Category: Love others

Who Are We To Judge?

On By Ed AlgreenIn Christian love, Love of God, Love others, Love your Neighbor, The Father's Love, The love of God, Unconditional loveLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE  FROM:   Acts 11:17 (TLB)

TEXT:  17.… since it was God who gave these Gentiles the same gift he gave us when we believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to argue?”

OBSERVATION:   Peter returned after celebrating the saving of souls – ones that the Jews thought were beyond God’s reach, for they were Gentiles. Ordinarily you would think that it would be party time as Peter returned with such great news, but instead his friends hit him immediately with all of the negative they could imagine from what they heard. I love how Peter responded, for he explained what the Holy Spirit did; and he  declared that whatever happened was so real and so clear, that it was evident that it was more than anything he could ever do, or argue with.

APPLICATION:   In reading this whole event that Peter was involved in, I believe that our first impression is to probably lash out on the disciples for searching for something negative, rather than having a celebration time planned for Peter’s return. In fact, it sounds like a huge praise service would have been a good way of saying ‘thank you’ to God for using their Brother to minister to the Gentiles, a group that the Jews thought God would reject, just like they did. But before we get too critical of the disciples, let’s reflect on our natural instincts today. I am a part of a program going on in our county right now called ‘Pursuit 21’. This is a 21-day season of prayer by several local churches, where people from our county are invited to gather at a designated place – 1 of about 12 locations strategically chosen around the county, and pray alongside other believers for the spiritual condition, and needs of our county. In most cases, the church that we attend never comes up, for we are Brothers and Sisters who serve the same Master, praying for the concerns of each other and our communities. What a glorious time as we reflect on how this might imitate what we will do in heaven! Let us always remember that exclusivity is something that we induce, when it comes to believers in Christ. At the foot of the cross, we are all the same in the eyes of Jesus – from the holiest and best pastor or priest who ever served the Lord, to the newest Christian who surrendered their lives to Jesus. And when we see God at work, let’s try hard to recognize, thank God for, and celebrate the work of the Holy Spirit, and stop picking everything apart that we see in whomever may have communicated with God through prayer for our miracle. Let’s not shroud the blessings of the Almighty with the human frailties of those touched by God in any miracle He sees fit to extend. If I am healed by God, and a friend who never shared their spiritual condition with me, tells me that they had prayed for that healing, my heart should always be fixed on praising God for His miraculous touch, and never complain or gripe about who He may have received the request from. To God be the glory, for all that He chooses to do for His children!

PRAYER:   Lord Jesus, please forgive us for our littleness in always trying to prove our worth, instead of looking for, and celebrating Your unlimited worth, and for all that You choose to bless us with. I love the song that includes these words: I have a Father, He calls me His own, He’ll never leave me, No matter where I go. He knows my name….. These words remind me that You are my personal Savior, and no matter how many may call on Your name today, You will never leave me helpless. Please help me to praise You when I see this same miracle happening in the lives of others also, for I am reminded that all of Your children are special in Your eyes. Thank You for all who witness, teach and preach about Your never ending love for all who believe on the name of Jesus Christ. To You be all glory, honor and praise, precious Jesus. 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!

 

By Your Love, They Will Believe You

On By Ed AlgreenIn Love, Love others, Love your Neighbor, The Father's Love, The love of God, Unconditional loveLeave a comment

Post Date:

 Monday, 2017-11-20
SCRIPTURE

From:

 John 13:34-35 (NLT)

Text:

 34 So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. 35 Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”
OBSERVATION:
As long as Jesus was in the world, and the disciples hung around with Him and followed Him, they were known as ‘Jesus followers’. However Jesus was preparing to return to His Father in heaven, so He told His followers what would make them distinctly different in the world – enough to be linked with Jesus, even after his departure. This is still a challenge for Christians today, for how are we recognized by the world, as being children of the King?
APPLICATION:
Others might know that we are married because of the wedding band that we wear, or the way that we treat the lady that is always with us. The same will apply to our children. However, I am thankful that God also showed us how the world will recognize us as His children – His followers – His disciples! This highlights one of the greatest commandments that God gave to us, for it tells us that we are to imitate Jesus when judging whether we truly love others. So how then are we to love others? Of course we know that Jesus willingly gave up His life for us – so that we may seek forgiveness of our sin, and through the washing of blood that was shed for us on Calvary, our sins would be washed away, leaving a pure, clean, revived child of God, in His sight. So how did the actions of Jesus prove His love for us? Well, He voluntarily gave up His life for us, even while we were yet sinners with no hope. Imagine for just a moment that you thought about giving up your son as a sacrifice for your whole city, but as you turn on the news channel each night you hear the bad news about how cruel everyone is, and how they are stealing and committing unheard of crimes. Would you still be OK with your decision to sacrifice your son for the whole city? Probably not, but in our Bibles Jesus has taught us to love one another – everyone you come into contact with, and to such a degree that they would recognize you as a Jesus-follower, – one who has been with Jesus. Friends, to do this you must know Jesus personally and have accepted Him as Lord. You should daily seek His face to help you meet the challenges of the day and to put aside prejudices and personal desires, so that you could love others like He did. The Bible says that by your fruit, or your actions, you will be known. Please don’t act like the world, and expect that others will see Jesus in you because you told them you had made a decision to accept Jesus earlier in your life. If He truly is invited into your life, and you recognize Him as your Lord and Savior, there will be enough evidence that others will have no need to ask whose you are!
PRAYER:
Lord Jesus, we are thankful for the provisions You made for us while we were yet sinners. I pray that You will now work a miracle in our lives, so that we might put aside how we feel about this world, and see all children as Your precious jewels that we should love just as You loved us. Lord, may each one reading this devotional receive a wonderful blessing today as we strive to align our love for others, like You loved us. May this all be done to bring more glory, honor and praise to You dear Father, for I ask this in the precious name of Your Son Jesus, 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!

Proof of Son-ship

On By Ed AlgreenIn Christian love, Love, Love God, Love others, Love your Neighbor, The love of God, Unconditional loveLeave a comment

Post Date:

 Friday, 2017-09-15
SCRIPTURE

From:

 1 John 4:7-10 (GNT)

Text:

  7 Dear friends, let us love one another, because love comes from God. Whoever loves is a child of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love. 9 And God showed his love for us by sending his only Son into the world, so that we might have life through him. 10 This is what love is: it is not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the means by which our sins are forgiven.
OBSERVATION:
I believe that we have always learned that God is love, and that we should use His example when explaining the word ‘love’. However in our Scripture today, John is helping us to understand that if we claim to know Jesus as Lord, then we must be identified as being a person of that same genuine love as Jesus. Easy? No, but let’s try to apply this today…..
APPLICATION:
After growing into a teenager, I remember being far from home, and someone at a gas station shouted across identifying me with my dad. I was floored, as I never knew that I looked so much like my dad! We often hear people tell couples that they look like sister and brother. I wonder if that’s as much in looks, or how they act so much alike after being together so many years? Friends, with God’s help, I want to especially share with you the unconditional love that Jesus has for us, and I want to remind you that when we identify ourselves with Him – that we are a Christian, then folk should often mistake us for Jesus, because we act so much like all they have read, heard or know about Jesus. This passage today is telling us that we can’t hate a brother or a sister and claim to be Christ-like, for that would be totally opposite to His character trait. Let me remind you that He loved the men that came to arrest Him in the garden where He went to pray, because He reached out and healed the ear of the one whose ear was severed by one of Jesus’ men. On the cross He pleaded with God to have mercy on the folk responsible for His crucifixion, as He felt they really didn’t know what they were doing. He could have called a multitude of angels to clean up the scene at the crucifixion, much like He did at His birth when He reached out to the shepherds, but He sought the Father’s will instead. These few points lead to the fact that just as Jesus loved, in spite of the circumstances, and in spite of the hatred showed to Him, then as His child, we too must seek guidance, strength and boldness to love those who are easy to love, and those who really don’t want anyone to love them. Our witness to them will be most effective when they see Jesus in our words and in our actions, otherwise we come across to them as just another hypocrite. For those of us that represent our Savior, our relationship with Him is way too important to mess up on this. Verse 8 clearly identifies those who choose not to love. I trust that no one reading this blog today will walk away acknowledging that they are not a child of the King. Friends, please know Him and know true love for one another. If you are challenged to show love for everyone, then have a personal meeting with Jesus and analyze Your relationship with Him. There may be some decisions or cleanup that He may want you to do in your life.
PRAYER:
Dear Jesus, thank You for another identifier, and reminder for those of us that claim You as Lord and Master. You portrayed love to everyone, much to the dismay of church leaders in Your day. Yet You have forgiven us of our sin, and we still look down our noses at some, assuming that we could never love them. Your Word is clear – that attitude highlights one who is not a child of the King. Lord Jesus, please help us to seek Your face, Your strength and Your love each and every day, and please help us to never assume that anyone is not worthy of our love. As Your representative, may we learn to love everyone with the same love that You showed to us when a holy and righteous Savior held out His hand and accepted a sinner like me. May You be honored in all that we say and do today, is my humble prayer that I ask in faith, 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!

Gifts From God!

On By Ed AlgreenIn gifts, Gifts of The Spirit, Love, Love others, Love your Neighbor, Share, Share God’s Word, Spiritual Gifts, The Father's LoveLeave a comment

Post Date:

 Saturday, 2017-07-08
SCRIPTURE

From:

 Deuteronomy 9:4-6 (VOICE)

Text:

 4 When the Eternal your God has driven them out ahead of you, then don’t begin to believe He gave you this land because you’re so good and righteous! It’s just the opposite; He is giving you their land because those other nations are so bad! 5 It’s not because you’ve conducted yourselves so well or because you have such pure hearts that you’re going to take the land; the Eternal your God is driving out those other nations ahead of you because they’re so wicked. He’s keeping His word, the promise He made to your ancestors, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 6 I’ll say it again: the Eternal One your God isn’t giving you this good land because you’re so good. You’re stubborn, obstinate people.
OBSERVATION:
Moses wanted his people to be reminded who was in charge of the mission they were about to take, for there was nothing they could have said or done that could warrant the overthrowing of the much larger towns they would encounter on entering into the Promised Land. If God was to act based on the goodness of the Israelites, they probably would never have made it out of the wilderness. I believe that we could see where there would be lots of lessons in this story for us also! Let’s apply this Scripture to our lives…
APPLICATION:
We may tend to look at this story as such an obvious case. After all, we remember from reading the story about how the Israelites turned their hearts away from God right from the very beginning of their journey, and very soon after seeing God’s miraculous hand at work at various times. I believe that God knew that as these people entered the land, overcame towns and settled in, there would be a higher likelihood of them pitching a party to celebrate, rather than a huge praise service to give God the glory. So I feel like God inspired Moses to warn them ahead of time. So friends, what is God pointing out to us through this scripture? I believe that a fair number of us are willing to help the poor; visit the sick; encourage the depressed and console the mourning, but what do we expect back? Please don’t quickly respond ‘nothing’, because we gloat in our achievements when we hear our names mentioned in recognition, or mentioned in the newspapers for having helped someone. May I suggest that you try seeking God’s face for Him to show you where the needs are? Then try meeting those needs without calling your pastor to see if he approves, for you are following God’s instructions. If you can meet the need anonymously and not tell anyone else that you did it, I believe you will have something to celebrate with God. Think about it, when God blessed you with the income and abilities to help others, He didn’t send a message to your pastor so he could have the church celebrate your income and talents. Therefore, when you give, as unto the Lord, give in His precious name, so that He might be glorified! He gave it to you and you shared some it. Since it all originated with Him, then He deserves the credit and the praise! Start by tithing to your local church, as instructed in Scripture. When you’re comfortable with that, and realize the praise that God receives through the work of the local church, and that you survived financially in spite of giving a tenth right off the top, then you will be comfortable taking that to the next level. God told us to test Him and see if He wouldn’t bless us beyond anything we could give or imagine. Try it friend!
PRAYER:
Father, who are we that a King should die for us and provide the only means into heaven to live eternally with our awesome God? The love, the gift of eternal life, the provisions of each day and the gift of family and friends, way exceed anything we could ever have thought or planned. The gift of the Holy Spirit to help us in our daily walk, makes this whole journey on earth possible. Thank You Lord Jesus for every gift You have given to me. May I live the life You have designed for me, so that all that I do and all that I am, may bring glory to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. 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!

Love In Action

On By Ed AlgreenIn Love, Love others, Love your Neighbor, The Father's Love, The love of God, Unconditional loveLeave a comment

Post Date:-

 Monday, 2017-06-12
SCRIPTURE

From:

 Romans 12:9-13 (NIV)

Text:

 9 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13 Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.
OBSERVATION:
As Paul wrote these words to the church at Rome, I would imagine that he was dealing with a lot of the challenges that church pastors deal with today, where most of a pastor’s heartaches come from the flock not getting along with each other. Paul’s overriding theme in these few verses is that Christians are to love one another in total honesty. Praising the good and abhorring the evil, but none the less, loving one another through it all.
APPLICATION:
Jesus set the example for us by loving people everywhere He went. He loved the dreaded tax collectors and even had one of them follow Him as a disciple (Matthew). Jesus was falsely arrested and convicted of no crime at all, yet crucified anyway. While on the cross, in pain and agony, disgraced before an onlooking world, Jesus asked His Father to forgive His persecutors. Is it any wonder that the first order of business that Jesus gave attention to when telling us to be sincere in love, is that we stand firm for our beliefs, and to hate evil. Although, I believe that this was included so early in this discourse, so that we might be reminded that although we may hate the sin, or the evil that results from the actions of some, we must never lose sight of the soul and love them unconditionally. I believe that another reason for the attention to the evil in a person, is that if we don’t let the person know that we hate the sin they are doing, then they could easily feel like we are OK with it, or may even love that sinful aspect of them. Friends, if we cannot be a positive influence to a friend for Jesus, then we should examine ourselves for the true presence of Jesus in our lives. Often our friends may be caught in a trap and invite us over, hoping that we could help them through their problem. Imagine how disappointed they must be when we just accept their sinful act and count it as ‘normal’ or ‘acceptable’ living. The rest of these verses gives us tips to look for in our everyday experiences with loved ones and friends. Think on these things as you prepare to visit someone, and ask God to help you love them unconditionally. After your visit, invite God to help you honestly evaluate your words and actions so that you may work even harder on correcting anything that you may have messed up on. Friends, we serve a perfect God, so as we strive to live like He taught us in this messed up and imperfect world, we run into challenges. Seek His guidance and His strength as you deal with others so that you may be a stepping stone in their quest for salvation, and not a stumbling block.
PRAYER:
Lord Jesus, You loved us enough that You went to the cross on our behalf, even though we were so undeserving of such love. Through Your Holy Spirit, You led us to the cross for Your complete forgiveness and then offered us eternal salvation from our sin. As your children endeavoring to follow in Your example, how can we but love others and understand their struggle with sin? We have been there and done that, and in many cases have the scars to show for it. Please forgive us Lord, and help us to be a forgiving people, willing to love the unloved. May they see Jesus through our actions and in our unconditional love for them, 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!

Of Highest Importance

On By Ed AlgreenIn Love, Love God, Love others, Love your NeighborLeave a comment

Post Date:

 Thursday, 2017-05-25
SCRIPTURE

From:

 Mark 12:28-31 (ERV)

Text:

 “Which of the commands is the most important?”29 Jesus answered, “The most important command is this: ‘People of Israel, listen! The Lord our God is the only Lord. 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ 31 The second most important command is this: ‘Love your neighbor the same as you love yourself.’ These two commands are the most important.”
OBSERVATION:
A teacher of the law wanted to ‘cut to the chase’ and get the short answer by asking Jesus to tell them the most important commandments. Although I’m sure that Jesus could very easily have said that they all were important, knowing their hearts and the struggles that they dealt with each day, Jesus shared the two that, if closely followed, all other commandments would fall into place for them.
APPLICATION:
Like the teacher of law who approached Jesus, we often do this in conversation, especially when someone is known to be long-winded, for we would ask them to give us the short answer, or the 30,000′ high-level answer. Because we are so like the Sadducees, Jesus immediately knew that if they, or we, would commit ourselves to honoring God, and loving Him with all of our being, then our priorities would be in order, for there is no other God but He. Furthermore, our God is a jealous God, for He formed us in His likeness and desires our praise, worship and adoration. It’s not easy for us to apply this if our eyes are on other gods, or if we attend a worship service and our hearts are elsewhere. In the case of the second commandment, let’s not think for a moment that we could love our God and not love and honor His children – our neighbors. Friends, when we have these two things aligned in our lives, can’t you see where it would be especially challenging to commit sin against our God and our neighbors? In other words, we will easily honor the other commandments if we are truly committed to dealing with these two. So based on this Scripture, I believe that God wants us to evaluate our relationship with Him, and with our neighbors. What might He say about that if you stood before Him today?
PRAYER:
Lord Jesus, may it be evident to You and to the world that we love and adore You and that we honor you with our worship at every opportunity. May our relationship with our neighbor be one that is filled with love, just as You first loved us, and may we encourage each other towards love and good works. Lord, as this becomes evident to others, may You receive honor, glory and acceptance by those in our circle of family, friends and coworkers. 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!

The Family Of God

On By Ed AlgreenIn Family, Love, Love others, Love your Neighbor, Mothers, The Father's Love, Unconditional loveLeave a comment

Post Date:

 Thursday, 2017-04-20
SCRIPTURE

From:

 Mark 3:31-35 (NIV)

Text:

 31 Then Jesus’ mother and brothers arrived. Standing outside, they sent someone in to call him. 32 A crowd was sitting around him, and they told him, “Your mother and brothers are outside looking for you.”

33 “Who are my mother and my brothers?” he asked.

34 Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! 35 Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.”
OBSERVATION:
The mother and brothers of Jesus went to search for Him to make sure that He was safe, and not getting into any trouble. At first glance, these verses may seem like Jesus was not respectfully recognizing his family members, but on closer observation, it is clear that He was using their appearance as a ministry opportunity.
APPLICATION:
When close family members come to town, we often halt many activities in order to spend quality time with them. Some may take a few days off work; others may not attend church; while others go out of their way to find extra special activities or shows to attend and therefore entertain their guests. How does this compare to the effort we assume to win a sinner to Christ, or to entertain a new believer and disciple them in the faith? Do you see the connection that Jesus made between the two? We have no question about who our blood relatives are, but please be reminded that for those of us that call God ‘Our Father’, we automatically become brothers and sisters, for that’s what children of the same father are called, and considered. So let’s look the the parallel again with this in mind. I jumped on a plane and traveled about 150 miles to see my sick mom recently, and to encourage her in her spirit. I wonder how quickly I would be willing to sacrifice the dollars and precious PTO days off work, if that was a Christian Brother in the same condition that my mom is in? Jesus considered the connection one and the same. Don’t you think that if we considered our Christian Brothers and Sisters like Jesus did, and showed no prejudice to one or the other, that more Christians might be encouraged in their everyday lives, and be drawn closer to God because of the ministry one brother or sister to another? There’s a song entitled ‘I’m So Glad I’m a part of the Family of God’, I love that little song, but it really speaks volumes to the theme of this devotional today. I pray that each one reading this will do their part to treat mother, father, brothers and sisters so that the world will see evidence of our Father in action through us – His children!
PRAYER:
Father/Dad/Loving Lord, thank You for adopting me into Your family and treating me like a son. Lord You are good, and Your mercies are endless and beyond anything I could ever desire or ask for. As Your son, may I please ask that You speak to the heart of Your children, as You did with me this morning. Please help us to invest our time into the lives of other brothers and sisters who need to draw close to You, or may be struggling with something beyond their control. I don’t believe we can help others, if we are personally struggling to survive the discouragement, hatred and depression brought on by Satan and his suppressors. Please help us to look heavenward to the Creator of this world and all human beings. May we see the welcoming face of our Father and be willing to share that same love with others as if they were our closest blood relative. Be glorified through Your children today oh Lord, especially this humble servant, 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!

Proof That You Know God

On By Ed AlgreenIn Christian love, Love, Love others, Unconditional loveLeave a comment

Post Date:

 Monday, 2017-03-27
SCRIPTURE

From:

 1 John 4:7-8 (Voice)

Text:

 7 My loved ones, let us devote ourselves to loving one another. Love comes straight from God, and everyone who loves is born of God and truly knows God. 8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.
OBSERVATION:
The first verse details how to know if we know God, while the second explains how we will know when we are not one with the Father, and this all revolves around how well we do with loving one another.
APPLICATION:
I believe that our first instinct when we read verses like this, is to reflect on how much we love our spouse, children, mother, father, siblings and possibly our friends. However, by comparing our love with the love of God, we must also consider how well we do at loving the person who is not very lovable to us, or the person who always acts like they hate the world, especially Christians. To make a difference in this world, and truly show that the supernatural God of this universe plays a key role in our life, we must strive daily to be more like Him, and to give Him total control of our lives, for I believe that until we are totally submissive to Him, there will be too much of the sinful nature controlling us. Friends, these verses are very clear that this kind of love comes straight from God. They are also clear in telling us that when we fail to love one another, then the evidence shows that we do not know God. Now let that sink in for a moment. Since God is love, and He showed His ultimate love for us by sending His only Son to die on a cross for our sins, then if we claim to be His children, under His control, surely we would automatically strive to love just as He did. So may I encourage you to analyze yourself today as you go about your way? Better still, have a little talk with Jesus and ask Him to make you very aware of when you are not acting like Him, or loving others as He would. If you truly know Jesus as Lord and Savior, then you know the plumb line against which you will compare yourself. Please don’t compare to anyone one else, your ability or willingness to love others.
PRAYER:
Lord Jesus, thank You for first loving me! For loving me unconditionally – in spite of who I once was, The love that You show each day for Your children here on earth is beyond all description, but it has set a precedence for us to seek Your help and Your guidance so that we might love one another with that same kind of love. Please forgive us when we take things into our own hands and mess up so royally. I am convinced that it is only through the amazing grace of Jesus that we could love the happiest of people and the most miserable unloving, unkind individuals that You will place before us today. May it be easy for us to reflect back on the day and say the it was solely by the grace of God that we showed love even to the most challenging individuals, just as You would have done. Teach us to especially get this particular characteristic in order, so that the world might see Your grace and Your love even through us. 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!

A Higher Calling – Perfection

On By Ed AlgreenIn Love, Love others, PerfectionLeave a comment

Post Date:

 Saturday, 2017-01-14
SCRIPTURE

From:

 Matthew 5:43–48 (Voice)

Text:
43 You have been taught to love your neighbor and hate your enemy. 44 But I tell you this: love your enemies. Pray for those who torment you and persecute you— 45 in so doing, you become children of your Father in heaven. He, after all, loves each of us—good and evil, kind and cruel. He causes the sun to rise and shine on evil and good alike. He causes the rain to water the fields of the righteous and the fields of the sinner. 46 It is easy to love those who love you—even a tax collector can love those who love him. 47 And it is easy to greet your friends—even outsiders do that! 48 But you are called to something higher: “Be perfect, as your Father in heaven is perfect.”
OBSERVATION:
Jesus taught us that He was ordained as God’s special gift to mankind that would be born miraculously though a virgin; He lived among men who hated Him and ridiculed Him; and He died a criminal’s death on a cross – in spite of having the power to overcome with just a single Word. Let’s remember, Jesus did this for mankind even while men hated Him and was following the evil desires of this world. So consider that kind of love and then read this passage again. Notice in verse 48 that we, who know this Jesus intimately and have surrendered our lives to His will, are called to a much higher calling – to be perfect even as our Savior is perfect.
APPLICATION:
I’m super excited that based on the title you didn’t ignore this devotional, because you knew that you could never attain perfection! Allow me to encourage you today friend, for while you are right in thinking that you could never attain perfection, when we accept the only perfect One, Jesus Christ, and allow Him to control our lives, He places His Holy Spirit within us to mold us into His likeness. When we commit ourselves to the only ‘perfect’ One, and when He fills us with His likeness, and He controls our thoughts and our wants, we become vessels that are used by God. Only then, and by His grace alone, can we ever attain the perfection of God. For it is He who controls us. Jesus wants us to love like Him, including the willful love of those who hate us and despise us. Friends, I truly believe what the Word of God teaches, that the Master of this universe can work through us in all things and cause us to love, even as He loves. Let’s test Him with that today and prove His mighty power. If He told us to do it, then by His grace we have all power and authority to do just that!
PRAYER:
Lord Jesus, thank You for demonstrating Your enormous love for us that even while we were yet sinners, You died for us, so that we might see the likes of heaven and especially see Your father in heaven. The commands in these verses today sound impossible, but knowing that all things are possible by the God we serve, we humbly place ourselves at Your feet and ask that You guide us and direct us into ultimate perfection, even to love those that despitfully use and abuse us. May Your kingdom come oh Lord, and Your will be done in and through each of us today, for I ask these things in the name of Jesus, 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!

Of One Heart and Mind

On By Ed AlgreenIn Love others, Others first, Prayer, Unity, UnselfishLeave a comment

Monday, 2016-11-21

Scripture

Bible Reference: John 17:20-22

Bible Text: 20 “I am not praying for these alone but also for the future believers who will come to me because of the testimony of these. 21 My prayer for all of them is that they will be of one heart and mind, just as you and I are, Father—that just as you are in me and I am in you, so they will be in us, and the world will believe you sent me. 22 “I have given them the glory you gave me—the glorious unity of being one, as we are

Bible Translation: The Living Bible (TLB)

My Take

I believe that if 5 families left my city in Florida to head to Atlanta, Georgia, there would probably be several different routes taken because we all have our own ideas about what will be the fastest route, or the most scenic, or the most enjoyable due to attractions along the way that we would like to visit. However, we will all probably wind up at our final destination in Atlanta, Georgia at some point. I believe it was extremely evident to Jesus that this would be the case with His children in many walks of life, even in religious circles where we have the ultimate goal of coming face-to-face with Jesus in heaven when we pass on from this old world. I was reminded in a very bold and obvious way in our scripture today that Jesus knew right from the very beginning that this would pose a challenge for His children. I was able to see where Jesus approached the Father in much the same way as I would, if I was leaving the state of Florida on an extended retirement trip throughout the rest of the United States. There would be concerns for ministries I am involved in at my church, and there would also be concerns that my relatives would be OK with me out of the picture for an extended period of time. Now, I must quickly acknowledge that I have nothing to worry about with any of these things falling apart, because I am not the glue that holds all these things together. However, we do worry about things that mean a lot to us, if we’re not around to do our part. Friends, Jesus came to this earth for one intended purpose, to save mankind from eternal damnation. To achieve this, He showed Himself in some very bold ways – through miracles, through loving the unlovable, through sacrificing Himself so that we might not have to sacrifice anything in order to be saved from our wretched sin. However, in spite of all that He did, we went back to the Father and prayed about His concerns for the wellbeing of His church – His children here on earth. I believe that anyone meditating on this devotional today will agree that the concerns of Jesus were right on target, just like the rest of His life and ministry were. For we have such a problem here on earth in that we segregate ourselves from other believers who are headed for the same destination. In my example above, if we come across one of our friends on that long trip to Atlanta who had chosen a different route than we did, we may tease and poke a little fun at each other, but we would still welcome them and celebrate with them at the destination point. In religion, it seems like we have become so secure in our understanding of the Word of God and/or other ancillary books given to us from our respective denominations, that we erect walls between ourselves that non-Christians probably look at and wonder how many destination points are there, because obviously we are not headed to the same one! Friends, I know that this may seem like I am picking on religious denominationalism, and perhaps I am, but I believe that Jesus has shared the concern with us to ponder, that He shared with His Father when He returned to Him. What can we do about it? Jesus wants us to be ‘one’ just as He and the Father are ‘one’. We know that the trinity represents three persons all in one, meaning that they have the same attributes and same power and are the same in the eyes of the Almighty God. For us to appease Jesus in His wish for us, we must be willing to tear down the walls of hatred and separation, and love one another as we love ourselves (according to the commandment of God). Great walls separate men and women, yet they are ‘one’ in marriage. Can we please set our goals on unity in the only thing in common, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ? I get the distinct impression from our scripture that this would please Jesus beyond anything else we may attempt today. Please don’t wait for your church to adopt a philosophy to do this, I believe Jesus wants this to begin with you and I. Let’s personally commit to this wish of our Lord, and love one another unconditionally.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, You saw this coming and You prayed for this scenario ever since the beginning of time. I don’t know that things have gotten any better, so I want to commit myself to You today asking that You open my eyes to any injustices that may occur between myself and other believers in Jesus Christ. I don’t have all of the answers, but I do know that regardless of what part of the world one might be from, or the color of their skin or their financial status, we all have the same channel to travel through in order to one day see You and the Father in heaven. Please help my readers and I to live today in a way pleasing to You, and in a way that we intend to live when we sit around your feet in heaven as one body of believers. Lord, may we practice today what we expect to do ‘tomorrow’ when You call us home to glory! I ask these things in the only One who can change our hearts and our minds, and the One who set the example for us while here on earth. AMEN!

Footnote

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