It’s All About God

On 2023-11-09 By Ed AlgreenIn A Lamp unto My Path, Adoration, Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Awesome God, Beyond Description, Blessing, Celebrate God, Needs, Praise, Praise-worthy, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED: Wednesday, November 8, 2023, and I was blessed to be at Valdosta, Georgia, when God inspired me to prepare this devotional. My Footnote will tell you how to find, read or listen to any and all episodes that I have shared over the years.

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE FROM THE New International Version (NIV) IS FOUND IN Luke 20:46-47

THE BIBLE TEXT IS: “Beware of the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets. They devour widows’ houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. These men will be punished most severely.”

APPLICATION OF THE WORD: Although I have never been an ambassador of a country, it is my understanding that such an individual represents their home-country in whatever country they are sent to serve. They are called upon to speak on behalf of their home-country, and they are looked upon as an image of the same. For those of us who have accepted Jesus as Lord, I believe the Bible teaches us to go out and represent Jesus in our communities, with the intent of encouraging those that we come into contact with, to also want to know and accept Jesus as Lord. I believe it is obvious from the way that Jesus spoke in our verses today, that these ‘teachers of the law’ may look, sound, and act like religious leaders in some ways, but they are obviously not His ambassadors. I see lessons in this for spiritual leaders today, and for church goers who might be caught in the trap of waiting for their spiritual leaders to lead them in worship to our Creator. In my early years of life, I remember it was easy to identify our religious leaders, and they generally earned our respect by the way they carried themselves in dress and character. However, I have earned a totally new respect for my pastors today, who go about their way, whether at the church office, visiting parishioners in hospital, or greeting someone at a restaurant. Seldom do we hear them introduce themselves as Pastor ______, Reverend _______, or Doctor (of Divinity) _____, but instead as Peter, John or Paul. It is just as important today as it was in the days of fancy religious titles, to look at the heart and the sincerity of the ‘ambassador of Jesus Christ’. In my opinion, earned respect is much more important than flaunting your professional title, or through a certain dress code. Friends, I believe that Jesus wanted His first ambassadors, and us, to understand that whatever we do in His name must be done for His glory, and not our own. Perhaps we should more often follow in the example of one pastor that I had, who vowed never to wear a new suit that attracted so many compliments from his parishioners that it made him question if they heard anything at all that he preached on that morning! Personally, I would much prefer hearing a fellow believer recognize Jesus in me, rather than to see the reaction on their face, should I tell them that I am a believer. So, to our spiritual leaders I believe I would remind them to never forget who it is that they represent. As an ambassador, they are always aiming to live, talk and act incognito, just like the one they represent. If others see anything other than Jesus in what you are doing or saying, then you have missed the point of Christian ministry. To those who are like me, a believer in Jesus Christ, we must look to Jesus daily, just like a young bird is perched on a branch with it’s mouth opened, waiting to be fed. We do this through conversation with God – in prayer; looking for the will of God – through intense meditation on His Word; and through fellowship with other believers who are seeking to imitate Jesus in every walk of their daily life. When we step outside the bounds of these things, we may give the impression that we can’t wait on God to do His work, or that we could do life as good, or better on our own. Jesus said in verse 27 that those teachers and leaders who misrepresent Him and mislead others will be punished worse than everyone else. It’s all about God, dear friends, look for ways to lift Him up personally and regularly. Through deliberate encouragement to others, ensure that your time here on earth is not in vain.

PRAYER BECAUSE OF THE IMPACT OF TODAY’S SCRIPTURE: Lord Jesus, we thank You for creating us in Your image, and reminding us through Your Word that the lives of believers, Your children, are to be devoted to worshipping and honoring You. With heaven as our eternal destiny, there is nothing more valuable left for us to gain here on earth, outside of spreading your Good News about Your wonderful love and promise. Please Lord, help us to keep our eyes fixed on You so that others will experience Your wonderful presence when in our midst. By glorified in us today, Lord Jesus. AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: There’s another page on my website, entitled ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading or listening to this devotional, please go to this 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 you would like to read more of my devotionals, or subscribe for a daily email containing each new devotional, please go online to NuggetsFromGodsWord.org. For my podcast, go online to Apple Podcasts or, using the Apple Podcast app, simply search for Nuggets From God’s Word to hear more episodes, or click ‘Follow’ to be notified of Podcast updates. Friends, please allow me to encourage you to find a church home nearby 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!

Worship Your Creator, Not Your Idols

On 2023-11-07 By Ed AlgreenIn A Lamp unto My Path, Adoration, Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Awesome God, Beyond Description, Blessing, Celebrate God, Needs, Praise, Praise-worthy, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED: Tuesday, November 7, 2023, and I was blessed to be at Valdosta, Georgia when God inspired me to prepare this devotional. My Footnote will tell you how to find, read or listen to any and all episodes that I have shared over the years.

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE FROM The Voice (VOICE) IS FOUND IN Isaiah 2:8; 11;

THE BIBLE TEXT IS: Their land is full of worthless idols. They worship their own creations; They bow down to what they have made, bought, and sold.
The bubble of human pride will be burst; the arrogant will be pulled down from their pedestals. Then, finally, the Eternal, no one and nothing else, will be the center of attention, lifted up in high esteem.

APPLICATION OF THE WORD: When a king looks out over his nation, perhaps he sees his subjects who will earn lots of money and pay lots of taxes, to give him more to boast about before those leaders who are looking to take over additional lands. When a pastor looks out over his church membership, perhaps he sees loving brothers and sisters who pray for him every day, and for the success of God’s ministry among the lost of their community. Because of the inevitable whining and complaining of some members, the pastor might also see the ‘wolves in sheep clothing’ that the Bible refers to, and he is quickly reminded of the deep prayer necessary for his sheep. A father will look out over his precious children and see only perfection, because they came from his seed! But I believe the Holy Spirit deeply convicted me as I read this Scripture today, for I was reminded that just as the prophet Isaiah was blessed to see the condition of the people of the house of Jacob and the awful condition of their souls, based on their behavior, so our God is able to look upon His children and perhaps sob over what He is seeing. You see, I believe that Isaiah was given a sneak preview into the full picture that God sees. It seems evident from Isaiah’s words that his heart was heavy for the evil he was seeing in his people. Please let me invite you to take a moment to consider the God who created us in His own image; the God who is concerned about our hurts and disappointments; the God who sacrificed His very own Son on a cruel cross at Calvary, so that His children who call on Him as Lord, would have peace and assurance in knowing that Heaven is their eternal home in the warm embrace of their Heavenly Father forever and forever. I can’t begin to imagine how hurt our God, this same God I just reflected on, must be when He looks over His creation and see the vast number that: have chosen to snub their noses at Him; rejected His offer of salvation; denounced His blessings over them; and instead chosen to do life their way – the misguided and sinful ways impressed upon them by the enemy, Satan. Friends, I pray that your heart will be touched by God today as you meditate on His Word and this devotional, for I believe that I am not alone in feeling convicted of the same things mentioned above, especially when my heart is weak, and my spirit is not fed by the Word of God on a regular basis. It is during the weak times that we tend to concentrate on our idols. I know, you are probably pounding your fist on the table by now as you try to convince yourself, and everyone else, that you have no idols. Be reminded of what idols are: they are the people, things, places and objects that get your attention – the attention that would otherwise be directed towards God. Although I am still far from perfect, I was reminded at one time in my life, while casually saying that I just didn’t have time to devote to studying God’s Word, that I should try instead saying that it was not a priority to me. That simple reminder has totally challenged me and helped me know that priority must be given to the one who is foremost in my life. Things that are a priority will be done before everything else that is secondary. There was alternatives to Jesus dying on a cross, for the Bible tells us that He could have called 10,000 angels (Matthew 26:53). But His precious children, and their eternal destiny, was a top priority to our Father, so in His infinite wisdom God did what was needed – just for us. Friends, this is the God we adore; this is the God we appreciate; this is the God we long to be with for all eternity; and this is the only God who can save us from our sin. Do you know Him? Is He a priority in your life, or are there still idols that get more of your attention than they deserve? Please read my ‘Footnote’ and consider correcting your priority today! Firm up your eternal destiny today, while you still have breath, health and wisdom to do so!

PRAYER BECAUSE OF THE IMPACT OF TODAY’S SCRIPTURE: Thank You Lord God for giving Isaiah insight into his current situation and into the future of what would happen to his people. Thank You for impressing upon me that You have an even wider view of all that’s in store for the child of God, and for those who have opted out of Your offer – salvation through Your precious Son. While I can’t speak for everyone else, I must personally beg Your forgiveness for me giving in way too much to the world – Satan and his vices – those things that quickly become ‘idols’ for us. You deserve our constant worship and our unending praise for all that You do for us, Lord. Please renew a right spirit within us that will provoke us to a deeper commitment to You and a desire to worship You with our unending praise. AMEN!

Be True Representatives of God

On 2023-11-01 By Ed AlgreenIn A Lamp unto My Path, Adoration, Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Awesome God, Beyond Description, Blessing, Celebrate God, Needs, Praise, Praise-worthy, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED: Wednesday, November 1, 2023, and I was blessed to be at Advent Christian Village, Dowling Park, FL when God inspired me to prepare this devotional. My Footnote will tell you how to find, read or listen to any and all episodes that I have shared over the years.

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE FROM THE Living Bible (TLB) IS FOUND IN Luke 20:20-22

THE BIBLE TEXT IS: Watching their opportunity, they sent secret agents pretending to be honest men. They said to Jesus, “Sir, we know what an honest teacher you are. You always tell the truth and don’t budge an inch in the face of what others think, but teach the ways of God. Now tell us—is it right to pay taxes to the Roman government or not?”

APPLICATION OF THE WORD: Wouldn’t it be reassuring if we could hear Jesus tell us that we no longer need to pay government taxes? Wouldn’t it be fun if Jesus would tell us that citizens from all countries can just adopt the same philosophy of that practiced on the autobahn in Germany – with a suggested ‘good safe practice’ speed limit only? However, I wonder what Jesus might respond if we asked Him to help us get our way in each of the above two items on our wish-list. If He gave in to our desires and indicated that we should ignore what our respective government agencies post as laws for us to follow, what might we think about the rest of the commands in His Word? For God teaches in His Word that, as good citizens of heaven, we must first of all learn to be obedient to man’s laws, for He placed these leaders in place to govern us while here on earth under their jurisdiction. Perhaps, too often, Satan will place temptations before us to try and turn our head from the ways of God, just like these hired spies tried to do to Jesus. But friends, the way that the Holy Spirit dealt in my heart on this Scripture as I meditated today, was to allow this response from Jesus to minister and teach me to properly deal with life’s challenges like He did. Think about it, we quickly ‘fly off the handle’ in a rage when things are not going our way, or we are ready to ‘bite back’ to that innocent old man only trying to help us live and act like Jesus, especially when we determine in our minds to do things ‘our way’. Unlike us, in our weak, selfish and mortal ways, Jesus knew what these spies were up to, yet He didn’t call down fire on them, strike them down, or ‘give them a dose of their own medicine’, but He simply helped them draw their own conclusion on what they should do about paying taxes. I’m sure that, like me, you have seen how our responses impact others. That smirk on our face when we respond, shows our apparent adversary that we’re up to something in our response to their question, and it probably ‘ain’t good’. Our snide remarks could easily be interpreted as rude and/or obnoxious. Unfortunately, these are not examples of the character taught and exampled by our Lord. Wouldn’t it be awesome for us to think about that popular saying ‘what would Jesus do’, before we put our mouth in gear and allow the vile thoughts from deep inside of us to spill out and spoil the witness of our relationship with our Lord? So often we worry about how our friends will react after their encounter with us. I believe it would be a thrilling experience to see them stand in awe and marvel at our response, much like the spies did in verse 26 regarding the response from Jesus! What they meant for evil, Jesus gave them reason to leave in awe and wonder. To be like Jesus means that we are looking to imitate Him in all that we do and say, so that He may be lifted up and glorified because of us. Oh if that would be our theme for each day!

PRAYER BECAUSE OF THE IMPACT OF TODAY’S SCRIPTURE: No matter how humble we try to be, it is evident that we just can’t do life like You, Lord. We need You, and we need constant reminders of how precious You are to us. The people we come into contact with today will not benefit from our weakness and our sin. They need You, Lord. Please guide us, protect us, and remind us of Your love for all those we will encounter today. May they be aware of Your presence, Lord, even if they only physically see us. May You be glorified in us, and by them for having been around us, and may we be careful to give You honor and praise for all that is accomplished in our circle of friends and in our encounters today. AMEN!

Your Response to Injustice – Satan’s Attacks

On 2023-10-22 By Ed AlgreenIn A Lamp unto My Path, Adoration, Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Awesome God, Beyond Description, Blessing, Celebrate God, Needs, Praise, Praise-worthy, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED: Sunday, October 22, 2023, and I was blessed to be at Advent Christian Village, Dowling Park, FL when God inspired me to prepare this devotional. My Footnote will tell you how to find, read or listen to any and all episodes that I have shared over the years.

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE FROM THE Good News Translation (GNT) IS FOUND IN Esther 4:13-14

THE BIBLE TEXT IS: ^… “Don’t imagine that you are safer than any other Jew just because you are in the royal palace. If you keep quiet at a time like this, help will come from heaven to the Jews, and they will be saved, but you will die and your father’s family will come to an end. Yet who knows—maybe it was for a time like this that you were made queen!”

APPLICATION OF THE WORD: In the first part of Esther chapter 4, it is revealed how Mordecai and his people reacted to the order given to all provinces where Jews resided. Mordecai immediately went into a period of mourning out of concern for the fate placed against his people. Of course, the people immediately responded in like manner. But God encouraged Mordecai by reminding him of someone very near to the king, who could do something about the decree issued on behalf of the king. This made me think of communities who are happy to have churches in their community, especially those willing to stand up for godly principles when their community seems to be headed for disaster resulting from crime and other societal ills – Satan’s attacks. Unfortunately, churches are often made up of people like Esther, where they weigh in the negative impact on their tithes, disgruntled members, and the prominence of their leadership, so they are cautious about making decisions, or personally responding to community leaders who may trying to hold them accountable. But take a moment to meditate on these two verses and allow God to help you see the consequences that Mordecai saw coming to Esther and her family, should she choose to remain silent on this matter. Friends, it is probably a lot easier for you to look at the elders and pastors of your church and question why they have chosen to remain silent on current events, but I believe that God is more interested in what you and I personally have chosen to do, for the Christian is personally accountable to Him. Anyone can ‘pass the buck’ and blame others who should know better, but could God possibly have chosen to place you in the family you married into; the social clubs that you are a member of; the workplace where you are becoming more noticed by management; the church where you were led to worship, bless and challenge others; for such a time as this? Who knows, many of these things could impact our own community, or political and world events that has, or could impact, or rock our own world? Many will wait for the vocal ones to open their mouths and speak up. Some will wait for the pastor and/or church leaders to represent them and speak up against the evil that affect us all. But I believe that through His precious Word, God looks to challenge us individually as to how much we will do to show who’s making the decisions that we make. Are we more concerned about what others will think, or what the rulers might do, and therefore opt to remain silent to stay in their good graces? Or are we determined to read the Word of God; learn about the ways of God; understand His will for our lives; and trust Him to direct our path towards true righteousness, without the fear of what others may think or say? Mordecai challenged Esther to be all that God wanted her to be, even in the court of a king who could have easily decided to turn against her and demand her death for disobeying the normal rules of his palace. What are you willing to do in response to today’s injustices, after being reminded that God has placed you where you’re at for a time such as this?

PRAYER BECAUSE OF THE IMPACT OF TODAY’S SCRIPTURE: Thank You Lord for placing me where I’m at for a time such as this. In the years of our working career, we tend to dream of all the fancy places we would like to go when we retire! But for the child of God, it is such a joy to see how God uses us each and every day just where we are! In Your Word, You remind us that what we have developed inside of us, will come out of us in our words and actions. So Lord, please give us strong desires to continue our learning process until the day You call us home. For it is through Your Word, and in our training to be more like You every day, that we develop godly desires and God-approved vocabularies that we will share with others. Esther received help, encouragement and advice from her godly uncle. And while we will gladly receive help from similar individuals in our own lives, I pray that You will teach us to be the next Mordecai today, for many needs encouragement from others. Use us where we’re at to bless and encourage others Lord, especially for Your ultimate glory and praise. AMEN!

Be Guided in Life by Godly Wisdom

On 2023-10-20 By Ed AlgreenIn A Lamp unto My Path, Adoration, Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Awesome God, Beyond Description, Blessing, Celebrate God, Needs, Praise, Praise-worthy, Recognize God, Wisdom, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED: Friday, October 20, 2023, and I was blessed to be at Advent Christian Village, Dowling Park, FL when God inspired me to prepare this devotional. My Footnote will tell you how to find, read or listen to any and all episodes that I have shared over the years.

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE FROM The Voice (VOICE) IS FOUND IN Proverbs 16:2-3; 11;

THE BIBLE TEXT IS: Even when you think you have good intentions, He knows your real motives.
Whatever you do, do it as service to Him, and He will guarantee your success.
The Eternal requires that business be conducted honestly; He wants fairness in all your dealings.

APPLICATION OF THE WORD: Being in this world, it may often be challenging to be separate, and determined to live a life patterned after Jesus, our Lord, seeing that it would be so different to everyone else around us. However, we manage to do that for our parents; for our teachers; for our spouse; and when around those who tend to look up to us; so why not for the One who sacrificed life itself, even while we were yet sinners, so that we might one day be with He and the Father in glory for all eternity? I found Proverbs chapter 16 quite intriguing, and the three verses quoted above to have wisdom for many who might read and/or listen to this devotional. Please allow me to expand just a little on these verses:
-> Have the right motives – I realize that there are times we have to force ourselves to do what is right, at least until our mind catches up with what we know God desires of us. However, unless we commit ourselves fully to the lordship of Jesus Christ, we might try to convince our inner man what it might look to the rest of the world for them to determine that our intentions are good. Friends, let’s always remember that our God is invincible and even if we hide ourselves from the rest of the world, God still knows our most intimate thoughts and He sees every outward action and reaction. God is reminding us through this Proverb today, that He knows our motives for doing what we do, or saying what comes out of our mouth. Wouldn’t it be awesome for us to see Jesus thanking and praising His Father for our words and actions, because He saw how genuine we were?
-> Please God in everything you do – Many of us might have different standards in behaving the way we do or saying what we say in certain circumstances. In the presence of the boss at work, most workers will excel in doing everything they feel the boss expects of them. For the child of God, He wants us to always work and/or speak in a manner that we would do if we saw Jesus standing beside us in every scenario of life.
-> Be fair, as you want God to be fair with you – A common theme that we hear about the business world is ‘It’s a dog-eat-dog world out there’, meaning that everyone does whatever they can to make as much as they could in the limited time that they are given here on earth. I believe that God is challenging us through this Proverb to be different from the rest, and instead be a Christ follower – even in the business place, or in your business dealings as well. Now this will require you to dedicate your whole self to the Lord. For I believe you are saying to God that you want Him to guide you in your personal life, whether it be at home, at work, in your community or anywhere else that you may find yourself. When this happens, you are asking God to help you think, speak and act like Him. To truly be His representative, or ambassador here on earth. When we follow Christ, and when we strive daily to be obedient and follow His commands, He will direct our path and correct our intentions to be aligned with His will for us. The difference should be obvious to the world when they deal with a greedy business person, versus dealing with a child of the King striving to do business God’s way.

PRAYER BECAUSE OF THE IMPACT OF TODAY’S SCRIPTURE: Lord Jesus, I am ever so grateful for the example You set before us. Also for Your encouragement to see Your children follow in Your footsteps, so that our people today will know that You are alive because of the evidence they see in our lives. Thank You for Your Word – our guide to everything You desire of us. Lord, may we read it and digest it each day, so that we will live under the umbrella of everything You shared with us. I thank You Lord for the difference You have made in my life. Please help me to live in a way that others will see Jesus through my entire character. Please bless those who will read or listen to this devotional. Open their eyes to the truth of Your Word and help them to commit themselves to live Christ-like lives before a people who need encouragement, and also many who need You personally involved in their lives. AMEN!

Humility – Look Inward Before Challenging Others

On 2023-10-17 By Ed AlgreenIn A Lamp unto My Path, Adoration, Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Awesome God, Beyond Description, Blessing, Celebrate God, Humble, Humility, Needs, Praise, Praise-worthy, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED: Tuesday, October 17, 2023, and I was blessed to be at Advent Christian Village, Dowling Park, FL when God inspired me to prepare this devotional. My Footnote will tell you how to find, read or listen to any and all episodes that I have shared over the years.

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE FROM The Voice (VOICE) TRANSLATION IS FOUND IN Titus 3:2-5

THE BIBLE TEXT IS: … Be truly humble toward everyone because there was a time when we, too, were foolish, rebellious, and deceived—we were slaves to sensual cravings and pleasures; and we spent our lives being spiteful, envious, hated by many, and hating one another. But then something happened: God our Savior and His overpowering love and kindness for humankind entered our world; He came to save us. It’s not that we earned it by doing good works or righteous deeds; He came because He is merciful. He brought us out of our old ways of living to a new beginning…

APPLICATION OF THE WORD: I love the example shown by Paul in the direction he gave to Titus! If our church was to start a new work in a downward spiraling community, we may very well go in with our Bibles raised high and ready to reveal their sins to them, by emphasizing the new life available to them through our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. What Paul helps us to see in these verses is that for every time that we stand in front of an audience, we are like a former beggar who found bread, standing before a crowd of beggars who has yet to find that bread. This is a lens we must look through as a new Christian, as a church attendee, as a Bible teacher and even as a pastor. I realize that we sometimes come across dire circumstances unlike anything we may have experienced in the past, and we may struggle to identify with the individuals involved. However, I believe that if we look through the lens of our past life, and we witness, teach or preach from a perspective of where God brought us from, then we will realize that we were just as steeped in sin as the individual we are facing. You see, Satan may rope in a murderer and convince them that there is no one worse than them out there, but God sees a sinner in need of a Savior. Satan may try to convince a bank robber that no one ever stole as much money as they did, so they will be rejected by society, family and the church for the awful crime they committed, but God sees a sinner in need of a Savior. Satan may be successful in dragging a pastor’s child into the worse sin imaginable, and the church may look down on that pastor for failing to raise their child into the image and likeness of Jesus Christ, but God sees a sinner in need of a Savior. So, I believe that Paul is teaching Titus, and I believe that God would have us see through this Scripture, that we must always remember that it’s only because of the love, grace and forgiveness of Jesus Christ that we are not walking the same road of sin that we can’t seem to identify with in that ‘reject’ of society that we see lying on the sidewalk, out of their mind. I also believe that God would have us reflect back on where we were before Christ. I know, you were never as bad as what you see on our streets right now, but in you, God saw an unredeemed, sinful child who needed Christ. Exactly what He sees when He looks at the man or woman we can’t identify with today. Friends, only God is perfect, so let’s always keep foremost in our minds that if God was willing to save a sinner like us, one who, at one time, rejected what He did on the cross at Calvary, and instead chose to follow in the ways of Satan, then He could surely save the worst of sinners today. Remember, we serve the only God who forgives sin and readies a heart for the Kingdom, so we must lift Him up and declare His power and His grace before all men, for He can forgive them also, if they accept His call to salvation. There is no other God like our God. Let’s never try to bring Him down to our level by telling Him who should be saved. He died for ALL who would believe on Him and receive the free gift of Salvation that only He offers, and He does that without our input – praise be to God for ever and forever!

PRAYER BECAUSE OF THE IMPACT OF TODAY’S SCRIPTURE: Thank You Heavenly Father for coming alongside me and accepting me as Your son, in spite of where, and who I was. Today’s Scripture reminds me that mankind would never have been so forgiving and accepting, but true to Your Word, You accepted my call for salvation without question or prejudice. So often we feel unwanted and unaccepted in certain elite crowds of our day, but praise God, You said in Your Word that You would accept ALL who call on the name of your Son, Jesus Christ, for salvation. Please help us to never place restrictions on anyone seeking You, for we tend to be a lot less understanding, forgiving and accepting than You are. As we witness/minister in Your name, please help us to identify with the prospect, by reminding us of how similar we were to them before Christ entered and cleaned up our life. I believe that a sinner saved by grace can better present Christ to a sinner in need of grace. We could never assume Your perfection, so please help us to never assume that we are perfect and have never sinned. It’s only because of what You did for us dear God, that we could even offer Your salvation to others. AMEN!

Life Before Christ, Now, and thru Eternity

On 2023-10-12 By Ed AlgreenIn A Lamp unto My Path, Adoration, Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Awesome God, Beyond Description, Blessing, Celebrate God, Needs, Praise, Praise-worthy, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED: Thursday, October 12, 2023, and I was blessed to be at Advent Christian Village, Dowling Park, FL when God inspired me to prepare this devotional. My Footnote will tell you how to find, read or listen to any and all episodes that I have shared over the years.

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE FROM THE The Message (MSG) IS FOUND IN Titus 2:12-14

THE BIBLE TEXT IS: Salvation’s available for everyone! We’re being shown how to turn our backs on a godless, indulgent life, and how to take on a God-filled, God-honoring life. This new life is starting right now, and is whetting our appetites for the glorious day when our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, appears. He offered himself as a sacrifice to free us from a dark, rebellious life into this good, pure life, making us a people he can be proud of, energetic in goodness.

APPLICATION OF THE WORD: When analyzing a crowd, what character strengths seems to help you decide if that person is a Christian or not? Many of you are already proficient in judging multiple individuals as you choose the right employee from a slate of prospects interviewed to fill a vacancy for your business. What helps you decide on who to hire? Paul is guiding Titus into ways to best minister to his flock who would look to him for spiritual guidance. In the earlier verses of this chapter, Paul shared some specific ministry tips for the men that Titus will deal with, and then he also went on to tell Titus how to minister to the women. In these verses, Paul recaps by reminding Titus that this glorious salvation, of which he spoke, is available to everyone – ALL who call on the Lord Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, just as John 3:16 tells us. But what is demanded of one who believes? Absolutely nothing else is required. However, to the one who is living a new life belonging to Jesus, Paul teaches that there would be evidence that they have turned away from their previous lifestyle. No longer living a godless life, for they are one with Christ, since they committed to Him that they would instead live a life pleasing to Him. Friends, we just can’t do both. If we try to, then we have not committed ourselves fully to the Lord Jesus Christ and endeavoring to live according to His instructions outlined in the Bible. Remember, we will live the life that we are committed to. Children of God speak and act like children of God. Children without God will live like the world. You can’t live like the world, and say you are a child of the King, for you would be lying. When God fills you with Himself – His Holy Spirit, then you will want to live a life that honors the One who lives inside of you. Paul reminds us that we are living this Christian life in great expectation of the eternal life that follows – with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit in heaven. I don’t believe that there is anything on this earth that compares to what we can expect in heaven, but I tend to carefully prepare time away, like vacations, family weddings, special occasions, etc, so I am convinced that I should believe Paul when he tells us that while on earth and being blessed by our Creator, we should liken our blessings to what we can expect for all eternity in our heavenly home! I pray that every reader and/or listener will be nearly as excited as I am about the prospects of heaven, and being in the presence of our Savior and Lord!

PRAYER BECAUSE OF THE IMPACT OF TODAY’S SCRIPTURE: Lord, we are thankful that You created us in Your image; prepared a paradise for us to enjoy; and promised us an eternal home with You in heaven! In Your Word today, you have used Paul to remind us of our future prospects, and long range plans to have us unite with You in glory! We are such a blessed people, and we rejoice at knowing You personally as we wait on that spec al day. Help us to bless others, just as we enjoy Your blessings every day, and direct us each day to pray for others who have not made it a priority to live in relationship with You. Lord, be glorified and lifted up through us, Your servants, every day in every way. AMEN!

To Help Women Identify As True Christians

On 2023-10-08 By Ed AlgreenIn A Lamp unto My Path, Adoration, Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Awesome God, Beyond Description, Blessing, Celebrate God, Needs, Praise, Praise-worthy, Recognize God, Role Model, Worship2 Comments

DATE POSTED: Sunday, October 8, 2023, and I was blessed to be at Advent Christian Village, Dowling Park, FL when God inspired me to prepare this devotional. My Footnote will tell you how to find, read or listen to any and all episodes that I have shared over the years.

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE FROM THE Amplified Bible (AMP) IS FOUND IN Titus 2:1; 3-5;

THE BIBLE TEXT IS: But as for you, teach the things which are in agreement with sound doctrine [which produces men and women of good character whose lifestyle identifies them as true Christians].
Older women similarly are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips nor addicted to much wine, teaching what is right and good, so that they may encourage the young women to tenderly love their husbands and their children, to be sensible, pure, makers of a home [where God is honored], good-natured, being subject to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be dishonored.

MY INITIAL THOUGHTS: As promised, in order to continue the tradition of Paul in seeing his missionaries preach and teach to the whole church body, I feel compelled to also remind our ladies of what God expects of them, as taught in the New Testament. I shared with the men in my last post what God required of us, so it is now just and right to share with the ladies also. For behind every good man, is a great woman who supports him and holds him up against the evil one. Behind every good woman, is a man who shows love to his wife just as God unconditionally loves us, and who demonstrates that love to His church.

APPLICATION OF THE WORD: As a man, I believe that we are to be the strength and spiritual leader for our wives, just as God’s Word dictates. To our ladies, I believe it is obvious that God is the leader of every good man, but He desires you to be the secondary source of strength and support, their primary ‘cheerleader’, in life. This becomes extremely challenging, especially when husbands come home with the battle scars of the evil one in the workplace, in their church business, in community clubs, and indeed in the community at large. Less I wander into a time of personal ideals, please allow me to share from God’s Word, as it was given to us by God, through His servant Paul, when he taught those who would minister in his stead – in this case to Titus. Let’s be reminded that Paul instructed Titus to teach the things that would produce women of good character, so that their character may identify them as Christians. Unless Titus, or any of our pastors or evangelists today, use a lens such as the one given to Titus, they may easily wander off into the field of personal ideals, which may often be unrelated to what God designed. Bear with me as I expand on the principles taught by Paul, to Titus, in regard to our ladies:
** Be reverent in your behavior – To understand the depth of this, notice the ‘so that…’ phrase that follows. As the oldest child of 5 children, I remember my mom telling me to be careful how I act, respond and behave in the presence of my siblings, because they are watching me. I love the way another Bible versions states this: ‘live in a way that honors God’! For this to work for you my friend, you will need to think of the words that will fill in the following blank: ‘live in a way that honors God – and not like _________’
** Not malicious gossips – Don’t allow the town to know about your neighbor because of the tales you tell them. Seldom will good news be repeated about an individual, but your friends and neighbors will quickly expand on the bad stuff that you might share with them! To honor God, I believe that He would have you brag on your neighbor – the man, or woman, that He created in His likeness. Not the one who allowed Satan to mar the goodness of God in them.
** Not addicted to much wine – Too much wine will open an individual to speak their sober mind! In other words, if you stay sober and think straight, you wouldn’t say half as much as you would when your mind is tainted by alcohol or other mind-altering drugs. Furthermore, a child of God should be teaching younger women to preserve the temple of the Holy Spirit and not taint its wellness with alcohol or drugs.
** Teaching what is right and good – Live the good and right life before God, then you can teach it to younger women by what you say and do, with a clear conscience! In later verses Paul expands on the things that younger women especially need help with. Teach them about the things of God, ladies.
Hopefully, God has placed a mentor in your life that helps you strive for pleasing God in everything you say or do. In today’s verses, Paul teaches that you (ladies) should live in a way that pleases God, so that you may encourage the younger women to tenderly love their husbands and their children, to be sensible, pure, makers of a home [where God is honored], good-natured, being subject to their own husbands, so that the word of God will be honored. In the absence of this kind of teaching, younger women will still get guidance, but from the world that is totally misguided by Satan.

BLESSINGS WORTH NOTING: Oh, that all men and women will be so obedient to the teaching of God, through His Word, that we can help others live godly and upright lives that are pleasing to God!

PRAYER BECAUSE OF THE IMPACT OF TODAY’S SCRIPTURE: Lord, we are thankful that You designed a perfect world for us, and perfect children to enjoy that perfect world. I am so ashamed to say that we are so ungrateful, and many have chosen to follow the ways of Satan in so many areas of life, for which we are truly sorry and seek Your forgiveness. In our last study, You reminded our men how to live in perfect alignment with Your will and Your teaching, and in today’s session You turned that help towards our wonderful partners in life – our wives. Please Lord, continue to give us strength and determination to overcome the ways of this world and to strive for the way that You would have us live. Thank You for our ladies – our partners in life. Please bless them richly, and may our men join with me in desiring such a personal, intimate walk with You, that our ladies will be encouraged to do the same. Our next generation will be the result of everything we taught and demonstrated before them. May that be a Christ-like character that is based on Your Word and that You desire for Your children. May our lives be in such good form that You would be lifted up, praised and magnified for working through us and blessing us. AMEN!

To Help Men Identify as True Christians

On 2023-10-06 By Ed AlgreenIn A Lamp unto My Path, Adoration, Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Awesome God, Beyond Description, Blessing, Celebrate God, Needs, Praise, Praise-worthy, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED: Friday, October 6, 2023, and I was blessed to be at Advent Christian Village, Dowling Park, FL when God inspired me to prepare this devotional. My Footnote will tell you how to find, read or listen to any and all episodes that I have shared over the years.

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE FROM THE Amplified Bible (AMP) IS FOUND IN Titus 2:1-2; 6-8;

THE BIBLE TEXT IS: But as for you, teach the things which are in agreement with sound doctrine [which produces men and women of good character whose lifestyle identifies them as true Christians]. Older men are to be temperate, dignified, sensible, sound in faith, in love, in steadfastness [Christlike in character].
In a similar way urge the young men to be sensible and self-controlled and to behave wisely [taking life seriously]. And in all things show yourself to be an example of good works, with purity in doctrine [having the strictest regard for integrity and truth], dignified, sound and beyond reproach in instruction, so that the opponent [of the faith] will be shamed, having nothing bad to say about us.

MY INITIAL THOUGHTS: My attention was drawn by God to the fact that Titus was instructed to teach in a manner that would ensure men live a life that reflects that which is expected of God. This was a ‘wow’ moment for me, because it hit me that when we preach, or when we teach, we should be using the lens of ‘promoting purity with God’. I believe our challenge for today is to make sure that we can walk away from a sermon and/or teaching and analyze what must change or improve in our lives to ensure that we better align our lives with God’s perfect will.

APPLICATION OF THE WORD: To the women that may come across this devotional, please be comforted in knowing that Paul didn’t lose sight of those things that would help you in living more like Jesus. I will plan to cover that in my next devotional, Lord willing! But for today, I pray that all teachers, preachers, and hearing men will be drawn to this teaching God inspired to be included in His Word. I don’t believe that I am alone in sharing that I sometimes walk away from a lesson wondering what must have been on the heart of that teacher, or preacher, that provoked the passion, or the words, or the subject of their teaching, or sermon, I heard that day. I agree that the Word of God, just like our verses today, will provoke thoughts of what we or our hearers may need to be reminded of. But there are so many times that teachers and preachers are sidelined by the political or criminal or social affairs of our city, state, country or world, that they find it necessary to share their personal opinions, in hopes that they might get everyone else thinking along the lines that they do! To those who co-labor in the work of spreading the good news of Jesus Christ, please allow me to encourage you to consider using the lens that Paul so carefully handed down to his student, or disciple, Titus. I believe this means that whatever we share in blogs, social media postings, Bible study, or in pulpits, be sure that it serves to promote lifestyles that will help readers or listeners better identify themselves as children of the King. If they don’t know our King, be sure that your words and illustrations will help them desire to know the God of this universe and want to follow His example. If our words may not achieve this goal, then we should refrain from sharing, as it may serve to do just the opposite – push people away from wanting anything to do with the same God that we know but refuse to rejoice in or share with them. I agree that using current events usually helps hearers identify how the Word of God is relevant to us today, but if we share in line with the lens already mentioned, then the world will come to know Jesus and how He is still relevant – even today. To the men who take their role seriously in their homes, their workplaces, their communities and wherever they find themselves, Paul has some key advice for us:
a). Be temperate – Mild, gentle, pleasant, agreeable, fair – those are words used by the dictionary to help us understand ‘temperate’. I believe I can add ‘be approachable by others, willing to listen to them and help them’. It is so easy to see in others the flaws of not being temperate. Lord, please open our hearts and our eyes to ensure that we follow in Your footsteps and be temperate in our demeanor.
b). Act dignified – in all humility, let’s always remember that we are princes – sons of the King. Let not the world bring us down to their level to show that we love and care for others or deserve an audience with them. We must earn their respect.
c). Be sensible – Although I am known as one that kids around, I believe we must be sensitive to the needs of our fellow man and be willing to meet their needs and encourage them, as appropriate. This would entail an intimate relationship with God and a willingness to complete His mission as He directs us to it.
d) Be sound in our faith – Interesting how couples who have been married a while could complete sentences for each other. No doubt this comes from years of being with each other and paying attention to the heart, soul and thoughts of each other. Similarly, a person who is dedicated to their Lord, reads His Word and meditates on His teachings, will discern His heart for His children and be willing to carry out His desires. Those who are not sound in their faith will be wishy-washy and stand for anything the world throws at them.
e). Reflect love – The Bible best describes ‘love’ as something that God demonstrated through His Son, who hung on a cross and was crucified, so that we – His children who did nothing to deserve forgiveness, might live eternally with the Father. Unconditional, sacrificial, without prejudice, love – I believe that’s what we should reflect to convince the unsaved world that Jesus lives inside of us.
f). Be steadfast [Christlike in character] – I find it interesting that Apple Watch now has a feature that measures our steadiness, or lack of balance! I wonder if Jesus props us up when we fall short, or become unsteady, or inconsistent in Christlikeness! Notice that the Word does not say that this is the way we should behave in church, or just around other Christians. But if the unsaved see Jesus in us, they are more likely to believe in what they heard from the Bible. Let us therefore be ‘steadfast’ in our commitment to God, our obedience to His Word, and imitate His example, even before the unsaved that we interact with.

Paul goes on to tell Titus why it is important for him to minister to the men. For in verses 6-8 Titus should insist that the younger men also be ministered to and taught how to live a godly life. I wonder if, with the introduction of television, big sporting events, online gaming and other devices of Satan, that these may not be the reasons why it seems like we are losing a whole generation of young adults? With each of the things mentioned, fathers and sons seem to separate even more in playing, working, training, and sharing the gifts God gave to them. Businesses are challenged to find good, dedicated, trustworthy, steadfast men to carry on their business in a manner they have used to please customers of every generation in the past. Who will future generations of young children be taught and mentored by? Who will tell them of Jesus? There must be a group of dedicated and committed men to show and tell the young men how to live – God’s way.

BLESSINGS WORTH NOTING: Many may look at the Bible as a place where God tells us what not to do, but praise God that after a list of teachings Paul gave to Titus, he told him that these changes in a man’s life will cause the enemy to be ashamed of saying anything bad about us! This is the answer to many of the situations where Satan and his band of demons seem to verbally attack us, and gossip against us, without reason, on too many occasions – praise the Lord!

PRAYER BECAUSE OF THE IMPACT OF TODAY’S SCRIPTURE: Lord Jesus, thank You for opening our eyes and reminding us that, no matter how afraid we are of being attacked by the enemy here on earth, we can turn to Your Word for direction and training that will keep us aligned with Your will. Thank you for the reminder by Paul that if we obey You and Your commands, the enemy will wind up regretting their intent to destroy us, because they will see so much of You and Your character lived out in our lives. Lord, we want the unsaved to also see You in everything we do and say, so I ask that You guide us to develop these characteristics listed by Paul. We know that this will come from a constant, daily refresh that we could gain from reading Your Word and developing a closer relationship with You. So, as we commit to this, I pray that You will encourage us each day to be true to our commitment to You and to live out the principles that we are reminded of as we delve into Your Word and seek Your direction. AMEN!

Use What God Has Given You

On 2023-10-03 By Ed AlgreenIn A Lamp unto My Path, Adoration, Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Awesome God, Beyond Description, Blessing, Celebrate God, Needs, Praise, Praise-worthy, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED: Tuesday, October 3, 2023, and I was blessed to be at Dowling Park, FL when God inspired me to prepare this devotional. My Footnote will tell you how to find, read or listen to any and all episodes that I have shared over the years.

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE FROM THE Amplified Bible (AMP) IS FOUND IN Luke 19:26

THE BIBLE TEXT IS: [Jesus explained,] ‘I tell you that to everyone who has [because he valued his gifts from God and has used them wisely], more will be given; but from the one who does not have [because he disregarded his gifts from God], even what he has will be taken away.’

MY INITIAL THOUGHTS: Perhaps a well-known biblical illustration to many, but the message may be very new to others, since they may still question why some are so blessed, while others seem to go unnoticed by God. In fact, you can almost visualize why they say that they have no talents gifted to them by God. For today, let’s not look around at what others have, or don’t have, let’s take this opportunity to ask God to see what we’re missing out on personally.

APPLICATION OF THE WORD: For the one blessed with lots of money, it may be obvious that they are, or were, successful in life, but if we interviewed them, do you suppose they would say that they feel blessed of God? For the one who attends a thriving church at least one Sunday per month, do you suppose that if you interviewed them, they would share how God blessed them in adding to the Kingdom every week because of their love for God and His church? To properly analyze these questions, you may have to stop and ask God to help you pinpoint your special gift from Him. Many will say that they have no ‘gift’ or special talent, but is God wrong in what Luke told us that Jesus said? Perhaps you may be looking at your bank account and wondering how Jesus could say that He has given you more and will continue to bless you with more. Suppose you were to deliberately take a few moments each day to get alone with God and thank Him for His mercies that are new? Your immediate response may be that everything is normal for ‘you’, so you see no reason in thanking God. I believe that I could share a few examples with you on why we must learn to be thankful and praise-worthy servants of Almighty God. I am separated by about 200 miles of land and water from my only brother. He is a commercial diver. Two of his buddies died over recent years, one about 20 years his junior, and the other slightly older than him. the younger one died because of the hazards divers face every time they go down with compressed air. The other died from a heart attack, likely caused by the daily stress on the body of a commercial diver. But God continues to protect my brother, and I am once again reminded how thankful I am for God’s protection and watchful eye over my brother. On land we hear of people dying from car crashes when just heading out to the store, yet we take on long trips without stopping to ask for God’s protection and His guiding hand. One of the biggest challenges to many, is to recognize the God who created us and learn to be thankful to Him for every aspect of life. Our verse today reminds us that God gave us life, health and daily provisions. He continues to bless us each and every day. I don’t know about you, precious reader and/or listener, but for the one who fails to recognize God for who He is, and for all that He does, can they really expect Him to continue blessing, continue protecting and continue leading them into successful, peaceful and amazing opportunities every day? If we fail to recognize God in the good, happy and successful times of life, on what basis can we pour our hearts out to Him and ask for His help in the rough times of life? Perhaps an alternate title for this devotional could have been ‘Where would I be without Jesus?’. The next time we raise our fist to God or complain to Him about taking away the good things of life from us, perhaps we should look inward and question ourselves about what we could have done differently in life to possibly deserve all that God blesses us with daily, in spite of our lack of service to Him or recognition of His greatness – the Creator of life and the Giver of all good things to mankind. In an active church leadership role, it is very easy to prove what Jesus said in our focal verse today. When a pastor needs help with something or looking for someone to take charge of a key role, it never fails that the already busy person will get the new or additional job done and never complain. I wonder where you might find yourself in the recognition of God and in your service to Him. Can He pour on the blessing because of your total dedication to Him and all that He has blessed you with? Dodging His work, may very well equal dodging His added blessings!

BLESSINGS WORTH NOTING: Disregarding the blessings from your God, is incentive for Him to not pour more blessings on you. Being appreciative of your loving God and striving to love Him and be His hands and feet here on earth, may be just the right trigger for God to pour out even more rich blessings on to you!

PRAYER BECAUSE OF THE IMPACT OF TODAY’S SCRIPTURE: Lord, I believe that when we bless others and follow in Your example here on earth, without expecting anything in return, we are not only practicing what we learned for You while here on earth, but we are opening ourselves up for increased blessings from our loving, giving and merciful God. Thank You Lord for loving me in spite of my weaknesses, selfishness and pride. It is so obvious that You sacrificed Your pride and joy – Your only Son, for our salvation and the assurance of eternity in Heaven with the triune God, just because You loved without limit and unconditionally. Please guide us to love in like manner, so that others who doubt will see proof of who Jesus really is. AMEN!

Nuggets From God's Word

Category: Praise