Month: June 2020

No Worries – I’ve Got You!

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Healing, Miracles, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Monday, 2020-06-29
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

BIBLE REFERENCE: 2 Corinthians 12:8-10
TRANSLATION: The Passion Translation (TPT)

BIBLE TEXT: 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to relieve me of this. 9 But he answered me, “My grace is always more than enough for you,[j] and my power finds its full expression through your weakness.” So I will celebrate my weaknesses, for when I’m weak I sense more deeply the mighty power of Christ living in me.[k] 10 So I’m not defeated by my weakness, but delighted! For when I feel my weakness and endure mistreatment—when I’m surrounded with troubles on every side and face persecution because of my love for Christ—I am made yet stronger. For my weakness becomes a portal to God’s power.

OBSERVATION: Just this past weekend family and friends encouraged a loved one, as he felt like there was not much value in his continued presence here on earth without his dear wife, whose death seemed eminent. Perhaps you’ve felt like that a time or two also, for the burden seemed harder than anything you could handle, and life beyond that point, without a miracle, seemed hopeless. But In our Scripture today, God spoke very soberly to Paul and made him aware that his continued presence here on earth would become even more meaningful, as he, and others, looked on in amazement at what God could truly do, even through broken man. Join me as we look deeper into the Scriptures today and apply them to our lives.

APPLICATION: I believe there are at least two things in this Scripture today for us to meditate on: 1). How Paul found himself in this dilemma, and 2). How God chose to answer Paul’s prayer. So let’s dig in: 1). Paul had been privileged to speak with a man who had witnessed the joys of Heaven, and of course he was ecstatic about the experience. He had already decided that although this was an awesome privilege afforded to him, he would refuse to boast of the experience. God recognized that this was an extraordinary privilege given to Paul, and He didn’t want this to create such a pride in Paul that it may caused him to feel more blessed than most other men who had never been so lucky. So To make sure that Paul gave credit only to God for His wondrous acts, God placed an obstacle in Paul’s life that caused him to attribute praise to God alone. Paul was an awesome preacher/pastor and, no doubt, could have used his experience as an awesome example, but God would not have it. On three different occasions Paul asked that he be excused of this ‘thorn’/obstacle, but now we will look at how God chose to answer Paul’s request; 2). In response to our prayers, we normally expect a ‘Yes’, ‘No’ or ‘Not yet’ type of response, but God told Paul that there was no need to request removal of the ‘thorn’, as His precious grace, God’s undeserved favor towards Paul, was sufficient for his every need. So let me suggest that you consider joining me in using this scenario in our personal experience. Let’s assume that you or I are following the call of Christ and ministering in a very challenged area of our country, or overseas. We were blessed to see a miracle transpire – one that you and fellow believers prayed diligently for. Now we are ready to let the world know that our prayers were effective, but it seems like every opportunity that we make to share that joy is either canceled, or distracted in a major way. In fact, God makes it very clear to us that we are not to mention our involvement in prayer at all, for it was ONLY His miraculous grace and power that brought about the healing miracle. Can you begin to see what Paul may have encountered? Friends, this is a very real problem. I’ve seen friends spend thousands of dollars to travel hundreds of miles to attend a healing service of a TV Evangelist, because they saw over and over how powerful his healing services were. Do you see who is receiving the praise in that? Our God is present and available to bring about a miracle anywhere that we ask in His name, believing that He alone has the power. Sure we could ask others to pray with us, or even over us. But don’t think for a moment that individual has any special healing power. God alone is the Healer, the Giver of life and the only One who could save us of our sin. Unless we connect directly with Him, we are merely wasting our time. So I believe that our lesson from this text today is that we must always remember our position, our strength and our weaknesses. Yes we know an awesome God and have a great relationship with Him, but we must never fail to let Him be God and do those things that are only possible by God. Praise God, we serve an awesome and all powerful God!

PRAYER: Precious Lord, You designed us and you know every little intricate detail about us. You know our needs before we could even ask, but yet I believe that You patiently listen to us and desire to see us whole again. Please Lord, help us to pay close attention to what Paul encountered, and especially to what you gave to him in return for his request to rid him of the ‘thorn’ placed in his side. We are so weak Lord, and incapable of hardly taking good care of ourselves, much less trying to make ourselves whole again. So we depend wholly and solely on You Lord. We need You every moment of every day, and we especially need Your awesome power to heal us of our diseases, heal our broken bodies and clear our minds so that we look only to You when we need a touch from God. Lord, You are awesome. Please forgive us of our littleness and our weaknesses. We are constantly reminded of our need for the grace and power of our King. Please be a constant reminder to us of whose we are, and who has the power to make us whole again. For it’s in Your name alone that we pray, You alone that we depend on, and You alone that we lift up our praises to. AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: There are two more pages on my blog at https://NuggetsFromGodsWord.org 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 or listening to this devotional, please go to 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. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and see all of my posts, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. 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!

Boast Only On The Lord

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Boasting, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, Share, Share God’s Word, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Saturday, 2020-06-27
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

BIBLE REFERENCE: 2 Corinthians 11:17-18
TRANSLATION: Living Bible (TLB)

BIBLE TEXT: 17 As the Scriptures say, “If anyone is going to boast, let him boast about what the Lord has done and not about himself.” 18 When someone boasts about himself and how well he has done, it doesn’t count for much. But when the Lord commends him, that’s different!

OBSERVATION: In the ministry of Jesus Christ, I’ve seen where churches and pastors have separated themselves from other believers since they are not of like faith, or under the same pastorate. Is that Christian, or is that aligned with the Gospel of Jesus Christ? As we meditate on the Scripture today, I believe that we will be reminded that only what’s done for Jesus will last, or make a difference in the hearts and lives of mankind. So even when we are commissioned to carry out the message of Jesus Christ, we must always seek to follow Paul’s example, when he said: ‘Oh that You may increase Lord, so that I may decrease!’

APPLICATION: Jesus tells us in the Scripture that if He be lifted up, He will draw all men unto Himself. Our Scripture today tells us that boasting of ourselves really counts as naught. So I believe that we could easily gather from the Scriptures that the work and ministry of the Lord Jesus is one that point others to Him and to the empty cross and tomb. We are mere carriers of the Gospel message. One beggar teller another beggar where to find bread. I once had a pastor who, after preaching His heart out, was greeted by multiple attendees that complimented him on the nice (new) suit he was wearing that day. The pastor told his leaders that he would never wear that suit again, because he felt like the people never heard a word the Holy Spirit spoke through Him that morning. Does that happen to you? Are you so caught up in the outfits, the pretty ladies or the handsome men who attend church, to really hear what the pastor is sharing from God’s Word? Another point to consider is that in accomplishing the work of our Master, we may cover some of the same ground already covered by another minister over recent weeks, months and years. However, if we choose to preach the gospel and Christ only; and if we choose to lift up Christ and Christ alone; and if we choose to allow Christ to speak through us and use us to reach those who need a Savior, then hearts will be drawn to the Mighty One. But I am convinced that this only works when it’s Christ and Christ alone that we minister about and lift up. When it becomes important for us to seek recognition, then we begin transitioning from Christian Ministry, to a cult that teaches one needs Christ plus what they have to offer. Think about it friends, when Christ saves us from our life of sin and selfish desires, and His Holy Spirit moves in to control and direct our lives, then its easy to see that when we open our mouths, our words are those of the One living in us. Our actions are so influenced with His motives and His ways that others will think of Jesus Christ only. I believe that the last thing we want anyone to gain from us, is our bad habits, thoughts and deeds done in private. Jesus is the only One worth passing along dear friend! So honor Him today and let Him have His will and way through you in everything you do or say, so that the world will become more like Him – and not us. Our jobs always entail spreading the joy of Jesus and His soon return, not the disappointing news of self with daily examples of how we fail. When we teach, preach and practice the life, works and saving power of Jesus, His work continues until He returns to take us home to glory. Churches often fall apart when the pastor leaves, who has lifted up and promoted self too much during his time while ‘ministering’ in your midst.

PRAYER: What a privilege is ours to have You reside in us and teach us Your ways, Holy Spirit. What an honor is ours to know Jesus, the One who hung on a cross as a demonstration of Your love for us. You provided the means for a sinner to seek forgiveness of sin and to be found righteous by our holy God. Thank You Jesus for doing that for even me. As I share that awesome news with others around me, may You touch lives and draw them unto yourself. Lord, please humble all those that spread Your Word, may we always seek to lift You up and give You praise for all that You are. This ministry is all about You precious Lord, may I always keep You first in my life and allow You to accomplish Your work, without my interference or distraction. AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: There are two more pages on my blog at https://NuggetsFromGodsWord.org 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 or listening to this devotional, please go to 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. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and see all of my posts, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. 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!

Our Righteous Judge

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

DATE WRITTEN: Thursday, 2020-06-25
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

BIBLE REFERENCE: Isaiah 11:2-5
TRANSLATION: The Voice (VOICE)

BIBLE TEXT: 2 ….. By the Spirit of wisdom and discernment
    He will shine like the dew.
By the Spirit of counsel and strength
    He will judge fairly and act courageously.
By the Spirit of knowledge and reverence of the Eternal One,
3     He will take pleasure in honoring the Eternal.
He will determine fairness and equity;
    He will consider more than what meets the eye,
And weigh in more than what he’s told.
4 So that even those who can’t afford a good defense
    will nevertheless get a fair and equitable judgment.
With just a word, He will end wickedness and abolish oppression.
    With nothing more than the breath of His mouth, He will destroy evil.
5 He will clothe himself with righteousness and truth;
    the impulse to right wrongs will be in his blood.

OBSERVATION: If earthly judges are suppose to interpret the law and insure justice be handed down appropriately for crimes where the law was broken, why is it that we prefer certain judges preside over our case? If it appears like some folk are treated with kit gloves, while others have the book thrown at them, how then could we go before our earthly judges and expect fair and equitable judgment? This Scripture today appears very timely for us, so let me encourage you to join me in meditating on God’s Word – the one thing that we could all trust wholeheartedly.

APPLICATION: I remember, as a child, shouting for fairer treatment whenever a decision resulted in punishment for something that, I felt, was based on unfair judgment of an act I may have performed. I remember running to dad, whenever I felt like mom was punishing for something she saw as wrong, especially when I was convinced that I had done my best to follow her commands and rules. As I matured in life, I found where this type of judging was a normal part of life, and that I had the option of accepting it as something to guide me into a healthy, obedient person, or a rebellious and angry person. While we may hate to face the truth and deal with consequences, I believe knowing that God is not only using the facts that everyone else sees, knows and hears about, but that He also factors in what we were thinking before, and planning to do after, the fact. This should leave us with contentment when we obey His commands, we are pleasing the Creator of the Universe. When we know that we are failing to honor God, we should humble ourselves before Him knowing that He is righteous and holy, and His punishment or correction is intended to help us clear up any unrighteousness and sin from our lives. After all, His sweet Holy Spirit resides within our temple, and we should always seek to provide holy ground for Him to walk on. Friends, I believe that the bottom line is that we can’t fool God. We might try to fool those around us to believe that we are just as holy, obedient and upright as they are, but God looks at sin and calls it what it is. We can’t fool Him. Notice that there is also a strong emphasis on God mediating for those who cannot hire on a mediator, or supply an independent counsel. I believe that God is making it clear for us that when we come to the foot of the cross, we all look the same to Him. He sees sinners and/or righteous individuals. We have nothing else going in our favor – not the size of our bank account; who we knew while here on earth; who we did favors for; or who we lifted up. We are either saints of His, having accepted Him as our Lord and Savior and were obedient to His commands, or we are sinners, having disregarded the only One that ever truly loved us and made a way of escape for us. There’s no ‘in between’, so where will God place you should He call you home today? You know deep within which of these categories you will fall into right at this very moment. Saint or sinner? As long as you have breath, you can seek the face of Jesus and have Him change you from sinner to saint. But you also know from remembering the state of loved ones who have passed from life to death, that this change is instant and not affected by anything you can do or say. So don’t wait dear friend, our loving, holy and righteous God is desirous of receiving all of His children into His fold. Please don’t disappoint Him. This is not a time for being rebellious. The alternative to heaven with God our Father, is eternal damnation in hell with Satan and his angels. You can know without a doubt where you are destined to when life here on earth is no longer available to you. The ball is now in your court. Excuses won’t work, only the straight up facts. Please contact me if you need further clarification or help in making the right decision about your eternity.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, please forgive us for becoming so sidetracked with every distraction that raises its ugly head during our lifetime. You have made it clear that only what’s done for Christ will last. So our everyday aim should be in serving and honoring You dear Lord. Often in society we see where some get ahead in life because of various worldly circumstances, and we may tend to look critically on ourselves when this happens, because we may feel like we are not up to the mark. Praise God we can understand from our Scripture today that you see only two divisions of people – Christian or not. I pray sincerely that each one reading this devotional will know without a doubt where they stand with Jesus Christ. Is He Lord and Savior of your life, or not. Nothing else matters to God, so I pray that this will become top priority for each reader and all those that I know personally. AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: There are two more pages on my blog at https://NuggetsFromGodsWord.org 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 or listening to this devotional, please go to 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. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and see all of my posts, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. 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!

At Least 2 Benefits of Your Giving

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Giving, Needs, Offering, Praise, Recognize God, Tithe, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Wednesday, 2020-06-24
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

BIBLE REFERENCE: 2 Corinthians 9:11-14
TRANSLATION: Living Bible (TLB)

BIBLE TEXT: 11 Yes, God will give you much so that you can give away much, and when we take your gifts to those who need them they will break out into thanksgiving and praise to God for your help. 12 So two good things happen as a result of your gifts—those in need are helped, and they overflow with thanks to God. 13 Those you help will be glad not only because of your generous gifts to themselves and to others, but they will praise God for this proof that your deeds are as good as your doctrine. 14 And they will pray for you with deep fervor and feeling because of the wonderful grace of God shown through you.

OBSERVATION: As a child you may have been given a quarter to through in the offering plate, and that may have increased as time went along, depending on the financial success of your parents. Hopefully as you matured, this idea of giving became more of a partnership with God, and obedience to God. For His Word gives adequate guidance on tithes and offerings. But as we meditate on the Scriptures today, I want us to be reminded that God has promised that He will be even more generous to us, so that we might be more generous to the needs of His ministry here on earth. Let’s anticipate catching on to the generosity of our awesome God, and consequently imitate our God by giving even more through our tithes and offerings.

APPLICATION: Perhaps we should dispel a few myths that Christians in our generation tend to hang on to in their giving: a). I disagree with church leaders about supporting a certain cause, and since I never attend a business meeting to have my say on the matter, I will just stop giving. Perhaps then they will not have enough money to continue supporting that cause; b). The church is sitting on way more money than I have in the bank, so I will ease up on my giving and force them to use some of their own funds to fund the operating account for a while; c). I have found a needy friend that I will give my tithes to, until further notice. It’s a godly purpose, for God wants us to care for the needy; d). Unfortunately, I have run up a lot of debt and don’t have enough free cash remaining to support my church – tithes and offering; e). I have never given the church more than $99.99 at one time, so there is no way that I will fork over a check for $1,000 for that recent gift left in my dad’s will for me. I may give $100, but no more. Friends, I have a few questions for us to consider: 1). Is there anything in the Scriptures about any of the above examples? 2). Might we be ok doing any of the above and find a good explanation for God to support our actions? And 3). Do you suppose that God will still give you more for you to do more of the same that you’ve been doing? A great reminder for us every day is that we can’t out-give God! However, to know that two great blessings result from our giving, is super exciting: 1). Those in need are helped, and 2). Those who receive will sing great praises to their King for His goodness. You see, God never expects us to give because of the praise we might receive from our giving. Instead, recipients will sing praises to the King of glory! So let me encourage you today dear friend, to give from a heart that has been blessed already by the bountiful gifts of our Maker. Know that you are giving to the work of the Lord, not for the use, or abuse of church leaders. Your church leaders are answerable to God, because they were put in place by Him (according to Scripture). You do your part, and allow them to do theirs, for you both will answer to God for your faithfulness to the tasks assigned to you here on earth. Lastly, let me suggest that you place priority on things that you will use your income for. God is my priority, so I choose daily to give Him the first fruits of my income, knowing that He will meet my needs in the other areas of my budget as I place my faith and trust in Him. If you are not already doing something similar, please consider making God first in all aspects of your life, especially in your finances. Others who are blessed will praise God for all that you gave!

PRAYER: Thank You Lord for giving to me, thy great salvation so rich and free! Thank You also for blessing me financially! I am far from rich in the eyes of mankind, but You have given me more than enough to meet my daily obligations and to give of my tithes and offerings for the work of Your church and the needs of our community. Thank You for being such a generous God. Please touch the hearts of my readers as they evaluate their status on giving, and their true relationship with You. May we all place You first in all aspects of our lives, especially in the area of our finances, so that You may be lifted up by all mankind as they seek to know You personally and receive the free gift of eternal life. AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: There are two more pages on my blog at https://NuggetsFromGodsWord.org 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 or listening to this devotional, please go to 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. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and see all of my posts, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. 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 Miracle of Giving From Fully Surrendered Saints

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Giving, Miracles, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Tuesday, 2020-06-23
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

BIBLE REFERENCE: 2 Corinthians 8:1-5
TRANSLATION: New Living Translation (NLT)

BIBLE TEXT: Now I want you to know, dear brothers and sisters,[a] what God in his kindness has done through the churches in Macedonia. 2 They are being tested by many troubles, and they are very poor. But they are also filled with abundant joy, which has overflowed in rich generosity. 3 For I can testify that they gave not only what they could afford, but far more. And they did it of their own free will. 4 They begged us again and again for the privilege of sharing in the gift for the believers in Jerusalem.[b] 5 They even did more than we had hoped, for their first action was to give themselves to the Lord and to us, just as God wanted them to do.

OBSERVATION: I believe that bank lenders may tend look at proposals from churches to build a multi-million dollar sanctuary, and they may wonder if the leaders have lost all sense of smart thinking and accountability. I believe the world looks at a congregation moving into a new building complex and they begin to evaluate internally if there are some drug runners attending that church, because they just can’t believe their own eyes that the congregation could afford such an elaborate building. Meditate with me on these verses from 2 Corinthians and let’s be reminded of how our Mighty God works in scenarios where His saints look to Him as the all-powerful, awesome God that He is!

APPLICATION: Notice a few very interesting points in these verses. While reviewing the facts surrounding the unexpected gifts from these churches in Macedonia, Paul immediately pointed out these were very poor churches, with various troubles going on at the time. Now, if we were to have God bless these hurting people, we would probably tell God to please settle their troubles for them so that their burdens might become lighter. We might also tell God to give them sufficient money to meet their needs so that they may not have an added financial strain on them. But how many of us would ever think of asking God to encourage them to give more. Never in a million years would we think of something so extraordinary. But fellow believers, let’s be reminded today of the awesome God that we serve. When people who are blessed beyond measure financially give, we tend to praise God for them. However, when the poorest congregations out give the churches in a community, we could only praise God for miraculously using them as His agents of hope, and to richly bless them in giving. It becomes very evident that it is only God, and nothing, or no one else who could be lifted up for the gifts that result. I believe that the most significant words in these verses come from verse 5, where Paul explains how the saints gained the attention of their Master – they gave themselves to God first, then they gave themselves to the leaders God had chosen to lead them through this special time in their lives, and the life of His church. In various denominations today churches are ruled in various ways. Some are Pastor led; some are Elder led; and some are directed and led by the church body. Regardless, the churches gave themselves to their leaders. I believe this means that they committed to God that because they were praying so consistently, persistently and regularly for His representatives/leaders at their church, they would be comfortable following God’s direction or theirs. It seems evident to me that God saw the humility of His saints in these churches; He knew the needs that existed in their community; and He knew their hearts cry to give generously for the work of the Lord, even if they had no idea where the money was coming from. God knew that His blessings would not be overlooked or abused by these congregations, and that they would be humble in allowing Him to give generously through them to this important cause. So where do we go wrong in our churches today? Of course, the church is made up of people, so we must ponder what has gone south, or wrong, with God’s people today? I would dare say that we struggle in getting over ourselves. I’m not sure if we truly know what it means to fully surrender to God, much less to each other. Friends, our Father is the giver of all good and faithful gifts from above, but He’s not a robot for which we turn on a switch for gifts to flow in certain areas of our lives. Through a one-on-one relationship with Jesus our Savior, He knows our every need and He knows when we need something, and how much we need. He needs no directing from us. He simply needs our dedication to Him and our total trust in Him. He will supply all our needs, and it will be obvious to the world that our giving is far greater than anything we could possibly come up with. Let’s look for the opportunities to lift up our God and sing His praises. As He is lifted up, He will draw all men unto Himself. May I encourage you today dear friend, to surrender your all to Jesus, and allow Him to be God in every way. He will be praised for His awesome works!

PRAYER: Dearest Lord Jesus, we stand humbly before You acknowledging that we are nothing without You. In spite of the many needs that we feel like we have, yet You are so very capable of doing it again – giving generously through a people that have no means to give. Make it obvious Lord that You are in control, and that You alone can fulfill our every need. There is so much that we want to do in the name of ministry, but You alone know what and when something is needed so that Your mighty works might be accomplished. In Your time; in Your space and through Your awesome power, please have Your will and way in our lives, so that we may meet the needs of our community – especially their need for a Savior. Bless as only You can, in Your perfect timing! AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: There are two more pages on my blog at https://NuggetsFromGodsWord.org 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 or listening to this devotional, please go to 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. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and see all of my posts, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. 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!

Those Who Love The Father, Also Love His Children

On By Ed AlgreenIn Christian love, Love, ObedienceLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Saturday, 2020-06-20
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

Bible Reference: 1 John 5:1-4
Translation: The Living Bible (TLB)

Bible Text: If you believe that Jesus is the Christ—that he is God’s Son and your Savior—then you are a child of God. And all who love the Father love his children too. So you can find out how much you love God’s children—your brothers and sisters in the Lord—by how much you love and obey God. Loving God means doing what he tells us to do, and really, that isn’t hard at all; for every child of God can obey him, defeating sin and evil pleasure by trusting Christ to help him.

OBSERVATION: Whenever asked if we really love someone, we try to find ways that might suitably express how the concerned person might publicly see and understand that we love the person, and how much we love them. Sometimes that could be a challenging experience, for it is hard to explain to someone else how much you love someone. Often the recipient of your love will know, but for either of you to express that to a third party presents a challenge. Until now! Please meditate with me on this Scripture and learn first hand how God said that you could show if you are capable of loving others!

APPLICATION: Do you love God? How about God’s children, do you love them also? I bet I should have put those questions right at the end of my ’Application’, because by now you have probably answered ‘yes’ to both and about to close out of this devotional! Not So Fast Brother! Wait a moment Sister! Through John, God has actually given us the formula for measuring how well we’re doing on this! We are told in these verses today that the degree to which we love fellow believers is proportionate to how much we love and obey God. Ok, so I’m sure that you will assume you must truly love one another, because you know that you really love God. But do you really?  The Word declares that the love referenced here is not just a verbal thing, or a feeling, but instead if we truly love God, we will do what He tells us to do. For some that will be easy, because we pray and we seek God’s face through His precious Word. When we truly do this and not only listen to His commands, His teachings, His instructions for us, and His example that He set for us to follow, then we should know what to do. Friends, you may not just learn this from the pastor in a weekend sermon, or from a Bible teacher, but to know what Jesus really has in store for you, it is important that you have regular one-on-one communion with your maker. Don’t know where to start? You may want to follow a good devotional, such as the one you’re now reading, or you may want to look for a Bible Reading Plan of your own. Whatever you decide, just remember to seek God’s face first – as it takes the Spirit of God to truly open your eyes to the spiritual truths of our awesome God. Not much of a reader? It doesn’t matter, when you seek God’s face first and ask Him to open your mind to His, you will find that what may appear to be simple words on a page, actually reveals the perfect will of God for your life right where you’re at during that very moment. Highlight as He speaks to you, and make notes to remind you how He spoke to you that day. Now, todays scripture says that through loving God and obeying all that He instructs you, then you will defeat sin and evil pleasures. Your love for God will become so pure and so real, that you will also love everything that God loves and everyone that He loves. So are you struggling with any part of this today friend? Try following this instruction for at least seven days, and I believe God will give you a burning desire to continue doing the same for the rest of the time you remain here on this earth! Love and obedience to God leads to love for the brethren friend! Imagine standing before family and friends at the funeral of your dearest friend and trying to explain to them how much you loved the deceased. There will be many things that you might be inclined to share that may prove you had love for the deceased, but wouldn’t it be mind blowing if you opened this Scripture is simply quoted how God said you could prove your love for others? God being our helper, I pray that we could now more easily show others how much we care, how much we love, and how they could see proof of it, because of our relationship with the God of all love!

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, You not only tell us to love one another, but You have even gone the extra step of showing us just how to accomplish that. How unfortunate, that a God who sacrificed His only Son for us on Calvary, must now tell us how important it is for us to love You. How deep the Father’s love for us, in spite of our unworthiness. Yet how easy it is for us to say that we struggle in loving our Christian Brothers and Sisters, even when we don’t fully appreciate the love of our Father, or see fit to obey His simple commands. Please forgive us dear Lord and continue to draw us to Yourself with an even deeper determination to love and obey You. I sincerely thank You for Your love, and for all these things I have asked throughout this devotional, for it is in the precious and loving name of Jesus that I ask, AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: There are two more pages on my blog at https://NuggetsFromGodsWord.org 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 or listening to this devotional, please go to 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. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and see all of my posts, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. 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!

A New Life Has Begun!

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Needs, New beginnings, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Friday, 2020-06-19
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

BIBLE REFERENCE: 2 Corinthians 5:16-17
TRANSLATION: Living Bible (TLB)

BIBLE TEXT: 16 So stop evaluating Christians by what the world thinks about them or by what they seem to be like on the outside. Once I mistakenly thought of Christ that way, merely as a human being like myself. How differently I feel now! 17 When someone becomes a Christian, he becomes a brand new person inside. He is not the same anymore. A new life has begun!

OBSERVATION: Ever heard someone referred to as ‘one whose life has been totally changed from the inside out’? What about ‘a leopard who could never change their spots’? Or perhaps ‘that young man has a demon inside of him and I don’t know that anyone could get through to his heart’? I am inviting you to meditate with me today on the Scriptures, where Paul is telling his church at Corinth, and God is subsequently telling us, that when His Holy Spirit entrees into the heart of man, ‘A New Life Begins’! This is exciting, and something each of us would want to see in some of our friends who seem so hard to reach for Jesus.

APPLICATION: I love to sit and watch the TV show ‘Fixer Upper’! It seems about impossible, the transformation that an old house that could easily be chosen by many to knock down and destroy, yet the hosts of the show will catch a glimpse of what they could do to transform that old house into a very desirable and valuable home for a new owner! But what about you and I? With all of our imperfections and sin, yet when we stand before the God of this universe, who is perfect in every way, yet He is able to reach out His hand and, soften our hardened hearts and call us to Himself! Friends, when you think about our God, I would strongly encourage you to lay aside such words as: a). Coincidence – for our God is best at strategizing our appointment with Him. This might be through you bumping into an old pastor unexpectedly in the grocery store without realizing that he had been praying for you through recent trials in your life; b). Good luck – you know, the kind where we attribute the recent gift to be just out of mere luck, while mom saw your need and was praying hard that God would meet that need for you! Or c). A hardened heart was melted – you had gotten so hardened about God after you felt like He took your spouse away from you at a time when your children needed their parent most. Yet recent circumstances have been very obvious that God had sought you out and been calling you to Himself very loud and clear. Friends, from the very beginning, when God created us in His own image, He wanted us to be just like Him, and He wanted us to center our lives and our worship around the One who created us. By placing us on this earth, we quickly adopted its sinful ways. But this didn’t catch God by surprise, He already had a plan in place to redeem us of our sin, if we sought after it. This redemption, or salvation, is meant to cleanse us of our sin and return us to ‘like new’ condition. In fact, people would look at us and wonder if it’s the same person. The process would also cleanse our heart in such a way that we would no longer love the things of that would lead us into temptation, nor to lie in order to get our own way. In fact, our contacts may become confused between us and the Savior of the Word that they had heard so much about. Friends, I believe the Scripture is telling us that God did not create us to make us comfortable in the ‘old skin’ of sin and shame. Instead He has already prepared a home for those of us that listen to God, seek His forgiveness and allow Him to make us ’like new’! I made that decision many years ago, and my aim every day is to imitate Jesus in every way. For those who haven’t surrendered to this truth yet, please know that you have no assurance as to the day God will take you out of this world. To know Him intimately will assure you a place in heaven. To do nothing is accept the ongoing kingship of the world – Satan – And his domain is a place called Hell. The decision is yours my friend. My prayer is that I will see each of you in Heaven at the throne of my Savior and Lord!

PRAYER: Dearest Lord Jesus, thank You for Your wondrous love for each of us. You have opened the doors to heaven, and You have shown us the necessary steps to accept Your precious gift and walk through those doors. Although many who will read this devotional have made this most important decision to accept You as Lord and Savior, I know that many have procrastinated or have made many other excuses to explain the unimportance of this. Please speak through Your Word today. Please use this blog to open the minds and hearts of many that will happen across this. Please soften hardened hearts so that right decisions will be made, even today. Thank You Lord for saving my soul. May my life be an inspirations to others that will serve to open blinded eyes and soften hearts towards the truth of Your Word. AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: There are two more pages on my blog at https://NuggetsFromGodsWord.org 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 or listening to this devotional, please go to 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. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and see all of my posts, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. 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!

Aim to Always Please Christ in Everything

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Needs, Pleasing to God, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Thursday, 2020-06-18
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

BIBLE REFERENCE: 2 Corinthians 5:9-10
TRANSLATION: Living Bible (TLB)

BIBLE TEXT: 9 So our aim is to please him always in everything we do, whether we are here in this body or away from this body and with him in heaven. 10 For we must all stand before Christ to be judged and have our lives laid bare—before him. Each of us will receive whatever he deserves for the good or bad things he has done in his earthly body.

OBSERVATION: What if you evaluated your life at the end of every day on how well you feel like you pleased the Father? What will you need for that evaluation? I see this as quite different to an evaluation you may have completed for a marriage counselor regarding your responses to your spouse or children that day. Join me as we meditate on this Scripture that God has placed before us today through His servant Paul.

APPLICATION: Generally, if we were to complete a daily evaluation of ourselves as a spouse, we would consider things we know that really pleases our spouse, based on past compliments! Often we will watch other successful marriages and try to imitate some of the things they do for each other. Every once in a while we might pull out the marriage vows and see if we are living up to those, and we may even sacrifice a fishing trip to attend a marriage enrichment class with our spouse. But what can we do to make sure we are pleasing Christ in everything we do? Friends, I’m afraid that you will find this a lot more challenging than anything one, or any one else in our lives. You see, we could pull the wool over the eyes of our spouse, for they have no idea what is going on at work unless you tell them. They have no idea that you lost your cool at a PTA meeting, when they couldn’t attend. However, in the case of our Father, He not only knows about what we tell Him, but He knows our every thought, our every intention, and our every attitude towards certain things or people. Part of our honest relationship with God is telling Him everything, and not holding back. I believe that God loves us more than anything else He created, and I believe it would be His ultimate pleasure to usher us into His heaven as His children who have lived according to His plan and purpose. Our guide while here on earth is His precious Word. He has everything detailed for us in that Book, but He wants us to commune with Him daily as we open His Word and read what He has in store for us that day. Our time with Him in prayer should be around seeking His face on how we might handle life that day, and how we might apply His Word that day to draw us closer to Him, and/or to please Him better that day. Many of you are doing this already, but for those who falter or fall short, God provided these verses today to remind us and to redirect our thoughts and our aim towards always pleasing Him with every fiber of our being each day.

PRAYER: Precious Lord Jesus, You made a way for us when it appeared to everyone that there was no way. You opened the floodgates of heaven for us when we thought we would die of thirst and of hunger. You made a way in the wilderness and through the River for our ancestors to cross safely over to the land which You had promised them. I have absolutely no doubt that You will continue to provide for Your saints, so Lord I implore You to open our eyes of understanding and give us boldness to hold our hands out to You so that You may fill us with Your grace and Your bountiful gifts to see us through each day that remains here on earth. We live in anticipation of the day when we will join You in Heaven, but until that time comes, may we be Your hands and feet here on earth so that others may see, know and believe in the Lord God Almighty. AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: There are two more pages on my blog at https://NuggetsFromGodsWord.org 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 or listening to this devotional, please go to 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. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and see all of my posts, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. 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!

A Precious Treasure – Its Purpose in Our Lives

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Needs, Praise, Purpose, Recognize God, Treasure, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Wednesday, 2020-06-17
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

BIBLE REFERENCE: 2 Corinthians 4:7-10
TRANSLATION: Living Bible (TLB)

BIBLE TEXT: 7 But this precious treasure—this light and power that now shine within us[c]—is held in a perishable container, that is, in our weak bodies. Everyone can see that the glorious power within must be from God and is not our own. 8 We are pressed on every side by troubles, but not crushed and broken. We are perplexed because we don’t know why things happen as they do, but we don’t give up and quit. 9 We are hunted down, but God never abandons us. We get knocked down, but we get up again and keep going. 10 These bodies of ours are constantly facing death just as Jesus did; so it is clear to all that it is only the living Christ within who keeps us safe.[d]

OBSERVATION: What ’treasure’ is Paul referring to in our Scripture today? Why do we need this ‘treasure’? What are the benefits of having this ‘treasure’? These are all great questions that we will meditate on today, and hopefully walk away feeling enriched because of the ‘Treasure’ that is ours through Jesus Christ – God’s one and only Son.

APPLICATION: There was such a vacuum left for the Christian when God allowed His Son to die on Calvary’s cross, that He proceeded with something that He promised, He gave us the Comforter. In this reference ‘us’ means the Christian. So at the moment that we invite Jesus to rule and reign in our lives, the Holy Spirit/Comforter comes in to not only rule and reign, but to lead, direct, comfort and help us maintain a right relationship with God right here on earth. Because the Holy Spirit resides inside of us, we can look at that place of residence as a ‘container’ in which the Holy Spirit lives. The type ‘container’ referred to by Paul in verse 7 above. When this happens, Paul gives a few illustrations of the benefits to us:
1. Paul assures us that the power within us is then far greater than anything we have ever experienced before, for it is not our own power but that of the God who created the whole world;
2. Paul assures that although we may be under intense pressure, and feel like we are being pressed in by the extreme weight of the world, yet we could expect to stand firm, and not be crushed or broken!
3. Paul told us that we will still feel intense stress over the various things that occur all around us, but we will be comforted and never want to give up or give in!
4. Paul said that we may still feel like we are, at times, hunted down like animals, but the Holy Spirit will constantly remind us to never abandon our faith, or the God who loves us unconditionally!
5. Paul reminded us that we will feel knocked down at times and we are merely waiting for the count, but we have a comforter who stands battle for us and we will therefore get back up, and moving on to continue God’s work, until He comes!

Friends, know that our Redeemer lives and that He has the power, grace and love to give us our own bodyguard, encourager and friend to see us through the rest of this life. Perhaps you might be struggling in one or more areas mentioned above. If you are a child of the King, please be reminded that God has you covered. He protects His own, supplies our every need and defends us while here on earth. Look up my friend, for my Redeemer lives, and He will soon return to take His children home to glory to be with Him throughout eternity. We have that assurance, so there is no need for worry while we wait for His return!

PRAYER: What an assurance that Jesus is mine! What an assurance that Jesus will return for me someday soon! What an assurance that Jesus provided everything I need here on this old wicked earth, so that I may be safe in His arms even while still here. Thank You, thank You, thank You Lord Jesus for loving this old humble man. My friends will read this blog and they will need a similar assurance as I received this morning. Please Heavenly Father, touch the hearts and souls of all who will stop by and ponder this today. Please draw them unto Yourself and fill them with the assurance of salvation that leads to life eternally in heaven with You. I love You Lord, and I life my voice in worship and praise to You, my King! AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: There are two more pages on my blog at https://NuggetsFromGodsWord.org 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 or listening to this devotional, please go to 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. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and see all of my posts, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. 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!

Blinded Eyes are Opened

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

DATE WRITTEN: Tuesday, 2020-06-16
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

BIBLE REFERENCE: 2 Corinthians 3:13-16
TRANSLATION: The Passion Translation (TPT)

BIBLE TEXT: 13 We are not like Moses, who used a veil to hide the glory to keep the Israelites from staring at him as it faded away.[g] 14 Their minds were closed and hardened, for even to this day that same veil comes over their minds when they hear the words of the former covenant. The veil has not yet been lifted from them, for it is only eliminated when one is joined to the Messiah. 15 So until now, whenever the Old Testament[h] is being read, the same blinding comes over their hearts. 16 But the moment one turns to the Lord[i] with an open heart, the veil is lifted and they see.

OBSERVATION: Sometimes it’s just the little things from everyday life that causes us to recognize the greatness of God! Think about this: there are times when we notice friends just having a brain freeze over the things of God. They just don’t get it, we tend to look in wonderment of what must be wrong with them, or what must be causing this mind block. I don’t believe that we do this in a condescending way, but it’s usually something very clear and understandable to us, yet our friends, who are very intelligent, just don’t get it. God used Paul to help the Corinthian church, and us, understand why this happens. Be open to God’s Word as we meditate, dear friends.

APPLICATION: One of the key phrases I discovered, and loved in this Scripture today is ‘when one is joined to the Messiah’! I pray that this phrase may also snatch the hearts of many as you join me in this study today, for this alludes to the fact that there are definite benefits to becoming one with Christ. Similar verbiage is used around marriages, for that union also comes with benefits. What’s different for us, is that God designed and made us; He had a purpose for us being born, and He made the ultimate sacrifice of giving His Son on Calvary so that we can continue glorifying Him in heaven for all eternity. This was very much God’s design for us! However the greatest advantage to this exciting Scripture today is that it was God’s design that we gain additional insight and knowledge about all that God had in store for us, and what He has in store for us throughout eternity, when He knows that we could handle that. I believe that with the way we are designed, we would have been so extra busy looking for ways to work around God’s commands, if we did not understand why we are the ‘apple’ of His eye. We could also recognize how we tend to use this same method of educating our kids, if we feel like they are not ready to handle such intense, long reaching information. Imagine being educated on advantages of being God’s special child, if you had never heard about how this is possible, when we are human and God is not? Added to that, what if you had never met anyone who actually followed through with accepting the Lord Jesus in a personal relationship with Him? I believe that what we often miss is that God and God alone is supreme, and we are not. If we are missing something, it doesn’t mean that God has missed something in designing us. What it does mean is that God has a plan for us, and as we place our faith and trust in Him, He will open the floodgates of Heaven to bless us, to provide for us and to direct our every path so that He might be glorified, even through us! Faith means that you are willing to follow through in total obedience to God’s commands, even if you don’t know why, or what, the result will be. When you are obedient even in these circumstances, I believe that God will follow through in blessing you beyond anything you could imagine or wish for. He alone is God. Learn to trust Him faithfully in all His commands, because of His love for you!

PRAYER: Thank You Lord Jesus for Your love, Your mercy, Your grace and the awesome knowledge that You bless us with – when You know that we are ready for it. Please bless us with what we need to know, when we need to know it, so that the individual You have caused to cross our path each day will be drawn to You. Thank You Lord Jesus for granting me peace about the knowledge I need for each and every day. Be glorified through every act and deed Lord, so that all my circle of influence might see You and desire to know You as Lord. AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: There are two more pages on my blog at https://NuggetsFromGodsWord.org 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 or listening to this devotional, please go to 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. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and see all of my posts, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. 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!