How To Know Who Jesus Is

On 2015-11-062015-11-06 By Ed AlgreenIn Faith, Know and BelieveLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE – John 10:24-30 – _{New Living Translation (NLT)}: ²⁴ The people surrounded him and asked, “How long are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.” ²⁵ Jesus replied, “I have already told you, and you don’t believe me. The proof is the work I do in my Father’s name. ²⁶ But you don’t believe me because you are not my sheep. ²⁷ My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. ²⁸ I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me, ²⁹ for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from the Father’s hand. ³⁰ The Father and I are one.”

THOUGHTS: In the highlighted scripture today, Jesus told the people following Him, that it was obvious that their eyes were open, but they were choosing to ignore the work that His Father had performed through Him. These mighty works were actual confirmation, or proof, that He truly is the Messiah, but unbelief had blinded them from seeing the mighty works of God. This made me think of our churches today and our, so called ‘Christians’ today. For I believe that if most of us were questioned on Sunday afternoon about the church services we attended that morning, we would probably respond about how ‘out of it’ our Worship Leader was today, or how boring our preacher was, or how disrespectful the teen agers were. Should we not use that invitation to celebrate that the Savior who gave His very life for us, actually met us there and blessed our time together? Or perhaps, we were reassured of His power and His might, and that His sweet Holy Spirit that is so available to us every day, was perfectly evidenced in our services. Or how sweet it was in singing praises to God and realizing that He was right there, receiving our praises and smiling at the worship of His children who recognized His mighty works that week. Perhaps reassure the person asking that it was worth every bit of effort extended for us to get out of bed on our day off, and to head on over to the house of God to worship God and to hear from Him through the reading and preaching of His Word. Friends, I wish that we would deliberately attend worship services, and deliberately expect to see God there, deliberately lift up holy hands to Him and worship His holy name, and be ready to give an account to the world of how real our God is to us. Let’s not be distracted by everything else we see around us, that we totally miss the purpose of why we go to church altogether. Jesus said in verse 27 and beyond, that His sheep (you and I) – those who know Him personally and consider Him as their heavenly Father, that we will listen to what He has to say – yes even through our earthly pastors and teachers. Furthermore, He reassures us that He will know us. That’s a very personal and intimate thing friends, for that shows me that when I lift up praise and worship to Him, He will know us, expect us, and receive our worship unto Himself. What a glorious personal experience that could be! So friends, if you are missing this intimacy with your Father, may I recommend that You ask Him to help you re-examine your life and identify any wicked way or sin that may be hindering you. Remember, He knows You and is expecting you. Please don’t disappoint Him friend!

PRAYER: Father, thank You for constantly revealing Yourself to us. Please forgive us for distancing ourselves from You through the distractions of sin. If we ever expect our family and friends to receive You as their Lord and Savior, surely it is incumbent upon us to show them that we have proof of who You are. With this ‘proof’ our lives will glow with the evidence of whose we are. Lord, may this be the case in the lives of myself and all those reading this devotional today, for I sincerely believe that there will clearly be outward evidence of the inward experience that we enjoy with You, our Father, our Savior and our Lord. I ask these things in the precious name of Jesus, the risen, ‘proven’ Son of God and Savior of this world, AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please speak with a local Bible Teaching pastor, or read through Biblical truths on How To Know Jesus, 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. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to www.nuggetsfromgodsword.org and read more, or you may freely 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, Sebring, FL! 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 That Leads to Obedience

On 2015-10-162015-10-16 By Ed AlgreenIn Faith, Humility, Obedience, SubmissionLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (The Contemporary English Version – John 4:47-50): ⁴⁷ ..when the man heard that Jesus had come from Judea, he went and begged him to keep his son from dying. ⁴⁸ Jesus told the official, “You won’t have faith unless you see miracles and wonders!” ⁴⁹ The man replied, “Lord, please come before my son dies!” ⁵⁰ Jesus then said, “Your son will live. Go on home to him.” The man believed Jesus and started back home.

THOUGHTS: There are several things about this story that caught my attention:

Reputation: Notice that the official had heard about Jesus and His mighty works in the past, otherwise why would it have mattered if he heard that Jesus was coming to his town? People are burdened with needs today. Have they heard enough about Jesus and His mighty works in our churches and our families that they would become as determined as the official to take their concerns to Jesus? Is this our first stop – to take our deepest needs and concerns to Jesus?
Need: The official recognized a need that existed in his family, and he wanted to have it resolved. I believe that when we glorify God for all the good that He does every day, then we will automatically turn to Him in our needs also. Furthermore, I believe it is vital that we redirect our attention from the small selfish things and concentrate on the needs of others – especially our family members. Jesus, our role model, was always more concerned about others than of Himself;
Our view of Miracles: The official had predetermined ideas of what Jesus could, or could not do. Jesus chose to change His previous history of ‘hands on’ miracles, to merely heal the official’s son based on the faith of the father who asked and believed. That tells me that we must simply share our concerns with the Lord and not try to tell Him how, or when, to do His mighty works. God declares in His Word that His ways are not our ways, nor are His thoughts our thoughts. He is the potter, and we are merely the clay subject to His molding every day. In His molding process, He can fix broken or marred pieces along the way;
Faith and Obedience: Notice that the official didn’t turn away angry because Jesus didn’t do what he asked him to do. He had faith to believe in God and obediently follow His instructions. Will we just as easily turn aside and head back home with just a ‘go back home’ from the Lord? Where is your faith, friend? In this case, the obedience of the official resulted in extreme faith by he and his whole family, for in verse 53 we are told that they all placed their faith and trust in Jesus.

PRAYER: Dear God, Your Word is filled with proof that You are the great Physician; Healer and Miracle Worker. Yet You are also our Creator; our Savior and our Lord. Thank You for reminding us of being obedient to You even when You don’t respond exactly as we expect or may even demand. Thank You for the example of this official, for we are reminded that we are to be the obedient followers and not the demanding children trying to tell the Almighty God what to do or how to do it. This official simply followed Your command and great things happened. Lord, may we too be obedient servants, and simply let You be God. You know our needs and concerns today. Please have Your will and way in each of these and in growing us to be more like You every day, so that others may see, and believe in You. For I ask all this in the precious name of Jesus, AMEN!

Faith Is…….

On 2015-10-032015-10-03 By Ed AlgreenIn Committed, Faith, FirmLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (New Living Translation – Hebrews 11:1, 5-6): ¹Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see. ⁵ It was by faith that Enoch was taken up to heaven without dying—”he disappeared, because God took him.” For before he was taken up, he was known as a person who pleased God. ⁶ And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.

THOUGHTS: This whole chapter is known as ‘The faith chapter’. It takes on the job of the dictionary in explaining the meaning of ‘Faith’, for it tells us that ‘Faith’ makes us sure of what we hope for, and gives us proof of what we cannot see. It was ‘Faith’ that helped our forefathers know God and please Him in every aspect of their lives. This whole chapter is filled with examples of how our ancestors pleased God in and through their ‘Faith’. Verse 6 goes on to minister to us by telling us that we can only please God through our ‘Faith’, for if we want to know Him, we must have ‘Faith’, believe that God exists and that He rewards us as we sincerely place our trust in Him. I just love this chapter, because not only am I told to have ‘Faith’, but it goes on to demonstrate the very reason it was so important in the lives of our ancestors, and therefore helps me to understand that God has not changed, so if I want to be as successful in my relationship with God as any of our ancestors were, then I had better sharpen my ‘Faith’. This also helped me to reflect on my own Christian journey and identify areas of my ‘Faith’ journey, for if our offspring is to truly walk a path towards, and with God, they will not only look to Hebrews 11 for evidence of ‘Faith’, but they will also want to know how impactful was ‘Faith’ in the life of their dad/uncle/grandfather/brother/cousin. I was able to identify times where I stepped out in ‘Faith’ believing in the true leadership of the God to whom I prayed, and I saw where lifesaving medical help became available to two family members, plus the increase of my family, because of my ‘Faith’ in knowing that God approved of me moving my family to a different country. There have been other instances friends, but I want to challenge you to look into your own life and identify how impactful your ‘Faith’ in God has been in your life. I want to challenge you to talk about that with your family so that they might know that the miracles of God are not only told in the Bible, but in every aspect of our lives today also. If we are truly the only Bible that most folk will read, then it is incumbent upon us to reveal our ‘Faith’ by telling them of the ways that God has worked in our lives and showed His power and His goodness in miraculous ways. Imagine your daughter teaching your grandson about the subject of ‘Faith’ and using examples in your life, rather than, or in addition to those related in this chapter of Hebrews! If our God is truly alive today, then we should be a witness to what He is doing today in and through us, His saints who are alive today! Tell your story friend! Brag on our Savior and allow Him to be praised because of what He has done for you!

PRAYER: Father I am concerned that people are judging our salvation based on the amount of faith we portray. This could negatively impact Christians, however this is exactly what James taught us in James 2:14 when he said: “What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone?” As we have come into Your holy presence; as we have invited Your Holy Spirit to live inside of us; as we have committed to live our lives imitating Your character, Your example and Your teaching, we have so much to brag about. Please empower us with boldness, to not brag on anything that we are deserving of, but on the One deserving of our praise and our worship, because of Your outstanding and awesome goodness and mercy to us. Thank You Father, for it’s in the precious and faithful name of Jesus that I ask all this, AMEN!

One Way – Trust God!

On 2015-09-162015-09-16 By Ed AlgreenIn Faith, Surrender, TrustLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (The Message – Matthew 19:23-26): ^23–24As he watched him go, Jesus told his disciples, “Do you have any idea how difficult it is for the rich to enter God’s kingdom? Let me tell you, it’s easier to gallop a camel through a needle’s eye than for the rich to enter God’s kingdom.” ²⁵ The disciples were staggered. “Then who has any chance at all?” ²⁶Jesus looked hard at them and said, “No chance at all if you think you can pull it off yourself. Every chance in the world if you trust God to do it.”

THOUGHTS: In this particular story Jesus was confronted with a lot of questions from His disciples. In the immediately preceding example, a rich young man had stepped away sad after asking what he might do, any more than he was already doing, to be saved. Jesus knew the man’s heart and where his hang-ups were, and what was necessary for the young man to truly become as a little child in faith and full commitment to his Lord. In this young man’s case, it was his belongings – his earthly possessions that he was hung up on. I wonder what ours would be today. What is it that keeps us at a distance from Jesus? What is it that, although we may not brag about it, is the one thing that tends to devour our time and our commitment more than our relationship with God? What is it that we seem to think we can’t live without? We read earlier how Jesus told the disciples that unless they gave up mother, or father or siblings. Earlier, Jesus also illustrated that unless we become as a little child. In this story He is telling the disciples that unless this man is willing to give up his riches – his accumulated ‘stuff’. Friends I believe it is evident that Jesus is teaching us to fully surrender our lives to Him. In verse 26 He even explains that this is virtually impossible on our own, and that we need the power of God to guide us into eternal faith and trust in Jesus. It is very evident that money can’t help us to buy our way into heaven; and that relatives – no matter how awesome they are, can open the gates of heaven for us. Jesus is emphasizing once again that there is only One Way into His world, and into the gates of heaven, and that way is through the grace of God and the shed blood of Jesus Christ. It’s a personal, one-on-one relationship thing. Nothing other than our hearts, will substitute or enhance that decision that we must make to secure our passage. Don’t delay making this decision friend, for we are promised only the present moment. Make much of the present by making important decisions now that will make a difference for eternity. Please let me encourage you to read the tips I have included in my ‘Footnote’ to help you in this very important decision, part of which is my offer to personally help you, so feel free to contact me today friend!

PRAYER: Father, You created us, yet gave us the freedom to do our own thing. You gave us choices and consequences. Today You have reminded us that there are grave consequences for decisions we make to live life more aligned with the world than with Your commands and Your will for our lives. You’ve reminded us that there is only One Way to experience the love of God and the heavenly home you’ve prepared for us – just trust in Jesus and His shed blood. Money won’t do it, nor will family or friends or possessions. Lord, I pray that today the eyes of my readers might be opened to the truth of Your Word and the gift of eternal life that is only possible through total surrender of all things, and pure faith in and through Jesus Christ. Please have Your will and way in our lives today oh Lord. For I ask this in the precious and strong name of Jesus, AMEN!

Pay Attention!

On 2015-09-102015-09-10 By Ed AlgreenIn Peace, Righteousness, SurrenderLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (The Contemporary English Version – Matthew 13:37-43): ³⁷ …The one who scattered the good seed is the Son of Man. ³⁸ The field is the world, and the good seeds are the people who belong to the kingdom. The weed seeds are those who belong to the evil one, ³⁹ and the one who scattered them is the devil. The harvest is the end of time, and angels are the ones who bring in the harvest. ⁴⁰ Weeds are gathered and burned. That’s how it will be at the end of time. ⁴¹ The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will gather from his kingdom everyone who does wrong or causes others to sin. ⁴² Then he will throw them into a flaming furnace, where people will cry and grit their teeth in pain. ⁴³ But everyone who has done right will shine like the sun in their Father’s kingdom. If you have ears, pay attention!

THOUGHTS: The disciples were getting frustrated with the many parables that Jesus used to draw attention to the matters He chose to share with them, so they asked Him about this. I believe that because of their culture, the disciples were particularly interested in understanding the parable of the farmer, the wheat and the seeds, as detailed beginning in vs 18. The whole reason Jesus used parables was to give His message to His audience in terms that they could understand and relate to. He wanted to make sure they got the point that He was trying to relay to them, and of course in this instance it truly struck a nerve with the disciples. Before proceeding with reading the rest of my remarks, may I suggest that you stop and read the subject verses very slowly? Then I want you to determine which category you fit into. You see, only you and God knows your true, personal, spiritual condition or status. I challenged you yesterday on trying to ‘fool’ me or your friends, but let me remind you that God knows even the very thoughts that you mull over in your mind. The NET Bible translation has vs 43 as ‘Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. The one who has ears had better listen!’ Please notice that there are only two types of individuals here: ‘The righteous (those who are right with God)’ and ‘The unrighteous (those who have not made peace with God, by asking His forgiveness of their sin and invited Him to rule and reign in their lives’. Just as the decisions are at totally opposite ends of the spectrum, so is the end results. The righteous will shine like the sun with the Son (Jesus) and His Father (God). The unrighteous will be thrown into a flaming furnace where others are crying and gritting their teeth in pain (vs 42 vividly explains this). Friends, I don’t want there to be any doubt or misunderstanding for you – a very good reason why I share these ‘Nuggets’ each morning. Please know that attending church will not make you ‘right with God’, however when you have surrendered yourself to God by inviting His precious Son into your life, and made yourself ‘right with God’ you will have a desire to attend church and be around God’s people. There is a help document hyperlinked in my ‘Footnote’ that will give you more details on becoming a Christian, however feel free to contact me should you have additional questions or would like a prayer partner. God truly loves you friend. You’re one of His dear children that He gave up His Son’s life for, so He would be tickled to welcome you if only you will ask. Are you listening? Pay attention friend!

PRAYER: Father, I just want to thank You for touching my life some 39 years ago and prompting me to a decision regarding my righteousness. Many will read this devotional today and have a need to seek Your righteousness, while others will celebrate with me about being right with You. This is a very personal decision that can only be made between a child and their Father (You). I pray that blinded eyes will be opened today and hearts touched in such a way that decisions will be made to surrender to You, the only way that leads to righteousness with You. I ask this very special request in the saving and all powerful name of Jesus, with thanksgiving, AMEN!

God Specializes In Impossibilities

On 2015-09-082015-09-08 By Ed AlgreenIn Possibilities, Righteousness, StrengthLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (New Living Translation – Genesis 15:4-6): ⁴ Then the Lord said to him, “No, your servant will not be your heir, for you will have a son of your own who will be your heir.” ⁵ Then the Lord took Abram outside and said to him, “Look up into the sky and count the stars if you can. That’s how many descendants you will have!” ⁶ And Abram believed the Lord, and the Lord counted him as righteous because of his faith.

THOUGHTS: In spite of all the special skills given to man, there are still times that we throw our hands up and surrender to the fact that a problem is beyond our God-given abilities, or out of our reach. Yet very early in the pages of this awesome book that God has inspired to be our guide through life, we have already learned that God took a mass of darkness and formed this world – earth, water, stars, etc.; He created man, followed by a help mate – woman; He took a couple who was childless, and promised to make a great nation from their offspring. In this passage today I was also encouraged to note that no matter how much power is revealed to us by God, yet He is always still so very conscious of us – our sincerity in wanting to obey Him and our need to draw close to Him. In fact, Abram believed that God would do what appeared impossible to him, and this resulted in God considering him ‘righteous’ (right with God). To gain what I believe is the best meaning of a phrase, I like to consider its impact if the opposite were true. So in this case, if Abram would have laughed at God or showed doubt about what God would do, then perhaps God would have considered Abram ‘unrighteous’? How often would God consider us ‘unrighteous’ because of our unbelief and doubt? Friends, unbelievers may laugh at our faith, because they simply have not been around this awesome God of ours, to build faith in His abilities and to understand His unlimited and awesome love for us. But for those of you that know Jesus, what’s your excuse? Can God consider you ‘righteous’ because of your overwhelming faith in Him? Do you truly believe in Him? If not, may I introduce you to this Savior that I know, love and adore? Remember, only those who are right with God (righteous) will be allowed into heaven. May I count on seeing you there friend? I have provided a guide for you in my ‘Footnote’, and would be thrilled to personally help guide you towards meeting my Lord in a very personal and intimate way. Please make this choice a priority today, it truly is that important!

PRAYER: Father God, Your ways are so much greater than our ways, yet You have sacrificially provided the means for us to overcome sin and one day join You in heaven. Please forgive us when we doubt, and use those incidences as stepping stones to lead us into a deeper faith that will draw us even closer to You. Lord You are good and Your mercies endure forever and forever. Please keep our ‘faith’ tank filled and energized to trust in You in all circumstances of our lives. You have proven that things that seem impossible to us are handled with just a spoken word by You. Again today I am reminded that Nothing is Impossible when I place my faith and trust in You. Please touch the heart and life of each one that will meditate on this devotional today. May we all draw strength from being reminded of the awesomeness of our mighty God again today and use this to help us confidently spread the joy of our salvation with all those we come into contact with. For this is my humble prayer that I ask in the name of my King, the King of all kings, Jesus the Christ, AMEN!

The Best Employees

On 2015-08-172015-08-17 By Ed AlgreenIn Christian Principles, Honesty, WorkplaceLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (Easy-To-Read Version – Colossians 3:22-24): ²² Servants, obey your masters in everything. Obey all the time, even when they can’t see you. Don’t just pretend to work hard so that they will treat you well. No, you must serve your masters honestly because you respect the Lord.²³ In all the work you are given, do the best you can. Work as though you are working for the Lord, not any earthly master. ²⁴ Remember that you will receive your reward from the Lord, who will give you what he promised his people. Yes, you are serving Christ. He is your real Master.

THOUGHTS: In searching for the best employees for their place of business, most employers will look for the same principles that the Christian upholds in being a person of the Word and a child of the King. In being the best employee possible, Christians/we are to first follow the principles taught to us by our King in His holy Word. We are to recognize that even though we can get away with certain things because our earthly bosses may not be able to track our locations and/or our work every minute of every day, yet we serve a God who can. If we were living according to ‘code’, and I’m talking about the code set out for us in God’s Word, then I believe that employers will be fighting for their Human Resources folk to hire staff with such high moral and ethical principles. So for those reading this devotional who may not identify with what I am referring to, let me give you just a couple principles that you should find in Christian workers: 1). There should be no worries about stealing, because we are taught by God that we are not to take something that belongs to another person without them offering it to us. Now this will pertain to physical things and such things as time – for if we are expected to work 8 hours per day, our employer should never have to check on us to see if we are giving them an honest 8 hours of work; 2). Honesty – some of this would be reflected in #1, but this characteristic also extends into trusting what we say and what we do. There should never be any doubt as to whether we are totally sincere in what we do or say, that we have the best interest of God at heart and our employer and his/her business. Now, will every Christian be perfect at these things and others that you might relate to the teachings of God’s Word? Probably not perfect, because the only perfect one is Jesus. However, should you recognize imperfection in the character of those claiming Christ as their Savior, may I encourage you to bring this to their attention? Satan has a way of working on Christians hard enough that he tries to make them feel like their wrongs become right if left unchecked long enough. You will help them return to the cross and seek God’s forgiveness for straying from His ideals. Christians, we work as for the Lord, let us be counted worthy by Him in all that we do and say – especially on our jobs.

PRAYER: As representatives of Yours, Oh God, we have our banner of expectations lifted high and we must live our lives pleasing to You not only at church, not only in the presence of other Christians, not only before our employers who might expect us to live differently, but especially before the lost world that we interface with every day, for they are looking to see what is different about us and what impact our proclaimed Savior is having on our lives that might be different to theirs. We don’t want to be hypocritical, but rather totally honest in our dealings with others. Because we know that Satan is rampant and will make every effort to distract us and have us look and live like his, then we must be all the more earnest in seeking Your strength, Your power and Your daily direction to look, live and act like children of God. Please especially help us to be great representatives in our workplace so that our bosses might recognize the differences and rejoice in the difference our God makes in the lives of His children. We need You dear Father to be our constant guide, our reminder and the means by which we can live differently – pleasing to You. I ask all this in the precious name of Jesus, and with thanksgiving and praise, AMEN!

The Righteous Will Live By Faith

On 2015-08-112015-08-11 By Ed AlgreenIn Forgiveness, RighteousnessLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (New Living Translation – Habakkuk 2:4): “Look at the proud! They trust in themselves, and their lives are crooked. But the righteous will live by their faithfulness to God.

THOUGHTS: While meditating on this passage this morning I felt God really draw to my attention the difference between the man who trusts in himself and the man who places his faith solely and squarely in the righteousness of the God of this universe. I reflected on the man who would have been comfortable in his riches, then during times of depressive monetary markets, could have lost everything he had – everything that he had placed his trust and confidence in. I also hear of folk who place their whole lives into their family, and let me be quick to say that I totally love my family and will do the world for them, but sons and daughters move on, and most marriages fail today, so where might that man’s happiness and confidence lie after such loss? Now as to the righteous man, this scripture tells us where we will find true ‘life’ (happiness, confidence, reassurance, stability, hope and eternal expectations). One way that I have found that God confirms a truth to us, is when we find it repeated in scripture. This idea of a righteous man living by faith is found in multiple scriptures, and I feel, affirms or reinforces the message: Romans 1:17(This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.” Galatians 3:11 So it is clear that no one can be made right with God by trying to keep the law. For the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.”
Hebrews 10:37-38“For in just a little while, the Coming One will come and not delay. And my righteous ones will live by faith. But I will take no pleasure in anyone who turns away.” I believe that it is very obvious that the Word is pointing us to a life of righteousness friend, for it is a life dedicated to being ‘right with God’. It is obvious that God approves of, and is looking for this type person and takes no pleasure in anyone who decides to the contrary. I would suggest that we examine ourselves and determine if we feel like God is pleased with us. Have you made yourself ‘right with God’ (righteous) by asking Him to forgive you of your sin, and wash you clean through the cleansing power of Jesus Christ? That’s how you replace the ugliness of sin with the cleanliness of Jesus Christ and His righteousness. No other power or cleansing agent will do the job. Please read my ‘Footnote’ for help, or more information on how simple this action is. God loves you and would welcome you into His kingdom, but He wants you to take the necessary action.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, I believe it is obvious that an unrighteous person has no part in Your kingdom where righteousness abounds. I surrender myself to You all over again today and ask that You wash me clean of all unrighteousness. I pray that You would then refill me with Your holiness and righteousness so that I may be one with You. In doing this, I pray that You would then use me for Your kingdom work here on this earth so that others that I come into contact with would be influenced for You. Please impact the lives of my readers today as they meditate on this devotional and make decisions about their being ‘right with God’. Reassure the righteous and provoke the unrighteous towards rightness with You. I ask this in the wonderful and righteous name of Jesus, AMEN!

Promised Help From The Lord!

On 2015-08-072015-08-07 By Ed AlgreenIn Faith, Hope, PromiseLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (New Living Translation – Psalm 130:1-5): ¹ From the depths of despair, O Lord, I call for your help. ² Hear my cry, O Lord. Pay attention to my prayer. ³ Lord, if you kept a record of our sins, who, O Lord, could ever survive? ⁴ But you offer forgiveness, that we might learn to fear you. ⁵ I am counting on the Lord; yes, I am counting on him. I have put my hope in his word.

THOUGHTS: David was known as one of the great men of God in the Old Testament, yet he faced struggles and he needed help. I’m sure this sounds all too familiar, as each of us are face with challenges daily that are beyond our reach or ability to satisfy the need. This is why I believe that God drew my attention to verse 5 in particular. One translation actually relays the understanding that David called on God for help because He had promised it. This translation basically says that David was depending on, or had placed his hope in, God’s Word. Friends there is an old song that says something along the lines of, if I never had a problems, I wouldn’t know what God could do. I don’t believe this means that we intentionally invoke problems so we could prove God’s power, but like David, we should be so comfortable in God’s Word and in our relationship with God, that we could be reassured that even in our struggles, or hard times, or even challenging times, we know that God is there for us and has the power and desire to help us through our challenging times. I would encourage us to just remember that we serve an all-powerful God – the One that spoke this universe into existence, the One who raised the dead back to life, the One who placed Jesus into the womb of a virgin, the One who raised Jesus back to life after 3 days. What is the challenge you are facing again? Does it even come close to any of these examples I just listed? Yet we know the full story – that each of these overwhelmingly challenging things were met with resolution by our supernatural God! What an awesome God We Serve! Perhaps one of my readers might not be comfortable with placing your faith and/or trust in this God that I love and trust so dearly. May I recommend that you contact me so that I might pray with you about your relationship with God? Please use the information in my ‘Footnote’ to contact me and request prayer.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, You have promised that You would never leave us or forsake us. You proved Your undying love for us, by sacrificing Your one and only Son on a cruel cross so that we might be acceptable to Your Father and have the promise of eternal life in heaven with You one day. Awesome! Powerful! Love like we have never witnessed or seen demonstrated again. Thank You Lord Jesus! May we learn to place our faith and our trust in You and allow You to guide our daily footsteps and to have confidence that our life challenges require only a touch from You or a spoken word, as You did on the Sea of Galilee to calm the waters. You are an awesome Father, and I thank You for the love that You show to me and my readers every day that we are allowed to open our eyes and see the beauty and majesty that You provide for us. Bless us again today and help us to trust always in Your promises, for this I humbly ask in Your precious and strong name, Lord Jesus, AMEN!

Justice, Fairness and Righteousness

On 2015-07-272015-07-27 By Ed AlgreenIn Righteousness, Things God lovesLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (The Message – Amos 5:21-24): ^21–24 “I can’t stand your religious meetings. I’m fed up with your conferences and conventions. I want nothing to do with your religion projects, your pretentious slogans and goals. I’m sick of your fund-raising schemes, your public relations and image making. I’ve had all I can take of your noisy ego-music. When was the last time you sang to me? Do you know what I want? I want justice—oceans of it. I want fairness—rivers of it. That’s what I want. That’s all I want.

THOUGHTS: I have just returned from a trip into another world, it seems, so I hope that my view on the scripture that really spoke to me this morning will not be too slanted! It was good to step back from our busy world and enjoy the peace, obscurity, simplicity and humbleness of all that God provides for us, if only for a week. Yes, we missed the conveniences and pleasures of this world and all that we are blessed with in our modern world. However, after being reminded by Amos in this scripture today about how God must feel when we feel obligated to provide everything that our world demands, just so that they might listen to the gospel message, then I wonder how much of God we must truly portray to the world. In these few verses, God not only said what He was displeased with, but He also told us what would really make Him pleased: Oceans of justice; Rivers of fairness and a true, honest, one-on-one, heartfelt song to the Master. Sounds fairly simple right? Sounds like something we do almost every day, but at least once a week during our church service, right? Friends, I believe that God is just as anxious today, as He ever was, to hear from us personally with our praise and worship and not just to raise our hands and voices in worship when asked to do so by our worship leader. Think for a moment how thought provoking it is to prepare a day of celebration for a loved one’s birthday or anniversary, yet how little thought we put into preparing for our daily worship of God, or even our weekly corporate worship time. Yes, we really put time into planning what we will wear to church, but do we stop to ponder what all God has blessed us with during the week so that we might truly look full into His wonderful face and just worship Him with a thankful heart? One translation includes ‘righteousness’ (right-with-God) as a characteristic in verse 24 that God is looking for in His people. May I suggest that as we look for justice in God’s form, fairness in His example and righteousness sampled after His righteousness, that we will have no trouble lifting up holy hands and hearts in worship to our King in a manner acceptable to Him?

PRAYER: Lord God, You alone are holy, just, fair and righteous. You have blessed us with so much and shown us how to live this life imitating Your characteristics in every way, yet we so easily allow this world to sway our thoughts, our character and even our appreciation of You. Please forgive us for straying so far away from Your ideals and the example You set for us. Please help us to return to the basics of what You have taught us, what You have exampled for us and what You expect from us – as detailed in Your Word. May we learn to be more like You every day and in every way, is my humble prayer that I ask in the precious and holy name of Jesus, AMEN!

Nuggets From God's Word

Category: Christian