Oh What A Relief It Is

On 2022-05-042022-05-04 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Forgiven, Forgiveness, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED Wednesday, 2022-05-04
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Psalm 32:1-5
TRANSLATION: Contemporary English Version (CEV)

BIBLE TEXT: ¹Our Lord, you bless everyone whose sins you forgive and wipe away. ²You bless them by saying, “You told me your sins, without trying to hide them, and now I forgive you.” ³Before I confessed my sins, my bones felt limp, and I groaned all day long. ⁴Night and day your hand weighed heavily on me, and my strength was gone as in the summer heat. ⁵So I confessed my sins and told them all to you. I said, “I’ll tell the Lord each one of my sins.” Then you forgave me and took away my guilt.

APPLICATION: I’m certainly not trained to deal professionally with how one should handle the stress in their lives (that’s my legal disclosure!!!!). However, I can share with you the best solution, based on a word from our Maker, Designer, Creator and Almighty God! For knowing full well how our generation would handle stress, God gave to His servant David resolution for his personal stresses, and inspired him to share that with us from his first-hand experience. David had his share of weaknesses, challenges, sin; forgiveness and happiness. Today David is challenging us to consider not doing the easiest thing by trying to cover up our sin and pretend it doesn’t exist. For it only makes us miserable when we go around pretending that all is well. Friends, I believe that is the first inhibitor for stress – when we know something is going on in our lives, but we pretend to those around us that all is well. Unfortunately I believe that we unconsciously show our pretense to God also, for we follow our own desires, knowing that these things are almost always contrary to the Word of God, and to what He desires of us. But we go on about our day pretending that all is well anyway. In my opinion this is the source of stress, for we are covering up something that we know should be done, said or acted upon differently. But praise be to God, the Psalmist showed us that there was excellent results for him when he followed the normal pattern designed by God. God has set this pattern for His children so that they might be pleasing to Him in every way. However, in all of our wisdom, we somehow figured that we could go our own way and do our own thing, and God would be just as happy with us. But God, in His wisdom, placed an uneasiness in us, that some may call ‘stress’, while others may call it a conscience, because He wanted us to know when we are doing something that isn’t right. Let me encourage you to re-read the last part of our focal verses today, and I believe that like me, you too might notice the loud sigh of relief by David when he concluded that God heard his cry for forgiveness and He forgave him. I pray that our goal today might be that we live as an open book before God – nothing to be worried about, holding nothing back, exposing everything to God that bothers us in the very least. Recognizing that God knows all about us and our inadequacies, and He knows what we may be covering up. But I believe that He longs to see us reconcile our faults before Him, and seek His forgiveness, so that we may be one with Him. Consider making this the day that you relieve yourself of the stress in your life. Seek God while He may be found. Expose your heart to Him, so that He might cleanse it and make you whole. Be one with your Maker my friend, and experience the relief He gives through forgiveness of your sin.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: I don’t know that we could find a story in the Bible where God did not forgive one of His children who sought His forgiveness. Praise God, He is still waiting, willing and ready to forgive us of our sins and shortcomings also!

PRAYER: Precious Lord Jesus, we approach You as Your loving children that are broken and filled with stress over trying to do ‘life’ on our own. Please speak directly to our innermost person today and help us to acknowledge our shortcomings, and our inability to handle this complex world on our own while thinking that we could still please You. Without You we are broken without any hope of repair. Please humble our hearts so that we might surrender our all to You and give You full reign in every aspect of our being, so that You may be honored and praised by all who we may encounter. 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’ve Sinned, But Jesus can Save!

On 2022-03-222022-03-22 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Forgiven, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, Salvation, Saved, Trust, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Tuesday, 2022-03-22
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

BIBLE REFERENCE: Romans 3:20-24
TRANSLATION: Living Bible (TLB)

BIBLE TEXT: ²⁰…. No one can ever be made right in God’s sight by doing what the law commands. For the more we know of God’s laws, the clearer it becomes that we aren’t obeying them; his laws serve only to make us see that we are sinners.
^21-22But now God has shown us a different way to heaven – not by “being good enough” and trying to keep his laws, but by a new way (though not new, really, for the Scriptures told about it long ago). Now God says he will accept and acquit us—declare us “not guilty”—if we trust Jesus Christ to take away our sins. And we all can be saved in this same way, by coming to Christ, no matter who we are or what we have been like. ²³Yes, all have sinned; all fall short of God’s glorious ideal; ²⁴yet now God declares us “not guilty” of offending him if we trust in Jesus Christ, who in his kindness freely takes away our sins.

OBSERVATION: Because of rules, kids seem to look at parents as being ‘impossible’! So as kids grow into teenagers, they can’t wait to get out from their parents and live on their own! But then, as they start to drive, they find that there are rules, for the roads are policed according to the law of the land. And it seems that the law is set all around them in everything they approach. Often adults look at following God as being another set of rules and laws. But today I would like for you to meditate with me on this Scripture that details how God provides a much better alternative to the many laws that were established when the world began. There’s light at the end of the dark tunnel you feel stuck in! There’s hope in Jesus Christ!

APPLICATION: When God populated the earth there were many laws established to help keep a semblance of order and peace among the peoples of the earth. It quickly became evident that these laws were simply indicators to man whether he was doing something right, or whether he had messed up. Are laws really necessary? Absolutely, because we would live in a state of chaos if laws did not exist. However, God designed us to enjoy life here on this beautiful earth that He created, but He also knew that our time here on earth would be limited. He created us to worship Him and to live at peace with our fellow beings. But I don’t believe it was ever God’s intent to create disposable humans, meaning that once they die, their bodies would return to dust as a final disposition of that whole person. For God created heaven as well, a home where souls of His beloved would gather with the Father and the Son for ever and for ever. But because He created us with a free will, He wanted us to decide what our eternity would look like, without the influence or crutch of a set of laws. If we do nothing and continue to live in sin and in harmony with the world, we will spend eternity with the ruler of the world, Satan, in the pit of Hell with he and his many demons. However, in the above verses, God declares the purpose of sending His Son, Jesus. For He said that if we place our faith and trust in Jesus, He would forgive us of our sins and declare us not guilty. In other words, we would look to be as one who never sinned! Other Scripture refers to this as being ‘white as snow’; or forgiven. The saved child of God is referred to as ‘holy’, ‘righteous’, or a ‘saint’. Notice that there were no other filters placed on who could call on the name of the Lord – nothing to do with a particular race, color, country of origin, gender, etc, etc. If you are walking this earth, then you are eligible to call on the name of the Lord and place your faith and trust in Jesus, my Lord! Now let me quickly give you more exciting information that is extremely miraculous – God will make a brand new person out of you. For your desires will change to live as Jesus did when He was here on earth; you will desire to turn from your wicked/sinful ways and follow His commands; you will desire to be around people of God who made a decision like you did; you will learn to love your siblings – other children of your Father/God; your lifestyle will begin to look so much like God, that others will take note and want in on what you found! I hope you could tell that I am overjoyed to be a child of the King, and that there is nothing I desire more than for you to know that the invitation is open to you to know my Savior and Lord. Please read on through my Footnote and especially visit the link ‘To Know Jesus’. I would also suggest that you call on a partner to pray with you as you commit to this new life in Christ – a Bible teaching pastor near you, or myself, would be overjoyed to help you make the right decision. Call on us, won’t you?

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, I thank You for this reminder today. Based on Your Word, I am more convinced than ever that You will return soon to take Your chosen people, Your children who chose You as their King, home to be with You. I am so thankful that You prompted me to choose You as my King, my Leader, my Deliverer many years ago. Oh God, PLEASE speak firmly to the hearts of those reading or listening to this devotional who have been lax in making this important decision. Oh that they may decide today to trust in Jesus and be assured of their eternal destination in heaven with You. I would be forever grateful, blessed and thankful. 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!

Your Sins Will Find You Out

On 2021-02-182021-02-17 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Forgiven, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, Worship1 Comment

DATE WRITTEN: Thursday, 2021-02-18
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

BIBLE REFERENCE: Genesis 38:24-26
TRANSLATION: Contemporary English Version (CEV)

BIBLE TEXT: ²⁴About three months later someone told Judah, “Your daughter-in-law Tamar has behaved like a prostitute, and now she’s pregnant!”
“Drag her out of town and burn her to death!” Judah shouted.
²⁵As Tamar was being dragged off, she sent someone to tell her father-in-law, “The man who gave me this ring, this cord, and this walking stick is the one who got me pregnant.”
²⁶“Those are mine!” Judah admitted. “She’s a better person than I am, because I broke my promise to let her marry my son Shelah.”…..

OBSERVATION: As a youngster you may have told mom that it wasn’t you who stole from the peanut butter jar, while all the while showing evidence all around your mouth! Perhaps you’ve been holding on to sin, while hoping that you have done a good job covering up the instigator of such behavior. Judah thought that he had done a good job covering up for his sin, but it didn’t work out like he had planned. How much are you covering up?

APPLICATION: Isn’t it amazing how smart we think we are? Even if no one else agrees with us, we know that we are smarter than almost anyone else around us! Ha! How we blind ourselves to things that others obviously see in the open! Judah thought that his one night stand with a supposed prostitute would remain just between them two and that no one else noticed. Moses had a similar incident when he slaughtered an Egyptian. He also thought that no one witnessed the altercation and therefore it would just be an unfortunate incident in the course of his life. In both cases, each of the individuals were identified after the incidents occurred. But I felt led to ponder this today with you, because there may be some who are hanging on to mishaps, or sins, that you feel no one will ever find out about. The good news is that you are right, no one here on earth may ever know about your wicked deeds of the past, or your sin that you committed in very private situations. However, I believe that for the child of God, we must be extremely careful not to underestimate the power of the God of this universe, for He is omniscient- knows everything about everything; He is omnipresent- meaning that He is always present in every situation; and He is omnipotent – meaning that He is all powerful. So what is it that you are convinced that only you know about? Have you given thought to what you might say when God questions you about those private, embarrassing, sinful moments that you hoped no one else would know about? Friends, I don’t believe that God wants us to stand before the world and proclaim our sins, but I do believe that He expects His children who are called by His name and claim His righteousness, to be truthful, honest and totally transparent before Him. Of course this means that if we are questioned about these things here on earth, we should be truthful, for He is also there during the questioning. Imagine, if we lie to our fellow Brothers and Sisters about our sins. Do you suppose they will receive the truth from us when we tell them about our Savior? At conversion, we asked God for forgiveness of our sin, and I am confident that He forgave us and washed us white as snow. In God’s eyes then, we are sinless. However to to world, they know about the sins we committed. That never goes away. We can only pray that God will allow them to see Jesus when they look at us, and not the sin that we ignorantly committed before our relationship with Christ. If we lie about it, the world may really question if there really was a change in our lives. Let me encourage all my readers to join me in being transparent to the world, while being totally honest and committed to the King of all kings and Lord of all lords. Some day soon, we will see Jesus face-to-face, I pray that we will have no regrets.

PRAYER: Precious Lord Jesus, our only perfect and righteous God. Thank you for looking, even in Your perfection, and forgiving us of our sins and failures. You created us, and therefore knew that we would give in to the sin of this world. But praise to our wonderful Lord, I am convinced that You also honored our request for forgiveness, and You cleansed us of all our sin. Please help us to always be conscious of whose we are, and may we be determined to live a perfect life, even as You are perfect in every way. Please help us to never feel like we could hide anything from You, for we know that as we honor You, we will stay true to Your commands. Please forgive us when we fail Lord, help us in our weakness to remain focused on You, so that others will see Jesus, and not our weak and mortal lives. AMEN!

God Does Change His Mind!

On 2020-12-122020-12-11 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Forgiven, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Saturday, 2020-12-12
WRITTEN AT: Paul B Johnson State Park, Hattiesburg, MS

BIBLE REFERENCE: Jonah 3:7-10
TRANSLATION: Easy-to-Read Version (ERV)

BIBLE TEXT: ⁷…… A command from the king and his great rulers:
For a short time no person or animal should eat anything. No herd or flock will be allowed in the fields. Nothing living in Nineveh will eat or drink water. ⁸But every person and every animal must be covered with a special cloth to show they are sad. People must cry loudly to God. Everyone must change their life and stop doing bad things. ⁹Who knows? Maybe God will stop being angry and change his mind, and we will not be punished.
¹⁰God saw what the people did. He saw that they stopped doing evil. So God changed his mind and did not do what he planned. He did not punish the people.

OBSERVATION: It may surprise us that God changes His mind about certain verdicts that He proclaims, but as we meditate on this Scripture today, let’s try to keep in mind that we serve a forgiving God, and One who knows all about the children that He created, and their decisions. He is willing to forgive, if we ask in sincerity.

APPLICATION: God’s knowledge is far greater than any man can imagine, and His understanding is beyond anything we are capable of. He knew about all that was going on in Nineveh, so He prepared the heart of Jonah for action, and for ministry at just the right moment. Jonah was so upset at all that the people of Nineveh was doing that he saw no reason why God wouldn’t destroy the whole lot of them. However, God knew that if the people were reminded of their wrongs and given a choice to divert from those wrongs and follow a better way (God’s way), that they would do it. So God chose a man who had just been redeemed from his disobedience and sin, to hear, and then give the message of God’s forgiveness to the Ninevites. We see where God’s message impacted the people and they turned from their sin, while the man who was forgiven of his sin (Jonah) struggled with God’s decision to forgive His people. God changed His mind about destroying the Ninevites, because they listened to His Word and sought forgiveness. Jonah had received forgiveness for his blatant disobedience, but couldn’t stand to see God also forgive the Ninevites. Friends, we may be more like Jonah than we care to acknowledge. After all, have you looked at an ex-prisoner with doubt about their claim to Christianity while in prison? Have you voted against restoring a pastor, or an elder to their position of honor, after almost destroying your church through a sinful act? It may be even more challenging for us to forgive a family member who came to his senses, sought God’s forgiveness, and now asking for forgiveness from his earthly family. I believe it may behoove us to remember that anyone that is forgiven by God, is actually cleared for heaven. Anyone who refuses to forgive someone redeemed by God, is actually sinning against God, because He wants us to love and get along with all of His children. What then will you do dear friend? Can you honestly forgive those whom God has forgiven, or must you work out your own vendetta against them? I’m sure you know the right answer to this quandary, so I would merely ask that you speak with God and seek His direction in helping you love everyone He loves and forgive everyone He has already forgiven.

PRAYER: As Your humble servants, please Lord, teach us to love like You do and teach us to forgive everyone that You have forgiven. It’s not our place to hold grudges and to judge the heart condition of others, but instead make every effort to love and encourage others who are battling the same trials and troubles that we face every day. Please forgive us where we fail each and every day, Lord. May others see the love of Jesus outpoured through us in every interaction with us, so that You may be glorified precious Lord. AMEN!

Tested To Endure

On 2020-11-202020-11-19 By Ed AlgreenIn Forgiven, Forgiveness, Love of God, Proven, Tested, The love of GodLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Friday, 2020-11-20
WRITTEN AT: Paul B Johnson State Park, Hattiesburg, MS

SCRIPTURE FROM: 1 Peter 1:6-7 (GNT)

TEXT: ⁶Be glad about this, even though it may now be necessary for you to be sad for a while because of the many kinds of trials you suffer. ⁷Their purpose is to prove that your faith is genuine. Even gold, which can be destroyed, is tested by fire; and so your faith, which is much more precious than gold, must also be tested, so that it may endure. Then you will receive praise and glory and honor on the Day when Jesus Christ is revealed.

OBSERVATION: Peter tells us in the verses, preceding our focal Scripture today, that for those of us who love the Lord and have surrendered our lives to Him, we have an awesome time awaiting us, where God the Father will release His blessings on us, that have been stored in heaven pending our arrival. That helps me to feel like no matter what we face here on earth, there is great hope that lies ahead! And because our Father is involved, we also know that His awesome love will be unleashed as we enter His presence forever. Looking at what happens in the interim, is the theme of our devotional today….

APPLICATION: In considering a real life comparison to this Scripture today, I thought of a husband who went to prison for battery, or abuse of his wife. Misery, pain and hardship ensued while the husband was in prison, but deep inside of each spouse was a love that was first kindled when they were in high school. While the wife wanted desperately to show that love before the husband was sent away, there was a world of influence that prevented her, and it caused the husband to release anger in ways neither of them thought possible. However, during the time in prison there were folk who worked hard at rehabilitating that husband and helping him to better deal with his anger issues. To do this, they tested him with various scenarios that might cause him to doubt any therapeutic improvement. It was totally challenging to turn the other cheek on the love he had for his wife, and still flourish in those circumstances. However, upon his release from prison, his wife was waiting with open arms to welcome him back home, and promised to do all she could to help him never to return to his former life of anger and violence. The life of both spouses while the husband was in prison, could be compared to what Christians face on earth. For although we surrendered our life to Jesus, yet we are left here on this earth to weather the storms of doubt; pain; financial burdens; being picked on; victims of crime; etc. In fact, at times we may even wonder if our commitment to Christ really means anything at all. But friends, I want us to be reminded that our gift of salvation is more than our immediate ticket out of this world, for Peter reminds us that God not only wants to use us for His glory while here on earth but, when we are serious about our faith, the enemy will often look to challenge us on how we might handle the storms of life. Those storms don’t go away, we are just given a new hope in what lies beyond the storms. That husband in prison was able to endure the hardships of prison, because he knew that he had a loving, caring wife waiting for him, and ready to finish up their lives together after his release. We have the same promise in Jesus Christ dear friends! There is a loving, caring, awesome Savior awaiting us on the other side of this treacherous world. Our time here is one of testing and proving whose we are. Wouldn’t it be neat to converse with God each evening and ask: “how did we do today?” Please don’t forget that prayer provides that exact medium for you to converse with God. Keep the lines of communication opened, so that He may guide and direct you into total holiness – just as He is holy! Why is something tested? To prove its durability under pressure. An object that is tempered under heat or pressure, convinces the purchaser that it will last. I can only imagine that God looks upon His kids who survive the pressures of this life, with His help, as being fit for eternity! How are you doing through all of life’s tests of endurance dear friend?

PRAYER: Lord God, thank You for reminding us that we have a purpose here on this earth, especially after we accept You as Lord, for then Your mighty works can be accomplished through us, if You choose to do so. When trials come, please continue to drive us towards You, and what You might want to accomplish through even the slightest ‘thorn in our side’. You never promised us smooth sailing and calm waters after accepting You as Lord, instead You have given us the hope that through the ups and downs of life, our Master still loves us, still waits for us, and is still our guide through every circumstance. Thank You for that love, that comfort and the peace that it gives to our soul. Oh that others may see Jesus in us, no matter the circumstances we face while on planet earth. 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!

All Have Sinned…. But Jesus!

On 2020-03-24 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Forgiven, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, Salvation, Saved, Trust, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Tuesday, 2020-03-24
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

BIBLE REFERENCE: Romans 3:20-24
TRANSLATION: Living Bible (TLB)

BIBLE TEXT: ²⁰…. No one can ever be made right in God’s sight by doing what the law commands. For the more we know of God’s laws, the clearer it becomes that we aren’t obeying them; his laws serve only to make us see that we are sinners.
^21-22But now God has shown us a different way to heaven^[f]—not by “being good enough” and trying to keep his laws, but by a new way (though not new, really, for the Scriptures told about it long ago). Now God says he will accept and acquit us—declare us “not guilty”—if we trust Jesus Christ to take away our sins. And we all can be saved in this same way, by coming to Christ, no matter who we are or what we have been like. ²³Yes, all have sinned; all fall short of God’s glorious ideal; ²⁴yet now God declares us “not guilty” of offending him if we trust in Jesus Christ, who in his kindness freely takes away our sins.

OBSERVATION: With all the rules, kids seem to look at parents as being ‘impossible’! So as kids grow into teenagers, they can’t wait to get out from their parents and live on their own! But then, as they start to drive, they find that there are rules, for the roads are policed according to the law of the land. And it seems that the law is set all around them in everything they approach. Often adults look at following God as being another set of rules and laws. Today I would like for you to meditate with me on this Scripture that details how God provided a much better alternative to the many laws that were established when the world began. Perhaps you might see some light at the end of the dark tunnel you feel stuck in.

APPLICATION: When God populated the earth there were many laws established to help keep a semblance of order and peace among the peoples of the earth. It quickly became evident that these laws were simply indicators to man whether he was doing something right, or whether he had messed up. Are laws necessary? Absolutely, because we would live in a state of chaos if laws did not exist. However, God designed us to enjoy life here on the beautiful earth that He created, but He also knew that our time here on earth would be limited. He created us to worship Him and to live at peace with our fellow beings. But I don’t believe it was ever God’s intent to create disposable humans, meaning that once they die, their bodies would return to dust as a final disposition of that person. For God created heaven as well, a home that His beloved would gather with the Father and the Son for ever and for ever. But because He created us with a free will, He wanted us to decide what our eternity would look like, without the influence or crutch of a set of laws. If we do nothing and continue to live in sin and in harmony with the world, we will spend eternity with the ruler of the world, Satan, in the pit of Hell with he and his many demons. However, in the above verses, God declares the purpose of sending His Son, Jesus. For He said that if we place our trust in Jesus, He would forgive us of our sins and declare us not guilty. In other words, we would look to be as one who has never sinned! Other Scripture refers to this as being ‘white as snow’; or forgiven. The saved child of God is referred to as ‘holy’, ‘righteous’, or a ‘saint’. Notice that there were no other filters placed on who could call on the name of the Lord – nothing to do with a particular race, color, country of origin, gender, etc, etc. If you are walking this earth, then you are eligible to call on the name of the Lord and place your faith and trust in Jesus, my Lord! Now let me quickly give you more exciting information that is extremely miraculous – God will make a brand new person out of you. For your desires will change to live as Jesus did when He was here on earth; you will desire to turn from your wicked/sinful ways and follow His commands; you will desire to be around people of God who made a decision like you did; you will learn to love your siblings – other children of your Father/God; your lifestyle will begin to look so much like God, that others will take note and want in on what you found! I hope you could tell that I am overjoyed to be a child of the King, and that there is nothing I desire more than for you to know that the invitation is open to you to know my Savior and Lord. Please read on through my Footnote and especially visit the link ‘To Know Jesus’. I would also suggest that you call on a partner to pray with you as you commit to this new life in Christ – a Bible teaching pastor near you, or myself, would be overjoyed to help you make the right decision. Call on us, won’t you?

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, I thank You for this reminder today. Based on Your Word, I am more convinced than ever that You will return soon to take Your chosen people, Your children who chose You as their King, home to be with You. I am so thankful that You prompted me to choose You as my King, my Leader, my Deliverer many years ago. Oh God, PLEASE speak firmly to the hearts of those reading this devotional who have been lax in making this important decision. Oh that they may decide today to trust in Jesus and be assured of their eternal destination in heaven with You. I would be forever grateful, blessed and thankful. AMEN!

Praise God, He Doesn’t Give Up on Us!

On 2020-03-172020-03-18 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Forgiven, Forgiveness, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Tuesday, 2020-03-17
WRITTEN AT: Paul B Johnson State Park, Hattiesburg, MS

BIBLE REFERENCE: 2 Chronicles 33:12-13
TRANSLATION: The Voice (VOICE)

BIBLE TEXT: ¹²From this position of complete powerlessness, Manasseh finally humbled himself and begged the forgiveness of the Eternal God of his fathers. ¹³He heard Manasseh’s prayer and found it sincere; He returned Manasseh to the throne in Jerusalem. From that day forward, Manasseh never doubted that the Eternal was the True God.

OBSERVATION: Often we will try everything possible, and everything in our power to try and correct a situation over which we are losing control, or have lost control. Manasseh, a new young king, had a plan for how he would run his nation – until he got captured and lost all control, THEN he thought to call on ‘GOD’, the One who was so good to His dad and forefather (David). I encourage you to read the preceding verses as you meditate with me on these thoughts today. Like me, I believe that your eyes may be opened to think about the many things that we try first, before taking our failures to God for resolution.

APPLICATION: In our limited eyesight, and in our great big minds, we seem to always have a plan for how we would do things, if we were in control. It is extremely challenging for us to accept the status quo and just follow the successful paths of our predecessors, or what God directs us to in His Word. Manasseh came to power at age 12, so wouldn’t he know everything that his dad never figured out during his reign? Was he expected to feel important in being able to change things that his dad had put in place? Was there anyone quite as important, knowledgeable or powerful as he? Perhaps giving those who look up to you a chance to appreciate all that you are returning to ‘normal’ may help you feel wanted, respected and needed. But it is obvious that Manasseh neglected to see that there was one greater than himself. Perhaps he thought that he had no one to answer to when he placed his handmade idol in the temple of God, so that his people had something related to him (Manasseh) to worship – something that was tangible. Friends, you will find in our Scripture that God will only take so much, and no more. Manasseh soon found out that the God in whom his father trusted in, and depended on for his success, is the God who is in control of everything alive on this earth. He’s the one who sets the stage for who will reign our nations and what they will be allowed to do, or not do. Manasseh soon found out that he was wrong, and that he had crossed over the line of respecting the Creator of this world and its inhabitants; the Author of everything that will happen today and tomorrow; the Healer of all diseases; the Restorer of sight and all other senses that have been dulled by sin or harmed by mankind, plus, He is the only One who could restore our soul from our life of sin into the life of one following their Savior and Lord. Friends, there is no one else to turn to, only Jesus. Manasseh saw this, for during his time in captivity there was no one to rescue him. He was in a ‘pickle’ – much like we are today with diseases for which mankind has found no cure. It served no purpose for Manasseh to call on another king to save him, for he realized that only THE KING could save him. That’s precisely our position today dear ones. Only Jesus can save us. Because He is in charge, He may choose to save us from our worldly problems and leave us here to minister in His name, much like Manasseh did. However, He may also choose to use our circumstances to call us home to Himself where we will be free from the struggles of this world, where we could be in complete harmony with each other, and at peace at the feet of Jesus worshiping He and the Father for all eternity. However, should the latter be the case, He has forewarned us in His Word that only those who have been obedient to His Word and accepted Him as Lord and Savior, will be allowed in heaven. We have a very loving and powerful Savior, friends, but He is a just God and will do as He said He would. Have you taken Him at His word? Do you believe? Have you said ‘Yes Lord’ to His invitation to accept Him? If not, death will have a much different ending for you. Please read my Footnote and be sure to click on the link ‘To Know Jesus’, so you could be reminded of what He said, what He promised and what He will do for those who know Him. Remember, God created you, He proved His love for you on Calvary, and He is waiting with opened arms to accept you, should you choose to accept Him. He accepted Manasseh’s call for help to save him. Won’t you also do this today friend, I implore you!

PRAYER: Lord God, You showed Manasseh that You alone have the power to do all things, including the grace and power to forgive those who have tried to do life their own way and under their own rule. Lord, we acknowledge You as Lord over everything there is, especially over us – Your humble servants. We acknowledge You as King, for You are King of all kings and Lord of all Lords. You have set the example for forgiveness, so we ask You to fill us with that kind of love, humility and boldness so that we might forgive others. Thank You for never giving up on us Lord, for we need You every hour of every day. It is only You that we depend on and ask for Your continued strength, guidance and healing of all our diseases. Forgive us Lord where we fail to honor You and recognize Your power, and we humbly ask that You resume first place in every aspect of our lives, so that You may be glorified and lifted up through all that we do and in all that we are. AMEN!

Cleansed and Ready to Worship

On 2019-10-04 By Ed AlgreenIn Clean Heart, Cleanse me Oh God, Cleansing, Clear Conscience, Forgiven, Righteous, WorshipLeave a comment

Friday, 2019-10-04

Bible Reference: Hebrews 9:13-14
Translation: Easy-To-Read Version (ERV)

Bible Text: ¹³ The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a cow were sprinkled on those who were no longer pure enough to enter the place of worship. The blood and ashes made them pure again—but only their bodies. ¹⁴ So surely the blood sacrifice of Christ can do much more. Christ offered himself through the eternal Spirit as a perfect sacrifice to God. His blood will make us completely clean from the evil we have done. It will give us clear consciences so that we can worship the living God.

OBSERVATION: Too often we ‘attend’ a church service and then we tell everyone that we had been to ‘worship’. Really? Did you visit a place where others were worshiping, or did you really go there and worship with them? Try reading the Scripture for today and honestly evaluate if you were pure, or completely cleansed, from the evil and sin in your life, in order to stand in the presence of our holy God and ‘worship’ Him. According to our Scripture, it is only then that our consciences would be cleared so that we could honesty ‘worship’ the Master of this universe – our God.

APPLICATION: I believe that every Bible Teacher or Pastor’s wish would be, that their hearers are getting as much from a lesson as they received when they studied the lesson being taught. I also believe that every Worship Pastor would love to know that the folk they are leading in a time of worship were participating from the deepest parts of their heart and receiving a blessing like they receive when leading us. Often we will go to our corporate worship services and while sometimes being totally blessed and pulled into the worship time through full participation, yet at other times we just attend but don’t feel a closeness to our Lord as we worship. These are the times we find fault with the person next to us or behind us, or with the worship leader, or perhaps the volume of the instrumentalists! But friend, if you especially read verse 14, you will notice that as long as we enter God’s house with stained consciences, there just may not be an opportunity for you to connect with God and His Holy Spirit that day in worship. You might remember from God’s Word that God will not be present where sin abounds. I believe that another way of understanding verse 14 might be in the following way: “One cannot worship the Living God without a clear conscience” or “Unless one has already settled with God concerning their sin, they cannot come face-to-face with God in a sacrifice of praise, or worship”. There’s a worship song that has been around for a long time “There’s A Sweet, Sweet Spirit in this Place“. After reading verse 14, I’m not so sure that we could experience that ‘Sweet Spirit’ and sincerely worship our Lord. Perhaps we should have a confession service first, then, perhaps, the Spirit of God might find clean hearts and consciences in which He is free to move and to bless. Let’s keep this in mind the next time that we go out of our way to ‘worship God’. Clean hearts will draw close to God, as it is the only way that He will draw close to you and I.

PRAYER: How dare us attempt to enter Your presence in sin, Oh God, especially thinking that we can block/hide the hindrances (our sin) while we attempt to worship You. It’s not enough for us to conjure up a time of ‘worship’ Lord Jesus, for we want to be where You are, and we want to worship You in sincerity of heart, soul and mind. Please forgive us for attempting to worship You, the One who never sinned, while we are yet burdened with sin in our hearts. Please cleanse me of all unrighteousness, so that as I might approach Your throne with a clear conscience and without sin. Please touch the hearts of my readers Lord, so that they too might be enlightened of any sin that not only separates them from You, but also blocks their true worship of You. Lord, may You rule and reign in every aspect of our lives and especially prepare us for frequent times of worship to You. I love you Lord, and I lift my voice and heart in worship to You alone. My prayer is offered in and through the precious name of Jesus, the only one is holy and worthy of our worship and praise, AMEN!

Not As We Were, But As we Are

On 2019-04-06 By Ed AlgreenIn Changed, Forgiven, Forgiveness, Love, Redemption, The love of GodLeave a comment

Saturday, 2019-04-06

Bible Reference: Psalm 25:7-10
Translation: The Voice Translation (Voice)

Bible Text: ⁷Do not HOLD against me the sins I committed when I was young; instead, deal with me according to Your mercy and love. Then Your goodness may be demonstrated in all the world, Eternal One. ⁸IMMENSELY good and honorable is the Eternal; that’s why H/e teaches sinners the way. ⁹With JUSTICE, He directs the humble in all that is right, and He shows them His way. ¹⁰KIND and true are all the ways of the Eternal to the people who keep His covenant and His words.

OBSERVATION: Like many of us, David felt like approaching God in the light of who he was in his earlier life, might be a hopeless case. However in light of who God is, and the mercy and grace that He is known for, David knew that there was hope for himself and for all who commit to serving Christ and obeying His commands.

APPLICATION: It is so easy for us to listen to Satan and believe there is no hope for us because of all that we were. I found it refreshing to be reminded that when I committed my life to Jesus and accepted the outstanding grace that He offers to His children, that He not only cleansed me of my sin up to that point in time, but that He looks on me as a sinner saved by His grace. Sure I make mistakes still, but with the Holy Spirit living in me and prompting me to the way of the cross, I am constantly reeled back in and redirected to the ways of the King who reigns over me. Friends, I don’t believe I am alone in feeling this way at times, for I’ve heard from many how hopeless they feel at times. May I implore you to be encouraged by the words of David in this Psalm today and be renewed in knowing that those whom Jesus has welcomed into His fold, will never be released to any other master. Think of your earthly mother and father – you can’t undue the fact that they are your blood parents. Jesus would never accept you into His family and then push you away every time you mess up. He wants you to seek His face daily and realign your will and way with His, every moment of every day. He loves you beyond anything you could ever imagine and I believe that He is anxiously awaiting your arrival in glory to join He and His Father around His throne. Would you commit to follow the last verse of our Scripture today and remain true to God’s Word and keep His commandments? The promise is that He will remain kind and true to you Brothers and Sisters! There is no better companion than to have Jesus on your side while here on earth and when we see Him face to face in heaven!

PRAYER: Lord You are so good to us. Praise God that You are able to see us as ‘white as snow’, because of being redeemed by Your precious blood. Most of us have nothing that we could brag about from our past, and absolutely nothing that we can place before You as redemption for our sins. Thank You for Your enormous sacrifice, and for Your uncompromising love for us, in spite of who we used to be. In being cleansed by Your blood, because of Your amazing grace, we are united with You in spirit and filled with the promise of eternity around Your throne. Oh what a Savior! Lord teach us daily to live like who we are, and not like who we used to be. AMEN!

What God Requires of Us

On 2019-01-04 By Ed AlgreenIn Forgiven, Humble, Humbleness, Humility, Obedience, Obedient, Servants of GodLeave a comment

Friday, 2019-01-04

Bible Reference: Micah 6:6-8
Translation: Good News Translation (GNT)

Bible Text: ⁶What shall I bring to the Lord, the God of heaven, when I come to worship him? Shall I bring the best calves to burn as offerings to him? ⁷Will the Lord be pleased if I bring him thousands of sheep or endless streams of olive oil? Shall I offer him my first-born child to pay for my sins? ⁸No, the Lord has told us what is good. What he requires of us is this: to do what is just, to show constant love, and to live in humble fellowship with our God.

OBSERVATION: A new year, a new beginning! Famous words that we hear around the beginning of each new year, but what does that actually mean? For some, it refers to diet. For others it may pertain to correcting the wrong attitudes of the past year; or putting aside hatred and striving to love one another; or a number of other things that we would like to start afresh on. What about the child of God? What might we want to do differently, or better? Let’s look to the Bible for our guide on this…

APPLICATION: When we set the rules on something, we can usually win, because we make the expectations within eyeshod of what we might attain. I don’t believe there is a human alive that sets goals to make sure they will lose the fight to attain them. However, when God has expectations for us, people of faith, should exercise that faith as they put forth every effort, with the help of the Master, to please God. Friends, let’s be reminded right up front that there ain’t nothing that you and God can’t do! Remember that He is the One who created this world very carefully so that you and I would survive on all that He provided. He created humans so that we may reproduce and be very much like Himself. He smashed the head of Satan and put him in his place. So since our God has proven Himself in so many ways, why is it again that you feel defeated; or so challenged to love others; or so unwanted that you feel like there is no relationship between you and God? Why have you not called on the name of the Lord in praise and thanksgiving when you have seen His hand at work in your life? Why have you not anchored yourself at the feet of Jesus, begged Him for forgiveness of your sin, and acknowledged in humility that you are nothing without Him? Won’t you try calling on the Lord Jesus to fill you with His awesome forgiveness, power, direction and unending love that leads to life eternally with Him in glory? Our Scripture reminds us of what God expects of us: (1) Do what is just – treat your neighbor as yourself, without prejudice or covetousness. In other words, treat others the way that you have seen God treat you, and others you know; (2) Show continuous love to others. Love as God has loved you. He gave His life for you, so what are you prepared to give for others in need around you? and (3) Live in humble and obedient fellowship with God. Humility means that you don’t have all the answers, and you are dependent on God. It means that you put aside any assumptions of what you feel others need, or the world deserves, and totally surrender to God for all that He commands. He’s in charge my friend! We’re just His humble servants carrying out His orders. Now that He has shown us what He requires of us, how will this change your direction, or goals for 2019? Try talking to Him about what He would have you do, will you?

PRAYER: Precious Lord Jesus, please forgive us for the plans we make, knowing full well that we have no idea about tomorrow, yet without consulting You – the One who has tomorrow in the palm of Your hand. You have reminded us in Your Word again today what You require of us Lord. May we be faithful in assuming our roles as obedient servants, ready to act on Your orders, and may we seek to be more like You in everything we do, oh Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer, AMEN!

Nuggets From God's Word

Category: Forgiven