Tag: Bible

The Heart In Which To Perform Your Job

On By Ed AlgreenIn Christian love, Clean Heart, Know God's Heart, Love of God, Love others, The Father's Love, The love of God, Things God loves, Unconditional loveLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Wednesday, 2020-03-04
WRITTEN AT: Paul B Johnson State Park, Hattiesburg, MS

Bible Reference: 2 Chronicles 19:9
Translation: New Living Translation (NLT)

Bible Text: 9 These were his instructions to them: “You must always act in the fear of the Lord, with faithfulness and an undivided heart.

OBSERVATION: In our Scripture today we read, with keen interest, the instructions that King Jehoshaphat gave to the judges that he appointed. I wonder if similar words are found in today’s induction ceremonies of our judges? But more than this, my heart was touched to think about those who serve in places of leadership in our churches. What about you fellow believer and leader in your own church, do you, or would you take an oath to serve under similar instruction to that offered by King Jehoshaphat? Take time to meditate on this today dear friends.

APPLICATION: I often print out the content of verses where God speaks to my soul, and I would pin those verses at places where I’m bound to look on them several times a day. This is one of those verses that would be an ideal to have stuck to your home PC monitor and/or at work, as a constant reminder from God about how to best complete your job, while honoring Him in the process. Friends, with God directing us and leading the way for us, how can we go wrong? How can we not be in His perfect will? Will this always be easy? No, but in verse 11 the king instructed the Levites to ‘Take courage as you fulfill your duties, and may the Lord be with those who do what is right.’ I am convinced that when we do right and always seek God’s direction for our decisions, we can know that God is by our side, giving us full support, encouragement and ultimate confidence. My greatest desire is to see our church leaders always look to God, and seek His heart for the ministry to which He has called them. I believe that when church leaders make their decisions and perform their responsibilities, they will have a greater desire to do God’s work without hesitation, knowing that they are pleasing Him, and that they are in the center of His perfect will for His church. When we do that, I believe that individually we will be blessed beyond comprehension or anything we could imagine. Let’s always remember, it’s God’s work; it’s His kingdom that we aim to attain; and it’s His blessings that we desire more than anything else. So let us learn to seek Him, obey Him and always praise Him for His love and His perfect will for our lives and the life of His church. God being my helper, I will always do the best job that I can do in everything assigned or attempted, for His ultimate glory, honor and praise! Consider joining me in this vow, so the world can see what its like to have ‘real’ Christian leaders in authority over them, and consequently find every reason to praise God for it!

PRAYER: Lord, thank You for Your precious Word. Our world is so filled with hatred, greed and selfishness, that I believe Your followers want to see in their church leaders, those who are chosen by You, ordained by You and blessed by You to fulfill the honest work of Your kingdom, in the fear of the Lord. Oh that Your church might become the place where troubled souls run to for refuge, and where leaders are wholeheartedly seeking and following Your will. Please protect Your church from the harm of being a stumbling block to those feeling led to be Your follower. May it always be obvious that Your house is a place of prayer, a place of worship, and a place where love abounds. May this encourage attendees to want this type of characteristic in their own homes and families. AMEN!

Where Wisdom Comes From

On By Ed AlgreenIn Let go and let God, Listen, Listen to the Word of God, WisdomLeave a comment

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

Bible Reference: 2 Chronicles 18:12–13
Translation: Good News Translation (GNT)

Bible Text: Meanwhile, the official who had gone to fetch Micaiah said to him, “All the other prophets have prophesied success for the king, and you had better do the same.” But Micaiah answered, “By the living LORD, I will say what my God tells me to!”

OBSERVATION: As we meditate on this Scripture today, let me encourage you to click on the Scripture reference above and read the whole chapter, for you will not only see where Micaiah listened intently to God for his direction, but also we see the same with king Jehoshaphat. The facing challenge for us today is to determine if we are a ‘crowd pleaser’, or a true servant of God seeking to obey Him in every way that He ordains. I believe that way too often we tend to be the former, instead of the latter. Is that pleasing to God?

APPLICATION: Hopefully we will see from our Scripture today that King Ahab had a lot to learn from God’s servants, and I hope that we too will take serious note of these men of integrity. Way too often we respond to people the way that we feel they want to hear, not the way that we feel prompted of God to speak. Notice in verse 6 that King Jehoshaphat did not give the automatic response that King Ahab expected of his friend. Notice in verses 12-13 that Micaiah was known for being the type person who would be obedient to God in spite of what the king or anyone else wanted to hear. This was so common for Micaiah that in vs 7 the king shared that he would just as soon not even have Micaiah come to prophesy for him, because he was known to say unexpected things. Often this strong minded, honest, dedicated type individual would meet with opposition from his peers, as seen in vs 12. But imagine the peace that Micaiah must have felt when he laid his head down at night, knowing that he laid truth on the line and allowed the chips to fall where they may. Imagine the alternative and how ineffective the prophet would have been if he merely spoke the popular word and then saw disaster follow. He could have gone into depression knowing that his faithfulness could have prevented a disaster. Friend, it is way more important to seek God’s face, listen to His voice and obey Him, in spite of possible breaks in friendships, popularity or even lack of promotion. We should strive to be popular in God’s sight, regardless of man’s opinion or desire. Our obedience to God supersedes everything else. So teachers, teach what the Word says, in spite of what might be going on in the lives of your class members. Pastors/Evangelists – preach what God lays on your heart, and especially what the Word declares. Let God speak to His people. He really don’t need you to sugar-coat things for Him. Sometimes saying it the way that it is written is far more effective, and will have more of an impact, than anything we can add to it. Let God be God and speak to, and through us as He speaks from a loving heart to His people!

PRAYER: Precious Lord, thank You for speaking so boldly to our hearts today through this Scripture and through the actions of King Jehoshaphat and through your servant, Micaiah. Ashamedly, I must acknowledge that I am often swayed by popular vote rather than always begging Your wisdom and Your direction. Please forgive me, and if there are others who read this devotional and acknowledge a similar trend in their life, please also speak to their heart about this matter today. You are Master over everything here on earth, and only You are wise enough to know what tomorrow brings. So as Your servants, please instill a sense of obedience and dependence on You, so that our decisions will make a difference for You, and remain in line with Your will. From a ‘self’ perspective, we tend to think way too much of self and our own gain. What this world needs now, is more of You and to be led in Your way through every decision and in every walk of life. Oh that Your servants may be the catalyst of seeing Your will revealed in every aspect of life in which we are involved. All for Your honor and Your glory, oh Lord. 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!

There’s Always A Cost For Delays

On By Ed AlgreenIn Know Jesus, Knowing Christ, SalvationLeave a comment

Monday, 2020-03-02
Written at: Paul B Johnson State Park, Hattiesburg, MS

Bible Reference: Acts 24:24-25
Translation: Good News Translation (GNT)

Bible Text: 24 After some days Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish. He sent for Paul and listened to him as he talked about faith in Christ Jesus. 25 But as Paul went on discussing about goodness, self-control, and the coming Day of Judgment, Felix was afraid and said, “You may leave now. I will call you again when I get the chance.”

OBSERVATION: Delays are often very frustrating, and often cause us to lose our patience! However, yesterday there were thousands of self induced delays that members of our churches made, when presented with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Meditate with me on what happened in your respective church services over the weekend. Most attendees heard the Word of God, but they delayed their decision to act on the invitation given at the time. The big question is, what might this delay have cost them? Perhaps they said like Felix did, “I will deal with this another time”. Will there be ‘another time’ for them?

APPLICATION: When travelling to another state or country by plane or train, there is often the chance of delays, for one reason or another. If the fault is attributed to the airline, then they will often provide vouchers to the stranded passengers for food, and sometimes even for hotel, if the delay will prevent travelling the same day. Can you begin to imagine the costs paid by carriers for these delays? Yesterday the message of the Gospel was presented, and thousands of attendees at thousands of churches were given the opportunity to surrender their lives to Jesus as their Lord and Savior. No doubt your church, like mine, saw folk leave without accepting the invitation of the pastor, and the Holy Spirit that tugged on their hearts. I’m sure that there were many excuses for the decisions to delay following Christ. Why some left during the singing of the last hymn, because it was more important to be the first out of the busy church parking lot, or to be the first at the popular restaurants. Priorities of the individuals! But we are reminded through God’s Word, that He is in full control of their time here on earth. Will they have another opportunity quite like they had yesterday? Thankfully, I made it all the way home safely yesterday. Did everyone else from our church services have that same good fortune? Perhaps they did, or perhaps they didn’t. God’s Word has very clear advice for us when it tells us that “now is the accepted time”, the only moment promised to us. Think about this friends: at our borders all those arriving with proper authentication (passports and appropriate visas) are allowed in, while others are rejected and expatriated back to their home country. This will be no different at the entrance to Heaven’s portals, because the rules are similar to those followed by our immigration officers. For entrance into heaven, only those who have personally accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior (that’s their passport and visa) will be accepted into God’s eternal home, others will be returned to their home of choice with Satan and his band of demons. Friends, please don’t delay, it could cost you eternal life with the God of this universe. The creator, Savior and King, who loved you enough to die on a cruel cross, so that you might receive forgiveness of your sin, when you invite Him in. Your delay could cost you big time. Please let me encourage you to not even wait for the next service time, contact a pastor or Christian leader of a local church, or contact me so that I may help you, but PLEASE, don’t delay, make a decision today.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, many of us just attended church yesterday and here you are beating up on us again today through this illustration with Felix delaying his decision to hear more from Paul. The delays brought on by Felix cost him. I pray that my readers, and all those that we love and pray for, will accept You at Your Word, while there is time to do so. Thank You for loving us enough to have given us multiple opportunities do this. And while we have no control over whether there will be another opportunity, I pray that many will STOP and cry out to You even now. I praise You for not giving up on me. Today I humbly plead with You to melt the hearts of those that meditated on this devotional with me today, as they were given another opportunity to call on You for salvation. Please bring them to their senses and embolden them to make this vital decision. Without further delays, may today be the day of salvation for all who might meditate on this devotional with me. For this is my humble and earnest prayer, in the name of Jesus alone, and for His glory alone. AMEN!

Obedience – Even In Light Of Opposition

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

Saturday, 2020-02-29
Written while at: Paul B Johnson State Park, Hattiesburg, MS, USA

Bible Reference: 2 Chronicles 14:2-6
Translation: The Message (MSG)

Bible Text: 2-6 Asa was a good king. He did things right in God’s eyes. He cleaned house: got rid of the pagan altars and shrines, smashed the sacred stone pillars, and chopped down the sex-and-religion groves (Asherim). He told Judah to center their lives in God, the God of their fathers, to do what the law said, and to follow the commandments. Because he got rid of all the pagan shrines and altars in the cities of Judah, his kingdom was at peace. Because the land was quiet and there was no war, he was able to build up a good defense system in Judah. God kept the peace.

OBSERVATION: I often wonder when we are so determined to please everyone around us, whether we are really capable of standing firm in our commitment to serve God alone. Asa showed us in today’s Scripture that one could serve God, whether no one else around you did. How do you do under pressure? Are you strong enough to hold strong to your own belief system, even when among strong opposition? Let’s see how Asa made out with this, and how we might apply this to our own lives.

APPLICATION: In the words of a former boss: it would have been ‘easy-peasy’ for Asa to come into his position as king, and do the same ole, same ole. It would have been smoother for him to do what the people were doing and just continue to worship the same old idols. But we could see from our Scripture today that Asa had a relationship with the Creator of this world, and he chose to worship and obey only God. He wasn’t about to have a meltdown and soften his stance, for He knew in whom He believed, and that He would keep him secure right to the very end. Furthermore looking at Asa’s story many years after the fact, we could see that because Asa obeyed what God led him to do, he was actually preparing himself for a day when God would actually save he and his people from total destruction. I believe that Asa decided in his heart that he would serve God, and God alone, and that he would not only listen to God from a personal perspective, but that He would depend solely on God for the decisions involving the country he was assigned to lead. Friends, I don’t know about you, but when we are hired on by a company to lead a team of workers, the challenge is not merely to understand the work, although that is very important, but more so, there is an enormous task to lead the team in working together to produce the best results for the employer. This is a much deeper challenge, for there will be staff who are like you, and wanting to do the best job possible, while working harmoniously together with other team members. However, there are some who are out for selfish gain and out to tear others down so they could get ahead. Throughout your day, you have absolutely no idea what will transpire between those team members, nor how your day may be totally disrupted by the personal issues impacting your team. If you knew what to expect, then you could pray especially for those individuals and their challenges, but more often than not, you have no idea. Over my 47 years in the workforce, I found that there was One who knew all about the things that I thought was impossible. So with my hand in the hand of the Master, I asked God to help me through each day and to give me direction, strength and wisdom to handle every circumstance in a way pleasing to Him. I remember days when I would simply sit back and say silently to God, ‘OK, what’s next God, because I have no idea where to go from here!’. I remember many days when I would reflect back on my day and simply give God praise for His handiwork, because it was evident that He gave me the words to respond in the activities of that day, and He gave me the peace to know that every little thing would be OK. You see, in our story today we could see that Asa was strengthened to do the things that he knew needed to be done. Later in this same chapter, Asa found out that the same God that helped him through the decisions included in today’s verses, He was the same God that Asa would call on when his limited sized army was challenged with the approaching army of over one million soldiers. I hope that we might be reminded today that our God is not just able to handle the smaller things that tend to get in our way, or may cause us to stumble, but He is also the God who could move mountains, raise the dead from the grave, heal the sick and cause the blind to see. There is absolutely no other, like our God my dear friend. Seeing your way through circumstances that appear impossible to you, is but a very simple resolution for our Creator! Have you placed your faith and trust in Him yet? May I please encourage you to read my Footnote and the pages that are linked in that Footnote, so that God may show you, through His Word, that He not only created you, and not only prepared a place for you after life on this old sinful earth, but He is also able, willing and ready to help you through every circumstance of life while here on earth, if you accept Him as Lord and Savior. Do this today dear friend. Jesus is waiting for your call on Him today!

PRAYER: Dear Lord, although I can thank You for life itself, there are so many times here on earth that my readers and I are so overwhelmed that we have no idea where we will turn next. Thank You for using this story of Asa to show us that the same God who defended Asa and his country from the onslaught of a huge army, is also the same God that we can place our faith and trust in for our everyday concerns. Often our concerns may seem just as large as the overwhelming army that was approaching Judah, but praise be to the One true God, we have every confidence that You can win our battles also. Please help us to stand firm in our beliefs, and to act like children of the King in every circumstance of life. May Your name be honored, lifted up and praised today by Your people, in whom You have already done an awesome work, so that we may stand in awe of the One in whom we have believed. 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!

The Importance of ‘Seeking’ God

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Listen to the Word of God, Needs, Obedient, Praise, Recognize God, Worship1 Comment

Friday, 2020-02-28

Bible Reference: 2 Chronicles 12:13-14
Translation: The Message (MSG)

Bible Text: 13-14 King Rehoboam regrouped and reestablished his rule in Jerusalem. He was forty-one years old when he became king and continued as king for seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city God chose out of all the tribes of Israel as the special presence of his Name. His mother was Naamah from Ammon. But the final verdict on Rehoboam was that he was a bad king—God was not important to him; his heart neither cared for nor sought after God.

OBSERVATION: In our 2 verses today we could see a recap of the reign of king Rehoboam. It seems like a sad, almost failed attempt at ruling a nation, because he tried to do it on his own terms and couldn’t really see a need for God. It’s really sad, because thousands of citizens probably lost their lives because of his stubbornness and disregard for the God of all nations. As we meditate on this, I believe we are bound to see a lot of similarities in our rulers today, and I believe you will see where they might be almost as bad in our stubbornness.

APPLICATION: I am reminded that our God created all things, and He knows all things – even before we have the slightest inkling that something could, or will occur. I am also reminded how silly it is of us not to seek God and to understand His ways and His message to us, so that we might do it right the first time, with His help and direction. Based on the Word of God, I believe that God is looking at us with outstretched hands waiting for us to surrender to self and seek His perfect will for our lives. Being a father to a young adult, I could appreciate how it must feel for God to look at us and see some of the decisions that we make, and the stupid actions that often follow, because it is easy for me to feel the same frustration when my years of experience here on earth has helped me gain insight into the decisions that my daughter might fumble over. Jeroboam knew of God, but he allowed his world to dictate and influence him into making decisions that were based on popular belief, instead of based on the foundation of an all-knowing God. What are you seeing in your country leaders today? Do you suppose they are making decisions based on the direction and knowledge of our God? What about you? What might your life’s recap sound like? Any different to that of Rehoboam? Based on my life’s experiences, I am convinced that God not only listens to our cry for help and for direction, but I have found where God looks out for His prayed up saints. For you see, I have reflected back on decisions that I made and realized that I never had opportunity to seek God’s voice on, before making certain decisions. Yet I could see from the outcome that He was there all the time. Believe me friends, I’m not a saint, but having asked God to direct my day, and help me make sound decisions that are pleasing to Him and in line with His perfect will, I am just crazy enough to believe that He will honor the prayers of His people in His time. And I know that His timing is always perfect. Throughout the chapter in which our focal verses come from, we could see where God honored His people when He saw them humble themselves before Him, but He allowed attack and destruction when their leaders led them on an ungodly path. Our God is a just God, and He will not allow sin or disobedience to have their way in the lives of His people. Just as good parents do today: when their children, who they bore and raised according to their house rules, decide to walk away from their direction, they will allow them to feel the brunt of bad decisions. However, obedient children who are willing to follow the direction of their parents, will be honored, lifted up, praised, and looked after for life. Our God is superior to our earthly parents in every way! What an awesome God we serve! Do you know Him, my friend? If not, or if you’re not sure, please read through my Footnote, and especially dig into the link ‘To Know Jesus’. Please be assured that your relationship is such that others will be impacted positively by your decisions and actions.

PRAYER: Precious Lord, thank You for the places you have entrusted us to serve in Your kingdom work. Please direct our paths so that others may be impacted positively for You, and may we never be a stumbling block in their path, nor misguided in any way as we minister in Your name. May we be faithful in listening, obeying, serving and leading, so that You might be recognized, praised and glorified in all that we say or do. AMEN!

PRAYER:

FOOTNOTE: There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog might indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and read more, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Sebring, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would encourage you to attend my home church. Bible Fellowship Church, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us!

God Knows Our Need for Reassurance

On By Ed AlgreenIn Assurance, Comfort, Obedience1 Comment

Wednesday, 2020-02-26

Bible Reference: Acts 23:10-12
Translation: New Century Version (NCV)

Bible Text: 10 The argument was beginning to turn into such a fight that the commander was afraid some evil people would tear Paul to pieces. So he told the soldiers to go down and take Paul away and put him in the army building. 11 The next night the Lord came and stood by Paul. He said, “Be brave! You have told people in Jerusalem about me. You must do the same in Rome.” 12 In the morning some evil people made a plan to kill Paul, and they took an oath not to eat or drink anything until they had killed him.

OBSERVATION: Ever been discouraged, because it seemed like the more you did in kingdom work, the more you felt like the people hated you and didn’t appreciate your sacrifice and hard work? As we read through the New Testament we could see that Paul was especially hit hard by the people he ministered to. In fact you might wonder, how on earth did he keep on going? Well, we see in today’s Scripture that the God he served, was also the God who cared for him and encouraged him. Meditate with me, for you might also need this reassurance as you participate in kingdom work here on earth.

APPLICATION: Have you ever been in doubt about whether you were doing God’s will, when suddenly you receive a revelation, or confirmation that you are convinced, came from God? This is what happened to Paul. His very life was threatened because of his honest words before the Sadducees and Pharisees. The commander saw this coming, so he locked Paul up, for his own protection. However, this gave the people more time to plan a strategy that would lead to murdering Paul. As for Paul though, the Lord came and stood by Paul’s side that night in captivity and reassured him of the next phase of his ministry. Now, did the Lord know what the evil ones was conjuring up in their minds, and their subsequent plans for the next day? Of course He knew, and therefore felt it was imperative to visit with Paul to comfort him (for He stood by Paul’s side), and to give reassurance about his next steps. Was it coincidence that this occurred the night before Paul’s nephew would run to him and tell him about a plot to kill him? Of course not, for Paul was reminded that in spite of what the world had planned to do with him, God’s will would be accomplished. Wow, now stop and imagine that, as children/servants of God, we have that same reassurance as Paul was given! So why do we fear? Why do we worry? Why do we take the concerns of this world on our shoulders? God is in control, no matter what the world or its leaders may have in mind! What a peace is ours dear friends! I plead with you that you join me in building this type relationship with our Savior, that no matter how dismal a situation may seem, we could rest easy in knowing that God is on your side, and He will accomplish His will in and/or through us. Although I believe that God wants to hear from His children on the desires of their heart, I believe that He is even more interested that we relax and allow Him to be God in our lives and in all of life’s situations. Have you ever stopped and said to yourself, “well I don’t know where to go from here, for I have done everything I know to do”? It is often times like these when we throw our hands up and decide to turn a situation over to God, isn’t it? I believe this lesson is teaching us to allow God in on the very ground level, and if things are about to get out of control, at least in our minds, that God would whisper reassurance to us. In what form might this come today? Friends, our communication lines today are just as they were in Paul’s day. Stay in close communion with God through His Word (the Bible), through prayer, and close communion and fellowship with other believers. Remember that old song, “God will make a way, where there seems to be no way”? Remind yourself of that when you have done all that He demands of you. Friends, let Him be God!

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, how reassuring to know that You are by my side, when life appears to be a daily joy, and when I struggle to see how tomorrow could possibly be any worse than today. You have shown Your presence in so many ways through so many situations in my life already, and You have always come through in so many ways for me. I pray that I might be quick to realize this when Your will may sometime be in opposition to what I envision for me. I pray that I might always be open to, and accepting of, Your will for me, regardless of my plans and my desires. Friends meditating on this devotional with me might be challenged with a day or night of frustration where life here on this earth appears impossible, and especially in their area of ministry. Please stand by their side today, as You did for Paul, and encourage them. Nudge them on their way and show them hope in all that You would have them do for You here on planet earth. Continue to accomplish great things in and through Your willing servants today, is my humble pray that I ask in the precious name of Jesus, 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!

God Is Attentive to The Prayers of His People

On By Ed AlgreenIn Draw Me Close to You, Healing, True witnessesLeave a comment

Tuesday, 2020-02-25

Bible Reference: 2 Chronicles 7:13-14
Translation: The Message (MSG)

Bible Text: If I ever shut off the supply of rain from the skies or order the locusts to eat the crops or send a plague on my people, and my people, my God-defined people, respond by humbling themselves, praying, seeking my presence, and turning their backs on their wicked lives, I’ll be there ready for you: I’ll listen from heaven, forgive their sins, and restore their land to health. From now on I’m alert day and night to the prayers offered at this place. 

OBSERVATION: I believe that way too often we read into the Scriptures what we want to hear, or perhaps we might use the content of a verse to make sure that it is understood in the manner we feel it should read. Re-reading these frequently used verses might remind us of the emphasis God places on ‘HIS’ people. As we meditate on these verses today, please allow the Word of God to penetrate your heart and speak to your very soul.

APPLICATION: For so long I have heard reference to verse 14, but when you read the preceding verses, especially verse 13, it becomes very evident that God is saying that He may very well withhold blessings from us when we stray, or when we sin. However, He also tells us that when we pray, and when we repent of our sin, and when we turn away from our sin, then praise God, He will hear our prayer, forgive us of our sin and make us (our land) prosperous again. It seems so out of sorts the way that we try to make this work. God is the Master and He dictates how it will work. We are the servants, the followers, the beggars, we need to listen and obey, to see the results of God’s response to our prayers! I don’t believe that these verses were intended that the lost might awaken from their sin, surrender their lives to God and then see Him work miraculously in their lives, although I believe that God is very capable of doing that. I have the distinct impression that God told Solomon that the new temple was dedicated in service for the work of the Lord. However, he should let the people know that there may come a time when God may choose to strike their farms, or even send a plague among his people. This is not a time for the people to strike out against the evildoers or the Satan followers, but rather it is a time that believers should look to God and seek His forgiveness for their sin, their pettiness, their ugliness to their family, friends and coworkers. A time that they must look inward and face God in shame for their lack of obedience to His commands, their lack of caring about the elderly and those in need, their shame for keeping the King of all kings bottled up inside – their sin, yes be sorry for their own sin, and to seek the Master for forgiveness and for strength to serve Him, worship Him, and exemplify Him in ever fiber of their being. Friends, I believe that God is saying that we are to look inward as a church, and get our act together, so that we might represent Him honorably before a lost world. In other words, let’s get inside the four walls of our churches squeaky clean before we feel like we could be an influence to those on the outside. Many might respond that they are not dirty, they are not evil, they don’t hate others, but let me remind you that we are to compare ourselves to, and aim to live a perfect life like, the only begotten Son of God – Jesus our Lord. When you do that, can you see where God might want us to clean up our act? God told Solomon, that when we – the church, do what we are called to do, then He will hear from heaven and bless our land. This reminds me of an old Christian song, ‘It’s me, it’s me oh Lord, standing in the need of prayer. It’s not my brother or my sister, but it’s me oh Lord, standing in the need of prayer’. Fellow believers, join me in drawing closer to God today. I believe that He wants to bless our land, but He said that He wants us to have our house in order before He does so. Let’s not be a stumbling block in the good work of the Lord.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, I pray that my readers will join me today in being obedient to Your precious Word. May we humble ourselves, turn from our wicked ways, pray, and seek Your face, like we seriously want a move from You, and like we seriously want You to heal our land of its sin, its deceases, its wickedness, and its lack of desire for our King. Please heal us – Your church, and draw us unto Yourself, so that You may eventually heal our land. We are tired of the crime and many sins that are evident and that seem to worsen every day, and we are frightened by the unknown deceases for which our doctors fail to find a cure. Our land is in much need of a touch from You oh God. Please begin by healing Your children – even today, 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!

Paul’s Story Vs Our Story

On By Ed AlgreenIn Evangelism, Evangelize, Personal testimony, Salvation, TestimonyLeave a comment

Monday, 2020-02-24

Bible Reference: Acts 22:7-11
Translation: New Century Version (NCV)

Bible Text: 7 I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’ 8 I asked, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ The voice said, ‘I am Jesus from Nazareth whom you are persecuting.’ 9 Those who were with me did not understand the voice, but they saw the light. 10 I said, ‘What shall I do, Lord?’ The Lord answered, ‘Get up and go to Damascus. There you will be told about all the things I have planned for you to do.’

OBSERVATION: Like Paul, we have a ‘story’ that we should share with folk. Often in conversations we step up to the plate and tell a story about an incident in our lives that we believe is far greater than anything said so far by anyone else. Imagine the quiet that would fill the room if, in the middle of discussions about sports, or hunting or family, we jump in and share our story about our conversion? This is basically what happened with Paul!

APPLICATION: There are several miraculous things about this experience shared by Paul:
~ It was Personal – Paul didn’t share a story with the group arresting him about a friend of his, or a story he had read in ancient transcripts, he shared his story;
~ Recognized it was God speaking – Paul’s first response to the voice he heard was “Who are you, Lord?” When God gets our attention, we know that it is divine, holy and very personal;
~ It was transformational – Paul, a persecutor of Christians and a destroyer of churches, immediately recognized it was God, and instead of cursing God, as he had been doing, he asked for further instructions!
~ It was shared without regard to the place or occasion – Paul didn’t wait until he was in the synagogue, or among fellow believers, or until it was church time. In fact, this seemed like a very odd time to share his testimony, but Paul shared his story anyway!

I believe that the whole purpose of Paul sharing his story was that his captors’ eyes would not only be opened to the fact that he was a fellow Roman citizen, but also that they might hear, understand and come to know the God that touched, and ministered through, Paul. He was a true evangelist, both in the pulpit and out of it. Among all the confusion and excitement of calming the crowds and making an arrest, Paul asked for a moment to share his story. Wow! Friends, God can use us for His glory in any circumstance that He chooses, if we let Him. But it will only be impactful if we share our story for His ultimate glory and not ours. So why do you suppose that we don’t do that more often, friend? We need to do this as often as we can, because we have no promise of a future moment with that individual or group that we are meeting with. Don’t be shy or afraid, God will never lead you into a situation that He will not help you through! Allow Him to do His great work through you!

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, in Your precious and holy name, I come humbly before You to first say thank You for getting my attention back in 1976 and leading me to accept You as Lord of my life. Thankfully, You have since lead me through many situations and given me ample opportunities to share Your saving power with many people. Please forgive me for lost opportunities, and give me wisdom, humility, boldness and power to share my story with many more folk in all walks of life, so that others might see the glow of Your presence in and through me, and subsequently want to also accept You as Lord. Father God, it is only through Your continued grace that the wicked and lost of this earth can come to know a holy and righteous God, so I ask that You touch lives that I interface with today so that in something that I might say or do, You might impact their lives for Your ultimate glory. I ask all this in the name above all names, King of all kings, Your one and only Son, JESUS. AMEN!

What We Deserve

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Christian love, Forgiveness, Love, Love your Neighbor, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

Sunday, 2020-02-23

Bible Reference: 2 Chronicles 6:29-31
Translation: New Living Translation (NLT)

Bible Text: 29 … if your people Israel pray about their troubles or sorrow, raising their hands toward this Temple, 30 then hear from heaven where you live, and forgive. Give your people what their actions deserve, for you alone know each human heart. 31 Then they will fear you and walk in your ways as long as they live in the land you gave to our ancestors.

OBSERVATION: I know it would be easy to pray that God would give a Brother or Sister what they deserve, but would you dare pray that about yourself? We ask God for a lot of things, but as we meditate today, let us consider what things would be like, if God truly gave to us what we deserve.

APPLICATION: I have a friend who, when asked how he’s doing, will always respond ‘better than I deserve’. That in itself is a very sobering statement, as the individual realizes that should God bless in accordance with what he may have done or said, he would be in big trouble. You know, similar to what we do as parents for our children, for we spoil them with way more than they deserve. Another example that might help us bring this idea to the forefront of our minds is: I have friends that will often make reference to the pastor and how he is not ‘feeding’ them richly from the Word of God. My first question is to ask how much did they pray for the pastor before the service? I will often receive a blank steer, to which I would respond ‘then you got as much from the sermon as you prayed for’. In our Scripture, Solomon prayed that his people would receive forgiveness when they prayed, but he also prayed that, in order for his people to be awaken and actually walk in the ways of the Lord, that they should receive what they deserve. Be reminded dear friends, that you might fool some of the people some of the time, but God knows your heart, and if He decides to bless in response to what He knows, that will not only include the good things that other friends see us do, but God could also reach into our thoughts and actions that others will never see. A real scenario in too many churches revolve around members who stop giving because a decision was made by the church leaders to go down a line of work that the giver disagreed with. I have good friends who will not attend certain services at church, because they are not in agreement with the servant sent to them by God, to minister to his people in our community. What if God blessed these friends in response to their actions against God? Friends, please don’t misunderstand me. I believe that what God did at Calvary, and what He continues to bless us with, is from a heart filled with love like we could never imagine. Do we always deserve it? Absolutely not. But our God is one who not only see our actions, hears our words spoken in love and in anger, but He also knows our very thoughts. Please join me in desiring to worship Him; honor Him in our praises and thanksgiving; and loving those that He created who could sometimes be just as evil-minded as we are. I believe that when we decide to depend on God alone, love Him with all our heart, and look forward in great anticipation to His return, then perhaps we could look beyond the pettiness of everyday strife, envy, revenge and hatred, so that we might fix our eyes on Jesus, our true and everlasting deliverer and author of our faith. Wouldn’t it be awesome for our Father to look at His creation in love, and see that we seek nothing more than to return our love to Him in all that we are and all that we say? God has prepared a home for us. Let us live like children of that heavenly kingdom, and not as its greatest adversary.

PRAYER: Thank You Father for creating us just like You. Thank You for giving us the freedom to live like You intended, even among a people who will try in every way to distract us from that perfect path. Lord, today many of us will decide whether to attend church or not. Many of us will be strong enough to respond in love to those that may deceitfully use us, while many will strike back in revenge and with intent to harm. While I want to pray like David that you might respond to us as we deserve, I also realize how serious that might be. Please open our eyes Lord, so that we might once again be reminded of Your love, Your power to forgive, and Your desire to bless us beyond anything we deserve. Please help us to desire that kind of love, and grant us the power to forgive and be strong in our faith. May others see Jesus in our character, our will, our words and especially in the way that we love others. May You be glorified in and through us today oh Lord. AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog might indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and read more, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Sebring, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would encourage you to attend my home church. Bible Fellowship Church, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us!

Teach Me Your Ways, Oh Lord

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

Thursday, 2020-02-20

Bible Reference: Psalm 86:11-12
Translation: Easy-to-Read Version (ERV)

Bible Text: 11 Lord, teach me your ways,
    and I will live and obey your truths.
Help me make worshiping your name
    the most important thing in my life.
12 My Lord God, I praise you with all my heart.
    I will honor your name forever!

OBSERVATION: Way too often we claim to know more than almost any other person around us, and we are not afraid to let everyone know that! David was a man after God’s own heart, yet in our Scripture today, he asked God to teach him His ways, and to help him center his heart towards praising His holy name. As we meditate on this Scripture today, let us consider what this might look like to those that we come into contact with each day.

APPLICATION: Ask anyone what they see in you and you will receive multiple answers. Some may be afraid to ‘crush’ you with the truth, while some may not want to ‘swell your head’ by telling you how great you are, yet others will tell you what they think you want to hear in order to keep the peace! I got the impression from this Psalm that right in the middle of this sweet encounter with God, David may have simply emptied himself of everything one might recognize as a ‘David’ characteristic and instead he asked God to just teach him, fill him, and show him the right way. Friends, I doubt if you are very different to me, so if we are honest with ourselves, we tend to show so much of ourselves, and desire so much attention, that it probably becomes very challenging for anyone to really see where our inspiration, direction and help comes from. I looked at this passage in various translations, so the exact words may differ a little from the version that you have in front of you. However, it is obvious that David acknowledged to God that he preferred knowing what God wanted, over anything that he felt like he already knew to say or do. I believe that a follower of Christ who allows the overflow of Jesus’ love and words to go forth from his/her lips, or through every action, results in family and friends seeing Jesus, instead of the old sinful man who is poisoned every day by the ugliness of this old world. Friends, unsaved people need Jesus, not more of you or me. Lord help us if the world becomes entrenched with more of us, for we are sinners saved only by the grace of God. David’s additional plea from God, was that He might help him to prioritize worshiping Him. Now we might quickly retort that this is not an issue for Christians today, right? Let me just add that I would disagree with you. For I believe that we should pray just like David, that God might instill a desire to make worshiping Him a priority in our lives. Notice I used the word ‘worship’ and not ‘church’. Lord, please help us if we only worship You on those occasions that we go to church. Some of us do that on occasion to satisfy a nagging mom or spouse. Some of us do that as a ritual habit that we did since childhood. While some of us attend church because our friends, or our constituents attend a certain church. I believe that when we pray the type prayer that David prayed, we might be asking God to help us recognize Him and worship Him as we start our day, for God gave us a comfortable place to lay our head, and He kept us safe throughout the night. We might worship Him for the food that He provided so that we might stay healthy. We might worship Him for blessing us with a job and a great bunch of people to work with. For all the beautiful sunsets, sunrises, and landscapes that we have always taken for granted, we may be encouraged by the Holy Spirit to give God thanks for these, and just one more reason to worship and praise His holy name. Friends, when we worship God throughout our daily lives, wouldn’t it be natural that we would have a super-charged worship service when we meet together each week with other believers?

PRAYER: Precious Lord, how patient You must be with Your creation, thank You. Considering that You created us, provided everything possible for us, and loved us enough that you showed evidence of that on the cross at Calvary, how shameful that we must now ask You in much the same way as David did, to help us make worshiping You a priority in our lives. Please Lord, open our eyes so that we could see the wonder of Your love. Please remove the scales from our eyes so that we might see Your handiwork and be reminded of Your goodness, so that we will have every reason to worship You in everything that we do or see. AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog might indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and read more, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Sebring, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would encourage you to attend my home church. Bible Fellowship Church, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us!