Give It Up, Friend!

On 2016-03-122016-03-12 By Ed AlgreenIn Evidence of Faith, Faith, Faith in Action, SurrenderLeave 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 John 3:16-18

Today’s Bible Text: We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters. If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion—how can God’s love be in that person? Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions.

The Bible Translation: New Living Translation

My Take Away: I’m sure that I am slower than most, therefore the reason that I overlooked exactly the point that God was trying to get across to us in this passage today! So I wanted to share with you how I feel like God revealed Himself to me, and the instructions He made clear to me. The first part of verse 16 is a given, in that we have always been taught that what Jesus did on the cross was not a win for the king and his people that ordered the crucifixion of our Lord, but Jesus went to the cross in total obedience to His Father, in total love for us. John 3:16 is probably the best known verse in the Bible, because it explains the love of Jesus in dying for every sinner, and the everlasting hope offered as a result of that sacrifice. Now, back to verses 17 & 18 of our highlighted verses today, we (Christ’s followers) are challenged to do the same thing for our fellow man. Go to the cross for another, you might ask? No, although we may not be forced to give up our life, we certainly might be called on to volunteer our time to help someone who is incapable of helping themselves. OR, someone that might be hungry when we have more than enough to sacrifice our next meal to give it to them. OR, perhaps another nation is unable or unwilling to fully care for their orphans, and even though we may not be able to feed them all for a week, perhaps we could join or support a local missions group who will go and work around the orphanage so that monies given to the orphanage can be used to better feed or clothe the orphans. OR, if called on to give financially to those in need, perhaps we can give of our excess, or sacrifice the money we would ordinarily spend on items we could easily do without. Think about it friend, when we consider our ‘life’ we generally consider all those things that make it worthwhile for us to get up each morning, or to keep on slaving away at work each day. How much of that are you willing to give up for the sake of a person in need? I believe we had best be very careful to not find excuses when God asks us to be His hands and His feet, and to minister in His name. Let us always remember that He gave it all so that we might have life eternally in heaven. Anything we are challenged with should be in the light of that sacrifice, and done with the love of that sacrifice. Only then will an unbeliever truly understand the love of our Savior that we might tell them about.

Prayer: Lord, please help us to keep our eyes fixed on You and not on our circumstances. Please help us to give, because You first sacrificed everything as You gave it all for us. Please help us to stop thinking so selfishly about the benefits of our greed and finding so many excuses about all that we could give to others, if only we would deal with our selfishness and give up the wants of self gratification. Forgive us Lord for being inconsiderate of the needs of others, especially while we gloat in the excess blessings that You have showered on us. Please teach us to follow Your ways, even when it causes us to sacrifice. Your love oh Lord, reaches to the heavens. May Your love be evident in everything we do or say, so that You may be glorified here on earth. I ask these things in the precious, holy, sacrificial name of Jesus, my Lord and Savior, 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 http://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!

Our Testimony

On 2016-02-292016-02-29 By Ed AlgreenIn Obedience, Salvation, Sin1 Comment

Today’s Bible Reference: Titus 3:3-7
Today’s Bible Text: ³For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, and wrong. We were slaves to passions and pleasures of all kinds. We spent our lives in malice and envy; others hated us and we hated them. ⁴But when the kindness and love of God our Savior was revealed, ⁵he saved us. It was not because of any good deeds that we ourselves had done, but because of his own mercy that he saved us, through the Holy Spirit, who gives us new birth and new life by washing us. ⁶God poured out the Holy Spirit abundantly on us through Jesus Christ our Savior, ⁷so that by his grace we might be put right with God and come into possession of the eternal life we hope for.
The Bible Translation: Good News Translation (GNT)

My Take Away: In giving guidance to Titus about what to expect in ministry, Paul shared with him that he should be patient with the people, because he will find that they are no different to what they each experienced in their lives. In other words, Titus would find them in a foolish, sinful state. He would find them living hateful lives filled with malice and envy. But they (Paul and Titus) were each the same, at one point in their lives. However, just like Paul wanted Titus to also remember how awesome God’s precious love was towards them, I believe God is reminding us, that when we approach folk who are steeped in sin, let’s never forget that we too were once in that very same condition. In fact the Bible tells us that even while we were still sinners, Jesus humbled Himself and sacrificed His life at Calvary so that we would not have to face eternal damnation for our sin, if we didn’t want to. He knew we were helpless and need all the help we could get. So He provided a perfect sacrifice for the forgiveness of our sin – if we desire to seek His forgiveness and His hand of mercy and grace. Friends, we must be careful to never look down on people because of their sin. Yes, we want to see them change, but remember that’s a God thing, for only He can change a heart. Someone prayed for us, and one day we saw the awful stain and effects of sin in our lives, so we surrendered ourselves to the love and protection of our Master – Jesus Christ. We therefore have a responsibility to pray for our friends who, though they may seem hopeless to us, yet God has not given up on them, anymore than He loved us and never gave up on us. Let’s try to share our testimony with as many people as possible so that they can appreciate the love of God in saving us, knowing that He can also rescue them and turn their lives around.

Prayer: Dear God, thank You for loving me enough to save me from a life of sin (unforgiveness, hatefulness, malice and envy). Even when I was deep in sin, You were on the cross praying that I would see hope in salvation from my sin. Father, I become frustrated when I see family and friends in that same dilemma, because I know that there is hope, and a Savior who made a way for their salvation. Please help me to do my part in praying for them, as You alone have the power to actually change their hearts and their desires. Please prompt your children with a desire to see their loved ones saved, and then to pray earnestly for them to recognize the Savior of this world. We need You desperately dear Lord. Please have Your will and way in our lives and the lives of those we love and hold dear to our heart. I ask these things in the name of Jesus, my wonderful Lord and Savior, 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

He Did That For You!

On 2016-02-272016-02-27 By Ed AlgreenIn Forgiveness, God-honoring, Salvation1 Comment

Today’s Bible Reference: Titus 2:11–14
Today’s 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.
The Bible Translation: The Message (MSG)

My Take Away: 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, 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 He made at Calvary to prove His love for them. I feel compelled to share with my readers 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 underserving you may feel, 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 may who will read this devotional today, I pray this in the precious name of Jesus, AMEN!

2016

Who Are You Afraid Of?

On 2015-10-262015-10-26 By Ed AlgreenIn Consistency, Cowardness, WitnessLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (New Living Translation – John 7:12-13): ¹² There was a lot of grumbling about him among the crowds. Some argued, “He’s a good man,” but others said, “He’s nothing but a fraud who deceives the people.” ¹³ But no one had the courage to speak favorably about him in public, for they were afraid of getting in trouble with the Jewish leaders.

THOUGHTS: The party was BIG, but in spite of all the planned activities, the people couldn’t help themselves from discussing the things that were happening in their lives, and this included the marvelous works of Jesus that had taken place, and in some case that impacted their lives or that of a close relative. However, the Jewish leaders were keeping close tabs on the crowd, thinking that Jesus would show up for this special festival. So any discussion about Jesus was very much under quiet cover, as no one wanted to witness the wrath of the Jewish leaders. I found it interesting that this little fact was included in the Bible, but then it hit me. Proclaimed Christians today mix with others while still active here on earth. We are faced with ‘Jewish leaders’ of a different kind. We have those friends who will poke fun at us; we have our bosses who are threatened by employees of different beliefs; we have family members who distance themselves from us; all because they heard that we believe something like the Bible and all the weird stuff about healings, raising people from the dead, parting of the Red Sea, worshipping a God who was crucified and supposedly came back to life again, etc. etc. Unfortunately, I believe that most earthly humans strive towards being liked by those they come into contact with, and never look for ways that would deliberately cause the world to hate them. However, because of this, we will often stand idly by and listen to the name of our Lord being abused; poked fun of; and the ‘church’ threatened with closer government intervention so that, supposedly, people could live more harmoniously. The truth is friends, this has weakened the witness of Christians and the church. For when folk see that our witness, or our story, is so weak that we buckle under scrutiny and turn and run the other way, they realize that it was all a farce right from the beginning. In a recent marriage enrichment class, we were taught that a very essential characteristic of a good marriage is consistently showing love and appreciation for our spouse. When Jesus was arrested in the garden, he stayed true to His calling. Even while being beaten on the road to His crucifixion He stayed true to His calling. On the cross, He permitted horrendous mockery, beatings and abuse, because of the mission assigned by His Father – God. He was consistent. Friends, in some parts of the world Christians are being abused and killed because of their consistent witness for our Savior, but in other parts of the world, including the beautiful country in which I live, this is not a real threat for us. So what is our excuse for our inconsistent witness? Who are we afraid of? Why would we ‘belly-up’ and cave in to the same ‘world’ who killed our Savior in the first place? Is it because of worldly greed; or is it truly our choice to please our friends who are temporal at best, rather than pleasing our Savior who gave it all for us? Opportunities will arise for each of us today, and we have the choice of either entering the open door to share the love of Jesus with a friend, or turn away in fear of not being as popular with our friends and see them go to Hell. What will it be for you friend? With Jesus on our side, who can we possibly be afraid of?

PRAYER: Father, we are so weak, and we fail so often to call on the awesome, powerful name of Jesus to help us through our daily challenges. Please forgive us. May we commit to be ‘The Real Thing‘ today because of our increased faith and commitment to You. We are ambassadors of the awesome, powerful, proven, loving, holy name of Jesus, God’s only Son! So could there possibly be anyone in whom in whom we should be afraid? Please teach us to be consistent in our walk and in our talk, whether inside the four walls of our respective churches, or whether we are facing the most challenging enemy here on earth. My God is greater than all our troubles and/or challenges! Praise the wonderful name of Jesus, in whose name I ask all this, 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 www.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!

What God Wants From You

On 2015-10-232015-10-23 By Ed AlgreenIn Believe, Love, SurrenderLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (Contemporary English Version – John 6:28-29): ²⁸ “What exactly does God want us to do?” the people asked. ²⁹ Jesus answered, “God wants you to have faith in the one he sent.”

THOUGHTS: When someone does something special for an appreciative person, the first thing they try to think of is “what might I do to show my appreciation in return”. A humble person is often left with an unworthy feeling when someone does something special for them, because they realize how many other people are so much more deserving of the good works than they are. So let’s look at what the God of this entire universe desires of us in return to the greatest gift ever given. After all, He not only created us and the world in which we live, but God also saw the terrible time that mankind was having in trying to obey the law in order to stay free from sin, so He took the ultimate step of also sending His only offspring, Jesus, as a baby. He worked many recorded miracles through Jesus while here on this earth, but He also realized that He had to make things real simple for humans to ever see the light of heaven, so instead of the many sacrifices that mankind knew since the beginning of time, He decided to make one final sacrifice to prove His ultimate love, and to provide the clear path/access to heaven. This came through the sacrificial death of God’s only Son on the cross at Calvary. However, in the same way that we see many doubters and nay-sayers today, John shows us that their doubt is fed from those who doubted long before our time. Jesus proved His sovereignty in many ways while here on earth, yet in this passage of scripture today we hear, through minds filled with doubt, a question that many will eventually have on their mind, and that is: “what exactly do You want from me Jesus?” Notice how simple the response was in our scripture, and how simple the answer has remained. God simply wants us to acknowledge that we have come to a point where we realize that we cannot personally do anything in and of ourselves to gain righteousness and freedom from this world’s sin, so the only choice is for us to surrender ourselves to the One He sent for the redemption of our sin, His precious, only, Son, JESUS. Having accepted Jesus as my Savior and Lord, my heart is filled with the desire to make sure that no one that I know and hold dear to my heart is left behind. This includes family, friends, coworkers, and yes, ‘YOU’ friend, for you are reading this devotional today because of God’s design for you, and through me as His humble servant. You are therefore very special in His eyes, and mine, and I would be overjoyed to know that because of God’s precious Word today, you and I will have a central meeting place – at the feet of Jesus in glory! See you soon? Only God knows how soon! Please take time to read the ‘Footnote’ for help on taking the next step towards becoming a Jesus follower.

PRAYER: Dear God, Your love is beyond anything I can think or imagine, for You provided a way for filthy sinners to see the gates of heaven, by sacrificing Your one and only Son, Jesus as our eternal sin sacrifice. Thank You Heavenly Father! Thank You Jesus, Son of God, Redeemer, Deliverer and everlasting Savior! Lord, I pray that today will be the day of salvation for many who will meditate on this devotional and that they would be reminded once again of Your precious love and provision for them. May the words of verse 29 echo in the hearts of many that You will work on today “God wants you to have faith in the one he sent”. This is not just a statement that You are wanting us to be aware of, but it is a statement of love and desire to have us decide today to be with You, as badly as You want us to be with You. Thank You for expressing love in its purest and unselfish way, just for us. I love You Lord, and I ask all these things in faith, in the name of Jesus, AMEN!

On Being A Follower of Christ

On 2015-07-022015-07-02 By Ed AlgreenIn Allegiance, SacrificeLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (Contemporary English Version – Luke 14:25-27): ²⁵ Large crowds were walking along with Jesus, when he turned and said: ²⁶ You cannot be my disciple, unless you love me more than you love your father and mother, your wife and children, and your brothers and sisters. You cannot come with me unless you love me more than you love your own life. ²⁷ You cannot be my disciple unless you carry your own cross and come with me.

THOUGHTS: The words used in my Bible as a caption for these verses are “…Disciple of Christ”, but I chose the above caption or subject instead, because I didn’t want anyone to feel like this didn’t apply to them. We have only read about male disciples, so I didn’t want my female readers to feel like this was only for their male counterparts! Friends, I believe that the whole idea behind Jesus saying these words is to get the point across to us that true dedication to Him is even more important than the sacrifice we make in dedication to our parents, or our children or our spouse. Think about it: if you go into marriage while still hanging on to other boyfriends or girlfriends, won’t you be divided in your mind when attempting to dedicate your life completely to your spouse? Won’t you have trouble deciding whether to attend church with your spouse or take off to the beach with your friends who might be drinkers or party animals enticing you to go to the beach to tease the opposite sex? Friends, there is no difference when we commit to accepting and following Jesus. You will be divided in thought and in action, if others take priority in your life. Let’s put the ‘shoe on the other foot’ for a moment, as we think about how undivided Jesus was in committing Himself to us: In the Garden of Gethsemane He anguished before His Father over going to the cross, yet He concluded that if it was the Father’s will He would do it. This was the Father’s will because He knew that Jesus needed to die for the redemption of our sin – so that we might have a means for the forgiveness of our sin and the only path into Heaven. There were no ulterior motives, nor were there any distractions, this was done out of mere love for us. Surely we are not so unappreciative that we would place conditions on our relationship with this same Savior who sacrificed everything for us, right? Jesus said in these verses that if we are to accept Him and mean it, then we are to fully dedicate ourselves to Him, with no other distractions or ‘weeds’ to choke out our commitment to Him. When I applied for citizenship into this country, I had to swear allegiance to this country even if at some point this country had to wage war against my birth country. We must equally be so dedicated to our Lord and Savior that we are prepared to say ‘no’ to all earthly allegiances when it’s time to say ‘yes’ to Jesus. Are you truly or totally ready to wholly and solely, be a follower of Jesus Christ? Can you honestly wear the banner ‘Disciple’ today and Jesus know that you are honest in that allegiance? If not, why not? We are either ALL His, or we’re not His – because of our split allegiance. May I suggest that you examine your life, in the light of eternity with Jesus Christ and His Father, and commit yourself totally to Him? The rewards are ‘out of this world’!!

PRAYER: Father in heaven, I am ashamed that I allow so many distractions in my life that often reflect that You do not maintain first place, or priority in my life. Please give me a new determination today to make You, the One who sacrificed life itself for me, first place and extreme priority in my life. Thank You for loving me so much that You gave it all. Thank You Jesus for providing a means for me to one day join You and Your Father in heaven where I might worship at You feet for ever and ever! Lord, my readers will need to evaluate their lives in light of this message today also, please humble them as they read and evaluate their life. May they clearly see the distractions that come before their allegiance to You, and may they decide today who will have first place in their lives. You gave it all for us, may we, in turn, give of our very best to You. I ask all this in the precious and worthy name of Jesus, who sacrificed everything for me, 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 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!

Help In Seeing The Good in Your Trials

On 2015-05-222015-05-22 By Ed AlgreenIn Faith, Surrender, TrialsLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (The New Living Translation – 1 Peter 1:6-7): ⁶ So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. ⁷ These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.

THOUGHTS: We must be extremely careful not to doubt our salvation when we, as Christians, have troubles and trials arise in our earthly lives. Think about it friend, if we didn’t have these, what kind of witness would we be to those who need a Savior. For God would not have opportunity to show the unsaved how gracious He truly is to His earthly servants, and the handiwork of His miraculous hands in the lives of His children. Secondly, if we were spared from trials, how might we experience the graciousness of God to be especially loving, caring and powerful in helping us to overcome these things that are way beyond our reach and/or resolution? In this scripture today, this analogy is compared to the proving process used in the precious metal ‘gold’. For when it is brought to extreme heat, it is maximized in strength and durability. Likewise, when we face trials, it’s not that God doesn’t love us or care for us, for it is then that He is preparing us for battle, or to use the phrase of an old TV star, God is preparing us for the ‘big one’! Probably the most challenging thing for us to do, is to praise God, even in the midst of our trials, because we understand, and have faith to believe that He is strengthening us. Friends, when we say that we are Christian and we truly believe that we have placed our hand in the hands of the Almighty God, we must then hang on for the ride of our lifetime, knowing that we are under His control, His protection and His will, knowing full well that He loves us way too much to see any harm or hurt impact us. Can you imagine the admiration and pride that must come across the face of Jesus when He looks on His creation (us) and see us living in full submission to Him, and we finally get the scripture that indicates – all things work together for good, to those who love and have surrendered their lives totally to Jesus? My challenge today is first of all for self, that I may be totally surrendered to the Savior and allow Him full control over my life. Only then can I truly desire to see each of you do the same. However, for yourself, if it’s to be, it’s up to you! Therefore align yourself with the Lord of all lords and the King of all kings, who loved you enough to personally sacrifice His very best so that You might trust in Him, handle life’s circumstances and look forward to spending eternity with Him in glory!

PRAYER: Father God, I adore You, I love You and I praise You for who You are and for all that You have helped me through already in my short life. However, You have taught me through Your Word that I am not perfect, so I surrender my total self to You today and pray that You might use me in ways that might allow Your kingdom work to increase and flourish here on this earth. I am equally concerned for my friends who will read this devotional today, for I always want Your very best for them also. Please satisfy every doubt or weakness in commitment and/or total surrender. Please provoke decisions in their personal lives that will cause Your name to be lifted high and every soul be drawn closer to You in full obedience. May we learn to celebrate You in all aspects of our lives, even when going through tough times. You alone are worthy of our praise in all aspects of our lives, so I worship You and ask all these things in Your precious and holy name, Lord 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!

God is Coming Soon!

On 2015-04-232015-04-23 By Ed AlgreenIn Eternal Life, Hope, SalvationLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (The Contemporary English Version – Hebrews 10:36-39): ³⁶Learn to be patient, so that you will please God and be given what he has promised. ³⁷As the Scriptures say, “God is coming soon! It won’t be very long. ³⁸The people God accepts will live because of their faith. But he isn’t pleased with anyone who turns back.” (Habakkuk 2:3–4) ³⁹We are not like those people who turn back and get destroyed. We will keep on having faith until we are saved.

THOUGHTS: To some who will read the subject and the Bible verses, we might hear “Come Lord Jesus, come!”, and they may be referred to by their friends as Paul said of himself, “They have fought a good fight and they have kept the faith, enter now into the kingdom of heaven prepared for you by our Lord”. However, some will try to claim the victory and protest their position with the Lord because of their giving, or church attendance, or the faithfulness of their parents, only to sadly hear the words of Jesus reverberate “I never knew you”. There will also be some who will face eternity as lost as they are here on earth, because they consider the Word of God as ‘fables’ or ‘meant for the people of old who knew no better’. Friends, I believe that you should clearly understand the intent of the gospel – the Word of God, and this scripture serves as a great tool to remind us of that. An example to help explain this might be the need for a driver’s license to legally drive a vehicle on the public roads of any country. You know, and understand that driving without that legal document could lead to a prison term for you. You should also clearly understand that you are required to surrender your life of sin, and ask for forgiveness from the Savior of the world, Jesus Christ. According to John 3:16, God loves us all, and if we Admit our sin, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and Confess our unworthiness and our ‘lost’ condition without Jesus, then we will become His very special child; saved from this sinful world and kept secure in His keeping until the day He calls us home to heaven to live with Him eternally. So compare the two scenarios given: driving without legal permission (a driver’s license) will send you to prison; living without ever personally accepting Jesus as your Savior will lead to eternity in Hell with Satan. The choice is clear, but it is totally up to you to decide your destiny, or what you will do. My desire is that God will soften your hardened heart and lead you to the cross of Calvary where you would see the great love expressed by my Savior to make your only positive choice a viable option. The plan is in place Brother and Sister, the choice is entirely yours. Please be smart and choose faith in Christ. I really want to see you in glory where we will kneel together at the feet of Jesus and praise He and His Father forever!

PRAYER: Lord God, we are given the liberty of making choices every day. Often some will lead to success, while others lead to failure, and possible destruction. In Your Word, You revealed our options about whom we will serve while here on this earth, and where that will ultimately lead us to in death, as we know it here on earth. I thank You and praise You that I accepted the best option available for my life, and that, based on Your Word, I have fore-knowledge about where I will spend eternity when the day comes for my graduation from earth to my new home in Heaven! I believe You have led me to clearly explain the above to my readers today so that they may KNOW in whom they believe, and with whom they will spend eternity. I humbly plead for Your help to those who are challenged with making a sound choice today. Please, may this be the day of clarity of mind and sound decisions, so that all who have received this challenge will walk away having made the only decision that leads to eternal life with You in heaven. I ask all this in faith, and in the name of Jesus, my Lord and soon coming King, 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!

Qualities of Our High Priest

On 2015-04-112015-04-11 By Ed AlgreenIn Forgiveness, High Priest, SurrenderLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (The Contemporary English Version – Hebrews 7:26-28): 26 Jesus is the high priest we need. He is holy and innocent and faultless, and not at all like us sinners. Jesus is honored above all beings in heaven, 27 and he is better than any other high priest. Jesus doesn’t need to offer sacrifices each day for his own sins and then for the sins of the people. He offered a sacrifice once for all, when he gave himself. 28 The Law appoints priests who have weaknesses. But God’s promise, which came later than the Law, appoints his Son. And he is the perfect high priest forever.

THOUGHTS: I wonder what God might say about our form of worship and our Christian leadership today? In this passage in Hebrews there was a comparison between the high priests of the day that the people looked up to as their earthly connection to God, and THE great High Priest that God had provided for the people which, by the way, was provided for you and I until His return to take us up to glory. You see, often we place our church leaders on such a pedestal that we almost consider them a little god. Now friends, please don’t think that I am belittling our pastors/preachers/priests or other church leaders, for they do play a role in our spiritual walk, but PLEASE, you are to always look to God, through His Word, and be attuned to His voice as He leads you to all Truth and a true Godly example. Man could easily disappoint you and/or possibly lead you astray, and into a path of their own personal conviction, that may, or may not, always line up with God’s purest plan for you. Because of our weakness and laziness to help ourselves to the written Word of God, we place our full faith and trust in the ‘God’ taught to us by those church leaders we believe we can trust. Experiencing the works of God and feeling His precious love for us, gives us a much fuller description and view of God that becomes very personal, and is key to helping us form a ‘relationship’ with Him. Trying to draw close to a ‘God’ that someone else may, or may not have experienced, is like looking in from the outside at a marriage between a husband and wife, rather than actually being one of the spouses experiencing the sweet relationship with the other spouse. In the above verses, Take note of the differences between earthly high priests and THE Hight Priest provided by God for us. I have highlighted qualities of the earthly priests in ‘red’ and the qualities of God’s High Priest (Jesus) in ‘bright light blue’. Of particular notice I want you to tune in to the later part of verse 28. Notice that unlike electing a church leader of our liking, or with qualities we feel are important, God invested His very own personal interest in providing us a ‘perfect and eternal’ Hight Priest, by sending His very own Son – One who is a vital part of the triune God and who acts on God’s behalf. He didn’t want us to settle for second best, He gave us His very own so that we might be drawn to Him. This is the ‘real thing’ friends, have you surrendered your life over to this ‘perfect’ High Priest? This was a huge sacrifice by God, we should respond by accepting this ‘gift’. In my ‘Footnote’ I have offered tips on how you might go about this, based on the written Word of God. Be prepared, friend. God could call you home at anytime, and I want you to be ready to meet Him.

PRAYER: Father in heaven, thank You for making provisions for my eternal future with You. Thank You for helping me to look beyond those that I respect in our church pulpits, and coming directly to the foot of the cross, asking for Your forgiveness and accepting Your ultimate sacrificed made on my behalf. You are a merciful and loving God, having shared a vital part of You so that I might become one with You. Thank You Lord! Please touch the hearts of Your children today so that we might be drawn to You in all humbleness and faith, and in great expectation of one day kneeling at Your feet and worshipping You for all eternity! Thank You for Jesus, our perfect High Priest! Please help us to sample our lives after Him so that we too might be an example to others that we come into contact with, and who also needs You. I am amazed by Your love! I ask all this today in the wonderful name of Jesus, our perfect High Priest, and Your loving Son, 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!

A Glorious Life That Never Ends!

On 2015-03-052015-03-05 By Ed AlgreenIn Love of God, SalvationLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (The Contemporary English Version – 2 Timothy 1:9-10): ⁹God saved us and chose us to be his holy people. We did nothing to deserve this, but God planned it because he is so kind. Even before time began God planned for Christ Jesus to show kindness to us. ¹⁰Now Christ Jesus has come to show us the kindness of God. Christ our Savior defeated death and brought us the good news. It shines like a light and offers life that never ends.

THOUGHTS: From the time we think about having children we begin to dream and plan for all that we would like for them to be, and how much better we want them to do in life than we were ever able to do. But have you ever stopped to think that the Creator of you and I did the same for us? Wow! What an awesome God we serve! What an awesome thought for all who are considering accepting Jesus as Lord today! From the time we were formed in our mother’s womb, God loved us and had a plan for us. I love that song “He Knows my Name“, because in the lyrics of that beautiful song I am reminded that I am not here through any accident, and in spite of all that might take place in my life, I know that the same God who created me is the One who watches over me each day, loves me to the point that He sacrificed His only Son to die for me and thus provided the path for me to eternity in heaven. Whom then shall I fear? Why would I become discouraged when this evil world impacts my life in one way or another? This old earth is just my temporary quarters, with brothers and sisters who might choose to love me, or despise me, but my time here is limited! My goal is to love you like Jesus does, and to live my life in dedication to Him as I anxiously await His return to take me to my eternal home in heaven with Him! To quote a worldly saying for this heavenly joy of which I speak, I might say – ‘that’s what I’m talking about’!!! So friends, I want to encourage you today to slow down from the hustle and bustle of this busy life, and allow these words to soak in, penetrate your heart, and encourage you to live for Jesus, if you have already accepted Him as Lord. If you have yet to make the best decision of your life and receive Jesus as Lord, please don’t delay your decision, for my desire is to see you happy in the Lord today and throughout eternity with us in heaven! For help on how to go about the simple act of receiving Jesus, please refer to the ‘Footnote’. Drop a note to me so that I can pray with you, and for you. Jesus loves you, friend, and so do I!

PRAYER: Father, Your love is beyond anything mankind can imagine, and exceeds anything we are capable of understanding. You created this earth in such a way that Your kids would enjoy it and reap great benefits from it. You created us in Your own image for the purpose of worshiping You and declaring Your glory each and every day. In giving us a choice to accept this beautiful life offered by You through Your Son Jesus, I believe You wanted us to consciously recognize Your great love and have reason to worship You at every opportunity. Thank You for working in my heart to draw me to the vital decision to accept You as Lord of my life! Thank You for not giving up on me! I plead with You to please make me more effective in witnessing for You, and that You also touch each and every life that reads this devotional today. For those of us that have accepted Jesus, may we be encouraged by Your Word today and serve the purpose for which You have placed us here today. For those who have yet to accept Jesus, may Your Word bring encouragement to them, that will lead to a life changing decision to surrender their life to You. Thank You for creating us, providing for us, accepting us and loving us way beyond anything we deserve. I ask all this with deep respect for Your power and Your wonderful love for me, and I ask it in the name of Jesus, my Lord, AMEN!

Nuggets From God's Word

Tag: sacrifice