Thoughts on Listening To God

On 2017-06-22 By Ed AlgreenIn Filled With The Spirit, Listen, Listen to the Word of God, ObedienceLeave a comment

Post Date:	Thursday, 2017-06-22
SCRIPTURE
From:	Psalm 81:8 (NLT)
Text:	⁸“Listen to me, O my people, while I give you stern warnings. O Israel, if you would only listen to me!
OBSERVATION:
God had miraculously rescued Israel from their slave masters in Egypt and had taken care of their every need during their 40 long years in the wilderness as they traveled to the land of milk and honey that God promised to them. Yet right up to the very end of their journey they were still rebellious and obstinate about listening to God. Learning from the lessons of the Israelites, surely we have this obedience thing under control today, right? ….. we’ll see…..
APPLICATION:
Evidence of more obedient people today because we have learned from the lessons of the Israelites, might be: Children of God who are in the Book every day seeking direction from God; Christians who spend quality, quiet time with God in prayer at least once every day; Getting along with everyone because of being taught by God to follow His example; Churches filled to capacity as indicators of so many being filled to overflowing with the Holy Spirit; Obedience to the Word of God and the Spirit of God causing others to see Jesus in every fiber of our being. Friends it is virtually impossible to accomplish any of these things under our own power, for to fight spiritual battles, we must surrender earthly things, and assume a right relationship with the God of this universe, the One who has all spiritual power, the One who guides us to do things that He commands, and say things ordained by Him. To be like God, we must spend more time with Him than we do with the leader of this world, Satan. God told us in vs 14-16 that if His people would humble themselves and pray and seek His face, then He would intervene and save them and bless them. In verse 8, let’s try removing the word Israel and replacing it with our name, or the name of our church, or our city or state or country. This is what it takes to replace the evil of our land with the good, the blessings and the peace of God that surpasses all human understanding. Are you willing to let it start with you and I? God never said that it would take an army to get His attention or His action, I am convinced that He would move mountains for just one or two, if that’s all that are prepared to follow His commands.
PRAYER:
Lord Jesus, You have proven Your love for us in so many ways, and I thank You again for that amazing love. You sacrificed the most dearest thing to Your Father, to prove Your love for us, yet we are so lackadaisical in commitment to You and in our walk for You. When troubles or challenges come, we try every idea thrown at us before we bow the knee in humility before You and seek Your face and Your miraculous touch. Please forgive us Lord, and as reminded in this Scripture today, please help us to listen carefully and follow Your perfect will for our lives so that we might honor You and allow You priority in our lives. I have every reason to believe that You will send opportunities to us today where someone will need to hear about Jesus, or feel Your sincere love, or be guided by Your all knowing and powerful hand. Fill us with so much of Yourself Lord, that we may be usable vessels for You in this world 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 Highlands County, 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!

A Warning Sign

On 2017-06-21 By Ed AlgreenIn Accept Jesus NOW, Acceptance, Rejection, Road signs, signs, Warning, Warning SignsLeave a comment

Post Date:	Wednesday, 2017-06-21
SCRIPTURE
From:	Luke 2:33-35 (CEV)
Text:	³³Jesus’ parents were surprised at what Simeon had said. ³⁴Then he blessed them and told Mary, “This child of yours will cause many people in Israel to fall and others to stand. The child will be like a warning sign. Many people will reject him, ³⁵and you, Mary, will suffer as though you had been stabbed by a dagger. But all this will show what people are really thinking.”
OBSERVATION:
Mary and Joseph had been forewarned that the child born of Mary would be the Son of God, but they were still astonished by what Simeon shared with them. The awe of a newborn baby sometimes put the parents into a dreamsicle world, where all they could think of is the awesome child this will turn out to be, and the pride that will fill the hearts of the parents! But to hear so early in the process that Jesus could lead to the fall of many, hurt like a dagger through the heart of Mary. This was all very shocking to both Mary and Joseph. We will examine how this is still very real in our world today.
APPLICATION:
Simeon said that the presence and ministry of Jesus would be as a ‘warning sign’ to the people. Think about warning signs that we see today and how we react to them. Take for instance the school zone warning signs: some are very respectable of those signs and they slow right down to the designated speed limit while watching diligently for children trying to get to school, that may themselves walk dangerously across the street in their rush to be on time. Other drivers are on a mission to catch up for lost time at home, while still trying to get to work on time. However while rejecting the posted warnings, flashing lights and reduced speed limits, they may be brought to their senses and corrected for their actions by a cop monitoring the area. Unfortunately there are members of our family, our team mates at work and our circle of friends and possibly even at our churches, that make every effort to ignore the warning signs and Biblical teachings of Jesus’ return. This hurts those of us that care, because we know the outcome on the day that they meet Jesus face-to-face. For it saddens us to think that because they never knew Him here on earth, He will disown them when they arise from the dead, and then point them to their home of eternal damnation – Hell. This hurts a mother’s heart, a friend’s heart and all those who knows someone who refuses to listen and honor the sacrifice made for their eternal hope and salvation, yet they make a deliberate choice to do life their own way in spite of the consequences. What has been your personal choice to the ‘Warning Signs’ presented by Jesus? A choice to concede to the Master and follow His commands results in a glorious life in Heaven for all eternity with Jesus and His Father – God. Selfish desires, disobedience and rejection of Jesus Christ means that you would prefer to take your punishment and spend your eternity in Hell with Satan and all of his demons. If you have never made either of these choices, then by default you are assigned to the latter, because accepting Jesus is a deliberate, personal act that you must make for yourself. So it’s up to you friend. My wish for all who will read this devotional is that you have surrendered your life to Jesus and that there is assurance that we will meet in Heaven’s portals one day! If not 100% assured of that, please follow the tips in my Footnote. This is way too important to ignore or delay.
PRAYER:
Dear God, thank You for loving us enough that You provided the WAY and the means for us to be assured of our time in heaven with You one day! You also provided Warning Signs for us to know that we need a Savior. Lord, there are many who are still living dangerously through those Warning Signs and taking the risk of consequences, including Hell. Please touch each one reading this devotional, each family member, and each friend or acquaintance, that they would meet with You and clarify their position with You. This is way too important to ignore, friend. May God be glorified today, because You listened to and followed His Warning Signs, 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 Highlands County, 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!

Faith Like That of The Shepherds

On 2017-06-20 By Ed AlgreenIn Believe, Evidence of Faith, Faith, Faith in Action, Faithful, Genuine Faith, Know and Believe, TrustLeave a comment

Post Date:	Tuesday, 2017-06-20
SCRIPTURE
From:	Luke 2:8-12 (NCV)
Text:	⁸That night, some shepherds were in the fields nearby watching their sheep. ⁹Then an angel of the Lord stood before them. The glory of the Lord was shining around them, and they became very frightened. ¹⁰The angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I am bringing you good news that will be a great joy to all the people. ¹¹Today your Savior was born in the town of David. He is Christ, the Lord. ¹²This is how you will know him: You will find a baby wrapped in pieces of cloth and lying in a feeding box.”
OBSERVATION:
God had a plan in action, with the miraculous birth of His Son through a virgin named Mary. Everything went just as God had revealed to Mary, Joseph and Elizabeth. Now God was working in the lives of those that were praying for this Savior to come and save them and their country from the awful stain of sin, corruption and destruction. Let’s have a closer look at the shepherds, whom God chose to reveal Himself to, resulting in them being one of the first groups to visit the newborn infant and God’s servants, Mary and Joseph.
APPLICATION:
Some may assume that I am getting wrapped up in the Christmas story way early this year, and while I totally love the story of our Savior’s birth, I am merely reading through the Bible and got to this Scripture today! I believe that way too often we hear the Christmas story, and because we have always loved the story of Jesus’ birth, we remember the story vividly and therefore never stop to meditate on particular servants or scenes, because we feel like we have heard it all so many times over the years. In the case of the shepherds, they were keeping watch over their sheep to protect them from the wild animals that may have been looking for a quick way into the pasture to grab one for dinner! It seems like these were godly men who prayed for a deliverer, and probably looked into the night sky while on watch, just praying some more and imagining what it might be like if that deliverer might come during their lifetime. I believe that many Christians probably do something very similar when they look at the challenges with politics in their own country. I love the outdoors, so I have often looked into the dark skies lit only by God’s perfect candles (stars) and imagined what it would be like to witness the return of Jesus Christ when He comes to take fellow Christians and myself up to our heavenly home to live eternally with Him! What if that night silence and dark sky was broken one night and God sent His angels to come and take us home? Of course you will immediately cry out for family and friends for whose salvation you’ve been praying, but can you even imagine the joy that will fill your heart to even imagine going to live with your blessed Redeemer for whom you’ve been loving, serving and anticipating for years? In fact, this may all have crossed the minds of these shepherds as they saw something bright and glorious appear before them in the dark sky. I’m sure they were in so much shock and awe that they probably had trouble concentrating on what was being told to them, but they gathered enough from the good news that they quickly decided to go and see this child that the angels spoke of. But let’s be sure that we get this. Imagine being a part of a group considered the lowest of the lowest in society, and now you are convinced that the Almighty God sent an angel to tell you about the birth of His Son? Furthermore, you are witnessing this group dropping everything, and risking to walk a distance to see if this is for real? As part of that group, what will you tell someone along the way who may ask about your travel destination? Friends, I believe you could see that while we classify people based on our perception, God is no respecter of persons. Some of us create separations by country, by race, by political party, by church denomination, etc. But I truly believe that God looks at us as His precious children, period. Being no respecter of persons, God could give someone that we least expect, a message that He would like for us to adhere to, or be encouraged by. Are we seriously looking for a word from the Lord each day, no matter who God decides to use as His delivery boy? Are we seriously looking forward to His return? What if it was today? Are you truly ready and waiting for His return? Let’s try to be like the shepherds who, when told about Jesus, dropped what they were doing and went to worship Him!
PRAYER:
Lord God, You are so awesome in every way, and I praise You for who You are to me. In being reminded today of Your willingness to minister to ALL mankind, I am humbled and reassured that I can stand boldly before the throne and worship You and bring my petitions before You. Lord, for those who will read this and doubt about their worthiness in Your sight, please reassure them of Your love for all mankind – all who were made by You, in Your image and for Your glory. The shepherds glorified the arrival of their long awaited King and Savior, because their world was so challenging and filled with hatred and crime. Sounds like a mirror of what we face today Lord, so we plead that You might hear our cry for help and send us relief that only You could imagine or make possible. We have hope in You oh Lord, please help us to remain faithful until You are ready for us in heaven, 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 Highlands County, 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!

No Room For Jesus

On 2017-06-19 By Ed AlgreenIn Priority, Relationship, TimeLeave a comment

Post Date:	Monday, 2017-06-19
SCRIPTURE
From:	Luke 2:6-7 (NCV)
Text:	⁶While they were in Bethlehem, the time came for Mary to have the baby, ⁷and she gave birth to her first son. Because there were no rooms left in the inn, she wrapped the baby with pieces of cloth and laid him in a feeding trough.
OBSERVATION:
Very familiar verses that we hear a lot during the Christmas season. Notice that similar words were echoed throughout the physical reign of Jesus Christ, that there was no room, or time for Jesus. Although the people begged His power as desired, yet He was rejected and mocked at almost every venue throughout His ministry. His closest partners in ministry denied Him when placed under pressure, and He was arrested and crucified because of the good He did for others. Surely all of this must have changed after He arose victoriously, like He said He would. Let’s examine this prospect….
APPLICATION:
It is so easy to look down our pious noses and criticize the Jews for what they did to Jesus, because He didn’t fit their mold of what their king should look and act like. It is so easy for Christians to look down their pious noses at unbelievers and strongly criticize them for rejecting our Savior and Lord. But I would like for us to stop and consider both groups in this devotional: Unbelievers – We often hear excuses like: I would like to have all of my earthly fun before surrendering my life to Jesus, or in other words: before I could find room or time for Jesus; I see so many cases where those ‘Christians’ have just as many struggles as I have, plus most of them are hypocrites anyway; I have way too much to do with my time than all this church stuff; The church can’t relate to us younger folk, because there are so many traditional, old-heads running the church; etc, etc. It all boils down to you not wanting to find time or availability for Jesus, and you are not willing to make it a priority; Christians – Unfortunately, we hear many of the same excuses as listed above, because there is a ‘human’ aspect living inside both groups. However, it is sad to ask a Christian for their testimony and they can’t share the point in time that they truly accepted Jesus. We hear a lot about how they’ve attended church all of their life, so they know Jesus, or they hung around ‘good’ people and that ‘goodness’ rubbed off on them and they therefore now know Jesus. Compare this to your marriage and see if you can get away with telling a friend something similar in the presence of your spouse! Consider what you are saying to Jesus when you can’t find time, or you can’t be bothered to spend time each day communing with Him. Try this friend, each evening before bed try saying a simple prayer of truth along these lines to your Savior: Thank you for dying for me Lord Jesus. I apologize that I didn’t make it a priority in my day to even say thank You, or welcome You to guide my day. You see, it’s not a matter of ‘time’, it’s a matter of ‘priority’. It’s the same as saying something similar to what the innkeeper said to Joseph and Mary, so sorry but there is no room here for Jesus. Jesus sacrificed His very life for you friend. What’s the minimum that you are planning to do for Him today? Do you have room for Him in your time, your life, your work, or your marriage? I believe He is waiting to bless you, if you can make time and room for Him today!
PRAYER:
Thank You Lord Jesus for the awesome sacrifice You made, so that those of us that could make room for You in our lives, could one day worship You endlessly in the glories of heaven. Please forgive us Lord for the times that we ‘shut the door’ on You because we have no room for You at the time. Please open our eyes and our understanding to allow You full reign in our lives, for we need You every hour of every day dear Lord. Please help us to always make room for You, so that others may see Jesus and believe. 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 Highlands County, 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!

Train Yourself To Serve God

On 2017-06-172017-06-17 By Ed AlgreenIn Commitment, Serve, Unconditional commitmentLeave a comment

Post Date:	Saturday, 2017-06-17
SCRIPTURE
From:	1 Timothy 4:7-8 (NCV)
Text:	⁷But do not follow foolish stories that disagree with God’s truth, but train yourself to serve God. ⁸Training your body helps you in some ways, but serving God helps you in every way by bringing you blessings in this life and in the future life, too.
OBSERVATION:
It is interesting that Paul recognized the importance that the people of his day had, with a strong emphasis on a few extracurricular things, that seem to have taken priority over their allegiance to God.
APPLICATION:
I found it fascinating that Paul would teach Timothy that we must train ourselves to serve God. That indicates that our normal selfish tendency is to serve self and get as much for ourselves as we possibly could. Thankfully most of us are very centered around healthy living, in our eating and in exercise. In fact, you can find friends along dark streets very early in the morning jogging or walking, or you might see friends coming out of the gym looking like they had a shower in their own sweat. What if we saw that kind of dedication and energy in Christians connecting with friends to introduce them to their Savior? I’ve also heard loads of excuses on why folk can’t, or won’t attend church functions. All the way from being afraid of crowds, to their only day to sleep in or be with their family. However most sports events are often sold out, even if it took a whole week’s salary to buy the tickets. Crowds are not a problem there, nor is early or late afternoon start times. You are bound to sit next to strangers, some of whom might even be obnoxious, but fans are not affected by that. To the only One who knows even our inmost thoughts, what will we tell God when He asks why could you not find priority for Me and in being with my people, or serving me, or giving to my work, or encouraging others? When we committed ourselves to our spouse, or to our job, we were able to lay aside our selfish desires and serve them unswervingly, why is it different with our commitment to God? Are there things that you need to clear up between you and God to restore that allegiance that you once promised Him, or perhaps that you would like to promise Him now?
PRAYER:
Lord Jesus, You know us all very well. Our comings and our goings, our excuses and our level of dedication to You and Your work. Please help us to search out the Savior of this world, and for those who already know You personally, please teach us to draw close to You and allow You to guide us and train us to give priority to You in every aspect of our lives. For those who have not been concerned about their eternity, please touch them precious Lord and draw their attention to the need for a Savior. You created us to worship and lift up the name of Jesus, oh that we may be found faithful! 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 Highlands County, 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!

Allow God to be God

On 2017-06-162017-06-16 By Ed AlgreenIn direction, Humble, Submission, SurrenderLeave a comment

Post Date:	Friday, 2017-06-16
SCRIPTURE
From:	Numbers 27:4-7 (TLB)
Text:	⁴…We feel that we should be given property along with our father’s brothers.” ⁵So Moses brought their case before the Lord. ^6-7And the Lord replied to Moses, “The daughters of Zelophehad are correct. Give them land along with their uncles; give them the property that would have been given to their father if he had lived.
OBSERVATION:
As the Israelites neared the Promised Land, Moses had just been ordered by God on how to split up the land among all of the tribes. However, there was one family that felt left out, so they brought their case to Moses, which led to God instituting a new law for families whose head just passed away without any sons to inherit the family’s assets. Most leaders have an opinion about all matters, but only humble men like Moses would consult with God before responding to such inquiries.
APPLICATION:
I feel like there are at least two lessons for us to learn in these verses today: These five ladies could easily have gone to their neighbors and complained, or any number of friends or family and whined and complained about them being left out. They could have put Moses and his leadership down for being so un-thoughtful. You know, stuff that most of us would do today! However, the ladies went straight to Moses and plead their case for what seemed like an oversight. I feel like this speaks volumes to us today, for nothing good comes out of discussing the situation with others instead of going straight to the one who caused the problem that upset you. Usually, only them could correct the problem or explain their reasoning. Moses had dealt with these people long enough that I’m sure he had an opinion on how he would have responded to these sisters, however Moses also knew first hand who was truly in charge. He didn’t call his leaders together to discuss the matter, but instead He went straight to his boss – The Lord God. What a lesson for us today! We have so many prejudices and opinions about why we feel the way we do about certain things or people, yet we make decisions and declare they are fair, because that right has been vested in us. Friends, in verse 5, Moses showed us the way to justify our decisions. Let’s stop assuming the position of God, and let our Master and Lord assume His rightful place in our lives and in our dilemmas or decisions. Imagine how you would feel in making a decision in your leadership, feeling assured that you were merely passing on the decision of your Master? There would be no guilt, no further questioning in your mind if you did the right thing or made the right decision. Imagine the peace of knowing that you are merely being God’s messenger, rather than making worldly decisions and expecting God to bless it! Man of God; woman of God; child of God: who’s in charge of your decision making? Are you depending on God to lead you in your decisions? If we want to live according to God’s will, then we must be prepared to ask Him to clarify His will to us. we can’t continue to make decisions and expect God to bless them. He’s in charge, and He will direct our paths and decisions, if we ask Him to and let Him. Imagine the shock from your employer, or your best friend or medical professional if you told them that you would get back to them with an answer to their question tomorrow as you must seek God’s response for you today? Not only will that be a witness, but it will also open their eyes to the proper way of handling our Christian life! God’s in charge – please let Him!
PRAYER:
Lord Jesus, please help us to get over our self righteousness and our thinking that we have all of the answers. As we go our way each day, we should be going in Your name and for Your sake. Please help us to consult with you on decisions that we make in our lives. Why pray about a need, if we are going to turn around and do our own thing. Please open our eyes that we may see You and all that You have in store for us to do. Please open our understanding so that we may be filled with Your wisdom that would lead us aright in this sinful, evil world. Lord, may they see Jesus as they look on us or seek our advice. 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 Highlands County, 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!

Blessed Because You Believe

On 2017-06-15 By Ed AlgreenIn Believe, Blessing, Blessings, Obedience, ObedientLeave a comment

Post Date:	Thursday, 2017-06-15
SCRIPTURE
From:	Luke 1:45 (NCV)
Text:	⁴⁵You are blessed because you believed that what the Lord said to you would really happen.
OBSERVATION:
On Mary’s visit to her relative, Elizabeth, there were several events that confirmed that the child inside of Elizabeth and Mary were very special, miraculous gifts from God. In fact, from the very first announcement to these ladies, they accepted that God was using each of them in ways that would impact the whole world and bless them beyond anything they deserved or could imagine. Let’s look at how this might impact us….
APPLICATION:
In addition to being blessed immensely by the results of the two pregnancies of Mary and Elizabeth, I fell like there are tremendous lessons for us to learn from these two women of God, but I want to concentrate on a few of the very special reasons we can identify why Elizabeth was so true in what she said to Mary, and how this could be applied to us today: From a human perspective Mary wanted to understand how the pregnancy could occur since she had never been with a man. However, she never looked for excuses why she couldn’t or wouldn’t comply with the instructions from God. Aren’t we pros at finding excuses on why we won’t serve the Lord? Too busy; unqualified; family; don’t know enough scripture; etc. We should be able to see that with these excuses we are depending on the abilities of self to accomplish the work of the Lord. Friends, for God’s work, we need Him active in every aspect of the work He has commanded, or led us to do. It is evident that Mary had an intimate relationship with her Savior, otherwise she would have quickly dismissed the idea of an angel speaking with her, and she would never have accepted the thought of God using her in such an awesome way. We may sometimes grow jealous of ways that God uses others, while leaving us on the sidelines. Mary was blessed because she believed in the Master that she already knew intimately. How’s your relationship with Jesus? Do you know Him? Do you worship Him daily? Do you ask Him to use you in His work? One Bible study that I did, recommended that we look for where God is at work, and jump right in the middle of it with a heart to serve Him and be His hands and feet on planet earth! Friends, you too can be blessed through your relationship with Jesus Christ; your belief in His mighty power and kingship; in your obedience to His commands taught in the Bible; and in your obedience to His leading each and every day. Remember friend, it’s all about Jesus, not you.
PRAYER:
Lord, thank You for Your servant Mary and her relative Elizabeth, who accepted from You what seemed impossible to mankind. Lord, I believe that You are still seeking believers to have that kind of faith today, and to seek to follow Your guidance and will for their lives. The example was clear with these two ladies, and I truly believe that the same God who created those miracles for them, is the same God that I serve even today. Lord, may we commit again to give You full reign 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 Highlands County, 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!

Faith Leads To Obedience

On 2017-06-142017-06-14 By Ed AlgreenIn Believe, Faith, Faith in Action, Faithful, Faithfulness, Genuine Faith, Know and Believe, ObedienceLeave a comment

Post Date:	Wednesday, 2017-06-14
SCRIPTURE
From:	Luke 1:38 (TLB)
Text:	³⁸Mary said, “I am the Lord’s servant, and I am willing to do whatever he wants. May everything you said come true.” And then the angel disappeared.
OBSERVATION:
A virgin girl approached by an angel with an unheard of proposition from God, was immediately convinced of the awesome task that God had chosen her to partake in. There were no excuses, or running away to avoid the proposition, but simply an openness to allow God to have His way with His humble servant.
APPLICATION:
I would imagine that just like at my church, you are probably not hearing too many stories similar to the very familiar story of Mary, the mother of our Lord Jesus, in the Bible. For in faith she accepted the word from God and conceded to His perfect will for her life, regardless of any possible negative reflection on her by the questioning world. For us today, it often seems like asking a person, where you felt compelled of God to ask them to share in the ministry, is like asking them how many excuses can they find to not follow God’s command to serve in His church. Fathers, may I ask you to personally imagine your virgin daughter approaching you (an elder in your church) boldly with the news that she is pregnant? Adding that “Oh, and by the way, this is by the holy spirit of God” adds no comfort to you, because you have never heard of such a thing before. As for the fiancee, he may also have faith in God, but having never heard of such action by the Holy Spirit before, he is silently questioning as to whether the baby inside is for another man. In the case of Mary and Joseph, thank God that He sent the Holy Spirit to Joseph as well, to prepare him in advance for the news he would receive from Mary. Friends, I believe that what we are being taught in this Scripture today is that when we have an intimate relationship with the Lord Jesus, and we make every effort to follow His commands and His will for our lives, there may be times that He will summon us to do things that are way outside of the realm of our selfish, finite minds. As Christians reflect back over life, we can often see that many of the decisions we made and things that we did, that seemed way out of the ordinary at the time, we could now reflect and see what God had in mind for us the next day, week, month or years. Let’s be careful to remember that His ways are not our ways, so He may ask us to do things that is extraordinary in our eyes, but very purposeful in His eyes. Build a personal relationship with the Lord, friend. Listen to His voice and His direction for your life, and be willing to jump, move or speak when He commands you to do it. He will receive glory, and you will be overwhelmed in joy!
PRAYER:
Lord, I pray that each one reading this blog will join me in committing ourselves fully to Your perfect will. Whether our actions result in our personal joy, or that of a friend or relative, please help us to commit to being faithful to You and therefore obedient to Your every command. May Your perfect will be fulfilled in our lives and in the lives of others as we remain faithful and allow You to bless and work through us to touch others. Thank You for Your willing, obedient servant Mary, may we join her in also being faithful to the end, so that You may be glorified in all that we do, 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 Highlands County, 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!

Oh Ye of Little Faith

On 2017-06-13 By Ed AlgreenIn Believe, Faith, MiraclesLeave a comment

Post Date:	Tuesday, 2017-06-13
SCRIPTURE
From:	Luke 1:18-20 (TLB)
Text:	¹⁸Zacharias said to the angel, “But this is impossible! I’m an old man now, and my wife is also well along in years.” ¹⁹Then the angel said, “I am Gabriel! I stand in the very presence of God. It was he who sent me to you with this good news! ²⁰And now, because you haven’t believed me, you are to be stricken silent, unable to speak until the child is born…..
OBSERVATION:
Zacharias and his wife Elizabeth were regarded as godly folk who were very careful to obey the laws of God (vs 13). Zacharias was a faithful servant of the Lord and served on a roster in the temple. They were well along in age and had resigned themselves to the fact that God did not see fit to bless them with a child. However, whether through spoken prayer or just in the depth of Zacharias’ heart, God knew that it was the desire of his heart that he and Elizabeth could have a child. This was a miraculous story that was precisely timed with the miraculous birth of Christ!
APPLICATION:
When the messenger of God stood besides the temple altar and share with Zacharias a message from the Father above, this awesome man of God was so taken aback, like many of us would be, that the shock caused him to actually doubt that God could be serious about creating a miracle for he and his dear wife. Can you identify? “Sir, I could only wish that you are serious about what you are saying, but you and God must know that my wife and I are very old – way beyond child rearing age, and now you are messing with my mind and trying to give me a ray of hope that something so ridiculous could actually happen to us?” – This might be along the lines of what I might say if approached by anyone with such a message for my wife and I at our current age. In fact if there was a slight ray of hope, I would begin thinking about what our church folk might think or say if we walked through the doors with my wife showing evidence of pregnancy! If a godly man like Zacharias doubted, doesn’t it make you wonder why on earth do we even pray for things that seem impossible to us? Friends, let’s remember that our God created this old world, He created you and I, and He created everything that we eat, enjoy and are blessed with everyday. Why again should we doubt the power of our God to answer our prayers and provide for our daily needs? Perhaps this is a matter of faith? Jesus said that with faith, we could speak to a mountain and it will be moved! How many challenges do you have that’s near that big? Trust God with the big and small things in your life. Answers to your prayers will help mature your faith and prepare you for receiving even the largest answers to prayer. Develop a relationship with God’s Son, Jesus Christ. Believe on Him and know His awesome power. Give glory to God for the awesome things that He does for you. Have faith my friend!
PRAYER:
Lord Jesus, You made teh blind to see again, you healed teh sick and brought the dead back to life again. You even caused an elderly couple to miraculously have a baby about the same time that You caused a virgin call to become pregnant with Your precious Son. Why would we doubt or fear, when we serve the same God that has proven Himself one miracle after the other? Lord, please develop a faith in us where we could see that the God we love can do the same miracles for us as He did, or will do, for others. I adore You for who You are, my Savior, Lord, and soon coming King! 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 Highlands County, 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!

Love In Action

On 2017-06-12 By Ed AlgreenIn Love, Love others, Love your Neighbor, The Father's Love, The love of God, Unconditional loveLeave a comment

Post Date:-	Monday, 2017-06-12
SCRIPTURE
From:	Romans 12:9-13 (NIV)
Text:	⁹Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. ¹⁰Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.¹¹Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. ¹²Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. ¹³Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.
OBSERVATION:
As Paul wrote these words to the church at Rome, I would imagine that he was dealing with a lot of the challenges that church pastors deal with today, where most of a pastor’s heartaches come from the flock not getting along with each other. Paul’s overriding theme in these few verses is that Christians are to love one another in total honesty. Praising the good and abhorring the evil, but none the less, loving one another through it all.
APPLICATION:
Jesus set the example for us by loving people everywhere He went. He loved the dreaded tax collectors and even had one of them follow Him as a disciple (Matthew). Jesus was falsely arrested and convicted of no crime at all, yet crucified anyway. While on the cross, in pain and agony, disgraced before an onlooking world, Jesus asked His Father to forgive His persecutors. Is it any wonder that the first order of business that Jesus gave attention to when telling us to be sincere in love, is that we stand firm for our beliefs, and to hate evil. Although, I believe that this was included so early in this discourse, so that we might be reminded that although we may hate the sin, or the evil that results from the actions of some, we must never lose sight of the soul and love them unconditionally. I believe that another reason for the attention to the evil in a person, is that if we don’t let the person know that we hate the sin they are doing, then they could easily feel like we are OK with it, or may even love that sinful aspect of them. Friends, if we cannot be a positive influence to a friend for Jesus, then we should examine ourselves for the true presence of Jesus in our lives. Often our friends may be caught in a trap and invite us over, hoping that we could help them through their problem. Imagine how disappointed they must be when we just accept their sinful act and count it as ‘normal’ or ‘acceptable’ living. The rest of these verses gives us tips to look for in our everyday experiences with loved ones and friends. Think on these things as you prepare to visit someone, and ask God to help you love them unconditionally. After your visit, invite God to help you honestly evaluate your words and actions so that you may work even harder on correcting anything that you may have messed up on. Friends, we serve a perfect God, so as we strive to live like He taught us in this messed up and imperfect world, we run into challenges. Seek His guidance and His strength as you deal with others so that you may be a stepping stone in their quest for salvation, and not a stumbling block.
PRAYER:
Lord Jesus, You loved us enough that You went to the cross on our behalf, even though we were so undeserving of such love. Through Your Holy Spirit, You led us to the cross for Your complete forgiveness and then offered us eternal salvation from our sin. As your children endeavoring to follow in Your example, how can we but love others and understand their struggle with sin? We have been there and done that, and in many cases have the scars to show for it. Please forgive us Lord, and help us to be a forgiving people, willing to love the unloved. May they see Jesus through our actions and in our unconditional love for them, 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 Highlands County, 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!