Month: July 2022

A Heart Willing To Obey

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

DATE POSTED Tuesday, 2022-07-05
WRITTEN AT: O Brien, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Deuteronomy 5:27; 29
TRANSLATION: Living Bible (TLB)

BIBLE TEXT: 27  ….. You go and listen to all that God says, then come and tell us, and we will listen and obey.’ ….. 
29 Oh, that they would always have such a heart for me, wanting to obey my commandments. Then all would go well with them in the future, and with their children throughout all generations!

APPLICATION: When troubles come, and trials seem to hit us hard on every side, don’t you often wish that God would take control and give us comfort and wisdom on how to handle every little detail of life in a way that is blessed by, and pleasing to Him? To an even greater degree, when you are feeling helpless to do anything about the struggles that your child(ren) are going through, wouldn’t it be awesome to know that God is totally in charge, and that all things work together for good to those who love, adore, and worship the Lord their God? Friends, it is obvious from the words shared with Moses, by our Master, that He is more than willing to bless us and our future generations, if only we would acknowledge Him and obey His commands. The people begged of Moses to go and speak with God and, in verse 27, they promised that they would listen and obey. Notice how God had gotten used to the idea of people making vain promises when they are in trouble, or in dire need. For He said in verse 29: If only they would do what they say. Or, what I wouldn’t do to hear them say that, then – commit, and obediently follow through with their promise. Because, THEN I will bless them and all their future generations. That’s our awesome God, folks! Let us rest assured that this is not just a nice story that we could read about our ancestors, but rather, this is a story about our all-powerful Creator; our wonderful God! This reminds us that the same God who ‘did’ for Moses and his people, is the same God who ‘can do‘ today and always for us and our family. Notice how helpless everyone was with the dreaded Covid disease? Doctors and healthcare workers were helpless and many died without hope. But God gives us hope! He’s still alive; He’s still all-powerful; and I am convinced that He is still waiting to bless us and our future generations, if only we will listen and obey. So my challenge to you today is: how badly do you want to be blessed, precious friends? Enough to listen and obey all that the Master has outlined for us in His Word? The results are promised by God: If you trust and obey with all your heart – meaning that you not just say that your believe for the moment, but that you promise to God and follow through in doing what He says, THEN He promises that all will go well for you and your children for all generations! Let me use words from a popular move – ‘that’s an offer you can’t refuse’!

BLESSING(S) NOTED: If you listen and obey God, then He will bless and keep you and your future generations!

PRAYER: When we walk with You Lord, in the light of Your Word; what a glory You shine on our way. When we do Your great will, You abide with us still, and for all who will trust and obey! Thank You precious Lord for placing these words in the mind of that great old song writer. But most of all, thank You for still being available to those of us today who are ready and willing to place our faith and trust in You and obey Your Word. You promised You would bless, and we stand in great anticipation of Your everyday blessings. Many challenges face us each day, but what a reassurance in knowing that You’re in control of it all and will see o it that all things working together for good to those who trust and obey! For all those who will meditate on this blog today, please bless them oh Lord, and speak words of wisdom to them that will draw them to Yourself. Perhaps for a closer walk with You, or perhaps for the very first time. May they find peace in knowing You as their personal Savior and Lord. 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!

Trust In God, His Promises Are True

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

DATE POSTED Monday, 2022-07-04
WRITTEN AT: O Brien, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Isaiah 40:31; 41:10,13
TRANSLATION: The Voice (VOICE)

BIBLE TEXT: 40:30      But those who trust in the Eternal One will regain their strength. They will soar on wings as eagles. They will run—never winded, never weary. They will walk—never tired, never faint.
41:10     So don’t be afraid. I am here, with you; don’t be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, help you. I am here with My right hand to make right and to hold you up.
41:13     After all, it is I, the Eternal One your God, who has hold of your right hand, Who whispers in your ear, “Don’t be afraid. I will help you.”

APPLICATION: Often troubled times will face us and, we will automatically respond in certain ways, based on past experiences and on our support team at the time. However, all too often there will be a certain twist to our current dilemma that we are facing for the very first time. It seems to me that we respond, or react, based on information that we have fed to our brain over the years. I wish for you, my friend, what I would desire for myself, that there would be so much of God fed into my life each day from the Scriptures, such as the verses we are meditating on today, that I would respond to life’s circumstances in a way that is pleasing to God, and that I would submit to the authority of His all-powerful hand. It is so easy for us to assume the position of knowing it all, and that we only need God for those decisions that we are stumped on, but I pray that over the years you may have developed: faith in God; a trust in His all-powerful capabilities; a yearning for our all-knowing, all-loving God. As we meditate on these verses today, we are reminded that God has promised to care for us, protect us and direct us along the right path each and every day. The way we tap into that is by trusting in Him with all our heart, soul and mind, so that we might be encouraged to consult with our God, and be willing to obey what He leads us to. Trust God, my friend. He created us and this world in which we live, so He knows every little intricate detail about what is going on personally in our lives, and in man’s inability to deal with the many self-destructing moves that we make politically in our respective countries. If it’s from Scripture we already know, then I believe He will quickly bring it back to active memory. If it’s a new revelation, then I believe God will make it known to us and He will direct us. Let me encourage you to read over the above verses again, and allow God to saturate your minds with the assurance of His love, His wisdom and His direction for your life. He’s got this! All we need to do is to tap into His goodness and allow Him to be our Master and our God.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: God cares for us and He will take good care of His own, if we trust Him to do it!

PRAYER: Praise the Lord we serve a God that can do the things that are impossible in man’s eyes! Not only am I convinced of the truth of Your Word in the above verses Lord, but I was also reminded of this in my New Testament reading today where You healed the sick, cast out demons and quieted their mouths. Praise God, You truly are a God who can do miraculous things, even those things that we think might seem impossible to us. Lord, with that confidence, please allow me to ask for You to touch the hearts of the unsaved in my community. Please open their hearts and minds to the message of Your Word, convince them of their sin, and create a desire within them to know You personally. Please convict the hearts of the saved. May we never be ashamed of the Gospel, and may we always be such examples of our Savior that the unsaved will see You and want to accept and serve You. Oh that You may be glorified through Your children today, and may the power of our awesome God be evident in all that we do and say. 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!

How To Spend Your Spare Time

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Believers, friends, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, Worship2 Comments

DATE POSTED Sunday, 2022-07-03
WRITTEN AT: O Brien, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Acts 21:3–4
TRANSLATION: Contemporary English Version (CEV)

BIBLE TEXT: 3 We came within sight of Cyprus and then sailed south of it on to the port of Tyre in Syria, where the ship was going to unload its cargo. 4 We found the Lord’s followers and stayed with them for a week. The Holy Spirit had told them to warn Paul not to go on to Jerusalem. 

APPLICATION: By using one of the only means of transportation from one place to another, a sailing ship, Paul wound up having to be at the Port of Tyre for over a week while goods were being unloaded for the local people. In our world today, think about when a cruise ship stops into a port. They will inevitably have lots of tours and/or suggestions for its passengers, but I don’t believe you would hear them suggest time with friends, or at a religion establishment, or listening, and ministering to the poor and downtrodden. But what about you, what do you tend to do while on vacation with regards to God, His church and/or His people? Do you tend to take a vacation from all of your ‘God related things’ also? I once heard a sermon entitled ‘Saints on Vacation’, and it truly was an eye opener! Here’s what I really enjoy about attending a church in the area in which I vacation: (a) It is refreshing to see God at work not only in my home church, but also in fresh new ways that are so apropos for the area that I am visiting. In other words, ministry in a rural town to mostly farmers, might look quite different to ministry in a coastal town to mostly college-aged kids. (b) I find that there is greater freedom to worship in a place that I am visiting, because we tend to build a box around us, as to what is permissible in worship at our home church, mostly because of what our friends and family may think. (c) I look for ideas that I could bring back and share with my home church. Perhaps a bulletin, or other literature; and (d) I find it refreshing to just worship with these new-found believers without the distraction of any side jobs on my mind. In Paul’s case, he placed the sightseeing aside; he wasn’t attracted to the shade trees overlooking the ocean where he could catch up on his rest; he simply had a hunger to be with fellow believers! When it was time to leave the island, Paul’s new found Christian friends followed him to the seashore and sent him off with a prayer meeting. I believe that visiting a church while on vacation, might bring similar results, for fellow Christians are often out to minister to attendees – especially visitors! Be sure to always seek out fellow believers, and plan to attend a local church the next time you visit an area. Paul did, and he was blessed with receiving a word from God through his new friends. Let’s get used to being with fellow Christians while here on earth, as that will be the norm around the throne of God!

PRAYER: Father, we are either a Christian or we’re not. We either want to be with you, or we don’t. These things will hold true in our normal work week, but they will also hold true when we’re out of town, and even when out of sight of our pastor or church leaders. Mixing with saints of other towns remind us a lot of what it will be like when we worship around Your throne with saints from all nations and all cultures from all over the world. Please help us to hold true to our faith, and to desire times of worship with other believers, even when out of town or far from our local church. Heaven will not just be made up of members of our home church, so please help us to get used to the idea of worshiping with other believers while still here on earth. Thank You Lord for who You are and especially who You are to such a vast cloud of witnesses/believers here on this earth. I look forward to the day that we will all be gathered around your throne worshiping at Your feet! 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!

Motivated & Inspired By God’s Love For Us

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Christian love, Faith, Faith in Action, Mature, Needs, On guard, Praise, Recognize God, Stand Firm, Unconditional love, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED Saturday, 2022-07-02
WRITTEN AT: O Brien, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: 1 Corinthians 16:13
TRANSLATION: Amplified Bible (AMP)

BIBLE TEXT: 13 Be on guard; stand firm in your faith [in God, respecting His precepts and keeping your doctrine sound]. Act like [mature] men and be courageous; be strong. 14 Let everything you do be done in love [motivated and inspired by God’s love for us].

APPLICATION: I have been blessed to serve at a church that sent off short, and long-term missionaries, and I have been blessed to serve on a short-term missions group sent to a country where the needs were great. Church leaders did an awesome job in ‘sending us off’ with their blessings and their prayers. But for the one who draws a blank on what advice to give such a group, I believe that you could easily adopt Paul’s words and be right on target. Some may choose to go on these trips for various personal reasons, but if we are truly going to represent God on a Mission’s trip where we intend to show the love of Jesus to those on the Mission’s field, and share with them all that God has done for you, then we must prepare our hearts and be willing to let God guide our footsteps, our words and our actions. However, if we try to speak the truth of God’s Word every day while on the trip, but our actions misrepresents what the people expect of Jesus, then their hearing will become blocked and their eyes will become very critical of our mission. In other words, our actions could become a stumbling block to the Gospel going forth to a people who need the Lord Jesus Christ. Of course this teaching very much applies to our daily lives also, for we meet family, friends, coworkers, restaurant and department store help that also need the Lord. Will they see enough of Jesus in us to convince them of what they are missing? In John 17:4, Jesus told the Father that He had completed the work that the Father sent Him to do and that God was glorified through His work. Can you commit to that kind of prayer at the end of each day, or at the conclusion of a Missions Trip? We may have had the best day, or we may have accomplished every goal set out by our Missions team leaders, but did we complete our tasks with a heart of love and represented the Master well? Finishing the work God gave Him to do wasn’t just an idea in His journal or a thought stirring in His mind. It was something Jesus did. Has God called you to teach Sunday school? Do it and stay with it until He leads you in a different direction. Has He called you to have a time of morning worship? Then do so. Has He spoken to you about spending time discipling your kids? Then do it. I believe the Lord wants every one of us to be hugely successful in the things of the kingdom. Be encouraged as you remember: His burden is easy, and His load is light. The only question is, will you stand fast? Let me encourage you to re-read the Bible verse we focused on today, and make it your aim to be on your guard, stand firm and always represent the One that sent you into the mission field to spread the Gospel. Be sure that your mission is aligned with the mission spoken of by Jesus. Know Jesus today dear friend, and allow Him to influence your life in every way so that you will represent Him fairly in all you do or say.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: What a honor and a privilege it is to tell the world about Jesus, and to show them through our actions, what it means to love Him and share His love with others who need Him!

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, it is obvious that mere man will accomplish only man-sized efforts. Please impact the lives of those of us who strive each day to be Your representative here in our mission’s field. They need You oh Lord, not more of me. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to You oh Lord, and use me to spread Your joy, Your love, and Your sweet communion with everyone I touch every day. For the believers reading this devotional, I pray that You would also pass this blessing on to them . For the unbeliever who may have happened across this devotional, I want to thank You for drawing them to learn more of You, but also ask that You would humble them to realize that it is only the blood of Jesus that will wash away their sin and ready them for eternity in heaven. Until we all leave for our eternal home, please bless us with boldness and a commitment to stand firm in our faith and committed to share it with others in Jesus’ name! 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!

Reasons Why We Can’t Heal

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

DATE POSTED Friday, 2022-07-01
WRITTEN AT: O Brien, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Mark 9:18-19; 28-29;
TRANSLATION: New Life Version (NLV)

BIBLE TEXT: 18 Wherever the demon takes him, it throws him down. Spit runs from his mouth. He grinds his teeth. He is getting weaker. I asked Your followers to put the demon out but they could not.”
19 He said, “You people of this day have no faith. How long must I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring the boy to Me.”
28 When Jesus went into the house, His followers asked Him when He was alone, “Why could we not put out the demon?” 29 He said to them, “The only way this kind of demon is put out is by prayer and by going without food so you can pray better.”

APPLICATION: It would be enlightening to see the results of a survey answered by first time visitors to our church services. Think about how you might answer such questions as: 1). Why did you chose this church today?; 2). Did the pastor show an interest in you, or your needs today?; 3). Did a regular church attendee show an interest in you, or your needs today?; 4). What brought you out to church today?; 5). Based on what you heard today, do you have a clear understanding of how you might know, or draw closer to God?; and 6). Do you feel like your needs were met at this church today? | Based on our Biblical story today, I feel like we could probably answer the above questions for the dad who brought his son for healing. The bottom line is, that up until his encounter with Jesus, his needs were unfulfilled. BUT Jesus issues a compassionate invitation when He says, “Bring the child to Me.” The father had come seeking help from the disciples, but the disciples were unable to help. But isn’t that like us a lot of times? Perhaps we might bring a child, a friend, a co-worker to church or Sunday School, but they were not helped. However, we should be comforted that we brought them to where the disciples of Jesus are, and guess who shows up sooner or later? Jesus Himself! Through a testimony shared, a study given, a story told, a song sung—something will happen! Jesus will come! “Bring your child to Me,” Jesus said. But often we are so filled with doubt and fear, that we will quickly respond: ‘But how?’ Morning by morning in our devotional time with Jesus; teaching him what you’re learning from the Word as you do errands together; making sure he’s growing through fellowship with other believers; showing love and compassion like Jesus showed to us; etc. The cause of evil and destruction in this world is Satan. The cure is Jesus. The question is: Will you bring your friends and family to Him? For the disciples (followers of Jesus Christ), you might find the excuse that there was no time to fast and pray when a situation suddenly presented itself to you. Friends, we must maintain a life of prayer and fasting, because when the demonized boy is before you, it’s too late to start. Often something exceedingly important could take place, but we feel impotent and powerless because we haven’t been praying, fasting, reading the Word, or seeking the Lord. Let me encourage you by saying that: As a father, I have no other recourse than to maintain a life of prayer and fasting because I never know when the Enemy will strike my child – For he has, he does; and he will; As a believer, I have no other choice but to maintain a close walk with God because I never know the next conversation that will open up before me at work, the grocery store or in the park with a neighbor, and Jesus may speak through me with words that will impact them for eternity. We MUST be ready dear friends! Always ready!

BLESSING(S) NOTED: Jesus is compassionate about our needs, just as He was about the boy brought to Him by his dad. As representatives of the King of all kings, we must be filled with faith, ready, available and willing to speak truth and power in Jesus’ name, so that the Devil will flee and never impede us or our friends ever again.

PRAYER: Thank You Lord Jesus for being patient with us, although we are reminded from Your response to Your disciples, that You become frustrated by our lack of faith and our willingness to open up and let You have Your will and way in the lives we touch each day. Please Lord, help us to be ready on every occasion to represent You and be used of You for healing, salvation or just encouragement to help others go on in the faith. Just as You touched the little boy that You called to You, I pray that You will powerfully touch the lives of those who place their faith and trust in You today, for this world needs Jesus more today than ever before. 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!