About Following Jesus

On 2022-02-022022-02-02 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: ¹⁸At 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. ¹⁹Just then, a religious scholar approached him and said, “Teacher, I’ll follow you wherever you go!”
²⁰Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens, birds have nests, but the Son of Man^[n] has no true home in this world.”
²¹Then 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.”
²²But 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!

Because Of Your Faith

On 2022-02-012022-02-01 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Faith, Healing, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED Tuesday, 2022-02-01
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Matthew 8:2-3; 10; 13;
TRANSLATION: The Passion Translation (TPT)

BIBLE TEXT: ²Suddenly, a leper walked up to Jesus and threw himself down before him in worship and said, “Lord, you have the power to heal me . . . if you really want to.”. ³Jesus reached out his hand and touched the leper and said, “Of course I want to heal you—be healed!”…
¹⁰Jesus was astonished when he heard this and said to those who were following him, “He has greater faith than anyone I’ve encountered in Israel!
¹³Then Jesus turned to the Roman officer and said, “Go home. All that you have believed for will be done for you!” And his son was healed at that very moment.

APPLICATION: Here are key points about each individual in the two stories related in today’s Scripture:
—> In the first story, a Leper found his way from isolation (for his disease) into the presence of Jesus. Unheard of for a Leper. Jesus showed no signs of being afraid of having the Leper standing in front of Him, but instead Jesus was impressed at the faith of this man to battle all odds to make his way straight to the Savior of the world. I thought his statement by the Leper was rather peculiar – ‘You have the power to, and can heal me, if you want to’. Looking at the response from Jesus was also very interesting, especially in light of what we see in our hospitals today as nurses and doctors try to protect themselves from Covid infections. For Jesus actually ‘touched’ the man as He pronounced healing. It’s like the Leper knew that the dreaded disease was of no consequence to the Maker of all mankind; and as if Jesus felt no fear in dealing with the Leper, no matter what was wrong with him. I believe that Jesus is always more interested in our soul than he is about any earthly or body sickness.
—> In the second instance, Jesus was amazed by the faith of the Roman Officer, for he came before Jesus asking for healing of his son who did not accompany him on his journey. Based on his experience with his workers, he was confident that Jesus could speak healing to his son remotely and it would be done. Just say the word! Jesus was amazed by the faith of this official and granted him his request. The story confirms that the son was healed at that instant.
Hopefully you may have considered whether these two examples sounded like something you would do when you present yourself before Jesus. If you have reason to question your degree of faith compared to these gentlemen, then I would encourage you to draw closer to God in your prayer life, in your devotional time, in reading and understanding the Word of God. Friends, as your relationship with God deepens, I believe your faith will follow the same pattern. A child develops enough faith in their dad to actually jump from a high wall, knowing that they would be caught and cuddled by their dad, instead of the severe consequences if they fell to the ground. It’s that kind of faith that will help you to trust God with your life, or that of a relative you may approach God about. It may be because of your faith that God responds in awesome power to your request!

BLESSING(S) NOTED: There are many examples of the power of God to heal, or work miraculously through your circumstances. We know that God is still all-powerful and can do all things. Show Him your faith and see His almighty hand work miracles in your life!

PRAYER: Lord, I pray that no reader crawled into a corner and heard you say ’Oh ye of little faith’. Please help us to develop such an intimate relationship with You that Your power will be very evident and our asking very much in order. It seems like daily we are hearing about friends and loved one who need a healing touch from You. Many are afflicted, and many are dying much younger than anyone might expect. I have no doubt that You are still very much in control of my life, the lives of my family and friends, and that Your healing power is still available to us today. May our faith be so strong that we will boldly come before Your throne and ask for Your miraculous touch on those around us, just like you did with the Leper and the Roman Officer’s son. Time is running out for many. May they see Jesus today as they enjoy encounters with Your servants here on earth. May Jesus become alive to all my readers/listeners today, please Lord! AMEN!

May God Bless Our Employers, Because of Us

On 2022-01-312022-01-31 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED Monday, 2022-01-31
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Genesis 39:5-6
TRANSLATION: New Living Translation (NLT)

BIBLE TEXT: ⁵From the day Joseph was put in charge of his master’s household and property, the Lord began to bless Potiphar’s household for Joseph’s sake. All his household affairs ran smoothly, and his crops and livestock flourished. ⁶So Potiphar gave Joseph complete administrative responsibility over everything he owned. With Joseph there, he didn’t worry about a thing—except what kind of food to eat!

APPLICATION: The obvious question is perhaps: how could I possibly make a difference to the success of my employer? I believe that qualities that our employer, and God, might be looking for in a child of the King are:
-*- HONESTY – I believe that any employer will tell you that the money they lose from dishonest employees is mind-boggling. The dishonest may tend to work the clock to make sure they give no extra time to the boss, however, the time wasted on the job is never considered cheating by them. I trust that the Christian worker will always be looked upon as honest and trustworthy in every way.
-*- PRAYER – I believe the Bible teaches us to pray for those in authority over us. Suppose we prayed for the success of our boss and that the company product would flourish in its market. Sure, that will inflate their pockets, but it also increases the chance of us continuing to have a job. Perhaps as profits increase, our working conditions will improve and the opportunity for raises become more possible. Pray for the soul of the boss, for they need Jesus just as we and other coworkers do. I bet it would be such an honor to work for a Christian boss!
-*- TRUST – I once knew a boss who bragged on one of his Christian employees and added that he would have a great company, if he only had a half dozen other employees as trustworthy and dedicated to their job. Oh that every boss will be able to say something similar because of Christian workers in their employment.
Our Scripture today says that God blessed the home and assets of Potiphar for the sake of Joseph. It sounds to me that God was so pleased with having an awesome representative working for Potiphar that He knew that in blessing Potiphar, His servant Joseph will also be blessed. I wish that would be the case for every believer who meditates on this devotional today, God being your strength and your Helper.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: Our dedication to God and our representation of Him and His good works, will cause God to bless everyone and everything in which we actively participate!

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, please help us to be Your hands and feet in our workplaces. May we always choose to represent You well and without always pushing the envelope for more money, better positions and greater recognition. May our boss just simply see us as an extension of the One True God, and may they and their businesses be blessed because of our employment. Thank You Lord for Your provisions and always showering us with Your blessings. May we be willing to just pass along the blessings so that others will see Jesus in action, and want to also know Him personally. Lord, we are a blessed people. Please help us to also bless others in return, and may we always praise You for Your kindness and Your faithfulness to us. AMEN!

God’s Response To Our Asking, Seeking and Knocking

On 2022-01-292022-01-29 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Ask and Receive, Needs, Persistence, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED Saturday, 2022-01-29
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Matthew 7:7-11
TRANSLATION: The Passion Translation (TPT)

BIBLE TEXT: ⁷“Ask, and the gift is yours. Seek, and you’ll discover. Knock, and the door will be opened for you. ⁸For every persistent one will get what he asks for. Every persistent seeker will discover what he longs for. And everyone who knocks persistently will one day find an open door.
⁹“Do you know of any parent who would give his hungry child, who asked for food, a plate of rocks instead? ¹⁰Or when asked for a piece of fish, what parent would offer his child a snake instead? ¹¹If you, imperfect as you are, know how to lovingly take care of your children and give them what’s best, how much more ready is your heavenly Father to give wonderful gifts to those who ask him?”

APPLICATION: It seems like humans just need the right incentive and they will show persistence in whatever their heart desires. While prayer is more than just asking for God’s help, it does seem to be one of the foremost reasons that we pray. I remember in prayer meetings being asked to just praise God, or give thanks to Him, without asking for anything, at least for the first few minutes. It was a challenging thing to do, for we soon enough got into asking God for His help or for His provisions. There was a great leader who taught us to seek the face of Jesus, and we will quickly recognize His outstretched hand in giving us very important items that we so desperately needed. A neat concept, yet we soon found ourselves petitioning for our needs and wants. My eyes were opened as I found the commentary shared in my introduction to this Scripture. For it showed me that Jesus was probably teaching us that as we strive to discover, or find something, we will keep on seeking. As we try to satisfy our curiosity about what lies beyond the unknown, we will keep on knocking, just like we do when we need to know who’s inside a room. If we ever received a response to our asking for something, then we will keep on asking. Behind each persistent action, there is incentive for us to keep doing it. Think about it, a baby will keep crying until we go and pick them up, give them milk, or change their diaper. I believe that Jesus wants us to have that same persistence, and in these verses He is telling us that if we are persistent, He will hear the cry of our heart and meet our need. In sharing the example of our earthly father, I believe Jesus was assuring us that He is our heavenly Father, and He will certainly hear the desires and needs of our heart and He will extend His hand to satisfy our needs. So dear friends, let me ask that you join with me in building that relationship with our heavenly Father, knowing that He will hear the cry of our hearts and meet our needs. I don’t know that there has ever been a greater time of need by mankind than today.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: No one every cared for me like Jesus!

PRAYER: I need thee every hour, most precious Lord. Please help me through these rough and stormy days. Covid, excessive crime, enormous unemployment, skyrocketing cost of living, and just knowing that someone cares about how we will handle all these things. Only You Lord can satisfy our very personal needs. Please give us strength and wisdom for the challenges of each and every day. May unbelievers especially see how well You care for Your own, for they truly need something that will turn their minds and their heads towards You. AMEN!

How To Get Everything You Need!

On 2022-01-272022-01-28 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED Thursday, 2022-01-27
WRITTEN AT: Gainsville, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Matthew 6:31-34
TRANSLATION: New Living Translation (NLT)

BIBLE TEXT: ³¹“So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ ³²These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. ³³Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. ³⁴“So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.

APPLICATION: One may wonder if at times we seem like ‘worry warts’ because of our persistence in worrying about every little thing. But Jesus gave us a title for that: ‘Imitators of unbelievers/unsaved’. Ouch, definitely not a compliment for the Christian who knows the Master of the seas; the Creator of mankind; the One who turned seas into hiways; Water into wine and who returned life again into a body He had once created. If we trust Him for daily life, air to breathe and sunlight to brighten our path, why is it that we tend to worry when the food supply seems short or money insufficient to purchase all we want? Is He not the same God spoken of in each of the cases above? Where is our faith? I remember an old grandmother sharing a testimony about a time when she wasn’t sure where she would find food for her children. While still on her knees begging God for mercy and grace to provide the necessary nourishment for her family, a knock came on the door. As she went to the door, there was her pastor with a box of food items that he felt impressed to bring to her. Our God WILL supply our needs dear friends, we just need to petition Him for our needs and be patient to His perfect timing. Most of us have gotten used to having not just what we need, but an excess of items that we ever wanted also. In our Scripture today, we are reminded that our faith and trust must be placed in the God of this universe, the One who created us and cares for us like no other. Jesus had just taught how we must learn to trust in Him with our finances, and in our faithful prayers. Then He goes on to teach us that He is our go-to for all things – even for our food for today. Notice how He reminded us how well He cares for the birds, so how much more would He care for those whom He made in His own image and for His own satisfaction? Friends, I believe that Jesus is even more protective and caring for us than we ever were able to accomplish with our own kids. Did you ever allow your kids to starve, or go without? How much more then would the Savior of the world care for us and provide for our needs? He went to the cross to prove His love for us, can’t you imagine how much further He would go to make sure we are taken care of while living among the likes of this earth? Now, for us to plug-in to those provisions and accept that wonderful love, we must be one who is willing to surrender ourselves and accept the love of God. You can do that, right? Just let go and say ‘Yes’ to Jesus, today – please?

BLESSING(S) NOTED: Visiting the food stores these days is proof enough that we can’t depend on the ‘food chain’ as we did in earlier days. Hearing of all the crime in our neighborhoods, it reminds us that we can’t always depend on law enforcement to know when crime will occur so they could be there to protect us. However, our Scripture reminds us that our God can, and will, supply all our needs, if we go to Him, place our trust in Him, and be willing to receive His loving care and His unending provisions! What an awesome God we serve!

PRAYER: Lord, we need You more today than we have ever acknowledged before. Please open our eyes, soften our hearts and hear our cry as we stop and acknowledge that we just can’t do this alone anymore. The unsaved are watching to see if Your kids are in any better shape than they are. Please remind us daily of the importance in letting go of selfish pride and looking to You for our daily needs. Only You can mend a broken heart and only You can save a sinner from the pit of Hell. May we be willing to say ’yes’ to You and acknowledge Your power and Your awesome love in providing our every need. Worrying is an action indicative of our past. Opening our hearts and accepting Your gifts each day for everything we need, shows the world the importance of knowing Jesus personally, and accepting His unending help and provisions. I’m Your’s Lord, please: touch me; heal me; revive me and fill me anew with Your unending love, so that I may be of better service in Your kingdom work here on earth.. AMEN!

A Safe Place For Your Treasure

On 2022-01-262022-01-26 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Giving, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, Tithe, Tithing, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED Wednesday, 2022-01-26
WRITTEN AT: Gainsville, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Matthew 6:19-21
TRANSLATION: The Message (MSG)

BIBLE TEXT: ^19-21“Don’t hoard treasure down here where it gets eaten by moths and corroded by rust or—worse!—stolen by burglars. Stockpile treasure in heaven, where it’s safe from moth and rust and burglars. It’s obvious, isn’t it? The place where your treasure is, is the place you will most want to be, and end up being.

APPLICATION: Some people keep their money in a bag under their bed, or somewhere in their home, while some may just bury it nearby, because they know it will be safe if it’s near enough for them to personally protect it! Some people would rather seek help from neighbors, family, friends or the government, instead of spending their own hard-earned money, as they want to have something to pass along to their children who may remain after their passing! All of the above exists, plus a whole lot more that we would not have time to expand on, while all the while many churches are having to close their doors as attendance is low, and finances are almost nonexistent. It seems that many have found new excuses for not attending church – they claim that they are present in the virtual environment. Perhaps many are truthful in their choice of staying safe from Covid infections, but I wonder what excuse others will find to make when questioned by Jesus about their place and time of worship as commanded by God in His Word. Don’t forsake the assembling of yourselves together, is what God commanded us, for the Creator knew how necessary it is for His children to encourage and bless each other in a physical environment. But in the teaching by Jesus today, He ordered us to be very mindful of our eternal life, not just the moment in which we live. I believe Jesus wants us to remember our Creator, and to bless Him daily with our praises for all that He continues to bless us with. Many of us have been blessed with good jobs that have paid us enough to not only meet our daily needs, but also allowed us to save a few dollars for future needs. I believe that Jesus will bless us every day for being good stewards, but I believe that He is teaching us today that there are other things in life that should also be a vital part of our plan. We are taught in the Bible that we should tithe a portion of our income consistently to the local church. While I realize that many don’t attend church regular enough to understand the financial needs and uses of church funds, we must always remember that God didn’t order us to audit the church before giving to it. He is in charge of church leadership and will hold them accountable for their use and abuse of funds placed at their disposal for the ongoing spread of the gospel message. I believe that Jesus is also teaching us that our obedience to His command to tithe, is dependent on our mindset. If we have our hearts and minds fixed on the coming of the Lord Jesus, and reflect frequently on the eternal destiny of our family, friends and coworkers, then we will be more apt to obey His command to give freely to the work of the local church. If, however, we are more determined to grow our bank account, see our business thrive above all others in the business world; and if we must give to the work of the church, it will have to be a very minor part of profits, as no obvious return is seen from that type of spending; then it becomes obvious where our focus is and where we will place our emphasis when it comes to charitable giving. In the middle of revival services, an evangelist touched on the importance of Jesus’ command here in this Scripture. He asked that we take our wallets or checkbooks out, and that we offer our finances up to the God who helps us earn each dollar. It was suggested that we ask for God’s direction on our giving to His work. I walked away from that time of prayer convinced that God ordered me to start giving based on my gross income and not my net income, like I had used previously. This was at a time when my wife and I struggled to comfortably meet all of our general expenses. But if I expected God to help me with my budget, I had to make sure that I was obedient to what He ordered me to do. Friends, God has always taken exceptional care of my needs as I obediently followed His commands. May I suggest that you have a little talk with Jesus and see if He has any changes that might help you fully trust Him and obey His commands? Remember, God blesses us with the jobs we have, and He gives us the strength and stamina to do a great job for our employer. Shouldn’t we be willing to follow His commands so that He might continue to bless us, use us, and provide for us? Seek first the kingdom of God, and all these other things will be given to you!

BLESSING(S) NOTED: Recently we studied how God will forgive us, if we are obedient and willing to forgive others. In our Scripture today, I believe that God is saying that He will provide for our needs, if we are faithful and just to pass along those blessings to others in need around us, and especially seek after growing His kingdom.

PRAYER: Lord, if we were to analyze our monthly budget, I believe it will amaze us to see where our income is going. Our attention and our focus seem to rest in the area where we spend our money. If the largest part of our budget goes to a car payment, then we will clearly see that our car is always protected, clean and admired because it’s our ‘earthly baby’! If we give consistently and sufficiently to your work, then we will align our lives around all that You would seek of us. It will become evident to everyone who knows us that we belong to Jesus and He owns our finances. Thank You Father, for providing food on our tables, when so many go to bed hungry; light in our homes, while many are in darkness; a warm and comfortable church building where we could meet to worship and witness new birth to those we invite to church with us each week. Yes, it matters a lot to us what happens in our business and that we have finances to do what we want to do, but may it always be a priority to see Your kingdom come, and that it is blessed through mature growth each week. May we always give to the cause of Your work, and may our giving be a pleasing aroma in Your nostrils as You see Your work being accomplished. AMEN!

The Importance of Prayer

On 2022-01-242022-01-24 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Forgiveness, Needs, Praise, Prayer, Recognize God, Worship4 Comments

DATE POSTED Monday, 2022-01-24
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Matthew 6:6-8; 14-15
TRANSLATION: The Message (MSG)

BIBLE TEXT: ⁶“Here’s what I want you to do: Find a quiet, secluded place so you won’t be tempted to role-play before God. Just be there as simply and honestly as you can manage. The focus will shift from you to God, and you will begin to sense his grace.
^7-13“The world is full of so-called prayer warriors who are prayer-ignorant. They’re full of formulas and programs and advice, peddling techniques for getting what you want from God. Don’t fall for that nonsense. This is your Father you are dealing with, and he knows better than you what you need. With a God like this loving you, you can pray very simply.
^14-15“In prayer there is a connection between what God does and what you do. You can’t get forgiveness from God, for instance, without also forgiving others. If you refuse to do your part, you cut yourself off from God’s part.

APPLICATION: Don’t know about you, but I find it almost impossible to think straight and write, type, or anything else while also trying to listen to one or more people talk about their challenges and opportunities from their day. Both deserve your undivided attention, but I found it interesting that Jesus chose this as the first suggestion to enhance our prayer life! Find a secluded place to pray. The importance of this was confirmed for me when I volunteered for a time of secluded prayer during a 24-hr prayer chain promoted by a group of local churches. This placed me in a very small room with just a Bible, a few Bible verses posted on the walls and a kneeling bench where I could bow before and converse with the Lord. Notice that I wasn’t praying while I rushed around getting ready for work, nor while I drove down busy streets with unlimited cars buzzing all around me. It was just God and me in a dimly lit room without windows. This gave me a whole new perspective on ‘time alone with God’. Let me suggest that you try following what I experienced some time. It will also help you achieve the first guideline given by Jesus. Additionally, try praying for more than just a minute or two. Although you may have lots of people to pray for, you will quickly run out of words, probably because of your history of quick, instant, mini prayers. Try having a conversation with God. Begin by praising Him for who He is and for what He has done for you, your family and your friends. Try to recall a few examples of how He directed you, and thank Him in a very personal way for that. Pray the Scriptures back to Him, especially the one that you are meditating on that day. Tell Him about your plans for the day and seek His guidance in doing the right thing at the right time and place with the right folk. Remember, you are His ambassador here on earth, so you want to do and say things His way, so that others might be reminded of Jesus and desire to know Him personally. Please try not to follow preplanned prayer verbiage by some great theologian. Yes, I know make it sound so perfect, but since you don’t need something like that for conversation with your spouse, then I can assure you that you will not need that to converse with your Creator who knows everything about you. Just be yourself and converse with God in an unhurried or structured way. Leave time for God to envelope your heart and mind and fill your innermost thoughts with His direction and His character and demeanor. The world is sick of the selfishness and greed of mankind. They are constantly on guard for what you might want from them. Allowing God to work in your life and speak through you, will open the eyes and heart of your hearers in ways they, nor you, may have ever experienced before. The experience of reflecting back on your day and standing in awe about where certain words or actions came from, will totally overwhelm you. Allow God to be in control, dear friend! In the last two verses, note that Jesus wants us to know that unless we willingly forgive others, we shouldn’t expect God to forgive us. We must be willing to practice what we preach, not just apply those teachings to everyone else besides us. Communication is key to our personal relationships with family and friends. It is also the key that opens the door to a personal relationship with our Master. Talk/pray to God on a regular basis. Hearing from Him is key to a life patterned after, and directed by Him.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: Jesus will pour into you as much as , or more than, you pour into your relationship with Him! Begin to enhance that relationship with your Savior through prayer, dear friend.

PRAYER: Lord You are so good to us. Please help us to be more like You in every aspect of life, so that others might know that You are alive and working actively in Your children’s lives. Please help us to dedicate ourselves to more quality time with You, especially in prayer. In our Scripture today, we are reminded of some important qualities that would enhance our prayer life – a key to our relationship. Please direct us to plan time for meeting with You, and to clear the path of every distraction as we do that. Quality time with our family and friends bring unity and increases the love we feel towards each other. Time alone with You is also super important as we seek to know You better, love You more and gain even more trust in You. Draw us close to you dear Lord, so that we may be usable by You to grow Your kingdom. AMEN!

Love Like God Loves

On 2022-01-232022-01-23 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Love others, Love your Neighbor, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, The love of God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED Sunday, 2022-01-23
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Matthew 5:43-48
TRANSLATION: Contemporary English Version (CEV)

BIBLE TEXT: ⁴³You have heard people say, “Love your neighbors and hate your enemies.” ⁴⁴But I tell you to love your enemies and pray for anyone who mistreats you. ⁴⁵Then you will be acting like your Father in heaven. He makes the sun rise on both good and bad people. And he sends rain for the ones who do right and for the ones who do wrong. ⁴⁶If you love only those people who love you, will God reward you for that? Even tax collectors love their friends. ⁴⁷If you greet only your friends, what’s so great about that? Don’t even unbelievers do that? ⁴⁸But you must always act like your Father in heaven.

APPLICATION: Hopefully we recognized the truth in what Jesus said in His explanation of how humans tend to love others. This requires us setting aside the ideals of how we know we should love others, compared to what we actually do. It is very challenging for us to think of loving the one who hurt us, or mistreated us in some obvious way, or who may have even deliberately hurt us. I know of a real-life story of two workers who, in spite of working on many projects together, they often felt differently about certain subjects, and although they often accomplished the same tasks differently, yet they enjoyed the success of completing tasks accurately. During one of their disagreements on a subject, one of them brought the company president in to understand why they felt the other was wrong. The boss didn’t fire the one accused of doing their job inaccurately, but this appeared to have deepened the rift between the two workers. However, just as this Scripture might do to you as a reader searching for God’s will for your life, the individual who felt wronged, was touched by a sermon one Sunday and God impressed this Scripture upon them. Pray for the individual you feel wronged you, even though you feel they may have done it to cause you harm. Each day there was sincere prayer for the other party and for their success in the company. Apparently the two went on to be great friends and compassionate coworkers! It is virtually impossible to hate someone that you earnestly pray for in a positive manner! I believe that Jesus wants us to be the kind of people where others might look on in wonder and question how we could do what seems impossible to the ordinary person. Hopefully their minds will turn towards Jesus and they will praise Him for working through His children to achieve that which seems impossible to mankind of their own accord, desires and abilities. Friends, I hope that as you meditated on this with me today, you may have gotten a glimpse of how Jesus not only set the example for us in what He said and did while here on earth, but also how He is still able to work in His children to help them achieve all that He did. As the world sees the difference in us, may they recognize that it is Jesus at work in us that helps us reach for new heights and imitate our Father which is in heaven.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: It takes Jesus and us to love those who hate us or despise us or who aim to destroy us. But in loving even them, we allow them to catch a glimpse of our Master working miraculously through us!

PRAYER: Dear Lord, thank You for recognizing how challenging it is for us to love those who love and respect us, and especially those who make it impossible to love them of our own accord. Only You Lord can save us from our sins, and only You can give us the power, strength and wisdom to overcome the evil of this world that is often out to pull us down and separate us from the blessings You have in store for us. Draw us to Yourself each and every day Lord and as You prepare our day, may we be humble and willing to seek Your face as You work out Your perfect will for us. Oh that others may see, acknowledge and receive You as Lord of their life, especially after seeing You at work in us. AMEN!

To God, Anger is…

On 2022-01-222022-01-22 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Control, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, Surrender, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED Saturday, 2022-01-22
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Matthew 5:21-22
TRANSLATION: Living Bible (TLB)

BIBLE TEXT: ²¹“Under the laws of Moses the rule was, ‘If you murder, you must die.’ ²²But I have added to that rule and tell you that if you are only angry, even in your own home, you are in danger of judgment! If you call your friend an idiot, you are in danger of being brought before the court. And if you curse him, you are in danger of the fires of hell.

APPLICATION: I heard a story of a man who walked an extra block on his way home from the bus station. When questioned about this, he shared about his addiction to alcoholism earlier in life, and the main bar that he frequented was on his direct, shortest route home from the bus station. He felt like avoiding that bar would help him in his determination to remain sober. AA members are similar in their commitment to remain sober. Wouldn’t it be great if we gained such a determination in life to help us avoid repeating previous sins, or known weaknesses? In the teachings by Jesus following the beatitudes, He looked very intently at the heart. In our Scripture today, Jesus shared that the same attributes of a heart that would take the life of another, also tends to agitate a person’s anger. This could have detrimental effects at home, and we hear a lot about spousal abuse and/or child battery. When we get so angry that we spout off cruel and/or nasty names at someone, our heart has just become much like that of the person who would release their anger through murder. So what then might we do to be more like our Master? Scripture records one time that Jesus became visibly upset. He was very disturbed that the people had turned the holy temple into a den patterned by that of thieves. However, Jesus showed throughout His lifetime that His whole intent in life was to reflect love, peace and goodness. I believe this was important, because Jesus showed us that when we place our hand in His, and we we trust that He will care for our every need willingly and lovingly, then there is no need to worry, become anxious, or show remorse when life does not go in our favor, or in the direction we might anticipate. While I am not a physiological expert that could say exactly what the medical experts have determined might cause anger, I am convinced that it is agitated when things are not going our way, or as we anticipate. However, as a child of the Most High God, who has every phase of life under His control, we must learn to rest comfortably in His care and under His control. When this occurs, we learn to relax in His charge and know that there’s no need to worry. Friends, I am just simple enough to believe that this kind of contentment would help me to stay calm and not give in to emotions that would cause undue stress or to respond based on emotions. A heart totally dedicated to the Lord and experiencing prayer for His full direction, will help us to desire responses consistent with that of Jesus Himself. For others desire to see Jesus, even in us.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: In our own strength we tend to either fall apart or react to life-situations erratically. However, under the love and control of the God of this universe, we can overcome the stresses of this cruel world and instead live under the peace and direction of the Master!

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, You know all too well how easily we come unglued and respond to life-situations in ways that are not representative of Your character and teachings. Please Lord, help us to stay focused on the only One who can help us through the ups and downs of life, rather than responding to situations more like the world. To respond with a heart of peace and contentment, regardless of the pressures of this cruel mad world, can only be done with Your help and Your peace. We depend on You Lord. Please grant us strength and determination to always seek Your will and Your help for every aspect of life. AMEN!

Allow God To Be Exposed Through You

On 2022-01-212022-01-21 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED Friday, 2022-01-21
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Matthew 5:13-16
TRANSLATION: The Message (MSG)

BIBLE TEXT: ¹³“Let me tell you why you are here. You’re here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness? You’ve lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage.
^14-16“Here’s another way to put it: You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.

APPLICATION: Many Bible students may not be happy that I chose a very plain speaking, simple translation, but as I looked for the right version to share the Good News from today, this stood out more that any other! When I think of hiding our light, I think of a time that I was boating and very much dependent on a beacon light to help me find the dock at the other end of the bay in the dark of night. For the nights that the light was not working, it was a real plunder to find the dock when you could see no more than a hundred feet ahead of you. When our men and women awake each day and question whether the only path for them to go that day is a repeat of what they did yesterday, it must be very dismal and discouraging for them. When they look to role models who boasts of having the blood of Jesus washed over them, I pray that they will see the same light that I was looking for in my pitch dark night. I needed hope, direction and assurance that I was on the right course. Our unsaved friends and family need that same assurance. It’s not something we have to study for, practice or prepare for, it’s a natural outlet for the light of Jesus to shine through us. But why do you suppose Jesus had to teach about some hiding that light? Isn’t it a shame that even today some still hide their light? Perhaps embarrassed to let their boss or friend know that they are different, and guided by different principles than most are? But think of the consequences if we are a follower of Christ and refuse to let our light shine. Jesus taught that we would appear lukewarm to Him and He would spit us out of His mouth. Way too often our actions far outweigh anything that might come from our mouth. As Jesus stated in our Scripture, when others see us freely place ourselves in very open situations and state our position with God, we will encourage those who sit on the fence about knowing God more intimately. Don’t you know how nerve wrecking it is to make a move in hesitation, or out of fear? Others are depending on us dear friends, let’s be who we say we are, so that they will welcome the opportunity to become a part of our ‘family’!

BLESSING(S) NOTED: With Jesus as our Savior, our Light, our Standard, it is important that the world is invited to partake of His goodness! Let’s invite them to join us!

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, what an awesome day when You invited, encouraged me and let You into my heart! You have made such a difference in my life and I am eternally thankful for all that You are to me. Although I have nothing to brag about in self, I am higher than the clouds when I consider the difference You have made in my life. Please Lord, keep me humble, so that You might shine brightly in all that is accomplished through me. The world needs Jesus. May they see the peace that You have given to me and want to also meet and know You personally, so that on that day that we are called home to glory, we can all rejoice before Your throne. Please give me a new boldness each and every day and the wisdom to encourage others who need You. May You be glorified because of my surrender. AMEN!

Nuggets From God's Word

Tag: Praise