Tag: How to live

Living A Godly Life

On By Ed AlgreenIn Godly actions, Godly lives, Like Jesus, SincereLeave a comment

Tuesday, 2019-02-19

Bible Reference: 2 Timothy 3:12
Translation: New Living Translation (NLT)

Bible Text:  Yes, and everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.

APPLICATION:  On reading the subject of this devotional, one may have thought that our study might give reasons to worship today, because surely we could rejoicing over the joys of living a godly life! Yes, there is much to rejoice in as we, Christians, think about our eternal home in glory with our Master. However, what Paul is warning about in this short verse, is what we might expect to see while we remain here on earth. Of course you might respond that of course, we spread the joy of the Lord with everyone, and we worship and adore our Savior at every opportunity. As true as that may be friend, notice carefully the verbiage used by Paul, for he said that for us to live a ‘GODLY’ life, we should expect persecution. Living a ‘godly’ life means that you are not just going to obey the commands of God, but you have committed to study His Word carefully and then live your life patterned after Jesus. It means that your life will be so different to that of the general public, that they might look at you like you are really ‘strange’! Think about this friends, Jesus was not a ‘yes man’ to all that the Pharisees expected of Him, for He showed them the true meaning of unconditional love; of unselfish leadership; of placing others before themselves; of standing up for God in every aspect of life, even in our careers; and of changing certain rituals because they may not be aligned with the image or expectation of Jesus Christ. In short, Jesus upset the ‘apple cart’ every time He recognized wrong or ungodly living, regardless of who was caught in the crossfire. Let’s look at this from our current scenario. In almost every conversation with Christians, we recognize that we have mellowed a lot from the ways of our ancestors, because we have calculated that their ways were just too strict, or too literal, regarding Biblical teachings. We allow things in our churches now that were unheard of in the early church. When last have you heard of a summit where church leaders would humble themselves before God and surrender totally to His will for the churches they are leading? How long would church leaders be permitted to stay in their roles, if they returned from a conference and started making changes, because they felt God was wanting them to help steer His church back to Him? Are we ready to challenge our work bosses because we see the need to stand up for what we discern to be ungodly principles and/or practices? I don’t believe we will find anywhere in the Bible that Jesus caved in to the practices of the day because He was being too literal with the commands of His Father. If we have committed ourselves to live just like Jesus, should we cave in to worldly practices and demands? How will we explain that to God on Judgment Day? Although it is very easy to look at the general public and see the wrongs, and softening effects of the Gospel, I want to encourage each reader to look deeply inside of self, and examine yourself in light of the Gospel that you claim to be your guide. Allow God to speak into your life, will you?

PRAYER: Dear God, You have placed Your perfect Son before us so that we might have the pattern for life that would be pleasing to You. Yet, much like the Pharisees, we have designed our own pattern of living. Unfortunately not all aspects of our design meets the standards that were demonstrated by Jesus. Father, we want our lives and our churches to be aligned with You, yet we tend to place our own little spin to the truth You have taught us. Please forgive us for doubting; for changing Your ways to conform with the ways of this world; and for assuming Your role, when we should really be seeking Your face and Your will. To win the world for Jesus Christ, I feel like we should first be willing to demonstrate before them a sincere ‘godly’ life so that they can clearly see what they are committing to. Lord Jesus, please have Your will and Your way in the lives of Christians today, beginning with me. Please work miraculously in our churches so that we may truly be the cornerstone of Your worldwide mission to reach the lost while we wait for Your Big Day when You will come to take us home with You. I ask these things in the name of Jesus, AMEN!

2019

Living A Godly Life

On By Ed AlgreenIn Godly actions, Godly lives, Like Jesus, SincereLeave a comment

Arbuckle

May I encourage you to get your spiritual ‘Nuggets’ to start your day off right? Pretty amazing that our awesome God would consider feeding even us with His Word! May I encourage you to read the whole devotional, and look for a blessing, friend!………

Today’s Bible Reference: 2 Timothy 3:12
Today’s Bible Text: Yes, and everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.
The Bible Translation: New Living Translation (NLT)

My Take Away: On reading the subject of this devotional, one may have thought that I would be giving you reasons to worship today, because surely I would be rejoicing over the joys of being a follower of Christ! And yes, there is much to rejoice in as we, Christians, think about our eternal home in glory with our Master. However, what Paul is warning about in this short verse, is what we might expect to see while Christian remains here on earth. Of course you might respond that of course, we spread the joy of the Lord with everyone, and we worship and adore our Savior at every opportunity. As true as that may be friend, notice carefully the verbiage used by Paul, for he said that for us to live a ‘GODLY’ life, we should expect persecution. Living a ‘godly’ life means that you are not just going to obey the commands of God, but you have committed to study His Word carefully and then live your life patterned after Jesus. Think about this friends, Jesus was not a ‘yes man’ to all that the Pharisees expected of Him, for He showed them the true meaning of unconditional love; of unselfish leadership; of placing others before themselves; of standing up for God, even if it may have damaged their political careers; and of changing certain rituals because they were not in the image or expectation of Jesus Christ. In short, Jesus upset the ‘apple cart’ every time He recognized wrong or ungodly living, regardless of who was caught in the crossfire. Let’s look at this from our current scenario. In almost every conversation with Christians, we recognize that we have mellowed a lot from the ways of our ancestors, because we have calculated that their ways were just too strict, or too literal of Biblical teachings. We allow things in our churches now that were unheard of in the early church. When last have you heard of a summit where church leaders would humble themselves before God and surrender totally to His will for the churches they are leading? How long would church leaders be permitted to stay in their roles, if they returned from a conference and started making changes, because they felt God was wanting them to help steer His church back to Him? Are we ready to challenge our work bosses because we see the need to stand up for what we discern to be ungodly principles and/or practices? I don’t believe we will find anywhere in the Bible that Jesus caved in to the practices of the day because He was being too literal with the commands of His Father. If we have committed ourselves to live just like Jesus, should we cave in to worldly practices and demands? How will we explain that to God on Judgment Day?

Prayer: Dear God, You have placed Your perfect Son before us so that we might have the pattern for life that would be pleasing to You. Yet, much like the Pharisees, we have designed our own pattern of living. Unfortunately not all aspects of our design meets the standards that were demonstrated by Jesus. Father, we want our lives and our churches to be aligned with You, yet we tend to place our own little spin to the perfections You have taught us. Please forgive us for doubting; for changing Your ways to conform with the ways of this world; and for assuming Your role, when we should really be seeking Your face and Your will. To win the world for Jesus Christ, I feel like we should first be willing to demonstrate before them a sincere ‘godly’ life so that they can clearly see what they are committing to. Lord Jesus, please have Your will and Your way in the lives of Christians today, beginning with me. Please work miraculously in our churches so that we may truly be the cornerstone of Your worldwide mission to reach the lost while we wait for Your Big Day when You will come to take us home with You. I ask these things in the name of Jesus, AMEN!

Footnote: If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog could indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to www.nuggetsfromgodsword.org and read more, or you may freely to subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us!

2016

While You Wait

On By Ed AlgreenIn Holy, Peace, Righteous, Without BlemishLeave a comment

HE HOLY BIBLE (God’s Word Translation – 2 Peter 3:11-14): 11 …. So think of the kind of holy and godly lives you must live 12 as you look forward to the day of God and eagerly wait for it to come….. When that day comes, heaven will be on fire and will be destroyed. Everything that makes up the universe will burn and melt. 13 But we look forward to what God has promised—a new heaven and a new earth—a place where everything that has God’s approval lives. 14 Therefore, dear friends, with this to look forward to, make every effort to have him find you at peace, without (spiritual) stains or blemishes. 

THOUGHTS: Many business places have now introduced televisions in their lobbies, because they have found that if they could distract customers’ attention to a TV screen, they would not be as likely to notice how long they have been standing in line, and therefore lash out on the clerk who will eventually serve them. Our all knowing God, realized that this would be the case with His children here on earth, in regards to His second coming. For those who have never accepted Christ, a delayed return may help to confirm their Satan influenced idea that there is no God, and of course, even if He did exist, they would never see or hear from Him here on this earth, so there is nothing to worry about. For those of us that call Him Savior, Lord, Friend, Jesus, etc, God knows that without proper guidance, we may actually wonder if we made a good decision and wonder the same as the unsaved, whether there really is a God. Our minds wonder and often Satan will fill our minds with doubt. God knew forehand that things like this might occur, so in addition to the many promises we find in His Word, the miracles that we read about and witness in our own lives, and the overwhelming anticipation we have of one day uniting with Jesus and His Father, we find in this scripture, instructions how we are to live while we wait. Friends, we do pretty good at dressing and acting like the boss wants while at work, and as we represent our employer in our community. We do good at being ‘perfect’ Christians while inside our church walls, and/or while trying to impress others, but from the standpoint of God, where He knows our very thoughts, hearts, minds and intentions, are we really reflecting on the outside what we are on the inside? Verse 14 sums up what God expects of us: That we live at peace with God, and everyone else that He placed all around us, and that we live without allowing the world to stain our Christian lives or blemish us in any way. My pastor said in his sermon last week that we are to be protective of the world polluting our Christian walk with sin! Friends, many marriages end in divorce because couples make the commitment, but don’t follow through in unselfishly living the talk out to prove their commitment to their spouse. We classify folk as ‘Christian’ when they make a public profession of faith. Only God knows what’s on the inside of that person and how committed they are to Him. So individually, we must commit to following the will and word of the Lord, in faith, knowing that His return to take us on to glory is nearer now that it has ever been in the history of mankind. Live in peace Brothers and Sisters and constantly seek the strong hand of Jesus to protect you from the (sin) pollution of this world in which we are temporarily living while we wait!

PRAYER: Thank You Lord, for saving my soul, thank You Lord, for making me whole…. Often we think of our salvation as our ticket into heaven, and I suppose it is Lord, but I believe Your Word is clear about our responsibility while still here on this earth. Thank You for this reminder through Your servant Peter. May we be blessed with power from above today so that we might truly live as Your representatives, in peace and without blemish, so that You may be lifted up, praised and worshipped. May the unsaved see Jesus in and through Your servants. Please use us, Your children, as Your instruments of light in this dark world and give us Your power to remain at peace and without the stains of this cruel and ungodly world. You are God of ALL, so I ask all this in the precious name of Your Son, our redeemer, AMEN!

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