Is Your ‘Light’ Evident?

On 2017-01-11 By Ed AlgreenIn Bible Believing, Christian, Faith, Humility, Imitator of Christ, Light, Obedience, Righteousness, SurrenderLeave a comment

Post Date:	Wednesday, 2017-01-11
SCRIPTURE
From:	Matthew 5:14–16 (CEV)
Text:	14 You are like light for the whole world. A city built on top of a hill cannot be hidden, 15 and no one would light a lamp and put it under a clay pot. A lamp is placed on a lampstand, where it can give light to everyone in the house. 16 Make your light shine, so that others will see the good that you do and will praise your Father in heaven.
OBSERVATION:
I believe that it was evident to Jesus that the witness of the people He was addressing was so dim, or invisible, that He gave them first an example of Salt. He knew that everyone would know if salt was present on food, because it added such flavor to food. Likewise, He wanted the world to know without a doubt that the love of Christ in a believer was so important that others would have no doubt about whether a believer was who he claimed to be. Just in case His hearers missed that point, Jesus gave yet another example – light. He wanted his hearers to know that if the ‘Light’ of the world played a role in their life, then they themselves would be seen as a ‘light’ to a world filled with the darkness of sin. Verse 16 stands out in my mind, because Jesus wanted His hearers to know that this was not a thing of performance or self-gratification, but rather that the example of Christ and the application of His commands might be so evident in their lives, that Jesus would be glorified, not the believers themselves.
APPLICATION:
Friends, we are taught by Jesus, that He said nothing, nor did anything without a word from His Father. Likewise, when we surrender our lives to Jesus, we surrender our will and our very being to His will and His control. When this happens, we start speaking like Him, and acting like Him. Then it becomes very natural for others to see Jesus in us, and therefore create a sense of praise, honor and glory by unbelievers to the holy Son of God. Remember, for us to pretend being Jesus, will create such a false impression on others that they will want nothing to do with us, or the one we are pretending to be. However, when we allow God to work His will and His way out in our lives, and we simply trust and obey, then the world begins to see the image and person of Jesus Christ. Whenever the people praise us, they have missed the point. Unless they praise the One to whom all glory and honor belongs, then we had best draw closer to God and become even more transparent in our actions and our words. Let’s aim at letting Jesus be glorified today because of what people may see in our lives. We are mere messengers, so let’s deliver the One whom we represent so that Jesus may be glorified, honored and accepted today.
PRAYER:
Lord Jesus, thank You for being the Light of this world and the Light of my life. As each reader and I approach the throne today, we come as candles wanting to be lit with Your everlasting flame. As we enter our dark world today, we want others to see the ‘Light’ without even wondering what the candle or the holder of the candle looks like. Lord, it’s You that we honor, praise and seek to glorify and represent today. Please help us to hide behind the Light so that others might see Jesus and believe on the only Light that can save them from the darkness that surrounds them in this evil world. Jesus, Light of the world, be glorified in and through each of Your representatives today! 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 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 Nuggets From God’s Word 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!

Well Worth Our Effort

On 2016-12-26 By Ed AlgreenIn Work, Work Til Jesus Comes, WorkplaceLeave a comment

Monday, 2016-12-26

Scripture

Bible Reference: 1 Corinthians 15:58

Bible Text: ⁵⁸ Therefore, my dear brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the Lord’s work, knowing that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

Bible Translation: Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

My Take

I believe that especially at this time of the year we tend to feel so exhausted and may even cause ourselves to doubt whether, in light of everything we did at Christmas, was it really worth it all. I heard that studies show that the day that most pastors resign their churches is Monday, and I believe that this may be due to the fact that Satan ‘beats them up’ so badly and causes them to question themselves about the job they did the previous day. Paul tried to encourage the Corinthian church by reminding them of the truth about the resurrection, and about the glorious day that will be when they see the face of the Savior! Friends, this same assurance is promised to those of us who have surrendered our lives to Jesus and invited Him into our hearts! So to reiterate the thoughts of Paul in these verses today, may I remind you that in light of what God has promised to us, we should be:

Steadfast – Deeply rooted and built up in Christ. Established in the faith and know what we believe, sufficient that we can freely share our faith with others;
Immovable – Confident in our faith and not vulnerable towards evil coming between us and our Lord, while still gaining strength and assurance in remembering that nothing will separate us from the love of God!
Excelling – Isn’t it interesting how much time we put into our jobs, and how easily we accept going long distances to conferences or attending educational opportunities that will help sharpen our work-related skills? However, when it comes to the work of the Lord we find excuse after excuse why we can’t go to similar events that may sharpen our ministry related skills? Isn’t it interesting how we are prepared to work long hours, and even weekends, if necessary, to get our jobs done in perfect condition, yet we ‘slap together’ a lesson or a sermon as we rush into the hours right before delivery to our classes or congregations? Paul encourages us to always excel in our work for the Lord, especially knowing that our effort will not be in vain.

Friends, Galatians 6:8-10 says: ⁸…. the one who sows to his flesh will reap corruption from the flesh, but the one who sows to the Spirit will reap eternal life from the Spirit. ⁹ So we must not get tired of doing good, for we will reap at the proper time if we don’t give up. ¹⁰ Therefore, as we have opportunity, we must work for the good of all, especially for those who belong to the household of faith. I interpret this as a promise that we will be rewarded for all that we do for the Lord, and I especially believe this will be the case when we’ve put our all into the effort. Remember, all that’s done for Jesus will last!

Prayer

Father, there was nothing about our salvation that You took lightly, for You gave of Your very best, so that we might have the very best when we past from this world. I therefore question myself as to whether there is anything that I can do to compare with all that You have done for me? Lord, I pray that You will remind us of the gifts that You have blessed us with. There’s an awesome day coming, and we are anxious to see You, Lord Jesus! However, while here on this earth, please touch us each and every day with a strong desire to do our very best to spread the good news, and I firmly believe that unless we do that from the heart, our efforts will be in vain. Please place a passion in us to serve You better by ministering to our fellow man each and every day. 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!

A Deep Test Of Obedience

On 2016-12-21 By Ed AlgreenIn Bible Believing, Faith, Obedience, Righteousness, SurrenderLeave a comment

Wednesday, 2016-12-21

Scripture

Bible Reference: Matthew 1:20-25

Bible Text: ²⁰Now when Joseph had decided to act on his instincts, a messenger of the Lord came to him in a dream.

Messenger of the Lord: Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to wed Mary and bring her into your home and family as your wife. She did not sneak off and sleep with someone else—rather, she conceived the baby she now carries through the miraculous wonder-working of the Holy Spirit. ²¹She will have a son, and you will name Him Jesus, which means “the Lord saves,” because this Jesus is the person who will save all of His people from sin.

²⁴Joseph woke up from his dream and did exactly what the messenger had told him to do: he married Mary and brought her into his home as his wife ²⁵(though he did not consummate their marriage until after her son was born). And when the baby was born, Joseph named Him Jesus, Savior.

Bible Translation: The Voice Translation (Voice)

My Take

Kids learn at a very early age that if you really want to get to another kid, just mention something bad about their mom. As adults we become very tender anytime we hear something derogatory about almost any close relative, whether spouse; child; sibling or parents. So as I meditated on this very common passage of scripture that we hear almost every Christmas, I tried to imagine what Joseph must have been thinking when, in spite of him having no sexual relations with Mary, yet he found that the woman he was about to marry was already pregnant. I’m sure his mind must have travelled along the road of infidelity on Mary’s part, and the mockery that he would receive from family and friends. Like us, Joseph had already made plans in his mind how he was going to handle the break-off of the engagement so that there would not be a negative impact on Mary. However, I believe that as Joseph pondered these things in his heart, he must have really been hoping that there would be some miraculous explanation about this whole earth-shattering event in his life, for I believe that love is just that way, it hears bad things, but expects clarification to help an individual make good on his/her commitment to one another. But here comes the kicker, hope came in a very unexpected, and yes, miraculous way, for an angel appeared to Joseph as he slept and dreamed. However the message was very clear. In fact, so much so, that there is no doubt expressed in the Word of God! Joseph simply followed the instructions given to him by the angel. He married his awesome bride, and from every indication, he took care of her as if the baby was his very own flesh and blood. This is an awesome story of obedience to the Holy Spirit, friends. Yes, we can surmise what may have happened if Joseph decided to ignore God, but I sincerely believe that God works very much the same today. When he speaks to us, there is no doubting on our part, or trying to conjure up a plan to escape His plan, for we are His servants who should be constantly asking for His guidance and understanding of His will for our lives. Therefore, when it becomes evident to us, we simply obey and thank God for it. The obedience of Mary and Joseph let to the fulfilment of prophecy, and to being used by God to birth into this world the Savior, who would ultimately prove to be the very Son of God and redeemer of all who trust Him as their Lord and Savior. Friends, the obedience talked about here led to something BIG, I mean HUGE! Imagine what miracles can be wrought through you and me if only we will humble ourselves in obedience to the King of all kings and Lord of all lords. We may look at the challenges of reaching our family and friends for the Lord as virtually impossible in our eyes, but compared to the miracle of a virgin girl becoming conceived without sexual relations by a man makes our challenges somewhat lame in comparison. Being led by God to witness and encourage a lost friend may sound impossible to us because we are so convinced that we know the negativity of the person so well, but the same God who got through to Joseph, can also redirect our doubtful minds and lead us and the friend we are direct to, towards total obedience. Are you prepared to imitate the obedience and faith of Joseph this Christmas? God has a plan, and you and I could very well be in the very middle of it, if only we will surrender our will to the Master.

Prayer

Dear Lord, You are truly in control of this whole universe, and especially in control of Your children seeking Your will for their very next move. As in the case of Joseph, I pray that we will look beyond the possibilities of our natural eyes, and instead rest our very selves at the control of our Savior during this time of the year when most folk stop to reflect on the newborn Christ-child as being the very meaning and reason for Christmas. Lord, may joy bells ring out loudly this Christmas as our family and friends find peace in the grace and power of the new-born King, Jesus, our Lord and the Savior of the world! AMEN!

Footnote

Live Before God The Testimony You Portray Before Man

On 2016-11-122016-11-12 By Ed AlgreenIn Honesty, Hypocritical, WitnessLeave a comment

Saturday, 2016-11-12

Scripture

Bible Reference: Isaiah 1:14–17

Bible Text: I’m sick of your religion, religion, religion, while you go right on sinning. When you put on your next prayer-performance, I’ll be looking the other way. No matter how long or loud or often you pray, I’ll not be listening. And do you know why? Because you’ve been tearing people to pieces, and your hands are bloody. Go home and wash up. Clean up your act. Sweep your lives clean of your evildoings so I don’t have to look at them any longer. Say no to wrong. Learn to do good. Work for justice. Help the down-and-out.
Stand up for the homeless. Go to bat for the defenseless.

Bible Translation: The Message (MSG)

My Take

In the days that Isaiah addressed his writings, there were sacrifices at the temple for just about every thing imaginable. However, based on my understanding of Isaiah’s message, I believe God became very agitated at all of the sacrifices while still seeing the same folk who brought the sacrifices live just like the rest of the world, trying to cover up their worldliness by bringing sacrifices and visiting the temple often. In The Message, I feel like Eugene Peterson did a great job in presenting this scripture in terms that really opens our minds to where, and how, we still live today. For I believe that way too often we sit back and read about Old Testament teachings and just can’t get over the awful things they did back then. Friends, unfortunately I believe that God had these words placed in His Book of Instruction (the Bible), because He knew that His people who are often called by His name today, would still try to pull off the same nonsense, assuming that their testimony to man is taken at surface level, because they just can’t see what goes on in the hearts and minds of so called ‘Christians’. I believe that God would have me remind us today that it is the testimony before God that really matters, for only He can match the words from our lips with the intent of our heart, our very thoughts, and our outward actions. I can give you a good example, I believe: I live in a small community where it appears like very few attend a regular church service – a normal indication of an inward decision they may have made to the Lord. My wife and I usually hear comments about how often we leave for a church meeting of one type or another. And not that we have attained perfection, by any stretch of our imagination, but we often hear remarks about our attitude, our commitment and our stand as a Christian. Imagine if those things were opposing to the first remark that I said we often hear, do you suppose we would ever be able to witness to our neighbor. However, as indicated already, God is able to deal with me in passages of scripture like this, because He knows my very thoughts, and He sees my actions in all aspects of life, so I feel like God is ministering to me in much the same way that I pray you would be impacted as you meditate on this devotional today. Friends, I am convinced that God wants us to reach for the perfection that He demonstrated for us, and stop using the excuses like “Well, I’m only human”, or “Oops, I shouldn’t have thought or said that, but God knows I’m not perfect”. I believe that God wants the church to be the church. In other words, I believe that He desires to see the world become confused when they deal with Christians and find them to be totally different to the rest of the world. In fact, it should make them feel like they just had an encounter with Jesus! Unfortunately we still find today that there are multiple opportunities for folk to attend church. I pray that as we exit the doors of our churches, we would carry with us the likeness of Jesus Christ. That we would unashamedly be His hands; His feet and His witness to a world that desperately need Him as Savior and Lord. May our actions, attitudes and thoughts enhance the picture that the world sees, and not be a stumbling block to those who need to know our Savior, because of the hypocrisy that they may witness in our lives.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, You were so serious about Your love for us, that You allowed Your very own Son to die a cruel death for our salvation. Yet I believe that You probably have as much need as ever before to be upset at us for being so casual about our Christian life and walk here on earth. Please forgive us Lord, and renew within us a right spirit so that the words from our lips, the thoughts from our hearts and the desires of our very being, may always be acceptable in Your sight, our Rock; our Redeemer; our Savior and our Lord, AMEN!

Footnote

Deep Concern For Prayer Matters

On 2016-11-06 By Ed AlgreenIn Caring, Honest, Honest Relationship, Honesty, PrayerLeave a comment

Sunday, 2016-11-06

Scripture

Bible Reference: 1 Samuel 1:10; 16-18

Bible Text: 10 Hannah was in deep anguish, crying bitterly as she prayed to the LORD.

16 Don’t think I am a wicked woman! For I have been praying out of great anguish and sorrow.” 17 “In that case,” Eli said, “go in peace! May the God of Israel grant the request you have asked of him.” 18 “Oh, thank you, sir!” she exclaimed. Then she went back and began to eat again, and she was no longer sad.

Bible Translation: New Living Translation (NLT)

My Take

I would like for us to reflect on our personal prayers, both private and public. Now I would like for us to re-read the referenced scripture again, in fact why not click on the Bible Reference link and read the whole context (just 9 verses) and carefully note the heart of Hannah as she prayed. Friends, I am not asking you to judge (other than yourself), but I want you to really grasp the sincerity of the prayer by Hannah, and consider a few things:

Deep, Earnest Prayer – When last have you truly been concerned enough about a specific item or person, that you went before God in deep anguish and weeping bitterly? To help you understand this terminology I also read other translations that describe Hannah as going before God ‘miserable’ and ‘terribly upset’. Friends, this is not something we can conjure up and go before God with a fake cry, for these feelings are expressions of our heart. And I believe because of the sincerity and deep concern that the praying believer might have, the Bible speaks to this in several ways: In Psalm 30:5, the Bible says: “Weeping will be followed by joy“; In Isaiah 53:3–9, the Bible declares that ‘Jesus understands sorrow‘; In Matthew 5:4 the Bible declares “God promises comfort to those who experience sorrow; and in Revelation 21:3–4 – “Sorrow will not exist in God’s Kingdom“. This gives me the distinct impression that our Father is concerned about the things that we are deeply troubled by!
Others may mistake our deep concern – Our pride may prevent us from openly expressing to our God, as we may easily become concerned about what others may think. Notice in these verses that Eli thought that Hannah had come to the temple drunk, for she was praying in such earnest and anguish, that he had probably never seen before from most who came to pray. God already knows your heart friend, so to go before God with a heavy heart and pretend to be happy, is like faking what you really feel or want to express to God. Let us learn to be open and honest with God;
Joy results from a heart that has unloaded all concern before God! Prior to going to the temple Hannah was unable to eat because she was so upset. After her encounter at the temple, Hannah left quite different, for she was no longer sad, and she was able to eat again. I believe this is an example of what we can expect when we pray to the Father in deep, honest concern.

Friends, I have been desperate in prayer before, and I’m sure that you have been at one time or another in your life. This scripture reminded me of the need to really take to heart those things that God impresses upon us, and then open up our hearts before Him in prayer. To go before God in a casual, superficially happy mood for something that is really bearing on our heart, makes me wonder if God doesn’t look at His kids and say “Really?? You are so concerned that you are actually showing a smile on your face??”. Friends, I realize that God knows our heart, but I also believe that He wants us to be transparent before Him – wide open honest with Him, even to the extent that our emotions may be impacted and publicly expressed, if need be. Hannah impacted Eli’s life when he realized how sincere she really was about her prayer. Will others really know the sincerity of your heart and be impacted by it?

Prayer

Father God, thank You for looking deep into our hearts and knowing our most innermost thoughts. You created us so that our emotions would reflect our heart, yet we often try so hard to suppress our emotions because of what those around us might think. Please help us to be straight up honest with You, regardless of who might be around us to witness our deepest emotions. You have promised us in Your Word that ‘joy comes in the morning’, and I believe your intent was to help us realize that there would be times that our hearts are deeply saddened because of our own needs, or those of family or friends that we may connect with You on, and pray for. Please help my readers and I to face You with opened hearts today, so that You may fill us with Your immense love and care. We are Yours, heavenly Father, and we sincerely need You in every aspect of our lives, especially when our hearts are saddened. AMEN!

Footnote

A Renewed Christian Can Help Others

On 2016-11-04 By Ed AlgreenIn Help, Our Help comes from God, RenewalLeave a comment

Friday, 2016-11-04

Scripture

Bible Reference: Jude 1:17-23

Bible Text: ¹⁷Dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ said would happen. ¹⁸They told you, “In the last times there will be people who laugh at God and do only what they want to do—things that are against God.” ¹⁹These are the people who divide you. They are not spiritual, because they don’t have the Spirit. ²⁰But you, dear friends, use your most holy faith to build yourselves up even stronger. Pray with the help of the Holy Spirit. ²¹Keep yourselves safe in God’s love, as you wait for the Lord Jesus Christ in his mercy to give you eternal life. ²²Help those who have doubts. ²³Rescue those who are living in danger of hell’s fire. There are others you should treat with mercy, but be very careful that their filthy lives don’t rub off on you.

Bible Translation: Easy-To-Read Version (ERV)

My Take

For the purpose of illustrating what I believe Jude is teaching us in these verses, I want you to think for a moment about a young lady (‘Jane’ as a fictitious name) who spends most of her money buying fast food and eating at restaurants. Your daughter wants to get into the art of cooking, as she believes that she could save herself lots of money from eating out all the time vs cooking for herself, so she chats with you about the possibility of her spending more time with Jane, who will teach her some cooking skills! What type of advice would you give your daughter? Jude gives the Christian great advice in verses 22 and 23, that I’m sure anyone would want to achieve, but notice that this advice comes after the advice given in the preceding verses where Jude teaches us how to prepare ourselves for evangelizing. Here’s some of the points I gathered from those verses:

In the power of your personal faith in Jesus Christ, seek to build yourselves up even stronger, by:
- Praying with the help of the Holy Spirit – in other words get your heart totally in sync with God – to the extent that you seek the Holy Spirit to open your eyes to your very own sins, or things that would hinder you from being a good witness for our Lord Jesus Christ. I strongly believe that this is intended to be an ongoing habit for us as Christians – a fresh (at least daily) encounter with the Holy Spirit to continually renew a right spirit within us;
- Keep yourselves safe in God’s love – When we depart from His Word and His will, we erect barriers between ourselves and God and therefore block the free flow of His love to us. We keep ourselves in His love by abiding in Him. That’s continually keeping in His Word so you could hear His communication back to us and understand what He would have us do to bring Him glory;
- Wait in great anticipation for the return of our Lord Jesus Christ – Live in anticipation and great expectancy for the King of all kings to return and take us home to glory with He and His Father for all eternity!

Friends, I believe that Jude is encouraging Christians (us) to be sure that we are straight spiritually, before we botch things up by trying to share with others a belief passed on to us by our parents or that we heard others speaking of. Let’s be ready to share from our own heart, and our own spiritual experiences, so that the world might know and believe in the One that we adore. The eternal condition of our family and friends deserve our very best effort, so let’s give it with everything that lives within us, not from everything we heard others speak of! ‘For He alone is worthy‘ my friend!

Prayer

Father God, who are we that a King should live and die for? Yet You consider us sons and daughters, because of our surrender to Your Son, the One You sacrificed, the Lord Jesus Christ. Thank You Lord Jesus for the enormous love shown to us through Your sacrifice on the cross of Calvary. Please be a constant reminder to us that it is only because of our first step in seeking forgiveness of our sin through accepting You as our very own Savior and Lord, that we have anything at all to share with others. It’s all because of You Jesus, for nothing have we done to deserve God’s own Son, yet You accepted our plea for forgiveness and adopted us as Your very own. It is therefore You alone that deserve honor and glory and praise every day of our lives. It is only You that we can brag on to our friends that need You as Savior and Lord. Please help us to never lose sight of the author of our salvation, so that we might share You and You alone when we witness as Your children to an unsaved world. For You alone are worthy dear Jesus, AMEN!

Footnote

Learn To Know God’s Will

On 2016-11-02 By Ed AlgreenIn Listen to the Word of God, Living with purpose, Testimony, WitnessLeave a comment

Wednesday, 2016-11-02

Scripture

Bible Reference: Romans 12:1–2

Bible Text: 1 And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. 2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

Bible Translation: New Living Translation (NLT)

My Take

I believe there are certain places that Christians find themselves and later question “how did I get myself into this?” then we pray “Please God don’t come just now, for I will be ashamed to face You”. Ever been there and done that? Let’s imagine for a moment how far that moment is from what Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, is teaching here. Let’s think about some things that the Word of God is telling us might help us learn the will of God, which should be our goal in this life:

In verse (1) we are told that ‘we are to give our bodies to God because of all He has done for us‘. Back in 6:13-19, we were taught that we become slave to whomever we obey. I believe that ‘giving our bodies to God’ means surrendering our will to the will of God. I believe it’s the same as saying ‘I’m Yours Lord, everything I am, everything I’ve got, try me now and see if I’m completely Yours‘. The bottom line is that God has done, and continues to do, so much for us on a daily basis. How can we claim Him as Lord, but refuse to give Him control of our lives? That would be the same as being married, but continuing to live as a single person;
Let our bodies/lives be living proof of the One that we love, serve, and obey – the kind that are acceptable to God. We must walk the talk friends. Let’s not tell the pastor, or try to convince our praying mom or our hurting spouse, that we love Jesus, if nothing has changed in our lives. A verse I shared with a group just last night from Psalm 139 reminded me that God knows more than what others can see in our walk, for He knows our very thoughts;
Often our behavior will mimic those who we hang around with for a while. Because children of God are to seek the will of God for their lives, this means that we are to hang around with God more than anyone else. Yes, I believe that this means we need more time with God than just an hour at a weekend service. In verse two, we are told that we need to be so devoted to God and desire the will of God with such intensity that He has the liberty to transform us into usable instruments for His service. If we expect God to be there for us 24/7/365, then we need to show our commitment in return to Him in precisely the same way. If there’s any part of our day that we resume personal leadership, then let’s not be surprised by the outcome, for we have just shown evidence that we don’t need God for that part of our day.

In each of the above bullets I underscored in bold font, a few things that I believe our key verses are telling us today. Paul said that when these things become a reality in our lives, then we will learn to know the will of God for our lives. Are you there yet, friends?

Prayer

Lord Jesus, thank You for showing us through Your Word how ridiculous it is for us to say we are Your followers, yet we control our course of life. If I am truly Yours, then I must surrender my will, and allow Your will to be prevalent in all aspects of my life. Lord, I’m afraid that many who call You Lord, are living their lives the way they feel best, and only call on You when necessary or desperate. Lord, may the meditation of our hearts; the very depths of our thoughts; and the expressions from our lips be pleasing in Your sight, so they may be used for Your glory. If there be any wicked way in us, or if there’s anything that makes You sad with us, please touch our hearts and renew a right spirit within us. May we be usable vessels for Your work oh Lord, my Rock and my Salvation, AMEN!

Footnote

Be A Representative of The Lord

On 2016-09-27 By Ed AlgreenIn Christ's Representative, Obedience, Representation of the Master, Representative of ChristLeave a comment

Tuesday, 2016-09-27

Scripture

Bible Reference: Colossians 3:15–17

Bible Text: 15 And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful. 16 Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. 17 And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.

Bible Translation: New Living Translation (NLT)

My Take

I believe that if there is ever a time that we need to live as children of God; as representatives of the Lord Jesus; as children of the Light – that stamps out the darkness of sin; as examples of the Lord Jesus Christ; it is now. In my old testament reading (Jeremiah 7:21-29) God shared His displeasure with the Israelites that He brought out of Egypt, for in spite of all that He did for them, yet they never truly followed Him with all their heart, mind and soul. Because of this, they continually fought to follow their former way of living. Does this compare to the church at large today? No, I’m not referring to the way members act inside the four walls of our church at weekend meetings, but rather when they are on the battle lines of everyday life. Is it evident to those who cross our paths that we are children of the Most High King? Verse 17 encourages us to speak and act like a representative of the Lord Jesus, continually giving thanks through Him to God the Father. Will it be obvious to others who we are representing today? There’s a beautiful old hymn that has the words “In Christ alone, I take my stand, all other ground is (like) sinking sand”, In other words, no matter what other direction you follow, or whatever other source you may seek for strength or power today, nothing can compare to the awesome power of our Mighty God. Friends, we’ve tried long and hard, through various trials and hardships, to see our families overcome the challenges and circumstance of this old world; we’ve seen churches split and some even closed, because of Satan’s interference and distractions; and we have seen countries go to war over selfish gains and worldly desires, I believe it is time for us to humbly seek the face of God and ask Him to help us return to the Book – His Holy Word, His instructions for life that helps us to be His representatives here on earth. I believe that as we do that, nothing else will really matter or be of any worthwhile significance. Can we give that a try today friends? Let’s endeavor to put God first in everything and then celebrate at the end of the day how everything else approved and designed by Him fell into its proper place. It’s all about Him friend! We’re just the earthly instrument that He may choose to use so that others might recognize and subsequently accept and obey Him.

Prayer

Lord God, You created us, provided enormous beauty here on this earth for us to enjoy and even sacrificed Your very own Son for us so that our sin could be forgiven – leaving us at peace with, and pleasing to You. A perfect scenario, yet we have allowed Satan to intrude and tempt us with so much that we are hardly recognized as Your child at times. Please speak to Your children once again today, and help us to recommit ourselves to You. Please help us to seek Your face and Your power to keep our lives pure before You and before our fellow man. Use us as Your instruments oh Lord, to reach the hardened hearts of the lost. May You be glorified today because of our actions, from a clean heart and godly thoughts and words. I ask these things in and through the wonderful name of Jesus, my Lord and Savior, AMEN!

Footnote

How To Protect From Satan’s Strategies

On 2016-09-222016-09-22 By Ed AlgreenIn Know and Believe, Know Jesus, Knowing Christ, Protection, ProtectorLeave a comment

Thursday, 2016-09-22

Scripture

Bible Reference: Ephesians 6:10-12

Bible Text: ¹⁰ A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. ¹¹Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. ¹²For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.

Bible Translation: New Living Translation (NLT)

My Take

I don’t believe that this will be news to any of you, but Satan is out to get you, especially if you carry the banner of Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. I believe you have already witnessed that, way too often things happen in your life, or your day, that force you to believe that there are mighty forces fighting against you and working in opposition to you. Friends, I believe that as you talk with our valued law enforcement Brothers and Sisters, you will find that they ‘armor up’ every day so that some protection is in place, for they KNOW that they will face the evil, the disrespect, the hate, and the law-breaking of our society who, in most cases, will not think twice about ‘taking them out’ as they try to protect the innocent, like you and I. Let me encourage you to STOP and think for a moment about how that scenario differs from our day as we walk out of our peaceful homes into the world controlled by the prince of the air – Satan himself. I want to remind each of us that it is just as critical that we ‘armor up’ as we approach each day, for the battle against us is about to begin. Now for those who may not be very literate in the Word of God yet, I will refer you to the rest of Ephesians 6 so you can get more information on the armor and artillery you will take with you, for this devotional has nothing at all to do with the type, or size of the ‘piece’ that you will take with you to protect yourself. Remember, the warfare that you will face is “evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly place“ – a quote directly from God’s Word – verse 12 above. When your spirituality is being attacked, you need spiritual forces to defend you. Jesus used the Word of God – so should we. Jesus called on the Father for every battle and or decision he faced – so should we. So friends, now that I have given you the prescription to help you protect against Satan’s strategies, may I encourage you daily visit the pharmacy (the Word of God for direction from God; and the face of God in deep and sincere communication – prayer) for help in your daily battles? God is the only power known to man who has power over Satan. Don’t try to do this thing called ‘life’ without God. Please have a look at the tips in my ‘Footnote’ and ensure that your relationship with God is securely in place.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, our Protector against the evil one, we place our faith and trust in You alone today, knowing that You alone can protect us against the many forms of evil that we encounter each day that challenge our faith and our stand for You. Please save us from our frustrations by constantly reminding us who’s in charge of the Christian’s life, and that You can and will protect Your precious children like no one else. We need You Heavenly Father as we are not qualified in any way to protect against Satan and his demons. I ask these things believing in the Word of God, and the Son of God – Jesus Christ – whose name is above all names, AMEN

Footnote

The Reason Jesus Came

On 2016-08-20 By Ed AlgreenIn Effective Ministry, Reflective of Jesus Christ, The ChurchLeave a comment

Saturday, 2016-08-20

Scripture

Bible Reference: Mark 2:17

Bible Text: 17 When Jesus heard this, he told them, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.”

Bible Translation: New Living Translation (NLT)

My Take

The attention given to the unrighteous, reminds me of a friend who is attracted to the one who sits at the back of the church and may be feeling dejected. I am also made keenly aware of why our churches are not reaching many of the unsaved in our communities. Think about it, who do most of our church members hang around? Fellow Christians, right? What happens to a pastor or church leader who may be seen hanging around a questionable crowd? Jesus said that He came for those who know that they are sinners. Wouldn’t that be a bold statement for a church to acknowledge that they exist for the sake of the unsaved? Who generally devours most of your pastor’s time, the saved or the unsaved? Where do most of your budget dollars go – towards reaching the lost, or patting the backs of the saved and keeping them entertained? Will the unsaved feel welcomed at your worship services, or will they feel looked down on by the masses? Are you a part of a ministry that imitates the desire of Jesus, or are you ministering in opposition to the plan of Jesus?

Prayer

Lord, may we Your children be willing to minister to those in need of a Savior more than we minister to those just like us. You came so that the lost might be saved and see the Kingdom of God. Please help us to keep that as our focus of ministry. I ask these things in the strong name of Jesus, AMEN!