Tag: Peter

Finding Faith: Embracing the Call to Discipleship

On By Ed AlgreenIn Accept Jesus NOW, Acknowledge God, All have sinned, Awesome God, Disciple, God Cares For Us, God’s WordLeave a comment

DATE POSTED
Thursday, January 23, 2025, and I was blessed to be at Mariposa at Hunter Road, San Marcos, TX when God inspired me to prepare this devotional. My Footnote will tell you how to find and read any and all episodes that I have shared over the years.

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
Quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) and found in John 1:41-43; 45; 47-48;

THE SCRIPTURE READS
41 Andrew went to find his brother, Simon, and told him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means “Christ”).42 Then Andrew brought Simon to meet Jesus. Looking intently at Simon, Jesus said, “Your name is Simon, son of John—but you will be called Cephas” (which means “Peter”). 43 The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Come, follow me.”
45 Philip went to look for Nathanael and told him, “We have found the very person Moses and the prophets wrote about! His name is Jesus, the son of Joseph from Nazareth.”
47 As they approached, Jesus said, “Now here is a genuine son of Israel—a man of complete integrity.” 48 “How do you know about me?” Nathanael asked. Jesus replied, “I could see you under the fig tree before Philip found you.”

APPLICATION – as inspired by the Holy Spirit
I was once reminded that when an unsaved person asks you about things of the Lord, know that the Holy Spirit is working on that person, for Satan would never incite his follower to do such a thing! So when you wake up one morning and decide to visit a church down the road, don’t assume that you are doing your pesty friend a favor to get them off your back, just be obedient to the Holy Spirit and visit the house of the Lord. Unfortunately, believers in Jesus Christ, and especially unbelievers, find every excuse in the books to avoid the voice of the Holy Spirit and stay away from church attendance or even being around committed believers willing to share their ‘Jesus’ story. However, having shared that, I want you to meditate with me carefully about the cases in our Scripture today, and try to apply this to real life as you experience it today. Notice that Jesus found Andrew, and Andrew immediately had a desire to go and find his brother, Simon. Hopefully in your case, Jesus found you, and you were convicted of your sin after realizing that Jesus was the only source of Eternal Life, and you surrendered your life to His lordship. But, after this miracle of new birth took place, a new life in communion with Jesus Christ, I hope that it was too good to just sit and sour in the church pews, so you immediately thought about others who needed the same joy that you found in knowing Jesus, and you started asking Jesus for open doors to introduce them to your Lord. Like Andrew, I hope that you decided to go in search of that brother, pray for him, and invite him to join in your new-found faith. Now, notice how Jesus shows us about the new life and amazing opportunities He has in store for us. He changed Andrew’s name to better reflect the image of what he was to become in his new-found relationship with Christ, and his new kingdom work. Just imagine, Peter would be known as a ‘rock’ that would represent the solid footing believers would have in Jesus Christ. Ever wondered why so many church names include the name of this great disciple – ‘Peter’? Part of our salvation experience is in turning from our life of sin and the world, to a life dedicated to, and patterned after, our Lord and Savior. Unless this change takes place, it is impossible for others to see the handiwork of Jesus in us, and our lives would not properly represent the Savior in whom we are verbalizing that we have placed our trust in. Next in today’s Scripture, we see where Jesus found Phillip, and He invited Phillip to follow Him. While each of us are super important to God, He may often have much bigger plans for us than we could ever imagine. For I believe that Phillip had an immediate mission, to reach out to Nathaniel, a somewhat outspoken Israelite. Plus, Jesus had a teaching moment for all those already following Him, when He showed Nathaniel how much He already knew about him, even before they ever met in person. Friends, the story of the cross has a very similar message. For Jesus went to the cross for ALL mankind. The ones who attend church and can’t make a decision to accept Jesus, and for those who are deep in sin and see no need for Jesus. Yes, Jesus died for me, even while I was still a sinner. Dear friend, Jesus knows your name, and He knows how many invitations you have already avoided, shunned, and declined, to come and know more about Him. Yet He willingly went to the cross and died a criminal’s death, so that He could fulfill the mission of His Father in rising again so that you, I, and all mankind could have our sins forgiven, and ready us for Heaven. Jesus showed this compassion to Nathaniel, and He is reminding us again today, that He is the only way to see the Father. In John 3:16 we are reminded that for all who believe in Him, we will see God – we will have eternal life! Know Him today precious friends and know that peace that exceeds all human understanding! Prepare now so that we all may kneel together at the feet of our Father in heaven one day – soon!

PRAYER
Dear Lord, I am reminded once again that just as You sought after these first disciples, You are still seeking after the hearts and lives of men and women today that are destined to fulfill Your kingdom work right here where we are at. Thankfully, You got my attention many years ago and You have been faithful through every circumstance of life. So many times I can reflect on the mystery of Your handiwork, the miracles wrought in so many areas of my life and that of my family, friends and church. Some who will meditate on this devotional will identify where they are at in their spiritual walk today. I pray that all will follow in the example of these first disciples, by dropping everything to follow You. From every indication, the day of Your return is sooner than any of us would care to acknowledge. Oh that we would be ready to hear Your ‘WELCOME HOME’ greeting and Your compassionate acknowledgment ‘WELL DONE GOOD AND FAITHFUL SERVANT’. AMEN!

FOOTNOTE
If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please take advantage of information provided on my page ‘To Know Jesus’. I would also suggest that you speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com and share your good news! Perhaps one of God’s servants will pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue, your walk with Jesus. If you would like to read more of my devotionals, or subscribe for a daily email containing each new devotional, please go online to NuggetsFromGodsWord.org. Friends, please allow me to encourage you to find a church home nearby your home and attend as frequently as you could. Get to know God and allow His people to encourage and strengthen you in your Christian walk, while making every effort to be a blessing to them. God is at work among His people! Please consider being a part of that, while also growing in your faith, as you worship with fellow believers!

Guilty of Betrayal

On By Ed AlgreenIn Betrayal, LoyaltyLeave a comment

Post Date:

 Tuesday, 2017-03-28
SCRIPTURE

From:

 Matthew 26:14-16 (NIV)

Text:

 14 Then one of the Twelve—the one called Judas Iscariot—went to the chief priests 15 and asked, “What are you willing to give me if I deliver him over to you?” So they counted out for him thirty pieces of silver. 16 From then on Judas watched for an opportunity to hand him over.
OBSERVATION:
Perhaps Judas is one of the most talked about disciples of Jesus, because of his betrayal of his Master, and all for just 30 pieces of silver. I wonder if the other disciples were 100% sold out to Jesus and never once betrayed Him. We will look deeper into our stance on Jesus and how sold out we are to the King of the universe, the holy Son of God.
APPLICATION:
It is so easy for us to criticize Judas for the bad boy that he was, in betraying his Master, our Lord, the only Son of God. However, I will share with you the meaning of that word ‘B E T R A Y A L’, because I believe that we easily slip into the shoes of Judas more often than we care to admit. The online Free Dictionary gives the following meaning to our ‘word of the day’: To be false or disloyal to: betrayed a cause; betray one’s spouse; | To divulge in a breach of confidence: betray a secret; | To make known unintentionally: Her hollow laugh betrayed her contempt for the idea; | To lead astray: deceive. After reading these meanings, I’m sure that another disciple comes to mind – Peter – when he was ‘disloyal’ to Jesus after His arrest and Peter, for fear of his own life, claimed to have ‘never known The Man’! But I really want us to take time in our meditation with the Lord today and ask Him to point out to us the opportunities that we ‘blow’ when, instead of witnessing about the miracles of the Lord, or boasting on the handiwork of our Maker, we fit into the expectations of those that we are in the company of. In doing this, those witnessing opportunities become times that we wish the person better luck next time, or perhaps ‘fate’ is just not on your side. The miraculous turn of events may become ‘you are one ‘lucky’ person, I wish that I could be that lucky. Another form of betrayal is when we shake the hand of our pastor, or teacher, and tell them how well they did, then another listener pulls us aside and shares how they will start going to another church because they could never get anything from the pastor/teacher’s lessons. Will you always stick to the same compliment you just gave to the leader, or will you betray them and go along with the listener who has a different twist on the lesson? Friends, remember that you will only get as much out of a lesson or sermon as you personally have invested into it. Did you bathe that leader in prayer that they might put self aside and clearly receive a word from the Lord that you and other listeners need to hear from God? Did you give that leader an extra boost of encouragement to let them know you had prayed for them before they taught? Friends, if we’re not careful, we could be doing a whole lot worse than Thomas. May the sincerity of your heart be evident to all those around you, and especially to God, who knows the innermost thoughts, words and deeds of each of us 24/7/365.
PRAYER:
Precious Lord, please give us boldness today to declare the Lordship of Jesus Christ in as many ways as possible today. Too often we become like Thomas and change our witness, our story, our ‘colors’ to match that of the crowd that we are caught associating with. Lord, may we be found faithful in all walks of life. In fact, may we become stronger and even more vocal for You as we enter into the world where many do not have a relationship with You. Lord, may we always declare Your glory, Your honor, Your miracles, Your love, Your presence and Your ultimate Lordship over everything, regardless of the biggest, badest, most vocal objector in the crowd. May You never be forced to challenge us on having betrayed the precious Son of God – our Lord and our Savior. Instead, may You always be praised and honored in all walks of our life, each and every day, for Your glory alone. AMEN!
FOOTNOTE:
There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’.  If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog could indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and read more, or you may freely to subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us!

The Encouraging Power of Prayer

On By Ed AlgreenIn UncategorizedLeave a comment
In vs 24, when Peter and John returned from jail to their fellow believers, they all joined together in prayer to God. They reminded themselves of ways that God had previously answered prayer for their ancestors, and then in verse 29, they asked God to allow them to continue to speak His message boldly. Let us be encouraged by this action, because old Satan would much prefer seeing us sit down and weep over our lost power and give him credit for victory in stalling the work of the Lord. However, because of their sincere prayer, we read in vs 31 that immediately after praying, the whole building shook and they were filled with the Holy Spirit, and immediately began speaking God’s message with boldness! Friend, that’s the same God that we pray to and serve today! Are you encouraged by His power and His answer to prayer? We need to earnestly believe that He can, and will answer our sincere prayers today also! Prayer is a powerful tool that Christians often underutilize. Let us PRAY!
Book cover

And now, Lord, take notice of the threats they have made, and allow us, your servants, to speak your message with all boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal, and grant that wonders and miracles may be performed through the name of your holy Servant Jesus.” When they finished praying, the place where they were meeting was shaken. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to proclaim God’s message with boldness.

Do You Love Me?

On By Ed AlgreenIn UncategorizedLeave a comment
Anytime my wife asks if I love her, I realize a few things right away: 1) Has it not been evident that I love her through my words and actions recently? 2 Was I not convincing when I last told her that I love her? 3) We must need more quality ‘alone’ time together. Ever noticed how easy it is to brag on, and about your spouse when things are going really well between you two? In this verse we see where Jesus gave Peter some ministry opportunities, but He prefaced the assignments by asking Peter to really think about his love for the Master. Until Peter’s heart is committed, unified, enthused and totally engrossed in his Master, his ministry for Him would be half-hearted at best. Friends, Jesus wants our best as we minister for Him. He gave it all (His life) for us, why would we possibly limit what we are prepared to do for Him? Nothing compares to the gift given on the cross for us. Friend, do you really love the Lord? Are you ready to ‘feed His sheep’ from the depths of your heart?
Book cover

A third time Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”  Peter was sad because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” so he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you!” Jesus said to him, “Take care of my sheep.

Make God First in Your Life, then……

On By Ed AlgreenIn Allegiance to the Lamb, Bible Believing, Bold Confidence, Born Again, Chosen by God, Christian, Disciple, Faith, Follow Jesus, God’s Word, Imitator of Christ, Listen to the Word of God, Obedience, Our Help comes from God, Pleasing to God, Reflecting Christ, Righteousness, Servants of God, Surrender, Work Til Jesus ComesLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE Studied: Matthew 4

OBSERVATION (What is God saying here?)

18 One day as Jesus was walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers—Simon, also called Peter, and Andrew—throwing a net into the water, for they fished for a living.19 Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!”20 And they left their nets at once and followed him.21 A little farther up the shore he saw two other brothers, James and John, sitting in a boat with their father, Zebedee, repairing their nets. And he called them to come, too.22 They immediately followed him, leaving the boat and their father behind. Matt 4:18-22 (NLT)

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

While this seems like a miraculous thing for Jesus to call these men from what they were doing, and especially for them to leave their secular jobs and follow Him, I believe that this also occurs today. We were created by God, and while our flesh strives to live in and enjoy the pleasures of this world, I believe that our inward soul longs to be with Jesus and live a life pleasing to Him while here on this earth. Unfortunately I believe that the latter is not possible until we accept that deep longing to accept Jesus as Lord of our life. We can always stop and think of what life could be like if we weren’t so stuck on pleasing others. It is so unfortunate that we try so hard to please our peers, our family, our friends, our co-workers, our boss, our pastor and then with whatever is left in us we try to please God. Friend why not try and do this in reverse order – surrender your heart to God, give Him 100% of your effort to please Him and follow His commands, then watch how easy it will be to see others accept you for who you are. A life surrendered to, committed to and following the commands of Jesus will result in a happy, satisfied, fulfilled life with a purpose and a goal oriented mindset that will be fixed on Jesus Christ. Oh that we will do just that this Christmas season – a time on our calendar that we dedicate to the One whose birthday is the whole purpose of Christmas.

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

Father, I rededicated myself anew to You this Christmas. I pray that You will direct me each and every day, especially during this busy time on my calendar. I pray that You will help me place my life in perspective – You first, and all else to follow as You direct. May I be deep into Your Word daily so that I may learn of and subsequently follow the plan You have designed for my life. May I be an influence to others, especially those that have not yet accepted You as Lord of their lives. Like Peter, Andrew, James and John, may I be obedient to Your call on my life and serve You willingly every day. Please touch the lives of all readers today that they too may first of all accept You as Lord, then submit their lives totally to You and Your service. You gave Your very best that very first ‘Christmas’, may we in turn give our very best to You this Christmas.