This Makes God and Your Parents Happy

On 2024-01-31 By Ed AlgreenIn A Lamp unto My Path, Adoration, Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Awesome God, Beyond Description, Blessing, Celebrate God, Needs, Praise, Praise-worthy, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED: Wednesday, January 31, 2024, and I was blessed to be at Advent Christian Village, Dowling Park, FL when God inspired me to prepare this devotional. My Footnote will tell you how to find, read or listen to any and all episodes that I have shared over the years.

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE FROM THE Voice (VOICE) IS FOUND IN Proverbs 23:22; 24-26

THE BIBLE TEXT IS: Pay attention to your father—after all, he gave you life and don’t ignore your mother in her old age.
The parents of the right-living will celebrate; yes, parents of children who make wise choices are happy.
So make your parents happy; delight your mother—after all, she brought you into this world.
My son, devote yourself to me fully. Observe my ways, and follow my directions:

APPLICATION OF THE WORD: You might hesitate to think about times that you were totally agitated at how your parents acted around you when you were in ‘your element’, and how you almost wanted to disclaim them! Remember, when you were so proud of yourself, yet they were pounding on you about how you could do better! But there might be some in the audience who have been blessed to reach a fair age, and you might realize that some of the things you say or do really agitate your children today also! I tend to kid around a lot, so I am at the stage in life where I pray that God will help me to keep my mouth shut when I need to, so that I don’t lose the respect of my child! However, through the prophet Isaiah, God has a word for us all, for we all have parents, and many of us are blessed to have children, and God wants us to open our eyes to what pleases Him and our parents. For those who are estranged from their parents, or parents who are estranged from their children, I believe that our Father in Heaven has so much to help us open our eyes to what He desires of us. Even while hanging on the cross, Jesus was still concerned about His mother and wanted to make sure she was taken care of in His absence. In our focal passage of Scripture, God demands that we obey our parents, or as this translation puts it: pay attention to your earthly father and strive to delight your mother. To my male cohorts out there, a lot hangs on the latter charge, for daughters are told that when choosing a guy, watch for how they treat their mother, for it is highly likely that they will treat you in the same way. But why do you suppose that God saw this as important instructions, even for us today? Well, so often we hear today how much smarter kids are today than we could recall in our earlier days. It just seems that we are taught at a very early age to develop a stand on something, and then ‘stick to our guns’ on the matter. In this way, no unsuspecting person could win us over from what we know we believe in. While this might be a correct stand to take, I believe that godly wisdom teaches us to always listen to the advice and teachings of a person who has been there and done that. They are teaching from experience, and often they don’t want us to make the same mistakes as they did. Parents always want their children to be so much more that themselves. This can only happen when we humble ourselves and listen to the advice of our fathers and other older men and women. To not delight, or respect your mother, is clear evidence that you are unappreciative of what she did for you in raising you. Mothers are the first to eat bread and drink water, so that her children could splurge in the finer things at the table, and in life. To disrespect, or not do as much for her as she did for you, is basically saying that God messed up in providing the mother that He did to raise you. There is faithful saying that says we are an adult only once, but twice a child. Be very careful how you treat your father, and delight your mother, for in your second childhood, you children will have opportunity to practice just that on you! When you do what is right, and pleasing to God, for your parents, you can use that same experience in pleasing God in just the same way, for He calls for that in the very last verse today. Devote yourself to God, observe and honor His instructions and His ways, so that you might follow His directions. You can do this my friends, just accept Him as Lord of your life, and commit yourself to honor Him in all that you do and say. You will learn about Him from His Word, not by looking at, and following, what others say or do.

PRAYER BECAUSE OF THE IMPACT OF TODAY’S SCRIPTURE: Thank You Lord for saving my soul, thank You Lord for making me whole, thank You Lord for giving to me, thy great salvation so rich and free! You saved me from my sin and showed me the path in which to live my new, changed, and dedicated life. Because I still live in this world, I sincerely and respectfully ask that You protect me from the teaching and practices of this world and its leader, Satan. Many that I know still need a Savior, so please help me to reflect You in every word and action, so that they may be convinced that You are still alive and active in the lives of Your children. Please teach us to always honor our parents in a way that You would approve of and help us to show our love and appreciation to them for putting up with us during those years that we ourselves were incapable and/or unwilling to be different to the ways promoted and urged by the evil one. It hurts me to see, or hear, children who has nothing to do with their parents, or parents who have pushed away unruly, disrespectful, children, for it becomes obvious that they are dishonoring You, Lord. Please teach us to be examples of how you lived, loved, and directed us to live. May the world see evidence of Jesus in my readers and myself as we strive to live more like You each day, so that You may be glorified in all aspects of our life. AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: There’s another page on my website, entitled ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading or listening to this devotional, please go to this 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 you would like to read more of my devotionals, or subscribe for a daily email containing each new devotional, please go online to NuggetsFromGodsWord.org. For my podcast, go online to Apple Podcasts or, using the Apple Podcast app, simply search for Nuggets From God’s Word to hear more episodes, or click ‘Follow’ to be notified of Podcast updates. Friends, please allow me to encourage you to find a church home nearby 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!

On Betraying Jesus

On 2024-01-26 By Ed AlgreenIn A Lamp unto My Path, Adoration, Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Awesome God, Beyond Description, Blessing, Celebrate God, Needs, Praise, Praise-worthy, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED: Friday, January 26, 2024, and I was blessed to be at Advent Christian Village, Dowling Park, FL when God inspired me to prepare this devotional. My Footnote will tell you how to find, read or listen to any and all episodes that I have shared over the years.

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE FROM THE Amplified Bible (AMP) IS FOUND IN Luke 22:47-48

THE BIBLE TEXT IS: While He was still speaking, a crowd came, and the man called Judas, one of the twelve [disciples], was leading the way for them. He approached Jesus to kiss Him. And Jesus said to him, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?”

APPLICATION OF THE WORD: As I meditated on this very familiar Scripture today, it made me question whether I betray Jesus in any way. Oh my, did that open a ‘can of worms’ as I thought what this could possibly mean today. We come down hard on Judas for being a ‘betrayer’. For this means that someone who has ties to, and a certain allegiance to, may choose to turn them into the enemy, instead of standing up for them and being totally sold out to their safety, their advancement, their profit and their success. So, friends, I want you to stop and consider with me today whether you have anything in common with Judas. Let’s begin by being reminded that Judas was chosen by Jesus as a follower of His, so he was a disciple who had equal access to all things revolving around the life and ministry of Jesus. Are you a follower of Jesus Christ? Are you a member of his local church? When we answer ‘Yes’ to both of those questions, I believe that means that we have a certain appreciation for all that Jesus did to provide salvation for us and His promise to welcome us home to glory one day when we graduate from our home here on earth. This should make us ‘float’ around on a cloud every day rejoicing in the birth, death and resurrection of our Savior and Lord. But what happens when we’re put on the spot by our long-lost friend who is obviously apart from Christ and worships the things of this world while also following every evil wish and practice of its ruler? How many of us remain true and faithful to our Master? Or do we tend to cower and, perhaps, avoid even stating the name of Jesus in our conversation, or totally renege on our promise to promote Jesus in our words and our actions? How many of us quickly turn to denouncing the preacher on Monday morning for having stepped on our toes in the sermon the day before just by merely sharing the Word of God with us? Do we promote the name and person of Jesus, or do we more often disassociate ourselves with Him, depending on the circumstances? Have you ever given in to the ways of the world because of your circumstances? Judas did. He wanted to be popular, by being the one who aided authorities in capturing Jesus. He wanted the money paid for helping in the capture, for he was known as the one to watch over the treasury, or money bag for the disciples. To what extent might we go to earn a few extra dollars? Even if we have to look the other way on our faith, our church or our Lord? I believe God would have us examine ourselves and the things that we allow to impact our choices and our decision making. Is there an appearance of ‘betrayal’ in any of that? I believe that we must challenge ourselves to seek Jesus on an ongoing basis and ask Him to show us the ways that we are unfaithful in our allegiance to our Lord and or ministries dedicated to Him. We must be children totally sold out to Jesus, and not ones who are ‘in’ when it’s convenient or no opposition present. It is super important that we not confuse those who are looking to see Jesus in all of His glory working through His children. What might Jesus call our actions? Betrayal, a turning away, questionable as to whose we are, hypocrite, uncommitted, or are we truly a child of the King who will stand for Him in every circumstance of life?

PRAYER BECAUSE OF THE IMPACT OF TODAY’S SCRIPTURE: Lord Jesus, just as we are quick to ridicule Judas for his disappointing actions in betraying his Lord, I pray that You will continually open our eyes to the times that we tend to disclaim You and perhaps even dishonor You and Your name. We are certainly not ones who remain faithful in every circumstance of life, yes even at times when we know that we should do better in promoting the name and person of Jesus Christ. Please forgive us Lord, and I humbly pray that You will be even more intrusive in our thoughts and decision making to truly get our attention and give us a chance to be more committed. May it always be our growing desire to claim the name and person of Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, no matter the circumstances of this world and the darts thrown at us by the evil one. May the world see Jesus in us and hear about Him through our spoken word. AMEN!

His Promise is TRUE

On 2024-01-19 By Ed AlgreenIn A Lamp unto My Path, Adoration, Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Awesome God, Beyond Description, Blessing, Celebrate God, Needs, Praise, Praise-worthy, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED: Friday, January 19, 2024, and I was blessed to be at Advent Christian Village, Dowling Park, FL when God inspired me to prepare this devotional. My Footnote will tell you how to find, read or listen to any and all episodes that I have shared over the years.

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE FROM THE New Living Translation (NLT) IS FOUND IN Hebrews 6:16-19

THE BIBLE TEXT IS: Now when people take an oath, they call on someone greater than themselves to hold them to it. And without any question that oath is binding. God also bound himself with an oath, so that those who received the promise could be perfectly sure that he would never change his mind. So God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us. This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls….

APPLICATION OF THE WORD: Some are challenged to sleep on Christmas night due to the buildup of anxiety about what they expect to see around the tree next morning! I believe we all love gifts! There are many who also do their best to take people at their word. This sometimes lead to disappointment, but at other times their hope in humanity is restored as they see commitments kept and promises fulfilled! I believe that today’s Scripture restores hope to the Christian, for we are reminded that ‘it is impossible for God to lie’! This should also give assurance to the unbeliever who is doubting and questioning whether God really does what the Bible says He would do. Less we forget, there were some huge promises made in the Bible – promises that unbelievers might find impossible to believe. Like when He told a woman who had been unable to get pregnant that she and her husband would have a child. A promise to Sarah that fulfilled a promise made to Abraham when he was 75 years old. Isaac was born when Abraham was 100 and Sarah was 90! God never lies! Through Moses, God led a multitude of people through the wilderness, while at first being chased by the Egyptian army. On approaching the Red Sea, many doubted that God could ever hold true to His promise to carry them through to the Promised Land. However, God parted the Red Sea so the Israelites could cross over to the other side on dry land, while using the opposite action to drown the chasing army! He fed the Israelites with miraculous manna when there was no human sign of food! He brought forth water when the thirsty Israelites could only see a rock! Later, God gave us the promised Messiah through a miraculous situation that only He could satisfy. A virgin bore a son – Jesus, the Christ. Friends, as I meditated on these verses, I couldn’t help but wonder at the awesome God that I serve, for I know that He is still God and that He could still fulfill everything that He promises. He can’t lie! So when He tells me that He will love me forever and forever, I have no reason to doubt and feel alone or forsaken, for God can’t lie! Because He told me that He has prepared a home for me to live with He and the Father in heaven for evermore, I can start celebrating my eternal destiny now, for my God can’t lie! For those reading this devotional and you are still uncommitted to the resurrected Christ, please let me encourage you to believe with all your heart soul and mind that Jesus died because of His love for you, and in obedience to His Father. However, He rose again as living proof that just as He now lives, we too will arise and live forever with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit for all eternity. Remember, He can’t lie. So you can take this promise ‘to the bank’, for it is genuine truth! To do nothing at all in light of this truth, you are settling for the lies of Satan and, according to God’s Holy Word, you will have an eternal destiny with Satan in the pit of Hell. Cruel? Perhaps, but it is TRUTH, precious friend. You are responsible for your destiny, please make the best decision in light of the truth shared with you today.

PRAYER INSPIRED BY TODAY’S SCRIPTURE: What an awesome reminder dear Lord, that You cannot lie! This means that what You promised throughout Your Word, You will bring to pass! Praise the Lord! I thank You Lord for the promise of Salvation, and the gift You so aptly provided on the cross at Calvary. Today I can rejoice in the prospects of heaven, because I know that You cannot lie! I humbly pray that You will once again touch the hearts of those who have not changed their destiny to Heaven. Some of these are relatives, loved ones and coworkers, so they are very special to me. Please use these humble words to wake my readers out of a careless sleep that may be affecting their decision making. Draw them to Yourself, Lord and invoke a time of decision making today that will impact their eternal destination. I ask these things in the wonderful name of Jesus, AMEN!

Follow Jesus in Habitual Prayer

On 2024-01-18 By Ed AlgreenIn A Lamp unto My Path, Adoration, Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Awesome God, Beyond Description, Blessing, Celebrate God, Needs, Praise, Praise-worthy, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED: Thursday, January 18, 2024, and I was blessed to be at Advent Christian Village, Dowling Park, FL when God inspired me to prepare this devotional. My Footnote will tell you how to find, read or listen to any and all episodes that I have shared over the years.

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE FROM THE Amplified Bible (AMP) IS FOUND IN Luke 22:39-41

THE BIBLE TEXT IS: And He came out and went, as was His habit, to the Mount of Olives; and the disciples followed Him. When He arrived at the place [called Gethsemane], He said to them, “Pray continually that you may not fall into temptation.” And He withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed…

APPLICATION OF THE WORD: One of the awesome things about a ministry such as mine, is that the Word of God must speak to the heart of the teacher before they could share its effectiveness with their audience. Praise God! I believe that this Scripture today is intended directly for me, but because there are others just like me, I believe that this message might also speak to you and challenge you in the adequacy of your prayer life. The Holy spirit spoke to me on a few matters while meditating on this Scripture:
– Jesus left the Upper Room and went to His ‘usual’ hangout (the Mount of Olives) where He could speak with the Father. I would be hard-pressed to answer a curious youngster who might ask me where my usual place is to pray. Do you have a quick, honest answer for that question? For those who followed Jesus and heard Him teach, they were reminded first-hand that this Teacher did as He taught. Remember how Jesus had said earlier that He only said and did as instructed by His Father? So, what do you suppose created the urgency for Jesus to seek private prayer? I believe that nowhere in Scripture will you find where Jesus ever taught that we wait until urgent needs arise before we seek the Father’s face. For you see, we were created for communion with our Creator and Father. Yet prayer is probably one of the weakest habits of a Christian, and therefore of the church. If we find it unimportant to stay in communion with the Father, what might He say when we just use this vehicle of communication during those times of urgent prayer? What would you say to such a person who does that to you? Probably one of the worst results of our absent prayer life is that those who are watching and following in our footsteps are led to do the same thing. Unfortunately, this leads to a church of tomorrow where prayer has been placed in the corner ‘for urgent needs only’. I believe that our ministries fail when we are basing our output strictly on the input received from seminary teachings; last week’s sermon; the deacon’s counsel; etc. For it is only what’s said for Jesus will last or impact the lives of others.
– Pray continually that you don’t fall into temptation – For those of us who fail, or refuse to pray, we might very well fall into the same trap as the unsaved where we are overcome by temptation and any other sin that Satan places before us, because we are unprepared and unconcerned about our Protector helping us defend against our known primary enemy. In our Scripture, Jesus knew full well what His disciples would face over the next few days as He was arrested, tried, convicted and crucified. Because we serve the same all-knowing Master, I am convinced that God also knows what lies ahead for each of us, and I can only believe that He is saying the same thing to us today – pray continually that you are not tempted. Notice He didn’t say ‘now as soon as you’ve followed through on everything you are tempted on, get with me right away’. Every time you are tempted, stop and question yourself as to whether you have been faithful in your prayer life. For it sounds to me that Jesus could also have said this same phrase in a slightly different way: ‘If you don’t pray continually, you may very well be tempted by the evil one – more than you could ever handle personally’.
For those reading this devotional who have not surrendered lordship of your life to Jesus Christ, please ponder what your defense is when you are tempted. Jesus wants to be Lord and everlasting Savior of your life. Will you please consider accepting His offer? You are invited to read my Footnote for tips on how this might be accomplished.

PRAYER BECAUSE OF THE IMPACT OF TODAY’S SCRIPTURE: Thank You for Your Word, oh Lord. It is food for my soul and is a guide to my feet. Thank You for prompting me to salvation and giving me the necessary boldness and determination to surrender lordship of my life to an all-knowing, all-loving and all-powerful God. I can only imagine that some will read this devotional and be puzzled by Your command to Your disciples, and to us, that we pray continually to avoid temptation. But Lord, I believe. Please deliver me from my lack of commitment to regular prayer and embed these words into my mind – that I must pray continually so that I do not fall into temptation. Just as I want to see You in every aspect of life, I believe that unbelievers are also seeking you out in the lives of those who claim to be under Your lordship. Oh Lord, may they see Jesus in me today, and be convinced of their need for a Savior. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom, and the glory, forever. AMEN!

Recognize and Honor The Power of God

On 2024-01-16 By Ed AlgreenIn A Lamp unto My Path, Adoration, Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Awesome God, Beyond Description, Blessing, Celebrate God, Needs, Praise, Praise-worthy, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED: Tuesday, January 16, 2024, and I was blessed to be at Advent Christian Village, Dowling Park, FL when God inspired me to prepare this devotional. My Footnote will tell you how to find, read or listen to any and all episodes that I have shared over the years.

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE FROM THE Living Bible (TLB) IS FOUND IN Isaiah 25:1-3

THE BIBLE TEXT IS: O Lord, I will honor and praise your name, for you are my God; you do such wonderful things! You planned them long ago, and now you have accomplished them, just as you said! You turn mighty cities into heaps of ruins. The strongest forts are turned to rubble. Beautiful palaces in distant lands disappear and will never be rebuilt. Therefore strong nations will shake with fear before you; ruthless nations will obey and glorify your name.

APPLICATION OF THE WORD: God, the One who is creator of human life, and the guiding hand behind all good things that honor Him. He placed the world in place and everything that inhabits each part of this world. Don’t you know, dear friends, that He who created it all, can also erase unnecessary and unappreciated parts of it at will? But God is not like worldly dictators who hold life over the heads of their subjects, for our God not only created us in His likeness, but He also provided a Savior, His Son, to open the channel for access into His glorious heaven. Yet He has given us the option of choice to decide if we really want to live in this world and follow its leader, or if we will believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior to redeem us of our sin and make us righteous in God’s sight. Many created ones have accepted this free gift of salvation and, like the nations mentioned in the very last verse of today’s Scripture, we shake in fear before this righteous, powerful, yet loving God and we glorify Him for who He is! It is unfortunate that many, even some who will happen across this devotional, still reject the Savior and the love shown for them on Calvary, for you are confident that you are in control of this thing called ‘life’. Friends, please carefully think this through: if you think you are in charge, then that applies to life, and in death. The Bible teaches that a place is also available for those who reject Jesus. But since sin cannot enter into heaven, you will be assigned to your earthly leader, Satan, and his eternal home – Hell/The lake of fire/Eternal damnation – a place where things will only worsen and magnify over what you experience here on earth. As one who has experienced the love and lordship of Jesus Christ, I feel an obligation to remind each reader that you fit into one of the nations mentioned in today’s Scripture. By default, you are assigned to the nations under the control of Satan, for you have lived on earth and been tainted by sin. However, many have opened their eyes and humbled themselves to the lordship of Jesus Christ, and we are assured the glories of heaven while basting in the glory of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost forever. We have a graduation day to look forward to, and not a Hell to fear. Not because we are favorites, but because of the choices we have made regarding our eternal destiny. This same assurance can be yours today dear friend. Please read my Footnote, especially the information behind the link ‘To know Jesus’. You have control over where you could be on Resurrection Day, but the choice must be made while you’re alive. Know Jesus today and know about the peace of which I have taught in this lesson! Be with the ‘nation’ who will obey and glorify Jesus as Lord!

PRAYER BECAUSE OF THE IMPACT OF TODAY’S SCRIPTURE: Lord, I believe that You have designed us to make smart decisions, such as readying ourselves and our family for natural disasters that we are warned about ahead of time. Every person alive will naturally face death, for in Hebrews 9:27 we are told that we all die once, then face the judgment of Almighty God. Oh Lord God, I humbly pray that every reader of this devotional will face that promised judgment with confidence, and in much anticipation of hearing You say, as You welcome them in for all eternity, ‘Well done good and faithful servant’! Knowing that calamity could come at any moment, home and auto buyers purchase insurance at the closing of their purchase. May these same ones, knowing that death could occur at any moment, not delay in making this very important decision about their eternal destiny. Nations who are ready for Your return, stand ready to praise and worship our King as we see salvation decisions made today! AMEN!

Goals for Teaching and Learning

On 2024-01-12 By Ed AlgreenIn A Lamp unto My Path, Adoration, Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Awesome God, Beyond Description, Blessing, Celebrate God, Needs, Praise, Praise-worthy, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED: Friday, January 12, 2024, and I was blessed to be at Advent Christian Village, Dowling Park, FL when God inspired me to prepare this devotional. My Footnote will tell you how to find, read or listen to any and all episodes that I have shared over the years.

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE FROM THE New Century Version (NCV) IS FOUND IN Proverbs 22:17-19

THE BIBLE TEXT IS: Listen carefully to what wise people say; pay attention to what I am teaching you.
It will be good to keep these things in mind so that you are ready to repeat them.
I am teaching them to you now so that you will put your trust in the Lord.

APPLICATION OF THE WORD: I sure wish that over my years of teaching in Sunday School, Marriage Enrichment classes and elsewhere, I would have had as my goal ‘So that they (my students) might trust in the Lord’. I found these verses today very intriguing, for in verse 18, I believe that students will learn that you’re not just in class for a perfect attendance award, but instead, to listen careful to the wisdom being taught, and to record those words in your heart so that you will have wise words of advice to give to others. When you sit in front of a television and fill your mind with all the unfortunate reporting that fill our evening news channels, or if you sit in a local bar and listen to the anger, frustration and brokenness of families today, your heart may very well be soured by, and disappointed from, everything you hear. But God’s Word is filled with wisdom for every good and perfect desire of a man’s heart. Solomon, the author of Proverbs, is known as the wisest man that ever lived. One can expect to find his words of wisdom filled with useful advice for any child of God seeking to follow the desire of the Holy Spirit who inspired this writer as an integral part of God’s Word. So where then should you spend your spare time? I believe that as your mind is saturated by the Word of God, and you make it a priority to meditate on the Creator of this world, you will have a growing desire to be more like Jesus in everything you say and do. As you seek His face, learn about His commands, desire and direction for your life, I believe you will wind up seeking Him out more and more each day. This will come from your desire to communicate with Him, learn more from his Word every day, and seek out learning opportunities frequently. Teachers of the gospel, please notice the responsibility and commitment these thoughts place on you. Why do you teach? Just to fill a vacant spot at church? Have you set an overall goal you are asking God to help you achieve through your teaching? This Scripture might be yet another reminder that your teaching is more of a God thing than anything you can drum up from your own resources. Your students need more of God, and less of you and your personal desires and wishes. Do you teach every lesson so that your students might be encouraged to grow in the Lord Jesus Christ?

PRAYER BECAUSE OF THE IMPACT OF TODAY’S SCRIPTURE: Lord Jesus, thank You for teaching us again today the importance of opening our ears of understanding and our hungry minds that yearn to grow more like You every day, so that we might always be better representatives of Yours before a lost and dying world. If a natural disaster was approaching, we would be in the highest form of urgency to convince our family, friends, students and all others in our circle of influence, that the need for salvation from material destruction is at hand. Please Lord, teach us that same urgency when it comes to teaching and sharing the urgency to set aside material gain, and instead, see with urgency the need for a Savior who would accept us and forgive us of our sin. Please open our minds to accept the wisdom taught to us by our teachers, pastors and elders. Please gift our leaders with more and more wisdom, and their need to trust in You for all things, while losing sight of the need to please others who need so much more of you. Oh Lord, may Your kingdom come, and Your will be done, on earth and in the hearts of all who will meditate on this devotional today. AMEN!

God Will Remember You!

On 2024-01-072024-01-09 By Ed AlgreenIn A Lamp unto My Path, Adoration, Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Awesome God, Beyond Description, Blessing, Celebrate God, Needs, Praise, Praise-worthy, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED: Tuesday, January 9, 2024, and I was blessed to be at Advent Christian Village, Dowling Park, FL when God inspired me to prepare this devotional. My Footnote will tell you how to find, read or listen to any and all episodes that I have shared over the years.

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE FROM THE Easy-to-Read Version (ERV) IS FOUND IN Hebrews 6:10-11

THE BIBLE TEXT IS: God is fair, and he will remember all the work you have done. He will remember that you showed your love to him by helping his people and that you continue to help them. We want each of you to be willing and eager to show your love like that the rest of your life. Then you will be sure to get what you hope for.

APPLICATION OF THE WORD: It is so unfortunate that believers give up and quit the work that God has set out for them to do. When we are asked to help in the ministry, we seem to conclude that God had this all planned out for us and that we must be in the center of His will for our lives, seeing that we’ve been asked to participate in His kingdom work here on earth. We could finally apply our skills, desires and selves to a work that He has set aside for us. However, the average Christian will soon look around and start complaining about how unappreciated others feel about their tireless work. I’ve either heard, or at times used, excuses like: I seem to be a lone worker in the ministry, while others are looking on, finding fault and excuses; OR – Why should I bother, when so many are at home with their families, enjoying life to the fullest; OR – But I have so many things I am already doing for the church; OR – I had to take on yet another ministry, since no one else would assume the responsibility. But we should try to remember what happened to Peter when he took his eyes off Jesus and looked around. While these excuses all sound so familiar, we should stop and reflect on the response of Jesus when the Father said that He would face death on a cross for the sin of the world. Jesus didn’t refer an uninvolved, unconcerned person who was doing nothing, for the Kingdom work God had assigned to Him. Friends, I believe that the faithful one who ministers in Kingdom work while here on earth will one day hear the voice of Jesus and His Father, as they welcome us all home and recognize the work done for Jesus in obedience to His call on our life. Over my years of ministry, I have witnessed some low periods where I would consider some of the above thoughts, but then there were also times where ‘out of the blue’ God sent an encourager to remind me that the work done for our Master and Lord has not gone unnoticed. It is unfortunate, but when we look around, we tend to be fed by all the negativity that seems to fill this world. When we keep our eyes focused on Jesus, regardless of the storms of life that surround us, then we will be reminded of His love, compassion and unending care for us. God wanted His servant writer of Hebrews to remind us that what we do under the lordship of Jesus Christ, and when we attribute the blessings to Jesus, our efforts will not go unnoticed. Perhaps this is where that popular reminder comes from: ‘Well done good and faithful servant’, for God knew that we would tend to sometimes take our eyes off Him and look around at whether the world is noticing us, instead of consistently remembering and believing that Jesus will never leave us nor forsake us.

PRAYER BECAUSE OF THE IMPACT OF TODAY’S SCRIPTURE: Thank you Lord Jesus for being patient with us, especially when we feel like we are doing so much for the kingdom. Forgive us Lord when we look around and allow those of the world to cause us disappointment, and even regret at times, for the time we dedicate to Your kingdom work. We could never repay You for what You sacrificed on our behalf. Satan is out to distract us, so please open our eyes to his distractions, by helping us to stay focused on our Master and Lord. Our aim is to draw our strength and direction from You, Lord, while being such a strong witness for You to the unsaved. Oh Lord, may they see Jesus and never doubt about Your existence because of Your strong impact on, and presence in, us. How we look forward to the day when we shall see You face to face, our Master and Lord! AMEN!

Those Who Abandon Their Faith

On 2024-01-04 By Ed AlgreenIn A Lamp unto My Path, Adoration, Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Awesome God, Beyond Description, Blessing, Celebrate God, Needs, Praise, Praise-worthy, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED: Thursday, January 4, 2024, and I was blessed to be at Florida Hunting Adventures, Okeechobee, FL when God inspired me to prepare this devotional. My Footnote will tell you how to find, read or listen to any and all episodes that I have shared over the years.

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE FROM THE Good News Translation (GNT) IS FOUND IN Hebrews 6:4-6

THE BIBLE TEXT IS: For how can those who abandon their faith be brought back to repent again? They were once in God’s light; they tasted heaven’s gift and received their share of the Holy Spirit; they knew from experience that God’s word is good, and they had felt the powers of the coming age. And then they abandoned their faith! It is impossible to bring them back to repent again, because they are again crucifying the Son of God and exposing him to public shame.

APPLICATION OF THE WORD: We all may agree, and perhaps often insist that we not be judgmental of one another, since God is our eternal Judge. But what do we tend to do when our friend or family member has turned their back on the faith? I was totally caught by surprise when I read these verses in Hebrews, for my first impression was that the writer was indicating that we turn our backs on these individuals. in fact, if I had read this in a commentary, I would have switched to a different commentary and assumed that perhaps the one might be way off. But friends, I read these verses in several different translations of the Bible, and they all indicate the same inference. So, let’s consider the Scripture. If we don’t lose our salvation – since God will never reverse His acceptance of our request for forgiveness of our sin, we must try to understand what God would have us understand about this unusual statement. It seems most certain that the statement is referring to a Christian who has turned from their belief/trust/dependence on God. in today’s religious society, it seems like we may first conclude that this person may never have been serious about his/her conversion. But I don’t see where the verses indication anything to help us conclude that. Does this person lose their salvation? There are way too many references in the Bible to help us conclude that God never goes back on His word – John 10:28 is a prime example. Som perhaps we should look at the context from which the writer declared these words – he was speaking about Spiritual Maturity, and I covered this subject in my very last devotional. Often those who fail to grow, or mature, in their faith, will gain hardened hearts and soon start to act like those without Christ – as if He never died on the cross for them. They may even mock Jesus when things are not going as they command and demand. So how do we get this person back into the stream of rich Christianity, or a renewed relationship with Christ? And I believe that this is where the writer is coming from. We absolutely can’t. Just as in any other broken relationship, the two individuals must be willing to talk, forgive and work together to resolve differences and renew a right relationship. Think about you trying to tell a retired space scientist about things going on in space. He already knows everything about space! Similarly, try telling a back-slidden Christian about his relationship with God. He already knows the lingo, he knows his Bible, and he knows how he got to his current stage. It’s up to him to seek the face of Jesus and work through those things that are separating him from the Master. Jesus hasn’t changed – just the back-slidden Christian. The best thing we can do for each other, friend of God, is to pray for one another – that we will all draw closer to Jesus; more submissive to the Holy Spirit; and declare the awesome power of God – every day of our lives. No man is an island. We all need Jesus, and to keep Satan at bay, we all need more strength and determination than we ever had before.

PRAYER BECAUSE OF THE IMPACT OF TODAY’S SCRIPTURE: I was challenged by a pastor recently when he told his congregation that every word uniquely and particularly placed in the Bible, was placed there under the inspiration of God for the intended purpose of speaking to and directing His children. I’m glad that I didn’t just pass by this challenging Scripture, for I feel like it spoke to me and strengthened me to encourage those who may tend to drift away from the Master and not be as mature in their faith as God desires. Lord Jesus, I believe that unbelievers tend to watch us, in an effort to see if You are impacting our lives. May the meditation of my heart, and the resulting words from my mouth, together with the actions that follow, be acceptable in Your sight dearest Lord, and wonderful Savior. May they see Jesus! AMEN!

Next Steps to Maturity in Christ

On 2024-01-02 By Ed AlgreenIn A Lamp unto My Path, Adoration, Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Awesome God, Beyond Description, Blessing, Celebrate God, Needs, Praise, Praise-worthy, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED: Tuesday, January 2, 2024, and I was blessed to be at Kyle, Texas when God inspired me to prepare this devotional. My Footnote will tell you how to find, read or listen to any and all episodes that I have shared over the years.

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE FROM THE New Living Translation (NLT) IS FOUND IN Hebrews 6:1-3

THE BIBLE TEXT IS: So let us stop going over the basic teachings about Christ again and again. Let us go on instead and become mature in our understanding. Surely we don’t need to start again with the fundamental importance of repenting from evil deeds and placing our faith in God. You don’t need further instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. And so, God willing, we will move forward to further understanding.

APPLICATION OF THE WORD: This devotional may be more directed to those who have already accepted Jesus as Lord and now wondering ‘so, what’s my next step’? For each of us, the answer will be different for this dilemma, and God, through the Holy Spirit, is the only One who can drive us to the point of decision regarding spiritual maturity. The writer of Hebrews, and many pastors today, still do a wonderful job of trying to help Christians grow in their relationship with Christ. For failure to grow, could very easily allow one to drift into stagnancy, or perhaps fail to see value in the decision they made when accepting Christ. After all, in becoming a Christian, one decides to leave their life of sin and self-destruction, and make a 180 degree turn to live life like God teaches us in His Word. Notice the Word says nothing about us just depending on what our pastor spoon-feeds us with each time we go to church. Entering into a relationship with Jesus Christ is very similar to other relationships you try to build on. You want to know them, especially their likes and dislikes, and you endeavor to live in a way that will please them. Often in relationship building, you may have to relieve yourself of other relationships in order to do a better job and be most committed to your new relationship. The more you commit to pleasing Jesus, the more you mature in your relationship with Him. I believe that most of us will go through a process something like this: A). We find ourselves in church, either by a nudging of the Holy Spirit, or feeling compelled to do so because of family or peer pressure. B). We hear the Word of God proclaimed and God speaks to us through His Word, convicting us of our sin and our need of a Savior. C). We are led to accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior. Usually, a momentous occasion in our lives! D). Many may struggle with a huge question: Now what? While some will be drawn to spending more time with God’s people in hopes that they show them the way to being God’s best representative here on earth. E). Some will choose to simply just attend a church service once weekly. F): Some endeavor to develop a deeper understanding of God, by studying His Word – especially with other believers, so that they could understand what this new Master requires of them. This will often lead to personal time with the Lord, in His Word and in prayer. God, through His author of Hebrews, seems to be challenging us to evaluate what stage we are at in our relationship with our Father. While I would suggest that each one do this privately, your time may be better spent in asking God to help you decide. For it seems like too often we think we are much better than God may think. Remember, God not only sees our actions, hears the words we speak, and acknowledges the path we walk, but He also knows our very thoughts. Generally in life we can make the best decisions when we have all the facts, when we know everything about the individual and also some experience with their actions over the years. God is one step ahead of us, so plead with Him to guide you in the right path so that He could use you for His glory right where He places you. I believe that when we all reach this stage in our lives, we are ready to submit ourselves to God’s perfect will and way. Perhaps at this point we are reaching the maturity spoken of in our Scripture today. In life, we tend to help our kids advance from infancy, where they are totally dependent on their mother for milk; to toddler, where they could stomach a few soft foods while learning to talk; to childhood where they learn more discipline and parental direction while advancing to normal household meals, etc, etc. It would be very simple to look at our relationship with Jesus in much the same way, for we begin as an infant – not knowing right from wrong, or what’s required of us, or how God will speak to us, etc, but as we grow in our relationship, we bond with Him, understand His love for us, and depend on Him for our every step in life. What’s your next step towards maturity? Perhaps we should each set that as our goal for 2024.

PRAYER BECAUSE OF THE IMPACT OF TODAY’S SCRIPTURE: Lord Jesus, some who may read this devotional will identify themselves as just an infant in their relationship with You. Perhaps because they have committed as much of themselves to You as they feel is possible at this time. But I believe that many want to grow in You, understand You better, and reach for the next step towards maturity in You. Please help us to never settle for less than what we feel You want for us. Please provoke us to a deeper understanding of Your Word and a desire to become more like our Master every day. You didn’t just settle for being born, come to earth to heal and perform amazing miracles, but You went on to sacrifice Your life so that we may find forgiveness of our sin and reach the portals of Heaven one day with You and the Father. Please give us that same lasting desire to fully mature into all that You want to accomplish in us. AMEN!

Reflect On God’s Miracles

On 2024-01-01 By Ed AlgreenIn A Lamp unto My Path, Adoration, Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Awesome God, Beyond Description, Blessing, Celebrate God, Needs, Praise, Praise-worthy, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED: Monday, January 1, 2024, and I was blessed to be at Kyle, Texas when God inspired me to prepare this devotional. My Footnote will tell you how to find, read or listen to any and all episodes that I have shared over the years.

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE FROM The Passion Translation (TPT) IS FOUND IN Luke 22:35

THE BIBLE TEXT IS: Then he said to all of them, “When I sent you out empty-handed, did you lack anything?”
“Not a thing,” they answered. “God provided all we needed.”…..

APPLICATION OF THE WORD: During my 47 year career in the workplace, I remember that my employer would reflect on, and try to improve on, what has worked for the company in the past, or what may have worked well for others in the same field in the past, as we look to develop new opportunities. Can you think of any better way of approaching a brand New Year, than to reflect on the ways that God has blessed us in 2023, or even in our lives up to this point? I had a good buddy who told me how diligent he would pray over his misplaced car keys when he was trying so hard to get to work on time. I looked at him puzzled as to why he would bother God with something so trivial, to which he quickly added, that in those times of answered prayer over simple things, he gained reference and confidence in the times he felt more desperate in his prayers. Those simple words and testimony have always stuck with me. But then I read the words in our focal verse today, and saw where Jesus reminded His disciples to also reflect on a time when they probably thought that He had lost all sense of reasoning. For He told them to go out and preach the Word, but don’t take anything with them – no extra sandals, no travel bag and no money. They were reminded that in spite of what they initially thought, they had need of nothing while carrying out God’s instructions. We’ve just come through a year where we may have enjoyed times of celebration, but there may also have been challenging times. I believe that God would have us reflect on whether He was ‘BIG’ enough for us in every circumstance of this past year. For you see, only He knows what this new Year will bring. I believe He is reminding us that the God of the mountain – our victories of 2023, is also the God of the valleys – the One who didn’t leave us in our lows, but delivered us from the pit of despair, and brought us up close and personal to see His wonderful face, to remind us of His precious love for us, and His all-powerful hand that is capable of victory in every circumstance of life. Yes, we don’t know what 2024 holds for us. But for the child of God, we know who holds the future and who can help us overcome every challenge that may be in store for us, and to continue in strength, encouragement and victory with our hand in the hand of the One who rules from heaven on high. Let me encourage you to look at the faith of one elderly missionary who had retired from the field and shared with my men’s group. When he initially felt his call to missions, he was so confident that God would take care of his workers as they go in His name and under His banner, that we sold his home here in the US. Now, here comes this man’s amazing faith – he gave all the profit of this sale to his home church! We were flabbergasted as we thought he had lost his mind. What on earth would he do when he returned home? But he assured us that he never went hungry, nor wanting. As a confirmation of this, I overheard him asking another man of God to join him in helping a needy church in the country where he served on the mission field. And although a retired missionary, on what I can only imagine to be on a very limited income, yet he was chipping in thousands of dollars to help a church on the other side of the world in need. How dare we squabble over paying our tithe to the local church as God instructs us to? Wow, that story of current-day faith has never left my vivid memory. If only I could imagine that kind of faith, what challenges might I fear in 2024? I might say like the disciples responded to Jesus – we lacked nothing while living in absolute faith during our ministry. How is it with you precious friend? Do you know this Jesus of mine? I have tips in my Footnote that will help you know and understand Him better, but don’t approach this year as a loaner – invite God to be a part of it with you. Place you faith and trust in Him and invite Him to be Lord of your life. He is very capable!

PRAYER BECAUSE OF THE IMPACT OF TODAY’S SCRIPTURE: Precious Lord, we have seen where You turned water into wine, and You made dry land in the middle of a body of water. You made the lame to walk again and the blind to see, and You brought life back into a man who had already died. Thankfully, we are reminded that You also helped Your ministers to go and share the Gospel while, in total faith, depending on You for everything. Like my friend mentioned above whom You helped in finding his keys, we also have a lot to base our faith on. So as we face the unknowns of 2024, we KNOW that we can face it with a tried and proven God who could lead us through safely; deliver us from all evil; and bring to fruition the gift of eternal life that you designed, prepared and readied for those who surrender their life to You. Lord, may Your kingdom come and Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. We anxiously await Your return. AMEN!

Nuggets From God's Word

Month: January 2024