Actions That Lead to Happiness in The Lord

On 2015-01-222015-01-22 By Ed AlgreenIn Follow JesusLeave a comment

The Holy Bible (Contemporary English Version – Colossians 2:6-7 ): ⁶You have accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord. Now keep on following him. ⁷Plant your roots in Christ and let him be the foundation for your life. Be strong in your faith, just as you were taught. And be grateful.

Thoughts: When certain events occur in our lives, whether it’s a new job; marriage; new baby or whatever, we don’t just accept the event, then sit back and wait to see how it affects our lives. We deliberately become involved and take our positions of responsibility. Similarly, one of the greatest miracles that can happen in a person’s life is the moment that God intervenes in the middle of their life of sin, and draws them to Himself. I have called this a miracle, because once we reach the age of decision-making and we are presented with the gospel, we decide whether we will accept Jesus, the Savior who could turn our lives around, or whether we will continue to live in sin. At this point, sin has such a tug on our lives that it takes the miraculous hand of God to not only convince us, but to also help us make a total turnaround. Once we make this decision, we need new instructions on how to live, and Paul has done a wonderful job of explaining that for the new Christian, or reminding us older ones of what we should be doing. Let me expound on his teaching:

Keep on following Jesus – this sounds like a simple idea, but I believe Paul is telling us that, all of our lives have been spent serving Satan and that’s the only way of life that we know. So our decision to follow Jesus is not just a split second decision, but one that requires change, and one that changes our allegiance. In other words, don’t make the decision and continue doing what you’ve always done. Rather, serve the one to whom you have just committed to serve;
Plant your roots in Christ and let Him be your foundation – Roots gain their strength from the ground in which they are planted, and in that rich, nourishing environment they find their stability for the whole tree, or plant, they will develop. So it is with Christ, as we plant our faith and trust in Him and allow Him to be our foundation, we too will rise to new heights in our Christian walk, and our lives will demonstrate the love of Christ who supports our root system and directs our growth and witness;
Be strong in faith, as taught – I believe that Paul is indicating here that it is important that we find ourselves in a constant mode of learning, so that our faith and our growth will not be hindered. I also believe that as we practice our faith and witness God being evident in and through us, we will become stronger in our faith and able to help encourage others;
Be grateful – Other scriptures will teach us in very similar terms, to be thankful in all things. This means that we are to give thanks in and through the good times we experience, and in the most challenging times. Because in both scenarios others watching us will see that we always serve God, not just during the times that everything is going well for us.

Friends, if you have not yet surrendered your life to the Lord Jesus Christ, then I believe that God’s Holy Spirit is already dealing with you on the matter, otherwise you wouldn’t be reading this devotional. My greatest recommendation to you, in love, is that you read the “Footnote” carefully and follow through on a decision to accept this Jesus whom I serve. For others who at some time in your lifetime have accepted Jesus, but really feel empty inside. Please read and re-read this passage, then ask God to open your eyes, heart and mind so that you can see clearly what needs to happen in your life so that you can follow Paul’s directions in these verses and mature in Christ. You’ll be a much happier person when you are obedient to the One you have invited to lead your life!

Prayer: Lord, I believe that some of our best seller books today are probably the ones that show us how to live happier and more fulfilled lives. Yet in Your Word You have clearly shown us how to do that. Thank You for these encouraging words this morning. I pray that as I pin these steps to my heart You will strengthen me with the will and desire to grow stronger in You today and every day that follows. I also pray that as You have guided my thoughts in writing this blog today, so You will also impact the lives of those who read it. May they allow Your sweet Holy Spirit to work miraculously in their lives today and show them the path they should follow in order that their lives might truly and honestly worship and glorify You, and make you a priority in their lives. May the unsaved or uncommitted find new life and new purpose in accepting and knowing You today, is my sincere and respectful prayer that I ask in Your precious name, oh Lord, my Rock and my Salvation, AMEN!

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

Dependence on God

On 2015-01-212015-01-21 By Ed AlgreenIn Dependence, OvercomersLeave a comment

The Holy Bible (Contemporary English Version – Isaiah 40:29-31): ²⁹ The Lord gives strength to those who are weary. ³⁰ Even young people get tired, then stumble and fall. ³¹ But those who trust the Lord will find new strength. They will be strong like eagles soaring upward on wings; they will walk and run without getting tired.

Thoughts: I remember my parents emphasizing to me that I should wait for them before doing some things that really made them nervous. I remember coaching my daughter to do the same. However the one being coached is usually the one trying to be independent and do things on their own, and of course the ones that wind up learning from their mistakes or possibly even getting hurt. But isn’t it interesting that we who try to help, guide and protect our young, find it so difficult to place our faith and our trust in our God who loves us and wants to help, guide and protect us? Like our kids, we still fight for our independence and often live in unbelief, pride and self-confidence. We try to do things in our own limited strength that often results in failure and moving in a direction out of God’s will. This scripture is encouraging us to live life to its fullest by trusting in God, allowing Him to control us and our situations, so that we can find new strength for the day, so that we can soar above our problems and enjoy this walk of life without tiring. Friends, our dependence on God can give us independence from all that this world burdens us with each day. This is the way for us to follow. Will you recommit with me by surrendering our lives, our challenges and our struggles to God and totally trust Him to guide us through? It’s only then that we will soar above the concerns of this life and look forward in peace to all that God has in store for us!

Prayer: Lord God, it has become increasingly challenging to trust others, because of past disappointments, but thank You for Your precious Word today that has reminded me that I can place my full faith and trust in You. This world has proven to be way more than I can handle on my own, so please help me to stay focused on the truth of Your Word, and to depend on You for renewed strength each day. I want to soar above the troubles and challenges of this life, but I need Your wings to do this. You are my strength when I am weak, my sight when I am blinded by the enemy and my hope when everything seems so out of control and hopeless. Please use Your Word to encourage all that might read this devotional today. Please direct ones to read this who need encouragement or a sense of redirection in their life today. Teach us to be totally dependent on You, so that we may soar above the challenges of this life. May You receive praise and glory from all that is accomplished in our lives today, for it is in the name of Jesus Christ that I ask it, AMEN!

Deeply Rooted and Firm in Our Faith

On 2015-01-202015-01-20 By Ed AlgreenIn Deeply Rooted, FirmLeave a comment

The Holy Bible (Contemporary English Bible – Colossians 1:21-23): 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.

Thoughts:Paul was reminding believers that all of us were created by Christ, but we have strayed far away from Him. So God sent His Son to die on Calvary so that all of us might be reunited with Him and live in harmony with Him once again. However for those of us that have accepted Him as our Lord and Savior and became reunited with Christ, we must learn to live in this old world of sin and strife, but with our eyes fixed on Christ. In fact, living our new, holy, faultless and innocent lives requires our ongoing commitment, as God is key to helping us accomplish that type of life. I liken it to marriage, where couples need to constantly work on their life together. It is not like the older gentleman responded to a question about how often does he tell his wife that he loves her, and he responded “I told her once at the altar, and if anything changes I’ll tell her at that time”!! Friends, I believe that the Holy Spirit is teaching us through the words of Paul, that we are to put on our spiritual armor every day to fight the temptation and evil of the devil. That we are to recognize the powers of God and His righteousness and be ready to use this as our defense as the evil one comes against us. In doing this, we are not only protecting ourselves from the evil one, but we are expressing to the unsaved world how precious the gift is that we claim in Jesus, that we would build a defense against outside erosion factors. Friends Jesus loves us enough that He died sacrificially on a cross for our sins and our future with He and His Father. Is it really too much to ask for us to be loyal, defensive and awesome witnesses of His great love? Satan will tempt us to think that way, but let me remind you: “greater is He that is in us, than he that is in the world”! If you are reading this today and cannot identify with the love, sacrifice and provision that I speak about here, please allow me the honor to introduce you to my Savior! Please read the ‘Footnote’ for instructions. This could be the best day of your life!

Prayer: Lord Jesus, staying deeply rooted and firm in my faith does not happen automatically, for I believe that You expect me to re energize my mind with the things I can learn from Your Word, and from Your character exampled for us throughout the pages of Your Word. This not only requires faith, but also a desire to personally do our part to grow in our faith and to keep our eyes and minds fixed on You. Please teach us to pray like never before, and please help us to be so much like You that our unsaved loved ones will want to know You also. Help us to put on our spiritual armor every day so that we can fight off the temptations and leadership of Satan that he will try to impose upon us. Please speak gently, but firmly to the unsaved or uncommitted friend who will read this devotional today. May this be the day of salvation for them. Drawing nearer to You means filling ourselves with more of You. May we be very guilty of this act, is my sincere prayer that I ask in the name of Jesus, with thanksgiving, AMEN!

A Sacred Highway

On 2015-01-162015-01-16 By Ed AlgreenIn SalvationLeave a comment

The Holy Bible
(Contemporary English Bible – Isaiah 35:8-10): ⁸A good road will be there, and it will be named “God’s Sacred Highway.” It will be for God’s people; no one unfit to worship God will walk on that road. And no fools can travel on that highway. ⁹No lions or other wild animals will come near that road; only those the Lord has saved will travel there. ¹⁰The people the Lord has rescued will come back singing as they enter Zion. Happiness will be a crown they will always wear. They will celebrate and shout because all sorrows and worries will be gone far away.

Thoughts: The prophet Isaiah was gifted and led by God to give us a glimpse of what children of God could expect when we leave this world. I am so tired of all the crime, the hurts, the acts of Satan at every turn, that I’m afraid will only get worse for us while still here on this old earth. However, we know that God is preparing a place for us, those who have accepted Him as Lord and King of our lives, to spend eternity with Him in heaven. Throughout the book of Revelation, we see additional insights on what we might expect, but in reading this passage in Isaiah, I was overjoyed to see that God had really been giving us a ‘visual’ quite a long time ago. I was also fascinated to note the amazing agreement by God’s messengers, for Isaiah’s prophecy is very much along the lines of what we read and understand from other parts of the Bible!

Here are some points that excited me:

God’s Sacred Highway – the highway name alone reminds me that God is preparing a neat place for His children to travel. To think of a highway for His kids makes me feel like I am so special to Him that He wants to roll out the red carpet for my arrival – a special road just for us!!
Exclusively for Christians – All the preaching and evangelizing we have ever heard comes to reality in the exclusivity mentioned here, for we are constantly reminded here on earth that only those who have surrendered their hearts and lives to Jesus will be saved. This confirms the words of our pastors, preachers and evangelists who has our best interest at heart each week as they stand in front of us an preach the gospel!
No fools allowed – I don’t believe that God is finding bad names to give those who don’t necessarily see everything as He does, however I believe that there are many who try to fool family, friends, pastors and even God into believing that they are saved – by their giving, or their church attendance or by the way that they take care of ones they love. I believe that God sees such folk as ‘fools’ because nothing is hid from Him. He knows our heart – the very core of mankind. Yes, even ‘fools’ will be surfaced on that day and rejected by God, as He will do with all who never claimed Him as Lord.
No threats – We see and hear about a lot of threats to Christians today, with some being murdered for their persistent faith in God. In vs 9 we are reminded that God’s Sacred Highway will be safe from dangers that frighten and/or hurt us!
Pure happiness and joy – I get excited just thinking about it, but Isaiah tells us that we will wear a crown of happiness and celebrate endlessly because all sorrows and worries will be gone forever! Praise the name of the Lord!!

When we think of traveling, we get anxious about visiting beautiful places, then we immediately start asking when, and how quickly can we begin traveling. For those that fear the arrival of this important day, you may worry how much longer do you have before you need to make a decision. Friends, the Bible is clear in saying that no man knows the hour or the day. That tells me that this could occur before you ever get to read this devotional, or it may be any number of days away. When I’m about to take a trip, I start early to make preparations. I would urge you to do the same, otherwise you may never get the opportunity to. Please see the information in my ‘Footnote’ below to help you prepare.

Prayer: Lord, You know how badly some of us live to just see retirement from regular work here on earth, so I’m sure You are well aware of the excitement that builds in the heart of a Christian when we are reminded, and think about our retirement from this earth, to graduate on to glory to be with You! This scripture given through the prophet Isaiah has done just that dear Lord, and I thank You for not only the reminder, but also for the provision You have made for me! Oh, What a Savior, Oh Hallelujah! Thank You Lord for Your mercies on me! Dear Jesus, I pray that You might use this reminder to speak to the hearts of the undecided or the procrastinators. May this be the day of decision and commitment for them. Please use Your servant today in ways that might help an unsaved person to make this most important decision in their life. You are God alone, and only You can touch the heart of a person, may this be a productive day for You in the hearts of my unsaved family and friends and for all who You will cause to stumble across this devotional on the world wide web. All glory and honor to You oh King! Thank You for hearing my prayer that I ask in Your precious and holy name, AMEN!

Contented

On 2015-01-152015-01-15 By Ed AlgreenIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

The Holy Bible (Contemporary English Version – Philippians 4:11-13): ¹¹I am not complaining about having too little. I have learned to be satisfied with whatever I have. ¹²I know what it is to be poor or to have plenty, and I have lived under all kinds of conditions. I know what it means to be full or to be hungry, to have too much or too little. ¹³Christ gives me the strength to face anything.

Thoughts: I would imagine that if someone asked us today what they might give us to enhance our happiness and contentment, we would have a long laundry list, right? Now for a moment, take time to consider what Paul said in verse ‘4’ of this chapter and what he followed up on in the verses referenced above and decide, then let us conclude which of the times in Paul’s life was he happiest. Doesn’t it seem like Paul was indicating that he could care less about the material things of this earth but that it was the deep spiritual contentment of God that truly made all the difference for him? It would appear that he gained his independence from his dependence on God! You might recall that even under the circumstances of imprisonment Paul was still content/happy. In fact, the very guards who had responsibility for his imprisonment were converted as a result of Paul’s preaching and his witness to them. Friends, I believe that we must come to a maturity level in our relationship with God that we can honestly say as Paul did in the very last verse above, it is Christ who gives me strength each day. It is He who saved me and He who protects, guards, loves and directs me daily, enabling me to face anything that comes my way. Enough of the pity party that many of us resort to. It is Christ who gives us strength and a deep happiness in knowing that He will be with us until the end – through the good and bad of this life. We are children of the King! What more can we ask for? Let’s learn to place our total faith and total trust in our Savior, the One who died on Calvary’s cross especially for our eternal happiness! If you are not experiencing this outstanding happiness today, please allow me to refer you to the ‘Footnote’ below for directions on obtaining this assurance.

Prayer: With the assurance given to us in Your Word, oh Lord, we should have no reason to be discontent. Most of us cannot identify with the serious ups and downs that Paul experienced, because You have been so merciful to us. Please forgive us for whining anyway. May we truly dig into Your Word, may we truly let Your Word minister to us, so that we may catch a glimpse, or be reminded of the many ways that You have expressed Your love for us, and how You continue to look out for us each and every day. May we learn to be content in all things, because of our relationship with You, as You are of greater importance than the sum total of everything else that we might consider as aids for our happiness. Thank You Lord for all You have done and provided for me. May I be faithful in my love and servitude, giving You praise and thanksgiving always. Please speak to all reading this devotional today. May they be drawn to You, or into a closer walk with You. For I ask all this in faith, and in the name of Jesus Christ, my king, my Lord and my Savior, AMEN!

How to Live

On 2015-01-142015-01-14 By Ed AlgreenIn Holy LivingLeave a comment

The Holy Bible (Contemporary English Version – Philippians 4:5-8): ⁵Always be gentle with others. The Lord will soon be here. ⁶Don’t worry about anything, but pray about everything. With thankful hearts offer up your prayers and requests to God. ⁷Then, because you belong to Christ Jesus, God will bless you with peace that no one can completely understand. And this peace will control the way you think and feel. ⁸Finally, my friends, keep your minds on whatever is true, pure, right, holy, friendly, and proper. Don’t ever stop thinking about what is truly worthwhile and worthy of praise.

Thoughts: From time to time I will come across a ‘Nugget’, as evident in these verses, and I will print it out and tape it to my monitor at work as a constant reminder. This would be a great example, as Satan constantly attempts to throw us off track in our Christian walk each day and destroy our witness in any way possible. Paul is giving us some tips on godly living that has helped him, for he said that we can follow his example. So although this might seem repetitious, I want to expound briefly on the tips given by Paul:

Always be gentle, or patient with others – Be willing and ready to set aside your agenda for the good of others, as this will better display the message of the gospel to them. Don’t let them find you as selfish and impatient as everyone else they come across. Show them the love of Jesus;
Don’t worry – The Christian has the awesome resource of Jesus Christ at hand, so if we trust Him to save us, and if we trust him enough to pray to Him, then why would one worry? If we truly believe in Him, we must trust Him for all things and in every circumstance;
Pray from a thankful heart – Someone once said, don’t whine over the one broken arm when you can be thanking God for the proper use of the other arm! As we look around us, we often see others who are much worse off than we are. Furthermore, we are really undeserving of anything from God, after all, who caused the death of His precious Son on the cross? Let us therefore always be thankful and appreciative for all things, for our God is SO GOOD to us!
Keep our minds filled with the character of Jesus – Everything that is true, pure, right, holy, friendly and proper;
Never stop thinking about these true and worthwhile things – For they lead to joy, praise and thanksgiving.

Friends, don’t you know that this wicked world will look strangely at us when we follow Paul’s teaching/tips? However the bottom line is that they will know that there is something different about us. Some supernatural power within us that helps us, and drives us to think differently and act just the opposite from the evil and wicked minds of the unsaved. They will want to know more about the One who controls and leads us!

Now, for my friend reading this devotional who might wonder if we belong to a ‘closed’ or ‘exclusive’ club, I will refer you to John 3:16 that plainly tells us that Jesus came so that whosoever believes on Him will be saved. This means that you too can join the redeemed of the Lord, receive power to live like explained above, and live with the joy of knowing that one day soon you too will rejoice around the throne of God with all the saved of this world. It is very important that you don’t delay your request for salvation friend, for none of us know the day or the hour that Jesus will call us home, or that He might return to gather up His saints and take us on home to be with Him. Therefore, may I urge you to be prepared at all times, even today! Please review my tips in the ‘Footnote’ to help you with this very important decision.

Prayer: I am constantly amazed by the awesome love You showed on Calvary dear Lord, so that my sins might be forgiven and therefore receive the promise of eternal life with You in glory one day! Thank You, thank You, thank You! I am also appreciative of Your Word and all that You led saints, such as Paul, to write for our encouragement and direction so that we might live holy lives that lead others to the foot of the cross where we surrendered ourselves to You as our Savior. Living in this manner requires greater strength than we can muster up oh Lord, so I beg You to provide the strength, the power, the boldness and the direction so that we might be like You in every aspect of our lives. May others see, hear and feel the love of Jesus when they are around us. May we represent You unashamedly and with great pleasure, is my humble plea that I ask in the holy and wonderful name of Jesus, my King, AMEN!

Living ‘Garbage Free’ Lives

On 2015-01-122015-01-12 By Ed AlgreenIn Garbage, Overcomer, SinLeave a comment

The Holy Bible (Contemporary English Version – Philippians 3:8-10): ⁸Nothing is as wonderful as knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. I have given up everything else and count it all as garbage. All I want is Christ ⁹and to know that I belong to him. I could not make myself acceptable to God by obeying the Law of Moses. God accepted me simply because of my faith in Christ. ¹⁰All I want is to know Christ and the power that raised him to life.

Thoughts: Some of us are living ‘on top of the world’ – having the time of our lives with great jobs, awesome friends, lots of ‘things’ for entertainment and/or enjoyment. However, there are some who are struggling to make it each day because of just the opposite. At the foot of the cross, both types of individuals come with the same problem if they have yet to accept Jesus as Lord, for they come to the cross laden in sin. Believe it or not, Paul (aka Saul) was the chiefest of sinners in his day, yet God uses him to show us through this scripture that just as Paul surrendered, or gave up everything to follow Him, so will we have to give up the sin in our lives. Often this involves the things that have always led us to sin, or distracted us from knowing God. This challenged me, and I am sharing this with you so that you may be challenged, to think about this also. What is there in our lives that hinders our relationship with God? Is it time to throw out the ‘garbage’ so that our minds and our lives might be freed of the pull of sin? This could be hindering your acceptance of the Lord, or if we know Him already, this could be distracting and/or hindering our intimacy with Him. For a moment, I want you to commit with me, as Paul did in verse 10. Now this means that starting from your current place in life, your goal is to reach the finish line in life at a point where you will stand before God without any fear of rejection or penalty from Him. Those distractions that you will face from point ‘A’ to point ‘B’ are the sins that we have to watch out for, and avoid, each day. Will you join me in going before Jesus each and every day to ask for His strength, His guidance and His power to overcome the ‘garbage’ that will try to trip us up each day? For we want to see Jesus! We want to know Him and the awesome power that raised Him to life! Let us therefore run this race of life with God at the center of all we do. Let us lean on His awesome power to help us stay ‘garbage free’ and strive to serve Him faithfully each and every day!

Prayer: Lord You have allowed us to stay on this earth so that we might represent You to others who need Jesus. You know all about the ‘garbage’ that we have allowed to enter our lives that really stinks and repels the sinner from wanting to know You. We are ashamed that we have been so weak and ineffective. I was convinced in Your Word today that others, in the heart of a ‘garbage’ pile, really don’t want more ‘garbage’, for they are looking for a way out, a cleansing, a new and better life. Lord Jesus, You are the Way, the Truth and the Life for those looking for a new life. Thank You for opening my eyes to this truth over 30 years ago. Please help me to keep my eyes and my life fixed on You and determined to avoid the ‘garbage’ that will easily and quickly pollute my life. Please touch the lives of my readers with a renewed desire to know You and to live for You in a closer and more dedicated way. May Christians today truly represent the God of their Christianity and fight off the distractions of the ‘garbage’ that will try to trip them up and distract their walk with You. Please touch the hearts of those that do not know You with a softened heart and a strong determination to dump the ‘garbage’ in their lives and refill it with Your holiness, love and compassion. I ask all this in faith, believing in the Son of God, for it is only He that can help us be all that He desires of us. AMEN!

How To Live Innocent, Pure and Effective Lives

On 2015-01-082015-01-08 By Ed AlgreenIn Commitment, LightLeave a comment

The Holy Bible (New Living Translation – Philippians 2:14-16a): ¹⁴Do everything without complaining and arguing, ¹⁵so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people. ¹⁶Hold firmly to the word of life;

Thoughts: I don’t believe there is a person on earth that would not want to live their lives with purpose and in a way that would impact someone else in a positive way. I believe that some of the bestselling books are those written to show people how they might improve their lives to be more effective in their jobs and in their personal relationships. Perhaps most folk are unaware of Biblical teachings, such as the one highlighted today, that do exactly what they are looking for! So friends let’s dig in and examine what the Word is actually directing us to do in order to live innocent, pure and effective lives:

First, and of primary importance, do everything without complaining and arguing. – I believe it is obvious to see that not only does this interfere in our growth and effectiveness today, but that Paul addressed this with His church followers because of issues in the church back then. Think about this good friend, and I believe that you will quickly see that this type of behavior only serves to tear down and not build up. It is generally egged on by Satan to destroy the effectiveness of God’s work among His people. So anytime you find yourself participating in something like this, please quickly recognize that you are not promoting an innocent, pure and effective work that shows God at work in your life;
Secondly, when others cannot see any difference in the life you live versus those that do not claim Jesus as Lord, then I would dare say that you have lost touch with the One who makes a difference in your life. For when Jesus lights up your life, through living in You and showing you the way to righteousness, your life will be a stark contrast to the unsaved that you come into contact with. People might explain a stark difference in two things as “difference between day and night”. Similarly, you can also see from verse 15 above that God is expecting our lives to be in such contrast to the darkness of sin in an unbeliever’s life, as a shining light is to one in their dark world of sin and disregard for the things of Christ. And
Thirdly, our strength to be effective comes from the Lord. So hold firmly to the Word of God. This is not a paper book being referred to here. This means that we are to hold on to the truths taught by and through the Word of God. When we live by the Spirit, He will be more apt to affect the lives of others through us, but when we exclude Him, we are powerless.

For the Christian, I believe that your challenge is to live the life you have committed to live in Christ’s wisdom and power so that we might all be effective witnesses for our Master. For the non-Christian, there is a better way friend! To live life to its fullest and to enjoy the rewards of sharing light and hope to your lost friends, I would encourage you to first surrender your life to the Light of this world, Jesus Christ. Please read through the ‘Footnote’ below for help on how you might do this. Friend, I am always available and ready to help you in any way that I could, in order that you might achieve this eternal hope!

Prayer: Lord Jesus, Light of the world, thank You for shining Your precious light on me some 39 years ago, and for lighting my path every day, enabling me to live in the light of Your will. Please continue to touch me with Your power each and every day so that I may stay away from complaining and arguing, and instead live a clean and innocent life that exemplifies You in every way so that I may be a ‘light’, Your light, to the dark and miserable world that I am surrounded by. Please touch the hearts of my readers today so that they too might commit to being more effective ‘lights’ in their world, or if You are not known as a source of light to one that might stumble upon this devotional, I pray that You might have an awesome and life changing impact upon them today. Lord, may Your powerful ‘Light’ shine though us today, is my humble and sincere prayer that I ask in the name of Jesus, AMEN!

The Inside Man Is Shown To The Outside World

On 2015-01-072015-01-07 By Ed AlgreenIn WitnessingLeave a comment

The Holy Bible (New Living Translation- Philippians 2:12-13): Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. ¹³For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.

Thoughts: I believe that way too often we, who have placed our faith and trust in the Lord Jesus, confuse the idea of ‘works’ when it comes to our salvation. Let me explain. I am 100 percent in agreement that we cannot ‘work’ ourselves into heaven, and that it is only through the shed blood of Jesus Christ that we have a chance of seeing heaven. However, I am totally convinced that there should be lots of evidence of our salvation, and that this will often be revealed through our actions and/or our ‘works’ as a Christian. A life that has not been impacted by Jesus Christ, may not have Him as a vital part of their life. When I got married, anyone could tell I was a married man, not just because I had a ring on my finger, but through my talk, and my actions. Paul is teaching that we are to work hard at showing the unsaved world that we belong to Jesus. The results of our salvation is peace, love, joy, humbleness and forgiveness. I wonder if Jesus was to base your entrance into heaven based on the evidence shown to the world of your salvation, would He have enough evidence to let you in? This scripture is teaching us that God works in and through His children by not only giving them the desire to please Him, but also the power to accomplish the necessary actions. Friends, there was no shame or hesitant fear when Jesus was taken to Calvary to die for our sin. Why would you possibly find an excuse not to openly confess that He is your Lord and Master? Why would you restrain His mighty works through you? Please consider recommitting your life to Him today and giving Him complete control, so that His will might be accomplished through you? If all of this is pretty strange to a reader, let me encourage you to read the ‘Footnote’ below and take some first steps towards surrendering your life to Jesus Christ. All of which I have shared today comes after this initial, but vitally important step.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, Jesus my King, thank You for saving my soul, and thank You for all that You accomplish through me. I am somewhat ashamed at the lack of Christian evidence that others may always see in me, so I humbly ask Your forgiveness for the pride and fear of rejection that may often impede my witness. Thank You for the reassurance in vs 13 that You are constantly working in me and giving me power and the desire to always confess You as Lord, and to openly worship You and please You in every aspect of my life. Please don’t give up on me. Lord, I believe there will be readers meditating on this devotional today that are in various stages of life’s challenges. Please speak to their hearts and give them the peace and reassurance that You have blessed me with this morning. May we all be Your humble servants today, but ones that shine with the bright glory of our risen Christ, so that others will be encouraged to know You in a very personal and committed way. May we praise You today for who You are, and for all that You accomplish through us, for I ask all this in the name of my risen and everlasting Lord, AMEN!

The Most Intimate part of our Life!

On 2014-12-252014-12-25 By Ed AlgreenIn Christian, Christmas, LoveLeave a comment

The Holy Bible

²⁹Watch the way you talk. Let nothing foul or dirty come out of your mouth. Say only what helps, each word a gift.

³⁰Don’t grieve God. Don’t break his heart. His Holy Spirit, moving and breathing in you, is the most intimate part of your life, making you fit for himself. Don’t take such a gift for granted. ^31–32Make a clean break with all cutting, backbiting, profane talk. Be gentle with one another, sensitive. Forgive one another as quickly and thoroughly as God in Christ forgave you.

(Bible Translation and Location: The Message – Ephesians 4:29-32)

Thoughts:

No doubt Paul was facing challenges at the churches he was ministering at much like we experience today. However, what was made abundantly clear to me this morning as I read these verses is that we not only hurt our Brothers and Sisters by the things we say and do, but the Holy Spirit is very hurt by our harsh words and our unloving actions. The reason I believe that the Holy Spirit is grieved and disappointed in us, is that God the Father sacrificed His one and only Son in order that we might have a new life in Him, one that is free from the filth and dirt of a world stained by Satan. It just crushes the heart of my Savior when, from all appearances, we have disregarded this precious gift of God, and still continue to live like the devil. Worse still, God expects this type behavior out of those who know no better, because they don’t know Him nor His expectation for their life. However, the real disappointment comes when a person says ‘yes’ to Jesus and then continue on with their old lifestyle. It’s like saying to God, this is my life and I will live it as I please. Friends, as children of God, we not only have His assurance of being always present in us and with us through every circumstance in life, but we are also endowed with:

His love – to love others in the same way that He first loved us;
His power – to overcome the Evil one and all the distractions and attractions of this world;
His humility – to love even the person that may have hurt us or tried to humiliate us; and
His understanding – that opens our eyes to right vs wrong; love vs hatred; peace vs war/envy/strife.

Friends, I believe it is suffice to say that with God’s Holy Spirit residing inside of us, there is nothing that we can’t overcome and nothing that prevents us from showing the love of Christ to all that we come into contact with. We celebrate Christmas because of the precious gift given to us through the Lord Jesus, so that we might be overcomers; children of God and one with Him. Let’s choose to die to our old selves and allow the Holy Spirit to fill us with His qualities, so that we may represent Him before a lost and dying world, won’t you?

Prayer:

Lord, You gave us the greatest gift possible when You sent Your Son as a child in Bethlehem. For at that time You purposed in Your heart that Jesus would be our SAVIOR. You did this in spite of our sin, our unworthiness and our nature. It was mere love for a race that You created to love, honor and worship You, however a race but still chose to do otherwise. With this type love as a backdrop in our lives, please help us to always strive towards imitating that type love. Your ultimate love was shown on the cross, where You allowed the ugliness of sin and darkness to win, so that Your life might be sacrificed for mankind. Please help us to sacrifice all that we feel is important to us, and instead allow Your love to envelope us and express itself through us, so that others will see Jesus in us and want to know Him personally! Jesus, thank You for coming to earth, so that we may one day come to heaven to live with You forever! I love You Lord, and I ask all these things believing in You, AMEN!

Nuggets From God's Word

Tag: Savior