Category: Ask and Receive

Faith Today: The Promise of Eternal Life Through Jesus

On By Ed AlgreenIn Accept Jesus NOW, Allegiance to the Lamb, Ask and Receive, Believe, Believers, Biblical Decisions, Blood of Jesus, Born Again, Christ's Representative, Christian, Christianity, Cleanse me Oh God, Commitment, Convinced of the gospel, Decisions, Know and Believe, Know Jesus, Surrender, The love of God, The Plan, The WordLeave a comment

DATE POSTED
Friday, November 22, 2024, and I was blessed to be at Mariposa at Hunter Road, San Marcos, TX when God inspired me to prepare this devotional. My Footnote will tell you how to find and read any and all devotionals that I have shared over the years.

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
Quoted from the Living Bible (TLB) and found in John 1:1-4; 11-13

THE SCRIPTURE READS
 1-2 Before anything else existed, there was Christ, with God. He has always been alive and is himself God. 3 He created everything there is—nothing exists that he didn’t make. 4 Eternal life is in him, and this life gives light to all mankind. 
11-12 Even in his own land and among his own people, the Jews, he was not accepted. Only a few would welcome and receive him. But to all who received him, he gave the right to become children of God. All they needed to do was to trust him to save them. 13 All those who believe this are reborn! – not a physical rebirth resulting from human passion or plan – but from the will of God.

APPLICATION – as inspired by the Holy Spirit
Just as John saw fit to declare the name, power and authority of the Christ in whom he believed, and who inspired him to write the Gospel of John, I believe it is important for us to understand this when we look at the instruction from this book, the Bible. Interpreters have labored over translating the Bible as accurately as they possibly could, but some words – like ‘Logos’ in the original language, actually translates to God; Christ; or the Word. Therefore, many Bibles show ‘the Word’ in their translation of John chapter one. The version I quoted here is not incorrect, the writers just used a word that we relate to more, to help us understand the intent.
BUT, after establishing the person of Christ and His relationship to God, John impressed even more upon me as I got down to verse 11, and I hope that God will also impress upon you, the importance of these words. John wanted God’s chosen people, the Jews, to know that he was aware of the ones who rejected Jesus as the Christ – the Son of God, but more importantly, John wanted them to know that for those who heard the voice of God and accepted Jesus as Lord, they were awarded the right to become children of God. And we all long for a sense of belonging to someone. For the casual reader, no doubt you are excited that the Jews read John’s words, listened to, and obeyed his invitation, and they could now rest easy knowing their eternity is secure in the fact that they will be with God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit forever. However, to my readers today I must share that God also wanted this chapter included in His Word to us today, so that we could know that His Word is still the same powerful force today; His love is even more expansive that we may have first thought, because this Good News also applies to us today. The promises of God are just as true today for us as it was for the Jews: ‘to all who receive him, he gives the right to become children of God‘. To those who really read into this, you owe it to yourself to ask ‘but what about those who don’t receive Jesus?’ It is a good reminder for us that there are only two places available to us after life here on this earth: Eternity in Heaven for those who have invited and received Jesus into their life and given Him authority to be Lord of their life, OR Eternity in Hell where Satan will torment you way worse than anything you have experienced while here on earth. Friends, God created us in His own image, and He wants us to stay especially close to Him as our Creator and Father, why would we allow Satan to tempt us into thinking anything else? Please allow the Lord to open your heart, mind and soul today and impress upon you any adjustments necessary for your impending eternity.

PRAYER
Dearest Lord Jesus, You are indeed my Creator; my King; my Savior; My Lord and my eternal Father. I thank You Lord for that assurance and I am renewed in my resolve after reading the words You impressed upon John the apostle. I earnestly pray that You will impress upon the hearts of my readers the importance of not only hearing about You, but in accepting You as Lord of their lives. This life, as we know it today, will conclude here on earth, but it is clear that our souls will go on to a place made possible by the choices we make here on earth. I long to be with You in Heaven one day soon, and I would love to convince my audience to prepare for that day also. Please impress upon them the importance of making that decision, and doing something about it TODAY. In just my small circle of family and friends, several have been called out unexpectedly recently, and possibly without knowing You personally. To all those reading this devotional, please be reminded that you can make the decision today to right your final destination, for tomorrow may be too late. Have Your will and way in our lives today, Lord, and may You be glorified by the decisions we make and the stances we take to be honest and true representatives of Yours everywhere we find ourselves today. AMEN!

FOOTNOTE
If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please take advantage of information provided on my page ‘To Know Jesus’. I would also suggest that you speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com and share your good news! Perhaps one of God’s servants will 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. 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 being a part of that, while also growing in your faith, as you worship with fellow believers!

Overcoming Distractions: Prioritizing God in Your Life

On By Ed AlgreenIn Acknowledge God, All-powerful, Allegiance, Allegiance to the Lamb, Always There, Ask and Receive, Awesome God, Blessings, Bold Confidence, Challenges, Choice, Church attendance, Cleanse me Oh God, Daily communion with God, Devoted, Distractions, Draw Me Close to You, Eternal Life, Everything We Need, Faith, Follow Jesus, God our Provider, God's Guidance, God's Power, Leadership of the Holy SpiritLeave a comment

DATE POSTED
Tuesday, November 12, 2024, and I was blessed to be at Mariposa at Hunter Road, San Marcos, TX when God inspired me to prepare this devotional. My Footnote will tell you how to find and read any and all episodes that I have shared over the years.

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
Quoted from the Good News Translation (GNT) and found in Isaiah 65:1-3

THE SCRIPTURE READS
1 The Lord said, “I was ready to answer my people’s prayers, but they did not pray. I was ready for them to find me, but they did not even try. The nation did not pray to me, even though I was always ready to answer, ‘Here I am; I will help you.’ 2 I have always been ready to welcome my people, who stubbornly do what is wrong and go their own way. 3 They shamelessly keep on making me angry. They offer pagan sacrifices at sacred gardens and burn incense on pagan altars. 

APPLICATION – as inspired by the Holy Spirit
Perhaps you have better control over your emotions on being trapped in an impatient situation, but it seems like as I age, I am becoming way more intolerant over waiting for someone that I expected to make the next step in a process, only to find out they either misunderstood their role, or had no intention in following through on something expected of them. As I meditated on this Scripture today, I held my head down in shame, because I was reminded that God must be exceptionally tolerant of me as He waits for me each morning after blessing me with a very safe, warm, comfortable, restful night, yet I fail to thank Him as I awaken and approach another beautiful day. At evening time, after all day preparing the way for me, directing my path while opening doors that would otherwise be shut tight, yet I lay my head down without saying ‘Thank You’ to my Provider, my Protector, my Savior and my Lord. Friends, try re-reading today’s Scripture and allow it to challenge you about your similarities to the nation of Israel that God spoke to through His servant, Isaiah. We are quickly approaching a time of the year that many set aside as a special day each year to offer up thanks to Almighty God for His amazing hand of mercy and blessings throughout the year. Let us pray that this will not just prove to be a day of overindulging in turkey and whatever other food items might fill our tables that day, for just as our God is reminding us in this Scripture, He stands ready to continue blessing us in the year ahead, if only we would recognize our source of each and every blessing. He stands ready to hear our prayers and petitions as we share our concerns with Him in prayer, for in Isaiah 59:1 we are reminded that God’s arm is not too short to save us or hear our cry for mercy, or want or salvation. Please, dear friends, be reminded that God is still on the throne and He sees the gods that we have chosen to worship. Yes, especially those gods that are outside of His temple where we expect Him to be present. For the Israelites, He saw the gods they worshipped in their gardens. For us, it is any thing, or any one that we allow to take precedence over our time with Almighty God. Let me suggest that we start with, and particularly look at, what we choose to do during the times that our church worship services are going on. Examples might be the beach, boating, sports, shopping, hunting, work, etc. Are these the things that you give thanks to at Thanksgiving for your survival over the past year? Are these the things that you go to, or call on, in times of trouble, disappointment or illnesses? I believe that if these things take priority, and/or take up the time you would otherwise spend with God, then God may be jealous to the extent that He considers you spending more time with other gods rather than Him. May God direct us to keep our hearts and minds fixed on Him, our Creator and Savior, and allow nothing else to distract from our time with Him.

PRAYER
Lord Jesus, thank you for Your unconditional and persistent love for us – Your creation and Your children. You created us in Your image, yet we’ve strayed to our own vices and found other ‘gods’ more attractive, necessary and important to us. You bless, protect and guide us to be more like You every day, yet we choose to ‘do it our way’ like the songwriter wrote about. Please Lord, forgive us of our twisted priorities and our misguided allegiance. Please continue to work on us and open our eyes to see You as You are, our Savior and Lord – our everlasting King – the God of this universe for today and for evermore. In the busyness of life we often complain about not having time for everything that should be important to us. Please help us to use the words that something, or someone was not a priority to us, if we chose other things to consume our time. We want You to be our top priority in all walks of life. Please help us to give priority to You above all else. Amen!

FOOTNOTE
If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please take advantage of information provided on my page ‘To Know Jesus’. I would also suggest that you speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com and share your good news! Perhaps one of God’s servants will 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. 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 being a part of that, while also growing in your faith, as you worship with fellow believers!

A Bonus From God

On By Ed AlgreenIn Acknowledge God, Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Ask and Receive, Awesome God, Believe, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED: Sunday, 2023-02-19
WRITTEN AT: O’Brien, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: 2 Chronicles 1:11-12
TRANSLATION: New Living Translation (NLT)

BIBLE TEXT: 11 God said to Solomon, “Because your greatest desire is to help your people, and you did not ask for wealth, riches, fame, or even the death of your enemies or a long life, but rather you asked for wisdom and knowledge to properly govern my people— 12 I will certainly give you the wisdom and knowledge you requested. But I will also give you wealth, riches, and fame such as no other king has had before you or will ever have in the future!”

APPLICATION: I would imagine that it would probably depend on what we are going through at the time, as to what we might tell God is at the top of our ‘Wish List’, or is our greatest desire. If we are wanting to get married, then we would probably ask God to help us find the best suited mate available. If we are attending college, then perhaps we might ask God to help us achieve the best test scores possible, whether we have, or have not, spent adequate time studying as we should have! If the bills are mounting and there just don’t seem to be enough income to go around, we might ask God to wave His magic wand and make the bills go away for us. BUT, I’m hoping that many of my readers and/or listeners are in close fellowship with God, spends adequate time with Him each day studying His Word and praying for His divine direction in your lives. What would you ask for? My attention was drawn when the young, new king, Solomon, made it his very first move to take his leaders with him up to the temple. He didn’t say what he was going for, and Scripture doesn’t record, that his leaders asked any questions about where they were going or the reason why. This large group arrived at the temple and Solomon led the pack in proceeding to the bronze altar and sacrificing 1,000 burnt offerings to the Lord. Isn’t it amazing how this very powerful young king didn’t recline back and order his servant leaders to handle the burnt offerings? Notice how Solomon didn’t make the offerings with any type of condition to God, or use them as any bargaining tool for what he wanted from God that day? But of particular notice is that God knew the heart of the dad who had prayed for his son to assume kingship over Israel, and how he wanted him to keep God first in everything he did. God also knew that in-spite of everything that Solomon had going for him, he found no greater priority than to gather his leaders and first go to the temple to seek the face of God, before any other task that required their attention. Notice in verse 11 how God’s heart was touched by Solomon not doing like most, who would ask for personal success and riches, but instead asked for help in being the best possible leader for a people he had been given the honor to lead. Although knowing his very heart, yet God wanted us to notice that He will bless abundantly more than we could comprehend, when His people will humble themselves, seek His face, and beg for help in meeting the needs of His people over whom we have influence. God blessed Solomon with the things he requested, but then as a bonus, God also blessed him with those things that he could have asked for! Friends, I don’t believe there is any greater ‘wow’ moment than to see the Great I Am do more for us than we ask or deserve! I wonder, when last have we sacrificed time at work or play or family, to call a few Christian brothers and sisters and invite them to meet you at the altar of your church? Assuming that some will show up, would they be surprised that nothing is personally wrong with you or your immediate family, but that you wanted to pray for a neighbor who needs Jesus, or for your Sunday School class that you will teach the following day, or the congregation that you feel truly needs to see Jesus in services the next day? Do you suppose that people are not being blessed, or saved today because of our laxity and lack of dedication to the God we are meant to represent and lead our people to in our respective ministries? At the very ending of verse 12, God promised to bless Solomon more than any king before or after him ever thought possible. What would happen in your family, or your Sunday School class or your church congregation if God chose to bless in this way because of your faithfulness? Could our city contain itself if it saw churches being blessed in response to their humbleness, their dedication, their teaching and their preaching? Why, it will become evident that the God we worship and adore really does exist, because the might works of God reveals itself through His church! Are you truly doing anything to invoke the blessings of Almighty God on His people and His church? Oh Lord, may we always facilitate Your blessing, and never stand as a stumbling block to all You want for Your people.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: God was merciful to Solomon and blessed Him with what he asked for, plus, as a bonus, also blessed him with the things that he could have asked for! What an awesome, giving, and ever-blessing God we serve!

PRAYER: Glory to God in the highest for who You are and for all that You do for Your children – especially for the blessings that we may not even asked for! Oh that Your people will recognize Your greatness today and have a deep desire to worship You and seek Your ongoing goodness for all those we love and cross paths with each day. Your blessings are way greater than anything we could imagine or ask for, and I pray that we would realize once again that You just want our availability to serve, and Your blessings will overflow through us to bless others. May each one that walks through the doors of Your church today come with a new desire to worship You for who You are, and not just for what You could give them. Please Lord, help us to seek Your throne on behalf of others today, and not just for what You can do for us. May Your kingdom come, on earth, as it is in heaven. For thine is the glory, the honor and praise. 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!

Ask God First And Wait For His Response

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Ask and Receive, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, Submission, Worship1 Comment

DATE POSTED Tuesday, 2022-08-02
WRITTEN AT: O Brien, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: 1 Samuel 14:36-39
TRANSLATION: Living Bible (TLB)

BIBLE TEXT: 36 …Saul said, “Let’s chase the Philistines all night and destroy every last one of them.”
“Fine!” his men replied. “Do as you think best.”
But the priest said, “Let’s ask God first.”
37 So Saul asked God, “Shall we go after the Philistines? Will you help us defeat them?” But the Lord made no reply all night. 38 Then Saul said to the leaders, “Something’s wrong! We must find out what sin was committed today. 39 I vow by the name of the God who saved Israel that though the sinner be my own son Jonathan, he shall surely die!”

APPLICATION: I love the accountability of those close to Saul in reminding him to turn to God before making his decisions. This is an awesome reminder for those who love and respect other – that they will see those things that we tend to overlook, and that are for our own good – remind them Lord to always remind us and make us accountable to God. I’ve had friends contact me in the past and asked me to be an accountability partner, but they were looking for one who would be honest and frank with them. What a joy it is to help someone in their path to closeness with God! Another part of this Scripture that caught my attention, is the fact that Saul expected an answer from God, and he wouldn’t walk away without knowing why there wasn’t an answer. Based on his knowledge and past experience with God, Saul knew that he would normally hear from God. Do you have such a relationship with God? I remember an elderly church member who prayed so sincerely for my injured arm that when she approached me the following Sunday and I was still having pain, she was befuddled about what must have happened. She had prayed for me, and she was confident that God would answer her prayer. Isn’t it rewarding that we could approach the throne of God and ask anything of the Creator of this Universe? Are you catching a glimpse of the awesome power available to the child of God? Now, one of the things that I’m glad that God chose to permit in His Word, is the silly oath that Saul made. I admit that Saul was extremely confident in the power of God, but to bet his life, or that of his son’s, on the lack of response from God, seemed way overboard. We can have all the confidence that’s humanly possible in our God, but to say like some, that ‘you would put your head on a chopping block’, or like Saul, that he or his son would die if they blocked the decision of God, is beyond reasonable, at least in my sight. Friends, we have tremendous insights into what a true and sincere relationship with God looks like. Adding the extra oaths like we do to convince mankind, is not necessary with God. Let our yes be yes, and our no be no. God knows what we say, and He even knows our heart and our thoughts. Any oaths we make is for the good of our fellow man, not for God. Notice that Saul waited for God’s response before continuing with the next step for he and his army. Oh that God will give us the wisdom and the commitment to always do the same.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: In our relationship with God, I am overjoyed that we can wait for, and receive, His response to our prayers BEFORE we move forward on our own and mess things up!

PRAYER: Loving Jesus, thank You for who You are and for all that You are to Your children. Please help us to never attempt to move forward in our own power, especially with such limited wisdom and knowledge about tomorrow. Lord, I pray that after being reminded of the experience of Saul, every reader and listener will have a deeper desire to seek first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness, and ALL these gifts, wisdom and decisions, will be given to us. You alone are God, and we are nothing compared to You – powerless and dumb to the plans You have for us. Please help us to live in the light of eternity, and to always depend on You for all things. Please touch the hearts and lives of those who are seeking for the Savior today. Oh that they will find, accept and obey Jesus. 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!

Faith – Pray and Receive

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Ask and Receive, Empowered, Faith, Faith, Faith in Action, God's Power, Miracles, Needs, Power of Prayer, Praise, Prayer, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED Wednesday, 2022-07-27
WRITTEN AT: O Brien, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Mark 11:22-25
TRANSLATION: GOD’S WORD Translation (GW)

BIBLE TEXT: 22 Jesus said to them, “Have faith in God! 23 I can guarantee this truth: This is what will be done for someone who doesn’t doubt but believes what he says will happen: He can say to this mountain, ‘Be uprooted and thrown into the sea,’ and it will be done for him. 24 That’s why I tell you to have faith that you have already received whatever you pray for, and it will be yours. 25 Whenever you pray, forgive anything you have against anyone. Then your Father in heaven will forgive your failures.”

APPLICATION: In following a ‘get rich’ scheme, often you are required to follow in the footsteps of something already proven by a person who is enjoying a very rich lifestyle, that may have resulted from certain actions and methods used by them. The idea of becoming rich sounds impossible to the poor, hardworking individual, but many are willing to look at their lifestyle and follow a proven plan, that supposedly got a man rich. For the child of God, we depend on the Word of God as our guide and direction to point us towards a lifestyle that would mirror the life and character of our Master and Lord. However in pursuing this ‘perfect’ lifestyle, we also come across tips from Jesus that teaches us how we might gain some of the actual power and authority of our Master. Today is one of these examples. Jesus had just cursed a fig tree that He had created, but it was not performing like Jesus intended for such trees. In spite of the many miracles the disciples had already witnessed, they were still astonished that Jesus actually had powers over the Fig Tree. The problem with following the schemes of the rich and famous, is that their tips lead to only one thing – financial gain. In this life, we encounter new challenges every day and the challenges are as varied as the days are. In this story Jesus teaches us how we might become aligned with God’s will and receive our miracle, no matter how varied the circumstances that seem to surround the challenge. Jesus teaches that miracles will happen for those who:
*~* Don’t doubt – do you have friends who always see the glass as half empty, instead of almost full? They find the slightest problem that might be possible in a scenario, instead of celebrating the positive possibilities of an otherwise impossible situation;
*~* Believe that what you say, will happen – No ifs, ands or buts! If you say it, then believe it, and watch as it happens? When you have that kind of faith in the God who supports your every word and action, then you will see miracles, touched by God, happen!
*~* Forgive, and you will be forgiven by God – What on earth does this have to do with miracles? To be right with God, you must not be holding a grudge against anyone. Jesus said that He will forgive you, and make you right in His eyes, at the same level that you have forgiven others. Imagine Jesus standing holy before His Father because He has forgiven you for all your sin. In trying to mirror Jesus, He will expect the same level of forgiveness from you. Don’t expect God to approve your actions, such as miracles, if you are retaining sin in your heart. Forgive, and God will forgive you at that same level.
Friends, Jesus is teaching us just as He taught His disciples. Don’t doubt, but believe in the awesome power of the God of this universe. Believe in His power just as you believe He had the power to create you, me, and this whole wide world. And most importantly, forgive others just as Jesus forgave you when you petitioned Him for salvation. Miracles will happen when you approach God with these things properly aligned in your life. Trust Him dear friend, and expect your miracle today! He said it, and you can believe it!

BLESSING(S) NOTED: Have faith that you have already received the thing you are asking for, and you will receive it. Present yourself holy before a righteous and holy God, and all these things will be granted to you, child of God!

PRAYER: Lord, we need You more today than anytime in our prior history. Unresolvable diseases are rampant; crime is off the chart; medical issues are challenging doctors every day; young and old alike are dying at alarming rates; the homeless population is increasing and mankind does not have the answers. Our faith is in You, as we believe that God alone has the answers to the dilemmas of this world. Lord, we believe in You, please help us in our areas of unbelief and/or doubt, so that we could benefit from all that You make available to us. I believe that You have given us the power, just as described in our Scripture today. Please open our eyes, so that we may work on our hearts and our relationship with You. We long to move the mountains in our lives so that no obstruction exists between us. Help us so that others may see You and Your awesome and miraculous power at work. 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!

Don’t Be A Stumbling Block

On By Ed AlgreenIn Ask and Receive, Salvation, Stumbling block, WorshipLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE  FROM:   Romans 11:25-26; 33-34 (TLB)

TEXT: 25 I want you to know about this truth from God, dear brothers, so that you will not feel proud and start bragging. Yes, it is true that some of the Jews have set themselves against the Gospel now, but this will last only until all of you Gentiles have come to Christ—those of you who will. 26 And then all Israel will be saved…..

33 Oh, what a wonderful God we have! How great are his wisdom and knowledge and riches! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his methods! 34 For who among us can know the mind of the Lord? ……

APPLICATION:   As I meditated on the Word of God, I was reminded, in awe, of His great wisdom, and His awesome power to fulfill His Godly purpose. This particular Scripture reminded me of a sad story, but one that brought awesome results. Many years ago, my cousin, a young man about 35 years old, was electrocuted and fell to his death from a roadside electric pole. The mourning of that mother, my aunt, could be heard over most of the small town. However, before the sun set the following day, my dad (brother to the grieving mother) had surrendered his heart to Jesus! He then became a Godly influence to his five children until the day he died. What happened in this Scripture today, also reminds me an awful lot of our churches today, for it almost seems like the movement of Christ has been slowed down and possibly even dwindled some, and I wonder if it is not God dealing more intensely in the hearts of so many that are totally lost. This may not make total sense to everyone, but I wonder if God is not saying to our churches: ‘put away selfish desires, prejudices and pride. Remember, your wisdom is nothing compared to the wisdom of our awesome God. For people to gain wisdom from and in you will teach them very little however, to know Christ will gain them all eternity’. The Bible reminds us that God’s ways and thoughts are way beyond our own, so that tells me that I can’t possibly understand all that He’s up to. However, I know from the Word that God made us all to worship and adore Him, so shouldn’t our every effort be in seeking ways to know Him better, accept Him more fully and worship Him in total surrender to self and this wicked world? It just seems like we are currently facing the same dilemma that Jesus spoke of in our Scripture verses today. For we hate to look at the evening news because of all the crime, violence and acts of hatred that fills our news portals, while churches are closing their doors in record numbers because of non-attendance, lack of giving and leadership. We hear excuses such as COVID, or the effects of war, but friends, we must remember that Jesus is coming back soon to collect His church. Can you even fathom how few will be taken up to glory with Him, compared to the huge population of earth? To the church, I would say with great urgency that people need the Lord. The Gentile population has grown, and unless we who are Christian, stand firm in our faith, lift up the banner of God so that the lost may recognize God in His greatness and accept Him as Lord, then there will be a massive divide on the day that Christ returns to take His bride away with Him. It would hurt my heart to think that God may have to push Christians aside, so that the unsaved may find Jesus Christ. Unfortunately, I have family and friends that I believe will be left behind if they remain unchanged. Assuming that many of you are in a similar position, I would encourage you to join me in praying to the God of this universe for a great movement upon our land. Oh that Jesus may rule and reign in our personal lives, our families, our churches, our communities and in our nations around the world, so that the people will know and believe in the sacrificial lamb of God – Jesus Christ. May the God of this universe become known as Everlasting King of this universe!

PRAYER:   Lord You are good and Your mercies endureth forever! In our Scripture today, we are reminded that although You created us to worship You, many refuse to do so. You created us in Your likeness hoping that we would live in similar fashion to Your example while here on earth, yet there are many who mock and scorn You and Your children, much like what occurred in times past. The warning signs of Your return are evident Lord, and we thank You for promising us that You will return for Your children! Heavenly Father, please soften the hearts of Your children, so that Your churches may be filled to capacity with worshipers longing to draw close to their Creator, our Everlasting God, and may this impact the unsaved like never before. 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 could 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 to subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are are not already connected in a local Bible teaching church, let me encourage you to find one so that you may grow in the love and stature of the King of all kings. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us!

God’s Response To Our Asking, Seeking and Knocking

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Ask and Receive, Needs, Persistence, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED Saturday, 2022-01-29
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Matthew 7:7-11
TRANSLATION: The Passion Translation (TPT)

BIBLE TEXT: 7 “Ask, and the gift is yours. Seek, and you’ll discover. Knock, and the door will be opened for you. 8 For every persistent one will get what he asks for. Every persistent seeker will discover what he longs for. And everyone who knocks persistently will one day find an open door.
9 “Do you know of any parent who would give his hungry child, who asked for food, a plate of rocks instead? 10 Or when asked for a piece of fish, what parent would offer his child a snake instead? 11 If you, imperfect as you are, know how to lovingly take care of your children and give them what’s best, how much more ready is your heavenly Father to give wonderful gifts to those who ask him?”

APPLICATION: It seems like humans just need the right incentive and they will show persistence in whatever their heart desires. While prayer is more than just asking for God’s help, it does seem to be one of the foremost reasons that we pray. I remember in prayer meetings being asked to just praise God, or give thanks to Him, without asking for anything, at least for the first few minutes. It was a challenging thing to do, for we soon enough got into asking God for His help or for His provisions. There was a great leader who taught us to seek the face of Jesus, and we will quickly recognize His outstretched hand in giving us very important items that we so desperately needed. A neat concept, yet we soon found ourselves petitioning for our needs and wants. My eyes were opened as I found the commentary shared in my introduction to this Scripture. For it showed me that Jesus was probably teaching us that as we strive to discover, or find something, we will keep on seeking. As we try to satisfy our curiosity about what lies beyond the unknown, we will keep on knocking, just like we do when we need to know who’s inside a room. If we ever received a response to our asking for something, then we will keep on asking. Behind each persistent action, there is incentive for us to keep doing it. Think about it, a baby will keep crying until we go and pick them up, give them milk, or change their diaper. I believe that Jesus wants us to have that same persistence, and in these verses He is telling us that if we are persistent, He will hear the cry of our heart and meet our need. In sharing the example of our earthly father, I believe Jesus was assuring us that He is our heavenly Father, and He will certainly hear the desires and needs of our heart and He will extend His hand to satisfy our needs. So dear friends, let me ask that you join with me in building that relationship with our heavenly Father, knowing that He will hear the cry of our hearts and meet our needs. I don’t know that there has ever been a greater time of need by mankind than today.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: No one every cared for me like Jesus!

PRAYER: I need thee every hour, most precious Lord. Please help me through these rough and stormy days. Covid, excessive crime, enormous unemployment, skyrocketing cost of living, and just knowing that someone cares about how we will handle all these things. Only You Lord can satisfy our very personal needs. Please give us strength and wisdom for the challenges of each and every day. May unbelievers especially see how well You care for Your own, for they truly need something that will turn their minds and their heads towards You. AMEN!

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

Here’s A Gift – Receive or Reject It

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Ask and Receive, Gift, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, Rejection, Worship2 Comments

DATE POSTED Saturday, 2021-10-30
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: John 1:10-12
TRANSLATION: The Voice (VOICE)

BIBLE TEXT: 10 He entered our world, a world He made; yet the world did not recognize Him. 11 Even though He came to His own people, they refused to listen and receive Him. 12 But for all who did receive and trust in Him, He gave them the right to be reborn as children of God;

APPLICATION: Hopefully this Scripture will mean more to you today than just another story in the Bible. To me, it serves as a reminder of how God must have felt when He realized that we were just finding it way too difficult to live a holy life through blood sacrifices, so He miraculously sent His very own Son to earth on our behalf. Jesus provides the way for us to one day meet with the Father and the Son in Heaven, IF we would accept Him as Lord of our life, believe on Him with all of our heart, and obey His commands as laid out in His Word. John tells us in today’s Scripture that although God created us, placed us into a world that He filled with beauty and adequate food, yet we had no desire to accept this awesome gift from God. Now, before you pounce on the terrible people of John’s day, let me remind you that the Word of God is a living and active word for us today also, and it seems like we have become worse than what we read about with the Pharisees, Jews and Gentiles of John’s day. Think about it friends, just as John said: God created us, placed us in a wonderful world that He created for us, blessed us with much to eat and drink, provided an ample supply of churches where we might worship with other believers and grow from their experiences with Almighty God, yet we carelessly reject this wonderful gift from God. Instead, we tend to choose very trivial priorities such as beach, sun, over-indulging at restaurants and night clubs, choosing to sleep in on the morning we should be heading to the place we have chosen to worship the awesome God who loves us just as we are. Friends, we have allowed Satan to interfere and drive us towards things that are very temporary and will distract us from eternity in heaven with our Maker. I have no doubt that God has placed these Scripture verses before us today as a reminder of what our family and friends are missing out on. Other Scriptures also show us that the day of Jesus’ return is nearing. That lends urgency to our prayers for God to touch the heart of unsaved loved ones, so let’s be about the work of the Lord today while there is still time.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: We serve a loving and awesome God who has presented His greatest gift ever, His very own Son, so that we might enjoy extreme blessings here on earth, and look forward to even greater things in Heaven! Lord I accept your precious gift, and I kneel at Your feet pleading for my unsaved loved ones.

PRAYER: You gave it all, so that we may have it all. Thank You Jesus for your precious gift! Please forgive us when we tread upon that gift lightly and do not accept the faithful promise from on high. Many of our family and friends have consistently rejected Your gift oh Lord, and I am pleading once again on their behalf that You would tender their hearts and drawn them unto Yourself. Lord, if there is a reader or listener who have not fully accepted Your gift of salvation, please may this be the day. 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!

Ask It, Believe It and Receive It

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Ask and Receive, For His Glory, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Tuesday, 2021-06-08
WRITTEN AT: Kissimmee, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Mark 11:24-25
TRANSLATION: Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC)

BIBLE TEXT: 24 For this reason I am telling you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe (trust and be confident) that it is granted to you, and you will [get it]. 25 And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him and [g]let it drop (leave it, let it go), in order that your Father Who is in heaven may also forgive you your [own] failings and shortcomings and let them drop.

APPLICATION: A child who has developed faith in their dad, will think nothing of jumping from a wall into the arms of their dad, confident that they will not hit the ground. Jesus knew that the Father is also just as faithful in listening to His children and responding to the faith and confidence His children have developed in Him. But how do we develop that faith and trust? I had a good friend who would seriously ask God to direct him to his car keys whenever he could not find them. Sounds petty, and perhaps too trivial to bother God with? Well, his idea was that knowing He could trust God for even the small things in life, helped increase his confidence and faith as he asked God to help him in the major concerns of life. Friends, our God is not just available to us as a last resort, or for major disasters in life, but He loves us and cares about every little circumstance in our life. You see, most things that we ask God for will probably seem minor to Him because of His abilities, regardless of what rating we place on our problem. I believe that our greatest challenge is that we are often afraid that God may not respond in the manner that we tell Him we want our prayers answered. But remember, He is God and we are not. The reason we are asking Him, is because the issue is beyond our ability. So if we ask for something, and He chooses to decline our request, or answer it differently, we must remember that His ways our not our ways. But let’s rest assured that His ways are always best, for our ultimate good, and for His glory. So let’s remind ourselves today that we are to praise our Mighty God with all answers to our prayers. The additional tip given to Peter and the disciples was that our requests should never be without thought, and in all seriousness. Jesus said that if we stand before Him to ask for something, be sure that we have no outstanding issue with our fellow man. For God will consider our action towards our Brother in how He will respond to us. If we have been forgiving, He will forgive us; If we have given much, He will give to us; If we have been loving, He will show much love to us. When we stand before God with a clear conscience between us and our fellow man, then we may have faith in our God and willing to trust Him with our concerns. To reiterate: ‘whatever you ask for in prayer, believe (trust and be confident) that it is granted to you, and you will [get it]’.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: It’s not just a kid in a candy store that’s given everything they ask for who will be excited and extremely happy. Jesus said that if we ask in faith, believing, and with a right heart, we will get what we ask for! Only our God has that kind of love and unlimited power!

PRAYER: In deepest appreciation we say thank You Lord for Your amazing love and Your kindness and mercy to us. Please continue to bless us, and may we always sing Your praises, whether You give things to us in the fashion we asked for or not. You are all-knowing and all-powerful. There are so many circumstances in life over which we have no resolve, other than what You point us to. Be glorified in us today dear Lord. AMEN!

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

Ask In Faith, Believing, and Receive

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Ask and Receive, Believe, Faith, Know and Believe, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Sunday, 2021-03-14
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

BIBLE REFERENCE: Matthew 21:21-22
TRANSLATION: Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC)

BIBLE TEXT: 21 And Jesus answered them (His disciples), Truly I say to you, if you have faith (a [n]firm relying trust) and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, Be taken up and cast into the sea, it will be done. 22 And whatever you ask for in prayer, having faith and [really] believing, you will receive.

OBSERVATION: I’ve been told that when Jesus says something repeatedly, it’s because He wants us to really pay attention. For my regular followers, you will remember seeing several devotionals on ‘Faith’ over recent weeks. Hopefully as we meditate on the Word today, we will really allow God to penetrate our hearts on the subject of ‘FAITH’, for it is the crux of our believing in the Lord Jesus Christ – One whom we have never physically seen.

APPLICATION: As I read these verses this morning, I was sure that this was a repeat of something I had read earlier, and actually shared with you via Nuggets. In fact, I had to go back and review previous devotionals to make sure that I wouldn’t duplicate! I was reminded of a preacher who repeated the same sermon for a few Sundays, until an old lady came and reminded him. He responded that he just wasn’t sure that the congregation really understood and believed in what he had shared, so he thought to say it again! I have bolded the words that I feel God really drew to my attention. I believe that most of us pray. In fact, some of us even take time to attend corporate prayer meetings, and we may even join hearts with other believers to pray about things that impact us corporately as a church. What are we really doing when we stop all activity and pray to our Father? As a child, we were probably taught certain prayer lyrics that would eventually be replaced with internal words from our own heart. In a general sense, we know that prayer is a conversation we have with God. Why would one do that if it has the appearance of our words just disappearing into a black hole? Somewhere along the way, hopefully we may have heard about ‘faith’. You know: the kind of faith that caused a woman to fight the crowds so she could just touch the hem of His garment, and instantly she was healed; the kind of faith that caused a man to hop out of a very safe boat and at the command of Jesus, walk on water towards His Master; the kind of faith that caused a man to tell Jesus to raise his son from the dead, even from a long distance away; and perhaps even a current day healing that each of you may have witnessed or heard about. So I believe that Jesus is saying to His followers (disciples) in today’s Scripture, and to His followers today that if we have ‘faith’, and if we truly believe that we serve an all-powerful God who miraculously sent His one and only Son (Jesus) as our Savior, then we should pray as one who believes, and our requests will not only be heard, but also granted. Friends, what if you bowed your head at night with that kind of faith? What if you joined in corporate prayer with that kind of faith? What change might you see in your life of worship to our King, if you celebrated answers to your prayers each and every day? I don’t believe that God expects us to have a special place to meet with Him in prayer, or that we need to work up an attitude of prayer, or a special prophet leading us in prayer. The Word of God says that: if we have faith; and if we believe in our all-powerful God; then we may ask anything of Him and we will receive. Note that God loves us way too much to give us things that He knows will destroy us and our witness for Him, so He may direct us to pray in certain ways that He may approve of! Hebrews 11:1 tells us “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Oh that we may ask of God without having a clue as to what the right answer is, or how He might handle the situation. We just need to ask, and depend on God to Do what He knows best to do!

PRAYER: Lord, I thank You for Your mercies and I thank You for Your all-sufficient hand. Thank You for this reminder on faith, and how we are to ask of You in faith, believing on the power of the Almighty God. This is so real to us today, because things are happening all around us that we have no answers for, and we often struggle with why You would allow them to happen. But Lord, we acknowledge that we are mere man, and because of that, our minds cannot fathom the power, or the ways of an almighty God. But Lord, we know that You love us, and we know that You are sitting at the right hand of the Father petitioning for us. Lord, we believe. Please help us in our areas of unbelief. In faith, I want to ask for You to touch the heart of any reader who has yet to ask You into their heart. May this be the day of salvation for them, I pray. 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!