Category: Obedient

Stand Firm and Hold Tight

On By Ed AlgreenIn A Lamp unto My Path, Adoration, Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Awesome God, Beyond Description, Blessing, Celebrate God, Needs, Obedient, Praise, Praise-worthy, Recognize God, Stand Firm, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED: Wednesday, 2023-03-22
WRITTEN AT: O’Brien, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: 2 Thessalonians 2:13-15
TRANSLATION: The Voice (VOICE)

BIBLE TEXT: 13 ….. We cannot help but thank God for you at all times, because from the beginning He handpicked you for salvation through the Spirit’s sanctifying work and your belief in the truth. 14 He called you to this when we shared our good news with you. Now you can take part in the glory of our Lord Jesus the Anointed, our Liberating King. 15 So, brothers and sisters, all you need to do now is stand firm and hold tight to the line of teachings we have passed on to you…. 

OBSERVATION: There are some key observations in the Scripture verses today that will cause us to know that our salvation is not happenchance but something that occurred because of the provision, love and spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ. If you have been blessed with this salvation of which I speak, try to follow the direction by Paul to stand firm in what you believe, and hold on tight to the promises given to you by God!

APPLICATION: Pastors come, and pastors go, so over your lifetime as a church goer you may have been blessed with the ministry of several different pastors. I wonder how many of them can, and would consider, writing back to a congregation they served and make a similar wish as to what Paul did to the church at Thessalonica. One big difference is that Paul’s letter to his church was incentivized by God Himself, as God wanted His church – the ongoing church of Jesus Christ, to learn from Paul’s teaching. That’s how this got included in the Bible, whereas any letters from your previous pastors may not have made the cut! However, I feel like we should learn from what Paul included in his letter and see whether we might display such qualities in our own church:

  • Handpicked, or chosen, by God – Paul reminded the church that they did not come about by chance, but were chosen by God as one to lead in the example of salvation brought on by the Spirit;
  • Sanctification – God desires a sanctified people, so He brought it about in this early church;
  • He called them – The church heard the gospel when it was preached by Paul and his team, and because they believed, God called them to Himself, to operate in a way that would be pleasing and honorable to Him;
  • Paul was happy to see that God’s glory was shared with the church – Interesting how people will notice when Jesus is involved, and they see Him being glorified. Some churches choose to promote their ministry, their pastor, their teachers, their beautiful church building, but it’s God and God alone who deserves the praise and glory for all that He is doing in and through His church.

Friends, when God is at work in His church, the world will see that the church is real and indeed serving the living God. When the church is apparently flourishing from programs and personalities, then the church fails when these things fade away or no longer exist. Paul encouraged the church to stand firm in what they first believed. Paul knew that he was meticulous in what he shared, so if they refer back to what they first believed, and then aim at passing that along to others who come seeking, the church of Jesus Christ would flourish. Is your church flourishing today, in spite of the many ways that Satan is pushing hard to destroy the work of Christ? If it’s not, then perhaps it’s time to do like Paul encouraged his church to do – go back to what you first believed and honor Christ for who He is, not in what we’ve become. Stand firm in the faith my friend. Be a part of a church that also stands firm in the One in whom they first believed.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: Take part in the glory of our Lord Jesus the Anointed, our Liberating King.

PRAYER: I feel blessed to have heard this direction given by Paul to the church at Thessalonica, because I feel like God is still challenging the church today to not wander away from what He first ordained the church to be. Please challenge Your church today, oh Lord – my church, to be so mindful of sharing the teachings of Jesus Christ, that those who walk through our doors will find the presence of the Almighty permeating the whole facility in which we meet to worship, pray, teach, preach, and grow our young ones. I realize that it will be up to us to surrender ourselves back to You and stop promoting ourselves and our programs. It’s Your church dear God, the place where You live and operate. May this be obvious as we meet in Your name to worship You. I’m afraid that we have made Your house something that we think the world is looking for, but I beg You to get our attention and direct us to making Your house what You would have it be. When this happens, You will draw all men unto yourself and Your blessings will flow. Please help us to not interfere with what You desire of us, so that You name might be magnified, and Your people come to You in droves. Speak Lord, and may Your servants hear, believe and obey. 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!

God Honors His Obedient Servants

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Honor, Needs, Obedience, Obedient, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED Wednesday, 2022-12-21
WRITTEN AT: O’Brien, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: 2 Kings 18:3; 18:5-7; 19:25;
TRANSLATION: Contemporary English Version (CEV)

BIBLE TEXT: 3 Hezekiah obeyed the Lord, just as his ancestor David had done. 
5 Hezekiah trusted the Lord God of Israel. No other king of Judah was like Hezekiah, either before or after him. 6 He was completely faithful to the Lord and obeyed the laws the Lord had given to Moses for the people. 7 The Lord helped Hezekiah, so he was successful in everything he did. He even rebelled against the king of Assyria, refusing to be his servant.
25 Sennacherib, now listen to me, the Lord. I planned all this long ago. And you don’t even realize that I alone am the one who decided that you would do these things. I let you make ruins of fortified cities.

APPLICATION: The two chapters referenced are extremely encouraging and exciting, as they remind us of our awesome God who is very much alive and responding to our commitment to Him. Please take time to read these two chapters again today. I was intrigued by the level of commitment by king Hezekiah. Let’s remember that many kings decided to not ‘rock the boat’ and change any of the evil practices of their countrymen. However, David was a standard bearer, as new kings were always compared to their ancestor, David. Changing the ‘norm’ is something that will raise up the people against their leaders, for they are comfortable with doing the same old, same old. Yet Hezikiah decided in his heart that he would continue to be faithful to his God, whether he was king or pauper. I wonder how often we let down our guards just to go along with the crowd, and not stand out by being different? Hezekiah must have often questioned whether it was worth it to be different and stick to his principles as taught by God and his ancestors, because he was challenged on many fronts. However, I was blessed to see how God took care of Hezekiah and his people! Hezekiah may have gotten nervous when the powerful Assyrian king threatened to wipe out he and his country, just as we get nervous when we listen to the news and hear about world threats that could easily escalate to include our own country. But notice how the similarities may end when Hezekiah sought the advice of a godly role model in his day – the prophet Isaiah. Notice how Hezekiah never cursed God, but instead went to the temple and prayed even harder. Notice how Isaiah shows nothing but sincerity in relaying to Hezekiah exactly what God told him, without adding any of his personal ideas or recommendations. Notice how, through God message to Isaiah, He revealed to Hezekiah that these challenges from the Asyrian king was not a surprise to Him, but it was all in God’s plan! Notice how, even when things we read in the Bible, or in prophesies revealed to us, things may seem so far out that it’s hard to imagine the plan of God, yet we see through yet another situation where God will never withhold His blessing, or reserve His mighty plan, but instead He will do what He promised. Things beyond our control often seem impossible to us, but with the grace of God, and in His mighty power, God will never renege on His promises – He will take care of us! Let me encourage you, dear friends, to trust in the Lord your God, with all your heart, soul and mind, and He will make your path straight (Proverbs 3:5-6). He did it for Hezekiah and He will do it for you!

BLESSING(S) NOTED: Overnight the Asyrian army lost 185,000 men, while Hezekiah did nothing but trusting, obeying and believing. There’s no army too big, or battle too complex for our God to handle – all by Himself! Believe in Him and watch it happen!

PRAYER: So much seems impossible to us today, Lord. The economy, war, hatred, politics, family squabbles and more. Yet we are reminded in today’s Scripture that You are a God who specializes in impossibilities for those who trust in You! Praise God that You saw me in my sin. You rescued me and saved me from sin and gave me eternal life with the Father, His Son, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. While remaining here on earth, I tend to see in my human strength. Thank You for reminding me of the supersized challenges that You overcame for Hezekiah, who had fully committed His life to You. Because You proved Yourself over and over again in the Bible, I believe that my readers, listeners and I could stand at ease, knowing that we serve a God of miracles, and that Your power is much greater than anything we could ever imagine. Instead of panicking over issues that seem so huge to us, please help us to always turn to You as our Savior, and also as our all-powerful King over all heaven and earth. Nothing is too big for You, for You made it all and You have every right to do whatever You want with it. May our faith grow each day so that we may place our faith and trust in You, being confident that You can handle every situation just as You had planned for it! 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!

Reminders Of What Makes Strong Christians

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Example of Christ, Godly example, Needs, Obedient, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED Tuesday, 2022-12-20
WRITTEN AT: O’Brien, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Psalm 119:171-175
TRANSLATION: Good News Translation (GNT)

BIBLE TEXT: 171 I will always praise you, because you teach me your laws.
172 I will sing about your law, because your commands are just.
173 Always be ready to help me, because I follow your commands.
174 How I long for your saving help, O Lord! I find happiness in your law.
175 Give me life, so that I may praise you; may your instructions help me.

APPLICATION: It seems like our society has become so self-centered and fixed on making their own rules, in lieu of those made by God and/or our national leaders. When this happens, we become very vocal about how God and/or our country failed in presenting the ‘right’ rules, especially the ‘politically correct’ rules for us! This mindset is not only destroying morals and devastating our peace on earth, but it provides free reign for those with criminal minds. But doesn’t this concept also leak into our churches? I know, not your church, right? Friends, I’m not here today as God, so I will not condemn your church, nor mine, but I do want to share what the Word of God says, for I am convinced that if we have a desire and a sincere love for God’s Word, and have the desire to obey it, then our world would be a much better place in which to live. Should this desire exist, then I believe that God will richly bless the child who learns from saints such as David, that falls deeply in love with the commands of God and are willing to obey them, without trying to correct God or suggest changes to Him. In our Pslam, I was overjoyed to see how David explained what contributed to him being a servant who is blessed in every way by God’s Word! Notice:
–> Because of all that he learned, understood and obeyed, from the laws of God, David’s heart overflowed in praise to his Maker. I believe this means that David found repeatedly that God’s laws were especially designed for blessing him in whatever he did. When this happens, of course it results in personal praise to our God. When this happens, of course it results in cooperate worship when gathered with other likeminded children of God. When this happens, it results in our churches (our congregations) worshipping from an overflowing heart that has already been blessed tremendously throughout the week? Try applying this personally without pointing fingers at those around you at church.
–> Because of God’s law, as laid out for us in His Word, David was incented to sing from his humble heart to His all-powerful and almighty God! Can you imagine him saying to God ‘You thought of me, when You added that piece to Your law! I can’t imagine the mess I would have made of things if I followed my own inclination’. Isn’t that just the opposite in our world today? We have to eliminate and restart rules and regulations by using our own words, neutral gender terms and worldly innuendos. After all God’s law was intended for those of old who knew no better. Dear friends, it’s because of our attitudes towards the things of God, that we have allowed such deterioration in our society today. From a solely personal perspective, what is it that prompts a song in your heart, my friend? I hope that it’s not just because the Worship Leader chose your favorite hymn. Otherwise, what will incent you to sing while out in the field, or driving down the street, or when you are facing challenging times? What will happen when that Worship Leader is absent from church? I believe our praise to our God is a very personal thing. First of all, it must come from a heart filled with praise, and the only way for that to truly happen, is through our personal relationship with Jesus. Read His Word. Fall in love with Him over and over again. Realizing His love for you, will incent you to open up and share your love for Him. That will occur as you worship! As we learn to worship Him personally and privately, then it will become natural for us to immerse ourselves into cooperate worship to the one true and living God. Practice it when all alone. Then be intentional at praising your God while at church.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: With God’s Word as an integral part of our daily lives, we will find ourselves naturally praising God for His many blessings and even for His laws as instituted for our protection and to act as our guardrails in life. He did it all for us!

PRAYER: Precious Lord, You are more than anything we could ever understand. We look at man’s laws every day, and we find so many flaws. Yet, as we read Your Word and are reminded of Your commands and Your laws, it is easy to see that You had us on Your mind all along. This excites us and gives us reason to worship You in every part of our lives. David set the example for us, and as we were reminded in today’s Scripture, David celebrated Your laws as it became obvious to him that it was all for His own good, and He was blessed beyond measure even in the tough times of life. Please Lord, help us to stay focused on You. Help us to make it a priority to read Your Word every day and look for the blessings that You have promised to those who love, honor and obey You. No doubt the world will look on and snub us as ‘Jesus freaks’ but help us to instead stay focused on the end goal – to be blessed of You as we await the day that we will unite around Your throne in heaven. Thank You, Jesus! Thank You Father for loving us so much! May that love be evident in our lives when we seek to honor and obey Your Word. 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!

Invite Everyone To Know Your Jesus

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Evangelism, Needs, Obedient, Praise, Recognize God, Worship1 Comment

DATE POSTED Monday, 2022-11-28
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Luke 5:27-28; 31-32;
TRANSLATION: Living Bible (TLB)

BIBLE TEXT: 27 Later on as Jesus left the town he saw a tax collector—with the usual reputation for cheating—sitting at a tax collection booth. The man’s name was Levi. Jesus said to him, “Come and be one of my disciples!” 28 So Levi left everything, sprang up, and went with him.
31 Jesus answered them, “It is the sick who need a doctor, not those in good health. 32 My purpose is to invite sinners to turn from their sins, not to spend my time with those who think themselves already good enough.”

APPLICATION: If you hang around Christians long enough, you will find that many are like babies, they want the full, undivided attention of their pastor, and they want their own way in the decisions of church leadership. When they don’t get their own way, these ‘God-fearing, and wonderful’ people tend to search for the reasons why not. If this includes accusations against the pastor or church leadership, then so be it. Just in case you are wondering why I am coming down on my own Christian Brothers and Sisters, then I would suggest that you re-read our focal Bible verses for today. Jesus had the same problem. Jesus brought to the attention of His accusers that the whole reason He came, was to save the lost. Just as a medical doctor has no reason to setup shop in a gym, Jesus had no reason to try and continue saving the saved. I love the way this translation put verse 32 where Jesus spoke of the unnecessary job of preaching to those who consider themselves already good enough! Not only is much of our pastor’s sermon thrown right over our shoulders to the sinners in back of us, but especially the part where he shares the need for salvation. Unfortunately, those of us who tend to pass on the challenges presented by our pastors, are the hardest to accept the teaching and correction of our Lord. Many miss the word that God has for them when they meditate on the Word of God, because they continually try to apply the voice of God to someone else who is much worse than we are! Please, please dear friend, when you read the Bible, listen closely to what God is saying to you. Soften your heart so that God might speak truth into your life and get His message deep inside of you so that you might become more aligned with His ways and His teachings. When this happens, you will be more qualified to also speak truth into the life of that family member, friend, coworker, or the unsaved who is diligently looking for an image of Christ here on earth. Now, you might be confused and thinking that I feel like the pastor has no reason to preach to the church. Please know that each Christian needs daily communion with God. Bible Study, prayer and the opportunity to minister to the needs of others. Cooperate worship is something called for in the Bible, for it serves to help us recognize God through our prayers, worship and praise. We hear the Word preached so we could understand it better and apply it more fully to our own lives to be better prepared to share it with others. We must always go before God for ourselves first and foremost, for we are all sinners where our attitudes, actions and speech are all influenced by the people, ways and circumstances of the world in which we live. To share Christ with others, we must have Him living and operating in our own lives in such a way that the unsaved will see Jesus, and not the mere knowledge we have of Him. God is very qualified to speak into the hearts of Christians and unbelievers alike. Let’s let Him be God, while we strive to be His faithful servants in obedience to His commands, and in sharing His love with others so that they may have a growing desire for His lordship over their lives.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: When God calls, let’s be like Levi (Matthew), ready to drop everything, get up and follow Him. We tend to worry about the qualifications of an individual, but God seems more willing to work through those who are willing to answer His call. With the Holy Spirit residing inside of Christians, we are adequately able and qualified to answer the call of Christ in our lives.

PRAYER: Doubt arises when we listen to the wrong master. But Lord Jesus, we know that with You beside us, in front of us and inside of us, we can do all things commanded and demonstrated by You. Lord, You were questioned about the crowd that You chose to minister to, so we know that we can expect no less abuse. Please teach us and give us the boldness to always keep it foremost in our minds that our intentions, actions, thoughts and words are to always be geared towards the One we serve, and to introduce others to You. Oh that we could see You move today in the lives of those that we would least expect! For we all need You, Jesus! AMEN!

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

Follow Jesus’ Example in Prayer

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Needs, Obedient, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED Sunday, 2022-11-20
WRITTEN AT: O’Brien, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Luke 5:15-16
TRANSLATION: Contemporary English Version (CEV)

BIBLE TEXT: 15 News about Jesus kept spreading. Large crowds came to listen to him teach and to be healed of their diseases. 16 But Jesus would often go to some place where he could be alone and pray.

APPLICATION: The story is often shared about a very popular, experienced and successful pastor, that while he was preaching, a great body of believers met together in the basement of the church in steadfast prayer for the preacher, the listeners, and especially for the unsaved in attendance that day. I was part of a church that, for a time, conducted revival services annually. One pastor led us into cottage prayer meetings for about a month before these special services. Hosts were encouraged to not provide refreshments, as the meetings were meant for the diehards who wanted to pray and see God move in the following revival services. Having participated in these prayer meetings, I remember during the services having strong urges to look down the aisle as the invitation was given each night, because I was convinced that God heard the humble and sincere prayers of His people, and responses would result. In our verses today, surely you can see the popularity of Jesus. His compassionate teaching of God’s Word. His powerful, healing touch of the sick and challenged individuals. With popularity comes a sense of pride and self-fulfillment to the one accredited for the success of church meetings. But if we are to truly follow in the footsteps of Jesus, we must catch a glimpse of how He went aside for constant one-on-one private prayer meetings with His Father. In seeing success that results from weeks and months of hard work and dedicated prayer meetings, it would seem natural to celebrate and offer up toasts for all that is being accomplished through our teacher/preacher/evangelist. But friends, I believe in following the example of Jesus, we will not only learn to celebrate and give thanks to the One, True God, who made it all possible, but also be careful to thank Him for letting us stand in His presence, experience His warmth and His all-powerful touch on our family, neighbors and friends. Doing this in a secluded place would serve to help us concentrate on the Father and His achievements that He allowed us to experience as we met in His name. I mentioned earlier about the weekly prayer meetings that many churches open up to its members. This is a secluded place away from the normal pressure of work, home, and away from the rustling noises of the world, that gives us time with God in agreement with other like believers. This brings encouragement to hear how God has blessed in the lives of others, and it brings opportunity, for we could then be more focused in our prayers for believers who are begging for God’s presence and intervention in their lives. Total alone time with God could be possible during your drive times. Turn off the radio and silence your phone so that nothing will disrupt your time of communicating with God. Praying for 20 minutes sounds very short but let me encourage you to set a goal of 5 minutes, then increase that as you are comfortable. I sincerely believe that the quiet, effective prayers of God’s children will bend the ear of God and cause Him to bless in ways that we could never imagine. Follow in the example of Jesus, my friend – spend time alone talking with God.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: God is never too busy to hear the cry from His children, and throughout His Word we are reassured that He not only hears our cry but meets our needs and answers our prayers that agree with His perfect will for us.

PRAYER: Thank You Lord Jesus for allowing us, though so unworthy, to spend time in Your presence and place our petitions before You. We have nothing to boast about, for without You, we are nothing but filthy rags. However, our needs are many, and our desire to see loved ones saved from the pit of Hell is our top priority. This is something that only You can do, Lord, so please bear with us as we bring them before You on a regular basis. In our Scripture today, we see where it is obvious that the towns people kept coming to hear You teach, yet You found it necessary to still spend quiet time with the Father in prayer. Please keep us focused on more than what has already been done, but especially on what still needs to be done. We have nothing to boast about, for it is You that has accomplished Your mighty works in our presence. May we always be available as a channel for Your mighty works. Please help us to keep our lives aligned with Your will and Your teachings, so that we will never be a stumbling block that diminishes Your effectiveness in the lives of others. 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!

God Responds To Our Obedience

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Needs, Obedience, Obedient, Praise, Recognize God, Worship1 Comment

DATE POSTED Thursday, 2022-07-21
WRITTEN AT: O Brien, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: 1 Samuel 10:6, 9,
TRANSLATION: New Living Translation (NLT)

BIBLE TEXT: 6 At that time the Spirit of the Lord will come powerfully upon you, and you will prophesy with them. You will be changed into a different person. 
 9 As Saul turned and started to leave, God gave him a new heart, and all Samuel’s signs were fulfilled that day. 

APPLICATION: Somehow I believe that many of us postpone doing what we feel God has ordered for us. We tend to wait for confirmation from other trusted sources, and we tend to wait until the very last minute, just in case we’re not sure it was truly God speaking to us. Where is our faith? Compare this story of Saul to that of a situation that we may hear is going on at our church. Saul was appointed king by the prophet Samuel. One of Saul’s first assignments involved an encounter with a band of Philistine prophets while visiting Gibeah. Samuel convinced Saul that he would also begin to prophecy with these men, because the power of God will come upon him. Ok, so what would you and I do in response to an old priest telling us such a far-out story? Having just been appointed king, don’t you think that our minds would be racing with ideas on what we would want to accomplish as king? We may hear about these extreme predictions by the older priests of our community, often we will try to respectfully dismiss what he is suggesting. After all, we can hardly believe they think that are about to prophecy?? Yeah, right! But friends, remember what I said earlier – God knows our very thoughts. Based on what we read in these verses, Saul had no reservation about doing what Samuel ordered him to do. He had no reason to question the actions of the priests he would meet, nor the matter of God’s powerful hand in his own life. Saul had faith to believe that if God’s messenger said it, he could believe it and proceed with the necessary orders given to him. Notice that God didn’t wait until Saul arrived at the well, or when he would be greeted the prophesying priests. God knew Saul’s heart and intent, and He changed Saul’s life when he turned and began to obey his orders. I believe that God might search our hearts today and examine our faith, to see if this story of His ministry to and through Saul might have an effect on us. Whether it would enhance our level of obedience without a bunch of questions. What do you suppose God would find? Would He be as quick to empower us because of the evidence of faith that He sees in us?

BLESSING(S) NOTED: God performed His awesome work in Saul because He saw the immediate response to all that Samuel ordered of him!

PRAYER: Precious Lord, thank You for keeping us accountable for all that You demand through Your Word and through Your servants. Please forgive us for the times that we doubt and insist on doing things ‘our way’. Lord, may we always look to you for all things necessary for life here on this earth. We want to obediently follow Your commands, and to be Your hands and feet while allowed to remain here. Please continue to work through us so that the world will know You and witness Your good works. Humble us to be Your servants and Your likeness to a lost and hurting world. 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!

What Happens When God Calls You?

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Needs, Obedience, Obedient, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED Friday, 2022-07-15
WRITTEN AT: O Brien, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: 1 Samuel 3:1-5
TRANSLATION: The Living Bible (TLB)

BIBLE TEXT: 1 Meanwhile little Samuel was helping the Lord by assisting Eli. Messages from the Lord were very rare in those days, 2-3 but one night after Eli had gone to bed (he was almost blind with age by now), and Samuel was sleeping in the Temple near the Ark, 4-5 the Lord called out, “Samuel! Samuel!” “Yes?” Samuel replied. “What is it?” He jumped up and ran to Eli. “Here I am. What do you want?” he asked. “I didn’t call you,” Eli said. “Go on back to bed.” So he did.

APPLICATION: We often hear that familiarity breeds contempt! In other words, it’s not until our spouse takes a trip without you, that you truly miss her company, her jokes, her cooking and of course, her love. When our daughter was young, she spent a weekend at a friends house. She returned home with a deep appreciation for our humble abode, and she immediately started cleaning up her room, because she realized how uncomfortable she was in an undesirable environment. But let’s examine the life of a Christian? Immediately after salvation, we are fired up and ready to save the world, but as time goes on, and as we are tempered by other ‘Christians’, we tend to be less consumed in our walk with the Lord. This is unfortunate, because if Christians do what, I believe God intends for Christians to do, then we would allow God to change our daily lifestyle. Dear friends, it is through the study of God’s Word that we learn His will for us; we learn to adopt His character; adhere to His teachings; and take particular note of what He is saying to us that day. It is through prayer that we get to speak with God, and as we pause to listen to Him, He speaks very boldly into our minds. It is through visiting the sick and shut-ins that God helps us to appreciate His rich blessings to us, while helping us to comfort our family member or friend that we are visiting. Of course we feel inadequate, and we might even feel sorry for what the individual is going through, but when we go in Jesus’ name, we are merely the messenger and encourager who delivers the hope of our wonderful Lord! In all these things, I believe we will subtly realize that this life is very temporary, and unless we and our family/friends have a brighter future to look forward to with the King of all kings, and Lord of all lords, then our time on earth may have been in vain. However, in doing these things, we find reason to exist and we remain in touch with our Master and Lord. We place our minds in a position where we are ready to hear from God and obey His every command. Samuel is an awesome example of this, for he was dedicated to the Lord’s work at a very young age. He could have rebelled, like many kids do today, but instead he prepared himself for a close relationship with God – one that would help him to hear the voice of God when He called out to him – albeit just as young lad with almost no experience. God could have chosen an older man, but what He had in store for Samuel, was suited especially for Samuel. That’s the way it is for you and I. We must never sit on the sidelines and wait for God to speak to our pastor, or our elders, or to our Sunday School Teacher. God’s message for us will be totally unique, compared to what He may ask of them. Friends, let’s just be like Samuel in realizing that, if God calls us to something, He will guide and help us through it, for His glory alone. Remember, we are the servant, and He is the Master!

BLESSING(S) NOTED: God calls us to His service without consideration of our abilities, or age, or position in the church. We are His servants and we are expected to obey our Master’s commands!

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, thank You for entrusting young Samuel with the awesome task of relaying Your message to a seasoned veteran like Eli. We stand at Your feet each day awaiting Your commands for us. Please help us to never complain about our inabilities, but always rejoice in the abilities of our Master who gives us our instructions. I believe that the world is looking for Jesus in action, so please Lord, help us to always be obedient to Your call and to always allow You the proper permission to work through us each and every day. Lord, be glorified in and through Your servant today! AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog 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!

Something to Leave Your Grandchildren

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Needs, Obedience, Obedient, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED Wednesday, 2021-12-15
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Proverbs 13:20-22
TRANSLATION: Contemporary English Version (CEV)

BIBLE TEXT: 20 Wise friends make you wise, but you hurt yourself by going around with fools.
21 You are in for trouble if you sin, but you will be rewarded if you live right.
22 If you obey God, you will have something to leave your grandchildren…..

APPLICATION: It is so easy to sit in front of a television and listen to all that is being pitched at you. It is so rewarding to attend church and listen to all that the preacher will pitch at you. But when you proceed through each day, where do your decisions come from? Dear friends, it all comes from a heart that has been filled from sources such as mentioned above. Unfortunately, I believe that you respond based on what has been poured into your heart most. From television I believe you concentrate on what seems to make everyone successful. There may be some semblance of biblical truth included, but I’m afraid that way too often we are being fed a full dose of the world’s view of what life should be like. If you are a child of the King and seeking to obey Him, or seeking to know Him better, or wanting to do His will, then it would seem to me that we should all spend more time in His Book of Instruction, the Bible. We will respond to life based on what we have filled our heart, mind and soul with. We will be obedient to the things we believe in, trust, and seek to imitate. I trust that each of these things will always point you to the cross of Calvary, to the risen Christ, and to the Father who awaits us in heaven where we hope to spend eternity. Solomon was known as the wisest man that ever lived, and because his words are entered as a part of our Bible, we know his words are God inspired, directed and approved. Many of us will aim at trying to help the weak and brokenhearted, but are we also concentrating on the advice God spoke through Solomon? If we seek to be wise, we will hang around wise people. We know that one who has made unwise decisions are referred to as ‘fools’. Therefore, we must avoid their advice and also avoid following their example if we want to show ourselves wise. God designed us to live according to His perfect example and His perfect will, so of course we run into trouble when we disobey Him. We are more apt to be obedient to that which we follow and place our faith and trust in. Friends, these wise words are intended to make us wise to God’s intended purpose for our lives. I pray that you, like me, will savor these words of advice and seek to know what God desires of us each day. Entertainment is ok, but obedience to our Creator leaves a legacy for our children and grandchildren, according to Solomon!

BLESSING(S) NOTED: There is nothing more meaningful in life than to know that you are living a wonderful life in line with the perfect will of Jesus Christ, and that you will leave a powerful legacy behind for your children and grand children.

PRAYER: Lord, please forgive us for our rebellious attitude in seeking to follow what seems like the most fun, or what makes the rich even richer. You designed us to be just like You, then You provided Your Book of Instruction to guide us and teach us about Your perfect will. Please forgive us for our weakness, and always keep us directed towards that which is best for us. May we be faithful to reading Your Word each and every day so we may be reminded of all that You would have us do. May others see Jesus because of our obedience, even in tempting times when the world seems to be succeeding. 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!

Our Opinion vs God’s Commands

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, direction, Needs, Obedience, Obedient, Praise, Recognize God, Worship4 Comments

DATE POSTED Friday, 2021-10-22
WRITTEN AT: Kissimmee, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: 1 Samuel 15:3; 7-9
TRANSLATION: New Living Translation (NLT)

BIBLE TEXT: 3 Now go and completely destroy the entire Amalekite nation—men, women, children, babies, cattle, sheep, goats, camels, and donkeys.”
7 Then Saul slaughtered the Amalekites from Havilah all the way to Shur, east of Egypt. 8 He captured Agag, the Amalekite king, but completely destroyed everyone else. 9 Saul and his men spared Agag’s life and kept the best of the sheep and goats, the cattle, the fat calves, and the lambs—everything, in fact, that appealed to them. They destroyed only what was worthless or of poor quality.

APPLICATION: God instructed Moses, a humble man with a speech impediment, to bring His people (over 1 million of them) out of Egypt, across miles and miles of bare desert, and deliver them to a special land He was preparing for them. Through many ups and down, God delivered His people, kicked out the inhabitants of the lands He wanted the Israelites to have and He saw them settle in to new lands that were free of slavery, and filled with milk and honey. With this as a backdrop, Saul was also ordered to continue the assumption of land for the Israelites, by killing all of the Amalekites and every living thing they owned. Now, looking at everything that God had already successfully carried out, using very unlikely leaders, one would imagine that Saul would do exactly as he was told. However, as you could see in verses 7-9, that was not the case. In fact, since Saul had done such a great job capturing the land – ha ha, he felt like he could assume ‘proper’ leadership and make decisions of his own. This is no different to what Christian leaders still do today, right? We know what the Bible says, yet we interpret it to our own liking and purpose. then we wonder why the church is not as powerful, or godly, or impressive to unbelievers, as it should be. Are you kidding, says the outside world? I know what you’re doing, you just want my money; or you just want more power; or you just want more TV viewers, etc. Meanwhile back in church business meetings, the leaders stop to ask God what could possible be the matter? Friends, later in the book of 1 Samuel, we will read about how God dealt with Saul’s disobedience. In our churches today, some of you may have lived long enough to see the results of disobedience to God, or where a church has lost its vision or its drive to do what God has commanded them to do. But since our churches are really a body of believers, and not a building as such, wouldn’t its decision making, or its obedience factor, be directly attributed to the hearts of the individuals involved? While the leaders who make decisions are primarily at fault, the membership still has a grave responsibility. Have we become so bold that we have pushed God aside, and decided to do what we think is best for today’s society? I believe it is time for us individually to stop looking at the world, and how to best fit in with the world and its wicked ways, and to instead seek God and His righteousness and obey His commands that He put in place for a successful man, woman, family, church, business, child, etc. God is the One we run to, and not the local newspaper, evening news, Town Hall, Senator or President. Only God can show us how to run: our lives, that He created; our families, that He put together; our churches, that He ordained; and our businesses that He has blessed us with. As His child, we need His Word; His leadership and His direction, in order to be successful in doing what He wants for us! If you are a child of the King, will you recommit to seek His face and His will, then totally obey what He commands?

BLESSING(S) NOTED: God had a plan not only for assuming the Amalekite land AND longterm success of Saul’s remaining reign, but Saul intervened with a plan of his own and totally destroyed the awesome plan God had in mind. Oh that we will learn an awesome lesson from this huge mistake by Saul. God has a plan, and He wants us to be a part of that plan, but He is more interested in our availability than our abilities. He knows what He’s doing!

PRAYER: Oh dear Lord, please teach us to trust in You and obey Your commands, no matter how convinced we are that we may have a better way. May we always remember what an honor it is to just follow Your commands and not have to worry about amending, or fixing, or adjusting anything about them. We are never smarter than our Creator! I believe you have great plans for us, and for the various things that we are blessed to be a part of, if only we will let go and let God have His perfect way. Please help us to always take our rightful place in our families, our churches, our social clubs, and our workplaces, and just stand ready to follow Your lead. Thank You Heavenly Father for using even us to accomplish Your mission here on earth. May we never be a stumbling block in the path of any that You have plans for. 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!

Wanted – A Man Who Would Obey God

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Needs, Obedience, Obedient, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED Wednesday, 2021-10-20
WRITTEN AT: Kissimmee, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: 1 Samuel 13:13-14
TRANSLATION: Living Bible (TLB)

BIBLE TEXT: 13 “You fool!” Samuel exclaimed. “You have disobeyed the commandment of the Lord your God. He was planning to make you and your descendants kings of Israel forever, 14 but now your dynasty must end; for the Lord wants a man who will obey him. And he has discovered the man he wants and has already appointed him as king over his people; for you have not obeyed the Lord’s commandment.”

APPLICATION: If we use portions of clips of sayings by our mentors, we might say something like ‘you dress them up, send them to college, then expect them to come back home and listen to God?’ Sounds almost comical, right? But how often do we find leaders who feel something like I just described! They’re in charge, they are smart, so just standby and pay close attention while they tell you where to go and how to get there! Two very important things I saw in our Scripture today:
—> Our way is always better – Most church leaders do a fair job of praying about the needs of the local church. That’s because the needs appear much bigger than we could ever imagine. However, Saul’s story is often similar to what happens to local churches today, after they catch a vision for what lies ahead. They often take over from God and take the reins.
—> Grant me boldness to.. – So many of our church congregations speak their minds, but it is often in a very condescending way, and usually by way of complaints. How often do we have a member approach the pastor and share the results of their steadfast prayer about a decision the church is struggling with? What about other areas of leadership, such as work leaders, or government leaders? We are commanded by God to pray for our spiritual leaders and our government leaders. How often do we challenge either of these in love, with a word from the Lord? Yes, we give them a piece of our mind and we tell them how they should do their job, but do we ever begin the conversation with: ‘after days of persistent prayer and fasting, I feel compelled of God that He would rather see you do…..’? How often have you done something like this with a state senator, or even the president/prime minister/etc.? I know, you are just one minor voice in the wilderness, but what about the One that you represent? If you are in prayer over something important to your church or city or state or country, and you receive direction from God, shouldn’t He have his say – even through little old you?
Friends, without being judgmental at all, I truly believe that if we obey the command given to us in 2 Chronicles 7:14 to humble ourselves, seek God’s face, and pray in earnest before Him, then He will hear from heaven and He will heal our land. Which land? The same land that our church is praying about ministering to; the same state our senator wants to govern; and the same country our President wants to run. If each of these bodies extend their reach to the areas they are responsible for, under God’s protective and guiding hand, then perhaps God will keep us from harm of disease, war and the evil of criminals – He will heal our land and use us for His purpose. Saul was hindered from a long life in leadership because he failed to follow God’s commands. So will we if we fail to call on God and obey His commands. Be a man, or woman, committed to obeying the Lord your God, won’t you?

BLESSINGS NOTED: God chose another leader after His own heart, after Saul chose to lead in his own way and disobey God. We too might have impressionable churches and impressive countries, if we determine to obey the Lord our God!

PRAYER: A young man is killed before he could ever finish high school. A seasoned pastor loses his job due to temptation. A country is overrun by crime and destruction. Why? Why? Why, Lord? Is it because we have become too much like Saul in doing what ‘we’ think best, instead of following Your commands? Please Lord, open our eyes so that we might see the glory You have in store for those who place their faith and trust in You and are obedient to Your commands. May we be diligent in our prayers, honorable in obeying Your commands, and persistent in seeking Your face through the good and bad times of life. You are our King and we worship You Lord, please extend Your ongoing peace on us so that we might remain humble and willing to obey Your every command. Not knowing what lies ahead always result in our shortsightedness and errors in our decisions. We want to do Your will and always seek Your perfect will for everything here on earth. May we be diligent in leading the charge towards this end in everything that we are a part of. Please speak especially convincing to the ones who has chosen to live life without You Lord. Draw them to You and convince them of their need for the Savior, before it is eternally too late. 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!