Category: Surrender

You Are Royalty!

On By Ed AlgreenIn Celebrate God, God Cares For Us, Listen to the Word of God, SurrenderLeave a comment

God’s Holy Word – Good News Translation
1 Corinthians 5:1-2

1 And now I want to remind you, my brothers and sisters, of the Good News which I preached to you, which you received, and on which your faith stands firm. 2 That is the gospel, the message that I preached to you. You are saved by the gospel if you hold firmly to it—unless it was for nothing that you believed.

Thoughts:
As I meditated on this I thought about all that a palace subject must encounter in any given day. I don’t imagine for a moment they ever arise, go to school or work and forget they are a prince/princess, or a child of the queen. I don’t imagine for a moment they ever doubt if they are protected and secure in their position. I bet that they are extremely careful to protect the sovereignty of their parent’s kingdom. Wouldn’t you imagine that they are ambassadors for the kingdom over which their parent rules, and therefore talk it up with everyone that they come in contact with? So friend, what’s the difference with any of the above thoughts and our position as children of the King of all kings? When we accept Jesus as Lord, we become His protected ones, as Satan nor the world has any hold on us anymore. We can proudly wear our breastplate of righteousness and feel adequately protected in our royal position. So why then do we find ourselves so often in the doldrums of this world’s trials and tribulations and feel so distraught and beaten up? After meditating on Paul’s message to the Corinthian church, I am convinced that we need reminding constantly that we might be in this world, but we are not of this world as we are looking to a much bigger Savior that didn’t just rescue us when we first believed, but is there each and every day to take our hand a lift us up, comfort, protect and love on us as His special and chosen children. Friend, stay in the Word every day, stay in communion with God often so that you might be reminded of His love and special care over us. Refresh yourself on the gospel, so that it may be your guide and encouragement, constantly pointing you to the One who not only died for you, but still watches over you every day. Assume your royal position friend. Remember, God sees you as His very own child, why should you see yourself as anything less!

Prayer:
Father, Daddy, Jesus, my Lord and Savior, thank You for Your gracious love for me. Thank You for the ultimate sacrifice You made for me. Thank You for adopting me as Your very own royal prince. I am truly blessed. Please help me to daily assume my royal position and represent You well. Please strengthen me to always allow Your love and character to shine through me in everything that I do or say, so that others might recognize You and want to know you as their Lord and Savior. For my friends meditating on this devotional today, please allow the words of Paul in this scripture to remind you of your royalty and your position as God’s very own. LLord, may Your children arise and be Your faithful followers today so that Your Word may come alive to the unsaved, is my humble pray that I ask in the name of Jesus, AMEN!

Footnote:
If you have read this devotional and do not know this wonderful Savior of whom I have spoken, may I encourage you to speak with a Bible teaching pastor or church leader today? If you know of none, I would welcome an email from you with information on how I may be of help to you, or how I might pray with, and/or for, you. You may reach me at nuggetsfromgodsword@outlook.com. If you are in the Highlands County area of Florida and do not have a church home, may I recommend my church home to you, Bible Fellowship Church? Let me know if you plan to attend and I will personally welcome you and help you feel at home with God’s people as we worship and learn more about His love for us!

Allow God Control of our Homes and Cities

On By Ed AlgreenIn SurrenderLeave a comment

The Holy Bible

If the Lord doesn’t build the house,

the builders are working for nothing.

If the Lord doesn’t guard the city,

the guards are watching for nothing.

(New Century Version – Psalm 127:1)

Thoughts:

In this short verse we see the importance of always looking to God for providing our every need. Especially in the day that we find ourselves in, we must depend upon God for His blessing in the upbringing of our family, the challenges of our finances, our protection and giving us boldness to always stand for Christ in spite of all the distractions from the outside world. In the context of this verse we are reminded of several important things that are affected as we place our faith and trust in God:

  1. For raising our family. – For if God is not acknowledged, we have no reason to expect his blessing; and the best-laid plans fail, unless He crowns them with His blessing;
  2. For the safety of our family and/or our city. – For except the Lord keep the city, the watchmen (our law enforcement), though they may never sleep, they stay awake and on duty in vain; mischief could still break out in spite of all they might do to prevent it; and
  3. For enriching our family. – I firmly believe that God blesses those who depend on Him. I agree with verse 4 further down where Solomon reflects on what could happen when children leave our home, as we can no longer direct them. But friends, we are ordered to do our part in bringing them up while they are with us, then when they do go off on their own they will remember and practice what they were taught. No need for us to worry what might happen later, with ongoing prayer, God will continue to guide them for us.

So friends, the bottom line is that we must live the Godly lives that God expects of His children. When we live that life in our homes and in our jobs, God will bless us, protect us and provide for our cares and concerns. Can you trust Him with that day? If you do, He can be trusted to do His part, I assure you friend!

Prayer:

Dear Lord, please give me strength/wisdom/power to surrender my home, my family and my city to Your powerful, awesome, protective and guiding hand. I am reminded daily that these things are way bigger than me, but in recognizing the great big awesome God that I serve, I surrender these things to Your care and direction. While still in this world, I need You in my life though, to help me be the man You designed and could be proud of. Please help me to depend heavily on You so that You may truly bless my home and bless my city. I also ask that You intervene in the lives of my friends who will meditate on this devotional today. For those who have never committed their lives totally and completely to You, please open their eyes to the truth of the gospel so that they may make that first, very important choice to accept You as Lord of their lives. For my fellow Christian friends, may they be filled with Your peace, Your comfort, Your strength and guidance to surrender themselves as guided in this scripture today, and allow Your mighty hand to guide them in every circumstance of life. I ask all this believing, but also knowing that only You can change our families and our cities, Therefore I ask all this in Your holy and precious name, AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please speak with a local Bible Teaching pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com so that we can pray with you and give you help and or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Any words underlined above will indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray.

Restore Your Church Oh God

On By Ed AlgreenIn All have sinned, Bible Believing, Celebrate God, Chosen by God, Christian, Encourage, Eternal Life, Evangelism, Faith, Follow Jesus, Forgiveness, God our Helper, Grace, Heaven, Holy Spirit, Humility, Imitator of Christ, Listen to the Word of God, Love God, Obedience, Our Help comes from God, Power of Prayer, Praise, Repentance, Righteousness, Servants of God, Surrender, Trust, WorshipLeave a comment

The Bible – New Living Translation

Psalm 85:4–7

    4 Now restore us again, O God of our salvation. Put aside your anger against us once more.

    5 Will you be angry with us always? Will you prolong your wrath to all generations?

    6 Won’t you revive us again, so your people can rejoice in you?

    7 Show us your unfailing love, O LORD, and grant us your salvation.

Thoughts:

In my first read through this passage of scripture I was touched by the prayer of David to save his people, and my heart was deeply touched by his prayer because I can clearly see how many around us, in our neighborhoods and in our cities, need the Lord. However, on closer study of this I realized that you can only restore something that at one time was resident there before. So my heart immediately went out to what David was really praying, because I believe that we are seeing churches dying today at a greater record than ever before in the history of our land. In part, I believe that this is because we need an equally as large evangelism effort to the once ‘saved’ who have fallen by the wayside, as we do to the ones who have totally disregarded the message of the cross. Like you, I am very concerned about all that is going on in our land, and in this world, where we are killing each other without any regard for precious life itself. However, this should come as no surprise to Christians, because even back in 2 Chronicles 7:14 it was declared that God is looking for His people, His children, to humble themselves and pray, before He would give consideration to healing our land. When Christians treat their relationship, their commitment, so flippantly, and when there is no humility in looking to God for His powerful, healing and restoring hand upon His people and our land, what is it that we should really expect differently? Friends, we are bringing damnation on ourselves, on our churches and on our land. Remember, God is still in control and His Word will endure to the end, so we must follow His plan if we ever expect to see God restore us again! What is your role? Are you following His plan, so that you might expect to see Him restore us again? Please, let us humble ourselves and pray…..

Prayer:

Jesus, my Lord, in all humility I pray that You might touch the hearts of Your people once again. Begin with me, I pray. May Your church be revived once again, I pray. May each person meditating on this devotional today realize that this is not the ‘place’ we call church, but the body of Christ that at one time or another made a sober decision to accept You as Lord and Savior of their life. May the places that we call ‘church’ burst wide open from the crowds that will be renewed/revived and reminded of their obligation to their Master and Lord. May Your ‘church’ truly come alive again, so that we may follow Your commands and humble ourselves before You and pray. Lord, may the uncommitted one that may be lead to read this devotional today realize the importance of surrendering themselves to Your Lordship today. We are in desperate need of a touch from You oh King, please hear my prayer and heal us. Please cause us to recommit ourselves to do Your perfect will. For I ask all this in the name of the only One with the power to do anything about our pitiful condition, Jesus, my Lord, AMEN!

NOTE: If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please speak with a local Bible Teaching pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com so that we can pray with you and give you help and or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Any words underlined above will indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray.

Blow A Trumpet For God!

On By Ed AlgreenIn Bible Believing, Celebrate God, Chosen by God, Christian, Faith, God Cares For Us, Heaven, Our Help comes from God, Praise, Stregth, Surrender, Testify, Thank You Jesus, Trust, WorshipLeave a comment

The Bible – The Message

1 Corinthians 1:27–31

Isn’t it obvious that God deliberately chose men and women that the culture overlooks and exploits and abuses, chose these “nobodies” to expose the hollow pretensions of the “somebodies”? That makes it quite clear that none of you can get by with blowing your own horn before God. Everything that we have—right thinking and right living, a clean slate and a fresh start—comes from God by way of Jesus Christ. That’s why we have the saying, “If you’re going to blow a horn, blow a trumpet for God.”

Thoughts:

God is nothing less than amazing! Do I hear an AMEN?!! Just when we are about to throw in the towel, or just when we think we are only a speck of dust in God’s overall kingdom, our eyes are opened with scripture like this that reminds us that we are royalty – children of the King of kings. We are also reminded that as in the case of an earthly king where the country men are subjects of the king, we too are subjects or servants of our King. Also, as in the case of a country being recognized for its valor and earthly production where the king is primarily recognized because of his leadership and his provisions that made the country what it is, so it is with our heavenly King. For it is only through the provision of the King’s Son, Jesus, that we are saved from our sin and accepted into His glorious kingdom where we will reign with Him forever. It is only through the power of this Jesus, that blind men regained their sight, the crippled began to walk again and the dead was brought back to life again. It is only through our faith in Jesus, that we are blessed with miracles even today. But friends, all these blessings come with somewhat of a warning, for we are told that although we may be the servant praying for the sick to be healed, or praying for an unsaved loved one, we can boast of no personal accomplishment in any turnaround seen in any of these cases, for we are only the beggar, the servant, asking for a favor from God Almighty. God is the healer, He sacrificed so that salvation might be available to us, our family and our friends. So as we see God’s hand at work, let’s intensify the praise and worship to our Lord, for it is He who is responsible for the miracles wrought! To Him be all glory and praise! Lift Him up before the people around You so that they too might be introduced to our Savior and Lord! Why not use your weekly worship services to especially praise the Father for His goodness? He is worthy, and deserves a lot more praise than what He hears in our labeled, ‘praise and worship’ services!

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, who am I that You would send Your Son to die sacrificially so that I might easily find my way to You? Who am I that You would heal my body, or bless me with a job, a family, and a comfortable place to live? Lord, I realize that I will never understand the sincerity and depth of Your love, but thank You for opening my eyes, and reminding me of my obligation to offer constant praise and worship to You for all that You do for me. You are all powerful, but thankfully You are all loving also, because You forgave me of my sin and accepted me as Your son. Thank You Lord Jesus for being my King, my Savior and my deliverer. May I always be mindful of Your awesome presence and love for me, and therefore never beat up on myself when I feel like things are not going my way. The provision for life eternally with You has already been made, so anything that happens on this earth is really very minor and possibly even irrelevant. Please forgive me for missed opportunities to praise You and lift You up before my family, friends and coworkers. May they be  encouraged to look to You because of the evidence of Your love in and through my every action and/or word. To You be all glory, honor and praise, for I honor You and ask all this in Your precious name, Lord Jesus, AMEN!

NOTE: If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please speak with a local Bible Teaching pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com so that we can pray with you and give you help and or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Any words underlined above will indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray.

Be Completely United

On By Ed AlgreenIn Bible Believing, Christian, Faith, Follow Jesus, Forgiveness, Fruit of the Spirit, Getting Along, God our Helper, Helper, Holy Spirit, Imitator of Christ, Love your Neighbor, Marriage, Our Help comes from God, Pleasing to God, Power, Reaching the Lost, Reflecting Christ, Stregth, Surrender, WitnessingLeave a comment

The Bible – The Good news Translation

1 Corinthians 1:10

10 By the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ I appeal to all of you, my brothers and sisters, to agree in what you say, so that there will be no divisions among you. Be completely united, with only one thought and one purpose.

Thoughts:

I bet that as you read the above verse you may have thought that it was something that I came up with concerning your church, or perhaps telling you gossip from my church, right? I agree with you friends, however this is obviously one of those verses that Christians today throw over their shoulders and let it go on to apply to the church on the next block for whom it was truly written!! In our secular jobs we often remark that the most challenging part of our job is dealing with the people/staff. I would imagine that for our pastors the most challenging part of leading a small, or a large church is the same – dealing with the folk who cause upheaval that could quickly lead to division. Paul addressed two important areas that we should consider as we think about what we might do to prevent division:

  1. To agree in what you say – I believe that if we did like one pastor suggested when he said “Let the main thing be the main thing” then we would quickly refocus our minds, and subsequently our conversation, to the mighty works of God among the congregation; the Word of God that speaks to us in powerful ways today, as it did in the days we read about in the Word; the blessings that God has bestowed on us instead of the small aches and pains that we might feel; the great teachers that God has provided to share knowledge with us instead of the small insignificant, humanly faults they may have; and the heartfelt desire to see our family members saved; and
  2. Be completely united – Do you know what happens in marriages when a husband and wife cannot be completely united in one thought and purpose? Don’t you imagine that the same thing would happen if we bring that type of behavior into the church? Independent thinking is important friend, but in a heart of compassion and love and caring about the good of others, we must learn to be understanding, appreciative and patient in what others have to say also. We are not all at the same maturity level, so sometimes we will find that someone else may have a different idea about a topic than we do. They may not be wrong – in fact they may be trying to say the same things as you are saying, just using different terminology. We must learn to not only talk, but also to listen, and try to appreciate the heart of the person speaking.

I heard a preacher approach this subject recently and he advised that should a third party be brought up in a conversation you are having with another church member, stop the conversation until such time that the other party could join you in the conversation! Great advice to avoid the issues that Paul was addressing with the Corinthian church, and to help with the unity of our churches today! These are tips on how we can help keep unity in our church today, are you willing to do your part friend? Let’s ask God for the strength to do His will, even in our relationships with others who should know better!

Prayer:

Lord, thank You for Your patience with Your people as we try to get along here on this earth and live in such a way that we would be a witness of You to our lost family and friends. Lord, please remind us often that we will never impact the lost when we act just like them. If we are different, and if we belong to the King of Love, the King of compassion and the King of all Kings then it is time for us to leave the things of this world behind and center our hearts and minds on You, and not our personal desires and selfish ways. More of You in this old world will force out the ways of Satan that has become so prevalent, even among Christians. Please have Your will in my life dear Lord, and may my friends also see the need for a similar prayer today, is my humble plea, that I ask in the precious name of Jesus, my Lord and Savior, AMEN!

 

NOTE: If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please speak with a local Bible Teaching pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com so that we can pray with you and give you help and or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Any words underlined above will indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray.

The Reward for Living Life Led By ‘The Spirit’!

On By Ed AlgreenIn Bible Believing, Born Again, Christian, God Cares For Us, God Reigns, Holy Spirit, Imitator of Christ, Pleasing to God, Praise, Reaching the Lost, Reflecting Christ, Sin, SurrenderLeave a comment

The Bible –Good News Translation

Romans 8:13-14

13For if you live according to your human nature, you are going to die; but if by the Spirit you put to death your sinful actions, you will live. 14Those who are led by God’s Spirit are God’s children.

Thoughts:

We live our lives according to two principles: 1). Dedicated to, and led by, God’s Holy Spirit – This means that like me, you have given yourself totally and unreservedly to the Savior of this world – Jesus. And because He lives in You and gives you a desire for His Word and for a life dedicated to serving Him and imitating Him in character, deed and word, then according to vs 14 we are His children, and according to vs 13, we will live – meaning live forever with Him in heaven even after we leave this old world! Principle #2). Is that you do nothing about your sinful condition. In fact, it dominates your life, and every decision you make and every deed and action comes from the mind and life of human nature and not of God. Friends, it is plain in verse 13 that folk living under this principle are destined to ‘die’. For those of you that have resigned yourself to accept this principle must realize that Paul is not just referring to physical death – that we all must go through, but he is referring to everlasting death, and for those of you that refer to daily life as being hell on earth, I need to remind you that you ‘ain’t seen nothin yet’, for eternal damnation in hell after your life on this cruel earth, is one that would sadden God’s heart to see any of His creation become a part of. However, just as loving parents allow their children to make their own choices, God allows us to make a choice between principle (1) and principle (2). What would you wish for your favorite child? Would you consider anything less for yourself? Vs 14 declares that when we choose principle (1), we are considered God’s children. Fact – Jesus is King over all this world. Children of kings are known as Princes and Princesses! Secure your new title today friend, if you have not already made a decision for principle (1).

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, thank you for the privilege of serving You, and for giving me guidance, wisdom, strength and boldness to live my life as detailed in principle (1) above. Although excited about each day and the opportunities available to me, I am overwhelmed and super excited about the expectations of eternal life with You in glory! However, while here on this earth I become very anxious about my family and friends that have defaulted to principle (2) because of their lack of concern for a better life; a richer quality of life; a satisfied life knowing that You have every little thing under control and a praise-worthy life acknowledging that all things come from You, for our good and benefit, and that You have this whole life thing under Your control, with no reason for us to worry. Lord, I’m Yours – everything I am, everything I have! Thank You for taking it (life) from here! These praises, requests and acknowledgments are all presented in Your holy name and for Your glory, oh Lord, AMEN!

 

**If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please speak with a local Bible Teaching pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com so that we can pray with you and give you help and or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Any words underlined above will indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray.

Pray That You Might Be Strong

On By Ed AlgreenIn Christian, SurrenderLeave a comment

Scripture: Luke 21.  

OBSERVATION
(What is God saying here?)

Luke 21:34-36 (NLT)

34 “Watch out! Don’t let your hearts be dulled by carousing and drunkenness, and by the worries of this life. Don’t let that day catch you unaware, 35 like a trap. For that day will come upon everyone living on the earth. 36 Keep alert at all times. And pray that you might be strong enough to escape these coming horrors and stand before the Son of Man.”

APPLICATION
(How Can I apply what God is saying here to my circumstances today?)

In this passage Jesus is warning His disciples, and you and I that perilous times will come. Now I bet that with all the earthquakes and floods and hurricanes, we may have thought that this must be it – here comes the Lord as He had promised. I believe that all this might be true signs of God’s hand at work, both in the lives of His people and in the lives of those that would just not get off the fence and make a decision for the Lord. However, this passage indicates that as children of God, we must pray and be alert at all times. I believe that this is an important posture not only for the end times, but also to be in a state of preparedness to fight off the evil one and all of his tactics each and every day, for if we allow Satan in at every move in our daily walk, how prepared are we really to meet our Savior? I believe that praying will keep our communication lines open with God. Being quiet before God during part of our prayer time is also important because it allows Him to speak back to us – in other words, it creates a two-way communication between us and God. Reading God’s Word regularly also helps us to stay in tuned with the mind of Christ and the intent of His heart. If we are to be like Him – act like Him and speak like Him, then we need to be closely in tuned with Him. Friends, this will keep us alert each and every day, plus it will keep us on high alert for the time that He is ready to call us home to be with Him. Are you prayed up? Are you alert and ready? I hope so!

PRAYER
(With God’s help, what am I going to do differently today because He said it?)

Father, we go to great extents to be ready for a hurricane or any other natural disaster, when we hear the warnings. In this passage You have given the warning. I pray that You will help me to be so in tuned with You that I will always be prepared for Your second coming, and that I may be prepared to fight off all the darts of Satan that may be thrown at me each and every day. Just as I would be concerned about my friends and family being prepared and ready in the event of a natural disaster, I am also concerned and sincerely pray for their state of readiness for Your return. I pray that You will soften the hearts of those that I love and am concerned about this morning, and I pray that You will do the same for all that may meditate on this devotional this today. May Your kingdom come in due time, and may we be alert and ready is my heart cry this morning!

 

àWords underlined may be a hyperlink to a song that God laid on my heart while sharing this devotional this morning. Click it and be blessed by the song, like I was when I listened to it! …… I would be overjoyed to have the opportunity to pray with you about a need in your life that may, or may not have been highlighted by this Nugget today. Why not drop me a note and tell me about it? You may email me at:
nuggetsfromgodsword@yahoo.com.
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First Place!

On By Ed AlgreenIn Christian, God Reigns, Humility, SurrenderLeave a comment

Scripture: Luke 20.  

OBSERVATION
(What is God saying here?)

Luke 20:45-47 (NLT)

45 Then, with the crowds listening, he turned to his disciples and said, 46 “Beware of these teachers of religious law! For they like to parade around in flowing robes and love to receive respectful greetings as they walk in the marketplaces. And how they love the seats of honor in the synagogues and the head table at banquets. 47 Yet they shamelessly cheat widows out of their property and then pretend to be pious by making long prayers in public. Because of this, they will be severely punished.”

APPLICATION
(How Can I apply what God is saying here to my circumstances today?)

God’s Word is clear that if we are blessed with any type of leadership role while serving here on this earth, we must be careful not to let it affect our witness of Him. It is so important that we humble ourselves and allow God to increase. It is so important that we stop often and realize that had it not been for the grace of God, we could very easily have been bound up in sin and bitter because of our unforgiving spirit. It is only through God’s grace, His power and His example, that we stop and realize how far we have come through His grace. Let us therefore look to His example and seek to serve Him wholeheartedly while never trying to take the controls away from Him, but allowing Him the place of honor, the place of leadership, the place of control and the place of God that He truly is. We must decrease, so that He might increase and take His rightful place in our lives.

PRAYER
(With God’s help, what am I going to do differently today because He said it?)

Thank You Father for assuming first place in my life some 36 years ago. I acknowledge that this is a daily job of surrendering control over to You, so please give me strength, wisdom, humility and power to daily commit myself as a servant of the most high. It’s You I live for and You that I serve. Please help me to never try to assume that position, but help me to practice my position so much that others may be blessed and see the example that You may give me strength for each day. You must increase and I must decrease!

 

àWords underlined may be a hyperlink to a song that God laid on my heart while sharing this devotional this morning. Click it and be blessed by the song, like I was when I listened to it! …… I would be overjoyed to have the opportunity to pray with you about a need in your life that may, or may not have been highlighted by this Nugget today. Why not drop me a note and tell me about it? You may email me at:
nuggetsfromgodsword@yahoo.com.
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Whose Side Are You On?

On By Ed AlgreenIn Eternal Life, Evangelism, God Cares For Us, God our Provider, Obedience, SurrenderLeave a comment

Scripture: Luke 11.  

OBSERVATION
(What is God saying here?)

Luke 11:23 (NLT)

23 “Anyone who isn’t with me opposes me, and anyone who isn’t working with me is actually working against me.

APPLICATION
(How Can I apply what God is saying here to my circumstances today?)

In chapter 9 vs 50 Jesus said something similar, when he told His disciples that if someone is casting out demons they are on the same side as them. In this passage Jesus is actually illustrating how there is no middle ground. A person, you or I, are either committed to and actually serving God daily/on the Lord’s side, or we are on Satan’s side and living a life separated from God. Ouch! God has already won the battle, so why would anyone opt for the losing side? I don’t think that anyone in their right mind would do such a thing, but friend, we must not straddle the fence. We are either totally sold out, practicing our faith, and following God’s commands, or if we are not, then we are children of Satan. Is it clear whose side you are on, friend? We might fool some of the people some of the time, but God knows ALL things – we can’t fool Him. If we are not actively serving Christ, then we are against Him. I not only prefer always being on the winning side, but I am one who is dedicated to the one that I love and have committed my life to. Jesus laid His life down for me, I will do all within me to serve Him faithfully until the day He calls me home to be with Him. How about you? Please contact me if I can pray with You for strength and commitment to serve Christ daily, of if you don’t know the One who I love, adore and am committed to. Please allow me to introduce you to Him. He’s the best friend you will ever have, and He will never leave you alone. He loves you unconditionally!

PRAYER
(With God’s help, what am I going to do differently today because He said it?)

Lord Jesus, my King, my Savior and my Lord, thank You for giving Your life so that I may live eternally with You. Thank You for being by my side day in and day out. I pray that You will continue to give me strength for life’s daily journey, to overcome Satan’s darts, temptations and distractions, for my desire is to serve You faithfully each and every day. I want it to be evident to You and to this world, whose I am, and who it is that I serve. May that evidence lead to someone coming to know You today. May I represent You in such a way that others will want to know the source of joy that exudes from me!

 

àWords underlined may be a hyperlink to a song that God laid on my heart while sharing this devotional this morning. Click it and be blessed by the song, like I was when I listened to it! …… I would be overjoyed to have the opportunity to pray with you about a need in your life that may, or may not have been highlighted by this Nugget today. Why not drop me a note and tell me about it? You may email me at:
nuggetsfromgodsword@yahoo.com.
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Obligations from Generation to Generation

On By Ed AlgreenIn A Lamp unto My Path, Allegiance to the Lamb, Bible Believing, Celebrate God, Christian, Imitator of Christ, Servants of God, Surrender, Work Til Jesus ComesLeave a comment

Scripture: Exodus 30 – 31.  

OBSERVATION
(What is God saying here?)

7 “Every morning when Aaron maintains the lamps, he must burn fragrant incense on the altar. 8 And each evening when he lights the lamps, he must again burn incense in the Lord’s presence. This must be done from generation to generation. Ex 30:7-8 (NLT)

 

10 “Once a year Aaron must purify the altar by smearing its horns with blood from the offering made to purify the people from their sin. This will be a regular, annual event from generation to generation, for this is the Lord’s most holy altar.” Ex 30:10 (NLT)

 

30 “Anoint Aaron and his sons also, consecrating them to serve me as priests. 31 And say to the people of Israel, ‘This holy anointing oil is reserved for me from generation to generation. 32 It must never be used to anoint anyone else, and you must never make any blend like it for yourselves. It is holy, and you must treat it as holy. Ex 30:30-32 (NLT)

 

13 “Tell the people of Israel: Ex 31:13 (NLT) ‘Be careful to keep my Sabbath day, for the Sabbath is a sign of the covenant between me and you from generation to generation. Ex 31:13 (NLT)

 

16 The people of Israel must keep the Sabbath day by observing it from generation to generation. This is a covenant obligation for all time. 17 It is a permanent sign of my covenant with the people of Israel. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, but on the seventh day he stopped working and was refreshed. Ex 31:16-17 (NLT)

APPLICATION
(How Can I apply what God is saying here to my circumstances today?)

I was truly amazed and touched by the number of times in these two chapters that God told Moses how important His instructions were at the time, and how important it was that these instructions be carried on from generation to generation. While we hear from a lot of scholars, that claim to know a whole lot more than I do, that we are living under the New Testament, I can’t help but believe that these commands were placed appropriately in God’s Word for even us. Here are some things that I feel God said to me through these verses, and each bullet will represent each of the above sections:

  • It seems to me that God wants us to be a disciplined people. To follow His commands, without looking for excuses or trying to justify ourselves about how different we are today. In a movie I watched Saturday night it showed where the first steps in teaching karate is discipline, and even though the young man saw no reason in taking his jacket off about 1,000 times and doing various disciplined things each time he took it off, he later found that it was all for a good purpose. Likewise, we must believe that God has excellent reasoning in mind when He demands that we follow his commands. In this particular instance, we are to make His meeting place very special and give of our very best in respect to the presence of the universe.
  • At least once a year purify the temple and God’s people – I saw where this was done recently at revival services in a neighboring county and God worked in miraculous ways. There is nothing ‘ordinary’, or ‘traditional’ about coming into the presence of the Almighty. It is for a prepared people in a prepared place.
  • Anoint the leaders and helpers of the church – wow, if this was done at least annually, what an impact and encouragement this would have on our workers! To know that we have the prayers and support of the people we serve would be overwhelming encouragement and blessing.
  • Our Sabbath day has become anything but ‘holy’, and where is it getting us? I believe that we each can tell from the local, national and international news how chaotic life has gotten and how out of control crime and unrest has become. I see the opposite of this being a peaceful, loving, serving, giving, servant-led people, and only through God’s grace and us calling on Him daily, and finding ourselves in the right place at the right time, will we ever see such achievement.
  • God not only gave his commands, He went on to explain why He gave them. The Sabbath, a day to stop and reflect on the holiness of our Father, and to refresh ourselves. Two things so very critical in our lives and so badly needed to help our state of mind, and our relationship with our heavenly Father.

So with the above explanations, I believe that I can see where much of this is still very applicable to us today. Additionally, I believe that God’s Word is still true and deserves my undivided attention, not just certain parts of it. Praise be to God for His Holy Word!

PRAYER
(With God’s help, what am I going to do differently today because He said it?)

Father I thank You for providing Your Word as a lamp unto my feet. A Guide for me, and commands to direct my path each and every day. You know that my heart’s desire is to be more like You every day, and I thank You for providing me the insight and Guide book to do just that. Please give me the boldness and wisdom to follow these steps even in the sinful, evil world in which I live. May I always be a true example of You each and every day.