Author: Ed Algreen

One of God's kids expressing his understanding of God's Word and sharing how it is affecting his life! May those who read it be blessed, encouraged, and drawn closer to the Lord!

Ultimate Obedience

On By Ed AlgreenIn Christmas, Obedience, ObedientLeave a comment

Friday, 2018-12-21

Bible Reference: Matthew 1:20-25
Translation: The Voice Translation (Voice)

Bible Text: 20 Now when Joseph had decided to act on his instincts, a messenger of the Lord came to him in a dream. Messenger of the Lord said: Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to wed Mary and bring her into your home and family as your wife. She did not sneak off and sleep with someone else—rather, she conceived the baby she now carries through the miraculous wonder-working of the Holy Spirit. 21 She will have a son, and you will name Him Jesus, which means “the Lord saves,” because this Jesus is the person who will save all of His people from sin.
24 Joseph woke up from his dream and did exactly what the messenger had told him to do: he married Mary and brought her into his home as his wife 25 (though he did not consummate their marriage until after her son was born). And when the baby was born, Joseph named Him Jesus, Savior.

OBSERVATION: All the characters in the Christmas story are just outstanding, but let’s focus on Joseph today. Like any of us, Joseph was able to think of many reasons why he should not follow through with his betrothal to Mary, but in an awesome act of faith, Joseph followed through in obedience to the message from God through the angel. Let us place ourselves in Joseph’s shoes and ponder what we might do in a similar circumstance, considering our current level of faith!

APPLICATION:  Kids learn at a very early age that if you really want to get to another kid, just mention something bad about their mom. As adults we become very tender anytime we hear something derogatory about almost any close relative, whether spouse; child; sibling or parents. So as I meditated on this very common passage of scripture that we hear almost every Christmas, I tried to imagine what Joseph must have been thinking when, in spite of him having no sexual relations with Mary, yet he found that the woman he was about to marry was already pregnant. I’m sure his mind must have travelled along the road of infidelity on Mary’s part, and the mockery that he would receive from family and friends. Like us, Joseph had already made plans in his mind how he was going to handle the break-off of the engagement so that there would not be a negative impact on Mary. However, I believe that as Joseph pondered these things in his heart, he must have really been hoping that there would be some miraculous explanation about this whole earth-shattering event in his life, for I believe that love is just that way, it hears bad things, but expects clarification to help an individual make good on his/her commitment to one another. But here comes the kicker, hope came in a very unexpected, and yes, miraculous way, for an angel appeared to Joseph as he slept and dreamed. However the message was very clear. In fact, so much so, that there is no doubt expressed in the Word of God! Joseph simply followed the instructions given to him by the angel. He married his awesome bride, and from every indication, he took care of her as if the baby was his very own flesh and blood. This is an awesome story of obedience to the Holy Spirit, friends. Yes, we can surmise what may have happened if Joseph decided to ignore God, but I sincerely believe that God works very much the same today. When he speaks to us, there is often doubting on our part, or trying to conjure up a plan to escape His plan, but since we are His servants, who should be constantly asking for His guidance and understanding of His will for our lives, we should carefully listen. Therefore, when it becomes evident to us, we simply obey and thank God for it. The obedience of Mary and Joseph led to the fulfilment of prophecy, and to being used by God to birth into this world the Savior, who would ultimately prove to be the very Son of God and redeemer of all who trust Him as their Lord and Savior. Friends, the obedience talked about here led to something BIG, I mean HUGE! Imagine what miracles can be wrought through you and me if only we will humble ourselves in obedience to the King of kings! We may look at the challenges of reaching our family and friends for the Lord as virtually impossible in our eyes, but compared to the miracle of a virgin girl becoming conceived without sexual relations by a man makes our challenges somewhat lame in comparison. Being led by God to witness to, and encourage, a lost friend may sound impossible to us because we are so convinced that we know the negativity of the person so well, but the same God who got through to Joseph, can also redirect our doubtful minds and lead us and the friend we are directed to, towards total obedience. Are you prepared to imitate the obedience and faith of Joseph this Christmas? God has a plan, and you and I could very well be in the very middle of it, if only we will surrender our will to the Master.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, You are truly in control of this whole universe, and especially in control of Your children seeking Your will for their very next move. As in the case of Joseph, I pray that we will look beyond the possibilities of our natural eyes, and instead rest our very selves at the control of our Savior during this time of the year when most folk stop to reflect on the newborn Christ-child as being the very meaning and reason for Christmas. Lord, may joy bells ring out loudly this Christmas as our family and friends find peace in the grace and power of the new-born King, Jesus, our Lord and the Savior of the world! AMEN!

Serve Each Other

On By Ed AlgreenIn Imitate Jesus, Imitating Christ, ServeLeave a comment

Thursday, 2018-12-20

Bible Reference: Galatians 5:13-15
Translation: The VOICE (Voice)

Bible Text: 13 Brothers and sisters, God has called you to freedom! Hear the call, and do not spoil this gift by using your liberty to engage in what your flesh desires; instead, use it to serve each other as Jesus taught through love. 14 For the whole law comes down to this one instruction: “Love your neighbor as yourself,”[a] so 15 why all this vicious gnawing on each other? If you are not careful, you will find you’ve eaten each other alive!

OBSERVATION: To think of a king, or a president, or a ruler of any nation, one would normally think of all the fanfare; all the servitude that surrounds them; and all of the assistants that take care of their every need or want. However, Jesus was born into a humble setting, and while He was supremely God, yet we read story after story about how He sought to serve those with whom He interacted. As we meditate together on this, let us evaluate how well we are following His example.

APPLICATION: God has blessed us beyond measure with the freedom of salvation – meaning that, in spite of our sinful lives, and the temptations of a sinful world around us, yet He sent His very own Son to be born among us, as an indication of identifying with us and the challenges that the world places on us to conform with its ideas, customs and evil implications. I believe that during this same Christmas season, we could very easily be reminded that this Jesus, was the very Son of God. In fact, God taught us that He and His Son are one. May we be reminded that there was great purpose in God sending His Son, for to those who would trust in Him and accept Him as Lord of their life, to those God would extend salvation from sin, and the promise of eternity in Heaven with the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. With this undeserved ‘freedom’ from our sin, we could very easily sit back in our recliners and declare that ‘we have it made’, so let us coast on into eternity one day without any worries. However, while that might be a true statement, the Word of God will show us, as it did in these verses today, that if we are to follow in the footsteps of Jesus, then our hearts will be inclined to serve others. You might ask, or ponder, how can I possibly serve others, after all I have such limited talent? With a new heart filled with the awesome presence of God, I believe that you will see people in a different light, for you will see them through the lens of their Savior. You may have seen them as just another servant of yours, but with the eyes of Jesus you might see them as a lonely widow; or a poor and broken widower; or a fatherless child who is desperately looking for a good role model; or a prisoner who may have committed the most horrific crime, but needs the Lord. Friends, you’ve been given the awesome gift of ‘freedom’ from your sin by the holy Son of God, in return, what are you prepared to give to those that you come into contact with today? How might Jesus help them today? Might He use you in His service to help them? Will Jesus know that you are willing to serve? Why not join me in offering up: “Here I am Lord Jesus, use me”!

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, thank You for serving us in so many ways, beginning with Your very humble beginning here on earth as a baby born in a stable. Thank You for placing us right in the middle of folk in our workplace; in our neighborhood; in our schools; and in our churches; most of whom need something fulfillment and encouragement in their lives. We could never take Your place as Savior, but we could very easily stop our excuses, and be the hands and feet of Jesus as we seek to serve them and their needs. No doubt they will see Jesus in practical ways then, and want to accept Him unconditionally as Lord over every aspect of their lives! Help us Lord to remain humble, but true to You and Your Word. May we seek to ‘S E R V E’ this Christmas, and discontinue the selfishness of always wanting more – especially in adding more to our already filled closets; homes; vehicles and lives in general. Show us Lord how we might imitate You, and Your expectations for this lost world in which we live. AMEN!

Tell The World About Jesus

On By Ed AlgreenIn Evangelize, Share God’s WordLeave a comment

Wednesday, 2018-12-19

Bible Reference: John 1:6-9
Translation: New Century Version (NCV)

Bible Text: 6 There was a man named John, who was sent by God. 7 He came to tell people about the light. Through him all people could hear about the light and believe. 8 John was not the light. But he came to tell people about the light. 9 The true light was coming into the world. This is the true light that gives light to all people.

OBSERVATION: Like John, we have a responsibility to tell about the Light of the word, Jesus!

APPLICATION:  Not only was Jesus born through miraculous means, but God also miraculously created a forerunner to tell the world about the Savior that was to come, and his name was John. I believe that God also created others to share the responsibility in John’s absence. If you haven’t guessed already, I believe those partners of John are you and I. No, I didn’t make an error in what I said. I didn’t mean the pastors and preachers and evangelists. I really meant those of us that are saved, filled with the Holy Spirit and prepared spiritually to share the love story about Jesus with those that He loves and that we should care about. There are many stories about John and the extremes he went to in accomplishing his responsibility. I wonder if others who know us, know that we are recipients of the most precious gift of all. I wonder if they know and recognize that because of God’s promise of eternal life, that we are making every effort to convince our family and friends of their need for this Savior of ours! Friends, John was the forerunner of Jesus, and we are the forerunner of His return. The dark world that we  live in today is so full of sin and evil in so many ways, that there appears to be no ‘light’ at the end of our ‘dark tunnel’. My desire is to see the light of Jesus blot out the darkness and get the attention of our friends that are so enveloped in darkness, so that they may surrender to the lordship of Jesus, the ultimate Light of the world! But how will they know if we don’t tell them? Like John, we have a responsibility to tell about the Light of the word, Jesus!

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, thank You for using a humble servant of yours to show me the Light of the world! Thank You for being my Savior and my Lord, especially in this dark world in which I live. I am convinced from our scripture today that we are to be partners with John and humble servants of Yours, and to share that Light with all those that we come into contact with. Lord, may your Light shine through my readers and I so that the world may know and believe. I ask these things knowing that there are many that each of us know personally who need You, the Light of the world! Amen!

Who are You Dominated By?

On By Ed AlgreenIn Christmas, Commitment, Committed, CompassionLeave a comment

Monday, 2018-12-17

Bible Reference: Romans 8:7-9
Translation: The Passion Translation (TPT)

Bible Text: 7 In fact, the mind-set focused on the flesh fights God’s plan and refuses to submit to his direction,[f] because it cannot! 8 For no matter how hard they try, God finds no pleasure with those who are controlled by the flesh. 9 But when the Spirit of Christ empowers your life,[g] you are not dominated by the flesh but by the Spirit. And if you are not joined to the Spirit of the Anointed One, you are not of him.[h]

OBSERVATION: This Scripture is applicable all year long, but especially at Christmas we must ensure that our minds stay focused on the same Jesus that we worship and depend on all year long. Although we focus on celebrating His miraculous birth, He’s still the same Jesus that we glory in from birth, to the cross, to death, to His glorious resurrection, to His position of sitting on the right hand of the Father interceding on our behalf. He’s OUR KING friends! Let us shout with praise!

APPLICATION: It seems so unreal when we reflect back on Christmas and see how our minds revert back to the attraction of the world and to the attractions of: (a) Competing in gift giving – for we can’t let our friends or family member out-do us! or (b) Partying with friends – after all, it’s one of the most festive times of the year for work parties and family get-togethers! But what about the One whose birth brings about the occasion that we celebrate, what does He like? What would He appreciate from us? Have we even thought about the reason He came? I believe the Word of God is very clear in showing us that God sent His Son: born in the humility of a stable; to a poor, but pure young couple especially chosen by God; conceived miraculously; to show us that this was no ordinary child, but One ordained and in the very nature of God. Jesus was referred to as ‘Emmanuel’, meaning ‘God with us’, and throughout scripture we see time after time that our Savior is ever present with us, and looks out for us as His beloved children. Our Scripture today draws us to consider how focused we are on our loving Savior, and to what degree do we allow Him to dominate our lives. Let’s think about what happens when something dominates our minds, like work, or a girlfriend: We can’t sleep, for our minds are racing towards the parts of our job that needs more attention, or the things we might do to show more love to a girlfriend or boyfriend. Throughout the day, our minds are set on every action being geared towards improving that thing that is dominating our minds. So the BIG question then is: What is that thing, or person, that dominates our lives most? Our Scripture says that it reflects in our actions and our words. So, if less than 50% of our time, effort, priorities, words, etc. is spent on the things, and person of Jesus Christ, can you possibly presume that your life is dominated by Him? Think about it friends, who or what dominates you life?

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, time and experience has taught us that we will overflow with what’s inside of us. As we analyze who/what dominates us, may we make choices to fill ourselves with what we desire to see exude from us. Lord, my desire is that others will see so much of you in all aspects of my life that they will have a deep desire to know you personally. I pray that this devotional will cause many to think of what dominates them, and that they will seek Your help in making the necessary adjustments as You, and they, see fit. AMEN!

A Sign Chosen by God

On By Ed AlgreenIn Blessing, ChristmasLeave a comment

Monday, 2018-12-17

Bible Reference: Isaiah 7:13-16 
Translation: The Living Bible (TLB)

Bible Text: 13 Then Isaiah said: O House of David, you aren’t satisfied to exhaust my patience; you exhaust the Lord’s as well! 14 All right then, the Lord himself will choose the sign—a child shall be born to a virgin! And she shall call him Immanuel (meaning, “God is with us”). 15-16 By the time this child is weaned and knows right from wrong, the two kings you fear so much—the kings of Israel and Syria — will both be dead.

OBSERVATION: Isaiah prophesied, many years before the birth of Jesus, that God would send His Son, through miraculous means, and that He would be known as Immanuel, meaning God is With Us. In other words, this would be the same as God being with us. Not only is building the case for the coming King of all kings, but also in providing awesome peace in knowing that no matter how lonely one is, God’s Son would be with them!

APPLICATION: Probably one of the hardest things for anyone to handle is seeing someone without a home, or without food, or without family and friends. Destitute, lonely, forgotten, hungry, and living on the streets without anything at all. Compare that to those who appear to be happy and fulfilled because they have enough money to buy whatever they want. Without the Lordship of our Savior, Jesus Christ, they both will face God in the same condition – lost and destined for eternal damnation in the pit of Hell. Friends, this ‘Child’ referenced in verse 14 that Isaiah prophesied about, is the same Jesus that we celebrate each Christmas. He came so that we, who trust in Him completely, might be rewarded with life eternally with He and the Father. So may I suggest that as you approach this Christmas season, that you search your heart carefully, and be sure that you have at some time in your life personally surrendered your heart to Jesus, and asked Him to take control of your life. Without Jesus, it wouldn’t matter if you lived under a bridge, in a mansion or anywhere in between, you will be given the same verdict on Judgment Day – away from me, for I never knew you. Heaven is reserved for those who have surrendered their hearts to Jesus. The only other option is Hell, where all others will be sent for eternal damnation by Satan. The difference in destination is decided and committed to by you only, for yourself only. Because we are not assured of another day or moment, I would encourage you to make this very important decision right now friend.

PRAYER: Thank You for the gift of salvation dear Jesus. Please tender, and prepare the hearts of those that will read this devotional, so that they may make a right decision to follow You for the rest of their earthly lives. A personal decision with a very personal Lord. Lord Jesus, to You I offer my praise and thanks today for accepting my plea for salvation. May today be filled with decisions in time for a Christmas where we all may celebrate You as the main reason for the season! AMEN!

Why Trust In God

On By Ed AlgreenIn Priorities, Priority, Wonderful Savior, WorthyLeave a comment

Saturday, 2018-12-15

Bible Reference: Psalm 146:3-6
Translation: The Voice (VOICE)

Bible Text: 3 Do not put your trust in the rulers of this world—kings and princes. Do not expect any rescue from mortal men. 4 As soon as their breath leaves them, they return to the earth; on that day, all of them perish—their dreams, their plans, and their memories. 5 Blessed are those whose help comes from the God of Jacob, whose hope is centered in the Eternal their God — 6 Who created the heavens, the earth, the seas, and all that lives within them; Who stays true and remains faithful forever;

OBSERVATION: It is so important for us to be reminded that rulers and bosses and supervisors and workplaces are all temporary, just like we are. While we owe a large degree of allegiance to each of these, it is so important that we focus primarily on the BIG picture, on the eternal destination and benefits that lie ahead for us – those people and things that will always be there. Throughout the busyness of this season let’s ask for help in refocusing on the most important things in life! Today let’s consider what those things are….

APPLICATION: God’s Word is timeless, and beyond description in power and wisdom! Think about the reasons why some become disconnected in their faith, and please, I would ask that you not look at this as judging, but merely as an illustration, and possible reminder to look inward for signs of distraction in your own trust. I believe that way too often we lose that intimate connection with God for reasons such as: I am way too busy at work, and I need all the rest at home that I could get; I need my short evenings with my family, so I don’t have time for church meetings; Sundays are my only days to visit with family, and that’s more important than church; We pay our pastors to study the Word and feed it to us at church, so I see no value in personally reading the Bible; I have no time to read the Word of God, I’m a working man/woman… Friends, if you did not see your excuse listed, please understand that there are tons of excuses that we use from time to time about what constitutes a priority in our lives. I’m not being supercritical by looking at your reasons for failure as a non-priority, but please do me a favor and consider those things that you do accomplish – that they were a priority to you. Please do me another favor child of God: before you lay down each evening, reflect with God on your day’s activities. Give Him thanks for all those things that you achieved; then explain to Him why your time with Him in prayer (talking to Him), and Bible Study (receiving responses, wisdom and direction from Him) was not a priority to you. That sounds tough, but I believe that the popular excuse of ‘lack of time’ equates to ‘lack of priority’. It’s just much easier to give the excuse that ‘you didn’t have time’, instead of the fact that ‘it was not a priority to me today’. Friends, when our workplace is no longer in business, or we have retired, God is still there. When we make it a priority to read God’s Word, we receive wisdom and direction for our day that helps us handle situations better, and keeps our mind focused on the God who cares, loves and directs our every word and deed. The bottom line is, that there is no earthly thing that we could find comfort in, or depend on, that could ever take the place of our all-powerful God. May I recommend that you trust Him today in all things, and in all areas of your life?

PRAYER: Lord, You are worthy of our praise; dependable; trustworthy; and You are our everlasting Savior! Thank You for always being there for us in every way and throughout every day. Please help us to always be reminded of the truth and significance of that, so that we may keep our priorities straight. You are our Rock, and our everlasting Father, on whom we could place our full trust and hope, in every circumstance of life. Lord, we need You, and we want You in every part of our life. Please keep us in tuned with You and continually looking up – for Your return, AMEN!

A Gift You Should Give Your Children

On By Ed AlgreenIn Christmas, Gift, gifts, Humility, Love, Love others, Loving God, Unconditional loveLeave a comment

Friday, 2018-12-14

Bible Reference: Isaiah 38:18-19
Translation: Amplified Bible (AMP)

Bible Text: 18 “For Sheol cannot praise or thank You, Death cannot praise You and rejoice in You; Those who go down to the pit cannot hope for Your faithfulness. 19 “It is the living who give praise and thanks to You, as I do today; A father tells his sons about Your faithfulness.

OBSERVATION: Christmas seems to be all about gift giving, in remembrance of the greatest GIFT ever given for us – our Lord Jesus! But ‘gifts’ come in many forms, and today we want to meditate on the greatest gift that we could pass on to our children, or to those who know us. Come, meditate with me as we look into the Word of God.

APPLICATION: With Christmas quickly approaching, I believe that most of us are probably trying to narrow down what we will possibly give that child of ours, who seems to have everything already. No doubt there are others that we are just as concerned about getting just the right gift for as well, and we will often go into debt just to get the right gift that they might appreciate. But wait just a minute friend. Can you remember the best gift you ever received from a grandparent? How about a parent, or spouse or child of yours? I can think of certain acts of love; certain words of praise; certain very special family times, like the night dad told his kids about the call of God on his life that led to his salvation that day; certain family times of Bible reading; certain times that, as a family, we called on God for healing for each other, like when my dad was being treated for ulcers, when in fact he had experienced a heart attack. Friends, our Scripture is telling us that we may no longer hear about these things from grandma or grandpa, or dad, because just as declared in verse 18 above, they may have passed on from this world. So how then will our children know these things? Let me suggest that we make some family traditions of our own. I don’t believe that we would spoil the ‘fun’ times of what our kids have found in Christmas trees, gifts, santa claus, and the likes of a worldly Christmas, but in verse 19 we are being counseled to share our ‘God’ experiences with our children. I trust that we all will make time to share with each other during our Christmas celebrations this year.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, You have been so gracious to us;  so loving; so kind; so forgiving; and such a provider of glorious gifts that creates a sense of anxious expectation about Your return to take us up to glory! Lord, please give us opportunity to share these gifts with our family this Christmas, and oh that we may have opportunities to also share Your love with others that we come into contact with. This may be the greatest gift we give this Christmas, and it may be more special to the recipient than anything they will find under the tree. Make us bold in our approach, but humble and loving as we remind ourselves of our unworthiness before such a righteous and awesome God. Blessed be the name of the Lord! AMEN!

For Those Who Lovingly and Seriously Call on God

On By Ed AlgreenIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

Wednesday, 2018-12-12

Bible Reference: Psalm 145:17-21
Translation: The Message (MSG)

Bible Text: 17 Everything God does is right— the trademark on all his works is love. 18 God’s there, listening for all who pray, for all who pray and mean it. 19 He does what’s best for those who fear him— hears them call out, and saves them. 20 God sticks by all who love him, but it’s all over for those who don’t. 21 My mouth is filled with God’s praise. Let everything living bless him, bless his holy name from now to eternity!

OBSERVATION: This is an awesome reminder, especially during this busy time of the year for most, that our God is faithful, and that He lovingly listens to those who seriously take their petitions before Him – their Savior and their Lord. Let praise fill our hearts and our mouths for who He is and for all He does for us!

APPLICATION: Although we consider it an honor to be God’s children, can you imagine if people could honestly say that we are just like our Father, in that everything we do and say portrays a spirit of ‘godly love’? The Message says this so eloquently – that the trademark of God’s work is love! Oh that our motto would be ‘love for all of God’s children’! What an amazing Savior is Jesus my Lord! Most versions included similar verbiage as the Message in saying that God lovingly listens to those who seriously seek His face. Think about that friends! ‘Lovingly’ says to me that God patiently waits for us to get over ourselves and earnestly seek Him. It tells me that God is able to look over our doubt and our selfish requests, but looks at the heart and sees a child in need and trying to ask Him, much like we do with our earthly fathers. He knows what we need before we asks, so I am convinced that He also knows when we ask arie, or ask for something that is absolutely not in His will for our lives. So now we will look at ‘seriously seeking God’. We offer so many prayers in habit form – such as blessing of our food, and other denominational prayers printed for our use. But for us to understand ‘serious’ as I see it here in these verses, I think of times that we are about to break, or a loved one is at a very critical point, or our church is about to close its doors. Can you see how our prayers at times like these are VERY serious? Why then do we ‘casually’ pray? Do we always realize that we are speaking to the Creator of our Universe, when we approach His throne? Do we really mean what we say when we ask Him to use us to enrich the souls of others? Friends, I believe that God is lovingly waiting for us with open arms, waiting for us to share our heart with Him and ask for His help to achieve ‘life’ in a form that’s both pleasing to Him, and that will glorify Him. We should have a deep desire to be filled with the same qualities that Jesus demonstrated while here on earth. He did and said those things that the Father led Him to, and so should we. Seeing God work in these ways through us, will cause us to join with the Psalmist as he did in verse 24, and glorify the King of kings and Lord of lords for all eternity!

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, thank You for first loving me! I pray that as my readers and I concentrate on that love, and seriously seek Your face, that we will ultimately praise You for all Your wondrous works. You are amazing oh God, and You took Your commitment to show ultimate love to us at Calvary. Oh that we may in turn love you sincerely, worship You intimately and always pray to You deeply and seriously. May we imitate our Father in every way oh Lord, especially at Christmas time! AMEN!

Trust That God is With Us This Christmas

On By Ed AlgreenIn Christmas, Trust, Truth2 Comments

Tuesday, 2018-12-11

Bible Reference: Isaiah 7:9-16
Translation: The Living Bible (TLB)

Bible Text: 9 Samaria is the capital of Ephraim alone, and King Pekah’s power will not increase. You don’t believe me? If you want me to protect you, you must learn to believe what I say.” 10 Not long after this, the Lord sent this further message to King Ahaz: 11 “Ask me for a sign, Ahaz, to prove that I will indeed crush your enemies as I have said. Ask anything you like, in heaven or on earth.” 12 But the king refused. “No,” he said, “I’ll not bother the Lord with anything like that.” 13 Then Isaiah said: O House of David, you aren’t satisfied to exhaust my patience; you exhaust the Lord’s as well! 14 All right then, the Lord himself will choose the sign—a child shall be born to a virgin! And she shall call him Immanuel (meaning, “God is with us”). 15-16 By the time this child is weaned and knows right from wrong, the two kings you fear so much—the kings of Israel and Syria – will both be dead.

OBSERVATION: We can’t expect God to bless us, protect us, heal us or provide for us, if we don’t trust Him or believe fully in Him! Let’s meditate on this today as we contend with the busyness of Christmas and prepare our hearts for the celebration of Christ’s birth!

APPLICATION: Verse 14 is a verse that we hear used a lot around Christmas time in Christian circles, but as represented in other recent devotionals, I believe it is so important for us individually to take time and read the whole context from which these popular verses are found. Today’s scripture is a wonderful example. Like us, King Ahaz thought that some things were just too trivial to bother God with, even though it was God Himself who told Ahaz to test Him. I love what the Lord said to Ahaz in the latter part of verse 9, and I know that it very much applies to me and very possibly also applies to you. In my own words, and based on my understanding, I believe that God said to Ahaz, and is saying to us: How do you expect me to protect you, or, how do you expect me to heal you or bless you, if you don’t learn to believe in, and trust me? Friends, there is so much truth in those powerful words by the Master! Will our child ever release themselves from a high wall and jump into our arms, if they have not learned to trust us? I don’t think so! In my hyperlink to today’s scripture, I included the whole chapter, because I want you to take time to read and understand that God had given Ahaz comfort in knowing that He would take care of the opposing leaders, and He even wanted to give him a timeline that it would occur. However, God knew that Ahaz doubted what he was told, so He told Ahaz to test Him just to gain trust in knowing that He is true to His word. The timing of this event then allowed God to elaborate on the miraculous birth of His Son, Jesus. Friends, once again we are assured that our Father has a plan for His children, just like He had for Ahaz. However, we must know Him so well that we are willing to trust Him and believe what He says to us through His Word; through visions; and through His mighty warriors who deliver His messages to us each week. Wouldn’t it be ‘MERRY’, if this Christmas this concept might ‘click’ in our minds and cause us to totally place our faith and our trust in our Savior? We can’t expect God to bless us and protect us if we don’t trust Him or believe fully in Him!

PRAYER: Your Word never ceases to amaze me Oh God! To read the context from which we have traditionally heard parts of the Christmas story, and still find new truths that really speak to our hearts, we can only say ‘Wow’ what a Savior! What an awesome God! Lord Jesus, we just want to worship You, praise You and honor Your blessed name for the key role You have played in our plan of salvation. God had a plan to comfort king Ahaz, and I am convinced that His plan to comfort, protect and save us, is even more awesome! Thank you Heavenly Father! Please continue to open our hearts and fill us with Your grace and Your awesome love that You have shown to us, so that we may, in turn, be a blessing to others in every way possible this Christmas season and throughout each day of the upcoming New Year. With every fiber of our being, we again say ‘thank You Father’ for Your amazing love to us in so many ways! AMEN!

Be A Follower of Christ

On By Ed AlgreenIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

Monday, 2018-12-10

Bible Reference: 1 Thessalonians 5:14-22
Translation: New Living Translation (NLT)

Bible Text: 14 Brothers and sisters, we urge you to warn those who are lazy. Encourage those who are timid. Take tender care of those who are weak. Be patient with everyone. 15 See that no one pays back evil for evil, but always try to do good to each other and to all people. 16 Always be joyful. 17 Never stop praying. 18 Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. 19 Do not stifle the Holy Spirit. 20 Do not scoff at prophecies, 21 but test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good. 22 Stay away from every kind of evil.

OBSERVATION: I wonder what type of characteristics we would come up with, if asked today to explain what a Follower of Christ should look like in character. There are some obvious character traits that we would list right off the top, but I believe we would immediately list the items that we feel we are doing OK in! But today we have the biblical account of those characteristics, so let’s pay close attention!

APPLICATION: As I read through these verses, I thought that it may only be necessary for me to show the scripture, as it would speak for itself. However, please allow me to list again the things that the Scripture say will identify those who follow Christ, or who are obedient to His will and His Word: 

  • Warn those who are lazy, or refuse to work, or take advantage of those who have;
  • Encourage those who are timid or afraid;
  • Take tender care of the weak – those who cannot care for themselves;
  • Be patient with everyone – knowing that we all act, behave and see things differently;
  • See that no one repays evil, or wrong, for evil – This tells me that we are to be like a referee, making sure that no one repays evil for evil, not even ourselves; 
  • Do good for each other and all people – this brings a new outlook for us, for we tend to do good to those who do good for us;
  • Don’t stop the work of the Holy Spirit – careful to not being a stumbling block to those being impacted, and spoken to, by the Holy Spirit;
  • Don’t scoff at prophecy, or treat it as unimportant – let us remember the revelation of prophecies in the Bible, and that we still sever the same God today who could give the gift of prophecy and the revelation of the same;
  • Test what is spoken to you from the Word of God (have your Bible and validate what is being spoken);
  • Hold tight to what is good – be ready to praise God for His good work among His people, and be ready to follow in their footsteps;
  • Stay away from evil – don’t play with it, thinking that you are stronger than the evil thing. Stay far enough away from it.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, thank You for saving my soul! Thank You for giving my fellow believers and I guidance for everyday living. In and of our own sinful selves, we would not be led to do most of these things, nor do we have the power to do them in our own strength, so Lord I thank You from the bottom of my heart for this guidance today. My readers and I must depend on Your strength, Your guidance and Your wisdom to accomplish these things. Please have Your perfect will and way in our lives today. AMEN!