Tag: Jesus

Contented

On By Ed AlgreenIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

The Holy Bible (Contemporary English Version – Philippians 4:11-13): 11 I am not complaining about having too little. I have learned to be satisfied with whatever I have. 12 I know what it is to be poor or to have plenty, and I have lived under all kinds of conditions. I know what it means to be full or to be hungry, to have too much or too little. 13 Christ gives me the strength to face anything.

Thoughts: I would imagine that if someone asked us today what they might give us to enhance our happiness and contentment, we would have a long laundry list, right? Now for a moment, take time to consider what Paul said in verse ‘4’ of this chapter and what he followed up on in the verses referenced above and decide, then let us conclude which of the times in Paul’s life was he happiest. Doesn’t it seem like Paul was indicating that he could care less about the material things of this earth but that it was the deep spiritual contentment of God that truly made all the difference for him? It would appear that he gained his independence from his dependence on God! You might recall that even under the circumstances of imprisonment Paul was still content/happy. In fact, the very guards who had responsibility for his imprisonment were converted as a result of Paul’s preaching and his witness to them. Friends, I believe that we must come to a maturity level in our relationship with God that we can honestly say as Paul did in the very last verse above, it is Christ who gives me strength each day. It is He who saved me and He who protects, guards, loves and directs me daily, enabling me to face anything that comes my way. Enough of the pity party that many of us resort to. It is Christ who gives us strength and a deep happiness in knowing that He will be with us until the end – through the good and bad of this life. We are children of the King! What more can we ask for? Let’s learn to place our total faith and total trust in our Savior, the One who died on Calvary’s cross especially for our eternal happiness! If you are not experiencing this outstanding happiness today, please allow me to refer you to the ‘Footnote’ below for directions on obtaining this assurance.

Prayer: With the assurance given to us in Your Word, oh Lord, we should have no reason to be discontent. Most of us cannot identify with the serious ups and downs that Paul experienced, because You have been so merciful to us. Please forgive us for whining anyway. May we truly dig into Your Word, may we truly let Your Word minister to us, so that we may catch a glimpse, or be reminded of the many ways that You have expressed Your love for us, and how You continue to look out for us each and every day. May we learn to be content in all things, because of our relationship with You, as You are of greater importance than the sum total of everything else that we might consider as aids for our happiness. Thank You Lord for all You have done and provided for me. May I be faithful in my love and servitude, giving You praise and thanksgiving always. Please speak to all reading this devotional today. May they be drawn to You, or into a closer walk with You. For I ask all this in faith, and in the name of Jesus Christ, my king, 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 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!

How to Live

On By Ed AlgreenIn Holy LivingLeave a comment

The Holy Bible (Contemporary English Version – Philippians 4:5-8): 5 Always be gentle with others. The Lord will soon be here. 6 Don’t worry about anything, but pray about everything. With thankful hearts offer up your prayers and requests to God. 7 Then, because you belong to Christ Jesus, God will bless you with peace that no one can completely understand. And this peace will control the way you think and feel. 8 Finally, my friends, keep your minds on whatever is true, pure, right, holy, friendly, and proper. Don’t ever stop thinking about what is truly worthwhile and worthy of praise.

Thoughts: From time to time I will come across a ‘Nugget’, as evident in these verses, and I will print it out and tape it to my monitor at work as a constant reminder. This would be a great example, as Satan constantly attempts to throw us off track in our Christian walk each day and destroy our witness in any way possible. Paul is giving us some tips on godly living that has helped him, for he said that we can follow his example. So although this might seem repetitious, I want to expound briefly on the tips given by Paul:

  • Always be gentle, or patient with others – Be willing and ready to set aside your agenda for the good of others, as this will better display the message of the gospel to them. Don’t let them find you as selfish and impatient as everyone else they come across. Show them the love of Jesus;
  • Don’t worry – The Christian has the awesome resource of Jesus Christ at hand, so if we trust Him to save us, and if we trust him enough to pray to Him, then why would one worry? If we truly believe in Him, we must trust Him for all things and in every circumstance;
  • Pray from a thankful heart – Someone once said, don’t whine over the one broken arm when you can be thanking God for the proper use of the other arm! As we look around us, we often see others who are much worse off than we are. Furthermore, we are really undeserving of anything from God, after all, who caused the death of His precious Son on the cross? Let us therefore always be thankful and appreciative for all things, for our God is SO GOOD to us!
  • Keep our minds filled with the character of Jesus – Everything that is true, pure, right, holy, friendly and proper;
  • Never stop thinking about these true and worthwhile things – For they lead to joy, praise and thanksgiving.

Friends, don’t you know that this wicked world will look strangely at us when we follow Paul’s teaching/tips? However the bottom line is that they will know that there is something different about us. Some supernatural power within us that helps us, and drives us to think differently and act just the opposite from the evil and wicked minds of the unsaved. They will want to know more about the One who controls and leads us!

Now, for my friend reading this devotional who might wonder if we belong to a ‘closed’ or ‘exclusive’ club, I will refer you to John 3:16 that plainly tells us that Jesus came so that whosoever believes on Him will be saved. This means that you too can join the redeemed of the Lord, receive power to live like explained above, and live with the joy of knowing that one day soon you too will rejoice around the throne of God with all the saved of this world. It is very important that you don’t delay your request for salvation friend, for none of us know the day or the hour that Jesus will call us home, or that He might return to gather up His saints and take us on home to be with Him. Therefore, may I urge you to be prepared at all times, even today! Please review my tips in the ‘Footnote’ to help you with this very important decision.

Prayer: I am constantly amazed by the awesome love You showed on Calvary dear Lord, so that my sins might be forgiven and therefore receive the promise of eternal life with You in glory one day! Thank You, thank You, thank You! I am also appreciative of Your Word and all that You led saints, such as Paul, to write for our encouragement and direction so that we might live holy lives that lead others to the foot of the cross where we surrendered ourselves to You as our Savior. Living in this manner requires greater strength than we can muster up oh Lord, so I beg You to provide the strength, the power, the boldness and the direction so that we might be like You in every aspect of our lives. May others see, hear and feel the love of Jesus when they are around us. May we represent You unashamedly and with great pleasure, is my humble plea that I ask in the holy and wonderful name of Jesus, my King, 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!

God’s Spirit Makes The Difference

On By Ed AlgreenIn Peace, SalvationLeave a comment

The Holy Bible (Contemporary English Version – Isaiah 32:15-20): 15 When the Spirit is given to us from heaven, deserts will become orchards thick as fertile forests. 16 Honesty and justice will prosper there, 17 and justice will produce lasting peace and security. 18 You, the Lord’s people, will live in peace, calm and secure, 19 even if hailstones flatten forests and cities. 20 You will have God’s blessing, as you plant your crops beside streams, while your donkeys and cattle roam freely about.

Thoughts: I believe that almost anywhere in this world that you live right now, there is a certain fear for your safety. Don’t you stop and ponder why this is all happening and where might you go to find peace and security? God knew that this would be the case, so He spoke through Isaiah the prophet to tell us how this will all be resolved for us. Friends, please allow me to remind you that we can find the answers to all of life’s concerns and/or questions as we read the Word of God. Please also allow me to remind you that there is peace in knowing the Creator of this universe personally, and in surrendering your life to His control. It is very clear to see that we were designed and created by a wonderful Creator. He designed a beautiful world for us to enjoy and gave us lots of folk to communicate with and love. The challenge for us, is that He also gave us freedom to make our own choices on what we would do with all that He created, and how we would handle our relationship with our designer. (Sounds a whole lot like parenting – especially when we talk about ‘cutting the apron string’ and allowing our children to make their own choices, right?) It seems like we wander so far away from God that we see our world collapsing around us, then we come to our senses (sometimes) and wonder where God must be. Friends, God’s Holy Spirit was the key to making a difference in this world mentioned by Isaiah, and He is also key to making all the difference in our lives today. To get us from the point of disappointments, despair and a feeling of total collapse or failure in our personal world, I must challenge you with a couple questions:

  1. Do you know Jesus? – this is a personal decision that you would have personally made of your own free will. One where you did something along the following lines:
    1. Admitted before God that you are a sinner;
    2. Believed on the Lord Jesus Christ – that He died, was buried and arose again so that you might have eternal life in heaven one day with He and the Father (God); and
    3. Confessed your sin before Him and asked Him to come into your heart, control it, and direct you to live a life following His example as detailed in the Word of God.
  2. Are you living the life referenced in (c) above? It’s not too late. Go back to the foot of the cross, ask forgiveness and ask God to give you the strength and self-will to live a life dedicated to serving Him and as a living sacrifice to Him.

Friends, let me remind you that we cannot fathom the depth of God’s love for us! Think about the kind of love you have for your child, or a loved one. Now multiply that by millions and you will begin to slightly imagine the depth of God’s love for you! Just open your life to His Holy Spirit today friend. Not only will your lives be changed, but you too can be a light in this very dark world!

Prayer: Father God, thank You for planning this whole thing called ‘life’ out to the very finest detail. Thank You for creating us, and everything around us that makes us happy, comfortable and fed. Lord Jesus, thank You for the sacrifice You made so that we can join You in heaven as we worship and praise You forever and ever. While still on this earth, with all of it’s ills and challenges, please help us to stay focused on You and our eternal home, for this gives us hope and light at the end of the tunnel that we now find ourselves in. Please soften the heart of one that might be searching for answers to their life’s challenges today. Convince them of their need for a Savior, the Savior of all mankind. May this be the day of salvation for someone today after being reminded of the eternal peace that comes from knowing You. I ask this in the matchless 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 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!

Living ‘Garbage Free’ Lives

On By Ed AlgreenIn Garbage, Overcomer, SinLeave a comment

The Holy Bible (Contemporary English Version – Philippians 3:8-10): 8 Nothing is as wonderful as knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. I have given up everything else and count it all as garbage. All I want is Christ 9 and to know that I belong to him. I could not make myself acceptable to God by obeying the Law of Moses. God accepted me simply because of my faith in Christ. 10 All I want is to know Christ and the power that raised him to life.

Thoughts: Some of us are living ‘on top of the world’ – having the time of our lives with great jobs, awesome friends, lots of ‘things’ for entertainment and/or enjoyment. However, there are some who are struggling to make it each day because of just the opposite. At the foot of the cross, both types of individuals come with the same problem if they have yet to accept Jesus as Lord, for they come to the cross laden in sin. Believe it or not, Paul (aka Saul) was the chiefest of sinners in his day, yet God uses him to show us through this scripture that just as Paul surrendered, or gave up everything to follow Him, so will we have to give up the sin in our lives. Often this involves the things that have always led us to sin, or distracted us from knowing God. This challenged me, and I am sharing this with you so that you may be challenged, to think about this also. What is there in our lives that hinders our relationship with God? Is it time to throw out the ‘garbage’ so that our minds and our lives might be freed of the pull of sin? This could be hindering your acceptance of the Lord, or if we know Him already, this could be distracting and/or hindering our intimacy with Him. For a moment, I want you to commit with me, as Paul did in verse 10. Now this means that starting from your current place in life, your goal is to reach the finish line in life at a point where you will stand before God without any fear of rejection or penalty from Him. Those distractions that you will face from point ‘A’ to point ‘B’ are the sins that we have to watch out for, and avoid, each day. Will you join me in going before Jesus each and every day to ask for His strength, His guidance and His power to overcome the ‘garbage’ that will try to trip us up each day? For we want to see Jesus! We want to know Him and the awesome power that raised Him to life! Let us therefore run this race of life with God at the center of all we do. Let us lean on His awesome power to help us stay ‘garbage free’ and strive to serve Him faithfully each and every day!

Prayer: Lord You have allowed us to stay on this earth so that we might represent You to others who need Jesus. You know all about the ‘garbage’ that we have allowed to enter our lives that really stinks and repels the sinner from wanting to know You. We are ashamed that we have been so weak and ineffective. I was convinced in Your Word today that others, in the heart of a ‘garbage’ pile, really don’t want more ‘garbage’, for they are looking for a way out, a cleansing, a new and better life. Lord Jesus, You are the Way, the Truth and the Life for those looking for a new life. Thank You for opening my eyes to this truth over 30 years ago. Please help me to keep my eyes and my life fixed on You and determined to avoid the ‘garbage’ that will easily and quickly pollute my life. Please touch the lives of my readers with a renewed desire to know You and to live for You in a closer and more dedicated way. May Christians today truly represent the God of their Christianity and fight off the distractions of the ‘garbage’ that will try to trip them up and distract their walk with You. Please touch the hearts of those that do not know You with a softened heart and a strong determination to dump the ‘garbage’ in their lives and refill it with Your holiness, love and compassion. I ask all this in faith, believing in the Son of God, for it is only He that can help us be all that He desires of us. 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!

He’s Still God!

On By Ed AlgreenIn Commitment, Compassion, SurrenderLeave a comment

The Holy Bible (The Good News Translation – Isaiah 30:19-21): The Lord is compassionate, and when you cry to him for help, he will answer you. 20The Lord will make you go through hard times, but he himself will be there to teach you, and you will not have to search for him any more. 21If you wander off the road to the right or the left, you will hear his voice behind you saying, “Here is the road. Follow it.”

Thoughts: Friends, I am a firm believer that our God never changes, and that He is the same today as He was yesterday and He will be same until He calls us home to be with Him in glory. I also believe that God inspired His written Word, the Bible, so that we might be drawn to Him, grow in Him, encouraged in Him and be counseled and/or corrected by Him to enable a consistent walk with Him. I therefore believe that just as these highlighted verses were prophesied by Isaiah to challenge the people of Israel who had strayed from Him, that God is also encouraging us today to keep our heads up, to return to Him, and to be encouraged in knowing that no matter what struggles and discouragements and challenges we face, that He’s still God, that His love for us is everlasting, and that we can come to Him, or return to Him, in confidence knowing that He is compassionate and that He will answer our cry for help. Please be reminded that God is not a yo-yo, or a puppet, but instead He loves you enough that He will answer your prayers in ways according to His will for You, and that would best satisfy your needs. In other words, if you ask Him for a new Cadillac and He knows that you will remain humble, and could afford a Toyota Corolla better, then you may receive transportation (answer to prayer), just not the car you asked for, because it would increase your struggles and not help your situation. Some reading this devotional today may also feel like they, or a loved one, is ‘at the end of their rope’, because life seems so impossible. May I encourage you to look to God, place your faith and trust in Him, and surrender your life totally to Him? As you do this friend, You will:

  • Have peace in knowing the ‘hand-off’ has taken place!
  • Find peace in your circumstances, knowing that the God of this universe is working on your behalf! Remember, He is a great big God, who has this world in His hands, so He can easily handle your circumstances;
  • Be encouraged in knowing that God loved you, even as a sinner, enough to sacrifice His only Son so that you may have life, and have it more abundantly in and through Him. And it is that type of deep love that is your today as you trust in Him!

Because He’s still God, I must remind you that He loves you today friend! I believe that His love is even more intense, but He will not force Himself on you. He wants you to take the first step, by surrendering your will to Him and allowing Him to do all that I have shared above. If you have never made a personal commitment to Jesus and invited Him to rule and reign in your life, then I would encourage you to make this most important decision today. Perhaps there is one meditating on this devotional who has previously invited Jesus into your life, but has strayed far away from Him. Friend, you will see from these verses that Israel had strayed far away, yet God was ready to welcome them back and love them with the intense love possible only by God. He’ll do the same for you, if you recommit to Him! I have included helps for you in the ‘Footnote’ below. Please make this the first day of ‘real’, ‘committed’, life in Christ today!

Prayer: Thank You Jesus for the reminder in these verses today of Your awesome love for us, and how You are so ready and willing to accept us, Your children, when we call upon Your name in humility and forgiveness. Many of my friends are hurting and filled with one disappointment after another because of worldly circumstances or possibly bad choices by them. Please use Your Word, and possibly this devotional to encourage them, to soften their hearts to the point of surrender, and a new life in You. This my humble prayer that I ask in faith, and in the 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 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!

Genuine Worship

On By Ed AlgreenIn Worship1 Comment

The Holy Bible (New Century Version – Isaiah 29:13-14): 13 The Lord says: “These people worship me with their mouths, and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship is based on nothing but human rules. 14 So I will continue to amaze these people by doing more and more miracles. Their wise men will lose their wisdom; their wise men will not be able to understand.”

Thoughts: I believe that it is worthy of note when a scripture is referenced in several areas of the Bible, so not only did God get my attention as I read this passage of scripture, I noticed where vs 13 was referenced and reemphasized by Jesus himself in Matthew 15:8-9 and Mark 7:6-7. Then in vs 14, the words of Isaiah was also referenced in 1 Corinthians 1:19. Friends, this may be controversial to many who may read this devotional today, but I believe that this scripture is still something that should awaken people today. For I believe that way too many people attend church services today so they can satisfy the ‘something’ that is missing in their lives; or perhaps the traditions from their upbringing; or perhaps the pressure from friends and/or family members who might influence or invite them. However, although we might receive encouragement from time spent with other believers in corporate worship, I believe that our most sincere worship comes from those times that we are awaken by something in God’s Word; or perhaps an answer to a personal prayer that you have been burdened about; or perhaps the glory of God shown to you through His marvelous handiwork, healing or call to salvation for a hardened sinner friend that you have been earnestly praying for. For it is times such as these that you realize that there is a personal connection you have with the God of this universe, the Savior of this world, the Jesus who loved us enough to die on a cruel cross just so that we might live eternally with Him. These things create an atmosphere of personal worship in our lives that cannot be explained, and was not urged on by anyone or anything other than your personal relationship with God. Friends, let me encourage you to connect with God before you get dressed for church and worship Him personally there in your home. Then take that spirit of worship with you and allow the Holy Spirit to work in and through you as you continue to worship God through corporate worship. Let’s learn to concentrate on God, not the pretty dress or suit ahead of us, or the fallacies of the preacher as he does his best to share the Word with you. Let’s look for God in our worship services, and let’s plan to worship Him personally, even if no one else is led to expressions of worship. Our worship depends on our relationship with the King of all kings, not the atmosphere or the music or even the preaching, for if it did, we would worship for the wrong reasons. Speak with God about your attitude of worship today and seek to know if you are where He wants you to be in your worship time with Him. I believe that there is no greater joy than to know that you have worshiped God in various circumstances of your life and in every walk of your life!

Prayer: Lord, the reasons why we worship You are endless, for You are beyond description in all that You have created for us to enjoy, and for all that You spare us from each and every day, and for all that You bless us with personally. You have given us Your precious Holy Spirit to guide us, protect us and lead us unto all Truth. Yes we ache, and we have our humanly/earthly issues, but these are so minor compared to the love and peace that we enjoy from knowing You and experiencing You personally. Please Lord, help us to keep our eyes fixed on You, and not the many interruptions and interference that Satan sends our way to distract us in our relationship with You. It’s You that I live for, and You that I worship dear Lord. May my praise offering be acceptable to You oh King. Please forgive me where I fail at doing this wholeheartedly at times, I ask that You touch my life and return my attention to You whenever this occurs. Please touch the hearts of those You encourage to read this devotional today. May they find peace in their worship of You, or be reminded of its importance today, is my humble and respectful prayer that I ask 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 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!

How To Live Innocent, Pure and Effective Lives

On By Ed AlgreenIn Commitment, LightLeave a comment

The Holy Bible (New Living Translation – Philippians 2:14-16a): 14 Do everything without complaining and arguing, 15 so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people. 16 Hold firmly to the word of life;

Thoughts: I don’t believe there is a person on earth that would not want to live their lives with purpose and in a way that would impact someone else in a positive way. I believe that some of the bestselling books are those written to show people how they might improve their lives to be more effective in their jobs and in their personal relationships. Perhaps most folk are unaware of Biblical teachings, such as the one highlighted today, that do exactly what they are looking for! So friends let’s dig in and examine what the Word is actually directing us to do in order to live innocent, pure and effective lives:

  • First, and of primary importance, do everything without complaining and arguing. – I believe it is obvious to see that not only does this interfere in our growth and effectiveness today, but that Paul addressed this with His church followers because of issues in the church back then. Think about this good friend, and I believe that you will quickly see that this type of behavior only serves to tear down and not build up. It is generally egged on by Satan to destroy the effectiveness of God’s work among His people. So anytime you find yourself participating in something like this, please quickly recognize that you are not promoting an innocent, pure and effective work that shows God at work in your life;
  • Secondly, when others cannot see any difference in the life you live versus those that do not claim Jesus as Lord, then I would dare say that you have lost touch with the One who makes a difference in your life. For when Jesus lights up your life, through living in You and showing you the way to righteousness, your life will be a stark contrast to the unsaved that you come into contact with. People might explain a stark difference in two things as “difference between day and night”. Similarly, you can also see from verse 15 above that God is expecting our lives to be in such contrast to the darkness of sin in an unbeliever’s life, as a shining light is to one in their dark world of sin and disregard for the things of Christ. And
  • Thirdly, our strength to be effective comes from the Lord. So hold firmly to the Word of God. This is not a paper book being referred to here. This means that we are to hold on to the truths taught by and through the Word of God. When we live by the Spirit, He will be more apt to affect the lives of others through us, but when we exclude Him, we are powerless.

For the Christian, I believe that your challenge is to live the life you have committed to live in Christ’s wisdom and power so that we might all be effective witnesses for our Master. For the non-Christian, there is a better way friend! To live life to its fullest and to enjoy the rewards of sharing light and hope to your lost friends, I would encourage you to first surrender your life to the Light of this world, Jesus Christ. Please read through the ‘Footnote’ below for help on how you might do this. Friend, I am always available and ready to help you in any way that I could, in order that you might achieve this eternal hope!

Prayer: Lord Jesus, Light of the world, thank You for shining Your precious light on me some 39 years ago, and for lighting my path every day, enabling me to live in the light of Your will. Please continue to touch me with Your power each and every day so that I may stay away from complaining and arguing, and instead live a clean and innocent life that exemplifies You in every way so that I may be a ‘light’, Your light, to the dark and miserable world that I am surrounded by. Please touch the hearts of my readers today so that they too might commit to being more effective ‘lights’ in their world, or if You are not known as a source of light to one that might stumble upon this devotional, I pray that You might have an awesome and life changing impact upon them today. Lord, may Your powerful ‘Light’ shine though us today, is my humble and sincere prayer that I ask 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 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!

The Inside Man Is Shown To The Outside World

On By Ed AlgreenIn WitnessingLeave a comment

The Holy Bible (New Living Translation- Philippians 2:12-13): Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. 13 For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.

Thoughts: I believe that way too often we, who have placed our faith and trust in the Lord Jesus, confuse the idea of ‘works’ when it comes to our salvation. Let me explain. I am 100 percent in agreement that we cannot ‘work’ ourselves into heaven, and that it is only through the shed blood of Jesus Christ that we have a chance of seeing heaven. However, I am totally convinced that there should be lots of evidence of our salvation, and that this will often be revealed through our actions and/or our ‘works’ as a Christian. A life that has not been impacted by Jesus Christ, may not have Him as a vital part of their life. When I got married, anyone could tell I was a married man, not just because I had a ring on my finger, but through my talk, and my actions. Paul is teaching that we are to work hard at showing the unsaved world that we belong to Jesus. The results of our salvation is peace, love, joy, humbleness and forgiveness. I wonder if Jesus was to base your entrance into heaven based on the evidence shown to the world of your salvation, would He have enough evidence to let you in? This scripture is teaching us that God works in and through His children by not only giving them the desire to please Him, but also the power to accomplish the necessary actions. Friends, there was no shame or hesitant fear when Jesus was taken to Calvary to die for our sin. Why would you possibly find an excuse not to openly confess that He is your Lord and Master? Why would you restrain His mighty works through you? Please consider recommitting your life to Him today and giving Him complete control, so that His will might be accomplished through you? If all of this is pretty strange to a reader, let me encourage you to read the ‘Footnote’ below and take some first steps towards surrendering your life to Jesus Christ. All of which I have shared today comes after this initial, but vitally important step.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, Jesus my King, thank You for saving my soul, and thank You for all that You accomplish through me. I am somewhat ashamed at the lack of Christian evidence that others may always see in me, so I humbly ask Your forgiveness for the pride and fear of rejection that may often impede my witness. Thank You for the reassurance in vs 13 that You are constantly working in me and giving me power and the desire to always confess You as Lord, and to openly worship You and please You in every aspect of my life. Please don’t give up on me. Lord, I believe there will be readers meditating on this devotional today that are in various stages of life’s challenges. Please speak to their hearts and give them the peace and reassurance that You have blessed me with this morning. May we all be Your humble servants today, but ones that shine with the bright glory of our risen Christ, so that others will be encouraged to know You in a very personal and committed way. May we praise You today for who You are, and for all that You accomplish through us, for I ask all this in the name of my risen and everlasting 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 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!

Have The Same Attitude As Christ Jesus

On By Ed AlgreenIn Commitment, ExampleLeave a comment

The Holy Bible (New Living Translation – Philippians 2:1-5): Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate? 2 Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose. 3 Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. 4 Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. 5 You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.

Thoughts: We are often compared to a parent or grandparent on our looks and in our demeanor. Wouldn’t it be praise worthy if, just from our actions and our attitude, someone could identify us with Jesus? You see, this could very well happen when a believer or non-believer identifies something different about us – something different to the rest of the world, or different to what they would expect for someone under our circumstances. I believe that we, children of God, are to be constantly in the Word of God. Therefore, just as we model our lives after our ancestors because of our time with them, we will also become acquainted with the ways of God and start acting like Him. The neat thing for Christians, is that when we commit/surrender our lives to Jesus Christ, He gives us His Helper (the Holy Spirit) as our Guide, our Strength, our Deliverer, our Protector and our Friend, to enable us to act like Jesus even under circumstances that would tend to throw the ordinary person into a tail spin. Paul teaches that this type of life will invoke: agreeing wholeheartedly with each other; loving one another; working together in peace and purpose; unselfishness; no need to impress others; humbleness; ability to think of others as better than yourself; and not always looking out for your own interest only. Friends, there’s an old song with lyrics that read “What the world need now, is love, sweet love….” For a moment can you think what our world would be like if everyone would live with the attitude of “What the world needs now, is Jesus as Lord”? Can’t you imagine us retiring most of our military, little need for an expansive law enforcement team or counselors or mediators! Think about it friend, if we are not living like God expects, then obviously we are living like Satan wants us to. There is no in between. This change can happen one life at a time. Will you consider being the first to make a change in your life and seek to live with the attitude of Christ Jesus? With God’s help you can, friend!

Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are my Rock, my salvation, my Guide, my Deliverer, my Friend and yet my Master. You led a perfect life so that I may have a perfect example to follow. Please give me an ongoing desire to follow Your example each and every day, and may I practice Your example with everyone that I come into contact with, and under every circumstance in this life. May others see Jesus in every aspect of my life, and may You receive honor and praise from others as they detect Your love and example in me. Please speak to the hearts of my readers today, because I am convinced that what the world needs now is Jesus. They need to see You in action through the committed lives of Your children. May they not be disappointed as they look on us dear Lord. I ask all this, believing that You are the only one capable of helping us, and the only one worthy of our praise, and so it is in the name of Jesus that I plead my case, 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!

Ambassadors For Jesus Christ

On By Ed AlgreenIn Ambassador, WorthyLeave a comment

The Holy Bible (New Living Translation – Philippians 1:27): 27 Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ.

Thoughts: Almost 25 years ago I applied for citizenship to the United States of America. Part of the oath and promises I had to make involved total loyalty to this country, even if it went to war with my birth country. I believe that Paul is teaching us in this chapter that we are to consider it such a privilege and honor to become children of God – or ‘citizens of heaven’ that we are to leave behind the old life of our previous world of sin and hardships, and take hold of the promises of God and the kingdom of Heaven, under every circumstance. In fact, in the previous verses we are taught that in dying we gain the honor of being with Christ, however, there is such an awesome work that remains here on planet earth that we should strive to remain here as long as God permits, so that we may spread the joy of our heavenly citizenship. In other words, we are to be ambassadors for Heaven – for Jesus Christ! To do this, we must not faint in: doing the will of God; being His loyal representative; acting like Him; speaking like Him and imitating Him in every walk of life. When we do this friends, it is fairly obvious that others will see Jesus through us and gain a desire to know Him in a very personal way. So my challenge to you today, at this very early stage of the New Year, is to commit to living wholeheartedly for Jesus Christ, despite the audience, and especially while allowed to remain on this earth. To do this we are to follow the teaching of Paul in the captioned verse, “conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ“. I would dare say that with God’s help we can do this friend! Will you make this commitment to God and seek His powerful hand of wisdom and direction for your life?

Prayer: Lord, this challenge often seems impossible, especially when we consider it under our own strength and abilities. Therefore, I acknowledge that I can only do all things through Christ who strengthens me. I need You more today than ever before. Please teach me to submit myself to You daily, so that I might live in the power of Your might and in the center of Your will. Not for my sake, but so that the world might know that Jesus is alive and that You love them unconditionally. Please have Your will and way in my life, and please touch my friends who will seek You today. May we reflect on this day as one lived in a manner worthy of the Good News of Jesus Christ, is my sincere prayer that I ask in the matchless 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 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!