Your Vote in Your Church Business Meeting

On 2021-08-23 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Biblical Decisions, Decisions, Jesus led decisions, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED Monday, 2021-08-23
WRITTEN AT: Hattiesburg, MS

SCRIPTURE FROM: Mark 15:9-12
TRANSLATION: New Living Translation (NLT)

BIBLE TEXT: ⁹“Would you like me to release to you this ‘King of the Jews’?” Pilate asked. ¹⁰(For he realized by now that the leading priests had arrested Jesus out of envy.) ¹¹But at this point the leading priests stirred up the crowd to demand the release of Barabbas instead of Jesus. ¹²Pilate asked them, “Then what should I do with this man you call the king of the Jews?”

APPLICATION: Business meeting outcomes are usually judged by the amount of opposition received when motions are placed on the floor for a vote. It seems like Pilate’s motion presented to his people was met with very stirring results, and that the people wanted something totally opposite to what the king was hoping for. Very often, in today’s church environment, the people will also side with church leaders because they feel like they have been placed in authority to do full research and come up with best solutions for a successful and flourishing church, while following the course and trajectory that would please God. But I wonder how we would act when someone, or something is ‘rocking the boat’ of our normal, cozy, church that pleases one and all. You see, in our Scripture the Pharisees were the ‘spiritual’ leaders of their cities, and generally their wishes were carried through. Pilate was their king, but notice how he really wanted to stay in line with his people’s wish. In this world, you will quickly find that to remain popular among the people, you must stay within their good graces and do those things that please them. But that’s very similar to what God has asked of us – for He wants us to obey His commands and follow His example. So I believe the challenge for each of us today is: Who’s in charge of our lives? To whom do we feel that we owe our allegiance? Who are we accountable to for our actions and decisions? Friends, if you respond something like: I’m my own boss and therefore make my own decisions; or No one jerks my chain, I am an independent thinker; or I only call God in when I don’t know how to resolve an issue; or I usually go along with the crowd; then I would humbly suggest that you try seeking God each and every day. As You draw closer to Him, and as you read His Word, He will be your daily guide in all of life’s decisions. If you know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, then Jesus wants you to look like Him; act like Him; make decisions that are representative of Him and bears His approval. If you have opted to live life without Christ, then you may wind up pleasing the crowd and, together, make decisions that are aligned with the evil, deceit, hatred, revenge and disgust of the world while disappointing the Creator of this world, our Lord. Pilate is asking – what will you do with the Jesus who loves you, cares for you and has prepared a wonderful place for you in heaven? What’s your response dear friend?

BLESSING(S) NOTED: Blessings are in store for those who love Jesus Christ and will make decisions that promote His earthly power. Be ready today to respond to such questions as posed by Pilate to his people.

PRAYER: Lord, although we hardly ever hear the words ‘Crucify Him’ anymore, we are often asked to partake in making decisions that result in You being ‘crucified’, or excluded from spiritual decisions, or destroying the life of one who calls you ‘Lord’. Please teach us every day to love like You love us; to have a heart for the lost, like You had for us; and to always be unsettled and unhappy about having friends who are lost and headed to Hell. Lord, we want to be just like You, but we need Your daily grace, power and wisdom to do so. We must learn to seek You for all decisions that we make, so that You may be glorified through all decisions that we make. Please touch the lives of all those who need You today. May this be a day of decision 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 might 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 subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. You may also visit me on Spotify and listen to Nuggets while you’re out and about. I would encourage you to find a church home near by your home, and attend as frequently as you could. Get to know God, and allow His people to encourage and strengthen you in your Christian walk, while making every effort to be a blessing to them. God is at work among His people! Please consider growing in your faith, as you worship with fellow believers!

Your Guide To Life

On 2021-06-102021-06-10 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Biblical Decisions, Guide, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Thursday, 2021-06-10
WRITTEN AT: Unidilla, GA

SCRIPTURE FROM: Proverbs 7:1-3
TRANSLATION:The Voice (VOICE)

BIBLE TEXT: ¹My son, live according to what I am telling you;
    guard my instructions as you would a treasure deep within you.
²Stay true to my directives, and they will serve you well;
    make my teachings the lens through which you see life.
³Bind cords around your fingers to remind you of them;
    meditate on them, and you’ll engrave them upon your heart.

APPLICATION: I am always amazed to look around and consider all that God has made for us to enjoy, starting with the very people in our family. But God was not just satisfied to provide these things for us, He gave us a book of instruction on how to make best use of these things/people and enjoy them just as God intended. Notice that God wants us to treasure His instructions. That’s because He created us, and He created people and things around us to enjoy, if we go about our interactions in a right way. God’s instructions are so important that He instructed us to frequently remind ourselves of what He said. We will usually learn that which we hang around, and interact with, most. For mechanics, they learn about the engines they work on and will not require instructions after a few times, because they have memorized where everything is, and what causes those things to break or malfunction. I believe that God wants us to become so familiar with His Word, that we could do like my blind grandmother did in her 90’s. She was able to continue her daily devotions by reciting Scripture that she learned over her years of reading God’s Word. Friends, God has it all covered in His Book. For us to become familiar with His instructions and insure that they form the basis for our daily decisions, we will need to read them, reread them, practice them, tell others about them, and be held accountable for acting and speaking according to God’s teachings. Do you feel like you have reached a point in your life where God can trust you with all that you do and say, knowing that others will mistake you for the King of all kings? It’s up to you to set the importance on this aspect of your relationship with God. If it’s important, and you make it a priority to read the Word at least daily, learn from what others know about the Bible – perhaps at Bible Study, or at church, or in a small group, and make it a part of your daily life-decisions, then perhaps you will identify with Solomon in feeling like doing this God’s way is super important to you because you have His Word engraved on your heart. Ask an honest friend to help keep you accountable. Hopefully they will be totally honest with you. Pray to God for wisdom to do life His way, every day!

BLESSING(S) NOTED: God made us, He made everyone and everything for us to enjoy, and He provided a Book of Instruction to point us in the right direction to make the most of His people and things, while demonstrating His goodness and love. Unless we read the Word and follow God’s instruction, we will not receive the full benefits He intended for us. Praise God, He thought of everything – what a Mighty God we serve!

PRAYER: Precious Lord, thank You for providing everything we need in life, and for giving us instructions to follow as we enjoy those things while all the while pleasing You. We know from experience the importance of following the instructions when constructing something. Please open our eyes and constantly remind us of the importance of knowing Your Word and following Your instruction for the best experience while here on earth. Let others see You as they experience interactions with us, and invite them to know You personally so that You may be glorified. AMEN!

God Is All-Knowing, Seek Direction From Him

On 2020-10-12 By Ed AlgreenIn Biblical Decisions, Decisions, direction, Jesus led decisionsLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Monday, 2020-10-12
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

Bible Reference: 1 Samuel 16:6-7
Translation: New Living Translation (NLT)

Bible Text: ⁶When they arrived, Samuel took one look at Eliab and thought, “Surely this is the Lord’s anointed!” ⁷But the Lord said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

OBSERVATION: God sent Samuel to pick the next king from the sons of Jesse, but it’s a good thing that God stayed in charge of the choice, as Samuel was very impressed with the very first son presented to him. However the lesson God taught to Samuel that day, still rings through to us as we seek His face for decisions we make today, so let’s examine this closer….

APPLICATION: No doubt we make decisions that we later reflect on and sometimes wonder what on earth were we ever thinking of when we made that decision. Christians sometimes pray over challenging decisions they need to make, because they want to make sure that they follow God’s plan for their lives. Often we can reflect back on those decisions and see how God must have been in control, as we could see how His plans materialized for everyone involved, and for His good. I have a personal experience that fits this scenario, that I will briefly share with you. Some thirty three years ago my family and I moved to the United States from the Bahamas. We bathed our decision in prayer and felt like God was in control during the whole process. That’s until I went to tell my parents that we were moving away from our home-country. They were getting on in age by then, and my dad let me know that it hurt to see us move away at such a time in their lives. Within a year of us moving, I received a call from my sister that dad was not doing well. Dad had received help from local doctors, but nothing seemed to be helping. So we jointly made the decision to get dad over to Florida for advanced care. In about a month, after my dad had received a heart stint, Dad sat with me and acknowledged that now he could understand what God was doing in getting me moved to the US! In the example with Samuel, he saw in Eliab (the oldest son) all the attributes of what he thought a king should look like, and he was convinced to choose him. However, God not only knew the one He had chosen, but He also knew the heart of the other sons and why they were not suitable as the leader for His people. Friends, we could do little to improve our outward appearance, but it always takes God to change the inward appearance. Just a tip… if we always strive to be like Jesus, and live our lives according to His will for us, then perhaps we will gain the attributes of our loving Lord. This takes surrendering our hearts and lives to Jesus, because only then will we accept His leadership and His guidance. Will you consider doing this today friend? Read my Footnote and be sure to follow through to read the Scripture behind my links. Let me know if I might pray for you and with you about this important decision.

PRAYER: Precious Lord, on behalf of all my fellow Christian Brothers and Sisters, we approach Your throne asking that You grace us with Your presence today. May Your wisdom fill our hearts and our minds so that the decisions that we make will align with Your will for our lives. We acknowledge that in our human eyes, we often see things differently than You can when looking deep into the heart and thoughts of people that we deal with. Help us therefore to look to You in all of our decision making so that we will make decisions pleasing to You and aligned with Your will. Only You can do this Lord, so we ask this in Your precious name, and patiently await Your direction. AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: There are two more pages on my blog at https://NuggetsFromGodsWord.org 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 or listening to this devotional, please go to 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. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and see all of my posts, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. I would encourage you to find a church home near by your home, and attend as frequently as you could. Get to know God, and allow His people to encourage and strengthen you in your Christian walk, while making every effort to be a blessing to them. God is at work among His people! Please consider growing in your faith, as you worship with fellow believers!

Post Date:	Thursday, 2017-10-12
SCRIPTURE
From:	1 Samuel 16:6-7 (NLT)
Text:	6 When they arrived, Samuel took one look at Eliab and thought, “Surely this is the Lord’s anointed!” 7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
OBSERVATION:

APPLICATION:

PRAYER:

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!

A Gift – Just For You!

On 2020-10-032020-10-02 By Ed AlgreenIn Biblical Decisions, Choice, Choices, Decisions, Eternal Life, Jesus led decisionsLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Saturday, 2020-10-03
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

Bible Reference: John 3:16-18
Translation: The Message (MSG)

Bible Text: ^16-18“This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn’t go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again. Anyone who trusts in him is acquitted; anyone who refuses to trust him has long since been under the death sentence without knowing it. And why? Because of that person’s failure to believe in the one-of-a-kind Son of God when introduced to him.

OBSERVATION: Most people who have heard the Bible taught or preached, could probably recite verse 16! But the verses that follow go on to explain why God sent His Son, and how this whole gift has to do with our eternal destiny. This is of super importance to each of us, because it helps us to understand the whole purpose of the gospel, and how it relates to each of us. So seek God’s face as we take time to understand this clearly today!

APPLICATION: If a gift was given to everyone at church, you would find where some would cherish it and recognize the value of it. They would appreciate it and cherish it for everything it’s worth. Others may take the gift home, but they may stash it away in a drawer, somewhere so it is not tarnished or broken. However there are some who will leave it in the seat at church, or throw it in the back seat of the car, because the gift is of little value to them, nor do they care to understands the necessity of the gift. Now compare this to the gift that God gave to us in verse 16. Many have accepted the gift, and perhaps you might be one of those. But what have you done with that gift? Anything? In the verses following, we are told that God saw that the sacrificial practices of the Old Testament, for the forgiveness of sin, were just not working. But God chose to give us a very valuable gift, even though it was extremely costly to Him. But God wanted to make this one-time sacrifice something that we could identify with, so that we might accept the gift that would clear the way for a right relationship between us and the Father. This Scripture is very simple, and It is extremely clear enough to us, because now we could know today where we will spend eternity. In vs 17 and 18 we are told that if we accept the gift of Jesus as our personal Savior, then we are acquitted of our sin. This qualifies us to stand before the Father as a righteous person, or a saint! Can’t you begin to see the miraculous value of this gift? However, this Scripture goes on to say that unless we take this important step, then we have personally placed ourselves under a death sentence, meaning that we will not live eternally in the beauty of life with Jesus and His Father, but instead we are condemned to death, where our eternity will be with Satan and his demons for all eternity. The choice is very clear dear friends, but it puts us in charge of our own destiny. Accepted the free gift of salvation – the precious gift of God’s Son given for all who call on His name, to be saved? Or, without making a deliberate decision, then we have personally decided to take the option of Hell and damnation. Dear friend, I write these blogs every morning hoping that no one who reads them would ever make a decision like the latter one I just explained, for I am so looking forward to rejoicing with each of you in glory one day! Because of the fact that you are reading this blog, this means that you still have a choice. However, today is the day of salvation, for you may not have the next minute or hour to make a change in your decision about where you will spend eternity. Make that decision right now, won’t you? I included help in my Footnote hoping that you would decide to make the right decision. Please contact a local pastor, or email me for help or prayer over this matter.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, the Scripture is very clear. The stage has been set for us, and it is up to us to make sensible and responsible decisions, especially those that involve our lives after spending our last moments here on earth. You have made things abundantly clear. May each reader make a responsible decision today about their post earthly life – their destiny. I want them to join me in heaven with You, Lord, but I can’t make that decision for them. Tender their hearts today to Your Word, and encourage them to accept the precious gift that You gave to us, Your precious Son, Jesus. AMEN!

Life’s Guide Book

On 2020-09-112020-09-11 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Bible Believing, Biblical Decisions, Guide, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, The Book of Life, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Friday, 2020-09-11
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

BIBLE REFERENCE: 2 Timothy 3:16-17
TRANSLATION: New Living Translation (NLT)

BIBLE TEXT: ¹⁶All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. ¹⁷God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.

OBSERVATION: In life we tend to live by certain principles, either from what we were taught as a child; what impressed us in school; was taught by teachers; or what is demanded of us at work. Many leaders will teach based on the rules handed to them, mixed with their own personal principles of life. For those who have been fortunate enough to have parents, teachers, or work coaches who had faith in God, then we were probably taught many Biblical truths along the way. Our lives today portray whatever principles we were taught and that we continue to hold on to. God’s Word is still that one truth that we could trust today, to guide us along the right path of life. Stay with me as we study this principle.

APPLICATION: In my career, there were always guide books that not only showed me how to best handle certain dilemmas, but if I did so, I would stay out of trouble with regulators, examiners and auditors. At one point in my career, I was an examiner/auditor, and as such I was on a team that would enter a bank and compare what was being done, to what was instructed in the bank’s rules and procedures. And, or course, we had to make sure that the bank’s demands were in line with government regulations. If we found something that seemed out of line, we would have to write an exception and list the very rule that was not followed. Often when we found a bank branch that had very few exceptions, it was also a branch that was well run, pleased its customers, and escaped errors – because they were following the rules. Although we rarely take time to look at, and analyze, our own lives closely, I believe that each of us could see times when we simply followed what our parents taught us without fighting with them in rebellion. It felt good when we didn’t have to keep looking over our shoulder for retribution from them. It felt good that there was little to no stress when we just simply followed the rules! In our Scripture today, Paul continues to mentor his son in the ministry, Timothy, and God included this in His Book so that each of us that followed after Timothy, would be taught how simple life could be if we just follow His instructions. I don’t believe that God had Paul teach us that if we open His Book and search for answers to throw at people that seek our guidance, they will behave and do better. But what I do believe that God intended here, is that we must saturate our lives with His Word, for it contains the very basis of how we should live our lives; the things that we should avoid; and the right way of handling certain life-issues, knowing that if we follow the instructions given to us be God, then the results will be favorable and pleasing to God. In order to saturate ourselves with the Word of God, it means that we must be consistently reading it, studying its principles, and listening closely to what God is telling us. You see, I believe that when we open the Word after asking the Holy Spirit to indwell us and lead us through the Word, then we will find that it is in season and right on time. Meaning that God will show us how He wants us to respond to life’s challenges that day. I have found that often I will hear a sermon or teaching that aligns perfectly with what I meditated on that morning. Coincidence? No way, for we are providentially blessed by the Almighty God, and He will reemphasize what He wants, in order to impress strongly upon our hearts, what He want us to do, say, or follow. I’m sure that like me, you have experienced times where you’ve been asked to pray about certain life issues going on in a coworker’s life – just out of the clear blue sky. Then you remember your Scripture reading that morning where God saturated your life with reassurance of His love, protection and direction. Suddenly you open your mouth in obedience to pray, and the words just pour forth. Friends, let me encourage you today, to saturate your lives each and every day with the Word of God. Don’t just run to it in the middle of a crisis. What’s inside your heart, will be helpful to you as you stop to say a prayer for a friend. Scrambling to find a good Bible reference will tell them that you are one who goes to the Book on an as needed basis and therefore your help might very well be superficial. Make it real dear ones, be filled with the Word every day, so that God might bring to memory the reassurance you need in times of trouble; the right words to respond, that are filled with His wisdom for the time needed; and you could do this from a heart filled with the love of the One you make it a priority each and every day. We are assured in verse 17 that filling our heart with the Word of God, prepares us and equips us for the work that God has planned for us. Are you ready? Do you have a good reading plan to follow each day? Drop me a note and I will be happy to help you!

PRAYER: Lord, it is obvious that You didn’t save us to sit and sour. You told us in Your word that You want us to let our lights shine brightly so that the world might see where that ‘light’ originates. Please God, touch each reader today. May we all be made keenly aware of the importance of a right relationship with You, and that regular maintenance is needed daily through Your Word that is very much alive, and it will teach us Your ways for the circumstances we will face that day. Your Word is a light unto my feet, and a light unto my path, When I feel afraid, Think I’ve lost my way… Oh that we would keep our eyes on Jesus, and our mind in the Book! AMEN!

Our Compassionate God

On 2019-07-05 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Biblical Decisions, Decisions, Jesus led decisions, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

Friday, 2019-07-05

Bible Reference: Deuteronomy 4:29-30
Translation: The Message (MSG)

Bible Text: ^29-30But even there, if you seek God, your God, you’ll be able to find him if you’re serious, looking for him with your whole heart and soul. When troubles come and all these awful things happen to you, in future days you will come back to God, your God, and listen obediently to what he says. God, your God, is above all a compassionate God.

OBSERVATION: Moses was preparing the Israelites for their freedom – their entry into the Promised Land. Not only would there be separation, and independence that would require making their own decisions, but Moses would not make the last leg of this journey with them. So God worked with Moses to prepare the people, so that they could be best prepared to deal with their new life. Perhaps you will meditate on how this applies to us today, but I wanted to share a few thoughts with you…

APPLICATION: We are nearing a time on our calendars where many teenage children will be leaving home for the first time, living on their own for the first time, or living with other teenagers in a dorm for the first time, as they begin college. Just like the Israelites, some teenagers are firm in their convictions, and they are not followers of the popular kid on the block, so they may not be influenced into all the partying that one might generally hear of in college dorms. However, based on the many events that took place during their journey from Egypt to the Promised Land, God knew that some of the Israelites might really be challenged when faced with the freedom that would soon be theirs, so God prepared His children (through His servant Moses) for the inevitable. I believe this might be a good verse for each of us to be reminded of, but especially for parents, pastors or church leaders to meditate on, as they play a critical role in the lives of our young people who are about to gain their long awaited freedom from the dictates of their home life. I included church leaders, because often young adults will listen to advice from others much quicker than they would to their parents. Additionally, each of these adults normally play a key role in the life of a young Christian adult. So to our young adults who are soon to embark on ‘life’, as you may look upon it, may I share with you, based on the Word of God? You are about to enter the ‘real’ world, where mom and dad will not be around to make decisions for you. Please know that God said that He would be with you at all times and, while this sounds very accommodating, especially for those times that you may get in a bind and not know which way to turn next, it also means that He is with you no matter where you go. So this leaves an important responsibility on you. Remember, He is holy, He is righteous, He always was and always will be, so He deserves our reverence and our respect. This means that it is entirely up to you to avoid unholy situations and places. Surely you would not take your mom or dad into some places, and around certain party scenarios, so imagine how much more you should not take God’s Holy Spirit there. Now for those who have been there, done that, and wondering how on earth would you reconcile with, or return to God. Notice that the Scripture reminds us that our God is a compassionate God. May I suggest that you reconnect with God, ask for forgiveness of your sin, and ask for a new direction for you to follow. In His compassion, I am convinced that He will accept you back and redirect your life to one filled with righteousness. One that will once again represent Him in a meaningful way. Don’t throw your hands up and give up on the possibility of reuniting with God, for I believe that He never gives up on us. His love is deeper than anything we could humanly understand.

PRAYER: Thank You Lord for saving my soul, thank You Lord for making me whole, thank You Lord for giving to me, thy great salvation, so rich and free. So Lord, it is with that very gift that I come to You asking for forgiveness of sin, for Lord, my Brothers and Sisters together with myself have often strayed and fallen short of a consistent, righteous and holy relationship with You. Thank You for the reminder today about Your compassion. We want to be consistently like You oh Lord, so we need Your strength and guidance more today than yesterday. Please, especially speak truth into our young people as they leave home to begin the journey of college-life, all by themselves. Guide them to make good decisions, and to always be loyal to the One who loves them more than anyone, or anything else in this whole wide world. Please bless them with success in their studies, and may they have every opportunity and success in sharing Your goodness with another college kid that stands in need of a Savior. AMEN!

Our Instruction Manual For What’s Ahead

On 2018-12-312018-12-31 By Ed AlgreenIn A Lamp unto My Path, Biblical Decisions, Guidance, Listen to the Word of God, Spiritual FitnessLeave a comment

Monday, 2018-12-31

Bible Reference: 2 Timothy 3:15–17
Translation: The Message (MSG)

Bible Text: There’s nothing like the written Word of God for showing you the way to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. Every part of Scripture is God-breathed and useful one way or another—showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our mistakes, training us to live God’s way. Through the Word we are put together and shaped up for the tasks God has for us.

OBSERVATION: Wouldn’t you hate being on a support desk and receiving calls from users of a product for which you wrote explicit instructions on how to use the product? Yet we have a similar situation in that God sacrificed His very own Son so that we might one day be with Him in glory. Then He spoke through prophets of old to give us His Book of Instructions (the Bible) to teach us how to live like Him and accept His precious gift of salvation. Are you referencing the Bible daily to help keep you on track and pleasing to God?

APPLICATION: There are times in my job where a vendor will tell us that if we abuse their help desk because we opted not to take the training they offered to us on recent product enhancements, we could very well see fees included in our monthly bill. Imagine if you have at least one Bible sitting on your coffee table gathering dust, then to stand before God in judgment and tell Him that you never knew it was necessary to accept His Son in order to get into heaven? Imagine how God will penalize us for continuing with our excuses of not knowing His Word well enough to share it with others? In the working world we find as much, or more, practical help from users of a product we own, than we do from the text books written by the designer and producer of the products. These groups often meet together in something most vendors call ‘A User Community’. Did you know that one of the largest ‘User Communities’ of the Bible exists right in your own neighborhood, and its known as ‘The Church’! Many admit that these folk are flawed and need help just like yourself, who may not be a part of the community. Friends, the whole concept of a ‘Community’ is that we can share the way that we understand how a product works; how we use a product; and how it is practical for us. For those struggling with proper use of the product, they come to the ‘Community’ to unload their frustrations and misunderstandings. Those of us who successfully use the product every day, we simply share how we use it and how we understand the product should be used. One of the most productive communities that I’m a part of, is monitored by staff of the product owner, and they will chime in from time to time and share with the group about how the product is designed to work in certain scenarios. In the church ‘Community’, we have pastors and teachers and leaders who are equipped to chime in and speak to the way they understand the Word of God was written and what the writer probably intended. Community members are the church attendees, and are most often users of the Bible, because they have accepted the One whom God sent to love on them; to open their eyes to the truth of His Word; and to prepare them for the day of His return when He will come to gather His church, or community of believers, to go with Him and spend eternity in heaven worshiping Him and the Father. Friends, we were intricately designed and made by God. Because He turned us lose to live on this earth, His perfectly designed human beings quickly become flawed by the sin that abounds on earth. So God gave His Word to us through writers that He inspired, so that we could understand the concept that He intended for us, and also know how to unravel ourselves from sin by accepting Him as our Lord, Savior, Protector, Deliverer and soon coming King of all kings. His text-book (the Bible) teaches that this is the only means of us uniting with He and the Father. How are you doing with that friend? May I recommend that you look around the following page for more scripture and help in understanding this truth: https://nuggetsfromgodsword.org/to-know-jesus/.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, thank You for Your Word, and thank You for all that is available to us today to help us understand Your Word more fully. Thank You for the church, a body of believers who strive to know more about God, so that they may be of help to others in the community (church), and to evangelize those who find excuses for their lack of acceptance or knowledge of the One who totally gave His life, so that they might see the likes of heaven and the Father. Lord, we find our way to the cross every time that we are in bad straights and need a quick fix. As we dig into the depths of Your Word and learn more about the enormous love expressed for us, may we accept that gift and study Your Word more intently so that we can understand all that You have to offer us. May we be participators in our church community to receive the benefits of being helped by others; may we willingly share with others so that we might help others; and as we anticipate the glories of heaven, may that bring such joy to our hearts that we will be totally enveloped in the hope of looking into Your wonderful face one day and singing endless praises to You and the Father throughout eternity! To God be the Glory, for the great things He has done – especially for us! AMEN!

God-Based Decisions

On 2017-10-122017-10-12 By Ed AlgreenIn Biblical Decisions, Decisions, Jesus led decisionsLeave a comment

Post Date:	Thursday, 2017-10-12
SCRIPTURE
From:	1 Samuel 16:6-7 (NLT)
Text:	6 When they arrived, Samuel took one look at Eliab and thought, “Surely this is the Lord’s anointed!” 7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
OBSERVATION:
God sent Samuel to pick the next king from the sons of Jesse, but it’s a good thing that God stayed in charge of the choice, as Samuel was very impressed with the very first son presented to him. However the lesson God taught to Samuel that day, still rings through to us as we seek His face for decisions we make today, so let’s examine this closer….
APPLICATION:
No doubt we make decisions that we later reflect on and sometimes wonder what on earth were we ever thinking of when we made that kind of decision. Christians sometimes pray over challenging decisions they need to make, because they want to make sure that they follow God’s plan for their lives. Often we can reflect back on those decisions and see how God must have been in control, as we could see how His plans materialized for everyone involved and for His good. I have a personal experience that fits this scenario, that I will briefly share with you. Some thirty years ago my family and I moved to the United States from the Bahamas. We bathed our decision in prayer and felt like God was in control during the whole process. That’s until I went to tell my parents that we were moving away from their country. They were getting on in age by then, and my dad let me know that it seemed strange to him that I would move away at such a time in their lives. Within a year of us moving, I received a call from my sister that dad was not doing well. We jointly made the decision to get him over to Florida for advanced care. In about a month, after my dad had received a heart stint, Dad sat with me and acknowledged that now he could understand what God was doing in getting me moved to the US! In the example with Samuel, he saw in Eliab (the oldest son) all the attributes of what he through a king should look like, and he was convinced to choose him. However, God not only knew the one He had chosen, but He also knew the heart of the other sons and why they were not suitable as His leader for His people. Friends, we could do a little to improve our outward appearance, but often it takes God to help us change the inward appearance. Just a tip… if we alway strive to be like Jesus, and live our lives according to His will for us, then perhaps we will gain the attributes of our loving Lord. This takes surrendering our hearts and lives to Jesus, because only then will we accept His leadership and His guidance. Will you consider doing this today friend?
PRAYER:
Precious Lord, on behalf of all my fellow Christian Brothers and Sisters, we approach Your throne asking that You grace us with Your presence today. May Your wisdom fill our hearts and our minds so that the decisions that we make will align with Your will for our lives. We acknowledge that in our human eyes, we often see things differently than You can when looking deep into the heart and thoughts of people that we deal with. Help us therefore to look to You in all of our decision making so that we will make decisions pleasing to You and aligned with Your will. Only You can do this Lord, so we ask this in Your precious name, and patiently await Your direction. 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!

Guilty? Or Acquitted?

On 2017-10-032017-10-03 By Ed AlgreenIn Biblical Decisions, Choice, Choices, Decisions, Eternal Life, Jesus led decisionsLeave a comment

Post Date:	Tuesday, 2017-10-03
SCRIPTURE
From:	John 3:16-18 (MSG)
Text:	^16-18“This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn’t go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again. Anyone who trusts in him is acquitted; anyone who refuses to trust him has long since been under the death sentence without knowing it. And why? Because of that person’s failure to believe in the one-of-a-kind Son of God when introduced to him.
OBSERVATION:
Most people who have heard the Bible taught or preached, could probably recite verse 16! But the following verses go on to explain why God sent His Son, and what this whole gift has to do with our eternal destiny. This is of super importance to each of us, because it helps us to understand the whole purpose of the gospel, and how it relates to each of us. So let’s make sure we understand this clearly…..
APPLICATION:
If a gift was given to everyone at church, you would find where some would cherish it and recognize the value in it. They would appreciate it and cherish it for everything it’s worth. Others may take the gift home, but they may stash it away in a drawer, somewhere so it is not tarnished or broken. However there are some who will leave it in the seat at church, or throw it in the back seat of the car, because they see no value in the gift at all, nor understands why the church would have spent money to give a gift to everyone. Now compare this to the gift that God gave to us in verse 16. What have you done with that gift, anything? In the verses following, we are told that God saw that the sacrificial practices of the Old Testament were just not working, and He wanted to give His children a gift that was extremely costly to Him, but easy for us to accept as our sacrificial gift back to the Master. This Scripture is clear enough that we could know today where we will spend eternity, for we are told in vs 17 and 18 that if we accept the gift of Jesus as our personal Savior, that we are acquitted of our sin and we appear before the Master as a righteous saint of God. Now it also states that unless that step has been taken, we have personally placed ourselves under a death sentence, meaning that we will not live eternally in the beauty of life with Jesus, but instead condemned to death, where our eternity will be with Satan and his demons for eternity. There is only one decision for you today friend, have you truly accepted the free gift of salvation – the precious gift of God’s Son given for all who call on His name to be saved? If the answer is ‘no’, then you have personally decided to take the option of Hell and damnation. Dear friend, I write these blogs every morning hoping that no one who reads them would ever make a decision like the latter one I just explained, for I am so looking forward to rejoicing with each of you in glory one day! Because of the fact that you are reading this blog, this means that you still have a choice. However, today is the day of salvation, for you may not have the next minute or hour to make a change in your decision where you will spend eternity.
PRAYER:
Lord Jesus, the Scripture is very clear. The stage has been set for us, and it is up to us to make sensible decisions, especially those that involve our lives after spending our last moments on earth. You have made things abundantly clear. May each reader, and loved one of mine, make a responsible decision today about their post life on earth destiny. I want them to join me in heaven with You, Lord, but I can’t make the decision for them. Tender their hearts today to Your Word and the precious gift that You gave to us. 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!

Training For What’s Ahead

On 2016-11-01 By Ed AlgreenIn Believe, Biblical Decisions, Know and Believe, Knowing Christ, Knowledge, Lamb's Book of LifeLeave a comment

Tuesday, 2016-11-01

Scripture

Bible Reference: 2 Timothy 3:15–17

Bible Translation: The Message (MSG)

My Take

There are times in my job where a vendor will tell us that if we abuse their help desk because we opted not to take the training they offered to us on recent product enhancements, we could very well see fees included in our monthly bill. Imagine if you have at least one Bible sitting on your coffee table gathering dust, then to stand before God in judgment and tell Him that you never knew it was necessary to accept His Son in order to get into heaven? Imagine how God will penalize us for continuing with our excuses of not knowing His Word well enough to share it with others? This is very much like the example I gave to you above! In the working world we find more practical help from users of a product we own, than we do from the text books written by the designer and producer of the products. These groups often meet together in something most vendors call ‘A User Community’. Did you know that one of the largest ‘User Communities’ of the Bible exists right in your own neighborhood, and its known as ‘The Church’! Many admit that these folk are flawed and need help just like yourself, who may not be a part of the community. Friends, the whole concept of a ‘Community’ is that we can share the way that we understand how a product works; how we use a product; and how it is practical for us. For those struggling with proper use of the product, they come to the ‘Community’ to unload their frustrations and misunderstandings. Those of us who successfully use the product every day, we simply share how we use it and how we understand the product should be used. One of the most productive communities that I’m a part of, is monitored by staff of the product owner, and they will chime in from time to time and share with the group about how the product is designed to work in certain scenarios. In the church ‘Community’, we have pastors and teachers and leaders who are equipped to chime in and speak to the way they understand the Word of God was written and what the writer probably intended. Community members are the church attendees, and are most often users of the Bible, because they have accepted the One whom God sent to love on them; to open their eyes to the truth of His Word; and to prepare them for the day of His return when He will come to gather His church, or community of believers, to go with Him and spend eternity in heaven worshiping Him and the Father. Friends, we were intricately designed and made by God. Because He turned us lose to live on this earth, His perfectly designed human beings quickly become flawed by the sin that abounds on earth. So God gave His Word to us through writers that He inspired, so that we could understand the concept that He intended for us, and also know how to unravel ourselves from sin by accepting Him as our Lord, Savior, Protector, Deliverer and soon coming King of all kings. His text-book (the Bible) teaches that this is the only means of us uniting with He and the Father. How are you doing with that friend? May I recommend that you look around the following page for more scripture and help in understanding this truth: https://nuggetsfromgodsword.org/to-know-jesus/.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, thank You for Your Word, and thank You for all that is available to us today to help us understand Your Word more fully. Thank You for the church, a body of believers who strive to know more about God, so that they may be of help to others in the community (church), and to evangelize those who find excuses for their lack of acceptance or knowledge of the One who totally gave His life, so that we might see the likes of heaven and the Father. Lord, we find our way to the cross every time that we are in bad straights and need a quick fix. As we dig into the depths of Your Word and learn more about the enormous love expressed for us, may we accept that gift and study Your Word more intently so that we can understand all that You have to offer us. May we be participators in our church community to receive the benefits of being helped by others; may we willingly share with others so that we might help others; and as we anticipate the glories of heaven, may that bring such joy to our hearts that we will be totally enveloped in the hope of looking into Your wonderful face one day and singing endless praises to You and the Father throughout eternity! To God be the Glory, for the great things He has done – especially for us! AMEN!

Footnote

If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. 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 www.nuggetsfromgodsword.org 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!

Nuggets From God's Word

Category: Biblical Decisions