God’s Loving Response To Obedience

On 2018-01-23 By Ed AlgreenIn Humble, Humbleness, Humility, Obedience, Obedient, Victorious LifeLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE FROM: Psalm 81:11-14 (ERV)

TEXT:   ¹¹“But my people did not listen to me.
    Israel did not obey me.
¹²So I let them go their own stubborn way
    and do whatever they wanted.
¹³If my people would listen to me
    and would live the way I want,
¹⁴then I would defeat their enemies.
    I would punish those who cause them trouble.

OBSERVATION: In this Psalm, you can hear the hurt from God, that no matter how hard He tries, yet His children refuses to listen, and insists on doing their own thing. This often results in pain and heartache to His precious children. This is probably very real to many parents, as they remember what they went through with a son or daughter. In fact, I bet it also gives many parents a pretty good idea about how much pain it must bring to God when He looks upon us in love, and reflects on all that He did at the cross for us, yet to see us turn our backs on Him or totally disregard the love of our Savior in every aspect of our lives.

APPLICATION: We often talk about the unconditional love of Jesus, and I have no doubt about the truth in that statement, for He willingly went to the cross, even while we were yet sinners, and freely gave up His life to prove the extent of His love. This loving act brought about the means of purification for our sins so that we may present ourselves clean and sinless before the Father. Compare this to the love that parents have for a child born to them – of their own flesh and blood. Parents love their children, and nourish them through childhood days as they prepare them for life, with its full potential. In fact they begin college plans for them and have dreams of them taking over local businesses when they graduate. However somewhere along the way, those dreams and plans might change, as that child takes on a will of their own, which could sometimes be contrary to the dreams of the parents. This often brings serious tension between parents and children. Feeling the disappointment in the scenario I just gave you, may help you feel some of the hurt and disappointment that God must experience when His children also ignores all that He has in store for them, yet they decide to peel away and do their own thing? In fact, the Psalmist says that God has many plans to prosper His children, yet they chose to leave and accept much less. Can you even imagine the hurt of our heavenly Father? On a very positive note: these verses remind me so much of 2 Chronicles 7:14, because both indicate that if we will do our part and draw close to God, in response to the love He demonstrated for us, and if we will seek His face and listen to His instruction, then He will hear our prayer, hear from heaven, heal our land and magnify our faith in the One who loves us unconditionally, but also deliberately. This wonderful Savior can be your Lord and Savior today, friend! Please have a look at my Footnote for directions.

PRAYER: Precious Lord, please take the hand of your children today and lead us through this tough world that is out to block the works of the One who created us, and loved us enough to be crucified, so that we may live eternally in heaven with You and the Father. Lord, in these verses today, and in the verse I quoted above, You promised that You would basically change our world, if only we would humble ourselves and seek after You. Lord, may today be the beginning of something new for us. May we obey Your Word and seek Your face as we wait for You to do Your miraculous work in each of our lives. I believe the world needs to see Jesus in order to believe in Him. May they see Jesus in us today! AMEN!

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

But Lord?

On 2018-01-102018-01-10 By Ed AlgreenIn Excuses, God's Will, Obedience, ObedientLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE FROM: Acts 9:11-16 (MSG)

TEXT: ^11-12“Get up and go over to Straight Avenue. Ask at the house of Judas for a man from Tarsus. His name is Saul. He’s there praying. He has just had a dream in which he saw a man named Ananias enter the house and lay hands on him so he could see again.”

^13-14Ananias protested, “Master, you can’t be serious. Everybody’s talking about this man and the terrible things he’s been doing, his reign of terror against your people in Jerusalem! And now he’s shown up here with papers from the Chief Priest that give him license to do the same to us.”

^15-16But the Master said, “Don’t argue. Go! I have picked him as my personal representative to non-Jews and kings and Jews. And now I’m about to show him what he’s in for—the hard suffering that goes with this job.”

OBSERVATION: Interesting how God shocks His servants with challenges, that they feel, are so outlandish! Moses was shocked, and found excuses when asked to take charge of the Israelites. Having never seen or heard of rain, Noah was shocked to receive orders to build a huge boat up on dry land. In our Scripture today, Ananias is being asked to go and minister to a murderer of Christians. One who had always fought Christianity and all that it stood for. Although God was the one telling Ananias to ‘Go’, Ananias was sure there must be some mistake, and he had to be sure that was cleared up before he agreed to do anything. Aren’t we just as quick in coming up with excuses why we can’t or shouldn’t do certain parts of ministry today?

APPLICATION: Do you remember the anxiety the first time that you were asked to read a few verses of Scripture, or pray aloud in public? Did the fear of that happening, keep you from attending certain services, or from sitting near the front? Did that fear worsen when you were asked to go and visit a shut-in or a hospitalized member of the church? Ever felt led of God to visit a friend who was not a believer, hoping that you would find the opportunity to witness to that person, but at the last minute you got ‘cold feet’ and started to find multiple excuses why you couldn’t go? If any of these things bring back vivid memories, then you may have had a mild Ananias experience. I say ‘mild’, because in the case of Ananias, he was being asked to go and lay hands on one of the biggest threats in his time. We would hate to think about being near to a mass murderer, even if given the opportunity to witness to them, but it was a well known fact that Saul was out to eliminate those who might minister for the Lord Jesus, and Ananias was one of those. Wouldn’t that be the same as placing the ‘bait’ right at the feet of the ‘lion’? Friends, I believe that this Scripture shows us several facets of God’s amazing plan. Who else would be more effective in speaking to the folk that opposed God, than one of their own? Who else would show the power of God to save even the vilest of sinners, as in the case of Saul? Who else could better show a life transformed by the blood of Jesus, like Paul did? In listening to the news every day of our lives, we hear of so many forms of evil that, in most cases, we cringe at it happening very close to many of our home towns. God has called us to proclaim His Word and to be His witnesses at home and abroad. Stop finding excuses and saying “But Lord…..”, for He knows the plans He has for you. Don’t disappoint Him by trying to correct or remind the King of all kings and Lord of all lords, that you may know something that He may have overlooked. Let me remind you again what He said back to Ananias, ‘Just GO’. Let’s learn to be more obedient friend.

PRAYER: Unfortunately, I believe that we are just as doubtful today, even after seeing the after results of Your demands on several unsuspecting servants in Your Word. There is no doubt that You hold the world in Your hands and that it moves at Your command. The same is true for the individuals that You alone created. Lord, please have mercy on us and continue to strengthen us with the help of the Holy Spirit, to obediently follow Your commands and Your will for us, especially in using us to touch the lives of others, especially those who seem so unlikely to us. Lord, may Your perfect will be achieved in and through Your saints today, even me Lord. AMEN!

How to Find Much Needed Rest

On 2018-01-03 By Ed AlgreenIn ObedienceLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE F0R REFLECTION: Matthew 11:28-30 (ERV)

TEXT: ²⁸“Come to me all of you who are tired from the heavy burden you have been forced to carry. I will give you rest. ²⁹Accept my teaching. Learn from me. I am gentle and humble in spirit. And you will be able to get some rest. ³⁰Yes, the teaching that I ask you to accept is easy. The load I give you to carry is light.”

OBSERVATION: I’m sure that Jesus saw how busy everyone around Him was, and He also knew how much worse that would probably get with each generation to come. Jesus knew the importance of taking time to rest the body, soul and mind, but He also knew that He had provided for it in His Word and His teachings, so He had to really get to the hearts and minds of mankind, who was starting to find more value in busyness than in regenerating himself through peace, relaxation and renewal. There should never be a time in our lives that we feel there is way too much for us to do, to stop and rest for a whole day. Let’s look closer at the Word of God on this matter.

APPLICATION: This will either be a very challenging devotion to write or it will be a welcoming reminder to me as I write what I felt on my heart as I read this Scripture. Way back in Exodus 23:12 after God had just created the earth and mankind, He knew that man just could not hold up to working 7 days per week, so He ordered that one of those days be considered a day of rest and worship – a Sabbath. Notice that this was a command and not a suggestion, because the God who created us, knew what our mortal bodies need in order to function properly. A friend once told me of two axe-men working in the forest, One was so busy and dedicated to his work that he would just swing that axe all day. His partner would stop every other hour and sharpen his axe while taking a much needed rest. At the end of the day, who do you suppose cut down the most trees? In the Exodus story, the Israelites who violated the Sabbath law, paid for their sin with his or her life. Did you know that today the death penalty is still in effect, however it’s a gradual death that comes from overwork, stress and anxiety? To observe a Sabbath day of rest is to announce, “God knows what I need more than I do. If He says to rest, I will rest.” And as we do, our bodies and minds will be refreshed. In a book written by Max Lucado entitled ‘Less Fret, More Faith’ he offers the following suggestions to refresh our body, soul and mind:

Don’t overdo it. Understand your limits. If you think you have no limits, then you have more than most people.
Once you have reached your limits, stop. Don’t work until you drop. Find a pace of life that works for you, and stick to it.
Maintain regular breaks during the day. Naps are biblical.
Give your mind a rest from technology. Turn off, unplug, detach from social media, news, and all the tech toys that deplete energy.
Learn to relax. To relax is to disengage and let go. An hour or daylong Sabbath is not the time to catch up with your work. It is a time to entrust your work to God. After all, He worked for six days and then rested. The world didn’t fall apart. It won’t for you either.

Friends, our churches are falling apart because folk are attending out of habit, but they are so tired that they sit there and either fall asleep or they are in ‘lala’ land because of the many things on their mind. Let me encourage you at the very beginning of a promising new year, to make it a year that you manage your time better. Be sure that there is time for God, for your spouse, your children and most importantly, time for yourself. Aim at putting some balance into your life, so that we may spend more quality time with Christ and find sweet rest for our souls. We will become much more productive in life, and hopefully conform better with the design God has intended for our lives!

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, You designed us to rest, to worship You, and to be children of the King, who would share that joy with others. We have realized how impossible this is when we are always tired beyond words. Thank You for Your precious Word today that reminds us of the importance of keeping a good time balance in our lives. Lord may we be obedient to all You have directed, and may we be found faithful to all you have commanded of us. Please help us to realize the importance of being obedient to You, vs working ourselves to pieces in order to try and impress others. Rest comes only in You, while more and more stress and endless work, comes from trying to impress others. Use us today to touch the lives of others, even in the area of prioritizing our time of rest. AMEN!

Preconceived Ideas vs Faith

On 2017-12-21 By Ed AlgreenIn Evidence of Faith, Faith, Faith in Action, Faithful, Faithfulness, Genuine Faith, ObedienceLeave a comment

Post Date:	Thursday, 2017-12-21
SCRIPTURE
From:	2 Kings 5:11-12 (ERV)
Text:	¹¹Naaman became angry and left. He said, “I thought Elisha would at least come out and stand in front of me and call on the name of the Lord his God. I thought he would wave his hand over my body and heal the leprosy. ¹²Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, are better than all the water in Israel. Why can’t I wash in those rivers in Damascus and become clean?” He was very angry and turned to leave.
OBSERVATION:
Naaman was a very important man to the king of Aram, for he was the captain of his army. However having a terrible skin disease caused Naaman to seek after help. He was told that there was a man in Israel who could heal him, but because of his elevated status, he had his king send a letter to the king of Israel, commanding that Naaman be healed. To Naaman’s surprise he was referred to a simple prophet, Elisha, who treated him like any other citizen, and sent his servant out to Naaman to tell him what to do to be healed. Let’s compare what happens next with what we might expect to do in a scenario like that.
APPLICATION:
Like Naaman, I believe that we often have our preconceived ideas about how life happens, and how each process should happen as we work towards the results we want. Whats sometimes challenging to deal with, is that we will encounter different opinions for each person you chat with about the problem you are having. I believe that Naaman’s pride came into play when Elisha sent his servant out to give Naaman the word on what he needed to do. After all, he was an important man, and now he was being treated like any other human being by Elisha. From that, it seems like Naaman’s attitude went south. In verse 11, we read about the contrary thoughts Naaman had about Elisha and his commands. In fact, if it was up to him (Naaman), there would have been some different ways of handling the same orders given by Elisha! What about us friends? Aren’t we the same way, in wanting to put our own little twists to things? Now I agree that we will never expect to see different results by doing things the same way that we’ve always done it, yet there are times that we could totally disrupt the spirit of all accomplishments by changing things just to have our name attached to it. Often what happens to churches is that they take their eyes off Jesus and start to look at what they think will make them different to the church next door. Friends, let’s stay true to the Word of God, let’s seek to follow Jesus in all that we do and lets be ready to praise God for His blessings on us. Naaman would not have been near as upset if he had followed the commands given by God’s messenger without a lot of questioning and suggesting. The same is true for us. Obedience to the will of God brings answers from the heart of God.
PRAYER:
Thank You Lord for Your blessings on me! Lord, please speak to the hearts of my friends and I as we meditate on this devotional today. Please fill us with the will to obey, without questioning, so that we may place total faith and trust in You and Your commands. 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!

A Well Orchestrated Plan!

On 2017-12-18 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: ²The 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.” ³So 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. ⁴When 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, ⁵and 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:

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?
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!

The Reason Jesus Was Born

On 2017-12-062017-12-06 By Ed AlgreenIn Obedience, Reflective of Jesus ChristLeave a comment

Post Date:	Tuesday, 2017-12-05
SCRIPTURE
From:	John 18:37 (ERV)
Text:	³⁷Pilate said, “So you are a king.” Jesus answered, “You are right to say that I am a king. I was born for this: to tell people about the truth. That is why I came into the world. And everyone who belongs to the truth listens to me.”
OBSERVATION:
Jesus taught us great lessons throughout His ministry. In this Scripture today, when Jesus was being tried by the authorities, He still showed His compassion; His calmness; and He declared His whole purpose for coming to this world. I wonder what we would say is our whole purpose on earth?
APPLICATION:
At different stages of our lives we may have sat and declared what our purpose in life is. For example, the transition from high school or college into the working world, you may have committed to be a doctor or an accountant, etc. When you got married, you made have declared what kind of spouse you would be. When you got saved, you may have promised God a drastic change in your lifestyle or in your habits. But was there ever a time that you declared what your whole purpose in life is…..? You see, Jesus was known as ‘Truth’, and for that reason we can measure absolute ‘Truth’. I sincerely believe that the Truth that Jesus spoke of is the absolute Truth that He represents in being God’s precious Son. In other words, looking at Jesus and hearing His words, were just like seeing and hearing His Father – God. With that in mind, what is the real truth that others experience with you? Do they experience with you, what they really hear from you? Do you have to tell them that you are a Christian, or do they see that in you, and hear that from the words that you speak? As ‘little Christs’, our aim here on earth should be much like that of Jesus – to represent Him completely; honestly and wholly, so that the world may know and believe in the One who saved us from our sin and condemnation.
PRAYER:
Lord Jesus, I pray that Your love will shine so strongly through my life that it will be evident to the world that You are having an awesome impact in my life, then may You be glorified by all that I come into contact with. Thank God for the grace and power expressed through His gracious Son. That You Jesus for accepting me as Your gracious son. May I represent you as well, so that others may see and believe. 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 Be More Productive for God

On 2017-11-23 By Ed AlgreenIn Miracles, Obedience, Promise, SalvationLeave a comment

Post Date:	Thursday, 2017-11-23
SCRIPTURE
From:	John 15:5, 7-8 (TLB)
Text:	⁵“Yes, I am the Vine; you are the branches. Whoever lives in me and I in him shall produce a large crop of fruit. For apart from me you can’t do a thing…. ⁷But if you stay in me and obey my commands, you may ask any request you like, and it will be granted! ⁸My true disciples produce bountiful harvests. This brings great glory to my Father.
OBSERVATION:
Jesus had the disciples around Him for quite a while, and He could see how dependent they were on Him to do everything, so He taught them how they could become more productive in their own lives, for His work and His glory. I don’t know about you, but we all need that coaching every day, so let’s dig in and see how we can do this….
APPLICATION:
From the very early stages of childhood, parents have a responsibility to not only show a child how to do things, so that they can imitate them, but to also encourage them to be their own person and do the things that pleases God. I believe that most often the parent are more proud of the kids than the kid could ever imagine themselves! Jesus exampled this same principle to His disciples, and I believe it was deliberately placed in the Bible so that we might learn from His teaching. By telling us that He is the Vine, He is reinforcing the principle taught throughout the Bible that in and of ourselves, we can do nothing of eternal value, because we would teach nothing but earthly values, that are promoted by Satan himself. These values lead to eternal death, or eternity in Hell with your earthly leader, Satan. Having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, means that you have resigned yourself of those earthly values, and you are now allowing the Holy Spirit to be your power, your guide, your counselor and your comforter. The Holy Spirit, being one with God, is then the Vine spoken of in our Scripture today, for He is ‘God with us’ and we are therefore attached to the Vine. Just as any other type of vine, we find new strength in our Vine, and the anointing of His blood fills us with His grace, His mercy, His love for everyone and the overwhelming anointing of His new birth, so that we too might go on as the disciples did, to share in His ministry here on earth. Friends, the Bible teaches us a known truth today, “How will they know if no one goes out to tell them”. Children of God, we are the hands and feet on the ground that can impact our world, and it starts at home. Let us do what Jesus taught in the Scripture today, let’s be sure that we are plugged in to THE VINE; Let’s be sure that we are obeying His commands and seeking to do His will in every aspect of our lives. The final verse declares, and it’s a promise from Jesus Himself, that if we do this, we could ask anything in His name and it will be granted. I have loved ones who need Jesus, so I have much to ask for. Now may I be obedient to Jesus Christ, and provide a pure body and soul for Him to live in, so that I may ask for His saving grace for these ones on my heart today. I encourage you to do the same friends…
PRAYER:
Although we have much to be thankful for today Lord, if only we would sincerely dedicate ourselves to You and consistently obey Your commands, then we know that Your Word will not return void, because You promised us that You will respond to any request. You know the hearts of each reader Lord, and You know the urgent needs that trouble our hearts. Please give us the boldness to totally surrender to You so that You may do Your work in, and 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!

Obedience Resulting From Love

On 2017-11-22 By Ed AlgreenIn Holy Spirit, Leadership of the Holy Spirit, Obedience, ObedientLeave a comment

Post Date:	Wednesday, 2017-11-22
SCRIPTURE
From:	John 14:15-17 (TLB)
Text:	^15-16“If you love me, obey me; and I will ask the Father and he will give you another Comforter, and he will never leave you. ¹⁷He is the Holy Spirit, the Spirit who leads into all truth. The world at large cannot receive him, for it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you do, for he lives with you now and some day shall be in you.
OBSERVATION:
Jesus was introducing the 3rd part of the Trinity – the Holy Spirit. However He made it clear that through our love for Him and our subsequent evidence of that love, through obedience to His commands, He would then give us the Holy Spirit to lead us unto all truth. Later in this chapter, Jesus goes on to say how disobedience would lead to much worse. So we have an identifier, or a milestone in our lives that brings peace and comfort to us as we seriously seek to love Jesus more and more every day!
APPLICATION:
A lot of kids act up, or defy parents, in order to get attention from them. But have you ever noticed that the attention the rebellious kid receives is totally different to the child whose mind is all made up to obey mom and dad and strive to obey them in all that they ask? Jesus promoted love, peace and goodwill. He also provided lots of guidance and commands for us to follow, for our best interest, but also to show that we love Him enough to trust those commands and therefore obey them. The one who disobeys is the one who could care less where the commands came from, and what that disobedience means to the One who commands us. In fact, in this same chapter Jesus goes on to say that if they disobey Him, they don’t love Him. Friends, I feel like it is awesome that God chose to give us a prize for simply obeying Him! It is important to recognize that God loved us enough to give us proof of that love in many ways. We are simply asked to follow His commands to show our love for Him. If we do, then He will send us the Comforter (the Holy Spirit) to live within us as our personal guard, director and friend. So is there a need to worry about how we could live in this world like our Lord and Savior? Not when God Himself, through the Holy Spirit, lives within us! We have an amazing God who loves us beyond words and actions. I believe He longs for the day that we go up to heaven to live with He and the Father eternally! You can count yourself in, if you have surrendered you life over to Jesus Christ! If you haven’t, please read my Footnote for great tips on how you can get help to meet my Savior. My desire is to see every reader of this blog find security in knowing that they are saved and ready to meet Jesus one day – maybe today!
PRAYER:
Precious Lord, thank you for speaking words into my heart each day from your word. Thank you for assuring your children of the perfect gift of salvation, and today in this Scripture, the perfect gift of the Holy Spirit to help us live a life like You here on this earth. Please speak to the hearts of friends and family who have not received this gift yet, and draw them unto yourself even today. Oh what a Thanksgiving Day that will be in Heaven if just one surrenders their life to You! May Your perfect will be done. 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!

Great Advice for Great Leaders

On 2017-11-18 By Ed AlgreenIn Leader, Leadership, Leadership of the Holy Spirit, ObedienceLeave a comment

Post Date:	Saturday, 2017-11-18
SCRIPTURE
From:	1 Kings 2:2-4 (TLB)
Text:	²“I am going where every man on earth must some day go. I am counting on you to be a strong and worthy successor. ³Obey the laws of God and follow all his ways; keep each of his commands written in the law of Moses so that you will prosper in everything you do, wherever you turn. ⁴If you do this, then the Lord will fulfill the promise he gave me, that if my children and their descendants watch their step and are faithful to God, one of them shall always be the king of Israel—my dynasty will never end.
OBSERVATION:
David was at the conclusion of his reign as king, and also near death. One of his sons, Adonijah, had already ‘jumped the gun’ and made himself ‘king’, but David was reminded of a promise he had made to Bathsheba, that Solomon would become his successor. Regardless of what Adonijah had done for himself, David gave the official word to make Solomon his successor, as promised. Our Scripture today records the parting words/advice that David had for his son for a strong and substantive leadership. Advice that all great leaders could benefit from today!
APPLICATION:
Each one comes to the table with various strengths that God has blessed them with. Some might say right up front that all they ever want, is to be a follower, because they hate leadership. Others appear to be born as natural leaders. I believe that this last piece of advice that David gave to his son Solomon, is very Biblicaly based, and something that all good leaders who are striving to be the ‘best’ leader could benefit from. In fact, it is also true for every Christian, for as we follow this advice we become more Christ-like and more obedient to His will for our lives. Now friends, I really don’t believe that God will set aside the leadership skills that He has already given to you, but using the advice passed down by David, I believe God will say to us that we use those admirable skills in a setting where it is evident that we are God’s child while being a good leader. In other words, when using our leadership skills in a worldly fashion, we would be more apt to use the skills of the worldly leader, Satan, which will always result in chaos and undesired results for the people you lead. However, imagine the amazing success you can have when you use your God-given talent in a setting where you allow God to rule through your life and leadership? I believe that most business owners want us to rule with an iron fist and not consider the feelings of the employees we supervise. However, I believe that leading God’s way will earn the respect of your subordinates and allow us to become a more cohesive team to accomplish even greater things. I don’t believe our lesson for today revolves around doing what David said, but rather, to take the advise of David and grow our relationship with God to the degree that, as leaders, we would be sensitive to God’s commands and directions. This would help us to lead like God would desire of us, so that He might be glorified. Most often we expect obedience from those we lead, what if we led in obedience to our Master? Wouldn’t it be interesting to see the results from our subordinates? Try it friends, you might like it!!
PRAYER:
Father, I believe that You have taught us again today that our walk with You must be evident in all parts of our life, and not just when we are at church, or around Christian people, or when we are trying to impress our pastor. In leadership, normally we are bound to allegiance to the owner of our company, but Lord I pray that You will also give us the boldness to always pledge our allegiance to You first and foremost, and under the authority and boldness of the Holy Spirit, lead in ways that will not only please You, but also excite our owners. Lord, please grant us the wisdom and strength to always seek to find ways for others to not only see You in the midst of our leadership, but to also find reasons to praise You and give You the glory You deserve. Thank You for working through even Your humble servants here on earth! 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!

Guard Your Heart, Sight and Walk

On 2017-11-112017-11-11 By Ed AlgreenIn Clean Heart, Follow Christ, Follow Jesus, Follower of Christ, Heart, Know God's Heart, Obedience, ObedientLeave a comment

Post Date:	Saturday, 2017-11-11
SCRIPTURE
From:	Proverbs 4:23-27 (Voice)
Text:	²³Above all else, watch over your heart; diligently guard it because from a sincere and pure heart come the good and noble things of life. ²⁴Do away with any talk that twists and distorts the truth; have nothing to do with any verbal trickery. ²⁵Keep your head up, your eyes straight ahead, and your focus fixed on what is in front of you. ²⁶Take care you don’t stray from the straight path, the way of truth, and you will safely reach the end of your road. ²⁷Do not veer off course to the right or the left; step away from evil, and leave it behind.
OBSERVATION:
Solomon devotes this whole chapter giving advice to dads on how to best raise their children – sons in particular. I believe as you really let these words sink in, you will find some biblical advice that first speaks to your heart, but then to many other aspects of your life.
APPLICATION:
I included more scripture than usual today, because I want you to read this passage over and over until it really impacts your life. Although this might be great for a son looking to his dad for advice and as an example, I believe this is also very applicable to all who call themselves ‘children of God’. Fellow Christians, like me, you may not have a son, but you definitely have a relative or friend who is reading the Bible through your words and actions. Know that the condition of your heart results in the words you say, your reaction to life’s circumstances, and the way that you act in life. Family, friends and coworkers are sometimes depending on you to understand the good and noble things of life, and which ones they should turn away from. Although they may not be a Christian, they are probably watching your reaction to life’s circumstances, as they have witnessed you being guided by your Savior in the past. Let me encourage you to read this Scripture thoroughly and use it as a base for your life – your heart; the truth from your lips; your eyes fixed on the eternal goal ahead (heaven); your feet to lead you in the way of truth and most of all, that you leave evil behind as you look towards the glories of heaven with your Master!
PRAYER:
Lord Jesus, You know how seriously we, Your children, need You involved in our lives each and every day, so that we might have the power to guard our hearts, guide our sight to protect against the things that might cause us to falter in our desire to be more like You, and to help us keep our feet on the straight path set out before us. Lord we want to be just like You in every way, every day. Please grant us the wisdom and strong desire to do this, so that You might be glorified. AMEN!
FOOTNOTE:
There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog could indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and read more, or you may freely to subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us!

Nuggets From God's Word

Category: Obedience