Category: God’s Glory

The Prescription for Success

On By Ed AlgreenIn Devotion, For His Glory, Glory of God, God's Glory, LoyaltyLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Monday, 2020-03-14
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

Bible Reference: 2 Chronicles 31:20–21
Translation: Good News Translation (GNT)

Bible Text: 20 Throughout all Judah, King Hezekiah did what was right and what was pleasing to the Lord his God. 21 He was successful, because everything he did for the Temple or in observance of the Law, he did in a spirit of complete loyalty and devotion to his God.

APPLICATION: I can hardly imagine what our families, our churches, our cities and our nation would be like if we had men following the example of King Hezekiah today! We are told in verse 21 that this king was extremely successful because….. everything he did was in a spirit of complete loyalty and devotion to God! Wow! In Bible Studies we are often reminded about the importance of loving our spouse in complete loyalty and obedience to God, and we might hear testimonies about the difference these characteristics make in the life and marriage of couples who remain in love with each other through good, and yes, even through challenging times. I could only imagine how much better our workplaces would be if we (Christians) went to work with a spirit of complete loyalty and devotion to God. Friends, I know that many employers will not allow Christianity to be promoted within the confounds of the workplace, but what is inside of us cannot be taken away! We take Christ into our jobs through our lives – our actions, our stands on certain things, through our sincere dedication to our work and our bosses. Christians should be the best employees for any employer, if we do our jobs in complete loyalty and dedication to God. He will stop us from cheating, stealing, lying, gossiping, and any other ungodly actions. God will drive us towards being the best in everything expected of us by our employer. In addition to committing yourself to loyalty and devotion to God, please remember to daily pray God’s blessings on your supervisor and on your employer. Yes, even the boss that may seem hard and uncaring towards you. Just as Jesus made a difference in your life, He will also impact the life of your boss, or that difficult supervisor! As you meditate on this devotional and consider following this commitment, please notice that Hezekiah had no conditions to his commitment, and I believe we could deduce that his commitment was evident in every aspect of his life. I’m sure I don’t need to remind you, but our churches, our families, our workplaces, our schools and our social clubs are all suffering from the lack of commitment by those who tell the world that they belong to God. The Word says that as a result of Hezekiah’s commitment, many conditions changed for the good, and he was successful in everything he did. So will you join me in committing to be completely loyal and devoted to God in every aspect of your life? The world so badly needs Jesus, perhaps one dedicated child of God making a difference in their workplace, their homes, etc. will bring hope to those who need the Lord. Do your part dear friend, and pray for the same success that Hezekiah had!

PRAYER: Lord Jesus I’m sure that You never intended for us to be an image of You for others to look on, but rather that we might imitate You in everything You have taught us though Your Word and Your actions, so that they may be convinced of their need for Jesus. Thank You for the life of Hezekiah and the commitment displayed by this servant in loyalty and devotion to You. This impacted his world! But still today, our world is in trouble and many need to see a few good men and women who are dedicated to the One they say they belong to. Lord, may they see from our commitment, loyalty and devotion to You, that Jesus is alive and well, because of the evidence they see each day in us. Please forgive us Lord for the times we have acted just like the world, and not been a pure replica of You. Please help us to never be a stumbling block that prevents Your impact on the lost. Oh that You may be glorified and recognized in us, and may You be glorified on earth, as You are in Heaven! 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!

Do Everything For The Glorify God

On By Ed AlgreenIn Glorify, Glory of God, God Cares For Us, God's GloryLeave a comment

Monday, 2021-08-09

Bible Reference: 1 Corinthians 10:29-33
Translation: The Living Bible (TLB)

Bible Text:  29 ….you may ask, must I be guided and limited by what someone else thinks? 30 If I can thank God for the food and enjoy it, why let someone spoil everything just because he thinks I am wrong? 31 Well, I’ll tell you why. It is because you must do everything for the glory of God, even your eating and drinking. 32 So don’t be a stumbling block to anyone, whether they are Jews or Gentiles or Christians. 33 That is the plan I follow, too. I try to please everyone in everything I do, not doing what I like or what is best for me but what is best for them, so that they may be saved.

APPLICATION:  To a very large extent, we tend to build our lives around people who please us; who does life ‘our way’; and who has everything that makes us happy. Paul had to address this in the Corinthian church, and I believe that his teaching is included in the Word of God, because we need to be reminded of this today also. We still live in an imperfect world, and we still have a need to get over our selfishness. In this particular chapter Paul was addressing the subject of some being convinced that they could not eat certain foods, while others were quite OK with that and saw nothing wrong with it, nor how it might affect their relationship with God. Paul’s conviction was that we should be careful to do what pleases God in these circumstances, not just ourselves. In fact Paul directed us to do only those things that will glorify God, and that should challenge us the ultimate degree on why and how we should do things. This is supported by the wide variety of principles and characteristics that Jesus taught and modeled throughout His earthly ministry, for He ate with sinners, boldly taught opposing Pharisees and loved all with whom He came into contact with. But let’s take the example of food that Paul taught about in this chapter. This still exists today, because there are some who feel like there are certain foods that would defile their bodies, and some even feel that this is based on Biblical references – and therefore may displease God. I believe that we are being taught to make every effort to please God in our lives, which may mean that our own convictions may need adjusting at times. We should never create animosity with a Brother or Sister who is trying to please God through what they eat. Unfortunately, we sometimes become so wrapped up in the unimportant aspects of a Christian’s personal beliefs and practices, that we lose sight of glorifying God in the moment in which we find ourselves. Friends, rather than trying to force others to eat what we eat or not, we’ve totally missed the point if we haven’t challenged them, or helped them grow in their personal relationship with God. The time we spend with individuals, should help them in their relationship with God, or at least challenge them to consider their own lives in the light of eternity. We must be careful to help someone draw close to God, rather than becoming a stumbling block to the very people we feel led to help. As a child of God, our aim should always be to please Him through the way that we live, not by trying to be ‘God’. Our path to living like a child of the King is very clear in His Word, let’s learn to live like that and rub off on as many as we can. Maybe at that point we might have more impact on the unbeliever also, for we will truly imitate our loving Lord, and act more like He intended. It’s all about God friend, not our personal ideals.

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for loving us in spite of our silly personal ideals. Thank You for speaking through Paul to redirect our attention towards You instead of trying to impose our imperfections onto others. May our daily goal always be to please You in all that we do and say; to be more like You; and to draw closer to You in every way. You have taught us to love everyone and to encourage them instead of tearing down and destroying. Lord, may it be evident to all that we come into contact with, that Jesus lives and reigns inside of us. I ask for myself and each reader/listener, and I ask this in the loving and awesome name of Jesus, 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!

Pass The Glory On

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, For His Glory, God's Glory, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Monday, 2021-06-07
WRITTEN AT: Sebring, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: John 7:16-18
TRANSLATION: Good News Translation (GNT)

BIBLE TEXT:  16 Jesus answered, “What I teach is not my own teaching, but it comes from God, who sent me. 17 Whoever is willing to do what God wants will know whether what I teach comes from God or whether I speak on my own authority. 18 A person who speaks on his own authority is trying to gain glory for himself. But he who wants glory for the one who sent him is honest, and there is nothing false in him.

APPLICATION: The people recognized that Jesus was an awesome teacher. However Jesus wanted to make it clear that His words came directly from the Father. Verse 18 reminded me of some of our current day teachers, preachers and evangelists, where we see, or hear one speaking from a very selfish ‘me-ology’, instead of the unadulterated Word of God. Could that be the kind of person that Jesus was talking about – trying to gain glory, or draw attention to themselves, by speaking from their own perspective/learning/point-of-view? Let’s remember that our godly responsibility is to pray for those who teach us, not to judge them, or make fun of them or ridicule them. That’s where God takes over. Fortunately though, we also have preachers and teachers who display a true sensitivity to God and His Holy Spirit, and therefore there is a deep honesty and openness that causes them to lean on their Master and seek His will in their ministry. Did you notice that Jesus depended on His Father for the right words, and the best timing in which to say them? How much more should we do the same today? So you might wonder, what is there in this Scripture for laity, like you and I? 1). We have been given the litmus test to help us discern whether we are being fed the honest truth of God’s Word, or whether we are seeing a popularity contest, or perhaps self promotion. Honesty to ourselves will help us to place ourselves under the right preaching or teaching, so that we can be truly taught by God; and 2). Look inwardly and allow God to show you any faults that may be evident in your life. Perhaps you are the false teacher/preacher. Are you promoting self every opportunity, or are you standing behind the cross of Christ, with Him as your spokesman, so that His work will be accomplished? Let Him have His way in your life, friend. Don’t just let Him be the ‘co-pilot’ in your life, but give Him the wheel and let Him pilot you through this life. Let Him receive glory for all that is accomplished in your life and in your ministry.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: Though so unworthy, yet I’m a child of the King! And because of that sonship, God will use even us to spread His Word and His good works so that He might be glorified by our circle of friends and influence. Let’s aim at having our audience see Jesus and not our weakness.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, it is so easy to sit back and gloat on the praises that others may shower upon us. Yes, I know it is meant to encourage us and lift us up, but dear Lord, in humility we need to constantly learn that it’s all about You, and not of ourselves. Oh that the people might always see Jesus, without attention being drawn to us. For without You in our lives, and without You guiding our every step, our impact on a lost world would be non-existent. Please continue to use our talents and our willingness to serve for Your glory, and hopefully for the growth of Your church. Please help us to display so much of You, that those that we come into contact with, may receive Your glory. Please forgive us Lord for those times that we may have promoted self instead of You, the One who makes this whole life possible, and worth it all! To God be the glory! 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!

Successful Men Look Like This

On By Ed AlgreenIn Devotion, For His Glory, Glory of God, God's Glory, LoyaltyLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Saturday, 2020-03-14
WRITTEN AT: Paul B Johnson State Park, Hattiesburg, MS

Bible Reference: 2 Chronicles 31:20–21
Translation: Good News Translation (GNT)

Bible Text: 20 Throughout all Judah, King Hezekiah did what was right and what was pleasing to the Lord his God. 21 He was successful, because everything he did for the Temple or in observance of the Law, he did in a spirit of complete loyalty and devotion to his God.

OBSERVATION: I don’t know that you will learn anything new from this devotional today, but I believe that you will be reminded of why you might have an employee who is very successful and doing well for your company, or you might be challenged with something that is lacking in your life that prevents you from succeeding in your job. The formula is spelled right out in our Scripture, but fearing that you might gloss right over it, I want us to meditate on the necessary qualities, and how these were evident in king Hezekiah.

APPLICATION: I can hardly imagine what our families, our churches, our cities and our nation would be like if we had men following the example of King Hezekiah today! We are told in verse 21 that this king was extremely successful because….. everything he did was in a spirit of complete loyalty and devotion to God! Wow! In Bible Studies we are often reminded about the importance of loving our spouse in complete loyalty and obedience to God, and we might hear testimonies about the difference these characteristics make in the life and marriage of couples who remain in love with each other through good, and yes, even through challenging times. I could only imagine how much better our workplaces would be if we (Christians) went to work with a spirit of complete loyalty and devotion to God. Friends, I know that many employers will not allow Christianity to be promoted within its confounds, but what is inside of us cannot be taken away! We take Christ into our jobs through our lives – our actions, our stands on certain things, through our sincere dedication to our work and our bosses. Christians should be the best employees for any employer, if we do our jobs in complete loyalty and dedication to God. He will stop us from cheating, stealing, lying, gossiping, and any other ungodly actions. God will drive us towards being the best in everything expected of us by our employer. In addition to committing yourself to loyalty and devotion to God, please remember to daily pray God’s blessings on your supervisor and on your employer every day. Yes, even the boss that may seem hard and uncaring towards you. Just as Jesus made a difference in your life, He will also impact the life of your boss! As you meditate on this devotional and consider following this commitment, please notice that Hezekiah had no conditions to his commitment, and I believe we could deduce that his commitment was evident in every aspect of his life. I’m sure I don’t need to remind you, but our churches, our families, our workplaces, our schools and our social clubs are all suffering from the lack of commitment by those who tell the world that they are involved with one or more of these groups. The Word says that as a result of Hezekiah’s commitment, many conditions changed for the good, and he was successful in everything he did. So will you join me in committing to be completely loyal and devoted to God? And that we will ask Him to prompt us into a strong commitment in everything that we do, so that there would be an impact on those around us for the glory of Christ!

PRAYER: Lord Jesus I’m sure that You never intended for us to be an image of You for others to look on, but rather that we might imitate You in everything You have taught us though Your Word and Your actions. Thank You for the life of Hezekiah and the commitment displayed by this servant in loyalty and devotion to You. This impacted his world! Yet today, our world is in trouble because of our lack of commitment, loyalty and devotion to You. Please forgive us Lord, and as we seek Your face, please be faithful to show us the way. We desire nothing personal in any of these things, but that You might be glorified and recognized by those impacted by our actions. Your is the glory, and all for Your kingdom’s sake, oh Lord. 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!

Actions and Words That Glorify God

On By Ed AlgreenIn Glorify, Glory of God, God Cares For Us, God's Glory1 Comment

Wednesday, 2019-08-21

Bible Reference: 1 Corinthians 10:29-33
Translation: The Living Bible (TLB)

Bible Text:  29 ….you may ask, must I be guided and limited by what someone else thinks? 30 If I can thank God for the food and enjoy it, why let someone spoil everything just because he thinks I am wrong? 31 Well, I’ll tell you why. It is because you must do everything for the glory of God, even your eating and drinking. 32 So don’t be a stumbling block to anyone, whether they are Jews or Gentiles or Christians. 33 That is the plan I follow, too. I try to please everyone in everything I do, not doing what I like or what is best for me but what is best for them, so that they may be saved.

OBSERVATION: So often we tend to get caught up in our own stand on something, that we fight for, act up, and run over people in order to achieve what we believe to be the ‘perfect way’ or even at times, the ‘only way’! God is teaching us, through His servant Paul, that in all things we are to aim for others to glorify Christ because of our impact on their lives. I believe that our mean, selfish attitudes will disappear when we interact with others using this principal! Meditate with me as we consider the impact this could have on our lives, and in our life.

APPLICATION:  To a very large extent we tend to build our lives around people who please us; who does life ‘our way’; and who has everything that makes us happy. Paul had to address this in the Corinthian church, and I believe that his teaching is included in the Word of God, because we need to be reminded of this today also. We still live in an imperfect world, and we still have a need to get over our selfishness. In this particular chapter Paul was addressing the subject of some being convinced that they could not eat certain foods, while others were quite OK with that and saw nothing wrong with it, nor how it might affect their relationship with God. Paul’s conviction was that we should be careful to do what pleases God, not just ourselves. In fact Paul directed us to do only those things that will glorify God, and that opens a much wider spectrum of principles that we should follow, including why and how should do things. This is supported by the wide variety of principles and characteristics that Jesus taught and modeled throughout His earthly ministry, for He ate with sinners, boldly taught opposing Pharisees and loved those whom He came into contact with. But let’s take the example of food that Paul taught about in this chapter. This still exists today, because there are some who feel like there are certain foods that would defile their bodies, and some even feel that this is based on Biblical references – and therefore may displease God. I believe that we are being taught to make every effort to please God in our lives, which may mean that our own convictions may need adjusting at times. We should never create animosity with a Brother or Sister who is trying to please God through what they eat. Unfortunately, we sometimes become so wrapped up in the unimportant aspects of a Christian’s personal beliefs and practices, that we lose sight of glorifying God in the moment in which we find ourselves. Friends, rather than trying to force others to eat what we eat or not, we’ve totally missed the point if we haven’t challenged them, or helped them grow in their personal relationship with God. The time we spend with individuals, should help them in their relationship with God, or at least challenge them to consider their own lives in the light of eternity. We must be careful to help someone draw close to God, rather than becoming a stumbling block to the very people we feel led to help. As a child of God, our aim should always be to please Him through the way that we live, not by trying to be ‘God’. Our path to living like a child of the King is very clear in His Word, let’s learn to live like that and rub off on as many as we can. Maybe at that point we might have more impact on the unbeliever also, for we will truly imitate our loving Lord, and act more like He intended. It’s all about God friend, not our personal ideals.

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for loving us in spite of our silly personal ideals. Thank You for speaking through Paul to redirect our attention towards You instead of trying to impose our imperfections onto others. May our daily goal always be to please You in all that we do and say. To be more like You and to draw closer to You in every way. You have taught us to love everyone and to encourage them instead of tearing down and destroying. May we be more like You every day, and may it be evident to all that we come into contact with, is my humble plea that I ask for myself and as I encourage my readers to do the same also. For I ask this in the loving and awesome name of Jesus, AMEN!

Proof of Sonship

On By Ed AlgreenIn Correction, Discipline, God's Glory, God's Guidance, God's Will, Know God's Heart, Spiritual CorrectionLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE  FROM:   Hebrews 12:5-8 (TPT)

TEXT: 5 …. “My child, don’t underestimate the value of the discipline and training of the Lord God, or get depressed when he has to correct you. 6 For the Lord’s training of your life is the evidence of his faithful love. And when he draws you to himself, it proves you are his delightful child.” 7 Fully embrace God’s correction as part of your training, for he is doing what any loving father does for his children. For who has ever heard of a child who never had to be corrected? 8 We all should welcome God’s discipline as the validation of authentic sonship. For if we have never once endured his correction it only proves we are strangers and not sons.

OBSERVATION:   In our Scripture today we are reminded of one of the finest aspects of sonship with our heavenly Father. Unfortunately, it is an aspect that most Christians would probably prefer didn’t exist, because no one likes to be ‘disciplined’. However, it is vitally important that we especially meditate on this while considering verse 8 – that an earthly father will discipline his children, and if he doesn’t, it’s probably because we are not his child. The same applies to our Heavenly Father, so let’s consider what evidence of sonship might become evident to us today.

APPLICATION:   Anytime that we think of our parents, we probably think about the love that they have for us. Anytime we think of the reason one accepts Jesus as Lord, we probably think about the great love that Jesus has for us, and them. However, part of the reason we remember the love of our parents, is because we may recall the times of discipline given, because of their deep love for us and how they wanted the very best for us. However, seldom do we promote the idea of God also disciplining us. But think about it friends, if there is not a point of discipline by God, and He allowed us to do whatever our earthly desires are, would that truly indicate a God who loves us and wants His very best for us? Absolutely not. So I would recommend that we look at God’s discipline just like a business person who looks at complaints coming into their business as a ‘gift’. Without the complaint, a customer will try another business establishment to see if they could get it right. Through the complaint, the customer is saying to a business, here’s what you are not doing well at, correct it for success because I want to continue doing business with you. God’s discipline is showing us that He cares enough about us that He wants His very best for us But to accomplish that we may need an attitude adjustment, or we may need to look at others with respect and not look down on them because their gifts are different to ours. I believe that you will find where it is challenging to accept discipline, and often you could see no good reason for it. May I remind you that God is the only One who knows about tomorrow, and the needs and opportunities that will exist when that time comes? Trusting God means that you understand that previous statement and that to be aligned with God’s perfect will for your life, you are at His disposal and direction for everything that He has planned for your good, and His glory. Are you there yet? I believe this requires daily communication with God, asking for strength to endure and be obedient to whatever He desires of you that day. We are far from perfect, but with a perfect God as our Master and our Guide, He will lead us into opportunities that we would never dream of, or think possible. Let go of selfish desires and ask God to direct your path, my friend. He may have a soul to save, a saint to heal, a discouraged warrior to cheer up or much more than we could imagine, and He may have you or I taking part, as His physical hands or feet on the ground! Oh to be His ambassador, and to be a part of God’s miraculous plan for us!

PRAYER:   Father, we all love the idea of being Your precious Son or Daughter, but there is a total negative connotation when we think of You having to discipline us into full obedience to Your will. Lord, may Your Word speak to the hearts of many who will read this devotional today, and may we all be reminded of the love that is transmitted through Your discipline. For we may look at discipline as changing or stopping a behavior that we love, but I truly believe that You intend it for our good and for the benefit of Your kingdom. Oh that we may be used of You in some way today, and I know that it will take Your ‘discipline’ for many of us to redirect from the plans we have in place already for this day. Our desire is for You to be glorified oh Lord, and that You might use even us to bring glory to Your name. 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!

Share God’s Glory

On By Ed AlgreenIn Evangelism, Evangelize, For His Glory, Glory of God, God's Glory, Share, Share God’s WordLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE  FROM:   Hebrews 2:9-10 (ERV)

TEXT: 9 ….. Because of God’s grace, Jesus died for everyone. 10 God—the one who made all things and for whose glory all things exist—wanted many people to be his children and share his glory. So he did what he needed to do. He made perfect the one who leads those people to salvation. He made Jesus a perfect Savior through his suffering.

OBSERVATION:   An awesome verse that portrays the great love that God has for us. He wasn’t satisfied just leaving us as we were, sinners in a world controlled by the evil one. So He sent His Son, made Jesus a perfect Savior, so that those who want a better life, those who want to go to Heaven, those who want to accept Him, would become God’s children and share in His glory! This is miraculous news that should encourage the hearts of anyone capable of grasping this truth! Oh what a Savior! Oh what awesome love our Father has for us! Wow!

APPLICATION:   I wonder how many of us come across someone in our daily walk, that feels unloved, unappreciated, despondent, without hope and living in a world where all they feel is frustration, hatred, revenge and just totally alone? Could the only thing that’s missing be, that they need to be encouraged and told about a Father who loves them, a Savior who cares for them, and a place called heaven that awaits those who accept Jesus as their Savior? Do they know that you care about them? Friends, please don’t automatically assume that because you’ve known this all of your life, that those you come into contact with will know this also. A friend was telling me just last Sunday that he had ministered in an Asian country, and it always blew him away when he would speak to someone about our Lord Jesus, and all he got was blank stares, for they had no idea what he was talking about. Do you sometimes wonder why God places you in the presence of some of the folk that you meet? Could it possibly be because you have the answers to ‘life eternal’ and to the many questions that your new acquaintance may have in their everyday life? I believe that our Scripture today serves two primary purposes: 1). It contains a reminder for you and I, that God, who created us to worship and serve Him, has done everything necessary to have us return to Him in glory to celebrate eternally with He and His Father; and 2). God will place people in our path, not by accident, but divinely, because He wants us to show His love to them, or share His Word with them, or tell them about Jesus who loved them enough that He died for them. Now, if only we can stay on task and welcome the work of Jesus in and through us so that He may be glorified!

PRAYER:   Thank You dear Lord for Your Word, Your love, and Your concern for even me. Lord I believe! I believe that You can and will use Your children, like my readers and I, to also be Your witness to the lost world in which we live. As we approach family and friends today Lord, may they see You and know You personally. Most will probably protest that they need no-one, but use us Lord to show them that there is only one way to heaven, and that’s through the Savior that they truly need. Please use us as Your instruments today. 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!

 

Desire Things At Your Destination

On By Ed AlgreenIn God's Glory, HeavenLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE  FROM:   Colossians 3:1-4 (AMP)

TEXT:  1 Therefore if you have been raised with Christ [to a new life, sharing in His resurrection from the dead], keep seeking the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind and keep focused habitually on the things above [the heavenly things], not on things that are on the earth [which have only temporal value]. 3 For you died [to this world], and your [new, real] life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is our life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory

OBSERVATION:   Paul spoke God’s wisdom to the followers at Colossae, because he saw that they were struggling to stay on track for the Lord. God showed Paul how wrapped up they were getting in the world, and how the heart follows the eyes and mind of a person. For those that Paul felt were impacted by the gospel, and surrendered themselves to the God of this universe, he encouraged them to keep their minds fixed on what lies ahead for them, and not on the temporary things of this world. Aren’t we the same way today?

APPLICATION:   I was born and raised in the Bahamas, and although I have lived in the United States for over 30 years, there are times that my wife cooks Bahamian recipes and we reflect back on the fays of our growing up in the Bahamas. If we plan a trip to visit back home, we begin thinking of what local dishes we will look for while we’re there, who we will attempt to visit, and where we might want to visit (landmarks)! Friends, for those of you that invited Jesus to be Lord of your life, you know that you are destined for heaven. What are you anxious for? When you set your minds like Paul taught, I believe that you will start living like God wants you to here on this earth. Furthermore, just like I’ve share with friends how beautiful the Bahamas is, I should also be telling them about how beautiful heaven is to me, and how much I am looking forward to my residence there with my Creator. We know quite a bit about our eternal home, for in Revelation the Bible says: ‘…the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His bond-servants will serve Him. — Revelation 22:3.  It also says: I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne and the living creatures and the elders; and the number of them was myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands. — Revelation 5:11. We are reminded that we will have new bodies; there will be no crying there; no sickness there; And that there will be no clock watching there for we will praise our Savior forever and forever! So why do we let so many things worry us here on this earth, friends? These are all temporary! We know that we will die, so if you want nothing to do with my Jesus, may I suggest that you think really seriously about what your future will be like before your eyes are closed in death? The only alternative to what I described above is eternal damnation – worse than anything you’ve ever witnessed here on earth. You would terribly disappoint me friend, for I share this blog everyday with hopes that each one who reads it, might catch a glimpse of Jesus, and would come to accept Him as Lord of their life. Please consider this carefully today, don’t delete it as you would do a pesty email.

PRAYER:   Lord Jesus, only You know the heart of each person that will be reminded of Paul’s plea, and my wish today. I believe that You have a plan for each of us, but I pray that You would tender hardened hearts today. Please draw men unto yourself – my great friends who will read this blog today, both men, women and children. Thank You for preparing a home for us to celebrate with You throughout eternity. ‘Oh I want to see You, look upon Your face, there to sing forever, of Your saving grace, on the streets of glory let me lift my voice, Cares all past, home at last, ever to rejoice!’. As you sing that chorus, prepare your mind for heaven! It is out of this world!! 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!

 

So That God May Be Glorified!

On By Ed AlgreenIn God's Glory, God's Guidance, Love, Love GodLeave a comment

Post Date:

 Wednesday, 2017-11-01
SCRIPTURE

From:

 John 9:2-3 (GNT)

Text:

2 His disciples asked him, “Teacher, whose sin caused him to be born blind? Was it his own or his parents’ sin?”

3 Jesus answered, “His blindness has nothing to do with his sins or his parents’ sins. He is blind so that God’s power might be seen at work in him.
OBSERVATION:
Jesus happened across a blind man sitting along the edge of the road. His followers had become such students of their master that they decided to ask about the reason for the man’s blindness. Jesus’ response may have been more than they expected, because He told them how His Father would be glorified even through this man’s blindness. Let’s look into the reasons why God may have particularly had this story included in the Book for us…..
APPLICATION:
It seems like we thrive on things that make us feel sorry for ourselves, and especially those things that might help others to feel sorry for us. Furthermore, we tend to always look for an explanation on why things are the way they are. This is why the followers of Jesus needed to have the matter resolved in their minds, about why the man was made blind. And they realized that it made no sense asking anyone else that question because no one else but God knew the reason, or cause, for his blindness. Now let’s look closer at the response by Jesus: ‘so that God might be glorified in his life‘. Suppose the crippled or the dumb recognized that they were made the way they are ‘for God’s glory‘, instead of them feeling cursed. Suppose you and I recognized this fact each and every day, instead of wishing that we were as pretty/handsome as the neighbor, or as rich as our employer, or as lucky as the lotto winner? Oh that we might recognize and be constantly reminded that we are made meticulously by God and for His glory. Would we not quickly learn to praise Him for our good times, and for those times that we know God is at work in our lives, even though we sure wish that life would be so different for us? Friends, our God made no junk. Each of us are precious in His sight and we are made for His glory. Let’s work hard to avoid distraction from His almighty and glorious plan for our lives. To God be the glory for all He has done, and for all that He continues to do in our lives, especially when we feel like the world is against us and our health is failing, or no one else cares about us.
PRAYER:
Lord, please forgive us when we feel down and out because of feeling less than someone else. Even in our handicap, we have no reason to whine or complain, because we must quickly remember that we are children of the King – the King of all kings. Father, I pray that You might humble those who are proud and those who feel sorry about who they are. I am reminded that we are precious in Your sight and that as Your royal children, we are loved immensely by you. Oh that You may be glorified in all that we do and say, especially when we look inward at ourselves. 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!

Nothing Is Hidden From God

On By Ed AlgreenIn Cleanse me Oh God, God Reigns, God's Glory1 Comment

Post Date:

 Friday, 2017-09-01
SCRIPTURE

From:

 Psalm 139:1-6 (CEV)

Text:

 1 You have looked deep into my heart, Lord, and you know all about me. 2 You know when I am resting or when I am working, and from heaven you discover my thoughts. 3 You notice everything I do and everywhere I go. 4 Before I even speak a word, you know what I will say, 5 and with your powerful arm you protect me from every side. 6 I can’t understand all of this! Such wonderful knowledge is far above me.
OBSERVATION:
David shared his heart with us in these verses, because he realized that his actions, his thoughts, and his motives were all known to God. There were no secrets that he may have figured were totally private and that no one else knew about. I believe the same thing occurs today in even the best of us. Let’s see how we should apply this Scripture….
APPLICATION:
How often we have been outside of our city/state/town or country and gone to a place that we stopped and made a wish, hoping that no one would know you there? Or perhaps, said something that made you quickly looked around to make sure that no one from church was within ear shod of you? Or wished evil on someone who always agitates, aggravates and annoys you? There may be times that you may have looked for ways to take revenge on someone that hurt you or a family member, or you wished the very worst for them because of what they did to you. These are some of the occurrences of life that we like to keep very private, because we don’t want friends or family to know about the ‘worst’ parts of us. Now, may I suggest that you stop and read today’s Scripture again? Can you see where it may be possible to hide things from parents, spouse, children or even very close friends, but nothing is hid from our Almighty, All-knowing, All-powerful God? Furthermore, when you are saved, God send’s His Holy Spirit to reside inside of us to guide us towards Truth every day and at all times. When you act in those ways contrary to God’s will, don’t you know that you are exposing the Holy Spirit to your sin and those places that may be totally oblivious to the Word of God, or our precious Savior who died for them? Friends, living a life for God, requires help from God or one of the equal parts of the Trinity. Why not just make it a point to ask for God’s guidance each and every day? Why not ask Him to guide your thoughts and your words? Ask Him to guide you into being an individual that others might mistakenly take for Jesus, because you sound and act so much like Him. Let Jesus rule in you friend. As you invite Him in daily, then words and actions that spill from you are bound to be anointed by Him.
PRAYER:
Lord Jesus, we need You to love, direct and protect us every day. Living in this sinful world often fills us with words and actions that we realize may not be an indication of, or pleasing to, You. When we accepted You as Savior and Lord of our lives, we wanted to put aside the sinful things of this world. But to do that, we need You today and every day to be our guide and our everlasting strength and hope. Fill us Lord with Your Holy Spirit so that we may portray our Lord and Savior in all that we say and do. All for Your glory and Your honor dear 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!