I Want To Know, Who Is Jesus?

On 2022-05-092022-05-09 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Know and Believe, Know Jesus, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED Monday, 2022-05-09
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Mark 8:27-29
TRANSLATION: The Message (MSG)

BIBLE TEXT: ²⁷Jesus and his disciples headed out for the villages around Caesarea Philippi. As they walked, he asked, “Who do the people say I am?” ²⁸“Some say ‘John the Baptizer,’” they said. “Others say ‘Elijah.’ Still others say ‘one of the prophets.’” ²⁹He then asked, “And you—what are you saying about me? Who am I?” Peter gave the answer: “You are the Christ, the Messiah.”

APPLICATION: We tend to be more guarded in what we say outside of the home; more general when in the presence of work associates; and we tend to use more church, or Bible, lingo when at church. But think for a moment with me today as we ponder what we might say in response to a question posed to us by the One who knows our innermost thoughts; has seen our every action/deed; and who not only knows every intricate detail about us, but is also responsible for designing and putting us altogether. To respond to this question today, I would suggest that we not respond with what the Bible says about Jesus, or what our pastor said about Jesus, or what we heard our mentor – Christian Brother or Sister say about Jesus, but to actually respond directly, personally, and intimately about who is Jesus to you. For those who are married, think about how you would respond if asked a similar question about your spouse! How would you respond if asked about your parents? Friends, I believe that this question by Jesus really boils down to the kind of relationship that you have with Him. Your response changes from who ‘they’ say Jesus is, to who is my Savior to me! As a husband, I love to hear my wife say who she feels like I am. Don’t you think that Jesus would consider it praiseworthy to hear us openly express our feelings about the value of who He truly is to us? I’ve always been taught that it is right to praise and adore Jesus for who He is to me, before asking Him for any needs that may exist in my life. I don’t know that I do enough of that, do you? Will you consider joining me in committing to take every opportunity to praise God for who He is to us, and to never be bashful in sharing with everyone who knows us, the awesome news about who Jesus is to us?

BLESSING(S) NOTED: Jesus Is All The Word To Me!

PRAYER: Lord, You are my Creator and therefore You know every little thing about me. Thank you for putting me together, placing me with a wonderful wife, blessing me with an awesome daughter, providing me the best employment opportunity for 32 years of my life, challenging me with ministry opportunities in and through my church, and deliberately placing friends in my life that love, care and pray for me on a regular basis. I am totally blessed, and I thank You from the very bottom of my heart. You are amazing, and beyond comprehension in Your ability to love sinners – even me. Thank You for claiming me as Your son! Please challenge my readers with an inward look at who You are to them. No matter what they might read in this devotional, what they may have heard from the Bible, or what their pastor may have drilled into them, may they walk away today having shared with You about Your place in their heart. May this be evident to everyone we come into contact with each day, precious 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!

So That All Will Know

On 2022-04-262022-04-26 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Know and Believe, Know Jesus, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED Tuesday, 2022-04-26
WRITTEN AT: Citra, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Joshua 4:21-24
TRANSLATION: New International Version (NIV)

BIBLE TEXT: ²¹He (Joshua) said to the Israelites, “In the future when your descendants ask their parents, ‘What do these stones mean?’ ²²tell them, ‘Israel crossed the Jordan on dry ground.’ ²³For the Lord your God dried up the Jordan before you until you had crossed over. The Lord your God did to the Jordan what he had done to the Red Sea when he dried it up before us until we had crossed over. ²⁴He did this so that all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the Lord is powerful and so that you might always fear the Lordyour God.”

APPLICATION: It seems like any time Satan makes his way into the local church and manages to distract a godly leader, the town’s gossip ring becomes alive to inform the masses that the church is not ‘perfect’ after all, and therefore should not be trusted. It is unfortunate that in doing the good that Jesus’ ministry always demands, that will hardly ever invoke a positive response out of the community. Unless the ministry efforts impact an individual personally, the ministry goes unnoticed by the community. Think about some of the ways your family, friends and coworkers are helped through the ministry of the church: They continually make every effort to help folk struggling in poverty and hard times; Sinners are often led from darkness (sin, and the things displeasing to God) into light (a life of righteousness dedicated to God); People who would normally never involved in community affairs, are often encouraged by God to actively become involved in His service and thru His church; People who would often turn to drugs, alcohol or crime are often encouraged by a pastor or church leader who loves on them and shows them that they care about them. And these are just a few ways God’s family shows His love to others! Friends, I often wonder if the church has not become so ‘politically correct’ that they have become much less effective in telling the world about: The Christ who died for them; The Savior of the world who arose, so that we might have forgiveness of our sin and live eternal in heaven; The healing power of Jesus Christ as evidenced first-hand in our own lives; The love of God that envelopes us and makes it bearable to stay in this world and help others to also experience salvation! God had His servant Joshua command the people to leave a memorial at the place where He performed a monumental miracle experienced by millions of people. In Joshua 5:1 we could read where the kings west of the Jordan became extremely fearful after learning about the awesome work of the Almighty, for they knew that if such a powerful God planned to also lead these people into their lands, they would not stand a chance. Do you suppose there’s anything about our churches that our community leaders fear? Do you hear them accusing God for the work He is doing in our churches, or are they convinced that church leaders are just caught up in greed and tax-free opportunities, at the expense of the town’s good people? If you were questioned as a church member, who would you say is in charge of your church? The pastor; The elders; The few with money; or is God truly in charge of His church – your church? Can you offer a few testimonies about God’s handiwork in your church? Does the church building stand as a testimony of repeated times that you encountered Jesus Christ and His miraculous works? What’s the simple answer you would give to your child’s questions about the church and why they are being taught and encouraged to attend? Do you suppose that the world sees sufficient evidence that God is all-powerful and that He is at work in your church? In applying the same questions to your personal life, do you suppose that the world sees enough evidence to believe that God is alive, well, and still as miraculous today as He was for Joshua and the Israelites? If not, why not? If not Christ, who then do you give your allegiance to? Please allow me to recommend Jesus Christ, for He is the same yesterday, today and always, just as He was for Joshua and the Israelites.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: God is alive and working in our lives, and in the life of your church. He still wants the world to know and experience His love, His power and the everlasting hope that we enjoy in knowing that Jesus will return one day to take His church with Him – to heaven with the Father, for ever!

PRAYER: Thank You Lord Jesus for Your sacrifice on the cross of Calvary, so that we may have the opportunity to experience the joys of heaven for all eternity! Please open the eyes and hearts of those we come into contact with, so that they may see the miracle of new life that You have lovingly blessed us with. I believe that You not only performed miracles so that the kings in our story today would fear, respect and honor You, but that You have also blessed Your children today with the love of Jesus and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, so that the folk we meet and become involved with would also see Jesus. Please help each and every reader or listener to have an attentive ear, and eye, to experience the many blessings that You shower on us daily. Lord, may Christians be so convinced of Your power, that those who touch us in some way will also experience Jesus in us, and surrender their lives to You. Oh that we would decrease, so that You may increase, is my sincere prayer today. AMEN!

Delays Are Costly

On 2022-03-052022-03-05 By Ed AlgreenIn Know Jesus, Knowing Christ, SalvationLeave a comment

Monday, 2022-03-04
Written at: Okeechobee, FL

Bible Reference: Acts 24:24-25
Translation: Good News Translation (GNT)

Bible Text: 24 After some days Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish. He sent for Paul and listened to him as he talked about faith in Christ Jesus. ²⁵ But as Paul went on discussing about goodness, self-control, and the coming Day of Judgment, Felix was afraid and said, “You may leave now. I will call you again when I get the chance.”

APPLICATION: When travelling to another state or country by plane or train, there is often the chance of delays, for one reason or another. If the fault is attributed to the airline, then they will often provide vouchers to the stranded passengers for food, and sometimes even for hotel, if the delay will prevent travelling the same day. Can you begin to imagine the costs paid by carriers for these delays? Last weekend the message of the Gospel was presented, and thousands of attendees at thousands of churches were given the opportunity to surrender their lives to Jesus as their Lord and Savior. No doubt your church, like mine, saw folk leave without accepting the invitation of the pastor, and the Holy Spirit that tugged on their hearts. I’m sure that there were many excuses for the decisions to delay following Christ. Why some left during the singing of the last hymn, because it was more important to be the first out of the busy church parking lot, or to be the first at the popular restaurants for lunch. Priorities of the individuals! But we are reminded through God’s Word, that He is in full control of our time here on earth. Will we have another opportunity quite like the opportunity given at last week’s services? Thankfully, I made it all the way home safely yesterday. Did everyone else from your church services have that same good fortune? Perhaps they did, or perhaps they didn’t. God’s Word has very clear advice for us when it tells us that “now is the accepted time”, the only moment promised to us. Think about this friends: at our borders all those arriving with proper documentation (passports and appropriate visas) are allowed in, while others are rejected and expatriated back to their home country. This will be no different at the entrance to Heaven’s portals, because the rules are similar to those followed by our immigration officers. For entrance into heaven, only those who have personally accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior (that’s their passport and visa) will be accepted into God’s eternal home, others will be returned to their home of choice – with Satan and his band of demons. Friends, please don’t delay, it could cost you eternal life with the God of this universe and His awesome Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus, the One who loved you enough to die on a cruel cross, so that you might receive forgiveness of your sin. But you must invite Him into your heart. Your delay could cost you big time. Please let me encourage you to not even wait for the next service time, contact a pastor or Christian leader of a local church, or contact me so that I may help you, but PLEASE, don’t delay, make a decision today, for Jesus might return today to take His bride (the church) home to glory!

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, many of us just attended church over recent days, and you petitioned us to accept You as Lord of our life. Today, through this illustration with Felix delaying his decision to hear more from Paul, you are again getting our attention about the cost of delaying our decision to accept Your free gift of salvation. The delays brought on by Felix cost him. I pray that my readers, listeners, and all those that we love and pray for, will accept You at Your Word, while there is time to do so. Thank You for loving us enough to have given us multiple opportunities to do this. And while we have no control over whether there will be another opportunity, I pray that many will STOP and cry out to You as they finish meditating on this devotional – even now. I praise You for not giving up on me. Today I humbly plead with You to melt the hearts of those that meditated on this devotional with me today, as they were given another opportunity to call on You for salvation. Please bring them to their senses and embolden them to make this vital decision. Please create a sense of urgency in their hearts to accept You oh Lord. For this is my humble and earnest prayer, in the name of Jesus alone, and for His glory alone. 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!

A Proper Introduction

On 2021-11-062021-11-05 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Know and Believe, Know Jesus, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, Worship4 Comments

DATE POSTED Saturday, 2021-11-06
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: John 3:16-18
TRANSLATION: The Message (MSG)

BIBLE TEXT: ^16-18“This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn’t go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again. Anyone who trusts in him is acquitted; anyone who refuses to trust him has long since been under the death sentence without knowing it. And why? Because of that person’s failure to believe in the one-of-a-kind Son of God when introduced to him.

APPLICATION: A new pastor presented an excellent sermon on his first Sunday at his new church. The leaders were convinced that they had chosen the right man to lead them spiritually. However, on the next 2 or 3 Sundays the pastor repeated the same sermon. This caused the leaders to question him about his repertoire of sermons, to which the new pastor responded: ‘Once I am convinced that the congregation has received and applied the Word to their hearts and lives, I will then move on to my next sermon!!’ That sounds a lot like John 3:16, for it is probably one of the most quoted verses of the Bible, but I wonder how many simple know the words, but haven’t really applied them! I would like for you to carefully read this popular verse in the contemporary translation I chose to present the Scripture today. Perhaps hearing it afresh in simpler terms, may draw your attention and cause you to question God, like Nicodemus did, on what must you do to be saved. You see, unless you make this bold step and present yourself humbly before God, you are still under the death sentence mentioned in our Scripture. Why is that? Well, the Bible says that unless you accept this free gift given to us by God, and believe on His one and only Son, Jesus, then you are under a death sentence – eternity with Satan and his army of fallen angels in Hell where you will receive eternal punishment through fire and brimstone. Friends, this is not just vain religious threats to have you join a church, these are facts presented by the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Out of perfect love for His children that He created, God sent His Son miraculously into this world, to bring hope and the means of us one day making our way back to heaven to be with God the Father and His precious Son, Jesus. If we receive the Son, by inviting Him to be Lord and Master of our lives, then we will be accepted into Heaven when we cease to live here on earth. If we don’t, then God has warned us that there is only one other place – Hell. Besides this Scripture today, I have also provided Scripture references through the link ’To Know Jesus’, referenced in my Footnote. Please consider the open invitation from God, through His Word. I have, and I would love to have every reader and listener join me around the throne of God in heaven. The choice is yours dear friend, please make the obvious, right, choice today – before it’s eternally too late.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: Although we may deserve eternal damnation from Satan, yet God loved us so much that He has given us the opportunity to live in n His ‘palace’ – the portals of heaven, where He and His Son lives and reigns forevermore!

PRAYER: Normally we have to work extremely hard to have a home here on earth, but Lord I thank You for Your love and Your mercy in providing the means for our entry into Heaven, plus the assurance of eternity with You and the Father. Thank You for Your Word, Your promises, and for the place You have prepared for those who love You and allow You to rule and reign in their lives. Please use Your Word to touch the hearts of many who will read this devotional today. May they immediately fall to their knees and seek Your face as they ask You to rule and reign in their lives. Be glorified today in knowing that others will recognize You as Lord, and that they will accept You as Lord today! AMEN!

There’s Always A Cost For Delays

On 2020-03-022020-03-09 By Ed AlgreenIn Know Jesus, Knowing Christ, SalvationLeave a comment

Monday, 2020-03-02
Written at: Paul B Johnson State Park, Hattiesburg, MS

Bible Reference: Acts 24:24-25
Translation: Good News Translation (GNT)

OBSERVATION: Delays are often very frustrating, and often cause us to lose our patience! However, yesterday there were thousands of self induced delays that members of our churches made, when presented with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Meditate with me on what happened in your respective church services over the weekend. Most attendees heard the Word of God, but they delayed their decision to act on the invitation given at the time. The big question is, what might this delay have cost them? Perhaps they said like Felix did, “I will deal with this another time”. Will there be ‘another time’ for them?

APPLICATION: When travelling to another state or country by plane or train, there is often the chance of delays, for one reason or another. If the fault is attributed to the airline, then they will often provide vouchers to the stranded passengers for food, and sometimes even for hotel, if the delay will prevent travelling the same day. Can you begin to imagine the costs paid by carriers for these delays? Yesterday the message of the Gospel was presented, and thousands of attendees at thousands of churches were given the opportunity to surrender their lives to Jesus as their Lord and Savior. No doubt your church, like mine, saw folk leave without accepting the invitation of the pastor, and the Holy Spirit that tugged on their hearts. I’m sure that there were many excuses for the decisions to delay following Christ. Why some left during the singing of the last hymn, because it was more important to be the first out of the busy church parking lot, or to be the first at the popular restaurants. Priorities of the individuals! But we are reminded through God’s Word, that He is in full control of their time here on earth. Will they have another opportunity quite like they had yesterday? Thankfully, I made it all the way home safely yesterday. Did everyone else from our church services have that same good fortune? Perhaps they did, or perhaps they didn’t. God’s Word has very clear advice for us when it tells us that “now is the accepted time”, the only moment promised to us. Think about this friends: at our borders all those arriving with proper authentication (passports and appropriate visas) are allowed in, while others are rejected and expatriated back to their home country. This will be no different at the entrance to Heaven’s portals, because the rules are similar to those followed by our immigration officers. For entrance into heaven, only those who have personally accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior (that’s their passport and visa) will be accepted into God’s eternal home, others will be returned to their home of choice with Satan and his band of demons. Friends, please don’t delay, it could cost you eternal life with the God of this universe. The creator, Savior and King, who loved you enough to die on a cruel cross, so that you might receive forgiveness of your sin, when you invite Him in. Your delay could cost you big time. Please let me encourage you to not even wait for the next service time, contact a pastor or Christian leader of a local church, or contact me so that I may help you, but PLEASE, don’t delay, make a decision today.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, many of us just attended church yesterday and here you are beating up on us again today through this illustration with Felix delaying his decision to hear more from Paul. The delays brought on by Felix cost him. I pray that my readers, and all those that we love and pray for, will accept You at Your Word, while there is time to do so. Thank You for loving us enough to have given us multiple opportunities do this. And while we have no control over whether there will be another opportunity, I pray that many will STOP and cry out to You even now. I praise You for not giving up on me. Today I humbly plead with You to melt the hearts of those that meditated on this devotional with me today, as they were given another opportunity to call on You for salvation. Please bring them to their senses and embolden them to make this vital decision. Without further delays, may today be the day of salvation for all who might meditate on this devotional with me. For this is my humble and earnest prayer, in the name of Jesus alone, and for His glory alone. AMEN!

Don’t Wait

On 2020-02-142020-03-09 By Ed AlgreenIn Don't Procrastinate, Know Jesus, Knowing Christ, Wait PatientlyLeave a comment

Friday, 2020-02-14

Bible Reference: Acts 19:16-20
Translation: Good News Translation (GNT)

Bible Text: ¹⁶ The man who had the evil spirit in him attacked them with such violence that he overpowered them all. They ran away from his house, wounded and with their clothes torn off. ¹⁷All the Jews and Gentiles who lived in Ephesus heard about this; they were all filled with fear, and the name of the Lord Jesus was given greater honor. ¹⁸Many of the believers came, publicly admitting and revealing what they had done. ¹⁹Many of those who had practiced magic brought their books together and burnt them in public. They added up the price of the books, and the total came to 50,000 silver coins. ²⁰In this powerful way the word of the Lord kept spreading and growing stronger.

OBSERVATION: Have you ever procrastinated, or waited enough that when you finally decided to take action, the object was no longer available to you? Often there are repercussions to waiting. Fortunately the Jews and Gentiles who witnessed the evil spirit in the man referenced in verse 16, had their eyes opened, and they realized that they were subject to such evil also, as long as they were separated from the Almighty. This caused them to commit themselves to the lordship of Jesus Christ, the only One with power to overcome the evil one. What will it take to open your eyes, or the eyes of your loved ones who have waited and waited before accepting Jesus?

APPLICATION: It seems miraculous how God got to the masses at Ephesus! I say ‘masses’ because we are told that many practiced witchcraft and sorcery. I’m sure that God was mightily using His servant Paul, but He also used a situation that actually involved a few of their own wicked bunch to get through to the people. In our focal verses we read where God brought great fear among the people by intensifying a situation between the wicked and the pretenders who tried to mimic Paul’s ministry. I find it so amazing, that in spite of all that God did at Calvary for us, yet He will still use scenarios that really affect our lives to get our attention and bring us to our senses. Oh, how He loves us! I know of situations where, through death of a loved one, a relative gave his heart to the Lord. Likewise, you may know of situations where others came to the Lord through war, or automobile accidents, etc. Friends, why do we need tragedy to bring us to our knees? God is still God, whether we are on a mountain top scenario, or whether we are at the very bottom because of a tragedy. What will it take to get your attention friend? Jesus showed great love for us on the cross. Let us recognize His goodness daily and allow Him preeminence over every aspect of our lives. When we do this, we prepare our hearts for the tough times, in that we know that our Master will be victorious even through those times. To those meditating on this today that have not yet accepted Jesus as Lord, please make this a day of salvation for yourself. Just as building muscle will help you withstand injury in a fall or other serious impact to the body, knowing Jesus will give you the calm assurance in good and bad times, that regardless of the outcome of a situation, you are assured, and have peace about your eternal destination. Just as we are told in verse 20 that the work of the Lord grew stronger, I want to remind you that when you surrender your life to Jesus, He will find ways to use your witness to also grow His work among your unsaved loved ones, for the ultimate glory of the Almighty God. Please don’t wait for God to use an unfortunate disaster in your life or the life of a loved one, for Him to bring you to your knees. He loves you enough that He would do anything to get through to you, so give your heart to Him willingly and not under due rest, please?

PRAYER: Dear God, in Your precious name I want to ask that You again tender the hearts of my loved ones that don’t yet know You in a personal and intimate way. Please cause their hearts to look up to You in surrender and then plead forgiveness of their sin. Please may it be enough that they be stirred in their spirit to surrender, without having to use drastic measures to get their attention. Lord, may I have that same urgency today in sharing Your love with someone who needs that final word of encouragement before making this vital decision. Please bless in wonderful ways today, is my humble prayer made in Your most holy name, AMEN!

In The Presence of Jesus, Worship Him

On 2019-04-10 By Ed AlgreenIn Faith, Know Jesus, Rewards, Trust, WorshipLeave a comment

Wednesday, 2019-04-10

Bible Reference: Matthew 28:8-9; 16-17
Translation: The Message (MSG)

Bible Text: ^8-9The women, deep in wonder and full of joy, lost no time in leaving the tomb. They ran to tell the disciples. Then Jesus met them, stopping them in their tracks. “Good morning!” he said. They fell to their knees, embraced his feet, and worshiped him. | ^16-17Meanwhile, the eleven disciples were on their way to Galilee, headed for the mountain Jesus had set for their reunion. The moment they saw him they worshiped him. Some, though, held back, not sure about worship, about risking themselves totally.

OBSERVATION: In these two incidents told about in Matthew 28, we are reminded that when we find ourselves in the presence of Jesus, we will worship Him. In another Scripture we are told that every knee will bow and every tongue confess, that Jesus Christ is Lord – That is ‘Worship’! As we meditate on this, let’s look at today’s opportunities to ‘worship’ the King of all kings and Lord of all lords!

APPLICATION: Those looking for excuses on why we are not impacted like the women were in verse 8 above, might say that the advantage the women had over us was that they actually saw Jesus physically in all His glory; they saw Him crucified; and they would therefore have reason to be emotionally attached to Him, especially in His risen state. But I really would like for us to examine that excuse carefully, for I could see the glory of God in everything that I see and touch throughout my day; I could follow the evidence of Him being with me as I reflect on protection from a near accident while driving to work, or saving my youngest child – at a time that doctors had given up all hope of survival; I knew it was the power of my Lord that healed my aching body and gave direction to my physician. So my God’s not dead, no, He’s very much alive and evident in all aspects of my life. Therefore I can’t say that the women had one up on me. How then can you and I possibly use any excuse to not lie prostrate before Him in worship and adoration? Let’s look at the second set of verses, and be reminded that those who lived with, and worked alongside, Jesus, had doubt in their hearts and were unable to truly bow at His feet and worship Him. Could it be that we are like those disciples who may have doubted the healing touch of the Master; or perhaps looked at the miraculous experience of Lazarus being raised from the dead – just like the gathered crowd may have whispered – that he really wasn’t dead at all? The crowd doubted because the knew that Jesus was just the son of a local girl Mary, and that carpenter’s son, Joseph. What’s our excuse? Friends, this really brings us to the point of examining our own hearts, and our tendency to worship our Lord, or not. We say that ‘we have met to worship’, when we come together at a church building on weekends. How is that? Do we find a prod at the door that enables us to sing, and/or listen to a messenger of God speak his heart to us? Did we truly find opportunities to ‘worship the King’ since we last met together at church? In these verses, I was touched by the Spirit of God, to believe that when we see Jesus and witness His divine presence among us, particularly those that know Him as ‘Father’, or ‘Lord’, or ‘Master’, or ‘Friend’, or ‘Savior’, and as ‘Creator’ of this whole universe, shouldn’t our very souls immediately, and automatically, burst forth in worship to Him. Out of respect and honor, we may fall to our knees, but I don’t believe that anything could prevent the overflow of excitement and reverence that we experience internally, when we enter into His presence. Please don’t wait for the weekend services for this. Allow God to envelop you, fill you with so much of His holy presence, that praise and worship will burst forth even today! He’s our Lord and soon coming King, my friend, if we expect to worship Him throughout eternity, then let’s not hesitate doing just that even now – today!

PRAYER: Thank You Lord, for making Yourself known to even us – sinners saved by the wonderful grace of Jesus! Our love to Your Son, and our appreciation for all that You have done for us, should be reflected in worship and praise at frequent intervals. May our praise emanate from us in ways that are very obvious to You and to those around us. Oh that my family, friends, coworkers, church members, and all who come into contact with me, see Jesus today, and may they be drawn to accept and worship this same Jesus that I love, honor and look forward to seeing one day in glory! There will be readers of this devotional today whose desire it is to also see, worship and share Jesus with everyone in their circle of influence. Oh that their wishes may become a reality today dear Lord, so that You may be magnified through them. AMEN!

The Joy of Knowing Jesus

On 2019-01-25 By Ed AlgreenIn Know Jesus, SalvationLeave a comment

Thursday, 2019-01-25

Bible Reference: Philippians 3:8-9
Translation: The Message (MSG)

Bible Text: Compared to the high privilege of knowing Christ Jesus as my Master, firsthand, everything I once thought I had going for me is insignificant—dog dung. I’ve dumped it all in the trash so that I could embrace Christ and be embraced by him.

APPLICATION: I love the illustration Paul used to show how much he valued the relationship he had with the God of this universe. A few years ago my family and I had the daunting task of moving out of our home of 27 years into a much smaller accommodation. We had to evaluate all of our earthly possessions and conclude that each item must either: 1). Go with us – meaning we had to find space for it in our smaller accommodation, or 2). We would hold on to the item in storage until we decide if we would ever need it, or are willing to dispose of it, or 3). We could no longer see a need to hang on to the item, and were willing to sell it or give it away. Think about that, together with the mindset of Paul, who was once a valuable resource to earthly kings and nobles, because of his readiness to destroy anything or anyone attributing its value to Jesus Christ. What Paul did could be likened to the example given above about my personal experience, dumping everything we once had, and starting from scratch. Paul did this in giving his total allegiance to Jesus Christ, without the possibility of any interference from anything he may have owned in his past. Paul said that he ‘dumped it all in the trash, so that he could fully embrace the unencumbered grace of Christ’. Friends, it was not until my family and I came to the place that we realized that our earthly belongings was merely ‘stuff’, and added no value to our eternal destination, that we were able to commit to our move. Paul is teaching us in this passage that it is not until we are willing to make Jesus the primary focus in our lives, and release our grip on earthly things, that we would truly embrace Him and be embraced by Him. Jesus went to the cross with only the wrappings around His body, but He did it because of His supernatural love for us, and to provide the means for the forgiveness of our sin. How much are you willing to sacrifice today to truly enhance your relationship with such a Savior as this?

Prayer: Jesus, You are my King – my soon coming King! Thank You for humbly following the Master’s will, to prove Your love for myself and all mankind who would choose You as the focus of our lives. You gave it all for us oh Lord. Please use this reminder by Paul to help us examine our motives and our intentions. Whether we choose to publicize our decision like Paul did, or whether we commit one-on-one with You, I pray that at the end of the day we will reflect back on the decisions we made. Each day we make decisions, some are very deliberate and very firm, while others are simply made by doing nothing at all and being satisfied with status-quo. Touch Your children today oh God and cause them to deliberately make decisions that will draw them to Yourself and to a glorious promise of one day being with You in heaven. I love You Lord and I thank You for first loving me beyond my wildest imagination. These things I ask in the name of Jesus, the Christ, AMEN!

Footnote: If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. 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 www.nuggetsfromgodsword.org 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 Highlands County, 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!

2016

The Meaning of ‘Salvation’

On 2018-08-152018-08-15 By Ed AlgreenIn Accept Jesus NOW, Follow Jesus, Know Jesus, SalvationLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE FROM: Colossians 2:13-15 (TLB)

TEXT: ¹³You were dead in sins, and your sinful desires were not yet cut away. Then he gave you a share in the very life of Christ, for he forgave all your sins, ¹⁴and blotted out the charges proved against you, the list of his commandments which you had not obeyed. He took this list of sins and destroyed it by nailing it to Christ’s cross. ¹⁵In this way God took away Satan’s power to accuse you of sin, and God openly displayed to the whole world Christ’s triumph at the cross where your sins were all taken away.

OBSERVATION: We are taught in God’s Word that who ever surrenders his/her life to Jesus Christ and ask for the forgiveness of their sin, WILL BE SAVED. But what does that truly mean? In our Scripture today, Paul explains this for us. Let’s understand this fully, so that our hearts might be overjoyed, and therefore happy because of the transformation, or change that occurs in our life when we commit ourselves to the lordship of Jesus Christ.

APPLICATION: I’m pretty sure that for those who have surrendered their lives to Jesus Christ, we knew that it was for the purpose of obedience to God’s call on our life, and also in accordance with God’s precious Word. But please reread the chosen Scripture for today again and be reminded that there were some deliberate acts by Jesus when we made our commitment: He made us a very integral part of His life; He forgave us of our sin (meaning that our sins are no longer remembered by Him); He wiped out all charges against us for our sin and disobedience of His commands; His sacrifice on the cross was not in vain, for Satan now sees that sacrifice when he looks for the sin in our lives. Friends, we, who know Jesus and have accepted Him as our Lord and Savior, we are a privileged people. We have a brand new start in life – a new life where Jesus stands in front of us and protects us as His very own! Will we still encounter problems and challenges? Yes we will, for as long as we tarry here on this earth, however we have our Protector, our Guide, our Stronghold, our Warrior, our comforter – the living God, the Creator of this world, standing front and center as He looks out for His own. We are indeed a privileged people. Children of the King of all kings! Do you fit into this description friend? Would you like to be included? Please read the tips I have provided in my Footnote and follow the simple steps to salvation in Jesus Christ. Life will never be the same for you!

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank You for the gift of salvation, given as a sacrifice through Your very own son, Jesus Christ. Thank You for accepting even me to be Your beloved son. Thank You for accepting my relatives and friends as they sought salvation. Thank You for being available, and willing to accept those who have rejected You and showed no sign of needing or wanting help. Lord, I pray that You may use my words today to touch the hearts of those who will read this blog. If they have never surrendered their lives to You and invited You to be Lord of their lives, may this be the day of salvation for them. The day they will realize the importance of having You front, center and in ultimate control of their lives. Only You can satisfy our deepest emotions and needs, and only You can save us from the critical sentence for our sins. Please speak to Your children again today Lord, especially those that I hold near and dear in my life, and those who will read this blog. 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!

But Then God…

On 2018-06-272018-06-27 By Ed AlgreenIn Know Jesus, Salvation, SurrenderLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE FROM: Galatians 1:15-17 (TPT)

TEXT: ¹⁵But then God called me by his grace; and in love, he chose me from my birth to be his. ¹⁶God’s grace unveiled his Son in me so that I would proclaim him to the non-Jewish people of the world. After I had this encounter I kept it a secret for some time, sharing it with no one. ¹⁷And I chose not to run to Jerusalem to try to impress those who had become apostles before me. Instead, I went away into the Arabian Desert for a season until I returned to Damascus, where I had first encountered Jesus.

OBSERVATION: Much like we should do at every possible opportunity, Paul shared with the Galatians his testimony. An opportunity where you talk about where your life was headed before you met Jesus, then the experience with Jesus that made a difference in your life, and how your life was then changed when Jesus became a vital part of your life. This really opens the door of transparency in the eyes of those to whom you are mingling with, ministering to or praying for. Let’s look into this more deeply….

APPLICATION: Have you ever stop and wondered how easy it would be for you to change your life, if only you had been born into the circumstances of your pastor, or perhaps another church leader who shared their testimony? Have you ever felt so convicted of your sin, yet thought about your home life growing up, or even your married life, and convinced yourself that this Jesus that you’ve heard people talk about surely couldn’t be the Savior for people like you? I thought you may have given that some consideration, because at one time or another we all may have felt that way. But let’s consider the life of Paul for a minute. This man was so strongly in favor of living like his Jewish forefathers, that he felt like that must include ridicule and possibly even harassment and even killing of the Christians, if necessary. So picture for a moment what you may have felt like when Paul walked into the town that you once felt was safe, secure and possibly even ‘Christian’. Now fast forward to a period five years later, and you overheard that Paul was coming to visit your town again, but this time he is a very ‘changed’ man. How would you feel? What would convince you that he is a different man? Paul explained that the difference made in his life was all because of Jesus, for He was responsible for a 180 degree turn in his life (a turn in the complete opposite direction). What he (Saul) was once opposing and persecuting and destroying, he (Paul) is now promoting, celebrating and encouraging others to become a part of. How would you describe your conversion to an unbeliever friends? For Jesus to make a vital change in your life and help you make a complete 180 degree turn in your life, He must first be invited into your heart/life, and then given total control to do whatever is necessary to help you live a life totally devoted to Him. Only then can He change those evil thoughts into good ones, those evil desires to kill and destroy, into a life dedicated to Kingdom work. Paul was following in a very destructible way, a sinful direction, BUT JESUS took control and made a total change in his life. Ed was the same way, BUT JESUS make a huge change in my life. What about you friend? No matter how tough things might be for you or how evil you are, my JESUS can make the difference for you also. Please read my Footnote for tips on how to overcome your current circumstances and find hope and everlasting joy!

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, my Savior and my King, thank You for reaching down in love and accepting my plea for salvation, in spite of the life that I used to live. I often think of the song, ‘I though so unworthy, still I’m a child of the King..’. But today I come before You Master, to have Your perfect will in the lives of my readers, my family and my friends that have not yet accepted You as Lord. Busy though they may be going about their daily lives, I sincerely pray that You, dear Jesus would melt their stubborn hearts and draw them unto Yourself. May this be the day of salvation for many who reads this devotional today, I pray. To those who may read this and already know Jesus as Lord, may I encourage you to send this to at least 3 friends and pray earnestly for their salvation today? May God’s work be done today because you gave of your time and effort, 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!

Nuggets From God's Word

Category: Know Jesus