Category: Eternal Life

My Hope Is In You Lord!

On By Ed AlgreenIn A Lamp unto My Path, Bible Believing, Celebrate God, Christian, Eternal Life, Hope, Things EternalLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE

Studied: Job 17

OBSERVATION (What is God saying here?)

Job 17:1-4 ~ My spirit is crushed, and my life is nearly snuffed out. The grave is ready to receive me. I am surrounded by mockers. I watch how bitterly they taunt me. “You must defend my innocence, O God, since no one else will stand up for me. You have closed their minds to understanding, but do not let them triumph. (NLT)

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

I believe that often we find ourselves in what we believe to be a vacuum where we feel like there is only us in this world, and definitely only us with the serious problems that we are encountering at the time. However, in reading this passage this morning I am reassured that God’s Word is vital to us in ALL circumstances of our lives, for we can find situations very similar to what we, or friends that we are praying for, are facing today. Once we find those biblical illustrations, we also find God’s answers to those challenging times. In the verses copied here in my ‘Observation’ we can see where Job was very discouraged and feeling like he had been beaten up on by his peers, to the extent that he is now having to share the blame for the condition in which he has found himself, so he blames God. This sounds so much like us today. Let’s pass the blame along, for surely it’s not me that caused my friends to act like my enemies. In fact, we may even go as far as to blame God – for had it not been for our trying to please Him, we would still be on the best side of our friends’ admiration like we had been all along! Job was really distraught here in this chapter, and friends we get very distraught at times also. Bottom line is, those who keep their eye upon heaven as their end, will keep their feet in the paths of religion as their way, whatever difficulties and discouragements they may meet with. Let’s remember that our goal is to be like Christ while here on this earth, and being with Him in Heaven is our ultimate destination. All else we can handle, with God’s help and our determination.

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

Father I feel like I become stronger in my faith and understanding of the awesome God that You are, as I face challenges such as Job tells us about in this chapter. Please continue to give me strength, and the wisdom to look beyond my challenges, and full into Your wonderful face, with constant reminders of the ultimate place that You have prepared for me in Heaven, for it is through these type of spiritual eyes that I will gain strength to overcome the struggles and challenges around me today.

My Name’s in the Book!

On By Ed AlgreenIn Born Again, Eternal Life, Faith, Praise, Resurrection Day, Thank You Jesus, The Book of LifeLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE

Studied: Revelation 20  

OBSERVATION

Revelation 20:12 ~ I also saw all the dead people standing in front of that throne. Every one of them was there, no matter who they had once been. Several books were opened, and then the book of life was opened. The dead were judged by what those books said they had done.

APPLICATION

In John 3:16 I am told in part “…so that everyone who has faith in him will have eternal life and never really die.” So it is with faith this morning that I celebrate that my name is in the Book of Life and I will live eternally with God when He calls me home. Praise God that I can celebrate that truth today, and not have to wait until the Book is opened to be told “Go away for I never knew you”. I cannot be proud of all the things I have done, but glory to God I have a mediator who stands in the gap for me and who guides my every step, speaks to the Father on my behalf, encourages me and leads me in a path of righteousness every day. In fact He is looking so forward to the day when I will join Him, that even today He is preparing a home for me. My earthly father took such good care of me here on this earth, but I believe that this was only a glimpse of the loving care that my heavenly Father will take care of me (and my earthly dad) when I am called away from this old earth.

A Force to Reckon With

On By Ed AlgreenIn Bible Believing, Born Again, Christian, Eternal Life, Faith, Humility, Obedience, Peace, Worry no more1 Comment

SCRIPTURE

Studied: Revelation 12  

OBSERVATION

Revelation 12:7-9 ~ Then there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon and his angels. And the dragon lost the battle, and he and his angels were forced out of heaven. This great dragon—the ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, the one deceiving the whole world—was thrown down to the earth with all his angels.

APPLICATION

I am reminded here that old Satan was a force to reckon with in heaven, so who am I to be so naive and think that he is of no consequence in my life, or in my world? I believe that the main thing that I must concentrate on is that greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world!! Praise be to God, I serve the One who overcame the temptations of Satan and won the battle. The one who conquered death and the grave, and won the battle, yes even today I can sing – “

Less We Forget

On By Ed AlgreenIn Bible Believing, Christian, Eternal Life, Faith, Forgiveness, Humility, Love, Obedience, RighteousnessLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE

Studied: 2 Chronicles 36  

OBSERVATION

2 Chronicles 36:14-16 ~ The people of Judah and even the priests who were their leaders became more unfaithful. They followed the disgusting example of the nations around them and made the LORD’s holy temple unfit for worship. But the LORD God felt sorry for his people, and instead of destroying the temple, he sent prophets who warned the people over and over about their sins. But the people only laughed and insulted these prophets. They ignored what the LORD God was trying to tell them, until he finally became so angry that nothing could stop him from punishing Judah and Jerusalem.

APPLICATION

If it wasn’t for the names and places mentioned in this passage, we may have thought that this was referring to Avon Park, or the United States, or almost any part of our current world, as it appears like we have become such an unfaithful bunch today. When I consider all that Jesus did for me at Calvary, and all through my life in the blessings that He has poured out on me, I should find myself at His feet worshipping Him most of the time, for who am I that a King should die for and sacrifice so much for? But this is yet another reminder that the sacrifice made on my behalf was out of such love for His child/children, because He wanted to create a way that I/we could have eternal life with Him. While I have accepted Jesus as Lord of my life, and am forever grateful, I look forward to the day that I could set aside the desires of this world and dedicate myself to living and serving Jesus in ways that would make Him proud of His child. Now having said that, I also believe that no matter how much I do I could never repay or show my gratefulness in things I do, but in and through the characteristics that I reflect when I speak, or when I react to circumstances – that I do it from a heart of God’s love. For becoming more like Him is my ultimate goal and my daily challenge, God being my helper. Ignoring the challenge to be more like Him could easily lead to following the evil ways of this world and Satan, and as we are reminded in verse 16, this could lead to God becoming very angry with us and in turn, punishing us like He did Judah and Jerusalem.

A Glimpse of Heaven!

On By Ed AlgreenIn Bible Believing, Born Again, Eternal Life, Forgiveness, HeavenLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE

Studied: Revelation 4

OBSERVATION

Revelation 4:8-11 ~ … Day after day and night after night they keep on saying, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty — the one who always was, who is, and who is still to come.” Whenever the living beings give glory and honor and thanks to the one sitting on the throne (the one who lives forever and ever), the twenty-four elders fall down and worship the one sitting on the throne (the one who lives forever and ever). And they lay their crowns before the throne and say, “You are worthy, O Lord our God, to receive glory and honor and power. For you created all things, and they exist because you created what you pleased.”

APPLICATION

In the Revelation given to John that is described in this chapter, a description is given of what things look like around the throne of God, and among the descriptions, in verse three it was described as “The one sitting on the throne was as brilliant as gemstones—like jasper and carnelian. And the glow of an emerald circled his throne like a rainbow”. Additionally there is an image of living beings constantly worshipping the King of Kings and chanting as described at the beginning of the passage above. With this the 24 elders humbly laid their crowns at the foot of the throne and simply worshipped the King. I don’t know about anyone else, but as a child of the King, and as one saved by His grace, and as one who feels very watched-over/protected and loved by my Lord and my King, this excites me beyond words, as this is exactly what I look forward to whenever Jesus calls me home to be with Him. However, while here on this earth this thought is almost bitter sweet, because even though I can look forward to this day, I know that I have loved ones who have rejected my Savior, and will be turned away from this wonderful experience in the world to come, for Jesus will no longer deal in convicting hearts to follow Him then, for we would have ‘arrived’ (praise be to God!). Therefore my challenge today is to do my part in representing Christ well in all that I do and say, so that others may be influenced by the Christ that lives within me, for my aim is to never be a stumbling block to any work of Christ as He deals with the unsaved, but instead to be a living witness and reinforce the love of Jesus that others need, God being my helper.

PRAYER

Father I am reminded today of the wonderful place that You have gone to prepare for me and other Christians. With this reminder, I am also made very aware that time could be very short for my loved ones who have not yet accepted You, for You have taught throughout Your Word that TODAY is the day of salvation. You know my relatives and friends in a very personal way, as You know me. Please tender their hearts again today and speak warmly, but sternly to them about the condition of their soul and where their life is headed. Selfishly I am asking that they join me in heaven at the foot of Your throne. Personally I know that this seems impossible at this time for some, as I know their stubborn personality and the grip that Satan has on them, but Father I know that I serve the God Almighty, who specializes in what appears to be impossibilities for Your kids like me. Thank You for always hearing my prayer. Thank You for wisely wading through my wishes and answering those that You see fit, and that is in accordance with Your will. Based on Your Word, I believe that Your wish is that all may be saved, so I believe that I am asking this within the confines of Your will. Thank You for answered prayer and thank You for listening to my cry today. Please show me what I might do to help my brother or my sister to make this life-changing decision. Thank You for providing a way for us to one day transition from this world of sin, to a home briefly described by John in this passage today!

Know that You Have Life Eternal

On By Ed AlgreenIn Born Again, Christian, Eternal Life, Faith, Forgiveness, Heaven, Humility, Love, Obedience, SinLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE

Studied: 1 John 5

 

OBSERVATION

1 John 5:13-15 ~ I write this letter to you who believe in the Son of God so you will know you have eternal life. And this is the boldness we have in God’s presence: that if we ask God for anything that agrees with what he wants, he hears us. If we know he hears us every time we ask him, we know we have what we ask from him.

APPLICATION

Here are some words of encouragement for us today, some key points on which we can build our faith in Jesus Christ and reassurance for us as Christians to know that our living, powerful Savior is actively involved in our lives, as we give Him room and permission to. Here are the key points that really encouraged me:

  • Through God’s leading, with His direction, and through His grace, I accepted Jesus as my Savior back in 1976. God, through John is assuring me here that I have eternal life, therefore one day when life shall leave my earthly body, I will be taken away to forever be with my Savior in heaven! Although I already knew this, every time I am reminded of this it bring such a peace, reassurance and excitement to me. I can’t imagine why the Master of this universe would consider even me to one day join Him in glory, but I am satisfied that it will happen, praise be to God! As a side note, what is also exciting is that while this is an exclusive group that will get to join Jesus Christ at His right hand, the invitation to join the group is open to ALL who will accept Jesus as Lord and Savior of their life. This is something that no one should refuse. I constantly pray that I will see all of my family and loved ones there, so I am praying that they will accept Jesus today, while they are still able to. Why don’t you consider doing the same thing friend?
  • As a child of the King, we have the boldness while in God’s presence to ask for anything, that He agrees with, and we can be assured that He hears us. As the last sentence in theses verses says, if God hears our prayer and it is in accordance with His will for our lives, then we can consider it done. The verse actually says that we know that we already have it! While this is super exciting, one might ask well how will I know if it is God’s will for me? For those that ask arbitrarily without any type of relationship with God, this will probably be extremely difficult. After all, think about a marriage relationship – if after leaving the altar where you said your vows, the husband goes one way and the wife another, not only is there a lack of relationship between them (although they are ‘married’), but one of them will have no idea what pleases the other in three months when they get together for dinner! Likewise, to know God’s will we must be constant in prayer and Bible Study so that we may learn His heart’s desire for us. There is a group study called ‘The Mind of Christ’. This is something that you cannot discern from a distance, this requires an intimate relationship with Christ. One of the huge ways that one can be helped with this is by connecting with a body of believers (a bible believing/teaching church). Not only will you hear the Word of God preached and taught, but to network with others of like faith brings an enormous sense of love, accountability, boldness and strength that could help both you and them through daily challenges with life here in this wicked world in which we now live. If you are not connected already friend, I encourage you to give this a try. Believe me, it works!

PRAYER

  1. Lord Jesus, You are so awesome. You have provided the means for us to have eternal life. You hear our prayers, even though we tend to stray away from Your teaching so much. I often feel so undeserved of such love, but again today I want to thank You for that love. I feel especially blessed, loved and cared for by You and can easily say thank You for all that You do in my life. Forgive me for sometimes asking for things that may not fit within your will for my life at the present time, but thank you for redirecting me towards a right path pleasing to You. Please be my guide each and every day, for

The Evidence of Jesus in Us

On By Ed AlgreenIn Bible Believing, Born Again, Christian, Eternal Life, Faith, Humility, RighteousnessLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE

Studied: John 3

OBSERVATION

John 3:30 ~ Jesus must become more important, while I become less important.

APPLICATION

John had just compared the importance of allowing Jesus to shine in all that is accomplished through us, to that of a wedding where the groom must be the shining star and not the best man. I believe that if we ever hope to see family, friends and loved ones accept Jesus as Lord, then we must be careful to allow Jesus to shine very brightly through us. In fact, I would like Jesus to shine so brightly through me that everyone will see Jesus and think only of Him because of my actions or words, and this is because I want to see them do God’s will for their lives and not my selfish desire.

PRAYER

Father I pray that Jesus will shine so brightly in all that I say or do that it will be evident to the lost person that it is You getting their attention. I am Your servant, so please use me to accomplish Your work in the areas in which I find myself, but in the cases that really need it, may it be very evident that it is You at work. I acknowledge this morning that I am nothing without You, and I can do nothing without Your wisdom, power and knowledge, so please speak to Your children through myself and other Christians today that want to see Your work accomplished. May this be a day that we can celebrate Your work in the lives of those close to us.

Born Again?

On By Ed AlgreenIn Bible Believing, Born Again, Christian, Eternal Life, Faith, Heaven, Humility, RighteousnessLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE

Studied: John 3

OBSERVATION

John 3:3-7 ~ Jesus replied, “I tell you for certain that you must be born from above before you can see God’s kingdom!” Nicodemus asked, “How can a grown man ever be born a second time?” Jesus answered: I tell you for certain that before you can get into God’s kingdom, you must be born not only by water, but by the Spirit. Humans give life to their children. Yet only God’s Spirit can change you into a child of God. Don’t be surprised when I say that you must be born from above.

APPLICATION

We often hear the terminology “You must be born again” or “You must accept Jesus as Lord” in order to enter into heaven one day. To those that are unfamiliar with the Word of God, it must be difficult to understand this terminology, and it must sound to you like it did to Nicodemus in these verses. However, Jesus explained that just as in our natural birth we are born from the womb through water into a new birth – a true transformation, the second birth is from a natural sinful life through the Spirit of God that will give us a brand new birth in Christ, another transformation. It is as easy as A, B, C to do this. Be ready by ADMITting that you are a sinner in need of a Savior (Jesus). BELIEVE that Jesus is Lord and that only He can save you and give you access into heaven. Then CONFESS your sin to Jesus and ask His forgiveness. It’s as simple as that, Admit, Believe and Confess. Do this and you will be saved, friend! Go then and tell your friends about the change/transformation that has occurred in your life!

PRAYER

Father I thank You for saving me, and for forgiving me of my sin, and giving me life eternal. Please speak to anyone reading this today and convince them of any decisions that they need to make. Please tender the hearts of my family and loved ones that still need to surrender their lives to You. May this be a day of decision for them. May they go to bed tonight with the assurance of knowing that they have made the most important decision of their life and that it is a positive decision towards knowing You as their personal Savior. As this is read, decisions will be made. One decision will be to accept Jesus as Lord or the alternative is to continue a life without Christ that could be into eternal damnation (Hell) before the sun sets tonight. I love my family and friends too much to know that any of them will make the latter decision, so please soften their hearts even now dear Jesus.