Life Improvement Key

On 2014-12-162014-12-16 By Ed AlgreenIn Grace, SalvationLeave a comment

The Holy Bible

It wasn’t so long ago that you were mired in that old stagnant life of sin. You let the world, which doesn’t know the first thing about living, tell you how to live. You filled your lungs with polluted unbelief, and then exhaled disobedience. We all did it, all of us doing what we felt like doing, when we felt like doing it, all of us in the same boat. It’s a wonder God didn’t lose his temper and do away with the whole lot of us. Instead, immense in mercy and with an incredible love, he embraced us. He took our sin-dead lives and made us alive in Christ. He did all this on his own, with no help from us! Then he picked us up and set us down in highest heaven in company with Jesus, our Messiah.

(Bible Translation and Location: The Message – Ephesians 2:1-6)

Thoughts:

Isn’t it interesting to watch the commercials this time of the year and learn how easy it is to improve happiness in your home, if only you would get off your wallet and buy the right gifts for your loved ones, or buy the right foods on which to splurge during the many parties and family gatherings? In a few weeks, that will change to finding happiness while improving your self-image, by losing all the pounds you gained during the holidays. Do you see the temporary results in each of these things? Paul had the same challenge with the folk he ministered to in the Ephesian church, and in these verses highlighted today you will note that he brought to their attention an important key to improve life over an entire year, not just during a particular season. Friends, this is the same choice that we can make today. Banks love it when you overspend to find those special gifts that you feel will bring happiness to your family and friends, but your budget suffers for months to come. Paul is reminding us that God, in His infinite wisdom knew what it would take to improve life on a permanent basis. He knew that it should be done out of love, and not at a financial cost to those that need it, otherwise it would be out of reach for some. In fact, this ‘improvement key’ would have to be something available to His children even though the rest of the world might look on in disbelief, because all they would see is the unworthiness of the individual. Additionally, Paul must have known that we would have gotten used to the various rewards programs here on earth, because in verse 6 he went on to encourage us with the rewards of heaven in company with the Savior of this world, Jesus, the Messiah of whom we sing in many of the Christmas carols. In other words, the rewards of this life improvement decision of which I have shared, is simply ‘out of the world’!! Friend, won’t you this Christmas season accept the best gift ever given, Jesus my Lord? He truly is the reason that we celebrate Christmas, and He is ready and willing to accept your ‘life improvement’ request today!

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, thank You for going to the extreme to provide the best gift ever. One that would improve our lives forever. One that brings the rewards of heaven, and eternity with the Master of this universe. Lord You are good, and your mercies endureth forever! I love You Lord, and I life my voice, to worship You, oh my soul, rejoice; take joy my King in what You hear, may it be a sweet, sweet sound in Your ear! Lord, may this Christmas time be a time that our lives are made complete in You, and may our family and friends also recognize the need for the gift of all gifts, the hope of glory, the key to true and everlasting happiness. For I humbly ask this in the name of Jesus, the newborn King, 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!

A Prayer For Christians

On 2014-12-152014-12-15 By Ed AlgreenIn PrayerLeave a comment

The Holy Bible

¹⁶I have not stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly, ¹⁷asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God. ¹⁸I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance.

(Bible Translation and Location: New Living Translation – Ephesians 1:16-18)

Thoughts:

Unfortunately you will not find a model prayer for Christians to recite in this devotional today, but what God got my attention on, is the importance of continuing to pray for fellow Christians. Let me give you a worldly comparison/preview of what I saw as I meditated on this. Can you imagine a citizen walking down a main street of a town under siege? They would look like any other citizen of that country and would probably be allowed to travel on. Now, imagine a visitor, or stranger, doing the same walk. Don’t you think they would be questioned more thoroughly about their choice of places to be, or dangerous streets to travel? Now imagine a soldier trying that march in uniform. He may be shot on sight, or imprisoned just for poking around an area where he shouldn’t be. This is much like Christians when we exit the safety and security of the church building, we become easy targets for Satan and his cohorts as we mingle in their areas of business. Therefore Paul is teaching us, under the influence of the Holy Spirit, to pray for spiritual wisdom and insight so that we may become strong in the knowledge of God, and that our faith might be strengthened to withstand the temptations of Satan that are ready to weaken our stand and distract our walk. In doing this Paul is reminding us that we will each become confident in the hope that is ours – our rich and glorious inheritance (our eternal home in heaven, where we will join with the angels and sing endlessly at the feet of our Master and Savior, Jesus Christ)! Oh what singing! Oh what shouting! On that happy day when my Savior I will see! So friend, I share your sentiments in seeking the lost and praying earnestly for that one that needs the Lord, but please don’t forget to pray just as earnestly for your Christian brothers and sisters for help, guidance and strength to stay strong in their faith and continue to be a light in their world of darkness where friends, family, coworkers and others are without Christ and desperately needs to see faith in action through a true representative of Christ’s. We may be the only Bible that teaches them or that may reach them. In our sermon yesterday a particular clause spoke personally to me – the person that God has designed for us to speak with today may never be touched or spoken to, if we refuse to take our responsibility seriously. Wow! Let’s do our part today friend, so that God may not be disappointed in us!

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, thank You for reminding me of the importance of praying for my Christian brothers and sisters in the Lord. We have such a long list of friends that we pray for salvation, and often neglect praying for those who already know You, and who are prime targets for Satan each day. Please may I ask that You protect Your children today, build a hedge of protection around us so that Satan’s darts and arrows may be kept at bay, yet our witness and representation of You will be very evident and inviting to those that need You. I need Your strength today Lord, please help me, and those that join me in this prayer, to be great warriors for the kingdom, and awesome representation of You among the saved and unsaved so that Your kingdom might be fulfilled this Christmas season. All glory to the new born King! For it is in this holy name that I pray, Jesus, Emanuel, God with us, AMEN!

Careful How You Boast

On 2014-12-142014-12-14 By Ed AlgreenIn Boasting, HumilityLeave a comment

The Holy Bible

¹⁴As for me, may I never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of that cross, my interest in this world has been crucified, and the world’s interest in me has also died. ¹⁵It doesn’t matter whether we have been circumcised or not. What counts is whether we have been transformed into a new creation.

(Bible Translation and Location: New Living Translation – Galatians 6:15-16)

Thoughts:

I believe that way too often we accept praise for something that only God could have done. Way too often we give credit to a dynamite preacher for miracles that God performed during a worship service. I heard a pastor say at one time that he would not wear a particular suit again, because it appeared like all the people saw was his clothing and not the point he was trying to relay for his Master. Friends, when we are moved to do something godly, please remember that we can only give God credit for that, for in and of our sinful selves we would not give in to the things of God because of a nagging mother, or a simple invitation from a friend. It is only when the Spirit of God begins to work on us, convicting us of our sin and pointing us to the King of all kings and Lord of all lords that our spiritual eyes are opened and we experience a desire to change our life’s direction. Also, please never forget that although man can pray for a health issue or a spiritual shortfall, he does not have the power to transform either a person’s health or spiritual condition. Just imagine, if this was the case, no friend of a Christian would be lost, for he would miraculously have them all saved out of love for the individual. Paul showed us through his words in this text that we are to boast of nothing except the love and power of the Lord Jesus Christ. I believe that when we place Jesus in His rightful place, or better still, when we place ourselves in the humility of who we are, and allow Jesus to shine through in all that He is, perhaps then we will appreciate all that He does in our everyday lives, and also see how prevalent the need to see Him at work in the lives of our unsaved friends. Christians, we have a responsibility to promote Jesus, not pretend to be Him.

Prayer:

Dear Lord, please help me to take my place of humility and submission to You in all that I do and say, for I am nothing without Your power and grace. Father, I am convinced that this world can only be changed, and touched through the precious power of Your Son, so I ask that You not only give me grace to submit to You in everything, but also that my readers might be reminded of Your awesome power in every aspect of their lives. Lord, please constantly remind us of our position and to constantly place our faith and trust in You and in all that You are. Please prompt us to always boast on You and allow You to receive the glory for all miracles performed in and through us. You are my King and it’s in You that I place my faith and trust daily. Thank You Jesus! I respectfully and humbly ask all this in the precious name of Jesus, my Lord, AMEN!

The Rewards of Doing Good

On 2014-12-122014-12-12 By Ed AlgreenIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

The Holy Bible

9 So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. 10 Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith.

(Bible Translation and Location: New Living Translation – Galatians 6:9-10)

Thoughts:
These verses follow a short discourse from Paul to the Galatian church where he was reminding them that they would reap what they sow. These thoughts remind us that there are two sorts of sowing, one to the flesh, and the other to the Spirit. Those who live a carnal, careless, non-godly, unrighteous life, must expect no other fruit from such a course than misery and ruin. But those who, under the guidance and influence of the Holy Spirit and in whom they have placed their trust, live a life of faith in Christ, excel in Christian love and grace, and live a life dedicated to the Spirit that result in reaping life everlasting. We are all very apt to tire in doing good daily to everyone, especially when doing good to those who either reject you, intentionally do things to hurt and/or harm you or doing good to those who selfishly never give back to those around them. However, these are the times that Christians must carefully watch and guard against. For perservance in well-doing, there is a reward promised in these verses, for it says that we will reap a harvest of blessing at a time we least expect! I can assure you friend, if for no other reason, It Will Be Worth It All When We See Jesus – a song I like to sing over and over, especially when I’m feeling discouraged! So keep on doing what God says Brother, through the rough times and through the times when it is obvious that a heart has been touched. There’s no better time to reflect on this than during this Christmas season, a time when God sent His only Son as a precious gift to us! We too have lots that we can ‘give’ to others.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, please forgive us for our selfishness in not freely sharing all that You have blessed us with. I am reminded of another song, “Lord You Are Good and Your Mercy Endureth Forever”, because You bless us beyond all measure each and every day! May we willingly share Your love, Your mercy and Your bountiful gifts with all that we come into contact with, is my humble but sincere prayer that I ask in Your wonderful, bountiful name, AMEN!

Share A Burden In Love Today

On 2014-12-102014-12-10 By Ed AlgreenIn Spiritual CorrectionLeave a comment

The Holy Bible

¹ My brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in any kind of wrongdoing, those of you who are spiritual should set him right; but you must do it in a gentle way. And keep an eye on yourselves, so that you will not be tempted, too. ²Help to carry one another’s burdens, and in this way you will obey the law of Christ.

(Bible Translation and Location: The Good News Translation – Galatians 6:1-2)

Thoughts:

I believe that way too often in today’s society we become complacent when it comes to correcting a brother, because we don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings, or we feel like they have their respective rights to believe as they want. Unfortunately this results in chaos and general non-compliance with the Word of God. We, Christians, take most of the laws/teachings of the Word seriously, for we believe, and try very hard to practice what the Word of God demands. That is, until it comes to correcting a brother or a sister. I want to assume in this study that we are endeavoring to follow Paul’s teaching. Don’t you suppose that would result in a brother for life, if we act in love? In other words, if we were to approach that brother in a gentle and loving way about certain sin that you’ve observed in his life? Conversely, I want you to consider what might happen if you observe sin and don’t try to help. Don’t you see where Satan would easily stick his nose into your business and temp you to start a gossip ring about that brother that will quickly lead to hurt, unforgiveness, character destruction, and worst of all distancing yourself from that brother and perhaps even his acquaintances? Friends, Paul even reminds us about how tender and self-destructive this subject could be, for he tells us to be careful so that we ourselves are not tempted into the same sin we are accusing our brother of. However, by helping a brother overcome a weakness, we are helping him carry the burden that he is struggling with, and a burden shared becomes half the weight to the bearer. This action is obedience to the law of God friend, exactly where we should strive towards every day.

Prayer:

Because of our fear of rejection and deep desire to not cause disharmony, this is probably one of the greatest weaknesses, and challenges, of Your children today dear Lord. However, You have included these instructions in Your Word to help us be over-comers and stronger warriors for You, not to oppress us and cause us grief. Please help us to take Your commands seriously. Please help us to always seek to help a brother overcome His weakness and/or his sin, for no other reason than to see him reunited and strengthened in You. Lord, I believe that Your grace is all sufficient and extremely powerful. Please help me to place my hand in Yours and welcome Your all sufficient love and direction as I strive to live daily for You and imitate You in every way. Please help me to always seek to help others, knowing that You are my support and my guidance in every way. I love You Lord, and ask this in Your wonderful and all-powerful name, AMEN!

Gifts For Believers

On 2014-12-092014-12-09 By Ed AlgreenIn Gifts of The SpiritLeave a comment

The Holy Bible

²²But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! ²⁴Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. ²⁵Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives. ²⁶Let us not become conceited, or provoke one another, or be jealous of one another.

(Bible Translation and Location: New Living Translation – Galatians 5:22-26)

Thoughts:

If I told you that I was going to send a little stranger kid to college next year, there would be a few questions you would have for me, such as how do I know the kid, how long have they shown a desire to want to attend college, etc. Similarly, in these verses today, we should ask a few questions or rather, observe a few obvious answers:

The Holy Spirit produces the mentioned fruit in those who have accepted Jesus and have a desire to live like Him. Others who do not know the author of the gifts would either not appreciate the gifts or recognize them as coming from God;
These gifts are not given to make us proud, but rather to reflect more of Jesus in our lives – the author of these gifts;
The gifts are beneficial, as they are given to folk who have totally surrendered the passions and desires of their sinful nature. In other words, they are given as a needed replacement for the sinful gifts already surrendered at the foot of the cross;
The gifts serve the purpose of helping us not become conceited, or agitated with one another, or jealous of one another, but instead lead us towards loving one another as Christ first loved us.

By meditating through these verses, I believe you will see where there will be times when you might recognize a few of the characteristics in #4 sneaking back into your life. Please note that these are not of God and should automatically put you in a mode of constant and serious prayer, asking for help from Jesus so that you may see the gifts mentioned in verses 22-23 return to you. Many of us are looking forward to gifts at Christmas. It can be Christmas every day for Christians as God, through His Holy Spirit, showers us with the wonderful gifts mentioned in these verses.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, I pray that there will be friends who will read this devotional today and wonder why they are not receiving the gifts mentioned in these verses, because that will indicate a soul that is either strained in their relationship with you or who do not have a relationship with You. It will also indicate that they have been led by You to the truth of Your Word and how it could apply to their life, if only they would surrender their life to You. Father, I pray that many will be impacted by the greatest gift of all this Christmas, Your Son, my Savior, Jesus Christ. As You shower us with the gifts mentioned in these verses, may we allow You to use us as Your representatives to bring joy, peace and love to those that we come into contact with. Please soften the hearts of those we love, who need You as Lord of their life, is my humble plea this Christmas season, and I ask all this in the wonderful name of Jesus, AMEN!

Serious Practical Godliness

On 2014-12-082014-12-08 By Ed AlgreenIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

The Holy Bible

¹³You were indeed called to be free, brothers and sisters. Don’t turn this freedom into an excuse for your corrupt nature to express itself. Rather, serve each other through love. ¹⁴All of Moses’ Teachings are summarized in a single statement, “Love your neighbor as you love yourself.” ¹⁵But if you criticize and attack each other, be careful that you don’t destroy each other. ¹⁶Let me explain further. Live your life as your spiritual nature directs you. Then you will never follow through on what your corrupt nature wants.

(Bible Translation and Location: God’s Word Translation – Galatians 5:13-16)

Thoughts:

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we always followed that adage WWJD, before we fire back with some of our worldly comments or reactions? I would dare say that unless we fill ourselves with God’s Word, and unless we deliberately take aim to follow in His ways daily, then our minds are fed with the evil of this old world. Our reaction to things happening to us, or around us, is then marred by the evil of this world, rather than enriched by the teachings and example of Jesus. The unfortunate result is that we offer no real help to a situation already in trouble, we just add to the misery or degradation of circumstances that Satan has already provoked, and even spiraled out of control. Friends, we have been saved to follow the example and teachings of Jesus, and not to merely ‘egg on’ an already disastrous and deteriorating world. Paul teaches in verse 16 that we are to live as our spiritual life directs so that we will never follow through on what our corrupt nature wants. Let’s feed our spiritual life daily so that it might withstand the evil that we will face in this wicked world. Let’s take a stand for doing the will of God, and living out His character and teachings towards practical godly living in every form, every day in all that we face. This old world needs the freshness of a godly nature to shine through those who claim Christianity, so that the extreme negative and sinful actions that prevail might be challenged and overridden in the name of Jesus, and for His glory. Do you know this Jesus in a personal and meaningful way friend? If not, please use the information in the footnote to become acquainted with Him. He’s the best thing that could happen to any human this side of glory!

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, I believe that if we live like this world, we will see no improvement to what we encounter each day as a result of the sin that is so prevalent everywhere we turn. I firmly believe that You came to offer a better way, a different way, so that we might have hope for a brighter future – one that includes being by Your side in glory around the throne of God. Please impress upon Christians the reason that You came, the reason You saved them and the reason that we should strive daily to be more like You in our everyday walk and talk. Paul clearly stated that we should live in evidence of our spiritual walk and not like our old corrupt nature wants. Dear Jesus, please continue to impress upon us the need to be clear witnesses of the One to whom we belong. Please help us to fill ourselves with more of You every day so that we may overflow with Your goodness and shine in the godliness that Your Word teaches us. We are Your representatives, may we always leave no doubt in the minds of those that observe us. Please once again soften the hearts of those that may read this devotional today but who have not truly surrendered their lives wholeheartedly to You. May this be the day of salvation for them, is my humble and simple prayer today that I ask in the name of Jesus, AMEN!

No Substitute For Faith

On 2014-12-062014-12-06 By Ed AlgreenIn Faith, Grace, WorksLeave a comment

The Holy Bible

⁴For if you are trying to make yourselves right with God by keeping the law, you have been cut off from Christ! You have fallen away from God’s grace. ⁵But we who live by the Spirit eagerly wait to receive by faith the righteousness God has promised to us. ⁶For when we place our faith in Christ Jesus, there is no benefit in being circumcised or being uncircumcised. What is important is faith expressing itself in love.

(Bible Translation and Location: New Living Translation – Galatians 5:4-6)

Thoughts:

Paul found a real challenge among his people where, although the people/his churches accepted his preaching, understood it and followed in accepting Jesus as Lord, yet it was challenging for them to accept this gift of grace without the need and/or support of their old religious practices, such as circumcision. Do we find that happening today in our churches? The challenge I see today friends, is that way too often we become so ‘religious’ or ‘church attendance’ minded, that we lose sight of what God truly did for us at Calvary. In fact, we have so many programs going on at our churches that folk could come in and join us in worship services, then follow into any number of other studies or groups, and before you know it they will be considered ‘one of us’. I’m afraid that folk can easily convince themselves that they are a Christian, because they follow so much of the traditional church programs and practices. In fact, I believe that our very own kids – growing up in a Christian home, attending regular and frequent church services and/or activities, could very well feel like they too are a Christian, without ever encountering Christ through a personal decision and an ongoing relationship with Him. Paul emphasized that anytime we take our eyes off Jesus, and/or co-dependent on anything additional, then essentially our faith in God becomes suspect. Unless we leave this study less than encouraged, I must quickly tell you that I am a strong advocate of the local church. However, if you attend church all of your life and never surrender your life to Jesus Christ and accepted Him as Your Lord and Savior, then your lifetime of church attendance is in vain, because you are destined for eternal damnation in Hell. God has relayed this through His Word very clearly. There is only one way that leads to eternity with Christ. If you are not clear on the time period and place where you made this commitment, then I would encourage you to follow the direction offered in my footnote. I am praying for someone to make this decision today – before it is eternally too late.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, I thank You for saving my soul back in 1976. As folk meditate on this devotional today, I pray that they will be prompted by Your Holy Spirit to make any necessary decisions to insure that their lives are in order, should You call them home today. Thank You for making the way available to us! Now my prayer is that no one will ignore the prompting of Your Holy Spirit as You minister to them today. May all the angels in heaven have reason to rejoice today over the one that might make a commitment to follow You, is my humble plea that I ask in the name of Jesus, my Lord, AMEN!

God’s Love Remains – In Prosperity and Hard Times

On 2014-12-052014-12-05 By Ed AlgreenIn Love, Prosperity, UnconditionalLeave a comment

The Holy Bible

¹³Accept the way God does things,

for who can straighten what he has made crooked?

¹⁴Enjoy prosperity while you can,

but when hard times strike, realize that both come from God.

Remember that nothing is certain in this life.

(Bible Translation and Location: New Living Translation – Ecclesiastes 7:13-14)

Thoughts:

The last verse in this chapter, Ecclesiastes 7:29 reads: ²⁹This is all that I have learnt: God made us plain and simple, but we have made ourselves very complicated. I believe that this verse sums up our human race so well, for we are never satisfied with just the facts, we have to prove they are true, and that the speaker or the author had no bias towards what they said! Friends, our key verses today is basically reminding us that our God is way more powerful than we could ever imagine, in fact Solomon went on to illustrate the majesty and power of God by reminding us that no one can straighten out the curves in this universe made by God. Therefore we should continue to trust Him through our praises and celebrations when things are prosperous and going well for us. However, although we often neglect to stop and praise Him for our everyday happiness, safety, family, friends, work, knowledge and so much more, we seem to do just the opposite when it comes to those hard times in our lives. We are reminded in verse 14 that ‘everything’ comes from God, both the good and the challenging times. Think about it friend: if God loves His dear children, why would that differ when things are going wrong, vs the times when we are on cloud nine with joy and happiness? When we discipline our children, it is not because we hate them today vs yesterday. We discipline because we love them and want to help them do better. There’s a popular song out today entitled “I will Praise You in the Storm” that speaks very loudly and clearly to this unconditional love of God for which we are to be thankful and praise-worthy at all times. Will you join me in shifting our negativity during challenging times to more of a praise time because of God’s love to discipline us and show us a better way to live? Can we learn to praise Him in spite of our personal circumstances – good or bad?

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, You made us, so I am confident that You are well aware of our weaknesses, especially during those challenging times in our lives. Please touch Your children today and help us to be more of a thankful people. For I believe that if we did a better job of praising, thanking and celebrating during our ‘good times’ then, perhaps, we will more easily recognize that You are still God, still in control, and will do nothing to harm us, but rather continue to mold us during the times when we feel so out of control. You went through some very challenging times even as our supreme Lord, so help us to understand that these times will come. However, help us to follow Your example in dealing with our challenges, for You healed the ear of an attacker in the garden, and You prayed for the Father to bless those who hung You on the cross. Please help us to recognize You daily for the loving God that You are, knowing that You have our best interest at heart. Please continue to bless others through us, both during our prosperous times and especially through our challenging times, and may we continually praise You through every event in life, for I ask this in the wonderful name of Jesus, my Savior, AMEN!

The Traps That Ensnare Us

On 2014-12-042014-12-04 By Ed AlgreenIn PrioritiesLeave a comment

The Holy Bible

⁹But now you know the true God. Really, it is God who knows you. So why do you turn back to those weak and useless rules you followed before? Do you want to be slaves to those things again?

(Bible Translation and Location: New Century Version – Galatians 4:9)

Thoughts:

I believe that there is nothing Satan hates more, than to see one of his children come to know Jesus and accept Him as Lord of their life. I also believe that in spite of God’s power, Satan is constantly trying to win us back, so there is a constant tug-of-war going on in our spiritual lives. For example, our religious practices forbids idolatry, yet many ‘Christians’ practice spiritual idolatry in their hearts. For what a man loves most, and cares most for, that is his god: some have their riches for their god, some their pleasures, some their favorite sport, and some their lusts. Many ignorantly, and unknowingly, worship a god of their own making; a god made all of mercy, and no justice. For they persuade themselves that there is mercy for them with God, though they repent not, but go on in their sins. It is possible for those who have made great professions of faith, to be afterwards drawn aside by Satan from purity and simplicity. Friends, just as in marriage you don’t walk out of the church saying “I do” and walk into oblivion believing that love and unity will grow in your marriage whether you live together or not, so it is with Christianity and your kinship to God. Sure, God is with you always and everywhere you go, but what good is it if you ignore Him? Please remember, our God is a jealous God. He gave the ultimate gift of His precious, and only Son, to show His love for us. I am personally convinced that He deserves our unwavering commitment, our intentional worship and daily, or more frequent, communion with Him. There are several scripture references that would support my statement that God is to us, based on what we are to, and for, Him. Could this be why so many churches and ‘Christians’ are in trouble today? If we only grudgingly give God an hour on Sunday (or Saturday), why should we expect any more from Him? There’s a hymn entitled “I Need Thee Every Hour”, why then should we only worship Him for one hour (or less) in a 168-hour week, and expect Him to be there for us?

Prayer:

Dear Lord, we have become such a spoiled and rotten bunch. We open our arms to receive from You 24/7 365 days per year, yet we can’t make time to thank You daily, or to worship and praise You at least one hour per week. We continually ask for so much from You, yet we complain when we try to give even an hour per week back to You. Please forgive us for our unworthiness, selfishness and pride. We make time for everything else in life, yet way too busy to find time to stop and pray. Our priorities have become very warped, and Satan is really catching a grip on weak Christians. Father, I am thankful for what You did for me at Calvary. Please continue to guide me into all truth and keep me on a path of righteousness, for Your name’s sake. I love You Lord and I lift my voice to Worship You, Oh my Lord, Rejoice….. I respectfully ask all this with a thankful heart and in the name of Jesus Christ, AMEN!