You Will See The Lord Give You Victory!

On 2022-05-022022-05-02 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Faith, Faith in Action, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, Victory, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED Monday, 2022-05-02
WRITTEN AT: Citra, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: 2 Chronicles 20:15–17
TRANSLATION: Good News Translation (GNT)

BIBLE TEXT: Jahaziel said, “Your Majesty and all you people of Judah and Jerusalem, the LORD says that you must not be discouraged or be afraid to face this large army. The battle depends on God, not on you. Attack them tomorrow as they come up the pass at Ziz. You will meet them at the end of the valley that leads to the wild country near Jeruel. You will not have to fight this battle. Just take up your positions and wait; you will see the LORD give you victory. People of Judah and Jerusalem, do not hesitate or be afraid. Go out to battle, and the LORD will be with you!”

APPLICATION: King Jehoshaphat faced the reality of an approaching army that was superior to his and overwhelmingly outnumbered his army. He was accustomed to prayer, leadership by God, and the awesome power of God. And, true to form, the king took full advantage of petitioning the help of the God who promised to be with His children in their time of need! Jehoshaphat gathered his people in the temple courtyard and he personally led the prayer to God on behalf of his people. After bragging on the known accomplishments of God, in vs 7 and again in vs 12 the king acknowledged that “You are our God”, meaning that You are the proven One that we depend on; You are the One that is powerful enough to bring us victory! In response to this intense, yet humble time of prayer, God spoke through an unknown prophet in their midst, Jahaziel. The prophet shared with the king and his people that they are not to be afraid or discouraged, the battle depends on God, not on them! Wow, we serve the same great God that gave this promise to Jahaziel! What an awesome and reassuring reality when we face our battles today. When we have placed the battle in God’s hands, we can rest peacefully knowing that the battle is not ours, but His! What an all-powerful, protective and awesome God we serve, fellow Christian! Take time to give Him praise, adoration and glory today! If you are facing a battle, no matter how huge, please consider reading the full chapter 20 of 2 Chronicles (30 verses), and be encourage to surrender that battle over to God. Imagine the peace of knowing that the God who created this vast universe, now has the issue that has been troubling you, under His control. The battle is no longer yours, my friend, but His! He will be glorified for the way that He handles this! Just surrender it to God, my friend! For He alone is our God!

BLESSING(S) NOTED: Surrendered hearts of believing Christians will seek God and surrender their battles to the Master of the sea; the healer of the blind, deaf and mute; the Victor of battles brought on against Jehoshaphat, and the One who loves, cares and waits for us in Glory. Our battles belong to Him!

PRAYER: Lord God, You know the mountains that we need to cross, and I believe that You know the challenges that seem overwhelming to us. Please comfort the hearts of Your children tuned in to this devotional today, and give us the reassurance that we need to help us face today, and tomorrow, knowing that You are still God and that our ‘mountains’ are very crossable with You as our Guide and our Deliverer. Praise be to God for the assurance of knowing teh God on the mountain is also God of our deepest valley. May we place our faith and trust in You at all times, for all things. AMEN!

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

The Power of Our Awesome God

On 2022-02-262022-02-26 By Ed AlgreenIn All-powerful, Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Needs, Power of God, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED Saturday, 2022-02-26
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Psalm 33:6-9
TRANSLATION: New Living Translation (NLT)

BIBLE TEXT: ⁶The Lord merely spoke, and the heavens were created.
He breathed the word, and all the stars were born.
⁷He assigned the sea its boundaries and locked the oceans in vast reservoirs.
⁸Let the whole world fear the Lord, and let everyone stand in awe of him.
⁹For when he spoke, the world began! It appeared at his command.

APPLICATION: Don’t we hear it all the time? Haven’t we been there at one time or another in our life? Where we sour in the thought of our problems and we see no hope for anything, or anyone who could help us overcome the pain that we are facing? We are resigned to accepting death as our only victor. But isn’t that how David must have felt? He moved into the shelter and isolation of the mountains, and he could hardly sleep because his ears were so attuned to every little sound – which caused him to automatically assume that one more enemy member was closing in on him. Would life ever return to normal? Will there ever be a safe place for him to live again among family and friends? For us it might be that awful disease that we never want to hear the doctors pronounce on us – cancer. But then, many have died from Covid and from other ‘less talked about’ ailments. Dear friends, I am convinced that the same God who spoke this world, and each of us, into existence, is the same God that got David’s attention and caused him to stop and think outside of his own issues, and find the One who is greater than all of his problems. I also believe that this same God is still very much alive, well, and ready to work with His other sons and daughters today, whom He loves just as much as He cared for David! Be reminded my friend that this is not just another doctor, whose qualifications are limited to a specific area of our body. Be reminded that this is not just another priest or pastor, whose powers are limited to earnest prayer before their Creator on our behalf. Be reminded that this is the King of all kings; the Lord of all lords; the One who healed the sick, restored sight, hearing and mobility to those who traveled many miles by foot, but were convinced that if only they could touch the hem of His garment! It’s the same God who David acknowledged in our Scripture today. The same One who turned waterways into roads for a million of His chosen children to walk safely through as they faced the barrier of water in the Red Sea! Please tell me again, what is it that you think He is incapable of doing?!! We have reason for complete faith in this God of ours, just follow David’s example and stop to think on His many miracles. Of course He can!

BLESSING(S) NOTED: We have the answers to our problems right at our fingertips! Our God – the One who created everything from nothing at all, He’s available to us to still perform miracle after miracle for the one who places their faith and trust in Him! What a mighty God is this God – our God!

PRAYER: Precious Lord, You did it before, and I believe You can do it again! Unfortunately we look at our problems, particularly our many ailments, and we give up to the fear of our end quickly approaching. As Your precious children, may we be as bold as David and give You permission to help us outside of our box – the one filled with doubt, fear and limitations. May we look fully into the face of our awesome God who had the power to create everything around us, and may we be reminded that You still have that same power to manage, heal and overcome every limitation that Your created ones face today. Praise God, I serve a God who can do all things! May my faith be increased to believe and trust in You to allow that to include every issues I face each day as well! AMEN!

You Are The Messiah!

On 2021-09-192021-09-18 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Healing, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, Thankfulness, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED Sunday, 2021-09-18
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Luke 17:12-16
TRANSLATION: The Passion Translation (TPT)

BIBLE TEXT: ¹²…. ten men approached him, but they kept their distance, for they were lepers. ¹³They shouted to him, “Mighty Lord, our wonderful Master! Won’t you have mercy on us and heal us?”
¹⁴When Jesus stopped to look at them, he spoke these words: “Go to be examined by the Jewish priests.”
They set off, and they were healed while walking along the way. ¹⁵One of them, a Samaritan, when he discovered that he was completely healed, turned back to find Jesus, shouting out joyous praises and glorifying God. ¹⁶When he found Jesus, he fell down at his feet and thanked him over and over, saying to him, “You are the Messiah.”

APPLICATION: Often after we have exhausted every manmade remedy to heal our diseases, or empower our weaknesses, we will call on the pastor of our church, or perhaps an Elder or Deacon, as we suddenly become convinced that if all else fails, surely Jesus can heal us, or at least ease the pain we are encountering. Notice in the story that these men were not all Jews, so because of their disease and their nationality, they were probably outcasts. I believe that this was evident to the crowd that accompanied Jesus, but I know for certain that Jesus knew exactly who they were. With such a disease as leproacy, they definitely practiced social distancing, because the story tells us that they stood at a distance! Interesting that the lepers had faith to believe that Jesus didn’t have to touch them in order to heal them! Also interesting that the lepers obeyed the command of Jesus to go and show themselves to the local priests, even though they saw no outward sign of their healing. How many of us would start packing up our clothes in preparation for leaving the hospital, if we heard such a command from Jesus? Friends, the faith of these men became evident when they heard that Jesus was coming to town, and that He could probably heal them. It continued and became more evident when they made their first step towards moving near the path that Jesus would travel. They put their lives on the line by shouting above the noise of the crowd watching Jesus come through their town. They demonstrated their faith by asking Jesus to heal them at a distance, and then following His command to go to the priest. But the highlight of their faith was when they turned to go, even though they saw no evidence of their sickly skin being healed – yet. It is evident that at least one of the men was a person of good upbringing, because immediately upon seeing that his skin was healed, he aborted their mission and returned to say thanks, again. In fact, he suddenly realized that this was no ordinary man who healed him, but instead it was the Messiah whose presence they had encountered, and He thought enough of even Samaritans to heal their dreaded diseases. Friends, I believe that God is telling us through His Word that He is still God, and that He is Lord over all the earth – regardless of our religious persuasion, nationality, skin color, or anything else. If we have faith to call on His Son, Jesus, He will bring salvation to our soul. If we have faith to call on Jesus for healing, He still has the power to heal us from our diseases, yes even those for which mankind is still exploring resolution. I wish that as we meet for worship services this week, you will be asked to celebrate all that God has done for you this week. Yes, the worship music is always exciting and we each have perfect worship teams that share the music with us, but it’s the God who healed us, the God who is all-powerful, the God who created us – He’s the one that we want to recognize and worship from the depths of our heart. Please be reminded that Jesus is still Messiah, and He is anxiously awaiting our return to thank Him and worship Him for who He is and all that He has done for us.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: Praise God for sending His Son, the Messiah, so that we might have new life – salvation in and thru Him, and that we may call on Him for all of life’s concerns!

PRAYER: Thank You Lord for healing the 10 lepers, in spite of their nationality, but merely because of their faith and the condition of their heart. I have no reason to believe You have changed, so I also have faith to believe that You are still our great Healer. Please Lord, help us not to wait for the music to start at church, or depend on the tempo of the music to stir our hearts into worship to our awesome God, but to freely celebrate the awesome and miraculous work of our God among even us. Thank You Lord for being our awesome Messiah! AMEN!

He’s My Rock, Especially in Time of Trouble

On 2021-08-152021-08-15 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Healing, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, Rock, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED Sunday, 2021-08-15
WRITTEN AT: Hattiesburg, MS

SCRIPTURE FROM: Psalm 46:1-3
TRANSLATION: The Passion Translation (TPT)

BIBLE TEXT: ¹God, you’re such a safe and powerful place to find refuge! You’re a proven help in time of trouble – more than enough and always available whenever I need you.²So we will never fear even if every structure of support were to crumble away. We will not fear even when the earth quakes and shakes, moving mountains and casting them into the sea. ³For the raging roar of stormy winds and crashing waves cannot erode our faith in you.

APPLICATION: My wife and I have a relative who has been in hospital about two months, most of that time being on a ventilator. Not only was his family prohibited from visiting with him, but they are facing mortgage and automobile payments, plus mounting utility bills, while their primary bread winner lies incapacitated and without his usual income. Understandably they are questioning what will they do? In my Old Testament Scripture today, the Israelites were facing a ‘giant’ as they stood ready to cross the Jordan River to take up new residence in their Promised Land. Not only were they facing huge armies, but they have just been notified that their leadership is also changing. No doubt they also had many questions about ‘what will they do’? Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and after facing many personal challenging situations, David wrote the Psalm we are meditating on today. You see, David knew that like him, his ancestors and his descendants have either faced, or will face, extreme circumstances where they could only look upward and acknowledge before God that they have no answers or insight into what they should now do. Friends, our world leaders today are right at that same place in pondering ‘what will they do’? For the man-made vaccine they produced to prevent the spread of this disease, has merely slowed down the impact, but even to vaccinated individuals are forced into already filled hospitals because they are about to die from the impact of this disease. Hospital beds would have to be emptied by dying children, before additional infected children could be admitted, according to one US State official. Have we not reached the same dilemma, the same ‘giants’ as the Israelites, and as David faced? I believe that God knew all about the challenges we would face that we would have no truly known cures for, so He had David share these encouraging words with us: ‘You, oh God, are a proven and safe place for us to turn to in these troublesome times where we have no real proven man-made answers. Because of all that You have already proven to us throughout Your Word, we know without a doubt that You are a proven source of help for those who have placed their faith and trust in You. Our mountains of faith are shaking, and the earthquakes of failed attempts by doctors and others are making us question each day ‘what else is coming that will be worse than we have today?’ You alone are God, the One who created this world and each of us that run around in it. You know the ones who have thrown their hands up and conceded to the defeat of crime, dreaded diseases, hurricanes, earthquakes, etc. So I believe that the rest is up to us, we must now look to You more than ever before to take our hand and lead us through these rough waters, these troublesome times and these circumstances that we seem to have no real worry-free answers for.’ I’m Yours Lord, please take my readers/listeners and I by the hand and lead us through, while easing our minds to all that’s going on around us.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: Jesus is more than enough to satisfy our needs and our ailments, and He is available at all times – even though hospitals may be filled and doctor’s offices closed!

PRAYER: Dearest Lord Jesus, we stand very flustered and almost worried about the outcome of family and friends who are fighting for their lives because of Covid. We often shelter ourselves from the world, because we know that there is nothing else this world’s doctors and hospitals could do. But then we read the words You inspired David to share with us, and we are reminded that there is One greater than all our diseases and worries. You designed and created these human bodies. You know what impacts our bodies, and you stand ready to help us fend off diseases or anything else that might cause us grief. Lord, I just want to say thank You for accepting my plea to know You and to draw close to You. Because of that, I can freely look to You for EVERYTHING in life. Please calm our fears and protect us from the evil one and any diseases that may threaten us. May this serious time in our lives serve to draw us closer to You and depend fully on You for every phase of life. We are anxious to enjoy all the blessings of heaven that You have prepared for us, but we would really like to stay here as long as You desire, so that our lives might influence the unsaved. Please be our comfort and stay while every day ministering to the needs and challenges of this world. AMEN!

Just A Touch From The Master

On 2020-08-15 By Ed AlgreenIn Faith, Faith in Action, Genuine Faith, Healing3 Comments

DATE WRITTEN: Saturday, 2020-08-15
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

Bible Reference: Luke 8:45-48
Translation: The Living Bible (TLB)

Bible Text: ⁴⁵“Who touched me?” Jesus asked. Everyone denied it, and Peter said, “Master, so many are crowding against you. . . . ” ⁴⁶But Jesus told him, “No, it was someone who deliberately touched me, for I felt healing power go out from me.” ⁴⁷When the woman realized that Jesus knew, she began to tremble and fell to her knees before him and told why she had touched him and that now she was well. ⁴⁸“Daughter,” he said to her, “your faith has healed you. Go in peace.”

OBSERVATION: Jesus was on a mission headed towards the home of Jairus to meet the need reported to Him by a very frightened dad. While enroute, there was a large crowd following, and they pressed in on Jesus’ personal space because they didn’t want to miss anything that He did. By this time, many had heard so much about the power of Jesus, that they were willing to do things such as merely getting close enough to touch His clothing, such as noted in the verses today. This was a true act of faith! Do we have that kind of faith?

APPLICATION: In this Scripture today, I believe that Jesus is prompting us to reflect on how we might go about ‘touching the hem of His garment’ in our world today. Think about it friends, we often think of a ‘touch from God’ when we’re sick – beyond what we feel our doctor could handle, or about to face surgery, or lost a loved one, or can’t see ourselves through financial struggles, or when things at work seems impossible, but how do we touch the ‘hem of Jesus’ garment’, like this woman did? Well, let’s reread the verses again and remind ourselves of how this woman received help/healing. In verse 48 Jesus actually tells the woman what actually healed her. It was her faith! She knew where healing would come from, so in spite of all odds, she was determined to find the Master who had already healed through just a simple word. I believe this lady knew Jesus, knew of His awesome power and compassion on those in need, and I feel pretty sure that she probably knew the miracles He had already performed. Do you suppose she left her home that day with a good luck charm hoping that these rumors she had heard about Jesus could also possibly touch her life, if she was lucky? Do you suppose that the thought may have crossed her mind that she perhaps could stay at home in her bed and if Jesus wanted to, He would heal her? Let me share with you what my thoughts are: I believe this lady knew Jesus personally, and I believe she had lots of faith – enough to believe that Jesus could do for her everything that she had heard about Him ever doing for anyone else. However, I believe she wanted a close-up experience with her Master. Seeing that Jesus was thronged by so many people, she felt like she could never get His personal attention, but she knew that if she could only manage to get close enough to touch Him or any part of His clothing, she would be healed. Friends, that’s a lot of faith! That’s like us having faith to call on Him in our time of need, or asking our church elders to pray over you with oil, as spoken of in the New Testament. May I remind you again today that Our God’s Not Dead, Nor Has He Lost His Power To Heal! I have a friend who has an army of friends praying with her for the touch of the Master on her husband lying ill, to the point of death, from COVID. God is still in the prayer-answering business, as He cares as much about us as He has ever cared for one of His children. We serve an awesome God that hears the cries of His children. If He’s your God today friend, call on Him in your time of need. Celebrate Him when You remember His goodness and recognize His miracle working hand.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, we are so amazed by Your awesome power, and often wonder why You would consider even us for Your miraculous work. Please teach us the wonder of faith and the unlimited power of our wonderful God. May we always come to the Savior for salvation; the Healer with our illnesses and to our Eternal God with our desire for eternity in Heaven with You. Thank You for loving us so much dear God, our Heavenly Father! 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!

When God Leaves us Alone

On 2020-03-18 By Ed AlgreenIn Acknowledge God, Healing, Sin, SinnerLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Wednesday, 2020-03-18
WRITTEN AT: Paul B Johnson State Park, Hattiesburg, MS

Bible Reference: Romans 1:28-30
Translation: New Century Version (NCV)

Bible Text: ²⁸People did not think it was important to have a true knowledge of God. So God left them and allowed them to have their own worthless thinking and to do things they should not do. ²⁹They are filled with every kind of sin, evil, selfishness, and hatred. They are full of jealousy, murder, fighting, lying, and thinking the worst about each other. They gossip ³⁰and say evil things about each other.

OBSERVATION: I thank God that we can turn to His Word for every situation in our lives. Based on this passage of scripture, it is evident that Paul faced the same evil with the Romans as many pastors do today. I would dare say that one of the most challenging things about any job involving coworkers, or just people in general, is the matter of bad attitudes, jealousy, gossip, fighting, lying and just thinking the worst of each other. The exact characteristics that Paul spoke of! So let’s look closer at what Paul said was the root cause of these problems.

APPLICATION: I believe that every person alive knows of God, and knows of His power, His love, and His creation. For some, it begins with them having a desire to know more of God, learn His teachings, and a strong desire to know Him more intimately. For others, they often choose to know Him from a distance and just leave Him out of their lives until needed. This is very evident today for we are suffering from declining church attendance because people have lost the desire to know God more intimately. Friends, God will not force Himself on us, however He is available to us if we seek Him and have a desire to draw close to Him. As we turn away from Him and He lifts His hand of love and protection from us, we assume more of the characteristics and attitudes of the world, such as those listed in our Scripture. So what we really face today is like Paul faced back in his day, we the people, need God in a personal way in our individual lives each and every day. More of God will result in less of the world and its evil characteristics. There is an old hit song titled something like “All we Need is Love”. I believe that the formula for much of today’s worldly characteristics that have crept upon us, is a plea to God along the lines of the popular hit song that may have the title – “All we Need is God”. Paul presented this thought for us in the scripture written under the inspiration of God, so that we may realize what is lacking when we notice the decline in moral values and Godly attributes that tend to bring us down as a people. For this relationship with God idea impacts each and every one of us. For those who work, you can see it in the attitudes and actions of coworkers. For those who shop, you can see it in the store employees and in the shoppers. Everywhere we turn we can see, like Paul, what impacts an individual’s character. Friends, it is critical that we awaken ourselves from our sinful, sleepy stupor and get our lives in line with God and His perfect will for our lives. As we take in more of God, we will replace our ungodly attitudes and character with the wonderful message of the cross and our loving Savior. I would strongly urge each one to look to the Master, our Creator, the one and only Jesus Christ, while there is still time. Life is more challenging that any of us could handle alone, we need Jesus, friends. As a reality check, we must look at our lives and insure that we are an image of God and not of this sinful world in which we live.

PRAYER: Dear Jesus, we are such weak examples of You, because we have allowed so much of this sinful world in. Please forgive me for not doing more to saturate my life with You and Your divine qualities. Thank You for reminding me of this today. Please guide me into Your way, and please touch the hearts of Your children reading this devotional today so that we may become stronger witnesses and soldiers of Yours here on this earth. Lord, we want to do Your will. We need You in our lives – more than ever before. We can’t even imagine what our destiny would be if You turned Your face from us. We’re Yours Lord, and we want to be the best representative that we could be. We need You to guide and direct us, please? I ask all this in Your precious and holy name, Lord Jesus, our Healer and Sustainer of all life. AMEN!

My Help Comes From The Lord! Really?

On 2018-02-27 By Ed AlgreenIn Healing, PraiseLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE FROM: 2 Chronicles 16:9 (TLB)

TEXT: ⁹For the eyes of the Lord search back and forth across the whole earth, looking for people whose hearts are perfect toward him, so that he can show his great power in helping them.

OBSERVATION: When faced with the onslaught of the Cushites and the Libyans, who had large and powerful armies, King Asa sought God’s help, and God gave the two armies over to Asa. However, like Asa, we soon become self confident when our teams overcome the odds and win the overwhelming challenges ahead of them. So Asa thought that if only he had help from his friends, then he could also win the battle against Israel, so he sought the help of Ben-Hadad. It is very mind sobering to think about what the Lord spoke through Hanani, the leading priest/seer to King Asa about his plans. It is so applicable to us today.

APPLICATION: I want you to assume that it was you who testified in church recently how God brought you safely through surgery and took care of you, but I also want you to carefully recall the ordeal you had in making sure that Dr. XYZ was the only doctor who would work on you, and that nurse Tee was directly in charge of getting the best nurses for you. Over and over you shared with visitors how your doctor saved you one time before, and how confident you were that he could do it again this time around. Friends, I believe that we are all guilty of this at times, but I hope that we are reminded today through this Scripture that when our hearts are perfect towards God, He looks for ways to show His great power through us. I heard a guy on television last night who seemed like he believed in God when telling his story about how cancer gripped his body, and especially his voice. However, when it came down to giving public glory, he stated that it was music that brought him through and healed his voice. Really? Wouldn’t we be filling hospital rooms with music, so that each patient might listen and be healed? Friends, let me implore you to join me in examining our hearts in the light of our awesome God, and when we recognize changes in our lives, be willing to give Him glory for what He is about to accomplish in and through His work in us. You see, we have nothing to boast about but God. When healing or any other miracle is brought about, it’s God that we glorify and lift up above all names. If we asked God to protect us and be with us through our dilemma, then let’s be careful to lift His name on high so that the world might know that He lives, and that He lives and works in our lives! So where does your help come from? My dear friends, if God found a pure heart in you in which He could perform a miracle, then please be careful to give Him the praise while still in the hospital, in your home, in the nearby cafe and in the church. Be sure that the world knows that God’s not dead, no, He’s still very much alive, because He performed a miracle in you!

PRAYER: Thank You for this reminder today dear Lord. Like King Asa, we often feel so independent that we want to apply ourselves and take care of our situations our way. Yet we know deep inside that it’s You who holds the key to heaven, and only You who could save our souls and heal our bodies. As we come to You for help, please guide us to never forget where our help came from, instead help us to use that as a great opportunity to lift up your name on high, so that the world will know that you’re still alive and that You rule and reign in our lives. To God be all glory, honor and praise, 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 could 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 to subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Sebring, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us!

Just A Touch Can Do!

On 2017-07-182017-07-18 By Ed AlgreenIn Faith, Faith in Action, Genuine Faith, HealingLeave a comment

Post Date:	Tuesday, 2017-07-18
SCRIPTURE
From:	Luke 8:45-48 (TLB)
Text:	⁴⁵“Who touched me?” Jesus asked. Everyone denied it, and Peter said, “Master, so many are crowding against you. . . . ” ⁴⁶But Jesus told him, “No, it was someone who deliberately touched me, for I felt healing power go out from me.” ⁴⁷When the woman realized that Jesus knew, she began to tremble and fell to her knees before him and told why she had touched him and that now she was well. ⁴⁸“Daughter,” he said to her, “your faith has healed you. Go in peace.”
OBSERVATION:
Jesus was on a mission headed towards the home of Jairus to meet the need reported to Him by this father. While enroute, there was a large crowd following, and they pressed in on Jesus’ personal space because they didn’t want to miss anything that He did. By this time, many had heard so much about the power of Jesus, that they were willing to do things such as merely getting close enough to touch His clothing, such as noted in the verses today. This took real faith! Do we have what it takes?
APPLICATION:
As I read this Scripture today, I believe that Jesus prompted me to reflect on how we might go about ‘touching the hem of His garment’ in our world today. Think about it friends, we often think of a ‘touch from God’ when we’re sick, or about to face surgery, or lost a loved one, or can’t see ourselves through financial struggles, or things at work seems impossible, but there is no ‘hem of Jesus’ garment’ for us to go and touch, is there? Well, let’s reread the verses again and see if the answer came in touching Jesus’ garment. In verse 48 Jesus actually tells the woman what actually healed her. It was her faith! I believe this lady knew Jesus, knew of His awesome power and compassion on those in need, and I feel pretty sure that she probably knew the miracles He had already performed. So do you suppose she left her home that day with a good luck charm hoping that these rumors she had heard about Jesus could also possibly touch her life? Do you suppose that the thought may have crossed her mind that she perhaps could stay at home in her bed and if Jesus wants to, He would heal her? Let me share with you what my thoughts are: I believe this lady knew Jesus personally, and I believe she had lots of faith – enough to believe that Jesus could do for her everything that she had heard about Him ever doing for anyone else. However, I believe she wanted a close-up experience with her Master. Seeing that Jesus was thronged by so many people, she felt like she could never get His personal attention, but she knew that if she could only manage to get close enough to touch Him or any part of His clothing, she would be healed. Friends, that’s a lot of faith! That’s like us having faith to call on Him in our time of need, or asking our church elders to pray over you with oil, as spoken of in the New Testament. May I remind you again today that Our God’s Not Dead, Nor Has He Lost His Power To Heal! If He’s your God today friend, call on Him in your time of need. Celebrate Him when You remember His goodness and recognize His miracle working hand.
PRAYER:
Lord Jesus, we are so amazed by Your awesome power, and often wonder why You would consider even us for Your miraculous work. Please teach us the wonder of faith and the unlimited power of our wonderful God. May we always come to the Savior for salvation; the Healer with our illnesses and to our Eternal God with our desire for eternity in Heaven with You. Thank You for loving us so much dear God, our Heavenly Father! 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 could 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 to subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us!

God Can!

On 2017-05-12 By Ed AlgreenIn Healing, Representation of the Master, SubmissionLeave a comment

Post Date:	Friday, 2017-05-12
SCRIPTURE
From:	Mark 9:28-29 (ERV)
Text:	²⁸Then Jesus went into the house. His followers were alone with him there. They said, “Why weren’t we able to force that evil spirit out?” ²⁹Jesus answered, “That kind of spirit can be forced out only with prayer.
OBSERVATION:
On the first read of this passage of Scripture, one might assume that the disciples didn’t have enough faith, or perhaps they didn’t have the necessary power to command the evil spirit out of the boy brought to them by his father. But we will have a closer look at what Jesus told His disciples so that we might also know how to handle these situations today.
APPLICATION:
TV evangelists will tell you that you must bring the sick to them for healing. Some churches have healing services, while others barely bring the subject up. Jesus had performed many miracles in the presence of His disciples, and He even told them that they had power to do what they had seen Him do. However in this instance, Jesus told the disciples that this type of issue could only be handled through prayer. And prayer is directed to whom? Jesus is telling the disciples that only God could handle this type of a situation. In other words, be careful how you go about thinking that you can do anything. Notice in verse 18 the father told Jesus that he took the child to His followers and they couldn’t get rid of the evil spirit from his son. Friends, today we are no different. We are advocates of the Father, and we had best remember who is in charge. May we never assume that we could do anything in our own strength. Our job is to communicate (pray) to the Father. It is He who does the healing, if within His perfect will, He sees and understands that this would be the best thing for the individual, and that it might bring praise and honor to His Son, Jesus. The other thing that we must be careful of, is the manner in which we approach the throne of grace and speak with our Father. We are not His boss, so we don’t approach Him as such. Servants approach their Master in humility, thanksgiving and with petitions that He alone may choose to respond to. Notice in verse 29 Jesus said that the Father must be approached in prayer, meaning that we should plead our case/requests with Him, Remember, we do the asking, God does the healing. I don’t believe that God would be very happy at all with us if we try to reverse the rolls, for after all, He alone is God. As His workmanship, we are simply tools that He could use to accomplish His will and His work, if He so chooses.
PRAYER:
Lord Jesus, it is so easy for us to pick pieces of Scripture and hang our hats on those nuggets, as they may better fit the situation we are facing at the time. Lord, please get our attention to the fact that You are in control and that You alone are capable of the miraculous works of the Master. We are simple, humble servants and we must approach Your throne with that simplicity. Servants ask, not tell their Master what to do. May we never forget the authority You have over us, nor forget the absolute lack of authority we have over You. Thank You Lord for loving us anyway and for allowing us to represent You before a lost world. Thank You for Your discipline when its necessary to remind us who’s in control! With much love, appreciation and submissiveness I ask these things dear Lord, AMEN!
FOOTNOTE:
There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog could 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 to subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us!

Faith Enough For Healing

On 2017-04-27 By Ed AlgreenIn Faith, Faith in Action, Genuine Faith, Healing, PersistenceLeave a comment

Post Date:	Thursday, 2017-04-27
SCRIPTURE
From:	Mark 5:25-29 (GNT)
Text:	²⁵There was a woman who had suffered terribly from severe bleeding for twelve years, ²⁶even though she had been treated by many doctors. She had spent all her money, but instead of getting better she got worse all the time. ²⁷She had heard about Jesus, so she came in the crowd behind him, ²⁸saying to herself, “If I just touch his clothes, I will get well.” ²⁹She touched his cloak, and her bleeding stopped at once; and she had the feeling inside herself that she was healed of her trouble.
OBSERVATION:
Jesus was surrounded by a crowd, but it didn’t stop the persistence of a lady who had heard about Jesus and knew His power to heal even her disease that doctors had failed to stop or control. She was humble enough that she didn’t want any fanfare, however, she was convinced that if she could press through the crowd just enough to touch some part of Jesus’ garment, that would be enough for her to be healed. It turns out she was right on target, but she also unexpectedly got the attention of the Master!
APPLICATION:
There are various stories in the Bible about how different folk were healed in the days of Jesus’ earthly ministry. I’m sure that each one appeals to the various needs of folk even today who meditate on the Word of God and desire healing of some sort in their bodies. I noticed that the lady’s name was not even disclosed, so I don’t believe the intent of the writer was for us to lift her up as a great godly woman, although I’m sure she probably was. Instead, I believe that God would have us recognize in this story a few things that we might learn and apply to our lives today: Invitation. Someone loved and appreciated this lady enough that they told her about Jesus walking near enough that she could go out and see Him about her need. This sharing led to her meeting the Christ, and being healed. This should be a reminder to us to invite those we know, those we live nearby, and those we really care a lot about, to church with us. Excuses. It would have been easy for this lady to find excuses about the impossibilities of her getting through the crowd to get anywhere near to Jesus. Imagine the excuses that people use when we invite them to church with us. Let’s learn to take those excuses as incentive to cry out all the louder to our Lord on their behalf, as they could be missing their opportunity for their healing that day. Persistence. Many of us give up real easy, but this lady was persistent in ‘moving mountains’ to get to Jesus. The big, the tall, the small, the disabled, the rude and the smart-mouth people in the crowd didn’t stop this lady from getting to the front and within reach of Jesus. Isn’t it interesting how we will fight many storms to get to work, yet just a cloudy day will keep us from church? Can you imagine us saying that we could’ve been healed if we weren’t so lazy and stayed in our bed? However, that could be a reality many times. Faith. Notice that this lady’s healing was quite different than the others told about in the Bible? She didn’t wait by the healing waters for Jesus to come by and put spittle on her then follow with washing. She followed no previous stories, for she knew that the power came for Jesus, not in the actions of the individual. I believe that we must be so careful in following traditions, instead of following Jesus Christ. It’s through faith in Him that we are saved. Faith in Him that brings healing to our bodies. It’s Jesus! Humility. This lady didn’t seek to make a scene or look for any special recognition. She didn’t say who she was related to, or how long she may have served in the synagogue, it appears like she would have been fine just creeping up to Jesus and touching his robe ‘like a fly on the wall’ and not be seen or noticed by anyone. This was a personal encounter for her, and I don’t believe that she really cared about who else was represented in the crowd. Friends, God looks at your heart. He knows your intent before you open your mouth or show off any pride that might be evident. In all sincerity, go before Him with thanksgiving and praise as a one-on-one meeting with the Creator of all things! He wants to be your Redeemer; your Lord; your Deliverer; your Healer; your Friend and Your soon coming King! Won’t you accept Him today and learn to depend on Him for every need in your life, friend?
PRAYER:
Lord Jesus, we need You a whole lot more than we will ever stop to admit. Many reading this blog may not need healing, such as the lady in our story today, but their need may very well be more serious in nature and indeed desperate to them. Being reminded of Your power, and the faith of this lady, brings renewal to our souls Jesus. Please remind us each day of our need for the Savior, and the awesome power that’s always available to those in a relationship with You. Lord, You are awesome, and we are so proud of being Your humble servants. Please help us to be sincere witnesses for You today, so that the world might know that Jesus lives, and indeed You live in our hearts! 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 could 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 to subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us!

Nuggets From God's Word

Tag: Healer