The Perfume of Christ

On 2020-06-08 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, Worship4 Comments

DATE WRITTEN: Monday, 2020-06-08
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

BIBLE REFERENCE: 2 Corinthians 2:14-17
TRANSLATION: Easy-to-Read Version (ERV)

BIBLE TEXT: ¹⁴…. God uses us to spread his knowledge everywhere like a sweet-smelling perfume. ¹⁵Our offering to God is to be the perfume of Christ that goes out to those who are being saved and to those who are being lost. ¹⁶To those who are being lost, this perfume smells like death, and it brings them death. But to those who are being saved, it has the sweet smell of life, and it brings them life. So who is good enough to do this work? ¹⁷Certainly not those who are out there selling God’s message for a profit! But we don’t do that. With Christ’s help we speak God’s truth honestly, knowing that we must answer to him.

OBSERVATION: These verses reminded me that when we share the love, and hope of our Lord and Savior with others, it will seem like a death sentence to some, but to others it will bring life, hope and encouragement. However Paul warned his church, and God is warning us today through this passage, that the gospel will impact our listeners. For some it will smell like death, and for others like life. For this to happen, God’s children must share what’s inside of them. Let’s evaluate if we are openly sharing with others today!

APPLICATION: We associate so closely with family members that we can often finish their phrases in conversation! Many of us are employed, and we know most employees because of something that occurred, or was said during an encounter with them. For those readers who attend church, no doubt you will know many of the attendees, and some may have even become friends, in similar for to what I explained about employees. I believe you might agree with me that we walk away from certain encounters feeling really good about some of the people in the group, while we are still very skeptical of some. For those that don’t speak up, or acknowledge in some way that they were in a setting with you, I believe that you might walk away unmoved, or unaffected by them. But what about the undecided, or the unsaved? Don’t you think that they probably look up to those who appear happy in their relationship with the Lord, hoping that they could better understand what’s different, and how they managed to gain such peace? If we therefore have nothing to share, don’t you suppose that this friend might wonder if they misjudged you, because you obviously have nothing good to share about the Christ they thought lives inside of you? Friends, I truly believe that we have become so afraid of rejection (not wanting to hurt our pride), that we neglect to say or do the perfect will of our Lord. Are we ashamed? Are we embarrassed? Do you suppose that He might be ashamed or embarrassed of us for not sharing the awesome news of the One who rescued us from our guilt, shame and sin? Remember, He sacrificed His very own Son so that we might have the means of entering heaven with Him one day. There is no greater gift than that, my friend! I’m sure that many will respond that they are not a preacher or Bible scholar, so they stay away from trying to preach or witness. Be reminded dear one, that I would recommend that you share your story – about the One who saved you and gave you peace about eternal life. That will be way more powerful than trying to read the first 12 chapters of the New Testament to your listener, and you don’t have to be a theologian to share your story! I would also suggest to any reader that may have the gift of preaching or teaching, that if you avoid sharing the sweet perfume of Christ with those under the sound of your voice, I feel like you have just wasted their time and yours. In 99.9% of cases, they came to hear about Jesus Christ, so give them the truth of the Gospel without wasting their time. Also, the Word of God is intended for Jew and Gentile, rich and poor, man and woman, king and servant, so there is no respecter of persons. Jesus gave His life for all, so let us share His Good News with all, so that they may know and believe in the same Lord and Savior as we do. These verses does not refer to religion, Church denominations, or the like, so share Christ and Him alone – for His glory and our avenue of worship to Him!

PRAYER: Dear Father, thank You for giving us Jesus! Thank You for the awesome sacrifice You made so that we might enjoy eternity with You. There is no better news that we could share with loved ones than this. There is nothing better than meeting people who long to have what we have. Please Lord, make us bold and give us courage to gladly share our story. You redeemed us and made us fit for Heaven! Thank You Jesus! Now help us to share that good news with everyone that we meet. 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!

Last Word – Worship Him and Keep His Commands

On 2020-06-06 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Needs, Obedience, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Saturday, 2020-06-06
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

BIBLE REFERENCE: Ecclesiastes 12:13-14
TRANSLATION: The Voice (VOICE)

BIBLE TEXT: ¹³And, when all is said and done, here is the last word: worship in reverence the one True God, and keep His commands, for this is what God expects of every person. ¹⁴For God will judge every action—including everything done in secret—whether it be good or evil.

OBSERVATION: When mom or dad warns that this is their last word on the subject, we tend to stop what we are doing, or thinking, and pay close attention! In the last two verses of Ecclesiastes, we are given a similar warning by Solomon. In both cases we receive consequences for our actions after the warnings. No matter what your age might be as you read this devotional, please stop and pay close attention to how you are responding to the warnings given to us by God through His servant, Solomon. It’s a matter of life (eternally – in Heaven) or death (eternally – in Hell).

APPLICATION: In ‘old-school’ parenting, our parents may have stood with a belt in their hand when they warned us that their response to us on a particular request is ‘final’. We knew this meant that if the request is brought before them again, it meant that we had no intention of obeying their first response, because now we are hoping to change their minds to give a more positive response! But what does this all mean to the Christian who searches our God’s Word for the course of action they should take on a questionable subject? Perhaps we read into God’s response that perhaps His response was intended for the neighbor on the other side of the street; or perhaps that we misunderstood what He was actually instructing us to do the first time; or even that we totally ignored what we thought He was saying, since it was so negative compared to what we wanted to hear? Friends, over the years I have learned that in trying to obtain a correct answer to a dilemma, we could pose a question in a certain way so that we receive an answer that we want. Another person with no skin in the game could pose the question in their own way and receive a very different answer! I don’t believe for a minute that God would vary on His response to us, but I do believe that we could very easily tune out parts of the response that we don’t want to hear. The bottom line is, that when we approach the throne of God for help or direction in a matter, we had best put all personal agendas aside, because we are taught in the Word that His ways are not our ways, and His thoughts are not our thoughts. You see, God is all-knowing and He has a plan for us. He knows every little itsy bitsy thought, word or action from us. He also knows what He has in store for us tomorrow and throughout eternity. So when we ask for His permission to go to the North Pole, and He has plans for us to minister to someone in the far South, His GPS directions for us to safely arrive at our destination will look a whole lot different to whatever Garmin might be telling you. In fact, you might even question if He even understood your request! Friends, please join me as we listen closely to Solomon in our study verses today. His last words to us is that we be loyal in worshipping the King of all kings. He’s the One who made us; He has a plan for our lives; and He is already preparing a place for us to occupy when He calls us away from this world of sin and hardships. Secondly, we are to obey the commands of our Heavenly Father. What are those commands? Read the Book, for God has included all of His commands in His precious Word – the Bible. He knew that we would need a Book of Instructions, so He gave us one, and He placed His Holy Spirit inside of us to help us understand and obey His commands. We need no other GPS, for He has directed us in His Word what to do, where to go and what to say. Oh that we would learn to be obedient soldiers/children/servants.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, thankfully You made us, so You know full well how stubborn we are and how we tend to try and do our own thing even when You have the ‘wheel’ and are directing us in the right path. Please forgive us for our human stubbornness and our selfish wills. You have already spoken to many of us and given us Your last word, please help us to be obedient to our Father, our Deliverer, our King, our Savior – the One who loves us more than life itself. May our hearts and our lips be filled with constant praise as we worship You each and every day, and no matter what level of education we may have, I pray that You might impress upon us every day to follow Your commands that You designed for our good. Lord we look forward to being with You some day soon when you are ready for us, but while here on this earth, may we look and sound just like You – the One who created us in His own image and prepares us each day for our heavenly home. AMEN!

Do It Well – While You Can

On 2020-06-05 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Evangelize, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, Share, Share God’s Word, Teach, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Friday, 2020-06-05
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

BIBLE REFERENCE: Ecclesiastes 9:7-10
TRANSLATION: The Voice (VOICE)

BIBLE TEXT: ⁷So here is what you should do: go and enjoy your meals, drink your wine and love every minute of it because God is already pleased with what you do. ⁸Dress your best, and don’t forget a splash of scented fragrance. ⁹Enjoy life with the woman you love. Cherish every moment of the fleeting life which God has given you under the sun. For this is your lot in life, your great reward for all of your hard work under the sun. ¹⁰Whatever you find to do, do it well because where you are going—the grave—there will be no working or thinking or knowing or wisdom.

OBSERVATION: I once heard a senior employee ask ‘What’s the least we could do, and still get by without being fined for missing the mark on that new regulation?’. I am convinced that this is the attitude of many employees who try to do just enough to not be challenged by management. What about your Christian life, do you have it down to a science on the minimum that God might approve of? The wisest king that ever lived was used by God to tell us that whatever we find to do, give it our all, because this might be the only opportunity to do it at all. Let us seek the wisdom of God as we meditate on this thought today.

APPLICATION: Whether you are an employee, or an employer that happened across this devotional, I believe that it doesn’t take long to recognize those employees who: can’t do enough for their employer; while others will do only enough to maintain their job and earn a paycheck; while others really don’t care enough about whether they keep their job or not, for they are just not going to kill themselves over a job! The company/employer will go a long ways in successfully achieving its goals with some employees, while battling to stay in business with other employees. But what about the church? Supposedly filled with people who are trying to live up to the principles taught by Jesus, yet undependable and uncommitted to the work of the Lord. Oops, too harsh? Perhaps, but folk it is time that we take it seriously what Jesus ordered in Matthew 28:19-20, that we are to: 1) Go into all the world; 2) Baptizing those that we come into contact with, and influence; and 3) Teach them to obey all the commands given by the Master. So please allow me to ask you a very pointed, but important question: Since accepting Jesus as your personal Savior, which of the three commands above have you flourished in and which do you struggle in? Does church attendance satisfy either of these commands? What about the banner that you carry that reads: ‘I’m a Christian’ – does your display of that banner count as obedience to either of these commands? Please stop for a moment and carefully analyze how you would rate yourself in responding to today’s Scripture on being a Christian, or obeying the commands of our Savior. Are you doing well with the honor of being a child of God? Notice that Solomon said that you only have today to do it well. When your time here on earth expires and you have been laid to rest, you will no longer have opportunity to Go, Baptize nor Teach those that need the Lord. Is your time well spent now dear friend? Neither in the Matthew reference nor in the Ecclesiastes reference does God give you the opportunity to ask the pastor, or your Sunday School teacher, or your elder, or a good friend to do these things for you. As you meditate today, let me encourage you to think about how you will respond to God when He asks how you did in these areas. Will you be proud to report, or will you be ashamed and disappointed that you never even tried? It’s not too late, ask your pastor how you might get involved in ministry at your church. After you pick him up off the floor he will gladly steer you in the right direction. He wants you to be involved in ministry!

PRAYER: Precious Lord, please forgive us for doing only enough to get by and perhaps look good in the eyes of our pastor. We are reminded that You sacrificed Your one and only Son, Jesus, because of Your love for us. Yet we find excuse after excuse why we can’t do something in your vineyard. We ignore the pleadings from our pastors for help in many areas of ministry. We find it impossible to commit to giving of our time or finances. Please embolden Your church and speak to our hearts once again about the need for ministry right in our own homes, in our neighborhoods, our churches and our country. Oh Lord, how will they know if we don’t tell them. Please help us to be so proud of our Father that we will gladly share about Him and our relationship with Him, so that You may be honored and praised even here on this old earth. AMEN!

My God Will Supply Your Needs!

On 2020-06-042021-03-11 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Thursday, 2020-06-04
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

BIBLE REFERENCE: Philippians 4:18-20
TRANSLATION: Easy-to-Read Version (ERV)

BIBLE TEXT: ¹⁸….. Your gift is like a sweet-smelling sacrifice offered to God. God accepts that sacrifice and it pleases him. ¹⁹My God will use his glorious riches to give you everything you need. He will do this through Christ Jesus. ²⁰Glory to our God and Father forever and ever. Amen.

OBSERVATION: I have a first-hand, real life, current experience that I want to share with you, that truly brings out the truth and promise in our Scripture verses today. I will make up names, in order to protect the names of the real people, because the emphasis of praise belongs to God, as indicated in verse 19 above. I wanted you to know without a shadow of a doubt that our God is real, and that He always does what He promises He will do! There is no God like our God, precious friend!

APPLICATION: While traveling to an appointment yesterday, I was listening to Christian radio. There was a preacher who shared from these verses, and he told myself, and other listeners, that a phrase commonly used by friends today to a friend who is going through a rough time is ‘Hang in there, everything is going to be OK’. Unfortunately, that was a catch phrase that I used a lot when trying to comfort someone experiencing a challenging time. In fact, I had just used that phrase to ‘Jon’ recently, as he had experienced a tragic loss. Like many of you reading this devotional, you may immediately feel sorry for Jon as you turn your thoughts towards him and begin to worry along these lines: ‘where would I possibly find the funds to burry a lost loved one, especially after going through months of unemployment due to Covid’. True to family loyalty, Jon’s family members had already chipped in all they possibly could, to help with the burial arrangements. But I was so touched by that sermon I mentioned above, that I promised God I would do my best to always respond with Philippians 4:19 instead of a vain statement such as the one I have always used in the past. This really impacted my life dear friends. However, I went on to my appointment with a thankful heart that God would supply our needs. In the meantime, God was actively working in the lives of His servants, the ‘Smiths’, to give of their financial means to Jon so that he would be less stressed about finances, and concentrate on the loss of his loved one. That generous gift was given to me for Jon under the understanding that it was from God, so that He might be glorified. I obeyed the request of the obedient servants of God by calling Jon and sharing the good news with him. He could only bow his head in tears, as my call actually interrupted a meeting he was having with his sister at the time discussing how on earth will he ever find the funds to busy his loved one. Children of God, and friends who may be sitting on the sidelines wondering if God is still looking out for us today, let me assure you that God was as real as He has ever been to me yesterday! He orchestrated the sermon; made sure I was listening when the sermon was played on the particular radio station I was listening to; His impressing upon the heart of the Smiths to give to this need; and then opening my eyes to see how this all played out – on a day that was extremely stressful for me. I believe that God had a purpose in sharing this with me. I have already had an opportunity to use God’s Word in communicating with Jon, and I am praying that God will work miraculously in His life, even through this very challenging time. In sharing this message with you today, I believe that God is passing this message on to you, knowing that you might need this today also. Be reminded of this awesome promise dear one, and know that God is able, willing and has promised to always provide for our needs. Please join me in placing your faith and trust in Him, the only wise, true, all-powerful, ever-loving, soon-coming King of all kings and Lord of all lords – Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.

PRAYER: Oh what a Savior! Thank You Lord for Your sacrificial gift on Calvary! Thank You for gifting to us the Holy Spirit to guide, protect and help us along life’s challenging course each and every day. Just as You promised, You have proven that You will meet our every need. Thank You Heavenly Father for who You are, and for accepting even us as Your humble servants and Your redeemed children. Lesson learned! Please remind us each day to share Your love and Your gift with all that we may come into contact with. I know You are alive and that You have a place prepared for my fellow believers and I whenever You call us home to glory! While left here on earth, may we be careful to allow Your love to work through us for Your own praise and glory. Please be with ‘Jon’ today, and all those who are in need, so that You may be recognized, accepted and praised. AMEN!

Be There For Others, As God was There For You!

On 2020-06-02 By Ed AlgreenIn Blessings, Comfort, Healing, Mercy, Share God’s WordLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Tuesday, 2020-06-02
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

Bible Reference: 2 Corinthians 1:3-5
Translation: The Message (MSG)

Bible Text: ^3-5All praise to the God and Father of our Master, Jesus the Messiah! Father of all mercy! God of all healing counsel! He comes alongside us when we go through hard times, and before you know it, he brings us alongside someone else who is going through hard times so that we can be there for that person just as God was there for us. We have plenty of hard times that come from following the Messiah, but no more so than the good times of his healing comfort—we get a full measure of that, too.

OBSERVATION: Several points of encouragement in these verses: Our God is one who could heal even when there is not a drug or doctor who could; He’s also our Guide, our Deliverer, our Protector and our Friend when we face hard times; We are blessed beyond anything we deserve and we can easily be a comfort to others facing similar challenges to what God brought us through. We serve a Mighty God!

APPLICATION: When we are going through challenging times in life, as all of us do at times, we either call a friend, or a trusted counselor, like a pastor or Christian Brother or Sister. Isn’t it rewarding to read what God inspired Paul to write in these verses, and be reminded that He is:
~ A God of all mercy – which means that He will listen to even us as we petition before Him. Think about it, what have we done to deserve anything from a perfect and holy God?;
~ A God of healing counsel – I believe that this encourages me that no matter what may be going on physically or mentally with us, God designed us and He therefore has the power to heal us, and/or give us counsel for whatever is needed. I love to attend a physician that has a photo showing Jesus looking over his shoulder, indicating that Jesus is counselling the doctor on what is best for us – the patients!
~ A God who stands by us, guides and protects us – I see this as not only being our pilot in our autos, but also as we walk along every aspect of life itself. Perhaps it might be health, or perhaps a drive along a dangerous road, or we may be wandering along in the woods or just struggling to make challenging decisions. Friends, with God by our side, what have we to fear?
The biggest takeaway for us, is that God will often cause us to walk alongside someone who could benefit from our experiences where He has healed us, protected us, or just been so gracious and loving to us. I recently had a medical practitioner who was going in for back surgery, with the same facility that I had used about 8 times. His spirits were lifted as I shared first hand experience with him, as to what he might expect along each step of his surgery and recovery. This is the same scenario as in many other experiences in life, for it opens the door for you to share how God has blessed you. I hope that you are looking for those opportunities and sharing as much as you could. Promoting the God Who has blessed us, and that we love dearly, is always a good thing friends!

PRAYER: We are once again reminded of Your love Lord Jesus! There is no shortage of friends and family who need encouragement from us, and as You guide us to those individuals today dear Lord, please fill us with Your Holy Spirit so that we may have the words and gentleness of heart to share in a way that would draw that individual unto yourself. Oh how sweet the name of Jesus is to a believer’s ear! Oh that others may be convinced of that as we share Your love from sincere and blessed hearts. I ask these things in the powerful name of Jesus, AMEN!

Recognize and Worship God For His Many Gifts

On 2020-06-01 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Monday, 2020-06-01
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

BIBLE REFERENCE: Ecclesiastes 3:9-14
TRANSLATION: Living Bible (TLB)

BIBLE TEXT: ⁹What does one really get from hard work? ¹⁰I have thought about this in connection with all the various kinds of work God has given to mankind. ¹¹Everything is appropriate in its own time. But though God has planted eternity in the hearts of men, even so, many cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end. ¹²So I conclude that, first, there is nothing better for a man than to be happy and to enjoy himself as long as he can; ¹³and second, that he should eat and drink and enjoy the fruits of his labors, for these are gifts from God. ¹⁴And I know this, that whatever God does is final—nothing can be added or taken from it; God’s purpose in this is that man should fear the all-powerful God.

OBSERVATION: Instead of griping and complaining about our job, or our work, we are encouraged by the wise King Solomon to instead remember that these are gifts from God. In doing so, we will do like any good child, we will worship and praise the Almighty for all that He has blessed us with! So what’s your stance on work – A pain? Something you dread? Something you wish that everyone else had to do, so that you wouldn’t have to? Or are you truly thankful to God everyday for Him blessing you with a job/income/ability to pay your own bills?

APPLICATION: I bet there are many days that you question whether God even loves you – especially when you have to leave a sick child at home, or perhaps you had a car accident on your way to work, yet you have to stay at work and give your boss every possible effort you could muster up. How do I know that? Well, I have also been there and done that! Many times it’s not until you pass by an underpass where dozens of homeless citizens live, that you finally raise the courage to raise your hands towards heaven and give God thanks for blessing you so incredibly. But I want to recommend another way that might help you to daily count your blessings. Try and open the Word of God each morning and read a few verses from His Word. Ask God to enlighten your heart and your soul so that you might see the awesome power and love of His Son, who sacrificed His life for sinners such as you and I. It won’t take many days of devotional time with God before you will begin to realize how awesome our God truly is! This will cause you to look at all the ways that He looks out for you, and all the ways that He provides for your every need. You will be reminded that the very job that you thought would kill you, is actually an awesome blessing from God, and it will become the source of your obedience in tithing and for praise and worship to your generous God. Friends, I am convinced that God provides awesome gifts for us each and every day. My prayer is that as we rise from our beds each day, we will raise up sweet hallelujahs to the King of all kings for having such a love for even us, and for giving unconditionally to us in so many wonderful ways. Perhaps the world may then be convinced that Jesus lives within us, provides generously for us and loves us like no other could possibly love us, until He returns to take us home to glory!

PRAYER: Loving Lord, we are ever so grateful for all that You give to us and all that you provide for us each and every day. Please forgive us when we moan and complain even about the very things that You bless us with. Please teach us to always lift up holy hands in praise and admiration of our awesome God, so that others may see and believe. We love You Lord, and we are eternally thankful for all that You do for us. AMEN!

It’s GOD!

On 2020-05-30 By Ed AlgreenIn Awesome God, Chosen by God, Encounter with God, Saved2 Comments

DATE WRITTEN: Saturday, 2020-05-30
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

Bible Reference: 1 Corinthians 12:6-7
Translation: The Living Bible (TLB)

Bible Text: ⁶There are many ways in which God works in our lives, but it is the same God who does the work in and through all of us who are his. ⁷The Holy Spirit displays God’s power through each of us as a means of helping the entire church.

OBSERVATION: I believe in these verses Paul intended to help the church to know the importance of drawing close to God so that He could draw close to them and use them for the enrichment of each other. This speaks volumes to the church today, because when we go off doing our own thing it might only benefit our small circle of friends, however when we allow the Holy Spirit to direct us into action and showing love one to another, we will see the church (God’s body of believers) enriched, blessed and uplifted. How do you feel like you’re doing in this, friends?

APPLICATION: If we were to sit down and evaluate how we are doing individually, I believe that Satan will automatically drive our thoughts possibly towards the pastor and what he could be doing differently, or more of the ministry he is being paid to do. Satan might also drive us towards all that we’ve heard about other leaders in the church, or even members that we’ve always looked up to. You know what I mean, it’s everyone else’s fault – except yours. Really, friends? Do we really believe that there are any here on earth that are perfect, like Jesus Christ was? Paul took a moment to express to the church that it is only because of the grace of God, and the power of God, working in and through us (the church) that anything could be accomplished for our God. Oh that we would never be so bold and/or stupid enough to study God’s Word, or teach His Word to others or preach His Word, without the full cooperation and help of the Holy Spirit. We are His instruments, and therefore He uses us to speak to His children, so that their hearts may be drawn to Jesus. That whole encounter is a ‘Jesus thing’ that we never want to mess up. Please join me as we read or study the Word, that we may carefully apply it to our lives. Sure, we may teach what we learn to others, but oh precious Savior, may You be faithful in helping us apply every word from God to our own lives first. My prayer for each reader today is that we all be found faithful and true, so that we may be used of God to spread the gospel in all walks of life, so that Jesus might tug on the hearts of all who hear, or are touched by us, and are touched by Him.

PRAYER: Thank You Lord Jesus for touching my heart, thank You for making me whole. Please give my believing readers and I, the boldness and determination to reach out to all those that we will come into contact with today, and as we merely brush up alongside these individuals, I pray that You will penetrate their hearts and draw them to Yourself. Oh that they will see Jesus today, and come to know Him personally and intimately as their Savior and Lord. Today may be the day that many will come to know You as Lord, but I also realize that today may be the day that You call many home to Yourself. May Your perfect will be done in each of our lives dear Lord, AMEN!

What Have You Traded For The ‘Glory of God’?

On 2020-05-29 By Ed AlgreenIn Adoration, Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Friday, 2020-05-29
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

BIBLE REFERENCE: Psalm 106:19-22
TRANSLATION: The Voice (VOICE)

BIBLE TEXT: ¹⁹The people made a golden calf in Horeb
    and bowed to worship an image they had made.
²⁰They traded the glory of God
    for the likeness of an ox that eats grass.
²¹They forgot about God, their True Savior,
    who had done great things for them in Egypt—
²²Miracles in the land of Ham
    and amazing deeds at the Red Sea

OBSERVATION: There are certain Scriptures that will convict and challenge us like we would think is not even possible, and this is one of those. I believe that God placed this in His Word strategically to draw our attention to the fact that yes, His children of old traded other material items in place of all that He had done for them, but yes, He also knew that we would not learn from their wrongs and that we would also do the same. I pray that as we study this today we will be challenged to do something about those things that we have allowed to take God’s place in our lives.

APPLICATION: I believe that each of us could analyze our lives and identify several things that we have allowed into our lives that tend to divide, or hinder our attention to God. Let me suggest that you think back to the day that you, Christian brother or sister, surrendered your heart to the lordship of Jesus Christ. I believe that like me, you will find that there was nothing that could get between you and your Savior. For you were consistent in fellowshipping with God each day as you sought to know more about Him, and as you shared your struggles with Him. You wanted to attend every church service and teaching, as you were hungry for the Word of God. We all remember answers to our prayers, and we could clearly recall the miracles of God in response to our prayers and concerns. BUT, something happened that caused a divide in our allegiance. What was that? What is it today that has caused you to wander from God and has hindered your close relationship with Him? For those who have recently reminded themselves of the Israelite’s journey from slavery to the ultimate ‘Promised Land’, you will recall that: there were many miracles performed by God to convince Pharaoh to release the Israelites from slavery; God led Moses and the Israelites by day and by night; God provided food and water for His people; God held the waters of the Red Sea back so that His people could travel across safely by dry land. Yet, as you can read in verse 20 above, they counted all the goodness of God as nothing, and from metal they created their own god to worship. Do we really do this today? Think long and hard about this friends, because I believe that we trade God off for many things in our life. What do we trade God off for when it’s time to assemble ourselves together with other believers (church)? Perhaps sports; the beach; mechanical work on our car; visiting friends; television shows; etc, etc. Why do we not tell the truth about our income, our tithe, or our offerings? Would God approve of the numbers we include on our taxes or our financial statements? What if He truly gave us income based on the amount that we currently tithe, will anything change? Why are we doing things like this? Are we trading worldly values for the gracious and awesome gifts of God to His children? Oh that we may be children of the Word, and may we be faithful to our heavenly God who went all the way to the cross to show His love for us. There is nothing God wouldn’t do for us, except sin. What are you prepared to do for Him?

PRAYER: Precious Lord, You are so good to us! You have demonstrated real love to us, and provided Your Word so that we might be reminded of what You expect from us. Please strengthen us to be strong and powerful as You are. We know that there is no one with greater power than Yourself, yet we settle for the weakness of mankind and everything that this world throws at us. Please forgive us for our littleness of mind, and help us to keep our eyes fixed on the King of glory, the King of all kings. We need You every hour of every day, please teach us to fix our eyes on You and walk full in Your wonderful grace and power, so that You may be glorified through us. AMEN!

A Humble Plea To All My Readers: On June 9th I am scheduled for cervical surgery and I suppose that I will be handicapped for a few months And unable to release a new blog each day. Please pray for my surgeon, all support medical professionals and myself as we go through this surgery, and also pray for a quick recovery so that I could continue the Lord’s work through this blog. I would greatly appreciate the prayers from all who are able, remember and/or concerned for my welfare. Thank you in advance, and may God richly bless you each and every day.

Describe How BIG Or Awesome Your God Is

On 2020-05-272020-05-27 By Ed AlgreenIn All-powerful, Almighty, Bold Confidence, Confidence, Faith, Faith, Our Great BIG God, SalvationLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Wednesday, 2020-05-27
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

Bible Reference: Isaiah 40:12–14
Translation: Easy-To-Read Version (ERV)

Bible Text: ¹²Who measured the oceans in the palm of his hand? Who used his hand to measure the sky? Who used a bowl to measure all the dust of the earth? Who used scales to measure the mountains and hills? ¹³Who could know the Lord’s mind? Who could be his teacher or give him advice? ¹⁴Did the Lord ask for anyone’s help? Did anyone teach him to be fair? Did anyone teach him knowledge? Did anyone teach him to be wise?

OBSERVATION: If you were preparing your heart to meet with someone, to encourage them, and to really share the power and the width and the breadth of your God, where would you begin? When you prepare yourself to kneel at the feet of Jesus and place your petitions before Him, how convinced are you that He could handle your needs? In verse 31 of this same chapter, Isaiah shares the following: But those who trust in the Lord will become strong again. They will be like eagles that grow new feathers. They will run and not get weak. They will walk and not get tired.

APPLICATION: Friends, this scripture today is intended to remind us that no matter how burdened we are about circumstances, or about our needs, or about our finances, or how needy we or our family members really are, we have a great BIG awesome God who has successfully managed to handle a whole lot more than any ‘mountain’ we may be facing today! There are over 100,000 deaths in the USA from Covid, many are worried as to who will be next. Many of us have relatives in the hospital and we are beside ourselves worrying about how remaining families might survive if that hospitalized individual is never discharged alive. But let me encourage you to stop for a moment, dear friend, and look at the examples given by Isaiah in verses 12-14 above. Let it really sink in, and convince yourself once again of the supernatural God who loves you, who cares for you, who ‘goes to bat’ every day for you, and be reminded that there is nothing too big for Him. Furthermore, I pray that each of you will ask God to illumine your heart and your mind, so that you may be reminded of all that He has done for you already in life; that He loves you individually; and that more than anything God is so looking forward to having you join Him in glory someday soon. Friend of God, I believe that when you are able to look beyond your current problems and challenges, and see the outstretched, loving hands of Jesus ready to welcome you home for all eternity, then you will be able to trust Him in full confidence with everything that is currently before you! You see, no matter what Satan may try to tell us, or frighten us with today, we KNOW in whom we have believed, and we KNOW whose we are, and we KNOW who hold every tomorrow in place for us! We are children of the King and regardless of our current situation, our long range plan outweighs everything we might experience here on earth, because nothing is greater than the love of our Savior for His dear children. So don’t hold back friend, take your needs before God and be ready to praise Him as you evidence His hand at work in miraculous ways. Share that confidence with those who have no hope! Be ready to give good examples of how awesome Your God has been to you, and all that you have to look forward to! He’s just t h a t BIG, dear friend!

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, we bow before You in adoration of who You are, and for all You have done for us. Though so unworthy, still I’m a child of the King! Praise be to my almighty, all-powerful, ever-loving, incredibly great BIG God! Please continue to bless Your kids again today, especially since we have been reminded of your outstanding power and the magnitude of Your awesome love. Oh that we may see Your power at work in the lives of those that we touch today! We will be eternally grateful dear God, for we ask these things in faith, and through the powerful name of our almighty Savior, AMEN!

Recognizing God’s Awesome Power!

On 2020-05-25 By Ed AlgreenIn All-powerful, Love, Love of God, Power of God, PowerfulLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Monday, 2020-06-25
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

Bible Reference: Job 38:4-9
Translation: The Message (MSG)

Bible Text: Where were you when I created the earth? Tell me, since you know so much! Who decided on its size? Certainly you’ll know that! Who came up with the blueprints and measurements? How was its foundation poured, and who set the cornerstone, While the morning stars sang in chorus and all the angels shouted praise? And who took charge of the ocean when it gushed forth like a baby from the womb? That was me! I wrapped it in soft clouds, and tucked it in safely at night.

OBSERVATION: Anytime we feel like God has abandoned us, the book of Job would be a good book to reflect on. Further, if there was ever a time when you may have felt like you really had this ‘life’ thing figured out, I believe that this particular chapter, and conversation God had with Job, would be a great reminder of how you need to get a grip on yourself, open your heart and mind to what God has to say and make every effort to surrender control of your life back to God.

APPLICATION: I believe that Job felt like God and everyone around him had withdrawn their love and relationship from him, so for several chapters Job had really been criticizing God and blaming Him for wrongful punishment. His friends had made attempts to love on, and correct Job, but it seems like he was really having a hard time snapping out of it. God finally had enough and decided to give Job some perspective on who He really is. Friends, I believe that We have excellent reminders here of how God carefully, intricately and powerfully put this planet together, then He created us to enjoy its many blessings. If He loves us that much, won’t He all the more take care of our problems, concerns and difficulties while we live here, if we would only humble ourselves and ask Him to? Friends, I was reminded in a recent sermon from Isaiah 40:7-12 that although this earth is made up of two thirds water, yet God said that the oceans and its water is held in the cup of His hand. The earth’s dimensions are measured across the span of His fingertips! Whom, or what then shall we fear? When old Satan tries to distract us with untruths we need to remind ourselves and Satan that our God is so much bigger than our largest problem or concern. I believe also that His love is greater than anything we could ever imagine. So with all this in mind, why would we ever follow in Job’s footsteps and worry about our problems, or blame God for our circumstances. It is so important that we learn to worship God before we ever start to ask Him for anything or complain about anything. When we praise Him, we remind ourselves of His awesome love and power. Don’t you suppose that our problems become less of an issue or worry to us when we remind ourselves of the awesomeness of our beautiful, wonderful, matchless, all-powerful God? I certainly believe so!

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, please forgive me for often trying to take the reins of life from You. It is very obvious that You created me and all that is around me, so please forgive me when I whine and complain. I am but Your humble servant, You are the Potter, and I am but the clay that is moldable and usable by You. As I recognize You and allow you control of my life, I can actually be at peace, and my problems then would seem to disappear. Lord, I believe this is vital to our witness, for if the unsaved world see us worrying as much about the concerns of this life as they do, we are showing them that we are as lost and uncared for as they are. This is very wrong, so I ask forgiveness, and I ask for added strength every day to stay focused on You and Your wondrous love for me. For my friends that might meditate on this devotional today, please fill their hearts with Your peace, and the determination to overcome evil, and worldly problems with the love and dedication that only You can provide. Thank You Jesus for loving us this much! All this I therefore ask, in the matchless name of Jesus, my Lord, AMEN!

Nuggets From God's Word

Author: Ed Algreen