Category: Unconditional commitment

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!

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!

 

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!

 

To Be Used of God

On By Ed AlgreenIn Committed, Daily communion with God, Totally committed, Unconditional commitmentLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE  FROM:   Acts 20:8-12 (TLB)

TEXT:   8 The upstairs room where we met was lighted with many flickering lamps; 9 and as Paul spoke on and on, a young man named Eutychus, sitting on the windowsill, went fast asleep and fell three stories to his death below. 10-12 Paul went down and took him into his arms. “Don’t worry,” he said, “he’s all right!” And he was! What a wave of awesome joy swept through the crowd! They all went back upstairs and ate the Lord’s Supper together; then Paul preached another long sermon—so it was dawn when he finally left them!

OBSERVATION:   Paul was indeed a special messenger of God. He was about to leave Troas, but wanted to enjoy the Lord’s Supper with the saints there before he left. That service grew into a time of Paul sharing the Word of God, and before they knew it, midnight was upon them, and folk were falling asleep, with particular attention on a young man who was sitting in the window. Of course Eutychus fell from the window after falling asleep, down three floors to his death. God used Paul to revive this young man. I believe that many question today, why won’t He also use us like He did with Paul?

APPLICATION:   I believe that the question at the end of my Observation is a good one, why won’t God use us to perform miracles? Let me continue with a deeper self examination, hoping that we can get to the root of the problem: Why won’t God use me to speak the truth of God to my unsaved family members? Why won’t God promote me to a place of recognition by my fellow employees, that I’m a child of the King? Why won’t I testify of His mercy at our midweek or Sunday evening service? Why won’t God reveal Himself to me when I read His Word each day? Why won’t He answer my daily prayers to Him? Why won’t He give me the words to share when I meet friends at the store or restaurant? Why won’t He respond to my need to be prepared before I leave home for worship? Why do I get antsy when the preacher takes our service over the hour mark? Friends, could the answer to any of these questions be that it’s because you never do many of those things and therefore never take time to ask God to bless you in those ways? I know, doing any of these things I mentioned will not save you, right? In all humbleness, may I suggest that if you had a sincere relationship with the King of this universe, you would be asking for most of these things, because you would be so anxious to be in His presence and complying with His perfect will for you. For the child whose parent(s) are still alive, or for the spouse whose partner is still alive, don’t you try every day in every way possible to please them? Won’t you also want to do the same for the Prince of Peace, who sacrificed His life at Calvary just for you, because He wanted to ensure that you have everything you need to enter heaven’s gates to spend eternity with He and His Father? Read more into the Scriptures about Paul, and you will find that he went through immense struggles, and beatings, and jails, and mockeries for his faith in God, yet he stayed strong and unmovable in his faith. God may not be using us in the same way that He used Paul, because He may still not be convinced that we love Him more than anything or anyone in this world, and are willing to sacrifice anything in order to serve Him better, or more. Draw close to God, and He will draw close to you my friend.

PRAYER:   Lord Jesus, You are so merciful and wonderful to me, yet I fail You in so many ways. Please forgive me and draw me close to You. My readers and I want to present ourselves as holy sacrifices to You, knowing that we can only do all things through Christ who strengthens us. We need You today Lord. Please guide us unto total Truth and embolden us to be Your witnesses wherever we go. You’re the One that matters oh Lord, and we need You more today than ever before. Into Your hands we commit ourselves anew. 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!

 

Just Do It

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

SCRIPTURE  FROM:   1 Chronicles 28:9-10 (AMP)

TEXT:  9 “As for you, Solomon my son, know the God of your father [have personal knowledge of Him, be acquainted with, and understand Him; appreciate, heed, and cherish Him] and serve Him with a blameless heart and a willing mind; for the Lord searches all hearts and minds, and understands every intent and inclination of the thoughts. If you seek Him [inquiring for and of Him and requiring Him as your first and vital necessity] He will let you find Him; but if you abandon (turn away from) Him, He will reject you forever. 10 Consider this carefully, for the Lord has chosen you to build a house for the sanctuary. Be courageous and strong and do it.”

OBSERVATION:   David was ‘a man after God’s own heart’, so we should pay close attention to his actions and his words. In these two verses we could tell how closely in tuned he was with God, because he spoke to Solomon as if directly from the lips of God. Wouldn’t it be awesome if we had an individual like David in our lives, who would be so open with us and share so honestly with us what God revealed to them, and especially what He revealed to them about us?

APPLICATION:   For any of us that have, or had, parents that were so close to God that they would speak words of wisdom to us, and try to enrich our spirit at every opportunity with the love, protection and wisdom of God, we are truly blessed! Wouldn’t we have a special appreciation for them, and develop a spirit of trust, love and respect for them, that we would easily listen and quickly follow their advice? From memories of answered prayer, don’t you know that we would make it a point to follow their advice and return love to them in every way possible? Friends, as we meditate on these verses today, I believe that we will also receive a clear understanding of the intimacy of a true relationship with our Lord. For as we are filled to overwhelming with the Spirit of God and the sweet fellowship of His Holy Spirit, not only will it impact our own lives, but we would have a deep and sincere desire to see friends and loved ones do the same. I love the way that the Amplified Version of the Bible helps us to soak in the real meaning of every word, that we might otherwise have quickly read over and not given much thought to. I believe that these words that David shared with his son, are intended to enrich our experience with God and with each other. Who are you praying for, and when last have you gotten with them to see how they’re doing, and what God may have given you to share personally with them? Doesn’t it seem like this world has sucked us into the busyness of its demands, that we hardly have time in our busy schedules anymore to visit, or even call family and friends to show that we care, or to tell them what we feel God is saying to them? I’ve always said that it’s not a matter of time, but of priorities. So will you end the day in prayer by telling God that it really wasn’t a priority to visit that Sunday School member in hospital today? What if He challenged you back by suggesting that your television wouldn’t work tomorrow so that that member will receive more priority from you than the Olympic games? Please know that only God is perfect, so your Brother is being preached at just like you, as we think about the things that please God. I will end by repeating to us what God said through David to his son – Be courageous and strong and just do it!

PRAYER:   Lord God, I am so sorry that we confuse priorities with the familiar excuse that we didn’t have time to do Your work. Please help us to practice changing our vocabulary to help us realize the impact of not making Your work a priority in our lives. May the work of Your Holy Spirit be evident in our lives today oh Lord, and may we always prioritize Your work above all else. All for Your glory, Your honor and Your praise, 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!

 

Always Let Your LIGHT Shine

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

SCRIPTURE  FROM:   Acts 16:27-31 (TLB)

TEXT:  27 The jailer wakened to see the prison doors wide open, and assuming the prisoners had escaped, he drew his sword to kill himself.     28 But Paul yelled to him, “Don’t do it! We are all here!”     29 Trembling with fear, the jailer called for lights and ran to the dungeon and fell down before Paul and Silas. 30 He brought them out and begged them, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”     31 They replied, “Believe on the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, and your entire household.”

OBSERVATION:   In order to quiet the witness of Paul and Silas, they were thrown into prison and the guards were ordered to take extra precaution in securing them. The mouths of Paul and Silas were left unbound, so in the darkness of the night they serenaded other prisoners with their sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving to their Heavenly Father. God saw the need for salvation among those in that prison, so He sent an earthquake. The effects of the ‘quake opened the prison doors and broke the chains that bound God’s men there in that prison. Being accustomed to prisoners looking for every opportunity to escape, the guard was about to take his own life – until Paul spoke up in the darkness of that prison. Of course this had an enormous impact on that prison guard. Are you having a similar impact on those who witness your actions and your speech?

APPLICATION:   I believe that the very times that we feel shy about witnessing, or feel like we are incapable of sharing the Word of God with anyone, it is then that the Holy Spirit ‘kicks in’ and says, ‘OK, now I can do the work of Him who sent me in this weakened vessel’. Friends, we are taught how to be comfortable in witnessing, yet we become timid in speaking up for our beliefs; we fear the evil one, instead of fearing the God of this universe; we are too quick to conclude that only ministers of the gospel could share Christ with others, for we tend to believe that it was surely a miracle that God saved us, so let’s not push our luck in believing that God could possibly use us to witness to a friend or family member. Friends, these myths are straight from the devil, for you won’t find in Scripture where God says to call your pastor or elder to go into all the world and share Christ. God ordained that all of His children should ‘go’ and ‘share as we go’, because He allows others to see Himself in our actions and through our character and speech. Friends, I believe that we should also question ourselves when we realize that we are not having a godly impact on others. For we should then strive to draw closer to God than ever before, through reading His Word – a message to us from God Himself; and commune with Him in prayer – open communication with our Father. We have nothing to be ashamed of, for the Kingdom of God is accessible to us! We have nothing to be ashamed of – for there is only one God, and we have personal contact with Him, through His Son, Jesus! – and God is the author and creator of all things. You talk about having a relationship and a connection with important people! WOW, this is THE Almighty God of this world!

PRAYER:   Lord Jesus, people recognize when we’re happy in life’s circumstances, and they notice when we are happy being around family and good friends. Oh that they may see the glow of You living in and through us as are obedient to You and sow love to You and them. To repeat what I saw taped on a previous pastor’s pulpit: ‘Oh that they see Jesus’. That is my prayer today Lord! Have Your perfect will and way in directing me, and in the lives of those that will encounter You through me. Oh that they see 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!

 

Beware of Thieves

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

Post Date:

 Saturday, 2017-11-04
SCRIPTURE

From:

 John 10:9-10 (Voice)

Text:

   9 I am the gate; whoever enters through Me will be liberated, will go in and go out, and will find pastures. 10 The thief approaches with malicious intent, looking to steal, slaughter, and destroy; I came to give life with joy and abundance.
OBSERVATION:
Jesus faced an issue that may seem to some as being unheard of today. The leaders of the day made it look like they were out to do the best for their people, but it was known, and was very obvious to Jesus, that they were out for personal gain; recognition; and holding the people hostage to only their belief and lifestyle. Jesus saw straight through this, and took the opportunity to tell the leaders through parables. Let’s see what the application might be in this for us…..
APPLICATION:
I’m not sure what the estimated percentage of Christ believers are in each country represented by my followers of this blog, but I believe that each of us are probably ashamed of that percentage, and wish that the numbers were reversed between Christians and unbelievers. So let’s take a moment and see what the challenges may be that’s causing the thieves to get to so many family members, friends, work associates and even church attendees. See if you would agree with me on some of the ‘thieves’ I will list:

  • Sports – I know, you will automatically assume that I am not a big sports fan! You are correct, but how often does our friends miss a time of worship to be at a game? Other than worshiping the players/idols, do you ever see anyone worshiping God at the sporting events? Any witnessing to the one spilling beer over you? Glued to a TV screen at home perhaps, instead of voting ‘yes’ through your attendance and participation in an evening service at your church? Careful your allegiance to your favorite sporting activity doesn’t steal the joy you would have otherwise enjoyed blessing someone else, worshiping God or advancing His kingdom!
  • Outdoor Gaming – Could almost have been included in Sports, but we often, will hear how well our friends feel like they could worship in the hunting stand, or in the boat in the middle of the lake. Careful friends, for I don’t believe this is what God intended when He said that we should practice the assembling of ourselves together to worship Him and encourage others;
  • Work – With more and more businesses opened on our popular worship days, we quickly respond that we can’t attend worship services because of our obligation to work, or because you just got off work. Does your boss know about your priority to worship God on a day that you hold holy? Is it enough of a priority that you made it a part of your employment that you be off on your day of worship? What if a co-worker told you to steal or alter the books on the other workdays, will you do that also? Your boss will respect you for having principles and practicing them.

I believe that until you are willing to state your Christian beliefs, and be willing to stand up for the principles of Christ, the world will consider you yet another counterfeit. Jesus referred to the Pharisee leaders as thieves that have come to steal and destroy good people. If you were challenged by God on any of the above things, or perhaps others, may I suggest that you revitalize your relationship with the Master and allow Him to direct your path and your priorities. He wants an intimate relationship with you, my friend. He particularly designed you for this.
PRAYER:
Lord Jesus, please enlighten us to the distractors in our life. Lord, we want to draw close to You and we know that we can’t do this when we have so many other things distracting us. It is so important that others see Jesus in us, and not the things of this world. Please give us boldness to stand firm in our beliefs and our commitment to You. Today may be a day for someone to see Jesus. Lord shine through each of us so that they may see You. AMEN!
FOOTNOTE:
There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’.  If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog could indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and read more, or you may freely to subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the 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!

Committed To Serve

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

Post Date:

 Thursday, 2017-09-21
SCRIPTURE

From:

 Ruth 1:16-17 (TLB)

Text:

 16 But Ruth replied, “Don’t make me leave you, for I want to go wherever you go and to live wherever you live; your people shall be my people, and your God shall be my God; 17 I want to die where you die and be buried there. May the Lord do terrible things to me if I allow anything but death to separate us.”
OBSERVATION:
In marrying the son of Naomi, Ruth had dedicated her life to his family. This became more apparent after the death of Ruth’s husband, and in these two verses Ruth clearly stated her commitment to Naomi. I believe that this was very much a part of God’s plan, as we will see how everything aligned for Ruth throughout this beautiful book. This also teaches us about being truly committed to God and to one another with a bond that cannot be broken.
APPLICATION:
Commitment sometimes means that we will continue our job until something better comes up; or it may mean continuing our marriage until our spouse no longer pays attention to us; or keeping our promise to have lunch with a friend as long as something better doesn’t come up. Somehow I can tell that this is not the way that Ruth was put together, for her commitment to Naomi was without conditions and whether anyone else went along to help her or not. Unfortunately, I believe that we have so much to learn from this, for we are so over committed and easily distracted today, that we often commit or promise without ever knowing if we could do all that we said we would. Unfortunately this also involves Christians, for in good gesture at church we might listen to a friend’s problems and promise to pray for them. I’m afraid that this phrase “I’ll pray for you” is so abused, for we walk away from that conversation and never think of that promised prayer again. Perhaps we should either go ahead and pray for the person right there and then, or write their name and request down on a piece of paper, so we could pray for them each day until God answers. Friends, if we claim Jesus as Lord, we commit ourselves to live like He did. We don’t find anywhere in God’s Word where He broke any promises, so in promising to be just like Him, we need to let our yea be yea and our nay be nay. Our word is our honor. How honorable are you? With God’s help we can do this friends!
PRAYER:
Lord, please prompt us to always do what we say we will do and be all that we promise we will be. Following Your perfect will always directs us along the path that You would have us follow, knowing that You will ultimately be glorified in and through us. To God be all the glory! Help us to be men and women of God – good influences/witnesses to all that we come into contact with. 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!