Category: Totally committed

Let Nothing Stop You

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, Totally committed, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED Friday, 2022-11-18
WRITTEN AT: O’Brien, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Philippians 1:20
TRANSLATION: Living Bible (TLB)

BIBLE TEXT: 20 For I live in eager expectation and hope that I will never do anything that will cause me to be ashamed of myself but that I will always be ready to speak out boldly for Christ while I am going through all these trials here, just as I have in the past; and that I will always be an honor to Christ, whether I live or whether I must die. 

APPLICATION: This wish by Paul was expressed while still in jail. A time when most would curse God for allowing such atrocities in their life, yet Paul was praising God for using him, even while in custody. Paul had received reports that there were men trying to take his place on the streets by ministering in Jesus’ name, but Paul’s associates felt like they were false prophets/evangelists. At a time when we would become super frustrated and call for the men of the community to do something about these false teachers, Paul chose to praise God, for His name still being mentioned, even while he was in prison. Can you see where all of these things would really have rubbed us the wrong way? Yet Paul was content in his circumstances and what was going on outside the prison during his absence. However, even while admiring Paul for all of the above, I believe that the Holy Spirit got my attention with the very last words of Paul in verse 20, and it is that thought that I really want to encourage with you with today. Paul’s deep desire was that ‘… I will always be an honor to Christ, whether I live or whether I must die.’ Think about this and try to apply this to your circumstances my friend. No matter what circumstances you are going through, what would you testify is your deepest desire? Imagine this: ‘though I lost my greatest love, yet I desire to honor Christ in everything I say or do’; ‘though I lost my job while still owing a lot of money to my debtors, yet my greatest desire is that I honor Christ in everything I do or say’; ‘though I was committed to prison without a legal reason, much like Paul was, yet my greatest desire is that I honor Christ in everything I do or say’; ‘though I spent many years of blood, sweat and tears over that awesome church, and hate to see the new philosophies implemented after they chose to replace me, yet my greatest desire is that I honor Christ in everything I do or say, whether inside that community or where I am currently located’; etc, etc. Precious friends, I believe that the principle, or the lesson that God wants us to learn from Paul, is that we need to get over ourselves and accept His perfect will for our lives. Circumstances will come, but they may all be a part of God’s perfect plan. It is our choice to praise, worship and honor our Maker in all His ways, means and circumstances. I pray that we will always accept His almighty purpose in our lives, that will ultimately bring glory to Himself. Let NOTHING stop you in your commitment to honor God in every circumstance of life!

BLESSING(S) NOTED: Oh that I will always be an honor to Christ.

PRAYER: Lord, what I have shared in this devotional is virtually impossible in our feeble minds and limited abilities, so I beg of You to strengthen our will every day to face that which You will place before us. Regardless of our circumstances, let us never fail to represent You in prime fashion. The unsaved will not benefit from another one who will whine about their selfish desires, for they need a Savior to see them out of their pit. Please use us as Your holy instruments to show the world who Jesus is, and what He means to us. May Your Kingdom work be enriched because of our efforts today, and may others have reason to give You praise for seeing Your precious work fulfilled through us, in spite of our circumstances. 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!

Easily Swayed

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, Totally committed, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED Sunday, 2022-08-14
WRITTEN AT: O’Brien, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: 2 Corinthians 11:3-4
TRANSLATION: Living Bible (TLB)

BIBLE TEXT:  3 … I am frightened, fearing that in some way you will be led away from your pure and simple devotion to our Lord, just as Eve was deceived by Satan in the Garden of Eden. 4 You seem so gullible: you believe whatever anyone tells you even if he is preaching about another Jesus than the one we preach, or a different spirit than the Holy Spirit you received, or shows you a different way to be saved. You swallow it all.

APPLICATION: Please don’t let Satan tell you to skip over this devotional, because this may not be a subject that would impact or affect you. I believe the reason God got my attention so strongly on this today is because of the condition of the ‘Christian’ environment around me. Friends, when God places imperfect men, like you and I, in the middle of imperfect people, it is easy for him to be swayed by the popular belief of those around him. To be completely devoted to the God we serve, and the Jesus we accepted to be Lord of our lives, I believe there are some ways that we must be faithful so we could stay true to our commitment. Even after accepting Jesus as Lord, and in spite of the Holy Spirit dwelling inside of us, if we ever allow the adversary sory to distract us on an ongoing basis, he will sway us to be unfaithful stewards. The more we lean towards that unfaithfulness, the more acceptable we become of the trash taught and practiced by those who belong to Satan. I am afraid that too many of us who claim Jesus as Lord of our lives, are living today based on our personal opinions and complete bombardments of a world who has no regard for the constant of God’s Book of Instructions He left for us. So many times in the Bible we come across stories of God leading His people into situations that seem impossible to us, but yet the success of their obedience reveals that God is loving, all-powerful, all-knowing, filled with wisdom, and deliberate in achieving the very best for the long-term benefit of His children. The awesome thing is that I believe He is still God and He still cares for you and I! So, what might be the cause of our distractions, or our losing sight of Gods instructions, or our ease of swaying from the truth of God’s Word? I would dare say that we have become so attached to our devices and televisions that we allow whoever occupies the screen to pour into us. The problem with this, as I see it, is that we think and speak from a heart that has been filled with political hatred, violence, alternative lifestyles, illicit sexuality, and we lose sight of what says the Word of God. Perhaps a test for today might be that you ask a friend ‘so where are we at today, and where are we headed?’. If their response comes from the Bible, then you are free to start praying for someone else. However, if from their favorite newscaster, or a quote from a recent movie, or from their favorite, passionate politician, then your suspicion will be affirmed that they are being misled by the things of this world, and no longer by the almighty hand of our awesome God. Friends, let’s learn to be God’s children first and foremost. When He says in His Word that He placed our governments in place for His purpose, and we are to pray for our politicians, who are we to reverse that? Children learn from repetitious teachings of parents, teachers and yes – even television shows. As adults, we tend to continue the same learning habits and we practice what we see and hear on a daily basis. Please consider joining me in an effort to not only accept Jesus as Lord, but to live according to His will and purpose, no matter what other doctrines, philosophies, politics, or scandalous news items are thrown at us. Let’s be persistent in our purpose to be more like Jesus in every walk of life and in every word that proceeds from our mouth. Let not our witness be marred by the very evil things that God warns us about in His word. May we welcome each other from all walks of life, no matter their color, political persuasion, or worldly beliefs, since we are all sinners begging at the feet of Jesus for mercy and forgiveness. May we boldly demonstrate Jesus in our actions and in our words, and not be a stumbling block to anyone in search of that same ideal.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: One way to be saved, and only one way to be righteous in God’s sight, so that we may continue to be a respectable witness for our Lord!

PRAYER: Thank You Lord Jesus for including me when You offered up yourself for the sins of the world. Please direct my path as Your follower so that I would never hinder the path of another beggar looking for the rich food of eternal life. Please Lord, direct my path each and every day to feed from Your Word, converse with You about my struggles, my weaknesses, and my desire to be all that You would have me be for the Kingdom. I believe that others reading this devotional today might be challenged in similar ways, so please tender the hearts of the unsaved, and the needy who might be reminded through this. May we all remember the source of our strength, and the One we aim to please, as we seek Your help to put self aside and the many voices that try to distract us daily. May the unsaved see and experience Jesus in us. 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!

Make Room For God

On By Ed AlgreenIn Commitment, Dedication, Idols, Totally committed, Unconditional commitmentLeave a comment

Monday, 2020-02-17

Bible Reference: Jeremiah 4:1-3
Translation: The Contemporary English Version (CEV)

Bible Text: The Lord said: Israel, if you really want to come back to me, get rid of those disgusting idols.     2 Make promises only in my name, and do what you promise! Then all nations will praise me, and I will bless them. 3 People of Jerusalem and Judah, don’t be so stubborn! Your hearts have become hard, like unplowed ground where thornbushes grow.

OBSERVATION: While I believe there was a lot of value in these verses for Israel and the people of Jerusalem and Judah, I believe that this passage of scripture was included in God’s Word to us for self-application also.

APPLICATION:  I believe that God spoke to me as I read this, and had me substitute ‘Israel’ with the family and friends that I am praying for. At times when I feel distant from God, I believe that this passage also applies to me. Friends, I want you to read this carefully to make sure that you too understand that when God seems far away from you, it may be time to examine your lives and see what idols (priorities; things) you may have allowed to step in the way of your open communication and dependence on God. The kinds of things that get in our way might be:
* Work – for we can become so absorbed in our job that we have no quality time to spend with God;
* Church – yes, even church. We can become a slave to the work of the church and exclude our study and worship time with the Lord, for whom we are presumably working;
* Family – even though this item is of super importance, if we’re not careful, Satan can use this as a tool to keep us away from God. Let’s learn to take our family to church, instead of feeling an obligation to spend quality time with them on our Sabbath. After all, we had other opportunities during the week to spend time with them, but with Satan’s help, we chose not to. Men/dads this is our responsibility as God’s leader in our homes;
* Activities – we all know that the beach is always better on our Sabbath day than any other day of the week, right? But does it fit with God’s command of what we should be doing on our Sabbath?!!;
* Sports – why would we consider giving our time to sports on our Sabbath day rather than assembling ourselves together to worship God and to encourage one another?;
* Weariness – the toils of the week have left us so worn out that giving one hour of our time to refuel spiritually, and to give God thanks for our jobs, and the good health to do our jobs, seems to be challenging for us – at least until we lose our job or some other crisis comes up;

Friends, I’m not judging, for that is God’s job. I merely listed a few things that may cause us to think about the possible idols that stand in our way of communion with God. May I encourage you to examine your own life and see if there is anything that distracts you in your walk with the Lord? Be honest with God as you consider this, for He knows your heart and your very circumstances, and He is willing to help you tear down those idols, so that you may be drawn closer to Him. Remember, sin must be removed from our heart, before our hearts will be opened for God’s mighty hand. The good news with this whole thing is that others will follow us, and God will bless us! Read verse 2 again! Imagine, your actions might actually revolutionize the world!!

PRAYER: Father, You know our hearts and You know our thoughts and our schemes. It is so unfortunate that in spite of Your goodness to us, we allow Satan to feed our thoughts, that often leads us to scheme and find reasons to not find time in the Word, in prayer and even church attendance. Please forgive us for our ingratitude and our unfaithfulness. You sacrificed Your very Son for our salvation, yet we find it challenging to make time to spend with You and/or Your people in corporate worship. Often this is just not a priority in our lives. Please forgive us oh Lord. Please touch the hearts of Your children who will read this devotional today, may they also be made aware of ‘idols’ that have become obstacles in their walk with You. Lord Jesus, we respect You and all that You stand for, however if we are to be true and honest representatives of Yours, we too must imitate you in every aspect of our lives. We can only do this with Your help, direction and wisdom oh Lord, and we humbly seek that today. For this is my humble and gracious plea before You oh God, in the 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 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 highly recommend to you 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!

Because of Our Personal Faithfulness, God will….

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Commitment, Committed, Needs, Pleasing to God, Praise, Recognize God, Totally committed, Unconditional commitment, WorshipLeave a comment

Monday, 2019-12-08

Bible Reference: 1 Kings 15:1-5
Translation: New Century Version (NCV)

Bible Text: Abijam became king of Judah during the eighteenth year Jeroboam son of Nebat was king of Israel. 2 Abijam ruled in Jerusalem for three years. His mother was Maacah daughter of Abishalom. 3 He did all the same sins his father before him had done. Abijam was not faithful to the Lord his God as David, his great-grandfather, had been. 4 Because the Lord loved David, the Lord gave him a kingdom in Jerusalem and allowed him to have a son to be king after him. The Lord also kept Jerusalem safe. 5 David always did what the Lord said was right and obeyed his commands all his life, except the one time when David sinned against Uriah the Hittite.

OBSERVATION: Some of us may stand proud before God and brag about our faithfulness, while others will stand at a distance with heads lowered in shame because of our lack of commitment and faithfulness to our God. Our Scripture today tells of God’s faithfulness to David and his ancestors that followed, because of David’s commitment and loyalty to His God. Let us reflect on what we anticipate hearing from God, because of our own faithfulness, or lack thereof.

APPLICATION: Isn’t it interesting to consider the excuses that we make for missing the mark that we know God has established for us? It might be in the words we speak, where we quickly adapt to the ways and wishes of the crowd, but find it so impossible to try and speak words of Truth taught to us in the Word of God? I will be the first to tell you that I am not good in remembering Bible verses. However. In my grandmother’s last years of life here on earth when her sight diminished, she completed her daily devotional time with God by sharing back with Him, Bible verses that she had memorized over her lifetime. So can we memorize God’s Word? Of course we can! Consider also the things that we memorize from the world. How many jokes can you sit and tell at once time? How many stories from you childhood can you still share with friends? How often do you sit and share what you heard from friends (gossip)! So is it a matter of remembering God’s Word, or is it due to the lack of time that we spend in the Word, compared to the time spent around the television or with the unsaved? And what about our actions? When last have you stood firm for what you learned from God, while you attended a party or a work social? Do friends recognize whose you are, based on your actions inside the four walls of your church AND at all events they might find you at? Remember, just as God knew David’s heart and that David was diligent to obey all of God’s commands in every circumstance of life, except in the case of Bathsheba and Uriah, He also know our every move and the vain words that we frequently utter. David earned the title given by God as ‘a man after God’s own heart’, is that one of the titles God might give to you dear friend? A true reality check is that only God truly knows you (your heart). For you can fool those around you, seeing that they only see your ‘public’ life, but God sees you without any filters being applied. Oh that our God may be able to bless others because of our faithfulness; because of our telling the truth; because of our love for others; because we gave honestly of our income to God and His work; because our actions towards others are a result of all that God blessed us with and not because of selfish reasons or in an effort to attain recognition. God loved us because of who He is. Oh that we may do the same, love others because of who God is! Lay your cares before God today dear friend, and allow Him to have His way in and through you, so that You may serve Him with every good intention that He has in mind for you.

PRAYER: Precious Lord, please help us to do your will and be obedient to Your every command. You laid out a perfect plan for us to follow so that we could look like You, talk like You, love like You and give freely of the gifts that You bless us with so bountifully. May the Words of our mouth, and the meditation of our hearts, be acceptable in Your sight and be a pleasing aroma in Your nostrils precious Lord, so that You may be glorified in all the earth. May others see Jesus today, and not us in all of our weakness and selfish desires. AMEN!

Slaves to Anything That Controls Us

On By Ed AlgreenIn Committed, Control, Control your tongue, Totally committedLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE  FROM:   2 Peter 2:18-20 (ERV)

TEXT: 18 They boast with words that mean nothing. They lead people into the trap of sin. They find people who have just escaped from a wrong way of life and lead them back into sin. They do this by using the evil things people want to do in their human weakness. 19 These false teachers promise those people freedom, but they themselves are not free. They are slaves to a mind that has been ruined by sin. Yes, people are slaves to anything that controls them.  20 People can be made free from the evil in the world. They can be made free by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. But if they go back into those evil things and are controlled by them, then it is worse for them than it was before.

OBSERVATION:   God used Peter to speak to his people at the time, and to also warn us today of the danger of false teachers sneaking in among us. Of course, no one reading this devotional will probably know of any ‘false teachers’ that have made their way into your churches, although you may have heard of this happening before at the churches across the street! Peter’s warning in these verses today shows us how easily this could happen in your own church, and how well accepted it might be, especially if they start opening up the doors, that are normally restricted or barred from typical Bible believing churches. So let’s stop and meditate on this for a little time today friends…

APPLICATION:   I remember attending a very small church at one time, and as they moved into their time of Holy Communion, my wife and I chose not to participate, because of our understanding of where our hearts should be in order to take part in this holy, sacred practice. From the pulpit, we were told that there’s nothing wrong with participating, because all have sinned. After some 50 years, I still remember the guilt feelings of giving in to that preacher in spite of where we felt we were with God at the time. Now in no way am I accusing that preacher of being a fase teacher, but I believe from our focal verses today, we could see where some teachers might easily convince us that it’s ok to do certain things, that we have always being taught is off limits for the believer. Friends, there is no better way to deal with this, than to have your Bible in hand at each service and/or Bible teaching class. If the preacher has announced a Scripture that supports his sermon, then turn in your Bible to that passage, and try to support what he is saying against what is written in the Word. If you can’t support it, then please get with the preacher after the service and ask him for the reference upon which he based his statement. Let me encourage you to do this. It will not only help you to stay true to the Word, but it will also help keep that preacher accountable to his calling. This will also encourage the preacher to thank God that at least one person was listening to the sermon/teaching! The other major thing that God got my attention on, was the fact that anything that controls us, we could easily become slave to. This really caused me to stop and ponder the things that tend to control me. While I really want you to think carefully about what might be controlling you, I believe that for me it might be things like work; church work; food; computer based programs and technology-based wonders, etc. To apply the Word of God, I believe it is my responsibility to make sure that none of the above enslaves me or interferes with my relationship with God. What about you friend, are there things that keep you for your daily time with the Lord, or opportunities to grow spiritually? Think about it, and will yourself to let nothing draw you away from God – the only One that loved you enough to sacrificially provide the means of you getting to heaven, and the only One who has the ability to help you overcome the evil things of this world and draw you to Himself.

PRAYER:   Lord, You won us to Yourself through Your precious Word. Please deepen our commitment to always seek the Word when we feel like something is separating us from You. Please help us to feed ourselves on Your Word daily, so that our souls might be fed with things that are holy, things that are righteous, and things that will draw us even closer to Yourself. Please keep us accountable to our commitment to serve You all the days of our life here on earth. May Your Word be a rock and a firm foundation on which we could stand as we face the evil of this world. 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!

Don’t Turn Back Now!

On By Ed AlgreenIn Committed, The Return of Jesus, Totally committedLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE  FROM:   Hebrews 6:4-6 (TLB)

TEXT:  4 There is no use trying to bring you back to the Lord again if you have once understood the Good News and tasted for yourself the good things of heaven and shared in the Holy Spirit, 5 and know how good the Word of God is, and felt the mighty powers of the world to come, 6 and then have turned against God. You cannot bring yourself to repent again if you have nailed the Son of God to the cross again by rejecting him, holding him up to mocking and to public shame.

OBSERVATION:   At first read, this appears to be a very challenging passage of Scripture, but I sincerely feel like God has a message in it for us today. Just consider how the Word of God opened your eyes at some point in your life, and moved you to accept Jesus as the resurrected Son of God, who came to make the way possible for you to enter heaven’s gate. Then consider at some point denying all of this. God wants to speak with us today about not turning our backs on Him. 

APPLICATION:   I want us to think for a moment about the ‘day of salvation’ for us. Perhaps we heard a sermon, or was blessed to have a friend share with us one-on-one about their Savior and Lord, or perhaps we were reading the Word of God and was touched by what we found to be true of our Heavenly King. Reflect back on your early days as a Christian, when you felt like you and God could conquer the world. What awesome times you enjoyed basting in the love of Jesus, feeling the touch and leadership of the Holy Spirit, and seeing the hand of God work in miraculous ways in your life. Now I want you to fast forward five years, after losing a child, divorcing your spouse and returning to some bad habits from your ugly past. For the friend that knew you in all three worlds – before you were saved, while you were saved, and after returning to your first world, what might they be saying about you. What is your witness saying to the one you were trying to win to Christ while you were at the height of your Christian life? Do you suppose that they are convinced that Jesus is alive and well, or whether He may still be dead and hanging on the cross? Friends, these actions are so serious, that God said through the writer of Hebrews, that a person who fits that description and lifestyle cannot be saved again. I understand that we are told in life not to use the word ‘never’, as in ‘never be saved again’, but God’s Word is true dear One, and there is reason why He would warn us so strongly about this. So may I encourage readers who are unsaved, to please examine the truths of Jesus, and please run a reference check by asking other believers about their life after accepting Christ. Be convinced that Jesus is alive forevermore, and that His love for you today is just as strong as the day that He voluntarily hung on that cross to die for our sin. It is worth it all to accept my Lord as your Savior, and make a lifetime commitment to serve Him until He calls you home to glory. You don’t get married, just to try it out. You don’t have a child, just to see what it’s like to have one. Please be deliberate about your decision to accept Jesus as your Savior, it’s for the rest of this life and for all eternity! There is no other love, like His love for us. No one else cares for us like He does. No one ever did as much for us as He has done. When we commit to Jesus, He will keep Satan at bay, if we are serious and ask Jesus to do that. No one can pluck us from the hand of Jesus, as recorded in the Word of God. Know Him today and know that peace my friend!

PRAYER:   Lord, You are so good to us! Thank You for providing the means for us to enter Heaven’s portal to be with You and Your Father! Oh how we look forward to that day! For as long as You see fit to leave us here on earth, I pray that You will bless us with a sincere commitment to serve You and to lift up Your name before all those that we come into contact with. Lord, may You rule and reign in our lives and be evident to those we associate with, so that together we can walk into Your presence and enjoy the promise of heaven for all eternity. Please keep us strong, and determined to never turn back. 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!

Rejecting God?

On By Ed AlgreenIn Commitment, Committed, Totally committed, Unconditional commitmentLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE  FROM:   1 Thessalonians 4:7-8 (NLT)

TEXT:  7 God has called us to live holy lives, not impure lives. 8 Therefore, anyone who refuses to live by these rules is not disobeying human teaching but is rejecting God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.

OBSERVATION:   Paul felt the need to address the sexual abuse and sin that was going on among the people of Thessalonica. In the first six verses Paul had addressed the issues, and then he laid the root of the issue before his followers. Are we any different friends? Let’s meditate on this for a moment in today’s blog….

APPLICATION:   Ever thought of your life as being one of rejecting God? I bet we would never, never set out to reject God in any way, but as you read these verses by Paul don’t you see where there is always a tug on our lives to steer us away from our Heavenly King? Remember, as we become accountable in life we acquire the desires of the world that is controlled by the evil one. Satan is very upset when he sees that God is butting in on his territory, so he tries even harder to retain us. Can you begin to imagine how jealous Satan is when he sees us surrender our lives to Christ? Don’t you know that he then tries even harder to distract us back to himself? Failing in our walk with the Lord, is one of the first achievements by Satan that encourages him to keep trying to get us. Friends, we have an adversary, and he is very real. He is jealous about having us back under his control, so he will try every attack and every evil thing to reclaim us. When we commit our lives to Jesus Christ, He sends His Holy Spirit to live inside of us to guide us, direct us, encourage us, and to help us stay on track with our commitment to the Holy One. God, in His wisdom, gave us various commands and directions for life that would prove to the world whose we are. His Son, Jesus, set an example for us so that we would know it’s possible to live a holy life and one that is totally in submission to the Father. If we find ourselves doing something, or saying something, or even thinking something that is contrary to God’s Word, or His life’s example, then we should take that as a direct warning that Satan is messing with us and he is especially after regaining our allegiance to himself.  When we give in to that, the above scripture says that we are rejecting God. I know, you or I would never admit that today we rejected God, but we are reminded by God, through Paul, that this is what happens when we sin. We know it’s of the devil, but we do it anyway. We basically demand that God step aside so we could do our own thing – an act of the evil one. Draw me close dear God, never let me go. Control my innermost emotions and desires so that I may desire nothing more than to serve You faithfully until the day You call me home to glory!

PRAYER:   Dear Jesus, thank you for loving me, for caring for me, for showing me the way to heaven, for showing me how to live in a way that pleases You and leads others to the Savior. It’s all about You Lord, please help me to always take my humble place so that You may be able to work through a holy and righteous vessel. Lord, may this be the cry, the prayer, of everyone that reads this devotional today, so that You may be glorified in and through this effort. 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 That Comes With Change

On By Ed AlgreenIn Committed, Faithful, Faithfulness, Hope, Totally committedLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE  FROM:   1 Corinthians 6:8-11 (GNT)

TEXT:  8 …. you yourselves wrong one another and rob one another, even other believers! 9 Surely you know that the wicked will not possess God’s Kingdom. Do not fool yourselves; people who are immoral or who worship idols or are adulterers or homosexual perverts 10 or who steal or are greedy or are drunkards or who slander others or are thieves—none of these will possess God’s Kingdom. 11 Some of you were like that. But you have been purified from sin; you have been dedicated to God; you have been put right with God by the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

OBSERVATION:   Paul pointed out to the Corinthian church the harsh reality of the wrong and unacceptable things that were going on among them. However, using the fact that God had already brought about change in some of them, he also showed them that there is hope that comes to the body of Christ when believers seek God’s face, ask for forgiveness and turn from their wicked ways. I believe that the church today is very much in need of this type of revival, for the lost still need to know that there is hope.

APPLICATION:   I love the excitement that comes to the church when an unbeliever accepts Jesus as Lord of their lives, and to see the ‘fire’ that lit inside of them how it stirs them into wanting the world to know about their new-found Savior.  However, there are times when a believer drifts away from God, and allows the sin of this world to become attractive to them once again. I believe that there is only one thing more enthusiastic and rewarding to a church, and that is, after much prayer and supplication before the Master on behalf of that Brother of Sister, their eyes are opened and their hearts are once again restored to new life in Jesus Christ! Friends, we should remember from our Scripture today that the world is not only attractive to unbelievers, but for those who claim Jesus as Lord, but enrich their souls with nothing more than the world, then they are just as apt to follow the things of this world. May I encourage those who claim Jesus as Lord, to connect with Him in a personal relationship? This includes: talking to Him through frequent prayer; allowing Him to respond to you and challenge you through the Bible – this involves daily time in the Word, and seeking God’s face for a full understanding of it while looking for proper ways to implement it in your life. In a marriage relationship, communication is the number one tool for a better marriage. In a Christian’s life, communication between you and God is also of vital importance. Without it, you will quickly assume communication with Satan and his earthly forces.

PRAYER:   Precious Lord, take my hand and lead me unto all righteousness today and every day. My readers are also reaching out for the miraculous hand of the Father to strengthen them and guide them to all truth each and every day. So Lord, I plead with You to touch Your children anew today. Please give us peace and contentment in Your love and protection so that we may serve You faithfully, and that we may bless others as we represent You more faithfully. 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!

 

In The Strength of The Holy Spirit

On By Ed AlgreenIn Commitment, Committed, Totally committed, Unconditional commitmentLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE  FROM:   Romans 8:26-27 (ERV)

TEXT:  26 Also, the Spirit helps us. We are very weak, but the Spirit helps us with our weakness. We don’t know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit himself speaks to God for us. He begs God for us, speaking to him with feelings too deep for words. 27 God already knows our deepest thoughts. And he understands what the Spirit is saying, because the Spirit speaks for his people in the way that agrees with what God wants.

OBSERVATION:   Throughout the New Testament we are reminded that we have an advocate that speaks to God on our behalf; We have a Savior who loves us so much that He suffered, bled and died on our behalf; and we sing an old gospel hymn ‘Nobody knows the trouble I’m in’. But Paul reminds us that the Spirit helps us in times like I just mentioned and even more. 

APPLICATION:   I wonder if you could think of a time when you were speechless before God? You know, the words would not come to you for the urgent prayer that you felt should be going up at that time. I’ve had at least one experience like that. I was taken to a larger city and hospital because of chest pains. Everything was aligned for a cardiac catheterization the next morning, and the many risks were thoroughly explained to me. I knew deep inside that only God could guide the sensitive hands of the physicians, and only He could calm my nerves and give me confidence, but my mind was confused and I just couldn’t concentrate on prayer. But to give you an idea of how awesome our God is: He not only provided His Holy Spirit to intercede on my behalf, but He also sent a friend 100 miles to pray with me that morning, relatives drove about 300 miles to pray with me, a pastor prayed for me over the phone, and I have a praying wife. I went through the test in great confidence, and the doctors were looking for excuses why a blockage seen the day before, no longer existed!! That’s how awesome our God is friends! I believe that it’s just like parenthood – when the Holy Spirit sees the need, He steps right in and meets the need on our behalf, just like any good parent would do. The question for each reader today is: ‘Do you know my Jesus?’; ‘Does the Holy Spirit live inside of you, as He does with believers?’; ‘Let me remind you that the Holy Spirit will not reside where sin abounds. He takes up residence in every believer’. Do you know Him, my friend? If you don’t. May I introduce you to my very best Friend; my Creator; my Savior; my Deliverer; and my Intercessor! Know Him and know peace. No Him and there will be no peace!

PRAYER:   Father thank You for the Holy Spirit that You sent to live inside of me, and inside of other believers. For all my friends that may read this devotional today, but don’t know You as Lord, please speak intently to their heart today oh Lord, so that they might sense Your Holy Spirit, and concede to the will of the Father. That You Lord Jesus for doing just that to me many years ago, and for helping me stay on track ever since. I am determined to serve thee to the end, may others make that commitment to You today as well. 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!

 

All Eyes on Jesus!

On By Ed AlgreenIn Accountability, Commitment, Committed, Totally committed, Unconditional commitmentLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE  FROM:   2 Chronicles 26:5; 16 (MSG)

TEXT:  5 He (King Uzziah) was a loyal seeker of God. He was well trained by his pastor and teacher Zechariah to live in reverent obedience before God, and for as long as Zechariah lived, Uzziah lived a godly life. And God prospered him.    16 But then the strength and success went to his (King Uzziah’s) head. Arrogant and proud, he fell.

OBSERVATION:   King Uzziah, a descendant of King David, had a great mentor in the person of Zechariah. This not only led Uzziah close to God, but also served as an accountability partner for the king. As long as Zechariah was around, King Uzziah depended on God, and he in turn, was successful. However, it soon got to the point where Uzziah started to feel totally capable on his own. This was a fatal mistake, as anytime we take our eyes off Jesus, we are going down, much like in the case of Peter walking on the water towards Jesus. So let’s look inward and determine if our eyes are on Jesus, or off.

APPLICATION:   Business owners often look deep for reasons why their business is doing so well, and of course, why the business might be struggling. This helps to direct management into correcting the things that seem to be causing harm to the company, and they try to tweak those things that are helping their success, hoping that they will do even better. Throughout the Old Testament we read of kings who did what pleased the Lord, or ones who did not. Normally there is a wide contrast between what each one accomplished, but it could often be associated with how much access the king gave God to their leadership. We may have all heard a parent say to an adult child that struggled in business, well son, I saw that coming, because I have never seen a business person establish himself in quite the same way that you did. I wanted to suggest things to you, but I wanted you to ask first. Friends, this is exactly the way that God works. Yes, He’s always with us, but He wants us to stay in communion with Him. I believe that as empty vessels we run to the Master to be filled. I believe that we are being taught in this Scripture today that if we have truly surrendered our lives to the Master, then we will seek His face for all decisions in life, for only God knows what we need, when we need it and how much we need. Furthermore, do we expect failure if God directs our business-plan? But let’s think a bit more deeply about how this works. I’m sure that no one expects to arrive at work one day and find God arranging the inventory on the shelves, or continue on to the accounting department and find God there balancing the books. You see, God works through His children – those who have invited Him to be Lord and Savior of their lives. When a business owner knows God personally, and he daily speaks with Jesus about his blessings, and his concerns about his business, I believe that Jesus will be mindful of the man’s concerns – period. Therefore when he arrives at work and needs to make important decisions, he is still under God’s leadership, and those business decisions will be aligned with God’s will for him and his business. King Uzziah was encouraged to serve God faithfully, as long as Zechariah the priest was there as his support and mentor. Who do you have standing with you as your mentor? Who is your ‘Zechariah’? If you have one already, you are a very blessed person! If you don’t, may I encourage you to find an accountability partner who will support you in your effort to be a faithful servant of our most high God?

PRAYER:   Lord You are good to us in so many ways! You know our strengths, and unfortunately, You also know our weaknesses. Please help us to celebrate our blessings often in our praises of thanksgiving to You. Please also help us in our struggles, both at home and at work. I don’t believe You have Your love separated between our home life and our business life, because I believe that You care about us individually. Please help us to find good accountability partners where we could pray for each other, with one another, and be that encourager for each other, as we walk through the ups and downs of this earth. Lord, I am eternally thankful to You, please continue to bless both personally and in my work place. 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!