Accountability Matters

On 2015-09-232015-09-23 By Ed AlgreenIn Faithful, gifts, ObedientLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (The New Living Translation – Matthew 25:19,29): ¹⁹ “After a long time their master returned from his trip and called them to give an account of how they had used his money. ²⁹ To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away.

THOUGHTS: In today’s society we are very investment conscious, because we want to see our retirement dollars stretch as far as possible. To make sure that this occurs, we are trained to look for the best investors – people we can trust to achieve the same goals that we set for ourselves, and we hold them accountable to do just that for us, or we consider changing to a different investor. This is similar to what occurred in this story, for Jesus used an illustration of giving three individuals money, then returning to see whether they were responsible with the money. May I suggest that God has also given each of us great talents, gifts, abilities and opportunities and He will one day look for our response on how well we’ve done with those gifts? There’s a popular saying that if you don’t use a gift you might lose it. I wonder how many of us have already lost most of what God has blessed us with, because we have refused to invest our lives into the needs of others. When we give a gift to a kid, then see them abuse it and destroy it in no time at all, it often frustrates us and makes us angry. Do you suppose that God should feel any different? In verse 29 Jesus said that if we choose to ignore and not use the gifts we are blessed with, we will lose them. Please consider using all that you have, to bless as many as you can. I believe it is clear from verse 29 that our remaining gifts will be multiplied, not the opposite like the world might expect. It matters to God what we do with our gifts, He holds us accountable. Let’s make Him proud today as we seek to serve Him by helping others.

PRAYER: Thank You Lord for Your blessings on me! Thank You for the gifts You shower on me and thank You for opportunities every day to use those gifts to bless others. Please touch the hearts of those who will meditate on this devotional today. May we all recognize our gifts and be willing to see them multiplied, by helping others in every way possible. We want to hear your words of affirmation “Well done good and faithful servant” when challenged by you with our accountability question. Please grant us grace to be obedient in every way to the needs You present to us every day. Thank You Lord for being so good to us. May we be faithful to You. For I ask this in the strong and faithful name of Jesus, AMEN!

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

Created to Be Virtuous

On 2015-09-222015-09-22 By Ed AlgreenIn Forgiven, Holy, VirtuousLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (The New Living Translation – Ecclesiastes 7:28-29): ²⁸ Though I have searched repeatedly, I have not found what I was looking for. Only one out of a thousand men is virtuous, but not one woman! ²⁹ But I did find this: God created people to be virtuous, but they have each turned to follow their own downward path.”

THOUGHTS: We often hear the term ‘Virtuous Woman’, especially around Mother’s Day, but I found these two verses touching and challenging. In fact, God really got my attention through these verses. Let’s first define the word ‘virtuous’ – “conforming to a high, moral and ethical standard”. Later in this chapter it is referred as ‘honest and true’. So I believe that God is really saying through His word here, “Hey, I made you to be honest and true, virtuous in every way, so how did you get to where you are today?” Now friends, as you consider this and perhaps seek God’s face about being more virtuous, I want to encourage you to put down your glasses of piety. Relax your pride and selfishness for just a moment. Be reminded that you are looking to the God of this universe for answers. Be willing to open your eyes, your ears and your heart to what He might respond, realizing that He not only knows everything about you, but is very aware of even your inmost thoughts. Remember, He created you! But what’s super important today is that He made you to be ‘virtuous’. Unfortunately, I believe that we are much like the folk that Solomon was thinking of when he penned these words – there wasn’t one who could be found in the whole lot, that he considered ‘virtuous’. So what’s the problem folk? I believe that it’s a small three letter word that has drastically impacted on our lives – SIN. Remember, God will not abide where sin abounds. Solomon said that we have each turned to follow our own downward path. In other words, a path that leads to nothing Godly or nothing good. Friends, if God created us to be virtuous, then I am convinced that He wanted us to live virtuous lives that He could be proud of and use for His earthly work. Are you worthy of this, or have you followed your own downward path that is good for nothing that imitates God? Christians, we are not perfect – just forgiven, so this challenge very much applies to you. Non-Christian, you may tend to think that you are so entrenched in sin that there is no way that you can ever be classified ‘Virtuous’. I have great news for you friend. God loves you and with such passion that He decided even while we were deep in sin, to send His only Son into this world as a sacrificial lamb, providing the only means for salvation and ultimately, virtuous living. This is all accomplished with Him as our Guide, our Defender, our Redeemer, our Master and our Lord. Jesus alone can turn your life around, and into something beautiful that can be used for His glory. Will you let Him do it? My ‘Footnote’ contains helpful tips.

PRAYER: Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name, for I can hardly imagine the love of a Savior for those who had you crucified, yet You went to the cross for us. Yes, so that we might have a chance of seeing You face to face, but also to provide the means and direction for us to live ‘virtuous’ lives here on this earth. I know this is what’s required of us to be true witnesses of Yours, but in our carnal minds this seems so impossible. Yet we know that You are the God of everything that seems ‘impossible’ to us, so it is in that assurance that we come before You today asking for forgiveness of our less than virtuous living, and asking that You might give us power and a desire to turn our lives around and refocus our lives, our speech and our actions to closely imitate You dear God, so that we may be acceptable and usable witnesses. Bless us with Your presence and Your power today, is my humble prayer that I ask in the name of Your Son Jesus, AMEN

Our All Sufficient God

On 2015-09-212015-09-21 By Ed AlgreenIn Challenges, Circumstances, Hard TimesLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (New Living Translation – Ecclesiastes 7:13-14): ¹³ Accept the way God does things, for who can straighten what he has made crooked? ¹⁴ Enjoy prosperity while you can, but when hard times strike, realize that both come from God. Remember that nothing is certain in this life.

THOUGHTS: Most of us tend to pray hardest when we are flat on our back and have no other choice but to look up and pray! That’s a saying that I’ve heard over the time that I’ve been a Christian, because most people pray hardest during times of adversity. At one point I had a pastor who would dedicate the first portion of our prayer meetings towards giving thanks to God in our prayers. It was amazing how challenging it was to just give thanks, without tending to also ask, ask, ask. I believe we are truly a ‘gi’me’ kind of people. In this scripture today, we are admonished to always remember to give God thanks when we recognize His handiwork, or as we prosper by His graciousness, His power and His provision for us. In fact, I would encourage you to join me in giving God thanks for everything. How dare us to attribute God’s goodness to happen-chance, or our lucky day, or coincidence, or any other description we may tend to use instead of simply thanking the Creator of all things, the One who gave His life so that we might enjoy eternal life. If God made such an awesome sacrifice just to show His love for us and His desire to have us join Him around the throne in heaven one day, don’t you suppose He will do everything possible to take exceptional care of us until such time that He calls us home? I can assure you He will!! However, an area that I believe many of us struggle with, is when things don’t seem to be going ‘peachy’ (as some would say!). Let me remind you of two songs that reflect on God’s awesome plan, and confirms that God is always with us: ‘God of the Mountain‘ and ‘Through It All‘. Listen to these two songs as you meditate on the rest of this devotional and be blessed. Friends, I believe that God has a wonderful plan for our lives, but while in this old world, life will not be perfect, so let us learn to trust in God when everything is going the way we think it should go, but we should especially trust in God during those times that we realize that we could only overcome our circumstances with a great big touch of the Master’s hand. May I encourage you to lean on a friend for prayer support and encouragement when life seems impossible? Often it is difficult for us to see outside of our struggles and circumstances.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, I just want to thank You for who You are. So much bigger than my circumstances, so much stronger than my weaknesses, yet Your love is so awesome that You love me in spite of my inadequacies. Many will meditate on this devotional today that are overwhelmed with struggles and hardships. Thankfully we are assured in this scripture today that Your love and Your power is consistent and persistent, if only we will remain faithful in every circumstance of life. May it be so, please dear God. For I ask all this in faith, and in the precious name of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, AMEN!

THE Most Important Things

On 2015-09-192015-09-19 By Ed AlgreenIn Commandments, Important, PrioritiesLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (The Contemporary English Version – Matthew 22:36-40): ³⁶ “Teacher, what is the most important commandment in the Law?” ³⁷ Jesus answered: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind. ³⁸ This is the first and most important commandment. ³⁹The second most important commandment is like this one. And it is, “Love others as much as you love yourself.” ⁴⁰ All the Law of Moses and the Books of the Prophets are based on these two commandments.

THOUGHTS: In our fast-paced world today, I believe most of us like to set our priorities for the day so that we could make sure we don’t get side-tracked with all the other things that will be sure to bombard us and try to win our attention. Furthermore, we tend to try very hard to accomplish our top priority items more than anything else for that day. I believe that is good reason why this passage of scripture should be very important to us. Jesus knew that He and His Father had given us many commands over time, but here He chose to show us what constituted a priority for us. In fact, He teaches that these two particular commands will help us ensure that we are following all of the other commands given to us over time. Let us therefore examine these two carefully:

Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and mind – Love comes from the heart, so to love the Lord with all of our heart means that we must love Him with all that we are. Also, that all other things, or people, that attract our love is below the level of love that we have for the Father. In fact, Jesus goes on to say that we must love Him from the very depths of our soul – our very inmost being. And from our mind – in other words, be thinking of ways to love Him more or ways to love Him better than anything else.
Love others as much as we love ourselves – It is very natural for us to love ourselves. Often this love is corrupt, and often leads to our greatest sins (envy, boasting, jealousy, etc). However, there is also a sincere self-love that is expected, because of the mere fact that God made us in His own image, and He loved us enough that He sacrificed His only Son to make us right with Himself. So if He loves us that much, ought we not to also love our own selves? Of course we do, but Jesus is teaching here that with that same love, we are to also and always love others. In other words, love them because you recognize that God loves them in the same way that He loves you.

Isn’t it interesting that God added at the end of this revelation, that if we concentrate on these two important things, that we will master all other commands? I thought yes, I can see that, because I wouldn’t dare consider lying, or stealing, or murdering, or being envious, or any other wrongful act against God or against anyone else that I love as much as I love myself. So friends, I believe it all boils down to these two things, just as Jesus taught us. Can we put these at the top of our daily prayer list, and at the top of our to-do list, and at the very top of our personal priorities? If you are one to place stickers around the house filled with very important reminders, then these two priorities should probably be at the header and footer of each of those notes, so that you will be reminded of the most important things, before looking at the item you want to accomplish in addition to these. Can we do this? Can we do it on our own? Why would we try, when we have been promised that God is always there to help us achieve the desires of our heart? Lean on Him friend, and let Him be your guide and your help, especially with these things that He told us are key commands that He wants us to do.

PRAYER: Father please forgive us for being so anxious to set our daily priorities, with so little attention to Your priorities You taught to us. I know that You are Master, Creator, Almighty God, and Love in its truest form, so there is every reason for me to be obedient to Your teaching, knowing that You have my best interest at heart. Please help Your children who might meditate on this devotional today, and myself, to put our selfish desires aside and dedicate ourselves to following Your commands, especially Your two primary commands taught in this lesson. May we love You, and those that we come into contact with today, with the love that You have shown towards us. For I ask these things in the precious and holy name of Jesus, my Savior, with thanksgiving, AMEN!

A ‘Memorial’

On 2015-09-182015-09-18 By Ed AlgreenIn Encounter with God, MemorialLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (The New Living Translation – Genesis 28:16-18): ¹⁶ Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I wasn’t even aware of it!” ¹⁷ But he was also afraid and said, “What an awesome place this is! It is none other than the house of God, the very gateway to heaven!” ¹⁸ The next morning Jacob got up very early. He took the stone he had rested his head against, and he set it upright as a memorial pillar. Then he poured olive oil over it.

THOUGHTS: There are places today that bear as part of its name ‘Memorial’. Generally these are places named after someone important to the work that took place in or near that building, or perhaps the person who may have contributed financially to the construction of the building and/or memorial. I want to encourage you to read the chosen few verses again, especially with the thought of the ‘Memorial’ that Jacob erected. Now I want you to reflect on any memorial you may have erected either for yourself or for the benefit of others. I bet your next question is: “but why would I erect a ‘Memorial’ for myself?” Friends, I believe that when we have a special encounter with God, we want to always remember that. We will want to always revisit that place, reflect on the moment and pray that God might ‘do it again’! I believe that another reason for such a ‘Memorial’ is that it becomes a tool that you can use in battle against Satan. Think about the times that he has battled with you about your faith, or your relationship with God, or your prayer life, or your lack of praise to your heavenly Father. Don’t you know that you will put Satan in his place when you take him to the place, and tell him of the moment you spent with God and the awesomeness of the moment you spent at that very spot? Friends, Satan will look for every moment to questions you and cause you to doubt. Are you ready to go to battle? Unfortunately he will not settle for the ‘coined phrase’ that we give our kids “because I said so”. Satan will need to be shown that greater is He that is in us, than he that is in the world. Taken to the specific place and told of a specific time, will be convincing evidence that something occurred in our life. May I encourage you to be ready for the moment? Let nothing come between you and your heavenly Father. Memorialize the time and place where you encountered God – where He saved you; where He healed you; where He spoke wisdom to you about saving your marriage or your family. Put Satan in his place, and yes, also put God in His place in your life. Let it be evident in everything you say and do.

PRAYER: Father, this might be scary to the non-Christian who might be considering surrendering their life to You, because they will be aware that even to Christians deal with temptation and Satan’s tricks and distractions. But I pray that You will use these words to help give them a good footing to stand on, so that they can stand firm against the enemy. So many believers turn away from their commitment to You because of the ongoing battles with Satan. Please help us to stay ‘connected’ with You through prayer, Bible study, personal devotional time with You and fellowship with other believers – our support system. Please help us to not ‘brush off’ our times of encounter with the King of this universe, but help us build a memorial, much that Jacob did, as a landmark of our God encounter. Help us to not only praise You for these moments, but share these encounters with others so that they too might be encouraged to keep the faith. Friends and family that see Jesus in us, might be more apt to want to know our Jesus. May our hearts be so connected with You that we will always do a convincing job! I ask these things in the strong name of Jesus, my Lord, with thanksgiving, AMEN!

One Way – Trust God!

On 2015-09-162015-09-16 By Ed AlgreenIn Faith, Surrender, TrustLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (The Message – Matthew 19:23-26): ^23–24As he watched him go, Jesus told his disciples, “Do you have any idea how difficult it is for the rich to enter God’s kingdom? Let me tell you, it’s easier to gallop a camel through a needle’s eye than for the rich to enter God’s kingdom.” ²⁵ The disciples were staggered. “Then who has any chance at all?” ²⁶Jesus looked hard at them and said, “No chance at all if you think you can pull it off yourself. Every chance in the world if you trust God to do it.”

THOUGHTS: In this particular story Jesus was confronted with a lot of questions from His disciples. In the immediately preceding example, a rich young man had stepped away sad after asking what he might do, any more than he was already doing, to be saved. Jesus knew the man’s heart and where his hang-ups were, and what was necessary for the young man to truly become as a little child in faith and full commitment to his Lord. In this young man’s case, it was his belongings – his earthly possessions that he was hung up on. I wonder what ours would be today. What is it that keeps us at a distance from Jesus? What is it that, although we may not brag about it, is the one thing that tends to devour our time and our commitment more than our relationship with God? What is it that we seem to think we can’t live without? We read earlier how Jesus told the disciples that unless they gave up mother, or father or siblings. Earlier, Jesus also illustrated that unless we become as a little child. In this story He is telling the disciples that unless this man is willing to give up his riches – his accumulated ‘stuff’. Friends I believe it is evident that Jesus is teaching us to fully surrender our lives to Him. In verse 26 He even explains that this is virtually impossible on our own, and that we need the power of God to guide us into eternal faith and trust in Jesus. It is very evident that money can’t help us to buy our way into heaven; and that relatives – no matter how awesome they are, can open the gates of heaven for us. Jesus is emphasizing once again that there is only One Way into His world, and into the gates of heaven, and that way is through the grace of God and the shed blood of Jesus Christ. It’s a personal, one-on-one relationship thing. Nothing other than our hearts, will substitute or enhance that decision that we must make to secure our passage. Don’t delay making this decision friend, for we are promised only the present moment. Make much of the present by making important decisions now that will make a difference for eternity. Please let me encourage you to read the tips I have included in my ‘Footnote’ to help you in this very important decision, part of which is my offer to personally help you, so feel free to contact me today friend!

PRAYER: Father, You created us, yet gave us the freedom to do our own thing. You gave us choices and consequences. Today You have reminded us that there are grave consequences for decisions we make to live life more aligned with the world than with Your commands and Your will for our lives. You’ve reminded us that there is only One Way to experience the love of God and the heavenly home you’ve prepared for us – just trust in Jesus and His shed blood. Money won’t do it, nor will family or friends or possessions. Lord, I pray that today the eyes of my readers might be opened to the truth of Your Word and the gift of eternal life that is only possible through total surrender of all things, and pure faith in and through Jesus Christ. Please have Your will and way in our lives today oh Lord. For I ask this in the precious and strong name of Jesus, AMEN!

Starting Over

On 2015-09-152015-09-15 By Ed AlgreenIn Children, Humility, New beginningsLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (The Message – Matthew 18:1-5): ¹At about the same time, the disciples came to Jesus asking, “Who gets the highest rank in God’s kingdom?” ^2–5 For an answer Jesus called over a child, whom he stood in the middle of the room, and said, “I’m telling you, once and for all, that unless you return to square one and start over like children, you’re not even going to get a look at the kingdom, let alone get in. Whoever becomes simple and elemental again, like this child, will rank high in God’s kingdom.

THOUGHTS: After growing up through childhood, many might find it challenging to understand why Jesus would declare that we become like that again if we desire to enter the kingdom of heaven. So I wanted to share a few things that might help us understand how Jesus may have been thinking. When children are very young, they are very trusting and gullible. They couldn’t care less who is in charge, as long as they get fed and cleaned up. Outward distinctions mean nothing to them, as long as they feel loved and cared for. They are free from malice, even when they don’t get their own way. They are teachable, and are willingly dependent on their parents. It is true that they soon begin to show other dispositions, and other ideas are taught them at an early age; but these are all marks of a maturing child. I believe that it is this type of character that Jesus is teaching us that would render us as lowly and ready to accept His love and His care. In other words, just as explained about a newborn child, that’s how Jesus teaches we are to be as a newborn Christian. There is no room for pride, or self-will or boasting, we are to be wholly and solely dependent on the Holy Spirit that takes control of us when we surrender. In fact, we are to continually, and daily, renew the spirit of our minds, that we may become simple and humble, as little children, and willing to be the least of all. Let us daily study this subject, and examine our own spirits. I have found that should I ever get stuck in a project and can’t seem to break through my frustrations, if I would simply start over I will usually avoid my original roadblocks and go on to victory. Perhaps we need to consider allowing Jesus to give us a fresh start also. As His precious child, receiving His special care, I know that we will be more than conquerors in the long run.

PRAYER: Starting over, sounds a lot like ‘born again’ – almost impossible. But Father, I know that our own self-will and our personal desires and knowledge presents roadblocks for us here in this tough life on earth. Please give us the strength to surrender to Your will for our lives. May we become so desirous of Your perfect will and Your powerful hand in our lives that we will be willing to surrender self and become obedient like a small child would be to a parent. Perhaps at that point we will be more apt to listen and obey. Lord, may we be usable instruments in Your perfect and all powerful hands, willing to be used of You to accomplish Your work. I ask these things humbly and in the precious and all powerful name of Jesus, AMEN!

Pay Attention!

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

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

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

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

Who Do You Think You’re Fooling?

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

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

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

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

God Specializes In Impossibilities

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

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

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

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

Nuggets From God's Word

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