Reasons for Uncertanties

On 2018-06-01 By Ed AlgreenIn Assurance, Heaven, UncertaintiesLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE FROM: Ecclesiastes 7:14 (TLB)

TEXT: ¹⁴Enjoy prosperity whenever you can, and when hard times strike, realize that God gives one as well as the other—so that everyone will realize that nothing is certain in this life.

OBSERVATION: When something becomes a certainty, we tend to take it for granted, because we believe that it will occur just like it did the last time. Depending on the season, or the time zone you’re in, we know when to expect daylight. So we build our schedules around that. So why would God indicated in His Word that there might be some uncertainty to things like that? Let’s meditate on that for a few moments….

APPLICATION: Although Solomon was the wisest, and the richest, and the ruler of a large nation, yet he knew that only God was in control of most things that he depended on daily. We are much the same today friends, but let’s ponder what the reason might be for that. Beginning with the thought: what if I had control of everything for a day? Can you see disaster looming in the darkness, as I look for my backup alarm to awaken me in time to get that huge light (the sun) going? Oh, but where is the light switch again? What did you say? I must set this whole process in motion with the click of a finger? Oh boy, I wasn’t taught that little trick! I know, it sounds like I’m turning this whole thing into a humorous story. But do you begin to see the complexities of all this? Yet God has all of this under His powerful control! Think with me about a newlywed couple. The husband arrives home at 5pm each day, and the wife is seen opening the door to welcome him home. Then one day the husband is 5 minutes, 10 mins, 15 mins late and the wife goes into panic mode worrying that he may have gotten into an accident. And by the time he walked in the door after 30 minutes of deep agony, pacing the floors, calling friends along his route home, and on the verge of a nervous breakdown, the husband waltzes singing a tune he heard on the radio during his delayed drive home. If this type incident didn’t happen, would you soon begin to believe that you live in a bubble in this perfect world where everything is controlled to your liking? In case you haven’t figured this out yet friends, our spouse could be in the same boat as a friends spouse last week who never returned home because of a terrible wreck that took his life of the way to work. I believe that God shows us the uncertainty of things to make sure that we are ready to meet Him when He comes back to earth for His bride – the church. When will that be? Only God Himself knows, so the onus is on us to be ready at all times. Are you, my friend? Jesus could return at any moment to collect us, and because I want to be in that number, I have committed my life to the care of my Savior. If there is uncertainty in your mind, please click on the link ‘To Know Jesus’ in my Footnote and allow the Bible to speak truth into your mind and soul.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, thankfully we know that You created us; You accepted my request for forgiveness and saved my soul; You’ve shown me in Your Word, that You have prepared a new home called Heaven for other saints and myself; and I believe that You might even be waiting with opened arms waiting for my arrival to my eternal home! Regardless of the time lines on any of these events, I have a future that You have promised to those who have accepted You as Lord. I am standing by in deep anticipation, praise the all powerful name of Jesus, my Savior! Lord, please open the eyes and hearts of my readers. Please call those to You, who will read this and push it aside because they can’t fathom this connection with You while here on earth. However I pray that You will give Joy and everlasting happiness to those who know, without a shadow of doubt that they belong to You as defined by Scripture. As I look forward to That Day, please bless me as Your servant and witness to others, 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!

The Circle of (Christian) Life

On 2018-04-212018-04-21 By Ed AlgreenIn Heaven, SavedLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE FROM: Romans 15:4-6 (VOICE)

TEXT: ⁴You see, everything written in the days of old was recorded to give us instructions for living. We find encouragement through the Scriptures and a call to perseverance that will produce hopeful living. ⁵I pray that our God, who calls you and gives you perseverance and encouragement, will join all of you together to share one mind according to Jesus the Anointed. ⁶In this unity, you will share one voice as you glorify the one True God, the Father of our Lord Jesus, the Anointed One, our Liberating King.

OBSERVATION: I was excited to see that although God created us to worship Him, Paul shared with the church that it was equally as important to realize the work of God through His earlier saints who recorded God’s awesome works. In fact Paul alluded to the fact that we should learn enough from their writings, that we might receive guidance and wisdom for life that would cause us all to glorify God together with others who are reaching for the same goal. This is important to us today as well, so let us meditate on this for a while…

APPLICATION: In the family movie by Walt Disney World titled ‘The Lion King’, kids were brought to the real life example of how God created animals to survive, sometimes even when it involves eating other animals. I was reminded of the idea portrayed in that movie when I read these verses today, because Paul taught us that it is not necessary to recreate the wheel. Our forefathers depended on God, and they shared their experiences and God’s teachings with us through the words in our Book of Instructions, better known as The Bible. Paul warned us a long time ago that as we learn from the Word of God, we will often find that not everyone will agree on the interpretation, however Paul encouraged us to try and work through our problems by keeping that one book at the center of our churches. He showed us that when we are all on the ‘same page’ in our belief system and serving the same God, there will be great joy in our midst and we will be driven to worship the one true God talked about in that one Book. In other words friends, we were created to worship our Creator; Satan led us astray where we did everything else but worship God; however, once our eyes are reopened to the truth of God (through His Word), then we will return to intimate worship to our God. So what do you suppose breaks this circle? May I suggest that it is the power of Satan working through the weaker links. This results in church splits; additional denominations; smaller personalized churches; but the most critical reason of all is that the unsaved sit back and watch all of this going on and realize how blessed they are to stay out of the confusion of so-called ‘Christians’. Friend of God, I believe you will be reminded that some churches will serve the good purposes of the almighty God, while some will look like a ball of fire to the unbeliever that they will want to stay far enough away from. I would dare say that our God is not a God of confusion and disappointments. He loved this world so much that He gave His one and only Son as a living sacrifice, so that any of us that believe on Him will have life forever. In that promise, we are also assured that when we pass from this earth in death, we will live with God in the heavens forever thereafter. Let us therefore keep our eyes fixed on the ultimate goal – heaven with God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, and let us live our life now following the will of the Father, until we see Him face to face! Oh what a day that will be!!

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, please help us to get over ourselves and keep our eyes fixed on You, the author and finisher of our faith. Please give us strength and fortitude to recognize trouble, and Satan’s endeavors, and to lean on Your power in those times to help us avoid and defend against evil. Please help us to remember that there are friends and unsaved loved ones that need to see Jesus and His mighty works, so there is no time to be messing up and letting You down through our words and actions. Oh that they may see Jesus in us, is my humble plea today. AMEN!

Desire Things At Your Destination

On 2018-02-28 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. ²Set 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]. ³For you died [to this world], and your [new, real] life is hidden with Christ in God. ⁴When 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!

Overwhelmed by God!

On 2018-02-032018-02-03 By Ed AlgreenIn Heaven, Praise, Praise-worthy, Thanksgiving, WorshipLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE FROM: 1 Chronicles 17:16-18 (CEV)

TEXT: ¹⁶David went into the tent he had set up for the sacred chest. He sat there and prayed: Lord God, my family and I don’t deserve what you have already done for us, ¹⁷and yet you have promised to do even more for my descendants. You are treating me as if I am a very important person. ¹⁸I am your servant, and you know my thoughts. What else can I say, except that you have honored me?

OBSERVATION: In response to David’s idea of building a house for the Ark of God to permanently reside in, God shared with him some of the things that He had in store for David and his family in the future, and part of that plan included one of David’s sons building a temple. Hearing what God had in store for his family, combined with all that God had already done for, and through David, just took him ‘over the top’ in being reminded once again how awesome his God truly was. This forced David into the presence of God, where He shared the excitement of his heart and the thanksgiving of a grateful, but undeserving man.

APPLICATION: I once attended a prayer meeting, where the first thing the pastor asked us to do was to pray offering up praise and thanksgiving to God. It was amazing how quickly our prayers turned into asking, complaining, or griping about health issues. It was much harder than I would ever have imagined to just humble ourselves before an overwhelmingly awesome God, recognize His blessings on us and thank Him for those blessings. Some of this may have resulted from the habits learned and practiced, where we bring our petitions before God. But I truly feel like for every answer to prayer, we should return to the Father and give Him praise and thanksgiving. The other thing that I have learned from corporate prayer times, is that, when we seek God’s face, recognize Him for who He is and thank Him for all that He has provided for us, then we realize that we have no where near as much to ask Him for. Think about yourself with a broken finger. If you concentrate on the nine healthy fingers in your time of thanksgiving, and the importance of each one to your daily needs, plus you remember the young man that you saw in the grocery store that had lost his hand, I wonder how much you will labor in prayer when it comes time to pray for that one broken finger you have? Friends, we have much to praise God for, and we could very easily become overwhelmed in our praises as we recognize our many blessings before the God who showered them upon us. Just learn to praise Him, instead of building a wish list to present every time you bend the knee in prayer. We serve an awesome God, and there’s no need to act like beggars every time we speak to Him. Try instead to concentrate on these keywords: praise; thanksgiving; worship; recognition; blessings; rejoice; miracles; healing; omnipotent Father; Holiness; protection; unconditional love; etc.

PRAYER: Precious Lord, You are so awesome in all that You have done for us, all that You have prepared for us; and all that You proactively do for us each day. How can we but praise You loving, and all-sufficient Lord! You often make a way for us, when the path seems so impossible, based on our abilities, means and insight. Thank You Jesus, thank You Holy Spirit and thank You Father God. From the very beginning of time, You were. Today You opened my eyes, blessed me with strength to stand up and realize how blessed I am to have a roof over my head and a comfortable bed to lie in. This tells me that You are still God and still blessing, even me. In accepting Jesus as my Savior, I am assured of a glorious place, called heaven, where I will live forever and ever at the feet of my Savior and our Father, God, singing praises for all eternity. This reminds me that You are also God of an eternal future, praise the loving name of Jesus! You deserve our praise oh God, and I lift up Your name on high today – praise the wonderful God that I love and adore! Bless my readers with honor and praise for their God today. AMEN!

Where Our Power and Strength Comes From

On 2018-01-28 By Ed AlgreenIn Heaven, PreparedLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE FROM: Philippians 4:12-13 (VOICE)

TEXT: ¹²I know how to survive in tight situations, and I know how to enjoy having plenty. In fact, I have learned how to face any circumstances: fed or hungry, with or without. ¹³I can be content in any and every situation through the Anointed One who is my power and strength.

OBSERVATION: For those who have studied much about the life of Paul, you will remember that although his life was miraculously transformed from the life of a persecutor of Christians, to one totally dedicated to spreading the Word of God, and in bold, but humble service for the King. In these particular verses Paul celebrated, and gave witness to the source of his power and strength to witness in the name of the Almighty. I believe this might be incentive for us to stand firm in our witness for our King today…

APPLICATION: In the life of Saul, he was very bold in persecuting the Christians. Then, I believe God wanted to show us that He could infuse His power and transform lives, from the very worse into the very best. For God met with Saul one day and caused a total change in his life, to the extent that he went from persecuting Christians, to ministering to unbelievers and convicting them of their sin. To support this transformation, the old was not only washed away in character and self destruction, but the name of Saul was also changed to Paul, who wrote most of the new testament books! Who else but God could make such a change in a man’s life? It’s amazing what our God can do!! There were many other miracles that God used in the life of Paul to show the world that God had indeed taken control of this man’s life and that he was indeed a soldier of the cross; a miracle worker; a man who faced all odds, yet freed from prison; overcoming very dangerous odds on the waters as boats shipwrecked and life was threatened. We may read this and thank God that we never faced anything quite so severe or dramatic, but you are convinced that it was God who brought you through many of life’s circumstances. Others may doubt, because they are not ‘plugged’ in to the source of all life, all hope, all love, and a future prepared just for ‘born again’ children around the feet of the Father in heaven. Friends, Paul acknowledged that he is content because the One that He serves, is all powerful and longs to hear from His children so that He could meet their every need. That’s my King, friends! Do you know Him? Are you comfortable in and resting assured that God will take your hand and guide you also, because of whose you are? If not, please have a look at my Footnote for ways to receive help, including contacting me directly. May God bless you richly as you reach out to Him today!

PRAYER: Thank You Heavenly Father for preparing a place for us, and the way to heaven – through the sacrifice of Your Son. Reminding us of the transformation You made in the life of Saul, brings hope to us Lord Jesus for we know that it is only because of Your grace that we are saved, and only through Your precious love for us that we have an eternal home prepared just for us with You and our mighty King! We await Your return for us and we long to be in Your presence dear Lord! AMEN!

How To Safely Reach The End of Your Road

On 2018-01-152018-01-15 By Ed AlgreenIn Heaven, King, SalvationLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE FROM: Proverbs 4:25-27 (Voice)

TEXT:   ²⁵Keep your head up, your eyes straight ahead,
    and your focus fixed on what is in front of you.
²⁶Take care you don’t stray from the straight path, the way of truth,
    and you will safely reach the end of your road.
²⁷Do not veer off course to the right or the left;
    step away from evil, and leave it behind.

OBSERVATION: Words of wisdom is being shared by the writer of Proverbs, on what it takes to walk a straight and narrow road as a Christian. Taking our lead from the world is easy, because anything goes, and there are no boundaries – other than man-made laws designed for order and safety reasons. Realizing that most of us want something more out of life, we will have a look at God’s Word for more refined instructions than just those offered by our laws.

APPLICATION: I want to layout the road that God’s children travel, compared to the traveling we might do here on earth. I believe that seeing the comparison may help us to better understand how we could move along from point A to point B:

Towards Point ‘B’ On Earth	Towards Point ‘B’ (Heaven)
If traveling in a vehicle, you would first sit down and either map out your driving instructions or make sure that your GPS is programmed to show you the way.	God will place someone in your path to help you recognize your sin, and to share with you the love of Jesus, the Savior of the world – the clear path to heaven!
To ever make the trip possible, you will need to commit yourself to making the trip. Submit yourself to travel the directions from the map research or the GPS, and then get started.	Knowing about the way to heaven is good, but to make it your a part of your life plan, you will need to follow the design outlined in the Bible. Surrender your life to Jesus and invite Him to be Lord of your life.
Traveling most efficiently might require you to unload unwanted, or unneeded stuff from your vehicle, in order to lighten the load. It will also require that you have faith in your co-pilot/navigator. Upon arrival at your final destination (Point ‘B’) you will then search for your hotel and begin making preparation for your return trip.	Sin is not allowed at your final destination, so the Bible teaches about the only way to rid yourself of all sin that burden you down here on earth. This exercise will not only lighten your load, but build your anticipation for seeing the King of all kings and Lord of heaven and all of the earth! Upon arrival at your new eternal home, you will be greeted by Jesus and all of His saints and angels. Oh what a glorious day that will be!

Friends, go back to the Scripture now and read the verses again. Notice that in verse 26 we are admonished to stay on the straight path – the path that’s outlined for us by Jesus in His Word, for He is the way, the Truth and the Way, and all that travel that road will have eternal life – life everlasting with the Father in heaven for evermore! We know the way, and we know how to get there. Why should any perish?

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, we are a blessed people. You have provided the means of salvation and You have outlined in Your Word the road to Heaven. Please help Your children to be obedient and deeply desirous of the home You have prepared for us. Please be our shield from the sin of this earth and help us to always depend on You as our guide and our strength to keep our eyes fixed on the straight road that will lead us to heaven and peace forevermore with You and the Father around the throne. Lord we love You, and we want to be where You are. Please forgive us of our unbelief and weaknesses that hold us back from seeking heaven and place us in separation with You. We want to see Jesus! AMEN!

Our Place of Worship

On 2018-01-052018-01-05 By Ed AlgreenIn Heaven, Personal, Personal testimony, Salvation, WorshipLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE FROM: Acts 7:48-50 (TLB)

TEXT: ^48-49…..God doesn’t live in temples made by human hands. ‘The heaven is my throne,’ says the Lord through his prophets, ‘and earth is my footstool. What kind of home could you build?’ asks the Lord. ‘Would I stay in it? ⁵⁰Didn’t I make both heaven and earth?’

OBSERVATION: Back in the day when Acts was written, and particularly during the period that today’s Scripture refers, there was a lot of emphasis placed on the Ark of the Covenant. Then people, like David came along, and with a sincere heart for God, he really wanted to build a super worship center where God might be found and worshiped. While this was admirable of David, God wanted to then, just as He wants to now, remind us that He is not contained in a box that can be carried around by mankind, nor in a very beautiful Cathedral, where you will only find Him while inside that Cathedral. In fact He takes us back to the basics in reminding us that He made heaven and earth, so we are encouraged to meet with Him any where, any time and any place. Let’s learn to worship Him in His holiness from grateful hearts, and not wait to be in a particular place where we may not even recognize the ‘Great I Am’.

APPLICATION: I would imagine that a first time visitor to church might become very confused, when they hear a testimony of God being in a Hospice room as their loved one died. Then they hear another believer speak of how real God’s presence was when they needed him while in the Operating Waiting Room desperately waiting to receive an update on their loved one. And while pondering all this, the Praise Team begins singing ‘He is Here, Hallelujah’. Friends, we hear stories of God being so real to people out in the fiercest storms, and we hear of God being so very near to a friend, or to us in the most quiet room. Some might wonder why then is it necessary to attend church to meet God? Not only does the Bible teach us to ‘assemble ourselves together with other believers’, but it also teaches that we allow ‘iron to sharpen iron’ – with an understanding that other believers encourage us, while we also encourage them. You might quickly respond that you have nothing to offer, or encourage anyone with, and I would totally believe you. However, if one little bit of Jesus might shine through you as you love on, and encourage others, then God has accomplished His work through you. Please try not to ‘box God in’. Not in your mind, as to limiting His capabilities; or in a certain place where He may be found, as He is here – hallelujah; or for certain people who is good enough, as He came for everyone who would come to Him and invite Him into their lives. In case you haven’t picked up on my drift yet, let me assure you that I serve an awesome God! He’s my Savior, Lord, soon coming King and Eternal Master! And the best news yet, is that He can be yours also! Please read over my Footnote for help in meeting my Lord. I’m convinced that He wants You in His eternal kingdom, if you would have Him be a part of your life today!

PRAYER: Precious Lord and eternal Father, thank You for loving me enough to sacrifice Your very own Son to open the doors of heaven to all who would believe and accept You as Lord. I am overjoyed that this ‘Gift’ is still available to those who have procrastinated for so long. Now Lord, please open the minds of those You have created, and instill within them the wisdom of knowing the Prince of Peace, the Everlasting Lord, and the King of all kings both now and forevermore. AMEN!

When Our Faith Is Put to the Test

On 2017-11-102017-11-10 By Ed AlgreenIn Eternal Life, Eternity, Heaven, Resurrection Day, Victorious LifeLeave a comment

Post Date:	Friday, 2017-11-10
SCRIPTURE
From:	John 11:23-26a (TLB)
Text:	²³Jesus told her, “Your brother will come back to life again.” ²⁴“Yes,” Martha said, “when everyone else does, on Resurrection Day.” ²⁵Jesus told her, “I am the one who raises the dead and gives them life again. Anyone who believes in me, even though he dies like anyone else, shall live again. ²⁶He is given eternal life for believing in me and shall never perish….
OBSERVATION:
Jesus was a friend of Mary and Martha’s, yet when He came a couple days after Lazarus died, they struggled to believe that anything more could be done – even by Jesus. However Jesus reminded Martha that He is not only in charge of life here on earth, but for the believer in Jesus Christ, He is also the One who will raise those who have fallen asleep – died temporarily to earthly challenges and sin. For He will then usher them into life eternally with He and His Father in glory!
APPLICATION:
I believe with all my heart, that Martha was very much like her contemporaries today. For most Christians surrender their lives to the Lord Jesus with a very strong belief that one day He will take us on to heaven to be with Him. While on earth, I believe that most of us will pray to God, through our Lord and Savior, just like Mary and Martha did when they saw their brother’s health diminishing drastically. Because of miracles relayed in the Bible, or even ones we may have heard about around our church, we may even believe that extreme faith in Jesus, might even trigger His healing touch upon our family. And yes, we have seen tremendous victories through these types of prayer meetings. In fact I heard a story recently that reminded me of how casually we pray for the needs of a friend that asked for prayer for one of her kids with leukemia, versus us going before God in desperate prayer for our own daughter with leukemia. There comes a whole new level of serious and sincere prayer when the object of our prayer is personal and dear to our heart. I wonder if it would make a difference in our prayer life if we reminded ourselves of what Jesus consoled Martha with, that He, who is Lord on earth, will also be Lord in Heaven, because He is the Resurrection and the Life! Friends, I firmly believe that when we invite Jesus to be our Lord and Savior here on earth, it will be a joy to reunite with Him as we enter heaven’s portals. Please note that just like Mary and Martha didn’t know ahead of time when their brother Lazarus would depart from this earth in death, so it is with each of us today. We must be very much like our military, ready at all times for the moment that we are called on. The benefits for believers in Jesus Christ are ‘out of this world’!
PRAYER:
Thank you Lord for the wonderful, powerful name of Jesus, the One that came to save us from our sin and paved the way to heaven so that we may live eternally with You. Oh what a Savior! Please help us Lord that we would never put You in a ‘box’ of limited possibilities, for we are reminded in this Scripture today that we not only serve a master who cares for us here on this earth but that You are also the Resurrection and the Life for all who believe in You. We enjoy this wonderful earth that You provided for us, but Lord, we live in anticipation of heaven, where there will be no more pain or heartaches. ‘Oh that will be, glory for me, glory for me, glory for me, when by His grace I shall look on His face, that will be glory, be glory for me’! AMEN and 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!

In A State of Readiness

On 2017-05-29 By Ed AlgreenIn Eternity, Heaven, Our DeterminationLeave a comment

Post Date:	Monday, 2017-05-29
SCRIPTURE
From:	Mark 13:32-33; 36-37 (ERV)
Text:	³²“No one knows when that day or time will be. The Son and the angels in heaven don’t know when that day or time will be. Only the Father knows. ³³Be careful! Always be ready. You don’t know when that time will be. ³⁶If you are always ready, he will not find you sleeping, even if he comes back earlier than expected. ³⁷I tell you this, and I say it to everyone: ‘Be ready!’
OBSERVATION:
Jesus truly loved His disciples and He didn’t want them to miss out on the opportunity of a lifetime, the return of God the Father to take His loved ones home to glory. However, Jesus shared with the disciples, and us, that we could live knowing about this very special day, but we must be careful to live in a state of readiness at all times, as our eternal destination will be determined by our spiritual condition when He returns to take us home.
APPLICATION:
I want you to imagine with me that you were taking a very special, and long awaited trip by train to visit your closest relatives that you haven’t seen in years. The only thing you could get out of the train operators is that the train should be at your station around 6am, but it has been known for the train to arrive within plus or minus 2 hours of the scheduled time, and it will leave within 3 minutes of its arrival time. I wonder how many will be at the station at 3:30, knowing that the train could arrive as early as 4am, and how many will wait until 7:45, knowing that the train could actually arrive two hours late? Also, consider that pregnant mothers are ready for their infant’s arrival months in advance of the predicted arrival date, knowing that the baby could very easily come at any time. Friends, quite often I hear people sharing their shock of someone dying young, or sharing how important it is for them to enjoy life, as eventually they will get old and depart this life. I believe that we all should be warned today, that God could call us out of this world at anytime. Sometimes because He is ready for us in heaven, and other times because we have been so careless in this world that we have compressed our earthly life duration without any thought of heaven, or preparation for our eternity. Friends, our verses today reminds us that we may meet our Maker today, tomorrow, next week, by the end of the year, or perhaps in a few more years. I will repeat the emphasis that Jesus used in our Scripture today, are you ready? Not giving a specific date is not unfair, for it should lead to us in to taking the Word of God seriously and ensuring that we are ready today. Throughout human history mankind has been known to procrastinate until the very last minute, so if they knew the specific time the deadline will actually occur, guess what would happen? May I encourage you to examine your state of readiness today friends, so that you will be ready when God is ready for you.
PRAYER:
Father, thank You for providing life itself for us to enjoy all the blessings that You pour on us every day. Thank You for preparing a home for us to look forward to when we finish up our time here on earth. Thank You for providing the Lamb – the means for us to graduate from this old wicked world, into the glories of heaven, IF we accepted Your Son – Your gift of salvation while there was still time for us to do so. Lord, please touch the hearts of family and friends who have yet to make that decision. Today truly is the day of salvation, because we want to be ready to see You face to face when called out of this world. Thank You heavenly Father, thank You Lord Jesus and thank You Holy Spirit for being our Guide each and every day. Oh that we may be convinced of our eternal destination, even if You returned today to take believers home to 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 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!

Answers to Life’s Dilemmas

On 2017-05-092017-05-09 By Ed AlgreenIn Acknowledge God, Eternal Life, Heaven, Know and Believe, Know Jesus, Salvation, SecurityLeave a comment

Post Date:	Tuesday, 2017-05-09
SCRIPTURE
From:	Psalm 32:6-8 (TLB)
Text:	⁶Now I say that each believer should confess his sins to God when he is aware of them, while there is time to be forgiven. Judgment will not touch him if he does. ⁷You are my hiding place from every storm of life; you even keep me from getting into trouble! You surround me with songs of victory. ⁸I will instruct you (says the Lord) and guide you along the best pathway for your life; I will advise you and watch your progress.
OBSERVATION:
Clicking on the Scripture reference above will give you all of the verses in chapter 6. You will see that before David went into telling his readers what they should do, he shared his own personal experience. David knew from first hand experience that a life fully surrendered to God is one that rests peacefully in the arms of Jesus, blessed by, and enjoying His love and protection both here in this life and in the next.
APPLICATION:
The words of many preachers ring in our ears, “if ever we needed a Savior like the one described by David, it is now”. I believe we hear those words and quickly brush them off our shoulders convinced that they are meant for the person behind us or besides us, because of all the issues they currently have. However, I have also heard saints of God rejoice in the fact that they are ever so thankful that they had a loving and caring God by their side as they went through various aspects of life that might otherwise have taken some people under. Friends, because of my relationship with my Savior, I can safely say that it is well with my soul. My sins have been forgiven, and I am not only a child of the King of all kings, but He has given to me His very own Protector and Guide, through the Holy Spirit that has taken up residence within me. I am destined for a perfect place with a perfect God, and regardless of anything that might come my way here on this earth, nothing can change my eternal destination nor my Master and Lord. With that kind of peace and eternal security, I am constantly concerned for those in my family and circle of friends who have decided to do this life on their own. I can therefore identify with David in verse 6. For I too am concerned about all that are outside of the fold, without hope, without security and without relationship with the Savior of the world. Friends, know God and be convinced about who’s in charge of your life today and throughout eternity. Without God, your suffering and complexities of life are only beginning, for there is no mercy, no love and nothing to look forward to under Satan’s control.
PRAYER:
Thank You Father for making provisions for us to find peace in this world through Your Son Jesus. Thank You also for the bright hope that we have in tomorrow when we have a personal relationship with Your Son. Please touch the hardened hearts of family and friends who have yet to accept You as their Savior and Lord. Please don’t give up on them for, like David, it is my desire to see them overcome the tug of Satan on their lives and to see them give total control to You. Lord, please find ways to once again speak to them today. May this be the day of salvation for all in need of You, who will read this and need the hope of eternity. May they find peace in knowing You, 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!

Nuggets From God's Word

Category: Heaven