Tag: CalvaryChurchFL

Those Who Abandon Their Faith

On By Ed AlgreenIn A Lamp unto My Path, Adoration, Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Awesome God, Beyond Description, Blessing, Celebrate God, Needs, Praise, Praise-worthy, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED: Thursday, January 4, 2024, and I was blessed to be at Florida Hunting Adventures, Okeechobee, FL when God inspired me to prepare this devotional. My Footnote will tell you how to find, read or listen to any and all episodes that I have shared over the years.

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE FROM THE Good News Translation (GNT) IS FOUND IN Hebrews 6:4-6

THE BIBLE TEXT IS: For how can those who abandon their faith be brought back to repent again? They were once in God’s light; they tasted heaven’s gift and received their share of the Holy Spirit; they knew from experience that God’s word is good, and they had felt the powers of the coming age. And then they abandoned their faith! It is impossible to bring them back to repent again, because they are again crucifying the Son of God and exposing him to public shame.

APPLICATION OF THE WORD: We all may agree, and perhaps often insist that we not be judgmental of one another, since God is our eternal Judge. But what do we tend to do when our friend or family member has turned their back on the faith? I was totally caught by surprise when I read these verses in Hebrews, for my first impression was that the writer was indicating that we turn our backs on these individuals. in fact, if I had read this in a commentary, I would have switched to a different commentary and assumed that perhaps the one might be way off. But friends, I read these verses in several different translations of the Bible, and they all indicate the same inference. So, let’s consider the Scripture. If we don’t lose our salvation – since God will never reverse His acceptance of our request for forgiveness of our sin, we must try to understand what God would have us understand about this unusual statement. It seems most certain that the statement is referring to a Christian who has turned from their belief/trust/dependence on God. in today’s religious society, it seems like we may first conclude that this person may never have been serious about his/her conversion. But I don’t see where the verses indication anything to help us conclude that. Does this person lose their salvation? There are way too many references in the Bible to help us conclude that God never goes back on His word – John 10:28 is a prime example. Som perhaps we should look at the context from which the writer declared these words – he was speaking about Spiritual Maturity, and I covered this subject in my very last devotional. Often those who fail to grow, or mature, in their faith, will gain hardened hearts and soon start to act like those without Christ – as if He never died on the cross for them. They may even mock Jesus when things are not going as they command and demand. So how do we get this person back into the stream of rich Christianity, or a renewed relationship with Christ? And I believe that this is where the writer is coming from. We absolutely can’t. Just as in any other broken relationship, the two individuals must be willing to talk, forgive and work together to resolve differences and renew a right relationship. Think about you trying to tell a retired space scientist about things going on in space. He already knows everything about space! Similarly, try telling a back-slidden Christian about his relationship with God. He already knows the lingo, he knows his Bible, and he knows how he got to his current stage. It’s up to him to seek the face of Jesus and work through those things that are separating him from the Master. Jesus hasn’t changed – just the back-slidden Christian. The best thing we can do for each other, friend of God, is to pray for one another – that we will all draw closer to Jesus; more submissive to the Holy Spirit; and declare the awesome power of God – every day of our lives. No man is an island. We all need Jesus, and to keep Satan at bay, we all need more strength and determination than we ever had before.

PRAYER BECAUSE OF THE IMPACT OF TODAY’S SCRIPTURE: I was challenged by a pastor recently when he told his congregation that every word uniquely and particularly placed in the Bible, was placed there under the inspiration of God for the intended purpose of speaking to and directing His children. I’m glad that I didn’t just pass by this challenging Scripture, for I feel like it spoke to me and strengthened me to encourage those who may tend to drift away from the Master and not be as mature in their faith as God desires. Lord Jesus, I believe that unbelievers tend to watch us, in an effort to see if You are impacting our lives. May the meditation of my heart, and the resulting words from my mouth, together with the actions that follow, be acceptable in Your sight dearest Lord, and wonderful Savior. May they see Jesus! AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: There’s another page on my website, entitled ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading or listening to this devotional, please go to this 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. If you would like to read more of my devotionals, or subscribe for a daily email containing each new devotional, please go online to NuggetsFromGodsWord.org. For my podcast, go online to Apple Podcasts or, using the Apple Podcast app, simply search for Nuggets From God’s Word to hear more episodes, or click ‘Follow’ to be notified of Podcast updates. Friends, please allow me to encourage you to find a church home nearby your home and attend as frequently as you could. Get to know God and allow His people to encourage and strengthen you in your Christian walk, while making every effort to be a blessing to them. God is at work among His people! Please consider growing in your faith, as you worship with fellow believers!

Guilty Of Following Christ’s Example

On By Ed AlgreenIn Character, Characteristics, Christ-Like, Example of Christ, Genuine example of Jesus, Godly example, Like JesusLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Monday, 2022-03-21
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

Bible Reference: Romans 2:21-24
Translation: Living Bible (TLB)

Bible Text: 21 … you teach others—then why don’t you teach yourselves? You tell others not to steal—do you steal? 22 You say it is wrong to commit adultery—do you do it? You say “Don’t pray to idols” and then make money your god instead. 23 You are so proud of knowing God’s laws, but you dishonor him by breaking them. 24 No wonder the Scriptures say that the world speaks evil of God because of you.

APPLICATION: I cringe when I hear folks say things like “your actions speak so loudly that I can’t hear what you are saying”. Because, unfortunately these folk are often right in saying these things. It hurts me deeply when I hear of church leaders caught in certain acts of sin, because they often have such a large following who is looking to them as a role model. No matter how often we tell folk that they should model their lives after Christ, not man, yet we see more fall out from church members when a pastor leaves, or a church leader is caught in an act of sin. The bottom line is that we all should be guilty of following Christ’s example so closely that people around us would see no difference between our actions and those they expect from Christ. When we surrender Lordship of our lives to Jesus, we ask Him to guide our footsteps every day so that we may walk like Him; guide our tongues each day so that we may talk like Him, and care so much for us each day that we may, in turn, love others like He would. Without Jesus Christ, it is virtually impossible to follow His ways each day in this world we live in, however, rest assured that in Christ, ALL things are possible. If friends of yours never read the first thing about the Bible, but they trust you enough to follow in your footsteps and obey your verbal instructions to them, who would they look like, Jesus Christ or the world? Remember, we are to be little ‘Christ’s’, so our friends following us could ultimately look the same! How are you doing? Do you have portions of your life still left to surrender to God, or are you comfortable that your life is in line with Jesus Christ? Please don’t let Jesus say to you on Judgment Day what Paul said to his fellow Jews, that people are cursing Christ because of you. As a parent we gloat at the times when others praise our children, because we feel a sense of pride in the job that we did in parenting. Let’s live our Christian lives following the same formula, so that Jesus may one day say “Well done good and faithful servant, when these children of Mine followed you, it was the same as them following Me, receive now the crowns I have prepared for you”! Let’s live with the end in mind friend!

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, I respectfully ask that I not be a stumbling block to anyone here on this earth. I pray that others may see enough of You in me that they will not be disappointed over their expectations of You. Lord, may I always represent You in ways that might lead others towards You. Please gently speak to my friends that may meditate on this devotional today, and lead them into a time of soul-searching and revival in their personal lives. Lord, it’s You that we live for. May that be evident in our words and actions today, is my humble prayer that I ask in Your very precious and holy name, AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: There are two more pages on my blog at https://NuggetsFromGodsWord.org 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 or listening to this devotional, please go to 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. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and see all of my posts, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. I would encourage you to find a church home near by your home, and attend as frequently as you could. Get to know God, and allow His people to encourage and strengthen you in your Christian walk, while making every effort to be a blessing to them. God is at work among His people! Please consider growing in your faith, as you worship with fellow believers!

Don’t Be Paralyzed by Fear, Let Go and Let God Have His Way

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Needs, Obedience, Praise, Recognize God, Surrender, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Monday, 2022-03-07
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

Bible Reference: 2 Chronicles 20:15
Translation: Living Bible (TLB)

Bible Text: 15 “Listen to me, all you people of Judah and Jerusalem, and you, O king Jehoshaphat!” he exclaimed. “The Lord says, ‘Don’t be afraid! Don’t be paralyzed by this mighty army! For the battle is not yours, but God’s!

OBSERVATION: Jehoshaphat feared the large, complex army that was facing he and his nation for which he had responsibility. Today we may be facing similar battles. Perhaps a debilitating decease; perhaps losing a loved one; or perhaps facing the battle of divorce or separation. National leaders may still be facing the challenges of Covid, while also keeping a close eye on the war and intention of Russia. If we’re not careful, we might throw our hands up as we ponder ‘What shall we do?’ Hopefully we could be reminded from our Scripture today that our peace, our hope and our rescue from all of life’s challenges lies in the powerful hands of our King, the King of all kings!

APPLICATION: Several lessons are in store for us today as we meditate on this story of king Jehoshaphat. We have more than enough challenges for each day that we open our eyes. What if we could learn to release the battles that our not ours to worry about? I believe that you, my readers, are no different to me, so I encourage you to read the whole chapter of 2 Chronicles 20 by clicking on the Bible reference link above. Here are some things that God drew to my attention:
~ The king acknowledged that he had a problem that was way over his head and beyond his capability;
~ The king was not ashamed of his inabilities. He not only went before God personally, but he called his people together and ordered a fast, so that together they might seek God’s face over this problem. The problem was bigger than the king, and he was prepared to seek someone greater who could help;
~ The king’s meeting with his people was not a time to plan their attack, but to humble themselves before Almighty God, seek His face, and ask for His direction and His powerful hand of protection;
~ In spite of the king being the main character in this story, God chose to respond through ‘just a man standing in the crowd’ as described by some commentaries. The king didn’t just pick up his toys and run on home with a disgruntled attitude about God not reporting back to him for his guided fast and his desperate prayer. A good reminder that we don’t control God, and that He uses the simple to confound the proud and the intelligent. It is always obvious that a response came from God, and not from the knowledge, abilities or self-worth of the king and/or his people;
~ There was no response back to the orders from God, other than full obedience! There was no need for the king to feel like he needed to have the last word. This was a ‘God’ thing, and nothing at all for which the king needed recognition from his people.
King Jehoshaphat was faced with a battle of proportions greater than anything he could handle. What kind of battles are you facing in your life dear friend? Do you know the God of king Jehoshaphat intimately? Are you at a place in your life where you could simply bow at His feet and lay your battles, or burdens there, being confident that He is still Lord of all and Master over all things that might impact us? Are you strong enough to ask of God, knowing that His response may not be your first choice? By asking, we know that there could be positive answers in store for us, or perhaps challenging answers that we were not expecting. Be willing to add to your prayer requests today: ‘Not my will, but Yours oh Lord – so long as You are glorified in everything today’.

PRAYER: Oh Lord, You are well aware of the battles we take on, especially those that we should totally surrender to You. We make ourselves sick mentally, and otherwise, because we assume lordship over these type issues. Please forgive us Lord, and strengthen us daily so that we may surrender our all to You and allow You to continue as God – the One in charge of all creation and the events surrounding every aspect of Your creation. Thank You for creating us to care about those that we connect with, but we need daily power to place them at Your feet and allow You to be God – in them, through them and over them. I praise You God for who You are, I surrender my all to You, knowing that Your love will sustain me as You work out every material indifference I may see all around me. Have Your will oh Lord, my King, my Redeemer and my Savior. Humble the hearts of all my readers and listeners. Draw them to the foot of the cross where they may look up – into Your wonderful face, and acknowledge Your awesome power. AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: There are two more pages on my blog at https://NuggetsFromGodsWord.org 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 or listening to this devotional, please go to 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. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and see all of my posts, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. I would encourage you to find a church home near by your home, and attend as frequently as you could. Get to know God, and allow His people to encourage and strengthen you in your Christian walk, while making every effort to be a blessing to them. God is at work among His people! Please consider growing in your faith, as you worship with fellow believers!

Listen, Understand & Accept

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Needs, Praise, Preaching, Recognize God, Teachings, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED Tuesday, 2022-02-15
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Acts 17:2-4
TRANSLATION: New Living Translation (NLT)

BIBLE TEXT: 2 As was Paul’s custom, he went to the synagogue service, and for three Sabbaths in a row he used the Scriptures to reason with the people. 3 He explained the prophecies and proved that the Messiah must suffer and rise from the dead. He said, “This Jesus I’m telling you about is the Messiah.” 4 Some of the Jews who listened were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, along with many God-fearing Greek men and quite a few prominent women.

APPLICATION: Paul ‘reasoned’ with the people! Isn’t that an interesting translation? Some Sunday School, or Small Group teachers will slow down and reason with their students, but seldom do we see a preacher or pastor do that! What I like about this word, versus ‘preaching’ is that the teacher is trying to make sure that their students have all their questions answered about the Scriptures. I believe that most ‘preaching’ is delivered from the speakers understanding and belief system, and generally from a very dictatorial perspective. Getting down to the level of understanding by the audience is so important, I feel. For if we fail to help them grow in their understanding and in their relationship with Jesus, what good has it been for them to hear you speak? I love, love, love interactive teaching, for students will sometimes lend a personal perspective of what God has done in their life regarding the Scripture being studied. I know, the good teacher will know when to nip a conversation in the bud when an individual is merely showing off their own personality and/or value, but I believe it helps everyone to stay awake and alert to the teaching as they try to apply it to their own lives. I believe that to understand the heart of the congregation is to know that each one comes to church for their own reason, and expectation. Mom, dad or a spouse might force one to attend church out of traditional beliefs that it’s the place for all good people to be at least for one hour per week. Some may want to satisfy an obligation made to the pastor, or a friend, who invited them to church. But I believe that Paul was especially addressing the needs of the ones who knew about God, and His Son, but still had a lot of questions. In fact, most Jews tend to struggle with the idea of Jesus being the Messiah, and/or being equal with God. In reasoning with them from the Scriptures, Paul was using the inspired words of God Himself to spell out the truth of the Messiah and that Jesus was indeed that Messiah. Just as we walk away from church sometimes, and feel the need to rush home and study the Scriptures more, to make sure that we could believe what the preacher said that morning, the Jews also made some very critical decisions about Paul’s teachings. For some believed, and followed Paul and Silas, while some got all heated and wanted no further discussion, but instead they wanted to continue their fight of getting rid of these evangelists. Each week we have the same sort of crowds, for: some will stay at home unconcerned about hearing anything more about Jesus, because all is well in their family and they have no immediate need for Jesus; some will reluctantly go to church, because they feel obligated to their parents, spouse, friends or even the pastor; some will be at church in bodily form, but their minds are on the fishing, hunting or play grounds; but some might be interested in understanding the Word of God better, for they have seen over and over again how God has delivered, directed and comforted them through His Word. Friends, those that love you are already praying and encouraging you to go to church with them next weekend. In helping you decide, let me encourage you to go with the intent of better understanding the Word of God and applying it to your life in a way that He will personally speak to you about. If you do this, I am convinced that you will see such value in the teachings of God’s Word that you will be ready to lead the way for your family to learn from God’s Word every week going forward.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: God’s Word is invaluable for the one who desires to grow closer to Him, and to the one who needs more in life that worldly belongings. Listen to the teachings for God, and as you understand them, be obedient to what He is calling you to do.

PRAYER: Please help us Lord to keep our minds and desires fixed on You as our Lord and Mediator. May our desire to grow in knowledge of You become more intense each week. Help us to strive towards righteousness instead of finding fault with our pastor/preacher/teacher. May we, like the Jews who accepted the teaching of Paul and Silas, decide to follow You whole heartedly. 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 might 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. You may also visit me on Spotify and listen to Nuggets while you’re out and about. I would encourage you to find a church home near by your home, and attend as frequently as you could. Get to know God, and allow His people to encourage and strengthen you in your Christian walk, while making every effort to be a blessing to them. God is at work among His people! Please consider growing in your faith, as you worship with fellow believers!