Always Share About The Jesus You Have Seen and Heard

On 2022-01-132022-01-13 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Needs, Personal Witness, Praise, Recognize God, Witness, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED Thursday, 2022-01-13
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Acts 4:13-14; 18-20
TRANSLATION: The Message (MSG)

BIBLE TEXT: ^13-14They couldn’t take their eyes off them—Peter and John standing there so confident, so sure of themselves! Their fascination deepened when they realized these two were laymen with no training in Scripture or formal education. They recognized them as companions of Jesus, but with the man right before them, seeing him standing there so upright—so healed!—what could they say against that?
^18-20They called them back and warned them that they were on no account ever again to speak or teach in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John spoke right back, “Whether it’s right in God’s eyes to listen to you rather than to God, you decide. As for us, there’s no question—we can’t keep quiet about what we’ve seen and heard.”

APPLICATION: I believe that most will agree that too many Christians assume regular church attendance satisfies the God who saved them, and that they serve such an understanding God, He is Ok with how much, or how little they do for the Kingdom. Why is that? Do you suppose it may be that their church attendance is very similar to their habitual watching of Television, where they just sit and relax while being entertained? Let’s look at what the religious leaders faced with Peter and John, and perhaps this might open our eyes for clarity on this matter. Somehow, they were not overly threatened when they realized that these two disciples were unlearned in the Scriptures, for they had not taken extended studies on the Bible like the church leaders of their day did. While I believe that seminary serves an important role in educating the religious leaders of our day, I can find no place in Scripture where this is given as a prerequisite to sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ. So I would encourage every reader to not sit back and leave all witnessing and outreach to your pastor, but to always do your part in sharing what Jesus has done for you. I don’t believe God ever intended for you to share what you think the Pastor will share. Instead, God wants you to share your personal experience with your Lord. Peter and John were simple fishermen, yet they not only got the attention of their hearers, but also of the town leaders. I am convinced that people respond better to our true and honest experience with the Lord, than they would to any story we might share with them. Of course using Bible stories, miracles and any other Biblical experiences only support what Jesus also did in your life, but your friends will identify better with your personal experience. I included the latter verses in our focal Scripture today, because I wanted to remind you how personal our relationship could get. Peter and John told the leaders that even if God wants them to respect their worldly leaders, there is nothing that can take away from their personal, one-on-one, intimate relationship with their Savior. Friends, I strive for that type of relationship! How about you? I believe the joy of that will just overflow through everything we share with others!

BLESSING(S) NOTED: We are quick to brag on our spouse, our kids and our extended family. Why wouldn’t we also do the same for the relationship experiences with our Savior? I believe it will be a natural thing to do!

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, You willingly went to the cross for us, and I believe you would do it again, if it became necessary. You were never ashamed of Your Father, and Your love for us was always evident. May we never be ashamed of the One who rescued us from a life of sin, headed for eternal damnation. May this be such a part of our life that it will be evident to the lost world around us, and may our actions and words always confirm who our Master is. Forgive us Lord when we allow the distractions of this world to take priority in our witness. Please strengthen and embolden us to always be Your best witness and ambassador while allowed to remain here on earth. AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog might indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and read more, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. You may also visit me on Spotify and listen to Nuggets while you’re out and about. I would encourage you to find a church home near by your home, and attend as frequently as you could. Get to know God, and allow His people to encourage and strengthen you in your Christian walk, while making every effort to be a blessing to them. God is at work among His people! Please consider growing in your faith, as you worship with fellow believers!

Preparing For Baptism

On 2022-01-122022-01-12 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Forgiveness, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED Wednesday, 2022-01-12
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Matthew 3:5-9
TRANSLATION: New Living Translation (NLT)

BIBLE TEXT: ⁵People from Jerusalem and from all of Judea and all over the Jordan Valley went out to see and hear John. ⁶And when they confessed their sins, he baptized them in the Jordan River. ⁷But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming to watch him baptize, he denounced them. “You brood of snakes!” he exclaimed. “Who warned you to flee the coming wrath? ⁸Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God. ⁹Don’t just say to each other, ‘We’re safe, for we are descendants of Abraham.’ That means nothing, for I tell you, God can create children of Abraham from these very stones.

APPLICATION: Ever noticed how some will dye their hair blue, if they see a friend or two doing the same thing, and getting attention over the strange practice? Ever noticed at an altar call in your church how challenging it is to get the first person to respond to the gospel message, and how much easier it is after the first person makes the walk down to the altar? We don’t want to be the first to make a move, but we are quick to follow the flow by our friends. People from the neighboring towns came to hear for themselves what all this ‘wild man’, John, was preaching about. His message touched their heart, so they confessed their sin and was ready to be baptized. This is still pretty customary in churches today, especially during revival or evangelistic services. But what would your church, or your pastor, do if at the baptismal service a number of people showed up for baptism who had never visited your church before? I believe we all can agree that at such special services, many might get in the spirit of what is occurring , and they may want to be baptized also. John recognized that the Pharisees and Sadducees who showed up and wanted to be baptized, felt like they were already good enough on their own reconnaissance and at least as good as the persons there who may have received forgiveness of their sin that day. However, John addressed this by drawing their attention to the change that occurs in a believer’s life. I believe John’s teaching on this is well worth our time to reflect on. Think about it – if we are a child of the King, then we will look like; sound like; and act like the King. It would be highly hypercritical of us to say that we are a child of the King, yet continue to behave like our old sinful selves. Who are we trying to fool? I also appreciate that John included the piece for his audience not to feel ‘saved’ because of them being from the seed of Abraham. You see, when we have grown up in the church, or if we happen to be a child of the pastor, deacon or elder, we may try to fool the world into thinking that because of our heritage, we too are saved. Notice what John taught here: we are each to approach the throne of God individually. Nothing done, said, or practiced by our ancestors could cleanse us of our sin and make us right with God. It is only through the shed blood of Jesus Christ that we are saved. That’s the sole purpose in God sending His Son, and He will have it no other way. We cannot slither our way into heaven through any other means. Be encouraged today Brothers and Sisters. We may not be a son or daughter of any earthly king or queen, but as a son of the Most Hight God – King Jesus, we are born again and ready to meet our Savior whenever He calls us home to glory. We are never too bad, or never too much of a pretender for God to accept us. Repent of your sins and ask God to become alive in You so that your words, actions and witness will be all about your heavenly Master.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: Jesus can save the hardened criminal or even the one who feels like they’ve always been ‘good enough’ according to the word’s standards.He came to seek and save ALL that are lost. That includes you, me, our neighbor or the drunk down the road.

PRAYER: Father God, we are reminded that there is nothing we can do of our own selves to save ourselves from our sins and ready ourselves for the portals of Heaven. John was very blunt about this with the Pharisees and Sadducees, and he may have even found reason to preach at some of our churches today. Yes, we must be saved through the righteous sacrifice of Jesus alone. But our life will always reflect who takes center place in our lives. May that always be you, and you alone dear God. As the world see Jesus in us, they might become convinced of the power of the One who sacrificed His life for the remission of our sins. Please forgive us for trying to play the fool before You, like we so often try to get away with before our fellow man. You are the one, and the only one, that we must be honest before. Please deal in our hearts and our lives so that we may have an honest relationship with You, and the one who will naturally display to the world who controls every fiber of our being. We love You Lord and we want You to be evident in all that we are. AMEN!

Repeating The Evil of our Ancestors

On 2022-01-042022-01-03 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED Monday, 2022-01-04
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Genesis 6:5-7
TRANSLATION: New Century Version (NCV)

BIBLE TEXT: ⁵The Lord saw that the human beings on the earth were very wicked and that everything they thought about was evil. ⁶He was sorry he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain. ⁷So the Lord said, “I will destroy all human beings that I made on the earth. And I will destroy every animal and everything that crawls on the earth and the birds of the air, because I am sorry I have made them.”

APPLICATION: Whether in our homes, or at work or just in society in general, we tend to hope that the discipline we hand out would impact others to avoid repeating the same sin. I know of a boss who once said that he should fire one person weekly, so that the others might stand in fear for their respective jobs and do better! God showed us in His Word how upset He was with seeing His creation turn so badly away from Him and His teaching. In fact, so disappointing, that God desired to just start all over again. Although God went on to say in Genesis 8:21 that He would never do such a drastic thing again, I’m sure that He must be so disappointed that He is seeing a repeat of things that hurt Him so badly to have previously disciplined our ancestors for. But as we enter a New Year, I believe we must ask ourselves ‘what is it that I can do to better obey and serve my God?’ Yes, we must be concerned about the rest of the world around us, but our responsibility is to pray for them to stay persistent in their commitment to the Creator of the World, or have a growing desire to know Him personally and/or more intimately. In an earlier devotional, I came across a statement by Jesus where He told His disciples to not be so worried about the date/time of His return, as they must be about seeing the hearts of sinful man turn to, and accept the Savior of the world. So when we look towards a New Year and wonder where to start, and what to plan for our days that God allows us to remain on planet earth, we must always look to what God wants us to do. When people, who need the Lord, come to accept Him as Lord, they will have no desire to keep on sinning. When we know that something irritates our parents, or our spouse, or those we love, we tend to try everything possible to avoid repeating that sin, or action. We know from the Scripture today that God was totally frustrated and angry at the sin seen in His creation. We also know that there is enough going on today that must be upsetting to our Maker, let us therefore commit ourselves to prayer, and to encouraging one another – especially the unsaved, so that they may see Jesus at work through us, and surrender their lives to Him for all eternity.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: God created the world and everyone in it, so He was very much authorized to wipe them out and start again. He promised never to send another flood, so we must enjoy every blessing, and do our best to avoid the sin that upsets Him.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, we are ashamed to be here on earth where so much sin abounds – perhaps very much like the sin that upset You in Noah’s day. For those who have accepted You as Lord, I pray that we will be even more committed to touching the lives of the unsaved, for we know that when sin is conquered, so will the crime, hatred and fighting – the things that hurt the Master’s heart. Lord, impress upon us the urgency of doing the work of the Father. There is no time to sit around and complain about it, instead we must seek Your wisdom, Your strength and Your guidance to be Your ambassadors while alive here on earth. May 2022 be the year of revival and great evangelism, because Your people, who are called by Your name, has humbled themselves and prayed. AMEN!

A Tip For Our Number One Goal in 2022

On 2022-01-022022-01-01 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Focused on the Goal, goal, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED Sunday, 2022-01-02
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Acts 1:7-8
TRANSLATION: The New Living Translation (NLT)

BIBLE TEXT: ⁷ He replied, “The Father alone has the authority to set those dates and times, and they are not for you to know. ⁸ But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

APPLICATION: You are probably stumped on what I alluded to in the introduction. Not everyone we know, or meet, tells others about Jesus? Well, consider the man who is constantly cursing and sharing evil thoughts about everyone. What’s your take on his belief about Jesus? Perhaps that Jesus is a myth and only necessary for mankind when we die, or when when faced with serious issues? What about the lady who refuses to attend church, or associate with friends who frequent the church? Perhaps she got burnt at one time by a Christian, and now she is of the false impression that every believer is just out to ‘get’ the unbeliever and hurt them in every way possible. But what does her attitude tell you about her belief in God? So how would you honor the command of Jesus to witness and tell people everywhere about Him? I’m of the impression that Jesus wanted those Bible teachers and scholars, plus our folk today, that they/we needn’t spend so much time on writing books, or traveling the world over showing off your self designed date charts about the return of Christ, for no man knows the day or the hour – not even the Son of Man. Jesus said don’t worry your head over that, only the Master Himself knows that date. Instead, since we all know from the Word of God that Jesus will return to take His bride, the church, home to glory, then we are to spend our days sharing that news with all that we come into contact with. If we had news of an oncoming hurricane, we would warn everyone that their life might be in jeopardy. Furthermore, many of us would be willing to sit down with our friends and help them map out their evacuation strategy and how they would buy certain life supporting food and safety items. Would you consider yourself a professional at that? Probably not, yet many Christians are afraid to warn the unsaved because they are afraid they wouldn’t be a professional, like a pastor, in knowing all of the answers to their questions. Friends, one main ingredient available to the child of God, is that Jesus said He would send His Holy Spirit to be upon us, teaching us and guiding us to all truth. What more do we need? We are now inside the boundaries of 2022. I believe that God is reminding believers today that we should put behind us all that occurred in 2021. Yes, many of those things may have been about as much as we could handle, but we are to rest assured that He will send the Holy Spirit to help us carry out His primary command – go and tell everyone that Jesus is available to them, so that they would be ready for whatever date God has planned for His official return to earth for His church. Furthermore, He has sent His Holy Spirit to empower us with all we need to accomplish His work. Nothing to be afraid of, and no need to worry about what you would say. God’s got this, all He wants is our availability! Will you consider making this a priority my friend?

BLESSING(S) NOTED: Just as we gain confidence to do challenging things when a friend comes along with us, Jesus assures us that the Holy Spirit was sent to guide us, teach us and be our comfort in our evangelizing. Praise God for His Helper!

PRAYER: Thank You Lord Jesus for not only creating us in Your own image, but also for looking out for our inadequacies, failures and ignorance. In sending Your Holy Spirit to be our guide and our helper, You have given us extra assurance and confidence to freely obey Your commands and confidently share You with everyone that we come into contact with. Please embolden us to do Your will, so that none would be lost, or left out, on Judgment Day. Work powerfully through us, and give us a mind like that of Jesus Christ. AMEN!

State Your Master and What He Has Done For You

On 2021-12-31 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED Friday, 2021-12-31
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: 2 Samuel 23:3-5
TRANSLATION: Contemporary English Version (CEV)

BIBLE TEXT: ³Our Mighty Rock, the God of Jacob, told me, “A ruler who obeys God and does right ⁴is like the sunrise on a cloudless day or like rain that sparkles on the grass.”
⁵I have ruled this way, and God will never break his promise to me. God’s promise is complete and unchanging; he will always help me and give me what I hope for.

APPLICATION: If you were asked today who, or what, has made you what you are today, what might you say? Some will give many excuses for the times they know they have failed, or feel like they have messed up on. Others might reflect on their inheritance and how wisely they feel like they invested, or used that. Yet many others will consider the little they have to add or reinvest. But I wonder how many of us would stop to reflect on the moments that God took over and just blessed, in spite of our efforts, ignorance, selfishness, or self-worth. Remember, it’s not ‘I’, but ‘He’ who created us, lives in us and works miraculously through us, that deserves the praise! At times I wonder if it doesn’t hurt the Kingdom more when it becomes so obvious that we are seeking our own accolades rather than promoting the praises of our Heavenly Father. We are simply servants of the Most High God, and it’s always the Master who is deserving of praise, and not His servants. David was known as a man after God’s own heart. Is there any wonder why he was such an awesome king and leader of his people? Are we giving our friends, loved ones and admirers reason to praise God, or are we way too busy looking for our own praises? As children of the God of this universe, our motto should always be ‘To God be the glory, great things He has done’! My heart would be overwhelmed in praise if I saw one person blessed because of the work of the Father through me. Lord, have Your will and way in and through me today!

BLESSING(S) NOTED: When God is allowed to rule and reign in and through us, great things will be accomplished for the Kingdom. He did it through David, and He can do it through us!

PRAYER: You created us oh God, and You provide everything for every day to help us survive and truly represent You. Oh that You may be praised even through Your humble servants today. Thank You Father. Thank You Jesus, and thank You Holy Spirit for using Your humble servants to accomplish Your work here on earth. May you never be disappointed in us. May Your Kingdom come today and Your will be done, here on earth as it is in heaven. AMEN!

Your Righteousness in God’s Sight

On 2021-12-272021-12-26 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, Righteous, Righteousness, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED Monday, 2021-12-27
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: 2 Samuel 22:21-25
TRANSLATION: New International Version (NIV)

BIBLE TEXT: ²¹“The Lord has dealt with me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands he has rewarded me.
²²For I have kept the ways of the Lord; I am not guilty of turning from my God.
²³All his laws are before me; I have not turned away from his decrees.
²⁴I have been blameless before him and have kept myself from sin.
²⁵The Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to my cleanness in his sight.

APPLICATION: I remember as a teenager I went home for lunch, and wanted to return to school early, so that I could play with the other kids before school resumed for the afternoon session. Mom reluctantly allowed me to return early, provided that I assured her of my good behavior until the official start of afternoon school. Saying ‘yes’ to mom allowed me to get I wanted, so I ran to school. After much hard playing, I fell and cut my arm open on a broken bottle. Right away I concluded that I could not go home to mom, who didn’t want me to return to school early anyway, so I went to a favorite aunt who patched me up. Upon arriving home after school that afternoon, it was comical to see how I tried to hide my arm behind my back so mom wouldn’t see my mishap!! Doesn’t that remind us how it will be when we walk before the King of all kings? But I was amazed by David in our Scripture today, for he knew that he was guiltless and could therefore approach God boldly, and he would be considered righteous before God. Of course this made me ponder how the guilty, and the non-guilty would do in their approach with God, for you see – He not only knows about those things we fell like the world knows, but He also knows about those things we thought were hidden from everyone else, plus God knows our very thoughts and ill feelings that we harbor against our neighbors/friends. So, surely God would not have us live in such misery and die in shame, would He? It is clear from all that God did for us that He would rather do just the opposite. We just celebrated the birth of God’s precious Son that He miraculously sent to earth to save us from our sin and the guilt associated with our sin. This gift was not just made available to the best of mankind – those who try to obey every law and be gracious to every neighbor. But God’s gift, Jesus, is available to ALL who believe on Him. In John 3:16 we are told that ALL who believe on Jesus, will have everlasting, or eternal, life! For the one who accepts this gift, and the promise of the Father associated with this gift, we become righteous just as He is. We then become just like David, where we could praise God every day for the freedom we have in standing before Him as a righteous son or daughter. Friends, it is possible, but only through the wonderful work of Jesus. Without accepting the gift of God, we are unrighteous, and deserve the only alternative destination – Hell. What’s your destiny – heaven, or hell? It depends on whether you are righteous (because of Jesus), or if you are unrighteous? You determine, my friend!

BLESSING(S) NOTED: David was convinced that God saw him blameless because he had kept himself from sin, and that He consequently had rewarded him for his righteousness. Wow, we too could be that confident and assured before God!

PRAYER: Lord, I believe that You designed us with our own guilt meter! For we know full well when we decidedly disobey Your commands and Your will for our lives. This has sometimes led to our hearts being hardened, and our minds being buried in total guilt. Please Lord, direct us to Your Word daily, and help us to stay focused on what You would have us do each day. For I believe that this is what leads us into ministering to others and encouraging them to look towards the Kingdom, where only You could cleanse us of our sin and make us righteous in Your sight. The lost is looking for Your followers who exemplify You in every way. May we be true to our calling and allow You to have Your will and way in our lives everyday, so that Your ministry might be fulfilled even through humble men and women who love and serve You. AMEN!

What The Evidence Shows

On 2021-12-222021-12-22 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Needs, Obedience, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED Wednesday, 2021-12-22
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: John 8:42; 44
TRANSLATION: Good News Translation (GNT)

BIBLE TEXT: ⁴²Jesus said to them, “If God really were your Father, you would love me, because I came from God and now I am here. I did not come on my own authority, but he sent me.
⁴⁴You are the children of your father, the Devil, and you want to follow your father’s desires. From the very beginning he was a murderer and has never been on the side of truth, because there is no truth in him. When he tells a lie, he is only doing what is natural to him, because he is a liar and the father of all lies.

APPLICATION: We all have our excuses about why we act the way we do. For the Pharisees, they felt like they were good representations of their father, Abraham. But to their surprise, Jesus knew all about what that would look like if they were honestly following in Abraham’s footsteps. They then concluded, like so many on earth tend to do today, that God is their Father. For those readers and listeners who tend to do the same thing when backed in a corner about your faith, notice what Jesus evaluated:
-*- If God is your Father, then you would love like He loves. Jesus, being the Son of the Living God, went about doing good. He was careful to go only where He was sent, and say only the things that He was guided by His Father to say. Jesus knew that all God’s children would act the same way, and that’s not what He was seeing in the Pharisees. I can only pray that Jesus, who knows every thought, action and word from us, will see enough evidence that we are God’s children. How do you think you are doing?
-*- You are children of your father, the Devil, because – you are following his desires. You commit murder – consider the number of infant murders each and every day in our respective countries through abortion. Shooting another individual has become as commonplace as fist fights used to be. You have never advocated for truth, just as there is no truth in your father (the devil). In fact, this has become such a part of your life that it seems natural for you to lie. It does not even phase your conscience anymore. Unfortunately, most people will never acknowledge that they lie, but for the honest person, we could identify a lie just as it comes from someone’s mouth.
So friends, who do we think we are fooling? Or, have we come to a place in society where we just don’t care anymore? I recently worked with some guys and girls who were instructed by local management to lie every day, because the ‘higher ups’ didn’t want to know about all they found wrong. Can we truly expect an honest day’s work from our employees, while asking them to wrongly lie about what they see, smell or witness? There is no such thing as being less evil because we only sin in this way or that. If we sin, we are a sinner. Let us therefore strive for righteousness in every area of our lives, so that the evidence is all over everything we do and say. May God Himself see and know that we are His, based on our honesty and righteous thoughts and actions. Otherwise, we are no better off than the Pharisees that Jesus ridiculed in our Scripture today.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: Jesus went about doing good, as an imitation of His perfect Father. Out words and actions will tell Jesus, and the world whose we are also.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, please forgive us for becoming so much like the world and it’s father, the Devil. Not only do we want to make You proud of Your creation by being a great imitation of our Father, but we want others to wonder what’s different about us and seek to know our Creator and Master. Please develop a deep desire within us to know You intimately, and to study Your Word daily so that we may learn and practice Your commands and teachings by which we should align our lives. Please give us strength and direction each day, and a strong desire to know You better in every way, while striving to put your teachings into practice. May Your ministry come to fruition through the actions and words of my readers, listeners and myself so that others might also desire a relationship with You. AMEN!

To Be A TRUE Disciple of Christ

On 2021-12-212021-12-21 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Disciple, Needs, Obedience, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED Tuesday, 2021-12-21
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: John 8:31-32
TRANSLATION: Contemporary English Version (CEV)

BIBLE TEXT: ³¹Jesus told the people who had faith in him, “If you keep on obeying what I have said, you truly are my disciples. ³²You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

APPLICATION: The first thing that got my attention in this Scripture today is that Jesus was addressing believers. From the preceding verses, it looks like Jesus was addressing a group of Jews that had just received Christ, but as I pondered the words of Jesus, the Holy Spirit challenged me that this was very applicable to all believers, even those who accepted Jesus some 45 years ago, like myself. Think about it friends. If you said yes to your spouse some 45 years ago and never went home with them, or refused to honor their wishes, or their invitation to spend quality time together, are you truly married? But isn’t that the same with Christianity? Surely you didn’t commit your life to the lordship of Jesus Christ just for the bragging rights, or to ensure that you have your ticket to allow you into heaven? Are you actively into reading the Bible so that you could learn more about what Jesus commanded? Are you active in your local church so that you could fellowship with other believers, as taught in the Bible? Are you a proactive tither to the local church, as taught in the Word of God? I believe that Jesus wanted these new Christians, and all of us old heads who sit back in our easy chairs, to know that when we accept His lordship, we are entering into an active relationship with the Creator and Master of this universe. It’s not something on our checklist that simply requires a checkmark. But it is an exciting, interactive, loving relationship where Jesus will do everything to prove His love for us. In turn, we will desire to please Him by reading His Word frequently, so that we could obey His commands and try to honor and please Him in everything that we do. Isn’t that what relationships are all about? As a reminder, Jesus said that if we obey Him, we show that we are TRULY His disciples. What do you suppose He thinks of you today? Are you, or are you not, a follower of Christ? Prove it dear friend, by obeying what He teaches you to do.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: Jesus wants to know that You believe in Him! He’s looking for proof of that through your obedience to Him. How are you doing?

PRAYER: Thank You Jesus for the reminder today of the warning You gave to the newly converted Jews. Churches are on the decline because of uncommitted believers. Marriages are ending in divorce because of uncommitted men and women. Our ‘Yes’ responses are not supported by actions that prove that we TRULY believe, and are willing to back up our belief with actions to please the person we want a relationship with. Please Lord, help us to back up our commitments by doing all within our power to honor, please and obey the party we are committing to, especially in our commitment to You. We would never deliberately make a commitment to You flippantly, so jog our memories every time You see evidence of us losing our focus. We love You Lord, and we want to serve You faithfully all of our days. May You always know that we are Your disciples, because You see the evidence every day. AMEN!

To Be Condemned Only By The Innocent

On 2021-12-192021-12-19 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED Saturday, 2021-12-19
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: John 8:4-9
TRANSLATION: Living Bible (TLB)

BIBLE TEXT: ⁴“Teacher,” they said to Jesus, “this woman was caught in the very act of adultery. ⁵Moses’ law says to kill her. What about it?”
⁶They were trying to trap him into saying something they could use against him, but Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust with his finger. ⁷They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, “All right, hurl the stones at her until she dies. But only he who never sinned may throw the first!”
⁸Then he stooped down again and wrote some more in the dust. ⁹And the Jewish leaders slipped away one by one, beginning with the eldest, until only Jesus was left in front of the crowd with the woman.

APPLICATION: The Scriptures do not clarify what Jesus wrote when He stooped and wrote in the sand while the Jewish leaders ranted on, accusing the woman in this story of adultery. However, Bible scholars have made a few predictions based on their wide study of the Scriptures. Some believe that Jesus may have written the names of women that the individual Jewish leaders may have been guilty of adultery with themselves. It’s interesting how in Matthew 5:28 Jesus taught us how, if a man only looks at a woman with lust in his heart, he has committed adultery. Do you suppose that the Master wanted the Jewish leaders, and us, to fully understand the depth of His intent about this subject, when He gave Moses the Ten Commandments to write on the original stone for our edification, direction and clarification? Another thought for us to consider in regards to what Jesus may have written: in Jeremiah 17:13 it refers to men who turn away from God because of their sin. Could Jesus have possibly written in the dirt in fulfillment of Jeremiah’s prophecy? Don’t we sometimes tend to find fault with others when we need to cover up our own sin? Friends, I believe that still today, more people are turned away from God and His church, because of the hypocrisy they see among God’s people. I know, they are supposed to look at God, and not at you and I, right? Well brothers and sisters, let’s not forget that when we claim the name of Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we become associated with Him in such a way that we become His earthly representatives. As such, others should be able to look on us, including our words and actions, and they should be reminded of Jesus. They should be able to trust our word as ‘gospel’, for Jesus never lied, and nor should we. As for our acts of adultery, I had a pastor who once taught his congregation of men to look at a woman from the neck up to avoid sinning! Sounds funny, but how often to you see a group of men turn their heads and follow that beautiful lady that just walked by at a distance. Do you suppose that any of them sinned because of their thoughts at that time? Unfortunately, some may look at the gospel and choose to ignore the parts that really step on their toes. Let me dare you to examine the Word closely and try to find where Jesus offered exceptions to the rule to any of us. My dad didn’t want my siblings and I to do anything outside of our home that would embarrass he and mom. I believe that Jesus is not as afraid of losing face with those we mess up with while in their presence, as much as He cares about trying to keep us pure before the master. Sin is not allowed in heaven, so especially since we have a guide book, we should be careful to do what it says and stay obedient to what the Master demands of us. Yes, we will mess up occasionally because we are living in a sinful world. But always remember, we have an advocate who cares about us and loves us unconditionally. Seek His forgiveness and ask for added strength and guidance to help you avoid repeating that sin again. Jesus knows exactly what we are facing, and what we will face. His grace is all sufficient and very available to those who desire to exemplify Him. I believe that Jesus said to the Jewish Leaders, and He wants us to know, that we must seek to keep ourselves pure and fully obedient, even while living a sinful world. That’s a full-time job, without the need to try and pull someone else down! Remember dear friends, His grace is sufficient for all!

BLESSING(S) NOTED: Jesus don’t need any help in knowing what’s wrong among His children. Therefore, concentrate on keeping self pure, without the need to pull someone else down in order to promote self.

PRAYER: Lord, we rejoice in Your salvation and we celebrate our freedom in knowing You as we await our transition to heaven to be with You and the Father. While we could never thank You enough for that, we still need Your strength, guidance and direction each day so that we may remain true to Your Word. Please help us to be so mindful of You that we will never fall prey to the world’s way of pulling others down in order to promote self. You assured us that Your grace is sufficient. May we always look to You as we maneuver our way around on this earth. We may be in the world, but please strengthen us to always know that we are not of the world, but that we have a higher calling – one that leads us beyond this world into life everlasting at Your feet in heaven! May we never be a stumbling block to others that seek You, or try to grow in You. Instead, may we be a beacon, or a lighthouse that represents truth, love and peace in the name of Jesus our Lord. AMEN!

Something to Leave Your Grandchildren

On 2021-12-152021-12-17 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Needs, Obedience, Obedient, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED Wednesday, 2021-12-15
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Proverbs 13:20-22
TRANSLATION: Contemporary English Version (CEV)

BIBLE TEXT: ²⁰Wise friends make you wise, but you hurt yourself by going around with fools.
²¹You are in for trouble if you sin, but you will be rewarded if you live right.
²²If you obey God, you will have something to leave your grandchildren…..

APPLICATION: It is so easy to sit in front of a television and listen to all that is being pitched at you. It is so rewarding to attend church and listen to all that the preacher will pitch at you. But when you proceed through each day, where do your decisions come from? Dear friends, it all comes from a heart that has been filled from sources such as mentioned above. Unfortunately, I believe that you respond based on what has been poured into your heart most. From television I believe you concentrate on what seems to make everyone successful. There may be some semblance of biblical truth included, but I’m afraid that way too often we are being fed a full dose of the world’s view of what life should be like. If you are a child of the King and seeking to obey Him, or seeking to know Him better, or wanting to do His will, then it would seem to me that we should all spend more time in His Book of Instruction, the Bible. We will respond to life based on what we have filled our heart, mind and soul with. We will be obedient to the things we believe in, trust, and seek to imitate. I trust that each of these things will always point you to the cross of Calvary, to the risen Christ, and to the Father who awaits us in heaven where we hope to spend eternity. Solomon was known as the wisest man that ever lived, and because his words are entered as a part of our Bible, we know his words are God inspired, directed and approved. Many of us will aim at trying to help the weak and brokenhearted, but are we also concentrating on the advice God spoke through Solomon? If we seek to be wise, we will hang around wise people. We know that one who has made unwise decisions are referred to as ‘fools’. Therefore, we must avoid their advice and also avoid following their example if we want to show ourselves wise. God designed us to live according to His perfect example and His perfect will, so of course we run into trouble when we disobey Him. We are more apt to be obedient to that which we follow and place our faith and trust in. Friends, these wise words are intended to make us wise to God’s intended purpose for our lives. I pray that you, like me, will savor these words of advice and seek to know what God desires of us each day. Entertainment is ok, but obedience to our Creator leaves a legacy for our children and grandchildren, according to Solomon!

BLESSING(S) NOTED: There is nothing more meaningful in life than to know that you are living a wonderful life in line with the perfect will of Jesus Christ, and that you will leave a powerful legacy behind for your children and grand children.

PRAYER: Lord, please forgive us for our rebellious attitude in seeking to follow what seems like the most fun, or what makes the rich even richer. You designed us to be just like You, then You provided Your Book of Instruction to guide us and teach us about Your perfect will. Please forgive us for our weakness, and always keep us directed towards that which is best for us. May we be faithful to reading Your Word each and every day so we may be reminded of all that You would have us do. May others see Jesus because of our obedience, even in tempting times when the world seems to be succeeding. AMEN!