Finding Joy in What God Provides: A Reflection

On 2025-03-25 By Ed AlgreenIn Accept Jesus NOW, Acknowledge God, All have sinned, Awesome God, God Cares For Us, God’s WordLeave a comment

DATE POSTED
Tuesday, March 25, 2025, and I was blessed to be at Florida Hunting Adventures, Okeechobee, FL when God inspired me to prepare this devotional. My Footnote will tell you how to find and read any and all episodes that I have shared over the years.

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
Read it in your Bible or click James 4:1-10 to read it in The Message (MSG).

APPLICATION – as inspired by the Holy Spirit
I seldom quote the Message Bible, but when I present the scripture to my ‘Nuggets’ readership, I try to find the version that, I feel, best relays the message to you in an understanding, yet accurate, way. Friends, it seems like we are a people who ‘want’ everything we see, especially those things that others are blessed with. In our focal passage today, James, under the inspiration and direction of the Holy Spirit, helps us to understand, from God’s perspective, why our wants don’t always become a reality. Yes, very often this may even be the case for, what we feel are, the best ‘Christians’ we know. This might tend to play on our emotions, because we fail to understand why God would not allow His children to have everything, they/we believe we should have. Please allow me to encourage you to click on the Scripture referenced above and read this short passage of 10 verses. But before you do so, stop for a minute and ask God to open your eyes and understanding to what He wants you to gain from this. I can only share what the Holy Spirit opens my eyes and heart to. I remember in the working world, we would have several employees read over a government regulation, but often we would all come up with something slightly different, according to our approach and to what we wanted from the regulation! In our world today, there is no hiding of the fact that there are quarrels amidst the best of families, churches, social clubs and community groups, even when the majority of these groups consists of believers in Jesus Christ. In our Scripture today, I believe that God wants to peel back the evil desires that lurk inside of us and show us what He wants from a faithful servant with a pure heart who desires to do what God wants, rather than what we want for ourselves.
In verses 2-3, the Holy Spirit spoke deeply to my soul, in that although we are envious of what others might have, and we want so much more than what we already have, yet the Bible says that we refuse to ask God for it, because we know we shouldn’t have it – much like spoiled children. Think about how true this is! I love boats, so I might look at a beautiful boat and imagine my wife and I enjoying retirement cruising around the Bahamas leisurely. But then I wake up and realize that my current efforts in ministry, and my budget, would never afford that type of lifestyle, not even the upkeep of the boat. That’s just one example out of many that we could think of. Why lust over these things that God has not opened the doors of heaven to provide, or make available, to us? If we instead concentrate on doing the very best with what God has provided to us, and the opportunities He has opened the doors for, I am convinced that we would be blessed with a peace and joy that could only be attributed to our King who provides for His children.
Another favorite in today’s study is verses 5-6 from the NLT: God is passionate that the spirit he has placed within us should be faithful to him… Then Proverbs 3:34 is quoted: “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” Friends, we must always remember who we are, and who it is that reigns over us. This deserves humility on our part, for we are like dust. God created us in His image so them we may imitate His obedience, just as He is obedient to the Father, His love and actions for others so that they may experience the love of God through His people, and so that we may worship Him for choosing to love us and work through us. Friends, let us always remember that it is God who deserves our praise and our daily worship. Let’s continually give honor where honor is due for, He gives grace in abundance to His children. I believe that seasoned believers eventually learn to praise God not only when we feel blessed in every aspect of life, but also when we don’t get what we ask for. In both cases God is showing His love in giving us what we need and what we could handle to enhance our walk with Him. When we are faithful to God, we will recognize that He is always faithful to us. Let us live as children of the King – blessed and highly favored.

PRAYER
Because of my recent travels, this devotional has taken me a while to complete, but I am convinced that this is what You wanted me to receive from this Scripture that is rich in direction for the believer. Thank You Jesus for always loving us so much that You gently open the doors of understanding and pour out Your Word upon us, so that we might believe, obey and draw closer to You. I am convinced Lord, that if we do our part in drawing closer to You every day, that You will provide for our needs and show Your love in amazing ways that we would never expect or deserve. You gave Your very best for us oh Lord, please help us to be consistent in giving of our best to You every day, so that the world will take note and believe in the one true God. Especially those over whom we have the slightest influence. AMEN!

FOOTNOTE
If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please take advantage of the information provided on my page ‘To Know Jesus’. Alternatively, consider speaking with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. One of God’s servants will pray with you and offer help and encouragement as you begin or continue your walk with Jesus. If you would like to read more of my devotionals or subscribe to receive a daily email containing each new devotional, please visit NuggetsFromGodsWord.org. Friends, I encourage you to find a church home near your residence and attend as frequently as possible. Get to know God and allow His people to encourage and strengthen you in your Christian walk while you make every effort to be a blessing to them. God is at work among His people! Please consider being a part of that while also growing in your faith as you worship with fellow believers!

Transforming Faith: Lessons from Nicodemus

On 2025-03-15 By Ed AlgreenIn Accept Jesus NOW, Acknowledge God, All have sinned, Awesome God, God Cares For Us, God’s Word, SalvationLeave a comment

DATE POSTED
Saturday, March 15, 2025, and I was blessed to be at Advent Christian Village, Dowling Park, FL when God inspired me to prepare this devotional. My Footnote will tell you how to find and read any and all episodes that I have shared over the years.

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
Read it in your Bible or click John 3:1-15 to read it in the New Living Translation (NLT).

APPLICATION – as inspired by the Holy Spirit
In 1987, my wife and I moved from the Bahamas to Florida. There was quite a challenge in the transition. After going through all government paperwork and approvals, we were allowed to live in Florida. But although we had visited many times, yet there was quite the transition to fit in with the natives and become a part of their world. In 2024 we felt led to move to Texas to be near our daughter and son-in-law living there. Just recently we were reflecting on the challenges we faced with the move, for again we wanted to fit in with the natives living there. In our Scripture, one of the rich Pharisaical leaders saw something unique about Jesus and His ministry so he wanted to understand it better and see if it was worth transitioning to the teachings of Jesus. When many come to church for the first time, they are probably like Nicodemus, who heard about the healing power of Jesus Christ. Something catches the attention of a non-Christian who then becomes curious of what these Christians do each week! Let me share with you that this is a lot deeper than most of you might think. For you see, the sinner wants nothing to do with Jesus, for Satan has given them much to enjoy here on earth. They are living their life of sin and Satan’s grip on them, and they are bound and powerless to handle anything Godly. However, the Holy Spirit takes responsibility for nudging the heart of one who needs Jesus. So although one attributes the good music, or the outstanding and charismatic preaching and teaching that their friends brag on at their church down the road, it’s not until the Holy Spirit steps in and pricks the heart of a person that they are able to look beyond their sin and recognize the miracles of God, the love of their Creator and the salvation offered through the sacrificed blood of Jesus Christ. I’m sure that Nicodemus felt like he had it all, knew it all, and was in a good spot with the religious leaders of his day, but suddenly he became enthused about the miracles of Jesus! That’s not normal without the tug of the Holy Spirit. I am convinced that this was not a coincidence, but rather, this was the day of salvation for this man, as God ordained it through the Holy Spirit to Nicodemus. Although there was not a list of tips and ideas for Nicodemus on how to make the transition to be a Jesus follower, Jesus knew exactly where he was, his level of understanding, and his need for a Savior. In the lessons taught to Nicodemus by Jesus, as outlined in today’s Scripture, they may seem strange to us, but when Jesus calls on us, He speaks to us where we are at – educationally, in the circumstances of our life, and our mindset about needing to change. There are some deep theological ideas about what Jesus meant and the reasons why He responded to Nicodemus the way He did, but lets try hard to recognize that it takes a total rebirth in our heart, thoughts and desires to transition from a worldly life of sin, to a life in Jesus, the only sinless One – a life that leads to eternity in heaven. Money didn’t do it for Nicodemus, nor did it help that he was a leader in his religious rights. Nothing, but the blood of Jesus can wash away our sin and make us new again. But verse 16 goes on to reassure us that this change is available to ALL who would believe on Him (Jesus). I pray that this will be your day of decision dear friends. Believe on the name of Jesus, and just like Nicodemus, you will be saved! I have experienced it, and so can you!

PRAYER
Dear Jesus, thank You for the assurance of our salvation, and the promise of eternity in heaven with You and the Father at a time already allotted by You. Thank You for blessing us with opportunities to share our testimony and experiences as children of our heavenly King. Please teach and empower us with opportunities to help redirect others towards heaven, and always help us to be ready to share the hope that lies within us. Please give us opportunities today, and prepare the hearts of those who need our meager influence, but the needed encouragement to hear Your voice calling them to salvation. May You be lifted up, and may many come to know You today – before it is too late. AMEN!

Finding Hope Through God’s Chastening Love

On 2025-03-08 By Ed AlgreenIn Accept Jesus NOW, Acknowledge God, All have sinned, Awesome God, God Cares For Us, God’s Word, HopeLeave a comment

DATE POSTED
Saturday, March 8, 2025, and I was blessed to be at Mariposa at Hunter Road, San Marcos, TX when God inspired me to prepare this devotional. My Footnote will tell you how to find and read any and all episodes that I have shared over the years.

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
Read it in your Bible or click Jeremiah 15 to read it in the New Living Translation (NLT).

APPLICATION – as inspired by the Holy Spirit
Some religions are so confident that we serve a loving and kind God, that they struggle to believe that He would discipline His children or refuse them into His Heaven. The Bible demonstrated over and over again how the God we know, love and serve is a loving and forgiving God. But for the student of God’s Word, interested in reading and understanding all the attributes of God, it becomes evident that love often requires discipline in order to change the sinful hearts of mankind. I would encourage each reader of this devotional to click on the Scripture reference above and read this short chapter of 21 verses. Like me, I believe your eyes will be opened to the just and fair hand of God as He deals with His people. We can see how Jeremiah was challenged to the extent that he questioned in vs 19 what might happen to him, Gods chosen vessel. Please allow me to point out a few verses where the Holy Spirit really got my undivided attention:
—> Vs 1: In response to the pleading of Jeremiah, God responded that even if Moses and Samuel came before Him, He would not change His mind about the harm that would come to the Israelites that sinned against Him. Don’t we frequently practice calling in the pastor, or the bishop or someone we honor in Christian leadership to call on God on our behalf because, we feel, He has refused to answer our prayers? So often we forget that ‘no’ is just as much of an answer as ‘yes’! After all, why ask God, if you have the expected answer already? Friends, the God who created heaven and earth, you and me, and holds this earth together, He knows what’s going on, and what will happen, so He knows the right answer for the right time, and He will not lead us astray.
—> Vs 2-3: I found it interesting that nothing was mentioned of the saved in the bunch of disobedient folks that God was dealing with! I was so impressed with what one commentator offered on this: (Courson’s Application Commentary (3 Vols.)) It’s important for us to understand that sometimes the Lord has to take us through hard times. We think it’s oh, so cruel, but in reality, it’s loving because He’s freeing us from certain tendencies, habits, and problems to which we’re in bondage. The Lord deals with us, chastens us, and breaks us that He might ultimately free us, bless us, and build us.
—> Vs 6-7: God is tired of giving us another chance. In these verses God chose to destroy His own people because they continued in sin after being warned repeatedly by Him. Don’t forget to recheck your opinion about our God being a ‘Just’ God. Remember, that works for the good, and also for the bad. In the New Testament we are reminded to not grieve the Holy Spirit by continuing to sin. Also, that God’s Spirit will not always thrive in us if we continue to ignore His Sprit. God is totally opposed to sin, for He has never sinned. If we strive to follow in the steps of our Master, then we also will seek His guidance to avoid sin.
—> Vs 15-19: In vs 15 Jeremiah applies this whole Scripture to himself, just like we do today when the Word of God is taught, preached and studied. The challenge that God gives to Jeremiah in vs 19 is something that I believe we should strive to live out daily, with the help of Almighty God. If we return to God, He will restore us so that we can continue to serve and represent Him before sinners. If we speak good words rather than worthless ones, we will be His spokesman. We must influence them and not let them influence us! All this is possible if we make it our priority to please God, and if we submit to His power, guidance and ultimate direction in this life here on earth. The ways of this world are totally opposite and different to God’s ways, so it will take His awesome power to redirect us and show us the way, the truth and the life – eternal life. With God, all things are possible.

PRAYER
Lord Jesus, thank You for your love and for being fair in everything You do. We love the times that You bless us with good news, good things, and hope for an awesome future with You and the Father in heaven. But we consider it challenging when, out of total love for us, You work on our attitudes, our bad choices and our desires to please those in this world, rather than in total obedience and commitment to You. Please help us today to stop and meditate on Your words, and the deep concern shown through Your teachings. Without correction or challenge, we might question whether You love us. So Lord, please help us to listen closely to Your voice, Your correction, and Your teachings so that we can follow in Your footsteps, for Your people need to hear from You, not from sinful folk like us. May we recommit ourselves to following You and living like You Lord. May You be glorified in everything we do and say. AMEN!

Finding Peace and Healing Through Prayer

On 2025-03-05 By Ed AlgreenIn Accept Jesus NOW, Acknowledge God, All have sinned, Awesome God, God Cares For Us, God’s Word, Righteous Living, Righteousness, SinLeave a comment

DATE POSTED
Wednesday, March 5, 2025, and I was blessed to be at Mariposa at Hunter Road, San Marcos, TX when God inspired me to prepare this devotional. My Footnote will tell you how to find and read any and all episodes that I have shared over the years.

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
Read it in your Bible or click Jeremiah 14:19-22 to read it in the New Living Translation (NLT).

APPLICATION – as inspired by the Holy Spirit
As I read this Scripture today, I was shaken by the parallel I see in our world today. We seem to have one disaster after the other and we quickly go in search of things that must have provoked such an occurrence. There’s often a lot of name throwing for who may have caused it, and there’s a lot of physical attributes we look for that may have contributed to the issue. But how often do we stop and seek the face of God in deep regret for our sin, and the sin of our forefathers? Do we see our churches calling members together in prayer to humble themselves before almighty God, asking for His forgiveness for our sin? Fellow believers, we must remember that God is probably angrier at His saved children for their ongoing submission to sin and the evil of our land, than He is at non-believers who have yet to learn about Him and His teachings. There’s no time for us to throw blame on anyone, or anything. When we look into the face of a holy, righteous and sinless God, is it not easy to realize where we have fallen short? We live in a sinful world among sinful people, so we know we have not been perfect, as only God can do. Notice that Jeremiah and his people were expecting peace and healing, because after all, they and us – we serve a God who can do all of that. But when no peace or healing came, they looked inward, and I believe that this is where many of us are challenged, for we reach our hands out expecting a lot from God. But are we worthy of those gifts, or even a second look from God? Notice how Jeremiah remembered to include his ancestors in his prayer. Have you ever stopped to think about the attributes of your life that you acquired from hanging out with your parents, grandparent and possibly those before them? Praise God some of those attributes are godly in nature, and many times have help to lead us in the right way, but we cannot fool ourselves, there are things that have served to lead us astray from the will of God also. Let’s be transparent with God, for He already knows the very hairs on our head, He knows our very thoughts, so He truly knows the sources of our sin and sin nature. I loved the though by Jeremiah in vs 21 where he pleaded with God to purify and bless him and his people for His own sake, if for no other reason. Think about that friends, God may think the whole world of us as His children, but when we sin, we disappoint Him. So, we could only imagine that He might not see enough value in blessing us because of our wayward thinking and actions, but as we consider who made us, and who set this world in motion for us to enjoy, we might easily allude to the fact that His name would be lifted up if others saw His blessings outpoured through us. Why not join me in praying at all times that God might be glorified in everything that we say or do, for whatever we do it will only matter if it’s all about Him, dear ones! May someone see and accept Jesus today because of some word or action they see in and through us.

PRAYER
Precious Lord, thanks for the reminder of how important it is to look internally before ever raising a finger to blame others for our consequences. Jeremiah seemed to have quickly identified that it was the sin of his ancestors and those of he and his people that were the blame for the critical times they were in. Today we seem to blame our neighbor, our boss, the church, the country, our president and anyone else that we are upset with at the time, for the misfortunes that impact us or stand in our way to success and happiness. But Lord God, although You delivered your people out of Egypt into a land flowing with milk and honey that You promised to them, it is obvious in our Scripture today that they were still disciplined because of their sin. This is a reminder to us as we seek your righteousness, and as we plead humbly that You show us Your perfect will for our lives. Please nudge us along to live righteously and holy, so that the world will see and know to whom we belong. Be glorified in us, because we are your obedient and righteous children, oh Lord. AMEN!

Enjoying Life: Insights from Ecclesiastes

On 2025-02-21 By Ed AlgreenIn Accept Jesus NOW, Acknowledge God, All have sinned, Awesome God, God Cares For Us, God’s WordLeave a comment

DATE POSTED
Friday, February 21, 2025, and I was blessed to be at Mariposa at Hunter Road, San Marcos, TX when God inspired me to prepare this devotional. My Footnote will tell you how to find and read any and all episodes that I have shared over the years.

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
Read it in your Bible or click Ecclesiastes 5 to read it in the New Living Translation (NLT).

APPLICATION – as inspired by the Holy Spirit
Praise God that His Word is completely true and can be trusted for direction, encouragement and most of all blessings. Without meditating on the Word daily, we go about our day like a man, or woman, without daily nourishment/food. I say all that to particularly draw your attention to today’s Scripture that captured my full attention. In just the 20 short verses of Ecclesiastes chapter 5, there are several areas of life that are addressed, and if adhered to, will give us peace and direction for our lives. Please click on the above reference so you can read the whole chapter, but here are the things that caught my attention:
–> Things we should gain from going to church (vs 1-2) – As we enter, let us always remember who owns the church/temple in which we enter. If we knew that the President of the United States, or the King of England, or any other national leader was there, we would make special preparation to insure we are dressed our very best, we would be on our best behavior, displaying our best manners, and we would listen way more than we speak. Although no where as important as God, we would give the authoritative figure our full attention, and would never question them, but probably vow to obey what they told us. If you agree with this, then perhaps you might get a better picture of what Solomon is telling us to do as it concerns the God of this universe when we enter His house.
–> Follow through on the promises you make to God (vs 4-6) – We are told that God considers a man/woman who makes vain and/or unkept promises, a fool. While you may punch me for calling you a ‘fool’, I hope that you would ask God to help you always stay true to your promises. I had a pastor who promised God in the middle of battle, that if He would save him, he would serve Him the rest of his life. This Brother recently retired from a lifetime of blessed and successful ministry! May we all keep our promises made to God as we seek His favor.
–> Our financial success – Riches (Vs 4-11) – Many of us might believe that riches bring us happiness. Solomon assures us that this is meaningless, as we constantly battle for more riches. Furthermore, when our mother presents us to the world for the very first time, we are penniless, no matter how rich our parents were. When our loved ones present us to God by laying us in our earthly grave, again we are penniless. Why again are we so concerned about riches??
–> How we should enjoy life (Vs 18-20) – We all enjoy a good meal, and most of us also enjoy being around family and friends. Solomon brings to our attention that for most of us, we are so busy with all of the above, that we can’t find time to spend with family, or around the table, without electronic devices, where we might enjoy quality time together.
Friends, I believe that two things become very clear in this short chapter of the Bible. Make every effort to spend your life/time with God and your family – the ones who make life possible for you, and who are deeply concerned about your happiness, joy and eternal destiny. While the rest of life may seem important, they are meaningless without God and family. As you’ve read this devotional, I pray that you have also completed a thorough analysis of your life against the instructions in God’s Word. Is there a proper balance, and do you exemplify a value pleasing to God in each of these areas of your life? God can help you be honest in your evaluation and with the realignment, if you let Him!

PRAYER
Thank You Lord for challenging me in my walk with You. It is so easy to compare ourselves to the world and assume that we must be doing fine. But You are our perfect God, and You not only set the bar for us, but You sent Your Son to show us how we could live more like You. As followers of Christ, please help us to be transparent in our thoughts, actions and words, so that others will experience the love, teachings, behavior and obedience of Your followers and they will desire a relationship with You, the One who gives us the strength, direction and desire. Be glorified in and through us, oh Lord. AMEN!

Understanding Godly vs Worldly Wisdom

On 2025-02-20 By Ed AlgreenIn Accept Jesus NOW, Acknowledge God, All have sinned, Awesome God, God Cares For Us, God’s Word, WisdomLeave a comment

DATE POSTED
Thursday, February 20, 2025, and I was blessed to be at Mariposa at Hunter Road, San Marcos, TX when God inspired me to prepare this devotional. My Footnote will tell you how to find and read any and all episodes that I have shared over the years.

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
Read it in your Bible or click James 3:13-18 to read it in the New Century Version (NCV).

APPLICATION – as inspired by the Holy Spirit
God will judge us for all unforgiven sin, even if we sinned due to bad worldly advice. I was reminded how God not only gave us the ability to discern godly wisdom vs worldly wisdom, but He laid out the differences clearly in His Word. So why is this important? I’m sure you are very similar to me in that we don’t know everything, so we often find the need to seek help and/or advice from someone else. Advice given will often lead us through challenging situations and towards what we hope to be a new, or better direction. For medical issues, we tend to connect with a medical doctor or expert in a specific field of medicine for their advice and/or prescription for renewed, or improved health. For legal matters we go in search of an attorney to advise us and lead us through. But for the Christian, do we always look to the Chief Advisor, the One who gives wisdom to everyone, and has all knowledge about all things? Ever stop to consider whether the advisors we use are being led of God, or if they are leading us to seek the wisdom of God in our time of frustration and our many needs? In this Scripture, God tells us, through His servant, James, how we might discern godly vs worldly wisdom. Follow the Scripture with me as we look at this list:
—> Godly wisdom – The individual will be living right and doing good things with a gentleness that comes from wisdom. It will be evident that they have sought the wisdom that comes from God, for it is first of all pure, then peaceful, gentle, and easy to please the child of God. This wisdom is always ready to help those who are troubled, and to do good for others. It is always fair and honest. People who work for peace in a peaceful way plant a good crop of right-living.
—> Worldly wisdom – The individual will show a selfish spirit and have bitter jealousy in their hearts. They may display arrogance and lie or brag against the truth. They may create an evil spirit that leads to disorder.
In comparing these two, I believe it is important to take note of what might result in your life when you see a selfish spirit, bitter jealousy and a bragging spirit developing. It’s a good indicator that you may be getting too much of the world inside of you. Friends, let us seek God first, every day, in every way. And in our effort to live under His plan, His teachings, His example, I believe we will begin to see Him bless us with godly wisdom, so that we may help others who are struggling. The world is in desperate need of godly wisdom, and they will only find that in godly individuals seeking to promote God, and not themselves.

PRAYER
We seem to be in a world where it is becoming more and more concerning over who to trust and from whom we should seek advice, Lord Jesus. Although we arm ourselves with what You have told us through Your Word, please help us to be more dependent on Your wisdom and direction every day of our lives. Please be our constant guide and always remind us of the source of all godly wisdom. In Psalm 121 You are clear in stating the source of all godly wisdom, for when the Psalmist looked to the hills with concern over his strength and wisdom, You were clear in reminding Him, and us, that our help comes from the One who created us, and this earth, in the first place. Man has extended his reach to artificial intelligence with hopes of answering all of man’s dilemmas, but we are constantly reminded that there is only one source for our wisdom – the One we call Lord and Master – God Himself. Nothing has changed, You have always been, and will always be, our God – the Designer and Maker of all things. May we remind ourselves of this every day and stay focused on the promises You have laid out in Your Word, and the wisdom You displayed in everything You did, until the day we see You face-to-face and worship You for all eternity at Your feet of mercy. AMEN!

Respect and Honor the Temple of God

On 2025-02-18 By Ed AlgreenIn Accept Jesus NOW, Acknowledge God, All have sinned, Awesome God, God Cares For Us, God’s Word, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED
Tuesday, February 18, 2025, and I was blessed to be at Mariposa at Hunter Road, San Marcos, TX when God inspired me to prepare this devotional. My Footnote will tell you how to find and read any and all episodes that I have shared over the years.

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
Read it in your Bible or click John 2:13-17 to read it in the New Living Translation (NLT).

APPLICATION – as inspired by the Holy Spirit
In reading this Scripture today, I believe the Holy Spirit caused me to reflect on what I, and others, might expect when we go to church. I remember back in the day when many went to be inspired by the new clothing and hairstyles, but today many churches have since changed to an atmosphere of ‘come as you are’ to encourage those who don’t have, or don’t like to dress up in order to worship the Lord corporately. In our Scripture, seeing that this was the Temple (of God), I believe that Jesus may have hoped to see many things that represent the holiness and kingship of the His Father. But instead, Jesus found a full-fledged marketplace going on, with greed and disrespect being very evident. But notice, dear friends, that in spite of His disappointment, Jesus didn’t turn around and leave, nor did he seek social avenues to share His frustrations about what He found. Instead, He – the One who was born in a stable, the one who ministered to the lowliest of people, He became indignant when faced with this disappointing disrespect to His Father. But how does this relate to our respective churches today? Would our church be know more as a commercial center? A place of worship? A holy place where God awaits the praises of His people? A salvation station where we are not only entertained, but encouraged to join in worship to our King, the Word of God taught without fear of retribution, and where sin is highlighted while teaching us to seek God’s forgiveness and His strength to overcome our sin? But it gets a whole lot more personal – in 1 Corinthians 3:16 we are told that ‘we are the temple of God’. To all believers reading this devotional, I wonder what kind of response we would see from Jesus if He inspected His temple in us? You know, our lifestyle, our commitment to Him, our obedience to His Word, or our following in His example. Perhaps we should ask our loving Lord to go through our life, overturn the tables, and drive out the cattle so we won’t be ripped off from what He wants to do in and through us. For the unbeliever, or unsaved reader, I pray that you will see from today’s Scripture that although Jesus was firm in responding to what He saw at the temple, yet He was in control and dealt with the dove owners quite differently, not wanting to bring harm to the living creatures. The God we serve is still loving and caring in the same way, and despite the disappointment He may endure by seeing His created ones choosing Satan over Him, I am convinced that He will receive as at any given moment that we surrender our all to Him. Remember, He is holy, and He designed us to be like Himself. Listen to that still small voice that gives you guilt feelings about your sin and disobedience. Turn your life around my friend and seek God’s cleansing of His temple inside of you. Be holy, as your Master and Lord is also holy!

PRAYER
Lord, there are many of us who become disappointed when our children follow in paths unbecoming of what they were taught in our home, and in the church we took them to, so we have an idea of what You must feel when You see us going on in life in our own way, or following the path Satan pushes on this world. Please forgive us Lord and continue to upset our ‘applecart’ of sin and disobedience. Continue to teach us the path we should follow to be more like You, and continue to prick our conscience when we stray. Oh that our commitment may remain strong, and may our desire increase daily to follow in Your footsteps, so that others may be encouraged to know You and live according to Your will for their lives. AMEN!

The Role of the Holy Spirit in Christian Teaching

On 2025-02-13 By Ed AlgreenIn Accept Jesus NOW, Acknowledge God, All have sinned, Awesome God, God Cares For Us, God’s Word, TeacherLeave a comment

DATE POSTED
Thursday, February 13, 2025, and I was blessed to be at Mariposa at Hunter Road, San Marcos, TX when God inspired me to prepare this devotional. My Footnote will tell you how to find and read any and all episodes that I have shared over the years.

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
Read it in your Bible or click James 3:1-10 to read it in The Message (MSG).

APPLICATION – as inspired by the Holy Spirit
As you read the Scripture today, some might remember a Christian Nursery song that had lyrics something like ‘Oh, be careful little eyes what you see’, and also added verses like ‘Oh, be careful little tongue what you say’! But for today, I believe that the Holy Spirit is challenging us as adults, through James, to apply this principle to all aspects of our lives, especially in what we say and teach. Since our Scripture today makes reference to Christian teachers, I must share my curiosity in knowing the reasons why some accept the invitation to teach, especially in church? In my past church leadership, I am guilty of accepting an invitation to teach a Sunday School (SS) class because the SS Superintendent put me on a guilt trip about them having to shut a class down if they didn’t find a teacher for the current year! I know, that sounds almost comical, but I have no hesitation in also saying that God has blessed me tremendously in teaching SS over the years. I felt so inadequate at times, for I knew there would be former pastors, elders, deacons and/or others in my class who have been in the Word much longer than me. But let’s get to the point of our lesson from James. I believe that we are being challenged to think ahead about opening our mouths without the leadership of the Holy Spirit. As a teacher, we stand before students who may be challenged in life in many different ways. To open our mouths without the power of the Holy Spirit, we will:
—> Spoil a lesson, or message, with way too much of self, and everything we are about personally.
—> Respond to honest and heartfelt questions from students only from personal experiences and knowledge, rather than from a Biblical, or Holy Spirit inspired perspective.
In each of the above cases, I believe we would be a better servant of God if we were to use His Word to respond with. For a few years in my working career, I was an auditor/examiner. My lead examiner would insist that his team members never criticize a branch or employee without quoting the exact location of the rule, or standard, they defiled. Wouldn’t it be awesome to also do the same when responding on God’s behalf to a student hungry for the wisdom of God on how they could live their life pleasing to God? Now, unless we jump to the conclusion that James was discouraging one from teaching or preaching, let me be quick to remind you that many of us would still be unsaved, had it not been for a good Bible teacher or preacher. So, I firmly believe that James is instead warning us to not try and teach God’s Word without Him being front and foremost in our lives, our Bible Study, our lesson preparation and in our classroom. You see, we must always remember that God is the author of a book He gave to us, The Bible, for encouragement, correction, direction and answers to all life’s quandaries. Because He is God, we must only promote His instructions, and not try to change them, nor minimize their effectiveness nor exaggerate their meaning with hopes of convincing our unsaved friends. Furthermore, let’s be careful to live the godly life that we are teaching others to live. They will tend to follow our actions much more than our teachings, and we would never want God’s discipline for the hypocrisy in our teaching if we are disobedient to the very things that we teach. If we know it, let’s live it!

PRAYER
Lord Jesus, You set a perfect example for us, by living in full obedience to the Father’s will and instruction. But as we try to duplicate that example here on earth, it is extremely challenging, for our sin and selfish desires kick in while also trying to please others with what we respond. Please direct our thoughts, actions and especially the words that spew from our lips, sometimes without thought, and often without seeking Your direction. Shame on us for using the same tongue that we sing out praises to You with, to also put down our neighbor or totally turn one off from knowing You personally. We desperately need Your help dear Lord. May the words from our mouth and the meditation of our heart be acceptable in Your sight at all times dear Lord, and may our output be incentive for others to praise You today and always. AMEN!

Understanding Jesus’ First Sign: Lessons in Faith

On 2025-02-12 By Ed AlgreenIn Accept Jesus NOW, Acknowledge God, All have sinned, Awesome God, God Cares For Us, God’s Word, Miracles, signsLeave a comment

DATE POSTED
Wednesday, February 12, 2025, and I was blessed to be at Mariposa at Hunter Road, San Marcos, TX when God inspired me to prepare this devotional. My Footnote will tell you how to find and read any and all episodes that I have shared over the years.

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
Read it in your Bible or click John 2:1-11 to read it in the Amplified Bible (AMP).

APPLICATION – as inspired by the Holy Spirit
For those of us that have been around Bible teachings and sermons for a while, we could easily say what the first miracle of Jesus was, but look closely at the words of today’s Scripture and you will note that several versions of the Bible are clear that this was the first sign offered by Jesus, and it spoke volumes to the people who witnessed this ‘superhuman’ act that had an awesome, spiritual, meaning and impact. This miracle was the first of many that were designed to show that Jesus was indeed the Son of God. By performing this sign, He showed His relationship with God and where His power came from. He revealed to men that He was indeed God – manifest (revealed) in the flesh. Let’s think of the ways, and then we will remind ourselves how this is still so relevant today.

Verse 11 declares that the disciples were so impacted by this sign that they were convinced of the power of the One they chose to follow. In a Bible Study last night, I was reminded that the people may listen to what my pastor, church leaders, or I have to say, but when they experience, through our daily living, that we live out what we preach or teach, they are more impacted and often make a decision to know the God in whom we trust, serve and share with others. This was evident in the experience of the disciples with this first miracle/sign by their spiritual leader – Jesus!
Jesus chose to perform this first miracle at a wedding. Coincidence? Friends, Jesus knows every hair on our head and He knows our very thoughts that lead us either closer or Him or deeper into sin. So, I have no question that this miracle was very much in line with the Father’s plan for all those who were privileged to experienced it. Think about these in attendance:
- The bride and groom – When the head waiter tasted the new wine, he immediately called the bridegroom. Now, in a wedding, please stop for a moment and think how miraculous it is for a man of one culture and background to join heart, soul and mind with a woman – different gender, culture and background. But what an amazing eye-opening experience it must have been for this groom to hear of the parallel with this first miracle of Jesus. If one’s soul is emptied of all contaminants (sin), totally cleansed, sterilized and refilled with the very basic elements of life, blessed by the Son of God, and that love shared with all those who came to witness your union, don’t you think that you might be better prepared, internally at least, for what might lie ahead in your new married life?
- The disciples – already willing followers of Jesus, and they probably already witnessed how He lived each day quite differently to anything they were used to, yet to now witness something they had never before seen, this must have been an awesome point of reaffirmation for them. In fact, verse 11 states that the disciples believed [confidently] in Him [as the Messiah—they adhered to, trusted in, and relied on Him]. As a follower of Jesus Christ, or one considering His invitation, what might it take for you to reach this stage in your life?
- The invited guests – in the skeptical world in which we live, and the individuals that we encounter who first appear so suspicious, can you imagine the gossip that went around that wedding reception that day? After all, who is this man? By whose authority or power is He able to do something so miraculous? Why in a crowd where Jews or other unbelievers are? Isn’t he afraid of provoking their anger? Is He for real?

Friends, this Jesus of whom we have looked at closely today – He is alive today, and He has promised through the Word of God that where two or three are gathered in His name, He will be right there in our midst. His power is still intact. I am convinced that He will be at our Wednesday night service tonight, and He will be in our midst on Sunday at all services where we meet to worship He and the Father. Please make it a point to be at church and prepare yourself for any miracles Jesus may choose to perform this week. He already knows your needs, just be there and be vigilant about His powerful work that He may choose to perform. Be a part of this, my friends! He has a special ‘sign’ to convince you of who He is!

PRAYER
Lord, for many of us, we may be at a point in life where we say with our lips ‘Lord, I believe’, but it may take a miracle such as we were reminded about today, to convince our innermost person that You are indeed ‘The Christ’. In some circles we may call that person a ‘doubting Thomas’, but it took Your first sign/miracle to truly convince Your first disciples to completely trust in You. For some of us, we’ve experienced miracles personally or perhaps been exposed to Your power in the lives of others. Whether it’s for the first time believer, or for the longtime believer who just needs a jolt from their lackadaisical faith that has grown cold, I just pray that You will hear our cry for more of You and place us right in the middle of Your miracles to show us Your power that is always expressed lovingly to those who need it.

Aligning Life with God’s Word Through Insights from Jeremiah

On 2025-02-11 By Ed AlgreenIn Accept Jesus NOW, Acknowledge God, All have sinned, Awesome God, Commitment, God Cares For Us, God’s WordLeave a comment

DATE POSTED
Tuesday, February 11, 2025, and I was blessed to be at Mariposa at Hunter Road, San Marcos, TX when God inspired me to prepare this devotional. My Footnote will tell you how to find and read any and all episodes that I have shared over the years.

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
Read it in your Bible or click Jeremiah 10 to read it in the New Living Translation (NLT).

APPLICATION – as inspired by the Holy Spirit
Some of us older folk will remember how challenging it was to live in the home of Pastors, Church leaders, Bible Scholars, and godly parents, for there may have been some very strict rules. These types were different, especially back in the day! But wait, isn’t that what the Word of God teaches us? I found an online document that makes it easy for us to see how we are doing, compared to what the Bible teaches about God’s people living like He intended. Take a moment to look over this list, perhaps you will be reminded of why you were brought up under certain rules, if you lived in a Christian home. But as for today’s devotional, let’s remember that Jeremiah was known as the ‘Weeping Prophet’, because He was so concerned about the spiritual condition of his people, compared to what He knew that God had taught through His Word. Also remember that Jeremiah saw that his fellow Israelites came back from Egypt as a very changed people. He heard about the ones that didn’t complete the journey because of their sin during their rescue journey. He saw that many were still worshipping idols, in spite of the awesome blessings God had extended to these people in releasing them from slavery, protection them and providing for their daily needs during their journey and making them very aware of the blessings He had prepared for them after they completed their journey. Now unless we overlook our current journey in life and pounce on the Israelites by calling them ungrateful and disrespectful of God, we should quickly look inward and answer very challenging questions such as ‘Are we doing any better after learning from our Israelite ancestors and our parents, who tried with everything at their disposal to ensure that we were taught God’s Word for life, direction and eternity?’. What might be your answer today dear friends? Perhaps you are following in Jeremiah’s steps by weeping for your family, your friends, your church and your country. It’s always sad to read the statistics and see how little difference there is in Christian based families and churches, compared to the world, when it comes to sin that leads to crime, out of wedlock pregnancies, divorces, back-biting, hating our neighbor, etc, etc, Can’t we all the more identify with the sad heart of Jeremiah for his people? Wouldn’t God still find reason to accuse us of following, what we believe to be, more successful countries, churches and families, regardless of their obedience to the teachings of Jesus Christ and the Word of God? How many of us would conclude that we are following what our parents and grandparents taught us and exampled before us? Yes, they were not perfect, but some of us can really brag about these ancestors who took the Word of God seriously and did their very best to follow in what they understood God intended for us in His Word. Perhaps start, or be encouraged in, your journey to better align your life with the Word of God, by attending a church that teaches the full Word of God. I am overjoyed that our pastor teaches verse-by-verse from the Bible, and not just basing his sermons on the unusual happenings in the world over recent days. God released the Israelites from slavery, and He led them towards a place He had prepared for them. If you have allowed Jesus to be Lord of your life, God has released you from your sin and He will lead you towards a place He has prepared for you. I pray that I will meet every reader of these devotionals in Heaven one day, because you were reminded once again to accept Jesus as Lord, then follow His teachings and His commands even while still here on earth amidst the increasing pressures of sin. Jesus loves you my friend, love Him back through your commitment and obedience to His Word.

PRAYER
The Israelites demonstrated how challenging it was to return thanks through obedience to You, even though You rescued them from a horrible situation – Egypt’s slavery. Unfortunately, this is still often the case with believers today, oh God, and it saddens us to read this account in Jeremiah, knowing full well that many of us are still following in their ungrateful and hypocritical footsteps. Please forgive us and grant us an extra dose of strength and determination to show our appreciation for salvation by honoring the One who suffered and died for our salvation. In surrendering our lives to You, we committed to turning away from the sin of this world, but too often we find that Satan has kept on our heels, and he continues to pressure us into hanging on to his ways while saying that we are Your forgiven children. Lord we are Yours and Yours alone, please help us to live like that, so that the world will overlook our weakness and know who You are and how powerful You are. AMEN!

Nuggets From God's Word

Tag: Bible