Tag: Savior

What Might Be The Limits of your Testing?

On By Ed AlgreenIn Faith, Rewards, Tested, TrustLeave a comment

Tuesday, 2019-01-22

Bible Reference: Genesis 22:1-3; 12
Translation: Living Bible (TLB)

Bible Text: 1 Later on, God tested Abraham’s faith and obedience.[a]“Abraham!” God called. “Yes, Lord?” he replied. 2 “Take with you your only son—yes, Isaac whom you love so much—and go to the land of Moriah and sacrifice him there as a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I’ll point out to you!” 3 The next morning Abraham got up early, chopped wood for a fire upon the altar, saddled his donkey, and took with him his son Isaac and two young men who were his servants, and started off to the place where God had told him to go……. 12 “Lay down the knife; don’t hurt the lad in any way,” the Angel said, “for I know that God is first in your life—you have not withheld even your beloved son from me.”

OBSERVATION: ‘I believe that I’ve been tested to my ultimate limit’. Was that something you’ve said, or at least felt before? Don’t we tend to feel like we have achieved our limit in trials and challenges at times? How often have you credited those challenges to God getting your attention? Let’s meditate on this idea of ‘testing’ today and consider how prepared we are to deal with the testing God may send our way when He is trying to get our attention.

APPLICATION: I believe that I can easily look to God and say, “Lord, did You show me this Scripture today to help me ponder how far I could be pushed before I cave in on being obedient to You?”. In sharing my thoughts with those that may faithfully meditate on this devotional, I believe that God is also asking you to consider whether you are prepared to be another Abraham, especially in obedience to the voice of God. When you consider what might be the ultimate test of all time, put yourself in the place of Abraham for just a few moments today. Let’s assume that God vividly spoke to you and challenged you to consider surrendering to Him the very thing, or person, nearest to you. Do you feel like you could do like Abraham? God said it, and he did it. But look at what God asked of him – to take his son to the mountain and sacrifice him. I wonder what our response would be to such a command? Abraham took no time to look for excuses or to tell God why that would be an impossible task to follow, but instead made preparation for the journey and obediently followed every detail. Friends, for Abraham it was something very near and dear to him that God tested him with. I wonder what He might find to be testing ground for us? Is there anything you hold near and dear that might result in the ultimate test from God, if you were asked to sacrifice it? As you evaluate self, is there anything, or anyone, that is more important than God? The quick, expected response is ‘of course not’, but let me encourage you, as I stop to consider this myself, to look deep inside and answer this question knowing that God already knows the answer, and I believe He would love for us to honestly and openly answer that question for ourselves. We were so important to God that He sacrificed His only Son so that we might have life eternally with He and His Father. How important is God to you, my friend?

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, what a blessed people we are! Born into a world, where the Savior of the world is available to us as our saving grace from sin and the pitfalls of Satan, yet we are given the choice to have it our way, or surrender to the call and love of our Savior. There is no hope in anything this world has to offer, so please touch the hearts of those that are willing to stop and listen oh Lord. Please draw them to Yourself, and tender their hearts to the love and sacrifice made for them on Calvary. Lord, may we be prepared for the tests that You may send our way from time to time. May our hearts be so filled with You, and our commitment so sure in whom we believe, so that our choice will be untouched by things of this world. To God be all the glory for all things we are blessed with each day! AMEN!

Just Say The Word, Lord

On By Ed AlgreenIn Faith, Rewards, TrustLeave a comment

Monday, 2019-01-21

Bible Reference: Matthew 8:7-10
Translation: The Passion Translation (TPT)

Bible Text:7 Jesus responded, “I will go with you and heal him.” 8–9 But the Roman officer interjected, “Lord, who am I to have you come into my house? I understand your authority, for I too am a man who walks under authority and have authority over soldiers who serve under me. I can tell one to go and he’ll go, and another to come and he’ll come. I order my servants and they’ll do whatever I ask. So I know that all you need to do is to stand here and command healing over my son and he will be instantly healed.” 10 Jesus was astonished when he heard this and said to those who were following him, “He has greater faith than anyone I’ve encountered in Israel! 

OBSERVATION: The Roman officer had heard of the awesome power of Jesus, how He healed the sick and raised the dead, therefore as he asked Jesus to come and heal his son (or servant), he had faith to believe that Jesus could do this in person, or by merely speaking the word. Jesus had never witnessed such faith during His time on earth. I wonder if He has seen such faith in my life. How about yours, my friend? Let’s meditate on this Scripture today, and allow God to open our eyes of faith.

APPLICATION: just in case you may be thinking right from the start that you could never have the kind of faith that the disciples had, or like Bible characters had, let me remind you that we are not alone in this. You might recall that Peter needed some help with believing that Jesus was alive, yet I’m sure that he and his fellow disciples prayed very hard for themselves and their Savior who had been crucified. While Peter had begun his miraculous walk on the water, yet his inept faith soon kicked in, causing Peter to begin sinking into the water. I find myself guilty of asking God to rest His hand of healing upon someone that I may be praying for, but I am reminded in the Scripture today that God could just as easy speak the word, and this body that He meticulously put together in the first place, could once again be healed and put back together by its Creator. So what about you my friend? How’s your faith? We practice it every day in worldly actions – driving over a bridge; driving through a tunnel; trusting that a shot of liquid medicine by our doctor would heal our serious ailments; trusting that our fuel gauge is accurately measuring the amount of fuel in our vehicle tanks; etc. So why do we find it so challenging to believe in a God who created the universe, you and me, and have taken exceptional care of us ever since? I believe that we must start with knowing God very intimately. Start by reading His Word that was provided for our edification and benefit. As we know Him, believe in Him, understand His limitless and unconditional love for His children, then perhaps we would easily believe in all that we read. Add to this a degree of trust in His answer to our prayers concerning needs that some may fell are fairly insignificant. A good friend of mind told me about the times that he was in a rush to leave his home, but couldn’t find his car, and house keys, and how he would stop and ask God for His help. Sounds insignificant, right? However, my friend felt very comfortable in placing much larger needs at the feet of Jesus, as they arose, because He knew already that he could trust God to answer his urgent prayer needs. I live hundreds of miles away from most of my family, yet I know that my simple prayer of faith could invoke the attention of my God to touch a family member, because He heard my prayer. Now, before our naysayers chime in with the times their prayers were not answered, let me remind you that as Christians, we are to seek the best answer that God sees fit for us. I may ask in my prayer that God take me to another country, but I arrive at the airport and find that the plane has mechanical problems, so I can’t travel until the following day. Did God answer my prayer? Of course He did my friend, for He kept me safe from whatever accident or disaster that would have happened with our plane in the air. Remember, we ask God, we don’t tell Him what He should or would do. The Bible says that if we ask, we will receive. Ask in faith my friend, and believe that the God who loves you immeasurably, is waiting to hear from you, and will answer your prayer.

PRAYER: Lord God, thank You for loving me unconditionally, and for listening to my, often, petty requests. Please forgive me for the lack of faith that usually holds me back from basking in your goodness. Lord, I believe that many of my readers are very similar to myself in wanting to trust you more. I would plead for the faith of Moses when He stood at the shores of the Red Sea with thousands of followers behind him, and in faith and obedience to Your commands, he follwed through with Your orders and watched in amazement as You parted the waters, for their safe travel through to the other side. Oh how small our challenges are compared to that. May we be true to Your Word and obedient to Your commands, for in faith we could believe and receive Your awesome miracles, even in the lives of our family, friends and ourselves. Thank You for Your amazing grace and Your awesome power oh God. AMEN!

Our Assumptions May Seriously Impact our Actions

On By Ed AlgreenIn Faith, Rewards, TrustLeave a comment

Saturday, 2019-01-19

Bible Reference: Genesis 20:10-11
Translation: Amplified Bible (AMP)

Bible Text: 10 And Abimelech said to Abraham, “What have you encountered or seen [in us or our customs], that you have done this [unjust] thing?” 11 Abraham said, “Because I thought, ‘Surely there is no fear or reverence of God in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife.’ 

OBSERVATION: Realizing that God knows all things, even the heart of man, I wonder how often He must shake His head in disappointment, and shock, at what we say at times, and what we do in response to our inner conclusions and assumptions! I believe we have a similar situation in our Scripture today to ponder on…

APPLICATION: Can you think of a scenario where you reacted to a situation based on your assumptions about what was going on, what might happen, and possibly the intentions of the person who may be involved? I believe this occurs way more often than we could ever imagine, and I believe this creates more challenges for friends and family than anyone ever intended. But let’s consider the challenge in this story of Abraham and Abimelech. It starts out with Abraham being blessed with a beautiful wife – his half sister. Because of Sarah’s beauty, and Abraham’s self consciousness of his own physical protection, for the second time he tells the townspeople that Sarah is his sister. Fortunately, this is a truthful statement, because of Sarah being his half-sister, but he chose to share that relationship with them over their marital relationship. Notice that Abraham did this because he thought that the Abimelech clan was immoral and would easily turn on him, if need be. We could see from the story that this almost concluded in death to Abimelech. What sort of issues have arisen in our personal relationships, in our churches and in our communities because of our actions that resulted from our assumptions, and conclusions based upon what we thought was happening behind our backs, or what would happen based on things for which we would have no control? Friends, because of our DNA, others will detect from our actions, our decisions and our reactions, who we are related to on earth. Let’s remember that this is also a baramoter of whose we are. Children of the King will act like Him, speak like Him and react from a heart of love like He does. Are we deserving of any of the gifts that we are consciously aware of, and recognize as being awesome gifts from on high? Yet He blesses us anyway. Do our friends or family deserve to be loved, treated like royalty, forgiven and blessed by us? They may not always be deserving, but if we, who are called sons and daughters of the Almighty God, blessed by Him in every way, and seeking to imitate Him in every way, then shouldn’t we look for ways to bless, love and serve them, without allowing the deceit of Abraham to penetrate our hearts and hurt the other party, just to protect ourselves? Friends, God looked at you and me, and in spite of our sin, our disobedience, our deceit and our ugly attitudes, yet in love He said ‘but I love you anyway’ and He therefore proved that love by sending His own precious Son to be born among us; suffer at the hands of the people; beaten, mocked, scorned and crucified like a criminal; while all the while saying ‘it’s all for YOU my child, so that YOU might have the only means of righteousness, that leads to eternal life with my Father and I’. Friends, I believe that with this same ‘righteousness’ given to us by Jesus, not only are we assured of heaven, but I truly believe that it also helps us to be more like Him while here on this earth also. Abraham needed that kind of righteousness, and I’m sure that you and I need it. If you are not under the authority of this one, true God, the giver of all righteousness, may I encourage you to stop and take time to read through my footnote, and the linked page entitled ‘To Know Jesus’? Your life could be eternally changed my friend!

PRAYER: Lord, as we studied your Word in Genesis 20 today, it is evident that mankind has struggled in many ways right from the very beginning. However, throughout Your Word, You also make it very clear that You are the answer to all of life’s struggles by mankind, so we look to You in all of our need and insufficiencies of life. Please help us to remain focused on Your awesome power, Your love and the everlasting hope that awaits the believer in Your Son, Jesus. AMEN!

Fasting and Prayer

On By Ed AlgreenIn Faith, Fasting, Fasting, Rewards, TrustLeave a comment

Thursday, 2019-01-17

Bible Reference: Matthew 6:16-18
Translation: The Passion Translation (TPT)

Bible Text: 16 “When you fast, don’t look like those who pretend to be spiritual. They want everyone to know they’re fasting, so they appear in public looking miserable, gloomy, and disheveled.[o]Believe me, they’ve already received their reward in full.17–18 When you fast, don’t let it be obvious, but instead, wash your face[p]and groom yourself and realize that your Father in the secret place is the one who is watching all that you do in secret and will continue to reward you openly.”

OBSERVATION: The Word of God is clear that if we publicize that we are fasting, our reward will be nothing more than what we hear back from our audience. That defeats the whole purpose of fasting, for we are dedicating ourselves to petition God for a specific need that we have personally, or corporately. Today, let us consider why we should fast, how should we fast, and what do we expect from a fast.

APPLICATION: I believe that when you look at an entrepreneur starting out in business – one that is pictured in their mind as a unique opportunity to fulfill a specific need for consumers, or industry, or intense profitability, you will hardly see them in their usual places of worship, at events with their family, or just having casual fun. For they are 100% engrossed in making that business succeed, and to be all that they pictured in their minds. So what about the Christian who is desperately seeking God to intervene in their lives personally, or in their family unit, or in their church, or even in their workplace? Does it seem natural to just ask someone else to pray, or casually commit those specific needs in corporate prayer, or even in your personal prayer time, when you tend to cover a wide spectrum of things, and of life itself, before God? I would say yes in all cases, but I would go a step further by sharing what I believe the Bible teaches on fasting and praying. You see, the businessperson spoken of above, will skip meals, miss family events, and more, just to totally dedicate themselves to their new business opportunity. In the life of a Christian, we might casually pray about the weather, or our child in school, etc, but consider how much more intense our prayers become when a loved one is barely hanging on to life, and the doctors are uncertain if they will possibly survive the medical issues they are having. The latter is more of the mindset of a believer when they fast, and dedicate time in prayer over a specific request. For they are willing to forego one or more meals, or perhaps give up caffeine or Facebook, or something that they feel could be sacrificed for dedicated time to plead in prayer before their Maker on a matter of prime importance to them. Think about if friend, what is the most important thing in your life right now? What do you feel is the most critical need in your life, or in the lives of those you care about, and for which you would be willing to do ANYTHING, in order to turn things around in those circumstances? Would you be willing to give up something important to you, just so that you could spend intimate and intense time talking to God about that? The Scripture tells us today that should you consider a fast, it is something that you decide together with God. There is no need to send a note to the local newspapers, or your pastor, or anyone else. For the pat-on-the-back you receive from those around you is the only reward you could expect. A one-on-one, intimate and private relationship with the Creator of the universe, the Savior of the world, our soon coming King, a commitment to commune with Him alone, and a mindset that you are willing to do anything as you seek God about a specific need, is the key to fasting and praying. It’s between you and God – no one else need be involved. Do you have a need of that importance to you today? Are you willing to do whatever it takes to dedicate the time in prayer before God Almighty over that need? What takes place in privacy between you and God, will be rewarded publicly by the King of all kings, according to His promises in His Word!

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, it just rolls off our lips without effort or thought, that we will pray for someone. Oh that we may become a people of sincerity, especially in the matters of prayer. When asked to complete chores at home, we don’t look for excuses or distractions, but we seek to serve one another faithfully as we try to please each other in actions and words. The privilege of spending time with You, Almighty God, is beyond our wildest imagination, for who are we that our Creator, who put us together for His glory, should look on us in tender mercy and listen to our petitions. Please forgive us for our littleness, and our insincerity, and our lack of commitment. Lord, we need You every hour of every day, and often a lot more frequently. Please teach us to pray, and help us to see the urgency of prayer before the only One who could make a difference in our lives. May we be willing to give up the world to meet with You, Heavenly Father. You are the only one who could answer our prayers. May we commit to pray, and in times of our deepest need, may we never hesitate to fast and pray. AMEN!

A Right Start for Your Day

On By Ed AlgreenIn Praise, Sovereign, WorshipLeave a comment

Wednesday, 2019-01-16

The Bible Reference For Today: Psalm 59:16–17
The Bible Translation: New Living Translation (NLT)

The Bible Text: But as for me, I will sing about your power. Each morning I will sing with joy about your unfailing love. For you have been my refuge, a place of safety when I am in distress. O my Strength, to you I sing praises, for you, O God, are my refuge, the God who shows me unfailing love.


My Take Away: In almost every aspect of life, a good beginning sets the stage for a good ending, and everything in between. Take for instance the construction of a house. If care is not taken to get the foundation perfectly level, can you imagine the disaster you will be faced with in every other phase of the construction, and even when you try to live in the house? So what happens then to your day when you wake up disgruntled, start by grumping at the dog and being less than respectful to your spouse? Can you possibly turn that around when you arrive at work and find the air conditioning or heat broken and the first employee to arrive prepared to quit your company and move on in their career? What if we had to imitate David and begin our day reflecting on, and singing about God’s power? You know, the same God who showed His gracious love for you by sacrificing His only Son, Jesus, to facilitate your way into heaven? You know, the same God that you witnessed bringing sunshine to your previous day – especially when you stopped and reflected on the number of friends and family who seemed doomed for an eternity in Hell and, had no hope here on earth? You know, the One who helped you to reflect on the satisfaction of having a job to go to and subsequently support your family – especially when you stopped and considered the relatives and friends who did not have a job? You know, the One who made sure that you had a safe place to rest your head the night before – especially when you turned on the news channel and saw stories of some sleeping under bridges or in tents? Friends, I believe we would have no difficulty at all finding a number of things to praise God for each morning, if only we could concentrate on the precious gifts that He gave to us the previous day. Yes, we live in an imperfect world, and I’m not naive enough to believe that everything went perfect in your previous day, but what I do know, is that if we learn to praise God for His many, undeserved, gifts then the stuff we didn’t like wouldn’t look near as bad. Furthermore, reflecting on the miracles, and the blessings, and the good things, and giving God credit for all that He did for us, gives us a sense of assurance to present our new day to that same God and plead His presence, His refuge, His guidance and His blessings on us as we strive to represent Him in every aspect of our lives. Imagine placing yourself in the hands of the Creator of this universe! Can you imagine any mountain that may be too tall or too tough for Him? Your anticipated path may seem impassable to you, but just remember friend, our Designer and Creator put those mountains in place for a purpose, and if we are to walk over, or through those mountains, He has the power to level the ground for us to pass! Praise the wonderful name of the Lord!

Prayer: Heavenly Father, glorious and almighty in all Your power, we are humbled before You today, feeling a little ashamed about how we tend to concentrate so much on the impossibilities of life instead of the accomplishments that were obviously handled by You on our behalf. Lord, we are so weak and helpless, but praise to Your wonderful grace, we who have accepted You as Lord, can praise You today for Your powerful hand intervening in our lives and protecting us from Satan’s destructive and misleading hand. Father, please inspire within us the desire to praise You with all assurance that You’ve got control of all things in the life of a believer, and for that reason we should always recognize Your power and Your might in all things, because of Your love for us. You are holy and so worthy oh Lord, and we are so needy. We humble ourselves before You in recognition of these things. Thank You for being our God, our Deliverer, our Protector, our Guide, our Savior and soon coming 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. 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!

2016

The Rewards of Faith In God

On By Ed AlgreenIn Faith, Rewards, TrustLeave a comment

Saturday, 2019-01-12

Bible Reference: Genesis 13:1-5
Translation: Living Bible (TLB)

Bible Text: 1-2 So they left Egypt and traveled north into the Negeb—Abram with his wife, and Lot, and all that they owned, for Abram was very rich in livestock, silver, and gold. 3-4 Then they continued northward toward Bethel where he had camped before, between Bethel and Ai—to the place where he had built the altar. And there he again worshiped the Lord. 5 Lot too was very wealthy, with sheep and cattle and many servants.

OBSERVATION: In reading the whole chapter of Genesis 13, I glorified God for all that He rewarded Abram with in verses 14-16, and I would encourage you to read down to at least those verses. You see, in verse 4, Abram had stopped to worship the Lord, in spite of being without a place to call ‘home’ for he and his family. Let’s meditate on our ability, or inability, to worship God in all circumstances of life, especially in those times where it seems like things are not going well for us. How well do we do at that?

APPLICATION: Let’s stop to consider this scenario for a few moments today. Let’s try to place ourselves in Abram’s role and try to imagine what we would’ve done, or perhaps would do, in our current relationship state with God. Abram had just been kicked out of town by Pharoah, and now, with the responsibility of leading his precious family, Abram must find a place to call ‘home’. There is no indication that Abram had any remorse about the situation he found himself in, but he knew that he needed God. But notice the one thing that the Scripture made clear – Abram was very rich in livestock, gold and silver. I live and work in agriculturally rich towns, but I hear repeatedly of people facing similar challenging times in life, regardless of their monetary worth. Friends, we were designed by an awesome God, and if you go back to the beginning chapters of the Bible, you will note that He loved us so much that He provided everything for us to survive, enjoy and be in awe about. We should therefore always remember that, no matter how inflated our bank accounts are, or how big our farms are, we must remember from whence we came, and who exactly gave us the opportunities and blessings of becoming earthly ‘rich’. Often when hard times of health degradation or losing a loved one comes our way, there is no degree of earthly richness that will satisfy our souls. But also be reminded of how awesome our God is, for He saw the faithfulness of Abram; He saw the trust that Abram placed in Him even after he had attained much earthly wealth; He saw the humbleness in Abram, that even though he was the senior member of the family, yet he gave Lot the option of choosing his area of land first, and leaving Abram to settle in the remainder. I feel like often God looks at our choices in circumstances when we think no one is watching, to truly bless us, for He then sees the ‘heart’ of man. Notice in verses 14-16 how God, having recognized the ‘heart’ of Abram, blessed him beyond all measure. Notice that this blessing came even though Abram was not pleading with God for more, more, more. Friends, let us be consistent and persistent in our relationship with God, especially in those times that we can’t see what lies ahead for us. Be reminded that you are a child of the most high God, He loves His children, and He gives His very best for us, just as He did at Calvary. If you have never surrendered Your life to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, may I encourage you to consider that today? It is the one critical means of bringing you into the sonship of the Almighty God. Please don’t delay that decision my friend. Let this be the best day of your life here on earth, as you prepare for eternity!

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, please have Your will and way in the lives of each one reading this devotional today. Just as You presented Abram with unlimited blessings, I believe that You are prepared to bless us with unlimited time with You and the Father. It just doesn’t get any better than that! May You be glorified today in all decisions made for true relationship with You. AMEN!

May Others Praise Jesus Because of You

On By Ed AlgreenIn Evidence of Faith, Example of Christ, Exemplary Living, Pleasing to God, Praise, Praise-worthyLeave a comment

Friday, 2019-01-11

Bible Reference: Matthew 5:16
Translation: The Voice (VOICE)

Bible Text: 16 You are like that illuminating light. Let your light shine everywhere you go, that you may illumine creation, so men and women everywhere may see your good actions, may see creation at its fullest, may see your devotion to Me, and may turn and praise your Father in heaven because of it.

OBSERVATION: This verse shows us what happens when someone sees the glory of God, even through something He may say or do through us (Christians). The emphasis here is ‘God’ and His mighty works, and not our abilities. Let’s meditate on how we might best align ourselves in this scenario.

APPLICATION: We have some who are super smart, and we have some who could use a lot of help, while others place themselves at the feet of Jesus with open hearts and ask God to fill them with His grace, His love, His wisdom and His mercy. Friends, it once again struck me as a very humbling thing that someone would actually praise God because of something I may have said or done! Of course, we want to extend praise and thanksgiving to the individual when we hear something of interest from them, because we want to encourage them. But can’t you see where there would be no better way of encouraging them, than for you to thank God: for creating them; for placing them in your path; for giving them the words that may have blessed you; or for giving them the financial capabilities to help you through some very tough times; or for speaking the right words to your son, that opened his eyes and heart to salvation? Wouldn’t it be awesome to walk up to your Sunday School teacher and instead of praising him for his giftedness in explaining the scriptures, you prayed with Him and glorified God for His gifts to this individual, which in turn brought a great blessing to you? Friends, as a worker in God’s kingdom, I could tell you right now that such an experience would help me change my mind from quitting, or lift my spirits beyond anything that might be said about my words or actions. You see, for those who are sincerely about the work of the Lord, it is all for His glory. So to hear Him being praised for any impact His ministry had through me, would be worth it all. May I encourage you to try this sometime, while I try to do the same? To God be the glory for everything that He does to get our attention or encourage us, even if He uses mere man to accomplish that!

PRAYER: Lord You are good and Your mercies are never ending. Thank You for all the ways that You get through to this humble servant. Thank You for all those that You have placed in the path of my readers and I, that encourage us personally, or remind us of Your awesome power and love. Please open our eyes to more miracles today that may happen right in front of us. Lord, may You be glorified at all times, especially in lieu of praises being addressed to us. We just don’t need that extra pride to deal with, as our strength, wisdom and direction comes from You alone. In Your name I pray, because it’s in You that I depend for my every move here on earth, so that You may be glorified. AMEN!

Reasons To Come To Jesus

On By Ed AlgreenIn Church, Clean Heart, WitnessLeave a comment

Wednesday, 2019-01-09

Bible Reference: Matthew 4:23-24
Translation: The Passion Translation (TPT)

Bible Text:  23 Jesus ministered from place to place throughout all of the province of Galilee. He taught[r] in the synagogues, preaching the hope of the kingdom realm[s] and healing every kind of sickness and disease among the people. 24 His fame spread everywhere![t] Many people who were in pain and suffering with every kind of illness were brought to Jesus for their healing—epileptics,[u] paralytics, and those tormented by demonic powers were all set free. Everyone who was brought to Jesus was healed!

OBSERVATION: People flocked to be in the presence of Jesus, because word got around about His teachings, His healings and the hope of this future home that He taught about. Let’s meditate on our current day situation and consider the things that draw people to Jesus today, and possibly the things that causes people to reject the idea of our Master.

APPLICATION: I once heard a story of a neighborhood kid standing besides the pastor of a church while firefighters fought a blazing fire that seemed destined to totally destroy the church building. The pastor turns to the young man and introduced himself while saying that he had never seen him around the church before. To which the young man gave this response ‘because I had never seen the church on fire before’. A simple, but profound answer, for how many in the neighborhood of our church buildings know that the church even exists there, and secondly, have they heard any results of happenings at the church, or from its services, such as what we read in our focal Scripture today? Is it evident to the attendees and the neighborhood that Jesus is present every time we meet? Will young men, such as the one at the fire (mentioned above), hear about the Holy Spirit convicting people of their sin, causing them to surrender their lives to the holy Son of God? Will the neighborhood hear about the ‘tongues of fire’ that moved in our church service, like it did in Acts 2, and how it convicted hundreds to turn from their sin and accept the love and security of knowing Jesus as Lord? My solemn prayer is that our neighborhoods will hear more of God moving in His church, than they do about the fights and church splits that plague so many churches today. Oh that they may hear about, and see a flourishing church, where people go to visit while steeped in the likes of their earthly leader, but leave as changed men and women, boys and girls. Friends, our churches must be busy about pointing people to Christ, for we could boast of the largest and prettiest buildings, or the expanse of our properties, but it’s not until our neighborhoods see lives being transformed into the likeness of everything they have heard about God, that they will know that the fire of the Holy Spirit is alive and well at our churches. Now, before leaving this thought today, let me quickly remind us that the ‘church’ is not the building where we attend services, nor is it the Pastor to whom we may pay to lead our church, but rather, it consists of each believer that meets corporately to worship God together. So in that context, I pray that we might be more careful to look for how God is at work in our worship services, and that we concentrate on Him wholeheartedly as we go to worship, not the many other people or things that distract us in and around our sanctuaries. In this way, our lives will shine with the glow from the Holy Spirit inside the church building and everywhere we are seen! It’s all about our God, friend!

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, thank You for all that You did on Calvary, so that we might gain access to our heavenly home. May our relationship with You be so intimate, so personal, so worshipful, and so sincere, that our time together in corporate worship might be magnified by the same Spirit that lives in the hearts and lives of every believer gathered. You and You alone deserve our praise and our worship. Please help us to forget about ourselves and the distractions around us, so that our minds are fixed on You. May our times together in such a setting be so impacted, that our lives outside the church will overflow and shine with the glory of God. May the unsaved see the ‘tongues of fire’ referred to in the early church, prevalent in our churches and in our neighborhoods as we scatter. To God be the glory for all that He will accomplish, even through us! AMEN!

In Habitual Fellowship With God

On By Ed AlgreenIn Connected, Obedience, ObedientLeave a comment

Tuesday, 2019-01-08

Bible Reference: Genesis 6:9-13
Translation: Amplified Bible (AMP)

Bible Text:  9 …. Noah was a righteous man [one who was just and had right standing with God], blameless in his [evil] generation; Noah walked (lived) [in habitual fellowship] with God. 10 Now Noah became the father of three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth. 11 The [population of the] earth was corrupt [absolutely depraved—spiritually and morally putrid] in God’s sight, and the land was filled with violence [desecration, infringement, outrage, assault, and lust for power]. 12 God looked on the earth and saw how debased and degenerate it was, for all humanity had corrupted their way on the earth and lost their true direction. 13 God said to Noah, “I intend to make an end of all that lives, for through men the land is filled with violence; and behold, I am about to [d]destroy them together with the land. 

OBSERVATION: I believe that the earth has once again become, as described in verse 11. However, I want us to ponder today ‘who will be the ‘Noah’ of our day?’. Could be it be you? Could it be me? Only God knows. But we also might know whether we are truly righteous in all of our ways. We may camouflage the truth to our friends around us, but remember – God knows every little detail about our actions, and even our thoughts. Think about it friends…

APPLICATION: Imagine with me that you are constructing a project, and you leave at the end of the day feeling very proud of your accomplishments that day. But while your mind is at rest at home that evening, you remember that there was a key ingredient that you accidentally left out of your day’s work on that project, and it would lead to total disaster in a few weeks if you go on with the project instead of fixing the issue. Next morning you arrive at the project location and ask for help in destroying everything you did the previous day, so that you could start afresh and do everything according to its perfect design. In the time of Noah, God looked at everything He had created, and was extremely disappointed at the totally opposite direction that everything was going, compared to His original intent, so He decided to start back over with just one righteous man and his family. I can only believe that today the world must be in much worse shape than it has ever been before. Why, think about the little value placed on human life itself. From killing the innocent unborn, to being snatched by a Human Trafficker, or targeted by a murderer, or a pimp, or an organ reaper. The world is being destroyed in every way possible by mankind, for just as God declared in verse 12, it has become corrupted and debased in every way. Friends, we know what God did when He saw the world in such a mess in the days of Noah. I am confident that He is still God, and that He could very easily do the same thing to our world today, although I’m sure that He would never break His promise to never destroy all of creation again. But we have a responsibility, to make sure that our lives are aligned with what God demands of us in His Word, and to seek in every way to be in a condition like He found Noah to be – righteous. Prayer changes things, and we could certainly do that, but the Bible is clear that we must be ready to meet our God, no matter what circumstances are going on around us. May I encourage you today to first of all, know Jesus in an intimate and personal way; and secondly, aim for righteousness – being right with God. This would be living in a habitual relationship with God! To do this, you must seek to live according to His instructions; follow His example; and seek His will daily so that you may stay in line with His will. You may not be able to change the world, but you can become associated with the only One who can. Seek after His righteousness, friend, and all this will be given to you!

PRAYER: Lord, You created the world, and You saw fit to destroy the world with a flood. However, You have promised to never destroy the world again. Nonetheless, please help us to never lose our sense of alertness and readiness, because You have also promised in Your Word that You will return to take Your saints home to glory with You. Yes, our world today is probably worse than You’ve ever seen it before, but precious Lord, how we long for the day that You will take us ‘home’ with You! You’ve shown us in Your Word how we might become, and remain, ‘right with You’. Thank You for the assurance of our salvation Lord! May I please ask that You speak gently to the hearts of all those who will read this devotional, as You draw them unto Yourself, and open their eyes to the urgency of the hour that is quickly approaching for Your return. I want to see You Lord, and I truly want to ask the favor of You miraculously touching many who will be impacted by Your Word, and even by this humble blog. To God be the glory for all things that You will accomplish in Your time! AMEN!

Proof, No Proof

On By Ed AlgreenIn Fruit of the Spirit, Proof-positive, Proven, Repentance, SalvationLeave a comment

Saturday, 2019-01-05

Bible Reference: Matthew 3:8, 10
Translation: Amplified Bible (AMP)

Bible Text: 8 So produce fruit that is consistent with repentance [demonstrating new behavior that proves a change of heart, and a conscious decision to turn away from sin]; ……. 10 And already the axe [of God’s judgment] is [gswinging toward the root of the trees; therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

OBSERVATION: I was reminded of a television show – ‘Deal, No Deal’ as I meditated on these verses today. I know, don’t mix television with the precious Word of God, right? But Paul was so infuriated by the boldness of the Pharisees and Sadducees to show up at the river for baptism, that he took time to warn them of what a saved life looks like, vs one that is not. We should never have to tell anyone that we’re saved – it should be evident in our lives.

APPLICATION: In our Scripture today, Matthew relates that John the Baptist had been baptizing a lot of people. So one could only imagine that if they had not been baptized, then something must really be wrong with them. In the case of the religious leaders, John could tell that, to the crowd, they could easily have passed as ‘worthy of baptism’ because of their kinship to Abraham. However friends, is this not a good reminder for us? Some church attendees might tell you that their father was a pastor back in some church many years ago, so they are sure that they have a reserved place in heaven. Some might point to their regular attendance at your church for several decades, and all of the money that they gave for certain projects, so surely they are right ‘up there’ with the best of saints in your church. But the interesting thing that John points out to the religious leaders is that a repentant heart is what really matters. Some of you might wonder what exactly that would consist of, but I believe that this particular version of the Bible spells that out for you, for a repentant heart demonstrates a new behavior – meaning that it’s different to the behavior you once demonstrated in your life. Now your new behavior clearly comes from a heart that has been impacted and changed by its original designer and maker, Jesus Christ! Further, this changed heart will also show evidence of a conscious decision to stay away from sin. This includes your efforts to stay away from the people and places that once caused you to sin. Persistent study of God’s Word is critical, so that you could have a clear message from Him about what He consider ‘sin’, even though it might look like holiness to others. These changed attitudes, actions, thoughts and words are called ‘fruit’ by John, because He wanted us to understand that a tree, or a heart, built on the good things of Christ, will produce fruit/actions/words/attitudes that resemble the One who is feeding your tree/heart. Therefore, when there is no evidence that you are allowing God to ‘feed’ you, John declared that you will not survive, or reach eternity with Christ. Friends, as we live out everything that God has buried deep into our hearts, He will receive glory from those blessed by those ‘fruit’ that we produce. When we are merely following the crowd, or living a life of traditional church attendance, or imitating what other Christians do, and we have not sought personal forgiveness from God, and received a repentant, or changed heart – one just like His, then like the Pharisees and Sadducees, we are living on a slippery slope – one that can only lead all the way down to Hell. A New Year is a perfect time to seek a new heart – a repentant and changed heart that reflects the Master who you’ve invited to be your Lord. Please consider reading on to the Footnote for more information on how you might go about this transformation. Perhaps 2019 might be the year that you might seek baptism – a genuine one that celebrates a truly repentant heart!

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, thank You for salvation, and thank You for the message expressed through baptism. Please touch the hearts of all those that will read this devotional, especially those who imitate a Christian life, but have not accepted the One who gives a repentant heart so that we might take on His attributes and bear His fruit. True Christianity comes from a repentant heart, one filled with Jesus Christ. Bearing ‘fruit’, can only happen if the True Vine (Jesus) has taken up residence inside of us. Lord, for each reader today, I pray that it may be so. AMEN!