The Greatest Love!

On 2018-04-042018-04-07 By Ed AlgreenIn Love, Love God, Love of God, The Father's Love, The love of God, Unconditional loveLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE FROM: Romans 8:38-39 (TLB)

TEXT: ³⁸ … I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from his love. Death can’t, and life can’t. The angels won’t, and all the powers of hell itself cannot keep God’s love away. Our fears for today, our worries about tomorrow, ³⁹or where we are—high above the sky, or in the deepest ocean—nothing will ever be able to separate us from the love of God demonstrated by our Lord Jesus Christ when he died for us.

OBSERVATION: It seems like Paul must have been dealing with accusations around the subject of how temporary the love of God is. No different to questions that might be asked today, I’m sure. So we should be prepared to respond to these questions anytime that we are faced with them as well. After all, as Christians, we promote the greatest love there ever was, by the greatest person that ever lived. So we should be ready to share the hope that lives within us at any time and with anyone who asks!

APPLICATION: If asked the name of our spouse; if we love them; and why do we love them; we will all have a quick response – and it wouldn’t matter if we were told that our response might be aired on public television, with the possibility of it going worldwide, I bet that we would all just share our heart very openly. And I believe that God and the world will congratulate us for doing so! Now, let’s assume that you are a faithful church attender and you were accused of serving a God who: only loves you when you’re good; will only look out for your good as long as you are paying your tithes; and who can only refer you to a doctor for your illnesses, because He has no healing power. What would you say? I’m not suggesting that you pull out the biggest Bible in the house and read multiple verses to this critic, although it may help if you had a few verses readily in mind that would support whatever you decide to answer. But friends, I believe that if we truly know God; have a personal relationship with Him; truly trust Him to do whatever we ask in His name; and we truly believe that He has an eternal home for us in heaven, then the personal words from our heart should flow forth like water. Believe me, there is nothing to be embarrassed or frightened about. When you speak from your heart, it is your personal response to a question. I can’t help but believe that if you are in the Word of God each day, trying to grow your relationship with our Savior, then I’m sure that God will do for you like He did for Paul, He will give you words of wisdom to share, that will not only speak to the heart of the person asking you questions, but will speak to those around, just as this Scripture is speaking to us today. Paul said that he was ‘convinced’ that nothing could separate him from the love of God! Are you convinced? May I suggest that church attendance alone may never convince you? Remember when dating, you may have attended many events that your girlfriend/boyfriend also attended, and it was good to see them, but it was not until you developed a personal relationship with them that you truly came to trust them; love them; and believe in them. I believe that your relationship with God is much the same way, and without that personal relationship, I’m not sure how you will defend the God that you serve. So create, or deepen your relationship with God today dear friend, it’s the Greatest Love ever known – one that you can easily defend!

PRAYER: My Jesus, my Savior, there is nothing like the love You have shown to me, nothing ever so sacrificial that has been demonstrated for me. Thank You Heavenly Father! Lord, please touch the hearts of each reader today. Draw them close to You. Never let them go. May they develop such a sweet communion with You that they will always have something to share with others about the deep, consistent love that lives inside of them. May others who know them, also know the greatest love in their life – the love of Jesus! 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!

Feeling Abandoned By God?

On 2018-02-242018-02-24 By Ed AlgreenIn Jesus Loves you, Love, Love of God, Loving God, The Father's Love, The love of God, Unconditional loveLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE FROM: 2 Chronicles 12:5 (GNT)

TEXT: ….. “This is the Lord‘s message to you: ‘You have abandoned me, so now I have abandoned you….

OBSERVATION: Solomon’s son, King Rehoboam was touched by the Master when he was told not to fight with his brothers. He also listened to the Man of God on other occasions, that is, until he felt like his kingdom was established. Soon, Rehoboam felt like he had things under control, so he saw no further need for God. This is when God sent His messenger with the above message, as quoted from Scripture. I know this still happens today, so I want us to meditate on this.

APPLICATION: I believe that we will all agree that at one time or another we may have drifted away from God. I believe that some who may read this devotional today may still be feeling abandoned by God. I hope that some will read this blog today who may not truly understand the full value of walking with the very Son of God, so you may question how one might be comforted or reassured in knowing that Jesus, our Lord and Savior really cares for us and the direction we are to walk. Friends, I am so comforted when I open God’s Word and He speaks so confidently to me. I can reflect back on circumstances where I was obedient to His direction for my life, and how awesome it is to savor the sweetness of seeing God work through those circumstances. These are scenarios where people thought I was nuts, but thank God, He received glory in the success of what He was accomplishing through this humble and obedient servant. We have no idea what will happen later today or anytime afterwards, so when we feel compelled to do something, or say something, or be somewhere in particular, our response should be like that of Samuel: Yes Lord, your servant stands ready to obey. On the contrary, I want to humbly plead with those who have drifted away from God, like Rehoboam had done, and additionally plead with those who have not accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior yet. You may very well be in the abandoned by the King of all kings and Lord of all lords, because of choices that you alone made. You have deliberately erected a wall between you and God where you are basically asking God to stay in His corner, because you intend to stay in yours. Please know that our God is very much a gentleman, and He will not interfere where He has not been invited to. Just as in marital separations and divorces, please don’t just barge in and start demanding certain things. Remember, you have abandoned God, and asked Him to abandon you. Please come back to Him just as a lost person would seek salvation. Ask for forgiveness, and acceptance into His kingdom. Please friend, if you have distanced yourself from God, let me encourage you to become reacquainted today. Don’t waste any time, for He wants to love on you today, and reassure you that He will be there for you in your time of need and/or celebration.

PRAYER: Probably one of the most dangerous things we could do, is to distance ourselves before our Creator, our Lord, our God, our Savior and our Friend. He loved us even when we were unlovable, and He sent His one and only Son to die at Calvary so that we might have hope, eternal life and unconditional love. Please join me in making Jesus Christ first and foremost in our lives. He loves us, and wants to see us ready for the welcome party He is preparing for all of His children, one day in Heaven.

Reasons That We Worship

On 2018-02-23 By Ed AlgreenIn Jesus Loves you, Love of God, Love others, Love your Neighbor, The Father's Love, WorshipLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE FROM: Psalm 89:13-16 (GNT)

TEXT: ¹³How powerful you are! How great is your strength! ¹⁴Your kingdom is founded on righteousness and justice; love and faithfulness are shown in all you do. ¹⁵How happy are the people who worship you with songs, who live in the light of your kindness! ¹⁶Because of you they rejoice all day long, and they praise you for your goodness.

OBSERVATION: David grew up as a shepherd boy, so he was used to the idea of the outdoors and looking around at all of the wonders of the Almighty. Furthermore, we could tell that he was one that had no problem expressing himself to God. It seems like he was always bursting at the seems to praise and worship his Master. I believe we should be the same, so let’s look closer at this passage.

APPLICATION: When our hearts are filled with what we see and what we hear, we could only imagine how many of us must look to God and talk about the game last night, or the TV show that we were so engrossed in, or the gossip that the neighbors called about. My wife and I went to a Marriage Enrichment conference last weekend, and we realized that our marriage is probably last on our priority list, considering the amount of time that we actually set aside for just husband and wife. Is this not the same in our time with the Lord also? I know, you just don’t have time, right? Friends, let me encourage you to say that a little differently. Replace the words “don’t have time” with “didn’t make that a priority”. I know, it means the same thing. But friends, try it in your prayers tonight. Lord, I just didn’t make it a priority to look around and take in the beauty of the morning sky, or look for the value of the sunshine in making my garden grow so wonderfully. It never crossed my mind how healthy I am, compared to my neighbor who is in and out of hospital. I truly believe that no matter what is going on in our lives, we should always strive to look back to the focal point of our existence. It began with God, He reinforced His love when He sent His Son to die at Calvary for our sin, and He maintains that love each and every day – if only we will recognize His goodness and His presence. Let’s learn to praise God for all things, especially those things that we are sure were customized just for us! God is so good, my friend, thank Him and glorify Him today for all that He does each day for you. He promised to never leave you. May I encourage you to do the same, and never leave God alone by ignoring His blessings!

PRAYER: Lord, it is so challenging for us to imagine the kind of love that You display for us each and every day. We feel so unworthy – like a speck of dirt in Your huge universe. But Lord, I believe that Your children are the apple of Your eye, and that there is nothing You wouldn’t do for us. Thank You Lord for Your mercies on me, and for the love You show to even me. Lord, may I be just as conscious about the love I give to You in return. Bless each reader today and draw them all to You dear Lord. AMEN!

Love Is In the Air

On 2018-02-112018-02-11 By Ed AlgreenIn Jesus Loves you, Love, Love God, Love of God, Love others, Love your Neighbor, The Father's Love, The love of God, Unconditional loveLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE FROM: Mark 12:29-31 (NLT)

TEXT: ²⁹Jesus replied, “The most important commandment is this: ‘Listen, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord. ³⁰And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ ³¹The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.”

OBSERVATION: Jesus took the opportunity to declare and remind the teachers of the law again of the first and second commandment. In fact the greatest of all the commandments. I particularly like the way the New Living Translation put it, that ‘you MUST love the Lord your God.’ I love that! We will have a closer look at this matter of us loving our Master and loving our neighbor.

APPLICATION: I wonder how many couples would cancel their weddings if, during their premarital counseling they were told that ‘they MUST love each other if they expect that preacher to marry them’? Sounds funny, because we go to the preacher in the first place because ‘we love each other’, but when told that we must love, we tend to back off and question the authority of the preacher. The difference that Jesus was trying to explain to these teachers of the law, is that His Father is love. In other words, when we stop to consider the word ‘LOVE’, it is inseparable from God. Think also about John 3:16 where it is emphasized that God loved us so much that He willingly gave up His one and only Son, Jesus, to be crucified in place of our sin. Praise be to God that He loves even us – sinners saved by grace! Friends, we are thankful for God’s love for us, now we need to be extra sensitive to not gloat in that love, and keep it bottled up inside. Just as Jesus showed love to us, so we are to show love one to another – especially to those seeking for pure love – greater than anything they can find here on earth. This is the month of ‘love‘, and many will find unique ways of showing love to their spouse, or significant other. Oh may the world see Jesus more in us than any other characteristic that we may try to impart. He is love, and His love will satisfy the sinners heart. We simply need to be the willing, open servant that our Savior and Lord can work through!

PRAYER: Lord, please have Your perfect way in and through us today and everyday, so that others will see Jesus, and not this old sinful man. They deserve seeing God’s best. The One who died to set them free from the pit of sin, hell and destruction. Lord may many be drawn to You today, is my humble and sincere prayer. AMEN!

Who Are We To Judge?

On 2018-01-202018-01-20 By Ed AlgreenIn Christian love, Love of God, Love others, Love your Neighbor, The Father's Love, The love of God, Unconditional loveLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE FROM: Acts 11:17 (TLB)

TEXT: 17.… since it was God who gave these Gentiles the same gift he gave us when we believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to argue?”

OBSERVATION: Peter returned after celebrating the saving of souls – ones that the Jews thought were beyond God’s reach, for they were Gentiles. Ordinarily you would think that it would be party time as Peter returned with such great news, but instead his friends hit him immediately with all of the negative they could imagine from what they heard. I love how Peter responded, for he explained what the Holy Spirit did; and he declared that whatever happened was so real and so clear, that it was evident that it was more than anything he could ever do, or argue with.

APPLICATION: In reading this whole event that Peter was involved in, I believe that our first impression is to probably lash out on the disciples for searching for something negative, rather than having a celebration time planned for Peter’s return. In fact, it sounds like a huge praise service would have been a good way of saying ‘thank you’ to God for using their Brother to minister to the Gentiles, a group that the Jews thought God would reject, just like they did. But before we get too critical of the disciples, let’s reflect on our natural instincts today. I am a part of a program going on in our county right now called ‘Pursuit 21’. This is a 21-day season of prayer by several local churches, where people from our county are invited to gather at a designated place – 1 of about 12 locations strategically chosen around the county, and pray alongside other believers for the spiritual condition, and needs of our county. In most cases, the church that we attend never comes up, for we are Brothers and Sisters who serve the same Master, praying for the concerns of each other and our communities. What a glorious time as we reflect on how this might imitate what we will do in heaven! Let us always remember that exclusivity is something that we induce, when it comes to believers in Christ. At the foot of the cross, we are all the same in the eyes of Jesus – from the holiest and best pastor or priest who ever served the Lord, to the newest Christian who surrendered their lives to Jesus. And when we see God at work, let’s try hard to recognize, thank God for, and celebrate the work of the Holy Spirit, and stop picking everything apart that we see in whomever may have communicated with God through prayer for our miracle. Let’s not shroud the blessings of the Almighty with the human frailties of those touched by God in any miracle He sees fit to extend. If I am healed by God, and a friend who never shared their spiritual condition with me, tells me that they had prayed for that healing, my heart should always be fixed on praising God for His miraculous touch, and never complain or gripe about who He may have received the request from. To God be the glory, for all that He chooses to do for His children!

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, please forgive us for our littleness in always trying to prove our worth, instead of looking for, and celebrating Your unlimited worth, and for all that You choose to bless us with. I love the song that includes these words: I have a Father, He calls me His own, He’ll never leave me, No matter where I go. He knows my name….. These words remind me that You are my personal Savior, and no matter how many may call on Your name today, You will never leave me helpless. Please help me to praise You when I see this same miracle happening in the lives of others also, for I am reminded that all of Your children are special in Your eyes. Thank You for all who witness, teach and preach about Your never ending love for all who believe on the name of Jesus Christ. To You be all glory, honor and praise, precious Jesus. AMEN!

By Your Love, They Will Believe You

On 2017-11-202017-11-20 By Ed AlgreenIn Love, Love others, Love your Neighbor, The Father's Love, The love of God, Unconditional loveLeave a comment

Post Date:	Monday, 2017-11-20
SCRIPTURE
From:	John 13:34-35 (NLT)
Text:	³⁴So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. ³⁵Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”
OBSERVATION:
As long as Jesus was in the world, and the disciples hung around with Him and followed Him, they were known as ‘Jesus followers’. However Jesus was preparing to return to His Father in heaven, so He told His followers what would make them distinctly different in the world – enough to be linked with Jesus, even after his departure. This is still a challenge for Christians today, for how are we recognized by the world, as being children of the King?
APPLICATION:
Others might know that we are married because of the wedding band that we wear, or the way that we treat the lady that is always with us. The same will apply to our children. However, I am thankful that God also showed us how the world will recognize us as His children – His followers – His disciples! This highlights one of the greatest commandments that God gave to us, for it tells us that we are to imitate Jesus when judging whether we truly love others. So how then are we to love others? Of course we know that Jesus willingly gave up His life for us – so that we may seek forgiveness of our sin, and through the washing of blood that was shed for us on Calvary, our sins would be washed away, leaving a pure, clean, revived child of God, in His sight. So how did the actions of Jesus prove His love for us? Well, He voluntarily gave up His life for us, even while we were yet sinners with no hope. Imagine for just a moment that you thought about giving up your son as a sacrifice for your whole city, but as you turn on the news channel each night you hear the bad news about how cruel everyone is, and how they are stealing and committing unheard of crimes. Would you still be OK with your decision to sacrifice your son for the whole city? Probably not, but in our Bibles Jesus has taught us to love one another – everyone you come into contact with, and to such a degree that they would recognize you as a Jesus-follower, – one who has been with Jesus. Friends, to do this you must know Jesus personally and have accepted Him as Lord. You should daily seek His face to help you meet the challenges of the day and to put aside prejudices and personal desires, so that you could love others like He did. The Bible says that by your fruit, or your actions, you will be known. Please don’t act like the world, and expect that others will see Jesus in you because you told them you had made a decision to accept Jesus earlier in your life. If He truly is invited into your life, and you recognize Him as your Lord and Savior, there will be enough evidence that others will have no need to ask whose you are!
PRAYER:
Lord Jesus, we are thankful for the provisions You made for us while we were yet sinners. I pray that You will now work a miracle in our lives, so that we might put aside how we feel about this world, and see all children as Your precious jewels that we should love just as You loved us. Lord, may each one reading this devotional receive a wonderful blessing today as we strive to align our love for others, like You loved us. May this all be done to bring more glory, honor and praise to You dear Father, for I ask this in the precious name of Your Son Jesus, 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 Love That’s Greater Than…

On 2017-09-292017-09-29 By Ed AlgreenIn Love, Love of God, The Father's Love, The love of God, Unconditional loveLeave a comment

Post Date:	Friday, 2017-09-29
SCRIPTURE
From:	Ephesians 3:18-20 (ERV)
Text:	¹⁸ … I pray that you and all God’s holy people will have the power to understand the greatness of Christ’s love—how wide, how long, how high, and how deep that love is. ¹⁹Christ’s love is greater than anyone can ever know, but I pray that you will be able to know that love. Then you can be filled with everything God has for you. ²⁰With God’s power working in us, he can do much, much more than anything we can ask or think of.
OBSERVATION:
In leaving his beloved Ephesians, Paul shared that in spite of everything he had dealt with throughout his letter, and while on site with them, he was really hoping that they would remember the sincere love of Jesus Christ that filled his heart before coming to visit with them, filled him while with them and even as he left them. Can’t you imagine that this sort of love will help you to overcome insults and ridicule, and to look at life’s circumstances in a much more meaningful way?
APPLICATION:
Like me, you may remember being spanked by your parents while being told that they were only doing that because they loved you!! That was extremely hard to understand as a child, because we thought that love equated to giving us everything we asked for!! Even as adults, I’m not so sure that we have really grasped the unconditional love of Jesus for us. What could you find to say to a mother who buries her son or daughter, or even a grandchild, that could convince them that God loves them unconditionally? What could a preacher find to say after preaching Hell and damnation to a congregation of believers, and then try to follow that by reassuring them that Jesus loves them more than anything else in this world? I believe that even if we start our day in God’s Word and assure ourselves of His precious love for us, it is extremely challenging for us to stay strong in the faith as we are beat up on during the day and feel like the whole world is against us. However friends, let me encourage you to read the verses again, with particular interest in finding the conditions for God’s love. In finding none, I can only encourage you to stand firm in your faith and never doubt the love of God. Whether in very positive news, or very negative news – God still loves you! Whether you are on ‘cloud nine’ with very positive and encouraging things happening in your life, or quite to the contrary – remember that God still loves you! Whether things are going way better than you could ever have expected under today’s circumstances, or whether it feels like the bottom has fallen out and no one is in control today – know that God loves you unconditionally and that He is always in charge of His universe. Why sweat it friends? Know that God has every little thing under His complete control and that He will always look after His precious children and everything that affect us.
PRAYER:
Lord Jesus, what a privilege to know that we serve a God who loves us in spite of who we are, and in spite of all the circumstances that may be impacting the world around us. The greatest love ever demonstrated was the sacrifice You made at Calvary so that we may have life eternally in heaven with You. Thank You Father, thank You Lord Jesus for loving us so much. May that assurance bring peace and contentment to each of Your children, in every circumstance of life. 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!

Gifts From God!

On 2017-07-082017-07-08 By Ed AlgreenIn gifts, Gifts of The Spirit, Love, Love others, Love your Neighbor, Share, Share God’s Word, Spiritual Gifts, The Father's LoveLeave a comment

Post Date:	Saturday, 2017-07-08
SCRIPTURE
From:	Deuteronomy 9:4-6 (VOICE)
Text:	⁴When the Eternal your God has driven them out ahead of you, then don’t begin to believe He gave you this land because you’re so good and righteous! It’s just the opposite; He is giving you their land because those other nations are so bad! ⁵It’s not because you’ve conducted yourselves so well or because you have such pure hearts that you’re going to take the land; the Eternal your God is driving out those other nations ahead of you because they’re so wicked. He’s keeping His word, the promise He made to your ancestors, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. ⁶I’ll say it again: the Eternal One your God isn’t giving you this good land because you’re so good. You’re stubborn, obstinate people.
OBSERVATION:
Moses wanted his people to be reminded who was in charge of the mission they were about to take, for there was nothing they could have said or done that could warrant the overthrowing of the much larger towns they would encounter on entering into the Promised Land. If God was to act based on the goodness of the Israelites, they probably would never have made it out of the wilderness. I believe that we could see where there would be lots of lessons in this story for us also! Let’s apply this Scripture to our lives…
APPLICATION:
We may tend to look at this story as such an obvious case. After all, we remember from reading the story about how the Israelites turned their hearts away from God right from the very beginning of their journey, and very soon after seeing God’s miraculous hand at work at various times. I believe that God knew that as these people entered the land, overcame towns and settled in, there would be a higher likelihood of them pitching a party to celebrate, rather than a huge praise service to give God the glory. So I feel like God inspired Moses to warn them ahead of time. So friends, what is God pointing out to us through this scripture? I believe that a fair number of us are willing to help the poor; visit the sick; encourage the depressed and console the mourning, but what do we expect back? Please don’t quickly respond ‘nothing’, because we gloat in our achievements when we hear our names mentioned in recognition, or mentioned in the newspapers for having helped someone. May I suggest that you try seeking God’s face for Him to show you where the needs are? Then try meeting those needs without calling your pastor to see if he approves, for you are following God’s instructions. If you can meet the need anonymously and not tell anyone else that you did it, I believe you will have something to celebrate with God. Think about it, when God blessed you with the income and abilities to help others, He didn’t send a message to your pastor so he could have the church celebrate your income and talents. Therefore, when you give, as unto the Lord, give in His precious name, so that He might be glorified! He gave it to you and you shared some it. Since it all originated with Him, then He deserves the credit and the praise! Start by tithing to your local church, as instructed in Scripture. When you’re comfortable with that, and realize the praise that God receives through the work of the local church, and that you survived financially in spite of giving a tenth right off the top, then you will be comfortable taking that to the next level. God told us to test Him and see if He wouldn’t bless us beyond anything we could give or imagine. Try it friend!
PRAYER:
Father, who are we that a King should die for us and provide the only means into heaven to live eternally with our awesome God? The love, the gift of eternal life, the provisions of each day and the gift of family and friends, way exceed anything we could ever have thought or planned. The gift of the Holy Spirit to help us in our daily walk, makes this whole journey on earth possible. Thank You Lord Jesus for every gift You have given to me. May I live the life You have designed for me, so that all that I do and all that I am, may bring glory to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. 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!

Why Me Lord?

On 2017-07-072017-07-07 By Ed AlgreenIn Jesus Loves you, Love, Love of God, The Father's Love, The love of God, Unconditional love, VictoryLeave a comment

Post Date:	Friday, 2017-07-07
SCRIPTURE
From:	Deuteronomy 8:2-6 (NET)
Text:	²Remember the whole way by which he has brought you these forty years through the desert so that he might, by humbling you, test you to see if you have it within you to keep his commandments or not. ³So he humbled you by making you hungry and then feeding you with unfamiliar manna. He did this to teach you that humankind cannot live by bread alone, but also by everything that comes from the Lord’s mouth. ⁴Your clothing did not wear out nor did your feet swell all these forty years. ⁵Be keenly aware that just as a parent disciplines his child, the Lord your God disciplines you. ⁶So you must keep his commandments, live according to his standards, and revere him.
OBSERVATION:
As part of his final pep talk to the Israelites, Moses reminded them of where they came from, and what it took to get them to the challenge they were now about to encounter. Moses pointed out the times that the Israelites were about to kill him for all they were going through, yet as they reflect back, they could very easily see how God was actually maturing them and preparing them for this very moment. I know that we can also see very clearly how we encounter the same challenges today….
APPLICATION:
I believe that you too may have heard the words used in our title today over and over, especially when one seems to be going through a rough time. It might be a loss of employment; or financial issues; or loss of a loved one; or nobody loves me; or perhaps not enough food for your family for the week. In fact, there are times that we look around and see others flourishing in just the same things that we feel like we are losing the battle in. This may lead us to feel picked on, or perhaps feel like God has forsaken us, or even feel like He is punishing us for something. ‘Why me’ is often the cry, by even the greatest saints at times. Moses knew that his people would need to face the changes they were about to encounter, by reflecting on the strength and endurance of all that God had brought them through up to this point. In fact, Moses wanted them to see that their God loved them so much that He was not just providing for them in very challenging circumstances, but He was teaching them to have faith in Him, endurance in even the most difficult or impossible times, and a determination to go on, knowing that as they obeyed God’s commands, worshipped only Him and sought His face in every circumstance, that they could eventually say to the downtrodden. ‘Why Not Me Lord’! Friends, I believe that way too often when we feel left out or downtrodden, we are so focused on self that it is extremely challenging to look for the good that God is accomplishing in our circumstances and through our victories. I trust that today saints of God could sing to God a new song of victory, of total surrender to Him, and of praise for His immense blessings, without ever stopping to moan and complain by focusing on self and feeling like God has forsaken His own. That’s totally contrary to His perfect design and something not supported by Scripture.
PRAYER:
Why not me Lord? Why not choose me to show the world how much You love them, care for them and want to bless them. Please help each saint today to look into Your wonderful face and to give You praise for all that You have accomplished in our lives, and for the glory that will be ours as we continue to obey Your commands, worship, praise and lift You up each and every day. Lord, You have been so good to me, and I have every reason to believe that, as Your very own son, You will continue to bless, encourage and lift me up each day, for Your honor and glory from all those that may be touched by You through 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 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!

Love In Action

On 2017-06-12 By Ed AlgreenIn Love, Love others, Love your Neighbor, The Father's Love, The love of God, Unconditional loveLeave a comment

Post Date:-	Monday, 2017-06-12
SCRIPTURE
From:	Romans 12:9-13 (NIV)
Text:	⁹Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. ¹⁰Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.¹¹Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. ¹²Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. ¹³Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.
OBSERVATION:
As Paul wrote these words to the church at Rome, I would imagine that he was dealing with a lot of the challenges that church pastors deal with today, where most of a pastor’s heartaches come from the flock not getting along with each other. Paul’s overriding theme in these few verses is that Christians are to love one another in total honesty. Praising the good and abhorring the evil, but none the less, loving one another through it all.
APPLICATION:
Jesus set the example for us by loving people everywhere He went. He loved the dreaded tax collectors and even had one of them follow Him as a disciple (Matthew). Jesus was falsely arrested and convicted of no crime at all, yet crucified anyway. While on the cross, in pain and agony, disgraced before an onlooking world, Jesus asked His Father to forgive His persecutors. Is it any wonder that the first order of business that Jesus gave attention to when telling us to be sincere in love, is that we stand firm for our beliefs, and to hate evil. Although, I believe that this was included so early in this discourse, so that we might be reminded that although we may hate the sin, or the evil that results from the actions of some, we must never lose sight of the soul and love them unconditionally. I believe that another reason for the attention to the evil in a person, is that if we don’t let the person know that we hate the sin they are doing, then they could easily feel like we are OK with it, or may even love that sinful aspect of them. Friends, if we cannot be a positive influence to a friend for Jesus, then we should examine ourselves for the true presence of Jesus in our lives. Often our friends may be caught in a trap and invite us over, hoping that we could help them through their problem. Imagine how disappointed they must be when we just accept their sinful act and count it as ‘normal’ or ‘acceptable’ living. The rest of these verses gives us tips to look for in our everyday experiences with loved ones and friends. Think on these things as you prepare to visit someone, and ask God to help you love them unconditionally. After your visit, invite God to help you honestly evaluate your words and actions so that you may work even harder on correcting anything that you may have messed up on. Friends, we serve a perfect God, so as we strive to live like He taught us in this messed up and imperfect world, we run into challenges. Seek His guidance and His strength as you deal with others so that you may be a stepping stone in their quest for salvation, and not a stumbling block.
PRAYER:
Lord Jesus, You loved us enough that You went to the cross on our behalf, even though we were so undeserving of such love. Through Your Holy Spirit, You led us to the cross for Your complete forgiveness and then offered us eternal salvation from our sin. As your children endeavoring to follow in Your example, how can we but love others and understand their struggle with sin? We have been there and done that, and in many cases have the scars to show for it. Please forgive us Lord, and help us to be a forgiving people, willing to love the unloved. May they see Jesus through our actions and in our unconditional love for them, 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!

Nuggets From God's Word

Category: The Father’s Love