Tag: Savior

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!

Trust That God is With Us This Christmas

On By Ed AlgreenIn Christmas, Trust, Truth2 Comments

Tuesday, 2018-12-11

Bible Reference: Isaiah 7:9-16
Translation: The Living Bible (TLB)

Bible Text: 9 Samaria is the capital of Ephraim alone, and King Pekah’s power will not increase. You don’t believe me? If you want me to protect you, you must learn to believe what I say.” 10 Not long after this, the Lord sent this further message to King Ahaz: 11 “Ask me for a sign, Ahaz, to prove that I will indeed crush your enemies as I have said. Ask anything you like, in heaven or on earth.” 12 But the king refused. “No,” he said, “I’ll not bother the Lord with anything like that.” 13 Then Isaiah said: O House of David, you aren’t satisfied to exhaust my patience; you exhaust the Lord’s as well! 14 All right then, the Lord himself will choose the sign—a child shall be born to a virgin! And she shall call him Immanuel (meaning, “God is with us”). 15-16 By the time this child is weaned and knows right from wrong, the two kings you fear so much—the kings of Israel and Syria – will both be dead.

OBSERVATION: We can’t expect God to bless us, protect us, heal us or provide for us, if we don’t trust Him or believe fully in Him! Let’s meditate on this today as we contend with the busyness of Christmas and prepare our hearts for the celebration of Christ’s birth!

APPLICATION: Verse 14 is a verse that we hear used a lot around Christmas time in Christian circles, but as represented in other recent devotionals, I believe it is so important for us individually to take time and read the whole context from which these popular verses are found. Today’s scripture is a wonderful example. Like us, King Ahaz thought that some things were just too trivial to bother God with, even though it was God Himself who told Ahaz to test Him. I love what the Lord said to Ahaz in the latter part of verse 9, and I know that it very much applies to me and very possibly also applies to you. In my own words, and based on my understanding, I believe that God said to Ahaz, and is saying to us: How do you expect me to protect you, or, how do you expect me to heal you or bless you, if you don’t learn to believe in, and trust me? Friends, there is so much truth in those powerful words by the Master! Will our child ever release themselves from a high wall and jump into our arms, if they have not learned to trust us? I don’t think so! In my hyperlink to today’s scripture, I included the whole chapter, because I want you to take time to read and understand that God had given Ahaz comfort in knowing that He would take care of the opposing leaders, and He even wanted to give him a timeline that it would occur. However, God knew that Ahaz doubted what he was told, so He told Ahaz to test Him just to gain trust in knowing that He is true to His word. The timing of this event then allowed God to elaborate on the miraculous birth of His Son, Jesus. Friends, once again we are assured that our Father has a plan for His children, just like He had for Ahaz. However, we must know Him so well that we are willing to trust Him and believe what He says to us through His Word; through visions; and through His mighty warriors who deliver His messages to us each week. Wouldn’t it be ‘MERRY’, if this Christmas this concept might ‘click’ in our minds and cause us to totally place our faith and our trust in our Savior? We can’t expect God to bless us and protect us if we don’t trust Him or believe fully in Him!

PRAYER: Your Word never ceases to amaze me Oh God! To read the context from which we have traditionally heard parts of the Christmas story, and still find new truths that really speak to our hearts, we can only say ‘Wow’ what a Savior! What an awesome God! Lord Jesus, we just want to worship You, praise You and honor Your blessed name for the key role You have played in our plan of salvation. God had a plan to comfort king Ahaz, and I am convinced that His plan to comfort, protect and save us, is even more awesome! Thank you Heavenly Father! Please continue to open our hearts and fill us with Your grace and Your awesome love that You have shown to us, so that we may, in turn, be a blessing to others in every way possible this Christmas season and throughout each day of the upcoming New Year. With every fiber of our being, we again say ‘thank You Father’ for Your amazing love to us in so many ways! AMEN!

Reflect His Caring Heart

On By Ed AlgreenIn Christmas, Forgiveness, giftsLeave a comment

Friday, 2018-12-07

Bible Reference: Colossians 3:12-14
Translation: Easy-To-Read Version (ERV)

Bible Text: 12 God has chosen you and made you his holy people. He loves you. So your new life should be like this: Show mercy to others. Be kind, humble, gentle, and patient. 13 Don’t be angry with each other, but forgive each other. If you feel someone has wronged you, forgive them. Forgive others because the Lord forgave you. 14 Together with these things, the most important part of your new life is to love each other. Love is what holds everything together in perfect unity. 

OBSERVATION: At Christmas time we seem to easily find room in our hearts to be kind to others. In our verses today Paul reminds us of what all God did for us, and how that should lead us to do the same for others. So as we meditate on this today, may it stir up within us many ideas on how we might bless others at Christmas!

APPLICATION: Most children are probably looking forward to Christmas because of the gifts they have asked for, and expect to receive. As adults, Paul has reminded us of the gracious gifts that are ours, in being a child of the most high God! Here are some of the gifts mentioned by Paul: 1). God has made us His holy people – imagine that – steeped in sin and very much a part of Satan’s army, yet when we felt the call on our life by Jesus, and surrendered our life to Him, we were adopted into the sonship of the Most Holy God! That is beyond comprehension, and could only be imagined through faith in the truth of God’s Holy Word; 2). God loves us – ‘Love’ is an awesome word that we use, and even abuse in our lifetime, but it takes on such a special meaning when the holy Son of God loves a child that has been so blatant in sin, and asked for His forgiveness. Oh that we may find it in our hearts to love like that this Christmas! But here are some gifts that we may give to others, in return for His gracious love to us: Show mercy towards others; Be kind to others; Be humble towards others; Be gentle to others; Be patient with others; Don’t be angry with others; Forgive others; and LOVE others. Friends, the best news of all about these godly gifts, is that there will be no increase in credit card bills whatsoever!  So why not read over this devotional again as Christmas draws closer, and concentrate on all the gody gifts that you can extend to family and friends. Be instrumental in teaching them God’s ways and His teachings through your example this Christmas! Others may just see that you have a heart like that of Jesus, because you care for others!

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, thank You for Christmas! Thank You for teaching us about the many precious gifts that You bless us with, and through your servant Paul, teaching us how we might extend to others the many gifts that You have showered on us. Please help us to make someone’s Christmas special this year, by showering them with the character of Your Son, and the godly gifts mentioned above. AMEN!

Here’s Why Jesus Was Born

On By Ed AlgreenIn Caring, Celebrate God, Christian, Christian Principles, Christmas, FaithLeave a comment

Thursday, 2018-12-06

Bible Reference: John 18:37
Translation: Easy-To-Read Version (ERV)

Bible Text: ^37 Pilate said, “So you are a king.” Jesus answered, “You are right to say that I am a king. I was born for this: to tell people about the truth. That is why I came into the world. And everyone who belongs to the truth listens to me.”

OBSERVATION: Jesus taught us great lessons throughout His ministry. In this Scripture today, when Jesus was being tried by the authorities, He still showed His compassion; His calmness; and He declared His whole purpose for coming to this world. I wonder what we would say is our whole purpose on earth?

APPLICATION: At different stages of our lives we may have sat and declared what our purpose in life is. For example, the transition from high school or college into the working world, you may have committed to be a doctor or an accountant, etc. When you got married, you made have declared what kind of spouse you would be. When you got saved, you may have promised God a drastic change in your lifestyle or in your habits. But was there ever a time that you declared what your whole purpose in life is…..? You see, Jesus was known as ‘Truth’, and for that reason we can measure absolute ‘Truth’. I sincerely believe that the Truth that Jesus spoke of here is the absolute Truth that He represents in being God’s precious Son. In other words, looking at Jesus and hearing His words, were just like seeing and hearing His Father – God. With that in mind, what is the real truth that others experience in you? Do they experience with you, what they really hear from you? Do you have to tell them that you are a Christian, or do they see that in you, and hear that from the words that you speak? As ‘little Christs’, our aim here on earth should be much like that of Jesus – to represent Him completely; honestly and wholly, so that the world may know and believe in the One who saved us from our sin and condemnation. To the unbeliever reading this blog today, let me assure you that God loves you also, and He wants you to come to Him believing in His precious Son. Seek His forgiveness my friend and give Him control of your life. He would love for you to experience His love; His forgiveness; and His caring – just like a real loving father would do for that very favorite son or daughter.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, I pray that Your love will shine so strongly through my life that it will be evident to the world that You are having an awesome impact in my life, then may You be glorified by all that I come into contact with. Thank God for the grace and power expressed through His gracious Son. Thank You Jesus for accepting me as Your gracious son. May I represent you as well, so that others may see and believe. AMEN