Tag: Bible Fellowship Church

Love Beyond Human Understanding

On By Ed AlgreenIn All have sinned, All-powerful, Ask and Receive, Awesome God, Bible Believing, Love, Love God, Merciful Savior, Obedience, UnconditionalLeave a comment

Tuesday, 2018-12-04

Bible Reference: Psalm 144:1-4
Translation: The Living Bible (TLB)

Bible Text: ^Bless the Lord who is my immovable Rock. He gives me strength and skill in battle. 2 He is always kind and loving to me; he is my fortress, my tower of strength and safety, my deliverer. He stands before me as a shield. He subdues my people under me.   3 O Lord, what is man that you even notice him? Why bother at all with the human race?[a] 4 For man is but a breath; his days are like a passing shadow.

OBSERVATION: Most often we expect love in forms that we might consider showing love ourselves. Therefore, when we recognize the love of God, we are blown away. David was in one of those ah-ha moments in our Scripture reading today, for he recognized that God’s love was not dependent on his strengths, abilities, or whether he deserved it or not. Let’s look deeper into this awesome love that God displayed for David, and that He has for us.

APPLICATION: I believe that we will all agree that it is somewhat easy to return love to someone for the love that they show towards us. Conversely, I believe it is not our usual nature to return love to someone who has been downright rude to us, and may have even shown hatred towards us in some form. To sum this up, I believe we could easily say that we most often return love, in response for the love shown towards us. So how is that different with God? Let’s start with this example of David. As a young man, he was held back from battle by his dad, because he (David) was his dad’s prized child that he loved unconditionally. David was used as a messenger to go and deliver food and supplies to his brothers, but as he arrived on the scene he found a standoff between the Philistines and his home team. The standoff was mostly controlled by a giant, named Goliath. Having been directed by God to fight many other ‘giants’ out in the field while protecting his sheep, David was astounded that his brothers and the rest of the Israelite army were allowing this to stand in their way. So in our Scripture today, David had a time of meditation with the Lord in preparation for taking on this giant. Child of God, let us meditate on the ‘giants’ in our lives today. Do we have the kind of relationship with God that we could stand before Him with the same courage that David did? Have you stopped to ponder why the God of this universe; the God who created each of us and everything else around us, would care enough to listen to us and act on any requests we may have for Him? Why who do we think we are? Have we been exceptionally good in praising God for every blessing, every day? Have we loved Him enough in return for the unconditional love that He showed our Brother David, or showed on the cross for our benefit? Who are we that He should even love us and care about our welfare? Friend of God, please know that our God is a God of love. I believe that He would have sent His Son as a baby, if we were the only one on earth that needed a Savior. I believe that He would have bore the pain of crucifixion if our sins were the only ones needing to be cleansed. Just like David, I am awestruck daily to imagine that God would love even me, but I know He does! Praise God! For the unbeliever who may be reading this blog today, please know that my Savior also loves and cares about you! Surrender your life to Him and allow Him to show His unconditional love to you today, won’t you? Please go on to read my Footnote and allow God to work in your life friend!

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, knowing that I’m a child of Yours, gives me confidence to know that You love me unconditionally and that You would move anything aside to ensure my safety, security and ultimate destination stays in tact. But why me Lord? There are so many that have done so much more for the kingdom, but just like David, I stand before You today in amazement that You would love and care for even me. Lord, there will be others who will read this blog today that need to know You personally and in a very real way. Please consider their plight and draw them to Yourself. Oh that they may surrender themselves unconditionally to You today, is my humble prayer. AMEN!

Can Others Follow Your Example?

On By Ed AlgreenIn Acknowledge God, Allegiance, Almighty, Christ's Representative, Christian Principles, Daily communion with GodLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE FROM: Daniel 6:26-27 (VOICE)

TEXT: 26 I decree that all people everywhere who live under my sovereign rule ought to tremble before and fear the God of Daniel. 
        For He is the living God,
        and He will endure forever.
    His kingdom will never be overthrown;
        His reign will know no end.
27     He saves and rescues those who fear Him,
        performing signs and wonders in heaven and on earth;
    For He has rescued His servant Daniel
        from the power of the lions.

OBSERVATION: The king declared a decree based on what he saw had happened in Daniel’s life. I wonder if we paused at the end of the day and reflected on our lives – the ups and down, the attitude, the loss of temper, etc, that may have taken place that day, would we have something to celebrate with God, or would we be ashamed of it? What about others, would they have gained wisdom or godly example from us, like the king did of Daniel, or would they stay far enough away from us? Let’s meditate some more on this…

APPLICATION: We might say from time to time how we wish we were like a certain person – one who really stands out in our view, and perhaps excels in an area that we feel so inadequate in. For example, a lady might look at a girl who is so beautiful and shapely, that all of the nice looking guys are hanging all over her. She’s the popular girl at work and in their social circles. A guy might look at the man driving a ferrari and has the money to buy whatever his heart desires, so the girls flock after him. It’s funny how the grass always seems greener on the other side of the fence! After considering scenarios like this, I have heard several people say that in spite of their problems, they can’t think of anyone that they would rather trade life with, so they will gladly deal with their own issues, and that is so true. But what about those that you would like to imitate? What about those that you would like to walk alongside for a day, a week or perhaps a year, so that you could learn some of what they know and/or do? In our Scripture today we see an example of a hardened king whose heart was changed because of the faithfulness of a true, earnest and faithful son of the Almighty. Like many of us, the king was accustomed to telling his subjects what they should must do, and if they disobeyed, or took too long getting it done, their life was abruptly ended. However, when Daniel was brought into the picture, King Darius noticed something different about him, much like I would hope that others notice with true followers of Christ today. For Daniel came with his life already under the command of one King, and he was so faithful to that King that he was not about to be redirected against those principles, even to the point, and threat, of death, when commanded by an earthly king. Friends, this man’s faith caused a hardened king to not only recognize the power of the King of all kings to whom Daniel answered, but he went as far as using that experience to command his kingdom to also respect and honor the King/God of Daniel. This stopped me in my tracks, and caused me to question what someone might say at the end of a day that they spent around me. What about you friend? Would there be some traits that your friend(s) might consider adopting? Do you suppose that they saw Jesus at all that day? Would they be drawn towards the God you serve, or would they try with all their power to go in the opposite direction? To each one reading this devotional, may I suggest that you consider this today in the things that you say and in the things you do? Seek God as you start your day and ask Him to give you opportunities to let your light so shine, that others might catch a glimpse of your Master. It’s all about Him, my faithful friend!

PRAYER: Dearest Lord Jesus, may Your light so shine through my readers and I today, that those to whom we come into contact with, will react much like King Darius, and not only want to know you, but also want to adopt many of Your commands and characteristics. I believe that as they do, and prove You faithful, they will feel compelled to draw close to You and give You full reign in their lives. May You be recognized and glorified through us today dear Lord, 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 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!

‘GUILTY’ of Praying?

On By Ed AlgreenIn Commitment, Dedication, Determined, PrayerLeave a comment

Tuesday, 2018-11-13

Scripture

Bible Reference: Daniel 6:10-11

Bible Text: 10 When Daniel learned that the decree had been signed and posted, he continued to pray just as he had always done. His house had windows in the upstairs that opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he knelt there in prayer, thanking and praising his God. 11 The conspirators came and found him praying, asking God for help.

Bible Translation: The Living Bible (TLB)

My Take

Many of us meditating on this scripture today probably don’t have any state laws prohibiting us from any religious activities, but I wonder when last we could have possibly been found guilty of ‘praying’? Over in Philippians 4:6 we are told to not fret or worry about anything, but instead ‘pray’ about everything, yet in a country where we are free to pray and worship the God of this universe, we probably deal more with depression and anxiety than anything else. Daniel shows us that in spite of man’s efforts to hinder his relationship with his God, that nothing would separate him from the love of his Lord. I would encourage each of us to take particular note of this, because it doesn’t take much to hinder us in our prayer life. Of course I could only speak to our corporate prayer life, but it is sad that our midweek prayer and Bible study is attended by only a very small percentage of our congregation. In fact, so poorly attended that I am reminded by the words of a pastor in my younger life, who said that it looks like the church at large has voted to cancel the service, for the absence of the vast majority speaks volumes about how they feel about corporate prayer meetings. In fact, I wonder how God must feel when He looks at our corporate prayer meeting attendance, for He said through His servant in 1 Thessalonians 5:18 ‘Be cheerful no matter what; pray all the time; thank God no matter what happens. This is the way God wants you, who belong to Christ Jesus, to live‘. So friends I would challenge you to seriously consider and declare who you are claiming as your King; your Lord; and your Master. Have you personally accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Savior? God’s Word tells us that if you have, then you would have a desire to ‘pray all the time’. If your ‘love-for-God’ meter is measured by your prayer life, are you proud of the love you show to God every day? How about your concern for the church as a whole, do you attend corporate prayer enough to support its survival and its outreach into your community? Is your pastor empowered because of your prayers for him? Daniel maintained his prayer life in spite of a new law being enacted that he knew could have led to his imprisonment. How valid do you feel your excuses are for not attending your corporate prayer services, compared to Daniel’s commitment in the circumstances he was under?

Prayer

Lord God, we are a sorry bunch, considering all the gracious gifts that You bless us with every day, compared to the uncaring attitude we extend in returning thanks to You. Friends are dying every day without Jesus, and ashamedly we acknowledge that our prayers and our influence in their lives could have made a difference. We have read, heard and seen the power of prayer, yet many have chosen to ignore its power through their attendance and commitment to pray corporately. Please forgive us Lord. I feel like we are witnessing the greatest need for revival probably in the life of Your church here on earth. Only those who have actually accepted you as Lord can be ‘revived’, so Lord, please begin a great work in the life of Your church – Your people. May Your children be reminded of the power of prayer, and their obligation to converse with their Master. We need you heavenly Father, revive Your church again, I pray. AMEN!

Footnote

If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. 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 www.nuggetsfromgodsword.org 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!

Concerned Enough To Pray

On By Ed AlgreenIn Caring, Needs, Needs of others, PrayerLeave a comment

Thursday, 2018-11-10

Scripture

Bible Reference: Nehemiah 1:2–4

Bible Text: 2 Hanani, one of my brothers, came from Judah with some other men, and I questioned them about the Jewish remnant that had survived the exile, and also about Jerusalem. 3 They said to me, “Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire.” 4 When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven

Bible Translation: New International Version (NIV)

My Take

Ever shared your burden with a friend, and they promised to pray for you, but never followed up with you to see how you’re doing? Ever stood in a line of folk entering or exiting a church, and while telling one parishioner that you will be praying for them, you are already looking at the next person and greeting them? I am not your judge on whether you follow through with those promised prayers for someone, but I can honestly share with you that I have said those words many times before and now stand ashamed before God acknowledging that I have often not followed through with praying for the needs that I promised someone I would pray for. Nehemiah’s actions in verse (4) really spoke to me, but what equally ministered to me, was the action that he took in verse 2, where he asked about the condition of his Jewish brothers who had survived the exile. How many times do you leave church upset that the pastor never even asked you how you were feeling? Now, may I ask you a more challenging question, how many times in the last 4 weeks have you asked how things are going at the church at a very high level, or how might you pray for your pastor? Friends, too often we want to know what’s going on because we want every little piece of gossip we could get. I believe that Nehemiah is teaching us to settle for an answer like “I am really struggling today, please pray for my health”, or “I am feeling discouraged today, please pray for me”, or a pastor may say “I am feeling overwhelmed today because I am concerned about so many parishioners who are hurting emotionally or perhaps sick”. I believe that if we could settle for prayer needs such as that, instead of needing to know every little detail, then more pastors and/or Brothers and Sisters would share their high level prayer requests with us. But remember, most won’t share their prayer requests with us if we don’t care enough to ask. Now let me draw our attention to the depth of Nehemiah prayer. For he not only cared enough to ask about the condition of his people, but he followed through with days of mourning, fasting and praying before God for the needs of his people. Some months ago I took part in a prayer chain, where I committed to enter into God’s presence for one hour, praying over some heartfelt concerns. Because I have been accustomed to short, quick conversations with God, that hour felt like an eternity. Look at the condition of Nehemiah’s heart over this concern for his people – he mourned, he fasted and he prayed for days. May I challenge you to dig deep into your heart, yes even those of you that are trying to have hearts like your Master, the Lord Jesus Christ, and consider the last time that you were burdened enough about your church, or pastor, or unsaved loved one that you found it more important to pray than to eat, and your heart was so burdened for the need that you wept uncontrollably before God in prayer for hours and days before you felt a breakthrough? Let’s care enough to actually pray about those things that concern us, and/or concern those that we love and care about. The effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man/woman avails much. Communion with God will best prepare us for dealings with mankind!

Prayer

Lord Jesus, please touch Your people once again. Draw us unto Yourself so that with Your heart and Your love and Your concern for Your children, we too might become more devoted to caring for one another and praying sincerely for the needs of others. Regrettably, we have become such an instant, fast-paced people that we hardly leave time for showing deep concern for one another, for our pastors and for our churches. Please forgive us Lord, and teach us to pray in a way pleasing to You, and that consequently reaches the hearts of those that we pray for. Our prayers are to You and for Your glory, so help us to never lose sight of our Savior by slacking in our prayer life. The world needs You, heavenly Father, and Christians need more of You to be effective witnesses for You. Please renew a right spirit within us, beginning with me, so that the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart will be acceptable in Your sight, oh Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer. AMEN!

Footnote

If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. 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 www.nuggetsfromgodsword.org 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!

Sin – An Object Of Cursing From God

On By Ed AlgreenIn Bible Believing, Christian, Curses, Faith, Humility, Obedience, Our Help comes from God, Righteousness, SurrenderLeave a comment

Wednesday, 2016-10-19

Scripture

Bible Reference: Jeremiah 44:22–23

Bible Text:  22 Today, your land is an object of cursing, a horror, a lifeless ruin because the Eternal could no longer stand your wickedness and the detestable things you did. 23 Take a good look at the disaster that has come upon you. It happened because you burned incense to other gods and sinned against the Eternal. It happened because you refused to obey His voice or follow His law and His decrees, because you ignored His warnings.

Bible Translation: The VOICE 

My Take

Just from the title you probably had no incentive or desire to open this devotional and read more. That’s pretty normal, because we are creatures of so much stress each day that the last thing we want to hear is another challenge or critical point of view. Sorry friends, but as followers of Christ we must be obedient to the Holy Spirit and stop to meditate on a passage of scripture such as this, when presented with it, because God could very well be getting our attention to warn us of what our own outcome may look like, if we continue in sin and disobedient to His commands. Based on scripture, I believe that God wants us to turn away from our sin (stop doing it and look at God’s plan for us), humble ourselves before the almighty God, seek His face and His heart’s desire for us, and pray for a revived spirit within us individually and, as a family, as a church, as a city and indeed as a nation. Friends, at this time of the year we become so caught up in politics, in Thanksgiving celebrations, and begin thinking about Christmas. If we’re not careful, I’m afraid that we could easily lose our passion for what is really critical in God’s eyes – that we know Him; honor Him; obey Him and seek sincerely to follow Him. In doing this friends, we will earn a deep, sincere, desire to see our family and friends also ‘make the cut’, or generate a desire to know the Savior that we love, adore and live in great expectation of uniting with one day! Friends, as we grow closer to God and live more like Him here on this earth, perhaps He may save our land from desolation and destruction. Most of us would desire that God bless our respective native country, so I sincerely believe that we would also truly regret it if God removed His hand of blessing from us and allowed our land to become an object of His cursing – just because of our neglect of God and His commands. God says in His Word that He puts our leaders in place for His purposes. Let us therefore be sure that we seek His face as we vote on our leaders, and more importantly, let us seek to know God better, understand His directions for us, and seek to follow His will and His way. I believe that this will please God and perhaps earn His blessing rather than His curse, as He did with the disobedient and rebellious Israelites.

Prayer

Lord, please forgive us for getting so caught up in our own agendas at the expense of our obedience to You and Your commands to us. I am convinced that You are far more interested in our heart, and the desires of our heart, than any earthly concern that we may have influence over. We love our respective home-country and would ask that You bless us immensely in every way. That’s a selfish request because we happen to live here, and whatever happens to our country, affects us. Lord, I also want to ask that You touch the hearts of Your children today so that we may be a vital Christian influence in our country that is representative of the Savior who loves and controls us. I realize that we don’t deserve this Lord, but I ask this so that Your work might be accomplished in our country, in spite of us. I pray that Your children will lift Your banner high so that the world might know the One who reigns over us! AMEN!

Footnote

If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. 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 www.nuggetsfromgodsword.org 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!

Godly Results from Obedience

On By Ed AlgreenIn Actions, Obedience, RewardsLeave a comment

Monday, August 27, 2017

Scripture

Bible Reference: Proverbs 3:1–4

Bible Text: 1 My child, never forget the things I have taught you. Store my commands in your heart. 2 If you do this, you will live many years, and your life will be satisfying. 3 Never let loyalty and kindness leave you! Tie them around your neck as a reminder. Write them deep within your heart. 4 Then you will find favor with both God and people, and you will earn a good reputation.

Bible Translation: New Living Translation (NLT)

My Take

In our scripture today we are given some pointers on how we might be blessed by God. Let me share these things in a very simple format so that we might easily get the point and begin to align our lives for blessings from our awesome God:

  • ACTION: Never forget the things taught to you by your parents; your Bible School teachers; your Pastors; the Bible. In fact, store those things deep in your heart so that your words, and your actions will reflect what you have stored, and not what the world teaches or expects from you.
    • REWARD: You will live many years, and your life will be satisfying. So many people live in misery, because they have no hope, or because they have caved in to every whim of this world. Let me encourage you to be obedient to the above ‘Action’, and live in expectation of your rewards from God. 
  • ACTION: Be loyal and kind. Some translations also use the characteristic ‘love’. These are so important, that God instructed us through the writer to tie these around our neck and write them deep into our heart. I find that the easiest way for me to do this with a Bible verse, is to type it out and place it on my computer screen, the refrigerator door, or somewhere that will catch my attention throughout my day. To embed these things into our heart is best done through memorization or reading the words repeatedly throughout your day. 
    • REWARD: You will find favor with God and those that you hang around. Your character will then earn you a good reputation by those who know you. I don’t believe there is anything that a Christian would desire more, than to know that our lives are pleasing to God. Re-read the above ‘Action’ and practice it every day friends!

Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank You for giving us Your Word so that we might catch a glimpse of Your heart for us. It is evident that you want so bad for us to succeed in our Christian walk that You have given us everything we need to know about what pleases You. Lord, we long to live in total obedience to You. Please touch our hearts and help us to be strong and determined to shun Satan and to live our lives in total obedience to You. May these commands today impact us so that we might willingly live totally obedient lives to Your will and way. Forgive us Lord for our inadequacies and unwillingness of the past. AMEN!

Footnote

If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. 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 www.nuggetsfromgodsword.org 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!

Here’s The Reason Jesus Came

On By Ed AlgreenIn Effective Ministry, Reflective of Jesus Christ, The ChurchLeave a comment

Sunday, 2017-07-16

Scripture

Bible Reference: Mark 2:17

Bible Text: 17 When Jesus heard this, he told them, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.”

Bible Translation: New Living Translation (NLT)

My Take

The attention given to the unrighteous, reminds me of a friend who is attracted to the one who sits at the back of the church and may be feeling dejected. I am also made keenly aware of why our churches are not reaching many of the unsaved in our communities. Think about it, who do most of our church members hang around? Fellow Christians, right? What happens to a pastor or church leader who may be seen hanging around a questionable crowd? Jesus said that He came for those who know that they are sinners. Wouldn’t that be a bold statement for a church to acknowledge that they exist for the sake of the unsaved? Who generally devours most of your pastor’s time, the saved or the unsaved? Where do most of your budget dollars go – towards reaching the lost; or patting the backs of the saved, and keeping them entertained? Will the unsaved feel welcomed at your worship services, or will they feel looked down on by the masses? Are you a part of a ministry that imitates the desire of Jesus, seeking to reach those who know they are sinners? If we are to be about our Father’s work, I believe we should be busy doing exactly what He showed and taught us to do. Can you handle that friend?

Prayer

Lord, may we Your children be willing to minister to those in need of a Savior more than just ministering to those just like us, or those we like. You came so that the lost might be saved and see the Kingdom of God. Please help us to keep that as our focus of ministry. I ask these things in the strong name of Jesus, AMEN!

Footnote

If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. 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 www.nuggetsfromgodsword.org 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!

You Know One Is ‘Religious’ When….

On By Ed AlgreenIn Religious, SalvationLeave a comment

Friday, 2017-06-30

Scripture

Bible Reference: Acts 17:22–23

Bible Text:  22 So Paul, standing before the council, addressed them as follows: “Men of Athens, I notice that you are very religious in every way, 23 for as I was walking along I saw your many shrines. And one of your altars had this inscription on it: ‘To an Unknown God.’

Bible Translation: New Living Translation (NLT)

My Take

If you walked into a young man’s bedroom, and he had the walls plastered with large posters of young ladies, some dressed and some barely clothed in a swim suit, might you conclude that the young man is a true ladies’ man, or that he is a good, loyal, faithful husband? How about if this was a young man from your Sunday School class, would you be more, or less convinced that he is a religious person? If you met a store clerk who wore a cross on her chain and appeared to have a great attitude, might you conclude that she was a very religious young lady? How about when you walk into a church on the weekend and see hundreds of attendees, surely they are religious, right? Friends, Paul had to address this misconception of acting ‘religious’ as it could mislead someone into believing that they are a born-again Christian. I believe that the Holy Spirit prompted me to remind this audience that there is only one way by which you are saved, and the only way into heaven is when God is convinced that you are saved. The one way that you are saved is by getting before the Lord Jesus Christ, asking for His forgiveness of your sin, and inviting Him to take charge of your life – total surrender on your part. This is totally scriptural and can be supported by scripture, so it is gospel truth. Somehow, I believe you may have concluded that none of what I have described to you above, matches the biblical description of what a Christian is, or acts like. However, they may sound like the individuals may be ‘religions’, at least in the eyes of some, right? Friends, your connection to the Master of the Universe, and your personal relationship with Him, matters first of all to the Master, then you, then should be obvious to all those you come into contact with. Acting, or pretending to be religious, may very well come across to your friends as you trying to be something that you’re not. When your relationship with Christ is in order, there will be something about your life that others will immediately recognize, without you saying a word, or acting any differently. When the Holy Spirit resides inside of you and works in and through you, your whole demeanor will change and others will see and believe! Please don’t get me wrong friends. I am not saved to prove anything to my friends who truly love me, but because I am saved they can tell from the life I live and the hope that is evident in my character, that I have a hope, I have a future, and it is in heaven with my precious Lord and Savior. Would you please put your mind at ease, and the concern of your friends and family, by seeking out Jesus today? Enough with trying to be ‘religious’. Seek the face of Jesus, look full in to His wonderful eyes, and the things of this world will grow strangely dim!

Prayer

Father God, You are so awesome that You not only created us and gave us a very successful life to enjoy here on earth, but You went a step further by providing the means for us to be assured today about our future with You. Although not automatic, yet You knew that it was not something that we could attain on our own, so You provided Your Son as a living sacrifice for our sin. So that through Him, we might become sons and daughters of the most high! Thank You for loving me with such passion and grace! Thank You for assuring me that it’s OK to share this message with friends who can make the same decision as I did, so that they too might be assured of their salvation. Lord, may this be the day of decision for all who reads this devotional. AMEN!

Footnote

If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. 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 www.nuggetsfromgodsword.org 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!

The Compassion of Christ

On By Ed AlgreenIn All-powerful, Awesome God, Compassion, Forgiveness, Power of God, PowerfulLeave a comment

Post Date:

 Tuesday, 2017-05-02
SCRIPTURE

From:

 Mark 6:36-38 (ERV)

Text:

 36 So send the people away. They need to go to the farms and towns around here to buy some food to eat.”37 But Jesus answered, “You give them some food to eat.”

They said to Jesus, “We can’t buy enough bread to feed all these people. We would all have to work a month to earn enough to buy that much bread!”

38 Jesus asked them, “How many loaves of bread do you have now? Go and see.”

They counted their loaves of bread. They came to Jesus and said, “We have five loaves of bread and two fish.”
OBSERVATION:
Jesus had been bombarded by crowds every day, and now wanted to escape for a few hours with His close followers to just relax and refresh. However, as they were approaching their destination they realized that the crowd was 2 steps ahead of them, and in spite of going the long way around, they were already on the other side of the lake. Jesus could easily have thrown His hands up and turned around to return where He and His disciples left from, but He had compassion on the crowd gathered and resumed His ministry to them.
APPLICATION:
I wonder how often we shrug off our responsibility to care for others like Jesus did? I wonder how many ministry opportunities are missed when we do that? I wonder how often we skew the concept of Jesus in the eyes of others, because we acted in a totally different way than what they were expecting Christ’s followers to act like? Jesus was looking for respite, but instead faced the same crowd that He was hoping to escape for a short period. Not only did Jesus attend to their spiritual needs for this huge crowd, but He also attended to their physical need of nourishment. I want you to think like most of the disciples did. Imagine taking an extra couple of friends home for supper, unannounced to your spouse – the cook who may have prepared enough for 2. Now imagine that you dropped a bombshell on your wife that you would like for her to prepare a meal for your Sunday School class of 30. If you survived divorce on that daring request, imagine that you are the pastor of a church and you asked your wife to prepare a meal for the congregation. Whoa, that’s a huge and daring request! OK, so this request, or demand, Jesus made of His followers to feed the crowd of over 5,000 was humongous in the eyes of the disciples, especially with them not having brought any provisions. However, what was impossible in the eyes of man, was totally possible with God! Once again Jesus had compassion on the crowd and used what little His followers found among the crowd, to multiply it and make it more than sufficient for the need at hand. Friends, let’s learn to never question God when we feel like He is directing us. If He created the world from absolutely nothing, and if He created man from just dirt, can you imagine what He could still do today in the lives of those He created and gave up His very own Son’s life for? As we stand in awe of His awesome power and compassion, may we recommit yet again to give Him control and allow Him to rule and reign in our lives, for His ultimate glory? May we be willing to give wholeheartedly like our Saviir did!
PRAYER:
Lord Jesus, thank You for accepting us as You children who are so desperately in need of a Savior. Our awareness of Your power and Your giving has been revitalized as we read this story once again. Now may we be willing to exercise our faith and strive to live our life experiences with You in mind and as our example. May others desire to know You personally because of seeing You in every fiber of my life. Bless my readers and encourage them to do the same. 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!

Get Away With The Lord

On By Ed AlgreenIn Dedication, Determination, Determined, Excuses, Priorities, PriorityLeave a comment

Post Date:

 Tuesday, 2017-04-04
SCRIPTURE

From:

 Exodus 34:23-24 (NIV)

Text:

 23 Three times a year all your men are to appear before the Sovereign Lord, the God of Israel. 24 I will drive out nations before you and enlarge your territory, and no one will covet your land when you go up three times each year to appear before the Lord your God.
OBSERVATION:
This is an interesting meeting Moses had with the Lord. After the last similar meeting, Moses returned to his people, and became so angry at finding them worshiping idols again, that he threw down the stones upon which God had written the Ten Commandments. God had Moses write the Commandments on the stones this time, but He also ordered Moses to gather the men together and meet with Him (God) three times per year while they attended festivals. It sounds like God wants time together with His leaders!
APPLICATION:
At a time when it is extremely challenging to get men out to church on the weekends, and especially at midweek prayer and Bible study, we were able to take a group from our church to a Bible based, Spirit led, prayer conference for approximately two full days. These days were filled with the Word of God, as Scripture was given to each participant; songs prompted by the Holy Spirit; and prayer from the heart of each attendee, as prompted by God. No agenda, just waiting before the Lord and obeying the leading of His Holy Spirit. What might seem amazing to many, is that the crowd doubled in size the second year! What a sweet, Holy Ghost filled, time with the Lord! We returned to our church fired up, renewed and ready for the Lord to continue His work in and through us. This helped me to identify with what God was telling Moses to do. I wonder, if your pastor organized a get-away at your church: How many men would sacrifice vacation time to go and spend devoted time with the Lord? How many wives or girlfriends would encourage husbands or boyfriends to please go and participate? How many employers would welcome the time off for employees that they suspect would return and pray for the success of their business? Friends, I wonder how many gods we place before the God of this universe when we can’t find time for church services over the weekend or a discipleship class during the week? We tend to blame it on ‘time’, but may I recommend that you use the word ‘priority’ when explaining why you couldn’t participate/attend? Especially use that word when praying to God at the end of each day. Imagine: Lord Jesus, please forgive me for not making it a priority to hear from You through reading Your Word today? Lord, please forgive me that I made it a priority to take my family to the beach today/took my wife shopping today/went to have lunch with old friends today; played golf today…. but didn’t make it a priority to take my family to church. Can we, in all good conscience, add to the end of those excuses: ‘but bless me anyway and guide the thoughts of my troubled son this week’??? Friends, I believe that we are either all for God, or we’re not. I know that we can’t be at every single church gathering, but sincerely before God, we must be ready to answer His question on the priority of our day/time. Please consider taking time away to draw close to God, so that He might draw close to you. I don’t believe that there could be one thing more strengthening for your relationship with God, which will also enrich your relationship with your family and coworkers.
PRAYER:
Lord God, please forgive us for the many excuses we come up with regarding our priorities. Too often You are placed at the bottom of the list, or as a last resort. This must be turned around if we ever expect to draw close to You, or encourage/convince an unbeliever. Please give us strength, boldness and self-determination to serve You wholeheartedly and without excuses. You gave up Your life for us, how much more can we do in return? Give Your children boldness and commitment today I sincerely plead dear God, 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!