Who do You Say Jesus Is?

On 2015-09-142015-09-14 By Ed AlgreenIn Bold Confidence, Honest, SincereLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (The Contemporary English Version – Matthew 16:13-15): ¹³
When Jesus and his disciples were near the town of Caesarea Philippi, he asked them, “What do people say about the Son of Man?” ¹⁴ The disciples answered, “Some people say you are John the Baptist or maybe Elijah or Jeremiah or some other prophet.” ¹⁵ Then Jesus asked them, “But who do you say I am?”

THOUGHTS: To my mother, I might be known as her firstborn and perhaps the one who gave her and my dad the most, or the least, trouble during their childrearing days. To my childhood friends I might be known as someone slightly different than I would be known as by my adult friends. To my child, I might be known as a good dad, or perhaps just the opposite if she couldn’t get her own way with me! In the case of my wife, I am probably most transparent to her, but still if asked who I really am, she might have a very biased or personal opinion. Jesus had been performing miracle after miracle around the towns He visited and especially around His disciples, so I’m sure that He would have expected an overwhelming response to His two basic questions: (1) Who do they (the people) say that I am? And (2) Who do you say that I am? As I meditated on this I couldn’t help but think about what response I would have for an unbeliever who might ask me. Then I wondered what I might respond if asked by a child, or my pastor, or my Bible School Teacher. I wondered what my wife or child might respond if Jesus asked them “what does Ed say about the Son of Man (Jesus)”? Friends, how would you respond to that question if it was posed to you by your boss? Your best friend – who may not be a Christian? By a classroom full of folk trying to decide if Jesus is for them, or not? How about if asked by Jesus in a variety of circumstances? Or how would folk say you feel about Jesus, based on your behavior, speech or witness around them? May I leave this challenge with us to contemplate today? I’m hoping that this might help us to become more transparent in God’s presence, and that includes at church, at work, at play or wherever else we might find ourselves. Friends, if Jesus is not Lord of all circumstances and in all areas of our lives, then He may not be Lord at all to us. May this be the day that you truly decide who He really is in your life. If you are reading this devotional today and have never invited Jesus into your heart and life, please read the tips in my ‘Footnote’ and feel free to contact me should there be any unanswered questions. I want you to know this Jesus I call Lord, Savior and King of my life!

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, I acknowledge You as Savior and King. I thank You for providing the means for me to look forward to life eternally with You in glory. May my Christian friends and I boldly acknowledge You as Lord today. Father, I believe that when we deny You in our conversation and before our earthly unbelieving friends, we totally disappoint You and grieve Your precious Holy Spirit. Please forgive us for the times we have done exactly that. But please give us a new boldness today to stand firm in our faith and to acknowledge You before mankind. Unbelievers are looking for sincere, true and honest believers to help convince them that Jesus is alive because they see Him alive and reigning in our lives. Oh that they may truly see and believe today, is my humble prayer for all that claim You as Lord today. For I ask this in the strong, awesome, name of Jesus, AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please speak with a local Bible Teaching pastor, or read through Biblical truths on How To Know Jesus, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com so that we can pray with you and give you help and or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Any words underlined above will indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to 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!

From The Heart The Mouth Speaks

On 2015-09-122015-09-12 By Ed AlgreenIn Heart, Honesty, WorshipLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (The Contemporary English Version – Matthew 15:17-20): ¹⁷ Don’t you know that the food you put into your mouth goes into your stomach and then out of your body? ¹⁸ But the words that come out of your mouth come from your heart. And they are what make you unfit to worship God. ¹⁹ Out of your heart come evil thoughts, murder, unfaithfulness in marriage, vulgar deeds, stealing, telling lies, and insulting others. ²⁰ These are what make you unclean. Eating without washing your hands will not make you unfit to worship God.

THOUGHTS: Reading the earlier part of this chapter we may tend to condemn the Pharisees for complaining to Jesus about others who chose to eat things they would not dare eat. However, Jesus soon came back at them with the issues they themselves were struggling with. Isn’t that much like us today, where we easily see the fault in others but struggle to acknowledge that we have issues of our own, and/or concede to actually deal with our issues? Jesus really got to the heart, for He reminded the Pharisees, as He does to us, that regardless of the ancillary things that we might do, it’s the intent of the heart and the content of the heart that really matters. Think about it, we might say that we are going to a worship service, and we might even jump in our car and go to the place of corporate worship and go inside the sanctuary, but if the heart is wicked, if it’s filled with evil thoughts, if it’s burning with jealousy or enmity towards our family or friends or coworkers or the preacher or another church member, what type of worship might we possibly offer to God? It just won’t happen friends. Satan might try every trick in the book to trip us up during the week, but if he succeeds in distracting our relationship with God, or breaking down our Godly character before those we love, or cause us to say just about anything that could blurt from our mouths without any respect or love for the individual we are communicating with, then obviously our hearts are more occupied with the things of Satan than of the things of God. Friends, if our hearts belong to God, then we must do everything within our will to keep it filled with the things of God. When we don’t, we leave room for it to become filled with the things of this world (Satan’s playground). I believe a good end of day exercise for all of us would be to seek God’s face and His wisdom to help us reflect on our day and honestly evaluate if our actions and/or our words emanated from a heart filled with God, or of Satan. The Bible teaches us what things God approves of, so this will be an easier task than it may appear to be. Let’s be sure that our hearts are filled with God each day so that our words and our actions will reflect Jesus in every way. To the one reading this who may not have accepted Jesus as Lord, please allow me to lovingly and respectfully tell you that Jesus cannot exist where sin resides, so don’t expect Him to fill your heart until you have invited Him to be Lord of Your heart. Notes in my ‘Footnote’ will help you in making the most important decision of your life. Please allow me to help you find Jesus, the only One who can help you turn your life around and surrender full control to Him.

PRAYER: People all around us need You, oh Lord. But they are extremely challenged to seek You when they don’t see the impact You are making in the lives of Your children. Please help us to be more committed, dedicated and willing to give full control of our heart, mind and soul to You, so that we may become usable vessels that You can work through to reach the lost. They don’t need another fake, they need to see honest and true images of Jesus Christ in everything that we say and/or do. You’re the only One that can help us achieve that oh Lord. Please help us to be willing servants that can be impacted and used by You. I ask these things in the precious and all-powerful name of Jesus, AMEN!

Meeting The Needs of Others

On 2015-09-112015-09-11 By Ed AlgreenIn Blessings, Feed them, Needs, ShareLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (New Living Translation – Matthew 14:13-16): ¹³As soon as Jesus heard the news, he left in a boat to a remote area to be alone. But the crowds heard where he was headed and followed on foot from many towns.¹⁴Jesus saw the huge crowd as he stepped from the boat, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick. ¹⁵ That evening the disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away so they can go to the villages and buy food for themselves.” ¹⁶ But Jesus said, “That isn’t necessary—you feed them.”

THOUGHTS: One might look at this passage and see where the disciples were ready for some one-on-one time with Jesus. But since that was almost impossible with over 5,000 people hanging around, the disciples suggested to Jesus that they would send them on their way so they could take care of their physical needs. So from man’s eyes this appeared to be a great responsibility that was way beyond them. Now I realize that the disciples could have been looking out for Jesus’ best interest emotionally also, because He was visibly upset over just learning of the death of His friend, John the Baptist, but I also can’t help but believe that the disciples also needed some time alone with Jesus. This kind of made me think about the times that we close the doors to the world and get in our comfortable church buildings to soak in the blessings of God for ourselves. We need that ‘refueling’ time. We need to saturate ourselves in the love and warmth of our Savior so that our ministry, or our evangelizing ‘tanks’ might be refilled and re-energized. This is all well and good friends, but how often do we leave our respective churches on fire for the Lord, and head out of the doors to the world with a deep, burning desire to share the love of God, that we were just reminded of? You see, the crowds will press in on us to gain an understanding of why we might be different. Scripture tells us that we should be ready to give an account, and share the joy and source of our happiness and our salvation. I believe that in much the same way that Jesus told His disciples to feed the crowd, He is also telling us to feed His sheep. Don’t push them away so that we can go to ‘soak and sour’, but share His love as we know it! Show His kindness as we have experienced it! And most of all, be ready at all times to give account for the joy that fills our hearts in knowing Jesus Christ, the Master of this universe, in a personal way. These are things that the world is badly in need of today among the pressures of unemployment, declining stock markets, increasing consumer costs, etc. The world needs Jesus, and we are His ambassadors to spread the good news. How will they know, unless we tell them? Friends, for the ongoing benefit of the kingdom, consider committing to share all that you have been blessed with spiritually!

PRAYER: Thank You Lord for Your blessings on me! Thank You Savior for Your amazing, unselfish sacrifice made just for me! Thank You Jesus for the amazing power and influence You have given to Your children to be instruments of Your love and a reflection of Your precious sacrifice. Oh that we may be open channels of Your amazing grace, to all that we come into contact with, and to all where a need becomes evident to us. Jesus blessed over 5,000 through the hands of His disciples, and I am sure that He can also meet the needs of many through us as we surrender our selfish selves to the awesome and miraculous power of the Almighty God. Oh Lord, may we let go and let God, and may Your power become very evident today because of our surrender. These are my wishes Lord, but may Your perfect will be done. For I ask these things in the wonderful name of Jesus, my loving Savior and Lord, AMEN!

Pay Attention!

On 2015-09-102015-09-10 By Ed AlgreenIn Peace, Righteousness, SurrenderLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (The Contemporary English Version – Matthew 13:37-43): ³⁷ …The one who scattered the good seed is the Son of Man. ³⁸ The field is the world, and the good seeds are the people who belong to the kingdom. The weed seeds are those who belong to the evil one, ³⁹ and the one who scattered them is the devil. The harvest is the end of time, and angels are the ones who bring in the harvest. ⁴⁰ Weeds are gathered and burned. That’s how it will be at the end of time. ⁴¹ The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will gather from his kingdom everyone who does wrong or causes others to sin. ⁴² Then he will throw them into a flaming furnace, where people will cry and grit their teeth in pain. ⁴³ But everyone who has done right will shine like the sun in their Father’s kingdom. If you have ears, pay attention!

THOUGHTS: The disciples were getting frustrated with the many parables that Jesus used to draw attention to the matters He chose to share with them, so they asked Him about this. I believe that because of their culture, the disciples were particularly interested in understanding the parable of the farmer, the wheat and the seeds, as detailed beginning in vs 18. The whole reason Jesus used parables was to give His message to His audience in terms that they could understand and relate to. He wanted to make sure they got the point that He was trying to relay to them, and of course in this instance it truly struck a nerve with the disciples. Before proceeding with reading the rest of my remarks, may I suggest that you stop and read the subject verses very slowly? Then I want you to determine which category you fit into. You see, only you and God knows your true, personal, spiritual condition or status. I challenged you yesterday on trying to ‘fool’ me or your friends, but let me remind you that God knows even the very thoughts that you mull over in your mind. The NET Bible translation has vs 43 as ‘Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. The one who has ears had better listen!’ Please notice that there are only two types of individuals here: ‘The righteous (those who are right with God)’ and ‘The unrighteous (those who have not made peace with God, by asking His forgiveness of their sin and invited Him to rule and reign in their lives’. Just as the decisions are at totally opposite ends of the spectrum, so is the end results. The righteous will shine like the sun with the Son (Jesus) and His Father (God). The unrighteous will be thrown into a flaming furnace where others are crying and gritting their teeth in pain (vs 42 vividly explains this). Friends, I don’t want there to be any doubt or misunderstanding for you – a very good reason why I share these ‘Nuggets’ each morning. Please know that attending church will not make you ‘right with God’, however when you have surrendered yourself to God by inviting His precious Son into your life, and made yourself ‘right with God’ you will have a desire to attend church and be around God’s people. There is a help document hyperlinked in my ‘Footnote’ that will give you more details on becoming a Christian, however feel free to contact me should you have additional questions or would like a prayer partner. God truly loves you friend. You’re one of His dear children that He gave up His Son’s life for, so He would be tickled to welcome you if only you will ask. Are you listening? Pay attention friend!

PRAYER: Father, I just want to thank You for touching my life some 39 years ago and prompting me to a decision regarding my righteousness. Many will read this devotional today and have a need to seek Your righteousness, while others will celebrate with me about being right with You. This is a very personal decision that can only be made between a child and their Father (You). I pray that blinded eyes will be opened today and hearts touched in such a way that decisions will be made to surrender to You, the only way that leads to righteousness with You. I ask this very special request in the saving and all powerful name of Jesus, with thanksgiving, AMEN!

Who Do You Think You’re Fooling?

On 2015-09-092015-09-09 By Ed AlgreenIn Sacrifice, WitnessLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (The Contemporary English Version – Matthew 12:33-37): ³³A good tree produces only good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. You can tell what a tree is like by the fruit it produces. ³⁴ You are a bunch of evil snakes, so how can you say anything good? Your words show what is in your hearts. ³⁵ Good people bring good things out of their hearts, but evil people bring evil things out of their hearts. ³⁶ I promise you that on the Day of Judgment, everyone will have to account for every careless word they have spoken. ³⁷ On that day they will be told that they are either innocent or guilty because of the things they have said.

THOUGHTS: I am intrigued by the different ways that people act in one environment versus when in a different setting altogether. Think about the church member who acts prim and proper while on church property, yet so different in another setting that their friends hardly recognize them. Farfetched you might say? I witnessed a situation recently where an individual was advertising their faith through the words on a tee shirt, yet acting in way indicative of the world. It embarrassed me, so I can’t imagine what it must have done to God who expects so much more out of us – seeing that we are to imitate His Son. Friends I believe that often we must remind ourselves that at one point in our lives we may have done certain actions or said certain things, but now that we have God’s Holy Spirit dwelling inside of us, and now that we know about what God expects from us through His written Word, we just don’t live like that anymore. Jesus basically told the Pharisees that what’s inside, is bound to be exposed through the things we say and the way we act. Don’t you know that people we come into contact with are bound to be confused when we boldly proclaim our faith in Christ, yet our actions declare the prevalence of Satan leading and directing our path? Friends, living life according to God’s instructions in a world led and controlled by Satan, is almost impossible for us to do on our own. We need Jesus each and every day to guide our path and protect our thoughts and words, if we are going to be like Him. At the beginning of each day, consider asking for God’s guidance, direction and power to help you be more like Him during the day while exposed to so much of Satan. Then at the end of each day, reflect on the day and question yourself as to whether friends may have witnessed enough evidence to find you guilty of being a Christ follower. No one to fool in this evaluation, because God sees and knows all things and He could help you honestly evaluate, and help you rediscover His love and His power to help you live life pleasing to Him. To the unbeliever who would like to partake in this God-directed life, please read the information in my ‘Footnote’ for help in finding Jesus. I would be thrilled to tell you more, so feel free to contact me.

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for the freedoms that You give us. These often get us in trouble, because we often do our own thing instead of begging You for power, grace and mercy to live in a ‘foreign’ land as saints of Your wonderful kingdom. We can only succeed in our Christian walk by depending heavily on You to guide us, protect us, and strengthen our will to be more inclined to Your ways. We need You each and every day to help us in this daunting task oh Lord. I ask this in the strong and holy name of Jesus, AMEN!

God Specializes In Impossibilities

On 2015-09-082015-09-08 By Ed AlgreenIn Possibilities, Righteousness, StrengthLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (New Living Translation – Genesis 15:4-6): ⁴ Then the Lord said to him, “No, your servant will not be your heir, for you will have a son of your own who will be your heir.” ⁵ Then the Lord took Abram outside and said to him, “Look up into the sky and count the stars if you can. That’s how many descendants you will have!” ⁶ And Abram believed the Lord, and the Lord counted him as righteous because of his faith.

THOUGHTS: In spite of all the special skills given to man, there are still times that we throw our hands up and surrender to the fact that a problem is beyond our God-given abilities, or out of our reach. Yet very early in the pages of this awesome book that God has inspired to be our guide through life, we have already learned that God took a mass of darkness and formed this world – earth, water, stars, etc.; He created man, followed by a help mate – woman; He took a couple who was childless, and promised to make a great nation from their offspring. In this passage today I was also encouraged to note that no matter how much power is revealed to us by God, yet He is always still so very conscious of us – our sincerity in wanting to obey Him and our need to draw close to Him. In fact, Abram believed that God would do what appeared impossible to him, and this resulted in God considering him ‘righteous’ (right with God). To gain what I believe is the best meaning of a phrase, I like to consider its impact if the opposite were true. So in this case, if Abram would have laughed at God or showed doubt about what God would do, then perhaps God would have considered Abram ‘unrighteous’? How often would God consider us ‘unrighteous’ because of our unbelief and doubt? Friends, unbelievers may laugh at our faith, because they simply have not been around this awesome God of ours, to build faith in His abilities and to understand His unlimited and awesome love for us. But for those of you that know Jesus, what’s your excuse? Can God consider you ‘righteous’ because of your overwhelming faith in Him? Do you truly believe in Him? If not, may I introduce you to this Savior that I know, love and adore? Remember, only those who are right with God (righteous) will be allowed into heaven. May I count on seeing you there friend? I have provided a guide for you in my ‘Footnote’, and would be thrilled to personally help guide you towards meeting my Lord in a very personal and intimate way. Please make this choice a priority today, it truly is that important!

PRAYER: Father God, Your ways are so much greater than our ways, yet You have sacrificially provided the means for us to overcome sin and one day join You in heaven. Please forgive us when we doubt, and use those incidences as stepping stones to lead us into a deeper faith that will draw us even closer to You. Lord You are good and Your mercies endure forever and forever. Please keep our ‘faith’ tank filled and energized to trust in You in all circumstances of our lives. You have proven that things that seem impossible to us are handled with just a spoken word by You. Again today I am reminded that Nothing is Impossible when I place my faith and trust in You. Please touch the heart and life of each one that will meditate on this devotional today. May we all draw strength from being reminded of the awesomeness of our mighty God again today and use this to help us confidently spread the joy of our salvation with all those we come into contact with. For this is my humble prayer that I ask in the name of my King, the King of all kings, Jesus the Christ, AMEN!

Go In Jesus’ Name

On 2015-09-072015-09-07 By Ed AlgreenIn Generous, gifts, GivingLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (New Living Translation – Matthew 10:7-10): ⁷ Go and announce to them that the Kingdom of Heaven is near. ⁸ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cure those with leprosy, and cast out demons. Give as freely as you have received! ⁹ “Don’t take any money in your money belts—no gold, silver, or even copper coins. ¹⁰ Don’t carry a traveler’s bag with a change of clothes and sandals or even a walking stick. Don’t hesitate to accept hospitality, because those who work deserve to be fed.

THOUGHTS: I was recently blessed with being able to take a missions’ trip with my church to a foreign country. We went through months of coaching, encouragement, spiritual strengthening and fund raising to prepare for the eventual day that we would travel for a week. Because of our preparation and excellent leadership, our trip was flawless. As I read this passage of scripture today, I couldn’t help but think how quickly we may have dropped to the floor in shock if we were given instructions similar to what the disciples were given. Take your trip, but: no money, no extra clothes or sandals, just go with all that you’ve been blessed with. Of course when we think about what we have been blessed with, we tend to think about all of these very things mentioned. Think about what the disciples were blessed with: the power to heal the sick; raise the dead; cure leprosy and cast out evil spirits. We may marvel that we shouldn’t need anything else, if given that kind of power from above, however I’m sure that we will worry about how those gifts will help us at the airport with plane tickets, or at the van rental company. Friends, I believe that the most important words in this scripture are the words that I bolded. Jesus freely empowered the disciples with gifts that would prove His power among the Israelites. What do you suppose He has empowered us with that might help those that we will come into contact with today that will be reflective of His love and His power? Friends, be reminded that Jesus was a great example for us to follow – He wept when His friends were sad over the passing of a brother; He rejoiced at a wedding with His friends and even performed miracles so that the party could go on; He stood up for wrong when He visibly showed His anger in the temple when He found that His house was being used as a commerce center; He recognized needs and met those needs; He loved sacrificially, even when the people hated Him so much that they led Him to a cruel death. This is our role model for us friends. There are many gifts that we have been blessed with, and this scripture is encouraging us to give of these gifts ungrudgingly, just as they have been given to us ungrudgingly. Will you do it friend?

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for loving us, and thank You for giving to us from the abundance of Your love for us. When presented with opportunities to share those gifts with others today, may we openly and willingly share, so that others might recognize the love of Jesus as expressed through us. It is very evident that people need the Lord – all people. May they see enough of You in and through us that they might desire a more intimate relationship with You. Provoke us to be channels of Your blessing, Your love and Your power today, for I ask this in the loving and powerful name of Jesus, AMEN!

What’s Most Important To Us?

On 2015-09-052015-09-05 By Ed AlgreenIn Forgiveness, Heart, PrioritiesLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (The Message – Matthew 9:2-8): ^2-3
They were hardly out of the boat when some men carried a paraplegic on a stretcher and set him down in front of them. Jesus, impressed by their bold belief, said to the paraplegic, “Cheer up, son. I forgive your sins.” Some religion scholars whispered, “Why, that’s blasphemy!” ^4–8 Jesus knew what they were thinking, and said, “Why this gossipy whispering? Which do you think is simpler: to say, ‘I forgive your sins,’ or, ‘Get up and walk’? Well, just so it’s clear that I’m the Son of Man and authorized to do either, or both.…” At this he turned to the paraplegic and said, “Get up. Take your bed and go home.” And the man did it. The crowd was awestruck, amazed and pleased that God had authorized Jesus to work among them this way.

THOUGHTS: As with anything we try to make a decision on, we should be guided by the Word of God and see how important things were to God. I believe that we are a very compassionate people in general. However, let’s consider the needs that come before us. The needier someone, or something sounds, the more it/they receive our attention, our money and our apathy. What then do you think about the way Jesus reacted to the paraplegic here in this story? Firstly, I found it interesting how several Bible translations clearly say that Jesus, seeing the faith of those who took the man before Him….. Isn’t it odd that Jesus appealed to the outward expression of the group that took the man, yet He acted upon the need of the man they took? However, also note that Jesus observed a man being brought in on a stretcher, unable to walk, yet the first action from Jesus was to forgive the man of His sin. Friends, as I said in my opening comments, we are so easily swayed by the physical needs of people, and we very well should do that, however I believe that we need to gain more of the heart of Jesus, and be way more concerned about the ‘heart’ of the people brought before us with needs. What good will result if we help satisfy the physical needs of folk, yet before and after our help they are still headed straight to Hell? I believe that, like Jesus, we need to first become ‘heart’ specialists! We need to gain a priority for making sure that the heart of those that we come into contact with, is right with God. Have they met Jesus? Have they accepted Him as Lord? Do they practice their faith by openly serving Him in all aspects of their life? I believe that our biggest fear is that this might appear like we would then become judge and jury. Friends, I believe that most of us would not hesitate for a moment to run across the street and protect a blind person from an oncoming speeding auto – from sure death. Why then would we hesitate from saving a person blinded by the distractions (sins) of this world, knowing that they are headed to certain death without knowing the Savior of this world, Jesus Christ? I would dare say that if Jesus saw salvation as the most important thing in the paraplegic’s life, we too should follow suit and make this a priority in look at the needs of those who come before us.

PRAYER: It’s amazing how skewed our priorities have become Lord Jesus, yes even when it comes to the ultimate destination of our dearest friends and family. Please help us to be more like You in concentrating on the ‘heart’ first and the ultimate results a person will be left with after living life here on this earth with us. In our hearts we know that only what’s done for Jesus will last, and only what we’ve done with Jesus will matter when we stand before You in eternity. Please help us to be diligent in showing that we care about these qualities by the way we choose our priorities each day. We want to do this under Your direction and authority Lord Jesus, so please touch Your children today, beginning with me, and especially through those that will meditate on this devotional today. Please help us to show that we care more about the ‘heart’ than any other aspect of life here on this earth. I ask this in the strong and precious name of our first and most valuable ‘heart’ specialist, Jesus my Lord, AMEN!

Don’t Miss The Boat

On 2015-09-042015-09-04 By Ed AlgreenIn Faithful, Obedient, TrueLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (The Message – Matthew 7:21-23): “Knowing the correct password—saying ‘Master, Master,’ for instance—isn’t going to get you anywhere with me. What is required is serious obedience—doing what my Father wills. I can see it now—at the Final Judgment thousands strutting up to me and saying, ‘Master, we preached the Message, we bashed the demons, our God-sponsored projects had everyone talking.’ And do you know what I am going to say? ‘You missed the boat. All you did was use me to make yourselves important. You don’t impress me one bit. You’re out of here.’

THOUGHTS: To take a ride on some boats or ships you need to have purchased a ticket. On others you need to book your passage and be there on time. On smaller boats, in particular parts of the world, you may be required to wear a life jacket (vest) and remain seated throughout the ride, for your own protection. Jesus warns us that merely saying that Jesus is Lord, or hopping on to the boat without having first-hand knowledge of the Captain and accepted His invitation, will not provide you safe passage on the boat to its final destination. Of course Jesus was talking about heaven, and His point here is that if we have truly accepted Him as Lord and Savior of our lives, then we would be obedient to Him. Our instructions come from the Word (the Bible). Friends, the whole idea behind ‘Nuggets From God’s Word’ is to share with you how the writer feels God has touched him during the reading of His Word. You see, we can read and re-read a passage of scripture, and if God needs to get a word of wisdom, or direction or encouragement across to us, He could even use something in a familiar passage to reveal the Truth to us, if we remain open to Him and willing to be obedient to Him. It is very clear in this scripture this morning that God wants more than lip service, He wants obedient children. Don’t just call on the name of Jesus when it’s convenient or when you feel it is necessary, but live life in total obedience to what we understand He demands in His Word. Let that understanding come from personal Bible study and time with the Lord, not just what I might share with you, or what you might learn from your pastor or Bible school teacher. As God speaks to you, highlight it in your Bible, or make notes of what you heard from God. The next time you read that passage you will not only receive a current word from the Lord, but you will be reminded of what He said to you when you last read that same passage of scripture. Remember, we don’t impress God. He loves us just the way we are, and He wants our total dedication and obedience to all that He commands of us. The rules are clear as to what will see us safely on to the glorious ‘boat’ to glory. Please don’t miss the boat!

PRAYER: Lord God, we are so spoiled in getting our own way when we know someone in charge. In fact, we sometime lean on folk like that to get us on board, even if we have not met all of the rules and conditions. In this passage of scripture You have warned us not to expect this from You, but instead You are looking for our obedience to all that You have taught us. Lord, this is very challenging for us, because often this involves us having to do just the opposite to what our friends, or the crowd is doing. Please help us to stop, listen and decide this day whom we will serve. If it’s You Lord, then help us to commit to that and depend on You to direct us towards total obedience. A great part of our survival here on earth, is the expectation of one day being in Your presence and hearing the words “Well done good and faithful servant”. This will result from our obedience to You while here on earth. Please help us to be totally committed to You and faithful to obey all that You command of us in Your Word. Please protect us from the evil one while remaining here on this old earth. I ask these things in the strong name of Jesus, AMEN!

Obedience Results in Rewards

On 2015-09-032015-09-03 By Ed AlgreenIn Forgiveness, Giving, Prayer, Rewards, RighteousLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (New Living Translation – Matthew 6:4; 6; 14-15; 17-18; 33): ⁴ Give your gifts in private, and your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.| ⁶ But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you. | ¹⁴ “If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. ¹⁵ But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins. | ¹⁷ But when you fast, comb your hair and wash your face. ¹⁸Then no one will notice that you are fasting, except your Father, who knows what you do in private. And your Father, who sees everything, will reward you. | ³³Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.

THOUGHTS: I found a common theme in reading Matthew 6. God had some awesome teachings, and He emphasized, or stood behind His teaching so strongly that He added rewards after each area of His teachings. Beginning in verse 4, on the subject of Christian based giving, I believe that if I am led to give to a person in need, God uses me to respond to the prayers of that needy person. While I might be eternally grateful for the opportunity to respond in giving, the act of me giving from my overflow of blessings is not intended for me to boast, but instead to allow praises for answered prayer from the recipient, so that God might be magnified. Then on the subject of prayer, we are taught to pray in private. Imagine the irreverence in telling our spouse everything, intimate or not, in a public setting? We are to have an intimate relationship with our Savior, so we are to pray to Him in private. In verse 6 we are promised that God will then reward us, or grant our sincere desires, as they fit within His perfect will for us. I included verse 14 because I wanted us to be reminded that God is not a push-over, or a Santa Claus just waiting to reward us no matter how we act or respond to His goodness. He tells us that He will forgive us based on our degree of forgiving one another. We must be willing to ask, pray and forgive in a manner pleasing to God, not for our own selfish reasons. Our submission to fasting is another example for us to show our humility to the God that we serve, and to reveal the honesty in the very reason for which we are fasting. When we do this in the right spirit and for the right purpose, God says that He will once again reward us. Friends, when we seek the Kingdom of God more than everything else, and when we live righteously before a righteous God, He promised that He will give us everything we need! Are you there yet? If you are not being rewarded in one of these areas mentioned above, then perhaps there are self-inflicted roadblocks preventing God’s outpouring of His rich blessings that He would really like to shower on us. Friends, let’s clear the path to blessings! God wants to bless His children, I believe. We just need to do our part to be vessels worthy of His blessings!

PRAYER: Father, please forgive us for our littleness, our selfishness and our desire to please and promote self, instead of You. It is evident that You have such awesome rewards in store for Your children. Now if only we can learn to be humble and obedient servants so that You may freely pour out Your blessings on us. You alone are worthy oh Lord, and we cannot do this thing called ‘life’ without You. We are fully dependent on You, yet Satan is so determined to distract us from all the rich blessings You have in store for us. Please forgive us for our desire for independence, and help us instead to be totally dependent on the God who can do all things. We’re at Your mercy dear Lord. Please fill us with more of You and Your promised rewards. I humbly ask all this in the strong and powerful name of the only One worthy and able to intercede for us, Jesus my Lord, AMEN!

Nuggets From God's Word

Tag: Devotional