Category: The Father’s Love

The Heart In Which To Perform Your Job

On By Ed AlgreenIn Christian love, Clean Heart, Know God's Heart, Love of God, Love others, The Father's Love, The love of God, Things God loves, Unconditional loveLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Wednesday, 2020-03-04
WRITTEN AT: Paul B Johnson State Park, Hattiesburg, MS

Bible Reference: 2 Chronicles 19:9
Translation: New Living Translation (NLT)

Bible Text: 9 These were his instructions to them: “You must always act in the fear of the Lord, with faithfulness and an undivided heart.

OBSERVATION: In our Scripture today we read, with keen interest, the instructions that King Jehoshaphat gave to the judges that he appointed. I wonder if similar words are found in today’s induction ceremonies of our judges? But more than this, my heart was touched to think about those who serve in places of leadership in our churches. What about you fellow believer and leader in your own church, do you, or would you take an oath to serve under similar instruction to that offered by King Jehoshaphat? Take time to meditate on this today dear friends.

APPLICATION: I often print out the content of verses where God speaks to my soul, and I would pin those verses at places where I’m bound to look on them several times a day. This is one of those verses that would be an ideal to have stuck to your home PC monitor and/or at work, as a constant reminder from God about how to best complete your job, while honoring Him in the process. Friends, with God directing us and leading the way for us, how can we go wrong? How can we not be in His perfect will? Will this always be easy? No, but in verse 11 the king instructed the Levites to ‘Take courage as you fulfill your duties, and may the Lord be with those who do what is right.’ I am convinced that when we do right and always seek God’s direction for our decisions, we can know that God is by our side, giving us full support, encouragement and ultimate confidence. My greatest desire is to see our church leaders always look to God, and seek His heart for the ministry to which He has called them. I believe that when church leaders make their decisions and perform their responsibilities, they will have a greater desire to do God’s work without hesitation, knowing that they are pleasing Him, and that they are in the center of His perfect will for His church. When we do that, I believe that individually we will be blessed beyond comprehension or anything we could imagine. Let’s always remember, it’s God’s work; it’s His kingdom that we aim to attain; and it’s His blessings that we desire more than anything else. So let us learn to seek Him, obey Him and always praise Him for His love and His perfect will for our lives and the life of His church. God being my helper, I will always do the best job that I can do in everything assigned or attempted, for His ultimate glory, honor and praise! Consider joining me in this vow, so the world can see what its like to have ‘real’ Christian leaders in authority over them, and consequently find every reason to praise God for it!

PRAYER: Lord, thank You for Your precious Word. Our world is so filled with hatred, greed and selfishness, that I believe Your followers want to see in their church leaders, those who are chosen by You, ordained by You and blessed by You to fulfill the honest work of Your kingdom, in the fear of the Lord. Oh that Your church might become the place where troubled souls run to for refuge, and where leaders are wholeheartedly seeking and following Your will. Please protect Your church from the harm of being a stumbling block to those feeling led to be Your follower. May it always be obvious that Your house is a place of prayer, a place of worship, and a place where love abounds. May this encourage attendees to want this type of characteristic in their own homes and families. AMEN!

God Will Take Care of You!

On By Ed AlgreenIn Caring, God Cares For Us, The Father's Love, The love of God, Unconditional loveLeave a comment

Friday, 2019-08-29

Bible Reference: 1 Kings 17:2-4
Translation: New Living Translation (NLT)

Bible Text:  2 Then the Lord said to Elijah, 3 “Go to the east and hide by Kerith Brook, near where it enters the Jordan River. 4 Drink from the brook and eat what the ravens bring you, for I have commanded them to bring you food.”

OBSERVATION: No matter what may be the worry, or the concern, or the shortfall today, my God will take care of you! Concerns are many, but it is evident from our Scripture that God will take care of us, even when life seems impossible to us. Stop and meditate with me on this thought today dear friends. I believe that you will be blessed, and encouraged to praise the Lord who has it all under His careful control!

APPLICATION:  I Love that old gospel song: “Be not dismayed …. God Will Take Care of You“! On reading these verses this morning I was reminded that for all those times that we feel so worn, or so distraught about life’s circumstances – perhaps the loss of a loved one that leaves us wondering how on earth can we possibly go on without them; or perhaps because of financial woes that make us feel so trapped into thinking that we work to satisfy bills only; or perhaps unemployment that makes us look inward and question our own personal worth; no matter the circumstance, we tend to wonder ‘Why me, Lord’ and then question how can we possibly overcome our particular circumstance. Friends, I wish you would take time to read the whole passage linked in the scripture reference, because you will see the reason why God sent Elijah to the Jordan River bank to hang out in the first place, then you will also see what other miracles God performed to take care of Elijah, even beyond this feeding miracle at the Jordan River. Whether Elijah realized it or not, he was at a crossroads to where he may not have survived the drought if God had not intervened and taken care of him. I rejoiced in seeing how God worked through Elijah later on to bring a young man back to life, because it made me realize the importance of not giving up on God, and instead allowing Him to work on us, in us, and through us for the purpose of His greater accomplishments – for the kingdom, and at a time pleasing to God. Friends, our ways are not God’s ways, so we are called on to be faithful and sure in our faith, knowing that what He works out in and through us will serve to benefit Him and bless us tremendously. So may I encourage you dear friend to stand firm in your faith, depend on God, and open yourself to the wondrous things He will do through You. Please know that your personal circumstances may look totally different to what God has in store for you. Trust Him, wait on Him and allow Him to be God in your life. Know that when You place your faith, trust, and total life in His hands, He WILL Take Care of You!

PRAYER: To the loving, caring, awesome God that I serve; thank You Father for watching over me, taking care of me, and guiding my footsteps each and every day. Because I am still alive, I know that Your work is still in progress and I trust in You for whatever You would have me do. Please have Your will and way. Please continue to take care of me, and especially on those days when life seems impossible to me, or the future seems so questionable. Lord, there are many who will stop by to read this devotional today, please reinforce to them how much You care for them, and remind them of the enormous love that You have for them. Lord, I ask these thinks in faith, and in the precious name of Jesus, Your Son and my Savior, AMEN!

The Way That I Love You

On By Ed AlgreenIn Jesus Loves you, Love, Love God, Love of God, The Father's Love, The love of God, Things God loves, Unconditional loveLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE  FROM:   Psalm 123:1-2 (TPT)

TEXT:  1 O God-Enthroned in heaven, I worship and adore you!
2 The way I love you is like the way a servant wants to please his master, the way a maid waits for the orders of her mistress. We look to you, our God, with passionate longing to please you and discover more of your mercy and grace

OBSERVATION:   In reading how David meticulously told God how he loved Him, I hope that this might cause us to think about doing the same. I believe we struggle in doing this with earthly friends, spouse included, so I could only imagine what a challenge this would pose for us to stop and describe to God how much, and in what ways we love Him! Let’s meditate on the love of God today, and on how we might describe our love for Him.

APPLICATION:   I’ve seen this done at church, where the congregation was asked to give descriptive words of how they know that God loves them, and why they love God. Very often this comes with a lot of Biblical terms, churchy words, and words that you might hear from the pulpit, or over Christian radio. But I wonder how much more personal this might be if it was just you and God. If there were no devices, and no distractions, but you became overwhelmed with the thought of how powerful God is; how loving He is; how forgiving He is; and that God brought you to a point where you realized that He is an awesome God who loves you – individually, more than anything else in the world. What would you have to say to Him in return? Remember, it’s just you and God present and He wants to hear your heart. What would you say? Perhaps you’ve seen Him in the Word as you meditated on it today; perhaps in a song; perhaps in the beauty of the outdoors; perhaps a beautiful animal – one of His wonders, just ran in front of you; or perhaps your mind reflected back on the love of God, and/or how He touched you during a recent life event. Friends, our God is ever present, and I believe He is just waiting for us to praise Him for His amazing greatness, if only we will separate ourselves from the busyness of life and allow our hearts and minds to connect with our Creator. Allow these words of David to reinvigorate your heart, soul and mind and cause you to focus on your Maker. He is so worthy of our praise friends!

PRAYER:   Lord Jesus, how can we say thanks for the things You have done for us? How can we love You near as much as You love us? How can we give to our Master who has everything? Yet You have prepared a place for us to spend eternity with You and Your Father! Praise God that in spite of our inadequacies yet You love us anyway, and You have given us life itself to enjoy while here on earth. Thank You for who You are, and for all You do and show to us precious Father. May we show love and appreciation to You in every way and as frequently as our hearts could imagine. In Jesus’ name, AMEN!

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

 

The Hope We Have in God!

On By Ed AlgreenIn Evangelize, Hope, Love of God, The Father's Love, The love of God, Unconditional loveLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE  FROM:   Ezekiel 11:18-21 (VOICE)

TEXT:  18 When they return home, they will demolish all the disgusting idols and remove all the shocking images from the land. 19 I will give them a new will—an undivided heart—and plant a new spirit within them; I will remove their cold, stony heart and replace it with a warm heart of flesh. 20 Then they will follow My commands and uphold My laws and actually do as I say. They will be My people, and I will be their God. 21 As for those who remain dedicated to their disgusting idols and shocking images, the very things they have done will be brought down upon them as judgment.

OBSERVATION:  I believe that Ezekiel had such a burden for his people who had settled in other lands and living like people without any hope. But praise God, Ezekiel knew the King of all hope, and he knew that God had the power to save his people and return them to their land of promise. Knowing this, I’m sure that Ezekiel stayed in constant prayer for his people, and I could only imagine the impact this vision must have had on him. God is very aware of our concern for our land also, and I believe that our sincere concern becomes God’s priority. So let’s look deeper into this thought today…

APPLICATION:   Often I believe that our prayers may be hindered by our doubt that God could ever do something good, and merciful, and wonderful in the lives of those who live out of touch with Him, and who seem to be so tightly controlled by Satan. However, as in the case of family and loved ones, where we never cease praying for their salvation and an ultimate touch by God, so it should be as we look on those where we might first think as impossible subjects, who may be guilty of hideous crimes, or are hated by our society because of their total disregard for the things of God. Friends, I believe that it boils down to us being reminded that there is nothing beyond the reach, authority, or saving power of our awesome God. He created all of us, not just the ones that have accepted His lordship. He went to the cross for all of us, not just those that we know are susceptible to accepting Him as Lord and Savior. There is hope of everyone alive, not just those from religious backgrounds, or those who attend church at least occasionally. Christians, when we pray, let us never forget that God can reach into the stoniest heart and melt away the desires of sin. Let’s never forget that He did this for us! And while we might try to quickly clear up for the sceptic, that we were never such a bad person, we must also quickly confess that we were far from ‘perfect’ and we were still classified as a ‘sinner’ in God’s eyes. So friends, never lose sight of who God is, and what He did for us on Calvary. John 3:16 reminds us that ‘who-so-ever believeth on Him will be saved’. Let’s remember that when we pray. The individuals we may be asked to pray for, or that we may be burdened for, may seem like impossible subjects for heaven, but God said in His Word, that He could wash them as white as snow. In our Scripture today, God reminds us that He would give them a new will, an undivided heart and a new spirit. He would remove their cold, stony heart and in turn, fill them with a warm heart of flesh that is willing to obey Him. Our God has not lost His power friends. He is still concerned about us, and our friends that seem to be so cold to the things of God. Do you have the faith to seek Him with all your heart and ask Him to save your family, friends, neighbors, criminals, murderers, etc. who seem so hardened by sin and attached to the things of the evil one? Where’s your heart at friends? A truly committed and dedicated heart to our loving Savior would want all this for those that they touch, care for, work around and see in their neighborhood. Do you?

PRAYER:   Precious Father, thank You for loving me enough to see beyond my faults, my sin and my disregard for Your Son. You gave me a warm, new heart and drew me to Yourself. Thank You Heavenly Father. This Scripture today has opened my eyes and reminded me of the importance of not drawing a line in the sand about who will come to know You and who may not. Many that will read this devotional today will probably be Your children who are already dedicated to serving You faithfully. Please touch our hearts and give us Your marching orders to faithfully pray for everyone in our circle of influence without prejudice and without concern about what You could do for them. Please give us confidence to pray for, love and encourage all who need a Savior without eliminating any from that number. Praise God, You love us all and died for us all! AMEN!

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

 

‘This’ Is our High Priest!

On By Ed AlgreenIn Children, High Priest, Love, The Father's Love, The love of God, Unconditional loveLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE  FROM:   Hebrews 7:24-26 (TPT)

TEXT: 24 But Jesus permanently holds his priestly office, since he lives forever and will never have a successor! 25 So he is able to save fully from now throughout eternity, everyone who comes to God through him, because he lives to pray continually for them. 26 He is the High Priest who perfectly fits our need—holy, without a trace of evil, without the ability to deceive, incapable of sin, and exalted beyond the heavens!

OBSERVATION:   In Hebrews 7, we learn about the high priests who were ordained in their day, and we learn about some of their fallacies. However, we also learn about our permanent High Priest, Jesus! How He qualified as such, and how He is able to maintain that title for all eternity. Praise God we serve One who never changes or looses His credentials to serve us as our Eternal King! Do you know Him?

APPLICATION:   When we hear so many complaints about today’s pastors/priests/ministers/rabbis etc, I wonder if we often fail to put into perspective that they are a lot different to the permanent High Priest spoken of in our Scripture today. Yes, they are a representative of God, so they should be above reproach – but so should we laypersons be the same! May we remember that they are human, just like we are, and capable of the fallacies seen in high priests spoken of in this very Scripture today. However, I would really encourage you to click on the scripture reference link, so you could read the Scripture leading up to these verses and, perhaps even beyond these verses. God saw that He was asking His children to be perfect as He is perfect, but in providing men, just like you and I, to lead us towards this perfection, it was an impossible demand. God therefore sent His one and only Son Jesus, miraculously created and sent to us as an ‘arm’ of the Father Himself. Because Jesus is perfect, and He lives forever, God made Him our High Priest both for now and for eternity. Friends, this Jesus – our High Priest, as described in verse 26, is also the One that loves you and I more than anything else in this world! We read comments from our friends as they try to describe how much they love someone, and they say things like: “I love you to the moon and back”. Can you imagine that our Savior loves us all the way to God – with everything in between and all around us, in spite of our ugliness of pride, hatred and unbelief? Friends say: “I love you more than the whole world”. Can you imagine God loving us enough to send us His own Son? Think literally about that and imagine you considering giving up your son or daughter so that someone else might live? Can you do it? How do you suppose the other person will show their love to you, if you did make the sacrifice? Do you show that kind of love to Jesus for making that same sacrifice just for you to live eternally with His Father? Friends, I hope that you will not only feel the impact of the Savior, and the Father who wants desperately to be a part of your lives today, but I trust that you will also be open to drawing closer to Him in a very personal way – accepting His offer of salvation, and basting in His unlimited and endless love for you. You’re His prized possession. Love Him like you believe that friend!

PRAYER:   Thank you Jesus for loving even me – ‘Ed Algreen’! Thank You also for loving my family members and my friends who might read this devotional today! However, I would desperately ask that You touch the lives of each one that I mentioned, and draw them as close to Yourself as possible today. Our time on this old earth is short, please help us to live like children of the King of all kings! Please help us to keep our chins up and focused on the Master of this universe, and to always remember that we are Your chosen children, loved for eternity! AMEN! 

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

 

Refreshing The Saints

On By Ed AlgreenIn Christian love, Jesus Loves you, Love of God, Love others, Revival, The Father's Love, The love of GodLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE  FROM:   Philemon 1:4-7 (VOICE)

TEXT: 4 I am constantly thanking God for you in my prayers 5 because I keep hearing about your love and faith toward our Lord Jesus and all those set apart for His purposes. Here’s what I’ve been praying on your behalf:

6 Thank You, Father, for Philemon. I pray that as he goes and tells his story of faith, he would tell everyone so that they will know for certain all the good that comes to those who put their trust in the Anointed One.

7 My brother, because you are out there encouraging and reviving the hearts of fellow saints with such love, this brings great joy and comfort to me.

OBSERVATION:   In this translation, verse 7 reads that Philemon was encouraging and reviving the hearts of fellow saints. In the NLT, we are told that Paul was excited because Philemon refreshed the hearts of believers! Ever been guilty of that? Let’s meditate on how we might do that…

APPLICATION:   I don’t believe there is anything more satisfying than to walk in on someone speaking something complimentary about you! I suppose the next best thing is probably to read the compliments on our character in a letter, email or newspaper. I realize that we never do the work of the Lord for man’s applause, but I also know that we each need encouraging from time to time. Paul’s applause to Philemon was all about the feedback that Paul was receiving from the church members that met in Philemon’s home. Friends, we must remember that as we strive diligently to live as an example of our Master and Lord, if no one around us notices, then how do you suppose we are doing? Philemon lived such a life of love in the presence of his congregants, that Paul likened it to something that we do to our computer screens when we ‘refresh‘ the screen! To something that we diligently pray for in our churches, when we pray for ‘revival‘, for we want our hearts to be ‘refreshed‘ in the love of Jesus, and our spirits refreshed to the state of when we first met Jesus, when we fell deeply in love with Him for saving our soul. Friends, I want to encourage us to not wait for our encouragement to arrive, before we see the love of Jesus in someone around us. For as we encourage them and see them rejuvenated in wanting to serve Christ even more fully, we too will be encouraged to reach out to Jesus and desire such a filling of His sweet Holy Spirit that it would electrify anyone’s spirit who happens to be near to us. People who need the Lord are constantly looking at those who say they have Him, so they could see what a Jesus filled life looks like. How are you doing with that friend? Can others see enough of Jesus in you that they want to be around you, hoping that some of the joy and love that you exude would rub off on them! Draw close to God friend, and He will draw close to you. In fact, He will overfill your joy and love, so that others will want to know the source of it all!

PRAYER:   Thank you Jesus for allowing Paul to encourage his Brother Philemon. Thank You for speaking to our hearts through this Scripture today, so that our hearts might be overfilled and looking for avenues to share Your precious love with others. Please give us more love to share and many more opportunities in which to share that love with others. Draw the unsaved to Yourself Lord, and if I may be of service in that awesome act of love, please use even me. AMEN!

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

 

How To Stand Against Satan

On By Ed AlgreenIn direction, God's Guidance, Guidance, Love, Love of God, The Father's Love, The love of GodLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE  FROM:   Ephesians 6:10-12 (TLB)

TEXT:  10 Last of all I want to remind you that your strength must come from the Lord’s mighty power within you. 11 Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand safe against all strategies and tricks of Satan. 12 For we are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood, but against persons without bodies—the evil rulers of the unseen world, those mighty satanic beings and great evil princes of darkness who rule this world; and against huge numbers of wicked spirits in the spirit world.

OBSERVATION:   Facing the same issue as we face today, Paul had some great advice on how to stand against, and overcome the strategies and tricks of Satan. This is still a very real problem today, so I would like for us to spend some time looking at this, knowing that there is help available to us.

APPLICATION:   In verse 10 we are reminded of the source of our power to overcome Satan and his attacks. First of all, we must acknowledge that we do not personally have the strength to overcome Satan’s attacks, and that there is only One who does – Jesus Christ. We must therefore approach the throne in response to these attacks, and not to make things worse by adding our own worldly efforts to fight against the ‘evil one’. So as we place our faith in the Lord and ask Him for power to overcome, let us also put on the armor of God, as detailed beginning in Ephesians 6:10, and per God’s Holy Word, we will stand safe against the strategies and tricks of Satan. Friends this sounds like a storybook resolution to our challenges from the ‘evil one’, but may I encourage you to place your faith in our Lord Jesus. Not only will He save us from our sins and award us life eternal in Heaven with He and His Father, but this same Savior also has the power to heal, the wisdom to  guide us through every challenge that may face us each day, but He also has all power over the ‘evil one’. Why would God do this for us? I believe, based on the Word of God, that we are the ‘apple of His eye’; we are His child; He demonstrated His love for sinners, like you and I, who stood by and watched Him being brutalized on the cross, yet He followed through on His sacrifice to show His love for us. This is the God who also promised us that He would deliver us from the ‘evil one’, and give us power to stand firm against the fierce arrows of all that he might send our way. Friends, this is the God that I present to you as the only One to help us overcome Satan. Do you know Him? Have you placed your faith and trust in Him? Have you trusted Him with your life, and therefore have the necessary confidence to believe that you could stand firm against Satan? Please reassess your belief system, and your faith. Be sure that you are anchored safe in the arms of Jesus.

PRAYER:   Heavenly Father; Glorious Son of God; our Lord and Savior; thank You for watching over Your kids and being willing to listen to our frequent cries, often for the silliest things and perhaps things that may appear so insignificant to many. Lord, we have faith to believe that if something is important and concerning to us, then You make it a priority in helping us to overcome our concerns. Lord, we lift Your name on high, and we acknowledge that we can do nothing without Your power and direction in our lives. Thank You Jesus, that we have a Savior who loves us so! AMEN!

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

 

He’s Watching You

On By Ed AlgreenIn God Cares For Us, Love, The Father's Love, The love of God, VictoryLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE  FROM:   Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 (ERV)

TEXT:  …  The most important thing a person can do is to respect God and obey his commands, because he knows about everything people do—even the secret things. He knows about all the good and all the bad, and he will judge people for everything they do.

OBSERVATION:   At the conclusion of the book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon summed up the whole book with the above verses. That tells me that all that he wrote in 12 chapters could be summed up into these final words, so I believe they are intended as a recap to open our eyes, and open our ears to the words of this wise man. As these words are also God-ordained, I believe they are also critically important to our walk with Christ. Let’s dig in and meditate on these words……

APPLICATION:   I would like for us to pull these verses apart so that we can look at the critical parts of what Solomon (and his Inspiration Giver – God) wanted to say to us. First of all let’s look closely how we are drawn to these words because of their importance. I bolded the words that drew my attention to this. Notice that we are told that we must respect God and obey Him. This was not a ‘perhaps it would be a good idea for you to respect and obey…’ So why might this be so important? Well, in 12 chapters Solomon not only shared words of wisdom with us, but he very carefully explained that even to those mundane things that we see and do every day, they are important in the Kingdom, so do them with all fervor and respect for God. In fact, our lives should be living examples of the God who created us, and His Son who set an example by living among us. The second important thing for us to remember is that God is not only with us while we attend church, but when He sends His Holy Spirit to live inside those who claim to be His followers, then that means that He is with us every second of every day. So whether it is at church, or any other place that we find ourselves, let’s remember that it’s then plural – for it’s us and God, not just ourselves. Does that cause you to be guilty about some of the places you used to visit? Perhaps. But oh what a joy it is to know that Jesus is as close as the mention of His name in every circumstance of life. You know, when you accept Jesus as Savior, he takes away the desire to visit places that might not bring glory to His name, or that may be embarrassing to the Holy Spirit that lives within us. Furthermore, if Jesus is your all-in-all why would you go to a place where He may not be welcomed? Are you looking for other joys to fulfill your lack of communion with the Lord Jesus Christ? Our verses confirm the existence of the Holy Spirit by declaring that He knows even those things that we’ve always kept a secret from the rest of the world. Friends, this is not meant to frighten you, but instead to give you peace of mind that when you invite Jesus to be Your Lord and Savior, He takes that very seriously and He sticks with you closer than a brother, mother or father. Remember, you’re His and He will love, protect, guide and comfort you through every circumstance of life. He is one that you can always count on! 

PRAYER:   Oh what a joy and a peace to know that my Savior loves us, even at times when it feels like no one cares for us. Lord we need You more each day, as trials here on this earth seem to increase with each passing day. Lord, please touch our hearts in such a way each day that we would be reminded of Your love, mercy, care and omnipresence. Lord this world needs You. In fact, many of my family and friends need you. Please continue to bless us, so that we may bless others, and as they are touched may they extend hands, arms and hearts out to the King of all kings and Lord of all lords. It’s You that deserve all of our praise and our ongoing worship, oh Lord! AMEN! 

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

 

Where Joy Comes From

On By Ed AlgreenIn Love, Sacrifice, The Father's Love, The love of GodLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE  FROM:   Ecclesiastes 2:25-26 (ERV)

TEXT:  25 ….. The best thing people can do is eat, drink, and enjoy the work they must do. I also saw that this comes from God. 26 If people do good and please God, he will give them wisdom, knowledge, and joy. But those who sin will get only the work of gathering and carrying things. God takes from the bad person and gives to the good person. But all this work is useless. It is like trying to catch the wind.

OBSERVATION:   In these verses Solomon, the wisest man in the world, shared what he had discerned about life. In fact, the verses leading up to this goes into describing how useless life appears to be when just going through the motions of everyday life. Solomon had been the richest king, so he had everything he could possibly need or want, but thank God, his eyes were opened and he is sharing with us where true life begins and ends. Read on friends….

APPLICATION:   Why not begin this time of meditation with me by stopping and reflecting on all that you have done to earn a good, honest living in your life up to this point. Think about the friends you have met when things were going well, and when times were rough. Think about all that these friends have added to your relationship with them. Now think about all you have poured into your relationship with friends and family. I know, often you were determined to stop giving because you saw no appreciation or returned love from the recipients. Perhaps you found Jesus and accepted Him as Lord of your life. Think about how awesome it was to learn that He loved you because of who you are, not because of how much you poured into His life. In fact, under those same conditions, you learned that He actually loved you beyond anything you could ever have imagined, for He was obedient to His Father and went through the crucifixion and all of the pain and mockery that came with that day of the crucifixion, and LOVE was His only motive. Love for His children who would look at that day and always meditate on the actions committed for the eternity of those who were living hopeless lives without any knowledge or concern about where they would spend eternity. Friends, this is the ‘real life‘ that I awaken each day at 3:45 am to share with folk like you that may be looking for encouragement, or love, or hope, or peace, or a closer walk with your maker – the only One that loves you to the extent of sacrificing His life, so that you and I may live eternally in heaven with He and the Father. This my friend is the one true means of joy for the believer! But be encouraged by Solomon in these verses, for he shared with joy, that this relationship with Jesus also brings to the believer wisdom and knowledge. As the wisest man that ever lived, Solomon realized that there was no other source of his wisdom other than that offered by God, so he was speaking from first-hand knowledge.  So friends, let me encourage you to meditate on these things today, make any adjustments in your relationship with God that might be necessary, and enjoy the benefits of being a child of the King!

PRAYER:   Father God, who is man that You should sacrifice Your Son for our eternal benefit? Who are we that You should love us and care for us with such tender compassion like You do every day? I realize that You chose to accept us because of Your love for us, so Lord I just want to say thank You for being my Master and my Lord. My beginning and my end, or everlasting King! Please direct me to ways of showing Your love today and give me wisdom to represent You in everything I say of do. Bless my readers with all of these good things also, as they totally surrender to You…. AMEN!

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

 

Our Compassionate Savior

On By Ed AlgreenIn Compassion, Love, Love of God, The Father's Love, The love of GodLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE  FROM:   Psalm 103:10-12 (The Passion Translation)

TEXT:  10 You may discipline us for our many sins,
    but never as much as we really deserve.
    Nor do you get even with us for what we’ve done.
11 Higher than the highest heavens—
    that’s how high your tender mercy extends!
    Greater than the grandeur of heaven above
    is the greatness of your loyal love, towering over all
    who fear you and bow down before you!
12 Farther than from a sunrise to a sunset—
    that’s how far you’ve removed our guilt from us.

OBSERVATION:   David had gone through many situations in his life, some that deserved praise from God and some that we would probably choose to keep away from God, for we may feel ashamed for God to know about those kinds of things. Yet David knew that God loved him anyway. In fact, God said in His Word that David was a man after His own heart. Let’s meditate on the awesome, compassionate heart of our King today….

APPLICATION:   So often we approach family and friends and try to encourage them to join us in following our Lord Jesus, but we will often hear about the vast difference between their life of sin and the sinless Savior that we are encouraging them to stand before in judgment. But isn’t it awesome that we can reassure them with verses like John 3:16, that assures them that God sent His Son to earth so that ALL might have eternal life, not just those who try to be good in their own strength? Isn’t it encouraging to share these verses from David with those friends, that in spite of their ugly past, or the sin that they are ashamed of, yet God will look at them as His child and will honor their request for forgiveness of sin? In verse 12 David reminds us that God would remove our sin so far from us that He could only think of measuring it by telling us that we should think of an endless distance such as the span between east and west. Friends, our God tends to respond to us in immeasurable terms like endless; forever; eternity; distance of east from the west; etc, because He never goes back on His word. That is hard for us to imagine, because we often make our decisions based on conditions and ongoing commitments of the other party. But when something is promised by our God, we could go to the bank with that. So may I encourage you to place your faith and trust in the God who will love you unconditionally and eternally. This is the kind of love that seems impossible and unbelievable, but based on the authority of the living Bible, I can safely assure you of that truth today!

PRAYER:   Thank You Lord for assuring us of Your love, in spite of our many weaknesses and endless disappointments to You while here on earth. Thank You Lord for providing an alternative to our life of sin, and I thank You for even tugging at our heart’s door so that we may seek Your face and the forgiveness of our sin while there is still breath in our bodies. Please forgive us for our determination to follow a sinful world, and for allowing Satan to have control over us. Lord, please mellow the hearts of the stubborn and hard-hearted today. May they find You and bast in the sunshine of Your love throughout eternity. AMEN!

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