Tag: Savior

Serious Practical Godliness

On By Ed AlgreenIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

The Holy Bible

13 You were indeed called to be free, brothers and sisters. Don’t turn this freedom into an excuse for your corrupt nature to express itself. Rather, serve each other through love. 14 All of Moses’ Teachings are summarized in a single statement, “Love your neighbor as you love yourself.” 15 But if you criticize and attack each other, be careful that you don’t destroy each other. 16 Let me explain further. Live your life as your spiritual nature directs you. Then you will never follow through on what your corrupt nature wants.

(Bible Translation and Location: God’s Word Translation – Galatians 5:13-16)

Thoughts:

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we always followed that adage WWJD, before we fire back with some of our worldly comments or reactions? I would dare say that unless we fill ourselves with God’s Word, and unless we deliberately take aim to follow in His ways daily, then our minds are fed with the evil of this old world. Our reaction to things happening to us, or around us, is then marred by the evil of this world, rather than enriched by the teachings and example of Jesus. The unfortunate result is that we offer no real help to a situation already in trouble, we just add to the misery or degradation of circumstances that Satan has already provoked, and even spiraled out of control. Friends, we have been saved to follow the example and teachings of Jesus, and not to merely ‘egg on’ an already disastrous and deteriorating world. Paul teaches in verse 16 that we are to live as our spiritual life directs so that we will never follow through on what our corrupt nature wants. Let’s feed our spiritual life daily so that it might withstand the evil that we will face in this wicked world. Let’s take a stand for doing the will of God, and living out His character and teachings towards practical godly living in every form, every day in all that we face. This old world needs the freshness of a godly nature to shine through those who claim Christianity, so that the extreme negative and sinful actions that prevail might be challenged and overridden in the name of Jesus, and for His glory. Do you know this Jesus in a personal and meaningful way friend? If not, please use the information in the footnote to become acquainted with Him. He’s the best thing that could happen to any human this side of glory!

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, I believe that if we live like this world, we will see no improvement to what we encounter each day as a result of the sin that is so prevalent everywhere we turn. I firmly believe that You came to offer a better way, a different way, so that we might have hope for a brighter future – one that includes being by Your side in glory around the throne of God. Please impress upon Christians the reason that You came, the reason You saved them and the reason that we should strive daily to be more like You in our everyday walk and talk. Paul clearly stated that we should live in evidence of our spiritual walk and not like our old corrupt nature wants. Dear Jesus, please continue to impress upon us the need to be clear witnesses of the One to whom we belong. Please help us to fill ourselves with more of You every day so that we may overflow with Your goodness and shine in the godliness that Your Word teaches us. We are Your representatives, may we always leave no doubt in the minds of those that observe us. Please once again soften the hearts of those that may read this devotional today but who have not truly surrendered their lives wholeheartedly to You. May this be the day of salvation for them, is my humble and simple prayer today that I ask in the name of Jesus, 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!

Praise God, I’m a Child of the King!

On By Ed AlgreenIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

The Holy Bible

3 ….. We were once like children, slaves to the useless rules of this world. 4 But when the right time came, God sent his Son who was born of a woman and lived under the law. 5 God did this so he could buy freedom for those who were under the law and so we could become his children.

6 Since you are God’s children, God sent the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, and the Spirit cries out, “Father.” 7 So now you are not a slave; you are God’s child, and God will give you the blessing he promised, because you are his child.

(Bible Translation and Location: New Century Version – Galatians 4:3-7)

Thoughts:

The following seem to be general icebreaker questions, especially in a mixed crowd: “So where are you from?” or “Who do you belong to?” or “Who are your parents?” or “Do you have family around here?” These are fair questions, but wouldn’t it be a neat change to be asked “Are you my sibling in the Lord?” or “Are you a child of the King?” In the above verses you will notice that I bolded four inferences to us being ‘children of God’, and you will notice that this was quite intentional on God’s behalf. Friends, there is much to praise God about in acknowledging that you are a child of the King! However, don’t let’s overlook the responsibility that comes along with this kinship. Here are some thoughts:

  1. Freely acknowledge to whom you belong – there is every reason for us to live in a constant state of praise!
  2. Most heirs to the throne will one day rule in their kingdom – and we have been promised a similar reign! So be on your best behavior and represent the King and His kingdom well!
  3. Heirs are protected – God sent His very Spirit to dwell in us and to direct us into all truth and spiritual well-being. We are protected by His mighty hand!
  4. Heirs are representatives of the monarch
    – You will either act like the monarch, or otherwise let down the kingdom. Similarly in God’s kingdom, we will either be His loyal representative or known as a rebel and possibly working for the opposition – Satan.
  5. The rewards of heirs are outstanding – We are well aware of earthly rewards for royal families, but can you ever imagine the promised blessings referred to in verse 7 above? It’s not the streets of gold or the mansions on a hilltop, but the wonderful blessing of being in a place filled with God’s glory and the eternal presence of His Son, that fills my heart with joy!

Friends, we are a highly favored people! Let’s learn to live like that! Let’s take every opportunity to share the joy that fills our heart and the excitement of being God’s very own child. Remember, for those who have accepted Jesus as Lord of their life, they/we are children of the King of all kings! Glory to God in the highest!

Prayer:

Thank You Lord for honoring me with the title of sonship! Thank You for providing the means for salvation and the love that exceeds all other earthly love. Please touch the hearts of Your children today that may meditate on this devotional and remind them of the awesome love that they have in You. May this ‘Good News’ be an overriding factor in our busy lives throughout this busy season of the calendar, and may that news be expressed and very obvious to those that we come into contact with, so that they too may have a sincere desire to also know You before this year is over. Thank You Father! Thank You Jesus! Thank You to my Lord and Savior! All this I ask in the name of Jesus, the King, 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!

Make Yourself Accessible to All

On By Ed AlgreenIn AccessibleLeave a comment

The Holy Bible

24 So I decided there is nothing better than to enjoy food and drink and to find satisfaction in work. Then I realized that these pleasures are from the hand of God. 25 For who can eat or enjoy anything apart from him? 26 God gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy to those who please him.

(Bible Translation and Location: New Living Translation – Ecclesiastes 2:24-26)

Thoughts:

I am finding the book of Ecclesiastes an interesting read, as in general, it appears like such a downer! It appears like the writer sees life as such a struggle, and often very little hope. However, in these verses I found a lot of truth and wanted to share my thoughts. Often today when we hear about someone enjoying so much of life, it involves partying and carousing all night long with awful neglect of their family. But I was reminded in this passage that even to our good times, we need to stop and realize that these pleasures are from God’s hand. It is times such as this that cause us to stop and praise God for everything, for we realize that He is not just a God who waits to punish us or keep His thumb on us, but because of His sacrifice and love for us, He provides for our happiness and success also. Friends, I believe that it is time for Christians to enjoy God’s blessings. We can enjoy a great party without alcohol or abusive substances. Even at a party we can be a witness for God, for we can show where we can enjoy others while still serving God. Of course, I realize that there will come a time where you limit yourself to these activities to help avoid giving in to the ways of the world, however there is a fine line between enjoying each other’s company and making yourself available to witness and or counsel, and separating yourself from all activity in order to preserve your righteousness. For we may sometimes be so godly good that we are of no earthly use. Folk will talk and let friends in on their challenges if you are accessible, not if you place yourself at several levels above them in unreachable, or untouchable pride. Friends, while here on earth, let’s make ourselves of earthly use while representing the King of all kings and Lord of all lords.

Prayer:

Father in heaven, please work among your children each and every day so that we may be led to events and activities where we may be accessible to our unsaved friends and family. You were questioned about some of the homes and areas in which You visited, and I’m sure that we will be also, so we need to be convinced of Your direction so that we don’t make the mistake of pleasing self without any real benefit to Your kingdom work. I know that You will guide us along the right path. Please help us to be obedient and submissive to Your perfect will so that we can be at Your disposal as needed. Thank You for being my God and sending me a Savior, Your Son, to rescue me from this world of sin. Please use me, and other children of Yours, to reach the unsaved, especially during the remaining days of this year. I know You are coming soon, may we all be ready! I ask all this in the name of Your Son, Jesus, 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!

Confidence in Troubled Times

On By Ed AlgreenIn Bold Confidence, Relationship, TrustLeave a comment

The Holy Bible

4 I cry aloud to the Lord,
and He answers me from His holy mountain. Selah

5 I lie down and sleep;
I wake again because the Lord sustains me.

(Bible Translation and Location: Holman Christian Standard Bible – Psalm 3:4-5)

 Thoughts:

So often we share stories about things that have occurred in others’ lives, but have you ever noticed the difference when someone is telling you an experience from their own life? There’s a whole lot more passion, intimacy and convincing truth about what they are telling you from first-hand experience. Psalm 3 is one of these cases, for David was running from the onslaught of his son Absalom who had many warriors chasing his father to murder him. However, instead of the panic that most of us would find ourselves in, David finds peace and rest in the Creator of this universe, the One that David had proven as his God, even though everyone around him was telling him quite the different (see verse 2). Friends, it is virtually impossible to gain confidence in a stranger – someone you are meeting or addressing for the first time. So my first advice to you is to have a personal relationship with the one in whom you run to in times of trouble and despair. If you don’t know Jesus intimately, I would suggest that you follow the guidelines in my footnote. Secondly, you will quickly forget a person you’ve met if you don’t keep open communication with that person. Communication with God is through His Son, Jesus, and is possible through prayer, Bible study, praise and worship, fellowship with other saints, and acknowledging His presence and character in all things created. Through regular communion with God, You will quickly recognize His answers to your prayer requests, and you will learn to acknowledge His works rather than luck, chance or nature itself. In building this type of confidence, you too will be able to rest in God’s presence, know that He is God, and that He will work all things out for good, to those who place their faith and trust in Him.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, You alone are God, why then should we fear? I believe that for your saints, You have our very best interest at heart. Therefore may I ask that You humble me each day into accepting this truth and Your ultimate love for me. Help me to remember that my ways are not Your ways, so there will be times that You will direct my path in ways that I may never have even thought of, or asked for. Please help me to be more like David and to rest in the peace that You are God and I am not. That You will work things out for good and in ways that would bless me and not harm me. Life seems so challenging even to Christians who have a Father to rest their faith in. I struggle to imagine the enormous stress of my friends that try to do life all by themselves and without the advantage of having You, oh God, to lead them, protect them, comfort them and love them unconditionally. Please humble my family members that don’t yet know You so that they may refocus their lives towards You. Please speak gently to my friends who can’t see beyond their struggles to see a God who loves them beyond all measure. Having the confidence in the King of all kings, and the Master of this universe is more than we deserve, but all that we need oh God. Thank You for being my God! I praise You and ask all of these things in the wonderful and matchless name of Your Son, Jesus. 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!

Missed Opportunities

On By Ed AlgreenIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

The Holy Bible

As for those who were considered important in the church, their reputation doesn’t concern me. God isn’t impressed with mere appearances, and neither am I. And of course these leaders were able to add nothing to the message I had been preaching. It was soon evident that God had entrusted me with the same message to the non-Jews as Peter had been preaching to the Jews.

(Bible Translation and Location: The Message – Galatians 2:6-8)

Thoughts:

The small statement that I bolded is also translated “God has no favorites” (NLT) or “God does not judge by outward appearances” (GNT). However, how often do we snub our noses at that person who is trying to minister to us, because they’re not dressed the way that we picture a pastor, or worse still, how often do we miss ministry opportunities because we just can’t be seen associating with a known drinker, or just a sinner in general – you know the kind of folk that Jesus died for? What do we find to say to Jesus when He questions us on our actions? How do we feel when we hear about that same person dying without anyone else ever having the opportunity to share the gospel with them? Missed opportunities sting a lot friends. Most of us have such a fear about sharing with others, because we feel inadequate. First of all, we are inadequate, as we should never attempt witnessing without giving God the lead. Please don’t make it a ‘me’ thing! Secondly, fearing what others may think or say was actually covered in my reading in the Proverbs this morning: “It is dangerous to be concerned with what others think of you, but if you trust the Lord, you are safe.” (GNT – Proverbs 29:25). Let’s be careful to give God praise for all His mercies, and let’s stop focusing attention on ourselves. God, in His infinite mercy saved us, and it is He that could use us to minister to others, but we must be available to Him. Let’s use this week of Thanksgiving celebrations to truly open ourselves up to God, so that He might bless our family gatherings and each member present, in spite of what we know them to be away from the family! God so loved the world that He gave His only Son so that ALL might come to know Him! Let’s let Him do His thing in and through us this Thanksgiving holiday time!

Prayer:

Father, I am thankful for all that You have done for me, especially the sacrifice You made for me at Calvary, and I am also thankful for Your watchful, protective hand over me each and every day that I live. Please help me to not allow those blessings to just channel up inside, but to openly share with those in need. Those who see no hope for their future. Those who have no hope because they don’t even know You. Thank You for sending Paul to minister to so many in his day, and that his written words, under Your inspiration, can continue ministering to us today. Paul encountered challenges, but he quickly allowed You control of his situations. Lord, may we also surrender ourselves to You so that Your perfect will might be accomplished, and not just our selfish desires. My greatest desire is that all my family, friends and acquaintances will come to know You and live for You, so that we may one day all celebrate around Your throne in glory! I realize that You are all powerful and can touch the lives of each of these, but please empower me to do my part and to be obedient to Your voice and Your instructions, regardless of my impressions of the person. You are all powerful dear God, and I’m not, so I humbly ask that You answer my prayer today, for it’s in the name of Jesus, my merciful Savior that I ask all this, 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!

Promised Relief From This World!

On By Ed AlgreenIn SalvationLeave a comment

The Holy Bible

3 May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace. 4 Jesus gave his life for our sins, just as God our Father planned, in order to rescue us from this evil world in which we live.
5 All glory to God forever and ever! Amen.

(Bible Translation and Location: New Living Translation – Galatians 1:3-5)

Thoughts:

We see and hear so much in advertising about all that various products and vacations can do for us, but isn’t it interesting how we never see where something might help relieve our stresses about crime, hatred, personal vendettas, robberies and other things that trouble us every day? That’s why I believe God spoke to me so clearly and demanding in these verses today. Just imagine, God saw our stresses coming to the level where we’re at today, so He created a plan to rescue us out of this mess and take us on to glory with Him. To accomplish this, He had to provide a means for those who develop a desire for change. So at that first Christmas He arranged for His Son to be born, knowing that He would later allow Him to undergo intense pain and suffering, even to the point of death. However, God also provided a miraculous resurrection, so that those of us who believe on Him, would have our key to salvation from this wretched world, and would also rise again to be with the Lord! Oh What A Savior! Oh what a love! So are you ready for that kind of peace today friend? Yes, in the midst of our busyness, our fears, our disappointments and our uncertainties. This peace, this Savior that I already know, can be your Lord and Savior today. This is a peace that passeth all understanding or explanation, no matter how much I might try to convince you. Click on the link “To Know Jesus’ below and allow God to minister to you through the Bible verses included, for you too can also know Jesus in a very personal way!

Prayer:

Come Lord Jesus and give us relief from the stresses of this world, and the effects of sin on our lives. Thank You for patiently loving us, caring for us, directing us and providing the means for us to be with You eternally. Lord, You are good! Thank You! I am concerned for family and loved ones that have still not accepted You as their Lord and Savior, and therefore have no promise for tomorrow, and no hope for this life or the next. Please tender their hearts even now and draw them to You, their Creator, the only path to the Father. Jesus, I love You and so look forward to one day being relieved of all worry and concern, and replace that with fulltime worship at Your feet! I ask this believing, in the name of Jesus, the Christ, 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 I can pray with you and give you help and or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. I would also recommend the following resource to you: “To Know 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 my church home, Bible Fellowship Church, Sebring, FL!

Your Defense Against Satan

On By Ed AlgreenIn FaithLeave a comment

The Holy Bible

16 At all times carry faith as a shield; for with it you will be able to put out all the burning arrows shot by the Evil One.

(Bible Translation and Location: Good News Translation – Ephesians 6:16)

Thoughts:

I believe that our country is well prepared in defending us from the evil that others may want to inflict upon us because of hatred for one reason or another. However, as individuals, how prepared are we in defending ourselves against the evil, temptations and trials that come our way each day? Normally we would think of ‘burning arrows’ as something an enemy might shoot into the camp of an opposing group, and we could apply this verse, if taken out of context and on its own. However, the ‘faith’ being referenced in this verse is part of the armor of God that Paul is teaching us to put on each day so that we may remain protected and strong against the enemy, Satan. If taken literally, you might say that you’ve never been hit by an arrow! Therefore let me suggest to you what some of these ‘arrows’ might be that would cause Paul to suggest how we might defend ourselves:

  • Depression – I believe that there are probably more folk depressed today than ever before in history. Whether it’s due to their concern about their health, family, job, finances or any number of things;
  • Discouragement – It is so discouraging for us to work our buns off for 8-16 hours per day, and still wind up broke at the end of the pay-week, or feel unappreciated by our supervisor, or not to receive a raise for our hard work;
  • Disappointment – You didn’t win the award or the promotion that you worked so hard to achieve. You are not pleased with the spouse your child found to spend their lives with. You can’t retire as early as you had hoped to.

There are numerous other ‘arrows’ that Satan may send our way to distract us from the path to righteousness and faith in our Lord and Savior. However, as children of God, refreshed by the Word daily, we know that God is in control of our lives and the circumstances that might impact it. The ability to take hold of these promises and know that God will be, and do, all that He said He would, is accomplished through our faith in our Creator. This ‘faith’ is possible through our first-hand knowledge and trust in the God of this universe, please read ‘To Know God‘, and our daily walk, or relationship, with Jesus. With this ‘faith’ we can move mountains, per scripture, and we can put Satan at bay knowing that he is not in control of our lives, but instead Jesus, the Son of the living and all-powerful God is! Praise His holy name forever!!

Prayer:

Jesus, Savior, Lord, Son of God, we are often overwhelmed by the fiery arrows of Satan. Please help us to stay focused and know that our Deflector of those arrows, and our Defender is so much stronger, loving, caring and very capable of handling our defense against Satan. Please soften the hearts of those who might feel like their decision to accept You as Lord is one that is made and forgotten. Please encourage them into a daily, relational, personal interaction with You, and give them knowledge to know that it is only in, and through You, Your grace and Your power that we could ever expect to defend ourselves against the evil one. Lord, may this be a day that Your children will seek You, know You and worship You in all spirit and truth. May we renew our relationship with You and maintain a sweet daily communion with You so that our faith may be energized and reinvigorated to overcome Satan in his daily attacks on us. You are God alone, and in You I place my trust oh Lord! I ask all this in Your precious and most worthy name, 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 I can pray with you and give you help and or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. I would also recommend the following resource to you: “To Know 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 my church home, Bible Fellowship Church, Sebring, FL!

Change

On By Ed AlgreenIn Change, SurrenderLeave a comment

The Holy Bible

38 Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that everything comes — both calamity and blessing?
39 Why should any living person complain when punished for his sins?
40 Let us carefully examine our ways, and let us return to the Lord.
41 Let us lift up our hearts and our hands to God in heaven

(Bible Translation and Location: The New English Translation – Lamentations 3:38-41)

Thoughts:

I have always been told that the truest meaning of insanity is: Doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results! In verse 40 we are reminded that there should be a reckoning day where we have a serious, honest day of inflection with ourselves, especially when we realize that we the reason for our struggles and/or hardships might be because we are being punished by the Almighty because of our sin. For God is telling us that we should then stop, carefully examine our ways (compared to the ways taught by God in His word – not compared to your neighbor, coworker or your best friend), and return to the Lord. Now, I believe it is very evident to see that for us to redirect our lives from something that God dislikes, or something that is contrary to His Word and His will for our lives, then ‘Change’ has to take place. Otherwise we will continue doing the wrong thing knowing that we are living out of the will of God and contrary to His commands. The next verse (41) helps us to understand how we might achieve this change. In this world, whenever someone is caught doing something wrong, they are asked to surrender themselves to the authorities. When we lift up our hearts and hands to God, we are surrendering ourselves to His authority. To truly come before a righteous and holy God, we must first seek a cleansing from Him, and agree to accept the change that He might dictate to us, in order to be like Him. When last have you placed yourself before the God of all creation and asked Him to examine your very thoughts and to cleanse you from all unrighteousness, so that You may be more in line with His will for your life? To truly represent Him, be His child and be more like Him, we must surrender the ways (sin) of this wicked world, seek His face, and return to the ways of God. Anything less than this will merely be lip service and life as it is right now. Please let us commit to ‘Change’, right now!

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, Your Word achieves its purpose every time. It drives deep inside and causes us to see our unfaithfulness and our sin, the reason for our separation from You, the reasons why our loved ones and friends are not being impacted by us for You. Please forgive us. Please don’t give up on us, but continue to patiently direct us towards all that You need us to see, and all that You need us to understand and follow in Your Word. Thank You for loving me enough to care about my future with You in Heaven. Thank You for providing The Way of us to enter Heaven’s portals one day and worship You in person. You are Holy, Almighty and worthy of our praise oh Lord. I thank You for Your amazing grace and Your indescribable love. Please touch each one reading this devotional today. Direct them to the areas of their lives that must be affected by ‘Change’ for them to know You personally, and/or draw closer to You, if they already know You. My prayer is asked in humility and thanksgiving, for I ask it in the precious name of Jesus – Lord, Savior, Almighty God and Everlasting Father, 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!

Things to Do While We Wait

On By Ed AlgreenIn Disciplined, ReadinessLeave a comment

The Holy Bible

7 The end of the world is coming soon. Therefore, be earnest and disciplined in your prayers. 8 Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins. 9 Cheerfully share your home with those who need a meal or a place to stay.

(Bible Translation and Location: The New Living Translation – 1 Peter 4:7-9)

Thoughts:

Living in a hurricane prone area of the world, we know how to be prepared for the often short notice about an approaching hurricane. However, when warned, we quickly hit the streets and pay a visit to our grocery stores and possibly to hardware stores for last minute items to make sure we are fully ready for eventual power cuts or breaks in deliveries to our local stores. Similarly, living in this world and having taken the first step of readiness for God’s eminent return, God, through Peter, is warning us of some last minute things we should really be doing to avoid any regrets when we stand before Him. Here are some things that we should be doing right now friends:

  • Be earnest and disciplined in our prayers – A Christian living in a world stained by sin, and where sin abounds, must stay close to God and constantly seek His guiding and protective hand to help us to stay on track and not be distracted by the sin that initially entrapped us and kept us at bay from God. “Being earnest and disciplined at it” gives me the impression that we are to make this a priority even when we don’t feel like it, but like vitamins and food itself, do it because we are told to, and because we know that we need it;
  • Show deep love one for another – Generally we will exude what’s inside of us. If God has filled us with His love, then we should have no trouble showing love for one another. However, I believe that just how a perfect God chose to love imperfect people like us, God wants us to love even those who might otherwise be unlovable. Ones we despise because they believe different to us, or act in ways that we have overcome (with God’s help). Ones that have hurt us, or who we may have hurt, because the Word says that this kind of love will be greater than the hurt, and also help us to overcome the hurt. Loving those who are different to us is much like what God was faced with when He looked down on us – sinners, yet He loved us anyway. Praise the name of the Lord!
  • Freely share your home and your food – Who blessed us with what we have, friends? Therefore, because all that we have, became possible because of our loving God, we should therefore pass the blessing along and bless others with it! Let’s truly be an example of the Savior that we worship and adore!

Friends, we are God’s very own and He has blessed us way more than we could ever imagine or deserve. As He has blessed us, let us therefore bless others! Let’s learn to pass along the blessings and not just hog them up to ourselves.

Prayer:

Dear Lord, I thank you for giving me Your Word to plainly tell me what I should be doing right now. As I was obedient in Your call upon my life to accept You as my Lord and Savior, please continue to nudge me along with reminders to live according to Your book of instructions so that I might do what You require of me on a daily basis. These verses today are excellent reminders of what I should be doing as I wait for Your return. Please give me strength today, and a willing and obedient heart as I strive to obey You and do Your will. Please allow Your Word to make an indelible imprint on the minds of Christians that read this today so that they also might be realigned to obedience. For others that You may point to this devotional today, please work a miracle in their life so that as they see the need to surrender their life to You, they may also catch a glimpse of Your expectations after their initial decision. Thank You for being so gracious to even me dear Lord. May I now be gracious and obedient in response to You. I am asking this in Your awesome, powerful and loving name, Jesus my Lord, 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!

Accountability for Gifts Given to Us by God

On By Ed AlgreenIn Spiritual GiftsLeave a comment

The Holy Bible

7 The end of the world is coming soon. Therefore, be earnest and disciplined in your prayers. 8 Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins. 9 Cheerfully share your home with those who need a meal or a place to stay. 10 God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another.
11 Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you. Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen.

(Bible Translation and Location: The New Living Translation – ! Peter 4:7-11)

Thoughts:

I believe that the easiest way for us to explain gifts from God, is to explain the attributes of one another, or at least those of a saint that we look up to and admire. However, I believe that the Holy Spirit, through Paul, is seriously wanting us to internalize the fact that God has blessed us each with a divine gift that we should seriously strive to use for Him every day. When we, individually, can be accountable for our own gift, don’t you suppose that we might be less apt to find fault with the other person’s use of their gift? Think about the way that we grill our children when we pick them up from school, on how good they were that day or how pleased the teacher was that day with their behavior or scholastic achievements. Wouldn’t it be interesting for us, as adults, to grill each other on how we may have blessed someone that day because of the wonderful, and undeserved gifts we have been blessed with? Do you suppose that way too often we hide those talents in order not to be teased by our fellow workers or friends? Or do you suppose that way too often we undervalue the power of God and consider ourselves unworthy of any special gifts that God could really have blessed us with? In verse 11, Paul gives two examples of God’s gifts, and how they might be used for His glory. May I challenge you today to look inside at all that God may have blessed you with, and be determined to use your gift(s) as an instrument of blessing to someone that you may come into contact with? Let’s learn to acknowledge God’s power and gifts, even through us, so that He may be praised and glorified by someone today, because of our obedience! Our God is holy, loving and caring, and deserves all of our praise! Let us bring glory to God today because of His gracious gifts to us!

Prayer:

Dear Jesus, I have so much to be thankful for, and I praise You with all my heart today! Thank You for giving me hope for a future with You in heaven! Thank You for considering me worthy of the gifts that You have blessed me with. Please forgive me for the times that I sit back and think that I have no gifts, and would just as soon see someone more gifted do the work that You have set forth for me to do. Please redirect my thoughts and my praise to You for all that You have given me, and for all that you have used me to do. Lord, I humbly ask that You bless me each day with Your power, and the encouragement to reach out and touch You, so that Your divine power might be evident in and through me. I believe that I may not be alone in finding excuses not to fully serve You with all of my heart and blessed by Your awesome hand. Therefore, I ask that You would bless all who might meditate on this devotional today, so that we each might be renewed in our trust and understanding of Your gifts that are so prevalent in our lives, and that we might freely allow those gifts to pass through us to be a blessing to all that we might come into contact with. People Need the Lord, but how will they know Him if we hide His divine nature from them. Please bless us with Your power, is my humble prayer today that I ask in the precious, and all powerful name of Jesus, my Lord, 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!