Tag: Represent Jesus proudly

It’s All About God

On By Ed AlgreenIn A Lamp unto My Path, Adoration, Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Awesome God, Beyond Description, Blessing, Celebrate God, Needs, Praise, Praise-worthy, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED: Wednesday, November 8, 2023, and I was blessed to be at Valdosta, Georgia, when God inspired me to prepare this devotional. My Footnote will tell you how to find, read or listen to any and all episodes that I have shared over the years.

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE FROM THE New International Version (NIV) IS FOUND IN Luke 20:46-47

THE BIBLE TEXT IS: “Beware of the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets. They devour widows’ houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. These men will be punished most severely.”

APPLICATION OF THE WORD: Although I have never been an ambassador of a country, it is my understanding that such an individual represents their home-country in whatever country they are sent to serve. They are called upon to speak on behalf of their home-country, and they are looked upon as an image of the same. For those of us who have accepted Jesus as Lord, I believe the Bible teaches us to go out and represent Jesus in our communities, with the intent of encouraging those that we come into contact with, to also want to know and accept Jesus as Lord. I believe it is obvious from the way that Jesus spoke in our verses today, that these ‘teachers of the law’ may look, sound, and act like religious leaders in some ways, but they are obviously not His ambassadors. I see lessons in this for spiritual leaders today, and for church goers who might be caught in the trap of waiting for their spiritual leaders to lead them in worship to our Creator. In my early years of life, I remember it was easy to identify our religious leaders, and they generally earned our respect by the way they carried themselves in dress and character. However, I have earned a totally new respect for my pastors today, who go about their way, whether at the church office, visiting parishioners in hospital, or greeting someone at a restaurant. Seldom do we hear them introduce themselves as Pastor ______, Reverend _______, or Doctor (of Divinity) _____, but instead as Peter, John or Paul. It is just as important today as it was in the days of fancy religious titles, to look at the heart and the sincerity of the ‘ambassador of Jesus Christ’. In my opinion, earned respect is much more important than flaunting your professional title, or through a certain dress code. Friends, I believe that Jesus wanted His first ambassadors, and us, to understand that whatever we do in His name must be done for His glory, and not our own. Perhaps we should more often follow in the example of one pastor that I had, who vowed never to wear a new suit that attracted so many compliments from his parishioners that it made him question if they heard anything at all that he preached on that morning! Personally, I would much prefer hearing a fellow believer recognize Jesus in me, rather than to see the reaction on their face, should I tell them that I am a believer. So, to our spiritual leaders I believe I would remind them to never forget who it is that they represent. As an ambassador, they are always aiming to live, talk and act incognito, just like the one they represent. If others see anything other than Jesus in what you are doing or saying, then you have missed the point of Christian ministry. To those who are like me, a believer in Jesus Christ, we must look to Jesus daily, just like a young bird is perched on a branch with it’s mouth opened, waiting to be fed. We do this through conversation with God – in prayer; looking for the will of God – through intense meditation on His Word; and through fellowship with other believers who are seeking to imitate Jesus in every walk of their daily life. When we step outside the bounds of these things, we may give the impression that we can’t wait on God to do His work, or that we could do life as good, or better on our own. Jesus said in verse 27 that those teachers and leaders who misrepresent Him and mislead others will be punished worse than everyone else. It’s all about God, dear friends, look for ways to lift Him up personally and regularly. Through deliberate encouragement to others, ensure that your time here on earth is not in vain.

PRAYER BECAUSE OF THE IMPACT OF TODAY’S SCRIPTURE: Lord Jesus, we thank You for creating us in Your image, and reminding us through Your Word that the lives of believers, Your children, are to be devoted to worshipping and honoring You. With heaven as our eternal destiny, there is nothing more valuable left for us to gain here on earth, outside of spreading your Good News about Your wonderful love and promise. Please Lord, help us to keep our eyes fixed on You so that others will experience Your wonderful presence when in our midst. By glorified in us today, Lord Jesus. AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: There’s another page on my website, entitled ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading or listening to this devotional, please go to this 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. 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. For my podcast, go online to Apple Podcasts or, using the Apple Podcast app, simply search for Nuggets From God’s Word to hear more episodes, or click ‘Follow’ to be notified of Podcast updates. 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 growing in your faith, as you worship with fellow believers!

May Our Actions Never Discredit Our King

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Wednesday, 2021-04-21
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

BIBLE REFERENCE: Psalm 25:11
TRANSLATION: New International Version (NIV)

BIBLE TEXT: 11 For the sake of your name, Lord,
    forgive my iniquity, though it is great.

OBSERVATION: Perhaps one of your parents may have told you at one time how they hoped you would never spoil their good name in the community or in the church. As children of the most high God, I wonder what might cross our minds as we meditate on His Word today? Perhaps there are things we say or do that may not promote the Kingdom, and I would be ashamed to see how that must hurt our Father. Allow the Word to wash over you today and complete It’s work in you.

APPLICATION: Ever recognize a couple as being the parents of that boy/girl who recently went to prison for a certain crime? Or have you ever said to a child that they have totally destroyed the respect of your name in the community? But of even greater concern, what if we stop and reflect on the heart of God, like David did, and feel convicted of how we have hurt Him with our actions or words? Yes, we serve a forgiving God who loves us unconditionally. But when we surrendered our lives to Him, we committed to live a life that would reflect the actions and life of Christ. We promised to honestly represent Him here on earth, hoping that family and friends will frequently mistake us for Jesus. Don’t you often stop to reflect on how you are doing in that respect? Do you feel like each end of day, God must review our life and celebrate how well we did? Yes, through the good times, through the great opportunities that presented themselves, through the arguments, through the nasty confrontations and through the lost tempers. Did we truly make our Master shine in the eyes of unbelievers? Did they get a better view of who Jesus truly is, by the way we responded? Can you see more clearly now why David sought forgiveness from the Lord? David was much like us and he knew that the matchless name of Jesus was marred because of his sins, and he wanted that rectified as soon as possible. Dear Christian Brothers and Sisters, join me in protecting the name of the One that we love, because of His unconditional love for us; the name of the One who suffered and died on a rugged old cross at Calvary, so that we might have life eternal in heaven; the name of the One who has power to heal our diseases, direct our paths and guide our decisions for His good! He’s the One we love and appreciate, let’s act like His children so that the world will know Him and desire a relationship with Him. Let’s aim to have the name of our Savior lifted high each and every day, instead of the negative connotations that the world tends to look for.

PRAYER: Lord, You are so good to Your children in so many marvelous ways, and Your love for us is beyond our comprehension. However, we can easily identify with David, because of our constant drive to please the world. Please forgive us for often straying away from Your commands and misrepresenting You before a lost world, in spite of the need to do just the opposite. Lord, we humbly ask for Your power to help us be more like You every day. People need the Lord, including those that we come into contact with, so please give us wisdom and boldness to share Your love with them, and may our character be representative of who You are. Please save the lost, and kindly use us in Your service as You see fit, so that Your name be lifted high – above all other names. 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 might 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 subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. You may also visit me on Spotify and listen to Nuggets while you’re out and about. I would encourage you to find a church home near by 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 growing in your faith, as you worship with fellow believers!

I’m Not Ashamed

On By Ed AlgreenIn Christ's Representative, Like Jesus, Representation of the Master, Representative of Christ, UnashamedLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE  FROM:   2 Timothy 1:11-14 (NET)

DATE WRITTEN: Friday, 2020-10-23
WRITTEN AT: Hope Hull, AL

TEXT:  11 For this gospel I was appointed a preacher and apostle and teacher. 12 Because of this, in fact, I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, because I know the one in whom my faith is set and I am convinced that he is able to protect what has been entrusted to me until that day. 13 Hold to the standard of sound words that you heard from me and do so with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 14 Protect that good thing entrusted to you, through the Holy Spirit who lives within us.

OBSERVATION:   Paul was able to mentor the young man Timothy because he was convinced of his calling, and committed to the One that he served. Regardless of what happened to Paul, including beatings and imprisonment, he was unashamed of the One that he served. I wonder how many of us could truly pass that test today?

APPLICATION:   Many churches in America, and perhaps other parts of the world, will celebrate when one of their own commits to the ministry of Jesus Christ. Some churches may even make particular mention of individuals who commit themselves to serving as elders, deacons, teachers or other leadership/servant roles in the church. Because of this recognition, often folk will be prideful of these positions, but nonetheless, committed to serve for the duration of their committed term. There are some ministry jobs and assignments that remind me a little of what Paul experienced, such as missionaries who travel to countries that they know are unfriendly to the gospel of Jesus Christ; pastors who serve in churches and they may or may not be able to pay them, yet they work endless hours to win the lost and disciple the saved, just as if they were serving the richest of congregations. Of course, all church positions require a heart for representing our Maker to those that we serve, and with hearts  and mindsets of volunteering our time, effort and complete selves. But to put this all into perspective and try to identify with Paul, I believe that we need to think about the sacrifices we may make in serving and in our volunteering, even if we knew that we would be mocked, ridiculed, beaten, cursed at, or imprisoned for what we do. Would we still be able to stand upright and share, in the words of Paul, that we are unashamed of the message and person of Jesus Christ?I believe that my biggest appeal today would be for the lay persons who might read this devotional. Sure these verses were written to Timothy who was a young pastor. Sure these are very applicable to pastors, elders, teachers and other church leaders. But friends, let me remind you that God didn’t save us so that we might shut up inside of us that good thing that He did for us. I refuse to believe that He would have to create another Red Sea phenomenon, for us to truly believe, brag on, and boast about our God. For if we have permitted the lordship of our Savior and Lord to rule and reign inside of us, and if we maintain an active and sincere relationship with Him, then a river of life would flow out through our actions, our speech and it would become very evident in our outward expression and reactions to others. Remember, we don’t want others to see how cool we are, or how rude we could be, but instead, we want them to see Jesus in and through every aspect of our lives. Nothing to be ashamed of my friend, allow that good thing that has made a difference in your life, to be revealed to others so that they may desire our Savior also. Paul made reference to ‘that day’, meaning the day that we meet Jesus face to face. May we live in such a way that we will be overjoyed and filled with celebration on ‘that day’ because of the relationship we had with Jesus while here on earth, opposed to a time of regret because we were ashamed, and we kept everything about God’s goodness locked up inside of us.

PRAYER:   Heavenly Father, thank you for sending Your Son, Jesus, and for making the way possible for us to see You face to face one day! In fact, we are so thankful of that precious gift, that we want to commit ourselves wholeheartedly to evangelizing that ‘good thing’ that has gotten hold of this old sinful person, and caused a complete turn around in our walk. Lord, we surrender all to You, so that You may fill us with more of Yourself, so that others will see Jesus, and not the earthly sin-filled bodies that would constitute the alternate man. People need the Lord, not more of the same old sinful world. Use us Lord as Your instruments to fulfil Your purpose here on earth. 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 Sebring, 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!

Not Ashamed

On By Ed AlgreenIn Christ's Representative, Like Jesus, Representation of the Master, Representative of Christ, UnashamedLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE  FROM:   2 Timothy 1:11-14 (NET)

TEXT:  11 For this gospel I was appointed a preacher and apostle and teacher. 12 Because of this, in fact, I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, because I know the one in whom my faith is set and I am convinced that he is able to protect what has been entrusted to me until that day. 13 Hold to the standard of sound words that you heard from me and do so with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 14 Protect that good thing entrusted to you, through the Holy Spirit who lives within us.

OBSERVATION:   Paul was able to mentor the young man Timothy because he was convinced of his calling, and committed to the One that he served. Regardless of what happened to Paul, including beatings and imprisonment, he was unashamed of the One that he served. I wonder how many of us could truly pass that test today?

APPLICATION:   Many churches in America, and perhaps other parts of the world, will celebrate when one of their own commits to the ministry of Jesus Christ. Some churches may even make particular mention of individuals who commit themselves to serving as elders, deacons, teachers or other leadership/servant roles in the church. Because of this recognition, often folk will be prideful of these positions, but nonetheless, committed to serve for the duration of their committed term. There are some ministry jobs and assignments that remind me a little of what Paul experienced, such as missionaries who travel to countries that they know are unfriendly to the gospel of Jesus Christ; pastors who serve in churches that may or may not be able to pay them, yet they work encless hours to win the lost and disciple the saved, just as if they were serving the richest of congregations. Of course, all church positions require a heart for representing our Maker to those that we serve, and with hearts  and mindsets of volunteering of our time, effort and complete selves. But to put this all into perspective and try to identify with Paul, I believe that we need to think about the sacrifices we may make in serving and in our volunteering, even if we knew that we would be mocked, ridiculed, beaten, cursed at, or imprisoned for what we do. Would we still be able to stand upright and share in the words of Paul, that we are unashamed of the message and person of Jesus Christ?I believe that my biggest appeal today would be for the lay persons who might read this devotional. Sure these verses were written to Timothy who was a young pastor. Sure these are very applicable to pastors, elders, teachers and other church leaders. But friends, let me remind you that God didn’t save us so that we might shut up inside of us that good thing that He did for us. I refuse to believe that He wanted to create another Red Sea phenomenon, but instead a river of life that would flow out through our actions, our speech and become very evident in our outward expression and reactions to others. Remember, we don’t want others to see how cool we are, or how rude we could be, but instead, we want them to see Jesus in and through every aspect of our lives. Nothing to be ashamed of my friend, allow that good thing that has made a difference in your life, to be revealed to others so that they may desire our Savior also. Paul made reference to ‘that day’, meaning the day that we meet Jesus face to face. May we live in such a way that we will be overjoyed and filled with celebration on ‘that day’, opposed to a time of regret, God being our helper and guide.

PRAYER:   Heavenly Father, thank you for sending Your Son, Jesus, and to make the way possible for us to see You face to face one day! In fact, we are so thankful of that precious gift, that we want to commit ourselves wholeheartedly to evangelizing that ‘good thing’ that has gotten hold of this old sinful person, and caused a complete turn around in our walk. Lord, we surrender all to You, so that You may fill us with more of Yourself, so that others will see Jesus, and not the earthly sin-filled bodies that would constitute the alternate man. People need the Lord, not more of the same old sinful world. Use us Lord as Your instruments to fulfil Your purpose here on earth. 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 Sebring, 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!