Tag: salvation

A God-filled, God-honoring Life

On By Ed AlgreenIn Filled With The Spirit, God-honoring, Honor, True witnesses, Witness, WitnessingLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE  FROM:   Titus 2:11-14 (MSG)

TEXT:  11-14 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:   In the first 10 verses of this chapter, Paul shares with Titus the importance of teaching older men, older women, younger men and younger women, how to live a God-filled, God-honoring life, and the importance of doing so. This teaching has never been more critical than it is for us today, so as we meditate on this, let’s try to apply it – for the kingdom of God is at hand!

APPLICATION:   Telling a politician, or a public figure to include something on ‘right living’ in their political agenda, would almost seem hypocritical compared to the backbiting, hatred and name calling they normally do. Telling an evangelist to hit the streets and demand this lifestyle of those coming out of the bars and dance halls would probably be meaningless to a people are already living the best lifestyle they know how to live. But I believe that just as Paul gave this advice to his fellow laborer and Brother in the Lord, and expected him to share this with those that he found in the local church, we too must be prepared to give this advice to our pastors, teachers and leaders of our churches today. The whole reason for this, comes down to our churches empowering our people not just with the awesome power of God’s Word, but also asking its parishioners to live and practice the life that they are being taught from God’s Word. So in effect, we are encouraging each one to become the church to all those that they come into contact with! I believe that it is our responsibility to live like ‘little Christs’, before all those we come into contact with, especially if we are God-filled, and if we are giving every effort to honor God with our speech, behavior and character. I just love the latter part of this Scripture where we are told that God gave up everything, when He allowed His precious Son to die on the cross for us, for He wanted to make it possible and easy for us to make Him proud of us. How do you feel about your day friend? Did you make God proud in everything that you did? Would others conclude that you are a ‘God-filled’ person, and that you honor God through the things that you say and do? The Word says that when we strive towards these things, we develop an appetite and excitement about the glorious day when our Lord will return! God saw the need for Titus to hear these words from Paul, and I believe that He wants us to also get the picture He is portraying for us today about our earthly condition, in preparation for our heavenly celebration and our eternal home!

PRAYER:   Oh that your people may know about You Lord! Oh that we, who are called by Your name, will seek Your face, humble ourselves and pray, and allow ourselves to be so filled with Your presence, Your character, Your love and to seek Your Holy Spirit for every decision in life, so that we may be God-filled and so that we may honor You in all things. Please anoint us today with Your power, so that we may look more like You in the eyes of those searching for the Master. AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’.  If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog could indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and read more, or you may freely to subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Sebring, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us!

 

The Effects of our Heart’s Condition

On By Ed AlgreenIn Clean Heart, Know God's Heart, SecurityLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE  FROM:   Titus 1:15-16 (TLB)

TEXT:  15 A person who is pure of heart sees goodness and purity in everything; but a person whose own heart is evil and untrusting finds evil in everything, for his dirty mind and rebellious heart color all he sees and hears. 16 Such persons claim they know God, but from seeing the way they act, one knows they don’t. They are rotten and disobedient, worthless so far as doing anything good is concerned.

OBSERVATION:   From the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks! That’s a popular old saying, or proverb, that has been proven over the years. That seems to be what Paul is warning his Christian Brother and co-laborer about as he heads into ministering alongside Paul and other disciples at the time. It seems like Paul is saying: ‘You will hear lots of things coming from the mouths of the people you encounter, before you get upset with them, learn their heart’s condition first’. This is excellent advice for us today also, so let’s take time to meditate on Paul’s advice.

APPLICATION:   I’ve seen scenarios where a new pastor would be asked how would he handle cliques in the church, or gossip by leaders, or other things that strictly results from inside circumstances over time. These questions might come before the new pastor ever stands in the pulpit for the first time. Canned responses may be given to those types of questions, if the new pastor knows nothing about the circumstances that provoked the questions. In most cases, there is hurt built up inside the individuals that ask those questions, and they are hoping that the new pastor will save their world. However, where evil abounds, those types of questions might be more of a test to see how the new Pastor will react to circumstances that might arise. In other words, what might the people be able to get away with. These principles are also seen between church members, or just between people in general. Sometimes comments are made to see if a friend or neighbor will be provoked and respond badly. Sometimes we need to prove the character of someone where we may have predicted their doom. But how often do we say things from the heart to just lift up a Brother, or encourage a Sister, or help them draw closer to the Lord? Friends, I believe you will find it easy to sit and analyze what causes others to act just like Paul predicted to Titus, but I want to encourage you today to join me in striving to draw closer to God, whose character will provoke us to want the very best for our neighbors, coworkers, friends and co-laborers in Christ. Our primary responsibility is to get ourselves right with God. Let that Light that we boast of, be evident in everything fiber of our being. Others are looking at you and I, to see if this ‘Jesus’ that we have bragged about, is for real. Oh that they may see the ‘real’ thing in us today. May others brush up to Jesus as they encounter us today! God being our Helper, Guide, Protector and soon coming King.

PRAYER:   In our witness Lord, may others see Your goodness, Your mercy, Your loving kindness, Your forgiveness, Your love and Your unselfish desire to see the best in Your kids. Cleanse our hearts Lord, so that we may fill them with more of You. May the words of our mouths and the meditation of our hearts be acceptable in Your sight, oh Lord, our Rock and our Salvation. AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’.  If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog could indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and read more, or you may freely to subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Sebring, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us!

 

The Value of The Scripture

On By Ed AlgreenIn First Hand Experience, Knowing Christ, Teach, Teacher, TeachingsLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE  FROM:   2 Timothy 3:15-17 (ERV)

TEXT:  15 You have known the Holy Scriptures since you were a child. These Scriptures are able to make you wise. And that wisdom leads to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is given by God. And all Scripture is useful for teaching and for showing people what is wrong in their lives. It is useful for correcting faults and teaching the right way to live. 17 Using the Scriptures, those who serve God will be prepared and will have everything they need to do every good work.

OBSERVATION:   Imagine your pastor pulling a young man, that shows a lot of promise, alongside of him and promises to work with him to become an effective minister of the Word of God. What are some things that you suppose your pastor, and your church might expect of this young man? Hours and hours of diligence in the Word; Seminary, or at least Bible School; etc, etc. Now, let me encourage you to look into the Word for instruction on what you should do. It seems to me, that this Scripture today is giving some direction regarding the dilemma, and possibly the answer to what your pastor is facing, so let’s look closely at this….

APPLICATION:   Paul, having gone through a wide range of challenges in his ministry, had lots of advice and direction for Timothy who was setting out in ministry. I believe that if we looked at everything that Paul had to offer Timothy, some might say that he had enough challenges of his own, that he would probably do everything possible to discourage this young man from the ministry, although he didn’t! Looking at this from Timothy’s standpoint, we could see where Timothy could easily approach every situation with the same mindset that he saw his local church/church leaders handle situations. However, what adds so much to this story for us is that Paul took on young Timothy as his own son. It shows where Paul cared for Timothy’s well being and for his success in ministry – both for the benefit of the kingdom, and for himself personally. So I believe that the obvious thing that Paul might tell Timothy, is to study the Bible often, and study it very deeply – and I believe that any pastor about to mentor a young ‘Timothy’ would probably do the same. In fact, I believe that any good church leadership would probably tell a young, prospective minister who felt called to the ministry to do the same, and it would be advice patterned after Scripture – today’s Scripture! So why is this important? I believe that for one to teach or preach the Word of God, and tell others about the character and life of Jesus Christ, then it is critically important to get into the Word and saturate yourself with it. There are many other books that we could read where good, qualified teachers have written about the ‘Book’, but please don’t allow that to take the place of you digging into the Word of God often and very deeply. From personal experience, I can tell you that there are days that I might read the Word and I struggle to gain anything personally from it. However, there are days that I can read back over a passage that I previously got nothing from, and God has a special message for me at that time. As I read, I tend to use a few different highlighters: green for highlighting phrases through which I felt God speaking direct to me about something; yellow for highlighting various warnings that God used to get our attention; and red to highlight specific things that God told us not to do. Did I get these ideas from some big seminary and passing them on to you to use? No, but these are tools that I chose to use, so that when I study or refer to that Scripture again, those words will ‘pop’ and quickly draw my attention to them. The other tool I use, is multiple versions of the Bible. Each time I read through the Bible I use a different version. The different ways that some translators or commentators choose to word a passage, might serve to help me better understand what is being said, or what was intended by the sometimes challenging verbiage of some older translations. Other advice I would offer is that it is ‘God’s’ Word, so ask Him to open your mind and your understanding, so that you could grasp what He wants to say to you through the words you are about to read and understand. In training an up and coming ‘Timothy’ it is way more important for him to see and understand from you when he knows that you are in the Word personally, rather than detailing what the textbook says from your seminary. As you learn from, and draw closer to God, you are in much better shape to mentor someone wanting to walk the same path that you took!

PRAYER:   Lord, thank You for touching the hearts, minds and souls of men and women around the world who have committed their lives to the full time ministry of Your Word. People still need the Lord, so it is still very important that new ‘Timothy’s’ arise every day and commit themselves to serving the King of all kings! Thank You Father for drawing men and women unto Yourself, and thank You for preparing them for Your ministry. Sometimes You do this through others that might encourage, teach and set a good example for the new minister. Please bless those who fill that role every day! Please continue to bless our churches with new volunteers who will take the ministry seriously and whose sole purpose is to see Your kingdom increase and be glorified. I stand in awe of Your mercy on us oh Lord! AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’.  If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog could indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and read more, or you may freely to subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Sebring, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us!

 

Characteristics of Your Mission Field

On By Ed AlgreenIn Characteristics, Deliverer, MissionsLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE  FROM:   2 Timothy 3:1-5 (MSG)

TEXT:  1-5 Don’t be naive. There are difficult times ahead. As the end approaches, people are going to be self-absorbed, money-hungry, self-promoting, stuck-up, profane, contemptuous of parents, crude, coarse, dog-eat-dog, unbending, slanderers, impulsively wild, savage, cynical, treacherous, ruthless, bloated windbags, addicted to lust, and allergic to God. They’ll make a show of religion, but behind the scenes they’re animals. Stay clear of these people.

OBSERVATION:   How many of us would stay focused on our mission if we knew that we would be dealing with folk, like the ones described in our Scripture today? I know, your mama didn’t raise any fools, so you would never be caught in a complex situation like that, right? Well guess what, these are the same attitudes and characteristics that we see in our communities, and even in our churches today! So let’s see how we will deal with this….

APPLICATION:   I believe that we all are apt to share our witness with our family, our friends, fellow church members and perhaps our coworkers. So we might wonder why this might be a big deal for us to think about this challenge Paul has placed before Timothy and ourselves. Well, think for a moment how friendly your circle of influence might be for you, then for just a moment allow yourself to consider a world where some Christians are in prison for spreading the gospel in certain places of the world; think about a world where Christians have been murdered because of their faith; think about Christians who are insulted daily because of their faith. Friends, much of this occurs in our very own country, and in own states. You see, the gospel of Jesus Christ offends the masses, because it opposes evil, and hatred, and other acts of Satan that would tend to also break mans’ laws, and principles of the ordinary citizen who disowns Christ. So lets remind ourselves, that just because we were blessed by sharing our faith yesterday in certain places that we visited, that in no way predicts that tomorrow will be the same, or in the next state it will be the same. We must remember that in this world that we live in, it is controlled by Satan, and he is extremely busy trying to win our population. However, we can also remember that good thing that has turned our lives around. We must also remember that the same Jesus that died on Calvary’s cross for our sins, was also done for the sins of our friends. So while our aim is to see our friends come to Christ and seek His forgiveness of their sin, we must also remember what Ephesians 6:12 tells us 12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. So let’s not take each day for granted, let’s not assume that every circumstance or situation will be the same. This is why it is so important for us to remember whose mission we are on, and if we are to be obedient to God’s mission, then we need constant communication with Him, and follow only the direction we receive from Him. In certain stunts we are told that we must not attempt those stunts at home. Let me remind you, that our walk with the Lord is never something that we should take for granted. He went to great lengths to bring us salvation, and it is only through His infinite power and direction that we should attempt doing His work for the good of His kingdom. Call on Jesus my friend, and He will direct your path, your words and your ultimate witness, so that He might be glorified. Only then will God’s work be accomplished, and we should never lose sight of whose work it really is that we want to accomplish.

PRAYER:   Lord, we come humbly before You, knowing that only You really know the extent of the evil in our world, yet only You have the power to overcome that evil and get into the hearts of Your people. Dearest Lord Jesus, You gave up Your precious life at Calvary for sinners such as I, yet You also gave me freedom to make decisions  of my own. With great selfishness, and a strong inclination to the things of this world, mankind is trapped in doing everything that brings them worldly happiness. So Lord, we need Your power, Your grace and Your direction each day as we try to influence our friends of this world towards a Savior who loves and cares for them. We need You desperately Lord, and we depend solely on You as our Rock, our Savior and our Deliverer. AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’.  If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog could indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and read more, or you may freely to subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Sebring, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us!

 

Effective In Your Mission

On By Ed AlgreenIn Example of Christ, Genuine example of Jesus, Godly example, Personal Witness, True witnesses, WitnessingLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE  FROM:   2 Timothy 2:14-17 (VOICE)

TEXT:  14 …... Warn them before God to stop their useless bickering over words. After all, splitting hairs does no good; it only ruins those forced to listen to their meritless arguments. 15 Timothy, do everything you can to present yourself to God as a man who is fully genuine, a worker unashamed of your mission, a guide capable of leading others along the correct path defined by the word of truth. 16 Stay away from ungodly babbling because it will only lead deeper into a godless lifestyle. 17 Once these empty voices start to speak, Timothy, they infect and spread; and soon the body is consumed with its cancer….

OBSERVATION:   It appears to me like Paul was given great wisdom in helping those that he mentored in the ministry. In fact, I believe that God had us in mind as He worked through Paul in ministering to Timothy. However, I believe that we will see clearly that our advice is most effective when we can give it from a life that is living out the advice being offered to others. 

APPLICATION:   I’m not sure how many of us will ever be blessed to have the honor of mentoring someone entering into a ministry role, like Paul did, but we are often part of a church where new workers are called into ministry each year, and some of us may also be blessed to be part of a commissioning service for a new minister of the gospel, like Timothy was. This advice given by Paul is great for us to consider as we look into our own lives. Hopefully as we live these out personally, we will be in a much better position to say like Paul did in one of his other teachings: “now follow me, as you try to live a godly life” or as you endeavor to serve in your new assignment. You see, it is hypocritical to suggest that a new minister, teacher, worker, do some of these things, if we are personally doing an awful job at these things ourselves. For example, how can we suggest that they not get in arguments over words, or split hairs over individual interpretations, if we are so bad at doing that ourselves? Or be genuine in their walk, if we are personally accused of living a double life? Or to not be ashamed of the gospel, if we are often embarrassed to have others know that we are involved in the ministry of our local church? So friends, I would encourage you and I to not brush this off by thinking that we now have some good advice to give ministers and/or workers entering into the ministry of Jesus Christ, but instead that we live out these principles ourselves so that we might give this advice and happily follow with the idea that they follow us, just as we follow Christ. I believe that only then, will the church of Jesus Christ see effective workers in the local church, and well prepared ministers and/or missionaries that we send out from our local churches. Lost people are anxious to see genuine Christians. Do you fit the bill my friend?

PRAYER:   Lord, please have Your perfect will and way in the hearts of each one that will meditate on this devotional today. May the words of our mouth and the meditation of our hearts be acceptable in Your sight oh Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer. May Your kingdom become richer as a result of souls that will be impacted today, is my heart’s cry, dear 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 could indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and read more, or you may freely to subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Sebring, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us!

 

Not Ashamed

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

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

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

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

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

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

FOOTNOTE: There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’.  If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog could indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and read more, or you may freely to subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Sebring, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us!

 

The Distraction Caused By Sin

On By Ed AlgreenIn Blinded by Sin, Distraction, Distractions, Pleasing to God, Without SinLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE  FROM:   1 Timothy 6:11-12 (NLT)

TEXT:  11 But you, Timothy, are a man of God; so run from all these evil things. Pursue righteousness and a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight for the true faith. Hold tightly to the eternal life to which God has called you, which you have declared so well before many witnesses.

OBSERVATION:   As a mentor to Timothy, the apostle Paul tried to provide him the best advice possible to stay on track for the Lord Jesus – a mission to help him reach the lost in the communities in which he ministered, and to ensure that he personally remained a good witness for the Savior in whom he had found peace and steadfast hope. God knew that we would be in very similar circumstances today, so I believe that he had this advice included just for us. Let us therefore meditate on it and reflect on what God desires of His messengers.

APPLICATION:   Growing up at home, we were mentored by our parents to live life in similar form to what they lived. Of course, we probably thought that their ideas were archaic and that there were much better ways of handling circumstances, according to what we learned from our friends!! However, the older we become, we realize that our parents were very much on target with their beliefs, their practices and their advice. In fact, we see where they may have truly loved us more than we ever imagined, and the advice shared with us was not only godly, but also came with a whole lot of love, and resulted from many trial and errors by them. So imagine if we had similar mentorship in the church? Wouldn’t it be good to reflect on the advice given to us in love, knowing that God probably gave that Brother or Sister a mission to work on us and help guide us to righteousness and to Himself? Perhaps we could start by focusing on the advice that Paul gave to Timothy, for I am certain that it still pertains to us today, and could go a long ways in teaching us to be more like Christ in our walk here on earth. Here’s the advice that I believe God would have us pay attention to:

  • Run from the evil mentioned in the first 10 verses of 1 Timothy 6 – False teachings and wealth; 
  • Instead, learn and strive to do the following:
    • Live righteously – center yourself on being right with God, and live according to His example shown to us in His Word;
    • Test your faith, and grow in as you watch God at work in your life;
    • Pursue love – go after it. Look for ways to express the love given to you by the Almighty. Let others see the love of God, through the ways that you express that love to them;
    • Perseverance – Be so patient with others that they will see the power of God inside of you, working through you, for their good;
    • Pursue gentleness – something that takes the power of the supernatural. Especially when others try their best to trip us up and want to see us lose our patience and godly character;

Friends, I find it so exciting that Paul even goes on to remind us of the reward that’s in store for those who love the Lord, and have given Him full reign in their lives. I’m even more excited that, through God’s calling on my life, I am assured of those rewards! Are you, my friend? If not, please read my Footnote for tips on how to assure yourself of this wonderful gift from my loving Savior. He loves you dearly, and would rather nothing less than seeing you commit your life to His lordship. Why not today dear one?

PRAYER:   Heavenly Father, thank You for working in and through Your servant Paul. Thank You for having Paul share this discovery in writing so that we might read it and be reminded of its value to us today. Please speak to all those who will read this devotional, and especially to those who are ignoring Your precious love, or have chosen the road led by the evil one. Lord You are good, and Your mercies are precious to us in every way. May we be pleasing and acceptable in Your sight oh Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer. AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’.  If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog could indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and read more, or you may freely to subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Sebring, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us!

 

Be Spiritually Fit

On By Ed AlgreenIn Dependence on God, Spiritual FitnessLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE  FROM:   1 Timothy 4:7-8 (TLB)

TEXT:  7 Don’t waste time arguing over foolish ideas and silly myths and legends. Spend your time and energy in the exercise of keeping spiritually fit. 8 Bodily exercise is all right, but spiritual exercise is much more important and is a tonic for all you do. So exercise yourself spiritually, and practice being a better Christian because that will help you not only now in this life, but in the next life too.

OBSERVATION:   I find it amazing how Paul found ways to explain his points, and how they fit so good with what is going on around us – even today! Staying fit – most people will tell you that they are going to the gym, or they have an exercise regiment, or they are on some sort of diet, so that they could try and stay physically fit. With that in mind, wouldn’t it also make sense for us to seek ways to stay spiritually fit? Let’s study this some more as we look into this Scripture today……

APPLICATION:   I believe we all may have given some thought as to why we want to stay physically fit. For some, it may ease certain aches and pains; For some it may help their breathing; For some it may help avoid certain medications by keeping the heart healthy; For some, it prepares them for a huge competition that’s coming up; and a plethora of other reasons, I’m sure. So then, why do you suppose that God, through His servant Paul, found it necessary to have us realize that we should also stay spiritually fit? Let’s first look at the pitfalls when we are not spiritually fit. I believe that this is where we are easily provoked into sin, for we have no real, current, depth and/or communication with the Master. There are really two parts to this, first of all we must know what to do and what’s expected of us. This means that we have to learn what’s expected of us by our Heavenly Lord. As in the business world, this means that we not only learn the Word, but we also keep on learning and refreshing our knowledge of the Word. Secondly, we must put into action all that we learn. Imagine in the business world that you tell an auditor that your books, practices and overall processes are in order because you read about what’s required? That will absolutely not protect you against exceptions, since your auditor will compare what you are actually doing, against what your regulations say that you must be doing. Our Christianity is much the same. God has set forth a wonderful book that details His commands, and it shows us how our Savior lived while here on earth and perfectly followed those same commands of His Father. To know those commands, we should be in the Bible daily, so that our minds might be spiritually fit for battle against the Evil One at every opportunity that he aims to challenge us. To practice what we learn, we must work diligently, with the Master’s help, to display what we learn from the Word, in every word and in every action. Really, if we are to be perfect in our ways, then we should be mistaken frequently for the One that we are imitating. Has that happened to you recently? Friends, when we are hit with a hammer, the immediate response will often result from whatever is inside of us. Likewise, when we are hit with life’s challenges and the temptations of Satan, our immediate response will dictate how close we are to the Savior, and how fit we are spiritually. How are you doing friend? Seek the Lord while He may be found, and allow Him to guide your steps, your actions and your speech. May others see Jesus in you!

PRAYER:   This is a very challenging passage of Scripture Lord Jesus. One in which we are reminded that we desperately need You in every aspect of our lives. We are reminded that without You we can truly do nothing of value for the Kingdom. Please open our hearts and draw us to a closer walk with You and a life truly dependent on the power of Your sweet Holy Spirit. Lord, You know all too well how weak we are, but thank God You also know that You created us to be like You. So Lord, again today we beg with You to forgive us for those things that we do and the awkward things that we say – our spiritual weaknesses. Please draw us close to You and depend wholeheartedly on You in all walks of life, so that You may be glorified in every aspect of our lives. AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’.  If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog could indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and read more, or you may freely to subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Sebring, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us!

 

To Win The Lost

On By Ed AlgreenIn Evangelism, Evangelize, Reaching the LostLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE  FROM:   1 Timothy 2:7-10 (MSG)

TEXT:  7 This and this only has been my appointed work: getting this news to those who have never heard of God, and explaining how it works by simple faith and plain truth.
8-10 Since prayer is at the bottom of all this, what I want mostly is for men to pray—not shaking angry fists at enemies but raising holy hands to God. And I want women to get in there with the men in humility before God, not primping before a mirror or chasing the latest fashions but doing something beautiful for God and becoming beautiful doing it.

OBSERVATION:   For the one who has yet to find God, accept Him as Lord of all, and acknowledge Him as ruler of their life, that person is ‘lost’. Paul was serious about praying for, witnessing to, and winning the ‘lost’ to Jesus Christ. I believe that God is still very serious about His work for His church today, so He had this admonition included in His precious Word for us to take note of and follow today. So let’s meditate on these words for a while….

APPLICATION:   I believe that there are some principles involved in these verses that require our close attention:

  1. Reaching the lost – Paul said that this principle, and only this, was his appointed work. Wouldn’t we be strides ahead of where we are today if Christian men took this as their primary goal today? Why, even if churches made this their primary concern for their existence today?
  2. Prayer – It is obvious that Paul saw prayer as the engine behind winning the lost to Christ. In fact, Paul taught us to pray inwardly first, before we ever attempt to pray publicly before the church, for he taught us to have a clear conscience; a calm spirit; a loving, godly consideration for our enemies (those that despitefully abuse us); and a right relationship with God, that would cause us to stand before a holy God humbly and submissive to Him;
  3. Individual Responsibility – I belonged to a service club that centered around males serving in our community. In our last vote to decide whether to allow females to serve with us, one gentleman objected – for the reason that he was afraid that the men wound just sit back and allow the women to do all of the work. Paul was very bold in his list of responsibilities for both males and females. Unfortunately, in many churches today, it is extremely challenging to find enough qualified males around to actually fill responsible positions in the church. With all due respect to our female counterparts, God mysteriously works His plan in the family, the church, workplaces and in many other places, when men step up to the plate and take their personal responsibilities seriously. This has nothing to do with pastors, leaders or myself being male chauvinists, but it’s the Word of God, my friend.

Let me just add that there is building evidence that we are individually failing in our responsibilities as men and women of God. We have allowed way too much of this world to enter into, and block the powerful work of our Lord, among His warriors that He has placed to do His work in our churches and communities. In reading through the Old Testament, we see one disaster after another because of individuals and leaders who decided to do things their own way. The Word is clear, that God can and will do that again, unless His people will humble themselves, turn from their wicked ways and  pray. May I encourage you, Mr. or Mrs. reader, to begin this examination, and this process with yourself, and not investigate your church leaders for what they may be doing wrong?

PRAYER:   Precious Lord, unless You forgive us of our sin, hear our humble cry for help, and empower us to overcome the evil around us and the sin that is so prevalent in every aspect of our lives, we will be doomed for failure in properly presenting You to a lost and dying world. Please Lord, start a mighty work in me. Clean up my mess and allow me to serve You in much the same way that Paul described. Please also speak to the hearts of those that will read this devotional today. Encourage them to present themselves faultless before Your throne, so that You may work powerfully through them to reach the ‘lost’ who rub shoulders with us every day in our communities, our workplaces and even in our churches. People need the Lord! Oh that we may be Your holy instruments that You may use to win one today! AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’.  If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog could indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and read more, or you may freely to subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Sebring, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us!

 

God’s Plans For Us

On By Ed AlgreenIn Heaven, Salvation, The Plan1 Comment

SCRIPTURE  FROM:   Jeremiah 29:11-13 (VOICE)

TEXT:  11 For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Eternal, “plans for peace, not evil, to give you a future and hope—never forget that. 12 At that time, you will call out for Me, and I will hear. You will pray, and I will listen. 13 You will look for Me intently, and you will find Me.

OBSERVATION:   No doubt the people of Israel must have questioned in their minds what could God possibly be up to, in having them fall under the reign of Nebuchadnezzar in Babylon. However, God wanted them to know that this was all a part of His long-range plan… for their ultimate good. Knowing that we each have questioned God at some point in our lives, perhaps we should meditate on this for a while today.

APPLICATION:   As I read this Scripture, my mind went on a good old song written by Bill Gaither, entitled ‘Joy Comes In The Morning’. I’m sure that everyone that might come across this devotional could easily remember the times when you’ve felt so alone and where total darkness seemed to have filled your life. Knowing that Jesus promised that He would never leave us or forsake us, I hope that you called out to Him in desperation during those times, knowing that God gave us ‘hope’ for our future, ‘joy’ when the morning comes, and great expectation as we look towards the future that He has prepared for us in heaven where we will spend eternity with He and His Father! Friends, if you know God and have accepted Him personally into your life, then you can enjoy the benefits of the plans that God has for His very own! For the people of Israel, they were going through, what must have felt like, the extreme, worst times of their lives. Try putting yourself in their shoes and think about what might bring you hope, or joy for the moment. Like us today, I’m sure that the people of Israel knew that they were making a mockery of God, by their actions, their worship of idols, their words of hatred and disregard, yes, ‘sin’ right in the face of a holy God who warned them over and over again about the things He despised. Notice that I aligned the sin of the Jews with what is going on in our world today. We also have been warned about sin, plus we have been shown the consequences of sin, and still we give in to sin every day. Will God be any less angry at us dear friends? None of us could ever imagine how a holy God, could love us enough to send His only Son as a sacrifice for us, so that we may one day join Him in heaven. It blows our mind to imagine how this kind of God could also say to us, like He did to the people of Israel, ‘but I have great plans for you my child!” I truly believe that our hearts would be a lot more content, if we learn to seek the face of our Savior each and every day. Including myself, how could we ever expect to be happy, and feel secure in the love of our Savior, when we deliberately sin in His very presence. We need Jesus friends!

PRAYER:   Lord Jesus, You are all loving and all sufficient for our every need and our extreme weaknesses. Please hear our cry of desperation for strength to overcome, and guidance for right decisions, so that we might remain in the center of your perfect will for the plans that You have aligned for us. We absolutely need You Lord! We acknowledge that we are weak and need You in every aspect of our lives. Please help us to be more like You in every way, every day. May others see so much of Jesus in us, that they would seek You as their personal Savior as well. We absolutely stand amazed at all that You have planned for even us! AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’.  If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog could indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and read more, or you may freely to subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Sebring, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us!