Tag: Obedience

Here’s The Reason Jesus Came

On By Ed AlgreenIn Effective Ministry, Reflective of Jesus Christ, The ChurchLeave a comment

Sunday, 2017-07-16

Scripture

Bible Reference: Mark 2:17

Bible Text: 17 When Jesus heard this, he told them, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.”

Bible Translation: New Living Translation (NLT)

My Take

The attention given to the unrighteous, reminds me of a friend who is attracted to the one who sits at the back of the church and may be feeling dejected. I am also made keenly aware of why our churches are not reaching many of the unsaved in our communities. Think about it, who do most of our church members hang around? Fellow Christians, right? What happens to a pastor or church leader who may be seen hanging around a questionable crowd? Jesus said that He came for those who know that they are sinners. Wouldn’t that be a bold statement for a church to acknowledge that they exist for the sake of the unsaved? Who generally devours most of your pastor’s time, the saved or the unsaved? Where do most of your budget dollars go – towards reaching the lost; or patting the backs of the saved, and keeping them entertained? Will the unsaved feel welcomed at your worship services, or will they feel looked down on by the masses? Are you a part of a ministry that imitates the desire of Jesus, seeking to reach those who know they are sinners? If we are to be about our Father’s work, I believe we should be busy doing exactly what He showed and taught us to do. Can you handle that friend?

Prayer

Lord, may we Your children be willing to minister to those in need of a Savior more than just ministering to those just like us, or those we like. You came so that the lost might be saved and see the Kingdom of God. Please help us to keep that as our focus of ministry. I ask these things in the strong name of Jesus, AMEN!

Footnote

If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. 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!

Faith Leads To Obedience

On By Ed AlgreenIn Believe, Faith, Faith in Action, Faithful, Faithfulness, Genuine Faith, Know and Believe, ObedienceLeave a comment

Post Date:

 Wednesday, 2017-06-14
SCRIPTURE

From:

 Luke 1:38 (TLB)

Text:

 38 Mary said, “I am the Lord’s servant, and I am willing to do whatever he wants. May everything you said come true.” And then the angel disappeared.
OBSERVATION:
A virgin girl approached by an angel with an unheard of proposition from God, was immediately convinced of the awesome task that God had chosen her to partake in. There were no excuses, or running away to avoid the proposition, but simply an openness to allow God to have His way with His humble servant.
APPLICATION:
I would imagine that just like at my church, you are probably not hearing too many stories similar to the very familiar story of Mary, the mother of our Lord Jesus, in the Bible. For in faith she accepted the word from God and conceded to His perfect will for her life, regardless of any possible negative reflection on her by the questioning world. For us today, it often seems like asking a person, where you felt compelled of God to ask them to share in the ministry, is like asking them how many excuses can they find to not follow God’s command to serve in His church. Fathers, may I ask you to personally imagine your virgin daughter approaching you (an elder in your church) boldly with the news that she is pregnant? Adding that “Oh, and by the way, this is by the holy spirit of God” adds no comfort to you, because you have never heard of such a thing before. As for the fiancee, he may also have faith in God, but having never heard of such action by the Holy Spirit before, he is silently questioning as to whether the baby inside is for another man. In the case of Mary and Joseph, thank God that He sent the Holy Spirit to Joseph as well, to prepare him in advance for the news he would receive from Mary. Friends, I believe that what we are being taught in this Scripture today is that when we have an intimate relationship with the Lord Jesus, and we make every effort to follow His commands and His will for our lives, there may be times that He will summon us to do things that are way outside of the realm of our selfish, finite minds. As Christians reflect back over life, we can often see that many of the decisions we made and things that we did, that seemed way out of the ordinary at the time, we could now reflect and see what God had in mind for us the next day, week, month or years. Let’s be careful to remember that His ways are not our ways, so He may ask us to do things that is extraordinary in our eyes, but very purposeful in His eyes. Build a personal relationship with the Lord, friend. Listen to His voice and His direction for your life, and be willing to jump, move or speak when He commands you to do it. He will receive glory, and you will be overwhelmed in joy!
PRAYER:
Lord, I pray that each one reading this blog will join me in committing ourselves fully to Your perfect will. Whether our actions result in our personal joy, or that of a friend or relative, please help us to commit to being faithful to You and therefore obedient to Your every command. May Your perfect will be fulfilled in our lives and in the lives of others as we remain faithful and allow You to bless and work through us to touch others. Thank You for Your willing, obedient servant Mary, may we join her in also being faithful to the end, so that You may be glorified in all that we do,  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!

Of Highest Importance

On By Ed AlgreenIn Love, Love God, Love others, Love your NeighborLeave a comment

Post Date:

 Thursday, 2017-05-25
SCRIPTURE

From:

 Mark 12:28-31 (ERV)

Text:

 “Which of the commands is the most important?”29 Jesus answered, “The most important command is this: ‘People of Israel, listen! The Lord our God is the only Lord. 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ 31 The second most important command is this: ‘Love your neighbor the same as you love yourself.’ These two commands are the most important.”
OBSERVATION:
A teacher of the law wanted to ‘cut to the chase’ and get the short answer by asking Jesus to tell them the most important commandments. Although I’m sure that Jesus could very easily have said that they all were important, knowing their hearts and the struggles that they dealt with each day, Jesus shared the two that, if closely followed, all other commandments would fall into place for them.
APPLICATION:
Like the teacher of law who approached Jesus, we often do this in conversation, especially when someone is known to be long-winded, for we would ask them to give us the short answer, or the 30,000′ high-level answer. Because we are so like the Sadducees, Jesus immediately knew that if they, or we, would commit ourselves to honoring God, and loving Him with all of our being, then our priorities would be in order, for there is no other God but He. Furthermore, our God is a jealous God, for He formed us in His likeness and desires our praise, worship and adoration. It’s not easy for us to apply this if our eyes are on other gods, or if we attend a worship service and our hearts are elsewhere. In the case of the second commandment, let’s not think for a moment that we could love our God and not love and honor His children – our neighbors. Friends, when we have these two things aligned in our lives, can’t you see where it would be especially challenging to commit sin against our God and our neighbors? In other words, we will easily honor the other commandments if we are truly committed to dealing with these two. So based on this Scripture, I believe that God wants us to evaluate our relationship with Him, and with our neighbors. What might He say about that if you stood before Him today?
PRAYER:
Lord Jesus, may it be evident to You and to the world that we love and adore You and that we honor you with our worship at every opportunity. May our relationship with our neighbor be one that is filled with love, just as You first loved us, and may we encourage each other towards love and good works. Lord, as this becomes evident to others, may You receive honor, glory and acceptance by those in our circle of family, friends and coworkers. 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!

A Guide For Living

On By Ed AlgreenIn Christian Living, Exemplary Living, Guide, Holy Living, Righteous LivingLeave a comment

Post Date:

 Monday, 2017-05-15
SCRIPTURE

From:

 Psalm 119:33-35 (MSG)

Text:

 God, teach me lessons for living
    so I can stay the course.
Give me insight so I can do what you tell me—
    my whole life one long, obedient response.
Guide me down the road of your commandments;
OBSERVATION:
The Psalmist realized that life is way more challenging than anything man could expect, or deal with. He knew that his hope rests in the Eternal God. He also realized that everything that God had laid out in His Word is more than sufficient to lead the person committed to God and wanting to live like He taught us and commanded us. However, David was well aware that although the mind is willing to read, and the heart wants to obey the Word, that Satan’s plan is to derail that at every opportunity.
APPLICATION:
I believe it is evident that things have not changed a whole lot for mankind today. For although we may recognize the need for God, we are also easily distracted by the things of this world. First and foremost I must share with you from first hand experience that although I may have been classified as a ‘good man’ it came a point in my life that I realized that I didn’t have everything I needed to handle all aspects of life and still try to live a life that would be pleasing to God. I just couldn’t do it on my own. It was at this time of searching, that Jesus became very evident to me, and through the preaching of His Word one Sunday evening in 1976, I walked forward in a well populated church to say ‘yes’ to Jesus. Since that time, I have learned principles for living in His Word, through the preaching and teaching of His Word, and from role models who demonstrated the Christian life and showed me by example, what it meant to live like Jesus. The Psalmist asked that God direct him to just be able to stay the course. I would suggest adding to that: “so that not only I would see You in glory, but all those who follow in my example”. Friends, the Bible is the perfect ‘How-to’ Book of Instruction for us to read and follow. For those, like me, who need a Guide, a Protector, a Stronghold and a Savior in your time of weakness, I would encourage you to invite Jesus into your heart and allow Him to have His will and His way in your life. He not only has the power to save you from your sin and damnation, but He alone has the power to help you overcome the temptations of Satan that is laced with sin, and will set your feet on higher ground – one that is capable of living a godly life and for witnessing to the world the power that lies within you, for greater is He that is in us, than he that is in the world!
PRAYER:
Dear Jesus, I need thee every hour. That great old hymn contains the words of many that will read this devotional today, for I don’t believe that any of us feel like we have things under control already, nor confident that we could handle whatever comes our way today or tomorrow. Lord, we need You every step and every day. You alone are worthy, and You alone are powerful enough to protect us from the attempts of Satan to distract us and ultimately destroy us. David was not alone in needing Your touch in every aspect of his life, for we need you more today than any other time in history. Thank You Lord for being our Master, but yet our Friend and our Father. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from all evil, is my humble plea for all your children today Lord, 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!

Tips For Living Right

On By Ed AlgreenIn Follow Christ, Follower of Christ, Godly lives, Holy Living, How to Live, Righteous LivingLeave a comment

Post Date:

 Thursday, 2017-04-06
SCRIPTURE

From:

 Psalm 25:4-5 (Voice)

Text:

4 DEMONSTRATE Your ways, O Eternal One.
    Teach me to understand so I can follow.
5 EASE me down the path of Your truth.
    FEED me Your word
    because You are the True God who has saved me.
    I wait all day long, hoping, trusting in You.
OBSERVATION:
David had such a relationship with God that it seemed natural for him to speak his heart to God. David realized how much he had messed up, but He also knew where perfection came from, so he pleaded his case of need before the only Perfect One.
APPLICATION:
We could learn a lot from David, for we are so quick to beat up on ourselves, or seek help from every other source, before finally conceding to the One who could lead us to all truth, knowledge and understanding so that we could obediently follow the ways of our Lord and His written Word. There are a few keywords in these two verses that I wanted to expand on, that I believe will help us get to the bottom of David’s plea before his God:

  • Demonstrate – Lord, please help me to understand by showing me through real-life examples;
  • Teach – Assume that I know nothing and simply open up my mind to a full understanding of what You would have me to do, oh Lord;
  • Ease – Please go easy on me as I am slow to learn, but sincerely desire to know more about Your ways and Your Word;
  • Feed – Pour knowledge and understanding into me like we might poor water into the beak of a very thirsty bird. Fill me with Your Word so that I may constantly live in obedience to all that You desire of me;
  • Wait – I am willing to wait all day long to hear from You Lord, for following Your will is just that important to me.

When all is said and done, make it known to God that there is nothing more important in your life than to obey His Word. Honor Him in everything that you do and say, and  allow Him to work miraculously through you to reach the lost in your circle of influence for His glory. God referred to David as a man after His own heart, so I believe that as we follow this prayer of David’s in all sincerity, we would also show our desire to have a heart more like that of Christ. May it be so even today dear friends!
PRAYER:
Dear Lord, we want to be just like You! However we have so much that separates us in that quest. There is so much that we need to surrender to You so that we might be filled with Your Holy Spirit completely and therefore be led in total surrender to Your will and Your way for us. Lord, this wicked world needs to see more of You in those who claim You as Lord. Begin with me Lord. Allow me to be so filled with Your grace and Your mercy that those in my realm of influence might desire to know the One who influences my life every day. Thank You for the lesson taught through Your servant David, may all who read this blog be encourage to follow in the steps of David – towards being recognized by You as a person after Your own heart. May You be glorified in and through Your precious children today, is my prayer in deepest humility, 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!

A Test of Your Faith

On By Ed AlgreenIn Commitment, Committed, PrayerLeave a comment

Post Date:

 Thursday, 2017-02-23
SCRIPTURE

From:

 Matthew 17:19-21 (Voice)

Text:

 19 Later, when they were away from the crowds, the disciples asked Jesus why they hadn’t been able to drive out the demon themselves.

Jesus: 20 Because you have so little faith. I tell you this: if you had even a faint spark of faith, even faith as tiny as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, “Move from here to there,” and because of your faith, the mountain would move. If you had just a sliver of faith, you would find nothing impossible. [21 But this kind is not realized except through much prayer and fasting.]
OBSERVATION:
One could only imagine the frustration that the disciples must have felt when they kept receiving hints from Jesus that they could do what He does, and yet they felt so powerless at times. This particular incident was one of those cases, for a man presented his epileptic son for healing, and the disciples were totally helpless. Let’s examine why…
APPLICATION:
There were so many things that Jesus did that might be compared to magic today. It may seem to some that they merely say the word and the lame will walk again and the blind will once again see like you and I. However, I believe that Jesus clears this up for us in these verses. If the power was truly given to us to bring about healing, why would one need Jesus, or to know about His Father? First of all, we must remember that as His children, we are merely messengers of the Almighty God. Meaning that God still does the healing, and not us. Often mankind is out to win the battle and claim the victory personally, and that is not the way that God works. I remember gathering with others to pray down God’s blessings on upcoming revival services, and that hearts that had become hardened, would be touched by God and drawn back to Him. By the time the revival services began, I remember looking down the aisle with expectation and anticipation of individuals walking the aisle who we had prayed diligently and desperately for.  The praise and rejoicing went to the Father as we saw results though, because we prayed to Him asking Him to move in their hearts. So to see ones walk the aisle meant that God had accomplished His work as a result of our prayers and His perfect will for the individuals we prayed for. In the verses we are looking at today, we are reminded that verse 21 was not included in some ancient manuscripts, but I believe it was inserted later to help us understand that miracles are still a work of the Almighty, and if we are sincere about our requests to Him, then we must be earnest in our prayers to Him about the individual or the situation. Friends, when we are willing to do more than just mere words. When we are deeply convicted and are ready to seek God’s face over a situation. When it becomes a priority to us, enough that we are willing to seek His face more than some other pleasure in life, then I believe Jesus recognizes the earnestness of our prayers and the deep desires of our heart. Are you ready to take a need before the Lord in such earnest today? If so, God assures us that it could be as big of a challenge as moving a mountain from one location to another, for nothing is impossible with God! Let’s get serious about the needs that we pray about, and be willing to commit more than just words to the need. Our God is able, if we are willing!
PRAYER:
Dear God, we have become so trivial with our promises to pray, that our promise to pray for a Brother or Sister just rolls off the tongue. Sometimes we make promises to pray, and then allow the busyness of life to take over, and overwhelm the promise we made to pray. At other times we are challenged to put our all into the request because of our lack of concern, or perhaps because of our lack of faith in the Father who can do ALL things. Please forgive us Lord, and fill us with hearts like Yours, where we are willing to sacrifice, or fast, and pray to the Father over the needs we might have. Thank You for the awesome powerful God that You are! Please give us renewed strength, boldness and power to pray as You did, Lord Jesus. 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!

Through Our Actions, Who do we Say Jesus Is?

On By Ed AlgreenIn Bible Believing, Faith, Humility, Imitator of Christ, Obedience, Righteousness, SurrenderLeave a comment

Post Date:

 Tuesday, 2017-02-21
SCRIPTURE

From:

 Matthew 16:15-17 (NCV)

Text:

 15 Then Jesus asked them, “And who do you say I am?”
16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
17 Jesus answered, “You are blessed, Simon son of Jonah, because no person taught you that. My Father in heaven showed you who I am.
OBSERVATION:
Because Peter was first asked who others were saying Jesus is, it almost seemed like Peter was being tempted to respond like the world and therefore respond to Jesus’ question along the same lines of what he felt like others were saying. However, Peter, led by the Holy Spirit, responded to Jesus’ question appropriately, but it sure does open the eyes of believers that followed Peter to stop and ponder what they truly believe! 
APPLICATION:
I wonder how many of us today would respond to a question like Jesus posed to Peter. I wonder how many of us would have a scriptural response for Jesus, and possibly the preacher, but a slightly different response for our unsaved friends, and an altogether politically correct response, if asked in public in the presence of the authorities. Friends, we are called on daily to show the world who Jesus is to us. Think about it. When we are asked to respond to a crisis, do we automatically panic and display our worry that the world is coming to an end because we can’t see clearly what’s ahead of the fast train that could easily jump the tracks? What about right inside of the church (with other believers) how do you respond when someone is about to desecrate another believer who is struggling with a situation? How do you respond to an individual who is very ‘needy’, not necessarily financially, but one who can’t see light at the end of their long, dark tunnel. There’s a lot less stress to just run in the opposite direction, and many of us choose that option, but is that really what Jesus would have done? I wonder what Jesus must truly think at the end of the day after having watched what you and I told the world who it is that we honestly serve and evangelize? I could only imagine that some days I would be honestly ashamed of what Jesus would say about me. How about you friend? From the very depths of our hearts we speak and react. I believe it is time for us to really fill our hearts with more, and more, and more of Jesus? Will you commit to this along with me?
PRAYER:
Oh Lord Jesus, please open Your loving arms to this weak and sinful son, for I am afraid that way too often I reflect a very poor image of who you truly are. I’m afraid that folk must sometimes walk away from me assuming that you are mean, selfish, stuck up with pride, unwilling to speak to the poor and lowly, uncaring and unloving. Please forgive me Lord, for I want my heart, my mind and my life so filled with You that You will spill forth from every word I speak and every action, each and every day. Lord, may I ask that You also tender the hearts of my readers so that they may also examine themselves and be prepared to face those who need proof of a Savior today. May there be no doubt that You are alive in us and may the world recognize that, and have a desire to know the Lord that we love, adore and aim to portray every day. 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!

The Source of Happiness and Contentment

On By Ed AlgreenIn Happiness, Peace, SurrenderLeave a comment

Post Date:

 Monday, 2017-02-20
SCRIPTURE

From:

 Psalm 16:7-9 (ERV)

Text:

 7 I praise the Lord because he taught me well.
    Even at night he put his instructions deep inside my mind.
8 I always remember that the Lord is with me.
    He is here, close by my side,
    so nothing can defeat me.
9 So my heart and soul will be very happy.…
OBSERVATION:
David sounded very content in recognizing all that God had taught him, both during the day and even at night as he acknowledged learning additional things while he rested. He was reassured by God’s presence with him at all times, and he reflected on how he had proven Him over and over that nothing,  or no one, could defeat him with God as his guide, protector and everlasting Father. His heart was happy and content!
APPLICATION:
I believe that any of us reading this devotional, or anyone that we might connect with today, would all desire such a peace as David shared in this Psalm. As we face the world each morning, and the many challenges that a day might bring, wouldn’t our blood pressure drop several numbers if we were reassured that God’s in control, and not us? For those of us who have seen God work out His plan for our lives, including overcoming what seems like ‘battles’ in our eyes, isn’t it rewarding to be reminded of God’s power in teaching us the right things, directing our path each day, and reassuring us of His love and protection no matter what a day brings? Friends, stress will have very negative effects on our lives, especially our hearts. Knowing Jesus intimately and being assured of His leadership, love and care for us, should calm our nerves and lead us towards a peace that passes all understanding. Do you know my Lord? Do you have a sense of that peace that I am referring to? I am convinced that Jesus loves us so much that He would like nothing better than to show His love towards us in very meaningful ways such as I’ve mentioned, however He can only do that when we fully surrender to His call on our lives. May we find this peace and comfort today as we strive to surrender more and more to our Lord.
PRAYER:
Heavenly Father, thank You for sending Your Son as a sacrifice for my sin. Lord Jesus, thank You for being obedient to the Father and for loving me so much that You willingly went to the cross for sinners such as I. Your love, protection and ongoing guidance is like sunshine to a plant, for it helps us to survive the many trials and challenges of this world, and it provides life to our daily survival. Thank You heavenly Father, thank You Lord Jesus, and thank You Holy Spirit. Oh so unworthy, yet I’m a child of the King! Praise God from whom all blessings flow! I love You Lord, and I lift my voice, to worship You! May my life be worthy of allowing You to work through me to reach some soul today, oh Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer, 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!

For Best Results in Life, Do This….

On By Ed AlgreenIn Bible Believing, Christian, Faith, Humility, Obedience, SurrenderLeave a comment

Post Date:

 Saturday, 2017-02-18
SCRIPTURE

From:

 Proverbs 3:4-6 (TLB)

Text:

 4-5 If you want favor with both God and man, and a reputation for good judgment and common sense, then trust the Lord completely; don’t ever trust yourself. 6 In everything you do, put God first, and he will direct you and crown your efforts with success.
OBSERVATION:
I believe that my translation of today’s verses might read: “when you are tired of the trial and error method, or the constant failures and brick walls that hinder success, do what the Good Book says, and seek God’s face for perfect direction that leads to success”!
APPLICATION:
There’s a common piece of advice often given to folk who try something and fail: “try and try again, and eventually you will succeed”. Isn’t it interesting that this is not God’s way of doing things? For God’s Word tells us to place our faith and trust in God, and He will direct our path, or tell us what to do. I believe it is evident that because God knows exactly what the next moment holds, He will be ‘dead on’ with what He directs us to do. Additionally, the Scripture also tells us that God will shower on us, or crown us, with success, when we follow His will and His directions. The other piece of advice in this proverb is that we are to put God first in all that we do and say. I believe that this means that when we respond to folk, that we respond with what will please God and give glory to Him. This is quite the opposite to our normal instinct to place self first and get as much as we could for ourselves. How often do we say things knowing that it will probably bring glory to ourselves? Friends, I am reminded to constantly seek ways to glorify God and direct the praise of others to Him. After all, I want Him to share His wisdom, His direction and His power with me to accomplish great things for Him. I’m just the vessel being used by Him so any praise should be directed to Him, so that He might be glorified by others and myself. If you can identify with what I have shared, please plan to adopt this same attitude so that together we may honor and praise our Father for all that He does for us and through us.
PRAYER:
Heavenly Father, You’ve shown us the way to success – thank You! Please now, help us to stop trying so hard to do life our way and instead seek Your face and follow Your way to true life, led by an all-knowing, all-loving God. As we commit ourselves to You again today, please give us minds that will always look to You for direction, instead of stumbling along try to do life all by ourselves. We can’t do this alone dear Lord, so we ask for Your help and Your guidance in all aspects of life. 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!

Expectations of a ‘True’ Worshiper

On By Ed AlgreenIn Bible Believing, Christian, Faith, Humility, Imitator of Christ, Obedience, Righteousness, SurrenderLeave a comment

Post Date:

 Thursday, 2017-02-16
SCRIPTURE

From:

 Psalm 15 (TLB)

Text:

 2 Anyone who leads a blameless life and is truly sincere. 3 Anyone who refuses to slander others, does not listen to gossip, never harms his neighbor, 4 speaks out against sin, criticizes those committing it, commends the faithful followers of the Lord, keeps a promise even if it ruins him, 5 does not crush his debtors with high interest rates, and refuses to testify against the innocent despite the bribes offered him—such a man shall stand firm forever.
OBSERVATION:
The Psalmist lists things he believes a ‘True’ Worshipper should do and some that they shouldn’t do. This was in response to his own question that he posed to the Almighty God about who will be permitted in His presence. I believe that there was conflict in David’s mind about what was acceptable to God, and what might not be acceptable, and he had to get this cleared up.
APPLICATION:
When we are feeling conflicted by the various teachings of man and/or churches and/or denominations, wouldn’t it be great to take that conflict before God and ask Him to help us clear it up? I could only imagine that my blog title probably raised a few eyebrows as you probably thought that I would dare teach on who should be permit in our church sanctuary, or who we will allow to sit forward of the very back seat, or who we will allow to raise their hands in worship. Unfortunately you may be disappointed, as this goes way beyond the practices of any church here on earth. Notice that David was in prayer, or communication with the One that most Christian churches actually lift up their worship to, for He wanted to know what was acceptable to the God who created us, provides for us, and even died a sacrificial death for us, before returning to His Father to sit at His side and petition with Him on our behalf. You see, church leadership has come a long way in what our ancestors taught about what you could wear to church, which instruments can, or cannot be played in our services, and who might sing in the praise group, or choir. It seems like we have become a lot more tolerable and allow anyone with any thought or practice or selfish desire to worship and possibly participate or even teach, while tolerating known sin in their lives. David looked beyond all this and was more interested in what God would permit. Here are some things that he concluded about the attitude and/or character of the genuine worshipper of the Almighty:

  1. Should lead a blameless life;
  2. Should be truly sincere;
  3. Should refuse to slander others;
  4. Should not listen to gossip;
  5. Should not harm his neighbor;
  6. Should always  speak out against sin, and consistently criticize those committing it;
  7. Should commend the faithful followers of the Lord;
  8. Should always keep a promise – even if it ruins him;
  9. Should not crush his debtors with high interest rates; and
  10. Should always refuse to testify against the innocent, despite the bribes offered to him

David concluded that ‘such a man shall stand firm forever’. May I suggest to you friend that no matter how good you feel about your church, or how much you despise what the leadership allows, or rejects, what truly matters in your relationship with God is what you discern from God’s Word as being pleasing in His sight. Please don’t be so weak that you merely stand by and wait for the instructions of church leadership, although I want you to respect them and cooperate with their leadership that you feel aligns with God’s Word, however what is more important is that you develop such a relationship with God that you seek His face in all things and personally please Him in every way. He’s the One that we live for and seek to serve wholeheartedly, so please Him among everything else here on earth, and you too ‘will stand firm forever’, child of God! 
PRAYER:
Lord Jesus, please help us to always seek Your face and Your design for our lives here on earth. Often we are pulled in many directions with various beliefs and practices. May we strive to please You and seek Your will in deciding truth. It’s You we long to adore and be with throughout eternity. Oh that ‘religion’ will not hinder our walk down here as we strive to please You, is my humble prayer, 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!