Tag: Lord

Your ‘Must Do’ List

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Focused, Focused on the Goal, goal, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED Saturday, 2022-10-22
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Luke 2:48-49; Luke 4:43; Luke 9:21-22;
TRANSLATION: New King James Version (NKJV)

BIBLE TEXT: Luke 2:48 …. “Son, why have You done this to us? Look, Your father and I have sought You anxiously.” 49 And He said to them, “Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?”
Luke 4:43 but He said to them, “I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, because for this purpose I have been sent.”
Luke 9:21 … He strictly warned and commanded them to tell this to no one, 22 saying, “The Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.”

APPLICATION: Those who go about life without a specific purpose in mind, will be tossed about by every wild idea that fills the mind of those we come into contact with. For example, if you hang around a fisherman, it is very lightly that you will be convinced that there is no greater sport that fishing. Soon you will be purchasing a fishing rod to test out your friend’s theory! Some pastors prefer to keep their occupation a secret, so that you won’t have time to raise your defenses and build up a desire to fight with them about their beliefs. Instead, you will see them as just another human being going about life, just like you. Normally it won’t be very long before you start seeing them act and talk differently than the usual drunk on the corner, or the hopeless person you sometimes encounter. Each of us will discover that there are lots of options for us to choose from each day, and I don’t believe it was much different for Jesus. However, it seems very evident that Jesus had goals, or principles that he tried diligently to keep His activities and interactions in line with. Over time, we should also develop goals and principles for our life, for there are some things that cause us grief; some get us into trouble with the law, or our spouse, or our employer; some bring us genuine happiness; and often some will help us to grow, based on the value we find in the results of seeing those things work themselves out. In the three Scriptures quoted above, there were at least three things that Jesus felt compelled to do: 1). Promote, enhance and work at His Father’s business; 2). Preach the Gospel to a hungry and desperate world. It doesn’t take long for us to see the needs of people that we make contact with each day. If the love of God is in us, and the Word of God embedded into our choices for conversation and acts of service, then it won’t be long before others will see the value in becoming a child of the King! and 3). Jesus knew beforehand what was ahead for Him at Calvary, and He had no intention of trying to circumvent that suffering. Instead, He wanted that to also be meaningful to the Father, and to those who would be impacted by it. There are things that you are destined to face. You can either default to the bitterness that many fellow humans tend to experience, or you can opt to accept your destiny and ask God to use it for His glory.
I hope that, like me, your eyes have been opened to the wonderful life that God gave to His Son – including His crucifixion, and you will commit to do like Jesus did – accept with ‘a grain of salt’, the good, the bad and the ugly that others might see in life, and realize that God placed you here for a purpose just like He did with Jesus, His Son. The world was forever impacted by Jesus, and your world – your family, friends, coworkers, etc, could also be impacted by your life, if you allow Jesus to take control, lead you, and give you strength to endure every circumstance of life. Do life His way dear friend, and do not allow the sway of every friend or circumstance of life to control your reactions and commitment to your lifegoals. Jesus first, and all these things will be given to you, God being your Guide and unwavering Helper.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: We must all decide in our own hearts whether we are willing to allow the wind and waves of life to shift us around, or with God’s help, accept and strive towards a life patterned after the Lord Jesus Christ. Our goals in life will determine our words and our actions.

PRAYER: Your ‘Must-Do’ list is quite the example for us Lord. Too often we tend to just do what comes our way, and our words seem to be an unfiltered expression of whatever is on our mind. Please help us to be intentional about allowing You to fill us and use us for Your glory. Give us the strength, wisdom and determination to center our hearts on the One in whom we committed our allegiance to, and surrendered lordship of our life to. As we determine our ‘Must Do’ list, with Your help and under Your direction, I am convinced that it will be Your pleasure to embolden us, direct our speech and our path, so that others will see and experience our Lord. To God be the glory for the awesome things You will accomplish through Your children today and every day that we determine to make Your Kingdom our ultimate goal. 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!

Are You Deserving of God’s Promise?

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

DATE POSTED Friday, 2022-10-21
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: 1 Kings 11:38
TRANSLATION: The Message (MSG)

BIBLE TEXT:  If you listen to what I tell you and live the way I show you and do what pleases me, following directions and obeying orders as my servant David did, I’ll stick with you no matter what.

APPLICATION: Having done a little in programming, I became educated on the purpose and use of conditional statements, so this promise to Jeroboam immediately caught my attention. We must also remember that God is always right, and He is always on time, all the time. We are the created, so we have no room to question the Creator when it looks like He went back on His word. I believe that we too are blessed by the mercies of God and that it is only through the grace of God that He sent us His Son so that we might seek forgiveness of our sin. We seem to follow very much in line with David and his son Solomon, for we are on fire for the Lord while in church, but hardly identifiable as a Christian during the week. We make promises, like marriage, before God and man, but then when the novelty wears off, many are back to their lifestyles before marriage. A preacher who’s on fire for the Lord, might preach a sermon where God, through His Holy Spirit, will nudge us to put away our evil ways and instead, stay true to the One who gave His life for us. But unless we stay connected, we will soon give way to the temptations of the world that bombard us endlessly. Friends, there are many who have chosen to play Russian-roulette with the promise of God that He will come again to take His church home to glory where He and the Son rules for ever and forever. Many will play recklessly with trying to second-guess when the day of Christ’s return will be, for they want to play Satan’s games until the hour before Christ returns. I believe that the promise made to us is very similar to what God made to David, Solomon and Jeroboam. If we accept the gift of salvation – Jesus Christ, and we live like we are His child, by obeying His commands and applying His teachings to our lives, then I believe that God’s promise to us is no different to that given to the aforementioned kings. For Jesus told us that He has gone to prepare a place for us, where we will live eternally with the Father and the Son. Please allow me to recommend that you recognize the King of all kings, the Great I Am, the Author and Finisher of our faith, and that you accept His precious Son Jesus as Lord of your life. Once you have done this, commit to acting like the Holy Saint of God that you are, and commit daily time to spend time with Jesus as you seek reminders from His Word and speak with Him as your Father. You then owe nothing to the advisory, for you are a child of the King. Show the world what your Father looks like through the way that you speak and live. Jesus promised never to leave you alone, when you live like His child!

BLESSING(S) NOTED: But for the grace of God, we would all be traveling the same path followed by David and Solomon. I want to follow a close and dedicated walk with my Master each and every day, God being my everlasting Helper, Guide and Deliverer.

PRAYER: Having created us in Your likeness, I can’t imagine the disappointment You must feel when you see us disregard the greatest gift ever given to mankind and still cave-in to the wickedness of the enemy, Satan. I have no doubt that You foreknew how we would suck at staying true to our decisions and our commitments, but I can’t imagine You ever thinking it would be this bad. Lord, please touch Your people once again. For those who have always turned a deaf ear to Your Word, and a blind eye to the goodness of God, I pray that You will soften their heart today and once again invite them to surrender their sin and the evil desires within them to the all-powerful Son of God, Jesus Christ. For those who once surrendered their life to Jesus, but then fell back into their sin, please Lord, re-invigorate their innermost desires and lead them wholeheartedly towards the Kingdom each and every day. May others see You and want to know You. 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!

Gifts – The Reason They Are Given

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

DATE POSTED Thursday, 2022-10-20
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Ephesians 4:11-13; 16;
TRANSLATION: GOD’S WORD Translation (GW)

BIBLE TEXT: 11 He also gave apostles, prophets, missionaries, as well as pastors and teachers as gifts ⌞to his church⌟. 12 Their purpose is to prepare God’s people to serve and to build up the body of Christ. 13 This is to continue until all of us are united in our faith and in our knowledge about God’s Son, until we become mature, until we measure up to Christ, who is the standard. 
16 He makes the whole body fit together and unites it through the support of every joint. As each and every part does its job, he makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

APPLICATION: I believe that many people look at ‘gifts’ based on their own life-experiences and their expectations in life. Often people seem to recognize and appreciate those gifts that have an unexpected financial benefit to them and/or their family. But what about God’s children, what do we consider to be an unexpected, or undeserved gift from God? Let’s break for a minute to reflect on the greatest gift given by God to the world – His Son. Is this something anyone of that day ever expected? I don’t think so, but I do know that God saw how impossible it was for mankind to become, and stay, righteous like His is. So, we are introduced to ‘grace’ through this gift – for it was something we needed, but totally didn’t deserve. In today’s Scripture we recognize additional ‘gifts’ that God gave to us, but even for those who attend church, you not have ever looked at church officials as ‘gifts from God’? Many look down on pastors, because Satan plants it in your mind that they are only doing the job because they could find nothing else to do, or they are unqualified for anything else, or they are in the ministry for the money that Christians give in the offering plate each time the church doors are opened. But friends, even though opinions are many, and they are varied, yet we find in the Scriptures today that God told us through His servant Paul, that Pastors, Apostles, Prophets, Missionaries, and Teachers are ‘gifts’ to the church for very specific reasons, and I believe these reasons are still very valid today for our churches. Here are the reasons mentioned:
-*- To prepare God’s people to serve – attending church is not a spectator sport, it’s a time we come together for corporate worship to the one true God. Each member of God’s army must be trained to share what God has shared with them. Respect, promote and faithfully attend training sessions by your church leaders, for it’s their job to prepare you for serving!
-*- To build up the church – Throughout the week we go to work, and often interact with many people of the world. I believe God wants us to see how different He is than anything we could encounter in the world, so as we enter His house and commune with Him, I believe that we refill our heart, spirit and mind with the spiritual food necessary to go on.
-*- To be persistent in their work until certain guidelines are met– I can’t imagine this, but God’s ways are different to our ways, and the Scripture says our church leaders are required to continue their work until there is unity in the faith. There are hundreds of denominations and more churches than we can imagine. This happened because of differences of opinion and preference in leadership. I believe that one day God will tear down those walls and see His children come together as one people – His Children! Oh that we could see that here on earth, long before we get to the one heaven with the one God that we know and love.
Friends, God’s promises are true, and He said that these gifts will continue until His church is united in love and fellowship, and able to get along as THE body of Christ. This will not only result in unity of the body, but also facilitate each part of the body working together. From where I’m standing, this could take a very long time, and it will take the powerful hand of our awesome God to help us put aside our difference as men and women, so that we might prove to the world that we are indeed ‘Children of the one true God’. So let me encourage you to use this reminder to help you look much differently on your church leaders and be responsible as individuals to thank God every day for His ‘gifts’ that He poured out to His church.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: I can’t imagine, but anxiously await, the unification of God’s people, and that they be lifted up in love. Perhaps then the unsaved will see Jesus at work and want a part of that unity!

PRAYER: Lord, it seems like what we see here on earth is so different to what You want for us, Your people, as declared in Your Word. Faith is all that matters, for we are reminded in Your Word that: You can do all things; Your ways and thoughts are different to ours; You will honor Your promises to Your faithful children; and You want us to be perfect and holy, just as You are perfect and holy. Lord, there are so many that need a Savior, and so many that refuse to hear Your Word. Please impress upon Your workers the importance of respecting and obeying those who You have sent as ‘gifts’ to us. Draw us close each and every day, for we want to be just like You, Lord. Please bless Your church, Your workers and Your children today so that we might be a blessing to others as we serve. 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!

Live A Life Worthy Of God’s Child

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

DATE POSTED Wednesday, 2022-10-19
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Ephesians 4:1-3
TRANSLATION: New Living Translation (NLT)

BIBLE TEXT: 1 Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. 2 Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. 3 Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace.

APPLICATION: We live in a world where we often feel a tug-of-war battling in our minds and in our decision making. If we don’t recognize this, then we had best draw close to God so that our minds might be influenced by Him and His teachings. If we recognize the tug-of-war, then I believe that we must quickly discern the voice of God and follow His commands. Paul gave a similar reminder to the church he started in Ephesus, and the Holy Spirit spoke very vividly to me on this today. Think about this example: what sense does it make to those we come into contact with, if we say that we are married, yet they find us at a party or a dance or a club by ourselves, and we are hot on the trail of the opposite sex? We are acting more like a single person than someone who vowed at the altar to dedicate ourselves wholeheartedly to our spouse. When we soak in the intent of Paul’s plea to his church members, it is plain to see that he had very similar concerns. When we remove the cobwebs of our worldly influences, we could also plainly see that our churches today face very similar challenges and could use someone like ‘Paul’ to be open and honest with them about their actual condition, versus their taught principles. Here are some characteristics that Paul pleaded with his church members about, and that I believe will help open our eyes to our current condition, while steering us towards Christlikeness:
-*- Be Humble ~ Let’s remember that it’s not all about us. It’s God that we serve and aim to uplift, promote and serve.
-*- Be Gentle ~ Jesus was so gentle that He was thought to be dumb, since He chose to not speak while under fire by the authorities. We don’t need to have the last say on everything.
-*- Be Patient ~ Fellow church members may not get the message as quickly as we do, and even if they do, they may not act on it as quickly as we do. There are times that we must learn to be patient and let God’s word penetrate the hearts of His people.
-*- Stay United ~ I see this as an end goal. If we concentrate on this while fulfilling the work of the Master, we will always hear His commands, see His love and goodwill fulfilled and we will always endeavor to walk in His footsteps.
Paul taught that as we strive for the above, we will improve our efforts to live a life worthy of the calling of our Master and Lord. Oh that He would find moldable saints that He could work with and use for His glory!

BLESSING(S) NOTED: In verse 3, ‘Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit’. Lord, in as much as it depends on me, may I always live to reflect the love, hope and peace of Jesus in everything that I believe, do and speak.

PRAYER: Thank You Lord for allowing Your word to speak wisdom into our minds and hearts, and for directing us to live like a child of the King that we belong to. Paul dealt with this back in the Ephesian church, and yet today it seems like this principle is still very much needed in our churches today. It’s not that we are uneducated or dumb, but rather it’s the voice of Satan that works on us to disrupt any good work that we might do in Your name and for Your sake. Thankfully You are still dealing in the lives of Your children today, so Lord, I pray that it would be evident to the world who sits, looking in on Your saints, that You are very much alive and especially active in the life of Your church. Please tear down every act of Satan to disrupt Your work among us. May our lives be so much like that of Jesus, that the unsaved will reach out and accept Him as Lord and Savior before it is eternally too late. Bless Your people once again Lord and accomplish Your work through Your church. 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!

Why Is The Lord Blessing you?

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Blessing, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, Worship1 Comment

DATE POSTED Tuesday, 2022-10-18
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: 1 Kings 10:6-7; 9
TRANSLATION: Living Bible (TLB)

BIBLE TEXT: 6 She exclaimed to him, “Everything I heard in my own country about your wisdom and about the wonderful things going on here is all true. 7 I didn’t believe it until I came, but now I have seen it for myself! And really! The half had not been told me! Your wisdom and prosperity are far greater than anything I’ve ever heard of! 
9 Blessed be the Lord your God who chose you and set you on the throne of Israel. How the Lord must love Israel—for he gave you to them as their king! And you give your people a just, good government!”

APPLICATION: Queen Sheba heard of all the good things happening to King Solomon and how successful his reign was. However, she didn’t look for ways to seek to harm him or pull him down so that she might look greater than he was. Instead, she chose to go a see for herself, perhaps hoping that Solomon could give her a few words of good advice. But the main thing I appreciated about her visit, can be found in our focal verses. Notice that the queen probably didn’t find the king gloating in his riches, or too busy trying to hoard additional riches, but instead her eyes were opened to the fact that God didn’t just bless the king to be the richest king in all the world, as he was, but that God wanted His chosen people, who Solomon reigned over, to have the best. That made me think about life today. We visit a church today and we immediately think of the rich folk that must attend church there, because it is evident that the leadership spared no expense in erecting the best building and filling it with nothing but the best in fixtures and material goods. If visiting from a small, average income community, we may feel intimidated by all the lush furnishings, the lavish outfitting of all rooms, etc. But what if we did like Sheba and met with the leadership of that church, do you suppose that we may find out that perhaps God does have a purpose in providing the very best for that community? Friends, I believe that when unbelievers are used to going to the lavish stores, restaurants, and theaters in their community, and we invite them to come and worship with us in a dilapidated building where we meet for church, might they not resort to picturing God as one who does nothing to help His people who meet in His name to worship Him? I visited a Christian-based theme park once, and I was almost thrown off by the lavish gold, or gold-plated bathroom fixtures, the outstanding costumes worn by the actors and the buildings erected. But then, it was like God spoke to me and asked, ‘why not?’. If we visited a worldly king, like Sheba did, and found old, outdated buildings and fixtures, we would think that country must be in bad shape financially and about to fold. So, as we think of a place that we meet with the King of all kings, the God of this whole universe, shouldn’t we expect to meet His royalty in a place fit for a King? Surely, we don’t want to be embarrassed if an earthly king entered our sanctuary. How much more should we want to be proud of opening the doors for our heavenly King? Queen Sheba was convinced that God was blessing King Solomon because of His love for the people that he served, protected and judged. Should we expect anything less today? We must get our sights off self and everything we could do, and instead set our sights on meeting the needs of our community as we introduce them to the Great I Am. Construction is super expensive today, so let me encourage you to give from the very bottom of your heart as you seek to do your part, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, to minister to your respective communities. They need the Lord, perhaps worse than anyone sitting in your church on a regular basis.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: We will often look inward for reasons why God should bless or has been blessing our efforts. But I was reminded that God has a much bigger picture in mind when He blesses His church. There’s a community of unchurched people out there that are in desperate need of a Savior.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, I was reminded that Your ways are much greater than our ways, and that Your purpose is always to win the heart of Your people – even those who we may feel are not worth our time. We may boast of our multimillion-dollar church buildings, but Lord, I pray that You would open our eyes so that we may catch a glimpse of the souls that will be touched in our community through the services from these church buildings. Please help us to realize very early in life many of the things that we claim as ours, are actually designed for Your glory and to benefit Your Kingdom. Teach us Lord to not claim ownership of anything that we dedicate to You. Solomon spent many years building the temple, but in the end, He surrendered it all for your service only. May we learn to do the same Lord, for only what’s don’t for Jesus will last and have eternal benefit. Be glorified Lord in everything that we do, and in anything that we take part in, so that others may see Jesus and be filled with Your glory for all eternity. 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!

Be Filled With The Nature of God

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, God's Nature, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, The Mind of Christ, Worship2 Comments

DATE POSTED Monday, 2022-10-17
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Ephesians 3:16-19
TRANSLATION: Good News Translation (GNT)

BIBLE TEXT: 16 I ask God from the wealth of his glory to give you power through his Spirit to be strong in your inner selves, 17 and I pray that Christ will make his home in your hearts through faith. I pray that you may have your roots and foundation in love, 18 so that you, together with all God’s people, may have the power to understand how broad and long, how high and deep, is Christ’s love. 19 Yes, may you come to know his love—although it can never be fully known—and so be completely filled with the very nature of God.

APPLICATION: I was deeply moved by Paul’s prayer for the Ephesian church. What do you suppose would happen if our pastors today had such a deep commitment to their churches, that they would pray that each member or attendee might be filled with the nature of God. Can you imagine the impact this would have on a community, to encounter family, neighbors, friends, and coworkers that not only say they are Christian, but whose nature reflects the Christ that they claim to belong to? At a previous church that I attended, there was a group study that I missed because of work obligations. It was entitled ‘The Mind of Christ’. If we were impacted by Paul’s prayer, or if we tried to imitate the life and teachings of our Lord, can you imagine the difference we would find in our homes, workplaces, local stores, the customer support associates that we deal with over the phone, and yes, even our fellow church members? Friends let’s remember that it’s not just Paul, or our pastors that should pray for such acts of God among His people, it’s folk like you and I that should pray for a move of God first and foremost in our own lives, then in the hearts and lives of those we know. Additionally, if we are committed to be more like our Master and Lord, then we would make it a priority each day to study His Book of Instruction – His Holy Word. For that is where the Holy Spirit inspires us to seek the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, so that all these things will be given to us. Let me encourage you to make it your personal goal to be filled with the nature of God, and aim at having the mind of Christ in all that you think, do and say. Set the example for others to follow. Let them see Jesus in you, so that they too may desire a walk that exemplifies Jesus Christ. Unbelievers often need to see this practiced before they could believe something preached to them, or that they may even read for themselves. Let them see and experience Jesus when they meet you, my friend.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: Trees and plants thrive and are productive when their roots are embedded in soil that is rich in nutrients. I believe that our lives will become much more productive for the Kingdom, when our lives are completely filled with the nature and mind of Jesus Christ!

PRAYER: Lord, please have Your perfect will and way in the lives of Your children today. For I believe that if we stop interfering with your work, perhaps more family and friends will see You at work in us and want a personal relationship with You also. You placed us here on earth to facilitate Your work, not to obstruct its effectiveness to the unsaved. Lord, for those who have surrendered our hearts to You, please give us a burning desire to be just like You while allowed to remain on earth. Please fill us with Your precious nature and Your heart, so that we might represent You in ways that others will desire in order to know and accept You as 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!

Will others Be Impacted by God Because of Their Encounter with You

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Encounter with God, Impacted by the Word, Lives Impacted, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED Friday, 2022-10-14
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: 1 Kings 8:59-61
TRANSLATION: The Voice (VOICE)

BIBLE TEXT: 59 May my words and everything I have requested of the Eternal our God be close to His heart continuously, both day and night, so that He will support His servant and His people Israel according to the needs of each day as it is today. 60 Then all the people of the world will understand for themselves that He is the only True God. 61 Give your entire heart to the Eternal our God. Walk the path He has intended for us, and keep His laws as you do today.

APPLICATION: I believe that everyone has a picture of God in their minds. For some, it might be that He is so perfect that they know that they should just stay clear, as they could never be good enough. For others, it might be the God of the Sabbath – Saturday. Although others might be convinced that we must worship the resurrected Lord on the day He arose – Sunday. Now, there are some who might also feel like He is just one of many gods. But friends, while I know that this short list is not all inclusive, I hope that it may be enough to open your minds to think about ‘who God really is’ to you. What impact does the God you have on your life, affect your life? Any impact at all? Now, the reason I write these devotionals is to help my readers and listeners attach themselves to the Creator God, the One who has all power over earth, all the elements, and even heaven. The only One who sent His Son, Jesus, to save us from our sin – the one thing that we cannot do for ourselves, yet the one thing that will keep us out of heaven. So as we consider the God that impacts our lives, let’s make sure that we are talking about the one, true, God. And as we consider how God is impacting our lives, let us consider if it’s enough for others to see Jesus in us, or do they see just the same old sinful self who strives for personal attention and selfish desires. We tend to live out who we are and the impact that others have on our character. If it’s Jesus impacting our lives, then others will see things like peace, love, joy, forgiveness, meekness, and all those things that we see in Jesus whenever we encounter Him in the Bible, or through our everyday lives. King Solomon prayed a very unselfish prayer for he and his people. Not only that God would have an everlasting impact on the people, but even if they sinned and got themselves in trouble, that God would hear their cry of repentance and accept their plea to return into His good graces. Solomon wanted that impact to be so drastic, that other nations would stand in awe and wonder what got into these people, or rather, who it is that is impacting their lives. The Christian walk is very different to the ways of this world. Others will notice and be impacted by it. Oh that they will see Jesus and want to know Him more intimately and in a very personal way. It’s your turn now dear reader and listener. Make your life count for Jesus by allowing Him to impact your life and minister through you.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: When others are blessed by God because of His grace being evident in us, it’s just like a gift that keeps on giving and blessing others. Only God can have this kind of impact though, and only if we open our hearts and lives to allow Him access, so He could bless others.

PRAYER: To run alongside a brother or a sister, we might encourage them to know that we care. But Lord, when You live inside of us, and You reach out and encourage that brother or sister, while giving them strength for every step, encouragement through all the storms of life, wisdom for how to best deal with situations that lie ahead, and love to warm their hearts in knowing that someone truly cares, then we will see lives being impacted for the Kingdom. It’s only because of You Lord. Please bless now all those who will read or listen to this devotional. May they feel your touch and know that You are near. Impact the lives of those that we touch, in Jesus’ precious name and for Your sake alone. 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!

Your Life Work

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Needs, Praise, Preaching, Reaching the Lost, Recognize God, Worship1 Comment

DATE POSTED Thursday, 2022-10-13
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Ephesians 3:7-9
TRANSLATION: The Message (MSG)

BIBLE TEXT: 7-8 This is my life work: helping people understand and respond to this Message. It came as a sheer gift to me, a real surprise, God handling all the details. When it came to presenting the Message to people who had no background in God’s way, I was the least qualified of any of the available Christians. God saw to it that I was equipped, but you can be sure that it had nothing to do with my natural abilities. 9 And so here I am, preaching and writing about things that are way over my head, the inexhaustible riches and generosity of Christ.

APPLICATION: Given the opportunity, we will tell of good news and all the good fortunes that come our way, even when we feel like God was instrumental in blessing us with those good things. However, we are often tempted to withdraw and keep that good news to ourselves, especially when we have heard so much about how critical friends and family are, when it comes to the things of God. In his former state, Saul (the birth name of Paul) had persecuted Christians and the work of the church. Imagine how long we tend to expect someone to prove to us that they have truly changed their ways. How long would we require testing them before seeing them involved in ministry? But thank God, Paul paid little attention to what people thought, He was dedicated, and busy about the Lord’s work, because of his new-found faith, and the unbelievable grace of God. It is evident that Paul didn’t see the need for seminary, nor numerous years understudying and training under a leading priest/pastor/bishop, etc. Paul had surrendered himself under the lordship of Jesus Christ, and he moved into ministry knowing that the Holy Spirit was more than adequate to lead him and direct his path. At that time, the Jews felt like the Gospel was designed for God’s chosen people and no one else. However, God led Paul into a ministry to the Gentiles, as they were very much a part of the world for whom Jesus died and rose again. I wonder, who do we tend to exclude from the Gospel? Is it intended just for us and our church? Is it for people we tend to put on our blacklist of individuals unworthy of redemption, or those whom we feel are unreachable? Friends, I believe if you look deep inside of self, you will find that there are people we place in such categories because of our personal judgment. Isn’t it amazing that God was able to look beyond the atrocities of Saul, and our sin, our condemnation, our curse upon Christians? Under his new name, God gave Paul a ministry to those that everyone else, all fellow Jews, rejected. Without any human training or without being attached to a certain denomination, God gave Paul the boldness and wisdom to preach, teach, witness and encourage the Ephesian church. I have no doubt that God still sees folk that might otherwise appear as impossible to win over to Christendom. I have no reason to doubt that God places folk like that right in our face at times. He may have already prepared us for our life work of winning such people to Him. Have you prayed diligently enough to the Father to accept whatever He places before you? Many of you have not been to seminary, and many may not have even attended the latest evangelism training classes, but are you bold enough to simply let God do His work through you, like He did in the life of Paul? People still need the Lord, and I believe that God still wants workers to attend to the needs of His flock. We won’t put our pastor out of work, for each of us have been given the command of Matthew 28:18-20 – Go now into the world and preach the Gospel to all people.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: If God could fill the heart and mind of a man with Paul’s background, I am convinced that He can also ready us for His ministry and service to the very unlikely people that we come into contact with! Let’s remember, He is looking for our availability, for He provides the ability!

PRAYER: Precious Lord, take my hand, lead me on, and into the ministry for which You have prepared for me. Many readers will probably flick this devotional over their shoulder so it could be directed to those whom they feel are qualified. But Lord, after once again being reminded of the powerful work You performed through the apostle Paul, in spite of his awful background, I have no doubt that You can use other humans like me, and my readers who are fully committed to You. Lord, may Your will be done in and through us today, is my humble plea, regardless of who we might come into contact with. 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!

Express Your Love For God

On By Ed AlgreenIn Jesus Loves you, Love, Love God, Love of God, The Father's Love, The love of God, Things God loves, Unconditional love3 Comments

DATE WRITTEN: Wednesday, 2022-10-05
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL.

Bible Reference: Psalm 123:1-2
Translation: The Passion Translation (TPT)

Bible Text: 1 O God-Enthroned in heaven, I worship and adore you!
2 The way I love you is like the way a servant wants to please his master, the way a maid waits for the orders of her mistress. We look to you, our God, with passionate longing to please you and discover more of your mercy and grace

APPLICATION: I’ve seen this done at church, where the congregation was asked to give descriptive words of how they know that God loves them, and why they love God. Very often this comes with a lot of Biblical terms, churchy words, and words that you might hear from the pulpit, or over Christian radio. But I wonder how much more personal this might be if it was just you and God. If there were no devices, and no distractions, but you became overwhelmed with the thought of how powerful God is; how loving He is; how forgiving He is; and that God had brought you to a point where you realized that He is an awesome God who loves you – individually, more than anything else in the world. What would you have to say to Him in return? Remember, it’s just you and God present and He wants to hear your heart. What would you say? I remember at one time at a marriage retreat, couples were asked to find a spot where just the two of you could be alone with absolutely no distractions. That kind of alone time is what I’m thinking of with God. I live on a ranch with almost 1000 acres of land. There are places I could visit and talk out loud to God without anyone else thinking that I must have lost my senses. That’s the kind of alone time where I believe one could pour out their heart to God. Perhaps you’ve seen Him in the Word as you meditated on it today; perhaps in a song; perhaps in the beauty of the outdoors; perhaps a beautiful animal – one of His wonders, just ran in front of you; or perhaps your mind reflected back on the love of God, and/or how He touched you during a recent life event. Friends, our God is always present, and I believe He is just waiting for us to praise Him for His amazing greatness, if only we will separate ourselves from the busyness of life and allow our hearts and minds to connect with our Creator. Although a church service, or a sermon may cause us to focus closely on God, it will not reach inside, open our hearts and open our mouths to speak lovingly to our Lord. Allow these words of David to reinvigorate your heart, soul and mind and cause you to focus on your Maker. Take time away from every distraction and get alone with God. Tell Him how you feel about Him, for He is so worthy of our praise, our love and our affection. Nothing is more important, dear friends!

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, how can we say thanks for the things You have done for us? How can we love You near as much as You love us? How can we give to our Master who has everything? Yet You loved us enough to sacrifice Your one and only Son for our salvation. You have also prepared a place for us to spend eternity with You and Your Father for all eternity! Praise God that in spite of our inadequacies, yet You love us anyway, and You have given us life itself to enjoy while here on earth. Thank You for who You are, and for all You do and show to us precious Father. May we show love and appreciation to You in every way and as frequently as our hearts could imagine. In Jesus’ name, 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!

About God’s Undeserved Favor

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

DATE POSTED Monday, 2022-10-03
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Ephesians 2:4-9
TRANSLATION: GOD’S WORD Translation (GW)

BIBLE TEXT: 4 But God is rich in mercy because of his great love for us. 5 We were dead because of our failures, but he made us alive together with Christ. (It is God’s kindness that saved you.) 6 God has brought us back to life together with Christ Jesus and has given us a position in heaven with him. 7 He did this through Christ Jesus out of his generosity to us in order to show his extremely rich kindness in the world to come. 8 God saved you through faith as an act of kindness. You had nothing to do with it. Being saved is a gift from God. 9 It’s not the result of anything you’ve done, so no one can brag about it.

APPLICATION: Please allow me to open your eyes of reasoning today. Think about the reason God made us. The Bible is clear that we were made in the image of God – perfect in every way and designed to live lives patterned after the example of Jesus Christ. However, we were privileged to have been given our own free will to decide if we will follow the commands of God and the example of Jesus Christ. Because of the tug that Satan has on residents of planet earth, he makes it a very tough decision for humans, because he wants the privilege of eternal torture in hell for as many as he could sway. But get this, dear friend, God not only showed us how to overcome Satan’s sway and avoid sin – disobedience to the commands of God, but He sent us His Son, Jesus, to be our Savior, or rescuer from sin, to all who ask for forgiveness and show a renewed desire to go to heaven. This was a gift that we didn’t deserve, but in His love for His creation, God provided this solitary, simple but sacrificial channel of forgiveness for those who ask for it. Isn’t that pretty much the type of grace that God shows to us every day? He is all-powerful and all-seeing, so He knows when we choose to ignore His goodness, His provisions and His perfect design for us. However, He still has such an undying, unbelievable love for us, that He puts His all into helping us remain pure and righteous, just as He is. Paul was challenged when he found the Ephesian church so far away from the design God had in mind for them. But today we have not learned from what Jesus taught us in His Word, nor from the experiences relayed in in His Word. We still insist on doing things ‘our way’, without any regard for what God dictated in His Word for our guidance. Do we have room to question God when we encounter disaster after disaster and see every appearance of being forgotten by a holy and righteous God? Friends let’s always remember that unless we invite Jesus to be our Savior and Lord, we have turned our heads away from His commands and His love for us. When we do this, we are saying ‘no thanks’ to the goodness of God and choosing to ‘wing it’ on our own, and at the pleasure of the Evil One. If you remember nothing else from my devotional today, please remember that God still wants you to know that He cares for you and will accept your request for salvation, if you are given the opportunity while alive. I had a 19-year-old friend found dead in her bed over the weekend, so that ‘IF‘ is bolded for your very special and urgent attention. Don’t delay precious friend, ask Jesus to come into your heart today, before it is eternally too late.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: I am forever thankful for the words ‘But God’, for it reassures me that God will do everything possible to move me beyond the sin of this world and the disappointments that arise every day because of sin.

PRAYER: Thank You heavenly Father for going the extra mile so that I could be saved from the ravishes of sin. Thank You for providing and sacrificing Your very own Son to settle the debt for my stubborn and sinful life. I pray that my readers and listeners will open their hearts and lives to accepting Your offer of salvation and forgiveness of their sin. Stir the hearts of the unsaved today, Lord. May they happen across this devotional and understand its intent as foretold by Paul to the church at Ephesus. Soften their hearts to accept Your call on their lives, for I’m sure that You are saddened by their rejection every day that goes by. May this be the day of salvation for many, I pray. 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!