He’s Still God – Worship Him

On 2020-03-27 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Friday, 2020-03-27
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

BIBLE REFERENCE: Psalm 95:2-7
TRANSLATION: Living Bible (TLB)

BIBLE TEXT: ²Come before him with thankful hearts. Let us sing him psalms of praise. ³For the Lord is a great God, the great King of^[a] all gods. ⁴He controls the formation of the depths of the earth and the mightiest mountains; all are his. ⁵He made the sea and formed the land; they too are his. ⁶Come, kneel before the Lord our Maker, ⁷for he is our God. We are his sheep, and he is our Shepherd. Oh, that you would hear him calling you today and come to him!

OBSERVATION: Take time today to read the whole (short) chapter, Psalm 95. No, you will not find anything referenced about our current conditions, or about when things might get better. But what you will be reminded of, is that God almighty created us and everything around us. Yes, we came to this earth because of Him, and He wants us to return to Him when we leave this earth. As we meditate, let’s consider how we are doing with the time between these two events.

APPLICATION: If you stop and listen to a child, they will find every excuse why they are unwilling to obediently follow your commands at any given time. Unfortunately that follows us into adulthood and we continue to battle with obedience. Planet earth is going through some very rough times at this time, and it seems like Satan is winning, by feeding his world with nothing but bad news, impossibilities, deaths, losing battles of ill heath and the absence of cures to current dreaded diseases. Notice that our Scripture makes no reference to the diseases, the financial strain placed on families and businesses, and the finality of death that is hitting so many families. Did God mess up, or was He unawares of what might come, when He instructed David to write this Psalm? I would dare say that our God knew about the struggles of our ancestors, especially David, and in assembling a Book of Instruction for all times, He also knew what His children could expect for all time. However, the Psalmist shared with us what is important in the good times, like when the harvest is plentiful, and in the tough times, like when the hospitals are full to overrunning. My friends, let me reassure all of us today that our God never fails; He never stops loving us; He is still the One who created us and everything else around us; He still has a home prepared for us and waiting for us when we graduate from this old earth to a glorious place (heaven) around the feet of Jesus. So remind me again what on earth would distract us from praising our King of glory? Yes, we are human, and we tend to let things that affect other humans also affect us, but may I remind all God’s children, especially myself, that God has not lost control nor has He decided to revenge the world for its sin, yet. So let us therefore look to Him as our source of help, our primary encouragement and our hope for today and tomorrow. He owns it all, and He has allowed us to enjoy it all while here on earth. He may decide to call us home to glory at any moment because of a virus infection, or for any other reason He sees fit. Life is still all about Him, dear friend. Let us fix our eyes on Him. Let us worship the King of all kings, for He is Lord and worthy of our praise. Let’s not be distracted by all the commotion that surrounds us and confronts us every time we turn the television on. Let’s open the Word instead and be filled with Good News; encouraging Words, and be reminded of our God who loves us in spite of our everyday failures and weaknesses. Give God the glory my friend, and watch the stress meter become unnecessary! As the Psalmist so carefully encourages in this chapter today, let our hearts be filled with love and our lips with praise for the One who always was, always is and always will be – God!

PRAYER: Lord, we hear You calling – loud and clear. Please forgive us for being so caught up in the distractions of this world that we filter out the truth of Your Word that is always right on target, accurate, true and decisive. It provides direction for our path, and It guides us to green pastures, It restores our soul and helps us fear all evil. These are all totally opposite to what we allow into our minds every day from the news media and from friends who feel like everything is out of control. You are still the One that we need, because only You have the answers in the palm of Your hand. Please patiently guide us Lord to the path that we should always follow – the one that leads to the cross of Calvary where we might be reminded of true love, true power, true mercy, true grace and life eternal in the comfort of Your arms. Forgive us Lord for our weakness. We need You more today than yesterday, because You are the answer to all of life’s challenges and dilemmas. AMEN!

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

Learn to Hope and Anticipate God’s Goodness

On 2020-03-26 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, God's Goodness, Good, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Thursday, 2020-03-26
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

BIBLE REFERENCE: Romans 5:2-4
TRANSLATION: The Voice (Voice)

BIBLE TEXT: ²Jesus leads us into a place of radical grace where we are able to celebrate the hope of experiencing God’s glory. ³And that’s not all. We also celebrate in seasons of suffering because we know that when we suffer we develop endurance, ⁴which shapes our characters. When our characters are refined, we learn what it means to hope and anticipate God’s goodness.

OBSERVATION: It seems like we have gotten so much into ourselves that when troubles come, we quickly cry out, for we feel like the world has turned against us, or our luck has gone down the drain. However, for the child of God that depends on the Word of God for guidance through this life, we are given the answer to life’s challenges right here in this 5th chapter of Romans. At one time or the other, we all let worry and troubles pull us down, so let us spend some time in being reminded what God told us through His servant, Paul, about the neat experience of pleading with God to pour out His grace on us.

APPLICATION: There are times in our lives where we feel like there is no where else to look, but up. We feel like we have maximized everything in our collection of knowledge and effort, and we have no other tricks up our sleeve. Some will allow this to drive them nuts, feeling worthless and inadequate, while some will look to other resources for answers. Sooner or later we all reach the conclusion that the problem is greater than us, and we need help from somewhere, or someone much greater than us. Saul was a terror in his day, but God got a hold of him and used his energy and drive for His glory. After this awesome life change, including the change of his name to Paul, he faced many tests that may have caused most men to throw in the towel and run the other way. But look at the boldness of Paul in verse 2 above where he is asking God to lead him into a place where he could see His grace at work! Isn’t that quite the opposite of what we tend to ask God for? We want smooth sailing, unobstructed roads, kind employees, a generous boss, and only those who know Jesus to cross our path, don’t we? In fact, we are so persistent in asking for this, and expecting this, that we tend to become irritated with God for not answering our prayers when troubles come our way or we have a day that doesn’t go the way we feel an upright child of God deserves! So what do we learn from this? Friends, I believe that God is standing ready to answer our prayers that we ask in line with His will, and for which we are prepared to give Him glory. For example, we may be stricken with reduced eyesight, and instead of a complete healing of that, God may place us in the presence of a doctor or nurse who have been abusing or ignoring a blind relative who just stumbles over everything around their home. Your encounter with them may help show them that no matter our circumstances here on earth, we serve a God who can do all things, and that He has prepared a home for us where there will be no more sickness, dying or any other struggling. You may show them that real love looks beyond blindness, or abuse or hatred and that we could display a loving and forgiving heart to someone anyway. For our Lord went to Calvary and died on a cross for us, even while we were still sinners and despised and hated him. That same love is now available to us and can be displayed through us as His Holy Spirit dwells in and works through us, as it did in the apostle Paul. With Christ as our Lord and Savior, friends, we can stand tall in good times and in challenging times, for we know who holds our hand, and we know that whether we enjoy life here on earth, or graduate to a better life in Heaven, life is worth it all in the presence of our Lord! Do you know Him dear friend? Do you have this assurance today? Let me assure you that in the midst of the storm, Jesus is holding out His hand to you and encouraging you to ‘Come to me all those who are weak and heavy burdened’. Please read through my Footnote, and especially the Scripture available through the link ‘To Know Jesus’. Allow Jesus to impact your decision to accept Him today, won’t you?

PRAYER: Precious Lord, take my hand, lead me home. Thank You for encouraging us through Your Word, and thank Your for the miraculous change in the life of Saul/Paul. Many who will read this devotional today needs that kind of change in their lives today, for we are going through troubled waters and challenging times where there are no known fixes that mankind is aware of. Only You could change a person like Saul, and only You could touch the lives of mankind who has become so intertwined in this dark sinful world. You told us that You want us to be ready for Your return, and I pray diligently for all those in my circle of friends and family that they will not let today pass by without seeking Your face in earnest and sincerity. For those of us who have invited You into our heart already, we humbly say ‘Come Lord Jesus, Come – even today’. AMEN!

Right With God

On 2020-03-25 By Ed AlgreenIn Bible Believing, Encourage, Evangelism, Faith, Faith, Genuine Faith, RighteousnessLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Wednesday, 2020-03-25
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

Bible Reference: Romans 4:20-25
Translation: New Living Translation (NLT)

Bible Text: ²⁰Abraham never wavered in believing God’s promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God. ²¹He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever he promises. ²²And because of Abraham’s faith, God counted him as righteous. ²³And when God counted him as righteous, it wasn’t just for Abraham’s benefit. It was recorded ²⁴for our benefit, too, assuring us that God will also count us as righteous if we believe in him, the one who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. ²⁵He was handed over to die because of our sins, and he was raised to life to make us right with God.

OBSERVATION: No doubt, there are others who struggle with confidence in their faith, because God sure got my attention when I meditated on this scripture today! I believe it is evident that verse 24 simply states that we need to believe in God and His awesome, infinite power in much the same way that Abraham did. But we all know how challenging that is. When something happens that seem impossible to overcome, at least in our eyes, we go into distress mode and shut down, or we go ballistic. Let’s stop and really meditate on the love, power and grace of our awesome God. His Son put His life on the line for our righteousness. Let’s recognize that and savor the thought of such a sacrifice today.

APPLICATION: I believe that if you ask most folk on the street if they believe in God, they will say: ‘but of course – that’s the only explanation for all that we see around us’. So what is the difference between that kind of faith, and the kind referred to by Paul? This might explain – there was a gentleman who had confidence that he could easily walk a tight rope across the Niagara Falls, but one day he said that he would push a wheelbarrow across on the tight rope – with a person inside of it. There were a lot more people than normal who showed up to watch this new feat. A reporter walked around asking folk, who had seen him do similar feats in the past, if they believed the man was capable of this particular feat. Most of them reply positively, but when asked if they would volunteer to ride in the wheelbarrow, there were a lot fewer who would agree! So did they really have faith that the man could successfully accomplish his challenge? To a degree perhaps, but they weren’t willing to put their life on the line for it! We have so much in our favor to support our faith in God, for there are so many examples in the Bible on the evidence of faith and all that it produced. Read the story of Abraham and how, in spite of being a childless father, yet he became the father of many nations because of his ‘faith’. Moses stood at the edge of the Red Sea with thousands of followers behind him and when, through faith, he followed God’s instructions, he and his people saw a way paved for them where there was no other way. There are many more examples of faith in action friends. There is no need to doubt, just listen to God and ‘BELIEVE’! I believe that many of us are living an unfulfilled life without faith. Let me explain – if we are doubting in your faith in God, how could we possibly show others the true wisdom, love and faith of the God that we serve? We must be firm in our faith in order to convince others that our faith, and our God, is real. Having this kind of faith is not just happen-chance, we must draw close to God and allow Him to draw close to us. We must exhibit our faith in God and allow Him to prove Himself to us. Let’s be consistent in meditating on His Word, and speaking with Him regularly. Let’s build and maintain a relationship with God so that we may know Him and trust Him in a personal way. When witnessing to a friend, our testimony is more valuable than gold. They may doubt what we share with them from the Old Testament, but when we tell them about what God has done in our life, how could they possibly question or doubt? So let me encourage you to meditate on those times where you have seen God at work in your life, then use them as memorials that you can reflect back on any time Satan comes knocking with his evil and deceptive ways. Also use these memorials when you speak with a friend about accepting the Lord, for those are personal times you encountered with the Lord – as real as the testimonies spoken of in the Bible, they would be from a personal experience. This will strengthen your faith friend, and it will serve to strengthen the faith of your friends as you witness to them. As always, please ask God to miraculously work in and through you as you go out to be His witness.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, there is so much evidence of Your existence, and Your handiwork, and Your mighty power – yet we doubt. Please forgive us for our lack of faith. I believe that it is impossible to win others to the kingdom, if we have trouble believing, or have little faith, in the One whom we are promoting. So Father, I come before You not telling You anything that is new to You, but simply asking that You might fill me with the confidence of Your mighty power, Your awesome love and Your miraculous works. I pray that You may work on my most inner being to help me gain the faith that I need to be a better witness for You, especially to those in my circles who are dying and going to Hell because they may not have seen real evidence of a ‘real Christian’. Please help me to turn this around in my life, and as my friends meditate on this devotional today, I pray that You may invoke Your Holy Spirit to be very active in their minds so that they too may speak to You about the needs in their lives. Please bear with, and help, us to overcome the weaknesses in our lives. Give is strength to practice our faith and lean on You like never before. This is my humble and heartfelt prayer that I ask in Your precious name, Lord Jesus, AMEN!

All Have Sinned…. But Jesus!

On 2020-03-24 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Forgiven, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, Salvation, Saved, Trust, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Tuesday, 2020-03-24
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

BIBLE REFERENCE: Romans 3:20-24
TRANSLATION: Living Bible (TLB)

BIBLE TEXT: ²⁰…. No one can ever be made right in God’s sight by doing what the law commands. For the more we know of God’s laws, the clearer it becomes that we aren’t obeying them; his laws serve only to make us see that we are sinners.
^21-22But now God has shown us a different way to heaven^[f]—not by “being good enough” and trying to keep his laws, but by a new way (though not new, really, for the Scriptures told about it long ago). Now God says he will accept and acquit us—declare us “not guilty”—if we trust Jesus Christ to take away our sins. And we all can be saved in this same way, by coming to Christ, no matter who we are or what we have been like. ²³Yes, all have sinned; all fall short of God’s glorious ideal; ²⁴yet now God declares us “not guilty” of offending him if we trust in Jesus Christ, who in his kindness freely takes away our sins.

OBSERVATION: With all the rules, kids seem to look at parents as being ‘impossible’! So as kids grow into teenagers, they can’t wait to get out from their parents and live on their own! But then, as they start to drive, they find that there are rules, for the roads are policed according to the law of the land. And it seems that the law is set all around them in everything they approach. Often adults look at following God as being another set of rules and laws. Today I would like for you to meditate with me on this Scripture that details how God provided a much better alternative to the many laws that were established when the world began. Perhaps you might see some light at the end of the dark tunnel you feel stuck in.

APPLICATION: When God populated the earth there were many laws established to help keep a semblance of order and peace among the peoples of the earth. It quickly became evident that these laws were simply indicators to man whether he was doing something right, or whether he had messed up. Are laws necessary? Absolutely, because we would live in a state of chaos if laws did not exist. However, God designed us to enjoy life here on the beautiful earth that He created, but He also knew that our time here on earth would be limited. He created us to worship Him and to live at peace with our fellow beings. But I don’t believe it was ever God’s intent to create disposable humans, meaning that once they die, their bodies would return to dust as a final disposition of that person. For God created heaven as well, a home that His beloved would gather with the Father and the Son for ever and for ever. But because He created us with a free will, He wanted us to decide what our eternity would look like, without the influence or crutch of a set of laws. If we do nothing and continue to live in sin and in harmony with the world, we will spend eternity with the ruler of the world, Satan, in the pit of Hell with he and his many demons. However, in the above verses, God declares the purpose of sending His Son, Jesus. For He said that if we place our trust in Jesus, He would forgive us of our sins and declare us not guilty. In other words, we would look to be as one who has never sinned! Other Scripture refers to this as being ‘white as snow’; or forgiven. The saved child of God is referred to as ‘holy’, ‘righteous’, or a ‘saint’. Notice that there were no other filters placed on who could call on the name of the Lord – nothing to do with a particular race, color, country of origin, gender, etc, etc. If you are walking this earth, then you are eligible to call on the name of the Lord and place your faith and trust in Jesus, my Lord! Now let me quickly give you more exciting information that is extremely miraculous – God will make a brand new person out of you. For your desires will change to live as Jesus did when He was here on earth; you will desire to turn from your wicked/sinful ways and follow His commands; you will desire to be around people of God who made a decision like you did; you will learn to love your siblings – other children of your Father/God; your lifestyle will begin to look so much like God, that others will take note and want in on what you found! I hope you could tell that I am overjoyed to be a child of the King, and that there is nothing I desire more than for you to know that the invitation is open to you to know my Savior and Lord. Please read on through my Footnote and especially visit the link ‘To Know Jesus’. I would also suggest that you call on a partner to pray with you as you commit to this new life in Christ – a Bible teaching pastor near you, or myself, would be overjoyed to help you make the right decision. Call on us, won’t you?

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, I thank You for this reminder today. Based on Your Word, I am more convinced than ever that You will return soon to take Your chosen people, Your children who chose You as their King, home to be with You. I am so thankful that You prompted me to choose You as my King, my Leader, my Deliverer many years ago. Oh God, PLEASE speak firmly to the hearts of those reading this devotional who have been lax in making this important decision. Oh that they may decide today to trust in Jesus and be assured of their eternal destination in heaven with You. I would be forever grateful, blessed and thankful. AMEN!

God Will Give Us What We Deserve

On 2020-03-19 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Day of Judgment, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Thursday, 2020-03-19
WRITTEN AT: Paul B Johnson State Park, Hattiesburg, MS

BIBLE REFERENCE: Romans 2:5-8
TRANSLATION: Living Bible (TLB)

BIBLE TEXT: ⁵But no, you won’t listen; and so you are saving up terrible punishment for yourselves because of your stubbornness in refusing to turn from your sin; for there is going to come a day of wrath when God will be the just Judge of all the world. ⁶He will give each one whatever his deeds deserve. ⁷He will give eternal life to those who patiently do the will of God,^[a] seeking for the unseen glory and honor and eternal life that he offers.* ⁸But he will terribly punish those who fight against the truth of God and walk in evil ways—God’s anger will be poured out upon them.

OBSERVATION: A good worker is compensated and promoted in their job place, but for the one who cuts corners, shows no ambition, and constantly opposes every thing the boss asks of them, they may receive no extra remuneration, or be placed on probation. According to our Scripture, God will judge us in similar ways to that of our boss, but may not offer probation. Meditate with me and assess your own life. If you are honest with yourself, you will know exactly what to expect from God.

APPLICATION: As a working supervisor who used self-appraisals during my employee’s annual review process, I was intrigued to discover how employees rated themselves less than I would in almost all areas of their appraisal! I believe that their good deeds had such an impression on me, that I rated them high in recognition of those times. However, I believe that deep inside they knew that they had a lot more to offer at times, and therefore rated themselves lower. In His Word, God shares with us that He knows more than any supervisor we ever had, and whether we are a favorite or not, He will judge us based on how well we did with the gifts and blessings that He gave to us. Not sure about you, but I believe that I could beat up on myself pretty bad when I consider the times that I failed my Lord in so many areas of my life. But I believe that God, knowing our hearts, will look at our intent. For example: if we are children of the King, we will give of ourselves just as He gave; we will love others unconditionally, just as He loved even us; we will always be conscious of the things we do and the places we visit, because we know that we are children of the King who wants nothing but the best from His children so that others might be drawn to Him. I don’t believe that this is something we need to be paranoid about, because just as we walk in the footsteps of our parents and try to never let them down, so shall we do with our Lord who hung on Calvary’s cross with outstretched arms to show us how much He truly loves us. If we are followers of Christ, others will often see that, feel that, and know that they are safe in following our footsteps straight to the cross. Friends, we dodge the troopers with our fuzz-busters; we hide or disguise our cell phones when we don’t want the boss/teacher/preacher to know that we are checking on a personal email we were expecting; but notice that our Scripture didn’t say that God would have to check His ‘little black book’ where He wrote down our good and bad deeds, it said that He will judge us based on who we truly were as His ambassadors. How do you think you will do? I know that we are not perfect, friends, but because we serve One who is, then we should always seek to honor Him by following His commands and His example, so that we might be recognized as ‘His’ child and therefore increase the desire for others to know our King also. Please pray for me as I ambitiously seek to honor my Lord in all that I do or say, and I will do the same for you, Gob being our Helper and our Guide.

PRAYER: Precious Lord, I am weak but You are strong; I fail, but you have never failed, nor is it possible for You to fail. You know the hearts of my readers and myself, our desires and our weaknesses. We are incapable of living this life in the same way You did, but praise to our Almighty God, all things are possible with You. So today I pray that every reader of this devotional will stop, and seek Your holy and righteousness name as we ask You once again to be our strength and our guide through this old sinful world. Oh that we may represent You and follow Your commands, so that others may desire a relationship with You, so that one day soon when we bow at Your feet, it will be easy to commend us for being Your good and faithful servant. AMEN!

Praise God, He Doesn’t Give Up on Us!

On 2020-03-172020-03-18 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Forgiven, Forgiveness, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Tuesday, 2020-03-17
WRITTEN AT: Paul B Johnson State Park, Hattiesburg, MS

BIBLE REFERENCE: 2 Chronicles 33:12-13
TRANSLATION: The Voice (VOICE)

BIBLE TEXT: ¹²From this position of complete powerlessness, Manasseh finally humbled himself and begged the forgiveness of the Eternal God of his fathers. ¹³He heard Manasseh’s prayer and found it sincere; He returned Manasseh to the throne in Jerusalem. From that day forward, Manasseh never doubted that the Eternal was the True God.

OBSERVATION: Often we will try everything possible, and everything in our power to try and correct a situation over which we are losing control, or have lost control. Manasseh, a new young king, had a plan for how he would run his nation – until he got captured and lost all control, THEN he thought to call on ‘GOD’, the One who was so good to His dad and forefather (David). I encourage you to read the preceding verses as you meditate with me on these thoughts today. Like me, I believe that your eyes may be opened to think about the many things that we try first, before taking our failures to God for resolution.

APPLICATION: In our limited eyesight, and in our great big minds, we seem to always have a plan for how we would do things, if we were in control. It is extremely challenging for us to accept the status quo and just follow the successful paths of our predecessors, or what God directs us to in His Word. Manasseh came to power at age 12, so wouldn’t he know everything that his dad never figured out during his reign? Was he expected to feel important in being able to change things that his dad had put in place? Was there anyone quite as important, knowledgeable or powerful as he? Perhaps giving those who look up to you a chance to appreciate all that you are returning to ‘normal’ may help you feel wanted, respected and needed. But it is obvious that Manasseh neglected to see that there was one greater than himself. Perhaps he thought that he had no one to answer to when he placed his handmade idol in the temple of God, so that his people had something related to him (Manasseh) to worship – something that was tangible. Friends, you will find in our Scripture that God will only take so much, and no more. Manasseh soon found out that the God in whom his father trusted in, and depended on for his success, is the God who is in control of everything alive on this earth. He’s the one who sets the stage for who will reign our nations and what they will be allowed to do, or not do. Manasseh soon found out that he was wrong, and that he had crossed over the line of respecting the Creator of this world and its inhabitants; the Author of everything that will happen today and tomorrow; the Healer of all diseases; the Restorer of sight and all other senses that have been dulled by sin or harmed by mankind, plus, He is the only One who could restore our soul from our life of sin into the life of one following their Savior and Lord. Friends, there is no one else to turn to, only Jesus. Manasseh saw this, for during his time in captivity there was no one to rescue him. He was in a ‘pickle’ – much like we are today with diseases for which mankind has found no cure. It served no purpose for Manasseh to call on another king to save him, for he realized that only THE KING could save him. That’s precisely our position today dear ones. Only Jesus can save us. Because He is in charge, He may choose to save us from our worldly problems and leave us here to minister in His name, much like Manasseh did. However, He may also choose to use our circumstances to call us home to Himself where we will be free from the struggles of this world, where we could be in complete harmony with each other, and at peace at the feet of Jesus worshiping He and the Father for all eternity. However, should the latter be the case, He has forewarned us in His Word that only those who have been obedient to His Word and accepted Him as Lord and Savior, will be allowed in heaven. We have a very loving and powerful Savior, friends, but He is a just God and will do as He said He would. Have you taken Him at His word? Do you believe? Have you said ‘Yes Lord’ to His invitation to accept Him? If not, death will have a much different ending for you. Please read my Footnote and be sure to click on the link ‘To Know Jesus’, so you could be reminded of what He said, what He promised and what He will do for those who know Him. Remember, God created you, He proved His love for you on Calvary, and He is waiting with opened arms to accept you, should you choose to accept Him. He accepted Manasseh’s call for help to save him. Won’t you also do this today friend, I implore you!

PRAYER: Lord God, You showed Manasseh that You alone have the power to do all things, including the grace and power to forgive those who have tried to do life their own way and under their own rule. Lord, we acknowledge You as Lord over everything there is, especially over us – Your humble servants. We acknowledge You as King, for You are King of all kings and Lord of all Lords. You have set the example for forgiveness, so we ask You to fill us with that kind of love, humility and boldness so that we might forgive others. Thank You for never giving up on us Lord, for we need You every hour of every day. It is only You that we depend on and ask for Your continued strength, guidance and healing of all our diseases. Forgive us Lord where we fail to honor You and recognize Your power, and we humbly ask that You resume first place in every aspect of our lives, so that You may be glorified and lifted up through all that we do and in all that we are. AMEN!

So That I Could Heal You, Says The Lord

On 2020-03-16 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Healing, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, Worship1 Comment

DATE WRITTEN: Monday, 2020-03-16
WRITTEN AT: Paul B Johnson State Park, Hattiesburg, MS

BIBLE REFERENCE: Acts 28:25-27
TRANSLATION: The Passion Translation (TPT)

BIBLE TEXT: ²⁵…. “The Holy Spirit stated it well when he spoke to your ancestors through the prophet Isaiah:^[l],^[m]
²⁶‘I send you to this people to say to them, “You will keep learning,^[n] but not understanding. You will keep staring at truth but not perceiving it. ²⁷For your hearts are hard and insensitive to me—you must be hard of hearing! For you’ve closed your eyes so that you won’t be troubled by the truth, and you’ve covered your ears so that you won’t have to listen and be pierced by what I say. For then you would have to respond and repent, so that I could heal your hearts.”’

OBSERVATION: I believe it is interesting how we have been blessed to see, yet if asked what we observed, we cannot state anything of significance that we saw. We may have also been blessed with the ability to hear well, yet if asked to repeat something that was said, one might swear that we were never present under the sound of a particular speech. Although we will observe that Paul had to rehearse with his crowd, the same thing that the Holy Spirit prompted Isaiah to share with his crowd. Yet after years and years of preaching, teaching and sharing the Word of God, one might observe that still today we display the same challenges. Why is that? In the last words of our Scripture verses God said that He wished this was not the case, because He would like to heal our hearts. Would we not be quite different in our ways and successful in our methods,if God was able to get through to us?

APPLICATION: Isaiah was a prophet sent and directed by God. When he prophesied under the inspiration of God, the people listened. However there came a time when God recognized that some of the folk were just not listening. Paul came across this same phenomenon in his days of ministry, so he shared this with his Jewish listeners who were challenged to believe the Word of God. I found this extremely revealing, because still today our pastors can preach the same sermon in our churches, as it is quite apparent that we’re present in the service, but from the blank stares and lack of participation, it is obvious that we are miles away. Think about it: we have folk that attend church who hear the Word of God, but they are convinced that it is for the person behind them. Their ears are shut to the application of the Word to their personal lives. However the most hurtful thing to me, are the ones that just refuse to listen and believe. It saddens me deeply how God has to send a disaster to awaken the hardened hearts of some people. Our churches were filled for a few Sunday’s after 9-11 and after our major hurricanes in Florida, as folk found the need for God to protect them and help them through their personal problems. Then, as soon as they felt they had regained control, life went back to ‘normal’ for them. God is not trying to impose Himself on anyone, He just wants to heal us and give us the very best He has in store for us – His children. Isn’t that a good thing that we should always desire? Friends, God has blessed us with so much, yet we use these gifts to oppose the very One who has blessed us. We have great knowledge, yet we reason away on why we are blessed, or not blessed, instead of giving all praise to God. We have great eyesight, yet like the prophet Isaiah said, we screw our eyes shut to the things of God and therefore preclude His healing and amazing blessings on us. Our hearing is perfect, yet we allow Satan to interfere and tell us that the Word of God is intended for that neighbor of ours who is much worse than us. The very last phrase of the quote from Isaiah really touched me: we have shut out everything about God because we don’t want to deal with our Maker, yet if only we would change this, He would heal us! I believe this healing is one of not just our physical sickness, but also our disappointments, our brokenness, our loneliness, our defeats and ultimately, our sin. Friend, I serve a God just as I have described, and I would love to introduce you to Him. He will make your day brighter and so much more meaningful and purposeful. Please contact me if I can pray with you or help you in any way with this important decision. This could be the first of many days of joy in the security of my Lord! For those of you that know Him, please act like you do. Sing that song ‘Just a closer walk with thee’, then open the precious Word of God that He left just for us, and see what it is that He is ordering you to change or correct in your walk with Him. Open your eyes to the hurts and needs of those around you, and pray, pray, pray that God will intervene and heal His people today. They have tried the world and all it has to offer, but they are still lacking in so many ways. They need Jesus, my friend. I believe that one of His servants can help them redirect their lives today. Let it be you, dear follower of Christ!

PRAYER: Dear Lord, in spite of Your gracious hand upon Your people, and Your outstanding blessings poured out on us, yet You must be saddened by seeing us exclude You from our decision making, exclude Your active role in our lives when praise is directed towards us, and especially ignore You when You speak to us about the lost condition of our lives. I clearly got the picture in this scripture today, You want to heal us, yet we say ‘No thank You’. Father I thank You for softening my heart and giving me the boldness to accept You as my Lord and Savior back in 1976. I have many family and friends who are still hardened and refuse to make the necessary commitment to accept You as their Lord. Please humble them and soften their hardened hearts again today so that they may commit the rest of their lives to You and allow You full control, and ultimate healing of their sin problem. Dear God, there are important decisions we make every day, but none as important as the one that decides our eternal fate. May this become very evident to my lost relatives today is my sincere prayer, that I ask in the name of Your only Son, Jesus the Christ, AMEN!

This is Why

On 2020-03-12 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Thursday, 2020-03-12
WRITTEN AT: Paul B Johnson State Park, Hattiesburg, MS

BIBLE REFERENCE: 2 Chronicles 29:4-9
TRANSLATION: The Message (MSG)

BIBLE TEXT: “Levites, listen! Consecrate yourselves and consecrate The Temple of God—give this much-defiled place a good housecleaning. Our ancestors went wrong and lived badly before God—they discarded him, turned away from this house where we meet with God, and walked off. They boarded up the doors, turned out the lights, and canceled all the acts of worship of the God of Israel in the holy Temple. And because of that, God’s anger flared up and he turned those people into a public exhibit of disaster, a moral history lesson—look and read! This is why our ancestors were killed, and this is why our wives and sons and daughters were taken prisoner and made slaves.

OBSERVATION: I believe that many of our churches would hire a ‘king Hezekiah’ to come and analyze why…… Just as king Hezekiah was bold enough to see what was wrong in his day, if we are honest with ourselves we should be able to analyze our challenges today, but it takes ‘guts’ and it takes a heart closely in tuned with God, and bold enough to speak up and make changes based on what God says to us. Is that your church and your church leaders? If you are part of your church leadership team, think about whether this describes you. All of us are impacted, just as the Israelites were, in our Scripture today.

APPLICATION: We ask a lot of questions today about why such evil things are happening to us and our children, but I hope that by the time you have read today’s Scripture and grasped the challenge that Hezekiah faced at 25 years of age, your minds may have been opened to the things we have accepted, and the challenges for which we can’t seem to find answers. Unfortunately, unless we are very honest with ourselves, this Scripture may have little impact on us individually, because we have accepted things as they are. But let us stop for a moment and think about similar things in our society, that may also get Hezekiah totally upset, should we hire him today: (1) We may hire him to help us evaluate why our schools are plagued with shootings; why students disrespect their teachers and each other; why so many fail to graduate, etc, etc. But don’t you know that Hezekiah will quickly find out that we stopped public prayer in our schools, and that we promote the idea of students having their own rights in so many areas that often prevent teachers from disciplining the children? (2) We may hire Hezekiah to evaluate why church attendance has fallen, and why there is such a lack of commitment by members or attendees. But don’t you know that Hezekiah will quickly determine that many of these current members were dropped off to church by their parents, and that they also struggle with commitment in their homes and in their jobs? He might also find that many of these members have programmed church attendance into their calendars for one hour per week, and asking them to attend additional meetings often constitutes a hardship on them, or at least in the mind. Friends, I’m sure that you could think of many other things that we easily recognize as roadblocks in our society and in our churches. Hezekiah was willing to face the challenges and to do something to correct the problems. What’s your role in making a better way to reach the lost, discipline the saved and minister to the hearts of those who limit the blessings of God? Hezekiah was willing to take on the challenges that his ancestors created and the stumbling blocks they placed in the path of God’s work. We have churches today that are closing their doors, and many that are barely surviving because they need folk like you and I to be more committed to God’s commands. It’s not the other guy’s fault, but it’s you standing in the need of prayer, it’s me in need of a closer walk with Christ. Be willing to say like Paul did: ‘follow me as I follow Christ’. The world needs more men and women willing to take that challenge. God sent His Son so that we might be saved, and I know that He would be overjoyed to see His children (you and I) commit to giving our all in order to promote His mission in our local communities and churches also.

PRAYER: You created us in Your image dear God, yet so often we find ourselves shrugging our responsibilities and allowing Your mission to falter here on earth. Lord, we see things deteriorating at church, in our schools, in our workplaces, our families and our communities, while we sit around and wait for the next guy, or gal, to do something. Please forgive us, and guide us into Your path so that Your work might be accomplished among us. Please give us a heart like Your servant Hezekiah so that we do our part in the awesome work that often goes undone here on earth. Help us to place ourselves in a position of faith, trust and diligence in Your work so that Your kingdom work might be accomplished in our little circle of the world. May this be the heart-cry of each child reading this devotional today. AMEN!

Keep Looking Up!

On 2020-03-11 By Ed AlgreenIn Listen, Listen to the Word of God, Warning, Warning SignsLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Wednesday, 2020-03-11
WRITTEN AT: Paul B Johnson State Park, Hattiesburg, MS

Bible Reference: Acts 27:21-22
Translation: The Message (MSG)

Bible Text: With our appetite for both food and life long gone, Paul took his place in our midst and said, “Friends, you really should have listened to me back in Crete. We could have avoided all this trouble and trial. But there’s no need to dwell on that now. From now on, things are looking up! I can assure you that there’ll not be a single drowning among us, although I can’t say as much for the ship—the ship itself is doomed.

OBSERVATION: Many of us face challenges in this life, either personally or through the lives of family and/or friends very near and dear to us. We sometimes worry about whether there is any hope or good expectation that might come out of the situations that concern us. Until we open the Word of God and are suddenly reminded that things are looking up for the child of God who places his/her faith in the Creator of this universe. He’s still in charge and because He owns it all, He knows exactly what will occur next. That’s our God!

APPLICATION: Paul and his friends faced a very serious scenario out on the ship on which they were traveling. Their ship had traveled that course many times in the past, but they never faced the challenges like they faced on that fateful night detailed in our Scripture. However, one other thing was different also, they had a passenger who knew the Master of the sea and of the wind and the waves. In fact, he stepped forward to encourage the sailors with a word that he received from an angel during the night. Now I want you to stop and compare this story with the challenges that you face. You too will also face challenges that are unheard of, and you also receive warnings, that also compare to those that Paul offered the boat captain before they set sail. Think about it, we are challenged by our pastor, Sunday School teacher, Christian friends, and even family members, to set aside our life of sin and surrender to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, the only One who could rescue us from the trenches of everyday sin, and keep us safe through the toils of life and the temptations of this world. But what do we do with these challenges? Way too often we continue our independence, our selfish and often obnoxious attitudes, and we snarl at anything shared with us to the contrary. This is precisely what the ship’s crew did, they had no desire to change their plans because of one man’s warnings. Unfortunately, we often face obstacles along the way, much like Paul’s hardened audience faced, and unfortunately these obstacles can sometimes be catastrophic. Sometime we may survive the catastrophes and are able to hear the warnings once again, as we are given a second chance. Notice how Paul finally got the attention of the boat crew after they had tried everything they knew to do? It is so unfortunate that some folk are only open to God after they have tried everything else. Too often our idea of having time to try ‘one more thing’ has very little surety, just as the ship could have easily been destroyed prior to Paul having another opportunity to speak with the sailors. Our take away on this story is that we should never delay responding to God. I have had young friends who have been called from this life very unexpectedly – in the prime of their lives, where it was really important for them to properly raise their young families. I’m sure they never dreamed that they would not have time for one more prayer before their lives were taken. Not all of us can count on the second chance that these sailors were blessed with. Are you ready to meet Your Maker? How will you answer the question “Why should you be accepted into God’s heaven”? Because you are reading this devotional, it means that you have been given another opportunity to surrender your life to Jesus and give Him control of your life. But friend, the warning is clear throughout God’s Word that you have no assurance of your next minute or hour. Therefore, I am very motivated to encourage you into making a decision to invite Jesus into your life, right now. Today is the day of salvation, friend. The sailors paid no attention to Paul’s warnings and almost lost their lives without Christ. Please learn a lesson from this story and delay your decision no longer.

PRAYER: Dear God, I am so thankful that You send messengers into our lives, like You did with Paul to those sailors. This story is a warning to those of us who read it, that we must listen and obey the warnings You send our way. Please help us to see the need to open our hearts and allow You to govern our lives, our desires, our wants and our future. You loved us enough to sacrifice Your very own Son so that we might enjoy eternal life with You. Lord, may we love You enough to live our lives in obedience to Your commands. I pray that my unsaved/uncommitted friends that may meditate on this devotional, may catch a glimpse of Your love and subsequently make a decision to invite You as Lord and Savior of their lives this very day. Jesus, this is an awesome task that can only be accomplished by You, so I ask this in Your most worthy, and all powerful name, AMEN!

Our Relationship With God Leads To Our Success/Impact

On 2020-03-10 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Honest Relationship, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, Relationships, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Tuesday, 2020-03-10
WRITTEN AT: Paul B Johnson State Park, Hattiesburg, MS

BIBLE REFERENCE: 2 Chronicles 26:5
TRANSLATION: Easy-to-Read Version (ERV)

BIBLE TEXT: ⁵Uzziah followed God in the time of Zechariah’s life. Zechariah taught Uzziah how to respect and obey God. When Uzziah was obeying the Lord, God gave him success.

OBSERVATION: In Exodus 17 Joshua saw success for the Israelites in battle as long as Moses’ arms were raised in prayer to the Almighty. A great British pastor saw souls saved when his prayer warriors prayed in the church basement during his sermons. Uzziah was given success as a young King, as long as he submitted his life to the authority of the Almighty. We know that God will bring enormous results when He’s allowed to have His way, but do we submit to His will and His way? Think about this as we submit to the Word of God today, will you?

APPLICATION: No sooner do we walk out of church, when we hear the whining and complaining about the singing/music; or the preaching or the temperature in the church building. But to these very precious souls, I wonder how many of them prayed for the service prior to arriving at church, or even during the service. If God still works like He did with king Uzziah, and I have every reason to believe He does, then wouldn’t we see things move along perfectly and for His glory, in response to our prayers? Can city government, or state officials, or congress, or our president ever do anything right? Isn’t that what we often complain about? But what about a 16-year old king, how did he manage to do anything right? Our Scripture verse above is clear in saying that the success of this king was proportionate to his relationship with God Almighty! So I want us to look at a few things that I believe God led me to share with you today: (1) Choose you this day whom you will serve. That’s a quote from Joshua 24, but still very applicable to us today. For if we choose to serve God – truly serve Him, trust in Him and allow Him to have His way in our life, then we will be serious about Him not only guiding us, but also guiding those who impact us – such as those mentioned above that serve us, lead us and/or impact us; (2) Aim at being a ‘Zechariah’. We could just trust the man called by God to lead our church, but we know full well that he must be very dependent on God for our church to be blessed and used of God. So pray for your pastor at home, or whenever you pray, but also pull him aside and ask God’s blessing over him before he stands before your congregation to allow God to speak through him. We vote for the smartest of people to lead our local and national government, but do they know everything about all things? Of course not, so let’s be constant in lifting them up before the King who is over them, the King of all kings, and ask God to direct them. This is nothing to do with politics friends, for in John 13, Jesus tells us that our leaders are ordained by Him for such a time as this, and we should therefore pray for His leaders. So let’s learn to obey the Word and put personal feelings aside; and (3) Let us learn to be more like Zechariah in pulling up alongside our leaders and helping them stay accountable to God. I’m sure that God can work today just as He did with Uzziah – He will bring success as long as our leaders keep trusting in Him. I believe that often they need our help to hold their arms up during the daily battles they face with our churches, and in our governments.

PRAYER: Thank You Lord for drawing my attention to areas of my life where I need to be bold in helping others – like my pastor; my church leaders; my city, state and national leaders; and my president. Way too often my friends and I feel like we have hired the best people for the job and we leave them to do the job. But just like Your servant Zechariah was persistent in helping his king, I pray that we might become faithful servants of our King and be a godly influence to our leaders as well. I believe that still today You will bring success to our leaders who place their faith and trust in You, just like You did with young Uzziah, thanks to your servant Zechariah. Lord, please remind us often that we are here for much more than our own selfish needs. Keep us close to You so that You may use us for Your glory. AMEN!

Nuggets From God's Word

Tag: Bible Fellowship Church