Month: February 2023

Live In Harmony Or Strife Will Result

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

DATE POSTED Saturday, 2023-02-04
WRITTEN AT: O’Brien, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Psalm 133:1-3
TRANSLATION: Good News Translation (GNT)

BIBLE TEXT: 1 How wonderful it is, how pleasant, for God’s people to live together in harmony! 2 It is like the precious anointing oil running down from Aaron’s head and beard, down to the collar of his robes. 3 It is like the dew on Mount Hermon, falling on the hills of Zion. That is where the Lord has promised his blessing – life that never ends.

APPLICATION: A pastor relates the following story: a man stood in the back of one of our services. He was obviously a transient. He looked over the congregation as he watched the worship and listened to the Word. Then he slipped out before I could get to the door. He came back the second service, stood in the same place, and watched again. That night, he came back for the evening service. And as we celebrated the Lord’s Supper, he didn’t participate, but he watched carefully. About 11:00 that night, he knocked at my door. After we talked together for a while, he accepted Jesus as his Savior based upon one thing. “The thing that drew me is the love I sensed among the people in that building,” he said. “I want to give my heart to the One who has caused all those people to love each other.” What an awesome reminder for us to consider, for our Lord also looks over our actions and hears our words and thoughts as we meet together with others. I wonder what His conclusions are, especially at certain stressful times in our lives! I really like the analogy used by David in comparing our state of contentment and harmony among our group, as something that oozes off into the crowd. Think of the opposite – when we are hard to love or have acted up to a shameful state, others will keep their distance from us. Think also of our personal family experiences. I don’t believe that there is anything more rewarding to parents but to sit and watch their children spending quality and happy times together! Don’t you know that our Creator must be smiling and thanking the Father when He sees us imitating Him through our unity and love for one another? You know, way too often arguments, fighting and strife in the family, arises from selfish motives. But when we live to please the Lord, we will pay particular attention to His teaching in John 13:35 where He said: “By your love one for another shall all men know that you are My disciples” Also in John 17:21 He said “Father, let them be one even as we are one, that the world may know that You are in me and I am in You, that they may believe that You sent Me into the world”. Dear friends, fighting is expected and occurs way too often in our sinful world. Let us then dedicate ourselves to live in peace and harmony, just like our Lord ordained for His children to do.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: Peace will be the result as we allow the calm assurance of our Heavenly Father to trickle down to those in our presence and with those we come into contact with.

PRAYER: Lord Your are most merciful, but as I look inward I see where there is such a need for my seeking Your face and asking for Your strength and guidance. Of ourselves, we are way too much like the world in which we live, but as we place our faith in You and seek Your face, we can do all things, knowing that You are alive and well. Under the power of the One inside of us, we are so much greater than the evil one in this world. Thank You for Your Word precious Lord. Please embolden us with power from above so that we would fix our eyes on Jesus, and all these things will become strangely dim. 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!

Doing What God Wants, Not What You Think

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Follow Christ, Follow Jesus, Follower of Christ, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED Friday, 2023-02-03
WRITTEN AT: O’Brien, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: 1 Chronicles 17:4-6
TRANSLATION: Contemporary English Version (CEV)

BIBLE TEXT: 4 … go to David and tell him: David, you are my servant, so listen carefully: You are not the one to build a temple for me. 5 I didn’t live in a temple when I brought my people out of Egypt, and I don’t live in one now. A tent has always been my home wherever I have gone with them. 6 I chose special leaders and told them to be like shepherds for my people Israel. But did I ever say anything to even one of them about building a cedar temple for me?

APPLICATION: Isn’t it interesting how we seem to have answers for most people that we interact with, no matter how challenged we are in our own personal agenda? In the example given in my introduction, we may be challenged to afford a reasonable place to stay in, but when we see people living in true poverty, we feel compelled to ‘fix’ their problem and permit them an opportunity for a ‘better life’. I wonder, how we would respond if a rich person approached us and asked what our greatest need is today! For some, it may be financial challenges, but for others it may surprise our rich friend that all they need is to find a better job; to understand the love of Jesus; or a deep concern for a neighbor who recently lost their spouse. This was no different to David’s day. God had been extremely helpful to David and provided for his needs as a leader of God’s beloved nation. God also protected David and his army from some of the toughest nations and armies on earth. Don’t you know that David must have felt indebted to God and wanted to do all within his power to repay Him for His awesome love and concern? Don’t we tend to get like that? Many of us either feel this way or go overboard in trying to repay a friend because of this mindset: ‘You have blessed my family and I, so I am eternally indebted to you’. But that’s not the reason God has blessed us all the days of our life, and often it may not be the reason that a good philanthropic gives their excess earnings to others. I believe that God so loved the world – His creation, that He gave us His very own Son so that we, who were made without sin, could overcome the weakness of the flesh and this world, and still become eligible for the glories of heaven when breath leaves this earthly body. This is what God taught us in John 3:16. God did this for us not because we worked hard around the church, or we preached to thousands over our lifetime, or we gave of our finances so that the work of Jesus Christ could be extended to all parts of the earth, but solely because of His love for us. God exampled before us how we should, in turn, show love to Him. It doesn’t matter how many times you gave to the church or missions, but did you give of yourself to help the cause of Christ? It doesn’t matter how many times you sent your kids and/or your spouse to church, but did you dedicate your life whole heartedly to Christ and allow Him to direct your path each and every day. You see, when you put self into the equation, you will be more lightly to recognize God for who He is, you will have a deep desire to love Him, support His work to reach all who would believe, and your priorities and speech will change to reflect the God who has changed you, and who lives inside of you. Sending your money to good causes, or your kids to a place where they will learn good morals and principles only shows that you have good intentions. But where is your heart? In some of the public places that you visit, you may find buildings named after the philanthropic who gave much of the money needed for the construction. Because he loved the organization who built the building, he wanted to give to them. So honorable, but I would challenge you to find Scripture to show that the eternal destiny of that person was changed because of his generosity. Please understand that many non-profit organizations will discontinue without the gifts of generous donors, but it’s not until you personally have an encounter with God that your destiny will change heavenward. God might be saying today that He would love for you to give to His cause, but I can assure you that He would much prefer that you do that from a heart dedicated to God and directed by Him. If you don’t recall ever personally committing your life to Jesus Christ and giving Him permission to rule and reign in your life, then I would encourage you to read my FOOTNOTE carefully, because I have offered biblical direction for you to surrender your life to Jesus today. God doesn’t need an earthly temple, He wants individuals who call Him Lord, to worship Him and love others through His earthly temple.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: Jesus will be honored and glorified through your life and through your worship, not through your excess funds, especially those that may have been earned in questionable or dishonest fashion.

PRAYER: Lord God, You were so right in telling us that Your ways are different to our ways. This world teaches us to build bigger and more significant so that everyone can have evidence of how we are flourishing in our personal life, our families, our church and our nation. Yet Lord, You told David that you were quite content with where You were at – a mere token of a holding place for the God of this universe. I am reminded that I have nothing to show off, and it’s only a penitent heart that’s ready for the return of Your Son, Jesus, that brings a smile to Your face and comfort to Your heart. While I believe that David sincerely wanted the very best for his Lord, this whole conversation with David has opened our hearts and minds to know that a heart relationship with You is all that matters. As You bless us, and bless our finances, You may then direct us to grow our facilities so that we may extend out even more into our lost communities. Please bless Your people today dear Lord and bless the churches in which they truly lift up the name of Jesus. Help us all to know Your timing and Your ways, so that we may properly apply them in our lives and in the life of Your church. I believe that the ultimate goal of Your church is to reach the unsaved, while taking every opportunity to lift up Your name and glorify our Father who art 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!

The Promises of God

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

DATE POSTED: Thursday, 2023-02-02
WRITTEN AT: O’Brien, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Psalm 132:11-12; 15-16;
TRANSLATION: New Living Translation (NLT)

BIBLE TEXT: 11 The Lord swore an oath to David with a promise he will never take back: “I will place one of your descendants on your throne. 12 If your descendants obey the terms of my covenant and the laws that I teach them, then your royal line will continue forever and ever.”
15 I will bless this city and make it prosperous; I will satisfy its poor with food. 16 I will clothe its priests with godliness; its faithful servants will sing for joy.

APPLICATION: It is easiest for us to apply this to our president, or to our national leaders. Perhaps even to our pastor or local church leaders. But before we point fingers and try to fix everyone else, let’s see what God must be saying to us. Back in 2 Samuel 7:11-16 God made a promise to David about the successive reign of he and his descendants over Israel, if they stayed true to God. No doubt David thought of this promise very often, but in today’s Scripture the Israelites added this to one of their songs to make sure that it was always remembered. They had a vested interest in the ongoing leadership of their country. Does this seem too difficult to identify with, compared to all the fighting, backbiting, revenge, and insults that our citizens seem to have for our national leaders? The stage seems set by the way that we have drifted away from the teachings in God’s Word. God tells us to pray for our leaders because He has permitted their rule for specific reasons known only to Him. However, we seem to go overboard in trying to unseat our leaders, or at least tell them how to best do their job. What if God’s children, who are called by His name, would humble themselves and pray, seek His face, turn away from their sin and their wicked ways. Do you suppose that God would then forgive us our sins and heal our land? He promised this back in 2 Chronicles 7:14 because of circumstances at that time, and I have no doubt that such a move by God’s children today, would invite the move of His hand to heal our land also. Many of us today will turn off our television sets when we’ve heard too much of the political bickering and browbeating of our God-approved leaders. What’s your role dear friend? Are you a ‘knee-burner’ in prayer for our leaders, or are you one of the ‘browbeaters’? Perhaps our leaders are waiting for God’s children to turn away from their sin, humble themselves to Almighty God and stand ready to follow in full obedience to the teaching and commands of God in His Word. They may then feel support in their efforts to do the same when, and as, God deals in their hearts. The Holy Spirit really filled me to overflowing in the reminder that God will never revoke His promise! The old hymn said it all – ‘His promise is true, He will not forget You, for God is still on the throne’! What an awesome God we serve!!

BLESSING(S) NOTED: God promised David that he and/or his descendants will reign over Israel forever, and we are reminded in vs 11 that God will never withdraw that promise! That’s just the kind of God we serve!

PRAYER: Many promises were made throughout Your Word, yet we fill our hearts and minds with doubt and uncertainty. Please forgive us Lord for placing You at a level where we are generally found. We need You Lord – every hour of every day. Please shape our minds to take You at Your word knowing that Your promises are secure and true. When we do this, I believe we will be more apt to show the world how great our God is. Your faithfulness lasts throughout all generations, so we have nothing to doubt or fear. Our political leaders have an awesome responsibility in leading Your children each day. Please draw them close to You so that they would depend on You in every decision and for every purpose. Please embolden us to show the world Jesus, as our Lord and King. Your power and your majesty are good for all times, please keep our minds fixed on You, precious Lord, and may the unsaved see, and believe! 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!