Tag: Example of Jesus

So That All Will Know

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Know and Believe, Know Jesus, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED Tuesday, 2022-04-26
WRITTEN AT: Citra, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Joshua 4:21-24
TRANSLATION: New International Version (NIV)

BIBLE TEXT: 21 He (Joshua) said to the Israelites, “In the future when your descendants ask their parents, ‘What do these stones mean?’ 22 tell them, ‘Israel crossed the Jordan on dry ground.’ 23 For the Lord your God dried up the Jordan before you until you had crossed over. The Lord your God did to the Jordan what he had done to the Red Sea when he dried it up before us until we had crossed over. 24 He did this so that all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the Lord is powerful and so that you might always fear the Lordyour God.”

APPLICATION: It seems like any time Satan makes his way into the local church and manages to distract a godly leader, the town’s gossip ring becomes alive to inform the masses that the church is not ‘perfect’ after all, and therefore should not be trusted. It is unfortunate that in doing the good that Jesus’ ministry always demands, that will hardly ever invoke a positive response out of the community. Unless the ministry efforts impact an individual personally, the ministry goes unnoticed by the community. Think about some of the ways your family, friends and coworkers are helped through the ministry of the church: They continually make every effort to help folk struggling in poverty and hard times; Sinners are often led from darkness (sin, and the things displeasing to God) into light (a life of righteousness dedicated to God); People who would normally never involved in community affairs, are often encouraged by God to actively become involved in His service and thru His church; People who would often turn to drugs, alcohol or crime are often encouraged by a pastor or church leader who loves on them and shows them that they care about them. And these are just a few ways God’s family shows His love to others! Friends, I often wonder if the church has not become so ‘politically correct’ that they have become much less effective in telling the world about: The Christ who died for them; The Savior of the world who arose, so that we might have forgiveness of our sin and live eternal in heaven; The healing power of Jesus Christ as evidenced first-hand in our own lives; The love of God that envelopes us and makes it bearable to stay in this world and help others to also experience salvation! God had His servant Joshua command the people to leave a memorial at the place where He performed a monumental miracle experienced by millions of people. In Joshua 5:1 we could read where the kings west of the Jordan became extremely fearful after learning about the awesome work of the Almighty, for they knew that if such a powerful God planned to also lead these people into their lands, they would not stand a chance. Do you suppose there’s anything about our churches that our community leaders fear? Do you hear them accusing God for the work He is doing in our churches, or are they convinced that church leaders are just caught up in greed and tax-free opportunities, at the expense of the town’s good people? If you were questioned as a church member, who would you say is in charge of your church? The pastor; The elders; The few with money; or is God truly in charge of His church – your church? Can you offer a few testimonies about God’s handiwork in your church? Does the church building stand as a testimony of repeated times that you encountered Jesus Christ and His miraculous works? What’s the simple answer you would give to your child’s questions about the church and why they are being taught and encouraged to attend? Do you suppose that the world sees sufficient evidence that God is all-powerful and that He is at work in your church? In applying the same questions to your personal life, do you suppose that the world sees enough evidence to believe that God is alive, well, and still as miraculous today as He was for Joshua and the Israelites? If not, why not? If not Christ, who then do you give your allegiance to? Please allow me to recommend Jesus Christ, for He is the same yesterday, today and always, just as He was for Joshua and the Israelites.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: God is alive and working in our lives, and in the life of your church. He still wants the world to know and experience His love, His power and the everlasting hope that we enjoy in knowing that Jesus will return one day to take His church with Him – to heaven with the Father, for ever!

PRAYER: Thank You Lord Jesus for Your sacrifice on the cross of Calvary, so that we may have the opportunity to experience the joys of heaven for all eternity! Please open the eyes and hearts of those we come into contact with, so that they may see the miracle of new life that You have lovingly blessed us with. I believe that You not only performed miracles so that the kings in our story today would fear, respect and honor You, but that You have also blessed Your children today with the love of Jesus and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, so that the folk we meet and become involved with would also see Jesus. Please help each and every reader or listener to have an attentive ear, and eye, to experience the many blessings that You shower on us daily. Lord, may Christians be so convinced of Your power, that those who touch us in some way will also experience Jesus in us, and surrender their lives to You. Oh that we would decrease, so that You may increase, is my sincere prayer today. 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!

A Compassionate Heart

On By Ed AlgreenIn Compassion, Forgiven, Forgiveness, Generous, Genuine, Genuine example of JesusLeave a comment

Post Date:

 Monday, 2017-02-27
SCRIPTURE

From:

 Genesis 50:19-21 (TLB)

Text:

 19 But Joseph told them, “Don’t be afraid of me. Am I God, to judge and punish you? 20 As far as I am concerned, God turned into good what you meant for evil, for he brought me to this high position I have today so that I could save the lives of many people. 21 No, don’t be afraid. Indeed, I myself will take care of you and your families.” And he spoke very kindly to them, reassuring them.
OBSERVATION:
Joseph had all the reason in the world to bring revenge on his brothers, and he had the power to simply say the word, and they would have been eliminated. Instead he chose to look at all that God had accomplished through him, in spite of all that his brothers had cruelly forced on him. A sincere man of God who showed the compassion of God under extreme circumstances.
APPLICATION:
It takes a great man/woman of God to withold revenge when they’ve been hurt, and instead to give God glory for all that He did even through circumstances that seemed extremely awful to them. There is another excellent example of this given in my New Testament reading today. In Matthew 18:26 and following, we see the story of a servant who received forgiveness of a huge debt that he owed, yet he was unable to forgive his debtor who owed him money. Just the complete opposite to the example of Joseph. Notice the difference, one case ended in forgiveness and with a true example of God, the One who gave His very own Son to pay the price for our sin. Using His God-given strength, He could have avoided the cross, plus He had every reason to seek revenge against those who had Him crucified, but instead He did the Father’s will so that we might have eternal life. In the other example, we see the heart of bitter, ungodly men today, for this world does a great job in teaching mankind about selfish desires and ungodly revenge. Which of these are closest to the response you might give to those who seek to offend you? Hopefully you have decided to seek God’s face for His leading in your life to best handle situations that may portray His compassionate heart. Please allow me to introduce you to my Savior. I really want you to know about this awesome Jesus of mine who not only shows compassion to His followers, but also has the power to help us be more like Him in being compassionate to even the vilest offenders that may cross our path today. There is scripture included in the link behind the words ‘To Know Jesus’ below, please take time to read what the Bible has to say about your salvation. Otherwise, please feel free to contact me via email or see a local Bible teaching pastor who would gladly show you the way to heaven. Showing compassion to one another is a means of proving that your relaionship with the primary Compassionate One, is evident.
PRAYER:
Lord Jesus, I believe that the world is dying to see a difference in Your children, compared to the rest of this cruel world. Thank You for the lesson in being compassionate today, and the great example through Your servant Joseph, who had every reason to lash back at his brothers, and had every authority at his command to totally destroy them. Yet as a man under Your authority, seeking to be like You in every way, chose to humble himself and praise You for the work You accomplished through him, rather than paying back through revenge. Lord, I strongly believe that we must seek Your powerful hand to help us in circumstances like this, because even in circumstances of forgiveness we still want You to be glorified. Although I might be first at your throne today in response to this lesson, I pray that You might also touch the hearts of each of my readers today and fill us with a heart like Yours, one that will show compassion and God’s love in every response that we give today. I ask these things humbly dear Lord, but also boldly knowing that You can humble even the vilest offender. May Your children be great imitators of their loving and compassionate Savior today, beginning with me, for this is my humble prayer oh Lord, 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!

We Are Known By How We Live

On By Ed AlgreenIn Awesome God, Believe, Born Again, Chosen by God, Christ's Representative, Christian Living, Righteous Living2 Comments

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: 1 John 3:7-10
Today’s Bible Text: Dear children, don’t let anyone deceive you about this: When people do what is right, it shows that they are righteous, even as Christ is righteous. But when people keep on sinning, it shows that they belong to the devil, who has been sinning since the beginning. But the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil. Those who have been born into God’s family do not make a practice of sinning, because God’s life is in them. So they can’t keep on sinning, because they are children of God. So now we can tell who are children of God and who are children of the devil. Anyone who does not live righteously and does not love other believers does not belong to God.
The Bible Translation: New Living Translation (NLT)

My Take Away: Friends, I don’t know that I can add a whole lot to what the Word of God is saying to us in this passage. For just as John declared to his followers, God insisted that this become a part of His precious Word to men and women to come, for He knew that we would be challenged with the same struggles in our day. You may ask why I would possibly assume that this is an ongoing challenge. Friends, it is very obvious that many are being lured into a false sense that being a Christian equals: church going; or doing good; or walking the isle of a church after intense pressure by peers/family; or baptism; or hanging with the right crowd. Hopefully if nothing else is gathered from this devotional today, I pray that you will read carefully the above verses, and other related scripture, so that you might discern the following key points:
 **To walk in fellowship with our Lord and Savior, requires an invitation from Him, and a decision/commitment by you;
**You can only be righteous (right in God’s sight) when you accept that invitation from Jesus with all your heart and in deepest sincerity;
**When Jesus is convinced that you are sincere, He will then allow His Holy Spirit to come and live inside your righteous being;
**The Holy Spirit will provide help, inspiration, determination and the power to live a life of righteousness. One that will example His righteousness, and portray His love for mankind so that the lost might see Jesus and have a desire to know Him. By your fruit, or by your right living, others will know whose you are!

So I believe that the challenge for us to look at today is that others will be observing us, just like they’ve done every day. What do you suppose they are seeing? Do they see a man/woman of righteousness, or are they seeing a pretender, or perhaps one that keeps on sinning, as described in the above verses? You will either be a help to someone else searching for righteousness or a Savior, OR you will possibly be a stumbling block to them in their search. Which will it be today, friend?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, You only have the power to call others unto Yourself. You only have the power to save mankind from sin. You only have the power to fill us with Your love and Your righteousness so that others might see and believe. Lord, I realize that The way I live could either impact the lost for You or turn them off from wanting to know You. Please speak to Your children once again today Lord. May we be righteous, as You are righteous. May we reflect love, even as You are the true representation of love in its purest form. Lord, may others see Jesus very evident in all that we say or do today, so that they may see and believe. I ask these things in the precious, righteous and most loving 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. 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!

A Model Prayer for One Another

On By Ed AlgreenIn Love, PrayerLeave a comment

The Holy Bible   (New Living Translation – 1 Thessalonians 3:12-13): 12 And may the Lord make your love for one another and for all people grow and overflow, just as our love for you overflows. 13 May he, as a result, make your hearts strong, blameless, and holy as you stand before God our Father when our Lord Jesus comes again with all his holy people. Amen.

Thoughts:   Wow, what a model prayer for us to consider! I would imagine that there were any number of needs Paul could have prayer for, after all he had sent a co-worker to go and check on the Thessalonians to make sure Satan hadn’t infiltrated their new found faith in God. I believe that God wants so bad for us to just act in obedience to His Word, and to show His love that was shown for us when He sacrificed His very life so that we might have eternal life. I also believe that as we practice love for one another, and strive to live that love out in our lives, we will protect ourselves, including our relationships, from the Evil one. When we slack off in allowing God full control of our lives, we start seeing the unfortunate impact of Satan acting out through us. Friends, we can’t win the lost or impact the needy when we are infighting worse than they are. God’s love will never be evident in our lives as long as we selfishly seek to love self above all others and demand our own way. Of course we should continue to accept prayer requests from friends, but friends I want to encourage you to pray this prayer modeled by Paul for your friends also. Yes, as long as we remain in human form here on this earth, we will have illnesses and ailments, but as far as the challenges we have with each other? I believe that the more we bath our relationships in prayer and shower them with the godly kind of love, then Paul’s prayer in verse 13 will surely follow us as we enter into the presence of our Lord and Savior. So let’s aim to love others, as God loved us and demonstrated His love for us. Let’s pray that the love of Jesus will overflow in the hearts and lives of each of us. All for the glory and honor of our Lord! Let’s take self out of the equation and love as He did, and for His glory and praise, only!

Prayer:   Lord, You are so good to us! Your love reaches beyond anything we are capable of, at least in our own strength. However, through faith in You and the awesome power that You are always willing to grant to us for Your good purpose, I pray that You might impress upon my readers and I today the love that we are to show for one another, if we are truly Your child. Jesus, You showed ultimate love when You surrendered to Your Father at Calvary so that Your children might enjoy eternal life with You. Please help us to show that kind of sacrificial and submissive love one for another. Please help us to take self out of the equation and love so that others might experience a touch of Your kind of love. There was a worldly song with lyrics “What the world need now, is love sweet love”. I can clarify that the world really needs the kind of love that only You can offer! As Your children and earthly representatives may we truly reflect Your love, so that You may be glorified because of us. This is my humble, unselfish prayer that I ask in the name of Jesus, the only One capable of loving me and this world without limitation or hindrance, 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!