Tag: Respect

Living with the Fear and Respect of God

On By Ed AlgreenIn Accept Jesus NOW, Acknowledge God, All have sinned, Awesome God, Fear, God Cares For Us, God’s Word, Honor, RespectLeave a comment

DATE POSTED
Sunday, August 17, 2025, and I was blessed to be at Mariposa Apartment Homes, 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
Read 1 Peter 1:17-25 in your Bible or click on it to read it online in the Living Bible (TLB).

APPLICATION – as inspired by the Holy Spirit
By taking a moment to read the verses referenced above, you will be better equipped to grasp the context of this devotional.

Peter was addressing Jews scattered among the Gentiles, yet the truth of his words remains deeply relevant for Christians today. Much like pastors observing their congregations today, Peter may have recognized a tendency among his people to take their relationship with God for granted. We sometimes fall into the same mindset—believing that since salvation secures our eternal place with Christ, nothing further is expected of us on earth.

However, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Peter reminds us in this passage that once we are saved, we are to live with reverent fear of the One who redeemed us—until the day we meet Him face-to-face in Heaven.

Think of it in terms of family life: we know our parents love us unconditionally, yet out of respect and love we seek to honor their rules and guidance. To ignore them would be to disregard both their authority and their God-given role in raising us. In the same way, when we surrender our lives to Jesus, we should not assume that belonging to Him frees us from responsibility. God expects obedience to His Word and attentiveness to His voice as He teaches us truth.

That obedience is coupled with relationship. Imagine telling a friend your child always follows the rules, yet never speaks to you—it would hardly feel like a healthy relationship. Likewise, our walk with God requires communication. Meditating on His Word opens the door to learning what God would have us do in accordance with His will for us. Prayer allows us to share our gratitude, praise, joys, and needs with Him. A true relationship thrives only through a two-way connection.

So, how is your relationship with God today? If it feels less than it could be, let Peter’s words serve as a reminder to draw nearer. Click on the Scripture reference above and read the short passage again, and ask the Lord to show you how to deepen your love, reverence, and obedience to Him. One of the greatest ways we can honor Christ is by living in faithful submission to His Word, allowing it to enrich and transform our lives.

Without a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, all of the above will seem strange to you, so I would encourage you to seek the Lord today and ask God to open your eyes to all I have shared above. No matter your circumstances, Jesus paid the price for your sin on Calvary. Receive Him today dear friend, and be belled with His gift of eternal life!

PRAYER
Thank You, loving Savior, for all You have done for us. You endured judgment from the Jewish leaders, the suffering of the cross at Calvary, and the mockery of those who sought to destroy You. Though the cup before You was not one of joy, You surrendered fully to the will of Your Father in Heaven, honoring Him in perfect obedience. You did this because of our sin, to provide the only way of forgiveness, so that we might stand in righteousness before the Father when He calls us home.

It was all for us, Lord, and we thank You from the depths of our hearts. Please place Your hand upon all who are saved, strengthening us daily with boldness to stand firm in our faith—so firmly that others may be persuaded of Your saving grace and the promise of eternal life. For those who have not yet received the free gift You offer, we ask that You soften their hearts, so that when You call them, they will freely surrender to You.

Eternity draws nearer with each passing day. Please help the unsaved to choose without delay, securing their place in Heaven with You, the Father, and the Holy Spirit, forever. For we long to have them join us when together we kneel in reverence at Your feet. AMEN!

FOOTNOTE
If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please take advantage of the information provided on my page ‘To Know Jesus’. Alternatively, consider speaking with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. I pray that one of God’s servants will pray with you and offer help and encouragement as you begin, or continue, your walk with Jesus. If you would like to read more of my devotionals, please visit NuggetsFromGodsWord.org, or if you choose, subscribe to receive a daily email containing each new devotional, as you will also find that option on this page. Friends, I encourage you to find a Bible teaching church home near your residence and attend as frequently as possible. Get to know God and allow His people to encourage and strengthen you in your Christian Walk while you invite God to work through you to bless 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!

Respect and Honor the Temple of God

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

DATE POSTED
Tuesday, February 18, 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
Read it in your Bible or click John 2:13-17 to read it in the New Living Translation (NLT).

APPLICATION – as inspired by the Holy Spirit
In reading this Scripture today, I believe the Holy Spirit caused me to reflect on what I, and others, might expect when we go to church. I remember back in the day when many went to be inspired by the new clothing and hairstyles, but today many churches have since changed to an atmosphere of ‘come as you are’ to encourage those who don’t have, or don’t like to dress up in order to worship the Lord corporately. In our Scripture, seeing that this was the Temple (of God), I believe that Jesus may have hoped to see many things that represent the holiness and kingship of the His Father. But instead, Jesus found a full-fledged marketplace going on, with greed and disrespect being very evident. But notice, dear friends, that in spite of His disappointment, Jesus didn’t turn around and leave, nor did he seek social avenues to share His frustrations about what He found. Instead, He – the One who was born in a stable, the one who ministered to the lowliest of people, He became indignant when faced with this disappointing disrespect to His Father. But how does this relate to our respective churches today? Would our church be know more as a commercial center? A place of worship? A holy place where God awaits the praises of His people? A salvation station where we are not only entertained, but encouraged to join in worship to our King, the Word of God taught without fear of retribution, and where sin is highlighted while teaching us to seek God’s forgiveness and His strength to overcome our sin? But it gets a whole lot more personal – in 1 Corinthians 3:16 we are told that ‘we are the temple of God’. To all believers reading this devotional, I wonder what kind of response we would see from Jesus if He inspected His temple in us? You know, our lifestyle, our commitment to Him, our obedience to His Word, or our following in His example. Perhaps we should ask our loving Lord to go through our life, overturn the tables, and drive out the cattle so we won’t be ripped off from what He wants to do in and through us. For the unbeliever, or unsaved reader, I pray that you will see from today’s Scripture that although Jesus was firm in responding to what He saw at the temple, yet He was in control and dealt with the dove owners quite differently, not wanting to bring harm to the living creatures. The God we serve is still loving and caring in the same way, and despite the disappointment He may endure by seeing His created ones choosing Satan over Him, I am convinced that He will receive as at any given moment that we surrender our all to Him. Remember, He is holy, and He designed us to be like Himself. Listen to that still small voice that gives you guilt feelings about your sin and disobedience. Turn your life around my friend and seek God’s cleansing of His temple inside of you. Be holy, as your Master and Lord is also holy!

PRAYER
Lord, there are many of us who become disappointed when our children follow in paths unbecoming of what they were taught in our home, and in the church we took them to, so we have an idea of what You must feel when You see us going on in life in our own way, or following the path Satan pushes on this world. Please forgive us Lord and continue to upset our ‘applecart’ of sin and disobedience. Continue to teach us the path we should follow to be more like You, and continue to prick our conscience when we stray. Oh that our commitment may remain strong, and may our desire increase daily to follow in Your footsteps, so that others may be encouraged to know You and live according to Your will for their lives. AMEN!

FOOTNOTE
If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please take advantage of the information provided on my page ‘To Know Jesus’. Alternatively, consider speaking with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. One of God’s servants will pray with you and offer help and encouragement as you begin or continue your walk with Jesus. If you would like to read more of my devotionals or subscribe to receive a daily email containing each new devotional, please visit NuggetsFromGodsWord.org. Friends, I encourage you to find a church home near your residence and attend as frequently as possible. Get to know God and allow His people to encourage and strengthen you in your Christian walk while you make 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!

Don’t you fear 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: Monday, April 15, 2024, and I was blessed to be at Advent Christian Village, Dowling Park, FL 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 Good News Translation (GNT) IS FOUND IN Luke 23:39-42

THE BIBLE TEXT IS: One of the criminals hanging there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!”
The other one, however, rebuked him, saying, “Don’t you fear God? You received the same sentence he did. Ours, however, is only right, because we are getting what we deserve for what we did; but he has done no wrong.” And he said to Jesus, “Remember me, Jesus, when you come as King!”

APPLICATION OF THE WORD: What if the only thing you remember from your weekend church service were the words spoken by the thief on the cross ‘Don’t you fear God’? How do you suppose that might impact you this week? Although most of us are not criminals ordered by earthly courts to die, many might be in the same position as the thief on the cross who hurled insults at Jesus. I know, you are quickly responding that I shouldn’t insult you like that, in assuming that you would be so evil as to even think of cursing God or hurling insults at His Son. But I feel like my responsibility today is to remind us that every time we turn a deaf, or obstinate ear to the Holy Spirit when He tugs at our heart’s door and challenges us on things that may offend Jesus, or are in direct conflict to His Word, we may be acting more like the thief in question, than the Savior who responded to him. Since it is highly unlikely that you or I might find ourselves on a cross next to Jesus this week, I believe the following might tend to serve the same purpose in getting your attention:
1. To meet with Jesus at the end of any day and say to him that reading His Word that day was not a priority for you. I know, your excuse was more of not having enough time, rather than a matter of priority. Explain the difference, please? Aren’t you insulting God by giving lesser priority to spending time with Him than you would at the coffee shop or in reading the local news for the day?
2. Meeting with others to worship, adore, and listen to the voice of God through His messenger as he preaches the Word of God. No, your time with God while fishing, hunting or hanging out with the guys/girls does not qualify, for God wants us to meet with others so that we might encourage them, allow them to encourage and uplift us, and to learn from them. He likens that to a time when iron sharpens iron – something that can’t be done virtually or alone. Imagine overhearing someone say to God that they were counting on getting with you at church to ask questions or receive encouragement, but you didn’t show up? And because it wasn’t a priority for you, they won’t return?
3. We deserve to die, much like the two thieves hanging on each side of Jesus at Golgotha. But each day,for the unsaved, you have the choice of establishing, or changing your stance on eternity. Friends, which one of the thieves did you imitate yesterday? By the end of the day, did you determine in your heart to ask Jesus to please remember you in His kingdom, or were you just as determined to hurl insults at Jesus and curse Him for His sacrifice on the cross so that you might be set free from sin and Hell? Each day we will determine in ourselves, if Jesus came today to collect His church, will we be a part of the saints that Jesus takes with Him, or settle for the pit of Hell with Satan and his demons. Our decision on what we did with Christ up to that point in time will determine our eternal destination. Acceptance of Jesus as Savior prior to that moment will give us the right to be taken up with the saints to be with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit forever. Without that, you have agreed to remain with Satan and his promise of eternal damnation. The choice is yours today, my friend, so don’t delay, Jesus’ return is closer today than it has ever been before.

PRAYER BECAUSE OF THE IMPACT OF TODAY’S SCRIPTURE: Should You return this very moment, I am convinced Lord, that You will still find many who replicate the lives of the two thieves mentioned in today’s Scripture. However, I praise You, Lord, for I am convinced that you will also find many who are ‘In Christ’, for they have accepted You, have an intimate, daily, active, and personal relationship with You, and are standing ready and waiting for Your return. They stand in fear and respect of all You have shared in Your Word, and because they have accepted that and asked for forgiveness of their sin, they stand ready to welcome Your return with open arms. Please Lord, once again today, please touch the hearts and lives of all those we know, and draw them to Yourself. Convict them of their sin and soften their hearts to reach out to You for eternal life, for we want to see them in glory worshipping you when we are blessed to arrive on the scene ourselves. You are holy, righteous and loving, and because we are not, we beg You to continue Your work in us until the day You call us home to Heaven. 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!

This Makes God and Your Parents Happy

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, January 31, 2024, and I was blessed to be at Advent Christian Village, Dowling Park, FL 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 Voice (VOICE) IS FOUND IN Proverbs 23:22; 24-26

THE BIBLE TEXT IS: Pay attention to your father—after all, he gave you life and don’t ignore your mother in her old age.
The parents of the right-living will celebrate; yes, parents of children who make wise choices are happy.
So make your parents happy; delight your mother—after all, she brought you into this world.
My son, devote yourself to me fully. Observe my ways, and follow my directions:

APPLICATION OF THE WORD: You might hesitate to think about times that you were totally agitated at how your parents acted around you when you were in ‘your element’, and how you almost wanted to disclaim them! Remember, when you were so proud of yourself, yet they were pounding on you about how you could do better! But there might be some in the audience who have been blessed to reach a fair age, and you might realize that some of the things you say or do really agitate your children today also! I tend to kid around a lot, so I am at the stage in life where I pray that God will help me to keep my mouth shut when I need to, so that I don’t lose the respect of my child! However, through the prophet Isaiah, God has a word for us all, for we all have parents, and many of us are blessed to have children, and God wants us to open our eyes to what pleases Him and our parents. For those who are estranged from their parents, or parents who are estranged from their children, I believe that our Father in Heaven has so much to help us open our eyes to what He desires of us. Even while hanging on the cross, Jesus was still concerned about His mother and wanted to make sure she was taken care of in His absence. In our focal passage of Scripture, God demands that we obey our parents, or as this translation puts it: pay attention to your earthly father and strive to delight your mother. To my male cohorts out there, a lot hangs on the latter charge, for daughters are told that when choosing a guy, watch for how they treat their mother, for it is highly likely that they will treat you in the same way. But why do you suppose that God saw this as important instructions, even for us today? Well, so often we hear today how much smarter kids are today than we could recall in our earlier days. It just seems that we are taught at a very early age to develop a stand on something, and then ‘stick to our guns’ on the matter. In this way, no unsuspecting person could win us over from what we know we believe in. While this might be a correct stand to take, I believe that godly wisdom teaches us to always listen to the advice and teachings of a person who has been there and done that. They are teaching from experience, and often they don’t want us to make the same mistakes as they did. Parents always want their children to be so much more that themselves. This can only happen when we humble ourselves and listen to the advice of our fathers and other older men and women. To not delight, or respect your mother, is clear evidence that you are unappreciative of what she did for you in raising you. Mothers are the first to eat bread and drink water, so that her children could splurge in the finer things at the table, and in life. To disrespect, or not do as much for her as she did for you, is basically saying that God messed up in providing the mother that He did to raise you. There is faithful saying that says we are an adult only once, but twice a child. Be very careful how you treat your father, and delight your mother, for in your second childhood, you children will have opportunity to practice just that on you! When you do what is right, and pleasing to God, for your parents, you can use that same experience in pleasing God in just the same way, for He calls for that in the very last verse today. Devote yourself to God, observe and honor His instructions and His ways, so that you might follow His directions. You can do this my friends, just accept Him as Lord of your life, and commit yourself to honor Him in all that you do and say. You will learn about Him from His Word, not by looking at, and following, what others say or do.

PRAYER BECAUSE OF THE IMPACT OF TODAY’S SCRIPTURE: Thank You Lord for saving my soul, thank You Lord for making me whole, thank You Lord for giving to me, thy great salvation so rich and free! You saved me from my sin and showed me the path in which to live my new, changed, and dedicated life. Because I still live in this world, I sincerely and respectfully ask that You protect me from the teaching and practices of this world and its leader, Satan. Many that I know still need a Savior, so please help me to reflect You in every word and action, so that they may be convinced that You are still alive and active in the lives of Your children. Please teach us to always honor our parents in a way that You would approve of and help us to show our love and appreciation to them for putting up with us during those years that we ourselves were incapable and/or unwilling to be different to the ways promoted and urged by the evil one. It hurts me to see, or hear, children who has nothing to do with their parents, or parents who have pushed away unruly, disrespectful, children, for it becomes obvious that they are dishonoring You, Lord. Please teach us to be examples of how you lived, loved, and directed us to live. May the world see evidence of Jesus in my readers and myself as we strive to live more like You each day, so that You may be glorified in all aspects of our life. 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!

Respect The Place Where God Resides

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, Righteous Living, The Church, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Tuesday, 2021-07-13
WRITTEN AT: Casa Grande, AZ

SCRIPTURE FROM: Numbers 35:34
TRANSLATION: The Voice (VOICE)

BIBLE TEXT: 34 You won’t pollute the land where you live and where I also have chosen to dwell among you. I, the Eternal One, dwell among the Israelites.

APPLICATION: As things occur in our lives that God always knows about, there are times that He has to help us understand why they are happening; or perhaps how we should handle the situation; or we may even be given wisdom to know that with God, all things are possible. It was no different with the Israelites, God’s very own people. In our Scripture, God was dealing with the subject of murder. And although He had already told Moses how displeased He was with the act, He went on to warn Moses, as I believe He is doing with us, that He will not reside where sin abounds. Please don’t question God’s unlimited intelligence by saying that you don’t know what He’s talking about. Yes, you may have never murdered another human being, but when He said that He wants us too keep His place of abode righteous, I believe He included this incidence in the Bible so that we could also take note of His strong distain against sin. You see, many of us reading this Scripture and this devotional may have accepted Jesus as our personal Savior. While I’m sure that makes God overjoyed at receiving one more of His children into His kingdom, I believe He becomes just as angry with us as He did with the Israelites, for we go to some of the same places where we used to go; we join in on some of the same dirty conversations that we used to; and we create havoc between God’s children that leads to disharmony, and that is strongly against God’s will and purpose. It’s like we leave God at the altar of the church, and we go out and return to our sinful ways. The Word of God says that the Holy Spirit indwells the life of the believer. So when you visit those old places, you are exposing God to the sin that goes on there. When you curse another child of His or share evil and conniving things that will hurt another child, you are exposing God to your old, evil mindset. Also, having worked in leadership of the local church for many years, it is frightening to know the evil things that go on among God’s people. We regularly invite God to join with us in His place of worship as we lift up holy hands and sing His praises, but dear friends, can we truly expect Him to honor our requests when there is so much jealousy, envy, strife and sin of almost every nature occurring right inside of our four walls? We ask for His guidance in helping us save our businesses, yet we steal, cheat and act greedy towards even the poor who enter our doors. Will God consider entering there to bless our businesses? I believe by now you are getting the idea of where the Holy Spirit led me as I meditated on this Scripture today. If we invite Him to live within us, then we must be prepared to cleanse our sanctuary so that He may indwell us in a setting of righteousness that is free from sin. If we invite God to be present with us in our church services, we must cleanse ourselves of all sin, so that God may enter the Holy of Holies in a sin-free environment that is especially designed for a righteous God. Friends, I know that we are not perfect, but please be reminded that God is. He can cleanse us for all our unrighteousness and make us white as snow, so I know that He can give us wisdom to also keep ourselves holy. When our churches are filled with God’s holy people, then it will be suitable for God to live there and to meet with us as we seek His face. Sin is unacceptable to our righteous God, whether it be murder, or what we may often consider to be minor sins like: stealing, gossip, lying, hatred, etc. Only the blood of Jesus can wash us clean and make us holy, just as the Master is. Seek Him today while He may be found, Precious child of the King!

BLESSING(S) NOTED: God resides where there is no sin. Oh that He will comfort and rest in us, and in the environment where we find ourselves!

PRAYER: Dear Lord, please forgive us for treating Your grace so lightly. Through peer pressure and often for popularity purposes, we tend to accept You as Lord of our lives. These are often poor excuses for such an important decision. Lord, speak to us again through Your Holy Spirit, so that our decisions may be genuine. We need You every hour of every day, to help us stay on track and to live righteous lives, even as You are righteous. The unsaved will be disgusted over hypocrisy, Lord please help us to present ourselves as genuine children of the King so that they may see Jesus, so that they may believe, so that they may surrender their lives to Your lordship. 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!

Guarding The Temple of God

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

DATE WRITTEN: Thursday, 2020-04-30
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

BIBLE REFERENCE: 1 Corinthians 3:16-17
TRANSLATION: The Voice (VOICE)

BIBLE TEXT: 16 Don’t you understand that together you form a temple to the living God and His Spirit lives among you? 17 If someone comes along to corrupt, vandalize, and destroy the temple of God, you can be sure that God will see to it that he meets destruction because the temple of God is sacred. You, together, are His temple.

OBSERVATION: Most of us will do everything possible to protect and respect God’s house, the church – His temple. There are certain things we would not permit inside, such as alcohol, drugs, wild parties, etc. And there are several things that we would always carefully control – selling material items, the wearing of caps/hats by men, etc. I believe we do this because we look at our church sanctuaries as a place where God lives, and He is hallowed there by His people. But since Paul is referring to our personal bodies as a place where God (the Holy Spirit) resides, are we quite as careful to protect and respect His holy temple in that respect?

APPLICATION: Doctors who are really concerned about the lives of their patients, will often get on our case about the condition of our health, that is mostly impacted by what we permit to enter our bodies and/or whether we condition it with regular exercise. Ranking much higher in importance is our spiritual bodies. When Jesus was crucified, God sent His Holy Spirit to reside inside of us as our helper until He returns to take us home to glory. So I wonder, how much have we changed the conditioning of our bodies, and how much different do we strive to be in protecting our bodies from the evil one? Are we as careful about protecting our bodies, the temple of God, as we are about protecting our church sanctuaries, now that part of the Trinity is occupying His temple inside of us? Although this may be elementary, we must remind ourselves that the Trinity means that Father, Son and Holy Spirit is ONE. Which means that God resides inside of us as our Comforter, Guide, Deliverer, Friend and everlasting Father. So are you always proud of where you take the Holy Spirit? Do we protect what goes inside of our bodies and our minds, knowing that the Holy Spirit resides inside – such as drugs, alcohol, filthy movies, bad language, hatred, disrespect, etc.? Is there anything we subject our bodies to, that we would not want present when we kneel at the feet of Jesus in Heaven? The Bible says that we are the temple of God, and it also says that God resides in His temple. Do we love, respect and honor our God enough to protect His place of residence from anything untoward? I believe that our Scripture today is a good reminder that our God reigns, and He lives and reigns inside of us. We needn’t wait until we get to church to behave, to honor, obey and respect God, for He is present right now, right where we’re at. Thank You Father for going to the extent of the cross for my sin. Please be a constant reminder in my life of the One to whom I belong, and the One who lives and reigns inside of me. There are many who acknowledge You as Lord, oh that we all may stand boldly before Your throne knowing that we did everything possible to protect, honor and respect Your place of abode, especially where it was so within our personal control.

PRAYER: Thank You Lord for saving my soul, thank You Lord for sending Your comforter to live inside of me. Please forgive me for failing to always respect Your presence and Your everlasting love for me. As You have reminded my readers and I today through Your Word, may we all be consciously aware of the One who lives inside of us and may we always treat You with the same respect that we expect to give on the day we see You face-to-face. You are our King, and we praise You Heavenly Father for all that You are to us. AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: There are two more pages on my blog at https://NuggetsFromGodsWord.org 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 or listening to this devotional, please go to 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. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and see all of my posts, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. 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!

A Prayer For Our Leader and People

On By Ed AlgreenIn King, Leader, Prayer, President, RighteousnessLeave 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: Psalm 72:1-5
Today’s Bible Text: Teach the king to judge with your righteousness, O God; share with him your own justice, so that he will rule over your people with justice and govern the oppressed with righteousness. May the land enjoy prosperity; may it experience righteousness. May the king judge the poor fairly; may he help the needy
and defeat their oppressors. May your people worship you as long as the sun shines,
as long as the moon gives light, for ages to come.
The Bible Translation: The Good News Translation (GNT)

My Take Away: With this being a year of election for my country to elect a new president, I believe that while we must be diligent to vote for the one God directs us to as our next leader, we must also be diligent to read God’s Word about what is expected of us (Christians) before, during and after our elections. For interspersed throughout God’s Word we are cautioned in each of these areas. In this scripture today, King David is praying for the Israelites’ new king, his son Solomon. I believe that if we take note of David’s prayer, and acknowledge that God had very good intentions and reasons for placing this prayer as part of His Word, and endeavor to pray similarly for our leader, then perhaps our people will humble themselves and pray, and seek God’s face. Watch how this prayer is all about our leader and us, being more like God and placing Him in His place over us. David prayed:

  • That the king would judge with ‘righteousness’;
  • That he would rule/govern with the same justice and ‘righteousness’ experienced from God, especially to the poor and oppressed;
  • That as a result of the above the people would enjoy prosperity and ‘righteousness’;
  • That the king would judge the poor fairly and be willing to stand up to the oppressors;
  • That the people would never fail to worship God today and all the days to come.

Friends, as children of God, I believe we are called to be living witnesses of what our God expects of us. I have just listed some ways that we are taught to pray for our leader and for our people. What do you suppose would happen to our country if Christians chose to pray like God expects of us, and to do it on a regular basis? Let’s remember this year that we are called to be Christ followers first. Let’s not get so carried away with worldly politics that the unsaved lose total recognition to whom we truly belong. The unsaved is looking for what God has done in our lives, not how little difference there is between us and the world. We are to be ‘light’ in this world of ‘darkness’. Please example, teach and preach the Word of God, even during a time when the world around us is so caught up in, what often turns out to be, the hatred and evil of politics. Please remember that God loves all of his children, not just us and our look-a-likes!

Prayer: Lord God, may Your people be Your faithful and true people even during a very passionate time of placing what we believe to be the right person in leadership over our country. May we be so faithful in prayer, trying to ensure that we hear your voice clearly, that we will not have time to step into the filth and ugliness of earthly politics. We are Your ambassadors looking to win as many to the kingdom as possible. May we not lose sight of that mission in things we say, write or portray, especially this year. You loved us in spite of our sin, may we in turn, show that same love to all Your children, by staying on mission for You, and not allowing the political views of the world around us to divide us from, or distract us in, our mission for You. I ask these things in love and because I want You to be foremost in our lives at all times, Lord Jesus, even during a year of elections. 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

Help Others To See God

On By Ed AlgreenIn Holy Spirit, Honor, Respect, WorthyLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE – … didn’t you realize that your body is a sacred place, the place of the Holy Spirit? Don’t you see that you can’t live however you please, squandering what God paid such a high price for? The physical part of you is not some piece of property belonging to the spiritual part of you. God owns the whole works. So let people see God in and through your body. ~ 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 ~ The Message (MSG)

THOUGHTS: These verses came at the conclusion of Paul warning the Corinthians about sexual impurity. However, I believe that we should look closely at all aspects of our life where we tend to abuse the ‘temple of the Holy Spirit’ – our bodies. First, let’s stop and think about the holiness we recognize in our churches, and the respect we give to the ‘house of God’. I agree it should be respected, because it is a place where we go as a family to meet God and worship Him. However, God’s Word is clear on the subject of the Holy Spirit (part of the triune godhead) taking up residence within us when we accept Jesus (another part of the triune godhead) as our Savior and Lord. So if, at conversion, the Holy Spirit takes up residence in us to help us live godly lives, wouldn’t you assume that He also partakes of all other aspects of our life? Wouldn’t it be obvious that some of the things we do must obviously be done against the will of the God who lives within us? Let me list just a few, just in case you are questioning what I could possibly be thinking about:

  • Gossip – the Word is clear that we are to build each other up and not tear down. When we spread news about a Brother or Sister we are helping to tear them down. Surely the Holy Spirit, who has been drug into this cruel act, is hurt that we have chosen to disobey His Father and deliberately disobeying what He desires of us;
  • Alcohol; Drugs; Tobacco; Gorging ourselves – Some of these are controlling substances, so we sinfully allow these things to take control while we put our primary Guide (the Holy Spirit) on the back burner, until we need Him to guide us again. Very sad. All of these things are destructive to our bodies, and remember this is where the Holy Spirit resides. So we ask Him to stand by while we send in very destructive things to make His living extremely challenging and impossible;
  • Pornography; and Undesirable movies – Ever noticed how embarrassed we are to let our friends see us watching such a movie. I wonder why we never stop to ponder why would we ever subject the Holy Spirit to such ‘trash’ that was obviously designed for the children of this world (Satan).

Perhaps there are other things that the Holy Spirit might speak to your heart about friends, but whatever it is, please seek the help of the Holy Spirit and work towards getting your ‘temple’ clean, respectable and worthy of the King of all Kings, for He deserves the same honor that we would give to God Himself. Let’s not take for granted all that was sacrificed so that we might become holy, even as God is holy. Remember, when we allow the Holy Spirit to fully control our lives, it is evident to others who rules and reigns in our lives. We become usable witnesses for Him!

PRAYER: Lord God, You are so worthy, and we are so needy. Please help us to stay focused on the Savior of this world and all that You have done for us. Please help us to always remember who resides inside of us, so that we may respect Your Holy Spirit who came to help us live life pleasing to You in every way. We all love choices, but yet we abuse those options so frequently. Please keep us accountable, but more than anything, please prompt us towards holy living so that we will offer no disrespect to the Holy Spirit. I ask these things in the precious name of Jesus and under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, 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!

He Cares Affectionately For You!

On By Ed AlgreenIn Elders, Leadership, LoveLeave a comment

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

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

 PRAYER: Thank You Father for the reassurance of Your love and concern for us. You are awesome beyond all measure and I thank You for caring so much about even me. Lord You are well aware of all the pressure and hurt that face our church leaders and also similar experiences by lay persons as we try to be good representatives of yours in our everyday life. Please continue to remind us of Your presence, guidance and love as we try to work through every circumstance of life. Most of all, I pray that You will help us to never lose sight of Your faithfulness and Your promises to never leave us alone, but always caring about us. We need You more today than ever before Lord, so we come before Your throne yet again in humility asking for Your ongoing love for us. Thank You Jesus for Your arms of affection and Your watchful eye on us. I bring these petitions before You in all humility and love today, in the wonderful and blessed name of Jesus, AMEN!

 

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