Tag: Faithful

On Becoming Wise and Loving Enough To Discipline

On By Ed AlgreenIn A Lamp unto My Path, Adoration, Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Awesome God, Beyond Description, Blessing, Celebrate God, Needs, Praise, Praise-worthy, Recognize God, Wisdom, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED: Saturday, August 26, 2023, and I was blessed to be at Dowling Park, FL when God inspired me to prepare this devotional. My Footnote will tell you how to find, read or listen to any and all episodes that I have shared over the years.

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE FROM THE New Living Translation (NLT) IS FOUND IN Proverbs 13:20; 24;

THE BIBLE TEXT IS: Walk with the wise and become wise; associate with fools and get in trouble.
Those who spare the rod of discipline hate their children. Those who love their children care enough to discipline them.

MY INITIAL THOUGHTS: The book of Proverbs is filled with wisdom to help guide God’s people along and make wise decisions in the things they practice or do every day. I can’t imagine anyone who wouldn’t prefer to walk and talk in a way that not only pleases God, but that may help others. So, the wisdom of Solomon is shared with us to help us do just that. It is often said that having children comes with no handbook on how to properly raise them. I believe that today’s Scripture gives wisdom and direction in this matter. Meditate with me on the Word of God!

APPLICATION OF THE WORD: I recall the wisdom of my mom when I was being raised, and I just couldn’t understand why she made some decisions that seemed to ‘punish’ me and keep me apart from my peers. However, now that I’m reading the Bible for myself and seeking God’s direction and wisdom to lead me in His intended way for life, it makes all the sense in the world what my mom and dad did in raising me. There were times that I heard things like ‘I just don’t want you hanging around with that crowd’; and ‘I want you to do your best in life’, etc. I now wonder if it wasn’t the Word of God she was practicing and quoting to me. For I see where Solomon gave the same advice in verse 20 today. To those who are not versed in the Scriptures, you may have various opinions about the wisdom shared by Solomon. After all, following in the steps of those who pay no attention to the direction of the God who created us and the creation that we enjoy, could only mean that we are resolute in allowing the evil one to direct us in his wicked and sinful ways. Friends, our direction in life should be one that, deep inside, causes us to do better than the wisest person that we know. OR if we allow Satan to have his way, it will cause us to do worse than the most evil person we know. In the former statement, we aim to please God by being the best He has to offer to this world. In the latter statement, we settle for promoting Satan’s message of evil and destruction of all that God has created or aims to promote. As long as we have breath, God can help us turn from evil to good; sin to glory; Satan to Eternal Life with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Please allow me to encourage you to examine your life and decide today whom you will follow. If you conclude that it’s Jesus you want to follow, then call on Him in sincerity and accept the sacrifice that He made for you on Calvary. Believe on the name of Jesus and you will be saved. Seek His forgiveness of your sin and ask for His power to follow the wisdom of His Word and those who He are saved already here on earth.
For those who have struggled through the circumstances such as described above, and you have not sought help to turn that around, you may also struggle with raising a child to follow in the wisdom of Almighty God. For those who have accepted Jesus and then become blessed with the opportunity to raise a child. Please remember that God shared through Solomon how we must all raise our children in the love and admonition of the Lord. A good place to begin this process is to stay firm in sharing your beliefs and remain committed to direct that child in the way of the Lord. That ‘directing’ works exactly like a ‘rod of correction’. Each will help to steer a child in the way they should go. A child is similar to a ship, each will wonder along being steered by the wind. In the case of the ship – actual wind as we know it, might blow from the port side of the ship and will steer the ship too far right, if not corrected by the rudder controlled by the ship’s captain. In the case of a child, the circumstance of life will steer that child unless corrected and kept on course by a parent who has God’s leadership and wisdom to overcome and/or avoid evil. Notice how I included the words ‘God’s leadership’. An unbeliever following the ways of Satan cannot direct a child in the ways of God. You can share what you have, not what you’ve heard about and don’t practice yourself.

BLESSINGS WORTH NOTING: God loves us enough to tell us, shows us, and help us do what is right in His sight, and to share that with others who need a ‘rudder’ or good godly wisdom to overcome evil.

PRAYER BECAUSE OF THE IMPACT OF TODAY’S SCRIPTURE: Dear Lord Jesus, what a reminder! From the time we are born here on earth, until the time we are called out of this world, there are steering currents that impact our lives. Some contribute to our godly delinquency, and others steer us aright to obedience and correctness in the ways of God. As long as we are steeped in the ways of the world, with Satan as its leader, we will have little chance of correcting our ways and changing our allegiance. Praise God, You taught us in Your Word that all things are possible with God, and You have shown us examples of ways that you have turned hardened sinners into faithful and true saints of God. While some of us may have lots of education, some may have had very little. But I believe that since You made us in Your image, You have given us the ‘smarts’ to listen and obey You and to follow the direction You have laid out for our lives. Please Lord, besides giving me strength and direction each day, please also touch the lives of those who will read or listen to this devotional. May each one choose life – eternal life with You in glory. AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: There’s another page on my website, entitled ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading or listening to this devotional, please go to this 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 you would like to read more of my devotionals, or subscribe for a daily email containing each new devotional, please go online to NuggetsFromGodsWord.org. For my podcast, go online to Apple Podcasts or, using the Apple Podcast app, simply search for Nuggets From God’s Word to hear more episodes, or click ‘Follow’ to be notified of Podcast updates. Friends, please allow me to encourage you to find a church home nearby 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!

A Worthwhile Mission

On By Ed AlgreenIn A Lamp unto My Path, Adoration, Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Awesome God, Beyond Description, Blessing, Celebrate God, Evangelize, Missions, Needs, Praise, Praise-worthy, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED: Saturday, July 22, 2023, and I was blessed to be at Orlando, FL when God inspired me to prepare this devotional. My Footnote will tell you how to find, read or listen to any and all devotionals that I have shared over the years.

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE FROM THE The Voice (VOICE) IS FOUND IN 2 Timothy 2:15

THE BIBLE TEXT IS: …. do everything you can to present yourself to God as a man who is fully genuine, a worker unashamed of your mission, a guide capable of leading others along the correct path defined by the word of truth.

MY INITIAL THOUGHTS: In a world filled with wickedness and evil, it doesn’t come natural for us to live a saintly life that might always be pleasing to God. Paul knew that his ambassador, Timothy, would face challenging times as he tried to fulfill his missionary efforts, so he offered words such as found in this Scripture today to coach him into practicing life each day in a way pleasing to God. But God did better than that, for He knew that His followers who would follow after Paul’s death would need these words of coaching and encouragement also. Let’s pursue this today!

APPLICATION OF THE WORD: First of all, let me say how badly I wish that we had more ‘Pauls’ in today’s churches. Imagine, Paul sitting in prison seeking every opportunity to share Christ with prison guards and prisoners alike, yet his mind is still wrapped around all that his co-laborers/trainees/fellow ministers might come across while continuing the work of Christ on their own. Doesn’t it seem like church leaders today are more after filling positions in their church, rather than equipping, praying for, and encouraging those who try to apply themselves in ministry under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit? God got my attention in this Scripture when one version of the Bible started this verse off by commanding that we work hard to present ourselves to God in a pleasing manner. Many evangelicals will quickly jump all over the words ‘work hard’ in any sentence that involves our relationship with God. And while I could understand and appreciate their efforts to never lose sight of the grace of God in saving us, yet I discovered more meaning into what Paul may have been saying to us. Generally, if a man is raise in a wealthy home, they have no issue in wanting to be wealthy themselves. In the world of Christianity, we leave the sacred and safe doors of our churches to enter a world where we rub shoulders with sinners, criminals and ungodly people with not desire for knowing Christ. I am convinced that what goes into our minds will saturate our hearts and it will impact what we say and do. This makes it tough to live like Jesus while living each day around such pressure where Satan tries desperately to attract our attention and drive us toward sinning. With this in mind, I believe Paul was coaching Timothy, and us, into being conscious of this evil pull by the enemy, so that we might work hard at being dependent on God every minute, of every hour, of every day, so that we might be unashamed of messing up, but determined to live a holy life that would be pleasing to God. But notice how Paul also emphasized like importance in passing along what we learn from God, His Word, and through His messengers. When at work, we are required to train our employees in the beliefs and principles of our employer, not our personal feelings that might seem easier for the employee. So it is in our Christian walk, we must learn to share what Jesus has taught and exampled before us. In doing this, we will stay true to the Word of God and stop pushing our own agenda and personal beliefs. So how do we do this? Well, let me encourage you to read the surrounding verses of this chapter, for Paul goes on to tell us how we are to stay away from gossip or just plain babbling that only tend to lead one into a more sinful life; arguing or bickering over useless things that only bring division; youthful desires and lust; conversations that lead to arguments or strong opposition; and instead strive to direct our passion to chasing after righteousness, faithfulness, love, and peace, along with those who call upon the Lord with pure hearts. Friends, I’m sure that you have noticed how challenging it is to thrive in the world of those prone to negativity, destruction, revenge, etc. May our hearts be so filled with the love of Christ that others will know and feel the presence of Christ when we’re in their midst. Jesus is coming back soon to collect His church – the saved, the redeemed, those who strive daily to know Him better and live more like Him and are not fraid to teach and/or share His truth unashamedly with others. I pray that includes you, dear friend!

BLESSINGS WORTH NOTING: One of the things that people hate, is to encounter a hypercritical person. Let’s strive to know Jesus, learn and understand His Word, so that we might share truth with those we come into contact with. Knowing Christ and living like the devil is, unfortunately, bad for everyone.

PRAYER BECAUSE OF THE IMPACT OF TODAY’S SCRIPTURE: Dear Lord, You are so merciful and filled with grace! Who am I that a King would die and live for? Praise God, I am blessed with the promise of eternity in heaven with You and the Father? Thank You Lord for using Your servant Paul to coach and encourage Timothy, and those of us determined to live like You, and present a true witness of You to others that we come into contact with. Lord, I ask that You please lead many of the millions that will go online today, to this devotional and that my words are clear enough that they would be encouraged to live out the truths of Your Word as explained, or desired by You. Others, such as a pastor or Bible teacher, can’t create relationship with You, for us; we must determine in our own heart to know You better every day and fill our hearts with so much of Your teachings, that others will see Jesus and believe in the sacrifice You made for us on Calvary. Lord, I believe. Help my areas of doubt and unbelief so that I might become stronger in the faith and better able to share that with someone who needs you today. AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: There’s another page on my website, entitled ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading or listening to this devotional, please go to this 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 you would like to read more of my devotionals, or subscribe for a daily email containing each new devotional, please go online to NuggetsFromGodsWord.org. For my podcast, go online to Apple Podcasts or, using the Apple Podcast app, simply search for Nuggets From God’s Word to hear more episodes, or click ‘Follow’ to be notified of Podcast updates. Friends, please allow me to 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!

Afraid To Criticize God’s Faithful Servant

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

DATE POSTED Saturday, 2022-03-26
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Numbers 12:3; 7-9
TRANSLATION: GOD’S WORD Translation (GW)

BIBLE TEXT: 3 (Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on earth.)
7 … this is not the way I treat my servant Moses. He is the most faithful person in my household. 8 I speak with him face to face, plainly and not in riddles. He even sees the form of the Lord. Why weren’t you afraid to criticize my servant Moses?”
9 The Lord was angry with them, so he left.

APPLICATION: I am challenged every time I read this particular Scripture, for most Bible translations include verse 3. That helps us to understand why God placed so much faith in Moses and his will to obey Him, even under circumstances where Moses could clearly see that his leadership placed he and his people against what appeared to be, life-challenging barriers. The Red Sea; The lack of water; No food; No trained soldiers to fight Pharaoh’s oncoming army; No meat; etc. etc. It appears like Moses was pliable and never fought to have his own way, for he was considered to be ‘the most humble man on earth’! Wow, what an honorable characteristic to be known by! This might be a good time to pause and consider the words that might be used to characterize you. Will it be God-honoring? Will it be any different coming from your intimate family, than from your peers in the workplace? Whatever it is, I trust that you will be able to follow the example of Moses in verse 13, for he pled with God to heal his sister, Miriam, of the disease God had imposed on her as her punishment. But what really led me to write this devotional today is verse 8 above, for God challenged Moses’ siblings on why they would even entertain the thought of speaking against their brother – His invaluable servant. Of course, the Holy Spirit dealt with me on this, and I believe He will also challenge you to think about the individuals that often anger us. We just have so many suggestions on how they might do better. Think about:
-*- Your Spouse – you agreed before a pastor/priest/notary that since he or she was a gift from God, you would love them and care for them until separated in death. As you fight and battle with them, aren’t you also saying that perhaps God made a mistake in giving them to you?
-*- Your Pastor – You prayed and prayed with your church elders that God would bless your church with just the right man He had prepared years before to win the hearts of your community. After just a short stint on the field, you are questioning whether your pastor is saved, much less ever trained for the pastorate! You fall asleep during his sermons and you are embarrassed to hear him counsel others. Over and repeatedly you question whether you truly received a word from God on voting for this pastor. Friends, it may be time to search inside your own heart, for it is not your job to question God on who He placed in your midst. God said that He could even use stones, if you refuse to honor Him in your praises. Don’t you know that He could also speak through a man standing before you, looking to God for the right message to speak to your heart?
Those are just two examples to consider dear friends. I’m sure that others have crossed your mind as you meditated on my thoughts. When you consider the giver of these good people in your life, I would ask the same question that God asked Miriam and Aaron: ‘Why weren’t you afraid to criticize them?’ Another translation read something like this: ‘how dare you criticize my humble servant – the one I put in place for a time such as this’? God brought punishment on Miriam and Aaron for their sin. God, please bless us, forgive us, and drive us towards righteous living, filled with words and actions that may be pleasing to You, and never condemning towards a Brother or a Sister.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: Because of his obedience and humbleness, God protected His servant throughout his leadership of the Israelites. I have no doubt that God will do the same for us!

PRAYER: Thank You for Your watchful eye on us, Your children, Lord! It is so easy to be sucked into criticizing others – even those ordained, blessed and guided by You. Please help us to look at all that You have blessed them with, and all the good You are able to accomplish through them. Block our ears from the noise of the adversary as he tries to pull down those whom You bless, and those who You use to reach the loss. Please teach us to lift up and not tear down; praise and not complain; bless and not curse. Also teach us to accept Your leadership in all aspects of life, and in knowing that all that You place among us will serve as Your hands and feet to a lost and dying world. 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!

Trusting our Faithful God

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

DATE POSTED Friday, 2021-10-15
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: 1 Samuel 9:17-20
TRANSLATION: Contemporary English Version (CEV)

BIBLE TEXT: 17 Samuel looked at Saul, and the Lord told Samuel, “This is the man I told you about. He’s the one who will rule Israel.”
18 Saul went over to Samuel in the gateway and said, “A man who can see visions lives here in town. Could you tell me the way to his house?”
19 “I am the one who sees visions!” Samuel answered. “Go on up to the place of worship. You will eat with me today, and in the morning I’ll answer your questions. 20 Don’t worry about your donkeys that ran off three days ago. They’ve already been found…..

APPLICATION: This is an intriguing story of the power of our God, and His wisdom through mankind. So I encourage you to read the whole chapter as you look for the ways God spoke to, and used Samuel, and how He directed Saul in the path he should go so that God’s plan might materialize. I was totally blown away as I watched both sides of the plan unfold! I’m sure that reading this chapter while I am right in the middle of some very shocking news that could only unfold by the powerful touch of our miracle-working God, made a huge impact on me. But in sharing this, I believe that many of my readers may identify with, and be encouraged by, this story, knowing that they are heavily dependent on God at this time for a deep concern that only a miracle from God can resolve. Friends, anything that is bigger than us, or our abilities to resolve, is huge in our eyes, and seem impossible to us. However, for those who believe in God – the One who created the world and everything that’s alive in it. The One who parted the waters to form dry land for His people to escape an oncoming army. The One who made the blind man see again, the dead man to rise from the dead again and the crippled to walk again. That God! He is our Almighty God and He sent His very own Son, Jesus, to be our eternal Savior! Just as this God showed Samuel who would be the king of Israel, and just as He directed Saul into the presence of Samuel, He also gave our forefathers confidence to trust in His timeless and endless truth, and He has promised to be our God for all eternity! Knowing all this dear friends, can you think of any good reason why you shouldn’t place your full faith and trust in Him? Why worry when You can trust God in everything? Why the concern, when God knows what tomorrow will bring or if that son or daughter will survive the cruelty of all this world bombards them with? Won’t you join me in trusting God for ALL things today? He promised that He would never leave us alone, and I believe that with all my heart, soul and mind. But perhaps today a Brother or Sister might be seeing impossible roadblocks that makes them doubt that promise. We need strength and encouragement from each other when we are feeling weak. Let’s look for the opportunities that God is sending our way, and be bold in our faith. Let’s learn to trust in God and depend on His unending grace.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: All things work together for goo, to those who place their faith and trust in the God of this universe! He did it for Samuel and the Israelites, and He will do it for us. Nothing is impossible with God!

PRAYER: Those things that seem impossible in our eyes, can be changed by just a word from the Master of this universe. Thank You precious Lord for accepting me as a son of the Most Hight God! Praise God for all that you did for Samuel, and for guiding Saul so that he could fulfill his purpose. Many things in this old life here on earth seem impossible to us, but praise be to God, we are children of the God who specializes in the impossible! Lord, please renew our confidence in You each day, so that we might learn to trust You fully in all the things of earth. Please use us for Your great purpose oh Lord so that those we come into contact with might be drawn to You. 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 Faithful Love of God – Name The Ways

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

DATE WRITTEN: Monday, 2021-06-21
WRITTEN AT: Villa Ridge, MO

SCRIPTURE FROM: Psalm 36:5-7
TRANSLATION: The Voice (VOICE)

BIBLE TEXT: 5 Your love, O Eternal One, towers high into the heavens. Even the skies are lower than Your faithfulness. 6 Your justice is like the majestic mountains. Your judgments are as deep as the oceans, and yet in Your greatness, You, O Eternal, offer life for every person and animal. 7 Your strong love, O True God, is precious. All people run for shelter under the shadow of Your wings.

APPLICATION: David had such a way in describing his love for God, and in the case of today’s Scripture, describing God’s faithfulness. I believe when folk say today that they love someone to the moon and back, they are actually trying to mimic David in his descriptions. He told God that his faithfulness were higher than the skies! Wow, it just doesn’t get any higher than that! But David went on to try and improve on that by telling his awesome God that His justice, or His fairness, is majestic as the mountains. When you look at a land mass, nothing is greater to look at than a majestic mountain climbing thousands of feet into the sky. We sometimes see the clouds floating below the mountain peak, so it is very high in the sky, and David considered God’s justice that awesome! God’s judgments are well thought out and serves the purpose of calming, or taming even our deepest fears. I love, love, love the last idea – that in spite of God’s judgments, yet He offers love and protection to animals and to each of us. His protection is something that we run to in times of storms and when trouble is brewing. Our God’s protection is such that we feel we It’s something we feel like we could hide under, like under the protection of His wings, and know that in spite of our past, in spite of our ugly thoughts and actions, yet He will always be our comfort, our protection and our Savior from all that the world burdens us with. Safe in the arms of Jesus is where I want to be! I hope that each reader may have a similar desire, for it is only there that we are completely safe and secure, plus we are loved unconditionally by Him! So taking us back to my introduction, how would you answer the question about how has God been faithful to you? Can you convince a friend that His faithfulness is from everlasting to everlasting, and worth it all?

BLESSING(S) NOTED: Your strong love, O Lord, is precious, and it is something that we are all assured of when we know that we have surrendered lordship of our lives to Him.

PRAYER: Our ancestor, and Your ancestor shared the value he saw in Your faithfulness, and how awesome that gift was to him. Praise God, You have not changed, oh Lord, for Your faithfulness is still beyond our comprehension but appreciated more than life itself. Thank You Father for Your unfailing love. Your faithfulness endures forever, and is beyond measure. Thank You for the gift of eternal life! Please continue to speak humbly to those who have yet to accept that gift. May we all be ready when the Father decides on the moment of Your return to take Your church home. 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!

Knowing When God’s Commands Overrule

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

DATE WRITTEN: Sunday, 2021-03-07
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

BIBLE REFERENCE: Exodus 1:15-17
TRANSLATION: The Voice (VOICE)

BIBLE TEXT: 15 Pharaoh, Egypt’s king, called for some of the Hebrew midwives. Their names were Shiphrah and Puah.
Pharaoh: 16 Listen closely. Whenever you are looking after a Hebrew woman who is in labor and ready to deliver, if she gives birth to a son, then kill the baby. If it is a daughter, then allow her to live.
17 But the midwives respected God more than they feared Pharaoh, so they did not carry out the Egyptian king’s command. Instead, they let all the boys live.

OBSERVATION: My first subject for today read ‘First Abortions Ordered By The King’. I found it satisfying that God ordained it in the minds of Shiphrah and Puah that it is wrong to kill another human whom He created. I could only pray that as we study the Word today, we will gain even more incentive to pray for more people like these two women who chose to obey God, in spite of the commands from the highest authority on earth. Today we know this as abortion and it is exactly that same type of murder. May God grip the hearts of today’s midwives and doctors.

APPLICATION: I know that this is a very controversial issue in today’s society, but one challenge of reading through God’s Word is that you will find a variety of subjects. It is up to us if we choose to skip some and apply the rest, but personally I believe that the Book was provided for our guidance in life to ultimately lead us to the cross of Calvary. As a reminder, sin is not allowed in Heaven, and if we disobey God, it is sin. Praise God, I am looking forward to kneeling at His feet in heaven one day soon, and I pray that each reader of this devotional will be challenged to that same truth each and every day that you are alive. While blessed with life here on earth, we each have a daily challenge to either believe in and obey God’s Word, or follow the crowd in doing what they do, even if it is sin. It is very challenging to obey God, for it often causes one to stand out, for His Word often contradicts what the world feels is OK. I could go on to give loads of examples, but for the child of God, we have access to the playbook. In God’s Word you will find direction, and answers to, every walk of life. Furthermore, God sent a part of Himself, the Holy Spirit, to live inside of the Christian to Help us in determining right from wrong, and also direct us towards the risen Christ – daily. So we would be hard pressed to give the excuse of ‘oops, I didn’t know that’s against God’s will’. There are some funny expressions that arise from movies, but one of them applies here: ‘I knew it was wrong, but I doed it anyway’. This might be because we want to remain ‘cool’ with our peers, or we don’t want to stand out like a sore thumb, etc. Jesus lived a very challenging life while here on earth, and we can’t expect our time here to be much better than His. So yes, living the Christian life comes with its challenges. However, for the person who wants to remain true to the God who sacrificed His only Son for our salvation, then we will seek His help to keep us strong in difficult times; to heal us when hard-pressed with challenging health issues; with giving us the power to say ‘no’ to sin; and the power to overcome evil, even if it appears like ‘fun’ in our worldly eyes. In the verses following our quoted Scripture, we are told that these midwives were blessed richly because of their stance in doing the godly thing, even after being ordered by the king to do otherwise. I can only imagine that there are probably great books written with loads of rich blessings by doctors of today who have stood their Biblical grounds for not doing an abortion, or moms who chose to raise a child under very difficult circumstances, but lived to see that child become a very prominent citizen who she was very proud of. Friends, it’s still wrong to kill an unborn or newly born child, and I believe that there are still multitudes of blessings awaiting for those who overcome the temptation and instead trust in God to help them through the battles of life while obeying His commands.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, You sacrificed Your life for our salvation. Thank You! Please give us strength to overcome the feeling that we need everything done our way, even when, at times, we know that may involve actions that do not align with Your Word. You went to the extreme to show Your love for us, please help us to always do our best in living our utmost for Your highest honor. Oh that we may always stay strong like the midwives mentioned in our Scripture today. For there is no greater peace than to be obedient to to You, Faithful God, even when the pressure is terribly on us by the world around us. You blessed the midwives, and I sincerely believe that You will bless us in our faithfulness. Thank You Lord 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!

Lukewarm – Neither Cold nor Hot

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

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

BIBLE REFERENCE: Revelation 3:15-17
TRANSLATION: The Voice (VOICE)

BIBLE TEXT: 15 “I know your works. You are neither cold with apathy nor hot with passion. It would be better if you were one or the other, but you are neither. 16 So because you are lukewarm, neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. 17 You claim, ‘I am rich, I have accumulated riches, and I need nothing’; but you do not realize that you are miserable, pathetic, poor, blind, and naked. 

OBSERVATION: It seems like the church at Laodicea must have felt like they had everything ‘they’ needed to make it in life, and if they needed God for anything they would simply call on Him. I’m not sure that our churches today could identify totally with this, because we are constantly reaching for the stars, and money is usually needed for that. However, I believe that God didn’t see where they were actively pursuing His goal for His church. In fact, He considered them ‘lukewarm’. Do you suppose that applies to you and/or your church?

APPLICATION: It may be difficult for us to recognize the challenges of the church today, compared to what it was 1 year ago, because COVID challenges have given the corporate body such a different look. However, I believe we should first of all look inside at the attitudes and mindset of ourselves and think honestly whether God might consider us to be on fire for the Lord, or as this translations puts it, are we truly ‘hot with passion’ for God, and the things of God. For the temperature of our respective churches could only be measured by the total temperature of its members. But the challenge for you and I is to understand what must be happening if we are not hot with passion, for if we are not, then we are either ’cold’ or we are ‘lukewarm’. When a child of God comes to a place in their lives where their conscience is not affected when they sin, then I believe they have really become ‘Cold’ to the Spirit of God and couldn’t care less if they proceeded with action that they know will displease God. Oh how sad that must be for God to see such neglect from His children, for whom He sacrificed His one and only Son on the cross, out of the unconditional love that He had for us. But perhaps, you might consider yourself elevated from a point of being Cold in your relationship with God, but you are definitely not one of those Christian ‘fanatics’, as some call ‘sold out’ believers. Then I believe that you might be at a point where you like the idea of being associated with Jesus Christ, but you would just as soon keep that to yourself. You may attend church, but see no reason to attend every Sunday, as you do pretty good on your own. You believe that the Pastor and his lead gurus are the ones assigned to visiting the sick and doing the chores around church, so since you pay them for that, you see no reason to get involved. Friends, would someone with all those calculations impress you as a ‘sold out’ child of God? Remember, God knows every little detail about us, including our very own deepest and private thoughts. So when we do things to impress others about our relationship with God, we may succeed in pulling the wool over their eyes, but can you imagine the heart of God when He knows how His children could be so alive in His presence, yet choose to mislead and create falsehoods in the eyes of mankind? Is it any wonder why He said that the church at Laodicia made Him sick? Friends, the world needs Jesus, and unless they see Him in all of His glory through those who are called by His name, they may continue to believe that He is just a myth. Are you striving to nullify that myth for those you come into contact with, or are you helping to confirm to them that they are correct? There’s only one life to live here on earth dear friends, and you are living it each and every day – for Jesus, against Jesus, or as if you are really not sure. What might Jesus say about you? Will His heart melt from the love you portray, or will He vomit because of your contradictions and hypocrisies?

PRAYER: When I truly learned about all that You did for me on Calvary, I invited You into my heart to stay, precious Lord. My intent has always been that You might work miraculously in and through me, so that others might see very clearly that the God of this universe is alive and well. Please open my eyes to the things that distract and dilute my vision of You and therefore causes me to relax in my walk with You. Lord, I want to be a part of Your church body that is hot for the Gospel, hot for imitating my Father and hot for seeing my lost friends and family come to know You as Lord and Savior, before its too late. On behalf of my readers and I, please Lord renew Your church again. May our hearts burn within us for the urgent work of the Master in our communities and in our churches. We know that You will return soon to take Your church on home to glory. May we be found faithful, loyal and true right to the very end. 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!

A ‘Truly’ Righteous Man

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

DATE WRITTEN: Saturday, 2020-10-10
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

BIBLE REFERENCE: Ezekiel 18:5–9
TRANSLATION: Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC)

BIBLE TEXT: 5 But if a man is [uncompromisingly] righteous (upright and in right standing with God) and does what is lawful and right, 6 And has not eaten [at the idol shrines] upon the mountains nor lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, has not defiled his neighbor’s wife nor come near to a woman in her time of impurity, 7 And has not wronged anyone but has restored to the debtor his pledge, has taken nothing by robbery but has given his bread to the hungry and has covered the naked with a garment, 8 Who does not charge interest or percentage of increase on what he lends [in compassion], who withholds his hand from iniquity, who executes true justice between man and man, 9 Who has walked in My statutes and kept My ordinances, to deal justly; [then] he is [truly] righteous; he shall surely live, says the Lord God.[Ezek. 20:11; Amos 5:4.]

OBSERVATION: I know that New Testament believers will try to rightfully steer us towards aligning ourselves with the New Covenant, Jesus Christ, but after reading this Scripture in Ezekiel, I still asked myself the question: But what is it that constitutes a righteous man? Well, it still all boils down to being the man who is faithfully obedient to the Word of God and who follows the practice and commands of Jesus Christ. Let’s look closer at this today, and ask God to direct our paths so that others may see the righteousness of our Lord and Savior in us.

APPLICATION: God gave the writers of the Bible His Godly influence, and He ordained them to pen the Words that God wanted His people to understand and follow until the day He calls us home to glory. So although I know that these words were written for the Israelites at a time that it was difficult to discern a righteous person whom the unsaved might relate to a life after God’s own heart, yet I also believe that these words by the prophet Ezekiel were penned with us in mind as well. For those who have been active in church life, you have probably seen just as I have, where people who struggle with a bad period in their life, might enter the back doors of the church, walk forward for salvation, and possibly even baptism, only to disappear from the church scene within a very short time, never to be heard of again. Were they saved? Only God knows that for sure. But are they living a righteous life that will influence an unbeliever? Not very lightly. There is a simple analogy given about people that follow this pattern: A pastor went to visit one such parishioner who had not attended church in a while. They sat down by the fire and the conversation was very strained. The pastor eased up by the fire and moved a vital piece of charcoal away from the fire and placed it aside. Soon the glow diminished in that piece of charcoal, and eventually it went cold. The unfaithful parishioner had no reason to question the pastor why he did such a thing, because the Holy Spirit immediately helped the man to understand that the analogy precisely patterned his life, for his spiritual fire had gone out. So he promised the pastor that he would see him at the next Sunday service! Friends, that part of the story is very revealing, but don’t you also know that the glow in several of the remaining chunks of charcoal also dimmed, because they lacked the warmth and encouragement of the missing piece? We who are called by His name, are vitally connected to others who are also called by His name. When our glow diminishes, not only are the unbelievers affected because they see no righteous men among the church, but we also leave a dampness on the remaining believers that we were helping. When we accept Jesus as Lord, it’s because we want to have Him change us from the inside out, so that we might look, sound and imitate Him in this dark and sinful world. You see, our reward is Heaven. While still here on earth, we serve a vital and important role – to convince those in our circle of influence that they also need Jesus, so that together we may walk through heaven’s portals one day and live forever with the King of all kings and Lord of all lords. So let me encourage you to help me live righteously while still here on earth, while I try and do the same for you, God being our Helper, Guide and Deliverer until He is ready to have us join Him in glory!

PRAYER: Faithful Father, Jesus my Lord, thank You for showing Yourself righteous and being an example for us to follow. Thank You for the saints You sent on ahead to teach us Your values and show us Your ways. If we are truly Your children, then we must be righteous just like You are. Thank You for this Scripture today that gives us great truth into the values that make a man look righteous. Please fill us with so much of Yourself, that these values will bubble forth from us each and every day. May the righteous be encouraged and warmed by our righteousness, and may the unsaved be convinced by seeing You lived out in us. Please touch the lives of those who will read this devotional today, oh Lord. May we all strive for Your control to bring forth righteousness in 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!

Faith Is….

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

DATE WRITTEN: Thursday, 2020-10-08
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

BIBLE REFERENCE: Hebrews 11:1-3
TRANSLATION: Living Bible (TLB)

BIBLE TEXT:  1 What is faith? It is the confident assurance that something we want is going to happen. It is the certainty that what we hope for is waiting for us, even though we cannot see it up ahead. 2 Men of God in days of old were famous for their faith. 3 By faith—by believing God—we know that the world and the stars—in fact, all things—were made at God’s command; and that they were all made from things that can’t be seen.[a]

OBSERVATION: Too often I believe we use the word ‘Faith’ without giving it a lot of thought. We might say to someone struggling financially: ‘just have faith my friend’. Do You know, or does your friend really know, what you meant by that? In our Scripture today we are not only reminded of what Faith is, but we are also given some awesome examples. Meditate with me!

APPLICATION: Although I love the example in verse 3 that you may have already read, further in chapter 11, we are reminded of the faith of Noah. He was blessed with a meeting with God and he was told that there would be a flood coming that will wipe out life on earth as it was known at that time. To help cement the idea, Noah was told the exact material he should use to build a huge boat – an ark. He was given the measurements and all of the finer detail. But here is where ‘faith’ came into the picture:
1. Rain was a brand new item for Noah and other inhabitants – So imagine Noah trying to wrap his mind around the idea of a flood! Imagine building a huge boat on dry land, and being confident that it would one day float out of that valley!
2. The jeering by the townspeople – Day after day Noah would work on the ark. Week after week, month after month and year after year Noah labored over building this huge boat, while sharing with his neighbors about this word given to him by God. Over a period of 120 years, some were born and actually died, while all the while hearing Noah talk about this flood that would hit them one day. My friends, Noah had a lot of faith to battle with the locals, while working endlessly to complete a very big boat, and keeping his mind focused on the idea of a strange phenomenon, ‘rain’ actually coming down in torrents one day;
3. His family, and a couple of every animal type would be saved – Can you imagine the questions you would have for God? Food; Water; Disposing of waste; Exercise for humans and animals; Will this boat even float? However, Noah’s faith never wavered!
Friends, God has given you and I unique information that requires our faith in action. I had a relative say to me: ‘As smart as you are, how could you possibly think that Jesus arose from the dead? That’s unheard of. For you to stay dedicated to the church, while expecting Jesus to return one day – are you for real?’ Now let’s go back to verse 1 in our Scripture for the meaning of faith: ‘It is the confident assurance that something we want is going to happen. It is the certainty that what we hope for is waiting for us, even though we cannot see it up ahead.’ Additionally, let’s consider why we believe that God exists, and if we can trust what He said in His Word. I believe with very high assurance, we can know without a doubt that God exists, and that He has already proven His Word to us, so there is no reason to start doubting it now. Do you have faith – just faith in general? Before you sit in a chair, do you try resting a heavy weight in the chair as a test first to make sure that it might hold your weight? I believe you have faith in many things, just like my simple example. I happen to believe that the Bible is true, and that God is faithful to His Word. He said that He will return again to take His bride (the church – those individuals who have accepted His Son Jesus) home. I have followed through in faith and accepted Jesus as my Savior so that one day I will be with Him in eternity. What has your faith done for you? It is clear that those who have not accepted Jesus, are destined for eternity in Hell. I hope that your faith is leading you to trust in Jesus, for my greatest desire is to worship at Jesus’ feet in Heaven with all those I have ministered to through ‘Nuggets’ surrounding me. Please don’t let me down.

PRAYER: Precious Lord, I am so thankful for who You are, and for all You have done to prepare me for that great day when I shall see You and the Father face to face! There is no greater joy in living each day than to keep my eyes fixed on You! Please humble the hearts of all those who will read this devotional today, and please encourage them to know You personally. Noah showed us faith in action. May our faith never waiver as we wait for the day that You will call us home to glory! What a glorious day that will be! Thank You 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!

Always Faithful

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

DATE WRITTEN: Tuesday, 2020-09-07
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

BIBLE REFERENCE: 2 Timothy 2:13
TRANSLATION: Living Bible (TLB)

BIBLE TEXT: 13 Even when we are too weak to have any faith left, he remains faithful to us and will help us, for he cannot disown us who are part of himself, and he will always carry out his promises to us.

OBSERVATION: I believe that one of the greatest reasons for divorces, might be because of an unfaithful spouse. When we hear of our spouse being unfaithful, unfortunately the worse comes out in us and regardless of what we promised in our wedding vows, we cannot find it within ourselves to forgive, and move on with our marriage. Perhaps you have heard of Christians feeling this way about God also, just as our Scripture alludes to. So let us prepare our hearts for this in light of what the Word of God says.

APPLICATION: We talked about marriages that fail because of unfaithfulness, but there are numerous other scenarios where we also choose to refuse forgiving others. Think about an employer who hired you into a vigorous training program for the eventual position of president. You worked hard, and for many long hours, at the sacrifice of your family, only to one day arrive at work and find a new person sitting in the president’s office. You are later informed that they came in very unexpectedly and applied for the position, and given their impeccable record and achievements, they are well qualified and deserving to lead the company on into the future. Ouch! What’s the first thing you will do? You got it, you will quickly write up your resignation letter and make your exit ASAP. The company was not faithful to you, so why should you remain faithful to them. Another analogy is that you were deeply involved in church work, and you had an excellent team working with you to develop the best ministry for your town that had a huge number of unsaved folk. It seemed to be working well, and you constantly led your team into awesome times of praise and thanksgiving for the work that God’s was doing. So you purchased land to build a bigger, better and more modern facility in which to teach and train the hundreds of people coming your way because of your ministry. Suddenly, your financial secretary came to your office one day to announce that the church was running out of money to meet its payroll and budget. In an emergency meeting with your leadership team, you discover that your church is in trouble financially. What happened to God, did He walk out on you? After weeks of wrestling with this, you are challenged by one of your leaders who warned that they felt you had walked out on God almost a year ago when you allowed the increasing number of attendees to assure you that you must be on the right track. Friends, pastors have committed suicide or left the church over things like this. God’s church must be run by God, and not man. No matter how good you may feel your man (pastor) is. But Paul tells us in this Scripture today that although you may have become unfaithful to God, He will never, ever, become unfaithful to you. Like the story of this pastor, there comes a time when you know that you have stepped out of God’s presence and decided to do life on your own, or as in the case of this pastor, you decided you had everything going your way and therefore did not need to bother God any further about your growth program. Stop – whose church did you say? Praise God that He allows the ignorance of mankind, and the silliness of preaching, to be used to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ to all mankind. However, we must always remember the position that we fill in the church is that of servant-hood, for God alone saves mankind; He alone grows the church; He alone touches hearts and heals the sick. As His servants, we simply stand back and follow His commands. Let’s never lose sight of our true position in the church. God’s in charge, and we are the pions who simply ask for His guidance so that we may obediently follow His will for His church. And remember, God’s faithfulness is not only in the church, but in everything where He has promised to be our Lord. I sincerely believe that if we remain faithful to God, and if we will do what He commands, then He will direct us in all aspects of our lives and relationships.

PRAYER: Dearest Lord Jesus, we are thankful that You are faithful in everything that You have promised. Please direct Your children so that we never step out of line, or try to assume Your role in our lives. Let us be content in following exactly whatever You command and go wherever You lead. Please be with our church leaders and prompt them to follow You in every aspect of Your church, so that our communities will see Christ in the church and they will therefore develop a desire to know You. May they never be blocked from seeing You because of us standing in the way. 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!