Category: Christ-Like

Guilty Of Following Christ’s Example

On By Ed AlgreenIn Character, Characteristics, Christ-Like, Example of Christ, Genuine example of Jesus, Godly example, Like JesusLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Monday, 2022-03-21
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

Bible Reference: Romans 2:21-24
Translation: Living Bible (TLB)

Bible Text: 21 … you teach others—then why don’t you teach yourselves? You tell others not to steal—do you steal? 22 You say it is wrong to commit adultery—do you do it? You say “Don’t pray to idols” and then make money your god instead. 23 You are so proud of knowing God’s laws, but you dishonor him by breaking them. 24 No wonder the Scriptures say that the world speaks evil of God because of you.

APPLICATION: I cringe when I hear folks say things like “your actions speak so loudly that I can’t hear what you are saying”. Because, unfortunately these folk are often right in saying these things. It hurts me deeply when I hear of church leaders caught in certain acts of sin, because they often have such a large following who is looking to them as a role model. No matter how often we tell folk that they should model their lives after Christ, not man, yet we see more fall out from church members when a pastor leaves, or a church leader is caught in an act of sin. The bottom line is that we all should be guilty of following Christ’s example so closely that people around us would see no difference between our actions and those they expect from Christ. When we surrender Lordship of our lives to Jesus, we ask Him to guide our footsteps every day so that we may walk like Him; guide our tongues each day so that we may talk like Him, and care so much for us each day that we may, in turn, love others like He would. Without Jesus Christ, it is virtually impossible to follow His ways each day in this world we live in, however, rest assured that in Christ, ALL things are possible. If friends of yours never read the first thing about the Bible, but they trust you enough to follow in your footsteps and obey your verbal instructions to them, who would they look like, Jesus Christ or the world? Remember, we are to be little ‘Christ’s’, so our friends following us could ultimately look the same! How are you doing? Do you have portions of your life still left to surrender to God, or are you comfortable that your life is in line with Jesus Christ? Please don’t let Jesus say to you on Judgment Day what Paul said to his fellow Jews, that people are cursing Christ because of you. As a parent we gloat at the times when others praise our children, because we feel a sense of pride in the job that we did in parenting. Let’s live our Christian lives following the same formula, so that Jesus may one day say “Well done good and faithful servant, when these children of Mine followed you, it was the same as them following Me, receive now the crowns I have prepared for you”! Let’s live with the end in mind friend!

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, I respectfully ask that I not be a stumbling block to anyone here on this earth. I pray that others may see enough of You in me that they will not be disappointed over their expectations of You. Lord, may I always represent You in ways that might lead others towards You. Please gently speak to my friends that may meditate on this devotional today, and lead them into a time of soul-searching and revival in their personal lives. Lord, it’s You that we live for. May that be evident in our words and actions today, is my humble prayer that I ask in Your very precious and holy name, 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!

Warning – You May Suffer as a ‘Christ-Follower’

On By Ed AlgreenIn Christ-Like, Christian, Committed, Imitate Jesus, Obedience, Take a standLeave a comment

Sunday, 2021-11-07

Bible Reference: 1 Peter 4:12-16
Translation: Easy-To-Read Version (ERV)

Bible Text:  12 My friends, don’t be surprised at the painful things that you are now suffering, which are testing your faith. Don’t think that something strange is happening to you. 13 But you should be happy that you are sharing in Christ’s sufferings. You will be happy and full of joy when Christ shows his glory. 14 When people say bad things to you because you follow Christ, consider it a blessing. When that happens, it shows that God’s Spirit, the Spirit of glory, is with you. 15 You may suffer, but don’t let it be because you murder, steal, make trouble, or try to control other people’s lives. 16 But if you suffer because you are a “Christ-follower,” don’t be ashamed. You should praise God for that name.

APPLICATION:  I believe that when we accept Jesus as Lord, we tend to think more about what the benefits might be, than thinking about what additional controversy our decision might create, or what additional persecution might arise in our lives. Think about it, when folk are really struggling, we tend to convince them that they need Jesus. What if we told them that what they are presently going through is only a ‘drop-in-the-bucket’ compared to what will be brought on them after conversion? Do you suppose that anyone would agree to surrender their lives to Christ? However friends, we must be honest in evaluating what happened to Jesus, for He healed the sick, raised the dead and caused the blind to see, yet He was sought after like a criminal. I am also reminded of David, after he was especially kind and respectful of Saul, yet Saul desired in his heart to kill David. Regardless, this same Jesus is to be our role model. I feel like what we are taught here is that we are to do good, and be a shining example of Jesus, even if we know that controversy will arise. On the way to a business party one time I was asked by an executive why Christians abstain from drinking alcohol. I believe that it was asked in a jeering way hoping to get laughter from the other executives present, on how I would be challenged to truthfully answer. I responded honestly as I believe God would have me do, and although I waited for the repercussion, it seemed like my honest response was well accepted, and that I was respected even more for giving an honest response. I recently heard a request for prayer about persecution on the job at a local company. It really surprised me, but after reading this scripture this morning, I am convinced that although we are not expected to go out and be deliberate rebels in our workplace or at local diners, or any other place that we go, we are expected to let our lights shine for Jesus and not hide that light for the sake of popularity or because of possible persecution or embarrassment. In fact, I love the suggested attitude in verse 14 – when we feel persecuted, or picked on, or laughed at, or made fun of, because of our faith, it is a great time to praise God knowing that others are impacted by the Christian stance we just took on a matter, or the Christ-likeness that our audience just witnessed. It’s not a show-off thing, it’s our every-day Christian life being displayed in all aspects of our life. Is this always easy for us? Absolutely not, but when done in sincerity and under the direction and power of the Holy Spirit, we will see great things accomplished for God. In fact, I would go as far as saying that if we feel forced into making a stand, then we need to question if it truly is a ‘God thing’, or are we doing it to impress someone about us and our strengths and abilities. Friends, please make every effort to not be half-hearted in being a Christ follower. Of course you expect God to know about your decision, but it might actually encourage someone in doubt if you stand committed in your stance to true obedience to the One you decided to follow.

PRAYER: Dear God, You gave everything You had so that we might have eternal life in glory with You and Your Son. Thank You Lord for Your goodness to me and Your invaluable gift! Lord, I pray that Your children who will meditate on this devotional today, might catch a glimpse, as I did, to the value of living our faith and making our witness known to all mankind, so that they might be convinced of our relationship with You. This witness will sometimes convince mankind of their need for a Savior, but it will sometimes offend those who are led by Satan and his demons. May we be strong in all circumstances, so that the world might know to whom we belong, and that we might be convinced in our heart that we are truly Yours – without a shadow of doubt. Lord, please have Your will and way in our lives today, and may Your glory shine through us as we stand firm in our faith in You. I ask these things in the powerful and awesome name of Jesus, and for your sake, 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!

Character Reflective of God

On By Ed AlgreenIn Character, Characteristics, Christ-Like, Like JesusLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Friday, 2020-03-20
WRITTEN AT: Paul B Johnson State Park, Hattiesburg, MS

Bible Reference: Romans 2:23-24
Translation: The Voice (VOICE)

Bible Text: 23 If you pride yourself in having God’s law, then stop dishonoring God by failing to keep its teaching. 24 Here’s what it says: “Because of you, God’s reputation is slandered by those outside the covenant.”[b]

OBSERVATION: Like me, I bet you also heard your parents use the phrase ‘Practice What You Preach’ at every applicable opportunity! In this passage of scripture Paul is also using this principle in his teaching to the Jews, and because it is God’s inspired Word, I believe it serves as a reminder to us as well. I believe that this is still a very real problem for us even today. Please meditate further with me as we contemplate this scripture from the book of Romans today.

APPLICATION: I cringe when I hear folks say things like “your actions speak so loudly that I can’t hear what you are saying”. Because, unfortunately these folk are often right in saying these things. It hurts me deeply when I hear of church leaders caught in certain acts of sin, because they often have such a large following who is looking to them as a role model. No matter how often we tell folk that they should model their lives after Christ, not man, yet we see more fall out from church members when a pastor leaves, or a church leader is caught in an act of sin. The bottom line is that we all should be guilty of following Christ’s example so closely that people around us would see no difference between our actions and those they expect from Christ. When we surrender Lordship of our lives to Jesus, we ask Him to guide our footsteps every day so that we may walk like Him; guide our tongues each day so that we may talk like Him, and care so much for us each day that we may, in turn, love others like He would. Without Jesus Christ, it is virtually impossible to follow His ways each day in the world we live in, however, rest assured that in Christ, ALL things are possible. If friends of yours never read the first thing about the Bible, but they trust you enough to follow in your footsteps and obey your verbal instructions to them, who would they look like, Jesus Christ or the world? Remember, we are to be little ‘Christ’s’, so our friends following us could ultimately look the same! How are you doing? Do you have portions of your life still left to surrender to God, or are you comfortable that your life is in line with Jesus Christ? Please don’t let Jesus say to you on Judgment Day what Paul said to his fellow Jews, that people are cursing Christ because of you. As a parent we gloat at the times when others praise our children, because we feel a sense of pride in the job that we did in parenting. Let’s live our Christian lives following the same formula, so that Jesus may one day say “Well done good and faithful servant, when these children of Mine followed you, it was the same as them following Me, receive now the crowns I have prepared for you”! Let’s live with the end in mind friend!

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, I respectfully ask that I not be a stumbling block to anyone here on this earth. I pray that others may see enough of You in me that they will not be disappointed over their expectations of You. Lord, may I always represent You in ways that might lead others towards You. Please gently speak to my friends that may meditate on this devotional today, and lead them into a time of soul-searching and revival in their personal lives. Lord, it’s You that we live for. May that be evident in our words and actions today, is my humble prayer that I ask in You very precious and holy name, 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!

Known as a ‘Christ-Follower’?

On By Ed AlgreenIn Christ-Like, Christian, Committed, Imitate Jesus, Take a standLeave a comment

Thursday, 2019-11-07

Bible Reference: 1 Peter 4:12-16
Translation: Easy-To-Read Version (ERV)

Bible Text:  12 My friends, don’t be surprised at the painful things that you are now suffering, which are testing your faith. Don’t think that something strange is happening to you. 13 But you should be happy that you are sharing in Christ’s sufferings. You will be happy and full of joy when Christ shows his glory. 14 When people say bad things to you because you follow Christ, consider it a blessing. When that happens, it shows that God’s Spirit, the Spirit of glory, is with you. 15 You may suffer, but don’t let it be because you murder, steal, make trouble, or try to control other people’s lives. 16 But if you suffer because you are a “Christ-follower,” don’t be ashamed. You should praise God for that name.

OBSERVATION: Suffering for something that we’re in trouble for, is very understandable. But when we suffer because we believe differently to the rest of the world, and we act more loving, kind, respectful, and truly love the God and Creator of this universe, we tend to feel like our world is very wrong. However, our Scripture today, forewarns us about impending punishment and ridicule from this world’s rulers. As we meditate, let us evaluate whether the authorities will see sufficient evidence of our being a Christ-Follower to arrest us.

APPLICATION:  I believe that when we accept Jesus as Lord, we tend to think more about what the benefits might be, than thinking about what additional controversy our decision might create, or what additional persecution might arise in our lives. Think about it, when folk are really struggling, we tend to convince them that they need Jesus. What if we told them that what they are presently going through is only a ‘drop-in-the-bucket’ compared to what will be brought on them after conversion? Do you suppose that anyone would agree to surrender their lives to Christ? However friends, we must be honest in evaluating what happened to Jesus, for He healed the sick, raised the dead and caused the blind to see, yet He was sought after like a criminal. This same Jesus is to be our role model. I feel like what we are taught here is that we are to do good, and be a shining example of Jesus, even if we know that controversy will arise. On the way to a business party one time I was asked by an executive why Christians abstain from drinking alcohol. I believe that it was asked to embarrass me because it was asked in a jeering way hoping to get laughter from the other executives present. I responded honestly as I believe God would have me do, and although I waited for the repercussion, it seemed like my honest response was well accepted. I recently heard a request for prayer about persecution on the job at a local company. It really surprised me, but after reading this scripture this morning, I am convinced that although we are not expected to go out and be deliberate rebels in our workplace or at local diners, or any other place that we go, we are expected to let our lights shine for Jesus and not hide that light for the sake of popularity or because of possible persecution. In fact, I love the suggested attitude in verse 14 – when we feel persecuted, or picked on, or laughed at, or made fun of, because of our faith, it is a great time to praise God knowing that others are impacted by the Christian stance we just took on a matter or the Christ-likeness that our audience just witnessed. It’s not a show-off thing, it’s our every-day Christian life being displayed in all aspects of our life. Is this always easy for us? Absolutely not, but when done in sincerity and under the direction and power of the Holy Spirit, we will see great things accomplished for God. In fact, I would go as far as saying that if we feel forced into making a stand, then we need to question if it truly is a ‘God thing’, or are we doing it to impress someone about us and our strengths and abilities.

PRAYER: Dear God, You gave everything You had so that we might have eternal life in glory with You and Your Son. Thank You Lord for Your goodness to me and Your invaluable gift! Lord, I pray that Your children who will meditate on this devotional today, might catch a glimpse, as I did, to the value of living our faith and making our witness known to all mankind, so that they might be convinced of our relationship with You. This witness will sometimes convince mankind of their need for a Savior, but it will sometimes offend those who are led by Satan and his demons. May we be strong in all circumstances, so that the world might know to whom we belong, and that we might be convinced in our heart that we are truly Yours, without a shadow of doubt. Lord, please have Your will and way in our lives today, and may Your glory shine through us as we stand firm in our faith in You. I ask these things in the powerful and awesome name of Jesus, and for your sake, AMEN!

God Knows Your Heart ……… And your Love for Him

On By Ed AlgreenIn All-powerful, Believers, Bible Believing, Bless Others, Blinded by Sin, Christ's Representative, Christ-Like, Christian Living, Christian Principles, Church, Church LeadersLeave a comment

Monday, 2018-11-26

Bible Reference: Revelation 2:4-5
Translation: New Living Translation (NLT)

Bible Text: 4 “But I have this complaint against you. You don’t love me or each other as you did at first! 5 Look how far you have fallen! Turn back to me and do the works you did at first. If you don’t repent, I will come and remove your lampstand from its place among the churches.

OBSERVATION: In this book of Revelation, God is speaking to the seven churches about their condition, and the subsequent result of their condition. For the church at Ephesus, God was pleased with some aspects of their ministry, but in these two verses we can see where God is getting to the root of their ineffectiveness. Let’s pay close attention to this, because I believe we will find God speaking to us about our own respective churches as we study this Book.

APPLICATION: From time to time we hear of many churches that fail for various reasons. Often we will hear of churches declining at such a rate, that it will only be the matter of time before they are forced to close their doors. Friends, churches are made up of folk like you and I, so when we say that our church is failing, I believe that we are really saying that we have become a sorry people. I know, that sounds really harsh. But allow me to challenge myself and you with a few sobering questions: When last have you prayed for your pastor? When last have you attended prayer meetings, to join hearts and souls in prayer about the needs of God’s people? Do you tithe and give generously to the work of the local church? Just like you need money to run your home, so the church needs money to pay salaries, and other operational expenses, plus support worldwide missions. When last have you visited the sick or helped the widow in need? No, that’s not the responsibility of the pastor, for we all should be obedient to the Word of God. Friends, I believe that when the church – you and I, becomes ‘the church’ and we follow the commands of our Lord Jesus Christ, then it will be evident who rules and reigns over us. People still need the Lord, and when they see God at work through His people, then perhaps they will be convinced of His existence and their need to accept Him as Lord. Looking back at our focal verses, we will see that God accused the church at Ephesus of losing their first love. Please take a moment and meditate on the days and weeks following your conversion. Remember how ‘in love’ you were with Jesus? I know, you still love Him, right? But I want you and I to think of the differences that are evident in our love now, compared to our love for Jesus at the time I referred to. What happened? I believe that such an influence of this old world has found its way into our lives, that our actions now portray more of the world than that of the One who saved us. Will the church – we the body, survive and flourish like this? Do people that we touch see more of Christ, or the world? Unless they unmistakably see Christ, let’s not think for a moment that we have a flourishing church. Examine yourselves and draw close to the One who gave up everything for you my friend. Only what’s done for Jesus will truly last!

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, thank You for not giving up on us. Your Word is a light to our path, because It illuminates our earthly condition, that is often far from the path that You have laid out for Your people. Lord, we want our family and friends to know the Lord, so we want to look and sound more like You in everything we do and say every day. Please touch us once again and draw us close to You. May we become Your hands and feet on the ground, so that our people can see You and experience You when they come into contact with us. AMEN!

God With Us

On By Ed AlgreenIn Christ-Like, Christmas, SalvationLeave a comment

Post Date:

 Monday, 2017-12-04
SCRIPTURE

From:

 Isaiah 7:13-16 (TLB)

Text:

 13 Then Isaiah said: O House of David, you aren’t satisfied to exhaust my patience; you exhaust the Lord’s as well! 14 All right then, the Lord himself will choose the sign—a child shall be born to a virgin! And she shall call him Immanuel (meaning, “God is with us”). 15-16 By the time this child is weaned and knows right from wrong, the two kings you fear so much—the kings of Israel and Syria — will both be dead.
OBSERVATION:
Isaiah prophesied, many years before the birth of Jesus, that God would send His Son, through miraculous means, and that He would be known as Immanuel, meaning God is With Us. In other words, this would be the same as God being with us. Not only is this building the case for the coming King of all kings, but also an awesome peace in knowing that no matter how lonely one is, God’s Son would be with them!
APPLICATION:
Probably one of the hardest things for anyone to handle is seeing someone without a home, or without food, or without family and friends. Destitute, lonely, forgotten, hungry, and living on the streets without anything at all. Compare that to those who appear to be happy and fulfilled, because they have enough money to buy whatever they want. Without the Lordship of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, they both will face God in the same condition – lost and destined for eternal damnation in the pit of Hell. Friends, this ‘Child’ referenced in verse 14 that Isaiah prophesied about, is the same Jesus that we celebrate each Christmas. He came so that we, who trust in Him completely, might be rewarded with life eternally with He and the Father. So may I suggest that as you approach this Christmas season, that you search your heart carefully, and be sure that you have at some time in your life personally surrendered your heart to Jesus, and asked Him to take control of your life. Without Jesus, it wouldn’t matter if you lived under a bridge, in a mansion or anywhere in between, you will be given the same verdict on Judgment Day – away from me, for I never knew you. Heaven is reserved for those who have surrendered their hearts to Jesus. The only other option is Hell, where all others will be sent for eternal damnation by Satan. The difference in destination is decided and committed by you only, for yourself only. Because we are not assured of another day or moment, I would encourage you to make this very important decision right now friend.
PRAYER:
Thank You for the gift of salvation dear Jesus. Please tender, and prepare the hearts of those that will read this devotional, so that they may make a right decision to follow You for the rest of their earthly lives. A personal decision with a very personal Lord. Lord Jesus, to You I offer my praise and thanks today for accepting my plea for salvation. May today be filled with decisions in time for a Christmas where we all may celebrate You as the main reason for the season! AMEN!
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!

Strength Against Temptation

On By Ed AlgreenIn Christ's Representative, Christ-Like, Christian, Christian Living, Christian love, Christian Principles, Example of Christ, TemptationLeave a comment

Post Date:

 Tuesday, 2017-09-12
SCRIPTURE

From:

 Luke 22:46 (ERV)

Text:

  46 Jesus said to them, “Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray for strength against temptation.”
OBSERVATION:
At a time when Jesus went up to the garden to pray, He gave His disciples an assignment to pray about also: Stay awake and pray for strength against temptation. Because this is something that we all can pray for, I wanted us to take a deeper look into this…
APPLICATION:
I found it interesting that Jesus did not say to His disciples, pray just in case temptation comes your way. Jesus knew what was about to happen, and He knew that it could mean death for His disciples if they stuck to their witness of the Master that was so close and intimate over their time of close ministry with Him. Things are no different today friends, for we leave our times of spiritual enrichment through great praise and worship services, and awesome reminders from God’s Word, and we reenter the world of constant bombardment by Satan to turn our heads and return to the ways of the world. So what’s so wrong about that, you might ask – seeing that we have to live in this old world. Good question! I believe that it is appropriate that we be reminded that Jesus was so different to the world, that He became the center of attention for attacks by the people. I know, that’s the last thing you want, right? Well, I believe you made a mistake in wanting a part in Christianity, for the teachings and example of Jesus is totally opposed to the teachings and example of this world. You see, if you are not led by the Lord Jesus Christ, and asking Him daily to guide your life, then you have a different leader – Satan. There are many examples of where Jesus was totally different, or opposite to the ways of the world. Sometimes it made Him stand out like a sore thumb, but it’s who He was and still is. ‘Going with the flow’ often means that we wait around to see what the crowd decides to do then we will do the same thing. When Jesus asks us to stay awake and pray against temptation, I believe He is telling us to seek the face of Jesus about the best course of action for us today, not what the popular person/people does. We were told at a very young age by our parents that following the crowd will get us into trouble. Jesus declares the same thing to be true today – stay awake and not be led into temptation by the crowd, but seek ye first the kingdom of heaven and His righteousness. As Christians, we are to look like Jesus, sound like Him and act like Him in every way. In fact, we should easily be mistaken for Jesus because of our likeness of Him in our character and in our love. Let’s pray for one another friends, so that the world might see, know and believe in the same Lord that we adore and are led by.
PRAYER:
Lord Jesus, we all face temptation from this old wicked world, but we want to be more and more like You every day. We can only do this with Your help and our determination. Please touch the hearts of Your children and help us to not only proclaim our allegiance to You in the presence of our pastor or other church members, but even at times when temptation knocks for an open door of opportunity. Lord, lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for Thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory, for ever and for ever, 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!

Our Hope is in The Lord

On By Ed AlgreenIn Christ-Like, Hope, Like JesusLeave a comment

Post Date:

 Saturday, 2017-06-24
SCRIPTURE

From:

 Psalm 39:3-7 (TLB)

Text:

 3 …. Then at last I spoke and pled with God: 4 Lord, help me to realize how brief my time on earth will be. Help me to know that I am here for but a moment more. 5-6 My life is no longer than my hand! My whole lifetime is but a moment to you. Proud man! Frail as breath! A shadow! And all his busy rushing ends in nothing. He heaps up riches for someone else to spend. 7 And so, Lord, my only hope is in you.
OBSERVATION:
The Psalmist had just come through a very upsetting time where, had it not been for losing his witness in the presence of the wicked, he probably would have exploded. It was at this point that he asked God to please open his mind and his understanding about what is really important in life. He went through multiple thoughts about what humans consider important, but it all boiled down to a strong relationship with the Master, because it was the only hope that resulted in strength, stability and any sort of meaningful eternity with any sort of hope. 
APPLICATION:
Like the Psalmist I believe that today we become all heated and bothered over lots of things that, in the end, really boils down to holding no value in eternity. Things such as our employment, our church, politics, family and our friendships. This Scripture reminds us that should we really concentrate on our key relationship with our Lord Jesus, we will not only secure our eternity with He and the Father, but all these other temporal things that we tend to worry back will fall into place, because we will start to look at them from a heavenly perspective instead of a worldly one. Friends it is nothing less than amazing when we take on a new perspective about the way we look at things. From a selfish, greedy, worldly view, we tend to look at things from a very self-centered way. With Jesus in our heart directing our path, giving us wisdom, and a mind fixed on serving Him and being like Him in every way, we tend to respond and act in ways that reflect the love of Jesus and the exemplified life that He portrayed for us to follow. The way that our world is headed right now, we will self destruct to the detriment of our family, friends and ourselves. Recognizing the hope that we have in our Lord Jesus, and in faith accepting His kingship, could lead us towards a mighty revival in our land that demonstrates to the world that our God reigns and that it is obvious from our actions that He reigns and rules in our hearts. Friends, it’s all about Jesus, and not us. Let’s treat those around us with the unconditional love that He showed for us. Our only hope lies in Jesus, and I am convinced that He could revive us to be just like Him. Are you prepared to give Jesus a chance to prove Himself? Our world will be so much better off, and so will we!
PRAYER:
Thank You for Your Word Lord Jesus, and thank You for Your direction in this Scripture on how we could help in making this a better world, through giving You full reign in our lives. Please forgive us for the times that we have messed up and done things in our own strength and in our own way. Your ways are perfect, because You have such a committed and perfect love for mankind. For those of us that know You personally, I pray that it would be very evident to those around us that we are resting our hope in You and allowing You to rule and reign in everything we do or say. Have Your perfect way in our lives oh Lord, and may You touch the lives of those that we will witness to today, so that Your will might be revealed in them also. You are our only hope oh Lord! We acknowledge that today and seek Your guidance so that we might also spread that hope to this lost world. 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!

A Spiritual Self-Evaluation

On By Ed AlgreenIn Christ-Like, Like JesusLeave a comment

Saturday, 2016-09-17

Scripture

Bible Reference: 2 Kings 18:5-7

Bible Text: 5 Hezekiah trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel. There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before or after his time. 6 He remained faithful to the Lord in everything, and he carefully obeyed all the commands the Lord had given Moses. 7 So the Lord was with him, and Hezekiah was successful in everything he did.

Bible Translation: New Living Translation (NLT)

My Take

In most businesses, employees are evaluated at least annually, to promote a good time of two-way conversation about their performance and their future with the company. As part of this process I love the idea of asking the employee to prepare a self-evaluation, so that they don’t come to the review discussion with expectations that have not been personally analyzed. From a quick response, most people think very highly of themselves and therefore would rate themselves at the very top, unless they have been given the opportunity to rate themselves based on the same criteria as the supervisor is using. Now my reason for giving such a lengthy introduction, is that I would suggest that we perform a self evaluation on ourselves spiritually. The guidelines you must use are all based on scripture though, and not on the actions or performance of a pastor, or elder, or deacon, or even your neighbor who seems to attend every church service. I would challenge us to compare our actions and words to those of Jesus, and whether they are in line with what the Bible teaches. Here’s why …. In our scripture today we can read what was said of Hezekiah. I was blown away, for  it was very evident that he trusted in God; he remained faithful to the Lord in everything and he carefully obeyed all the commands of the Lord. And for this, it was very evident that the Lord was with him, and that Hezekiah was successful in everything he did. Friends, if we are to receive the end results from God, then we must do what He demands while we are here on earth. Often I am disappointed that we try everything possible to live as close to the edge as possible in making it look to the public like we are holy. Unfortunately God knows the real ‘us’ and we can hide nothing from Him, not even our thoughts. So my challenge to us is to perform a regular self-appraisal and chat with Jesus about where we stand in His eyes. Would He consider, or compare us to His servant Hezekiah? If not, what is it that you must work on today?

Prayer

Lord, we look at great earthly examples like Kezekiah and we wish that we could gain his attributes, because we want to look as much like You as possible in the eyes of our neighbors, family and friends – especially the unsaved. However I am even more convinced that this is only achievable through a solid relationship with You, and full dependence on You. Please keep our minds fixed on You, and not try to compare ourselves to our neighbor or the guy next door. I truly believe that when we live like You taught us, the lost will recognize Your attributes and want to know and obey You. Please soften our hearts to Your perfect will and commands Lord, for I ask these things in the lovely name of Jesus, Your Son, 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 http://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!

Your Characteristics Prove Whose You Are

On By Ed AlgreenIn Christ's Representative, Christ-Like, Christian Living, Christian love, Christian Principles, Christianity, Example of Christ, Follower of Christ, Imitating Christ, Reflecting Christ, The Mind of ChristLeave a comment

Friday, 2016-09-16

Scripture

Bible Reference: Galatians 5:16–17

Bible Text: 16 So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. 17 The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions.

Bible Translation: New Living Translation (NLT)

My Take

Paul himself struggled with doing the right thing, for he said that there is always a struggle going on, where he desires to do the right thing, but he naturally does the wrong thing. So when we read these verses today, let’s remember that this is not merely spiritual lingo that Paul thought would sound good to his readers, but he is speaking from experience. What I really love, is the way that Paul shows us how we will know when we are following our natural, sinful desire, or if we are following the will, and leadership of the Holy Spirit. Friends, we have to look at our actions:

If we are following our own sinful desires, then the following characteristics will be prevalent: *sexual immorality,    *impurity,     *lustful pleasures,     *idolatry,     *sorcery,     *hostility,     *quarreling,     *jealousy,     *outbursts of anger,     *selfish ambition,     *dissension,     *division,     *envy,     *drunkenness,     *wild parties, and     *other sins like these.     When you see these characteristics, the Bible says in verse 21: ‘…anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.’

If we follow the commands and will of God and allow the Holy Spirit to direct our lives, then we will see these characteristics shine through:   *love,      *joy,      *peace,      *patience,      *kindness,      *goodness,      *faithfulness,      *gentleness, and      *self-control. When you see these characteristics, the Bible says in verse 23: ‘There is no law against these things!’, meaning that you don’t have to look over your shoulders for anyone to get you, because you are doing what is right. These are fruits of the Spirit friend. This shows that you belong to God, and His Holy Spirit lives and operates in your life.

So the challenge today for each of us is to look at our actions and see where exactly we stand with the Lord. If something ain’t right friend, may I encourage you to communicate (pray) to your heavenly Father and ask for His help and direction? May each of us see the characteristics of the Jesus Christ shine bright in our lives today!

Prayer

Dear God, thank You for using Your servant Paul to share these words with his friends at the Galatian church and with us today. May we be honest in our evaluation of our actions today, and may we quickly recognize acts that reflect our old sinful self that indicate that we have strayed and allowed too much of this old world in. Lord, we sincerely  need You today. We want to be obedient servants, but we know that we can only do this with You ‘at the wheel of our lives’. Please keep us humble and obedient so that we may reflect the love of Christ in everything we do or say, so that others may be encouraged to surrender their lives to You. I ask these things in and through the precious name of Jesus, 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!