Tag: Obedience

The Results of Unfaithfulness and Disobedience

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

DATE POSTED Saturday, 2023-01-21
WRITTEN AT: O’Brien, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: 1 Chronicles 10:13-14
TRANSLATION: Contemporary English Version (CEV)

BIBLE TEXT: 13  Saul died because he was unfaithful and disobeyed the Lord. He even asked advice from a woman who talked to spirits of the dead, 14 instead of asking the Lord. So the Lord had Saul killed and gave his kingdom to David, the son of Jesse.

APPLICATION: Isn’t it interesting how we’ve come to believe that being good enough, or attending church regularly, or standing out as an obedient and upright citizen, could all lead to eternity in heaven? In fact, we may even skip over Scripture verses such as the one today, because we personally feel like we serve such a God of love, that He would never beat up on us or destroy us. Saul, the first king of Israel, was approved for the position by God. He was successful in many ways during his reign, but we also know that he was pretty headstrong in many things, particularly in his actions towards David as his jealousy constantly increased against him. However, one thing that is evident in this story today, is that our God – our Creator and Sustainer of life, is a jealous God, and He will not stand for open disobedience and mockery to His holy and righteous name. Children are often excused from accidental actions that a peer may have encouraged them into, or they may have innocently tried because they didn’t realize that it would offend their parents, friends or even God. But parents would become irate over actions that children have been warned against, taught right from wrong in, and practiced before them consistently. For parents could clearly see that such actions were done in spite of what the children were taught. As we fast forward into adulthood, we find ourselves still wanting to do those things that we know displease God, but we do them anyway. Why? Dear friends, the enemy is still on the prowl and working diligently to steer us away from God. Satan is the one that makes you so busy in the mornings that you ‘can’t find time to read God’s Word’. Let me encourage you to reword that phrase just slightly as you are tempted to give that excuse in the future. Say this instead: ‘It was just not a priority for me to read God’s Word this morning’. The end result is the same, but the latter excuse better explains why you didn’t read God’s Word! Satan loads you up with lots of excuses why you don’t need to attend church services, and I’m sure that as you reflect back on the excuses given over recent weeks, you will clearly see that it was just not a priority for you and your family to be in church, learning more about God, blessing others, taking in the encouragement and blessings from others, and strengthening your walk with the Lord. Corporate prayer meetings are one of least attended services held by a church. If folk were praying regularly to God, would they not desire to share in that experience with fellow believers who are also seeking God’s face with the celebrations of praise, and petitioning for their needs, their family, their church, their employer, their unsaved friends and all who are hurting? How do you suppose Satan is trying to destroy your time in talking with God? I pray that God will open your eyes to see how these very weaknesses I just mentioned, are some of the very things that weaken our stand for the Lord. When one is weak, they become confused about who can help them, so they may turn to witchcraft for help in solving problems or seeing into the future, just like Saul did. When one is weak in their position with God, they tend to fall prey to their own selfish thoughts and practices, most of which may have nothing to do with God’s design for their life. It seems to me that God particularly placed this account of Saul’s death very boldly in our faces through this account in Scripture. Now that we have been reminded of how God will treat unfaithful and disobedient children, I believe He is offering the challenge to us today: What will you do about this in your life? Do you have changes to make in your priorities? Please don’t look at God’s Word as a threat to your life’s performance. God designed us, brought us into this world, and is patiently waiting for us to worship Him, accept Him as Lord and King of our lives, understand His Word and live obediently without looking for excuses. It’s your call my friend! What will you do with this lesson today?

BLESSING(S) NOTED: We are reminded of the unfortunate circumstances surrounding the death of Saul. Praise God that we know the rest of the story! God sent His Son, Jesus, so that all those who acknowledge Him as Lord, will be saved. In acknowledging your Lord, I believe you will live a fully dedicated life to Him where you will follow in obedience and seek only Him in all of life’s decisions.

PRAYER: Lord, I surrender, again, – all of me, to all of You. Teach me Your ways and help me in my priorities to always place You first and foremost in what I fill my heart with each day. May I be so filled with You, that Your goodness, mercy, love and commitment will be indicative of You in every way. After such awesome wins in battle, and in being such a great first leader of Israel, it all seems like such a waste when Saul life ended in such an unfortunate way. I believe this is eye-opening to my readers and I today, for we can’t continue to do the same as Saul and expect different results. Open our eyes each day Lord, so that we may see Your glory, and desire to live in obedience and dedication to our Father all of our days. Use us Lord to touch the lives of those who need 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!

None Found To Compare With You

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

DATE POSTED Sunday, 2023-01-01
WRITTEN AT: O’Brien, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: 2 Kings 23:24-25
TRANSLATION: The Message (MSG)

BIBLE TEXT: 24 Josiah scrubbed the place clean and trashed spirit-mediums, sorcerers, domestic gods, and carved figures—all the vast accumulation of foul and obscene relics and images on display everywhere you looked in Judah and Jerusalem. Josiah did this in obedience to the words of God’s Revelation written in the book that Hilkiah the priest found in The Temple of God. 25 There was no king to compare with Josiah—neither before nor after—a king who turned in total and repentant obedience to God, heart and mind and strength, following the instructions revealed to and written by Moses. The world would never again see a king like Josiah.

APPLICATION: Just in case you might read today’s Scripture and shrug it off as not being applicable to our modern world, I believe we should look at a few things very carefully and ask God to open our eyes to what all is going on around us. You see, king Josiah saw the following things that just didn’t seem like God was in them. I will expand how I see similar parallels today:
=> The king scrubbed the place clean – How many things to you see and/or hear on television that you cringe at, or if minors are in the room, you may even mute the TV? How much more will you tolerate the employee who thinks nothing of cursing or verbal abuse at work? You can clean that up, you know. At 8 years of age Josiah became king. I would have thought that his young mind would be swayed by everything he heard from adults around him. But the Bible says that the king was determined to please God in everything he did. Are you? In a recent sermon, I was reminded that in the things we say or do, we will either please God, or Satan. What a reminder.
=> The king trashed spirit-mediums – oh yes, we have these. They even advertise their business on public television now. What will it take for us to obey God’s Word and rid our communities and our nation from this wicked profession that God spoke against in His Word?
=> The king trashed all the vast accumulation of foul and obscene images – In the name of financial gain and free will, not all towns in our country are the same as ours. Some actually allow billboards and mobile billboards that advertise prostitution. Some stand idly by while prostitutes walk the streets and hand out ‘business’ cards. In the name of equal rights and free speech, public schools are now allowing satanists clubs. How many of these things that I mentioned do you suppose may have gotten trashed by king Josiah?
Friends, this bold move by this young king did not win him a popularity contest. It was different to anything the world experienced before him, and after him. No, not even to our president has shown the boldness to follow in Josiah’s example, how about yours? However, I strongly believe that if we were to individually determine in our heart to call on God for mercy, and strength to endure being different, as we stand up for all that our God taught us and exampled before us while here on earth, then perhaps we will begin to see more Josiahs, and ultimately see God’s handiwork through His committed saints. Remember, greater is He that is in us, than he that is in the world! I believe that God placed this story before us today to impress upon us that we serve an awesome God, and if we are serious about being His representatives here on earth, then we must be willing to stand firm in our beliefs and not be idle while Satan makes his move in the world around us.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: It may be challenging for others to follow, if you simply obey the Word of God and be willing to stand up for your beliefs!

PRAYER: Lord, I believe that many leaders are still choosing to ignore Your commands – probably so they could remain popular with the people in giving them what they want. But thank You Father for working miraculously through king Josiah, for through obedience to You, Josiah was able to clean up a lot of the sin that served to set his kingdom backwards. This is still a very real problem today, Lord, for sin is rampant and Satan is having a field day – so much so that it is having awful impacts on Your children also. Please Lord, help us to take note of Josiah and the position he took, even though it was very unpopular in his day. We need to see more of our leaders take this stand today, Lord. Please help us to elect leaders who are willing to submit to Your will, then, beginning with our leader in the USA, touch his heart and draw him unto Yourself. Please spread Your joy to all the world leaders, especially those countries who are represented in my readership. You created us, and You have a place prepared for those of us who have accepted Your Lordship. Until it’s time to take us home, please touch our leaders so that our time here on earth will be more tolerable. Continue to speak to the heart of the lost, so they will once again be drawn to You, as their Savior and Lord. AMEN!

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

Invite Everyone To Know Your Jesus

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

DATE POSTED Monday, 2022-11-28
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Luke 5:27-28; 31-32;
TRANSLATION: Living Bible (TLB)

BIBLE TEXT: 27 Later on as Jesus left the town he saw a tax collector—with the usual reputation for cheating—sitting at a tax collection booth. The man’s name was Levi. Jesus said to him, “Come and be one of my disciples!” 28 So Levi left everything, sprang up, and went with him.
31 Jesus answered them, “It is the sick who need a doctor, not those in good health. 32 My purpose is to invite sinners to turn from their sins, not to spend my time with those who think themselves already good enough.”

APPLICATION: If you hang around Christians long enough, you will find that many are like babies, they want the full, undivided attention of their pastor, and they want their own way in the decisions of church leadership. When they don’t get their own way, these ‘God-fearing, and wonderful’ people tend to search for the reasons why not. If this includes accusations against the pastor or church leadership, then so be it. Just in case you are wondering why I am coming down on my own Christian Brothers and Sisters, then I would suggest that you re-read our focal Bible verses for today. Jesus had the same problem. Jesus brought to the attention of His accusers that the whole reason He came, was to save the lost. Just as a medical doctor has no reason to setup shop in a gym, Jesus had no reason to try and continue saving the saved. I love the way this translation put verse 32 where Jesus spoke of the unnecessary job of preaching to those who consider themselves already good enough! Not only is much of our pastor’s sermon thrown right over our shoulders to the sinners in back of us, but especially the part where he shares the need for salvation. Unfortunately, those of us who tend to pass on the challenges presented by our pastors, are the hardest to accept the teaching and correction of our Lord. Many miss the word that God has for them when they meditate on the Word of God, because they continually try to apply the voice of God to someone else who is much worse than we are! Please, please dear friend, when you read the Bible, listen closely to what God is saying to you. Soften your heart so that God might speak truth into your life and get His message deep inside of you so that you might become more aligned with His ways and His teachings. When this happens, you will be more qualified to also speak truth into the life of that family member, friend, coworker, or the unsaved who is diligently looking for an image of Christ here on earth. Now, you might be confused and thinking that I feel like the pastor has no reason to preach to the church. Please know that each Christian needs daily communion with God. Bible Study, prayer and the opportunity to minister to the needs of others. Cooperate worship is something called for in the Bible, for it serves to help us recognize God through our prayers, worship and praise. We hear the Word preached so we could understand it better and apply it more fully to our own lives to be better prepared to share it with others. We must always go before God for ourselves first and foremost, for we are all sinners where our attitudes, actions and speech are all influenced by the people, ways and circumstances of the world in which we live. To share Christ with others, we must have Him living and operating in our own lives in such a way that the unsaved will see Jesus, and not the mere knowledge we have of Him. God is very qualified to speak into the hearts of Christians and unbelievers alike. Let’s let Him be God, while we strive to be His faithful servants in obedience to His commands, and in sharing His love with others so that they may have a growing desire for His lordship over their lives.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: When God calls, let’s be like Levi (Matthew), ready to drop everything, get up and follow Him. We tend to worry about the qualifications of an individual, but God seems more willing to work through those who are willing to answer His call. With the Holy Spirit residing inside of Christians, we are adequately able and qualified to answer the call of Christ in our lives.

PRAYER: Doubt arises when we listen to the wrong master. But Lord Jesus, we know that with You beside us, in front of us and inside of us, we can do all things commanded and demonstrated by You. Lord, You were questioned about the crowd that You chose to minister to, so we know that we can expect no less abuse. Please teach us and give us the boldness to always keep it foremost in our minds that our intentions, actions, thoughts and words are to always be geared towards the One we serve, and to introduce others to You. Oh that we could see You move today in the lives of those that we would least expect! For we all need You, Jesus! AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog might indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and read more, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. 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!

Say Only What The Lord Tells You

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, True to the Word, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED Monday, 2022-11-14
WRITTEN AT: O’Brien, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: 1 Kings 22:7-8; 13-14;
TRANSLATION: New Living Translation (NLT)

BIBLE TEXT: 7 But Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there not also a prophet of the Lord here? We should ask him the same question.” 8 The king of Israel replied to Jehoshaphat, “There is one more man who could consult the Lord for us, but I hate him. He never prophesies anything but trouble for me! His name is Micaiah son of Imlah.” Jehoshaphat replied, “That’s not the way a king should talk! Let’s hear what he has to say.”
13 Meanwhile, the messenger who went to get Micaiah said to him, “Look, all the prophets are promising victory for the king. Be sure that you agree with them and promise success.”
14 But Micaiah replied, “As surely as the Lord lives, I will say only what the Lord tells me to say.”

APPLICATION: We often criticize politicians, because they try to please all their constituents all the time. On the other hand, pastors are often accused of forming cliques when they spend more time with one group of church members than the others. Friends, I believe it is a fact that we can’t please all of the people all of the time, especially if we are listening to the voice of God and desiring of being obedient to His will for our lives. Micaiah was much like the latter, for he was determined to be obedient to the voice of God, no matter whose presence he was in, and what the outcome of his frankness might be. King Jehoshaphat quickly sensed that his ally, king Ahab had a group of ‘yes men’ that he called prophets, for they aimed to please their king, even if it involved telling untruths. A lot can be attributed to the request by king Jehoshaphat to bring a prophet of the Lord into the mix of advice the two kings would receive for their final decision. I believe that even today, true men of God are considered trustworthy, and as a representative of the one true God, their word can be trusted. If you consider yourself a man of God and yet cave in to agree with popular belief vs the voice of God, then I would encourage you to repent, and as God for strength to consistently consult with Him on your decisions and be faithful to carry out the decision you feel God has given to you. Micaiah shows us that he was not after a popularity contest with the other prophets of the king’s court. Based on what the king said to Jehoshaphat and Macaiah’s initial response to the king, it is obvious that Micaiah was more set on being a sold-out agent of the King of all kings, and in no way to reflect one who would appease king Ahab, with hopes of becoming his best prophet. In fact, Micaiah was more determined to be God’s best prophet than anything else, even if it meant imprisonment, or possibly, severe beatings from Ahab. Being the odd man out, often results in having to explain your reasoning for your decision, and it may lead to demotions or discipline. But who is it that wins in your earthly battles? The earthly man in charge, or the Heavenly Master who created you and provided a sacrifice for your redemption and heavenly future? What must you surrender today, so that you may freely say what God tells you to say? You must decide, dear friend! You will be counted by God as ‘for Him’ or ‘against Him’.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: It’s better to say what God tells you to, than look for man’s applause in appeasing him. Better is one day in the courts of our Master, than a lifetime of regret and disobedience for our earthly masters.

PRAYER: Lord, please speak to Your children today. In line with our Scripture, I pray that You will cause us to reflect on who our true Master is? Please help us to always honor and please You, even if it is bad news for our earthly masters and bosses. We may be unpopular here, and never receive the renumeration or promotions that we deserve, because of our stance as a believer in Jesus Christ. But because heaven is our eternal goal, we need Your encouragement and guidance, Lord, to live like we are Yours even while here on earth. Thank You Lord Jesus for Your sacrifice and for not giving in to the wishes of your accusers. They saw something different about You, and I pray that they will also see something different about us – children of the Great I Am. AMEN!

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

The Cause and Cost Of Disobedience

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

DATE POSTED Monday, 2022-10-31
WRITTEN AT: O’Brien, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: 1 Kings 13:7; 15;
TRANSLATION: Living Bible (TLB)

BIBLE TEXT: 7 Then the king said to the prophet, “Come to the palace with me and rest awhile and have some food; and I’ll give you a reward because you healed my arm.”
15 Then the old man said to the prophet, “Come home with me and eat.”

APPLICATION: We are looking at two different encounters with the same prophet who was given instructions by God on how to respond to such questions. In the first instance, the prophet followed God’s instructions completely, even though it was the king who invited him to his palace. The prophet was promised a good meal and a reward, but the prophet stayed true to the instructions given to him by God. Very admirable. However, word got around quickly what transpired at the palace, so an old ‘prophet’ in Bethel thought that he would try his persuasive powers to see if he could get the young prophet to follow him, instead of the strict instructions given to him by God. So, as the young prophet walked away from the king and started his journey back home, the old prophet started his conniving actions. No doubt the young prophet was hungrier by now, so the old prophet caught up with him, convinced him that he was also a prophet of God with instructions for him and offered him to come and dine with him, the young prophet gave in. So, what do you suppose caused the young prophet to disobey God? Based on my personal experience, I believe that it would have been extremely challenging for me to disbelieve an older gentleman, and even more challenging to disagree with a man representing himself as a prophet of God. So, I really don’t know if I would have acted any differently, had I been in the young prophet’s situation. For much of my working career, I was told that I only see black and white and am almost blinded to any grey areas and decisions. Perhaps this means that I would have stuck to my guns and stayed true to the word of the Lord. But based on hindsight in knowing the end of the story, we know that the prophet’s disobedience led to his death. Friends, each and every day we are faced with decisions like the one the young prophet had to make. We know what the Word of God says, yet we cave in to the pressures of those around us, or to the attraction of more advantages offered to us. I had an old preacher friend say that he had to stay at our church until God told him to move on. For it was God who sent him there, and he couldn’t move until God released him from that obligation. I believe that principle may have worked well for the young prophet, for he was given instructions and he was expected to follow those instructions unless told otherwise by God. In trusting the old ‘prophet’, it appears like the young prophet may have felt like God sent him with different instructions for him. But Satan comes at us in various forms. He will give us every excuse on why we shouldn’t follow the will of God. And we are left with deciding in whom we will place our faith and trust. Perhaps today you feel tossed around in many areas of your life. Please allow me to suggest that you seek God and be willing to follow His commands exclusive of all other options that may come your way. How will you know it’s God? Know that His Word is always aligned with His will. There is no coincidence in you coming across Scripture on a day you are looking for confirmation from God on a decision. If this is also confirmed by a true saint of God in some form or the other, then you are looking at multiple confirmations to the instructions you received from God. Learn from our Scripture today that when you are tasked with carrying out a mission, do it without allowing any interference by one just posing as a fellow Christian or even a ‘Christian’ leader. Satan can choose the most unsuspecting person to misdirect us into his path.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: God will always guide us aright. His ways are not our ways, so His will might be way more than we could ever expect to see, but we are to trust God and watch Him work miraculously in us, through us, and all around us.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, You have given us the right path to follow and You have opened the doors of heaven to bless us way more than we deserve. Please Lord, strengthen and embolden us to be obedient servants, even when others try to distract us in ways that may even seem like they were sent by You. Help us to discern the way that is right and directed by You. I believe that when we follow You in obedience, You place us in the path of those who need Your help and Your guidance. Satan is very busy roaming around in search of all that he could devour. Lord, we want to be just like You and help to fulfill Your mission here on earth while we are able to. Please open the doors of heaven and bless us with all we need to represent You in perfect form so that those who are in need of the Savior will see you evident in our lives. Bless as only You can, heal as only you are capable and save as only You have the power to do so, In Jesus’ name, 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!

The Persecutors

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

DATE POSTED Tuesday, 2022-07-12
WRITTEN AT: O Brien, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Acts 26:10–11; 13–14
TRANSLATION: New Living Translation (NLT)

BIBLE TEXT: 10 ….. Authorized by the leading priests, I caused many believers there to be sent to prison. And I cast my vote against them when they were condemned to death. 11 Many times I had them punished in the synagogues to get them to curse Jesus I was so violently opposed to them that I even chased them down in foreign cities.
13 …. as I was on the road, a light from heaven brighter than the sun shone down on me and my companions. 14 We all fell down, and I heard a voice saying to me in Aramaic, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is useless for you to fight against my will.’

APPLICATION: In some translations, the word ‘persecute’ is used several times in the few verses referenced. The word ‘persecutor’ means: “one who treats (someone) cruelly or unfairly especially because of race or religious or political beliefs”. I feel like God opened my eyes and reminded me that when we treat God’s messengers with contempt, then we are actually persecuting the Lord Jesus himself. This reminds me of a loving parent who feels condemned when their child is persecuted or ill-treated. So what is our lesson in this? After all, we don’t go about ‘persecuting’ our religious leaders… Or do we? How often do you see groups gathered in a corner in discussion over the questionable sermon they just heard, or the dress code of the pastor, or the attitude of the worship leader, or the audacity of the pastor to say what he did during his sermon? Surely this is not complimentary of God’s messenger, is it? Is that the precursor to a time of prayer that the group will have for their pastor? I’ve always said that one will get as much from a sermon, as they have prayed into it. Do you feel like we tend to persecute the pastor because God didn’t respond like we expected from our prayers for His messenger who stood in the pulpit? Friends, over in 2 Chronicles 7:14, God said that if we would humble ourselves and pray (not belittle or try to humble the pastor), and if we would seek His face, and if we would turn from our wicked ways, then He would hear from heaven, forgive our sins and restore our land. Notice the personal application there? Nothing about God taking care of all that we feel are inadequate, or the one who seems to have hi sown agenda and will not listen to our demands. Friends, I believe that these scriptures are a warning to us who have a full-time job personally doing all that God expects of us. So where do you suppose that we find a command, or order from God to ‘persecuting’ anyone? When we do, we are meddling in the powerful work of God through His earthly servants/messengers. Perhaps there is a great need for us to go back to the basics of what God demands of us individually. Anything outside of that places us squarely at the feet of Jesus in need of His forgiveness, and with no time to be critical of anyone else. Please don’t shrug this off as being super applicable to all of your friends – those ‘persecutors’. Allow God to search your heart and convict you of your sin and shortcomings. I believe you will find that there’s plenty enough to keep you on your knees for a very long time, including, praying for your spiritual leaders.  In doing this, there just won’t be time enough to persecute others. 

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, You created all things and You are above all things. Thank You for sending messengers, Your angels, to minister to folk like me, even though we tend to persecute the very ones that You sent to bless us, love on us and warn us about our sinful ways. Please help us to love these dear ones, in spite of them not meeting all of our expectations, and in spite of our sinful desire to persecute them. I believe it is obvious that Saul was not the only one that persecuted Christians. In spite of Saul’s evil ways, You had an awesome work for him to do under his new name, Paul. No doubt, You have so much to accomplish through us as well, so please rest Your hand upon Your children today, beginning with me, and help us to accept Your power and Your desire to use even us in Your service to win the lost. We are your messengers as well, please encourage us to treat other messengers in the same way that we want to be treated. May Your kingdom come oh Lord, and may we be ready and obedient in every way, every day!  AMEN!

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

The Secret To A Long, Good Life

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

DATE POSTED Friday, 2022-05-20
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Psalm 34:12-14
TRANSLATION: The Passion Translation (TPT)

BIBLE TEXT: 12–13 Do you want to live a long, good life, enjoying the beauty that fills each day? Then never speak a lie or allow wicked words to come from your mouth.
14 Keep turning your back on every sin, and make “peace” your life motto. Practice being at peace with everyone.

APPLICATION: God created us, and placed us here on this earth so that we might be a blessing to Him, and in turn bless each other. Unfortunately Satan wiggled his way into this world, and found how he could upset the applecart prepared for us by God, as he knew that we would then strive to destroy the lives of families, friends, coworkers, churches and communities, so that they would never again be happy. However, for the child of God who vowed to please God; honor and obey His Word; follow in God’s example, and live according to His teachings, we are reminded that God encouraged us with the words: ‘greater is He that is in us, than he that is in the world’! Additional Scripture reminds us to practice being at peace with everyone. This tells me that we must put effort into it, and be intentional about turning our back on sin, and look out for the peace and happiness of those that we encounter each day. Friends, I believe that if the love of God is truly inside of us, we can’t help but seeing it exude from us in every act, in every word, and in every deliberate step that we take. So how do we get there? Please allow me to remind you that Satan is much bigger than we are, and he is much more powerful than we are, so may we quickly be reminded that there is only One more powerful – God Himself. Let us therefore surrender our all before God, and let us seek His guidance, His power and His peace. Let’s allow Him to guide us into a life that is so filled with Jesus and His love, that His character and His peace will overflow into every action we take and every word that we speak. We live in a very troubled world, and we should do everything possible to be a light to the rest of the world, and not add to the darkness that already exists. Let us therefore seek the fullness of God and seek to always be His humble representatives while afforded the opportunity to remain here on earth. May we be so filled with love and compassion for one another, and may the wonderful character of Jesus be so evident in our lives that it will be easy for others to notice and accept. I believe it was with this intent that God said through David that we would then be blessed with a long, happy life!

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, I come humbly before You today seeking Your power and Your grace. I would sincerely ask that You touch my life, and the lives of those who will read or listen to this devotional, so that we, in turn, may bless others. Please fill us with Your love, give us the power to overcome, and give us the peace that surpasses all human understanding, so that we might practice being at peace with everyone.  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!

Waiting on God

On By Ed AlgreenIn Follow Christ, Follower of Christ, Godly lives, Holy Living, How to Live, Righteous LivingLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Tuesday, 2022-05-10
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

Bible Reference: Psalm 25:4-5
Translation: The Voice (VOICE)

Bible Text: 
4 DEMONSTRATE Your ways, O Eternal One.
    Teach me to understand so I can follow.
5 EASE me down the path of Your truth.
    FEED me Your word
    because You are the True God who has saved me.
    I wait all day long, hoping, trusting in You.

APPLICATION: We could learn a lot from David, for we are so quick to beat up on ourselves, or seek help from every other source, before finally conceding to the One who could lead us to all truth, knowledge and understanding so that we could obediently follow the ways of our Lord and His written Word. There are a few keywords in these two verses that I wanted to expand on, hoping that we might better understand the heart of this humble servant of God. David knew that there was only One who could possibly help him, so he pleaded before his God:

  • Demonstrate – Lord, please help me to understand by showing me through real-life examples;
  • Teach – Assume that I know nothing and simply open up my mind to a full understanding of what You would have me to do, oh Lord;
  • Ease – Understanding my weaknesses and inadequacies, please go easy on me as I am slow to learn, but know that I sincerely desire to know more about Your ways and Your Word;
  • Feed – Pour knowledge and understanding into me like one would poor water into the beak of a very thirsty bird. Fill me with Your Word so that I may constantly live in obedience to all that You desire of me;
  • Wait – I am willing to wait for as long as You desire, Lord, for following Your will is just that important to me.

When all else fails, make it known to God that there is nothing more important than to obey His Word, and honor Him in everything that you do and say. Allow Him to work miraculously through you to reach the lost in your circle of influence for His glory. God referred to David as a man after His own heart, so I believe that as we apply this prayer of David’s in all sincerity, and follow the Master in all that He demands of us, we will begin to reflect the true image of God in our lives, so that we may become effect witnesses for Him. May this be your heart’s cry today precious friends, for God loves You more than you could ever comprehend!

PRAYER: Dear Lord, we want to be just like You! However we have so much that separates us in that quest. There is so much that we need to surrender to You so that we might be filled with Your Holy Spirit completely and therefore be led in total surrender to Your will and Your way for us. Lord, this wicked world needs to see more of You in those who claim You as Lord. Begin with me Lord. Allow me to be so filled with Your grace and Your mercy that those in my realm of influence might desire to know the One who influences my life every day. Thank You for the lessons taught through Your servant David, May all who read this blog be encouraged to follow in the steps of David – towards being recognized by You as a person after Your own heart. May You be glorified in and through Your precious children today, is my prayer, in deepest humility, 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 Following Jesus

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Follow Christ, Follow Jesus, Missions, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, Submission, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED Wednesday, 2022-02-02
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Matthew 8:18-22
TRANSLATION: The Passion Translation (TPT)

BIBLE TEXT: 18 At the sight of large crowds gathering around him, Jesus gave orders to his disciples to get ready to sail back over to the other side of the lake. 19 Just then, a religious scholar approached him and said, “Teacher, I’ll follow you wherever you go!”
20 Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens, birds have nests, but the Son of Man[n] has no true home in this world.”
21 Then another man spoke up and said, “Lord, I’ll follow you, but first I must take care of my aged father and bury him when he dies.”
22 But Jesus said to him, “Now is the time to follow me, and let those who are dead bury their own dead.”

APPLICATION: We once had a friend who would agree to go with us anywhere we invited them to go. However, when it was time to go, we found that something more attractive came up and that friend backed out on their commitment to us! In essence, that individual was saying yes to us, provided that nothing better comes up in the meantime! Perhaps you are also guilty of this, but today I want us to assume that we are a disciple of Jesus Christ, and I hope that many of you are exactly that. Let’s continue to assume that Jesus is about to leave our town and make His way to a nearby town. Initially I believe that many of us would agree to the initial invitation from Jesus to come along with Him. But supposing that you hear about the long walk to get there? Suppose you hear of the daily visiting with the town’s officials as you seek to challenge them on their pagan beliefs? Suppose you hear the whispers from group members about the sleeping conditions once you leave home? Suppose you hear that there are no organized meal times nor food items being taken along with you? Are you starting to look for excuses yet that might help you get out of the commitment you made at first? In our Scripture, the religious leader liked what he saw, and he was convinced that he wanted to go along, so he immediately agreed to go along/follow the Great Healer/Master/Deliverer. But Jesus warned that it won’t be pretty. You see, Jesus didn’t want this leader to assume that there would be lavish hotels along the way with scrumptious meals. It wasn’t like that at all. One who called themselves a disciple of Jesus, suddenly remembered that his ailing dad would have no one left to take care of him and bury him. But Jesus said to this disciple what I believe He says to each of us today: Enough with the excuses, these things will take care of themselves. My work is most urgent, because it involves saving souls. Nothing is more important. No excuse in delaying response to my calling. Perhaps to some of you reading this devotional, Jesus may be saying to you: today is the day of salvation, tomorrow will be too late; My work revolves around saving souls from the pit of Hell and from the evil one. Imagine looking into the eyes of one that you ‘didn’t have time’ to minister to, and see them fade away into eternity with Satan? Are you sure you have something more important to do right now than to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ? Perhaps your church is calling you to join them in ministry. Perhaps the Missions committee wants you to join them on a trip to share Jesus with a group living way out in the country. Will you go, or are you still searching for excuses?

BLESSING(S) NOTED: The rewards for following Jesus are ‘out of this world’! Praise God, Jesus loved us enough to forgive us of our sin and reveal Himself in all of His righteousness to us, so that we may desire to know Him personally and eternally! Oh what joy to trust in Jesus!

PRAYER: Thank You Lord for supplying every need to those of us that are in need. Thank You for considering to use us in Your service/ministry here on earth. We are no different to the Religious Scholar in today’s Scripture, nor the disciple who felt it more important to stay and take care of his dad, for we all search for excuses to avoid doing things we may presume will be uncomfortable for us. Please Lord, embed into our minds the importance of seeing a lost soul come to know the Lord Jesus. In agreeing to follow Jesus, we will be led to times that we may have to challenge someone about their lack of faith in Jesus. We will probably end up in very uncomfortable living conditions as we travel to, or stay over in their town. Please remind us as You did in today’s Word – TODAY is the day to follow Jesus – whether it’s across the waters to a new mission field, or whether it’s in the darkest neighborhood of unfriendly nations. We ALL need Jesus and to know Him personally, if we ever hope to join Him and the Father in heaven when we die to this world. Use us Lord in Your challenging service, so that others might see proof of one who knows You personally. 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!