today.

APPLICATION:   As we delve into this, I want to acknowledge that each of our lives are based on the things that are available to us, and to the culture of where we live. So I found it interesting that Paul warned us about our cultural demands. Here’s a case in point: I am a banker by trade, and the area in which I live and the one where I work, are all attracted primarily to traditional brick & mortar banking, even though many are becoming accustomed to digital banking in various ways. However, less than 2 hours away, there are certain communities that have accepted, and indeed flourish, with totally staff-less bank branches. Culture, median age of the customer-base in a specific city or area, will help drive banks to decide what type of branch to offer. I believe that we tend to think along similar lines when considering the type of church we want to attend, because we have a certain mindset about what we believe should happen at church, and what type of worship will soothe our souls. So do me a favor, if you agree with me so far, read the two verses again very slowly and deliberately. Did you notice that there was no reference to pleasing yourself, but rather that you worship in a manner that pleases God. Now think about your typical worship service. How prepared are you when you walk in the doors of a church? Before you sing the first word, pray the first prayer or open your Bible for the first time in the past week, did you stop to consider that you are standing in awe of the King of all kings and Lord of all lords? Have you considered the awesome gifts and blessings that He passed on to you since you last worshipped Him? Are you truly prepared to worship the Majestic King of the ages, the One who gave His very life to satisfy your sins? In your prior life you may have paid close attention to what friends, or the rich and famous do, but in accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior to Scripture says that Jesus will direct your paths, and that He will transform your life into something new. I believe that means more humble than ever before, more loving, more kind, more forgiving and more identifiable with Jesus, than with anyone or anything in this world. Friends, this is the type Christian that will get the attention of our lost world. For they are looking for someone who looks, sounds and acts like Jesus and not imitators of anything this world has to offer. This type of life is not something you learn at college, or you see on the street, or you study about at home. A Jesus-filled life happens because of your relationship with Jesus. He directs your heart, your ways, your thoughts and your inner person, and from this you express yourself to others. How are you doing on that friend? 

PRAYER:   Lord, thank You for Your timely reminders on how we are to worship You and to also be conscious about how we represent You in our daily lives. Lord, I believe that if You’re in us, then You will come out of us through our speech, our actions, our desire to win the lost and our care and concern for others. Please work in our lives today dear Lord, and may we do our part in offering ourselves as living sacrifices for Your glory, AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’.  If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog could indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and read more, or you may freely to subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the 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!

 

But Then God…

On By Ed AlgreenIn Know Jesus, Salvation, SurrenderLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE  FROM:   Galatians 1:15-17 (TPT)

TEXT:  15 But then God called me by his grace; and in love, he chose me from my birth to be his. 16 God’s grace unveiled his Son in me so that I would proclaim him to the non-Jewish people of the world. After I had this encounter I kept it a secret for some time, sharing it with no one. 17 And I chose not to run to Jerusalem to try to impress those who had become apostles before me. Instead, I went away into the Arabian Desert for a season until I returned to Damascus, where I had first encountered Jesus.

OBSERVATION:   Much like we should do at every possible opportunity, Paul shared with the Galatians his testimony. An opportunity where you talk about where your life was headed before you met Jesus, then the experience with Jesus that made a difference in your life, and how your life was then changed when Jesus became a vital part of your life. This really opens the door of transparency in the eyes of those to whom you are mingling with, ministering to or praying for. Let’s look into this more deeply….

APPLICATION:   Have you ever stop and wondered how easy it would be for you to change your life, if only you had been born into the circumstances of your pastor, or perhaps another church leader who shared their testimony? Have you ever felt so convicted of your sin, yet thought about your home life growing up, or even your married life, and convinced yourself that this Jesus that you’ve heard people talk about surely couldn’t be the Savior for people like you? I thought you may have given that some consideration, because at one time or another we all may have felt that way. But let’s consider the life of Paul for a minute. This man was so strongly in favor of living like his Jewish forefathers, that he felt like that must include ridicule and possibly even harassment and even killing of the Christians, if necessary. So picture for a moment what you may have felt like when Paul walked into the town that you once felt was safe, secure and possibly even ‘Christian’. Now fast forward to a period five years later, and you overheard that Paul was coming to visit your town again, but this time he is a very ‘changed’ man. How would you feel? What would convince you that he is a different man? Paul explained that the difference made in his life was all because of Jesus, for He was responsible for a 180 degree turn in his life (a turn in the complete opposite direction). What he (Saul) was once opposing and persecuting and destroying, he (Paul) is now promoting, celebrating and encouraging others to become a part of. How would you describe your conversion to an unbeliever friends? For Jesus to make a vital change in your life and help you make a complete 180 degree turn in your life, He must first be invited into your heart/life, and then given total control to do whatever is necessary to help you live a life totally devoted to Him. Only then can He change those evil thoughts into good ones, those evil desires to kill and destroy, into a life dedicated to Kingdom work. Paul was following in a very destructible way, a sinful direction, BUT JESUS took control and made a total change in his life. Ed was the same way, BUT JESUS make a huge change in my life. What about you friend? No matter how tough things might be for you or how evil you are, my JESUS can make the difference for you also. Please read my Footnote for tips on how to overcome your current circumstances and find hope and everlasting joy! 

PRAYER:   Lord Jesus, my Savior and my King, thank You for reaching down in love and accepting my plea for salvation, in spite of the life that I used to live. I often think of the song, ‘I though so unworthy, still I’m a child of the King..’. But today I come before You Master, to have Your perfect will in the lives of my readers, my family and my friends that have not yet accepted You as Lord. Busy though they may be going about their daily lives, I sincerely pray that You, dear Jesus would melt their stubborn hearts and draw them unto Yourself. May this be the day of salvation for many who reads this devotional today, I pray. To those who may read this and already know Jesus as Lord, may I encourage you to send this to at least 3 friends and pray earnestly for their salvation today? May God’s work be done today because you gave of your time and effort, 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!

 

Oh To Be Like Jesus!

On By Ed AlgreenIn Dedicated, Dedication, SurrenderLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE  FROM:   2 Corinthians 13:11-12 (TPT)

TEXT:  11 ….. beloved friends, be cheerful! Repair whatever is broken among you, as your hearts are being knit together in perfect unity. Live continually in peace, and God, the source of love and peace, will mingle with you. 12 Greet and embrace one another with the sacred kiss.

OBSERVATION:   Paul, who went through a miraculous conversion into Christendom had spent quality time with his friends at Corinth. He had also written several letters in between trips to them, just to encourage the converts there and help them stay in tuned with Jesus, their new-found Savior. At the conclusion of one of his letters, Paul gave some excellent advice, that I believe not only helped those believers in Corinth, but because churches today are still facing very similar challenges, I believe that this advice is still very applicable to us today.  

APPLICATION:   In earlier times of our lives, there were days, and sometimes weeks of revival services and/or evangelistic services in some churches, where there was a strong emphasis on reviving the saints and evangelizing the lost of the community. Because of the strong emphasis on prayer leading up to and during the times of these special services, there was usually a very strong presence of the Holy Spirit and many lives were impacted. Often at the end of the services, there was a sense of sadness to see the services end, so at the parting service there would be very similar emotions, and challenges offered like these that Paul shared with his followers. Why is this? I believe that the answer is summed up in a phrase that I heard an old pastor say: “because, as Christians, we tend to leak!” Friends, it is very challenging to keep a good healthy church surviving as such, for there are many personalities working together – or at times against one another. There are so many who feel like they have all the right answers and therefore they should be the boss in most areas of the church. There are so many with chips on their shoulder, and if you only look at them sideways they become very upset and threaten to leave, because they figured out exactly what that look meant! Aren’t most of these things very, very silly? Think about the One whom we endeavor to exemplify. Jesus came into an imperfect world, as the perfect Son of God, filled with Godly wisdom and love for everyone as only God Himself could do. Yet He taught among the best and the worst. He healed those that we may have considered ‘worthy’ and some whom we never would have given a dime to. He ate with sinners, and He chose some to follow Him that many would have turned their noses at. However, for those of us that have accepted Jesus as Lord, we tack onto that unity with Christ, that we want to be just like Him. Why then do we tend to be so much unlike Him in so many ways? Are we still that needy, or is it that we have not totally turned our heads to our earthly master yet? In verse 11 of today’s Scripture, Paul warns us that we should repair whatever is broken among us. I believe this starts with our relationship with our Lord, for if we have a healthy relationship with Him, He will direct our paths, if we let Him, and that includes relationships with one another. Friends, here’s how important I believe this is: If we expect to be instrumental in our family and friends’ lives, to encourage them into a relationship with our Lord, then we must be living like Jesus. We could ‘tell’ them all we want, but unless they see it evident in our lives, they won’t listen to, or follow us. How much is a soul worth to you? There is absolutely nothing more important to me than to see my family and friends make a decision to follow Christ. When they, and me, leave this world, I want us all to be ready to meet Jesus in the air! I hope that you feel the same way!

PRAYER:   Lord Jesus, we need You more today than ever before. I believe that Paul realized how much impact Satan was having on Your children in his day, and I’m sure Satan is still impacting the lives of our people today. Lord, I know that You are such a strong and awesome God and that there is nothing that You can’t handle, so I beg You to work miracles in the lives of Your children – embolden us to be more like you in our character, or words and our actions. Humble the hearts of the proud into total surrender to You. I know that we don’t have a perfect world, but I am convinced that we have a perfect God, so I beg with You to work on us imperfect beings, all for benefit of Your kingdom, 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!

 

God’s Power Expressed Through Our Weakness

On By Ed AlgreenIn All-powerful, direction, Empowered, God's Power, Grace, Power, The power of God, weaknessesLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE  FROM:   2 Corinthians 12:7-9 (TPT)

TEXT: 7 …..  this is why a thorn in my flesh was given to me, the Adversary’s messenger sent to harass me, keeping me from becoming arrogant. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to relieve me of this. 9 But he answered me, “My grace is always more than enough for you, and my power finds its full expression through your weakness.” So I will celebrate my weaknesses, for when I’m weak I sense more deeply the mighty power of Christ living in me.

OBSERVATION:   I believe that Paul cleared up one thing for us in this passage. There are limitation to our abilities, and those around us know what those limitations are. When something more powerful is achieved, everyone will know that either we had additional training since they last saw us, or it really is another power within us that accomplished the miraculous work they just saw. This is still applicable to us today with all the technological advances, but God doesn’t need any help proving who He is, nor is He concerned about the abilities of the one through who He chooses to work. Let’s study this some more!

APPLICATION:   Can you imagine how easily Paul could have taken credit for some of the miraculous things that happened during his ministry and projected himself as one with super powers? The miraculous opening of the prison gates; the shipwrecks; to name just a few. But friends we must remember the miraculous turn around that Jesus accomplished through this servant right at the very beginning, for he (Saul) operated as a persecutor of Christians, until Jesus opened his eyes of faith to the actual truth of the gospel and the full power of God. I believe that Paul opened our eyes to a few things:

  1. God calls us to be His servant, meaning that He will tell us what to do, how to do it and when to do it. Let’s not get ahead of Him and do our own thing and then ask God to bless what we did. It just doesn’t work that way. Remember, He is God and we are the servant through whom He may choose to work, not the other way around;
  2. Never complain about what God might put us through, as it might be for His glory, and for others to see God at work, even through someone with a ‘thorn in their side’. Furthermore if the work of the gospel is completed even while we might be physically unable to, then unbelievers must ask themselves, ‘so who do it then?’
  3. Never question the work that God sends us to do, for as we surrender to Him all that, you feel, might be inadequate and untrained, imagine who the people will see as the one doing the work?

Friends, as we make ourselves available to be God’s servant, it must be with the attitude that His grace, or His power, will rule and reign in the eyes and hearts of those we stand in front of, so that He may be glorified. If God is glorified, our hearts and lives can live at peace knowing that our focus was on target. Know that as long as we reside on this earth, we will face challenges and hardships, but always be reminded of verse 9, the words to Paul, that are still very applicable to us today: my grace is sufficient for all your needs my child! Yes, because of His grace, and through His power, we can do all things for the glory of the Father!

PRAYER:   Lord I believe that many times it may only be through our weaknesses that You truly get our attention. We are such a stubborn people, striving always to be independent and do things our way and on our own. Please help us to take a step in humility and surrender, so that we can truly become faithful servants of Yours that You will find worthy of using in Your kingdom work. Lord, may they see Jesus in all that we do or say. 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!

 

Shout it Out!

On By Ed AlgreenIn Celebrate God, Praise, Praise-worthyLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE  FROM:   Isaiah 12:3-5 (GNT)

TEXT: 3 As fresh water brings joy to the thirsty, so God’s people rejoice when he saves them.” 4 A day is coming when people will sing, “Give thanks to the Lord! Call for him to help you! Tell all the nations what he has done! Tell them how great he is! 5 Sing to the Lord because of the great things he has done. Let the whole world hear the news.

OBSERVATION:   Just as fresh bubbling water refreshes the spring and gives it new nutrients, so does the joy and shout of praises bring a new excitement and fresh anointing to a believer in Christ. The heart that brings praise is one that has been touched by God and has something to praise Him for. For the unbeliever, it tells a story about what they could expect if they surrender to the same Lord. I wonder how this looks to the unbeliever in our weekend services!!

APPLICATION:   Ever noticed how unhappy a person looks when they can’t, or won’t break a smile? Ever heard someone say that they have way too much going on in life to create a sense of joy and/or happiness in their lives? However, have you ever noticed that there’s never a church service designed especially for you to come and complain about all of your sorrows and hard times? Instead church services are designed for you to come together with others, who may be struggling just like you, to offer up praises to the King of Glory, our precious Lord and Savior! Friends, there is always something to praise God about. You may have a broken limb that you could sulk and complain before God about, but all of the other limbs are in perfect shape that you can praise Him for! You may have a family member in hospital that you are so concerned about, but oh what a rejoicing over the many other family members who stand by you every day and find ways to show their love for you! You could still wind up praising God all day, if only you would concentrate on the blessings for a few moments of each hour. It’s really a choice that we make each day, whether we will feed the isolated cases of bad feelings, or painful joints, or school homework, etc. or whether we will choose to praise God above all else, for the many ways that He is blessing you, preparing you, protecting you, providing for you, guiding you and loving you beyond anything you could ever have dreamed. Remember friends, this is the same Savior that went to the cross knowing that it was for sinners that He would die, but also knowing that His sacrifice would provide the open door to heaven for all who believe on Him. Our God is worthy of our praise dear one. Love Him with all your heart and surrender your life to Him, so that His sacrifice on Calvary would not be in vain. Consider posting a sign on the doorpost of your home, and on the forefront of your heart: As for me and my house, we will praise the Lord! Shout it out to God and convince yourself!

PRAYER:   Father, please forgive us for what appears to be our lack of appreciation for all that You do for us. We are ungrateful when we choose to complain and whine about the way that You chose to answer our prayers, instead of being grateful for the doors that are opened to us for spreading Your love, Your forgiveness, Your mercy and Your loving kindness. Please give us a fresh boldness and a renewed will to praise You in all things, knowing that You are in control of our destiny, and You deserve our praise, even when things seem dismal to us. You are Lord, You are Savior and You are our everlasting King of Glory, AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’.  If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog could indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and read more, or you may freely to subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the 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!

 

Share More When You Make More!

On By Ed AlgreenIn Giving, Share, Thanksgiving, Tithe, TithingLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE  FROM:   2 Corinthians 9:6-8 (Voice)

TEXT:  6 But I will say this to encourage your generosity: the one who plants little harvests little, and the one who plants plenty harvests plenty. 7 Giving grows out of the heart—otherwise, you’ve reluctantly grumbled “yes” because you felt you had to or because you couldn’t say “no,” but this isn’t the way God wants it. For we know that “God loves a cheerful giver.” 8 God is ready to overwhelm you with more blessings than you could ever imagine so that you’ll always be taken care of in every way and you’ll have more than enough to share.

OBSERVATION:   Paul gets right to the point about a controversial item in his day. No doubt Paul was faced with envy by some of his church members, one towards another, because of the varying amounts that each could afford to give. Paul addressed this, and because this is still such a hot topic in today’s church, I want us to look deeper into this today.

APPLICATION:   I believe that we must first look at the example of God to derive our understanding of giving, then perhaps we could understand why we should give, how much we should give, and with what attitude we should give. Bible scholars will know that throughout the Old Testament, people found the need to sacrifice something to God, hoping that in return He would bless them. God saw many flaws with this, so in the New Testament, in John 3:16 God declared that He gave His very own Son (Jesus) as a sacrifice for our sin once and for all. Like any gift ever given to us, our part is to take delivery, or accept that gift, in an attitude of thanksgiving, and make it ours. Of course, we approach the throne, filled with the stains of this world, so we beg for forgiveness and ask Jesus to come into our heart and make us more like Him every day. Once the Holy Spirit enters the heart of a believer, I believe that our conscience becomes very sensitive to the gifts of the Master.  For example, already today I can thank God for the ability to ‘rise and shine’; the opportunity to share the Word with you guys; a job that I could give of myself to my employer so that, in turn, I could earn income to support my family, and give to the needs of God’s children and His church. As shared above, the Christian will normally desire to be more like Jesus every day. So when the subject of giving arises, how much should we give, compared to what Jesus gave? Jesus was willing to give right on up to life itself, as He did on the cross. In today’s society, we know that we could give of our finances and we could give of ourselves in service. God gives us an example of how much we could give financially, but as seen in our verses today, He wants us to give in an attitude of thankfulness and happiness. But how much should I give Brother Ed, because none of us could really give it all like Jesus did for us. I’m so glad you asked, because the Bible suggests that we give 10%. OK, is that 10% of our spendable money – in other words, after paying all of our bills? Friends, that is something you will decide between you and the Lord, but I give based on my gross salary. After all, God blessed me with it all and while I have obligation to our government for taxes and to repay my loans, none of that would would have been possible had God not blessed me with my job and the good health to do things, like work. There was nothing that was discounted when Jesus went to the cross, He actually gave it all. He has promised to meet all of our needs, if we trust Him, so don’t let Satan tell you otherwise.

PRAYER:   To my all giving, all generous, blessed Savior, thank You for giving, so that I may live eternally with You and the Father. Thankfully You’ve blessed my readers and I with so much, that we want to follow Your example in giving back to Your work here on earth and, in turn, bless those in our community that are much more challenged than we are. Please teach us to follow You faithfully; to give generously; to love unconditionally; and to bless Your work financially; just as You have blessed us in earning the money. May we be obedient in all things, even as you were obedient right up to and including Your cruel death on the cross. May we shine as a Christ-follower, especially in our generosity and obedience to Your Word. 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!

 

Remorse That Leads To A Better Relationship

On By Ed AlgreenIn Excuses, Service, Time, Time alone with GodLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE  FROM:   2 Corinthians 7:10-11 (TPT)

TEXT:  10 God designed us to feel remorse over sin in order to produce repentance that leads to victory. This leaves us with no regrets. But the sorrow of the world works death. 11 Can’t you see the good fruit that has come, as God intended, because of your remorse over sin? Now you are eager to do what is right! Look at the indignation you experienced over what happened and how alarmed you became. What holy longing it awakened, what passion for God, and how ready you were to bring justice to the offender. Your response has proved that you are free of blame in this matter.

OBSERVATION:   Paul had dealt with a group to whom he had written a letter, that he was sure could easily have dampened their spirits and perhaps even make them mad. When he arrived on site, he was thankful that the letter was well received and that it had the desired impact on the Corinthians. Because we also need correcting from time to time, let us take note of how this was achieved.

APPLICATION:   Isn’t it interesting how someone can say something to us at certain times and we will laugh along with them and take their advice in stride, while other times the slightest little thing will make us so upset and ready to fight? I believe that Paul was expecting the worse as a result of his letter, but instead he found the best possible results. That’s no different with us today, for if we are challenged about our sin, or discord, the first thing that most of us would do is to become very defensive. We might also become upset at the Brother or Sister trying to help correct us, and we would probably stay out of their way for a while. On the other hand, if we are filled with the Holy Spirit and therefore looking for ways to please God more, and better, then perhaps we would welcome correction, because we would be listening more attentively to the Holy Spirit who lives inside of us as our guide to pleasing Christ everyday. I believe this is the same way it works with Jesus speaking wisdom to us, for when our hearts are in tuned with Jesus Christ, we are in tuned with His Word and we easily apply it to our lives and give God thanks for it. However, when we are out of sync with our Master, and we have not been transparent with Him about our sin, we are easily misdirected by Satan, who forces us into many other directions when we know deep inside that we should be in the Word, at a prayer meeting, or some other place that we had scheduled, at least in our minds, to facilitate our personal time with the Lord. Friends, daily distractions is our biggest enemy to spending time with the Lord. Here’s a help tip for you: Whenever distracted by something that steals your time away from being with the Lord, and you go before God with your excuses and especially about not having time for everything, just tell Him “Sorry God but that was not a priority for me today”. Think carefully about the circumstances and you will quickly agree that you just gave a more accurate explanation to God, but now try thanking Him for all that He has sacrificed, and done just for you. Try asking Him for all the things that you feel you should have, to better align with your neighbors. Very difficult, isn’t it? Make God your priority friends! Above all else that He could have been doing in His ministry, yet He stopped everything and made the ultimate sacrifice just for us. How could we but praise Him? How could we but serve Him? How could we but worship Him? How could we but honor Him – my Savior and my Lord?

PRAYER:   Lord Jesus, I worship and adore You today, because of who You are, because of Your love for my readers and I and because of all that You gave up just to provide the means of us getting to the Father and all of the joys of Heaven. We have such a challenge keeping our priorities in order, like You demonstrated on the cross at Calvary. Please, please, continue to impress upon us what’s important in life and help us to stay focused on the only thing that matters – our eternal destination in heaven with You and the Father.

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 s peak 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!

 

Showing You Are God’s Servant

On By Ed AlgreenIn Bold Confidence, Confidence, Dependence on God, Godly Confidence, Servants of GodLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE  FROM:   2 Corinthians 6:6-7 (ERV)

TEXT:  6 We show that we are God’s servants by our pure lives, by our understanding, by our patience, and by our kindness. We show it by the Holy Spirit, by genuine love, 7 by speaking the truth, and by depending on God’s power. This right way of living has prepared us to defend ourselves against every kind of attack.

OBSERVATION:   Paul declared at the very beginning of this chapter that THE most important thing for his people, is their salvation, and that the day of salvation is NOW. For we are not promised the next day, hour or minute. Therefore he wanted his hearers (including us) to know that we need not wait for any event in life for us to start speaking, acting and loving like our Master, the Lord Jesus Christ. This will speak volumes to us, read on…..

APPLICATION:   Ever heard a spouse warn you to go easy on their partner, because they are trying to get over what someone said to them, or embarrassed over what they said to someone, or they got told off by a friend and they are trying to calm their nerves before they would otherwise explode? Does this sound very much like you, friend, because you have been there and done that? So what impression of Christ did the ‘world’ around that believer just receive? Was it a convincing act that helped them finalize their decision to follow Christ? Was it an outpouring of love, like Christ showed even at His most difficult time – hanging on the cross? Did it remind you of anything that you had seen even in the ‘world’? Are you convinced that you need to be more like that friend because he says that he is just like Jesus? Friends, Paul knew that the ‘world’ was watching him very closely, and just waiting for him to mess up so they could either poke fun at him or use it against his witness. I believe that Christians today, who live among the ‘world’, also knows that things have not changed. So the big question is: What have we (Christians) done to prepare ourselves to face the world’s: temptations, deceitful ‘friends’, the opposition’, etc? I believe that we should be as much like Jesus Christ in our workplace, in our social clubs, in the restaurants, at the football game, and anywhere else that we go each day, as we are in church or in the safety and security of our homes. If the character of Christ is in us, it will show through us in our actions and in our words. If we struggle with that, then the formula for success rests on our knees. For only Jesus can help us face the uncertainties of the day through a fresh filling of His Holy Spirit each morning that we ask for it. Are you ready for the day – not personally, but confident that you and Jesus could face anything that Satan may send your way.

PRAYER:   Spirit of the Living God, fall afresh on each of us today. May we be so filled with Your power, Your grace, and Your love, that we could face any giant that may pose a threat to our representation of our Savior today. Please prepare us, and be our Guide through every circumstance today. For I ask this in the powerful name of Jesus, my Lord, my Savior and my everlasting King! 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!

 

God’s Response To Our Excuses

On By Ed AlgreenIn Excuses, Forgiveness, SalvationLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE  FROM:   Isaiah 1:18-20 (ERV)

TEXT: 18 “I, the Lord, am the one speaking to you. Come, let’s discuss this. Even if your sins are as dark as red dye, that stain can be removed and you will be as pure as wool that is as white as snow. 19 “If you listen to what I say, you will get the good things from this land. 20 But if you refuse to listen and rebel against me, your enemies will destroy you.” The Lord himself said this.

OBSERVATION:   Although these verses were shared by our Old Testament prophet Isaiah, and were no doubt very applicable to what he was facing at the time with his own people, I can understand why God had these words included in His Holy Book For we have folk that refuse to listen to the voice of God today. Let’s see how this might still applicable to us today.

APPLICATION:   “Pastor, you just don’t understand. This ‘Holy’ and ‘Righteous’ and ‘Perfect’ Father that you refer to won’t have anything to do with me. For I am a filthy sinner in all that I’ve done in my past, and if you only had a clue as to what my job currently is, and the horrible clientele that I serve“. The Word of God responds: “My child, I sent my very own Son as a sacrifice for your sins. No matter how dark, or crimson red those sins might be, the sacrifice I offered for you will actually cleanse you as if you were super clean, just as freshly fallen snow appears.” “But pastor, all my friends know about my deeds and my past. A change on the inside may not be evident to them” “My dear one, all along you have lived to please others, and you don’t appear happy with what you achieved. As you surrender your heart to my Son, He will guide you into all truth for everyday living, so that you may please Him. That turn of events will allow you to one day be in Heaven with My Son and Me. That benefit is ‘out of this world’! So you have a choice my child: continue living to please the world and its leader so that you may spend eternity in torment by Satan, or accept My offer of forgiveness, love, and eternity in Heaven.” To all my readers: What is your choice in this matter? Do you know my Savior? Are you pleasing Him, or are you still pleasing the world and your friends? Please carefully decide where you will spend eternity. It’s your choice, and only you can make that choice, with God’s help. Your life will be evidence of which choice you made. May I recommend that you make the decision to follow Jesus? Look full into His wonderful face, and the things of this world will grow strangely dim! It’s all a matter of life (eternity in heaven) or death (total darkness and everlasting abuse with Satan in the pit of Hell). It’s your choice my friend.

PRAYER:   Lord, I so appreciate all that You did for me on Calvary. I pray that as my readers contemplate on this today, they will make the obvious choice to accept Your precious Gift and Your ultimate destination for all who are Yours. To do nothing is the same as them telling You, “no thank you, I rather do this ‘life’ thing on my own and accept my consequences at the end”. Faithful Father, I pray that You will soften the hearts of all that might begin to read this devotional today and draw them unto Yourself. My whole purpose in writing this blog is to point family and friends towards my Savior. Bless this devotional today dear Lord, and allow it to accomplish Your work. 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!

 

Never Give Up

On By Ed AlgreenIn Determined, Evangelism, Salvation, SavedLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE  FROM:   2 Corinthians 4:16-18 (TLB)

TEXT:  16 That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our inner strength in the Lord is growing every day. 17 These troubles and sufferings of ours are, after all, quite small and won’t last very long. Yet this short time of distress will result in God’s richest blessing upon us forever and ever! 18 So we do not look at what we can see right now, the troubles all around us, but we look forward to the joys in heaven which we have not yet seen. The troubles will soon be over, but the joys to come will last forever.

OBSERVATION:   Paul knew that some of his congregants were getting discouraged, and there may be the threat of them giving up on all that he had taught them, and in all that he had shared with them from his personal experiences. Of course God knew that we, His children today, would also need this advice, so He inspired Paul to go ahead and include this advice in His Word for our good. Therefore, we will meditate on this for a few moments today so that we may grow in this area of our life….

APPLICATION:   What do you suppose might cause us to give up on the commitments we make, or the projects that we set out to do? Here are some of the excuses that I’ve heard, or perhaps used, in the past: 

  • It must have been a weak moment for me when I committed to that!
  • They oversold that idea to me, it has never worked the way they sold it to me;
  • I wasn’t as brave and outspoken as I thought I would be;
  • I’m just not ‘cut out’ for that;
  • Others are so much better at that, why should I bother;
  • I’m not in their social status. I’m just a poor man from ____ but they are the queen, king, president, senator, etc, They’ll never listen to me;
  • It brings nothing but stress on me, so I must redirect my energies;

Friends, it is not my intent to analyze each of the above, because I don’t have all of the answers. But I really believe that we occasionally need reminding that when we are involved in God’s work, let’s remember to always stay focused on whose work it is, and on who gives us the power to do His work. Furthermore, we might often set our goals on what we could expect from our ‘God’ assignments. Is that really the way this should work? Shouldn’t we keep doing what He has led us to do, knowing that He cares for us all, especially the unsaved children that He is sending us after? I believe this may be one of the greatest disappointments for the Christian, is that we become despondent when our goals are not achieved, and we often want to give up. I seriously believe that when God said that we are to go into all the world and preach the gospel, He didn’t leave that up to us to decide which country, or nationality, or gender, or color, or the state of how many are being mislead by unorthodox religions. I really believe that we should be reminded daily that God looks across this great big world and He sees the beauty of every child that He has created, in His image, and He probably whispers to each one ‘I still love you’, regardless of what they may be doing or whatever religion they may be practicing. Sure, I know that He is saddened by many of the things that are misleading and keeping these children from Him, but they were designed and placed here by God, and He loves them as His created child. So as children of God, why are we using that as one of our excuses on why we don’t minister to all that we come into contact with?  Let’s remember, everyone needs the Lord, and if we have the ultimate power in us that could help us reach ‘everyone‘, then we are ready to do God’s assigned work for us! No excuses, and no reason to consider giving up!

PRAYER:   Lord Jesus, I believe that too often we listen to Satan’s lie that things are so much different now in this modern world, and that there is no way that a poor little Christian boy, like me, could knock on the door of one in authority, or one in a high position in life, or the super rich, and share Jesus with them. PLEASE Lord, knock on our heart’s door again today and help us to totally surrender our life to You. For there is no reason for a royal son of the most high God/King, should be afraid of approaching any of our siblings to remind them of all that the Father has in store for those who truly believe in Him. The world is saddened by the recent deaths of stars, but the Word says that if they never met the Master, then their disappointments in life will only worsen. We all need Jesus, and without You Lord, we are a miserable people. Please revive those who claim You as Lord, and awaken the hearts and souls of those who need to know You personally. May today be the day of salvation for many who are unsaved. 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!