Evidence Of Whose We Are

On 2015-06-192015-06-19 By Ed AlgreenIn Believers, Honesty, Righteousness, SinLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (New Living Translation – 1 John 3:9-10): ⁹ Those who have been born into God’s family do not make a practice of sinning, because God’s life is in them. So they can’t keep on sinning, because they are children of God. ¹⁰ So now we can tell who are children of God and who are children of the devil. Anyone who does not live righteously and does not love other believers does not belong to God.

THOUGHTS: I remember at one point in my life I was at a gas station pumping gas, when suddenly someone called me by my dad’s name. My head quickly popped up to see who knew my family. Apparently there was enough facial resemblance, or actions, to remind the person of something he had seen in my dad! I find it exciting when I walk away from a sales clerk knowing that they must be a brother or sister, because their actions, their concern, their unselfish care for me as a customer, were all indicators that they must share the same faith that I do, and have the same Father that I have learned about over the years from His handbook, the Bible. Friends there are a few tests in these verses today that I would encourage you to use as a self-examination tool:

Do not make a practice of sinning – When we invite Jesus into our hearts and lives as our Savior and Lord, not only does He forgive us of our sin, but He shows us a new way to live – like Him. Through His example, we are guided and encouraged to live holy lives, even as He is holy. To depend on the power within (the Holy Spirit) to prevent us from performing the same sin that we may have committed without thought, prior to our conversion;
Do not keep on sinning – Very similar to the above, but the difference is that once we have been prompted by the Holy Spirit to stop doing something that He considers sin, we are to make every effort to not repeat that sin. We must not let it rule us. God’s Holy Spirit cannot reside where sin abides!
Live righteously – Live our lives ‘right with God’. We are shown throughout the Bible what God expects of us – what is right and what is wrong. With the awesome power of the Holy Spirit, we are to live our lives ‘right with God’!
Love other believers – We are to live life expressing our love and concern for each other, even if they don’t love us back, or show any appreciation for what we do for them. Sadly there is a saying that “Christians in particular, tend to shoot their wounded”. We are taught in this scripture that when the world sees us loving each other, they will know that we are different and controlled by a greater power. Selfishness and Satan-led malice, jealousy or envy will eat up our desire to love like Jesus did. The power of the Holy Spirit within us will help us to love even those who despitefully use us.

Friends, living like I described above will help us to internalize whether we truly did commit to accepting, loving, serving and practicing the love of God. It will also help confirm to the world that we are who we say we are. However, please remember that God knows our heart, so He knows whether we honestly dedicated our lives to Him. I believe He is ashamed when we act up, but our outward actions only influences the world, they’re not needed to prove anything to God.

PRAYER: Dear God, please help us to be a people who acts, responds and loves like the people we say we are. ‘Hypocritical’ is a word often used when we don’t. Furthermore, folk tend to mistrust us when they feel we are hypocritical, and this destroys our possibility to honestly witness to them. Please help us to live consistent, open lives that will represent You well. Beginning with me Lord, may Your children rededicate themselves to being transparent to those that we come into contact with. May they see Jesus in and through our words and actions so that they may be influenced to follow You, and so that Your kingdom might be glorified even now, here on this earth. Your love is amazing, and Your rich blessings are beyond compare, and more than anything that we can imagine. Please forgive us for the times we fail, and grant us strength and a quick rebound so that we might get back on track without causing damage to our witness of You. I need You every hour of every day, please continue to work on me oh Lord, so that I might be all that You need me to be for the ministry/witness You have in store for me. Bless my readers today with similar grace, so that You may be lifted up more than ever before, for I ask all this 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 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!

So That We Might Know

On 2015-06-182015-06-18 By Ed AlgreenIn Honesty, Knowledge, SincerityLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (The New Living Translation – 1 John 3:4-10): ⁴ Everyone who sins is breaking God’s law, for all sin is contrary to the law of God. ⁵ And you know that Jesus came to take away our sins, and there is no sin in him. ⁶ Anyone who continues to live in him will not sin. But anyone who keeps on sinning does not know him or understand who he is. ⁷ Dear children, don’t let anyone deceive you about this: When people do what is right, it shows that they are righteous, even as Christ is righteous. ⁸ But when people keep on sinning, it shows that they belong to the devil, who has been sinning since the beginning. But the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil. ⁹ Those who have been born into God’s family do not make a practice of sinning, because God’s life is in them. So they can’t keep on sinning, because they are children of God. ¹⁰ So now we can tell who are children of God and who are children of the devil. Anyone who does not live righteously and does not love other believers does not belong to God.

THOUGHTS: You would think that mankind would know if they had surrendered their heart, their life, and their whole being over to God. However, we also know that when placed under peer pressure, or the constant nagging of a parent or even a pastor, we tend to make certain decisions in order to get them off our back. I’m not saying that the only excuse we make is peer pressure, for some of us just renege on the decision we made because we have been distracted by the things of this world. This is pretty normal for many, where they will stick to one thing as long as nothing better comes up! But friends, I want you to put all of the excuses aside today and concentrate on what the Word of God says. It is very simple, and we don’t need a theological degree to understand it, or to apply it to our lives. If we break God’s laws, or commands detailed in His Word, then we sin, and sin will never enter heaven. However, we are well aware that Jesus never sinned, and if we are to live like Him and follow His example wholeheartedly, then we also must make every effort to avoid sin. If we don’t, and if we keep on sinning, then the Word is clear – see verse 6 – that we are truly not children of the King. We also know that when a person invites Jesus to take charge of their life, that God sends the Comforter (His Holy Spirit) to take up residence in their lives. However, we also know from God’s Word that He will not reside in a temple where sin abides. So friend, as our subject declares today: there are indicators for us to confirm that we are children of God and, unfortunately, there are ‘sin’ indicators that help us to identify, or recognize our lost condition. The BIG challenge that I believe we face today is: now that we know the Truth, what will we do with it? Jesus could return to take us home at any moment friend, and He will only take those who have honored His Word and sought after His righteousness. Are you a part of that group that will be taken up to meet Jesus in the air, or have you determined in your heart that you would rather hang on to things of this world – of Satan? These Bible verses today takes away the doubt of where you will spend eternity. Only you, with God’s help, can change that and make it right today!

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, the decisions we make today sets the stage for where we will spend eternity. We can’t fool You. And based on this scripture today, we are probably an open book to everyone around us, because they can see if our lives truly reflect any decision we may have made in sincerity to follow You. Please help us to get real, to do away with the pretense and to make honest, heartfelt decisions today that will impact our future destination. May we live in the light of Your Word today, and may our minds be set on one day uniting with You around the throne. This is my desire Lord, and I humbly ask that You will impact the hearts of all of my readers today also. For I ask this in faith, in Your holy name, believing in You as my Lord and everlasting Savior, AMEN!

The Prospect of Seeing Jesus Motivates Us

On 2015-06-172015-06-17 By Ed AlgreenIn Christ's Return, State of ReadinessLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (The Message – 1 John 2:28-29): ²⁸ And now, children, stay with Christ. Live deeply in Christ. Then we’ll be ready for him when he appears, ready to receive him with open arms, with no cause for red-faced guilt or lame excuses when he arrives. ²⁹ Once you’re convinced that he is right and righteous, you’ll recognize that all who practice righteousness are God’s true children.

THOUGHTS: I want us to take a moment and think about the motivation that floods our minds when we center our hearts on certain things. Perhaps your spouse has been away for a while, and you learn about their returning home soon. Think about the energy that builds as you scurry around to make your home presentable; the nice meal that you labor over for hours; and the extra effort to make yourself look exceptional! You want that moment of re-entry into your home and marriage to be extra special and meaningful! Now on the flip side, imagine if your spouse returned without notice and you didn’t have time to make all of the above preparations. I know for some that would be a problem, because you are not as careful to keep everything in order when you know it’s only you there to see the mess! Friends, John is presenting a case to us today whereby he is recommending that we keep ourselves in a state of readiness at all times for Christ’s return. After all, He could return even today! We are admonished to live ‘deeply in Christ’. That gives me the impression that we should live holy and dedicated lives to the Lord, as if He is in transition to get us right now. We know Jesus is coming back to get us to take us home with Him for all eternity, so why be careless and sneaky? Let’s live in the full light of His return; in full light of His constant presence with us every day; in full obedience to His Word; so that we would not be ashamed at any time that the Lord returns to gather His bride – the church/us. Friends verse 29 caps off this devotional by adding that as we strive for righteous, holy lives, we will not only stay in a state of readiness to welcome the Father’s return, but we will show that we are God’s true children! Can others see enough evidence in your life to know that you are a child of the Almighty? God knows, hears and sees all things, does He see the evidence that you belong to Him?

PRAYER: Father in heaven, thank You for loving us enough that You showed evidence at the cross that Your love is beyond anything we could ever imagine or rival. Thank You for Your Word, and the energy and determination to dig into Your Word each day, so that It may be a light unto our path and a guide towards righteousness. Lord, may my readers and I find ourselves faithful to You in every way, so that there will be nothing that hinders us from a sincere, open, welcoming return when You come to take us home to glory with You. Today might very well be the day, so may we find ourselves in a full state of readiness today. Please forgive us for the times that we so easily allow Satan to barge in on Your reign over our lives. May we commit today to You, our sovereign, loving, caring and soon returning King! May our lives be such a strong representation of You that others will see the need for our Savior and surrender their lives to You before it’s eternally too late. I ask these things in faith, and in the strong name of Jesus, my Savior, AMEN!

APB – Are You Ready?

On 2015-06-102015-06-10 By Ed AlgreenIn Christ's Return, Heaven, Ready to GoLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (The Message – 2 Peter 3:7-13): ⁷ The current galaxies and earth are fuel for the final fire. God is poised, ready to speak his word again, ready to give the signal for the judgment and destruction of the desecrating skeptics. ^8–9Don’t overlook the obvious here, friends. With God, one day is as good as a thousand years, a thousand years as a day. God isn’t late with his promise as some measure lateness. He is restraining himself on account of you, holding back the End because he doesn’t want anyone lost. He’s giving everyone space and time to change. ¹⁰But when the Day of God’s Judgment does come, it will be unannounced, like a thief. The sky will collapse with a thunderous bang, everything disintegrating in a huge conflagration, earth and all its works exposed to the scrutiny of Judgment. ^11–13Since everything here today might well be gone tomorrow, do you see how essential it is to live a holy life? Daily expect the Day of God, eager for its arrival. The galaxies will burn up and the elements melt down that day—but we’ll hardly notice. We’ll be looking the other way, ready for the promised new heavens and the promised new earth, all landscaped with righteousness.

THOUGHTS: If there was a hurricane approaching our shoreline, or any other known natural disaster about to hit us, the weather staff at our local television stations would not go to sleep, because they know that their viewers are depending on them to keep them alerted on every shift in direction or velocity of the system, that might worsen the impact on the residents. There would be All Point Bulletins flying every 30 minutes to keep viewers updated. That’s why I felt compelled to share these verses with you today, friends. Peter was compelled to share the Word of the Lord with his current day listeners, and through the written Word, so that we also would know what God says about His return, and thus be ready to go to heaven with Him. Some might try to convince us of a date, and possibly a time when all this will occur. The truth is, that Jesus Himself said that only the Father knows the day and the hour of His return. Furthermore, in verses 11-13 we read where there will be some folk busy looking for all the details and reasons, while others will be so busy looking towards the heavens in anticipation of being carried away to be with our heavenly Father, that we will hardly notice that the greatest event of history, of this life, and of this earth, is really occurring. For those that have reconciled with the Father through accepting His Son Jesus, as their Lord and Savior, we have a hope, friend! We have no reason to panic and worry about the exact time and date, for Christ will return to gather His bride (those that have accepted Him as Lord) and take us away from this old world, into the glories of heaven and in the presence of His Father, God Himself! Oh, What A Day That Will Be, when my Jesus I shall see, when I look upon His face….. So the question, or challenge for each of my readers today is the same that faced me as I read this passage. Are you secure in Your relationship with the Master and really looking forward to the Savior’s return, or are you one that might be searching every piece of scientific evidence to see if this is possible, true and filled with enough proof that it could actually happen? I’m sure that you would never ask the weatherman for proof that a hurricane is approaching, why would you let Satan convince you to doubt what God says in His Word? God has proven Himself, and His Word, over and over again. Ready yourself for the biggest event ever known to mankind. Please don’t delay, this could happen even today! Many of the warning signs are already in place. Please read through my ‘Footnote’ and feel free to contact me with any questions or perhaps to just pray with you about this important revelation. This is way too important to just brush aside and ignore, friend.

PRAYER: Lord God, thank You for Your precious love, to prepare a home for Your children to spend eternity with You and Your precious Son, our Savior and Lord! Thank You for Your Word that tells us about our glorious home gathering, and its many warnings about that great reunion day, that could actually happen as early as today! For those of us that have accepted You as Lord and Savior, we can say ‘Even so Lord Jesus, come today’ for we have made our preparations and we are ready to meet You. Thank You for Your patience with our loved ones who have chosen to let Satan rule in their lives and ignore the truth of Your Word. Oh may this be the day that they surrender their all to You Lord Jesus. May this be the day that all readers of this devotional will step aside, spend time with You, and allow You to miraculously work in the lives to accept You as Lord. If they know You intimately already, please touch their lives so that they may be the witness to a relative who really needs You. May we all be found ready and waiting for Your return, is my humble and sincere prayer today, oh Lord. This I ask in the name of Jesus, God’s only Son, 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!

We Have Everything We Need

On 2015-06-042015-06-04 By Ed AlgreenIn Everything We Need, God's Nature, Intimate with GodLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (The Contemporary English Version – 2 Peter 1:3-4): ³ We have everything we need to live a life that pleases God. It was all given to us by God’s own power, when we learned that he had invited us to share in his wonderful goodness. ⁴ God made great and marvelous promises, so that his nature would become part of us. Then we could escape our evil desires and the corrupt influences of this world.

THOUGHTS: What a glorious thought! Can you imagine the self-confidence that will conjure up inside of you the next time that you are faced with the temptation to sin, or the impossibilities of life, when you can brush Satan aside and say confidently that greater is He that in in us, than he that is in the world? Wow! Can you even imagine the awesomeness of God to give us these promises with the intent of our character becoming more like His? Verse 4 declares that “His nature would become part of us”! Friends I don’t know about you, but I pray for that every day, that I might become more like Jesus, especially through my words and actions. As additional clarification of this, verse 4 ends with telling us that this special gift from God will serve to help us escape evil desires and the corrupt influences of this world. So why then do we (Christians) get caught in so many traps of sin? Could it be that we are so far from a true relationship with God that we are insensitive to the work of His sweet Holy Spirit in our lives? Yes, I know that you go to church at least once a week, and yes I know you give more money to your local church than ever before, but friend, God works in and through a real and intimate relationship with Him, not through a casual experience or through things we do to please our mother or perhaps the pastor. Relationships are developed through intimate, daily interaction in unison with the wishes and desires of the person with whom we have chosen to build a relationship. Let’s get serious about our relationship with God, and perhaps He will get serious with His blessings and miracles in our life! To the non-Christian reading this, you will not be able to identify with much of what I have shared. That’s because this type of relationship is only available to those who have accepted Jesus as their Savior and Lord. That can include you, starting right now! Please click on my hyperlink below on “How to Know Jesus”. Please contact me with any questions or just to pray with you about your relationship with God. He loves you deeply and wants you to have everything you need to live life like He intended!

PRAYER: Dear Father, thank You so much for loving Your children so intimately that You would reassure us through Your servant Peter that You have given us everything we need to live our lives pleasing to You. Often this seems impossible, but praise God You know what we need more than we could ever begin to imagine! Please anoint Your children with this confidence today as they are reminded of Your Word, Your promise. May we live like children of the Most High today, so that others might want to know You, or be drawn closer to You. Father, please tender the hearts of the unsaved today, so that they might see the need for a Savior and want to live in the light of Your sweet promises. Have Your will and way in our lives today dear God, for I ask this in the strong name of Your Son, Jesus my Savior, and for His sake only, 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!

Spiritual Refining

On 2015-06-012015-06-01 By Ed AlgreenIn Refining, Submission, SurrenderLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (The Message – 1 Peter 4:12-16): ^12–13 Friends, when life gets really difficult, don’t jump to the conclusion that God isn’t on the job. Instead, be glad that you are in the very thick of what Christ experienced. This is a spiritual refining process, with glory just around the corner. ^14–16If you’re abused because of Christ, count yourself fortunate. It’s the Spirit of God and his glory in you that brought you to the notice of others. If they’re on you because you broke the law or disturbed the peace, that’s a different matter. But if it’s because you’re a Christian, don’t give it a second thought. Be proud of the distinguished status reflected in that name!

THOUGHTS: Ever stop to think about the reason why ‘good’ people who always strive to do their very best, still struggle in their marriages or in their family structure? Could there possibly be any good come out of their struggles or failure? Do you tend to question their commitment to their marriage or their family? What about Christians who still suffer as much in this world as any other individual? Do you tend to question their Christianity? Perhaps you should be careful about doing that, because according to this scripture God may be testing them in order that they might grow in their spirituality. He may be getting their attention, because they may have drifted so far away from Him, or taken Him for granted. Friends, although we are to encourage one another, we need to be careful about trying to be god to them, or for them. God is very capable of taking care of His children. Sometimes this will be through obvious blessings, while other times it may appear to us to be suffering, or hard times, or lack of attention by God. I hope that you will be reminded by this scripture today, that God’s ways are not our ways, nor is our ways anything like His ways. Let us learn to place our faith and trust in Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, knowing that all things work together for good, for those who fully trust in God. Our position is to be subservient to God and allow His perfect will to be fulfilled. We can’t tell Him what to do or how to do it, but what we can do is to always be prepared for His mighty works, especially if He chooses us to bless us in the process, or if He chooses us to help enact any part of that. Oh that His touch on our lives today may be as a spiritual refining that draws us even closer to the Master, so that we may be of more, or better use to Him.

PRAYER: Dear God, may Your powerful hand be at work in our lives today, creating a spiritual refining process that will draw us closer to You and more available to Your service. It’s not all about us, but I truly believe that for us to be of any worthwhile use to You, we must be refined and closely tuned to Your image, Your likeness, Your character and in full obedience to Your perfect will. Please forgive us Lord where we have allowed self to step in and interfere with the work You have orchestrated. May we simply surrender fully to You and allow You to use us as You see fit, and in full cooperation with Your perfect will. Refine us daily oh Lord, so that we may look, act and truly reflect You in all that we say or do. I ask this in the precious and all powerful 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!

Being Faithful To God

On 2015-05-302015-05-30 By Ed AlgreenIn Faithfulness, Forgiveness, SubmissionLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (The Contemporary English Version – 1 Peter 4:1-2; 7-8): ¹ Christ suffered here on earth. Now you must be ready to suffer as he did, because suffering shows that you have stopped sinning. ² It means you have turned from your own desires and want to obey God for the rest of your life….. ⁷ Everything will soon come to an end. So be serious and be sensible enough to pray. ⁸ Most important of all, you must sincerely love each other, because love wipes away many sins.

THOUGHTS: I believe that couples enter into a marriage because of the couple’s love for each other. However, to sustain a good marriage, and a strong relationship with each other, the couple learns the likes and dislikes of their spouse and, as said in marriage vows, leaving all other relationships behind them, they devote themselves wholeheartedly to their spouse. These types of marriages go on, again as promised in marriage vows, until death do they part. Similarly in the life of a Christian, we know that Christ died to destroy sin; and though he cheerfully submitted to the worst sufferings, yet he never gave way to the least sin. Temptations could not prevail, were it not for man’s own corruption; but true Christians make the will of God, not their own lust or desires, the rule of their lives and actions. And true conversion makes a marvelous change in the heart and life. It alters the mind, judgment, affections, and conversation. When a man is truly converted, it is very grievous for him to think how the times past of his life has been spent. One sin draws on another. It is a Christian’s duty, not only to keep from gross wickedness, but also from things that lead to sin, or appear evil. The responsibility is ours fellow Christian, to live in light of whose we are, in respect of the One who made it all possible for us to enter into heaven’s portals, and with expectations of all that we will be when we are called away from this old earth. We have a hope, friend! Praise to the Almighty, the King of glory! Let us therefore be ‘sensible enough to pray’ as Peter advocates, because we need our Lord and Savior by our side every day and every hour. What a Might God We Serve!

PRAYER: Great is thy faithfulness oh God! You sacrificed Your One and Only Son so that we might have eternal life, yet often times we take that precious gift for granted and still live our lives without enough thought or appreciation for that precious gift. Thank You for not giving up on us Jesus, and thank You Father for Your precious Word that You place before us on days like this to help us realize how help is just a prayer away. Please forgive us for not always getting the point the first time, Thank You again for Your patience and consistency in always being there for us. Please today touch our lives with renewed strength, so that we might realize the truth of Your Word and be reminded of Your awesome power that is available to us. As we do this, may we gain additional appreciation for You and further commitment to renewed faithfulness to You like never before. Bless Your children today oh Lord. May You find us acceptable in Your sight oh Lord, so that we might be used as Your instruments in reaching the lost for You. I ask all this in the wonderful 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 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!

Better to Do Good

On 2015-05-292015-05-29 By Ed AlgreenIn Humility, SubmissionLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (God’s Word Translation – 1 Peter 3:13-17): ¹³ Who will harm you if you are devoted to doing what is good? ¹⁴ But even if you suffer for doing what God approves, you are blessed. Don’t be afraid of those who want to harm you. Don’t get upset. ¹⁵ But dedicate your lives to Christ as Lord. Always be ready to defend your confidence in God when anyone asks you to explain it. However, make your defense with gentleness and respect. ¹⁶ Keep your conscience clear. Then those who treat the good Christian life you live with contempt will feel ashamed that they have ridiculed you. ¹⁷ After all, if it is God’s will, it’s better to suffer for doing good than for doing wrong.

THOUGHTS: I don’t believe we have ever heard of anyone getting into trouble for doing what is right. Of course in earthly terms, it will depend on who’s defining ‘good’ versus ‘evil’. However in God’s kingdom, good means that we are living according to the teachings of Jesus and for His name’s sake. A very key verse is buried into this same thought by Peter, and I could only imagine that God was teaching us through Peter, that when we concentrate on doing good, what is right, what is biblical, what may be totally opposite to the world’s view on something, it may be recognized that we must have a deeper and more powerful source working through us. So we are encouraged to not attribute our ‘good’ to happen chance, or good luck, or any personal contribution, but instead, be ready to explain the joy of the Lord that controls our life and directs our path. For when we give glory to the One who controls us, folk who may tend to gossip or destroy us, will then feel ashamed for putting us down, if we broach the subject with humility, gentleness and respect. Friends, it is an awful thing to find yourself in the hands of an angry God. So live according to His commands/instructions. Do good, just as He did when He was here on earth. And boast about the source of your goodness so that praise might be offered to the King of all kings, the Lord of all lords, the Savior of this world – all because of our personal relationship with Him and submission to Him. Praise to God for His wonderful works and His leadership in my life! I pray that we can stay closely attuned to Jesus, and His powerful works possible through us!

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, You are good, and Your mercy endureth forever! Thank You for loving even me. Thank You for saving my soul! Thank You for teaching me Your ways so that I may live in peace with You and my Brothers and Sisters here on earth. Please work powerfully in the lives of all who call on You today. May Your perfect will be evident in all that we do or say, so that others will desire to know more about You and Your wonderful works. May we be consistent in doing good, with Your help and for Your sake. Please touch the lives of my readers and myself in very meaningful and powerful ways today, is my humble cry that I ask in the precious and strong name of Jesus Christ, 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!

Maturity in Your Salvation

On 2015-05-252015-05-25 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 2015-05-222015-05-22 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!

Nuggets From God's Word

Tag: Hope