Month: December 2022

How To Have Great Peace of Heart and Mind

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

DATE POSTED Thursday, 2022-12-15
WRITTEN AT: O’Brien, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Psalm 119:165-168
TRANSLATION: Living Bible (TLB)

BIBLE TEXT: 165 Those who love your laws have great peace of heart and mind and do not stumble. 166 I long for your salvation, Lord, and so I have obeyed your laws. 167 I have looked for your commandments, and I love them very much; 168 yes, I have searched for them. You know this because everything I do is known to you.

APPLICATION: There are a ton of ‘How To…’ books sold on the market today, and many of us will buy them if we feel we are insecure or lacking in some area of life. David, the Psalmist, shared with us the secret in finding peace of mind, peace in our heart, and how to avoid stumbling in our daily walk. Notice that David made it clear that this is not just a formula that he could pretend to follow in order to gain success, for he reminds us that God can verify everything he did. Friends, I have no reason to doubt that this first-hand knowledge of God is still very appropriate in our case today. So, for believers today, I believe David is giving us the secret and the ‘how-to’ methods, and he is highly recommending that we follow in doing what he did. What might this look like in our world:
*-* Believe that God’s Word is true, and that our Father watches out for us and knows what’s best for us in every walk of life. Believe that God will give us peace of mind in knowing that He is there for us, in spite of what we may see going on all around us. Remember, there is nothing greater than God’s love for us, and the peace of knowing that come what may, He is in control, and He holds the key to eternity in heaven with He and the Son.
-*- His Word – provided for our guidance and direction so that we might know His will for our lives. This is perhaps the key medium through which God speaks to us today. There is no hope if we simply go before God to share our concerns, our hurts, our needs and our desires, if there is no way for us to hear back from Him. Yes, the Word of God contains many stories, and a lot about all that God has already done. But because God created us in His own image, and He was the instigator, influencer and inspiration for His Word to be written, He uses our time in the Word to confirm His will for our life. As you open your Bible, be sure to ask God to open your mind to Him. Eliminate all other distractions and read with a mind that is opened to God. You will not be disappointed, but instead feel fulfilled by each and every verse, chapter and book contained therein.
-*- Trust – learn to believe on the Lord Jesus and trust what He says. News reports and the uncertainty of the unsaved will be enough to send you over the edge here on earth. As you gain confidence in the ‘Great I Am’ and learn to trust in His perfect will that He is setting out for you to follow, you will learn that His ways are perfect and His plan for your future is filled with hope and expectations of a much brighter tomorrow.
Heaven is our eternal destination Christian Brothers and Sisters. Let’s lean to live like we believe that! Let’s take heed to the ways of the Psalmist and how he was blessed by his love for God’s Word. It’s still available to us, praise God! Oh that He may instill in us a desire to love His Word in similar ways to what David did.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: Regardless of the circumstances all around us, we serve a God who has proven that He could overcome the world, ride above the waves, and prepare a place of perfect peace and rest for us in Heaven with He and His Son, just like He promised.

PRAYER: Thank You Lord Jesus for bridging the gap between this old sinful world and the glories of Heaven for all who accepted You as their Lord and Savior. Please bless as only You could and open our eyes to the glory that awaits the believer. While You allow us to remain here on earth, please open our eyes to all that You have ordained for us to accomplish and give us a heart like that of our Savior where we want to honor and obey every instruction from the Father so that we may represent Him well while remaining here on earth for a little longer. People need the Lord. May those who touch our lives in some way, experience the love of Jesus and have a growing desire to know Him personally. To God be the glory for each and everything that He will accomplish through us – His humble servants. 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!

Run Towards The Goal

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Focused on the Goal, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED Monday, 2022-12-12
WRITTEN AT: O’Brien, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Philippians 3:12-14; 16;
TRANSLATION: Contemporary English Version (CEV)

BIBLE TEXT: 12 I have not yet reached my goal, and I am not perfect. But Christ has taken hold of me. So I keep on running and struggling to take hold of the prize. 13 My friends, I don’t feel I have already arrived. But I forget what is behind, and I struggle for what is ahead. 14 I run toward the goal, so I can win the prize of being called to heaven. This is the prize God offers because of what Christ Jesus has done. 
16 … we must keep going in the direction that we are now headed.

APPLICATION: No doubt you are very much like me, where we go on a trip for specific reasons, and our spouse was either not allowed, or we couldn’t afford to take them, or they had no interest in going. Even if our trip lasts only a very short time, we become anxious and excited about our reunion when it’s time to travel back to our home. In his former life, then known as Saul, the writer of today’s Scripture was an awful man. Most good citizens were afraid of him, and most wanted to stay far enough away from him. His main crime was persecuting Christians and the church. But one day, Jesus got through to Saul and, after convicting him of his sin, He then invited Saul, under his brand-new identity, Paul, to join Him in ministering to the very folk he was formerly out to entrap and kill. Doesn’t this sound very similar to your story? You may not have intentionally set out to destroy believers, but through various actions, it was probably evident to God that you hated them and was possibly envious of the hope that they had. Yet just like He did with Saul, He spoke into your life through the Holy Spirit, and called you to Himself. But Paul knew that this Christian life is way more than a one-time decision or experience, but a life dedicated to pleasing the One who saved us and is waiting to welcome us to our eternal home. So, it’s like a marathon runner who is chosen to represent his/her country in the Olympics. They don’t just take that invitation and post it on their bedroom wall and gloat over it, but they set a goal for which they can work towards in order to win the gold (the prize). Fortunately for the Christian, there is no rigorous physical exercise each day to strengthen the right muscle group, but instead our mission is to develop our relationship with the Master, and to share the joy of knowing Him with everyone we come into contact with. At our midweek service last night, we studied how God saved the Gentiles, so that the Jewish people might come to their senses and accept the Savior that God gave to the world. For each reader and/or listener who has accepted Jesus as Savior, I believe God wants us to be His representative in our world, where many have chosen to ignore the Gospel and/or accept Jesus into their lives. Is it evident to the unsaved that there’s something different about you? If not, how will they see and how will they know? Oh, that the church will be the church – every day and in every way, for the sake of the Kingdom.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: Without looking back and gloating about past successes, may we set the same goal that Paul spoke of and run the course in a way that the world will know whose we are.

PRAYER: Lord, I am convinced that You didn’t save us to soak and sour. There are many that we come into contact with who are much like the Jews that Paul spoke of in our Scripture text today. They know of the ‘man upstairs’, or the ‘greater power’, or the ‘man in charge’, but because of their lack of commitment and personal relationship, there is no evidence that others will see in them. My sincere prayer is that we might always remember Paul in his desire to keep on striving towards the goal each and every day. I believe that means: live like the man you claim to be in Christ; Stand up for the things taught and commanded by God; Love unconditionally and respond with a compassionate heart just like Jesus did. Many still need Jesus. I pray that the remnant that God has established through His children still here on earth, will be attractive to the lost so they will be reminded of the King of all kings and Lord of all lords – the Savior of the world. 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!

Blessed By God’s Standards

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

DATE POSTED Sunday, 2022-12-11
WRITTEN AT: O’Brien, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Luke 6:20-23
TRANSLATION: New Century Version (NCV)

BIBLE TEXT: 20 Jesus looked at his followers and said,
“You people who are poor are blessed, because the kingdom of God belongs to you. 21 You people who are now hungry are blessed, because you will be satisfied. You people who are now crying are blessed, because you will laugh with joy.
22 “People will hate you, shut you out, insult you, and say you are evil because you follow the Son of Man. But when they do, you will be blessed. 23 Be full of joy at that time, because you have a great reward in heaven. Their ancestors did the same things to the prophets.

APPLICATION: Many of you are probably familiar with ‘The Beatitudes’. However, some refer to these as godly standards by which we should live. When Jesus returned to the plains from His all-night prayer time with His Father, He delivered what is considered by many as the greatest sermon ever taught. This is due in part because the sermon is a repeat of one previously taught by Jesus on the mountain to a similar crowd. Because the sermon is recorded in the Bible, all of us who claim Jesus as Savior of our lives, also receive this sermon every time we read the Scriptures. So what shall we do with these challenging words of Jesus? I recommend that you refresh yourself on the content of this full chapter in Luke – the whole sermon. But I feel compelled to share a prayer written by one of my favorite commentaries on the Bible, Jon Courson. This will be posted under my ‘Prayer’ section of this devotional. Take it to heart friends and be blessed of God!

PRAYER: Let’s pray.…
“The standards, Lord, of Your kingdom—of giving, blessing, forgiving—are qualities I lack in and of myself. Therefore, I need forgiveness, and I embrace You as my Saviour. I bask, Lord, in Your grace. I plead Your blood. I invite You to come into my heart again, Lord. And in so doing, to allow my life to more completely display these qualities. Strip from me, Lord, hypocrisy. Take from me, Lord, attitudes of judgment or condemnation. Keep me, Lord, from being one who hears the Word, but doesn’t build my life thereon. I pray that my life might truly be built upon the Rock, that as the storms come, I might stand in that day. So, by the Spirit, and in the Spirit, I absorb these teachings, this message, and pray that I might do unto others as I would that they would do unto me. Make me like You, Jesus. Allow me to be one who is more concerned about compassion than tradition. Allow me to be one who responds to Your commandments rather than argue why they can’t be done. I pause in Your presence, asking You to do Your work in my life. Set me free, Lord, to be a liberator and lover of others as I look to and love You.” 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!

Just Minister – The Needs Exist

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

DATE POSTED Saturday, 2022-12-10
WRITTEN AT: O’Brien, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Luke 6:17-19
TRANSLATION: Amplified Bible (AMP)

BIBLE TEXT: 17 Then Jesus came down with them and stood on a level place; and there was a large crowd of His disciples, and a vast multitude of people from all over Judea and Jerusalem and the coastal region of Tyre and Sidon, 18 who had come to listen to Him and to be healed of their diseases. Even those who were troubled by unclean spirits (demons) were being healed. 19 All the people were trying to touch Him, because [healing] power was coming from Him and healing them all.

APPLICATION: No doubt, if you’ve been around churches very long, you may have heard pastors say things like: ‘There’s no retirement in Kingdom work’, or ‘I plan to be about my Father’s work for as long as I have breath’, or ‘My work is finished at that church’ or ‘It’s time for the younger generation to take over’. There are many more sayings that pastor’s make known to their church leadership, hoping that they would prepare themselves for electing another pastor to resume the work of ministering to their congregation. Pastors become disheartened, discouraged and downright tired, especially when they feel like the Holy Spirit has stopped working in the hearts of their congregants. But what if Jesus had taken that stand in today’s story? I was at a church where the youth would normally attend Disney’s ‘Night of Joy’ – an evening where this huge park was transformed into one large Christian event with gospel music echoed throughout the park until midnight on a Saturday. Our church leaders insisted in just one condition, attend, enjoy and be blessed, but church attendance is required on Sunday morning! The preceding verses tell us that Jesus had spent the whole night in prayer before His Father, but at the time that He arrived back in the plains with His disciples, there was a crowd gathered who needed a touch from the Master, and Jesus wasn’t about to let anything affect His impact on them. What if we served in our capacity as servants of the Most High God with the passion of the One we chose to imitate? What if we asked God to give us the strength and willingness to serve, based on the need of the people He sends to us? I never felt that I served in a selfish capacity or for what I might accomplish, or receive from the Master personally, but I’m not so sure that I always served from my heart and tired body, based on the needs of those whose stomachs, spirits, souls and minds depended on the encouragement they would receive from my ministry. I would imagine that I may be alone in feeling this way, but I believe that God wants us to think carefully about that today. Do we minister as to the Lord, and with every intent to please Him with what comes from our mouth, and through our actions? Do we minister with the heart soul and mind of the hearers in mind, and with every intent to help them draw closer to Jesus Christ? Sharing the gospel is like one beggar sharing what bread they have with another beggar. Both are in need of what is given to them, but they eagerly share what they receive with others. I believe that Jesus intimately knew the heart, soul and mind of each one that came to hear Him and be touched by Him. Perhaps if we made it a point to KNOW each hearer in such an intimate way, the Holy Spirit will help us minister to them more appropriately, rather than just checking the box that we gave another sermon, taught another Sunday School lesson, wrote another devotional, etc. etc. When something is given from the heart, it means more to the receiver and the giver!

BLESSING(S) NOTED: The crowd gathered were being healed and walking away whole again, because they were in the presence of Jesus. We are told that Jesus would be with us when two or three gather in His name. Perhaps when we go to church and meet together with others to enter in the presence of Jesus, He will also ensure that mighty works are fulfilled in our presence also!

PRAYER: Dearest Lord Jesus, thank You for the reminder that meeting with You and having a relationship with You, has a lasting effect on us, our ministry and our hope for tomorrow. Please teach us to be more like You in ministering with the needs of the people in mind, and not for any personal satisfaction we might receive. Teach us also to be like the people who came from miles around just to be in Your presence, to hear Your teaching, receive Your healing touch, and to be filled again with Your awesome power. Oh, that You may work so powerfully in our lives, that others will be impacted and drawn to the one source of receiving eternal life. 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!

Blessings – Gifts To Those Whose God is the Lord

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

DATE WRITTEN: Friday, 2022-12-09
WRITTEN AT: O’Brien, Florida

BIBLE REFERENCE: Psalm 144:15
TRANSLATION: Amplified Bible (AMP)

BIBLE TEXT: 15 …. How blessed [fortunate, prosperous, and favored] are the people whose God is the Lord!

APPLICATION: I grew up in just a small town, but there were some kids that had it all, some that barely had the necessities, and others that wished they had parents that just loved them. If you can identify with similar scenarios from your childhood, then you too might reflect on how you felt when you spent time around each child. You may have felt envious about some, while feeling sorry for others. In verses 12 – 14 of this chapter, David listed some things that he felt would make the lives of he and his fellow citizens a lot more bearable. This sounds a lot like us, for we make our lists for Christmas; for the store; and perhaps even a wish list for our spouse! However, David was quick to say that as children of the heavenly King, we are blessed beyond measure all the time. Often, we just need to get our envious minds out of the way and concentrate on our needs instead of our ever-growing list of wants! Based on a Scripture verse that I read one morning, I created a Facebook group, hoping to encourage my friends to join me in encouraging others by mentioning daily points of blessing and thanksgiving. Friends, if we believe this Scripture, then there should never be an awkward moment where we cannot share a blessing with someone. Let me encourage you to go before God anytime you can’t think of what you are thankful for. I believe God will open your mind and your eyes to so much, that you will be bubbling over to share your blessings with someone. What about you, my friend? If you removed the words ‘luck’ or ‘happen-chance’ from your vocabulary and really concentrated on the things that only God could have provided for you, can’t you see where you would quickly come into agreement with David, that as a child of the King, we are filled with blessings from our loving Lord – our Heavenly Father, E V E R Y day? Keeping the blessings confined to your internal satisfaction is like saying that you deserved those blessings and that they are yours and yours alone. Let’s learn to be appreciative of our blessings, dear friends, and let’s celebrate those blessings with others, for they need encouragement that our God is still alive, and He is still watching out for, and blessing His children beyond more than they could ever imagine or ask for! Count your blessing dear friend and see what your mighty God has done and will do!

PRAYER: Dear Lord, we are thankful for life itself and we are especially thankful for Your precious love for us. Lord, thank You for showing us love in so many different ways and for consistently loving us through all of life’s good and challenging times. Please continue to bless so that we may be a blessing to others. Oh that You may be lifted up and exalted through even us. Please touch lives through our actions so the unsaved may be drawn unto Yourself. 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!

Live In The Fresh Newness of Life

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

DATE POSTED Thursday, 2022-12-08
WRITTEN AT: O’Brien, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Philippians 3:7-9; 11
TRANSLATION: Living Bible (TLB)

BIBLE TEXT: 7 But all these things that I once thought very worthwhile—now I’ve thrown them all away so that I can put my trust and hope in Christ alone. 8 Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the priceless gain of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. I have put aside all else, counting it worth less than nothing, in order that I can have Christ, 9 and become one with him, no longer counting on being saved by being good enough or by obeying God’s laws, but by trusting Christ to save me; for God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith—counting on Christ alone. 
11 So whatever it takes, I will be one who lives in the fresh newness of life of those who are alive from the dead.

APPLICATION: Although I mentioned several examples in my introduction to this devotional, I believe we all can agree that in order to find a new, fresh perspective on life, we must be willing to surrender those things that we’ve always done and have found no real peace, renewal, or freshness in our lives. Coming from a life of importance, where he was feared by many, especially the church of Jesus Christ, Paul was able to share with the church at Philippi that he realized how worthless those things were. Notice that he didn’t just acknowledge the error of his ways before accepting Jesus Christ, but that he realized that this was an ongoing thing to ensure a fresh relationship with the King of all kings each and every day. In humor, a man might say that he told his wife that he loved her at the wedding, and unless anything changes, that love continues every day without the need for him to keep repeating himself!! We all know that principle doesn’t work very well. Counselors have told us that a child will not thrive if they are not loved on, encouraged and instead, just left alone to survive on their own. I would dare say that a relationship with Jesus Christ will not thrive if you choose to only feed it 2 or 3 times per year on special religious holidays. Also, just as your spouse will not be happy if you constantly bring up the good times you and your old boyfriend/girlfriend enjoyed together, I must warn you that God is not happy unless you give Him your full, and undivided attention. Notice that Paul found worldly success in his previous life, but with Christ, he found true happiness. Doing the same old thing and expecting different results, is a demonstration of ignorance. Based on his own experience, Paul teaches us to set aside the old way of life, and with God’s help, endeavor to know God more intimately – through daily communion with Him; Communicate with Him regularly, so that He could hear you acknowledge your frivolous attitude. Your dependence on, and acknowledgment of, the vital role He plays in your life creates a oneness that Satan cannot separate. Learn from your past, live the present in anticipation of Christ’s unannounced, but promised return, and look forward to the joy that awaits you in heaven someday soon when Jesus calls you home.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: Follow Paul’s example and live in newness of life with Jesus Christ as our help and stay.

PRAYER: Lord, You know how we tend to lean on our past successes for our future prospect. Please teach us to live in harmony with You each and every day, for a fresh, new word from You that will complete us for today and prepare us for tomorrow. Regardless of our past, please help us to stay closely connected to our source of hope, strength, light and direction, which can only be found in Jesus Christ. Please open the eyes of those blinded by sin and the evil of this world, and bear on us the need to give our full, undivided, daily attention to You alone. 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!

Gift Ideas For Christmas

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

DATE POSTED Wednesday, 2022-12-07
WRITTEN AT: O’Brien, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Colossians 3:12-14
TRANSLATION: Easy-To-Read Version (ERV)

BIBLE TEXT: 12 God has chosen you and made you his holy people. He loves you. So your new life should be like this: Show mercy to others. Be kind, humble, gentle, and patient. 13 Don’t be angry with each other, but forgive each other. If you feel someone has wronged you, forgive them. Forgive others because the Lord forgave you. 14 Together with these things, the most important part of your new life is to love each other. Love is what holds everything together in perfect unity. 

APPLICATION: Most children are probably looking forward to Christmas because of the gifts they have asked for and expect to receive. As adults, Paul has reminded us of the gracious gifts that are ours, in being a child of the most high God! Here are some of the gifts mentioned by Paul: 1). God has made us His holy people – imagine that – steeped in sin and very much a part of Satan’s army, yet when we felt the call on our life by Jesus, and surrendered our life to Him, God accepted us as His very own child! That is beyond comprehension and could only be imagined through faith in the truth of God’s Holy Word; 2). God loves us – ‘Love’ is an awesome word that we use, and even abuse in our lifetime, but it takes on such a special meaning when the holy Son of God loves a child that has been so blatant in sin and asked for His forgiveness. Oh, that we may find it in our hearts to love so unconditionally and sincerely this Christmas! and 3). God blessed us with gifts that only He can give – So now we have amazing gifts to share with others because of what God blessed us with: Show mercy towards others; Be kind to others; Be humble towards others; Be gentle to others; Be patient with others; Don’t be angry with others; Forgive others; and LOVE others. Friends, the best news of all about these godly gifts, compared to our usual gift giving, is that there will be no increase in credit card bills whatsoever! God blesses us with these gifts every day, so now we too can share with others throughout the year, and not just at Christmas! Try reading over this devotional again and again as Christmas draws night and concentrate on all the godly gifts that you can extend to family and friends. Be instrumental in teaching them God’s ways and His teachings through your example this Christmas! Others just may see that you have a heart like that of Jesus, because you showed that you cared for them!

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, thank You for Christmas, and the precious, ultimate gift of Your Son! Thank You for this reminder again today through your servant Paul, teaching us how we might extend to others the many gifts that You have showered on us. Please help us to make someone’s Christmas special this year, simply by showering them with the character of Your Son, and the godly gifts mentioned in our Scripture today. These are things that money can’t buy, yet because they were gifted to us, we are more than able to shower others with evidence of Your precious love. Thank You for blessing us, 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!

A Demonstration of God’s love For His Children

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

DATE POSTED Tuesday, 2022-12-6
WRITTEN AT: O’Brien, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: 2 Kings 13:1-6
TRANSLATION: The Message (MSG)

BIBLE TEXT: 1-3 …. Jehoahaz son of Jehu became king of Israel in Samaria—a rule of seventeen years. He lived an evil life before God, walking step for step in the tracks of Jeroboam son of Nebat who led Israel into a life of sin, swerving neither left or right. Exasperated, God was furious with Israel and turned them over to Hazael king of Aram and Ben-Hadad son of Hazael. This domination went on for a long time.
4-6 Then Jehoahaz prayed for a softening of God’s anger, and God listened. He realized how wretched Israel had become under the brutalities of the king of Aram. So God provided a savior for Israel who brought them out from under Aram’s oppression.

APPLICATION: Why should it matter how people see us, you might ask. I believe it is obvious that the people under each king’s rule in the Old Testament, were impacted by who they were, and how they responded – based on their principal values. Is that what happens in the department you have supervision over at work? Will your beliefs and principles become a part of them? What about your family, does the same happen with them? I believe the BIG question for us to consider today is: how far will you be permitted to impose bad habits or cruel treatment or rudeness on those who look up to you, before your reins are pulled in and you are held accountable? How bad will it get before God gives up on you and refuses to listen to your heart’s cry? Jehoahaz was described as a king who couldn’t be bothered to change any bad habits, rules, or laws introduced by his predecessors. In fact, as this translation says, ‘he didn’t swerve to the left or the right of the habits, laws and actions handed to him’. Although there is no evidence that this king accepted God to rule over His life and lead him to be the best king they ever had, yet we could see that the king knew where his only source of help would come from – God alone. When the enemy had totally destroyed his kingdom, and he realized that there was not one thing he could do better, he didn’t turn to his astrologers, or his wise men, or his magicians, like some other kings did. He turned to the One true God, whom he had no doubt, could solve the dilemma he faced. Now, for you and me – whether we are a pastor, elder, deacon, other church leader of just a regular church member, I believe Jehoahaz would have been hard-pressed getting our attention or help, based on all the trouble he may have caused us. But thank God, the king turned to One much greater than us! The One whose example we should aim to follow all the days we have remaining on earth. For you see, knowing this king’s heart, knowing the disregard he had for God’s people, and knowing how this may be the very first time that he called on God for anything, yet because of God’s love for His children, God not only listened to the cry of Jehoahaz, but He also provided a savior to rescue he and his nation from the tyranny they were facing from Aram and his army. STOP! Wait just a minute. God provided a savior for this sinful man who caused such death and destruction on a whole nation? Who could ever forgive such an awful man? My friend, the story of Jehoahaz describes each of us meditating on this word from God today. While we were still sinners – just like Jehoahaz, yet God loved us enough that He sent His very own son – a Savior, to save us from our sin and destruction brought on by the enemy, then He gave us the rights to eternity with the Father and the Son. As I meditate on this, there’s a chorus that comes to mind, ‘If that Isn’t love‘. Stop for a moment and watch/worship with this short music video, I believe you will be blessed as you reflect on all that God did in providing a Savior for you. In the story of Jehoahaz, the people did like many of us today. They were happy about the help from God, but they quickly returned to their sin and sinful deeds. Make your experience and commitment a lasting one my friend. God loves you today, and every day for the rest of your life. Let your commitment to Him be just as lasting – until you see Him in glory someday soon!

BLESSING(S) NOTED: In spite of Jehoahaz being disobedient and disobeying God’s commands, yet because of God’s love for His children, He sent a savior to rescue them and restore their peace. Because of God’s love for us, He also sent a Savior for us – Jesus Christ, His Son! Praise be to God!

PRAYER: Thank You Jesus, that because of God’s wondrous love for us, He sent You, His one and only Son, so that we, even while we were just sinners – undeserving of anything from Him, to be our Savior and Lord. Oh, what a Savior! Oh, what grace from our Almighty King! Thank You Father, Son and Holy Spirit for loving me, and for loving each and every reader and listener who will commit their lives to Your amazing grace today. Lord, You are more wonderful than anything we could imagine! Please touch our hearts so that we might be more like You in every way, to all that we come into contact with, so that You may be glorified through our words and actions. 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 You Genuinely Care About

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Genuine, Genuine example of Jesus, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, Worship1 Comment

DATE POSTED Saturday, 2022-12-03
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Philippians 2:20-21
TRANSLATION: New Living Translation (NLT)

BIBLE TEXT: 20 I have no one else like Timothy, who genuinely cares about your welfare. 21 All the others care only for themselves and not for what matters to Jesus Christ. 

APPLICATION: Over the years I have served on many Pastor Search Committees, where we searched high and low, far and wide, in what seemed like, ‘a needle in a haystack’, for the next pastor to serve at our church. Also served on church Nominating Committees, where we looked over the church membership role to find qualified persons to fill the internal ministry needs of our church. I don’t recall this Scripture ever coming up in either of the above committees, but I wonder if, unconsciously, we weren’t led by God, like He did with Paul, to choose the candidates who were serious about the needs and work of the Lord, His people, and His church. I sincerely hope, in retrospect, that God turned our stomachs on the applicants who were after their own personal interests and just needed income to complete His mission here on earth. Nominating Committees always seemed so judgmental, because we based our decision on what we saw the individuals do in and around the church. Seldom do churches visit the homes of church families anymore, and seldom do leaders even call to check on their members. Covid? Perhaps! Busyness? Perhaps! Selfish and/or personal agendas? Perhaps! But how do you suppose that Paul knew the very heart of the men available to him for ministry? My gut feeling is that he spent some quality time with them. No devices to distract him. Keeping quiet enough to hear the heart of the individual he was visiting. Praying for each prospect in a very non-judgmental way, but always open to the voice of God on who His chosen workers will be. Friends, I believe you will say like many church leaders today will use for an excuse – ‘but these men and women who serve on our committees are just human’. Fortunately, that’s the correct answer! However, it gives them even more reason to seek the heart of the One they are serving. God has a plan for each of us, and for His ministry here on earth. We must present ourselves to Him as living sacrifices, meaning that we must approach him without a personal agenda, and sincerely make ourselves available to Him. We must surrender our will to His, and be willing to do whatever He commands, without excuses, that ultimately comes from fear and self examination. I want to challenge each reader, along with myself, to consider: if our church looked at us individually to serve in ministry, would they see someone interested in the ways, commands, and wishes of Almighty God, or just individuals centered on selfish desires and personal agendas. Just as Paul saw these awesome and trustworthy qualities in Timothy, I pray that our similar qualities are shinning brightly for God and everyone else to see, God being our helper and awesome Miracle Worker!

BLESSING(S) NOTED: May it be obvious to others what God already knows about us, and may it all be pleasing to God, and for His glory only.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, You are worthy of all our praise. Please forgive us for not always acting in ways that would pleases and honor You, but way too often seeking after our own will and benefit. Paul needed someone who had a heart for the people he served and ministered to. Our pastors, and our churches still need folk like that today. Please humble our hearts Lord, so that we may always seek to serve You and represent You in all that we do, so that all the glory will be attributed to You alone. Please humble the hearts of those who need You today, and open their eyes to all that You are doing in their world, and possible even through us. Be glorified in us today, oh 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!