To Be Entrusted with God’s Most Precious Gift!

On 2016-12-13 By Ed AlgreenIn Bible Believing, Christian, Faith, Humility, Righteousness, TrustLeave a comment

Tuesday, 2016-12-13

Scripture

Bible Reference: Luke 1:45

Bible Text: ⁴⁵You believed that God would do what he said; that is why he has given you this wonderful blessing.”

Bible Translation: The Living Bible (TLB)

My Take

We might feel honored if we were asked to dine with the leader of our respective countries. We might feel even more honored if we were asked to work alongside of them – for the benefit of our country. We know very little about Mary prior to her being asked to carry the Son of God, but we are told that she was still a young lady who, although engaged to be married to Joseph, she had not yet had relations with a man. Let’s consider that as we think about our scenario friends. We walk into our churches for worship, and we walk in all the same way. The way we leave depends on us. Some attend because of habit or tradition, and I believe that often they leave feeling accomplished, because they have fulfilled the one obligation they feel like they owe to God for that week. Others attend because they are searching for more from God. They’ve come to a place where they realize that they need God in order to survive the evil and frustrations of this world, and they know that they need a Savior in order to one day be with Him in glory. So they try to connect with God through the songs, and they take out their Bibles so they could look at the scripture during the sermon delivery. I don’t feel like that’s because they want to make sure the preacher speaks truth from the Word of God, but rather, to look around the context and see what else God might be saying to them individually. Some of these folk, and I believe you know where you are placed in these descriptions I just gave, will leave church fulfilled, because they are satisfied that they have been in God’s presence and therefore they have renewed hope that God will continue to be with them each day that follows. I honestly believe that God knows the very depths of our heart and the sincerity of our innermost person. I have no idea where Mary would have fit into the scenarios I have just expressed, but God knew that He could trust her with the most precious gift that He had in store for all mankind – His very own Son – the Savior of this world. In all honesty to yourself and before our most holy and righteous God, where do you stand, friend? Just a passerby, or are you interested in being a part of the ministry of Jesus Christ? God may not have another son to give you dear sister, but for all of us, God has many other gifts that He would like to shower upon us, so that we might use those gifts to be a blessing to a child of His who needs to know His Son personally. Do you feel like you are in a position where God can entrust you with His most precious gifts, so that He might be glorified through you?

Prayer

Lord Jesus, although we know very little about Mary before you entrusted her with Your Son, I believe You knew all about her from the inside out. I also believe that You know us to the same extent. For some that brings joy, because we realize that our efforts to live a life dedicated to You is not going unnoticed by You. To others, this might bring shame and a feeling of disgrace, as they know that they are revolting in the face of a holy and righteous God. Lord, each of us are accountable to You for our every thought, action, deed and word. I pray that we will live our lives in such a way that You will grace us with Your presence and surround us with Your amazing love, so that our lives would be usable by You in many miraculous ways. Have Your will and way in our lives today dear Lord, I pray, 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!

God is With Us – Trust Him This Christmas

On 2016-12-10 By Ed AlgreenIn Bible Believing, Christmas, Faith, LoveLeave a comment

Saturday, 2016-12-10

Scripture

Bible Reference: Isaiah 7:9-16

Bible Text: ⁹Samaria is the capital of Ephraim alone, and King Pekah’s power will not increase. You don’t believe me? If you want me to protect you, you must learn to believe what I say.” ¹⁰Not long after this, the Lord sent this further message to King Ahaz: ¹¹“Ask me for a sign, Ahaz, to prove that I will indeed crush your enemies as I have said. Ask anything you like, in heaven or on earth.” ¹²But the king refused. “No,” he said, “I’ll not bother the Lord with anything like that.” ¹³Then Isaiah said: O House of David, you aren’t satisfied to exhaust my patience; you exhaust the Lord’s as well! ¹⁴All right then, the Lord himself will choose the sign—a child shall be born to a virgin! And she shall call him Immanuel (meaning, “God is with us”). ^15-16By the time this child is weaned and knows right from wrong, the two kings you fear so much—the kings of Israel and Syria – will both be dead.

Bible Translation: The Living Bible (TLB)

My Take

Verse 14 is a verse that we hear used a lot around Christmas time in Christian circles, but as represented in other recent devotionals, I believe it is so important for us individually to take time and read the whole context from which these popular verses are found. Today’s scripture is a wonderful example. Like us, King Ahaz thought that some things were just too trivial to bother God with, even though it was God Himself who told Ahaz to test Him. I love what the Lord said to Ahaz in the latter part of verse 9, and I know that it very much applies to me and very possibly also applies to you. In my own words, and based on my understanding, I believe that God said to Ahaz, and is saying to us: How do you expect me to protect you, or, how do you expect me to heal you or bless you, if you don’t learn to believe in, and trust me? Friends, there is so much truth in those powerful words by the Master! Will our child ever trust us to catch them jumping from a high wall if they have not learned to trust us? I don’t think so! In my hyperlink to todays scripture, I included the whole chapter, because I want you to take time to read and understand that God had given Ahaz comfort in knowing that He would take care of the opposing leaders, and He even wanted to give him a timeline that it would occur. However, God knew that Ahaz doubted what he was told, so He told Ahaz to test Him just to gain trust in knowing that He is true to His word. The timing of this event then allowed God to elaborate on the miraculous birth of His Son, Jesus. Friends, once again we are assured that our Father has a plan for His children, just like He had for Ahaz. However, we must know Him so well that we are willing to trust Him and believe what He says to us through His Word; through visions; and through His mighty warriors who deliver His messages to us each week. Wouldn’t it be ‘MERRY’, if this Christmas this concept might ‘click’ in our minds and cause us to totally place our faith and our trust in our Savior? We can’t expect God to bless us and protect us if we don’t trust Him or believe fully in Him!

Prayer

Your Word never ceases to amaze me Oh God! To read the context from which we have traditionally heard parts of the Christmas story, and still find new truths that really speak to our hearts, we can only say ‘Wow’ what a Savior! What an awesome God! Lord Jesus, we just want to worship You, praise You and honor Your blessed name for the key role You have played in our plan of salvation. God had a plan to comfort king Ahaz, and I am convinced that His plan to comfort, protect and save us, is even more awesome! Thank you Heavenly Father! Please continue to open our hearts and fill us with Your grace and Your awesome love that You have shown to us, so that we may, in turn, be a blessing to others in every way possible this Christmas season and throughout each day of the upcoming New Year. With every fiber of our being, we again say ‘thank You Father’ for Your amazing love to us in so many ways! AMEN!

Footnote

God’s Majestic Plan – In Spite of known Opposition

On 2016-12-05 By Ed AlgreenIn Bible Believing, Christian, Faith, Humility, Obedience, Righteousness, SurrenderLeave a comment

Monday, 2016-12-05

Scripture

Bible Reference: Isaiah 40:1-5

Bible Text: ¹ “Comfort, yes, comfort my people,” says your God. ²“Speak tenderly to Jerusalem and tell her that her sad days are gone. Her sins are pardoned, and I have punished her in full for all her sins.”

³Listen! I hear the voice of someone shouting, “Make a road for the Lord through the wilderness; make him a straight, smooth road through the desert. ⁴Fill the valleys; level the hills; straighten out the crooked paths, and smooth off the rough spots in the road. ⁵The glory of the Lord will be seen by all mankind together.” The Lord has spoken—it shall be.

Bible Translation: The Living Bible (TLB)

My Take

Israel had been dealt quite a hand by prophets who threatened what God would do in response to their wickedness and sin. However God, through His servant Isaiah, brought hope to those who trusted in God in spite of the sin that they cringed at in their wicked neighbors every day, for he told of the coming of the Messiah! In fact, in verses 1 & 2, it was like God had assured Isaiah that he should now share some good news with His people. I have heard the following verses repeated at many Christmas programs in the past and even used in sermons around Christmas time, but my study of this has really opened my eyes to the meaning of this. We will see later in the New Testament (In Matt 3:3; Mark 1:3; Luke 3:4; and in John 1:23) where John the Baptist again repeated these words as he went about preaching the coming of the Messiah. The truth being proclaimed was that the Messiah would face many challenges, such as one would face in the wilderness, or the desert, or the mountains, or along crooked and rough roads. You know, similar to what churches face today or that evangelists are challenged with today. But wait a moment you might quickly retort, what challenges? Friends, the message of Jesus Christ faces as many challenges as, or more than John the Baptist imagined in his proclamation. For today we face the mountains of increasing government regulations; the crooked paths of our society prohibiting the proclamation of Jesus Christ in many public environments because they fear that some might object; the objection of prayer or Bible teaching in our schools, in spite of increased crime rates, molestation, teacher abuse, and increased costs by keeping law enforcement on site. Friends, I believe it is very obvious that we have more obstacles to smooth out, remove or overcome than Isaiah or John the Baptist spoke of in their address to the people of their day. However the Word of God speaks, and in verse 5 we are told that the glory of God will be seen by ALL mankind, in accordance with what the Lord has spoken. So are you a part of the problem, or part of the solution? Did you consider this in your recent voting (here in the US)? Do you make your voice count at school administration meetings? Notice that verse 5 says that the glory of the Lord WILL be seen – that’s not a ‘maybe, if you agree with it’ type of a statement. Jesus has come, and He WILL call us home to be with Him one day, if we know Him as Lord. Are you ready friend? Do your part by readying your world for His return, will you?

Prayer

Dear Lord in Heaven, thank You Father for sending Your one and only Son, in spite of knowing beforehand what He would face here on earth, with so much opposition, hatred and rejection. I realize that this was all a part of Your majestic plan for our eternal salvation, and I thank You sincerely for touching the hardened heart of this old sinner and convincing me of my need for a Savior. Lord, I am saddened to see the huge mountains still in place by many of my family and friends, for they have built their defenses and want nothing to do with You, the Savior who died for their sake. Lord, please continue to work on them, for these are Your children that You have placed on this earth. And it’s because of that awesome love for every child, that I believe You will continue to work on challenging them and helping them to straighten out the path towards salvation. I hurt for my Brothers and Sisters, because they are gambling with life and their decisions about meeting You, but they have no control over the very next moment in their life, for TODAY is the day of salvation. Lord, may they trust in You today, is my sincere and humble prayer this morning, AMEN!

Footnote

Steeped In Sin, Yet God…

On 2016-12-03 By Ed AlgreenIn Bible Believing, Christian, Faith, Obedience, Our Help comes from God, Righteousness, SurrenderLeave a comment

Saturday, 2016-12-03

Scripture

Bible Reference: Isaiah 64:6-9

Bible Text: We’ve sinned and kept at it so long! Is there any hope for us? Can we be saved? We’re all sin-infected, sin-contaminated. Our best efforts are grease-stained rags. We dry up like autumn leaves – sin-dried, we’re blown off by the wind. No one prays to you or makes the effort to reach out to you Because you’ve turned away from us, left us to stew in our sins.

Still, God, you are our Father. We’re the clay and you’re our potter: All of us are what you made us. Don’t be too angry with us, O God. Don’t keep a permanent account of wrongdoing. Keep in mind, please, we are your people—all of us.

Bible Translation:The Message (MSG)

My Take

We hear it often, and we may have even thought it at times ourselves: “I am so dirty with sin, that no one wants anything to do with me – not even God”. However, I hope that many of you who are guilty of that statement are actually reading this devotional today, because like me, I hope that you will find hope in what these verses are really conveying to us. You see, at this Advent season on the church calendar, we especially think of the reason that Jesus came to earth, and we specifically reflect on, and celebrate His miraculous birth at Christmas. Friends, I am convinced that God sent His Son for one specific reason – not just to heal the sick, broken-hearted or discouraged; and not just to raise the dead from the grave; but He also saw how bad it was getting on earth with blatant sin – murder; rape; adultery; and all sorts of wickedness. He realized that sacrificing of animals for forgiveness of sin was just not working, so in spite of the enormous sin going on at that time, He sent His very own Son to simplify the act of one seeking forgiveness of their sin. You see, God’s mission has always been to see His people live like He intended here on this earth, and to always seek His leadership and His guidance, so that we might desire to do what He originally created us for – to worship Him and Him alone. Friends, I wonder how saddened God must be with His creation, when He looks around earth and sees how far we have strayed from His design. Satan is rampant in our families; in our churches; in our cities, states, country, and indeed in our world. Unfortunately, God has given us freedom of choice in deciding who we will follow, and in spite of God’s perfect design; the gift of His precious Son; and the promise of eternity in heaven for those who believe in Jesus; yet it is very evident that the attraction of worldly possessions; fun; and self-indulgence has been more attractive to mankind – even at the expense of knowing that he will spent eternity in the pit of Hell with his worldly leader – Satan, who has nothing to offer but eternal damnation, unending fire, and nothing but pain and destruction. I believe our challenge for today is simply to open our eyes to the love of Jesus, for I don’t believe that anyone who acknowledges the love of God for His children by sacrificing His very own Son, will willfully turn their backs on Him and settle for the only other alternative – the offerings of Satan. We have a Savior who loves us unconditionally, and will accept us today, if only we will harken to His call. There really is no reason to wait friend. God will work with you to rid yourself of everything that causes you to sin against Him, so please don’t confuse the order of things. Accept Him first, and ask for His help to fully dedicate yourself to Him. This could be the best Christmas ever for you and your family and friends who ‘put up’ with you!

Prayer

Lord God, we are such a blessed people. You have been so patient, loving and kind to us in so many ways. I thank You for touching my life and convincing me of my need for Your Son, Jesus. Lord, I am very concerned for the unsaved in my family, my church and throughout my community, and I ask that You patiently tender their hearts again today so that they may hear about You and believe. I have a special place in my heart for my readers also Lord, and I ask that should there be one who happens across this devotional today that have yet to make a decision to surrender their life to You, that this may be the day. Lord, may this be a weekend that churches will be filled with seekers. Lord, may those churches release those parishioners into the world as new-born Christians, because of the preaching of Your Word, and Your miraculous touch on their lives. Lord may they be obedient to Your call on their life and accept You as their Savior, For this is my humble and sincere prayer, AMEN!

Footnote

May I Introduce You To …

On 2016-12-012016-12-01 By Ed AlgreenIn Bible Believing, Christian, Commitment, Faith, Obedience, Surrender, UnconditionalLeave a comment

Thursday, 2016-12-01

Scripture

Bible Reference: Isaiah 42:1-4

Bible Text: “Take a good look at my servant. I’m backing him to the hilt. He’s the one I chose, and I couldn’t be more pleased with him. I’ve bathed him with my Spirit, my life. He’ll set everything right among the nations. He won’t call attention to what he does with loud speeches or gaudy parades. He won’t brush aside the bruised and the hurt and he won’t disregard the small and insignificant, but he’ll steadily and firmly set things right. He won’t tire out and quit. He won’t be stopped until he’s finished his work—to set things right on earth. Far-flung ocean islands wait expectantly for his teaching.”

Bible Translation: The Message (MSG)

My Take

Isaiah had dealt with so much in the area of worthless idols that devoured the attention of his people. However God revealed through this prophet that He had better plans ahead for His people, and here in the scripture He gave a glimpse of the Savior that would be born for the sole purpose of saving the people from their sins, and renewing their hope. He also promised that He would bring hope for even the poor and hurting, who was normally ignored and brushed aside by worldly kings of that time and era. Should you be wondering how on earth Isaiah could possibly have known what would come to pass hundreds of years later in time? May I take a moment to introduce you to my God! Friends, my God is not only in control of what takes place today, but He also has a plan for everything that’s yet to come. To help you better understand how this all aligned, I could refer you to Matthew 12:18-21 where, after Jesus was born, and during His earthly ministry, He emphasized to the people who He was ministering in much the same way that the prophet Isaiah prophesied. In fact, the apostle Matthew actually made reference to what Isaiah had prophesied because he recognized the similarity in the message. This was hundreds of years later, friends! Coincidence? No way, for if our God tells us something today, we can go to the bank with that, because it will be the same today, tomorrow and forever. But friends, I want you to stop and consider that in spite of us having benefited from the fact that Jesus came, and He ministered in ways that fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah, yet many today have chosen to ignore that fact and continue to serve unrewarding idols. Now I bet by now, in your minds you are throwing rotten tomatoes at me, because you know of no worship of idols in our day. I tend to differ friend, for our idols today are much different to those back in Isaiah’s day. To help you better understand our current day idols, may I suggest that you think of, and write down those things that distract you from the worship of your Savior? May I clarify that your communion with God is not limited to the times that the church doors are opened, although I believe it is super important that you obey God’s Word in assembling ourselves together with other believers for the purpose of corporate worship. So perhaps we have personally decided that in order to keep our relationship with Jesus alive and strong, we will spend time with him at least twice each day. Are there ‘things’ that get in the way of that time with God? Are they things that you struggle to do without? Are they so important to you that they are often considered more important than the time you had allotted to be with God? What would you classify those things to be? Jesus came so that we might have life, and life more abundant and free. Don’t allow those ‘idols’ to control you friend. There really is nothing more important than the time you have committed to spend with God!

Prayer

Lord Jesus, You came to this earth in fulfilment of prophecy, so that we may have life eternally. Thank You sincerely for loving us so much, that You gave of Your life as a living sacrifice. Unfortunately there are still many idols that distract us from our time with You. Our weak and uncommitted relationship with You, has given room for Satan to walk right in and pound us with distractions; with worldly thoughts; with sinful ideas; and ruined witnesses to the lost. Often we become useless vessels that You can use to win the lost and encourage the weak. Please forgive us Lord. Please renew a right spirit within us – one that would cherish the sacrifice You made for us, and one that would be committed to faithfully serve You and one with a priority to worship and honor You with all our heart, soul and mind. Open the eyes of our heart Lord, so that we may be filled with Jesus in every way, every day, and for every purpose in life. AMEN!

Footnote

Encourage One Another With These Words

On 2016-11-302016-12-27 By Ed AlgreenIn Heaven, Hope, Salvation, Surrender2 Comments

Wednesday, 2016-11-30

Scripture

Bible Reference: Isaiah 35:3-7

Bible Text: ³With this news bring cheer to all discouraged ones. ⁴Encourage those who are afraid. Tell them, “Be strong, fear not, for your God is coming to destroy your enemies. He is coming to save you.” ⁵And when he comes, he will open the eyes of the blind and unstop the ears of the deaf. ⁶The lame man will leap up like a deer, and those who could not speak will shout and sing! Springs will burst forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert. ⁷The parched ground will become a pool, with springs of water in the thirsty land. Where desert jackals lived, there will be reeds and rushes!

Bible Translation: The Living Bible (TLB)

My Take

It seems like especially in the times that we live, people are so despondent that one might find it challenging as to what you might say or do to encourage them. I believe that Isaiah not only had insight from God as to what his people needed to hear at the time of his writing, because of all the unfair treatments they were receiving as a nation, BUT I also believe that God gave Isaiah foresight into the Savior that would be born and would handle unfair treatments and perform miracles such as restoring sight to the blind, and bringing hope to his people. I also believe that foresight extended to proclaim these words of encouragement for those still alive today. For it seems like there is more stress and discouragement in the lives of individuals today than ever before, whether it’s financial, health, family, work or friendship stresses. Our family and friends, or perhaps even my readers, may be facing very challenging times where there seems like little light at the end of the dark tunnel of circumstances they are now facing. Friends, I am encouraged by the words of Isaiah, and I want to share this with you so that you also might be encouraged. Our awesome God looks out for us today, through His Son Jesus, who came to save us from our sin, and He has a home already prepared for those who claim Him as Lord and Savior! May I be the first one to remind you today that there is a plan in place to not only protect us from the evil one here on this earth, but also a plan to unite us with our Savior on the other side! God tells us in His Word that there will be no crying there, no pain there, and I believe we can deduce that there will be no need for stress there, for our sole purpose will be to worship, praise and adore our wonderful Savior. I believe something that might help us comprehend what that may be like is, and may I encourage you to slow down your reading so that you can truly meditate on this thought, but: imagine that you are in the best worship service that you have ever experienced. For the sweet presence of the Holy Spirt is evident. There is no time to worry about work, family or any other issues, for your heart, soul and mind is fixed on worshiping the Savior of this world, who is obviously in your midst with an unbelievable presence. It’s a time that you don’t want to stop, because all of your external concerns and issues have faded away and you only have focus and time for Jesus – absolutely nothing else. Now imagine that precious time never ending – that’s a glimpse of what I believe it might be like in heaven. Is this something you might be willing to work towards even now? Believe it or not, that time could come much sooner than expected for some reading this devotional today. I pray that you have your heavenly affairs in order, because the alternative to what I described above is Hell itself with Satan as its leader. God has provided the means by which you might be assured today of what your destination might look like after you leave this world. Please read my Footnote and contact me if there are any unanswered questions.

Prayer

Father, thank You for creating such a wonderful world for Your children to live in! As with all sin, we have not only abused the beauty of everything that You have blessed us with, but we have burdened ourselves with a lot of worry about things that we really can’t change. Reading Your Word today has brought renewed hope and joy, as I am reminded that these things that my friends and I face today are only temporary, as You have a much brighter and happier future already prepared for those who have shown their interest in wanting to be with You eternally. Lord, may we learn to redirect our thoughts to the hope that lies ahead, instead of the circumstances we are burdened with today. May our eyes and our hearts be fixed on You, oh Lord, our hope for all eternity. Please help us to encourage one another, much like Isaiah did, on the fact that You are alive forevermore, and that You not only stand waiting to help us in our daily lives, but also awaiting our exit from this world, to welcome us home! With much love and adoration, we sincerely than You dear Father for that enormous love for us! AMEN!

Footnote

Get Me Outt’a Here, PLEASE?

On 2016-11-29 By Ed AlgreenIn Bible Believing, Christian, Faith, Humility, Obedience, Our Help comes from God, Righteousness, Surrender2 Comments

Tuesday, 2016-11-29

Scripture

Bible Reference: Romans 7:24-25

Bible Text: ²⁴There is no happiness in me! Who can set me free from my sinful old self? ²⁵God’s Law has power over my mind, but sin still has power over my sinful old self. I thank God I can be free through Jesus Christ our Lord!

Bible Translation:New Life Version (NLV)

My Take

Ever felt like you were at the stage of being overwhelmed and wish you could get off this runaway train called ‘life’? May I suggest that there is no need for a psychiatrist, because we all feel that way sometime! In fact, in our scripture today it appears like Paul was feeling in a similar way, for he recognized the pull that sin was having in his life, while in his mind he had dedicated his life to the Lord. He was in a dilemma, for in his mind he wanted to be loyal to Jesus Christ, yet his sinful nature kept him questioning his decisions, and pulling him back towards sinful actions. Friends, Paul demonstrated an awesome reminder for us, that while we may sometimes feel tugged at by the ‘dark side’, we must fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. When we are feeling down and out, we must learn to look up, for our redemption comes from above! When we are feeling overwhelmed by circumstances beyond our control, we must call on Jesus – the one who overcame all odds, including death itself, and now sits at the right hand of the Father praying for us. Friends, Jesus is our intercessor and longs to hear from us, so that He may speak with His Father on our behalf. Are you staying in touch? Very often we find ourselves in situations where we are in well over our heads, and outside of our capabilities. Please don’t forget that Jesus is there with outstretched arms waiting for you to ask and call on Him. He provides life! Life that is eternal, and free from all sin and temptation. Life that is totally out of this world! Won’t you trust Him today to give you freedom to live stress free here on earth, because of the assurance that He can handle all that we place at His feet in surrender to His will and His way? Having accepted Jesus as Lord of your life, and trusting Him with your challenges, brings peace in a very chaotic world here on this earth. If you don’t have that type of relationship with my Savior, may I encourage you to read my Footnote, so that you may seek to know Him? I would gladly introduce you to my Lord, if you contact me! It’s up to you friend!

Prayer

Father, please forgive us for often waiting to call on you only as a last resort. We were a priority in Your eyes, for you gave up your own life for us, even while we were yet sinners. I believe that as long as we reside here on planet earth, sin will penetrate and impede our walk for You. This frustrates us Lord, and we need power from on high to help us overcome and deal with our daily frustrations. Please open our eyes and constantly remind us of whose we are, so that we might always look to You, especially when we feel like sin is penetrating us and impeding our walk. We want to represent You well, but we can only do that with Your help, Your guidance and Your power. You are our Strength, our Protector, our Guide and our Deliverer from sin. We need You in every aspect of our life, and we surrender our will to Yours oh Lord. AMEN!

Footnote

From the Stump of Jesse – Jesus!

On 2016-11-28 By Ed AlgreenIn Bible Believing, Christian, Faith, Obedience, Righteousness, SurrenderLeave a comment

Monday, 2016-11-28

Scripture

Bible Reference: Isaiah 11:1-2

Bible Text: ¹A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.
²The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—
    the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
    the Spirit of counsel and of might,
    the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord.

Bible Translation: The New International Version (NIV)

My Take

It is times like this that we see how the Bible fits together like a glove! I was reading earlier in Deuteronomy 18 where God said that He would send a prophet just like Moses, for He would be obedient to God and to every word that He commands Him to say. In that chapter, it was very evident that God was speaking of His Son Jesus, that would later be born of a virgin in Bethlehem. In this scripture today, it is evident that the same reference in Luke 1:27 where Luke said that Jesus would be born of a virgin named Mary, who was engaged to a carpenter, Joseph, a descendant of David, is very much the same as referenced in today’s scripture, that Jesus is of the root of, or from the stump of Jesse! I also found it fascinating that the seven gifts mentioned in this chapter that Jesus would benefit from – rest; wisdom; understanding; counsel; might; knowledge; and fear (respect for God), make up, and references the same sevenfold Spirit spoken of in Revelation 1:4! Friends, if you are anything like me, you have probably been very hooked into the New Testament and only hit the Old Testament when you absolutely have to. In reading through the Bible, I have been blessed to see that our Bible is all-inclusive and not separated by Testaments to cause segregation of one from the other. I have a pastor who teaches that we can find Jesus in every page of the Old Testament! Examples such as the one illustrated herein will cause you to believe that pastor, and encourage you to search for more! God had a plan in mind from the very beginning, I am so glad that embedded in that plan was His precious Son, Jesus, who would be born through miraculous means, and His life would touch the lives of so many, to make a miraculous way for them to enter Heaven’s portals because of a single word ‘grace’. All of this was done because of you and I Brothers and Sisters! The only thing needed for you to be recognized on that day of reconciliation friend, is to personally decide that you want this Savior of mine so much that you are willing to surrender your will to His will. In making this commitment, invite Jesus into your heart, mind and soul and give Him control of your life. I’ve done this, and been living over 40 years as His child, and submissive to His will. You can do this friend! Please read my Footnote for help on how to proceed. I would love for you to contact me, if you don’t have a local Bible teaching pastor that you know. I would love to pray with you and give you guidance, if I could.

Prayer

Father, You are so awesome! Through a great series of events You presented to us Your very own Son, Jesus, as a babe born in Bethlehem. We have been celebrating His birth for centuries at Christmas, and I thank You sincerely for this gift! While recognizing the gift, and the birth of Your Son, I believe very deeply, based on Your Word, that Your greatest desire is that mankind would seek out Your Son and accept Him personally in their lives, so that they might one day be accepted into Your kingdom. Lord please teach us to be obedient to Your Word in all that we do. May You be glorified because of the decisions made today here in my small town and throughout the world. I believe that You are earnestly working on the final chapter, I pray that we all might be ready! AMEN!

Footnote

Who Done It?

On 2016-11-262016-11-26 By Ed AlgreenIn Bible Believing, Christian, Christmas, Faith, Humility, Obedience, Prayer, Righteousness, Sin, SurrenderLeave a comment

Saturday, 2016-11-26

Scripture

Bible Reference: Genesis 3:6–8

Bible Text: 6 The woman stared at the fruit. It looked beautiful and tasty. She wanted the wisdom that it would give her, and she ate some of the fruit. Her husband was there with her, so she gave some to him, and he ate it too. 7 Right away they saw what they had done, and they realized they were naked. Then they sewed fig leaves together to make something to cover themselves.
8 Late in the afternoon a breeze began to blow, and the man and woman heard the LORD God walking in the garden. They were frightened and hid behind some trees.

Bible Translation: The Contemporary English Version (CEV)

My Take

On reading the title, you might conclude that I am about to introduce an old TV show by the same title! That’s not my intention, so no need to close the blog without reading today’s devotional!!! This scripture got my attention though, because we see in the three examples in this story how each party, Adam, Eve and the serpent, all found excuses for the cause of this very first sin that we read about in the Bible. In each case they quickly threw the blame, or cause of their action, on someone or something else. Unfortunately, in spite of all that transpired in this story, added to the enormous blessings that God has showered on us, I am amazed how little mankind has changed. I wonder today how much of our prayer time is spent on explaining to God who may have caused us to sin, or how it was possible for the infraction? Look at how Adam even went to the extent of trying to pass the responsibility of this sin to God Himself, for had God not sent the woman to Adam in the first place, then Adam thinks that he would not have sinned! eeeennnk! I don’t believe so Adam! Think about our many excuses, men blame their distractions at work or even at church, on the pretty lady who wears very short dresses or very tight pants, for leading them to infidelity. I wonder when God looks at the deepest part of man’s heart what He must find is really happening, to cause such sin to erupt in a man’s heart? Yes friend, you read that right. God considers even our wicked thoughts when He judges us! Men, may I plead with you join me in fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith? May I suggest that we commit ourselves more to the idea of drawing closer to God and being obedient to His Word, then perhaps our minds would be more focused on eternal matters than on the sinful things of this world? Ladies, I know you are not exempt from this condition, so please consider the gist of what I just shared and apply it to the challenges you face. God in His mighty wisdom actually distracted me on to the thoughts I just shared, because my initial intent was to actually introduce the Advent season into my blog over the next 24 days. Friends, we are introduced in this scripture today, to the very first sin – also known as the fall of mankind. You will quickly recognize that it was from the very beginning of time that God saw the need to send a Savior into the world to save fallen man. This ‘Savior’ of which I am referring is God’s very own Son that He sent – Jesus. It is the miraculous birth of Jesus that we celebrate each and every Christmas. Perhaps this should be the season of Thanksgiving when we consider the precious gift given for our benefit, and because of our weakness to sin!

Prayer

Father, from the time of our very first ancestor, sin has been a problem – a challenge for us. We are weak, and very gullible to sin, then we are so quick to reflect the cause of that sin on anything, or anyone else that we could think of. Please open our hearts to the awesome reminder of how You not only saw our sin, but You did everything to help us seek forgiveness of that sin in preparation for standing before a holy, sinless God. You alone are God in heaven, and yet You loved us enough to make the way clear for us to be with You! Thank You Heavenly Father, thank You Jesus, and thank You Holy Spirit. We are truly a blessed people. May Your kingdom come oh Lord, and may each person meditating on this thought today be ready to see You face-to-face on resurrection morning, all because of Jesus! AMEN!

Footnote

Need Help With Your Praying?

On 2016-11-22 By Ed AlgreenIn Holy Spirit, Leadership of the Holy Spirit, Power of Prayer, Prayer, SalvationLeave a comment

Tuesday, 2016-11-22

Scripture

Bible Reference: Romans 8:26-28

Bible Text: ²⁶A similar thing happens when we pray. We are weak and do not know how to pray, so the Spirit steps in and articulates prayers for us with groaning too profound for words. ²⁷Don’t you know that He who pursues and explores the human heart intimately knows the Spirit’s mind because He pleads to God for His saints to align their lives with the will of God? ²⁸We are confident that God is able to orchestrate everything to work toward something good and beautiful when we love Him and accept His invitation to live according to His plan.

Bible Translation: The Voice Translation (VOICE)

My Take

Very often we are sitting around a family gathering and a spouse may start to share a story, but very soon the partner spouse, or perhaps a son or daughter, steps in and helps share the story, especially if they see the individual struggling to remember all of the facts, or properly articulate the story at the time. Ever felt sometimes that you have so much on your mind to speak with God about, but you just can’t put your words together to properly speak with God about it in prayer? Ever stopped to imagine that not only does God know the depth of your heart on the matter before you open your mouth to try and express your heart, but that the Holy Spirit who came to reside in you the day your surrendered your heart to Jesus, is already muttering prayers to God on your behalf? Further, one of the translations that I looked into on this passage indicated that while you might pray to God from a human perspective, the Holy Spirit is praying the will of God before the Master on your behalf! Wow! Can you comprehend that friend! How awesome is that? I believe this helps us avoid one of the huge obstacles for Christians in their prayer life – the excuse that you don’t know how to pray, or that you don’t know the right words to say. Friends, I believe we are reminded here that it is just super important that we pray – have conversation with our Creator; our Master; our Savior; and our everlasting Father. In the cases where we fall short, or we feel lacking in what to say, let’s always remember that we have an advocate that is every present and who speaks with the Father on our behalf. Now some of you reading this may question if this is for every church-goer, or for the whole family (sons and daughters; mothers and fathers). Please read carefully the very last sentence in our scripture today: for those who love Jesus, and accept His invitation to live according to His plan, the Word says that God will orchestrate everything to work toward something good and beautiful. Friends, this wonderful expression of love by God is yours, if you have surrendered your life to the lordship of His Son Jesus, who sacrificed His life on a cross at Calvary, so that you may have forgiveness of your sin, and it opens the door for you to have eternal life in heaven with God. Do you know Him friend? Without Him you can do nothing of any kingdom value, nor do you have any hope in eternity. With Him you will not only have eternal life, but He will orchestrate everything to work towards something good and beautiful for you! I believe the choice is obvious. Read my Footnote for tips on how to make this change in your life, otherwise drop me a note so that I may pray with you about your life concerns.

Prayer

Lord, who are we that a King should live and die for? Who are we that a representative of the King of kings should take up residence in our hearts and lives just to ensure that we stay on course, and have ongoing assurance of the awesome power of our awesome God? Lord, I am convinced that it could only be a result of the love You have for your children, that You do so much for us. Thank You for Jesus, Heavenly Father! Thank You for the Holy Spirit – our comforter; our Joy; our Protector; our Guide and our Advocate. Lord, in You we place our trust, and in You we look for daily guidance to live a life worthy of Your calling, and the powerful delivery from the evil one. Thank You Holy Spirit for speaking with the Master on our behalf, for we are so unworthy and so incapable. Lord, we commend ourselves into Your keeping and Your care, for it’s You alone that we adore and seek to serve every day. AMEN!