Category: For His Glory

May We Do It For YOUR Glory, God

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, For His Glory, gifts, Glory of God, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED Thursday, 2022-05-12
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Psalm 79:19
TRANSLATION: New Living Translation (NLT)

BIBLE TEXT: 9 Help us, O God of our salvation!
    Help us for the glory of your name.
Save us and forgive our sins
    for the honor of your name.

APPLICATION: I believe that as I read this solitary verse, God spoke to me and asked what might it take for me to offer such a prayer. I know of a pastor who bargained with God for His protection in war, and he promised God that in return he would serve Him faithfully when he returned home, for the rest of his life. Praise God, that young man who prayed, returned home safely and became a pastor. He was able to retire fairly recently after many years of doing exactly what he promised God there in that bunker. For those who know the Lord, I believe we tend to follow in the footsteps of that pastor more times than not. But if we truly love the Lord and want to give Him the glory that He deserves, wouldn’t we seek to do everything with God in mind? In other words, wouldn’t we recognize and promote praise to God, rather than to ourselves? For loving us enough to provide for our every need each and every day? For blessing us for the people He has placed in our life? Wouldn’t we awake each day with a goal in mind to make someone’s life special without looking for any recognition or thanks for ourselves, but to make it known that God alone deserves the praise? I believe that anytime we could strive to see the name of Jesus lifted up by others, without looking for what’s in it for us, then we may come closer to aligning with the prayer of Asaph. Perhaps our prayer should always be: Lord, ease our pain, so that others will see our freedom, know that our release could only have come for You, so that they would raise a sweet hallelujah for the blessing of seeing You miraculously at work. Dear friends, look around you, mankind has become excessively greedy and self centered. This has caused us to almost lose hope in humanity. May we consciously stop to think of all that God unselfishly provides for us every day – especially those things that are beyond man’s ability to help us with – sunshine that provides much needed vitamins for our bodies; fish that has been proven to be one of the best meats for the body; rain that does more for our plant-life than any amount of running water we could pour on to them; good health that allows us to hold a job, earn money, and provide for our families; etc. As we count our blessings for all that God does for us voluntarily out of love, may we boldly bless others with much of what we have, so that they may also lift up holy hands and voices as they express praise and adoration to the Father for all that He provides for them!

BLESSING(S) NOTED: As we give to others from unselfish hearts filled with the love of God, may recipients always look up with thanksgiving and praise to the Almighty God, not to the one physically filling the hand that is reaching out to us.

PRAYER: Dear Lord Jesus, You gave to us from a heart just like God. For those who have invited You into their hearts, may they realize today that they are but a channel for those blessings. That means, that they will realize that they are but a conduit that is filled with blessings by You, en route to others in need that they come into contact with each day! Teach us to never take on the attributes of the Dead Sea where everything remains locked up inside, and never passed along. May we freely give of everything we have, so that others may see the origin of those gifts being from Jesus alone. May they then glorify You, oh Lord for all that You are to them. 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!

The Prescription for Success

On By Ed AlgreenIn Devotion, For His Glory, Glory of God, God's Glory, LoyaltyLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Monday, 2020-03-14
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

Bible Reference: 2 Chronicles 31:20–21
Translation: Good News Translation (GNT)

Bible Text: 20 Throughout all Judah, King Hezekiah did what was right and what was pleasing to the Lord his God. 21 He was successful, because everything he did for the Temple or in observance of the Law, he did in a spirit of complete loyalty and devotion to his God.

APPLICATION: I can hardly imagine what our families, our churches, our cities and our nation would be like if we had men following the example of King Hezekiah today! We are told in verse 21 that this king was extremely successful because….. everything he did was in a spirit of complete loyalty and devotion to God! Wow! In Bible Studies we are often reminded about the importance of loving our spouse in complete loyalty and obedience to God, and we might hear testimonies about the difference these characteristics make in the life and marriage of couples who remain in love with each other through good, and yes, even through challenging times. I could only imagine how much better our workplaces would be if we (Christians) went to work with a spirit of complete loyalty and devotion to God. Friends, I know that many employers will not allow Christianity to be promoted within the confounds of the workplace, but what is inside of us cannot be taken away! We take Christ into our jobs through our lives – our actions, our stands on certain things, through our sincere dedication to our work and our bosses. Christians should be the best employees for any employer, if we do our jobs in complete loyalty and dedication to God. He will stop us from cheating, stealing, lying, gossiping, and any other ungodly actions. God will drive us towards being the best in everything expected of us by our employer. In addition to committing yourself to loyalty and devotion to God, please remember to daily pray God’s blessings on your supervisor and on your employer. Yes, even the boss that may seem hard and uncaring towards you. Just as Jesus made a difference in your life, He will also impact the life of your boss, or that difficult supervisor! As you meditate on this devotional and consider following this commitment, please notice that Hezekiah had no conditions to his commitment, and I believe we could deduce that his commitment was evident in every aspect of his life. I’m sure I don’t need to remind you, but our churches, our families, our workplaces, our schools and our social clubs are all suffering from the lack of commitment by those who tell the world that they belong to God. The Word says that as a result of Hezekiah’s commitment, many conditions changed for the good, and he was successful in everything he did. So will you join me in committing to be completely loyal and devoted to God in every aspect of your life? The world so badly needs Jesus, perhaps one dedicated child of God making a difference in their workplace, their homes, etc. will bring hope to those who need the Lord. Do your part dear friend, and pray for the same success that Hezekiah had!

PRAYER: Lord Jesus I’m sure that You never intended for us to be an image of You for others to look on, but rather that we might imitate You in everything You have taught us though Your Word and Your actions, so that they may be convinced of their need for Jesus. Thank You for the life of Hezekiah and the commitment displayed by this servant in loyalty and devotion to You. This impacted his world! But still today, our world is in trouble and many need to see a few good men and women who are dedicated to the One they say they belong to. Lord, may they see from our commitment, loyalty and devotion to You, that Jesus is alive and well, because of the evidence they see each day in us. Please forgive us Lord for the times we have acted just like the world, and not been a pure replica of You. Please help us to never be a stumbling block that prevents Your impact on the lost. Oh that You may be glorified and recognized in us, and may You be glorified on earth, as You are in Heaven! AMEN!

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

Ask It, Believe It and Receive It

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pass The Glory On

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, For His Glory, God's Glory, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Monday, 2021-06-07
WRITTEN AT: Sebring, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: John 7:16-18
TRANSLATION: Good News Translation (GNT)

BIBLE TEXT:  16 Jesus answered, “What I teach is not my own teaching, but it comes from God, who sent me. 17 Whoever is willing to do what God wants will know whether what I teach comes from God or whether I speak on my own authority. 18 A person who speaks on his own authority is trying to gain glory for himself. But he who wants glory for the one who sent him is honest, and there is nothing false in him.

APPLICATION: The people recognized that Jesus was an awesome teacher. However Jesus wanted to make it clear that His words came directly from the Father. Verse 18 reminded me of some of our current day teachers, preachers and evangelists, where we see, or hear one speaking from a very selfish ‘me-ology’, instead of the unadulterated Word of God. Could that be the kind of person that Jesus was talking about – trying to gain glory, or draw attention to themselves, by speaking from their own perspective/learning/point-of-view? Let’s remember that our godly responsibility is to pray for those who teach us, not to judge them, or make fun of them or ridicule them. That’s where God takes over. Fortunately though, we also have preachers and teachers who display a true sensitivity to God and His Holy Spirit, and therefore there is a deep honesty and openness that causes them to lean on their Master and seek His will in their ministry. Did you notice that Jesus depended on His Father for the right words, and the best timing in which to say them? How much more should we do the same today? So you might wonder, what is there in this Scripture for laity, like you and I? 1). We have been given the litmus test to help us discern whether we are being fed the honest truth of God’s Word, or whether we are seeing a popularity contest, or perhaps self promotion. Honesty to ourselves will help us to place ourselves under the right preaching or teaching, so that we can be truly taught by God; and 2). Look inwardly and allow God to show you any faults that may be evident in your life. Perhaps you are the false teacher/preacher. Are you promoting self every opportunity, or are you standing behind the cross of Christ, with Him as your spokesman, so that His work will be accomplished? Let Him have His way in your life, friend. Don’t just let Him be the ‘co-pilot’ in your life, but give Him the wheel and let Him pilot you through this life. Let Him receive glory for all that is accomplished in your life and in your ministry.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: Though so unworthy, yet I’m a child of the King! And because of that sonship, God will use even us to spread His Word and His good works so that He might be glorified by our circle of friends and influence. Let’s aim at having our audience see Jesus and not our weakness.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, it is so easy to sit back and gloat on the praises that others may shower upon us. Yes, I know it is meant to encourage us and lift us up, but dear Lord, in humility we need to constantly learn that it’s all about You, and not of ourselves. Oh that the people might always see Jesus, without attention being drawn to us. For without You in our lives, and without You guiding our every step, our impact on a lost world would be non-existent. Please continue to use our talents and our willingness to serve for Your glory, and hopefully for the growth of Your church. Please help us to display so much of You, that those that we come into contact with, may receive Your glory. Please forgive us Lord for those times that we may have promoted self instead of You, the One who makes this whole life possible, and worth it all! To God be the glory! 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!

Stay Alert and Pray

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

DATE WRITTEN: Saturday, 2021-04-10
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

BIBLE REFERENCE: Matthew 26:40-41
TRANSLATION: The Message (MSG)

BIBLE TEXT: 40-41 When he came back to his disciples, he found them sound asleep. He said to Peter, “Can’t you stick it out with me a single hour? Stay alert; be in prayer so you don’t wander into temptation without even knowing you’re in danger. There is a part of you that is eager, ready for anything in God. But there’s another part that’s as lazy as an old dog sleeping by the fire.”

OBSERVATION: The reasons why Jesus took only three disciples closer to the point where He would pray to the Father is a bit unknown, but being reminded that God does everything in His perfect will and for our purpose, is sufficient. Jesus was very burdened about the hour fast approaching where He would be arrested, beaten and crucified. If we were encountering due rest, we would want our most trusted prayer partners with us, yet the three disciples fell asleep, as if nothing was concerning them about the burden Jesus was bearing . Let’s try to understand why it was important for the disciples to stay alert, so that we might do the same.

APPLICATION: It may seem like we try hard to let our minds wander when troubles arise, because we really don’t want to deal with the drama, and in most cases, the sorrow or disappointment that result from critical times. We could see in verse 38 that Jesus instructed the 11 disciples to stay and pray, while He went on a bit further to also pray. Surely the disciples saw from the Master’s countenance that He was heavily burdened, or sad, about something. The three disciples chosen to go even further with Jesus must have surely felt entrusted by Jesus to be His closest ally in this time of deep concern, yet it seems like they may have taken that trust way too lightly. But why would Jesus warn them about temptation? As in every case of Jesus’ ministry, he chose just the right opportunity/moment, or the gathering, to apply His principles in a way that would open the eyes of His hearers. Jesus saw that the disciples had let their guard down and they lost track of what was actually going on in their Master’s mind and heart at the time. Temptation is most effective based on the condition in which it finds us. If we are weak and powerless, then there’s is a greater chance for temptation to have its way with us. We know from experience that temptation overcomes just about anyone, for it impacts us all with no respect for the person weakened by sin or laziness. That’s why presidents, pastors, priests, bosses, parents and children comes too mind as being impacted by temptation, and many have fallen because of that impact. Jesus knew that He had only asked the disciples to stand by Him – support Him mentally, prayerfully and through encouragement. Obviously their take on His trust meant little to them, because they all fell asleep. God has given us the opportunity and responsibility of being His faithful servants here on earth while we’re here. I wonder how He might rate us on our faithfulness to His tasks? Have we fallen asleep because of lack of concern and/or commitment? Will He praise us as He welcomes us into His kingdom when life on earth is over, or will He scold us as He did with the disciples? We serve a loving, forgiving Father, but while He blesses us to be His witness here on earth, let’s make every effort to not fall into temptation, but instead be diligent about His work and alert for His return.

PRAYER: We are always saddened when we remember how You suffered and died for our Salvation Lord Jesus, but we are forever thankful and grateful. Thank You for the reminder in Your Word today about the importance of staying alert and ready for Your return, and in doing so, build a solid defense against temptation. It is so unfortunate that Satan tempts Your children so much, and has caused a certain amount of disgrace to Your good name. Please Lord, fill us with Your grace each day and empower us to stand strong in our Christian walk so that others will see Jesus and nothing of the weakness that we are made of. In Christ we can do all things – for Your glory. Of our own power we are very prone to temptation and misrepresenting the name of Jesus. Oh that You may rule and reign in us Lord Jesus for Your glory alone. 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!

For Christ or Against Him?

On By Ed AlgreenIn Dedication, Determination, Faith, For His Glory, Rewards, TrustLeave a comment

Tuesday, 2021-02-06

Bible Reference: Matthew 12:30
Translation: The Voice (VOICE)

Bible Text: 30 ……he who is not with Me is against Me, and he who is not doing the Father’s work of gathering up the flock may as well be scattering the flock.

OBSERVATION: This verse is taken from a section of the New Testament where Jesus was clarifying for the Pharisees that His miracles were not of the devil. However, Jesus challenged them to consider their actions and attitudes as something that might be tearing down the Kingdom, not building it up. Let’s apply this valuation to our lives today, are we doing something to build up the Kingdom, or are we causing deterioration in Kingdom strength in our families and in our churches? Unfortunately, it is very evident to our Lord, and to our lost community.

APPLICATION: A piece of advice given by my wife and I several times over the years is ‘be careful, blood is thicker than water’. This applied to situations where the individual was talking to a family member about one of their relatives. That family member might be upset with their relative, and they may gossip about it to another relative, but they refuse to hear an outsider say something derogatory about them! Jesus witnessed the spiritual leaders of the day (the Pharisees) looking for every opportunity to entrap Him and/or imprison Him. He heard them speak evil about the good that He was doing in their community, yet they walked around pretending to be more holy than anyone else. Aren’t you glad that with our advanced education system, and our many computers and smart people, that we have learned to overcome this weakness in the church today? Ha, hopefully I received no ‘Amens’ to that statement, because it was really meant to highlight that even after all these years; after having the Word of God to show us the errors of our past generations, yet churches today are torn apart by the same wickedness. Imagine with me for a moment what might happen if Jesus walked down the isles of our churches next weekend and pointed out the folk who are promoting Kingdom growth, and then asked those to leave who were destroying His work here on earth. How’s your confidence level on whether you will be allowed to stay and continue your work for the Kingdom? Will the church grow after such a separation, or will it dwindle in numbers? Friends, please allow me to remind each one reading this blog, that when God is working inside of us and using us for His purpose and the good of His kingdom, then no matter what position we hold in church, or in our community, we would work together with other believers to promote the awesome love, power, wisdom and saving grace of the one true God – our Lord, and our Savior. When you are for Him, you will pray for those who open their mouths to speak for Him; you will lift up and encourage those who sing His praises; you will renounce evil and promote the goodness of God. There will be no need to look around to see who’s nearby when you speak of, or to your neighbor, because your words will be intended to lift up, and not tear down. Friends, there are many in my community who need the Lord, and I bet your community is very similar. They may be looking at the proof of God’s work in our midst, before they listen to our teaching or our preaching, or even watch for the sincerity of our walk, before they show interest in knowing Christ personally. They are probably tired of hearing the talk, but not seeing the walk of a child of the Kingdom. I believe that our takeaway today is that if we are for God, then let’s be extremely dedicated to living like He taught us, and like He exampled for us while here on earth. Jesus made it clear that we live out our beliefs, because when we don’t, it becomes clear that we are against Him. Talk with God today and allow Him to open your spiritual eyes to discern whose side you’re really on, both in words and in your actions.

PRAYER: Lord, may others see so much of Jesus in my speech and in my actions, that there will be no reason to question who guides me, who teaches me, who directs my path, and the direction in which I am headed for eternity! May all those meditating on this blog today be of the same mind and spirit, and may our dedication and commitment to you be contagious for all to see and subsequently follow. May we say like Paul did, if you want to see Jesus, follow me! AMEN!

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

Use Your Body To Bring Glory To God

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, For His Glory, Glorify, Glory of God, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Tuesday, 2020-05-05
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

BIBLE REFERENCE: 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
TRANSLATION: The Passion Translation (TPT)

BIBLE TEXT: 19 Have you forgotten that your body is now the sacred temple of the Spirit of Holiness, who lives in you? You don’t belong to yourself any longer, for the gift of God, the Holy Spirit, lives inside your sanctuary.[l] 20 You were God’s expensive purchase, paid for with tears of blood,[m] so by all means, then, use your body[n] to bring glory to God!

OBSERVATION: Paul was presented with a problem that most of my friends, and possibly most of my readers, would ever be faced with – prostitution. In trying to understand how Paul may have felt, I consider how I felt the first time I understood the impact of human smuggling and slavery. Imagine hearing that a human sex slave is way more profitable because of the ability to reuse the product owned by a pimp. For those who know God, and value the gift that He gave on Calvary for His beloved children, I believe that we will appreciate where Paul was coming from on his message here.

APPLICATION: The big deal here is that Paul was preaching to the church, not those who never visit the church or accepted Jesus as Lord. So this made me think about what must really be going on among our church people today, or among ‘Christians’ as a whole. I believe that what often causes grief among ‘Christians’, is that some may follow the plea of a parent, or a best friend to give their heart to the Lord, and an individual follows through in trying to satisfy the constant bombardment. This becomes a very temporary thing in the mind of that person, as they quickly return to their normal lifestyle without a true relationship with their Maker. Friends, if one of your men decided to marry a woman, and after the marriage ceremony he went his way and she went hers, would they truly live like husband and wife? Would they respect their individual bodies knowing that their spouse reserved full and dedicated rights to their body (1 Corinthians 7:4)? I don’t think so. Similarly, unless a Christian develops a personal relationship with the King of kings, then no real honor and respect is developed for the One who gave His life for our sin. When we show friends that we gave our life to the Lord, they try to take us at our word, until they could truly see if any spiritual fruit develops. However, we can’t fool God, for He knows us individually. He not only knows about every word we speak, but He also knows our thoughts and our very hearts. So when we stray and perform certain acts that surprises the church, don’t think for a moment that God is surprised, for He knows all about us. Now for those who honestly and sincerely surrenders their life to the Lord and truly trusts in His Word, Paul is reminding us that the Holy Spirit resides inside of us, to guide us along the right path and to live honest and noble lives for the Lord. Forbid it that this would ever occur still today, but Paul is teaching us that we are to respect our bodies, the sanctuary in which the Holy Spirit resides. Just like I believe Paul was addressing this subject that started with prostitution, but also generalizing because of the other ways that children of God were abusing their bodies, I believe the same occurs today. Many of the same sins that we look down on society for today, are almost equally as bad among God’s holy children. Like Paul, I would respectfully and lovingly warn all of my readers, that precious is the one who is a child of the Most High King, for God has placed His Holy Spirit inside of us at the time of our salvation decision. Let’s be respectful of that, and not only live according to what we believe the Bible teaches, but always be conscious of fact that we are not just disrespecting ourselves when we sin, but we are also subjecting the holiest – the Holy Spirit – a party of the Trinity, to our filth. Oh that we might be constantly reminded of this when we are tempted to indulge in things, especially those that we tend to think no one else is seeing or witnessing. Oh that we may always strive to be holy, just as He is holy.

PRAYER: Lord, You know are goings and our comings. You have blessed us with Your holy presence on an ongoing basis, because You know that we struggle to do this life on our own, in a way that is pleasing to You. Oh God, we really need You every minute of every day. Please always guide, protect and show us the way to help others be drawn to You. Please forgive us when we are weak and when we falter. Please sharpen our minds so that we will always call upon You in these moments, so that others will see more of Christ and less of ourselves. It’s all about You dear Lord. Please have Your will and way in our lives, our thoughts, our goings and our comings. May others know You and desire Your presence in their lives today. AMEN!

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

Give God the Glory

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

DATE WRITTEN: Monday, 2020-04-13
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

BIBLE REFERENCE: Romans 11:33-36
TRANSLATION: The Voice (VOICE)

BIBLE TEXT: 33 We cannot wrap our minds around God’s wisdom and knowledge! Its depths can never be measured! We cannot understand His judgments or explain the mysterious ways that He works! For, 34 Who can fathom the mind of the Lord? Or who can claim to be His advisor?[g] 35 Or, Who can give to God in advance so that God must pay him back?[h] 36 For all that exists originates in Him, comes through Him, and is moving toward Him; so give Him the glory forever. Amen.

OBSERVATION: In our Scripture today we are reminded that God is still in control; that His ways are far greater than anything we could imagine; and although He owes us nothing, He still loves us with an unconditional love and will do whatever it takes to see us through our circumstances and events of this life that seem so impossible to us. Hard to imagine? I believe it was for Paul also, and therefore the reason he told us to just give God the glory forever! A good reminder for us to meditate on, especially when times seem to be at the most challenging – ever.

APPLICATION: We can hear story after story about how challenging the times are in which we are now living. In fact, these are unprecedented times and even Christians are standing back in question about when things will return to ‘normal’, or when God will show forth His power. Friends, I trust that you will really take time to read our focal verses carefully today, and allow God to speak to you about how much He is in control of everything – yes even our trying times with Covid 19. I find it fascinating how God is still showing His powerful works through our weather patterns (floods, tornadoes, cold fronts, etc); how He is really speaking to the hearts of His people, especially now while they have time to listen; how this awful virus has no regard for the color of our skin or the value of our net worth, or the positional status of the individual (prime ministers, movie stars, pastors, military, etc). This is a time where those of us willing to open our eyes and truly observe, we may find where it seems like this a precursor to the return of Christ to take His bride home to glory – for the streets are empty, the business places are closed, governments of the world are in a panic, doctors don’t have the right medicine for the virus, loved ones are taken away and some remain with empty hearts, those alive can’t even bury their dead loved ones, and there really only seems to be One with the answers – the God who always was, always is and always shall be. So if you are like me and recognize all these interesting facts and have come to the realization of the awesome power of our God, how are you dealing with it? For the unbeliever, perhaps you have enough questions in your mind that you are finally recognizing that the God who created you, the God who keeps the earth spinning on its axis every day, the God who gives you breath to get out of bed each morning, He is the God who will also face you with some very challenging questions one day when you stand accountable before Him. Please allow me to share with you, based on the Word of God, that there will be no trial where you could offer your excuses, for my God already knows every little detail about you. So you will merely stand before Him for your verdict – Heaven, or Hell. No doubt you know the answer to that already, for God will only allow into Heaven those who have asked His Son, Jesus, into their hearts as Lord and ruler of your life. That’s it! No credit for good behavior or for what you gave to the poor, for we are told over and over in the Bible that there is only one way. Let me encourage you to seriously consider this during this down time where you are not overwhelmed with the cares of this life. I would love to have you standing next to me at the feet of Jesus, but no matter how hard I try, I can’t get you in. Only you can accept Jesus as your Savior and Lord, for yourself. Please consider doing this today my friend. Contact me if you would like for me to pray with you, or in any way help you with this decision.

PRAYER: Thank You Lord for Your daily intervention in our lives. Normally we will recognize this when we are on top of the clouds with extreme joy, success and happiness. However, through our challenging times You also help us to recognize Your power and Your authority over everything that exists. Please speak to the hearts of each one today, especially those who have struggled with recognizing and accepting You as Lord. May this be a day of decision for many, as we see Your hand at work in our lives and in our communities as we struggle to survive through the anxieties of today’s challenge with this pandemic. You are always there, always available and always reaching out to receive all who will call on Your name. May we do our part today, is my humble, but urgent plea. AMEN!

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

Successful Men Look Like This

On By Ed AlgreenIn Devotion, For His Glory, Glory of God, God's Glory, LoyaltyLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Saturday, 2020-03-14
WRITTEN AT: Paul B Johnson State Park, Hattiesburg, MS

Bible Reference: 2 Chronicles 31:20–21
Translation: Good News Translation (GNT)

Bible Text: 20 Throughout all Judah, King Hezekiah did what was right and what was pleasing to the Lord his God. 21 He was successful, because everything he did for the Temple or in observance of the Law, he did in a spirit of complete loyalty and devotion to his God.

OBSERVATION: I don’t know that you will learn anything new from this devotional today, but I believe that you will be reminded of why you might have an employee who is very successful and doing well for your company, or you might be challenged with something that is lacking in your life that prevents you from succeeding in your job. The formula is spelled right out in our Scripture, but fearing that you might gloss right over it, I want us to meditate on the necessary qualities, and how these were evident in king Hezekiah.

APPLICATION: I can hardly imagine what our families, our churches, our cities and our nation would be like if we had men following the example of King Hezekiah today! We are told in verse 21 that this king was extremely successful because….. everything he did was in a spirit of complete loyalty and devotion to God! Wow! In Bible Studies we are often reminded about the importance of loving our spouse in complete loyalty and obedience to God, and we might hear testimonies about the difference these characteristics make in the life and marriage of couples who remain in love with each other through good, and yes, even through challenging times. I could only imagine how much better our workplaces would be if we (Christians) went to work with a spirit of complete loyalty and devotion to God. Friends, I know that many employers will not allow Christianity to be promoted within its confounds, but what is inside of us cannot be taken away! We take Christ into our jobs through our lives – our actions, our stands on certain things, through our sincere dedication to our work and our bosses. Christians should be the best employees for any employer, if we do our jobs in complete loyalty and dedication to God. He will stop us from cheating, stealing, lying, gossiping, and any other ungodly actions. God will drive us towards being the best in everything expected of us by our employer. In addition to committing yourself to loyalty and devotion to God, please remember to daily pray God’s blessings on your supervisor and on your employer every day. Yes, even the boss that may seem hard and uncaring towards you. Just as Jesus made a difference in your life, He will also impact the life of your boss! As you meditate on this devotional and consider following this commitment, please notice that Hezekiah had no conditions to his commitment, and I believe we could deduce that his commitment was evident in every aspect of his life. I’m sure I don’t need to remind you, but our churches, our families, our workplaces, our schools and our social clubs are all suffering from the lack of commitment by those who tell the world that they are involved with one or more of these groups. The Word says that as a result of Hezekiah’s commitment, many conditions changed for the good, and he was successful in everything he did. So will you join me in committing to be completely loyal and devoted to God? And that we will ask Him to prompt us into a strong commitment in everything that we do, so that there would be an impact on those around us for the glory of Christ!

PRAYER: Lord Jesus I’m sure that You never intended for us to be an image of You for others to look on, but rather that we might imitate You in everything You have taught us though Your Word and Your actions. Thank You for the life of Hezekiah and the commitment displayed by this servant in loyalty and devotion to You. This impacted his world! Yet today, our world is in trouble because of our lack of commitment, loyalty and devotion to You. Please forgive us Lord, and as we seek Your face, please be faithful to show us the way. We desire nothing personal in any of these things, but that You might be glorified and recognized by those impacted by our actions. Your is the glory, and all for Your kingdom’s sake, oh Lord. AMEN!

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

Share God’s Glory

On By Ed AlgreenIn Evangelism, Evangelize, For His Glory, Glory of God, God's Glory, Share, Share God’s WordLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE  FROM:   Hebrews 2:9-10 (ERV)

TEXT: 9 ….. Because of God’s grace, Jesus died for everyone. 10 God—the one who made all things and for whose glory all things exist—wanted many people to be his children and share his glory. So he did what he needed to do. He made perfect the one who leads those people to salvation. He made Jesus a perfect Savior through his suffering.

OBSERVATION:   An awesome verse that portrays the great love that God has for us. He wasn’t satisfied just leaving us as we were, sinners in a world controlled by the evil one. So He sent His Son, made Jesus a perfect Savior, so that those who want a better life, those who want to go to Heaven, those who want to accept Him, would become God’s children and share in His glory! This is miraculous news that should encourage the hearts of anyone capable of grasping this truth! Oh what a Savior! Oh what awesome love our Father has for us! Wow!

APPLICATION:   I wonder how many of us come across someone in our daily walk, that feels unloved, unappreciated, despondent, without hope and living in a world where all they feel is frustration, hatred, revenge and just totally alone? Could the only thing that’s missing be, that they need to be encouraged and told about a Father who loves them, a Savior who cares for them, and a place called heaven that awaits those who accept Jesus as their Savior? Do they know that you care about them? Friends, please don’t automatically assume that because you’ve known this all of your life, that those you come into contact with will know this also. A friend was telling me just last Sunday that he had ministered in an Asian country, and it always blew him away when he would speak to someone about our Lord Jesus, and all he got was blank stares, for they had no idea what he was talking about. Do you sometimes wonder why God places you in the presence of some of the folk that you meet? Could it possibly be because you have the answers to ‘life eternal’ and to the many questions that your new acquaintance may have in their everyday life? I believe that our Scripture today serves two primary purposes: 1). It contains a reminder for you and I, that God, who created us to worship and serve Him, has done everything necessary to have us return to Him in glory to celebrate eternally with He and His Father; and 2). God will place people in our path, not by accident, but divinely, because He wants us to show His love to them, or share His Word with them, or tell them about Jesus who loved them enough that He died for them. Now, if only we can stay on task and welcome the work of Jesus in and through us so that He may be glorified!

PRAYER:   Thank You dear Lord for Your Word, Your love, and Your concern for even me. Lord I believe! I believe that You can and will use Your children, like my readers and I, to also be Your witness to the lost world in which we live. As we approach family and friends today Lord, may they see You and know You personally. Most will probably protest that they need no-one, but use us Lord to show them that there is only one way to heaven, and that’s through the Savior that they truly need. Please use us as Your instruments today. AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’.  If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog could indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and read more, or you may freely to subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Sebring, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us!