A Deep Test Of Obedience

On 2016-12-21 By Ed AlgreenIn Bible Believing, Faith, Obedience, Righteousness, SurrenderLeave a comment

Wednesday, 2016-12-21

Scripture

Bible Text: ²⁰Now when Joseph had decided to act on his instincts, a messenger of the Lord came to him in a dream.

Messenger of the Lord: Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to wed Mary and bring her into your home and family as your wife. She did not sneak off and sleep with someone else—rather, she conceived the baby she now carries through the miraculous wonder-working of the Holy Spirit. ²¹She will have a son, and you will name Him Jesus, which means “the Lord saves,” because this Jesus is the person who will save all of His people from sin.

²⁴Joseph woke up from his dream and did exactly what the messenger had told him to do: he married Mary and brought her into his home as his wife ²⁵(though he did not consummate their marriage until after her son was born). And when the baby was born, Joseph named Him Jesus, Savior.

Bible Translation: The Voice Translation (Voice)

My Take

Kids learn at a very early age that if you really want to get to another kid, just mention something bad about their mom. As adults we become very tender anytime we hear something derogatory about almost any close relative, whether spouse; child; sibling or parents. So as I meditated on this very common passage of scripture that we hear almost every Christmas, I tried to imagine what Joseph must have been thinking when, in spite of him having no sexual relations with Mary, yet he found that the woman he was about to marry was already pregnant. I’m sure his mind must have travelled along the road of infidelity on Mary’s part, and the mockery that he would receive from family and friends. Like us, Joseph had already made plans in his mind how he was going to handle the break-off of the engagement so that there would not be a negative impact on Mary. However, I believe that as Joseph pondered these things in his heart, he must have really been hoping that there would be some miraculous explanation about this whole earth-shattering event in his life, for I believe that love is just that way, it hears bad things, but expects clarification to help an individual make good on his/her commitment to one another. But here comes the kicker, hope came in a very unexpected, and yes, miraculous way, for an angel appeared to Joseph as he slept and dreamed. However the message was very clear. In fact, so much so, that there is no doubt expressed in the Word of God! Joseph simply followed the instructions given to him by the angel. He married his awesome bride, and from every indication, he took care of her as if the baby was his very own flesh and blood. This is an awesome story of obedience to the Holy Spirit, friends. Yes, we can surmise what may have happened if Joseph decided to ignore God, but I sincerely believe that God works very much the same today. When he speaks to us, there is no doubting on our part, or trying to conjure up a plan to escape His plan, for we are His servants who should be constantly asking for His guidance and understanding of His will for our lives. Therefore, when it becomes evident to us, we simply obey and thank God for it. The obedience of Mary and Joseph let to the fulfilment of prophecy, and to being used by God to birth into this world the Savior, who would ultimately prove to be the very Son of God and redeemer of all who trust Him as their Lord and Savior. Friends, the obedience talked about here led to something BIG, I mean HUGE! Imagine what miracles can be wrought through you and me if only we will humble ourselves in obedience to the King of all kings and Lord of all lords. We may look at the challenges of reaching our family and friends for the Lord as virtually impossible in our eyes, but compared to the miracle of a virgin girl becoming conceived without sexual relations by a man makes our challenges somewhat lame in comparison. Being led by God to witness and encourage a lost friend may sound impossible to us because we are so convinced that we know the negativity of the person so well, but the same God who got through to Joseph, can also redirect our doubtful minds and lead us and the friend we are direct to, towards total obedience. Are you prepared to imitate the obedience and faith of Joseph this Christmas? God has a plan, and you and I could very well be in the very middle of it, if only we will surrender our will to the Master.

Prayer

Dear Lord, You are truly in control of this whole universe, and especially in control of Your children seeking Your will for their very next move. As in the case of Joseph, I pray that we will look beyond the possibilities of our natural eyes, and instead rest our very selves at the control of our Savior during this time of the year when most folk stop to reflect on the newborn Christ-child as being the very meaning and reason for Christmas. Lord, may joy bells ring out loudly this Christmas as our family and friends find peace in the grace and power of the new-born King, Jesus, our Lord and the Savior of the 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 contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog could indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to www.nuggetsfromgodsword.org and read more, or you may freely to subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us!

Reasons Why Jesus Came

On 2016-12-14 By Ed AlgreenIn Bible Believing, Faith, Humility, Righteousness, Salvation, SurrenderLeave a comment

Wednesday, 2016-12-14

Scripture

Bible Reference: Luke 1:49-54

Bible Text: ⁴⁹…His name is holy; ⁵⁰from one generation to another he shows mercy to those who honor him. ⁵¹He has stretched out his mighty arm and scattered the proud with all their plans. ⁵²He has brought down mighty kings from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly. ⁵³He has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away with empty hands. ⁵⁴He has kept the promise he made to our ancestors ….

Bible Translation: Good News Translation (GNT)

My Take

Beginning in verse 46, Mary’s heart is so full of the miracle of God, that she breaks into song. In fact a song that has been known over the years as ‘The Magnificat’ and song by many popular singers around the word every Christmas season. However, what really hit me as I meditated on these verses, is that after Mary had gotten over the humble admiration of being chosen to bear the child – the Son of God; the King of all kings; and the Lord of all lords; she then expanded her praise into other areas where she saw so many other things being fulfilled. In fact, she even showed proof of her ancestral teachings about the Lord God, because some words of her song almost identically quote the words from the mother of Samuel (Hannah), when she rejoiced over her miraculous pregnancy and the state of her people at that time – refer to 1 Samuel 2:4-8. Friends, I sincerely believe that the miraculous birth of our Lord and Savior was not only miraculous to Mary, and reminded her of the hope for her and her people, but because we know the rest of the story in His Book, the Bible, then we also are reminded of the comfort, and the hope we have in knowing that the same babe of which Mary rejoiced before her God. This is the same Jesus who loved us enough to go to the cross of Calvary in order to accomplish His Father’s plan for our salvation! This is the same Jesus that loves us enough to save us – wretched sinners we are, who deserve the depths of Hell; He continues to look out for our good – just as Mary recognized that He would do for her people; and He has an even bigger plan for all eternity, for we have heaven to look forward to – a place where there is no division, or hatred, or envy, but instead a place of peace and solitude where we will worship Father, Son and Holy Spirit for ever and ever, amen! Mary reassured herself in verse 54 that God kept His promise to her ancestors, and friend I am here as His messenger to assure you that He has a plan for our eternity, and there is no doubt as to whether He will keep His promise. The important thing for each of us right now, is that while we are alive – and we all know how delicate that can be, but we are allowed to make our own choice about our destiny. I’ve just described the choice that I made, for I have been promised the joys of heaven. If you have not made that same choice already, then I would encourage you to invite Jesus into your life without further delay. Heaven is there for those who have accepted Jesus as Lord. The alternative is Hell, and without any attempt to bribe or frighten you friend, I want you to know that it’s a place controlled by Satan and his evil cohorts, and I would never wish that on anyone. Please don’t deliberately accept the default because you have not accepted the key to Heaven. Jesus is that key to heaven friend. Please read my Footnote and assure yourself of your eternal destiny. This is super important.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, just as Mary rejoiced in the Son of God that she brought into this world, knowing that He would serve a much greater cause, I commit myself to You all over again. Thank You for accepting me as Your very own child many years ago, please keep me alert to Your ongoing love and purpose for my life so that I may be a living witness to those that I come into contact with. For those who will read this devotional today, please may they find joy and hope this Christmas season in the One for whom Christmas was created to celebrate. As each one reflects on this day and the decision made about their eternal destiny, I pray that they will rejoice in having chosen Jesus as their Lord – the only One who could rescue them from the destination of Hell. You alone are worthy of our praise oh Lord, and we worship You for having made the ultimate sacrifice for our sin. Thank You for coming to this world as a child, and thank you for dying so that we may live eternally with You and the Father! AMEN!

Footnote

To Be Entrusted with God’s Most Precious Gift!

On 2016-12-13 By Ed AlgreenIn Bible Believing, Christian, Faith, Humility, Righteousness, TrustLeave a comment

Tuesday, 2016-12-13

Scripture

Bible Reference: Luke 1:45

Bible Text: ⁴⁵You believed that God would do what he said; that is why he has given you this wonderful blessing.”

Bible Translation: The Living Bible (TLB)

My Take

We might feel honored if we were asked to dine with the leader of our respective countries. We might feel even more honored if we were asked to work alongside of them – for the benefit of our country. We know very little about Mary prior to her being asked to carry the Son of God, but we are told that she was still a young lady who, although engaged to be married to Joseph, she had not yet had relations with a man. Let’s consider that as we think about our scenario friends. We walk into our churches for worship, and we walk in all the same way. The way we leave depends on us. Some attend because of habit or tradition, and I believe that often they leave feeling accomplished, because they have fulfilled the one obligation they feel like they owe to God for that week. Others attend because they are searching for more from God. They’ve come to a place where they realize that they need God in order to survive the evil and frustrations of this world, and they know that they need a Savior in order to one day be with Him in glory. So they try to connect with God through the songs, and they take out their Bibles so they could look at the scripture during the sermon delivery. I don’t feel like that’s because they want to make sure the preacher speaks truth from the Word of God, but rather, to look around the context and see what else God might be saying to them individually. Some of these folk, and I believe you know where you are placed in these descriptions I just gave, will leave church fulfilled, because they are satisfied that they have been in God’s presence and therefore they have renewed hope that God will continue to be with them each day that follows. I honestly believe that God knows the very depths of our heart and the sincerity of our innermost person. I have no idea where Mary would have fit into the scenarios I have just expressed, but God knew that He could trust her with the most precious gift that He had in store for all mankind – His very own Son – the Savior of this world. In all honesty to yourself and before our most holy and righteous God, where do you stand, friend? Just a passerby, or are you interested in being a part of the ministry of Jesus Christ? God may not have another son to give you dear sister, but for all of us, God has many other gifts that He would like to shower upon us, so that we might use those gifts to be a blessing to a child of His who needs to know His Son personally. Do you feel like you are in a position where God can entrust you with His most precious gifts, so that He might be glorified through you?

Prayer

Lord Jesus, although we know very little about Mary before you entrusted her with Your Son, I believe You knew all about her from the inside out. I also believe that You know us to the same extent. For some that brings joy, because we realize that our efforts to live a life dedicated to You is not going unnoticed by You. To others, this might bring shame and a feeling of disgrace, as they know that they are revolting in the face of a holy and righteous God. Lord, each of us are accountable to You for our every thought, action, deed and word. I pray that we will live our lives in such a way that You will grace us with Your presence and surround us with Your amazing love, so that our lives would be usable by You in many miraculous ways. Have Your will and way in our lives today dear Lord, I pray, AMEN!

Footnote

A Willing Servant

On 2016-12-12 By Ed AlgreenIn Bible Believing, Christian, Faith, Humility, Obedience, Righteousness, SurrenderLeave a comment

Monday, 2016-12-12

Scripture

Bible Reference: Luke 1:34-38

Bible Text: ³⁴Mary asked the angel, “But how can I have a baby? I am a virgin.”

³⁵The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit shall come upon you, and the power of God shall overshadow you; so the baby born to you will be utterly holy—the Son of God. ³⁶Furthermore, six months ago your Aunt Elizabeth—‘the barren one,’ they called her—became pregnant in her old age! ³⁷For every promise from God shall surely come true.”

³⁸Mary said, “I am the Lord’s servant, and I am willing to do whatever he wants. May everything you said come true.” And then the angel disappeared.

Bible Translation: The Living Bible (TLB)

My Take

I believe that in a normal church setting, there may be several interpretations of the subject: ‘A Willing Servant’. But before we look closer to how these words were used by Mary, let look at the whole scenario. In today’s society, can you imagine how a pastor or elder(s) might react if a mom or dad stood in a regular church meeting and publicly declared that their innocent 16 year old daughter is pregnant, and she claims that God spoke to her about carrying some special embryo to term? Now imagine if they carried it further by trying to convince fellow attendees that this is a very special occasion for their daughter, because she never had relations with a man, but she did have a visit with an angel! “OK, next” we might say, “so, who can beat that story!” Now with that as a backdrop, let’s look closely at how Mary handled a very similar experience, and what some might be saying about that story. For Mary was approached by an angel – sounding wild yet? Mary was also told that she was highly favored – ok, so let me guess the young man was about 5’8″ and wanted to spend the rest of his life with her, right? No, the Holy Spirit will come upon her and she would become pregnant – now this is sounding like one of those highly fictional stories that some folk really get a kick out of reading! Wait there’s more, her auntie who is very old and been barren all of her life, will also become pregnant – by now, most would have totally closed minds about this whole story, because they would jump to the conclusion that someone has gone beyond any sense of reality. But friends, I want us to stop this Christmas and understand that everything about the coming of Jesus is the miraculous work of our Father. It was foretold through the prophets, and it all comes with a very special bonus, because through the eventual shedding of His blood – (Jesus, that same infant that we celebrate at Christmas), we can have eternal life in heaven with He and His Father (God)! However, back to Mary. May I suggest that Mary must have already had some great principles about herself and knew God intimately already? For instead of rejection, and being obstinate in trying to protect against anything that could possible damage her relationship with her fiancé, Joseph, she simply responded in verse 38 that as a servant of the Most High, and she humbly accepted the challenge, and was prepared to do whatever God said. I wonder how many, so called, ‘servants of God’ would be prepared to repeat that type of commitment by Mary the next time we ask God to bless us in our ministries? That may mean us laying bare before God and telling Him that we are His willing servant, and that we would be willing to do whatever He dictates, so that we might be the teacher, or preacher, or deacon or elder, or pastor, or children’s worker, that He wants us to be. Friend, unless you are totally sold out to God, that word ‘whatever‘ could very easily cause you way more than you would ever bargain for, so use that word only if you truly mean it!

Prayer

Lord, You know us better than we know ourselves, and You know which of us carry that title ‘Christian’ out of sincerity in our relationship with You, and which of us do it out of convenience, popularity, or even public image. You created us Lord, and You know us intimately. May I humbly ask that You gently nudge the hearts of those that have not accepted Your call on their lives at all, and on those who may just be pretending and therefore fooling themselves and their family? Father, I believe that our time here on this earth, and especially our usefulness here on this earth, is drawing to a close. This precious young lady (Mary) has shown us the importance of being ready to accept Your call on our life. This may vary drastically, because there are folk of all walks of life that need to be reached for the Kingdom. You are God, and only You can direct us into the ways of God and to the people that need You in some way today. As exampled by Mary, may I be the first to say that I am Your humble servant and ask that Your mighty will be done in my life so that I might honestly and faithfully commit to all that You would have me do. Please also speak to the hearts of my readers who are willing to make such a commitment today. AMEN!

Footnote

Lessons From Zechariah

On 2016-12-09 By Ed AlgreenIn Bible Believing, Christian, Faith, Humility, Obedience, Righteousness, SurrenderLeave a comment

Friday, 2016-12-09

Scripture

Bible Reference: Luke 1:13; 18; 24

Bible Text: 13 But the angel said, “Don’t be afraid, Zechariah! God has heard your prayer. Your wife, Elizabeth, will give you a son, and you are to name him John.

18 Zechariah said to the angel, “How can I be sure this will happen? I’m an old man now, and my wife is also well along in years.”

23 When Zechariah’s week of service in the Temple was over, he returned home.

Bible Translation: New Living Translation (NLT)

My Take

I believe that we read over the Christmas Story so quickly each year that there are aspects of the story that do not get the attention it deserves. For example, look at these two aspects of Zechariah’s part in this story and let’s see together what we can learn from him. In the link for the Bible Reference above, I have given you a few surrounding verses that will give you the context from which I have taken the verses for my text. Here are two things that caught my attention, because it quickly reminded me of where we might be in our relationship with God even today:

Our prayers of expectancy – Our church prayer meetings are probably one of the least attended services that we have at our church, and I don’t believe we are that different to most churches today. However, I believe that most churches will acknowledge that they are a people of prayer! Regardless, let’s look at the experience by Zechariah: The angel revealed that this child of God was praying for a long time that his wife might bear a child. In verse 25 of this chapter, we are told by Elizabeth, that she felt somewhat disgraced in not having borne a child up to this stage in her life. So picture Zechariah approaching the incense altar, as he probably had done many times before, yet this time something was different, for there was an angel standing next to the altar. Knowing that he was in the temple all alone, yet to hear this heavenly being speak to him, and to speak specifically about an answer to a prayer item that he had pleaded before God on many occasions for, must have in itself be astonishing for Zechariah. But all of the same human feelings that we have today, came through in Zechariah, for he doubted. He just couldn’t believe that God was actually answering his prayer at a time like this, in he and his wife’s old age. Friends, why do we, like Zechariah, spend so much time in prayer, pleading our case before a holy and all-powerful God, yet never expecting our prayers to be answered? It’s like we pray hoping the best, but expecting the same old, same old – business as usual – everything remains unchanged. That truly is not the kind of God that we pray to friends? Why would our answer to prayer be any less of an expectation, when we consider all of the other miraculous things that God has shown to us through His Word, and that we may have been blessed to see by our ancestors of faith? Really, praise should be on our lips every day friends, for our almighty God answers our prayers every day. We may struggle to understand why a most powerful and awesome God would answer our prayers slightly different to the way we placed our order, but let’s remember that God knows what we need, if we need it, and when we need it. Let’s let Him be God, as we try harder to perfect our position as humble and obedient servants!
Our dedication to the Lord’s work – Notice in verse 23 that even after this miraculous experience with the angel, and the awesome news delivered to Zechariah in the temple, yet he stayed on and finished up his week of service in the temple! Oh my, how many of us would ever have done that? Imagine an angel of God telling you that your blind son, whom you have been praying for his eyesight ever since birth, can now see. Can you even imagine staying the rest of the week to finish up your work around the church, or finish up the week of revival services you started? Of course with all of the new communication tools and devices at our disposal today, we would immediately get in touch with home-base to validate what thought we heard the angel say to us, but what if the angel’s message told you to wait until you returned home to see for yourself. What would you do with yourself friend? I believe there would be lots of doubt, but yet you would be very anxious to speak with your son to see for yourself if this was truly a message from God. Why do you suppose God ever answers our prayers, when there’s so much doubt by us even from the time our prayers leave our mouth?

May I encourage you, especially at this Christmas time, to look a little deeper into the scripture and see what God might want to say to You through His Word? Friends, we especially need folk with Zechariah’s dedication around our churches showing us that we don’t step aside from our God-given responsibilities for every little hiccup. We still need our Elizabeth’s who will go straight to rejoicing when they hear of miracles, even if they sound super impossible to her. Look for values in the other characters that we hear about at Christmas and see what God might be teaching you through their story, won’t you?

Prayer

Father, Christmas-time is often a time that we remember all that You gave to us through Your Son, Jesus Christ. However, stories like this one today has helped us to examine the character of others that You involved in this wonder gift that You blessed us with. Please continue to teach us to pray in great expectancy, and to praise You for the answers that You bless us with every time. We are reminded that often we pray for the benefit of others, but not necessarily ready to accept the answer that You might give in return. Zechariah was a humble man who prayed and prayed for his dear wife, yet was challenged to believe that You really answered his prayer at such an unusual time in his life. Lord, we have every reason to believe that You hear our prayers and You answer us every time in ways that You see best at that particular time. We were reminded just yesterday in our study, that You will answer our prayers not only when it is best for us, but at a time when the glory for the answer will be directed to You, the only possible explanation or source of the answer. Please continue to work on our patience to wait on You. Yes, ask as directed in Your Word, but always be willing to wait for Your answers. Lord, You are most awesome in every way, and I thank You for who You are! AMEN!

Footnote

Our God-Tools for Dealing with The World

On 2016-12-08 By Ed AlgreenIn Bible Believing, Christian, Faith, Humility, Imitator of Christ, Obedience, Our Help comes from God, Righteousness, SurrenderLeave a comment

Thursday, 2016-12-08

Scripture

Bible Reference: 2 Corinthians 10:3-6

Bible Text: ³Although we live in the world, we don’t fight our battles with human methods. ⁴Our weapons that we fight with aren’t human, but instead they are powered by God for the destruction of fortresses. They destroy arguments, ⁵and every defense that is raised up to oppose the knowledge of God. They capture every thought to make it obedient to Christ. ⁶Once your obedience is complete, we are ready to punish any disobedience.

Bible Translation: Common English Bible (CEB)

My Take

I wonder if the usual observer would notice any difference in the way that Christians respond to arguments, or other daily battles and challenges, than they would notice with the ordinary person of this world! I believe that way too often we, followers of Jesus Christ, put Jesus aside while we use our worldly minds and actions to deal with individuals that we believe are getting the upper hand on us. Let me attempt to put these verses into perspective for you. This past Sunday in church, our pastor read the 23rd Psalm – a passage that we either hear read at every funeral, or at least posted inside every obituary, yet there were a few words that popped out off the page at me. In verse 3, the New Century Version reads: He gives me new strength. He leads me on paths that are right for the good of His name. Wow, it never occurred to me that the verse didn’t just say that God would lead me in the right paths, but also added that any praise attained from me walking that right path is for His name’s sake, and for His praise and His honor! Similarly, in these verses from 2 Corinthians, God is saying to me that when I was a follower of the leader of this world, Satan, I acted and spoke and did those things that were indicative of Satan. However, now that I am a child of the King, led by Him, following His example, and filled with the power of His Holy Spirit who has taken up residence inside of me, then what comes out of me, should match what’s inside of me. Why would I dare mess things up by reacting in my old sinful way, when I can surrender my will to that of Jesus Christ, and be led by His Holy Spirit to do miraculous things that only He can do? Friends, I believe these verses are written to show us how Paul dealt with everyday challenges under the unction and power of the Holy Spirit, who was able to do God-like things through him (Paul). Paul told the Corinthian church in verse 6, and I believe that God is still telling us today, that when we claim Jesus as Lord, and become truly submissive and obedient to the Him, then He will show His readiness to work through us to deal with the disobedience in those that we rub shoulders with, and/or are concerned about, every day. May I recommend that we each get before the Lord and ask Him to remove any sin that separates us from His desire to work through us to touch the lives of those in our circle of life, especially those who oppose Him?

Prayer

Lord Jesus, You are so worthy of our praise, for Your know our needs and our weaknesses even before we can voice them to You. Father, we will face even greater challenges today, but in full confidence we petition before a God who never changes, who can handle the challenges of yesterday, and who already knows the challenges that will come before Your saints even today. Please keep us holy, fully committed to You, and submissive to Your will and Your way of handling things. You have reminded us that our fight is not against flesh and blood, but against the powers of the evil one. May we learn to look beyond the faults of others, and instead seek Your face, Your will, and Your awesome power to again deal with the evil powers of Satan, even as they affect our family and friends that we will deal with today. Personally, I have to completely surrender my will and my all to thee again today Lord. May Your will consume me and Your Holy Spirit guide and direct me. May that same power be convincing to my readers today, so they also may surrender their will and their attitudes to You, Oh lord. AMEN!

Footnote

God’s Majestic Plan – In Spite of known Opposition

On 2016-12-05 By Ed AlgreenIn Bible Believing, Christian, Faith, Humility, Obedience, Righteousness, SurrenderLeave a comment

Monday, 2016-12-05

Scripture

Bible Reference: Isaiah 40:1-5

Bible Text: ¹ “Comfort, yes, comfort my people,” says your God. ²“Speak tenderly to Jerusalem and tell her that her sad days are gone. Her sins are pardoned, and I have punished her in full for all her sins.”

³Listen! I hear the voice of someone shouting, “Make a road for the Lord through the wilderness; make him a straight, smooth road through the desert. ⁴Fill the valleys; level the hills; straighten out the crooked paths, and smooth off the rough spots in the road. ⁵The glory of the Lord will be seen by all mankind together.” The Lord has spoken—it shall be.

Bible Translation: The Living Bible (TLB)

My Take

Israel had been dealt quite a hand by prophets who threatened what God would do in response to their wickedness and sin. However God, through His servant Isaiah, brought hope to those who trusted in God in spite of the sin that they cringed at in their wicked neighbors every day, for he told of the coming of the Messiah! In fact, in verses 1 & 2, it was like God had assured Isaiah that he should now share some good news with His people. I have heard the following verses repeated at many Christmas programs in the past and even used in sermons around Christmas time, but my study of this has really opened my eyes to the meaning of this. We will see later in the New Testament (In Matt 3:3; Mark 1:3; Luke 3:4; and in John 1:23) where John the Baptist again repeated these words as he went about preaching the coming of the Messiah. The truth being proclaimed was that the Messiah would face many challenges, such as one would face in the wilderness, or the desert, or the mountains, or along crooked and rough roads. You know, similar to what churches face today or that evangelists are challenged with today. But wait a moment you might quickly retort, what challenges? Friends, the message of Jesus Christ faces as many challenges as, or more than John the Baptist imagined in his proclamation. For today we face the mountains of increasing government regulations; the crooked paths of our society prohibiting the proclamation of Jesus Christ in many public environments because they fear that some might object; the objection of prayer or Bible teaching in our schools, in spite of increased crime rates, molestation, teacher abuse, and increased costs by keeping law enforcement on site. Friends, I believe it is very obvious that we have more obstacles to smooth out, remove or overcome than Isaiah or John the Baptist spoke of in their address to the people of their day. However the Word of God speaks, and in verse 5 we are told that the glory of God will be seen by ALL mankind, in accordance with what the Lord has spoken. So are you a part of the problem, or part of the solution? Did you consider this in your recent voting (here in the US)? Do you make your voice count at school administration meetings? Notice that verse 5 says that the glory of the Lord WILL be seen – that’s not a ‘maybe, if you agree with it’ type of a statement. Jesus has come, and He WILL call us home to be with Him one day, if we know Him as Lord. Are you ready friend? Do your part by readying your world for His return, will you?

Prayer

Dear Lord in Heaven, thank You Father for sending Your one and only Son, in spite of knowing beforehand what He would face here on earth, with so much opposition, hatred and rejection. I realize that this was all a part of Your majestic plan for our eternal salvation, and I thank You sincerely for touching the hardened heart of this old sinner and convincing me of my need for a Savior. Lord, I am saddened to see the huge mountains still in place by many of my family and friends, for they have built their defenses and want nothing to do with You, the Savior who died for their sake. Lord, please continue to work on them, for these are Your children that You have placed on this earth. And it’s because of that awesome love for every child, that I believe You will continue to work on challenging them and helping them to straighten out the path towards salvation. I hurt for my Brothers and Sisters, because they are gambling with life and their decisions about meeting You, but they have no control over the very next moment in their life, for TODAY is the day of salvation. Lord, may they trust in You today, is my sincere and humble prayer this morning, AMEN!

Footnote

Steeped In Sin, Yet God…

On 2016-12-03 By Ed AlgreenIn Bible Believing, Christian, Faith, Obedience, Our Help comes from God, Righteousness, SurrenderLeave a comment

Saturday, 2016-12-03

Scripture

Bible Reference: Isaiah 64:6-9

Bible Text: We’ve sinned and kept at it so long! Is there any hope for us? Can we be saved? We’re all sin-infected, sin-contaminated. Our best efforts are grease-stained rags. We dry up like autumn leaves – sin-dried, we’re blown off by the wind. No one prays to you or makes the effort to reach out to you Because you’ve turned away from us, left us to stew in our sins.

Still, God, you are our Father. We’re the clay and you’re our potter: All of us are what you made us. Don’t be too angry with us, O God. Don’t keep a permanent account of wrongdoing. Keep in mind, please, we are your people—all of us.

Bible Translation:The Message (MSG)

My Take

We hear it often, and we may have even thought it at times ourselves: “I am so dirty with sin, that no one wants anything to do with me – not even God”. However, I hope that many of you who are guilty of that statement are actually reading this devotional today, because like me, I hope that you will find hope in what these verses are really conveying to us. You see, at this Advent season on the church calendar, we especially think of the reason that Jesus came to earth, and we specifically reflect on, and celebrate His miraculous birth at Christmas. Friends, I am convinced that God sent His Son for one specific reason – not just to heal the sick, broken-hearted or discouraged; and not just to raise the dead from the grave; but He also saw how bad it was getting on earth with blatant sin – murder; rape; adultery; and all sorts of wickedness. He realized that sacrificing of animals for forgiveness of sin was just not working, so in spite of the enormous sin going on at that time, He sent His very own Son to simplify the act of one seeking forgiveness of their sin. You see, God’s mission has always been to see His people live like He intended here on this earth, and to always seek His leadership and His guidance, so that we might desire to do what He originally created us for – to worship Him and Him alone. Friends, I wonder how saddened God must be with His creation, when He looks around earth and sees how far we have strayed from His design. Satan is rampant in our families; in our churches; in our cities, states, country, and indeed in our world. Unfortunately, God has given us freedom of choice in deciding who we will follow, and in spite of God’s perfect design; the gift of His precious Son; and the promise of eternity in heaven for those who believe in Jesus; yet it is very evident that the attraction of worldly possessions; fun; and self-indulgence has been more attractive to mankind – even at the expense of knowing that he will spent eternity in the pit of Hell with his worldly leader – Satan, who has nothing to offer but eternal damnation, unending fire, and nothing but pain and destruction. I believe our challenge for today is simply to open our eyes to the love of Jesus, for I don’t believe that anyone who acknowledges the love of God for His children by sacrificing His very own Son, will willfully turn their backs on Him and settle for the only other alternative – the offerings of Satan. We have a Savior who loves us unconditionally, and will accept us today, if only we will harken to His call. There really is no reason to wait friend. God will work with you to rid yourself of everything that causes you to sin against Him, so please don’t confuse the order of things. Accept Him first, and ask for His help to fully dedicate yourself to Him. This could be the best Christmas ever for you and your family and friends who ‘put up’ with you!

Prayer

Lord God, we are such a blessed people. You have been so patient, loving and kind to us in so many ways. I thank You for touching my life and convincing me of my need for Your Son, Jesus. Lord, I am very concerned for the unsaved in my family, my church and throughout my community, and I ask that You patiently tender their hearts again today so that they may hear about You and believe. I have a special place in my heart for my readers also Lord, and I ask that should there be one who happens across this devotional today that have yet to make a decision to surrender their life to You, that this may be the day. Lord, may this be a weekend that churches will be filled with seekers. Lord, may those churches release those parishioners into the world as new-born Christians, because of the preaching of Your Word, and Your miraculous touch on their lives. Lord may they be obedient to Your call on their life and accept You as their Savior, For this is my humble and sincere prayer, AMEN!

Footnote

Get Me Outt’a Here, PLEASE?

On 2016-11-29 By Ed AlgreenIn Bible Believing, Christian, Faith, Humility, Obedience, Our Help comes from God, Righteousness, Surrender2 Comments

Tuesday, 2016-11-29

Scripture

Bible Reference: Romans 7:24-25

Bible Text: ²⁴There is no happiness in me! Who can set me free from my sinful old self? ²⁵God’s Law has power over my mind, but sin still has power over my sinful old self. I thank God I can be free through Jesus Christ our Lord!

Bible Translation:New Life Version (NLV)

My Take

Ever felt like you were at the stage of being overwhelmed and wish you could get off this runaway train called ‘life’? May I suggest that there is no need for a psychiatrist, because we all feel that way sometime! In fact, in our scripture today it appears like Paul was feeling in a similar way, for he recognized the pull that sin was having in his life, while in his mind he had dedicated his life to the Lord. He was in a dilemma, for in his mind he wanted to be loyal to Jesus Christ, yet his sinful nature kept him questioning his decisions, and pulling him back towards sinful actions. Friends, Paul demonstrated an awesome reminder for us, that while we may sometimes feel tugged at by the ‘dark side’, we must fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. When we are feeling down and out, we must learn to look up, for our redemption comes from above! When we are feeling overwhelmed by circumstances beyond our control, we must call on Jesus – the one who overcame all odds, including death itself, and now sits at the right hand of the Father praying for us. Friends, Jesus is our intercessor and longs to hear from us, so that He may speak with His Father on our behalf. Are you staying in touch? Very often we find ourselves in situations where we are in well over our heads, and outside of our capabilities. Please don’t forget that Jesus is there with outstretched arms waiting for you to ask and call on Him. He provides life! Life that is eternal, and free from all sin and temptation. Life that is totally out of this world! Won’t you trust Him today to give you freedom to live stress free here on earth, because of the assurance that He can handle all that we place at His feet in surrender to His will and His way? Having accepted Jesus as Lord of your life, and trusting Him with your challenges, brings peace in a very chaotic world here on this earth. If you don’t have that type of relationship with my Savior, may I encourage you to read my Footnote, so that you may seek to know Him? I would gladly introduce you to my Lord, if you contact me! It’s up to you friend!

Prayer

Father, please forgive us for often waiting to call on you only as a last resort. We were a priority in Your eyes, for you gave up your own life for us, even while we were yet sinners. I believe that as long as we reside here on planet earth, sin will penetrate and impede our walk for You. This frustrates us Lord, and we need power from on high to help us overcome and deal with our daily frustrations. Please open our eyes and constantly remind us of whose we are, so that we might always look to You, especially when we feel like sin is penetrating us and impeding our walk. We want to represent You well, but we can only do that with Your help, Your guidance and Your power. You are our Strength, our Protector, our Guide and our Deliverer from sin. We need You in every aspect of our life, and we surrender our will to Yours oh Lord. AMEN!

Footnote

From the Stump of Jesse – Jesus!

On 2016-11-28 By Ed AlgreenIn Bible Believing, Christian, Faith, Obedience, Righteousness, SurrenderLeave a comment

Monday, 2016-11-28

Scripture

Bible Reference: Isaiah 11:1-2

Bible Text: ¹A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.
²The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—
    the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
    the Spirit of counsel and of might,
    the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord.

Bible Translation: The New International Version (NIV)

My Take

It is times like this that we see how the Bible fits together like a glove! I was reading earlier in Deuteronomy 18 where God said that He would send a prophet just like Moses, for He would be obedient to God and to every word that He commands Him to say. In that chapter, it was very evident that God was speaking of His Son Jesus, that would later be born of a virgin in Bethlehem. In this scripture today, it is evident that the same reference in Luke 1:27 where Luke said that Jesus would be born of a virgin named Mary, who was engaged to a carpenter, Joseph, a descendant of David, is very much the same as referenced in today’s scripture, that Jesus is of the root of, or from the stump of Jesse! I also found it fascinating that the seven gifts mentioned in this chapter that Jesus would benefit from – rest; wisdom; understanding; counsel; might; knowledge; and fear (respect for God), make up, and references the same sevenfold Spirit spoken of in Revelation 1:4! Friends, if you are anything like me, you have probably been very hooked into the New Testament and only hit the Old Testament when you absolutely have to. In reading through the Bible, I have been blessed to see that our Bible is all-inclusive and not separated by Testaments to cause segregation of one from the other. I have a pastor who teaches that we can find Jesus in every page of the Old Testament! Examples such as the one illustrated herein will cause you to believe that pastor, and encourage you to search for more! God had a plan in mind from the very beginning, I am so glad that embedded in that plan was His precious Son, Jesus, who would be born through miraculous means, and His life would touch the lives of so many, to make a miraculous way for them to enter Heaven’s portals because of a single word ‘grace’. All of this was done because of you and I Brothers and Sisters! The only thing needed for you to be recognized on that day of reconciliation friend, is to personally decide that you want this Savior of mine so much that you are willing to surrender your will to His will. In making this commitment, invite Jesus into your heart, mind and soul and give Him control of your life. I’ve done this, and been living over 40 years as His child, and submissive to His will. You can do this friend! Please read my Footnote for help on how to proceed. I would love for you to contact me, if you don’t have a local Bible teaching pastor that you know. I would love to pray with you and give you guidance, if I could.

Prayer

Father, You are so awesome! Through a great series of events You presented to us Your very own Son, Jesus, as a babe born in Bethlehem. We have been celebrating His birth for centuries at Christmas, and I thank You sincerely for this gift! While recognizing the gift, and the birth of Your Son, I believe very deeply, based on Your Word, that Your greatest desire is that mankind would seek out Your Son and accept Him personally in their lives, so that they might one day be accepted into Your kingdom. Lord please teach us to be obedient to Your Word in all that we do. May You be glorified because of the decisions made today here in my small town and throughout the world. I believe that You are earnestly working on the final chapter, I pray that we all might be ready! AMEN!