Tag: Obedient to God

Proof That You Truly Know God

On By Ed AlgreenIn Hypocritical, Love, Lying, UntrustworthyLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (New Living Translation – 1 John 2:3-6): 3 … we can be sure that we know him if we obey his commandments. 4 If someone claims, “I know God,” but doesn’t obey God’s commandments, that person is a liar and is not living in the truth. 5 But those who obey God’s word truly show how completely they love him. That is how we know we are living in him. 6 Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did.

THOUGHTS: Obedience reveals commitment to Christ! In fact, this is a good test for yourself: If you find yourself generally at odds with obeying the Word of God and His commands, then it is time for a self-examination and a humbleness before God, asking Him to reveal the area(s) of your life that you need to recommit to Him and/or realign with His will. When you feel unloved by God, or distanced from Him, then according to John 15:10 there may be areas of your life where you have taken personal control and no longer allow God full control. Friends, I believe there are several keywords that are important in this fact finding, internal evaluation: Think about ‘hypocritical’ – for you are saying that you love God and know Him intimately, yet doing your own thing and ignoring His commands. This is very damaging to your witness to others; Think about ‘lying’ – for you are saying with your mouth that you know God but really ignoring His commands. Verse 4 plainly spells this one out for us; Think about ‘untrustworthy’ – for how can God or man trust someone who cannot be trusted to live as he claims to be? Friends, today you will have opportunity to evaluate your actions in light of your relationship with God. I pray that there is lots of evidence that you truly know God and are living according to His perfect will for your life. Remember, He loved us enough to send His only Son to die on Calvary’s cross for our benefit. Is it not way less impacting on our lives to simply love God in return, and obey His commands? I propose to you friend, that this is the least we can do to prove our faithfulness and commitment to Him. Please use the information provided in my ‘Footnote’ to contact me if there is anything I can pray with you about, regarding this subject or anything that is impacting your commitment to God. I would love to pray for you and with you!

PRAYER: Dear God, we say with our lips that we know You, we love You and adore You, yet we try to live our lives like we’ve always done. This is not right in Your sight, nor does it align with Your Word. We are making a mockery of ourselves in the sight of others, and especially in Your sight. Please forgive us for our failures, lack of commitment and true evidence of love for You, oh Lord. Yet again today Your Word has opened our eyes to our weaknesses and our constant need for You. Please open our minds to fully see ourselves for who we truly are, and our desperate need for You in every aspect of our lives. Lord, not only do we want to be in Your presence in glory one day, but we want to live like You here on this earth so that our lives might have an impact on those who need You as their Savior and Lord. Please continue to work on us Lord. May Your glory shine through in every phase of our lives so that You might be lifted up and the lost won to Christ. We love You Lord, and thank You for Your immense love for us. I ask all these things in the glorious name of Jesus, my Lord, with thanksgiving and in utmost praise to my King, my Lord and my Savior, AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please speak with a local Bible Teaching pastor, or read through Biblical truths on How To Know Jesus, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com so that we can pray with you and give you help and or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Any words underlined above will indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to nuggetsfromgodsword.org and read more, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, Sebring, FL! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us!

The Power in What We Say and Do

On By Ed AlgreenIn Honest, Hypocritical, Without PretenseLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (God’s Word Translation – 1 John 1:6-10): 6 If we say, “We have a relationship with God” and yet live in the dark, we’re lying. We aren’t being truthful. 7 But if we live in the light in the same way that God is in the light, we have a relationship with each other. And the blood of his Son Jesus cleanses us from every sin. 8 If we say, “We aren’t sinful” we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 God is faithful and reliable. If we confess our sins, he forgives them and cleanses us from everything we’ve done wrong. 10 If we say, “We have never sinned,” we turn God into a liar and his Word is not in us.

THOUGHTS: There is a saying, that if something quacks like a duck, and swims like a duck, it probably is a duck! In these verses this morning we must first recognize that in the introductory words to these verses John tells us that he is sharing words with us that came directly from his interaction with Jesus Himself. I believe that the words in these verses are really powerful, yet simply very true. For how can we say that we belong to Christ, yet no part of our actions or words show any evidence of that? Friends, if we have committed to a change in our lives, then that change will be evident in every aspect of our lives. Let’s always be cognizant of the fact that God knows and sees all things, so there is no value in trying to fool Him like we do our friends or relatives. Ever heard of a chain smoker that tells everyone that they stopped smoking, yet every evening their spouse could smell smoke on their breath and on their clothes? This is precisely what happens in the face of Jesus when we tell Him, and the world, that we have sought His forgiveness and committed our lives wholeheartedly to Him, yet we live like we always did prior to our conversion. We make a mockery of ourselves and have just shown everyone that we can’t be trusted by our word. Friends, we may think that we can fool some of the people some of the time, but rest assured that we can never fool all of the people all of the time. Furthermore, we can never fool God. As I have been challenged and reminded to always live in the light of knowing that God knows, hears and sees every detail of my life, may I also encourage you to do the same? Our God is an awesome God, who loves and cares about us a great deal. Let’s not disappoint Him with our littleness in trying to fool the Creator of all things, our all-knowing God.

PRAYER: Father, what an eye-opener/reminder for us today! We are so accustomed to making ourselves look good in the face of our friends and/or bosses, that we perform, say and act the way that we know they are expecting from us. We have been reminded that You are well aware of our outward expressions that are representative of our inward self, and that there is no value in Your eyes when we do this, other than to prove to humans that we have really not changed anything about our lives. Please forgive us Lord, and please continue to work on us towards an honest relationship with You that will be reflected in every aspect of our lives. We Need You every Hour and every day, oh Lord. Thank You for Your faithfulness! I bring my petitions before You in the name of Jesus, AMEN!

 

FOOTNOTE: If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please speak with a local Bible Teaching pastor, or read through Biblical truths on How To Know Jesus, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com so that we can pray with you and give you help and or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Any words underlined above will indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to blogger.nuggetsfromgodsword.org and read more, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, Sebring, FL! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us!

What You Should Be Doing, Based on the Times

On By Ed AlgreenIn Actions, How to Live, Warning SignsLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (God’s Word Translation – 2 Timothy 3:1-5): 1
You must understand this: In the last days there will be violent periods of time. 2 People will be selfish and love money. They will brag, be arrogant, and use abusive language. They will curse their parents, show no gratitude, have no respect for what is holy, 3 and lack normal affection for their families. They will refuse to make peace with anyone. They will be slanderous, lack self-control, be brutal, and have no love for what is good. 4 They will be traitors. They will be reckless and conceited. They will love pleasure rather than God. 5 They will appear to have a godly life, but they will not let its power change them. Stay away from such people.

THOUGHTS: I believe that if I would have stripped out the scripture references on this passage this morning, you may have assumed that I was quoting the local newspaper, or sharing with you what might be happening in my realm of friends. I discovered two very important things in these verses that I want to share with you friends:

  1. Warning signs of the last days (before Jesus comes) – Keywords such as bragging (in order to promote self); arrogance (placing yourself above others because you have such confidence in self); abusive language (we hear it in the music being blasted as cars pass us by, or we hear it from the passengers – like I heard from my back yard yesterday while a car was passing); curse their parents (I don’t know if there has been a time in history where there has been as much animosity as today between parents and their children. It really hurts me beyond explanation); lack of gratitude (in spite of the generosity of many, there are some very ungrateful folk who receive without any thought of gratitude); no respect for what is holy (so hurtful to hear of robberies and defacement, but especially sad to hear when this happens to a church. I’m really surprised that God has not yet stricken the offenders blind or hurt them seriously during such acts); Friends there are several other signs in verses 3, 4 and 5 that I could also expand on, but I believe you and I can appreciate that these are not ‘pie in the sky’ actions and/or characteristics, but actual actions that we see occurring almost daily in our circles, right now in 2015. Why, you might ask? The scripture tells us that these are all signs of the last days before the last trumpet call, when Jesus will come to take His bride (the church – believers – Christians) home to be with Him in glory.
  2. What must Christians be doing? – We are instructed to stay away from such people as described in (1). Why do you suppose God would instruct us towards such segregating actions? Friends, if you swim in a septic tank, you will come out very smelly. We are to distance ourselves from folk that have characteristics described in this scripture, and instead show them by our character, our speech, and our bold witness that there is a better way to live. With God’s help, it is possible to be holy and righteous. It is possible to live our lives free from conceit and self-worth, but totally controlled by the Holy Spirit and in line with what our circles would expect from Christians – free from hypocrisy.

Friends, to live like God intended, we must be sincere in our relationship with God, and we must be willing to be controlled by His Holy Spirit dwelling inside of the Christian who will steer us towards love and good works. Do you feel that kind of power today? Let us draw close to God so that He might draw close to us and mold us into His likeness. Please feel free to use the information in my ‘Footnote’ to contact me, if there is anything that I might pray with you about, especially in regards to this lesson today. I’m sure that your local pastor and/or church leader would also welcome the opportunity to sit and chat with you about any questions God might have provoked in your mind today after reading this devotional.

 PRAYER: Lord God, Your Word is very plain and it is filled with ‘Nuggets’ meant to convict us of our sin, and show us the way to live more like You. Thank You for loving Your children so intimately, and for caring enough about our witness after we commit to You. We want to be more like You every day, and every day we are more and more convinced of the need for Your power and Your strength to guide us through this life and protect us from the evil one. Please use us as Your instruments today to win the lost and encourage the fallen or despondent. May we be alert to your soon return and more excited every day with anticipation of worshiping You endlessly in heaven very soon! I ask these things in the perfect and all loving name of Jesus, the name above all names, and Your only Son, 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 read through Biblical truths on How To Know Jesus, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com so that we can pray with you and give you help and or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Any words underlined above will indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to blogger.nuggetsfromgodsword.org and read more, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, Sebring, FL! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us!

How To Improve Your Faith

On By Ed AlgreenIn Faith, Like JesusLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (The Contemporary English Version – 2 Peter 1:5-9): 5 Do your best to improve your faith. You can do this by adding goodness, understanding, 6 self-control, patience, devotion to God, 7 concern for others, and love. 8 If you keep growing in this way, it will show that what you know about our Lord Jesus Christ has made your lives useful and meaningful. 9 But if you don’t grow, you are like someone who is nearsighted or blind, and you have forgotten that your past sins are forgiven.

 THOUGHTS: Whenever trials and/or temptations come, I believe we quickly reflect on how our faith is tested! However, we find directly from God’s Word how we might maximize our faith, so that we can be better equipped to handle the trials and/or temptations of life. Here’s what God instructs through His servant Peter that we add to our lives so that our faith might be improved:

  • Goodness – This refers to moral excellence. Where a Christian lives up to his/her calling as a child of God;
  • Understanding – Make every effort to know what God has revealed in His Word. I don’t know about you, but I am challenged in being able to quote book and verse references, but I believe God has blessed me with a keen ear to know when something is said that either lines up with His Word, or not. We must make every effort to learn and understand what God placed in His instruction Book for us!
  • Self-control – the God-given ability to master oneself and to control one’s desires and/or passions. Without this, we will be much too selfish to help anyone else, or to please God unselfishly;
  • Patience – We must seek this quality to be able to continue on in the faith in spite of adversity. Satan can easily hinder our walk and/or our witness when he finds us weak in times of trouble. Endurance is super important to our ongoing faith in Jesus Christ;
  • Devotion to God – A desire to please God, and a behavior that reflects the character of God;
  • Concern for others – Brotherly kindness. Being thoughtful about fellow believers. I have often found that as I’ve tried to encourage and/or help others, I am the one lifted up and encouraged! Intentional acts of kindness, or ways that we search out so that we can be kind to others;
  • Love – Not just a word that we may flippantly throw out in conversation, but to actually strive to love like God loves us.

So why do you suppose these are so important? I believe that in His infinite wisdom, God knew that if we didn’t strive for these qualities, we would be deteriorating in our faith – worsening, weakening, going backwards, and becoming less like Him instead of more like Him. Friend, are you like me, where I must really seek God’s help and guidance for a deeper growth in these qualities of my Christian life? I believe that the mission of God’s Word has been accomplished, for It has truly opened my eyes towards a stronger need for God’s strong hand on my life, my character and my faith. Let us therefore draw closer to God, so that He may freely draw closer to us and mature us in our faith.

 PRAYER: Dear God, I believe that You have created us in Your image so that our lives might reflect Your love for mankind and draw others closer to You, even unto salvation. It is obvious in the study of Your Word today that there is much that still needs accomplishment in our lives if we are to truly represent You. Please work on us. Draw us closer to You so that our faith might be enhanced and our lives made more pliable and usable by You. We want to be perfect representatives of the Savior that we love and adore, but we know this can only be accomplished when You have sovereign reign over our lives. Please help us to daily surrender ourselves to Your perfect will. I ask all this in faith, and in the name of Jesus, God’s perfect Son, 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 read through Biblical truths on How To Know Jesus, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com so that we can pray with you and give you help and or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Any words underlined above will indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to blogger.nuggetsfromgodsword.org and read more, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, Sebring, FL! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us!

We Have Everything We Need

On By Ed AlgreenIn Everything We Need, God's Nature, Intimate with GodLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (The Contemporary English Version – 2 Peter 1:3-4): 3 We have everything we need to live a life that pleases God. It was all given to us by God’s own power, when we learned that he had invited us to share in his wonderful goodness. 4 God made great and marvelous promises, so that his nature would become part of us. Then we could escape our evil desires and the corrupt influences of this world.

 THOUGHTS: What a glorious thought! Can you imagine the self-confidence that will conjure up inside of you the next time that you are faced with the temptation to sin, or the impossibilities of life, when you can brush Satan aside and say confidently that greater is He that in in us, than he that is in the world? Wow! Can you even imagine the awesomeness of God to give us these promises with the intent of our character becoming more like His? Verse 4 declares that “His nature would become part of us”! Friends I don’t know about you, but I pray for that every day, that I might become more like Jesus, especially through my words and actions. As additional clarification of this, verse 4 ends with telling us that this special gift from God will serve to help us escape evil desires and the corrupt influences of this world. So why then do we (Christians) get caught in so many traps of sin? Could it be that we are so far from a true relationship with God that we are insensitive to the work of His sweet Holy Spirit in our lives? Yes, I know that you go to church at least once a week, and yes I know you give more money to your local church than ever before, but friend, God works in and through a real and intimate relationship with Him, not through a casual experience or through things we do to please our mother or perhaps the pastor. Relationships are developed through intimate, daily interaction in unison with the wishes and desires of the person with whom we have chosen to build a relationship. Let’s get serious about our relationship with God, and perhaps He will get serious with His blessings and miracles in our life! To the non-Christian reading this, you will not be able to identify with much of what I have shared. That’s because this type of relationship is only available to those who have accepted Jesus as their Savior and Lord. That can include you, starting right now! Please click on my hyperlink below on “How to Know Jesus”. Please contact me with any questions or just to pray with you about your relationship with God. He loves you deeply and wants you to have everything you need to live life like He intended!

 PRAYER: Dear Father, thank You so much for loving Your children so intimately that You would reassure us through Your servant Peter that You have given us everything we need to live our lives pleasing to You. Often this seems impossible, but praise God You know what we need more than we could ever begin to imagine! Please anoint Your children with this confidence today as they are reminded of Your Word, Your promise. May we live like children of the Most High today, so that others might want to know You, or be drawn closer to You. Father, please tender the hearts of the unsaved today, so that they might see the need for a Savior and want to live in the light of Your sweet promises. Have Your will and way in our lives today dear God, for I ask this in the strong name of Your Son, Jesus my Savior, and for His sake only, 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 read through Biblical truths on How To Know Jesus, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com so that we can pray with you and give you help and or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Any words underlined above will indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to blogger.nuggetsfromgodsword.org and read more, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, Sebring, FL! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us!

He Cares Affectionately For You!

On By Ed AlgreenIn Elders, Leadership, LoveLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (The Amplified Bible – 1 Peter 5:6-7): 6 Therefore humble yourselves [demote, lower yourselves in your own estimation] under the mighty hand of God, that in due time He may exalt you, 7 Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully. [Ps. 55:22.]

 THOUGHTS: Peter had just appealed to church elders to take their jobs seriously and lovingly, not just for a paycheck. He then cautioned the younger leaders to be humble and obedient to their elders so that they might learn from them in obedience to God. He then immediately followed by assuring the leaders that no matter what they feel like their leadership responsibilities might be, they are to humble themselves under the overall power and might of God, for it is He who will one day exalt them before the Father in heaven. Friends, I believe that these two verses are also applicable to Christians in general, for who are we to lord ourselves over folk. Yes, we may have certain supervisory rights as part of our job responsibilities, but we are never to lord ourselves over folk and make them feel inferior to us. In fact, I have found where folk will respect you a whole lot more and be more obedient to you as their boss, if you treat them with humility and respect. Now, verse 7 goes on to cap this whole thing off by telling us that when the concerns of leadership, church leadership in particular, becomes overly burdensome, we are to take Jesus at His word, and cast those concerns at His feet, knowing full well that He has such love and affection for His children that He will wipe away the tears, ease the concerns and watch out for our eternal good. Don’t you feel comforted by that friend? We don’t have to wait until we have gotten to the end of our emotional, mental or physical ‘rope’ to then place our concerns before God, we can do it as soon as we feel concerned about something. I just love the remaining words of these two verses, for it reminds me that Jesus cares affectionately about me and He is watching out for me! What an honor! If you are not experiencing this kind of love and care today friend, then I would encourage you to reevaluate your relationship with the Master, for His Word is never wrong. He cares for His own affectionately! Surrender yourself wholeheartedly to Him today and enjoy the gracious and loving rewards of being His precious child!

 PRAYER: Thank You Father for the reassurance of Your love and concern for us. You are awesome beyond all measure and I thank You for caring so much about even me. Lord You are well aware of all the pressure and hurt that face our church leaders and also similar experiences by lay persons as we try to be good representatives of yours in our everyday life. Please continue to remind us of Your presence, guidance and love as we try to work through every circumstance of life. Most of all, I pray that You will help us to never lose sight of Your faithfulness and Your promises to never leave us alone, but always caring about us. We need You more today than ever before Lord, so we come before Your throne yet again in humility asking for Your ongoing love for us. Thank You Jesus for Your arms of affection and Your watchful eye on us. I bring these petitions before You in all humility and love today, in the wonderful and blessed 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 read through Biblical truths on How To Know Jesus, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com so that we can pray with you and give you help and or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Any words underlined above will indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to blogger.nuggetsfromgodsword.org and read more, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, Sebring, FL! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us!

Spiritual Refining

On By Ed AlgreenIn Refining, Submission, SurrenderLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (The Message – 1 Peter 4:12-16): 12–13 Friends, when life gets really difficult, don’t jump to the conclusion that God isn’t on the job. Instead, be glad that you are in the very thick of what Christ experienced. This is a spiritual refining process, with glory just around the corner. 14–16If you’re abused because of Christ, count yourself fortunate. It’s the Spirit of God and his glory in you that brought you to the notice of others. If they’re on you because you broke the law or disturbed the peace, that’s a different matter. But if it’s because you’re a Christian, don’t give it a second thought. Be proud of the distinguished status reflected in that name!

THOUGHTS: Ever stop to think about the reason why ‘good’ people who always strive to do their very best, still struggle in their marriages or in their family structure? Could there possibly be any good come out of their struggles or failure? Do you tend to question their commitment to their marriage or their family? What about Christians who still suffer as much in this world as any other individual? Do you tend to question their Christianity? Perhaps you should be careful about doing that, because according to this scripture God may be testing them in order that they might grow in their spirituality. He may be getting their attention, because they may have drifted so far away from Him, or taken Him for granted. Friends, although we are to encourage one another, we need to be careful about trying to be god to them, or for them. God is very capable of taking care of His children. Sometimes this will be through obvious blessings, while other times it may appear to us to be suffering, or hard times, or lack of attention by God. I hope that you will be reminded by this scripture today, that God’s ways are not our ways, nor is our ways anything like His ways. Let us learn to place our faith and trust in Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, knowing that all things work together for good, for those who fully trust in God. Our position is to be subservient to God and allow His perfect will to be fulfilled. We can’t tell Him what to do or how to do it, but what we can do is to always be prepared for His mighty works, especially if He chooses us to bless us in the process, or if He chooses us to help enact any part of that. Oh that His touch on our lives today may be as a spiritual refining that draws us even closer to the Master, so that we may be of more, or better use to Him.

PRAYER: Dear God, may Your powerful hand be at work in our lives today, creating a spiritual refining process that will draw us closer to You and more available to Your service. It’s not all about us, but I truly believe that for us to be of any worthwhile use to You, we must be refined and closely tuned to Your image, Your likeness, Your character and in full obedience to Your perfect will. Please forgive us Lord where we have allowed self to step in and interfere with the work You have orchestrated. May we simply surrender fully to You and allow You to use us as You see fit, and in full cooperation with Your perfect will. Refine us daily oh Lord, so that we may look, act and truly reflect You in all that we say or do. I ask this in the precious and all powerful 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 read through Biblical truths on How To Know Jesus, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com so that we can pray with you and give you help and or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Any words underlined above will indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to blogger.nuggetsfromgodsword.org and read more, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, Sebring, FL! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us!

Better to Do Good

On By Ed AlgreenIn Humility, SubmissionLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (God’s Word Translation – 1 Peter 3:13-17): 13 Who will harm you if you are devoted to doing what is good? 14 But even if you suffer for doing what God approves, you are blessed. Don’t be afraid of those who want to harm you. Don’t get upset. 15 But dedicate your lives to Christ as Lord. Always be ready to defend your confidence in God when anyone asks you to explain it. However, make your defense with gentleness and respect. 16 Keep your conscience clear. Then those who treat the good Christian life you live with contempt will feel ashamed that they have ridiculed you. 17 After all, if it is God’s will, it’s better to suffer for doing good than for doing wrong.

 THOUGHTS: I don’t believe we have ever heard of anyone getting into trouble for doing what is right. Of course in earthly terms, it will depend on who’s defining ‘good’ versus ‘evil’. However in God’s kingdom, good means that we are living according to the teachings of Jesus and for His name’s sake. A very key verse is buried into this same thought by Peter, and I could only imagine that God was teaching us through Peter, that when we concentrate on doing good, what is right, what is biblical, what may be totally opposite to the world’s view on something, it may be recognized that we must have a deeper and more powerful source working through us. So we are encouraged to not attribute our ‘good’ to happen chance, or good luck, or any personal contribution, but instead, be ready to explain the joy of the Lord that controls our life and directs our path. For when we give glory to the One who controls us, folk who may tend to gossip or destroy us, will then feel ashamed for putting us down, if we broach the subject with humility, gentleness and respect. Friends, it is an awful thing to find yourself in the hands of an angry God. So live according to His commands/instructions. Do good, just as He did when He was here on earth. And boast about the source of your goodness so that praise might be offered to the King of all kings, the Lord of all lords, the Savior of this world – all because of our personal relationship with Him and submission to Him. Praise to God for His wonderful works and His leadership in my life! I pray that we can stay closely attuned to Jesus, and His powerful works possible through us!

 PRAYER: Lord Jesus, You are good, and Your mercy endureth forever! Thank You for loving even me. Thank You for saving my soul! Thank You for teaching me Your ways so that I may live in peace with You and my Brothers and Sisters here on earth. Please work powerfully in the lives of all who call on You today. May Your perfect will be evident in all that we do or say, so that others will desire to know more about You and Your wonderful works. May we be consistent in doing good, with Your help and for Your sake. Please touch the lives of my readers and myself in very meaningful and powerful ways today, is my humble cry that I ask in the precious and strong name of Jesus Christ, 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 read through Biblical truths on How To Know Jesus, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com so that we can pray with you and give you help and or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Any words underlined above will indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to blogger.nuggetsfromgodsword.org and read more, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, Sebring, FL! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us!

The Secret To Being Beautiful!

On By Ed AlgreenIn Godly lives, Husbands, WivesLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (The Contemporary English Version – 1 Peter 3:1-7): 1    If you are a wife, you must put your husband first. Even if he opposes our message, you will win him over by what you do. No one else will have to say anything to him, 2 because he will see how you honor God and live a pure life. 3 Don’t depend on things like fancy hairdos or gold jewelry or expensive clothes to make you look beautiful. 4 Be beautiful in your heart by being gentle and quiet. This kind of beauty will last, and God considers it very special. 5 Long ago those women who worshiped God and put their hope in him made themselves beautiful by putting their husbands first. 6 For example, Sarah obeyed Abraham and called him her master. You are her true children, if you do right and don’t let anything frighten you. 7 If you are a husband, you should be thoughtful of your wife. Treat her with honor, because she isn’t as strong as you are, and she shares with you in the gift of life. Then nothing will stand in the way of your prayers.

 THOUGHTS: With all of today’s self-beautification cosmetics and/or tips and tricks, I smiled as I read this passage of scripture, because it’s all in the Book friend! For our females, there is no need for the frequent trips to the beauty salon and your favorite hairstylist, nor competing for the best gold jewelry or the most expensive clothes, in order to look beautiful. Instead, you are to have that inward beauty, through your gentle and quietness of mind and spirit. Your reward is that this kind of beauty will last throughout eternity – longer than any hairdo, and far exceeds the beauty of your expensive jewelry and clothes purchased. Most importantly, it is also especially pleasing to God as He considers a lady with those qualities very special! For our men, we are to be thoughtful of our wives; treat her with honor, especially after considering that she is not as strong as we are and that she shares with us the gift of life. The promised reward for us men, is that nothing will then stand in the way of our prayers. I believe this doesn’t just mean the answer to our prayers, but also means that we can communicate openly with God, without feeling like our prayers went no further than the ceiling, or that we hit a brick wall with our prayers. Friends, as we meditate on this today, I believe that it becomes clear why we see so many failed marriages; why we see so many marriage counselors today; why we see so many women, and men, doomed to fail in their endeavor to live godly lives. It is impossible to live godly lives, if we fail in important areas of our lives such as described in this devotional. I believe it is evident that because of our faith, our godliness, and our obedience to the Word of God, we can live godly lives pleasing to our Master. So I believe the challenge today is: How beautiful do we personally feel? How godly do we feel we are – when aligned with the expectations of the gospel? Have we attained true beauty, as described in this devotional? Is our relationship with God where it needs to be for us to experience true inner beauty? Individually we need to get before the Master and ask for His miracle working hand to endow us with power from above, so that we may see our faults and receive the necessary power and self-will to overcome the ‘ugly’ that has embedded itself in us. As children of the Most High God, we should be a thing of pure beauty!

PRAYER: Father God, You are beautiful in every way, and from this scripture today You have revealed to us that we can be beautiful also, as we strive to do Your perfect will and live more like You in every way. There are challenges given to both women and men, but because of the overpowering world that we live in, we sincerely need Your help, Your power and Your direction to achieve true holiness and godliness. Please humble us today to get over ourselves, and to accept the beauty tips offered in this passage, with the power of Your sweet Holy Spirit that You have blessed us with. Lord, we will not see much change in this world as long as we act just like Satan’s team. We need Your beauty to shine through our character, our actions, our attitudes and to overpower our self-will. Please humble us with the need and the desire to improve our inner beauty and to please You in every way, so that we might represent You well in this old world. Please bless my readers today as they meditate on this devotional. May their eyes be opened to the truth of Your Word and apply it to their lives. For I ask all this in the precious and strong 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 read through Biblical truths on How To Know Jesus, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com so that we can pray with you and give you help and or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Any words underlined above will indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to blogger.nuggetsfromgodsword.org and read more, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, Sebring, FL! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us!

Here’s What The Lord Wants

On By Ed AlgreenIn Government Leaders, Obedience, What The Lord WantsLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (Contemporary English Version – 1 Peter 2:13-17): 13
The Lord wants you to obey all human authorities, especially the Emperor, who rules over everyone. 14 You must also obey governors, because they are sent by the Emperor to punish criminals and to praise good citizens. 15 God wants you to silence stupid and ignorant people by doing right. 16 You are free, but still you are God’s servants, and you must not use your freedom as an excuse for doing wrong. 17 Respect everyone and show special love for God’s people. Honor God and respect the Emperor.

 THOUGHTS: I believe that at the center of every Christian’s prayer, is that we honor the will of God. We want to do what pleases God. I also believe that one of the most challenging things for humans to do, is to truly honor and obey government leaders. Friends, we may not like what they are doing, and we may think that some of their decisions are truly horrendous, but could that possibly be our fault? Did we seek God’s face and ask for His guidance before we voted, if we voted? Do we pray daily for our government leaders, so that decisions they make on our behalf, might truly be God-directed? God, through His servant Peter, is further instructing us to follow Jesus’ example by living right and doing good, instead of giving non-Christians equal opportunity to gossip about us like they would their equals. Yes, we are only human, and yes, we will fail from time to time, but when our heart is right and when we aim to obey God in all aspects of life, we will silence ignorant people who listen to Satan and try to find fault with us. Verse 17 really encapsulates all that was said in verses 13-16, so read it carefully friends, and make every effort to obey the Word of the Lord. Make it your daily aim to do what the Lord wants!

 PRAYER: Father, thank You for Your Word. When we read it we can understand its truths and see every reason why You would include such words of instruction for us, because You knew we would struggle with these things in our lifetime. I am humbled that in all things instructed, we must come into Your presence and seek Your guidance and Your help to accomplish the totally different lifestyle that You desire for us as we represent You. Please help us to stay focused on You every day. Please help us to do our part for our government leaders by praying for them and supporting them with our obedience, while You work our Your perfect will in their lives and in their governing of Your chosen people. Without a doubt Lord, we need You in our lives to do Your perfect will. Please touch the hearts of Your servants today, beginning with me. Please once again tender the hearts of those who have yet to accept You, especially those on the hearts, and in the prayers of my readers. May we rejoice soon at the miracle You are performing even now on our unsaved loved ones. I ask all this in the precious name of Jesus Christ, and all for His sake alone, 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 read through Biblical truths on How To Know Jesus, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com so that we can pray with you and give you help and or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Any words underlined above will indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to blogger.nuggetsfromgodsword.org and read more, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, Sebring, FL! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us!