Tag: church

Ultimate Obedience

On By Ed AlgreenIn Christmas, Obedience, ObedientLeave a comment

Friday, 2018-12-21

Bible Reference: Matthew 1:20-25
Translation: The Voice Translation (Voice)

Bible Text: 20 Now when Joseph had decided to act on his instincts, a messenger of the Lord came to him in a dream. Messenger of the Lord said: Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to wed Mary and bring her into your home and family as your wife. She did not sneak off and sleep with someone else—rather, she conceived the baby she now carries through the miraculous wonder-working of the Holy Spirit. 21 She will have a son, and you will name Him Jesus, which means “the Lord saves,” because this Jesus is the person who will save all of His people from sin.
24 Joseph woke up from his dream and did exactly what the messenger had told him to do: he married Mary and brought her into his home as his wife 25 (though he did not consummate their marriage until after her son was born). And when the baby was born, Joseph named Him Jesus, Savior.

OBSERVATION: All the characters in the Christmas story are just outstanding, but let’s focus on Joseph today. Like any of us, Joseph was able to think of many reasons why he should not follow through with his betrothal to Mary, but in an awesome act of faith, Joseph followed through in obedience to the message from God through the angel. Let us place ourselves in Joseph’s shoes and ponder what we might do in a similar circumstance, considering our current level of faith!

APPLICATION:  Kids learn at a very early age that if you really want to get to another kid, just mention something bad about their mom. As adults we become very tender anytime we hear something derogatory about almost any close relative, whether spouse; child; sibling or parents. So as I meditated on this very common passage of scripture that we hear almost every Christmas, I tried to imagine what Joseph must have been thinking when, in spite of him having no sexual relations with Mary, yet he found that the woman he was about to marry was already pregnant. I’m sure his mind must have travelled along the road of infidelity on Mary’s part, and the mockery that he would receive from family and friends. Like us, Joseph had already made plans in his mind how he was going to handle the break-off of the engagement so that there would not be a negative impact on Mary. However, I believe that as Joseph pondered these things in his heart, he must have really been hoping that there would be some miraculous explanation about this whole earth-shattering event in his life, for I believe that love is just that way, it hears bad things, but expects clarification to help an individual make good on his/her commitment to one another. But here comes the kicker, hope came in a very unexpected, and yes, miraculous way, for an angel appeared to Joseph as he slept and dreamed. However the message was very clear. In fact, so much so, that there is no doubt expressed in the Word of God! Joseph simply followed the instructions given to him by the angel. He married his awesome bride, and from every indication, he took care of her as if the baby was his very own flesh and blood. This is an awesome story of obedience to the Holy Spirit, friends. Yes, we can surmise what may have happened if Joseph decided to ignore God, but I sincerely believe that God works very much the same today. When he speaks to us, there is often doubting on our part, or trying to conjure up a plan to escape His plan, but since we are His servants, who should be constantly asking for His guidance and understanding of His will for our lives, we should carefully listen. Therefore, when it becomes evident to us, we simply obey and thank God for it. The obedience of Mary and Joseph led to the fulfilment of prophecy, and to being used by God to birth into this world the Savior, who would ultimately prove to be the very Son of God and redeemer of all who trust Him as their Lord and Savior. Friends, the obedience talked about here led to something BIG, I mean HUGE! Imagine what miracles can be wrought through you and me if only we will humble ourselves in obedience to the King of kings! We may look at the challenges of reaching our family and friends for the Lord as virtually impossible in our eyes, but compared to the miracle of a virgin girl becoming conceived without sexual relations by a man makes our challenges somewhat lame in comparison. Being led by God to witness to, and encourage, a lost friend may sound impossible to us because we are so convinced that we know the negativity of the person so well, but the same God who got through to Joseph, can also redirect our doubtful minds and lead us and the friend we are directed to, towards total obedience. Are you prepared to imitate the obedience and faith of Joseph this Christmas? God has a plan, and you and I could very well be in the very middle of it, if only we will surrender our will to the Master.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, You are truly in control of this whole universe, and especially in control of Your children seeking Your will for their very next move. As in the case of Joseph, I pray that we will look beyond the possibilities of our natural eyes, and instead rest our very selves at the control of our Savior during this time of the year when most folk stop to reflect on the newborn Christ-child as being the very meaning and reason for Christmas. Lord, may joy bells ring out loudly this Christmas as our family and friends find peace in the grace and power of the new-born King, Jesus, our Lord and the Savior of the world! AMEN!

Serve Each Other

On By Ed AlgreenIn Imitate Jesus, Imitating Christ, ServeLeave a comment

Thursday, 2018-12-20

Bible Reference: Galatians 5:13-15
Translation: The VOICE (Voice)

Bible Text: 13 Brothers and sisters, God has called you to freedom! Hear the call, and do not spoil this gift by using your liberty to engage in what your flesh desires; instead, use it to serve each other as Jesus taught through love. 14 For the whole law comes down to this one instruction: “Love your neighbor as yourself,”[a] so 15 why all this vicious gnawing on each other? If you are not careful, you will find you’ve eaten each other alive!

OBSERVATION: To think of a king, or a president, or a ruler of any nation, one would normally think of all the fanfare; all the servitude that surrounds them; and all of the assistants that take care of their every need or want. However, Jesus was born into a humble setting, and while He was supremely God, yet we read story after story about how He sought to serve those with whom He interacted. As we meditate together on this, let us evaluate how well we are following His example.

APPLICATION: God has blessed us beyond measure with the freedom of salvation – meaning that, in spite of our sinful lives, and the temptations of a sinful world around us, yet He sent His very own Son to be born among us, as an indication of identifying with us and the challenges that the world places on us to conform with its ideas, customs and evil implications. I believe that during this same Christmas season, we could very easily be reminded that this Jesus, was the very Son of God. In fact, God taught us that He and His Son are one. May we be reminded that there was great purpose in God sending His Son, for to those who would trust in Him and accept Him as Lord of their life, to those God would extend salvation from sin, and the promise of eternity in Heaven with the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. With this undeserved ‘freedom’ from our sin, we could very easily sit back in our recliners and declare that ‘we have it made’, so let us coast on into eternity one day without any worries. However, while that might be a true statement, the Word of God will show us, as it did in these verses today, that if we are to follow in the footsteps of Jesus, then our hearts will be inclined to serve others. You might ask, or ponder, how can I possibly serve others, after all I have such limited talent? With a new heart filled with the awesome presence of God, I believe that you will see people in a different light, for you will see them through the lens of their Savior. You may have seen them as just another servant of yours, but with the eyes of Jesus you might see them as a lonely widow; or a poor and broken widower; or a fatherless child who is desperately looking for a good role model; or a prisoner who may have committed the most horrific crime, but needs the Lord. Friends, you’ve been given the awesome gift of ‘freedom’ from your sin by the holy Son of God, in return, what are you prepared to give to those that you come into contact with today? How might Jesus help them today? Might He use you in His service to help them? Will Jesus know that you are willing to serve? Why not join me in offering up: “Here I am Lord Jesus, use me”!

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, thank You for serving us in so many ways, beginning with Your very humble beginning here on earth as a baby born in a stable. Thank You for placing us right in the middle of folk in our workplace; in our neighborhood; in our schools; and in our churches; most of whom need something fulfillment and encouragement in their lives. We could never take Your place as Savior, but we could very easily stop our excuses, and be the hands and feet of Jesus as we seek to serve them and their needs. No doubt they will see Jesus in practical ways then, and want to accept Him unconditionally as Lord over every aspect of their lives! Help us Lord to remain humble, but true to You and Your Word. May we seek to ‘S E R V E’ this Christmas, and discontinue the selfishness of always wanting more – especially in adding more to our already filled closets; homes; vehicles and lives in general. Show us Lord how we might imitate You, and Your expectations for this lost world in which we live. AMEN!

Why Trust In God

On By Ed AlgreenIn Priorities, Priority, Wonderful Savior, WorthyLeave a comment

Saturday, 2018-12-15

Bible Reference: Psalm 146:3-6
Translation: The Voice (VOICE)

Bible Text: 3 Do not put your trust in the rulers of this world—kings and princes. Do not expect any rescue from mortal men. 4 As soon as their breath leaves them, they return to the earth; on that day, all of them perish—their dreams, their plans, and their memories. 5 Blessed are those whose help comes from the God of Jacob, whose hope is centered in the Eternal their God — 6 Who created the heavens, the earth, the seas, and all that lives within them; Who stays true and remains faithful forever;

OBSERVATION: It is so important for us to be reminded that rulers and bosses and supervisors and workplaces are all temporary, just like we are. While we owe a large degree of allegiance to each of these, it is so important that we focus primarily on the BIG picture, on the eternal destination and benefits that lie ahead for us – those people and things that will always be there. Throughout the busyness of this season let’s ask for help in refocusing on the most important things in life! Today let’s consider what those things are….

APPLICATION: God’s Word is timeless, and beyond description in power and wisdom! Think about the reasons why some become disconnected in their faith, and please, I would ask that you not look at this as judging, but merely as an illustration, and possible reminder to look inward for signs of distraction in your own trust. I believe that way too often we lose that intimate connection with God for reasons such as: I am way too busy at work, and I need all the rest at home that I could get; I need my short evenings with my family, so I don’t have time for church meetings; Sundays are my only days to visit with family, and that’s more important than church; We pay our pastors to study the Word and feed it to us at church, so I see no value in personally reading the Bible; I have no time to read the Word of God, I’m a working man/woman… Friends, if you did not see your excuse listed, please understand that there are tons of excuses that we use from time to time about what constitutes a priority in our lives. I’m not being supercritical by looking at your reasons for failure as a non-priority, but please do me a favor and consider those things that you do accomplish – that they were a priority to you. Please do me another favor child of God: before you lay down each evening, reflect with God on your day’s activities. Give Him thanks for all those things that you achieved; then explain to Him why your time with Him in prayer (talking to Him), and Bible Study (receiving responses, wisdom and direction from Him) was not a priority to you. That sounds tough, but I believe that the popular excuse of ‘lack of time’ equates to ‘lack of priority’. It’s just much easier to give the excuse that ‘you didn’t have time’, instead of the fact that ‘it was not a priority to me today’. Friends, when our workplace is no longer in business, or we have retired, God is still there. When we make it a priority to read God’s Word, we receive wisdom and direction for our day that helps us handle situations better, and keeps our mind focused on the God who cares, loves and directs our every word and deed. The bottom line is, that there is no earthly thing that we could find comfort in, or depend on, that could ever take the place of our all-powerful God. May I recommend that you trust Him today in all things, and in all areas of your life?

PRAYER: Lord, You are worthy of our praise; dependable; trustworthy; and You are our everlasting Savior! Thank You for always being there for us in every way and throughout every day. Please help us to always be reminded of the truth and significance of that, so that we may keep our priorities straight. You are our Rock, and our everlasting Father, on whom we could place our full trust and hope, in every circumstance of life. Lord, we need You, and we want You in every part of our life. Please keep us in tuned with You and continually looking up – for Your return, AMEN!

A Gift You Should Give Your Children

On By Ed AlgreenIn Christmas, Gift, gifts, Humility, Love, Love others, Loving God, Unconditional loveLeave a comment

Friday, 2018-12-14

Bible Reference: Isaiah 38:18-19
Translation: Amplified Bible (AMP)

Bible Text: 18 “For Sheol cannot praise or thank You, Death cannot praise You and rejoice in You; Those who go down to the pit cannot hope for Your faithfulness. 19 “It is the living who give praise and thanks to You, as I do today; A father tells his sons about Your faithfulness.

OBSERVATION: Christmas seems to be all about gift giving, in remembrance of the greatest GIFT ever given for us – our Lord Jesus! But ‘gifts’ come in many forms, and today we want to meditate on the greatest gift that we could pass on to our children, or to those who know us. Come, meditate with me as we look into the Word of God.

APPLICATION: With Christmas quickly approaching, I believe that most of us are probably trying to narrow down what we will possibly give that child of ours, who seems to have everything already. No doubt there are others that we are just as concerned about getting just the right gift for as well, and we will often go into debt just to get the right gift that they might appreciate. But wait just a minute friend. Can you remember the best gift you ever received from a grandparent? How about a parent, or spouse or child of yours? I can think of certain acts of love; certain words of praise; certain very special family times, like the night dad told his kids about the call of God on his life that led to his salvation that day; certain family times of Bible reading; certain times that, as a family, we called on God for healing for each other, like when my dad was being treated for ulcers, when in fact he had experienced a heart attack. Friends, our Scripture is telling us that we may no longer hear about these things from grandma or grandpa, or dad, because just as declared in verse 18 above, they may have passed on from this world. So how then will our children know these things? Let me suggest that we make some family traditions of our own. I don’t believe that we would spoil the ‘fun’ times of what our kids have found in Christmas trees, gifts, santa claus, and the likes of a worldly Christmas, but in verse 19 we are being counseled to share our ‘God’ experiences with our children. I trust that we all will make time to share with each other during our Christmas celebrations this year.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, You have been so gracious to us;  so loving; so kind; so forgiving; and such a provider of glorious gifts that creates a sense of anxious expectation about Your return to take us up to glory! Lord, please give us opportunity to share these gifts with our family this Christmas, and oh that we may have opportunities to also share Your love with others that we come into contact with. This may be the greatest gift we give this Christmas, and it may be more special to the recipient than anything they will find under the tree. Make us bold in our approach, but humble and loving as we remind ourselves of our unworthiness before such a righteous and awesome God. Blessed be the name of the Lord! AMEN!

Here’s Why Jesus Was Born

On By Ed AlgreenIn Caring, Celebrate God, Christian, Christian Principles, Christmas, FaithLeave a comment

Thursday, 2018-12-06

Bible Reference: John 18:37
Translation: Easy-To-Read Version (ERV)

Bible Text: ^37 Pilate said, “So you are a king.” Jesus answered, “You are right to say that I am a king. I was born for this: to tell people about the truth. That is why I came into the world. And everyone who belongs to the truth listens to me.”

OBSERVATION: Jesus taught us great lessons throughout His ministry. In this Scripture today, when Jesus was being tried by the authorities, He still showed His compassion; His calmness; and He declared His whole purpose for coming to this world. I wonder what we would say is our whole purpose on earth?

APPLICATION: At different stages of our lives we may have sat and declared what our purpose in life is. For example, the transition from high school or college into the working world, you may have committed to be a doctor or an accountant, etc. When you got married, you made have declared what kind of spouse you would be. When you got saved, you may have promised God a drastic change in your lifestyle or in your habits. But was there ever a time that you declared what your whole purpose in life is…..? You see, Jesus was known as ‘Truth’, and for that reason we can measure absolute ‘Truth’. I sincerely believe that the Truth that Jesus spoke of here is the absolute Truth that He represents in being God’s precious Son. In other words, looking at Jesus and hearing His words, were just like seeing and hearing His Father – God. With that in mind, what is the real truth that others experience in you? Do they experience with you, what they really hear from you? Do you have to tell them that you are a Christian, or do they see that in you, and hear that from the words that you speak? As ‘little Christs’, our aim here on earth should be much like that of Jesus – to represent Him completely; honestly and wholly, so that the world may know and believe in the One who saved us from our sin and condemnation. To the unbeliever reading this blog today, let me assure you that God loves you also, and He wants you to come to Him believing in His precious Son. Seek His forgiveness my friend and give Him control of your life. He would love for you to experience His love; His forgiveness; and His caring – just like a real loving father would do for that very favorite son or daughter.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, I pray that Your love will shine so strongly through my life that it will be evident to the world that You are having an awesome impact in my life, then may You be glorified by all that I come into contact with. Thank God for the grace and power expressed through His gracious Son. Thank You Jesus for accepting me as Your gracious son. May I represent you as well, so that others may see and believe. AMEN

Always Be Ready To Share

On By Ed AlgreenIn Acceptance, Accountability, Acknowledge God, Allegiance to the Lamb, Answered Prayer, Awesome God, Faith, HopeLeave a comment

Wednesday, 2018-12-05

Bible Reference: 1 Peter 3:14-16
Translation: Easy-To-Read Version (ERV)

Bible Text: 14 But you may suffer for doing right. If that happens, you have God’s blessing. “Don’t be afraid of the people who make you suffer; don’t be worried.”[a]15 But keep the Lord Christ holy in your hearts. Always be ready to answer everyone who asks you to explain about the hope you have.16 But answer them in a gentle way with respect. Keep your conscience clear. Then people will see the good way you live as followers of Christ, and those who say bad things about you will be ashamed of what they said.

OBSERVATION: Peter wanted to be sure that followers of Jesus Christ be prepared for the questions that folk will ask of us, especially when they see us acting and speaking differently to the majority of individuals they will come into contact with. In other words, if someone special resides inside of us, then His character will be revealed through us. Nothing to be ashamed of, and it should be nothing for us to brag about, but when we are asked ‘why?’, we should always be prepared to answer them about the hope that is ours, who know Jesus as Lord and Savior!

APPLICATION: Over and over I’ve seen friends whip out their wallet, or their phone, to show a photo of the latest thing that brought joy to their life – perhaps a baby boy, or a granddaughter, or a son-in-law! I have a coworker who always responds to a greeting with the words “I love my job”. He has a response that make me smile, and makes me proud of him everytime we greet each other. I wonder how willing, or prepared, or quick, Christians might be to respond truthfully about the root cause of happiness; joy; expectation or hope that is being expressed through them? I would challenge those of us who know Jesus as Lord to ensure that each day we have a fresh encounter with our God. Talk with Him – through prayer; Listen to Him – through His Word; Be guided by Him – as we ask for His direction in all decisions known and unknown that we will face today; and Praise Him – through expressing gratitude and honor for all that He has done for us. Please be careful to recognize Jesus as the healer, deliverer, guide and everlasting Father that He is. It will be so easy to follow the way of the world and attribute your ‘blessings’ to luck, or medical staff, or good friends, or the knowledge of man, and while these are awesome in their own way, our faith and our hope lies in the One to whom we belong. Friends, let’s be willing and ready to give an answer to anyone about the hope that we have. In fact, let’s be careful to give the same answer to our friends as we would give to God about our hope!

PRAYER: Merciful Father and all powerful God, thank You for choosing to work in my life. Oh though so unworthy, still I’m a child of the King! Lord, help me to not only sing that song to myself, but freely and willingly share that with others that may ask about the hope that I have. Oh that You might be glorified in and through all saints that allow You access, and ask for Your help today oh Lord, AMEN!

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!

Less of Me and More of Others

On By Ed AlgreenIn Accept Jesus NOW, Adoration, Jesus' BirthLeave a comment

Monday, 2018-12-01

Bible Reference: John 1:10-12
Translation: The VOICE (VOICE)

Bible Text: 10 He entered our world, a world He made; yet the world did not recognize Him. 11 Even though He came to His own people, they refused to listen and receive Him. 12 But for all who did receive and trust in Him, He gave them the right to be reborn as children of God;

OBSERVATION: With Christmas quickly approaching, it is quite sobering to reflect on the reason that this special day came about. John reminds us in our Scripture today that although God created this world, and each of us, yet we don’t recognize His Son, and many even refuse to listen and subsequently receive Him. However, because he came, some has and will receive Him and are therefore saved from their sin and eternal damnation. This coming to earth as a baby with such awesome eternal benefits – that’s what we celebrate at Christmastime!

APPLICATION: If we listen to the radio; television; or any type of public speaking opportunity, we would quickly assume that Christmas is about gifts, or parties, or family get-togethers, or a holiday from work, but in many forums it is forbidden for speakers to make reference to the real truth of Christmas. So some will attend church services as one of their seasonal things to do. But notice what John says in verse 11, he said that many refuse to listen to the truth about Jesus’s Christ. Sadly I believe this occurs in churches at roughly the same rate as on the street, for there will be some attendees (members included) that know deep in their heart that they should fellowship with fellow believers, but often that’s as far as they go – fellowship. For these, I believe that God’s people should earnestly pray that their hearts might be revived to seek and find again, the Savior that they first heard about. In being reminded of the reason Jesus came, perhaps their eyes might be reopened that they are the reason that He came in the first place! For the curious, or the ones who may feel obligated to a parent or a loved one, that may attend church this Christmas, I pray that although they may come for various reasons, that God would have a divine appointment with them to hear the Gospel one more time, and that the love of Jesus would melt their hearts into making a decision to not only recognize His love, and His reason for coming to earth as a baby, but that they might accept Him as Lord of their lives, as Savior of the world, and as our soon coming King who will take us to glory for an eternity with He and His Father. Oh may the love of the Christ Child be evident to all who may want to know more about C H R I S T M A S this year!

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank You for loving us enough to care about our ultimate destination – even after we leave this old sinful world. It is clear from Your Word that You provided a superior option for us to escape the pit of Hell when rescued from this old sinful world. This started with the birth of Your Son, a time that we now celebrate as Christmas. Thank You for showing us in Your Word that this was carefully designed and planned by You, for we read how You gifted Your prophets hundreds of years earlier to tell the world of Your Son who would come to rescue the world challenged with sin. Lord, may this Christmas be a time that we recognize the true purpose of our celebration, and in learning this, may it impact us to truly worship You from the manger to the cross. Father we adore You! Savior we worship You! AMEN!

God’s Discipline

On By Ed AlgreenIn Accountability, Actions, Believers, Born Again, Church attendance, Clean Heart, Cleanse me Oh God, Discipline, RighteousnessLeave a comment

Thursday, 2018-11-29

Bible Reference: Revelation 3:19
Translation: The Living Bible (TLB)

Bible Text: 19 I continually discipline and punish everyone I love; so I must punish you unless you turn from your indifference and become enthusiastic about the things of God.

OBSERVATION: I am reminded that discipline comes in many forms, and from almost every person in authority over us. Jesus (the Amen, as referenced in several translations) saw the need to say this to the church at Ladocia because they ‘sat on the fence’ – they were not hot, or cold. For they said they were servants of God, but they didn’t allow Him to be God in their own lives. Could God be bringing this to our attention today so that we may closely examine our own lives, and that of our own churches? 

APPLICATION: From a very early age, good parents will discipline their children, as a way of stopping wrong doing, and guiding children towards the right way to act and do things. As children mature, they go to school and teachers are forced to instill discipline in their lives also. As young adults, they then find the need to test the systems outside of the home and school systems. So law enforcement and the courts come into play. Then they enter the work environment, where supervisors or managers take responsibility for guiding them as adults, and holding them accountable for their actions. Imagine what a parent will do if the young man who just landed a job, went home one evening and ignored everything his parents asked him to do around the home? In fact, all that he learned in growing up seemed to have drained out of the young man, for he is also ignoring his manners, respect and chores that were assigned to him. So the parents are looking at their son from birth, yet his attitude has changed into something they just can’t identify with. They want to love him, because of his ‘sonship’, yet they don’t want to reward unappreciated, rotten  behavior with their precious love. In our Scripture, Jesus is looking at a church that He gave up His very life for, yet He is disappointed at their disregard for His teachings; their refusal to participate in a number of church meetings that were designed to grow Christians; their withdrawing from certain activities that particular families are a part of, because they just don’t like them. Imagine the lack of appreciation Jesus must feel, knowing that He loved the church so much that He freely gave up His life for their good, and for their victory in overcoming the world’s weaknesses, and living with the promise of eternal life in heaven with Jesus and His Father? Do you suppose that He would be tempted to spew them out of His mouth, and possibly start over with a new group that may show signs of hope? What kind of discipline do you feel might be most appropriate for a church such as I described? Do you feel that you would be one who is caught up in the worldly actions described, or one of the few that may be praying for God to help them clean up their mess and live righteously before a holy God? Friends, I would encourage you to look inward before criticizing the church at Laodicea, or trying to pin the actions I raised on certain individuals. Does Jesus see an individual with a clean and contrite heart, filled with His righteousness, and appreciative for all that Jesus did for the church, when He looks intently into your heart? Precious Lord, may it be so for myself, and for many who will read this devotional. Please teach us to alway seek the truths of Your Word, and to humbly obey Your teachings.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, thank You for giving wholeheartedly of Yourself so that we might be saved from the attractions of this world. Thank You for helping us to look with joy at the realization of heaven and the wonder of the King of all kings and Lord of all lords, welcoming us home as a ‘son’ or a ‘daughter’! Our hearts are overwhelmed with joy over the promise and expectation of this, as we patiently await Your return to take us home with You precious Lord. Please ‘jerk our chain’ as we lose sight of whose we are, so that we would never be tempted to stray away from the commands of our General – our Lord and Savior. Thank You Lord for loving us enough to bring us through this challenging world with our eyes fixed on You. Please help us to maintain ‘tunnel vision’, so that the things of this world will grow strangely dim, in the light of Your glory and grace! AMEN!

God Knows Your Heart ……… And your Love for Him

On By Ed AlgreenIn All-powerful, Believers, Bible Believing, Bless Others, Blinded by Sin, Christ's Representative, Christ-Like, Christian Living, Christian Principles, Church, Church LeadersLeave a comment

Monday, 2018-11-26

Bible Reference: Revelation 2:4-5
Translation: New Living Translation (NLT)

Bible Text: 4 “But I have this complaint against you. You don’t love me or each other as you did at first! 5 Look how far you have fallen! Turn back to me and do the works you did at first. If you don’t repent, I will come and remove your lampstand from its place among the churches.

OBSERVATION: In this book of Revelation, God is speaking to the seven churches about their condition, and the subsequent result of their condition. For the church at Ephesus, God was pleased with some aspects of their ministry, but in these two verses we can see where God is getting to the root of their ineffectiveness. Let’s pay close attention to this, because I believe we will find God speaking to us about our own respective churches as we study this Book.

APPLICATION: From time to time we hear of many churches that fail for various reasons. Often we will hear of churches declining at such a rate, that it will only be the matter of time before they are forced to close their doors. Friends, churches are made up of folk like you and I, so when we say that our church is failing, I believe that we are really saying that we have become a sorry people. I know, that sounds really harsh. But allow me to challenge myself and you with a few sobering questions: When last have you prayed for your pastor? When last have you attended prayer meetings, to join hearts and souls in prayer about the needs of God’s people? Do you tithe and give generously to the work of the local church? Just like you need money to run your home, so the church needs money to pay salaries, and other operational expenses, plus support worldwide missions. When last have you visited the sick or helped the widow in need? No, that’s not the responsibility of the pastor, for we all should be obedient to the Word of God. Friends, I believe that when the church – you and I, becomes ‘the church’ and we follow the commands of our Lord Jesus Christ, then it will be evident who rules and reigns over us. People still need the Lord, and when they see God at work through His people, then perhaps they will be convinced of His existence and their need to accept Him as Lord. Looking back at our focal verses, we will see that God accused the church at Ephesus of losing their first love. Please take a moment and meditate on the days and weeks following your conversion. Remember how ‘in love’ you were with Jesus? I know, you still love Him, right? But I want you and I to think of the differences that are evident in our love now, compared to our love for Jesus at the time I referred to. What happened? I believe that such an influence of this old world has found its way into our lives, that our actions now portray more of the world than that of the One who saved us. Will the church – we the body, survive and flourish like this? Do people that we touch see more of Christ, or the world? Unless they unmistakably see Christ, let’s not think for a moment that we have a flourishing church. Examine yourselves and draw close to the One who gave up everything for you my friend. Only what’s done for Jesus will truly last!

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, thank You for not giving up on us. Your Word is a light to our path, because It illuminates our earthly condition, that is often far from the path that You have laid out for Your people. Lord, we want our family and friends to know the Lord, so we want to look and sound more like You in everything we do and say every day. Please touch us once again and draw us close to You. May we become Your hands and feet on the ground, so that our people can see You and experience You when they come into contact with us. AMEN!