Tag: Forgiveness

Finding Hope Through Faith in Jesus

On By Ed AlgreenIn Accept Jesus NOW, Acknowledge God, All have sinned, Awesome God, Forgiveness, God Cares For Us, God’s Word, Redemption, Sacrifice, SalvationLeave a comment

DATE POSTED
Thursday, April 24, 2025, and I was blessed to be at Mariposa at Hunter Road, San Marcos, TX when God inspired me to prepare this devotional. My Footnote will tell you how to find and read any and all episodes that I have shared over the years.

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
Read John 3:16-21 in your Bible or click on it to read it online in the Living Bible (TLB).

APPLICATION – as inspired by the Holy Spirit
For just a moment, I want you to consider that your recent move into a large subdivision has shown itself quite challenging. You’ve discovered that many residents are trying to survive after losing their jobs over recent months. In fact, they’re not sure how much longer they can survive without a steady income by their family. You’re a kindhearted person and you want to show your love for your newfound neighbors/friends, what will you do? As you consider your response to that question, let’s look for a moment at what God did. He created a beautiful world, then He created human beings in His own image to worship Him, follow His commands and example, and to also populate the earth. Yes, He gave them free reign to think for themselves and to be themselves. Through Adam, Moses and many other prophets, God authorized them to help guide His children into doing what He expected, and to even encourage them to offer sacrifices in lieu of their sinful acts. However, God soon saw that plan was not working the way He wanted, so through miraculous means, He sent His very own Son into the world, knowing that at some point He would have to sacrifice Him, Jesus, for the sake of His children’s sins. Today’s Scripture tells us that Jesus came as an indication of the Father’s love for us. Animal sacrifices were just not working for redeeming the sin of the people. So God sent His only Son to settle the matter once and for all. He still wanted His earthly children to have a choice, so in knowing that sin could never enter Heaven, He offered us His Son for those who would choose eternity in Heaven with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. This was our one-time sacrificial redemption for the sin of those who asked for forgiveness. In verse 16, I find the verbiage interesting, for it says that if you believe in Jesus, you will be saved and live eternally with Him. Imagine, if you believe that He is the Son of God; if you believe He is God – for the Bible says that we have God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit – He is 3 in one; If you believe Jesus is our all in all; our Deliverer from sin; our Healer of our earthly illnesses; our Friend – for He not only saves us, but also loves us beyond anything we could think or imagine; our Counselor – for He speaks with us through His Word and directs our path unto righteousness; AND our Security – in saving us from our sin and keeping us saved until He calls us home to glory. Friends, we have a Savior, His name is Jesus, a gift from God Himself. The choice seems imminent and obvious, but it’s one that you must make for yourself in order to be saved. Without it, knowing that sin is not allowed in Heaven, there is only one other place that will have you – Satan’s domain – Hell.

PRAYER
A very well known verse with an immensely powerful message, yet we are reminded of Your message of love, forgiveness and grace that is available to us because of Your sacrificial and powerful gift given to us through Jesus, our Lord and Savior. Thank You Father for loving us so much to do this for us. Thank You Jesus for freely surrendering to the agony, pain and humility of hanging on that cross at Calvary, when You could have easily called on many angels to free You from such agony and disgrace. We indeed are a blessed people, and we are so appreciative of such a loving Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Please Father, break down the walls of pride and stubbornness in the hearts of those who have yet to surrender to Your Son. May this be the day of salvation for many who might be reminded through this devotional today.

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

Finding Peace and Healing Through Prayer

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

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

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

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

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

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

Share/Preach What You Have Seen and Heard

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, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED: Friday, September 13, 2024, and I was blessed to be at Destin, 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 International Version (NIV) IS FOUND IN Luke 24:45-48

THE BIBLE TEXT IS: 45 Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. 46 He told them, “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, 47 and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 I am going to send you what my Father has promised….

APPLICATION OF THE WORD: Ever notice that when you share someone else’s story it’s not as impactful as telling something that is near and dear to your own heart, because of your first-hand experience? In our Scripture today, Jesus share the Gospel with His disciples, but then He reminded them ‘but you are witnesses to these things’. Think about it: If you are married, like I am, then it is easy to share with someone seeking to unite in marriage; If you have been through a hurricane, like I have, then it is easy, but with a sense of urgency, to warn others that may be threatened with an oncoming hurricane; Likewise, if you have experienced the love of God – the One in whom you have placed your faith and trust, and surrendered your total lordship to Him, then you have a story to tell. I once heard an old preacher describe it as a beggar telling, and showing, another beggar where to find bread. I wonder if Satan doesn’t trip us up into believing that we must be ready to preach, or quote any and all verses in the Bible, before opening our mouths to share with someone else! In Ephesians 4:11 we are taught that some are given the gift of apostle, some teaching, some preaching, and so on. Not everyone in the church will be a preacher, otherwise there would be no skills for music or administration or otherwise. But the Bible specifically tells us that we each have been given a gift from God, and although that gift may not be evangelizing the lost, we each are prone to share our personal experiences, for it’s something that happened to us, or something that we have experienced. I was reminded of two additional things as I meditated on these verses:
1. Notice that Jesus opened the minds of the disciples so they could understand His teaching? When we go to church or Bible Study, try asking God to open your mind to what He has to teach you through His Word that day. We can walk through the doors of the church, sit in one of the comfortable seats, and although very capable of hearing and understanding, if our minds are hundreds of miles away, or wandering around the auditorium, then it may be challenging, if not impossible, to hear, understand and apply the teaching of God’s Word.
2. Jesus told His disciples what to concentrate on teaching and preaching, and I believe this holds true for His disciples, you and I, today. Repentance and forgiveness is to be the main principles of our sharing, and demonstrated through our lifestyle. Repentance is when you turn away from what you were doing, and turn to what you are taught to do through God’s Word. You were in sin, and you were living like the world, following Satan’s evil desire for your life. On surrendering to the rule and reign of Jesus Christ in your life, you accepted His gift of eternal life and you are on a road in life that leads to eternity with He and the Father in heaven. Follow His example and His teachings so that the world will know, and want to change in a similar way. Forgiveness is an acknowledgment that you are very capable of doing wrong, so don’t be so judgmental of everyone else. Be willing to forgive them, just as Christ forgave you.
Friends, we serve an awesome, loving and perfect God. Seek Him while He may be found, and allow Him to work in and through your life so that others may see, know, and also believe in the one true God.

PRAYER BECAUSE OF THE IMPACT OF TODAY’S SCRIPTURE: Lord Jesus, please continue to open our minds to truly hear, understand and believe what You say to us through Your Word and through circumstances in our lives. We are the clay and You are the Potter. Teach us to be moldable, especially here on this earth where there are so many side currents and acts of Satan that presses upon us every day. This old world needs Jesus, I pray that as they see and experience us, there will be a huge reminder of Your goodness, Your love, Your forgiveness, and Your salvation, that they too will want to know You personally. Please teach us to seek after and obey Your will for our lives each day. 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!

Lesson From Jesus Under Intense Pressure

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, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED: Tuesday, April 2, 2024, and I was blessed to be at a Vrbo property in Lake City, 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 Amplified Bible (AMP) IS FOUND IN Luke 23:33-37

THE BIBLE TEXT IS: When they came to the place called The Skull, there they crucified Him and the criminals, one on the right and one on the left. And Jesus was saying, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” … Now the people stood by, watching; but even the rulers ridiculed and sneered at Him, saying, “He saved others [from death]; let Him save Himself if He is the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed) of God, His Chosen One.” The soldiers also mocked Him, coming up to Him and [cruelly] offering Him sour wine, and sarcastically saying, “If you are [really] the King of the Jews, save Yourself [from death]!”

APPLICATION OF THE WORD: My prayer is that many of my readers may have heard this Scripture read at least once over this past weekend. But although I did, the Holy Spirit still keenly spoke to me today as I meditated on this Scripture. How much improvement is needed in our character to come close to what Jesus taught in His experience? It seems like our family and friends are going to extremes to get back at each other, because something was said against them, or perhaps not quite in the right tone. People are being murdered because they accidentally cut someone off in traffic. People are quitting churches because the pastor can no longer afford quality time with them, or the elders are encouraging new members instead of recognizing all that the older members give financially. Be reminded dear friends that Jesus had been arrested by the Jewish authorities, even though He never committed a crime. He was taken before Herod and also Pilate and neither could find any fault in Him, yet because of the hatred of the Jewish leaders, Jesus was ordered to crucifixion so that a murderer, Barabas, could be set free. Jesus was repeatedly beaten and abused as if He was a murderer, He was forced to carry His own cross to Calvary in spite of His worn out body. In the midst of His mother and other followers, His beatings continued, while being mocked and ridiculed and pierced with huge nails to a wooden cross. And then, even in spite of all that had transpired, Jesus looked to his Father and asked for forgiveness of the hateful and cruel men assigned to His crucifixion. Remember, this is the same Jesus who performed miracle after miracle, as recorded in the New Testament, so we know that a simple command could have reversed every evil action that day. What would you have wished on your accusers and abusers? Be reminded how upset and vindictive you get over much less, by those who cross your path. How might they be affected if you followed in the example of Jesus and asked God to forgive them? When we say that we’re a child of the King, seeking to do His will and follow in His example – do we truly know what that entails? Oh that we will keep our eyes fixed on Jesus and submit our will to His, so that He might mold us and make us His disciples who will be His witness here on earth.

PRAYER BECAUSE OF THE IMPACT OF TODAY’S SCRIPTURE: Lord, we are humbled and reminded of how much You willingly endured for our sake at Calvary, and we are forever grateful. Based on our actions, I believe that so many of us need a very special touch from You to enable a humble spirit, and one that looks first at what the God of this universe wants of us, before we acts based on selfish desires and personal benefits. Please help us to stay so in tune with You so that we will learn to act based on Your will, Your desire for us, and the benefit it all will have on the KIngdom. May we be willing at say, and accept, the words of Jesus – not my will oh Lord, but may Your perfect will be fulfilled in us. Please brush aside our selfishness, pride and greed so that we can concentrate fully on Your will and desire for us, and those that we come into contact with. 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 Story of a Father, Son and Forgiveness

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

DATE POSTED: Saturday, May 27, 2023, and I was blessed to be at O’Brien, FL when God inspired me to write this blog post. Please see my Footnote on how you might read or listen to this devotional or any past posts.

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE FROM THE New International Version (NIV) IS FOUND IN Luke 15:20-24

THE BIBLE TEXT IS: So he got up and went to his father. “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.

MY INITIAL THOUGHTS: With so many families split apart, and anger and resentment being the rule of the day, I sometimes wonder if we have learned absolutely nothing from the God some of us serve, and others have heard about. Please don’t insult me by saying that you don’t believe in God, because everyone sees your dependence on Him when your close relatives become sick – to the point of death, or you awaken one day to realize that your problems are much bigger than anything you alone can possibly handle. Stay tuned as the Holy Spirit works through my simple words to open your eyes of understanding.

APPLICATION OF THE WORD: It truly hurts my heart to hear someone say that they haven’t talked to their brother, sister, mom or dad in months, or even years. Besides the sadness of separation from loved ones, it also indicates that you are not striving to imitate the heart of God, for He is love, and He is known for His forgiving heart. Much like your earthly father, our Heavenly Father – God, created us in His own image. Through His son Jesus, He exampled pure love for us, and He left us a book of instructions, the Bible, to demonstrate how we are to love one another, and how we are to watch over, love, protect and care for our mother and father. In our Bible story today, we are reminded of a very popular illustration used by Jesus to help open the eyes of those who claimed to be ‘holy’ but were not demonstrating their belief in God and their holiness in a way that imitated God Himself. I considered titling this devotional ‘The Heart of God’, because in being reminded of the profound love of the father in today’s illustration, I was reminded of the love, compassion and heart of forgiveness that my Heavenly Father demonstrated when He gladly accepted me into His kingdom with open arms. I wonder, as you read the Scripture I appended above, which character reminds you most of your life’s journey? Remember, one son had enough of the bossing around by his father, so he asked for his inheritance, probably because he had no intention of ever seeing his father alive again. I’m sure that upon his departure, he had hoped to travel into a faraway land, for an all-time, extended stay. But things didn’t go exactly how he had calculated, so with all of his money gone, and finding only a job feeding animals that he and his family absolutely despised, he quickly saw in his mind how he could return to his father and accept the absolute worse job on the farm, if need be, because it would still be better than what he was doing. But just as sinners look to our Heavenly Father for complete forgiveness, unconditional love, and acceptance beyond anything we could find on planet earth, we find that this young man did the same with his father. Just like our Heavenly Father looks out in love and desperation for one more sinner who ran away and is lost, so this earthly father did the same. The father didn’t know whether the son would ever return, but he knew he was out there and would be extremely challenged to return to a place he had said farewell to. Friends, when a heart is filled with love, and especially also filled with the Holy Spirit, one is able to do more than any earthly man, on his own, could do. Yes, the son had received his inheritance, and yes, he would probably not return unless he had totally blown that inheritance, but one thing that would never change, is that the foolish young man was still this gracious father’s son. This frightened young man that was probably just as afraid of rejection as much as we are, had his speech ready, to plead with his dad for forgiveness and acceptance, in spite of all that had already gone down. But notice in the story how the father responded to the son’s spiel. Absolutely nothing! I’m sure that we also have our spiel about our misgivings and our sin, and we offer that up when we try to reunite with family members, friends, pastors and whomever we’re at odds with. But let me remind you of Romans 10:13 that says: “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” So you can save your spiel, just call on the name of Jesus, my friend. He knows your name and everything about you. Remember what I said earlier? He is waiting with opened arms to receive you into His kingdom. Our Heavenly Father is even more forgiving, loving and ultimately more welcoming to his sons and daughter who leave the sin and distractions of this world behind and choose to follow Him! It’s a great feeling to receive love, admiration and forgiveness from someone who, you thought all along, hated you for your acts of sin against them.

BLESSINGS WORTH NOTING: A ‘prodigal’ son came to his senses, and his loving father was waiting to welcome him home. A perfect image of the Father and the Son who waits to welcome us home after we’ve come to our senses and claimed our stake in the Son of God! Glory to God in the highest heavens!

PRAYER BECAUSE OF THE IMPACT OF TODAY’S SCRIPTURE: Lord Jesus, I thank you for speaking into my life and encouraging me to surrender my life to You many years ago. Please Lord, for those who might read this devotional and still are having doubts about meeting their Heavenly Father, or possibly having doubts about accepting Your Son, I pray that you will remind them of the provision You made at Calvary in sending Your very own Son so that in knowing Him, they could live eternally with You in Heaven. It is overwhelming joy to know that although we struggle through life here on earth, there is a day of joy and welcome coming from You, for those who opened their hearts to the salvation offered through Christ alone. Praise God, the biggest party is yet to come!. 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 see or hear more of my devotionals, please go to NuggetsFromGodsWord.org and read more, or go to Apple Podcasts and search for Nuggets From Gods Word to listen to more podcasts. You can also choose to freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s written devotional, or on the Apple Podcast app, simply search for Nuggets From God’s Word and click ‘Follow’ to be notified of Podcast updates. 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!

Saying The Right Thing

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Fruit of the Spirit, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED Thursday, 2022-12-29
WRITTEN AT: O’Brien, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Luke 6:44-45
TRANSLATION: New International Version (NIV)

BIBLE TEXT: 44 Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. 45 A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.

APPLICATION: In the technical arena we tend to say about the quality of computer data: ‘garbage in, garbage out’! I believe that children and adults are the same way, for if your child is given the opportunity at a very young age to hear calm and satisfying reading, quality teachings and people around them that care about, and love them, then I believe that they will have a chance at success in their personal lives, and their education – that often leads to success in their relationships, their workplace and their circle of friends. Jesus knew that His children would be easily swayed by Satan and that it may often come through the friends we make that load up our ‘bucket’ (heart) with hatred, revenge and paybacks that are not pleasing to our Father, nor does it conform with His teachings. I believe that today we are challenged by our Father to consider a few things:
1. Based of the fruit others see, what type of tree will the world identify us as? Will they find enough evidence to convict us of being aligned with our Master and Lord – a Christian?
2. If our bucket (heart) is filled with the teachings of Christ and looks like the example He set for us, will our fruit, or our character show such things as love – even to those who refuse to love us? Will they see mercy, even if we feel deep inside that the person doesn’t deserve it? Will they see grace, because they see our humility and forgiveness even towards those who aim at showing us up, or attempting to destroy our character?
Dear friends, I am prompted to look closer at what I fill my heart with each day, and I would sincerely suggest that you do the same. For, from that input, we are filling our hearts with values that we will draw from in our speech, our attitude and our actions. Jesus wants us to look like, act like and speak like Him so that the unsaved will see evidence of His existence in our lives. If you fall short in achieving this ideal, then you may need to join me in seeking God’s help – daily. We all have a purpose here on earth. May our purpose always be so surrendered to Jesus Christ, that He will ensure that the world sees Jesus, and not the old person we used to be.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: God knows how unfaithful we are in filling our heart with His love and instruction each day, yet He is patient in working on us to change our ways and commit ourselves to Him more fully. Praise God for our loving Savior – the One that we serve!

PRAYER: Lord, I pray that first and foremost we will be recognized by our Father as one of His own. Help us to never grow so stagnant in our faith that the world loses sight of who You are. Please teach us daily to depend on You – as a constant reminder of how important you are to us and how we can’t live a day without You. May You become such a valued presence in our lives that it will be virtually impossible to look on us without seeing the work of the Holy Spirit working in and through us. Some may never enter the church doors, but as the church operates in the world, may it be evident to the unsaved that the Holy Spirit is at work within us, drawing the lost to its Shepherd – the Great I Am – the King of all kings and Lord of all lords. All glory to You dear Lord, today and always! 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!

A Jealous God

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

DATE POSTED Saturday, 2022-02-19
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Exodus 20:4-6
TRANSLATION: The Voice (VOICE)

BIBLE TEXT: 4 You are not to make any idol or image of other gods. In fact, you are not to make an image of anything in the heavens above, on the earth below, or in the waters beneath. 5 You are not to bow down and serve any image, for I, the Eternal your God, am a jealous God. As for those who are not loyal to Me, their children will endure the consequences of their sins for three or four generations. 6 But for those who love Me and keep My directives, their children will experience My loyal love for a thousand generations.

APPLICATION: Our women flirt and husbands, or boyfriends become so jealous that they are only left to kill the enemy that is stepping in on their relationships. So is it any wonder why God said that being a jealous God, He would bring damnation on the individuals, who worship their own manmade idols, plus their children for several generations that follow? Let’s remember that God had just freed these people from slavery, and He was faithful in providing for their good, each and every day while traveling. But before the Israelites left Egypt, God demanded that they go and ask for the gold jewelry of their slave masters, whose hearts He would soften and prepare to freely give up their precious gold. This sounded like God was providing awesome gifts to His people, however nce the Israelites were up against decisions God made that were not in line with their desires, they took this gold and melted it down to form little gold images that they felt they could worship. In today’s world, we look in awe at the story of the Israelites while shaking our heads in surprise that our ancestors could be so ungrateful to turn their backs on the One True God who freed them and provided for their every need. It seems so ridiculous that they would worship images, and so hopeless to imagine that they could expect golden images to take the place of the Creator of the Universe. But what have we done that’s so much better, or that would impress our Creator? Our people are filled with excuses why they will not join us in worship to our God; Why they will not allow us to pray with their loved ones on beds of affliction; Why they are too busy with work, football games; hunting; boating; beaches; parties, and any number of things that are truly much higher on their priority list than simply worshiping God. Remember, our God is the One who walked on water; parted the Red Sea; Raised Lazarus from death; Opened the eyes of the blind; Provided food for our parents when there was no hope of feeding their families at night; etc, etc. Friends, might God look at many of the things that take His place in our lives as our ‘gods’ that are much like the golden images the Israelites worshipped? Are we willing for the same consequences that God said would fall on the Israelites – that our children, grandchildren, great grandchildren and more would suffer because of our selfish and careless attitudes towards the Great I Am? Our God loves us so much precious friends, that He is jealous about seeing us choose any other path besides His offer of salvation. Carefully examine your path dear friends, and your decisions. Be sure that your plans are filled with the worship, and plans, of the Father, to whom we owe our very lives, and who has presented His eternal offer for life everlasting.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: What a promise to know that God will bless our generations because of our faithfulness. For the faithful, this is outstanding news that will help us live out our lifetime here on earth in peace and reassurance of tomorrow.

PRAYER: Dear God, please continue to remind us that there is no God like our God. You have not promised us tomorrow, so may we be ready at any given moment to be taken up to glory to be with You. Please forgive us when we turn the other way and acknowledge our little ‘gods’. You have been so good to us that our minds should be fixed on You and our worship stayed on You. Please help us to be encouragers of the weak and may we always be willing and ready to share the Gospel with those who have chosen to ignore Your goodness and worship their earthly gods instead. You alone deserves our praise and our worship, so we acknowledge our allegiance to You oh God, our Rock and our Redeemer.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!

Preparing For Baptism

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

DATE POSTED Wednesday, 2022-01-12
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Matthew 3:5-9
TRANSLATION: New Living Translation (NLT)

BIBLE TEXT: 5 People from Jerusalem and from all of Judea and all over the Jordan Valley went out to see and hear John. 6 And when they confessed their sins, he baptized them in the Jordan River. 7 But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming to watch him baptize, he denounced them. “You brood of snakes!” he exclaimed. “Who warned you to flee the coming wrath? 8 Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God. 9 Don’t just say to each other, ‘We’re safe, for we are descendants of Abraham.’ That means nothing, for I tell you, God can create children of Abraham from these very stones.

APPLICATION: Ever noticed how some will dye their hair blue, if they see a friend or two doing the same thing, and getting attention over the strange practice? Ever noticed at an altar call in your church how challenging it is to get the first person to respond to the gospel message, and how much easier it is after the first person makes the walk down to the altar? We don’t want to be the first to make a move, but we are quick to follow the flow by our friends. People from the neighboring towns came to hear for themselves what all this ‘wild man’, John, was preaching about. His message touched their heart, so they confessed their sin and was ready to be baptized. This is still pretty customary in churches today, especially during revival or evangelistic services. But what would your church, or your pastor, do if at the baptismal service a number of people showed up for baptism who had never visited your church before? I believe we all can agree that at such special services, many might get in the spirit of what is occurring , and they may want to be baptized also. John recognized that the Pharisees and Sadducees who showed up and wanted to be baptized, felt like they were already good enough on their own reconnaissance and at least as good as the persons there who may have received forgiveness of their sin that day. However, John addressed this by drawing their attention to the change that occurs in a believer’s life. I believe John’s teaching on this is well worth our time to reflect on. Think about it – if we are a child of the King, then we will look like; sound like; and act like the King. It would be highly hypercritical of us to say that we are a child of the King, yet continue to behave like our old sinful selves. Who are we trying to fool? I also appreciate that John included the piece for his audience not to feel ‘saved’ because of them being from the seed of Abraham. You see, when we have grown up in the church, or if we happen to be a child of the pastor, deacon or elder, we may try to fool the world into thinking that because of our heritage, we too are saved. Notice what John taught here: we are each to approach the throne of God individually. Nothing done, said, or practiced by our ancestors could cleanse us of our sin and make us right with God. It is only through the shed blood of Jesus Christ that we are saved. That’s the sole purpose in God sending His Son, and He will have it no other way. We cannot slither our way into heaven through any other means. Be encouraged today Brothers and Sisters. We may not be a son or daughter of any earthly king or queen, but as a son of the Most Hight God – King Jesus, we are born again and ready to meet our Savior whenever He calls us home to glory. We are never too bad, or never too much of a pretender for God to accept us. Repent of your sins and ask God to become alive in You so that your words, actions and witness will be all about your heavenly Master.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: Jesus can save the hardened criminal or even the one who feels like they’ve always been ‘good enough’ according to the word’s standards.He came to seek and save ALL that are lost. That includes you, me, our neighbor or the drunk down the road.

PRAYER: Father God, we are reminded that there is nothing we can do of our own selves to save ourselves from our sins and ready ourselves for the portals of Heaven. John was very blunt about this with the Pharisees and Sadducees, and he may have even found reason to preach at some of our churches today. Yes, we must be saved through the righteous sacrifice of Jesus alone. But our life will always reflect who takes center place in our lives. May that always be you, and you alone dear God. As the world see Jesus in us, they might become convinced of the power of the One who sacrificed His life for the remission of our sins. Please forgive us for trying to play the fool before You, like we so often try to get away with before our fellow man. You are the one, and the only one, that we must be honest before. Please deal in our hearts and our lives so that we may have an honest relationship with You, and the one who will naturally display to the world who controls every fiber of our being. We love You Lord and we want You to be evident in all that we are. 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!

Come Back To God

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

DATE WRITTEN: Wednesday, 2020-12-23
WRITTEN AT: Paul B Johnson State Park, Hattiesburg, MS

BIBLE REFERENCE: Zechariah 1:4-6
TRANSLATION: Easy-to-Read Version (ERV)

BIBLE TEXT: 4 “Don’t be like your ancestors. In the past the prophets spoke to them and said, ‘The Lord All-Powerful wants you to change your evil way of living. Stop doing evil things!’ But your ancestors did not listen to me.” This is what the Lord said. 5 “Your ancestors are gone, and those prophets did not live forever. 6 The prophets were my servants. I used them to tell your ancestors about my laws and teachings. Your ancestors finally learned their lesson and said, ‘The Lord All-Powerful did what he said he would do. He punished us for the way we lived and for all the evil things we did.’ So they came back to God.”

OBSERVATION: I believe that we are quick to complain about how terrible things are – COVID, crime, wickedness, non-curable diseases, etc. Fortunately we have some of the best scientists ever lived, but isn’t it shocking that cancer is still killing so many people who can’t find help from doctors and modern medicine? Heart attacks are still taking the lives of many, regardless of age or gender. COVID is impacting the whole world, and although we may currently have a vaccine, we have not seen proven effects from that yet. So what might the problem be? Look no further than God’s Word, as we will do today. Stay with me.

APPLICATION: I don’t know about you, but I was always one who enjoyed the benefits of happy parents. I hated to disappoint them, and I was terribly unhappy when I saw they were unhappy and/or disappointed about something. We carry that same emotional concept throughout life, as we have the same feelings for our spouse. But what happens when we no longer care about how the other party feels about our wicked actions and attitude? Generally this will involve separation of some sort. As a kid, we were sent to our room to allow a ‘cool-off’ period. In the case of a spouse, one party may ask for permission to go out on a date with friends, or take a weekend trip with friends to hunt, or go shopping, or just visit a big city. But what about God? What do we do when we have been disrespectful and dishonored Him; where we have deliberately sinned, in spite of being reminded in last week’s sermon about how God feels about that particular sin; where we have repeatedly responded negatively to God’s invitation to accept His one and only Son. I believe that God is at the top of the list in being what we consider ‘a total gentleman’. So I believe that He withdraws from you and will allow you to proceed with your selfish desires. But my dear friends, please allow me to remind you that just as God spoke through Zechariah to tell the Israelites that He would return to them if they sought after Him, He also stands ready, with outstretched arms, inviting His sinful children to return to Him, and promising that He would, in turn, return to them. Is there any reason to doubt God at His word? Absolutely not, for He said that He could do anything but sin, or go back on His word. Furthermore, the last words in our Scripture were spoken by the Israelites, who declared that just as God said, they returned to Him and, in turn, He returned to them. Dear son or daughter, there would be no greater gift to your mom or dad this Christmas than to come back to God, so that He would freely come back to you.

PRAYER: It is beyond our wildest imagination to understand why a holy and righteous God would return to us after we have deserted Him and gone our own way, or did our own thing. However, we know that You love us dear God and we know that You went to the extreme to save us from our sin, so Lord Jesus, we surrender ourselves back to You anew and ask for Your forgiveness. We have sinned against You and our lives are in shambles. In line with Your Word, we ask that You forgive us of our sin and accept us back into your favor. You honored Your promise to the Israelites, and I believe that You will do it again. Thank You for loving us unconditionally and for honoring Your Word. 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!