Category: Faith

Your Actions Reveal Who You are Controlled By!

On By Ed AlgreenIn All have sinned, Bible Believing, Born Again, Christian, Eternal Life, Faith, Follow Jesus, Forgiveness, Listen to the Word of God, Obedience, Peace, Victorious LifeLeave a comment

The Bible –Good News Translation

Romans 8:5-6

5Those who live as their human nature tells them to, have their minds controlled by what human nature wants. Those who live as the Spirit tells them to, have their minds controlled by what the Spirit wants. 6To be controlled by human nature results in death; to be controlled by the Spirit results in life and peace.

Thoughts:

I believe that anyone thinking straight and reflecting on their life would probably say that they have made a lot of decisions based on what they want; to make themselves happier; richer or more comfortable. Now, to switch gears and truly respond to the question of whether you are a Christian or not, I believe would depend on whether you can ultimately respond that your life is so aligned with your Lord and Savior that you make decisions based on what His Holy Spirit leads you to do. Some might respond that they must be a Christian because they were told by their parents about a time in their life when, as a child, they raised their hand with all the other children in Bible school (that they were forced to attend every week) and they accepted Jesus as their Lord! Friends, if my marriage was only as good as the day, 39 years ago, when I said I do, would you say that I truly make decisions for the benefit of my wife and I? Because I have totally committed my whole self to that relationship and I work on it daily, I make decisions that first of all please my wife, then perhaps that might please myself. Likewise, if you have personally invited Jesus into your heart, and you daily work on that relationship with Him through prayer (your conversation with God), digging into His Word (so that you may learn His will and character and listen to His responses to your prayers) and, make your decisions based on what you discern from God and that would please Him, then I believe that you have a real, active, living relationship with Jesus, and one that will lead to life and peace, as indicated in verse 6. If you do not have this latter type relationship that I spoke of, then you may very well fall under the first option mentioned in verse 6 – you are controlled by your human nature that results in eternal death. There is no middle ground friend. The Bible is clear – you either know Him personally and you have the promise of eternal life with Him and peace forevermore; or you are convinced that you are in control of your life – knowing that you will face eternal death in Hell with Satan and his angels. Given the options, I believe that the choice is easy and very clear, friend. Why not meet with a local, Bible Teaching pastor or church leader today, or contact me using the email address below, so that we may work, and pray with you and help you make the most important decision of your life?

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, You have declared in Your Word that Your choice would be that none should perish, but that all Your children are precious in Your sight. And because You sacrificed Your life for the redemption of our sin, You would really like to see us make wise decisions and accept the gift of eternal life that is offered through accepting You as our Lord and personal Savior. Dear Jesus, there are family and friends that I know that have not yet made the wise decision to accept Your love and Your offering of eternal life and peace. Please tender their hardened hearts and convict them of the need to make this vital decision today, as they have no assurance of future opportunities. May my friends who read this today be especially convicted by Your Holy Spirit, and may these words inspire them to not delay such important decisions any longer. I ask all this in the precious name of Jesus, the only One with power to convict the hearts of the lost, 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 With God!

On By Ed AlgreenIn Faith, Fruit of the Spirit, God Cares For Us, Holy Spirit, Love, Peace, Pleasing to GodLeave a comment

God’s Word Says….

Romans 5:1-5 (GNT)

Now that we have been put right with God through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2He has brought us by faith into this experience of God’s grace, in which we now live. And so we boast of the hope we have of sharing God’s glory! 3We also boast of our troubles, because we know that trouble produces endurance, 4endurance brings God’s approval, and his approval creates hope. 5This hope does not disappoint us, for God has poured out his love into our hearts by means of the Holy Spirit, who is God’s gift to us.

My Thoughts…..

These verses are so packed with good stuff, that it would take a long discourse to celebrate it all. For just a short devotional, I wanted to share a few words with you that I highlighted: a). “Put Right” – please notice that it didn’t say earned, or resulted from any good deed we did. We are put right because of our faith in God. I would highly recommend that we each examine ourselves and recall the day and place that we surrendered our heart to Jesus and placed our faith in Him alone. This is the ONLY WAY friend to be put right with God. b). “Peace” – when we have been ‘put right’ with God there will be an unexplained peace in our lives – peace in, and with God! c). “God’s grace” – can you even imagine that a sinner, filled with enmity towards God, could ever be allowed into His Grace. Friend, this is through ultimate, unselfish, immeasurable love of the Father for His children. I pray that you are experiencing that ‘Grace’ today! d). “The Hope” – as children of God we can boast of that ‘Hope’ that is ours to one day be with Jesus in glory at the right hand of the Father! Praise the name of Jesus! e). “Endurance” – it is so easy to praise the Lord when everything is going good for us, but often we struggle with this characteristic, especially when it seems like the world is against us. I was excited to note that this type of ‘endurance’ or ‘patience’ actually brings “God’s Approval” and this alone is worth the struggles and challenges we endure here on this earth. f). “His love” and “His Gift” – Think about this real good friend: because of our sin God had to send His Son to redeem us. Yet, when we accept Him as Lord, He pours out His love through the precious gift of His Holy Spirit. Wow, who has ever known such a love as that?

Challenge……

Don’t know about you friend, but there is much to celebrate in these verses today! My greatest caution to you is that you not fall into the temptation of wanting to do good, thinking that because you are not an evil person, then you must be a Christian. Friend, to enjoy the peace of God, you must be one of His children. To become a child of His involves a deliberate step by you. For you must humble yourself before Jesus and ask His forgiveness of your sin, and to accept you as His dearly beloved son/daughter. The life that follows is one of peace with God – everlasting peace! Jesus loves you a lot friend! Won’t you consider accepting Him as your Lord and Savior today? Please feel free to drop me a note by email if there is anything I can pray with you about. Jesus loves you, and so do I, friend!

Prayer……

Lord Jesus, thank You for providing the ultimate for us – the ways and means for us to know You as our Lord and Savior, and the promise of eternal life with You in heaven! You are awesome dear God! As I celebrate this today, I am concerned for several of my family members who do not reflect evidence of having accepted You as Lord. Father, I pray that Your Holy Spirit will convict them today, and that they would make a decision for You. I pray asking all this in Your wonderful and majestic name, Jesus my Lord, AMEN!

Action…..

In response to God leading You through this devotional today, please get with a Bible teaching Pastor you may know and allow him to guide you. Otherwise feel free to reply to my post online, or you may email me directly at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. I will gladly add you to my prayer list, and/or respond to your request(s) ASAP.

Confidence in Our Faith

On By Ed AlgreenIn Bible Believing, Encourage, Evangelism, FaithLeave a comment

God’s Word Says….

Romans 4:22-25 (NCV)

22 So, “God accepted Abraham’s faith, and that faith made him right with God.” 23 Those words (“God accepted Abraham’s faith”) were written not only for Abraham 24 but also for us. God will accept us also because we believe in the One who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. 25 Jesus was given to die for our sins, and he was raised from the dead to make us right with God.

My Thoughts…..

I believe that there must be folk who are struggling with confidence in their faith, because God got my attention when I read through this scripture, and even after evaluation and talking to God over the whole text written for me today, I was still directed back to these verses. Friends, I believe it is evident that verse 24 simply states that faith like Abraham had is simply us believing in God – the One who raised Jesus from the dead. Now, I also believe that if you ask most sensible folk on the street if they believe in God, they will say, but of course – that’s the only explanation for all that we see around us. So what is the difference between that kind of faith, and the kind referred to by Paul? This might explain – there was a gentleman who had confidence that he could easily walk a tight rope across the Niagara Falls, but one day he said that he would push a wheelbarrow across on the tight rope – with a person inside of it. There were a lot more people than normal who showed up to watch this new feat. A reporter walked around asking folk, who had seen him do similar feats in the past, if they believed the man was capable of this particular feat. Most of them reply positively, but when asked if they would volunteer to ride in the wheelbarrow, there were a lot fewer who would agree! So did they really have faith that the man could successfully accomplish his challenge? To a degree perhaps, but they weren’t willing to put their life on the line for it! We have so much in our favor to support our faith in God, for there are so many examples in the Bible on the evidence of faith and all that it produced. Read the story of Abraham and how as a childless father, yet he became the father of many nations because of his ‘faith’. Moses stood at the edge of the Red Sea with thousands of followers behind him and when, through faith, he followed God’s instructions, he and his people saw a way paved for them where there was no other way. There are many more examples of faith in action friends. There is no need to doubt, just listen to God and ‘BELIEVE’!

Challenge……

Friends, I believe that you are living an unfulfilled life without faith. Let me explain – if you are doubting in your faith in God, how could you possibly show others the true wisdom, love and faith of the God that you serve? You must be firm in your faith in order to convince others that your faith, or your God, is real. Having this kind of faith is not just happen-chance. You must draw close to God and allow Him to draw close to you, friend. Meditate on His Word, and speak with Him regularly. Build and maintain a relationship with God so that you may know Him and trust Him in a personal way. When witnessing to a friend, your testimony is more valuable than gold. They may doubt what you share with them from the Old Testament, but when you tell them about what God has done in your life, how could they possibly question or doubt? So let me encourage you to meditate on those times where you have seen God at work in your life, then use them as memorials that you can reflect back on any time Satan comes knocking with his evil and deceptive ways. Also use these memorials when you speak with a friend about accepting the Lord, for these are personal, and although as real as the results we see in the Bible, they are spoken from a personal experience. This will strengthen your faith friend, and it will serve to strengthen the faith of your friends as you witness to them. As always, please ask God to miraculously work in and through you as you go out to be His witness.

Prayer……

Lord Jesus, there is so much evidence of Your existence, and Your handiwork, and Your mighty power, yet we doubt. Please forgive us for our lack of faith. I believe that it is impossible to win others to the kingdom, if we have trouble believing, or having little faith, in the One whom we are promoting. So Father, I come before You not telling You anything that is new to You, but simply asking that You might fill me with the confidence of Your mighty hand, Your powerful love and Your miraculous works. I pray that You may work on my most inner being to help me gain the faith that I need to be a better witness for You, especially to those in my circles who are dying and going to Hell because they may not have seen real evidence of a ‘real Christian’. Please help me to turn this around in my life, and as my friends meditate on this devotional today, I pray that You may invoke Your Holy Spirit to be very active in their minds so that they too may speak to You about the needs in their lives. Please bear with, and help, us to overcome the weaknesses in our lives, is my humble and heartfelt prayer that I ask in Your precious name, Lord Jesus, AMEN!

Action……

In response to God leading You through this devotional today, please get with a Bible teaching Pastor you may know and allow him to guide you. Otherwise feel free to reply to my post online, or you may email me directly at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. I will gladly add you to my prayer list, and/or respond to your request(s) ASAP.

How To Deal With Your Enemies!

On By Ed AlgreenIn Ask and Receive, Bible Believing, Christian, Defense against the enemy, Faith, God Cares For Us, God our Helper, God our Provider, God’s Word, Helper, Our Help comes from God, Power, Power of Prayer, Protector, The enemy4 Comments

God’s Word Says….

Nehemiah 4:13–14 (The Message)

So I stationed armed guards at the most vulnerable places of the wall and assigned people by families with their swords, lances, and bows. After looking things over I stood up and spoke to the nobles, officials, and everyone else: “Don’t be afraid of them. Put your minds on the Master, great and awesome, and then fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes.”

My Thoughts…

From the subject, I know that you probably thought that I was referring to that person that really dislikes you, or the person you can’t stand to be around because you just know that they are like a ‘snake in the grass’, looking for ways to harm you! Well, you are right to a certain extent, the examples that I gave might be classified as enemies. But how about a different type of enemy, what about the enemy of cancer, or heart disease, or aids? My take on these verses that God got my attention on, is that this can apply to anything or anyone in our lives that may serve to harm us or oppose us, or give the appearance of hating us. In these verses Nehemiah prayed that he might find ways to stabilize situations over which he was leading, and the first thing he found to help was to tell his people/army to think on the power of God – remember, remember, remember what He has done, and what He is capable of doing.

Challenge…

What if we took this advice when told about cancer in our bodies, or when we know that we are about to battle with someone who really hates us? Friends, we know that we will have enemies because any attempt to fulfill God’s desires will almost certainly draw opposition from the world. But here is a word of advice for us from a noted scholar ‘Breneman’: “God’s people should always regard prayer not as a last resort but as our primary weapon against opposition”. So friends, here is the word from God today: a). Always remember the power of the God that we serve. Deliberately reflect on the times that His power has helped us through situations, and of times that He has helped our forefathers in the Word through miraculous times. He is still the same God that we serve today, so let’s depend on Him! b). Let us be quick to pray and slow to react in anger and thoughtlessness when faced with opposition, or by those who may naturally offend us because of their lack of faith, The Bible tells us to fervently pray for those that despitefully use us. Let’s obey the Word friend!

Prayer….

Lord Jesus, You showed the example in that You went aside and prayed when burdened with everything that was about to happen in Your life or to Your followers. Please help us to also do this, instead of hitting back, instead of getting angry and saying things that we might later regret. Lord, we want to be more like You, so strengthen us to do Your will, and to follow Your example to always bathe our battles in prayer. Please also encourage us to always remember the many miracles of our powerful Lord, and remind us of Your ongoing power to do the same for us. We are so weak Lord, and it is only with Your power and Your strength, that we can look at heaven’s glory when old Satan is hitting at us from every side. Thank You for loving us anyway and being there for us through every circumstance! For I thank You, and I ask these favors, in the precious and all powerful name of Jesus, my Lord and soon coming King!

Things That Prevent Total Dedication to God

On By Ed AlgreenIn Bible Believing, Christian, Faith, RighteousnessLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE: Jeremiah 3

OBSERVATION
(What is God saying here?)

“If a man divorces his wife and she leaves him and marries another man,
should her first husband come back to her again? If he went back to her, wouldn’t the land become completely unclean?
But you have acted like a prostitute with many lovers, and now you want to come back to me?” says the Lord.
“Look up to the bare hilltops, Judah. Is there any place where you have not been a prostitute?
You have sat by the road waiting for lovers, like an Arab in the desert.
You made the land unclean, because you did evil and were like a prostitute.
So the rain has not come, and there have not been any spring rains.
But your face still looks like the face of a prostitute. You refuse even to be ashamed of what you did.
Now you are calling to me, ‘My father, you have been my friend since I was young.
Will you always be angry at me? Will your anger last forever?’
Judah, you said this, but you did as much evil as you could!” (Jeremiah 3:1-5 NCV)

APPLICATION
(How Can I apply what God is saying here to my circumstances today?)

I wonder how close we are is what goes on in our country today, compared to what was happening in Judah during the day of Jeremiah? Sometimes I wonder if it is possible that a nation could have been any worse, especially when I turn on the evening news and hear story after story about the various crimes that have taken place in some of our cities. I become even more disturbed when I hear about the discord among people in churches, in families and in work places, and when I see people so dedicated to everything that may incidentally come up instead of to God and His ideals for their lives. After reading this passage I can only ask if God is not calling us a lot worse than what He called Judah. We find so many other Gods beside Him. We dedicate ourselves to so much else except the only One that could truly shower His blessings on us. Oh how we need to reassess our purpose and the things that truly receive our attention.

PRAYER
(With God’s help, what am I going to do differently today because He said it?)

Lord God, I am a part of this earthly people who respond to earthly things that distract me away from Your ideals and from following Your ways and Your teachings. I call myself a child of Yours, yet I am so easily distracted by things that really shouldn’t matter in the long scheme of things. Please redirect my thoughts, my desires, my weakened commitment to stay on course for You through thick and thin. You allowed Your Son to die on Calvary just so that I may enjoy life eternally with You. There is no greater sacrifice than that. No greater way of showing Your love for me. Oh that I may now dedicate myself to that kind of devotion to You. Please be my ongoing Guide and Strength to achieve the goal of total dedication to You.

*Words underlined may be a hyperlink to a song that God laid on my heart while sharing this devotional this morning. Click it and be blessed by the song, like I was when I listened to it! …… I would be overjoyed to have the opportunity to pray with you about a need in your life that may, or may not have been highlighted by this Nugget today. Why not drop me a note and tell me about it? You may email me at:
nuggetsfromgodsword@yahoo.com

Ready To Help, But….

On By Ed AlgreenIn Bible Believing, Christian, Faith, Righteousness1 Comment

Scripture: Isaiah 65.

OBSERVATION
(What is God saying here?)

Isaiah 65:1-2 (NLT)
1 The LORD says, “I was ready to respond, but no one asked for help. I was ready to be found, but no one was looking for me. I said, ‘Here I am, here I am!’ to a nation that did not call on my name.
2 All day long I opened my arms to a rebellious people. But they follow their own evil paths and their own crooked schemes.

APPLICATION
(How Can I apply what God is saying here to my circumstances today?)

I believe that if I had not quoted the book and verses for the scripture, you may have thought that God was speaking to our nation today. The sad thing is friend that I believe God is speaking to our nation in very similar words today. Think about it, our churches are empty, with some having closed their doors due to lack of attendance. Mind you, attendance sharply increases when there is a disaster and fellow humans realize that they have no control over the situation. Far too often we place our relationship with God secondary to anything else that may come up and possibly give us earthly pleasure or financial gain. When I think of a nation who refuses to call on the Lord’s name, unfortunately I think of a people who expect all the gifts from God that He could possibly send their way, if He would be willing to send the gifts without too much commitment from them. I am so concerned about a people who looks to my God as a spiritual Santa Claus, not as a loving Father with whom we can have a real, meaningful, loving, caring, two-way relationship with. Following our own evil paths and schemes without allowing God to intervene and direct us is very dangerous and often leads to self-destruction. God loves us so much that He stands ready and poised to accept our hand and our plea for help. He will not force His way into our midst unwelcomed, we must invite Him and commit to follow His ways. Please reconsider your relationship with God today, won’t you?

PRAYER
(With God’s help, what am I going to do differently today because He said it?)

Lord Jesus, I am very much in need of Your leadership and direction today. Thank You for standing ready to help me as I seek Your face, for there are so many circumstances that I feel helpless in and so many decisions that I feel so unqualified to make. However, I know that just how You loved me enough to die on the cross for my sins, I believe that You will lovingly accept my hand outstretched to You today. Please lead me, guide me, direct my paths, teach me Your ways, lead me not into temptation, help me to put away childish and earthly thoughts and instead allow You to lead my every step. Please forgive me where I have been too selfish and proud to look to You first in everything. Please touch the lives of those that may read this devotional and feel equally as challenged by it as I was. Draw us close to You dear Lord.

àWords underlined may be a hyperlink to a song that God laid on my heart while sharing this devotional this morning. Click it and be blessed by the song, like I was when I listened to it! …… I would be overjoyed to have the opportunity to pray with you about a need in your life that may, or may not have been highlighted by this Nugget today. Why not drop me a note and tell me about it? You may email me at:
nuggetsfromgodsword@yahoo.com
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What should I do to inherit eternal life?

On By Ed AlgreenIn Born Again, Christian, Eternal Life, Faith, Follow Jesus, Forgiveness, Listen to the Word of GodLeave a comment

Scripture: Luke 18.  

OBSERVATION
(What is God saying here?)

Luke 18:18-22 (NLT)

18 Once a religious leader asked Jesus this question: “Good Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?”

19 “Why do you call me good?” Jesus asked him. “Only God is truly good. 20 But to answer your question, you know the commandments: ‘You must not commit adultery. You must not murder. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely. Honor your father and mother.'”

21 The man replied, “I’ve carefully obeyed all these commandments since I was young.”

22 When Jesus heard his answer, he said, “There is still one thing you haven’t done. Sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

APPLICATION
(How Can I apply what God is saying here to my circumstances today?)

Just like the religious leader in this biblical story, many today may ask “what does it take for me to have a better life?” or “to have eternal life?” or “to know Jesus, the One who can give me eternal security?” or “to know the only One who rescues me from the this world of hate, backbiting, sin, evil, etc. and gives me hope for a new life in knowing Jesus?”. I’m glad you asked! In the beginning of this chapter Jesus spoke to the people about how important it is to be humble, and to lay aside the pride of self-importance and in fact, be more like a child in our total surrender to God. In this particular passage, Jesus tells this rich man that for him to truly trust God, he must release his dependence of his riches. This is true with so many that are ‘comfortable’ with where they are at in life. To some, they may feel like they have everything this life could offer and seeing that they are faring so much better than most, they just don’t need anything else, especially this religious stuff that so many argue over and become entwined in. Friend, Jesus didn’t tell this rich man to become involved in organized religion, although He later spoke of the importance of worshipping together with other believers. He didn’t tell this man how important it was that he start acting more like the religious leaders of that day, for Jesus knew of their shortcomings. Instead, Jesus told this man that he needed to unleash himself from the thing that he had placed so much faith in, and then when he could commit himself wholeheartedly to Jesus and trust only in Him, then come and be His follower. Unfortunately this could lead to procrastination for many, as some will definitely say that they are waiting for the day where they could be solely dependent on God. I don’t believe that any of us awake one morning and decide in and of our own desire, that we will accept Jesus that day, for I believe that it is God himself that woos us to place our faith and trust in Him. In the case of this rich leader, I believe that it was God working in his life that caused him to ask these questions of Jesus. Therefore, if we awake one morning and decide that today is the day we will surrender our lives to God, then I believe that the same God that began a good work in you and prompted you to accept Him as Lord, will also help you to lay aside those things that might stand in your way. So please don’t procrastinate until you feel you are ready and/or worthy of approaching God, but instead, answer His call on your life and allow Him to help you redirect your allegiance, your faith and your trust. This is one of the most important decisions in your life, for it has eternal implications. Please feel free to respond to this post if there is anything I can pray with you about or help you with, as you ponder this vital decision.

PRAYER
(With God’s help, what am I going to do differently today because He said it?)

Although still far from perfect, I thank you Father for speaking to me some 35 years ago and convincing me of the need for a Savior. I also thank You for being patient with me over the years and giving me strength to stand firm in my faith and live my life in accordance with Your Word. I know that this is a daily challenge, and again today I want to ask for Your strength and power to overcome the evil things of this world and to become so entrenched in Your Word that I will always lean towards the character and will of my Savior. Please touch the lives of those that will read this and need to make decisions in their lives. Please tender their hearts to surrender their lives to You, and to lay aside things in their lives that are only temporary, but yet things that they currently place their faith in. O What a Savior, is Jesus my Lord! May many others come to know You today, is my prayer.

 

àWords underlined may be a hyperlink to a song that God laid on my heart while sharing this devotional this morning. Click it and be blessed by the song, like I was when I listened to it! …… I would be overjoyed to have the opportunity to pray with you about a need in your life that may, or may not have been highlighted by this Nugget today. Why not drop me a note and tell me about it? You may email me at:
nuggetsfromgodsword@yahoo.com.
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In Faith, Believing

On By Ed AlgreenIn Bible Believing, Chosen by God, Faith, God our Helper, Imitator of Christ, Obedience, Pleasing to God, PurityLeave a comment

Scripture: Luke 1.  

OBSERVATION
(What is God saying here?)

Luke 1:35-38 (NLT)

35 The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God. 36 What’s more, your relative Elizabeth has become pregnant in her old age! People used to say she was barren, but she’s now in her sixth month. 37 For nothing is impossible with God.”

38 Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” And then the angel left her.

APPLICATION
(How Can I apply what God is saying here to my circumstances today?)

In my last devotional I was drawn to a section of scripture that highlighted the unbelief of the disciples concerning the resurrection of our Lord. In this passage I rejoiced, and was encouraged over the humbleness and total faith of Mary who was honored by the presence of an angel and also by the miraculous message that she would bear a child, even though she never had relations with a man. In fact, it appears like Mary basically said to the angel: I am God’s and God’s alone, may He do with me what pleases Him so that He may be honored through me and bless others. Wow, what a powerful example of a totally surrendered, unselfish, committed life. This means that nothing in this world was more important, or had greater priority, than to follow the will of God and be used by Him. Even if it meant that the world may look upon her in disgrace, because they wouldn’t know the extent of what brought on the pregnancy. If there was at least one person in each church congregation that had these characteristics today, there would be no doubt that we are truly a Christian nation! Individually, can we work on our faith so that we may totally surrender our lives to the work of the Master? Can we turn loose of self and our desire to please a sinful world, and instead dedicate ourselves to pleasing an almighty God?

PRAYER
(With God’s help, what am I going to do differently today because He said it?)

Father, in reading this today I am reminded of how much I lean towards pleasing those around me rather than totally surrendering myself to You and allowing You to have Your will and way in and through my life. Please forgive me for my lack of priority and direction. Please help me to get on track in being obedient to You, the one that I have committed my life to and asked You to be leader, director and model for my every decision, movement and action. I am Your servant, may everything You desire to use me for here on this earth be accomplished in and through me in its most purest form.

 

àWords underlined may be a hyperlink to a song that God laid on my heart while sharing this devotional this morning. Click it and be blessed by the song, like I was when I listened to it! …… I would be overjoyed to have the opportunity to pray with you about a need in your life that may, or may not have been highlighted by this Nugget today. Why not drop me a note and tell me about it? You may email me at:
nuggetsfromgodsword@yahoo.com.
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Faith to Believe

On By Ed AlgreenIn Ask and Receive, Bible Believing, Faith, Follow Jesus, God Reigns, God’s Word, Obedience, Power of PrayerLeave a comment

Scripture: Mark 16.  

OBSERVATION
(What is God saying here?)

Mark 16:9-14 (NLT)

9 After Jesus rose from the dead early on Sunday morning, the first person who saw him was Mary Magdalene, the woman from whom he had cast out seven demons.

10 She went to the disciples, who were grieving and weeping, and told them what had happened. 11 But when she told them that Jesus was alive and she had seen him, they didn’t believe her.

12 Afterward he appeared in a different form to two of his followers who were walking from Jerusalem into the country. 13 They rushed back to tell the others, but no one believed them.

14 Still later he appeared to the eleven disciples as they were eating together. He rebuked them for their stubborn unbelief because they refused to believe those who had seen him after he had been raised from the dead.

APPLICATION
(How Can I apply what God is saying here to my circumstances today?)

God really highlighted this passage to me this morning, particularly the point of unbelief that the disciples had surrounding His resurrection. At the first reading of this we might feel pity or feel sorry for the disciples for such unbelief. In closer deliberation I thought about who it was that struggled with unbelief. These were the men who were handpicked by Jesus; they were closest to Him during His ministry here on earth; they witnessed miracle after miracle which showed them firsthand the power of Jesus, and they heard Jesus speak about how He would rise again after the third day. Further, I am sure that the prayers that went up by these men after Jesus was arrested was probably very intense, for they had lost their Master, their friend, their leader. So why then would they be surprised to hear that Jesus was alive? Friends, we are just as bad today even after all we know from God’s Word, and even after all that we have prayed about, and even after all that we have witnessed and/or heard about Jesus doing here on this earth. I believe that Jesus can easily say to us today, “Oh ye of little faith”. Having just celebrated Easter, we know that Jesus is alive. We know that He is the same miracle worker that we read about in His Word and witnessed in so many cases here on this earth, so let us therefore place our faith and trust in Him. Let us expect the miracles that He has the power to perform and not be surprised when we witness the answers, but instead celebrate the power of God and His willingness to hear and respond to our prayers. Draw near to God, and He will draw near to us. Near enough that we could have a relationship with Him and witness His answers to our prayers and perform the miracles that we could only dream of. Have faith in God!

PRAYER
(With God’s help, what am I going to do differently today because He said it?)

Father I believe in You. I believe in Your almighty hand. Please help me to always pray in faith, believing that You have the power to do all things. Let me therefore not be surprised when You answer my prayers, but instead be ready to rejoice and lift up Your name above all names. Please help my unbelief!

 

àWords underlined may be a hyperlink to a song that God laid on my heart while sharing this devotional this morning. Click it and be blessed by the song, like I was when I listened to it! …… I would be overjoyed to have the opportunity to pray with you about a need in your life that may, or may not have been highlighted by this Nugget today. Why not drop me a note and tell me about it? You may email me at:
nuggetsfromgodsword@yahoo.com.
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When You Pray….

On By Ed AlgreenIn Bible Believing, Faith, Obedience, Pleasing to God, Reflecting ChristLeave a comment

Scripture: Mark 11.  

OBSERVATION
(What is God saying here?)

Mark 11:22-25 (NLT)

22 Then Jesus said to the disciples, “Have faith in God.

23 I tell you the truth, you can say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen. But you must really believe it will happen and have no doubt in your heart.

24 I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours.

25 But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too.”

APPLICATION
(How Can I apply what God is saying here to my circumstances today?)

For those of us that consider ourselves ‘Christian’ and for those of us that pray, Jesus teaches a lesson in this scripture to the person praying. First, it is important that we have faith in the One to whom we are praying. Have enough faith to believe that the God who could move a mountain into the sea, could also answer whatever it is that we are praying for. One that could do, what seems to us as, the impossible, surely is capable of handling anything that we might pray about. Secondly, we must not only be a believer in God and have faith in Him and His abilities, but we must pray truly believing that it will happen. If we daily pray that God will direct our path and show us His will, then would we honestly be praying about something outside of His will? I doubt it. So Faith and believing are two key elements of our praying. Thirdly, we must approach the throne genuinely and clean before God. In other words, if we are holding a grudge against anyone, then we must forgive that person first and ask God to forgive us of our sin before we pray for another. Fourth, we must not pray for selfish motives but instead the things that we pray for should be for the benefit of the Kingdom. Friend, there is forgiveness, praise, relief, healing and just sincere conversation with God in praying. So few of us pray enough, yet it is one of the most desirable, rewarding and powerful tools we can use in our Christian life. Let’s get ‘plugged’ in brother. Let’s talk to Jesus sister. After all, with Jesus on the other end of the line, we need to talk with Him at every opportunity and in every aspect of our lives.

PRAYER
(With God’s help, what am I going to do differently today because He said it?)

Father God, thank You for providing a means for me to communicate with You. I know that considering all that You have done for me, it must upset You terribly to see the mess that I make of things. Yet, I am convinced that when I come before You with a sincere and contrite heart, You are willing and ready to listen to Your child and give me direction for improving my walk with You. You know before I even open my mouth how much I hurt sometime, and how much I fail at times, and how much I need Your touch at times, and how desperately I need Your direction at times, and how many friends I have to bring before You at times, yet I believe that You look at me like You did Bartimaeus and ask “What is that I can do for You”. This requires me to communicate with You, and prayer is that avenue for conversation between us. Please help me to always communicate effectively with You. Thank You for hearing my prayer even today!

 

àWords underlined may be a hyperlink to a song that God laid on my heart while sharing this devotional this morning. Click it and be blessed by the song, like I was when I listened to it! …… I would be overjoyed to have the opportunity to pray with you about a need in your life that may, or may not have been highlighted by this Nugget today. Why not drop me a note and tell me about it? You may email me at:
nuggetsfromgodsword@yahoo.com.
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