Category: Love

Love Is In the Air

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

SCRIPTURE  FROM:   Mark 12:29-31 (NLT)

TEXT:  29 Jesus replied, “The most important commandment is this: ‘Listen, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord. 30 And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ 31 The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.”

OBSERVATION:   Jesus took the opportunity to declare and remind the teachers of the law again of the first and second commandment. In fact the greatest of all the commandments. I particularly like the way the New Living Translation put it, that ‘you MUST love the Lord your God.’ I love that! We will have a closer look at this matter of us loving our Master and loving our neighbor.

APPLICATION:   I wonder how many couples would cancel their weddings if, during their premarital counseling they were told that ‘they MUST love each other if they expect that preacher to marry them’? Sounds funny, because we go to the preacher in the first place because ‘we love each other’, but when told that we must love, we tend to back off and question the authority of the preacher. The difference that Jesus was trying to explain to these teachers of the law, is that His Father is love. In other words, when we stop to consider the word ‘LOVE’, it is inseparable from God. Think also about John 3:16 where it is emphasized that God loved us so much that He willingly gave up His one and only Son, Jesus, to be crucified in place of our sin. Praise be to God that He loves  even us – sinners saved by grace! Friends, we are thankful for God’s love for us, now we need to be extra sensitive to not gloat in that love, and keep it bottled up inside. Just as Jesus showed love to us, so we are to show love one to another – especially to those seeking for pure love – greater than anything they can find here on earth. This is the month of ‘love‘, and many will find unique ways of showing love to their spouse, or significant other. Oh may the world see Jesus more in us than any other characteristic that we may try to impart. He is love, and His love will satisfy the sinners heart. We simply need to be the willing, open servant that our Savior and Lord can work through!

PRAYER:   Lord, please have Your perfect way in and through us today and everyday, so that others will see Jesus, and not this old sinful man. They deserve seeing God’s best. The One who died to set them free from the pit of sin, hell and destruction. Lord may many be drawn to You today, is my humble and sincere prayer. 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!

 

A Well Orchestrated Plan!

On By Ed AlgreenIn Bible Believing, Christian, Faith, Humility, Love, Obedience, SurrenderLeave a comment

Monday, 2017-12-18

Scripture

Bible Reference: Micah 5:2-5

Bible Text: 2 The Lord says, “Bethlehem Ephrathah, you are one of the smallest towns in Judah, but out of you I will bring a ruler for Israel, whose family line goes back to ancient times.” 3 So the Lord will abandon his people to their enemies until the woman who is to give birth has her son. Then those Israelites who are in exile will be reunited with their own people. 4 When he comes, he will rule his people with the strength that comes from the Lord and with the majesty of the Lord God himself. His people will live in safety because people all over the earth will acknowledge his greatness, 5 and he will bring peace.

Bible Translation: Good News Translation (GNT)

My Take

Because I learned a few new things in my study today about this popular passage included in the story about the birth of Jesus, I wanted to share with you the fascination I found with how God coordinated this whole birth of His Holy One, the Lord Jesus Christ. For those of you that know all of these things, I ask that you bear with this humble child while I continue to learn the great truths of God’s Word. Look at these things with me:

  1. Bethlehem Ephrathah – It seems interesting why God chose the humility of one of the smallest  towns around for His Son to be born. His Son that would be born to rule and reign over all Israel and be the Savior of the whole world. But:
    • Did you know that in this small town, David was also born? Look at 1 Samuel 17:12 for this reference! Remember from New Testament scripture that Jesus would be of the lineage of David!
    • Did you know that God didn’t need the popularity of a large town, or the extra security of a major city for His Son to be born and recognized as a major leader of the world?
  2. The Lord abandoned His people – The Lord had worked so miraculously among the Israelites and carefully provided for them, yet time after time He sadly saw them return to their sin and idol worship. So in this passage we are told that He answered their requests to leave them alone, for He abandoned them. But He did this while also foretelling of One that He would send to love, rule, and reign over them with deep compassion. Friends, do you see where this whole miracle has changed us very much today? For it seems like we live in a world where idol worship is still very prevalent, and our merciful God is still mocked through the blatant sin and disregard of His precious Son. Note that ‘idol’ worship is something, or someone, other than God, who attracts  the attention of His people. What are those excuses again that folk use when they can’t, or won’t make it to corporate worship?

Friends, we can see from the very beginning that God had a well orchestrated plan to save His people from their sin, and I am convinced that this was not just for the people of Israel, but for all that He created to live on this earth. That includes both you and me. I have accepted Him as my Lord and Savior and therefore can boast of my eternal home in heaven. My whole purpose in sharing these blogs each day is not to help you feel better about yourself, or for you to see how guilty I feel about myself, but to encourage you to take God at His word. He orchestrated a plan for your salvation. Please consider accepting that gift today, by surrendering your life to the Lord Jesus Christ. You will see and feel Christmas in a way that you have never done before! Friends, know Him and know the peace that is often referred to each Christmas, won’t you?

Prayer

Dear God, I thank You for the everlasting gift of salvation, and for Your precious Son that You sent so that salvation might be possible. I am so afraid that our world has become as bad or worse than Israel when You removed Your hand from them. I am also afraid that we are still as stubborn about our sin and disregard even after Your special provision given through Your Son. Lord, please use this Christmas season to once again remind our people of the purpose of You sending Your Son, and the unique privilege that is ours to allow Your Prince of Peace, the Everlasting Savior, to rule and reign in our lives throughout the rest of our lives and even through eternity with You in glory. You’re my King, and I praise You Heavenly Father, 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!

May ‘Hope’ Overflow In Our Character

On By Ed AlgreenIn Evidence of Faith, Faith, Joy, Love, WitnessLeave a comment

Post Date:

 Monday, 2017-11-27
SCRIPTURE

From:

 Romans 15:13 (VOICE)

Text:

 13 I pray that God, the source of all hope, will infuse your lives with an abundance of joy and peace in the midst of your faith so that your hope will overflow through the power of the Holy Spirit.
OBSERVATION:
Paul had been called to minister to the Gentiles, but he finds it necessary to help Jews and Christians understand that joy and peace must be prevalent in the midst of their faith, for them to have a chance at expressing a witness to the unsaved Gentiles. This is still very true for us today, through the power of the Holy Spirit.
APPLICATION:
Oh that today we might be filled with an abundance of joy and peace like Paul prayed for in our Scripture today. In the midst of so much unrest in the world, and in the midst of so much crime and hatred in our own country, it is extremely challenging for  Christians to have their light shine in the midst of so much dismay. The backdrop for Paul in sharing this with his audience, is Isaiah 11:10, where Isaiah foretold the coming of Jesus, the Hope of all nations. Friends, in all business lines, our staff will not convince, and sell a product they don’t use themselves. Likewise, it is virtually impossible for us to ‘say’ we have faith in Jesus Christ, and there not be a glimmer of hope, peace and joy. The Bible says that by our works they will know us. I believe that ‘works’ here breaks down to: our actions, our joy, our peace and our faith. Paul prayed that God’s servants would be infused with these things. Perhaps we should be praying that God would still infuse us with these gifts, so that we may overflow with the gifts of the Holy Spirit and be more likely to touch the hearts of those that we witness to. The return of Christ is near, let us not waste an opportunity to share His love with all that we come into contact with.
PRAYER:
Lord Jesus, please fill us, Your chosen children, so that we may overflow with Your goodness, love and mercy. We want others to know of You, and through Your Holy Spirit may we be used by You to extend love, joy, peace and faith to all that we come into contact with. Oh that they may see Jesus. Humble the hearts of those that we meet today so that they may not become distracted by anything in our lives, for I ask these things in the precious 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!

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!

Our Strength and Our Guide

On By Ed AlgreenIn Holy Spirit, Love, Peace, Power, Power of God, Self-DisciplineLeave a comment

Post Date:

 Friday, 2017-11-03
SCRIPTURE

From:

 2 Timothy 1:7-8a (ERV)

Text:

 7 The Spirit God gave us does not make us afraid. His Spirit is a source of power and love and self-control.

8 So don’t be ashamed to tell people about our Lord Jesus.
OBSERVATION:
Paul was mentoring his son in the faith, Timothy, and doing everything possible to warn him about situations he would possibly face as he entered his mission field. To face the challenges, Paul found it important to remind Timothy who his ‘support arm’; ‘encourager’; ‘strength’ and ‘guide’ would be. Perhaps we need to be reminded of this as we enter each day and face the many challenges that await us!
APPLICATION:
There are probably two or more types of people today. Those who face each day with vigor and vitality, knowing that they have been given another opportunity to bless others and celebrate God. While the other group probably moans over the mistakes of yesterday and can’t imagine how much worse it will be today in their world. Friends, we are reminded in the Scripture today that God’s Holy Spirit resides inside those of us that have surrendered our lives to His lordship, and that we have nothing to be afraid of. Through Paul, God is reminding us that His Holy Spirit:

  1. Does not make us afraid – This makes me think that any fear that arises must be Satan’s way of trying to discourage or weaken our determination;
  2. Source of power – We are reminded that our weaknesses mean nothing, compared to the power source that we have in the Lord Jesus Christ. When we tend to worry about how certain things will be accomplished, let’s remind ourselves whose power is supporting us!
  3. Love – Knowing that we are loved by the Creator and King of this universe, gives us encouragement to do our best, to not be afraid and to face each day knowing that God has everything under His control. God loves us way too much to see us plunder through life in doubt or without hope;
  4. Self-Control – Buried deep inside of us is the old self that is bursting to expose itself at every opportunity. However, we are reminded that God’s Holy Spirit provides us with self-control. I tend to think of that as keeping the ‘old self’ under submission, and allowing the Spirit to expose us in the light of Jesus Christ. We should always have a desire to have others see Jesus in us! An old preacher had a reminder note stuck to his pulpit “Oh that they might see Jesus”. I pray that often, because I want to be used by Jesus in His ministry. Let them look at me but see Jesus in all that I do or say.
PRAYER:
Thank You Father for Your Holy Spirit. You knew from the very beginning that we could not live in this world under our own strength and still win over the ills of Satan. You have blessed us with power, love, self-control and bravery to not be afraid in this world, for You are with us in every way. What a joy and oh what peace, to know that our Savior is also our Master and Lord. We need your strength each day Lord, please help us to represent You in every part of our character. 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!

Ready To Defend Jesus?

On By Ed AlgreenIn Defend, Grace, Love, MiraclesLeave a comment

Post Date:

 Friday, 2017-11-02
SCRIPTURE

From:

 John 9:30-33 (ERV)

Text:

  30 The man answered, “This is really strange! You don’t know where he comes from, but he healed my eyes. 31 We all know that God does not listen to sinners, but he will listen to anyone who worships and obeys him. 32 This is the first time we have ever heard of anyone healing the eyes of someone born blind. 33 This man must be from God. If he were not from God, he could not do anything like this.”
OBSERVATION:
A blind man was miraculously healed by Jesus, when He mixed mud with spittle, placed it on the blind man’s eyes and told him to go and wash in the pool. In these verses the man who was once lost is having to defend Jesus before the local leaders. Let’s see how this might apply to us today….
APPLICATION:
Does the general population hear about what goes on in your church? Do they know how your child go well again? Do they ask about the difference in your character compared to most of your coworkers? I would imagine the answer to most of these questions might be: ‘sometimes’; or ‘when I feel safe, I tell them; or ‘we’re not allowed to talk about religion around work’. Isn’t that strange, when it doesn’t matter that employees talk about baseball games, or lotto winners, politics or just about anything else? This blind man was probably a ‘nobody’ before this healing incident, but when he started to praise God for all that Jesus did for him, it soon got the attention of the religious leaders who couldn’t identify with, or believe that God would change anything in the religious order of their day. In fact, they were so convinced of this that they called Jesus a sinner who just happened into their town. I wonder if this is not one of the things that interfere with folk accepting Jesus today? Perhaps some cannot understand why God would love them so much that He would allow His only Son to die a cruel death as a substitute for the sin of those who surrender their lives over to His lordship. Perhaps some see the lack of reaction of Christians to such an awesome God, that they are convinced there is no big deal to this Christian life and that they barely hear of any miracles or ‘God moments’ with the Christians they know. Friends, I believe the same thing happens in marriage if one of the partners chooses to continue doing everything they did as a single person. The truth is that if we love Jesus, the world will recognize that love. If we adore our King and worship Him at every opportunity, the world might become curious about the source of our happiness. If we stay in God’s Word and make every effort to obey His commands and live according to His precepts, then the world will see the difference and want to know this Jesus who made a change in us. Is there any difference in your life that’s evident to those you come into contact with?
PRAYER:
Lord Jesus, You are my Savior, my Lord and my everlasting King. Thank You for being so merciful, wonderful and miraculous in my life, and I pray that You will give me perfect moments to share that with someone who needs to know You personally. I would specifically petition You to touch the lives of Christians once again with a fresh dose of Your love, mercy and grace, so that the world might know that Jesus lives, and that He lives in our heart. 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!

So That God May Be Glorified!

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

Post Date:

 Wednesday, 2017-11-01
SCRIPTURE

From:

 John 9:2-3 (GNT)

Text:

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

3 Jesus answered, “His blindness has nothing to do with his sins or his parents’ sins. He is blind so that God’s power might be seen at work in him.
OBSERVATION:
Jesus happened across a blind man sitting along the edge of the road. His followers had become such students of their master that they decided to ask about the reason for the man’s blindness. Jesus’ response may have been more than they expected, because He told them how His Father would be glorified even through this man’s blindness. Let’s look into the reasons why God may have particularly had this story included in the Book for us…..
APPLICATION:
It seems like we thrive on things that make us feel sorry for ourselves, and especially those things that might help others to feel sorry for us. Furthermore, we tend to always look for an explanation on why things are the way they are. This is why the followers of Jesus needed to have the matter resolved in their minds, about why the man was made blind. And they realized that it made no sense asking anyone else that question because no one else but God knew the reason, or cause, for his blindness. Now let’s look closer at the response by Jesus: ‘so that God might be glorified in his life‘. Suppose the crippled or the dumb recognized that they were made the way they are ‘for God’s glory‘, instead of them feeling cursed. Suppose you and I recognized this fact each and every day, instead of wishing that we were as pretty/handsome as the neighbor, or as rich as our employer, or as lucky as the lotto winner? Oh that we might recognize and be constantly reminded that we are made meticulously by God and for His glory. Would we not quickly learn to praise Him for our good times, and for those times that we know God is at work in our lives, even though we sure wish that life would be so different for us? Friends, our God made no junk. Each of us are precious in His sight and we are made for His glory. Let’s work hard to avoid distraction from His almighty and glorious plan for our lives. To God be the glory for all He has done, and for all that He continues to do in our lives, especially when we feel like the world is against us and our health is failing, or no one else cares about us.
PRAYER:
Lord, please forgive us when we feel down and out because of feeling less than someone else. Even in our handicap, we have no reason to whine or complain, because we must quickly remember that we are children of the King – the King of all kings. Father, I pray that You might humble those who are proud and those who feel sorry about who they are. I am reminded that we are precious in Your sight and that as Your royal children, we are loved immensely by you. Oh that You may be glorified in all that we do and say, especially when we look inward at ourselves. AMEN!
FOOTNOTE:
There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’.  If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog could indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and read more, or you may freely to subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us!

How To Win Praise From God

On By Ed AlgreenIn Dedicated, Dedication, Love, Praise, Praise-worthy, Unconditional loveLeave a comment

Post Date:

 Friday, 2017-10-13
SCRIPTURE

From:

 John 5:41-44 (GNT)

Text:

  41 “I am not looking for human praise. 42 But I know what kind of people you are, and I know that you have no love for God in your hearts. 43 I have come with my Father’s authority, but you have not received me; when, however, someone comes with his own authority, you will receive him. 44 You like to receive praise from one another, but you do not try to win praise from the one who alone is God; how, then, can you believe me?
OBSERVATION:
As Jesus continued to speak with the Jewish leaders, He was really speaking from an insider perspective, because unlike their priests, Jesus was speaking from a first-hand knowledge of their attitudes, actions and thoughts. He knew of their jealous ness, and He knew of their selfish intentions. This, friends, is the same God that we serve today, so let’s see how this may apply to us….
APPLICATION:
There are some pretty awful names that we call people who try to please others to gain favor with them and get what they want, yet we see that happening all the time, especially in the workplace. We are good at making it up to our spouse, or good friends, when we know that we have done something that would upset them. In our Scripture today, we are being challenged by Jesus Himself that we don’t do anything to win praise from our Savior; the Creator of this world, and you and I. Let that sink in for a moment, then I would like for you to continue in thought with me as we contemplate what it is that we might do to please God, and gain His praise. I know that some will disagree with me on some of these things, but I just want to share with you some of the things that my heart is troubled by, when either I do these things, or others do them. Troubling my heart is nothing friends, but I am speaking from a perspective of what I feel God may be troubled by, especially from those who have accepted Him as Lord (Christians):

  • When we find it a chore to meet with other believers  – going to church;
  • When we put limitations on how often we are prepared to go to church – one service, or perhaps one hour per week;
  • When our Bible study consist of whatever is studied or discussed at church. Friends, God’s Word is alive and represents God’s voice back to us. Reading the Word allows God to speak back to us. Listening to the Word corporately is a lesson in obedience and in teaching to help us understand what the Word is really saying;
  • When it’s time to make a decision whether to attend church or do something else. Church attendance will not save anyone, but those attending church stand a much better chance of being saved, and/or learning the depths of God’s Word, and/or learning to fellowship and help other believers who are struggling in life, just like you. When other decisions win out over attending church, what message is God receiving from that? Can He praise you for that distraction from church?

Friends, as you all can imagine, I’m not God, so for each of the above and so many other reasons, you will personally settle that with God, and I won’t even know the resolution, for I have many of my own that I need to deal with God on. This is merely written to encourage you to look full into the loving eyes of Jesus and answer the question He posed in this Scripture today: Do you believe in Me (Jesus)? If so, how are you showing that I am top priority in your life and how much you really do love Me? Is it more than anything, or anyone else in the world? Can I praise you for the dedicated love that you show towards Me every day?
PRAYER:
Dear Lord, we are humbled by Your love for us, and for all that You did to prove that love for us. Please touch our lives to rid ourselves of all personal desires, other than the one to serve You with all of our heart, mind and soul. From a heart filled with unconditional love for You, may we learn to obey Your commands and please You in every way possible. Oh how we look forward to the day when we see You face to face and hear those words “Well done good and faithful servant”. This is my desire Lord. May I serve you faithfully and love You intensely all the days of my life here on earth. Please touch the lives of all of my readers so that they may make similar statements to you today, based on their renewed allegiance. 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 Love That’s Greater Than…

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

Post Date:

 Friday, 2017-09-29
SCRIPTURE

From:

 Ephesians 3:18-20 (ERV)

Text:

 18 … I pray that you and all God’s holy people will have the power to understand the greatness of Christ’s love—how wide, how long, how high, and how deep that love is. 19 Christ’s love is greater than anyone can ever know, but I pray that you will be able to know that love. Then you can be filled with everything God has for you.

20 With God’s power working in us, he can do much, much more than anything we can ask or think of.
OBSERVATION:
In leaving his beloved Ephesians, Paul shared that in spite of everything he had dealt with throughout his letter, and while on site with them, he was really hoping that they would remember the sincere love of Jesus Christ that filled his heart before coming to visit with them, filled him while with them and even as he left them. Can’t you imagine that this sort of love will help you to overcome insults and ridicule, and to look at life’s circumstances in a much more meaningful way?
APPLICATION:
Like me, you may remember being spanked by your parents while being told that they were only doing that because they loved you!! That was extremely hard to understand as a child, because we thought that love equated to giving us everything we asked for!! Even as adults, I’m not so sure that we have really grasped the unconditional love of Jesus for us. What could you find to say to a mother who buries her son or daughter, or even a grandchild, that could convince them that God loves them unconditionally? What could a preacher find to say after preaching Hell and damnation to a congregation of believers, and then try to follow that by reassuring them that Jesus loves them more than anything else in this world? I believe that even if we start our day in God’s Word and assure ourselves of His precious love for us, it is extremely challenging for us to stay strong in the faith as we are beat up on during the day and feel like the whole world is against us. However friends, let me encourage you to read the verses again, with particular interest in finding the conditions for God’s love. In finding none, I can only encourage you to stand firm in your faith and never doubt the love of God. Whether in very positive news, or very negative news – God still loves you! Whether you are on ‘cloud nine’ with very positive and encouraging things happening in your life, or quite to the contrary – remember that God still loves you! Whether things are going way better than you could ever have expected under today’s circumstances, or whether it feels like the bottom has fallen out and no one is in control today – know that God loves you unconditionally and that He is always in charge of His universe. Why sweat it friends? Know that God has every little thing under His complete control and that He will always look after His precious children and everything that affect us.
PRAYER:
Lord Jesus, what a privilege to know that we serve a God who loves us in spite of who we are, and in spite of all the circumstances that may be impacting the world around us. The greatest love ever demonstrated was the sacrifice You made at Calvary so that we may have life eternally in heaven with You. Thank You Father, thank You Lord Jesus for loving us so much. May that assurance bring peace and contentment to each of Your children, in every circumstance of life. 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 One Who Knows You Intimately

On By Ed AlgreenIn Love, Love of God, Salvation, The love of God, Unconditional loveLeave a comment

Post Date:

 Thursday, 2017-09-28
SCRIPTURE

From:

 John 1:46-49 (ERV)

Text:

 46 But Nathanael said to Philip, “Nazareth! Can anything good come from Nazareth?”

Philip answered, “Come and see.”

47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said, “This man coming is a true Israelite, one you can trust.”

48 Nathanael asked, “How do you know me?”

Jesus answered, “I saw you when you were under the fig tree, before Philip told you about me.”

49 Then Nathanael said, “Teacher, you are the Son of God. You are the King of Israel.”
OBSERVATION:
In life we often say ‘If you want to really know me, come live with me’. To Nathanael’s surprise, he was innocently invited to come and meet a man from Nazareth, who was talked about by ancient prophets. I am convinced that Nathanael agreed to go with Phillip against his best judgment, because everything was just not adding up to him. But there was truly a divine appointment for Nathanael. Let me encourage you to also be open to a divine appointment that God might have for you today….
APPLICATION:
This story is yet another example of how Jesus knew more about the individual than they ever thought possible. When Jesus met the woman at the well, He was able to tell her about her past relationships. When Jesus met Nathanael, He told him where he was at when Philip first approached him. I believe He could have also told him about how prejudiced he was against people from Nazareth, but Jesus wanted to get to the man’s heart, so He shared only good things with Nathanael. However, it was enough for Nathanael to recognize that Jesus was the Son of God. Friends, I believe that when Jesus calls us unto Himself, it is much like the day that He hung on the cross. For at that time He gave in to the will of the Father, instead of using His divine power to disappear from the scene. Further, He did all that for those who loved Him and for those who hated Him at the time. So if Jesus did all that at Calvary, don’t you know that in the case of your sin, and your evil condition, He sees you just where you’re at; He hears everything you are saying or thinking; but He knows your name and calls you to Himself anyway. Nathanael quickly recognized Jesus as the true Son of God. Will you also be open to His call today, and accept His invitation on your life? We’re not sure when the end will come, but we are told to be ready in case it’s today. So let me implore you to procrastinate no longer. No need to wait for your church’s weekend services, today might be the day, so read my Footnote and follow the suggestions for getting with someone today to help you, or pray with you.
PRAYER:
Lord Jesus, You are my rock and my salvation and in You I place my trust. Thank You for calling me to Yourself many years ago. Being reminded of what You did for Nathanael, has reminded me to bring my unsaved family and friends before You yet again today. Please Lord, send a ‘Philip’ to them today who will open the door for them to accept You as Lord and Savior. Please use me, if necessary. Lord You are good, and I thank You for being my Savior, and a Savior who is still interested in the lost. I pray that many will come to know You even today, AMEN!
FOOTNOTE:
There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’.  If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog could indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and read more, or you may freely to subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the 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!