Tag: faith

Let The Glory of God Be Displayed Through You

On By Ed AlgreenIn Faith, Glory of God, Proof-positive, Relationship, Rewards, Sincerity, TrustLeave a comment

Saturday, 2019-03-09

Bible Reference: Psalm 19:1-4
Translation: New Living Translation (NLT)

Bible Text: 
1 The heavens proclaim the glory of God.
    The skies display his craftsmanship.
2 Day after day they continue to speak;
    night after night they make him known.
3 They speak without a sound or word;
    their voice is never heard.]
4 Yet their message has gone throughout the earth,
    and their words to all the world.

OBSERVATION: Isn’t it really calming to look into the skies and marvel over the deep blue colors, or the night sky filled with twinkling stars, or even the deep dark clouds as they barrel in before a heavy rain? Isn’t it cool to look at the white passing clouds and the various shapes that they create? What do you suppose God is saying to His children through each of these scenarios? What do others think of us as they examine our lives and our words? Remember, if you’re a child of the King, you should resemble Him in all your ways!

APPLICATION: I find it disturbing that we fill our minds with so much ‘junk’ fed to us by television, movies, clubs, etc, instead of using the creativity that God blessed us with that would draw us to Himself and His creation. I believe that in the life of most of us reading this devotional, our typical evening might consist of arriving home from work, watching the evening news while we eat supper, then perhaps a movie or a gameshow, then off to bed for rest, in preparation for repeating another day of much the same. Where do we find time for creativity, or for reflecting on the goodness of God in all of that, dear friends? Some might convince themselves that because they went to a church meeting/event, that they saturated themselves with God. Did you, my friend? Or did you go through the motions of tradition in being present, and doing everything requested by the leader? I am a leader in my church, so I am definitely not discouraging you from attending church meetings and opportunities to learn about God’s Word, but what I am saying is that there must be time for us to develop, and enhance a personal, one-on-one relationship with our Maker. I often compare the relationship with my wife, to the relationship with my Savior. What if, each afternoon I went to the gym that she attends so I could learn about how she did that day, then go out with the guys and, at some point decide whether I will go home that night, or not? That would do absolutely nothing for the relationship between she and I. But isn’t that what happens all too often in the relationship we have with God? We listen to a devotional where someone shares about their relationship with God, instead of faithfully reading God’s Word and allowing Him to speak to us personally. We might watch a church worship service on television in order to check off the box that we worshipped God this week. Friends, if others are to see God all over us and through our very lives, it will be because He is oozing out of every fiber of our being. Our Scripture today points us to the purity of the heavens, where they are untouched by mankind or the world’s leader, Satan. We look at the sky, the sun, the moon, the stars, the clouds in all of their glory and we see God. I believe it is that kind of purity that we should strive for in our lives, if we want others to see Christ. Remember, it’s all about Him my friend. They don’t need to see your nice haircut, grooming, or anything else. They need to see what flows out of you? Let it be Christ, my friend!

PRAYER: May the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable to You oh Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer. May my life be a true reflection of You in every way, so that others will be drawn to You, and so that You may be glorified in every way. Please ignite a desire within each reader to strive for a similar goal, as this is my deepest, and sincere plea today oh Lord. AMEN!

Jesus, Moved With Compassion About Us

On By Ed AlgreenIn Ask and Receive, Faith, Near to God, Needs, Rewards, TrustLeave a comment

Friday, 2019-03-08

Bible Reference: Matthew 20:31-34
Translation: The Passion Translation (TPT)

Bible Text: 31 Those in the crowd scolded them and told them to be quiet. But the blind men screamed out even louder, “Jesus, Son of David, show us mercy, Lord!” 32 So Jesus stopped and had them brought to him. He asked them, “What do you want me to do for you?” 33 They said, “Lord, we want to see! Heal us!” 34 Jesus was deeply moved with compassion toward them. So he touched their eyes, and instantly they could see! Jesus said to them, “Your faith has healed you.” And all the people praised God because of this miracle.[n And the two men became his followers from that day onward.

OBSERVATION: In this story we see a few things: First is the determination of the blind men to get Jesus’ attention. Although told by the disciples to be quiet, they shouted all the louder; Secondly, I am always shocked how Jesus would ask two blind men what he could do for them! He didn’t assume that they were there to have their sight restored, for they may have had much deeper needs that only the Master could resolve for them. And thirdly, their miracle led to them becoming followers of Christ!

APPLICATION: Throughout the gospels we can read story after story about the extremes that some folk went to in order to see, touch, or plead with Jesus about their situation. I am saddened by our current day believers who either wait until their very last option to seek Jesus and ask Him for help in their respective scenario, or because they have listened to Satan and the world, and have chosen to not follow Christ, they therefore might opt to not ‘bother’ Him in their time of need. Notice that the blind men did not let pride get in their way of getting close to Jesus and asking Him for a miracle. They weren’t concerned about friends trying to turn them away because their unconcern for Jesus. I want you to also notice that although these men were not followers of Christ, He stopped, listened to their plea, and delivered them from their blindness. Friends, this is another reminder of how deep the love of God is for His children. Remember that He went to the cross at Calvary for the sake of ‘sinners’ – those unconcerned about the love of God for them. Notice also that Jesus teaches us to never assume what the needs of another person might be. Wouldn’t you have thought that two blind men waiting to see Jesus, were probably there to ask for restoration of their sight? However, Jesus still asked what they wanted from Him. Friends, let’s learn from this that (1) We are to be specific in our asking of God, and (2) Let us always, always ask about the needs of someone we are going to pray for, and not assume what their needs might be. I believe the important question that Jesus might have for us today is: What is your greatest need that you would have me attend to for you? This should be the item that you are daily pleading to God for, and is first and foremost on your mind. Be determined as the two blind guys, knowing that the same Jesus that they called out to for mercy and healing, is still available, able and ready to also hear our cry for help and meet our needs.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, we serve the awesome Creator of this world, and You have proven yourself over and over again, yet You are often the very last person that we call on in our times of trouble and despair. As we were reminded in this Scripture today, please teach us to be persistent in asking, knowing that You are ruler over all things and that Your awesome power is just as prevalent today as it was when You gave the command to restore eyesight to the two blind men. Lord, please touch the hearts and lives of all who might read this devotional today, and please especially touch the lives of my family at this time so that we all might be reminded of the King of all kings and Lord of all lords, and Your awesome love and power. For I ask these things in Your wonderful and matchless name, AMEN!

Acting on the Word of God

On By Ed AlgreenIn Acknowledge God, Actions, Faith, Obedience, Obedient, Rewards, TrustLeave a comment

Thursday, 2019-03-07

Bible Reference: Exodus 9:20-21
Translation: The Message (MSG)

Bible Text: 20-21 All of Pharaoh’s servants who had respect for God’s word got their workers and animals under cover as fast as they could, but those who didn’t take God’s word seriously left their workers and animals out in the field.

OBSERVATION: Through Moses, God told Pharaoh what would occur next in His ongoing testing, to gain the attention of Pharaoh and his people. Just like in the decisions we make each day, we commit to being a faithful, obedient servant of the King of kings, or not. The servants of Pharaoh had a similar choice. In each case we, and they, know in advance what the outcome of our choice will be. Are you satisfied with the choices you make, and your allegiance to God, dear one?

APPLICATION: Let me encourage you to click on the above Scripture reference, and at the very least, read from verse 13 through the end of the chapter, to get the backdrop of what we are looking at today. God got my attention in a very real way, because I could see a very vivid comparison to what is going on today. You see, God sent many plagues on Pharaoh and the Egyptians under his charge, yet we could see in our focal verses that some chose to pay no attention to the warning that God gave through Moses about the impending plague. Please stop to realize that God’s Word is filled with similar warnings to us today, yet it seems like increasing numbers of our population have decided to ignore the warnings and accept the Word of God about His love and awesome sacrifice that He made for the redemption of our sin. Notice that the servants of Pharaoh had two choices: (1) Do nothing and leave their cattle and slaves out to weather the storm, should one actually occur like God said; or (2) Listen to and respect God’s word, because of His previous warnings and actions already taken by Him to prove His power and His word. I believe that a vast majority of our world today have read the warnings from the Bible, or have witnessed current-day warnings to individuals, churches and countries and we also have made choices. Do we believe in this God who said in His Word that He sacrificed His Son, so that we might have the means of forgiveness for our disobedience to His commands and ordinances (sin)? It is clear in God’s Word that, in similar comparison to Pharaoh’s servants, we know that a choice to accept the word of God, believe in His one and only Son, confess that we are a sinner in need of a Savior, will lead to the eternal safety of the believer with the God of this universe! A different choice would result in eternal damnation with the evil one in the pit of Hell. My sincere prayer for every reader of this devotional is that we would imitate the servants who brought their cattle and slaves in – under cover, and secure our position with our Master by accepting the gracious gift of His Son. Notice that the choice made by the servants affected those under their care and control. We also have tremendous impact on those under our care and who look up to us. Are you helping them see God in all His glory, so that they may desire to know Him personally, or are you more of a stumbling block to them achieving this goal? Oh that Christ may be glorified in us today!

PRAYER: Oh that You may be glorified in all Your saints today, dear Lord. May You begin a new work in myself and each one that will stop by to read this blog. Some of Pharaoh’s servants listened, obeyed, and showed their slaves the power of God. Oh that others may see that same power in and through us in every word and action today, is my sincere prayer for each one who believes on the name of the Lord, AMEN!

With Faith, All things are Possible

On By Ed AlgreenIn Faith, Rewards, TrustLeave a comment

Wednesday, 2019-03-06

Bible Reference: Matthew 21:20-22
Translation: Contemporary English Version (CEV)

Bible Text: 20 The disciples were shocked when they saw how quickly the tree had dried up. 21 But Jesus said to them, “If you have faith and don’t doubt, I promise that you can do what I did to this tree. And you will be able to do even more. You can tell this mountain to get up and jump into the sea, and it will. 22 If you have faith when you pray, you will be given whatever you ask for.”

OBSERVATION: We still use a lot of the same language, that Jesus used, in some of our business logic today – if….then…. This was used multiple times in these verses today, because Jesus emphasized that while our dependence on Him is vital, things are only accomplished because of our faith in Him. So let’s meditate on this subject for a while today.

APPLICATION: If you have faith, you will sit in the worse looking chair, believing that the legs and seat will hold you up. If you have faith in your car’s gas gauge, you will travel across the desert knowing that no gas station exist for miles and miles, but confident that you could make it across. Because Peter had faith, he got out of the boat and walked on water at Jesus’ command. In our Scripture today, Jesus told His disciples, and I believe He is telling you and I, that if we have faith in the power of the Almighty God, and we believe that He alone is God, with power and might to do all things, then we too can say to a mountain, or to a serious illness that exists in our life, to move aside so that I could finish the work of my Father. Friends, we are so accustomed to having our own way, that this kind of power could easily be misused, so I believe that we must take time to evaluate the individual that this might pertain to. For you see, the disciples, even though none were perfect, yet they left everything behind them to follow Jesus. They endured the mockery of being a follower of Christ, just as Jesus himself endured, yet because they had gained insight into the heart of Christ, and His awesome power, grace and love, they wanted to be just like Him, and I believe they longed to represent Him even to the extent of performing the miracles that He did. I believe it is so important for us today to seek God’s will into what must be changed in our lives so that we might look like Him, sound like Him, act like Him, and to be His hands and feet in our homes, in our job places, in our churches and everywhere we find ourselves. Can’t you see that until this happens, we would make a mockery of God if He allowed us to represent Him in performing miracles? Jesus challenged us in our Scripture today to have faith, for He said that if we do, then we can do miraculous things, and we will be more fruitful in our prayer lives. So the challenge presented to us today is: How’s you faith? Have you attained perfect, and immovable faith yet? I believe that as we gain a closer walk with God, and devote ourselves wholeheartedly to His perfect will for our lives, then perhaps our faith might be strengthened to believe in Him more perfectly, and our faith enhanced to do the things of the Lord, knowing that in Him, we can do ALL things!

PRAYER: Precious Lord, You alone are all powerful, and worthy of our praise in every aspect of life. Please work in miraculous ways today, so that our faith may mature to a state that we will pray believing that You will do whatever we ask. Yes, I understand that can be a dangerous wish if our hearts are not totally synchronized with Your heart, for until that is true, we will ask arie. Please touch the hearts of all those who will read this devotional today Lord, for I would ask nothing more than to know that hearts are being blessed and drawn closer to You, because of my meager efforts with this blog. It’s all because of You Lord. Please have Your perfect way, and be glorified in my life, and in the hearts of all those who will read this devotional. AMEN!

Recognizing Our Awesome God

On By Ed AlgreenIn Allegiance to the Lamb, Bible Believing, Celebrate God, Christian, Discerning, Faith, Faith, Follow Jesus, God Cares For Us, God our Helper, Imitator of Christ, Listen to the Word of God, Obedience, Righteousness, Thank You JesusLeave a comment

Bible Text:  Matthew 12

Bible Text:  22 Then a demon-possessed man, who was blind and couldn’t speak, was brought to Jesus. He healed the man so that he could both speak and see. 23 The crowd was amazed and asked, “Could it be that Jesus is the Son of David, the Messiah?”

APPLICATION:  Sometimes we read these familiar stories in God’s Word and God will just speak to us afresh through something contained in that passage. In this story Jesus had performed several miracles, and finally the crowd stepped back in wonderment and questioned among themselves ‘Could this possibly be the Messiah?”. In the world we live in today God is still very active, and although we tend to really hone in on the negative, there are times that our spiritual minds are awakened and we say to ourselves “that must be a Jesus thing”. That certain thing could only have occurred if Jesus made it happen. Friends, I believe that we must be praying with such expectation that we will notice every little act of God and response to our prayers by God. He is very much alive today and active in our lives. It is time for Christians to wake up and give Him credit for all that He does. It is in this type of act that we tend to help believers who are in doubt and result in questioning every act of God. They must see our faith, if we ever expect to be a Godly influence on them! We serve a mighty God, but don’t wait for the ‘big’ miracles to occur, recognize and praise Him daily for all that He does in your life. Good health – especially when we see so many in hospitals or at home sick; safety – especially when we pass a wreck on the road where some innocent person got hurt or even killed; answer to prayer – especially when we see so many that doubt or question the work of God, or try to give credit to chance or horoscopes or palm readers. Friends we serve, and we should recognize the mighty God of this universe, the King of all kings, the Creator of all mankind. Do we have reason to doubt? I believe that we actually have more reasons not to doubt the mighty works of God in our world today.

PRAYER: Praise be to God for accepting me as a humble child in great need of a Savior. Praise be to God for all the miracles performed in my life, in the life of our church and in the lives of my family and friends. May I be very alert to Your mighty hand at work in my life and all around me. May others see Jesus reflected in my life and in their own lives, so that together we can truly be a thankful people praising You for all Your mighty works and wondrous love. Thank You Jesus for caring so much for me. Please continue to work on me and mold me into something that  You can use to accomplish Your work. May I recognize Your mighty works each and every day!

To What Extent Will You Obey God?

On By Ed AlgreenIn Faith, Rewards, TrustLeave a comment

Wednesday, 2019-02-27

Bible Reference: Exodus 1:16-17
Translation: New Living Translation (NLT)

Bible Text:  16 “When you help the Hebrew women as they give birth, watch as they deliver.[c If the baby is a boy, kill him; if it is a girl, let her live.” 17 But because the midwives feared God, they refused to obey the king’s orders. They allowed the boys to live, too.

OBSERVATION: In God’s Word we are reminded of the great love the Creator of this world has for His subjects. However, to align ourselves with His desires for His children, and His commands, we will often run into cases of opposition by world leaders, family and friends. I wonder how far we are prepared to go in our mission towards true obedience to our Father. Let’s consider that for a few moments today.

APPLICATION:  The Hebrew midwives, Shiphrah and Puah, had a decision to make. Will they stand in fear of the king of Egypt and obey him by killing all baby boys that they delivered for the Israelites, or would they stand in obedience to the King of all kings, and let the baby boys and girls live? They had a choice to make, and it was one that could have brought dire consequences to them, up to and including death. It just doesn’t get more serious than that my friend. But Daniel and his two partners had the same choice when it came to the choices they faced with the food demanded by the king, and the command to worship only the king. In both cases, these individuals stood firm in their faith, and trusted God to take care of them because of their obedience. Friends, today you and I will face decisions that will challenge our stance on many aspects of our life – the laws of our country – speed limits, valid driver’s license, obedience to authorities, etc.; our jobs – being upright and truthful in all that we say, obedient to those in authority over us, etc. It would be good at this very moment to decide what will be the overriding factor in our decision making – total obedience to God, even if it conflicts with something the boss is asking you to do? Whom will you serve my friend? It sounds like an easy and insignificant matter, and compared to the ultimate threat to the midwives, we may never face that type of threat. However, disobedience of man’s laws, and choosing to do our own thing at work, could lead to some serious consequences for us also. Will God truly reign in every decision we make today? I believe that if we are truly dependent on God and have totally dedicated ourselves to Him, then there should be no conditions placed on that. It would be good to remind ourselves even now, that if God takes us to the test, then He will help us through it. Satan will work through his earthly agents to test us in every way, and to try and created doubt in the power of our Maker, but we already know that ‘greater is He than is in us, than he that is in the world’. Amen and amen!

PRAYER: Precious Lord, thank You for holding our hand yesterday. Please continue to guide, protect and embolden us again today, so that we may stand firm in our faith and be a living sacrifice to You in every aspect of life here on this earth. May our witness be strong and uncompromising to all those who will come into contact with us today, so that they may be attracted to You and want a relationship with the same God that we adore and worship. To God be the Glory! AMEN!

Who Is God To You?

On By Ed AlgreenIn Faith, Honest Relationship, Relationship, Rewards, TrustLeave a comment

Saturday, 2019-02-23

Bible Reference: Psalm 18:1-3
Translation: The Passion Translation (TPT)

Bible Text:  1 Lord, I passionately love you and I’m bonded to you, for now you’ve become my power! 2 You’re as real to me as bedrock beneath my feet, like a castle on a cliff, my forever firm fortress, my mountain of hiding, my pathway of escape, my tower of rescue where none can reach me. My secret strength and shield around me, you are salvation’s ray of brightness shining on the hillside, always the champion of my cause. 3 All I need to do is to call to you, singing to you, the praiseworthy God. When I do, I’m safe and sound in you.

OBSERVATION: As I read the words of the Psalmist, I could feel how important God was to him. It made me ponder what my three verses might look like as I described who God is to me. Let us ponder that for a few moments today.

APPLICATION: I wonder how well we do at recognizing God in everything, rather than the tendency to whine and complain about everything. For it is easy to sit and demand our own advantages and require our own selfish desires, but imagine the blessings we lose out on in doing that. It is so easy to totally miss God’s blessings and God’s careful direction for our lives when we selfishly demand our own way and limit our vision to only our own capabilities or imagination. For we must always be reminded that the ways of our God is far greater than anything we could even imagine! His power far exceeds our wildest imagination, so we need not place Him in a box the size of something we construct in our minds. So, as we stop and reflect on His handiwork, shouldn’t we recognize His awesome power, His careful instruction and His guidance through all of the uncertainties of this life? Friends, as we do, and I’m sure we will, let’s stop the crazy busyness of our lives and just spend some time expressing our gratitude to Him, and thank Him for loving us enough that He would select us for our participation in His marvelous and miraculous work. Please allow me to suggest that you read our focal verses several times to make sure that you allow the heart of David to saturate your very mind and allow you to identify with the sincerity of this great man of God. I bolded the number of times David emphasized his personal, heartfelt feelings towards his God, his Deliverer, his Savior, his Strength, his Rock, etc. Friends, if we gather nothing else from this Scripture today, may it be enough that we recognize, and be reminded of, the personal relationship that is encouraged with the God of this universe. If you have surrendered your life to my God today my friend, let me encourage you to join me in a deep desire to meet with Him often and not only recognize His goodness and His special love for us, but be sure to recognize God at work, and stop attributing the wonderful blessings sent our way as mere luck, or perhaps things that we deserve. For those who may have only heard of God, but haven’t personalized that relationship with Him, please read my Footnote and follow the directions on how to know my Savior personally. There is nothing He would desire more, than to have His creation – His child, return to Him in obedience and with a desire to know Him personally. He truly loves you dear friend! Allow Him to shower His love on you in miraculous and amazing ways!

PRAYER: Precious Lord, thank You for loving this mere sinful man enough that You were willing to sacrifice the life of Your one and only Son, for the forgiveness of my sin, and the promise of eternal life in heaven with You and Your Father. Being reminded of my personal blessings and the awesome relationship with my heavenly King, I am forever grateful that You loved even me dear Lord. Please touch the heart of all those who will read this devotional today, Jesus. May it be a life changing event for them, and not just another chore that they could check off their to-do list. Knowing You is to have a real, honest and sincere relationship with You. May You be glorified in everything You accomplish through us today dear Lord. AMEN!

How to Be Crowned with Success

On By Ed AlgreenIn Faith, Rewards, TrustLeave a comment

Thursday, 2019-02-21

Bible Reference: Proverbs 3:4-6
Translation: Living Bible (TLB)

Bible Text:  4-5 If you want favor with both God and man, and a reputation for good judgment and common sense, then trust the Lord completely; don’t ever trust yourself. 6 In everything you do, put God first, and he will direct you and crown your efforts with success.

OBSERVATION: God’s Word amazes me in every way! Think about what mankind desires – that we may be acceptable to God and our fellow man! Wouldn’t you say that pretty much sums it up in a nutshell? Our Scripture today has solid truth for us on how we could be most successful in setting this as a goal for ourselves, so let’s spend a few moments to truly meditate on God’s instructions for us.

APPLICATION: From the moment we are born, our mother and father begins drilling into us those things that we should, or shouldn’t do, if we want to please them, make them happy and/or proud of us. The more independent we become, we realize that there is a lot more to life than just making our parents happy, although that is at the very top of our list of priorities. Think about the idea of attending a school where no one really cares about us, because of our selfish or rotten attitude. Shouldn’t we strive to improve that? Then we start our career path and we can’t keep a job because no one could get along with us, or there might be some character flaws that the boss decides that they will not all to poison the other workers with. Wouldn’t we want to seek help on ways to correct those issues so that we could fit in and get along with everyone? Friends, I believe that our Scripture today has some answers for these issues that plague many today. For we are a people who strive to be independent, and do life our own way. However, in doing this, we tend to multiply our issues rather than solve them. The Psalmist is telling us that before we could gain the trust, respect and love of others, we must first allow the God of this universe to have an impact on our lives. In other words, acknowledge that we don’t have all of the answers, and then align ourselves with the only One who not only knows about today, but also has control of what tomorrow holds. Friends, our God created these complicated bodies in which we live, and He has a plan for each and every one of us, with the end goal of us living in such a way that He might be glorified through us. A reward is already established also – that whosoever believes in Him, then we will spend eternity in Heaven with He and His Father (God). So think about this as a resolution to the above dilemma: God created us; He established a plan for our lives here on earth that will glorify Him; And He has prepared a place for us to go when we pass on from this world to the next. This sounds like an awesome plan that is perfectly designed for our complete happiness and peace of mind, so why would we seek to do life on our own without any foreknowledge of tomorrow? Let’s follow God’s design for us and our wonderful life here on earth! Won’t you join me dear friend?

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, You are more wonderful than anything we could even imagine. Your Word today has reminded us of the plan You established for our happiness here on earth and in Heaven. Please humble us to the point of understanding Your plan, then be willing to obediently follow Your plan. You designed us, and You sacrificed Your one and only Son for our eternal salvation. We are convinced that You have our best interest at heart, so please help us to accept the fact that mortal man will only fall deeper and deeper into the trap of Satan and his eternal destination of Hell. Please touch my readers and myself with Your marvelous love, and draw us to Yourself precious Lord, so that together we might all rejoice when we see You face to face. Oh what a day that will be when my Jesus I shall see! AMEN!

It Originates in the Heart

On By Ed AlgreenIn Faith, Heart, Heart Knowledge, Rewards, TrustLeave a comment

Monday, 2019-02-18

Bible Reference: Matthew 15:17-20
Translation: The Passion Translation (TPT)

Bible Text:  17 Is it hard to understand that whatever you eat enters the stomach only to pass out into the sewer? 18 But what comes out of your mouth reveals the core of your heart. Words can pollute, not food. 19 You will find living within an impure heart evil ideas, murderous thoughts, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, lies, and slander. 20 That’s what pollutes a person…..

OBSERVATION: Jesus overheard arguments from certain religious leaders who were criticizing his disciples for not following every little detail about their rules regarding ceremonial hand washing and food choices that conflicted with the restrictions of their religious beliefs. However this criticizing was coming from the hearts of those who were truly burdened by multiple other issues that were a lot more serious. Sounds a lot like some of the issues believers still face today? Let’s look deeper into this.

APPLICATION:  A lot of money is generated from diets, and pills and procedures that help people reduce the effects of what they put into their mouths. Many doctors, and some religions are convinced that certain foods are just not good for a human diet, and they try to work diligently with patients, and/or followers, to develop alternate diets. Some religions base this on Scripture, and therefore try to enforce the idea based on the Word of God. I find it interesting that Jesus never told the Pharisees they were untruthful, or inaccurate, but what He did tell them was that they should strive for removing the boards from their own eyes before pointing out the small specks in the lives of others. In fact, I am convinced that this Scripture was God breathed for each of us reading this today also. For just as the Pharisees saw the challenges the disciples had, we might be very apt to look at the Pharisees and denounce their faults. But I believe that what God is truly trying to say to His children today, is that we have a full time job in trying to stay focused on the issues that derive from our wicked hearts, and in seeking to correct our own issues first and foremost. I believe that only then, do we have the audacity to approach someone else and show them up for their apparent weaknesses. Friends, we are not God, and while we may find ways to try and help others to overcome challenges they fight with, we are far from having the authority to act like God and try to straighten out their sin. Jesus points out to us that we have a huge responsibility to ensure that our hearts are filled with His grace, His goodness, His perfect love for mankind, and His forgiveness. For unless we are, then we might easily tend to judge others, or even be prone to many more acts that might be even more serious than those of the Pharisees, the disciples or anyone else we feel may be failing. I love that old spiritual that includes the words: “It’s not my brother or my sister, but it’s me oh Lord, standing in the need of prayer”. Yes, I believe that we personally have so much need in the sight of God, that I’m not sure how or when we will ever find the time for correcting a neighbor who is in need, or may be failing in some walk of life.

PRAYER: Thank You Lord for saving my soul, thank You Lord for making me whole, thank You Lord for giving to me, Thy great salvation so rich and free. Precious Lord, You are merciful and You looked down in love and saved even me, thank You! I am also grateful that You saved many of my friends who will read this devotional today that have also accepted You as Lord. We have such a huge job of minding our intake of worldly issues, bad attitudes and habits, that we’re not sure how we will ever get around to helping a Brother or a Sister, but Lord we need You to help us through every circumstance of life. Please draw us to Yourself daily, so that our hearts will overflow with the love and attitude of Christ. We want others to see enough of Christ in us, that they would have a strong desire to know You in a personal and meaningful way. I am convinced that You will return to take us home with You very soon, oh Lord, may we be found faithful until the end of time. AMEN!

The Distractions of Faith

On By Ed AlgreenIn Distraction, Distractions, Faith, Faithfulness, Rewards, TrustLeave a comment

Friday, 2019-02-15

Bible Reference: Matthew 14:29-33
Translation: The Passion Translation (TPT)

Bible Text: 29 “Come and join me,” Jesus replied. So Peter stepped out onto the water and began to walk toward Jesus. 30 But when he realized how high the waves were, he became frightened and started to sink. “Save me, Lord!” he cried out. 31 Jesus immediately stretched out his hand and lifted him up and said, “What little faith you have! Why would you let doubt win?” 32 And the very moment they both stepped into the boat, the raging wind ceased. 33 Then all the disciples crouched down before him and worshiped Jesus. They said in adoration, “You are truly the Son of God!”

OBSERVATION: In Hebrews 11:1 we are reminded that faith is confidence in what we hope for, and complete assurance of something that we cannot see. Perhaps with that in mind, we could better evaluate the faith that Peter had in jumping out of that boat, and also the faith that we have in taking our petitions before a holy and miraculously working God. May our faith increase today as we meditate on this story of ‘faith’ by Peter!

APPLICATION: There are so many things we could learn from this story of Peter. I believe that most of us will share the reflection that this story shows us the faith of a man to attempt something that defies nature, and that he had never thought possible before. To jump out of a boat in the middle of the sea, one could only prepare for the intake of water through the nose and mouth, unless they know how to swim! However, things were a bit different with Peter, for: a). He had already experienced the power of the Almighty, and he knew that Jesus had the same power to do even those things that are impossible in the eyes of the world; b). He paid attention to what Jesus was doing, and knew that if Jesus could walk on the water, He had power and authority to empower him (Peter) to do the same; and c). Peter heard the command by Jesus, and in spite of the yelling from his fellow disciples, he obeyed Jesus. So what happened? Why did Peter’s effort fail? I am convinced that Jesus already knows how quickly Peter would become cocky about being given this special power, so Jesus demonstrated to Peter and to us, that faith requires that we keep our eyes fixed on the author of our faith – Jesus, and His Father God, lest we fall into the trap of bragging about our powers. I had a friend dying of cancer, and she traveled hundreds of miles to be prayed over by a TV evangelist who showed on public television that he had powers to heal. WRONG. Stop right there. Friends, as demonstrated in this story with Peter, and as we already know about healing powers – it is God, through His Son Jesus that spoke the word for Jesus to walk on water and who rescued him as he began to sink; it is God alone who heals a body that He created from dust, and restores it to perfect health so that He may be glorified. Our responsibility is to look to Him for all things and keep our eyes fixed on the author and creator of life itself, knowing that through His power, lives might be healed, souls might be restored to the Kingdom, and that the unsaved may recognize the grace and power of our God. It’s all about ‘God’, my friend. We are just instruments of His love and servants of our majestic King. The Master deserves all the praise for all that He does, for nothing of our own is merited, or worthy of praise, for what He has done. Please be careful of the distractions that Satan will place before us. For Peter, it was the wind and the rough waters that caused him to take his eyes off the Master. For us, unfortunately we live in a world that is totally filled with distractions that Satan places before us. Remember that our distractions are forces that draw us away from God – our primary power source. Don’t let Satan win over you my friend. In verse 31 we are reminded to not let ‘doubt’ win in our battle to ‘believe’. Trust in God, and all of this shall come to pass, child of God!

PRAYER: Oh Lord, You are my God! The same God that created this wonderful world, and also created all of creation. I acknowledge again today that there is nothing that You can’t do. Please forgive me for my doubt and my lack of faith. Thank You for the reminder in today’s Scripture that You had the power to walk on water to get over to Your disciples. I wonder what You must travel over, or through, at times to get to my readers and I, and the trouble we find ourselves in at times. But one thing that I am assured of, is that just as we saw where the water didn’t stop You from getting to Your followers, we need not let anything hinder our requests today, for many things will appear to be impossible to us, but with renewed assurance today, we KNOW that we can come before the throne of God and plead our case for an all-knowing, all-powerful, forever-loving God who says that ALL things are possible with God! You are our King, and we adore You and worship You today oh Lord, not just for what You can do for us, but for who You are! AMEN!