Will You Know Him?

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Needs, Praise, Readiness, Ready, Ready to Go, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

Thursday, 2019-10-24

Bible Reference: John 7:40-44
Translation: The Passion Translation (TPT)

Bible Text: 40 When the crowd heard Jesus’ words, some said, “This man really is a prophet!” 41 Others said, “He’s the Messiah!” But others said, “How could he be the Anointed One since he’s from Galilee? 42 Don’t the Scriptures say that he will be one of David’s descendants and be born in Bethlehem, the city of David?” 43 So the crowd was divided over Jesus, 44 some wanted him arrested but no one dared to lay a hand on him.

OBSERVATION: In our Scripture verses today, you could tell that there was confusion around who the crowd thought it was who just spoke to them. Some thought he was a prophet, others thought perhaps the Messiah, while some thought he was the Anointed One, but some were sure that none of these could be right, since they understood the Scriptures to say He was born in Bethlehem. I wonder how you will identify Jesus, for Scriptures assure us that He is coming again!

APPLICATION: I once had an appointment with the CEO of a fairly large corporation. After parking my car, I walked into the building expecting to be directed to the secretary of the CEO. Upon entering the building, I was greeted by this fairly laid back individual in a casual shirt, without a tie, who I thought would direct me to my appointment. Instead I was told that he was the CEO! I was totally blown away, for he did not meet my expected image of a recognized CEO! I recently read the account of an undertaker in a small town who had no remaining family members, and was somewhat of a loner. It came time when he realized that he was dying, and he sat down to evaluate how he would distribute his net worth. He was so alone that he knew for sure that no one would attend his funeral, but he thought that would be one way of directing some of his assets. So he instructed his attorney to divide $500,000 among all those who attended his funeral. Surprisingly some 270 people attended from around the small town, even though they didn’t know this man very well. To their amazement, they received a check of over $1,800 just days later! We can see from our Scripture today that the crowd gathered who had heard Jesus speak, was in a real dilemma as to who this man could possibly be, and I expanded on that in my Observation above. Please note that some were sure that this was a nobody, as they always knew that nothing good came from Bethlehem. But friend of God, how then will you recognize Jesus when He returns? Will He look like the picture in your mind? Will He be as tall, or wide or thick as you expect? Will you think to look into His hands? Will you discount Him for ‘a nobody’ if He does not fit the mold you have developed in your mind? Have you seen Him today and walked on by Him because you thought that He would beg you for food or money? Remember the Scripture where Jesus said: for as much as we have helped on of the least of His kids, we have done it unto Him? May I suggest that you dig into your Bible each and every day? It is the living Word of God! Not only will you learn the character and mind of Christ, but You will also learn Biblical truths that will help you Know Jesus today, and in His second coming. Be ready for the return of our Lord and Savior, for He could return today. Only those who are ready for His return will He take on to live with He and His Father in heaven for ever and ever. No, that does not give you another chance to ready yourself for a third coming, for the Bible has nothing to say about that. However, your alternative will be eternal damnation in Hell with Satan. Be sure you have accepted Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior my friend, for He will only return for His own.

PRAYER: Lord, we know You will return one day soon, and we know that You will only take those who have made the advanced choice of going with You when You return. I pray that no one reading this devotional will make a bad choice, for I would be extremely saddened to know that they chose to ignore my advice, and Your call on their life. Oh that today may be the day of salvation for all who read this and are without Christ. Praise God I live in a state of waiting for Your return. May today be the day! AMEN!

Let The Holy Spirit Flow Thru You

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Living with purpose, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

Wednesday, 2019-10-23

Bible Reference: John 7:37-39
Translation: New Century Version (NCV)

Bible Text: 37 On the last and most important day of the feast Jesus stood up and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. 38 If anyone believes in me, rivers of living water will flow out from that person’s heart, as the Scripture says.” 39 Jesus was talking about the Holy Spirit. The Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus had not yet been raised to glory. But later, those who believed in Jesus would receive the Spirit.

OBSERVATION: There are certain individuals that we can see so much of their parent bursting forth through them, that it seems almost impossible to believe. While we may have our own ideas of why that happens, I believe Jesus is telling us in our Scripture today that if we have His Spirit living inside of us, it will be evident to others who come into contact with us, because that Spirit will burst forth from us! Meditate with me on this word from the Lord so that we might discern what He needs us to concentrate on today.

APPLICATION: Often in the Bible we will find where water is synonymous with the Holy Spirit. But just as Jesus used the word ‘Water’ in His example, we could also do the same in our discussion of this topic. Notice how Jesus invited those who were thirsty, and did not just give a blanket invitation to the whole crowd. Why do you suppose this might be important? I believe that for those walking in the marketplace, they probably had a desire for anything but God, so it would have been useless to invite them to come and partake of a godly gift. So Jesus went to the heart of the matter – He invited those who were thirsty, or hungry for Him. Would you say that everyone at your church service is thirsty for the Living God? Or are they there in fulfillment of their habitual church attendance? Also notice that Jesus said that in accepting His gift, that others will not just recognize a resemblance of the Holy Spirit, but that it will flow from them like a river! I thought it extremely interesting to see that He chose the words ‘flowing from them like living water’. Ever walked by an active river and see the water still, or going in the opposite direction? That tells me that Jesus is teaching that the Holy Spirit will actively flow from us not only while we are on the church grounds, but everywhere that we go! It will never stop! Friends, when something flows from our heart, it is a vital, and a natural part of our being. It’s not just a passing fancy, or something that occurs when we feel like it. I believe that God directed me to this Scripture today so that I might share with you how important it is that we build a relationship with our awesome God. I also believe that God is reminding us that when we invite Him into our heart, we are asking Him to place His Holy Spirit right plum into the middle of our very being so that we may not only live according to His teachings, but that His Spirit might flow through us to touch the lives of those that we come into touch with, so that they might experience the King of all kings. It’s no longer you, my friend, but God – who lives inside of you and who will be exposed through you in everything you do or say.

PRAYER: Precious Lord, it’s no longer I, but the wonderful and powerful love of Jesus that expresses Himself through the Holy Spirit living inside of me. I’m just a nobody here to tell everybody about somebody who saved my soul. But Lord, what words shall I use? Please teach me Lord, to step aside and allow your Holy Spirit to have His perfect way in me, and to flow through me like rivers of living water, so that others might experience the Living God! Thank You Father, Son and Holy Spirit! AMEN!

We Have Enough!

On By Ed AlgreenIn Gift, Giving, Obedience, Offering, TitheLeave a comment

Tuesday, 2019-10-22

Bible Reference: Exodus 36:4-7
Translation: New Living Translation (NLT)

Bible Text:  4 Finally the craftsmen who were working on the sanctuary left their work. 5 They went to Moses and reported, “The people have given more than enough materials to complete the job the Lord has commanded us to do!” 6 So Moses gave the command, and this message was sent throughout the camp: “Men and women, don’t prepare any more gifts for the sanctuary. We have enough!” So the people stopped bringing their sacred offerings. 7 Their contributions were more than enough to complete the whole project.

OBSERVATION: In your minds, I would like for you to imagine that you are looking at your neighbor in church when the pastor announces that he wants the congregation to STOP GIVING, because the building fund is fully funded and there is no need for additional funds! Can you imagine the shock? Yet in our time together today we will see where Moses did exactly that – he told the people that there was no need of additional gifts, for there was enough given already! Let’s dig in to learn more about this strange idea!!

APPLICATION:  I wonder why things may have changed? Whether we talk to an individual or a well established church, there always seems to be a cry for help in their financial needs. First of all in our Scripture today, it is clear that not all of the people freely gave to the cause. In 2:21 we are told that those whose hearts were stirred by the message from God through Moses, responded to the plea for help in providing material for the building project. This sounds pretty much like our churches today, don’t you think? As a result of surveys, we are told that less than 20% of the people do more than 80% of the giving! So why have the others ignored the plea? Friends, I believe that the Word of God is clear on this. Just as the Word tells us that if we humble ourselves and pray, then God would save our nation, I believe that many of us need to humble ourselves to recognize that we have nothing personally to brag about. It is because of God’s grace that we have the health to work, the job to go to, and the income to survive. If we truly acknowledge that fact, why would we withhold giving to God in proportion to what He has blessed us with? The Word gives us guidance – at least 10%. Because there are other biblical references to ‘first fruits’, I believe that the guidance actually refers to 10% of your gross income. Now because our relationship is one built around love, I don’t believe that we would dare use this as a legalistic demand. People ‘in love’ will generally give freely, and way more than might be expected of them. In a love relationship, there is no such thing as excuses why we can’t give 110% of ourselves to our mate. Should there be an excuse, or a reason, when it comes to giving to our Lord and His earthly work? Don’t you know that if each person in our congregations gave like this, that our pastors would frequently be faced with an overflow of income, where pastors and church leaders could decide to expand the ministry after meeting all the needs that they are aware of? We are told that more than 70% of our county have no church affiliation, or relationship with Jesus Christ, so is there a need to to expand our ministries? God may hold us accountable for not giving as we should to reach the lost. Furthermore, I believe that the stress level on our pastors will be drastically reduced, when they don’t have to worry about funding the projects that God has shown them might be necessary to grow the ministry. When we receive our paycheck, there is no negotiating on amounts taken out for government taxes, why should there be constant decision making on how much to give towards God’s work? Determine in your own heart how much you will give and stick to the plan Brother and Sister. We are promised that we will receive more than we could ever imagine or expect. Furthermore, we will receive in proportion to what we have given. May I encourage you to always expect more from God, knowing that you have given in abundance towards His work? Furthermore, rejoice, knowing your loving and all powerful God will abundantly bless you and meet your needs!

PRAYER: Father, it is exciting to see how You work. We give to bless others, yet You wind up also blessing us in return! There just isn’t a way that we can out-give You! Thank You for being so generous, loving and kind to us! I would say that we are so undeserving, but then I am reminded that even while we were undeserving, You sent Your only Son as a sacrifice for us, so that we might have a chance at eternal life in heaven with You. Thank You Father! Thank You Jesus, Son of God! Lord may we learn to give in similar fashion – regardless of whether we feel the receiver or the project is worthy of our love, may we react in obedience to Your will for us. Please bless us as we give, so that our own needs may be met each and every day. May souls be touched for You because of our obedience in giving. I ask these things humbly, although undeserving, but in the powerful name of our all-giving Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, AMEN!

God Provides in Unimaginable Ways!

On By Ed AlgreenIn All-powerful, Almighty, Always There, Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

Monday, 2019-10-21

Bible Reference: 1 Samuel 26:9-12
Translation: The Voice (VOICE)

Bible Text: David: 9 No. Don’t kill him. Who can legitimately strike the Eternal’s anointed king without consequences? 10 As the Eternal One lives, his time will come. The Eternal will strike him down; either he will die, or he will go into battle one day and be slain. 11 God forbid that I would be the one to harm the Eternal’s anointed king. But please, take his spear next to his head and that water jug, and let’s go.
12 So David took the spear and the water jug from right beside Saul’s head and crept back through the camp. No one saw or knew they were there. No one woke up because the Eternal had caused the entire camp to fall into a deep sleep.

OBSERVATION: David, a man after God’s own heart – according to the Word of God, demonstrated to his soldiers and continues to demonstrate to us what it means to be totally sold out to God. Because of David’s relationship with God, we are blessed to witness how God provided for him in some amazing ways. This provides encouragement to us that our God, the same awesome God of David, will provide for those of us that are totally sold out to Him! Meditate with me as we think deeper about this today!

APPLICATION: To truly understand the depth of this study today, let me remind you that David attacked towns and totally wiped out its inhabitants, including men, women, children, and livestock in some cases. So he had no fear of human life when he knew that God had ordered total eradication. After just defeating a few towns, that Joshua spared when he first brought the Israelites into the Promised Land, we can see where David got the news of his primary advisory being nearby as Saul continued pursuit after David. So many times already David communicated with Saul that he had done nothing to harm the king, and that he could have killed him on several occasions, if he wanted to. I believe that David’s men could easily have concluded that David may have been afraid of Saul, or like we would say today, perhaps Saul was holding something over David. But for those men who learned from David’s Godly obedience, surely they must have seen time after time that David always chose to do God’s will above his own. So yes, I believe that we could learn an awful lot from David about His faithfulness to God. But in our verses today, I want to particularly draw your attention to the words that I bolded, for there we are reminded that God will work miraculously for the good of His people. David was bold enough to take a volunteer from his camp with him, to enter into the middle of Saul’s best 3,000 men who accompanied him for protection. Many of us might conclude that the move was more of a ‘stupid’ one, versus a brave one, but I found it so amazing to read how God took David into this daring picture, and He took a very vital part in protecting Him while he was there. For He caused a deep sleep to come over this first-class army, so that David and his assistant could actually get right up to the head of Saul. I recently read about Jesus preparing to feed the 5,000 and He tested Philip by asking him where would they find food enough to feed the crowd. Could God have been testing David to see if he would humanly go to the head of Saul and remove his sword, without using it on Saul? What about us, are we strong enough in our faith to truly trust God, even when situations are presented right at our fingertips where we could seemingly take care of the situation ourselves? However, imagine the testimony to Abishai when David trusted God as he chose peace and a Godly witness versus the murder a man called by God to lead a nation. Now notice how God took care of David and his partner while in Saul’s camp – He caused a deep sleep to come over them so that they never even knew that David and Abishai entered their midst! Wow! Perhaps you are facing ‘giants’ in your life today where the obvious solution, or the world’s way of doing things, are totally different to what you feel God would have you do. How will you respond? Doing it God’s way may sound almost foolish to the world’s way of thinking, but is your faith in God strong enough to believe that if He brought you to it, He will lead, and protect you through it? God’s ways are not our ways, so we will never understand why His ways are ordered so differently to our simple humanly thinking ways. Please be encouraged to always follow God, my friend, for He has promised to take care of us right to the very end. If you believe in God, trust in Him alone in every circumstance of life, no matter what others may say. Be boldly about His work dear one, for He cares for His own and will protect us to the end.

PRAYER: Precious Lord, we are mere mortals here in this land where men of God are looked down on, and discounted as nobodies. This turns out to be more truthful than any man will realize, for we are nothing, and we are powerless without our awesome God. Help us Lord to stand firm in our faith and to always look to You for all things. Oh that we may be so sold out to You, that others will see and hear nothing but Jesus when they look on us. May You be glorified in everything that we attempt to do in Your name, and may we always walk in faith knowing that You are all-powerful and all-knowing. AMEN!

Get Your Priorities Straight

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

Thursday, 2019-10-17

Bible Reference: John 6:27-29
Translation: The Passion Translation (TPT)

Bible Text: 27 Why would you strive for food that is perishable and not be passionate to seek the food of eternal life, which never spoils? I, the Son of Man, am ready to give you what matters most, for God the Father has destined me for this purpose.”
28 They replied, “So what should we do if we want to do God’s work?”
29 Jesus answered, “The work you can do for God starts with believing in the One he has sent.”

OBSERVATION: I believe that the very thing that Jesus saw as most important for the crowd following Him, is still the most important thing for us to concentrate on today – Believe in the One Whom He has sent [that you cleave to, trust, rely on, and have faith in His Messenger]. Meditate with me today on what seems to be the top priority in our lives.

APPLICATION: It is a real challenge for us to think outside of our ‘box’ that we have built around ourselves. Because of that we find it challenging to see things in the way it is presented to us by someone else, for we try to cram their ideas into our little box. Imagine this crowd that Jesus had just fed, and who had also witnessed His miracles. Don’t you know that they wanted to stay close to Him so that their every little ache could be attended to, and that there would never be a shortage of food again? But Jesus challenged them with what He knew to be the most important thing that they should give attention to. Notice how He told the crowd what His Father would expect from those that desire to follow Him. I find that so intriguing, because way too often we find it necessary to share what we think is best for an individual. Friends, the world needs more of Jesus, not more of us. For we are mere sinners looking to the Master ourselves for what we could learn from Him, and discern from Him for our daily path. Oh that the world might find Jesus, even when they are trying to get the attention and ideas of His children. In our focal verses today, Jesus showed us the importance of having God first in our lives, of striving to get guidance of God more than any advice that we could get from our pastor, our teacher, elder or friend. As a student of the Word of God, I believe it is safe to say that seeking God first will lead to us each day to live more like Him and to allow others to see Jesus in the way we live and in the things that we say. Let’s do our very best to seek the Lord while He may be found, and then rejoice in the way that He is magnified in and through us to bring more honor and praise to Himself. I believe that when we make these types of commitments and set this type of priority, the praises of our King will be manifested in and through us each and every day.

PRAYER: Lord, we life Your name on high, and we exalt Your name above every other name. AMEN!

Jesus – Always There When The Waters of Life Seems Roughest

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

Wednesday, 2019-10-16

Bible Reference: John 6:16-21
Translation: New Living Translation (NLT)

Bible Text: 16 That evening Jesus’ disciples went down to the shore to wait for him. 17 But as darkness fell and Jesus still hadn’t come back, they got into the boat and headed across the lake toward Capernaum. 18 Soon a gale swept down upon them, and the sea grew very rough. 19 They had rowed three or four miles when suddenly they saw Jesus walking on the water toward the boat. They were terrified, 20 but he called out to them, “Don’t be afraid. I am here!” 21 Then they were eager to let him in the boat, and immediately they arrived at their destination!

OBSERVATION: It is so encouraging to read accounts of how Jesus showed up for His disciples at just the right time when they needed Him most. Encouraging because He is still the same today as He was that evening when He showed up while His followers were in distress on the rough waters of the lake they were crossing. We are never happy about the days when we feel like things could get no worse, however as followers of Jesus Christ, we have assurance that our Savior watches out for us and will be there for us, especially when life is at its toughest for us. May we be encouraged as we meditate on God’s Word today!

APPLICATION: Unless we take for granted what each believer goes through on a daily basis, let’s not imagine for a moment that our situation is any worse than our neighbor or our fellow believer, and let us never think that we are really more deserving of a hand-up with all that we are encountering. You see, some might be very sad at the loss of a spouse, or a parent, or a child, while others might be overwhelmed to the extent of being frantic, or have a nervous breakdown. In the case of the disciples – they were terrified at the fear of the rough waters, our Christian Brother of Sister may look on life, even the worse types of scenarios, and some might assume a very trivial outlook, while others may become frantic if any planned activities are simply changed, or if things are not going exactly as they had planned. Friends, I believe that we are all aligned with the disciples in our fear of being out of control, when life’s circumstances are beyond anything we could do to improve, or change the outcome. That’s why many need emotional help after losing their job, or losing a girlfriend/boyfriend, or when traveling on a boat or a plane going through turbulence, for they are out of control. There are several lessons in this Scripture that may serve to help us today:
1. Jesus knew His disciples were in trouble, so He went to miraculous means to get to them and to help them. Let me remind you dear friend that Jesus knows about your struggles also, and that He will move mountains just to be there for you child of God!
2. Notice that the disciples welcomed Jesus into the boat. Did they have an option? Of course they did, they could have done like many of us do when we see someone in need – we wave at them and we may wish them well, or we may say that we will pray for them, but we don’t stop to truly understand their need and help them lovingly and compassionately. But that’s not how Jesus reacted with the disciples in their time of desperation, and it is not how He will respond to us in our times of feeling like we are all alone in walking through life’s most challenging times. In the Scripture we are told that Jesus will be with us always! Praise God, He knows when we are hurting; when we are sad; when we are lonely; and when we feel like there is no hope. This same chapter of John reminds us that Jesus not only cares about today’s struggles, but that He has a home prepared for us to spend eternity with Him in heaven. So there is a long-term plan for those of us that have placed our faith and trust in Jesus, God’s only Son! Let me carefully show you one important thing in this 2nd point though: Jesus didn’t just place Himself in the boat amidst His disciples in their panic, for He wanted to make sure they wanted Him there with them. Notice that they invited Him into the boat. And that’s the way it is with us still today, we must invite Jesus into our hearts and plum into the middle of our lives, our decisions, our aspirations and our long-term plans. Throughout the Bible we are told that God is preparing a glorious home for us in glory, for I believe that our King wants nothing but the best for His princes and princesses!
The ball is in your court dear friend. Take heed from the disciples and invite Jesus in – into your heart. Regardless of how well you behave, or how much you give to the church, this is a required step for you to enter heaven. Invite Jesus in – TODAY, my friend! Tomorrow may be too late, for death without Jesus places you in the pit of Hell with no mercy from Satan.

PRAYER: I can’t imagine life without options precious Lord, so I thank You for seeing the desperation in the need of the disciples. I am most appreciative of the mercy You showed for us as well dear Lord, for You sacrificed You very own Son so that we might escape the fury of Hell, and have the hope of eternal life in Paradise with You! Thank You Jesus for having mercy on those that choose to surrender their life to You and invite You into their heart. You have placed the ‘ball’ into our court now. Oh that all who read this devotional have a desire to invite you into their heart, and accept the Gift that You are offering us today. It is my desire to be with You Oh King, and I pray for that same desperate call by all who will read this devotional today. AMEN!

A Test Of Your Faith

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Faith, Faith in Action, Miracles, Miraculous, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, Testing, WorshipLeave a comment

Monday, 2019-10-14

Bible Reference: John 6:5-9
Translation: Easy-to-Read Version (ERV)

Bible Text: 5 Jesus looked up and saw a crowd of people coming toward him. He said to Philip, “Where can we buy enough bread for all these people to eat?” 6 He asked Philip this question to test him. Jesus already knew what he planned to do.
7 Philip answered, “We would all have to work a month to buy enough bread for each person here to have only a little piece!”
8 Another follower there was Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter. Andrew said, 9 “Here is a boy with five loaves of barley bread and two little fish. But that is not enough for so many people.”

OBSERVATION: When faced with challenges that are far greater than we could humanly see the answers to, what do you do? Are you more apt to do like Philip and start the wheels turning as you try to resolve the matter through financial means? Or are you more like Andrew and will start in earnest to see what material goods might be available to help solve the challenge? Or will you do like Jesus and not worry about how it will be resolved, but rather, as you see the need, know that God will resolve and meet the needs in His time? Meditate with me as we ponder our response to the tests of our faith. Take time to study these verses together with me.

APPLICATION: I can share a very real scenario with you, as we delve into this study today. I know a church who became overwhelmed by the influx of young people that God placed in their laps to learn about He and His precious Son. Their leadership felt the call by God to begin the search for property as He needed to see the church reach even more of the unsaved of their community. In the initial stages, the leadership was challenged much like Phillip was. For there was a lot to consider – the beautiful building that they currently occupy; the perfect location they are in, surrounded by a great neighborhood; and of course, money, money, money – for it is so expensive to purchase commercial property in a location near enough to meet the spiritual needs of their (mostly) lost community; it is also unbelievably expensive to build a sanctuary and supportive buildings to meet the growing needs of the ministry; etc, etc. This must have been very much like Andrew thought, for this church was also looking at the means they have, or could possible acquire, in order to make this humongous project possible. They truly felt a lot like Andrew was feeling, for there is just no way they could make this happen. Fortunately friends, it is not until we have exhausted all of our efforts, and our thinking process, that we lay ourselves before our Master and admit that it will have to be Him feed the 5,000+ crowd. It would have to be God who will find a suitable property for this church and build a ministry center to reach the lost of their community. Praise God, it is evident from our written text, that Jesus did that which seemed impossible in the eyes of his disciples, for He fed over 5,000 people multiplying just a morsel of food, so that it was more than enough to feed them. These folk came to hear Jesus teach and perform miracles, but I really wonder if their imaginations ever stretched enough to think that one of Jesus’ miracles would be performed on them? For this church that I referenced, I am very close to it so I know that God has pointed their leadership towards a property of the same size they felt led to look for; in an area that is surrounded on three sides by homes where families might be reached for the Lord; near enough to many other locations in the city where many other ministry opportunities exist; and a purchase amount where they will be able to purchase the property from funds already provided by God! Now, will they find the money to build a modern Ministry Center? Let’s just say that it was not a question in feeding the 5,000 and I am happy to join with the church in believing that He will miraculously provide the means for extending God’s work in the manner in which the leadership was first led. Friends, we can’t out-give God, and we could never imagine how He will work in our midst over the needs that we have, and the needs that He leads us to. I don’t believe that God will ever lead us to a place of ministry, where He will not also lead us through every circumstance in getting to the final destination of which He has called us. I have every reason to believe that some of you reading this devotional today may be at a crossroads in your life where you feel called to do more for the Lord, but you may be struggling in your spirit as to how, and why. Please be encouraged that the same God who tested Philip and Andrew about their faith, is the same God that may be testing you. Please remember how He provided for the 5,000, and know that He is still God, and that He is still very capable of providing for you. Trust Him my friend, for He loves you more than you could ever imagine. I believe that He wants to hold your hand and help you through whatever you feel might be an impossible next move in your ministry! Only God can do that.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, You looked at the awesome crowd and You saw their need. There is no indication that anyone was falling down from weakness due to starvation, nor that the people were begging You for food or a miracle. However You knew their need and You provided what they needed. Thank You Lord for convincing us today of the awesome God that we serve. We go to great extent to try and analyze what we feel like we need, and how far we could stretch the dollars that we’ve saved. But as we consider the miracles already performed by You, I am convinced that You have all this already figured out. Please help us to simply place our faith in You; surrender self to You; and allow You to control our destiny in the way that You have designed for us, knowing that You will lead us through all that You have called us to. Please rule and reign in full authority over us precious Lord. AMEN!

Worship Results From Your Encounters With the Master

On By Ed AlgreenIn Celebrate God, Recognize God, Stand in awe, Worship1 Comment

Saturday, 2019-10-12

Bible Reference: Exodus 14:31
Translation: The New Living Translation (NLT)

Bible Text:  31 When the people of Israel saw the mighty power that the Lord had unleashed against the Egyptians, they were filled with awe before him. They put their faith in the Lord and in his servant Moses.

OBSERVATION: God’s handiwork is displayed all around us! Some expect it, some take it for granted and may even ignore it, while others recognize worse case scenarios and therefore recognize the beauty of God’s creation. In the case of those in the latter category, those people may even pause and give thanks to the Almighty for His miraculous works. Meditate with me as we consider the wonderful works of God for the Israelites as they stood in awe at the miracles of God, performed for their benefit. He does the same for us today, so I trust that this will lead us to worship of our King!

APPLICATION:  I believe that God moves just as mightily in our midst today, as He did for the Israelites when the Egyptians were chasing after them. For you see, anytime we witness, or hear of, a saint of God being healed; or miraculously protected in a terrible accident; or hear of God’s children being saved during a hurricane; these are all examples of miracles that occur in and around us that can only be explained as the hand of God. So as I meditated on this verse, I wasn’t as much in doubt of God being at work today, as He was with the Israelites, as I was in wondering if perhaps we have become so fast-paced that we hardly stop to recognize and praise God for His wondrous power in us, or in His children with whom we worship or rub shoulders with every day. I wonder if we may have just forgotten to program time for this important aspect into our Christian walk. We very easily ‘blow up’ the bad things that happen all around us, but how often do we stop to celebrate with a Brother or a Sister over an obvious miracle that has occurred in their lives? Part of fellowshiping together as believers, is that we grow spiritually as we celebrate God’s mighty works among our body of believers. It seems like so often our corporate worship services are so programmed and rushed, that we tend to meet societies need of getting together for a very limited and prescribed time. But within that programmed time, do we take time to truly remember and/or recognize all that God has done, and is doing among us, and then celebrate God’s very current miraculous works? When last have we stood in awe at the works of God? The Israelites didn’t wait until the next Lord’s Day to be led in praise and worship, for the scripture says that they were filled with awe and placed their faith in the Lord and His servant Moses. Perhaps we’ll see more people place their faith in the Lord, if they think that God’s children have a current, sincere and meaningful relationship with the Savior they are trying to promote. I am of the impression that this corporate worship service took place right on the banks of the Red Sea as they saw God’s mighty works unfolding. I bet that was some kind of awesome worship service that day – unplanned, unorchestrated and no clock watching for a given finish time. As indicated in the next chapter, a new song of deliverance was immediately penned with the expressions of the praise and worship from the people reacting to God’s mighty works! How would that song turn out if it was written at one of our worship services today? What words would you contribute to the song, based on your daily experiences with the King of all kings?

PRAYER: Lord, You are so good to us! You are patient, yet kind enough to work miracles in our lives every day. Please help us to open our spiritual eyes to see the glory of all that You accomplish in and around us, and help us to respond with due honor and praise to Your mighty works. May those who look at us, for proof of our relationship with You, truly see a child filled with awe over the mighty works You accomplish each day that impact us and draw us closer to You. May they be drawn to You and seek to know You in a very personal and meaningful way. Be glorified in us today Lord, as we recognize You, and celebrate in attitudes of thanksgiving, all that You do. May we again today stand in awe of You and Your mighty works. I love You Lord, and ask all this in the mighty name of Jesus, AMEN!

Never To Be Condemned

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

Friday, 2019-10-11

Bible Reference: John 5:24
Translation: The Passion Translation (TPT)

Bible Text: 24 “I speak to you an eternal truth: if you embrace my message and believe in the One who sent me, you will never face condemnation, for in me, you have already passed from the realm of death into the realm of eternal life!”

OBSERVATION: Most of us would prefer to never be condemned for something that we did. But we are a bunch of ‘crowd pleasers’ and easily lean to follow the ways of this world! However, only those looking for trouble would deliberately do something that they know will lead to condemnation, or that they would be punished for. In our Scripture today, Jesus encourages us to place our faith and trust in Him, because then we would virtually step out of death, or a life filled with sin and destruction, into a life controlled and led by Him, that is a glorious eternal life that will one day result in meeting Jesus face-to-face, where we will worship He and the Father for ever! Meditate with me on this wonderful promise!

APPLICATION: If I had a secret that I could share with you about something that will make you feel your best instantly, you probably would go to great extremes to implement whatever I told you! I recently had a doctor give me a shot, and he told me that it might give relief for up to 6 months, so I jumped to the thought of being pain-free for that long. But how often do we hear that someone has a permanent fix for all of our problems, both in this world and the next? Well, we have found such an eternal promise today in our Scripture verse, for Jesus promised us something that only He could fulfill. If you are one that might be having the time of your life, and you have no one in your family who are hurting or terribly sick at this time, then you might not see value in this promise. But I believe that finding someone like that might be very rare. Friends, we were created by God for the purpose of worshiping Him and lifting up His name here on earth. And that would be heaven on earth, had He had not given us free will, and a choice to do whatever we choose to do. For Satan is still roaming free on planet earth, and he also is looking for followers and attracting worshipers of his own. Because we are born with a sinful nature, many have chosen to continue following Satan, without much thought to where they will spend eternity. Fortunately some have heard the call of Christ on their life, and many of them have chosen to share that good news with others, much like I try to do through Nuggets From God’s Word. My message to all those reading this devotional today is that my loving Savior loves you and He cared enough about you that He made an unheard-of sacrifice just for you, so that if you would humble yourself and accept that gift, you will never face condemnation for your sin. And because there is no order of superiority in His kingdom, you would become His child whom He would welcome and love in exactly the same way as He does for the best pastor, priest, preacher or evangelist you could think of. This might sound extremely hard to believe or understand dear friend, so let me encourage you to get with a Bible believing pastor, or a trusted Christian who might help you with any questions you might have about this. Of course, I would be elated in having the privilege of praying for you, or with you, or both. Fell free to reach out to me via email. But now that you know the Truth, don’t throw it out with the trash, but act on it and be comforted in this wonderful promise. Only you could make it a reality!

PRAYER: Thank You Lord for loving my friends and I enough that You gave everything to show us how much You cared. Please soften our hearts so that we might humble ourselves and pray, and that we might surrender ourselves to Your perfect will for our lives. There is no one else like You, precious Lord! Please forgive us of our sin, and draw us unto Yourself, oh Lord. We want to be where You are, and we want to worship the One who cares and loves us unconditionally. We long for the day to be in Your presence, but please make us usable vessels for You while we remain on planet earth. AMEN!

Live Daily Declaring ‘To Whom You Belong’

On By Ed AlgreenIn Evidence of Faith, Example, Example of Christ, Holy, Surrender2 Comments

Wednesday, 2019-10-09

Bible Reference: Ephesians 4:22-24
Translation: The Contemporary English Version (CEV)

Bible Text:  22 You were told that your foolish desires will destroy you and that you must give up your old way of life with all its bad habits. 23 Let the Spirit change your way of thinking 24 and make you into a new person. You were created to be like God, and so you must please him and be truly holy.

OBSERVATION: We are known to others by our actions, our character, our level of commitment and our love. Think about it, these are many of the same characteristics that they remember Jesus by! Unfortunately, these are also some of the same characteristics that others will identify us as being no different to anyone else, and therefore children of the world, and led by Satan. Jesus is righteous and holy, so if we are to be identified with Him, we must live in that manner. Meditate with me as we consider how all this is possible.

APPLICATION:  Evil people think evil, wicked things, so they live like evil, wicked people. Does your life show enough evidence of whose you are, that others will be convinced? When we surrender ourselves to someone, we generally release ourselves from the one to whom we were committed before. We become very miserable and confused when we detect any bleeding over of one allegiance into another. Think about it – when you marry someone and commit your life to that person, you are generally happy and living a blissful life together, until one of you start to reflect on an old flame, or perhaps another prospect that Satan has placed in your path. It just doesn’t work friend. The marriage is doomed to fail when this happens. Don’t you know then that the same thing happens in our walk with the Lord? Paul calls our mental escape from reality ‘foolish’, for we know that the minute we entertain a bad habit, it will pull us back into bad habits. The very moment that we give in to sin, we have taken our eyes off God, and it becomes easy for Satan to pull us back into his world. This is not abnormal for humans, that’s just the way we are designed. However, just as Paul teaches us in this scripture, we have an Advocate who is standing ready to help us overcome this weakness. It is the Spirit of the Living God that enters the believer, who helps us overcome our weaknesses and makes us into a new person. However, the Spirit does not take control of our will. We must willingly surrender ourselves to the Almighty God, and this is not just a one-time thing where you may have done so in a church service at a much earlier stage in your life. This is a daily surrender of your will to His will and His control. This is the only way that we can possibly expect to be like our creator. What a reminder in verse 24 – we were created to be like God – WOW! However the ending of that verse is also important, as it is the only way that we stand a chance of getting close to achieving this – we must strive to please God and to be truly holy, even as He is holy. When we live under the power and authority of the Holy Spirit, it will be evident to others when they come into contact with us.

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for Your faithfulness to us, in spite of our weaknesses. Thank You for Your Word that teaches us the importance of living our lives to reflect our Master and our Lord, and for teaching us and warning us of the pitfalls that will distract us in our walk for You. Please continue to open our eyes and encourage our spirits so that we might be more determined than ever to live Godly lives, so that the lost might know that our Savior lives, and that Your love for them is unconditional, unlimited and available to them. I ask all this in the precious and all powerful name of Jesus, my Lord, AMEN!