Month: August 2021

Guard Your Heart From Greed and Covetousness

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

DATE POSTED Tuesday, 2021-08-31
WRITTEN AT: O’Brien, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Luke 12:13-15
TRANSLATION: The Passion Translation (TPT)

BIBLE TEXT: 13 Just then someone spoke up from the crowd and said, “Master, you should compel my older brother to divide the family inheritance and give me my fair share!”
14 Jesus answered, “My friend, who made me a judge or arbitrator over you?”
15 Speaking to the people, Jesus continued, “Be alert and guard your heart from greed and from always wishing for what you don’t have. For your life can never be measured by the amount of things you possess.”

APPLICATION: The reading of wills, and the content of a will dictated by a father, has probably caused more family divisions than anything else in the world! For a dad writing his will, he probably looks for a way to right the wrongs committed towards he and his wife, or the bitterness, meanness and hatred that may have developed between siblings. In our story, Jesus was teaching a crowd, but a young man in the crowd had a personal vendetta that he wanted Jesus to resolve for him, and he wanted the crowd to hear exactly how Jesus intended to resolve the issue. We have seen over time how Jesus found it very helpful to use parables/examples to help others better identify with His message or response. Jesus again uses an example that the people could identify with, in order to help this young man. You see, when you find yourself in a crowd, your questions should be such that the crowd might be helped, and leave personal scenarios for your one-on-one discussions with the leader. So Jesus responded with an example that might help all hearers. Often our greed will result in overfilling our barns, before we would agree for a neighbor to have some of the excess to just feed his cattle. The excess will often cause spoilage for us, but actually meet a very critical need for our neighbor. Jesus teaches in this parable today that greed and covetousness will do us no good, as it has no impact on our time left on earth to enjoy the excess. However, when we allow a neighbor to win the battle in order to feed his family and/or animals, we are actually showing love towards him, and we show understanding of his circumstances, without first overfilling our own barn. Friends, we witness many who fill their barns to overflowing, then comes the time for them to leave this world. The excessively filled barns are then left for selfish kids to fight over and continue the vicious selfish cycle. When the deceased stands before Jesus, He totally ignores all that the person has amassed and He looks simply at the heart and goodwill of the man. Did He know Jesus as Lord of his life, and was He obedient to the commands of Jesus? That’s what matters dear one. If you know Jesus and obey His commands, you still may die a rich man, but in following the commands of Jesus, you would ensure that no one around you is in need. May we draw close to God so that He may work miraculously in us, for His ultimate glory!

BLESSING(S) NOTED: When committed to Jesus, we will be led by the Holy Spirit to live like He intends. He will be glorified when His children are drawn to Him!

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, please have Your will and way in our lives. May Your children be such imitators of all that you demonstrated to us and all that You teach us each day, that the unsaved will experience Jesus and be drawn to Him. There is nothing in this world that could meet the basic need for Jesus that our soul yearns for. Oh Lord Jesus, please help us to stay focused on the miraculous works of the Holy Spirit in every aspect of our life. May Jesus be glorified today because of our submission to His will, and through our obedience to Him as we experience life with others. 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!

Identify Yourself With Your Master

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

DATE POSTED Monday, 2021-08-30
WRITTEN AT: O’Brien, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Luke 12:8-9
TRANSLATION: The Voice (VOICE)

BIBLE TEXT: 8 That’s why I keep telling you not to be intimidated. If you identify unashamedly with Me before others, I, the Son of Man, will affirm you before God and all the heavenly messengers. 9 But if you deny Me before others, you will be denied before God and all the heavenly messengers.

APPLICATION: Some may wonder why Jesus felt that it is important to identify yourself as a child of the King or not. What happens to good men who refuses to tell females that he is married? Is he not placing himself in a position of being solicited by unmarried women? Remember how Peter responded when put on the spot about his relationship with the Lord Jesus? ‘I never knew Him’ was one of the responses. Would that be your response if an aggressive member of management sought to rid his company of all ‘Christians’? The Holy Spirit really invoked a deep concern when I read this Scripture, for I am quick to stand in church and say that I’m a child of the King, but in reading the last sentence by Jesus in our Scripture, I wonder whether I am bold enough in my faith to stand before terrorists and give the same testimony as I would in church. Jesus said that if we reject the idea of identifying with Him before this world, then He would reject us before the father and His angels in heaven. Friends, I believe that just as we are proud to say that we are married, and name the one we are married to, we should be just as honest about saying who we identify with in the heavenly realm. If we feel like we will be happy to hug Jesus and greet Him with great anticipation when we enter the gates of heaven, then we should be just as free to acknowledge Him before our family, friends, coworkers and this world as well. Will this bring unwanted opposition from our circle of influence? I believe it might, but will that cause us to change our mind about who’s in charge of our life and our destiny? Dear friend, Jesus is the one who gave up His life for our heavenly benefit. He loved us enough, and went to that degree, so that He might identify with those who would have Him. Won’t you accept Jesus as your Lord and everlasting King and let Him rule in your heart every day here on earth and when we enter His presence in Glory? Let me suggest that we all ask Jesus for greater faith and greater boldness to proclaim our relationship with Him to everyone here on earth. I am convinced that Jesus will protect us from harm, and bless us for our boldness and commitment to Him.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: Jesus will identify with us before God and the angels, when we identify with Him! I can only imagine that He finds reason every day to be proud of us before the Father!

PRAYER: Precious Lord, please forgive us for being such cowards to disown You before our counterparts here on earth when it seems like they may be a threat to us. Perhaps they are testing us to make sure that we are who we say we are. Please give us strength and a real boldness to overcome the evil one and stand firm in our faith. May we trust You enough to proclaim our identity with You, and may You be lifted up and praise by everyone that we come into contact with. May others be impressed by our stand, and may they be reaffirmed in their faith, so that You will be praised all the more 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!

Made Right With God Through Faith

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Faith, Faithful, Faithfulness, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, Trust, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED Sunday, 2021-08-29
WRITTEN AT: O’Brien, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Hebrews 11:6-7
TRANSLATION: Easy-To-Read Version (ERV)

BIBLE TEXT: 6 Without faith no one can please God. Whoever comes to God must believe that he is real and that he rewards those who sincerely try to find him.
7 Noah was warned by God about things that he could not yet see. But he had faith and respect for God, so he built a large boat to save his family. With his faith, Noah showed that the world was wrong. And he became one of those who are made right with God through faith.

OBSERVATION: Can you imagine the mockery that Noah experienced during construction of the ark? Even more so when he boarded animals of all sorts, and his family, on the ark while it was high and dry in the middle of the land? Yet his faith remained strong! God still directs His people today, and we must have faith to trust Him as He sets our agenda, taking into consideration all that’s ahead for us. How’s your faith? Will you trust Him today, even if you’re mocked by others?

APPLICATION: In this chapter of Hebrews we see where faith in God brought new life, new concepts and new miracles to all who believed in Him. In the example shown in verse 7, Noah had faith to believe God that He would send something to the earth for the very first time – ‘rain’. In fact he went further by believing that God would send so much rain that the whole earth would be flooded, so he set out to build a boat that would protect the lives of he, his family, and all types of animals. There are many that God has sent us to minister to, but they be challenge us by saying that we must be nuts to believe that Jesus died, and actually arose from the dead. While others may actually want us to pray when their loved one is sick or possibly dying. The faith expressed in each case may vary widely, yet you are expected to stand firm in your faith, while God works on those you meet. Faith – what is it to some folk? They will say they have no faith in God, because they can’t see Him. Yet they fill their gas tanks in their cars, and although they never see the gas or the tank, some gauge inside tells them how much is in their tank, and they have faith to believe that! Friends, God proves Himself to us in many ways, and for those who will trust Him, because they have faith in His existence; His promises; and His all powerful hand; we all can look forward to all that He has in store each and every day. Faith means that we are to believe in the God who has everything planned out for us, and although we cannot see these things, we are to believe that God is working all things out for our good. As we place our faith and trust in the One who loved us enough to sacrifice His life for us, and as we place our faith in the One who promised to never leave us alone, and faith in the One who promised that He has prepared a place for us, so that we may rule and reign with Him while worshiping our blessed Lord, then we will know that each day will be filled with anticipation of all that God has in store for us, to bless us, to love on us, and to provide encouragement for us to continue living for Him until He returns to take us home! God has so much in store for His precious children! Through faith we can rest assured in knowing that we are in good and faithful hands! Praise the wonderful name of Jesus!

BLESSING(S) NOTED: Although limited by natural sight, we must rest confidently in our faith, knowing that God has everything under His perfect control!

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, we have no reason to doubt Your love for, and Your almighty power towards, Your children. Knowing that You can do ALL things, just as you have already proven to us, gives us faith to place our full trust in You. Please strengthen is when there is unbelief and doubt. Please touch the lives of those that have chosen to ignore the mighty works of our King. Lord, I’m sure that each day will bring its challenges and that we will need you more each and every day Please help us to stay strong in our faith, and to always stay connected to You in everything. You are our awesome God – One that we can place full faith, trust and deliverance in. 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 God Will …

On By Ed AlgreenIn God Can Do It Again, God Cares For Us, God's WillLeave a comment

Saturday, 2021-08-28

Bible Reference: Proverbs 3:5-10
Translation: The Living Bible (TLB)

Scripture

Bible Text:  Trust the Lord completely; don’t ever trust yourself. 6 In everything you do, put God first, and he will direct you and crown your efforts with success.
7-8 Don’t be conceited, sure of your own wisdom. Instead, trust and reverence the Lord, and turn your back on evil; when you do that, then you will be given renewed health and vitality.
9-10 Honor the Lord by giving him the first part of all your income, and he will fill your barns with wheat and barley and overflow your wine vats with the finest wines.

APPLICATION:  Like me, I would imagine that, throughout your day there are times when you are overwhelmed as to how you will ever accomplish everything on your agenda, and that you wish you knew what might be happening in the coming days, weeks and years, so that you could make good choices today. Friends, I believe that God has placed the answer to this dilemma right at our fingertips – in these verses today. For I believe that you will see clearly that although we may not have all of the answers, there is a God who does – praise His name for ever and ever! As you read the first two verses of our Scripture today, let me remind you of Moses, God’s messenger and leader who had millions of people following him. Because He trusted completely in God, when he brought all these folk to the edge of the Jordan River, his ulcers didn’t explode from the stress of what to do next, for he was convinced that if God brought him to this crossroad, then obviously God would see him through, or across the river. These verses declare that when we place our faith and trust in Jesus, He will direct us into right paths and make our journey, or actions successful. Notice that this is not something we need to understand how or when success or answers will come, we are to just trust God and He will… Notice in verses 7-10, there are certain expectation from us, such as: 
* Trust and reverence God;
* Turn our backs on evil – of course the positive equivalent to this is to obey God’s commands;
* Honor God by giving Him the first of our income;
Just remember that God is all powerful and He could bless our health and give us vitality without us feeling like we had anything to do with the formula, but by demanding that we participate in the above simple actions, we learn that God’s goodness is for those who have an interest – those who want it. Similarly with our finances – God could very easily bestow great riches on everyone, but don’t you know that we always abuse anything that is given to us without us have some ‘skin’ in the game? When we give the first of our income, we are not only showing obedience to God, but we are acknowledging that there is nothing more important in our life. It also helps us to recognize that because we are blessed by God to be able to work and provide for our family, the least we could do is give back to Him unconditionally from our financial earnings. In true form to the goodness of our God, He foreknew the temptation of money, so He still threw in a blessing for those that obey this commandment to give. I believe that God’s Word is clear that we will be blessed financially in proportion to what we give. Are you ‘blessed’ financially? Check your giving, perhaps it needs adjusting!

PRAYER: Lord God, You have proven Yourself to us in so many ways, yet we often feel like we could handle this thing called ‘life’ all by ourselves. Please forgive us for our littleness Lord. You are Creator; Master; Lord and the Savior of this world. Thank You for giving us clear instruction of what is expected of us to receive optimal results from You. Please touch our stubborn hearts today and convince us of the need for obedience and faithfulness to You. Lord, we want to benefit from all the great things You have promised to us, but more than that, we are anxious to one day be with You in glory, where we could worship You endlessly. Bless us this day with Your grace and your mercy. Please lead us into total obedience to Your Word, for I ask these things in the gracious and loving name of Jesus, 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 Prayer of One Man

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Needs, Power of Prayer, Praise, Prayer, Recognize God, Worship1 Comment

DATE POSTED Friday, 2021-08-27
WRITTEN AT: Hattiesburg, MS

SCRIPTURE FROM: Joshua 10:13-14
TRANSLATION: Living Bible (TLB)

BIBLE TEXT:  13 ….So the sun stopped in the heavens and stayed there for almost twenty-four hours! 14 There had never been such a day before, and there has never been another since, when the Lord stopped the sun and moon—all because of the prayer of one man. But the Lord was fighting for Israel. 

APPLICATION: There are some folk that we talk to and it seems like they have the weight of the world on their shoulders. They can’t accept your invitation to the beach, because they have ‘this’ to do, and ‘that place’ to go, and ‘this person’ to see, or preparations to make for a planned meeting later that day. I was almost this bad one day, and I said to my fellow deacons that I just could not make enough time available to also read my Bible or visit the shut-ins. A quick suggestion from one of the deacons burned into my heart and changed my perspective forever: ‘you just haven’t made it a priority’. Although this means the same as my excuse, I would sooner tell God I didn’t have time, before I could possibly tell Him ‘It just was not a priority’. Have you also gotten yourselves so busy, that it has become a very minor priority to pray for the very important people in your life? Family and friends are dying every day, and some may even be going to Hell because we didn’t make it a priority to share the love of our Lord with them. I believe that Joshua was a man on his knees, because I could see that God was especially keen to hear his cries and respond to his needs. I would encourage you to click on today’s Scripture reference and read the whole chapter. You will see that true to God’s promise to Joshua, He was delivering on winning the battle against 5 kings and their armies. Joshua was so into the battle that he didn’t want the day to end, so he asked for additional daylight so he and the Israelites could continue in battle. God immediately heard his cry and stopped the sun and moon from moving. Yes, this gave Joshua more time in battle, but I was overjoyed to read how God was coming through on His promises, for more were being killed from God’s actions than Joshua and his army of Israelites. Friends, we can’t outdo God. When we ask Him to be in charge, we can count on Him like no other. Let me also remind you that Our God not only sees our needs and knows what really hurts our heart, but I believe that He is all to ready to jump in and help ease our pain and our heartfelt concern for our loved ones. Let me encourage you dear friend, to make it a priority to pray for every concern that you might have. Remember that from the prayers of one man, God stopped the sun and moon in motion. Imagine how much more He will do in response to your prayers!

BLESSING(S) NOTED: Nothing is impossible with God! Joshua received a positive response to his request, that would seem impossible to any man. Doctors may give up on our family and friends in hospital, but with God, ALL things are possible!

PRAYER: Lord, please teach us to have such a relationship with You, that we can ask anything in Your name and it shall be done. God,You proved this through Your response to Joshua’s impassioned plea, and we are confident that You could do this again and again for those who place their faith and trust in the Almighty. Lord, we stand in desperate need, for our family and friends are dying from this Covid disease, and from unusual crime and war. Please give our medical teams wisdom from on high so they could stem the spread of this disease, and teach us Lord how to best protect ourselves to help in this dilemma. I know that nothing, absolutely nothing is impossible with You Lord, so I ask this in faith, on behalf of many who are hurting today. Please complete Your work among us and make us well. Draw the unsaved to Yourself so that they may know and believe in the God of this universe. May Your name be praised and lifted up 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!

Need A Blessing?

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

DATE POSTED Thursday, 2021-08-26
WRITTEN AT: Hattiesburg, MS

SCRIPTURE FROM: Luke 11:28
TRANSLATION: Living Bible (TLB)

BIBLE TEXT: 28 He replied, “Yes, but even more blessed are all who hear the Word of God and put it into practice.”

APPLICATION: I believe if we were to follow the idea of the woman from the crowd that Jesus was in, we would probably point out some very important people that we consider blessed, and that is sure to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. We would probably be quick to point out the pastors; evangelists; priests; church elders; millionaires who are very generous in helping the poor; most of our church members; etc. But stop and think for a moment why you would choose them. Is it because of the position they hold? Is it because of what they have taught you from the Bible? Or is it because of what they have given to you? But then we read Scripture like our verse today and we ponder if our judgment in the previous sentence is justified, based on what the Bible says about how one is supposed to qualify for acceptance into the Kingdom? In this verse today, Jesus shows us what really qualifies a person for being blessed by Him? Think about the suggestion before Jesus, that His own mother is a great example of who will be blessed of God. He set all agendas aside and told the woman, and the crowd, that blessings are in store for those who:
– -> Not only hears the Word of God – and I believe this not only includes hearing what is taught, what is preached, and what a child of God shares with you from the Word, but also when you pick up the Word each day to see what God has to instruct you on;
– -> Applies the Word to your own life and practice it daily – It is so easy to see the needs of others, but I believe God wants us to base our daily decisions, actions and words to our own lives first, then we could share with others what God has taught us to do. Without this basis, we are merely sharing our personal failures with them. Not good!
Reading the Word, learning the Word, and understanding the Word, are all good, but unless you apply it to your walk and to your talk, your intake of very important life-changing information is just sitting idol in your ‘do-nothing box’! I believe that Jesus is saying in His Word that if we use what we learn from Him and His instructions, we will be blessed beyond anything we could imagine. That’s my goal today! Won’t you join me!

BLESSING(S) NOTED: Blessings are in store for the one who not only hears the Word of God, but also applies it to his daily life so that he might look and sound more like Jesus.

PRAYER: Lord, we read a lot, and we listen a lot to the preaching and teaching of Your Word, but having been reminded of the importance of applying the principles we learned to our everyday life, I beg of You to open our eyes and our understanding to all that we read and hear. May this cause us to live noble lives patterned after Your perfect life here on earth. Oh that You may be glorified in every aspect of our lives. Lord, we need Your blessing, for everything else seems empty and void of great value. Touch the lives of those we love and care for today, and use us for Your ultimate glory. AMEN!

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

The God Who Never Gives Up On Us

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Needs, Praise, Prophecy, Recognize God, Worship1 Comment

DATE POSTED Wednesday, 2021-08-25
WRITTEN AT: Hattiesburg, MS

SCRIPTURE FROM: Luke 1:62-64; 67
TRANSLATION: The Passion Translation (TPT)

BIBLE TEXT: 62 So they gestured to the baby’s father to ask what to name the child. 63 He motioned for a writing tablet, and to the amazement of all, he wrote, “His name is John.” 64 Instantly Zechariah could speak again. And his first words were praises to the Lord.
67 Then Zechariah was filled to overflowing with the Holy Spirit and he prophesied, saying:

APPLICATION: A worker in the temple, yet Zechariah was in shock over God’s response to his prayers about his wife having a child. In fact, Zechariah and Elizabeth had given up on the idea of ever having a child. But God never gave up on them, for it seems like He had them in mind for a very special blessing – to birth a son who would be the forerunner of Jesus Christ. Because of the doubt and question at the time when the angel of God appeared to Zechariah, his speech was taken away from him. However, as Zechariah witnessed miracle after miracle transpire – especially in seeing his wife beginning to show signs of pregnancy, his heart was touched and his faith was rekindled. I wonder what it would take for God to truly get our attention and convince us to place our often shaken faith and trust in Him? You see, I believe that we build our faith based on those things that seem possible to us. When met with something outside of that realm, I believe that our red flags are raised and we doubt, at least until we gain added faith, or see something that makes the impossible seem possible. But Zechariah kept looking up and eventually his faith was strengthened to see God evident in his son’s birth. Upon acknowledging this, God quickly moved to use this man for His glory through prophecy. I believe that from a human point of view, if we knew all that God knew about Zechariah and his doubt, he would have been the last person on earth that we would have listened to, and he would probably have to show miraculous works for us to believe that He was truly God’s messenger. Aren’t you glad that it’s God who judges us and not our fellow human friends? God knows our heart, so He knows that although we may sin, yet He still has confidence that we could be His faithful followers, given the right guidance and wisdom to overcome earthly weaknesses. Praise God He is willing to work with us and use us for His glory, as and when needed. What an awesome God that we serve!

BLESSING(S) NOTED: God used a man, who failed to believe an angel of God, to prophesy to His people. Praise God for seeing the ‘gold’ in our hearts even though we see nothing but doubt and failures!

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, You created us, so I believe You are well aware of our weaknesses and our failures. However, in Your perfect love, You still love us anyway. Like in the case of Zechariah, we can expect to be punished from time to time for our doubts and fears, but praise God you didn’t give up on Zechariah, nor do I believe You will give up on us. I believe that time left here on earth is growing very short, so Lord I pray that You will show us clearly what we are to do, and give us the boldness and strength to do it. We want Your name to be lifted on high, so Lord I pray that You will receive glory from all things accomplished by Your kids today. May Your kingdom come oh Lord, on earth as it is in heaven. 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!

Persistence

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Needs, Persistence, Praise, Recognize God, Worship1 Comment

DATE POSTED Tuesday, 2021-08-24
WRITTEN AT: Hattiesburg, MS

SCRIPTURE FROM: Luke 11:9-10
TRANSLATION: The Passion Translation (TPT)

BIBLE TEXT: 9–10 So it is with your prayers. Ask and you’ll receive. Seek and you’ll discover. Knock on heaven’s door, and it will one day open for you. Every persistent person will receive what he asks for. Every persistent seeker will discover what he needs. And everyone who knocks persistently will one day find an open door.

APPLICATION: I shared one example of persistence with you in the introduction, but there is yet another example that I must share with you. My wife and I had been trying every avenue available to us to help our daughter find a job. While at an upbeat, expensive restaurant one evening, we were so impressed at the great service from our young waiter that we asked him for tips on how he landed a job there. He attributed his success to ‘persistence’, for he not only gave the restaurant his resume and completed a job application, but he went there every day asking if a decision had been made yet. Think about the employer – they saw a persistent young man who wanted to work, and he wanted a job with them. For the young man – he didn’t have to worry about missing an email or a phone call, for he went to the employer every day, just like he already had a job there. Jesus used a similar example as he introduced this idea of persistent prayer to His disciples. In the verses immediately preceding our focal verses, Jesus told them that if they had reason to bother a neighbor late one night for food to feed their friends who popped in on them, the neighbor may not appreciate the disturbance after he had gone to bed, but if they kept on knocking, the neighbor would eventually get up and give them what they needed! There are times that we ask God for something, and then that very thing is given to us by a friend later that day, so we no longer need God’s help. But there are times that we are tempted to give up, because it seems like our prayers are hitting a solid ceiling and never reaching the ears of God. While we know that God not only hears our cry for help, He also knows our very thoughts. But He wants us to keep on asking, keep on knocking and keep on searching for a door to be opened. I know that it’s not because God is afraid that He would forget our request, but this need should give opportunity for us to face God each and every day until we receive His response. So don’t give up dear friend. Just as Jesus told His disciples to keep on asking, we should also keep on asking. I love, and would encourage you to use a prayer list. It helps me remember the individuals that I promised I would pray for. Hopefully I will never forget to pray for those on my list. I ask that God will help me to be persistent in my prayers until He sees fit to respond according to His perfect will. Why don’t you do the same dear friends?

BLESSING(S) NOTED: Thus saith the Word of God: Every persistent seeker will discover what he needs. And everyone who knocks persistently will one day find an open door.

PRAYER: Many needs exists today dear Lord, and it seems more important today than ever before that we be persistent in our prayers one for another. Lord, we know that You are in charge and that Your timetable of answering our prayers are different to our wish for immediate response. But You have instructed us to pray, and in today’s lesson, You have instructed us to pray without ceasing. Oh that we will be faithful in our prayers, just as we look forward to Your faithful response. Please help us to be a people who trust You with every aspect of our needful lives and to have faith in believing that You have Your best interest at heart when answering our prayers. Oh that You may be lifted up in response to our faithfulness, especially in prayer. 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!

Your Vote in Your Church Business Meeting

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Biblical Decisions, Decisions, Jesus led decisions, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED Monday, 2021-08-23
WRITTEN AT: Hattiesburg, MS

SCRIPTURE FROM: Mark 15:9-12
TRANSLATION: New Living Translation (NLT)

BIBLE TEXT: 9 “Would you like me to release to you this ‘King of the Jews’?” Pilate asked. 10 (For he realized by now that the leading priests had arrested Jesus out of envy.) 11 But at this point the leading priests stirred up the crowd to demand the release of Barabbas instead of Jesus. 12 Pilate asked them, “Then what should I do with this man you call the king of the Jews?”

APPLICATION: Business meeting outcomes are usually judged by the amount of opposition received when motions are placed on the floor for a vote. It seems like Pilate’s motion presented to his people was met with very stirring results, and that the people wanted something totally opposite to what the king was hoping for. Very often, in today’s church environment, the people will also side with church leaders because they feel like they have been placed in authority to do full research and come up with best solutions for a successful and flourishing church, while following the course and trajectory that would please God. But I wonder how we would act when someone, or something is ‘rocking the boat’ of our normal, cozy, church that pleases one and all. You see, in our Scripture the Pharisees were the ‘spiritual’ leaders of their cities, and generally their wishes were carried through. Pilate was their king, but notice how he really wanted to stay in line with his people’s wish. In this world, you will quickly find that to remain popular among the people, you must stay within their good graces and do those things that please them. But that’s very similar to what God has asked of us – for He wants us to obey His commands and follow His example. So I believe the challenge for each of us today is: Who’s in charge of our lives? To whom do we feel that we owe our allegiance? Who are we accountable to for our actions and decisions? Friends, if you respond something like: I’m my own boss and therefore make my own decisions; or No one jerks my chain, I am an independent thinker; or I only call God in when I don’t know how to resolve an issue; or I usually go along with the crowd; then I would humbly suggest that you try seeking God each and every day. As You draw closer to Him, and as you read His Word, He will be your daily guide in all of life’s decisions. If you know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, then Jesus wants you to look like Him; act like Him; make decisions that are representative of Him and bears His approval. If you have opted to live life without Christ, then you may wind up pleasing the crowd and, together, make decisions that are aligned with the evil, deceit, hatred, revenge and disgust of the world while disappointing the Creator of this world, our Lord. Pilate is asking – what will you do with the Jesus who loves you, cares for you and has prepared a wonderful place for you in heaven? What’s your response dear friend?

BLESSING(S) NOTED: Blessings are in store for those who love Jesus Christ and will make decisions that promote His earthly power. Be ready today to respond to such questions as posed by Pilate to his people.

PRAYER: Lord, although we hardly ever hear the words ‘Crucify Him’ anymore, we are often asked to partake in making decisions that result in You being ‘crucified’, or excluded from spiritual decisions, or destroying the life of one who calls you ‘Lord’. Please teach us every day to love like You love us; to have a heart for the lost, like You had for us; and to always be unsettled and unhappy about having friends who are lost and headed to Hell. Lord, we want to be just like You, but we need Your daily grace, power and wisdom to do so. We must learn to seek You for all decisions that we make, so that You may be glorified through all decisions that we make. Please touch the lives of all those who need You today. May this be a day of decision for them. 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!

Your Monument

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

DATE POSTED Sunday, 2021-08-22
WRITTEN AT: Hattiesburg, MS

SCRIPTURE FROM: Joshua 4:20-24
TRANSLATION: New Living Translation (NLT)

BIBLE TEXT: 20 It was there at Gilgal that Joshua piled up the twelve stones taken from the Jordan River. 21 Then Joshua said to the Israelites, “In the future your children will ask, ‘What do these stones mean?’ 22 Then you can tell them, ‘This is where the Israelites crossed the Jordan on dry ground.’ 23 For the Lord your God dried up the river right before your eyes, and he kept it dry until you were all across, just as he did at the Red Sea when he dried it up until we had all crossed over. 24 He did this so all the nations of the earth might know that the Lord’s hand is powerful, and so you might fear the Lord your God forever.”

APPLICATION: While on business in Belize at one time, we needed to travel from Belize city to another town, but we learned that the roads were flooded. The work-around was that a flat barge had been put in place to take cars and passengers from one side of a river to the other, where they could continue on an alternate route to the other area of Belize. Fortunately, our taxi was able to drive to a point, drive onto the barge, and there were men that pulled the barge across the river along a tight cable. We were under no real pressure to make our trip, but imagine over a million Israelites arriving at the Red Sea with a strong, mean, large army approaching them from behind. They needed a miracle, and they needed it fast. So God mirculaously stopped the flow of water coming down the river, so His people could walk safely across on dry land. Once the pursuing army started their journey across the dry bed, God released the water so that His people would be free of the battle that was sure to ensue. Again at the Jordan River, Joshua faced the challenge of getting the Israelite across a body of water. While experience was on his side, I’m sure he was on the edge of his seat when he ordered the priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant to enter the water. However, sure to form, God brought them to this point, and He wasn’t about to let them down, so He immediately created a huge dam with just one word. For the water flow stopped, and the remaining water exited through its normal flow. Leaving a dry river bed. What would have been your immediate reaction after placing your feet on high ground on the other side of the river? You watched with your own eyes as God acted miraculously in order to accommodate your safety. What if your church saw this kind of miracle, what type service would they have next? I’m sure that Joshua considered many of the things you thought of, but I am touched by his desire to see an ongoing memorial of this awesome event. Can you hear one of the Israelites explaining that to their teenager 10 years later? In the following verses (chapter 5) we read where other nations as far always as the coast were shaking in their boots at the thought of this great army of God heading their way. They knew that if God did it before, He could do it again. For us, we should repeat that previous sentence several times each day, for our God is still alive and He could repeat the same powerful miracles for us! Lord knows we need it just as badly as the Israelites needed it! Let me suggest that we look for ways to establish a memorial at the point where God has particularly met us at our point of need, and miraculously blessed us. It would invoke questions by those who travel by that memorial, and it would certainly create conversation for you every time you pass that way with a relative or friend. Oh that the world may know our God, and believe!

BLESSING(S) NOTED: God will move mountains to bless us and provide for us. Set yourself up for sharing those blessings with others. It may be the one thing that will draw them to the God who loves us and sent His Son to save us from our sin.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, I stand amazed in the presence of my all-powerful, everlasting King. You died for me so that I could be accepted in Heaven one day with the Father. Thank You for reminding me of Your power and Your wisdom in guiding Your people, the Israelites, through 40 years of various obstacles and especially for providing a way for them when there seemed to be nothing but hopelessness ahead. Lord, still today we tend to feel like they did, for we face obstacles much bigger than anything we could accomplish, or have answers for. Oh that we will learn to lean on the history of all that You have done, all that You continue to do in our midst, and the unlimited power that You have to do even more. As we are encouraged today in Your Word, may we now go out and share that encouragement with others who need You. May Your kingdom come, on earth, as it is in heaven. 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!