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Find Out How Much You Love God’s Children

On By Ed AlgreenIn Christian love, Love, ObedienceLeave a comment

Tuesday, 2019-03-19

Bible Reference: 1 John 5:1-4
Translation: The Living Bible (TLB)

Bible Text: If you believe that Jesus is the Christ—that he is God’s Son and your Savior—then you are a child of God. And all who love the Father love his children too. So you can find out how much you love God’s children—your brothers and sisters in the Lord—by how much you love and obey God. Loving God means doing what he tells us to do, and really, that isn’t hard at all; for every child of God can obey him, defeating sin and evil pleasure by trusting Christ to help him.

OBSERVATION: Do you love God? How about God’s children, do you love them also? The extent to which you love God, will show how much you love His children! Is it evident how much you love God? Let’s stop and ponder this Scripture today, as we consider these very important questions.

APPLICATION: Through John, God has actually given us the formula for measuring how well we’re doing in loving God, and in loving fellow believers! In fact we are told in these verses today that the degree to which we love fellow believers is proportionate to how much we love and obey God. Ok, so I’m sure that you probably assume you truly love one another, because you are very sure that you really love God. But do you really?  The Word declares that the love referenced here is not just a verbal thing, or a feeling, but instead if we truly love God, we will do what He tells us to do. For some that will be easy, because we pray and we seek God’s face through His precious Word. When we truly love God, we will not just listen to His commands, His teachings, His instructions for us, and His example that He set for us to follow, but we will be willing to live out in total obedience all that He commands us to do. Friends, our instructions and our reminders will not just come from the pulpit on the weekend, or from a Bible teacher, but primarily come from a one-on-one relationship with your maker. This might include getting into His Instruction Manual, the Bible, daily; it will include communicating with Him throughout your day; it will include sharing with others about the most important thing that ever happened to you. Friends, if it’s truly on the inside, it will come out in your words, actions and attitudes. Don’t know where to start? You may want to follow a good devotional, such as the one you’re now reading, or you may want to look for a Bible Reading Plan of your own. Whatever you decide, just remember to seek God’s face first – as it takes the Spirit of God to truly open your eyes to the spiritual truths of our awesome God. Not much of a reader? It doesn’t matter, when you seek God’s face first and ask Him to open your mind to His ways and His thoughts, and His teachings, you will find that those simple words on a page, actually reveals the perfect will of God for your life right where you’re at during that very moment. Highlight as He speaks to you, and make notes to remind yourself how He spoke to you. Note that in today’s scripture we are taught that through loving God and obeying all that He instructs us, then we will defeat sin and evil pleasures. Our love for God will become so pure and so real, that we will also love everything that God loves and everyone that He loves. So are you struggling with any part of this today friend? Let me encourage you to try the above ideas for at least seven days, and I believe God will give you a burning desire to continue doing the same for the rest of the time you remain on this earth! Love and obedience to God leads to love for the brethren friend!

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, You not only tell us to love one another, but You have even gone the extra step of showing us just how to accomplish that. How unfortunate, that a God who sacrificed His only Son for us on Calvary, must now tell us how important it is for us to love His Son. How deep the Father’s love for us, even in spite of our unworthiness. Yet how easy it is for us to say that we struggle in loving our Christian Brothers and Sisters, when we don’t fully appreciate the love of our Father, or see fit to obey His simple commands. Please forgive us dear Lord and continue to draw us to Yourself with an even deeper determination to love and obey You. I sincerely thank You for Your love, and for all these things I have asked throughout this devotional, for it is in the precious and loving name of Jesus that I ask, AMEN!

How To Know That The Spirit of God Dwells in Someone

On By Ed AlgreenIn Dedicated, Example of Christ, Genuine example of Jesus, Genuine FaithLeave a comment

Monday, 2019-03-18

Bible Reference: 1 John 4:2–3
Translation: The Message (MSG)

Bible Text: Here’s how you test for the genuine Spirit of God. Everyone who confesses openly his faith in Jesus Christ—the Son of God, who came as an actual flesh-and-blood person—comes from God and belongs to God. And everyone who refuses to confess faith in Jesus has nothing in common with God.

OBSERVATION: Ever been questioned, or have you ever questioned  whether a Brother is genuine, or a Sister sincere in her faith and teaching? I was in awe this morning as I read the Word, for John, gives us pointers about this very matter.

APPLICATION: Not only will this help us identify the Spirit of God in others, but I believe this also helps us to examine ourselves and the kind of witness we portray to others. Some of the key points we are to consider and/or portray to determine, or prove, the genuine Spirit of God are: (1) Confesses openly about his/her/my faith in Jesus Christ; (2) Acknowledges that Jesus is the genuine, only Son of God; (3) Believes and declares that Jesus came to this earth in human form; (4) Believes that Jesus Comes from God; Belongs to God; And, as verified in other scriptures, He is also God. Friends, we are well aware of the awful feelings we have when we discover that we’ve been given a fake check, or a fake currency note, or perhaps encounter a person claiming to be someone they truly are not. The latter is comparable to us bringing damnation on ourselves when we claim to be a messenger, or witness, or representation of God, without having a first-hand experience with His Son Jesus. Friends, others will see straight through our fake-ness. Our Christianity is evidenced on the outside from a heart experience on the inside. Have you given Your heart to Jesus? Has He been allowed to control Your innermost emotions, convictions and decisions? Have you invited Jesus to take charge and to speak and work through you wholeheartedly? Can others see and feel the Spirit of God working in and through you on the outside and confirm the points suggested by John? Will they know you are a child of the King, or do you need to tell them? Will you commit to speak to God about this? He deserves genuine believers, because He showed His genuine love for us on Calvary in that He offered Himself, in obedience to His Father, to be a sacrifice for those who despised and hated Him. He showed real, genuine, love beyond anything mankind has ever experienced. He loved us with wide, outstretched arms! Do you love and appreciate my Lord enough today to be bold in your witness and tell others of His great love, even if you are certain that they will make a mockery of you? Will they recognize the spirit of God residing inside of you?

PRAYER: Dear God, I am amazed at the genuine love shown for me on Calvary’s cross. You were born into this world, lived among men and in spite of Your love for them, they crucified You. This is the unfortunate evidence of Your human experience here on earth. Thank You for continuing to accept humans into Your kingdom, and I especially thank You for accepting me. Please forgive us when we allow our peers to distract our walk with You. Lord, I am seeking Your help to make me more like You in every way while here on earth, so that others will not be distracted by a sense of false identity. I desire for them to see the hands and feet of Jesus, so that they may be drawn to You oh Lord. Please deal deeply in the hearts of those who will meditate on this devotional today, so that we might not only know You as Lord and Savior, but that we may follow Your example in everything we say and do. To God be the glory, for all that our surrendered, and fully dedicated lives might yield for the Kingdom of God. AMEN!

Avoiding Roadblocks to Prayer

On By Ed AlgreenIn Humility, Prayer, WorthinessLeave a comment

Thursday, 2019-03-14

Bible Reference: Psalm 66:16-20
Translation: Easy-To-Read Version (ERV)

Bible Text:  All you people who worship God, come and I will tell you what he has done for me. I cried out to him for help, and I praised him. If I had been hiding sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened to me. But God did listen to me; he heard my prayer. Praise God! He did not turn away from me—he listened to my prayer. He continues to show his love to me!

OBSERVATION: God says that when you acknowledge Him, worship Him, praise Him and seek His face, then He will hear from heaven, supply  your needs and heal your land! Where sin abides, God will not abide. Let’s look closely at what the Psalmist had to say.

APPLICATION: I believe it is obvious from this Psalm that David is sharing with us the secrets to successful prayer and the obstacles that might prevent answers to prayer. Here’s a few things that I believe comes through in this passage today:

  • You must know, and have a relationship with the One you are praying to – If you don’t, why do you suppose you would ‘cry out’ to someone you don’t even know? Why would you offer up praise to someone you don’t know? How would you know that they deserve your praise? Jesus said that His sheep knows Him and He knows them by name. That’s relationship, friend!
  • Clear any sin from your heart – Jesus said that we should take the plank out of our own eye before praying for the speck in your friend’s eye. David said in these verses that God would not even listen if you were trying to cover up sin that’s in your heart. Remember, God’s Holy Spirit will not reside where sin resides. He and sin cannot co-exist. We must seek forgiveness of sin, invite Jesus to reside in sin’s place, then we would have relationship with Him and therefore able to pray to Him.

Praise God for who He is, and His importance in your life – The world will show you all that could be better in your life – according to their principles. God says that when you acknowledge Him, worship Him, praise Him and seek His face, then He will hear from heaven, supply  your needs and heal your land! There is such power in knowing God and having a personal relationship with His Son, Jesus! I believe it is safe to say, with confirmation from God’s Word, that anytime we feel like our prayers are not being heard, we need to look for the ‘filter’ that is blocking our prayers from reaching the throne of grace. Let’s clear the cobwebs, the sin that separates us from God, so that we may hear from Him and receive His blessings.

PRAYER: Lord, who are we that we could even come before Your throne of grace and seek Your face? You are so worthy, and we are so needy. Please help us to never get that order confused, so that we could always humble ourselves before You, worship You, seek Your face and praise You before we ever look for Your outstretched hand to meet our needs. Please forgive us for ever having approached your throne in an unworthy fashion. Please give us boldness and humbleness to always come before You as Your children and Your servants. You, oh Lord, are worthy of our praises. Please forgive us of our unworthiness so that we may bring our petitions before You today. I ask these things in greatest humility, and in the name of Jesus, AMEN!

Who’s Holding Your Hand?

On By Ed AlgreenIn Guidance, Love, SecurityLeave a comment

Tuesday, 2019-03-12

Bible Reference: Psalm 37:23-24 
Translation: The Good News Translation (GNT)

Bible Text: The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand.

APPLICATION: I heard an interview at one time that asked adult females why they were so attached to their fathers. The answers somewhat surprised me, because they were not geared towards the financial welfare or wisdom of their father, but rather around the comfort brought by just holding their hand in circumstances where they would have otherwise felt insecure. Notice that this scenario revolved around a relationship between a father and his daughter, but have you ever thought of God in that type of relationship with you? Have you ever thought about the comfort you receive when you are reminded that our great, big, wonderful God is in charge of this universe and yet He is intimately concerned about our well-being and our security? Friends, there is just one catch to this. God will not push Himself on anyone who has chosen to do, this thing we call, ‘life’ alone. For this verse, and many others, make it clear that God will take extra good care of those who have chosen to open their hearts to Him. But may I quickly caution you that this does not mean that you can just conveniently open your heart to Him when you are in trouble, for He desires to know you, and subsequently care for, and about you in all walks of life. Although it is clear in the Word that He will protect His own, I believe this also means that He will not barge in, or interfere with you, if you have personally chosen to reject Him or live your life without Him. BUT, for those of us who have chosen Jesus as our Master and Lord, the Psalmist is assuring us that ‘greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world’, for He delights in us and assures us that even if we stumble, we will never fail or fall, for the great God of this universe holds our hand! Friends, it is very obvious throughout the Word of God, that His children are the ‘apple of His eye’ and that He loves us, cares for us and will protect His own very carefully until the day we see Him face to face! That’s exciting and comforting for the Christian! This could be exciting and comforting for the non-Christian who humbles yourself and follow the suggestions in my ‘Footnote’ – but please make that decision TODAY, for there is no promise of life for tomorrow. I believe that my God is waiting for you today! Won’t you accept Him as Lord of your life, and allow Him to take your hand and provide for you each and every day?

PRAYER: Father, we are such a blessed people. When we consider this huge universe, the sun, the moon, the planets, the whole concept of land, sea, skies and the air, who are we that a King would send His very own Son as a child to a mere human female, to be born in a stable, to perform endless miracles as proof of His power and relationship to God? Then to die a cruel death on a cross – who are we that You would do all this in the name of love for Your children. Wow! Wow! Wow! This song of praise by David (in this Psalm) reminds us of how special we are in Your eyes, of Your love, of your protection and of Your concern for even us. Thank You Lord Jesus for still leaving the option open for those who are still uncommitted to You. Now, in deepest appreciation for all that You do for me and for who You are to me, Lord Jesus, I ask these things in honest humility and deepest gratitude, AMEN!

The Glistening Purity of Jesus Christ

On By Ed AlgreenIn Bold Confidence, Commitment, How to Live, Pure, PurityLeave a comment

Monday, 2019-03-11

Bible Reference: 1 John 3:1–3
Translation: The Message (MSG)

Bible Text: What marvelous love the Father has extended to us! Just look at it—we’re called children of God! That’s who we really are. But that’s also why the world doesn’t recognize us or take us seriously, because it has no idea who he is or what he’s up to. But friends, that’s exactly who we are: children of God. And that’s only the beginning. Who knows how we’ll end up! What we know is that when Christ is openly revealed, we’ll see him—and in seeing him, become like him. All of us who look forward to his Coming stay ready, with the glistening purity of Jesus’ life as a model for our own.

OBSERVATION: When last have you recognized a child of God? Do you suppose that the world sees a difference in you, versus the rest of the world? Do you feel like the love and character of Christ glows through you in every word or action that comes from you? I find it reassuring that in these verses we are told that when we see Christ, we will become like Him – the glistening purity of the Holy One! I believe that also reaffirms that the things of this world, and the evil one, will no longer have a hold on us! What a day that will be!!

APPLICATION: I see such a sweet assurance in the beginning verse of how much my heavenly Father loves me, and how He calls us His children. My eyes were also opened to the reminder that the world may very well dislike us, because they do not have an appreciation for the things, or character of God. But then I realize that if we do not conform to the ways of the world, then they would hate us anyway, per Romans 12:2. In fact that verse tells us that God will change us from the inside out, so of course we will be different to anything we, or they have ever witnessed before. But friends, the captioned verses today reminds us that our God will come one day to take us home to be with Him. Now that’s a day that we all look forward to, amen? But what about the here and now, what are we to be doing – how then shall we be living? Thankfully John covers this in verse 3, for he advised that we should aim to live like Jesus. I found it interesting that the Message chose to use such an awesome description of the life we are to live: ‘Glistening purity of Jesus’. That makes me think that we are to live squeaky clean lives, just as Christ was perfectly clean/pure. Friends, I believe that the bottom line is that we live the changed life that we have committed ourselves to. If we don’t, imagine how confusing it must be for nonbelievers to hear us preaching the goodness of the Lord from our mouths, yet living like the Devil in our actions and all of our practices. Jesus was pure in every way, and that’s what we are called to do, and be, as children of God. Are you willing to commit to living the pure life exampled by Jesus Christ? We can do that with the sole help of the only pure and holy One – Jesus, the Christ! Let us therefore place our faith and trust in Him to live our lives pleasing to Him.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, You lived a perfect life amidst lots of evil. We also are called to live the kind of pure life that You lived, even when our world seems more corrupt and sinful today than anytime in history. For those of us willing to live the example You have set before us, may You endow us with power, wisdom, determination and total surrender, so that the enemy might see Jesus in all that we do and say. We need You precious Savior. Please work miraculously through us so that Your work might be done, for Your glory only. AMEN!

Tested, Tried and Proven

On By Ed AlgreenIn All-powerful, Encourage, Everything We Need, Faith, Family, friends, Proven, TestingLeave a comment

Psalm 18:30 (AMP): 30 As for God, His way is perfect! The word of the Lord is tested and tried; He is a shield to all those who take refuge and put their trust in Him.

So… you think that you’ve been tested, or perhaps you might feel that you are currently being tested beyond anything you could handle. How are you doing with that? Feeling really alone and overwhelmed about how you might overcome life’s circumstances that are hitting you real hard right now? Where do you turn to for help? Perhaps a spouse, or a brother or sister, perhaps a parent, or perhaps you are blessed with good friends who are willing to stand by your side. Are they more knowledgeable, wise or powerful than you, and therefore offers comfort to you? I have an acquaintance who just lost his wife, what words of wisdom might I offer him? My friend, let me share from my personal experience: you see, I’m human just like you, so I face all of the challenges that I just presented to you above. Yes, I depend on friends and family to help me through times of despair also, but one thing that I’ve discovered is that they are just as limited as I am in trying to explain the reasons why the events of this life occur as, and when they do. So while I’m comforted that they care, there is only ONE that I can turn to and say like The Psalmist – Your ways are perfect oh Lord, thank You for creating me and blessing me with wonderful folk who love and care for me. But Lord, You know my every breath, You know the reasons for every event in my life, You alone know what tomorrow holds and the reason why I must travel the road You’ve prepared just for me. Oh Lord, may You be honored, praised, magnified and lifted up through every word and action that You allow me to project here on earth. Life will be worth it all if You are glorified by all who are touched by Your reflection in my life. May they desire to know You personally and intimately so that they, in turn, may bless others for the kingdom.

Prayer: Lord, May You be glorified through every act of love and every blessing that You continue to shower on me today. Please humble my friends who need You, and if one word expressed in this devotional can be used to draw others unto You, I pray that the glory will be all Yours and may the kingdom increase as a result of sharing Your Word and my humble thoughts. AMEN!

Joy that will last forever!

On By Ed AlgreenIn Hope, SurrenderLeave a comment

Bible Reference: 2 Corinthians 4:16-18
Translation: The Living Bible (TLB)

Bible Text:  That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our inner strength in the Lord is growing every day. These troubles and sufferings of ours are, after all, quite small and won’t last very long. Yet this short time of distress will result in God’s richest blessing upon us forever and ever! So we do not look at what we can see right now, the troubles all around us, but we look forward to the joys in heaven which we have not yet seen. The troubles will soon be over, but the joys to come will last forever.

APPLICATION:  No one had as much opposition as Paul did, yet he found hope in knowing that there was great hope in all that he was doing. Paul found a greater purpose in life, for he found God – the one who sacrificed His very own Son to bring hope, salvation and ultimate love for mankind. As much as we despise rules/commands/guidelines, yet it is obvious that God’s commands are to help us; mold us into His image; and prepare us for the day when we graduate from this earth into our new, eternal home, with Jesus in Heaven! Friends, when we realize that kind of hope, when we are reminded of the joy that is ours in seeing our blessed Savior face-to-face, and to receive His praises for things we have done, or people we have touched because of His love inside of us, then we have a new determination to serve Him all the more while here on earth. I am in no way minimizing your struggles here on earth Brother, nor the backbiting, envy and strife that you may face Sister, but what I am telling you is that no matter what we face today, it is nothing compared to the joy that will be ours when we are welcomed into the presence of Jesus! There’s an old hymn entitled ‘Oh That Will Be Glory For Me“! Friends, there may be trouble for a time, but if You are a committed child of God, there is joy that comes in the morning. So let’s endure the day, knowing that there is hope ahead for the Christian. These days here on earth become more and more stressful, it seems. But may I remind you that these struggles are only for a moment. We have brighter days ahead friends! Much brighter, if you have invited Jesus into your heart as your personal Savior and Lord! If you haven’t made this step, please read my ‘Footnote’ carefully and know that I am available to pray with you or help you in any way that I can, as you consider making this most important decision and commitment. Jesus loves you dearly, and I believe that He is longing to welcome You as His child!

PRAYER: Lord, I rejoice in the fact that there is hope for the Christian! I thank You that You gave Your all for me. Please help me to not complain about the challenges of life that I face in this world, because they are nothing compared to the persecution that Paul faced, or the torture that You went through for me. The great news is that, like Paul, I too can survive the stresses of today knowing that my hope lies in what is yet to come – graduation to heaven where I will live eternally with You! ‘Oh I want To See You, Look Upon Your Face‘! Lord, please remind Your children of the hope that is ours, so that we might easily deal with our daily challenges here on this earth. Please especially humble the hearts of those yet to acknowledge You as Lord. May they find peace in knowing that they can surrender their lives to You even today. Tomorrow may be too late, as You have not assured us of tomorrow. I rejoice in knowing Jesus as my Savior and Lord. I pray that all of my readers can do the same, or make a decision today that will give them that assurance. I ask these things in the wonderful name of Jesus, the new-born King, AMEN!

Your Actions – More Important Than Your Words

On By Ed AlgreenIn Actions, WitnessLeave a comment

Bible Reference: Titus 2:7–8
Translation: New Living Translation (NLT)

Bible Text:  And you yourself must be an example to them by doing good works of every kind. Let everything you do reflect the integrity and seriousness of your teaching. Teach the truth so that your teaching can’t be criticized. Then those who oppose us will be ashamed and have nothing bad to say about us.

APPLICATION:  Paul had just spent the greater portion of a chapter telling Titus how important it was to teach the older men, the older women and the younger men the importance of their lives reflecting the love and truths of God. However, to tie this all together Titus was warned that the sticking point in all this would come when he personally lived the life that he was teaching the people to live. In fact, even those who opposed their ministry would be ashamed as they would find nothing hypercritical to say about them. Friends, it is easy to teach someone what the Good Book says, but it is way more effective when you live the life that you are teaching about. I love that saying that is sometimes used: “your actions are speaking so loudly that I can barely hear what is coming from your lips!” I truly believe that the success of effective ministry by teachers, preachers and fellow Christians are borne from their actions many more times than through the words they speak. Based on this, are you challenged today to seek God’s help in redirecting your actions to be more effective in your ministry and/or witnessing? Let’s seek God’s face, allow Him to impact our lives, and extend Himself out through us in everything we do or say, all for His ultimate glory!

PRAYER: Lord God, You are faithful to us in every way, and I am so appreciative of that! But I thank You today for reminding us that perhaps more impactful than the words we speak, are the actions we take towards our fellow mankind. Lord, may our actions today be way more reflective of Your teachings than anything we could possible say. Please minister to the unsaved, the discouraged and the despondent today through our actions, and if necessary, also through our words that would reflect Your teachings and Your will for them. We need You precious Lord, please direct our path today, all for Your glory and honor, AMEN!

As The Lord’s Servant…

On By Ed AlgreenIn Obedient, Servants of God, TeacherLeave a comment

Wednesday, 2019-02-20

Bible Reference: 2 Timothy 2:24–26
Translation: The Good news Translation (GNT)

Bible Text:  As the Lord’s servant, you must not quarrel. You must be kind towards all, a good and patient teacher, gentle as you correct your opponents, for it may be that God will give them the opportunity to repent and come to know the truth. And then they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the Devil, who had caught them and made them obey his will.

OBSERVATION: Look for the ‘so that’ phrases in Scripture. Often you will see that God has something intentional to accomplish through a particular word that just came before us in our Bible study. Today is one of those special times, and I believe that God is seeking our attention so that His Word might be better accepted by those we minister to. Dig in with me, won’t you?

APPLICATION:  An important tip I gained from a conference speaker, is to look for the ‘so that’ in God’s Word, as well as trying to use that connector in my prayers when asking God for things. In the scripture today, it is important for us to note that Paul is teaching Timothy to be conscious of the following things so that the people might see God and desire to know Him. I believe that it is critical for Christian leaders and teachers to leave no doubt that they follow the teaching that they share with others. In our Scripture today we see a few qualities emphasized by Paul, and I believe they are still just as critical to teachers and preachers of today, so let’s meditate on these:

  • Do not quarrel – remember, it takes two to quarrel! Sometimes it seems like Satan may have sent certain people into the classroom, or the church, to disrupt the teaching of God’s Word, because it appears like they do their very best to get the teacher off track. God expects us to be understanding and not quarrel. The last thing we want to do is to open the door to Satan’s temptations and roadblocks to God’s message. Remember the importance of our job in doing God’s work. If we commit to His work, and surrender our will to His, He will help us to deal with the distractions and troublemakers;
  • Be kind towards all – it is so human for us to love the ‘teacher’s pet’, but despise the troublemaker – the one who is constantly looking to put us on the spot with challenging questions, disrupt the class, or deliberately throw us off track;
  • Be a good and patient teacher – to be a good teacher, I believe it is important that we have sought God’s will for the class, studied the lesson well, and therefore excited about teaching all that God has taught you, to the students that God has placed before you at just that perfect time. To be patient, means that others in the room may have a word from God also, therefore they may have valuable input to add to your teaching. Being patient means accepting the fact that not everyone in the class will be at the same level you are at in knowledge or their relationship with the Lord;
  • Be gentle as you correct others – treat students as individuals that you want to help get into the boat, not sit back and watch them drown. Show them that you want them to understand what you are trying to relay. Show them that you care about them.

Let’s be careful to always remember that we are representing the Master, as we try to share His Word with others, so let’s act like we believe He would act, if He was standing before the class. Let’s look for His heart and try to imitate that same heart as we teach. God’s Word is very clear: He desires that none of His kids should perish. Let us therefore do all we can to help prevent any from perishing because of their sin, or lack of spiritual understanding. God can use even you, friend! Please be obedient to whatever He should ask of you.


PRAYER: Lord God, thank You for using even us to get Your message across to the lost, and to the stubborn who allows Satan to distract them. I agree that Your Word is very powerful, but I also know that often You will show one person something totally different to another saint, from exactly the same passage. Please help us to always recognize that as a key indicator that Your Word is alive and will speak to different folk differently. Please help us to study Your Word and be ready to share how It spoke to our heart. May our teaching fall on good and obedient ears so that Your will might be accomplished in the hearts of those who so desperately need You. Touch the hearts of Your Bible teachers even now dear Lord, so that they may proclaim Your Word in power and in the full strength intended. You are awesome oh God, and I worship and adore You today for who You are and for all that You teach me through Your Word. Have Your perfect will and way today oh Lord in the lives of all who open Your Word, AMEN!

Living A Godly Life

On By Ed AlgreenIn Godly actions, Godly lives, Like Jesus, SincereLeave a comment

Tuesday, 2019-02-19

Bible Reference: 2 Timothy 3:12
Translation: New Living Translation (NLT)

Bible Text:  Yes, and everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.

APPLICATION:  On reading the subject of this devotional, one may have thought that our study might give reasons to worship today, because surely we could rejoicing over the joys of living a godly life! Yes, there is much to rejoice in as we, Christians, think about our eternal home in glory with our Master. However, what Paul is warning about in this short verse, is what we might expect to see while we remain here on earth. Of course you might respond that of course, we spread the joy of the Lord with everyone, and we worship and adore our Savior at every opportunity. As true as that may be friend, notice carefully the verbiage used by Paul, for he said that for us to live a ‘GODLY’ life, we should expect persecution. Living a ‘godly’ life means that you are not just going to obey the commands of God, but you have committed to study His Word carefully and then live your life patterned after Jesus. It means that your life will be so different to that of the general public, that they might look at you like you are really ‘strange’! Think about this friends, Jesus was not a ‘yes man’ to all that the Pharisees expected of Him, for He showed them the true meaning of unconditional love; of unselfish leadership; of placing others before themselves; of standing up for God in every aspect of life, even in our careers; and of changing certain rituals because they may not be aligned with the image or expectation of Jesus Christ. In short, Jesus upset the ‘apple cart’ every time He recognized wrong or ungodly living, regardless of who was caught in the crossfire. Let’s look at this from our current scenario. In almost every conversation with Christians, we recognize that we have mellowed a lot from the ways of our ancestors, because we have calculated that their ways were just too strict, or too literal, regarding Biblical teachings. We allow things in our churches now that were unheard of in the early church. When last have you heard of a summit where church leaders would humble themselves before God and surrender totally to His will for the churches they are leading? How long would church leaders be permitted to stay in their roles, if they returned from a conference and started making changes, because they felt God was wanting them to help steer His church back to Him? Are we ready to challenge our work bosses because we see the need to stand up for what we discern to be ungodly principles and/or practices? I don’t believe we will find anywhere in the Bible that Jesus caved in to the practices of the day because He was being too literal with the commands of His Father. If we have committed ourselves to live just like Jesus, should we cave in to worldly practices and demands? How will we explain that to God on Judgment Day? Although it is very easy to look at the general public and see the wrongs, and softening effects of the Gospel, I want to encourage each reader to look deeply inside of self, and examine yourself in light of the Gospel that you claim to be your guide. Allow God to speak into your life, will you?

PRAYER: Dear God, You have placed Your perfect Son before us so that we might have the pattern for life that would be pleasing to You. Yet, much like the Pharisees, we have designed our own pattern of living. Unfortunately not all aspects of our design meets the standards that were demonstrated by Jesus. Father, we want our lives and our churches to be aligned with You, yet we tend to place our own little spin to the truth You have taught us. Please forgive us for doubting; for changing Your ways to conform with the ways of this world; and for assuming Your role, when we should really be seeking Your face and Your will. To win the world for Jesus Christ, I feel like we should first be willing to demonstrate before them a sincere ‘godly’ life so that they can clearly see what they are committing to. Lord Jesus, please have Your will and Your way in the lives of Christians today, beginning with me. Please work miraculously in our churches so that we may truly be the cornerstone of Your worldwide mission to reach the lost while we wait for Your Big Day when You will come to take us home with You. I ask these things in the name of Jesus, AMEN!

2019