Tested Faith

On 2015-10-212015-10-21 By Ed AlgreenIn Dependence on God, Faith in Action, ObedienceLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (The New Living Translation – John 6:5-9): ⁵ Jesus soon saw a huge crowd of people coming to look for him. Turning to Philip, he asked, “Where can we buy bread to feed all these people?” ⁶ He was testing Philip, for he already knew what he was going to do. ⁷ Philip replied, “Even if we worked for months, we wouldn’t have enough money to feed them!” ⁸ Then Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up. ⁹ “There’s a young boy here with five barley loaves and two fish. But what good is that with this huge crowd?”

THOUGHTS: When faced with monumental decisions, how do you normally respond? Think about a child. Ask them how they could possibly get something done that may appear ‘huge’ for them, and in most cases they would refer you to their role model – their dad, mom, grandpa, uncle, etc. However, adults are also faced with similar questions every day, just as Philip and Andrew were faced with the very challenging question by Jesus. I believe that our response will be based on our level of faith at the time. In spite of the many miracles Philip would have seen performed by Jesus, still he responded from a human perspective on how much money it would take to purchase the food necessary to feed the crowd. Now, Andrew was able to think ‘outside of the box’, and mentioned to Jesus about a token amount of food that he had seen while walking around the crowd. So Andrew’s response shows a little faith, because if he hadn’t, he would not have mentioned the fish. However, neither of these two disciples showed faith in the awesome power of the man they had followed, and watched perform unimaginable miracles time and time again. I wonder how we will respond to life’s circumstances today. We will be faced with situations that appears like we can easily handle – may I suggest that you seek the will of God and His power so that you might do His will even in those cases? We might also be faced with God-sized challenges today, where we don’t have a clue on how, or what we should do. I would respectfully and faithfully suggest that we surrender our day to God, so that His mighty hand might be upon us – causing us to exercise our faith, depend on Him, and glorify Him for how He will interact in our decision making and in every aspect of our surrendered life. Our response in life shows the unsaved who’s in control of our lives, our thoughts and our decision making.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, I pray that we will be about our Master’s plan today. I pray that the evidence of who’s inside of us will be evident in all that comes out from us. May our words, our thoughts and our actions reflect the awesome God that You are. May the world know that we’ve been with Jesus, and may they have a growing desire to know You, the more they are around us. As You test our faith today, may we depend on the power of the One within us to pass the test with flying colors! Depending on You as my all in all, I ask these things in the name of Jesus, my King, AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please speak with a local Bible Teaching pastor, or read through Biblical truths on How To Know Jesus, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com so that we can pray with you and give you help and or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Any words underlined above will indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to www.nuggetsfromgodsword.org and read more, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, Sebring, FL! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us!

No Turning Back

On 2015-09-302015-09-30 By Ed AlgreenIn Faithful, Renounce, TrueLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (The Voice – Hebrews 6:4-8): ^4-6 It is impossible to restore the changed heart of the one who has fallen from faith—who has already been enlightened, has tasted the gift of new life from God, has shared in the power of the Holy Spirit, and has known the goodness of God’s revelation and the powers of the coming age. If such a person falls away, it’s as though that one were crucifying the Son of God all over again and holding Him up to ridicule. ⁷ You see, God blesses the ground that drinks of the rain and then produces a bountiful crop for those who cultivate it. ⁸ But land that produces nothing but thorns and brambles? That land is worthless and in danger of being cursed, burned to the bare earth.

THOUGHTS: I believe that the same types of problems that were being dealt with in the early church, are very evident in our churches and our world today. I believe the hardest part of this scripture is to imagine that one might be turned away at the cross. However, after closer study of this, I concluded that this is definitely referring to one who had given their heart to the Lord, enjoyed His blessings and His goodness, then went in a totally different direction that led to a very strong falling away from the faith. I don’t believe that there is a discussion as to whether the person is saved or not, but rather more about restoration of the heart. When one drifts away it is as if they are ignoring, or perhaps even denouncing the God in whom they claimed to have enjoyed a relationship. In fact, in this passage of scripture it suggests that this person is then very similar to the one that would have participated in the crucifixion of Christ, for they are literally denouncing the truth of what transpired in their life, and in the life that God provides to those who believe in Him. In fact, I believe that this deceiving action is the same as denouncing the Holy Spirit – the one unforgivable sin. Therefore I question if that’s not partially the reason why the writer felt like “it is impossible to restore the heart of one” such as described. I’m sure we’ll know when we sit at the feet of Jesus and can discuss all these questions in detail for a few hundred years!! However friends, the main thing I want to challenge you with today is that we should make every effort to not fall into the trap of falling away. When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, His part of that covenant is to keep us secure in His hand throughout eternity. Why should we mean anything different? My greatest desire is that we will not fall into the trap of some who make a decision to do something, and that decision stands – until something better comes up. We expect God to keep His end of the covenant, I would encourage you to mean nothing less on your end of the same covenant.

PRAYER: Dear God, You have been so faithful to us, and I thank You very deeply for Your love in remaining faithful, even when I know that we have disappointed You. Please strengthen us with Your love and Your guidance today so that we may remain strong in the faith and totally committed to serving You all the days of our life. We tend to think of those who have chosen to step away from the faith, especially when we study scripture like the one today. However, if not for the grace of God, this could easily be us. So loving Jesus, please give us strength to be overcomers and totally committed to the everlasting covenant that we agreed to in accepting You, our everlasting Savior with whom we plan to spend eternity. I ask these things in the wonderful and blessed name of Jesus, AMEN!

Preparing For Desertion

On 2015-09-242015-09-24 By Ed AlgreenIn Desertion, Faithful, TrueLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (The New Living Translation – Matthew 26:33-35): ³³ Peter declared, “Even if everyone else deserts you, I will never desert you.” ³⁴ Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, Peter—this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny three times that you even know me.” ³⁵ “No!” Peter insisted. “Even if I have to die with you, I will never deny you!” And all the other disciples vowed the same.

THOUGHTS: Imagine for a moment the feeling of walking into a room with your subordinate staff and hearing them put you down to an indescribable degree – imagine how you will feel. Then imagine that there is a dangerous situation at hand, and all of your closest friends come and look on, but choose not to get involved, so they just move on and leave you to suffer through it. That’s how Jesus must have felt when Peter and his peers did exactly as I described, even after talking about the subject in advance. Now take a moment and think about how Peter must have felt. He swore up and down that he would never forsake his Lord, yet he did. By now you are probably anxious to see how this might apply to you and I, right? May I suggest to you that in the heat of our conversion, we all probably swore up and down that our decision and commitment was an eternal one and that we would live the rest of our days standing up and promoting Jesus, until the day He calls us together in heaven. So let’s look at what might have been important to us at the time we made such an awesome commitment: Probably things like Bible study, so we could learn as much about the Lord and His commands for our lives? Perhaps attending every church service possible, so we could learn from those who are also striving for the same direction as we are, and encouragement from the ways that God is alive and working in their lives? Probably to be a model Christian to any and all of our coworkers, friends or family, so they could look at us and see Jesus, or hear from, and be encouraged that we are speaking with the wisdom and faith of one who is walking the talk? So what has happened friend? Have you been, and are you still faithful to these things? Please don’t try to convince yourself that these things are no longer relevant, for God’s Word will prove you wrong in that. Desertion immediately hurts the one you are deserting, so please don’t hurt my Lord today. Desertion also hurts the one doing the deserting, so please don’t put yourself in that position today. All of the actions I suggested were probably important to you as a new Christian, but they are still just as relevant to you today. Seek God’s help, then concentrate on these things to help cement a solid relationship with your Lord today. He has promised never to leave or forsake you, please don’t even think about doing just that to Him. He loves you way too much to deserve that kind of treatment. To the unbeliever reading this devotional, may I remind you that your ongoing desertion will lead you through much ‘hell’ here on earth, but to an even worst place when you leave this world. Jesus loved us just as we were when He went to the cross for us. He still loves you enough to forgive you of your sin and direct you through the Christian life that I have described, but He wants you to ask for it. May I encourage you to read the tips I have included in my ‘Footnote’ and make this very important, life-changing decision today?

PRAYER: Dear God, please forgive us for often falling into the same path of Peter and his peers. We understand that the flesh is weak, even when the intent of our hearts are in the right place. This is evidence that we can’t do this alone. We need You, Heavenly Father, to fill our hearts with Your love and Your priorities, but most of all with obedience and faithfulness to Your powerful Word. Please use this devotional to stir the hearts of the saved, and provoke a renewed desire within the hearts of the unbelievers, so that today might be the day of salvation for them. We never want to be guilty of desertion. So help us to be faithful and true to You and strengthen the bond that must exist between us in order to fight off the evil one and fully serve You for the rest of our lives. Only You can intervene and help us achieve this kind of perfection Father, so I ask this in and through the precious name of Jesus, AMEN!

Accountability Matters

On 2015-09-232015-09-23 By Ed AlgreenIn Faithful, gifts, ObedientLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (The New Living Translation – Matthew 25:19,29): ¹⁹ “After a long time their master returned from his trip and called them to give an account of how they had used his money. ²⁹ To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away.

THOUGHTS: In today’s society we are very investment conscious, because we want to see our retirement dollars stretch as far as possible. To make sure that this occurs, we are trained to look for the best investors – people we can trust to achieve the same goals that we set for ourselves, and we hold them accountable to do just that for us, or we consider changing to a different investor. This is similar to what occurred in this story, for Jesus used an illustration of giving three individuals money, then returning to see whether they were responsible with the money. May I suggest that God has also given each of us great talents, gifts, abilities and opportunities and He will one day look for our response on how well we’ve done with those gifts? There’s a popular saying that if you don’t use a gift you might lose it. I wonder how many of us have already lost most of what God has blessed us with, because we have refused to invest our lives into the needs of others. When we give a gift to a kid, then see them abuse it and destroy it in no time at all, it often frustrates us and makes us angry. Do you suppose that God should feel any different? In verse 29 Jesus said that if we choose to ignore and not use the gifts we are blessed with, we will lose them. Please consider using all that you have, to bless as many as you can. I believe it is clear from verse 29 that our remaining gifts will be multiplied, not the opposite like the world might expect. It matters to God what we do with our gifts, He holds us accountable. Let’s make Him proud today as we seek to serve Him by helping others.

PRAYER: Thank You Lord for Your blessings on me! Thank You for the gifts You shower on me and thank You for opportunities every day to use those gifts to bless others. Please touch the hearts of those who will meditate on this devotional today. May we all recognize our gifts and be willing to see them multiplied, by helping others in every way possible. We want to hear your words of affirmation “Well done good and faithful servant” when challenged by you with our accountability question. Please grant us grace to be obedient in every way to the needs You present to us every day. Thank You Lord for being so good to us. May we be faithful to You. For I ask this in the strong and faithful name of Jesus, AMEN!

Don’t Miss The Boat

On 2015-09-042015-09-04 By Ed AlgreenIn Faithful, Obedient, TrueLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (The Message – Matthew 7:21-23): “Knowing the correct password—saying ‘Master, Master,’ for instance—isn’t going to get you anywhere with me. What is required is serious obedience—doing what my Father wills. I can see it now—at the Final Judgment thousands strutting up to me and saying, ‘Master, we preached the Message, we bashed the demons, our God-sponsored projects had everyone talking.’ And do you know what I am going to say? ‘You missed the boat. All you did was use me to make yourselves important. You don’t impress me one bit. You’re out of here.’

THOUGHTS: To take a ride on some boats or ships you need to have purchased a ticket. On others you need to book your passage and be there on time. On smaller boats, in particular parts of the world, you may be required to wear a life jacket (vest) and remain seated throughout the ride, for your own protection. Jesus warns us that merely saying that Jesus is Lord, or hopping on to the boat without having first-hand knowledge of the Captain and accepted His invitation, will not provide you safe passage on the boat to its final destination. Of course Jesus was talking about heaven, and His point here is that if we have truly accepted Him as Lord and Savior of our lives, then we would be obedient to Him. Our instructions come from the Word (the Bible). Friends, the whole idea behind ‘Nuggets From God’s Word’ is to share with you how the writer feels God has touched him during the reading of His Word. You see, we can read and re-read a passage of scripture, and if God needs to get a word of wisdom, or direction or encouragement across to us, He could even use something in a familiar passage to reveal the Truth to us, if we remain open to Him and willing to be obedient to Him. It is very clear in this scripture this morning that God wants more than lip service, He wants obedient children. Don’t just call on the name of Jesus when it’s convenient or when you feel it is necessary, but live life in total obedience to what we understand He demands in His Word. Let that understanding come from personal Bible study and time with the Lord, not just what I might share with you, or what you might learn from your pastor or Bible school teacher. As God speaks to you, highlight it in your Bible, or make notes of what you heard from God. The next time you read that passage you will not only receive a current word from the Lord, but you will be reminded of what He said to you when you last read that same passage of scripture. Remember, we don’t impress God. He loves us just the way we are, and He wants our total dedication and obedience to all that He commands of us. The rules are clear as to what will see us safely on to the glorious ‘boat’ to glory. Please don’t miss the boat!

PRAYER: Lord God, we are so spoiled in getting our own way when we know someone in charge. In fact, we sometime lean on folk like that to get us on board, even if we have not met all of the rules and conditions. In this passage of scripture You have warned us not to expect this from You, but instead You are looking for our obedience to all that You have taught us. Lord, this is very challenging for us, because often this involves us having to do just the opposite to what our friends, or the crowd is doing. Please help us to stop, listen and decide this day whom we will serve. If it’s You Lord, then help us to commit to that and depend on You to direct us towards total obedience. A great part of our survival here on earth, is the expectation of one day being in Your presence and hearing the words “Well done good and faithful servant”. This will result from our obedience to You while here on earth. Please help us to be totally committed to You and faithful to obey all that You command of us in Your Word. Please protect us from the evil one while remaining here on this old earth. I ask these things in the strong name of Jesus, AMEN!

Do You Believe?

On 2015-08-242015-08-24 By Ed AlgreenIn Faithful, PersistenceLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (Easy To Read Version – John 6:64-69): ⁶⁴ …some of you don’t believe.” (Jesus knew the people who did not believe. He knew this from the beginning. And he knew the one who would hand him over to his enemies.) ⁶⁵ Jesus said, “That is why I said, ‘Anyone the Father does not help to come to me cannot come.'” ⁶⁶ After Jesus said these things, many of his followers left and stopped following him. ⁶⁷ Jesus asked the twelve apostles, “Do you want to leave too?” ⁶⁸ Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, where would we go? You have the words that give eternal life. ⁶⁹ We believe in you. We know that you are the Holy One from God.”

THOUGHTS: Divorce rates are at an all-time high. Churches are closing their doors because of low attendance, lack of commitment and/or lack of financial resources. What do you suppose might be the reasons for this decline in Christian/Biblical principles? Where do you stand friend? Isn’t it interesting to note from this scripture that this is not a new problem? In fact, these disciples who turned away and stopped following Jesus even had the opportunity to see Jesus physically, and hear Him speak in person, yet because they couldn’t grasp exactly what Jesus was teaching they decided to stop following Him? To put this into perspective, I believe this would equal the same thing as some today that leave the church because they don’t understand or don’t agree with the things taught about God, even if directly from His Word. I believe that we have become such a ‘politically correct’ world, that people are used to the idea of not being told directly that what they are doing is ‘SIN’. Folk have become accustomed to having things ‘sugar coated’ so that their blatant sin is dismissed as just a difference of opinion, or old school philosophy. A good friend had a pastor tell him and a group gathered this summer, that the Lord’s Prayer is outdated. Really? Unfortunately we have become so wishy-washy in our beliefs and our stand on what we believe, that we find it very easy to just walk away, like these disciples did with Jesus, instead of supporting our pastors and teachers with our prayers, our moral support and our attendance. Could it be that we have become so lax in studying the Word of God that we have lost sight of what it says, what it means, what it stands for, and the Master Designer that it teaches about? Could it be that we, like the disciples, turn a deaf ear to teachings that challenge our sin, and we find it very easy to just turn away and run from such direct teachings? Friends, let’s remember that we have a sinful nature, and since God’s Word is designed to challenge us on that ungodly nature, we will have our toes stepped on and our sinful beliefs and habits challenged. The BIG questions is: “What then will you do with Jesus”? Judas turned Him in and He was subsequently crucified. You may not be that cruel, but running from Him will hurt Him just as bad. Especially after He considers the return thanks for His enormous sacrifice that He made for you, even while you hated and rejected Him. You may attend church friend, you may have even walked the isle at church or you may read your Bible whenever you can get around to it, but do you truly believe in Christ? Have you invited Him to rule and reign in your life? Remember, there is no forgiveness of sin without first becoming intimate with God and asking His Son Jesus into your life as your Lord and personal Savior. Reading this devotional today is proof that it is not too late for you to seek Jesus, and His righteousness. Please read through my ‘Footnote’ for tips on how to know Jesus. Then commit to giving Him full control of your life, for the rest of your life! No turning back, friend!

PRAYER: Lord, I believe. Please help any and all areas of unbelief that may develop in me. Please touch the hearts of those reading this devotional who may think the same way as the disciples who walked away. We may not always understand why, but please help us to trust You with every fiber of our being and therefore find comfort in knowing that all things work together for good, to those who place their trust in You. We’re not prone to quit in other areas of our life, so please give us strength and confidence to never give up on You. It seems like there will be more and more pressure on Christians to stand firm in our belief. Lord, may we never sell out, but rather stand firm to the end. You did that for us and I pray that we will always be faithful to You. I ask for strength, persistence, commitment and assurance for believers today, so that Your people will be sure of the One in whom they believe and bold in standing firm in the faith right until the end of time. In the precious and everlasting name of Jesus, I ask all this oh God, AMEN!

What Triggers Your Praise?

On 2015-08-182015-08-18 By Ed AlgreenIn Faithfulness, Loving-Kindness, WorshipLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (The Living Bible – Psalm 138:1-3): ¹Lord, with all my heart I thank you. I will sing your praises before the armies of angels. ² I face your Temple as I worship, giving thanks to you for all your loving-kindness and your faithfulness, for your promises are backed by all the honor of your name. ³ When I pray, you answer me and encourage me by giving me the strength I need.

THOUGHTS: In this Psalm we can see where David was touched by, or reminded of the love of God and His undying faithfulness, and it triggered his worship of God. Notice that David said he faced the temple as he worshipped, but he didn’t wait until the next worship service where he could watch the praise team worship or the pastor rejoice over a passage of scripture that God spoke to him about. Friends please don’t get me wrong, each of these things I mentioned are important, but I truly believe that when we recognize the love of our God, when we feel His precious love for us individually and we realize that He is faithful to us in every aspect of our lives, then we will be moved to worship God on a very personal level. When we do that, I believe that our corporate worship services will take on a whole new dimension, for our churches will be filled with worshippers, not just Christians looking for a place to be electrified, or energized by a good worship leader or an awesome praise team. David goes on in these verses to say that he is reminded that all of the promises of God are backed by the honor of His holy name – the name above all names! He is also encouraged that the God of this universe answers his prayers and encourages him by giving him the strength that he needs to go on each day and live a strong and noble life for the Lord. These are all wonderful reminders for us to also worship our God, but this list is not all inclusive. For I think of the wonders of nature that He places before me as I drive to work, the beauty of another sunrise, the blessing of rain, of cows and wildlife playing in the fields and pastures. Most of all, like David, I am amazed that the God of this universe takes time to listen to my prayers and answers/comforts my concerns. Who am I that a Kind should bleed and die for? Yet, I am convinced that He would have sacrificed himself on that old cruel cross if I was the only one in need of a Savior. He loved me that much, and it is no different in the love that my Savior has for each of you today friend. Worship Him! Thank Him! Recognize His goodness and never attribute His careful and deliberate love for you as mere chance or good luck. Make every effort to be a personal, worshipping believer, not just one looking for a place for corporate worship of the Savior who loves you personally so very much.

PRAYER: Father in heaven, You have given us so much reason to worship You from the depth of our heart. Please awaken Your saints from the sleep of laziness, or dependence on others and/or other influences to invoke a heart of worship within us. Please help us to rest from the busyness of this life long enough to reflect on Your goodness, Your love and Your undying faithfulness. The Psalmist has triggered our minds and reminded us of the awesome joy in lifting up praise and worship to You, may this be a day that our eyes will be opened to reflect on Your beauty and Your goodness and may we recommit to a personal relationship with the God of this universe who loves us personally and cares for us intimately. Thank You Father for loving and caring for even me. These things I ask of You in the precious name of Your Son, my Savior and King, Jesus. AMEN!

Be Faithful Until The End

On 2015-07-102015-07-10 By Ed AlgreenIn Faithful, Obedience, The EndLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (The Contemporary English Version – Revelation 2:25-27): ²⁵ But until I come, you must hold firmly to the teaching you have. ²⁶ I will give power over the nations to everyone who wins the victory and keeps on obeying me until the end. ²⁷ I will give each of them the same power that my Father has given me.

THOUGHTS: My daily devotional scripture plan takes me into the depths of the Old Testament and into the light and glory of the New Testament. Often it amazes me how God uses the Old Testament reading to tie into the reading in the New Testament! Today was one of those cases, for I highlighted Daniel 12:13 because I was touched by God telling Daniel not to be overly concerned about everything that he saw in his visions, but to “be faithful until the end! You will rest, and at the end of time, you will rise from death to receive your reward”. Moving then to the New Testament reading I saw in verse 25 of Revelation 2, that until Jesus returns to take us home with Him, we are to hold firmly to the teachings given to us. In other words, be faithful until the end. Friends, please be careful, for these are times that Satan is trying every distraction in his book of tricks to derail Christians. He can’t stand the idea of us influencing his team of unbelievers in Christ. I believe that if God is concerned enough about us being faithful to Him until the end, them He must be concerned that there will be many things that will distract us along the way. Can you think of a few right off the top? Political views and stands is a huge distractor for the Christian, as we are taught in the secular world, and even the church, that we should vote and be a part of the decision making for our respective countries. Very important stand, but how can we remain faithful to the Word of God even among the filth and dirt that stigmatizes politicians? How can we take a stand in politics, yet remain neutral so that we can promote God to everyone that needs Him, regardless of what side of the fence they stand on in politics? This is just one of many issues that come along and often places a divide in God’s church and totally distracts the needed trust for us to be a witness to ALL that we come into contact with. Many of the other distractors you may have given thought to, might be equally as destructive. My take on the verse in Daniel, and the verses in Revelation is that we are to remain faithful in our relationship with God and hold firmly to His teachings. Everything else that occupies our minds, our hearts and our busy lives, are all distractors. Only God can change this sinful world, we are called to serve Him, obey Him and worship Him, not to do His job in trying to change the world. Let’s be careful that we remain faithful until the Master comes!

PRAYER: Dear God, I am so thankful that You gave of Yourself so that I might look forward to life eternally with You! I thank You for Your Word and how applicable it is to our lives right now. You knew that distractions would come our way, so You placed warnings in Your Word so that we might be alerted to these distractions. You have not only shown us how to best deal with these distractions, but You have also made promises about our rewards, if we remain faithful to You. My readers and I live in a world where there are so many distractions. I know that this is not a secret to You, but we need You Lord. We want to remain faithful, even though there are times that we must take a stand based on the values You have taught us. Please help us to never destroy our witness, because I believe that You would always want us to promote and lift up the name of Jesus with a clear conscience and without the possibility of having a finger pointed back at us by those we should be witnessing to. You must be first in all we do. If in marriage – You must be first; If in parenting – You must be first; If in working secular jobs – You must be first; If involved in our community – it must be obvious that You are first in our lives; If there is a need for us to become involved in the leadership of our churches, city, state or country, then it must be obvious that we first represent You, and it is for Your sake, Your glory and Your agenda that we are involved/taking a stand. Please help us to always be conscious of this as we serve You, love You, worship You and lift You up each day. For I ask this in the deepest honor, and respect of You oh Lord, and in the precious name of Your Son Jesus, AMEN!

Let Faith Direct Our Lives

On 2015-06-202015-06-20 By Ed AlgreenIn Confidence, Faith, TrustLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE: Since we are surrounded by so many examples ⌊of faith⌋, we must get rid of everything that slows us down, especially sin that distracts us. We must run the race that lies ahead of us and never give up. We must focus on Jesus, the source and goal of our faith….. (‭Hebrews‬ ‭12‬:‭1-2‬ GW)

THOUGHTS: I believe that these verses are telling us that faith is a tried and proven characteristic that we can build our lives on, in confidence. Often when we are dare try something new, we may have to go on faith believing on the everlasting God to direct our path and take care of us through various circumstances. That kind of faith is supported by a believer’s first-hand experience with the Father. The faith referred to here in our scripture today is a proven faith by our ancestors, and is one that we could bank on, or depend on, or confidently follow. As parents, and based on our experiences, we give lots of advice to our children, and we demonstrate life principles before them that they can follow, or at least take note of. This is the type faith demonstrated by those who have gone on before us. Think about Moses when he ran out of desert and only had the Red Sea ahead of him. He was leading thousands of people who were still doubtful of His leadership. He was under a lot of pressure to keep them safe, but through His faith in the God who first freed him and his people from slavery in Egypt, in continued faith, he followed God’s instructions and saw the miracle of the waters parting to make possible what man thought was impossible. This is just one example of what faith can do friends! However, we have access to the same strong hand of the same God who miraculously parted the Red Sea, knowing that He is as powerful today as He has ever been, and He is as effective in our ‘mountains/problems/challenges/’ as He has ever been in the past. For those of us who have a personal relationship with this awesome God, we know that we must simple surrender to the mighty works of His hand, and in faith, stand by to watch Him perform His mighty works. For my readers who may not know about this faith of which I speak, may I encourage you to read my Footnote for help on how to know my Friend, my Savior, in a personal and intimate way. It is only then that you will receive power to have the kind of faith of which I speak – one that You will then be willing to place your trust and obedience in. It’s your move friend. What will you do with Jesus?

PRAYER: Thank You for Your all-powerful hand dear Father. Thank You for loving me enough to welcome me into your family, and for giving me faith to believe in You and follow Your will and Your way for my life. Lord, You are well aware of the major challenges that face this audience today, and in the minds of many, these problems may seem larger than the challenge that Moses faced at the Red Sea. However, I am confident that Your promise to never leave us alone, and to meet our needs are as relevant today as when You first declared it in Your Word. Father, there is nothing in this world that can comfort us and give us confidence about our future, but I know who holds the future and who holds my hand through every circumstance of life, so I renew my faith in You and look forward to all that You will do in my life for Your ultimate glory! Please touch every reader of this devotional today and reassure them of Your power and the confidence that is theirs as they trust wholeheartedly in You. I ask all this in the all powerful name of Jesus, my Savior and my King, in faith, 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 so that we can pray with you and give you help and or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Any words underlined above will indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to http://www.nuggetsfromgodsword.org and read more, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, Sebring, FL! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us!

Being Faithful To God

On 2015-05-302015-05-30 By Ed AlgreenIn Faithfulness, Forgiveness, SubmissionLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (The Contemporary English Version – 1 Peter 4:1-2; 7-8): ¹ Christ suffered here on earth. Now you must be ready to suffer as he did, because suffering shows that you have stopped sinning. ² It means you have turned from your own desires and want to obey God for the rest of your life….. ⁷ Everything will soon come to an end. So be serious and be sensible enough to pray. ⁸ Most important of all, you must sincerely love each other, because love wipes away many sins.

THOUGHTS: I believe that couples enter into a marriage because of the couple’s love for each other. However, to sustain a good marriage, and a strong relationship with each other, the couple learns the likes and dislikes of their spouse and, as said in marriage vows, leaving all other relationships behind them, they devote themselves wholeheartedly to their spouse. These types of marriages go on, again as promised in marriage vows, until death do they part. Similarly in the life of a Christian, we know that Christ died to destroy sin; and though he cheerfully submitted to the worst sufferings, yet he never gave way to the least sin. Temptations could not prevail, were it not for man’s own corruption; but true Christians make the will of God, not their own lust or desires, the rule of their lives and actions. And true conversion makes a marvelous change in the heart and life. It alters the mind, judgment, affections, and conversation. When a man is truly converted, it is very grievous for him to think how the times past of his life has been spent. One sin draws on another. It is a Christian’s duty, not only to keep from gross wickedness, but also from things that lead to sin, or appear evil. The responsibility is ours fellow Christian, to live in light of whose we are, in respect of the One who made it all possible for us to enter into heaven’s portals, and with expectations of all that we will be when we are called away from this old earth. We have a hope, friend! Praise to the Almighty, the King of glory! Let us therefore be ‘sensible enough to pray’ as Peter advocates, because we need our Lord and Savior by our side every day and every hour. What a Might God We Serve!

PRAYER: Great is thy faithfulness oh God! You sacrificed Your One and Only Son so that we might have eternal life, yet often times we take that precious gift for granted and still live our lives without enough thought or appreciation for that precious gift. Thank You for not giving up on us Jesus, and thank You Father for Your precious Word that You place before us on days like this to help us realize how help is just a prayer away. Please forgive us for not always getting the point the first time, Thank You again for Your patience and consistency in always being there for us. Please today touch our lives with renewed strength, so that we might realize the truth of Your Word and be reminded of Your awesome power that is available to us. As we do this, may we gain additional appreciation for You and further commitment to renewed faithfulness to You like never before. Bless Your children today oh Lord. May You find us acceptable in Your sight oh Lord, so that we might be used as Your instruments in reaching the lost for You. I ask all this in the wonderful and faithful name of Jesus, AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please speak with a local Bible Teaching pastor, or read through Biblical truths on How To Know Jesus, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com so that we can pray with you and give you help and or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Any words underlined above will indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to blogger.nuggetsfromgodsword.org and read more, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, Sebring, FL! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us!

Nuggets From God's Word

Category: Faith