A Heart Willing To Obey

On 2022-07-052022-07-06 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Needs, Obedience, Praise, Recognize God, Trust, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED Tuesday, 2022-07-05
WRITTEN AT: O Brien, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Deuteronomy 5:27; 29
TRANSLATION: Living Bible (TLB)

BIBLE TEXT: ²⁷ ….. You go and listen to all that God says, then come and tell us, and we will listen and obey.’ …..
²⁹Oh, that they would always have such a heart for me, wanting to obey my commandments. Then all would go well with them in the future, and with their children throughout all generations!

APPLICATION: When troubles come, and trials seem to hit us hard on every side, don’t you often wish that God would take control and give us comfort and wisdom on how to handle every little detail of life in a way that is blessed by, and pleasing to Him? To an even greater degree, when you are feeling helpless to do anything about the struggles that your child(ren) are going through, wouldn’t it be awesome to know that God is totally in charge, and that all things work together for good to those who love, adore, and worship the Lord their God? Friends, it is obvious from the words shared with Moses, by our Master, that He is more than willing to bless us and our future generations, if only we would acknowledge Him and obey His commands. The people begged of Moses to go and speak with God and, in verse 27, they promised that they would listen and obey. Notice how God had gotten used to the idea of people making vain promises when they are in trouble, or in dire need. For He said in verse 29: If only they would do what they say. Or, what I wouldn’t do to hear them say that, then – commit, and obediently follow through with their promise. Because, THEN I will bless them and all their future generations. That’s our awesome God, folks! Let us rest assured that this is not just a nice story that we could read about our ancestors, but rather, this is a story about our all-powerful Creator; our wonderful God! This reminds us that the same God who ‘did’ for Moses and his people, is the same God who ‘can do‘ today and always for us and our family. Notice how helpless everyone was with the dreaded Covid disease? Doctors and healthcare workers were helpless and many died without hope. But God gives us hope! He’s still alive; He’s still all-powerful; and I am convinced that He is still waiting to bless us and our future generations, if only we will listen and obey. So my challenge to you today is: how badly do you want to be blessed, precious friends? Enough to listen and obey all that the Master has outlined for us in His Word? The results are promised by God: If you trust and obey with all your heart – meaning that you not just say that your believe for the moment, but that you promise to God and follow through in doing what He says, THEN He promises that all will go well for you and your children for all generations! Let me use words from a popular move – ‘that’s an offer you can’t refuse’!

BLESSING(S) NOTED: If you listen and obey God, then He will bless and keep you and your future generations!

PRAYER: When we walk with You Lord, in the light of Your Word; what a glory You shine on our way. When we do Your great will, You abide with us still, and for all who will trust and obey! Thank You precious Lord for placing these words in the mind of that great old song writer. But most of all, thank You for still being available to those of us today who are ready and willing to place our faith and trust in You and obey Your Word. You promised You would bless, and we stand in great anticipation of Your everyday blessings. Many challenges face us each day, but what a reassurance in knowing that You’re in control of it all and will see o it that all things working together for good to those who trust and obey! For all those who will meditate on this blog today, please bless them oh Lord, and speak words of wisdom to them that will draw them to Yourself. Perhaps for a closer walk with You, or perhaps for the very first time. May they find peace in knowing You as their personal Savior and 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 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!

Listen, Understand & Accept

On 2022-02-152022-02-15 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Needs, Praise, Preaching, Recognize God, Teachings, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED Tuesday, 2022-02-15
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Acts 17:2-4
TRANSLATION: New Living Translation (NLT)

BIBLE TEXT: ²As was Paul’s custom, he went to the synagogue service, and for three Sabbaths in a row he used the Scriptures to reason with the people. ³He explained the prophecies and proved that the Messiah must suffer and rise from the dead. He said, “This Jesus I’m telling you about is the Messiah.” ⁴Some of the Jews who listened were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, along with many God-fearing Greek men and quite a few prominent women.

APPLICATION: Paul ‘reasoned’ with the people! Isn’t that an interesting translation? Some Sunday School, or Small Group teachers will slow down and reason with their students, but seldom do we see a preacher or pastor do that! What I like about this word, versus ‘preaching’ is that the teacher is trying to make sure that their students have all their questions answered about the Scriptures. I believe that most ‘preaching’ is delivered from the speakers understanding and belief system, and generally from a very dictatorial perspective. Getting down to the level of understanding by the audience is so important, I feel. For if we fail to help them grow in their understanding and in their relationship with Jesus, what good has it been for them to hear you speak? I love, love, love interactive teaching, for students will sometimes lend a personal perspective of what God has done in their life regarding the Scripture being studied. I know, the good teacher will know when to nip a conversation in the bud when an individual is merely showing off their own personality and/or value, but I believe it helps everyone to stay awake and alert to the teaching as they try to apply it to their own lives. I believe that to understand the heart of the congregation is to know that each one comes to church for their own reason, and expectation. Mom, dad or a spouse might force one to attend church out of traditional beliefs that it’s the place for all good people to be at least for one hour per week. Some may want to satisfy an obligation made to the pastor, or a friend, who invited them to church. But I believe that Paul was especially addressing the needs of the ones who knew about God, and His Son, but still had a lot of questions. In fact, most Jews tend to struggle with the idea of Jesus being the Messiah, and/or being equal with God. In reasoning with them from the Scriptures, Paul was using the inspired words of God Himself to spell out the truth of the Messiah and that Jesus was indeed that Messiah. Just as we walk away from church sometimes, and feel the need to rush home and study the Scriptures more, to make sure that we could believe what the preacher said that morning, the Jews also made some very critical decisions about Paul’s teachings. For some believed, and followed Paul and Silas, while some got all heated and wanted no further discussion, but instead they wanted to continue their fight of getting rid of these evangelists. Each week we have the same sort of crowds, for: some will stay at home unconcerned about hearing anything more about Jesus, because all is well in their family and they have no immediate need for Jesus; some will reluctantly go to church, because they feel obligated to their parents, spouse, friends or even the pastor; some will be at church in bodily form, but their minds are on the fishing, hunting or play grounds; but some might be interested in understanding the Word of God better, for they have seen over and over again how God has delivered, directed and comforted them through His Word. Friends, those that love you are already praying and encouraging you to go to church with them next weekend. In helping you decide, let me encourage you to go with the intent of better understanding the Word of God and applying it to your life in a way that He will personally speak to you about. If you do this, I am convinced that you will see such value in the teachings of God’s Word that you will be ready to lead the way for your family to learn from God’s Word every week going forward.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: God’s Word is invaluable for the one who desires to grow closer to Him, and to the one who needs more in life that worldly belongings. Listen to the teachings for God, and as you understand them, be obedient to what He is calling you to do.

PRAYER: Please help us Lord to keep our minds and desires fixed on You as our Lord and Mediator. May our desire to grow in knowledge of You become more intense each week. Help us to strive towards righteousness instead of finding fault with our pastor/preacher/teacher. May we, like the Jews who accepted the teaching of Paul and Silas, decide to follow You whole heartedly. AMEN!

The Special Privileges of Obedient Sheep

On 2021-11-052021-11-04 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, Surrender, WorshipLeave a comment

Friday, 2021-11-05

Bible Reference: John 10:25-29
Translation: The Passion Translation (TPT)

Bible Text: ²⁵……. “I have told you the truth already and you did not believe me. The proof of who I am is revealed by all the miracles that I do in the name of my Father. ²⁶Yet, you stubbornly refuse to follow me, because you are not my sheep. As I’ve told you before: ²⁷My own sheep will hear my voice and I know each one, and they will follow me. ²⁸I give to them the gift of eternal life and they will never be lost and no one has the power to snatch them out of my hands. ²⁹My Father, who has given them to me as his gift, is the mightiest of all, and no one has the power to snatch them from my Father’s care.

APPLICATION: Each morning many of us are blessed to see the rising sun, and I believe that God can easily get our attention to compare that to His Son, who was sent to show us the love of the Father, and to provide the means of our eternal salvation from this wicked world. As I peer into the bright sun, I am reminded that it outshines everything else in view. My Savior – the Son of God, said in these verses this morning that His works will outshine anything else the Jews could imagine, and that’s how the people would know that He is indeed the Son of God; The glory of God; The power of God; The very image of God. Jesus also said that His sheep will not only see His power and His glory, but that they will move into action by accepting the only One who provides salvation to mankind. Each day as we recognize the power and beauty of our awesome God, we have the choice of brushing these things off to good luck; happen-chance; a strange phenomenon; or even something powerful that is created by man. But I believe that as we recognize them as coming from the hand of God alone, we will have an increased desire to know Him better and to follow Him more intimately. Whatever you do, please don’t overlook the words of Jesus in regards to this. He assured us that those who accept Him, and the wonderful gift of redemption that He offers, will be secure, for no one will snatch them from His all-powerful hand. Friends, in a world where everything is so unsure, and where the rules are changing all the time, is it not reassuring that our Father assures us of the security that we have in His care? God created us to be His worshipers and His faithful followers. In return, He has assured us that He cares for His sheep (children/followers) and that He will protect us until the day we are with He and His Father in heaven. Yes, for all eternity. So whether it’s the sun that rises in majesty each day, or whether its some other act of God that opens your eyes to the wonders of God, please recognize the works of God, and know that He is the One that awaits your response to His offer of salvation, so that He may also use you for His glory in helping others see Him. We protect our properties with physical security; our computers with data security; and our finances with insurance; I believe it is vitally important that we seek a relationship with the Almighty for peace of mind today and the security of our eternal destiny. Please be sure to read through my Footnote, and especially click on the hyperlink, ‘To Know Jesus’, so that you might see what the Word says about the need for the Savior. I believe that He is standing with outstretched arms waiting for you my friend! Do it today, won’t you!

PRAYER: Lord, we are a people looking to secure our earthly belongings, no matter how minimal they are. Thank You for reminding us in Your Word today how important it is to also surrender ourselves to You and allow You to secure our heavenly future. Please soften the hearts of all who will read this devotional today, and even more importantly, please speak to the hearts of those who have not given their allegiance to You a second thought. It is clear in Your Word, that we have no assurances of when You will return. It could be today! However, Your Word is clear that only those who have accepted Your Son, Jesus Christ, will see the glories of heaven. That’s something we all can do while we are still alive. May this be the day for many, I pray. 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!

For Increased Strength and Stamina

On 2021-08-012021-08-01 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, Strength, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Sunday, 2021-08-01
WRITTEN AT: Hattiesburg, MS

SCRIPTURE FROM: Luke 6:46-49
TRANSLATION: New Living Translation (NLT)

BIBLE TEXT: ⁴⁶“So why do you keep calling me ‘Lord, Lord!’ when you don’t do what I say? ⁴⁷I will show you what it’s like when someone comes to me, listens to my teaching, and then follows it. ⁴⁸It is like a person building a house who digs deep and lays the foundation on solid rock. When the floodwaters rise and break against that house, it stands firm because it is well built. ⁴⁹But anyone who hears and doesn’t obey is like a person who builds a house right on the ground, without a foundation. When the floods sweep down against that house, it will collapse into a heap of ruins.”

APPLICATION: Whether we are faced with family challenges; our work environment; our friend relationships; or the gossip, hatred, backbiting or jealousy that Satan forces on his followers that attend our churches; we all look up at times and ask God for guidance and/or help to overcome. But Jesus teaches us today that we are not to only seek Him arbitrarily when we have problems to resolve. He is looking for His children to stand firm against the earthly battles, trial and temptations everyday, because of their firm footing in Him. He likened this ‘firm footing’ to a house that is well grounded and well constructed, for it can withstand the storms that are bound to come its way. You see, we can build a house that looks perfect – just as beautiful inside and outside as the house next door. But if the construction is superficial, the beautiful house will not withstand the weather. Jesus was illustrating that when you build a relationship with God, through His Son Jesus, and mature it to the extent that you are confident of God’s love, His wisdom, His direction and His consistent answers to your prayers, then you can rest assured that He is there in the good times – those mountaintop experiences, and in the tough times, when you feel like you are going through the deepest valleys of your life. However, God knows our pretense all too well. So if we turn to Him during those times of dire need, BUT turn our face to His commands and His teachings at all other times in our life, then Jesus likened us to a house built on an insecure base, like sand. I believe that Jesus is teaching us to stay connected to Him. Read His Word (His teachings, His commands and all about His example while here on earth); Call on Him every morning, whether you are experiencing the mountaintop experiences that we love, or whether we feel at the end of our rope in life-challenges. Friends, when we are ‘connected’ and obeying our Lord’s commands every day, we are much like the house on solid ground – for we have a firm footing and we KNOW in whom we believe, serve and obey. When Jesus is just a God of convenience and need to you, you will approach the throne much differently – in guilt and knowing that you have disappointed our Lord. Our stress level is not relieved very much, for like the unbeliever, you hope that God will hear your cry and smile on you. Where do you stand today? Do you know without a shadow of doubt in whom you believe? Or are you approaching the throne of a God you want to keep at a distance, and just available if you need Him? There’s a huge difference my friends! Let me recommend that you take full advantage of being in an honest, real and close relationship with our Master and Lord.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: The difference in having a ‘real’ and honest relationship with the Lord, versus one under false pretenses, will determine the outcome of your battles.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, I know that we all fail from time to time, but please remind us every day that You are a God who knows all about us, whether we disclose our hidden secrets, or not. Please help us to live in an open and honest relationship with You, so that whether we praise You, or beg You for our deepest need, there will be nothing that stands between us. I believe You are well aware that as long as we remain on earth, we will be tempted to sin, but I know that You have promised to be with us every step of every day, through our good times and through our struggles. May we keep our eyes fixed on You and our relationship open and honest in every way. Thank You for loving us in spite of our weaknesses. May Your strength and power be evident in every step we take, so that others may experience the love of our Savior. AMEN!

Tell Them What The Lord Says

On 2021-06-262021-06-26 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Needs, Obedience, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Saturday, 2021-06-26
WRITTEN AT: Shamrock, TX

SCRIPTURE FROM: Numbers 22:8; 12-13
TRANSLATION: Contemporary English Version (CEV)

BIBLE TEXT: ⁸“Spend the night here,” Balaam replied, “and tomorrow I will tell you the Lord’s answer.” So the officials stayed at his house….
¹²But God replied, “Don’t go with Balak’s messengers. I have blessed those people who have come from Egypt, so don’t curse them.”
¹³The next morning, Balaam said to Balak’s officials, “Go on back home. The Lord says I cannot go with you.”

APPLICATION: I believe that one of the most challenging things to do, is to pray from a totally neutral position and ask God without any prejudices of our own involved in our request. Often folk will say that God never answered their prayer, but how often do we pray without telling God what we want to see as His answer? When God answers in His wisdom, and it differs to what we asked for, we immediately think that He either ignored us, or just messed up. I know you would never think or say the latter, but we are all human and we differ very little in our reaction to things. But notice how Balaam never offered his first impression to the messengers, but his first response was that he would tell them what God says next morning. I’ve often heard godly men say ‘I feel like God led me to say….’ But never exactly like Balaam told the messengers. What would coworkers and friends say, if you told them you would give them God’s response the next morning? What would they think, or say, if you told them ‘no, God says I can’t do that’? But friends, think with me for a moment what they must be saying already when we make no reference to seeking the will of our Father in heaven before responding to them? Does that help in their evaluation of the relationship you have with the Father and/or His Son? In the included verses, you will note that God told Balaam that these were HIS people whom HE had blessed, so Balaam must not even think about cursing that which is blessed by God! I believe that is a true description of how God feels about His children today! I believe that He is very protective of us and will ward off danger and hurt from that which He has blessed – you and I. For this to be meaningful to you dear brother and sister, you must have surrendered your life to the lordship of Jesus Christ. That’s the method God uses for us to be considered ‘His beloved child that He awaits to receive in heaven someday’. Do you fit the description? Please consider reading my Footnote, and especially click on the link ‘To Know Jesus’. There are Scriptures that will help you evaluate your position with the Creator, and/or provide you meaningful Scripture to help introduce you to the Master. Please drop me a note and allow me to pray with you, or seek out your local Bible Teaching pastor to help you through this important introduction to my Savior!

BLESSING(S) NOTED: Let the world know how your decisions are made! It speaks volumes about your relationship with God. Also, know that as a child of the King, you are protected by the One who loves you unconditionally!

PRAYER: Precious Lord, take my hand, lead on to the end…. Beautiful words from an old hymn that speaks to our need for an everyday relationship with Jesus, and a total dependence on Him to lead us in every aspect of life. No matter how smart we get Lord, we are reminded that we still know nothing about the next five minutes or tomorrow. We are totally dependent on You, and because we praise You for who You are, we are placing our faith and trust in You for every decision that we are faced with. Please help us to respond in the manner is which we are receiving our guidance so that the world will not only know about Jesus, but also come to respect Your kids for total obedience. Lord, be glorified in Your children today, beginning with me. AMEN!

Your Mindset When Listening

On 2021-05-052021-05-05 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Listen, Listen to the Word of God, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Wednesday, 2021-05-05
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Mark 4:3-9
TRANSLATION: The Passion Translation (TPT)

BIBLE TEXT: ³“Consider this: A sower went out to sow (seed). ⁴As he sowed some fell along the beaten path and soon the birds came and ate it. ⁵Some fell onto gravel with no topsoil and quickly sprouted since the soil had no depth. ⁶But when the days grew hot, the sprouts were scorched and withered because they had insufficient roots. ⁷Some fell among the thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no fruit. ⁸But some fell onto good, rich soil that kept producing a good harvest. Some yielded thirty, some sixty—and some a hundredfold! ⁹If you understand this, then you need to respond.”

APPLICATION: I find it absolutely amazing how we could have read a passage of Scripture all our lives, heard sermons on it, had Sunday School lessons on it, yet today God has a new revelation for you in that very passage! God’s Word is alive and active! Yet in today’s Scripture, I am reminded that no matter how hard I aim at applying the Word of God to my life first and foremost, yet I am caught off-guard at times where God will say ‘are you listening good?’ Or as our Scripture ended ‘you need to respond’. I don’t believe that I am all that different to most of you that will read this devotional, for we read, or we listen to the Word being read, and immediately we start applying it to those around us. I have always looked at this parable so differently by applying it to people who appears to be in various states of mind in their relationship with God. Of course the unbeliever wants nothing †o do with the Word of God, for they are so wrapped up in the things of this world, and their minds are so twisted by the evil one. The Word of God will therefore most often fall on their deaf ears because of their lack of interest. But what about the Christian who comes to church unprepared to meet the King of all kings, our Teacher, the God of the universe, Healer, the Author of the most powerful Book ever written. Will they/we truly receive the Word God designed for us to hear in that service? Will it penetrate deep enough to affect our lives any? Will we recognize and acknowledge the reason we attended church that day, or that we were standing on holy ground in the presence of the only Holy God? You might say later, I know, there was one thing that the preacher kept shouting and pounding away on, so you might leave remembering those specific words from his sermon, right? But did God really penetrate our heart with that word, or was it like the seed that landed on rocky ground, where it really had no impact on our way of living? However on other occasions there are times that we will head out to church after a week of trials that resulted in us arguing with our relatives, shouting at our spouse and kids, and wishing that we would never have to return to our workplace. Our minds are racing on all the ways that the world seems out to ‘get us’. Then we enter the doors of the sanctuary. Do we have a switch that automatically cuts off the awful activities and interactions of our week, so that we could now concentrate on the Master? Not so easy, is it? We are reminded of this parable where the Good News is entering a crowded and choked up mind. Can we truly receive the Word and allow it to impact our lives for the glory of God? Friends, Jesus knew fully well that His children are in the world, and way too often we are of this world and struggle to truly connect with His awesome goodness towards us. We are at church in body, but our minds are way too preoccupied to truly be blessed of God. What then shall we do? Jesus said in verse 9 that if we find ourselves in the dilemma illustrated above, we are to respond. Seek the Lord while He may be found. Know that He alone is God and can do ALL things for His glory. In being our Father, He would never want us to be unsatisfied, unhappy and distant from Him. But He will not force Himself into our lives. He wants us to respond – ask Him to settle our minds; give us better attitudes with those we live with, work with, and come into contact with throughout the week. Most of all, give us settled minds so that we could approach the Father in humility and without remorse for our neighbor (those around us). It’s up to you to respond my friend. Don’t wait, do it today so that You may once again enjoy a right relationship with the Father.

PRAYER: Into Your hands I commend my spirit oh God. Cleanse me, correct me, and draw me close to You. Help me to always represent You in this world so that the world will know my Savior and my Lord. May my eyes be opened, my heart softened and my mind be alert to receiving Your Word and applying it to my life so that I may obey Your commands and follow Your example in life. May Your Word be received in ways that it will have an impact on me so that I may go on to bless others in Your name. Bless my readers Lord, and offer them the benefits of Your Kingdom, just as I have asked for. AMEN!

Listen and Obey

On 2020-09-252020-09-24 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Listen, Listen to the Word of God, Needs, Obedience, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Friday, 2020-09-25
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

BIBLE REFERENCE: Hebrews 4:12-13
TRANSLATION: The Message (MSG)

BIBLE TEXT: ^12-13God means what he says. What he says goes. His powerful Word is sharp as a surgeon’s scalpel, cutting through everything, whether doubt or defense, laying us open to listen and obey. Nothing and no one is impervious to God’s Word. We can’t get away from it—no matter what.

OBSERVATION: Workers are fired for disobeying company policy and rules. Parents become frustrated with kids who refuse to follow their instruction or their advice. So imagine how the God of this universe must feel after providing children, made after His own image, the opportunity to live in a perfect world, yet to later see them reject Him, run away from Him and do their own thing. Child of God, is there reason for us to deny God’s direction and to possibly think that our ways are better than His? God implored us through His servant Paul to listen to His commands and obey His teachings. Are you?

APPLICATION: Ever thought for a moment that your parents must have had eyes in the back of their head, because they seem to have known every little thing that you did? Ever notice how most people behave fairly good inside the church doors, and possibly while in the presence of their pastor, but if you place them in a real tight situation at work, or on the street, the real character of the person emerges? God caught my attention this morning through His Word when Paul explained how we are like sacrificial lambs before our King when we read His Word. In fact, Paul likened it to us being opened up and ministered to without any opposition on our end. This made me think of recent surgery that I went through. I was put to sleep at about 7:30am and I regained my awareness about 5pm that afternoon. During that gap, my neck was cut, parts of my vertebrae were removed, artificial parts were installed, bars screwed onto my remaining vertebrae and then I was sewn back up. I was totally at the graces of my surgeon, and he was free to do whatever he saw fit to do in his professional opinion. There was no objection by me during that time, and I was laid open for any corrections that the surgeon saw fit. Paul used a similar example in how submissive and obedient we should be when it comes to us living out the Word of God. How often do you surrender fully to the Word of God and stand ready to obey His commands without a fight or argument? How often do you take God at His word and obey His every command? Have you been laid bare before God and allowed Him to have His perfect will in your life? To repeat the words of the Bible: None of us are exempt from the Word of God. We can’t get away from what God intended for us to do all along, no matter how smart we may think we are, or who our contacts might be at the church, the courthouse, or anywhere else. God intended His instruction to be for us, and besides missing out on His blessings from unadulterated obedience, God will hold us accountable for living without making Him a part of our life and consequently obeying every other law besides His. Don’t waste any more time dear Friend. Trust God, listen to Him and obey His every command. It’s for our own good!

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, You showed us how important it was to obey every word from Your Father, and You told us how important it Is that we follow in Your footsteps. The love of the Father is greater than any other love that exists today. So please help us to love You in return, precious Lord, and what better way to do that than to commit ourselves to total obedience to Your commands. Please give us strength and determination for each day, and may You be glorified in everything we say or do, so that others may see and believe in the One True God. AMEN!

Sheep Who Listen and Follow Are Protected

On 2019-11-06 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, Surrender, WorshipLeave a comment

Wednesday, 2019-11-06

Bible Reference: John 10:25-29
Translation: The Passion Translation (TPT)

OBSERVATION: The Jews looked for every possible way to discredit Jesus, because He was really sharing a simple truth that revealed the ugliness of all they were doing as the spiritual leaders of that day. But Jesus had one simple indicator for them to focus on – watch for His works. For through His awesome works, God will be revealed through the Son. Meditate with me today as we consider the lights, sights and sounds of each day that we are blessed to walk into. I believe these things might help us to draw one conclusion – Only God!

APPLICATION: As a worker of over 47 years, I am blessed to enjoy one last week of vacation before I retire at the end of the year. Standing at the door of my vacation unit, I could see the rising sun, and I believe that God got my attention to compare that to His Son, who was sent to show us the love of the Father, and to provide the means of our eternal salvation from this wicked world. As I peered into the bright sun, I was reminded that it outshines everything else in view. My Savior – the Son of God, said in these verses this morning that His works will outshine anything else the Jews could imagine, and that’s how the people would know that He is indeed the Son of God; The glory of God; The power of God; The very image of God. Jesus also said that His sheep will not only see His power and His glory, but that they will move into action by accepting the only One who provides salvation to mankind. Each day as we recognize the power and beauty of our awesome God, we have the choice of brushing these things off to good luck; happen-chance; a strange phenomenon; or to something powerful that is created by man. I believe that as we recognize them as coming from the hand of God alone, we will have an increased desire to know Him better and to follow Him more intimately. Whatever you do, please don’t overlook the words of Jesus in regards to this. He assured us that those who accept Him, and the wonderful gift of redemption that He offers, will be secure, for no one will snatch them from His all-powerful hand. Friends, in a world where everything is so unsure, and where the rules are changing all the time, is it not reassuring that our Father assures us of the security that we have in His care? God created us to be His worshipers and His faithful followers. In return, He has assured us that He cares for His sheep (children/followers) and that He will protect us until the day we are with He and His Father in heaven. Yes, for all eternity. So whether it’s the sun that rises in majesty each day, or whether its some other act of God that opens your eyes to the wonders of God, please recognize the works of God, and know that He is the One that awaits your response to His power so that He may also use you for His glory in helping others see Him. We protect our properties with physical security; our computers with data security; and our finances with insurance; I believe it is vitally important that we seek a relationship with the Almighty for peace of mind today and the security of our eternal destiny. Please be sure to read through my Footnote, and especially click on the hyperlink, ‘To Know Jesus’, so that you might see what the Word says about the need for the Savior. I believe that He is standing with outstretched arms waiting for you my friend! Do it today, won’t you!

Listen to God So that He may listen to you

On 2019-08-20 By Ed AlgreenIn Forgiveness, Listen, Obedience, Obedient, SurrenderLeave a comment

Tuesday, 2019-08-20

Bible Reference: Zechariah 7:9-14
Translation: The Message (MSG)

Bible Text: ^9-10Well, the message hasn’t changed. God-of-the-Angel-Armies said then and says now: “‘treat one another justly. Love your neighbors. Be compassionate with each other. Don’t take advantage of widows, orphans, visitors, and the poor. Don’t plot and scheme against one another—that’s evil.’ ^11–13“But did your ancestors listen? No, they set their jaws in defiance. They shut their ears. They steeled themselves against God’s revelation and the Spirit-filled sermons preached by the earlier prophets by order of God-of-the-Angel-Armies. And God became angry, really angry, because he told them everything plainly and they wouldn’t listen to a word he said. ^13–14 “So [this is what God-of-the-Angel-Armies said] if they won’t listen to me, I won’t listen to them. I scattered them to the four winds. They ended up strangers wherever they were.

OBSERVATION: God’s commands are condensed in the first part of our Scripture today. In the middle part Zechariah reflects on all the effort made to obey God’s commands, and in the latter part God finally issues His reaction to the lack of desire and commitment by mankind to honor Him – the giver and sustainer of life. Unfortunately, not a whole lot has changed over the years, so let us meditate on the heart of God and how He reacts to our hardened hearts and actions. Perhaps today God might be allowed to have His way in our lives.

APPLICATION: I am fascinated how history repeats itself in spite of the lessons we should learn from our past. Much like Zechariah did when sharing the visions he was blessed with from God, our pastors today dig into God’s Word seeking what God might reveal to them that would bless and/or convict their parishioners. They share with us the consequences of disobedience by our ancestors, hoping that we would see the error of our ways, turn from our sin and obey God without the need for further consequences. A few sins were mentioned in verses 9 and 10, and not only do we still see these unfortunate sins recurring today, but they were also concerns that reoccurred in the New Testament. Several translations used the same verbiage in verse 11 that indicates to me that it is of grave concern to our Master. I believe that it truly concerns Him when He sees us plot and scheme against one another. When we look for ways to hurt one another. He announces this as pure evil and I believe this is something that we must not only be on guard for personally, but also look for ways to help each other fight against this awful sin. Let’s learn to pray for each other, that we would see the good in fellow humans and learn to celebrate it. Let us learn to pray for those who find it challenging to do life just like Jesus would have done it, or perhaps like He expects of us. I believe the biggest thing that got my attention in these verses today, is the consequences of disobedience. The Word says “if we don’t listen to (obey) God, He won’t listen to us” Oh my, oh my! Do you suppose that this is the reason we feel like we sometimes hit brick walls with our prayers, or feeling ignored by God? There’s an old spiritual that I learned later in life that I am reminded of as I meditated on these words today: “It’s me, it’s me oh Lord, Standing in the need of prayer“, it’s not my brother or my sister that I need to be most concerned about, but I need to get my act together first and take care of my personal cleansing before God first, before ever attempting to help a brother or sister where I easily, and glaringly, see obvious sin. I don’t know about you friend, but I need God to listen to me, so it is imperative that I listen to Him and obey Him. Will you commit to doing the same? It is so critical that we have believers who are actually getting through to God with our prayers – our needs and concerns. Let’s do our part in being obedient.

PRAYER: Dear God, please forgive us for so easily attempting to do Your job by zoning in on the wrongs of others, while overlooking the sin in our own lives. “It’s me, it’s me oh Lord, standing in the need of prayer – not my brother or my sister, but me….” I need thee every hour of every day, for in my own strength I cannot overcome the evil pull of this life. Please touch the lives of each one that will read this devotional. Please impact our lives with a desire to surrender full control of our lives to You so that we all may be usable instruments for Your kingdom work here on this earth. I humbly ask these things in the wonderful, and strong name of Jesus, AMEN!

Many Voices

On 2019-04-27 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Commitment, Committed, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

Saturday, 2019-04-27

Bible Reference: Mark 5:36; 39-42
Translation: The Passion Translation (TPT)

Bible Text: ³⁶But Jesus refused to listen to what they were told^[n and said to the Jewish official, “Don’t yield to fear. All you need to do is to keep on believing.”
³⁹Upon entering the home, Jesus said to them, “Why all this grief and weeping? Don’t you know the girl is not dead but merely asleep?” ⁴⁰Then everyone began to ridicule and make fun of him. But he threw them all outside. Then he took the child’s father and mother and his three disciples and went into the room where the girl was lying. ⁴¹He tenderly clasped the child’s hand in his and said to her in Aramaic, “Talitha koum,” which means, “Little girl, wake up from the sleep of death.” ⁴²Instantly the twelve-year-old girl sat up, stood to her feet, and started walking around the room!

OBSERVATION: On the one hand, the Jewish ruler was being told to give up and go back home, for his daughter had died. However, Jesus told him something totally different. At the home of Jairus, the crowd mocked Jesus because he said that the daughter of Jairus was only asleep. What was Jairus to believe? You and I have this type of dilemma every day, so how do we know which way to go. or who to believe?

APPLICATION: Jairus could very easily have succumbed to the pressure of the crowd around him – friends, co-laborers, Jewish authorities, etc. for he knew them a whole lot longer than he knew this ‘Jesus’ who he had just heard of. After all, what must the crowd be thinking about Jairus being so receptive to this new ‘profit’ that seemed to be causing such an uproar? Friends, if you tune in closely to the voices of the crowd around you every day – at work; at the grocery story; at the gym; at the gas station or the movie theater, many of these individuals are pretty far out in their thoughts, words and actions. They often look down on Christians and churches and this fictional character (in their minds) that they hear us talking about – Jesus. We hear many voices dear friends, and if we are not strong in our faith, and in a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, they might easily distract us and pull us into their way of thinking – after all they seem to be happy, they seem to be rich, they seem to have a lot of things going in their favor. Jesus told Jairus: just keep on believing! I believe that He is telling you and I today that we are to just keep on believing. When He called your name and you accepted Him as Lord and Savior, you were so convinced, that you totally surrendered your life to Him. Yes, you’ve not made it a priority to read His Word every day. Yes, you’ve not made it a priority to speak (pray) to Him every day. Yes you’ve allowed many other things to come before Him when you should have been refueling your spiritual tank at church. Yes, you’ve been hanging around some friends who are not at all sold out on Jesus. So in retrospect, whose voice are you really hearing? May I encourage you today dear friend, to not only accept my Lord as your personal Savior, but please consider making Him a daily priority in your life. You may easily be put in the position that Jairus was in – do you listen to the crowd, or do you listen to Jesus? I pray that the decision will be very easy and convincing for you. Jesus is my Rock, my Redeemer; my Savior; and my everlasting Lord. Know Him today my friend, and know the everlasting peace that He brings. You won’t regret one minute of it!

PRAYER: Dearest Lord Jesus, thank You for accepting me as Your very own son, and thank You for accepting all those who will read this devotional and have committed their life to Your lordship. Please help us to stay so in tuned with You on a daily basis that we will by like simple sheep that listen to the voice of their shepherd and obediently follow his commands. You are my Shepherd! Please help me to follow you all the days of my life. Please humble the hearts of all those who will read this devotional today, and call them to a close and lasting relationship with Yourself. AMEN!

Nuggets From God's Word

Tag: Listen