Jesus Can Calm The Storms of Your Life

On 2018-03-202018-03-20 By Ed AlgreenIn Caring, God Cares For Us, Jesus Loves youLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE FROM: Mark 4:38-40 (ERV)

TEXT: ³⁸ ….. “Teacher, don’t you care about us? …..” ³⁹Jesus stood up and gave a command to the wind and the water. He said, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind stopped, and the lake became calm. ⁴⁰He said to his followers, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

OBSERVATION: In our verses, the disciples were frightened by the storms all around them, for the waves were much bigger, and more powerful than their boat. Furthermore they had responsibility of keeping the Savior of the world safe, and they weren’t sure how much longer they could do that. However, after they woke Jesus up from His nap, He calmly stood and beckoned to the waters, that His Father had created, to quiet down and be still. Read the Application to see how this might apply to other storms we have in life.

APPLICATION: There are times that we feel like we are in a storm that’s way beyond our understanding or ability to overcome, and we call out to Jesus, knowing that He is the only one who could help us through our storm, or He may even calm our storm for us. In our Scripture, the storm was at sea, and these storms still occur – so some may still call on Jesus to protect them from the angry waves and the boisterous winds. However, for some of us, our overwhelming storms of life might involve work; financial; family; friends; medical issues; or even loved ones who need more care than you can offer them. These are times that we feel like the overwhelming waters are about to flood over our heads, and we need help. But from whom? For relatives and friends are just as bad, or even worse than us. Friends, let me remind you that just as Jesus used His supernatural power to reach out and calm the powerful waters, He can also reach out and calm you down on the issues you feel so overwhelmed with. He may not see the need to make you a millionaire, but He can place the funds at your disposal to meet your needs. He may not do exactly what you ask, in the same fashion as the way you want it to happen, but He knows what’s even better for us. May I encourage you to know my Jesus personally, so that He will recognize the sound of His ‘sheep’ when we have the need to call on Him? May I suggest that you start depending on Jesus for small and large ‘waves’ or struggles in life. Call upon Him while He is near my friend. He’s still God, He will love you without limits, and He still hears our cry for help even today.

PRAYER: Dear God, we are lost without you, just as the disciples were , when they began to feel overwhelmed by the waves hitting their boat that night on the Sea of Galilee. So many times in life today we feel like the waves of doubt; overwhelming financial issues; or just the stress of so many health challenges are about to consume us… but then we remember the God who created these things that worry us, and we remember that He loved us so much that He sent His very own Son to rescue us from a world of sin. Then we come to our senses and recognize that we are loved beyond anything we could ever expect or deserve. Lord, may we be quick to surrender our cares and concerns to You and allow You to calm our ‘stormy seas’ – our worrying minds and our overwhelmed spirits, so that You – the only One who can, will resume charge and calm us to do Your work under the power and authority of the Holy Spirit. Lord, have Your will and way in our lives today, AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog could indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and read more, or you may freely to subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Sebring, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us!

Our God – Loving, But Also Just

On 2018-03-172018-03-17 By Ed AlgreenIn Correction, direction, Discipline, Disciplined, Spiritual CorrectionLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE FROM: 2 Chronicles 36:15-17 (NCV)

TEXT: ¹⁵The Lord, the God of their ancestors, sent prophets again and again to warn his people, because he had pity on them and on his Temple. ¹⁶But they made fun of God’s prophets and hated God’s messages. They refused to listen to the prophets until, finally, the Lord became so angry with his people that he could not be stopped. ¹⁷So God brought the king of Babylon to attack them. The king killed the young men even when they were in the Temple. He had no mercy on the young men or women, the old men or those who were sick. God handed all of them over to Nebuchadnezzar.

OBSERVATION: We can see right at the beginning how God showed His love in trying to do everything possible in order to get to the hearts of His children who were disobeying His commands. However, in verse 17 it is clear that God may have to punish at times, in order to get our attention. I know that we don’t like to concentrate on the bad, or the corrections, but that makes it no less real or effective in our lives. God knew what it took to get the attention of the Israelites, and He also knows what it takes for Him to work on you also, child of God.

APPLICATION: While at your favorite restaurant, you might look across the room and see a dad cuddling with his young son and enjoying some quality time with this child that he loves so much. Later during your visit, you hear a child screaming, and you look around only to see a mom taking her son outside, and you can only imagine what’s in store for that boy when he gets outside! Is that a representation of how a dad loves his child vs how a mom shows love to her child? I believe that most of you reading this devotional will understand that both the mom and dad showed equal love towards their children in the above scenario. However, most of the time that we hear about God, it is mostly about His awesome love and how good He is, which I totally endorse. However, let’s also remember that God established His Word to teach us about His commands and His teachings. He tells in His Word of the ways that He shows His love for us and, as in these verses chosen today, He also tells us what action He may bring on us if we are persistent in disobeying Him, or if we decide to follow our own desires and rules and ignore His. Friends, please know that God is known as a loving and just God. He showed His love for mankind by sending His very own Son to die on a cruel cross, just to display the extreme love that He has for us. However, please know that God also loves us enough to correct us. To draw our attention to the wrong we may be involved in. And He may use anyone or anything within His reach to effect our attitude, our obedience, or our love for Him and our fellow man. May I suggest that you speak with God when things are happening that may impact you and/or your world? See if He is trying to get your attention about something that you thought no one else knew about besides you. Remember, He brought in the king of Babylon to attack the Israelites and even kill off some of the people in the temple. Do you suppose there is a limit to what He might do to get your attention?

PRAYER: Lord, I believe that You show Your love for us in many, many ways. Often this may be through blessings that we enjoy every day. However, that will never get our attention to correct the wrongs that we do, so You are forced to discipline us in order to effectively change our course of action, and in order to draw us closer to You. Lord, may we be grateful in the good things that we are quick to acknowledge and give You praise for. However, please help us to recognize the steering currents that You use to change our course of direction that was leading us to disobedience or disrespect. Lord, may You be glorified in every way through us, and may God receive honor and glory from all things. AMEN!

Struggling Churches Need This

On 2018-03-162018-03-16 By Ed AlgreenIn Godly lives, How to Live, Leadership, Leadership qualifications, Lives ImpactedLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE FROM: 2 Chronicles 35:17-18 (TLB)

TEXT: ¹⁷Everyone present in Jerusalem took part in the Passover observance, and this was followed by the Feast of Unleavened Bread for the next seven days. ¹⁸Never since the time of Samuel the prophet had there been such a Passover—not one of the kings of Israel could vie with King Josiah in this respect, involving so many of the priests, Levites, and people from Jerusalem and from all parts of Judah, and from Israel.

OBSERVATION: It is interesting to note in these 2 verses how, under good leadership, the Israelites came to their senses, listened to their king, and followed him in worshiping the God of the universe for seven days as they celebrated the Passover. Something was different, but it worked. It encouraged them enough to participate willingly and honestly. Let’s look closer into how this happened, because we could definitely use more of this attitude and corporation today!

APPLICATION: There are so many churches that are either struggling to survive, or have already given up and closed their doors. However, there are flourishing churches that continue to grow almost weekly. Throughout the chapters leading up this one, we read where there were lots of issues and corrections by God, because the ruling kings did things that were not pleasing to God. However, at the very beginning of chapter 35 we are told that Josiah was a different kind of king, because he did what was pleasing to God. Friends, the same is true in business, we see where people will follow a good leader who is trying to grow themselves in their field of expertise, and develop good workers who will do the same. This benefits the company, who in turn, can develop more leaders and even better employees. But how does this benefit Christendom? How do we encourage the growth of the kingdom? I believe that it starts at the top. If our leaders are ‘on fire for the Lord’, then there is a chance in rekindling a fire in the pews. If our leaders are deep into the Word, and they make it a principal upon which they base their daily character and decision making, then what do you suppose the people who are following them will do? So my challenge today is for everyone who takes a leadership role in their company, or in their church. Will your followers be led astray based on whether you are growing; or by what you are saying; or by what you are doing? Without having to preach a sermon, do they have a clue where you stand with Christ? Will Jesus find you faithful, if He returns today to take His children home to glory? When God interviews those who worked for you or with you, do you suppose they saw enough of Jesus in you that it led them to seek Him personally? Jesus died, so that we may live eternally. The Bible is filled with examples of how Jesus lived a perfect life on earth. He is our mentor and our example. Please don’t allow any leader to lead you along a path contrary to God’s teachings. Remember, others are following you, and they want to see Jesus!

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for Jesus – the perfect Son of God. Thank You for showing us the way to live in a way that’s pleasing to You and that might also lead an unbeliever to the cross – to salvation. Please continue to guide us and direct our path each and every day. Please make us keenly aware of our character, especially when we are about to mess up. We want to be just like You Lord, so that others might follow the ways of Christ when they follow us. In love, humbleness, and much gratification we ask these things dear Lord, AMEN!

The Listening Ear of Our Awesome God

On 2018-03-152018-03-15 By Ed AlgreenIn Listen to the Word of God, Obedience, ObedientLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE FROM: 2 Chronicles 33:12-13 (Voice)

TEXT: ¹²From this position of complete powerlessness, Manasseh finally humbled himself and begged the forgiveness of the Eternal God of his fathers. ¹³He heard Manasseh’s prayer and found it sincere; He returned Manasseh to the throne in Jerusalem. From that day forward, Manasseh never doubted that the Eternal was the True God.

OBSERVATION: The evidence of a stubborn child who was given lots of power at a young age, is evident in the first 11 verses of this chapter. A young man who watched his dad rule most his life under the watch-care of the Almighty God, yet Manasseh joined in with those who opposed God and together they turned their country totally around to serve the evil one. As a last resort in trying to regain the hearts of Manasseh and his people, God was forced to the very extreme. He sent the Assyrian army in to capture Manasseh and to totally disrupt his people. In spite of all his evil doings, Manasseh finally called out to God during his awful punishment by the Assyrians. And in spite of all that Manasseh did, God still listened to his cry, forgave him, and took him safely back home. Did you ever think that your deeds were much too evil to approach a holy God?

APPLICATION: Can you think of a time that you felt like you were so far from God, that you felt estranged from Him, and you wondered who you could possibly call on now? If we were to be honest, I believe that we would all agree that there were certain times in our life since accepting Jesus as Lord, that this occurred to us. What a distant feeling. What a lost and alone time for us. A time that we felt like no one cared what happened to us. So what caused this, friends? Do you supposed there was a purpose in this by God? I believe that all too often we know very well why God is disciplining us individually. To the outside world, they have seen only the side of you that you opened up to them, but with God, there are no secrets. For He knows the very hairs on our head, and He knows the very innermost thoughts that we have. Isn’t that scary? Or shall I say, mind-sobering to the extent that we realize that we can remove the ‘wall’ that we’ve been hiding behind, or sheltering ourselves behind, from those that we would just as soon not be privy to those actions, words or thoughts. So why do you suppose that God finds it necessary to make us go through these challenging times in life? Allow me to give you a real life example: last week a retired missionary asked for prayer for her grandson who told his missionary parents that he felt haunted by an evil spirit, who was following him around. The church body gathered around and prayed over these grandparents on behalf of their troubled grandson. I followed up on that request this week, and the grandmother shared about a strange encounter that her daughter had with a lady she met over recent days who shared a concern about her son being troubled by what felt like an evil spirit following him around! The daughter explained to this non-christian how the prayers of her family and home church prayed to God for the same thing that was happening to her son, and how God removed those thoughts from her son! So why does evil things come our way at times? Well, they came to Manasseh to open the door for God to work in his life, for the good of his nation and for the glory of God. Why did this evil spirit interfere in this your grandson’s life, it could have been for the sole purpose of opening the eyes of this nonbeliever and to draw her to the God who loves her and her son who was impacted by an evil spirit. It is not our jobs to question dear one, but rather to open our hearts to Jesus and allow Him to have His perfect will in our lives, for His precious glory, and for the eternal welfare of those that He touches, even through us.

PRAYER: Precious Lord, have thine own way in us today. You took Manasseh to a very low point in his life in order to get his attention, and to turn his eyes towards the living God. His redirection in life caused his people to worship his God in lieu of the many gods they knew and worshiped. I pray that we might learn from this experience with our ancestor, and consecrate our lives wholly and solely to the one true God, who has our best interest at heart. In turn, I pray that God will start a new work within us and through us, so that He might be glorified through everyone that we come into contact with. AMEN!

When We Seek God

On 2018-03-132018-03-13 By Ed AlgreenIn Seek God First, Seeking GodLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE FROM: 2 Chronicles 31:20-21 (NLT)

TEXT: ²⁰In this way, King Hezekiah handled the distribution throughout all Judah, doing what was pleasing and good in the sight of the Lord his God. ²¹In all that he did in the service of the Temple of God and in his efforts to follow God’s laws and commands, Hezekiah sought his God wholeheartedly. As a result, he was very successful.

OBSERVATION: King Hezekiah may not have had the best army, and he may not have been highly regarded by the leaders of his neighboring countries, but I believe that God saw one of His children who was first of all ‘a child of the King’ and then a king of his country. He saw a man who put God first in everything and who shared his personal concerns with God for the best resolution. I wonder how our world would change if we sought God first in everything, and we waited for His response and direction!

APPLICATION: As we read the Scripture that leads up to our chosen verses, we see quite a contrast between King Hezekiah and his neighboring kings reigning at that same time. There was evidence of self pride, selfishness, mockery of God, and a display of selfish power, compared to a humble heart, a serving spirit and an obedient servant. There was self dependence and lots of soldiers, compared to a man that sought the power and leadership of His God. I love the way the verses are translated in the New Living Translation, for it indicates that because of Hezekiah’s wholehearted dedication to God, he was very successful. This tells me that because Hezekiah dedicating his life to; having total faith in; and trusting wholeheartedly in the King that he served, God made him successful in all that he did. So where do we fail in similar scenarios to those that Hezekiah faced? Friends, I believe that it begins with making the God, who gave His only Son to die on a cross for our sin, a top priority in our lives. This means that if we get nothing else done in our day, we make time to be alone with God – to praise Him for all that He does for us, and to place our concerns at His feet asking to take charge of those things. Further, that you calendar out all meetings that you feel will draw you closer to God, and manage all other invitations as secondary – after all who is your priority? Seek God for all small life decisions, but also the huge decisions. Allow God to be your God, and ready yourself to worship and praise Him as you see Him actively involved in your life. Look at the Scripture again: because of Hezekiah’s wholehearted devotion to God, He made him very successful. Let me encourage you to repeat this statement frequently: ‘because of ____________ (your name) devotion to God, I know that He will meet my needs and make me successful.’ Praise the precious name of Jesus!

PRAYER: Lord, please touch the hearts of Your children and make us wholly devoted to You. Help us to understand true devotion, and that it’s not measured by the number of times that we attend church in a week, but by our total devotion , trust and obedience in You. May we be children of the Book, and may it be evident whose we are, through the things that we say, do and think. I ask these things in the strong name of Jesus, AMEN!

Come Back

On 2018-03-122018-03-12 By Ed AlgreenIn Dedicated, Dedication, Rededication, Renewal, RevivalLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE FROM: 2 Chronicles 30:9 (ERV)

TEXT: …. The Lord your God is kind and merciful. He will not turn away from you if you come back to him.

OBSERVATION: King Hezekiah had done an awesome job in restoring the temple, getting the priests back to the temple to prepare themselves before God, and then inviting the people to join him for the Passover. Just like today, when someone has drifted away from the Lord, there is great hesitance in returning to Him, because they are so afraid that God would not accept them back. Hezekiah assured his people in much the same way that I can assure you today, that if you return to God, He is kind and merciful, and will return to you!

APPLICATION: I believe it is important for us to think about what brings separation between God and man in the first place. Our first tendency is to believe that God gave up on us. But friends I believe you can look at the Scripture inside and out, and you will never see where God walked out on any of His children. In this case of King Hezekiah, he came to the throne after years of seeing his people worship idols and perform all sorts of public sin against God. However Hezekiah was determined in his heart to worship the God of this universe, and he wanted to see his earthly kingdom do the same. In our world today, we don’t see things quite as clear cut as I just explained, but we often come across folk who would admit that many years ago I attended that church, or I taught Sunday School, or I was a deacon in my church, BUT…….. Then you might hear 1001 excuses why they stopped coming to church. I can assure you that none of the excuses have anything to do with God walking away from them. I heard someone say at one time that such a person allowed the gossiping woman at church to get nearer to God than them, since they are the ones who drifted away from God! So let’s cover this idea of abstaining from church attendance, being the equivalent of drifting away from God. Based on the excuses I hear, let me say that I know you can worship God in your back yard, or out in the middle of the lake with a rod active in the water, or in your hunting stand with your rifle cocked, but do you really think that happens often? Furthermore, what do you respond to God when you read in His word about not forsaking the getting together with other believers to worship Him? If I might be totally honest with you, I believe that God does everything possible to encourage His children to get along with others and to worship their Father together. On the other hand, I believe that Satan does just the opposite. Nothing he loves more than to see Christians fighting and separating from the church of Jesus Christ. So to all my readers who may read this particular blog today, and who might be struggling with church attendance, or getting along with other believers, let me use the same words of Hezekiah in saying to you, come back home dear one. I truly believe that if you come back to Jesus and allow Him to guide your steps, your heart, your tongue, and your daily walk, He will come back to you in a very powerful way. He loved you enough to die for you, please allow Him to show that same kind of love in helping you to draw closer to Him, and to His children.

PRAYER: Lord there are so many that drift away from You for very trivial reasons, although some have been hurt by others who should know better. Our relationship with You is far more important than any of the stones that can be thrown at us by other struggling saints, so please work on each of us today dear Lord. To the saints in relationship with You, that we may seek the mind of Christ and live like He did. This will draw mankind unto You and in Christian love with one another. To those that feel hurt and have allowed that hurt to separate them from You, please call them back home to You dear Lord. May they reunite with You and allow Your love to cleanse their hearts so that they may love their fellow man. I ask these things in faith, believing in the awesome love of my Lord and Savior, AMEN!

Think About Your Life Work

On 2018-03-102018-03-10 By Ed AlgreenIn Consistent, God's Work, Work Til Jesus ComesLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE FROM: 2 Chronicles 29:11 (MSG)

TEXT: Children, don’t drag your feet in this! God has chosen you to take your place before him to serve in conducting and leading worship—this is your life work; make sure you do it and do it well.

OBSERVATION: Our challenge is: Children, don’t drag your feet in this! God has chosen you to take your place before him to serve in ___________________ – this is your life work; make sure you do it and do it well.”

APPLICATION: Friends, I believe that God has a work for each of us to do, so I would encourage you to fill in the blank above, then repeat that verse as many times as you care to, so that God’s message might get through to each of us today, that He has a work for us to do, and He wants us to consider it a life work, because He wants to see us commit to doing it well! I’ve heard friends say: but I’m not a preacher; and – but I can’t stand in front of people and teach; and – but I can’t even pray in public; and – but the preacher will have to talk to them about salvation, because I’m not intelligent enough to do that. Now I realize that there is a comeback for each of these excuses, but I will only encourage you today to simply tell your story. If God leads someone to you, then I believe that He obviously has a plan for you to share something about your faith with them, so that He might be glorified. Think about this: if God leads someone to you and you tell them that you really can’t share with them the secret of God’s grace, or how He saved you, they may wonder if what you think you have is real. Ask any of us if we are married, when we got married, where we got married and how long we’ve been married, and most spouses could respond in a heartbeat. But we can’t answer the same questions about our relationship with the Savior of the world? May I dare say that your latter relationship must either be a farce, or you are a puppet who simply did something or said words dictated to you, or you receive no nourishment and/or companionship from the relationship? Friends, your testimony/story should include what your life was like before Jesus; How you met Jesus; and what your life has been like after accepting Jesus. If you then invite your friend who is asking to know this Savior of yours, then you have just done the equivalent of what pastors do week after week in our pulpits. I believe you can share your story, if you want to and if there is a story to tell. Please don’t talk yourself into being a Christian because of peer pressure or any outside influence, as that will create false hope. There is only one way – invite the Lord Jesus to forgive you of your sin and become Lord and Master of your life, through your faith in this simple act. You will grow in your faith through studying the Word of God, so that He could speak to you; have an active prayer life, so that you could speak to God; and fellowship with other believers (most believers do this through obeying God’s Word – where He tells us to not forsake the assembling of ourselves together). In doing the latter we grow from each other and remind each other of the wonderful works of our awesome God! Friends, God has placed us here on earth to complete His work for His glory. This is our life work that he expects us to do for His glory until the very end. Let’s do it well!

PRAYER: Lord, thank You for blessing Your children beyond anything that we could wish or ask for, beginning with Salvation itself. Help us to activate the love you have instilled in us, and be willing to share the many blessings that You have given to us. Lord, if you see fit to bless us in return, like you promised to the sons of Hezekiah, then we will be forever thankful, but please help us to bless others, and be diligent about our life work. AMEN!

All Eyes on Jesus!

On 2018-03-092018-03-09 By Ed AlgreenIn Accountability, Commitment, Committed, Totally committed, Unconditional commitmentLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE FROM: 2 Chronicles 26:5; 16 (MSG)

TEXT: ⁵ He (King Uzziah) was a loyal seeker of God. He was well trained by his pastor and teacher Zechariah to live in reverent obedience before God, and for as long as Zechariah lived, Uzziah lived a godly life. And God prospered him. ¹⁶But then the strength and success went to his (King Uzziah’s) head. Arrogant and proud, he fell.

OBSERVATION: King Uzziah, a descendant of King David, had a great mentor in the person of Zechariah. This not only led Uzziah close to God, but also served as an accountability partner for the king. As long as Zechariah was around, King Uzziah depended on God, and he in turn, was successful. However, it soon got to the point where Uzziah started to feel totally capable on his own. This was a fatal mistake, as anytime we take our eyes off Jesus, we are going down, much like in the case of Peter walking on the water towards Jesus. So let’s look inward and determine if our eyes are on Jesus, or off.

APPLICATION: Business owners often look deep for reasons why their business is doing so well, and of course, why the business might be struggling. This helps to direct management into correcting the things that seem to be causing harm to the company, and they try to tweak those things that are helping their success, hoping that they will do even better. Throughout the Old Testament we read of kings who did what pleased the Lord, or ones who did not. Normally there is a wide contrast between what each one accomplished, but it could often be associated with how much access the king gave God to their leadership. We may have all heard a parent say to an adult child that struggled in business, well son, I saw that coming, because I have never seen a business person establish himself in quite the same way that you did. I wanted to suggest things to you, but I wanted you to ask first. Friends, this is exactly the way that God works. Yes, He’s always with us, but He wants us to stay in communion with Him. I believe that as empty vessels we run to the Master to be filled. I believe that we are being taught in this Scripture today that if we have truly surrendered our lives to the Master, then we will seek His face for all decisions in life, for only God knows what we need, when we need it and how much we need. Furthermore, do we expect failure if God directs our business-plan? But let’s think a bit more deeply about how this works. I’m sure that no one expects to arrive at work one day and find God arranging the inventory on the shelves, or continue on to the accounting department and find God there balancing the books. You see, God works through His children – those who have invited Him to be Lord and Savior of their lives. When a business owner knows God personally, and he daily speaks with Jesus about his blessings, and his concerns about his business, I believe that Jesus will be mindful of the man’s concerns – period. Therefore when he arrives at work and needs to make important decisions, he is still under God’s leadership, and those business decisions will be aligned with God’s will for him and his business. King Uzziah was encouraged to serve God faithfully, as long as Zechariah the priest was there as his support and mentor. Who do you have standing with you as your mentor? Who is your ‘Zechariah’? If you have one already, you are a very blessed person! If you don’t, may I encourage you to find an accountability partner who will support you in your effort to be a faithful servant of our most high God?

PRAYER: Lord You are good to us in so many ways! You know our strengths, and unfortunately, You also know our weaknesses. Please help us to celebrate our blessings often in our praises of thanksgiving to You. Please also help us in our struggles, both at home and at work. I don’t believe You have Your love separated between our home life and our business life, because I believe that You care about us individually. Please help us to find good accountability partners where we could pray for each other, with one another, and be that encourager for each other, as we walk through the ups and downs of this earth. Lord, I am eternally thankful to You, please continue to bless both personally and in my work place. AMEN!

The Impact of Sin by Our Leaders

On 2018-03-07 By Ed AlgreenIn Church Leaders, Government Leaders, Leadership, Power of Prayer, PrayerLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE FROM: 2 Chronicles 24:18 (NLT)

TEXT: 18 The king and these leaders stopped worshiping in the Temple of the LORD, the God of their ancestors. Instead, they began to worship the Asherah idols and other idols. Because they did wrong, God was angry with the people of Judah and Jerusalem.

OBSERVATION: It is terrifying for God’s people to sit and watch while their leaders worship idols and foreign gods, because we know that our God is a jealous God and that He deserves all of our praise. However it is an awful thing when our leaders ignore God’s warnings and continue in sin to the point that God demands the punishment of all people under their rule. In our Scripture today, God was very angry with the people under the reign of these leaders, and I believe that it’s because they sat idly by while the leaders took the whole country to Hell with them. Don’t we feel the same way even today? Let’s look to the Scriptures!

APPLICATION: Growing up we were warned about staying away from certain kids, because we are known in our community based on those we hang around with. There are many other things that parents wisely share with their children about our relationship with the wrong crowd: guilty by association; you will quickly become like those you hang around with; their evil intentions will rub off on you a lot quicker than your good intentions will impact them. So how then do we have any control over our leaders? Good question, right? Because we can disassociate from our friends, but we can’t as easily disassociate from our country, or our state, or city or church. Friends, I believe that it all comes back to the level of commitment we have with our Father. A ‘Christian’ who accepted Jesus because of peer or family pressure, will probably struggle with standing firm in their faith that they have supposedly committed their lives to. Compared to a saint that was called by God, and they accepted His call to be Master and Lord of their life. However friends, there are many times in the Bible where Jesus stood up for what was right, and publicly denounced what was wrong. Does congress have a clue that there are Christians out there that disagrees with a law they are about to enact? If your senator came to your city and stood on a street corner where there was open opposition to something you joined other believers in asking him/her to promote in congress, can you speak the truth in love at that public meeting? Because of the way our Scripture is worded, I really believe that God punished the two nations because they sat back and allowed these two leaders to do whatever they pleased, knowing full well that their actions would impact each citizen. When last have you prayed for the leaders of your respective country, state, city or church? If you haven’t, then God is answering your desire to care less about what these leaders do, or how it may impact you. If we don’t pray for our leaders, then we show that we don’t care about them or about how their actions may impact each of us. Friends, I believe it is clear that no matter how much we want to stay out of politics, we are obligated by Scripture to pray for those who rule over us. I believe it is also clear from today’s Scripture that there are consequences when we disobey God’s commands.

PRAYER: Lord, thank You again today for Your Word. May our minds always be opened to sharing our faith and praying for our leaders, so that the decisions they make may be influenced by You, and that they may ultimately serve to bless Your children while living here on earth. Give us boldness oh Lord. For I ask all this in the precious and strong name of Jesus, AMEN!

How To Live Freely and Unconcerned

On 2018-03-062018-03-06 By Ed AlgreenIn How to Live, Live in peaceLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE FROM: Matthew 11:28-30 (MSG)

TEXT: ^28-30“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”

OBSERVATION: Our God is so caring about us, that He recognizes when we are getting at the end of our rope on life’s issues. Extraordinary issues normally require extraordinary attention and care, and normally by someone or something outside of your daily routine, since that’s what caused you to become despondent in the first place. Our God is an awesome God, and no one cares for us like He does, so let’s look to Him for answers on this dilemma.

APPLICATION: I’m sure that many of us can identify with being tired, for we all seem to be over-committed and overworked. And what do we tend to do about that, see a doctor or a therapist? But don’t they most often recommend that we exercise more, and try to distract our brains from the same old routine – which may stress some folk out even more? The other matter addressed in verse 28 speaks to being burned out on religion. For those heavily involved in church work, I bet you can identify with this one, for it seems like we are often involved in one ministry and often multiple ministries. Outside of that we often are committed to more than one committee with several projects or concerns at one time, correct? Well you see what today’s Scripture reads, but let me share an example for you to consider: A friend, who was a pastor at one time, started a new ministry as a result of something he felt led to try with his church leaders. He planned a weekend retreat, and here’s what he did: He and his group arrived at the retreat location with an empty sheet for the agenda. He shared with the group, that they will seek God’s face through His all-powerful Word (the Bible), and they would pray as they are led to do so by God, or they would sing praises to God as also led by Him. From an empty agenda, they were soon inundated with Scripture, prayer and singing out on a mountain top with no cell phones or other matters to worry about, but merely one-on-one time with God. Friends, when God says to us that we should learn to get alone with Him and share our burdens and concerns with Him – perhaps about why we feel so tired, or worn out, or so overwhelmed in ministry. Perhaps then we might see His wonderful face and be reminded through His love and care, why our mission is so important and understand more clearly that when we allow God to be a vital part of our lives and ministry, how rewarding it is. Oh that we might see people in our church, our community, our family and our friends reaching out to the Creator of this universe! I believe that not only will God be glorified, but this will bring peace, contentment, and rejoicing to us, instead of added stress with its associated burdens. It’s all about God friends. Let Him be God. Allow Him to use us in the process of winning people to the Lord and rejoicing in Him as we see Him glorified by all the people! Let’s strive for peaceful times with God, away from the hustle and bustle of this world, so that we might enjoy times of freedom and contentment in Him. Oh that we might be encouraged and prompted along in the ministry in which He has placed us to serve.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, thank You for being so available to us. Thank You for caring enough for Your children that You encouraged us to find peace in You for You alone are our Shepherd, our Lord, our Majesty, our King and our Deliverer. As we seek to draw close to You, we will live in freedom and without the burdens of this world. Thank You Lord for helping us to find that peace, especially in the stresses of life that bombard us each day. Glory be to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, AMEN!

Nuggets From God's Word

Tag: Accept Jesus as Lord