Tag: sacrifice

Finding Hope Through Faith in Jesus

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

DATE POSTED
Thursday, April 24, 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 John 3:16-21 in your Bible or click on it to read it online in the Living Bible (TLB).

APPLICATION – as inspired by the Holy Spirit
For just a moment, I want you to consider that your recent move into a large subdivision has shown itself quite challenging. You’ve discovered that many residents are trying to survive after losing their jobs over recent months. In fact, they’re not sure how much longer they can survive without a steady income by their family. You’re a kindhearted person and you want to show your love for your newfound neighbors/friends, what will you do? As you consider your response to that question, let’s look for a moment at what God did. He created a beautiful world, then He created human beings in His own image to worship Him, follow His commands and example, and to also populate the earth. Yes, He gave them free reign to think for themselves and to be themselves. Through Adam, Moses and many other prophets, God authorized them to help guide His children into doing what He expected, and to even encourage them to offer sacrifices in lieu of their sinful acts. However, God soon saw that plan was not working the way He wanted, so through miraculous means, He sent His very own Son into the world, knowing that at some point He would have to sacrifice Him, Jesus, for the sake of His children’s sins. Today’s Scripture tells us that Jesus came as an indication of the Father’s love for us. Animal sacrifices were just not working for redeeming the sin of the people. So God sent His only Son to settle the matter once and for all. He still wanted His earthly children to have a choice, so in knowing that sin could never enter Heaven, He offered us His Son for those who would choose eternity in Heaven with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. This was our one-time sacrificial redemption for the sin of those who asked for forgiveness. In verse 16, I find the verbiage interesting, for it says that if you believe in Jesus, you will be saved and live eternally with Him. Imagine, if you believe that He is the Son of God; if you believe He is God – for the Bible says that we have God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit – He is 3 in one; If you believe Jesus is our all in all; our Deliverer from sin; our Healer of our earthly illnesses; our Friend – for He not only saves us, but also loves us beyond anything we could think or imagine; our Counselor – for He speaks with us through His Word and directs our path unto righteousness; AND our Security – in saving us from our sin and keeping us saved until He calls us home to glory. Friends, we have a Savior, His name is Jesus, a gift from God Himself. The choice seems imminent and obvious, but it’s one that you must make for yourself in order to be saved. Without it, knowing that sin is not allowed in Heaven, there is only one other place that will have you – Satan’s domain – Hell.

PRAYER
A very well known verse with an immensely powerful message, yet we are reminded of Your message of love, forgiveness and grace that is available to us because of Your sacrificial and powerful gift given to us through Jesus, our Lord and Savior. Thank You Father for loving us so much to do this for us. Thank You Jesus for freely surrendering to the agony, pain and humility of hanging on that cross at Calvary, when You could have easily called on many angels to free You from such agony and disgrace. We indeed are a blessed people, and we are so appreciative of such a loving Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Please Father, break down the walls of pride and stubbornness in the hearts of those who have yet to surrender to Your Son. May this be the day of salvation for many who might be reminded through this devotional today.

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 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 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!

Sacrifice – Christ, Time or Finances?

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: Friday, April 5, 2024, and I was blessed to be at a Vrbo property near Lake City, 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 The Voice (VOICE) IS FOUND IN Hebrews 10:8-10

THE BIBLE TEXT IS: Now when it says that God doesn’t want and takes no real pleasure in sacrifices, burnt offerings, and sin offerings (even though the law calls for them), and follows this with “See, I have come to do Your will,” He effectively takes away the first—animal sacrifice—in order to establish the second, more perfect sacrifice. By God’s will, we are made holy through the offering of the body of Jesus the Anointed once and for all time.

APPLICATION OF THE WORD: As I meditated on this Scripture today, I thought about how we don’t offer animal sacrifices today, so how does this relate to us? But then, I feel like the Holy Spirit stopped me thinking about animal sacrifices, and instead think about the ways that we feel like we sacrifice to gain favor with God. I’m sure you’ve heard friends and loved ones before: ‘Well, I will sacrifice going to the beach tomorrow, so that I could attend church’; OR ‘That church expects me to sacrifice my last dime to give to them’; OR ‘I’m sure that God will bless me if I get up early (sacrificing my warm bed and extra rest – my only day to rest) so that I could be at church this morning’. But take a moment to compare those sacrifices with animal sacrifices that the Jews took to the temple to be slaughtered, or offer up by the priests. The people were taught by their ancestors that this was necessary to receive certain concessions with God. But the Bible is clear, that there is no way to offer a sacrifice for the forgiveness of our sin. However, God had a better way in mind: He caused the miraculous birth of His only Son, Jesus, who lived on earth as God Himself – healing, loving the unlovable, raising the dead back to life – you know, those things that only God could do. And, although miraculous in every way, yet God ordered that Jesus be sacrificed, or put to death, so that all mankind might have a way for the forgiveness of sin, and therefore a way to eternal life. So this precious gift was offered to mankind – a Savior – Jesus Christ – the Son of God himself. As with any other gift that we know of, it is useless unless we accept it with a thankful heart. Therefore friends, please be reminded that your simple ‘sacrifices’ are nothing but conjectures on your part. It is only through the sacrifice of the holy Son of God, that we can have forgiveness of our sin – that thing that separates us from God, and that makes us worthy of stepping into the presence of the Holy One. Sin cannot enter where God is, so to reject His Son, is like saying ‘no thank you’ to God for His invitation to be where He is. God also sent the Holy Spirit to help us with this process, for we become so engrossed in making money, having fun, pleasing others, envy towards our neighbors and friends, etc, that our minds stay focused on earthly things. You will know that the Holy Spirit is knocking at your heart’s door when your mind and desires suddenly turn towards the things of God. Listen for it, and be ready to surrender your life to the lordship of Jesus Christ.

PRAYER BECAUSE OF THE IMPACT OF TODAY’S SCRIPTURE: Lord Jesus, thank You for the sacrifice You made on Calvary so that those who surrender lordship of their lives to You, could receive forgiveness of their sin in readiness for the grandest event yet, when we enter the portals of heaven for all eternity. Having just celebrated Easter, we were reminded once again of true sacrifice. Please help us to get over ourselves and the self-proclaimed self-righteousness we feel when we feel like we have ‘sacrificed’ something for Your glory and appreciation. You have prepared the way, now please invoke Your blessing on us as You work on our self-will, selfish desires, and self-designed sacrifices. Teach us again to look full in Your wonderful face, accept Your perfect will for our lives, live in obedience to Your teachings and example, and accept the sacrifice You designed for our heavenly benefit. May our lives become uncluttered enough to see the goodness, love and mercy of our God every moment of every day! 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 Heart That is Humbled And Sorry For Sin

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

Tuesday, 2022-08-16

Bible Reference: Psalm 51:16-17
Translation: New Century Version (NCV)

Bible Text: 16 You are not pleased by sacrifices, or I would give them. You don’t want burnt offerings.
17 The sacrifice God wants is a broken spirit.
    God, you will not reject a heart that is broken and sorry for sin.

OBSERVATION: Throughout the Old Testament we see where there were sacrifices for almost any sin committed, and there were even some for praises to God. As we meditate on these verses today I hope that we will concentrate on those things that are a part of our relationship with God that may be considered ‘sacrifices’.

APPLICATION: I believe that a good explanation for the act of sacrificing might be when we offer up something as payment for an action performed by us that may not meet the requirements of the person, or God, who sets the rules. Another meaning might be that we are willing to give up something we love very much, so that someone else could benefit from that thing we are willing to give up. So let me mention a few things that I believe we ‘sacrifice’ in place of something near and dear to us: 1). Some may go to church to please someone bugging them to attend church. So they sacrifice time and go through the motions in order to make that person happy, or at least get them off their back! 2). Some may give to the church, or even to the work of God. So they may sacrifice monetarily with hopes that God might credit them for giving to His causes; 3). Some may ‘send’ missionaries to foreign countries. So they sacrifice monetarily, and give time in prayer for them so that the Great Commission (go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel) might be fulfilled. These are just a few examples of sacrifices that we make. I also believe that in all the examples given, these sacrifices might be noble, and even recognized by God, if done in the spirit of sacrifice and holiness. But in the Psalm we are meditating on, David shares what he found to be noble and trustworthy in a life that is truly after pleasing God. In verse 17 David shared that we must have a broken spirit in order to arrive at the very depth of our heart. I believe this means that we must be at a state where we are willing to let go and let God have His will and way in our lives. But I believe a warning may come with that. For God may remind us of His many blessings and we may get up and attend church without being asked to, or regardless of the way someone looked at us the last time we attended! It may help us to openly declare that since God has blessed us with a good job and a fair income, we will be obedient to His Word and give at least 10% of our gross income, in thanksgiving for His goodness and out of an act of true obedience! We may decide to actually join a missions trip, instead of sending others! Our spirit might become one that is pliable by God. Friends, I believe it is only then that we will be open to hearing God’s voice and obedient to His commands, or pleasing to Him. Are you willing to make this kind of sacrifice for the God who sacrificed His very own Son for you? Isn’t this the least that we could do?

PRAYER: Spirit of God, please descend upon us, Your children, and have Your perfect will and way in our lives today. Please direct our hearts and our minds towards Jesus, and may we be willing to sacrifice self, and become fully obedient to Your perfect will for our lives. Lord, our hearts are broken and desirous of everything You might require of us. Please use us in ways that will bring honor and glory to You oh Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer! 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!

The Path To Greatness – Step One

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

DATE POSTED Wednesday, 2022-07-06
WRITTEN AT: O Brien, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Mark 9:35-37
TRANSLATION: Easy-to-Read Version (ERV)

BIBLE TEXT: 35 Jesus sat down and called the twelve apostles to him. He said, “Whoever wants to be the most important must make others more important than themselves. They must serve everyone else.”
36 Then Jesus took a small child and stood the child in front of the followers. He held the child in his arms and said, 37 “Whoever accepts children like these in my name is accepting me. And anyone who accepts me is also accepting the one who sent me.”

APPLICATION: A very interesting difference between the teachings of workplace leaders and the teachings of Jesus on this subject is that the workplace will teach its leaders to step out from among their employees and show them who’s boss. In other words, you can’t be their friend and their boss. However, the very first principle Jesus teaches, is that we are to treat others as if they are more important than we are, and that they deserve our respect and praise. To really get this point, it is important for us to consider Jesus and His followers. God loved His creation so much that He created a God-moment and miraculously birthed His Son into the world. This Son came and reigned among mankind; healed the sick; raised the dead; made the blind to see again and the dumb to speak again. He had the same power as His Father. Yet when mankind chose to kill Jesus, He surrendered His power and allowed their actions, so as to please His Father. God chose that this should occur so that through the death of His Son, His children on earth could surrender themselves to Him and be saved of their sin – past present and future. This form of ‘greatness’ by God and His Son, in spite of their almighty power, showed unheard of love to even the weakest and lowliest sinner on earth. So if we choose to be one with Christ, and endeavor to honor Him by obeying His commands and living in His example, we are reminded that we are among the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven. Friends, being the greatest employee for your boss may earn you a bonus, or a good raise, but as soon as you disappoint that same boss, he seeks a way to exit you from the company. God works completely different, for He assures us that we are accepted by He and His Son, and the Word of God is clear that for those whom He saves, they are saved forevermore! So you will clearly see that earthly accolades are temporary and based upon your works, but when God accepts our call for repentance and salvation, His gift keeps on giving and holds true for all eternity! There is no comparison to that anywhere on earth, no matter how great you may feel you are. May God bless and direct you to the foot of the cross and teach you true greatness by the greatest man to ever walk this earth, Jesus Christ.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: Making others more important than we are, and serving them here on earth – this makes us ‘great’ in the eyes of God!

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, be merciful to me, a sinner who stands in Your presence seeking forgiveness and strength to serve my fellow man, and to lift them up in their earthly endeavors. Who am I that a perfect and holy God would send His only Son to die a cruel death on the cross so that I may be saved? In Your sacrifice and in the most important sacrifice on earth, You lifted me up from the mire of sin and made me coheirs with yourself in the Kingdom of heaven. Thank You Lord Jesus for setting an example for your followers to imitate. Please direct our path today so that others may see You in and through our action, words and sacrifice. May they develop a greater sense of acceptance for You and surrender their lives wholeheartedly to You. 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!

Willing To Follow Jesus?

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

DATE WRITTEN: Saturday, 2021-01-23
WRITTEN AT: Paul B Johnson State Park, Hattiesburg, MS

BIBLE REFERENCE: Matthew 8:18-22
TRANSLATION: Living Bible (TLB)

BIBLE TEXT: 18 When Jesus noticed how large the crowd was growing, he instructed his disciples to get ready to cross to the other side of the lake.
19 Just then[f] one of the Jewish religious teachers* said to him, “Teacher, I will follow you no matter where you go!”
20 But Jesus said, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but I, the Messiah,[g] have no home of my own—no place to lay my head.”
21 Another of his disciples said, “Sir, when my father is dead, then I will follow you.”[h]
22 But Jesus told him, “Follow me now![i] Let those who are spiritually dead* care for their own dead.”

OBSERVATION: When my wife joined me in marriage, I don’t believe she had a clue what she signed up for. The company I worked for had plans for me in several Bahamian islands, so I was the cause of us being uprooted several times for at least a 2-year stint on another island. When you were invited to accept Jesus as Lord, was it clear what you were signing up for? Have you been willing to go where He called you to go, and/or do what He ordered you to do? As we reflect on God’s Word today, instead of beating up on those who found excuses, think about what your excuses might be if God called you to move for the purpose of His ministry today!

APPLICATION: In my job mentioned above, I was promoted with each move and my wife and I made many new friends at each location. We also found that God had work for us to do at each assignment. I absolutely cannot imagine the extent of our loss if we had found excuses not to accept one of my assignments. Today, we watch new ministers of the Gospel come to our churches or our towns and I believe that Satan impresses upon us that its all for the money, or being from Florida, we may think that it’s an opportunity for the messenger of God to relocate to a warmer climate! But let me share a challenge that I feel God led me to about 6 years ago. I felt impressed to go on a missions trip with my church to help the people in charge of an orphanage and a few other related ministries in Mexico. For me, it was a lot to consider, the least of which was probably raising the funds to enable me to take the trip. There were many times that Satan tempted me with excuses to not make the trip, but thank God, there were many times that God impressed upon me the importance of going. So many times I’ve heard people say, or even pray, that they are thankful for missions because of the money they send all over the world in support of various mission efforts. Friends, I’m here to tell you that there is no amount of money that you could give, nor any amount of encouragement you might offer to a missionary, that would come close to matching the blessings you receive when you actually make a move and go, in faith, on mission for our Lord. Notice that Jesus told the Teacher of the Law that if he was to really follow Him, he may very well not have a roof over his head at night. You see, Jesus was not an itinerant evangelist/pastor because He stayed in one home for a few years until called to a different church. He literally had no where on earth to call ‘home’. His ministry was way more important than the idea of having a nice home. In another case, a disciple wanted to hang around to bury his family and couldn’t go anywhere at that time. On one of my transfers mentioned above, I almost had a guilty moment like this, because my dad couldn’t believe I would leave he and my mom and move hundreds of miles away while they were aging and needed their kids close to them. Because I believe that God had such a powerful hand in my move, I was able to get medical help for my dad who was diagnosed with heart disease within months of my move. God knew what He was doing, and I praise God that I stayed focused on Him. I believe that Jesus essentially told the disciple who felt like he needed to stay put, that there was nothing more important than following the Master. Perhaps you are pondering decisions that will take you out of your comfort zone, or away from relatives, and you may have questions about what God’s will might be for you in this important decision. Let me encourage you to read today’s Scripture carefully, and not find yourself like either the teacher who made a hasty commitment to follow Jesus, or like the disciple, who quickly found excuses why He couldn’t follow Jesus. I believe that Jesus has a unique plan for each of us, and it is critically important that we seek God’s direction for our lives so that we could be right where God wants us, and right where He wants to use us for His glory. If you have not yet accepted Jesus as Lord, then much of this discussion today will make a lot of sense to you. Please read my FOOTNOTE, and especially the content behind the link ‘To Know Jesus’, and allow the Bible to help you meet, accept, and know Jesus personally.

PRAYER: Lord, there’s a song that reminds us that we are not traveling an easy road here on this earth, but more important than anything else, we want to affirm that we are walking a road that is directed by You for Your ministry and to demonstrate Your love to a lost and dying world. The world would have us dream of success by the size house we have, or the new vehicle we recently financed, but Lord, if we are not following Your will and Your direction for our life, we are hopelessly misguided. Please touch Your children once again today. May we be reminded of the extent of Your sacrifice for our salvation, and know that nothing else matters here on earth if its not directed by You. May we grow closer to You, if only for the benefit of others who need our Savior. 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 Perfect Sacrifice For Imperfect People

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Forgiveness, Love of God, Needs, Perfection, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Tuesday, 2020-10-06
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

BIBLE REFERENCE: Hebrews 10:11-14.
TRANSLATION: The Message (MSG)

BIBLE TEXT: 11-14 Every priest goes to work at the altar each day, offers the same old sacrifices year in, year out, and never makes a dent in the sin problem. As a priest, Christ made a single sacrifice for sins, and that was it! Then he sat down right beside God and waited for his enemies to cave in. It was a perfect sacrifice by a perfect person to perfect some very imperfect people. By that single offering, he did everything that needed to be done for everyone who takes part in the purifying process.

OBSERVATION: Like the priests who went to the altar every day to offer up sacrifices brought in by their parishioners, I believe that we too try to get away with doing everything that we believe might satisfy God for all the sins we have committed. But praise be to God, He saw our plight of hopelessness and sent His very own Son through whom we might receive forgiveness. In our time together, think about all you do according to worldly standards in order to be forgiven for your sin. I want us to see Jesus in all of His perfection today!

APPLICATION: I’ve heard people remark that no matter what they do or say to old sinful Joe, they just can’t get him into church. This makes me feel like if Joe had taken them up on their offer and went to church, he may not have looked as much of a sinner, in their eyes. This follows the tradition of many who pour into churches each weekend because of a lifelong traditions. This is very similar to those who give of their money to the church, really hoping that God will see their generosity and have pity on them for their sins. We could think of many more examples, but I believe that these examples are very similar to the many sacrifices that were given, and probably still are given in some forms, all for the purpose of seeking God’s understanding and forgiveness of their sins. In earlier verses, Paul wrote that he believed God was never satisfied with sacrifices, because they never seemed to have changed hearts. Friends, God knew full well that sacrifices was a very temporary practice, and that it served several purposes well in the very early days. However, God wanted to see His children, who were created perfectly, to return to Him perfectly, and He knew that there would be only one way to achieve this, so He sacrificed a part of Himself – His Son – a perfect One. I love the way the Message reads: God sent a single gift, a one-time gift – It was a perfect sacrifice by a perfect person to perfect some very imperfect people. Friends, God did that for us! The debt is paid! We simply need to accept the gift and believe on His precious Son. Heaven is our ultimate home, and there is only one way to get there. Accept the gift offered by God as a sacrifice for our sin. Believe in the name of the Lord Jesus with all your heart, soul and mind, and you will be saved!

PRAYER: Lord we praise You for the outstanding love that You showed towards all mankind – the good, the bad and those even worse – even those who hated You. Love so amazing that our carnal minds would never understand. Thank You, thank You, thank You for Your amazing love. As You and Your Father discussed, there is absolutely nothing that we could do to make ourselves completely clean and free from the stench of our sin. Praise God that You worked it all out on the cross, and for those who have accepted You as Lord and Savior, thankfully we could lift up holy hands to the only true God! Lord, we want to see You, and we know that sin will always separate us, so we kneel humbly at Your feet and ask that You accept each and every one that will call out to You today. Thank You Jesus for loving even me! 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!

Those Who Love The Father, Also Love His Children

On By Ed AlgreenIn Christian love, Love, ObedienceLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Saturday, 2020-06-20
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

Bible Reference: 1 John 5:1-4
Translation: The Living Bible (TLB)

Bible Text: If you believe that Jesus is the Christ—that he is God’s Son and your Savior—then you are a child of God. And all who love the Father love his children too. So you can find out how much you love God’s children—your brothers and sisters in the Lord—by how much you love and obey God. Loving God means doing what he tells us to do, and really, that isn’t hard at all; for every child of God can obey him, defeating sin and evil pleasure by trusting Christ to help him.

OBSERVATION: Whenever asked if we really love someone, we try to find ways that might suitably express how the concerned person might publicly see and understand that we love the person, and how much we love them. Sometimes that could be a challenging experience, for it is hard to explain to someone else how much you love someone. Often the recipient of your love will know, but for either of you to express that to a third party presents a challenge. Until now! Please meditate with me on this Scripture and learn first hand how God said that you could show if you are capable of loving others!

APPLICATION: Do you love God? How about God’s children, do you love them also? I bet I should have put those questions right at the end of my ’Application’, because by now you have probably answered ‘yes’ to both and about to close out of this devotional! Not So Fast Brother! Wait a moment Sister! Through John, God has actually given us the formula for measuring how well we’re doing on this! We are told in these verses today that the degree to which we love fellow believers is proportionate to how much we love and obey God. Ok, so I’m sure that you will assume you must truly love one another, because you know that you really love God. But do you really?  The Word declares that the love referenced here is not just a verbal thing, or a feeling, but instead if we truly love God, we will do what He tells us to do. For some that will be easy, because we pray and we seek God’s face through His precious Word. When we truly do this and not only listen to His commands, His teachings, His instructions for us, and His example that He set for us to follow, then we should know what to do. Friends, you may not just learn this from the pastor in a weekend sermon, or from a Bible teacher, but to know what Jesus really has in store for you, it is important that you have regular one-on-one communion with your maker. Don’t know where to start? You may want to follow a good devotional, such as the one you’re now reading, or you may want to look for a Bible Reading Plan of your own. Whatever you decide, just remember to seek God’s face first – as it takes the Spirit of God to truly open your eyes to the spiritual truths of our awesome God. Not much of a reader? It doesn’t matter, when you seek God’s face first and ask Him to open your mind to His, you will find that what may appear to be simple words on a page, actually reveals the perfect will of God for your life right where you’re at during that very moment. Highlight as He speaks to you, and make notes to remind you how He spoke to you that day. Now, todays scripture says that through loving God and obeying all that He instructs you, then you will defeat sin and evil pleasures. Your love for God will become so pure and so real, that you will also love everything that God loves and everyone that He loves. So are you struggling with any part of this today friend? Try following this instruction for at least seven days, and I believe God will give you a burning desire to continue doing the same for the rest of the time you remain here on this earth! Love and obedience to God leads to love for the brethren friend! Imagine standing before family and friends at the funeral of your dearest friend and trying to explain to them how much you loved the deceased. There will be many things that you might be inclined to share that may prove you had love for the deceased, but wouldn’t it be mind blowing if you opened this Scripture is simply quoted how God said you could prove your love for others? God being our helper, I pray that we could now more easily show others how much we care, how much we love, and how they could see proof of it, because of our relationship with the God of all love!

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, You not only tell us to love one another, but You have even gone the extra step of showing us just how to accomplish that. How unfortunate, that a God who sacrificed His only Son for us on Calvary, must now tell us how important it is for us to love You. How deep the Father’s love for us, in spite of our unworthiness. Yet how easy it is for us to say that we struggle in loving our Christian Brothers and Sisters, even when we don’t fully appreciate the love of our Father, or see fit to obey His simple commands. Please forgive us dear Lord and continue to draw us to Yourself with an even deeper determination to love and obey You. I sincerely thank You for Your love, and for all these things I have asked throughout this devotional, for it is in the precious and loving name of Jesus that I ask, 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!

Turn to God For Unconditional Love!

On By Ed AlgreenIn Forgiveness, God-honoring, SalvationLeave a comment

Thursday, 2020-02-27

Bible Reference: Titus 2:11–14
Translation: The Message (MSG)

Bible Text: God’s readiness to give and forgive is now public. Salvation’s available for everyone! We’re being shown how to turn our backs on a godless, indulgent life, and how to take on a God-filled, God-honoring life. This new life is starting right now, and is whetting our appetites for the glorious day when our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, appears. He offered himself as a sacrifice to free us from a dark, rebellious life into this good, pure life, making us a people he can be proud of, energetic in goodness.

OBSERVATION: Ever heard a spouse, or a girlfriend or boyfriend say to their partner “And you did that for me?” You know – they are in shock that someone loves them enough to make a sacrifice on their behalf, just because they love them? It tends to put a whole new level of trust in that person, and a strong belief in your relationship! Suddenly you realize that they must truly love you! In our scripture today, Paul wants Titus to center his message around the love that Jesus showed for all who heard him preach. A message still very relevant today dear friend!

APPLICATION:  it seems like Paul felt it was important for the ministry of Titus that no matter what he felt the people already knew about Jesus, that he should remind them again that there is no secret about how much God loves them, and about the awesome sacrifice Jesus made at Calvary to prove His love for them. I feel compelled to share with you today the same message given to Titus, for it seems like depression in our friends and family is worsening, and impacting even children today. Don’t you realize friend that no matter how undeserving you may feel, there is only one place where you can look, or depend on for unconditional, everlasting love? It’s not on the internet, not in the nightclubs or local bars, or those friends who find answers in all the wrong places. God is ready to forgive you, and give you eternal life, filled with His wonderful love that is beyond human understanding or description? Don’t you know that you can be saved from your life of sin and disregard of God and take on a blessed, God-filled and God-honoring life? Don’t you know that this new life can begin right now, even though it may only be a sampling of the glorious life you will enjoy with Jesus when you leave this world that is so saturated with sin? Don’t you know that in spite of your present tendency to be mean and unforgiving towards others, that God will make you into a person energized in goodness? Friends, the above is not just vain promises that this Brother is offering to entice you into a relationship with God, although I wish there would be such an enticement possible, but I have merely expanded on the actual scripture written by Paul under the leadership and direction of the Holy Spirit. Please consider allowing that same Holy Spirit to guide you in your decisions today friend!

PRAYER: Father, You are merciful and so forgiving. For while we were still sinners, You went to the cross of Calvary as a statement of Your love for us, and faced public shame and disgrace by the same folk that You would later forgive them of their sin. Unfortunately we are no better than most of them that tortured You that dark day, because in spite of Your love for us, yet we openly sin and disgrace Your precious name. Please consider once again forgiving us of our sin dear Lord. Please go to the extreme once again to melt our hardened hearts and convince us of our sin and our need for the Savior. Lord, I pray that You would have Your perfect way in our lives today and in the lives of those that we love. May this be the day of salvation for many who will read this devotional today, I pray this in the precious name of Jesus, 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. If you are anywhere near the Sebring, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would highly recommend to you 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 Sacrifice God Wants

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

Friday, 2019-08-16

Bible Reference: Psalm 51:16-17
Translation: New Century Version (NCV)

Bible Text: 16 You are not pleased by sacrifices, or I would give them. You don’t want burnt offerings.
17 The sacrifice God wants is a broken spirit.
    God, you will not reject a heart that is broken and sorry for sin.

OBSERVATION: Throughout the Old Testament we see where there were sacrifices for almost any sin committed, and there were even some for praises to God. As we meditate on these verses today I hope that we will concentrate on those things that are a part of our relationship with God that may be considered ‘sacrifices’.

APPLICATION: I believe that a good explanation for the act of sacrificing might be when we offer up something as payment for an action performed by us that may not meet the requirements of the person, or God, who sets the rules. Another meaning might be that we are willing to give up something we love very much, so that someone else could benefit from that thing we are willing to give up. So let me mention a few things that I believe we ‘sacrifice’ in place of something near and dear to us: 1). Some may go to church to please someone bugging them to attend church. So they sacrifice time and go through the motions in order to make that person happy, or at least get them off their back! 2). Some may give to the church, or even to the work of God. So they may sacrifice monetarily with hopes that God might credit them for giving to His causes; 3). Some may ‘send’ missionaries to foreign countries. So they sacrifice monetarily, and give time in prayer for them so that the Great Commission (go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel) might be fulfilled. These are just examples of sacrifices that mankind makes, and in most cases these are fellow Christians. I also believe that in all the examples given, these sacrifices might be noble, and even recognized by God, if done in the spirit of sacrifice and holiness. But in the Psalm we are meditating on, David shares what he found to be noble and trustworthy in a life that is truly after pleasing God. In verse 17 David shared that we must have a broken spirit in order to arrive at the very depth of our heart. I believe this means that we must be at a state where we are willing to let go and let God have His will and way in our lives. But I believe a warning may come with that. For God may remind us of His many blessings and we may get up and attend church without being asked to, or regardless of the way someone looked at us last year when we attended! It may help us to openly declare that since God has blessed us with a good job and a fair income, we will be obedient to His Word and give at least 10% of our gross income, in thanksgiving for His goodness and out of an act of true obedience! We may decide to actually join a missions trip, instead of sending others! Our spirit might become one that is pliable by God. Friends, I believe it is only then that we will be open to hearing God’s voice and obedient to His commands – pleasing to Him. Are you willing to make this kind of sacrifice for the God who sacrificed His very own Son for us? Isn’t this the least that we could do?

PRAYER: Spirit of God, please descend upon us, Your children, and have Your perfect will and way in our lives today. Please direct our hearts and our minds towards Jesus, and may we be willing to sacrifice self, and become fully obedient to Your perfect will for our lives. Lord, our hearts are broken and desirous of everything You might require of us. Please use us in ways that will bring honor and glory to You oh Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer! AMEN!

Find Out How Much You Love God’s Children

On By Ed AlgreenIn Christian love, Love, ObedienceLeave a comment

Tuesday, 2019-03-19

Bible Reference: 1 John 5:1-4
Translation: The Living Bible (TLB)

Bible Text: If you believe that Jesus is the Christ—that he is God’s Son and your Savior—then you are a child of God. And all who love the Father love his children too. So you can find out how much you love God’s children—your brothers and sisters in the Lord—by how much you love and obey God. Loving God means doing what he tells us to do, and really, that isn’t hard at all; for every child of God can obey him, defeating sin and evil pleasure by trusting Christ to help him.

OBSERVATION: Do you love God? How about God’s children, do you love them also? The extent to which you love God, will show how much you love His children! Is it evident how much you love God? Let’s stop and ponder this Scripture today, as we consider these very important questions.

APPLICATION: Through John, God has actually given us the formula for measuring how well we’re doing in loving God, and in loving fellow believers! In fact we are told in these verses today that the degree to which we love fellow believers is proportionate to how much we love and obey God. Ok, so I’m sure that you probably assume you truly love one another, because you are very sure that you really love God. But do you really?  The Word declares that the love referenced here is not just a verbal thing, or a feeling, but instead if we truly love God, we will do what He tells us to do. For some that will be easy, because we pray and we seek God’s face through His precious Word. When we truly love God, we will not just listen to His commands, His teachings, His instructions for us, and His example that He set for us to follow, but we will be willing to live out in total obedience all that He commands us to do. Friends, our instructions and our reminders will not just come from the pulpit on the weekend, or from a Bible teacher, but primarily come from a one-on-one relationship with your maker. This might include getting into His Instruction Manual, the Bible, daily; it will include communicating with Him throughout your day; it will include sharing with others about the most important thing that ever happened to you. Friends, if it’s truly on the inside, it will come out in your words, actions and attitudes. Don’t know where to start? You may want to follow a good devotional, such as the one you’re now reading, or you may want to look for a Bible Reading Plan of your own. Whatever you decide, just remember to seek God’s face first – as it takes the Spirit of God to truly open your eyes to the spiritual truths of our awesome God. Not much of a reader? It doesn’t matter, when you seek God’s face first and ask Him to open your mind to His ways and His thoughts, and His teachings, you will find that those simple words on a page, actually reveals the perfect will of God for your life right where you’re at during that very moment. Highlight as He speaks to you, and make notes to remind yourself how He spoke to you. Note that in today’s scripture we are taught that through loving God and obeying all that He instructs us, then we will defeat sin and evil pleasures. Our love for God will become so pure and so real, that we will also love everything that God loves and everyone that He loves. So are you struggling with any part of this today friend? Let me encourage you to try the above ideas for at least seven days, and I believe God will give you a burning desire to continue doing the same for the rest of the time you remain on this earth! Love and obedience to God leads to love for the brethren friend!

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, You not only tell us to love one another, but You have even gone the extra step of showing us just how to accomplish that. How unfortunate, that a God who sacrificed His only Son for us on Calvary, must now tell us how important it is for us to love His Son. How deep the Father’s love for us, even in spite of our unworthiness. Yet how easy it is for us to say that we struggle in loving our Christian Brothers and Sisters, when we don’t fully appreciate the love of our Father, or see fit to obey His simple commands. Please forgive us dear Lord and continue to draw us to Yourself with an even deeper determination to love and obey You. I sincerely thank You for Your love, and for all these things I have asked throughout this devotional, for it is in the precious and loving name of Jesus that I ask, AMEN!