Gifts – The Reason They Are Given

On 2022-10-202022-10-20 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, gifts, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, Serve, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED Thursday, 2022-10-20
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Ephesians 4:11-13; 16;
TRANSLATION: GOD’S WORD Translation (GW)

BIBLE TEXT: ¹¹He also gave apostles, prophets, missionaries, as well as pastors and teachers as gifts ⌞to his church⌟. ¹²Their purpose is to prepare God’s people to serve and to build up the body of Christ. ¹³This is to continue until all of us are united in our faith and in our knowledge about God’s Son, until we become mature, until we measure up to Christ, who is the standard.
¹⁶He makes the whole body fit together and unites it through the support of every joint. As each and every part does its job, he makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

APPLICATION: I believe that many people look at ‘gifts’ based on their own life-experiences and their expectations in life. Often people seem to recognize and appreciate those gifts that have an unexpected financial benefit to them and/or their family. But what about God’s children, what do we consider to be an unexpected, or undeserved gift from God? Let’s break for a minute to reflect on the greatest gift given by God to the world – His Son. Is this something anyone of that day ever expected? I don’t think so, but I do know that God saw how impossible it was for mankind to become, and stay, righteous like His is. So, we are introduced to ‘grace’ through this gift – for it was something we needed, but totally didn’t deserve. In today’s Scripture we recognize additional ‘gifts’ that God gave to us, but even for those who attend church, you not have ever looked at church officials as ‘gifts from God’? Many look down on pastors, because Satan plants it in your mind that they are only doing the job because they could find nothing else to do, or they are unqualified for anything else, or they are in the ministry for the money that Christians give in the offering plate each time the church doors are opened. But friends, even though opinions are many, and they are varied, yet we find in the Scriptures today that God told us through His servant Paul, that Pastors, Apostles, Prophets, Missionaries, and Teachers are ‘gifts’ to the church for very specific reasons, and I believe these reasons are still very valid today for our churches. Here are the reasons mentioned:
-*- To prepare God’s people to serve – attending church is not a spectator sport, it’s a time we come together for corporate worship to the one true God. Each member of God’s army must be trained to share what God has shared with them. Respect, promote and faithfully attend training sessions by your church leaders, for it’s their job to prepare you for serving!
-*- To build up the church – Throughout the week we go to work, and often interact with many people of the world. I believe God wants us to see how different He is than anything we could encounter in the world, so as we enter His house and commune with Him, I believe that we refill our heart, spirit and mind with the spiritual food necessary to go on.
-*- To be persistent in their work until certain guidelines are met– I can’t imagine this, but God’s ways are different to our ways, and the Scripture says our church leaders are required to continue their work until there is unity in the faith. There are hundreds of denominations and more churches than we can imagine. This happened because of differences of opinion and preference in leadership. I believe that one day God will tear down those walls and see His children come together as one people – His Children! Oh that we could see that here on earth, long before we get to the one heaven with the one God that we know and love.
Friends, God’s promises are true, and He said that these gifts will continue until His church is united in love and fellowship, and able to get along as THE body of Christ. This will not only result in unity of the body, but also facilitate each part of the body working together. From where I’m standing, this could take a very long time, and it will take the powerful hand of our awesome God to help us put aside our difference as men and women, so that we might prove to the world that we are indeed ‘Children of the one true God’. So let me encourage you to use this reminder to help you look much differently on your church leaders and be responsible as individuals to thank God every day for His ‘gifts’ that He poured out to His church.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: I can’t imagine, but anxiously await, the unification of God’s people, and that they be lifted up in love. Perhaps then the unsaved will see Jesus at work and want a part of that unity!

PRAYER: Lord, it seems like what we see here on earth is so different to what You want for us, Your people, as declared in Your Word. Faith is all that matters, for we are reminded in Your Word that: You can do all things; Your ways and thoughts are different to ours; You will honor Your promises to Your faithful children; and You want us to be perfect and holy, just as You are perfect and holy. Lord, there are so many that need a Savior, and so many that refuse to hear Your Word. Please impress upon Your workers the importance of respecting and obeying those who You have sent as ‘gifts’ to us. Draw us close each and every day, for we want to be just like You, Lord. Please bless Your church, Your workers and Your children today so that we might be a blessing to others as we serve. AMEN!

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

Keep Serving The Lord

On 2022-07-262022-07-26 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, Serve, Service, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED Monday, 2022-07-25
WRITTEN AT: Orlando, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: 1 Samuel 12:20-22
TRANSLATION: New Century Version (NCV)

BIBLE TEXT: ²⁰Samuel answered, “Don’t be afraid. It’s true that you did wrong, but don’t turn away from the Lord. Serve the Lord with all your heart. ²¹Idols are of no use, so don’t worship them. They can’t help you or save you. They are useless! ²²For his own sake, the Lord won’t leave his people. Instead, he was pleased to make you his own people.

APPLICATION: Some may think that they have been way too bad, or done way too many evil things for a loving and holy God to ever love them or desire to accept and bless them. We are reminded in the words of Samuel, to a king who disobeyed the commands of God, that we are loved in spite of our weaknesses, our evil minds and our determination to follow the ways of the world. In the heart of man, we might choose to hold the hurt by others in our heart and try to seek revenge, but God wanted Saul, and us, to know that we are to be firm in our commitment to serve and honor our God. If we concentrate on our sin, and allow it to pull us down, we will only sink further into sin. However, if we choose to honor God and seek His face, then I believe that He will draw our attention to our disobedience and our selfish desires to do everything that our heart desires. He will draw us back to our source of all strength and love. In Christ, we will have all we need to fight our battles; deflect the sin that so rampantly surrounds us every day; and encourage us to seek and depend on the Lord while He is near and can be found. Friends, sin will draw us into more sin, but through the power of God we can be more than conquerors and therefore overcome the evil that Satan throws at us. Notice that Samuel encouraged Saul and his men to continue worshipping God. Yes they sinned, but in placing themselves before a righteous and holy God, He will tender their hearts to seek forgiveness and turn away from that sin. Let’s always remember that although our God is holy and has never sinned, He is well aware of our weak nature and our attraction to sin. As our Father, He is standing with arms wide opened to accept us, forgive us, and strengthen us for His service. But He wants our willingness to desire a better life – less of me and more of Him.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: What a mighty God we serve! In spite of our weaknesses yetHe desires that we would come before Him; serve Him and obey His every commands.

PRAYER: Thank You Lord Jesus for being such a reasonable, loving and accepting Father! You’ve seen our faults, our weaknesses and our lack of commitment, yet You love to us anyway. You are our God and we are deeply moved by Your compassion, forgiveness and unconditional love. Please don’t give up on us, for we feel like a constant work in progress, and we need you more and more each day. Please direct us to our areas of service so that others may see and experience Jesus through us. AMEN!

Use Your Gift To Serve Others

On 2022-06-102022-06-10 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Gift, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, Serve, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED Friday, 2022-06-10
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: 1 Corinthians 12:7-11
TRANSLATION: Contemporary English Version (CEV)

BIBLE TEXT: ⁷The Spirit has given each of us a special way of serving others. ⁸Some of us can speak with wisdom, while others can speak with knowledge, but these gifts come from the same Spirit. ⁹To others the Spirit has given great faith or the power to heal the sick ¹⁰or the power to work mighty miracles. Some of us are prophets, and some of us recognize when God’s Spirit is present. Others can speak different kinds of languages, and still others can tell what these languages mean. ¹¹But it is the Spirit who does all this and decides which gifts to give to each of us.

APPLICATION: A great start to this study is to recognize that these gifts referred to by Paul are supernaturally given to us by the Holy Spirit. That’s what Paul indicated. So we must not dare cower in a corner and say that we have no gift, otherwise we are calling Paul a liar, and the Holy Spirit inadequate for forgetting, or refusing to give us our gift. Perhaps we subject ourselves to the ploys of Satan, who would much prefer that we remain moot on the subject of our risen Lord, or any power that He may bestow on us. Paul was addressing this subject because the believers of his day felt they were totally unspiritual and didn’t deserve such power from on high. Doesn’t that sound so much like us today? Imagine our response if someone referred to us as holy, or spiritual, or a saint, or as powerful as Jesus Christ in performing miracles or mighty works of God. We would probably quickly refer them to our pastor, or church elder, for surely they would not be talking about simple old us, right? But unless we cast doubt on the holy Word of God, and the Holy Ghost inspired words of Paul, we must believe that God is more than able to empower us with His Holy Sprit and the gifts that He spoke to us about through His servant. So if you are convinced that you have been blessed with a gift from God, then the remaining piece of this should be natural for you: be sure to use your gift for the building up of the church and for the glory of God. How do you do that? I believe the Holy Spirit opened my eyes as I read this Scripture and showed me that when we come together as a church – a body of believers in Jesus Christ, some will have the gift of great wisdom, while others will speak with awesome knowledge. Accept these as gifts from God and allow that knowledge to saturate my mind. Others may portray unbelievable faith or even possess the power to heal the sick or perform other mighty miracles. Stop accusing them of being a showoff and give God thanks for His gift to these ambassadors. There may be some who prophesy, and some recognize the mysterious presence of God’s Spirit. While I may not have my primary language mastered, there may be some who will speak different kinds of languages, and still others who can tell what these languages mean. The bottom line is that we serve an outstanding and awesome God – in fact, He’s the One who created us all and the earth on which we reside. It is His Spirit who does all this and decides which gifts to give to each of us. In community, when one has a gift and shares it with others present, it’s like WE (collectively) have all these gifts! Oh that God may be glorified through each of His children, especially because they are using the gifts handed down to them from the Father, for His glory! Do your part dear friends. Use the gifts endowed upon you and bless every on that you come into contact with!

BLESSING(S) NOTED: What a mighty God we serve! Angels bow before Him. Heaven and earth adore Him! What a mighty God we serve! We must be an extraordinary for an extraordinary to consider giving us extraordinary gifts! Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost!

PRAYER: Lord, I now believe that we are foolish to ever say again that we are just an ‘ordinary’ person here on earth, for I have been reminded of Your greatness and also how special we are in Your eyes. No doubt if we would consider everyone that we come into contact with in that same light, we would never again look down on what You have created. Unfortunately some have permitted Satan to spoil the good in them, but Lord, I pray that You would once again today remind Your children of the value You have placed in them and of the love You showed for them on Calvary. Please speak intently to the hearts of the unsaved again today, especially the ones who will happen across this devotional. Please work in the lives of Your chosen people and help us to use the gift so lovingly given to us – for the betterment of the church – Your worshippers. AMEN!

No Small Thing To Serve The Living God

On 2022-03-292022-03-29 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, Servants of God, Serve, Service, The Church, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED Tuesday, 2022-03-29
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Numbers 16:9
TRANSLATION: New Living Translation (NLT)

BIBLE TEXT: ⁹Does it seem insignificant to you that the God of Israel has chosen you from among all the community of Israel to be near him so you can serve in the Lord’s Tabernacle…

APPLICATION: There have been times where I have accepted positions of service in the local church because, from all indications, there just appeared to be no one else capable, or willing, to serve in that position. That might be hard for some to believe, especially those who might struggle to identify the struggles that small churches face. In the case of the early church, God had assigned a special class of people called the Levites to perform all duties related to the church. This may seem unreal to some, but considering the importance of the church, no doubt God wanted to make sure that it received particular attention because of the organization and diligence of designated men. This same thing occurs every time your church doors are opened. There are designated people who keep the building and grounds clean, and looking its very best. It can only be that way if these men and women feel the value placed on them as workers for the kingdom, and when they recognize His Sanctuary as the place where His children meet and worship the King of all kings. Additionally there are workers who ready the building for occupancy – lights, air conditioning, etc. Some workers will come to pray about the services and discipleship classes that will occur, while some will come to welcome and direct everyone to their classes or to the sanctuary. Please note that these are not positions designated in God’s Word, but they are probably in place as ordered by church leaders, and they serve the purpose of making it possible and inviting for worshippers to attend and meet with God. Whether you fill any of the aforementioned jobs, or if you teach, preach, or hold an administrative job, notice that God does not consider any efforts to promote His church as insignificant. Therefore, let me encourage you to complete your work as if your specific job helped to lead someone to a personal relationship with the Lord that day you served. I once had a pastor who practiced at each baptism, having everyone stand who had any impact on the candidate’s life. Think about that, you may only have invited them through the doors, but because of your warm smile or encouraging word, they kept coming back. You may have prayed for them, or taught them in Sunday School, but each and every thing done in the name of Jesus will be considered on that day when you meet your Master. I long to hear His welcome and his pat on the back as He tells me ‘well done good and faithful servant. You excelled in the little things I led you to do on earth, now enjoy your rewards and the greater things of heaven!’ Remember, anything you do in God’s service should be done for His honor and His glory alone, so never feel forced into doing something, but in whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God!

BLESSING(S) NOTED: For the believer in Jesus Christ, do everything as unto the Lord. He will bless and direct your paths, for His name’s sake!

PRAYER: Thank You Lord for opportunities to do Your work while here on earth. Please help us to never take on a task feeling like it was forced on us or because there was no one else who would do it. Lord, You sacrificed Your very life to facilitate the forgiveness of our sin. There is nothing too big, or too laborious for us as we seek to serve You and invite others into Your kingdom. Use each reader or listener for Your rich service here on earth. May the church be the church just as you designed it to be, and may You be glorified in everything we do. AMEN!

What Say Ye? Whom Will You Serve?

On 2021-09-082021-09-07 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Needs, Praise, Priorities, Priority, Recognize God, Serve, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED Wednesday, 2021-09-08
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Joshua 24:19-23
TRANSLATION: New Century Version (NCV)

BIBLE TEXT: ¹⁹Then Joshua said, “You are not able to serve the Lord, because he is a holy God and a jealous God. If you turn against him and sin, he will not forgive you. ²⁰If you leave the Lord and serve other gods, he will send you great trouble. The Lord may have been good to you, but if you turn against him, he will destroy you.”
²¹But the people said to Joshua, “No! We will serve the Lord.”
²²Then Joshua said, “You are your own witnesses that you have chosen to serve the Lord.”
The people said, “Yes, we are.”
²³Then Joshua said, “Now throw away the gods that you have. Love the Lord, the God of Israel, with all your heart.”

APPLICATION: Do you tend to feel uneasy in the company of certain individuals? Perhaps they are very rich, compared to you. Or perhaps they are overly educated, compared to you. In some of Joshua’s final talks with the Israelites, he challenged them to consider their acts of worship to a holy and jealous God. How might you respond to that question? I for one, feel very uneasy if I flippantly miss attending corporate worship, or a daily reading of the Word of God, or daily communication with God in prayer. Some might quickly respond that I may be too legalistic about my relationship with God, but I could only evaluate my own feelings towards my holy and righteous God, and so should you. Notice that Joshua gave a reason why the Israelites may not be worthy of worshipping God – idols. I know, we don’t build idols for people to go and worship, but don’t we honestly allow certain things in life to interfere with our time alone, or corporately with God? Joshua knew that some Israelites collected idols from the countries they had captured, and they worshiped those idols at times. But Joshua felt such a love for his people that he wanted to warn them one last time that our Heavenly Father will not tolerate split allegiances. Why do you suppose? I believe we could look at a very familiar relationship, husband and wife, and understand why no one tolerates this. Imagine a cheating husband. Can a wife notice the difference in their relationship when a man is also having relations with another woman? Although she may not care to acknowledge why her husband is trying to please two women, she would really have to be blind in many ways to not feel and understand that someone else is in the picture. Our God sacrificed His only Son for our salvation, so He will become very jealous of one who shows only half-hearted praise and allegiance in return. I believe that when we split allegiance, we are saying that the primary party no longer meets our needs. Could we truly say that to God? But don’t we do exactly that when we consider other pleasures ahead of the pleasure of worshiping our Savior and Lord? There are many ‘excuses’ that we use to explain why we chose not to read our Bibles, or pray, or attend corporate worship. I find it very interesting when children start using the excuses of their parents when asked if they went to church. But isn’t that what we are doing when we tell our kids to watch closely and do what we do? Paul also said something like that, but he was referring to his walk with the Lord. Oh how I wish we could set aside all excuses (idols) and be so committed to God that we could say openly to those who know us, just follow me as I follow God. Wow, don’t you know that God will smile with pride for his kids who are so dedicated to Him?

BLESSING(S) NOTED: Joshua challenged the Israelites to always choose God and do away with idols. In one of their last promises to Joshua, the people assured him (vs 21): ‘we will serve the Lord’. God still blesses the nation that sets aside its idols and collectively say ‘we will serve the Lord’!

PRAYER: Lord, I pray that with our mouths we may say like the Israelites ‘We will serve the Lord’, and then set aside our idols and worship only You! To do this as a nation, we will have to set aside our petty differences between each other so that we could encourage each other to also set as their primary goal: Worship to the Father and to the Son, for as long as we all are left to wander on this earth. Please soften our hearts Lord and teach us to set our priorities straight. God comes first, even if it means less TV or less online activity, or less partying, or less beach time. Unfortunately, it seems like everything else is a priority, even though You gave it all for us. Please forgive us Lord, and please deal in our hearts to always keep You first in every aspect of our lives. AMEN!

Too Much

On 2021-03-282021-03-28 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Effective Ministry, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, Servants of God, Serve, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Sunday, 2021-03-28
WRITTEN AT: O’Brien, FL

BIBLE REFERENCE: Exodus 18:14-18
TRANSLATION: Contemporary English Version (CEV)

BIBLE TEXT: ¹⁴Jethro saw how much Moses had to do for the people, and he asked, “Why are you the only judge? Why do you let these people crowd around you from morning till evening?”
¹⁵Moses answered, “Because they come here to find out what God wants them to do. ¹⁶They bring their complaints to me, and I make decisions on the basis of God’s laws.”
¹⁷Jethro replied: That isn’t the best way to do it. ¹⁸You and the people who come to you will soon be worn out. The job is too much for one person; you can’t do it alone.

OBSERVATION: There are varying opinions about what a pastor’s job description should look like. As we meditate on the Scripture today, we’ll see where Moses filled a similar position as God’s leader, and how he had placed himself in quite a predicament as the fearless leader of the Israelites. Perhaps we could learn when, or how our pastor does ‘too much’.

APPLICATION: Some will pass judgment on a pastor and attribute his pastorate as a scapegoat for a hardworking manual labor job. Some will insist that the pastor do all the work of ministry around the church, since he is being paid for that. Others who know the hours labored by a pastor will wonder how they ever save their marriage, or spend any quality time with their children. Moses was ordered by God to do some important things that way exceeded the ability of any man. For example: go before the king and demand release of the Israelites; follow the instructions of God through various actions with his shepherd’s staff; provide food and water for over a million people – out in the desert; find a way of escape for the people when there was water ahead and an oncoming army approaching from the rear; deal with all the attitudes, grumbling and complaining from such a large following; etc. So of course, Moses found a very real need to be judge and jury for the people when disagreements arose. This in itself was enough for many judges, but Moses felt a responsibility to God and his countrymen to fill the gap of being a spokesman for God to satisfy all disagreements. As an innocent outsider, Jethro quickly saw that his son-in-law was headed for disaster in being overworked and under constant demand by his people. It was unfair to the people, and was way too much on Moses as a lone judge. Friends, in my Observation I used our pastors as an example, but I believe there is more of this in us individually than we might care to acknowledge, for we could each be accused at times for trying to do it all. I have spent time in leadership of a smaller church, where pastors only stayed there for a limited number of years. Had the leadership of lay persons not been trained in ministry and willing to jump in and share in the ministry of God in that church, one could easily see where many parishioners would have gone unattended to. I believe that God is showing us through this example of Jethro helping Moses, that it is vitally important to not do ministry, or the work of God alone. Share the blessings with others by letting them serve alongside you, for we must always remember that we are about God’s work, and He always provides workers for His ministry. Sure it’s important that we are willing to do the work, and sure it is important that we are always busy about God’s work, but I believe that we should never do any of this exclusive of other workers who are ready and willing to serve. Yes, I believe that God wants you in His Service, but I also believe that He wants you to bring along as many as you can to help you accomplish the ministry fully and effectively.

PRAYER: Precious Lord, there’s a lot to be done in Your vineyard here on earth, and it often seems like there are never enough workers to accomplish the work. Please help us to assume the job of Jethro, when needed, for it seems like many tend to be lone rangers who feel like Your ministry will collapse without them. Please teach them to share the joy of helping others along in leadership, so that they won’t simply encounter a lost person and only invite them to church. Often if we fail to share Your story with a lost person, they may expire before ever making it to ‘church’ to hear the good news. Teach us Lord to listen closely to Your voice and to be ready and willing to serve, so that our pastors and other leaders would see growth in leaders who always help them to reach the lost and minister to the saints. It’s Your ministry Lord Jesus, and as saints of God, we are all workers in Your vineyard, until Jesus comes again to take His church home to heaven. AMEN!

Making One Another Stronger

On 2020-07-25 By Ed AlgreenIn Encourage, Servants of God, Serve, Service, StrengthLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Saturday, 2020-07-25
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

Bible Reference: Ephesians 4:11–13
Translation: Easy-To-Read Version (ERV)

Bible Text: ^{11 …..}Christ gave these gifts to people: He made some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to go and tell the Good News, and some to care for and teach God’s people. ¹²Christ gave these gifts to prepare God’s holy people for the work of serving, to make the body of Christ stronger. ¹³This work must continue until we are all joined together in what we believe and in what we know about the Son of God. Our goal is to become like a full-grown man—to look just like Christ and have all his perfection.

OBSERVATION: While many of us wish that we could help others more than we feel like we have the ability, or capacity to, I believe that we are challenged with ideas on ways to accomplish this feat. Look again at verse 12 above. God gave each of His children important gifts – but notice that they are given so that we may serve others in order to make the body of Christ stronger. To help one another achieve their best in God. Wow!

APPLICATION: Wow, how often do we receive a gift, told how to use it, and then rewarded for using it? I believe the part that really touches me, is that God would trust me enough to bless me with a gift from His precious hand. I believe it is awesome that God would then direct me to use that gift to enrich the life of one that I might come into contact with! Ever thought of the fact that God is constantly looking for ways to touch His children and make us stronger in the faith? Ever thought about the fact that when we accepted Jesus as Lord of our lives, we committed ourselves to be more like Him every day, and live to mirror His ways and His character before a lost world? So would it be impossible to think for a moment that God could actually prepare us to be a ‘holy people’ who will serve others for the benefit of making the church stronger? Friends, we might tend to think that we are nobodies and that we don’t count in God’s big scheme of saving the world, but did you also consider that the angels in heaven rejoice over one sinner who repents! Friends, we will find that a sinner repents after receiving convicting evidence that Jesus is alive and that He loves and cares for all who will call on His name in repentance. Often that conviction will come through you and I, as friends of the individual, or even as an acquaintance. God can and will use all means possible to reach the hearts of His lost children. I truly believe that you and I are a vital part of that team, fellow Christian! So when we read the Word and read the exciting news that God will strengthen and embolden us to serve His church and make it stronger, please don’t brush that aside as being the responsibility of the pastor, or the elder or deacon. Take it personally, as He can and will use all of us who are trying to be just like Him in every way to actively work in His service and strengthen the lost who are searching for the Savior of the world.

PRAYER: Lord I believe in You, so I take my role seriously that You could use even me to serve Your church and make it stronger. Lord, I can only imagine the awesome work that a ‘STRONG’ church can do in it’s community, and the impact it could have on the lost, who need a Savior. Please help us to take our role seriously. It may be as simple as sharing Your love with those who feel unlovable, or it may be as challenging as preaching or teaching Your Word, so that the world will know about You. Our abilities mean very little, but our availability to be used by the King of kings is the ultimate soul winner and encourager. May You be glorified in all that You accomplish through us, and may Your kingdom be enriched from every possible thing accomplished through us. 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!

Key Responsibilities for the Christian

On 2019-07-31 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Evangelize, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, Salvation, Serve, Service, Share, WorshipLeave a comment

Tuesday, 2019-07-30

Bible Reference: Hebrews 12:14-15
Translation: Living Bible (TLB)

Bible Text: ¹⁴Try to stay out of all quarrels, and seek to live a clean and holy life, for one who is not holy will not see the Lord. ¹⁵Look after each other so that not one of you will fail to find God’s best blessings. Watch out that no bitterness takes root among you, for as it springs up it causes deep trouble, hurting many in their spiritual lives.

OBSERVATION: We hear a lot about family divisions, church splits, and of course divorces, but in God’s Word He tells us that we are to stay away from quarrels and always seek to live holy lives before the Lord. Oh, and while aiming for that perfection, make sure that no one in your group wanders away from God’s best blessing, and creates a point of bitterness, envy, distrust, that may therefore cause others to avoid the rich blessings of the Lord.

APPLICATION: In life, we hear a lot about how people look out for themselves – how they earn as much money as they possibly could, so that they could have everything they desire, and go places that others barely think of. This may prove to be a successful path for some, while for others the same path may lead them into selfish attitudes, who may think that they worked so hard, so that they could make it to the top, and they deserve everything that they have, so that they could enjoy travel and the other joys of life that they have dreamed of over the years. Very successful people, you might say, for they set their goals and worked hard to achieve them. I will not try to disagree with how you might feel about your friends that you identified in my description above, but as a Brother in Christ I feel compelled to draw your attention to what the Scripture demands of us individually, in hopes that we will never find ourselves in that ‘selfish’ corner. I believe that God created us to be successful, but first and foremost, I believe that God created us in His own image, so that we might never lose sight of our creator. In fact, I believe that He has built into us a deep desire to obey and imitate Him, and to even worship Him as our Creator. These things will cause us to always remember Him as our Father. When we place ourselves in the position of the created one, the worshiper and the obedient servant, why do you suppose that we would desire anything that displeases our Master and Lord? Friends, this whole devotional can be summed up in short by admonishing you to: Accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior; worship Him in humility as your Lord; Obey His every command; follow in His footsteps, guided by His Word, so that you may act, look and sound just like Him to a lost and dying world. When you do this my friend, you are bound to avoid the things He avoided, live the way He lived, and desire the ‘good life’ for others around you, just the way that He chose you and called you unto Himself. I love the way that verse 15 admonishes us to feel secure in our relationship with the Lord, and to show proof of our oneness with God by looking out for our neighbor – those around us, just like He did with us. If our neighbors neglect the Lord, or if Satan tempts them in ways that affect their good standing, then we had best look at supporting them and encouraging them, before their negativity, hatred or other hideous actions start to affect us. Furthermore, when that neighbor hurts, we should also hurt and we should be drawn to help them turn their life around. So yes, we must stay in close relationship with God so that we might mirror His goodness here on this earth, BUT we also have a responsibility to look on and help our neighbor as well. I trust that you will make every effort to help your neighbor along this tough road of life, just like God held out His hand and pulled you up from the sin that held you back.

PRAYER: Thank You Lord for saving my soul, thank You Lord for making me whole. Thank You Lord for giving to me, thy great salvation so rich and free! Now I beg You Lord, to help my readers and I to not only boast in that oneness with You, but to share that love, and Your salvation, with all those around us – our neighbors. People need the Lord, amen? May they see our Savior so prevalent in our lives that they will want to know Him, accept Him and serve Him the rest of their lives. AMEN!

The Benefits of Worship and Service to God

On 2019-03-21 By Ed AlgreenIn Dedication, Deeply Rooted, Faith, Rewards, Serve, Trust, WorshipLeave a comment

Thursday, 2019-03-21

Bible Reference: Exodus 23:25-26
Translation: The Voice (VOICE)

Bible Text: ²⁵Worship and serve only the Eternal your God, and I will bless you with an ample supply of wholesome food and clean water. I will take away all sickness from you, ²⁶prevent miscarriages and barrenness, and give you long, productive lives.

OBSERVATION: In spite of miracle after miracle, yet God saw that the Israelites were still tempted to sin and worship idols at every opportunity. Much like ‘believers’ today, I believe. So I want us to meditate on the promises that God told to the Israelites, because I believe that He will do the same for us, if we meet the same conditions stated in these verses!

APPLICATION: I wonder what types of responses we might receive if we asked the typical church attendee in each of our towns, or churches: ‘Why does one worship?’ and ‘Why would one serve God?’. I would imagine that would yield an interesting set of answers! But I also believe that in pondering those hypothetical questions, believers might also be forced to answer those questions from a very personal standpoint: Why do I wake up from my warm bed, forego the trip to the beach on this beautiful day – one of the few that I’m off from work each week? Just as challenging, they might also question themselves: Why do I sacrifice my time in serving at my church? It seems so unappreciated and the good Lord knows that there is so much more that I need time to accomplish in my personal life. I believe by now you have probably pondered these questions personally, and have a few choice answers of your own! But let’s look at this from a scriptural standpoint. You see, I believe that God actually created us to worship Him. The following scriptures help to convince me of this: John 4:23-24; Revelation 4:11; Hebrews 1:6; Friends, I believe that a reminder is in order for us, so that we stop fooling ourselves into thinking that worship is about: Going to church, even though this is one of the best places you can find yourselves at, with other believers; Good worship songs and a rocking worship band, although this truly enhances our worship services; Worshiping a God that you do not personally know – for then you go through the motion without a personal attachment; Worshiping God out of obligation or requirement, rather than from a heart of self gratitude and personal experience with the Almighty. Friends, when our hearts are right with God, we will not only worship Him wholeheartedly, but we will desire to serve Him faithfully from a pure heart. Think about what this type of service might yield, versus a sense of obligation to serve, or just wanting to see all positions filled in a certain ministry area! Please note that God promised the Israelites wholesome food, clean water, good and productive lives in return for changed hearts that show evidence through worship and service. I can only believe that our God is the same today as He was yesterday, and that He has many blessings in store for those of us with thankful and loving hearts who sincerely dedicate ourselves to spreading His love through reaching others for the Kingdom, and serving from the depths of our heart as an extension of God’s outreached hand to those who need Him. Please communicate with your Savior, Jesus the Christ – my wonderful Lord, and commit yourself fully to Him. There is absolutely no telling what He has in store for us when we join Him in Heaven, dear friends!

PRAYER: Precious Lord, I come before You today as one who is not perfect, and I am therefore guilty of many of the things I shared in this devotional. I believe that many of my friends who will read this devotional today will honestly bow before you also with guilt about the things that are discussed above. You know the temptations and sin that distract us from a right and honest relationship with you, and because of this we are prone to wander and therefore not worship You in Spirit and in truth, and we serve out of obligation rather than as a result of our desire to share Your wonderful love with others who need You. Please dear Lord, make us a people who love You from the very depths of our heart, so that we may share with others from that same deep love that we experience. May Your kingdom come oh Lord, and may You be magnified in everything that I do or say. AMEN!

What to Expect From The Greatest One Among You

On 2019-03-15 By Ed AlgreenIn Faith, Rewards, Servants of God, Serve, TrustLeave a comment

Friday, 2019-03-15

Bible Reference: Matthew 23:8-11
Translation: Good News Translation (GNT)

Bible Text: ⁸You must not be called ‘Teacher,’ because you are all equal and have only one Teacher. ⁹And you must not call anyone here on earth ‘Father,’ because you have only the one Father in heaven. ¹⁰Nor should you be called ‘Leader,’ because your one and only leader is the Messiah.¹¹The greatest one among you must be your servant.

OBSERVATION: These verses really impacted me. Because in our ‘dog-eat-dog’ world, where everyone is greedy after the position just above them, so that they could earn more money, and be looked up to. Imagine how we would feel if the further up we went, the more servanthood was expected of us? That doesn’t even sound right in our world today, and in the work atmosphere in which we find ourselves, right? Then let’s dig into the Word by meditating on this for a while today.

APPLICATION: A new hire will most often start out in the lowest position of an organization, so that they might learn that position and hopefully everything else above that position, as they progress along in their employment. Imagine if, at the beginning of year three, they were told by their employer that they want them to take on more servanthood, along with added responsibility in the organization. Do you suppose they would be just a little confused? I believe in our employment world today, that individuals feel honored to move up, because finally they could have others do all the piddly jobs for them, to help them look good and move up even more. In some environments, supervisors are encouraged to not mix with their employees, because they would lose their respect. But what about the child of God that studies the practices of Jesus, God’s Son, and tries to follow the concepts taught in His Word? Is it not unimaginable to think of a ‘leader’, or a ‘manager’ to lift up their workers and praise them for helping the department achieve their goals? Wouldn’t that leader or manager feel less than adequate before their boss? What about in the church? I hope that you are not seeing your pastors, or elders, or deacons, or teachers, placing themselves on such pedestals that they wait to be served by others. For if we are truly to imitate our Lord and Savior, we would see our main ‘servants’ scrubbing the floor, washing the feet of others, serving food to the hungry and showing the love of Jesus to all they come into contact with. Jesus encouraged us to not even assume titles by which He or His Father were known, for we would never want others to assume for a moment that we are to be looked up to as another ‘Jesus’. For there is none like Him, and we are never to try and assume His place among those with whom we worship, work or mix with. Friends, we are on this earth to promote Jesus, not to be His equal, because we would never succeed in that. While we should strive to imitate His goodness as a sign of obeying His teachings, we must be careful to pass all praises on to Him. For it’s Jesus that we live for; It’s Jesus that we represent; It’s Jesus who loved us enough that He died on a cruel cross to save us eternally; and it’s Jesus who is coming back to gather His chosen ones to accompany Him in glory before the Father. Friends, we are servants of a great BIG God! Let’s remember our role, and His, each day of our lives, and seek to follow His instructions regarding our servant role while here on earth.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, King of all kings and Lord of all lords. Greater than all others, yet You demonstrated servanthood while here on earth, and because You want us to live our life as an example of Yours, I believe that You are commanding that we also be servants to those around us, including those that we may have supervisory charge. In humility You came to this world, in humility You lived, and in humility You were crucified. Therefore to imitate You, we must also be humble. Please continue to work on us, mold us and direct us, so that others will recognize You and want to know You as Lord. AMEN!

Nuggets From God's Word

Category: Serve