Reasons To Come To Jesus

On By Ed AlgreenIn Church, Clean Heart, WitnessLeave a comment

Wednesday, 2019-01-09

Bible Reference: Matthew 4:23-24
Translation: The Passion Translation (TPT)

Bible Text:  23 Jesus ministered from place to place throughout all of the province of Galilee. He taught[r] in the synagogues, preaching the hope of the kingdom realm[s] and healing every kind of sickness and disease among the people. 24 His fame spread everywhere![t] Many people who were in pain and suffering with every kind of illness were brought to Jesus for their healing—epileptics,[u] paralytics, and those tormented by demonic powers were all set free. Everyone who was brought to Jesus was healed!

OBSERVATION: People flocked to be in the presence of Jesus, because word got around about His teachings, His healings and the hope of this future home that He taught about. Let’s meditate on our current day situation and consider the things that draw people to Jesus today, and possibly the things that causes people to reject the idea of our Master.

APPLICATION: I once heard a story of a neighborhood kid standing besides the pastor of a church while firefighters fought a blazing fire that seemed destined to totally destroy the church building. The pastor turns to the young man and introduced himself while saying that he had never seen him around the church before. To which the young man gave this response ‘because I had never seen the church on fire before’. A simple, but profound answer, for how many in the neighborhood of our church buildings know that the church even exists there, and secondly, have they heard any results of happenings at the church, or from its services, such as what we read in our focal Scripture today? Is it evident to the attendees and the neighborhood that Jesus is present every time we meet? Will young men, such as the one at the fire (mentioned above), hear about the Holy Spirit convicting people of their sin, causing them to surrender their lives to the holy Son of God? Will the neighborhood hear about the ‘tongues of fire’ that moved in our church service, like it did in Acts 2, and how it convicted hundreds to turn from their sin and accept the love and security of knowing Jesus as Lord? My solemn prayer is that our neighborhoods will hear more of God moving in His church, than they do about the fights and church splits that plague so many churches today. Oh that they may hear about, and see a flourishing church, where people go to visit while steeped in the likes of their earthly leader, but leave as changed men and women, boys and girls. Friends, our churches must be busy about pointing people to Christ, for we could boast of the largest and prettiest buildings, or the expanse of our properties, but it’s not until our neighborhoods see lives being transformed into the likeness of everything they have heard about God, that they will know that the fire of the Holy Spirit is alive and well at our churches. Now, before leaving this thought today, let me quickly remind us that the ‘church’ is not the building where we attend services, nor is it the Pastor to whom we may pay to lead our church, but rather, it consists of each believer that meets corporately to worship God together. So in that context, I pray that we might be more careful to look for how God is at work in our worship services, and that we concentrate on Him wholeheartedly as we go to worship, not the many other people or things that distract us in and around our sanctuaries. In this way, our lives will shine with the glow from the Holy Spirit inside the church building and everywhere we are seen! It’s all about our God, friend!

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, thank You for all that You did on Calvary, so that we might gain access to our heavenly home. May our relationship with You be so intimate, so personal, so worshipful, and so sincere, that our time together in corporate worship might be magnified by the same Spirit that lives in the hearts and lives of every believer gathered. You and You alone deserve our praise and our worship. Please help us to forget about ourselves and the distractions around us, so that our minds are fixed on You. May our times together in such a setting be so impacted, that our lives outside the church will overflow and shine with the glory of God. May the unsaved see the ‘tongues of fire’ referred to in the early church, prevalent in our churches and in our neighborhoods as we scatter. To God be the glory for all that He will accomplish, even through us! AMEN!

In Habitual Fellowship With God

On By Ed AlgreenIn Connected, Obedience, ObedientLeave a comment

Tuesday, 2019-01-08

Bible Reference: Genesis 6:9-13
Translation: Amplified Bible (AMP)

Bible Text:  9 …. Noah was a righteous man [one who was just and had right standing with God], blameless in his [evil] generation; Noah walked (lived) [in habitual fellowship] with God. 10 Now Noah became the father of three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth. 11 The [population of the] earth was corrupt [absolutely depraved—spiritually and morally putrid] in God’s sight, and the land was filled with violence [desecration, infringement, outrage, assault, and lust for power]. 12 God looked on the earth and saw how debased and degenerate it was, for all humanity had corrupted their way on the earth and lost their true direction. 13 God said to Noah, “I intend to make an end of all that lives, for through men the land is filled with violence; and behold, I am about to [d]destroy them together with the land. 

OBSERVATION: I believe that the earth has once again become, as described in verse 11. However, I want us to ponder today ‘who will be the ‘Noah’ of our day?’. Could be it be you? Could it be me? Only God knows. But we also might know whether we are truly righteous in all of our ways. We may camouflage the truth to our friends around us, but remember – God knows every little detail about our actions, and even our thoughts. Think about it friends…

APPLICATION: Imagine with me that you are constructing a project, and you leave at the end of the day feeling very proud of your accomplishments that day. But while your mind is at rest at home that evening, you remember that there was a key ingredient that you accidentally left out of your day’s work on that project, and it would lead to total disaster in a few weeks if you go on with the project instead of fixing the issue. Next morning you arrive at the project location and ask for help in destroying everything you did the previous day, so that you could start afresh and do everything according to its perfect design. In the time of Noah, God looked at everything He had created, and was extremely disappointed at the totally opposite direction that everything was going, compared to His original intent, so He decided to start back over with just one righteous man and his family. I can only believe that today the world must be in much worse shape than it has ever been before. Why, think about the little value placed on human life itself. From killing the innocent unborn, to being snatched by a Human Trafficker, or targeted by a murderer, or a pimp, or an organ reaper. The world is being destroyed in every way possible by mankind, for just as God declared in verse 12, it has become corrupted and debased in every way. Friends, we know what God did when He saw the world in such a mess in the days of Noah. I am confident that He is still God, and that He could very easily do the same thing to our world today, although I’m sure that He would never break His promise to never destroy all of creation again. But we have a responsibility, to make sure that our lives are aligned with what God demands of us in His Word, and to seek in every way to be in a condition like He found Noah to be – righteous. Prayer changes things, and we could certainly do that, but the Bible is clear that we must be ready to meet our God, no matter what circumstances are going on around us. May I encourage you today to first of all, know Jesus in an intimate and personal way; and secondly, aim for righteousness – being right with God. This would be living in a habitual relationship with God! To do this, you must seek to live according to His instructions; follow His example; and seek His will daily so that you may stay in line with His will. You may not be able to change the world, but you can become associated with the only One who can. Seek after His righteousness, friend, and all this will be given to you!

PRAYER: Lord, You created the world, and You saw fit to destroy the world with a flood. However, You have promised to never destroy the world again. Nonetheless, please help us to never lose our sense of alertness and readiness, because You have also promised in Your Word that You will return to take Your saints home to glory with You. Yes, our world today is probably worse than You’ve ever seen it before, but precious Lord, how we long for the day that You will take us ‘home’ with You! You’ve shown us in Your Word how we might become, and remain, ‘right with You’. Thank You for the assurance of our salvation Lord! May I please ask that You speak gently to the hearts of all those who will read this devotional, as You draw them unto Yourself, and open their eyes to the urgency of the hour that is quickly approaching for Your return. I want to see You Lord, and I truly want to ask the favor of You miraculously touching many who will be impacted by Your Word, and even by this humble blog. To God be the glory for all things that You will accomplish in Your time! AMEN!

Proof, No Proof

On By Ed AlgreenIn Fruit of the Spirit, Proof-positive, Proven, Repentance, SalvationLeave a comment

Saturday, 2019-01-05

Bible Reference: Matthew 3:8, 10
Translation: Amplified Bible (AMP)

Bible Text: 8 So produce fruit that is consistent with repentance [demonstrating new behavior that proves a change of heart, and a conscious decision to turn away from sin]; ……. 10 And already the axe [of God’s judgment] is [gswinging toward the root of the trees; therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

OBSERVATION: I was reminded of a television show – ‘Deal, No Deal’ as I meditated on these verses today. I know, don’t mix television with the precious Word of God, right? But Paul was so infuriated by the boldness of the Pharisees and Sadducees to show up at the river for baptism, that he took time to warn them of what a saved life looks like, vs one that is not. We should never have to tell anyone that we’re saved – it should be evident in our lives.

APPLICATION: In our Scripture today, Matthew relates that John the Baptist had been baptizing a lot of people. So one could only imagine that if they had not been baptized, then something must really be wrong with them. In the case of the religious leaders, John could tell that, to the crowd, they could easily have passed as ‘worthy of baptism’ because of their kinship to Abraham. However friends, is this not a good reminder for us? Some church attendees might tell you that their father was a pastor back in some church many years ago, so they are sure that they have a reserved place in heaven. Some might point to their regular attendance at your church for several decades, and all of the money that they gave for certain projects, so surely they are right ‘up there’ with the best of saints in your church. But the interesting thing that John points out to the religious leaders is that a repentant heart is what really matters. Some of you might wonder what exactly that would consist of, but I believe that this particular version of the Bible spells that out for you, for a repentant heart demonstrates a new behavior – meaning that it’s different to the behavior you once demonstrated in your life. Now your new behavior clearly comes from a heart that has been impacted and changed by its original designer and maker, Jesus Christ! Further, this changed heart will also show evidence of a conscious decision to stay away from sin. This includes your efforts to stay away from the people and places that once caused you to sin. Persistent study of God’s Word is critical, so that you could have a clear message from Him about what He consider ‘sin’, even though it might look like holiness to others. These changed attitudes, actions, thoughts and words are called ‘fruit’ by John, because He wanted us to understand that a tree, or a heart, built on the good things of Christ, will produce fruit/actions/words/attitudes that resemble the One who is feeding your tree/heart. Therefore, when there is no evidence that you are allowing God to ‘feed’ you, John declared that you will not survive, or reach eternity with Christ. Friends, as we live out everything that God has buried deep into our hearts, He will receive glory from those blessed by those ‘fruit’ that we produce. When we are merely following the crowd, or living a life of traditional church attendance, or imitating what other Christians do, and we have not sought personal forgiveness from God, and received a repentant, or changed heart – one just like His, then like the Pharisees and Sadducees, we are living on a slippery slope – one that can only lead all the way down to Hell. A New Year is a perfect time to seek a new heart – a repentant and changed heart that reflects the Master who you’ve invited to be your Lord. Please consider reading on to the Footnote for more information on how you might go about this transformation. Perhaps 2019 might be the year that you might seek baptism – a genuine one that celebrates a truly repentant heart!

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, thank You for salvation, and thank You for the message expressed through baptism. Please touch the hearts of all those that will read this devotional, especially those who imitate a Christian life, but have not accepted the One who gives a repentant heart so that we might take on His attributes and bear His fruit. True Christianity comes from a repentant heart, one filled with Jesus Christ. Bearing ‘fruit’, can only happen if the True Vine (Jesus) has taken up residence inside of us. Lord, for each reader today, I pray that it may be so. AMEN!

What God Requires of Us

On By Ed AlgreenIn Forgiven, Humble, Humbleness, Humility, Obedience, Obedient, Servants of GodLeave a comment

Friday, 2019-01-04

Bible Reference: Micah 6:6-8
Translation: Good News Translation (GNT)

Bible Text:  6 What shall I bring to the Lord, the God of heaven, when I come to worship him? Shall I bring the best calves to burn as offerings to him? 7 Will the Lord be pleased if I bring him thousands of sheep or endless streams of olive oil? Shall I offer him my first-born child to pay for my sins? 8 No, the Lord has told us what is good. What he requires of us is this: to do what is just, to show constant love, and to live in humble fellowship with our God.

OBSERVATION: A new year, a new beginning! Famous words that we hear around the beginning of each new year, but what does that actually mean? For some, it refers to diet. For others it may pertain to correcting the wrong attitudes of the past year; or putting aside hatred and striving to love one another; or a number of other things that we would like to start afresh on. What about the child of God? What might we want to do differently, or better? Let’s look to the Bible for our guide on this…

APPLICATION: When we set the rules on something, we can usually win, because we make the expectations within eyeshod of what we might attain. I don’t believe there is a human alive that sets goals to make sure they will lose the fight to attain them. However, when God has expectations for us, people of faith, should exercise that faith as they put forth every effort, with the help of the Master, to please God. Friends, let’s be reminded right up front that there ain’t nothing that you and God can’t do! Remember that He is the One who created this world very carefully so that you and I would survive on all that He provided. He created humans so that we may reproduce and be very much like Himself. He smashed the head of Satan and put him in his place. So since our God has proven Himself in so many ways, why is it again that you feel defeated; or so challenged to love others; or so unwanted that you feel like there is no relationship between you and God? Why have you not called on the name of the Lord in praise and thanksgiving when you have seen His hand at work in your life? Why have you not anchored yourself at the feet of Jesus, begged Him for forgiveness of your sin, and acknowledged in humility that you are nothing without Him? Won’t you try calling on the Lord Jesus to fill you with His awesome forgiveness, power, direction and unending love that leads to life eternally with Him in glory? Our Scripture reminds us of what God expects of us: (1) Do what is just – treat your neighbor as yourself, without prejudice or covetousness. In other words, treat others the way that you have seen God treat you, and others you know; (2) Show continuous love to others. Love as God has loved you. He gave His life for you, so what are you prepared to give for others in need around you? and (3) Live in humble and obedient fellowship with God. Humility means that you don’t have all the answers, and you are dependent on God. It means that you put aside any assumptions of what you feel others need, or the world deserves, and totally surrender to God for all that He commands. He’s in charge my friend! We’re just His humble servants carrying out His orders. Now that He has shown us what He requires of us, how will this change your direction, or goals for 2019? Try talking to Him about what He would have you do, will you?

PRAYER: Precious Lord Jesus, please forgive us for the plans we make, knowing full well that we have no idea about tomorrow, yet without consulting You – the One who has tomorrow in the palm of Your hand. You have reminded us in Your Word again today what You require of us Lord. May we be faithful in assuming our roles as obedient servants, ready to act on Your orders, and may we seek to be more like You in everything we do, oh Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer, AMEN!

Excuses Won’t Work

On By Ed AlgreenIn Excuses, Exemplary Living, God's Will, God-honoring, Like JesusLeave a comment

Thursday, 2019-01-03

Bible Reference: Genesis 3:11-13
Translation: Easy-to-Read Version (ERV)

Bible Text: 11 God said to the man, “Who told you that you were naked? Did you eat fruit from that special tree? I told you not to eat from that tree!” 12 The man said, “The woman you put here with me gave me fruit from that tree. So I ate it.” 13 Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What have you done?” She said, “The snake tricked me, so I ate the fruit.”

OBSERVATION: Right from the very beginning of time, when there were only two humans alive, mankind found it easier to make excuses rather than owning up to their actions and accepting the consequences that may follow. Often this involves throwing the blame on someone else, with hopes that they will bear the brunt of the punishment for the crime. However, I believe that God might have a lesson for us to learn in this. Let’s think about the excuses we find, when trying to deflect blame on to others.

APPLICATION: Not sure when last you stopped to consider the many excuses we find in life, but I believe the habit is much worse than we could ever imagine! In our Scripture today, we might think of the peaceful garden that God created for His first children. How He created Adam and immediately saw how lonely he was, so He carefully chose to make Eve from Adam, to help set the stage of submission, that God wanted in place. God wanted to make sure that His kids learned right from the beginning that there were some rules – things that they would not be permitted to do, or touch, or eat. Are you starting to see a comparison to what we still face today in our various diets and disciplines? However, it is clear from the Word, that God carefully and lovingly created everything especially for us to enjoy – the beauty of His creation; food of many varieties; animals to bring life to everything around us; and a keen sense to recognize the God of this universe who loves us more than anything else in the world. Would you not assume that we would be immensely grateful, and therefore consistently and persistently looking for ways to praise our Father for His goodness? But right from the start, Adam and Eve assumed the attitude that is so prevalent in us, that no matter who sets the rules, we are going to do it our way. Yes, the serpent caused Eve to really ponder the rule set by God about the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden, but it was Eve who caved in and committed the sin in disobedience. Yes, Eve offered the fruit to Adam so she could have a partner in crime, but Adam had a choice to accept the fruit and sin, or be the spiritual leader of his home and lead Eve to a point of seeking forgiveness. I believe that our lesson to receive in this today, is that we are accountable before a holy God for our own sin. Of course I believe that we could help each other refrain from sinning, but I don’t believe there is ever a time that we could honestly stand before God and try to give the excuse that someone else caused us to sin. Let’s do our best to not let anything hinder us from praising God; from seeking His face in reflection and in honor to His holy name; from causing us to willingly disobey Him and sin – in spite of all that He has taught us. Remember, unlike our court systems, we will not stand before God with an attorney or witnesses who will try to find loopholes or excuses for our sin. It will be us alone, before God alone. He already knows the truth about every aspect of our life, and it will be up to us how willing we are to admit the truth about our words and our actions while here on earth. How well do you suppose you will do, without giving excuses?

PRAYER: Lord God, You provided a perfect setting in which we could live, and You provided everything we need to live in perfect harmony, and with respect for the One True God who created us. We approach You with deep regret that we have allowed so many things to step in the way of our right relationship with You. Please forgive us. We have entered into a brand new year, with opportunities to let our lights shine for you. Please grant us strength and wisdom to reject those ones who will cause us to sin, and fill us with so much of Yourself, that they will be convinced of their sin and search for You instead. Lord, Satan has taken such a hold on people around us that it is only with Your power and Your might, that we could ever survive the onslaught of sin. We need You desperately Lord. May Your kingdom come and Your will be done. AMEN!

God Provides

On By Ed AlgreenIn Example, Example of Christ, Exemplary LivingLeave a comment

Wednesday, 2019-01-02

Bible Reference: Genesis 1:29; Genesis 2:23-24
Translation: The Voice (VOICE)

Bible Text: Genesis 1:29 Look! I have given you every seed-bearing plant that grows on the earth and every fruit-bearing tree. They will be your food and nourishment.
Genesis 2:23 Adam: At last, a suitable companion, a perfect partner. Bone from my bones. Flesh from my flesh. I will call this one “woman” as an eternal reminder that she was taken out of man. 24 Now this is the reason a man leaves his father and his mother, and is united with his wife; and the two become one flesh.

OBSERVATION: Being only day two into my read through the Bible again, there are two things that have already caught my attention. Not only are we reminded that God really did know what He was doing, but we could also regain faith in our doctors, because we could hear their words echoed, especially as we read the focal verses today. Having studied the Bible some already, I believe that these two things are just the beginning of many things to come where it is reinforced for us that God is the designer and maker of life and all that we need to live this life to its fullest!

APPLICATION: How many times have we been told by doctors that it’s the ‘junk’ that we are adding into our bodies that hurt us, and kill us prematurely. Yet we could see right from the beginning of God’s Word, that He provided the means for us to use in feeding these bodies He blessed us with. However, we have chosen to use our own intellect and feed ourselves anything but what God designed for us. Over and over I hear my doctor’s recommend that I put more fruit and vegetables into my diet. My sinful self considers that to be more steak; more ribs; more chocolate; more ice cream; etc, etc. So as I reflect on our first focal verse, I must ask myself what might I say to God at times like I’m facing right now with high cholesterol; heart disease; liver issues and other challenges that we know are impacted by our choice of foods not on God’s list. Should I ask for His healing of the body impacted by my deliberate variation from His design taught in Scripture? Or shall I ask for strength and wisdom to live as He designed? The other thing covered in our second set of focal verses, is the beautiful story of God’s creation of woman. He saw that Adam needed something to make his life complete, so He made the perfect mate for him. And since that time, oh the mess we have made of this. God also told us in verse 24 of Genesis 2, that He designed this union of man and woman to be apart from mom and dad. In other words, a totally separate family. Friends, our marriages are in in mess. Those with ties to the church, are as bad as those with no church affiliation at all. Do all of the issues originate because of a flaw in this one principle? I will leave that up to you to meditate on with God, because the issue is way bigger than I or any other ‘man’ could dare answer. However, I believe that God is reminding us from the very beginning of His Book of Instruction, that He created woman from man, so that he may have a helpmate, have a loving partner, and that together they could populate the earth like He intended. Can we do any, or all, of these things from the messes we have made of marriage or the family? I have shared two very ‘hot’ topics today. May I suggest that instead of trying to get me straight on any ways that you feel I may have misrepresented the truth of God’s Word on these topics, that you actually begin a study of your own on these topics. God may have some reasons for you reading this devotional today, as He may want to get your attention about these matters that may need attention in your own life, or He may want to use you to help others who are struggling in these areas of life. Try your best to avoid the distraction of my words, and seek after what God might have to say to you through these verses. I believe that you could agree with me that we have a serious problem in each of the two areas I believe God challenged us with today. Seek God for what He might have you do today in these areas of your life.

PRAYER: Lord God, thank You for so carefully thinking of everything that we need here on earth. Thank You for directing me to these two very important issues that You covered so well, right from the very beginning of time. Please help us to return to the basics of life, as You intended, so that we might more diligently serve You and represent You in a community void of Your teachings and Your example. We need You Lord. AMEN!

Careful in Beginning Right

On By Ed AlgreenIn A Lamp unto My Path, Commitment, TrustLeave a comment

Tuesday, 2019-01-01

Bible Reference: Genesis 1:1-2
Translation: Amplified Bible (AMP)

Bible Text:IN THE beginning God (prepared, formed, fashioned, and) created the heavens and the earth. [Heb. 11:3.]
2 The earth was without form and an empty waste, and darkness was upon the face of the very great deep. The Spirit of God was moving (hovering, brooding) over the face of the waters.

OBSERVATION: At 12:01am today, January 1st. 2019, we were presented with a ‘clean slate’. In Genesis 1:1 God started with a similarly ‘clean slate’. It was just Him, and the Holy Spirit that hovered over the earth. I would strongly encourage you to read again the first chapter of Genesis and the Bible, for I believe that you will be reminded of how careful God provided everything we would need for life. To be reminded of that on this first day of a New Year, should impact us to think that God still has things in order for us to live like He designed. That takes all the worries out of life, if only we will trust God!

APPLICATION: Each day we face a ‘Clean Slate’, and we must decide whether, (1) We will go with the flow, and all of the evil that normally shows its face in our culture, or (2) We will seek the guiding hand of our Creator in whom we have placed our faith and trust. Similarly, we went to bed last night and not only put our bodies into a state of sleep, but also made our minds content in all that had happened in our life up to that point in time. When we awakened this morning, we could easily identify with what God faced at the very beginning, because we faced a world filled with sin, strife, trouble from every side, hurt feelings from our fellow Brothers and Sisters, because they are unfortunately facing the same challenges. If we do nothing at all, then we easily and quickly become a part of that same evil world. If we know the Master of this universe, and we dare trust in Him, then we must decide that we will not settle for the norm, but instead trust in God to lead us into the world that He has created, and in which He has provided everything for our survival and enjoyment. Friends, please be reminded that God did not just throw us into this world expecting us to survive without His ongoing help. In Genesis 1, we are told that each thing that God created was with deep thought, and designed for our ongoing survival and enjoyment. For example, I’ve always heard about God creating vegetation on the third day, but it wasn’t until today that God showed me the rest of the story. Read verses 11 – 13, and note how God created plants that either bore seeds, or fruit that contained seeds, so that reproduction could easily occur. Only God could be so careful in providing such awesome ways just for His kids! I’m, glad that I not only know that He loves me, but that I have committed to a personal relationship with Him. I would encourage each of you to consider the greatest decision you could make in 2019, accept Jesus as your Savior and Lord and trust in Him to daily care for you and direct your paths in ways that are pleasing to Him, and that are best for your future. He loves you friend, and He wants to be your Father. The next move is yours! Be bold, and do the right thing!

PRAYER: Thank You for Your many blessings oh Lord, and I especially thank You for allowing us to welcome in a New Year. Everything about this transition is unknown to us, but I can confidently call on the only One who knows everything about what will come our way in 2019! Lord, please continue to be patient with us as we finally recognize Your love and Your awesome power to guide us, protect us and love us through all of life’s circumstances. Please keep us humble so that we may submit ourselves to Your perfect will this year Oh Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer. AMEN!

Our Instruction Manual For What’s Ahead

On By Ed AlgreenIn A Lamp unto My Path, Biblical Decisions, Guidance, Listen to the Word of God, Spiritual FitnessLeave a comment

Monday, 2018-12-31

Bible Reference: 2 Timothy 3:15–17
Translation: The Message (MSG)

Bible Text:  There’s nothing like the written Word of God for showing you the way to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. Every part of Scripture is God-breathed and useful one way or another—showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our mistakes, training us to live God’s way. Through the Word we are put together and shaped up for the tasks God has for us.

OBSERVATION: Wouldn’t you hate being on a support desk and receiving calls from users of a product for which you wrote explicit instructions on how to use the product? Yet we have a similar situation in that God sacrificed His very own Son so that we might one day be with Him in glory. Then He spoke through prophets of old to give us His Book of Instructions (the Bible) to teach us how to live like Him and accept His precious gift of salvation. Are you referencing the Bible daily to help keep you on track and pleasing to God?

APPLICATION:  There are times in my job where a vendor will tell us that if we abuse their help desk because we opted not to take the training they offered to us on recent product enhancements, we could very well see fees included in our monthly bill. Imagine if you have at least one Bible sitting on your coffee table gathering dust, then to stand before God in judgment and tell Him that you never knew it was necessary to accept His Son in order to get into heaven? Imagine how God will penalize us for continuing with our excuses of not knowing His Word well enough to share it with others? In the working world we find as much, or more, practical help from users of a product we own, than we do from the text books written by the designer and producer of the products. These groups often meet together in something most vendors call ‘A User Community’. Did you know that one of the largest ‘User Communities’ of the Bible exists right in your own neighborhood, and its known as ‘The Church’! Many admit that these folk are flawed and need help just like yourself, who may not be a part of the community. Friends, the whole concept of a ‘Community’ is that we can share the way that we understand how a product works; how we use a product; and how it is practical for us. For those struggling with proper use of the product, they come to the ‘Community’ to unload their frustrations and misunderstandings. Those of us who successfully use the product every day, we simply share how we use it and how we understand the product should be used. One of the most productive communities that I’m a part of, is monitored by staff of the product owner, and they will chime in from time to time and share with the group about how the product is designed to work in certain scenarios. In the church ‘Community’, we have pastors and teachers and leaders who are equipped to chime in and speak to the way they understand the Word of God was written and what the writer probably intended. Community members are the church attendees, and are most often users of the Bible, because they have accepted the One whom God sent to love on them; to open their eyes to the truth of His Word; and to prepare them for the day of His return when He will come to gather His church, or community of believers, to go with Him and spend eternity in heaven worshiping Him and the Father. Friends, we were intricately designed and made by God. Because He turned us lose to live on this earth, His perfectly designed human beings quickly become flawed by the sin that abounds on earth. So God gave His Word to us through writers that He inspired, so that we could understand the concept that He intended for us, and also know how to unravel ourselves from sin by accepting Him as our Lord, Savior, Protector, Deliverer and soon coming King of all kings. His text-book (the Bible) teaches that this is the only means of us uniting with He and the Father. How are you doing with that friend? May I recommend that you look around the following page for more scripture and help in understanding this truth: https://nuggetsfromgodsword.org/to-know-jesus/.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, thank You for Your Word, and thank You for all that is available to us today to help us understand Your Word more fully. Thank You for the church, a body of believers who strive to know more about God, so that they may be of help to others in the community (church), and to evangelize those who find excuses for their lack of acceptance or knowledge of the One who totally gave His life, so that they might see the likes of heaven and the Father. Lord, we find our way to the cross every time that we are in bad straights and need a quick fix. As we dig into the depths of Your Word and learn more about the enormous love expressed for us, may we accept that gift and study Your Word more intently so that we can understand all that You have to offer us. May we be participators in our church community to receive the benefits of being helped by others; may we willingly share with others so that we might help others; and as we anticipate the glories of heaven, may that bring such joy to our hearts that we will be totally enveloped in the hope of looking into Your wonderful face one day and singing endless praises to You and the Father throughout eternity! To God be the Glory, for the great things He has done – especially for us! AMEN!

Coming Soon!

On By Ed AlgreenIn Come Soon, Heaven, WorshipLeave a comment

Saturday, 2018-12-29

Bible Reference: Revelation 22:11-14
Translation: Common English Bible (CEB)

Bible Text: 11 Let those who do wrong keep doing what is wrong. Let the filthy still be filthy. Let those who are righteous keep doing what is right. Let those who are holy still be holy. 12 “Look! I’m coming soon. My reward is with me, to repay all people as their actions deserve. 13 I am the alpha and the omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end. 14 Favored are those who wash their robes so that they may have the right of access to the tree of life and may enter the city by the gates.

OBSERVATION: As we meditate on this Scripture today and its revelation of the end of time here on earth, it would be most appropriate for us to also meditate on the end of this year, for there are many similarities. For in each, there were opportunities, decisions and directions that made us different to what we were when we started our journey.

APPLICATION: I was touched by the Word of God today as I was reminded that after everything that impacts a life on earth, yet there are some who will face eternity doing wrong things; some will face a holy and righteous God in an unclean, or filthy manner; however there will be some who accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior here on earth, and therefore come before the Master righteous and holy. The Word is clear in verse 14 that some of these will be received and favored by our King, and some will be rejected and left outside of the gates. Each one reading this devotional today can identify exactly which group you will be in, should that time of eternity be today. I am convinced that there are some things that most of us would want to seek God’s face for, so that we might approach our day of reconciliation with Him in our proudest form. Let me remind each of us, that this is not something that any of us should delay in doing, for we are not promised a certain time period here on earth. God may be ready for us before we could finish reading this devotional. But friends, this also brings us to another transitional period in our lives – the end of one year and the beginning of another. For some of us, 2018 has been a year of successes, good decisions and changes that have impacted us and everyone around us. However, others may frown at what I just said, because they have dealt with many, many challenges, possible losses, and many missed opportunities. So this may be a time of reflection on what might you do differently in 2019. Praise God that you have made it to this point in the devotional, because I have the answer to your dilemma! You see, I have read through the entire Bible again, and I know who holds tomorrow in His hands. I know the One who has today, and every day in 2019, in His control. So you have a choice: a). Try and plunder through 2019 in much the same way as you did in 2018. But remember the meaning of insanity: when you do the same in 2019 as you did in 2018, but expect different results. It just doesn’t work my friend. However, your other choice is b). Place your hand in the hand of the only One who knows what’s ahead, and who can do anything about your circumstances that you will face in 2019. Oh, and by the way, my Savior stands ready to accept you, should you choose to surrender your life into His hands today. Please consider going into 2019, not just better than you were in 2018, but with the confidence of knowing that it’s not just you having to make these important decisions that impact your future, but now you have a God who actually rules and reigns over all things and knows about that future that seems so uncertain. He will be your guide, your strength and your sustainer. Greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world, my friend!

PRAYER: Coming to the end of a year, reminds me that one day I will also come to the end of my life here on earth. Lord, You have seen the mess that we could make of our lives here on earth when we try to do it by ourselves. However, I am reminded that You have given us the opportunity to correct our situation here on earth, by surrendering ourselves to the lordship of Your precious Son, Jesus. You have also shown us that our surrender to You brings peace to our lives now, because of the hope we have in all that You have promised when our time here on earth is finished. Lord, we look forward to 2019 with great anticipation, knowing that the One in whom we place our trust for 2019, will also be the One welcoming us home to glory at Your appointed time! Come Lord Jesus, come! AMEN!

Robe Yourself With Virtues of God

On By Ed AlgreenIn Committed, goal, Humble, VirtuousLeave a comment

Friday, 2018-12-28

Bible Reference: Colossians 3:12-14
Translation: The Passion Translation (TPT)

Bible Text: 12 You are always and dearly loved by God! So robe yourself with virtues of God, since you have been divinely chosen to be holy. Be merciful as you endeavor to understand others, and be compassionate, showing kindness toward all. Be gentle and humble, unoffendable in your patience with others. 13 Tolerate the weaknesses of those in the family of faith, forgiving one another in the same way you have been graciously forgiven by Jesus Christ. If you find fault with someone, release this same gift of forgiveness to them. 14 For love is supreme and must flow through each of these virtues. Love becomes the mark[k] of true maturity.[l]

OBSERVATION: Around this time of the year we begin to reflect over the accomplishments, failures, heartaches and missed goals of the year about to end, and many of us will begin to set goals for the incoming year. It’s always good to have something to reach towards, for without that, we might tend to merely exist and settle for anything that comes our way. What if we chose some spiritual goals for 2019? Let’s meditate on the ones listed in today’s Scripture and see what God might be directing us towards.

APPLICATION: I believe that we unconsciously set New Years’ goals for ourselves, depending on our audience at the time. For we tend to concentrate on spiritual goals when we are with God or His people; and we tend to drift more into financial and other personal goals when we are with our friends and family. This may not be a bad philosophy, but we might question ourselves as to why is there a need to compartmentalize depending on the audience. I believe that when God listens to the cry of His precious child’s heart, He listens for everything that might be troubling that child, or being celebrated by them. After all, if we are going through financial woes, don’t you know that will have a serious impact on our trust in God, our celebration of His blessings, and our requests made of Him? On the flip side of the coin, don’t you know that our attitudes will be drastically impacted when we are struggling in our relationship with God? So might we not be much more content to speak with God about all aspects of our life, and seek His direction as we establish goals for the New Year? After all, He’s the only One who truly knows what will transpire next year, so His guidance is vital. However friends, I believe that God has given us some virtues to look at enhancing in the days ahead. Think about these things: be holy as our Father is holy; be merciful as we seek to understand others; be compassionate and show kindness to others, as you take the focus off self and all that you want; be gentle; be humble; be so patient with others that you would never offend them; learn to tolerate the weaknesses of believers, for you are one also, and you could also easily fall short in multiple ways; God has forgiven you, so learn to also forgive others, especially for their faults; and love – remember, your love for others will be a sign of your maturity in Christ. Friends, can you imagine how much better our world will be (all those that we touch and impact), if we choose to seek God’s help in achieving these virtues in 2019? Can you imagine the reduction in stress levels for us individually when we strive for these goals? I believe that as we work towards these goals, we will see God also bless us with the other things He knows that we need, such as financial freedom; good decisions about people and events that we are a part of, etc. As our priority shifts towards our God and His righteousness, I believe that we will see more clearly how truly serious we are about Him.

PRAYER: Thank You Lord for saving my soul , thank You Lord for making me whole, thank You Lord for giving to me, Thy great salvation so rich and free! Your Word is a light unto our path oh Lord, may we read it, take it to heart and be obedient to it, with Your amazing help! As we depend on You for all that 2019 brings our way, may we never cease to stop asking You for help in living life here on earth as You intended for us. May others see Your virtues in us before we ever open our mouths to evangelize with words! AMEN!