Tag: Dedicated

Total Allegiance

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

DATE WRITTEN: Saturday, 2021-07-24
WRITTEN AT: Hattiesburg, MS

SCRIPTURE FROM: Luke 5:8-11
TRANSLATION: Living Bible (TLB)

BIBLE TEXT: 8 When Simon Peter realized what had happened, he fell to his knees before Jesus and said, “Oh, sir, please leave us—I’m too much of a sinner for you to have around.” 9 For he was awestruck by the size of their catch, as were the others with him, 10 and his partners too—James and John, the sons of Zebedee. Jesus replied, “Don’t be afraid! From now on you’ll be fishing for the souls of men!”
11 And as soon as they landed, they left everything and went with him.

APPLICATION: In counseling a couple preparing for marriage, some pastors will remind them of the importance of spending less time with their hunting, fishing or shopping buddies so that they could devote uninterrupted time with their new spouse. Wouldn’t it be the same experience with one who has accepted the call on their life to receive Jesus into their heart? Think about it! In both cases, God knows full well that we will have mixed allegiance; and when that happens, we are not fully dedicated to either. In the case of the experienced fishermen, they knew that if they returned to the same fishing grounds where they yielded nothing just hours before. Their experience teaches them that if there was nothing there the night before, there probably would be nothing there the next morning. PLEASE don’t come down on Peter and his fishing buddies, for we still do the same thing today when we look through the lens of this world. Only Jesus was able to turn the water into wine; cause the lame to walk again; feed the 5,000+ people; and raise the dead, so only Jesus can change the course of life as we know it today. I believe that Jesus is still calling us to be fishers of men. Yes, even those who have little to know education; Yes, even those who feel like they are incapable of doing anything worthy for the Lord; And yes, even those who tend to look at this sinful world and give up on seeing any good thing come form the mass of confusion and sin. But here’s what makes all the difference in the world. Notice that Peter and his buddies were filled with doubt before this encounter with Jesus, but based on their actions after they got to shore, we could see that their firsthand experience with their Master, caused a total turn around in their lives. They left everything and followed Jesus! Leaving everything, in my mind, means that they concluded that there was nothing in their lives that was more important than to follow the One who proved Himself to them through miracle after miracle, and they were ready to accept His invitation to join Him in His earthly ministry. What is it that you need to give up in order to devote your life whole-heartedly to the Master? Think about the difference that Peter and his friends were facing in switching from fishing, to following Jesus and serving Him faithfully? It would have to be the miraculous touch of Jesus, right? Well I believe that He is still in the miracle-working business today, and He could do the same for you and I when we accept His invitation to join Him in ministry!

BLESSING(S) NOTED: From the stinky business of fishing, or whatever your occupation might be, to the glorious work of the Kingdom! – Only possible through the powerful transformation and miracles of our all-powerful God!

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, we bury ourselves in everyday chores and through some miracle, we feel accomplished. In learning more about You, we realize that we haven’t touched the potential of all that You have placed us here on earth for. We were reminded how you transformed the lives of Peter and his friends, and it has renewed our faith in believing that You can do the same through even us. No doubt, there are readers/listeners who feel the same as I do. Please touch Your children once again today and help us to see our potential in all that You can do through one dedicated and committed child, rather than through our own meager efforts. Nothing is impossible with You! May we base our ministries on all that You have in store for us, and all that You can do through us. 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!

Stand Firm

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

DATE WRITTEN: Friday, 2020-11-06
WRITTEN AT: Paul B Johnson State Park, Hattiesburg, MS

BIBLE REFERENCE: 1 Peter 5:8-11
TRANSLATION: Contemporary English Version (CEV)

BIBLE TEXT: 8 Be on your guard and stay awake. Your enemy, the devil, is like a roaring lion, sneaking around to find someone to attack. 9 But you must resist the devil and stay strong in your faith. You know that all over the world the Lord’s followers are suffering just as you are. 10 But God shows undeserved kindness to everyone. That’s why he appointed Christ Jesus to choose you to share in his eternal glory. You will suffer for a while, but God will make you complete, steady, strong, and firm. 11 God will be in control forever! Amen.

OBSERVATION: The encouraging words shared by Peter in our verses today are words that we hang on to throughout all aspects of our life. However, the devil is unique in that no individual could come up to his evil standards. But knowing our enemies, always seem to help us be on particular guard while around them. Thank God for the encouraging words at the end of these verses – our God will be in control forever!

APPLICATION: In football, players are encouraged to always keep their eyes on their opponent. In karate a student is taught that even when they bow, still keep their eyes on their opponent. I’ve heard of several people associating at parties and/or clubs while an evil person drops a type of drug in their drink, and they are often affected for the rest of their lives. Satan is waiting to attack children of his opponent in much the same way as my latter example, so God used His servant Peter to warn us to always be on guard for this. Some of the ways we might do this are: a). Standing firm to what the Bible teaches – God placed these practices and commands in His Book for our own good, and to help guide us through this very challenging life; b). Stand firm to what we were taught at home, at church and by our Christian mentors – People that love us, and especially those who also love God, will look for ways to guide those that are inexperienced in life, or unaware of Satan’s deceiving ways; and c). Stand firm in what our conscience is telling us – God gave us this unique means of making decisions based on all that we have placed into our heart, soul and mind over our lifetime. Because of God’s inspiration, Peter was also aware that we would soon start to feel like we are the only ones going through such trials, and we may even begin to question God as to ‘why me Lord’. So Peter assured us that others face very similar challenges to what we do, therefore stand firm in our faith so that we won’t discourage our fellow believers when we handle situations badly. But friends, let us keep the concluding words (God will be in control forever) fixed in our minds when we feel like Satan has really pushed hard in our lives, and we start to feel like we have been backed into a corner. For I am convinced that neither death, nor tribulations, nor the attempts of Satan will ever separate me from the love of my God, who is in control forever! That’s my God In whom I trust! Do you know Him, my friend?

PRAYER: Oh Lord my God, thank You for Your grace, mercy and understanding. I know that You created us, so You know more about us than anyone else in this world, but I could only imagine that You must often ponder over the stubborn ways of Your children, and how easy it is for us to stray and wander away from the path You have set before us. Please forgive us Lord. We need Your strength and Your guidance each and every day, especially when Satan is bound and determined to get at us and cause us to stumble. Only You can see that coming, and only You love us enough to redirect our path and help us follow Your way. Lord we love You and we need You more and more each day. We rest our hand in Yours knowing that our lives are dependent on You for everything in this life. AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: There are two more pages on my blog at https://NuggetsFromGodsWord.org that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading or listening to this devotional, please go to the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and see all of my posts, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. I would encourage you to find a church home near by your home, and attend as frequently as you could. Get to know God, and allow His people to encourage and strengthen you in your Christian walk, while making every effort to be a blessing to them. God is at work among His people! Please consider growing in your faith, as you worship with fellow believers!

All Eyes on Jesus!

On By Ed AlgreenIn Accountability, Commitment, Committed, Totally committed, Unconditional commitmentLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE  FROM:   2 Chronicles 26:5; 16 (MSG)

TEXT:  5 He (King Uzziah) was a loyal seeker of God. He was well trained by his pastor and teacher Zechariah to live in reverent obedience before God, and for as long as Zechariah lived, Uzziah lived a godly life. And God prospered him.    16 But then the strength and success went to his (King Uzziah’s) head. Arrogant and proud, he fell.

OBSERVATION:   King Uzziah, a descendant of King David, had a great mentor in the person of Zechariah. This not only led Uzziah close to God, but also served as an accountability partner for the king. As long as Zechariah was around, King Uzziah depended on God, and he in turn, was successful. However, it soon got to the point where Uzziah started to feel totally capable on his own. This was a fatal mistake, as anytime we take our eyes off Jesus, we are going down, much like in the case of Peter walking on the water towards Jesus. So let’s look inward and determine if our eyes are on Jesus, or off.

APPLICATION:   Business owners often look deep for reasons why their business is doing so well, and of course, why the business might be struggling. This helps to direct management into correcting the things that seem to be causing harm to the company, and they try to tweak those things that are helping their success, hoping that they will do even better. Throughout the Old Testament we read of kings who did what pleased the Lord, or ones who did not. Normally there is a wide contrast between what each one accomplished, but it could often be associated with how much access the king gave God to their leadership. We may have all heard a parent say to an adult child that struggled in business, well son, I saw that coming, because I have never seen a business person establish himself in quite the same way that you did. I wanted to suggest things to you, but I wanted you to ask first. Friends, this is exactly the way that God works. Yes, He’s always with us, but He wants us to stay in communion with Him. I believe that as empty vessels we run to the Master to be filled. I believe that we are being taught in this Scripture today that if we have truly surrendered our lives to the Master, then we will seek His face for all decisions in life, for only God knows what we need, when we need it and how much we need. Furthermore, do we expect failure if God directs our business-plan? But let’s think a bit more deeply about how this works. I’m sure that no one expects to arrive at work one day and find God arranging the inventory on the shelves, or continue on to the accounting department and find God there balancing the books. You see, God works through His children – those who have invited Him to be Lord and Savior of their lives. When a business owner knows God personally, and he daily speaks with Jesus about his blessings, and his concerns about his business, I believe that Jesus will be mindful of the man’s concerns – period. Therefore when he arrives at work and needs to make important decisions, he is still under God’s leadership, and those business decisions will be aligned with God’s will for him and his business. King Uzziah was encouraged to serve God faithfully, as long as Zechariah the priest was there as his support and mentor. Who do you have standing with you as your mentor? Who is your ‘Zechariah’? If you have one already, you are a very blessed person! If you don’t, may I encourage you to find an accountability partner who will support you in your effort to be a faithful servant of our most high God?

PRAYER:   Lord You are good to us in so many ways! You know our strengths, and unfortunately, You also know our weaknesses. Please help us to celebrate our blessings often in our praises of thanksgiving to You. Please also help us in our struggles, both at home and at work. I don’t believe You have Your love separated between our home life and our business life, because I believe that You care about us individually. Please help us to find good accountability partners where we could pray for each other, with one another, and be that encourager for each other, as we walk through the ups and downs of this earth. Lord, I am eternally thankful to You, please continue to bless both personally and in my work place. 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!

 

Where’s Your Heart?

On By Ed AlgreenIn Commitment, Obedience, Obedient, Totally committed, True witnesses, Unconditional commitment, Witness, WitnessingLeave a comment

Post Date:

 Friday, 2017-05-19
SCRIPTURE

From:

 Mark 11:7-10 (TLB)

Text:

 7 So the colt was brought to Jesus, and the disciples threw their cloaks across its back for him to ride on. 8 Then many in the crowd spread out their coats along the road before him, while others threw down leafy branches from the fields.

9 He was in the center of the procession with crowds ahead and behind, and all of them shouting, “Hail to the King!” “Praise God for him who comes in the name of the Lord!” . . . 10 “Praise God for the return of our father David’s kingdom. . . . ” “Hail to the King of the universe!”
OBSERVATION:
Many will recognize these verses as a scene that’s often taught or preached in church services leading up to Palm Sunday. Many different people involved in this story: Jesus; His followers; the town’s people; the obedient disciples who went and got the colt; the believing bystanders and the unbelieving bystanders. Very interesting roles that each of these folk took in this story and we will examine this closer to see which group each of us may have fit into.
APPLICATION:
As I read this Scripture this morning, it got my attention as to which group of people I may have been included in, so as you meditate on this devotional I would ask that you do the same. One thing about this exercise is that it is one thing to recognize which group you might fit into today, but an altogether different thing to seek the face of God for the desired group you may want to fit into, or ask Him to place you in the group where you would see the most growth, and be drawn the absolute closest to Him. Let’s think about some of the groups:

  • His followers – Some may have been in this group because they were part of the larger group that Jesus had miraculously fed, and they wanted to hang close in case He did that again. Others perhaps staying close because of the promised kingdom He had told them about, while yet others because of the personal relationship they had developed with Jesus. When the colt arrived, some placed their coats on the donkey for Jesus to sit comfortable on, and some spread their jackets on the ground, while others found palm branches and placed them on the ground ahead for the colt to walk on. I got the impression that there were some that did neither.
  • The town’s people – they didn’t beat up the disciples that snitched the colt, but don’t you imagine that they kept a real close eye on them for anything else they may have touched in their town?
  • The obedient disciples – imagine for a moment the conversation these guys had when they left Jesus and went into the town for the colt. The doubt that arose in their minds, or the reassuring by one to the other. Imagine the looks on their faces when they saw the colt, just as Jesus told them they would? Seeing other town’s people around, I wonder if they went sneaking around to get the colt, or boldly, knowing that they had a response from the Master, should the people question them.
  • The bystanders – some curious, some in doubt, some hoping to find something wrong so they could generate some town gossip, while some may have heard about Jesus and was looking for slightly more proof to convince them to either accept or reject Him.

Friends, I would really like you to take a moment and reflect on which of these groups you would most likely fit into. As you do this, evaluate your personal relationship with Jesus Christ; your boldness in being His witness; your commitment to spending time with Him daily; your lifestyle as seen in the eyes of the unbeliever – do they see enough of Jesus in you, to claim you as His child? Or do they see you as hypocritical because your actions and words do not match who you claim to be? Where’s your heart, friend?
PRAYER:
Lord Jesus, You know us intimately. In fact, You know us better than we know ourselves. As we evaluate our stance in life today, I pray that You will open our eyes of understanding and our stony hearts so that our shortcomings will be evident. Please give us clear thoughts and vision on where we should be in Your plan for our lives, then give us boldness and commitment to follow through, in Your strength. Lord, I pray that my readers and I will draw close to You and allow You to take full control of us, all for Your glory, honor and praise. 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 Highlands County, 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!

Your Ashamedness vs God’s Ashamedness

On By Ed AlgreenIn Ashamed, Boldness, Committed, Totally committed, Unconditional commitment, WitnessLeave a comment

Friday, 2016-11-25

Scripture

Bible Reference: Luke 9:23-26

Bible Text: 23 Jesus continued to say to all of them, “Any of you who want to be my follower must stop thinking about yourself and what you want. You must be willing to carry the cross that is given to you every day for following me. 24 Any of you who try to save the life you have will lose it. But you who give up your life for me will save it. 25 It is worth nothing for you to have the whole world if you yourself are destroyed or lost. 26 Don’t be ashamed of me and my teaching. If that happens, I[a] will be ashamed of you when I come with my divine greatness and that of the Father and the holy angels.

Bible Translation: Easy-to-Read Version (ERV)

My Take

While on the way to a business reception I remember being challenged in the presence of about 4 others, why is that I don’t drink alcoholic beverages and whether it was related to my religious beliefs. I’m not sure if the businessman was starting to think that he might be ashamed of me while at the reception if I was one of the few not drinking, but I believe it was intended to question my Christian stand on the subject of drinking alcohol. There are many other stories I hear of individuals being challenged with similar questions. At times, I believe it opens the door for entertainment while the Christian is put on the spot about a belief that may be contrary to the worldly beliefs of others in the group, but I also believe that many times Satan is using his messengers to challenge us on our beliefs so that we may question our selves and possibly sweep our God-infused beliefs ‘under the rug’. Friends, there are many times that it is safer to blend in with the rest, than to stand out like a sore thumb, all alone in believing something contrary to the crowd. Might I suggest that this challenge is our ‘cross’ that we must carry every day? Let’s compare for a moment. Jesus carried a cross all the way up to Calvary that He knew He would be hung on to die. He also knew that, as the Son of God, He had all power to reverse the whole crucifixion, for we know that previously He had disappeared from a crowd of witness during His earthly ministry. He had miraculously turned water into wine, caused the blind to see and brought the dead back to life. Was there something about this crucifixion that was more difficult or impossible than any of the miracles just mentioned? However, remember when He prayed to His Father in the garden? In response to His own pleading for the cup of suffering to be taken from Him, Jesus said to His Father “none the less, may Your will be done”. Now let’s consider our ‘cross’ that we are called to carry every day. Like Jesus, we may commit to Him in private that we are determined to carry our ‘cross’ each day. However, like Peter, I believe we often cave in to the popular thing to do – the joys of partying and going along with the crowd, even if it takes us into choice areas that we would never agree to, if we sought to do the will of God withough any worldly pressures. Friends, I believe this all boils down to two things: First – Popularity – which means that we want to be super popular with the organizer of an event where we may have to compromise, or we just allow Satan to misguide us into putting God into a ‘box’ – a segregated comfortable ‘box’ we call the church, or even in the privacy of our home. We want to fit in with the crowd. However, Secondly – is Integrity – which means that we will stand firm to our commitment to serve God in season and out of season; at church or on the byways and at our parties or worldly events. Friends, if we surrender our lives to Jesus Christ, then transgress to living like the world, are we not saying that we are ok being a Christian in private, but publicly we are really ashamed of standing up for what God really teaches in His Word? Please allow me to be the first to tell you: that is not being a person of integrity. If you commit to something, or someone, let it exude from your mouth, your actions and every aspect of your life. If it’s in you, it will exude from you! I feel like these verses basically say that when we choose to be popular,  or feel ashamed to be obedient to God, we are showing that we are ashamed of Him. Isn’t that the same as saying that you are really not sure that you want to commit to God for all aspects of your life?  God declares that if this happens, He will shun us when He returns, for He will be ashamed of us. Is that what you truly want to happen? I pray that each of you reading this devotional today will stand firm and practice obedience to everything God teaches you to say and do, God being your helper!

Prayer

Lord, as I reflect on this today, my mind goes back to the sign that I see near the exit of many churches ‘you are now entering your mission field’, for daily we leave the comfort of our homes, and the safety of our commitment to you, to be bombarded by the practices of the world and the dictates of it’s leader. Lord, I pray that daily we can mimick Your words to Your Father and commit ourselves in saying:  not my will oh Lord, but may the words of our mouth, the meditation of our heart and the actions we take, be pleasing to You and represent Your compassion for our lives and witness, 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. 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 http://www.nuggetsfromgodsword.org 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 Highlands County, 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!

It’s All About God

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Church attendance, Healing, Meet God, SalvationLeave a comment

May I encourage you to get your spiritual ‘Nuggets’ to start your day off right? Pretty amazing that our awesome God would consider feeding even us with His Word! May I encourage you to read the whole devotional, and look for a blessing, friend!………

Today’s Bible Reference: Acts 9:36–42
Today’s Bible Text: 36 In Joppa there was a woman named Tabitha, who was a believer. (Her name in Greek is Dorcas, meaning “a deer”.) She spent all her time doing good and helping the poor. 37 At that time she became ill and died. Her body was washed and laid in a room upstairs. 38 Joppa was not very far from Lydda, and when the believers in Joppa heard that Peter was in Lydda, they sent two men to him with the message, “Please hurry and come to us.” 39 So Peter got ready and went with them. When he arrived, he was taken to the room upstairs, where all the widows crowded round him, crying and showing him all the shirts and coats that Dorcas had made while she was alive. 40 Peter put them all out of the room, and knelt down and prayed; then he turned to the body and said, “Tabitha, get up!” She opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter, she sat up. 41 Peter reached over and helped her get up. Then he called all the believers, including the widows, and presented her alive to them. 42 The news about this spread all over Joppa, and many people believed in the Lord.
The Bible Translation: The Good news Translation (GNT)

My Take Away: No doubt many of you went to church this past weekend, and I could only imagine that if asked about your experience, there would probably be an array of responses. It is very common to hear things like: The Praise and Worship team did an amazing job; The pastor was spot on with the message, I believe there had to be some who were touched; You would never believe who I saw at the service – for the first in a long time; It was like a fashion show, and I felt so out of place; We had a boring service; We had an exciting service; etc, etc…. After reading this scripture this morning, I wonder how many would need to be asked about their worship experience this weekend if they really saw God at work in their midst! In this story, there were two men sent out to invite a nearby disciple to come and pray with them over their friend Dorcas. I wonder how many of us went to church with that kind of faith – Went knowing that our unsaved loved ones were being invited to be in the presence of the One who could save them from the grasp of sin on their life. Knowing that the friend attending who had been told that her cancer was in its final stages, would actually sit in the presence of the only One who could heal her body and restore her health. We went knowing that we were there to wait on the same Lord that touched our friends at the last service in ways that could not be explained in any other way than a touch from God. Friends, there’s a difference between what the attendees experienced in the first examples I gave, than in the second set of examples. In the first, we can see where folk were attending church in much the same way that most of us experience every week. In the second example, it is evident that the same God who listened to Peter’s prayer and healed Dorcas, also heard the prayers of believers and visited with them – meeting their specific needs as God felt necessary. Did you really prepare yourself to meet God this past weekend, or was it just that you wanted to attend church?

Prayer: Dear God, I am so thankful that we can still worship the same God that raised Dorcas back to life! Thank You for hearing the cry of Peter and the others who participated in that prayer meeting around Dorcas, but I also thank You for assuring us of Your availability to us even today. We often gather with so many needs, yet distracted by so many trivial things. Please help us to stay focused on You dear Lord. The unsaved of our community will only respond to knowing that You were present in our midst, not any of the other ‘fluff’ that tends to distract us each week. Please help us to stay focused on Your power and to always welcome Your presence in our midst, so that others might know that our hope and our faith is all built around You oh Lord. Please have Your will and way in our lives today, for I ask this in the name of Jesus, who must reign in our lives if others are to be impacted for the kingdom, 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. 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 www.nuggetsfromgodsword.org 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 Highlands County, 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!

2016

Our Response to the Christmas Child – Jesus

On By Ed AlgreenIn Christmas, Committed, Faithful, Worship, WorthyLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE – The Good News Translation (GNT) ~ Deuteronomy 10:20-21 Obey the Lord your God and worship only him. Be faithful to him and make your promises in his name alone. Praise him—he is your God, and you have seen with your own eyes the great and astounding things that he has done for you.

THOUGHTS: If you have not discovered this already, I believe that as you read the Word of God, you will recognize that mankind has not changed a whole lot. Yes, in spite of all that we read about that happened in the days of Moses, you and I are still just a stubborn and sinful as our ancestors were. The Israelites spent 40 years in the wilderness, which you would have thought was plenty enough time for God to work on them. Plenty enough time for them to see God at work, in how He provided for their every need, and how He fought their battles for them, protected them from harm, and loved them enough to see them rise from the life of slavery they were subject to in Egypt. Now that they are in sight of the luscious, fruitful, beautiful land to which God had led them, wouldn’t you think that they would probably be flat on their faces before God in praise and thanksgiving? But wait just a moment, we have learned about the great works of God all of our lives; we have the added knowledge about Jesus and how he came miraculously as a child, then 33 short years later was murdered at the hands of folk just like you and I – all for the forgiveness of our sin. In fact, during His short life, and even still today, He has performed mighty miracles in many forms. If we had done a better job than the Israelites in learning from our past, I believe that one would conclude that we must be building churches every time you look around to accommodate appreciative Christians. You know, the ones who can’t wait on church doors to open for corporate praise and worship services; and who are so anxious to attend midweek corporate prayer services, if only to lift up holy hands and hearts in an attitude of thanksgiving. Friends, I don’t know about your church, but this is not what I am seeing at my church. I don’t know what conclusion you have come to, based on the excuses you hear why our friends and/or family see no need to prioritize this important act of worship, but in most cases it’s very similar to the Israelites: “it’s the only time I have for myself”; “my husband has a cold and I needed to stay with him”; “my kids had a sleepover”; “this is the only day of the year that I could possibly make it to the beach”; “my favorite sports team is playing this afternoon and I had to prepare for friends coming to watch the game with me”, etc, etc. Would you please remind me again why we are so tough on the Israelites who messed up time and time again in the wilderness? What do you suppose God is comforting His Son with when He hears some of our excuses? Might He be wondering again why it was necessary to die for such an ungrateful bunch? We are in the Christmas season, and you would think that we are on our way to the manger to worship the new born King, but where again are the majority of folk you know? Can’t you hear the many, many excuses much louder than the carols of Christmas or the message that the angels first proclaimed? Isn’t it unfortunate that we hear the cash register dings, much louder than the Christmas bells proclaiming the birth of our Savior? Moses pleaded with his people who were about to make some important choices as they left him, to be faithful to the God who brought them through. I would humbly plead with all those reading this devotional, to be faithful to the God that loves you so much that He gave you everything He had, and it wasn’t even Christmas! How do you plan to react to that kind of love?

PRAYER: Lord God, thank You for taking such awesome care of our ancestors while traveling to the land You had promised them. May I humbly ask that You tender our hearts today and help us to recognize the outstanding God that You are to us each and every day? Please help us to ‘Think God First’ so that nothing else will come between us and our times for praise and worship to Your powerful name. Lord, You are good and Your mercies endures forever! Thank You for having loved us when we were unlovable. Thank You for loving us in our current state, and praise to Your wonderful name Heavenly Father. Thank You for loving us enough to provide a promised land for us – heaven, where we will one day soon united with You and worship You through all time and eternity. We are so needy, but praise God You are so worthy! Blessed be Your wonderful and powerful name! AMEN and 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!

God Keeps Us Focused on Himself

On By Ed AlgreenIn Dedicated, Focused Christian, Transparent, UncompromisedLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE – The Message (MSG) ~ 2 Corinthians 1 ~ 12 Now that the worst is over, we’re pleased we can report that we’ve come out of this with conscience and faith intact, and can face the world—and even more importantly, face you with our heads held high. But it wasn’t by any fancy footwork on our part. It was God who kept us focused on him, uncompromised.

THOUGHTS: As I meditated on these verses today, I actually thought of additional words by Paul in 2 Timothy 4 where, right at the end of his life, he said: 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful. 8 And now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his appearing. This combination of verses made me realize that, like Paul, we also can remain faithful, and stay focused on the Lord, if we would keep our minds fixed on Him, our minds made up to serve Him faithfully, our determination to remain obedient, and our constant prayer of faith in the only One who can direct our path and keep our eyes fixed on Him. Paul’s words right at the end of our focused verse convinces me that we must live such a determined and consistent life that our friends will recognize it, and the Good Lord will know it, that we have kept the faith, uncompromised, and dedicated our lives fully to our Savior and the truth of His Word. Friends, it is this type of life that will touch the hearts and lives of our unsaved friends, for we are a lot more transparent to our unsaved friends that what we may care to think. They know when we are sincere and uncompromised, and they can discern when we are faithful and true. I believe that God will only use us when we are prepared to allow Him to be portrayed in and through our lives – our actions and our words. Where are you at today friends? What do you suppose that God would say, if you stood before Him today? And don’t be fooled friend, that face-to-face meeting could actually take place today. We have no assurance of tomorrow. Get things straightened out today, won’t you friend?

PRAYER: At this time of the year we concentrate on the greatest gift ever given to mankind, the gift of God’s only Son, Jesus. While we love to celebrate at Christmas, Lord, we must acknowledge that we feel so awesomely blessed each and every day by the works of Your hand in our lives through the many blessings that You bestow on us. We can hardly imagine that such an awesome God, would use the vehicle of mankind (my readers and I included) to spread Your Word, to witness to the unsaved, and to actually participate in convincing them of their need for salvation. Thank You Lord Jesus, thank You Father God! May You receive our uncompromised walk and talk today, is my humble request, and I ask these things in the wonderful, blessed name of Jesus, AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please speak with a local Bible Teaching pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com so that we can pray with you and give you help and or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Any words underlined above will indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to blogger.nuggetsfromgodsword.org and read more, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, Sebring, FL! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us!

Do You Believe?

On By Ed AlgreenIn Faithful, PersistenceLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (Easy To Read Version – John 6:64-69): 64 …some of you don’t believe.” (Jesus knew the people who did not believe. He knew this from the beginning. And he knew the one who would hand him over to his enemies.) 65 Jesus said, “That is why I said, ‘Anyone the Father does not help to come to me cannot come.'” 66 After Jesus said these things, many of his followers left and stopped following him. 67 Jesus asked the twelve apostles, “Do you want to leave too?” 68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, where would we go? You have the words that give eternal life. 69 We believe in you. We know that you are the Holy One from God.”

THOUGHTS: Divorce rates are at an all-time high. Churches are closing their doors because of low attendance, lack of commitment and/or lack of financial resources. What do you suppose might be the reasons for this decline in Christian/Biblical principles? Where do you stand friend? Isn’t it interesting to note from this scripture that this is not a new problem? In fact, these disciples who turned away and stopped following Jesus even had the opportunity to see Jesus physically, and hear Him speak in person, yet because they couldn’t grasp exactly what Jesus was teaching they decided to stop following Him? To put this into perspective, I believe this would equal the same thing as some today that leave the church because they don’t understand or don’t agree with the things taught about God, even if directly from His Word. I believe that we have become such a ‘politically correct’ world, that people are used to the idea of not being told directly that what they are doing is ‘SIN’. Folk have become accustomed to having things ‘sugar coated’ so that their blatant sin is dismissed as just a difference of opinion, or old school philosophy. A good friend had a pastor tell him and a group gathered this summer, that the Lord’s Prayer is outdated. Really? Unfortunately we have become so wishy-washy in our beliefs and our stand on what we believe, that we find it very easy to just walk away, like these disciples did with Jesus, instead of supporting our pastors and teachers with our prayers, our moral support and our attendance. Could it be that we have become so lax in studying the Word of God that we have lost sight of what it says, what it means, what it stands for, and the Master Designer that it teaches about? Could it be that we, like the disciples, turn a deaf ear to teachings that challenge our sin, and we find it very easy to just turn away and run from such direct teachings? Friends, let’s remember that we have a sinful nature, and since God’s Word is designed to challenge us on that ungodly nature, we will have our toes stepped on and our sinful beliefs and habits challenged. The BIG questions is: “What then will you do with Jesus”? Judas turned Him in and He was subsequently crucified. You may not be that cruel, but running from Him will hurt Him just as bad. Especially after He considers the return thanks for His enormous sacrifice that He made for you, even while you hated and rejected Him. You may attend church friend, you may have even walked the isle at church or you may read your Bible whenever you can get around to it, but do you truly believe in Christ? Have you invited Him to rule and reign in your life? Remember, there is no forgiveness of sin without first becoming intimate with God and asking His Son Jesus into your life as your Lord and personal Savior. Reading this devotional today is proof that it is not too late for you to seek Jesus, and His righteousness. Please read through my ‘Footnote’ for tips on how to know Jesus. Then commit to giving Him full control of your life, for the rest of your life! No turning back, friend!

PRAYER: Lord, I believe. Please help any and all areas of unbelief that may develop in me. Please touch the hearts of those reading this devotional who may think the same way as the disciples who walked away. We may not always understand why, but please help us to trust You with every fiber of our being and therefore find comfort in knowing that all things work together for good, to those who place their trust in You. We’re not prone to quit in other areas of our life, so please give us strength and confidence to never give up on You. It seems like there will be more and more pressure on Christians to stand firm in our belief. Lord, may we never sell out, but rather stand firm to the end. You did that for us and I pray that we will always be faithful to You. I ask for strength, persistence, commitment and assurance for believers today, so that Your people will be sure of the One in whom they believe and bold in standing firm in the faith right until the end of time. In the precious and everlasting name of Jesus, I ask all this oh God, 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!

On Being A Follower of Christ

On By Ed AlgreenIn Allegiance, SacrificeLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (Contemporary English Version – Luke 14:25-27): 25 Large crowds were walking along with Jesus, when he turned and said: 26 You cannot be my disciple, unless you love me more than you love your father and mother, your wife and children, and your brothers and sisters. You cannot come with me unless you love me more than you love your own life. 27 You cannot be my disciple unless you carry your own cross and come with me.

THOUGHTS: The words used in my Bible as a caption for these verses are “…Disciple of Christ”, but I chose the above caption or subject instead, because I didn’t want anyone to feel like this didn’t apply to them. We have only read about male disciples, so I didn’t want my female readers to feel like this was only for their male counterparts! Friends, I believe that the whole idea behind Jesus saying these words is to get the point across to us that true dedication to Him is even more important than the sacrifice we make in dedication to our parents, or our children or our spouse. Think about it: if you go into marriage while still hanging on to other boyfriends or girlfriends, won’t you be divided in your mind when attempting to dedicate your life completely to your spouse? Won’t you have trouble deciding whether to attend church with your spouse or take off to the beach with your friends who might be drinkers or party animals enticing you to go to the beach to tease the opposite sex? Friends, there is no difference when we commit to accepting and following Jesus. You will be divided in thought and in action, if others take priority in your life. Let’s put the ‘shoe on the other foot’ for a moment, as we think about how undivided Jesus was in committing Himself to us: In the Garden of Gethsemane He anguished before His Father over going to the cross, yet He concluded that if it was the Father’s will He would do it. This was the Father’s will because He knew that Jesus needed to die for the redemption of our sin – so that we might have a means for the forgiveness of our sin and the only path into Heaven. There were no ulterior motives, nor were there any distractions, this was done out of mere love for us. Surely we are not so unappreciative that we would place conditions on our relationship with this same Savior who sacrificed everything for us, right? Jesus said in these verses that if we are to accept Him and mean it, then we are to fully dedicate ourselves to Him, with no other distractions or ‘weeds’ to choke out our commitment to Him. When I applied for citizenship into this country, I had to swear allegiance to this country even if at some point this country had to wage war against my birth country. We must equally be so dedicated to our Lord and Savior that we are prepared to say ‘no’ to all earthly allegiances when it’s time to say ‘yes’ to Jesus. Are you truly or totally ready to wholly and solely, be a follower of Jesus Christ? Can you honestly wear the banner ‘Disciple’ today and Jesus know that you are honest in that allegiance? If not, why not? We are either ALL His, or we’re not His – because of our split allegiance. May I suggest that you examine your life, in the light of eternity with Jesus Christ and His Father, and commit yourself totally to Him? The rewards are ‘out of this world’!!

PRAYER: Father in heaven, I am ashamed that I allow so many distractions in my life that often reflect that You do not maintain first place, or priority in my life. Please give me a new determination today to make You, the One who sacrificed life itself for me, first place and extreme priority in my life. Thank You for loving me so much that You gave it all. Thank You Jesus for providing a means for me to one day join You and Your Father in heaven where I might worship at You feet for ever and ever! Lord, my readers will need to evaluate their lives in light of this message today also, please humble them as they read and evaluate their life. May they clearly see the distractions that come before their allegiance to You, and may they decide today who will have first place in their lives. You gave it all for us, may we, in turn, give of our very best to You. I ask all this in the precious and worthy name of Jesus, who sacrificed everything for me, 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 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!