Category: Obedience

Be Holy – Just Like God

On By Ed AlgreenIn Holiness, Imitate Jesus, ObedienceLeave a comment

May I encourage you to get your spiritual ‘Nuggets’ to start your day off right? Pretty amazing that our awesome God would consider feeding even us with His Word! May I encourage you to read the whole devotional, and look for a blessing, friend!………

Today’s Bible Reference: 1 Peter 1:14–16
Today’s Bible Text: So you must live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn’t know any better then. But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.”
The Bible Translation: New Living Translation (NLT)

My Take Away: From the time we are born, we start our training in obedience, or in modeling after our parents. As we grow older we realize that there are certain qualities that we really appreciate in other successful role models, so we start paying attention to those additional character qualities also. Sooner or later we start learning about the qualities of Jesus Christ, and hopefully at some stage of our lives we fell in love with Jesus, because of all that we learnt that He had done for us, and submitted our lives to His control and His will for us. It is at this stage that Peter is telling us that if we have surrendered our lives to the lordship of Jesus Christ, then we must live like His obedient children. In other words, this was not just a decision that we made for the sake of mom who had pressured us most of our lives to become a Christian, and it’s not about the one who may have walked the isle of your church in response to something that the pastor said that made you feel guilty. Peter is referring to a firm commitment you made that linked you with Jesus Christ, just like a woman is linked to a man in marriage. Just as in marriage we are reminded that the “two shall become one”, so it is in your relationship with God, through His Son Jesus. Friends, you want to become one with Jesus, and through obedience to His Word, allow Jesus to become one with you. When this happens, you become one – inseparable. You start acting like Jesus because you have filled your life with so much of Him (His teachings and understanding His character and qualities) that you could easily be recognized as a child of God. We become holy, just as He is holy. Are you there yet in your relationship with God? If not, may I encourage you to revisit the cross and make that relationship with Jesus a very personal and committed one. This is way too important to leave any doubt in your mind. For a true test, see if others are recognizing you as a ‘Jesus kid’. For if you are endeavoring to be holy as God is holy, others will see a pleasant change in all that you are.

Prayer: Lord You are holy, and we thank You for standing tall among all the rest in holiness and righteousness. I am humbled that You expect the same thing of us, for You have made it clear in Your Word that You want us to be holy, just as You are. I believe that this is a unique identifier, especially in a world that is so lost and headed in the wrong direction. There just is no time for double talk. If we claim to be Your child, then we must exemplify Your qualities. Please touch Your children in a very powerful way today so that we all may reassess our commitment to You. May our actions speak much louder than any words we could possibly say. May others clearly see Jesus in us through our words and our actions, as we strive to live in total obedience to You and Your Word. I ask these things in deepest humility and faith, through the strong name of the Holy One, Jesus my Lord, 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!

2016

Let God’s Word Guide You

On By Ed AlgreenIn direction, Guide, ObedienceLeave a comment

May I encourage you to get your spiritual ‘Nuggets’ to start your day off right? Pretty amazing that our awesome God would consider feeding even us with His Word! May I encourage you to read the whole devotional, and look for a blessing, friend!………

Today’s Bible Reference: Psalm 119:105–112
Today’s Bible Text: Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path. I’ve promised it once, and I’ll promise it again: I will obey your righteous regulations. I have suffered much, O LORD; restore my life again as you promised. LORD, accept my offering of praise, and teach me your regulations. My life constantly hangs in the balance, but I will not stop obeying your instructions. The wicked have set their traps for me, but I will not turn from your commandments. Your laws are my treasure; they are my heart’s delight. I am determined to keep your decrees to the very end.
The Bible Translation: New Living Translation (NLT)

My Take Away: On a bright sunny day we seek direction for the right path to travel and the right way to get there, all for the sake of timeliness, safety and to be sure that we are in the right place at the right time. On the darkest night, we use a light source to light our path so that we are not obstructed. It is super easy to get lost at night, because we don’t have the benefit of seeing everything else around us that we would normally see in the daytime. The Psalmist shares with us that he found the wisdom of God’s Word to be a treasure, and that his heart was delighted to acknowledge that it was God who was taking the lead in his life. Friends, it seems like especially in our day there is so much happening that we tend to sit back and marvel over it all, and we are amazed by the wonder of God’s awesome power to control everything – even the newest technology, so that His people might be blessed, protected and comforted to know that Our God Reigns – period!! I believe that the key to us allowing God to reign in everything that touches His children, is a matter of total surrender. Notice that the Psalmist wrote that he had promised to obey God’s righteous laws, and that he would commit to that all over again and again. Notice that he vowed to obey, in spite of suffering and his life hanging in the balance at times. In other words friends, we must be determined to dig into God’s Word, seek His face and commit to His commands in the best of times and in the worst of times. Let us never be guilty of only being ‘fair weather’ Christians, but let us commit to obeying God when we feel certain about our path, and at those times that we are just advancing in faith, because we absolutely need God’s guidance for the next step in our life. The Psalmist shared that he was determined to obey God’s decrees to the very end. Will you commit to do the same friend? Let God be your Master and your Friend and your Guide everyday, and in all circumstances, won’t you?

Prayer: Precious Father, thank You for loving us unconditionally. Thank You for accepting us on our best days and on those days that the world may wonder what has gotten into us that is causing us to act so strangely! You are the same yesterday, today and forever precious Lord. I pray that we will never forget that and always strive to be committed to obeying You and serving You faithfully every day, in spite of what may seem questionable in the way You choose to lead us. Lord, may we commit to serve You faithfully and obey Your commands consistently each and every day. May we recognize and always be reminded that You are God over all things each and every day, and we need to adjust ourselves to accept that and obey You in spite of ourselves and our circumstances. Thank You for being that kind of awesome, powerful God oh Lord, my Rock and my Salvation. 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!

2016

Strategically Placed For A Time Like This

On By Ed AlgreenIn direction, Esther, God's Guidance, Obedience, TimeLeave a comment

May I encourage you to get your spiritual ‘Nuggets’ to start your day off right? Pretty amazing that our awesome God would consider feeding even us with His Word! May I encourage you to read the whole devotional, and look for a blessing, friend!………

Today’s Bible Reference: Esther 4:12–14
Today’s Bible Text: When Mordecai was told what Esther had said,  he sent back this reply, “Don’t think that you will escape being killed with the rest of the Jews, just because you live in the king’s palace. If you don’t speak up now, we will somehow get help, but you and your family will be killed. It could be that you were made queen for a time like this!”
The Bible Translation: The Contemporary English Version (CEV)

My Take Away: Mordecai challenged Esther to reconsider her reason for not assisting him in his plea to save the lives of all Jews in the area at that time. Maybe up to this point Esther was thinking that it was because of her beauty that she was favored to be queen under King Xerxes, or perhaps her gentle character or even her kindhearted attitude. However, was Esther really any worse that some of us? I believe that way too often we tend to attribute our location to something that we have always desired; Our job position on something we have worked hard for, and achieved; Our spouse on the attraction one towards the other; Our church on being the most popular in the area with the best preaching and teaching of God’s Word. But friend have you stopped to reflect on where you are at in each of these areas of your life right now, and how God had a hand in it all? Have you reflected recently on the gentle, but firm guidance in your life to get you where you are at in every aspect of life? I can personally share that there have been many situations in my life where I can reflect back and see exactly how and why God directed me to where I am today. So do I believe that God has me where He wants me for a time such as this? I can only respond very positively, based on my faith in Him and on the ways that He has operated in my life already. Now I’ve also seen Him close doors, so don’t assume that everything will be super positive, clean and just the way we like it. If we trust Him for direction in our lives, then we must trust Him for all the benefits and/or fallout we might see in cases where answers come differently to what we had our minds made up for. Friends, if you are a child of the King, a born-again Christian, you are who you are; and where you are; surrounded by everyone God has ordained to be there – for such a time as this. May God use this time to draw you closer to Himself and to be most obedient to Him, so that He can use You to accomplish His work here on earth, just as you are.

Prayer: Father, You are such an awesome God and I thank You for reaching in through hoards of other folk, to acknowledge the needs and opportunities of this simple man. Thank You for loving me that much! I’m sure that my readers and I could identify with the encouragement and push needed by Esther, because we often find it easier to poke our heads in the sand and ignore needs around us. Now we are reminded that we are divinely gifted and purposefully placed where we are in life for such a time as this. Please use us, Your instruments of praise, to continue to do Your will, and may we always be obedient and willing servants. I ask these things in faith, and in the precious name of Jesus, 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!

2016

THE CROSS – Obedience, Lives Impacted, The Power of God

On By Ed AlgreenIn Lives Impacted, Obedience, Power of GodLeave a comment

May I encourage you to get your spiritual ‘Nuggets’ to start your day off right? Pretty amazing that our awesome God would consider feeding even us with His Word! May I encourage you to read the whole devotional, and look for a blessing, friend!………

Today’s Bible Reference: Matthew 27:50-53
Today’s Bible Text: 50 Then Jesus shouted out again, and he released his spirit. 51 At that moment the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook, rocks split apart, 52 and tombs opened. The bodies of many godly men and women who had died were raised from the dead. 53 They left the cemetery after Jesus’ resurrection, went into the holy city of Jerusalem, and appeared to many people.
The Bible Translation: New Living Translation (NLT)

My Take Away: ‘Good Friday’ is generally a sad day on the Christian Calendar as we commemorate the crucifixion of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. However, I want us to concentrate on a few of the positives of that day:

  • Obedience – Jesus said to the Father that He would prefer that the cup of suffering be taken away from him, but never-the-less He wanted the will of the Father to be achieved. After reading about all of the miracles performed by Jesus, I’m sure that this would be been an easy feat to escape the crucifixion with just one miraculous word from the Father. Jesus wanted nothing more than to be obedient to His Father, even if it lead to His death in humility before the world. Perhaps we also should use this as a guide as we study other parts of the Bible in regards to ‘Obedience’. It’s not only intended for those times that it is convenient for us to be obedient;
  • Lives were impacted – The eyes of some of the very soldiers responsible for crucifying Jesus were opened to who Jesus truly was, and the awesomeness of what took place that day at Golgotha. No doubt, this was a turning point in their lives. Graves were opened and the dead arose! In a few days they went on to witness in the city. Do you suppose they got everyone’s attention? Do you suppose the people were now more open to listening to the witnesses of Jesus Christ by these individuals? What type of disaster or miracle would it take today for some to stop and listen to the truth of God’s Word and the love of their Creator? It is so sad to hear the stories of some who are intelligent, yet they have chosen to listen to the lies and deception of the Evil One, over the Savior who gave it all for their eternal benefit.
  • The power of God – Let’s be careful not to be stifled into a feeling of defeat because of the cross. That very day we saw the temple impacted when the curtain was torn in two; stones split open and tombs opened. Because of our post-resurrection time that we live in, we know that the power of God also brings Jesus back to life to complete His mission. But may I also remind you that this same power is available to those who are struggling in life right now, also? Perhaps a marriage is hurting; or someone’s health is challenged; or financial issues; or unemployment. Friends, no matter what you are facing today, is it anything more challenging than what God faced on that first Good Friday?

I believe it is obvious that God was powerful enough to handle the events surrounding the crucifixion of His very own Son, so He could definitely identify with your pain and your challenges if only, like Jesus, you surrender your will to His and allow Him to be God. This could always be remembered as a ‘Good’ Friday in your personal calendar for the rest of your life!

Prayer: Father, You impacted our lives in all aspects of Your Son, even the day He spent in torment on the cross of Calvary. Your will was accomplished, all for our benefit. Thank You heavenly Father for Your love. Thank You Jesus for Your sacrifice and Your obedience. With the same power that turned this world upside down with the events of that first Good Friday, we surrender our will to Yours and pray that our lives might be so aligned with Yours that the world will see Jesus and desire to know Him personally. Touch Your people once again today Lord – ‘as we seek Your face, may we know Your heart’. I ask these things in greatest humility and within the confines of Your perfect will, 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!

2016

How To Measure the Extent of Your Love For Others

On By Ed AlgreenIn Christian love, Love, ObedienceLeave a comment

May I encourage you to get your spiritual ‘Nuggets’ to start your day off right? Pretty amazing that our awesome God would consider feeding even us with His Word! May I encourage you to read the whole devotional, and look for a blessing, friend!………

Today’s Bible Reference: 1 John 5:1-4
Today’s Bible Text: If you believe that Jesus is the Christ—that he is God’s Son and your Savior—then you are a child of God. And all who love the Father love his children too. So you can find out how much you love God’s children—your brothers and sisters in the Lord—by how much you love and obey God. Loving God means doing what he tells us to do, and really, that isn’t hard at all; for every child of God can obey him, defeating sin and evil pleasure by trusting Christ to help him.
The Bible Translation: The Living Bible (TLB)

My Take Away: Do you love God? How about God’s children, do you love them also? I bet I should have put those questions right at the end of my Take Away, because by now you have probably answered ‘yes’ to both and about to close out of this devotional! Not So Fast Brother! Wait a moment Sister! Through John, God has actually given us the formula for measuring how well we’re doing on this! We are told in these verses today that the degree to which we love fellow believers is proportionate to how much we love and obey God. Ok, so I’m sure that you will assume you must truly love one another, because you know that you really love God. But do you really?  The Word declares that the love referenced here is not just a verbal thing, or a feeling, but instead if we truly love God, we will do what He tells us to do. For some that will be easy, because we pray and we seek God’s face through His precious Word. When we truly do this and not only listen to His commands, His teachings, His instructions for us, and His example that He set for us to follow, then we should know what to do. Friends, this will not just come from the pulpit on the weekend, or from a Bible teacher, but I’m talking one-on-one communion with your maker. Don’t know where to start? You may want to follow a good devotional, such as the one you’re now reading, or you may want to look for a Bible Reading Plan of your own. Whatever you decide, just remember to seek God’s face first – as it takes the Spirit of God to truly open your eyes to the spiritual truths of our awesome God. Not much of a reader? It doesn’t matter, when you seek God’s face first and ask Him to open your mind to His, you will find that what may appear to be simple words on a page, actually reveals the perfect will of God for your life right where you’re at during that very moment. Highlight as He speaks to you, and make notes to remind yourself how He spoke to you. Now, todays scripture says that through loving God and obeying all that He instructs you, then you will defeat sin and evil pleasures. Your love for God will become so pure and so real, that you will also love everything that God loves and everyone that He loves. So are you struggling with any part of this today friend? Try following this direction for at least seven days, and I believe God will give you a burning desire to continue doing the same for the rest of the time you remain on this earth! Love and obedience to God leads to love for the brethren friend!

Prayer: Lord Jesus, You not only tell us to love one another, but You have even gone the extra step of showing us just how to accomplish that. How unfortunate, that a God who sacrificed His only Son for us on Calvary, must now tell us how important it is for us to love You. How deep the Father’s love for us, in spite of our unworthiness. Yet how easy it is for us to say that we struggle in loving our Christian Brothers and Sisters, when we don’t fully appreciate the love of our Father, or see fit to obey His simple commands. Please forgive us dear Lord and continue to draw us to Yourself with an even deeper determination to love and obey You. I sincerely thank You for Your love, and for all these things I have asked throughout this devotional, for it is in the precious and loving name of Jesus that I ask, 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!

2016

Our Testimony

On By Ed AlgreenIn Obedience, Salvation, Sin1 Comment

May I encourage you to get your spiritual ‘Nuggets’ to start your day off right? Pretty amazing that our awesome God would consider feeding even us with His Word! May I encourage you to read the whole devotional, and look for a blessing, friend!………

Today’s Bible Reference: Titus 3:3-7
Today’s Bible Text: 3 For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, and wrong. We were slaves to passions and pleasures of all kinds. We spent our lives in malice and envy; others hated us and we hated them. 4 But when the kindness and love of God our Savior was revealed, 5 he saved us. It was not because of any good deeds that we ourselves had done, but because of his own mercy that he saved us, through the Holy Spirit, who gives us new birth and new life by washing us. 6 God poured out the Holy Spirit abundantly on us through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that by his grace we might be put right with God and come into possession of the eternal life we hope for.
The Bible Translation: Good News Translation (GNT)

My Take Away: In giving guidance to Titus about what to expect in ministry, Paul shared with him that he should be patient with the people, because he will find that they are no different to what they each experienced in their lives. In other words, Titus would find them in a foolish, sinful state. He would find them living hateful lives filled with malice and envy.  But they (Paul and Titus) were each the same, at one point in their lives. However, just like Paul wanted Titus to also remember how awesome God’s precious love was towards them, I believe God is reminding us, that when we approach folk who are steeped in sin, let’s never forget that we too were once in that very same condition. In fact the Bible tells us that even while we were still sinners, Jesus humbled Himself and sacrificed His life at Calvary so that we would not have to face eternal damnation for our sin, if we didn’t want to. He knew we were helpless and need all the help we could get. So He provided a perfect sacrifice for the forgiveness of our sin – if we desire to seek His forgiveness and His hand of mercy and grace. Friends, we must be careful to never look down on people because of their sin. Yes, we want to see them change, but remember that’s a God thing, for only He can change a heart. Someone prayed for us, and one day we saw the awful stain and effects of sin in our lives, so we surrendered ourselves to the love and protection of our Master – Jesus Christ. We therefore have a responsibility to pray for our friends who, though they may seem hopeless to us, yet God has not given up on them, anymore than He loved us and never gave up on us. Let’s try to share our testimony with as many people as possible so that they can appreciate the love of God in saving us, knowing that He can also rescue them and turn their lives around.

Prayer: Dear God, thank You for loving me enough to save me from a life of sin (unforgiveness, hatefulness, malice and envy). Even when I was deep in sin, You were on the cross praying that I would see hope in salvation from my sin. Father, I become frustrated when I see family and friends in that same dilemma, because I know that there is hope, and a Savior who made a way for their salvation. Please help me to do my part in praying for them, as You alone have the power to actually change their hearts and their desires. Please prompt your children with a desire to see their loved ones saved, and then to pray earnestly for them to recognize the Savior of this world. We need You desperately dear Lord. Please have Your will and way in our lives and the lives of those we love and hold dear to our heart. I ask these things in the name of Jesus, my wonderful Lord and Savior, 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!

2016

Building A Better Generation

On By Ed AlgreenIn Generational Responsibilities, Obedience, TeachLeave a comment

May I encourage you to get your spiritual ‘Nuggets’ to start your day off right? Pretty amazing that our awesome God would consider feeding even us with His Word! May I encourage you to read the whole devotional, and look for a blessing, friend!………

Today’s Bible Reference: Psalm 78:6-8
Today’s Bible Text: [Teach] So that the coming generation would know them [His holy laws] by heart, even the children who are not yet born, So that they might one day stand up and teach them to their children, tell them to put their confidence and hope in God, and never forget the wondrous things He has done. They should obey His commandments always and avoid following in the footsteps of their parents, a hard-headed and rebellious generation – A generation of uncultivated hearts, whose spirits were unfaithful to God.
The Bible Translation: The Voice (Voice)

My Take Away: I’m sure by now you have read the scripture today and concluded that the Psalmist was referring to the Israelites, right? Are you wondering yet how this might impact you and I today? Friends, with very few exceptions, I believe that churches you know, have either closed over recent years, or seriously declined and in fear of possibly closing their doors. This is critical to consider, because I would question how many homes have parents who are committed seriously to God – to the degree that they teach God’s Word in their homes and/or practice the truths of God before their kids. At my church, we have more kids at our mid-week Children’s Ministry than we do on Sunday, yet we have only a very small group of adults who actually stay at church for an adult prayer or Bible study class. This tells me that although God demanded our ancestors to teach their children the Word of God, and that the children learn to also teach their children, somewhere along the way that process didn’t transition over properly. Does this mean then that each generation will do better or worse, in regards to standing firm on the Word of God? I believe the answer to that is evident. Today we see and/or hear about some of the most horrendous crimes imaginable, and yet we question if there is no God. If our children continue to drift away from God, what do you suppose the future will look like? Will we be charged with failing to pass along/teach the Word to our children? I believe the challenge to each of us today is to get before God and ask if we are doing all that He expects of us. We often talk about having a balanced diet, may I suggest that living life without being true to your Creator and the Savior who gave His life for you, is like living with a key ingredient of life missing – unbalanced. Please consider drawing closer to God, and ask for His help in disseminating His truths to your children – His precious kids.

Prayer: Oh Lord Jesus, how sorry we are for dropping the ‘ball’ – our responsibility to learn Your Word and to pass it on to our children. We have failed You miserably in this, and we are seeing the consequences of this in an awful way everyday and in all aspects of our lives. Please teach us again to pray – so that we might recognize our Master, and our weaknesses. Please teach us again the importance of studying our ‘rule book’ – our Bible, each and every day so that we might clearly follow the path You intended for us to follow. Please continue to remind us of our responsibility to teach and lead our children – our generation, about the God who loves them, who cares for them, and who wants to be their Father, and the One who will help them through this challenging life. May we be found faithful oh God. I humbly ask this in the name of Jesus, 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!

2016

Think About All God Has Done

On By Ed AlgreenIn Obedience, Prayer, Seek God's Face2 Comments

THE HOLY BIBLE – Psalm 77:11-12 (NLT) –  But then I recall all you have done, O Lord; I remember your wonderful deeds of long ago.  They are constantly in my thoughts. I cannot stop thinking about your mighty works.  

THOUGHTS: In the verses leading up to verse 11, we read about all the questions David had for God. You know, much like the questions we have when we think that God is doing ‘His own thing’ and seems uninterested in what we are telling Him to do?  Oh you say that you would never do that? Friends I want to challenge you to think about how often we unconsciously do this every day. We ask God to clarify a decision we have already made for ourselves, and when God responds differently to what we expected, or demanded, we immediately think that God’s not there, or doesn’t care about you. Let’s not forget that for every yes/no question we ask, there is that choice in responding! Let me explain, way too often we go before God with a question, and because we have our minds made up with what the response must be, we tend to think that God didn’t hear us, or chose not to respond to our demands. Over time, I believe that we will realize that the greatest love that can be shown to us is for God to say ‘no’ when He knows full well that it is the best decision for our situation. I believe there are also times that we just can’t muster up the faith to ask God for help with our situations. David showed us that these are the times that we stop and reflect on the mercies of God and the proven power of God in our very own lives, so that we might gain strength in our weakness, and faith in our time of doubt and unbelief. Friends, we serve a GREAT BIG God, and until we stop to reflect on His awesomeness and our ‘littleness’ then we might be missing a lot of blessings. Please take time to reflect and praise God for His awesome power, then proceed in the confidence that swells up in you to place your needs (small and great) before the God of this universe! He’s my God, and I know that I can trust Him! I would challenge you to draw close to God so that He can show His power, grace and mercy as He draws close to you!

PRAYER: thank You Father for being my Creator, my Redeemer, my Savior and my King! I know that there is nothing unreadable or impossible for You. Thank You for hearing my heart’s cry when I call out to You. Please touch the heart of each person reading this devotional and cause us to draw closer to You in every aspect of our lives, so that our faith may increase and relationship with You become strong enough that we will trust You with every part of our life, and not just the portion that we feel inadequate in handling.  Thank You Father for handling life today – our lives with all of the complexities that we have added to them. In the name of Jesus, I ask these things oh Lord, 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 http://www.nuggetsfromgodsword.org and read more, or you may freely 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!

Biblical Keys to Success and Prosperity

On By Ed AlgreenIn Faith, Obedience, Prosperity, SuccessLeave a comment

May I encourage you to get your spiritual ‘Nuggets’ to start your day off right? Pretty amazing that our awesome God would consider even us, to use His Word to nourish us for His glory! Read on and be blessed!………

The Bible Translation: New Living Translation (NLT)
The Bible Reference: Joshua 1:8-9
The Bible Text: 8 Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do. 9 This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”

My Take Away: Many are starting off this year with new goals of improving themselves in various aspects of their life. Some are beginning diets to help control their weight problem; some are starting gym memberships to try and keep their physical bodies in shape; while there are still others who have vowed to draw closer to God in 2016. In this passage of scripture today we read about how God tipped the Israelites for success in their new land that He had promised them. Now , stop for a moment and ponder why else would this be included in the Book, if not to give us direction on what to do as we march into the new areas of our life that the good Lord has given to us? I felt like a prime example would be applying this principle to our lives as we enter the gift of a New Year. We are told that if we want to prosper and succeed in everything we do this year, we must:

  • Study our Book of Instruction (the Bible) continually – this means that you not allow dust to gather on its covers. That you not wait for the sermon next weekend to hear the Word read, but that you deliberately setup a reading plan. May I suggest that you visit www.biblegateway.com for suggested plans;
  • Meditate on our Book of Instruction day and night – don’t just skim over the verses on the page. Highlight those words where God really catches your attention. Think them over, and how you might apply them to your own life. Please don’t try to apply them to anyone else, except yourself;
  • Obey everything in our Book of Instruction – Allow the Word of God to minister to you, and then follow, or obey its teachings. Consider it your roadmap for each day of your life;
  • Be strong and courageous, and
  • Do not be discouraged – Satan will challenge you at every opportunity. Be strong and courageous by applying the proven abilities of God to your current day situations and/or challenges. He’s a great big God and He will do great things for His children who He cares so much about.

Friends, I don’t know about you, but I have wished many friends every success, and prosperity in this New Year in which we now reside, but I now wish that I could have shared with them the success plan detailed by God. I pray that each one meditating on this devotional today will take note of these principles for success and prosperity in the remaining portion of 2016.

Prayer: Praise God that You are not just a God of the rich and famous, nor just for the Christian believer. In fact, I would begin by praying for the non-believer, because for them to avail themselves of the benefits, they must first belong to God. This means starting off the New Year in a new relationship – with the Savior of this World, Jesus Christ. Only then will the playing field be leveled, to allow you the same benefits as Christians who will benefit from following the Godly principles mentioned above for success and prosperity. Please God, soften hearts today for life commitments to be made, and for Christian hearts to be anxious about wanting to do Your will. You are my God, and I praise You for accepting me as Your very own child, with all of the benefits of heaven, and for success and prosperity here on earth. Please tender the hearts of those who do not currently know You personally, and provoke them to a decision to accept the gift of Your precious Son today, please? I ask these things in faith and believing in Your great power, 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!

2016

How to Defend Against Every Kind of Attack

On By Ed AlgreenIn Follow Christ, Imitator of Christ, ObedienceLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE – Easy-To-Read Version (ERV) ~ 2 Corinthians 6:6-7 ~ We show that we are God’s servants by our pure lives, by our understanding, by our patience, and by our kindness. We show it by the Holy Spirit, by genuine love, by speaking the truth, and by depending on God’s power. This right way of living has prepared us to defend ourselves against every kind of attack.

THOUGHTS: There are many who accept the Lord thinking that all of their troubles will now be gone, as they will now associate themselves with ‘holy’ and ‘righteous’ people. Friends may I remind you that as long as we remain on this sinful earth, we will encounter sinful, hurtful people, as there are many who will cross our paths that have decided to stay clear of our best friend, our Savior and our soon coming King. Prior to the verses listed above, Paul had just shared with the Corinthians how much he and his team had endured in their ministry. Fortunately for us, Paul went on to tell them what he attributed his success to in dealing with sinful people and their deliberate attack on children of God. This is helpful information for us, as we are bound to find some awful, unfortunate, opposition as we seek to spread the Good News, and light, among a world filled with darkness, deceit and bad intentions. Here are some things that Paul teaches that might help us stay stronger in our faith and true to our Master, especially as we deal with the vices of Satan here on earth:

  • Purity – keep ourselves pure in God’s sight and our earthly opposition will see the evidence of a man/woman controlled by God. I consider purity to be a true and consistent witness for God. True to His teachings and always consistent in obedience to His Word no matter who our audience might be;
  • Understanding – Don’t be so quick to jump to conclusions that a person is wrong or unfaithful, but instead try to look at them through the lens of God. I believe He sees them as His very own creation that just needs a little encouragement, teaching and mentoring by one of His stronger servants at the time;
  • Patience – Isn’t it strange how we get so impatient with someone who is doing precisely what we struggled with just a very short time ago? Wouldn’t it be better to share with them a spirit of understanding because you can relate to their dilemma? Wouldn’t it encourage them to know that you are living proof of what our awesome God can do in the life of a messed up, weak individual?
  • Kindness – Part of the reason that the unsaved is having a second look at a Christian, is because they see where we have a sense of calm over us; a strength inside of us that they just can’t comprehend. While I believe that God can miraculously open their eyes to this, I also believe that unbelievers will see this through the characteristics of the believer. Kindness is especially important in this fast-paced, selfish, unkind world we live in. After all, why would we be ‘kind’ to a total stranger, or to one who is out to get us? This is a character of God that must be displayed in Christians, if we ever expect for the lost to see Jesus in our actions.

Fortunately, Paul went on to say how he gained the strength to do the above, so that we might also know how to gain and stay attuned to the blessings of God in and through the characteristics listed. Paul shared that he depended on the Holy Spirit; through genuine love; by speaking the truth, and by depending on God’s power. So friends, when you read the above and allow your minds to wonder into the question as to who can possible achieve such things, allow God to use the qualities Paul told us that helped him. Remember, God is all powerful, and that you and He can accomplish great things – greater than anything you could ever imagine!

PRAYER: Lord God, Your holiness and Your character is what we desire, so that the world might recognize to whom we belong. We have so many temptations and trials thrown at us every day, and we can only do this thing called ‘life’ – Christian Life, through the power of Your Holy Spirit, through our genuine love for everyone, by always speaking the truth in love, and through Your awesome power. It is only then that I believe we will stand a chance at defending ourselves against every attack of Satan. We know that greater is He that is in us than he that is in this old wicked world. Please have Your will and way in me today, and please touch the lives of those that will read this devotional today, for I ask this in the precious and holy name of Jesus, 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 so that we can pray with you and give you help and or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Any words underlined above will 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 blogger.nuggetsfromgodsword.org and read more, or you may freely 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, Sebring, FL! 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!