Tag: Unashamed

Identify Yourself Unashamedly With Christ

On By Ed AlgreenIn A Lamp unto My Path, Adoration, Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Awesome God, Beyond Description, Blessing, Celebrate God, Needs, Praise, Praise-worthy, Recognize God, Unashamed, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED: Saturday, 2023-03-18
WRITTEN AT: O’Brien, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Luke 12:8-10
TRANSLATION: The Voice (VOICE)

BIBLE TEXT: 8 That’s why I keep telling you not to be intimidated. If you identify unashamedly with Me before others, I, the Son of Man, will affirm you before God and all the heavenly messengers. 9 But if you deny Me before others, you will be denied before God and all the heavenly messengers. 10 People can speak a word against Me, the Son of Man, and the sin is forgivable. But they can go too far, slandering the testimony of the Holy Spirit by rejecting His message about Me, and they won’t be forgiven for that.

OBSERVATION: Jesus had just addressed the subject of hypocrisy, a word that is rooted in the idea of hiding behind a mask, as if ashamed about someone or something. Do you suppose Jesus still sees this in Christians today, or have we learned from the great preaching of today, or possibly from the Bible, that we can be honest about our relationship with Jesus? Hopefully you will examine that thought in your own life as you read my full devotional today!

APPLICATION: To better understand where Jesus may have been coming from, it might be best that we consider how many people use the word ‘hypocrite’ today. If we blame others for abusing alcohol, yet we drink excessively behind closed doors, then we may be referred to as a ‘hypocrite’. If we say we are a Christian, yet there is no sign of Christ-like living in us, then we may be referred to as a ‘hypocrite’. In Jesus’ day, the Jews held claim to being the beloved children of God, so they heavily criticized the Gentiles who could never be ‘good enough’ for the Jews. What do you suppose might be our greatest form of hypocrisy today, as seen by Jesus? Inside our church walls, I believe that all Christians might feel free to claim the name of Jesus, and lift up ‘holy’ hands in praise to Him for His awesome works. And while I may accuse Christians of the road they travel that causes them to lose their witness, I can really only share with you my own personal list of why Jesus might refer to me as a hypocrite. As I leave the church grounds, I might be faced with a reckless driver, at least in my view, and I might struggle with being the same loving and caring child of God to them, as I was able to do inside the church. Some are afraid to attach a bumper sticker with words that might indicate they are ‘Christian’, because they’re afraid that other drivers might look at their driving, or their hand motions and realize that they are not as patient, kind and loving as anything they’ve learned about Jesus. What would Jesus do to those drivers? While waiting on line at the restaurant, we see what appears to be a friend of the host move straight up to the front of the line and escorted into the restaurant. Our faces will probably change color, our demeanor will probably change from bad to worse, and we will not enjoy our meal as much because of, what appeared to us as, unfair practices. What would Jesus do? In dealing with customers while at work, you might do an excellent job for your boss, but what happens when irate customers come in, and they take out their frustration on you? Are you able to keep your calm and let Jesus shine through you to love that customer and still help them all you can? Or do they become even more frustrated because they didn’t see the slightest hint of Jesus in your character? What might Jesus do in that exact scenario? Friends, as long as we are on earth, Satan will find ways to test us to see if he could dissuade us from the idea of keeping Jesus being prominent in our lives. Jesus knew how Satan would be after His disciples, so He helped them prepare the way for many of the temptations that would come their way. Hopefully your church has some strong ministries in place to help you prepare for, and/or harden your stance, while you wait for the day that God will call you out of here. Please try to take advantage of ministries at your church, Sunday School; Small groups; Men’s group; or as applicable – Ladies Group; Prayer and/or Bible Study gatherings; etc. Not only will you find peace in knowing that others share your frustration and/or temptations, but in many cases these groups will be encourages to pray one for another. This will act as a sharpening tool for your faith, persistence and your walk with the Lord. Times with these groups of Christian friends will serve to strengthen your ties with the Lord. Without these, you will face the constant bombardment of the evil one, but you will have no incentive, strength or encouragement to stand firm in your faith. We are challenged in every way by the evil one, so having no support on our side will really serve to weaken us and pull us away from our relationship with the Savior of the World. There is no need to worry when you follow Jesus in obedience to His Word, so be faithful to the One you surrendered your life over to and, stand committed and firm in the same faith that saved you.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: If you identify unashamedly with Me before others, I, the Son of Man, will affirm you before God and all the heavenly messengers! Praise God, if I am proud of Jesus before my peers, He will brag on me before the Father and His angels!

PRAYER: Dearest Lord Jesus, You endured beatings for me, even though You could have called ten thousand angels to protect every lash of the whip. You endured the embarrassment of the townspeople as you were drug through the streets towards Calvary, and You could have called ten thousand angels to protect you from the lashes and relieve the weight of the cross you had to carry. You endured the agony of being pierced and hung on a cross before Your mother and the crowd – just like the two other criminals, even though they deserved their punishment. Again, You could have called ten thousand angels to protect You, but You were determined to do Your Father’s will, and not Your own. You did all this so that I might have access to an eternity in Heaven with our Holy and Righteous God. Thank You Lord Jesus! I may be called a hypocrite here on earth because I cringe from the questions of the enemy or try to avoid confrontation from them. I’m sure the unsaved must look on and question if I really do have a relationship with You. For my readers and/or listeners who may be facing the same challenge as I do, please draw them close and give them reason today to know that You are close and therefore every reason to stay committed to their union with You and to gain strength from You when times are really challenging here on earth. 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!

Telling The World To Whom You Belong

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Ashamed, Boldness, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

Friday, 2019-08-02

Bible Reference: Luke12:8-9
Translation: The Passion Translation (TPT)

Bible Text: 8 “I can assure you of this: If you don’t hold back, but freely declare in public that I am the Son of Man, the Messiah, I will freely declare to all the angels of God that you are mine. 9 But if you publicly pretend that you don’t know me, I will deny you before the angels of God.

OBSERVATION: Today people that you come into contact with will know who guides your life. But I’m a boisterous type person who openly speaks my mind on every subject, you might say, and you know how to hide your private feelings, so your audience will never figure you out. Another might respond, but I’m a very quiet and reserved type person, so they will never figure me out. As we meditate today, let us consider what we say to friends every day regarding our faith and the one who has a lasting impression on our lives.

APPLICATION: Isn’t it interesting how God covered all types of individuals in the two Scripture verses chosen today, even the two mentioned in my Observation? Yes, for the one who is hyper and keeps talking endlessly, they may have a weak self image, so in their attempt to be seen or heard, they look for ways to be recognized. Often, this is a self image they are trying to develop, or make up for, and often this individual will tend to speak first and think afterwards. They might ask a lot of questions about their new found Savior, and eventually they may be some of the first to speak up in a Bible study class, or perhaps one of the first to pray in a prayer meeting. Friends might recognize a change has occurred in their lives, but I feel like they will quickly learn more about that change as they interact with this individual. Most individuals live to please others, and not to ‘rock the boat’ in their relationships with others. Therefore most will tend to hide their relationship with Christ as a private matter, if they suspect that talking about it would hinder relationships. Friends, if we’re not careful, this type of undercover Christian might easily be the type that Jesus speaks of in verse 9 – for these individuals may go along with the flow so often that friends will not even recognize that a ‘Christian’ is in their midst. Does this equal being ashamed of Christ? Or pretending to not even know Jesus as Lord? Let me encourage you to answer these questions. But consider this: If you were carrying around a 9″ cross as a witnessing tool, would there be situations and/or places and/or people groups where you would either hide that cross, or leave it at home? By chance, are you a little ashamed of the Christ who once hung on that cross to save the world when you are around certain people? Would you prefer that the world not know your association with Christ in certain crowds or situations? How then would you feel when Jesus tells the Father, I never knew this one? He said that He would do that if we pretend that we don’t know Him. Friends, I don’t believe for a minute that Jesus expects us to walk around with a huge Bible that we would bang over the heads of unbelievers. However, in much the same way that you would unashamedly associate yourself with your spouse, or parents, in any crowd or company, I believe that a man/woman/child should just as freely claim their submission to, dependence on, and allegiance to, their Savior and Lord – their Almighty God. Think on these things today child of God. Are you for Him, or against Him? Are you willing to tell the world that you love Him and claim Him as Lord of your life?

PRAYER: Oh Lord Jesus, we are grateful for our salvation and the awesome sacrifice that You made at Calvary. As our Creator, we are also grateful for the precious gifts You give to us each and every day to enjoy here on this earth. We thank You for all that You have done, and continue to do, so unselfishly just for us. Please fill us with a deep commitment to serve You, and to honor You, and to share about Your goodness in every circumstance of life. Please encourage us to not only be mouthpieces for You here on this earth, but may we also express Your love for us, through every action, regardless of the audience we might find ourselves in. AMEN!

The Glistening Purity of Jesus Christ

On By Ed AlgreenIn Bold Confidence, Commitment, How to Live, Pure, PurityLeave a comment

Monday, 2019-03-11

Bible Reference: 1 John 3:1–3
Translation: The Message (MSG)

Bible Text: What marvelous love the Father has extended to us! Just look at it—we’re called children of God! That’s who we really are. But that’s also why the world doesn’t recognize us or take us seriously, because it has no idea who he is or what he’s up to. But friends, that’s exactly who we are: children of God. And that’s only the beginning. Who knows how we’ll end up! What we know is that when Christ is openly revealed, we’ll see him—and in seeing him, become like him. All of us who look forward to his Coming stay ready, with the glistening purity of Jesus’ life as a model for our own.

OBSERVATION: When last have you recognized a child of God? Do you suppose that the world sees a difference in you, versus the rest of the world? Do you feel like the love and character of Christ glows through you in every word or action that comes from you? I find it reassuring that in these verses we are told that when we see Christ, we will become like Him – the glistening purity of the Holy One! I believe that also reaffirms that the things of this world, and the evil one, will no longer have a hold on us! What a day that will be!!

APPLICATION: I see such a sweet assurance in the beginning verse of how much my heavenly Father loves me, and how He calls us His children. My eyes were also opened to the reminder that the world may very well dislike us, because they do not have an appreciation for the things, or character of God. But then I realize that if we do not conform to the ways of the world, then they would hate us anyway, per Romans 12:2. In fact that verse tells us that God will change us from the inside out, so of course we will be different to anything we, or they have ever witnessed before. But friends, the captioned verses today reminds us that our God will come one day to take us home to be with Him. Now that’s a day that we all look forward to, amen? But what about the here and now, what are we to be doing – how then shall we be living? Thankfully John covers this in verse 3, for he advised that we should aim to live like Jesus. I found it interesting that the Message chose to use such an awesome description of the life we are to live: ‘Glistening purity of Jesus’. That makes me think that we are to live squeaky clean lives, just as Christ was perfectly clean/pure. Friends, I believe that the bottom line is that we live the changed life that we have committed ourselves to. If we don’t, imagine how confusing it must be for nonbelievers to hear us preaching the goodness of the Lord from our mouths, yet living like the Devil in our actions and all of our practices. Jesus was pure in every way, and that’s what we are called to do, and be, as children of God. Are you willing to commit to living the pure life exampled by Jesus Christ? We can do that with the sole help of the only pure and holy One – Jesus, the Christ! Let us therefore place our faith and trust in Him to live our lives pleasing to Him.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, You lived a perfect life amidst lots of evil. We also are called to live the kind of pure life that You lived, even when our world seems more corrupt and sinful today than anytime in history. For those of us willing to live the example You have set before us, may You endow us with power, wisdom, determination and total surrender, so that the enemy might see Jesus in all that we do and say. We need You precious Savior. Please work miraculously through us so that Your work might be done, for Your glory only. AMEN!

How, Then Shall We Live

On By Ed AlgreenIn Bold Confidence, Commitment, How to LiveLeave a comment

May I encourage you to get your spiritual ‘Nuggets’ to start your day off right? Pretty amazing that our awesome God would consider feeding even us with His Word! May I encourage you to read the whole devotional, and look for a blessing, friend!………

Today’s Bible Reference: 1 John 3:1–3
Today’s Bible Text: What marvelous love the Father has extended to us! Just look at it—we’re called children of God! That’s who we really are. But that’s also why the world doesn’t recognize us or take us seriously, because it has no idea who he is or what he’s up to. But friends, that’s exactly who we are: children of God. And that’s only the beginning. Who knows how we’ll end up! What we know is that when Christ is openly revealed, we’ll see him—and in seeing him, become like him. All of us who look forward to his Coming stay ready, with the glistening purity of Jesus’ life as a model for our own.
The Bible Translation: The Message (MSG)

My Take Away: I see such a sweet assurance in the beginning verse of how much my heavenly Father loves me, and how He calls us His children. My eyes were also opened to the reminder that the world may very well dislike us, because they do not have an appreciation for the things, or character of God. But then I realize that if we do not conform to their ways, they would hate us anyway, per Romans 12:2. In fact that verse tells us that God will change us from the inside out, so of course we will be different to anything we have ever witnessed before. But friends, the captioned verses today reminds us that our God will come one day to take us home to be with Him. Now that’s a day that we all look forward to, amen? But what about the here and now, what are we to be doing – how then shall we be living? Thankfully John covers this in verse 3, for he advised that we should aim to live like Jesus. I found it interesting that the Message chose to use such an awesome description of the life we are to live: ‘Glistening purity of Jesus’. That makes me think that we are to live squeaky clean, just as Christ was perfectly clean. Friends, I believe that the bottom line is that we live the changed life that we have committed ourselves to. How confusing it must be for nonbelievers to hear us preaching the goodness of the Lord from our mouths, yet living like the Devil in our actions and all of our practices. Jesus was pure in every way, and that’s what we are called to do as children of God. Will you be willing to commit to living the pure life exampled by Jesus Christ?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, You lived a perfect life amidst lots of evil. We also are called to live the kind of pure life that You lived, and our world seems even more corrupt and sinful today than anytime in history. For those of us willing to live the example You have set before us, may You endow us with power, wisdom, determination and total surrender, so that the enemy might see Jesus in all that we do and say. We need You precious Savior. Please work miraculously through us so that Your work might be done, by even us. AMEN!

Footnote: If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog could indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to www.nuggetsfromgodsword.org and read more, or you may freely to subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us!

2016

Why You Believe What You Believe

On By Ed AlgreenIn Sincerity, UnashamedLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (Easy To Read Version – 1 Peter 3:15-16):15 … keep the Lord Christ holy in your hearts. Always be ready to answer everyone who asks you to explain about the hope you have. 16 But answer them in a gentle way with respect. Keep your conscience clear. Then people will see the good way you live as followers of Christ, and those who say bad things about you will be ashamed of what they said.

THOUGHTS: I believe that it would be amazing to ask, as a survey of those exiting our church buildings over the weekend, “Why do you believe in Jesus Christ?” or “Why do you believe what you believe?” The importance in these questions become very important when we are asked by a coworker first thing Monday morning: “So what did you do over the weekend?” I find that often I will talk about everything else besides the blessing I received at church, or the refueling I received in worshiping with other believers. What about the close call you had in driving down wet roads over the weekend? What do you attribute that to when explaining it to your coworkers? In the case of most of my readers, I believe that it is probably still safe in each of our countries to attribute the blessings just suggested, to the powerful hand of the Master that watches over us, keeps us, protects us and loves us so very much. Why then would we try to avoid giving credit where credit is due? Imagine that most of you are blessed, as I am, to have a wonderful wife. When asked about your happiness, or how well your clothes look, or your packaged lunch looks that you brought from home, do you find every way to avoid giving credit to your wife. What will that say about the great wife that you married, and your relationship with her? What if your wife was in an adjacent room hearing you trying to avoid giving her credit? Further, Paul cautioned us to also keep our attitudes in check. Don’t be obnoxious in the way you respond, for you may win a Brother, or encourage a Sister, if you handle the response humbly and respectfully give credit to Your Savior. Remember, it is only the grace of God why He would bless you in such a rewarding way. Nothing deserving, based on your goodness. The other caution that Paul gave, is that we respond with a clear conscience. I interpret this as meaning that we are totally honest and totally upfront with our response. Don’t respond in a way that you think the inquirer wants to hear, but respond from the depth of a thankful and appreciative heart. It is amazing how folk can see through pretense, but how quickly they feel sincerity and honesty. We have nothing to be ashamed of in our responses friend. Our Savior died so that we might live eternally in the glories of heaven. How can we be anything short of appreciative when talking about our Savior? The scripture says that if we are ashamed of our Savior here on earth, He will be ashamed of us before His Father in heaven. I believe that the opposite is also true, which is that our Savior will boast of His saints before His Father when He sees our obedience and boldness in telling others about His goodness and mercy! You have a choice today friend!

PRAYER: Thank You Jesus for boldly showing Your love for us when You willingly surrendered to the cruelty of the cross. Thank You for Your patience with us as we try to be politically correct in our responses to loved ones and coworkers and find every possible explanation for our blessings, instead of giving You supreme credit. Lord, You are so good to us – every day and through every circumstance of life. We are quick to call on You in times of trouble and despair, please help us to be equally as quick to give You credit for answers to those prayers and so much more, for we are such a blessed people! I believe that people who need the Lord, must be convinced that we have the real thing before they will want to know that One of whom we speak. This should be evident in our speech and in our actions, so oh Lord I ask that You saturate us with Your love and bless us with boldness to proclaim that it’s You we live for and You who bless us daily beyond anything we deserve. I ask all this in the precious name of Jesus, while thanking Him sincerely for all His manifold blessings, 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 www.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!

Be Confident In Your Faith

On By Ed AlgreenIn Faith, Godly ConfidenceLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (The Contemporary English Version – 2 Timothy 1:11-14): 11 My work is to be a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher. 12 That’s why I am suffering now. But I am not ashamed! I know the one I have faith in, and I am sure that he can guard until the last day what he has trusted me with. 13 Now follow the example of the correct teaching I gave you, and let the faith and love of Christ Jesus be your model. 14 You have been trusted with a wonderful treasure. Guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit, who lives within you.

THOUGHTS: Living in the south all of my life, I can only imagine what it must be like to live in the cold north! One story relayed to me is about the time of year that the lakes begin to freeze over. I could only imagine that there must be a period of testing, before one would trust the idea of walking across, or skiing on a frozen lake. One would have to gain faith that the thickness of the ice will support their weight, and this might come through occasional testing, or through watching how someone else does, who has tested the lake for themselves. Paul had tested the faith entrusted to him on many occasions. In fact, even as he was teaching this fact to Timothy he himself was in jail because of his persistence to share the faith that he was blessed with. Wouldn’t it be great to see this type of faith and confidence evident in Christians today? Don’t you suppose that our churches would be filled each week with worshippers who would come to lift up holy hearts and hands to the Almighty who had blessed them through their faith in Him that week? Don’t you know that there would be no shortage of friends visiting you in hospital to encourage you with the faith they had earned over time in the great Healer and Encourager, especially during their previous times of ill health? Don’t you know that unsaved loved ones and/or friends would rather not be around us, because they know that we would be overflowing with our love for Jesus; stories of all that He has done for us; blessings that we have received from the study of our text book (the Bible); and our deep desire to see them know our loving, caring, guiding, protecting and all-powerful Savior? Conversely, don’t you know that these unsaved loved one would love to be around us when they are hurting or facing life challenges, because they know that we are so connected to Jesus and confident in our faith? Paul had enough of this faith, hope, love and personal experience with the Lord bottled up inside to share it with Timothy for the purpose of helping to give him confidence for the job God called him to do. Do you have that kind of faith friend? I would love to have this level of faith and boldness, how about you? I can confidently talk about marriage, because I’ve been married for almost 40 years, and I have experienced many of the ups and downs of most marriages. We need to be around Jesus enough to be able to share our experiences with Him, and knowledge of Him, with others. We do this already with our marriages, work or any other life experience, why not share an experience about the Savior who has given us hope and a promise for an endless future with Him in heaven! After all, we love our family and friends and want to see God’s very best for them!

PRAYER: Father God, You know more about us than we would ever care to admit, so You know the reasons why we don’t see a lot of end results like mentioned above. I would much rather see You get our undivided attention while we are able to help others along their course of life, rather than us waiting until a disaster, or major health issue occurs, as these things can often lead to ineffectiveness in our remaining life here on earth. I believe that there is no greater hurt, than that of regret. Please touch the lives of Your children today, and give us the faith like Paul so that we may boldly witness for You even under extreme circumstances like Paul encountered. May we never regret having done what we feel You directed us towards. I believe that Your Word is clear that You are interested in seeing us be Your witness to all that we come into contact with. May we make You proud today, is my humble plea, that I ask in the name of Your precious Son 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!

What Say Ye, Christians?

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

The Holy Bible

     Now, let me ask you something profound yet troubling. If you became believers because you trusted the proclamation that Christ is alive, risen from the dead, how can you let people say that there is no such thing as a resurrection? If there’s no resurrection, there’s no living Christ.

(The Message – 1 Corinthians 15:12-13)

Thoughts:

I bet I am accurate in assuming that you are human, just like I am, and that you have sat idly by and allowed a friend to say something derogatory about our Lord and Savior. I wouldn’t even go as far as to say that the words that made you cringe were things like curse words, or something where folk have used alternate words to really mean something else that may otherwise offend you. I am of the impression that Paul faced a situation similar to that I just explained, where followers of the Corinthian church stood by and said nothing when friends made fun of their belief in the resurrection. God really spoke to me through this passage friends, because way too often we hold our tongue/words for various reasons: we don’t argue over religion; or I can’t afford to lose that friendship so I will keep quiet; or I can’t quote book and verse in my argument, so I had better keep silent; and I’m sure there is a multitude of other excuses that we convince ourselves of. If you read the whole chapter of 1 Corinthians 15, you will see how Paul was very critical of his followers for behaving in this manner. How do you suppose God feels about us when we act like that? Can you imagine how demanding you would be of folk for whom you permitted the sacrifice of your son/daughter/mother/father/brother/sister, and they were humiliated and put to death just for their freedom? Can you imagine how you would feel if you heard them talking about that loved one in a derogatory way, or even if they sat silently and allowed others to speak unkindly about your loved one? Friends, we accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior because we believed that He died and rose again just for us and our freedom. Let’s hold Him in highest esteem and love Him with every fiber of our being. Although I am not encouraging you to fight, don’t you know that the easiest way to infuriate an opponent is to ‘bad mouth’ their loved one(s)? As children of the Lord of lords and King of kings, we should also be infuriated when we hear others speaking unlovingly of our Savior, and I believe that if we whisper a quick prayer to God, He will give us the right words for the moment, words that will reveal the love that God implanted into His kids so that we may imitate Him here on this earth, and impact the lives of those who are offending Him.

Prayer:

Father, please forgive us for our coward-ness and unappreciative attitudes in allowing just about anything to be said about You in our presence, but failing to speak up appropriately, and failing to defend the name above all names, the King of all kings and the Lord of all lords. I can honestly say that You mean the world to me. Please make me bold so that I may say the same thing in the presence of those that may feel otherwise. May my actions and words prove my relationship with You. May I represent You so diligently, that the lost might have a desire to know the Lord in whom I believe. Please touch the lives of those meditating on this devotional today and impress upon them the same need to be Your sincere representative inside the church doors and especially outside the doors, as we face the world, who is falling apart without You in their lives. I appreciate Paul, and our pastors today who are unashamed of the gospel, and encourages us to do the same. Huge requests today, but I ask this in the name of the One who arose from the dead and did many wonderful miracles, so I ask this believing, and in the precious name of Your son 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 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 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!