He’s Watching You

On 2020-05-21 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Jesus Loves you, Love of God, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Thursday, 2020-05-21
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

BIBLE REFERENCE: Job 34:21-22
TRANSLATION: The Message (MSG)

BIBLE TEXT: “He has his eyes on every man and woman.
He doesn’t miss a trick.
There is no night dark enough, no shadow deep enough,
to hide those who do evil.

OBSERVATION: Job had been placed through a lot, lost a lot and felt forgotten after going through one test after another by Satan. Although his friends tried to help him snap out of his depressed state, one friend, Elihu, took issue with the way that Job spoke to God about this tough time he was going through. These verses were part of the correction given to Job by Elihu. However, in our time together today, I want us to be reminded of how our loving Father watches out for us, and therefore how applicable these words are to us today.

APPLICATION: In a recent blog I mentioned how differently we may act when we are out of town, on vacation, or otherwise, because we feel freedom in knowing that no one is watching and judging us for what we do, where we go, what we drink, or who we hang out with. I remember as a child I had an accident while doing something, that my mom told me not to do during my early return to school after lunch. I avoided going home to be treated for the large cut on my arm, but instead went to a nearby aunt. That afternoon I went home after school with my arm behind my back, hoping to hide the injury from mom! Don’t we also try to do similar acts with God when we sin? We are tricked by Satan into believing that we could do whatever we please, and that we would never have to tell God about our sin. Notice that Elihu did not tell Job that God is reviewing the acts that he (Job) told Him about, or that he gave God permission to evaluate. I believe that way too often we get caught up in thinking that what we do with our friends, is our own personal business, so outsiders should just bug off and leave us alone. Can you imagine saying that to your mom or dad and expect them to accept that, and even more so, turn their heads from what you are doing that is sure to get you in trouble? But you believe that you could get away with saying something like that to God? I don’t think so! Friends, please allow me to remind you that God created you in His own image, because He wanted you to look and act like Him. He allowed His one and only Son to die a cruel death on a criminal’s cross, so that through His shed blood you might be redeemed and live eternally with the Father in heaven. With that type of love and admiration, do you think for a moment that God is content to see you abuse the wonderful life He gave to you and ignore the opportunity to one day join Him in glory? Absolutely not. God is very much like Elihu shared with Job. He loves you unconditionally, and He is so concerned about your eternal destiny, that He watches your every move. Further, please know that God does not need your permission to watch out for you, and also know that He is aware of your every move – whether you are running around in the brightest sunlight with friends you love and adore, or whether you are surrounded by the darkest night hoping that no one sees what you’re up to. Please know that our Heavenly Father takes His job of loving and caring for us and watching our every move – with or without our permission. After all, how else will He justly judge us on that day when life ceases here on earth? Please know that as long as you have breath in your body, there is still time to accept this precious love of our Savior. Most of you purchase insurance in the event of an accident or disaster. I pray that all of you will seek that assurance for your ultimate destination even today – while there is time to do so. Please also know that there is so much joy in this, because God knows and cares about your condition every moment of every day! There is nothing like the love of Jesus for you and I! I know Him personally, and I pray that you will also commit your life to His keeping – today!

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, we are reminded that You are looking out for us, even though many of us never doubted that. Please humble the hearts of my friends and readers today, so that they may be awaken in the middle of their personal agendas and know that Your love is unconditional and without borders. That nothing could stop You from loving them! Please also awaken us to the fact that although we might tell mom, dad, sister, brother or friend that we will do our ‘own thing’ regardless of what they think, Your love will not permit You to accept such commands from Your own creation. Although it makes me sick to hear friends talk about how they will do what they please, without permission from anyone, I know that You will always care and always love, for You cannot hate that which You have made. For every time that we selfishly feel like we could handle life alone, please remind us of how much You love and care for us, and of Your power to do ALL things for our good. We know that obedience is important and expected, please grant us Your grace and power to be humble and obedient children. AMEN!

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

Accept and Use Your Gift

On 2020-05-19 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Gift, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, Spiritual Gifts, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Tuesday, 2020-05-19
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

BIBLE REFERENCE: 1 Corinthians 12:7-11
TRANSLATION: The Message (MSG)

BIBLE TEXT: Each person is given something to do that shows who God is: Everyone gets in on it, everyone benefits. All kinds of things are handed out by the Spirit, and to all kinds of people! The variety is wonderful:

wise counsel
clear understanding
simple trust
healing the sick
miraculous acts
proclamation
distinguishing between spirits
tongues
interpretation of tongues.

All these gifts have a common origin, but are handed out one by one by the one Spirit of God. He decides who gets what, and when.

OBSERVATION: In Sunday School and in sermons we hear a lot about the Spiritual Gifts Spoken of by Paul in our Scripture today. However, be reminded from this Scripture that a gift is given to each believer by the Holy Spirit. So what does It mean when one says that they are just an attendee at church, or they are really unimportant, or they don’t run the show? Are they saying that the gift given to them is really unimportant in the whole scope of ministry? Think on these things as we study this Scripture today!

APPLICATION: How many times have you said it, that you are just a pion, or a nobody, that sneaks in the back door, listens to the sermon and quietly leaves to be about your own business. Now, in light of the above Scripture, I believe that it is evident that God saw fit to bless His children with a special gift, for very specific reasons. So when we choose to ignore the gift given to us, and in disobedience try to do something assigned to someone else, or hide our gift because it emanates from simple old me, can you imagine what a disaster that could be for the ongoing work of the Lord? When we ignore our God-given gift, we leave the church body in want. We leave an important part of the ministry undone, because we chose to ignore what God gave to us, to bless the church (others). Don’t you see that we are preventing the church from given praise to their almighty King? Nowhere in the Scripture does God say that He would withhold a gift from someone because they just can’t do anything to help others. In fact, the Word says just the opposite: when we are weak, or when we are incapable God shines through all the more. When we accept Jesus as Lord, we are not only asking Him to forgive us of our sin, but we want Him to give us power and strength and wisdom, so that He could use us for His glory. His Word says that He separates our sin from us as far as the east is from the west, so we can’t use it as a crutch to say that God won’t speak through a liar, or a drunk, or a criminal, or any other worldly sin that we may have been guilty of. He truly cleanses us so that His Father sees a bright and shiny star even in the lowliest of men, for the Father sees the blood of Jesus that was shed for us. So child of God, I pray that you would receive a similar message from this Scripture today as I did. When the church (others) needs a pianist to help keep the congregation in tune during our worship time, may that person be at the piano. When the pastor is ready to preach, may he do so boldly knowing that the prayer warriors that God placed in his congregation is on their job and has been praying for hours before that pastor stands to preach. When the janitor comes to clean the church, may he bless each and every pew as he walks through picking up litter and preparing the books for others to sing from during the next service. When a fellow believer reports the loss of a loved one, may they be overwhelmed with love, as their fellow worshippers obediently accepts the call of the Master to take care of the widows and widowers. Friends, it is evident that the list of gifts mention in the Word is not one that you may choose from, but rather a sample list of gifts that God uses to bless us with, so that we might shine as His children. For those without Christ, may I suggest that you urgently seek His face while you still have time. We know from the Word that Jesus will return at a moment that we least expect, and that it could be today – even before you read all of this devotional. Don’t delay any longer, seek Him now and accept His offer of salvation NOW. Jesus wants to use you for His glory also, and welcome you home to heaven when the Master says ‘it’s time’!

PRAYER: Lord we often say to others that God will take away their gift if they don’t use it, but how often do we sit back when volunteers are needed to complete a task, teach a class or visit a shut-in. Based on Your Word, I believe that You set us aside as warriors in our field, and that You gave us extra power to do Your work in such a way that others would be blessed and that they would sing sweet praises to You. This means that when we allow Satan to sway us towards disobedience and from using our gifts as You intended, that others hurt, or perish, or go without and often have no will to sing Your praises. Precious Lord, what we have is Yours alone, please touch Your children once again and remind us from whence we came. Remind us of Your awesome power, especially when we feel inadequate and unfulfilled. Please have Your will and way in our lives and bless all those that we come into contact with today, so that You may be glorified in all things. AMEN!

Your Identification With Christ

On 2020-05-18 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Faith, Faith, Needs, Praise, Prayer, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Monday, 2020-05-18
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

BIBLE REFERENCE: 1 Corinthians 11:17-19
TRANSLATION: English Standard Version (ESV)

BIBLE TEXT: ¹⁷But in the following instructions I do not commend you, because when you come together it is not for the better but for the worse. ¹⁸For, in the first place, when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you. And I believe it in part,^[e] ¹⁹for there must be factions among you in order that those who are genuine among you may be recognized

OBSERVATION: It is reported from various survey experts that there is little difference in the number of divorces, and abortions among God’s church, as in the world. WHAT??? Could this record possibly be right? Why? How could this be? Paul found that his church members argued and had cliques among themselves, just like the world itself has. But as we meditate on these verses today, let’s concentrate on the reason Paul found for this.

APPLICATION: Paul said that if it was not that factions arose in the church, how else might we know that sincere children of God exists. Wow! What a thought! But as I meditated on this, unfortunately I came across other actions that tend to flush out the real vs the pretend Christians. Ever notice how things like gossip, favoritism, prejudices and a strong desire for leadership, is just as prevalent in the church today as we might find at our workplaces, social clubs or elsewhere in the world? So even though we see Paul’s explanation for this, I wonder what you, my readers and my friends might think of the problem? Having been actively involved in church work for many years, I know first hand that there are so many things that affect the progress of God’s church, but I never looked at it quite like Paul described. Let’s look at a few challenges that seem to hinder the work of the Lord in His ministry, and see what would happen if God’s children would truly be loyal to their King and be His warriors in prayer and in growth as a Christian. Paul mentioned cliques, and unfortunately these are just as prevalent today. But what if a child of God stood up to the group and refused to continue in the group unless he was able to include whoever he wanted to, or what if that Christian felt open to correction by a member of the clique for what was said, or inferred about another church member? What about gossip? Wouldn’t it be awesome if someone told you news about someone else and you asked them to join you as you met with that person to discuss the matter? Another popular challenge of Christians is to place their pastors and church leaders under a microscope instead of acknowledging them as a fellow human being and praying diligently for them and the role they are called to fulfill for the Master. The results of our prayers are always evident. When someone complains about the job done by a pastor or teacher, I believe you will find it interesting if you ask them how did they pray for the pastor before he taught or preached. I have found that most times people will neglect praying for the glory of God to shine through their pastor as he brings the Word at church that day, yet they complain when they get nothing from the sermon. Is that not what they prayed for – nothing? Friends, I realize that none of us are perfect, nor can we expect perfection here on earth, but I wonder how often God looks on us and stands proud of His child who stood firm in their faith and trusted God for the challenges at hand instead of complaining or whining about it. I had a situation once in life where someone stopped me in my tracks from talking about a team of employees, and told me that these employees were saying the same things about me. That had a lasting impression on me, and has helped me many times when tempted to go along with slander, or whining or complaining or spreading lies. I believe that it is time for God’s children to stand firm for the One in whom they believe. Let Jesus be Lord of all – every situation, or not Lord at all. We represent an awesome God. Let’s not misrepresent Him, or what He stands for.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, I pray that we might stop long enough today to think through our relationship with You. I’m sure that we will quickly humble ourselves before You as we recognize our downfalls and our shortcomings. Lord, it seems like we are weak in so many areas of our lives, and we realize that we could only gain the needed strength from You. In much †he same way as we tend to judge others, they are also watching us under a microscope. Lord, I truly want them to see You in me – in every action and every word that I speak. I pray that You will see Your children who are serious about their relationship with You shine through in every aspect of life. Please help us not to be a stumbling block to anyone looking for Jesus. We need You precious Lord, please be our guide and our deliverer in every aspect of life today. AMEN!

Why Do You Do It?

On 2020-05-15 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Evidence of Faith, Faith, Faith, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, Salvation, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Friday, 2020-05-15
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

BIBLE REFERENCE: 1 Corinthians 10:31-33
TRANSLATION: The Passion Translation (TPT)

BIBLE TEXT: ³¹Whether you eat or drink, live your life in a way that glorifies and honors God. ³²And make sure you’re not offending Jews or Greeks or any part of God’s assembly over your personal preferences. ³³Follow my example, for I try to please everyone in all things, rather than putting my liberty first. I sincerely attempt to do anything I can so that others may be saved.

OBSERVATION: In this life we tend to stand tall and announce our rights, and we tend to live out our rights, often without regard to the impact our actions might have on others. As we meditate on these words from Paul, I would suggest that you think about a time when you were guilty of such actions, and if you have been a perfect angel, think about a time when you witnessed another Christian who thought they were exercising their own rights, without regards for you or anyone else around them. Our thoughts for today are: Why do we act like that? and who does it wind up hurting?

APPLICATION: Lord, You were beaten and treated like a criminal, even though you didn’t have to endure any such treatment, for You are God. You hung embarrassingly on a criminal’s cross, even though You had the power to call a legion of angels to rescue You. These are just two ways that you chose to endure, so that others might be rescued from the pits of Hell and instead be redirected to heaven with You and the Father. Because of Your Word, we know that You stand for everything and anything that convinces a sinner of their lost condition. In our Scripture today we read about how Paul acted in the same way as you. Yet we allow the demons of Satan to infringe on our relationship with You and provoke us into actions that are not Christlike. Unfortunately, and regrettably, I remember as a young man I did exactly that which Paul was preaching against. I had relatives who, because of their faith, chose not to eat certain meats or seafood, yet I chose to eat whatever I felt like while in their presence. Fortunately they were strong in their faith and their determination, so they seemed to have ignored my ignorance and immaturity. But I wonder what else Christians and/or churches do today that Paul may have seen the need to correct? We have so much separation because of the day we worship, the foods that we eat, the way that we baptize, the way that we observe communion, and the frequency that we are saved, that I’m sure that unbelievers must be looking in with the thought that they might decide to join God’s army here on earth if they could ever get their act together and appear like they are serving the one true God. Paul offered that we follow him as he follows Christ. Can we truly say that today and still have such a mixed bag of beliefs? Why do we get so hung up on the things that we believe and practice? I know that God wants us to know the Truth, trust in the Truth and imitate the Truth in every aspect of life, but do we need to pull down another church in order to build ours up? Can we not preach/teach the Word of God and let the chips fall where they may? I am convinced that the practices that cause division and distracts the unsaved, are those things that man has allowed to come between us. The Word of God is true, it is powerful, and it can save mankind. Please join me in seeking to make it known to mankind, not the extras that we learn from denominationalism, seminaries or additional books. Let’s share Christ and Christ alone, so that others might be saved. Hell is ugly, and unless we show heaven just as Jesus did, it will also look ugly to the unsaved because of the confusion and division we practice, teach and/or preach. We are Christ’s ambassadors, so let’s show only His good and His teachings to the world, not our own nor those of our church or denomination.

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for all that You provided so that we might have the promise of salvation and the excitement of uniting with You and the Father in Heaven one day! Please work on us – Your stubborn, selfish children who want their own way and who try to add our own twist to what You have clearly taught in Your Word. People need the Lord, and I believe that they are distracted in that journey when they see how badly we do in practicing what You taught, and imitating the One who died for us. Lord, we want Your kingdom to come and Your will to be done, on earth, in our lives, in our churches and in front of those who have yet to accept You as Lord. Please rule and reign through Your children more than ever before, for I believe that Your eminent return is near and I want my readers, my family and my friends to see You in my life and accept You as their Savior. All honor and praise to the lamb that was slain – Jesus, my Savior and Lord! AMEN!

How To Handle Temptation

On 2020-05-142020-05-14 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, Temptation, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Thursday, 2020-05-14
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

BIBLE REFERENCE: 1 Corinthians 10:12-13
TRANSLATION: Living Bible (TLB)

BIBLE TEXT: ¹²So be careful. If you are thinking, “Oh, I would never behave like that”—let this be a warning to you. For you too may fall into sin. ¹³But remember this—the wrong desires that come into your life aren’t anything new and different. Many others have faced exactly the same problems before you. And no temptation is irresistible. You can trust God to keep the temptation from becoming so strong that you can’t stand up against it, for he has promised this and will do what he says. He will show you how to escape temptation’s power so that you can bear up patiently against it.

OBSERVATION: For the Christian, it seems like Satan turns up the heat a little each time that we seem to get closer to the Lord. For the non-believer, it seems like Satan will do the same when he notices that you are beginning to listen to the voice of God. So how are we to deal with this problem? The answer is included in our verses today, so let’s take time to meditate on the Word of God, for He alone is able!

APPLICATION: Some of the worse examples of temptation that we see, is when a pastor, or shepherd, or protector of the flock, or messenger of God is drawn into temptation. For we see not just the individual filled with embarrassment, but his wife and kids will often leave town because of the hurt and embarrassment; churches are often drastically impacted by the bad press and the embarrassment THEIR pastor has brought on them; and the word seems to standby jeering at the individual and the church for a ‘holy’ man doing just as badly as a son of the world who has never darkened the doors of a church. So we see where temptation could be brought upon the Christian as well as the world. Why? Why would God not protect His own messengers? Friends, I believe that God was very deliberate in having this lesson included in His Word, because He knew that His servants/His children/His church members, as well as His other kids that refuse to recognize Him as Lord, would continue to face temptation until the day He returns to take us out of this sinful world. But why would God make individuals with this weakness? I believe that God created man in His own image, for the purpose of worshiping his creator. Throughout God’s Word we could see where He did everything possible to facilitate man turning to a right relationship with the one true God, and although some believe, many still don’t believe in God nor do they allow Him lordship over their lives. As in this case where Paul had to deal with believers in the Corinthian church being drawn into temptation, God knew that this would continue as long as we are around sin. So in Revelation 3:10 God promised us that He would keep us from temptation. Friends, I believe that God wants more than anything, for us to be what He designed us to be. It is very obvious He would do whatever is needed to help us be obedient to His Word, worship Him and be with He and the Father in glory some day soon. Temptation is very high on the list of things that throw His children who are trying to live worthy of our calling. Let us therefore seek to be more like Jesus in everything that we do or say, and to seek His power in every aspect of our lives, for His glory alone. Perhaps when we do this, unbelievers will see Jesus in action and be convinced to surrender their all to Him also.

PRAYER: Lord, please lead us not into temptation, for thine is the glory, the honor and the praise. You promise to keep us faithful and strong from the sin that temptation brings into our lives, Lord. So I humbly pray that You may be very real to my readers and I today as we enter into this wicked world that is poised to temp us and try us. May Your holiness and Your power be evident in everything we do and say, and may we submit to Your direction in everything we do so that You may freely keep us from all harm and temptation. AMEN!

I Have Stayed The Course

On 2020-05-12 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Bless Others, Blessings, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Tuesday, 2020-05-12
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

BIBLE REFERENCE: Job 23:10-12
TRANSLATION: Living Bible (TLB)

BIBLE TEXT: ¹⁰But he knows every detail of what is happening to me; and when he has examined me, he will pronounce me completely innocent—as pure as solid gold! ¹¹“I have stayed in God’s paths, following his steps. I have not turned aside. ¹²I have not refused his commandments but have enjoyed them more than my daily food.

OBSERVATION: Like Job, we too have gone through an awful lot over the past 2 months with the constraints of every government, in order to help protect us from the harm of Covid 19. Notice in the first chapters of Job, he became very disheartened over all that he was going through, and it was more than any of us could image. However, in this chapter, Job was able to truly face God and rejoice over His goodness, in spite of what occurred. I wonder how much rejoicing we will do as we attend our first church service following this pandemic!

APPLICATION: Kids tend to tell you like it is! So often they will be the first to whine: ‘church again?’ or ‘I’m really too tired to get up for church today’ or ‘we have spent no time together as a family this week, why don’t we skip church and spend time together today’! However, often some adults will follow through based on these same statements, even if they don’t say them. So regardless of where you were at in your relationship with Christ on the first day of lockdown, over the past two months you no longer needed an excuse to stay home from church! You enjoyed a sense of freedom from the religious stuff! Don’t you see that last statement applies to many who might attend church occasionally? But for those who has a true relationship with the God of this universe, I wonder what changed in your relationship with Him? The accountability of a Sunday School teacher, or even your Christian friends, may have been minimal during these past months. In fact, there hasn’t been much of a daily routine! Can you honestly join with Job and say to God today that regardless of the circumstances that encumbered your life during Covid, you are convinced that He still lives; He still loves; He still rules; and that He is still on target for returning to take you home to glory? Can you genuinely say that you were faithful every step of the way (as God is fully aware) and that you still long for His return, and you are actually growing impatient in sharing Christ with your family and friends who need Him? Some of you might be precisely in the same boat as Job, where you have lost loved ones and material things due to Covid and its consequences (unemployment, illness, death, etc.). However, some of you may have unfortunately just taken a break from religion altogether. I heard a sermon once that was entitled ‘Saints on Vacation’. It was a real eye-opener, for it spoke of how different people might act when they are on vacation – out of town and possibly no one watching their every move or action. But the sermon also spoke to times when Christians, or just people at large, take a vacation from certain routines. They take a break, just to see what life is like without a particular routine. Unfortunately, I believe that we all do each of these things from time to time, and the Covid lockdown may have been the ideal opportunity for that. I hope that each of my readers could stand strong, like Job, and confirm with Jesus that you never lost sight of who your Savior is, and that you were very strong in your own faith while trying every day to share that joy with others. I wish that we could all say like Job: ‘we never turned aside, and we enjoyed being a son of the King every day and in every word and action that we shared with others’. Friends, Jesus has not changed at all! I pray that you have not changed any at all, but that you feel closer to the Lord now than you ever did before.

PRAYER: Thank You Jesus for working in the hearts and souls of our pastors and church leaders so that they remained strong, and found awesome and innovative ways to reach and encourage their parishioners in ways that they never thought possible during these months that the church doors remained shut. Please continue to encourage them and give them wisdom for Your church as it emerges from this crazy time we have just come through. May our lives be so reenergized in our relationship with You that our churches will not be able to contain the overflow of people wanting to know the Christ who kept us safe and strong through the roughest of times. Oh that we may be able to emerge like Job, and shout our praises to You for helping us maintain a strong and righteous relationship with You, even when there were no pastors, preachers, teachers or friends breathing down our necks. We love You in the good times, and now we know that we could also love You in the challenging times. All glory to You, our Lord and King! AMEN!

Until The Whole World Knows

On 2020-05-11 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Believe, Know and Believe, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Monday, 2020-05-11
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

BIBLE REFERENCE: Psalm 105:2-4
TRANSLATION: Easy-to-Read Version (ERV)

BIBLE TEXT: ²Sing to him; sing praises to him.
    Tell about the amazing things he has done.
³Be proud of his holy name.
    You followers of the Lord, be happy!
⁴Depend on the Lord for strength.
    Always go to him for help.

OBSERVATION: It’s a given, that if you ask a grandmother about her grandkids, she could easily, and quickly, pull out a wallet filled with photos of her grandkids! Let a grandmother see a baby, and she is immediately drawn to it, as she is reminded of her own grandbabies. But what about little Christs (Christians)? Were your unsaved family and friends drawn to Jesus because they spent time with you over the weekend? I love that song ‘Until the Whole World Hears‘, as it really came to mind as I read these verses from the Psalmist today. Meditate with me as we think about what the world will hear and know as a result of being in our presence today!

APPLICATION: There are times where we will leave someone and we comment about what we observed in their character. We might comment to our spouse things like: ‘What a sweet person’; or ‘You could tell that person loves the Lord; or you might even say something like: ‘What an obnoxious person!’; or ‘Sure glad that I married you and don’t have to live with that every day!’. Yes, others can see right through us, even though we strive to hide our ‘bad side’ while with them! I believe that you might see some things in these verses that perhaps I may miss, because God may have one thing to say to you, while dealing with other challenges in me. But as I read these verses, I not only saw these things as requirements suggested by David, but also I saw these as characteristics that will overflow from the life of someone whose eyes are fixed on Jesus and whose life displays the character of the One who lives inside of them. In other words, I am reminded of yet another song ‘When Jesus is my portion. A constant friend is he. His eye is on the sparrow. And I know he watches over me‘. Friends, when you know that One is closer to you than the mention of His name, won’t others see and experience that peace that overwhelms your soul? When you’re humming His praises all day long, or singing of His love at every opportunity, don’t you think that others will know as the Psalmist said in verse 3, that you are happy and proud to sing of the mercies of your Lord? When others are in a panic about things like Covid 19, or about approaching hurricanes, or earthquakes, etc., yet you are calm, as you are reminded of the words of Paul where he told us that for me to live is gain, but to die is even better as you will be with the One in whom you have trusted, face-to-face! Friends, your life is an open book to those around you. I pray that you will insure that your relationship with Jesus is strongly in tact so that the word might know, and follow the One in whom you have placed your faith and your trust. Seek God today, find Him while He is near and allow Him to rule and reign with you through every circumstance of your life.

PRAYER: Dear God, You created us in Your image, and designed us to worship and adore You. As a child of the King, no doubt we will act like the King, and be happy in everything that He sends our way each and every day. Please mold us to be just like You precious Lord., for people are watching and, in some cases, making decisions based on what they see us doing. If we’re happy and we know it; if we love You and we know it; if we invite You to be our constant guide and loyal friend each and every day, then the world will know it and be inclined to seek after that type of relationship for themselves. Work through us Lord! Love through us Lord! May You be alive and active in us through everything we say of do, so that the world might know and believe! AMEN!

How Much Are You Worth?

On 2020-05-08 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Friday, 2020-05-08
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

BIBLE REFERENCE: Proverbs 22:1
TRANSLATION: The Passion Translation (TPT)

BIBLE TEXT: A beautiful reputation^[a] is more to be desired than great riches, and to be esteemed by others is more honorable than to own immense investments.^[b]

OBSERVATION: Having a background in banking, I heard about the days when loans were granted based on a handshake – meaning one’s reputation. In my day in the trade, we struggled to have loans repaid properly even if we held most of the assets owned by the borrower. So often we work so hard to enable a better bank account – for a rainy day or to best take care of our family even when regular income diminishes. Today I would ask that you meditate with me as we examine our own value, as God may sees it.

APPLICATION: There is one thing that all the people of the world has in common at this very time, we are all facing the challenges of our income flow that may have been severed for an unknown number of weeks, and in many cases we can’t find items to purchase, even if we have money. During this time, there are inumerable cases where families are working together on projects, playing together for mental and health benefits, and talking more to one another, seeing that we are not distracted by the demands of work. While I realize that when our respective countries reopen, life will eventually return to ‘normal’, I also know that almost everyone in the world has been impacted by the temporary refocusing on the important things in our life. In fact, I am really hoping that the things we learned during this time of shutdown, will remain boldly in our minds, and impact our personal lives for years and years to come. We had time to be reminded of what truly is important in our lives, even when the rest of the world is out of focus, or nonexistent. Solomon was known as the wisest man in the world, and he was always known as a man who listened closely to God. Because this Proverb is found in God’s Word, I believe that He influenced Solomon to write this so that His children for all time would benefit from its truth. This is not outlandish advice, but it is something that we need to be reminded of personally on a regular basis. In fact, I would recommend that we each keep a copy of this verse, in printed form, in a very prominent place to act as a reminder that our decisions, our words, our attitudes and our will for every day belongs to God. As we plan our day, and as we talk business over the phone or in person at the shop, we remember and practice that it’s all about God and not ourselves. Imagine for a moment if we promoted God first and foremost in all that we think, all that we do and all that we say, and as a result we see where our employer or our business is becoming way more profitable and way more popular, would it not cause us to raise our hands in thanksgiving to God for being so gracious to us and to all that we are a part of? Friends, let’s be quick to remember that we can’t out-give God. And while this is often referred to in monetary terms, I want us to use it as a reminder that when we give honor, praise and credit to the One who made it all possible, then we will surely benefit from His ongoing blessings. When we concentrate on riches instead of blessings, we tend to easily cave in to Satan’s sneaky, cheating and conniving ways of overstepping those who bless us and those who need us. Our relationship with God and our daily endeavor to draw closer to Him, will go so much further than we could even consider. Trust God today dear friend and make Him a priority in your life – personally, at home, at work, at your social clubs, at the store and wherever else you may find yourself. I am convinced that He will bless you beyond anything you could imagine when you lift up His name and worship Him in the good, bad and unsure times of your life.

PRAYER: Father in heaven, it is easy to praise You when everything is going well for us and we are succeeding in every aspect of our lives. However, today we are reminded that our success in life is impacted more by our reputation than anything we might own materially. Lord, I believe that our reputation is worthless without You being a vital part of our daily lives. Please help us to be reminded of this on a regular basis, so that we might draw close to You and depend on You in the good times, as well as the most challenging times in life. For a life filled with the love of Your Son Jesus is priceless, and Your teachings are intended to attract our focus on You and all that You established for our good. Glorify Yourself in us dear Lord, and may the works of our hands and the meditation of our hearts be acceptable to You oh Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer. Please use this devotional to draw men and women to the foot of the cross so that they too may meet the One who laid His life down for us, and who lives in anticipation of us joining You one day soon – in Heaven! AMEN!

What A Glorious Hope!

On 2020-05-07 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Faith, Faith, Faith in Action, Hope, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Thursday, 2020-05-07
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

BIBLE REFERENCE: Job 19:25-27
TRANSLATION: Living Bible (TLB)

BIBLE TEXT: ²⁵“But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and that he will stand upon the earth at last. ²⁶And I know that after this body has decayed, this body shall see God!^[a] ²⁷Then he will be on my side! Yes, I shall see him, not as a stranger, but as a friend! What a glorious hope!

OBSERVATION: I have heard some of the saddest, hopeless and most terrifying statements during this temporary shutdown of almost everything on this earth, because of Covid 19. I won’t dare make light of it, for some individuals were impacted in unimaginable ways. However, in my study of God’s Word this morning, I continued my study in Job and was trying to comprehend all that he endured – until I came to the above verses that Job proclaimed to his friends. Oh that we could use these same words during our times of disaster, and when it seems like Satan only has us (individually) to pick on this month. Yes, we’re in the middle of a pandemic friends, but oh what a glorious hope that we have!

APPLICATION: In our Scripture today we are shown that for the child of God, no matter what may come our way, we have a glorious hope that one day soon our Savior will return to take His bride/the church/you and I, back to glory with Him! Now I realize that those words are fairly easy to say when others are hurting, or dealing with many of life’s ups and downs, but we all must be prepared to imitate Job? This man had everything taken away from him as a test of his faith. God, in a conversation with Satan, referred to Job as a man without sin. There was one thing and/or loved one taken from Job one right after the other. Yes, he was human, for he became very depressed over all that was happening to him. Friends came and tried to offer help, but nothing seemed to help. Then in this chapter, it seemed like Job must have remembered who he belonged to. He realized that no matter what transpires here on this earth, and no matter how much of our lives are impacted, a child of God has a glorious hope to look forward to. For one day, and I don’t believe that it will be very long, all Christians will rejoice at the feet of our Savior and sing unlimited praises to Him as we glory in the presence of He and the Father! No doubt some of you reading this devotional are going through some pretty rough times, and you may even be angry at me for being insensitive enough to write these words at this time. Friends, I am merely following a reading plan that takes me through the entire Bible, so I am convinced that the timing of me studying this passage was ordained by God right from the time I established my reading plan. You see, He is all-powerful and all-knowing so He knew exactly what I would need on this very day, at this very time. He knew I would share this with those who also need these words TODAY. Let me encourage you to listen to the Word of God, and be encouraged to know that no matter what comes your way while still here on earth, you have a glorious hope in knowing that one day you will rejoice with Him in glory! For the unbeliever that God ordained to read this blog today, please know that God has a plan for you. Please know that you also could be encouraged by the hope that’s embedded in this message today. But please allow me to be candid with you, this hope is for the child of God – the one who has accepted Him as Lord and Savior. If you are encouraged by this hope that belongs to the believer, please carefully read my Footnote and especially click on, and read, the link ‘To Know Jesus’. The door has not been closed yet for the unbelievers to approach the throne of grace for salvation, but according to the Scriptures, know that today is the day of salvation, for you are not assured of one minute past the moment that you read this. Know Jesus today my precious friends, and know that glorious hope that is ours in Christ Jesus.

PRAYER: Thank You dear Lord for the assurance of salvation given to those who have invited You into their heart. Thank You Lord that we could sing and rejoice over the same statement that Job made many years ago – we have a glorious hope in knowing to whom we belong, and to our final home of peace when we are taken out of this world. Please Lord, be compassionate to the unbeliever who may be reading this today and unsure of whether they should accept You as Lord. Please soften their heart and draw them unto Yourself. Please help them to make that decision to which You have drawn them to. We look forward to that glorious day when we shall see You face-to-face. Please help us to keep our eyes fixed on You and not the temporary challenges brought on by Satan in the world in which we now live. AMEN!

Use Your Body To Bring Glory To God

On 2020-05-06 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, For His Glory, Glorify, Glory of God, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nuggets From God's Word

Category: Recognize God