Tag: Instructions from God

Instructions For The Called

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED Thursday, 2021-08-19
WRITTEN AT: Hattiesburg, MS

SCRIPTURE FROM: Luke 10:2-3
TRANSLATION: New Living Translation (NLT)

BIBLE TEXT: 2 These were his instructions….: “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields. 3 Now go, and remember that I am sending you out as lambs among wolves.

APPLICATION: There are some specific instructions that Jesus gave to the 70 that He called to join Him in ministry. For those readers and listeners who accepted the call of Jesus on your life, I believe that He has also passed these instructions on to us. Think on these things and ask God’s guidance, strength and guidance on you as you seek to implement these:
– -> Accept the call – Jesus called approximately 70 additional disciples to go on mission with Him. They had to accept His call, and I pray that each reader/listener will do the same;
– -> Pray – I found it very interesting that one of the first things instructed by Jesus was that His newly called disciples would ‘pray’ for additional workers. I am reminded that Jesus knew the importance of communion with Him (prayer), because that’s where our strength comes from. Jesus also knew that although He would be sending out 6 times the number of disciples, the needs out in the world far exceeded what these additional men could cover. Today it seems like fewer and fewer are accepting the call to missions, or evangelism so of course we must begin to pray the moment that we are called into the Kingdom of heaven, for more workers;
– -> Go – It seems like Jesus sent these disciples both cautiously as well as fully prepared. Imagine being sent into a community of unsaved, evil, criminally-minded people without any warning? It seems like the evil ones try every trick in the book to devour those who come to their rescue, or trying to help them. But notice that Jesus warned the disciples to avoid being just like the evil folk that they would minister to. In fact He told them to be just the opposite – like lambs, even though their audience will be quick to show them how they favor devouring wolves;
In the very last instruction, you might question why believers/disciples may agree to ‘go’ even under such conditions as described by Jesus. I believe we will agree to go when we acknowledge love for our brothers and sisters – regardless of their beliefs, their criminal records, or their attitudes towards God. We will also be reminded of the real love that Jesus has for us, as we see Him preparing an army of evangelists to go out and bless the unsaved.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: Jesus loves all the children of the world! That’s not just a cute children’s chorus, but we are reminded that Jesus called 6 times the number of disciples to pray for more disciples to go out and reach the unsaved. I believe that still today Jesus will call an army to make sure that we are loved and cared for!

PRAYER: Thanks for the reminder that we were not saved to sit and sour, but called to join Your team of disciples who will pray for more disciples, while going on mission to reach the unsaved in our communities and throughout the world. Thank You Lord for that kind of love. Just as You spoke of faith to move mountains, I believe You are assuring us today that You stand ready to call an army of believers/disciples to reach the unsaved and reenergize the saved. I am reminded of Your great love for Your children dear Lord. Thank You! Now bless us as we go out in Your name and for Your kingdom. AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please 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 might 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 Nuggets From God’s Word and read more, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. You may also visit me on Spotify and listen to Nuggets while you’re out and about. I would encourage you to find a church home near by your home, and attend as frequently as you could. Get to know God, and allow His people to encourage and strengthen you in your Christian walk, while making every effort to be a blessing to them. God is at work among His people! Please consider growing in your faith, as you worship with fellow believers!

The Key To Life!

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Tuesday, 2021-04-06
WRITTEN AT: O’Brien, FL

BIBLE REFERENCE: Proverbs 4:10-13
TRANSLATION: New Living Translation (NLT)

BIBLE TEXT: 10 My child, listen to me and do as I say, and you will have a long, good life.
11 I will teach you wisdom’s ways and lead you in straight paths.
12 When you walk, you won’t be held back; when you run, you won’t stumble.
13 Take hold of my instructions; don’t let them go. Guard them, for they are the key to life.

OBSERVATION: We all have life, but we all strive daily for more happiness, more success, better health, to always do what is right, etc, etc. God tells us in today’s Scripture that all this is found in His Book of Instructions. So let me encourage you as you begin today, and every day, look to His Book for the key to right living, and then be consciously aware of how He guides and directs you. Know why this is important, by staying with me for my full devotional today.

APPLICATION: In my home as a child, mom and dad taught me the right way to live, based on all they had learned in their upbringing and based on the Word of God. For these were things that would make my life better in our home, and more respected in our community. As I entered school, I was taught everything about respect for my teacher and other students and good habits to enhance my learning, so that I would get the most from my education and prepare for a better life ahead. As I entered the workforce, I was taught the principles my boss wanted to achieve and therefore expected from his employees. I was taught how to also please our customers and better earn their respect. This helped me achieve a 47-year successful career in life. As a member, and also as a leader in my local church, I learned with others what God demands of us as His followers, so that we might be used as His instruments in our community to help lead the lost to Him. God brings to my attention each day various truths that God provided in His Word to lead me towards a better life – a life destined for the glories of Heaven some day soon. In today’s Scripture you and I are taught that God’s instructions, as recorded in the Bible for our benefit, are really the key to life. Because God is eternal, I believe that God intended this word ‘life’ to be life eternally with Him, for it is the only way of seeing life that is true and meaningful. I believe that everyone is taught the basics of Christian life, for our laws have adopted some of these laws into it’s system of right and wrong. However, there are many, many principles of God that never make it into the world’s system of laws, because they don’t please everyone and their liberal, worldly way of thinking and living. It is therefore incumbent upon each of us to read God’s Word for ourselves, as God will speak to us individually about what He wants to draw to our attention. If we depend on God, listen to Him as we read His Word, and follow in obedience to what God tells us, then we will have the keys to life, and life more abundantly under the lordship of Jesus Christ when we accept Him as Lord. Friends, the Bible is a best seller because of it’s ultimate power. There are so many fictional novels we can read to make us feel good, feel more loved, or encouraged to love others more. But the Bible is God’s holy word to each of us. Within It’s pages God has words of encouragement, words of wisdom, words of power, words of love and words of direction to lead us in the path of righteousness. Let me encourage you to read the Word of God, meditate on what God is saying to you and follow His will in total obedience, for His name’s sake. It will lead you to life, and life more abundantly! No other book has that kind of assurance and promise.

PRAYER: Thank You Lord for Your Word – Your Word of truth and perfect direction for our lives. You asked that we strive to be more like You each and every day, and we are thankful that You have provided the Book that will train us towards that end. Thank You for Your Holy Spirit that makes those words ‘pop’ off the page so that even in our simple minds we could be drawn to Your awesome word for us. Thank You for those who share Your Word with us, but oh God, I thank You so much for the sincerity of every word that You embed in our minds that we specifically need to be more like You. The words of life are so important in helping us live life to its fullest as Your children who should be encouraging others towards heaven. Please fill us with your Word, Your power, Your wisdom and Your perfect direction for our lives, so that others may see Jesus in His fullness, even through those that we come into contact with each day. Be honored and praised today because of Your impact on us. For I ask these things believing and expecting today! AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please 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 might 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 Nuggets From God’s Word and read more, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. You may also visit me on Spotify and listen to Nuggets while you’re out and about. I would encourage you to find a church home near by your home, and attend as frequently as you could. Get to know God, and allow His people to encourage and strengthen you in your Christian walk, while making every effort to be a blessing to them. God is at work among His people! Please consider growing in your faith, as you worship with fellow believers!