Tag: Christian

A believer in Jesus Christ!

Satisfied!

On By Ed AlgreenIn Priorities, Satisfaction1 Comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (The Contemporary English Version – 1 Timothy 6:7-10): We didn’t bring anything into this world, and we won’t take anything with us when we leave. 8 So we should be satisfied just to have food and clothes. 9 People who want to be rich fall into all sorts of temptations and traps. They are caught by foolish and harmful desires that drag them down and destroy them. 10 The love of money causes all kinds of trouble. Some people want money so much that they have given up their faith and caused themselves a lot of pain.

THOUGHTS: Life seems so simple when one has nothing, doesn’t it? I once heard an international missionary say about the poor people in the area they served: “but the people are happy, because they don’t know about what they don’t have”. That made me think back to my earlier childhood days, especially when I now hear my parents talk about the rough times we had back then. But the truth is: I never noticed that we were poor and were going without many of the things that others thought were so important to life. In this scripture today, and through his mentoring to Timothy, Paul is teaching us to be very careful to not let our ‘want-to-haves’ overpower our good sense. We are often taught in the Bible that our God will meet our ‘needs’. Paul is teaching us that basic needs are food and clothing. And although he didn’t mention it, I believe that shelter is also important. Way too often I believe that humans are caught in a growing need to want more, whether money or ‘things’. To achieve these, we fight over job positions, and often tear down another person to build ourselves up, or we find ways to use them as a stepping stone for us to move beyond them. We wind up being such a slave to our employers that we work ungodly hours that often keeps us away from family and church or relationship time with God. Friends, when we are lacking in these areas of our lives, everything worthwhile falls apart around us. Yet the one thing that we hold on to – our jobs, are quickly filled with a replacement when we fail to produce like we’ve always done! When we allow the busyness of life to affect our homes and/or our relationship with God, and yes this is evident in our church attendance, then we must stop and challenge ourselves what then are we really striving for? What is there that offers value to my life beyond my usefulness to my boss? Please don’t get me wrong, I am a devoted businessman, but I pray that I will always be a more devoted husband, father and worker for the Lord in His vineyard here on earth. I’m reminded of a gospel song that speaks about just this, listen as you finish reading! But how about you friend, what’s your status on priorities? Please take time to re-evaluate your life today and be sure that you have a right balance in these areas of your life!

PRAYER: Father in heaven, I believe that this scripture this morning probably applies more to the times we are now in, than ever before. For while many might be greedy towards making more money, in spite of the millions they would probably never live long enough to enjoy, yet there are some who worry about the financial aspects of their retirement years and therefore see the need to work at least one more year to ‘top off’ that spendable income during retirement. Not knowing how much longer we will live, I realize that this is just Satan’s way of pushing our families further apart, and closing down even more churches because of lack of attendance and/or commitment. I am convinced that You never intended life to be this stressful and complicated, so I plead with You today to help me keep the main things in life the main thing. Please continue to lead me into more quality time with my family. More quality time in Your Word and in faith building efforts around Your saints here on earth. May I be the person You can use to grow Your kingdom through the witness I might display while around others. Please touch the lives of my readers today and allow Your Word to penetrate their lives and impact them in a way that they too will seek Your perfect God-designed will for their lives. Please have Your will and way in our lives today, is my humble prayer that I ask in the name of Your Son, Jesus my Lord, with thanksgiving, 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 so that we can pray with you and give you help and or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Any words underlined above will 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 blogger.nuggetsfromgodsword.org and read more, or you may freely 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, Sebring, FL! 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!

Because of God’s Love

On By Ed AlgreenIn LoveLeave a comment

The Holy Bible (The Message – 2 Thessalonians 2:15-17): 15–17 So, friends, take a firm stand, feet on the ground and head high. Keep a tight grip on what you were taught, whether in personal conversation or by our letter. May Jesus himself and God our Father, who reached out in love and surprised you with gifts of unending help and confidence, put a fresh heart in you, invigorate your work, enliven your speech.

Thoughts: On a day that we celebrate ‘love’, and express our love towards our spouse or sweetheart, I am intrigued that my Bible reading would take me to a passage that encourages me to reflect on my love towards God, and my subsequent reciprocal actions towards God – The One who showed His love for me in a sacrificial way, by openly providing an attainable way to one day join Him in heaven! Not sure about you, but whenever I recognize love being expressed by my wife towards me, I quickly examine my life to see what I might be doing or saying to do the same towards her. If that’s a ‘normal’ reaction, and I believe it is, then I question if we (mankind) are truly and honestly recognizing God’s love towards us each and every day. Because if we were to react in the same manner as we do to our spouse, then this would be a whole different world we would live in. Imagine if only Christians did their part in expressing their love towards Jesus? Imagine if this rubbed off on all those that we come into contact with, and after seeing a better way to live, that they also tried to do better in their relationships? As God’s love fills us to overflowing today, I hope that we can pray as Paul did for his church members: May God, through His deep, unending and unmatched love, put a fresh heart in us, and may He invigorate our work for Him and enliven our speech so that God might be glorified, and others will be encouraged to know the One that we serve, love and adore. God loves us friend, and He wants our lives to be so affected that this evil world around us might be impacted. Take a firm stand today friends, will you?

Prayer:  Your love is amazing dear God! Thank You for loving even me! Thank You for Your Word that brings refreshment to my heart and invigorates me in ways that I pray might be a blessing to others. Please enliven my speech so that I might depend on You for the very words that I speak, as my desire is that my life might influence others for my Master. Thank You Jesus for all that You are and all that You mean to me. Please influence the hearts and souls of Your children who will meditate on this devotional today, so that Your love may be very evident to them. May Your actions impress upon them the need to show Your kind of love to all that they come into contact with today. May this ‘lovers’ day, be one where friends will not only be invigorated in their love for their sweetheart, but also for You. I ask all this because of Your love for me, and in the name of Jesus Christ, 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 so that we can pray with you and give you help and or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Any words underlined above will 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 blogger.nuggetsfromgodsword.org and read more, or you may freely 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, Sebring, FL! 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!

Our Security!

On By Ed AlgreenIn Hope, SecurityLeave a comment

The Holy Bible  (The Message – 1 Thessalonians 5:4-8): But friends, you’re not in the dark, so how could you be taken off guard by any of this? You’re sons of Light, daughters of Day. We live under wide open skies and know where we stand. So let’s not sleepwalk through life like those others. Let’s keep our eyes open and be smart. People sleep at night and get drunk at night. But not us! Since we’re creatures of Day, let’s act like it. Walk out into the daylight sober, dressed up in faith, love, and the hope of salvation.

Thoughts:  In spite of all that is going on around us and around the world, Christians are not to be sucked in by Satan in his attempts to distract and worry Christ’s followers – for whether we live or die, we are, and will be with the Lord! Friends, I believe that Jesus has us on mission here on earth, until such time that He decides to call us home to be with Him! While most Christians believe that and look forward in great expectation to the day that we sit at Jesus’ feet in worship, praise and adoration, I believe that we often feel detached, lonely and in battle with Satan and his cohorts. Paul is teaching us in these verses that even here on earth we need to stand tall, knowing that we are children of the King of all kings and Lord of all lords. With this confidence, of whom then shall we be afraid? Paul reminds us that if we have accepted Jesus as our personal Savior, and claim Him as our Master, then we should act like it. We should stay attuned with Him and be constantly reminded that our faith in Him is not in vain, instead it is our foundation and our ongoing arm of strength – our support arm. And based on this, we are to live in hope knowing that the King of this universe has us in the palm of His hands, and loves us enough to care for us, protect us and guide us, until the day that He calls us home to be with Him. Sure we will still get discouraged here on this earth, but surer still friend, we are to be comforted to know that Jesus is with us through every day and every trial, because He loves us with such a deep, sacrificial and everlasting love. So I encourage you friend, to not just simply say that you love Jesus, but learn to depend on Him through the good times and the challenging times that seem so overwhelming to us at times. Our security is protected and reassured by the One who created this universe, who hung the stars in space, who created us and sacrificed His very life so that we may have a way into heaven to be with Him throughout eternity. So our security is surer and more secure in Him than in any military on this earth, or any leader that may govern even the strongest nation on earth. This is the God that I serve friend, do you know Him? Are you able to place your faith and trust in Him knowing that He recognizes you as one of His? Please read the ‘Footnote’ for tips on how you might make this a reality today. It is way too important to ignore friend.

Prayer:  Father, thank You for Your love, and the hope and security that I find in You! I was acutely reminded of this as I studied Your Word this morning. I sincerely need Your touch, Your hand, Your protection, Your security and Your guidance on my life each and every day, so that I can represent You well here on this earth, and be a light to those struggling in a world filled with darkness and sin. Thank You for sending Jesus so that I might have that hope. Please touch the hearts of those that will pass by and read this devotional today. May they be deeply touched, just as I was. May we be bolder in our experiences today and represent You so fully, that others will want to know the Savior who lives in and through us. May You receive honor and glory as a result of Your Word being shared today, is my humble and sincere pray that I ask in Your name, with thanksgiving, 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 so that we can pray with you and give you help and or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Any words underlined above will 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 blogger.nuggetsfromgodsword.org and read more, or you may freely 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, Sebring, FL! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us!

A Fresh Start

On By Ed AlgreenIn Oneness, SalvationLeave a comment

The Holy Bible

He tore down the wall we used to keep each other at a distance. He repealed the law code that had become so clogged with fine print and footnotes that it hindered more than it helped. Then he started over. Instead of continuing with two groups of people separated by centuries of animosity and suspicion, he created a new kind of human being, a fresh start for everybody.

(Bible Translation and Location: The Message – Ephesians 2:14-15)

Thoughts:

I believe that God spoke to me through this passage this morning, like I hope He would to thousands of others that might read these verses today. Friends, it is very evident throughout the Bible that there were lots of enmity between the Jews and Gentiles. Paul explained to the Ephesian church that there is no such division after the birth of Jesus, because He came to break down the barriers that separated the two groups and make them one with Him. I am a firm believer that when we stand before God He will see believers and non-believers. Christians or non-Christians. I am saddened that although this was dealt with by God Himself by sacrificing His only Son so that these barriers might be broken down and sin dealt with once and for all, yet it seems like today we have grown further and further apart as ‘Christians’, because of denominational-ism and our strongholds on what our church believes. Is it any surprise that we seem to be losing the battle in winning the lost to Christ? They feel better off staying clear of the confusion and fighting that ‘Christians’ practice against each other. Let me give you a couple of examples that hurts my heart here on this earth regarding this issue: (1) There was once an effort to present a Christian alternative to a known evil celebration that the community was taking hold of, so churches got together to hold this alternative event. Some churches (group of Christian believers) refused to participate if certain other churches (group of Christian believers) were involved. (2) An elderly lady with dementia tried everything to prevent a relative spending time with certain other family members, why? Because she was certain they were not of her denomination. Friends this is really sad, because as Paul indicated in these verses and the verses around these, that God tore down these kinds of walls of which I referenced, so that we who know Him personally, might be ONE. Why are we practicing separation among ourselves? When we are made aware of our sin and accept Jesus as Savior, He is the same Savior for all the world who accept Him as Lord. Therefore if a person in one side of the world accepts Jesus as Lord, and someone else here in the US accepts Him as Lord, we automatically gain ‘son-ship’ with Him, making us Brothers and Sisters of the same Father. Who on earth should therefore divide us by wondering which church or denomination we belong to? At the point of salvation, we have a fresh new start – why not let us learn to worship OUR Father who art in heaven, and hallow His name, for it is His kingdom that we long for, forever and ever, amen! There is one Father and one book of instruction for life (the Bible), let us practice this oneness by being one with God!

Prayer:

Father in heaven, thank You for Your patience in dealing with us – our pettiness, our greed for having our own little group (church) with our own little twists to what we believe that Your Word teaches. This faith that we have is not about us, please teach us to be so focused on You that we will find Christian family anywhere in the world that we go, and in any church that we may choose to worship or associate with. Please help us to not place walls between us that prevent ONENESS in You. May You be central in our worship, and in our daily lives, so that we may learn from You how we should live so that we may replicate the life that You have taught us and exampled for us. Please help us to celebrate the One in whom we each believe, and pray for each other to better understand Your Word and therefore work out areas that we see things differently on, for we are a new creation in You. Blessed be the name of the Lord! I ask all this in the precious 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 so that we can pray with you and give you help and or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Any words underlined above will 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 blogger.nuggetsfromgodsword.org and read more, or you may freely 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, Sebring, FL! 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!

Considering Partnering?

On By Ed AlgreenIn Obedience, PartnershipLeave a comment

The Holy Bible

Don’t become partners with those who reject God. How can you make a partnership out of right and wrong? That’s not partnership; that’s war. Is light best friends with dark? Does Christ go strolling with the Devil? Do trust and mistrust hold hands? Who would think of setting up pagan idols in God’s holy Temple? But that is exactly what we are, each of us a temple in whom God lives. God himself put it this way:

    “I’ll live in them, move into them;

    I’ll be their God and they’ll be my people.

    So leave the corruption and compromise;

    leave it for good,” says God.

    “Don’t link up with those who will pollute you.

    I want you all for myself.

    I’ll be a Father to you;

    you’ll be sons and daughters to me.”

    The Word of the Master, God.

(Bible Translation and Location: The Message – 2 Corinthians 6:14-18)

Thoughts:

I’m trying to picture the mindset of most of my readers. Let me guess what you would do in this scenario: You are selling your home, or any large ticket item. Up walks an ordinary looking guy who tells you that he is a millionaire and wants to buy your home. You immediately go to find the keys while he is writing you a check, right? If you haven’t already closed out this blog, you are probably about to do it, because this sounds like such a silly scenario. Bear with me friend, because there really isn’t much difference between that silly example than some of the choices we make in our partnerships. Imagine a city girl, Christian choir member type girl, deciding to marry (partner with) a hunter who has never seen a church door. She might obviously feel like she will change that boy into the same image her dad always had of a successful Christian businessman type son-in-law! But imagine the first trip to the woods when the hunter and his buddies are relaxing around the fire drinking their beers and telling dirty jokes. Does that fit into the lifestyle this young lady was used to and is striving to maintain? Will it serve to strengthen her relationship with the Lord? It’s like mixing water and oil, they just don’t mix. Oh the things that we often pollute the Holy Spirit of God with. Now this is an example in marriage, but what about those cases where we make business partnerships along these same lines. The Christian partner should stand for honesty and integrity in every facet of the business. Is he not placing himself in a position for constant fights with a non-Christian partner who only cares about the bottom line, and will stop at nothing to keep the business as profitable as possible, while reporting to taxing authorities as little as he could stay out of jail with? Paul found it important enough to warn his church members about such decisions. God thought it was important enough to include this in His Word to warn Christians today, because He knew that we would be faced with such decisions. So let’s pay attention to the Word Brothers and Sisters. God has provided it as our instruction book that would lead us to all truth, and as near to His perfection as we can possible become here on earth. Are you taking notes and following ALL aspects of His Word, or just the portions that feel good and bring good results for you? God wants our wholehearted attention, dedication and commitment friend, are you willing to go the distance for Him?

Prayer:

Lord, we make such silly mistakes in the name of success and purported riches. Please help us daily to understand that our riches are in the blessed hope of ultimately being in heaven with our loving Father one day, sitting at His feet, and singing unending praises to, and glorifying, Him. To get there with the fewest bumps and bruises, please help us to stay focused and determined as Your children while blessed with limitless opportunities here on planet earth. Please direct us to the opportunities that will ultimately bring glory to You and not selfishly focus on the potential earthly riches to ourselves. Please constantly keep our lost family, friends and coworkers foremost in our minds and in our prayers so that we can one day rejoice in seeing them join us in glory with you. Please give us obedient minds so that we may always honor Your Word and serve You to our fullest potential. These things I ask in the precious name of my Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ, 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 so that we can pray with you and give you help and or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Any words underlined above will 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 blogger.nuggetsfromgodsword.org and read more, or you may freely 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, Sebring, FL!

Trust In The Lord!

On By Ed AlgreenIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

The Holy Bible – The Good News Translation

Psalm 118:6–9

6               The Lord is with me, I will not be afraid;

what can anyone do to me?

7               It is the Lord who helps me,

and I will see my enemies defeated.

8               It is better to trust in the Lord

than to depend on human beings.

9               It is better to trust in the Lord

than to depend on human leaders.

Thoughts:

In marriage life we build trust in our spouses by: keeping each other’s secrets confidential; by being there for each other when it seems like no one else is available to us; understanding and caring for each other through the good times and the bad; listening to each other when we dream of our future, but would rather keep those thoughts very private for the time being; loving each other in spite of the bad things we know about each other. I realize the list is not all inclusive, however I am mindful of the love of God and how He cares for me. Additionally, I also know that in addition to the above, He also knows my very inmost thoughts. Now, when I share things with my spouse, she can only feel sorry for me, show that she cares, and she may wish me well. With God, He not only works with me to become my very best for His service, but also goes beyond anything I can think or imagine as His child! I believe that the Psalmist was feeling a little of this as he shared this Psalm. For he had seen proof that God came through for him when no one else would, or could. He saw that God was greater than any other human being, and also beyond anything his leaders could every do for him. Friends, nothing has changed about God! He still loves and cares for His own, and He still provides for our every care and/or concern. Just this past week I was praying for a need in my life, only to see God respond in a miraculous way, that far exceeded the specific need that I presented, but that would totally resolve and satisfy my need. I can truly say with the Psalmist that God is greater than any other human being that I could possibly place my faith and trust in, and also way beyond any human leader I may feel confident in. Whom then shall I fear when Jesus is my Savior, my friend, my all powerful, all gracious and all loving King? Friend, please allow me to introduce you to Him, if you don’t already know Him. If you do know him already as you wonderful Lord, please be encourage by this reminder today. There is no god like our God! I encourage you to accept Him today, trust Him and allow Him full control of your life today!

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, please forgive me for the times that I doubted Your ability to come through for me, and for the times that I selfishly asked for things to satisfy my personal desires instead of staying focused on the things that will bring glory to You. The Psalmist has reminded me that You are very caring, full of wisdom and especially understanding of my weaknesses, and I have no reason to doubt, but every reason to place my total faith and trust in You. Please continue to bless me with the faith to remain strong in my commitment to You, and to allow You full control of my life. Lord, I believe that many friends who might meditate on this devotional today may be battling with similar trust issues. Please reveal Your deep compassion towards them and work in their hearts for total surrender of self, and to the awesome God that You are. Thank You for Your awesome love and caring about my life, and my future here on this earth. Please continue to work on me, in me and through me as Your humble servant. I ask this in the precious and awesome name of Jesus, my Savior, AMEN!

NOTE: 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 so that we can pray with you and give you help and or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Any words underlined above will 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.

Condition Yourself For Seeing Jesus!

On By Ed AlgreenIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

The Bible – New Living Translation

1 Corinthians 9:24–27

24 Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! 25 All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. 26 So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. 27 I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.

Thoughts:

I believe that the best way to relate to someone is to speak with them in terms that they can identify with. If speaking to a carpenter, speak in terms of what little you understand about carpentry. Paul was speaking to a church that lived and breathed sports, because the Isthmian Games (similar to the Olympic Games today) took place in a nearby town every two or three years, so they understood sports and the idea of conditioning to win a race. We should keep this in mind when speaking with folk about the Lord. In order to build a rapport with someone, a mechanic shouldn’t go to a carpenter talking about engine parts and mechanic work, but rather, make it a point to speak more about the building trade. The analogy used by Paul is very important to us today friends. If we are preparing our souls for heaven, then we must first of all know the game master. All the studying you can muster up will not open the doors of heaven to you. Jesus said in His Word that there is only one way to get into heaven: (a) admit that you are a sinner and that you need a Savior; (b) believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and that He died so that You might be saved; and (c) confess your sins to Jesus, ask Him to forgive you of your sin, and to accept you as His child. This is equivalent to being accepted into the games. Now to condition yourself in the Christian life you are to read up as much as you can on what God expects from you. Friend, this is all contained in the Bible, so make this your game book. Look into it daily so that you may strengthen your walk with the Lord. This will also grow you into the strong, conditioned child of the King that He expects. You see, He wants you to duplicate His life here on this earth so that others might see Him when they see and hear you. Winning the prize for the Christian, is to be present with the Lord when we are called away from this life (when we die). We want to be so conditioned, that when we stand before our King on that Day of Judgment, He will recognize us as one of His and that He will look at us and through a smile He would say “Well done, you have been a good and faithful servant”. Oh what a day that will be, when my Jesus I shall see!!!! So friend, the big challenge for you today is: Do You know my Lord in a personal, relational way? And if you do, are you conditioning your spiritual life daily, so that you will be ready for the day you will see Him face to face? Please waste no time in doing this, I want to see you there when I look around for you in heaven! It will be worth it all!

Prayer:

Father, thank You for providing the Rule Book for us, the ‘Coaching Book’, in fact the Book that not only leads us to You, but also helps us to condition our lives into something that is pleasing to You. Thank You for the prize you have promised us at the end of the race that we call ‘life’. You never said we would not have challenges while living this life, but praise God You have promised a home eternally with You at the end of this life for all who have accepted You as Lord and conditioned themselves to live as Your child here on this earth. As a child of Yours, we can enjoy even the most challenging days knowing that we have a prize ahead that includes living with You, walking with You, talking with You and listening to Your comforting and loving words throughout eternity! Please help us to daily condition our lives with Your Word – the play book designed by You for Your children that help us to be all that You meant for us to be while still being here on this earth. Thank You Lord for being my Savior, my Redeemer and my soon coming King! I ask all this, and praise You, in the wonderful name of Jesus, AMEN!

NOTE: 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 so that we can pray with you and give you help and or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Any words underlined above will 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.

Avoid God’s Anger, Show Your Allegiance!

On By Ed AlgreenIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

The Bible – New Living Translation

Psalm 106:19–23; 29

19 The people made a calf at Mount Sinai;

they bowed before an image made of gold.

20 They traded their glorious God

for a statue of a grass-eating bull.

21 They forgot God, their savior,

who had done such great things in Egypt—

22 such wonderful things in the land of Ham,

such awesome deeds at the Red Sea.

23 So he declared he would destroy them.

 

29 They stirred up the Lord’s anger by their actions,

                 and a terrible disease broke out among them.

Thoughts:

In verses 23 and 29 God declared His anger, because He could no longer stand to see His people, for whom He did so much, totally disregard their blessings and instead choose to worship, or show homage to other gods. I believe that God opened my eyes to reflect on how this is applicable to me, and/or to His ‘church’ today. Friends, I often reflect on the critical happenings in our lifetime and question why God would allow such things to happen to His people. Often I receive the answer back that God is gently trying to get the undivided attention of His kids. After all, have you also noticed how similar to the ungrateful Israelites that we have become? After major disasters, our churches fill up, at least for a few Sundays/Saturdays, then when the people realize that they can handle the fallout from the disaster themselves, they stop attending church again and fall back to their old ‘gods’. So what are these other ‘gods’ you might ask? Well, anything that takes the place of the Almighty God in our lives, are our little ‘gods’. There is no need to name them, for I believe they are numerous. Just remember, Jesus, our Lord, sacrificed His life on a cruel cross at Calvary, so that we might have life eternally with Him in glory. How much is that worth to you? I heard a lady say yesterday that throughout the rest of her lifetime, she would never part with a bed mattress that saved her life in a hurricane. How much more important is it to us to never part with our Savior who sacrificed so much to save us from our lives of sin? There is nothing more important than your time with the Lord, whether it is your daily devotions, Bible study, prayer time or corporate worship, may I encourage you to not allow your small ‘gods’ to interfere with that time? Notice in verses 23 and 29 above that this really upsets God Almighty, and before you know it, there could be another show of His anger through some disaster in your life personally or nationally. Don’t go there friend. Show your allegiance to the King of kings and Lord of Lords. He alone deserves our praise!

Prayer:

Father, I want to thank You for Your daily bread, Your daily care of me and my family, Your daily allegiance to the promises made in Your Word. You are an awesome God. I thank You for drawing me to a relationship with You, and I thanks You for Your hand of protection over me each day. I regret that my daily weaknesses and disappointments may anger You at times. Please quickly draw my attention to those times that I get off track and not display the attitude and character that You expect from a child of Yours. Please continue to work on me, mold me into Your very image so that I may exemplify You in every way to the lost world that surrounds me. May I, in turn, be faithful to You in all things and may Your love and character be evident in all that I say or do. Please touch the lives of those friends that will stop by and meditate on this devotional. May they recommit themselves to you afresh today. I firmly believe that the world needs to see Jesus portrayed in all honesty and in its truest form, even if that differs from the ways of the world. I pray that your people may be touched in this special way without the need for You showing Your anger over the appalling ways of this world. Thank You for being my Master and my Lord. Please strengthen me to do Your will each and every day. I am Yours Lord, and I lift my voice in praise and honor to You, just as I lift these prayers before You, in Your wonderful name, Lord Jesus, AMEN!

NOTE: 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 so that we can pray with you and give you help and or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Any words underlined above will 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.

Let The Love and Truth of God be Evident in Us!

On By Ed AlgreenIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

The Bible – New Living Translation

Psalm 106:6–8

6 Like our ancestors, we have sinned. We have done wrong! We have acted wickedly!

7 Our ancestors in Egypt were not impressed by the Lord’s miraculous deeds. They soon forgot his many acts of kindness to them. Instead, they rebelled against him at the Red Sea.

8 Even so, he saved them — to defend the honor of his name and to demonstrate his mighty power.

Thoughts:

I believe that way too often we look down our pious noses and try to convince ourselves of our greatness, and our sinless lives. Friends, whenever we feel that boastful and proud again, may I encourage you to look around and count the family, friends, coworkers or neighbors that have seen enough of Jesus in us that they have surrendered their lives to Jesus and to the leadership of His Holy Spirit, because of our actions and/or words. It is so very easy to look at someone and immediately analyze their problem, without first acknowledging our own, and seeking forgiveness for our own sin and littleness. It is unfortunate that we can train pets so well and they can generally be very obedient, however when it comes to training ourselves to be obedient to God, our Master, our designer, our Savior and our Friend, we suddenly take on a superiority complex as if we are in charge. Friends, just as God held back the Red Sea for our ancestors, why don’t we recognize His awesome intervention in our lives every day? You see, for our world to be impacted, our friends, family, coworkers and other contacts must see and hear the evidence of Jesus in our lives. They will not be impacted simply by us telling them about the miracles at the Red Sea or how Moses struck the rock with his rod and God produced water for His people. Our lives and our witness give validity to the Word of God. It’s the living witness of who God says that He is. Our unsaved loved ones must see this, friends!

Prayer:

Lord, I am reminded of a story about a man who had a lot of faith in a friend that he could push a wheelbarrow on a tight rope across the Niagara Falls. With all that faith, his friend invited him to ride in the wheelbarrow as he pushed it over the Falls!! This is the type of faith it took for the Israelites to follow Moses through the bottom of the Red Sea while the waters were rolled back. We are also faced with similar challenges each day and we make decisions that prove where our level of faith is. Dear Jesus, I am convinced that others will not be impacted to follow You if they see doubt in us, and if they see us living a double life, I pray that You will touch the lives of Your children today and convict us of our sin and our shortcoming. May we follow You through the little things and through the major crisis events. Today marks the anniversary of a terrible disaster here in the USA, a day that showed a lot of people their need for Your love and Your power. I pray that it will not take another disaster to draw the people to You, oh Lord, but rather, may they see Your love and our faith in You so prevalent, that they may be drawn to You, our Savior and our King. Please touch Your children who claim You as Lord today, then I ask that You please consider using Your servants to reach others, because of their faith that might become more and more evident every day. I ask this in the precious name of Jesus, my Lord and King, AMEN!

NOTE: 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 so that we can pray with you and give you help and or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Any words underlined above will 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.

Never Question God’s Plan!

On By Ed AlgreenIn Bible Believing, ChristianLeave a comment

The Bible – The Good News Translation

 Psalm 105:12–17

                 God’s people were few in number, strangers in the land of Canaan.

                They wandered from country to country, from one kingdom to another.

                But God let no one oppress them; to protect them, he warned the kings:

                “Don’t harm my chosen servants; do not touch my prophets.”

                The Lord sent famine to their country and took away all their food.

                But he sent a man ahead of them, Joseph, who had been sold as a slave.

 Thoughts:

Can you imagine when Joseph’s father dedicated him to the Lord for His divine plan, how much of a box he probably built around that dedication? I’m sure that he would have felt honored if perhaps Joseph became a leading cattle rancher, or perhaps followed in his footsteps, but do you think in his wildest dreams, or in his most daring prayer he would have asked God that his little shepherd boy would become a leader in the king’s palace? In this particular Psalm, David reflected on the instruction given to the kings by God about not touching His prophets, and here he was praising God for the provision He made in the young boy, Joseph, to facilitate relief for the punishment he was about to render on the king and his dominion. We all know the wonderful story of Joseph, but in these verses I was reminded about the whole purpose for his mission in life. It was all God designed and orchestrated. How often do we stop and reflect on stories like this to energize our worship and praises of thanksgiving for God’s perfect plan? It ignites in us a feeling of praise, excitement and expectancy as we not only thank Him for His mighty works, but also look forward to what He is already doing in our lives and the lives of our loved ones. When disasters occur, like the famine that occurred in this story, are we bold enough in our trust in God to know that God has already made provisions for His people by having a plan ready, and a man ready to lead His plan? We have the record book to show us that this is how He operates, so why doubt? Let’s ask Him to do it again! We know He can!

 Prayer:

 Praise God that Your divine plan for Your children is so much more than we, or our ancestors could ever have dreamed of. Reflecting on Moses, he whined about the speech impediment that bothered him as a spokesman, yet You used his ounce of faith to lead millions of people for years to the Promised Land through many extenuating circumstances. Many of these challenges seemed impossible to man, yet folk today are saved because of the power they saw in the mighty power of God through Moses. Again in the story of Joseph, we saw where men (his own brothers) meant evil for this young man, but praise God You had a much bigger plan for this young man! Our small, insignificant minds are so limited, but praise God we serve the One with all knowledge, all wisdom and all power, and in light of another verse You led me to this morning (James 3:17) You are a God who shows no favoritism and You are sincere in all that You do. Wow, again I am reminded that I serve such an awesome God! Please use me more every day for Your glory! My friends reading this will be very much like me, so I ask You dear Lord to also place Your miracle working hand on their lives so that they can be all that You planned for them. Only You have the awesome power to accomplish all this that I’ve asked dear Jesus, so I ask it in Your precious and holy name, AMEN!

 

NOTE: 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 so that we can pray with you and give you help and or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Any words underlined above will 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.