Category: Forgiveness

He Did That For You!

On By Ed AlgreenIn Forgiveness, God-honoring, Salvation1 Comment

May I encourage you to get your spiritual ‘Nuggets’ to start your day off right? Pretty amazing that our awesome God would consider feeding even us with His Word! May I encourage you to read the whole devotional, and look for a blessing, friend!………

Today’s Bible Reference: Titus 2:11–14
Today’s Bible Text: God’s readiness to give and forgive is now public. Salvation’s available for everyone! We’re being shown how to turn our backs on a godless, indulgent life, and how to take on a God-filled, God-honoring life. This new life is starting right now, and is whetting our appetites for the glorious day when our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, appears. He offered himself as a sacrifice to free us from a dark, rebellious life into this good, pure life, making us a people he can be proud of, energetic in goodness.
The Bible Translation: The Message (MSG)

My Take Away: Ever heard a spouse, or a girlfriend or boyfriend say to their partner “And you did that for me?” You know – they are in shock that someone loves them enough to make a sacrifice on their behalf, just because they love them? It tends to put a whole new level of trust in that person, and a strong belief in your relationship! Suddenly you realize that they must truly love you! In our scripture today, it seems like Paul felt it was important for the ministry of Titus that no matter what he felt the people already knew about Jesus, that he should remind them again that there is no secret about how much God loves them, and about the awesome sacrifice He made at Calvary to prove His love for them. I feel compelled to share with my readers today the same message given to Titus, for it seems like depression in our friends and family is worsening, and impacting even children today. Don’t you realize friend that no matter how underserving you may feel, God is ready to forgive you, and give you eternal life filled with His wonderful love that is beyond human understanding or description? Don’t you know that you can be saved from your life of sin and disregard of God and take on a blessed, God-filled and God-honoring life? Don’t you know that this new life can begin right now, even though it may only be a sampling of the glorious life you will enjoy with Jesus when you leave this world that is so saturated with sin? Don’t you know that in spite of your present tendency to be mean and unforgiving towards others, that God will make you into a person energized in goodness? Friends, the above is not just vain promises that this Brother is offering to entice you into a relationship with God, although I wish there would be such an enticement possible, but I have merely expanded on the actual scripture written by Paul under the leadership and direction of the Holy Spirit. Please consider allowing that same Holy Spirit to guide you in your decisions today friend!

Prayer: Father, You are merciful and so forgiving. For while we were still sinners, You went to the cross of Calvary as a statement of Your love for us, and faced public shame and disgrace by the same folk that You would later forgive them of their sin. Unfortunately we are no better than most of them that tortured You that dark day, because in spite of Your love for us, yet we openly sin and disgrace Your precious name. Please consider once again forgiving us of our sin dear Lord. Please go to the extreme once again to melt our hardened hearts and convince us of our sin and our need for the Savior. Lord, I pray that You would have Your perfect way in our lives today and in the lives of those that we love. May this be the day of salvation for may who will read this devotional today, I pray this in the precious 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 contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog could indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to www.nuggetsfromgodsword.org and read more, or you may freely to subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us!

2016

Revive Us Again Oh Lord

On By Ed AlgreenIn Forgiveness, Revival, WitnessLeave a comment

May I encourage you to get your spiritual ‘Nuggets’ to start your day off right? Pretty amazing that our awesome God would consider feeding even us with His Word! May I encourage you to read the whole devotional, and look for a blessing, friend!………

Today’s Bible Reference: Psalm 85:4-7
Today’s Bible Text: Now restore us again, O God of our salvation. Put aside your anger against us once more. Will you be angry with us always? Will you prolong your wrath to all generations? Won’t you revive us again, so your people can rejoice in you? Show us your unfailing love, O LORD, and grant us your salvation.
The Bible Translation: New Living Translation (NLT)

My Take Away: Having just read a passage from 1 Chronicles 18, I saw how victorious David had been in battle. In fact, twice in that chapter we are told that God made David victorious in everything he did. Yet I turned to this passage and read about how David pleaded with God for revival. In much the same way, I believe that each of us meditating on this today will acknowledge that we have seen fairly good successes in our marriages, our work, our churches and even in our own lives, yet there are times that we feel like we have reached a plateau and  for some reason we have just stopped moving ahead. Like David, we sometimes stop and question what would it take for us, or our people to rejoice again. Friends, David quickly discovered that it was sin that was holding back the hand of God from continuing to bless His people. For you see, something must have died, or seriously soured, for David to feel the need for God to ‘revive’ he and his people again. Asking God to give us something, means that we never had it. Asking Him to ‘revive us’, means that we had it, but for some reason it is no longer vibrant; or perhaps effective; or perhaps exciting, or perhaps no longer working for us. Do you suppose that’s where our churches are today? Is that why people are comfortable attending church because they could leave without being challenged with the sin in their lives? Friends, if we want our families saved, or our coworkers drawn closer to the Lord, and we don’t seem to be effective in doing that any longer, then we had best follow David’s example and ask God to forgive us of our sin. Oh that God would draw closer to us once again so that He might show His power through us as individuals, and corporately as we join together at our church buildings. Perhaps then, we might become the hands of Jesus outstretched to the poor and needy. Perhaps then, sinners will rejoice and seek forgiveness, because they see a living example of what Jesus truly looks like. Perhaps then Christians will seek the face of Jesus, and not just His hands to meet their needs. Where do you stand friend? Do you need Jesus, or do you need His reviving touch again?

Prayer: Father God, we have become such a needy people, but yet we seem more interested in Your outstretched hand, than we are in drawing closer to Your side and worshipping You in total transparency. You are our creator, and You are the Almighty God, from whom nothing is hidden. Please help us to get honest with ourselves, and stay transparent before You, for I believe that it is only then that our spirits might one with Yours, and that we would constantly seek Your face and not just Your hand. Please forgive us when we become weak and distant from You. Please help us to always seek a reviving touch from You so that we might get downright honest with ourselves and before You. Lord, we want to be just like You, yet it is so obvious that we are stained constantly by the sin in this world. Please draw us close to You so that we might be effective in our witness for You while here on this planet. I ask all this in faith, and in the strong 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 contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog could indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to www.nuggetsfromgodsword.org and read more, or you may freely to subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us!

2016

God Wants You!

On By Ed AlgreenIn Forgiveness, Salvation, SaviorLeave a comment

May I encourage you to get your spiritual ‘Nuggets’ to start your day off right? Pretty amazing that our awesome God would consider feeding even us with His Word! May I encourage you to read the whole devotional, and look for a blessing, friend!………

Today’s Bible Reference: 1 Timothy 1:14-17
Today’s Bible Text: Oh, how kind our Lord was, for he showed me how to trust him and become full of the love of Christ Jesus. How true it is, and how I long that everyone should know it, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—and I was the greatest of them all. But God had mercy on me so that Christ Jesus could use me as an example to show everyone how patient he is with even the worst sinners, so that others will realize that they, too, can have everlasting life. Glory and honor to God forever and ever.
The Bible Translation: The Living Bible (TLB)

My Take Away: We hear about lots of evil that impact so many today, and we wonder when will God come to take us out of this mess. However, seldom do we stop and study what took place in the days of Jesus, and how His believers were impacted back then. We admire Paul as such a valuable servant of God, for we read about his bold witnessing, his imprisonment for witnessing in places where it was prohibited, and many other attributes of this saint of old. We are also blessed by the many writings of Paul in the New Testament. However, in these verses we are looking at today, Paul is reflecting on where God truly brought him from. For God stopped this persecutor of Christians right in his track, convicted him of his wrong doing (his sin) and showed him that through the sacrifice that Jesus made on the cross, even he could be saved. I still hear people say today, what Paul must have thought and said back then, how could such an evil person as I (a sinner) stand a chance of being accepted by the pure and holy Son of God? Friends, I believe that God wanted me to share with you yet again today, that His Son was sacrificed on Calvary especially for those who question like this. For His sacrifice was made with full knowledge that we cannot save ourselves and, nothing, or no one else could stand in the gap for our sin, except the one true Savior, Jesus Christ. So there is no need to continue in sin dear friends. There just is no reason to continue carrying that load around any longer. Stop, drop and pray to the Father right now – right where you are at, admit your sin before Him, ask His forgiveness so that He could save you from your current path you are on to Hell. He WILL save you friend! Just imagine the thought of God sacrificing His only Son, and for us to reject that offer of love and continue on our journey to Hell. It must hurt our Father beyond anything we could imagine. He sent His Son so that all might be saved, so of course that includes you. Of course He desires a relationship with even you, for He loves you beyond anything words can describe, friend! Paul acknowledged that his changed life served as a witness to many others who needed Jesus. There may be others needing you to make your big step, to give them the boldness needed to move towards Jesus. Please don’t be a stumbling block for them.

Prayer: Thank You Father for loving us so much that You gave. It’s beyond me that You would give such a sacrifice for mere sinners – people You created to be like You, yet have chosen to do their own thing and live in total opposition to Your teachings, and Your will for their lives. Please forgive us Heavenly Father. Please forgive us for the lack of appreciation for the sacrifice You made Lord Jesus. Please soften the hearts of Your people today so that we might seek Your face, accept Your precious gift, and live according to Your will in full appreciation of all that You did for us. Lord, may this be a day of change for many, especially those who might stumble across this devotional today. I ask all this in the precious name of Jesus, my Savior and Lord, AMEN!

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

2016

Needed–A Pure Heart and A Right Spirit

On By Ed AlgreenIn Cleanse me Oh God, Forgiveness, Heart, Right SpiritLeave a comment

May I encourage you to get your spiritual ‘Nuggets’ to start your day off right? Pretty amazing that our awesome God would consider feeding even us with His Word! Read on and be blessed friend!………

The Bible Text: 10-13 Create in me a pure heart, God, and make my spirit right again. Do not send me away from you or take your Holy Spirit away from me. Give me back the joy of your salvation. Keep me strong by giving me a willing spirit. Then I will teach your ways to those who do wrong, and sinners will turn back to you.
17 The sacrifice God wants is a broken spirit. God, you will not reject a heart that is broken and sorry for sin.
The Bible Reference: Psalm 51:10-13, 17
The Bible Translation: New Century Version (NCV)

My Take Away: Sin is something we do, or say, or think, that is contrary to the command and will of God. David had just committed sin through an unlawful act with Bathsheba, that resulted in the birth of a child, and the child being taken by God as punishment to David and Bathsheba. Now, after just what I’ve written so far, most of us would dismiss any conviction of sin in our lives, because most of us would probably say “thank God, I’ve never done anything quite that bad”. Before you get too pious friend, let’s be reminded again about what sin is. You see, we are quick to compare our acts, thoughts or deeds to the guy next to us, or the lady across the street, or even David, as described in God’s Word. But I must humbly remind you that sin is something against God, so when you go before a righteous and holy God, there is no need to compare yourself to anyone else, and no need to tell God about the provocation by the other person that may have caused you to sin. He only wants to hear how your heart got out of sync with Him, His design and His commands. Getting our hearts right again with God will return a ‘right spirit’ within us and cause us to desire reaching out to teach others the ways of God, so that they may surrender their hearts to God. Verse 17 reiterates that God will not reject a heart that is broken. One that is sad about the sin that has occurred in our lives. There’s a song that is written based on these verses, click here to listen to it as you continue to meditate on this devotional today! I pray that today you will get together with God and ask that He renew a right spirit within you, and that you will be willing to ask Him to cleanse you of any sin that might prevent that ‘right spirit’ within you.

Prayer: Dear God, no matter how hard we try, we will not succeed in sharing Your love and Your forgiveness with others, especially when there is enmity and sin in our hearts. This is not what we want oh God, for we want sin removed and we want the temptation of sin to be taken away from us. Please create in me a clean heart, and renew a right spirit within me. Please return to me the joy of my salvation, and may that joy overflow in me so that others might see and believe in You. Its all about You God, but please cleanse my heart so that You can easily and freely use me as Your instrument to reach those around me. I pray the same for me readers today Lord, for the world needs more of You to be seen in more of us. I ask these things of my awesome God, through the name of Your awesome Son, 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 contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog could indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to www.nuggetsfromgodsword.org and read more, or you may freely to subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us!

2016

The True Worshipper

On By Ed AlgreenIn Forgiveness, Give thanks, Sincerity, WorshipLeave a comment

May I encourage you to get your spiritual ‘Nuggets’ to start your day off right? Pretty amazing that our awesome God would consider even us, to nourish us for His glory! Read on and be blessed!………

The Bible Translation: The Good News Translation
The Bible Reference: Psalm 50:22-23
The Bible Text: “Listen to this, you that ignore me, or I will destroy you, and there will be no one to save you. Giving thanks is the sacrifice that honors me, and I will surely save all who obey me.”

My Take Away: In my first read through these verses I was convinced that verse 22 was referring to a non-believer and verse 23 to a believer in Jesus Christ. If you got the same impression, may I encourage you to click on the scripture so you could see the whole chapter. You will quickly agree with me that the whole chapter is referring to those who ‘worship’ God. This was quite an eye opener for me, for I quickly recognized that just as David saw people coming to the temple to offer a sacrifice to the living God, I believe there are still some today who offer similar sacrifices through the money they give to the church, thinking that surely God will be satisfied with them if they give a little from the excess they have earned. There may be others who give, or ‘sacrifice’, of their time, or even attend church services. Friends, when your heart belongs to God, it means that you have surrendered your whole self to God – body, soul and spirit. If everything about you belongs to God, then who do you suppose owns your money? There is no ‘sacrifice’ in what you give to God, when you truly belong to Him. Perhaps, instead you are to be thankful for the 90% that He allows you to keep for your earthly obligations. When you surrender your all to Jesus, you are acknowledging that everything you are, or have, now belong to God, so you are in a continual mode of thanksgiving for the mighty works that you recognize Him doing through you. Why else would you be blessed with a job, when so many others are struggling to find one? Why else would you have the opportunity to witness to someone for Jesus, when they live right next door to the pastor? God has vowed to destroy, or as some translations read, “He will rip you apart” if you ignore Him and His gracious hand in your life. There’s no pretending, lying, or hiding anything from God friend. You are an ‘open book’ in His eyes, and therefore it really upsets Him when you think for a moment that you could ‘pull the wool over His eyes’. A totally surrendered life will be one looking for ways to worship God for His awesome power and love to you. It will be one to recognize God’s handiwork and His blessings in your life and praise Him continually for His unmerited grace. This is what pleases God and honors Him. This is what is referred to in verse 23 when we see God reaching out His hand to save us! Is there anything you need to clear up before approaching the throne of God friend?

Prayer: Lord God, You are so merciful to us. You are so patient with us, especially when we try to convince ourselves that it was our knowledge, or our health or because of the people we know, that we are surviving in this rough old world. Please sober our confused minds for ever thinking that we could do anything, or survive any day, without Your ongoing grace in our lives. There is no way that we can save anyone, but based on Your Word Lord, I believe that You will work through those who have presented themselves before You with a heart that is contrite, and has been washed by Your blood, and that is totally surrendered to You. Please allow Your Holy Spirit to work on us today so that we may clear up any misconceptions that Satan may have planted in our minds. It is only then that You will find room to work through us to minister to Your children. Lord, please open the hearts of my readers today, so that they might draw closer to You and present themselves faultless before the Father one day. These things I ask in the strong and sacrificial name of Jesus, the Christ, AMEN!

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

2016

What will you do with Jesus?

On By Ed AlgreenIn Acceptance, Forgiveness, SacrificeLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE – John 19:4-6 – New Living Translation (NLT): 4 Pilate went outside again and said to the people, “I am going to bring him out to you now, but understand clearly that I find him not guilty.” 5 Then Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. And Pilate said, “Look, here is the man!” 6 When they saw him, the leading priests and Temple guards began shouting, “Crucify him! Crucify him!” “Take him yourselves and crucify him,” Pilate said. “I find him not guilty.”

THOUGHTS: Pilate presented Jesus to the crowd and asked them what they wanted him to do with Him. Each weekend most churches/pastors will present the gospel and ask their congregations to respond to a similar question. Most of us leave our churches having said something very similar to that of the crowd before Pilate. Perhaps by our unresponsive action we are saying: hey, you may as well crucify Him, for we have this ‘life’ thing under control. I don’t need this Jesus interfering and telling me what to do or how I should act, or highlighting my wrongs. Perhaps we totally ignore the message, and the idea that Jesus is in control of us and all of life’s happenings. Perhaps we conclude that since Jesus is available, we could easily and quickly call on Him if, and when, we need Him. Friends, in and of our natural selves we have no desire for godly things. If we ARE alerted to the things of Christ, we are actually being personally admonished by GOD Himself. We NEED to listen and obey, not aim to crucify Him. We are about to enter into another weekend of church services. What will you do with Jesus? He loved you so much that He gave himself upon the cross of Calvary as a sacrifice for your sin, so that you might have the means of getting into heaven and the forgiveness of your sin. How will you respond to that?

PRAYER: Lord God, thank You for loving us so much that You showed evidence of that love when You allowed Your precious Son to suffer the disgrace of the people that insisted on His death. Lord, we are not a whole lot better, for we stand by and watch our family and friends ‘spit in Your Son’s face’ still today, when they are convicted by You, yet they turn away in rejection as if to say that they would rather reject Your unbelievable love and accept the horror and disgrace of the Evil One. They would never be so evil to an earthly friend who blesses them today, by turning their face and rejecting them in spite of their sacrificial giving to them. Dear God, please don’t give up on my family members, friends and coworkers who have chosen to follow the pattern of the cruel, unappreciative, jealous, unloving crowd mentioned in the scripture today. Please, Heavenly Father, bear with them a little longer. Please tender their hearts yet again to the fact that You showed Your love in very obvious and sacrificial ways. Their acceptance of that gracious gift is so valuable that it contains the keys to Heaven and an audience for eternity with the creator of this entire universe. We are truly a blessed people, to have such a loving God. Thank You dear Lord, and hear my plea yet again for those I love. For I ask this in the wonderful name of Jesus – the crucified, sacrificial lamb of God, 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 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!

Who Is Jesus To You?

On By Ed AlgreenIn Decisions, Forgiveness, SalvationLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (The Living Bible – John 7:40-43): 40 When the crowds heard him say this, some of them declared, “This man surely is the prophet who will come just before the Messiah.” 41-42 Others said, “He is the Messiah.” Still others, “But he can’t be! Will the Messiah come from Galilee? For the Scriptures clearly state that the Messiah will be born of the royal line of David, in Bethlehem, the village where David was born.” 43 So the crowd was divided about him. 

THOUGHTS: Individually we have our own ideas of who Jesus is. So much so that I would imagine if we polled an audience of 50 people, we would probably get 50 slightly different responses. In our pastor’s sermon last week we heard of someone whose life has been radically changed, and how this is so evident in writings or correspondence from this individual, because now it is very evident that words/expressions are coming from very deep in this individual’s heart, compared to his previous educated mind and intelligence. I believe this is representative of what we might hear from an audience as well, but the BIG question today is “who is Jesus to you“? Someone reading this devotional may have only heard about Jesus through curse words used by those with no regard for my Lord. Some may have heard their mom or grandmother talk about this Jesus that they seemed to have known. Some may have accepted Jesus as Lord in their earlier days and have found no room for Him in their adult life, because they have managed to survive on their own and really don’t need Jesus. However, some are passionate about their Lord, because they live and breathe the Word of God daily. They have an intimate relationship with Jesus that incorporates daily talks with Him (prayer), and daily hearing from God as they are faithful to read His Word on at least a daily basis. My Savior might be known as ‘Healer’; ‘Deliverer’; ‘Comforter’; ‘Encourager’; ‘Confidant’ or even as ‘Soon Coming King’ to saints who have a personal, living and vibrant relationship with Jesus Christ. Yes, the crowd is still divided, as the responses are still so varied. However, Jesus is still the same today as He was yesterday and the day before. My God’s Not Dead, for He is very much alive in me each and every day. Please allow me to ask again, who is Jesus to you? May I remind you that there will be a reckoning day soon for each of us, where the answer to this very question will be the determining factor on whether you are allowed into the glories of heaven, or whether your earthly decisions on heavenly questions were unimportant to you, and therefore your destination is predetermined by you to the place of eternal damnation – Hell. Friends, our decision today determines our eternal destination. Our God is not mean and out to get you, He is in fact a perfect gentleman and allows you to decide for yourself where you would rather spend eternity. Being smart enough to read this devotional, also qualifies you to make sensible decisions. Ones that you can live with today, and after you pass from this world into the next. Listen to your heart friend. Invite Jesus in and commit your life to the One who holds the future – your future. I’m waiting for the day when I see the smile of the face of my Lord, and I pray that each of you are ready for the same, God being your helper.

PRAYER: Lord God, this world has taken its toll on mankind and influenced mankind to become so independent, yet terribly influenced by sin and the devil. Your Word is clear, that this leads one to Hell itself and eternal damnation without further access to God. You have given us time up to this very moment to make wise decisions that could lead us to our eternal home in glory with You and Your son Jesus. Unfortunately many have not taken time to make wise decisions, and I am very sad, because many of these are my friends and family, and ones that I would never want to see any harm come to them. Lord, I pray that today will be the day of salvation for them. Please tender their hearts once again, convince them of their sin and remind them of Your love that is available to them. I love You Lord, and ask all these things in the name of Jesus Christ, and for His glory, AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please speak with a local Bible Teaching pastor, or 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!

How It All Starts and Ends

On By Ed AlgreenIn Forgiveness, Obedience, SalvationLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (Easy-To-Read Version – John 6:43-44): 43 But Jesus said, “Stop complaining to each other. 44 The Father is the one who sent me, and he is the one who brings people to me. I will raise them up on the last day. Anyone the Father does not bring to me cannot come to me.

THOUGHTS: Many who were following Jesus and listening to His teaching just didn’t get it. In fact, in this very chapter we read about many turning away because they just wasn’t sure that Jesus was the ‘real thing’. Friends, are either of these first two statements any different than what we see today? I don’t think so. Just imagine, there are folk that attend our churches today that are there because mom or dad insisted that they attend; or perhaps a man is attending because his wife came from a church background and insisted that he come to church with her. However, let me encourage you by saying that much like Jesus described and announced to His followers in this scripture, there are many ‘true’ or ‘real’ Christians that we know and fellowship with, who have been touched by the mighty hand of God – the same God that sent Jesus – our Redeemer, Mediator and Savior. These folk have committed their lives to the lordship of the Lord Jesus Christ in total surrender. To better understand the imagery of what Jesus is teaching here, I want you to think for a moment of the number of folk that you walk up to, next to, or alongside each day. Are you committed to them? No, you happened to have entered into their space because of normal circumstances. Now, let’s imagine that you have been invited by the White House staff to appear before the president of the United States. Would there be a difference in how you prepare yourself with how you will appear in his space? I’m sure there will be! Now think for a moment that something has occurred in your life where you feel certain that the Holy Spirit of God is urging you to accept an invitation to attend church this weekend, or perhaps to accept that luncheon request from an old Christian friend who’s been inviting you for a while now. Let’s assume that at either of these meetings the truth of God’s Word is shared and an invitation given to you to accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior. Having been urged by the Holy Spirit, do you suppose that you would have a very strong desire to accept, based on how everything came together? Friend, may I suggest to you that you look beyond situations that many might call coincidences, or mere luck? May I suggest that you recognize the hand of God when He touches your life; penetrates your life with His divine presence; and calls you to a decision to follow Him? To all who surrender; to all who believes on Him; to all who commits to His invitation and call; to them He offers life eternal, just like He said in verse 44 – “He will raise you up” to be with Him and the Father on Resurrection Day! I am anxiously looking forward to that day friend, I hope that you will be obedient to His call today and ready yourself for the same. The promise of Heaven is reserved for those who know and have accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior. Others will be presented with quite the opposite experience – hell and damnation. The choice we make today in response to the call of the Father determines our final destination. Please don’t disappoint me, nor my heavenly Father.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank You for Your provision for us to one day join You in heaven. Who is man that You should care enough for us to make such a provision? Thank You for loving Your children enough to speak with us one-on-one and for providing us the sacrificial means for the forgiveness of our sin and our subsequent entry into heaven. Thank You for Jesus! I have friends and family who have rejected Your call on their life, or they are perhaps of the wrong impression that their sinful lives are ‘good enough’ to see them into heaven. Lord, have mercy on them. Please tender the hearts of the stubborn and unconcerned today. May they recognize Your voice and adhere to Your calling today, before it is eternally too late for them to do so. All these things I ask humbly, and in the powerful name of Jesus, my Savior, 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!

Why Jesus Came

On By Ed AlgreenIn Forgiveness, Salvation, SaviorLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (The Contemporary English Version – Hebrews 2:14-18): 14 We are people of flesh and blood. That is why Jesus became one of us. He died to destroy the devil, who had power over death. 15 But he also died to rescue all of us who live each day in fear of dying. 16 Jesus clearly did not come to help angels, but he did come to help Abraham’s descendants. 17 He had to be one of us, so that he could serve God as our merciful and faithful high priest and sacrifice himself for the forgiveness of our sins. 18 And now that Jesus has suffered and was tempted, he can help anyone else who is tempted.

THOUGHTS: There once was a gentleman running for governor who went to various job sites and worked at least a day in the workers’ shoes in order to see what he needed to correct or improve upon when we became governor. There is a local rehabilitation center that sends out it’s trainers to various job sites, so that when their clients are hired, the trainer will know exactly how to best train them for that specific job. I am in awe of how, the God of this universe could easily call into existence any and everything for us to benefit from, or protect us from the greatest fears that we might have, yet He knew that we would more easily accept someone who has been there and done that. He foreknew that this would be super important when it comes to us taking our petitions and our fears and our needs and our frustrations before Him! We are reminded in this scripture today that Jesus, God’s only beloved Son, was sent to earth for us and only us. He became just like us, so that He could witness firsthand why we would feel so despondent when coming before Him over the loss of a family member or friend, for He witnessed this through the death of His dear friend Lazarus. Or how we must feel when we are left alone to fend for ourselves, perhaps because of our blindness or because we might be crippled or otherwise immobile, for He stopped a procession to speak with, and heal a man waiting along the roadside, because the crowd chose to quiet him down rather than help him up. Remember that He also placed simple dirt on a man’s eyes to restore his sight? Friends, I believe this scripture is an awesome reminder that when we take our burdens, our concerns, our heartaches and share how despondent we are, before our gracious, all powerful, almighty God, we will know that He can identify with us. Jesus was saddened to tears when His friend Lazarus died, don’t you know that He also feels our pain when we hurt so badly at times because of life’s circumstances? For those of us who have accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior, may I remind you that we have a definite hope dear friend? We have a Savior, who not only hears our cries, but has already prepared a place for us in Heaven where we will spend eternity with He and His/our Father! This is exciting, and fills my heart with hope, especially as I deal with so many of life’s circumstances each day. For those who have not surrendered your life to Jesus yet, may I suggest that there is nothing to compare to the hope and joy of knowing Jesus. It’s like looking forward to the end of the day knowing that you have a peaceful home to go to with a loving spouse who awaits you! Jesus is ready to welcome you home friend, but you must make the first move in the ‘free-will’ given to you over your life by God. May I encourage you to take advantage of the day and hour in which you might read this reminder? Jesus tells us in His Word that “Today is the accepted day”. Won’t you be obedient to His call?

PRAYER: Father, there are many days when life here on earth seems so hopeless to many of Your children. May this be a reminder today that because of Your love for us, You have made every provision for our future. May the unsaved be reminded that this is not an automatic protection for every person, but rather for those who would like to see a brighter future and have accepted Your offer of salvation – the only means for us to enter an eternal future in heaven with You. Thank You for coming to earth to better identify with our challenges. May this serve to help unbelievers more openly share their heart with You and accept the love that You offer. With a heart of thanksgiving and love, I want to thank You Lord for hearing my prayer, for I ask this in and through the strong name of Jesus, the name above all other names, 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!

Dealing With Sin

On By Ed AlgreenIn Envy, Forgiveness, Jealousy, SinLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (The New Living Translation – Genesis 27:26-28): 26 Judah said to his brothers, “What will we gain by killing our brother? We’d have to cover up the crime. 27 Instead of hurting him, let’s sell him to those Ishmaelite traders. After all, he is our brother—our own flesh and blood!” And his brothers agreed. 28 So when the Ishmaelites, who were Midianite traders, came by, Joseph’s brothers pulled him out of the cistern and sold him to them for twenty pieces of silver. And the traders took him to Egypt.

THOUGHTS: Sometimes the best way to understand how to properly deal with an issue is to look at situations where a similar instance was not handled properly, or as in the case today, where the corrective actions led to even more sin. The first sin that I see evident in the case of Joseph’s brothers is jealousy. They were at a stage of hatred for Joseph, because of the love shown towards him by their father. Had they taken time to deal with that sin, I believe the chances of the additional sinful actions may not have transpired. However, because they didn’t take care of the jealousy problem the following additional sin occurred:

  • They would not talk to their brother – an obvious sign of jealousy and hatred;
  • They jumped to conclusions about his dreams that only developed more envy and hatred;
  • They opted to kill their brother when he was sent to the field by his dad, to check on them;
  • They chose to override the last sin by what they thought may have been a lesser sin, they chose to desert Joseph in a pit in the wilderness so he could, supposedly, die naturally;
  • Because the last thought would still involve them placing hands on Joseph and deliberately throwing him into the pit, they opted instead to sell him to traders. Human Trafficking today is a horrific crime getting more attend than terrorism. It was no better back when Joseph was sold, as there were no assurances as to what would happen to him after being under the control of his new masters.

Friends, are we any different today? God’s Word teaches us to bring our burdens and our concerns to Him. It also teaches that we are to love others as we love ourselves and that vengeance is mine (the Lord’s), so why would we take it as our job to bring vengeance on that friend who is not acting like we think they should. Our responsibility is to love them with the love of God and earnestly pray for their best interest and their personal relationship with God. As Christians, we are to imitate Christ. So how did He act when we sinned? He loved us enough that He willingly went to the cross of Calvary to open the gates of heaven for us. Because of His sacrifice for us – while we were still steeped in sin, we now have access to the forgiveness of our sin and a straight path to glory to be with Jesus and His/our Father.

PRAYER: Thank You for giving us options dear God. Thank You also for giving us wisdom, and access to You, so that we would make the best choices in the options presented to us each day. It is unfortunate that our natural desire tends to automatically lead us to revenge, or deeper and/or additional sin. Please provoke us to once again praise You today for being our guide and our deliverer from the evil one, and instead lead us in the paths of righteousness, when we place our faith and trust in You. Lord, we read about the actions that Joseph’s brothers took, and we quiver over the fact that they were so cruel. However, I believe that You must also look at us, your proclaimed children who have surrendered our lives to You, yet we often act in much the same way towards our Brothers and our Sisters. Please forgive us oh Lord, and renew within us a right spirit – one that aligns with Your Word, and Your life as demonstrated while here on earth. I believe that Christians living any other way than matching Your expectations are useless to Your kingdom. May we be true to You in every way and live lives pleasing to You in every way, is my humble prayer that I ask in the 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 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!