Finding Peace: Understanding God’s Timing in Life

On 2025-01-14 By Ed AlgreenIn Accept Jesus NOW, Acknowledge God, All have sinned, Awesome God, Death, Eternity, God Cares For Us, God’s WordLeave a comment

DATE POSTED
Tuesday, January 14, 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
Quoted from the Good News Translation (GNT) and found in Ecclesiastes 3:1-2; 11-14;

THE SCRIPTURE READS
¹Everything that happens in this world happens at the time God chooses. ²He sets the time for birth and the time for death,….
¹¹He has set the right time for everything. He has given us a desire to know the future, but never gives us the satisfaction of fully understanding what he does. ¹²So I realized that all we can do is be happy and do the best we can while we are still alive. ¹³All of us should eat and drink and enjoy what we have worked for. It is God’s gift. ¹⁴I know that everything God does will last forever. You can’t add anything to it or take anything away from it. And one thing God does is to make us stand in awe of him.

APPLICATION – as inspired by the Holy Spirit
I’ve heard this Scripture read over and over at funerals, but today I feel like God really spoke to me in a very personal way about this. From the moment that one is born, there is one thing we know for certain – they will eventually die, if God doesn’t send Jesus back for us before that time. However, we all gamble every day with the decisions we make and the opportunities we miss, knowing full well that we may never live to see that day concluded here on earth. I love the way that the GNT states these verses, for the same God who blessed our parents with the miracle of our birth, also has a planned time for our departure. This is not meant to be a morbid message, for it is a fact that we all know, and a part of life that will happen to us all. Casinos thrive from people who place a dollar in one of their machines, hoping to see many dollars returned to them at the end of their gamble. Would it be safe to say that Satan thrives from mankind facing a day knowing that it could be their last opportunity to invite Jesus into their heart, but he (Satan) wins when death becomes a reality to the undecided in the course of their life that day? I am a fairly big note-taker, especially in my Bible studies and during the preaching and teaching of God’s Word. I found the following notes that I had taken on this subject, and because I realize that some might complain that they don’t know what it means to be ready for death, I thought to share it with you, my readership: Here’s how to be ready for that day:

Set your mind on things above – Col 3:1 – we tend to think a lot on things that do not matter. Job – they will find someone else! Money – it’s of no use for eternity.
Meditate on those who have gone on ahead of us. – Hebrews 4:8 – imitate their faith.
Pray for yourself – 2 Peter 4:10 – salvation. You must be born again. You will then live like you’ve been born again. Pray without ceasing.
Be Diligent In: Bible Study; Church attendance; sharing the Gospel;
Let your light shine before men. Live like you’re a child of the King and like you’ve been with Jesus today.
Know that final day is coming for all of us. Be ready, for it will come without notice. Suddenly.

Think about it friends. If you awoke today knowing that there’s a good chance a storm will hit your area today, most of you will be motivated to do most of the things mentioned above to help protect, and ready yourself for the impending danger. Throughout the Bible, and especially here in our Scripture verses today, we are told that death is coming to us all and today could very well be your turn. Are you ready to meet Jesus, knowing that your eternity is secured in having accepted Him as Lord of your life, and also knowing that any negative response to this will result in eternity in Hell with Satan and his demons? It’s totally your decision my friend.

PRAYER
Thank You Jesus for provoking us to make vital decisions each day – do we stay in bed, or do we get up; do we get dressed and become active today, or just lounge around lazily; is there anything we need to do to face any and all things that might come our way today? On the latter, we easily prepare for the earthly things that may or may not occur. But today – at this very moment, we know without a shadow of doubt that today could very well be the day that we face eternity. Thank You for allowing us to make our informed choices. I appreciate You giving us Your Word to help us know and understand what today will bring whether we live, or whether we die. My choice is to spend eternity with the One in whom I have entrusted my life and given my service to, and I thank You for that assurance precious Lord. Please provoke the thoughts and minds of my readers to make informed decisions today, for their eternal destiny. Teach me Lord to show Your love and mercy through every aspect of my life and help me to share Your Word so that others may know and believe in You. AMEN!

FOOTNOTE
If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please take advantage of information provided on my page ‘To Know Jesus’. I would also suggest that you speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com and share your good news! Perhaps one of God’s servants will 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. 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 being a part of that, while also growing in your faith, as you worship with fellow believers!

Embracing All: God’s Love for the Rich and Poor

On 2025-01-13 By Ed AlgreenIn Accept Jesus NOW, Acknowledge God, All have sinned, Awesome God, Favoritism, God Cares For Us, God’s WordLeave a comment

DATE POSTED
Monday, January 13, 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
Quoted from the Living Bible (TLB) and found in James 2:1; 4; 13;

THE SCRIPTURE READS
¹Dear brothers, how can you claim that you belong to the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, if you show favoritism to rich people and look down on poor people?
⁴judging a man by his wealth shows that you are guided by wrong motives.
¹³for there will be no mercy to those who have shown no mercy. But if you have been merciful, then God’s mercy toward you will win out over his judgment against you.

APPLICATION – as inspired by the Holy Spirit
I believe that I have included enough Scripture from James 2 that you may be provoked into reading the whole chapter! But dear friends, it become evident that God wanted to remind me to not overlook any of His children because of certain prejudices I may have developed over my lifetime. It was just yesterday that I included in my notes from our pastor’s sermon ‘Who am I that God would use me’, for Pastor had shared how his young adult church family could never imagine him being called into God’s ministry, because of his past history. Many of us can identify with this story, because we know that our past gave no indication of how God could use even us to spread His Word to a lost and dying world after being redeemed by His blood. Remember, God also used Saul in the most amazing way in his new identity as a child of God and with his new name – Paul. Yet, we tend to look down our noses in sinful pride when we hear of God speaking to an unlikely candidate for salvation. We often say, ‘I can’t imagine what caused that bum to leave the street corner long enough to come in and disrupt our church service by walking in here like that’, don’t we? The sad thing is that we may not say that often enough, because we’ve not been on the street corners spreading the love of Jesus with those individuals. Furthermore, and even worse, we have created such an elite group in our churches that, should a poor and destitute person walk through our doors, we may approach them quickly to ask if they lost their way. But, what about the one who struts in, very proudly, often over dressed, who came in from their expensive car out in the parking lot? Don’t we make every effort to show them the best seat in the house and make every effort to help them feel welcomed? What might be our ‘wrong motives’ that James speaks of in verse 4? Although this may not have been planned, or intentional, I believe that our sixth sense kicks in as we recall the financial woes of our church, and the intimidation we’ve always felt about being the poorest church in town, filled with just humble people who manage to make it through life financially. Wouldn’t it be God-like to instead feel overjoyed that God has caused the rich and the poor alike to hear of His love for them and want to attend our church to learn more about Him and His amazing sacrifice for their sin? Friends, let us never forget that God has ordained it that we go into all the world and share His Gospel truth with everyone. This means with the poor, so that they might be encouraged to know that God, and His people loves them and want to see them in heaven alongside His many other children, rich and poor. The rich should also know this, for this gives them a reminder that God opened doors for them to gain financial means so that they might help those who are less fortunate and help those who strive to reach the lost for Jesus Christ. Be reminded today that God saves people who seek Him and accepts His precious love for mankind, and He does this without looking into their pocketbook first. As children of this loving Father, we too must learn to love, care about, and lead ALL mankind to the saving grace of our loving God through His Son, Jesus. All will be equal in the sight of God when we kneel at His feet in glory, so should we be here on earth.

PRAYER
What a wonderful reminder today, dear Lord. When things are going amazingly well we find it challenging to understand the struggles others are having. When things are challenging for us, we tend to feel depressed about the success of others and their ability to keep their heads up as they rejoice in the joys of life. Often this is impacted by finances where it appears like the poor is looked down on while the rich is abundantly blessed. I believe that You, Lord, forego the pocketbook and look directly at the heart, and I want so badly that Your followers will follow in Your example. Your servant, James, really challenged my heart today, and I pray that the thoughts You have impressed upon me to share will only serve to reinforce what James shared. Please teach us to always follow in Your ways, and to always look at the heart of a person without allowing distractions from any other source. May we be known to love as You love – unconditionally and from a heart of grace and mercy, just as You loved us while we were yet sinners. AMEN!

How John and Andrew Show Us to Invite Others to Christ

On 2025-01-10 By Ed AlgreenIn Accept Jesus NOW, Acknowledge God, All have sinned, Awesome God, God Cares For Us, God’s WordLeave a comment

DATE POSTED
Friday, January 10, 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
Quoted from the Living Bible (TLB) and found in John 1:35-37; 41-42

THE SCRIPTURE READS
³⁵The following day as John was standing with two of his disciples, ³⁶Jesus walked by. John looked at him intently and then declared, “See! There is the Lamb of God!” ³⁷Then John’s two disciples turned and followed Jesus.
⁴¹Andrew then went to find his brother Peter and told him, “We have found the Messiah!” ⁴²And he brought Peter to meet Jesus…..

APPLICATION – as inspired by the Holy Spirit
Think for a moment what you say while inviting someone to attend church with you. Often, we use words, or hear things, like: ‘We have a wonderful church’; ‘We have an outstanding pastor’; ‘We have the friendliest people’; ‘We have an outstanding worship team’; etc. How often do we say, or hear others say, ‘Come and meet our Savior, Jesus my Lord, for He’s always present in our worship services’? Surely, we’re not trying to use trickery to get our family and/or friends to attend worship with us, right? Or are we truly using the very things that causes us to be in church? Friends, let me draw your attention to two things:
-> 1. John made no attempt to convince his disciples to stay with him but instead pointed them to Jesus. I once heard a pastor say that his congregation should rejoice as a member leaves them and moves on to ministry in another place, for they (the church) have done their job of disciple’ing that person and they should thank God that the person is now using those blessings attained at their church to go on and bless others. BUT, is that the way it really works in reality?
-> 2. Andrew, one of the two disciples who left John to follow Jesus, was so excited after meeting Jesus in person that he hurried home to share the good news with his brother, Simon, to – now get this, come and meet Jesus. No mention of the place where Jesus was staying, or the nature and/or charisma of Jesus, or the friendly owner of the guest house where they were staying. It was Jesus that Andrew wanted his brother to meet!
I wonder whether we would still invite people to attend church with us if we knew they would only come once, meet Jesus, and then you never see them again. Why, aren’t we trying to fill every seat in our church so the chores and responsibilities could be split with more attendees, or so that we could see the offerings increase to help us meet the expense of our new building; or give the raise to our pastor and staff that we feel they need? Do you suppose that we sometime lose sight of why we worship, and the one that we meet to worship? Do we lose sight of the commands of Jesus to ‘go ye into all the world and preach the gospel? – invite them to know your Jesus’. Wouldn’t it be awesome to see our churches fill up with people excited about their new-found faith in Jesus Christ, rather than attending because of the charisma of the pastor, or the perfection in the voices of the praise team, or the deep pockets of the church to help us out of our financial woes? Friends, as I challenge you with these words, please know that I must first seek and acknowledge the deep love of Jesus and be willing to invite my friends to come and meet Jesus, with or without the blessings of an awesome pastor, a warm and friendly church family, or the awesome place in which we meet. Let’s work towards being like John the Baptist and Andrew where nothing else matters when we invite others to join us at the feet of Jesus, for it’s all about Him, and nothing else!

PRAYER
Blessed Lord and Savior, thank You for drawing our attention to the ways in which we have allowed the world to invade our minds and convince us of how the things of this world overshadow the love of our Savior who died and rose again, so that we might be saved from our sin and reach for the glories of Heaven. Nothing else matters when we fix our eyes on You and You alone, so please impress upon us the need to promote You as the aim of our worship, our church, our hope, and our eternal destiny. Please help us to emphasize that to as many as would listen, so that they may search You out, whether they ever attend our respective churches or not, for it’s You that saved us and readied us for Heaven and eternity with You and the Father. Be glorified in us dear Jesus, so that others will see You and desire relationship with You. Please help us to always point others to You! AMEN!

The Cost of Empty Worship: A Devotional Insight

On 2025-01-09 By Ed AlgreenIn Accept Jesus NOW, Acknowledge God, All have sinned, Awesome God, Fruit of the Spirit, God Cares For Us, God’s Word, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED
Thursday, January 9, 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
Quoted from The Voice (VOICE) and found in Jeremiah 6:19-20

THE SCRIPTURE READS
¹⁹Listen, O Earth, for I am bringing this disaster upon Judah. This is the fruit of their own scheming. For My people would not listen to My instructions; They have rejected My guidance—My law—to go their own way. Many people in Judah keep going through the motions of worship; they offer sacrifices and incense to the one True God. They speak superficial words when they think it counts, and they give Him extravagant gifts. But the prophet knows the mind of God, and God is not impressed with any of it. Empty worship is meaningless. In fact, empty worship may do more harm than good. These gifts and actions, it seems, have no meaning unless the hearts of the people are attuned to God, unless they are willing to hear and do what God asks. Obedience, you see, is better than sacrifice.
²⁰What use do I have of your expensive incense from Sheba or the fragrant reeds you offer Me from a faraway land? I will not accept your burnt offerings; the aroma of these empty sacrifices does not please Me.

APPLICATION – as inspired by the Holy Spirit
From our current day churches, much is taught about the fruits of the Spirit, and it is exciting for parishioners to gloat in the joy of what God has promised to those who follow in His footsteps and His teachings. But I feel like the Holy Spirit really got my attention today as I read this scripture from the book of Jeremiah. For God, in working through His servant Jeremiah, chose to use a similar reference in ‘the fruit of their scheming‘. Now, Christian teachers and leaders might skip right over this, for we tend to try and find the positive things of the Bible to attract the attention of our hearers. But it is refreshing to be reminded today that God looks at our heart, so He knows our intent, and our reasoning for offering up our sacrifices to Him. From a loving Father, it is important that He teaches us the rewards of our obedience, but also teach us the costs of our wrongdoing, or disobedience. Yes, today we still offer up sacrifices in hopes of the Father giving is a pat-on-the-back. Here are a few ways that we may feel like we are sacrificing: our church attendance; our worship; carrying our Bible with us, especially in public places; the offerings that we give towards the work of the church; the cross that we wear on our lapel or necklace; the jobs that we accept at church; etc. etc. However, let’s keep these things in mind as we look at the things that God is impressed with, and that the prophet emphasized in today’s Scripture:
–> That our hearts be attuned to God – From the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. That’s the first thing that comes to my mind! Is it evident from what we say that our words are influenced by our Lord? When our hearts are attuned to God, we want more of Him and we lean towards seeking His will and way in everything we do. Would God find us ‘guilty’ of having a heart that is attuned to Him?
–> We are willing to hear (the Word of God – His teachings) – A heart that is attuned to God will desire to hear what He has to say each day. This will lead to frequent self-examinations as the Holy Spirit will open our eyes to the things that we are aligned with God’s Word on, plus the things we are lacking, or on which we have chosen to let the world have its way with us.
–> We are willing to, (and make every effort to) obey what God asks – We are reminded of the things we tend to do our own way. For the child of God who is attuned to God and willing to hear the voice of God, we must also be obedient to the Word, for obedience is better than sacrifice.
–> We acknowledge and live out true obedience to Almighty God, rather than the material things we might offer up to Him – On one occasion, I had a good friend who tried to convince me that he was sure God would accept his dad into heaven, for he was a good and honorable man who loved to help others. We might know a close relative who fits that same bill. Please be sure that your assessment of one’s life is always based on their obedience to God, and not just on their outward actions. Although I must remind you that it is way more important to look inward before looking outward at anyone else. It truly frightens me when I hear friends speak of their deceased loved one now being in heaven, especially if I am aware of the life they lived here on earth. But this Scripture is specifically wanting us to know the facts of what God is looking for in us. That’s really the only person that we can do anything about. Am I so caught up in the world, that I choose to live my life like the world promotes, or am I willing to change the trajectory of my life to ensure the eternal destiny of my life in heaven one day? This is primarily achieved thru accepting the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and surrendering lordship of your life over to Him. Join me dear friends in reading our Bibles daily, and commune with God in prayer and meditation regularly so that we can know, fully understand and obey the teachings and example of Jesus, our King!

PRAYER
Thank You Lord Jesus for the Word of God and for the truth that it contains to direct us in our earthly path as we strive for eternity in Heaven. It never fails to amaze me how You, our Father and God, cover every aspect of life in Your Word. Especially in today’s Scripture where You challenge us to think of the fruit of our uncommitted allegiance to You and Your teaching. In most cases our decision making is driven by not wanting to follow the law, especially Your laws, so we try to find ways to do certain things that will look like we are obeying, but yet we do it in our own way and, if closely examined, You might really count it as disobedience. You know us better than we know ourselves, Lord, so please continue to lead us in the way that we should go and remind us always of the teachings and laws You have commanded of us in Your Word. People still need the Lord, and I pray that they will see so much of You in us, that they will call on Your name for mercy and forgiveness of their sin. AMEN!

Understanding God’s Faithfulness Through Jeremiah 3

On 2025-01-02 By Ed AlgreenIn Accept Jesus NOW, Acknowledge God, All have sinned, Awesome God, God Cares For Us, God’s Word, SalvationLeave a comment

DATE POSTED
Thursday, January 02, 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
Quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) and found in Jeremiah 3:19-20

THE SCRIPTURE READS
¹⁹“I thought to myself, ‘I would love to treat you as my own children!’ I wanted nothing more than to give you this beautiful land— the finest possession in the world.
I looked forward to your calling me ‘Father,’ and I wanted you never to turn from me. ²⁰But you have been unfaithful to me, you people of Israel! You have been like a faithless wife who leaves her husband. I, the Lord, have spoken.”

APPLICATION – as inspired by the Holy Spirit
Ever had a situation in your home, while growing up, where your mom and dad had a gift for you, but because of their disappointment over an incident you were a part of, they decided to hold the gift for another time? In our Scripture today, we can see where God had a very special gift for His people, but He questioned Himself on whether to move forward with ongoing blessings, as the people had disappointed Him terribly. To help you really get the impact of this, let me suggest that you substitute the underlined words above with your name, and see if you become a little more sensitive on how God must feel at times. Of course, if you are perfect, just as your Lord is, then you would want to skip this devotional and move on! Personally, I have often reflected on how, or why, would God put up with my disregard for His laws, and more so, how or why does He allow the sin in my city, state or country to go on. When I read the Old Testament, I am reminded of the times that God wiped out entire families, cities, or as in the time of Noah, the entire world population. Then, I often question why has He been so patient with us. I know, many of you who read this devotional may ponder on ways that you might improve your standing with God, and how you might please Him more. Let me assure you dear friends, that nothing has changed in God’s demands of His children. Just remember these things:
– God created us to worship Himself;
– He brought Jesus, God’s only Son, into the world so that we would have a way out of our sinful life and ready ourselves for the Kingdom of God;
– He also left a book of instruction to clarify what we could expect from God and how we should live in order to please Him.
So, let me suggest that you join me in approaching the throne of grace as we start off this New Year, and without looking for excuses, simply present ourselves to God and follow the example of David, where he simply asked God to ‘Search me, oh God, and know the intent of my heart, my thoughts and my actions. Cleanse me and make me pure and righteous in Your sight’. Enough of choosing to look, and compare ourselves, to our family, our pastor, or our friends. It is time that we awaken from the fog of that kind of dream and instead compare ourselves to the Lord Jesus Christ. Aim to walk in His footsteps and honor Him with our lifestyle, our words and our actions. People can easily look through our pretense, for they need Jesus, and its only when they see no wicked way in us, will they believe that Jesus is alive in us and leading us through every phase of life.

PRAYER
Lord Jesus, I pray that my readers will join me in not just reading Psalm 51 again, but actually making it our goal to revisit it on a regular basis and, as we read it, sincerely apply it in our prayer life to You. Yes, You alone are righteous, but unless we aim for righteousness, we become uncommitted and cave in to the sin and evil of this world. Putting aside all that You may have in store for us as a reward for our lifestyle here on earth, we have an even deeper desire to let You guide us every day to become more like You. People need the Lord, not just the trivial attempts by us to look and sound like You. Have Your will and way in us oh Lord, until our time on earth has ended. May others see enough of You in us, that they would be influenced towards salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN!

Eternal Impact: Living for Jesus Today

On 2024-12-28 By Ed AlgreenIn Accept Jesus NOW, Acknowledge God, All have sinned, Awesome God, God Cares For Us, God’s Word, Heaven, Hell, WisdomLeave a comment

DATE POSTED
Saturday, December 28, 2024, 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
Quoted from the Good News Translation (GNT) and found in Ecclesiastes 2:15-16

THE SCRIPTURE READS
¹⁵I thought to myself, “What happens to fools is going to happen to me, too. So what have I gained from being so wise?” “Nothing,” I answered, “not a thing.” ¹⁶No one remembers the wise, and no one remembers fools. In days to come, we will all be forgotten. We must all die—wise and foolish alike.

APPLICATION – as inspired by the Holy Spirit
Solomon, son of the great king of Israel, David, is known as the wisest man ever lived. He had kings from neighboring territories visit with him in hopes of gaining wisdom, or at least to learn from his wisdom. He was also known as one of the richest kings of his time, and he had many wives and concubines. So, I believe it would be easy to conclude that Solomon probably had it made in all aspects of life! This may compare to those today who have very successful businesses, rich in financial means, and in attracting others into their home and company, for many people are drawn to those who may be able to supply their needs and wants. However, in regard to the riches of other, I think of the wisdom and phrases of my elders, where I heard such sayings as ‘they have more money than sense!’ or ‘They have more money that they will ever live to enjoy!’ or ‘Money can’t buy their way into heaven!’ or ‘They put their pants on the same way that the fool down the road does!’. I’m sure there are many other similar sayings you might know of also, but I found it interesting in being reminded of how Solomon came to realize that his wisdom was not an end-all to the many challenges of life. I love films that show how bosses, or rich folk come to their senses, and they see what it’s really like at the bottom. It might be satisfying for a business owner to walk into a room of employees and admire the smiles on their faces, knowing that they have such wonderful employees! However, it would be extremely sobering to live a day in each of their shoes to see what it takes for them to live on the salary you are paying them, or their credit card balances due primarily to buying decent apparel for work, or their worry about childcare, food, transportation, rent, etc. It seems to me that Solomon was sobered into realizing that his wisdom does nothing for his afterlife, for his fool hearted school pal or relative will travel a very similar road and God will go through a very similar decision of their relationship with Him during their lifetime. Friends, I believe that especially at the thought of a New Year approaching, it might be a good time today for us to step aside from the busyness of life and examine our position with God. Has the work, busyness, family events, church activities, parties, vacations, and the many other events of 2024 brought us closer to God than we were on January 1, 2024? In verse 12 of this chapter I am studying, Solomon started out comparing his life of wisdom to a life of foolishness and recklessness that he sees in his friends. I believe Solomon came to the same conclusion that I pray we will come to as we meditate on this Word from God today – only what’s done for Jesus will last and, our eternity is totally based on our personal relationship with our God. Without the latter, we will leave this world and enter into an eternity in Hell with Satan. Please, please, please, dear readers, don’t fall prey to the current worldly trend of thinking that if we die, we have gone to heaven. The Bible is clear that only a child of God – one who believes on the name of Jesus and has given Him lordship over their life, will one day see Him in glory. All others will assume their rightful place with Satan and his demons in Hell, no matter how good they were here on earth.

PRAYER
Lord, please open the eyes of my readers and myself to those things that we may tend to spur on our confidence, and help us to concentrate on our dependence on, and need for, You. Nothing that we do here on earth will last, and only what’s done for Jesus will last. Yet we tend to spend our time and energies on exactly the things that are temporary. Please forgive us Lord, and as we approach a New Year where we could choose to make new beginnings, please give us the strength and stamina to reach for a closer and more intimate relationship with You. Draw me close dear Lord. Examine my heart and open my eyes to the things that You want to see me direct my attention to. I also pray that this might also ignite a new desire in the heart my readers. May 2025 be a year when Your children will become more like loving and legitimate children than ever before, so that we may be more influential in the lives of those that need a closer relationship with You. AMEN!

The Crown of Life: A Promised Gift

On 2024-12-26 By Ed AlgreenIn Accept Jesus NOW, Acknowledge God, All have sinned, Awesome God, Eternal Life, God Cares For Us, God’s Word, TemptationLeave a comment

DATE POSTED
Thursday, December 26, 2024, 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
Quoted from The Living Bible (TLB) and found in James 1:12-16

THE SCRIPTURE READS
¹²Happy is the man who doesn’t give in and do wrong when he is tempted, for afterwards he will get as his reward the crown of life that God has promised those who love him. ¹³And remember, when someone wants to do wrong it is never God who is tempting him, for God never wants to do wrong and never tempts anyone else to do it. ¹⁴Temptation is the pull of man’s own evil thoughts and wishes. ¹⁵These evil thoughts lead to evil actions and afterwards to the death penalty from God. ¹⁶So don’t be misled, dear brothers.

APPLICATION – as inspired by the Holy Spirit
Perhaps as we reflect on Christmas, we remember the idea from a child’s point of view that if they’ve been good, they will receive good gifts at Christmas. Now with that in mind, re-read today’s Scripture and take note of God’s promise to us through His servant writer James. But more than that, let’s look into this Scripture and use the rest of the Bible to help us understand what we believe James is teaching us here. First of all, let’s look at why mankind might give in to temptation. I believe that when one has mixed feelings about their commitment to someone, or something, then it takes very little convincing for them to walk away or be unfaithful. Many marriages fail because of weak or nonexistent commitment to the spouse they promised God they would love till death parts them. We blame one another for weakening relationships, but the truth is that we each must take personal responsibility for our promises to God and to each other. But looking at the topic from James’ point of view, he wants us to see how God looks at the faithfulness of His children. You see, it becomes much like our gift giving at Christmas. Very often we give gifts because someone has given us a gift – either in material form or in being especially good to us. God says to us in today’s Scripture that if we stay firm in our commitment, love, devotion, to Him, and if we stay firm, He will gift us with the crown of life – life eternally in glory with our triune God. This idea of being rewarded a crown was also spoken of in Luke 19:11-27 when a certain nobleman told a servant that because of his diligence in investing the money given to him, he would rule over 10 cities. The thing is, God has given each of us many gifts to use in our cities today also. In your opinion, based on your investments of the gifts given to you, will He crown you as ruler over 10, 5, or perhaps no cites in His Kingdom? However, the impact of verses 13-15 will hit home for many of us today. So often we seem to instantly try to find a scapegoat – someone else to blame, for our lack of commitment, and/or our failure to use the gifts given to us by our faithful Father. Unfortunately, while some will buy into those excuses out of respect to you, God is able to discern the faithfulness and honesty of your heart. There is a well-known gospel song entitled ‘He knows My Name’, a favorite of mine. The Bible also tells us that God knows our very thoughts, not just what others hear from our lips. So, can we be very, very personal with God today and either rejoice with Him over our honest thoughts and works, or confess to Him our inadequate actions and degree of commitment to the gifts granted to us, while also asking for His strength, power and love to help us overcome these things and press on to greater heights in His Kingdom? If not my friends, we might easily become misled by what the world wants us to think. Now it’s your turn with God, go for it!

PRAYER
Oh Lord Jesus, we are unworthy of Your love and Your sacrifice on Calvary, for although we have invited You into our hearts, we often struggle with surrendering lordship of our lives to You. In this world, we are impacted by the attitude of seeking relationships with those from whom we can gain or improve our status or position in life. But You have shown us throughout Your life, and especially on the cross, that love is best understood by what you do for others. You sacrificed Your very life, even while we were yet sinners and participated in every way with Your crucifixion, so that we who accept You as Lord, can have eternal life. Please forgive us Lord, and today begin a new work, a godly attitude in us, to help us show the world that the Jesus we claim to exist inside of us, is being reflected in our attitude: towards our crazy and dangerous drivers, in our busy and chaotic stores, and our restaurants filled with selfish and ungodly patrons who are rude to waiting staff who may not provide for their every need. People so badly need Jesus, not more of our selfish and worldly attitudes. Please fill us to overflowing with Your character and Your heart so that every word and action that exudes from us might impact others for the Kingdom. AMEN!

Preparing for Jesus’ Return: Lessons from John 1

On 2024-12-17 By Ed AlgreenIn Accept Jesus NOW, Acknowledge God, All have sinned, Awesome God, Evangelize, God Cares For Us, God’s WordLeave a comment

DATE POSTED
Tuesday, December 17, 2024, 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
Quoted from the Living Bible (TLB) and found in John 1:22-23

THE SCRIPTURE READS
²²“Then who are you? Tell us, so we can give an answer to those who sent us. What do you have to say for yourself?”
²³He replied, “I am a voice from the barren wilderness, shouting as Isaiah prophesied, ‘Get ready for the coming of the Lord!’”

APPLICATION – as inspired by the Holy Spirit
In my earlier years of ministry, I recall leaving the bedside of a church member I had visited and prayed for, and as I departed, I recall her family member asking her whether I was her pastor. Although overwhelmed that I had left that kind of impression with the family member, I knew that I was merely a servant of the most high God who visited the sick and shut-ins as a means of reminding them that someone still loved them, even while they laid on a bed of affliction wishing that they could be at church encouraging others. John the Baptist showed us in today’s Scripture how to respond to a question like the one asked of my friend. You see, there will be times that you are anxious to share about your Lord with those you come into contact with, and they will question, who do you think you are to come and share your religion with them. It’s a fair question, for they are a sinner, but so are you, it’s just that you have been saved by the wonderful grace and awesome forgiveness of the Savior of this world, in response to your asking. I believe a good way for us to think about our redemption from sin, and our desire to share that with others we come into contact with, is to compare the scenario to an approaching storm. If I heard about a hurricane, or a very bad winter storm approaching my area, and it gripped my heart to prepare as best I good in order to protect myself and my property, I would also want to quickly tell my neighbors and others in my neighborhood, regardless of how crazy they may think about my desperation and move to protect everything and everyone around me. For the believer in Jesus Christ, we know and believe what the Bible teaches, that Jesus will return one day, and/or we will be called out of this temporary body and sinful world one day, to be with our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ and His Father, God. So, we prepare for this inevitable fact by asking Jesus into our heart, since He is the ONLY WAY into heaven. But then, our unselfish thoughts, and our love for our neighbor, kicks in, and we find ourselves desiring to ensure that our friends are also prepared, by knowing how to ready themselves for this glorious event. In this latter event, we become very much like John the Baptist – a messenger crying out in this wilderness of sin here on earth, telling others of the impending return of Jesus and how He will determine who goes with Him. This should impress upon believers to help our friends see and understand the only way to ready themselves for heaven. I believe it is evident that God wanted us to see what John the Baptist went through and how he handled his situation, for God knew that we too would be faced with the identical situation in our earthly lives. For us to reject God’s plan for us as believers, would be the same as if John would have raced the Jewish leaders and priests away without a care for their eternal destiny. Praise God, John didn’t take the latter stand, for he cared for his neighbors, even if they meant evil for him and his ministry. So should we make it our business to make sure our neighbors, family and friends are ready for the return of Jesus Christ? Unfortunately, the alternative is way more desperate and concerning, for we would hate to see them enter into the hands of the evil one where they would receive eternal damnation and punishment by Satan and his evil ones for all eternity. So, the choice is clear, follow in John’s example and share Christ in every aspect of our lives, even if it may turn to mockery, scorn, or question for us.

PRAYER
The urgency of the hour is beyond anything we can comprehend today, for we tend to put off for tomorrow anything we don’t feel like dealing with today. But Lord, I pray that You would constantly remind us of the tips You left for us in Your Word, that no one knows the day or the hour of Your return when You will take Your children home to glory. Therefore, it behooves us to not only ready ourselves for Your imminent return, but to also assume that it could be today. John the Baptist felt this urgency, so he went about his work of sharing Christ with everyone, even those that he knew were out to have him killed. Please Lord, help us to stop worrying about what our family, co-workers, friends, or acquaintances will think or say about us, but to always share the good news of Jesus Christ, the One who will return at any moment to take those who are ready, on to heaven to be with He, the Father and the Holy Spirit. By glorified in us, oh Lord, and allow unbelievers to see Jesus in person in their interaction with us. AMEN!

Overcoming Disconnection from God

On 2024-12-11 By Ed AlgreenIn Accept Jesus NOW, Acknowledge God, All have sinned, Awesome God, Distractions, God Cares For Us, God’s WordLeave a comment

DATE POSTED
Wednesday, December 11, 2024, 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
Quoted from The Voice (VOICE) and found in Jeremiah 2:27-28

THE SCRIPTURE READS
²⁷They say to a piece of wood, “You are my father”; they confess to a stone, “You gave me birth.” They have shunned Me, who gave them life—turning their backs instead of facing Me – But that will change when troubles come. That’s when they will cry out to Me, “Stand up for us, and save us!”
²⁸ O Judah, where will your pagan gods be then? You know, the ones you made yourself? Let them stand up on their own. See if they’re able to save you from your troubles. You have as many gods as villages, Judah. Now let them take care of you.

APPLICATION – as inspired by the Holy Spirit
It always amazes me when times of trouble come, how many people seem so intense in their relationship with God. But this is not new, for we are reminded in the Scriptures, such as this one today, that the Israelites were challenged by God for the same reason. The advantage that we have today is that we can learn from the mistakes of our ancestors, for God tells us in His Word how He felt about their disregard, and also how He challenged them when they continued to choose to call on their man-made gods, instead of on the power of His name, the only one with answers to their needs and concerns. I also believe that God opened the eyes of believers in Jesus Christ today to see how they are still acting just like the Israelites, because I feel like our hearts have been hardened and we therefore respond in much the same way. I know, some are in deep thought about how we could possibly imitate the Israelites since there is little evidence of idols today. Friends, consider this: Who took the place of God the last time you missed church? Did you call on that god all week as temptations came, or as you were burdened about the health of your relatives or yourself? Who took the place of God when you skipped your devotional moment – your time with the Lord, this morning? Will you call on that god when you are reminded today of the poor condition of your finances? Who took the place of God when you needed someone to talk to after losing your best friend? Were you able to return to that same bar, that god, and ask for help in approaching that dangerous surgery you were faced with, and ask for a filling of your doctors with strength and knowledge for your surgery? Oh dear friends, we serve a God who can do all things, and He is so much greater than all our troubles. He tells us in His Word to bring our troubles and leave them at His feet for His power is greater than all our troubles. Our Father cares for us like no other. He created us in His image, so He can identify with our everyday challenges. BUT, He is greater than anything we can encounter here on earth, and even when we act like the Israelites, yet He is loving enough to forgive us our sins and welcome us into His fold – His circle of children who know, believe and trust in Him in every circumstance of life. Draw close to God, dear friend, and He will draw close to you!

PRAYER
Lord, I believe in the wonderful power and work of the Holy Spirit who resides inside of me. Thank You for the assurance of Your presence at all times, and for this challenging reminder from Your Word today. For I am convinced that many of us will stay disconnected from You as long as we are not faced with anxiety, fear, loss and/or disappointments. But while ‘disconnected’, or without a sweet, intimate relationship with You each day, we leave ourselves exposed to the same type of temptations that caused the downfall of the Israelites. I believe my readers will join with me in saying that we want to be just like You, Lord. We pray that others will see so much of You in us today that they will feel Your presence and see Your love through their encounter with us. Please draw us to Yourself, oh God, and be our constant guide as we live in a world that is so against anything You teach and stand for. Use us as instruments who will promote the Kingdom, Your love and Your grace for all who would believe in You. Thank You Lord for Your awesome love for me and my Brothers and Sisters who claim You as King! AMEN!

Recognizing the Lack of Appreciation in Our Lives

On 2024-12-09 By Ed AlgreenIn Accept Jesus NOW, Acknowledge God, All have sinned, Awesome God, God Cares For Us, God’s Word, GratefulnessLeave a comment

DATE POSTED
Monday, December 9, 2024, 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
Quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) and found in Jeremiah 2:5-8

THE SCRIPTURE READS
⁵This is what the Lord says: “What did your ancestors find wrong with me that led them to stray so far from me? They worshiped worthless idols, only to become worthless themselves. ⁶They did not ask, ‘Where is the Lord who brought us safely out of Egypt and led us through the barren wilderness….
⁷“And when I brought you into a fruitful land to enjoy its bounty and goodness, you defiled my land and corrupted the possession I had promised you. ⁸The priests did not ask, ‘Where is the Lord?’ Those who taught my word ignored me, the rulers turned against me, and the prophets spoke in the name of Baal, wasting their time on worthless idols.

APPLICATION – as inspired by the Holy Spirit
I trust that this Scripture today will not be read just as a piece of history about the stubborn, ungrateful, and sinful Israelites. For I believe that God wants to remind us that not a whole lot has changed over time. I am certain that God still sees, and must be saddened by, the broken, neglected, haphazard and lackadaisical relationships with His Son, Jesus, by children – you and I, still today. It is unfortunate that this comes even after allowing us time to understand how sad this was for God, to experience this disregard with the Israelites. How heart-wrenching it was to read about the saddened heart of God when He saw how His children disregarded all the good, and the many miracles He performed to enable safe passage for them out of slavery and towards a new beginning – a thriving, abundantly producing country that God had prepared just for them. Yet God saw them turn aside from Him during their travels to, and again, in their new land. However, dear friends, it is vitally important that we examine our own hearts. Did we give God reason to jump with joy at our attitude of praise and thanksgiving this morning as we celebrated His blessings of opening our eyes one more time? Did we take time to celebrate in appreciation for His provisions, protection and guidance over past days? Or could God possibly be looking at us like He did with the Israelites, in wondering what fault we are finding with Him? Let’s be reminded that when we look for our blessings, Satan will do his best to push his evil agenda by showing us our problems and sometimes unfortunate circumstances. But let’s always remember that ‘greater is He that is in us, than he that is in the world’. From a very early age, we were taught to appreciate what others do for us. Know that God is on our side, dear child of God, and He will look out for His children and love us until He returns to take us home to glory to be with Him. Let’s keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith, and let’s be so filled with love and appreciation for our Father, that there would never be a time He may see, or feel, our ungratefulness.

PRAYER
Precious Lord, please take my hand and guide, protect and direct my path one more day, so that others may have one more opportunity to experience Your goodness. Please give me protection from the evil one, so that my heart, soul and mind would be fixed on You, and remain constant in my faith. I am saddened by the thought of You feeling slighted by Your children, but this has opened my heart to being more alert to the times when I fail to share my gratitude for all that You do for me, and also recognize how awesome are Your works in every way, every day. Please continue to bless Your people, oh God, and also speak intently to those who may become lax in their relationship with You. My unsaved loved ones need a touch from You and also those around me who may not know You as Lord. Please continue Your work in their lives and draw them to Yourself, is my humble plea today oh Lord. AMEN!

Nuggets From God's Word

Tag: God