What’s Your Plan of Action?

On 2015-04-172015-04-17 By Ed AlgreenIn Heaven, SalvationLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (The Good News Translation – Hebrews 9:17-28): Everyone must die once, and after that be judged by God. In the same manner Christ also was offered in sacrifice once to take away the sins of many. He will appear a second time, not to deal with sin, but to save those who are waiting for him.

THOUGHTS: In the business world we are required to have a Disaster Recovery Plan. It must be a documented plan, tested at least annually, and audited by our regulators, as accountability that the ‘Plan’ is a workable and proven one. In our family life here in Florida, it is highly recommended that we have a plan in place that we can quickly implement in the event of an approaching hurricane. Some of us take these plans seriously, while others look at the odds of ever needing such a plan. Some businesses and families survive disasters because of their plan, while others are destroyed because of the lack of planning. This scripture reminds us of another aspect of life that can bring totally different results, depending on whether we take certain actions while we are alive, or not making any plans at all. I would like to challenge you with a very important question today that will help you know, in advance, what you will face when life here on the earth draws to a close. “Have you surrendered your life to the lordship of Jesus Christ yet?” You see, we are all born into a sinful world and while there is hope for us and a bright eternity, it is required of us that we personally seek a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, the One who sacrificed His life so that we might, through Him, have new life, and a living, vibrant relationship with the Creator, Master, Loving Savior of this world. In doing so, we will secure our action plan for a future filled with hope, love, peace and everlasting joy, because we will then be assured of the One who holds our hand and leads us into the Promised Land – Heaven with our Lord Jesus Christ and His Father. Our decisions today will have eternal effects. Doing nothing, and assuming life as it is, leads to eternal damnation with Satan and his cohorts. I want you to join me in deciding today whom you will serve, and what eternity will bring for you! You can button this up TODAY, friend! If you are willing to do so, please read carefully the information in my Footnote and take steps towards securing your future! Your family, your God, myself and ultimately you, will be comforted by your decision and celebrate before the throne with you! I’ve seen the importance of this decision and have secured my future, I pray that all who are reading this devotional will either rejoice with me on having done the same, OR make this a priority decision TODAY!

PRAYER: Father, I thank You for providing Your Book of Instructions, Your Holy Word, to clearly remind us of the results of our life-choices today. You’ve reminded us that we have no assurance of tomorrow, therefore TODAY is the day we must make sound life-changing decisions – about our salvation; about eternity in Heaven with Jesus and His followers; or are we satisfied knowing that we are bound for Hell, with Satan and his evil workers of damnation? It is also clear that no decision towards these questions, or failing to accept the truth of Your Word, leads to eternity with the Evil one, Satan. Thank You for prompting me to accept You as my Savior some 39 years ago. Please touch the hearts of those reading this today and encourage them to actually make a decision about their eternal future. I am concerned that many of my family and friends have not taken this seriously, and I want so badly to be comforted that one day we all will stand before You as a prepared people ready to spend eternity with You. Thank You Jesus for loving us so much and providing the means by which man shall be saved! I love You Lord and look forward to being with You whenever You are ready for me to make the transition! I rejoice in this assurance, yet plead for those that don’t know You as Lord, in the precious and sacrificial name of Jesus, AMEN!

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

The Facilitator – From Unrighteous to Holy

On 2015-04-162015-04-16 By Ed AlgreenIn Forgiveness, Love, SacrificeLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (The Message – Hebrews 9:11-14): But when the Messiah arrived, high priest of the superior things of this new covenant, he bypassed the old tent and its trappings in this created world and went straight into heaven’s “tent”—the true Holy Place—once and for all. He also bypassed the sacrifices consisting of goat and calf blood, instead using his own blood as the price to set us free once and for all. If that animal blood and the other rituals of purification were effective in cleaning up certain matters of our religion and behavior, think how much more the blood of Christ cleans up our whole lives, inside and out.

THOUGHTS: In the beginning books of the Bible we see where there were many examples of sacrifices of animals for the forgiveness of sin. We also see where this was pretty much a routine or a tradition, that did absolutely nothing towards bringing the individual closer to the God of this universe. In His infinite wisdom, God saw that this was not working, so He sent His precious, only Son into the world through miraculous means, with an awesome, miraculous kingdom agenda of being the ultimate sacrifice for mankind – the only channel available for leading the unrighteous to the Righteous One, God! Friends, I really want you to grasp the depth of love by our Maker in this scripture today. Imagine, He created us to worship Him. We saw no importance in this, so we went our own way and did our own thing. Our ancestors felt such grief and remorse for their sin, that they followed with a sacrifice of something near and dear to them, as a blood offering in lieu of their ugly sin, hoping that God, or sometimes ‘the gods’ would accept their sacrifice and see fit to forgive them of their sin. God saw this was not working as a long term goal towards drawing His children to Himself, so He intervened and sent His Son, Jesus, as a once for all sacrifice for the sin of those who simply accept Him as Lord. Jesus, became the facilitator for us who would forgive us of our sin and cleanse us of all unrighteousness so that we might stand before God as one who has been made whole, or eternally ‘clean’! Yes, we have an Advocate who has bridged the gap between our sinful nature and our Holy God! Where do you stand today friend? Have you asked Jesus to forgive you of your sin and bridge the gap for you? The Bible says that He will accept you just as you are and whomever you are, for all are welcome (John 3:16). Please consider surrendering to the One who sacrificed His very life for the forgiveness of your sin.

PRAYER: Praise the wonderful name of Jesus for your sacrifice on the cross for my sin, and the sin of all those who will read this devotional today! As I am reminded of the purpose and the ultimate sacrifice made on my behalf, I am eternally grateful and, considered blessed by the amazing love of my Father. I sincerely pray for all who will be reminded of this today, and ask that you humble their hearts so that they might actually see beyond their selfish desires and sin, and actually see the love of the Savior who sacrificed Himself so that we all might live eternally. May this be a day of surrender by folk who are ready to accept the love and sacrifice made available to them? I would be eternally thankful Father! I ask all these things in the name of Your Son, Jesus, AMEN!

Let No Wedge Come Between Us

On 2015-04-152015-04-15 By Ed AlgreenIn Hope, Joy, LoveLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (The Message – Romans 8:31-35): So, what do you think? With God on our side like this, how can we lose? If God didn’t hesitate to put everything on the line for us, embracing our condition and exposing himself to the worst by sending his own Son, is there anything else he wouldn’t gladly and freely do for us? And who would dare tangle with God by messing with one of God’s chosen? Who would dare even to point a finger? The One who died for us—who was raised to life for us!—is in the presence of God at this very moment sticking up for us. Do you think anyone is going to be able to drive a wedge between us and Christ’s love for us? There is no way! Not trouble, not hard times, not hatred, not hunger, not homelessness, not bullying threats, not backstabbing, not even the worst sins listed in Scripture

THOUGHTS: I believe that it is clear in God’s Word that His children, you and I, are very special in His eyes, and that there is nothing that He wouldn’t do to prove His love for us! His protection over us, and His desire to see us succeed in every way, is beyond compare and serves to help us in overcoming life’s challenges as we head towards the prize – eternal life in the presence of the Master! I found the words chosen in about verse 34 very interesting, and eye-opening, as the Word declares that no one will be able to place a wedge between the love Christ has for us! Isn’t it almost ‘a stab in the back’ for us with the Word declaring that we will fail, but there is nothing that can interfere with the love that Jesus declares for us! It is sad to acknowledge that we are so capable of failing, but praise God we are reassured from His Word that in Christ we can do all things, and that there is nothing that He can’t do for us when we ask Him, in faith, believing in His powerful name. So friends, I believe it is incumbent upon us to acknowledge our weaknesses, and for those of us who know Jesus as Lord, we are to surrender to His authority, and accept His help to overcome life’s obstacles and obstructions that tend to interfere and/or weaken our walk with the Lord. It is proven that He can help us, and see us through our worldly desires and fleshly mistakes. We just have to be humble enough to ask for His guidance and His help. We are the weakest link in our love relationship with Christ, but under His authority and awesome power, we can do all things. Let’s be willing to surrender ourselves to Him friend. Let’s tighten up that weakest link with the power of the Almighty God! Perhaps then we can conclude the verse above by not only agreeing that God will prevent a wedge from being placed between His relationship with us, but also assured that the weakness we have surrendered to Him will be buttoned up and secured in our relationship with Him also!

PRAYER: Dear Father, I come before You ashamedly, knowing full well that there is so much in this old world that distracts my walk with You and subsequently affects my love for You. I am super excited to acknowledge Your everlasting love for me and Your assurance that nothing will ever affect that awesome love that You have for me. Based on promises in Your Word, which I know that You cannot break, I now can confidently place my faith and trust in You, believing that You will hear my cry for help in maintaining my love for You also, so that that nothing will divide or interfere with that precious love I have for You. In this life we face many disappointments, and often broken promises will serve to break our joy and our trust in fellow humans. What an encouragement and a joy to know that You, dear Jesus, are constant, and always sincere in what You have promised and in all that You deliver. Thank You for being my Joy, my Peace and my everlasting King! Please reassure my readers with this same reminder today so that they might rise above the fears and disappointments of this world, and look forward to the joy in the life that follows with You! I ask this in the wonderful name of Jesus, AMEN!

Business as Usual Won’t Cut It

On 2015-04-102015-04-10 By Ed AlgreenIn Forgiveness, Joy, SalvationLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (The Message – Hebrews 7:11-19): ^11-14
If the priesthood of Levi and Aaron, which provided the framework for the giving of the law, could really make people perfect, there wouldn’t have been need for a new priesthood like that of Melchizedek. But since it didn’t get the job done, there was a change of priesthood, which brought with it a radical new kind of law. There is no way of understanding this in terms of the old Levitical priesthood, which is why there is nothing in Jesus’ family tree connecting him with that priestly line.

^15–19 But the Melchizedek story provides a perfect analogy: Jesus, a priest like Melchizedek, not by genealogical descent but by the sheer force of resurrection life—he lives!—”priest forever in the royal order of Melchizedek.” The former way of doing things, a system of commandments that never worked out the way it was supposed to, was set aside; the law brought nothing to maturity. Another way—Jesus!—a way that does work, that brings us right into the presence of God, is put in its place.

THOUGHTS: This appears to be a complex passage for a layperson to try and explain to anyone, or give you the theological meaning of, so I won’t try to do that!! However, I am a firm believer that God’s Word is in place for us to meditate on and allow God’s Holy Spirit to minister to our hearts so that we may be drawn to a closer relationship with the Father. Here’s how this impacted me: I was reminded recently that to understand a passage, try and picture the audience for whom it was written, the time in which it was written and by whom it was written. So for a brief moment, let’s think about the audience, a people who had been used to the leadership of Levitical priests. Then came this new priesthood of Melchizedek, who was radically different to anything the people were used to – a perfect analogy of the ‘priesthood’ of Jesus Christ, the One known as our great High Priest; our spiritual leader; our mediator with God the Father! I believe that God prompted me to share that we must be careful about allowing anything or anyone to be our sole leadership spiritually. Not the church – no matter how much we love our church; and not the pastor/priest/bishop/etc – no matter how much we respect and love them. For, although we should take the teachings of the church and our leaders to heart, what really matters is our personal relationship with the Son of God – Jesus Christ. To have a relationship with Jesus, we must go before Him in reverence and fear, Admit that we have sinned and desperately need a Savior; Believe that Jesus is God’s Son and only He who can forgive us of our sin; and Confess that we can do nothing to save ourselves, short of accepting Him as Lord and Savior. Yes, confess our unworthiness, but seek after His righteousness. Friends, we are told in God’s Word, that no tradition taught by our ancestors could facilitate our righteousness or relationship with Jesus Christ, it is only through us personally Admitting; Believing and Confessing of our sins that we totally surrender ourselves to the lordship of Jesus Christ. Yes, this may be very radical for some who have followed various traditions over the years, like the Israelites did with the Levitical priests, but let me challenge you to examine the Word of God and validate this for yourself, then take the appropriate action to sure up your eternal salvation. Jesus loves us dearly, sacrificially and wholeheartedly. There is nothing greater He would desire of us than to know that we have accepted His great love for us. Do it today friend, before it is eternally too late.

PRAYER: Thank You Fathpossibility for us. As with the Levitical priests back in the day, and with our various denominational beliefs and practices today, they attract us to follow their various twists on what they understand from Your Word, however You clearly made a way for us to come straight to the source – the only Biblical way for us to be saved from our own sinful selves. Thank You for Jesus. Thank You for the cross, but thank You even more that Jesus arose – an expression of the true life that we have in You when we become one with You. Please help us to be a people of the Book, so that we may be led to be servants of Your Son Jesus, who will lead us to all Truth with lives pleasing to You in every way. Our churches and our pastors/leaders are excellent resources for us to grow in our relationship with You, but continue to impress upon us that our true strength comes from You, and it’s You that we should live for every day of our lives. Thank You Father, and I ask that You hear my cry, increase my joy, and answer all my requests today so that I and my readers may be drawn closer to You now, and throughout eternity! AMEN!

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

In Faith, Believe Jesus is Lord

On 2015-04-03 By Ed AlgreenIn Eternal Life, Follow Jesus, Obedience, Salvation, The PlanLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (The Contemporary English Version – Hebrews 4:2-3): We have heard the message, just as they did. But they failed to believe what they heard, and the message did not do them any good. Only people who have faith will enter the place of rest. It is just as the Scriptures say, “God became angry and told the people, ‘You will never enter my place of rest!’ ”

THOUGHTS: Over time many have continued the tradition of attending church on the day of their choice or conviction. Having grown up in church and now a regular attendee, it is very easy to assume that such dedication is bound to get you somewhere on the day you are faced with death to this world. This kind of assumption was assumed back in the day when the writer of Hebrews shared his heart with us in this passage of scripture. The reality of what is being discussed by the writer was very evident in the lives of the Israelites that were rescued from slavery in the land of Egypt and taken care of by God through 40 years in the wilderness. They were taken care of, but did they truly have faith in the One who cared for them? Of course not, every time that Moses left their presence they returned to their sinful acts of worshiping idols. Unfortunately, this sounds a lot like our church goers who attend to please mom, or spouse, or whomever, but have no personal relationship with the Lord. Friends, please be aware that church attendance is just the ‘icing on the cake’ for us, as it is a place that we go to join other like-minded folk who come together to celebrate the one main thing they have in common – the Lord Jesus. Just because you may find yourself enjoying the company of these folk when they meet to worship, does not automatically include you in the redeemed of the Lord who anxiously await His return. You see, having a relationship with the Lord will be evident in our lives every day of the week, and not just for the one hour that we feel an obligation to attend a worship service. So I believe that the litmus test is more about what your life appears to be Monday thru Friday, more so than what it looks like during your hour of worship. So what would someone who only knows you in the business world classify you as? A Christian/follower of Christ/born again child of the King/Christ-like? Have you personally asked for forgiveness of your sin and surrendered your life totally to the Lord Jesus Christ? Perhaps on this ‘Good Friday’, a day we remember the death of our Lord Jesus, there is no better time for you to seek His face and surrender your life to Him as your loving Savior and King. It’s time that you be honest with yourself and your relationship with God, or lack thereof. Do something about it friend.

PRAYER: Dear God, please help us, Your children, to not take You for granted. You went to the extreme of giving up Your only Son so that we might have eternal life. Please help us to never assume that by simply walking through the doors of a building on a Sunday or Saturday morning will take the place of that awesome sacrifice You made for us. You have carefully outlined in Your Word how we might be saved, and no part of it involves church attendance for a given number of years. Our only means of seeing You at heaven’s portals is through a personal decision and plea to accept Your Son Jesus, as our Lord and personal Savior. There is no substitute or alternative. Please open the eyes and hearts of Your children as they find a place of worship this Easter season. May they truly find, and accept the gift of eternal life – may they personally find and accept You as Lord, is my humble and sincere prayer that I ask in the name of the One that I call King, Savior and Lord of all, Jesus the Christ, my Lord, AMEN!

We Must Continue To Follow God

On 2015-04-012015-04-01 By Ed AlgreenIn Follower of Christ, ObedienceLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (The Good News Translation – Hebrews 3:7-11): So then, as the Holy Spirit says: “If you hear God’s voice today, do not be stubborn, as your ancestors were when they rebelled against God, as they were that day in the desert when they put him to the test. There they put me to the test and tried me, says God, although they had seen what I did for forty years. And so I was angry with those people and said, ‘They are always disloyal and refuse to obey my commands.’ I was angry and made a solemn promise: ‘They will never enter the land where I would have given them rest!’ ”

THOUGHTS: One of the biggest obstacles a person might have when they read the chosen verses today, is pondering how they will know when God is speaking to them. I believe that when sinful man is normally looking out for self, tempted in every evil way to do the selfish and all inclusive things to benefit self only. When this person senses a need to change his/her ways and instead be drawn to a holy and righteous God, or the things in which He is present, then God is speaking to that sinner. I believe that when a person is in deep despair and, after calling on the name of Jesus, they feel a sudden peace that they just can’t explain, then God is speaking to that despondent person. I believe that when a person lives life without any regard for God, yet suddenly they have an urge to attend church or do some other Godly exercise, then I believe that God is speaking to that person. There are times when we feel like we just don’t know what to do or where to turn next for relief from certain life-situations, then after praying about it, we receive a peace that passes all human understanding, then I believe that God is obedient to our cry for help and delivers us. In this passage today, the above scenarios are likened to those of the Israelites traveling and depending on God in the wilderness for 40 years. They had a choice to call on the God that proved Himself faithful in many situations for them, however, at every opportunity they chose to turn their backs on God and return to their idols. Friends, God became angry at the Israelites, how do you suppose He is feeling about you? Are you causing this same anger to rise up in Him because of your constant disobedience, or are you following His commands and accepting His loving direction for your life? God loves us so much that He wants to see His very best for His children, but we must be willing to not only call on Him, but to accept His help and follow His direction for us. Our obedience would make Him happy, and willing to continue helping us. How about joining me in continuing to follow Christ and therefore anticipate His rich blessings on our lives?

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank You for loving us and being so patient with us. Thank You for being available to us when we call on You, but also thank You for the warning given in these verses today. Please forgive me for the times I have turned my back and expressed my dependence on self, rather than on You. Please speak to the hearts of my readers one more time today Lord, and show them again how much You love them and care about their future, provoke them to a full commitment to continue following You. For those who are strangers to You, please soften their hearts one more time today so that they are willing to brush aside self, and look full into Your wonderful eyes and fully surrender their life to You. May this be a day of pure joy for You and my readers Lord, so that there will be no need for Your anger to rise against them. Thank You for Your love, yet firm stand on what we must do to receive Your help. May we be obedient followers today, is my humble prayer, for I ask this in the powerful name of Jesus, AMEN!

Pride Comes Before A Fall

On 2015-03-312015-03-31 By Ed AlgreenIn Humility, Obedience, SurrenderLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (The Contemporary English Version – Jeremiah 38:17-18, 28): I told him that the Lord had said: “Zedekiah, I am the Lord God All-Powerful, the God of Israel. I promise that if you surrender to King Nebuchadnezzar’s officers, you and your family won’t be killed, and Jerusalem won’t be burned down. ¹⁸ But if you don’t surrender, I will let the Babylonian army capture Jerusalem and burn it down, and you will be taken prisoner.”……. ²⁸ I was held in the courtyard of the palace guards until the day Jerusalem was captured.

THOUGHTS: I am amazed that we can look into God’s Word and not just see the amazing things that He did such as bringing people back to life, or miraculously healing them, but to also see some of the same characteristics in the folk of that day that compares to much like we see and experience today. In spite of knowing that he could possibly be killed for sharing with the king exactly what God said, yet Jeremiah was faithful and told King Zedekiah just that. In verses 19 thru 27 we are told how the king asked Jeremiah to handle the questions when asked by the palace authorities about the meeting between Jeremiah and the king, because the king found it impossible to concede to what God wanted him to do, as it would burst the pride of his kingdom. I found vs 28 interesting, because it gives the idea that Jeremiah waited in full expectation of what God said He would do, and in later verses we will read the rest of the story! I believe that way too often we go off in our own direction and, in spite of asking God for His advice, we are so filled with personal pride that we do our own thing, although His warnings and/or directions have been made plain to us. Friends, God is all-knowing and all-powerful. If we are truly His child, and we want to be truly obedient, then we will allow His will to override our wants and our pride. This requires a close walk with God and demands our knowing His very thoughts and plans, and allowing that sense of direction to lead us into all truth, even if it looks like it will probably lead to folk laughing at us, or thinking that we have lost sense with reality. God’s true messengers tell the story as they understand it from God, not as they have manipulated it to best suit their purpose. We are chosen to be God’s messengers of His truth, not to dilute it with our wants and/or benefits. I believe that God is watching as we decide today whom we will serve. What shall it be friend?

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for trusting Your servants to deliver Your Word to those that need it even today. You are well aware of how manipulative we are in still sharing that Word with our own personal prejudices and twists that help us to feel important and without including ourselves in the mix of all who need correction. Please tender our hearts, and please cause us to allow Your words to penetrate us first personally, before we ever think about sharing them with someone else. You are the Creator and ongoing Master of this universe. All things were made by You and are still under Your control. Please help us to understand that this will not change, even if we try to soften the reality of that, or not tell the whole truth of what it will take to draw mankind unto a saving knowledge of You. There is no need for us to be intimidated by others, for Your message is designed for us all. There is no gain for self, for Your Word is intended to draw mankind unto You, not unto us. Please forgive us for our littleness in trying to use Your message for our benefit. Please help us to wipe away self-pride and instead practice true servant-hood and be Your humble messenger simply delivering Your Word to lost mankind. Only the blood of Jesus can wash away the sin of mankind, nothing else. May Your will be done today in our lives, I pray, in the all-powerful and matchless name of Jesus my Lord, AMEN!

Help For The Tempted

On 2015-03-312015-03-31 By Ed AlgreenIn Temptation, VictoryLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (The Contemporary English Version – Hebrews 2:14-18): ¹⁴ We are people of flesh and blood. That is why Jesus became one of us. He died to destroy the devil, who had power over death. ¹⁵ But he also died to rescue all of us who live each day in fear of dying. ¹⁶ Jesus clearly did not come to help angels, but he did come to help Abraham’s descendants. ¹⁷ He had to be one of us, so that he could serve God as our merciful and faithful high priest and sacrifice himself for the forgiveness of our sins. ¹⁸ And now that Jesus has suffered and was tempted, he can help anyone else who is tempted.

THOUGHTS: Jesus became man and can therefore identify with mankind – our issues and our temptations. In this scripture today in verse 18, we are reassured that Jesus can help us when tempted. I believe this is an excellent reminder for us, for when we are tempted we must quickly be reminded that we have a choice. A choice to seek help to prevent us from sinning, or we do nothing and allow that temptation to lead us into a sinful situation. Much is shown in scripture about how Jesus was faced with temptation and what He did to overcome it. He called on His Father and depended on the Word of God. Jesus set the example for us, so I believe that not only does He have power to help us overcome, but He also wants us to follow His example. Friends, temptations will come. It is up to us to seek the power and strength of our Father, or to ignore the example set for us by His Son and allow it to control our destiny. I would urge you to join me in seeking the strength and wisdom of our Master and allow Him full control of our lives, and not simply allow the wishes of Satan to see us fail through giving in to temptation and the sin that results from caving in to that, for Jesus can help anyone who is tempted!

PRAYER: Father, You know what our day will hold long before we place our feet on the floor each day. You are well aware of the temptations that Satan will send our way to test our faith and our walk with You. In Your wisdom You have given us choices, even though You know that we are so incapable and inadequate within the confines of our own abilities. Thankfully You have given us a Savior who is all-knowing and all-powerful, who can guide us to all truth and towards a life that is pure and without sin. We know that this is only possible with Your strength Lord, so today I want to plead with You for extra power and strength to always surrender tempting situations to You, and bathe them in the blood of Jesus so that we will fight against these with the almighty power of God the Father. You are able Lord, and I am not. Please help me to not even attempt to deal with the Evil one, but instead seek Your power to deal with him and overcome the temptations that he will send my way. For I ask this in the all-powerful name of Jesus, my Lord, with thanksgiving, AMEN!

Obedience Leads To ‘Life’

On 2015-03-272015-03-27 By Ed AlgreenIn Listen, ObedienceLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (The Contemporary English Version – Jeremiah 35:12-15): ….. I, the Lord All-Powerful, the God of Israel, want you to learn a lesson ¹⁴ from the Rechabite clan. Their ancestor Jonadab told his descendants never to drink wine, and to this very day they have obeyed him. But I have spoken to you over and over, and you haven’t obeyed me! ¹⁵ You refused to listen to my prophets, who kept telling you, “Stop doing evil and worshiping other gods! Start obeying the Lord, and he will let you live in this land he gave your ancestors.”

THOUGHTS: Who are you listening to? A more critical question is: In whom does your life reflect that you are listening to? Whoa… that’s a loaded question isn’t it? God saw what was happening to His people, the Israelites, where they were listening to every other leader, except the God who rescued them from slavery, the God who fed them in the wilderness where they would have died had it not been for the Provider who kept them each day by providing manna for them to eat. I know by now you are probably saying, OK Brother Ed, we know the story and these people were awful, but how does that apply to us, for we go to church every time the doors are opened and we live like the preacher tells us to. STOP friends. Please realize and acknowledge that starting at home – you have your spouse that you try to please, so in reality you are following their rules for your life. Failure to do this could result in an unhappy marriage/home. At work, most of us have a boss that we must please in order to keep our jobs and make our company profitable. Failure to do this could result in lack of salary increases and/or promotions and/or keeping our job. At school we have a teacher that we must please if we expect to receive a passing grade and graduate. Failure could result in none passing grades and/or not graduating. But what about our spiritual lives, do we not realize that failure to accept Jesus as Lord will result in a life apart from Christ and lead to eternal death? Friends, the most important part of life is to know the Creator of this world and of you and I. The One who loved us so much that He sacrificed His one and only Son to die a cruel death at the hands of evil people. Are we one of those – the ones who will continue to crucify Him? Or are we willing to surrender self to the free gift offered in Jesus Christ, accept Him as Lord and Master of our lives, then live a life pleasing to Him and in obedience to His Word? This brings with it everlasting life (see John 3:16) and a life filled with hope, rewards and blessings, both now and after we depart from this earth. Knowing Jesus is not just a thing of convenience during those times that we need Him, but it is surrendering to Him and accepting His leadership, then being obedient to what He tells you, as already written for you in the Bible. So what’s important to you friend? Where do you pledge your obedience and allegiance? The kind of life I am recommending leads to life everlasting with our Savior and Lord. No other allegiance mentioned above comes with that kind of promise to look forward to! Do you know my Savior? Please read my ‘Footnote’ for guidance.

PRAYER: Father in heaven, Lord God, You are awesome beyond any words to describe it. Thank You, thank You, thank You for creating this beautiful world for us to enjoy, and for sending Your Son so that through us accepting Him as Lord, we might enjoy an even more beautiful and wonderful place – heaven! Sinfully we have allowed so much to come before our ultimate allegiance to You, and I want to say that I am sorry for having done this. You deserve my undivided attention, love and commitment. Too often I and my friends have been much like the Israelites and allowed the things of this world to distract us from Your love, care and promise. Please forgive me, and please hear the cry of forgiveness from my friends. May this be such a reminder to us today that our lives might be eternally changed and therefore reflect evidence of the One in whom we believe. Your loving kindness is better than life! May we learn to lean on You and not only accept that gift of eternal life, but live our lives as evidence that Your Son is in control of every choice and decision we make. I ask this in the name of Jesus, my Lord, with thanksgiving, AMEN!

Proper Attitude Towards Leaders

On 2015-03-212015-03-21 By Ed AlgreenIn Attitude, RespectLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (Good News Translation – Titus 3:1-7): ¹Remind your people to submit to rulers and authorities, to obey them, and to be ready to do good in every way. ²Tell them not to speak evil of anyone, but to be peaceful and friendly, and always to show a gentle attitude towards everyone. ³For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, and wrong. We were slaves to passions and pleasures of all kinds. We spent our lives in malice and envy; others hated us and we hated them. ⁴But when the kindness and love of God our Saviour was revealed, ⁵he saved us. It was not because of any good deeds that we ourselves had done, but because of his own mercy that he saved us, through the Holy Spirit, who gives us new birth and new life by washing us. ⁶God poured out the Holy Spirit abundantly on us through Jesus Christ our Saviour, ⁷so that by his grace we might be put right with God and come into possession of the eternal life we hope for.

THOUGHTS: I find it extremely interesting that Paul had to draw Titus’ attention to the attitudes of his flock that he would shepherd, especially towards their leaders. This is because we still have the same issue today. I believe the best way for me to explain my position on this is to first draw your attention to verse 3. Paul is reminding us that we were once sinners, undeserving of anything that God, through His mercy might do for us through the sacrifice of His precious Son. However, in spite of our sinfulness, wrong doings, ugly attitudes and disobedience to God’s laws, yet God still saw fit to reveal to us a Savior who could cleanse us from our sin and give us new life. So if we were unlovable, sinful and undeserving, yet God loved us and gave His all for us, who are we to look at others as being any worse than us? Why would we judge them, and assume that God doesn’t love them at least as much as He loves us? Also, bear in mind that other scripture tells us that our leaders are placed in position because of God’s special design and will – see Romans 13, and if we believe God’s Word, then who are we to rebel against those whom God has ordained? He loved us and cared enough about us to encourage us and help us to turn away from sin, yet we are OK to stand in the face of God and ridicule or disobey a leader ordained by Him? How dare us! Throughout the Bible we are taught how we are to pray for others and love them with the love of God. Nothing is said about one classification of folk being any different to another. An unsaved leader is just as much in need of our prayers and support as any other person that God places in our path or who has authority over us. I believe that when we start to feel disregard or disrespect for a leader, we must quickly examine our own lives and our relationship with the Father, to see why we are feeling and possibly acting differently than what He expects of us. I believe that Christ’s children will live and act like He did, if not we need to examine our hearts and realign them with God’s Word. Are you living in honor of, and full regard for, the Word of God friend? Please endeavor to be God’s humble servant and not an activist for some political or personal stand you feel might be important.

PRAYER: Father God, please forgive us for so easily judging others. You loved us while we were sinful and unlovable. You continue to love and care for us, even though we are careless/uncaring and often disobeying Your commands. I realize that when we live such careless lives, we are more prone to judge others and treat them differently to what You expect of us. Our responsibility is to seek first the kingdom of God and Your righteousness. Lord, may we be so filled with You that our lives will reflect Your power, Your love and Your will for our lives. Please help us to not be obstacles of Your mighty work, but rather instruments worthy of being used to accomplish Your work. No doubt this will involve dealing with folk who are different, sinful and far from God. Please strengthen us with Your abiding love that will look beyond their faults and concentrate on their heart that needs You. Please use us as Your children so that others might see You and not align us as an activist or associated with a particular political party, for People Need The Lord, not our particular political preference. Thank You for caring and loving us enough to help us through these selfish and controlling attitudes, but rather giving us a heart like You. “I love You Lord, and I lift My Voice….“. I ask these things in the precious name of Jesus, AMEN!

Nuggets From God's Word

Tag: Surrender