Tag: Nuggets

Be Steadfast

On By Ed AlgreenIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

The Holy Bible

56 For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power. 57 But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ.

58 So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.

(New Living Translation – I Corinthians 15:56-58)

Thoughts:

Earlier in this chapter Paul had taught the Corinthian church, and us, about death and what it means to the Christian. In his conclusion here Paul is reminding us that only those without Christ need worry about death, because the Word says that the sting of death is sin. However, for those who have accepted Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord of their life, be assured that He has taken the sting out of death because He made atonement for our sins. We may think calmly on the horrors of the grave; assured that our bodies will be asleep there, and in the meantime our souls will be present with the Redeemer! Death is terrible to the unbeliever, and the thought of it to the remaining loved ones. However, although death may appear real for a believer, it cannot hold him in its power. In light of this glorious truth, in verse (58), we (believers) are taught and encouraged to be steadfast, strong and immovable in the truth of God’s Word and in the promise of what will come! Imagine, being raised incorruptible (without sin) and immortal (able to live eternally with Christ). We are also encouraged to be steady and consistent in the work of the Lord, always serving the Lord, and obeying the Lord’s commands. Friends, may Christ give us even more faith, so that we may not only be secure and safe in our faith, but also live joyfully and triumphantly here on this earth as we prepare for an even better life afterwards. You can be assured of this future life friend, if you do not already know and serve the Lord faithfully! Use the information in the footnote to seek help today.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, what a glorious future is ours that know You as Lord and personal Savior! We worry so much about death because we worry about the loved ones left behind, but the glory for the Christian who has passed on from this mortal and corruptible life in which we currently live, to the one promised with You is nothing short of glorious and filled with joy and expectation! Thank You for prodding me enough times that I surrendered my life over to you in 1976, and in spite of a few struggling times in between, overall You have kept me strong and steadfast in my faith, and I sincerely thank and praise You for that dear Lord. Verse 58 has challenged me to keep on ‘trucking’ in my walk with You here on this earth, because there are so many that I would like to be reassured of their standing with You so that I may see them again in glory. I ask that You continue to give me strength, wisdom and boldness to not only work steadfastly for You, but to share the truths of Your gospel with all that You may place in my path of life. Please touch the lives of those that need You today, humble them to understand their need for the Savior before it is eternally too late. I love You Lord, and I lift my voice to worship You, oh my soul rejoice! Take joy my King in what You hear, may it be a sweet, sweet sound in Your ear! This is my song of rejoicing today, and my sincere prayer that I’m asking all this 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 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!

How To Be Happy!

On By Ed AlgreenIn HumilityLeave a comment

The Holy Bible

12    May our sons in their youth be like plants that grow up strong.

May our daughters be like stately pillars which adorn the corners of a palace.

13    May our barns be filled with crops of every kind.

May the sheep in our fields bear young by the tens of thousands.

14    May our cattle reproduce plentifully without miscarriage or loss.

May there be no cries of distress in our streets.

15    Happy is the nation of whom this is true; happy are the people whose God is the Lord!

(Good News Translation – Psalm 144:12-15)

Thoughts:

There are probably more ‘How To’ books and articles available for individuals today than there have ever been before. In fact, some are also called “For Dummies”, meaning that the “How to” is very simplified so that even a dummy would understand! In verse 15 David shared with us ‘How To’ be eternally happy, when he said: “Happy is the person whose God is THE GOD ALMIGHTY”. Now, before you begin thinking that I repeated this out of context, please read all the verses above. I believe you will quickly recognize that God spoke through David to tell us that when we call on Him for every aspect of our lives: our sons; our daughters; our income source and the safety and security of our cities, states and country, then not only will we be claiming God as our true, all sufficient and loving God, but we will also join the number of other Christians praying that our respective country leaders would humbly do the same, so that our nation would also be a happy (secure, safe, prosperous and caring) one. Can you imagine a ‘happy’ person living in a ‘happy’ nation, in the terms mentioned, this side of heaven? Didn’t you say that you believe in the power of prayer and of the One who answers our prayers? Then is there anything too big for our God? Friends, please don’t get caught in the trap of only asking God for as much as you can safely see the resolution to. He is much bigger than that! Remember, He created this earth and everything in it. There is nothing bigger, or more powerful than our God! We are not asked to be militant, we are to follow David’s example and Pray! If you are reading this devotional and have not accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, then you have a more urgent prayer first. Please follow the directions in the Footnote for help in resolving your dilemma, then pick this devotional back up and re-read it so that you can join the army of God praying for your own success and that of our nation. Our God loves us so much, yet unfortunately we try every other possible source for help before we finally break down our walls and seek after God. Please change that today friends!

Prayer:

Jesus, my Lord and Savior, I am humbled by the love that You make very evident to me every day, in spite of my pride to try everything else before turning to You for help. In any good relationship, we talk to each other about our joys and concerns before sharing that with others. Please continue to humble Your servant so that I might always interact with You about every joy and every concern that I might have. Please help me to always seek Your guidance, especially for everything that leads to my happiness and or the happiness of those around me. On earth I want to be known as a man who is happy because of my relationship with You. In heaven I would really like to be known as one who had such a relationship with You that there was nothing in life that I ever failed to first discuss with, offer praise to, or request from, You. I acknowledge that You hold the key to my success and happiness now and throughout eternity, I must learn to lean on You for all this, so that my joy may be complete in You. Please touch the hearts of those who might meditate on this devotional today with the truth of Your Word and Your everlasting love for them. I ask all this in Your dear name, 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 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!

What Is Your Role In The Local Church?

On By Ed AlgreenIn Christian, Disciple, Encourage, Evangelism, Imitator of ChristLeave a comment

The Holy Bible

     The way God designed our bodies is a model for understanding our lives together as a church: every part dependent on every other part, the parts we mention and the parts we don’t, the parts we see and the parts we don’t. If one part hurts, every other part is involved in the hurt, and in the healing. If one part flourishes, every other part enters into the exuberance.

The Message:1 Corinthians 12:25–26

Thoughts:

I am constantly amazed by folk who attend church and would normally answer the question posed in my title by saying “O I’m just a visitor” or “I’m just a regular attendee”! Friends, in light of this passage, Paul likens the church to our human bodies. So for a moment, imagine with me if the hand said to the brain “hey, I’m just here for show, as I wanted Mr. XYZ to see that you had a hand also, but you go right ahead and pick that food up by yourself”, how would that work for you? I know the example sounds silly, but in the context of these verses, and in light of the reasons given by some for church attendance or involvement, I believe you might get a better understanding of my illustration. I will give another very real illustration to you. My dad had injury to a kidney after having a heart stint installed. The doctors decided not to operate, as they relayed to my dad that the non-functioning kidney would just dry up like a prune and remain in his body. Unfortunately, I believe this is what happens to those who ‘just attend’ church and never become, or feel like, a functioning part of the church. However, based on our study in this chapter, I feel like there are two aspects worthy of attention here. First, is the visiting, or regular attendee who just shows up, sits in a very inconspicuous place hoping that no one will see them or come to trouble them. Perhaps, although God prompted them to attend church, Satan may still be working powerfully in their lives to stop them from getting anything out of attending, so I would strongly encourage this person to please do your part as a vital part of the body. I recently had a tooth implant and it was amazing how the body quickly accepted that foreign piece of metal and starting knitting to it! Likewise, I believe that an individual such as described, will be quickly received if they do their part in being loveable and showing interest in wanting to be a part. Secondly, I believe that the existing church members have a responsible to fight hard in making all attendees feel welcomed, loved and encouraged. Remember, this is like a foreign body to the human body, so they need extra care and attention. If God sends someone to a church, then those Christian members who are already a vital part of that ministry must do their part in response to God. Friends, you are in one of the roles mentioned, are you doing your part to further the kingdom of God? Will you commit to being more conscious of your role in growing the spiritual lives of all that worship with you?

Prayer:

Dear God, thank You for creating us and forming us into a body of believers for corporate worship. May I be more conscious in my daily life about the needs of others and respond in a manner that will be pleasing to You. For those that attend my church, I pray that although I may have no official role in church terms, I will respond to the key role you have made evident to me through the study of Your Word today. Sharing the love of Jesus through the spoken word, or just in a friendly smile or encouragement of some sort, is something that any of us can do. Please give me the boldness to do my part dear Lord. Friends meditating on this devotional today might also need help in this regard, please give us Your strength and Your vision to be the hands, feet and words of Jesus in all that we do and say. I ask this in the precious name of Jesus, 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.

What Adds To Your Worth?

On By Ed AlgreenIn WorthLeave a comment

The Holy Bible

      As it is, we see that God has carefully placed each part of the body right where he wanted it.
      But I also want you to think about how this keeps your significance from getting blown up into self-importance. For no matter how significant you are, it is only because of what you are a part of.

The Message: 1 Corinthians 12:18–19

Thoughts:

I love the words of Paul as he taught the church at Corinth, who were obviously challenged with working together with each other to accomplish the work of the church. We may sometimes say that they were off doing their ‘own thing’! Paul cautioned that no matter how significant they thought they were, it is only because of the added strength and combined qualities of the body (the church) with whom they were associated with, and worked together with, for the common cause of Christ. So I reflected on the success, or lack thereof, of the local church today. I realize that the primary source of strength for the  local church comes from God. But I also know that we, the people, are the church, and if we are to be collectively effective in ministry for our Lord, then we must make every effort to work as one. Paul likens the church to the human body, in that the hand can’t get across town to do anything for a person in need without the feet to carry it, the heart to provide the blood and every part of the body to do it’s part. Likewise, we must remember that the church will not be productive if we can’t get ourselves together and work towards the same goal of ministry. Think about it friends, if we don’t display love one for another, or if we are always gossiping about other members, how effective will our words – our ministry, be when we go before the unsaved person? Don’t we realize that successful ministry is only possible when the unsaved see us come before them with a clear expression of Christ’s characteristics, and a working part of the local church? Unfortunately, our inability to work together with the local church is a clear deficiency of Christ’s qualities in our lives. I can confidently assure you that it’s not our Brother or our Sister in deep trouble and causing havoc in our lives, but it’s me oh Lord standing in the need of prayer? How is it with you friend? Anything you need to reconcile with God to help you be a useful part of the local church body?

Prayer:

Lord Jesus I plead with you today to touch my heart, and the hearts of Your people who are struggling so much to get over self and truly recognize that they are only who they are because of what they are a part of, as declared by Paul. Father I believe that it is probably more important now than ever before that Christians fully exemplify You, so that the unsaved may catch a glimpse of the Father. Lord, I pray that we might truly unite as a true church, a true representation of You. Please touch Your people once again Lord, so that we may truly set self aside and allow You to reign in and through us to accomplish Your work set aside for the church. I ask this humbly in the name of Jesus, 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.

Let The Church Be The Church

On By Ed AlgreenIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

The Holy Bible – The Good News Translation

1 Corinthians 12:12-13

12 The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ. 13 Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit.

My Thoughts:

Yesterday I finished my remarks with a sentence “Let the church be the church”, and after allowing God’s Holy Spirit to speak to me this morning, I was pointed to these two verses with a similar theme to what I ended with yesterday. I’m sure that Paul was, in a lot of ways, very similar to pastors and church leaders today, where they are probably sick of the ‘hand’ telling him (the pastor, or Paul) what the ‘feet’ should be doing and how they should be doing it, or least telling him every time they have stumbled. I believe the message from the Holy Spirit to churches today is that you are enormously blessed of God, you have members who have been gifted to help you achieve the ministry needed in your community that is desperately in need of the Savior. Have them respectively do their part to ensure that the combined body will be effective. To the members, I believe that the Holy Spirit would compel us to ask the Master for the wisdom, strength, boldness and power to do your part well, and pleasing to the Master, and oh, please pray for the other parts (members) to also be diligent about their part of the work, so that you can come back to your weekend service and fill your church building with worship, praise and thanksgiving to me (God). I believe that we must each discern our gift, with the help of the Holy Spirit and get to work, for the time that we have to accomplish this all is very short. Friends, fellow Christians, there is no indication that we are to gossip about our brother who may not be as strong as us; no indication that we are to get our fellow Christians together and gloat over the work that our remaining brothers are doing and how they are filling the gap for what we should be doing. Otherwise, what will you celebrate at your next church service? Yes, we can praise God for all that others have achieved, but won’t we be embarrassed and disappointed to apologize for us doing nothing for the glory of God? There’s a song that I started to hum as I paused, and the words included in that song are: “There’s a Work for all to do”, and friends, this is exactly what I discerned from this passage in 1 Corinthians 12. If you are not doing something to compliment the work of the Lord, your stagnancy can almost be considered a deterrent. Will you commit to do your part today towards building up the kingdom? You may not be the preacher or the teacher, but as a child of God your work is assigned to you! I encourage you to do it with every fibre of your being and with the help of the Almighty!

My Prayer:

Lord Jesus, Master and Almighty God, please forgive me for not always doing my part in the work of Your church here on this earth. Please give me guidance, wisdom and direction on all that I might do to edify, encourage and challenge all those that I come into contact with, so that they may feel a touch from You. I’m a part of Your enormous work here on this earth and in all walks of life I am reminded how badly ‘People need the Lord’. I can’t sit back and wait for my Brother to speak with, or impact the lives of my friends, I must use the gifts that You have blessed me with so that together with my Brother, we may impact a life for You and direct them towards the cross, where You might also give them the gift of eternal life. Please speak to Your church once again and open our eyes to the gifts that You have given to us and clearly enlighten us of the ways that we can use those gifts to bring You glory. Lord, may the church once again be the church! I ask this in the precious name of Jesus my Savior, AMEN!
**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.

Using The Spiritual Gift(s) Given to Us

On By Ed AlgreenIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

The Holy Bible – New Living Translation

1 Corinthians 12:4-7

4 There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all. 5 There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord. 6 God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us. 7 A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other.

My Thoughts:

Believers in the Corinthian church had challenged Paul with their doubts, questions and misunderstandings about the gifts that Christians are blessed with by the Holy Spirit after accepting Jesus as Lord. I believe that God influenced Paul to write about this and that his writing and explanation would be included in the Bible to serve a purpose in our churches by Christians even today. Friends, it is so easy to sit back and soak in the preaching of God’s Word, pat the preacher on the back and go on back home feeling satisfied that we have done our Christian duty for the week. After all, many churches see most members for a weekend morning service, and provided that all the expectations are adhered to, such as no more than 1 hour service, then they may return the next week. I hate to burst your bubble Brothers and Sisters, but that’s not Christianity, that’s church attendance – much like you might do when you take your spouse to the movies. Paul is explaining here that as a child of God, we receive God’s Holy Spirit, who resides within us to guide us, protect us, give us God’s wisdom and be our personal comforter. We are also given a spiritual gift that is customized just for us. Some of us may have the gift of preaching, or of teaching, or encouraging each other, or praying for each other, or witnessing to unbelievers, etc. However, because these gifts are given by the one and only God, they are to be used for His glory while helping others out. Because our gifts are used for the glory of the same God, we can conclude that we are on the same team, making every effort to please the same team leader, God. To sit and sour and say that you have no gift, is to call God a liar, because He declared through His servant Paul that a gift is given to every believer. For us to say that we are incapable of fulfilling or using the gift given to us is an insult to God, because we are actually doubting His Word and His ability to fulfill His promise. Friends, let us seek God’s face and ask Him to make very evident to us the special gift(s) He has blessed us with, then lets commit to using it/them for His glory, through the power of His blessed Holy Spirit. Others will be blessed and God will be glorified. Imagine the joy this will bring to your heart!

My Prayer:

Holy Father, thank You for the precious gift of Your Son, Jesus who, through His sacrifice we can become a child of the King. Thank You for going a step further and providing Your Holy Spirit to indwell us with power from above to handle everyday situations and to overcome challenges that are often beyond our control. Thank You for the gifts given to us to bless others with, so that You may be glorified. Please highlight the gift within each one meditating on this devotional today so that we may be refreshed on our purpose here on earth, and so that Your church may indeed be Your church. I can only imagine the overwhelming offerings of praise at our weekend services if Your children would be obedient to You and actually use the gifts empowered by Your Holy Spirit to bless others this week. Please glorify Yourself through us dear Jesus, for I ask all this in Your precious and wonderful name, AMEN!
**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.

Hide God’s Word in Your Heart & Truly Live for Him

On By Ed AlgreenIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

The Holy Bible: The Good News Translation

Psalm 119:10–11

10             With all my heart I try to serve you;

keep me from disobeying your commandments.

11             I keep your law in my heart,

so that I will not sin against you.

Thoughts:

I heard at a conference last Friday that if every American paid their fair share of taxes, then each American who currently pay, would pay $2,000 less per year! I have no political agenda friends, but I thought that statistic would help me to introduce my thought on this short passage. For I believe that if every Christian took the stand as David did in vowing to sincerely serve God from the very depths of our hearts, and with God’s help, vowed to obey His commands, then I believe several things will occur:

  • We will not be looked upon by non-Christians as hypocrites, for we will live our lives in accordance with what we say we believe;
  • Individually we would have such an influence on non-Christians, that we associate with, that they will be under constant conviction by God, because they will feel the presence of God in such a real and sobering way;
  • We will naturally humble ourselves, kneel and pray, so that God might hear from heaven, heal our land and perform mighty works among the people and governments of our land (2 Chronicles 7:14);
  • Our worship services will be so filled with praise and worship to our Lord and Savior that non-believers walking into our midst will be immediately touched by God’s Holy Spirit that will be very evident in the place of worship.

So friends, how important is it for us to draw near to God, commit to obeying His commands and actually live out His whole teaching? It could mean the difference of life eternally for a friend or loved one. If not, we could continue to live our lackadaisical lives content with seeing these special folk die every day around us and go to hell. It can make the difference of life and death for them, and a much more pleasing experience for us when we stand before our Master. What will it be for you, friend?

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, walking the Christian life and living according to Your will is influenced by everything talked about in this devotional today. Thank You for the reminder through Your servant David, on the importance of committing Your Word to our hearts so that our lives will be influenced by it, and not the alternative – the evil things of this world and its leader, Satan. Others need to see Jesus in us to help convince them that there is a living, loving, everlasting God. Oh that they may see just that today dear God. This can only be possible through the power and might of Your precious Holy Spirit, so I plead my case before You dear God, in the precious and powerful name of Your Son, Jesus, my Lord, AMEN!

NOTE: 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.

Trust In The Lord!

On By Ed AlgreenIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

The Holy Bible – The Good News Translation

Psalm 118:6–9

6               The Lord is with me, I will not be afraid;

what can anyone do to me?

7               It is the Lord who helps me,

and I will see my enemies defeated.

8               It is better to trust in the Lord

than to depend on human beings.

9               It is better to trust in the Lord

than to depend on human leaders.

Thoughts:

In marriage life we build trust in our spouses by: keeping each other’s secrets confidential; by being there for each other when it seems like no one else is available to us; understanding and caring for each other through the good times and the bad; listening to each other when we dream of our future, but would rather keep those thoughts very private for the time being; loving each other in spite of the bad things we know about each other. I realize the list is not all inclusive, however I am mindful of the love of God and how He cares for me. Additionally, I also know that in addition to the above, He also knows my very inmost thoughts. Now, when I share things with my spouse, she can only feel sorry for me, show that she cares, and she may wish me well. With God, He not only works with me to become my very best for His service, but also goes beyond anything I can think or imagine as His child! I believe that the Psalmist was feeling a little of this as he shared this Psalm. For he had seen proof that God came through for him when no one else would, or could. He saw that God was greater than any other human being, and also beyond anything his leaders could every do for him. Friends, nothing has changed about God! He still loves and cares for His own, and He still provides for our every care and/or concern. Just this past week I was praying for a need in my life, only to see God respond in a miraculous way, that far exceeded the specific need that I presented, but that would totally resolve and satisfy my need. I can truly say with the Psalmist that God is greater than any other human being that I could possibly place my faith and trust in, and also way beyond any human leader I may feel confident in. Whom then shall I fear when Jesus is my Savior, my friend, my all powerful, all gracious and all loving King? Friend, please allow me to introduce you to Him, if you don’t already know Him. If you do know him already as you wonderful Lord, please be encourage by this reminder today. There is no god like our God! I encourage you to accept Him today, trust Him and allow Him full control of your life today!

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, please forgive me for the times that I doubted Your ability to come through for me, and for the times that I selfishly asked for things to satisfy my personal desires instead of staying focused on the things that will bring glory to You. The Psalmist has reminded me that You are very caring, full of wisdom and especially understanding of my weaknesses, and I have no reason to doubt, but every reason to place my total faith and trust in You. Please continue to bless me with the faith to remain strong in my commitment to You, and to allow You full control of my life. Lord, I believe that many friends who might meditate on this devotional today may be battling with similar trust issues. Please reveal Your deep compassion towards them and work in their hearts for total surrender of self, and to the awesome God that You are. Thank You for Your awesome love and caring about my life, and my future here on this earth. Please continue to work on me, in me and through me as Your humble servant. I ask this in the precious and awesome name of Jesus, my Savior, AMEN!

NOTE: 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.

Do It For The Glory of God!

On By Ed AlgreenIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

The Bible – The Message

1 Corinthians 10:31–33

31–33          So eat your meals heartily, not worrying about what others say about you—you’re eating to God’s glory, after all, not to please them. As a matter of fact, do everything that way, heartily and freely to God’s glory. At the same time, don’t be callous in your exercise of freedom, thoughtlessly stepping on the toes of those who aren’t as free as you are. I try my best to be considerate of everyone’s feelings in all these matters; I hope you will be, too.

Thoughts:

These verses sounds very similar to what we studied yesterday, but we looked at the aspect of being considerate of others as we celebrate the liberties of being a Christian. Today I want us to think about the phrase that I bolded in the above verses: “whatever we do, do it heartily and freely to the glory of God”. The first thing that I believe God prompted me to consider and that is my behavior at work. Friends, it is very easy to act godly inside the church walls, but as one church displayed over their exit doors, “You are now entering your mission field”. It would probably be frowned on by most employers to walk in to work with our Bibles under our arms, or for us to have our first sermon in the lounge while others stop in for their morning coffee. In fact, we would display our dishonesty in doing certain things at work, because we would encroach on the time that we are being paid to work, and that equals cheating our employers. In my opinion, being a representative of God at work means that we stand up for honesty – both in being a role model setting an example for those we work for, and in keeping our employees honest in giving of their best to our employer. Christians should be the best employees, in that they are to be honest, hardworking and setting an example for others to follow. Some might question why they should act this way when so many are taking long breaks, doing personal business at work, and not giving a solid day’s work? May I remind you from the word of God (above) that whatever we do, we must do it for the glory of God! Let’s not disappoint Him in seeing us acting or being anything other than following His footsteps, His commands and His will for our lives. Remember, non-Christians looking on at our behavior – in deed or word, will show them what God looks like, so that they may be encouraged to also want to know Him personally! Are you proud of the example you are displaying at work, or at any place where non-Christians are looking on? It’s not too late to change that attitude friend, or shall I say, not too late to seek God’s help and direction for ways you can change that. I would encourage you to call on Him while He may be found.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, I wish that You would look on me today and be proud of my actions and/or words, because I have followed Your plan and Your design for this humble servant. Please work on me for a constant and consistent walk with You, especially in the midst of non-Christians. Of course, I also desire to be more like You in all aspects of my life, because I could be of encouragement to my fellow Christians in areas that they are struggling. Therefore I ask that You give me the qualities that I need to demonstrate Your love and Your example to all that I come into contact with. May You be glorified from all that I may do or say today, is my humble prayer and request. Please be especially strong in touching the lives of those that may meditate on this devotional today so that Your people will learn to be like You in all areas of life. I ask all this in Your precious and holy name, Jesus, my Savior, AMEN!

NOTE: 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.

Be Considerate of Others

On By Ed AlgreenIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

The Bible – New Century Version

1 Corinthians 10:23–24

23 “We are allowed to do all things,” but not all things are good for us to do. “We are allowed to do all things,” but not all things help others grow stronger. 24 Do not look out only for yourselves. Look out for the good of others also.

Thoughts:

I believe that anytime we feel that we have an advantage over another person, whether it be in education; or popularity; or financially; or the house/area we live in; or yes, even in our Christianity, that unless we are super careful and humble, we could easily inflate our value and/or our pride to feel like we are above another brother’s level, or better than that sister over there. Paul had to address this problem with the Corinthian church, because just as in our case today, if we are to be the image of Christ, we must remember that He was probably known more for His humility than He was for His power, or His place in the holy Trinity. I also believe that although we may sometime feel like being around a smarter person, for example, as it might help us to become smarter, we are never comfortable around them for very long because we feel intimidated by them. Friends, if we are to reach the rich and the poor, then we must be neutral in our feelings about worldly standings and concentrate solely on the condition of the person’s soul. You see, the lack, or the excess of finances is not a condition of, or a requirement of, getting into heaven. Jesus said, unless a man humbles himself, acknowledges his sin, recognizes the only One who could forgive sin, Jesus Christ, and ask for forgiveness of sin, it is only then that they will become a child of the King. They can’t buy their way into heaven, nor will Jesus feel sorry for their lack of finances and automatically accept them into heaven, they each must come to the foot of the cross and ask for forgiveness of their sin and invite Jesus into their heart. Friends, whatever we do, whether we feel we are at liberty to do it because of the freedom of our religion, or just for selfish reasons, if we do it without regard for our brother who may not be as fortunate as we are in any area of life, then I believe that God will hold us accountable. As the verse above says, we are to look out for the good of others, not just ourselves. Talk to God about it today friend, He will show you any areas of your life that is not aligned with His will or His character, and direct you on how to correct that. If you have an empty prayer life, please use the information in the footnote to get the help of another Christian.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, thank You for reaching down Your awesome, powerful, loving hand to touch the life of this old sinner, bringing me to my senses, forgiving me of my sin, and crowning me as a child of the King of all kings. Just as You humbled Yourself to touch me, I pray for wisdom, boldness, humility and love to also touch the lives of those around me with the love of Jesus. Who am I that a King would bleed and die for? Who am I to then think that I am superior to any other human being, I’m just a humble sinner saved by grace who wants to see as many of my family and friends also know my Savior, so that together we may walk through Heaven’s portals and be welcomed by our Master! Oh, what a glorious day that will be!!! Lord, I humbly ask all this in Your precious name, even as I praise You for all You have done for me already, AMEN!

NOTE: 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.