Answers To Your Search For God

On 2018-09-192018-09-19 By Ed AlgreenIn Dependence on God, Encounter with God, Forgiveness, God Cares For Us, SacrificeLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE FROM: Hebrews 1:1-3 (TLB)

TEXT: ¹Long ago God spoke in many different ways to our fathers through the prophets, in visions, dreams, and even face to face, telling them little by little about his plans. ²But now in these days he has spoken to us through his Son to whom he has given everything and through whom he made the world and everything there is. ³God’s Son shines out with God’s glory, and all that God’s Son is and does marks him as God. He regulates the universe by the mighty power of his command. He is the one who died to cleanse us and clear our record of all sin, and then sat down in highest honor beside the great God of heaven.

OBSERVATION: It appears like through the writer of Hebrews, God may be saying to us that in spite of the many ways that we seek God, and in spite of the evidence often used to identify God’s presence and existence, yet we need look no further than His Son to understand who God is, where God is, and how badly God wants us to see clearly the path of salvation that leads His children to eternity with Him in glory. The big question for us today is ‘Do we know God’s Son’? ‘Have we met Jesus personally and have an intimate, personal relationship with Him’?

APPLICATION: I find it interesting how doubt often develops about the existence of God when:

Our prayers are not answered the way we told God that we wanted them answered; or
We rush to call on God when we are especially going through desperate times, but we are met with silence; or
Those that we hold in high esteem, such as a pastor or other church leader, falls because of sin in their lives;

I’m sure that there are other scenarios that you may think of, but as you ponder over these things please also consider how your personal relationship is with God. For friends, although it may have been one of the above scenarios yesterday, Satan has an eye on you and I as he looks for a weak moment to bash in on our relationship with God. The good news is that God knew all about the temptations that would come our way, and all about the nature of sinful man, and yet He loved us anyway! In fact, He loved us more than we could ever imagine, for He went beyond anything we could ever imagine, by sending His only Son to live among us. Then to resolve the sin issue for us, God allowed Jesus to be crucified on a cruel cross at Calvary, so that through that one sacrifice, each of us that ask, in sincerity, to be saved from our sin, could do so by accepting the free gift of salvation offered through Jesus’ sacrifice. If you are still searching for God, then you are either ignoring the path set out before us through Jesus Christ, or you are calling God a liar and a fake. There is more evidence than we could begin to list, that our God is alive! The Word today shows us how God continues to work through His Son, Jesus, and how this was all orchestrated for one purpose, that we could have forgiveness of sin and a glorious home to which we could look forward to being with our Savior and our God! Do you know Jesus today, friend? Is this news not just exciting for you, but also very personal for you because you are already a son or daughter of the most high God?

PRAYER: Precious Lord, take my hand, lead me on, and let me stand physically in Your presence on whatever day you decide to call me home. For my friends and I, You have prepared our eternal home; You’ve provided the means for us to get there; and You’ve given us Your Word so that we might know how to be right with You. Lord, may this be the day that You once again touch hardened hearts that we’ve been praying for, and may this also be the day that You reach in and convict the heart of the one who might stumble across this devotional in their search for everlasting peace and satisfaction. Thank You for loving us so much to not just leave us in our sin, but to open the doors of heaven for even us. 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!

Refreshing The Saints

On 2018-09-152018-09-15 By Ed AlgreenIn Christian love, Jesus Loves you, Love of God, Love others, Revival, The Father's Love, The love of GodLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE FROM: Philemon 1:4-7 (VOICE)

TEXT: ⁴I am constantly thanking God for you in my prayers ⁵because I keep hearing about your love and faith toward our Lord Jesus and all those set apart for His purposes. Here’s what I’ve been praying on your behalf:

⁶Thank You, Father, for Philemon. I pray that as he goes and tells his story of faith, he would tell everyone so that they will know for certain all the good that comes to those who put their trust in the Anointed One.

⁷My brother, because you are out there encouraging and reviving the hearts of fellow saints with such love, this brings great joy and comfort to me.

OBSERVATION: In this translation, verse 7 reads that Philemon was encouraging and reviving the hearts of fellow saints. In the NLT, we are told that Paul was excited because Philemon refreshed the hearts of believers! Ever been guilty of that? Let’s meditate on how we might do that…

APPLICATION: I don’t believe there is anything more satisfying than to walk in on someone speaking something complimentary about you! I suppose the next best thing is probably to read the compliments on our character in a letter, email or newspaper. I realize that we never do the work of the Lord for man’s applause, but I also know that we each need encouraging from time to time. Paul’s applause to Philemon was all about the feedback that Paul was receiving from the church members that met in Philemon’s home. Friends, we must remember that as we strive diligently to live as an example of our Master and Lord, if no one around us notices, then how do you suppose we are doing? Philemon lived such a life of love in the presence of his congregants, that Paul likened it to something that we do to our computer screens when we ‘refresh‘ the screen! To something that we diligently pray for in our churches, when we pray for ‘revival‘, for we want our hearts to be ‘refreshed‘ in the love of Jesus, and our spirits refreshed to the state of when we first met Jesus, when we fell deeply in love with Him for saving our soul. Friends, I want to encourage us to not wait for our encouragement to arrive, before we see the love of Jesus in someone around us. For as we encourage them and see them rejuvenated in wanting to serve Christ even more fully, we too will be encouraged to reach out to Jesus and desire such a filling of His sweet Holy Spirit that it would electrify anyone’s spirit who happens to be near to us. People who need the Lord are constantly looking at those who say they have Him, so they could see what a Jesus filled life looks like. How are you doing with that friend? Can others see enough of Jesus in you that they want to be around you, hoping that some of the joy and love that you exude would rub off on them! Draw close to God friend, and He will draw close to you. In fact, He will overfill your joy and love, so that others will want to know the source of it all!

PRAYER: Thank you Jesus for allowing Paul to encourage his Brother Philemon. Thank You for speaking to our hearts through this Scripture today, so that our hearts might be overfilled and looking for avenues to share Your precious love with others. Please give us more love to share and many more opportunities in which to share that love with others. Draw the unsaved to Yourself Lord, and if I may be of service in that awesome act of love, please use even me. AMEN!

A God-filled, God-honoring Life

On 2018-09-14 By Ed AlgreenIn Filled With The Spirit, God-honoring, Honor, True witnesses, Witness, WitnessingLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE FROM: Titus 2:11-14 (MSG)

TEXT: ^11-14God’s readiness to give and forgive is now public. Salvation’s available for everyone! We’re being shown how to turn our backs on a godless, indulgent life, and how to take on a God-filled, God-honoring life. This new life is starting right now, and is whetting our appetites for the glorious day when our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, appears. He offered himself as a sacrifice to free us from a dark, rebellious life into this good, pure life, making us a people he can be proud of, energetic in goodness.

OBSERVATION: In the first 10 verses of this chapter, Paul shares with Titus the importance of teaching older men, older women, younger men and younger women, how to live a God-filled, God-honoring life, and the importance of doing so. This teaching has never been more critical than it is for us today, so as we meditate on this, let’s try to apply it – for the kingdom of God is at hand!

APPLICATION: Telling a politician, or a public figure to include something on ‘right living’ in their political agenda, would almost seem hypocritical compared to the backbiting, hatred and name calling they normally do. Telling an evangelist to hit the streets and demand this lifestyle of those coming out of the bars and dance halls would probably be meaningless to a people are already living the best lifestyle they know how to live. But I believe that just as Paul gave this advice to his fellow laborer and Brother in the Lord, and expected him to share this with those that he found in the local church, we too must be prepared to give this advice to our pastors, teachers and leaders of our churches today. The whole reason for this, comes down to our churches empowering our people not just with the awesome power of God’s Word, but also asking its parishioners to live and practice the life that they are being taught from God’s Word. So in effect, we are encouraging each one to become the church to all those that they come into contact with! I believe that it is our responsibility to live like ‘little Christs’, before all those we come into contact with, especially if we are God-filled, and if we are giving every effort to honor God with our speech, behavior and character. I just love the latter part of this Scripture where we are told that God gave up everything, when He allowed His precious Son to die on the cross for us, for He wanted to make it possible and easy for us to make Him proud of us. How do you feel about your day friend? Did you make God proud in everything that you did? Would others conclude that you are a ‘God-filled’ person, and that you honor God through the things that you say and do? The Word says that when we strive towards these things, we develop an appetite and excitement about the glorious day when our Lord will return! God saw the need for Titus to hear these words from Paul, and I believe that He wants us to also get the picture He is portraying for us today about our earthly condition, in preparation for our heavenly celebration and our eternal home!

PRAYER: Oh that your people may know about You Lord! Oh that we, who are called by Your name, will seek Your face, humble ourselves and pray, and allow ourselves to be so filled with Your presence, Your character, Your love and to seek Your Holy Spirit for every decision in life, so that we may be God-filled and so that we may honor You in all things. Please anoint us today with Your power, so that we may look more like You in the eyes of those searching for the Master. AMEN!

The Effects of our Heart’s Condition

On 2018-09-12 By Ed AlgreenIn Clean Heart, Know God's Heart, SecurityLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE FROM: Titus 1:15-16 (TLB)

TEXT: ¹⁵A person who is pure of heart sees goodness and purity in everything; but a person whose own heart is evil and untrusting finds evil in everything, for his dirty mind and rebellious heart color all he sees and hears. ¹⁶Such persons claim they know God, but from seeing the way they act, one knows they don’t. They are rotten and disobedient, worthless so far as doing anything good is concerned.

OBSERVATION: From the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks! That’s a popular old saying, or proverb, that has been proven over the years. That seems to be what Paul is warning his Christian Brother and co-laborer about as he heads into ministering alongside Paul and other disciples at the time. It seems like Paul is saying: ‘You will hear lots of things coming from the mouths of the people you encounter, before you get upset with them, learn their heart’s condition first’. This is excellent advice for us today also, so let’s take time to meditate on Paul’s advice.

APPLICATION: I’ve seen scenarios where a new pastor would be asked how would he handle cliques in the church, or gossip by leaders, or other things that strictly results from inside circumstances over time. These questions might come before the new pastor ever stands in the pulpit for the first time. Canned responses may be given to those types of questions, if the new pastor knows nothing about the circumstances that provoked the questions. In most cases, there is hurt built up inside the individuals that ask those questions, and they are hoping that the new pastor will save their world. However, where evil abounds, those types of questions might be more of a test to see how the new Pastor will react to circumstances that might arise. In other words, what might the people be able to get away with. These principles are also seen between church members, or just between people in general. Sometimes comments are made to see if a friend or neighbor will be provoked and respond badly. Sometimes we need to prove the character of someone where we may have predicted their doom. But how often do we say things from the heart to just lift up a Brother, or encourage a Sister, or help them draw closer to the Lord? Friends, I believe you will find it easy to sit and analyze what causes others to act just like Paul predicted to Titus, but I want to encourage you today to join me in striving to draw closer to God, whose character will provoke us to want the very best for our neighbors, coworkers, friends and co-laborers in Christ. Our primary responsibility is to get ourselves right with God. Let that Light that we boast of, be evident in everything fiber of our being. Others are looking at you and I, to see if this ‘Jesus’ that we have bragged about, is for real. Oh that they may see the ‘real’ thing in us today. May others brush up to Jesus as they encounter us today! God being our Helper, Guide, Protector and soon coming King.

PRAYER: In our witness Lord, may others see Your goodness, Your mercy, Your loving kindness, Your forgiveness, Your love and Your unselfish desire to see the best in Your kids. Cleanse our hearts Lord, so that we may fill them with more of You. May the words of our mouths and the meditation of our hearts be acceptable in Your sight, oh Lord, our Rock and our Salvation. AMEN!

The Value of The Scripture

On 2018-09-112018-09-11 By Ed AlgreenIn First Hand Experience, Knowing Christ, Teach, Teacher, TeachingsLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE FROM: 2 Timothy 3:15-17 (ERV)

TEXT: ¹⁵You have known the Holy Scriptures since you were a child. These Scriptures are able to make you wise. And that wisdom leads to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. ¹⁶All Scripture is given by God. And all Scripture is useful for teaching and for showing people what is wrong in their lives. It is useful for correcting faults and teaching the right way to live. ¹⁷Using the Scriptures, those who serve God will be prepared and will have everything they need to do every good work.

OBSERVATION: Imagine your pastor pulling a young man, that shows a lot of promise, alongside of him and promises to work with him to become an effective minister of the Word of God. What are some things that you suppose your pastor, and your church might expect of this young man? Hours and hours of diligence in the Word; Seminary, or at least Bible School; etc, etc. Now, let me encourage you to look into the Word for instruction on what you should do. It seems to me, that this Scripture today is giving some direction regarding the dilemma, and possibly the answer to what your pastor is facing, so let’s look closely at this….

APPLICATION: Paul, having gone through a wide range of challenges in his ministry, had lots of advice and direction for Timothy who was setting out in ministry. I believe that if we looked at everything that Paul had to offer Timothy, some might say that he had enough challenges of his own, that he would probably do everything possible to discourage this young man from the ministry, although he didn’t! Looking at this from Timothy’s standpoint, we could see where Timothy could easily approach every situation with the same mindset that he saw his local church/church leaders handle situations. However, what adds so much to this story for us is that Paul took on young Timothy as his own son. It shows where Paul cared for Timothy’s well being and for his success in ministry – both for the benefit of the kingdom, and for himself personally. So I believe that the obvious thing that Paul might tell Timothy, is to study the Bible often, and study it very deeply – and I believe that any pastor about to mentor a young ‘Timothy’ would probably do the same. In fact, I believe that any good church leadership would probably tell a young, prospective minister who felt called to the ministry to do the same, and it would be advice patterned after Scripture – today’s Scripture! So why is this important? I believe that for one to teach or preach the Word of God, and tell others about the character and life of Jesus Christ, then it is critically important to get into the Word and saturate yourself with it. There are many other books that we could read where good, qualified teachers have written about the ‘Book’, but please don’t allow that to take the place of you digging into the Word of God often and very deeply. From personal experience, I can tell you that there are days that I might read the Word and I struggle to gain anything personally from it. However, there are days that I can read back over a passage that I previously got nothing from, and God has a special message for me at that time. As I read, I tend to use a few different highlighters: green for highlighting phrases through which I felt God speaking direct to me about something; yellow for highlighting various warnings that God used to get our attention; and red to highlight specific things that God told us not to do. Did I get these ideas from some big seminary and passing them on to you to use? No, but these are tools that I chose to use, so that when I study or refer to that Scripture again, those words will ‘pop’ and quickly draw my attention to them. The other tool I use, is multiple versions of the Bible. Each time I read through the Bible I use a different version. The different ways that some translators or commentators choose to word a passage, might serve to help me better understand what is being said, or what was intended by the sometimes challenging verbiage of some older translations. Other advice I would offer is that it is ‘God’s’ Word, so ask Him to open your mind and your understanding, so that you could grasp what He wants to say to you through the words you are about to read and understand. In training an up and coming ‘Timothy’ it is way more important for him to see and understand from you when he knows that you are in the Word personally, rather than detailing what the textbook says from your seminary. As you learn from, and draw closer to God, you are in much better shape to mentor someone wanting to walk the same path that you took!

PRAYER: Lord, thank You for touching the hearts, minds and souls of men and women around the world who have committed their lives to the full time ministry of Your Word. People still need the Lord, so it is still very important that new ‘Timothy’s’ arise every day and commit themselves to serving the King of all kings! Thank You Father for drawing men and women unto Yourself, and thank You for preparing them for Your ministry. Sometimes You do this through others that might encourage, teach and set a good example for the new minister. Please bless those who fill that role every day! Please continue to bless our churches with new volunteers who will take the ministry seriously and whose sole purpose is to see Your kingdom increase and be glorified. I stand in awe of Your mercy on us oh Lord! AMEN!

Characteristics of Your Mission Field

On 2018-09-082018-09-08 By Ed AlgreenIn Characteristics, Deliverer, MissionsLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE FROM: 2 Timothy 3:1-5 (MSG)

TEXT: ^1-5Don’t be naive. There are difficult times ahead. As the end approaches, people are going to be self-absorbed, money-hungry, self-promoting, stuck-up, profane, contemptuous of parents, crude, coarse, dog-eat-dog, unbending, slanderers, impulsively wild, savage, cynical, treacherous, ruthless, bloated windbags, addicted to lust, and allergic to God. They’ll make a show of religion, but behind the scenes they’re animals. Stay clear of these people.

OBSERVATION: How many of us would stay focused on our mission if we knew that we would be dealing with folk, like the ones described in our Scripture today? I know, your mama didn’t raise any fools, so you would never be caught in a complex situation like that, right? Well guess what, these are the same attitudes and characteristics that we see in our communities, and even in our churches today! So let’s see how we will deal with this….

APPLICATION: I believe that we all are apt to share our witness with our family, our friends, fellow church members and perhaps our coworkers. So we might wonder why this might be a big deal for us to think about this challenge Paul has placed before Timothy and ourselves. Well, think for a moment how friendly your circle of influence might be for you, then for just a moment allow yourself to consider a world where some Christians are in prison for spreading the gospel in certain places of the world; think about a world where Christians have been murdered because of their faith; think about Christians who are insulted daily because of their faith. Friends, much of this occurs in our very own country, and in own states. You see, the gospel of Jesus Christ offends the masses, because it opposes evil, and hatred, and other acts of Satan that would tend to also break mans’ laws, and principles of the ordinary citizen who disowns Christ. So lets remind ourselves, that just because we were blessed by sharing our faith yesterday in certain places that we visited, that in no way predicts that tomorrow will be the same, or in the next state it will be the same. We must remember that in this world that we live in, it is controlled by Satan, and he is extremely busy trying to win our population. However, we can also remember that good thing that has turned our lives around. We must also remember that the same Jesus that died on Calvary’s cross for our sins, was also done for the sins of our friends. So while our aim is to see our friends come to Christ and seek His forgiveness of their sin, we must also remember what Ephesians 6:12 tells us ¹²For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. So let’s not take each day for granted, let’s not assume that every circumstance or situation will be the same. This is why it is so important for us to remember whose mission we are on, and if we are to be obedient to God’s mission, then we need constant communication with Him, and follow only the direction we receive from Him. In certain stunts we are told that we must not attempt those stunts at home. Let me remind you, that our walk with the Lord is never something that we should take for granted. He went to great lengths to bring us salvation, and it is only through His infinite power and direction that we should attempt doing His work for the good of His kingdom. Call on Jesus my friend, and He will direct your path, your words and your ultimate witness, so that He might be glorified. Only then will God’s work be accomplished, and we should never lose sight of whose work it really is that we want to accomplish.

PRAYER: Lord, we come humbly before You, knowing that only You really know the extent of the evil in our world, yet only You have the power to overcome that evil and get into the hearts of Your people. Dearest Lord Jesus, You gave up Your precious life at Calvary for sinners such as I, yet You also gave me freedom to make decisions of my own. With great selfishness, and a strong inclination to the things of this world, mankind is trapped in doing everything that brings them worldly happiness. So Lord, we need Your power, Your grace and Your direction each day as we try to influence our friends of this world towards a Savior who loves and cares for them. We need You desperately Lord, and we depend solely on You as our Rock, our Savior and our Deliverer. AMEN!

Effective In Your Mission

On 2018-09-062018-09-06 By Ed AlgreenIn Example of Christ, Genuine example of Jesus, Godly example, Personal Witness, True witnesses, WitnessingLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE FROM: 2 Timothy 2:14-17 (VOICE)

TEXT: ^{14 …..}. Warn them before God to stop their useless bickering over words. After all, splitting hairs does no good; it only ruins those forced to listen to their meritless arguments. ¹⁵Timothy, do everything you can to present yourself to God as a man who is fully genuine, a worker unashamed of your mission, a guide capable of leading others along the correct path defined by the word of truth. ¹⁶Stay away from ungodly babbling because it will only lead deeper into a godless lifestyle. ¹⁷Once these empty voices start to speak, Timothy, they infect and spread; and soon the body is consumed with its cancer….

OBSERVATION: It appears to me like Paul was given great wisdom in helping those that he mentored in the ministry. In fact, I believe that God had us in mind as He worked through Paul in ministering to Timothy. However, I believe that we will see clearly that our advice is most effective when we can give it from a life that is living out the advice being offered to others.

APPLICATION: I’m not sure how many of us will ever be blessed to have the honor of mentoring someone entering into a ministry role, like Paul did, but we are often part of a church where new workers are called into ministry each year, and some of us may also be blessed to be part of a commissioning service for a new minister of the gospel, like Timothy was. This advice given by Paul is great for us to consider as we look into our own lives. Hopefully as we live these out personally, we will be in a much better position to say like Paul did in one of his other teachings: “now follow me, as you try to live a godly life” or as you endeavor to serve in your new assignment. You see, it is hypocritical to suggest that a new minister, teacher, worker, do some of these things, if we are personally doing an awful job at these things ourselves. For example, how can we suggest that they not get in arguments over words, or split hairs over individual interpretations, if we are so bad at doing that ourselves? Or be genuine in their walk, if we are personally accused of living a double life? Or to not be ashamed of the gospel, if we are often embarrassed to have others know that we are involved in the ministry of our local church? So friends, I would encourage you and I to not brush this off by thinking that we now have some good advice to give ministers and/or workers entering into the ministry of Jesus Christ, but instead that we live out these principles ourselves so that we might give this advice and happily follow with the idea that they follow us, just as we follow Christ. I believe that only then, will the church of Jesus Christ see effective workers in the local church, and well prepared ministers and/or missionaries that we send out from our local churches. Lost people are anxious to see genuine Christians. Do you fit the bill my friend?

PRAYER: Lord, please have Your perfect will and way in the hearts of each one that will meditate on this devotional today. May the words of our mouth and the meditation of our hearts be acceptable in Your sight oh Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer. May Your kingdom become richer as a result of souls that will be impacted today, is my heart’s cry, dear Jesus. AMEN!

Not Ashamed

On 2018-09-05 By Ed AlgreenIn Christ's Representative, Like Jesus, Representation of the Master, Representative of Christ, UnashamedLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE FROM: 2 Timothy 1:11-14 (NET)

TEXT: ¹¹For this gospel I was appointed a preacher and apostle and teacher. ¹²Because of this, in fact, I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, because I know the one in whom my faith is set and I am convinced that he is able to protect what has been entrusted to me until that day. ¹³Hold to the standard of sound words that you heard from me and do so with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. ¹⁴Protect that good thing entrusted to you, through the Holy Spirit who lives within us.

OBSERVATION: Paul was able to mentor the young man Timothy because he was convinced of his calling, and committed to the One that he served. Regardless of what happened to Paul, including beatings and imprisonment, he was unashamed of the One that he served. I wonder how many of us could truly pass that test today?

APPLICATION: Many churches in America, and perhaps other parts of the world, will celebrate when one of their own commits to the ministry of Jesus Christ. Some churches may even make particular mention of individuals who commit themselves to serving as elders, deacons, teachers or other leadership/servant roles in the church. Because of this recognition, often folk will be prideful of these positions, but nonetheless, committed to serve for the duration of their committed term. There are some ministry jobs and assignments that remind me a little of what Paul experienced, such as missionaries who travel to countries that they know are unfriendly to the gospel of Jesus Christ; pastors who serve in churches that may or may not be able to pay them, yet they work encless hours to win the lost and disciple the saved, just as if they were serving the richest of congregations. Of course, all church positions require a heart for representing our Maker to those that we serve, and with hearts and mindsets of volunteering of our time, effort and complete selves. But to put this all into perspective and try to identify with Paul, I believe that we need to think about the sacrifices we may make in serving and in our volunteering, even if we knew that we would be mocked, ridiculed, beaten, cursed at, or imprisoned for what we do. Would we still be able to stand upright and share in the words of Paul, that we are unashamed of the message and person of Jesus Christ?I believe that my biggest appeal today would be for the lay persons who might read this devotional. Sure these verses were written to Timothy who was a young pastor. Sure these are very applicable to pastors, elders, teachers and other church leaders. But friends, let me remind you that God didn’t save us so that we might shut up inside of us that good thing that He did for us. I refuse to believe that He wanted to create another Red Sea phenomenon, but instead a river of life that would flow out through our actions, our speech and become very evident in our outward expression and reactions to others. Remember, we don’t want others to see how cool we are, or how rude we could be, but instead, we want them to see Jesus in and through every aspect of our lives. Nothing to be ashamed of my friend, allow that good thing that has made a difference in your life, to be revealed to others so that they may desire our Savior also. Paul made reference to ‘that day’, meaning the day that we meet Jesus face to face. May we live in such a way that we will be overjoyed and filled with celebration on ‘that day’, opposed to a time of regret, God being our helper and guide.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank you for sending Your Son, Jesus, and to make the way possible for us to see You face to face one day! In fact, we are so thankful of that precious gift, that we want to commit ourselves wholeheartedly to evangelizing that ‘good thing’ that has gotten hold of this old sinful person, and caused a complete turn around in our walk. Lord, we surrender all to You, so that You may fill us with more of Yourself, so that others will see Jesus, and not the earthly sin-filled bodies that would constitute the alternate man. People need the Lord, not more of the same old sinful world. Use us Lord as Your instruments to fulfil Your purpose here on earth. AMEN!

The Distraction Caused By Sin

On 2018-09-032018-09-03 By Ed AlgreenIn Blinded by Sin, Distraction, Distractions, Pleasing to God, Without SinLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE FROM: 1 Timothy 6:11-12 (NLT)

TEXT: 11 But you, Timothy, are a man of God; so run from all these evil things. Pursue righteousness and a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight for the true faith. Hold tightly to the eternal life to which God has called you, which you have declared so well before many witnesses.

OBSERVATION: As a mentor to Timothy, the apostle Paul tried to provide him the best advice possible to stay on track for the Lord Jesus – a mission to help him reach the lost in the communities in which he ministered, and to ensure that he personally remained a good witness for the Savior in whom he had found peace and steadfast hope. God knew that we would be in very similar circumstances today, so I believe that he had this advice included just for us. Let us therefore meditate on it and reflect on what God desires of His messengers.

APPLICATION: Growing up at home, we were mentored by our parents to live life in similar form to what they lived. Of course, we probably thought that their ideas were archaic and that there were much better ways of handling circumstances, according to what we learned from our friends!! However, the older we become, we realize that our parents were very much on target with their beliefs, their practices and their advice. In fact, we see where they may have truly loved us more than we ever imagined, and the advice shared with us was not only godly, but also came with a whole lot of love, and resulted from many trial and errors by them. So imagine if we had similar mentorship in the church? Wouldn’t it be good to reflect on the advice given to us in love, knowing that God probably gave that Brother or Sister a mission to work on us and help guide us to righteousness and to Himself? Perhaps we could start by focusing on the advice that Paul gave to Timothy, for I am certain that it still pertains to us today, and could go a long ways in teaching us to be more like Christ in our walk here on earth. Here’s the advice that I believe God would have us pay attention to:

Run from the evil mentioned in the first 10 verses of 1 Timothy 6 – False teachings and wealth;
Instead, learn and strive to do the following:
- Live righteously – center yourself on being right with God, and live according to His example shown to us in His Word;
- Test your faith, and grow in as you watch God at work in your life;
- Pursue love – go after it. Look for ways to express the love given to you by the Almighty. Let others see the love of God, through the ways that you express that love to them;
- Perseverance – Be so patient with others that they will see the power of God inside of you, working through you, for their good;
- Pursue gentleness – something that takes the power of the supernatural. Especially when others try their best to trip us up and want to see us lose our patience and godly character;

Friends, I find it so exciting that Paul even goes on to remind us of the reward that’s in store for those who love the Lord, and have given Him full reign in their lives. I’m even more excited that, through God’s calling on my life, I am assured of those rewards! Are you, my friend? If not, please read my Footnote for tips on how to assure yourself of this wonderful gift from my loving Savior. He loves you dearly, and would rather nothing less than seeing you commit your life to His lordship. Why not today dear one?

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank You for working in and through Your servant Paul. Thank You for having Paul share this discovery in writing so that we might read it and be reminded of its value to us today. Please speak to all those who will read this devotional, and especially to those who are ignoring Your precious love, or have chosen the road led by the evil one. Lord You are good, and Your mercies are precious to us in every way. May we be pleasing and acceptable in Your sight oh Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer. AMEN!

Be Spiritually Fit

On 2018-08-31 By Ed AlgreenIn Dependence on God, Spiritual FitnessLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE FROM: 1 Timothy 4:7-8 (TLB)

TEXT: 7 Don’t waste time arguing over foolish ideas and silly myths and legends. Spend your time and energy in the exercise of keeping spiritually fit. 8 Bodily exercise is all right, but spiritual exercise is much more important and is a tonic for all you do. So exercise yourself spiritually, and practice being a better Christian because that will help you not only now in this life, but in the next life too.

OBSERVATION: I find it amazing how Paul found ways to explain his points, and how they fit so good with what is going on around us – even today! Staying fit – most people will tell you that they are going to the gym, or they have an exercise regiment, or they are on some sort of diet, so that they could try and stay physically fit. With that in mind, wouldn’t it also make sense for us to seek ways to stay spiritually fit? Let’s study this some more as we look into this Scripture today……

APPLICATION: I believe we all may have given some thought as to why we want to stay physically fit. For some, it may ease certain aches and pains; For some it may help their breathing; For some it may help avoid certain medications by keeping the heart healthy; For some, it prepares them for a huge competition that’s coming up; and a plethora of other reasons, I’m sure. So then, why do you suppose that God, through His servant Paul, found it necessary to have us realize that we should also stay spiritually fit? Let’s first look at the pitfalls when we are not spiritually fit. I believe that this is where we are easily provoked into sin, for we have no real, current, depth and/or communication with the Master. There are really two parts to this, first of all we must know what to do and what’s expected of us. This means that we have to learn what’s expected of us by our Heavenly Lord. As in the business world, this means that we not only learn the Word, but we also keep on learning and refreshing our knowledge of the Word. Secondly, we must put into action all that we learn. Imagine in the business world that you tell an auditor that your books, practices and overall processes are in order because you read about what’s required? That will absolutely not protect you against exceptions, since your auditor will compare what you are actually doing, against what your regulations say that you must be doing. Our Christianity is much the same. God has set forth a wonderful book that details His commands, and it shows us how our Savior lived while here on earth and perfectly followed those same commands of His Father. To know those commands, we should be in the Bible daily, so that our minds might be spiritually fit for battle against the Evil One at every opportunity that he aims to challenge us. To practice what we learn, we must work diligently, with the Master’s help, to display what we learn from the Word, in every word and in every action. Really, if we are to be perfect in our ways, then we should be mistaken frequently for the One that we are imitating. Has that happened to you recently? Friends, when we are hit with a hammer, the immediate response will often result from whatever is inside of us. Likewise, when we are hit with life’s challenges and the temptations of Satan, our immediate response will dictate how close we are to the Savior, and how fit we are spiritually. How are you doing friend? Seek the Lord while He may be found, and allow Him to guide your steps, your actions and your speech. May others see Jesus in you!

PRAYER: This is a very challenging passage of Scripture Lord Jesus. One in which we are reminded that we desperately need You in every aspect of our lives. We are reminded that without You we can truly do nothing of value for the Kingdom. Please open our hearts and draw us to a closer walk with You and a life truly dependent on the power of Your sweet Holy Spirit. Lord, You know all too well how weak we are, but thank God You also know that You created us to be like You. So Lord, again today we beg with You to forgive us for those things that we do and the awkward things that we say – our spiritual weaknesses. Please draw us close to You and depend wholeheartedly on You in all walks of life, so that You may be glorified in every aspect of our lives. AMEN!

Nuggets From God's Word

Tag: Accept Jesus as Lord