Tag: Example

Why Christians Are Left In Satan’s Domain

On By Ed AlgreenIn Christ's Representative, Christ-Like, ConquerorLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (The Message – 1 John 2:15-17): Don’t love the world’s ways. Don’t love the world’s goods. Love of the world squeezes out love for the Father. Practically everything that goes on in the world—wanting your own way, wanting everything for yourself, wanting to appear important—has nothing to do with the Father. It just isolates you from him. The world and all its wanting, wanting, wanting is on the way out—but whoever does what God wants is set for eternity.

THOUGHTS: We know that the evil one is not a friend of God’s children, and that he will do everything possible to trip us up and cause us to fall flat on our faces, and fail miserably on our walk with Christ, that we committed to when we accepted Him as Lord and Savior. Would it not make sense then, that if we dislike and despise the evil one, that we should also do the same in regards to his domain – the place where he hangs out? As I read the surrounding verses, I believe the Holy Spirit caused me to question: Why then are we left here in Satan’s domain after we commit our lives to Jesus Christ? I believe that the biggest reason is that since Jesus had to come and speak to us here in this domain, why should we be exempted from the same trials and temptations that He faced? I cannot imagine what this earth would look like if all Christians were pulled out of it, for we are to give balance to the evil that is led by Satan. We are to show ‘right’ (the ways of God), when it seems like only wrong prevails. We are to show hope (the hope of our living, loving and saving Lord), when it seems like everything around is doomed for death and failure. We are to show peace and love (the uncompromising, unconditional love of Jesus Christ) for everyone, not just for those that the world can easily find in their hearts to love. We are to demonstrate our satisfaction with what we have, solely in the precious gift of Jesus Christ, and that having more ‘stuff’, or money, or larger homes and/or cars is in no way a necessity, nor a requirement for our happiness, for our joy comes in the morning – the first day for all eternity in heaven with our Master, our Lord and our Savior! So we have responsibilities on earth to be representatives of the King, not to feel like we need any part of what it has to offer. Remember, it is Satan’s domain, and everything in it is influenced by him, for his glory. We are to look to our King, and no one else friend! We are to be His representatives under every circumstance in life friend! We are to appear as light, when it seems like there is only darkness friend!

PRAYER: Father, I realize as I have written my thoughts that all of this sounds good, and is very Godly in form and intention, but I also realize that this often means ‘swimming upstream’, living, acting and speaking in ways that oppose what the world may think is ‘normal’. However, I am convinced from Your Word, that we are left on this earth to imitate You, and nothing of this world will blend or match that. Please forgive us for allowing the things of this world (Satan’s domain) to slip in on our actions, words and daily living. It has impeded our witness for You and often feels like Satan is winning. Please forgive us Lord for our weaknesses and failures. Please fill us again with Your grace, Your power and Your love so that we can be more than conquerors, and represent You well with every intent of our heart. May it be obvious through our words and actions whom we serve! I ask all this in the matchless name of Jesus, my Savior and soon coming King, 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!

Proof That You Truly Know God

On By Ed AlgreenIn Hypocritical, Love, Lying, UntrustworthyLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (New Living Translation – 1 John 2:3-6): 3 … we can be sure that we know him if we obey his commandments. 4 If someone claims, “I know God,” but doesn’t obey God’s commandments, that person is a liar and is not living in the truth. 5 But those who obey God’s word truly show how completely they love him. That is how we know we are living in him. 6 Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did.

THOUGHTS: Obedience reveals commitment to Christ! In fact, this is a good test for yourself: If you find yourself generally at odds with obeying the Word of God and His commands, then it is time for a self-examination and a humbleness before God, asking Him to reveal the area(s) of your life that you need to recommit to Him and/or realign with His will. When you feel unloved by God, or distanced from Him, then according to John 15:10 there may be areas of your life where you have taken personal control and no longer allow God full control. Friends, I believe there are several keywords that are important in this fact finding, internal evaluation: Think about ‘hypocritical’ – for you are saying that you love God and know Him intimately, yet doing your own thing and ignoring His commands. This is very damaging to your witness to others; Think about ‘lying’ – for you are saying with your mouth that you know God but really ignoring His commands. Verse 4 plainly spells this one out for us; Think about ‘untrustworthy’ – for how can God or man trust someone who cannot be trusted to live as he claims to be? Friends, today you will have opportunity to evaluate your actions in light of your relationship with God. I pray that there is lots of evidence that you truly know God and are living according to His perfect will for your life. Remember, He loved us enough to send His only Son to die on Calvary’s cross for our benefit. Is it not way less impacting on our lives to simply love God in return, and obey His commands? I propose to you friend, that this is the least we can do to prove our faithfulness and commitment to Him. Please use the information provided in my ‘Footnote’ to contact me if there is anything I can pray with you about, regarding this subject or anything that is impacting your commitment to God. I would love to pray for you and with you!

PRAYER: Dear God, we say with our lips that we know You, we love You and adore You, yet we try to live our lives like we’ve always done. This is not right in Your sight, nor does it align with Your Word. We are making a mockery of ourselves in the sight of others, and especially in Your sight. Please forgive us for our failures, lack of commitment and true evidence of love for You, oh Lord. Yet again today Your Word has opened our eyes to our weaknesses and our constant need for You. Please open our minds to fully see ourselves for who we truly are, and our desperate need for You in every aspect of our lives. Lord, not only do we want to be in Your presence in glory one day, but we want to live like You here on this earth so that our lives might have an impact on those who need You as their Savior and Lord. Please continue to work on us Lord. May Your glory shine through in every phase of our lives so that You might be lifted up and the lost won to Christ. We love You Lord, and thank You for Your immense love for us. I ask all these things in the glorious name of Jesus, my Lord, with thanksgiving and in utmost praise to my King, my Lord and my Savior, 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!

The Power in What We Say and Do

On By Ed AlgreenIn Honest, Hypocritical, Without PretenseLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (God’s Word Translation – 1 John 1:6-10): 6 If we say, “We have a relationship with God” and yet live in the dark, we’re lying. We aren’t being truthful. 7 But if we live in the light in the same way that God is in the light, we have a relationship with each other. And the blood of his Son Jesus cleanses us from every sin. 8 If we say, “We aren’t sinful” we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 God is faithful and reliable. If we confess our sins, he forgives them and cleanses us from everything we’ve done wrong. 10 If we say, “We have never sinned,” we turn God into a liar and his Word is not in us.

THOUGHTS: There is a saying, that if something quacks like a duck, and swims like a duck, it probably is a duck! In these verses this morning we must first recognize that in the introductory words to these verses John tells us that he is sharing words with us that came directly from his interaction with Jesus Himself. I believe that the words in these verses are really powerful, yet simply very true. For how can we say that we belong to Christ, yet no part of our actions or words show any evidence of that? Friends, if we have committed to a change in our lives, then that change will be evident in every aspect of our lives. Let’s always be cognizant of the fact that God knows and sees all things, so there is no value in trying to fool Him like we do our friends or relatives. Ever heard of a chain smoker that tells everyone that they stopped smoking, yet every evening their spouse could smell smoke on their breath and on their clothes? This is precisely what happens in the face of Jesus when we tell Him, and the world, that we have sought His forgiveness and committed our lives wholeheartedly to Him, yet we live like we always did prior to our conversion. We make a mockery of ourselves and have just shown everyone that we can’t be trusted by our word. Friends, we may think that we can fool some of the people some of the time, but rest assured that we can never fool all of the people all of the time. Furthermore, we can never fool God. As I have been challenged and reminded to always live in the light of knowing that God knows, hears and sees every detail of my life, may I also encourage you to do the same? Our God is an awesome God, who loves and cares about us a great deal. Let’s not disappoint Him with our littleness in trying to fool the Creator of all things, our all-knowing God.

PRAYER: Father, what an eye-opener/reminder for us today! We are so accustomed to making ourselves look good in the face of our friends and/or bosses, that we perform, say and act the way that we know they are expecting from us. We have been reminded that You are well aware of our outward expressions that are representative of our inward self, and that there is no value in Your eyes when we do this, other than to prove to humans that we have really not changed anything about our lives. Please forgive us Lord, and please continue to work on us towards an honest relationship with You that will be reflected in every aspect of our lives. We Need You every Hour and every day, oh Lord. Thank You for Your faithfulness! I bring my petitions before You in the name of Jesus, AMEN!

 

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

Our Awesome God

On By Ed AlgreenIn Human Trafficking, Love, SurrenderLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (The Contemporary English Version – Ezekiel 35:10-13): 10 You thought the nations of Judah and Israel belonged to you, and that you could take over their territory. But I am their God, 11 and as surely as I live, I will punish you for treating my people with anger and hatred. Then they will know that I, the Lord, am punishing you! 12 And you will finally realize that I heard you laugh at their destruction and say their land was yours to take. 13 You even insulted me, but I heard it all.

 THOUGHTS: It is one thing to brag about an event that happened somewhere else, or to someone you heard about or once knew, but in this passage of scripture I was made very aware that the God who instructed Ezekiel, is the same God that I serve! For throughout scripture God assures us that for those who have accepted His Son, that we are considered His people and that we will actually live with Him throughout eternity! I was also made keenly aware that God will not sit idly by and see His children suffer or taken advantage of. Therefore I believe that we are to stop living for self, and get rid of the selfish and greedy attitudes that we may have developed. We are to take our roles as God’s children very seriously, and to be all that we can be for His honor and His praise. As an example of a current situation that we permit to happen without, in many cases, doing anything about it: Unfortunately, because of my job, I have become keenly aware of the most hideous crime in the world today – Human Trafficking. Let’s ask ourselves how this could possibly have started, and how could it possible continue right in our own backyards, and with our blessing. If we are truly God’s representatives, would we not be as determined as God was in Ezekiel 35, to see our neighbors and/or our town’s people won to the Lord? I can assure you friend that no one can possibly say that they have accepted the Lord Jesus Christ and then treat another human being with such contempt. Furthermore, if we love the Lord like we think we should, I don’t believe that we can honestly sit idly by, know that a neighbor is possibly performing criminal acts, and not get the law involved in order to see justice served and innocent people saved from such a crime. In Ezekiel, God saw that His chosen people were being abused, so He stepped in and told the prophet that this was just not going to happen to His people, for He alone is their God! With all my heart, I believe that God is just as jealous about His children today, for He is still God – our God, our Deliverer, our Savior and our Protector! If you know Him, then let’s claim Him as our awesome God and serve Him with everything we have, every day! If you have not accepted my Lord as your Savior yet, then I plead with you friend, to consider the God who made you and who is very protective of His kids. Surrender your life to Him today, won’t you? There is help available in my ‘Footnote’ towards this end. Please don’t delay this vitally important decision friend, God loves you way too much to see you doomed to the pits of Hell because of your indecision.

 PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for loving Your children with such passion. Thank You for convicting me of my sin and causing me to surrender my life to You some 39 years ago. I believe that You will send children to this devotional who vary in their understanding of You and Your love for us. As You have provoked them to this source, I pray that You will also deal decisively in their lives to cause them to fully surrender to the gift of Jesus Christ. May this be a day of decision for Your children – my family, my friends, my coworkers and those that I know personally. Please cause them to fully understand Your deep and sincere love for us and Your promise to never forsake or leave us. With all that is going on around us today, it is evident that we need You more today than ever before. Please have Your will and way in our lives oh God. I ask this in faith, believing with all my heart that You have a deep and sincere love for us that surpasses all human understanding! This is my prayer that I ask, and celebrate, in the wonderful name of Your precious Son, Jesus, with thanksgiving, AMEN!

 

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

Here’s What The Lord Wants

On By Ed AlgreenIn Government Leaders, Obedience, What The Lord WantsLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (Contemporary English Version – 1 Peter 2:13-17): 13
The Lord wants you to obey all human authorities, especially the Emperor, who rules over everyone. 14 You must also obey governors, because they are sent by the Emperor to punish criminals and to praise good citizens. 15 God wants you to silence stupid and ignorant people by doing right. 16 You are free, but still you are God’s servants, and you must not use your freedom as an excuse for doing wrong. 17 Respect everyone and show special love for God’s people. Honor God and respect the Emperor.

 THOUGHTS: I believe that at the center of every Christian’s prayer, is that we honor the will of God. We want to do what pleases God. I also believe that one of the most challenging things for humans to do, is to truly honor and obey government leaders. Friends, we may not like what they are doing, and we may think that some of their decisions are truly horrendous, but could that possibly be our fault? Did we seek God’s face and ask for His guidance before we voted, if we voted? Do we pray daily for our government leaders, so that decisions they make on our behalf, might truly be God-directed? God, through His servant Peter, is further instructing us to follow Jesus’ example by living right and doing good, instead of giving non-Christians equal opportunity to gossip about us like they would their equals. Yes, we are only human, and yes, we will fail from time to time, but when our heart is right and when we aim to obey God in all aspects of life, we will silence ignorant people who listen to Satan and try to find fault with us. Verse 17 really encapsulates all that was said in verses 13-16, so read it carefully friends, and make every effort to obey the Word of the Lord. Make it your daily aim to do what the Lord wants!

 PRAYER: Father, thank You for Your Word. When we read it we can understand its truths and see every reason why You would include such words of instruction for us, because You knew we would struggle with these things in our lifetime. I am humbled that in all things instructed, we must come into Your presence and seek Your guidance and Your help to accomplish the totally different lifestyle that You desire for us as we represent You. Please help us to stay focused on You every day. Please help us to do our part for our government leaders by praying for them and supporting them with our obedience, while You work our Your perfect will in their lives and in their governing of Your chosen people. Without a doubt Lord, we need You in our lives to do Your perfect will. Please touch the hearts of Your servants today, beginning with me. Please once again tender the hearts of those who have yet to accept You, especially those on the hearts, and in the prayers of my readers. May we rejoice soon at the miracle You are performing even now on our unsaved loved ones. I ask all this in the precious name of Jesus Christ, and all for His sake alone, AMEN!

 

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

Live Like A Child of God

On By Ed AlgreenIn Example, Righteous LivingLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (New Century Version – I Peter 2:11-12): 11 Dear friends, you are like foreigners and strangers in this world. I beg you to avoid the evil things your bodies want to do that fight against your soul. 12 People who do not believe are living all around you and might say that you are doing wrong. Live such good lives that they will see the good things you do and will give glory to God on the day when Christ comes again.

 THOUGHTS: Apparently there are very strict laws in the US for anyone who defects and works with an enemy to harm this country. I fully endorse that, because after all, this country has provided a place of safety, security and comfortable living for its residents over the hundreds of years since its inception. I believe this is what Peter was trying to emphasize to us here in these verses today. He warned us that Satan and his cohorts (the world) will be tugging away at our lives every day trying to convince us that we made a mistake in following Christ, and that the ‘fun things’ really come from him (Satan). He fights against our soul and the decision we made in response to Jesus Christ. He further warned that we will see lots of folk following the way described by Satan – the opposite from what we are to follow in response to God’s Word. You can only imagine how convincing that gets when multiple friends tell you the same thing about those ‘godly’ actions you are guilty of, right? Friends, remember this: most folk today are so caught up in their own little world of sin, evil and selfish desires that they are anxious to see someone who is actually living out the Word of God, that might help convince them and really help them to accept, believe and obey. Please don’t disappoint them! The last thing they need is to look at you as just another one of those hypocrites. If you believe it and say it, then please for heaven’s sake live it out in your decisions, your words and your actions. Let them see and hear Jesus in everything there is about you. I would love to know that my living is having a godly impact on many of my unsaved family and friends today, won’t you? With God’s help, we can do this Christian friends!

 PRAYER: Lord Jesus, there is a battle brewing every day in the world we live in. We want to live in obedience to You, but this is in a world where so many are challenging us and persuading us to live like them. The enemy is very prevalent and is busy at work in every walk of life. Father, we committed to live for You until You call us home. Please be our constant Guide, our Deliver from the Evil One, and our Encourager when we begin to question our committed walk of faith. Please be very bold in our lives today, and so evident that we will walk without wavering and in full confidence knowing that the One we serve is right there with us. Thank for loving us enough to not only die for us, but to keep on showing us the way every day of our lives. We always need You Jesus, and we thank you for Your promise that You will be with us always, even until the end of the world! You are glorious, Heavenly Father, and I praise You for all that You are to me! I ask these things in the magnificent name of Jesus, my Lord, 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!

Maturity in Your Salvation

On By Ed AlgreenIn Follow Christ, Humility, MaturityLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (New Century Version – 1 Peter 2:1-3): 1 So then, rid yourselves of all evil, all lying, hypocrisy, jealousy, and evil speech. 2 As newborn babies want milk, you should want the pure and simple teaching. By it you can mature in your salvation, 3 because you have already examined and seen how good the Lord is.

 THOUGHTS: I believe that a very basic difference between an infant and an adult is that the infant is totally dependent on others, while the mature adult has experienced a lot, and looks for ways to share their experiences and/or knowledge with others. If we’re not careful, often we (adults) will become so independent that it becomes challenging to listen to advice and or follow good, sound advice. There are so many references in the Bible for us to consider the ways of a child, that I believe God is telling us to get over ‘self’ and be willing to listen to Him and or other saints that He may place in our path. Through Peter, God is warning us today that we should rid ourselves of some obvious sins that tend to impact our need for Him and/or His teachings. These include: all kinds of evil (think about this as a soiled garment that you should shed); all lying, all hypocrisy; all jealously and all evil speech. On the last item, I once heard: from the heart, the mouth speaketh. If your heart is full of Christ then You will speak of the One who was crucified, arose, and lives inside of us giving us hope and anticipation of one day living eternally with Him. I believe another way of saying this is that what’s inside will come out in our actions and/or our speech. In our group Bible study yesterday we learned from James 3:13-18 what we should look for in identifying our worldly actions vs our godly actions. I would urge you to read those verses in conjunction with this study today, because the sooner we could recognize Satan’s effect on our lives, the sooner we can realign ourselves with God and draw close to Him. When I think of maturing in our faith, I think of us realizing the futility in trying to solve all of the issues of the world ourselves, but instead realizing our dependence on God, who has proven Himself to us over and over again throughout our Christian life. So friends, I believe this is a message for all Christians today, let us shed off our cloak of evil, let us draw close to God, allow Him to draw close to us, and let’s be willing to stop and listen to Him as He works out His will and way in our lives. It is only then that we will be of any godly good to others.

 PRAYER: Lord God, You are merciful to us, in spite of our littleness, our weaknesses and our selfish attitudes. Thank You for loving us in spite of ourselves. Thank You for Your Word that is so alive and applicable to our lives every day. There is so much to be done with this child of Yours, and I am pretty sure that there are many out there in similar condition to myself. So Lord, I place myself at Your feet once again today and pray that Your perfect will might be accomplished in me, so that it might also be accomplished through me, and have an eternal impact on those that I come into contact with. I have a strong suspicion that my readers might all be in a similar condition today, so I pray for their total surrender and obedience also. Lord, we are Your hands and Your feet on the ground here, may we represent You well, and without wavering. May You be exampled in our lives so that the unsaved might catch a glimpse of Jesus. Like a baby, I need You Every Hour. Like an adult, I need Your wisdom, protection, direction, love and boldness to touch lives in the same way that You have been merciful to me. I ask these things in faith, and in the awesome name of Jesus, my Lord and my Savior, AMEN!

 

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

Help In Seeing The Good in Your Trials

On By Ed AlgreenIn Faith, Surrender, TrialsLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (The New Living Translation – 1 Peter 1:6-7): 6 So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. 7 These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.

 THOUGHTS: We must be extremely careful not to doubt our salvation when we, as Christians, have troubles and trials arise in our earthly lives. Think about it friend, if we didn’t have these, what kind of witness would we be to those who need a Savior. For God would not have opportunity to show the unsaved how gracious He truly is to His earthly servants, and the handiwork of His miraculous hands in the lives of His children. Secondly, if we were spared from trials, how might we experience the graciousness of God to be especially loving, caring and powerful in helping us to overcome these things that are way beyond our reach and/or resolution? In this scripture today, this analogy is compared to the proving process used in the precious metal ‘gold’. For when it is brought to extreme heat, it is maximized in strength and durability. Likewise, when we face trials, it’s not that God doesn’t love us or care for us, for it is then that He is preparing us for battle, or to use the phrase of an old TV star, God is preparing us for the ‘big one’! Probably the most challenging thing for us to do, is to praise God, even in the midst of our trials, because we understand, and have faith to believe that He is strengthening us. Friends, when we say that we are Christian and we truly believe that we have placed our hand in the hands of the Almighty God, we must then hang on for the ride of our lifetime, knowing that we are under His control, His protection and His will, knowing full well that He loves us way too much to see any harm or hurt impact us. Can you imagine the admiration and pride that must come across the face of Jesus when He looks on His creation (us) and see us living in full submission to Him, and we finally get the scripture that indicates – all things work together for good, to those who love and have surrendered their lives totally to Jesus? My challenge today is first of all for self, that I may be totally surrendered to the Savior and allow Him full control over my life. Only then can I truly desire to see each of you do the same. However, for yourself, if it’s to be, it’s up to you! Therefore align yourself with the Lord of all lords and the King of all kings, who loved you enough to personally sacrifice His very best so that You might trust in Him, handle life’s circumstances and look forward to spending eternity with Him in glory!

 PRAYER: Father God, I adore You, I love You and I praise You for who You are and for all that You have helped me through already in my short life. However, You have taught me through Your Word that I am not perfect, so I surrender my total self to You today and pray that You might use me in ways that might allow Your kingdom work to increase and flourish here on this earth. I am equally concerned for my friends who will read this devotional today, for I always want Your very best for them also. Please satisfy every doubt or weakness in commitment and/or total surrender. Please provoke decisions in their personal lives that will cause Your name to be lifted high and every soul be drawn closer to You in full obedience. May we learn to celebrate You in all aspects of our lives, even when going through tough times. You alone are worthy of our praise in all aspects of our lives, so I worship You and ask all these things in Your precious and holy name, Lord Jesus, AMEN!

 

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

Where Does Your Wisdom Come From?

On By Ed AlgreenIn Godly actions, Wisdom, Worldly actionsLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (Easy-To-Read Version – James 3:13-18): 13 Are there any among you who are really wise and understanding? Then you should show your wisdom by living right. You should do what is good with humility. A wise person does not boast. 14 If you are selfish and have bitter jealousy in your hearts, you have no reason to boast. Your boasting is a lie that hides the truth. 15 That kind of “wisdom” does not come from God. That “wisdom” comes from the world. It is not spiritual. It is from the devil. 16 Where there is jealousy and selfishness, there will be confusion and every kind of evil. 17 But the wisdom that comes from God is like this: First, it is pure. It is also peaceful, gentle, and easy to please. This wisdom is always ready to help people who have trouble and to do good for others. This wisdom is always fair and honest. 18 People who work for peace in a peaceful way get the blessings that come from right living.

 

THOUGHTS: I praise God for the wisdom expressed through His servant-writers in the Bible! These few verses help us to identify which of our actions are Godly, and which are not. For certain actions reveal a Godly form while some actions show our old carnal ways. I know, some may think that because we are Christian, those carnal ways are gone. May I remind you that we are ‘a work in progress’, for as long as we are left here on this earth, Satan will give a constant fight to distract our walk for the Lord. So friends, have a look at the following list, taken straight from this scripture today, and based on your own actions, determine the source of your actions, and which ones you still need to seek God’s help with:

Worldly Actions Godly Actions
Boasting (a lie that hides the truth) Humility
Proud Pure wisdom
Selfish Peaceful
Jealousy Gentle
Instigator of Confusion Easy to please
Every kind of evil Always ready to help people in trouble
Doing good for others
Always fair
Always honest

Verse 18 tells us that as we seek God to help us attain the actions in the right column, we will receive true blessings! I would challenge my readers and myself to pray, and work diligently on eradicating our ‘Worldly Actions’ and to ‘press forward towards the goal’, as Paul said he was, to become more like our Savior every day, by living out ‘Godly Actions’. If we persist, then one day, with God’s help, we will consistently produce truly Godly Actions every day. Let’s strive to minimize Satan, and maximize God, in our lives every day!

 PRAYER: Lord, you never said that life here on this earth would be easy, but You clearly promised that You would always be with us! We know that You have the power to do ALL things, and we know that You have the power to overcome Satan. Please remind us of this any time we struggle with those actions listed in the left column above. I believe that You want us to succeed in being like You, and I know that You have the power over Satan, so Lord I ask that You strengthen us for every challenge. May it be obvious that You are in control as we show signs of success in these areas of our character. In the interim period, please teach us to be dependent on You as we strive to honor Your Word and be obedient to Your teaching. Help us to squish Satan and those worldly actions in our lives, so that we may be bold witnesses for You while permitted to stay here below. I ask these things in the precious name of Jesus, my Lord, AMEN!

 

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

The Royal Law

On By Ed AlgreenIn Love, Seek God First, UnconditionalLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (The Contemporary English Version – James 2:8-9): 8 You will do all right, if you obey the most important law in the Scriptures. It is the law that commands us to love others as much as we love ourselves. 9 But if you treat some people better than others, you have done wrong, and the Scriptures teach that you have sinned.

 THOUGHTS: Some translations refer to the law, or rule, mentioned in verse 8 as the ‘royal law’, meaning that it was issued for kingdom heirs by the King of this universe, or the King of all kings. The reason why I feel James sums up a lot of scripture in these 2 verses, is because we who know Jesus as Lord; the love He extended on Calvary as a sacrifice for our sin; the love extended when He healed the sick and brought the dead back to life; it is that kind of love and power that will cause us to walk aright and love those who seem impossible to love. So yes, a lot of the laws of God can be summed up into this one law, if we:

  • Know the source of love itself and the One who first illustrated sacrificial and unconditional love for us;
  • Stay in the Word of God so that we can learn it and seek to live it out every day;
  • Realize and acknowledge that Jesus demonstrated real love, and as His replicas, His children, His disciples, we must strive to live as He lived;
  • Stay attuned to the scripture: ‘Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, then all other needs will be met’. Live with that priority in mind, and like we really believe that He will meet our needs;
  • Wait for God to accomplish His will in our lives and work out His righteousness in all that we are, or need to be, in order to look like Him.

Unfortunately, verse 9 teaches that if we fail to do the above, we have sinned. I would challenge you to strive to be more like Jesus every day. Then you will quickly realize that you are no less than anyone else, or no better than the rest, for God will place you on a level playing field where you can be effective for Him.

 PRAYER: Lord Jesus, You did it right, for You loved the rich and the lowliest persons on earth. Why, You even loved me enough that You would have still gone to the cross if only I needed to see the way to Your Father. When I accepted You as Savior and Lord, I committed to live my life as You demonstrated for me while here on this earth – as detailed in Your Word. I believe that many friends will read this devotional today and would acknowledge their faith in You also. However they, nor I would dare say that we can live the pure and righteous life that You lived. In fact, James has challenged us to love each other as much as we love ourselves. We need Your help with this Jesus. Please help us to keep our eyes fixed on You and to allow You control over our lives. Help us to unselfishly love others because You first loves us, and not for what we might receive in return. I humbly ask this in Your precious name, dear Jesus, and for Your glory that might be revealed through 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 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!