The Lens Through Which You See Life

On 2017-05-242017-05-24 By Ed AlgreenIn Christ's Representative, Christian, Christian Living, Christian Principles, God’s Word, Teachings, The Word, True to the WordLeave a comment

Post Date:	Wednesday, 2017-05-24
SCRIPTURE
From:	Proverbs 7:1-3 (VOICE)
Text:	My son, live according to what I am telling you; guard my instructions as you would a treasure deep within you. ²Stay true to my directives, and they will serve you well; make my teachings the lens through which you see life. ³Bind cords around your fingers to remind you of them; meditate on them, and you’ll engrave them upon your heart.
OBSERVATION:
In all of life’s decisions there is a plumb line by which we make decisions. In many work areas we are governed by city, state and national regulations. We are reminded in this Proverb that we who are called by God’s name, should be governed by His teachings.
APPLICATION:
My mom often said that you could tell if a child was brought up or drug up, by the way they acted in public and whether they obeyed what they were told by their parents in public, without stumping their feet as a demand to have it their way! I love this translation that says in verse 2 that we should view life and live it through the lens of God’s teachings. So let’s look closer at this today, by evaluating a few examples. If you fill yourself of the world all week and only find time to hear a few verses from God’s Word when your pastor takes his text from it on the weekend, which lens is most prevalent for you to view the things of this world or the decisions you make? To put this in perspective, there are 168 hours in every week. If only 1 hour is spent learning of God’s directives and 167 in filling your eyes, your ears and your mind, don’t you think that you would be 99.4% more likely to follow the ways of the world? In addition to looking like a parent, a child can often be recognized by the way they act, and the decisions they make, because they imitate their parents. They look at the world through the same lens that their parents did. The Word of God says that to know the Word of God and to defy it and do our own thing is sin. Let me remind you that sin cannot enter into God’s presence or into His heaven. Although we may be imperfect vessels here on this earth, God knows our heart. He knows the lens through which we make our decisions and our very intentions. It’s easy to fool some people into believing anything you say to them, but God not only knows the truth, but He also knows your intentions – the lens through which you made your decisions. Are you a child of God seeking daily to live for Him, living through the lens of His Word, and looking forward to the rewards of Heaven? If so, then I am so looking forward to being with you around the throne of God. If you are not one who has invited Jesus to be your Lord and King, then looking through the lens of your god – Satan, will unfortunately, not only cause you to act irrational and ungodly here on earth, but your future leads to hell and damnation for eternity. Not a pretty destination friend. Please read my Footnote for information that could help you make a change today.
PRAYER:
Dear Father, thank You for accepting me as Your very own son. Thank You for giving me parents and a community that led me towards the cross, where I found Your Son and accepted Him as my Savior. Thank You for churches and Christian family and friends that taught me more of Your teachings so that I would have the correct lens through which to live this life, as I prepare for meeting You in the next! Please help me to live this life more through the lens of Your teachings and expectations than the influence of this wicked world. Lord, please draw the unsaved unto yourself today, so that You may rule in their lives and direct them along the paths directed by You. May You be glorified in every way today, is my humble cry, 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!

Accept THE GIFT Like a Child

On 2017-05-162017-05-16 By Ed AlgreenIn Children, Faith, Genuine Faith, Humble, Humility, TrustLeave a comment

Post Date:	Tuesday, 2017-05-16
SCRIPTURE
From:	Mark 10:14-16 (ERV)
Text:	¹⁴…. So he said to them, “Let the little children come to me. Don’t stop them, because God’s kingdom belongs to people who are like these little children. ¹⁵The truth is, you must accept God’s kingdom like a little child accepts things, or you will never enter it.” ¹⁶Then Jesus held the children in his arms. He laid his hands on them and blessed them.
OBSERVATION:
The disciples did exactly like we would still do today. When the crowds came pressing in on the center of attention, Jesus, they thought to begin reducing the confusion by keeping the children at bay. Surely Jesus would want to speak with the town authorities, or possibly the indigent, or even the known rebels in the town, But to their surprise, Jesus got upset at them, because He wanted the children to come to Him.
APPLICATION:
One translation reads that adults must learn about and accept Jesus in the simplicity of a child. I know that some adults still get pretty excited on Christmas morning, but really nothing to compare to the excitement of a child. Ever notice how a child never meets a ‘stranger’? For those that are not too sheltered, they will walk up to a total stranger and talk to them just like they would to a family member. Ever notice how children absorb everything they are taught, while adults must prove it first? Google has become our greatest friend, because when we can’t trust what the pastor said in church, we could prove him wrong by checking it out on Google! Our children are so trusting that we have to teach them at a very early age that there are some bad people out there that they must be careful of. Adults often have to be retrained that there are some good people out there that they can trust and befriend! In our text today, Jesus is teaching us that adults are to receive kingdom things like little children, with trust and dependence on Him. Our personal abilities, riches, or effort does nothing to enhance our personal relationship with Jesus. Ever notice how within a few days of being with their school or Sunday school teacher, a child will greet them each time with a great big hug and a smile, because they have found someone who cares for them and loves them in return. That’s the same way it is with Jesus Christ. He has already proven His love for us, for with arms stretched from east to west on the cross at Calvary He showed us how much He loved us. And although our eternal life was very costly to Jesus, He made the sacrifice so that we would not allow personal cost to be a hindrance to accepting Him and entering heaven’s portals. Spend some time around a child today and at the end of the day, review your relationship with the King of Glory in light of the faith, trust and love that you witnessed as you observed that child.
PRAYER:
Heavenly Father, You created us as children so that, as adults, we could appreciate the qualities in little people. I’m sure that as You grew us into adulthood You expected us to maintain some of what we learned as a child, but I believe that we have taken on so many bad qualities of this world, that we have lost much of our faith, trust, humility and love. These are not only qualities we see in our children, but they are key qualities we see in our Savior, and qualities that help us to draw close to You, dear Lord. Please continue to draw us to yourself and please continue to strengthen the qualities that we need in order to draw close to You and be a living witness of You with all that we come into contact with. We are Your children Lord, please help us to love, trust, honor and worship You as child would, 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 Guide For Living

On 2017-05-15 By Ed AlgreenIn Christian Living, Exemplary Living, Guide, Holy Living, Righteous LivingLeave a comment

Post Date:	Monday, 2017-05-15
SCRIPTURE
From:	Psalm 119:33-35 (MSG)
Text:	God, teach me lessons for living so I can stay the course. Give me insight so I can do what you tell me— my whole life one long, obedient response. Guide me down the road of your commandments;
OBSERVATION:
The Psalmist realized that life is way more challenging than anything man could expect, or deal with. He knew that his hope rests in the Eternal God. He also realized that everything that God had laid out in His Word is more than sufficient to lead the person committed to God and wanting to live like He taught us and commanded us. However, David was well aware that although the mind is willing to read, and the heart wants to obey the Word, that Satan’s plan is to derail that at every opportunity.
APPLICATION:
I believe it is evident that things have not changed a whole lot for mankind today. For although we may recognize the need for God, we are also easily distracted by the things of this world. First and foremost I must share with you from first hand experience that although I may have been classified as a ‘good man’ it came a point in my life that I realized that I didn’t have everything I needed to handle all aspects of life and still try to live a life that would be pleasing to God. I just couldn’t do it on my own. It was at this time of searching, that Jesus became very evident to me, and through the preaching of His Word one Sunday evening in 1976, I walked forward in a well populated church to say ‘yes’ to Jesus. Since that time, I have learned principles for living in His Word, through the preaching and teaching of His Word, and from role models who demonstrated the Christian life and showed me by example, what it meant to live like Jesus. The Psalmist asked that God direct him to just be able to stay the course. I would suggest adding to that: “so that not only I would see You in glory, but all those who follow in my example”. Friends, the Bible is the perfect ‘How-to’ Book of Instruction for us to read and follow. For those, like me, who need a Guide, a Protector, a Stronghold and a Savior in your time of weakness, I would encourage you to invite Jesus into your heart and allow Him to have His will and His way in your life. He not only has the power to save you from your sin and damnation, but He alone has the power to help you overcome the temptations of Satan that is laced with sin, and will set your feet on higher ground – one that is capable of living a godly life and for witnessing to the world the power that lies within you, for greater is He that is in us, than he that is in the world!
PRAYER:
Dear Jesus, I need thee every hour. That great old hymn contains the words of many that will read this devotional today, for I don’t believe that any of us feel like we have things under control already, nor confident that we could handle whatever comes our way today or tomorrow. Lord, we need You every step and every day. You alone are worthy, and You alone are powerful enough to protect us from the attempts of Satan to distract us and ultimately destroy us. David was not alone in needing Your touch in every aspect of his life, for we need you more today than any other time in history. Thank You Lord for being our Master, but yet our Friend and our Father. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from all evil, is my humble plea for all your children today Lord, AMEN!
FOOTNOTE:
There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog could indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and read more, or you may freely to subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us!

Oh The Limitations We Place on Jesus!

On 2017-04-28 By Ed AlgreenIn Christ's Representative, Faith, Faith in Action, Genuine Faith, Representation of the Master, Representative of ChristLeave a comment

Post Date:	Friday, 2017-04-28
SCRIPTURE
From:	Mark 5:39-42 (Voice)
Text:	³⁹Jesus and His three disciples went inside. Jesus: Why are you making all this sorrowful noise? The child isn’t dead. She’s just sleeping. ⁴⁰The mourners laughed a horrible, bitter laugh and went back to their wailing. Jesus cleared the house so that only His three disciples, Jairus, and Jairus’s wife were left inside with Him. They all went to where the child lay. ⁴¹Then He took the child’s hand. Jesus: Little girl, it’s time to wake up. ⁴²Immediately the 12-year-old girl opened her eyes, arose, and began to walk. Her parents could not believe their eyes.
OBSERVATION:
It is obvious that after the daughter of Jairus closed her eyes in death, the visitors immediately gave up on the miracles of Jesus. Notice how they sent for Jesus while the child was alive but extremely ill. However, as soon as she died they sent word to Jairus that there was no further need for Jesus to come, as the child had died. Praise God that Jesus is not limited by the small ‘boxes’ we surmise about Him or build around ourselves and our circumstances!
APPLICATION:
It is so easy for us to look at these visitors to the home of Jairus and criticize them, but are they truly that much different to us – to what we would’ve done in that situation? We pray for friends who are sick; we tend to pray harder when they are forced into hospital; and we pray out of desperation when we hear that their condition is critical and possibly life threatening. But would we even allow a visitor in the room of the deceased? What if Jesus came by to visit with, and possibly raise our loved one from that death bed, would He be allowed anywhere near the room or the bedside? Notice in our Scripture how it speaks of the mom and dad being filled with amazement and awe, but said nothing of the disciples who accompanied Jesus? Could it be that they had seen these kinds of things already and that they never doubted for a moment that Jesus could raise that dead girl to new life? So what’s different with us? We read in the Holy Word of God that these miracles occurred. We believe that Jesus is alive and powerful in much the same way that He was when these Bible accounts occurred. So what stops us from calling on Him for miracles today? Are we limited by faith alone? Have we drawn a ‘box’ in our minds that Jesus can only do so much, and for whomever we fix in our minds on? Friends, may I remind you today that our Jesus loved us so much that He obediently went to the cross, having all the power necessary to destroy the whole bunch of His accusers, and He did that so that ‘whosever believeth on Him’ (John 3:16) would have clearance to the throne of grace and eternity in heaven with He and His Father! I don’t believe that He made that sacrifice in vain. I believe that His love for us is beyond anything we can comprehend, and that whatever hurts us, must also bear heavy on His heart. He wants us to communicate (pray) to Him about our hurts and disappointments, so that He could intervene as necessary to relieve our pain and bring glory to Himself. Hopefully our faith is large enough to allow God to accomplish His work in our lives and our situations.
PRAYER:
To the Creator of this universe; to the God of all, in heaven and on earth; to the Savior of the world; our Deliverer; our Healer and our everlasting Lord; we stand in awe of You today, recognizing that You are so much greater than we are; exceedingly more powerful that anything we can imagine with our earthly eyes, yet You are our King and our Heavenly Father! Oh how miniscule we are in comparison to how awesome You are! We are nothing to compare to Your great love and power, yet we often place You in a ‘box’ of limitations that extend only as far as we could see and understand. Please forgive us for our short-sightedness and lack of faith. Thank You for working a miracle in the home of Jairus thousands of years ago, so that we might be reminded today that there is no limitation to Your power and Your grace. Thank You for our inkling of faith, please continue to increase our faith so that we might properly represent You to a 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!

Faith Enough For Healing

On 2017-04-27 By Ed AlgreenIn Faith, Faith in Action, Genuine Faith, Healing, PersistenceLeave a comment

Post Date:	Thursday, 2017-04-27
SCRIPTURE
From:	Mark 5:25-29 (GNT)
Text:	²⁵There was a woman who had suffered terribly from severe bleeding for twelve years, ²⁶even though she had been treated by many doctors. She had spent all her money, but instead of getting better she got worse all the time. ²⁷She had heard about Jesus, so she came in the crowd behind him, ²⁸saying to herself, “If I just touch his clothes, I will get well.” ²⁹She touched his cloak, and her bleeding stopped at once; and she had the feeling inside herself that she was healed of her trouble.
OBSERVATION:
Jesus was surrounded by a crowd, but it didn’t stop the persistence of a lady who had heard about Jesus and knew His power to heal even her disease that doctors had failed to stop or control. She was humble enough that she didn’t want any fanfare, however, she was convinced that if she could press through the crowd just enough to touch some part of Jesus’ garment, that would be enough for her to be healed. It turns out she was right on target, but she also unexpectedly got the attention of the Master!
APPLICATION:
There are various stories in the Bible about how different folk were healed in the days of Jesus’ earthly ministry. I’m sure that each one appeals to the various needs of folk even today who meditate on the Word of God and desire healing of some sort in their bodies. I noticed that the lady’s name was not even disclosed, so I don’t believe the intent of the writer was for us to lift her up as a great godly woman, although I’m sure she probably was. Instead, I believe that God would have us recognize in this story a few things that we might learn and apply to our lives today: Invitation. Someone loved and appreciated this lady enough that they told her about Jesus walking near enough that she could go out and see Him about her need. This sharing led to her meeting the Christ, and being healed. This should be a reminder to us to invite those we know, those we live nearby, and those we really care a lot about, to church with us. Excuses. It would have been easy for this lady to find excuses about the impossibilities of her getting through the crowd to get anywhere near to Jesus. Imagine the excuses that people use when we invite them to church with us. Let’s learn to take those excuses as incentive to cry out all the louder to our Lord on their behalf, as they could be missing their opportunity for their healing that day. Persistence. Many of us give up real easy, but this lady was persistent in ‘moving mountains’ to get to Jesus. The big, the tall, the small, the disabled, the rude and the smart-mouth people in the crowd didn’t stop this lady from getting to the front and within reach of Jesus. Isn’t it interesting how we will fight many storms to get to work, yet just a cloudy day will keep us from church? Can you imagine us saying that we could’ve been healed if we weren’t so lazy and stayed in our bed? However, that could be a reality many times. Faith. Notice that this lady’s healing was quite different than the others told about in the Bible? She didn’t wait by the healing waters for Jesus to come by and put spittle on her then follow with washing. She followed no previous stories, for she knew that the power came for Jesus, not in the actions of the individual. I believe that we must be so careful in following traditions, instead of following Jesus Christ. It’s through faith in Him that we are saved. Faith in Him that brings healing to our bodies. It’s Jesus! Humility. This lady didn’t seek to make a scene or look for any special recognition. She didn’t say who she was related to, or how long she may have served in the synagogue, it appears like she would have been fine just creeping up to Jesus and touching his robe ‘like a fly on the wall’ and not be seen or noticed by anyone. This was a personal encounter for her, and I don’t believe that she really cared about who else was represented in the crowd. Friends, God looks at your heart. He knows your intent before you open your mouth or show off any pride that might be evident. In all sincerity, go before Him with thanksgiving and praise as a one-on-one meeting with the Creator of all things! He wants to be your Redeemer; your Lord; your Deliverer; your Healer; your Friend and Your soon coming King! Won’t you accept Him today and learn to depend on Him for every need in your life, friend?
PRAYER:
Lord Jesus, we need You a whole lot more than we will ever stop to admit. Many reading this blog may not need healing, such as the lady in our story today, but their need may very well be more serious in nature and indeed desperate to them. Being reminded of Your power, and the faith of this lady, brings renewal to our souls Jesus. Please remind us each day of our need for the Savior, and the awesome power that’s always available to those in a relationship with You. Lord, You are awesome, and we are so proud of being Your humble servants. Please help us to be sincere witnesses for You today, so that the world might know that Jesus lives, and indeed You live in our hearts! 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 Test of your Belief System

On 2017-04-10 By Ed AlgreenIn Believe, Bible Believing, Know and Believe, Know Jesus, WitnessLeave a comment

Post Date:	Monday, 2017-04-10
SCRIPTURE
From:	Matthew 28:7-8 (NLT)
Text:	7 And now, go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and he is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there. Remember what I have told you.” 8 The women ran quickly from the tomb. They were very frightened but also filled with great joy, and they rushed to give the disciples the angel’s message.
OBSERVATION:
The women referred to in verse 8 witnessed a second earthquake in just 3 days, for they were at the cross when Jesus died and the first one occurred, now as they arrived at the tomb to check on the body of Jesus, another earthquake occurred as He arose from the dead. Ordinarily this would put folk in a panic, but these ladies waited for the message from the angel, then ran to give the message to the disciples!
APPLICATION:
There were three types of hearers in this resurrection story: Believers – The women heard what the angel said, and quickly obeyed the command to go and tell the disciples. Most of the disciples believed the women, even though they weren’t present to witness the angel or his message. This group are like Christians today who believe on the Son of God, even though they have never seen Him in person; Doubters – Some of the disciples heard the women, but doubted that Jesus could be alive. The chief priest and leaders doubted what the guards told them, but yet they put a plan in place to have the guards lie about what really happened, and instead tell a lie to cover up the miracle that happened before their very eyes. This group reminds me of those today who hear a very convicting testimony, but choose to ignore the call of Christ on their life without a personal experience or miracle; Unbelievers – There were some who heard and didn’t believe. They didn’t want to believe, because they had rejected who Jesus was when He was alive, and they wanted to continue rejecting Him even after hearing that He was alive. This group were much like those who refuse to hear the Word of God today. They are close minded even when presented with facts from eyewitnesses. Friends, as you celebrate this Easter season, I pray that in all honesty, your eyes will be opened to placing yourself in one of these categories. My prayer is that God will convict you to move up the above list in your belief and conviction system, and that you will be open to the gospel message one more time. Although Jesus arose from the grave many years ago, I pray that He will truly come alive in your life this year!
PRAYER:
Lord Jesus, the Bible speaks very clearly about Your death and resurrection, and from eyewitnesses, the evidence is clear that You are alive! Thank You Father for the evidence of Your mighty works in my life – clear evidence of a heavenly Father who loves me and, through Your precious Son, prepared a way for me to approach You as my Father! Lord, may my experience with You be such that others may see You and have a greater desire to know You better, and this is my prayer in deepest sincerity, 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!

Faithful to the End

On 2017-04-03 By Ed AlgreenIn Bold Confidence, Committed, Faith, Faithful, Faithfulness, Genuine Faith, Leader, Leadership, Totally committedLeave a comment

Post Date:	Monday, 2017-04-03
SCRIPTURE
From:	Exodus 32:31-32 (NCV)
Text:	³¹So Moses went back to the Lord and said, “How terribly these people have sinned! They have made for themselves gods from gold. ³²Now, please forgive them of this sin. If you will not, then erase my name from the book in which you have written the names of your people.”
OBSERVATION:
I believe that this is probably the boldest that I have seen someone approach the Lord. Probably the most sold out I have seen a leader to his people. The most daring act of unselfish sacrifice that I have seen a leader willing to do for the people placed in his charge. Moses had just witnessed the most despicable act that any group of people could probably do in the face of an almighty God, who had been so good to them and brought them through such terrible times. Yet as a leader who felt placed appropriately by God, he was willing to put even his eternity on the line for his people. Wow!
APPLICATION:
I’m pretty sure that unless I clarify, the first person you will think of that identifies with Moses, is your pastor. And while I agree with you that he is probably one that leads the charge of the church overall, some of you reading this blog have also been placed in positions of leadership with the church of Jesus Christ. You might be an elder, a deacon, a department leader in charge of teachers, a teacher, a small group leader, a Christian leader at your job or a Christian husband/leader in your home. Let me ask you to stop and take personal inventory of exactly what you feel like God is holding you responsible for. Friend, please don’t stop and quickly respond that it was just the Sunday School director who asked you teach, for if you felt led of God to accept a position to share His Word with others, then my belief is that He wants you to take responsibility for their eternity. Let me encourage you to read Exodus 32 and 33. You will find in 33:17 that God conceded to the request of His servant Moses, because He (God) had a personal relationship with him and knew his heart intimately. If you went before God after reading this blog for those who have been placed in your charge, will this be a continuation of daily prayer that you have been petitioning before God for a long time, or will this be a ‘new’ request? You have to start somewhere friend, but please be constant in prayer for those whom God has placed in your care. Are you so convinced about what you are teaching, that you are willing to place your life on the line for your students?
PRAYER:
Lord Jesus, it is so humbling that You would choose mere humans to do the holy work of teaching others about You, whether verbally or through the very life that we live. We have been shown by Moses that when we are confident that we are obedient to Your will and obeying Your commands, that we would have no regrets, no fears of what others might say, or have any fear of standing before You and being held accountable by You. Thank You Lord for entrusting us with Your work. Lord, may we be found faithful until the very day that You call us home to glory. 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!

Proof That You Know God

On 2017-03-272017-03-27 By Ed AlgreenIn Christian love, Love, Love others, Unconditional loveLeave a comment

Post Date:	Monday, 2017-03-27
SCRIPTURE
From:	1 John 4:7-8 (Voice)
Text:	^⁷My loved ones, let us devote ourselves to loving one another. Love comes straight from God, and everyone who loves is born of God and truly knows God. ⁸Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.
OBSERVATION:
The first verse details how to know if we know God, while the second explains how we will know when we are not one with the Father, and this all revolves around how well we do with loving one another.
APPLICATION:
I believe that our first instinct when we read verses like this, is to reflect on how much we love our spouse, children, mother, father, siblings and possibly our friends. However, by comparing our love with the love of God, we must also consider how well we do at loving the person who is not very lovable to us, or the person who always acts like they hate the world, especially Christians. To make a difference in this world, and truly show that the supernatural God of this universe plays a key role in our life, we must strive daily to be more like Him, and to give Him total control of our lives, for I believe that until we are totally submissive to Him, there will be too much of the sinful nature controlling us. Friends, these verses are very clear that this kind of love comes straight from God. They are also clear in telling us that when we fail to love one another, then the evidence shows that we do not know God. Now let that sink in for a moment. Since God is love, and He showed His ultimate love for us by sending His only Son to die on a cross for our sins, then if we claim to be His children, under His control, surely we would automatically strive to love just as He did. So may I encourage you to analyze yourself today as you go about your way? Better still, have a little talk with Jesus and ask Him to make you very aware of when you are not acting like Him, or loving others as He would. If you truly know Jesus as Lord and Savior, then you know the plumb line against which you will compare yourself. Please don’t compare to anyone one else, your ability or willingness to love others.
PRAYER:
Lord Jesus, thank You for first loving me! For loving me unconditionally – in spite of who I once was, The love that You show each day for Your children here on earth is beyond all description, but it has set a precedence for us to seek Your help and Your guidance so that we might love one another with that same kind of love. Please forgive us when we take things into our own hands and mess up so royally. I am convinced that it is only through the amazing grace of Jesus that we could love the happiest of people and the most miserable unloving, unkind individuals that You will place before us today. May it be easy for us to reflect back on the day and say the it was solely by the grace of God that we showed love even to the most challenging individuals, just as You would have done. Teach us to especially get this particular characteristic in order, so that the world might see Your grace and Your love even through us. AMEN!
FOOTNOTE:
There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog could indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and read more, or you may freely to subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us!

What You Do for Others is Noticed By God

On 2017-03-24 By Ed AlgreenIn Christ's Representative, Christian, Christian Living, Christian love, Christian Principles, Example of Christ, Righteous, Righteous Living, RighteousnessLeave a comment

Post Date:	Friday, 2017-03-24
SCRIPTURE
From:	Matthew 25:37-40 (NLT)
Text:	³⁷“Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? ³⁸Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? ³⁹When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ ⁴⁰“And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’
OBSERVATION:
In evaluating the people in front of Him, Jesus divided them into two groups: the unrighteous; and the righteous. The righteous were recognized for the heart they demonstrated like that of Jesus Christ. In fact, so much so that Jesus concluded that all the things they did proved their righteousness.
APPLICATION:
While I realize that Jesus knows and sees all things, I wonder if we had to evaluate our actions over the past week, would there be enough evidence to convince Jesus that we are among the righteous? There is a saying: from the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. I believe that a heart filled with the presence of God’s Holy Spirit, will respond to needs around us like our Savior responded. For there was no respecter of persons in Jesus’ eyes; He is well known as ‘Love’, because of His amazing love towards all mankind; He is Healer; He is our Shepherd; He is the Restorer of our souls; He leads us in the path of righteousness, especially when we are so prone to stray; He set the example for us in all aspects of life – mixing with sinners, standing firm for what He knew was Truth, loving and ministering to sinners at every opportunity; Used the Word of God as His defense – when tempted. Friends, not only has the example been set for us, but our Savior stands ready to bless us, guide us, empower us and embolden us so that we might be His hands, His feet and His love to this lost and dying world in which we live. To do this, Jesus needs our commitment to serve Him no matter what. He needs us to be trusting and pliable, because His ways are not our ways, and if we are truly going to be used by Him, we must totally surrender our will to Him. I would like to challenge you with the question I started with: is there enough evidence in your actions and your words, that Jesus and/or your friends would be convinced that you are among the righteous, and being truly directed by God each day?
PRAYER:
Lord Jesus, we come humbly before You today, knowing that we are not capable nor worthy to be looked on as ‘righteous’, especially by the righteous Son of God. However, we are reminded through this teaching today that loved ones, friends, or any one still searching for the Lord, must see and experience enough of Jesus in us, for them to truly know that the Word is true and that You are still alive and powerfully working in your children – Your righteous ones who have committed their lives wholeheartedly to You. Lord, please complete Your work in Your way, for Your kingdom, even through us, Your humble servants, 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!

Personal Prayer to Your God

On 2017-03-23 By Ed AlgreenIn Christian, Personal, Power of Prayer, Prayer, Relationship, SalvationLeave a comment

Post Date:	Thursday, 2017-03-23
SCRIPTURE
From:	Psalm 22:1-5 (NLT)
Text:	1 My God, my God, why have you abandoned me? Why are you so far away when I groan for help? 2 Every day I call to you, my God, but you do not answer. Every night I lift my voice, but I find no relief. 3 Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel. 4 Our ancestors trusted in you, and you rescued them. 5 They cried out to you and were saved. They trusted in you and were never disgraced.
OBSERVATION:
David’s plea to God reminds me of a gospel hymn ‘Take your burdens to the Lord and leave them there’! David recognized that although it appeared like God had abandoned him, yet he knew that God had been supreme to his ancestors and answered their prayers.
APPLICATION:
In a given day, I wonder how many folk we come across that may have abandoned God because they were frustrated into thinking that perhaps He doesn’t exist, since He refuses to answer their prayer. However I wonder if there is enough relationship between them and God that He would recognize their voice, and therefore stop to listen? Friends, if you separated yourself from your earthly dad and never supported him or cared enough to call or visit him, how do you think it would go if you asked him to help you make that vacation trip to some beautiful tropical island this year? Your separation may have been to hurt your dad for something he said to you in all honesty, but now that you need something, he’s the only one you could call on. Sounds like your story, or like stories you’ve heard? Unfortunately I believe that many of us treat our heavenly Father in a very similar fashion. Mom had this primitive belief that you should give your heart to the Lord. Her pastor visited to tell you about the joy possible in accepting the free gift of salvation. Your best friend invited you to attend church with them one Sunday. But to each of these messengers from God, you said ‘no’ because you were unwilling to change your priorities and find time for Jesus. However, an unfortunate day came when your son was hit by a car and winds up in hospital with a serious threat of possibly losing his life. Who will you call on? Please don’t misunderstand me that I am suggesting that you accept Jesus and live a life dedicated to Him so you could have that ‘good luck charm’ in your back pocket should your son get hit by a car. No, what I am saying is that I would sincerely recommend that you consider the love of Jesus for even you and I. A love that took Him to the cross of Calvary, just so that you and I could be saved from the pit of Hell and instead be assured the glories of heaven with Jesus and His Father. Knowing Him gives us assurance that whether we live on this earth, or die, there is eternal hope for us to see Jesus face to face where we might glorify Him for ever and ever. Knowing Jesus gives you assurance that when you petition Him in prayer, that you can leave the matter at His feet in confidence knowing that He will answer your prayer. You will quickly learn that since you asked Jesus in earnest, His response could be yes, or no, or I have something much better in store for You, or not at this time dear child. Wont’ you know Him today friend and know that peace that comes from being one with Him? The benefits, contentment, glory and peace that comes from knowing Jesus personally, are simply ‘out of this world’!
PRAYER:
Lord Jesus, thank You for hearing the prayers of Your children. What a reminder today that even David had times of questioning, because we tend to do that so often. However, I praise You heavenly Father for ALWAYS answering perfectly! Only You know the perfect outcome for our situations, so thank You for hearing our cry, but answering in a way that You know is perfect! May we never lose sight of who You are, and Your awesome power to do all things that fits perfectly into Your will for our lives. To God be the glory! 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!