Faith Like That of The Shepherds

On 2017-06-20 By Ed AlgreenIn Believe, Evidence of Faith, Faith, Faith in Action, Faithful, Genuine Faith, Know and Believe, TrustLeave a comment

Post Date:	Tuesday, 2017-06-20
SCRIPTURE
From:	Luke 2:8-12 (NCV)
Text:	⁸That night, some shepherds were in the fields nearby watching their sheep. ⁹Then an angel of the Lord stood before them. The glory of the Lord was shining around them, and they became very frightened. ¹⁰The angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I am bringing you good news that will be a great joy to all the people. ¹¹Today your Savior was born in the town of David. He is Christ, the Lord. ¹²This is how you will know him: You will find a baby wrapped in pieces of cloth and lying in a feeding box.”
OBSERVATION:
God had a plan in action, with the miraculous birth of His Son through a virgin named Mary. Everything went just as God had revealed to Mary, Joseph and Elizabeth. Now God was working in the lives of those that were praying for this Savior to come and save them and their country from the awful stain of sin, corruption and destruction. Let’s have a closer look at the shepherds, whom God chose to reveal Himself to, resulting in them being one of the first groups to visit the newborn infant and God’s servants, Mary and Joseph.
APPLICATION:
Some may assume that I am getting wrapped up in the Christmas story way early this year, and while I totally love the story of our Savior’s birth, I am merely reading through the Bible and got to this Scripture today! I believe that way too often we hear the Christmas story, and because we have always loved the story of Jesus’ birth, we remember the story vividly and therefore never stop to meditate on particular servants or scenes, because we feel like we have heard it all so many times over the years. In the case of the shepherds, they were keeping watch over their sheep to protect them from the wild animals that may have been looking for a quick way into the pasture to grab one for dinner! It seems like these were godly men who prayed for a deliverer, and probably looked into the night sky while on watch, just praying some more and imagining what it might be like if that deliverer might come during their lifetime. I believe that many Christians probably do something very similar when they look at the challenges with politics in their own country. I love the outdoors, so I have often looked into the dark skies lit only by God’s perfect candles (stars) and imagined what it would be like to witness the return of Jesus Christ when He comes to take fellow Christians and myself up to our heavenly home to live eternally with Him! What if that night silence and dark sky was broken one night and God sent His angels to come and take us home? Of course you will immediately cry out for family and friends for whose salvation you’ve been praying, but can you even imagine the joy that will fill your heart to even imagine going to live with your blessed Redeemer for whom you’ve been loving, serving and anticipating for years? In fact, this may all have crossed the minds of these shepherds as they saw something bright and glorious appear before them in the dark sky. I’m sure they were in so much shock and awe that they probably had trouble concentrating on what was being told to them, but they gathered enough from the good news that they quickly decided to go and see this child that the angels spoke of. But let’s be sure that we get this. Imagine being a part of a group considered the lowest of the lowest in society, and now you are convinced that the Almighty God sent an angel to tell you about the birth of His Son? Furthermore, you are witnessing this group dropping everything, and risking to walk a distance to see if this is for real? As part of that group, what will you tell someone along the way who may ask about your travel destination? Friends, I believe you could see that while we classify people based on our perception, God is no respecter of persons. Some of us create separations by country, by race, by political party, by church denomination, etc. But I truly believe that God looks at us as His precious children, period. Being no respecter of persons, God could give someone that we least expect, a message that He would like for us to adhere to, or be encouraged by. Are we seriously looking for a word from the Lord each day, no matter who God decides to use as His delivery boy? Are we seriously looking forward to His return? What if it was today? Are you truly ready and waiting for His return? Let’s try to be like the shepherds who, when told about Jesus, dropped what they were doing and went to worship Him!
PRAYER:
Lord God, You are so awesome in every way, and I praise You for who You are to me. In being reminded today of Your willingness to minister to ALL mankind, I am humbled and reassured that I can stand boldly before the throne and worship You and bring my petitions before You. Lord, for those who will read this and doubt about their worthiness in Your sight, please reassure them of Your love for all mankind – all who were made by You, in Your image and for Your glory. The shepherds glorified the arrival of their long awaited King and Savior, because their world was so challenging and filled with hatred and crime. Sounds like a mirror of what we face today Lord, so we plead that You might hear our cry for help and send us relief that only You could imagine or make possible. We have hope in You oh Lord, please help us to remain faithful until You are ready for us in heaven, 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 Highlands County, 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!

No Room For Jesus

On 2017-06-19 By Ed AlgreenIn Priority, Relationship, TimeLeave a comment

Post Date:	Monday, 2017-06-19
SCRIPTURE
From:	Luke 2:6-7 (NCV)
Text:	⁶While they were in Bethlehem, the time came for Mary to have the baby, ⁷and she gave birth to her first son. Because there were no rooms left in the inn, she wrapped the baby with pieces of cloth and laid him in a feeding trough.
OBSERVATION:
Very familiar verses that we hear a lot during the Christmas season. Notice that similar words were echoed throughout the physical reign of Jesus Christ, that there was no room, or time for Jesus. Although the people begged His power as desired, yet He was rejected and mocked at almost every venue throughout His ministry. His closest partners in ministry denied Him when placed under pressure, and He was arrested and crucified because of the good He did for others. Surely all of this must have changed after He arose victoriously, like He said He would. Let’s examine this prospect….
APPLICATION:
It is so easy to look down our pious noses and criticize the Jews for what they did to Jesus, because He didn’t fit their mold of what their king should look and act like. It is so easy for Christians to look down their pious noses at unbelievers and strongly criticize them for rejecting our Savior and Lord. But I would like for us to stop and consider both groups in this devotional: Unbelievers – We often hear excuses like: I would like to have all of my earthly fun before surrendering my life to Jesus, or in other words: before I could find room or time for Jesus; I see so many cases where those ‘Christians’ have just as many struggles as I have, plus most of them are hypocrites anyway; I have way too much to do with my time than all this church stuff; The church can’t relate to us younger folk, because there are so many traditional, old-heads running the church; etc, etc. It all boils down to you not wanting to find time or availability for Jesus, and you are not willing to make it a priority; Christians – Unfortunately, we hear many of the same excuses as listed above, because there is a ‘human’ aspect living inside both groups. However, it is sad to ask a Christian for their testimony and they can’t share the point in time that they truly accepted Jesus. We hear a lot about how they’ve attended church all of their life, so they know Jesus, or they hung around ‘good’ people and that ‘goodness’ rubbed off on them and they therefore now know Jesus. Compare this to your marriage and see if you can get away with telling a friend something similar in the presence of your spouse! Consider what you are saying to Jesus when you can’t find time, or you can’t be bothered to spend time each day communing with Him. Try this friend, each evening before bed try saying a simple prayer of truth along these lines to your Savior: Thank you for dying for me Lord Jesus. I apologize that I didn’t make it a priority in my day to even say thank You, or welcome You to guide my day. You see, it’s not a matter of ‘time’, it’s a matter of ‘priority’. It’s the same as saying something similar to what the innkeeper said to Joseph and Mary, so sorry but there is no room here for Jesus. Jesus sacrificed His very life for you friend. What’s the minimum that you are planning to do for Him today? Do you have room for Him in your time, your life, your work, or your marriage? I believe He is waiting to bless you, if you can make time and room for Him today!
PRAYER:
Thank You Lord Jesus for the awesome sacrifice You made, so that those of us that could make room for You in our lives, could one day worship You endlessly in the glories of heaven. Please forgive us Lord for the times that we ‘shut the door’ on You because we have no room for You at the time. Please open our eyes and our understanding to allow You full reign in our lives, for we need You every hour of every day dear Lord. Please help us to always make room for You, so that others may see Jesus and believe. 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 Highlands County, 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!

Train Yourself To Serve God

On 2017-06-172017-06-17 By Ed AlgreenIn Commitment, Serve, Unconditional commitmentLeave a comment

Post Date:	Saturday, 2017-06-17
SCRIPTURE
From:	1 Timothy 4:7-8 (NCV)
Text:	⁷But do not follow foolish stories that disagree with God’s truth, but train yourself to serve God. ⁸Training your body helps you in some ways, but serving God helps you in every way by bringing you blessings in this life and in the future life, too.
OBSERVATION:
It is interesting that Paul recognized the importance that the people of his day had, with a strong emphasis on a few extracurricular things, that seem to have taken priority over their allegiance to God.
APPLICATION:
I found it fascinating that Paul would teach Timothy that we must train ourselves to serve God. That indicates that our normal selfish tendency is to serve self and get as much for ourselves as we possibly could. Thankfully most of us are very centered around healthy living, in our eating and in exercise. In fact, you can find friends along dark streets very early in the morning jogging or walking, or you might see friends coming out of the gym looking like they had a shower in their own sweat. What if we saw that kind of dedication and energy in Christians connecting with friends to introduce them to their Savior? I’ve also heard loads of excuses on why folk can’t, or won’t attend church functions. All the way from being afraid of crowds, to their only day to sleep in or be with their family. However most sports events are often sold out, even if it took a whole week’s salary to buy the tickets. Crowds are not a problem there, nor is early or late afternoon start times. You are bound to sit next to strangers, some of whom might even be obnoxious, but fans are not affected by that. To the only One who knows even our inmost thoughts, what will we tell God when He asks why could you not find priority for Me and in being with my people, or serving me, or giving to my work, or encouraging others? When we committed ourselves to our spouse, or to our job, we were able to lay aside our selfish desires and serve them unswervingly, why is it different with our commitment to God? Are there things that you need to clear up between you and God to restore that allegiance that you once promised Him, or perhaps that you would like to promise Him now?
PRAYER:
Lord Jesus, You know us all very well. Our comings and our goings, our excuses and our level of dedication to You and Your work. Please help us to search out the Savior of this world, and for those who already know You personally, please teach us to draw close to You and allow You to guide us and train us to give priority to You in every aspect of our lives. For those who have not been concerned about their eternity, please touch them precious Lord and draw their attention to the need for a Savior. You created us to worship and lift up the name of Jesus, oh that we may be found faithful! 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 Highlands County, 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!

Allow God to be God

On 2017-06-162017-06-16 By Ed AlgreenIn direction, Humble, Submission, SurrenderLeave a comment

Post Date:	Friday, 2017-06-16
SCRIPTURE
From:	Numbers 27:4-7 (TLB)
Text:	⁴…We feel that we should be given property along with our father’s brothers.” ⁵So Moses brought their case before the Lord. ^6-7And the Lord replied to Moses, “The daughters of Zelophehad are correct. Give them land along with their uncles; give them the property that would have been given to their father if he had lived.
OBSERVATION:
As the Israelites neared the Promised Land, Moses had just been ordered by God on how to split up the land among all of the tribes. However, there was one family that felt left out, so they brought their case to Moses, which led to God instituting a new law for families whose head just passed away without any sons to inherit the family’s assets. Most leaders have an opinion about all matters, but only humble men like Moses would consult with God before responding to such inquiries.
APPLICATION:
I feel like there are at least two lessons for us to learn in these verses today: These five ladies could easily have gone to their neighbors and complained, or any number of friends or family and whined and complained about them being left out. They could have put Moses and his leadership down for being so un-thoughtful. You know, stuff that most of us would do today! However, the ladies went straight to Moses and plead their case for what seemed like an oversight. I feel like this speaks volumes to us today, for nothing good comes out of discussing the situation with others instead of going straight to the one who caused the problem that upset you. Usually, only them could correct the problem or explain their reasoning. Moses had dealt with these people long enough that I’m sure he had an opinion on how he would have responded to these sisters, however Moses also knew first hand who was truly in charge. He didn’t call his leaders together to discuss the matter, but instead He went straight to his boss – The Lord God. What a lesson for us today! We have so many prejudices and opinions about why we feel the way we do about certain things or people, yet we make decisions and declare they are fair, because that right has been vested in us. Friends, in verse 5, Moses showed us the way to justify our decisions. Let’s stop assuming the position of God, and let our Master and Lord assume His rightful place in our lives and in our dilemmas or decisions. Imagine how you would feel in making a decision in your leadership, feeling assured that you were merely passing on the decision of your Master? There would be no guilt, no further questioning in your mind if you did the right thing or made the right decision. Imagine the peace of knowing that you are merely being God’s messenger, rather than making worldly decisions and expecting God to bless it! Man of God; woman of God; child of God: who’s in charge of your decision making? Are you depending on God to lead you in your decisions? If we want to live according to God’s will, then we must be prepared to ask Him to clarify His will to us. we can’t continue to make decisions and expect God to bless them. He’s in charge, and He will direct our paths and decisions, if we ask Him to and let Him. Imagine the shock from your employer, or your best friend or medical professional if you told them that you would get back to them with an answer to their question tomorrow as you must seek God’s response for you today? Not only will that be a witness, but it will also open their eyes to the proper way of handling our Christian life! God’s in charge – please let Him!
PRAYER:
Lord Jesus, please help us to get over our self righteousness and our thinking that we have all of the answers. As we go our way each day, we should be going in Your name and for Your sake. Please help us to consult with you on decisions that we make in our lives. Why pray about a need, if we are going to turn around and do our own thing. Please open our eyes that we may see You and all that You have in store for us to do. Please open our understanding so that we may be filled with Your wisdom that would lead us aright in this sinful, evil world. Lord, may they see Jesus as they look on us or seek our advice. 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 Highlands County, 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!

Blessed Because You Believe

On 2017-06-15 By Ed AlgreenIn Believe, Blessing, Blessings, Obedience, ObedientLeave a comment

Post Date:	Thursday, 2017-06-15
SCRIPTURE
From:	Luke 1:45 (NCV)
Text:	⁴⁵You are blessed because you believed that what the Lord said to you would really happen.
OBSERVATION:
On Mary’s visit to her relative, Elizabeth, there were several events that confirmed that the child inside of Elizabeth and Mary were very special, miraculous gifts from God. In fact, from the very first announcement to these ladies, they accepted that God was using each of them in ways that would impact the whole world and bless them beyond anything they deserved or could imagine. Let’s look at how this might impact us….
APPLICATION:
In addition to being blessed immensely by the results of the two pregnancies of Mary and Elizabeth, I fell like there are tremendous lessons for us to learn from these two women of God, but I want to concentrate on a few of the very special reasons we can identify why Elizabeth was so true in what she said to Mary, and how this could be applied to us today: From a human perspective Mary wanted to understand how the pregnancy could occur since she had never been with a man. However, she never looked for excuses why she couldn’t or wouldn’t comply with the instructions from God. Aren’t we pros at finding excuses on why we won’t serve the Lord? Too busy; unqualified; family; don’t know enough scripture; etc. We should be able to see that with these excuses we are depending on the abilities of self to accomplish the work of the Lord. Friends, for God’s work, we need Him active in every aspect of the work He has commanded, or led us to do. It is evident that Mary had an intimate relationship with her Savior, otherwise she would have quickly dismissed the idea of an angel speaking with her, and she would never have accepted the thought of God using her in such an awesome way. We may sometimes grow jealous of ways that God uses others, while leaving us on the sidelines. Mary was blessed because she believed in the Master that she already knew intimately. How’s your relationship with Jesus? Do you know Him? Do you worship Him daily? Do you ask Him to use you in His work? One Bible study that I did, recommended that we look for where God is at work, and jump right in the middle of it with a heart to serve Him and be His hands and feet on planet earth! Friends, you too can be blessed through your relationship with Jesus Christ; your belief in His mighty power and kingship; in your obedience to His commands taught in the Bible; and in your obedience to His leading each and every day. Remember friend, it’s all about Jesus, not you.
PRAYER:
Lord, thank You for Your servant Mary and her relative Elizabeth, who accepted from You what seemed impossible to mankind. Lord, I believe that You are still seeking believers to have that kind of faith today, and to seek to follow Your guidance and will for their lives. The example was clear with these two ladies, and I truly believe that the same God who created those miracles for them, is the same God that I serve even today. Lord, may we commit again to give You full reign in our lives today. 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 Highlands County, 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!

Faith Leads To Obedience

On 2017-06-142017-06-14 By Ed AlgreenIn Believe, Faith, Faith in Action, Faithful, Faithfulness, Genuine Faith, Know and Believe, ObedienceLeave a comment

Post Date:	Wednesday, 2017-06-14
SCRIPTURE
From:	Luke 1:38 (TLB)
Text:	³⁸Mary said, “I am the Lord’s servant, and I am willing to do whatever he wants. May everything you said come true.” And then the angel disappeared.
OBSERVATION:
A virgin girl approached by an angel with an unheard of proposition from God, was immediately convinced of the awesome task that God had chosen her to partake in. There were no excuses, or running away to avoid the proposition, but simply an openness to allow God to have His way with His humble servant.
APPLICATION:
I would imagine that just like at my church, you are probably not hearing too many stories similar to the very familiar story of Mary, the mother of our Lord Jesus, in the Bible. For in faith she accepted the word from God and conceded to His perfect will for her life, regardless of any possible negative reflection on her by the questioning world. For us today, it often seems like asking a person, where you felt compelled of God to ask them to share in the ministry, is like asking them how many excuses can they find to not follow God’s command to serve in His church. Fathers, may I ask you to personally imagine your virgin daughter approaching you (an elder in your church) boldly with the news that she is pregnant? Adding that “Oh, and by the way, this is by the holy spirit of God” adds no comfort to you, because you have never heard of such a thing before. As for the fiancee, he may also have faith in God, but having never heard of such action by the Holy Spirit before, he is silently questioning as to whether the baby inside is for another man. In the case of Mary and Joseph, thank God that He sent the Holy Spirit to Joseph as well, to prepare him in advance for the news he would receive from Mary. Friends, I believe that what we are being taught in this Scripture today is that when we have an intimate relationship with the Lord Jesus, and we make every effort to follow His commands and His will for our lives, there may be times that He will summon us to do things that are way outside of the realm of our selfish, finite minds. As Christians reflect back over life, we can often see that many of the decisions we made and things that we did, that seemed way out of the ordinary at the time, we could now reflect and see what God had in mind for us the next day, week, month or years. Let’s be careful to remember that His ways are not our ways, so He may ask us to do things that is extraordinary in our eyes, but very purposeful in His eyes. Build a personal relationship with the Lord, friend. Listen to His voice and His direction for your life, and be willing to jump, move or speak when He commands you to do it. He will receive glory, and you will be overwhelmed in joy!
PRAYER:
Lord, I pray that each one reading this blog will join me in committing ourselves fully to Your perfect will. Whether our actions result in our personal joy, or that of a friend or relative, please help us to commit to being faithful to You and therefore obedient to Your every command. May Your perfect will be fulfilled in our lives and in the lives of others as we remain faithful and allow You to bless and work through us to touch others. Thank You for Your willing, obedient servant Mary, may we join her in also being faithful to the end, so that You may be glorified in all that we do, 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 Highlands County, 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 Ye of Little Faith

On 2017-06-13 By Ed AlgreenIn Believe, Faith, MiraclesLeave a comment

Post Date:	Tuesday, 2017-06-13
SCRIPTURE
From:	Luke 1:18-20 (TLB)
Text:	¹⁸Zacharias said to the angel, “But this is impossible! I’m an old man now, and my wife is also well along in years.” ¹⁹Then the angel said, “I am Gabriel! I stand in the very presence of God. It was he who sent me to you with this good news! ²⁰And now, because you haven’t believed me, you are to be stricken silent, unable to speak until the child is born…..
OBSERVATION:
Zacharias and his wife Elizabeth were regarded as godly folk who were very careful to obey the laws of God (vs 13). Zacharias was a faithful servant of the Lord and served on a roster in the temple. They were well along in age and had resigned themselves to the fact that God did not see fit to bless them with a child. However, whether through spoken prayer or just in the depth of Zacharias’ heart, God knew that it was the desire of his heart that he and Elizabeth could have a child. This was a miraculous story that was precisely timed with the miraculous birth of Christ!
APPLICATION:
When the messenger of God stood besides the temple altar and share with Zacharias a message from the Father above, this awesome man of God was so taken aback, like many of us would be, that the shock caused him to actually doubt that God could be serious about creating a miracle for he and his dear wife. Can you identify? “Sir, I could only wish that you are serious about what you are saying, but you and God must know that my wife and I are very old – way beyond child rearing age, and now you are messing with my mind and trying to give me a ray of hope that something so ridiculous could actually happen to us?” – This might be along the lines of what I might say if approached by anyone with such a message for my wife and I at our current age. In fact if there was a slight ray of hope, I would begin thinking about what our church folk might think or say if we walked through the doors with my wife showing evidence of pregnancy! If a godly man like Zacharias doubted, doesn’t it make you wonder why on earth do we even pray for things that seem impossible to us? Friends, let’s remember that our God created this old world, He created you and I, and He created everything that we eat, enjoy and are blessed with everyday. Why again should we doubt the power of our God to answer our prayers and provide for our daily needs? Perhaps this is a matter of faith? Jesus said that with faith, we could speak to a mountain and it will be moved! How many challenges do you have that’s near that big? Trust God with the big and small things in your life. Answers to your prayers will help mature your faith and prepare you for receiving even the largest answers to prayer. Develop a relationship with God’s Son, Jesus Christ. Believe on Him and know His awesome power. Give glory to God for the awesome things that He does for you. Have faith my friend!
PRAYER:
Lord Jesus, You made teh blind to see again, you healed teh sick and brought the dead back to life again. You even caused an elderly couple to miraculously have a baby about the same time that You caused a virgin call to become pregnant with Your precious Son. Why would we doubt or fear, when we serve the same God that has proven Himself one miracle after the other? Lord, please develop a faith in us where we could see that the God we love can do the same miracles for us as He did, or will do, for others. I adore You for who You are, my Savior, Lord, and soon coming 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 Highlands County, 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!

Love In Action

On 2017-06-12 By Ed AlgreenIn Love, Love others, Love your Neighbor, The Father's Love, The love of God, Unconditional loveLeave a comment

Post Date:-	Monday, 2017-06-12
SCRIPTURE
From:	Romans 12:9-13 (NIV)
Text:	⁹Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. ¹⁰Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.¹¹Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. ¹²Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. ¹³Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.
OBSERVATION:
As Paul wrote these words to the church at Rome, I would imagine that he was dealing with a lot of the challenges that church pastors deal with today, where most of a pastor’s heartaches come from the flock not getting along with each other. Paul’s overriding theme in these few verses is that Christians are to love one another in total honesty. Praising the good and abhorring the evil, but none the less, loving one another through it all.
APPLICATION:
Jesus set the example for us by loving people everywhere He went. He loved the dreaded tax collectors and even had one of them follow Him as a disciple (Matthew). Jesus was falsely arrested and convicted of no crime at all, yet crucified anyway. While on the cross, in pain and agony, disgraced before an onlooking world, Jesus asked His Father to forgive His persecutors. Is it any wonder that the first order of business that Jesus gave attention to when telling us to be sincere in love, is that we stand firm for our beliefs, and to hate evil. Although, I believe that this was included so early in this discourse, so that we might be reminded that although we may hate the sin, or the evil that results from the actions of some, we must never lose sight of the soul and love them unconditionally. I believe that another reason for the attention to the evil in a person, is that if we don’t let the person know that we hate the sin they are doing, then they could easily feel like we are OK with it, or may even love that sinful aspect of them. Friends, if we cannot be a positive influence to a friend for Jesus, then we should examine ourselves for the true presence of Jesus in our lives. Often our friends may be caught in a trap and invite us over, hoping that we could help them through their problem. Imagine how disappointed they must be when we just accept their sinful act and count it as ‘normal’ or ‘acceptable’ living. The rest of these verses gives us tips to look for in our everyday experiences with loved ones and friends. Think on these things as you prepare to visit someone, and ask God to help you love them unconditionally. After your visit, invite God to help you honestly evaluate your words and actions so that you may work even harder on correcting anything that you may have messed up on. Friends, we serve a perfect God, so as we strive to live like He taught us in this messed up and imperfect world, we run into challenges. Seek His guidance and His strength as you deal with others so that you may be a stepping stone in their quest for salvation, and not a stumbling block.
PRAYER:
Lord Jesus, You loved us enough that You went to the cross on our behalf, even though we were so undeserving of such love. Through Your Holy Spirit, You led us to the cross for Your complete forgiveness and then offered us eternal salvation from our sin. As your children endeavoring to follow in Your example, how can we but love others and understand their struggle with sin? We have been there and done that, and in many cases have the scars to show for it. Please forgive us Lord, and help us to be a forgiving people, willing to love the unloved. May they see Jesus through our actions and in our unconditional love for them, 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 Highlands County, 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!

Are You Paying Attention?

On 2017-06-102017-06-10 By Ed AlgreenIn direction, God's Guidance, Guidance, Leadership, Leadership of the Holy SpiritLeave a comment

Post Date:	Saturday, 2017-06-10
SCRIPTURE
From:	Numbers 22:32-33 (GW)
Text:	³²The Messenger of the Lord asked him, “Why have you hit your donkey three times like this? I’ve come here to stop you because the trip you’re taking is evil. ³³The donkey saw me and turned away from me these three times. If it had not turned away from me, I would certainly have killed you by now but spared the donkey.”
OBSERVATION:
Balaam had some ulterior motives to go and see King Balak. Knowing how self focused we could be when dealing with selfish desires, God warned Balaam before he left home, but He decided to warn him yet again along the way. He did this by placing a messenger in the path of Balaam’s donkey to try and get him off track. Balaam was so upset with the donkey seemed self controlled instead of obeying his master, that he would have killed the donkey did he have the right gear at the time. Let’s apply this to our lives today….
APPLICATION:
Just as God tried to redirect Balaam, He also dealt with Jonah in a similar fashion. For He had a ministry in store for Jonah, but instead Jonah decided to take a boat elsewhere. After winding up in the belly of a huge fish for three days, Jonah got the message. What does it take for God to get our attention? Ever looked back on life and realized how disastrous life would have been had you followed your own inclination? When we sought God about moving to the US from our home country, the Bahamas, it all came through very quickly. Family members thought we were absolutely nuts and possibly going through a midlife crisis. Within one year of our move, one of those same family members told me, after having his heart repaired following a heart attack, that now he could see clearly why God moved us here. A similar incident occurred within a few years and it was once again reaffirmed that we followed God’s will. In man’s eyes, there is nothing special about this servant of God, but in God’s eyes, I’m His son, a recipient of the blood He shed for us at Calvary, and He wants His very best for His kids. Have I also been disappointed in life, you betcha, but understanding that I have the God of this universe directing me – opening doors of opportunity and closing doors that may have thrown me off-track, I am convinced that He who started a good work in me, will continue to see me through life until the day I stand in His presence in glory! I was reminded of these ‘building stones’ or highlights one night when given the opportunity to share my story with another Christian Brother. Try that some time friend. I believe that you too will reflect on times when God spoke to you and you may have declined His invitation. For those of you that did accept His invitation to permit Him to rule and reign in your life, I believe you too will reflect on times that God would have opened doors for you, and times when He placed an angel in your path, like Balaam, to prevent you taking the path you were asking Him permission to take. God loves us friend, and He will honor His Word that He will take care of those entrusted into His care. Let Him guide and protect you Friend. Pay attention to the ways that He is directing You. Always pray for guidance and His perfect will for your life, then pay attention!
PRAYER:
Lord Jesus, the adversary is pushing at every turn to indulge in our weaknesses and try to get us off-track in our mission to serve You and be obedient to Your every command. Please help us to keep our eyes so permanently fixed on You that our path is directed by You and very clear to us which way we should turn. Lord, I believe that there will be some who reads this blog that are currently going through testing and times of decision on which way to turn next. Please give each of us assurance today, that You are still God and that You will take care of Your own. Help us to totally surrender our will to You and be willing to accept all the ways that You will guide us, for Your eternal glory. Lord we praise You in advance knowing that as You have guided us already, You will continue. 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 Highlands County, 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!

‘Mountains’ That Seem Impassable

On 2017-06-09 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Power of Prayer, PrayerLeave a comment

Post Date:	Friday, 2017-06-09
SCRIPTURE
From:	Numbers 21:33-35 (GW)
Text:	³³Then they turned and followed the road that goes to Bashan. King Og of Bashan and all his troops came out to fight the Israelites at Edrei. ³⁴The Lord said to Moses, “Don’t be afraid of him. I’ll hand him, all his troops, and his land over to you. Do to him what you did to King Sihon of the Amorites, who ruled in Heshbon.” ³⁵The Israelites defeated him, his sons, and all his troops, leaving no survivors. And they took possession of his land.
OBSERVATION:
God delivered His people, the Israelites, from the hands of the Egyptians. He led them by day and by night through the wilderness and taught them many lessons, including how they should conquer fear; obstacles; times of need and desperation; and situations that would remind them of huge ‘mountains’ that may seem impassable in their eyes.
APPLICATION:
I’m sure you’ve heard the slogan ‘If God takes you to it, He will see you through it’. Real neat thought to hear from your preacher when you’re sitting in a ‘cushy’ church and everything is great at the time, right? But what happens when disaster hits; or huge medical decisions become necessary; or you encounter battle after battle each day? In fact, you begin to feel like each day you awake, you are faced with ‘mountains’ at every turn. Can you imagine what Moses must have felt when he saw the many ‘mountains’ each day that faced the thousands and thousands of people that were looking up to him for leadership, protection and direction? Let me suggest to you that your hope and your security in Jesus Christ begins with a personal relationship with Him. Not because you attend church with your parents, or even attend church now with your own family. A personal relationship begins with a heartfelt decision to accept Jesus not only as you would another friend, but to give Jesus full leadership and control in your life. Notice how Moses sought out God about the battle he and his group were facing at Edrei? We all know that in any battle, we need to strategize and get out there and fight. However, when God is your King and your Lord, you are to always seek His will. For when ‘mountains’ stand in our way, we should always remember that God created the ‘mountains’, so if He wants to remove them, or make a way through them for us, He can simply speak the word. I gave several examples of ‘mountains’ you may be facing today, may I encourage those of you that have a personal relationship with Jesus to seek His face and worship Him, for He is still God. Thank Him for the blessings and the challenges He has helped you through. Then seek His reassurance and/or direction for all you are facing, or will face in the days ahead. Allow Him to love on you and comfort you through every facet of your life, including all the ‘mountains’; miracles; opportunities; disappointments; and encouraging times. ‘He’s got this’ friend, we just need the faith, humility and confidence to let Him. Can you commit to that today?
PRAYER:
So many times in life we may stop and question ‘Why me Lord’. However Lord, as we are reminded of Your power shown to Moses and the Israelites, we recognize that had it not been for the challenges, they may not have sought You out at all. Had it not been for the miracles, they would not have known about Your awesome power. Please teach us to always praise You, and accept Your response to our prayer request when you say ‘no’, realizing that it is not the same as not answering our prayer at all. We petition You because we know the answer could be ‘yes’ or ‘no’. Lord, we pray that we may be an extension of You to a lost world. This will include giving Your ‘no’ answer even at those times that we may personally wish it was ‘yes’. Please grant us more faith to be more like You; act more like You; and obediently follow Your Word and Your perfect will for us, and those we lead or influence. 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 Highlands County, 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!