Category: Faith in Action

Faith – Protect It From The Adversary

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Faith, Faith in Action, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED: Tuesday, 2023-02-14
WRITTEN AT: O’Brien, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Matthew 14:29-33
TRANSLATION: The Passion Translation (TPT)

BIBLE TEXT: 29 “Come and join me,” Jesus replied. So Peter stepped out onto the water and began to walk toward Jesus. 30 But when he realized how high the waves were, he became frightened and started to sink. “Save me, Lord!” he cried out. 31 Jesus immediately stretched out his hand and lifted him up and said, “What little faith you have! Why would you let doubt win?” 32 And the very moment they both stepped into the boat, the raging wind ceased. 33 Then all the disciples crouched down before him and worshiped Jesus. They said in adoration, “You are truly the Son of God!”

APPLICATION: There are so many things we could learn from this story of Peter. I believe that most of us will share the reflection that this story shows us the faith of a man as he attempted something that defies nature, and that he had never thought possible before. Of his own power, perhaps the disciples expected Peter to jump out of the boat in the middle of the sea, as he prepared himself for the intake of water through his nose and mouth, or if he could swim, perhaps he would quickly assume the swimming position! However, things were a bit different with Peter, for: a). He had already experienced the power of the Almighty, and he knew that it would be this same power that would help him do even the very thing that seemed impossible in the eyes of the world; b). He paid attention to what Jesus was doing, and knew that if Jesus could walk on the water, He had power and authority to empower him (Peter) to do the same; and c). Peter heard the command by Jesus, and in spite of the yelling he could hear from his fellow disciples, he was compelled to obey His Lord. So what happened? Why does Peter’s effort seemed to have failed? I am convinced that Jesus already knew how quickly Peter would become cocky about being given this privilege/miracle, so Jesus seemed to have made it a point to teach Peter, and us, that faith requires that we keep our eyes fixed on the source of all power, the author of our faith – Jesus our Lord. You see, we have no power over such things in the universe, only God does. We have nothing to brag about besides God. I had a friend dying of cancer, and she traveled hundreds of miles to be prayed over by a TV evangelist who showed on public television that he had powers to heal. It just doesn’t work that way. Friends, as demonstrated in this story with Peter, and as we already know about our healing powers – we are reminded that it is God, through His Son Jesus that spoke the word for Peter to walk on the water, and it was Jesus who rescued him as he began to sink; it is God alone who heals a body that He created from dust, and who has the power to restore it to perfect health – so that He may be glorified. Our responsibility is to look to God for all things and keep our eyes fixed on the author and creator of life itself, knowing that through His power, lives might be healed, souls might be restored to the Kingdom, and the unsaved may recognize the grace and power of our God. It’s all about ‘God’, my friend. We are just instruments of His love and servants of our majestic King. The Master deserves all the praise for all that He does, for nothing of our own is merited, or worthy of praise, but only what He has done. Please be careful of the distractions that Satan will place before us. For Peter, it was the wind, the rough waters and perhaps self-confidence, that caused him to take his eyes off the Master. For us, unfortunately we live in a world that is totally filled with distractions that Satan places before us. Remember, our distractions are often those forces that draw us away from God, who is our primary power source. Don’t let Satan win over you my friend. In verse 31 we are reminded to not let ‘doubt’ win in our battle to ‘believe’. Trust in God, and all of this, plus a whole lot more could be yours, child of God!

PRAYER: Oh Lord, You are my God! The same God that created this wonderful world, and also created all of creation. I acknowledge again today that there is nothing that You can’t do. Please forgive me for my doubt and my lack of faith. Thank You for the reminder in today’s Scripture that You had the power to walk on water to get over to Your disciples. I wonder what You must travel over, or through, at times to get to my readers and I, and the trouble we find ourselves in at times. But I am assured that just as we saw where the water didn’t stop You from getting to Your followers, we need not let anything hinder our requests today, for many things will appear to be impossible to us, but with renewed assurance today, we KNOW that we can come before the throne of God and plead our case before an all-knowing, all-powerful, forever-loving God who says that ALL things are possible with God! You are our King, and we adore You and worship You today oh Lord, not just for what You can do for us, but for who You are! 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!

Just Believe

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Believe, Evidence of Faith, Faith, Faith in Action, Know and Believe, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, Worship3 Comments

DATE POSTED Thursday, 2023-01-26
WRITTEN AT: Live Oak, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Luke 8:47-50
TRANSLATION: New Century Version (NCV)

BIBLE TEXT: 47 When the woman saw she could not hide, she came forward, shaking, and fell down before Jesus. While all the people listened, she told why she had touched him and how she had been instantly healed. 48 Jesus said to her, “Dear woman, you are made well because you believed. Go in peace.”
49 While Jesus was still speaking, someone came from the house of the synagogue leader and said to him, “Your daughter is dead. Don’t bother the teacher anymore.” 50 When Jesus heard this, he said to Jairus, “Don’t be afraid. Just believe, and your daughter will be well.”

APPLICATION: I believe that too often we may tend to think that God only has time for the more serious issues of life. We may also tend to feel like we don’t need to bother Jesus, in His busyness with just the little concerns of life, so we try to resolve these things ourselves. Both miracles referenced in today’s Scripture were very serious. The woman who had an issue of bleeding for 7 years straight, is unbelievable for any child of God to think about. A child who lies on her bed with every indication that her sickness would lead to death – this is an atrocity for any parent to witness, and almost impossible to stand idly by and watch. Hearing that the ultimate Healer of all man’s diseases was passing through town, the sick woman mentioned above fought through the crowds knowing that she would probably never gain an audience with Jesus, but if she merely touched a piece of His (holy) clothing, she would be healed. This was a display of faith that is hardly ever heard of, but she believed in the power of the Great Healer and she had to get in His presence, for her own wellbeing. Her faith, or her belief in the power of the Almighty, led her to complete healing by Him. In the case of the synagogue leader, he sat helplessly at home watching his daughter fade away from this life. But having heard of this Healer sent by God, he knew that if he could get Jesus to swing by and just touch his daughter, that she would be healed. Notice how Jesus was in no hurry to drop what He was doing and run on over to the home of Jairus. Friends, this was in no way an indication of refusal, nor a lack of caring by Jesus, for He knew the situation with this child long before her dad ever set out to find Jesus. But the message is clear for us, just as it was for Jairus. Jesus will make all things new, in His time and for His purpose. He first of all told Jairus to not worry about the news he just received about his daughter’s death, for Jesus would still carry out His plan just as He promised prior to the arrival of the news. Let’s pay close attention to this, dear friends, we must not give up on Jesus, even when situations seem hopeless to us. If you believe, don’t allow anything sent your way by Satan to distract you in your walk with the Lord, or in your belief of Him. Now, I’m sure there are readers and/or listeners who will read this and retort ‘but you don’t know my situation, dear Brother, for God seems deaf to my cries for help’. Well guess what, there is no respecter of persons in God’s eyes when it comes to salvation, or forgiveness of your sin. And unless you have a relationship with God, you wouldn’t go to Him with your concerns anyway, right? After all, unless you have sought the face of Jesus, then in your sin, you are asking that He stay His distance from You so that You can live life as you please. Fortunately for many, Jesus is a perfect gentleman, and He will allow you to live life as you please. But for those who have joined with me in asking Jesus to be our Savior and Lord, not only do we have a sweet relationship with Him every day, but His hands are extended to help us in every circumstance of life, especially those concerns that seem to burden us down. When we reach for His hand, He is there. When we try to touch the hem of His garment, His healing is passed on to us and satisfies our every longing. When life hands us lemons, Jesus opens our eyes to the possibilities of lemonade, lemon meringue pie, etc. etc.! When our enemies try to discourage us and hurt us, Jesus helps us to feel His loving arms around us and He gives us a hand up, that brings us renewed hope. For Jairus, Jesus carried out His plan for his daughter, just as He promised when petitioned by Jairus. Jesus didn’t go back on His word because of changing circumstances, and I believe that He will do the same for us – if we trust in Him, if we have faith in Him, and if we allow Him to be God no matter our humanly circumstances.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: Throughout the Bible we read about how faith is important to the child of God. It’s how we came to be a child of God. If only we can learn to develop our trust in Jesus – our faith, so that instead of becoming worry warts, we instead become heroes of the faith!

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, we came to You ‘By Faith’, now teach us to continue in our faith to worship and serve You each and every day. How can we encourage others to draw close to You in faith, if we struggle to surrender our all to You – in faith? In Your Word, You showed us that having just a little faith – an amount that may only be the size of a mustard seed, that we could move very large mountains. Our problems are small compared to the mountain You referred to, but I believe that we very easily allow the evil of this world to drag us down and cause us to doubt. As a child, my daughter had faith enough in her dad that she would jump from any height, knowing that I would do everything possible to catch her. May we have the faith of a child, so that we may feel secure in the arms of an Almighty and loving God. May our faith be so strong that it will be evident to the unsaved person who is seeking the faith to accept you as Lord and Savior. 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!

Following In Your Footsteps

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Faith in Action, Follow Christ, Follower of Christ, Needs, Praise, Promise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED Saturday, 2022-11-05
WRITTEN AT: Ormond Beach, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: 1 Kings 15:3-5
TRANSLATION: Good News Translation (GNT)

BIBLE TEXT: 3 He committed the same sins as his father and was not completely loyal to the Lord his God, as his great-grandfather David had been. 4 But for David’s sake the Lord his God gave Abijah a son to rule after him in Jerusalem and to keep Jerusalem secure. 5 The Lord did this because David had done what pleased him and had never disobeyed any of his commands, except in the case of Uriah the Hittite. 

APPLICATION: There are several ‘wow’ moments in this Scripture today:
1. God kept His promise that He made to David, even though his great-grandson, king Abijah, din’t live up to the commitment God saw in David. Often we will be compared to our parents, but isn’t it amazing how Abijah’s judgment, his actions and his character is being compared to his great-grandfather? I believe the same applies to our influence in the lives of generations that will follow is. Is there anything we need to work on now – before it’s too late? Guide us Lord, so that You might shine through us in every word and action.
2. Even in today’s Scripture, it acknowledged David was not perfect. But we know that David had a heart after God’s very own heart, and he was committed to following the ways of God. But God made a promise to David, and he was not about to renounce his promise. Long after David died, God was still keeping His promise. We may become downhearted about letting our guard down and messing up on something we may have promised God, but what a reminder that even long after we have left this life, yet God will still maintain His promise to us!
3. For each of David’s relatives who became king, notice that the Scripture always compares them to the standards set by David. Future history will show that our children, or their children may be compared to us. Those we taught in Sunday School may be reminded of something we said in a lesson we taught. Our coworkers may be questioned about their principles, even after being taught more justly by us. I wonder, will we hang our heads in shame, or will we proudly rejoice before the Father when He questions those with whom we interacted?
Friends, we are guided along in this life by whatever enters our heart, mind and soul. And we act out, and speak, according to that which we have taken in. If we fill ourselves with hatred and bad worldly ideas, then it becomes virtually impossible to act and speak in love. Conversely, if we fill ourselves with the teachings of Jesus and the love expressed by Jesus in all that He did, and if we will seek to imitate Jesus in every way possible, then God will fulfill a good work in those who come after us, or that we minister to. Perhaps each day as we stop to communicate with God, we should analyze whether our words and actions of that day may have helped others live like Jesus, or the Devil. I trust that you would join with me in desiring that we live more like Jesus every day, and when others interact with us, they would feel like they’ve been with Jesus, or at least one of His messengers. Our world needs this, and so do we. Let’s make sure that our lives are worthy of following and that our time on earth was worth our being here. May God’s Kingdom be richer because of our involvement on His behalf here on earth.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: Just as our Father continued to fulfill His promise to David even into the second and third generations, I believe He will do the same for us! We serve an awesome God!

PRAYER: There is no God like our God, praise the wonderful name of Jesus! What a reminder in seeing You bless even an unfaithful servant like Abijah. But Lord, I believe that You will do the same for us as we pass along Your good works to all who follow us. Abijah certainly didn’t deserved Your blessing, or the gifts You gave to him, but because of Your faithful promise to David, You blessed him. Lord, please work on us so that we may be worthy of our children following in our footsteps. May they see Jesus evident in our talk and in our walk. I believe that many of the unsaved are also looking for evidence of the Great ‘I Am’, and Lord I pray that they will catch a glimpse as they interact with us. Fill us with Your love and blessings each and every day Lord, and may we do the same with those we come into contact with also, for Your Kingdom’s sake. AMEN!

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

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!

Motivated & Inspired By God’s Love For Us

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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!

You Will See The Lord Give You Victory!

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Faith, Faith in Action, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, Victory, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED Monday, 2022-05-02
WRITTEN AT: Citra, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: 2 Chronicles 20:15–17
TRANSLATION: Good News Translation (GNT)

BIBLE TEXT: Jahaziel said, “Your Majesty and all you people of Judah and Jerusalem, the LORD says that you must not be discouraged or be afraid to face this large army. The battle depends on God, not on you. Attack them tomorrow as they come up the pass at Ziz. You will meet them at the end of the valley that leads to the wild country near Jeruel. You will not have to fight this battle. Just take up your positions and wait; you will see the LORD give you victory. People of Judah and Jerusalem, do not hesitate or be afraid. Go out to battle, and the LORD will be with you!”

APPLICATION: King Jehoshaphat faced the reality of an approaching army that was superior to his and overwhelmingly outnumbered his army. He was accustomed to prayer, leadership by God, and the awesome power of God. And, true to form, the king took full advantage of petitioning the help of the God who promised to be with His children in their time of need! Jehoshaphat gathered his people in the temple courtyard and he personally led the prayer to God on behalf of his people. After bragging on the known accomplishments of God, in vs 7 and again in vs 12 the king acknowledged that “You are our God”, meaning that You are the proven One that we depend on; You are the One that is powerful enough to bring us victory! In response to this intense, yet humble time of prayer, God spoke through an unknown prophet in their midst, Jahaziel. The prophet shared with the king and his people that they are not to be afraid or discouraged, the battle depends on God, not on them! Wow, we serve the same great God that gave this promise to Jahaziel! What an awesome and reassuring reality when we face our battles today. When we have placed the battle in God’s hands, we can rest peacefully knowing that the battle is not ours, but His! What an all-powerful, protective and awesome God we serve, fellow Christian! Take time to give Him praise, adoration and glory today! If you are facing a battle, no matter how huge, please consider reading the full chapter 20 of 2 Chronicles (30 verses), and be encourage to surrender that battle over to God. Imagine the peace of knowing that the God who created this vast universe, now has the issue that has been troubling you, under His control. The battle is no longer yours, my friend, but His! He will be glorified for the way that He handles this! Just surrender it to God, my friend! For He alone is our God!

BLESSING(S) NOTED: Surrendered hearts of believing Christians will seek God and surrender their battles to the Master of the sea; the healer of the blind, deaf and mute; the Victor of battles brought on against Jehoshaphat, and the One who loves, cares and waits for us in Glory. Our battles belong to Him!

PRAYER: Lord God, You know the mountains that we need to cross, and I believe that You know the challenges that seem overwhelming to us. Please comfort the hearts of Your children tuned in to this devotional today, and give us the reassurance that we need to help us face today, and tomorrow, knowing that You are still God and that our ‘mountains’ are very crossable with You as our Guide and our Deliverer. Praise be to God for the assurance of knowing teh God on the mountain is also God of our deepest valley. May we place our faith and trust in You at all times, for all things. 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!

Because Of Your Faith

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Faith, Faith in Action, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, Worship1 Comment

DATE POSTED Wednesday, 2022-02-09
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Matthew 9:2; 22; 29;
TRANSLATION: New Living Translation (NLT)

BIBLE TEXT: 2 Some people brought to him a paralyzed man on a mat. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, “Be encouraged, my child! Your sins are forgiven.”
22 Jesus turned around, and when he saw her he said, “Daughter, be encouraged! Your faith has made you well.” And the woman was healed at that moment.
29 Then he touched their eyes and said, “Because of your faith, it will happen.”

APPLICATION: One might ask ‘but what is faith?’ There was a tight-rope acrobat who chose to show his skill by walking a tight-rope across the Niagara Falls. He did so well in his first trip across, that he asked how many in the audience felt like he could make the trip back across with a wheelbarrow. Many had seen the skills of this acrobat before, so they were convinced that he could succeed in making the return walk across with the wheelbarrow. But when asked by the acrobat which of his fans would volunteer to ride in the wheelbarrow, he could find no volunteers. Their faith in the acrobat was limited to his stunts that did not involve them personally in the stunt!! Is that how you tend to be with the abilities of Almighty God? You are faithful in reading His Word, and you are good at selling His abilities to others, but you just can’t strum up the faith to present yourself before Him for healing, power or renewed strength. After reading for the third time in our chapter today the words of Jesus ‘because of your faith’, I felt compelled to share with you that perhaps one of the greatest needs you and I might have, is to grow our faith in the Creator of this Universe; The Savior of the World; The King of all kings; The Lord of all lords; Our Master and our Lord. For it is through faith that we can look forward to all eternity in glory with the Father and the Son! But while here on earth, we must also have the boldness and faith to approach the throne of God for all things. In fact, let’s stop and consider what ‘F A I T H’ is, and how we might increase our faith. I believe that a simple, non-theological, explanation of faith might be: When you are confident deep inside that God has the power and ability to do something, even though you are powerless to do it yourself, and you know of no one else here on earth who could do it. Then it becomes incumbent upon us to trust that faith and believe in the One in whom we have faith in. Now, here’s how I might suggest that you increase that faith. I had a dear friend who shared with me that he chose to use his faith on what we might consider ‘the little things’ of life. In other words, when we come across things that we have no ability to remember, or to do, then ask the God who can do ALL things, for His help. In this way, you will gain confidence/faith to approach the throne when the ‘BIG’ things come your way, for you have a personal reference point to fall back on. God, I saw how you handled the little things, now I need you for this huge challenge that seems totally impossible to me. Remember, nothing is too BIG for our God. He created this beautiful world we live in from the void of nothing-ness. He created man from dust. Won’t He most certainly be able to heal our brokenness from disease and injury? In our story today Jesus said it for our assurance – ‘because of your faith….’ Show Him your faith, and I believe He will show you His power!

BLESSING(S) NOTED: Our God not only knows our very thoughts, but He knows our needs. He is the one true God who created us, so let our faith in Him remain strong, so that His miracles may impact our lives. Let’s ask in faith, believing and knowing that He can do ALL things.

PRAYER: Dear Lord Jesus, thank You for Your willingness to meet the needs of those in our Scripture today and giving us extra assurance that we serve such a mighty God. Please help us to get over self and all that we think we could do. Teach us to deepen our faith and our relationship with You, so that You may show us Your power that is available to us. In our day there seems to be complexities that arise that stump world medical teams. We serve the awesome Creator of this universe and all mankind, so of course You know how to repair these bodies that You have created. Teach us Lord to turn to Jesus for our every need, having faith to believe that He could make all the difference in the world. What an awesome God we serve! Thank You 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!

If You Have Faith

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Faith, Faith in Action, Genuine Faith, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Saturday, 2021-07-10
WRITTEN AT: Kingman, AZ

SCRIPTURE FROM: Matthew 17:19-20
TRANSLATION: New Living Translation (NLT)

BIBLE TEXT: 19 Afterward the disciples asked Jesus privately, “Why couldn’t we cast out that demon?”
20 “You don’t have enough faith,” Jesus told them. “I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible.

APPLICATION: This Scripture comes at a time when I am visiting the Grand Canyon in Arizona, USA. We can read about God creating mountains and canyons, but until we see these things in person, it is so difficult to truly fathom His awesome works. In reading this Scripture I quickly concluded that God was simply using mountains as an illustration for us to understand how powerful our faith truly is, to the one who believes on teh Lord Jesus Christ. But as I looked at those beautiful mountains, I could only think that I would have no reason to have a mountain move, for it is very obvious that they were placed meticulously and perfectly by God. In all humility, I just beg of God to give me faith to heal certain diseases that hinder enjoyment of life by so many, even the health of my very own family. Think about it – COVID; Cancer; Alzheimer’s; Blindness; Deafness; the awful position of many who are lame or crippled, etc, etc. Friends, you may look at my list and say that in the realm of human capability, those diseases are just as huge as mountains, for they have been around for a while now and they seem to be beyond help by doctors, much less normal laity like you and I. But unless we go beyond the faith of the disciples, Jesus would repeat His explanation to us all over again as He did to the disciples. We currently have every reason to take God at His word in saying that ‘Nothing is impossible’, for we have seen where He performed miracle after miracle,and we know that all things are possible with Him. But I had a friend who would stop and pray that God would help him find his car keys, or show him the right path to take in his business. He said by turning everything over to God, it provided him with a foundation upon which to stand while asking God for the BIG things in life that may otherwise seem impossible in the eyes of man. Whatever it takes to syke up our minds to let go and believe in God with all of our heart, soul and mind, we must do it dear friend, for He cares for us and loves us more than anything we could even imagine. In some biblical translations a verse is added as vs 21, and it says that having this kind of faith may require us to fast and pray in deepest faith. So just as in the case of building physical strength, where we start small in our weightlifting and then increase as we could handle it, let’s plan to do the same on our Spiritual journey of faith. Develop your faith by trusting God in the small things, and watch how He will strengthen you to trust Him even in the times that may seem impossible, especially to unbelievers.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: Just a little amount of faith will go a long way. Have faith, believe, and nothing will be impossible!

PRAYER: Lord, we often say that we believe in God, and that is admirable. But may we have such faith in You that our Scripture today will become a reality – Nothing is impossible with God, and for the one who believes in God with all their heart, soul and mind. Please embolden us with Your love, Your miraculous touch, and the everlasting hope that brighten the day of every believer in Christ. Please work miraculously through us, and grant us the boldness to know that ALL things are possible through the powerful and strong name of Jesus Christ. 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!

Practical Faith

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Faith, Faith in Action, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Wednesday, 2021-06-30
WRITTEN AT: Gallup, NM

SCRIPTURE FROM: Matthew 8:6-10
TRANSLATION: New Living Translation (NLT)

BIBLE TEXT: 6 “Lord, my young servant lies in bed, paralyzed and in terrible pain.”
7 Jesus said, “I will come and heal him.”
8 But the officer said, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come into my home. Just say the word from where you are, and my servant will be healed. 9 I know this because I am under the authority of my superior officers, and I have authority over my soldiers. I only need to say, ‘Go,’ and they go, or ‘Come,’ and they come. And if I say to my slaves, ‘Do this,’ they do it.”
10 When Jesus heard this, he was amazed. Turning to those who were following him, he said, “I tell you the truth, I haven’t seen faith like this in all Israel! 

APPLICATION: One of the things that tends to throw unbelievers off track, is when they see Christians adding on to their everyday language, or doing things out of character in their actions. These things might cause them to act differently, in order to impress others about their relationship with Jesus Christ. Pretense always appears fake. The Roman Officer in our story had faith to believe that it was worth him going to Jesus about his servant’s ill health, and as a leader and powerful being, the Officer knew that Jesus could heal someone by placing His hand on him, but He could also heal through His commands offsite also. The Officer used an example he was familiar with in his work environment, and it was so targeted that Jesus was actually astonished over the faith of the man. Think about our prayers, do we go into the very finest detail to explain to God what our sick friend looks like, where he lives, how long he’s been sick and what it might take to truly heal him? Most of the time we do. I remember a pastor who tried very hard to discourage lots of detail when a church member asked for pray for someone, because often those requests turned into a gossip sessions about what all is wrong with the sick person, how they got that way, and how many family members may have been involved! I am convinced that Jesus knew exactly what was wrong with the servant, He knew what it took to improved the faith of the Officer asking, and those in the audience listening. You see, often in life we have our ideas about what is needed to resolve certain circumstances, and anything short of that would be a total disaster. A deacon or elder may visit a sick person in hospital and pray for them very deeply. But if you listen to the sick person’s story to a friend, they will tell how no one came from the church to visit, as that pastor is always off busy with the young folk or his clique of favorite members. It’s really sad to see how, in our minds, we have weakened the powerful hand of our awesome God. With a single word God put the world together and He created mankind. He hasn’t changed, so believing that He could still do anything that He sees fit to do, is strongly substantiated by all that He has already done. Our faith in God is a very natural thing, based on past experience that we read about, or may have experienced. Just be yourself and talk to God as your father – your Almighty Father. If you use personal examples or references, you won’t shock God. Remember, He created us, and He is well aware of everything we work at, volunteer at, experience, or believe in. Just talk to Him as God!

BLESSING(S) NOTED: God knows us and He understands all that occupies our minds. Being pratical with Jesus will not surprise Him or throw Him for a loop!

PRAYER: To the God of this Universe who not only made this world, but also created us, I say thank You Father. I have faith to believe that You created everything, so please give me foresight to also have faith in all that You could do for me – a child who loves You with all of my heart and believes in Your awesome power. The Roman Oficer believed that You could heal his servant, without ever being present in the servant’s room. Please impress upon my readers and I the power that You possess and how You could do much more than we could see or imagine. We love You Lord and look forward to all that You will do in our lives as our Almighty King. please touch the lives of those who struggle in their faith. Please remind us often of the faith You saw in the Roman Officer. I believe that we could be just as bold today, with Your help and direction. 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 Supercharged

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Evidence of Faith, Faith, Faith in Action, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Saturday, 2021-05-22
WRITTEN AT: Nassau, Bahamas

SCRIPTURE FROM: Mark 8:1-4
TRANSLATION: Living Bible (TLB)

BIBLE TEXT: 1-2 One day about this time as another great crowd gathered, the people ran out of food again. Jesus called his disciples to discuss the situation.
“I pity these people,” he said, “for they have been here three days and have nothing left to eat. 3 And if I send them home without feeding them, they will faint along the road! For some of them have come a long distance.”
4 “Are we supposed to find food for them here in the desert?” his disciples scoffed.

APPLICATION: I believe that you can read up on a doctor, or a banker, or a pastor all you want, but try speaking to one who sat under their care and you get to hear the heart of that professional. The reference could speak from experience. But does it work that way in Christianity? Why, look at the disciples and consider the first-hand experiences they encountered while working along with Jesus. Remember, Jesus had healed the sick; fed several thousand people from just one or two people’s lunch; opened the eyes of the blind; and from just a touch of His garment, people were healed. Try placing yourself in the shoes of the disciples. You heard Jesus say that all power was given to you to perform the same miracles and even greater. But feeling no greater power inside of you, there has always been doubt about those words of Christ. In fact, Jesus Himself put your faith to the test by telling you that He wanted your cooperation so thousands of followers could again be fed miraculously from just what you and they had in your possession. You personally had fed your family before on very limited food, but thousands of people? Friends, this opened my eyes and heart to consider how much help I am to those whom God has called to a relationship with His Son. I’ve been in my relationship with Jesus for about 45 years, but I wonder if it is evident in my faith; in my witness; in my everyday walk; and in my answers to their questions. Do I encourage their decision to surrender their life to Jesus, or am I a stumbling block? I’ve read multiple times about the many miracles performed, but have I developed a strong faith to believe that He is still God, and could do the same thing even today? Or am I more like the disciples still wondering who could mend the ills of my friends, or save a wicked sinner like some unfortunately show in their behavior? Jesus said that if we had faith, the size of a minuscule mustard seed, we could command a mountain to move. I believe that I have faith, but do I permit myself to act on that faith, trust in God and believe that He could do ALL things through His children that believes, trusts and obeys Him? Not sure about you dear one, but I believe that my prayer should be for God to help me to apply the faith that He has already blessed me with. Many are looking for Jesus in His children who claim to belong to Him. Oh that others may see, and believe, as a result of their encounters with other believers and myself today. Allow me to suggest that faithful followers of Jesus Christ consider doing the same thing today. The world needs Jesus, and if we might help to influence and encourage them as they seek Him, God’s Kingdom will increase and He will be glorified!

BLESSING(S) NOTED: Jesus was well aware of the needs of the thousands who sat under His teaching, and He ordered the disciples to feed them. He also knows our needs today, and I believe that He will miraculously supply our needs also!

PRAYER: Thank You Jesus for placing us in a world where thousands still desperately need You as Lord of their lives. No doubt You have placed us here to feed Your Word to a hungry, hurting and desperate people. Please embolden us to simply tell our story, and in faith, believe that You will shine so much through our story, that friends will want to accept and know You personally. Oh that You may be lifted up oh God, as a result of others seeing You in our actions and through our words. 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!