Month: July 2021

Great Leaders Do This

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Church Leaders, Dedicated, Government Leaders, Leader, Needs, Obedient, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Saturday, 2021-07-31
WRITTEN AT: Hattiesburg, MS

SCRIPTURE FROM: Deuteronomy 17:18-20
TRANSLATION:Contemporary English Version (CEV)

BIBLE TEXT: 18 The official copy of God’s laws will be kept by the priests of the Levi tribe. So, as soon as anyone becomes king, he must go to the priests and write out a copy of these laws while they watch. 19 Each day the king must read and obey these laws, so that he will learn to worship the Lord with fear and trembling 20 and not think that he’s better than everyone else.…

APPLICATION: Especially since I started using the computer for almost everything that I do, I despise having to write anything out. I’m sure you are much more disciplined than that! But I believe that in writing something out, you tend to remember the content much better than just reading the text from already printed material. The first thing that caught my attention was the fact that the incoming king would have to sit down in front of the priests and write out for himself a copy of God’s laws. I would like for us to think for a moment how effective it would be today in the following cases:
~ A Husband – Imagine if a new husband had to only write out the laws surrounding being a godly husband. Wouldn’t he tend to be more careful how he loves, provides, protects, cares for, lead by example, teaches his new wife the ways of the Lord, etc? Wouldn’t he be an excellent choice when you vote in deacons or elders in your church the next time?
~ A Dad – Don’t you know that we would have much less crime and delinquency in our world today if dad’s got their training from the Word of God, instead of the local bar, or from their hunting/fishing buddies, or from the company executive who could only handle being home on weekends? Imagine, they will know how to train up a child in the way they should go, and when they enter adulthood they will also honor the ways of the Lord!
~ A Pastor and/or Church Leader – These individuals come into leadership depending on their training from outgoing leaders, or the ones that remain. Imagine, being trained by men who may, or may not have the above disciplines in their personal lives? What might be the result? The same mistakes that have always occurred! Imagine the great leader who takes time to study and understand God’s Word every day!
~ Political Leaders – It seems very evident that as long as leaders outdo the opposition, or make them look as badly as possible in man’s eyes, then they receive a great rating from their constituents. What if they were required to spend weeks, or months, reading the constitution for themselves and writing down what God instructed in His Word? Can’t you imagine that they will be less apt to go after the opposition, or seek revenge, all of which is at the expense of the constituents, but instead they will rule in accordance with the laws you have given them, and the commands of our ultimate ruler, Almighty God?
Oh, and whatever else they may, or may not, find time to do in their day, the above individuals must always read the law every day so that they will be sure to obey it consistently. What kind of home, church and country leaders might we wind up having, dear friends? Would you want to live in their country? My friend, God has the plans in place for our leaders and ourselves to be successful, if only we will honor Him, honor His Word, and live to please Him alone. Before you point fingers at anyone else, consider the degree to which you are living by God’s laws.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: In return for obeying God’s commands, He will make us successful and honor us with a long, happy and healthy life. God being our helper, may each reader and listener commit to this today!

PRAYER: Dear Lord, we admit that we are well aware why You felt the need for these commands for the Israelites. However, we have continued their bad habits, and in many cases we have become more entrenched in sin and evil. Please forgive us of our sin, and impress upon each one again today, the importance of living and ruling in accordance with the commands You have given to us. Things have gone so far, that it is virtually impossible for us to imagine a world like You first designed, and for which Your laws were designed. Lord, we need You in every part of our lives more today than ever before. Please invoke Your presence in our everyday lives so that the world might still see You at work here on earth. AMEN!

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

Give To The Poor And Be Blessed

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

DATE WRITTEN: Friday, 2021-07-30
WRITTEN AT: Hattiesburg, MS

SCRIPTURE FROM: Deuteronomy 15:10-11
TRANSLATION: The Message (MSG)

BIBLE TEXT: 10-11 Give freely and spontaneously. Don’t have a stingy heart. The way you handle matters like this triggers God, your God’s, blessing in everything you do, all your work and ventures. There are always going to be poor and needy people among you. So I command you: Always be generous, open purse and hands, give to your neighbors in trouble, your poor and hurting neighbors.

APPLICATION: I’m sure that all readers and/or listeners will agree with me in saying that we are always thankful for what others give to us. Hopefully most of you can say as I can, thank God that I have never been ‘needy or poor’. I believe this may challenge many of us, because it becomes very challenging to truly empathize with the poor and needy, if you can’t identify with them. But God, in His infinite mercy has blessed us with good health, good jobs and a regular income. Additionally, He has blessed us with good minds to properly budget our income so that we could pay our bills as they come due. Sure, we mess up at times and get ourselves way overloaded in debt and that makes it way more challenging to satisfy our budget than what God expects of us. However, from the very beginning of our receiving a paycheck, we make decisions on how that money will be spent. I had a prospective pastor ask our search committee for a copy of the church budget. He said that he could tell from that where the heart of the church leadership stood. That’s the same with our personal budgets, review it and determine where your heart is. If you’re a child of the King, then I believe that you look at only 90% of your paycheck to establish your budget, for you practice what God has ordained through His Word, that you should give the first 10% of your income to God’s work through your local church. What was that, you can’t afford to tithe? I beg your pardon, because Gods said that if we obey Him He will bless us. Don’t you know that God will help you meet so much more in your expenses with the remaining 90% than you could ever accomplish on your own with 100%? But challenging the use of your income even more, God said through Moses in our Scripture that when we help the poor and needy, He will bless us richly in everything we do. So are you feeling victorious today? Could it be that you are helping others, but with a resentful attitude? Could it be that you often tell God to not bless you as much so that you don’t have to help the poor? I know you have lots of tips to help that poor person, but God said in this same chapter that you are not to give grudgingly, but with a spirit of the One who blessed you in the first place. Think about it, what have we done to deserve the love of the God who created us and looks out for us each day? Just do what He says, and know that He will always keep His promises. Bless someone today and be ready for a blessing from God!

BLESSING(S) NOTED: Bless others, and prepare for a blessing from God!

PRAYER: I may not be as rich as my neighbor, as handsome as the successful businessman, or as blessed as my pastor, but oh Lord, You have blessed me with more than I could ever desire or ask for, and I thank You from the bottom of my heart. Please continue Your work in my readers/listeners and myself so that we may see the needs of others, and feel compassionate enough to help them because of Your love and Your commands. Lord, may You be blessed today because we helped someone in need. AMEN!

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

Seeing Your Potential

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

DATE WRITTEN: Thursday, 2021-07-29
WRITTEN AT: Hattiesburg, MS

SCRIPTURE FROM: Mark 1:16-20
TRANSLATION: Contemporary English Version (CEV)

BIBLE TEXT: 16 As Jesus was walking along the shore of Lake Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew. They were fishermen and were casting their nets into the lake. 17 Jesus said to them, “Come with me! I will teach you how to bring in people instead of fish.” 18 Right then the two brothers dropped their nets and went with him.
19 Jesus walked on and soon saw James and John, the sons of Zebedee. They were in a boat, mending their nets. 20 At once Jesus asked them to come with him. They left their father in the boat with the hired workers and went with him.

APPLICATION: I believe that many of us can reflect on our younger days and stand in amazement at the occupation we ended up doing as adults, compared to our initial thoughts about our career as a teenager! Perhaps you’re a Pastor today, but never saw yourself as anything greater than a farmer when you were being raised on a farm. Instead of being a store clerk, you may have wound up being a teacher. Having always wished for a job where you would handle money, you may have wound up being manager of a security business. Many other examples, but as you can clearly see, often we will wind up spending a career in doing something quite different to that which we dreamed about as a child. Way too often though, we will find someone doing a job, where they feel like they would never qualify for anything more challenging. But in our Scripture today we are reminded that Jesus never looked for seminary graduates, or Sundays School teachers or pastors to be His disciples. He chose very unlikely people. In our examples today, Jesus chose 4 fishermen for a life changing career in following Him. Were there some characteristics of a fisherman that might qualify them for ministry? Perhaps, but what I saw in this was that Jesus sees potential in us that no one else may ever dream as possible. Just imagine, we were created by the same God who formed this earth. He created land to form a habitat for mankind, then He created mankind to live there. Not Just Adam and Eve, but He also created all the necessary chemistry to create you and I. Do you suppose that our Creator ever made anything that He called ‘Junk’? I’d be willing to assure you that He did not. So when He went looking for assistants, or disciples, to teach His ministry to and prepare them for the work that would continue long after He left this earth, don’t you know that He was able to remove all filters and just choose men who stood to be blessed because they would faithfully serve Him? I remember serving on Pastor Search committees, and we had filters that filled pages and pages of our questionnaire used to make sure that a prospect would check all of the boxes. Friends, I learned over the years that if God had a search committee ask me to serve in a local church, I would never use the excuse that I was unqualified for that. Because of that, God has used me in fields where others may have smiled because of my efforts, but I believe that God smiled because He knew that it was through His power and His strength that I could even stand up there and try. Always remember that God created you with a purpose in mind for your life, because He knew your potential, and what He could accomplish through you. Please don’t be a stumbling block to His will and His purpose for your life.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: We are God’s children, created in His image, for His purpose. He sees great potential in us. Let go of your pride, fear and lack of confidence and let Him lead you to the full extent of your potential, with God at your very core.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, this is just one of Your precious jewels that You made in Your likeness for Your glory! You’ve placed me here on earth to specifically lift up Your name on high and glorify our Father in heaven. Your work is extensive, but fishermen did it, and so did tax collectors, so I have no reason to doubt that You can work miraculously through the lives of my readers/listeners and myself, so that the Good News can be shared with everyone that we touch or rub shoulders with. Use us as Your instrument to fulfill Your mission oh Lord. Many are still unsaved, so my friends and I are still in high demand. May we bow at Your feet and accept the challenge You have for us 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 might indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and read more, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. You may also visit me on Spotify and listen to Nuggets while you’re out and about. I would encourage you to find a church home near by your home, and attend as frequently as you could. Get to know God, and allow His people to encourage and strengthen you in your Christian walk, while making every effort to be a blessing to them. God is at work among His people! Please consider growing in your faith, as you worship with fellow believers!

Illustrate Your Current Need for the Lord

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Everything We Need, Greatest Need, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Wednesday, 2021-07-28
WRITTEN AT: Hattiesburg, MS

SCRIPTURE FROM: Psalm 42:1-2
TRANSLATION: Contemporary English Version (CEV)

BIBLE TEXT: 1 As a deer gets thirsty for streams of water, I truly am thirsty for you, my God. 2 In my heart, I am thirsty for you, the living God.…

APPLICATION: God created us with great purpose, and with a built-in desire to recognize and worship the God of this universe. No matter how much we struggle with various worldly concerns, we can look around us and hear the rustling brook and the chirping birds that are as happy as they could possible be. Regardless of our commitment in life regarding salvation, we all know deep inside that there is a God and that He loves us unconditionally – beyond anyone, or anything that we could possibly understand. For the person struggling with believing in God, that quickly changes when they are faced with a challenge bigger than anything they have witnessed here on earth in their lifetime. David had struggled with a lot, and every time he felt like he was safe, another of King Saul’s men would search him out. I believe that are representative of David, when we feel like we are going through a spell of quiet from God. We might often feel like God has retired, or just ignoring us. But it could very well be that God is creating such a thirst inside of us, that we will be forced to evaluate our inner soul and not only find the things that are keeping us away from a closer relationship with God, but also helping us to more deeply desire our Creator. Friends, I believe that Satan’s number one priority is to pull us away from God, whereas God’s priority is to love us and comfort us into a peace that surpasses all understanding. This develops a desire in our soul to want more of our Master, and to draw close to Him so that He may bless, and bless our every desire and move. In your mind today, who has control? Is Satan winning the battle, or are you in much the same mode as David where you are longing for more of our God? Satan is bound to continue leading you along the path to Hell and eternal damnation, while God loves His creation and wants your soul to desire more of Him and eternity in heaven with He and His precious Son. For as much as lies within you dear friend, whom do you think will win your soul? My faithful and heartfelt desire is that you will be by my side around the throne of God in Heaven. I pray that your soul will burn deep inside for more of Jesus Christ and to know Him intimately. Whenever you are feeling far from God, try running a test by evaluating what your soul is panting for. If the answer is not Jesus Christ, then let me encourage you to refresh your commitment to Him, read His Word faithfully and reach out to Him in prayer. He will hear your heart’s cry and fill you with more of Himself.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: Just as a deer pants for water in a dry and thirsty land, so will we desperately desire God when we have drifted away from Him, or need more of Him.

PRAYER: Praise You Lord, there is something about our King that our hearts burn for. We are reminded daily that we can’t handle this old wicked and cruel world, so we reach out to You, Lord, in desperation, knowing that You can supply all our needs and encourage us beyond anything that this old world throws at us. Please give us the assurance to go on, knowing that the King of all kings and Lord of all lords has our hand and will keep us until that day we are called home to glory! Oh, What a day that will be! AMEN!

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

Where Do You Tend To Hang Out?

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Evangelism, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, Repentance, Witnessing, Worship1 Comment

DATE WRITTEN: Tuesday, 2021-07-27
WRITTEN AT: Hattiesburg, MS

SCRIPTURE FROM: Luke 5:30-32
TRANSLATION: The Passion Translation (TPT)

BIBLE TEXT: 30 … “Why would you defile yourselves by eating and drinking with tax collectors and sinners? Doesn’t Jesus know it’s wrong to do that?”
31 Jesus overheard their complaining and said, “Who goes to the doctor for a cure? Those who are well or those who are sick? 32 I have not come to call the ‘righteous,’ but to call those who know they are sinners and bring them to repentance.”

APPLICATION: Part of the great divide between Christians and unbelievers might be caused by the cliques that are created, often unknowingly. Christians are taught to, and often feel most comfortable to, hang out with those of like faith. Sure, I believe that scenario will create great accountability partners, and there will probably be less room for argument, as we will seldom challenge each other on what we believe, or what we do. I see little difference in this practice when looking at the unsaved, for they tend to hang out in like groups and places. Because of this exclusivity, it seems like each group tends to look at the other group as pretenders and thinking of themselves as better than the other. To a certain extent, this may be true, especially if one fails to associate with member of the opposite group. But Jesus may have introduced us to a very unique thought in the Scriptures today. It we truly want to follow in Jesus’ footsteps and do the will of the Father, wouldn’t we want to spend some time around the people we are trying to share the Gospel with? After all, how many Christians will we aim to ‘save’, again? Sure, iron sharpens iron, and we need the strength, encouragement and love from our Christian brothers and sisters, but if we refuse to mix with non-Christians and understand their needs, how will we ever discern the difference that Jesus might make in their lives? Additionally, how else will your unsaved friends know Jesus’ way of living and treating one another if you don’t give them opportunity to spend time with you? I believe that one of the most interesting changes we must consider, is that instead of feeling compelled to stay away from unbelievers in fear of adopting their bad habits, we must instead desire to be around them and ask God to let them grow in Him by seeing God at work in us. Friends, people need the Lord – those are the unbelievers. Unless we spend time around them and teach them God’s ways, how else will they see God and come to know Him personally?

BLESSING(S) NOTED: Jesus hung out with sinners, because He wanted to bring them to repentance. We should do the same!

PRAYER: Lord, please teach us to live like You demonstrated to us in Your Word. We have picked up too many earthly practices to often be of any heavenly good to our neighbors. Please help us to stay centered on Your Word and practice all that You have taught us. Much of this will be quite different for us in contrast to what we have practiced so far, so please give us strength, give us wisdom, give us boldness and most of all, give us a heart like yours. Let others experience Your awesome love and goodness through our encounters with them, and convince them of their need for a Savior. AMEN!

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

Our Commission

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

DATE WRITTEN: Monday, 2021-07-26
WRITTEN AT: Hattiesburg, MS

SCRIPTURE FROM: Matthew 28:18-20
TRANSLATION: The Voice (VOICE)

BIBLE TEXT: 18 Jesus came forward and addressed His beloved disciples.
Jesus: I am here speaking with all the authority of God, who has commanded Me to give you this commission: 19 Go out and make disciples in all the nations. Ceremonially wash them through baptism in the name of the triune God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. 20 Then disciple them. Form them in the practices and postures that I have taught you, and show them how to follow the commands I have laid down for you. And I will be with you, day after day, to the end of the age.

APPLICATION: In reading Matthew 28, you will find that when the two Mary’s visited the tomb of Jesus after His burial, the angel intervened and told them that there was no need to go any further, for Jesus had risen, just as He said He would. He instructed them to now ‘Go and Tell’ (tell His disciples). Friends, many of us attend church each week and rejoice at meeting with our risen Lord. We are then instructed by our respective pastors to ‘Go and Tell’ the Good News to all that we come into contact with. Oh Lord Jesus, we know that You never did, and never will, give commands or say things intended to make us feel good. If You said it, then we could go to the bank with that. If You said it, then You expect us to be obedient children and follow through with what You commanded. Later in this same chapter when Jesus met with His disciples for the first time after His resurrection, He continued the same message as the angel started – ‘Go and Tell’ all people, everywhere, the Good News of His death, burial and resurrection. As they received the message, and as they surrendered their lives to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, then baptize them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost. And, by the way, Jesus said that He would be with all disciples as they share the Good News, right up until the very end of time. So friends, here’s the scoop. Jesus is telling us that we are to obey His commands to ‘Go and Tell’, and we could do that confidently and without fear, for He will be with us at all times. If you are commissioned into the military or for any other job, I don’t believe that you will ever have quite the comfort as awarded by our Savior in His commission. Let’s just get busy about the Lord’s work fellow Christians! For those who have chosen to refrain from accepting the lordship of our King, please know that God made the ultimate sacrifice to facilitate the forgiveness of our sin. He had to watch, without interfering, while His precious Son gave His own life so that we might have life everlasting in heaven with the Father and the Son. Won’t you reconsider the offer that He gives today and surrender your life to Jesus? As your earthly friend, it would do my heart good to know that each reader has decided to follow Jesus, no turning back now, or ever.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: God gave the command, ‘Go and Tell’, for us to follow, but He also offered that He would be with us every step of the way. No worries, just do it!

PRAYER: Thank You Lord Jesus for Your gracious sacrifice for our ultimate good. You showed love so amazing that we could only say thank You from the very bottom of our heart. Lord, You gave us work to do while here among people who desperately need You. The world has become so bitter and so against anything that appears God-related. They need You Lord. Although we feel so inadequate, You have demanded that we ‘Go and Tell’, but not to worry, You will be with us until the very end. Please remind us of this promise each time that we feel inadequate in sharing the Gospel with others. Oh that those in our circle of influence will see Jesus in us and desire to also know Him personally! Please be our strength and give us boldness and an urgency to obediently follow Your Great Commission. AMEN!

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

What Does God Require of You?

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

DATE WRITTEN: Sunday, 2021-07-25
WRITTEN AT: Hattiesburg, MS

SCRIPTURE FROM: Deuteronomy 10:12-13; 16
TRANSLATION: Living Bible (TLB)

BIBLE TEXT: 12-13 “And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you except to listen carefully to all he says to you, and to obey for your own good the commandments I am giving you today, and to love him, and to worship him with all your hearts and souls?
16 Therefore, cleanse your sinful hearts and stop your stubbornness.

APPLICATION: For a child who gives the excuse ‘he thought that he had a good idea or what might be best in a situation’, mom or dad might quickly inform the child that they don’t make the rules around the home, they just follow the rules as already established by the parents! Similarly, when an employee decides to do something ‘their way’ instead of the established written procedure, they might expect to be fired for disobeying company rules and regulations. The Israelites had quite a record of ‘doing their own thing’, instead of obediently following the commands of God, the God who provided safety during their travels, food when they were hungry and water when thirsty. Yet through the whole journey to freedom, they were under the leadership of God’s faithful servants, Moses and Aaron. But now comes a very critical time, when they would be released to their own cognizance. Want to try one guess about what will happen? Moses knew that on their own, they would soon be in sad shape morally and relationally, for they would immediately fall back to their former gods and idols. So like any good Shepherd would do, Moses had a pep talk with the Israelites to outline what God expected of them. As I pondered the short list, I concluded that there was nothing extraordinary about the list that God would not also require of us today. It reminded me that God included these type lessons in His Book, so that all His children will learn about His truths and how to live until He calls us home to glory. So for our own good, here is a list of the instructions given by Moses:
~ Listen carefully to all He says to you – This will generally come through reading God’s Word, for He speaks intently through His Word to His children;
~ Obey the commandments given to us by God – There was purpose in God giving us His commandments. Obey them, dear children;
~ Love Him – When you consider how much God loved us, should we not love Him in return, with all our heart, soul and mind? To know Him, is to love Him;
~ Worship Him with all your heart and soul – On earth we say thank you, and we compliment folk all the time. For the God who has the power to do it all, give us all and be everything to us, we can only humbly kneel in prayer before Him, or offer up praise and worship to Him. Recognize Him for who He is, and we will quickly bow at His feet in worship;
When we find ourselves in awe of His goodness, and obedient to His call on our lives, then in our hearts we are forced to do as verse 16 says: ‘Cleanse our sinful hearts and stop our stubbornness’. Just accept His lordship and seek to faithfully follow Him all of your days!

BLESSING(S) NOTED: To know what the Master requires of us brings peace and contentment, because we then know what to aim at, and accomplish, in order to please Him in total obedience.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus I thank You for who You are, and I thank You for not only giving the Israelites clear vision of what You require, but by placing this in Your Word for Christians of all times, I believe that You have also graced us with Your vision for how Your children should live. Please give us boldness to each day find the battle of sin here on this earth, and instead strive to live as You commanded., knowing that there will be many who will object to our methods and our practice. We want to honor You oh Lord. Please help us to stand firm among those who practice quite the opposite, for our goal will always be to please You oh King and obey Your commands. May You always be evident in every aspect of our lives, so that others will see Jesus working through us and give You glory as You deserve. AMEN!

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

Total Allegiance

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

DATE WRITTEN: Saturday, 2021-07-24
WRITTEN AT: Hattiesburg, MS

SCRIPTURE FROM: Luke 5:8-11
TRANSLATION: Living Bible (TLB)

BIBLE TEXT: 8 When Simon Peter realized what had happened, he fell to his knees before Jesus and said, “Oh, sir, please leave us—I’m too much of a sinner for you to have around.” 9 For he was awestruck by the size of their catch, as were the others with him, 10 and his partners too—James and John, the sons of Zebedee. Jesus replied, “Don’t be afraid! From now on you’ll be fishing for the souls of men!”
11 And as soon as they landed, they left everything and went with him.

APPLICATION: In counseling a couple preparing for marriage, some pastors will remind them of the importance of spending less time with their hunting, fishing or shopping buddies so that they could devote uninterrupted time with their new spouse. Wouldn’t it be the same experience with one who has accepted the call on their life to receive Jesus into their heart? Think about it! In both cases, God knows full well that we will have mixed allegiance; and when that happens, we are not fully dedicated to either. In the case of the experienced fishermen, they knew that if they returned to the same fishing grounds where they yielded nothing just hours before. Their experience teaches them that if there was nothing there the night before, there probably would be nothing there the next morning. PLEASE don’t come down on Peter and his fishing buddies, for we still do the same thing today when we look through the lens of this world. Only Jesus was able to turn the water into wine; cause the lame to walk again; feed the 5,000+ people; and raise the dead, so only Jesus can change the course of life as we know it today. I believe that Jesus is still calling us to be fishers of men. Yes, even those who have little to know education; Yes, even those who feel like they are incapable of doing anything worthy for the Lord; And yes, even those who tend to look at this sinful world and give up on seeing any good thing come form the mass of confusion and sin. But here’s what makes all the difference in the world. Notice that Peter and his buddies were filled with doubt before this encounter with Jesus, but based on their actions after they got to shore, we could see that their firsthand experience with their Master, caused a total turn around in their lives. They left everything and followed Jesus! Leaving everything, in my mind, means that they concluded that there was nothing in their lives that was more important than to follow the One who proved Himself to them through miracle after miracle, and they were ready to accept His invitation to join Him in His earthly ministry. What is it that you need to give up in order to devote your life whole-heartedly to the Master? Think about the difference that Peter and his friends were facing in switching from fishing, to following Jesus and serving Him faithfully? It would have to be the miraculous touch of Jesus, right? Well I believe that He is still in the miracle-working business today, and He could do the same for you and I when we accept His invitation to join Him in ministry!

BLESSING(S) NOTED: From the stinky business of fishing, or whatever your occupation might be, to the glorious work of the Kingdom! – Only possible through the powerful transformation and miracles of our all-powerful God!

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, we bury ourselves in everyday chores and through some miracle, we feel accomplished. In learning more about You, we realize that we haven’t touched the potential of all that You have placed us here on earth for. We were reminded how you transformed the lives of Peter and his friends, and it has renewed our faith in believing that You can do the same through even us. No doubt, there are readers/listeners who feel the same as I do. Please touch Your children once again today and help us to see our potential in all that You can do through one dedicated and committed child, rather than through our own meager efforts. Nothing is impossible with You! May we base our ministries on all that You have in store for us, and all that You can do through us. AMEN!

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

God Loves You & He Will Keep His Promises

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

DATE WRITTEN: Friday, 2021-07-22
WRITTEN AT: Canton, TX

SCRIPTURE FROM: Deuteronomy 7:5-8
TRANSLATION: Living Bible (TLB)

BIBLE TEXT: 5 “You must break down the heathen altars and shatter the obelisks and cut up the shameful images and burn the idols. 6 “For you are a holy people, dedicated to the Lord your God. He has chosen you from all the people on the face of the whole earth to be his own chosen ones. 7 He didn’t choose you and pour out his love upon you because you were a larger nation than any other, for you were the smallest of all! 8 It was just because he loves you, and because he kept his promise to your ancestors….

APPLICATION: When you look at the largest issues around you, don’t you often sit back and question: Why Lord? What can I possibly do to help correct this? When you see sin occurring all around you, and often impacting your life, don’t you often question God as to why? and on what you should be doing to help correct the problem? Let’s stop for a few minutes and see what the Israelites were facing, and if God reassured them through Hi servant Moses, might He also have a word for us in the Scripture today. This huge body of people were enslaved in Egypt, and they were only released from that after God intervened and forced Pharaoh to release His people. They were led, fed and directed for over 40 years through the wilderness by God’s servants, because they had no control over their circumstances, nor could they do anything about their daily needs and dilemmas. The new, Promised Land, into which they arrived, were already occupied, and by nations much bigger than them, so we could only imagine that they felt as helpless as we do in the circumstances used in my introduction. But here’s where the answer comes in for the Israelites, and for us, I believe. Moses assured his people, and I believe that God assures us, that we are a chosen people. Drawn to the foot of the cross where Jesus forgives us of our sin and draws us into a sweet relationship with Himself. It is there that Jesus promises us a place in heaven where we will worship He and the Father for all eternity. Friends, our God will then watch out for us, just like He did for the Israelites. They were the smallest nation, facing huge challenges, but let’s be reminded that there is nothing too big for our God. If He told them through His servant Moses, that there were seven nations they would conquer (vs 1), it doesn’t matter what size they are, or how strong their army is, nothing could come against our God that He couldn’t handle. I am convinced that reminder is still very true for us today, so why do you suppose we struggle in realizing that our God will take care of us? We are part of the winning army, and we know that there is nothing that our God can’t do, so what’s the problem? We may not be facing seven nations, but for some reason our challenges sometimes seem larger than that. The answer is still the same, there is nothing that our God can’t do! If you know Jesus personally today, then you’re on the winning team. If you have chosen not to walk the path of righteousness, then you may very well join the opposing army. My desire is that You will see TRUTH in the Word of God today, and that you will make the necessary changes in your life. Know God my friend, and know the peace that surpasses all human understanding.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: Many have prayed for our salvation. God will meet every need, because of what He promised in His Word, and because of what He promised to our ancestors who prayed for us. Rest assured, there is nothing that our God can’t do!

PRAYER: Lord, now I see why You look at Your children and remind us of the lack of faith that we possess. You could move mountains, and You facilitated multiple victories to the Israelites over armies much bigger than themselves, yet we withdraw into our corner and worry over not being able to handle an earthly situation. We serve the same God, so Lord Jesus, please give us faith to believe, to ask, and to receive. Please continue to be God to us, and give us the faith needed to overcome earthly doubt and fear. May we be Your people who the world will look at in wonder, and gain strength from, as they seek out the kingdom of God. AMEN!

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

Make God’s Commands A Part of Who You Are

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

DATE WRITTEN: Thursday, 2021-07-22
WRITTEN AT: Canton, TX

SCRIPTURE FROM: Deuteronomy 6:4-9
TRANSLATION: The Voice (VOICE)

BIBLE TEXT: 4 … The Eternal is our True God—He alone. 5 You should love Him, your True God, with all your heart and soul, with every ounce of your strength. 6 Make the things I’m commanding you today part of who you are. 7 Repeat them to your children. Talk about them when you’re sitting together in your home and when you’re walking together down the road. Make them the last thing you talk about before you go to bed and the first thing you talk about the next morning. 8 Do whatever it takes to remember them: tie a reminder on your hand and bind a reminder on your forehead where you’ll see it all the time, 9 such as on the doorpost where you cross the threshold or on the city gate.

APPLICATION: In raising children, I believe they tend to consider most important, those things that their parents may have always felt were important. The Bible teaches us that we should train up a child in the way they should go, and when they become adults they will not forget your training. Under God’s direction, Moses had led the Israelites from a world of slavery, through the desert where they were totally dependent on food and water that was provided by God, and now on to a new world – a new land that God had provided to them. Considering their past, would they possibly know what to do with freedom and the amazing new opportunities that will be their fortune? God gave Moses many commands for the people to follow while in the desert, and He had a lot to demand of them now as they ventured out on their own. As I read, and re-read this Scripture, I couldn’t help but wonder how our lives would be impacted if we ended every church service with the words in today’s Scripture. We go to church seeking God’s will for our lives; we hear His Word preached and/or taught, and if we’re not careful to apply the Word to us personally, we leave the church yard just as stubborn and worldly minded as we came into church that day. What if the preacher/teacher had us repeat these words ushered by Moses? Wouldn’t it be awesome to try some of these things? I have a relative who has Scripture written and placed at strategic places throughout her home, so that her kids and/or visitors to her home would be reminded of ‘thus says the Word of God’. Does this help, or have an impact on her kids or her family? You know, that’s not for us to worry about, for the Word of God says that God’s Word will not return to Him void! We are not responsible for bringing the results. Instead, we are to do what God instructs, and He will do the rest. Here’s how important it is that we fill our hearts with God’s commands and His Word: the Bible says that from the heart, the mouth speaks. If you fill your heart and soul with more of God, then you will speak and act like the God who fills you up. Let me encourage you to read today’s Scripture again and allow the words to penetrate your heart. Make them a part of who you are. People need to see Jesus at work here on earth, and I believe it begins with you and I.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: What goes into us, will certainly come out of us! Fill yourself with more of God each and every day so that the world might be touched by Jesus with each encounter they have with you!

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, I believe the last thing that this hateful world needs, is more hatred, anger and evil. Please continue to impress upon your children the importance of filling ourselves with more of You, for what goes into us will bubble out of us with each encounter that we have with others. The world needs You, Lord, not more brokenness from a world that plunders around without you in it. Please touch Your children once again and impress upon each one the importance of sharing Christ with others who have never touched you, or been touched by You. Only You can change a life. Please empower us to help in that respect by allowing Your love to pour forth from us every day. AMEN!

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