Category: Bible Believing

The Deep Unexplainable Love of God!

On By Ed AlgreenIn Bible Believing, Love, Reaching the LostLeave a comment

The Bible – The Message

Romans 11:33-36

 33–36         Have you ever come on anything quite like this extravagant generosity of God, this deep, deep wisdom? It’s way over our heads. We’ll never figure it out.

                Is there anyone around who can explain God?

                Anyone smart enough to tell him what to do?

                Anyone who has done him such a huge favor that God has to ask his advice?

                Everything comes from him;

                Everything happens through him;

                Everything ends up in him.

                Always glory! Always praise!

Yes. Yes. Yes!

 

Thoughts:

No doubt the Romans were having trouble understand this deep, amazing love of Jesus that Paul spoke about. Paul struggled to find words to explain this love, but he kind of recapped it by saying that God’s love is undeserved, because there is nothing that we have done that could ever qualify as a contribution towards God loving us in the amazing way that He does. This helped me to understand how non-Christians must feel and why we receive the blank looks when we try to share with them the unsearchable, underserved yet unshakable and everlasting love of our Father. I am convinced that no matter what we tell others about the Bible and all that Jesus said about love, or what Paul or Luke or John said, the thing that will impact them most, is when we tell them about how God’s love has impacted us. Too many of us are way too nervous about witnessing, because we are afraid that we may not be able to answer a Bible question correctly, or recite verses needed to show a lost one their need for the Savior. Friends, when I tell folk about the joys of marriage, and they see and understand how much I love my wife, then they believe what I said about marriage. So it is with witnessing. Although we might use a Bible story or character as an illustration when we share with someone about the love of God, it’s not until we share the impact God had in our lives that they truly start to listen and believe. Ever notice how you totally tune out a person when they tell us about a coworker who may be close to them, but we may not know the person or anything about them? However when they finally get to tell us about themselves, our attention is quickly focused on them? This is the best method of witnessing, I feel. Share what God has done for you, and that the same love of which you told, is also available to them. Remember, God does the saving, not us. Our responsibility is to share what God has done for us, so that others may know that the same ‘Gift’ is available to them.

Prayer:

Dear Jesus, what amazing love You have shown to me! The Love of God is truly amazing! Nothing, absolutely nothing have I done to deserve the love that You showed when You allowed wicked sinful people to beat You and hang You in disgrace on a cross just so that I might have a way to one day enter heaven’s gates and sit with You at God’s right hand. Thank You for claiming me as Your own. Please help me to always allow Your love to radiate through me in such a way that a non-Christian family member, friend or co-worker would have no doubt that the King of Glory resides within and that this love is something they desperately need. Lord, we (Christians) are absolutely worthless without You, and we have no need of being looked on as anything other than the image of our Father. Please have Your will and way in my life even today, and develop a peace in me over those things that would ordinarily give me deep concern. Please touch the heart of my friends that may read this devotional. May they find peace in You and experience that ‘love’ of which I have shared. Thine be the glory Lord! I ask this in Your holy and precious and loving name, AMEN!

 

NOTE: 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 so that we can pray with you and give you help and or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Any words underlined above will 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.

Trust In God at All Times

On By Ed AlgreenIn Ask and Receive, Bible Believing, Faith, Follow Jesus, God Cares For Us, God our Helper, God our Provider, Helper, Our Help comes from God, Protector, Thank You Jesus, The enemy, Trust, Truth, Victorious Life, Worry no moreLeave a comment

The Bible – The Good News Translation

 Psalm 62:5-8

 5 Let all that I am wait quietly before God, for my hope is in him.

6 He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will not be shaken.

7 My victory and honor come from God alone. He is my refuge, a rock where no enemy can reach me.

8 O my people, trust in him at all times. Pour out your heart to him, for God is our refuge.

Thoughts:

When we think about the life of David we remember that from the time he was just a young boy he placed his faith and strength in the hands of the Lord – remember when he went to battle with the giant Philistine? David faced many battles as Israel’s king, and he was able to place the battles before God, seek His direction and in following God’s commands, David lead many armies into successful battles. Many of the Psalms were written either in preparation for battles, or in celebration and thanksgiving for successes in battles. Now for those who are still trying to follow my line of thinking here, you are probably saying under your breath that you are not a king, and you have no armies to lead. But where God got my attention on this is that we almost daily face battles of one type or another. For some, it may be jobs and unreasonable supervisors, for others it might be family members, friends, co-workers or just about anyone that Satan could send our way to test our faith in the Lord. The big question, or challenge, for us to consider is: will these ‘battles’ result in the world seeing that we are just like them, in that we caved in to jealousy, revenge, hatred or an attitude just like theirs, or will they see in return: forgiveness; love; turning the other cheek; understanding and a God-like attitude? You see, for us to truly be ‘little Christ’s’ (Christians) then we must respond like Jesus would. If we say during the good times of life that God is our Refuge and Strength, do we maintain that same truth when under pressure or tested by Satan’s tactics, and our enemies are attacking from all sides? Please re-read vs 8 and be reminded that God is saying through His servant David, “Trust in the Lord at all times, for He (God) is our refuge (our safe harbor) and our strength”, and we have nothing to fear!

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, it is easy for us to trust in You when we are on a mountain top looking down on our ‘enemies’ or looking down on the completed battle, but the challenge is for us to place our faith and trust in You before we go to ‘battle’, or during the ‘battle’. Lord, we are reminded in Your Word again today that You alone is God, yes over our good times, and the bad and the challenging times. Please help Your weak-at-heart children to always place our faith in You and to look to You for our guidance and victories. Way too often we try to take the wheel back from You and drive this life-ship ourselves. Please forgive us, for we should never forget that You are our Strength and our Refuge, a present help in times of trouble and in need. Lord, my unsaved loved ones will not experience this great Strength and Defender unless they have accepted You as their Lord and Savior. Please, may it be so, even today? I humbly ask all this in Your precious and all powerful name, Lord Jesus, AMEN!

 

NOTE: 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 so that we can pray with you and give you help and or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Any words underlined above will 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.

Try Starting Your Day Like This!

On By Ed AlgreenIn Bible Believing, Celebrate God, Faith, God Cares For Us, Praise, WorshipLeave a comment

The Bible – New Living Translation

Psalm 59:16-17

 16 But as for me, I will sing about your power. Each morning I will sing with joy about your unfailing love. For you have been my refuge, a place of safety when I am in distress.

17 O my Strength, to you I sing praises, for you, O God, are my refuge, the God who shows me unfailing love.

Thoughts:

I’ve seen many challenges lately, for example a challenge to find 5 things you are thankful for, or some might challenge friends and themselves to walk for a number of minutes each morning. I believe that God challenged me through these verses, to imitate His servant David and find things to praise God for each morning, and to do it with joy! What type of day do you suppose we would have if we challenged ourselves to do this each morning? Would our churches be stronger if it was made up of more praising Christians? I make every effort to attend church prayer meetings each week, and it is amazing the number of prayer needs that we have to pray about. Now please don’t misunderstand, there is no better place to bring our needs, than to a place of worship where believers have gathered to pray for one another. However, I recall in one prayer meeting we had a visitor who was bubbling over with a praise item, however after hearing all of the needs, our leader was ready to move into prayer. The visitor finally spoke up and asked if there was room for praise items, as she wanted to share an item with the group. Oh my, what an important aspect of prayer we almost ignored that night. Friends, even under extreme circumstances: when we are hurting; or perhaps sad; or perhaps facing extreme challenges; God is still God and throughout all that we feel overwhelmed about, He has blessed us beyond all measure. There is a powerful song out by a popular group call “I will praise You in my storm”, can you do this friend? Can you praise God even in the middle of the storms of your life? How about committing to praise Him in every circumstance, knowing that God has a purpose for your life and that He will not do anything to harm you. It was God that gave you the healthy body to sleep well the previous night, and to awaken with another opportunity to shine for Him. Praise Him friend! Of course He will also hear your prayer for healing, hurt, job search and all other needs, but that will become very evident and easy to ask, after you have thought about and praised God for His wonderful blessings!

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, I’m sure it must seem like we are an ungrateful bunch of children, because of our lack of praise. You bless us so much that praise should be very prominent in our lives and on our lips. I pray that I may be so filled with thankfulness and praise that as my lips are opened, I may voice Your praises. I can’t think of anything more powerful to an unbeliever than for them to see a thankful, praising child of God. Please give me the strength and the boldness to represent You well, especially in my constant praise for the mighty God that You are. Thank You Lord, for blessing me in such wonderful ways. Please touch Your children that may meditate on this devotional and need to work on this aspect of their Christian walk also. Please use the praises of Your kids to touch the hearts of those that need to know You today so that they may want to know the awesome God that we serve. All this I ask humbly in the precious name of my Savior and Lord, Jesus, AMEN!

 

NOTE: 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 so that we can pray with you and give you help and or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Any words underlined above will 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.

Grace – Free and Undeserved

On By Ed AlgreenIn All have sinned, Ask and Receive, Bible Believing, Blood of Jesus, Chosen by God, Christian, Faith, God Cares For Us, Grace, Love, Reaching the Lost, Sin, Thank You Jesus, Things Eternal, WitnessingLeave a comment

The Bible – New Living Translation

Romans 11:4-6

 4 And do you remember God’s reply? He said, “No, I have 7,000 others who have never bowed down to Baal!”(1 Kings 19:18)

5 It is the same today, for a few of the people of Israel have remained faithful because of God’s grace—his undeserved kindness in choosing them. 6 And since it is through God’s kindness, then it is not by their good works. For in that case, God’s grace would not be what it really is—free and undeserved.

Thoughts:

I find it interesting how God draws certain things to our attention as we read His Word. I believe this has reiterated the point to me that without staying in His Word, how then will we hear from Him? My reason for the aforesaid, is that my initial reading of the highlighted verses left me wondering why God would have Paul include this Old Testament reference in his talk to the Roman believers and also in His Word for our edification? God quickly drew to my attention something to share with you in today’s devotional. Friends, who are we that God should have ever gotten our attention towards salvation? Now, before we get all holy and self-righteous in thinking that we never killed anyone, like Elijah was referring to in his initial question to God about the Jews, the Bible clearly states that God detests sin. He hates it. But friend, all the same, He valued us/loved us enough to look beyond our sin and rescue us from this life of sin. Yes, He convicted us of our sin and our need for a Savior? That’s where Paul is coming from in this passage, and that’s what we must be diligent to praise God about, and that’s what we must be careful in helping our lost family and friends to understand. God’s grace is beyond anything we can measure or understand. He sacrificed His one and only Son to die a cruel death on a cross so that we might be saved, even while we were deep in sin, uncaring and undeserving of such grace. We just can’t comprehend that kind of grace/love! But just as Paul share with his Roman counterparts, I must remind you today that God’s very nature is love and just as He once put the life of His Son on the line for us, His grace is still sufficient today. Please don’t give up on that lost loved one. To the one that may be reading this today that may never have made a decision to accept Christ as your personal Savior, please don’t think that you are beyond God’s love. The mere fact that you are reading this devotional is an indication that the Holy Spirit is working to show you His love and grace. Be obedient to His call on your life today, won’t you? Please feel free to contact me using the email address below to pray with you and help you in the vital decision.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, I praise You today for Your wonderful and unparalleled grace. You loved me enough to speak to me right where I was, in sin, and convince me of the need for my Savior! Although we are tempted to think like Elijah did and question why You would save some folk even after knowing their awful past, I thank You for not being like us humans, for we often think like the world still, and tend to give up on folk because their future seem so hopeless to us. Oh my, where would we have been if You felt the same way about us? Praise God that Your ways are way beyond our very best efforts, for You loved us even while we were still wicked and undeserving. Thank You Lord Jesus for Your love and Your grace. Please help us to see through eyes filled with the grace of Jesus so that we may have a positive, Godly influence in the lives of those that need to accept You as Lord. As Your sons and daughters we need desperately to be more like our Father. Please continue to impress upon us the character and love of our Savior so that the world might see and know, without our hypocritical selves interfering, that they need You in their lives. I ask all this in the precious name of my Savior and Lord, Jesus the Christ, AMEN!

 

NOTE: 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 so that we can pray with you and give you help and or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Any words underlined above will 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.

Obligations To Share, Hear, Believe And Ask

On By Ed AlgreenIn All have sinned, Ask and Receive, Bible Believing, Blood of Jesus, Born Again, Chosen by God, Christian, Evangelism, Faith, Forgiveness, Heaven, Holy Spirit, ObedienceLeave a comment

The Bible – The New Living Translation

 Romans 10:13-14

 13 For “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Joel 2:32)

14 But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them?

Thoughts:

This is a power-packed couple of verses, for anyone meditating on these words will find themselves obligated in one way or another. Think about where your obligation is today and be obedient to God. For example:

  • Share – I got the impression that for those of us that know the Lord, our involvement in helping a lost person come to a saving knowledge in Jesus Christ, is that we share with them. Now before you try to correct me and tell me that you are not a preacher, I want to remind you that there are many times in God’s Word where we, who already know Him, are told/obligated to share with those who do not. Sharing is not necessarily ‘preaching’, it is telling of the Good News, the Savior that got hold of your life and saved you from your self-destructing, evil trip to Hell. In fact, you are the only one that could share that with a friend who may not know the Lord – it’s your story!
  • Hear, Believe & Ask – I believe that vs 14 is telling the lost person that if the Word of God is explained to them, or if someone shares their story with them, know that it is God-sent and give it your undivided attention, as you are expected to accept/believe in Jesus Christ and ask/receive/invite Him as God’s precious gift of eternal life.

Friends, Paul was careful to explain that God’s gift is offered to all. In his day Paul had to clarify that the gift was offered to both the Jew and the Gentile. In our society today, I believe that we need to be reminded that God’s gift is offered to folk inside of the church worshipping, and to the ones who have never entered the doors of a church before. To the one who is looked up to in the community, or to the murderer. In fact, in another Bible verse, it is clear that God’s gift is available to ALL – whoever calls on His name (John 3:16). That includes you brother and sister! If you hear it, believe it and ask Jesus to come into your heart.

Prayer:

Thank You Father for those who leave our churches and travel overseas to spread the name of the Lord – our missionaries. Also, thank You for our pastors and evangelists who sacrifices hour after hour in sharing the love and saving knowledge of our Lord Jesus. Please be especially encouraging to those of us that cross paths with friends, family and coworkers every day that so desperately need You. Lord, may we never leave an opportunity unattended. May we never have to feel the guilt of disobedience in not sharing Your love and Your Word with those who need You. Father, I especially pray for the unsaved today. You have told us in Your Word that You are coming back soon to take us with You so that we may live with You throughout eternity. In the light of this promise, please help our unsaved ones to grasp the importance of really listening to Your Word, and may they not only hear, but also respond without reservation to Your call on their life. TODAY is the day of salvation! Lord, may it be so for all those I know, love and care about. For I ask all this in the name of Your precious Son, Jesus, believing that it will be done. AMEN!

 

NOTE: 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 so that we can pray with you and give you help and or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Any words underlined above will 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.

The Stain of our Sins

On By Ed AlgreenIn All have sinned, Bible Believing, Faith, Reflecting Christ, SinLeave a comment

The Bible – The New Living Translation

Psalm 51:1-2

 1 Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins.

2 Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin.

Thoughts:

I believe that David was so sorry for his acts of sin against Bathsheba and her husband that he was not only asking for forgiveness of his sin, but also that God might erase it from his memory – blot out the ‘stain’ of my sin he asked. Friends, although God forgives us of our sin, it seems like the impact of that sin, or its stain, appears to always be in the back of our minds, and will ultimately haunt us from time to time. While this may serve the purpose of reminding us of our sin, or especially to help us appreciate where God has truly brought us from, yet our inner man would just as soon forget the sinful acts. Therefore I can appreciate where David was coming from in this request. However, I believe that the biggest lesson for us to learn from this today is that God is our mediator. He knows what is bugging us, but I believe that He really wants us to seek Him, humble ourselves to ask for help and to seek His help in every aspect of our lives. As we live in this sinful world, we get dirty or stained from its impact, so keeping ourselves before our Maker in prayer is healthy for our spiritual well-being. Our physical bodies become dirty and we take daily showers, how much more should we seek a daily spiritual cleansing of our sin. This will not only help in keeping us clean from guilt, but it will keep the lines of communication open between us and our heavenly Father.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, I repeat the words of Your servant David, please wash me clean from my guilt, and purify me from my sin. I want to be used by You in reaching those around me who are lost in sin. Please wash me white as snow so that I may represent You well as I share a witness for You. Please have Your will and way in my life is my humble prayer before the only One who can make a true difference in the hearts of mankind, for I ask this in Your worthy and all powerful name, Lord Jesus, my Savior and King, AMEN!

 

NOTE: 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 so that we can pray with you and give you help and or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Any words underlined above will 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.

Too Busy

On By Ed AlgreenIn Bible Believing, Celebrate God, Imitator of Christ, Praise, Reaching the Lost, Works, WorshipLeave a comment

The Bible – The Message

 Romans 9:30-32

 …. All those people who didn’t seem interested in what God was doing actually embraced what God was doing as he straightened out their lives. And Israel, who seemed so interested in reading and talking about what God was doing, missed it. How could they miss it? Because instead of trusting God, they took over. They were absorbed in what they themselves were doing. They were so absorbed in their “God projects” that they didn’t notice God right in front of them, like a huge rock in the middle of the road. And so they stumbled into him and went sprawling.

 Thoughts:

Friends I know that we have our secular jobs, and many of us also have volunteered for jobs in the church, but are we capable of knowing when we are too busy to really see God at work in and around us? Paul, in addressing his fellow Jews, tried to bring to their attention that in his ministry to the gentiles (those who were despised by the Jews), he had discovered such an appreciation for God and His wonderful work/miracles, compared to what he saw in his own people, who appeared sold out to God. This sounds so much like us sometimes. It is known around churches that if you need someone to do something, ask a busy person. And although this means that you can often trust them to get the job done, what it also means is that you are giving them yet another ‘job’, and before you realize it, that person is coming to church thinking of it as just another job, like they are obligated to all other days of the week. Friends, I realize that it takes people to get the total job done around church, but when we lose sight of the reason for us going to church, to offer up praise and worship to our heavenly Father, then we have just personally taken on too much. We must find time in our busy lives for personal worship – time alone with God, and for corporate worship – time corporately with God and others of like faith. I believe that I coined a phrase that I encourage all those that I have opportunity to mentor, to use: instead of ever saying that you didn’t have time for something, always say it was not a priority! I especially encourage you to use this when you have neglected your time alone with God or your corporate worship time. In fact I encourage you to use this phrase in your conversation (prayer) with God as you talk to him about missed opportunities. It will help you to regain the priorities in your life! Keeping busy will keep us out of trouble, but if we are not careful, it could also keep us out of a sweet relationship with our heavenly Father. Why not step back and honestly evaluate your life today? Are you too busy?

Prayer:

Thank You Father for blessing us with talents that we may use for You in and around the local church. Please help us to know when we have enough to do, and especially when church work is preventing us from spending the time with You that we so badly need for our spiritual enrichment. Without You in the forefront of our day, we will reflect too much of this world to those who especially need to know You and see Your qualities in us. We were created to glorify You dear God. When we fail to do that because we are too busy, especially with ‘church jobs’ or as Paul said, “God projects”, then we ask that You please get our attention and pull us back to You. Most of us have family and loved ones who need the Lord, Father I pray that they may first of all see Jesus in everything that we do or say so that we may influence them to seek You and the wonder of Your grace, mercy and love. I ask all this in the wonderful name of Your Son, Jesus the Christ, my Lord and Savior, AMEN!

 

 NOTE: 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 so that we can pray with you and give you help and or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Any words underlined above will 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.

The Purpose of Church

On By Ed AlgreenIn Bible Believing, Giving, Reflecting Christ, Tithing, Truthful, Witnessing, WorshipLeave a comment

The Bible – Good News Translation

 Psalm 8:9-11

 9           Inside your Temple, O God, we think of your constant love.

10          You are praised by people everywhere, and your fame extends over all the earth.

You rule with justice; 11   let the people of Zion be glad!

 Thoughts:

Many people dress and head out to church on Saturday or Sunday. I wonder what some of the responses would be, if a news reporter stood on a street corner and interviewed folk as they were on their way to church! I bet there would be some interesting responses! In the Bible we read a lot about people going up to the temple to pray, or to offer up sacrifices. In our day, I believe the number one response would be that people go to church to worship God. The challenge is that most church goers feel like ‘worship’ is the worship and praise (singing) part of the service. What about the aspect of giving and Bible teaching and/or preaching? Also, is this ‘worship’ only once per week for no more than an hour? Is this commitment you have made to ‘worship’ strictly led by a praise and worship team for your entertainment, and a preacher who shouts at you for about 30 minutes to challenge you in your wrong doings? Friends, without the appearance of judging, I see these things that I questioned you on, as a description of our churches today. On the contrary, I love the description given by the Psalmist! Wouldn’t it be neat for us to awaken about an hour earlier before rushing out to weekend services, and instead of turning the television on, or getting on to Facebook to catch up on the gossip, if we gathered around the table over a cup of coffee and reflected back over the blessings of the week, brought back to reflection the highlights of our Bible studies (devotionals) from the week and said a prayer for the preacher and other worship leaders before we head out the door to go and worship God? Don’t you suppose that we would position ourselves for, and find reason to, truly worship God and to truly open our hearts to the spoken Word so that we might be filled with the Spirit and His reinforcing power for the week ahead? Can you see where we may then feel more like the Psalmist reflected on in vs 9, where we would then open our minds to think about God’s love and His wonderful power in our heart over the past week? I truly believe that we could then open our hearts in worship and be so filled with God’s wonder and His love that His fame would be evident in and through us wherever we went after that, in similar ways to what the Psalmist described in vs 10 & 11. We serve an awesome God, who is so good to us. Let’s not hold back the praises, and let’s be very open to instruction from His Word so that our lives might be guided accordingly.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, You made us so that we may worship you. I’m sorry for the poor excuses we give for not attending worship services, and even when we do – the little input that You receive from us. Our minds wonder, and we depend so heavily on the Praise and Worship team, that it is probably very obvious to You that we enjoy the entertainment more than the opportunity to lift up our praises and words of affirmation to You. We listen to Your Word read and expounded on, and it is often the only time that week that our Bibles have been opened. Oh how You must shake Your head in dismay and question why You ever made us. Thankfully, I know You are a God of love, and in looking at our hearts You know what we really are and what we would really like to be. I pray for mercy and Your continued grace dear Lord, because although You know our inward beings, how will the world know about You if they can’t see You reflected in and through our lives? Please don’t give up on me, and on us – Your servants. We need You more today than we ever did before. We need Your power and the extreme boldness to be Your witnesses. Touch me Lord and work with my friends and I so that we may be more like You in every way. My humble prayer I am asking in the Your holy name, dear Jesus, AMEN

 

NOTE: 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 so that we can pray with you and give you help and or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Any words underlined above will 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.

Mercy and Compassion – God’s In Charge!

On By Ed AlgreenIn All have sinned, Bible Believing, Eternal Life, Evangelism, Forgiveness, God our Provider, Reaching the Lost, Thank You Jesus2 Comments

The Bible – The Message

Romans 9:14-18

14–18       Is that grounds for complaining that God is unfair? Not so fast, please. God told Moses, “I’m in charge of mercy. I’m in charge of compassion.” Compassion doesn’t originate in our bleeding hearts or moral sweat, but in God’s mercy. The same point was made when God said to Pharaoh, “I picked you as a bit player in this drama of my salvation power.” All we’re saying is that God has the first word, initiating the action in which we play our part for good or ill.

 Thoughts:

We hear a lot of folk say that God’s not fair, and I cringe whenever I hear those words. Friends, we place ourselves in very compromising places at times, and unfortunately bad things happen, especially in places where Satan is very present. I heard a preacher speak on the subject “Why do bad things happen to good people”, and although he was the right person to preach that sermon, seeing that he himself had Multiple Sclerosis and had difficulty speaking. Yet he helped his hearers to understand that we are all blessed by God in that He sent His one and only Son to die a cruel death on the cross, so that all those that believe on Him might have eternal life. So who are the ‘all’ he referred to? People such as Saul who was a persecutor of Christians and the church, yet God made such a difference in His life that he became a great evangelist and writer, having written many of the New Testament books. He made such a turnaround in his life that his name was changed to Paul to reflect the total life change. What Paul is explaining to his audience at Rome, and what God is using this message to speak with us about is that:

  • God is the author and maker of mankind and we are to be thankful and celebrative for this;
  • God loved us while we were still sinners and provided a means to enter His kingdom, and we are to be thankful and celebrative for this;
  • God showed compassion on us and chose us to be His children – because, friends sinners only has a mind for sinful things, not Godly ownership and Godly happiness, and we are to be thankful and celebrative for this;

So Paul’s question to his audience and to us today is, “what are we complaining about God not being fair about?” From the points above, I believe we can clearly see that God loves us way more than we deserve, and what is unfair about that? Let’s not question God when He doesn’t handle a situation the way that we instructed Him, He’s still God and above Him there is no other. Count your blessings friend, and I assure you that you’ll not have enough fingers left to consider the self-inflicted, unfortunate things that we tend to blame on God. I serve an awesome God, and my heart’s desire is to encourage as many as I can to know this Savior I love and adore! Are you ready to make a decision friend? Please use the contact information at the foot of this post to email me and allow me to pray with you, encourage you and introduce you to Jesus!

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, we are such an undeserving, yet very blessed people. Please help us to count our blessings and stop the whining and complaining. Where would we have been had it not been for Your love, Your mercy and Your compassion? Thank You for Your mercies on me. Thank You for Your blessings on me. Thank You for the assurance of my eternal home in glory with You. Please dear Lord, speak to the hearts of my friends and family that are not living life to its fullest today, because they have not given You full control of their lives. The sacrifice has been made, and I thank You for that, please help them to accept the gift that You so lovingly gave just for us. I am very thankful, yet I continue to ask on behalf of my unsaved friends, in Your precious and worthy name, Jesus my Lord, AMEN!

NOTE: **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 so that we can pray with you and give you help and or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Any words underlined above will 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.

Peace in Knowing God

On By Ed AlgreenIn Bible Believing, Eternal Life, Faith, God Cares For Us, Holy Spirit, Humility, Love, Love God, PeaceLeave a comment

The Bible –The Message

Romans 8:26-28

 26–28       Meanwhile, the moment we get tired in the waiting, God’s Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don’t know how or what to pray, it doesn’t matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans. He knows us far better than we know ourselves, knows our pregnant condition, and keeps us present before God. That’s why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good.

 Thoughts:

There is such peace in these verses! Actually these verses reminds us of the peace we have in knowing God as our personal Savior! When we accept Jesus as our Savior, He provides His Holy Spirit to live inside of us and to commune with God on our behalf. Paul reminds us that even when we are about to give up (tired of waiting), the Holy Spirit is there praying for us. When we have totally run out of words to pray, the Spirit interprets our moans and our groans before the throne on our behalf. In fact, He knows us so well that He is petitioning the throne of grace on our behalf. He has our best interest at heart, and knowing that we really want to step above our weak sinful selves, He keeps us present before God. Friends, as we live our lives loving God, praising Him and glorifying Him, every aspect of our lives is worked into something good, something beautiful for God! Whom then shall I fear? Why then should I worry or complain? There is no god like this God of ours friend! Know Him today and know the peace that surpasses all human understanding. Experience His love that surpasses all other descriptions of love that you can imagine. Know that everything is under control with God in charge of your life, because these verses so vividly reminds you of that. Are you tired of living life under your own power, and would like to know this Jesus of mine in a personal way? I would be honored to work with, and pray for you, if you would drop me an email using the contact information at the very end of this devotional. I would love for you to know this peace that is ours as children of God!

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, how can I say thanks enough for all You do for me? So undeserved, yet You loved me enough that You turned Your world upside down by sacrificing Yourself in humility, all because of Your awesome love, and so that I might have peace in knowing You. Thank You Lord Jesus! Please tender the hearts of those that might read this devotional today and may not have ever invited You to be their Mediator and Lord. Father, I know that they have no control over the time they have left to make such a decision, please may it be today that they allow You to take charge of their life? I humbly ask all this in Your precious and all powerful name, Jesus my Lord and soon coming King, AMEN!

 

Note: **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 so that we can pray with you and give you help and or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Any words underlined above will 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.