How To Be Made Right

On 2016-10-06 By Ed AlgreenIn Heaven, Righteous, SurrenderLeave a comment

Thursday, 2016-10-06

Scripture

Bible Reference: Romans 3:22-25

Bible Text: ²²We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. ²³For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. ²⁴Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. ²⁵For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood.

Bible Translation: New Living Translation (NLT)

My Take

As one reads through the Bible you will see where people sacrificed animals and various other things in order to make themselves right. But while all of this gave some the feeling of satisfaction that they were pleasing their gods, it never did give them any assurance of ever being in heaven one day and worshiping at the feet of Jesus and His Father. It never gave any hope to a new and different life filled with the love and leadership of Jesus and the Comforter, the Holy Spirit. Paul saw that this was still causing issues in his day, with the added pressure of his Jewish audience feeling superior to the Gentiles when it came to being right with God. Paul had to clear this up for his audience, and I believe this was placed in God’s Word to help us clear up any misconceptions. There is no magic formula, nor does it apply only to a certain group or nationality. The Word of God says in John 3:16 that ‘whosoever believes on the name of Jesus’. Verse 22 above says that ‘for everyone who believes’. We all have one thing in common – we all have sinned. The solution to that problem also applies to all of us, for in verse 24 and 25 we are reminded that Jesus came so that we might be freed from our sin, and the way that this happens is when we believe on the Lord Jesus Christ – especially the sacrifice He made at Calvary, including the shedding of His precious blood. Sounds easy, right? It definitely was not easy of Jesus, but God wanted this to be straightforward for us. So as you examine your life today friend, know that unless you have submitted your life totally to the King of kings, and believe wholeheartedly on the Lord Jesus Christ, then you are still wallowing in the stench of your sin and destined for hell with Satan as your tormenter and destroyer. This creates a great divide between you and those relatives and friends who have accepted Jesus. This is an individual choice, but friends I hope that each of you would have made the right choice today, and allowed God to make things right for your eternity, for I want to see you in glory!

Prayer

Lord Jesus, I pray that not one who reads this devotional today will gloss over the decision that they need to make in order to know without a shadow of doubt that they are destined for Heaven for a glorious meeting with our Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. Some are facing grave danger today, and for some this may be the last day they will have an opportunity to accept Jesus as Lord. I pray that there will be no wasted opportunities by my friends who read this. Please remind them that today is the day of salvation, as they have no assurance of tomorrow. Lord, I believe, please help me overcome any unbelief. 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!

Know and Do What God Commands

On 2016-10-05 By Ed AlgreenIn Accept Jesus NOW, ObedienceLeave a comment

Wednesday, 2016-10-05

Scripture

Bible Reference: Romans 3:19–20

Bible Text: 19 Obviously, the law applies to those to whom it was given, for its purpose is to keep people from having excuses, and to show that the entire world is guilty before God. 20 For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are.

Bible Translation: New Living Translation (NLT)

My Take

I believe that we all have heard it at one time or another from a friend, that they, or perhaps a loved one, would never be subjected to hell because of how good and honest they have been all of their lives. First of all, that statement is not biblical, because we can see from God’s Word today that living by man’s law will only help us recognize that we are sinful, because we are constantly breaking the law. So if we approach the real dilemma in my first statement about our going to heaven because we obeyed the law, I believe we will quickly see that our world’s lawmakers really have nothing to do with who enters heaven and under what conditions. That decision is strictly up to God, who controls heaven. Friends, it is super important that we obey man’s laws, because God expects us to be good, law abiding citizens of this earth. However, when it comes to matters of heaven, we must look to the ‘rule-book’ of heaven, and God has ordained it through various writers and we call it the Bible. This has peaked the curiosity of millions around the world, because the Bible is the greatest seller in the world. May I encourage you to read it and understand that God went to great pains to make it as easy as possible for us to enter heaven. In pain and agony, He had to watch His very own Son, Jesus Christ, suffer through the pain of death on a cruel cross. However, because of the blood shed by Jesus, God demonstrated to us that if only we would give up self and surrender our lives to the will of God, by accepting His risen Son, then His blood would wash away our sin and we would be acceptable to Him (God), and in turn, be accepted into His heaven. Notice that the latter statement had nothing to do with any law concocted by man. So friends, I believe that these verses are intended to help us clearly separate what the laws of our land will do, versus what the forgiveness of Jesus Christ will do. Once we could get that straight in our minds, hopefully we can go on to help others that struggle with this same dilemma everyday. There’s only One Way to enter heaven friend, and being good or obeying the laws of our land, do not form a part of that One Way. But Jesus Christ is THE Way! Won’t you trust Him today with your whole being? According to God’s Word, you too can be assured of Heaven, if you accept Jesus as Lord.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, You have made it clear in Your Word how we are to surrender our lives to You for our eternal salvation, as nothing else will secure our path to heaven or our eternity with You and the Father. Please touch the heart of each one that will read this devotional today and fill them with a renewed understanding of Your will for their lives.The words of a gospel song comes to mind: “nothing good have I done, to deserve God’s own Son”. Father, may the eyes of all who have not surrendered to You, be opened to the things of God today, and may they surrender to Your will and Your way, for their eternal salvation. I ask these things through the powerful and awesome name of Jesus, AMEN!

Footnote

Helping Others

On 2016-10-04 By Ed AlgreenIn Bless Others, Help, Helper, Love others, Needs of others, Others firstLeave a comment

Tuesday, 2016-10-04

Scripture

Bible Reference: Ephesians 2:9-10

Bible Text: ⁹Salvation is not a reward for the good we have done, so none of us can take any credit for it. ¹⁰It is God himself who has made us what we are and given us new lives from Christ Jesus; and long ages ago he planned that we should spend these lives in helping others.

Bible Translation: The Living Bible (TLB)

My Take

After reading this scripture today, I feel like we should carefully examine whether we are living as God intended – helping one another. It’s almost frightening to think how greedy, and self-engrossed we have become with living our days to get as much as possible out of life for self. It seems like we are always expecting the needed help for our friends or family to come from someone else. Friends, I believe that it goes with saying, that if God sent His Son, Jesus, through the miraculous means of a virgin birth, and then He followed years later with a cruel death on the cross and a supernatural resurrection, so that our sins might be forgiven and therefore attain brand new lives, that He must have had intentions far greater than anything we could imagine. Yes, I believe that part of this plan was to make it possible for us to attain assurance of our salvation and an eternal home with our Maker, but what do you suppose he meant for us to do until the day He calls us home? Our scripture today tells us that it was God’s intent from the very beginning that we use these ‘new’ lives to help others. Think about it friend, you can tell some folk how to receive eternal life, but for others you have to show them. If we are truly Jesus’ kids, then we will act just like Him and display the same characteristics that He did. He was loving and kind even to those who were against Him and despised Him. How are you doing friend? Are you being mistaken for just about any other ‘Joe Blow’ on the street, or is it evident that You have walked and talked with Jesus and living according to His purpose? Only what’s done for Jesus will last, friend! Make it count today!

Prayer

Dear God, we have become so self-centered and greedy for all that we can personally benefit from, that we truly needed this reminder from Your Word today. Praise God that You saved us from our sin! Now Lord, please use us for the purpose You intended right from the beginning, that we help others. You placed us here on earth as brothers and sisters, not as enemies and not as one to lord over another, but in humility that we might help each other. Please open our eyes to the opportunities available to us today, and may we make You proud as we pick up the banner and help others along the way. Thank You Lord for saving my soul, and thank You for touching the hearts of so many others out there. AMEN!

Footnote

May Others See Jesus in You

On 2016-09-30 By Ed AlgreenIn Christ's Representative, Evangelism, Evangelize, Representation of the Master, Representative of Christ, True witnesses, Witness, WitnessingLeave a comment

Friday, 2016-09-30

Scripture

Bible Reference: Philemon 1:6

Bible Text: 6 … I pray that as you share your faith with others it will grip their lives too, as they see the wealth of good things in you that come from Christ Jesus.

Bible Translation: The Living Bible (TLB)

My Take

The apostle Paul wrote this letter while still in jail, because of his preaching the Word of God. The letter was to his Brother in the Lord, Philemon. Paul’s life had been enriched by Philemon, and he wanted Philemon to know that he was praying that the lives of others would also be enriched as he shares the Word with them. Friends, I believe that God got my attention on this because He wanted me to stop and think about how ridiculous we oftentimes are today. If we had a good relationship with the Governor of our state, or a senator, or the head of any country, don’t you know that it would not be hidden from anyone we come into contact with? You talk about name dropping – I bet we would do our share of that!! Can’t you imagine us casually saying in a conversation with one of our school pals, that we had dinner at the White House last weekend with our good pals, Michelle and Barack? Oh, and by the way, don’t forget that you have a free invitation to take a friend with you for dinner over the next weekend! Do you suppose you would have many takers? Of course you would, in fact I bet you would have a hard time deciding who to take, out of the hundreds of interested parties. Can you imagine the excitement they would hear in your voice as you share? Compare that to the way that most would mumble under their breath that they went to church last weekend, or they are now a child of the King of all kings. How do you suppose God must feel when He sees us avoiding the issue of sharing excitedly about Christ in our lives? Sadly, in most cases our reason is merely because we are afraid of being rejected, or perhaps put down for being one of those ‘religious fanatics’. Friends, Paul was praying that the lives of others would be touched, and jolted into the reality of Jesus Christ, when they encountered Philemon. Sure the ‘man’ might be standing in front of them, but oh that they might actually see and encounter Jesus. You know, this is my prayer every day – oh that they might see Jesus! May I encourage you to pray the same? Pray that our hearts will be so intertwined with the life and teachings of Jesus, that our words will sound like something He would say, and that our actions would make our friends think of Jesus, and may our words and actions speak to the heart of our friends, that they too might desire to know our Savior. If we were losing weight, they would want to know what kind of diet we were on. If we were looking younger than the last time they saw us, they would want information on the ‘magic potion’ we must be taking! If we are excited about Jesus, and only concerned about His goodness, His mercy and our total relationship with Him, then perhaps they would want to know more, or even be introduced to Jesus. Let’s all try to do a better job at opening up our lives so that Jesus might shine through, dear ones.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, thank You for Your servants, Paul and Philemon. Thank You for Your Word, for it is powerfully filled with challenges such as we have studied today. Our lives, even now in the 21st century should be just as reflective of You and Your saving grace, as it was in the life of Philemon. Please help us to be unashamed of the gospel, unashamed of our Savior, and very open to reflecting the love of God in every aspect of our lives. Lord, may the words of our mouth and the meditation of our heart, always be acceptable to You, representative of You, and usable by You to touch the lives of those that we come into contact with each day. Its all about You Lord Jesus. Help us be be usable instruments through which You can proudly minister. AMEN!

Footnote

Christians in The Workplace

On 2016-09-29 By Ed AlgreenIn Obedience, Obedient, Representation of the MasterLeave a comment

Thursday, 2016-09-29

Scripture

Bible Reference: Colossians 3:23–25

Bible Text: 23 Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. 24 Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ. 25 But if you do what is wrong, you will be paid back for the wrong you have done. For God has no favorites.

Bible Translation: New Living Translation (NLT)

My Take

I wonder if our bosses can tell any difference in the work habits of their employees, and if they ever attribute it to the work of the Holy Spirit in those that ‘stand out’ as exemplary employees! What about you, can you tell the difference? If Jesus was our supervisor/boss, what would we do differently? I believe in these verses, God is warning us that we are to work as if we are working for Him, and that if we don’t, He will treat us just like any other sinner, for He has no favorites. What if we took this one step higher and have the bosses/business owners look at their business strategies and practices to ensure that each one pleases the Lord? We sure would have better workplaces, won’t we? At one of my career stops, I heard of a gentleman who owned a marina, and because he was a godly man trying to please God in everything he did, he would not work on Sundays – his Sabbath day, as he wanted nothing to interfere with his day of worship. He would advise his patrons the day before that if they departed the following day (Sunday), to just mail him a check, as the office would not be opened. It is told in that town, that this godly gentleman never lost a dime from a patron taking advantage of his practice, that he felt led of God to put in place. Where do you set your parameters with your business, or with your employees, or with your work ethics? I believe that if Christians worked in accordance with today’s scripture, employers would be ready to place a requirement on their job postings, that they are only hiring Christians. Friends, we needn’t flaunt our Christianity, we just need to be obedient servants of Jesus Christ and live and work as if we were reporting directly to the Master. There’s another verse of scripture that says that ‘by our fruit, we will be known’. Are your words, deeds and work ethics revealing that you are sincerely in love with Jesus Christ, and seeking every day, in every way to please Him? If not, why not? Isn’t He your Master?

Prayer

Lord Jesus, Master and King, thank You for being our guide to what is right. There is so much that hit us every day that, unless we stay continually in Your Word, we may very easily use worldly standards instead of Yours. I believe that this scripture is one more reminder that if we claim You as Lord in our quiet places, or in our church, we must also claim and represent You to the world through our speech, our work actions and in every walk of life. I don’t believe there is such a thing as a temporary Christian, for the love and principles of Jesus must be embedded inside of us so that Jesus spills our of our mouths; in all decisions that we make; and in every thing that we do. Lord, may it be so evident to the world who actually controls our very lives, that we will often be mistaken for Jesus. Folk that knew my dad, often identify me as his son. May this also be the case for those that know what to expect from a child of the King of all kings. I ask these things in all humbleness of heart and in deepest sincerity. I also wish nothing less for my readers today, for if there was ever a time that we need the world to see the ‘army’ of Jesus, it is today. Thank You Lord Jesus, AMEN!

Footnote

Be A Representative of The Lord

On 2016-09-27 By Ed AlgreenIn Christ's Representative, Obedience, Representation of the Master, Representative of ChristLeave a comment

Tuesday, 2016-09-27

Scripture

Bible Reference: Colossians 3:15–17

Bible Text: 15 And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful. 16 Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. 17 And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.

Bible Translation: New Living Translation (NLT)

My Take

I believe that if there is ever a time that we need to live as children of God; as representatives of the Lord Jesus; as children of the Light – that stamps out the darkness of sin; as examples of the Lord Jesus Christ; it is now. In my old testament reading (Jeremiah 7:21-29) God shared His displeasure with the Israelites that He brought out of Egypt, for in spite of all that He did for them, yet they never truly followed Him with all their heart, mind and soul. Because of this, they continually fought to follow their former way of living. Does this compare to the church at large today? No, I’m not referring to the way members act inside the four walls of our church at weekend meetings, but rather when they are on the battle lines of everyday life. Is it evident to those who cross our paths that we are children of the Most High King? Verse 17 encourages us to speak and act like a representative of the Lord Jesus, continually giving thanks through Him to God the Father. Will it be obvious to others who we are representing today? There’s a beautiful old hymn that has the words “In Christ alone, I take my stand, all other ground is (like) sinking sand”, In other words, no matter what other direction you follow, or whatever other source you may seek for strength or power today, nothing can compare to the awesome power of our Mighty God. Friends, we’ve tried long and hard, through various trials and hardships, to see our families overcome the challenges and circumstance of this old world; we’ve seen churches split and some even closed, because of Satan’s interference and distractions; and we have seen countries go to war over selfish gains and worldly desires, I believe it is time for us to humbly seek the face of God and ask Him to help us return to the Book – His Holy Word, His instructions for life that helps us to be His representatives here on earth. I believe that as we do that, nothing else will really matter or be of any worthwhile significance. Can we give that a try today friends? Let’s endeavor to put God first in everything and then celebrate at the end of the day how everything else approved and designed by Him fell into its proper place. It’s all about Him friend! We’re just the earthly instrument that He may choose to use so that others might recognize and subsequently accept and obey Him.

Prayer

Lord God, You created us, provided enormous beauty here on this earth for us to enjoy and even sacrificed Your very own Son for us so that our sin could be forgiven – leaving us at peace with, and pleasing to You. A perfect scenario, yet we have allowed Satan to intrude and tempt us with so much that we are hardly recognized as Your child at times. Please speak to Your children once again today, and help us to recommit ourselves to You. Please help us to seek Your face and Your power to keep our lives pure before You and before our fellow man. Use us as Your instruments oh Lord, to reach the hardened hearts of the lost. May You be glorified today because of our actions, from a clean heart and godly thoughts and words. I ask these things in and through the wonderful name of Jesus, my Lord and Savior, AMEN!

Footnote

Life Overflowing With Joy and Thanksgiving

On 2016-09-26 By Ed AlgreenIn Joy, Leadership of the Holy Spirit, ThanksgivingLeave a comment

Monday, 2016-09-26

Scripture

Bible Reference: Colossians 2:6-7

Bible Text: ⁶And now just as you trusted Christ to save you, trust him, too, for each day’s problems; live in vital union with him. ⁷Let your roots grow down into him and draw up nourishment from him. See that you go on growing in the Lord, and become strong and vigorous in the truth you were taught. Let your lives overflow with joy and thanksgiving for all he has done.

Bible Translation: The Living Bible (TLB)

My Take

Paul was ministering to people very similar in nature to what we still see today – yes, even Christian people. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if some folk look at Christians and become deeply concerned about the hope that supposedly lies within them, as they whine and complain as much as the rest of the world, and they are just as timid and concerned about the future as just about anyone else in the world. Friends, God has placed these verses strategically in place for us/Christians today, because He wants to remind us that when we live in vital union with Him, we can trust Him for every day’s problems. Now that little word ‘vital’ has a very BIG meaning for us, for it tells us that we should have the type relationship, or union, with Christ as if our lives depend on it. That’s why Paul goes on to say that yes, we must have accepted Jesus as our Savior, trust daily in Him and live in vital union with Him, but we must also seek daily to let our very beings become deeply rooted in Him. Let’s consider a plant as we think of this act of growth. If you purchase a beautiful plant from the nursery and plant it in mere sand, it will soon wither and die, because there is nothing nourishing or substantial for the roots to gain and support the plant. But if you take that same plant and place it in the same hole with a base of about 12-20 inches of enriched potting soil and some type of fertilizer, you will see a much better result with that plant. Similarly, when we plant our roots in the Lord Jesus Christ and depend on His strength, His wisdom and His guidance, our lives will flourish with His great love! This will further result in lives that overflow in joy and thanksgiving! Lives that look to the Creator of this world, and the Master of our lives for all things, so that we may live according to His awesome plan and for His ultimate glory. Living like this helps us to look on challenges with a new perspective – another opportunity to see God’s hand at work for His dear children, for we know who wins, so we prepare for the joy and thanksgiving that awaits us. Please remember dear friends, that these ‘opportunities’ by God are not directed by us, nor might they come with the same results that we request. Thank God for that, because we are limited in our foresight, but He knows all things, and that all things work together for good when we trust in His power and His answers!

Prayer

Dear God, please forgive us for always looking at our circumstances though the darkened eyes of failure and on life’s challenges through the sad and weak eyes of this world filled with impossibilities. Our hope is in You Lord, and should therefore be filled with the powerful and awesome expectations of a Savior who was victorious over death and the grave! Please continue to work on us Lord, for our doubt and fear comes from the evil one, in his effort to distract us and divide us in our relationship with You. In You, we have nothing to fear, but we need Your strength to keep us focused on our true source of hope – on You, in every turn of life. May we grow deep into all that You have to offer us as Lord, so that You may be evident to all those we come into contact with. May You be glorified though our actions and our character every day, AMEN!

Footnote

Standing In The Presence of The Almighty God

On 2016-09-24 By Ed AlgreenIn Believe, Christian, Hope, Know and BelieveLeave a comment

Saturday, 2016-09-24

Scripture

Bible Reference: Colossians 1:21-23

Bible Text: ²¹ You used to be far from God. Your thoughts made you his enemies, and you did evil things. ²² But his Son became a human and died. So God made peace with you, and now he lets you stand in his presence as people who are holy and faultless and innocent. ²³ But you must stay deeply rooted and firm in your faith. You must not give up the hope you received when you heard the good news.

Bible Translation: Contemporary English Version (CEV)

My Take

I believe that any person that you walk up to and ask how they would feel about standing before the throne of God today, may respond in varying ways about where they think they are with God. However, in this scripture today you will see that God clarifies this for those who may be uncertain, or who refuse to face the reality of the gospel. Here’s what I see from the Word of God in these verses in Colossians:

Before Christ: This pertains to those who have not accepted Jesus as their personal Savior. The Word says that you are ‘far from God’, or enemies of God – and because of your evil thoughts and actions, you do evil things, or ungodly things, or things that displease God;

In Christ: This includes those who have accepted the sacrificed lamb (Jesus), who was sacrificed at Calvary for the sins of the world. Those who accept Jesus in appreciation for His sacrifice, are welcomed by the Father (God) and looked upon as ‘holy’, ‘faultless’ and ‘innocent’. Friends, I don’t know about you, but because we are incapable of that kind of sacrificial and unconditional love, that is challenging for us to wrap our minds around. But the Word speaks Truth and I truly believe that God loves us enough that He would do exactly what He says in His Word! So because of our obedience, I believe that we are found righteous before God. However, there is one more piece of advise to us –

After being united with Christ: As normal human beings, we often tend to wander back into our old habits. Often we will make decisions because of our current circumstances, then soften our stand as life returns to normal for us. We are warned by the Word, that we are to stay grounded, or deeply rooted in our faith. We can do this through habitually reading the Word of God so that we may be reminded of God’s goodness, love and concern for us. It is also important for us to attend a local Bible believing church where we might encourage others, and allow them to encourage us, plus receive further learning from God’s Word, or a better understanding of what it means. But in all that we do, let us remember the hope that is ours in knowing the Lord Jesus Christ! May others see and believe in Jesus because of the hope they see in us!

Prayer

Lord Jesus, thank You for the awesome sacrifice You made for our benefit. Some who read this devotional today will be in various steps of the above decision making, please speak to the hearts of those who read this. Especially speak strongly to those who artificially place themselves in the wrong category of relationship with You, for I know that only the plain open truth and honesty of our life’s decisions will matter. May our hearts be touched to draw closer to You and intentional in knowing You personally and wholeheartedly. I ask these things because of the truth of Your Word, AMEN!

Footnote

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

Love Like This…

On 2016-09-212016-09-21 By Ed AlgreenIn Love, Love of God, Love others, Love your Neighbor, The Father's Love, Unconditional loveLeave a comment

Wednesday, 2016-09-21

Scripture

Bible Reference: Ephesians 5:1-2

Bible Text: Watch what God does, and then you do it, like children who learn proper behavior from their parents. Mostly what God does is love you. Keep company with him and learn a life of love. Observe how Christ loved us. His love was not cautious but extravagant. He didn’t love in order to get something from us but to give everything of himself to us. Love like that.

Bible Translation: The Message (MSG)

My Take

No doubt some of my readers have said it before, and if you didn’t say it then you probably thought it, ‘I will resume friendship with that individual, but I will be fully guarded at all times (cautious)’, but isn’t it interesting how God chose to show us in these verses exactly how we are to handle such situations? Friends, when God sent His Son as a child in Bethlehem, it was for the benefit of the whole world – as the that little Sunday School song reads – “red and yellow, black and white, all are precious in His sight, Jesus loves the little children of the world” – all children! When Jesus was led to the cross of Calvary, it was for all who believe on Him – no conditions other than that noted. In these verses today, Paul is reminding his readers that God was not cautious about His love for us, but instead showed every sign of extravagance in loving even the unlovable. He went to the cross knowing that it was for those who refused to accept Him, or were unlovable to His kids. Paul encouraged us to not look at our neighbor who also struggles to show genuine love, but to imitate God for the unconditional, extravagant, wholehearted love that He displayed, and continues to display for us every day. So when we find ourselves struggling to love someone, let’s ask God to help us love like He did – that perfect, unadulterated, uncompromising, unselfish, love for all mankind. He did it, and as His children – fully dependent on Him and aiming to follow His example, we can do it also. Commit yourselves to Him in wanting to love like He did, and ask for His help and guidance to do so, won’t you?

Prayer

Father it is humbling to be reminded that You created us to love and worship You, yet we fail so miserably at that. You created us to love one another, yet we fail so miserably at that, and try to place ourselves above our neighbor, our friends, and those we come into contact with. Please forgive us Lord, and help us to stay so intimately in Your Word that it will have a lasting impact on our actions and our sometimes misguided thoughts and deeds. We really want to be like You Jesus – our example and our guide. For You not only instructed us, but You showed us through Your actions how we are to love one another. Please keep us accountable for all that You have taught us to do and say. May the words of our mouth, and the meditation of our heart be acceptable to You oh Lord, and for Your glory alone, AMEN!