Reasons Why Jesus Came

On 2016-12-14 By Ed AlgreenIn Bible Believing, Faith, Humility, Righteousness, Salvation, SurrenderLeave a comment

Wednesday, 2016-12-14

Scripture

Bible Text: ⁴⁹…His name is holy; ⁵⁰from one generation to another he shows mercy to those who honor him. ⁵¹He has stretched out his mighty arm and scattered the proud with all their plans. ⁵²He has brought down mighty kings from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly. ⁵³He has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away with empty hands. ⁵⁴He has kept the promise he made to our ancestors ….

Bible Translation: Good News Translation (GNT)

My Take

Beginning in verse 46, Mary’s heart is so full of the miracle of God, that she breaks into song. In fact a song that has been known over the years as ‘The Magnificat’ and song by many popular singers around the word every Christmas season. However, what really hit me as I meditated on these verses, is that after Mary had gotten over the humble admiration of being chosen to bear the child – the Son of God; the King of all kings; and the Lord of all lords; she then expanded her praise into other areas where she saw so many other things being fulfilled. In fact, she even showed proof of her ancestral teachings about the Lord God, because some words of her song almost identically quote the words from the mother of Samuel (Hannah), when she rejoiced over her miraculous pregnancy and the state of her people at that time – refer to 1 Samuel 2:4-8. Friends, I sincerely believe that the miraculous birth of our Lord and Savior was not only miraculous to Mary, and reminded her of the hope for her and her people, but because we know the rest of the story in His Book, the Bible, then we also are reminded of the comfort, and the hope we have in knowing that the same babe of which Mary rejoiced before her God. This is the same Jesus who loved us enough to go to the cross of Calvary in order to accomplish His Father’s plan for our salvation! This is the same Jesus that loves us enough to save us – wretched sinners we are, who deserve the depths of Hell; He continues to look out for our good – just as Mary recognized that He would do for her people; and He has an even bigger plan for all eternity, for we have heaven to look forward to – a place where there is no division, or hatred, or envy, but instead a place of peace and solitude where we will worship Father, Son and Holy Spirit for ever and ever, amen! Mary reassured herself in verse 54 that God kept His promise to her ancestors, and friend I am here as His messenger to assure you that He has a plan for our eternity, and there is no doubt as to whether He will keep His promise. The important thing for each of us right now, is that while we are alive – and we all know how delicate that can be, but we are allowed to make our own choice about our destiny. I’ve just described the choice that I made, for I have been promised the joys of heaven. If you have not made that same choice already, then I would encourage you to invite Jesus into your life without further delay. Heaven is there for those who have accepted Jesus as Lord. The alternative is Hell, and without any attempt to bribe or frighten you friend, I want you to know that it’s a place controlled by Satan and his evil cohorts, and I would never wish that on anyone. Please don’t deliberately accept the default because you have not accepted the key to Heaven. Jesus is that key to heaven friend. Please read my Footnote and assure yourself of your eternal destiny. This is super important.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, just as Mary rejoiced in the Son of God that she brought into this world, knowing that He would serve a much greater cause, I commit myself to You all over again. Thank You for accepting me as Your very own child many years ago, please keep me alert to Your ongoing love and purpose for my life so that I may be a living witness to those that I come into contact with. For those who will read this devotional today, please may they find joy and hope this Christmas season in the One for whom Christmas was created to celebrate. As each one reflects on this day and the decision made about their eternal destiny, I pray that they will rejoice in having chosen Jesus as their Lord – the only One who could rescue them from the destination of Hell. You alone are worthy of our praise oh Lord, and we worship You for having made the ultimate sacrifice for our sin. Thank You for coming to this world as a child, and thank you for dying so that we may live eternally with You and the Father! AMEN!

Footnote

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

Encourage One Another With These Words

On 2016-11-302016-12-27 By Ed AlgreenIn Heaven, Hope, Salvation, Surrender2 Comments

Wednesday, 2016-11-30

Scripture

Bible Reference: Isaiah 35:3-7

Bible Text: ³With this news bring cheer to all discouraged ones. ⁴Encourage those who are afraid. Tell them, “Be strong, fear not, for your God is coming to destroy your enemies. He is coming to save you.” ⁵And when he comes, he will open the eyes of the blind and unstop the ears of the deaf. ⁶The lame man will leap up like a deer, and those who could not speak will shout and sing! Springs will burst forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert. ⁷The parched ground will become a pool, with springs of water in the thirsty land. Where desert jackals lived, there will be reeds and rushes!

Bible Translation: The Living Bible (TLB)

My Take

It seems like especially in the times that we live, people are so despondent that one might find it challenging as to what you might say or do to encourage them. I believe that Isaiah not only had insight from God as to what his people needed to hear at the time of his writing, because of all the unfair treatments they were receiving as a nation, BUT I also believe that God gave Isaiah foresight into the Savior that would be born and would handle unfair treatments and perform miracles such as restoring sight to the blind, and bringing hope to his people. I also believe that foresight extended to proclaim these words of encouragement for those still alive today. For it seems like there is more stress and discouragement in the lives of individuals today than ever before, whether it’s financial, health, family, work or friendship stresses. Our family and friends, or perhaps even my readers, may be facing very challenging times where there seems like little light at the end of the dark tunnel of circumstances they are now facing. Friends, I am encouraged by the words of Isaiah, and I want to share this with you so that you also might be encouraged. Our awesome God looks out for us today, through His Son Jesus, who came to save us from our sin, and He has a home already prepared for those who claim Him as Lord and Savior! May I be the first one to remind you today that there is a plan in place to not only protect us from the evil one here on this earth, but also a plan to unite us with our Savior on the other side! God tells us in His Word that there will be no crying there, no pain there, and I believe we can deduce that there will be no need for stress there, for our sole purpose will be to worship, praise and adore our wonderful Savior. I believe something that might help us comprehend what that may be like is, and may I encourage you to slow down your reading so that you can truly meditate on this thought, but: imagine that you are in the best worship service that you have ever experienced. For the sweet presence of the Holy Spirt is evident. There is no time to worry about work, family or any other issues, for your heart, soul and mind is fixed on worshiping the Savior of this world, who is obviously in your midst with an unbelievable presence. It’s a time that you don’t want to stop, because all of your external concerns and issues have faded away and you only have focus and time for Jesus – absolutely nothing else. Now imagine that precious time never ending – that’s a glimpse of what I believe it might be like in heaven. Is this something you might be willing to work towards even now? Believe it or not, that time could come much sooner than expected for some reading this devotional today. I pray that you have your heavenly affairs in order, because the alternative to what I described above is Hell itself with Satan as its leader. God has provided the means by which you might be assured today of what your destination might look like after you leave this world. Please read my Footnote and contact me if there are any unanswered questions.

Prayer

Father, thank You for creating such a wonderful world for Your children to live in! As with all sin, we have not only abused the beauty of everything that You have blessed us with, but we have burdened ourselves with a lot of worry about things that we really can’t change. Reading Your Word today has brought renewed hope and joy, as I am reminded that these things that my friends and I face today are only temporary, as You have a much brighter and happier future already prepared for those who have shown their interest in wanting to be with You eternally. Lord, may we learn to redirect our thoughts to the hope that lies ahead, instead of the circumstances we are burdened with today. May our eyes and our hearts be fixed on You, oh Lord, our hope for all eternity. Please help us to encourage one another, much like Isaiah did, on the fact that You are alive forevermore, and that You not only stand waiting to help us in our daily lives, but also awaiting our exit from this world, to welcome us home! With much love and adoration, we sincerely than You dear Father for that enormous love for us! AMEN!

Footnote

Need Help With Your Praying?

On 2016-11-22 By Ed AlgreenIn Holy Spirit, Leadership of the Holy Spirit, Power of Prayer, Prayer, SalvationLeave a comment

Tuesday, 2016-11-22

Scripture

Bible Reference: Romans 8:26-28

Bible Text: ²⁶A similar thing happens when we pray. We are weak and do not know how to pray, so the Spirit steps in and articulates prayers for us with groaning too profound for words. ²⁷Don’t you know that He who pursues and explores the human heart intimately knows the Spirit’s mind because He pleads to God for His saints to align their lives with the will of God? ²⁸We are confident that God is able to orchestrate everything to work toward something good and beautiful when we love Him and accept His invitation to live according to His plan.

Bible Translation: The Voice Translation (VOICE)

My Take

Very often we are sitting around a family gathering and a spouse may start to share a story, but very soon the partner spouse, or perhaps a son or daughter, steps in and helps share the story, especially if they see the individual struggling to remember all of the facts, or properly articulate the story at the time. Ever felt sometimes that you have so much on your mind to speak with God about, but you just can’t put your words together to properly speak with God about it in prayer? Ever stopped to imagine that not only does God know the depth of your heart on the matter before you open your mouth to try and express your heart, but that the Holy Spirit who came to reside in you the day your surrendered your heart to Jesus, is already muttering prayers to God on your behalf? Further, one of the translations that I looked into on this passage indicated that while you might pray to God from a human perspective, the Holy Spirit is praying the will of God before the Master on your behalf! Wow! Can you comprehend that friend! How awesome is that? I believe this helps us avoid one of the huge obstacles for Christians in their prayer life – the excuse that you don’t know how to pray, or that you don’t know the right words to say. Friends, I believe we are reminded here that it is just super important that we pray – have conversation with our Creator; our Master; our Savior; and our everlasting Father. In the cases where we fall short, or we feel lacking in what to say, let’s always remember that we have an advocate that is every present and who speaks with the Father on our behalf. Now some of you reading this may question if this is for every church-goer, or for the whole family (sons and daughters; mothers and fathers). Please read carefully the very last sentence in our scripture today: for those who love Jesus, and accept His invitation to live according to His plan, the Word says that God will orchestrate everything to work toward something good and beautiful. Friends, this wonderful expression of love by God is yours, if you have surrendered your life to the lordship of His Son Jesus, who sacrificed His life on a cross at Calvary, so that you may have forgiveness of your sin, and it opens the door for you to have eternal life in heaven with God. Do you know Him friend? Without Him you can do nothing of any kingdom value, nor do you have any hope in eternity. With Him you will not only have eternal life, but He will orchestrate everything to work towards something good and beautiful for you! I believe the choice is obvious. Read my Footnote for tips on how to make this change in your life, otherwise drop me a note so that I may pray with you about your life concerns.

Prayer

Lord, who are we that a King should live and die for? Who are we that a representative of the King of kings should take up residence in our hearts and lives just to ensure that we stay on course, and have ongoing assurance of the awesome power of our awesome God? Lord, I am convinced that it could only be a result of the love You have for your children, that You do so much for us. Thank You for Jesus, Heavenly Father! Thank You for the Holy Spirit – our comforter; our Joy; our Protector; our Guide and our Advocate. Lord, in You we place our trust, and in You we look for daily guidance to live a life worthy of Your calling, and the powerful delivery from the evil one. Thank You Holy Spirit for speaking with the Master on our behalf, for we are so unworthy and so incapable. Lord, we commend ourselves into Your keeping and Your care, for it’s You alone that we adore and seek to serve every day. AMEN!

Footnote

How To Be Changed From The Inside Out

On 2016-10-21 By Ed AlgreenIn Change, Know and Believe, Knowing Christ, Salvation, TransformationLeave a comment

Friday, 2016-10-21

Scripture

Bible Reference: Romans 12:1-2

Bible Text: ….Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.

Bible Translation: The Message (MSG)

My Take

We sometimes refer to kids as being ‘rude to the core’, meaning that we struggle to see any good thing in that particular child that we are dealing with at the time! Unfortunately I believe that adults probably say similar things about other adults also, and when we consider how devious we are in our minds, especially for those without the love and impact of Christ, then we should not be amazed by that statement! Friends, it is unfortunate, but we easily ‘melt away’ or blend into the culture around us. In other words, I believe that if a typical Christian settles into a community away from all churches, and filled with constant parties and celebrations, it may not be long before that ‘Christian’ is persuaded that if they expect to ever make friends with the neighbors then they had best ‘fit in with the crowd’. Paul encourages us in these verses to take every aspect of our lives and place it before God as an offering. I believe this means that we give what we have to God, ask Him to bless it, multiply its usefulness, and use us for His glory – so that His kingdom may benefit from every aspect of our lives. As indicated in the verses, when we fix our eyes and our attention on God, and not on what our friends, or the church, or the world can do for us, then God will be convinced that we are ready for His service and He will begin the change process – from the inside out. I believe this means that He will do away with the old thoughts and habits, and fill us with the glories of the heavenly, so that we may be usable instruments by the King of glory! In another part of scripture, Jesus warns that it makes no sense placing new wine into old wine-skins. Likewise, it would be highly unlikely for Jesus to leave the filth of the ‘old man’ in place and then ‘top him off’ with the joys and glories of heaven. I am convinced that God will empty us of the old sinful man and fill us with His grace, His love and His Holy Spirit, for our lost world will only be impacted when they see the purity of Jesus when they look at us. Furthermore, the Holy Spirit will not reside where sin abounds. So to my unsaved readers, may I plead with you to not be tricked into making a superficial decision to accept Jesus as Lord in order to satisfy mom, or the pastor, or that friend that keeps bugging you. Instead, be ready to allow God to wash you clean – from the inside out, and then fill you with the beauty of Himself. Ask a beggar to act like a rich man, and he wouldn’t know what to do. The totally opposite is also true. Asking a sinner to continue in sin and wear the look of Jesus is also a total misfit. However, to ALL who calls on the Lord Jesus Christ, to them will He accept (save) and totally change from the inside out. I pray that will be your decision today friend!

Prayer

Lord Jesus, please forgive us for the decisions we make that are so superficial that we change our minds at the whim of every wind or circumstance of life. Please help us to think deeply about offering ourselves as a total sacrifice, or offering, to You, for Lord we desire a heart like Yours, and the humility to please You in every way possible. We already dedicate ourselves in similar fashion to our workplace so that our business owners could succeed. Please teach us to be even more committed to surrender totally to You so that Your eternal kingdom may flourish through our witness. Lord, we have family and friends who are destined for eternal damnation and unless they see, understand and believe on You, they will never see the glories of Heaven. Please grant us the deep desire to allow You to rule and reign in every way through us, so that they may recognize the King of glory and desire to know You personally. Change my heart oh God, make it ever true, change my heart oh God, may I be like You! AMEN!

Footnote

Tough Love

On 2016-10-20 By Ed AlgreenIn Love, Loyalty, Prayer, Salvation, Saved, SaviorLeave a comment

Thursday, 2016-10-20

Scripture

Bible Reference: Jeremiah 48:35–36

Bible Text: 35 “I will put an end to Moab,” says the LORD, “for the people offer sacrifices at the pagan shrines and burn incense to their false gods. 36 My heart moans like a flute for Moab and Kir-hareseth, for all their wealth has disappeared.

Bible Translation: New Living Translation (NLT)

My Take

As parents we are often pressed to express tough love with our children, as they are so clever in trying to manipulate us into spoiling them and providing everything possible for them. Because we have invested so much of our lives into our kids, and because of the deep love that we have for them, it is extremely challenging for us to say ‘no’ or handle them with ‘tough love’. Imagine then how challenging it is for the God of this universe to destroy parts of His creation that He made with such pride. Imagine the love expressed when He provided the ultimate sacrifice (His Son, Jesus) for us to overcome/throw off the filth of sin, and become eligible for His kingdom. In our scripture today we see an example of God’s tough love with the people of Moab. God loved them with such heart-felt love, that His very heart moaned in agony for their well-being. However the people were so immersed in sin that they chose to worship the gods that they could see – the ones that other leaders placed before them to worship and supposedly provide for them. As we read this account, we may be challenged to see the issue here, because we may quickly conclude that the Moabites deserved destruction because of their stubbornness, disobedience, worldly affection and for having taken their eyes off God. However, let me be quick to warn you friend, that in our world today, we are probably as bad, or worse than the Moabites. Please, no throwing of rotten eggs! Let me explain: a well-known verse of scripture that many have heard, and many may even be able to recite, tells us: (John 3:16) – For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. Please carefully note what that verse says, and hopefully you can rejoice in the promise that lies ahead for you, because you have surrendered your will and your life, to believe in the one true God, through His Son, Jesus. In comparison to the scripture on the Moabites, I want you to read John 3:16 again, and particularly notice what it does not say. Notice that the Word says that if you believe, or for those who believe, they will have eternal life. BUT, what do you suppose that verse is saying about those who don’t believe on the Lord Jesus Christ? Friends, recent statistics revealed that only 9% of Americans believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. Do you suppose that the Moabite statistics were worse than that? May I remind you friend, that there are only two options for us, just as it was for the Moabites. We know from John 3:16 that the eternal destination for those who Believe on Jesus, is heaven (Praise the wonderful name of Jesus!!). However, scripture also tells us that all others are living for Satan and will join him in Hell for an eternity of damnation and destruction. I believe that God is very sad to know that so many of His kids have decided to live like the devil and settle for such damnation. Unfortunately, that’s 91% of Americans, and probably a similar percentage for other countries. For Christians who have sincerely yearned for the ‘heart of Christ’, I believe that our hearts are likewise saddened by this reality today. So much so, that I am hoping that you will join me in prayer for the unsaved today. 91 out of every 100 people that we come into contact with today could potentially be in danger of eternal destruction. Friends, let us pray……..

Prayer

Lord Jesus, Redeemer, Savior of this world, God’s very Son: thank You for the sacrifice You made so that we might have eternal life. I can only imagine how Your heart is saddened by the number of Your children who have chosen to reject that sacrificial gift of love that You have made available to them. Like the Moabites, many have chosen to ignore, refuse and reject the gift You have offered, and to worship the gods of entertainment, sports, pornography, self-fulfillment and lust that saturates their minds through constant advertising and frequent pop-ups on computer screens. It is so unfortunate that often it takes a disaster of some sort to really get the attention of many folk, but Lord in a proactive approach today, may I ask that You please burden the hearts of Christians to frequently bow their knees before You in prayer for their unsaved family and friends. Because the necessary decisions can only happen through changed hearts, we acknowledge that our part can only be in loving these ones, and lifting them up to You on a regular basis, so that You may impact the heart. We are concerned dear Lord. Please ease our concern as we pray. For I ask these things in the name of the only One who can change hearts, Jesus, the Christ, AMEN

Footnote

A Life Dominated By The Spirit of God

On 2016-10-14 By Ed AlgreenIn Acknowledge God, Filled With The Spirit, Know and Believe, Know Jesus, Knowing Christ, SalvationLeave a comment

Friday, 2016-10-14

Scripture

Bible Reference: Romans 8:5–8

Bible Text: 5 Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. 6 So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace. 7 For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God’s laws, and it never will. 8 That’s why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God.

Bible Translation: New Living Translation (NLT)

My Take

Paul shared with his Roman friends/church, and I believe that God is challenging us today as we meditate on this scripture, to consider: who, or what is dominating our lives. First of all, our minds can only be controlled by the Spirit of God when we have surrendered our own sinful nature, and accepted the free gift of eternal life, made possible through the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus assumes control of our minds and our lives when He is invited, and accepted, to become our Lord and Savior. When this occurs, the Holy Spirit assumes control and sets us on a path towards a life of peace and anticipation of our heavenly home. I believe that the scripture is clear in pointing out to us that if we are not enjoying that peace, and if we still feel hostile towards God, and if we find it impossible to obey God’s laws (His instructions from the Word of God), then we must pay close attention to those red flags, as we are still under the control of our old sinful nature that will never please God. Unfortunately, this life without God will never see the face of God, nor His heavenly home – heaven. So friends, may I encourage you to take a moment and talk with God about what is dominating your life right now? If you are confident that your thoughts and your actions imitate Jesus and His teachings, and that you are always seeking to serve Him more fully, then I believe that you can use this time to praise God for His saving grace and for placing His Holy Spirit prominently in your life to guide and direct you. However, in the very next verse (9), we are warned that if we cannot identify the Spirit of God evident in our lives – our thoughts, our words, our actions and our desires, then we do not belong to Jesus Christ. Fortunately, your pastor, your spouse, your friend nor myself can judge that and question you about your eternal destination. This is a matter strictly between you and our heavenly Father – God almighty. Because this impacts your daily walk in life, and your ultimate destination even after death here on this earth, I would strongly suggest that you go before God and evaluate your position with Him urgently. Why urgently? Because you have no assurance that you will have another opportunity to do so. There is a very old hymn that addresses the subject “Is your heart right with God?”. That’s my plea that I trust you will ponder today friend. Read my Footnote and click on the menu item above to read more scripture on the matter of “To know Jesus”. There’s no greater assignment for you today friend.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, I am reminded that if I am a child of an earthly monarch, then I will feel like, live like, and present myself to everyone that I meet, as a ‘prince’. My default lifestyle will imitate the sinful nature of this world in which I live. However, having accepted You as my Lord, and asked You to rule and reign in my life, then my words should sound like Yours, my actions should remind folk about Your actions while here on earth, and my thoughts should always reflect the hope, joy and love of Your sweet Holy Spirit that resides inside of me, and leads me throughout my day. My prayer is that You will not only touch my life miraculously with Your Holy Spirit every moment of every day, but Lord, may that be multiplied times over in the lives of those that may be touched by Your Word today. May the world see Jesus very much alive in Your children today, is my sincere prayer that I ask in the matchless name of Jesus, AMEN!

Footnote

The Only Way Out

On 2016-09-14 By Ed AlgreenIn Faith, Salvation, Seek God First, Seek God's FaceLeave a comment

Wednesday, 2016-09-14

Scripture

Bible Reference: Galatians 3:21-22

Bible Text: …. If we could be saved by his laws, then God would not have had to give us a different way to get out of the grip of sin—for the Scriptures insist we are all its prisoners. The only way out is through faith in Jesus Christ; the way of escape is open to all who believe him.

Bible Translation: The Living Bible (TLB)

My Take

I believe that often we will try the easiest way out. The way that is least embarrassing to us, or least obvious to others that we have or had a problem and really needed help. So for many, this may be through trying to obey the Word of God on our own. I once had a coworker tell me that he knew the good Lord would not allow his dad to go to Hell, because he was such a good man, and that no one could really point a finger at him for his wrong. This coworker later came to know the Lord himself and then understood exactly what Paul was clarifying here for the Galatian church. Friends, we must remember that God saw that the human race was incapable of helping ourselves by simply obeying His law, so out of His deep love for us, He miraculously sent His Son, Jesus, to be our Savior. Too often we look at the law like, what’s the least I can do to keep out of trouble with the law makers, and seldom do we stop and ask God to help us obey every letter of the law in the way it was intended when written, so that others may recognize the sincerity of Jesus in us. So friends, this scripture today is good news for those who have heard the voice and direction of God, and want to surrender your life to Him so that He may direct your path and lead you in a righteous and upright life for His glory. Getting from where you are – steeped in sin and unrighteousness, can only be accomplished one way. ‘There is only one way out’, the scripture proclaims, and that is through seeking the face and person of Jesus Christ, God’s Son. Surrender your life totally and completely to Him, so that He can accomplish His miraculous work through You. Friends, Hell is not a place where you would make it a point to go, but the ONLY way you will redirect your destination is by doing what I have already described to you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved. When you truly believe on Jesus, you will submit to His will and obey His commands – indicating that He is in total control of your life. One other tip friends: Jesus has promised to return to earth to take His children (His bride) up to glory to be with He and His Father. But the timing of this event is unknown even to Jesus. Therefore, may I encourage you to make certain of your eternal destination urgently, for Jesus’ return could happen even today!

Prayer

Thank You Heavenly Father for yet another reminder of what must be done to gain eternal life. Our works are but filthy rags in Your sight, because we build those around our goodness instead of Yours. Please forgive us Lord for our littleness and open our eyes instead to Your wonderful, loving, caring, miraculous provisions that You have designed for us. Please help us to step aside and allow You to be God in our life, and in the lives of our family and friends. Lord, please touch lives today with the gospel and show Your love in such wonderful ways that many will come to accept You and surrender their lives wholeheartedly to You. There is so much to be done Father, but I am convinced of Your awesome power and desire to see our lost ones saved. Please work through me today so that I may be a genuine witness for You. I ask these things in faith, and for Your glory, AMEN!

Footnote

In Christ Alone

On 2016-09-13 By Ed AlgreenIn direction, Follow Christ, Follower of Christ, In Christ, SalvationLeave a comment

Tuesday, 2016-09-13

Scripture

Bible Reference: Galatians 2:19-21

Bible Text: ¹⁹It was the law itself that caused me to end my life under the law. I died to the law so that I could live for God. I have been nailed to the cross with Christ. ²⁰So I am not the one living now—it is Christ living in me. I still live in my body, but I live by faith in the Son of God. He is the one who loved me and gave himself to save me. ²¹I am not the one destroying the meaning of God’s grace. If following the law is how people are made right with God, then Christ did not have to die.

Bible Translation: Easy-to-Read Version (ERV)

My Take

As we read these verses today, we must realize that this teaching is coming from Paul, a man who was so convinced of the ‘law’ (the world) that he chose to condemn the church and its followers for the first part of his life. However, Paul then had a personal encounter with the Lord Jesus Christ and his life was never the same again. In fact, he was so different that he was accused of being a maniac. Friends, there’s a couple things that really need out attention in this passage today:

A personal experience – Jesus Christ is only able to impact your life after you have made a personal decision to surrender your life totally to Him. As part of this decision, you will surrender your personal (worldly) will to the perfect will of Christ. He then sends His Holy Spirit to take up residence inside of you, and help you live this changed life!
A changed life – Through this newly gained power of the Holy Spirit, you are able to devote yourself fully to the things of Christ, which in most cases will be totally opposite to the evil ways of the world. The change that occurs is likened to traveling north on a local highway, then you reach a point where a definite decision is made for a complete change, and you turn back to traveling south on that same highway.

Friends, I believe it is evident that you will see in the old life, the worldly dependent life, that you are dependent on circumstances and individuals with all sorts of evil mindsets, that are out to serve their own personal needs, often at the expense of all those that they come into contact with. In the ‘new life’, I believe that you could easily see that there is only One that you would be dependent on, and that is the same Christ who willingly sacrificed His very life so that you and I could one day live eternally with He and His Father in heaven. The same Christ who has the power to not only rightly guide you in this wicked world, but also provide the means for you to travel through this life with ‘out of this world’ rewards awaiting you at the end of your journey! The choice seems evident to me friend! What will you do about your eternity as you travel down life’s tough road? With God’s help, and at your request, He can help you redirect your life today. Please let Him do that, won’t you?

Prayer

Lord Jesus, we are so undeserving of such grace and mercy, yet You surrendered Your very life for our eternal future. Thank You for loving us to such extremes. Please soften the hearts of Your children today who need a new direction in their lives. They need You! Touch the lives of those that already know You so that we will not be a stumbling block to those who need You. In Christ Alone I Take My Stand! And I pray that my Brother or Sister reading this devotional will do the same today! Praise the name of the Lord forever! AMEN!

Footnote

What Will You Do With Jesus?

On 2016-09-09 By Ed AlgreenIn Believe, Know and Believe, SalvationLeave a comment

Friday, 2016-09-09

Scripture

Bible Reference: Mark 15:9–13

Bible Text: 9 “Would you like me to release to you this ‘King of the Jews’?” Pilate asked. 10 (For he realized by now that the leading priests had arrested Jesus out of envy.) 11 But at this point the leading priests stirred up the crowd to demand the release of Barabbas instead of Jesus. 12 Pilate asked them, “Then what should I do with this man you call the king of the Jews?” 13 They shouted back, “Crucify him!”

Bible Translation: New Living Translation (NLT)

My Take

On the day that Jesus was presented to Pilate, the Jews were challenged with a question that I would like for us to consider today: What will you do with Jesus? The Jews wanted Jesus crucified because He was interfering with their popularity. They were envious of Jesus, as Pilate recognized (see verse 10). Friends, each day you are faced with a similar question, for you must make decisions such as these:

When you awake each morning, will you pause to give God thanks for a good night’s rest and another day with tons of opportunities, or will you give it up to happen-chance that you were more fortunate than many who awake each day in excruciating pain or homeless?
Will you take a moment to get into God’s Word and seek His guidance for the day, or will you affirm that you know it all and could handle every circumstance of that day on your own?
Will you look for every opportunity to make your christianity known and promote Christ, or will you find every possible way to escape letting your boss and coworkers know that you are a child of the King?
If your employer gave the word today that he wanted all ‘Christians’ fired, will you be looking for a job, or will you fall under the disguise of uncertainty on where you stand?

Friends, in each of these cases we would face a similar question as the one posed to the Jews. What will you have the world do with Jesus? He loved you enough that even while you were still drenched in sin, yet Jesus went to the cross of Calvary and sacrificed His very life out of sincere, unadulterated love – especially for you. Why? Because He wanted to make it very possible for you to have an easy choice of where you would like to spend eternity. So for those who do not know my Savior as Lord, your question is similar: Will you accept the offer from Jesus to let Him be your Lord, or will you ignore the offer and continue in an unappreciative state on the road to eternal damnation with Satan and his demons in Hell?

Prayer

Lord, thank You for making a way for us to one day be with you in Heaven. The answers to the above questions and scenarios seem very obvious, and therefore seems like overkill to even ask them of good, sound thinking individuals. However, I am very aware that Satan is just as active trying to distract his followers from hearing this Good News, as he was last weekend when many of my readers heard a similar challenge in their respective churches. Lord Jesus, please break down the barriers of indecision, stubbornness, pride and rejection today, so that my readers and all those that we will pray for, might hear Your voice very clearly calling them to You. Thank You for making a way. I now pray that we will fight the barriers and accept the free gift of salvation today and be proud to have You control our lives so that others may see and also believe, AMEN!

Footnote

A Glimpse of Heaven!

On 2016-08-08 By Ed AlgreenIn Choices, Heaven, SalvationLeave a comment

Monday, 2016-MM-DD

Scripture

Bible Reference: Revelation 21:21–27

Bible Text: 21 The twelve gates were made of pearls—each gate from a single pearl! And the main street was pure gold, as clear as glass. 22 I saw no temple in the city, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. 23 And the city has no need of sun or moon, for the glory of God illuminates the city, and the Lamb is its light. 24 The nations will walk in its light, and the kings of the world will enter the city in all their glory. 25 Its gates will never be closed at the end of day because there is no night there. 26 And all the nations will bring their glory and honor into the city. 27 Nothing evil will be allowed to enter, nor anyone who practices shameful idolatry and dishonesty—but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.

Bible Translation: New Living Translation (NLT)

My Take

Have you ever been told so much about a certain place that you started picturing in your mind what it will look like? Well, let me say that I am so excited about being a child of the Most High, that each day in His presence is sweeter than the day before! But to add to this, I know that God has told me in His Word that He has a place prepared for me, and the rest of His children, and it just excites me to the very limit to know that one day I will be in His presence in, what must be, the most beautiful place that one could ever imagine. When someone tries to describe a beautiful place that they’ve visited, they will often say that no matter how much they try to describe the beauty of the place, you just have to go there for yourself. John tried to do the best he could in this chapter of Revelation, but friends, this is just a glimpse of heaven God gave us through His servant John, and I believe He is knocking at your heart’s door encouraging you to ready yourself for your eternal destination. Notice in verse 27 that entry into this beautiful, but very holy place (heaven) is conditional upon decisions that you make today. If you were taken out of this world today, do you suppose that you would be allowed into heaven? The Bible teaches that there is only One Way to get your name in the Lamb’s Book of Life, and I expanded on that in my previous blog writing. May I encourage you to look back, read that blog, and make sure that you have done this preliminary business with your Lord. All is in vain if you haven’t accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior. We have such an awesome Savior to spend eternity with, and having been reminded again today, we also have an awesome heaven to enjoy our eternity with the King of kings and Lord of lords. You could very easily be the next person called out from this world, and your eternal destination will be determined by your spiritual condition. Acceptance of Jesus Christ leads to eternity in heaven. The only alternative takes you to the pit of hell with Satan and his demons. The decision is yours friend!

Prayer

Lord God, we came from You and we very much want to return to You after we leave this earth. It is clear in Your Word that there is only one way to make this happen, and You have given us the advantage of not having to guess, or decode the answer, for You have made it abundantly clear. Just to be in Your gracious presence will be enough, but we are overwhelmed at being reminded of the magnificence of heaven – Your home. Although I can personally sing with the songwriter in the words of ‘What A Day That Will Be’, yet my plea today is that You would work on the hearts of Your children who have not yet accepted Your free gift of eternal life. Please especially humble the hearts of my family and my circle of friends, including those who will read this blog, in their search for a closer walk with You. May this be the day that they will find peace in knowing You personally. You are most worthy oh Lord, and we are most undeserving, and so needy for Your gracious love and miraculous hand upon our life. To God be the glory, AMEN!