Tag: Bible

Our Mission

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

DATE WRITTEN: Tuesday, 2021-04-27
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

BIBLE REFERENCE: Mark 1:38-39
TRANSLATION: Easy-to-Read Version (ERV)

BIBLE TEXT: 38 Jesus answered, “We should go to another place. We can go to other towns around here, and I can tell God’s message to those people too. That is why I came.” 39 So Jesus traveled everywhere in Galilee. He spoke in the synagogues, and he forced demons out of people.

OBSERVATION: Ask a pastor what his mission is, and he will probably have a personal mission for his ministry, plus he will probably refer you to the mission of the church in which he is serving. Should this be any different for the normal Christian? Jesus said that His mission was to share God’s message to people wherever He went. I believe that as followers of Jesus Christ, our mission should be similar to His, but let’s allow the Holy Spirit to direct us on this as we study the Word today.

APPLICATION: Jesus commanded us to go into all the world and preach the Gospel. I know, you saw the word ‘preach’ and immediately transferred that command to the shoulders of your pastor, right? But you don’t travel the world, so surely Jesus wasn’t ordering you to take His message ‘to the world’, right? Isn’t it amazing how easily we could shrug off our responsibility as believers and followers of our Lord Jesus? I was totally drawn to the words of our Lord as I read verse 38 above. Jesus was unhappy just sitting around chatting with His disciples while people very near by were living without the message of the Father. In fact, His very mission was to tell the message of His Father. That’s why He came. It made me stop and ponder what my personal mission might be. Why am I here? I believe we could look at this through the various phases of our lives. For example:
-> As a dad: Why are you there in the home? What’s your mission in sharing Christ with your kids, and in reenergizing your spouse in her walk with the Lord?
-> As a church leader: What’s your mission to be the best leader for God in His church? Hopefully it’s more than just another title, or a position where you might tell the pastor what you think!
-> As an employee: Proving your reason for being on the job will make the difference between your success and failure. Failing to take the name of Jesus with you on the job will present itself as a failure in God’s eyes, as He intended for you to take His message to the world – don’t exclude places like your workplace.
Friends, when we make it our mission to take the name of Jesus with us wherever we find ourselves, we not only obey the commands of God, but our witness to unbelievers in unlikely places will go a long ways towards introducing our Lord to the unsaved. Jesus told His disciples that’s what He came for. What do you suppose you came for? I trust that you will make it your mission to take the name of Jesus with you – everywhere you go!

PRAYER: Gracious Lord, thank You for showing us how evangelism was a high priority to You. The disciples were told that the reason You came was to share the message of the Father. I am convinced that in our effort to be more like You every day and in every way, we too must be ready and willing to share, and extremely concerned that the world would know about our Father. Please Lord, give us the desire to share the joy of the Lord that lives inside of us; the wisdom to know when to share; the knowledge of all that we should share; and the boldness to share our story with the world around us. People still need the Lord. Oh that we might be instrumental in sharing our experience, our intimacy and our love for our Lord. After all, that’s what we’re here for! AMEN

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

Saints on Vacation

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

DATE WRITTEN: Sunday, 2021-04-25
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

BIBLE REFERENCE: Mark 1:21-24
TRANSLATION: Living Bible (TLB)

BIBLE TEXT: 21 Jesus and his companions now arrived at the town of Capernaum and on Saturday morning went into the Jewish place of worship—the synagogue—where he preached. 22 The congregation was surprised at his sermon because he spoke as an authority and didn’t try to prove his points by quoting others—quite unlike what they were used to hearing!
23 A man possessed by a demon was present and began shouting, 24 “Why are you bothering us, Jesus of Nazareth—have you come to destroy us demons? I know who you are—the holy Son of God!”

OBSERVATION: I once heard a sermon entitled ‘Saints on Vacation’. It was an awesome reminder that while we may need a vacation to rest our minds and our bodies from the normal routines of life, we don’t need a vacation from God, although many find that necessary. Notice that Jesus and His disciples came into Capernaum and He immediately sought out a place to worship. Seeing that Christians are committed to following in Jesus’ example, I thought we might allow the Word to speak to us today about our commitment to worshipping God with other believers, no matter where we are geographically.

APPLICATION: Blessed is he that attains the age of retirement, and who actually takes advantage of that wonderful option! Praise God, I have been such a blessed individual! One of the things my wife and I enjoyed while working and taking a vacation, and that we totally enjoy now that we are privileged to visit other states/cities, is to visit the local church. What a blessing to study the Word together with other Christians across the nation, many miles away from our home church, and to sit in their places of worship and sing praises to our One God, our only God – the same God we worship at our home church! We have come to look forward to these special times of worship! Unfortunately, many folk will use circumstances such as I mentioned, to remain in their hotel rooms, or visit the beach, as there is finally no one to call and ask about their whereabouts! Even more unfortunate was the onset of COVID last year where houses of worship were forced to close down. Today many of our family and friends have used this excuse to still stay away from worshipping our awesome God with other believers. Friends, if Jesus saw this as important, and he exampled this before His disciples, shouldn’t we (His followers) also do the same? If we are not especially careful, we will end up with a generation of children who saw their parents sleep in, or do any number of things during church times, instead of getting themselves together and making their way to the house of God to thank Him for His many, many blessings throughout the week, and praise Him for His goodness and unconditional love towards us- even us. Children of God, as our kids follow in our footsteps, may they always recognize the Almighty God, and may they be eternally thankful for His many mercies. Let’s not wait until something awful takes hold of our kids, in much the same way as the demon possessed man in our Scripture, before we awaken from our Satan induced spell and get on about our Father’s work. We are well enough and protected enough to go to work and do almost every thing else during the week, let’s be careful that we don’t allow Satan to fill our minds too much longer with his lies about why we should not go to church. Remember, Jesus loves us unconditionally and He would do anything for us – including His acceptance of a death sentence on a criminal’s cross so that we might have access to life eternally in Heaven. How it must grieve His heart to see us find excuse after excuse why He is not worth our sacrifice of a few hours on Sunday, or Saturday, to worship Him with other believers. He may very well have wonderful miracles in mind for you, just like He did for the demon possessed man, but you’re missing out my friend. Satan and his demons have no place in the life of one filled with God’s Holy Spirit. Denounce Satan and take your place at the foot of the cross of Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit will cause you to be hungry for God’s Word, and to associate once again with His people.

PRAYER: Thank You for directing my thoughts today precious Lord. I’m not perfect, so I beg for Your forgiveness when I fail You, and fail to honor You in my life. Lord, I pray that You will speak to the hearts of Your people who have become lax in attending church, Bible study and corporate prayer. I pray that You will touch the lives of those who have allowed Satan to draw them away from You, and I pray that You might touch them miraculously today so that they may be drawn back to You. Little ones are following in our example as we lead them astray, although You have warned us about not allowing anything to distract them or pull them away from You. Forgive us Lord for allowing Satan and the things of this world to come between us. Please empower us to be more like You each and every day, and help us to stand strong in our faith so that others may be encouraged and ministered to for Your name’s sake. AMEN!

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

It’s Time

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

DATE WRITTEN: Saturday, 2021-04-24
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

BIBLE REFERENCE: Mark 1:14-15
TRANSLATION: The Passion Translation (TPT)

BIBLE TEXT: 14 Later on, after John the Baptizer was arrested, Jesus went back into the region of Galilee and preached the wonderful gospel of God’s kingdom. 15 His message was this: “At last the fulfillment of the age has come! It is time for God’s kingdom to be experienced in its fullness! Turn your lives back to God and put your trust in the hope-filled gospel!”

OBSERVATION: When one prepares for major surgery, there are many things to consider. Doctors and nurses try to help prepare you for what must be done, as you may be incapacitated for a while. The better you prepare, the better you and your affairs are attended to during your down-time. In today’s study, we are encouraged to turn our lives towards God, as the fulfillment of His kingdom is at hand. How well are you prepared, should Jesus return today?

APPLICATION: There’s a lot in the Bible that warns us about the time leading up to the return of Jesus, and there are many warnings as to what will occur if you are prepared for that historic event. It is a known fact that many will refuse to believe in the return of Christ; and God, in His infinite wisdom, knew that would happen, so He gave insight into what will happen to those who refuse to listen, believe and accept Jesus as Lord. Friends, please know that our Scripture today applies to everyone, not just those who believe in their Creator and have accepted His free gift of Eternal Life. Just as in most areas of our lives, many are skeptical, Jesus knew that regardless of what was done in a manger in Bethlehem many years ago, and no matter how much pain He endured on a rugged old cross at Calvary, yet some will doubt, while many will procrastinate as if they know the day and the hour that Christ will return. But I feel a responsibility to warn you today, that just as the prophets foretold the birth, crucifixion, death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus, they also foretold exactly what Jesus returned to Galilee to tell the people there. If you visited a website where a financial guru told you where to invest your money, because He felt certain of later success and profitability in certain areas of the market, you would jump to invest every extra dime you could put your hands on. Yet the Creator of this universe, and of you and I, says in His Word that He loves you enough to sacrifice His very life for you, because He wants you to be ready when the trumpet of God is sounded. But some have opted to accept eternal damnation in Hell instead. What’s with that dear friends? To my reader who remains skeptical about my Lord, please let me remind you that there is no greater love than for a man to lay down His own life for you, like my Jesus did. Please be careful as you observe the free will He has given to you. Unless you accept Him as Lord and Savior of your life, you are destined for a sinner’s Hell. To those who have accepted Him and believes on the Lord Jesus Christ, there is a place prepared for you, together with all the saints, in glory, where we may rejoice with the Father and the Son forevermore! The choice is easy my friend, but you must make that choice. Make it today, while you still have breath to do so.

PRAYER: Precious Lord, take my hand, lead me home… Thank You Lord for saving my soul and thank You for the promised rewards of Heaven. Oh that Your Word might penetrate the heart of the unsaved one that reads this devotional. May they choose life – life eternal with You and the Father in Heaven. We long to be where You are dear Lord. May Your kingdom come soon. AMEN!

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

Enough of the Stress – Confess Your Sins

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

Friday, 2021-04-23

Bible Reference: Psalm 32:1-5
Translation: Easy-to-Read Version (ERV)

Bible Text: It is a great blessing when people are forgiven for the wrongs they have done, when their sins are erased. It is a great blessing when the Lord says they are not guilty, when they don’t try to hide their sins. Lord, I prayed to you again and again, but I did not talk about my sins. So I only became weaker and more miserable. Every day you made life harder for me. I became like a dry land in the hot summertime. Selah But then I decided to confess my sins to the Lord. I stopped hiding my guilt and told you about my sins. And you forgave them all! Selah

OBSERVATION: There are so many things that stress us out, and everyone we talk to will have a solution on how we should deal with that stress. So from the Word of God, let us meditate today on what it teaches us about relieving ourselves of stresses in our life.

APPLICATION: I’m certainly not trained to deal professionally with how one should handle the stress in their lives (that’s my legal disclosure!!!!). However, from the Word of God we can see what David said about his weaknesses, his challenges, his sin; his forgiveness and how his confession led to his happiness. Today David is challenging us to consider how easy it is to try and cover up our sin and pretend it doesn’t exist. Also, how miserable we are when we go around pretending all is well. Friends, I believe that is the first inhibitor for stress – when we know something is going on in our lives, but we pretend to those around us that all is well. Unfortunately I believe that we unconsciously show our pretense to God also, for we follow our own desires, knowing that often these things are contrary to the Word of God, and to what He desires of us. We just go on about our day pretending that all is well. In my opinion, this is the source of stress, for we are covering up something that we know should be done or said differently. But praise be to God, dear friends, the Psalmist showed us that there was excellent results for him when he followed the normal pattern designed by God. You see, God set the pattern for His children so that they might be pleasing to Him in every way. However, in all of our wisdom, we somehow figured that we could go our own way and do our own thing, and God would be just as happy seeing us struggle along. But I believe that God placed an uneasiness in us, that some may call ‘stress’, because He wanted us to know when we were doing something that He isn’t happy about. Let me encourage you to re-read the last part of our focal verses today, and I believe that like me, you too might notice the loud sigh of relief by David as he concluded that God heard his burden for forgiveness and He forgave him. I pray that our goal today might be that we live as an open book before God – nothing to be worried about, holding nothing back, exposing everything to God that bothers us in the very least. God knows us friend, and He knows what we may be covering up. But I believe that He longs to see us reconcile our faults before Him, and seek His forgiveness, so that we may be one with Him. Consider making this the day that you relieve yourself of the stress in your life. Seek God while He may be found. Expose your heart to Him, so that He might cleanse it and make you whole. Be one with your Maker my friend, and allow your mind to be at rest in Him!

PRAYER: Precious Lord Jesus, we approach You as Your loving children that are broken and filled with stress over trying to do ‘life’ on our own. Please speak directly to our innermost person today and help us to acknowledge our shortcomings, and our inability to handle this complex world on our own while thinking that we could still please You. Without You we are broken, without any hope of repair. Please humble our hearts so that we might surrender our all to You and give You full reign in every aspect of our being, so that You may be honored and praised by all who may encounter us. AMEN!

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

Our Assignment

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Changed, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, Share God’s Word, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Wednesday, 2021-04-22
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

BIBLE REFERENCE: Matthew 28:18-20
TRANSLATION: The Passion Translation (TPT)

BIBLE TEXT: 18 Then Jesus came close to them and said, “All authority of the universe has been given to me. 19 Now wherever you go, make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. 20 And teach them to faithfully follow all that I have commanded you. And never forget that I am with you every day, even to the completion of this age.”

OBSERVATION: Ever notice how popular Sunday morning church service is, compared to Sunday evening discipleship hour, or Wednesday evening prayer service, or perhaps men/women Bible Study? Based on this comparison, we might seriously ponder how much of the Gospel (or how little) we take with us in our work places, or our social events, etc. after Sunday is over. But we have a huge assignment form Jesus in today’s Scripture, so meditate with me on His commands.

APPLICATION: Jesus’ disciples had just encountered the risen Lord for the first time after His crucifixion, death, burial and resurrection. While they tried to celebrate the risen Lord, some were still in a state of shock and disbelief. Surprised, because you thought these were Jesus’ dedicated followers who learned first-hand from Him and saw His many miracles? I know, but don’t think for a moment that they were weaker than you and I, or filled with doubt any more than we are. Notice how Jesus didn’t nurse their feelings by trying to help them overcome their doubt and fear, but instead He immediately told them about their next, and ongoing assignment. Now I believe that this message was also for Jesus’ disciples of today also – my fellow believers and I. So I believe it is important that we understand the command, so that we too can be obedient servants:
-> Go – In other words, as you go, or everywhere you go, do what I am about to tell you. Since retiring, I have been privileged to travel a bit, and I find it extraordinarily rewarding how people are no different in cities considered below poverty level, or cities with the most wealthy. Many still need the Lord, but it is so, so comforting to fellowship with those who know the Savior as you do;
-> Make disciples – based on what I just said above, I am commissioned to not merely look the other way and expect pastors to evangelize those in their city who need the Lord, but I am also expected to make disciples there, or preach the Gospel there, or minister to the unsaved there, regardless of their national origin, color or gender;
-> Baptize the disciples – Don’t just see them accept Jesus as their Savior, but lead them to be baptized, as evidence to their family and friends that they have arisen in newness of life through the power of the triune God;
-> Teach them – Share with the new believers all that God has taught you through His Word. Teach them how to study the Word so that they may know what God expects of them. Oh, you’re not a teacher? No problem, just pretend that you are a beggar helping another beggar to find food. You are not expected to share what the preacher said in yesterday’s sermon, you are commissioned to tell your story of how Jesus saved you and watches over you every day until He returns to take you home to glory!
So it is very obvious that God never intended for us to soak and sour in His goodness, but to share His amazing goodness with everyone that we come into contact with. Friends, how will they know that change is necessary unless, through God’s grace, you share the love of Christ with them, and the assignment He has given to us? Be a faithful servant and obey the commands of our Lord.

PRAYER: Thank You Father for showing us Your love, teaching us Your Word and not just leaving us where we are, but showing us the importance of passing along what we have experienced and learned from You, so that the unsaved too might surrender to Your perfect will for their lives. Please touch the heart of every believer that reads this devotional, and use Your Word to speak miraculously into their lives. Please touch us with Your grace, Your power, Your wisdom, and Your encouragement to share every day what You have poured into our lives. May You be glorified today because of our obedience, followed only by the changed lives of those who accept You as 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. You may also visit me on Spotify and listen to Nuggets while you’re out and about. I would encourage you to find a church home near by your home, and attend as frequently as you could. Get to know God, and allow His people to encourage and strengthen you in your Christian walk, while making every effort to be a blessing to them. God is at work among His people! Please consider growing in your faith, as you worship with fellow believers!

May Our Actions Never Discredit Our King

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

DATE WRITTEN: Wednesday, 2021-04-21
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

BIBLE REFERENCE: Psalm 25:11
TRANSLATION: New International Version (NIV)

BIBLE TEXT: 11 For the sake of your name, Lord,
    forgive my iniquity, though it is great.

OBSERVATION: Perhaps one of your parents may have told you at one time how they hoped you would never spoil their good name in the community or in the church. As children of the most high God, I wonder what might cross our minds as we meditate on His Word today? Perhaps there are things we say or do that may not promote the Kingdom, and I would be ashamed to see how that must hurt our Father. Allow the Word to wash over you today and complete It’s work in you.

APPLICATION: Ever recognize a couple as being the parents of that boy/girl who recently went to prison for a certain crime? Or have you ever said to a child that they have totally destroyed the respect of your name in the community? But of even greater concern, what if we stop and reflect on the heart of God, like David did, and feel convicted of how we have hurt Him with our actions or words? Yes, we serve a forgiving God who loves us unconditionally. But when we surrendered our lives to Him, we committed to live a life that would reflect the actions and life of Christ. We promised to honestly represent Him here on earth, hoping that family and friends will frequently mistake us for Jesus. Don’t you often stop to reflect on how you are doing in that respect? Do you feel like each end of day, God must review our life and celebrate how well we did? Yes, through the good times, through the great opportunities that presented themselves, through the arguments, through the nasty confrontations and through the lost tempers. Did we truly make our Master shine in the eyes of unbelievers? Did they get a better view of who Jesus truly is, by the way we responded? Can you see more clearly now why David sought forgiveness from the Lord? David was much like us and he knew that the matchless name of Jesus was marred because of his sins, and he wanted that rectified as soon as possible. Dear Christian Brothers and Sisters, join me in protecting the name of the One that we love, because of His unconditional love for us; the name of the One who suffered and died on a rugged old cross at Calvary, so that we might have life eternal in heaven; the name of the One who has power to heal our diseases, direct our paths and guide our decisions for His good! He’s the One we love and appreciate, let’s act like His children so that the world will know Him and desire a relationship with Him. Let’s aim to have the name of our Savior lifted high each and every day, instead of the negative connotations that the world tends to look for.

PRAYER: Lord, You are so good to Your children in so many marvelous ways, and Your love for us is beyond our comprehension. However, we can easily identify with David, because of our constant drive to please the world. Please forgive us for often straying away from Your commands and misrepresenting You before a lost world, in spite of the need to do just the opposite. Lord, we humbly ask for Your power to help us be more like You every day. People need the Lord, including those that we come into contact with, so please give us wisdom and boldness to share Your love with them, and may our character be representative of who You are. Please save the lost, and kindly use us in Your service as You see fit, so that Your name be lifted high – above all other names. AMEN!

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

Stop Giving

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

DATE WRITTEN: Tuesday, 2021-04-20
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

BIBLE REFERENCE: Exodus 36:5-7
TRANSLATION: The Message (MSG)

BIBLE TEXT: 5 … “The people are bringing more than enough for doing this work that God has commanded us to do!”
6-7 So Moses sent out orders through the camp: “Men! Women! No more offerings for the building of the Sanctuary!”
The people were ordered to stop bringing offerings! There was plenty of material for all the work to be done. Enough and more than enough.

OBSERVATION: Imagine receiving a letter from your pastor telling you to stop giving, as the church already has more than enough to adequately perform its ministry needs plus its building fund? Hopefully someone will be nearby to pick you up off the floor after you faint from the news, right?!! But Moses did exactly what I just described. What’s the difference? Let’s examine what God may be saying to us through His Word today about our free will offerings.

APPLICATION: Most growing churches looking to build a new sanctuary to meet their current, and projected future needs, will try to build a much larger building than they currently worship in. With today’s cost of living, and current building material costs, conservative estimates are in the millions of dollars to construct a nice church building with all the comfort and amenities congregations have come to demand. It’s just a fact of life in the 21st century! Many churches struggle to meet normal budget needs, so how should they possibly consider finding funds for a mega building? But let us consider what might be the difference between the Israelites Moses dealt with in his building plan, verses today’s church? The Israelites came from a life of slavery in Egypt, and followed a man led by God – Moses, towards an unknown land simply known as The Promised Land (a land promised by God). They were witness to miracle after miracle as God forced the Egyptian king to let the Israelites (slaves) go. Additionally, the Israelites saw additional miracles as God protected them, fed them, and lovingly cared for them during their journey through the Wilderness. God gave them everything they needed, so wouldn’t you assume that they too would give sacrificially now that they are given the opportunity of giving everything needed for the house of God? After all, He provided for their every need when they had no other choice, so wouldn’t He also now provide for their needs as they give sacrificially to His house of praise and worship? But friends, how is this different to what we face today? Can’t you see that the doubts that arise in our minds about committing to give for the work of God, and the excuses that we quickly come up with about giving even more than our tithe for a building fund, are simply Satan’s way of helping us change our priority in giving? After all, don’t we depend on God every day for our jobs, our health, our protection and our peace of mind about finding food for our families? So with that in mind, if we ask God to direct us in our giving towards the growth of His work in our community through our church, don’t you think that He will continue to be God and lead us through each day with all the provisions we need – even after committing to give more to His work? As a child, I remember working extra small jobs and helping my parents in filling our missionary offering box, for their annual Missionary fundraising. I could only imagine that the Israelites may have found innovative ways of raising extra money, such as growing one extra head of cattle, so the funds could go towards the construction of the sanctuary. Surely God could open our eyes to ways that we could also give more for His work/ministry that will ultimately help to reach more lost people in our communities. If we all do our part, perhaps our pastor might be able to do as Moses did, and let the congregants know that ‘we have enough, no need to continue giving the extra funds’! But friends, please continue giving until you receive that word from your church!

PRAYER: Thank You Lord for giving so much to us! You have blessed us with life itself; with jobs; with food enough, even in excess; with good health; money enough to help others in need; and above all, You have offered us salvation – at the expense of Your One and only Son, Jesus. Thank You Lord for Your mercies on me. Please help my readers and I to be mindful of all that You bless us with each day, especially when we try to evaluate what we might give to bless others. Help us to remember the church growth You have blessed us with when we see the need for a larger sanctuary, so that we might also give sacrificially, just as You did for us. Be magnified oh God because of our willingness to give, sacrificially if necessary, for Your ongoing work. May our giving be from a thankful heart filled with love for our Master! AMEN!

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

Do It Again, Lord

On By Ed AlgreenIn encouragement, Faith, Repentance, Rewards, Surrender, TrustLeave a comment

Sunday, 2021-04-18

Bible Reference: Psalm 27:13-14
Translation: The Passion Translation (TPT)

Bible Text: Yet I totally trust you to rescue me one more time, so that I can see once again how good you are while I’m still alive! Here’s what I’ve learned through it all: Don’t give up; don’t be impatient; be entwined as one with the Lord. Be brave and courageous, and never lose hope. Yes, keep on waiting—for he will never disappoint you!

OBSERVATION: David had witnessed the power of God in His life many times, yet he didn’t take that for granted. We see in this Scripture today, that David is asking God to intervene – one more time. The powerful thing about these verses is that David is not approaching God as a stranger, for he shares with us lessons that he had previously learned. Hopefully we can approach God with that same confidence today!

APPLICATION: Hopefully we all can remember a time that God was especially real to us. It may have been a time when we couldn’t figure out where to turn next, or who to turn to for help, when suddenly we sensed the power of God intervening in our life and giving us purpose to go on. At some point we may have learned that someone was praying especially hard and persistent for us, and that convinced us even more that it was the hand of God that touched us in our time of need. Friends, I believe that God especially gives us times of refreshment like that, so that we might have a memorial to refer back to and be encouraged by. For He saw our need and responded to our prayers when times were really challenging for us. The glorious truth is, that He could very easily ‘do it again’, if only we would seek Him and depend on Him. While I believe that these very special times might be refreshing times for us individually, I also believe that they sometimes serve as a tool that we may use to encourage others that may encounter similar challenges. Another real purpose that these special experiences might serve, is to encourage our own selves when challenges come our way. Have you ever experienced a time when you sat down and almost cried, because the burden seemed so heavy? The need for power, or for encouragement, or perhaps healing may have been overwhelming. You may not have known which way to turn next – until the Holy Spirit suddenly brought to remembrance a time where God clearly responded to a similar need in your life. It was times like this, that you regained purpose in your relationship with the Master, and you were able to return humbly before the Lord and seek His forgiveness as you acknowledged your need and your weakness before the Creator of this universe, the Master of the land, sea, and every living thing. Friends, it is unfortunate, but way too often we try to assume control over our circumstances for which we have no power. And it’s not until we humble ourselves and rededicate ourselves completely to the lordship of Jesus Christ in total surrender, that we make room for Him and His awesome power to move mightily in our lives. I believe that God is waiting for us to surrender, or re-surrender ourselves to His will, so that He might move in our lives personally, and corporately, one more time. I need that, friends. I hope and pray that you will also see the need to be totally surrendered to Jesus – yes, especially today!

PRAYER: In Your awesome expression of love, humility and power, You reached down and touched my life, and I thank You for loving even me that much. Oh that I may be reminded of whose I am, every time that Satan tries to discourage and pull me down. Lord, I believe that many who will read this devotional may have experienced similar times of discouragement, and may honestly desire a touch from You once again. May this reminder from David be something that may return peace and encouragement to many who allow Your Word to penetrate their hearts today. Oh that they may be reminded of the mighty work You have already accomplished in their life, and may they be encouraged to seek You yet again, even in their current circumstances, knowing that You could just as easily ‘do it all again’! May You be glorified because of our surrender today dear 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!

Offering, Rest and Worship

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

DATE WRITTEN: Saturday, 2021-04-17
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

BIBLE REFERENCE: Exodus 34:20-21; 23
TRANSLATION: Good News Translation (GNT)

BIBLE TEXT: 20 …… “No one is to appear before me without an offering.
21 “You have six days in which to do your work, but do not work on the seventh day, not even during plowing time or harvest.
23 “Three times a year all of your men must come to worship me, the Lord, the God of Israel. 24 After I have driven out the nations before you and extended your territory, no one will try to conquer your country during the three festivals.

OBSERVATION: As we meditate on the Word today, let’s assume that we are talking to God about: (1) Our gifts to Him and (2) Our day/time of rest, and (3) Our attitude and quality of worship to Him. It might be an interesting conversation in light of what He demands in today’s Scripture!

APPLICATION: There are three major themes in today’s Scripture and I would like for us to meditate on each:
(1) Offering – Remember, when God told Moses that no one was to appear for worship without an offering, or gift, this was at a time when the Israelites were being led across the wilderness from Egypt to the Promised Land. But God had no doubt that everyone had something to give as an offering. In today’s church, there are many who use the excuse that they only make minimum wage, so they can’t afford to tithe. Others may think they make way too much to imagine giving a tithe for such a large amount to their local church. Although God is their Judge, I believe that a percentage is based on the total income of an individual. No one looks for an excuse to not have government taxes subtracted from their wages. If 10% is due to God out of your income, then I would suggest that you look at your net income as being less government taxes and your tithes. That may sound like a lot to some, and it may sound impossible to others, but I believe that God is teaching us to be appreciative enough about all that He has blessed us with, that we are willing to give back a portion for His ongoing work/ministry. Remember the example Jesus gave about the poor widow who gave everything she had, all two cents? Does God or His church need our money to survive? Probably not, but I believe God is teaching us to be a giving people, not unappreciative children of the One who gave even His very own Son for us;
(2) Rest – I had a friend who once challenged me on the amount of rest I was getting. He told me about two men chopping down trees in the forest. One stopped ever few hours to sharpen his axe, while the other had no time to stop and improve the efficiency of his tool. Which of these do you suppose chopped down the greatest number of trees? Similarly, if we obey God’s commands to rest for one day out of the seven that He blesses us with, we too will enjoy sharper minds, rested bodies and more energy to work harder during the other six days. Note also that God quickly added that this routine should occur in spite of everything else that’s going on – even planting and harvesting!
(3) Worship – Cheerleaders will encourage players with the chant ‘1, 2, 3, 4, who do we appreciate?’ Taking deliberate time to worship God each week is much like those cheerleaders. Taking time to praise God for His goodness and His endless supply of health and provisions, is something that all thankful people do, whether to their parents, spouse or employer. Could it be that God will bless us even more when we stop to be obedient to Him and show our appreciation to Him through our worship? Let’s be sure to never think that simply attending church satisfies God that we are thankful for His mercy. From a heart filled with thanksgiving, our mouths will sing forth personalized, sincere praise fit only for our King!

PRAYER: Precious Lord, You showed Your power in wonderful ways, blessing Moses and the Israelites as You led them out of slavery in Egypt, through the Wilderness and into the Promised Land. Yet it was necessary for You to coach them towards giving, rest and worship. But this is so timely for us also, for we often overlook our blessings and take Your precious gifts for granted. Please forgive us Lord, and help us to be good representatives of the King of all kings and Lord of all lords. You are worthy of our praise each and every day. Please help us to make time for rest, and may we be faithful in our giving from the resources that You richly bestow on us. AMEN!

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

The Power of The Word

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Impacted by the Word, Listen to the Word of God, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, The Word, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Friday, 2021-04-16
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

BIBLE REFERENCE: Proverbs 4:20:23
TRANSLATION: The Voice (VOICE)

BIBLE TEXT: 20 My son, pay attention to all the words I am telling you. Lean in closer so you may hear all I say.
21 Keep them before you; meditate on them; set them safely in your heart.
22 For those who discover them, they are life. They bring wholeness and healing to their bodies.
23 Above all else, watch over your heart; diligently guard it because from a sincere and pure heart come the good and noble things of life.

OBSERVATION: God’s Word is so powerful and so applicable to us each time that we read It’s pages. We are reminded that God’s Word is of super importance to us, and as such, we must be diligent about meditating on them daily, and keeping them in our heart. We will discover they are life and health for us. As we ponder the Word today, let us question ourselves on whether we are supported in life by God’s Word, and how they may bring wholeness to our sick bodies.

APPLICATION: Ever talk to a very old person and hear about what they consider the source of their long life and good health? My grandmother was in her 90’s when I last visited her alive. She had never had surgery, and I don’t believe she had ever been hospitalized, even through her childbearing years that resulted in 16 children. She was blind when I saw her last, but she was happy and a joy to be around. She assured me that she still did her daily devotional and time with the Lord, because over the years she had memorized so much Scripture, that she was able to verbalize God’s Word back to Him as she meditated. Wow! Friends, I was reminded of my grandmother as I read this Scripture today, for verses 21 & 23 instruct us to keep the Word before us at all times, meditate on them and keep them safely hidden in our heart. Remember how I said she was such a joy to be around? From the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. If your heart is filled with anger and revenge, then you will spew out words of anger and hatred. God is love, so of course as you meditate on His Word you will find where it reminds us of that unconditional love. Take note, and keep that characteristic of God foremost in your heart. As you ask Him to help you live in a way pleasing to Him, love will be a primary characteristic that will flow through your actions, and included in the words that you speak. Remember I mentioned about the good health my grandmother enjoyed? Could that be a result of verse 22? Only God knows, but I have seen and spoken with many older citizens who have been blessed with good health, and it just so happened that they were also in constant celebration of their personal relationship with God. Friends, I am thankful to God for the number of people He has placed Nuggets From God’s Word in your path. Please let me encourage you to read the Scripture and apply it first and foremost to your heart. Of course you will be reminded of tough times by family and friends and how the Scripture might speak to them, but please don’t overlook that God has a purpose in using His Word to speak truth into your life first and foremost. Watch your heart dear ones, fill it with God and His love for you. This will reward you by helping you love others, but loving God most!

PRAYER: Thank You dear Lord for Your unconditional love for us. Thank You that You cared enough for us to give us Your book of instruction. You’ve blessed us with wisdom and good understanding, so please touch our hearts and help us to be obedient to Your Word, and embed it deep within our hearts so that our mouths will sing forth Your praises, our hearts will grow to love even the unlovable and that our bodies will reflect evidence of Your healing touch. Lord, You are good to us and we would love to grow more and more in that goodness as we join hearts and lives together with others. AMEN!

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