Category: Follower of Christ

Doing What God Wants, Not What You Think

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Follow Christ, Follow Jesus, Follower of Christ, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED Friday, 2023-02-03
WRITTEN AT: O’Brien, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: 1 Chronicles 17:4-6
TRANSLATION: Contemporary English Version (CEV)

BIBLE TEXT: 4 … go to David and tell him: David, you are my servant, so listen carefully: You are not the one to build a temple for me. 5 I didn’t live in a temple when I brought my people out of Egypt, and I don’t live in one now. A tent has always been my home wherever I have gone with them. 6 I chose special leaders and told them to be like shepherds for my people Israel. But did I ever say anything to even one of them about building a cedar temple for me?

APPLICATION: Isn’t it interesting how we seem to have answers for most people that we interact with, no matter how challenged we are in our own personal agenda? In the example given in my introduction, we may be challenged to afford a reasonable place to stay in, but when we see people living in true poverty, we feel compelled to ‘fix’ their problem and permit them an opportunity for a ‘better life’. I wonder, how we would respond if a rich person approached us and asked what our greatest need is today! For some, it may be financial challenges, but for others it may surprise our rich friend that all they need is to find a better job; to understand the love of Jesus; or a deep concern for a neighbor who recently lost their spouse. This was no different to David’s day. God had been extremely helpful to David and provided for his needs as a leader of God’s beloved nation. God also protected David and his army from some of the toughest nations and armies on earth. Don’t you know that David must have felt indebted to God and wanted to do all within his power to repay Him for His awesome love and concern? Don’t we tend to get like that? Many of us either feel this way or go overboard in trying to repay a friend because of this mindset: ‘You have blessed my family and I, so I am eternally indebted to you’. But that’s not the reason God has blessed us all the days of our life, and often it may not be the reason that a good philanthropic gives their excess earnings to others. I believe that God so loved the world – His creation, that He gave us His very own Son so that we, who were made without sin, could overcome the weakness of the flesh and this world, and still become eligible for the glories of heaven when breath leaves this earthly body. This is what God taught us in John 3:16. God did this for us not because we worked hard around the church, or we preached to thousands over our lifetime, or we gave of our finances so that the work of Jesus Christ could be extended to all parts of the earth, but solely because of His love for us. God exampled before us how we should, in turn, show love to Him. It doesn’t matter how many times you gave to the church or missions, but did you give of yourself to help the cause of Christ? It doesn’t matter how many times you sent your kids and/or your spouse to church, but did you dedicate your life whole heartedly to Christ and allow Him to direct your path each and every day. You see, when you put self into the equation, you will be more lightly to recognize God for who He is, you will have a deep desire to love Him, support His work to reach all who would believe, and your priorities and speech will change to reflect the God who has changed you, and who lives inside of you. Sending your money to good causes, or your kids to a place where they will learn good morals and principles only shows that you have good intentions. But where is your heart? In some of the public places that you visit, you may find buildings named after the philanthropic who gave much of the money needed for the construction. Because he loved the organization who built the building, he wanted to give to them. So honorable, but I would challenge you to find Scripture to show that the eternal destiny of that person was changed because of his generosity. Please understand that many non-profit organizations will discontinue without the gifts of generous donors, but it’s not until you personally have an encounter with God that your destiny will change heavenward. God might be saying today that He would love for you to give to His cause, but I can assure you that He would much prefer that you do that from a heart dedicated to God and directed by Him. If you don’t recall ever personally committing your life to Jesus Christ and giving Him permission to rule and reign in your life, then I would encourage you to read my FOOTNOTE carefully, because I have offered biblical direction for you to surrender your life to Jesus today. God doesn’t need an earthly temple, He wants individuals who call Him Lord, to worship Him and love others through His earthly temple.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: Jesus will be honored and glorified through your life and through your worship, not through your excess funds, especially those that may have been earned in questionable or dishonest fashion.

PRAYER: Lord God, You were so right in telling us that Your ways are different to our ways. This world teaches us to build bigger and more significant so that everyone can have evidence of how we are flourishing in our personal life, our families, our church and our nation. Yet Lord, You told David that you were quite content with where You were at – a mere token of a holding place for the God of this universe. I am reminded that I have nothing to show off, and it’s only a penitent heart that’s ready for the return of Your Son, Jesus, that brings a smile to Your face and comfort to Your heart. While I believe that David sincerely wanted the very best for his Lord, this whole conversation with David has opened our hearts and minds to know that a heart relationship with You is all that matters. As You bless us, and bless our finances, You may then direct us to grow our facilities so that we may extend out even more into our lost communities. Please bless Your people today dear Lord and bless the churches in which they truly lift up the name of Jesus. Help us all to know Your timing and Your ways, so that we may properly apply them in our lives and in the life of Your church. I believe that the ultimate goal of Your church is to reach the unsaved, while taking every opportunity to lift up Your name and glorify our Father who art in heaven. 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 might 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 subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. You may also visit me on Spotify and listen to Nuggets while you’re out and about. 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!

Following In Your Footsteps

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Faith in Action, Follow Christ, Follower of Christ, Needs, Praise, Promise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED Saturday, 2022-11-05
WRITTEN AT: Ormond Beach, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: 1 Kings 15:3-5
TRANSLATION: Good News Translation (GNT)

BIBLE TEXT: 3 He committed the same sins as his father and was not completely loyal to the Lord his God, as his great-grandfather David had been. 4 But for David’s sake the Lord his God gave Abijah a son to rule after him in Jerusalem and to keep Jerusalem secure. 5 The Lord did this because David had done what pleased him and had never disobeyed any of his commands, except in the case of Uriah the Hittite. 

APPLICATION: There are several ‘wow’ moments in this Scripture today:
1. God kept His promise that He made to David, even though his great-grandson, king Abijah, din’t live up to the commitment God saw in David. Often we will be compared to our parents, but isn’t it amazing how Abijah’s judgment, his actions and his character is being compared to his great-grandfather? I believe the same applies to our influence in the lives of generations that will follow is. Is there anything we need to work on now – before it’s too late? Guide us Lord, so that You might shine through us in every word and action.
2. Even in today’s Scripture, it acknowledged David was not perfect. But we know that David had a heart after God’s very own heart, and he was committed to following the ways of God. But God made a promise to David, and he was not about to renounce his promise. Long after David died, God was still keeping His promise. We may become downhearted about letting our guard down and messing up on something we may have promised God, but what a reminder that even long after we have left this life, yet God will still maintain His promise to us!
3. For each of David’s relatives who became king, notice that the Scripture always compares them to the standards set by David. Future history will show that our children, or their children may be compared to us. Those we taught in Sunday School may be reminded of something we said in a lesson we taught. Our coworkers may be questioned about their principles, even after being taught more justly by us. I wonder, will we hang our heads in shame, or will we proudly rejoice before the Father when He questions those with whom we interacted?
Friends, we are guided along in this life by whatever enters our heart, mind and soul. And we act out, and speak, according to that which we have taken in. If we fill ourselves with hatred and bad worldly ideas, then it becomes virtually impossible to act and speak in love. Conversely, if we fill ourselves with the teachings of Jesus and the love expressed by Jesus in all that He did, and if we will seek to imitate Jesus in every way possible, then God will fulfill a good work in those who come after us, or that we minister to. Perhaps each day as we stop to communicate with God, we should analyze whether our words and actions of that day may have helped others live like Jesus, or the Devil. I trust that you would join with me in desiring that we live more like Jesus every day, and when others interact with us, they would feel like they’ve been with Jesus, or at least one of His messengers. Our world needs this, and so do we. Let’s make sure that our lives are worthy of following and that our time on earth was worth our being here. May God’s Kingdom be richer because of our involvement on His behalf here on earth.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: Just as our Father continued to fulfill His promise to David even into the second and third generations, I believe He will do the same for us! We serve an awesome God!

PRAYER: There is no God like our God, praise the wonderful name of Jesus! What a reminder in seeing You bless even an unfaithful servant like Abijah. But Lord, I believe that You will do the same for us as we pass along Your good works to all who follow us. Abijah certainly didn’t deserved Your blessing, or the gifts You gave to him, but because of Your faithful promise to David, You blessed him. Lord, please work on us so that we may be worthy of our children following in our footsteps. May they see Jesus evident in our talk and in our walk. I believe that many of the unsaved are also looking for evidence of the Great ‘I Am’, and Lord I pray that they will catch a glimpse as they interact with us. Fill us with Your love and blessings each and every day Lord, and may we do the same with those we come into contact with also, for Your Kingdom’s sake. 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 might 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 subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. You may also visit me on Spotify and listen to Nuggets while you’re out and about. 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!

Waiting on God

On By Ed AlgreenIn Follow Christ, Follower of Christ, Godly lives, Holy Living, How to Live, Righteous LivingLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Tuesday, 2022-05-10
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

Bible Reference: Psalm 25:4-5
Translation: The Voice (VOICE)

Bible Text: 
4 DEMONSTRATE Your ways, O Eternal One.
    Teach me to understand so I can follow.
5 EASE me down the path of Your truth.
    FEED me Your word
    because You are the True God who has saved me.
    I wait all day long, hoping, trusting in You.

APPLICATION: We could learn a lot from David, for we are so quick to beat up on ourselves, or seek help from every other source, before finally conceding to the One who could lead us to all truth, knowledge and understanding so that we could obediently follow the ways of our Lord and His written Word. There are a few keywords in these two verses that I wanted to expand on, hoping that we might better understand the heart of this humble servant of God. David knew that there was only One who could possibly help him, so he pleaded before his God:

  • Demonstrate – Lord, please help me to understand by showing me through real-life examples;
  • Teach – Assume that I know nothing and simply open up my mind to a full understanding of what You would have me to do, oh Lord;
  • Ease – Understanding my weaknesses and inadequacies, please go easy on me as I am slow to learn, but know that I sincerely desire to know more about Your ways and Your Word;
  • Feed – Pour knowledge and understanding into me like one would poor water into the beak of a very thirsty bird. Fill me with Your Word so that I may constantly live in obedience to all that You desire of me;
  • Wait – I am willing to wait for as long as You desire, Lord, for following Your will is just that important to me.

When all else fails, make it known to God that there is nothing more important than to obey His Word, and honor Him in everything that you do and say. Allow Him to work miraculously through you to reach the lost in your circle of influence for His glory. God referred to David as a man after His own heart, so I believe that as we apply this prayer of David’s in all sincerity, and follow the Master in all that He demands of us, we will begin to reflect the true image of God in our lives, so that we may become effect witnesses for Him. May this be your heart’s cry today precious friends, for God loves You more than you could ever comprehend!

PRAYER: Dear Lord, we want to be just like You! However we have so much that separates us in that quest. There is so much that we need to surrender to You so that we might be filled with Your Holy Spirit completely and therefore be led in total surrender to Your will and Your way for us. Lord, this wicked world needs to see more of You in those who claim You as Lord. Begin with me Lord. Allow me to be so filled with Your grace and Your mercy that those in my realm of influence might desire to know the One who influences my life every day. Thank You for the lessons taught through Your servant David, May all who read this blog be encouraged to follow in the steps of David – towards being recognized by You as a person after Your own heart. May You be glorified in and through Your precious children today, is my prayer, in deepest humility, 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!

What It Means To Be A Follower of Jesus Christ

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Cross, Follower of Christ, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Wednesday, 2021-05-26
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Mark 8:34-36
TRANSLATION: Easy-to-Read Version (ERV)

BIBLE TEXT: 34 Then Jesus called the crowd and his followers to him. He said, “Any of you who want to be my follower must stop thinking about yourself and what you want. You must be willing to carry the cross that is given to you for following me. 35 Any of you who try to save the life you have will lose it. But you who give up your life for me and for the Good News will save it. 36 It is worth nothing for you to have the whole world if you yourself are lost.

APPLICATION: Some are afraid to get married, because they’re afraid of the freedoms they would lose as a single, unattached person. Some are hesitant to accept Jesus as Savior, because they are hesitant to give up their worldly freedoms. So what does it mean to actually surrender your life to the lordship of Jesus Christ? Some will tell you that it is the only way of getting into heaven when you die, and I agree with that. However, I believe that there are many more reasons for us to consider aligning ourselves with the Creator of the universe. For you see, there is no one else in the history of mankind that ever agreed to give up his/her life to show how much they truly love us. And why was this deep love so important? Well, God saw that mankind was struggling to follow His commands and therefore show themselves worthy of aligning themselves with Him, so He miraculously formed His very own Son to be born of a virgin. The reason for His coming, was that He would live among men, perform many miracles that would help affirm His infinite mercy and power, then die a cruel death on a cross, whereby showing how the sins of His believers would also die and therefore make them holy, just as He is holy. This was so important to God that He declared this would be the only means of sinful man aligning themselves with Him. The only means of forgiveness of sin. But in our Scripture today, we are told that moving from the world to becoming one with Him, would involve sacrifice. Not the kind of sacrifice that Jesus showed on the cross, but God wanted to see the heart of man being willing to sacrifice everything this world has to offer, in order to give up ourselves wholeheartedly to the lordship of Jesus Christ. Carrying that type of guilt and the burden of sin from this world was referred to as our ‘cross’ by Jesus in our Scripture today. So Jesus told His disciples and the crowd gathered, and He still tells His children today, that we are to give up our earthly cross – that burden of sin, and follow Him. In other words, make a 180 degree turn in our lives. In being of this world, we are following the likes and teachings of this world. A way of life in total opposition to that of Jesus Christ. So Jesus said that we must be willing to give that up and take on our new ‘skin’, a life dedicated to God and following the teachings and sacrifice of His Son, Jesus. The value for the child of God in giving up our earthly idols, practices and evil desires – our cross, is that we take on a new life fully committed to the life, teachings, unconditional love and forgiveness of a loving and sacrificial Savior as we head towards the place He has already prepared for us in heaven! IT WILL BE WORTH IT ALL dear friends! Let’s encourage one another as we give up our cross and follow Jesus!

BLESSING(S) NOTED: There is no greater love than for a man to give up his life for another. Jesus did this for us. Praise be to God for His wondrous acts of love to an undeserving people!

PRAYER: There was a chorus I learned as a very young person – ‘Oh the love of Jesus’! Although very challenging for us to understand that love where You so freely gave of Yourself on Calvary for us Lord, yet I know without a shadow of doubt that You would have it no other way. You created us and I believe that Your ultimate goal is to have us worship You and lift up Your name ever day until we join You in heaven one day soon. Please forgive us for ignoring that love at times and claim that we are enjoying things offered by this world. It is obvious that this world has nothing to offer us that compares to Your amazing love for us. Please continue to be patient with us as we learn to give up this heavy and burdensome cross of this wicked world, and learn to follow You in righteousness, love and concern for one another. We long to be where You are Lord. Please help us to overcome the world and live as children of our awesome God! 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 might 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 subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. You may also visit me on Spotify and listen to Nuggets while you’re out and about. 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!

Worthy Of Being A Follower of Christ

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Follower of Christ, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Thursday, 2021-02-04
WRITTEN AT: Avon Park, FL

BIBLE REFERENCE: Matthew 10:37-39
TRANSLATION: New Century Version (NCV)

BIBLE TEXT: 37 “Those who love their father or mother more than they love me are not worthy to be my followers. Those who love their son or daughter more than they love me are not worthy to be my followers. 38 Whoever is not willing to carry the cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Those who try to hold on to their lives will give up true life. Those who give up their lives for me will hold on to true life.

OBSERVATION: This is probably a challenging Scripture to understand, but I believe that God wants us to understand the difference between knowing Christ, and the willingness and commitment of following Him. The disciples were ‘Followers of Jesus Christ’, are you?

APPLICATION: Jesus, being the perfect Son of God, found the perfect illustrations to help us understand His teachings. There are twelve apostles commonly referred to in the New Testament, and there were numerous disciples who followed the teachings of Jesus Christ but never had a personal face-to-face encounter with Him. Christians today may often use the words Christian and Followers of Christ interchangeably, but there is a difference. I may have accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior, but have little desire to follow His example in everyday living or speech. The Bible teaches us that I would still be considered a Christian. My pastor, for example, may have accepted Jesus as Lord, but he may have gone on to also follow the teachings and example of Jesus in his everyday life. He, therefore, is a disciple, or follow of Jesus Christ. Friends, I believe that Jesus wants us to know that if we commit to not only knowing He is Lord, but also commit to follow in His footsteps and in obedience to His teachings, then I believe that we become usable vessels that He will use while we follow. Allow me to give you an example of verse 38. I served under a pastor who asked us to carry a cross with us 24/7 for a week. This was a wooden cross, about 3/4” thick and measured about 10” x 8”. No one checked me into a sanatorium, but there were some serious looks when folk visited my office, or if I had the cross with me when attending a business meeting. That may sound extreme to many readers, but imagine how much gentler that was than us doing some of the extreme things that Jesus did in His ministry while here on earth? That same pastor often chided about a whole family who stayed home from church to care for a mother who came down with a cold! Instead of declining an invitation to join friends at the beach on Sunday, because it is your day of worship, many will use the excuse that it’s the only day they have to do such recreation. Imagine the witness to those friends if we insisted in sticking to our commitment to be in God’s house for every opportunity of worship, because it may be our last opportunity? I feel like we allow our various situations to drive our decisions, rather than our commitment to follow Christ. A visiting relative might cause us to stay home with them, versus us inviting them to join us in our usual commitment to attend church. This is a very tough passage of Scripture, for it tells me that I must decide who has priority in my life. God or my parents? God or my daughter? God or my personal obligations (employment, church, social, etc). For if God is first in our lives, and we have committed to serve Him faithfully until the very end of time, then we will follow Him wherever and whenever He leads us. To whom, or what are you committed, or obligated? I pray that you will join me in striving to follow Jesus every day in every way.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, You willingly went to the cross and was mocked, spit upon, tortured, and crucified, even though You had the power to bypass all that and walk away. As Your followers, I believe that we should be ready to say like You did ‘Not my will, Oh Lord, but thine’. Ashamedly I must admit that it is always easier to go along with the crowd, instead of responding in the center of Your will for our lives. Please give us strength and a renewed boldness to stand firm in the powerful name of Jesus Christ, our Savior and our Lord, for all time and until You return to take us home to glory. May others be influenced for Jesus Christ as they see us make decisions and show our commitment to You. 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!

Waiting, Hoping and Trusting in God

On By Ed AlgreenIn Follow Christ, Follower of Christ, Godly lives, Holy Living, How to Live, Righteous LivingLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Saturday, 2020-05-09
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

Bible Reference: Psalm 25:4-5
Translation: The Voice (VOICE)

Bible Text: 
4 DEMONSTRATE Your ways, O Eternal One.
    Teach me to understand so I can follow.
5 EASE me down the path of Your truth.
    FEED me Your word
    because You are the True God who has saved me.
    I wait all day long, hoping, trusting in You.

OBSERVATION: David had such a relationship with God that it seemed natural for him to speak his heart to God. David realized how much he had messed up, but He also knew where perfection came from, so he pleaded his case of need before the only Perfect One. Is that not us today?

APPLICATION: We could learn a lot from David, for we are so quick to beat up on ourselves, or seek help from every other source, before finally conceding to the One who could lead us to all truth, knowledge and understanding so that we could obediently follow the ways of our Lord and His written Word. There are a few keywords in these two verses that I wanted to expand on, that I believe will help us get to the bottom of David’s plea before his God:

Demonstrate – Lord, please help me to understand by showing me through real-life examples;

Teach – Assume that I know nothing and simply open up my mind to a full understanding of what You would have me to do, oh Lord;

Ease – Please go easy on me as I am slow to learn, but sincerely desire to know more about Your ways and Your Word;

Feed – Pour knowledge and understanding into me like we might poor water into the beak of a very thirsty bird. Fill me with Your Word so that I may constantly live in obedience to all that You desire of me;

Wait – I am willing to wait all day long to hear from You Lord, for following Your will is just that important to me.

When all is said and done, make it known to God that there is nothing more important in your life than to obey His Word. Honor Him in everything that you do and say, and  allow Him to work miraculously through you to reach the lost in your circle of influence for His glory. God referred to David as a man after His own heart, so I believe that as we follow this prayer of David’s in all sincerity, we would also show our desire to have a heart more like that of Christ. May it be so even today dear friends!

PRAYER: Dear Lord, we want to be just like You! However we have so much that separates us in that quest. There is so much that we need to surrender to You so that we might be filled with Your Holy Spirit completely and therefore be led in total surrender to Your will and Your way for us. Lord, this wicked world needs to see more of You in those who claim You as Lord. Begin with me Lord. Allow me to be so filled with Your grace and Your mercy that those in my realm of influence might desire to know the One who influences my life every day. Thank You for the lesson taught through Your servant David, may all who read this blog be encouraged to follow in the steps of David – towards being recognized by You as a person after Your own heart. May You be glorified in and through Your precious children today, is my prayer in deepest humility, AMEN!

Exposed To The All-Seeing Eyes of God

On By Ed AlgreenIn Christ's Representative, Follow Christ, Follow Jesus, Follower of ChristLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE  FROM:   Hebrews 4:12-13 (TLB)

TEXT:  12 For whatever God says to us is full of living power: it is sharper than the sharpest dagger, cutting swift and deep into our innermost thoughts and desires with all their parts, exposing us for what we really are. 13 He knows about everyone, everywhere. Everything about us is bare and wide open to the all-seeing eyes of our living God; nothing can be hidden from him to whom we must explain all that we have done.

OBSERVATION:   God took on the request of Moses and the Israelites who asked for freedom from the slavery of the Egyptian people. Did they deserve it? Did they make it to their final destination and get to enjoy its benefits and freedoms? We all know the story well. So the question might be today, that “if we agree to follow Christ, will we see heaven?” If we agree to follow Christ, will we still do stupid stuff? These are valid questions for those looking to get their ‘ticket punched for heaven’, so we should meditate on this for a bit.

APPLICATION:   There is one thing that totally sets me off, as a man trying to live according to God’s commands and in the center of His perfect will. It is when folk tell me to do something that will cause a circumstance to look differently, or say something that will make my scenario sound more convincing to someone. I am naive enough to believe that when I follow Jesus, I don’t need anyone else’s help in convincing others that my words or actions are right or wrong, for my responsibility to God is to be totally honest right from the start. So even if it might appear wrong to them, but I know full well that it is right in the sight of God, then I am convinced that I am on the right course. Friends, I would ask you to watch carefully for situations where you are convinced that an action appears wrong, or a statement may not sound right, because we were given a gift from God to detect these things. Now, I don’t believe for a minute, that God sent us here to call everyone a fake, or pronounce every word a falsehood. But I do believe that God has gifted His children with a sense of knowing the truth. Regarding heavenly matters, God has given us a very special Book for us to validate what is being said, so if it aligns with the Word of God, then we have no further reason to doubt. For other matters, if it aligns with the mind of Christ, or is supported by the principles taught in the Word, then we should generally feel OK about it. If, as a child of God, you are asked to say or do something outside of what your Spirit-filled mind is making you feel good about, then you have good reason to doubt, or even disregard. If you follow through with doing something, in spite of what you feel the Spirit of God is telling you not to do or say, then you are probably headed into sin of some sort. Friends, even if you put aside all that I have said so far, may I suggest that you go back to the top of this devotional and read again verse 31. Be reminded that God said that He is watching, and He knows everything about everyone, no matter where we are. So you may think that your falsehoods or variations of the truth will convince some, but we are reminded here that it only hurts the heart of the main One that it matters to most. Be reminded friends, that we are exposed to the all-seeing, all-knowing God, and also be reminded that if we do it right, we are exposed to the all-loving God who cares about our heart and our actions. And when our God sees us willingly loving Him in total obedience, can you imagine the love and the blessings that He naturally pours out on us? Oh my, I can only imagine that He is ever so thankful to the Father for touching our lives, ever so proud to call us His very own,  and ever so loving to continually blessing us, so that we could be even more like Him in all aspects of our lives. He’s my Father, and I am so proud of Him today! Do you know Him friend and strive to please Him in all aspects of your life?

PRAYER:   Thank You for blessing us with rich gifts from above, Heavenly Father! Thank You for loving us, like no one on earth is even capable of loving us! Thank You for guiding us daily so that we may live, love and talk just like You. Please help us to continually look for ways to humble ourselves before You, and to be submissive to Your perfect will for our lives. Please direct us so that our words, and our love and our every action will exemplify You in every way. Thank You for loving us enough to watch us and keep us accountable to You. Please help us to look for, and listen to You, especially when we tend to wander and do our own thing. We need You every day and in every way dear Lord – our Rock and our Redeemer! 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!

 

Guard Your Heart, Sight and Walk

On By Ed AlgreenIn Clean Heart, Follow Christ, Follow Jesus, Follower of Christ, Heart, Know God's Heart, Obedience, ObedientLeave a comment

Post Date:

 Saturday, 2017-11-11
SCRIPTURE

From:

 Proverbs 4:23-27 (Voice)

Text:

 23 Above all else, watch over your heart; diligently guard it
    because from a sincere and pure heart come the good and noble things of life.
24 Do away with any talk that twists and distorts the truth;
    have nothing to do with any verbal trickery.
25 Keep your head up, your eyes straight ahead,
    and your focus fixed on what is in front of you.
26 Take care you don’t stray from the straight path, the way of truth,
    and you will safely reach the end of your road.
27 Do not veer off course to the right or the left;
    step away from evil, and leave it behind.
OBSERVATION:
Solomon devotes this whole chapter giving advice to dads on how to best raise their children – sons in particular. I believe as you really let these words sink in, you will find some biblical advice that first speaks to your heart, but then to many other aspects of your life.
APPLICATION:
I included more scripture than usual today, because I want you to read this passage over and over until it really impacts your life. Although this might be great for a son looking to his dad for advice and as an example, I believe this is also very applicable to all who call themselves ‘children of God’. Fellow Christians, like me, you may not have a son, but you definitely have a relative or friend who is reading the Bible through your words and actions. Know that the condition of your heart results in the words you say, your reaction to life’s circumstances, and the way that you act in life. Family, friends and coworkers are sometimes depending on you to understand the good and noble things of life, and which ones they should turn away from. Although they may not be a Christian, they are probably watching your reaction to life’s circumstances, as they have witnessed you being guided by your Savior in the past. Let me encourage you to read this Scripture thoroughly and use it as a base for your life – your heart; the truth from your lips; your eyes fixed on the eternal goal ahead (heaven); your feet to lead you in the way of truth and most of all, that you leave evil behind as you look towards the glories of heaven with your Master!
PRAYER:
Lord Jesus, You know how seriously we, Your children, need You involved in our lives each and every day, so that we might have the power to guard our hearts, guide our sight to protect against the things that might cause us to falter in our desire to be more like You, and to help us keep our feet on the straight path set out before us. Lord we want to be just like You in every way, every day. Please grant us the wisdom and strong desire to do this, so that You might be glorified. 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!

What Makes Us Unfit For God

On By Ed AlgreenIn Follower of Christ, Hypocritical, Perfection, Spiritual FitnessLeave a comment

Post Date:

 Thursday, 2017-05-04
SCRIPTURE

From:

 Mark 7:20-23 (TLB)

Text:

 20 And then he added, “It is the thought-life that pollutes. 21 For from within, out of men’s hearts, come evil thoughts of lust, theft, murder, adultery, 22 wanting what belongs to others, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, pride, and all other folly. 23 All these vile things come from within; they are what pollute you and make you unfit for God.”
OBSERVATION:
Jesus had to get the Pharisees straight on their line of thinking, for they went out of their way to criticize Jesus and His followers for not following lots of manmade rules, while all the while harboring awful thoughts inside of them. As we study this today, I can assure you that we are no different, and would therefore recommend that you do some soul searching and honestly consider whether you are truly fit for meeting the God of this universe.
APPLICATION:
Before we think too critically of the Pharisees, please allow me to challenge us to think about the many unwritten rules that we use when analyzing (judging) the behavior of those that we come into contact with. Often this really gets into our pious minds as to whether we think a person is fit for the kingdom of God. We tend to consider whether the place a person visits make them unfit; the words they say that might offend God; the people they hang around, that makes them guilty by association; the church they attend or the frequency of their weekly visits to that place of worship; or even the duration of their time meditating on God’s Word. Does this sound familiar friends? What do you think, do we really need God to judge our friends? So what exactly is it that God is teaching us here? He certainly is not teaching us how to judge someone, so we could erase that thought! Instead, I believe that God is teaching us to:

  • Be careful of what we fill our minds with. If we seek God’s face on a regular basis, then we will quickly conclude that we are so unworthy. If we humble ourselves before Him and seek His guidance and His direction for our lives, and we become submissive to His perfect will, then perhaps we will see Him steering us in right paths. If we fill our minds with godly things, then we will begin thinking like God and depending on Him more and more. His Word will help us to flush out those evil thoughts and desires that bombard us every day that we are in this wicked world;
  • Be the eyes, hands and feet of Jesus to those that we come into contact with. Let’s remember that each one is so valuable in the eyes of Jesus that He actually ‘gave up His life for us’. What does that mean? Friends, He had the power to raise the dead, heal the sick and make the crippled to walk again. He also had the power to wipe out the whole bunch of those that beat on Him and took Him to Calvary to be hung on a cross in mockery before the world, yet He made the sacrifice anyway. If He thought enough of each one of us to do that, how dare us to exclude some from that love? If they are special in God’s sight and worthy of the sacrifice of His precious Son, and we are endeavoring to be examples of that same Jesus, then we must look on the best and worst of mankind in the same light as He did. All are precious in His sight, and so should they be in ours.
  • Use the list of items quoted in these verses to help identify when we are off-track in our minds. To arrive at this point, we have probably already gone through many of the things I have already mentioned. Let us therefore present ourselves to God and ask Him to cleanse us and give us a new mind – one that is so filled with His grace and His mercy, so that our minds might be renewed, and refilled with the things of God and not of this wicked world.

This Brother cannot tell you what you need to do to align yourselves properly with God. So present yourselves to God and ask Him to assume, or resume leadership in your life. Ask Him to fill you with His power and His grace, so that others will see Jesus in everything that you say, hear or do, knowing that He will ultimately reflect in the way you speak or act around others.
PRAYER:
Lord Jesus, who is man that You would sacrifice Your life for us? Who is man that You would use us to minister in Your name and share Your gospel with others? Lord, we want to be fit vessels that will represent You well before a lost and dying world, but we can’t do it on our own. To be filled with You, we must totally surrender ourselves to You and ask You to assume control. Please work in and through us to accomplish Your perfect will for mankind, especially my family and friends within my realm of influence. The glory belongs to You as Your perfect will is accomplished 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 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!

Tips For Living Right

On By Ed AlgreenIn Follow Christ, Follower of Christ, Godly lives, Holy Living, How to Live, Righteous LivingLeave a comment

Post Date:

 Thursday, 2017-04-06
SCRIPTURE

From:

 Psalm 25:4-5 (Voice)

Text:

4 DEMONSTRATE Your ways, O Eternal One.
    Teach me to understand so I can follow.
5 EASE me down the path of Your truth.
    FEED me Your word
    because You are the True God who has saved me.
    I wait all day long, hoping, trusting in You.
OBSERVATION:
David had such a relationship with God that it seemed natural for him to speak his heart to God. David realized how much he had messed up, but He also knew where perfection came from, so he pleaded his case of need before the only Perfect One.
APPLICATION:
We could learn a lot from David, for we are so quick to beat up on ourselves, or seek help from every other source, before finally conceding to the One who could lead us to all truth, knowledge and understanding so that we could obediently follow the ways of our Lord and His written Word. There are a few keywords in these two verses that I wanted to expand on, that I believe will help us get to the bottom of David’s plea before his God:

  • Demonstrate – Lord, please help me to understand by showing me through real-life examples;
  • Teach – Assume that I know nothing and simply open up my mind to a full understanding of what You would have me to do, oh Lord;
  • Ease – Please go easy on me as I am slow to learn, but sincerely desire to know more about Your ways and Your Word;
  • Feed – Pour knowledge and understanding into me like we might poor water into the beak of a very thirsty bird. Fill me with Your Word so that I may constantly live in obedience to all that You desire of me;
  • Wait – I am willing to wait all day long to hear from You Lord, for following Your will is just that important to me.

When all is said and done, make it known to God that there is nothing more important in your life than to obey His Word. Honor Him in everything that you do and say, and  allow Him to work miraculously through you to reach the lost in your circle of influence for His glory. God referred to David as a man after His own heart, so I believe that as we follow this prayer of David’s in all sincerity, we would also show our desire to have a heart more like that of Christ. May it be so even today dear friends!
PRAYER:
Dear Lord, we want to be just like You! However we have so much that separates us in that quest. There is so much that we need to surrender to You so that we might be filled with Your Holy Spirit completely and therefore be led in total surrender to Your will and Your way for us. Lord, this wicked world needs to see more of You in those who claim You as Lord. Begin with me Lord. Allow me to be so filled with Your grace and Your mercy that those in my realm of influence might desire to know the One who influences my life every day. Thank You for the lesson taught through Your servant David, may all who read this blog be encourage to follow in the steps of David – towards being recognized by You as a person after Your own heart. May You be glorified in and through Your precious children today, is my prayer in deepest humility, 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!