How To Protect From Satan’s Strategies

On 2016-09-222016-09-22 By Ed AlgreenIn Know and Believe, Know Jesus, Knowing Christ, Protection, ProtectorLeave a comment

Thursday, 2016-09-22

Scripture

Bible Reference: Ephesians 6:10-12

Bible Text: ¹⁰ A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. ¹¹Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. ¹²For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.

Bible Translation: New Living Translation (NLT)

My Take

I don’t believe that this will be news to any of you, but Satan is out to get you, especially if you carry the banner of Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. I believe you have already witnessed that, way too often things happen in your life, or your day, that force you to believe that there are mighty forces fighting against you and working in opposition to you. Friends, I believe that as you talk with our valued law enforcement Brothers and Sisters, you will find that they ‘armor up’ every day so that some protection is in place, for they KNOW that they will face the evil, the disrespect, the hate, and the law-breaking of our society who, in most cases, will not think twice about ‘taking them out’ as they try to protect the innocent, like you and I. Let me encourage you to STOP and think for a moment about how that scenario differs from our day as we walk out of our peaceful homes into the world controlled by the prince of the air – Satan himself. I want to remind each of us that it is just as critical that we ‘armor up’ as we approach each day, for the battle against us is about to begin. Now for those who may not be very literate in the Word of God yet, I will refer you to the rest of Ephesians 6 so you can get more information on the armor and artillery you will take with you, for this devotional has nothing at all to do with the type, or size of the ‘piece’ that you will take with you to protect yourself. Remember, the warfare that you will face is “evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly place“ – a quote directly from God’s Word – verse 12 above. When your spirituality is being attacked, you need spiritual forces to defend you. Jesus used the Word of God – so should we. Jesus called on the Father for every battle and or decision he faced – so should we. So friends, now that I have given you the prescription to help you protect against Satan’s strategies, may I encourage you daily visit the pharmacy (the Word of God for direction from God; and the face of God in deep and sincere communication – prayer) for help in your daily battles? God is the only power known to man who has power over Satan. Don’t try to do this thing called ‘life’ without God. Please have a look at the tips in my ‘Footnote’ and ensure that your relationship with God is securely in place.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, our Protector against the evil one, we place our faith and trust in You alone today, knowing that You alone can protect us against the many forms of evil that we encounter each day that challenge our faith and our stand for You. Please save us from our frustrations by constantly reminding us who’s in charge of the Christian’s life, and that You can and will protect Your precious children like no one else. We need You Heavenly Father as we are not qualified in any way to protect against Satan and his demons. I ask these things believing in the Word of God, and the Son of God – Jesus Christ – whose name is above all names, 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’s Mighty Power Within Us

On 2016-09-192016-09-19 By Ed AlgreenIn Accept Jesus NOW, Follow Jesus, Jesus, The Return of JesusLeave a comment

Monday, 2016-09-19

Scripture

Bible Reference: Ephesians 3:20-21

Bible Text: ²⁰Now glory be to God, who by his mighty power at work within us is able to do far more than we would ever dare to ask or even dream of—infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, or hopes. ²¹May he be given glory forever and ever through endless ages because of his master plan of salvation for the Church through Jesus Christ.

Bible Translation: The Living Bible (TLB)

My Take

I read from the book of 2nd Kings this morning where King Hezekiah was faced with a battle against the very strong, powerful king of Assyria, who overwhelmed him with numbers and strength. In one night God slaughtered 185,000 of Assyria’s men, so that king Hezekiah might be reminded of the awesome power of his God. Peter walked on water when commanded by Jesus to do so. The dead was brought back to life again by Jesus, and sight restored to the blind. Yet we face each and every day filled with challenge after challenge, and we wring our hands in despair, wondering how we will ever see life beyond our current circumstances. It is no wonder that Paul had to remind the Galatians, and us, that our God who is at work within us, is able to do far more than we could ever dare to ask or imagine. Friends, I want us to remember that our needs and concerns are not new to God, for He knows all things. Just imagine, we are His chosen children, and He knows right down to the number of hairs on our head. He loved us enough that He sent His only Son, Jesus, to die the death of a criminal, just to provide the means of us overcoming sin and one day joining Him in heaven. So think about it, with a love that deep and sincere, can’t you appreciate what Paul is teaching here, that God cares for His dear ones; is very capable of doing anything we could ask – within the boundaries of His perfect will for our lives; and will indeed do what may seem so very impossible in our eyes? So for the child of God, we have a Savior who loves us, cares for us, and is capable of doing the impossibilities of mankind. What have we to fear or worry about? If we ask in faith, and within the boundaries of His will, He will hear His children and meet their needs. For those reading this devotional who have not accepted Jesus as Lord, and permitted Him to rule and reign in your life, may I ask you to consider making a change from your personal effort to understand and run your own life? Seek the face of Jesus, and accept His offer to love and reign in your life. I believe that He would love to show you how He could change your life and meet your needs. However ‘the ball is in your court’, and you need to make the decision to invite Him in. This decision depends on your willingness; you being alive; and Christ not having returned to take you home to glory yet. The latter two things you have no control over, and either of those could occur before you have finished reading this devotional.

Prayer

Thank You Jesus for speaking to me many years again and urging me to make a decision to accept You as Lord. I also thank You for loving me and working in my life daily, as I still face a variety of challenges by just being in this old world. Please control my decisions today, and please control my tongue and my actions so that I may always represent You well. Lord, for all those reading this devotional today, and for all my family and friends, I pray that You would soften the hearts of those unsaved, and that You will be allowed to be an active part of the lives of the others that have already accepted You as Lord. Of our own strength, we are very weak and limited as to what we can accomplish for the kingdom today, but with You, I am reminded that we can do all things. Please bless us with Your presence and Your power, so that we may be a blessing to others. In all that we do, may the words of our mouth and the meditation of our hearts and minds be acceptable in Your sight oh Lord, all for Your glory alone, AMEN!

Footnote

The Only Way Out

On 2016-09-14 By Ed AlgreenIn Faith, Salvation, Seek God First, Seek God's FaceLeave a comment

Wednesday, 2016-09-14

Scripture

Bible Reference: Galatians 3:21-22

Bible Text: …. If we could be saved by his laws, then God would not have had to give us a different way to get out of the grip of sin—for the Scriptures insist we are all its prisoners. The only way out is through faith in Jesus Christ; the way of escape is open to all who believe him.

Bible Translation: The Living Bible (TLB)

My Take

I believe that often we will try the easiest way out. The way that is least embarrassing to us, or least obvious to others that we have or had a problem and really needed help. So for many, this may be through trying to obey the Word of God on our own. I once had a coworker tell me that he knew the good Lord would not allow his dad to go to Hell, because he was such a good man, and that no one could really point a finger at him for his wrong. This coworker later came to know the Lord himself and then understood exactly what Paul was clarifying here for the Galatian church. Friends, we must remember that God saw that the human race was incapable of helping ourselves by simply obeying His law, so out of His deep love for us, He miraculously sent His Son, Jesus, to be our Savior. Too often we look at the law like, what’s the least I can do to keep out of trouble with the law makers, and seldom do we stop and ask God to help us obey every letter of the law in the way it was intended when written, so that others may recognize the sincerity of Jesus in us. So friends, this scripture today is good news for those who have heard the voice and direction of God, and want to surrender your life to Him so that He may direct your path and lead you in a righteous and upright life for His glory. Getting from where you are – steeped in sin and unrighteousness, can only be accomplished one way. ‘There is only one way out’, the scripture proclaims, and that is through seeking the face and person of Jesus Christ, God’s Son. Surrender your life totally and completely to Him, so that He can accomplish His miraculous work through You. Friends, Hell is not a place where you would make it a point to go, but the ONLY way you will redirect your destination is by doing what I have already described to you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved. When you truly believe on Jesus, you will submit to His will and obey His commands – indicating that He is in total control of your life. One other tip friends: Jesus has promised to return to earth to take His children (His bride) up to glory to be with He and His Father. But the timing of this event is unknown even to Jesus. Therefore, may I encourage you to make certain of your eternal destination urgently, for Jesus’ return could happen even today!

Prayer

Thank You Heavenly Father for yet another reminder of what must be done to gain eternal life. Our works are but filthy rags in Your sight, because we build those around our goodness instead of Yours. Please forgive us Lord for our littleness and open our eyes instead to Your wonderful, loving, caring, miraculous provisions that You have designed for us. Please help us to step aside and allow You to be God in our life, and in the lives of our family and friends. Lord, please touch lives today with the gospel and show Your love in such wonderful ways that many will come to accept You and surrender their lives wholeheartedly to You. There is so much to be done Father, but I am convinced of Your awesome power and desire to see our lost ones saved. Please work through me today so that I may be a genuine witness for You. I ask these things in faith, and for Your glory, AMEN!

Footnote

In Christ Alone

On 2016-09-13 By Ed AlgreenIn direction, Follow Christ, Follower of Christ, In Christ, SalvationLeave a comment

Tuesday, 2016-09-13

Scripture

Bible Reference: Galatians 2:19-21

Bible Text: ¹⁹It was the law itself that caused me to end my life under the law. I died to the law so that I could live for God. I have been nailed to the cross with Christ. ²⁰So I am not the one living now—it is Christ living in me. I still live in my body, but I live by faith in the Son of God. He is the one who loved me and gave himself to save me. ²¹I am not the one destroying the meaning of God’s grace. If following the law is how people are made right with God, then Christ did not have to die.

Bible Translation: Easy-to-Read Version (ERV)

My Take

As we read these verses today, we must realize that this teaching is coming from Paul, a man who was so convinced of the ‘law’ (the world) that he chose to condemn the church and its followers for the first part of his life. However, Paul then had a personal encounter with the Lord Jesus Christ and his life was never the same again. In fact, he was so different that he was accused of being a maniac. Friends, there’s a couple things that really need out attention in this passage today:

A personal experience – Jesus Christ is only able to impact your life after you have made a personal decision to surrender your life totally to Him. As part of this decision, you will surrender your personal (worldly) will to the perfect will of Christ. He then sends His Holy Spirit to take up residence inside of you, and help you live this changed life!
A changed life – Through this newly gained power of the Holy Spirit, you are able to devote yourself fully to the things of Christ, which in most cases will be totally opposite to the evil ways of the world. The change that occurs is likened to traveling north on a local highway, then you reach a point where a definite decision is made for a complete change, and you turn back to traveling south on that same highway.

Friends, I believe it is evident that you will see in the old life, the worldly dependent life, that you are dependent on circumstances and individuals with all sorts of evil mindsets, that are out to serve their own personal needs, often at the expense of all those that they come into contact with. In the ‘new life’, I believe that you could easily see that there is only One that you would be dependent on, and that is the same Christ who willingly sacrificed His very life so that you and I could one day live eternally with He and His Father in heaven. The same Christ who has the power to not only rightly guide you in this wicked world, but also provide the means for you to travel through this life with ‘out of this world’ rewards awaiting you at the end of your journey! The choice seems evident to me friend! What will you do about your eternity as you travel down life’s tough road? With God’s help, and at your request, He can help you redirect your life today. Please let Him do that, won’t you?

Prayer

Lord Jesus, we are so undeserving of such grace and mercy, yet You surrendered Your very life for our eternal future. Thank You for loving us to such extremes. Please soften the hearts of Your children today who need a new direction in their lives. They need You! Touch the lives of those that already know You so that we will not be a stumbling block to those who need You. In Christ Alone I Take My Stand! And I pray that my Brother or Sister reading this devotional will do the same today! Praise the name of the Lord forever! AMEN!

Footnote

When Your Back’s ‘Against The Wall’

On 2016-09-10 By Ed AlgreenIn All-powerful, God's Power, Power, Power of God, The power of GodLeave a comment

Saturday, 2016-09-10

Scripture

Bible Reference: 2 Kings 6:15–18

Bible Text: 15 When the servant of the man of God got up early the next morning and went outside, there were troops, horses, and chariots everywhere. “Oh, sir, what will we do now?” the young man cried to Elisha. 16 “Don’t be afraid!” Elisha told him. “For there are more on our side than on theirs!” 17 Then Elisha prayed, “O LORD, open his eyes and let him see!” The LORD opened the young man’s eyes, and when he looked up, he saw that the hillside around Elisha was filled with horses and chariots of fire. 18 As the Aramean army advanced toward him, Elisha prayed, “O LORD, please make them blind.” So the LORD struck them with blindness as Elisha had asked.

Bible Translation: New Living Translation (NLT)

My Take

A Lot of times we do everything we can about a circumstance, and we may even gain the help of others to help us resolve the issue, but there are times when nothing seems to work and we just don’t know what else to do. I believe the saying “you just feel like you are between a rock and a hard place” truly explains your dilemma. In our verses today, we can see where the servant of the man of God was really in a panic and may have felt like described above. However, the man of God knew that there was a whole lot more to the story, because He knew who really held the answers and he knew, from experience, that there was nothing too difficult for his God. I believe you can see from the story that one may have known about God, but one actually knew God personally, and had one-on-one experience with the God of this universe. Friends, as you consider/meditate on these verses today, may I encourage you to choose and pursue the one whom you will serve? And as you choose, please note that a very personal and daily relationship is very important, for how will you know what your Father is capable of unless you spend time with Him; obey His commands to show that you respect His leadership in your life; seek Him in conversation (prayer) often – little and big challenges of life, so that You would grow confident in His mighty works and His awesome power; and trust Him wholeheartedly in all things – even when His direction may seem impossible to you, (Like in this story with Elisha and his servant boy). Having your back ‘against the wall’ just means that you have done everything you can, and now it’s time for God to take over. This is an everyday occurrence for most of us, because we are often faced with challenges that we know absolutely nothing about how to handle it, or the possible outcome. Friends, there is no god like our God! Rejoice in that proven fact today and praise Him even in your storms of life and the greatest impossibilities – at least in your eyes.

Prayer

Father, You are GREAT and greatly to be praised! There are so many miracles in Your Word that proves to us Your awesome power and greatness, and we especially thank You for this miracle through Your servant Elisha. Yet one more reminder of You performing the impossible (at least in man’s eyes) in order to protect Your servant and display to the unsaved who is really in charge of this whole earthly operation! Lord, You are well aware of our many challenges today, and I thank You sincerely for the ways that You have displayed Your glory in such miraculous ways for us. Lord, we want our loved ones to know You, so if that includes working miraculously so they could witness Your power, then we stand waiting for You to work – even if You do it through us. May You be glorified today by those who know You, and may You be recognized by those who need to know You. Please use us as Your humble servants to accomplish Your will, if desired by You. I love You Lord, AMEN!

Footnote

What Will You Do With Jesus?

On 2016-09-09 By Ed AlgreenIn Believe, Know and Believe, SalvationLeave a comment

Friday, 2016-09-09

Scripture

Bible Reference: Mark 15:9–13

Bible Text: 9 “Would you like me to release to you this ‘King of the Jews’?” Pilate asked. 10 (For he realized by now that the leading priests had arrested Jesus out of envy.) 11 But at this point the leading priests stirred up the crowd to demand the release of Barabbas instead of Jesus. 12 Pilate asked them, “Then what should I do with this man you call the king of the Jews?” 13 They shouted back, “Crucify him!”

Bible Translation: New Living Translation (NLT)

My Take

On the day that Jesus was presented to Pilate, the Jews were challenged with a question that I would like for us to consider today: What will you do with Jesus? The Jews wanted Jesus crucified because He was interfering with their popularity. They were envious of Jesus, as Pilate recognized (see verse 10). Friends, each day you are faced with a similar question, for you must make decisions such as these:

When you awake each morning, will you pause to give God thanks for a good night’s rest and another day with tons of opportunities, or will you give it up to happen-chance that you were more fortunate than many who awake each day in excruciating pain or homeless?
Will you take a moment to get into God’s Word and seek His guidance for the day, or will you affirm that you know it all and could handle every circumstance of that day on your own?
Will you look for every opportunity to make your christianity known and promote Christ, or will you find every possible way to escape letting your boss and coworkers know that you are a child of the King?
If your employer gave the word today that he wanted all ‘Christians’ fired, will you be looking for a job, or will you fall under the disguise of uncertainty on where you stand?

Friends, in each of these cases we would face a similar question as the one posed to the Jews. What will you have the world do with Jesus? He loved you enough that even while you were still drenched in sin, yet Jesus went to the cross of Calvary and sacrificed His very life out of sincere, unadulterated love – especially for you. Why? Because He wanted to make it very possible for you to have an easy choice of where you would like to spend eternity. So for those who do not know my Savior as Lord, your question is similar: Will you accept the offer from Jesus to let Him be your Lord, or will you ignore the offer and continue in an unappreciative state on the road to eternal damnation with Satan and his demons in Hell?

Prayer

Lord, thank You for making a way for us to one day be with you in Heaven. The answers to the above questions and scenarios seem very obvious, and therefore seems like overkill to even ask them of good, sound thinking individuals. However, I am very aware that Satan is just as active trying to distract his followers from hearing this Good News, as he was last weekend when many of my readers heard a similar challenge in their respective churches. Lord Jesus, please break down the barriers of indecision, stubbornness, pride and rejection today, so that my readers and all those that we will pray for, might hear Your voice very clearly calling them to You. Thank You for making a way. I now pray that we will fight the barriers and accept the free gift of salvation today and be proud to have You control our lives so that others may see and also believe, AMEN!

Footnote

How to Guard Against Temptation

On 2016-09-08 By Ed AlgreenIn Overcomer, Temptation, Wait on the LordLeave a comment

Thursday, 2016-09-08

Scripture

Bible Reference: Mark 14:38

Bible Text: 38 Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak.

Bible Translation: New Living Translation (NLT)

My Take

I was touched by the fact that Jesus was going through so much emotionally in the Garden of Gethsemane, yet He didn’t get upset with his disciples over not caring about Him. Instead, Jesus gave them advice that they could use long after He had left them. He probably was also ministering to Peter for being such a ‘motor-mouth’, when he told Jesus that he would stick with Him through ‘thick and thin’, so Jesus had to remind him here that his spirit might be willing, but his body is weak. So what is the application in this verse for us today? I believe there are several things:

Unless we ‘watch‘, for the advisory (Satan) – being on guard for the things that are opposing God and His perfect design, then Satan will pounce on us through various temptations, causing us to sin against God;
Unless we ‘pray‘ to the Master and depend on His strength, His wisdom and His power, then we will quickly fall into the trap of Peter, where our spirit might be willing and wanting to obey God, but the weakness of our flesh will push us towards the things of this world and its master – Satan;
No matter how willing our spirit and personal desire might be, we are weak without the awesome power of the Holy Spirit that God has empowered us with. We must therefore learn to call on God and depend on Him for ALL things – even those things that we feel very capable of handling ourselves, to avoid failure and being ‘sucked in’ by the advisory. Remember, we can do ALL THINGS through CHRIST, who strengthens us! He’s our Rock, our Redeemer and our soon coming King!

Have you surrendered your life to Him friend? Will He recognize your voice when you call on Him as being one of His? It you have doubt, may I encourage you to read my ‘Footnote’ and follow my suggestions, so that you may KNOW – without a doubt, whose you are?

Prayer

Lord Jesus I thank You for Your awesome love and for caring for us, even when we should be thinking about others. You know what we need, and just as You expressed to Peter and his teammates in the garden, I believe You are still very interested in seeing Your children live according to Your will and way, because of being totally surrendered to You. In and of our own strength, we can do nothing towards being holy or totally dedicated to our calling of being ‘little Christs’ – Christians. We need You to help us live noble Christian lives in this world of hate, strife and sin. Not only will we be able to do all thing through Christ who strengthens us, but Lord I believe You will be at liberty to do all things through us – those who have totally surrendered to You and very open to allowing You to work through us. May You accomplish great things today Heavenly Father, and may we be found acceptable in Your sight, so that You may work through us, if need be. In total humility and surrender to You, I am asking these things dear Jesus, AMEN!

Footnote

Be Alert and Watching

On 2016-09-07 By Ed AlgreenIn Readiness, Ready, Ready to Go, State of ReadinessLeave a comment

Wednesday, 2016-09-07

Scripture

Bible Reference: Mark 13:32–33; 36-37

Bible Text: 32 “However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows. 33 And since you don’t know when that time will come, be on guard! Stay alert! …. 36 Don’t let him find you sleeping when he arrives without warning. 37 I say to you what I say to everyone: Watch for him!”

Bible Translation: New Living Translation (NLT)

My Take

Our meteorologists are fantastic, for they watch for the storms that spin off the coast of Africa, and should they pose a potential threat to us, they warn us of their predictions on the course of the storm, in lots of time for us to be prepared and protected way before the storm arrives. Similarly, many of us have good pastors and teachers who strive to do the will of God by warning us as often as possible about the coming of the Lord Jesus, to take His bride (the church) up to heaven to spend eternity with He and His Father. Isn’t it interesting how we seem to take the forecasts from our meteorologists a whole lot more seriously than we do our pastors? Walk into any church over the weekend and you will immediately question why so few are concerned about such a major event. Only a fraction of our towns attend church, and for those that do attend, most fall asleep while the warning is being proclaimed. Friends, I just visited the northwest coast of Florida after Tropical Storm Hermine passed through. There are stories of some residents who were just as unconcerned, and didn’t heed the warnings and/or refused to evacuate their homes when instructed. Large tax dollars are now being spent to deliver food to them or retrieve them from their flooded or wind-destroyed homes. Take a moment to compare that to the coming of our Lord. There will be no further warnings, as scriptures tell us that not even the Son (Jesus) knows when He will return, only God does. If you did not heed the warnings to ready yourself to meet Jesus, then you have decided to stick with Satan and receive the eternal damnation he will deliver to his followers. Your pastor will no longer be available to encourage you and prod you along into making a decision to accept Jesus, it will be eternally too late. In these verses today, please recognize that these are the words of Jesus, and PLEASE adhere to the warnings He is offering to you. Seek God’s face, accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior and therefore be ready, should His return happen even today. Don’t ignore the warning friend, today is the day of salvation, for it can also be the day of Jesus’ return to get His saints! I’m ready! Are you?

Prayer

Lord Jesus, You’ve been warning us about Your return long before meteorologists were ever trained, or before the days of computerized tools to help them predict an oncoming storm. It is so unfortunate that many of our people listen more closely to man’s predictions than to Your facts as relayed to us by Your writers. Oh God, may today be the day that many will come to know You personally (ready themselves for Your impending return). If a hurricane was approaching, we would quickly run to shelter and/or save our loved ones and friends. Something a whole lot more final is pending, and could actually happen today, Lord may we have the same urgency to save those we love. I ask these things in the name of my soon coming Lord and Savior, AMEN!

Footnote

Fix Your Eyes on Heaven

On 2016-09-03 By Ed AlgreenIn Accept Jesus NOW, Heaven, Jesus Loves you, Know JesusLeave a comment

Saturday, 2016-09-03

Scripture

Bible Reference: Proverbs 4:25–27

Bible Text: 25 Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you. 26 Mark out a straight path for your feet; stay on the safe path. 27 Don’t get sidetracked; keep your feet from following evil.

Bible Translation: New Living Translation (NLT)

My Take

I have always marveled over the straight lines that farmers use to plant their crops – orange trees; strawberries; etc. I once heard that the way to accomplish that straight line is to keep your eyes fixed on a point at the end of the row, rather than any short term distances, while plowing or planting. I believe we are being directed in the proverbs today to keep our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, and the reward He has promised those of us who believe – to be with Him in His heavenly home at the end of our journey here on earth! Like the farmer though, we are to keep our eyes fixed on our Savior and the home He has gone to prepare for us – heaven. Friends, when we stay focused; when we have an endpoint in mind; when we have a purpose in life; we will be less apt to stray or allow side distractions that tend to take our eyes off our goal. The big problem with distractions, is that some of us may never get back on the right track again. Satan may distract us, knowing that we will probably like that, and in turn, he will win the battle of destroying one more soul. Ever noticed that some who have been on track for the Lord and who have been distracted, become almost unrecognizable by humans as ever being a child of the King? Imagine how sad and disappointing this is for Jesus? Remember, He loved you (us) enough that He suffered and died on the cross at Calvary so that we might be able to enjoy the freedom of knowing Him personally and entering into His kingdom. For us to then say thanks, but no thanks to that expression of love and sacrifice, must crush the very heart of Christ. What can you do about that friend? Is all well with your walk? Are you staying on track and ideally lined up for your eternal home? For those who may read this and have not accepted Jesus as Lord, with all the love I can muster up, let me just say that this goal of heaven is not something you can add to your wish list with hopes that Santa will bring it for you. This involves a personal commitment from you with your Savior, and a daily walk with Him, always with your eternal home as your goal. Please read my Footnote for more information on how to achieve the assurance of your salvation and Heaven as your eternal destination.

Prayer

Lord God, You created the heavens, and You sacrificed Your one and only Son so that we might believe on Him and have the assurance of being with You in heaven. What more can we ask for? However, knowing the provisions You made for us, yet we are so easily distracted from our walk and therefore from our goal of being with You in glory one day. Please forgive us Lord, and please strengthen us each and every day to stay focused on what lies ahead – our goal of being with You in heaven one day! Oh that will be, glory for me, glory for me, glory for me, when by His grace I shall look on His face, that will be glory, be glory for me! So Lord, for as long as you see fit to leave me here on earth, please help me to stay focused on You, and may my goal be seen as something my readers, my family and my friends will also catch hold of and want for their life. For I ask these things in the precious name of Jesus, and for Your glory alone, AMEN!

Footnote

God Will Take Care of You!

On 2016-09-012016-09-04 By Ed AlgreenIn Caring, God Cares For Us, The Father's Love, The love of God, Unconditional loveLeave a comment

Thursday, 2016-09-01

Scripture

Bible Reference: 1 Kings 17:2-4

Bible Text: 2 Then the Lord said to Elijah, 3 “Go to the east and hide by Kerith Brook, near where it enters the Jordan River. 4 Drink from the brook and eat what the ravens bring you, for I have commanded them to bring you food.”

Bible Translation: New Living Translation (NLT)

My Take

I Love that old gospel song: “Be not dismayed …. God Will Take Care of You“! On reading these verses this morning I was reminded that for all those times that we feel so worn, or so distraught about life’s circumstances – perhaps the loss of a loved one that leaves us wondering how on earth can we possibly go on without them; or perhaps because of financial woes that make us feel so trapped into thinking that we work to satisfy bills only; or perhaps unemployment that makes us look inward and question our own personal worth; no matter the circumstance, we tend to wonder ‘Why me, Lord’ and then question how can we possibly overcome our particular circumstance. Friends, I wish you would take time to read the whole passage linked in the scripture reference, because you will see the reason why God sent Elijah to the Jordan River bank to hang out in the first place, then you will also see what other miracles God performed to take care of Elijah, even beyond this fending miracle at the Jordan River. Whether Elijah realized it or not, he was at a crossroads to where he may not have survived the drought if God had not intervened and taken care of him. I rejoiced in seeing how God worked through Elijah later on to bring a young man back to life, because it made me realize the importance of not giving up on God, and instead allowing Him to work on us, in us, and through us for the purpose of greater accomplishments for the kingdom, at a time pleasing to God. Friends, our ways are not God’s ways, so we are called on to be faithful and sure in our faith, knowing that what He works out in and through us will serve to benefit Him and bless us tremendously. So may I encourage you dear friend to stand firm in your faith, depend on God, and open yourself to the wondrous things He will do through You. Please know that your personal circumstances may look totally different to what God has in store for you. Trust Him, wait on Him and allow Him to be God in your life. Know that when You place your faith, trust, and total life in His hands, He WILL Take Care of You!

Prayer

To the loving, caring, awesome God that I serve; thank You for watching over me, taking care of me, and guiding my footsteps each and every day. Because I am still alive, I know that your work is still in progress as to what You would have me do. Please have Your will and way. Please continue to take care of me, and especially on those days when life seems impossible to me, or the future seems so questionable. Lord, there are many who will stop by to read this devotional today, please reinforce to them how much You care for them, and remind them of the enormous love that You have for them. Lord, I ask these thinks in faith, and through the precious name of Jesus, Your Son and my Savior, AMEN!

Footnote

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