Category: Ready

Be Ready and Be Rewarded

On By Ed AlgreenIn A Lamp unto My Path, Adoration, Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Awesome God, Beyond Description, Blessing, Celebrate God, Needs, Praise, Praise-worthy, Readiness, Ready, Ready to Go, Recognize God, Rewards, Salvation, State of Readiness, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED: Monday, 2023-03-27
WRITTEN AT: O’Brien, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Luke 12:37-40
TRANSLATION: New Living Translation (NLT)

BIBLE TEXT: 37 The servants who are ready and waiting for his return will be rewarded. I tell you the truth, he himself will seat them, put on an apron, and serve them as they sit and eat! 38 He may come in the middle of the night or just before dawn. But whenever he comes, he will reward the servants who are ready. 39 “Understand this: If a homeowner knew exactly when a burglar was coming, he would not permit his house to be broken into. 40 You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected.”

OBSERVATION: I know of some dads who will leave without you, if you are not ready when he comes to pick you up! Many employers will give you only limited chances if you report to work late. Yet, throughout the Word of God, we are not only told about the return of Christ, but we are warned that He will reject those who have not prepared themselves for heaven. A glorious reward, but will you be blessed with this awesome gift from God?

APPLICATION: Having sold a few personal items via Social Media, I can appreciate the point of being ready and being on the lookout for a buyer when they come to pick up their purchased item! My father-in-law was one who would have his bags packed, and out near the driveway well in advance of the time his ride promised to pick him up! My wife and I felt this was funny, but in meditating on the Scripture at hand this morning, I was reminded that Jesus doesn’t want us to wait until His return to hang up our earthly desires and our careless regard for the promised return of Jesus to collect His saints. Do you suppose that this may be due to stories we have heard about evangelists naming a date or timeframe for the return of Christ, only for us to arrive at that date and not see Him? Remember, the Bible tells us that not even Jesus knows the date of His return, only the Father. When it is reported that a hurricane is headed our way, some will immediately purchase material to protect the windows in their homes, but some will procrastinate by assuming their own inclination that the hurricane will hit places all around them, but they will personally dodge the bullet. In these two scenarios, whose home will be best protected from hurricane force winds? In the Bible, Old Testament prophets foretold it, and in the New Testament we can read about the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. In this Scripture we are reviewing today, and in many other references we are told that Jesus, our Master and Lord, will return to earth to take His bride – the church, home to glory to be with the Lord forever. That’s the saved on earth – the believers in Jesus Christ, we are the church. When will Christ return? According to the Bible, no man knows the day or the hour. Jesus said that only His Father knows the day He will send His Son to collect His bride. The Bible is just as assuring about what will happen with those who have not invited Jesus to be Lord and Master of their life. Unfortunately, they will also receive their just sentence – a one-way trip to Hell where Satan and his demons will punish them with fire and damnation for all eternity. In today’s Scripture, Jesus likens this time of decision to a master and slave scenario. If the slave is ready when their master returns to get them, they will be rewarded. The greatest reward is in knowing your state of readiness. This is not something that anyone else can arrange for you or maintain for you. This is a personal decision you make with Jesus and only you know how honest you were with that commitment or how serious you take the commitment you made to Jesus. To be ready for the return of Jesus, You must have invited Him to be Lord of your life at the time that he returns. If He came today, are you sure of your eternal fate? If not, please call on Jesus today. Because this is a personal decision, you don’t need to wait for the next church service, as Jesus might return before that. Do it now, my friends.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: Just as we love to use our credit card with ‘rewards’, so we should be excited to know that we are ready for the return of Jesus Christ and the rewards He has in store for us. Ready, or not, Jesus will return only once to take those who know Him personally into the glories of heaven. For those who miss that, the rewards are nowhere as pleasant, for their master, Satan, is waiting for them in Hell. I’m ready if Jesus should come today, are you?

PRAYER: Oh dear Lord, have mercy on those who try to defy all odds and wait for the last minute to decide on a course of action, whether it be an approaching storm, or Your unannounced return to take Your children home to heaven. Please soften their hearts and once again convince them of their sin, Lord. May all of my readers, listeners and all of our family and friends be ready to meet You if You choose to come today. We all know what needs to be done, but now I pray that You will give them the strength and boldness to believe in and trust You as their personal Savior. 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. You may also visit me on Spotify and listen to Nuggets while you’re out and about. 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!

In A State Of Readiness

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Needs, Praise, Readiness, Ready, Ready to Go, Recognize God, Salvation, State of Readiness, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED Sunday, 2022-04-03
WRITTEN AT: Astatula, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Matthew 24:36-42
TRANSLATION: Living Bible (TLB)

BIBLE TEXT: 36 But no one knows the date and hour when the end will be—not even the angels. No, nor even God’s Son. Only the Father knows.
37-38 “The world will be at ease – banquets and parties and weddings—just as it was in Noah’s time before the sudden coming of the Flood; 39 people wouldn’t believe what was going to happen until the Flood actually arrived and took them all away. So shall my coming be.
40 “Two men will be working together in the fields, and one will be taken, the other left. 41 Two women will be going about their household tasks; one will be taken, the other left.
42 “So be prepared, for you don’t know what day your Lord is coming.

APPLICATION: I believe that the example given by Jesus in our Scripture, is very representative of our situation today. Think about the comparison: Noah had an intimate and sincere relationship with the Lord. Our pastors and church leaders tend to have an honest relationship with the Lord. Noah was warned by God that a flood was coming, even though it had never rained before. Our pastors, who follow the instructions and warnings of the Bible, gives us many warnings about the impending return of Jesus Christ, although many people have never heard of Jesus, nor His impending return to earth. Noah was told to build an ark, as it would be the savior for he and his family when the flood starts. Church leaders have felt the call of God to build churches since the very early creation of man, as it is a safe place to teach and preach the Gospel – about the Savior of the world. Noah preached and tried diligently to save the people who came by to mock his boat building. He wanted them to be saved from their impending death to this world, and everlasting death and punishment in Hell. Pastors also preach the Good News of Jesus Christ on a regular basis, because they have a desire to see people accept the saving grace of Jesus Christ and ready themselves for the glories of heaven. Many pastors and church leaders cry in agony over the lost who attend church each week, hear the Gospel, yet leave the church doors no better than when they arrived. It saddened Noah that he had the answers, but no one was interested in the solution God gave to Noah. It still saddens the heart of pastors and church leaders to see that the hearts of congregations and community people that are hardened and refuse to listen and/or accept the gift of eternal life offered through the simple acceptance of a Gift God sent to us – His very only Son, Jesus. Friends, God worked through Noah to warn a very sinful world about their doom, and God carried out the very act He was warning them about, by sending the first ever rains, and a flood. I have no doubt that we should take God at His word in the warning given to us in this Scripture – Jesus is coming back again to take His bride, the church, those who have received Him as Lord and Savior. Jesus already has a home prepared for us, and He’s just waiting for God to signal His return. Although He may have already come by the time this devotional is read, I still wanted to share with you the urgency of the hour. We hear a lot about Russia’s President Putin possibly pressing the big red button to begin a nuclear war, but that’s nothing in comparison to the evil planned by Satan for those who have decided to just let him do what he wants with them. God loves you too much to see you agonize in Hell my friend. Accept Jesus as Lord today and become a part of His bride that He will take to glory with Him! Please read my FOOTNOTE for help on giving your heart to Jesus Christ. Otherwise, please get with a local Bible teaching pastor or drop me a note.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: Praise God, I’m ready to go, should God sound the trumpet in the next second, or anytime afterwards. I have peace that I have shared with my subscribers the urgency of the hour in which we live, so whenever You are ready, come Lord Jesus, come!

PRAYER: Thank You Lord for saving my soul and readying me for the glories of heaven! Thank You for yet another warning in your Word today. I pray that You will speak to the hearts of the unsaved yet again today as they read Your Word, and these humble thoughts from Your servant. May the words of my mouth, heart and mind be acceptable in Your sight, oh Lord my Rock and my Redeemer. 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. You may also visit me on Spotify and listen to Nuggets while you’re out and about. 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!

Are You Ready To Go?

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Evangelism, Evangelize, Needs, Praise, Readiness, Ready, Ready to Go, Recognize God, State of Readiness, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED Tuesday, 2021-09-21
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Luke 17:26-27
TRANSLATION: Living Bible (TLB)

BIBLE TEXT: 26 “When I return the world will be as indifferent to the things of God as the people were in Noah’s day. 27 They ate and drank and married—everything just as usual right up to the day when Noah went into the ark and the Flood came and destroyed them all.

APPLICATION: For those who strive to evangelize the lost and guide them into a relationship with Jesus Christ, you will find yourselves much like the disciples, in that you will encourage the lost to accept Jesus today, as He could return anytime after the very moment that you share the Good News. But even in Bible stories, we read about the excuses that people quickly came up with when they are asked to accept the Lord, so I’m sure that the excuses will flow rapidly from the mouths of those that we set out to encourage. For the disciple’er I would suggest that you think back to the days when you tried to encourage your spouse to marry you. Although they may have initially had some doubt, you went through a long courtship to try and convince them that you two belonged together. So let me encourage you to do a little courting of your closest family members, or your dearest friends, so that you may gain their confidence to believe the urgency of the message you want to share with them. Also, let’s remember that Jesus warned His disciples, and us, about the uncertainty of the day and the hour, so getting the message out today could make the difference between eternal life, or eternity and damnation in Hell for that dear person. To the one who might be reading this and you have chosen to ‘wait and see’, I believe that there has never been a time in our history where we are reminded daily how death is knocking on the door of our family and friends almost daily, and without regard to age, gender, health condition, or anything else. Please realize dear friends that your time could be next. Please be ready for the day that Jesus comes back, even if it’s today. Just as airport officials only admit passenger who are ready to travel when the flight departs, so will Jesus have a similar decision when He returns to take us home. Are you ready to go?

BLESSING(S) NOTED: For those who are ready to go, Jesus can come today, tomorrow or anytime and you will be ready to join with the rest of His chosen children to accompany Him into heaven! No greater joy!

PRAYER: Lord, Your warning is clear, and for many we are ready to join with You and the angels in Heaven when You come to take us home. The urgency is also clear for our unsaved loved ones, so in all humility I ask that You bestow upon all Christians the importance of showing how much they care about loved ones, by showing them the only way to Heaven. Lord, with urgency evident to both the evangelist and the hearer, may we be busy about our Father’s work. We may say that we love and care about our family and friends, but may that be apparent by us showing them the way to Heaven. Please forgive us when we fail, or when we are timid, but Lord we depend on Your wisdom and Your strength to guide us every day. 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. You may also visit me on Spotify and listen to Nuggets while you’re out and about. 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!

Will You Know Him?

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Needs, Praise, Readiness, Ready, Ready to Go, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

Thursday, 2019-10-24

Bible Reference: John 7:40-44
Translation: The Passion Translation (TPT)

Bible Text: 40 When the crowd heard Jesus’ words, some said, “This man really is a prophet!” 41 Others said, “He’s the Messiah!” But others said, “How could he be the Anointed One since he’s from Galilee? 42 Don’t the Scriptures say that he will be one of David’s descendants and be born in Bethlehem, the city of David?” 43 So the crowd was divided over Jesus, 44 some wanted him arrested but no one dared to lay a hand on him.

OBSERVATION: In our Scripture verses today, you could tell that there was confusion around who the crowd thought it was who just spoke to them. Some thought he was a prophet, others thought perhaps the Messiah, while some thought he was the Anointed One, but some were sure that none of these could be right, since they understood the Scriptures to say He was born in Bethlehem. I wonder how you will identify Jesus, for Scriptures assure us that He is coming again!

APPLICATION: I once had an appointment with the CEO of a fairly large corporation. After parking my car, I walked into the building expecting to be directed to the secretary of the CEO. Upon entering the building, I was greeted by this fairly laid back individual in a casual shirt, without a tie, who I thought would direct me to my appointment. Instead I was told that he was the CEO! I was totally blown away, for he did not meet my expected image of a recognized CEO! I recently read the account of an undertaker in a small town who had no remaining family members, and was somewhat of a loner. It came time when he realized that he was dying, and he sat down to evaluate how he would distribute his net worth. He was so alone that he knew for sure that no one would attend his funeral, but he thought that would be one way of directing some of his assets. So he instructed his attorney to divide $500,000 among all those who attended his funeral. Surprisingly some 270 people attended from around the small town, even though they didn’t know this man very well. To their amazement, they received a check of over $1,800 just days later! We can see from our Scripture today that the crowd gathered who had heard Jesus speak, was in a real dilemma as to who this man could possibly be, and I expanded on that in my Observation above. Please note that some were sure that this was a nobody, as they always knew that nothing good came from Bethlehem. But friend of God, how then will you recognize Jesus when He returns? Will He look like the picture in your mind? Will He be as tall, or wide or thick as you expect? Will you think to look into His hands? Will you discount Him for ‘a nobody’ if He does not fit the mold you have developed in your mind? Have you seen Him today and walked on by Him because you thought that He would beg you for food or money? Remember the Scripture where Jesus said: for as much as we have helped on of the least of His kids, we have done it unto Him? May I suggest that you dig into your Bible each and every day? It is the living Word of God! Not only will you learn the character and mind of Christ, but You will also learn Biblical truths that will help you Know Jesus today, and in His second coming. Be ready for the return of our Lord and Savior, for He could return today. Only those who are ready for His return will He take on to live with He and His Father in heaven for ever and ever. No, that does not give you another chance to ready yourself for a third coming, for the Bible has nothing to say about that. However, your alternative will be eternal damnation in Hell with Satan. Be sure you have accepted Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior my friend, for He will only return for His own.

PRAYER: Lord, we know You will return one day soon, and we know that You will only take those who have made the advanced choice of going with You when You return. I pray that no one reading this devotional will make a bad choice, for I would be extremely saddened to know that they chose to ignore my advice, and Your call on their life. Oh that today may be the day of salvation for all who read this and are without Christ. Praise God I live in a state of waiting for Your return. May today be the day! AMEN!

What Might Jesus Find at our Churches Today

On By Ed AlgreenIn Faith, Ready, Ready to Go, Rewards, TrustLeave a comment

Friday, 2019-04-12

Bible Reference: Mark 1:23-28
Translation: The Message (MSG)

Bible Text: Suddenly, while still in the meeting place, he was interrupted by a man who was deeply disturbed and yelling out, “What business do you have here with us, Jesus? Nazarene! I know what you’re up to! You’re the Holy One of God, and you’ve come to destroy us!” Jesus shut him up: “Quiet! Get out of him!” The afflicting spirit threw the man into spasms, protesting loudly—and got out.  Everyone there was incredulous, buzzing with curiosity. “What’s going on here? A new teaching that does what it says? He shuts up defiling, demonic spirits and sends them packing!” News of this traveled fast and was soon all over Galilee.

OBSERVATION: Jesus had just called 4 disciples to follow Him – to learn about Him and then to be His example, as He gave them power to do so. A good first stop was the Temple, a normal place of worship and teaching. But what Jesus found there, was anything else but normal. I hope to draw our attention into what Jesus might find at our churches today when He walks in. Allow the Spirit to open your spiritual eyes, and remove all prejudices because of your love for your church, as you think about he might find right at your church!

APPLICATION: The first time that you visit a church, hopefully you will find a sweet spirit of corporation, love for each other, and preaching the pure, unadulterated Word of God. Of course, I hope that years after attending that church, you will still find the same thing there. But if we are to be totally honest with ourselves, it really becomes like anywhere else, because we get to know about the attitudes and actions of those that Satan has planted among us to stir up trouble and strife between God’s people. We find those who feel like they could do a much better job in the kitchen, or as a teacher in Sunday School, or even in the pulpit. We find those who are determined to fix the pastor, or the elder, or perhaps a deacon. Those who find fault with everything, and everyone. In fact, it becomes like a fog as we search in earnest for those who are strictly there for the purpose of worshipping God, learning more about Him, and to enjoy a sweet fellowship with the saints, as they search for ways to build one another up. But I wonder what God truly sees? I wonder if He was to send His Son, in person, through the doors of my church this weekend, what might He stop, touch me on the shoulder, and tell me to cleanse my heart of? Friends, we need not look for Him to point out the criminals in the church, or the backbiters, or those who habitually lie, steal or try to distract the saints, although I’m sure He knows each of our weaknesses very well. But may we soberly connect with the Master and hear Him say ‘well done good and faithful servant’, as that should be the desire of every believer. However to achieve that ultimate goal, no doubt there are several things that God might need to point out to us that tend to separate us from His perfect will. So do you suppose that we should look for the one in our midst possessed with a demon, that Jesus might have to call out, or would each of us have a full time job seeking God’s forgiveness for all that lies within us? Oh that we may pray like the psalmist, ‘Cleanse me oh God, and know my heart, my thoughts, my will and my desires’.

PRAYER: May the meditation of our hearts and the praise, worship and words from our lips, be acceptable to You oh Lord, our Rock, our Redeemer and our soon coming King. Please help us to keep our eyes fixed on You, and always conscious of our own weaknesses in trying to imitate You in this life here on earth. This is my personal prayer Oh lord. Help my readers to search their hearts and petition You for their needs, so that we will be found humble, pure and true before Your throne each and every day, especially at the unannounced time of Your return. AMEN!

Warning! Be Alert!

On By Ed AlgreenIn Ready, Ready to Go, The Return of JesusLeave a comment

Post Date:

 Monday, 2017-03-20
SCRIPTURE

From:

 Matthew 24:23-28 (MSG)

Text:

23-25 “If anyone tries to flag you down, calling out, ‘Here’s the Messiah!’ or points, ‘There he is!’ don’t fall for it. Fake Messiahs and lying preachers are going to pop up everywhere. Their impressive credentials and dazzling performances will pull the wool over the eyes of even those who ought to know better. But I’ve given you fair warning.

26-28 “So if they say, ‘Run to the country and see him arrive!’ or, ‘Quick, get downtown, see him come!’ don’t give them the time of day. The Arrival of the Son of Man isn’t something you go to see. He comes like swift lightning to you! Whenever you see crowds gathering, think of carrion vultures circling, moving in, hovering over a rotting carcass. You can be quite sure that it’s not the living Son of Man pulling in those crowds.
OBSERVATION:
In this Scripture it was obvious that Jesus saw clearly how easy it was for the people to be persuaded about the return of the Lord, so He gave some clear signs for children of God to look for, and he gave warnings for things that might sway them towards misrepresentations of the return of Christ.
APPLICATION:
Unfortunately we still see lots of examples like those Jesus warned of in this passage, for we know of the glamourous attractions of various public ‘ministries’ that easily get the attention of thousands and thousands, who will travel hundreds of miles to be miraculous touched by them. Friends, I hate to burst your bubble, but these ‘men’ or ‘women’ can merely lead you to the cross for healing from the Master himself, and as the Word of God says, it’s because of your faith in God, that will heal you, nothing more, nothing less. We’ve heard the predictions of many about the day of the return of Jesus. Not possible, for the Word of God declares that Jesus Himself doesn’t have that date or hour, only the Father Himself. Do pray tell me why someone would declare that they are closer to the Father than His very own Son! Please don’t misunderstand, as I am not saying that you shouldn’t be encouraged by a public ministry figure. However, should they cross the line and meet the criteria that Jesus is warning us to look out for, please be diligent enough to know that it is time for you to move on. Know also that the only way you will know TRUTH, is to study the Word of God yourself, for if you don’t, then everything will sound right to you that may come from every teacher – true or false. In conclusion, let me assure you that the Word of God is clear that Jesus will return again to take His bride – the church, home to be with He and the Father. ‘The Church’ is made up of born again believers in Jesus Christ, so in some households or churches, one might graduate to heaven while their friend right next to them may have never surrendered their life to the Lord Jesus. When will this occur? Jesus said that He is unaware of the date or the hour, for only the Father in Heaven knows that. Being ready to go now is the only way of assuring you that should He return in the very next minute, or later in the year, or just at a future date, it doesn’t matter, for you will be ‘ready’ to go! I hope that you can share and appreciate the excitement of that return with me friend! When we’re excited about a trip or any future event, we become impatient with delays, oh that Jesus will keep us excited about our journey as we share with others today and every day!
PRAYER:
Having just taken a trip, the impatience of delays and disruptions are fresh on my mind, so Lord Jesus I pray that You will be with Your children as we standby for the trumpet sound and the gates opening wide as You return to take us home to glory with You! We can hardly contain ourselves as we think about that! Now may we be bold enough to share that excitement with others, so that they too might catch a glimpse of the day of Your return and accept Your invitation to join the throng as we await Your return. Oh, ‘What a Day That Will Be, when My Jesus I shall See, when I look upon His face….’. Lord, may the excitement of Your return incent your children to witness to others today and every day until You return! 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!

Be Alert and Watching

On By Ed AlgreenIn Readiness, Ready, Ready to Go, State of ReadinessLeave a comment

Wednesday, 2016-09-07

Scripture

Bible Reference: Mark 13:32–33; 36-37

Bible Text: 32 “However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows. 33 And since you don’t know when that time will come, be on guard! Stay alert! …. 36 Don’t let him find you sleeping when he arrives without warning. 37 I say to you what I say to everyone: Watch for him!”

Bible Translation: New Living Translation (NLT)

My Take

Our meteorologists are fantastic, for they watch for the storms that spin off the coast of Africa, and should they pose a potential threat to us, they warn us of their predictions on the course of the storm, in lots of time for us to be prepared and protected way before the storm arrives. Similarly, many of us have good pastors and teachers who strive to do the will of God by warning us as often as possible about the coming of the Lord Jesus, to take His bride (the church) up to heaven to spend eternity with He and His Father. Isn’t it interesting how we seem to take the forecasts from our meteorologists a whole lot more seriously than we do our pastors? Walk into any church over the weekend and you will immediately question why so few are concerned about such a major event. Only a fraction of our towns attend church, and for those that do attend, most fall asleep while the warning is being proclaimed. Friends, I just visited the northwest coast of Florida after Tropical Storm Hermine passed through. There are stories of some residents who were just as unconcerned, and didn’t heed the warnings and/or refused to evacuate their homes when instructed. Large tax dollars are now being spent to deliver food to them or retrieve them from their flooded or wind-destroyed homes. Take a moment to compare that to the coming of our Lord. There will be no further warnings, as scriptures tell us that not even the Son (Jesus) knows when He will return, only God does. If you did not heed the warnings to ready yourself to meet Jesus, then you have decided to stick with Satan and receive the eternal damnation he will deliver to his followers. Your pastor will no longer be available to encourage you and prod you along into making a decision to accept Jesus, it will be eternally too late. In these verses today, please recognize that these are the words of Jesus, and PLEASE adhere to the warnings He is offering to you. Seek God’s face, accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior and therefore be ready, should His return happen even today. Don’t ignore the warning friend, today is the day of salvation, for it can also be the day of Jesus’ return to get His saints! I’m ready! Are you?

Prayer

Lord Jesus, You’ve been warning us about Your return long before meteorologists were ever trained, or before the days of computerized tools to help them predict an oncoming storm. It is so unfortunate that many of our people listen more closely to man’s predictions than to Your facts as relayed to us by Your writers. Oh God, may today be the day that many will come to know You personally (ready themselves for Your impending return). If a hurricane was approaching, we would quickly run to shelter and/or save our loved ones and friends. Something a whole lot more final is pending, and could actually happen today, Lord may we have the same urgency to save those we love. I ask these things in the name of my soon coming 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!

The Love That Won’t Give Up on You

On By Ed AlgreenIn Eternal Life, Ready, Ready to Go, State of ReadinessLeave a comment

Wednesday, 2016-07-20

Scripture

Bible Reference: Job 33:29–30

Bible Text:  29 God gives each of us chance after chance 30 to be saved from death and brought into the light that gives life.

Bible Translation: The Contemporary English Version (CEV)

My Take

Job, a very faithful child of the King, was tested and tried, yet he stood tall and loved God. However there came a time that he really became depressed about why all of this was happening to him. Three friends gathered around him to try and encourage him back to a good place mentally and spiritually. I love the advice given by the third, and youngest friend, with the key verses today being the highlight of something he shared with Job. Friends, we are tempted and tried as well, because God has to often finds ways to get us back on track in our walk with Him. I heard of a gentleman who lost a child in an accident, followed by losing his wife through some medical issues. Might he have felt hopeless like Job there for a while? The good news is that he is now happily remarried and standing tall for the Lord. His example made me think that verse 30 may have been applied to his life! That was just an example of being encouraged back to a meaningful life. Perhaps you know friends who are headed into eternal death – Hell and a life of damnation with Satan. Have you seen times in their life where God may have been working on them to bring them into the light of eternal life in heaven with Him? Do you remember how filled the churches were after 9-11? I believe that many responded to the gospel at that time, because God spoke very loudly and clearly to them about eternal death vs eternal life. Unfortunately, I believe that you probably know of friends that persistently said ‘no’ to God and died from this world without any hope of ever seeing eternal life with the Lord. There could be many that we know who will follow that same path, because they have consistently rejected the calling of God. May I remind you friends, that TODAY is the day of salvation, for none of us know the day or the hour when we will be called out of this world and into the next. Are you ready for that transition?

Prayer

Father God, thank You for not giving up on me, and I thank You for that assurance of Eternal Life in glory with You some day! While allowed to stay here on earth, please fill me with the desire and the boldness to share You amazing love with as many as possible, especially my dear family and close friends. I’ve seen You work in many of their lives already, and I believe that as long as they remain on earth You will not give up on them. Please use me, if need be, to encourage them and to show them Your miraculous light, with great hopes of them one-day surrendering their lives to You before its a day too late. Bless Your children again today with a refreshed hope of sharing Your love with someone that we may come into contact with today. For I ask these thing in the name of our risen and victorious 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!

Emergency Preparations – While You Wait

On By Ed AlgreenIn Preparation, Readiness, Ready, WarningLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (Contemporary English Version – 2 Peter 3:10-15): 10 The day of the Lord’s return will surprise us like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a loud noise, and the heat will melt the whole universe. Then the earth and everything on it will be seen for what they are. 11 Everything will be destroyed. So you should serve and honor God by the way you live. 12 You should look forward to the day when God judges everyone, and you should try to make it come soon. On that day the heavens will be destroyed by fire, and everything else will melt in the heat. 13 But God has promised us a new heaven and a new earth, where justice will rule. We are really looking forward to that! 14 My friends, while you are waiting, you should make certain that the Lord finds you pure, spotless, and living at peace.
15 Don’t forget that the Lord is patient because he wants people to be saved….

THOUGHTS: Friends, if we were to receive warnings today that a hurricane was approaching the coast of Florida, or perhaps in your case some other natural disaster approaching the area in which you live, don’t you know that everyone will be franticly buying food supplies to see them through a possible time of power outages, or perhaps buying hardware items to help protect earthly belongings? As I read this passage of scripture this morning, I believe God wanted me to share with you a similar warning that He spoke through His New Testament writer to us. For these verses offer warnings to us that our time here on earth is drawing to a close, as this old earth is dissolved away. You see, we are in a time of preparation at this time, for what we do with our time now will determine what happens to us when the events of verse 11 takes place. Note that there is a distinct difference between what happens in the warnings we receive today from meteorologists and what Peter declares in our captioned verses. In the latter, we see no doubt as to what will happen – it is a sure thing that we know in advance, and have time to prepare for its ultimate fruition. When natural disasters are predicted today, there are lists of items available to us that might help us to be better prepared for the impending effects of the disaster. God used a similar format through His servant Peter, and I have bolded the preparation actions that Peter gave to us. Here’s what we are told to do in preparation for the times that will come:

  • Search out Jesus and accept Him as Lord of your life – Yes, I know this is not verbalized in the verses above, but friend there is no way that any of the warnings will be real to you, nor would any of the bolded actions apply to you, if you are not a child of God. You will be the primary objective of Satan, as you are today, and your destination is already set – in the pits of Hell. These preparation items only apply to those who expect to see Jesus, because of firm decisions to accept Him while here on earth;
  • Serve and honor God in the way you live – The joy and peace that’s inside of you will be externalized through the things that you say or do;
  • Live in expectation and excitement about the Day of The Lord – the day of His return – the day He comes to take you with Him!
  • Live pure and spotless before God and at peace with your fellow man – in other words, live as Jesus exampled for us.

Don’t you know that these are items that should be placed prominently before us each day so that we might constantly work on our preparation list for that great and wonderful day? Can you say today, even so Lord Jesus, come today? You should be in that kind of state of readiness friend, because it could be today that He will return to take His bride away with Him! I would love to help you make sure that you are ready for the events referred to in this devotional, please read my ‘Footnote’ and feel free to contact me if there is anything that you would allow me to help you with.

PRAYER: Thank You for the warnings Heavenly Father. The information shared in these verses today are way more critical than any report we might receive from our meteorologists this season. Please help us to take our preparation time very seriously, and ready ourselves for that great day of happy reunion with You in heaven. Help us to be busy in firming up our preparation plans and stand in a state of readiness for Your soon return. What a day that will be when my Jesus I shall see, when I look upon His face…. This is an exciting day that Christians live in anticipation of! Lord, may we not disappoint You in any of the things we might say or do as we live our lives this side of heaven, for we know that our words and actions will reflect the one who controls us. I pray that all of my readers can say without a doubt that greater is He that is in us than He that is in this old sinful world! It’s You I live for, everyday oh God. Fill me with Your joy, love, hope and happiness. For I ask all this in the strong 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 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 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!