Tag: Tax Collector

What Should We Do?

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Doers of the Word, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED Wednesday, 2022-10-26
WRITTEN AT: Leesburg, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Luke 3:10-14
TRANSLATION: Contemporary English Version (CEV)

BIBLE TEXT: 10 The crowds asked John, “What should we do?” 11 John told them, “If you have two coats, give one to someone who doesn’t have any. If you have food, share it with someone else.”
12  When tax collectors came to be baptized, they asked John, “Teacher, what should we do?” 13 John told them, “Don’t make people pay more than they owe.”
14 Some soldiers asked him, “And what about us? What do we have to do?” John told them, “Don’t force people to pay money to make you leave them alone. Be satisfied with your pay.”

APPLICATION: Sometimes it’s the small insignificant things that catches our attention and causes us to look inward and try to see what God and/or others are seeing in us. However, I believe that the Holy Spirit is at work in us to cause us to think this way, because naturally we tend to think that we are on top of the world and hoping that everyone else will watch us to see how life is really done well! The individuals that the apostle John dealt with in the questions bolded, had come to hear what this strange fellow from the wilderness had to say. John was not complimentary at all, for he called them a bunch of venomous snakes. So the people didn’t flock to hear this man preach and expecting to be lifted up or have their ears tickled. But still, the Holy Spirit dealt with them in such a way that it seems they all wanted to make major changes in their lives. In my working career, whenever I was rated less than the highest score on an area of my work, I always asked my supervisor to give me direction on improving my score. It seems like the Holy Spirit may have caused such a desire in the hearts of John’s hearers, for many asked how they might best portray the God that they accepted, with the power of the Holy Spirit who lives inside of them. Friends, it is a known fact that we much prefer praise than correction. But it is also a known fact that only God is perfect, no matter how hard we try personally. So for us to attain perfection, we must look to the One who is perfect. Let’s try to do like those hearers of John and ask God “What must we do”, or “What change must we make”, or “please show us what to do that will make us more like You, Lord”. I believe that the demands that God made through His servant John are still applicable to us today, for we tend to often drift into the world’s way of assimilating more than we could ever make use of personally, while still turning a blind eye to the needs of others. We tend to always want more and more profit on items or services we sell, thinking that it’s no one else’s business but ours. And although we may never blackmail people, we want their allegiance to us and/or our business and will incentivize to gain that allegiance. Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, John gave great advice to his hearers, and I believe his advice is still on target for us today, dear readers and listeners.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: From a life that is uncontrolled or guided by any good principle, to a life guided by the only Perfect One, there is change that will occur. Praise God, He is all powerful and all wise – willing to teach us and show us the path that we must follow in our efforts to be like Him!

PRAYER: Lord, please teach us Your ways so that we may best represent You here on earth, in every phase of our lives, for people still need the Lord. May our light so shine that our Father in heaven will shine through, be lifted up, and accepted as the King of all kings by the lowliest and the richest of persons that we will make contact with. Be glorified in and through us Lord. You know the work that must be done to properly mold us into Your likeness, so I pray that You will continually work in us for Your kingdom’s sake. AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog might 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 Nuggets From God’s Word and read more, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. You may also visit me on Spotify and listen to Nuggets while you’re out and about. I would encourage you to find a church home near by your home, and attend as frequently as you could. Get to know God, and allow His people to encourage and strengthen you in your Christian walk, while making every effort to be a blessing to them. God is at work among His people! Please consider growing in your faith, as you worship with fellow believers!

The Extent To Which You Will Go

On By Ed AlgreenIn Endure, Evangelism, SacrificeLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (New Living Translation – 2 Timothy 2:8-10): 8 Always remember that Jesus Christ, a descendant of King David, was raised from the dead. This is the Good News I preach. 9 And because I preach this Good News, I am suffering and have been chained like a criminal. But the word of God cannot be chained. 10 So I am willing to endure anything if it will bring salvation and eternal glory in Christ Jesus to those God has chosen.

THOUGHTS: I remember in growing up I would hear my parents remark how surprised they were about the extent I would go to, in order to please my friends. We also hear this phrase used in our workplaces, as we observe some folk who are willing to do just about anything to keep the favor of their boss, or advance their position in the company. Paul basically used this same phrase in verse 10, but he included the term ‘endure’. This gives the impression that Paul was willing, and committed, to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ, or the gospel, under every circumstance, even if it led to him being beaten, imprisoned, laughed at, spit on, or whatever. In other words he was willing to do whatever it took, if it would bring salvation to some, and eternal glory to Christ Jesus. So how does this speak to us today? I believe that we should be willing to cross cultural and or racial borders if it would lead to introducing an individual to our Lord Jesus and possibly leading them to the foot of the cross for forgiveness of their sin. I believe that we should not let our church/religious affiliation, or worship preference stop us from attending another Bible teaching church with a nonbeliever, if it would lead to getting them connected in a church of their liking and subsequently hearing the Word of God, that might possibly lead to them accepting Him as Lord. I’m about to embark on a missions trip, and a fellow missionary encouraged us to openly invite others to partner with us on our journey, but without putting them in a box. What she meant was that way too often we have predetermined ideas of what we believe a person will do or say or accept. What we must remember is that Jesus called some of the most unlikely people to follow Him – Tax Collectors; Doctors; Fishermen, etc. and they went on to become His lead men – disciples. Also be reminded about who we were when Jesus spoke to us. If He was willing to save even us, why would we dare exclude some from hearing the Good News of Jesus Christ? How much more then should we be willing to go the extra mile; accept another culture or race; attend church with an unbeliever at a Bible teaching church of their choice; share the Word of God with someone in a public place; pray with someone in a public place; or share the beauty of God’s love, that has enveloped us, with someone who is searching for that kind of love? Friends, remember that someone went out of their way to lead us to the Savior, and so should we be willing to endure all things and do the same. If this speaks to the heart of one who is searching for the unconditional love of Jesus, please use the information in the ‘Footnote’ to receive the help you need. Jesus loves you way too much to see you excluded from His kingdom. He died just for you, please let Him love you by asking Him to come into your very heart and lead you each and every day.

PRAYER: I am very thankful Lord, that Paul showed a great example of determination to spread the gospel in spite of hardships, imprisonment, beatings and the like. I am also thankful that even today we see Christian leaders who sacrifice so much of their lives to minister to so many. I pray that You might open the eyes of blinded Christians whose eyes are still fixed inside their small box of self-motivation and possibilities, rather than the huge opportunity that is available to us today thru You. People Need The Lord, and how will they know about You if we don’t share the Word of God with them, and show the love of God to them? I believe that we are to be equally as unselfish as Paul was, but I’m sure that You know what a major move is needed for that to occur in most Christians today. However, I am convinced that nothing is beyond Your reach and Your power dear God, so I ask that You humble the hearts of Your children and open our eyes to the needs around us. May we be busy about Your work and stop looking at the obstacles and excuses why we feel we shouldn’t do something, but learn to Lean on the Everlasting Arms of Jesus for our strength and guidance. Your love is amazing, and Your power is beyond our wildest imagination. Please help us to see and understand the awesome God that leads us! We depend on You Lord, and we need You every hour, bless us this day with Your mercy and Your grace, and hear the plea of our hearts, for I ask all this in the precious name of Jesus, with thanksgiving, 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!