Category: Exemplary Living

Living in line with True Christianity

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Christian Living, Exemplary Living, Holy Living, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Wednesday, 2020-09-16
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

BIBLE REFERENCE: Titus 2:1-7
TRANSLATION: Living Bible (TLB)

BIBLE TEXT:  1 But as for you, speak up for the right living that goes along with true Christianity. 2 Teach the older men to be serious and unruffled; they must be sensible, knowing and believing the truth and doing everything with love and patience. 3 Teach the older women to ….. 4 These older women must train the younger women to ….. 6 In the same way, urge the young men to ….. 7 And here you yourself must be an example to them of good deeds of every kind. Let everything you do reflect your love of the truth and the fact that you are in dead earnest about it.

OBSERVATION: At home we are raised by our parents and we will pick up every little habit of theirs. They will also insist on every little rule that they were taught when being raised by their parents. At church, we hope that our kids our taught the same principles as at home, but with a whole lot more emphasis on what God expects of them. Paul know that if Titus was to be successful in raising up a generation to be more like God, he had to not only preach the Word, but demonstrate it in his life, and teach the whole family to be more like Jesus in every way. Each member of the home is addressed in the verses we will meditate on today. Stick with me!

APPLICATION: I feel like it is very important that we pay attention to verse 1 above, where Titus was instructed to train his members in line with Scripture. For without this guide, we will tend to pass along for living our personal principles, that have been tainted by the world. Also in verse 7, Titus was told that he should be sure to live the life he was teaching, so that He not appear hypocritical in what he was teaching. But here are some practical steps Paul taught for each member of the family:
~ Older Men – Not to be ruffled by every little error, or argument, or mishap, but instead be sensible in knowing the Truth, understanding the Truth, and practicing the Truth in all aspects of their lives with patience and love. I believe this is how one gains respect. Yes, I know that we all lose it at times, especially when things appear to be going haywire, but when our minds are fixed on Jesus Christ, we tend to realize real quick that others are acting out because of the same flaws that are usually evident in ourselves;
~ Older Women – Teach them to be quiet and respectful, and not to go around gossiping and speaking evil of others. They must be able to teach their children the right way to live, so they must carefully do the same personally. In fact, God expects older women to set the stage for their younger counterparts;
~ Train Younger Women – Interestingly this was a responsibility given to the older women. I believe that it is especially important that our older women determine in themselves to live out the following principals, if they expect the younger women to listen and obey them: have a quiet nature; show love for their husband and children; think smartly and cleanly; spend time in their own homes; being kind to, and show obedience to their husbands; and live as God expects, so that no one can speak against them;
~ Younger Men – Urge them to live, carefully obeying God’s laws and seriously following the laws of God.
Friends, I believe that God wants us to pay close attention to what He taught through Paul in the Scriptures. Each one reading this devotional will fit into one of the categories above, so I encourage you to take responsibility for obeying the Word. Be sure that you are not looking for excuses to help explain your errors and disobedience. Others are following in your footsteps, please be sure that they are being pointed towards the cross of Jesus Christ!

PRAYER: Dear Lord, thank You for providing the Way, the Truth and the example for us to follow here on earth. Lord, our eyes are on You and our minds in the Book, please guide us to Your truths every time we open Your Word and give us the boldness and determination to live like You intended, so that others might be attracted to You. There’s a great day coming for each of us! Oh that we may be found ready for the Kingdom whenever Your trumpet sounds! AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: There are two more pages on my blog at https://NuggetsFromGodsWord.org that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading or listening to this devotional, please go to the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and see all of my posts, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. I would encourage you to find a church home near by your home, and attend as frequently as you could. Get to know God, and allow His people to encourage and strengthen you in your Christian walk, while making every effort to be a blessing to them. God is at work among His people! Please consider growing in your faith, as you worship with fellow believers!

The Reason I Live

On By Ed AlgreenIn Christian Living, Exemplary Living, Heaven, Holy Living, Living with purpose, Righteous LivingLeave a comment

Thursday, 2020-01-23

Bible Reference: Philippians 1:20-24
Translation: The Living Bible (TLB)

Bible Text: 20 For I live in eager expectation and hope that I will never do anything that will cause me to be ashamed of myself but that I will always be ready to speak out boldly for Christ while I am going through all these trials here, just as I have in the past; and that I will always be an honor to Christ, whether I live or whether I must die. 21 For to me, living means opportunities for Christ, and dying—well, that’s better yet! 22 But if living will give me more opportunities to win people to Christ, then I really don’t know which is better, to live or die! 23 Sometimes I want to live, and at other times I don’t, for I long to go and be with Christ. How much happier for me than being here! 24 But the fact is that I can be of more help to you by staying!

OBSERVATION: We are often so sad over the death of a loved one, and rightfully so, for we worry about how we will survive everyday life without them. But in our Scripture today, Paul directs us to consider our value while alive and also after we move from this life to the next. Paul found it very challenging to determine if his life was more valuable here on earth, or with His heavenly Father. As we meditate, let’s not be concerned about what we could get out of either side of heaven, but rather, what we might give – for the sake of the Master.

APPLICATION: Of special note regarding this scripture: Paul is in prison at the time of this writing! So if Paul has the fortitude and determination to live so that He could do more of the Master’s work, even from within four prison walls, how much more those of us who are ‘free’ should be striving to do the Master’s work? Friends, we whine and we complain about so much, but do we should really have the heart of Jesus, or of Paul, in wanting to see as many won to the Lord as possible? In the above scripture, I bolded a few sentences that, I believe, is worthy of note:
* Living means opportunities for Christ – it is only while we have breath in our bodies that we can be witnesses for the Lord, or care about sinners. Let’s not wait any longer friends, we’re on the winning side and it is our privilege, our honor, and our responsibility to share the Good News of our Savior and Lord;
* Living will give more opportunities to win people to Christ – Often we will find that it’s the threat of impending death that gives us incentive to share the love of Christ that lives inside of us. Please allow me to awaken  you to the fact that we have no assurances about the next minute. The moment of opportunity is the present. Please share the love of Christ who lives inside of you with all that you care about and/or come into contact with today!
* I can be of more help to you by staying – Only Jesus Christ has power beyond the grave. He is allowing us to remain here on earth so that we can glorify Him and spread the Good News about the Savior who loved us enough to die for us. In a nutshell friend, this is our mission!
Friends, we remain on this earth to be shining examples of our Lord Jesus Christ.  It’s not about politics, gossip, sports, the lotto or any other purpose, so use every opportunity with everyone you know, that the reason you live is to represent Jesus, and try to evangelize the lost, before it is eternally too late.

PRAYER: The reason that I live is …….. Lord, as we complete that sentence today in humility and prayer before You, I ask that You will take those completed sentences and correct any misgivings about our mission, compared to the one You have assigned to us. I am pretty convinced that our mission is similar in nature to what Paul shared with the Philippians, because throughout Your Word we are told the importance of surrendering our lives to You, so that we, in turn, may be a blessing to others and convince them of their need for our Savior. Please work on us today and guide us to do Your perfect will, for this is my sincere and humble plea. It’s in Your beautiful and bountiful name that I ask all this, dear Jesus, AMEN!

May Others Praise Jesus Because of You

On By Ed AlgreenIn Evidence of Faith, Example of Christ, Exemplary Living, Pleasing to God, Praise, Praise-worthyLeave a comment

Friday, 2019-01-11

Bible Reference: Matthew 5:16
Translation: The Voice (VOICE)

Bible Text: 16 You are like that illuminating light. Let your light shine everywhere you go, that you may illumine creation, so men and women everywhere may see your good actions, may see creation at its fullest, may see your devotion to Me, and may turn and praise your Father in heaven because of it.

OBSERVATION: This verse shows us what happens when someone sees the glory of God, even through something He may say or do through us (Christians). The emphasis here is ‘God’ and His mighty works, and not our abilities. Let’s meditate on how we might best align ourselves in this scenario.

APPLICATION: We have some who are super smart, and we have some who could use a lot of help, while others place themselves at the feet of Jesus with open hearts and ask God to fill them with His grace, His love, His wisdom and His mercy. Friends, it once again struck me as a very humbling thing that someone would actually praise God because of something I may have said or done! Of course, we want to extend praise and thanksgiving to the individual when we hear something of interest from them, because we want to encourage them. But can’t you see where there would be no better way of encouraging them, than for you to thank God: for creating them; for placing them in your path; for giving them the words that may have blessed you; or for giving them the financial capabilities to help you through some very tough times; or for speaking the right words to your son, that opened his eyes and heart to salvation? Wouldn’t it be awesome to walk up to your Sunday School teacher and instead of praising him for his giftedness in explaining the scriptures, you prayed with Him and glorified God for His gifts to this individual, which in turn brought a great blessing to you? Friends, as a worker in God’s kingdom, I could tell you right now that such an experience would help me change my mind from quitting, or lift my spirits beyond anything that might be said about my words or actions. You see, for those who are sincerely about the work of the Lord, it is all for His glory. So to hear Him being praised for any impact His ministry had through me, would be worth it all. May I encourage you to try this sometime, while I try to do the same? To God be the glory for everything that He does to get our attention or encourage us, even if He uses mere man to accomplish that!

PRAYER: Lord You are good and Your mercies are never ending. Thank You for all the ways that You get through to this humble servant. Thank You for all those that You have placed in the path of my readers and I, that encourage us personally, or remind us of Your awesome power and love. Please open our eyes to more miracles today that may happen right in front of us. Lord, may You be glorified at all times, especially in lieu of praises being addressed to us. We just don’t need that extra pride to deal with, as our strength, wisdom and direction comes from You alone. In Your name I pray, because it’s in You that I depend for my every move here on earth, so that You may be glorified. AMEN!

Excuses Won’t Work

On By Ed AlgreenIn Excuses, Exemplary Living, God's Will, God-honoring, Like JesusLeave a comment

Thursday, 2019-01-03

Bible Reference: Genesis 3:11-13
Translation: Easy-to-Read Version (ERV)

Bible Text: 11 God said to the man, “Who told you that you were naked? Did you eat fruit from that special tree? I told you not to eat from that tree!” 12 The man said, “The woman you put here with me gave me fruit from that tree. So I ate it.” 13 Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What have you done?” She said, “The snake tricked me, so I ate the fruit.”

OBSERVATION: Right from the very beginning of time, when there were only two humans alive, mankind found it easier to make excuses rather than owning up to their actions and accepting the consequences that may follow. Often this involves throwing the blame on someone else, with hopes that they will bear the brunt of the punishment for the crime. However, I believe that God might have a lesson for us to learn in this. Let’s think about the excuses we find, when trying to deflect blame on to others.

APPLICATION: Not sure when last you stopped to consider the many excuses we find in life, but I believe the habit is much worse than we could ever imagine! In our Scripture today, we might think of the peaceful garden that God created for His first children. How He created Adam and immediately saw how lonely he was, so He carefully chose to make Eve from Adam, to help set the stage of submission, that God wanted in place. God wanted to make sure that His kids learned right from the beginning that there were some rules – things that they would not be permitted to do, or touch, or eat. Are you starting to see a comparison to what we still face today in our various diets and disciplines? However, it is clear from the Word, that God carefully and lovingly created everything especially for us to enjoy – the beauty of His creation; food of many varieties; animals to bring life to everything around us; and a keen sense to recognize the God of this universe who loves us more than anything else in the world. Would you not assume that we would be immensely grateful, and therefore consistently and persistently looking for ways to praise our Father for His goodness? But right from the start, Adam and Eve assumed the attitude that is so prevalent in us, that no matter who sets the rules, we are going to do it our way. Yes, the serpent caused Eve to really ponder the rule set by God about the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden, but it was Eve who caved in and committed the sin in disobedience. Yes, Eve offered the fruit to Adam so she could have a partner in crime, but Adam had a choice to accept the fruit and sin, or be the spiritual leader of his home and lead Eve to a point of seeking forgiveness. I believe that our lesson to receive in this today, is that we are accountable before a holy God for our own sin. Of course I believe that we could help each other refrain from sinning, but I don’t believe there is ever a time that we could honestly stand before God and try to give the excuse that someone else caused us to sin. Let’s do our best to not let anything hinder us from praising God; from seeking His face in reflection and in honor to His holy name; from causing us to willingly disobey Him and sin – in spite of all that He has taught us. Remember, unlike our court systems, we will not stand before God with an attorney or witnesses who will try to find loopholes or excuses for our sin. It will be us alone, before God alone. He already knows the truth about every aspect of our life, and it will be up to us how willing we are to admit the truth about our words and our actions while here on earth. How well do you suppose you will do, without giving excuses?

PRAYER: Lord God, You provided a perfect setting in which we could live, and You provided everything we need to live in perfect harmony, and with respect for the One True God who created us. We approach You with deep regret that we have allowed so many things to step in the way of our right relationship with You. Please forgive us. We have entered into a brand new year, with opportunities to let our lights shine for you. Please grant us strength and wisdom to reject those ones who will cause us to sin, and fill us with so much of Yourself, that they will be convinced of their sin and search for You instead. Lord, Satan has taken such a hold on people around us that it is only with Your power and Your might, that we could ever survive the onslaught of sin. We need You desperately Lord. May Your kingdom come and Your will be done. AMEN!

God Provides

On By Ed AlgreenIn Example, Example of Christ, Exemplary LivingLeave a comment

Wednesday, 2019-01-02

Bible Reference: Genesis 1:29; Genesis 2:23-24
Translation: The Voice (VOICE)

Bible Text: Genesis 1:29 Look! I have given you every seed-bearing plant that grows on the earth and every fruit-bearing tree. They will be your food and nourishment.
Genesis 2:23 Adam: At last, a suitable companion, a perfect partner. Bone from my bones. Flesh from my flesh. I will call this one “woman” as an eternal reminder that she was taken out of man. 24 Now this is the reason a man leaves his father and his mother, and is united with his wife; and the two become one flesh.

OBSERVATION: Being only day two into my read through the Bible again, there are two things that have already caught my attention. Not only are we reminded that God really did know what He was doing, but we could also regain faith in our doctors, because we could hear their words echoed, especially as we read the focal verses today. Having studied the Bible some already, I believe that these two things are just the beginning of many things to come where it is reinforced for us that God is the designer and maker of life and all that we need to live this life to its fullest!

APPLICATION: How many times have we been told by doctors that it’s the ‘junk’ that we are adding into our bodies that hurt us, and kill us prematurely. Yet we could see right from the beginning of God’s Word, that He provided the means for us to use in feeding these bodies He blessed us with. However, we have chosen to use our own intellect and feed ourselves anything but what God designed for us. Over and over I hear my doctor’s recommend that I put more fruit and vegetables into my diet. My sinful self considers that to be more steak; more ribs; more chocolate; more ice cream; etc, etc. So as I reflect on our first focal verse, I must ask myself what might I say to God at times like I’m facing right now with high cholesterol; heart disease; liver issues and other challenges that we know are impacted by our choice of foods not on God’s list. Should I ask for His healing of the body impacted by my deliberate variation from His design taught in Scripture? Or shall I ask for strength and wisdom to live as He designed? The other thing covered in our second set of focal verses, is the beautiful story of God’s creation of woman. He saw that Adam needed something to make his life complete, so He made the perfect mate for him. And since that time, oh the mess we have made of this. God also told us in verse 24 of Genesis 2, that He designed this union of man and woman to be apart from mom and dad. In other words, a totally separate family. Friends, our marriages are in in mess. Those with ties to the church, are as bad as those with no church affiliation at all. Do all of the issues originate because of a flaw in this one principle? I will leave that up to you to meditate on with God, because the issue is way bigger than I or any other ‘man’ could dare answer. However, I believe that God is reminding us from the very beginning of His Book of Instruction, that He created woman from man, so that he may have a helpmate, have a loving partner, and that together they could populate the earth like He intended. Can we do any, or all, of these things from the messes we have made of marriage or the family? I have shared two very ‘hot’ topics today. May I suggest that instead of trying to get me straight on any ways that you feel I may have misrepresented the truth of God’s Word on these topics, that you actually begin a study of your own on these topics. God may have some reasons for you reading this devotional today, as He may want to get your attention about these matters that may need attention in your own life, or He may want to use you to help others who are struggling in these areas of life. Try your best to avoid the distraction of my words, and seek after what God might have to say to you through these verses. I believe that you could agree with me that we have a serious problem in each of the two areas I believe God challenged us with today. Seek God for what He might have you do today in these areas of your life.

PRAYER: Lord God, thank You for so carefully thinking of everything that we need here on earth. Thank You for directing me to these two very important issues that You covered so well, right from the very beginning of time. Please help us to return to the basics of life, as You intended, so that we might more diligently serve You and represent You in a community void of Your teachings and Your example. We need You Lord. AMEN!

Everything You Need for Living a Truly Good Life

On By Ed AlgreenIn Christian Living, Exemplary Living, God's Goodness, Good, Good works, Holy Living, Living with purpose, Righteous LivingLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE  FROM:   2 Peter 1:2-4 (TLB)

TEXT:  2 Do you want more and more of God’s kindness and peace? Then learn to know him better and better. 3 For as you know him better, he will give you, through his great power, everything you need for living a truly good life: he even shares his own glory and his own goodness with us! 4 And by that same mighty power he has given us all the other rich and wonderful blessings he promised; for instance, the promise to save us from the lust and rottenness all around us, and to give us his own character.

OBSERVATION:   When we seriously desire to know God personally, and when we commit ourselves to Him personally, we will desire to know Him better and better. The Word of God tells us that when this happens, He will give us everything we need to live a truly good life, including the power to fight against the evil and rottenness all around us while here on earth. Isn’t this the answer to most of our excuses why we feel like we cannot be successful in the Christian life? God is faithful to His Word and we can depend on that, so let’s meditate on this for a short while today.

APPLICATION:   Children growing up will tell mom or dad that they just can’t handle this adult life, because the demands are too great, or the temptations are too great for them to overcome. Adults who are approached by a messenger of God about the condition of their soul, will often be tempted to say that they are not good enough, or they have been so heavily involved in things of the world, that God would never accept them. We also have many Christians who say they could be nothing more than a pew warmer, because they just don’t have the abilities. After reading the Scripture today, do you still feel like that’s all you can do friend? Do you still feel like you have a legitimate excuse?Have you done much about knowing Him better and better each day? To do this, will require that you dig into the Word daily, for there you will learn about the commands of God, the life and nature of Jesus, and all of the promises that are in store for us when we leave this world and join hearts and hands with the Master in heaven! There will be days when you might feel like a failure, or you might feel so weakened by this evil world. Friends, God has provided a means by which we can communicate with Him on a regular basis. In prayer you can ask forgiveness, and you can communicate one-on-one with the Savior. He will not only identify with your hurts, sins, and shortcomings, but He will give you strength to overcome and wisdom to redirect your life in a meaningful way to better serve Him and bring Him glory. May I encourage you to give God a try? He created your very being, and He knows all about our daily ups and downs. The last words in our verses remind us that He wants to give us His character. What more can we ask for, precious friend?

PRAYER:   Lord, we come humbly before You, knowing that You are our everything, and that You hold us, and this world, in the palm of Your hand. You’re in control of it all. You know how badly Your children need you every day, and in every aspect of life. We therefore admit that we are needy, and badly in need of our Master. So we commit ourselves to you all over again, and we ask that You give us confidence to depend on You for every need in order to live a truly good life – one that represents You in a manner pleasing to You. We would be eternally grateful oh Lord. AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’.  If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog could indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and read more, or you may freely to subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Sebring, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us!

A Personal God who Cares about YOU

On By Ed AlgreenIn Boldness, Christian Living, Exemplary Living, Forgiven, Holy Living, Living with purpose, Righteous LivingLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE  FROM:   Isaiah 43:1-3 (TLB)

TEXT:  1 …… I have called you by name; you are mine. 2 When you go through deep waters and great trouble, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown! When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up—the flames will not consume you. 3 For I am the Lord your God, your Savior, the Holy One of Israel….

OBSERVATION:   Notice the personal involvement of God in the phrases throughout these 3 short verses! Notice the person to whom these blessings pertain – you, not ya’ll; not the church in general; not the city of ???, but ‘YOU’. Now theologians might want to correct me and say that this was specifically spoken to the family of Jacob and of Israel, but when I read Ephesians 2:15, I am reminded that we are all children of the King, not just Jacob and the country of Israel. God is bold enough and personal enough to pinpoint His intention to us personally, and has no need to generalize. He’s my God, and I’m His child! You can say the same if it pertains to your commitment with Jesus Christ. How awesome is that?!!

APPLICATION:   I wonder how personal we become with God? I wonder how often we stop to think that He created us and placed us in a world that He created. He saw the challenges we had in living life to the fullest and in line with the glorious provisions that He provided, so He created, miraculously, a Son that would mirror the Father, but yet He would live among us to show how personal and caring He truly is. I wonder how often we stop to ponder that when God created us, it was in His image that He chose to create us. So the choice He gave us then is: what will we decide to do personally? God strategically placed here on earth for such a time as this? To be ‘Christ-like’ and then act like Christ’s oppressor, His enemy; His mocker, His persecutor, wouldn’t that make us extremely miserable inside? Friends, these verses from Isaiah reminds us of the awesome God who created us. What He told us through the prophet has already been proven, so to sit back and question, or analyze whether God can do these things through us, is nothing short of you looking for an excuse to be disobedient and follow your own imperfect will, or to give Satan full reign in your life. Where are you at today, friends? Are you convinced that you are God’s and that He is yours? Are you convinced that what He says is actually true, possible and in fact happening in and through you as you place your faith and trust in Him and allow Him to love you, guide you and give you strength for each day? I would like to encourage you friend, not browbeat you into a feeling of guilt and worthlessness. I am just like many of you, where I struggle with the temptations of life every day, and find it extremely challenging to live in total opposition to the world around me. But praise the almighty power of God, I am a child of the King, saved from my sin by the grace offered through Jesus. Although I live on earth and face the challenges of this world, greater is He that is in me, than he that is in the world. My whole purpose in sharing these journals with you friends, is that you might be encouraged by my experiences and in my joys with the Lord. Today will be a perfect day for you to place yourself before the Master and ask Him to examine you and see if there be, any fault or sin that might separate you from His most gracious Son, Jesus. Please read my ‘Footnote’ for Scripture references surrounding a close(er) walk with the Lord. Please contact me so that I may pray with You as you strive to draw closer to the Lord.

PRAYER:   Lord You are good, and Your mercies endures forever! Thank You for being patient with me and for prompting me through Your gracious Holy Spirit each and every day. Lord, may You be glorified in everything that I do and through everyone that I encounter, for I want so bad to be a living sacrifice for You, and a mirror of all that You want sinners to learn and witness from You. Lord, may You be praised, lifted up and honored this day, especially while sinners surrender their lives to You. This is my prayer, my deepest requests and my plea as I walk with You daily, AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’.  If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog could indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and read more, or you may freely to subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Sebring, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us!

 

A Guide For Living

On By Ed AlgreenIn Christian Living, Exemplary Living, Guide, Holy Living, Righteous LivingLeave a comment

Post Date:

 Monday, 2017-05-15
SCRIPTURE

From:

 Psalm 119:33-35 (MSG)

Text:

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

Live Today With The End In Mind

On By Ed AlgreenIn Exemplary Living, Live in peace, Without SinLeave a comment

May I encourage you to get your spiritual ‘Nuggets’ to start your day off right? You will be encouraged to live in the light of eternity each and every day. We can do this friends! Read on for your ‘Nugget’ from God!

Today’s Bible Reference: 2 Peter 3:10-14
Today’s Bible Text: 10 The day of the Lord is surely coming, as unexpectedly as a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and the heavenly bodies will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be burned up. 11 And so since everything around us is going to melt away, what holy, godly lives we should be living! 12 You should look forward to that day and hurry it along—the day when God will set the heavens on fire, and the heavenly bodies will melt and disappear in flames. 13 But we are looking forward to God’s promise of new heavens and a new earth afterwards, where there will be only goodness.14 Dear friends, while you are waiting for these things to happen and for him to come, try hard to live without sinning; and be at peace with everyone so that he will be pleased with you when he returns.
The Bible Translation: The Living Bible (TLB)

My Take Away: Without sounding too morbid today, I just want to say how interesting it is how loved ones react to the passing of their relatives. I have seen cases where close relatives want to be near to their loved ones during this time, while others rather remember them as they were. Some relatives cry and react boisterously while others mourn silently and barely shed a tear. I believe a lot that affects the reaction of loved ones is based on the relationship that the mourner and the deceased had while both were alive. There will come a time when all life here on earth will end, and Peter  wants us to catch a glimpse of what to expect at that time. For those with a purpose – a plan to be with the Master of this universe throughout eternity, we are advised to live without sinning and be at peace with everyone, while we wait for God to put His plan into motion, so that He will be pleased with us when He returns to take us home to heaven with Him. Friends, I sincerely believe that if we know Jesus as Lord, we will have a very strong desire to do just this. I believe that our daily lives will be examples of what we learn about Jesus in His Word. I believe that we will live in anticipation of the day that He returns to gather His church together for the most exciting last trip of our lives! I believe our Master will return soon, because He has given us certain landmarks, or indicators that will signal His return. May I encourage you today to live without sinning (opposing God’s commands) and be at peace with everyone today? This will be a strong indication of your faith in the Word of God, for our study verses today indicate that this will be an indicator of whose you are and the goal you are striving to achieve. Be faithful and true to the Master, friend!

Prayer: Dear God, thank You for a place called Heaven, that You have prepared just for us! Thank You also for providing a way for us get to our eternal home with You. In our study today You have reminded us that we have certain responsibilities to fulfill while we wait to be with You. Please bless us with Your presence today Lord, so that we might live in the light of our eternal destination in the presence and care of our Lord and Savior. Father, please speak again to my family and friends who do not know You as Savior. May they make the most important decision in life, this day, please? We depend on You daily to teach us Your ways so that we may live according to Your will and in full reflection of all that You did while here on earth. I ask these things in the name of Jesus, and fro His glory, 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!

2016