SEE Jesus and Worship Him

On 2021-09-272021-09-27 By Ed AlgreenIn Acknowledge God, Awesome God, Power of God, Powerful, Praise, Recognize God, See God, WorshipLeave a comment

Friday, 2021-09-27

Bible Reference: Matthew 28:16-17
Translation: New Living Translation (NIV)

Bible Text: ¹⁶ Then the eleven disciples left for Galilee, going to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. ¹⁷ When they saw him, they worshiped him—but some of them doubted!

APPLICATION: In our scripture reference today we see one of many instances where folk saw Jesus, and they bowed down and worshiped Him. I acknowledge that this particular instance is so miraculous that it would give reason for anyone to ‘worship’ the Master. But let’s be careful to note that Jesus was crucified, died, buried, and three days later He arose from the dead, and now He stand in the very presence of His disciples! But friends, I want us to stop and meditate on the many times that we stand in the presence of the Lord Jesus, but do we always stop and acknowledge Him and/or offer up our sacrifices of praise to Him? Matthew Henry in his commentary on this verse says “All that see the Lord Jesus with an eye of faith, will worship him.” I could almost imagine by now you are dumbfounded as to what I might be getting at here, because although the Lord Jesus stood in the presence of the disciples, you probably can’t remember the last time that He did that to you, right? Dear friends, we are presented with reminders of our Lord Jesus every day and we make personal choices as to what we do with that. If you pick up the precious Word of God and read it, you will be flooded with evidence and overwhelmed by the presence of God as you read about Him – but do you stop to worship Him and acknowledge His greatness? If you walk out of your home and stop complaining about the humidity, or the cold, or the heat long enough you will SEE the beauty of all that God has provided for you to enjoy, you might consider raising your hands in praise to Him for His miraculous touch on everything from the heights of the skies to the beautiful green grass and flowers that you see, to the cattle that produces dairy products and/or beef for your plate, to the beautiful waterfalls that make us wonder where is the water coming from so high up on a mountain, to the beautiful ocean that is filled with man’s best foods, etc. If you enter God’s house of worship and hear the stories of how God has miraculously healed and/or touched His children, you will SEE where God has been busy meeting the needs of His people, and you will worship Him knowing that there is still hope for Him to also miraculously help you through your challenges that seem insurmountable to you at times. Friends, it is time for us to stop whining and start praising. It is time for us to stop attributing God’s miracles that occur all around us every day, to happen-chance, or good luck, or any other worldly credit, and truly SEE God for who He is. It is then that we will worship Him in deep sincerity like the disciples exampled for us in this Scripture today. Jesus is still alive and He is looking for opportunities to bless you, so that you may SEE Him, if only you will let Him into your world. Won’t you do that today friend?

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, thank You for Your presence each and every day. Please forgive us for the times that we find every other reason in the world why something special occurred in our life, before we finally realize that it truly was the God of this universe that stepped in and blessed us. You have provided lots of evidence of your miraculous hand at work in our lives and all around us. Please open our spiritual eyes so that we may SEE Your goodness, Your miracles and Your love that You want so badly for us to accept and envelope. Lord, may we truly learn to worship You in every way, because of all that You place before us as evidence of Your presence. Please also open the eyes of the non-believer today so that they will realize that there is no other explanation for the miracles around them other than the awesome power and greatness of the Almighty God. Lord I pray that our worship and our praise will come naturally, as we recognize the originator of our blessings. Thank You for being so good to us! I ask these things in the gracious and blessed 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 might 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 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!

Recognizing God’s Awesome Power!

On 2020-05-25 By Ed AlgreenIn All-powerful, Love, Love of God, Power of God, PowerfulLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Monday, 2020-06-25
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

Bible Reference: Job 38:4-9
Translation: The Message (MSG)

Bible Text: Where were you when I created the earth? Tell me, since you know so much! Who decided on its size? Certainly you’ll know that! Who came up with the blueprints and measurements? How was its foundation poured, and who set the cornerstone, While the morning stars sang in chorus and all the angels shouted praise? And who took charge of the ocean when it gushed forth like a baby from the womb? That was me! I wrapped it in soft clouds, and tucked it in safely at night.

OBSERVATION: Anytime we feel like God has abandoned us, the book of Job would be a good book to reflect on. Further, if there was ever a time when you may have felt like you really had this ‘life’ thing figured out, I believe that this particular chapter, and conversation God had with Job, would be a great reminder of how you need to get a grip on yourself, open your heart and mind to what God has to say and make every effort to surrender control of your life back to God.

APPLICATION: I believe that Job felt like God and everyone around him had withdrawn their love and relationship from him, so for several chapters Job had really been criticizing God and blaming Him for wrongful punishment. His friends had made attempts to love on, and correct Job, but it seems like he was really having a hard time snapping out of it. God finally had enough and decided to give Job some perspective on who He really is. Friends, I believe that We have excellent reminders here of how God carefully, intricately and powerfully put this planet together, then He created us to enjoy its many blessings. If He loves us that much, won’t He all the more take care of our problems, concerns and difficulties while we live here, if we would only humble ourselves and ask Him to? Friends, I was reminded in a recent sermon from Isaiah 40:7-12 that although this earth is made up of two thirds water, yet God said that the oceans and its water is held in the cup of His hand. The earth’s dimensions are measured across the span of His fingertips! Whom, or what then shall we fear? When old Satan tries to distract us with untruths we need to remind ourselves and Satan that our God is so much bigger than our largest problem or concern. I believe also that His love is greater than anything we could ever imagine. So with all this in mind, why would we ever follow in Job’s footsteps and worry about our problems, or blame God for our circumstances. It is so important that we learn to worship God before we ever start to ask Him for anything or complain about anything. When we praise Him, we remind ourselves of His awesome love and power. Don’t you suppose that our problems become less of an issue or worry to us when we remind ourselves of the awesomeness of our beautiful, wonderful, matchless, all-powerful God? I certainly believe so!

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, please forgive me for often trying to take the reins of life from You. It is very obvious that You created me and all that is around me, so please forgive me when I whine and complain. I am but Your humble servant, You are the Potter, and I am but the clay that is moldable and usable by You. As I recognize You and allow you control of my life, I can actually be at peace, and my problems then would seem to disappear. Lord, I believe this is vital to our witness, for if the unsaved world see us worrying as much about the concerns of this life as they do, we are showing them that we are as lost and uncared for as they are. This is very wrong, so I ask forgiveness, and I ask for added strength every day to stay focused on You and Your wondrous love for me. For my friends that might meditate on this devotional today, please fill their hearts with Your peace, and the determination to overcome evil, and worldly problems with the love and dedication that only You can provide. Thank You Jesus for loving us this much! All this I therefore ask, in the matchless name of Jesus, my Lord, AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: There are two more pages on my blog at https://NuggetsFromGodsWord.org 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 or listening to this devotional, please go to 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. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and see all of my posts, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. I would encourage you to find a church home near by your home, and attend as frequently as you could. Get to know God, and allow His people to encourage and strengthen you in your Christian walk, while making every effort to be a blessing to them. God is at work among His people! Please consider growing in your faith, as you worship with fellow believers!

We Are Accountable To God

On 2019-09-30 By Ed AlgreenIn Accountability, Honest, Honor, Powerful, Respect, The WordLeave a comment

Monday, 2019-09-30

Bible Reference: Hebrews 4:12-13
Translation: The New Living Translation (NLT)

Bible Text: ¹² For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. ¹³ Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable.

OBSERVATION: Some may tend to look at the Bible as a book of stories about events from long, long ago. Some may stop to consider how odd it is that prophesies foretold hundreds of years earlier, actually came to fruition during the span of time the Bible was written. While others, like me, may actually live our lives today in honor of what the Word of God says, because we feel like it is the living Word of God, already proven accurate in numerous ways. And so we await the completed work of God, based on the rest of the story. Let’s meditate on what today’s story tells us about accountability!

APPLICATION: Ever get frustrated by someone telling you something, but not really telling you enough to help you understand the full impact of what they mean? Imagine telling a blind person that the sky is not blue today? Would that really help them understand what color the sky really is today? I got the impression from this scripture that the Word of God is still very much alive today as it always has been, meaning that it’s fresh, current, discerning, applicable, and will not cut any punches, but get straight to the point for us. It is through this same Word that God actually touches our heart, prompts our thoughts and energizes us towards living Godly lives that resemble His example. Think of it as us being an open book before God! So why is this important Christian friend? Surely God is saying to us that as a child we look to, and obeyed our parents in order to live obedient and upright lives, following in their example as much as possible. God is like our parent, helping us continue to determine right from wrong. Additionally, He sent His Son, Jesus, to set an example of the life that He would like for us to live. If we have invited Him to be our Savior; our Father; our deliverer; our leader in life; then we are His children, and He will hold us accountable to all that He teaches and expects of us. How are you doing with that, dear friend? Are you in the Word enough to allow it to teach you the ‘right’ way to live – to walk, talk and act like Him? So then, why would this be important to you who have not accepted my Lord as your Savior? I believe that there is no reason for doubt about the way you should live your life. Without Christ, you will live by every shift of wind, and very much according to those around you and the circumstances that surround you. This will often lead to confusion, frustration, evil and hatred – just as the world lives. A choice to live a committed life to God, is a will to be obedient in ways that will please and honor God, to live according to the example He set for us while here on earth, and the excitement of living in the awesome expectation of one day being face-to-face with Jesus in glory. It’s the comfort of knowing that you are loved, protected and cared about by the God of this universe! How awesome is that friend? May I have the honor of introducing you to my Friend? Please read my ‘Footnote’ for additional direction. To all my readers, please read the last sentence carefully and understand that we are accountable to God for our decisions, our actions and our obedience. Is there anything you would dread if you were called before God today?

PRAYER: Dear God, we are so frivolous to believe that we can live our lives any way we please because of our freedom to choose. You gave us the freedom of choice, but we are accountable to You for the choices we make, and the resulting consequences or rewards for those choices. Please forgive us for our littleness in thinking that it’s nobody’s business but ours what we do with our life, for You sent Your one and only Son to the cross to show us Your love and how much You care about our choices. Please awaken us and keep our eyes focused on You in all of our choices, and may this reflect in the way that we live, so that others might be drawn to You through our surrender, obedience and witness. I realize this is an awesome and powerful request Oh Lord, but because I am asking this in the name of our most awesome and powerful Savior, Jesus Christ, I am comforted that I can ask this in confidence and with thanksgiving. AMEN!

As We SEE Jesus, Let Us Worship Him

On 2019-09-27 By Ed AlgreenIn Acknowledge God, Awesome God, Power of God, Powerful, Praise, Recognize God, See God, WorshipLeave a comment

Friday, 2019-09-27

Bible Reference: Matthew 28:16-17
Translation: New Living Translation (NIV)

Bible Text: ¹⁶ Then the eleven disciples left for Galilee, going to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. ¹⁷ When they saw him, they worshiped him—but some of them doubted!

OBSERVATION: I hope that our eyes will be opened to the risen Christ during this devotional today, for we see Him in various ways each and every day. These encounters are way too important for us to brush off as anything else, for I believe God deliberately gets the attention of those seeking Him. As we meditate, let’s be sure to look inward at the opportunities we have to worship our King – the King of all kings!

APPLICATION: In our scripture reference today we see one of many instances where folk saw Jesus, and they bowed and worshiped Him. I acknowledge that this particular instance is so miraculous that it would give reason for anyone to ‘worship’ the Master. Note that Jesus was crucified, died, buried, and three days later He arose from the dead, to now stand in the very presence of His disciples. However, we should acknowledge that we often stand in the presence of the Lord Jesus, but do we always acknowledge Him and/or offer up our sacrifices of praise to Him? Matthew Henry in his commentary on this verse says “All that see the Lord Jesus with an eye of faith, will worship him.” I could almost imagine by now you are dumbfounded as to what I might be getting at here, because although the Lord Jesus stood in the presence of the disciples, you probably can’t remember the last time that He did that to you, right? Dear friends, we are presented with reminders of our Lord Jesus every day and we make personal choices as to what we do with that. If you pick up the precious Word of God and read it, you will be flooded with evidence and overwhelmed by the presence of God as you read about Him, but do you stop to worship Him and acknowledge His greatness? If you walk out of your home and stop complaining about the humidity, or the cold, or the heat long enough to see the beauty of all that God has provided for you to enjoy, you might consider raising your hands in praise to Him for His miraculous touch on everything from the heights of the skies to the beautiful green grass and flowers that you see, to the cattle that produces dairy products and/or beef for your plate. If you enter God’s house of worship and hear the stories of how God has miraculously healed and/or touched His children, you will worship Him knowing that there is still hope for Him to also miraculously help you through your challenges that seem insurmountable to you at times. Friends, it is time for us to stop whining and start praising. It is time for us to stop attributing God’s miracles that occur all around us every day, to happen-chance, or good luck, or any other worldly credit, and truly SEE God and then worship Him in deep sincerity like the disciples exampled for us in this Scripture today. Jesus is still alive and He is looking for opportunities to bless you, if only you will let Him into your world. Won’t you do that today friend?

God’s Ultimate Authority

On 2018-08-252018-08-25 By Ed AlgreenIn All-powerful, Authority, Power, Power of God, Powerful, Salvation, The power of GodLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE FROM: Jeremiah 27:4-7 (NLT)

TEXT: ⁴…. ‘This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: ⁵With my great strength and powerful arm I made the earth and all its people and every animal. I can give these things of mine to anyone I choose. ⁶Now I will give your countries to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, who is my servant. I have put everything, even the wild animals, under his control.⁷All the nations will serve him, his son, and his grandson until his time is up…..

OBSERVATION: God spoke with authority to kings of neighboring countries who came to visit the new king of Judah, Zedekiah. He gave a warning to them of what he had planned for their countries under the reign of His ambassador, King Nebuchadnezzar, and God shared with them where His authority was coming from. Our God is still in ultimate control today, so being reminded of His authority is a good reminder for us also. Let’s meditate on the full impact this has in our lives…

APPLICATION: As children, no matter how good we were, we had a time of testing the authorities in our lives to see who we seriously had to pay attention to, and be obedient to. If you are honest with yourselves, I’m sure that you remember running to mom, when dad said ‘no’ on something. And of course making mom feel sorry for you, when dad said absolutely ‘no’ to something. What happened when you surrendered your life to Jesus and knew that you owed your allegiance to Him? Did you have any difficulty understanding why this was necessary, or what possibly gave him the authority to tell you what to do, or not do? As I read these verses today, God got my attention to the authoritative manner in which God had Jeremiah speak to these kings. Unless you lose sight of what authority kings had in those days, let me remind you of a story I recently read about Esther. After asking her to speak with the king, Esther reminded Mordecai that she was not allowed to go before the king but once in 30 days, unless he summoned her. Being the wife of the king, I would say that was a lot of power! Yet God sent his servant Jeremiah before these kings and, in verse 5, He reminded them that He is the one who made the earth, the people and every animal. And because He owns them, He could give them to whomever He pleases. Now occasionally we hear that type of talk in reference to material things, or we may even say something similar about our kids, but have you ever heard this type thing said in reference to a whole country? Friends, with our finite minds, we are so limited to even imagine the scope of power that our God truly has. Is there any wonder when we see things happening today, that we sit and wonder in amazement why things happen the way they do, and for what reason certain things must have happened? Our God has all authority in heaven and on earth, and as we acknowledge that He owns, rules and reigns over it all, doesn’t He have the right to do what He pleases, when He pleases and for whatever reason He sees fit? May I encourage you friend to place your faith and trust in Jesus, God’s precious Son. For God has warned us that He will come again to take His children home to be with His Father. He will know ‘His’ children by name, because they sought His forgiveness and surrendered their hearts to the resurrected Christ. As in the case of the countries spoken of in verse 5 above, God has a predetermined plan for His children, and a very unfortunate plan for those who have chosen to reject Him. Knowing the rules ahead of time, where will you spend eternity my friend?

PRAYER: Thank You Lord Jesus for the sacrifice You made, so that I may know where I will spend eternity! All authority is in Your hands Heavenly Father, but I thank You for also setting the ground rules ahead of time, so that we could be prepared for Your coming, and Your final judgment. Thank You for calling me to You, even in the noise of this sinful world. Thank You for already speaking very loudly to my readers, and I thank You for the decisions that have already been made to accept You as Lord. I especially pray for those who have made the decision to accept eternal damnation in hell, rather than accept Your love and forgiveness. As long as there’s breath in their bodies I know that You could still perform miracles in their life, so please draw these ones to You blessed Lord. 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!

Mighty Is Our God

On 2017-05-13 By Ed AlgreenIn All-powerful, Almighty, Powerful, Security, The power of GodLeave a comment

Post Date:	Saturday, 2017-05-13
SCRIPTURE
From:	Psalm 33:13-16 (CEV)
Text:	13 The Lord looks at the world 14 from his throne in heaven, and he watches us all. 15 The Lord gave us each a mind, and nothing we do can be hidden from him. 16 Mighty armies alone cannot win wars for a king; great strength by itself cannot keep a soldier safe.
OBSERVATION:
David was part of a nation that God cherished as His own, yet David saw that man was trying every man made scheme to find happiness, safety and security. However, David had found extreme faith in His Lord, who had provided for him in so many ways, that it became evident to him that it was not the mighty armies that saved a nation, it was not the noble kings with all the smarts, but it was God almighty who looked out after His own. Isn’t that a noble thought for so many nations today who struggle so deeply in so many ways?
APPLICATION:
Isn’t it interesting how nations will try one strategic move after another to win an election, or to govern a nation, while all the time God has all of the answers already and just waiting for leaders to look to Him? David’s country was no different to ours, or many others just like us. We have the book of instructions and we know the Master who holds the key to all of life’s challenges, yet we fool ourselves into thinking that we could do this alone. Think about it friends, God not only has a prophet’s eye into what the future holds, but He knows right down to the heart of our leaders who make decisions and steer this great big ship – our country. Now before you start thinking that this Scripture today revolves only around country leaders, I must also challenge you to apply this to all phases of your life. Your family role, your work role, your church role, and just in case you are thinking that you absolutely have no leadership roles, let me remind you that others are watch your Christian role, or lack thereof. Some young person might be making decisions based on what they saw you do. They may be stirred to a closer walk with God, based on the godly person they have seen in you. Our God is mighty and awesome in every way, and if we are to represent Him and imitate Him in every aspect of our lives, then we must depend on Him daily to be: our Guide through this life’s journey; our Protector when trials and strife comes our way; our Deliverer who will keep us away from the temptations of the devil and temptation of every kind; our Comforter who will be there for us when we feel all alone and unloved by this world. Our God is real, friends, and He wants a relationship with you, so that you may overcome this world and appreciate the gift of His Son that He allowed to be crucified so that we may have life eternally with Him in heaven!
PRAYER:
Dear Lord, thank You for being our Master, Lord and Savior. Thank You for the reminder from Your servant David in this Scripture today. We can again today rejoice and be glad, for we know who holds tomorrow and who holds our hand! Precious Lord, please touch our leaders today – leaders in our homes, our churches, our work places, our states and our countries. Please draw our leaders to a clear vision of Your power, Your grace and Your love for all mankind. Allow these leaders to lead as directed in your Word and in accordance to Your will, so that the world might know and believe on Your precious Son, Jesus. AMEN!
FOOTNOTE:
There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog could indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and read more, or you may freely to subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us!

The Compassion of Christ

On 2017-05-022017-05-02 By Ed AlgreenIn All-powerful, Awesome God, Compassion, Forgiveness, Power of God, PowerfulLeave a comment

Post Date:	Tuesday, 2017-05-02
SCRIPTURE
From:	Mark 6:36-38 (ERV)
Text:	³⁶So send the people away. They need to go to the farms and towns around here to buy some food to eat.”³⁷But Jesus answered, “You give them some food to eat.” They said to Jesus, “We can’t buy enough bread to feed all these people. We would all have to work a month to earn enough to buy that much bread!” ³⁸Jesus asked them, “How many loaves of bread do you have now? Go and see.” They counted their loaves of bread. They came to Jesus and said, “We have five loaves of bread and two fish.”
OBSERVATION:
Jesus had been bombarded by crowds every day, and now wanted to escape for a few hours with His close followers to just relax and refresh. However, as they were approaching their destination they realized that the crowd was 2 steps ahead of them, and in spite of going the long way around, they were already on the other side of the lake. Jesus could easily have thrown His hands up and turned around to return where He and His disciples left from, but He had compassion on the crowd gathered and resumed His ministry to them.
APPLICATION:
I wonder how often we shrug off our responsibility to care for others like Jesus did? I wonder how many ministry opportunities are missed when we do that? I wonder how often we skew the concept of Jesus in the eyes of others, because we acted in a totally different way than what they were expecting Christ’s followers to act like? Jesus was looking for respite, but instead faced the same crowd that He was hoping to escape for a short period. Not only did Jesus attend to their spiritual needs for this huge crowd, but He also attended to their physical need of nourishment. I want you to think like most of the disciples did. Imagine taking an extra couple of friends home for supper, unannounced to your spouse – the cook who may have prepared enough for 2. Now imagine that you dropped a bombshell on your wife that you would like for her to prepare a meal for your Sunday School class of 30. If you survived divorce on that daring request, imagine that you are the pastor of a church and you asked your wife to prepare a meal for the congregation. Whoa, that’s a huge and daring request! OK, so this request, or demand, Jesus made of His followers to feed the crowd of over 5,000 was humongous in the eyes of the disciples, especially with them not having brought any provisions. However, what was impossible in the eyes of man, was totally possible with God! Once again Jesus had compassion on the crowd and used what little His followers found among the crowd, to multiply it and make it more than sufficient for the need at hand. Friends, let’s learn to never question God when we feel like He is directing us. If He created the world from absolutely nothing, and if He created man from just dirt, can you imagine what He could still do today in the lives of those He created and gave up His very own Son’s life for? As we stand in awe of His awesome power and compassion, may we recommit yet again to give Him control and allow Him to rule and reign in our lives, for His ultimate glory? May we be willing to give wholeheartedly like our Saviir did!
PRAYER:
Lord Jesus, thank You for accepting us as You children who are so desperately in need of a Savior. Our awareness of Your power and Your giving has been revitalized as we read this story once again. Now may we be willing to exercise our faith and strive to live our life experiences with You in mind and as our example. May others desire to know You personally because of seeing You in every fiber of my life. Bless my readers and encourage them to do the same. AMEN!
FOOTNOTE:
There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog could indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and read more, or you may freely to subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us!

Our Accountability

On 2015-09-292015-09-29 By Ed AlgreenIn Accountability, Honest, Powerful, The WordLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (The New Living Translation – Hebrews 4:12-13): ¹² For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. ¹³ Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable.

THOUGHTS: Ever get frustrated by someone telling you something, but not really telling you enough to help you understand the full impact of what they mean? Imagine telling a blind person that the sky is not blue today? Would that really help them understand what color the sky really is today? I got the impression from this scripture today that the Word of God is very much alive, meaning that it’s fresh, current, discerning, applicable, and will not cut any punches, but get straight to the point for us. It is through this same Word that God actually touches our heart, prompts our thoughts and energizes us towards living Godly lives that resemble His example. Think of it as us being an open book before God! So why is this important Christian friend? Surely God is saying to us that as a child we look to, and obeyed our parents in order to live obedient and upright lives. God is like our parent in helping us continue to determine right from wrong, and He sent His Son, Jesus, to set an example of the life He would like for us to live, and because we have invited Him to be our Father, we are His children and He will hold us accountable to all that He teaches. How are you doing with this? Are you in the Word enough to allow it to teach you the ‘right’ way to live – to walk, talk and act like Him? So then, why is this important to you who have not accepted my Lord as your Savior? I believe that there is no doubt that should remain in your mind about the choice you have made regarding the way to live your life. Without Christ, you will live by every shift of the wind, according to those around you and the circumstances that surround you. This will often lead to confusion, frustration, evil and hatred – just as the world lives. A choice to live a committed life to God, is a will to be obedient in ways that will please and honor God, to live according to the example He set for us while here on earth, and the excitement of living in the awesome expectation of one day being face-to-face with Jesus in glory. It’s the comfort of knowing that you are loved, protected and cared about by the God of this universe! How awesome is that friend? May I have the honor of introducing you to my Friend? Please read my ‘Footnote’ for additional direction. To all my readers, please read the last sentence carefully and understand that we are accountable to God for our decisions, our actions and our obedience. How would you fear if you were called before God today?

PRAYER: Dear God, we are so frivolous to believe that we can live our lives any way we please because of our freedom to choose. You gave us the freedom of choice, but we are accountable to You for the choices we make, and the resulting consequences or rewards for those choices. Please forgive us for our littleness in thinking that it’s nobody’s business but ours what we do with our life, for You sent Your one and only Son to the cross to help show us Your love and how much You care about our choices. Please awaken us and keep our eyes focused on You in all of our choices, and may this reflect in the way that we live, so that others might be drawn to You through our surrender, obedience and witness. I realize this is an awesome and powerful request Oh Lord, but because I am asking this in the name of my most awesome and powerful Savior, Jesus Christ, I am comforted that I can ask this in confidence and with thanksgiving. 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 read through Biblical truths on How To Know Jesus, 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 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, 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!

Nuggets From God's Word

Category: Powerful