Tag: miracles

Reflect On God’s Miracles

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

DATE POSTED: Monday, January 1, 2024, and I was blessed to be at Kyle, Texas when God inspired me to prepare this devotional. My Footnote will tell you how to find, read or listen to any and all episodes that I have shared over the years.

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE FROM The Passion Translation (TPT) IS FOUND IN Luke 22:35

THE BIBLE TEXT IS: Then he said to all of them, “When I sent you out empty-handed, did you lack anything?”
“Not a thing,” they answered. “God provided all we needed.”…..

APPLICATION OF THE WORD: During my 47 year career in the workplace, I remember that my employer would reflect on, and try to improve on, what has worked for the company in the past, or what may have worked well for others in the same field in the past, as we look to develop new opportunities. Can you think of any better way of approaching a brand New Year, than to reflect on the ways that God has blessed us in 2023, or even in our lives up to this point? I had a good buddy who told me how diligent he would pray over his misplaced car keys when he was trying so hard to get to work on time. I looked at him puzzled as to why he would bother God with something so trivial, to which he quickly added, that in those times of answered prayer over simple things, he gained reference and confidence in the times he felt more desperate in his prayers. Those simple words and testimony have always stuck with me. But then I read the words in our focal verse today, and saw where Jesus reminded His disciples to also reflect on a time when they probably thought that He had lost all sense of reasoning. For He told them to go out and preach the Word, but don’t take anything with them – no extra sandals, no travel bag and no money. They were reminded that in spite of what they initially thought, they had need of nothing while carrying out God’s instructions. We’ve just come through a year where we may have enjoyed times of celebration, but there may also have been challenging times. I believe that God would have us reflect on whether He was ‘BIG’ enough for us in every circumstance of this past year. For you see, only He knows what this new Year will bring. I believe He is reminding us that the God of the mountain – our victories of 2023, is also the God of the valleys – the One who didn’t leave us in our lows, but delivered us from the pit of despair, and brought us up close and personal to see His wonderful face, to remind us of His precious love for us, and His all-powerful hand that is capable of victory in every circumstance of life. Yes, we don’t know what 2024 holds for us. But for the child of God, we know who holds the future and who can help us overcome every challenge that may be in store for us, and to continue in strength, encouragement and victory with our hand in the hand of the One who rules from heaven on high. Let me encourage you to look at the faith of one elderly missionary who had retired from the field and shared with my men’s group. When he initially felt his call to missions, he was so confident that God would take care of his workers as they go in His name and under His banner, that we sold his home here in the US. Now, here comes this man’s amazing faith – he gave all the profit of this sale to his home church! We were flabbergasted as we thought he had lost his mind. What on earth would he do when he returned home? But he assured us that he never went hungry, nor wanting. As a confirmation of this, I overheard him asking another man of God to join him in helping a needy church in the country where he served on the mission field. And although a retired missionary, on what I can only imagine to be on a very limited income, yet he was chipping in thousands of dollars to help a church on the other side of the world in need. How dare we squabble over paying our tithe to the local church as God instructs us to? Wow, that story of current-day faith has never left my vivid memory. If only I could imagine that kind of faith, what challenges might I fear in 2024? I might say like the disciples responded to Jesus – we lacked nothing while living in absolute faith during our ministry. How is it with you precious friend? Do you know this Jesus of mine? I have tips in my Footnote that will help you know and understand Him better, but don’t approach this year as a loaner – invite God to be a part of it with you. Place you faith and trust in Him and invite Him to be Lord of your life. He is very capable!

PRAYER BECAUSE OF THE IMPACT OF TODAY’S SCRIPTURE: Precious Lord, we have seen where You turned water into wine, and You made dry land in the middle of a body of water. You made the lame to walk again and the blind to see, and You brought life back into a man who had already died. Thankfully, we are reminded that You also helped Your ministers to go and share the Gospel while, in total faith, depending on You for everything. Like my friend mentioned above whom You helped in finding his keys, we also have a lot to base our faith on. So as we face the unknowns of 2024, we KNOW that we can face it with a tried and proven God who could lead us through safely; deliver us from all evil; and bring to fruition the gift of eternal life that you designed, prepared and readied for those who surrender their life to You. Lord, may Your kingdom come and Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. We anxiously await Your return. AMEN!

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

Greater Is He That Cares For Us….

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, God Cares For Us, Needs, Our Great BIG God, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED Thursday, 2022-11-24
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: 2 Kings 6:15-17
TRANSLATION: New Century Version (NCV)

BIBLE TEXT: 15 Elisha’s servant got up early, and when he went out, he saw an army with horses and chariots all around the city. The servant said to Elisha, “Oh, my master, what can we do?”
16 Elisha said, “Don’t be afraid. The army that fights for us is larger than the one against us.” 17 Then Elisha prayed, “Lord, open my servant’s eyes, and let him see.”
The Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw that the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

APPLICATION: Children will run home to their parents when they face situations that seem larger than anything they could handle. But what do parents do? Church members tend to run, and they may wind up joining another church, when situations arise that they would rather not look for solutions. But what about church leaders. What will they do when they take their jobs of responsibility serious, and accept the task assigned to them by church membership? Often these very real situations arise, and way too often we tend to look at them with no real hope of resolution. We may say the words “Only God can resolve these issues” yet we continue running from the situation. It is obvious from our Scripture reading that Elisha’s servant saw something that seemed impossible to him, and for the man that he served. That happens often during our lifetimes, it may be Covid; or it may be a serious market crash; lack of oil; the unexpected loss of a close family member/friend, or a war where the odds seem really impossible for our country. Many of us have seen what we do when we’re in a panic: we hoard food items; we stockpile household supplies; we fill every possible container with fuel; we may even escape to the hills in our RV’s and just wait as we anticipate the worse possible outcome. But our wisdom from God comes in the way that Elisha and his servant responded, and of course, the way that God protected His own. The servant immediately panicked, much like most of us would do. However, the servant ran to ‘The Man of God’ (I love that title, especially when considering the title attributed to Jesus ‘The Son of Man’!), for he had seen Elisha pray down miracle after miracle, and perhaps the servant had faith enough to believe that Elisha would do just that again. Friends, this is why Christian fellowship, and praying or worshipping together has such an awesome impact on us, for we are encouraged that God IS still at work in each other’s lives. We may be going through a dry season spiritually, and we may be like the servant where we don’t feel strong enough in our faith to approach God for the situation at hand. But I pray today that we will be much like the servant in deciding not to hide the problem, but rather seek out those who are closely in tuned with God, knowing that they will pray on our behalf for God’s protection, provision, and encouragement. There are times when we are close enough to God and been encouraged by His powerful acts in our lives, that we would pray for every possible obstacle that stands in our way of spreading the love of God with others. It is at those times that others may turn to us as an ‘Elisha’ who would pray to God for blessings on His people, or miracles in their lives. But true to human form, there are times that we need someone else to intervene on our behalf. In His precious Word, God encourages us to pray one for another. There are times that this could mean the difference between encouragement vs defeat or depression; health vs worsening diseases; or even life vs death. Let’s be nosy enough to know what our neighbor, or fellow church member needs from God, it is then that we could pray directly and specifically for their needs rather than generalities. God is in control dear friends, so let us pray for His miraculous response to the things that seem impossible to us and our neighbor. Remember, greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world!

BLESSING(S) NOTED: The provisions of God was overwhelming to Elisha’s servant whose eyes were opened. Perhaps our eyes will be opened to God’s provisions in meeting the many challenges that seem so out of reach and bearing stress in our lives. God still cares for His children, so let’s call on Him today!

PRAYER: To look the other way, or to imagine life without interaction with You oh Lord, would easily lead to a life of excess stress and very little hope. May we, like Elisha, be known as ‘Men or Women of God’, not for any recognition on earth, but to demonstrate our commitment and desire to be people after Your own heart. It is obvious that this will make the difference between hope and despair vs joyous recognition with our Creator, and hope, as we call on You especially for the things that seem impossible to us. Teach us Lord to lean on other believers, while encouraging them to always call on us to support and encourage them in our prayers. As we are encouraged and touched by You Oh Lord, please impress upon us to also pass this blessing on to others who need a touch from You. Please melt the hearts of those opposed to You and draw them to the foot of the cross where they will see the love of God as shown on that cross at Calvary, for the remission of their sin. 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!

Use Your Gift To Serve Others

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

DATE POSTED Friday, 2022-06-10
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: 1 Corinthians 12:7-11
TRANSLATION: Contemporary English Version (CEV)

BIBLE TEXT: 7 The Spirit has given each of us a special way of serving others. 8 Some of us can speak with wisdom, while others can speak with knowledge, but these gifts come from the same Spirit. 9 To others the Spirit has given great faith or the power to heal the sick 10 or the power to work mighty miracles. Some of us are prophets, and some of us recognize when God’s Spirit is present. Others can speak different kinds of languages, and still others can tell what these languages mean. 11 But it is the Spirit who does all this and decides which gifts to give to each of us.

APPLICATION: A great start to this study is to recognize that these gifts referred to by Paul are supernaturally given to us by the Holy Spirit. That’s what Paul indicated. So we must not dare cower in a corner and say that we have no gift, otherwise we are calling Paul a liar, and the Holy Spirit inadequate for forgetting, or refusing to give us our gift. Perhaps we subject ourselves to the ploys of Satan, who would much prefer that we remain moot on the subject of our risen Lord, or any power that He may bestow on us. Paul was addressing this subject because the believers of his day felt they were totally unspiritual and didn’t deserve such power from on high. Doesn’t that sound so much like us today? Imagine our response if someone referred to us as holy, or spiritual, or a saint, or as powerful as Jesus Christ in performing miracles or mighty works of God. We would probably quickly refer them to our pastor, or church elder, for surely they would not be talking about simple old us, right? But unless we cast doubt on the holy Word of God, and the Holy Ghost inspired words of Paul, we must believe that God is more than able to empower us with His Holy Sprit and the gifts that He spoke to us about through His servant. So if you are convinced that you have been blessed with a gift from God, then the remaining piece of this should be natural for you: be sure to use your gift for the building up of the church and for the glory of God. How do you do that? I believe the Holy Spirit opened my eyes as I read this Scripture and showed me that when we come together as a church – a body of believers in Jesus Christ, some will have the gift of great wisdom, while others will speak with awesome knowledge. Accept these as gifts from God and allow that knowledge to saturate my mind. Others may portray unbelievable faith or even possess the power to heal the sick or perform other mighty miracles. Stop accusing them of being a showoff and give God thanks for His gift to these ambassadors. There may be some who prophesy, and some recognize the mysterious presence of God’s Spirit. While I may not have my primary language mastered, there may be some who will speak different kinds of languages, and still others who can tell what these languages mean. The bottom line is that we serve an outstanding and awesome God – in fact, He’s the One who created us all and the earth on which we reside. It is His Spirit who does all this and decides which gifts to give to each of us. In community, when one has a gift and shares it with others present, it’s like WE (collectively) have all these gifts! Oh that God may be glorified through each of His children, especially because they are using the gifts handed down to them from the Father, for His glory! Do your part dear friends. Use the gifts endowed upon you and bless every on that you come into contact with!

BLESSING(S) NOTED: What a mighty God we serve! Angels bow before Him. Heaven and earth adore Him! What a mighty God we serve! We must be an extraordinary for an extraordinary to consider giving us extraordinary gifts! Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost!

PRAYER: Lord, I now believe that we are foolish to ever say again that we are just an ‘ordinary’ person here on earth, for I have been reminded of Your greatness and also how special we are in Your eyes. No doubt if we would consider everyone that we come into contact with in that same light, we would never again look down on what You have created. Unfortunately some have permitted Satan to spoil the good in them, but Lord, I pray that You would once again today remind Your children of the value You have placed in them and of the love You showed for them on Calvary. Please speak intently to the hearts of the unsaved again today, especially the ones who will happen across this devotional. Please work in the lives of Your chosen people and help us to use the gift so lovingly given to us – for the betterment of the church – Your worshippers. 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!

Yet Another Opportunity To See The Power Of Jesus!

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

Monday, 2021-11-08

Bible Reference: John 11:14-16
Translation: The Passion Translation (TPT)

Bible Text: 14 Then Jesus made it plain to them, “Lazarus is dead. 15 And for your sake, I’m glad I wasn’t there, because now you have another opportunity to see who I am so that you will learn to trust in me. Come, let’s go and see him.”
16 So Thomas, nicknamed the Twin, remarked to the other disciples, “Let’s go so that we can die with him.”

APPLICATION: No doubt, we all have a favorite miracle of Jesus, and perhaps each one speaks miraculously to you in their own way. For some, it may be the very first miracle recorded where Jesus turned the water into wine, but for others it may be when He walked on the Sea of Galilee towards the boat filled with His disciples, and with a very calm voice, He calmed the rough waters. But in our Scripture today we see for the first time that Jesus ignored the request of His very good friends, Mary and Martha, in order to achieve an ultimate goal He had in store for His disciples. He wanted them to catch one more, or a fresh, glimpse of His power as their risen Savior! Adding to the mystery of Jesus’ actions in not responding immediately to the request of Mary and Martha, is the fact that Jesus told His disciples that He was glad that He was not there when Lazarus died. That really seemed callous, doesn’t it? But ponder with me for a few minutes how many may have been saved, or in this case recognized the power of God, versus if Jesus would have instantly healed Lazarus when He got word 4 days earlier, that he was sick to the point of death? I have a situation in my family where it was the result of the death of a nephew, that my dad came to know Jesus as Lord. Was it a good thing that the nephew died? Absolutely not. But the Bible teaches us that the angels in heaven rejoice when they welcome one soul surrendered to the call of God on their lives. Furthermore, God had many years to work in and through my dad to touch other souls that he rubbed up against. As mere earthly mortals, we are devastated when we lose a loved one, whether it’s due to old age, or what we often feel is premature. But would it make us feel any better if, when we get to heaven, Jesus reveals to us how many entered into a personal relationship with Jesus because of our unfortunate loss? Or how He got our attention and caused us to get serious about our relationship with Him? Notice that Peter struggled with the whole scene, because He thought that following Jesus into the city where He was already sought after, would lead to certain capture and ultimate death for Jesus and His followers. We have no record of Peter or his fellow disciples rejoicing over this move by Jesus to go and visit the grave of Lazarus. But, like the disciples, we must learn to trust and follow Jesus where He leads us. I believe that still today He is seeking after His children to trust Him more; worship Him more; have more faith in Him; know that He’s with us when we have a witnessing opportunity; know that His Word will not return void, especially when we stand in front of a class or on the podium of a sanctuary to share the Word of God simply and plainly with folk that came hoping to see Jesus. God never mentioned about us being capable, or any other attribute that folk tend to look for in a first-class preacher or teacher. I believe that if He was able to use uneducated fishermen, tax collectors, doctors and more, to start the whole Christian movement, so wouldn’t He, all the more, use you and I who can often stand and talk on any subject that comes our way. Let’s learn to trust Him Brothers and Sisters. Perhaps if we empty ourselves of ‘self’ and ask God to fill us afresh with His love, His power and His boldness, then perhaps others will see Jesus instead of the wicked men and women that we are. Just like Peter and His companions, let us learn to trust God more – in every circumstance of life. Instead of doubting when we see life for our family and friends going terribly wrong, at least in our opinion, let’s instead look intently on how God might get our attention and minister to us through those unfortunate circumstances.

PRAYER: Dear God, as others look on us today may they see Jesus. Please help us to stop acting like spoiled children, for as we are called to service, so may our lives be fully spent on Jesus. As Jesus went to see Lazarus, He never doubted, or showed any hesitancy, in fact it appeared like You orchestrated the whole event perfectly and with purpose. Others saw the awesome works of the Almighty God. May that be the case with all those that we come into contact with today. There is probably nothing about ourselves individually for others to like, or care about. If there is, then perhaps they will see that thing, instead of the awesome God that we seek to serve, and to have seen through us. Lord, may any personal, likable, thing become invisible to the eyes of the one watching us but need to see You. Please have Your will and way in and through us today, for there may be one that we encounter who may need to be awaken from the death of sin and self destruction. They may see no true value in life. Oh may the joy of the Lord be evident in us, and through us today. This is my humble and desperate plea as my readers and listeners join with me in desiring more of You through Your mighty works almighty King. AMEN!

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

The God Who Never Gives Up On Us

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

DATE POSTED Wednesday, 2021-08-25
WRITTEN AT: Hattiesburg, MS

SCRIPTURE FROM: Luke 1:62-64; 67
TRANSLATION: The Passion Translation (TPT)

BIBLE TEXT: 62 So they gestured to the baby’s father to ask what to name the child. 63 He motioned for a writing tablet, and to the amazement of all, he wrote, “His name is John.” 64 Instantly Zechariah could speak again. And his first words were praises to the Lord.
67 Then Zechariah was filled to overflowing with the Holy Spirit and he prophesied, saying:

APPLICATION: A worker in the temple, yet Zechariah was in shock over God’s response to his prayers about his wife having a child. In fact, Zechariah and Elizabeth had given up on the idea of ever having a child. But God never gave up on them, for it seems like He had them in mind for a very special blessing – to birth a son who would be the forerunner of Jesus Christ. Because of the doubt and question at the time when the angel of God appeared to Zechariah, his speech was taken away from him. However, as Zechariah witnessed miracle after miracle transpire – especially in seeing his wife beginning to show signs of pregnancy, his heart was touched and his faith was rekindled. I wonder what it would take for God to truly get our attention and convince us to place our often shaken faith and trust in Him? You see, I believe that we build our faith based on those things that seem possible to us. When met with something outside of that realm, I believe that our red flags are raised and we doubt, at least until we gain added faith, or see something that makes the impossible seem possible. But Zechariah kept looking up and eventually his faith was strengthened to see God evident in his son’s birth. Upon acknowledging this, God quickly moved to use this man for His glory through prophecy. I believe that from a human point of view, if we knew all that God knew about Zechariah and his doubt, he would have been the last person on earth that we would have listened to, and he would probably have to show miraculous works for us to believe that He was truly God’s messenger. Aren’t you glad that it’s God who judges us and not our fellow human friends? God knows our heart, so He knows that although we may sin, yet He still has confidence that we could be His faithful followers, given the right guidance and wisdom to overcome earthly weaknesses. Praise God He is willing to work with us and use us for His glory, as and when needed. What an awesome God that we serve!

BLESSING(S) NOTED: God used a man, who failed to believe an angel of God, to prophesy to His people. Praise God for seeing the ‘gold’ in our hearts even though we see nothing but doubt and failures!

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, You created us, so I believe You are well aware of our weaknesses and our failures. However, in Your perfect love, You still love us anyway. Like in the case of Zechariah, we can expect to be punished from time to time for our doubts and fears, but praise God you didn’t give up on Zechariah, nor do I believe You will give up on us. I believe that time left here on earth is growing very short, so Lord I pray that You will show us clearly what we are to do, and give us the boldness and strength to do it. We want Your name to be lifted on high, so Lord I pray that You will receive glory from all things accomplished by Your kids today. May Your kingdom come oh Lord, on earth as it is in heaven. 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 Monument

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

DATE POSTED Sunday, 2021-08-22
WRITTEN AT: Hattiesburg, MS

SCRIPTURE FROM: Joshua 4:20-24
TRANSLATION: New Living Translation (NLT)

BIBLE TEXT: 20 It was there at Gilgal that Joshua piled up the twelve stones taken from the Jordan River. 21 Then Joshua said to the Israelites, “In the future your children will ask, ‘What do these stones mean?’ 22 Then you can tell them, ‘This is where the Israelites crossed the Jordan on dry ground.’ 23 For the Lord your God dried up the river right before your eyes, and he kept it dry until you were all across, just as he did at the Red Sea when he dried it up until we had all crossed over. 24 He did this so all the nations of the earth might know that the Lord’s hand is powerful, and so you might fear the Lord your God forever.”

APPLICATION: While on business in Belize at one time, we needed to travel from Belize city to another town, but we learned that the roads were flooded. The work-around was that a flat barge had been put in place to take cars and passengers from one side of a river to the other, where they could continue on an alternate route to the other area of Belize. Fortunately, our taxi was able to drive to a point, drive onto the barge, and there were men that pulled the barge across the river along a tight cable. We were under no real pressure to make our trip, but imagine over a million Israelites arriving at the Red Sea with a strong, mean, large army approaching them from behind. They needed a miracle, and they needed it fast. So God mirculaously stopped the flow of water coming down the river, so His people could walk safely across on dry land. Once the pursuing army started their journey across the dry bed, God released the water so that His people would be free of the battle that was sure to ensue. Again at the Jordan River, Joshua faced the challenge of getting the Israelite across a body of water. While experience was on his side, I’m sure he was on the edge of his seat when he ordered the priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant to enter the water. However, sure to form, God brought them to this point, and He wasn’t about to let them down, so He immediately created a huge dam with just one word. For the water flow stopped, and the remaining water exited through its normal flow. Leaving a dry river bed. What would have been your immediate reaction after placing your feet on high ground on the other side of the river? You watched with your own eyes as God acted miraculously in order to accommodate your safety. What if your church saw this kind of miracle, what type service would they have next? I’m sure that Joshua considered many of the things you thought of, but I am touched by his desire to see an ongoing memorial of this awesome event. Can you hear one of the Israelites explaining that to their teenager 10 years later? In the following verses (chapter 5) we read where other nations as far always as the coast were shaking in their boots at the thought of this great army of God heading their way. They knew that if God did it before, He could do it again. For us, we should repeat that previous sentence several times each day, for our God is still alive and He could repeat the same powerful miracles for us! Lord knows we need it just as badly as the Israelites needed it! Let me suggest that we look for ways to establish a memorial at the point where God has particularly met us at our point of need, and miraculously blessed us. It would invoke questions by those who travel by that memorial, and it would certainly create conversation for you every time you pass that way with a relative or friend. Oh that the world may know our God, and believe!

BLESSING(S) NOTED: God will move mountains to bless us and provide for us. Set yourself up for sharing those blessings with others. It may be the one thing that will draw them to the God who loves us and sent His Son to save us from our sin.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, I stand amazed in the presence of my all-powerful, everlasting King. You died for me so that I could be accepted in Heaven one day with the Father. Thank You for reminding me of Your power and Your wisdom in guiding Your people, the Israelites, through 40 years of various obstacles and especially for providing a way for them when there seemed to be nothing but hopelessness ahead. Lord, still today we tend to feel like they did, for we face obstacles much bigger than anything we could accomplish, or have answers for. Oh that we will learn to lean on the history of all that You have done, all that You continue to do in our midst, and the unlimited power that You have to do even more. As we are encouraged today in Your Word, may we now go out and share that encouragement with others who need You. May Your kingdom come, on earth, as it is in heaven. 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!

Awestruck By Your Story

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

DATE WRITTEN: Sunday, 2021-05-09
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Mark 5:17-20
TRANSLATION: Living Bible (TLB)

BIBLE TEXT: 17 … the crowd began pleading with Jesus to go away and leave them alone! 18 So he got back into the boat. The man who had been possessed by the demons begged Jesus to let him go along. 19 But Jesus said no. “Go home to your friends,” he told him, “and tell them what wonderful things God has done for you; and how merciful he has been.”
20 So the man started off to visit the Ten Towns[a] of that region and began to tell everyone about the great things Jesus had done for him; and they were awestruck by his story.

APPLICATION: Jesus performed a miracle by freeing a man from the demons that possessed him. He was haunted and terrorized by the demons, but Jesus made the demons come out of him. Word of this miracle quickly got back to the neighboring towns, causing curiosity seekers to rush to the area to see what could possibly be going on. This upset the Pharisees, as this one act drew more attention than their years of teaching from the Scriptures, so they asked Jesus to leave. I know, you’ve heard stories just like this about a local church near you, right? Unfortunately, in this world we are led to believe that we must be the center of attraction, and that our acts of giving, teaching or preaching is enough to draw unbelievers to church. But notice in our story, the people were drawn to the works of the Creator – God. Perhaps for some, it was just their curiosity, but I believe that for others, it may have been because they had certain personal issues that they wished the Master would also remove from their lives. This reminds me so much about our churches and our groups of Believers today, for we seem to be very inward focused in our ministries and our witness to others. But friends, I believe that Jesus is saying to us, like He did to the healed man, don’t just hang around Me and the comfortable things of life, go to your family and friends and tell them what the Lord has done for you. Did you ever stop to think about how many lives could be touched by our ‘story of salvation’, compared to the endless sermons on various parts of the Bible? Sermons tend to show Believers the truth of God’s Word and help us know our Savior more intimately. Sharing our story with an unsaved friend helps them confirm that Jesus is real and that the same Jesus that touched our life and healed our illnesses and our sin, would definitely also listen to them. You see, we feel so comfortable around other believers because they are our brothers and sisters. But when an unbeliever tries to look at our group, can’t you see how they may feel inferior, imperfect or too impacted by sin for a Holy God to even consider touching their life? We can help them break down those walls by sharing our ‘story’ with them. For even though we may not have murdered anyone, or robbed a bank, yet we were steeped in sin when Jesus found us and saved us from all our iniquities. We were, just as they are now, and if Jesus saved us, we know that He could also save them. Who knows, your friends might be just as awestruck hearing how Jesus saved you, as the friends of the demoniac was when they heard his ‘story’!

PRAYER: Thank You Jesus for looking beyond our faults, our disobedience, our sin, our disrespect and our lack of love for our family and friends, and You acted on our cry for salvation. Only a God like You will go that far. But God, I pray that You will make such a change in our lives that unbelievers will stop and listen to our story of meeting, and being accepted by, the Creator of our universe. Thank You Lord for our pastors, church leaders and Sunday School teachers, but please touch the lives of every believer who reads this devotional today and impress upon each one the importance of them also sharing their personal story of faith in God, dependence on Him and His response to their prayers. May sharing this story bring positive reactions from unbelievers and cause them to look closer at the living Christ who can do ALL things. May Your kingdom come today as we be about Your work. 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!

But God….

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

DATE WRITTEN: Wednesday, 2021-03-10
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

BIBLE REFERENCE: Exodus 3:9-12
TRANSLATION: The Voice (VOICE)

BIBLE TEXT: 
Eternal One: 9 The plea of Israel’s children has come before Me, and I have observed the cruel treatment they have suffered by Egyptian hands. 10 So go. I’m sending you back to Egypt as My messenger to the Pharaoh. I want you to gather My people—the children of Israel—and bring them out of Egypt.[c]
Moses (to God): 11 Who am I to confront Pharaoh and lead Israel’s children out of Egypt?
Eternal One: 12 Do not fear, Moses. I will be with you every step of the way, and this will be the sign to you that I am the One who has sent you……

OBSERVATION: Being around some young people recently and hearing their stories of challenges that kids are dealing with today, it reminded me how easily our minds are swayed by peers. It sounds like kids today are challenged with believing in God, because they are confused why God would do God-like things – such as hating sin; loving everyone – even sinners; disciplining those He loves – as any good father would do; etc. As we meditate on the encounter Moses had with God, and the God-sized task given to him, let’s carefully examine our own lives and especially the times that we question God.

APPLICATION: Allow me to share a few personal experiences that may help me better illustrate what I believe happened in the life of Moses when he encountered God on Mount Horeb. The job I held in the Bahamas took me to several Family Islands. At one of them, I found my way to the house of God on Sunday, as was my custom. I was told that there was no preacher for the following Sunday, so there would either be no church service, or Brother Ed (myself) could volunteer to lead us. Like Moses, I responded in awe and quickly told them that I was not a preacher. BUT GOD in His infinite wisdom, gave me a word to share with His people the following Sunday, and for several Sundays while I was employed on that island. At another island, there was a similar experience with leading the Youth Group at the church we attended. God convinced me to serve there, and He was consistently by my side as the young people were ministered to each week. At yet another island, there was a need in the radio broadcast from the church we attended. Absolutely no experience, BUT GOD led me to help in that work for the years I served on that island. Coming to the USA, there was first a need to teach a Sunday School class. Again, no experience with that, BUT GOD in His wisdom gave me the necessary skills to teach for about 25 years while at that church. Additionally, a need arose for a Music Director. I loved to sing, but had no clue about the different notes or timing or anything else about music, BUT GOD gave me the wisdom to not only lead the congregation, but also the choir, for a number of years. I could go on bragging on God, but I believe you may have gathered from my examples that God is merely looking for our availability and not our abilities. I felt a lot like Moses in that the people knew it had to be God doing the work, because Moses wasn’t qualified in what he was called to do, nor was I. It is natural for us to look at our qualifications and experience when called on to complete a job, but as children of God we must never forget that it’s God who should be credited for the job we do, as we are way too much like Moses – we’re not qualified; we’re just a nobody; the authorities probably have never even heard of us; etc. BUT GOD is infinite in knowledge, wisdom, mercy, and His great love for everyone that He created. I trust that as you meditate on this word today, you will reflect on all that God has proven, promised and completed already, and that you will be reassured that even though you have no personal qualifications for the work needed at your church and in your community, you serve an awesome God who can do all things in and through those who place their trust in Him. He’s a great BIG GOD who can do way more than we could think or imagine. Trust Him today dear friend. Know Him today dear sinner, and experience the love that surpasses all understanding!

PRAYER: From a burning bush You challenged Moses with a task that seemed totally impossible to him. He had no governmental experience nor any passes for the royal palace, yet You chose him to stand in Your stead before the king who was responsible for mistreating Your people. Most readers will probably feel like they would never be asked to take on such a challenge, however we were reminded of the power of our awesome God who used a simple messenger like Moses to not only deal with a wicked king, but also lead a multitude out of Egypt. What a mighty God we serve! 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!

Overwhelmed By The Power of Jesus

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, God's Power, Miracles, Needs, Power of God, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Saturday, 2021-02-20
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

BIBLE REFERENCE: Matthew 14:32-33
TRANSLATION: The Passion Translation (TPT)

BIBLE TEXT: 32 And the very moment they both stepped into the boat, the raging wind ceased. 33 Then all the disciples crouched down before him and worshiped Jesus.[j] They said in adoration, “You are truly the Son of God!”

OBSERVATION: Think about a time in your life where you witnessed the awesome power, love and/or grace of the Master. As you do, I believe you will better identify with the disciples who had just witnessed the miracles of: walking on the water; saving a distracted disciple and calming the rough and troubled waters around them. Perhaps you also will be refreshed in your spirit and led to the feet of the Master where you will simply and sincerely worship Him, because you are reminded of the true Son of God!

APPLICATION: What might your ‘rough waters’ look like today? You know, the ones that may be causing you to feel all alone – even by the Master? These might be: Perhaps sickness – for we have sure heard about more complex, no cure type sicknesses lately; Perhaps loss of loved ones – for this COVID virus has been responsible for many deaths, including some of our very closest relatives; Perhaps rough financial waters – for many have been unemployed over the past year while businesses closed to help ward off the spread of the deadly COVID virus. Whatever it is, we just hurt, and we feel so alone – in fact, we sometimes feel like Jesus must have passed right on by us. As we reflect on this Biblical story, I believe that Jesus must be amused at times with His children! I’m sure that when the storms arose on the lake that night, the disciples must have been crying out to God for help? Yet when Jesus approached, the disciples were afraid that it was a ghost! Were they not expecting God to respond to their cries for help? What about us, don’t we seem just as shocked and surprised when we see help coming our way? In fact, don’t we tend to immediately think that we have fallen into ‘good luck’? Oh for the faith of Peter once he received confirmation that it was Jesus approaching the boat, for Peter asked Jesus if he could also walk on water towards Him. Yes, he asked Jesus to perform a miracle by having him do the impossible in man’s eyes – walk on water. There are a lot of sermons preached around the idea of this miracle and all that took place, but I would rather have us apply this scenario to our own personal situations where we cry out to Jesus in our times of need. How often are we willing to ‘step out of the boat’ (a secure place) and trust God to do all that He is capable of doing? My mind goes to a kidney donor who knows that they could save the life of a loved one or friend if they donate their kidney to them, but how many are willing to risk their own lives in the bold effort to donate and extend life for a loved one? There are some neat examples of the power of our awesome God in this story that might give us confidence: The disciples had been rowing all night (it was about 4am when Jesus met up with them) yet Jesus got to them just in time to help save them. He may have walked the whole way from the edge of the lake, or He may have just appeared a short ways from the boat. Nonetheless, He miraculously caught up with them without a boat. These men had never before seen anyone walk on water, as they were always of the understanding that was impossible, yet Jesus did it, and He authorized Peter to do it. This was no ordinary man! As Jesus and Peter entered the boat, the rough waters subsided. God made the waters, and only He could manage their actions, so the men immediately knew that Jesus was indeed God. So what about us? Do we need a personal miracle like Peter and the disciples witnessed? Or can we, in faith, believe that the same Jesus who walked on water, had Peter walk on water, and calmed the waters of the lake, is the same Jesus who we call on for our respective needs today? Friends, our Father is very capable of still performing miracle after miracle even for us. There’s no problem or difficulty that God can’t handle, and we know that He loves us immeasurably, so we must have faith to believe that He will ‘walk on water’ or take whatever steps necessary to help us in our time of need, hurt and/or difficulty. Like the disciples who witnessed all that took place that night, imagine how we also will bend our knees before the Father and worship Him from the overflow of blessings, healing and love poured out on us. Friends, we serve an awesome, all-powerful God who is able to not only meet our needs, but to exceed our wildest expectations. Let us worship Him from the very depths of our heart for all His goodness today and every day.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, I have no doubt that You are well aware of the ‘rough waters’ my friends and I are facing these days here on earth. Thank You for reminding us about the way You arrived on the scene of trouble for Peter and his fellow disciples at just the right time. Many times we feel like we are in a state of urgency and need You here with us at your earliest convenience. What a comfort to know that our Father is all-powerful and very capable of handling our ‘rough waters’ when we call on You. Please continue to guide us, protect us and reassure us of Your love, and that You will once again walk on water, if need be, to meet with us and handle our emergency. We love You Lord, and look forward to being in Your presence where we might worship You endlessly. While here on earth, please use us for Your glory, to encourage others who need You. 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!