Tag: King

Share/Preach What You Have Seen and Heard

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

DATE POSTED: Friday, September 13, 2024, and I was blessed to be at Destin, FL when God inspired me to prepare this devotional. My Footnote will tell you how to find, read or listen to any and all episodes that I have shared over the years.

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE FROM THE New International Version (NIV) IS FOUND IN Luke 24:45-48

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

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

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

FOOTNOTE: There’s another page on my website, entitled ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading or listening to this devotional, please go to this page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin or continue your walk with Jesus. If you would like to read more of my devotionals, or subscribe for a daily email containing each new devotional, please go online to NuggetsFromGodsWord.org. For my podcast, go online to Apple Podcasts or, using the Apple Podcast app, simply search for Nuggets From God’s Word to hear more episodes, or click ‘Follow’ to be notified of Podcast updates. Friends, please allow me to encourage you to find a church home nearby your home and attend as frequently as you could. Get to know God and allow His people to encourage and strengthen you in your Christian walk, while making every effort to be a blessing to them. God is at work among His people! Please consider growing in your faith, as you worship with fellow believers!

A Bonus From God

On By Ed AlgreenIn Acknowledge God, Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Ask and Receive, Awesome God, Believe, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED: Sunday, 2023-02-19
WRITTEN AT: O’Brien, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: 2 Chronicles 1:11-12
TRANSLATION: New Living Translation (NLT)

BIBLE TEXT: 11 God said to Solomon, “Because your greatest desire is to help your people, and you did not ask for wealth, riches, fame, or even the death of your enemies or a long life, but rather you asked for wisdom and knowledge to properly govern my people— 12 I will certainly give you the wisdom and knowledge you requested. But I will also give you wealth, riches, and fame such as no other king has had before you or will ever have in the future!”

APPLICATION: I would imagine that it would probably depend on what we are going through at the time, as to what we might tell God is at the top of our ‘Wish List’, or is our greatest desire. If we are wanting to get married, then we would probably ask God to help us find the best suited mate available. If we are attending college, then perhaps we might ask God to help us achieve the best test scores possible, whether we have, or have not, spent adequate time studying as we should have! If the bills are mounting and there just don’t seem to be enough income to go around, we might ask God to wave His magic wand and make the bills go away for us. BUT, I’m hoping that many of my readers and/or listeners are in close fellowship with God, spends adequate time with Him each day studying His Word and praying for His divine direction in your lives. What would you ask for? My attention was drawn when the young, new king, Solomon, made it his very first move to take his leaders with him up to the temple. He didn’t say what he was going for, and Scripture doesn’t record, that his leaders asked any questions about where they were going or the reason why. This large group arrived at the temple and Solomon led the pack in proceeding to the bronze altar and sacrificing 1,000 burnt offerings to the Lord. Isn’t it amazing how this very powerful young king didn’t recline back and order his servant leaders to handle the burnt offerings? Notice how Solomon didn’t make the offerings with any type of condition to God, or use them as any bargaining tool for what he wanted from God that day? But of particular notice is that God knew the heart of the dad who had prayed for his son to assume kingship over Israel, and how he wanted him to keep God first in everything he did. God also knew that in-spite of everything that Solomon had going for him, he found no greater priority than to gather his leaders and first go to the temple to seek the face of God, before any other task that required their attention. Notice in verse 11 how God’s heart was touched by Solomon not doing like most, who would ask for personal success and riches, but instead asked for help in being the best possible leader for a people he had been given the honor to lead. Although knowing his very heart, yet God wanted us to notice that He will bless abundantly more than we could comprehend, when His people will humble themselves, seek His face, and beg for help in meeting the needs of His people over whom we have influence. God blessed Solomon with the things he requested, but then as a bonus, God also blessed him with those things that he could have asked for! Friends, I don’t believe there is any greater ‘wow’ moment than to see the Great I Am do more for us than we ask or deserve! I wonder, when last have we sacrificed time at work or play or family, to call a few Christian brothers and sisters and invite them to meet you at the altar of your church? Assuming that some will show up, would they be surprised that nothing is personally wrong with you or your immediate family, but that you wanted to pray for a neighbor who needs Jesus, or for your Sunday School class that you will teach the following day, or the congregation that you feel truly needs to see Jesus in services the next day? Do you suppose that people are not being blessed, or saved today because of our laxity and lack of dedication to the God we are meant to represent and lead our people to in our respective ministries? At the very ending of verse 12, God promised to bless Solomon more than any king before or after him ever thought possible. What would happen in your family, or your Sunday School class or your church congregation if God chose to bless in this way because of your faithfulness? Could our city contain itself if it saw churches being blessed in response to their humbleness, their dedication, their teaching and their preaching? Why, it will become evident that the God we worship and adore really does exist, because the might works of God reveals itself through His church! Are you truly doing anything to invoke the blessings of Almighty God on His people and His church? Oh Lord, may we always facilitate Your blessing, and never stand as a stumbling block to all You want for Your people.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: God was merciful to Solomon and blessed Him with what he asked for, plus, as a bonus, also blessed him with the things that he could have asked for! What an awesome, giving, and ever-blessing God we serve!

PRAYER: Glory to God in the highest for who You are and for all that You do for Your children – especially for the blessings that we may not even asked for! Oh that Your people will recognize Your greatness today and have a deep desire to worship You and seek Your ongoing goodness for all those we love and cross paths with each day. Your blessings are way greater than anything we could imagine or ask for, and I pray that we would realize once again that You just want our availability to serve, and Your blessings will overflow through us to bless others. May each one that walks through the doors of Your church today come with a new desire to worship You for who You are, and not just for what You could give them. Please Lord, help us to seek Your throne on behalf of others today, and not just for what You can do for us. May Your kingdom come, on earth, as it is in heaven. For thine is the glory, the 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 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!

Don’t Be Paralyzed by Fear, Let Go and Let God Have His Way

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

DATE WRITTEN: Monday, 2022-03-07
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

Bible Reference: 2 Chronicles 20:15
Translation: Living Bible (TLB)

Bible Text: 15 “Listen to me, all you people of Judah and Jerusalem, and you, O king Jehoshaphat!” he exclaimed. “The Lord says, ‘Don’t be afraid! Don’t be paralyzed by this mighty army! For the battle is not yours, but God’s!

OBSERVATION: Jehoshaphat feared the large, complex army that was facing he and his nation for which he had responsibility. Today we may be facing similar battles. Perhaps a debilitating decease; perhaps losing a loved one; or perhaps facing the battle of divorce or separation. National leaders may still be facing the challenges of Covid, while also keeping a close eye on the war and intention of Russia. If we’re not careful, we might throw our hands up as we ponder ‘What shall we do?’ Hopefully we could be reminded from our Scripture today that our peace, our hope and our rescue from all of life’s challenges lies in the powerful hands of our King, the King of all kings!

APPLICATION: Several lessons are in store for us today as we meditate on this story of king Jehoshaphat. We have more than enough challenges for each day that we open our eyes. What if we could learn to release the battles that our not ours to worry about? I believe that you, my readers, are no different to me, so I encourage you to read the whole chapter of 2 Chronicles 20 by clicking on the Bible reference link above. Here are some things that God drew to my attention:
~ The king acknowledged that he had a problem that was way over his head and beyond his capability;
~ The king was not ashamed of his inabilities. He not only went before God personally, but he called his people together and ordered a fast, so that together they might seek God’s face over this problem. The problem was bigger than the king, and he was prepared to seek someone greater who could help;
~ The king’s meeting with his people was not a time to plan their attack, but to humble themselves before Almighty God, seek His face, and ask for His direction and His powerful hand of protection;
~ In spite of the king being the main character in this story, God chose to respond through ‘just a man standing in the crowd’ as described by some commentaries. The king didn’t just pick up his toys and run on home with a disgruntled attitude about God not reporting back to him for his guided fast and his desperate prayer. A good reminder that we don’t control God, and that He uses the simple to confound the proud and the intelligent. It is always obvious that a response came from God, and not from the knowledge, abilities or self-worth of the king and/or his people;
~ There was no response back to the orders from God, other than full obedience! There was no need for the king to feel like he needed to have the last word. This was a ‘God’ thing, and nothing at all for which the king needed recognition from his people.
King Jehoshaphat was faced with a battle of proportions greater than anything he could handle. What kind of battles are you facing in your life dear friend? Do you know the God of king Jehoshaphat intimately? Are you at a place in your life where you could simply bow at His feet and lay your battles, or burdens there, being confident that He is still Lord of all and Master over all things that might impact us? Are you strong enough to ask of God, knowing that His response may not be your first choice? By asking, we know that there could be positive answers in store for us, or perhaps challenging answers that we were not expecting. Be willing to add to your prayer requests today: ‘Not my will, but Yours oh Lord – so long as You are glorified in everything today’.

PRAYER: Oh Lord, You are well aware of the battles we take on, especially those that we should totally surrender to You. We make ourselves sick mentally, and otherwise, because we assume lordship over these type issues. Please forgive us Lord, and strengthen us daily so that we may surrender our all to You and allow You to continue as God – the One in charge of all creation and the events surrounding every aspect of Your creation. Thank You for creating us to care about those that we connect with, but we need daily power to place them at Your feet and allow You to be God – in them, through them and over them. I praise You God for who You are, I surrender my all to You, knowing that Your love will sustain me as You work out every material indifference I may see all around me. Have Your will oh Lord, my King, my Redeemer and my Savior. Humble the hearts of all my readers and listeners. Draw them to the foot of the cross where they may look up – into Your wonderful face, and acknowledge Your awesome power. 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!

Delays Are Costly

On By Ed AlgreenIn Know Jesus, Knowing Christ, SalvationLeave a comment

Monday, 2022-03-04
Written at: Okeechobee, FL

Bible Reference: Acts 24:24-25
Translation: Good News Translation (GNT)

Bible Text: 24 After some days Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish. He sent for Paul and listened to him as he talked about faith in Christ Jesus. 25 But as Paul went on discussing about goodness, self-control, and the coming Day of Judgment, Felix was afraid and said, “You may leave now. I will call you again when I get the chance.”

APPLICATION: When travelling to another state or country by plane or train, there is often the chance of delays, for one reason or another. If the fault is attributed to the airline, then they will often provide vouchers to the stranded passengers for food, and sometimes even for hotel, if the delay will prevent travelling the same day. Can you begin to imagine the costs paid by carriers for these delays? Last weekend the message of the Gospel was presented, and thousands of attendees at thousands of churches were given the opportunity to surrender their lives to Jesus as their Lord and Savior. No doubt your church, like mine, saw folk leave without accepting the invitation of the pastor, and the Holy Spirit that tugged on their hearts. I’m sure that there were many excuses for the decisions to delay following Christ. Why some left during the singing of the last hymn, because it was more important to be the first out of the busy church parking lot, or to be the first at the popular restaurants for lunch. Priorities of the individuals! But we are reminded through God’s Word, that He is in full control of our time here on earth. Will we have another opportunity quite like the opportunity given at last week’s services? Thankfully, I made it all the way home safely yesterday. Did everyone else from your church services have that same good fortune? Perhaps they did, or perhaps they didn’t. God’s Word has very clear advice for us when it tells us that “now is the accepted time”, the only moment promised to us. Think about this friends: at our borders all those arriving with proper documentation (passports and appropriate visas) are allowed in, while others are rejected and expatriated back to their home country. This will be no different at the entrance to Heaven’s portals, because the rules are similar to those followed by our immigration officers. For entrance into heaven, only those who have personally accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior (that’s their passport and visa) will be accepted into God’s eternal home, others will be returned to their home of choice – with Satan and his band of demons. Friends, please don’t delay, it could cost you eternal life with the God of this universe and His awesome Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus, the One who loved you enough to die on a cruel cross, so that you might receive forgiveness of your sin. But you must invite Him into your heart. Your delay could cost you big time. Please let me encourage you to not even wait for the next service time, contact a pastor or Christian leader of a local church, or contact me so that I may help you, but PLEASE, don’t delay, make a decision today, for Jesus might return today to take His bride (the church) home to glory!

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, many of us just attended church over recent days, and you petitioned us to accept You as Lord of our life. Today, through this illustration with Felix delaying his decision to hear more from Paul, you are again getting our attention about the cost of delaying our decision to accept Your free gift of salvation. The delays brought on by Felix cost him. I pray that my readers, listeners, and all those that we love and pray for, will accept You at Your Word, while there is time to do so. Thank You for loving us enough to have given us multiple opportunities to do this. And while we have no control over whether there will be another opportunity, I pray that many will STOP and cry out to You as they finish meditating on this devotional – even now. I praise You for not giving up on me. Today I humbly plead with You to melt the hearts of those that meditated on this devotional with me today, as they were given another opportunity to call on You for salvation. Please bring them to their senses and embolden them to make this vital decision. Please create a sense of urgency in their hearts to accept You oh Lord. For this is my humble and earnest prayer, in the name of Jesus alone, and for His glory alone. 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!

Pray, Don’t Sin

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

DATE POSTED Tuesday, 2021-10-19
WRITTEN AT: Kissimmee, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: 1 Samuel 12:22-24
TRANSLATION: The Voice (VOICE)

BIBLE TEXT: 22 For the sake of His reputation, He will not cast away His chosen people. Before you ever chose Him, the Eternal One chose you as His own because it pleased Him.
23 As for me, the last thing I would ever do is to stop praying for you. That would be a sin against the Eternal One on my part. I will always try to teach you to live and act in a way that is good and proper in His eyes. 24 Make this your one purpose: to revere Him and serve Him faithfully with complete devotion because He has done great things for you.

APPLICATION: When we take on Kingdom responsibility here on this earth, in God’s work and especially around His church, it would be awesome to think on these things that Samuel shared with his people. Let me encourage you to really soak in the words shared by Samuel at this very critical time in the leadership of this great nation. I will expand a little, hoping that you will also see what God might be saying to us:
—> From Judge to King – The Israelites were tired of being different to other nations around them, so they asked that they have a king just like other nations. Although Samuel did an awesome job as a Judge over Israel, they felt it was time that they be like everyone else and have their own king. God told Samuel to go along with them, knowing full well that they would soon turn away from Him – again, very soon;
—> God’s Reputation – His reputation stands consistent and firm. To the Israelites, because God chose them long before they decided to choose Him. We may tend to question God’s love at times, especially when we recognize that His ways are not our ways and that He may chose to do things a lot differently that we do. We often choose to do things in ways that might bring glory to ourselves, but Jesus is fully in control and deserves our praise – at all times;
—> Pray for one another – just as Jesus prayed for the Father’s will in the garden before His arrest, so should we pray in love for the will of the Father and the benefit of our fellow man;
—> Disciple those in our circle – Samuel promised to teach his people and live out a life that is pleasing to God. Live out what you teach, dear Brother and Sister;
—> Make this your purpose in life – to revere, worship and serve the creator and sustainer of all life. Recognize His great works and and obey His commands, knowing that He does all things for our good.
Friends, know that God loves you more that you could ever imagine. Only God ever sacrificed a part of Himself for our benefit. He gave His very own Son so that we may ditch this old sinful world and be fit for the glories of heaven. How about making your greatest goal of life, to accept Jesus, and live a life dedicated to Him until God calls us home to be with Him in heaven? I have information in my Footnote that will help you make this a reality!

BLESSINGS NOTED: So many blessings included in our Scripture today. God chose us long before we decided to choose Him! God commanded that we pray one for another – He designed us to care about our Brother/Sister! Because He has done so many good things for us, we should desire to faithfully revere and worship Him all of our life!

PRAYER: Thank You Jesus for loving, caring and encouraging me! You created me, and You care for me while I’m allowed to spend time here on this earth. Please teach my readers, listeners and myself to always stand firm in our faith and to live out our purpose for which You placed us here. May others see so much of Jesus in us that they will desire to know You and and purposefully live for You as they seek to disciple others while await their call to glory! 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!

Work At ‘Peace’ and ‘Holiness’

On By Ed AlgreenIn Getting Along, Holiness, Love, Obedience, PeaceLeave a comment

Saturday, 2021-10-04

Bible Reference: Hebrews 12:14
Translation: The New Living Translation (NLT)

Bible Text:  14 Work at living in peace with everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord.

APPLICATION: I saw a greeting card that read “Short on words, but loooong on best wishes!” I found this verse to be short on words, but packed with a powerful message for us today! God’s inspired Word is warning us that living at peace with everyone and living a holy life before our Lord, does not come easy or perhaps ‘natural’ to us, but are two things necessary for the follower of Christ. Our natural tendency is to sin, therefore it is challenging for anyone to get along with us, or for us to accept everyone the way they are, to love them, and live at peace with them. In this chapter of Hebrews we are being taught to listen to God. We have been shown in this New Testament book that our ancestors accomplished a lot in faith, believing in, and depending on, the power of God. We are therefore challenged to call on, listen to, and depend on God to help us accomplish everything that He has commanded of us. In this particular command, I would dare say that God has proven Himself powerful, and able, over and over. He proved His love for us in ways that we would never have to, for He sacrificed His life for us, while the world hated Him, mocked Him, spat on Him and crucified Him. So I believe you will agree that He definitely knows all about how challenging it will be for us to ‘love’ someone who despises us, or may even hate us. So friends, when we are commanded to ‘Work at It’, be comforted in knowing that we don’t have to do this alone. For Jesus promised us that He would never leave us or forsake us – that means that He is always there for us. Therefore part of our working on these commands, must include humbling ourselves before the Master and seeking His help. Furthermore, I am convinced that my loving Jesus would never command something of us that would be impossible for He and us to achieve. We gladly work at being our best in our jobs, in our families, in our marriages and in our relationships. As an obedient servant, we must also ‘Work at’ being holy in our lifestyle so that the world will know to whom we belong. Also, we must determine in our own hearts to live at peace with each other as children of the ‘Prince of Peace’. We must ‘Work at It’ with all of our being and with the help of the King, Jesus our Lord.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, our time here on earth is short, and we can therefore not afford to procrastinate on ‘Working At’ being all that You demand of us in Your Word. Holiness begets holiness, so if we are truly a son of the Holy God, then we are to represent that holiness in our everyday life. For one to meet a son, there should be good enough representation that they would tell the world that they have truly known the Father. Lord, may it be so in my life today, and may You fill the hearts and lives of all my readers and listeners that are willing to live obedient lives in conformity with Your will. Shine through us today Lord Jesus, so that our friends might see Jesus. For I ask these things in and through the precious name of Jesus, AMEN!

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

SEE Jesus and Worship Him

On By Ed AlgreenIn Acknowledge God, Awesome God, Power of God, Powerful, Praise, Recognize God, See God, WorshipLeave a comment

Friday, 2021-09-27

Bible Reference: Matthew 28:16-17
Translation: New Living Translation (NIV)

Bible Text:  16 Then the eleven disciples left for Galilee, going to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him—but some of them doubted!

APPLICATION: In our scripture reference today we see one of many instances where folk saw Jesus, and they bowed down and worshiped Him. I acknowledge that this particular instance is so miraculous that it would give reason for anyone to ‘worship’ the Master. But let’s be careful to note that Jesus was crucified, died, buried, and three days later He arose from the dead, and now He stand in the very presence of His disciples! But friends, I want us to stop and meditate on the many times that we stand in the presence of the Lord Jesus, but do we always stop and acknowledge Him and/or offer up our sacrifices of praise to Him? Matthew Henry in his commentary on this verse says “All that see the Lord Jesus with an eye of faith, will worship him.” I could almost imagine by now you are dumbfounded as to what I might be getting at here, because although the Lord Jesus stood in the presence of the disciples, you probably can’t remember the last time that He did that to you, right? Dear friends, we are presented with reminders of our Lord Jesus every day and we make personal choices as to what we do with that. If you pick up the precious Word of God and read it, you will be flooded with evidence and overwhelmed by the presence of God as you read about Him – but do you stop to worship Him and acknowledge His greatness? If you walk out of your home and stop complaining about the humidity, or the cold, or the heat long enough you will SEE the beauty of all that God has provided for you to enjoy, you might consider raising your hands in praise to Him for His miraculous touch on everything from the heights of the skies to the beautiful green grass and flowers that you see, to the cattle that produces dairy products and/or beef for your plate, to the beautiful waterfalls that make us wonder where is the water coming from so high up on a mountain, to the beautiful ocean that is filled with man’s best foods, etc. If you enter God’s house of worship and hear the stories of how God has miraculously healed and/or touched His children, you will SEE where God has been busy meeting the needs of His people, and you will worship Him knowing that there is still hope for Him to also miraculously help you through your challenges that seem insurmountable to you at times. Friends, it is time for us to stop whining and start praising. It is time for us to stop attributing God’s miracles that occur all around us every day, to happen-chance, or good luck, or any other worldly credit, and truly SEE God for who He is. It is then that we will worship Him in deep sincerity like the disciples exampled for us in this Scripture today. Jesus is still alive and He is looking for opportunities to bless you, so that you may SEE Him, if only you will let Him into your world. Won’t you do that today friend?

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, thank You for Your presence each and every day. Please forgive us for the times that we find every other reason in the world why something special occurred in our life, before we finally realize that it truly was the God of this universe that stepped in and blessed us. You have provided lots of evidence of your miraculous hand at work in our lives and all around us. Please open our spiritual eyes so that we may SEE Your goodness, Your miracles and Your love that You want so badly for us to accept and envelope. Lord, may we truly learn to worship You in every way, because of all that You place before us as evidence of Your presence. Please also open the eyes of the non-believer today so that they will realize that there is no other explanation for the miracles around them other than the awesome power and greatness of the Almighty God. Lord I pray that our worship and our praise will come naturally, as we recognize the originator of our blessings. Thank You for being so good to us! I ask these things in the gracious and blessed name of Jesus, 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. 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!

Our God Will …

On By Ed AlgreenIn God Can Do It Again, God Cares For Us, God's WillLeave a comment

Saturday, 2021-08-28

Bible Reference: Proverbs 3:5-10
Translation: The Living Bible (TLB)

Scripture

Bible Text:  Trust the Lord completely; don’t ever trust yourself. 6 In everything you do, put God first, and he will direct you and crown your efforts with success.
7-8 Don’t be conceited, sure of your own wisdom. Instead, trust and reverence the Lord, and turn your back on evil; when you do that, then you will be given renewed health and vitality.
9-10 Honor the Lord by giving him the first part of all your income, and he will fill your barns with wheat and barley and overflow your wine vats with the finest wines.

APPLICATION:  Like me, I would imagine that, throughout your day there are times when you are overwhelmed as to how you will ever accomplish everything on your agenda, and that you wish you knew what might be happening in the coming days, weeks and years, so that you could make good choices today. Friends, I believe that God has placed the answer to this dilemma right at our fingertips – in these verses today. For I believe that you will see clearly that although we may not have all of the answers, there is a God who does – praise His name for ever and ever! As you read the first two verses of our Scripture today, let me remind you of Moses, God’s messenger and leader who had millions of people following him. Because He trusted completely in God, when he brought all these folk to the edge of the Jordan River, his ulcers didn’t explode from the stress of what to do next, for he was convinced that if God brought him to this crossroad, then obviously God would see him through, or across the river. These verses declare that when we place our faith and trust in Jesus, He will direct us into right paths and make our journey, or actions successful. Notice that this is not something we need to understand how or when success or answers will come, we are to just trust God and He will… Notice in verses 7-10, there are certain expectation from us, such as: 
* Trust and reverence God;
* Turn our backs on evil – of course the positive equivalent to this is to obey God’s commands;
* Honor God by giving Him the first of our income;
Just remember that God is all powerful and He could bless our health and give us vitality without us feeling like we had anything to do with the formula, but by demanding that we participate in the above simple actions, we learn that God’s goodness is for those who have an interest – those who want it. Similarly with our finances – God could very easily bestow great riches on everyone, but don’t you know that we always abuse anything that is given to us without us have some ‘skin’ in the game? When we give the first of our income, we are not only showing obedience to God, but we are acknowledging that there is nothing more important in our life. It also helps us to recognize that because we are blessed by God to be able to work and provide for our family, the least we could do is give back to Him unconditionally from our financial earnings. In true form to the goodness of our God, He foreknew the temptation of money, so He still threw in a blessing for those that obey this commandment to give. I believe that God’s Word is clear that we will be blessed financially in proportion to what we give. Are you ‘blessed’ financially? Check your giving, perhaps it needs adjusting!

PRAYER: Lord God, You have proven Yourself to us in so many ways, yet we often feel like we could handle this thing called ‘life’ all by ourselves. Please forgive us for our littleness Lord. You are Creator; Master; Lord and the Savior of this world. Thank You for giving us clear instruction of what is expected of us to receive optimal results from You. Please touch our stubborn hearts today and convince us of the need for obedience and faithfulness to You. Lord, we want to benefit from all the great things You have promised to us, but more than that, we are anxious to one day be with You in glory, where we could worship You endlessly. Bless us this day with Your grace and your mercy. Please lead us into total obedience to Your Word, for I ask these things in the gracious and loving name of Jesus, AMEN!

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

Do Everything For The Glorify God

On By Ed AlgreenIn Glorify, Glory of God, God Cares For Us, God's GloryLeave a comment

Monday, 2021-08-09

Bible Reference: 1 Corinthians 10:29-33
Translation: The Living Bible (TLB)

Bible Text:  29 ….you may ask, must I be guided and limited by what someone else thinks? 30 If I can thank God for the food and enjoy it, why let someone spoil everything just because he thinks I am wrong? 31 Well, I’ll tell you why. It is because you must do everything for the glory of God, even your eating and drinking. 32 So don’t be a stumbling block to anyone, whether they are Jews or Gentiles or Christians. 33 That is the plan I follow, too. I try to please everyone in everything I do, not doing what I like or what is best for me but what is best for them, so that they may be saved.

APPLICATION:  To a very large extent, we tend to build our lives around people who please us; who does life ‘our way’; and who has everything that makes us happy. Paul had to address this in the Corinthian church, and I believe that his teaching is included in the Word of God, because we need to be reminded of this today also. We still live in an imperfect world, and we still have a need to get over our selfishness. In this particular chapter Paul was addressing the subject of some being convinced that they could not eat certain foods, while others were quite OK with that and saw nothing wrong with it, nor how it might affect their relationship with God. Paul’s conviction was that we should be careful to do what pleases God in these circumstances, not just ourselves. In fact Paul directed us to do only those things that will glorify God, and that should challenge us the ultimate degree on why and how we should do things. This is supported by the wide variety of principles and characteristics that Jesus taught and modeled throughout His earthly ministry, for He ate with sinners, boldly taught opposing Pharisees and loved all with whom He came into contact with. But let’s take the example of food that Paul taught about in this chapter. This still exists today, because there are some who feel like there are certain foods that would defile their bodies, and some even feel that this is based on Biblical references – and therefore may displease God. I believe that we are being taught to make every effort to please God in our lives, which may mean that our own convictions may need adjusting at times. We should never create animosity with a Brother or Sister who is trying to please God through what they eat. Unfortunately, we sometimes become so wrapped up in the unimportant aspects of a Christian’s personal beliefs and practices, that we lose sight of glorifying God in the moment in which we find ourselves. Friends, rather than trying to force others to eat what we eat or not, we’ve totally missed the point if we haven’t challenged them, or helped them grow in their personal relationship with God. The time we spend with individuals, should help them in their relationship with God, or at least challenge them to consider their own lives in the light of eternity. We must be careful to help someone draw close to God, rather than becoming a stumbling block to the very people we feel led to help. As a child of God, our aim should always be to please Him through the way that we live, not by trying to be ‘God’. Our path to living like a child of the King is very clear in His Word, let’s learn to live like that and rub off on as many as we can. Maybe at that point we might have more impact on the unbeliever also, for we will truly imitate our loving Lord, and act more like He intended. It’s all about God friend, not our personal ideals.

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for loving us in spite of our silly personal ideals. Thank You for speaking through Paul to redirect our attention towards You instead of trying to impose our imperfections onto others. May our daily goal always be to please You in all that we do and say; to be more like You; and to draw closer to You in every way. You have taught us to love everyone and to encourage them instead of tearing down and destroying. Lord, may it be evident to all that we come into contact with, that Jesus lives and reigns inside of us. I ask for myself and each reader/listener, and I ask this in the loving and awesome name of Jesus, AMEN!

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

Guidance on Asking, Seeking and Knocking

On By Ed AlgreenIn Ask and Receive, Righteous, Seek God First, Seek God's Face, Seeking God1 Comment

DATE WRITTEN: Monday, 2020-11-23
WRITTEN AT: Paul B Johnson State Park, Hattiesburg, MS

Bible Reference: Matthew 7:7–8
Translation: New Living Translation (NLT)

Bible Text: 7 “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.

OBSERVATION: I believe that these verses must be looked at in light of all that Jesus covered in the earlier part of His sermon. In 6:33 Jesus taught that we are to seek the Kingdom of God above everything else, and live righteously, then God will give us what we need. So with that in mind, what do you suppose we would ask for, knowing our inadequacies and shortcomings? What will we seek after, knowing the wide expanse that separates us from the perfection of Christ, and why would we be knocking, but to enter into the presence of the Holy Son of God?

APPLICATION: We have just observed what God might be saying to us in this Scripture today, but how do we apply this to our everyday life? First of all, are we consistent in our asking? Do we even find time to pray, other than when we are in crisis mode? Our method of asking, or petitioning God is through ‘prayer’, yet most churches will tell you that it’s one of the worst attended services. I much prefer hearing people ask me to pray with them, than for them. For I am assured that they have some ‘skin in the game’ and have merely asked me to join them in prayer. Otherwise if they want me to pray for them, I might think that they don’t have time to pray, even though they know they need prayer, and have therefore asked me to pray for them. Jesus is telling us to ‘ask’, not to have someone ask for us. Jesus is also asking us to keep on asking, keep on seeking and keep on knocking. This tells me that we are to be persistent in doing these things. I once met a young person working at a prominent restaurant, and I asked how they landed the job. Persistence was the word, for they showed restaurant management that they were so interested in the job that they would keep on visiting the establishment, keep on asking for a job, etc. Guess what? He landed the job and looked extremely happy in his job. Now in the teachings of Jesus I believe that we have no doubt as to what we are to ask for or seek after, for we are to be a people who seeks after righteousness and have a deep desire to live like children of the King, therefore we will ask in line with our righteous desires and within the scope of God’s will. When you keep on knocking, you are acknowledging to God that you are once again at His feet pleading His perfect will for your life, with a deep desire to serve Him in complete righteousness. Jesus said that when we do these things, that He will not only hear our prayers, but He will meet our needs. Friends, we have so much that we ask God for, let’s aim at making those requests known to Him for the single purpose of making us, or the person we are praying for, more righteous in God’s sight, and that they, or you, may be drawn closer to God and His kingdom.

PRAYER: Lord, please continue to humble us to always and continuously seek Your face; ask for Your holy and generous hand of mercy and generosity upon our lives, so that we may be worked on and made right with You in every way. Lord, may we be consistent in knocking to ask for an audience with You on a frequent basis. May we be bold enough to join others in prayer so that we may encourage them and help them in their walk with You. Lord, please renew a great work in us today so that we may be more like You in every way, and may this attract the unsaved to desire intimacy with You. We must ask in full alignment with Your will dear Lord, because we acknowledge Your Lordship and Your sovereignty. Thank You precious Lord for accepting me as Your child. May I always live like a child of the King! 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!