Eternal Life – Where Do You Stand?

On 2025-10-30 By Ed AlgreenIn Accept Jesus NOW, Acknowledge God, All have sinned, Awesome God, Eternal Life, Eternity, God Cares For Us, God’s WordLeave a comment

DATE POSTED
Thursday, October 30, 2025, and I was blessed to be at Branson, MO 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
Read John 5:24 in your Bible or click on it to read it online in the The Voice (VOICE).

APPLICATION – as inspired by the Holy Spirit
I hope you’ve taken a moment to read the verse referenced above, as it will help you better grasp the context of this devotional.I believe we can all agree that if there is One who created this world and everything in it, then there must also be a purpose behind that creation. For those of us who trust in the inspired Word of God—the Bible—we believe that God made us in His image so that we could know Him, represent Him, and live in a way that reflects His love. Those who accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior can live with the joy of knowing that when this earthly life ends, we will be welcomed into the presence of God—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit—for all eternity. This is what Scripture calls eternal life, and our focal verse today reminds us and confirms this beautiful truth.

Still, we know that not everyone shares this belief. Some have chosen to follow knowledge and ideas apart from God’s Word, trusting in human reasoning rather than divine truth. But when we do that, we risk living separated from the very One who created us and longs to draw us close to Himself. God’s desire is that no one would be lost but that everyone would come to know Him personally.

More than fifty years ago, I accepted Jesus as my Savior and Lord. Looking back, I’m more certain now than ever before that:

There is only one true and living God.
God created me in His image so I could know Him and reflect Him here on earth.
God exists as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—three in one.
God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, born of a virgin, so that all who believe in Him would be forgiven and made new.
As a child of the King, and through the truth of His Word, prayer, and worship, we can walk daily in the assurance that our sins are forgiven and that our God is greater than anything or anyone this world could ever offer.

Friends, each of us must make that decision for ourselves. We can’t rely on anyone else’s faith—not our parents, not our spouse, not even the most faithful friend. No good deeds or generosity can replace a heart that has personally surrendered to Jesus.

So today, I encourage you to pause and ask: Have I accepted Jesus as my Savior? If not, He is waiting with open arms. My prayer is that you will make that choice and experience the peace and joy that comes from knowing Jesus.

One day, I hope to kneel beside you at the feet of Jesus, worshiping together for all eternity. That’s not a selfish wish—it’s the overflow of God’s love in me, a love that wants His very best for you.

The choice is yours, dear friends. Choose Jesus today—and make God’s heart glad.

PRAYER
Lord You are good to me, so, so, good! I thank You for Your goodness and for looking out for my fellow believers and I, especially while dealing with the challenges we face here on earth. In being reminded through this verse today about the eternal benefits of knowing You as Lord, I am excited to share this awesome news with everyone, especially those who have yet to accept this wonderful truth. Please Lord, soften the hearts of all who read this devotional and allow the spirit of God to minister to them. May this be a day of decision for many who are reminded of Your love and Your provision of eternal life in heaven for Your children. AMEN!

FOOTNOTE
If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please take advantage of the information provided on my page ‘To Know Jesus’. Alternatively, consider speaking with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. I pray that one of God’s servants will pray with you and offer help and encouragement as you begin, or continue, your walk with Jesus. If you would like to read more of my devotionals, please visit NuggetsFromGodsWord.org, or if you choose, subscribe to receive a daily email containing each new devotional, as you will also find that option on this page. Friends, I encourage you to find a Bible teaching church home near your residence and attend as frequently as possible. Get to know God and allow His people to encourage and strengthen you in your Christian Walk while you invite God to work through you to bless 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!

Living Your Faith: Practical Applications of James’ Teachings

On 2025-01-26 By Ed AlgreenIn Accept Jesus NOW, Acknowledge God, All have sinned, Awesome God, Eternal Life, Eternity, God Cares For Us, God’s WordLeave a comment

DATE POSTED
Sunday, January 26, 2025, and I was blessed to be in Kyle, 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 James 2:14-26 (Click to open and read)

APPLICATION – as inspired by the Holy Spirit
I maintain that the Word of God is all sufficient and covers every aspect of life for which we need help, comfort or direction. It is amazing, dear friends! But less we become confused, or should we totally misunderstand what James is teaching us here, perhaps we should look at a few real-life examples. Such as: If a man and woman marries and the man continues his life-long hobbies with his buddies, leaving very little time to spend with his new wife, will that marriage survive? I doubt it! Plus, if family and friends never see the couple together, or either of them showing affection towards each other, or lovingly doing things for each other, will others ever believe that they are married? I doubt it. If your friends heard that you are a fisherman, but they notice that you don’t own a boat, or you never go out fishing, or never sell seafood, will they ever believe you are a fisherman? I doubt it. So it is with Christianity my friends, and I believe that this is what James wanted to draw our attention to. Christian loved ones will probably drive us to attend church with them, and we may get caught up in the charisma and excitement of the preaching or the exceptional worship team, and we may walk the isle to impress our friends and/or the pastor. An elder may pray over us, but what difference does it make in our lives on Monday morning? In God’s Word we are told that we are to leave behind the things of this world and follow Christ. That tells me that we are to make a 180 degree turn from the things we once did, for the things, and teachings, of Jesus Christ is always opposite to that the world, or its leader, Satan, would lead us to do. When this change is not noticed by those who know you, then James is teaching us to go back to square one and make sure that we are saved. When we surrender lordship of our lives to Jesus Christ, we become a band new man, or woman, for our lifestyle changes, our vocabulary changes, we become a helpful person who loves God’s children and want to lead them to the Savior we love. These things are quite the opposite to the old ridiculing, persecuting, selfish, greedy, hateful personal we once were. But unless we totally miss the point, we must pay close attention to verses 23-24 where James uses the example of Abraham. For many will look at the self-controlled man that Abraham was when he followed the instructions of God to take his son with him up to the place of sacrifice, then build a fire, and then place his very son on the wood altar as a sacrifice. Friends, that took guts, so we may tend to believe that anyone who is so strong, they must be a born again Christian. But for those of us who look to the Bible for it’s full instruction, we will remember that in Genesis 15:6 the Word tells us that ‘Abram believed the LORD, and the LORD counted him as righteous because of his faith’. So I believe the Bible is clear in presenting you with a million dollar question today: ‘Have you believed in the Son of God?’. If you haven’t, then I believe James is teaching us to recognize that we are only spinning our wheels with our church attendance, giving generously to the work of the church, being kind to the widow down the street who always respects you, etc. Instead, dear friends, take the Word of God seriously and believe that Jesus died and rose again for all mankind, knowing that those who believe in Him will not perish, but will enjoy eternal life in glory with He and the Father! Believe, commit, enjoy and obey the Word of God dear friends, and your actions and intents will be known to God and those around you. He has prepared a place for you in heaven, but you must prepare for that gift of eternal life today, while here on earth. Be sure that you take the Bible seriously dear friends and be obedient to its teachings.

PRAYER
Thank you precious Lord for Your sacrifice and the gift that You offer to those who believe in You. Every time we listen in to the news we hear nothing but trouble and strife, and these are not from You. James reminded us today that Abraham believe in God and he was saved – gifted with eternal life in heaven. Please help us to be obedient children and believe on the name of Jesus to receive the gift of eternal life, as the Bible teaches in John 3:16. James helps us to reflect on the seriousness of our commitment to You by honestly reviewing our actions for the proof of who has lordship over us. God knows all things – even to our innermost thoughts, so He knows where we stand. Oh that He may invoke to us a strong sense of where we are spiritually, so that we can sing praises to You or strengthen our petitions before You today, God being our Helper and Guide. 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!

The Crown of Life: A Promised Gift

On 2024-12-26 By Ed AlgreenIn Accept Jesus NOW, Acknowledge God, All have sinned, Awesome God, Eternal Life, God Cares For Us, God’s Word, TemptationLeave a comment

DATE POSTED
Thursday, December 26, 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 Living Bible (TLB) and found in James 1:12-16

THE SCRIPTURE READS
¹²Happy is the man who doesn’t give in and do wrong when he is tempted, for afterwards he will get as his reward the crown of life that God has promised those who love him. ¹³And remember, when someone wants to do wrong it is never God who is tempting him, for God never wants to do wrong and never tempts anyone else to do it. ¹⁴Temptation is the pull of man’s own evil thoughts and wishes. ¹⁵These evil thoughts lead to evil actions and afterwards to the death penalty from God. ¹⁶So don’t be misled, dear brothers.

APPLICATION – as inspired by the Holy Spirit
Perhaps as we reflect on Christmas, we remember the idea from a child’s point of view that if they’ve been good, they will receive good gifts at Christmas. Now with that in mind, re-read today’s Scripture and take note of God’s promise to us through His servant writer James. But more than that, let’s look into this Scripture and use the rest of the Bible to help us understand what we believe James is teaching us here. First of all, let’s look at why mankind might give in to temptation. I believe that when one has mixed feelings about their commitment to someone, or something, then it takes very little convincing for them to walk away or be unfaithful. Many marriages fail because of weak or nonexistent commitment to the spouse they promised God they would love till death parts them. We blame one another for weakening relationships, but the truth is that we each must take personal responsibility for our promises to God and to each other. But looking at the topic from James’ point of view, he wants us to see how God looks at the faithfulness of His children. You see, it becomes much like our gift giving at Christmas. Very often we give gifts because someone has given us a gift – either in material form or in being especially good to us. God says to us in today’s Scripture that if we stay firm in our commitment, love, devotion, to Him, and if we stay firm, He will gift us with the crown of life – life eternally in glory with our triune God. This idea of being rewarded a crown was also spoken of in Luke 19:11-27 when a certain nobleman told a servant that because of his diligence in investing the money given to him, he would rule over 10 cities. The thing is, God has given each of us many gifts to use in our cities today also. In your opinion, based on your investments of the gifts given to you, will He crown you as ruler over 10, 5, or perhaps no cites in His Kingdom? However, the impact of verses 13-15 will hit home for many of us today. So often we seem to instantly try to find a scapegoat – someone else to blame, for our lack of commitment, and/or our failure to use the gifts given to us by our faithful Father. Unfortunately, while some will buy into those excuses out of respect to you, God is able to discern the faithfulness and honesty of your heart. There is a well-known gospel song entitled ‘He knows My Name’, a favorite of mine. The Bible also tells us that God knows our very thoughts, not just what others hear from our lips. So, can we be very, very personal with God today and either rejoice with Him over our honest thoughts and works, or confess to Him our inadequate actions and degree of commitment to the gifts granted to us, while also asking for His strength, power and love to help us overcome these things and press on to greater heights in His Kingdom? If not my friends, we might easily become misled by what the world wants us to think. Now it’s your turn with God, go for it!

PRAYER
Oh Lord Jesus, we are unworthy of Your love and Your sacrifice on Calvary, for although we have invited You into our hearts, we often struggle with surrendering lordship of our lives to You. In this world, we are impacted by the attitude of seeking relationships with those from whom we can gain or improve our status or position in life. But You have shown us throughout Your life, and especially on the cross, that love is best understood by what you do for others. You sacrificed Your very life, even while we were yet sinners and participated in every way with Your crucifixion, so that we who accept You as Lord, can have eternal life. Please forgive us Lord, and today begin a new work, a godly attitude in us, to help us show the world that the Jesus we claim to exist inside of us, is being reflected in our attitude: towards our crazy and dangerous drivers, in our busy and chaotic stores, and our restaurants filled with selfish and ungodly patrons who are rude to waiting staff who may not provide for their every need. People so badly need Jesus, not more of our selfish and worldly attitudes. Please fill us to overflowing with Your character and Your heart so that every word and action that exudes from us might impact others for the Kingdom. AMEN!

Overcoming Distractions: Prioritizing God in Your Life

On 2024-11-122024-11-13 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.’ ²I have always been ready to welcome my people, who stubbornly do what is wrong and go their own way. ³They 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!

Everyone Eligible For Life Eternal

On 2023-04-132023-04-13 By Ed AlgreenIn A Lamp unto My Path, Adoration, Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Awesome God, Beyond Description, Blessing, Celebrate God, Eternal Life, Needs, Praise, Praise-worthy, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED: Thursday, 2023-04-13
WRITTEN AT: O’Brien, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: 1 Timothy 1:15-16
TRANSLATION: New Living Translation (NLT)

BIBLE TEXT: ¹⁵This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”—and I am the worst of them all. ¹⁶But God had mercy on me so that Christ Jesus could use me as a prime example of his great patience with even the worst sinners. Then others will realize that they, too, can believe in him and receive eternal life.

OBSERVATION: Credit Card companies will advertise using words similar to my title today, for they want everyone to apply for their credit card, and they know that some will feel like they couldn’t possibly qualify. When invited to know Jesus, most individuals will respond that they are so unworthy of acceptance by the King of all kings and Lord of all lords. But God knew this would be the case, so He arranged an example in and through the life of Paul to help us understand that His grace is sufficient and reaches to every child created by Almighty God. Stay tuned to be reminded of how important you are to God!

APPLICATION: Although not referenced in today’s Scripture, Paul’s former name was Saul. When Paul makes reference to him being one of the worst sinners, he was referring to the days of Saul, when he was known as a persecutor of the church and of Christians as a whole. Today we sometimes hear of a church being burned down, or burglarized, or riddled with gunshots, but I don’t know of any crimes that could be compared to the evil done by Saul. However, God met up with Saul, convicted him of his sin, saved him, changed his name to Paul, and sent him on to do the work of the Lord instead. So, when you drum up excuses of why you can’t attend church, or why a Christian shouldn’t waste their time worry about why they couldn’t lead you to Christ because of your evil deeds, please try to remember the story of the former Saul, and the new Paul who went on to reach the unchurched and place churches where there was no presence of godly teaching. If God could deal with such a terror as Saul, could He not also challenge you on your sin? If God could start life anew in Paul, and put aside all the bad he had done, could He not turn your life around. Please try to remember from all Bible accounts that speak of God changing a man. Never does it say that God went after the worst sinners, or the one with just a little sin. A person who sins, disobeys God. There is no such thing as a minor sin or a major sin. God sent His Son, Jesus, to save mankind from their sin – period. ‘Minor’ sins may not even get the attention of the authorities today, for governments have come to accept many things that God might consider ‘sin’. But, please don’t forget that ‘sin’ occurs when one disobeys the laws of God. Authors in the Bible went to a great extent to help us understand what God established as His law for mankind. Satan first tempted Eve about how insignificant he felt the laws of God was, and of course Satan has intensified his pressure on mankind today with this misguidance to make sure that God won’t win us over. Dear friends, I am a firm believer that ‘greater is He (God) that is inside of the child of God, than he (Satan) that is in the world. You have a fairly straightforward decision to make. Are you prepared to accept Jesus, the Creator of the universe; the One sacrificed on Calvary’s hill for the redemption of our sin; the One who sits at the right hand of the Father interceding for us; the One waiting to receive us into His eternal kingdom (heaven) for all eternity? Unless you make a decision, you are doomed for eternity in the fires of hell with its leader, Satan. I feel like the decisions is obvious, but Satan may be pounding it into your head like he did with Saul, that his way is the only reasonable and fun way. Friend of God, Trust in the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and mind, and lean not on your own understanding. Today is the day of salvation. Seek the Lord while He may be found!

BLESSING(S) NOTED: It is very possible that others will see Jesus evident in us and desire to accept Him as Lord of their life also! It will be worth it all!

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, please open our eyes to the truth of Your Word. Paul identified reasons why You saved him, and he glorified You for using him in spite of his past. Please develop with us a sense of why You saved us, and the purpose for which You’ve still allowed us to stick around. Each man faces a decision of where they will spend eternity. Thank You Lord for opening my blinded, sinful eyes and allowing me to see the love of Jesus. Please open the eyes of our relatives, friends and all who have yet to make a decision regarding their eternal destiny. As they are reminded of the change You made in the life of Saul, may they also be reminded that You can do the same for them, if only they will allow You to bless them and save them from eternity in Hell. 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!

Eternal Life in Heaven – How?

On 2023-02-242023-02-24 By Ed AlgreenIn A Lamp unto My Path, Adoration, Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Awesome God, Beyond Description, Blessing, Celebrate God, Eternal Life, Eternity, Needs, Praise, Praise-worthy, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED: Friday, 2023-02-24
WRITTEN AT: O’Brien, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Luke 10:25-29
TRANSLATION: Amplified Bible (AMP)

BIBLE TEXT: ²⁵And a certain lawyer [an expert in Mosaic Law] stood up to test Him, saying, “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” ²⁶Jesus said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” ²⁷And he replied, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.” ²⁸Jesus said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this habitually and you will live.” ²⁹But he, wishing to justify and vindicate himself, asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

OBSERVATION: Perhaps one of the most well-known verses in the Bible is John 3:16! One of the principal lines included is ‘whosever believes on the Son of God will have eternal life’. There may be many who will question Jesus like the lawyer did in today’s Scripture, because they want to ensure that in their life here on earth, they have prepared themselves for life eternally in heaven. So, let’s get our response from this important Scripture where Jesus addresses this exact question.

APPLICATION: Isn’t it interesting how, when we devote our time to certain lifestyles and we study certain subjects, we try to find our answers to life’s toughest questions in those things? In today’s Scripture our lawyer/friend, who was an expert in Mosaic law, felt like he had the right answer to this question that was impacting his mind, but since he had opportunity to speak directly with the One who had answers to all of life’s questions, he went ahead and tried to make sure that the answer was nothing more than what he discovered in the laws handed down by his ancestor, Moses. In John 3:16, Jesus said that ‘whosoever believes on Him, will have eternal life’. However, the lawyer didn’t want to trust just the laws of Moses with such an important question. He had to make sure that he had the most accurate answer possible, so that he could make sure of his eternal destiny after this life here on earth. I believe his reasoning may have been similar to what we still struggle with today, for it is obvious from the answer given by Jesus that something else will result for those who choose not to ‘love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.’ Many have chosen to ignore the question of what happens after life here on earth, because they feel like the Maker and Designer of all mankind will not punish that which He has created. Friends, you are precisely right in your assumption should God have created us to be robots and do only what He tells us to. However, He created us in His own image, and gave us the option to choose what we will do about our eternity. For those who acknowledge His lordship and do as the Scripture says today, they will one day be rewarded with the likes of heaven where they will spend eternity with the Father (God), the Son (Jesus) and the Holy Spirit (the 3rd arm of the Trinity). For the rebels who want to do life their way and ignore the very One who created them in His likeness, then our loving Father will sadly watch as they gain their reward – eternity in Hell with the master they chose – Satan. You might quickly retort that you never ‘chose Satan’. But dear friend, the way that this works is that unless you specifically chose to believe in Jesus and love Him with all your heart, soul and mind, and love your neighbor as yourself, then you will never change the trajectory of your life – eternity with the Evil One – Satan. My greatest aim with Nuggets From God’s Word, is to allow God to speak through my thoughts and prayers to impact the hearts of His kids. I pray that today will be no exception, and that the Holy Spirit will provoke your curiosity, just as He did with the lawyer in our Bible story, so that you may also seek after answers that will impact you for all eternity. This is one of those things that you can settle today – where will you spend eternity? In Heaven, or in Hell? It’s your choice, and your decision today will settle the issue for you for all eternity! Let me encourage you to choose Heaven, because I really want to meet each of you there, but most of all, I want us to celebrate Jesus as we bow in homage to Him for all eternity!

BLESSING(S) NOTED: The secret to eternal life in heaven, is to habitually love the Lord our God with all our heart, and with all our soul, and with all our strength, and with all our mind; and our neighbor as ourself!

PRAYER: Thank You Lord Jesus for the blessed hope we have of one day being in Heaven with You and our Father. Lord, I pray that everyone who will take time to read this devotional today may not only be excited about the prospect of seeing You and worshipping at Your feet, but they will make sure that they are indeed ready for the day when life here on earth is ended. A day that every human will face, if the trumpet is not sounded first. We work hard at readying ourselves for a good job, a high-profile banquet, or the arrival of our child, please lord, help us to be sure that our election is sure, and that our soul is secure so that when we close our eyes in death here on earth, we will open our eyes in eternity with You. Also, Lord. just as we would quickly do all within our power to help a friend prepare for an oncoming storm, help us to also make it a priority to challenge them and help them to be in a state of readiness for the day when You call them home to glory. Be glorified in all we do and say today, Lord, for Your kingdom’s sake. AMEN!

Your Choice – Life or Death?

On 2022-11-212022-11-21 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Choice, Death, Eternal Life, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED Monday, 2022-11-21
WRITTEN AT: O’Brien, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Philippians 1:21-24
TRANSLATION: Amplified Bible (AMP)

BIBLE TEXT: ²¹For to me, to live is Christ [He is my source of joy, my reason to live] and to die is gain [for I will be with Him in eternity]. ²²If, however, it is to be life here and I am to go on living, this will mean useful and productive service for me; so I do not know which to choose [if I am given that choice]. ²³But I am hard-pressed between the two. I have the desire to leave [this world] and be with Christ, for that is far, far better; ²⁴yet to remain in my body is more necessary and essential for your sake.

APPLICATION: Having buried two relatives recently, I have become more keenly aware of life, as we know it today, and death, given the foreknowledge about our eternal destiny. Because of this, and in talking more freely about life, and life after death, I had a close relative tell me to get off the subject of death, for, he thought that I have way too much to look forward to in life! Of course, that advice probably came from a selfish thought about my relative’s future in life without me being present here on earth! Friends, today I want to remind you that even if we ignore life after death, so we could enjoy our life as we know it today, that doesn’t make our future float off into oblivion. Paul met the challenge of leaving a free life of ministry, family and friends, when he was admitted to prison. However, God showed him that ministry for the Kingdom of God exists wherever we find mankind in need of a Savior. I believe this made Paul think even more about other transitions, such as the one from life to eternity after death. The reason I believe it is so vital that my readers and listeners think about this today, is that very much like travelling domestically or internationally, our trip will be disastrous, and our life will be miserable, if we arrive at our destination without having made any plans for it before we left home. In fact, we may have even travelled to the wrong destination! And so it is with our transition, or travel, from planet earth as we know it today. Although the two relatives I mentioned were over 90 – an age that we might ‘expect’ someone to die, let me tell you that I have good friends who have recently also lost teenagers, young adults, and relatives that they least expected. My point is, do not wait to think about your transition from earth until later in life when people tend to die. Your pronouncement could be aligned with your reading of this devotional, you have no control over that. But what you do have control of, is your state of readiness to leave this world at any given moment. I want you to live as a current day traveler would live if they knew they would be traveling soon, their bags would be packed and probably waiting at the front door. Although you may not have given it any thought, let me remind you that for those without Jesus Christ, their bags are already packed, for they have assurance that their eternal destiny is with Satan and his many demons in Hell, for they have said ‘no thanks’ to the invitation from Jesus on more than one occasion. To change that destination, it really is very easy, for Jesus is holding His hand out inviting each reader/listener to accept His love, His compassion, His sacrifice, and the eternal hope He offers to be with He and His Father in Heaven when life here on earth is over. Friends, your ticket to Hell is by default because of your sinful state. Please consider upgrading your ticket to Heaven by accepting the free gift of salvation offered through the awesome sacrifice of Jesus Christ at Calvary. Jesus offered up His life, so that our lives can be acceptable for a transition into the glories of heaven. It’s you move, dear friend. Will it be Heaven, or Hell?

BLESSING(S) NOTED: I can barely think of the overwhelming joy that is ours, whether we remain on earth, or are taken up to glory to live eternally with our ternal Father and His Son Jesus! There is no greater joy!

PRAYER: What joy it is to rejoice together with Paul in glorifying You Lord Jesus, and for the assurance of being with You in glory some day! That makes living here on earth more tolerable, in spite of the many doubts, fears, disappointments, losses and strife of dealing with the sin that is so prevalent here. Lord, thank You for encouraging us through Your servant, Paul. This brings us eternal hope and a satisfying tomorrow. Please teach us to share that joy with those who have made no better plans than to accept their eternal destiny in Hell. We love our family and friends, and we want to see the very best for them. Please help us to be so overjoyed in our relationship with You that they will want nothing less. Use us Lord as Your instrument of love and encouragement while here on earth. AMEN!

A Lifestyle Change

On 2022-06-222022-06-24 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Eternal Life, Fruit of the Spirit, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, Victorious Life, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED Wednesday, 2022-06-22
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Luke 3:7-9
TRANSLATION: The Voice (VOICE)

BIBLE TEXT: John the Baptist: You bunch of venomous snakes! Who told you that you could escape God’s coming wrath? ⁸Don’t just talk of turning to God; you’d better bear the authentic fruit of a changed life. Don’t take pride in your religious heritage, saying, “We have Abraham for our father!” Listen—God could turn these rocks into children of Abraham! ⁹God wants you to bear fruit! If you don’t produce good fruit, then you’ll be chopped down like a fruitless tree and made into firewood. God’s ax is taking aim and ready to swing!

APPLICATION: Have you ever been in a store, or at work, or at the mall, and found yourself near enough to overhear an individual tearing another employee apart verbally? Then, as you drew near enough to the heated conversation, you saw that it was someone from your church? I know, church attendees are human, and they could still become agitated, frustrated, unhappy and upset over certain circumstances just like everyone else, right? So why then do you suppose that John addressed this problem, and why would God have instilled this in the heart of Dr. Luke to present this as part of the Gospel? I believe it all goes back to a phrase that became very popular some years ago ‘what would Jesus do’ (WWJD). For circumstances will present itself as a test so the world could see what we are made of. In this teaching today, we could see that Luke used a similar tactic to that of Jesus, where he demonstrated a truth to the religious leaders through a parable. He likened their lives to that of a tree that bears fruit. For a farmer will cut down a tree that bears no fruit, so that the fruit bearing trees might flourish. But how would this apply to people, you might ask. I believe that you would be upset if a child for whom you paid years and years of tuition fees to gain their medical degree, finished school, and did nothing more than hang around the house without a desire to work in his/her profession. They may have a medical degree, but if they refuse to work in that profession and keep up with their trade, are they really a doctor? The same example holds true when looking at a married person who refuses to sleep at home, take care of their spouse, and continue to flirt with everyone walking into a nightclub. So what about one who felt a nudge from the Master, and surrenders their life to the lordship of Jesus Christ? The Bible says that the Holy Spirit then resides inside that individual and leads them in a life dedicated to God’s commands, His teachings, His example as told in the Bible, and they will therefore operate in accordance with God’s will, and His direction for their life. When all of this is in place and the individual decides to ignore the Holy Spirit’s leadership and do his/her own thing, how do you think God must feel? Don’t you know that these Pharisee Leaders showed up for no other reason but to trap John, poke fun of his teaching and baptism, and retain the allegiance of their people? Don’t you think that John was probably spot on with his accusation of them being a brood of vipers? Friends, I believe that our take away today is that we must be true to what we claim as our life’s influencer. If this is Jesus Christ, then others will see ‘fruit’ in our actions, our priorities, our words of encouragement, our prayers, the books we read, the places we frequent, and the results of all these things will impact our outlook on life and the love we show towards others. At the time of conversion to our new Master, we will learn to stay in tune with Him through reading His Word; communicating with Him through conversation (prayer); and through a solid commitment to honor Him through our words and actions. If there is no lifestyle change, can we truly prove to Jesus and to our family and friends that there has been a change in our lives? These new changes are displayed as proof, or ‘fruit’, of our lifestyle change. In our new relationship with Jesus Christ, we have chosen to imitate Him! When this happens, the world will know that we are authentic in our Christianity, and John sensed that this was not the case with the Pharisees. If God is your Lord, your Savior, and your Master my friend, seek His help and He will also be your Guide and your Deliverer in every circumstance of life! And there is nothing, absolutely nothing, that you and God can’t do!

PRAYER: Precious Lord, please touch Your children today and help us to never take for granted all that You did so that we might have life everlasting. Oh that we may take our commitment seriously to give you FULL control of our lives, and that we may be obedient in every way to Your Word – Your Book of Instructions for the Christian. As we follow You, I believe that our lives will reflect the very image of Jesus – fruit (evidence) that the world will see, know and appreciate in our lifestyle change. But we need You to do this in our lives Lord, for in and of ourselves we are helpless in overcoming the evil that’s all around us. I know You can, and I believe You will, so I thank You in advance dear Jesus. Be glorified today because of Your committed children being obedient to You, Your Word and the Holy Spirit. AMEN!

Life or Death? Your Choice

On 2022-04-202022-04-20 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Choices, Death, Eternal Life, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED Tuesday, 2022-04-19
WRITTEN AT: Citra, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Deuteronomy 30:19-20
TRANSLATION: New Living Translation (NLT)

BIBLE TEXT: ¹⁹“Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live! ²⁰You can make this choice by loving the Lord your God, obeying him, and committing yourself firmly to him. This is the key to your life. And if you love and obey the Lord, you will live long…..

APPLICATION: I remember the warnings given by my dad when I left home for high school in another city. There wasn’t much room for negotiation, for my dad gave me more of an ultimatum. If you get in any kind of trouble, you’re coming back home son! For those who are curious, I succeeded in graduating High School!! I’m of the impression that Moses also gave the Israelites an ultimatum, for he clearly gave them the conditions necessary for a life filled with God’s blessing, vs a life destined for Hell and destruction. I have no doubt that no one would chose the latter, for we all want the very best out of life, and we want to leave a legacy for those who will follow in our footsteps. I believe that God continues to care for us in the same way, and under the same conditions that He did with the Israelites. In vs 16 God said through His servant Moses: if you love the Lord your God and keep his commands, decrees, and regulations by walking in his ways, then His people would live a great life. I believe that means that God would love, protect, guide and keep us as long as we remain on earth but, since He has also prepared a place for us to spend eternity, then I believe that we can live expecting heaven on earth, and for all eternity! But God didn’t just leave it up to the unsaved to assume what might happen to them, for He told the Israelites in vs 17 that if their heart turns away and you refuse to listen, and if you are drawn away to serve and worship other gods, then I warn you now that you will certainly be destroyed. You will not live a long, good life. Friends, I believe that God is similarly saying to the one who has chosen to live their life without the Savior, that you can’t live like the devil and expect to be treated like a child of God. It just don’t work that way! So to all my readers and listeners, I believe that you are faced with the same decision as the Israelites – heaven, or hell? What’s your choice? If you refuse the call of God on your life, then you are destined for a life of hell here on earth, and eternal damnation after life here below. I wouldn’t wish that on my worst enemy, so may I encourage you to please choose ‘life’, my friend? To my Christian Brothers and Sisters, let me implore you to be steadfast in prayer for, and encouragement to, your unsaved family and friends, for I believe that Jesus will return at any time now to take His bride home to glory, and we all want to be ready for that day!

BLESSING(S) NOTED: We’ve been given a present – today! So let’s ready ourselves, and encourage our friends, for that great Judgment Day. A final verdict will be announced on that day – heaven, or hell. Oh that we all will be prepared and ready for eternity with Jesus and His Father.

PRAYER: Through Your servant Moses, You made it clear to Your people the benefits of following Your commands and obeying Your Word. You also warned them of the dire consequences if they failed to obey You. I am convinced that You had this particular warning placed in Your Word to also get our attention today, for the same logic applies to us. Lord, I pray that we’ll all be ready. That we’ll all choose ‘life’ over eternal death and damnation. Please encourage many to read this devotional today, Lord, and open their hearts and minds to fully comprehend the consequences of the decisions they make today. May they commit fully to Your saving grace, and may they follow through in accepting You as Lord of their life – TODAY. AMEN!

Choose Life!

On 2021-08-142021-08-14 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Eternal Life, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED Saturday, 2021-08-14
WRITTEN AT: Hattiesburg, MS

SCRIPTURE FROM: Deuteronomy 30:19-20
TRANSLATION: New Living Translation (NLT)

BIBLE TEXT: ¹⁹“Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live! ²⁰You can make this choice by loving the Lord your God, obeying him, and committing yourself firmly to him. This is the key to your life. And if you love and obey the Lord, you will live long….

APPLICATION: Some may take my subject for today’s devotional as a pro-life theme, while others may ask ‘who wouldn’t want to choose life over death?’ But I would encourage you to look beyond your assumptions today and consider the message that Moses gave to his people. He not only gave them the choice of life over death, but he clearly showed them what they needed to do in order to have life, and have life more abundantly. Since these things still apply to us today, I believe that it is worth our while to spend some time to understand them and to seek ways that we might apply them in our lives:
——> Loving the Lord – In other Scriptures, Jesus admonishes us that if we love Him: We will serve Him; We will worship Him; We will tell others about Him; We will desire to be with Him. These words are not strange to us, for our spouse will frequently tell us that if we love them, we would…. You see, there is always evidence of our love for God, and for each other. So love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul and all your mind, and all these things will be given to you!
——> Obeying the Lord – To disobey your God, your spouse, your boss or your friend, shows that you have no respect for them or their authority over you. To obey what they ask or tell you to do, shows that you love, respect and honor them, so you will do whatever they ask. So show you love for the Lord by obeying His commands!
——> Committing yourself firmly to the Lord – To whom do you belong? If it’s God, then firmly commit to Him in every aspect of life. I don’t know that it’s possible to say that you love the Lord and you obey the Lord, but you have not fully committed your life to Him. Show me an uncommitted ‘Christian’ and I believe you will show someone who follows Jesus when it is convenient, otherwise it’s all about him or herself. I always got a kick out of politicians who showed up at community groups right before election time. At other times of the year they were no where to be found. They showed up when they needed the people, not when the people really needed them to serve!
Moses told his people, and I believe the Scripture supports a very similar promise for those who put their faith and trust in Jesus Christ – do these things and you are choosing life eternal – in heaven. Continue your selfish desires and ignore the commands of Jesus, and you will receive your heart’s desire – curses and damnation in a place especially designed for folk like you – Hell. Just as Moses did in our Scripture, let me repeat the same plea ‘Choose life’ my dear friends!

BLESSING(S) NOTED: We can escape the damnation of eternity in Hell, by loving the Lord our God, obeying Him, and committing ourselves firmly to Him. By doing these things we are promised eternity in heaven with the Father and His precious Son!

PRAYER: Thank You precious Lord for calling me to Yourself many years ago, and for granting me peace to obediently follow You today and every day until You call me home to glory. Please touch the hearts of each reader/listener with Your Word today and may every word shared by Your faithful servant be acceptable in Your sight and in the hearts of every reader or listener. May we enjoy Your blessings today and every day, until You call us home for even more intimacy with You and the Father. Please draw the unbeliever to You very powerfully today, as this may very well be the last day we have here on earth. AMEN!

Nuggets From God's Word

Category: Eternal Life