Come, Let Us Worship

On 2022-07-102022-07-10 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED Sunday, 2022-07-10
WRITTEN AT: O Brien, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Psalm 95:6-8
TRANSLATION: Amplified Bible (AMP)

BIBLE TEXT: ⁶O come, let us worship and bow down, Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker [in reverent praise and prayer]. ⁷For He is our God and we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand. Today, if you will hear His voice, ⁸Do not harden your hearts and become spiritually dull….

APPLICATION: Praise God, many churches will fill up today, because of the determination of faithful followers of Jesus Christ. Some attendees will attend out of natural habit that was instilled into them from a very early age, while some might explode emotionally if they don’t enter into His gates with praise and wonder after their God-encounters and experiences of the week. However, some may not have appreciated the little attention received from the pastor last week, nor the absence of the Elders who chose not to visit their loved one in hospital during the week. While the Psalmist seem to reflect a man whose heart was constantly immersed in praises to his King, we all know that David dealt with many personal issues and challenges. However, I tend to always walk away from meditating on the Psalms with a sense of awe and worship to my maker. Perhaps this particular Psalm helps us to understand the heart of David towards the subject of, and reason for, praise, worship and prayer. As promised in my introduction, I will expand on a few aspects of this Psalm:
1). How we should worship – Bow down and kneel before the Lord, our Maker. I know, you are worried what the other attendees might say if they saw you doing this, right? But wait, did you say you were going to church to please the other attendees, or to worship your loving and almighty God? Interesting how we let our pride dictate how we worship our very designer and maker, isn’t it?
2). The reasons we worship – With thankful hearts to the God who created us, and who guides us through every circumstance of life – just like a shepherd leads his sheep. When we realize the key role that God plays in our life and how dependent we are for His goodness, mercy and guidance, we will desire to worship Him whole heartedly;
3) Who we should worship – We tend to worship the person, or thing, that means the most to us. Please allow today’s Scripture to provoke your very thoughts about who, or what, this might be, and worship it/him/her with all your heart today. I pray that your heart will be directed towards the One who created You and watches over you each day as He prepares you for your eternal home;
4). What happens when you don’t worship God – Your heart will become spiritually dull. You will then follow the ways of this world and you will attempt to depend on everything or everyone other than God. Think about where this will get you when your heart is broken; when your loved one lies helpless in a hospital bed; when you lose your job and worry about where your next dollar will come from; what happens to your loved one or yourself after this life? etc, etc.
As you meditate on these truths today, may your heart be overwhelmed by the goodness of our God, and may you yearn for more of His goodness, for I am convinced that God responds to our offer of praise and worship from a heart that is right with Him.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: Lord Jesus, thank You for being my Shepherd, my Guide and my Savior. Please speak intently to the hearts of Your children today. May they willingly seek to worship You from blessed and thankful hearts!

PRAYER: To God be the glory, great things You have done! Thank You for Your gratefulness oh God! Even as we lift up our hands in worship and adoration, may You bless and encourage each worshipper today. Speak to the hearts of those who will attend out of habit and are challenged to feel any relational reason to worship You today. Remind them that You’ve been there all along, and that they should draw near to You, even as You are as near as the very skin on their faces. Lord, we worship and honor You today. Please accept our humble worship and bless us for Your kingdom’s sake. AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog might indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and read more, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. You may also visit me on Spotify and listen to Nuggets while you’re out and about. I would encourage you to find a church home near by your home, and attend as frequently as you could. Get to know God, and allow His people to encourage and strengthen you in your Christian walk, while making every effort to be a blessing to them. God is at work among His people! Please consider growing in your faith, as you worship with fellow believers!

Trust God, Especially When ‘Death’ Seems Imminent

On 2022-07-092022-07-09 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Death, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, Trust, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED Saturday, 2022-07-09
WRITTEN AT: O Brien, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: 2 Corinthians 1:8-10
TRANSLATION: Contemporary English Version (CEV)

BIBLE TEXT: ⁸ My friends, I want you to know what a hard time we had in Asia. Our sufferings were so horrible and so unbearable that death seemed certain. ⁹In fact, we felt sure we were going to die. But this made us stop trusting in ourselves and start trusting God, who raises the dead to life. ¹⁰God saved us from the threat of death, and we are sure that he will do it again and again.

APPLICATION: Random shootings occur because of the sting of one finding themselves out of a job, and the hopelessness of how their family will survive the new financial woes. Homes are destroyed because of broken marriages, and often partners will resort to criminal acts against each other in the name of revenge. The onset of Covid, cancer, or any other deadly disease may stretch the imagination of individuals and cause them to try very extreme actions as they fight for earthly ways to save their opportunity for continued life as they once knew it. So what does the Christian do in this regard that’s any different to what the unbeliever might do? Let’s believe that God will reveal great truths though His Word that helps direct us in our times of desperation. We will see that in Paul’s scenario, they quickly ran out of personal options and ran to God – the same God who opened the eyes of Saul who once persecuted Christians and the work of Jesus Christ. As a changed man, Paul, as he was later known, had witnessed miracle upon miracle. He had seen the awesome handiwork of God who rescued His people from imminent death and from obvious dire situations. Paul quickly realized that this new danger they faced was much more than he and his men could do anything about. As a man of God, I can only say that for the point at which Paul found himself, he knew that God was showing him that there was only one way out of this, and it was not for Paul to think of more earthly weaponry to use against his enemy. I have often heard the old adage that desperate people will often avoid looking up and calling on God, until they are flat on their back and have no other choice but to ‘look up’! Paul had seen the powerful works of the God he served, and although he couldn’t see any humanly way to fight the enemy in his current situation, he knew a God who could. I looked at many Bible translations and one thing that read the same across the board was ‘this made us stop trusting ourselves and start trusting in Almighty God’! Friends, so many of us have heard of too many family and friends who have lost their fight to Covid, cancer or heart attack over recent months and years. Are you at the point yet where Paul found himself in our text today? Have your surrendered your all to Almighty God and called on Him in desperation to protect you and your family, and to recuse you from the evil forces that surround you in all of this earthly violence in our world, for there is so little respect for life itself? Perhaps death seems imminent for you in one of the other scenarios mentioned above. Please don’t wait to see if this will affect you, just know that it will. Trust in God with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. Do not lean on the enemies ‘wait and see’ option, for your circumstances might very well be way beyond your ability to overcome. Never think that you will have time later to start seeking God, for no man knows the day or the hour when our Lord will return to take His saints home to glory! Trust God today, even while things appear ‘peachy’! Notice that in times of war people will turn to the world’s super-powers for help. In the case of Covid, this philosophy didn’t work, because the whole world was in a dilemma for a resolution. Hopefully God got our attention and made us realize that He alone holds the keys to life and death. He was the only One for our family and friends to turn to in their desperation. Forget about self, and start trusting God today, dear one.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: Praise God, I know this Jesus that Paul decided to trust in when he realized the hopelessness of trusting himself for answers to his dilemma! We must still learn to call on God today, for He alone can fight off the vices of Satan and his army of evildoers.

PRAYER: ‘Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus, just to take Him at His word. Oh for grace to trust Him more’! Lord Jesus, You know Your children better than anyone knows. No doubt You see us in our daily struggles and it makes You want to stretch out Your hand and guide us through life’s temptation, struggles, trials and dangers. Please help us to acknowledge our weaknesses and inabilities, and to often be reminded of Your awesome power, strength and power. Please Lord, be our God today in all of life’s situations and in every walk of life that seem so impossible to us. You are our Rock and our eternal salvation! In You alone I place my faith and trust oh Lord. Please help each reader and listener to catch a new glimpse of this, and to sooner do what Paul did – forget about self abilities, and trust God in everything instead! AMEN!

The Path To Greatness – Step Three

On 2022-07-082022-07-08 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Humility, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED Friday, 2022-07-08
WRITTEN AT: O Brien, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Mark 9:42
TRANSLATION: The Message (MSG)

BIBLE TEXT: ⁴²“On the other hand, if you give one of these simple, childlike believers a hard time, bullying or taking advantage of their simple trust, you’ll soon wish you hadn’t. You’d be better off dropped in the middle of the lake with a millstone around your neck.

APPLICATION: I admire those who are very knowledgeable in the Bible, for they can freely cross-reference other Scriptures that speak to a subject may be looking at, and they can explain the context surrounding the subject in very clear and concise detail. If we are not careful, and perhaps mature, we might let this kind of knowledge intimidate us, and shut us down from explaining anything in our simple understanding. I believe that Jesus tried to forewarn us about this possible stumbling block, for He knew that some might even choose to stay home instead of facing the threat of intimidation once again. Most new believers are so excited and incented to learn as much as they could about this Jesus, who is so new to them. They tend to welcome the knowledge of others. That is, until they feel intimidated, or minimized, or ignorant, or like ‘what’s the use of me even opening my mouth?’. No matter how smart we are, or how dumb others appear to be, they will quickly discern when we are showing them up. I believe that the truly great person strives extra hard to be extremely sensitive around those who may not be as strong as they are, or knowledgeable as they are, or even as educated as they are. Explaining something at a level over my head will not help me understand, but rather intimidate me and cause me to shut down. In 1 Corinthians 8:13 Paul said something similar when he said: “Don’t eat meat offered to idols if it will cause those weaker in their faith to stumble”. I have observed that truly great people are always aware of those weaker than they are in the faith, and therefore won’t flaunt their abilities, if it will trip up someone else in his walk with Jesus. Therefore, I believe that Jesus is teaching His disciples, and us, that we must always reflect on the words of Paul where he said: ‘I try to be like all people, in order to win some to the Lord’. It may irritate some who sees an adult speaking to a baby or young child in a way that sounds childish, but if that’s all the child could comprehend at that time, why speak to them like you would to your pastor? In my younger days when I helped in ministry to young children, it was amazing to hear a young child from our community explain that they didn’t know the chorus ‘Jesus loves me’. But they were new to church and needed ‘baby food’ first. New believers may come from a similar community where they never heard about the truths of the Bible. In very simple terms, we must teach and show them the love of Jesus! We are all equal at the foot of the cross, so why elevate yourself above anyone here on earth? Meet them, and talk with them, right where they are. With the help of our Lord Jesus, He can direct our path, our conversation, and our heart to meet someone right where they’re at!

BLESSING(S) NOTED: Instead of our usual approach with our hands out for what we could get, or our ‘give me’, ‘give me’ attitude, Jesus wants us to follow in His footsteps. He came down to earth – equal with God, yet He loved His creation (you and me) enough to serve and teach us, before being crucified for our sake. No other love quite like that, but Jesus wants us to strive for that kind of love each and every day!

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, You were the greatest of all men, yet You taught us to look at the very humble aspects of Your life and imitate Your humility and servanthood. Thank You Jesus for setting the example before us, and also for teaching us what You are looking for in Your children. We are but a spec of dust, compared to Your awesome greatness, so we really have nothing to brag about, nor a reason to pretend greatness compared to our fellow Brothers and Sisters. Please be patient with us as You work on us to make us more like Yourself every day. May our unbelieving friends see the likeness of Jesus in us in everything we do, for we want them to see and desire Your love and experience Your forgiveness of their sin. Forgive us Lord when we allow self to get in the way of Your work in our lives. Have thine own way Lord, Have thine own way, You are the Potter, I am the clay….. AMEN!

The Path To Greatness – Step Two

On 2022-07-072022-07-08 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, Unity, WorshipLeave a comment

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

SCRIPTURE FROM: Mark 9:38-41
TRANSLATION: GOD’S WORD Translation (GW)

BIBLE TEXT: ³⁸John said to Jesus, “Teacher, we saw someone forcing demons out of a person by using the power and authority of your name. We tried to stop him because he was not one of us.”
³⁹Jesus said, “Don’t stop him! No one who works a miracle in my name can turn around and speak evil of me. ⁴⁰Whoever isn’t against us is for us. ⁴¹I can guarantee this truth: Whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ will certainly not lose his reward.”

APPLICATION: Yesterday we covered the first principle of greatness, as taught by Jesus to His disciples – Treat everyone equally. Today we will look at another principle that will appear just as challenging, and in most cases will need the power of God to help us achieve what Jesus taught to us – Be mindful, or be as magnanimous as we possibly can be—even toward those who are not traveling with us denominationally or theologically. Each of these principles require the strong hand of Jesus to guide us and instill upon us the ways taught by Him, and not what we see in this world today. There are numerous church denominations, and each will tell you what’s wrong with the beliefs and teachings of the other. Much like what John did when he spoke with Jesus, so will denominational leaders today quickly make every effort to shut down the ministry of the other body of believers, because they are just not in the group that has it all right, or are properly aligned with the teachings of Jesus – at least in the way they interpret and/or understand. But let’s see how Jesus addressed this problem that first started with the disciples. Jesus said that if the other group is healing, or doing things in the name of Jesus, then they are working towards the same goal as John and the disciples. Likewise, in todays world, I believe that Jesus may say something like this to, say the Methodists: hey, don’t interfere with or denounce the work of the Baptist or the Church of God, for although they may not baptize in the same way that you do, or their church services may be different to yours, yet they call on the same God, wait for the power of the same Holy Spirit, and they know that only the blood of Jesus will wash away their sin. But Jesus taught that if the other denominations are not seeking to shut you down, and if they call on the name of Jesus in their respective ministries, then we each are striving for the same goal as we minister. In fact, I would add that if we are being critical towards the efforts of other denominations, we may be worse off for it, because we are complaining and whining about the work that God may have ordained through them. Jesus said that we become great when we welcome, pray for, and support, the work of others who are outside of our group, but who are also teaching, preaching and practicing the teachings of Jesus, our Lord. Let’s always be mindful of the fact that ‘churches’ are a group of people. So when we criticize and put down other denominations, we are looking at our neighbor and pulling them down for not doing ministry in the way WE feel is best, or necessary. Jesus rightly taught that sort of attitude was wrong, and it still is today. Let’s learn to thank God for the ministry of our church, and be just as quick to also thank Him for the work of our other neighborhood churches. God is at work my friends, and He didn’t choose just our church to complete His awesome work through here on earth. He loves ALL His children, regardless of how they choose to worship here on earth. We should be just as quick to love ALL Christians who also call our God ‘Father’, for they are our heavenly Brothers and Sisters, regardless of how they choose to worship here on earth!

BLESSING(S) NOTED: Whoever is not against our heavenly work here on earth, is therefore in favor of our work. Let’s love them because we serve the same Master!

PRAYER: Thank You Lord Jesus for being the greatest One that ever visited this planet! Thank You for creating us uniquely different, but also helping us to be compassionate about each other, regardless of our differences. There are many still here on earth that have ever accepted You as Lord. Please help us to never be a stumbling block to prevent them from truly seeing You at work among Your people. May we look and sound just like You, so that the lost may see, hear, believe, and surrender their heart to You as Lord. Touch Your children, Lord, in spite of the obstacles that Your saints allow to hinder us. AMEN!

The Path To Greatness – Step One

On 2022-07-062022-07-07 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED Wednesday, 2022-07-06
WRITTEN AT: O Brien, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Mark 9:35-37
TRANSLATION: Easy-to-Read Version (ERV)

BIBLE TEXT: ³⁵Jesus sat down and called the twelve apostles to him. He said, “Whoever wants to be the most important must make others more important than themselves. They must serve everyone else.”
³⁶Then Jesus took a small child and stood the child in front of the followers. He held the child in his arms and said, ³⁷“Whoever accepts children like these in my name is accepting me. And anyone who accepts me is also accepting the one who sent me.”

APPLICATION: A very interesting difference between the teachings of workplace leaders and the teachings of Jesus on this subject is that the workplace will teach its leaders to step out from among their employees and show them who’s boss. In other words, you can’t be their friend and their boss. However, the very first principle Jesus teaches, is that we are to treat others as if they are more important than we are, and that they deserve our respect and praise. To really get this point, it is important for us to consider Jesus and His followers. God loved His creation so much that He created a God-moment and miraculously birthed His Son into the world. This Son came and reigned among mankind; healed the sick; raised the dead; made the blind to see again and the dumb to speak again. He had the same power as His Father. Yet when mankind chose to kill Jesus, He surrendered His power and allowed their actions, so as to please His Father. God chose that this should occur so that through the death of His Son, His children on earth could surrender themselves to Him and be saved of their sin – past present and future. This form of ‘greatness’ by God and His Son, in spite of their almighty power, showed unheard of love to even the weakest and lowliest sinner on earth. So if we choose to be one with Christ, and endeavor to honor Him by obeying His commands and living in His example, we are reminded that we are among the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven. Friends, being the greatest employee for your boss may earn you a bonus, or a good raise, but as soon as you disappoint that same boss, he seeks a way to exit you from the company. God works completely different, for He assures us that we are accepted by He and His Son, and the Word of God is clear that for those whom He saves, they are saved forevermore! So you will clearly see that earthly accolades are temporary and based upon your works, but when God accepts our call for repentance and salvation, His gift keeps on giving and holds true for all eternity! There is no comparison to that anywhere on earth, no matter how great you may feel you are. May God bless and direct you to the foot of the cross and teach you true greatness by the greatest man to ever walk this earth, Jesus Christ.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: Making others more important than we are, and serving them here on earth – this makes us ‘great’ in the eyes of God!

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, be merciful to me, a sinner who stands in Your presence seeking forgiveness and strength to serve my fellow man, and to lift them up in their earthly endeavors. Who am I that a perfect and holy God would send His only Son to die a cruel death on the cross so that I may be saved? In Your sacrifice and in the most important sacrifice on earth, You lifted me up from the mire of sin and made me coheirs with yourself in the Kingdom of heaven. Thank You Lord Jesus for setting an example for your followers to imitate. Please direct our path today so that others may see You in and through our action, words and sacrifice. May they develop a greater sense of acceptance for You and surrender their lives wholeheartedly to You. AMEN!

A Heart Willing To Obey

On 2022-07-052022-07-06 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Needs, Obedience, Praise, Recognize God, Trust, WorshipLeave a comment

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

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

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

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

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

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

Trust In God, His Promises Are True

On 2022-07-042022-07-07 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Needs, Praise, Promise, Recognize God, Trust, WorshipLeave a comment

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

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

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

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

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

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

How To Spend Your Spare Time

On 2022-07-032022-07-05 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Believers, friends, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, Worship2 Comments

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

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

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

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

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

Motivated & Inspired By God’s Love For Us

On 2022-07-022022-07-02 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Christian love, Faith, Faith in Action, Mature, Needs, On guard, Praise, Recognize God, Stand Firm, Unconditional love, WorshipLeave a comment

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

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

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

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

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

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

Reasons Why We Can’t Heal

On 2022-07-012022-07-02 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Faith, Healing, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nuggets From God's Word

Category: Appreciation