Tag: Judge

Why We Shouldn’t Judge Others in Church

On By Ed AlgreenIn Accept Jesus NOW, Acknowledge God, All have sinned, Awesome God, God Cares For Us, God’s WordLeave a comment

DATE POSTED
Monday, April 28, 2025, and I was blessed to be at Mariposa at Hunter Road, San Marcos, TX when God inspired me to prepare this devotional. My Footnote will tell you how to find and read any and all episodes that I have shared over the years.

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
Read James 4:11-13 in your Bible or click on it to read it online in the Living Bible (TLB).

APPLICATION – as inspired by the Holy Spirit
It seems almost natural, or thoughtless, for us to pass judgment on others. It might be that their talent is not up to the standards we expected; or it might be that the individual is over-dressed, or under-dressed. compared to what we expected; or that their volume is too great or too small according to our keen ears. But what if that person was especially chosen by God to share a special word or song with us that day? What if they looked at us and saw all of our faults and inadequacies? I believe we must all remember that often the overqualified may not see the need to depend on God for their talents to deliver a message pleasing to our ears, or a song that will get us up and moving as we sing to God. But blessed is the man who looks at God and pleads for His perfect way in his life any time that he stands before us to preach, teach, or sing. Also, blessed is the congregation that pleads with God for, and accepts the leadership of the Holy Spirit in, every aspect of a meeting dedicated to the worship, praise and teaching of a child of God endowed with the power and leadership of the Holy Spirit. I often say that we receive as much from a church service as what we have put into it. If we’ve not prayed for, uplifted and encouraged our pastor, worship leader or other participants, then we should be satisfied as we leave, feeling like we’ve received all that we’ve put into that service – nothing at all. Furthermore, I feel like James is teaching us here to give God praise and honor for those He places in authority over us at church, and those who lead us to the throne of grace in worship and study of His Word. To ridicule, or bash the integrity or abilities or presentation of either of these church leaders is like telling God that He is not meeting up to your expectations. Friends, keep in mind that God is all-powerful and all-knowing, so when we feel like things have not gone, or is not going, like we expect, then it’s time to search inward and question what is distracting or separating us from the one, perfect God, to whom we have come to worship. Remember, when someone comes between you and God, then you have your priorities all wrong, for God must always be first. Let us choose to first worship and praise God, then we might be reminded that nothing stands between us and God. When a preacher or teacher seems inadequate to us, let us make sure that we are totally dedicated to reading and meditating on the Word of God every day, then to hear someone else expand on that Word will only life us up and encourage us as we realize that it’s more than us seeking the face of God through His Word. I am convinced that there will be no tiered levels at the foot of the cross when we bow before Jesus. While here on earth, we are all sinners seeking to know more about our Lord, and how we might honor and praise Him with our lives and experiences. At His feet we will be looked upon as His children who, through the grace of God, have won the race and stayed faithful to our Lord and Savior in all that we say and do. You must make the decision on whom you will follow, then join hearts and hands with other such pilgrims until the day He calls us home. Praise God for those who have chosen to bless us, teach us, and help us draw close to the throne of grace every week that we meet to worship together! To God be the glory for all the ways He draws us to Himself and blesses us in the circumstances of life!

PRAYER
I love that chorus ‘Holy Spirit Thou are welcome in this place’, and I am reminded that I should sing this more often and ask that You, oh God, make Yourself welcome in my life, each and every moment of every day, for I need to avoid the distractions of the evil one as temptations come my way and the thoughts of busyness that may cause me to not find time in the Word. Lord, I pray that each of my readers and I will always choose to say that reading Your Word, or praying to You, was not a priority for us today, instead of the usual excuse that ‘I just don’t have time’. May you always be first and foremost in our lives, and may Your Word always have the same priority, for It is our guide and reminder that You’re in control. Lord, ‘it’s me, it’s me oh Lord, standing in the need of prayer’ from my awesome and perfect God who chose to love even me. AMEN!

FOOTNOTE
If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please take advantage of the information provided on my page ‘To Know Jesus’. Alternatively, consider speaking with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. One of God’s servants will pray with you and offer help and encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. If you would like to read more of my devotionals or subscribe to receive a daily email containing each new devotional, please visit NuggetsFromGodsWord.org. Friends, I encourage you to find a Bible teaching church home near your residence and attend as frequently as possible. Get to know God and allow His people to encourage and strengthen you in your Christian walk while you make every effort to be a blessing to them. God is at work among His people! Please consider being a part of that while also growing in your faith as you worship with fellow believers!

What To Expect from Children of God

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

DATE POSTED Friday, 2022-12-23
WRITTEN AT: O’Brien, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Luke 6:37-38
TRANSLATION: Amplified Bible (AMP)

BIBLE TEXT: 37 “Do not judge [others self-righteously], and you will not be judged; do not condemn [others when you are guilty and unrepentant], and you will not be condemned [for your hypocrisy]; pardon [others when they truly repent and change], and you will be pardoned [when you truly repent and change]. 38 Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure—pressed down, shaken together, and running over [with no space left for more]. For with the standard of measurement you use [when you do good to others], it will be measured to you in return.”

APPLICATION: It wasn’t many years ago that I learned from the Word of God about how I will receive from God, based on the degree that I give to His work, and others, in His name. As I came across this Scripture in my meditation today, I was reminded that if we are to be like Jesus, obey His commands, and imitate His life lessons that He demonstrated to us while on earth, then we must prepare each day to live totally dependent on God, because only then will we be different in the eyes of those we meet. You see, it is clear that we respond to others based on the way they treat us or speak to us. If they are angry at us, it is almost impossible for us to respond with a humble and graceful response. If they are constantly after everything we own, it is just not humanly possible for us to offer them anything that they didn’t already demand from us. Store owners are consistently in their strongest defense mode, being afraid of shoppers stealing from them. It totally blows their mind when an honest shopper returns the extra change to them when a cashier made a mistake. But is this surprising to our Master? Of course not, He created us, and He is all knowing about what we will do and/or say today, tomorrow and in future days. That’s why He wanted to train his disciples, and also give us guardrails on how we might best respond, as His children, when Satan works hard on his gang to throw us in our Christian walk. I love the way that the Amplified Verson gives us additional commentary in brackets, as we read the Scripture. This is extremely helpful in opening our eyes to what Jesus meant in His teaching. And while I don’t need to offer additional commentary, I do want to emphasize the key points in today’s Scripture, as these are subjects that we tend to fear in our own lives. No doubt Jesus wanted to teach us that we must begin by personally breaking the cycle of fear and hurt in these areas, as we interact with others. In other words, act in the same way that you want others to treat you:
–> Judging – The world shows how wrong others are and demands how we must act if we are to ever expect to get it right. Jesus teaches that we will be judged at the same level that we judge others. That could get pretty severe, if we don’t seek the help of Jesus to leave the judging up to Him! Friends, we have a lot of fingers already pointing back at us when we point a finger at others.
–> Condemning – Similar to the above, how or why are we to condemn others, when we are not the perfect one here on earth? Show them the right way by teaching them the Word of God. It’s not our job to condemn others, while trying in ourselves to pattern our lives after Jesus.
–> Pardoning/forgiving – Grudges are unfortunately held for years against another Brother or Sister when they did something viewed as wrong in the eyes of the offended one. But are we ourselves perfect as Christ is perfect? Jesus taught is to freely forgive one another when they repent and change, for we also will one day need their forgiveness.
–> Giving – Jesus praised a woman who gave 2 cents, as it was everything remaining in her small piggybank. If, however, we give 2 cents from our large bank account, because we feel like that’s all the preacher is worth, or the rich church needs, what might we think when we receive just a very small portion of all the riches of heaven? I love the idea behind this lesson from Jesus, for it tells me that I set the level of what I might receive, by the amount that I give. We can never outgive God, dear friends, so be ready to give generously with a giving and loving heart. It’s not our job to hold back on what God has blessed us with because we feel like the church, or an individual, is unworthy of our sacrifice. Our command is to give, God’s job is to incent and subsequently judge how others use our gifts for His glory!

BLESSING(S) NOTED: We receive overwhelming because we give sacrificially and freely. No need to blame God, or accuse Satan, instead, look inward at our own heart and willingness to give monetarily, time and effort, forgiveness, condemnation and love!

PRAYER: Especially during this Christmas season, dear Lord, teach us to give – just like You gave in the manger at Bethlehem, from a heart of love for our fellow man. Thank You Lord for Your commands that teach us to live, love and respond like You showed us to. As we celebrate the baby in a manger, may the Jesus who hung on the cross for our eternal salvation be evident in everything about us. Shine Jesus, shine, through Your humble servants seeking to practice and carry out every lesson taught to us in Your Word, so that You may be lifted up and praised in everything we say or do. May this serve to draw mankind to You. 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!

Don’t Condemn Others, You May Be Just as Guilty

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

Monday, 2021-10-25

Bible Reference: John 8:3-5
Translation: Easy-to-Read Version (ERV)

Bible Text: 3 The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought a woman they had caught in bed with a man who was not her husband. They forced her to stand in front of the people. 4 They said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5 The Law of Moses commands us to stone to death any such woman. What do you say we should do?”

APPLICATION: At one time in my career I found myself talking to a coworker about the shortcomings of a fellow employee in another department. It was nothing terrible, or at least I thought so, until the coworker turned around and told me that it was odd for me to mention the issue, because that’s exactly what the other party says about me!! Whoa! Was that ever an eyeopener for me! Another personal example of how God slapped me into reality: Being heavily involved in church, there was a time when I looked around and questioned (judged) why others were not doing as much as I was. A very honest pastor reminded me that there were things that individual was doing behind the scenes that I would never know about, but he was way more dedicated to the Lord’s work than most people would know about. Whoa – again! Friends, I’m not sure that there is any person on earth that God would delegate His authority to judge, condemn and destroy the will of another believer. Let me remind all of us that we have a full-time job trying to keep self aligned with the teachings, commands and ordinances of our Master. You see, He is perfect, and we are so far from perfect that it would take us a lifetime of daily persistence, and undiluted dedication to our Savior in order for us to truly follow His commands, and live a life that resembles Christ. Our obligation is to love and pray for our fellow believers, not judge and condemn them. God assures us in His Word that He will hold each of us accountable for our own sins. Let’s never lose sight of the incredible job that is ours to watch over self, while loving and caring enough for others with hopes that they too will do the same as they prepare for that glorious day when we will all see Jesus face-to-face!

PRAYER: It is so easy to get caught up in condemning others, oh Lord, and that’s not our job. Please help us to spend our time looking at You, imitating You, and studying about You so that we will understand what You desire from us. Perhaps at some point others may see enough of Christ in us, that our witness might be effective in helping them also seek for the Master. As you told the Pharisees, let the one without sin throw the first stone. We have no room condemning others, while we also have sin in our lives. You commissioned us to be obedient to Your commands and follow Your perfect example, and You will be the Judge of all. We have no reason to try and assume Your job, for You are perfect. Please forgive us when we overreach our bounds. Please complete Your work in us daily, oh Lord. AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: There are two more pages on my blog at https://NuggetsFromGodsWord.org 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 or listening to this devotional, please go to 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. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and see all of my posts, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. 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!

Pray, Don’t Sin

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

DATE POSTED Tuesday, 2021-10-19
WRITTEN AT: Kissimmee, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: 1 Samuel 12:22-24
TRANSLATION: The Voice (VOICE)

BIBLE TEXT: 22 For the sake of His reputation, He will not cast away His chosen people. Before you ever chose Him, the Eternal One chose you as His own because it pleased Him.
23 As for me, the last thing I would ever do is to stop praying for you. That would be a sin against the Eternal One on my part. I will always try to teach you to live and act in a way that is good and proper in His eyes. 24 Make this your one purpose: to revere Him and serve Him faithfully with complete devotion because He has done great things for you.

APPLICATION: When we take on Kingdom responsibility here on this earth, in God’s work and especially around His church, it would be awesome to think on these things that Samuel shared with his people. Let me encourage you to really soak in the words shared by Samuel at this very critical time in the leadership of this great nation. I will expand a little, hoping that you will also see what God might be saying to us:
—> From Judge to King – The Israelites were tired of being different to other nations around them, so they asked that they have a king just like other nations. Although Samuel did an awesome job as a Judge over Israel, they felt it was time that they be like everyone else and have their own king. God told Samuel to go along with them, knowing full well that they would soon turn away from Him – again, very soon;
—> God’s Reputation – His reputation stands consistent and firm. To the Israelites, because God chose them long before they decided to choose Him. We may tend to question God’s love at times, especially when we recognize that His ways are not our ways and that He may chose to do things a lot differently that we do. We often choose to do things in ways that might bring glory to ourselves, but Jesus is fully in control and deserves our praise – at all times;
—> Pray for one another – just as Jesus prayed for the Father’s will in the garden before His arrest, so should we pray in love for the will of the Father and the benefit of our fellow man;
—> Disciple those in our circle – Samuel promised to teach his people and live out a life that is pleasing to God. Live out what you teach, dear Brother and Sister;
—> Make this your purpose in life – to revere, worship and serve the creator and sustainer of all life. Recognize His great works and and obey His commands, knowing that He does all things for our good.
Friends, know that God loves you more that you could ever imagine. Only God ever sacrificed a part of Himself for our benefit. He gave His very own Son so that we may ditch this old sinful world and be fit for the glories of heaven. How about making your greatest goal of life, to accept Jesus, and live a life dedicated to Him until God calls us home to be with Him in heaven? I have information in my Footnote that will help you make this a reality!

BLESSINGS NOTED: So many blessings included in our Scripture today. God chose us long before we decided to choose Him! God commanded that we pray one for another – He designed us to care about our Brother/Sister! Because He has done so many good things for us, we should desire to faithfully revere and worship Him all of our life!

PRAYER: Thank You Jesus for loving, caring and encouraging me! You created me, and You care for me while I’m allowed to spend time here on this earth. Please teach my readers, listeners and myself to always stand firm in our faith and to live out our purpose for which You placed us here. May others see so much of Jesus in us that they will desire to know You and and purposefully live for You as they seek to disciple others while await their call to glory! 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!

Evangelism Under Pressure

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, Witness, Worship1 Comment

DATE POSTED: Tuesday, 2021-08-10
WRITTEN AT: Hattiesburg, MS

SCRIPTURE FROM: MARK 13:9-11
TRANSLATION: The Passion Translation (TPT)

BIBLE TEXT: 9 “Be on your guard! For they will hand you over to the ruling councils, and you will be beaten in public gatherings. And you will stand trial before kings and high-ranking governmental leaders as an opportunity to testify to them on my behalf. 10 But prior to the end of the age, the hope of the gospel must first be preached to all nations.
11 “So when they put you under arrest and hand you over for trial, don’t even give one thought about what you will say. Simply speak what the Holy Spirit gives you at that very moment. And realize that it won’t be you speaking but the Holy Spirit speaking through you.

APPLICATION: I believe there are real fears, even in the hearts of Christians to share their faith. Perhaps fear of rejection; perhaps afraid that you won’t be able to answer all the questions asked of you in response to your attempt to evangelize; Or perhaps afraid that your target audience will poke fun of your beliefs? There are many reasons why Christians just don’t talk about their Savior. Jesus invited some men to join Him in ministry. They received on-the-job training, as they followed Jesus through the many walks of life where He traveled and with whom He ministered to while here on earth. Jesus knew what His destiny would be, and He knew how He would suffer before leaving this earth, so He wanted to prepare those who would continue His ministry. Please don’t quit reading or listening, because you might assume that this devotional just jumped tracks and is now targeting pastors, missionaries and Christian workers. Let me encourage you to remember that Jesus instructed His children to go into all the world and share His gospel truth, so that could include you dear one. You see, Jesus knew that just as He was arrested, beaten, mocked and crucified, His look-a’likes will also be picked on by those who want to go on living in sin without hearing about the One who spoke boldly about sin, and who died to provide forgiveness of sin/redemption as they finish up life here on earth. I love the way that Jesus encouraged us to not fear or worry of being arrested for our faith, for we will be given a new audience to share our faith with. And oh, don’t worry about what you would say under these extenuating circumstances, for the Holy Spirit who has taken up residence inside of you, will speak freely through you with just the right words for your courtroom audience. Remember I said earlier that many Christians fear having the right words to share? Isn’t that interesting how Jesus thought to calm our fears in that area? Praise the Lord! So friends, I wish that you will join me in being reassured of the One who sacrificed everything for us, the One who encouraged confidence in promoting confidence to share His name in any circumstance of life? He deserves our praise, and our willingness to tell the world who our great God is. Let’s go for it with all that we have in us!

BLESSING(S) NOTED: No worries, use any arrests or courtroom appearances as opportunities to evangelize – promote the gospel of Jesus Christ!

PRAYER: Lord, I thank You for directing me to Your Word at just the right time and place to be encouraged and confident in sharing my faith with all that I come into contact with today. Hopefully this will not include a courtroom setting, but this has given me confidence to share Christ with any and all audiences, for the Holy Spirit who lives inside of me will speak through me, to promote my Savior! My readers/listeners and I stand in awe, and we thank You Lord Jesus for seeing our weakest points and encouraging us to overcome, through Your power and Your strength. Oh that others will see, hear, and witness the love and truth of Jesus today through each of His disciples (each Christian)! 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!

Dangers of A Judgmental Attitude

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

DATE WRITTEN: Tuesday, 2021-01-19
WRITTEN AT: Paul B Johnson State Park, Hattiesburg, MS

BIBLE REFERENCE: Matthew 7:1-3
TRANSLATION: The Passion Translation (TPT)

BIBLE TEXT:  1 “Refuse to be a critic full of bias toward others, and judgment[a] will not be passed on you. 2 For you’ll be judged by the same standard that you’ve used to judge others. The measurement you use on them will be used on you.[b] 3 Why would you focus on the flaw in someone else’s life and yet fail to notice the glaring flaws of your own?[c] 

OBSERVATION: Being critical of others and judging them for every thing they do or say, that seems different to our way of thinking, is a common thing for most of us. However, we are being warned to be careful with this, as God will use similar measurements in judging us. Since that may prove to be a very touchy situation for many of us, let’s take time to let the warnings of this judgment sink in, and hopefully, help us correct our ways.

APPLICATION: How many times have you wished that you could bring in the sentencing on some of the criminal cases we hear about? What about the way that young ladies dress or carry themselves when around young men, what’s been your judgment on that? Or young men who look intently on beautiful ladies passing by, ever accused them of having evil actions on their minds? And the couple who works hard, but they are spending money like you could hardly believe possible – in your mind have you ever charged them with stealing from their boss? And imagine how we doubt and accuse someone who has traditionally lied to us about various things. Can they ever tell the truth, and we accept it without question? Friends, I’m not looking down my nose at you when I say these things, because God spoke to me also as I read this Scripture. We seem to have a real weakness in overlooking our own sin, and anxiously waiting to help God do His job in dealing with others. But let us look closely at what God said He would do in judging us: In our Scripture today, God said that He would judge us using the same standards we use in judging others, and He will use the same measurement. So when we step outside our line of authority and judge someone in our minds for what appears to be a sinful act, and we think or say how we feel that act should be administered, then I believe God is saying that He will do exactly the same with us. If we decide in our heart that the act by our Brother qualifies for harsh treatment, then we could expect God to deal with us harshly. I know, yes we serve a very loving God who will forgive us of our sin, no matter how many times we ask. But the Scripture today says that we are setting our standard of punishment by the way we think about punishing others for their sin. So how can we best correct ourselves on this? We probably can’t correct it ourselves, because we have spent a lifetime developing those evil ways and harsh responses. But, we serve the God of forgiveness, strength and deliverance, and He will hear our cry for help and give us strength to overcome. I believe that when we see a Brother or Sister failing, we should quickly raise our eyes to heaven and thank God for His mercies, for if it wasn’t for His grace, we would probably be equally as bad, or worse in our thoughts, deeds or actions, just as we see in others. Take that as an opportunity to praise God, and to pray for the weaker Brother who may need help. Friends, God loved even the unlovable so much that He gave His only Son (Jesus) to die on a cruel cross so that we might be forgiven (saved from our sin), and assured of eternal life in heaven one day with He and the Father. So do I believe that God will forgive even the worst of us? You bet I do, I believe that He loves you and I more than we could ever imagine. I wish I could be that forgiving and loving to my Brothers and Sisters, don’t you? I believe that if we leave the judging and critiquing to God, and allow us more opportunity to concentrate on brotherly love, we would live in a much better place that is much better prepared to meet our Master.

PRAYER: Lord, You are so understanding of us and Your love so amazing and unconditional for Your children, even though we seem to judge everyone else with awful intention. Please forgive us for our sin and evil thoughts about others, and instead fill us with more and more of Yourself so that we might be better witnesses and examples of our Master. You loved us all, and thankfully You loved even me. Please soften our hearts so that we may love like You intended, that we may not judge others, like You commanded, and that we may encourage others to join hands and hearts as we cross the finish line together into Your gracious presence. We love You Lord! Please help us to expend every effort in loving others instead of judging them, so that we may introduce them to our Savior and Lord. AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: There are two more pages on my blog at https://NuggetsFromGodsWord.org 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 or listening to this devotional, please go to 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. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and see all of my posts, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. 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!

Our Judge – God – He’s Always Fair

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

DATE WRITTEN: Saturday, 2020-10-31
WRITTEN AT: Vicksburg, MS

BIBLE REFERENCE: 1 Peter 2:21-23
TRANSLATION: Living Bible (TLB)

BIBLE TEXT: 21 ….. Christ, who suffered for you, is your example. Follow in His steps: 22 He never sinned, never told a lie, 23 never answered back when insulted; when He suffered He did not threaten to get even; He left His case in the hands of God who always judges fairly. 

OBSERVATION: We hate it when someone accuses us when we did something illegal or hateful, but we are really hurt when they accuse us and we are innocent. Jesus faced many accusations, but He simply surrendered the situation to His Father. As His followers, Christians are probably doing the same that Jesus did, correct? Well, let’s look closer at this and see how sincere we are in following the ways of Jesus. We know and honor the same fair Judge as He did, but can we let go and let God?

APPLICATION: It happens at home, at work, at church and almost anywhere that we become involved, people falsely accuse us for one reason or the other. What are the causes? Jealousy and envy might be the two major causes, but the excuses are normally: favoritism; kissing up to the boss; given more education opportunities; etc. These all sound so familiar, and often used and misused by those who set out to attack us. Friends, at one time or another in our lifetimes, we could probably have been charged as ’guilty’ for retaliation, due to one or more of the above. Anger results as we rehearse in our minds what the person may have been thinking, planning or about to do. Revenge is something that we start to plan, for we then want the other person to hurt more than we do. But for the child of God, what aught we to do? Just keep everything bottled up inside? I don’t believe that’s what we are being taught in the Scriptures. Notice that we are taught about the character of Jesus, before being told how He handled unfair attacks against Him. So let me suggest that you pinpoint a scenario today where you would normally not handle attacks very good. Perhaps at work; at church; at a social club or even at home. Would the people in those places be able to accuse you of lying; lashing back at them verbally or perhaps threatening to get even with them? If so, do you suppose that they would trust you to judge them fairly and pass an honest verdict on their behavior? Friends, I believe that Peter wanted us to understand that if we truly model the life of Jesus, then we are more apt to follow His practices of leaving any judgment up to God on those that we feel may have persecuted or abused us. I believe that it is extremely challenging for us to rid ourselves of revenge. But what I do know is that there is One who can handle that for us. Oh that we would surrender our will to Jesus each and every day so that more of Him will come forth in our lives, for He judges fairly and He will guide us into His way of righteousness. Perhaps we should practice praying for those who persecute us, instead of fighting back or seeking revenge. The love of God will cause us to seek the very best for our opposers rather than following the world’s practices.

PRAYER: Precious Lord, thank You for showing us the way to righteousness. Thank You for showing us the source of power that will help us to live like You exampled before us. It seems so easy for us to draw conclusions about the thoughts and intentions of those that touch our lives. Please humble us to allow Your guidance and Your powerful touch to overcome and avoid evil, and to not be an instigator or agitator that may cause evil. Lord, may Your perfect will be done in and through us today and every day. AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: There are two more pages on my blog at https://NuggetsFromGodsWord.org 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 or listening to this devotional, please go to 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. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and see all of my posts, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. 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!

Who’s The Judge Around Here?

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

DATE WRITTEN: Sunday, 2020-10-25
WRITTEN AT: Lillian, AL

BIBLE REFERENCE: James 4:11-12
TRANSLATION: New Living Translation (NLT)

BIBLE TEXT: 11 Don’t speak evil against each other, dear brothers and sisters.[d] If you criticize and judge each other, then you are criticizing and judging God’s law. But your job is to obey the law, not to judge whether it applies to you. 12 God alone, who gave the law, is the Judge. He alone has the power to save or to destroy. So what right do you have to judge your neighbor?

OBSERVATION: Fortunately there are some God has given delegated authority and responsibility for judging: Certain civil acts to human governments; Certain church conduct to elders, and the behavior of children to their parents. But way too often we tend to assume the responsibility of Judge when we look down our noses at others. James has a grave caution for us today, stand by as we look into what God had intended for us in this arena.

APPLICATION: I remember one time in church leadership mentioning that a brother was not active in the ministry life of the church. I was quickly rebuked by those who saw that brother actively involved behind the scenes almost daily. That was just one example of where God used His servants to help me refocus my attention on how I might do a better job of obeying God’s commands, rather than doing His job in judging others. I believe that after being reminded of the Scriptures today, you also might realize that there were times that you had lost focus of where your attention should be directed, and perhaps you too may have tried to assume God’s responsibility of judging others. Friends, when this happens, we upset the whole order of what God ordained, and we contribute to confusion, hatred, revenge and evil thoughts from a brother or sister who might otherwise be a great influence to us in our Christian walk. I’m sure that you will agree with me that life here on this earth is very challenging, and that we could use all the help we could get from others who walk a similar road as we do. Often when we judge, we are doing so blindly, for we do not have all the facts nor the full story behind someone’s actions. But in this reminder today, I believe we could all agree that we have a full time job trying to do our part in focusing on God’s Word and obeying His commands. Way too often we point one finger at our neighbor while having 4 pointed directly back at ourselves. You see, our sins and misguided thoughts are often enough to have everyone preach back at us for our disobedience to the finer details of God’s Word, so let’s make every effort to use the errors we see in their ways to remind us of how damaging our sinful ways are to others. Seek the Lord dear friends and ask for His guidance to do His perfect will by following His commands. Remember, God designed His commands as a way to help us be more like Him. Our ministry to others will be impacted by what they see in us.

PRAYER: Precious Lord, thank You for loving us enough to provide a plethora of commands that would steer us away from wrongdoing and towards holiness. We are in full time need of help and guidance from You to accomplish all that You have commanded, especially in this world where its citizens are striving hard to pull us in the opposite direction. Please help us to stay focused on all You have commanded of us, and allow You to also work in the lives of others who may be like us. We want to be Just like You dear Lord, but we need endless help from You to accomplish that. Please help us to fix our eyes on You, the author and finisher of our faith. Please help my Brothers and Sisters who will meditate on this devotional. May they also be drawn to You and revived in their spirits to live like You commanded. AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: There are two more pages on my blog at https://NuggetsFromGodsWord.org 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 or listening to this devotional, please go to 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. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and see all of my posts, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. 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!

Those Who Are Guilty Should Not Condemn Others

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

Friday, 2019-10-25

Bible Reference: John 8:3-5
Translation: Easy-to-Read Version (ERV)

Bible Text: 3 The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought a woman they had caught in bed with a man who was not her husband. They forced her to stand in front of the people. 4 They said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5 The Law of Moses commands us to stone to death any such woman. What do you say we should do?”

OBSERVATION: Remove the plank from your own eye before condemning a friend with a speck of dirt in their eye. That’s another time that Jesus warned us to clean up our own act before judging another of very similar sins that they might be committing. I believe that this is such a prevalent issue, that God has chosen to warn us yet again in our Scripture today. Although you may not be guilty of this (ha), it may be great to to meditate with me on this thought, so that we could help someone else challenged with this problem!

APPLICATION: At one time in my career I found myself talking to a coworker about the shortcomings of a fellow employee in another department. It was nothing terrible, or at least I thought so, until the coworker turned around and told me that it was odd for me to mention the issue, because that’s exactly what the other party says about me!! Whoa! Was that ever an eyeopener for me! Another personal example of how God slapped me into reality: Being heavily involved in church, there was a time when I looked around and questioned (judged) why others were not doing as much as I was. A very honest pastor reminded me that there were things that individual was doing behind the scenes that I would never know about, but he was way more dedicated to the Lord’s work than most people would know about. Whoa – again! Friends, I’m not sure that there is any person on earth that God would delegate His authority to judge, condemn and destroy the will of another believer. Let me remind all of us that we have a full-time job trying to keep self aligned with the teachings, commands and ordinances of our Master. You see, He is perfect, and we are so far from perfect that it would take us a lifetime of daily persistence, and undiluted dedication to our Savior in order for us to truly follow His commands, and live a life that resembles Christ. Our obligation is to love and pray for our fellow believers, not judge and condemn them. God assures us in His Word that He will hold each of us accountable for our own sins. Let’s never lose sight of the incredible job that is ours to watch over self, while loving and caring enough for others with hopes that they too will do the same as they prepare for that glorious day when we will all see Jesus face-to-face!

PRAYER: It is so easy to get caught up in condemning others, oh Lord, and that’s not our job. Please help us to spend our time looking at You, imitating You, and studying about You so that we will understand what You desire from us. Perhaps at that point others may see enough of Christ in us, that our witness might be effective in helping them also see the Master. As you told the Pharisees, let the one without sin throw the first stone. We have no room condemning others, while we also have sin in our lives. Lord, we want to be just like You, and You are the only One without sin. Please complete Your work in us daily, oh Lord. AMEN!

In All Honesty and Fairness

On By Ed AlgreenIn Fairness, Honest Relationship, Honesty, Judgment, Leadership, Leadership qualificationsLeave a comment

Post Date:

 Monday, 2017-07-17
SCRIPTURE

From:

 Deuteronomy 16:18-20 (NCV)

Text:

  18 Appoint judges and officers for your tribes in every town the Lord your God is giving you; they must judge the people fairly. 19 Do not judge unfairly or take sides. Do not let people pay you to make wrong decisions, because that kind of payment makes wise people seem blind, and it changes the words of good people. 20 Always do what is right…..
OBSERVATION:
Moses, in guiding God’s people as they prepared to enter the Promised Land, realized that this would be a whole new experience for them, so he tried to share every detail with them. In these verses that we will look at today he told them that they will need judges and leaders, to take the place of all that he and Aaron had done for them over the past 40 years. Knowing that we can also benefit from this reminder, I want God to lead us in this devotional on how we might be better leaders…
APPLICATION:
It is so easy for us look at a judge’s decision, and if it’s contrary to our belief, or our desire for the prosecuted (defendant), we may quickly respond “that’s unfair” without giving it a second thought. Our wish didn’t come true. However good judges are put in place to learn everything possible about the law of the land, so that when a case is brought before them, they could listen to all the facts, compare what they hear to everything they know about the law, and then determine as an independent person whether the defendant is guilty of wrongdoing. Not being a ‘judge’ you may question if this really applies to you and I. That’s what I want us to look at today, because I believe that we make decisions every day that shows God whether we are thinking and acting fairly. Let’s look at our work situation where we are looking at 3 candidates who have applied for a position we have available. Although much of our decision is based on a ‘gut feeling’, I believe it will surprise us to stop and ponder what prejudices or selfish motives come into play with our decision. Secondly, imagine two individuals being reported to you as doing something contrary to company policy. One brings you coffee every morning and has your back most of the time, vs the other one causes relational problems in your department. Can you honestly deal fairly and consistent with both employees? Things become especially tricky in churches when dealing with those that financially support the church vs a regular attendee who may or may not support the church financially. Friends, as you can see from the examples given, we all make judgment calls in some aspect of our lives. You can also see that bribes come in more ways than one, and they all serve to sway our decision in one way or another. This Scripture is teaching us to be careful of this, for it makes a wise man blind and causes him to make decisions that he may ordinarily have done if being obedient to his full understanding of God’s perfect laws. Obeying God’s laws is sometimes tougher than we might think, if we try to follow them in our own strength and power. I believe that it is a daily challenge that we must keep ever before God, that we seek His guidance, His strength and His perfect design for us to be aligned with what He desires of us. Living a life like Jesus is so different to anything we experience here on earth, that we must stay closely in tuned with our awesome Designer. Are you prepared to do this friend?
PRAYER:
Lord, this life is challenging at best, and we can only accomplish Your will with the help of Your Holy Spirit. Leadership is challenging when we have to put personal feelings aside and judge according to Your perfect design. But Lord, we want to be more like You every day and in every way. So teach us Your ways, and help us to understand Your perfect will more and more clearly. We love You Lord, and appreciate every opportunity You give to us to show that same awesome love to others we come into contact with, all for Your honor and glory, 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 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 Nuggets From God’s Word 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!