Tag: Reverent

To Help Women Identify As True Christians

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, Role Model, Worship2 Comments

DATE POSTED: Sunday, October 8, 2023, 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 Amplified Bible (AMP) IS FOUND IN Titus 2:1; 3-5;

THE BIBLE TEXT IS: But as for you, teach the things which are in agreement with sound doctrine [which produces men and women of good character whose lifestyle identifies them as true Christians]. 
Older women similarly are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips nor addicted to much wine, teaching what is right and good, so that they may encourage the young women to tenderly love their husbands and their children, to be sensible, pure, makers of a home [where God is honored], good-natured, being subject to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be dishonored.

MY INITIAL THOUGHTS: As promised, in order to continue the tradition of Paul in seeing his missionaries preach and teach to the whole church body, I feel compelled to also remind our ladies of what God expects of them, as taught in the New Testament. I shared with the men in my last post what God required of us, so it is now just and right to share with the ladies also. For behind every good man, is a great woman who supports him and holds him up against the evil one. Behind every good woman, is a man who shows love to his wife just as God unconditionally loves us, and who demonstrates that love to His church.

APPLICATION OF THE WORD: As a man, I believe that we are to be the strength and spiritual leader for our wives, just as God’s Word dictates. To our ladies, I believe it is obvious that God is the leader of every good man, but He desires you to be the secondary source of strength and support, their primary ‘cheerleader’, in life. This becomes extremely challenging, especially when husbands come home with the battle scars of the evil one in the workplace, in their church business, in community clubs, and indeed in the community at large. Less I wander into a time of personal ideals, please allow me to share from God’s Word, as it was given to us by God, through His servant Paul, when he taught those who would minister in his stead – in this case to Titus. Let’s be reminded that Paul instructed Titus to teach the things that would produce women of good character, so that their character may identify them as Christians. Unless Titus, or any of our pastors or evangelists today, use a lens such as the one given to Titus, they may easily wander off into the field of personal ideals, which may often be unrelated to what God designed. Bear with me as I expand on the principles taught by Paul, to Titus, in regard to our ladies:
** Be reverent in your behavior – To understand the depth of this, notice the ‘so that…’ phrase that follows. As the oldest child of 5 children, I remember my mom telling me to be careful how I act, respond and behave in the presence of my siblings, because they are watching me. I love the way another Bible versions states this: ‘live in a way that honors God’! For this to work for you my friend, you will need to think of the words that will fill in the following blank: ‘live in a way that honors God – and not like _________’
** Not malicious gossips – Don’t allow the town to know about your neighbor because of the tales you tell them. Seldom will good news be repeated about an individual, but your friends and neighbors will quickly expand on the bad stuff that you might share with them! To honor God, I believe that He would have you brag on your neighbor – the man, or woman, that He created in His likeness. Not the one who allowed Satan to mar the goodness of God in them.
** Not addicted to much wine – Too much wine will open an individual to speak their sober mind! In other words, if you stay sober and think straight, you wouldn’t say half as much as you would when your mind is tainted by alcohol or other mind-altering drugs. Furthermore, a child of God should be teaching younger women to preserve the temple of the Holy Spirit and not taint its wellness with alcohol or drugs.
** Teaching what is right and good – Live the good and right life before God, then you can teach it to younger women by what you say and do, with a clear conscience! In later verses Paul expands on the things that younger women especially need help with. Teach them about the things of God, ladies.
Hopefully, God has placed a mentor in your life that helps you strive for pleasing God in everything you say or do. In today’s verses, Paul teaches that you (ladies) should live in a way that pleases God, so that you may encourage the younger women to tenderly love their husbands and their children, to be sensible, pure, makers of a home [where God is honored], good-natured, being subject to their own husbands, so that the word of God will be honored. In the absence of this kind of teaching, younger women will still get guidance, but from the world that is totally misguided by Satan.

BLESSINGS WORTH NOTING: Oh, that all men and women will be so obedient to the teaching of God, through His Word, that we can help others live godly and upright lives that are pleasing to God!

PRAYER BECAUSE OF THE IMPACT OF TODAY’S SCRIPTURE: Lord, we are thankful that You designed a perfect world for us, and perfect children to enjoy that perfect world. I am so ashamed to say that we are so ungrateful, and many have chosen to follow the ways of Satan in so many areas of life, for which we are truly sorry and seek Your forgiveness. In our last study, You reminded our men how to live in perfect alignment with Your will and Your teaching, and in today’s session You turned that help towards our wonderful partners in life – our wives. Please Lord, continue to give us strength and determination to overcome the ways of this world and to strive for the way that You would have us live. Thank You for our ladies – our partners in life. Please bless them richly, and may our men join with me in desiring such a personal, intimate walk with You, that our ladies will be encouraged to do the same. Our next generation will be the result of everything we taught and demonstrated before them. May that be a Christ-like character that is based on Your Word and that You desire for Your children. May our lives be in such good form that You would be lifted up, praised and magnified for working through us and blessing us. 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!

A Better World

On By Ed AlgreenIn Accountability, Do our part, Personal InvolvementLeave a comment

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

Today’s Bible Reference: 1 Timothy 5:1-3
Today’s Bible Text: Don’t be harsh or impatient with an older man. Talk to him as you would your own father, and to the younger men as your brothers. Reverently honor an older woman as you would your mother, and the younger women as sisters. Take care of widows who are destitute.
The Bible Translation: The Message (MSG)

My Take Away: I believe that most of us could chime in with ideas on what it would take to see ‘a better world’ for us to live in. In fact, there was a song named just that in earlier days as well! I believe if our country’s leaders needed to know how to best govern its people, they should just ask you and I and we will have a word or two for them! I’m sure that our pastors probably get an ‘ear full’ almost every day on how to best run the church, because from where we are sitting we could give vast knowledge and insight on the matter! Yet in reading this part of the scripture this morning, I believe that God is speaking very clearly to us in telling us how we could be a part of improving our world, just by doing what He expects of us. Think about this friends, God knew what Paul needed to pass on to Timothy to improve the situation in the areas that he would minister. God also knew that by including this in His Word, this would also give much needed direction to His children in 2016 who would be looking at life from a lens of hopelessness as we look at failing country leaders; churches that are closing because of lack of attendance and failing spiritual leaders; and families falling apart because of selfish individuals who insist on doing life ‘their way’. So God gave us some principles on how to treat each other – how to get along. Imagine for a moment if we were to:

  • Don’t be harsh, but talk to, and treat older men as our father
  • Don’t be harsh, but talk to, and treat younger men as our brothers
  • Reverently honor older women as our mother;
  • Reverently honor younger women as our sisters; and
  • Take care of widows who are without help (destitute).

Imagine us doing this both inside the church, and outside. In other words, with everyone that we come into contact with. I dare say that we would build a ‘Better World’ without ever feeling the urge to get politicians, pastors, or anyone else straight! The challenge is, that if this is to be – it’s up to you and me. There’s no one for us to blame or try to straighten out. Are you willing to look to God and ask for His strength and direction to do this today friend?

Prayer: Heavenly Father, You are beyond anything we could imagine, for You not only created us, but You have given us commands, rules and instructions by which to live in accordance with Your intended purpose. Thank You for directing me to another section of these directions this morning. These have already been tested by Timothy, so they are tried and proven! Please forgive us for our selfish attitudes and the ways that we try to manipulate life into our own broken, and often failed ways. We have strayed a long ways off the path You have intended for us and we so desperately need reminding of Your perfect will for our lives. Lord, may we personally be found faithful, is my humble plea to You today. For I ask these things in the precious and all powerful 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 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!