Pastors, Workers and Servants Praise The Lord

On 2023-02-082023-02-08 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Church Leaders, Needs, Pastors, Praise, Recognize God, Servants of God, The Church, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED Wednesday, 2023-02-08
WRITTEN AT: O’Brien, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Psalm 135:1-3
TRANSLATION: New International Version (NIV)

BIBLE TEXT: ¹Praise the Lord. Praise the name of the Lord; praise him, you servants of the Lord, ²you who minister in the house of the Lord, in the courts of the house of our God. ³Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good; sing praise to his name, for that is pleasant.

APPLICATION: I have never served as ‘Pastor’ of a local church, but I have filled many servant positions in the local church, so I can speak to the ways that I have seen where this has worked well and also stories from friends where this was a challenge. Before reading on, perhaps stop and have an internal discussion between you and God as to why the Psalmist may have seen importance in this, and because God saw need in having it be a part of His instructions to every generation, why does He see it as important for us. Friends, I firmly believe that in order for me to properly address this, I will need to borrow the words from 2 Chronicles 7:14, because I believe this may be the heart of our God for His people:

If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

Hopefully all church workers are ones who know God and call Him by name each and every day. But think carefully about this, dear ones, when thinking of ministry servants and leaders at your church. Hopefully this includes many in my readership. Remember, applying this personally, we should consider: If we know God personally; if we call Him by name; if we turn away from our wicked ways; if we seek His face, and we are not always after just His gifts to us; is there anything else that might prevent us from being on the same page as God and also hearing from Him? Think about the Sunday School teacher who stands in front of you on Sunday, and they have not done like the Psalmist said, or as was given to us in 2 Chronicles 7:14. Are they truly prepared to share from the depths of their heart relationship with God and the time spent in His Word that week? Could they sahre how we could truly incorporate such blessings into our lives in the following week? This is not picking on Sunday School teachers, because many churches are blessed with dedicated teachers who love the Lord and depend on Him each week in their obligation to fulfill their teaching role. But, just as the Psalmist shared, this example applies to all servants of the Most High God. If our pastors are not enjoying time together with the Lord and lifting up praise to Him in unison and in an effort to place the burden of their ‘sheep’ into the all-powerful hand of Almighty God, can we expect any better on Sunday morning when we show up and depend on them to help uplift our spirits and help us draw close to this God, that they themselves may not be close to? Few churches have choirs these days, but whether it’s a choir member, or a praise team member, if the spirit of our Holy God is not familiar in their hearts from a week of praising and drawing close to God, what is there that’s inside them to share with us on Sunday that would help draw us into worship? Pastors and teachers have an awesome responsibility to their members, and even as the Word says, it is not a position that one should desire. Instead, it must be one to which they are called to by God. In my almost 50 years of banking. If I spent most days doing everything else that was unassociated with my particular position, do you feel like I would have grown in my position? I feel like this is the same with our servants and leaders, and I feel that for all those who are not on the actual team, we have a deep responsibility to pray in earnest as we seek the face of Almighty God and beg His touch on our workers/servants/teachers/pastors of our churches. For what they have in them, from their week of experience and relationship with God, is what will be evident on Sunday morning when we get to church. Both the passage in Psalms today, and the one referenced in 2 Chronicles, apply to all of us. For although we may not have volunteered or been chosen as a named church leader, God chose us collectively in Matthew 28 when He commissioned us to go and tell the world about His saving grace and His love for all humanity. So, take from this today that we all should worship our Master every day, and never neglect humbling ourselves before God, praying, seeking His face, turning from our wicked ways, and watching for His mighty hand as He hears from Heaven and heals our land!

BLESSING(S) NOTED: Blessed be the name of Lord! The more we praise Him, the more joy will bubble from our hearts as we join with others in corporate worship!

PRAYER: So often we give the excuse that we just don’t have time for more activity in our lives, but I thank You Lord for teaching me that the truth of this whole matter is really that we will not give You the priority in our lives that You deserve. It’s easier for us to tell others it’s a matter of time, and then later sit with You in prayer and meditation and apologize for not making You a priority. Forgive us Lord. In the closing sentence of my ‘APPLICATION’ I named a few things that I believe Your Word made clear to my readers, listeners and I today. This can only come about if we commit ourselves to You with all our heart, soul and mind, and if we humble ourselves, pray and turn from our wicked ways. Please grant us Your power to accomplish Your will for us this day, so that we in turn we may honest, sincere and solid believers who will demonstrate Jesus in every word and action. 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!

How Will You & Your Church Be Known?

On 2023-02-072023-02-07 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Example of Christ, Genuine example of Jesus, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, The Church, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED Tuesday, 2023-02-07
WRITTEN AT: O’Brien, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: 1 Thessalonians 1:2-5
TRANSLATION: The Voice (VOICE)

BIBLE TEXT: ²We always thank God for all of you in our prayers. ³Your actions on behalf of the true faith, your tireless toil of love, and your unfailing, unwavering, unending hope in our Lord Jesus the Anointed before God our Father have put you consistently at the forefront of our thoughts. ⁴O brothers and sisters loved by God, we know He has chosen you. ⁵And here is why: what you experienced in the good news we brought you was more than words channeling down your ears; it came to you as a life-empowering, Spirit-infused message that offers complete hope and assurance! We lived transparently before you so that you would know what sort of people we truly are.

APPLICATION: Although I dreaded to see the time come for performance appraisals, or the ones I completed on my staff, I was always tickled to see how the ones who were serious about their job, rated themselves in their self-appraisal, compared to the ratings given by myself, their supervisor. At a church I attended at one time, there was a group who came to town and interviewed residents in the neighborhood surrounding our church. It was AMAZING to hear the number of people in that close proximity who never heard about our church, and some who never recalled ever seeing the building before, even though the church took up about 65% of a city block in that small neighborhood! What must have been going on in the church at Thessalonica for Paul to hear about it? Unfortunately, no matter how much we love our church, and how successful we think it is in meeting our spiritual needs, unless it reaches the ears of the community and provides life to them, they will see little value in what we do. If we don’t meet the spiritual needs that exist in our town, then we must question if we are truly following Jesus’ example. Let’s take a deeper dive into the qualities that Paul saw in this church of his day and compare those to our individual ministries, or those by the church we have settled into for cooperate ministry:

Although not a quality, let your pastor and your church know that they could count on you to pray for them and their ministry. If you can seriously follow thru, then this will encourage them to a deeper and more committed ministry than anything they have done before!
When it is obvious that your work is totally prompted, performed and promoted by your faith;
When your labor is always prompted by love – find a believer passionate about the needs of individuals or communities, and they will wear themselves out trying to meet their needs!
Endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ – in other words, your actions are inspired by our Lord, and you could care less about your actions benefiting you, your church or your finances. Endurance – keep on plugging away until Christ returns! Don’t let the world discourage you or cause you to give up. Christ didn’t give up on us, so let us imitate Him in not giving up!
Chosen by God. Others will recognize your faith by your works! If Christ is in you, He will shine through you and others will soon discern that you were chosen by God for a time and place such as this.

I often wonder, if the world can’t see it, is it truly there? You know what I’m talking about – can Jesus be in you, and it not be evident to those you come into contact with? Are you trying to please the world, or are you obedient to, and totally open to the Master speaking and acting through you to meet the needs of those you come into contact with? My prayer is that this would become more evident each day, and in every word or action, for it’s all about Him – my Master, and not anything prompted by me.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: Praise God, Paul was able to see the fruit of his labor and his prayers in the church at Thessalonica. He ministered, but God produced an awesome return in the work there as He went on to bless others who needed it.

PRAYER: Dear Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, You placed us in this world, sent Your Holy Spirit to rescue us from our sin and an unsaved world who needs exactly what we have. We acknowledge that Satan interferes way too often by distracting us from the mission we dedicated to you, so we need you more and more each day to help us stay on track for the duration of time You have given to us here on earth. Oh Lord, may the meditation of our hearts, the words we speak, and the actions needed in obedience to Your will, be acceptable to You, my eternal Savior and Rock of my salvation. May others see, and believe today because of Your work channeled through me, my readers and my listeners. AMEN!

May Your Church Bring Honor To Christ

On 2022-11-222022-11-22 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, God-honoring, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, The Church, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED Tuesday, 2022-11-22
WRITTEN AT: O’Brien, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Philippians 1:27
TRANSLATION: Contemporary English Version (CEV)

BIBLE TEXT: ²⁷Above all else, you must live in a way that brings honor to the good news about Christ. Then, whether I visit you or not, I will hear that all of you think alike. I will know that you are working together and are struggling side by side to get others to believe the good news.

APPLICATION: Why do you suppose that we are such miserable folk as to find fault with everything, and everyone at our respective churches? When imperfectness meets together with others who are imperfect, does it not result in imperfect results? So how do we correct this? Friends, we are reminded by the Holy Spirit, through Paul, that we must live, and meet together with certain goals in mind:
~**~ The Purpose For Which We Meet – Imagine after a long week at work, where so much has gone down between envious employees, that you would dare awaken and choose to go to a place that supposedly represents a loving and miraculous God, but you have foreknowledge that there is much strife and embattlement going on between its members? Paul said that the church should be meeting to bring honor to the good news of Jesus Christ. A church that fails in that, will look like what I just described. Remember, the ‘church’ is the people, or the body – you and I, that assembles in the name of Jesus. Paul also emphasized this same subject in Romans 12:18, so I am convinced that it was important then, as it should be now. In as much as it depends on me, may I always live at peace with everyone!
~**~ Evidence of being a Philippians 1 Church – ‘Think alike‘ – isn’t it interesting that for every person in a church business meeting, you will find their own respective views on something?! Yet, if we are living under the same principles, we will tend to ‘think alike’! ‘Work Together‘ – I heard an older church member say at one time while working on a project for the church, if only the others would disappear, then I might get the work done. While this may be true in certain circumstances, I believe that God uses such times to strengthen our bond with each other so we could, in turn, go on to accomplish ministry together. ‘Struggling side-by-side‘ – As we help to bear one another’s burdens, they learn to trust and appreciate us, to again form an admirable ministry partner. ‘Get others to believe the Good News‘ – If we keep this as our common goal, we will work together to achieve the goal for which Jesus saved us – ‘Go and tell the world about Me‘
Let’s not forget, we must live in a way that brings glory to God and shows the world that we represent the Good News of which we preach and teach!

BLESSING(S) NOTED: When we follow the teaching God gave to Paul for us, we will see the work of our Master take hold and seem enticing to even the hardest sinner. Oh, that Jesus will shine through His children and may He be glorified through everything accomplished by His saints.

PRAYER: You are a merciful Father, for You rescued us from our sin and directed our path to represent You in this wicked and sinful world. Oh, how easily we forget how far You brought us from, so we struggle to identify with others who are traveling the same road as we did. Please forgive us, Lord. Thank You for this reminder today that to be effective in ministry, we must live as You taught us to, and allow others to see in us all that they have learned about You. As they see You in us, Lord, may they also have a growing desire to know You personally and invite You to rule and reign in their lives. I believe that most who will read or listen to this devotional today, will identify with the struggles of the local church. Please let the change begin in us. As we strive to demonstrate all that we know of Your teachings and commands, may others take note and have a growing desire to do the same. Please help us to straighten up and fly right, so that the lost will have hope as they see You evidenced in our lives. To God be the glory, for the great things You have done, and will continue to do, until Jesus returns to take His church home! AMEN!

No Small Thing To Serve The Living God

On 2022-03-292022-03-29 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, Servants of God, Serve, Service, The Church, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED Tuesday, 2022-03-29
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Numbers 16:9
TRANSLATION: New Living Translation (NLT)

BIBLE TEXT: ⁹Does it seem insignificant to you that the God of Israel has chosen you from among all the community of Israel to be near him so you can serve in the Lord’s Tabernacle…

APPLICATION: There have been times where I have accepted positions of service in the local church because, from all indications, there just appeared to be no one else capable, or willing, to serve in that position. That might be hard for some to believe, especially those who might struggle to identify the struggles that small churches face. In the case of the early church, God had assigned a special class of people called the Levites to perform all duties related to the church. This may seem unreal to some, but considering the importance of the church, no doubt God wanted to make sure that it received particular attention because of the organization and diligence of designated men. This same thing occurs every time your church doors are opened. There are designated people who keep the building and grounds clean, and looking its very best. It can only be that way if these men and women feel the value placed on them as workers for the kingdom, and when they recognize His Sanctuary as the place where His children meet and worship the King of all kings. Additionally there are workers who ready the building for occupancy – lights, air conditioning, etc. Some workers will come to pray about the services and discipleship classes that will occur, while some will come to welcome and direct everyone to their classes or to the sanctuary. Please note that these are not positions designated in God’s Word, but they are probably in place as ordered by church leaders, and they serve the purpose of making it possible and inviting for worshippers to attend and meet with God. Whether you fill any of the aforementioned jobs, or if you teach, preach, or hold an administrative job, notice that God does not consider any efforts to promote His church as insignificant. Therefore, let me encourage you to complete your work as if your specific job helped to lead someone to a personal relationship with the Lord that day you served. I once had a pastor who practiced at each baptism, having everyone stand who had any impact on the candidate’s life. Think about that, you may only have invited them through the doors, but because of your warm smile or encouraging word, they kept coming back. You may have prayed for them, or taught them in Sunday School, but each and every thing done in the name of Jesus will be considered on that day when you meet your Master. I long to hear His welcome and his pat on the back as He tells me ‘well done good and faithful servant. You excelled in the little things I led you to do on earth, now enjoy your rewards and the greater things of heaven!’ Remember, anything you do in God’s service should be done for His honor and His glory alone, so never feel forced into doing something, but in whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God!

BLESSING(S) NOTED: For the believer in Jesus Christ, do everything as unto the Lord. He will bless and direct your paths, for His name’s sake!

PRAYER: Thank You Lord for opportunities to do Your work while here on earth. Please help us to never take on a task feeling like it was forced on us or because there was no one else who would do it. Lord, You sacrificed Your very life to facilitate the forgiveness of our sin. There is nothing too big, or too laborious for us as we seek to serve You and invite others into Your kingdom. Use each reader or listener for Your rich service here on earth. May the church be the church just as you designed it to be, and may You be glorified in everything we do. AMEN!

Respect The Place Where God Resides

On 2021-07-132021-07-13 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, Righteous Living, The Church, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Tuesday, 2021-07-13
WRITTEN AT: Casa Grande, AZ

SCRIPTURE FROM: Numbers 35:34
TRANSLATION: The Voice (VOICE)

BIBLE TEXT: ³⁴You won’t pollute the land where you live and where I also have chosen to dwell among you. I, the Eternal One, dwell among the Israelites.

APPLICATION: As things occur in our lives that God always knows about, there are times that He has to help us understand why they are happening; or perhaps how we should handle the situation; or we may even be given wisdom to know that with God, all things are possible. It was no different with the Israelites, God’s very own people. In our Scripture, God was dealing with the subject of murder. And although He had already told Moses how displeased He was with the act, He went on to warn Moses, as I believe He is doing with us, that He will not reside where sin abounds. Please don’t question God’s unlimited intelligence by saying that you don’t know what He’s talking about. Yes, you may have never murdered another human being, but when He said that He wants us too keep His place of abode righteous, I believe He included this incidence in the Bible so that we could also take note of His strong distain against sin. You see, many of us reading this Scripture and this devotional may have accepted Jesus as our personal Savior. While I’m sure that makes God overjoyed at receiving one more of His children into His kingdom, I believe He becomes just as angry with us as He did with the Israelites, for we go to some of the same places where we used to go; we join in on some of the same dirty conversations that we used to; and we create havoc between God’s children that leads to disharmony, and that is strongly against God’s will and purpose. It’s like we leave God at the altar of the church, and we go out and return to our sinful ways. The Word of God says that the Holy Spirit indwells the life of the believer. So when you visit those old places, you are exposing God to the sin that goes on there. When you curse another child of His or share evil and conniving things that will hurt another child, you are exposing God to your old, evil mindset. Also, having worked in leadership of the local church for many years, it is frightening to know the evil things that go on among God’s people. We regularly invite God to join with us in His place of worship as we lift up holy hands and sing His praises, but dear friends, can we truly expect Him to honor our requests when there is so much jealousy, envy, strife and sin of almost every nature occurring right inside of our four walls? We ask for His guidance in helping us save our businesses, yet we steal, cheat and act greedy towards even the poor who enter our doors. Will God consider entering there to bless our businesses? I believe by now you are getting the idea of where the Holy Spirit led me as I meditated on this Scripture today. If we invite Him to live within us, then we must be prepared to cleanse our sanctuary so that He may indwell us in a setting of righteousness that is free from sin. If we invite God to be present with us in our church services, we must cleanse ourselves of all sin, so that God may enter the Holy of Holies in a sin-free environment that is especially designed for a righteous God. Friends, I know that we are not perfect, but please be reminded that God is. He can cleanse us for all our unrighteousness and make us white as snow, so I know that He can give us wisdom to also keep ourselves holy. When our churches are filled with God’s holy people, then it will be suitable for God to live there and to meet with us as we seek His face. Sin is unacceptable to our righteous God, whether it be murder, or what we may often consider to be minor sins like: stealing, gossip, lying, hatred, etc. Only the blood of Jesus can wash us clean and make us holy, just as the Master is. Seek Him today while He may be found, Precious child of the King!

BLESSING(S) NOTED: God resides where there is no sin. Oh that He will comfort and rest in us, and in the environment where we find ourselves!

PRAYER: Dear Lord, please forgive us for treating Your grace so lightly. Through peer pressure and often for popularity purposes, we tend to accept You as Lord of our lives. These are often poor excuses for such an important decision. Lord, speak to us again through Your Holy Spirit, so that our decisions may be genuine. We need You every hour of every day, to help us stay on track and to live righteous lives, even as You are righteous. The unsaved will be disgusted over hypocrisy, Lord please help us to present ourselves as genuine children of the King so that they may see Jesus, so that they may believe, so that they may surrender their lives to Your lordship. AMEN!

We Are Worth Dying For!

On 2020-02-19 By Ed AlgreenIn Christian love, Church Leaders, Love, Love others, The Church, The love of God, Unconditional loveLeave a comment

Wednesday, 2020-02-19

Bible Reference: Acts 20:28
Translation: Amplified Bible (AMP)

Bible Text: ²⁸Take care and be on guard for yourselves and for the whole flock over which the Holy Spirit has appointed you as overseers, to shepherd (tend, feed, guide) the church of God which He bought with His own blood.

OBSERVATION: Paul tried to tell the church leaders at Ephesus how important their job was, and he not only based that importance on his dedication and hard work, but he also explained that the value of the church to God was such that He was willing to have His Son die for it. Many of my readers are probably workers in the church, or involved in ministry in one way or another. How seriously are you taking that work? Ever have to sacrifice for those whom you are serving in God’s church?

APPLICATION: Paul was passionate about the ministry and had traveled to many places sharing the story of Jesus with all who would listen. It is apparent from this Scripture that Paul felt very responsible for the work that he started, and as he shared with the leaders being charged with continuing the work, we could easily tell that it was difficult for Paul to pass along this responsibility. However, I was reminded of a current day parallel to what Paul faced. Think about a new mom who is about to leave her child at the daycare for the first time. There is usually a lot of concern that the daycare workers would know what to expect from this new infant, and there would be detailed steps for them to follow, to make sure that the child is well taken care of after the mother goes on to work. The mother is looking for very caring attention, with responses that would assure her that her child is being left with professionals who would take the same care with the newborn as the mother would do. I love the extra commentary added by the Amplified Bible, for it helps us to really understand the heart of Paul for the church. So of course this made me think about the church today. God uses the foolishness of preaching and the worship of His people to draw men to Himself. Then He turns to His caretakers in the church – the pastor, elders and other church leaders and teachers, and He says like He did through Paul: Now take care of these dear children. Love on them; meet their needs; teach them my Word; correct them spiritually and lovingly, as needed; and don’t think twice about it, because I want you to remember how much I loved the church. And if you want to live just like me, then I believe you will want to love the church and do everything you can for it, just like I did. How obligated are you feeling about all that you do for the church? Don’t we often feel that way? But if we loved the church like Jesus did/does, should there be a feeling of obligation; stress; ungratefulness; with no return to us for all we do and/or give? I believe that this Scripture should open our eyes to do all that we could for the church – all of it’s members, because we love the church just like Jesus does. We’re His followers, His imitators, and undeserved recipients of His love. Why shouldn’t we love the church unconditionally? This will result in Christ-Followers having a desire to be just like their Master. Is He your Master and Lord dear friend? Please read through my Footnote and visit the links that I have included, perhaps the information will be helpful for you as you seek to respond to Jesus after reading this Scripture and my blog today.

PRAYER: Oh to be like Jesus, is all that I ask of Him. To do His will, as reminded by Paul in this Scripture today, will not only bless my readers and myself, but as we react from the impact of God’s Word in our lives, others will come to know Him and want to serve Him faithfully in all that they do. Please speak to the hearts of Your children again today dear Lord. May we shine forth in our work for You without any feeling of obligation or remorse. May You be glorified in Your church today Lord, and may we complete the work You have assigned for us to do. AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog might indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and read more, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Sebring, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would encourage you to attend my home church. 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!

Your Purpose in the local Church

On 2017-12-30 By Ed AlgreenIn Church, Church attendance, Church growth, Church Leaders, The ChurchLeave a comment

Post Date:	Saturday, 2017-12-30
SCRIPTURE
From:	Acts 6:2-4 (AMP)
Text:	²So the Twelve called the disciples together and said, “It is not appropriate for us to neglect [teaching] the word of God in order to serve tables and manage the distribution of food. ³Therefore, brothers, choose from among you seven men with good reputations [men of godly character and moral integrity], full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this task. ⁴But we will [continue to] devote ourselves [steadfastly] to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”
OBSERVATION:
The apostles were working hard in the ministry of the Word – teaching and preaching, but they heard rumblings that the poor were not being attended to. Instead of them distracting themselves from their convictions about the ministry they were responsible for, they set out to choose seven additional men for that purpose. I want us to think about the purpose that God has placed us in His church? We are about to start a New Year, Lord willing. What does God have in store for you to do in His ministry next year?
APPLICATION:
In just the first few verses of this chapter in Acts we see a few different categories of church attendees. I believe that it would behoove us to examine ourselves before God and identify which group we belong to – or should be striving to achieve. Here are the groups I see, and I will call them what most churches seem to use today: Pastors and Elders: I believe that these are what this Scripture referred to as ‘Apostles’. It was clear from the Scripture that these men took the serious responsibility of prayer and ministry of the word – teaching and preaching. Deacons: I believe that our deacons today are the equivalent of the servants chosen and ordained to help with the serving and administering of the church affairs. These men had to fit the parameters outlined by the apostles. I believe this is important for the church today also, because these men are not just representing the church as they go out to help the poor, but they are also representing God. The Support Team: This would be the congregation who is a part of the church with a very warm and sincere heart. A heart that is in constant prayer for the ministry, and supports the decisions made by their leaders, knowing that those godly men serve as a result of their faithful, personal prayers. As in the case of Moses’ arms being lifted up as he led the battle, so are these folk lifting up their Pastors, Elders and Deacons. These great folk consists of the men and women who will serve as lay leaders and a group from whom the next set of ordained leaders will be chosen. The whiners and complainers: You might say that this group is good for the church as they alert Pastors, Elders and Deacons to things that others may not see. While this could be true, I want you to remember what it feels like to have a thorn stuck in your side all day! Where this group could become helpful, is if they become Positively Critical. This happens when they pray for the success of their leaders and the strength, maturity and growth of the church body. You will always be very positive for those you pray favorably for, and your whining and complaints will become concerns that you want to help resolve and/or pray for! The uncommitted: Unfortunately there are many who are uncommitted in their marriage, their workplace and in their church. Some are known in church circles as Christmas and Easter Christians, because that’s the only time they make an effort to attend church. Some are hit and miss on attending church at all, but since they were raised and baptized in that church, they consider that their church home. Unfortunately these folk tend to be undependable about attending classes or learning more about God, because they are uncommitted to Him and His church. Friends, I believe that you will fit into one of the above groups. But I hope that you are always striving to grow and mature into the next group up. Jesus was perfect, and I believe it would thrill His heart to see us grow and mature into a perfect church under His leadership and development.
PRAYER:
Lord You are faithful to us, even when we are sometimes unworthy and unusable in Your ministry here on earth. Thank You for reaching into our hearts and awakening us from the grip of Satan, and the evil so prevalent in this world. As in any army battling evil and wrong doing, we continually need a few more good men and women to work in Your ministry to try and reach the lost and needy of our community. Please touch us Lord, help us to be Your arms extended and outreached to show the love of Jesus in every way and in everything we do. May our commitment and willingness to serve reach way beyond the four walls of our churches, and wherever man is found. I am so looking forward to the day that we will all look full into the eyes of our blessed Savior and sing Your praises throughout all eternity. Come Lord Jesus, come! 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!

A Community of Believers

On 2017-12-20 By Ed AlgreenIn Church, Humble, Humbleness, Humility, Salvation, Saved, The ChurchLeave a comment

Post Date:	Wednesday, 2017-12-20
SCRIPTURE
From:	Acts 2:42-44 (ERV)
Text:	⁴²The believers spent their time listening to the teaching of the apostles. They shared everything with each other. They ate together and prayed together. ⁴³Many wonders and miraculous signs were happening through the apostles, and everyone felt great respect for God. ⁴⁴All the believers stayed together and shared everything.
OBSERVATION:
Peter and the apostles taught the Word of God and many were saved. At one time over 3,000 joined the church in one day. I believe that these verses may hold the secret, or the key to the reason for the success in these services that started at Pentecost. I wonder if this could be repeated today? I wonder why there was such success? Let’s dig in and have a look…
APPLICATION:
I believe the biggest divide in churches today is probably caused by a few things: 1). Satan is determined to slow, or stop the work of the Holy Spirit and the advancement of God’s kingdom here on earth. 2). Riches and favoritism is probably one of the greatest divides in churches, for the affluent wants what they want, when they want it, or they will stop financially supporting the church and move to another one. This can even affect what is spoken from the pulpit, as the last thing some pastors want, is to ‘step on the toes’ of those that places food on the church family’s table. 3). The less affluent will soon feel left out, or abandoned, or ignored, and will move to a church where they feel like the love of God is extended to all attendees or members. As for this church referred to in these verses, everyone sold what they had and placed the money in a common account for the good of the whole congregation. Going before the throne of grace at that time, then meant that they were all equal in earthly things. It meant that they all went to God with their hands held out, waiting for His blessing and provision. It meant that anything achieved could only come from God. Can you imagine how humbling that would be today if everyone was in the same position when they stood before God? What impact do you suppose this would have on: our pride; our humbleness; our understanding and appreciation of each other; and our ability to feel what others are feeling outside of our group? I believe it will make all the difference in the world, and I believe that it will open our eyes to what it will be like when we stand before Jesus on Judgment Day. Perhaps despondent people will then flock to our churches, and to Christ. No matter how much money we ask our family to pack into our casket with us, we will stand before Christ just as we came into the world – of no earthly value. Perhaps we could learn today to reconsider our attitude toward others, and especially humble ourselves before Jesus as just another sinner saved by grace. If you have not surrendered your life to Jesus Christ yet, may I encourage you to make that a priority today? This may be the last opportunity you will have to approach Him from here on earth, and I really want you to be ready, friend.
PRAYER:
Lord, You used Your servants to minister to Your children gathered for that first Pentecost meeting recorded above. I believe that You are just as concerned for Your children today, and that You want them to be saved and/or encouraged to humble themselves before You just as they are. Thank You for opening our eyes today dear Lord, and thank You for giving us a second chance to rid ourselves of pride and all unrighteousness. Please make us holy, even as You are holy. 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!

Your Church – House of ‘Prayer’?

On 2017-08-312017-08-31 By Ed AlgreenIn Church, Power of Prayer, Prayer, The ChurchLeave a comment

Post Date:	Thursday, 2017-08-31
SCRIPTURE
From:	Luke 19:45-47 (NLT)
Text:	⁴⁵Then Jesus entered the Temple and began to drive out the people selling animals for sacrifices. ⁴⁶He said to them, “The Scriptures declare, ‘My Temple will be a house of prayer,’ but you have turned it into a den of thieves.”⁴⁷After that, he taught daily in the Temple….
OBSERVATION:
In the verses immediately preceding these, Jesus entered into Jerusalem and wept over the city because of all that He saw going on there. The sadness stirred His anger as He walked into the temple, a place set aside for prayer, as declared in Isaiah 56:7. Jesus immediately thought of the prophecy by Jeremiah where he declared that the house of God would be turned in a den of thieves (Jer. 7:11). Let’s see how this impacts us today….
APPLICATION:
In our study yesterday, we looked at the results of the Israelites ‘crying out to God’. My interpretation of that is: they were pleading earnestly with God in prayer for Him to rescue them. Throughout the Bible we see example after example where successful, dedicated men of God pleaded earnestly with God for His protection, guidance and wisdom. Would you dare say that each of our churches are more dedicated to prayer than anything else in our ministry? I believe that I can safely say that churches today are more geared towards praise and worship, preaching the Word, youth and children’s programs and adult ministries that may, or may not, be linked to a Bible Study or prayer. For those churches who still have prayer meetings, it is one of the least attended services of the week, with very few exceptions. So this makes me question, can God look at our church as a real Isaiah 56:7 church? I believe, that we can attribute this to the heart of our people during the week. If we pray and meditate during the week, we will certainly miss that, and demand it for the church at large, during corporate worship, or even that we hold special prayer meetings. I heard one old saint say that if all we were going to do on Wednesday nights is pray, he just won’t come, for he wanted to hear the Pastor teach! This may be the heart set of many, but yet we call it ‘Prayer Meeting’! Jesus said in 2 Chronicles 7:14 that ‘if my people would humble themselves and pray, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven….’ Friends, I believe this is telling us that we need God’s help to turn from our wicked ways; we need His power to heal our wicked, sinful land; and we know for sure that He is the only one capable of touching the heart of mankind and creating within them a desire to accept Jesus as Lord. This all starts with prayer! Please give this a much higher priority in your home, in your church, and in your life! As God heals our land, you will be among that crowd!
PRAYER:
Lord Jesus, just as You cleansed the temple before You taught, please cleanse me of all my sin so that You may also teach me Your truths and give me opportunities to share that with others. Lord, I would also ask that You work in the lives of our church leaders to assume the primary focus of Your intent for the church, that it be a place of prayer, where we sometime preach, and teach, and have fun times, and have great praise teams, etc. May the main thing be the main thing in my church oh Lord, my Rock, my Redeemer; and soon coming King, 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!

Here’s The Reason Jesus Came

On 2017-07-16 By Ed AlgreenIn Effective Ministry, Reflective of Jesus Christ, The ChurchLeave a comment

Sunday, 2017-07-16

Scripture

Bible Reference: Mark 2:17

Bible Text: 17 When Jesus heard this, he told them, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.”

Bible Translation: New Living Translation (NLT)

My Take

The attention given to the unrighteous, reminds me of a friend who is attracted to the one who sits at the back of the church and may be feeling dejected. I am also made keenly aware of why our churches are not reaching many of the unsaved in our communities. Think about it, who do most of our church members hang around? Fellow Christians, right? What happens to a pastor or church leader who may be seen hanging around a questionable crowd? Jesus said that He came for those who know that they are sinners. Wouldn’t that be a bold statement for a church to acknowledge that they exist for the sake of the unsaved? Who generally devours most of your pastor’s time, the saved or the unsaved? Where do most of your budget dollars go – towards reaching the lost; or patting the backs of the saved, and keeping them entertained? Will the unsaved feel welcomed at your worship services, or will they feel looked down on by the masses? Are you a part of a ministry that imitates the desire of Jesus, seeking to reach those who know they are sinners? If we are to be about our Father’s work, I believe we should be busy doing exactly what He showed and taught us to do. Can you handle that friend?

Prayer

Lord, may we Your children be willing to minister to those in need of a Savior more than just ministering to those just like us, or those we like. You came so that the lost might be saved and see the Kingdom of God. Please help us to keep that as our focus of ministry. I ask these things 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 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!

Nuggets From God's Word

Category: The Church