Tag: obedient

Where’s Your Heart?

On By Ed AlgreenIn Commitment, Obedience, Obedient, Totally committed, True witnesses, Unconditional commitment, Witness, WitnessingLeave a comment

Post Date:

 Friday, 2017-05-19
SCRIPTURE

From:

 Mark 11:7-10 (TLB)

Text:

 7 So the colt was brought to Jesus, and the disciples threw their cloaks across its back for him to ride on. 8 Then many in the crowd spread out their coats along the road before him, while others threw down leafy branches from the fields.

9 He was in the center of the procession with crowds ahead and behind, and all of them shouting, “Hail to the King!” “Praise God for him who comes in the name of the Lord!” . . . 10 “Praise God for the return of our father David’s kingdom. . . . ” “Hail to the King of the universe!”
OBSERVATION:
Many will recognize these verses as a scene that’s often taught or preached in church services leading up to Palm Sunday. Many different people involved in this story: Jesus; His followers; the town’s people; the obedient disciples who went and got the colt; the believing bystanders and the unbelieving bystanders. Very interesting roles that each of these folk took in this story and we will examine this closer to see which group each of us may have fit into.
APPLICATION:
As I read this Scripture this morning, it got my attention as to which group of people I may have been included in, so as you meditate on this devotional I would ask that you do the same. One thing about this exercise is that it is one thing to recognize which group you might fit into today, but an altogether different thing to seek the face of God for the desired group you may want to fit into, or ask Him to place you in the group where you would see the most growth, and be drawn the absolute closest to Him. Let’s think about some of the groups:

  • His followers – Some may have been in this group because they were part of the larger group that Jesus had miraculously fed, and they wanted to hang close in case He did that again. Others perhaps staying close because of the promised kingdom He had told them about, while yet others because of the personal relationship they had developed with Jesus. When the colt arrived, some placed their coats on the donkey for Jesus to sit comfortable on, and some spread their jackets on the ground, while others found palm branches and placed them on the ground ahead for the colt to walk on. I got the impression that there were some that did neither.
  • The town’s people – they didn’t beat up the disciples that snitched the colt, but don’t you imagine that they kept a real close eye on them for anything else they may have touched in their town?
  • The obedient disciples – imagine for a moment the conversation these guys had when they left Jesus and went into the town for the colt. The doubt that arose in their minds, or the reassuring by one to the other. Imagine the looks on their faces when they saw the colt, just as Jesus told them they would? Seeing other town’s people around, I wonder if they went sneaking around to get the colt, or boldly, knowing that they had a response from the Master, should the people question them.
  • The bystanders – some curious, some in doubt, some hoping to find something wrong so they could generate some town gossip, while some may have heard about Jesus and was looking for slightly more proof to convince them to either accept or reject Him.

Friends, I would really like you to take a moment and reflect on which of these groups you would most likely fit into. As you do this, evaluate your personal relationship with Jesus Christ; your boldness in being His witness; your commitment to spending time with Him daily; your lifestyle as seen in the eyes of the unbeliever – do they see enough of Jesus in you, to claim you as His child? Or do they see you as hypocritical because your actions and words do not match who you claim to be? Where’s your heart, friend?
PRAYER:
Lord Jesus, You know us intimately. In fact, You know us better than we know ourselves. As we evaluate our stance in life today, I pray that You will open our eyes of understanding and our stony hearts so that our shortcomings will be evident. Please give us clear thoughts and vision on where we should be in Your plan for our lives, then give us boldness and commitment to follow through, in Your strength. Lord, I pray that my readers and I will draw close to You and allow You to take full control of us, all for Your glory, honor and praise. 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!

What Pleases God

On By Ed AlgreenIn Commitment, Committed, Surrender, Totally committed, Unconditional commitmentLeave a comment

Post Date:

 Thursday, 2017-03-02
SCRIPTURE

From:

 Exodus 4:10-14 (TLB)

Text:

 10 But Moses pleaded, “O Lord, I’m just not a good speaker. I never have been, and I’m not now, even after you have spoken to me, for I have a speech impediment.”

11 “Who makes mouths?” Jehovah asked him. “Isn’t it I, the Lord? Who makes a man so that he can speak or not speak, see or not see, hear or not hear? 12 Now go ahead and do as I tell you, for I will help you to speak well, and I will tell you what to say.”

13 But Moses said, “Lord, please! Send someone else.”

14 Then the Lord became angry. “All right,” he said, “your brother, Aaron, is a good speaker. And he is coming here to look for you and will be very happy when he finds you.

OBSERVATION:
Moses was commanded to do something that was waaayyyy outside of his comfort zone. This caused Moses to say ‘no’ to God, and refuse to obediently get on with the job. This was unpleasing to God, as He became angry at Moses. In applying this Scripture to our lives today, we will examine whether this disobedience continues, or whether we truly make every effort to please God….
APPLICATION:
I would imagine that books that promise to prompt you towards things that please your spouse, or your teacher or your parents or your boss, probably sell out very quickly. For I believe that we are generally a people that prefer to please one another – especially if we believe that there are return benefits for us. But just for a moment, imagine one whose comfort zone is filling a support position behind the scenes. An extremely hard worker, but could care less about fanfare or public recognition. In fact, they prefer to see others recognized over themselves, as they prefer to get the job done and see the overall operation succeed. This sounds somewhat like Moses. He was being asked to do something that he always shied away from, because he felt so inadequate in speaking publicly. In fact, speaking in public was just not his forte. But wait a moment, why would the God of this universe ask him to do something that He knew Moses would be uncomfortable with, or feel unqualified for? Could it be that the task would then demand Moses to look upwards and depend on God, rather than his own known strengths? Friends, I am so sold out on the power of my God, that I truly believe that He outfits and prepares those that He calls to perform their assignments. I believe that if you are asked to teach, by a praying, God-honoring individual who tells you that God directed them to ask you to teach, what is there that you need time to pray about? Hoping that God, or is it perhaps Satan, will give you excuses on how to wiggle out of the assignment God has sent your direction? Unfortunately, I believe that way too often we spend more time meditating on the reasons we shouldn’t take a God-honoring position that could ultimately bring glory to Him, than we do in praising God for the opportunity to serve Him. After all, who are we that God should choose us to serve in His vineyard and influence others for the kingdom of God? Rightfully so, we are often unqualified for the job, but when we bring God into the equation, is there really anything too difficult, or impossible for Him? All things achieved though our inadequacies, shows the world that God is still in control and willing to work through even humble individuals like you and I. Please read verses 11 and 12 over again before you give a decision on whether you will accept your next assignment! Consider giving God an avenue through which He could accomplish His work to bring glory to himself and His kingdom.
PRAYER:
Lord, we are your servants, willing to be used by You to accomplish Your work here on earth. We believe in You, please help our unbelief; our doubt; our lack of trust; and our natural desire to be well qualified for everything we do. Depending on You will require faith and total dependence on You. Lord, please fill us and make us usable instruments that You can work through to touch the hardenend hearts of our dear friends, family, coworkers, and all those that You place in our path. Please forgive us for the time wasted in turning away from You and circumventing Your holy appointments. Help us to totally surrender our all to You, dear 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!

Obedience From The Heart

On By Ed AlgreenIn Faithful, Humbleness, ObedienceLeave a comment

Post Date:

 Wednesday, 2017-02-01
SCRIPTURE

From:

 Psalm 119:33-34 (Voice)

Text:

 33 Eternal One, show me how to live according to Your statutes,
    and I will keep them always.
34 Grant me understanding so that I can keep Your law
    and keep it wholeheartedly.
OBSERVATION:
We know from the life of David that there were many ups and downs, or highs and lows in his life, and perhaps that’s why many of us can identify with David so much. However, David became pretty special to God though, and we can see from our verses today that David’s heart was one of humbleness before God. He had a desire to learn more of God Word, and His perfect will for his life, feeling like if he could only understand it, he would put his whole heart into being obedient to it.
APPLICATION:
Ever had a time in your life where you were about to get upset with a child because they were about to do something that you had corrected them on many times before? Then you realized that they were doing their very best to do what they probably understood from you, but just not as perfectly as you were hoping for? Isn’t that the way it is with God’s Word sometimes? You want to do things according to your understanding of God’s teachings, yet you become confused by all that is being taught from various pulpits, classrooms or media platforms. Friends, I believe that we need to pay close attention to the method used by David. Notice how he went to the Source to ask for wisdom and understanding? Notice how he had determined in his own mind that with this understanding and additional wisdom, came a determined heart to be obedient to whatever God revealed to him? I believe that often we become so hung up on wanting to hear an explanation of the Bible that fits our own personal desires and wishes that we tune out the teachings and explanations that are contrary to predetermined ideas. I believe that when we seek God’s face, like David did, we will often be led in opposite directions to what was determined in our minds, because God’s ways are so different to our ways. The bottom line for us though, is that only what’s done for Jesus will last. Only when we do what’s pleasing to Him and in full obedience to Him, will we truly align our lives with His will for us. So shall we seek to follow David’s example and seek God’s face, asking for Him to clarify exactly what it is that we need to do, so that we may be a pleasing fragrance in His nostrils? It’s not about what self wants or desires. It’s all about pleasing God in all that we do, friends, so that His perfect will might be accomplished through even us – His humble servants.
PRAYER:
Father in heaven, You have demonstrated Your love for us by sending Your only Son as a sacrifice for our sin. Yet we love grudgingly and with many strings attached. You gave us Your Word – Your book of instructions for life, so that we might know the way to eternal life, and that we might know what pleases the Father. Yet we often choose to do our own thing, in hopes of selfish returns and personal achievements. Your servant David demonstrated through this Psalm today, that it’s not until we stop and surrender wholeheartedly to You, and Your perfect will for our lives, that we truly become a pleasing aroma to You and usable instruments by You to reach unsaved loved ones. Lord, may this be a day that You will be busy at work in our understanding of Your statutes and commands, whether we are sitting to ‘soak in’ the words from Your Holy Bible, or whether driving along being blessed by all that You have made, or whether through the spoken word of another believer. Lord, may Your will become perfectly clear to us today, is my honest plea and heart’s desire, with total thanksgiving for all that You will do today, 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!

Proof That You’re A Christian

On By Ed AlgreenIn Christ-Like, Christian, Christian Living, Christian Principles, Christianity, Proof-positiveLeave a comment

May I encourage you to get your spiritual ‘Nuggets’ to start your day off right? Pretty amazing that our awesome God would consider feeding even us with His Word! May I encourage you to read the whole devotional, and look for a blessing, friend!………

Today’s Bible Reference: 1 John 2:3-6
Today’s Bible Text: 3 And how can we be sure that we belong to him? By looking within ourselves: are we really trying to do what he wants us to? 4 Someone may say, “I am a Christian; I am on my way to heaven; I belong to Christ.” But if he doesn’t do what Christ tells him to, he is a liar. 5 But those who do what Christ tells them to will learn to love God more and more. That is the way to know whether or not you are a Christian. 6 Anyone who says he is a Christian should live as Christ did.
The Bible Translation: The Living Bible (TLB)

My Take Away: Recently I was in a classroom setting where attendees were asked to explain what the Bible refers to as one’s ‘heart’. Whenever we talk to a non-Christian about the Lord, we encourage them to invite Jesus into their ‘heart’. We might tell our favorite person on earth that we love them with all of our ‘heart’, or from the depths of our ‘heart’. The reason I believe that we relate the degree of our love, or the sincerity of our love to our ‘heart’ is that it helps to explain that it’s not just words that we are expressing,m but a deep personal conviction. These verses declare that if we say that we love Jesus, or have invited Him into our ‘heart’, then proof positive of that love or commitment, would be to live like He lived. In other words, it’s not just superficial, or evidenced by words alone, but it is something where we have allowed Jesus to impact our inner person to such a degree that we want to obey His commands and live by the example He set before us while He was here on earth. I might tell my wife every day that I love her with all my heart, but unless I also express that in, and through my actions, she will never be convinced of that love. That’s the way it is with Jesus. Inviting Him to be your Savior and Lord, means that you have not only asked Him to forgive you of your sin, but you have also asked Him to be Lord of your ‘heart’, and that you want every aspect of your life to be impacted by all that Jesus said and did. This affirms your commitment to express the love and way of Jesus through your words, and live that out through your actions, from that point forward. Think about this friends, you live according to all that’s in your ‘heart’. Is it convincing to God and your fellow mankind that you are a child of God – a Christian? If not, you may need to reevaluate your relationship with God and perhaps start all over again in your walk with the Lord. The word ‘Christian’ means Christ-follower, or Christ-like. Are you a Christian friend? If not convinced, may I encourage you to read my ‘Footnote’ and sure up your decision? Jesus is coming again very soon friend, and it may be as early as today. I pray that I will see you in heaven around the throne of Christ!

Prayer: From the depths of my heart I want to reaffirm that I love You Lord. You are my strength when I am weak, You are the treasure that I seek, You, oh Lord, are my all in all! You alone have the power to impact lives and change hearts from the coldness of this world and the evil one, to a heart that is molded into Your likeness and following Your example. Father, please touch the lives of those who will read this devotional today who may not have experienced that ‘heart’ transformation. Draw them to You oh Lord, and direct them towards total surrender to You, so that our world may not just hear about You, but experience You through every word and/or action from us. Thank You Father for loving us enough to use even us to help accomplish Your awesome work of changing ‘hearts’ here on this earth. To You be all glory, honor and majesty, 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!

2016

If…, Then…, Else…

On By Ed AlgreenIn Conditional, Love, ObedienceLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE – New Living Translation (NLT) ~ Deuteronomy 11:13-17 “If you carefully obey the commands I am giving you today, and if you love the Lord your God and serve him with all your heart and soul, then he will send the rains in their proper seasons—the early and late rains—so you can bring in your harvests of grain, new wine, and olive oil. He will give you lush pastureland for your livestock, and you yourselves will have all you want to eat. “But be careful. Don’t let your heart be deceived so that you turn away from the Lord and serve and worship other gods. If you do, the Lord’s anger will burn against you. He will shut up the sky and hold back the rain, and the ground will fail to produce its harvests. Then you will quickly die in that good land the Lord is giving you.

THOUGHTS: In programming and even in the simplest spreadsheet programs there is something called a ‘conditional’ formula, when you can have a cell where the content will be the result is based on the condition and content of one or more other cells or constants. Please don’t give up and wander away from this devotional based on my chatter about my work, but this formula popped off the pages to me in this passage of scripture relaying what Moses told the Israelites centuries ago. Notice I changed the color of the font on ‘If‘, ‘Then‘ and ‘If you do/Else‘, so that you can see where my ‘techie’ mind went when I read this. Friends, I believe that it is very important that we keep similar thoughts in mind as we read the scripture, because we read a lot about how good God is and how good He will be, if we do certain things. I would encourage you to always look for the ‘Else’ in every instance, or the ‘what if’ I don’t do what God is insisting throughout the scripture. Often the impact will be greater for us when we understand the ‘what if I don’t’ repercussions, than anything else. Moses warned his people that as they entered their Promised Land given to them by God, that:

  • If they carefully obeyed and served God alone with all their heart, soul and mind,
  • Then God’s blessings would be showered on them through bumper crops, lush pastureland and great food to eat,
  • Else God’s anger will burn against them, the rain will stop, the harvest will stop and they would quickly die.

Friends, I saw this as a warning to us, for I believe that God is getting our attention to understand that yes, He is a loving and all powerful God who will do everything for us, but:

  • If we fail to be the children He designed us to be and continue in disobedience, and follow the ways of man instead of the commands of God,
  • Then we should realize that we have chosen our own path in life that can only lead to eternal damnation,
  • Else we must continue to seek God’s face, stay closely in tuned with His Word, obey His commands and enjoy His immense blessings that He has in store for us, and prepare for the eternal home that He has prepared for us in Heaven!

Find yourself in this If, Then, Else formula friend, and be prepared to talk with God about helping you attain a close and intimate walk with Him so that He might fulfil all that He has in store for you, His beloved child.

PRAYER: Lord God, thank You for showing us in Your Word where You came through time and time again for Your children. Thank You for the assurance that You will come through for us, if only we would be obedient to Your instructions given for our benefit. I believe that You have so much in store for us that our minds could never comprehend the awesome love that You are waiting to pour out on us. The formula for us to receive Your blessing is all outlined in Your Word. Lord may we be found obedient and pleasing in Your sight, is my simple prayer today, and I ask this in the precious name of Jesus my loving Lord, AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please speak with a local Bible Teaching pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com so that we can pray with you and give you help and or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Any words underlined above will indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If 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!

Choose This Day Whom You Will Serve

On By Ed AlgreenIn Obedient, Servants of God, ServeLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE – New Living Translation (NLT) ~ Deuteronomy 7:5-6 You must break down their pagan altars and shatter their sacred pillars. Cut down their Asherah poles and burn their idols. For you are a holy people, who belong to the Lord your God. Of all the people on earth, the Lord your God has chosen you to be his own special treasure.

THOUGHTS: I believe that we have gotten into such a feeling of ‘trying to fit in’, that we would do almost anything to please our friends. Some say, “we don’t want to be a stick in the mud”, while others say, “I just don’t want to call attention to myself by being different”. Friends, God brought the Israelites through a wilderness over a period of 40 years, and during this time they depended on God for their next drop of water, and their next morsel of food, in order to survive. Do you suppose that they learned how to depend on God? Do you suppose this changed the hearts of these people to trust in God for everything? Do you suppose they learned very quickly what actions pleased God and which ones really upset Him? Do you think that in this world that we now live in where everything is placed at our fingertips, that we could identify with the Israelites? These chosen verses made me think of a current day scenario where a parent is about to release their adult child ‘into the wild’. In other words, from their family home, into a world where they would make their own home and own decisions. For then a parent feels like no matter how thoroughly they may have raised the child in a godly home, they just want to make sure that the child will continue to live as they were taught, as they now ‘fly the coop’! It’s nerve wrecking because we worry that we may not have done enough! In this scripture today, the Israelites were reminded how important it would be for them to stay away from the traps of Satan, and to stay true to the teachings and practices of God, and to not tolerate the things of Satan that may be attractive to them. Friends, this opened my eyes to consider the same challenges that we face each day. There are things that we know we should do that would please God. We know there are practices, places and/or people that we will come into contact with that will distract us from our walk with the Lord. I believe that God is telling us today that ‘we are to choose ye this day whom you will serve’. We may not face pagan altars and Asherah poles, but we will face worldly practices that Satan will use to distract us away from the Holy One, God Almighty. What will you do with Jesus? He gave His life so that we might live eternally with Him in heaven. What will you do today in appreciation for that?

PRAYER: Dear God, Your servants have become so comfortable with the things of this world, that it must be challenging for the world to clearly discern to whom we belong. I am convinced that ‘children of God’ who act like ‘children of the world’ will never impact the world for You, because nothing different is noted. May I be bold enough to ask You today dear God, to please touch Your children – those who have surrendered their lives to You for the sole purpose of being used by You, and renew a right spirit within us; draw us closer to You; direct us to be more like You; so that the world might be reminded of the love; patience; determination; dedication and strength of our Master. You are different to anything we see in this wicked world. May Your children strive to be the same, God being our strength, our helper and our guide. For this is my humble prayer that I ask in the name of Your Son, Jesus, so that we may impact the world for You, AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please speak with a local Bible Teaching pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com so that we can pray with you and give you help and or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Any words underlined above will indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If 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!

Lord, Lead Me

On By Ed AlgreenIn Guide me, Lead me, Mold meLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE – Psalm 5:7-8 – Amplified Bible (AMP): 7 But as for me, I will enter Your house through the abundance of Your steadfast love and tender mercy; At Your holy temple I will bow [obediently] in reverence for You. 8 O Lord, lead me in Your righteousness because of my enemies; Make Your way straight (direct, right) before me.

THOUGHTS: I believe that there comes a time in each of our lives that we wake up one day and question ourselves as to why did we do, or say certain things the day before. For some, this may mean that you are now thinking with a sober mind about the occurrences while you were under the influence. For some, this may mean that because you were under the influence of the Holy Spirit, you remember words coming from your mouth over which you may recall not personally having any control or influence at all. I feel like David (the Psalmist) is reminding us here that it is only because of the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ that we could ever be worthy enough to enter into His presence and reverently seek His face. Let’s take a moment and consider the righteousness of Jesus Christ – He’s the One who was divinely sent by His Father through the miraculous virgin birth; He’s the One who mentioned over and over again in scripture that His words and His actions were those dictated by His Father (God); He’s the One through whom God chose to heal, and even raise the dead to life again; He’s the One who sacrificed His life on Calvary for our eternal salvation, but whom God brought back to life again on the third day. This, friends, is the Holy Son of God that we bow before in prayer. Who are we, to stand before such a holy, loving, miraculous God? Yet, as David discovered and recognized in verse 7, through the abundance of His steadfast love and tender mercy, He entertains our presence and listens to our prayers. Are you feeling humbled yet friend? I certainly am! So let us not come before our Lord and Savior flippantly, or irreverently, or with any pretense of authority over Him, but let us enter His presence humbly, reverently and with utmost respect for the God who He truly is, and the littleness and meekness of the creatures that we are. It is only in this humble attitude that we can ask God to lead us into the path of His righteousness, to give up our earthly desire to be like the best human we could think of, and to follow in His footsteps, obey His commands, and to walk a path and lifestyle that imitates Him in every way. I sincerely believe that it is only then that our friends will discern that there is a God and that He is alive, because they see evidence of that in our lives. Friends, when we put all the earthly stuff aside, we can more clearly see the path that Christ has exampled before us, and the greater our desire will be to follow that path as our Savior leads us to, God being our helper.

PRAYER: Oh God, You are our God, our Designer, our Provider, and You have not only placed this world into existence, but allowed us to live here, knowing that our very life depends on You and the guidance of Your Son. Lord, it is very apparent that if we are to ever expect to live with You in glory, then we need to be obedient to You here on this earth and follow Your path designed for our holiness and our witness to others. Thank You for your patience with us. Please continue to mold us to be more like You in every way, so that Your work may be accomplished through us, and that our lives might be better attuned to You even while still here on this earth. Lord, lead me so that I might imitate You today, and that I might be one step closer to the path You have prepared for me to follow. May others see Jesus in me and through the words that I speak today, and may this be evident in all those who meditate on this devotional today, for this my humble and sincere prayer that I ask in the precious 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 www.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!

Find Yourself

On By Ed AlgreenIn Good Shepherd, Obedience, SheepLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE – John 10:10-13
– Contemporary English Version (CEV): 10 A thief comes only to rob, kill, and destroy. I came so that everyone would have life, and have it in its fullest. 11 I am the good shepherd, and the good shepherd gives up his life for his sheep. 12 Hired workers are not like the shepherd. They don’t own the sheep, and when they see a wolf coming, they run off and leave the sheep. Then the wolf attacks and scatters the flock. 13 Hired workers run away because they don’t care about the sheep.

THOUGHTS: In this scripture I recognized several characters that Jesus chose to use in this parable, and I believe it was intentional, because each of us would recognize the qualities of the characters and position ourselves as one of these as applicable. Here are the characters:

  • A Thief – This is an individual controlled by Satan, and comes into a person’s life, or into a church with the intent of robbing us of our joy, our peace and our security. They are so determined in their mission that their ultimate goal is to kill and/or destroy the fellowship that we have with Jesus Christ. This person comes in the form of a gossiper; a teacher of false doctrines; a distractor when one is determined to draw closer to God and/or determined to understand and obey His Word. I believe we are challenged to be on guard for such ‘thieves’, but more importantly to open our eyes so that we might not get caught in the trap of being a ‘thief’;
  • Hired Worker – I believe this could be a leader that sees the need to teach a lesson, but they really got nothing out of the lesson themselves. I am very touched when it becomes evident that a teacher, or a preacher visited the ‘wood shed’ before teaching a same principle or lesson to an audience. For then the lesson comes from the heart, or from personal application first, and not from an obligation to teach, or because one is paid to do so. This also becomes very apparent in the extent that the teacher feels a heart-felt responsibility for their audience, rather than a casual sharing because of given responsibility. Satan can easily distract our pastors and teachers, so let us continually pray for their spiritual welfare as they seek, in obedience, to be used by God to impact our spiritual welfare;
  • Sheep – I believe it is very important that we get the picture about the relationship between the sheep and the shepherd. Sheep are very dependent on the shepherd, but they are extremely blessed by their shepherd, for he protects them, leads them to green pastures for great nutritional value, and also to streams of water that satisfies their quench. Sheep are so obedient that the shepherd can walk ahead of them and they will follow. No need for whips and sheep dogs to keep them corralled together. We are often likened to sheep in the Bible. Don’t these characteristics speak volumes as to what God expects of us as His ‘sheep’?
  • Wolf – A wolf is known for attacking, scattering and destroying. This happens in many congregations, and could easily happen in our own lives, where a ‘wolf’ could sneak in and totally destroy our fellowship, or our individual walk with the Lord. Let’s be careful that Satan has no leverage in our lives that may cause us to act like a ‘wolf’ among God’s people. Let’s be leery of wolves that may be standing by to attack us. Staying strong in the Lord and His might, is our primary defense. May God be so strong in our lives that wolves will be kept at bay;
  • Shepherd – The importance of a ‘shepherd’ is highlighted throughout my above thoughts. Jesus is our ‘Shepherd’, and in Him we should take our stand. He will not lead us astray, and only He can protect us from the harm and potential danger of Satan’s wolves that wait to destroy us each and every day. It is incumbent upon us to stay closely attuned to our Shepherd. Follow in His footsteps. Obey His commands and love Him because of the love He shows for us every day. Our Good Shepherd is the only defender capable of standing up to Satan. Let’s stay connected and confident in our Good Shepherd, for He has already sacrificed His life for our safety from the awful wolves of Satan and the peace, tranquility and security of Heaven – our heavenly home!

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for sacrificing Your Son as our Savior, our Lord, our redeemer and our Shepherd. May we be careful to take our appropriate role today as Your humble and obedient sheep. Our witness to this will affirm to the sinner that there is a God and a Good Shepherd that they need in their lives also. Happy, obedient sheep will attract more sheep, especially those who are not secure in Your good graces. Use each of your servants who meditate on this devotional today to be the kind of sheep that You desire, and can use to reach out to other sheep. For I ask these things in the name of Jesus, our obedient Good Shepherd, AMEN!

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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 www.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!

Chosen To Live Holy Lives

On By Ed AlgreenIn Holiness, HolyLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (The Contemporary English Version – 1 Peter 1:13-16): 13 Be alert and think straight. Put all your hope in how kind God will be to you when Jesus Christ appears. 14 Behave like obedient children. Don’t let your lives be controlled by your desires, as they used to be. 15 Always live as God’s holy people should, because God is the one who chose you, and he is holy. 16 That’s why the Scriptures say, “I am the holy God, and you must be holy too.”
THOUGHTS: One of the major differences between the way that parents think of their children today and how God thinks of His children, is that most worldly parents want to see their children excel and do way better than they did in life. We are often ashamed of some of the things that we did in our lifetime, so we try to impress upon our kids the importance of doing so much better than we ever found possible. God’s Word shows us how different God is in His expectations of us, for He was, and is, the only truly holy One that ever lived, and because He loves us so much, He wants us to be just like Him, especially in holiness. I find it beyond comprehension that God would look down over billions of people on this earth, and yet choose me. Friends, if you have ever surrendered your life to Jesus and accepted Him as Lord and Savior, then you have accepted the call of the One who also chose you. Think about that friend. In spite of our obstinate, disagreeable, sinful acts and thoughts and our unworthiness, yet God chose us! Wow! So if the holy God chose us, would it not make sense that He chose us to conform us to His likeness, His holiness, His attitude towards life and each other? Friends, if we act unholy and unrighteous and sinful in every way – characteristics totally opposite to our Father, should we not reassess our relationship to our Father? Did we truly answer the call of God on our life? Often we just need a wake-up call such as this scripture, or a sermon orchestrated by God, or something similar to draw our attention to our weakened spirit. God said that He is holy, and we must be holy also. So what needs to change in your life to enable you to stand before our all-knowing God and proclaim “Yes Lord, I feel like I am holy, much like I know of Your perfect and holy life”. This takes a lot of personal assessment, and constant realigning of our attitudes and actions, that seem so easily distracted by Satan and his cohorts. We live in a world that does not conform to the ways of God, but just as God has set us aside as His chosen vessel, we too can make deliberate choices to refrain from sinful acts and instead live like God has ordained – holy and righteous. It’s a choice, but can only be attained with the help of our Lord and Savior.

PRAYER: Father I thank You for Your Word, and its content, because It is orchestrated and inspired by You, therefore it allows You to speak directly to the hardened hearts of Your children. Thank You for choosing me to be Your precious chosen one! I believe that some will read this devotional today that may be a Brother or Sister in the faith, because they have also felt the touch of Your hand on their life, and accepted You as their Savior. We are daily challenged to stay strong in the faith Lord, but I believe that in choosing us, You have set us apart from this world and is available to us daily to help us deal with the Evil One. I also feel like You are still dealing with folk even today, for I have family and friends who have yet to accept Your call on their life. I pray that today might be the day of salvation for them. Please do Your miracle working thing in their lives and redirect their attention towards You. For Your children that should be living holy lives as indicated by Your servant Peter, I pray that You would not give up on us, but daily instruct, guide and strengthen us for the challenge of holiness in an unholy world that we are a part of. We need You Father, and we want You to be our God. Our desire is to be just like you in every way, especially in holiness. I ask this humbly in the precious and holy name of Jesus, and for His sake, AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please speak with a local Bible Teaching pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com so that we can pray with you and give you help and or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Any words underlined above will indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If 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!

Obedience that shows our fear of god

On By Ed AlgreenIn Allegiance to the Lamb, Bible Believing, Bold Confidence, Christian, Faith, God Cares For Us, God’s Word, Honesty, Imitator of Christ, Listen to the Word of God, Obedience, Pleasing to God, RighteousnessLeave a comment

Scripture: Genesis 22 

OBSERVATION (What is God saying here?)

12 “Don’t lay a hand on the boy!” the angel said. “Do not hurt him in any way, for now I know that you truly fear God. You have not withheld from me even your son, your only son.”13 Then Abraham looked up and saw a ram caught by its horns in a thicket. So he took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering in place of his son.14 Abraham named the place Yahweh-Yireh (which means “the Lord will provide”). To this day, people still use that name as a proverb: “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.”  Gen 22:12-14 (NLT)

APPLICATION (How Can I apply what God is saying here to my circumstances today?)

Abraham had been an outstanding child of God up to this point, obeying God’s every command and doing what he thought would please God. Yet in verse 1 of this chapter we are told that God tested his faith, and oh what a test! He commanded Abraham to sacrifice his dearly loved son, Isaac. The scripture shares nothing about Abraham questioning God or trying to make any deal with God, he simply followed God’s instructions. Because of his obedience, God intervened and saved Abraham from such a sacrifice. I wonder if we, or if I am obedient enough to God’s instructions that I would do whatever He asked me to do, and secondly, am I obedient enough for God to say, OK you have proven that you truly fear Me. In my opinion, this is the ultimate proof of our love for God and our obedience to Him, when we are willing to follow what He tells us to do no matter what. God loves us so much that He willingly sacrificed His Son, Jesus, and He didn’t hesitate and withdraw at the last moment, like He allowed in the case of Abraham and Isaac. So lessons learned here tells me that God loves me so much that He sacrificed it all. He also loves us so much that He would be willing to step in and save the day for us, His children, when we prove to Him that we truly love and fear Him. Perhaps we will be blessed enough to name the place where we recognized God’s miracle in our life, much like Abraham did in the case of ‘Yahweh-Yireh’!

PRAYER (With God’s help, what am I going to do differently today because He said it?)

The kind of love that You extend to me is way beyond human comprehension, O Lord. You have shown in Your Word just how loving and kind You were to those before me, and I have every reason to believe that You love me equally as much. May I be bold enough, obedient enough, honest enough and committed enough to show my love and respect in all that You command of me. Abraham was obedient even to the extent that he was willing to sacrifice his greatly loved son. May I be obedient to Your voice today dear God!