Your Response Compared to Mary’s

On 2016-12-24 By Ed AlgreenIn Bible Believing, Christian, Faith, Humility, Imitator of Christ, Obedience, SurrenderLeave a comment

Saturday, 2016-12-24

Scripture

Bible Reference: Luke 1:46-50

Bible Text: Then Mary said, “I praise the Lord with all my heart. I am very happy because God is my Savior. I am not important, but he has shown his care for me, his lowly servant. From now until the end of time, people will remember how much God blessed me. Yes, the Powerful One has done great things for me. His name is very holy. He always gives mercy to those who worship him.

Bible Translation: Easy-to-Read Version (ERV)

My Take

In verse 30 of this same chapter, the angel who appeared before this young virgin, Mary, calmed her be saying that God was delivering this awesome news to her because He was pleased with her. Does that make you think that there was a close relationship between Mary and her God? There is a gospel song entitled ‘Why me’, and I love that song, but I believe it is evident in this example of Mary that if we have the kind of relationship with God that He is pleased with, then perhaps He will be pleased with us also! Therefore, in line with God’s everlasting goodness, there is no limit as to what He might do through you and I also! I believe that the other thing that we are taught in this greeting to Mary, is that when you have this type of relationship with God, and He decides to use you, He may very well use an agent of His to deliver the good news, as He did with the angel to Mary. Oh that we may have the grace to humbly accept the assignments that God sends our way. In accepting His assignment, I believe you are acknowledging that the God of this universe knows what He’s doing, and will do what He has planned, and He knows how He might best use you for His ultimate glory! Now consider what you may have thought of Mary if she responded to the angel that she would take time to think about it, because she is not one to make snap decisions. Or perhaps, asked the angel for a sign to prove to her that this assignment is truly from God. Wouldn’t that sound like she was second-guessing God. Friends, I believe that it is very obvious that God always looks for our availability, and He never has to worry about our abilities. Remember in Paul’s ministry, he desired that he might decrease, so that God may increase? Remember how John the Baptist said that he could only baptize with water, but that One who was to follow Him would actually baptize with the Holy Spirit? Yes, considering our weaknesses and our limited knowledge and abilities, we are limited by what we can do for the glory of God, but the Word of God reminds us that in Christ, and under the anointing of His Holy Spirit, He (God) can do ALL things. Friends, without any intention to brag, I can share from personal experience that God called me into various ministries where I was totally dependent on Him, and when totally surrendered to God, He was able to accomplish great things for His glory. When others look at us, and witness our actions and attitudes, their lives will only be moved into action IF they see Jesus. I would like to recommend that you consider joining me, as we daily connect with God – seek His face, not His hand, and give Him the place of honor and glory that He deserves. Make yourself available to Him for anything that He would consider using you for in accomplishing His will in your realm of influence. I believe it will amaze us how He could use even you and me! Can we, like Mary, praise God from the very depths of our hearts for what He has done, can do, and even accomplish through us, this Christmas?

Prayer

Lord Jesus, what a wonderful Savior You are! To create mere humans, allow them to do their own thing, then to accept our call for salvation, and unconditionally love us enough to welcome us back to Yourself. Wow, Oh What A Savior! But more than that Lord, You look at Your restored loved ones with such holiness that they are at Your disposal to even be used by You! Wow, Oh What A Savior! Scripture shows us how You used Your humble servant Mary, and I truly believe today that those who know You personally can easily be used by You as we place ourselves at Your feet and accept Your authority. Your will be done oh 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. Allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog could indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to www.nuggetsfromgodsword.org and read more, or you may freely to subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us!

What Happened?

On 2016-12-23 By Ed AlgreenIn Bible Believing, Christian, Faith, Humility, Obedience, Righteousness, SurrenderLeave a comment

Friday, 2016-12-23

Scripture

Bible Reference: Luke 2:15-17

Bible Text: ¹⁵When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” ¹⁶They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. ¹⁷After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child.

Bible Translation:New Living Translation (NLT)

My Take

Perhaps this Christmas, as we are reminded again about the actions, excitement, awe and obedience of those involved in the story of the birth of Christ, we might ask ourselves “What Happened?”. Why is it that poor shepherds who saw nothing but stink, four-legged sheep all day and then watched over them even by night, why is that they ‘got it’, and we still look through blurred glasses and see nothing but gifts, shopping, stress, children singing and preachers bellowing, but we never stop to consider the thought of meeting or knowing the One that this whole thing of Christmas is all about? I believe that way too often we would represent the shepherds who saw and heard angels for the very first time, recognized that yes, they are directing their message towards us, but then sit back and say “oh well, that was nice. They were in tune and did a wonderful job” and then roll back on our side and go to sleep. Please stop and read the story again, the shepherds didn’t settle for hearing about this miraculous birth, they wanted to see, feel, and witness the scene, the baby, the parents and understand the whole concept of what this whole thing was about! So what do you suppose happened to you and I? We have attended, and probably still will attend church events where we hear in song and word about a God who loves us so much that He miraculously caused His Son to be born among us; lived among us and performed many miracles to prove His relation to God; humbly and obediently died between two common criminals, just to prove His love for us and to provide the means of eternal life for us. Yes friend, that’s the kind of amazing story that surrounds the One we will hear about this Christmas, but will you look deeper than the ones singing, the ones preaching and the nagging mother who tries every year to get you out to church with her, and instead commit to knowing more about the One whom this whole Christmas thing is about? If your best friend told you they were having chest pain, you would not simply smile at them and express your disappointment, most of us would start researching for ways to help that friend overcome the problem. So what happened to us that we would hear of Jesus and deflect that good news and reject the offer that still stands today – to know Him personally and accept His free gift of salvation that leads to life eternally with He and our Father! Friends, may I encourage you to know Him; know the true meaning of ‘love’ in its purest form, and know about that peace that surpasses everything we could every imagine or understand this Christmas season? This could then truly be the merriest of all Christmases for you and those you love, friend!

Prayer

Lord God, we are thankful that You gave to us in the form of Your precious Son in greatest humility back in Bethlehem many years ago. We are compelled to seek Your forgiveness for the ways that we have focused attention from Your birth and more towards the commercial aspects of Christmas that we now find ourselves caught up in. I believe that what has happened is that the evil one has found ways to distract us from Your birth and instead more towards the worldly pleasures that pull us away from You. Please restore a desire within us to know You personally and a deep commitment to serve You and share Your love with others. May we be reminded that because You gave to us of your very best, we too might give You our heart and share our love with others in ways that might draw them to You this Christmas. AMEN!

Footnote

Time, Place and Availability

On 2016-12-22 By Ed AlgreenIn Bible Believing, Christian, Faith, Humility, Obedience, SurrenderLeave a comment

Thursday, 2016-12-22

Scripture

Bible Reference: Luke 2:4-7

Bible Text: ^4-5Mary’s fiancé Joseph, from Nazareth in Galilee, had to participate in the census in the same way everyone else did. Because he was a descendant of King David, his ancestral city was Bethlehem, David’s birthplace. Mary, who was now late in her pregnancy that the messenger Gabriel had predicted, ⁶accompanied Joseph. While in Bethlehem, she went into labor ⁷and gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped the baby in a blanket and laid Him in a feeding trough because the inn had no room for them.

Bible Translation: The Voice Translation (Voice)

My Take

Time, Place and Availability are three things we tend to look closely at this time of the year as we plan our parties and family meals. But these are some things that require our attention in the Christmas story also! I would suggest that you click on the Scripture for today and read the first 7 verses of Luke chapter 2. You will notice in this short passage that God had a perfect plan for the birth of His Son, Jesus. Here are some points that I believe you will find fascinating:

The Time: Was it coincidence, or was it God’s perfect plan that the very time for Joseph to go to his family’s birthplace (Bethlehem) to be registered for the census, was also the time in Mary’s pregnancy that her baby would be born?
The Place: Was it coincidence, or was it God’s perfect plan that when Isaiah prophesied that the Son of the Most High would be of the lineage of David, that God would actually align a plan to place Mary and Joseph in the same birth-town of David at the time of Jesus’ birth?
The Availability: Joseph broke all traditions to take Mary as his wife, even after learning that she was pregnant – and not bearing his child. He was available to the call of God, in spite of the mockery he would receive. Mary openly accepted the call of God to carry His miraculous One, in spite of the possibility of losing her fiancé Joseph, and losing all respect from her family and townspeople. They both were available to the will and plan of God. However, this was not the way it was in every case during the pregnancy and birth of our Lord, for much like many of us today, there was no room for Joseph and Mary to rest their head and prepare for the birth of their child – the Savior of the world; the King of all kings; the Redeemer sent to save all mankind from the grip of sin on their life. There was no room for Jesus.

Friends, I believe that there is an enormous message in this short Scripture for us today. At times, it appears like there are circumstances in our lives that we would just rather not deal with, and for the life of us we just can’t understand why some things happen to us. I believe you can see from the above that our awesome God has this whole delicate life of ours perfectly in the palm of His hand and under His awesome plan and care, even if we sometimes may think in terms of coincidence, or happen-chance. Here is a personal experience that gives me confidence in this powerful truth: almost 30 years ago I sat before my aging parents in the Bahamas, and told them that my wife and I had been approved by the US Government to reside in the USA. It really saddened and frustrated my dad that his oldest son would move that far away from his aging parents. In less than 2 years after that meeting with my parents, my dad thanked God, in my presence, that He had opened that door for me, that now led to his life being saved through medical intervention here in the US. Friends, when we allow room for Jesus in our life, we had best hang tight for the time of our lives. Yes, there will be circumstances we don’t understand, but notice that there is no recorded argument by Mary or Joseph with God over His perfect plan. God just needs our availability. Have you found time for Jesus in your life? Have you surrendered to His perfect plan for your life? Ours is not to question or reason, just to surrender and obey. One of these days, when face to face with Jesus, I look forward to the voice of my Savior saying “well done, good; faithful; and obedient servant, welcome home!” This can also be your outcome, if you have surrendered your life to Jesus. Please read my Footnote and follow the referenced scripture to identify the need in your life today.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, even at Your birth we marvel at the perfect plan that had been aligned to announce Your coming, Your birth and the heralded welcome by so many. There were many who surrendered to Your call, and who stopped what they were doing to allow Your guiding hand upon their lives. Perhaps as we stop and listen this Christmas, we will hear; we will understand better; and we will be more obedient to Your call on our lives. Lord may we learn to place You as high priority in our busy lives this Christmas and in the year ahead. Often we tend to blame our neglect on not having time (for You). May we learn to change that to openly confess that You were just not a priority to us. I sincerely believe that to be the case, and pray that You might help us to get our priorities straight, beginning with me, and beginning today. For I surrender myself afresh to You precious Lord, AMEN!

Footnote

A Deep Test Of Obedience

On 2016-12-21 By Ed AlgreenIn Bible Believing, Faith, Obedience, Righteousness, SurrenderLeave a comment

Wednesday, 2016-12-21

Scripture

Bible Reference: Matthew 1:20-25

Bible Text: ²⁰Now when Joseph had decided to act on his instincts, a messenger of the Lord came to him in a dream.

Messenger of the Lord: Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to wed Mary and bring her into your home and family as your wife. She did not sneak off and sleep with someone else—rather, she conceived the baby she now carries through the miraculous wonder-working of the Holy Spirit. ²¹She will have a son, and you will name Him Jesus, which means “the Lord saves,” because this Jesus is the person who will save all of His people from sin.

²⁴Joseph woke up from his dream and did exactly what the messenger had told him to do: he married Mary and brought her into his home as his wife ²⁵(though he did not consummate their marriage until after her son was born). And when the baby was born, Joseph named Him Jesus, Savior.

Bible Translation: The Voice Translation (Voice)

My Take

Kids learn at a very early age that if you really want to get to another kid, just mention something bad about their mom. As adults we become very tender anytime we hear something derogatory about almost any close relative, whether spouse; child; sibling or parents. So as I meditated on this very common passage of scripture that we hear almost every Christmas, I tried to imagine what Joseph must have been thinking when, in spite of him having no sexual relations with Mary, yet he found that the woman he was about to marry was already pregnant. I’m sure his mind must have travelled along the road of infidelity on Mary’s part, and the mockery that he would receive from family and friends. Like us, Joseph had already made plans in his mind how he was going to handle the break-off of the engagement so that there would not be a negative impact on Mary. However, I believe that as Joseph pondered these things in his heart, he must have really been hoping that there would be some miraculous explanation about this whole earth-shattering event in his life, for I believe that love is just that way, it hears bad things, but expects clarification to help an individual make good on his/her commitment to one another. But here comes the kicker, hope came in a very unexpected, and yes, miraculous way, for an angel appeared to Joseph as he slept and dreamed. However the message was very clear. In fact, so much so, that there is no doubt expressed in the Word of God! Joseph simply followed the instructions given to him by the angel. He married his awesome bride, and from every indication, he took care of her as if the baby was his very own flesh and blood. This is an awesome story of obedience to the Holy Spirit, friends. Yes, we can surmise what may have happened if Joseph decided to ignore God, but I sincerely believe that God works very much the same today. When he speaks to us, there is no doubting on our part, or trying to conjure up a plan to escape His plan, for we are His servants who should be constantly asking for His guidance and understanding of His will for our lives. Therefore, when it becomes evident to us, we simply obey and thank God for it. The obedience of Mary and Joseph let to the fulfilment of prophecy, and to being used by God to birth into this world the Savior, who would ultimately prove to be the very Son of God and redeemer of all who trust Him as their Lord and Savior. Friends, the obedience talked about here led to something BIG, I mean HUGE! Imagine what miracles can be wrought through you and me if only we will humble ourselves in obedience to the King of all kings and Lord of all lords. We may look at the challenges of reaching our family and friends for the Lord as virtually impossible in our eyes, but compared to the miracle of a virgin girl becoming conceived without sexual relations by a man makes our challenges somewhat lame in comparison. Being led by God to witness and encourage a lost friend may sound impossible to us because we are so convinced that we know the negativity of the person so well, but the same God who got through to Joseph, can also redirect our doubtful minds and lead us and the friend we are direct to, towards total obedience. Are you prepared to imitate the obedience and faith of Joseph this Christmas? God has a plan, and you and I could very well be in the very middle of it, if only we will surrender our will to the Master.

Prayer

Dear Lord, You are truly in control of this whole universe, and especially in control of Your children seeking Your will for their very next move. As in the case of Joseph, I pray that we will look beyond the possibilities of our natural eyes, and instead rest our very selves at the control of our Savior during this time of the year when most folk stop to reflect on the newborn Christ-child as being the very meaning and reason for Christmas. Lord, may joy bells ring out loudly this Christmas as our family and friends find peace in the grace and power of the new-born King, Jesus, our Lord and the Savior of the world! AMEN!

Footnote

A Well Orchestrated Plan!

On 2016-12-20 By Ed AlgreenIn Bible Believing, Christian, Faith, Humility, Love, Obedience, SurrenderLeave a comment

Tuesday, 2016-12-20

Scripture

Bible Reference: Micah 5:2-5

Bible Text: ²The Lord says, “Bethlehem Ephrathah, you are one of the smallest towns in Judah, but out of you I will bring a ruler for Israel, whose family line goes back to ancient times.” ³So the Lord will abandon his people to their enemies until the woman who is to give birth has her son. Then those Israelites who are in exile will be reunited with their own people. ⁴When he comes, he will rule his people with the strength that comes from the Lord and with the majesty of the Lord God himself. His people will live in safety because people all over the earth will acknowledge his greatness, ⁵and he will bring peace.

Bible Translation: Good News Translation (GNT)

My Take

Because I learned a few new things in my study today about this popular passage included in the story about the birth of Jesus, I wanted to share with you the fascination I found with how God coordinated this whole birth of His Holy One, the Lord Jesus Christ. For those of you that know all of these things, I ask that you bear with this humble child while I continue to learn the great truths of God’s Word. Look at these things with me:

Bethlehem Ephrathah – It seems interesting why God chose the humility of one of the smallest towns around for His Son to be born. His Son that would be born to rule and reign over all Israel and be the Savior of the whole world. But:
- Did you know that in this small town, David was also born? Look at 1 Samuel 17:12 for this reference! Remember from New Testament scripture that Jesus would be of the lineage of David!
- Did you know that God didn’t need the popularity of a large town, or the extra security of a major city for His Son to be born and recognized as a major leader of the world?
The Lord abandoned His people – The Lord had worked so miraculously among the Israelites and carefully provided for them, yet time after time He sadly saw them return to their sin and idol worship. So in this passage we are told that He answered their requests to leave them alone, for He abandoned them. But He did this while also foretelling of One that He would send to love, rule, and reign over them with deep compassion. Friends, do you see where this whole miracle has changed us very much today? For it seems like we live in a world where idol worship is still very prevalent, and our merciful God is still mocked through the blatant sin and disregard of His precious Son. Note that ‘idol’ worship is something, or someone, other than God, who attracts the attention of His people. What are those excuses again that folk use when they can’t, or won’t make it to corporate worship?

Friends, we can see from the very beginning that God had a well orchestrated plan to save His people from their sin, and I am convinced that this was not just for the people of Israel, but for all that He created to live on this earth. That includes both you and me. I have accepted Him as my Lord and Savior and therefore can boast of my eternal home in heaven. My whole purpose in sharing these blogs each day is not to help you feel better about yourself, or for you to see how guilty I feel about myself, but to encourage you to take God at His word. He orchestrated a plan for your salvation. Please consider accepting that gift today, by surrendering your life to the Lord Jesus Christ. You will see and feel Christmas in a way that you have never done before! Friends, know Him and know the peace that is often referred to each Christmas, won’t you?

Prayer

Dear God, I thank You for the everlasting gift of salvation, and for Your precious Son that You sent so that salvation might be possible. I am so afraid that our world has become as bad or worse than Israel when You removed Your hand from them. I am also afraid that we are still as stubborn about our sin and disregard even after Your special provision given through Your Son. Lord, please use this Christmas season to once again remind our people of the purpose of You sending Your Son, and the unique privilege that is ours to allow Your Prince of Peace, the Everlasting Savior, to rule and reign in our lives throughout the rest of our lives and even through eternity with You in glory. You’re my King, and I praise You Heavenly Father, AMEN!

Footnote

Telling The World About Jesus

On 2016-12-19 By Ed AlgreenIn Bible Believing, Christian, Faith, Obedience, SurrenderLeave a comment

Monday, 2016-12-13

Scripture

Bible Reference: John 1:6-9

Bible Text: 6 There was a man named John, who was sent by God. 7 He came to tell people about the light. Through him all people could hear about the light and believe. 8 John was not the light. But he came to tell people about the light. 9 The true light was coming into the world. This is the true light that gives light to all people.

Bible Translation: New Century Version (NCV)

My Take

Not only was Jesus born through miraculous means, but God also miraculously created a forerunner to tell the world about the Savior that was to come, and his name was John. I believe that God also created others to share the responsibility in John’s absence. If you haven’t guessed already, I believe those partners of John are you and I. No, I didn’t make an error in what I said. I didn’t mean the pastors and preachers and evangelists. I really meant those of us that are saved, filled with the Holy Spirit and prepared spiritually to share the love story about Jesus with those that He loves and that we should care about. There are many stories about John and the extremes he went to in accomplishing his responsibility. I wonder if others who know us, know that we are recipients of the most precious gift of all. I wonder if they know and recognize that because of God’s promise of eternal life, that we are making every effort to convince our family and friends of their need for this Savior of ours! Friends, John was the forerunner of Jesus, and we are the forerunner of His return. The dark world that we live in today is so full of sin and evil in so many ways, that there appears to be no ‘light’ at the end of our ‘dark tunnel’. My desire is to see the light of Jesus blot out the darkness and get the attention of our friends that are so enveloped in darkness, so that they may surrender to the lordship of Jesus, the ultimate Light of the world! But how will they know if we don’t tell them? Like John, we have a responsibility to tell about the Light of the word, Jesus!

Prayer

Lord Jesus, thank You for using a humble servant of yours to show me the Light of the world! Thank You for being my Savior and my Lord, especially in this dark world in which I live. I am convinced from our scripture today that we are to be partners with John and humble servants of Yours, and to share that Light with all those that we come into contact with. Lord, may your Light shine through my readers and I so that the world may know and believe. I ask these things knowing that there are many that each of us know personally who need You, the Light of the world! Amen!

Footnote

Reverence Filled The Air

On 2016-12-15 By Ed AlgreenIn Bible Believing, Christian, Faith, Reverence1 Comment

Thursday, 2016-12-15

Scripture

Bible Reference: Luke 1:62-65

Bible Text: ⁶²They turned to Zacharias and asked him what he wanted the baby’s name to be. ⁶³He motioned for a tablet, and he wrote, “His name is John.” Everyone was shocked by this breach of family custom. ⁶⁴They were even more surprised when, at that moment, Zacharias was able to talk again, and he shouted out praises to God. ⁶⁵A sense of reverence spread through the whole community. In fact, this story was spread throughout the hilly countryside of Judea.

Bible Translation: The Voice Translation (Voice)

My Take

For those who are not familiar with the context of this story, I will add that Zechariah and Elizabeth had gone childless most of their lives, but not without praying intimately to God for a child. Finally, one day (when the time was right with God) while working in the temple, God told Zechariah about the great answer to his prayers, as his wife would bear a child. Like most other seniors, this made Zechariah seriously question God on how could this possibly happen to such an old lady. Because of his questioning, God made him speechless until the child was born. In spite of all this, Zechariah never lost hope or his faith in the Almighty, because soon enough he would see that his wife was indeed pregnant. As I meditated on these verses today, I tried to imagine how this may have gone down in today’s world, for we seldom have temple workers, other than, perhaps, the janitors. However, God is not constrained to just appearing to someone at their church building, so I believe that God would meet the individual in a place where He knows that He would be most effective in getting His point across to them. So skip forward to the story in today’s scripture and let’s imagine how this might happen in today’s world. I believe that because of Elizabeth’s age, her very close friends would probably still keep a very close eye on her, even though in today’s society we seem much too busy with our own affairs to be bothered with, or care about the happenings at our neighbor’s home. But let’s assume that a few friends and the mother’s pastor went along to the hospital to encourage Elizabeth, and to comfort poor Zechariah during the time that his wife were in the capable hands of the doctors and nurses. After seeing this birth come to fruition, can you imagine these loved ones walking away in jaw-dropping awe over this old lady having her first baby? Now fast forward to eight days later when these friends came along after the circumcision for the naming of the baby. I’m sure that it would go without saying that the baby boy would be named after his old dad, however, like everything else in this story up to this time, the naming is also way out there, and quite unexpected. Witnessing the return of Zechariah’s speech, and considering all the surrounding miracles in John the Baptist’s birth, in our world today there may be enough to stir up a sense of revival in the lives of those near to the family, and it may have stirred them to give a testimony or two at their local churches, but do you think that it would have made the local papers or television news? Probably not, because it would be sure to promote the holiness and power of God. But what does it do to you and I, Christians? We’ve read the story and heard sermons that include this story year after year, but does it fill our heard with the awe-inspiring power of God, and the encouragement to spread the good news about our Father, that He is the same today, as He was yesterday and in the actions involving the story of Elizabeth, Zechariah and John the Baptist? I’m sure that unbelievers can’t wrap their minds around this type of event, but for Christians, we should feel goosebumps every time we are reminded of the power of our awesome God! That’s my God, friends! Do you know Him? If not, would you like a personal introduction? If you are one who likes to DIY, please refer to my Footnote and see from God’s Word how important this step of faith is to your eternity.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, You did it before, and I believe that You can do it again, today and every day – praise the wonderful name of Jesus! Please work in the lives of Christians, beginning with me, and miraculously work in the lives of unbelievers, to draw us to the foot of the cross and witness the love, peace, power and miracles of our awesome God. Lord, I am convinced that as we experience this in our lives, we will be more apt to share with others our experience, and the source of our experience, because of Your power and Your grace. There is so much to consider in the story of Zechariah and Elizabeth, but Lord You may very well be working out Your precious plan in the lives of those of us who are dedicated and obedient to Your call today also. May we stay the course, and keep trusting in You, while You work out Your plan for our future. Others will be touched along the way and come to know You as Lord and Savior, for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, AMEN!

Footnote

Reasons Why Jesus Came

On 2016-12-14 By Ed AlgreenIn Bible Believing, Faith, Humility, Righteousness, Salvation, SurrenderLeave a comment

Wednesday, 2016-12-14

Scripture

Bible Reference: Luke 1:49-54

Bible Text: ⁴⁹…His name is holy; ⁵⁰from one generation to another he shows mercy to those who honor him. ⁵¹He has stretched out his mighty arm and scattered the proud with all their plans. ⁵²He has brought down mighty kings from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly. ⁵³He has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away with empty hands. ⁵⁴He has kept the promise he made to our ancestors ….

Bible Translation: Good News Translation (GNT)

My Take

Beginning in verse 46, Mary’s heart is so full of the miracle of God, that she breaks into song. In fact a song that has been known over the years as ‘The Magnificat’ and song by many popular singers around the word every Christmas season. However, what really hit me as I meditated on these verses, is that after Mary had gotten over the humble admiration of being chosen to bear the child – the Son of God; the King of all kings; and the Lord of all lords; she then expanded her praise into other areas where she saw so many other things being fulfilled. In fact, she even showed proof of her ancestral teachings about the Lord God, because some words of her song almost identically quote the words from the mother of Samuel (Hannah), when she rejoiced over her miraculous pregnancy and the state of her people at that time – refer to 1 Samuel 2:4-8. Friends, I sincerely believe that the miraculous birth of our Lord and Savior was not only miraculous to Mary, and reminded her of the hope for her and her people, but because we know the rest of the story in His Book, the Bible, then we also are reminded of the comfort, and the hope we have in knowing that the same babe of which Mary rejoiced before her God. This is the same Jesus who loved us enough to go to the cross of Calvary in order to accomplish His Father’s plan for our salvation! This is the same Jesus that loves us enough to save us – wretched sinners we are, who deserve the depths of Hell; He continues to look out for our good – just as Mary recognized that He would do for her people; and He has an even bigger plan for all eternity, for we have heaven to look forward to – a place where there is no division, or hatred, or envy, but instead a place of peace and solitude where we will worship Father, Son and Holy Spirit for ever and ever, amen! Mary reassured herself in verse 54 that God kept His promise to her ancestors, and friend I am here as His messenger to assure you that He has a plan for our eternity, and there is no doubt as to whether He will keep His promise. The important thing for each of us right now, is that while we are alive – and we all know how delicate that can be, but we are allowed to make our own choice about our destiny. I’ve just described the choice that I made, for I have been promised the joys of heaven. If you have not made that same choice already, then I would encourage you to invite Jesus into your life without further delay. Heaven is there for those who have accepted Jesus as Lord. The alternative is Hell, and without any attempt to bribe or frighten you friend, I want you to know that it’s a place controlled by Satan and his evil cohorts, and I would never wish that on anyone. Please don’t deliberately accept the default because you have not accepted the key to Heaven. Jesus is that key to heaven friend. Please read my Footnote and assure yourself of your eternal destiny. This is super important.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, just as Mary rejoiced in the Son of God that she brought into this world, knowing that He would serve a much greater cause, I commit myself to You all over again. Thank You for accepting me as Your very own child many years ago, please keep me alert to Your ongoing love and purpose for my life so that I may be a living witness to those that I come into contact with. For those who will read this devotional today, please may they find joy and hope this Christmas season in the One for whom Christmas was created to celebrate. As each one reflects on this day and the decision made about their eternal destiny, I pray that they will rejoice in having chosen Jesus as their Lord – the only One who could rescue them from the destination of Hell. You alone are worthy of our praise oh Lord, and we worship You for having made the ultimate sacrifice for our sin. Thank You for coming to this world as a child, and thank you for dying so that we may live eternally with You and the Father! AMEN!

Footnote

God is With Us – Trust Him This Christmas

On 2016-12-10 By Ed AlgreenIn Bible Believing, Christmas, Faith, LoveLeave a comment

Saturday, 2016-12-10

Scripture

Bible Reference: Isaiah 7:9-16

Bible Text: ⁹Samaria is the capital of Ephraim alone, and King Pekah’s power will not increase. You don’t believe me? If you want me to protect you, you must learn to believe what I say.” ¹⁰Not long after this, the Lord sent this further message to King Ahaz: ¹¹“Ask me for a sign, Ahaz, to prove that I will indeed crush your enemies as I have said. Ask anything you like, in heaven or on earth.” ¹²But the king refused. “No,” he said, “I’ll not bother the Lord with anything like that.” ¹³Then Isaiah said: O House of David, you aren’t satisfied to exhaust my patience; you exhaust the Lord’s as well! ¹⁴All right then, the Lord himself will choose the sign—a child shall be born to a virgin! And she shall call him Immanuel (meaning, “God is with us”). ^15-16By the time this child is weaned and knows right from wrong, the two kings you fear so much—the kings of Israel and Syria – will both be dead.

Bible Translation: The Living Bible (TLB)

My Take

Verse 14 is a verse that we hear used a lot around Christmas time in Christian circles, but as represented in other recent devotionals, I believe it is so important for us individually to take time and read the whole context from which these popular verses are found. Today’s scripture is a wonderful example. Like us, King Ahaz thought that some things were just too trivial to bother God with, even though it was God Himself who told Ahaz to test Him. I love what the Lord said to Ahaz in the latter part of verse 9, and I know that it very much applies to me and very possibly also applies to you. In my own words, and based on my understanding, I believe that God said to Ahaz, and is saying to us: How do you expect me to protect you, or, how do you expect me to heal you or bless you, if you don’t learn to believe in, and trust me? Friends, there is so much truth in those powerful words by the Master! Will our child ever trust us to catch them jumping from a high wall if they have not learned to trust us? I don’t think so! In my hyperlink to todays scripture, I included the whole chapter, because I want you to take time to read and understand that God had given Ahaz comfort in knowing that He would take care of the opposing leaders, and He even wanted to give him a timeline that it would occur. However, God knew that Ahaz doubted what he was told, so He told Ahaz to test Him just to gain trust in knowing that He is true to His word. The timing of this event then allowed God to elaborate on the miraculous birth of His Son, Jesus. Friends, once again we are assured that our Father has a plan for His children, just like He had for Ahaz. However, we must know Him so well that we are willing to trust Him and believe what He says to us through His Word; through visions; and through His mighty warriors who deliver His messages to us each week. Wouldn’t it be ‘MERRY’, if this Christmas this concept might ‘click’ in our minds and cause us to totally place our faith and our trust in our Savior? We can’t expect God to bless us and protect us if we don’t trust Him or believe fully in Him!

Prayer

Your Word never ceases to amaze me Oh God! To read the context from which we have traditionally heard parts of the Christmas story, and still find new truths that really speak to our hearts, we can only say ‘Wow’ what a Savior! What an awesome God! Lord Jesus, we just want to worship You, praise You and honor Your blessed name for the key role You have played in our plan of salvation. God had a plan to comfort king Ahaz, and I am convinced that His plan to comfort, protect and save us, is even more awesome! Thank you Heavenly Father! Please continue to open our hearts and fill us with Your grace and Your awesome love that You have shown to us, so that we may, in turn, be a blessing to others in every way possible this Christmas season and throughout each day of the upcoming New Year. With every fiber of our being, we again say ‘thank You Father’ for Your amazing love to us in so many ways! AMEN!

Footnote

Our God-Tools for Dealing with The World

On 2016-12-08 By Ed AlgreenIn Bible Believing, Christian, Faith, Humility, Imitator of Christ, Obedience, Our Help comes from God, Righteousness, SurrenderLeave a comment

Thursday, 2016-12-08

Scripture

Bible Reference: 2 Corinthians 10:3-6

Bible Text: ³Although we live in the world, we don’t fight our battles with human methods. ⁴Our weapons that we fight with aren’t human, but instead they are powered by God for the destruction of fortresses. They destroy arguments, ⁵and every defense that is raised up to oppose the knowledge of God. They capture every thought to make it obedient to Christ. ⁶Once your obedience is complete, we are ready to punish any disobedience.

Bible Translation: Common English Bible (CEB)

My Take

I wonder if the usual observer would notice any difference in the way that Christians respond to arguments, or other daily battles and challenges, than they would notice with the ordinary person of this world! I believe that way too often we, followers of Jesus Christ, put Jesus aside while we use our worldly minds and actions to deal with individuals that we believe are getting the upper hand on us. Let me attempt to put these verses into perspective for you. This past Sunday in church, our pastor read the 23rd Psalm – a passage that we either hear read at every funeral, or at least posted inside every obituary, yet there were a few words that popped out off the page at me. In verse 3, the New Century Version reads: He gives me new strength. He leads me on paths that are right for the good of His name. Wow, it never occurred to me that the verse didn’t just say that God would lead me in the right paths, but also added that any praise attained from me walking that right path is for His name’s sake, and for His praise and His honor! Similarly, in these verses from 2 Corinthians, God is saying to me that when I was a follower of the leader of this world, Satan, I acted and spoke and did those things that were indicative of Satan. However, now that I am a child of the King, led by Him, following His example, and filled with the power of His Holy Spirit who has taken up residence inside of me, then what comes out of me, should match what’s inside of me. Why would I dare mess things up by reacting in my old sinful way, when I can surrender my will to that of Jesus Christ, and be led by His Holy Spirit to do miraculous things that only He can do? Friends, I believe these verses are written to show us how Paul dealt with everyday challenges under the unction and power of the Holy Spirit, who was able to do God-like things through him (Paul). Paul told the Corinthian church in verse 6, and I believe that God is still telling us today, that when we claim Jesus as Lord, and become truly submissive and obedient to the Him, then He will show His readiness to work through us to deal with the disobedience in those that we rub shoulders with, and/or are concerned about, every day. May I recommend that we each get before the Lord and ask Him to remove any sin that separates us from His desire to work through us to touch the lives of those in our circle of life, especially those who oppose Him?

Prayer

Lord Jesus, You are so worthy of our praise, for Your know our needs and our weaknesses even before we can voice them to You. Father, we will face even greater challenges today, but in full confidence we petition before a God who never changes, who can handle the challenges of yesterday, and who already knows the challenges that will come before Your saints even today. Please keep us holy, fully committed to You, and submissive to Your will and Your way of handling things. You have reminded us that our fight is not against flesh and blood, but against the powers of the evil one. May we learn to look beyond the faults of others, and instead seek Your face, Your will, and Your awesome power to again deal with the evil powers of Satan, even as they affect our family and friends that we will deal with today. Personally, I have to completely surrender my will and my all to thee again today Lord. May Your will consume me and Your Holy Spirit guide and direct me. May that same power be convincing to my readers today, so they also may surrender their will and their attitudes to You, Oh lord. AMEN!