Tag: creator

Church Leaders As Shepherds

On By Ed AlgreenIn Elders, Expectations, Leadership, PastorsLeave a comment

Wednesday, 2019-04-24

Bible Reference: 1 Peter 5:2–4
Translation: The Contemporary English Version (CEV)

Bible Text: Just as shepherds watch over their sheep, you must watch over everyone God has placed in your care. Do it willingly in order to please God, and not simply because you think you must. Let it be something you want to do, instead of something you do merely to make money. Don’t be bossy to those people who are in your care, but set an example for them. Then when Christ the Chief Shepherd returns, you will be given a crown that will never lose its glory.

OBSERVATION: If we hold a place of leadership in God’s church, then we have a responsibility to watch over those we lead with the same love and care that God has for us.

APPLICATION: We tend to expect a lot out of our pastors. In fact, we tend to think that they are invincible and not subject to the same sin and temptations that we encounter daily. Some translations tend to see this section of scripture addressed to elders, while some use more general terms of church leaders. I am not here to clarify either of these, but rather to remind us that if we hold a place of leadership in God’s church, then we have a responsibility to watch over those we lead with the same love and care that God has for us. We should not be in a place of leadership unless we could be a leader from a heart of love for the Lord and for His local church. We should have within us the desire to see the work of the Lord flourish – for His glory, therefore our work should be done unselfishly and with a heart to work for our master, not because of anything that we might personally gain from any position that we might hold. Most people learn better from what they are shown than from what they are told, therefore Peter warns that leaders are to lead by example rather than trying to throw around your authority. The super great news is that regardless whether we are ignored for our efforts in the work of the church here on earth, all we do for Jesus will be recognized by Him when we see Him face to face one day. In fact, Peter suggested that we would gain a crown that will never lose its glory! I could only imagine the smile on my Savior’s face as He welcomes me home and thanks me for returning the favor for what He did for me on Calvary, by all that I attempted to do to promote His kingdom while here on earth! Oh that will be, glory for me! Are you looking forward to this also friend? Please don’t shy away from the Lord’s work. There’s much to be done, and many to be reached with the gospel. Jesus used others to find us and bless us, now let’s make ourselves available for the work of the Lord. Yes, God can use even you and I for His glory!

PRAYER: Lord we work hard around our churches and sometimes we get discouraged because we feel unappreciated by church leaders and/or members. Thank You for using Your servant Peter to show us that our expectations are unimportant here on earth, for our efforts should always be directed towards pleasing the only One that we serve, our Lord and Savior! In fact I believe that most often when we expect glory here on earth, it could easily mean that we may not necessarily be doing kingdom work. May we be found faithful in all that we do for Your ultimate glory. May You be lifted higher when others recognize a benefit from our efforts here below. I ask these things in the name of the Lord that I adore, the Lord that I seek to please by all that I do here below, AMEN!

The Events of This Weekend Impacts Your Eternity

On By Ed AlgreenIn Acceptance, Forgiveness, Sacrifice3 Comments

Thursday, 2019-04-18

Bible Reference: John 19:4-6
Translation: New Living Translation (NLT)

Bible Text: 4 Pilate went outside again and said to the people, “I am going to bring him out to you now, but understand clearly that I find him not guilty.” 5 Then Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. And Pilate said, “Look, here is the man!” 6 When they saw him, the leading priests and Temple guards began shouting, “Crucify him! Crucify him!” “Take him yourselves and crucify him,” Pilate said. “I find him not guilty.”

OBSERVATION: On Easter Sunday, I believe you will be faced with a similar question to the one Herod posed to his audience: “Here’s the Son of God, what will you do with Him?”. I trust that you will begin thinking and praying about how you will respond to this life changing question in a way that will be pleasing to the God who loves you beyond all measure.

APPLICATION: Pilate presented Jesus to the crowd and asked what would they have him do with Jesus? Each weekend most churches/pastors will present the gospel and ask their congregations to respond to a similar question. Most of us leave our churches having said something very similar to that of the crowd before Pilate. Perhaps by our unresponsive action we are saying: hey, you may as well crucify Him, for we have this ‘life’ thing under control. I don’t need this Jesus interfering and telling me what to do or how I should act, or highlighting my wrongs. Perhaps we totally ignore the message, and the idea that Jesus is in control of us and all of life’s happenings. Perhaps we conclude that since Jesus is available, we could easily and quickly call on Him, if and when, we need Him. Friends, in and of our natural selves we have no desire for godly things. If we ARE alerted to the things of Christ, we are actually being personally admonished by GOD Himself. We NEED to listen and obey, not aim to crucify Him. We are about to enter into another weekend of church services. What will you do with Jesus? He loved you so much that He gave himself up on the cross of Calvary as a sacrifice for your sin, so that you might have the means of forgiveness of your sin, and the joy of entering heaven’s gates. How will you respond to that? Some in Herod’s crowd eventually responded ‘surely this was the Son of God’, but others joined with their friends in responding ‘crucify Him’. Please pray that God will speak to you individually about how you should respond this Sunday. The whole purpose of God sending His Son Jesus, is to save His people – you and I, and to give us the opportunity of living and dying in hope, and to be with our Creator throughout eternity!

PRAYER: Lord God, thank You for loving us so much that You showed evidence of that love when You allowed Your precious Son to suffer the disgrace of the people that insisted on His death. Lord, we are not a whole lot better, for we stand by and watch our family and friends ‘spit in Your Son’s face’ in our world today. They are convicted by You, yet they turn away in rejection as if to say that they would rather reject Your unbelievable love and accept the horror and disgrace of the Evil One. They would never be so evil to an earthly friend who blesses them today, by turning their face and rejecting them in spite of their sacrificial giving to them. Dear God, please don’t give up on my family members, friends and coworkers who have chosen to follow this unfortunate pattern. Please, Heavenly Father, bear with them a little longer. Please tender their hearts yet again to the fact that You showed Your love in very obvious and sacrificial ways. Their acceptance of that gracious gift is so valuable that it contains the keys to Heaven and an audience for eternity with the creator of this entire universe. We are truly a blessed people, to have such a loving God. Thank You dear Lord, and hear my plea yet again for those I love. For I ask this in the wonderful name of Jesus – the crucified, sacrificial lamb of God, AMEN!

God Loves the Repentant Heart

On By Ed AlgreenIn Forgiveness, Heart, SinLeave a comment

Monday, 2019-04-01

Bible Reference: Psalm 51:16-17
Translation: The Voice (Voice)

Bible Text: 16 I would surrender my dearest possessions or destroy all that I prize to prove my regret, but You don’t take pleasure in sacrifices or burnt offerings. 17 What sacrifice I can offer You is my broken spirit because a broken spirit, O God, a heart that honestly regrets the past, You won’t detest.

OBSERVATION: From a very early age, we demand our kids to say “I’m sorry” when they have wronged a sibling or someone else. Also from a very early age we easily detect that those words are sometimes forced out of kids, because they know that parents are not satisfied until they hear their kids, in obedience, say “I’m sorry”. So what do we think happens when we meet God personally? Let’s look deeper into our Scripture today…

APPLICATION: “Lord, I’m sorry for my sin”, might come quite naturally when introduced to Jesus, but how sorry are we, really, when we turn around and do the same thing over and over again. David, the Psalmist, was confronted about his awful sin with Bathsheba, and while he could very easily spurt those famous words out to Nathan the prophet, David had to face his all-knowing God with this sin. Now we should be reminded that God didn’t only know the fact that Nathan just presented to David, but God knows even our thoughts and the intent of our heart. So do you really think that it would have helped for David to sacrifice a sheep or a goat on the altar as his way of saying I’m sorry? For the world, that may have been enough, because from all apparent evidence, David would have acknowledged his sin and paid the price for his forgiveness. But just like you and I, David not only needed this to look good in the eyes of his friends and the local priests, but in true repentance, he wanted a clean heart in the presence of his God. So friends, we not only need to ask for forgiveness from our earthly friends, family and the impacted one(s) for our sin, but in order to right our heart and resume our oneness with God, and to one day present ourselves faultless before our King, we must get before God in humility and deepest sincerity and ask for His forgiveness. Like David, we must always be aware that God desires:

  • A broken spirit – this means that we must be willing to break down our pride of thinking we know everything, and thinking that what occurred was a private matter between two consenting adults. We must acknowledge that we recognize that our hearts and our lives are transparent before an all-knowing God, so we may as well ‘come clean’ and ask His forgiveness for everything we have done or said or thought that may be contrary to His perfect design and will. There is nothing we can hide from God, so may I encourage you to break down the walls of pride and secrecy and be totally open with God;
  • A humble heart that honestly regrets the past (our sin) – Our acts may have been fun at the time, or our words may have revenged the individual we were out to get back at, but I believe that when the God of this universe looks into our eyes and our hearts, and He sees unconfessed sin, then we will be pushed aside or rejected from His presence, as sin cannot enter His kingdom.

I was at a conference recently where we were reminded that when we stand before God, we will deal with our personal condition in the face of a righteous, all-knowing God. The normal tendency of our actions here on earth is to try and compare to another individual, or pointing out their sin, while pushing ours under the table. This is not the way God will handle our judgment on that day that we stand before Him, for that will be a one-on-one conversation. It won’t matter what the neighbor did, or the deacon said, it will only matter how in sync our heart is with a righteous and perfect God. If that was to happen today, and it could very easily happen, what would God challenge you with? Consider getting that straight today friend, for we have no assurance of a second chance to do so tomorrow.

PRAYER: Father God, You created us, including our heart, our soul, our mind and our intellect. Why would we ever think that we could hide anything from You is most astonishing to our sober minds as we try to escape Your wrath. Please speak to those who seek after you today. Lord Jesus, may the words from our lips and the meditation of our hearts be acceptable in Your sight, our Rock, our Redeemer, our Savior and our Lord. AMEN!

Allow God to Use You Today Exactly where You are at

On By Ed AlgreenIn direction, Esther, God's Guidance, Obedience, TimeLeave a comment

Thursday, 2019-03-28

Bible Reference: Esther 4:12–14
Translation: The Contemporary English Version (CEV)

Bible Text: When Mordecai was told what Esther had said,  he sent back this reply, “Don’t think that you will escape being killed with the rest of the Jews, just because you live in the king’s palace. If you don’t speak up now, we will somehow get help, but you and your family will be killed. It could be that you were made queen for a time like this!”

OBSERVATION: Many will buy a ‘chance’ today, to win millions of dollars in a lotto! Others will attribute their being located in a specific place around specific people as circumstantial, or by accident, or even mere luck. However, we should meditate on the words of Mordecai in this Scripture today, and understand that God has an ordained place for us to be today, with certain people, for a specific purpose that only He knows. Let’s anticipate the blessings that might ensue, as a result of our obedience to God today!

APPLICATION: Mordecai challenged Esther to reconsider her reason for not assisting him in his plea to save the lives of all Jews in the area at that time. Maybe up to this point Esther was thinking that it was because of her beauty that she was favored to be queen under King Xerxes, or perhaps her gentle character or even her kind-hearted attitude. However, was Esther really any worse that some of us? I believe that way too often we tend to attribute our location to something that we have always desired; Our job position on something we have worked hard for, and achieved; Our spouse on the attraction one towards the other; Our church on being the most popular in the area with the best worship music or preaching or teaching of God’s Word. But friend have you stopped to reflect on where you are at in each of these areas of your life right now, and how God had a hand in it all? Have you reflected recently on the gentle, but firm guidance in your life to get you where you are at in every aspect of life? I can personally share that there have been many situations in my life where I can reflect back and see exactly how and why God directed me to where I am today. So do I believe that God has me where He wants me for a time such as this? I can only respond very positively, based on my faith in Him and on the ways that He has operated in my life already. Now I’ve also seen Him close doors, so don’t assume that everything will be super positive, clean and just the way we want it, or like it. If we trust Him for direction in our lives, then we must trust Him for all the benefits and/or fallouts we might see, especially in those cases where answers may of been delivered differently to what we had our minds made up for. Friends, if you are a child of the King – a born-again Christian, you are who you are; and where you are; surrounded by everyone God has ordained to be there – for such a time as this. May God use this time to draw you closer to Himself and to be especially obedient to Him, so that He can use You to accomplish His work right where you are, just as you are.

PRAYER: Father, You are such an awesome God and I thank You for reaching in through hoards of other folk, to acknowledge the needs and opportunities of this simple man. Thank You for loving me that much! I’m sure that my readers and I could identify with the encouragement and push needed by Esther, because we often find it easier to poke our heads in the sand and ignore needs around us. Now we are reminded that we are divinely gifted and purposefully placed where we are in life for such a time as this. Please use us, Your instruments of praise, to continue to do Your will, and may we always be obedient and willing servants. I ask these things in faith, and in the precious name of Jesus, AMEN!

Protect Your Heart From Anything That Might Replace God

On By Ed AlgreenIn Awesome God, Priorities, Priority, SacrificeLeave a comment

Monday, 2019-03-25

Bible Reference: 1 John 5:18-21
Translation: The Living Bible (TLB)

Bible Text: No one who has become part of God’s family makes a practice of sinning, for Christ, God’s Son, holds him securely, and the devil cannot get his hands on him. We know that we are children of God and that all the rest of the world around us is under Satan’s power and control.And we know that Christ, God’s Son, has come to help us understand and find the true God. And now we are in God because we are in Jesus Christ his Son, who is the only true God; and he is eternal Life. Dear children, keep away from anything that might take God’s place in your hearts. Amen.

OBSERVATION: Safe in the arms of Jesus is where I want to be when this life is over, but I would dare say that my goal each day is to be secure in His arms – protected by Him, loved by Him, encouraged by Him and directed by Him. Child of God, I believe that our Scripture reaffirms that when we are securely His and when we surrender wholeheartedly to His will, He will fill us with so much of Himself that there will be little room for anything else. However, to get there we must surrender to His will and His Lordship. A place where all believer should strive to be – daily.

APPLICATION: I was drawn to the first part of this scripture that assures me that if I am truly a child of the King, I am held securely in His hand and under His protection from the Evil One. Then John clearly delineates who truly is controlled by Satan, and I pray that each one reading this devotional have made a firm commitment to graduate from that dark, sinful world, into the welcoming, loving, forgiving arms of our Lord and Savior. If you are still struggling with sin dear friend, then I would recommend that you go back to step one and check your son-ship with the Father. Was that an automatic thing you assumed because you were attending church every time the doors were opened? Was it something where you felt pressured into making a decision, or did you ever feel drawn by God’s Holy Spirit to surrender your old life of sin, and accept Him as Your personal Savior? May I encourage you to use the place, date or time of your adoption into the kingdom of Light, especially the next time that Satan tries to cause you doubt about whose you are? But friends, in spite of all the great insight already mentioned, the very last sentence is a powerful statement. When I think of what might take God’s place in our hearts, I tend to think of anything that might interrupt our personal time with the Lord. These are the times where you are spiritually refueled to go on stronger in the faith. And if anything steps into that space, or disrupts the time you had set aside to be with God, then I wonder if perhaps that’s what John was cautioning us about? For any relationship to flourish, I feel it is important for daily time together. When you are not meeting those committed times, then obviously something else is taking priority over your time alone with God. Perhaps another area might be church attendance. I know, just as staying in your garage overnight will not turn you into a car, so church attendance will not save you! However, I believe that a true child of God would want to be with God’s people at every opportunity. In fact, the Word infers this to be a characteristic of a believer. Furthermore, church attendance gives you the opportunity to praise and worship our Creator – the giver of all good things in this life; you also have the opportunity to be blessed by hearing how God has blessed others and answered their prayers; plus you have the opportunity to minister to others by sharing your God experiences with them. So if you’re not there, will someone go lacking that night, or that day? Will God be understanding of what took priority over Your time with Him? Is another ‘god’ slipping into the picture?

PRAYER: Lord I pray that You might use this devotional to awaken me to the desires of my heart and my relationship with you. May I be found faithful in all things oh God, and may You have prominence in all that I am. Touch the hearts of my readers dear Lord. May each of us be reminded of the priority You placed on making sure that our sins are forgiven, forever. With that same determination, commitment and priority may we be extra careful to not let anything interfere with the overwhelming and powerful role that You play in our lives. I believe that others will see and believe! Thank You gracious and loving God for loving us so much. AMEN!

Find Out How Much You Love God’s Children

On By Ed AlgreenIn Christian love, Love, ObedienceLeave a comment

Tuesday, 2019-03-19

Bible Reference: 1 John 5:1-4
Translation: The Living Bible (TLB)

Bible Text: If you believe that Jesus is the Christ—that he is God’s Son and your Savior—then you are a child of God. And all who love the Father love his children too. So you can find out how much you love God’s children—your brothers and sisters in the Lord—by how much you love and obey God. Loving God means doing what he tells us to do, and really, that isn’t hard at all; for every child of God can obey him, defeating sin and evil pleasure by trusting Christ to help him.

OBSERVATION: Do you love God? How about God’s children, do you love them also? The extent to which you love God, will show how much you love His children! Is it evident how much you love God? Let’s stop and ponder this Scripture today, as we consider these very important questions.

APPLICATION: Through John, God has actually given us the formula for measuring how well we’re doing in loving God, and in loving fellow believers! In fact we are told in these verses today that the degree to which we love fellow believers is proportionate to how much we love and obey God. Ok, so I’m sure that you probably assume you truly love one another, because you are very sure that you really love God. But do you really?  The Word declares that the love referenced here is not just a verbal thing, or a feeling, but instead if we truly love God, we will do what He tells us to do. For some that will be easy, because we pray and we seek God’s face through His precious Word. When we truly love God, we will not just listen to His commands, His teachings, His instructions for us, and His example that He set for us to follow, but we will be willing to live out in total obedience all that He commands us to do. Friends, our instructions and our reminders will not just come from the pulpit on the weekend, or from a Bible teacher, but primarily come from a one-on-one relationship with your maker. This might include getting into His Instruction Manual, the Bible, daily; it will include communicating with Him throughout your day; it will include sharing with others about the most important thing that ever happened to you. Friends, if it’s truly on the inside, it will come out in your words, actions and attitudes. Don’t know where to start? You may want to follow a good devotional, such as the one you’re now reading, or you may want to look for a Bible Reading Plan of your own. Whatever you decide, just remember to seek God’s face first – as it takes the Spirit of God to truly open your eyes to the spiritual truths of our awesome God. Not much of a reader? It doesn’t matter, when you seek God’s face first and ask Him to open your mind to His ways and His thoughts, and His teachings, you will find that those simple words on a page, actually reveals the perfect will of God for your life right where you’re at during that very moment. Highlight as He speaks to you, and make notes to remind yourself how He spoke to you. Note that in today’s scripture we are taught that through loving God and obeying all that He instructs us, then we will defeat sin and evil pleasures. Our love for God will become so pure and so real, that we will also love everything that God loves and everyone that He loves. So are you struggling with any part of this today friend? Let me encourage you to try the above ideas for at least seven days, and I believe God will give you a burning desire to continue doing the same for the rest of the time you remain on this earth! Love and obedience to God leads to love for the brethren friend!

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, You not only tell us to love one another, but You have even gone the extra step of showing us just how to accomplish that. How unfortunate, that a God who sacrificed His only Son for us on Calvary, must now tell us how important it is for us to love His Son. How deep the Father’s love for us, even in spite of our unworthiness. Yet how easy it is for us to say that we struggle in loving our Christian Brothers and Sisters, when we don’t fully appreciate the love of our Father, or see fit to obey His simple commands. Please forgive us dear Lord and continue to draw us to Yourself with an even deeper determination to love and obey You. I sincerely thank You for Your love, and for all these things I have asked throughout this devotional, for it is in the precious and loving name of Jesus that I ask, AMEN!

How To Know That The Spirit of God Dwells in Someone

On By Ed AlgreenIn Dedicated, Example of Christ, Genuine example of Jesus, Genuine FaithLeave a comment

Monday, 2019-03-18

Bible Reference: 1 John 4:2–3
Translation: The Message (MSG)

Bible Text: Here’s how you test for the genuine Spirit of God. Everyone who confesses openly his faith in Jesus Christ—the Son of God, who came as an actual flesh-and-blood person—comes from God and belongs to God. And everyone who refuses to confess faith in Jesus has nothing in common with God.

OBSERVATION: Ever been questioned, or have you ever questioned  whether a Brother is genuine, or a Sister sincere in her faith and teaching? I was in awe this morning as I read the Word, for John, gives us pointers about this very matter.

APPLICATION: Not only will this help us identify the Spirit of God in others, but I believe this also helps us to examine ourselves and the kind of witness we portray to others. Some of the key points we are to consider and/or portray to determine, or prove, the genuine Spirit of God are: (1) Confesses openly about his/her/my faith in Jesus Christ; (2) Acknowledges that Jesus is the genuine, only Son of God; (3) Believes and declares that Jesus came to this earth in human form; (4) Believes that Jesus Comes from God; Belongs to God; And, as verified in other scriptures, He is also God. Friends, we are well aware of the awful feelings we have when we discover that we’ve been given a fake check, or a fake currency note, or perhaps encounter a person claiming to be someone they truly are not. The latter is comparable to us bringing damnation on ourselves when we claim to be a messenger, or witness, or representation of God, without having a first-hand experience with His Son Jesus. Friends, others will see straight through our fake-ness. Our Christianity is evidenced on the outside from a heart experience on the inside. Have you given Your heart to Jesus? Has He been allowed to control Your innermost emotions, convictions and decisions? Have you invited Jesus to take charge and to speak and work through you wholeheartedly? Can others see and feel the Spirit of God working in and through you on the outside and confirm the points suggested by John? Will they know you are a child of the King, or do you need to tell them? Will you commit to speak to God about this? He deserves genuine believers, because He showed His genuine love for us on Calvary in that He offered Himself, in obedience to His Father, to be a sacrifice for those who despised and hated Him. He showed real, genuine, love beyond anything mankind has ever experienced. He loved us with wide, outstretched arms! Do you love and appreciate my Lord enough today to be bold in your witness and tell others of His great love, even if you are certain that they will make a mockery of you? Will they recognize the spirit of God residing inside of you?

PRAYER: Dear God, I am amazed at the genuine love shown for me on Calvary’s cross. You were born into this world, lived among men and in spite of Your love for them, they crucified You. This is the unfortunate evidence of Your human experience here on earth. Thank You for continuing to accept humans into Your kingdom, and I especially thank You for accepting me. Please forgive us when we allow our peers to distract our walk with You. Lord, I am seeking Your help to make me more like You in every way while here on earth, so that others will not be distracted by a sense of false identity. I desire for them to see the hands and feet of Jesus, so that they may be drawn to You oh Lord. Please deal deeply in the hearts of those who will meditate on this devotional today, so that we might not only know You as Lord and Savior, but that we may follow Your example in everything we say and do. To God be the glory, for all that our surrendered, and fully dedicated lives might yield for the Kingdom of God. AMEN!

Who’s Holding Your Hand?

On By Ed AlgreenIn Guidance, Love, SecurityLeave a comment

Tuesday, 2019-03-12

Bible Reference: Psalm 37:23-24 
Translation: The Good News Translation (GNT)

Bible Text: The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand.

APPLICATION: I heard an interview at one time that asked adult females why they were so attached to their fathers. The answers somewhat surprised me, because they were not geared towards the financial welfare or wisdom of their father, but rather around the comfort brought by just holding their hand in circumstances where they would have otherwise felt insecure. Notice that this scenario revolved around a relationship between a father and his daughter, but have you ever thought of God in that type of relationship with you? Have you ever thought about the comfort you receive when you are reminded that our great, big, wonderful God is in charge of this universe and yet He is intimately concerned about our well-being and our security? Friends, there is just one catch to this. God will not push Himself on anyone who has chosen to do, this thing we call, ‘life’ alone. For this verse, and many others, make it clear that God will take extra good care of those who have chosen to open their hearts to Him. But may I quickly caution you that this does not mean that you can just conveniently open your heart to Him when you are in trouble, for He desires to know you, and subsequently care for, and about you in all walks of life. Although it is clear in the Word that He will protect His own, I believe this also means that He will not barge in, or interfere with you, if you have personally chosen to reject Him or live your life without Him. BUT, for those of us who have chosen Jesus as our Master and Lord, the Psalmist is assuring us that ‘greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world’, for He delights in us and assures us that even if we stumble, we will never fail or fall, for the great God of this universe holds our hand! Friends, it is very obvious throughout the Word of God, that His children are the ‘apple of His eye’ and that He loves us, cares for us and will protect His own very carefully until the day we see Him face to face! That’s exciting and comforting for the Christian! This could be exciting and comforting for the non-Christian who humbles yourself and follow the suggestions in my ‘Footnote’ – but please make that decision TODAY, for there is no promise of life for tomorrow. I believe that my God is waiting for you today! Won’t you accept Him as Lord of your life, and allow Him to take your hand and provide for you each and every day?

PRAYER: Father, we are such a blessed people. When we consider this huge universe, the sun, the moon, the planets, the whole concept of land, sea, skies and the air, who are we that a King would send His very own Son as a child to a mere human female, to be born in a stable, to perform endless miracles as proof of His power and relationship to God? Then to die a cruel death on a cross – who are we that You would do all this in the name of love for Your children. Wow! Wow! Wow! This song of praise by David (in this Psalm) reminds us of how special we are in Your eyes, of Your love, of your protection and of Your concern for even us. Thank You Lord Jesus for still leaving the option open for those who are still uncommitted to You. Now, in deepest appreciation for all that You do for me and for who You are to me, Lord Jesus, I ask these things in honest humility and deepest gratitude, AMEN!

The Glistening Purity of Jesus Christ

On By Ed AlgreenIn Bold Confidence, Commitment, How to Live, Pure, PurityLeave a comment

Monday, 2019-03-11

Bible Reference: 1 John 3:1–3
Translation: The Message (MSG)

Bible Text: What marvelous love the Father has extended to us! Just look at it—we’re called children of God! That’s who we really are. But that’s also why the world doesn’t recognize us or take us seriously, because it has no idea who he is or what he’s up to. But friends, that’s exactly who we are: children of God. And that’s only the beginning. Who knows how we’ll end up! What we know is that when Christ is openly revealed, we’ll see him—and in seeing him, become like him. All of us who look forward to his Coming stay ready, with the glistening purity of Jesus’ life as a model for our own.

OBSERVATION: When last have you recognized a child of God? Do you suppose that the world sees a difference in you, versus the rest of the world? Do you feel like the love and character of Christ glows through you in every word or action that comes from you? I find it reassuring that in these verses we are told that when we see Christ, we will become like Him – the glistening purity of the Holy One! I believe that also reaffirms that the things of this world, and the evil one, will no longer have a hold on us! What a day that will be!!

APPLICATION: I see such a sweet assurance in the beginning verse of how much my heavenly Father loves me, and how He calls us His children. My eyes were also opened to the reminder that the world may very well dislike us, because they do not have an appreciation for the things, or character of God. But then I realize that if we do not conform to the ways of the world, then they would hate us anyway, per Romans 12:2. In fact that verse tells us that God will change us from the inside out, so of course we will be different to anything we, or they have ever witnessed before. But friends, the captioned verses today reminds us that our God will come one day to take us home to be with Him. Now that’s a day that we all look forward to, amen? But what about the here and now, what are we to be doing – how then shall we be living? Thankfully John covers this in verse 3, for he advised that we should aim to live like Jesus. I found it interesting that the Message chose to use such an awesome description of the life we are to live: ‘Glistening purity of Jesus’. That makes me think that we are to live squeaky clean lives, just as Christ was perfectly clean/pure. Friends, I believe that the bottom line is that we live the changed life that we have committed ourselves to. If we don’t, imagine how confusing it must be for nonbelievers to hear us preaching the goodness of the Lord from our mouths, yet living like the Devil in our actions and all of our practices. Jesus was pure in every way, and that’s what we are called to do, and be, as children of God. Are you willing to commit to living the pure life exampled by Jesus Christ? We can do that with the sole help of the only pure and holy One – Jesus, the Christ! Let us therefore place our faith and trust in Him to live our lives pleasing to Him.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, You lived a perfect life amidst lots of evil. We also are called to live the kind of pure life that You lived, even when our world seems more corrupt and sinful today than anytime in history. For those of us willing to live the example You have set before us, may You endow us with power, wisdom, determination and total surrender, so that the enemy might see Jesus in all that we do and say. We need You precious Savior. Please work miraculously through us so that Your work might be done, for Your glory only. AMEN!

Your Actions – More Important Than Your Words

On By Ed AlgreenIn Actions, WitnessLeave a comment

Bible Reference: Titus 2:7–8
Translation: New Living Translation (NLT)

Bible Text:  And you yourself must be an example to them by doing good works of every kind. Let everything you do reflect the integrity and seriousness of your teaching. Teach the truth so that your teaching can’t be criticized. Then those who oppose us will be ashamed and have nothing bad to say about us.

APPLICATION:  Paul had just spent the greater portion of a chapter telling Titus how important it was to teach the older men, the older women and the younger men the importance of their lives reflecting the love and truths of God. However, to tie this all together Titus was warned that the sticking point in all this would come when he personally lived the life that he was teaching the people to live. In fact, even those who opposed their ministry would be ashamed as they would find nothing hypercritical to say about them. Friends, it is easy to teach someone what the Good Book says, but it is way more effective when you live the life that you are teaching about. I love that saying that is sometimes used: “your actions are speaking so loudly that I can barely hear what is coming from your lips!” I truly believe that the success of effective ministry by teachers, preachers and fellow Christians are borne from their actions many more times than through the words they speak. Based on this, are you challenged today to seek God’s help in redirecting your actions to be more effective in your ministry and/or witnessing? Let’s seek God’s face, allow Him to impact our lives, and extend Himself out through us in everything we do or say, all for His ultimate glory!

PRAYER: Lord God, You are faithful to us in every way, and I am so appreciative of that! But I thank You today for reminding us that perhaps more impactful than the words we speak, are the actions we take towards our fellow mankind. Lord, may our actions today be way more reflective of Your teachings than anything we could possible say. Please minister to the unsaved, the discouraged and the despondent today through our actions, and if necessary, also through our words that would reflect Your teachings and Your will for them. We need You precious Lord, please direct our path today, all for Your glory and honor, AMEN!