Tag: Savior

Excuses Won’t Work

On By Ed AlgreenIn Excuses, Exemplary Living, God's Will, God-honoring, Like JesusLeave a comment

Thursday, 2019-01-03

Bible Reference: Genesis 3:11-13
Translation: Easy-to-Read Version (ERV)

Bible Text: 11 God said to the man, “Who told you that you were naked? Did you eat fruit from that special tree? I told you not to eat from that tree!” 12 The man said, “The woman you put here with me gave me fruit from that tree. So I ate it.” 13 Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What have you done?” She said, “The snake tricked me, so I ate the fruit.”

OBSERVATION: Right from the very beginning of time, when there were only two humans alive, mankind found it easier to make excuses rather than owning up to their actions and accepting the consequences that may follow. Often this involves throwing the blame on someone else, with hopes that they will bear the brunt of the punishment for the crime. However, I believe that God might have a lesson for us to learn in this. Let’s think about the excuses we find, when trying to deflect blame on to others.

APPLICATION: Not sure when last you stopped to consider the many excuses we find in life, but I believe the habit is much worse than we could ever imagine! In our Scripture today, we might think of the peaceful garden that God created for His first children. How He created Adam and immediately saw how lonely he was, so He carefully chose to make Eve from Adam, to help set the stage of submission, that God wanted in place. God wanted to make sure that His kids learned right from the beginning that there were some rules – things that they would not be permitted to do, or touch, or eat. Are you starting to see a comparison to what we still face today in our various diets and disciplines? However, it is clear from the Word, that God carefully and lovingly created everything especially for us to enjoy – the beauty of His creation; food of many varieties; animals to bring life to everything around us; and a keen sense to recognize the God of this universe who loves us more than anything else in the world. Would you not assume that we would be immensely grateful, and therefore consistently and persistently looking for ways to praise our Father for His goodness? But right from the start, Adam and Eve assumed the attitude that is so prevalent in us, that no matter who sets the rules, we are going to do it our way. Yes, the serpent caused Eve to really ponder the rule set by God about the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden, but it was Eve who caved in and committed the sin in disobedience. Yes, Eve offered the fruit to Adam so she could have a partner in crime, but Adam had a choice to accept the fruit and sin, or be the spiritual leader of his home and lead Eve to a point of seeking forgiveness. I believe that our lesson to receive in this today, is that we are accountable before a holy God for our own sin. Of course I believe that we could help each other refrain from sinning, but I don’t believe there is ever a time that we could honestly stand before God and try to give the excuse that someone else caused us to sin. Let’s do our best to not let anything hinder us from praising God; from seeking His face in reflection and in honor to His holy name; from causing us to willingly disobey Him and sin – in spite of all that He has taught us. Remember, unlike our court systems, we will not stand before God with an attorney or witnesses who will try to find loopholes or excuses for our sin. It will be us alone, before God alone. He already knows the truth about every aspect of our life, and it will be up to us how willing we are to admit the truth about our words and our actions while here on earth. How well do you suppose you will do, without giving excuses?

PRAYER: Lord God, You provided a perfect setting in which we could live, and You provided everything we need to live in perfect harmony, and with respect for the One True God who created us. We approach You with deep regret that we have allowed so many things to step in the way of our right relationship with You. Please forgive us. We have entered into a brand new year, with opportunities to let our lights shine for you. Please grant us strength and wisdom to reject those ones who will cause us to sin, and fill us with so much of Yourself, that they will be convinced of their sin and search for You instead. Lord, Satan has taken such a hold on people around us that it is only with Your power and Your might, that we could ever survive the onslaught of sin. We need You desperately Lord. May Your kingdom come and Your will be done. AMEN!

God Provides

On By Ed AlgreenIn Example, Example of Christ, Exemplary LivingLeave a comment

Wednesday, 2019-01-02

Bible Reference: Genesis 1:29; Genesis 2:23-24
Translation: The Voice (VOICE)

Bible Text: Genesis 1:29 Look! I have given you every seed-bearing plant that grows on the earth and every fruit-bearing tree. They will be your food and nourishment.
Genesis 2:23 Adam: At last, a suitable companion, a perfect partner. Bone from my bones. Flesh from my flesh. I will call this one “woman” as an eternal reminder that she was taken out of man. 24 Now this is the reason a man leaves his father and his mother, and is united with his wife; and the two become one flesh.

OBSERVATION: Being only day two into my read through the Bible again, there are two things that have already caught my attention. Not only are we reminded that God really did know what He was doing, but we could also regain faith in our doctors, because we could hear their words echoed, especially as we read the focal verses today. Having studied the Bible some already, I believe that these two things are just the beginning of many things to come where it is reinforced for us that God is the designer and maker of life and all that we need to live this life to its fullest!

APPLICATION: How many times have we been told by doctors that it’s the ‘junk’ that we are adding into our bodies that hurt us, and kill us prematurely. Yet we could see right from the beginning of God’s Word, that He provided the means for us to use in feeding these bodies He blessed us with. However, we have chosen to use our own intellect and feed ourselves anything but what God designed for us. Over and over I hear my doctor’s recommend that I put more fruit and vegetables into my diet. My sinful self considers that to be more steak; more ribs; more chocolate; more ice cream; etc, etc. So as I reflect on our first focal verse, I must ask myself what might I say to God at times like I’m facing right now with high cholesterol; heart disease; liver issues and other challenges that we know are impacted by our choice of foods not on God’s list. Should I ask for His healing of the body impacted by my deliberate variation from His design taught in Scripture? Or shall I ask for strength and wisdom to live as He designed? The other thing covered in our second set of focal verses, is the beautiful story of God’s creation of woman. He saw that Adam needed something to make his life complete, so He made the perfect mate for him. And since that time, oh the mess we have made of this. God also told us in verse 24 of Genesis 2, that He designed this union of man and woman to be apart from mom and dad. In other words, a totally separate family. Friends, our marriages are in in mess. Those with ties to the church, are as bad as those with no church affiliation at all. Do all of the issues originate because of a flaw in this one principle? I will leave that up to you to meditate on with God, because the issue is way bigger than I or any other ‘man’ could dare answer. However, I believe that God is reminding us from the very beginning of His Book of Instruction, that He created woman from man, so that he may have a helpmate, have a loving partner, and that together they could populate the earth like He intended. Can we do any, or all, of these things from the messes we have made of marriage or the family? I have shared two very ‘hot’ topics today. May I suggest that instead of trying to get me straight on any ways that you feel I may have misrepresented the truth of God’s Word on these topics, that you actually begin a study of your own on these topics. God may have some reasons for you reading this devotional today, as He may want to get your attention about these matters that may need attention in your own life, or He may want to use you to help others who are struggling in these areas of life. Try your best to avoid the distraction of my words, and seek after what God might have to say to you through these verses. I believe that you could agree with me that we have a serious problem in each of the two areas I believe God challenged us with today. Seek God for what He might have you do today in these areas of your life.

PRAYER: Lord God, thank You for so carefully thinking of everything that we need here on earth. Thank You for directing me to these two very important issues that You covered so well, right from the very beginning of time. Please help us to return to the basics of life, as You intended, so that we might more diligently serve You and represent You in a community void of Your teachings and Your example. We need You Lord. AMEN!

Careful in Beginning Right

On By Ed AlgreenIn A Lamp unto My Path, Commitment, TrustLeave a comment

Tuesday, 2019-01-01

Bible Reference: Genesis 1:1-2
Translation: Amplified Bible (AMP)

Bible Text:IN THE beginning God (prepared, formed, fashioned, and) created the heavens and the earth. [Heb. 11:3.]
2 The earth was without form and an empty waste, and darkness was upon the face of the very great deep. The Spirit of God was moving (hovering, brooding) over the face of the waters.

OBSERVATION: At 12:01am today, January 1st. 2019, we were presented with a ‘clean slate’. In Genesis 1:1 God started with a similarly ‘clean slate’. It was just Him, and the Holy Spirit that hovered over the earth. I would strongly encourage you to read again the first chapter of Genesis and the Bible, for I believe that you will be reminded of how careful God provided everything we would need for life. To be reminded of that on this first day of a New Year, should impact us to think that God still has things in order for us to live like He designed. That takes all the worries out of life, if only we will trust God!

APPLICATION: Each day we face a ‘Clean Slate’, and we must decide whether, (1) We will go with the flow, and all of the evil that normally shows its face in our culture, or (2) We will seek the guiding hand of our Creator in whom we have placed our faith and trust. Similarly, we went to bed last night and not only put our bodies into a state of sleep, but also made our minds content in all that had happened in our life up to that point in time. When we awakened this morning, we could easily identify with what God faced at the very beginning, because we faced a world filled with sin, strife, trouble from every side, hurt feelings from our fellow Brothers and Sisters, because they are unfortunately facing the same challenges. If we do nothing at all, then we easily and quickly become a part of that same evil world. If we know the Master of this universe, and we dare trust in Him, then we must decide that we will not settle for the norm, but instead trust in God to lead us into the world that He has created, and in which He has provided everything for our survival and enjoyment. Friends, please be reminded that God did not just throw us into this world expecting us to survive without His ongoing help. In Genesis 1, we are told that each thing that God created was with deep thought, and designed for our ongoing survival and enjoyment. For example, I’ve always heard about God creating vegetation on the third day, but it wasn’t until today that God showed me the rest of the story. Read verses 11 – 13, and note how God created plants that either bore seeds, or fruit that contained seeds, so that reproduction could easily occur. Only God could be so careful in providing such awesome ways just for His kids! I’m, glad that I not only know that He loves me, but that I have committed to a personal relationship with Him. I would encourage each of you to consider the greatest decision you could make in 2019, accept Jesus as your Savior and Lord and trust in Him to daily care for you and direct your paths in ways that are pleasing to Him, and that are best for your future. He loves you friend, and He wants to be your Father. The next move is yours! Be bold, and do the right thing!

PRAYER: Thank You for Your many blessings oh Lord, and I especially thank You for allowing us to welcome in a New Year. Everything about this transition is unknown to us, but I can confidently call on the only One who knows everything about what will come our way in 2019! Lord, please continue to be patient with us as we finally recognize Your love and Your awesome power to guide us, protect us and love us through all of life’s circumstances. Please keep us humble so that we may submit ourselves to Your perfect will this year Oh Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer. AMEN!

Robe Yourself With Virtues of God

On By Ed AlgreenIn Committed, goal, Humble, VirtuousLeave a comment

Friday, 2018-12-28

Bible Reference: Colossians 3:12-14
Translation: The Passion Translation (TPT)

Bible Text: 12 You are always and dearly loved by God! So robe yourself with virtues of God, since you have been divinely chosen to be holy. Be merciful as you endeavor to understand others, and be compassionate, showing kindness toward all. Be gentle and humble, unoffendable in your patience with others. 13 Tolerate the weaknesses of those in the family of faith, forgiving one another in the same way you have been graciously forgiven by Jesus Christ. If you find fault with someone, release this same gift of forgiveness to them. 14 For love is supreme and must flow through each of these virtues. Love becomes the mark[k] of true maturity.[l]

OBSERVATION: Around this time of the year we begin to reflect over the accomplishments, failures, heartaches and missed goals of the year about to end, and many of us will begin to set goals for the incoming year. It’s always good to have something to reach towards, for without that, we might tend to merely exist and settle for anything that comes our way. What if we chose some spiritual goals for 2019? Let’s meditate on the ones listed in today’s Scripture and see what God might be directing us towards.

APPLICATION: I believe that we unconsciously set New Years’ goals for ourselves, depending on our audience at the time. For we tend to concentrate on spiritual goals when we are with God or His people; and we tend to drift more into financial and other personal goals when we are with our friends and family. This may not be a bad philosophy, but we might question ourselves as to why is there a need to compartmentalize depending on the audience. I believe that when God listens to the cry of His precious child’s heart, He listens for everything that might be troubling that child, or being celebrated by them. After all, if we are going through financial woes, don’t you know that will have a serious impact on our trust in God, our celebration of His blessings, and our requests made of Him? On the flip side of the coin, don’t you know that our attitudes will be drastically impacted when we are struggling in our relationship with God? So might we not be much more content to speak with God about all aspects of our life, and seek His direction as we establish goals for the New Year? After all, He’s the only One who truly knows what will transpire next year, so His guidance is vital. However friends, I believe that God has given us some virtues to look at enhancing in the days ahead. Think about these things: be holy as our Father is holy; be merciful as we seek to understand others; be compassionate and show kindness to others, as you take the focus off self and all that you want; be gentle; be humble; be so patient with others that you would never offend them; learn to tolerate the weaknesses of believers, for you are one also, and you could also easily fall short in multiple ways; God has forgiven you, so learn to also forgive others, especially for their faults; and love – remember, your love for others will be a sign of your maturity in Christ. Friends, can you imagine how much better our world will be (all those that we touch and impact), if we choose to seek God’s help in achieving these virtues in 2019? Can you imagine the reduction in stress levels for us individually when we strive for these goals? I believe that as we work towards these goals, we will see God also bless us with the other things He knows that we need, such as financial freedom; good decisions about people and events that we are a part of, etc. As our priority shifts towards our God and His righteousness, I believe that we will see more clearly how truly serious we are about Him.

PRAYER: Thank You Lord for saving my soul , thank You Lord for making me whole, thank You Lord for giving to me, Thy great salvation so rich and free! Your Word is a light unto our path oh Lord, may we read it, take it to heart and be obedient to it, with Your amazing help! As we depend on You for all that 2019 brings our way, may we never cease to stop asking You for help in living life here on earth as You intended for us. May others see Your virtues in us before we ever open our mouths to evangelize with words! AMEN!

More Important Than Food

On By Ed AlgreenIn Like Jesus, Priorities, PriorityLeave a comment

Thursday, 2018-12-27

Bible Reference: John 4:31-34
Translation: Contemporary English Version (CEV)

Bible Text:  31  While this was happening, Jesus’ disciples were saying to him, “Teacher, please eat something.” 32  But Jesus told them, “I have food that you don’t know anything about.” 33  His disciples started asking each other, “Has someone brought him something to eat?” 34  Jesus said: My food is to do what God wants! He is the one who sent me, and I must finish the work that he gave me to do.

OBSERVATION: Facing a New Year with our priorities in order should go a long ways, provided that we carefully and prayerfully seek God’s direction for those priorities. Jesus told His disciples that for himself, it was more important than food. Let’s consider this in our meditation today.

APPLICATION: There is a saying I’ve heard around churches, “if you feed them, they will come”! That sounds bad, but it is so true of many folk who attend church today! I believe you will even see this proven at weddings where a couple decides not to have a reception, for attendance is generally down, compared to the weddings that offer a feast afterwards at a reception. Why, even to funerals are now followed by a huge reception that attracts most attendees to eat, rather than spend quality time with the mourning family members. It is unfortunate that we have gotten our priorities so twisted. Perhaps as we face the coming of a brand new year, we may look to the Word of God to make sure that our priorities are in order. Here are some examples for us to take note of, and follow as God leads:

  • John 4:31-34 – In today’s focal passage, Jesus saw an opportunity to speak with unsaved Samaritans, and this was far more satisfying to Him than any amount, or quality, of food that He could physically eat at the time. If it was important to Jesus, should it not be for us also?
  • Matt. 14:15–17; John 4:8; Luke 18:28 – The Disciples were always concerned about the physical need, particularly food!
  • Luke 11:11-13 – Jesus taught the disciples to first remember that God will provide exactly what they need, even though their tendency was to worry about food and physical needs primarily. Imagine pleading and pleading for a hamburger, when God wants to give you a ranch where you could have all the beef you want! He will supply our needs, friends! Praise the wonderful name of Jesus!

Friends, when we get our priorities straight and do what Jesus commands in Matthew 6:33 – seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, then perhaps He will see to it that ALL of our need are met, not just our physical needs of nourishment. Perhaps the next time we become so concerned over whether to have a meal in order to attract folk to an event, particularly a church event, we should read Romans 14:17-18 and remind ourselves of what’s important to the kingdom of heaven! Perhaps if we concentrate more on our spiritual needs and the desire of God for our lives in 2019, we will not only trim some fat, but we will gain a whole lot more faith, hope, love for each other, and gain a closer walk with the Lord than we have ever had before. Friends, can we make this our goal in 2019, God being our helper?

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, please forgive us for allowing our priorities to drift away from the most important person, and the most important thing. We are very close to being blessed with a brand new year, where we have the opportunity to make a brand new start in our spiritual lives. We need to draw close to You Lord, for living in this old wicked world has poisoned us into following the ways of Satan instead of the righteousness that would please You, the one who sacrificed Your very own life for us. Please renew within us a right spirit, so that we might get our priorities straight, and may this all happen so that You might be glorified in all things. AMEN!

God’s Plan Orchestrated For Our Good!

On By Ed AlgreenIn Allegiance to the Lamb, Answered Prayer, Believers, Caring, Circumstances, Merciful Savior, Mercy, PerfectionLeave a comment

Wednesday, 2018-12-26

Bible Reference: Romans 8:27-28
Translation: The Voice (VOICE)

Bible Text: 27 Don’t you know that He who pursues and explores the human heart intimately knows the Spirit’s mind because He pleads to God for His saints to align their lives with the will of God? 28 We are confident that God is able to orchestrate everything to work toward something good and beautiful when we love Him and accept His invitation to live according to His plan.

OBSERVATION: As we approach the end of the year and begin thinking back to all that has taken place in our lives in 2018, others may hear us moaning ‘poor me’ because of all that has happened. But let’s reflect on the year based on the focal verses above, and see if we could do any better in our time of reflection!

APPLICATION: For some, who may have won the lotto, or been immensely blessed in many ways, it may be easy to reflect on how good God is, and the many ways in which He has blessed. But there are some who may have experienced great life events, that may have involved losing a loved one; or medical challenges that may have almost caused separation from life to death for a precious family member; or losing a house or a car because of devastating financial burdens; or any number of things that you may have wished were more ‘normal’ or in line with others who were ‘truly blessed’. However, if we look at the year in light of what today’s Scripture is teaching us, how might we answer this question of ‘blessings’ more appropriately, or how might we understand more clearly how God’s hand was right plumb in the middle of our circumstances? Friends, the Word of God says that our Savior is ‘pursuing and exploring our heart’ and petitioning the Father on our behalf that we may stay aligned with His will for our lives. Is it any wonder why we reflect on circumstances and wonder why we chose to take a certain road home in lieu of another, after hearing of the awful accident around the time of our travel home? Or that we chose to go to the hospital for expert medical help, instead of playing doctor and treating our chest pains with aspirin? Or that we chose to share our testimony with our best friend, at a time that God was already working out His salvation plan in her life? Friends, for each of these examples we may easily brush them off as just being something you would have done anyway, or we may call them coincidence or good luck, but please notice again from the Scripture that neither of these words are used – not even in this modern translation of the Bible. There is nothing haphazard about God’s plan, or about His actions in working out His plan in our lives. Remember, we are His workmanship, and for those who have accepted Him as Lord, we are His prized possession on loan only, to this world for just a little while longer. So let’s look for, and expect to see His love and His caring touch work through us in miraculous ways. Verse 28 is a commonly recited verse, but I pray that it takes on a more enriched meaning to you as you were reminded of verse 27. I love the way that the Voice has translated the condition in verse 28: ‘when we love Him and accept His invitation to live according to His plan’. So friends, whether you reflect on 2018, or look towards 2019, try creating a sense of accountability with God on whether you could honestly say that you have loved Him sincerely, and you have accepted His plan for your life. Learn to praise Him unconditionally for everything that has transpired in your life, because you know that He has worked it out with the Father for your good!

PRAYER: Lord You are so good to us! You amaze us with Your love and Your goodness, so much so that we may tend to question ‘why me Lord?’. Thank You for the lessons taught in these special verses today, for we are reminded of Your unconditional love for us, and how You love us enough that You keep us constantly before the Father, for our good. Help us Lord to keep this awesome news in mind, especially when things don’t appear to be going our way. May we be encouraged to share that special love with those that we come into contact with today. AMEN!

Light Up The World

On By Ed AlgreenIn Christmas, Light, WitnessLeave a comment

Tuesday, 2018-12-25

Bible Reference: Matthew 5:14-16
Translation: The Passion Translation (TPT)

Bible Text: “Your lives light up the world. Let others see your light from a distance, for how can you hide a city that stands on a hilltop? And who would light a lamp and then hide it in an obscure place? Instead, it’s placed where everyone in the house can benefit from its light. So don’t hide your light!]Let it shine brightly before others, so that the commendable things you do will shine as light upon them, and then they will give their praise to your Father in heaven.”

OBSERVATION: In the Word of God, Jesus was referred to as ‘The Light’. Those who know Jesus and seek to live like He exampled for us, must also live as the ‘Light’ to those around them. Let’s meditate on what this might look like, and whether we are anywhere close to being a ‘Light’ that may guide others.

APPLICATION: There are so many examples of being a light in this world. In my younger days I owned a boat, and sometimes travelled at night to help a minister return home to the mainland from an island church that he may have ministered at that day. Across the harbor was a light that indicated the location of the dock to which I was traveling. On several occasions that light was out, so you could only imagine what a plunder, and danger, it was to find that dock on a dark, cold night, and avoid hitting other boaters returning from that dock. In similar fashion, the Bible says that we are to follow the example of Jesus and be a light in this ‘dark’ world in which we live. But how exactly may that be accomplish this, you might ask. Friends, I believe that when we are looked upon as true children of God, then others are recognizing the Fruits of the Spirit in us. Until this is achieved, or earned, others will look at us as hypocrites, or in worst shape than they are spiritually. So why do I look at this as ‘Light’ to a lost and fallen world? Let me encourage you to think about traveling down a long dark road. Think about the bumps and bruises you have already suffered from the inability to see where you are going, and what is standing in your way as obstructions. But suddenly you hear a voice calling you to follow them off to the right, however you can’t even see them, or where they are headed. Off to your left you see the form of a person beckoning you to follow them, and they are surrounded by light, and off in the distance you could see a well lit building, that you are convinced they are heading to. I believe that your decision has been made for you, for you are looking for relief from the darkness that has plagued you in your travel. The same is true with our everyday lives, friends. For people of the world, are looking for a way to improve/enhance/brighten their challenging walk here on earth. Why follow off to the right for more of the same? But to follow one on the road to the left (as in my above example), they must have seen evidence in your life that you have been with the Light of the World and that you know where you are going. If you have not experienced The Light, then it is impossible to reflect that light for others to follow. God knew that the world was filled with the darkness of sin, and had no Light form to run to and be guided by, so He sent His Son, Jesus, born as a baby so that we could identify with Him. May we truly be the Light of the World – The Light that represents God Himself, this Christmas and celebrate it like never before. For Jesus, the Light of the World, was miraculously born with every intention of saving us from the darkness of sin, and opening the gates of heaven for all who believe in Him, to rule and reign in our lives. Merry Christmas friends! Go now and be a LIGHT to the world!

PRAYER: Light brought into a dark room spells ‘Relief’ and saves us from hurting ourselves because of the absence of light. Thank You Father for rescuing us from the darkness of sin in this old wicked world, by sending us the ‘LIGHT’ needed to overcome darkness/sin. Because of that Light, we can now boast of eternal life with the Creator of this universe – with God, the Father; God, the Son; and God, the Holy Spirit. Now oh Lord, may we go and be Light to all those around us who walk in darkness. May they see Your beauty, Your glory and Your everlasting peace, in every aspect of our lives who claim You as Lord. AMEN!

Serve Each Other

On By Ed AlgreenIn Imitate Jesus, Imitating Christ, ServeLeave a comment

Thursday, 2018-12-20

Bible Reference: Galatians 5:13-15
Translation: The VOICE (Voice)

Bible Text: 13 Brothers and sisters, God has called you to freedom! Hear the call, and do not spoil this gift by using your liberty to engage in what your flesh desires; instead, use it to serve each other as Jesus taught through love. 14 For the whole law comes down to this one instruction: “Love your neighbor as yourself,”[a] so 15 why all this vicious gnawing on each other? If you are not careful, you will find you’ve eaten each other alive!

OBSERVATION: To think of a king, or a president, or a ruler of any nation, one would normally think of all the fanfare; all the servitude that surrounds them; and all of the assistants that take care of their every need or want. However, Jesus was born into a humble setting, and while He was supremely God, yet we read story after story about how He sought to serve those with whom He interacted. As we meditate together on this, let us evaluate how well we are following His example.

APPLICATION: God has blessed us beyond measure with the freedom of salvation – meaning that, in spite of our sinful lives, and the temptations of a sinful world around us, yet He sent His very own Son to be born among us, as an indication of identifying with us and the challenges that the world places on us to conform with its ideas, customs and evil implications. I believe that during this same Christmas season, we could very easily be reminded that this Jesus, was the very Son of God. In fact, God taught us that He and His Son are one. May we be reminded that there was great purpose in God sending His Son, for to those who would trust in Him and accept Him as Lord of their life, to those God would extend salvation from sin, and the promise of eternity in Heaven with the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. With this undeserved ‘freedom’ from our sin, we could very easily sit back in our recliners and declare that ‘we have it made’, so let us coast on into eternity one day without any worries. However, while that might be a true statement, the Word of God will show us, as it did in these verses today, that if we are to follow in the footsteps of Jesus, then our hearts will be inclined to serve others. You might ask, or ponder, how can I possibly serve others, after all I have such limited talent? With a new heart filled with the awesome presence of God, I believe that you will see people in a different light, for you will see them through the lens of their Savior. You may have seen them as just another servant of yours, but with the eyes of Jesus you might see them as a lonely widow; or a poor and broken widower; or a fatherless child who is desperately looking for a good role model; or a prisoner who may have committed the most horrific crime, but needs the Lord. Friends, you’ve been given the awesome gift of ‘freedom’ from your sin by the holy Son of God, in return, what are you prepared to give to those that you come into contact with today? How might Jesus help them today? Might He use you in His service to help them? Will Jesus know that you are willing to serve? Why not join me in offering up: “Here I am Lord Jesus, use me”!

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, thank You for serving us in so many ways, beginning with Your very humble beginning here on earth as a baby born in a stable. Thank You for placing us right in the middle of folk in our workplace; in our neighborhood; in our schools; and in our churches; most of whom need something fulfillment and encouragement in their lives. We could never take Your place as Savior, but we could very easily stop our excuses, and be the hands and feet of Jesus as we seek to serve them and their needs. No doubt they will see Jesus in practical ways then, and want to accept Him unconditionally as Lord over every aspect of their lives! Help us Lord to remain humble, but true to You and Your Word. May we seek to ‘S E R V E’ this Christmas, and discontinue the selfishness of always wanting more – especially in adding more to our already filled closets; homes; vehicles and lives in general. Show us Lord how we might imitate You, and Your expectations for this lost world in which we live. AMEN!

Why Trust In God

On By Ed AlgreenIn Priorities, Priority, Wonderful Savior, WorthyLeave a comment

Saturday, 2018-12-15

Bible Reference: Psalm 146:3-6
Translation: The Voice (VOICE)

Bible Text: 3 Do not put your trust in the rulers of this world—kings and princes. Do not expect any rescue from mortal men. 4 As soon as their breath leaves them, they return to the earth; on that day, all of them perish—their dreams, their plans, and their memories. 5 Blessed are those whose help comes from the God of Jacob, whose hope is centered in the Eternal their God — 6 Who created the heavens, the earth, the seas, and all that lives within them; Who stays true and remains faithful forever;

OBSERVATION: It is so important for us to be reminded that rulers and bosses and supervisors and workplaces are all temporary, just like we are. While we owe a large degree of allegiance to each of these, it is so important that we focus primarily on the BIG picture, on the eternal destination and benefits that lie ahead for us – those people and things that will always be there. Throughout the busyness of this season let’s ask for help in refocusing on the most important things in life! Today let’s consider what those things are….

APPLICATION: God’s Word is timeless, and beyond description in power and wisdom! Think about the reasons why some become disconnected in their faith, and please, I would ask that you not look at this as judging, but merely as an illustration, and possible reminder to look inward for signs of distraction in your own trust. I believe that way too often we lose that intimate connection with God for reasons such as: I am way too busy at work, and I need all the rest at home that I could get; I need my short evenings with my family, so I don’t have time for church meetings; Sundays are my only days to visit with family, and that’s more important than church; We pay our pastors to study the Word and feed it to us at church, so I see no value in personally reading the Bible; I have no time to read the Word of God, I’m a working man/woman… Friends, if you did not see your excuse listed, please understand that there are tons of excuses that we use from time to time about what constitutes a priority in our lives. I’m not being supercritical by looking at your reasons for failure as a non-priority, but please do me a favor and consider those things that you do accomplish – that they were a priority to you. Please do me another favor child of God: before you lay down each evening, reflect with God on your day’s activities. Give Him thanks for all those things that you achieved; then explain to Him why your time with Him in prayer (talking to Him), and Bible Study (receiving responses, wisdom and direction from Him) was not a priority to you. That sounds tough, but I believe that the popular excuse of ‘lack of time’ equates to ‘lack of priority’. It’s just much easier to give the excuse that ‘you didn’t have time’, instead of the fact that ‘it was not a priority to me today’. Friends, when our workplace is no longer in business, or we have retired, God is still there. When we make it a priority to read God’s Word, we receive wisdom and direction for our day that helps us handle situations better, and keeps our mind focused on the God who cares, loves and directs our every word and deed. The bottom line is, that there is no earthly thing that we could find comfort in, or depend on, that could ever take the place of our all-powerful God. May I recommend that you trust Him today in all things, and in all areas of your life?

PRAYER: Lord, You are worthy of our praise; dependable; trustworthy; and You are our everlasting Savior! Thank You for always being there for us in every way and throughout every day. Please help us to always be reminded of the truth and significance of that, so that we may keep our priorities straight. You are our Rock, and our everlasting Father, on whom we could place our full trust and hope, in every circumstance of life. Lord, we need You, and we want You in every part of our life. Please keep us in tuned with You and continually looking up – for Your return, AMEN!

A Gift You Should Give Your Children

On By Ed AlgreenIn Christmas, Gift, gifts, Humility, Love, Love others, Loving God, Unconditional loveLeave a comment

Friday, 2018-12-14

Bible Reference: Isaiah 38:18-19
Translation: Amplified Bible (AMP)

Bible Text: 18 “For Sheol cannot praise or thank You, Death cannot praise You and rejoice in You; Those who go down to the pit cannot hope for Your faithfulness. 19 “It is the living who give praise and thanks to You, as I do today; A father tells his sons about Your faithfulness.

OBSERVATION: Christmas seems to be all about gift giving, in remembrance of the greatest GIFT ever given for us – our Lord Jesus! But ‘gifts’ come in many forms, and today we want to meditate on the greatest gift that we could pass on to our children, or to those who know us. Come, meditate with me as we look into the Word of God.

APPLICATION: With Christmas quickly approaching, I believe that most of us are probably trying to narrow down what we will possibly give that child of ours, who seems to have everything already. No doubt there are others that we are just as concerned about getting just the right gift for as well, and we will often go into debt just to get the right gift that they might appreciate. But wait just a minute friend. Can you remember the best gift you ever received from a grandparent? How about a parent, or spouse or child of yours? I can think of certain acts of love; certain words of praise; certain very special family times, like the night dad told his kids about the call of God on his life that led to his salvation that day; certain family times of Bible reading; certain times that, as a family, we called on God for healing for each other, like when my dad was being treated for ulcers, when in fact he had experienced a heart attack. Friends, our Scripture is telling us that we may no longer hear about these things from grandma or grandpa, or dad, because just as declared in verse 18 above, they may have passed on from this world. So how then will our children know these things? Let me suggest that we make some family traditions of our own. I don’t believe that we would spoil the ‘fun’ times of what our kids have found in Christmas trees, gifts, santa claus, and the likes of a worldly Christmas, but in verse 19 we are being counseled to share our ‘God’ experiences with our children. I trust that we all will make time to share with each other during our Christmas celebrations this year.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, You have been so gracious to us;  so loving; so kind; so forgiving; and such a provider of glorious gifts that creates a sense of anxious expectation about Your return to take us up to glory! Lord, please give us opportunity to share these gifts with our family this Christmas, and oh that we may have opportunities to also share Your love with others that we come into contact with. This may be the greatest gift we give this Christmas, and it may be more special to the recipient than anything they will find under the tree. Make us bold in our approach, but humble and loving as we remind ourselves of our unworthiness before such a righteous and awesome God. Blessed be the name of the Lord! AMEN!