Live In Constant Joy!

On 2015-02-112015-02-11 By Ed AlgreenIn Joy, Thanksgiving2 Comments

The Holy Bible (The Message – 1 Thessalonians 5:16-22): ^16–18Be cheerful no matter what; pray all the time; thank God no matter what happens. This is the way God wants you who belong to Christ Jesus to live. ^19–22Don’t suppress the Spirit, and don’t stifle those who have a word from the Master. On the other hand, don’t be gullible. Check out everything, and keep only what’s good. Throw out anything tainted with evil.

Thoughts: I know that the subject sounds inviting, but I want us to be reminded that ‘Joy’ results from a happy heart – a heart filled with love for the Lord and from a heart stayed on constant prayer before the Master of this universe. This scripture reminds us to thank God in ALL things, I believe that this will result in an everlasting ‘Joy’ to bless us every day. Friends, I want to encourage you to always find something to thank God for. You may have a broken arm, but praise to the Almighty, you have a healthy arm to enjoy and help you through your day! Just last night I heard a brother praise God for allowing him to serve in the military many years ago. In spite of many who may have been hurt through their service, he was able to find reasons to praise God for his time in the service. May I encourage you to find reasons to praise God every day? Please let there be a word of praise always present on your lips and in your heart, that you are ready to praise God for, and bless another person with! I found it interesting to also note Paul’s explanation that showing a heart of thanksgiving is actually a responsibility of the Christian, in other words, it pleases God! Paul went on to remind us that we are not to quench, or suppress the Holy Spirit. Friends let’s think of the Holy Spirit as being a fire that burns. Paul is telling us to be careful not to throw cold water on that fire. The work of God, and His Holy Spirit is of utmost importance in the life of a Christian. When we feel Him tugging at us to do a certain work, or teach a certain class, or give witness to a certain work that the Spirit has performed in our lives, we wind up quenching the Spirit if we don’t follow through with what we felt He was leading us to do. Now for those of us who are very gullible, Paul teaches that we test and examine what we believe that the Spirit is instructing us to do. My advice is to: 1). Test it against the Word of God. For if it is Biblical, then you can be assured that it is God’s will; 2). If another believer (proven to be genuine over time) shares with you something similar to what you felt God leading you to do, then I believe that God is reaffirming His word to you; and 3). If confirmation comes through a sermon, or a Bible reading, then I believe that this is another indicator from God to reaffirm His word to you. Paul teaches that we are to act on the proven, and throw out the rest. Friends, as we witness God at work in our lives, we can be filled with the joy of the Lord to a degree that others will also be blessed by our words and by our actions, all for the glory of the only Master – Jesus our Lord!

Prayer: Heavenly Father, our eternal Joy and Peace, my heart is filled to overflowing, knowing that in spite of my inadequacies and failures, yet the King of all kings loves me enough to bless me with pure, unadulterated love and joy! I am eternally thankful for this! I pray that as You bless me with these qualities, that I will be a conduit for others to receive that same joy, and that they will search for a closer walk with You. For my family and friends that do not know You, I pray that this everlasting joy in me will be so evident to them that they will have a deep desire to know my Savior. Please use this devotional to bless the hearts of those who struggle to find joy every day, for I believe that it becomes extremely challenging for a non-believer to see Jesus in the life of one who claims Him, but displays no evidence of the joy that relationship brings. Bless us today in ways that will force us to rejoice in You, and express that joy to others who need it! I ask all this in the precious and holy name of Jesus, my Lord, with thanksgiving, AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please speak with a local Bible Teaching pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com so that we can pray with you and give you help and or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Any words underlined above will 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 blogger.nuggetsfromgodsword.org and read more, or you may freely 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, Sebring, FL! 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!

Perspective on Who We Are

On 2015-02-102015-02-10 By Ed AlgreenIn Clay, Potter, SurrenderLeave a comment

The Holy Bible (New Living Translation – Isaiah 64:8-9): ⁸And yet, O Lord, you are our Father. We are the clay, and you are the potter. We all are formed by your hand. ⁹Don’t be so angry with us, Lord. Please don’t remember our sins forever. Look at us, we pray, and see that we are all your people.

Thoughts: For those of you who have worked with clay, no doubt you have worked endlessly on a project without making the desired progress, then you may have given up, squished it back to a ball of clay and started all over again, right? I’m sure that the clay didn’t speak back at you, or lash back at you for your inabilities or lack of talent to complete the project perfectly! This passage reminded me that God is my designer – my potter. He made me in the image of himself, yet I am much different to any of His other children that He also made. I believe that God will continue to work on me until the day that life leaves my body. Yes, He is God and He could instantly make perfection, however with each bump that He perfects in my sinful life, I learn a lot more about Him and about my shortcomings. In fact, many times these bumps bother me, and I have to call on God, depend on Him, and ask Him to please ease the corrective steps. Because God is my Master, my Provider, my Potter, my Divine Healer and my Friend, I have to be constantly reminded that He deserves my praise, my thanksgiving, my recognition and my obedience. I am acutely aware that in my position as mere clay in His hands, I must be daily looking into His Word for ‘Nuggets’ of Truth and grace that will help me along my road to perfection. I am reminded that because I expect His touch on my life daily, then my obligation to return thanks, to worship and adore my Lord, must be at least daily also. Surely there are many of you out there that are not as weak and sinful as I am, so you may be challenged to understand just what I am feeling in this devotional today. If there are any who feel this way, let me remind you that you would not want God to withdraw His hand from your life, or this world, for just one day. Believe me, it will not be pretty. You would quickly change your line of thinking, just as the Israelites did in this scripture today. Don’t take that chance friend. Know that You are God’s very own, by insuring that You know Jesus as your Lord and personal Savior. Then respect His authority as your ‘Potter’ so that He could continue the great work in you that He has planned for you!

Prayer: What an awesome reminder dear Lord! You created us from just a lump of clay, and no matter how we fight for our independence in smoothing out our imperfections, only You can continue perfecting the clay that You created. Only You know the end result of what You want us to look like. Only You know what we need to look like in order to effectively minister to that brother that need the Lord, or that sister who might be hurt from the evil of this world. I feel like I need to surrender to You all over again today, because although I gave my heart to You, I know that I often get in the way of You molding me into a usable vessel for Your glory. Please forgive me for my interference, and help me to daily surrender my life to You for Your service and usability. Lord, I believe that You can use even me to touch the life of an unsaved person today so that You can get to their heart and deal effectively in their life. I acknowledge that You can do it without me, but in using me I will be encouraged and blessed, and Your work will still be accomplished. I surrender all to You oh Lord. Use me as You will. For all who will be directed to read this devotional today, I pray that Your work in their heart will be evident in the way they live today. I ask all these things in the precious name of Jesus, my Lord, with thanksgiving, AMEN!

Our Security!

On 2015-02-092015-02-09 By Ed AlgreenIn Hope, SecurityLeave a comment

The Holy Bible (The Message – 1 Thessalonians 5:4-8): But friends, you’re not in the dark, so how could you be taken off guard by any of this? You’re sons of Light, daughters of Day. We live under wide open skies and know where we stand. So let’s not sleepwalk through life like those others. Let’s keep our eyes open and be smart. People sleep at night and get drunk at night. But not us! Since we’re creatures of Day, let’s act like it. Walk out into the daylight sober, dressed up in faith, love, and the hope of salvation.

Thoughts: In spite of all that is going on around us and around the world, Christians are not to be sucked in by Satan in his attempts to distract and worry Christ’s followers – for whether we live or die, we are, and will be with the Lord! Friends, I believe that Jesus has us on mission here on earth, until such time that He decides to call us home to be with Him! While most Christians believe that and look forward in great expectation to the day that we sit at Jesus’ feet in worship, praise and adoration, I believe that we often feel detached, lonely and in battle with Satan and his cohorts. Paul is teaching us in these verses that even here on earth we need to stand tall, knowing that we are children of the King of all kings and Lord of all lords. With this confidence, of whom then shall we be afraid? Paul reminds us that if we have accepted Jesus as our personal Savior, and claim Him as our Master, then we should act like it. We should stay attuned with Him and be constantly reminded that our faith in Him is not in vain, instead it is our foundation and our ongoing arm of strength – our support arm. And based on this, we are to live in hope knowing that the King of this universe has us in the palm of His hands, and loves us enough to care for us, protect us and guide us, until the day that He calls us home to be with Him. Sure we will still get discouraged here on this earth, but surer still friend, we are to be comforted to know that Jesus is with us through every day and every trial, because He loves us with such a deep, sacrificial and everlasting love. So I encourage you friend, to not just simply say that you love Jesus, but learn to depend on Him through the good times and the challenging times that seem so overwhelming to us at times. Our security is protected and reassured by the One who created this universe, who hung the stars in space, who created us and sacrificed His very life so that we may have a way into heaven to be with Him throughout eternity. So our security is surer and more secure in Him than in any military on this earth, or any leader that may govern even the strongest nation on earth. This is the God that I serve friend, do you know Him? Are you able to place your faith and trust in Him knowing that He recognizes you as one of His? Please read the ‘Footnote’ for tips on how you might make this a reality today. It is way too important to ignore friend.

Prayer: Father, thank You for Your love, and the hope and security that I find in You! I was acutely reminded of this as I studied Your Word this morning. I sincerely need Your touch, Your hand, Your protection, Your security and Your guidance on my life each and every day, so that I can represent You well here on this earth, and be a light to those struggling in a world filled with darkness and sin. Thank You for sending Jesus so that I might have that hope. Please touch the hearts of those that will pass by and read this devotional today. May they be deeply touched, just as I was. May we be bolder in our experiences today and represent You so fully, that others will want to know the Savior who lives in and through us. May You receive honor and glory as a result of Your Word being shared today, is my humble and sincere pray that I ask in Your name, with thanksgiving, AMEN!

Are You Prepared?

On 2015-02-072015-02-07 By Ed AlgreenIn Salvation, The Return of JesusLeave a comment

The Holy Bible (The Contemporary English Version – 1 Thessalonians 4:14-18): ¹⁴We believe that Jesus died and was raised to life. We also believe that when God brings Jesus back again, he will bring with him all who had faith in Jesus before they died. ¹⁵Our Lord Jesus told us that when he comes, we won’t go up to meet him ahead of his followers who have already died. ¹⁶ With a loud command and with the shout of the chief angel and a blast of God’s trumpet, the Lord will return from heaven. Then those who had faith in Christ before they died will be raised to life. ¹⁷ Next, all of us who are still alive will be taken up into the clouds together with them to meet the Lord in the sky. From that time on we will all be with the Lord forever. ¹⁸ Encourage each other with these words.

Thoughts: To help understand how the decisions we make today impact our future, I want to compare what happens when a natural disaster approaches, versus the decisions we make regarding our relationship with Jesus Christ. For when we evaluate our decisions in either scenario, the result can make the difference between life and eternal death. Here are some choices we have to consider in both scenarios:

When the warnings of an approaching disaster are up – such as a hurricane, or other killer-type natural disaster/storm:

Natural Disaster: We may have time to make some last minute preparations or purchase supplies to help us while we are displaced. But most importantly we must decide if we will obey the evacuation and/or preparation orders;

Spiritually: Again in this scripture today we are given the warning that only those who have accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior will go beyond life as we know it today. In other words, eternal life in heaven. We are either reassured of our impending resurrection with Jesus, or we are stubbornly deciding to continue in the way of this world and accept our destiny in Hell when Jesus comes to take His children home to glory;
During the preparation period:

Natural Disaster: We are warned at the beginning of each hurricane season about the items we should have stashed away for a quick evacuation, should it become necessary. After visiting with a friend up north and seeing his disaster kit in the trunk of his car, I know that in cold areas you are also warned to be prepared should you be forced to remain in your vehicles in extreme winter storms. In both cases, in advance preparation we are able to get quality items and avoid disaster at the stores before the last minute preparers hit the stores. We also stand the chance of getting to the stores and purchasing what we need while there is safety and time to do that. Plus the stress of entering an announced impending disaster period is much reduced when we are ready in advance;

Spiritually: We are warned whenever we read the Bible. We are reminded when we read the newspapers and see all that is going on in our world today. Fellow Christians and/or pastors remind us whenever given the opportunity. As in the case of Natural Disasters, we have a choice to prepare in advance and enjoy the blessings of Christianity even while here on earth. However, of even greater importance, we stand ready to meet God, should sudden death come upon us.
The results of our readiness, or lack thereof:

Natural Disaster: We often hear of deaths resulting from unprepared citizens. They made a choice to be unprepared, and they paid the ultimate price. Even if prepared, the individuals still went through a lot of stress evacuating, and possibly still got caught in some of the fury of the disaster;

Spiritually: Even so Come Lord Jesus, Come! Paul likened it to the greater joy that is to come, compared to the joy that is ours here on earth with our Master at the wheel of our lives. Imagine the sweet, sweet spirit of being in the presence of Jesus, worshiping and glorifying Him for endless days. What a Day that will be! This is the peace and joy that Christians have while here on this earth. We are happy here, but sure that we will be even happier with the Lord!

Please forgive me for writing such a long blog today, but sometimes it may take a side by side analogy to help some folk truly understand the importance of accepting Jesus Christ today, being prepared in advance, and anxious about the day that Jesus calls us home. Are you ready for that friend? See my Footnote for further instruction. Jesus is Coming Soon, let’s be ready to go!

Prayer: Lord, Your Word has displayed a warning light for us again today, for it has reminded us of the need to be ready for that glorious day when You will call us home to glory! I know that this will not be a shining day for some, because they have chosen to ignore the warnings. If they are granted time enough to read this devotional today, I pray that You might graciously soften their hearts and convince them of the need to be prepared, for I believe that Your return is very near. I especially pray for family and friends who have not yet heeded the warnings from You, and I pray earnestly for their salvation. In Your own perfect way Oh Lord, please deal in their lives today, for I want to see them when I join all the saints around Your throne in Heaven. Thank You for drawing me to Yourself some 39 years ago, please continue to use me for Your glory while allowed to remain here on earth. I will praise and honor You for all things Oh Lord, for I ask these things in anticipation of Your perfect will being accomplished, and with thanksgiving, AMEN!

What Precedes the ‘THEN’?

On 2015-02-062015-02-06 By Ed AlgreenIn Roadblock, SinLeave a comment

The Holy Bible (The Contemporary English Version – Isaiah 58:8,14 and 59:1-2): ⁸Then your light will shine like the dawning sun, and you will quickly be healed. Your honesty will protect you as you advance, and the glory of the Lord will defend you from behind.

¹⁴Then you will truly enjoy knowing the Lord.

^59:1The Lord hasn’t lost his powerful strength; he can still hear and answer prayers.
²Your sins are the roadblock between you and your God. That’s why he doesn’t answer your prayers or let you see his face.

Thoughts: This reading in Isaiah really impacted me today, and I would encourage you to read both chapter 58 and 59 so you could see the scope, and the happenings from which Isaiah prophesied. God got my attention to think about the things going on in my life that might need to be attended to before he would bless me with the things after the ‘THEN’ mentioned in verses 8 and 14. Based on this scripture, here’s where I believe God wants to bless those that take care of the sinfulness that comes before the ‘Then’:

The light of Jesus would shine brightly through us to touch the life of another (vs 8);
Quick healing would occur in our physical and/or spiritual lives (vs 8);
Our honesty/integrity would be solidified to impress the lost for Jesus (vs 8);
Our lives would be so filled with Jesus that His glory would overwhelm us and act as our defense (vs 8);
We would truly enjoy knowing the Lord (vs 14)!

Friends, these things are very applicable to each of us. In fact, in 59:1-2 we are told to stop trying to blame God for unanswered prayer, for our sins are the roadblock. I believe that this affirms what precedes the ‘Then’; what needs our attention before we could expect to receive His rich blessings. So friends, as I have been challenged this morning, I will also challenge you. Please talk to God, seek His forgiveness for the hindrances in your life, and then ask Him to speak very clearly and openly to you through these chapters. See what He has to say to You. By using the contact information in the footnote, I would love to hear back from you on how God spoke to you in this passage! Better still, reply to the blog on my website so others may also be blessed by your response. It could be in totally different ways to how He spoke to me, for He knows what each of us need in our lives and will meet our needs! God loves you friend, and He wants to shower you with His blessings so that you may go on to be His loyal and effective representative!

Prayer: Lord, I am constantly amazed by Your Word and how I can find such truth and relevant direction each day for my Christian walk and witness. Thank You for giving us a glimpse of Yourself and Your mighty works! I’m sure that there is much to clean up in my life before I could be purely used by You in Your service/ministry, for a holy and righteous God cannot reside in a sin-infested soul. Father, this requires strength far beyond anything that I am capable of, but in faith I come before You asking for forgiveness of my sin and asking that you replace that ugly void with the sweet aroma of Your grace. I badly want to get beyond the ‘THEN’ and see Your will being fulfilled through me for Your glory and to affect the lives of unbelievers so that they too might follow You. I Need You Every Hour of every day oh Lord. Please impact the readers of this devotional today for a closer walk with You, is my humble and sincere prayer dear Lord, for it is in Your name and for Your sake that I ask, with a thankful heart, AMEN!

God Knows The Heart

On 2015-02-052015-02-05 By Ed AlgreenIn Clean Heart, HolyLeave a comment

The Holy Bible (The New Century Version – Isaiah 57:17-21): ¹⁷I was angry because they were dishonest in order to make money. I punished them and turned away from them in anger, but they continued to do evil. ¹⁸I have seen what they have done, but I will heal them. I will guide them and comfort them and those who felt sad for them. They will all praise me. ¹⁹I will give peace, real peace, to those far and near, and I will heal them,” says the Lord. ²⁰But evil people are like the angry sea, which cannot rest, whose waves toss up waste and mud. ²¹“There is no peace for evil people,” says my God.

Thoughts: It is so easy for us to beat up on a friend because of the wrongs we see in them, but way too often others see very similar traits, or wrongs in us. I found it encouraging to read in these verses where, in spite of Israel’s sin and the punishment God was already extending to them, yet He still chose to heal them, guide them, comfort them and give peace to them. Friends, I believe this is evidence of God looking at the heart of mankind, and not the stupid acts that we are so often guilty of. Now please don’t assume that this means you can go on doing whatever you please, knowing that God has your back, for when you do that you are doing it in deliberate disobedience, and from a heart filled with total disregard for God. When we surrender our lives to Jesus, and do our very best to live according to His Word and His will, there is not a wave of perfection that comes over us. However, God’s Holy Spirit working in us, should give us a deep sense of guilt and a desire for forgiveness that leads us to beg God for strength to overcome that certain weakness and His guiding hand to help redirect us towards holy living going forward. I believe in the last two verses we are shown that when we feel unsettled, or angry about our actions and challenged in getting no rest over them, we may want to question ourselves about whether we truly have sought forgiveness from God over our actions. I believe when we act sinfully and have no remorse or desire to seek God’s face and His forgiveness, we had best examine the spiritual state of our heart. Remember, God knows our heart, and His Holy Spirit helps us to not only know our own heart, but directs us to all Truth so that we might have a heart like Christ. So how’s your heart friend? Does God reside in your heart as evidenced by your words and interactions with others? We might easily fool those around us friend, but God is the only One who truly knows our heart. Make Him proud today, won’t you?

Prayer: No matter how hard I try to dress up my outward appearance and my outward reflection to my fellow man, I am convinced that only You know the condition and intent of my heart dear God. Lord, I want to be just like You in my everyday life, whether it’s inside my church doors; in the middle of the marketplace; in the presence of Your saints; or in the presence of unbelievers. Please take hold of this sinful man and make me into Your own image. May You see enough value in my intent that You have no reservation in accomplishing Your will through me. Many who might meditate on this devotional today might have similar challenges in this tough life here on earth, please touch them with Your powerful and almighty hand so that Your work might flourish in and through clean and holy vessels today. This my humble and respectful prayer that I ask in the precious and almighty name of Jesus, my Lord, with thanksgiving, AMEN!

A Model Prayer for One Another

On 2015-02-042015-02-04 By Ed AlgreenIn Love, PrayerLeave a comment

The Holy Bible (New Living Translation – 1 Thessalonians 3:12-13): ¹²And may the Lord make your love for one another and for all people grow and overflow, just as our love for you overflows. ¹³May he, as a result, make your hearts strong, blameless, and holy as you stand before God our Father when our Lord Jesus comes again with all his holy people. Amen.

Thoughts: Wow, what a model prayer for us to consider! I would imagine that there were any number of needs Paul could have prayer for, after all he had sent a co-worker to go and check on the Thessalonians to make sure Satan hadn’t infiltrated their new found faith in God. I believe that God wants so bad for us to just act in obedience to His Word, and to show His love that was shown for us when He sacrificed His very life so that we might have eternal life. I also believe that as we practice love for one another, and strive to live that love out in our lives, we will protect ourselves, including our relationships, from the Evil one. When we slack off in allowing God full control of our lives, we start seeing the unfortunate impact of Satan acting out through us. Friends, we can’t win the lost or impact the needy when we are infighting worse than they are. God’s love will never be evident in our lives as long as we selfishly seek to love self above all others and demand our own way. Of course we should continue to accept prayer requests from friends, but friends I want to encourage you to pray this prayer modeled by Paul for your friends also. Yes, as long as we remain in human form here on this earth, we will have illnesses and ailments, but as far as the challenges we have with each other? I believe that the more we bath our relationships in prayer and shower them with the godly kind of love, then Paul’s prayer in verse 13 will surely follow us as we enter into the presence of our Lord and Savior. So let’s aim to love others, as God loved us and demonstrated His love for us. Let’s pray that the love of Jesus will overflow in the hearts and lives of each of us. All for the glory and honor of our Lord! Let’s take self out of the equation and love as He did, and for His glory and praise, only!

Prayer: Lord, You are so good to us! Your love reaches beyond anything we are capable of, at least in our own strength. However, through faith in You and the awesome power that You are always willing to grant to us for Your good purpose, I pray that You might impress upon my readers and I today the love that we are to show for one another, if we are truly Your child. Jesus, You showed ultimate love when You surrendered to Your Father at Calvary so that Your children might enjoy eternal life with You. Please help us to show that kind of sacrificial and submissive love one for another. Please help us to take self out of the equation and love so that others might experience a touch of Your kind of love. There was a worldly song with lyrics “What the world need now, is love sweet love”. I can clarify that the world really needs the kind of love that only You can offer! As Your children and earthly representatives may we truly reflect Your love, so that You may be glorified because of us. This is my humble, unselfish prayer that I ask in the name of Jesus, the only One capable of loving me and this world without limitation or hindrance, AMEN!

Prepare for Trouble

On 2015-02-032015-02-03 By Ed AlgreenIn Uncategorized1 Comment

The Holy Bible (The Message – 1 Thessalonians 3:3-5): Not that the troubles should come as any surprise to you. You’ve always known that we’re in for this kind of thing. It’s part of our calling. When we were with you, we made it quite clear that there was trouble ahead. And now that it’s happened, you know what it’s like. That’s why I couldn’t quit worrying; I had to know for myself how you were doing in the faith. I didn’t want the Tempter getting to you and tearing down everything we had built up together.

Thoughts: As human beings we are easily discouraged and we easily feel defeated. Yes, this happens to even Christians who serve the God of this universe! The great apostle Paul shared in the highlighted verses that he was worried that Satan had stepped in a discouraged the Christians that were impacted by his ministry while he was with them. Friends, I believe that we need this reminder today, to help us understand that even though we might surrender our hearts and lives to Jesus, as long as we live here on this earth, we are still human, and prone to the same temptations that other humans face. The difference for us (Christians) is that we have a Comforter, a Savior, a Friend, our Creator who protects us from the Evil one, and stands by to comfort and cheer us. Think about this as you would in a marriage scenario. When you were single, you had no one to share your burdens with, and no one who really cared about what happened in your day (except perhaps your parents) however, after marriage you were able to share your ups and downs with each other. Likewise, Jesus has promised never to leave us or forsake us! He cares for us and will protect us, and comfort us as needed. The other Truth in these verses is that no matter what we do for Christ, or what He does in and through us, Satan is standing by with all of his cohorts to break down that good work. This is what Paul worried had happened to the Thessalonians after he left them. Friends, we must be reminded that we can only lead someone to the Lord. It is up to Him to convict them of their sin and save them from eternal damnation in the pit of Hell. I am also reminded that we must be careful to disciple, and or encourage a new Christian to immediately get involved in good Bible teaching so that they might take on that armor of God – their encouragement and protection when the Evil one comes up against them. After all, just like we wouldn’t leave a newborn child to fend for themselves, we must be consistent in helping newborn Christians to grow in the ways of God, for His ultimate glory, and for their good.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, You know better than us how much opposition we will face in this world, both in our personal lives and in the lives of the ‘babies’ touched in some way by our witness and/or ministry. We are prone to worry about this because of our vested interest and hard work, however I pray that just as You have reminded us in Your Word this morning, we might quickly learn that You are in control and will protect Your own. I know we should care a lot about what happens to those that we have ministered to, but help us to surrender them to Your care while continuing to love them, encourage them, offer godly direction to them and earnestly pray for them to overcome the temptations of Satan that will rise up against them in their new Christian walk. Please continue to encourage Your messengers of the gospel, and give them guidance on ways that they might follow through with godly discipleship to aid in new believers’ Christian walk with You. We are prone to worry Lord, but help us that we might learn to do our part well, then allow You to assume the love and direction that You have promised to all who believe on You. We need You for ongoing ministry to the lost of our community, but we need You equally as much to impact the lives of believers so that we might grow in You and impact this world on Your behalf. I ask these things with sincere belief in You and with dependence on You to do Your perfect will in our midst dear Lord, AMEN!

Worthy of Worship

On 2015-02-022015-02-02 By Ed AlgreenIn Holy, Worship2 Comments

The Holy Bible (The Contemporary English Version – Isaiah 22:15): ¹⁵My servant will make nations worthy to worship me; kings will be silent as they bow in wonder. They will see and think about things they have never seen or thought about before.

Thoughts: I believe that as a society we are facing a very challenging situation, with our churches almost going into extinction. Shocked? Well friend, I believe that you may need to move into reality and see how many churches are shutting down each week because of poor attendance or lack of necessary operating funds. So why do you suppose this may be the case? First let’s examine the makeup of the local church – it’s made up of folk just like you and I that attend, and give for the ongoing work of the Lord. So why do we attend? Perhaps some go out of tradition – meaning that it is the place to be on Saturday or Sunday morning. Others may go because they feel accountable to a family member. Still others attend out of pure devotion to God, and they look forward to not only worshiping Him for His blessings during the week, but they also want to learn more about what God has to say to us through His messenger. So why then are churches declining, and even shutting their doors? I believe that Isaiah made a very important point that we all must pay attention to. For I believe that in and of our own sinful selves, we have no desire to attend church, to be told about our sin, and stand corrected about our life styles and decisions. However, as in the day of the church that Isaiah envisioned, I am convinced that it is God who will call people to Himself and convince them of their need to worship Him. I believe that way too often our churches today come up with so many programs and tactics to attract people into their churches, that attendees remain uncommitted when their ‘program’ is weakened or discontinued. Friends, this is not a problem when we allow Jesus to remain in charge of His church. So I believe that as church leaders constantly seek Him, allow Him control, and plead for His interaction with His people, then He will have freedom to work on the worthiness of His people and the churches in which they worship. Isaiah prophesied that Jesus would ‘make’ the people (nations) worthy. To do this will require getting to their hardened hearts and turning around some evil thoughts that have been permitted in. I believe that God still has the power to impact our towns, our country and our world for Himself today, friends! For those of you who know Him as Lord, may I encourage you to surrender fully to Him today, then pray for family, co-workers and friends who have not seen the need to attend church where they might join in corporate worship? If you are one of those who have not seen the need to attend worship services, may I suggest that God is already dealing in your heart friend! I say this based on the knowledge that it is only God that would have encouraged you to read all the way to this point in this devotional! So listen to the voice of God and follow through in what you feel He is prompting you to do. He has prepared a very bright future for all of us who know Him personally. I would love to see you be among the number who will see Him face to face in heaven! I am excited about the opportunity, and I pray that you will be also!

Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are so good to us! Thank You for loving us enough to provide the means for us to one day join You in Heaven! I plead with You today heavenly Father, that the hearts of Your children will be humbled to fully understand the love laid upon Calvary’s cross so that we might be afforded the gift of eternal life with You in glory! I pray that each person meditating on this devotional today will not only place themselves on the altar of sacrifice and worship before You, but that we might begin in deep earnest to pray for our family, coworkers and friends, so that Your church here on earth might be reinvigorated and recommitted to true and sincere worship of You. Perhaps at that stage, unsaved loved ones will be open to uniting with sincere and loyal followers freed form hypocrisy and self-righteousness. Lord You are the only one worthy of our worship! May we commit ourselves to clean and holy lives so that our worship might be a sweet aroma in your ears. I ask all this in the precious name of Jesus, with thanksgiving, AMEN!

Be Encouragers of God’s Messengers

On 2015-01-312015-01-31 By Ed AlgreenIn Encourager, PastorsLeave a comment

The Holy Bible (The Contemporary English Version – 1 Thessalonians 2:2-6): God gave us the courage to tell you the good news about him, even though many people caused us trouble. ³We didn’t have any hidden motives when we won you over, and we didn’t try to fool or trick anyone. ⁴God was pleased to trust us with his message. We didn’t speak to please people, but to please God who knows our motives. ⁵ You also know that we didn’t try to flatter anyone. God himself knows that what we did wasn’t a cover-up for greed. ⁶ We were not trying to get you or anyone else to praise us.

Thoughts: I believe that when one does a job in spite of opposition, or in spite of whining and complaining by those they are trying to help, then we should appreciate that they are specially called for that job, and they are therefore working as a result of their obligation to a higher calling. This is what we see in this message by Paul, and if we are real honest, this is what we see in our pastors and teachers at our local churches. Although they may never openly complain, I believe that our pastors face a lot of correction, ideas, suggestions and self-proclaimed righteousness from their congregations to whom they preach and teach. Please don’t get me wrong friends, I believe pastors welcome your constructive input, because it helps to show them that you were listening and indeed care enough to correct them or encourage them with your words. But let’s try to be careful to be encouragers, and not on the list of ‘trouble makers’ or ‘opposers’ to the gospel. When our pastors have the freedom to share the unfiltered Word of God with us, then perhaps we can hear directly from God. If they have to speak in parables to make sure they don’t hurt the feelings of some, then many of us will totally miss the point! Paul shared that he had no other motive than to see Jesus accepted and God magnified and lifted up by the folk he was ministering to. I believe that we still have men of God who endeavors to do this through their preaching, teaching and actions in their life. I hope that even today we can commit to aiding these gentlemen – these men of God, to be transparent in what God wants to say to us through them, and not be hindered by us in any way. I was taught many years ago that each of us might mess up at times, but let’s learn to look at the heart and see what the other brother’s heart might be. Many times we will be convinced that although he may have said something differently to what we would have said, his intent was to help and/or to magnify God. So where do you best fit in this scenario today: Encourager; Opposer or just don’t listen close enough to care? I believe God wants us to all be encouragers, and we can do this through an encouraging word to our pastors and/or teachers, or we can pray for God’s ongoing hand upon them as they surrender to Him and try to share His Word with us. Let’s commit to improving our stance, so that our pastors might be improved in their walk and their talk!

Prayer: Lord, You have indeed blessed us with great messengers who sacrifice daily so that they might share Your heart and Your will with us. I sincerely thank You for my pastors and teachers and I pray that they might be even more energized by Your touch on their lives today. May they be drawn so close to Your bosom today that they might be reassured of Your love and Your direction for them as they lead us. May they receive a fresh anointing of Your divine Holy Spirit so that as they stand before us this weekend we may hear the unfiltered Word of God and not have to guess what You are trying to say to us through them. May our pastors have the freedom to be transparent in what You might need to say to us through them, is my humble and sincere prayer that I ask in Your precious name, with thanksgiving. AMEN!