Tag: Confidence

With All Confidence, Trust Jesus

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

DATE POSTED Monday, 2021-08-16
WRITTEN AT: Hattiesburg, MS

SCRIPTURE FROM: Mark 14:13-15
TRANSLATION: New Living Translation (NLT)

BIBLE TEXT: 13 So Jesus sent two of them into Jerusalem with these instructions: “As you go into the city, a man carrying a pitcher of water will meet you. Follow him. 14 At the house he enters, say to the owner, ‘The Teacher asks: Where is the guest room where I can eat the Passover meal with my disciples?’ 15 He will take you upstairs to a large room that is already set up. That is where you should prepare our meal.”

APPLICATION: The disciples on the lake late one night in boisterous waters gained confidence in the Lord when they saw Him walking on water, and then He calmed the rough waters. They knew His power, because they watched as many miracles were performed in their presence. But seeing first-hand what He was capable of, and how He saved their lives, they grew to be way more confident in His almighty, awesome, power. Jairus had a similar experience when He leaped outside of his Jewish faith and asked Jesus to come and heal his daughter. By the time Jesus arrived at the home of Jairus the child had ‘died’, at least in the eyes of the family and friends present. But Jairus watched as Jesus took his daughter by the hand and helped her to a position of the living! His faith in the miracle-working Jesus jumped to a whole new level that day, for his child who once was dead, stood before him in perfect health! Jairus knew that it was only Jesus, who could raise the dead. In our story today we are reminded of the awesome power of Jesus Christ. For only He could tell His disciples what to expect in actions and words, and with such precision. Can you imagine their expressions as they saw everything coming to pass just as He said? But for us, dear friends, we have a lot of proof available to us in the Word of God, that this same God we serve, is the same One who spoke this world into existence. The same God who created you and I. The same God who told us in His Word that that ‘if we humble ourselves, seek His face, and pray, then He would heal our land and forgive our sins’. With the confidence that this message brings us today, is there anything too big for our God? Can Covid stump Him or challenge Him beyond His ability to heal us, and our land? Many of our loved ones are struggling today, and that may also include many of my readers and listeners. Please go out in faith today, knowing that there is nothing too big for our God. Nothing is impossible for Him. But let me be quick to remind you also, that God told us in His Word, that He has not promised us tomorrow. Be ready for His return and/or your in-person meeting with Him today, for it’s up to God alone when He decides to call you home. It may not be Covid, and it may not be any known health issue you are dealing with, our God holds the key to your life. Be ready to meet Him today. Tomorrow will take care of itself, if you’re around to enjoy it here on earth. If not here, then there is no greater joy than being in the presence of Jesus!

BLESSING(S) NOTED: Our God sees and knows all things. I must trust Him with all my heart, soul and mind, God being my helper!

PRAYER: Dear Lord, You know what we need and when we need it. This word was so encouraging today, because everywhere we look, it seems like everything is out of control and meeting with disaster after disaster. But praise be to God, You have reminded us in Your Word that You know exactly what’s ahead, and what’s around the corner. I have no doubt that You knew about Covid long before it ever surfaced to humans, and I know without a doubt that regardless of man’s attempts to find good medical solutions to save us, You are still the same miracle working God who created us, and You have made Yourself available to u,s even today. Lord, may Your will be doing and may Your kingdom come, on earth, as it is in heaven. 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!

Right With God

On By Ed AlgreenIn Bible Believing, Encourage, Evangelism, Faith, Faith, Genuine Faith, RighteousnessLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Wednesday, 2020-03-25
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

Bible Reference: Romans 4:20-25
Translation: New Living Translation (NLT)

Bible Text: 20 Abraham never wavered in believing God’s promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God. 21 He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever he promises. 22 And because of Abraham’s faith, God counted him as righteous. 23 And when God counted him as righteous, it wasn’t just for Abraham’s benefit. It was recorded 24 for our benefit, too, assuring us that God will also count us as righteous if we believe in him, the one who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. 25 He was handed over to die because of our sins, and he was raised to life to make us right with God.

OBSERVATION: No doubt, there are others who struggle with confidence in their faith, because God sure got my attention when I meditated on this scripture today! I believe it is evident that verse 24 simply states that we need to believe in God and His awesome, infinite power in much the same way that Abraham did. But we all know how challenging that is. When something happens that seem impossible to overcome, at least in our eyes, we go into distress mode and shut down, or we go ballistic. Let’s stop and really meditate on the love, power and grace of our awesome God. His Son put His life on the line for our righteousness. Let’s recognize that and savor the thought of such a sacrifice today.

APPLICATION: I believe that if you ask most folk on the street if they believe in God, they will say: ‘but of course – that’s the only explanation for all that we see around us’. So what is the difference between that kind of faith, and the kind referred to by Paul? This might explain – there was a gentleman who had confidence that he could easily walk a tight rope across the Niagara Falls, but one day he said that he would push a wheelbarrow across on the tight rope – with a person inside of it. There were a lot more people than normal who showed up to watch this new feat. A reporter walked around asking folk, who had seen him do similar feats in the past, if they believed the man was capable of this particular feat. Most of them reply positively, but when asked if they would volunteer to ride in the wheelbarrow, there were a lot fewer who would agree! So did they really have faith that the man could successfully accomplish his challenge? To a degree perhaps, but they weren’t willing to put their life on the line for it! We have so much in our favor to support our faith in God, for there are so many examples in the Bible on the evidence of faith and all that it produced. Read the story of Abraham and how, in spite of being a childless father, yet he became the father of many nations because of his ‘faith’. Moses stood at the edge of the Red Sea with thousands of followers behind him and when, through faith, he followed God’s instructions, he and his people saw a way paved for them where there was no other way. There are many more examples of faith in action friends. There is no need to doubt, just listen to God and ‘BELIEVE’! I believe that many of us are living an unfulfilled life without faith. Let me explain – if we are doubting in your faith in God, how could we possibly show others the true wisdom, love and faith of the God that we serve? We must be firm in our faith in order to convince others that our faith, and our God, is real. Having this kind of faith is not just happen-chance, we must draw close to God and allow Him to draw close to us. We must exhibit our faith in God and allow Him to prove Himself to us. Let’s be consistent in meditating on His Word, and speaking with Him regularly. Let’s build and maintain a relationship with God so that we may know Him and trust Him in a personal way. When witnessing to a friend, our testimony is more valuable than gold. They may doubt what we share with them from the Old Testament, but when we tell them about what God has done in our life, how could they possibly question or doubt? So let me encourage you to meditate on those times where you have seen God at work in your life, then use them as memorials that you can reflect back on any time Satan comes knocking with his evil and deceptive ways. Also use these memorials when you speak with a friend about accepting the Lord, for those are personal times you encountered with the Lord – as real as the testimonies spoken of in the Bible, they would be from a personal experience. This will strengthen your faith friend, and it will serve to strengthen the faith of your friends as you witness to them. As always, please ask God to miraculously work in and through you as you go out to be His witness.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, there is so much evidence of Your existence, and Your handiwork, and Your mighty power – yet we doubt. Please forgive us for our lack of faith. I believe that it is impossible to win others to the kingdom, if we have trouble believing, or have little faith, in the One whom we are promoting. So Father, I come before You not telling You anything that is new to You, but simply asking that You might fill me with the confidence of Your mighty power, Your awesome love and Your miraculous works. I pray that You may work on my most inner being to help me gain the faith that I need to be a better witness for You, especially to those in my circles who are dying and going to Hell because they may not have seen real evidence of a ‘real Christian’. Please help me to turn this around in my life, and as my friends meditate on this devotional today, I pray that You may invoke Your Holy Spirit to be very active in their minds so that they too may speak to You about the needs in their lives. Please bear with, and help, us to overcome the weaknesses in our lives. Give is strength to practice our faith and lean on You like never before. This is my humble and heartfelt prayer that I ask in Your precious name, Lord Jesus, AMEN!

Our Savior, Friend and Intercessor

On By Ed AlgreenIn Merciful Savior, Savior, Wonderful SaviorLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE  FROM:   Job 16:19-21 (ERV)

TEXT:  19 Even now there is someone in heaven who will speak for me.
    There is someone above who will testify for me.
20 My friend speaks for me,
    while my eyes pour out tears to God.
21 He speaks to God for me,
    like someone presenting an argument for a friend.

OBSERVATION:   It may seem impossible just from reading these few verses, but so far in this book we have seen where Job has lost everything of any earthly value through the persistent hand of Satan, who tempted Job under the approval of God. Yet Job stood firm in his faith, knowing that he served the living God, who was also his Savior, Friend and Intercessor. Can you claim that kind of confidence in your God today, friend?

APPLICATION:   A young child will stand on a wall and jump to her dad below, having full confidence that her dad will save her – faith; trust; confidence; etc. Job went through ‘hell’ here on earth, as Satan was allowed to take his livestock; his family and everything he owned. One would expect Job to be hiding in a dungeon without the light of day and totally removed from God, right? Wrong… here is Job bragging on the work of the Holy Spirit who is interceding on his behalf before the Father! Are you there yet, friends? When a hurricane passes through and wipes out most of the earthly things that you own, are you able to praise God and continue loving and helping others? When a loved one or a close family member is taken from you at an early age, can you praise God in spite of the loss? Friends, what Job is showing us here is that we must fix our eyes on the goal. Out of all that happened to Job, nothing changed in his relationship with God. Perhaps I should have said that nothing negative happened, because lots of positive things happened. For when Job could turn around and say that in spite of all his losses and troubles, yet he knows that his Redeemer lives and that he feels more love from His Maker than ever before, then we could only conclude that as for Job, and us, we serve one awesome God. An unchanging, all powerful, caring, loving, awesome God who loves us in spite of our shortcomings and our endless weaknesses. So may I encourage you friend, to keep your eyes fixed on Jesus, and the awesome place that He has gone to prepare for us. Know that God loves you unconditionally and is awaiting your arrival in His eternal home one day! There’s no turning back now, for who would miss this opportunity to be with the Designer, Creator, Savior and Everlasting Father of this world? I would not miss it for the world! And I pray that you are on board this train headed to heaven also, friend!

PRAYER:   Lord Jesus, it is so challenging for us to see beyond our struggles and know that You are working all things out for our good. In times like reading this Scripture today, we are reminded of Your great love, so we say ‘Thank You’ from the bottom of our hearts, as we reaffirm our faith and take joy in the wonderful message of grace, and be reminded of the time when we will be with You in Glory! Oh what a day that will be! AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’.  If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog could indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and read more, or you may freely to subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Sebring, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us!

 

Excuses, Excuses….

On By Ed AlgreenIn Confidence, Obedience, TrustLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (The New Living Translation – Exodus 4:10-12): 10 But Moses pleaded with the Lord, “O Lord, I’m not very good with words. I never have been, and I’m not now, even though you have spoken to me. I get tongue-tied, and my words get tangled.” 11 Then the Lord asked Moses, “Who makes a person’s mouth? Who decides whether people speak or do not speak, hear or do not hear, see or do not see? Is it not I, the Lord? 12 Now go! I will be with you as you speak, and I will instruct you in what to say.”

THOUGHTS: When God makes something, who are we to ridicule and complain about its inadequacy? We must always realize that what God has done and/or made is well done. I read in this passage of scripture how Moses had quickly responded to God with excuses for how he was totally incapable of handling the assignment being given to him by God. However, I believe that God quickly caused me to look deep inside at how easily I tend to turn away from opportunities because of feelings of inadequacy and intimidation. Friends, I am reminded of a New Testament lesson where Jesus reminded a servant that in his weakness, the power of God is truly revealed. I strongly believe that it is time for non-believers to have their eyes opened and their hearts softened by the power of the Almighty, so that they might see God and their need for Him, and surrender their heart to Him before it is eternally too late. I also believe that Christians must be awakened to the fact in much the same way that we spend time with our families in order to develop and maintain great, long-lasting relationships, so it is with our relationship with the Lord. Jesus can’t be an occasional visitor in our lives, nor a Santa Claus when we need something, He must be Lord of all, or chances are that He won’t be Lord at all. I am convinced that God saw nothing wrong with the human being that He made in Moses, even though Moses beat up on himself pretty good and saw many inadequacies. It is very challenging for us to overlook our fears and what appears to be inadequacies, at least when we compare ourselves to others. But this message today reminds us that if God calls us to a job, then obviously He has already provided us with the abilities to handle that job. When we turn to Jesus for everything in our lives, we quickly learn to trust Him, especially in our desperation and times of feeling inadequate. Try it friend. Learn to trust in Jesus for all your needs, all your cares and all your concerns, for He cares for you. He loves you way too much to see you fail! You are precious in His sight!

PRAYER: Lord God, what a reminder today of how we must trust in our Maker, our Designer, our Master and our Savior, for everything. To do this I believe You made it evident that our dependence on You will often hinge on our relationship with You, for trusting a stranger is always challenging and almost impossible. I am convinced that You were not the maker of junk, so please give us the boldness to see the value in all that You have made, including ourselves and every attribute given to us. Please help us to never forget that You will give us the abilities and the tools, such as words and boldness to speak on your behalf, when called to do so. I’m sure that Satan would love nothing better than to see us doubt and/or fail, but loving Jesus, I am convinced that greater is He that is in us, than he that is in the world. Touch myself and my readers today with the boldness to press on in doing everything You have called us to do, and in everything You lead us to do each day. You are a mighty God, and I ask all this in the powerful and awesome name of Your precious Son, 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 read through Biblical truths on How To Know Jesus, 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 www.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!

Let Faith Direct Our Lives

On By Ed AlgreenIn Confidence, Faith, TrustLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE: Since we are surrounded by so many examples ⌊of faith⌋, we must get rid of everything that slows us down, especially sin that distracts us. We must run the race that lies ahead of us and never give up. We must focus on Jesus, the source and goal of our faith….. (‭Hebrews‬ ‭12‬:‭1-2‬ GW) 

THOUGHTS: I believe that these verses are telling us that faith is a tried and proven characteristic that we can build our lives on, in confidence. Often when we are dare try something new, we may have to go on faith believing on the everlasting God to direct our path and take care of us through various circumstances. That kind of faith is supported by a believer’s first-hand experience with the Father. The faith referred to here in our scripture today is a proven faith by our ancestors, and is one that we could bank on, or depend on, or confidently follow. As parents, and based on our experiences, we give lots of advice to our children, and we demonstrate life principles before them that they can follow, or at least take note of. This is the type faith demonstrated by those who have gone on before us. Think about Moses when he ran out of desert and only had the Red Sea ahead of him. He was leading thousands of people who were still doubtful of His leadership. He was under a lot of pressure to keep them safe, but through His faith in the God who first freed him and his people from slavery in Egypt, in continued faith, he followed God’s instructions and saw the miracle of the waters parting to make possible what man thought was impossible. This is just one example of what faith can do friends! However, we have access to the same strong hand of the same God who miraculously parted the Red Sea, knowing that He is as powerful today as He has ever been, and He is as effective in our ‘mountains/problems/challenges/’ as He has ever been in the past. For those of us who have a personal relationship with this awesome God, we know that we must simple surrender to the mighty works of His hand, and in faith, stand by to watch Him perform His mighty works. For my readers who may not know about this faith of which I speak, may I encourage you to read my Footnote for help on how to know my Friend, my Savior, in a personal and intimate way. It is only then that you will receive power to have the kind of faith of which I speak – one that You will then be willing to place your trust and obedience in. It’s your move friend. What will you do with Jesus?

PRAYER: Thank You for Your all-powerful hand dear Father. Thank You for loving me enough to welcome me into your family, and for giving me faith to believe in You and follow Your will and Your way for my life. Lord, You are well aware of the major challenges that face this audience today, and in the minds of many, these problems may seem larger than the challenge that Moses faced at the Red Sea. However, I am confident that Your promise to never leave us alone, and to meet our needs are as relevant today as when You first declared it in Your Word. Father, there is nothing in this world that can comfort us and give us confidence about our future, but I know who holds the future and who holds my hand through every circumstance of life, so I renew my faith in You and look forward to all that You will do in my life for Your ultimate glory! Please touch every reader of this devotional today and reassure them of Your power and the confidence that is theirs as they trust wholeheartedly in You. I ask all this in the all powerful name of Jesus, my Savior and my King, in faith, 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 http://www.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!

At The Core of Our Life-Decisions

On By Ed AlgreenIn Heart Knowledge, Jesus LedLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (The Message – Hebrews 8:10-12): This new plan I’m making with Israel isn’t going to be written on paper, isn’t going to be chiseled in stone; This time I’m writing out the plan in them, carving it on the lining of their hearts. I’ll be their God, they’ll be my people. They won’t go to school to learn about me, or buy a book called God in Five Easy Lessons. They’ll all get to know me firsthand, the little and the big, the small and the great. They’ll get to know me by being kindly forgiven, with the slate of their sins forever wiped clean.

THOUGHTS: I believe that we have all recognized that hiring the person who was perfect in college may not always be as valuable to us as an employee who was a good student and have some work experience, or just lots of common sense – practical and able to apply all that they have learned! It seems like this principle came from some of our earliest ancestors, because in this scripture today God declared that merely having His commands available in print, or even shared by His priests, would not necessarily get to the heart of man and result in obedience, like God desired. With the wisdom and power of our God, He instead instilled His Word upon the hearts of the Israelites. Something that is impressed upon our hearts will be remembered all during our lifetime and, with the power of God, will be practiced throughout our decision-making processes and recognized in our life-principles. Now I believe you might ask how you would receive such an endowment of knowledge. Friends, please never forget that we serve the same God that already proved himself by doing this exact same thing for the Israelites, and I have no doubt that He can do it again for you. In fact, we serve the same awesome God that did many other miracles for His children throughout the Bible, so our faith and our belief system is reinforced in many different ways, as we consider asking God to impress His commands upon our hearts. I believe that those things that are impressed upon our hearts form the core of our decision making, so I would challenge you to look deep inside of your innermost beings and see how prevalent God is. Remember, this is reflected in the things you say, the things you do and the decisions you make. Is it obvious that God is at the center of your very being, like He should be? If you’re not proud of your outward self, then I encourage you to draw closer to God and ask Him to draw closer to you. Others must see Jesus in and through us for them to be impacted by us for the kingdom’s sake. God will only work through clean earthly vessels who have invited Him into their lives! Do You know Him in this very personal way friend? If there is any doubt, please read through the ‘Footnote’ and especially follow the link ‘To Know Jesus’. Button this up today so you can be assured of your eternal destiny!

PRAYER: Thank You Father for not giving up on the Israelites, and going the extra step to impress Your Word upon their hearts. Thank You for the assurance that You could do the same thing for me today, in spite of the chaos and worldly efforts to fight against You and Your loving cause for humanity. I would humble ask that You fill me with so much of Yourself that it would be clear in my decision-making and the stands that I take, that You are in control and leading my every word and action. I don’t believe I am alone in needing this kind of leadership Lord, so I plead with You to also touch my readers today so that they too might be drawn to You and desire full leadership by Your sweet Holy Spirit. Use us Lord for Your kingdom work here on earth so that others might be drawn to You and desire life totally led by Your Holy Spirit. We will be careful to praise You as we see lives impacted and drawn to You Father, and I ask all this, in faith, 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 read through Biblical truths on How To Know Jesus, 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 Glorious Life – Promised By God!

On By Ed AlgreenIn Evangelism, ForgivenessLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (The New Living Translation – Titus 1:1-2): 1 ….I have been sent to proclaim faith to those God has chosen and to teach them to know the truth that shows them how to live godly lives. 2 This truth gives them confidence that they have eternal life, which God—who does not lie—promised them before the world began.

THOUGHTS: In this Bible translation, it appears like these verses place emphasis on the importance of us (I) proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ to an unsaved world. However, while that may be a real expectation of each of us, the first person used in verse 1 is actually Paul sharing with Titus about what he felt God had impressed upon his heart. But friends, in support of other similar scriptural references, I really want us to read this verse in the first person, for it is our responsibility to share the extremely Good News that is ours, with all those that we care about. In fact, what kind of a dad would not share such great news with his children? What kind of a friend would hold back telling his friends about the joy that is his in belonging to the King of all kings, Jesus Christ? Imagine, a truth that not only leads a person to Jesus Christ, but also gives the hearer confidence of everlasting life with Him in heaven! This is glorious news friend! However, it is only valuable to our loved ones, if we take our roles seriously and tell them how it’s available to even them, and that through acceptance of God’s love (Jesus) they would not just become a Christian, but they have the promise of eternal life with our Heavenly Father! To the friend who feels like this was just happen-chance that you found this devotional, may I disagree with you please? You see, John 3:16 tells us that God loves us so much that He sent a Son into the world so that ALL who believe on Him might be saved, and have eternal life! This includes you Brother! This verse was intended just for you Sister! God sent His precious Son to die at Calvary to forgive sinners, and would have done that even if it was just for you alone! Scripture tells us that God would prefer that none of His creation is excluded, so He sent His Son as a sacrifice, to facilitate the forgiveness of our sin. Our responsibility is to accept that gift! Are you willing to accept that Gift today? Simply Accept Jesus as Lord and Believe on Him for all things, including everlasting life; and Confess your sin to Him and ask His forgiveness. You will baste in His glory, live a glorious life rejoicing and worshipping Him, and enjoy sharing His love with all you know! Friends, Our God is an Awesome God, and I love and adore Him! I trust that you will do the same! I have included guidance for you in the ‘Footnote’, should you want additional help in understanding more about God, or just prefer chatting with someone about the decision you just made. Friend, God loves you, and so do I!

PRAYER: Lord God, there is so much going on in this old world today, that folk are desperately looking for the hope You promised to them from the very beginning of time. I sincerely pray for any that You might direct to this devotional, that they might recognize that truth and accept it personally, so that You may begin a great work within them! Thank You again for the tremendous sacrifice You made so that we might ultimately live forever with You in Heaven! While I look towards that day in great expectation, I also pray that You will be my guide, my strength, my encouragement and my Lord, each and every day, so that I might not only be encouraged to serve You wholeheartedly here below, but that I might be filled with Your grace and a bold faith that will enable me to share Jesus with all that I come into contact with. Please touch Your people today dear Lord, for this world needs You so badly. I ask all these things in the precious, and all powerful name of Jesus, the One sacrificed for the redemption of my sin, 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!

Be Confident In Your Faith

On By Ed AlgreenIn Faith, Godly ConfidenceLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (The Contemporary English Version – 2 Timothy 1:11-14): 11 My work is to be a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher. 12 That’s why I am suffering now. But I am not ashamed! I know the one I have faith in, and I am sure that he can guard until the last day what he has trusted me with. 13 Now follow the example of the correct teaching I gave you, and let the faith and love of Christ Jesus be your model. 14 You have been trusted with a wonderful treasure. Guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit, who lives within you.

THOUGHTS: Living in the south all of my life, I can only imagine what it must be like to live in the cold north! One story relayed to me is about the time of year that the lakes begin to freeze over. I could only imagine that there must be a period of testing, before one would trust the idea of walking across, or skiing on a frozen lake. One would have to gain faith that the thickness of the ice will support their weight, and this might come through occasional testing, or through watching how someone else does, who has tested the lake for themselves. Paul had tested the faith entrusted to him on many occasions. In fact, even as he was teaching this fact to Timothy he himself was in jail because of his persistence to share the faith that he was blessed with. Wouldn’t it be great to see this type of faith and confidence evident in Christians today? Don’t you suppose that our churches would be filled each week with worshippers who would come to lift up holy hearts and hands to the Almighty who had blessed them through their faith in Him that week? Don’t you know that there would be no shortage of friends visiting you in hospital to encourage you with the faith they had earned over time in the great Healer and Encourager, especially during their previous times of ill health? Don’t you know that unsaved loved ones and/or friends would rather not be around us, because they know that we would be overflowing with our love for Jesus; stories of all that He has done for us; blessings that we have received from the study of our text book (the Bible); and our deep desire to see them know our loving, caring, guiding, protecting and all-powerful Savior? Conversely, don’t you know that these unsaved loved one would love to be around us when they are hurting or facing life challenges, because they know that we are so connected to Jesus and confident in our faith? Paul had enough of this faith, hope, love and personal experience with the Lord bottled up inside to share it with Timothy for the purpose of helping to give him confidence for the job God called him to do. Do you have that kind of faith friend? I would love to have this level of faith and boldness, how about you? I can confidently talk about marriage, because I’ve been married for almost 40 years, and I have experienced many of the ups and downs of most marriages. We need to be around Jesus enough to be able to share our experiences with Him, and knowledge of Him, with others. We do this already with our marriages, work or any other life experience, why not share an experience about the Savior who has given us hope and a promise for an endless future with Him in heaven! After all, we love our family and friends and want to see God’s very best for them!

PRAYER: Father God, You know more about us than we would ever care to admit, so You know the reasons why we don’t see a lot of end results like mentioned above. I would much rather see You get our undivided attention while we are able to help others along their course of life, rather than us waiting until a disaster, or major health issue occurs, as these things can often lead to ineffectiveness in our remaining life here on earth. I believe that there is no greater hurt, than that of regret. Please touch the lives of Your children today, and give us the faith like Paul so that we may boldly witness for You even under extreme circumstances like Paul encountered. May we never regret having done what we feel You directed us towards. I believe that Your Word is clear that You are interested in seeing us be Your witness to all that we come into contact with. May we make You proud today, is my humble plea, that I ask in the name of Your precious Son Jesus, 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!

Our God Can Do Anything!

On By Ed AlgreenIn Faith, SurrenderLeave a comment

The Holy Bible

God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us.

(Bible Translation and Location: The Message – Ephesians 3:20-21)

Thoughts:

This is generally a time of the year that we reflect back at all of the challenges we have faced. Obviously we have conquered the circumstances because we are here to tell the story, however in spite of the awesome pressure and anxiety in dealing with the challenges, we can now use this time to glorify God for His awesome hand upon us! In reading this passage from Ephesians, we are reminded that our God is capable of doing far more than we could ever imagine! In fact, in order to make sure that we have all His power available to us, He sent His Holy Spirit to live and reign within us. So friend, I hope that we will be careful how we whine, for when we do, we are really questioning the ability of the Holy Spirit to see us through our circumstances. Let’s learn to place our faith and trust in Him, lean on Him, depend on Him and allow Him free reign in our lives, knowing that all things work together for good, to those who place their faith and trust in Jesus. We have seen evidence that He can do all things and that He will work in our favor, after all, we are His beloved children. Let’s stop stressing friend, and ask God to give His Holy Spirit free reign in our lives this Christmas season and throughout 2015! There’s no better resolution we can make than this!

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, You are so good to us, yet we have only touched the tip of the iceberg. Please teach us to release this stressful life to You so that Your Holy Spirit might have free reign in our lives. Please help us to consult with You, take instructions from You and obediently carryout Your will for our lives. We need You in our lives and we need to depend on You daily. Lord, may we be Your humble servants and do exactly this as we continue on in this tough, rugged and stressful life. Thine be the Glory Lord, for You are so good to me! I’m praising You and asking all this in Your precious name, 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!

Confidence in Troubled Times

On By Ed AlgreenIn Bold Confidence, Relationship, TrustLeave a comment

The Holy Bible

4 I cry aloud to the Lord,
and He answers me from His holy mountain. Selah

5 I lie down and sleep;
I wake again because the Lord sustains me.

(Bible Translation and Location: Holman Christian Standard Bible – Psalm 3:4-5)

 Thoughts:

So often we share stories about things that have occurred in others’ lives, but have you ever noticed the difference when someone is telling you an experience from their own life? There’s a whole lot more passion, intimacy and convincing truth about what they are telling you from first-hand experience. Psalm 3 is one of these cases, for David was running from the onslaught of his son Absalom who had many warriors chasing his father to murder him. However, instead of the panic that most of us would find ourselves in, David finds peace and rest in the Creator of this universe, the One that David had proven as his God, even though everyone around him was telling him quite the different (see verse 2). Friends, it is virtually impossible to gain confidence in a stranger – someone you are meeting or addressing for the first time. So my first advice to you is to have a personal relationship with the one in whom you run to in times of trouble and despair. If you don’t know Jesus intimately, I would suggest that you follow the guidelines in my footnote. Secondly, you will quickly forget a person you’ve met if you don’t keep open communication with that person. Communication with God is through His Son, Jesus, and is possible through prayer, Bible study, praise and worship, fellowship with other saints, and acknowledging His presence and character in all things created. Through regular communion with God, You will quickly recognize His answers to your prayer requests, and you will learn to acknowledge His works rather than luck, chance or nature itself. In building this type of confidence, you too will be able to rest in God’s presence, know that He is God, and that He will work all things out for good, to those who place their faith and trust in Him.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, You alone are God, why then should we fear? I believe that for your saints, You have our very best interest at heart. Therefore may I ask that You humble me each day into accepting this truth and Your ultimate love for me. Help me to remember that my ways are not Your ways, so there will be times that You will direct my path in ways that I may never have even thought of, or asked for. Please help me to be more like David and to rest in the peace that You are God and I am not. That You will work things out for good and in ways that would bless me and not harm me. Life seems so challenging even to Christians who have a Father to rest their faith in. I struggle to imagine the enormous stress of my friends that try to do life all by themselves and without the advantage of having You, oh God, to lead them, protect them, comfort them and love them unconditionally. Please humble my family members that don’t yet know You so that they may refocus their lives towards You. Please speak gently to my friends who can’t see beyond their struggles to see a God who loves them beyond all measure. Having the confidence in the King of all kings, and the Master of this universe is more than we deserve, but all that we need oh God. Thank You for being my God! I praise You and ask all of these things in the wonderful and matchless name of Your Son, 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!