Tag: Praise

Where Do You Tend To Hang Out?

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

DATE WRITTEN: Tuesday, 2021-07-27
WRITTEN AT: Hattiesburg, MS

SCRIPTURE FROM: Luke 5:30-32
TRANSLATION: The Passion Translation (TPT)

BIBLE TEXT: 30 … “Why would you defile yourselves by eating and drinking with tax collectors and sinners? Doesn’t Jesus know it’s wrong to do that?”
31 Jesus overheard their complaining and said, “Who goes to the doctor for a cure? Those who are well or those who are sick? 32 I have not come to call the ‘righteous,’ but to call those who know they are sinners and bring them to repentance.”

APPLICATION: Part of the great divide between Christians and unbelievers might be caused by the cliques that are created, often unknowingly. Christians are taught to, and often feel most comfortable to, hang out with those of like faith. Sure, I believe that scenario will create great accountability partners, and there will probably be less room for argument, as we will seldom challenge each other on what we believe, or what we do. I see little difference in this practice when looking at the unsaved, for they tend to hang out in like groups and places. Because of this exclusivity, it seems like each group tends to look at the other group as pretenders and thinking of themselves as better than the other. To a certain extent, this may be true, especially if one fails to associate with member of the opposite group. But Jesus may have introduced us to a very unique thought in the Scriptures today. It we truly want to follow in Jesus’ footsteps and do the will of the Father, wouldn’t we want to spend some time around the people we are trying to share the Gospel with? After all, how many Christians will we aim to ‘save’, again? Sure, iron sharpens iron, and we need the strength, encouragement and love from our Christian brothers and sisters, but if we refuse to mix with non-Christians and understand their needs, how will we ever discern the difference that Jesus might make in their lives? Additionally, how else will your unsaved friends know Jesus’ way of living and treating one another if you don’t give them opportunity to spend time with you? I believe that one of the most interesting changes we must consider, is that instead of feeling compelled to stay away from unbelievers in fear of adopting their bad habits, we must instead desire to be around them and ask God to let them grow in Him by seeing God at work in us. Friends, people need the Lord – those are the unbelievers. Unless we spend time around them and teach them God’s ways, how else will they see God and come to know Him personally?

BLESSING(S) NOTED: Jesus hung out with sinners, because He wanted to bring them to repentance. We should do the same!

PRAYER: Lord, please teach us to live like You demonstrated to us in Your Word. We have picked up too many earthly practices to often be of any heavenly good to our neighbors. Please help us to stay centered on Your Word and practice all that You have taught us. Much of this will be quite different for us in contrast to what we have practiced so far, so please give us strength, give us wisdom, give us boldness and most of all, give us a heart like yours. Let others experience Your awesome love and goodness through our encounters with them, and convince them of their need for a Savior. 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!

Our Commission

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

DATE WRITTEN: Monday, 2021-07-26
WRITTEN AT: Hattiesburg, MS

SCRIPTURE FROM: Matthew 28:18-20
TRANSLATION: The Voice (VOICE)

BIBLE TEXT: 18 Jesus came forward and addressed His beloved disciples.
Jesus: I am here speaking with all the authority of God, who has commanded Me to give you this commission: 19 Go out and make disciples in all the nations. Ceremonially wash them through baptism in the name of the triune God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. 20 Then disciple them. Form them in the practices and postures that I have taught you, and show them how to follow the commands I have laid down for you. And I will be with you, day after day, to the end of the age.

APPLICATION: In reading Matthew 28, you will find that when the two Mary’s visited the tomb of Jesus after His burial, the angel intervened and told them that there was no need to go any further, for Jesus had risen, just as He said He would. He instructed them to now ‘Go and Tell’ (tell His disciples). Friends, many of us attend church each week and rejoice at meeting with our risen Lord. We are then instructed by our respective pastors to ‘Go and Tell’ the Good News to all that we come into contact with. Oh Lord Jesus, we know that You never did, and never will, give commands or say things intended to make us feel good. If You said it, then we could go to the bank with that. If You said it, then You expect us to be obedient children and follow through with what You commanded. Later in this same chapter when Jesus met with His disciples for the first time after His resurrection, He continued the same message as the angel started – ‘Go and Tell’ all people, everywhere, the Good News of His death, burial and resurrection. As they received the message, and as they surrendered their lives to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, then baptize them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost. And, by the way, Jesus said that He would be with all disciples as they share the Good News, right up until the very end of time. So friends, here’s the scoop. Jesus is telling us that we are to obey His commands to ‘Go and Tell’, and we could do that confidently and without fear, for He will be with us at all times. If you are commissioned into the military or for any other job, I don’t believe that you will ever have quite the comfort as awarded by our Savior in His commission. Let’s just get busy about the Lord’s work fellow Christians! For those who have chosen to refrain from accepting the lordship of our King, please know that God made the ultimate sacrifice to facilitate the forgiveness of our sin. He had to watch, without interfering, while His precious Son gave His own life so that we might have life everlasting in heaven with the Father and the Son. Won’t you reconsider the offer that He gives today and surrender your life to Jesus? As your earthly friend, it would do my heart good to know that each reader has decided to follow Jesus, no turning back now, or ever.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: God gave the command, ‘Go and Tell’, for us to follow, but He also offered that He would be with us every step of the way. No worries, just do it!

PRAYER: Thank You Lord Jesus for Your gracious sacrifice for our ultimate good. You showed love so amazing that we could only say thank You from the very bottom of our heart. Lord, You gave us work to do while here among people who desperately need You. The world has become so bitter and so against anything that appears God-related. They need You Lord. Although we feel so inadequate, You have demanded that we ‘Go and Tell’, but not to worry, You will be with us until the very end. Please remind us of this promise each time that we feel inadequate in sharing the Gospel with others. Oh that those in our circle of influence will see Jesus in us and desire to also know Him personally! Please be our strength and give us boldness and an urgency to obediently follow Your Great Commission. 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!

What Does God Require of You?

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

DATE WRITTEN: Sunday, 2021-07-25
WRITTEN AT: Hattiesburg, MS

SCRIPTURE FROM: Deuteronomy 10:12-13; 16
TRANSLATION: Living Bible (TLB)

BIBLE TEXT: 12-13 “And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you except to listen carefully to all he says to you, and to obey for your own good the commandments I am giving you today, and to love him, and to worship him with all your hearts and souls?
16 Therefore, cleanse your sinful hearts and stop your stubbornness.

APPLICATION: For a child who gives the excuse ‘he thought that he had a good idea or what might be best in a situation’, mom or dad might quickly inform the child that they don’t make the rules around the home, they just follow the rules as already established by the parents! Similarly, when an employee decides to do something ‘their way’ instead of the established written procedure, they might expect to be fired for disobeying company rules and regulations. The Israelites had quite a record of ‘doing their own thing’, instead of obediently following the commands of God, the God who provided safety during their travels, food when they were hungry and water when thirsty. Yet through the whole journey to freedom, they were under the leadership of God’s faithful servants, Moses and Aaron. But now comes a very critical time, when they would be released to their own cognizance. Want to try one guess about what will happen? Moses knew that on their own, they would soon be in sad shape morally and relationally, for they would immediately fall back to their former gods and idols. So like any good Shepherd would do, Moses had a pep talk with the Israelites to outline what God expected of them. As I pondered the short list, I concluded that there was nothing extraordinary about the list that God would not also require of us today. It reminded me that God included these type lessons in His Book, so that all His children will learn about His truths and how to live until He calls us home to glory. So for our own good, here is a list of the instructions given by Moses:
~ Listen carefully to all He says to you – This will generally come through reading God’s Word, for He speaks intently through His Word to His children;
~ Obey the commandments given to us by God – There was purpose in God giving us His commandments. Obey them, dear children;
~ Love Him – When you consider how much God loved us, should we not love Him in return, with all our heart, soul and mind? To know Him, is to love Him;
~ Worship Him with all your heart and soul – On earth we say thank you, and we compliment folk all the time. For the God who has the power to do it all, give us all and be everything to us, we can only humbly kneel in prayer before Him, or offer up praise and worship to Him. Recognize Him for who He is, and we will quickly bow at His feet in worship;
When we find ourselves in awe of His goodness, and obedient to His call on our lives, then in our hearts we are forced to do as verse 16 says: ‘Cleanse our sinful hearts and stop our stubbornness’. Just accept His lordship and seek to faithfully follow Him all of your days!

BLESSING(S) NOTED: To know what the Master requires of us brings peace and contentment, because we then know what to aim at, and accomplish, in order to please Him in total obedience.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus I thank You for who You are, and I thank You for not only giving the Israelites clear vision of what You require, but by placing this in Your Word for Christians of all times, I believe that You have also graced us with Your vision for how Your children should live. Please give us boldness to each day find the battle of sin here on this earth, and instead strive to live as You commanded., knowing that there will be many who will object to our methods and our practice. We want to honor You oh Lord. Please help us to stand firm among those who practice quite the opposite, for our goal will always be to please You oh King and obey Your commands. May You always be evident in every aspect of our lives, so that others will see Jesus working through us and give You glory as You deserve. 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!

Total Allegiance

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

DATE WRITTEN: Saturday, 2021-07-24
WRITTEN AT: Hattiesburg, MS

SCRIPTURE FROM: Luke 5:8-11
TRANSLATION: Living Bible (TLB)

BIBLE TEXT: 8 When Simon Peter realized what had happened, he fell to his knees before Jesus and said, “Oh, sir, please leave us—I’m too much of a sinner for you to have around.” 9 For he was awestruck by the size of their catch, as were the others with him, 10 and his partners too—James and John, the sons of Zebedee. Jesus replied, “Don’t be afraid! From now on you’ll be fishing for the souls of men!”
11 And as soon as they landed, they left everything and went with him.

APPLICATION: In counseling a couple preparing for marriage, some pastors will remind them of the importance of spending less time with their hunting, fishing or shopping buddies so that they could devote uninterrupted time with their new spouse. Wouldn’t it be the same experience with one who has accepted the call on their life to receive Jesus into their heart? Think about it! In both cases, God knows full well that we will have mixed allegiance; and when that happens, we are not fully dedicated to either. In the case of the experienced fishermen, they knew that if they returned to the same fishing grounds where they yielded nothing just hours before. Their experience teaches them that if there was nothing there the night before, there probably would be nothing there the next morning. PLEASE don’t come down on Peter and his fishing buddies, for we still do the same thing today when we look through the lens of this world. Only Jesus was able to turn the water into wine; cause the lame to walk again; feed the 5,000+ people; and raise the dead, so only Jesus can change the course of life as we know it today. I believe that Jesus is still calling us to be fishers of men. Yes, even those who have little to know education; Yes, even those who feel like they are incapable of doing anything worthy for the Lord; And yes, even those who tend to look at this sinful world and give up on seeing any good thing come form the mass of confusion and sin. But here’s what makes all the difference in the world. Notice that Peter and his buddies were filled with doubt before this encounter with Jesus, but based on their actions after they got to shore, we could see that their firsthand experience with their Master, caused a total turn around in their lives. They left everything and followed Jesus! Leaving everything, in my mind, means that they concluded that there was nothing in their lives that was more important than to follow the One who proved Himself to them through miracle after miracle, and they were ready to accept His invitation to join Him in His earthly ministry. What is it that you need to give up in order to devote your life whole-heartedly to the Master? Think about the difference that Peter and his friends were facing in switching from fishing, to following Jesus and serving Him faithfully? It would have to be the miraculous touch of Jesus, right? Well I believe that He is still in the miracle-working business today, and He could do the same for you and I when we accept His invitation to join Him in ministry!

BLESSING(S) NOTED: From the stinky business of fishing, or whatever your occupation might be, to the glorious work of the Kingdom! – Only possible through the powerful transformation and miracles of our all-powerful God!

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, we bury ourselves in everyday chores and through some miracle, we feel accomplished. In learning more about You, we realize that we haven’t touched the potential of all that You have placed us here on earth for. We were reminded how you transformed the lives of Peter and his friends, and it has renewed our faith in believing that You can do the same through even us. No doubt, there are readers/listeners who feel the same as I do. Please touch Your children once again today and help us to see our potential in all that You can do through one dedicated and committed child, rather than through our own meager efforts. Nothing is impossible with You! May we base our ministries on all that You have in store for us, and all that You can do through us. 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!

God Loves You & He Will Keep His Promises

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

DATE WRITTEN: Friday, 2021-07-22
WRITTEN AT: Canton, TX

SCRIPTURE FROM: Deuteronomy 7:5-8
TRANSLATION: Living Bible (TLB)

BIBLE TEXT: 5 “You must break down the heathen altars and shatter the obelisks and cut up the shameful images and burn the idols. 6 “For you are a holy people, dedicated to the Lord your God. He has chosen you from all the people on the face of the whole earth to be his own chosen ones. 7 He didn’t choose you and pour out his love upon you because you were a larger nation than any other, for you were the smallest of all! 8 It was just because he loves you, and because he kept his promise to your ancestors….

APPLICATION: When you look at the largest issues around you, don’t you often sit back and question: Why Lord? What can I possibly do to help correct this? When you see sin occurring all around you, and often impacting your life, don’t you often question God as to why? and on what you should be doing to help correct the problem? Let’s stop for a few minutes and see what the Israelites were facing, and if God reassured them through Hi servant Moses, might He also have a word for us in the Scripture today. This huge body of people were enslaved in Egypt, and they were only released from that after God intervened and forced Pharaoh to release His people. They were led, fed and directed for over 40 years through the wilderness by God’s servants, because they had no control over their circumstances, nor could they do anything about their daily needs and dilemmas. The new, Promised Land, into which they arrived, were already occupied, and by nations much bigger than them, so we could only imagine that they felt as helpless as we do in the circumstances used in my introduction. But here’s where the answer comes in for the Israelites, and for us, I believe. Moses assured his people, and I believe that God assures us, that we are a chosen people. Drawn to the foot of the cross where Jesus forgives us of our sin and draws us into a sweet relationship with Himself. It is there that Jesus promises us a place in heaven where we will worship He and the Father for all eternity. Friends, our God will then watch out for us, just like He did for the Israelites. They were the smallest nation, facing huge challenges, but let’s be reminded that there is nothing too big for our God. If He told them through His servant Moses, that there were seven nations they would conquer (vs 1), it doesn’t matter what size they are, or how strong their army is, nothing could come against our God that He couldn’t handle. I am convinced that reminder is still very true for us today, so why do you suppose we struggle in realizing that our God will take care of us? We are part of the winning army, and we know that there is nothing that our God can’t do, so what’s the problem? We may not be facing seven nations, but for some reason our challenges sometimes seem larger than that. The answer is still the same, there is nothing that our God can’t do! If you know Jesus personally today, then you’re on the winning team. If you have chosen not to walk the path of righteousness, then you may very well join the opposing army. My desire is that You will see TRUTH in the Word of God today, and that you will make the necessary changes in your life. Know God my friend, and know the peace that surpasses all human understanding.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: Many have prayed for our salvation. God will meet every need, because of what He promised in His Word, and because of what He promised to our ancestors who prayed for us. Rest assured, there is nothing that our God can’t do!

PRAYER: Lord, now I see why You look at Your children and remind us of the lack of faith that we possess. You could move mountains, and You facilitated multiple victories to the Israelites over armies much bigger than themselves, yet we withdraw into our corner and worry over not being able to handle an earthly situation. We serve the same God, so Lord Jesus, please give us faith to believe, to ask, and to receive. Please continue to be God to us, and give us the faith needed to overcome earthly doubt and fear. May we be Your people who the world will look at in wonder, and gain strength from, as they seek out the kingdom of God. 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!

Make God’s Commands A Part of Who You Are

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

DATE WRITTEN: Thursday, 2021-07-22
WRITTEN AT: Canton, TX

SCRIPTURE FROM: Deuteronomy 6:4-9
TRANSLATION: The Voice (VOICE)

BIBLE TEXT: 4 … The Eternal is our True God—He alone. 5 You should love Him, your True God, with all your heart and soul, with every ounce of your strength. 6 Make the things I’m commanding you today part of who you are. 7 Repeat them to your children. Talk about them when you’re sitting together in your home and when you’re walking together down the road. Make them the last thing you talk about before you go to bed and the first thing you talk about the next morning. 8 Do whatever it takes to remember them: tie a reminder on your hand and bind a reminder on your forehead where you’ll see it all the time, 9 such as on the doorpost where you cross the threshold or on the city gate.

APPLICATION: In raising children, I believe they tend to consider most important, those things that their parents may have always felt were important. The Bible teaches us that we should train up a child in the way they should go, and when they become adults they will not forget your training. Under God’s direction, Moses had led the Israelites from a world of slavery, through the desert where they were totally dependent on food and water that was provided by God, and now on to a new world – a new land that God had provided to them. Considering their past, would they possibly know what to do with freedom and the amazing new opportunities that will be their fortune? God gave Moses many commands for the people to follow while in the desert, and He had a lot to demand of them now as they ventured out on their own. As I read, and re-read this Scripture, I couldn’t help but wonder how our lives would be impacted if we ended every church service with the words in today’s Scripture. We go to church seeking God’s will for our lives; we hear His Word preached and/or taught, and if we’re not careful to apply the Word to us personally, we leave the church yard just as stubborn and worldly minded as we came into church that day. What if the preacher/teacher had us repeat these words ushered by Moses? Wouldn’t it be awesome to try some of these things? I have a relative who has Scripture written and placed at strategic places throughout her home, so that her kids and/or visitors to her home would be reminded of ‘thus says the Word of God’. Does this help, or have an impact on her kids or her family? You know, that’s not for us to worry about, for the Word of God says that God’s Word will not return to Him void! We are not responsible for bringing the results. Instead, we are to do what God instructs, and He will do the rest. Here’s how important it is that we fill our hearts with God’s commands and His Word: the Bible says that from the heart, the mouth speaks. If you fill your heart and soul with more of God, then you will speak and act like the God who fills you up. Let me encourage you to read today’s Scripture again and allow the words to penetrate your heart. Make them a part of who you are. People need to see Jesus at work here on earth, and I believe it begins with you and I.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: What goes into us, will certainly come out of us! Fill yourself with more of God each and every day so that the world might be touched by Jesus with each encounter they have with you!

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, I believe the last thing that this hateful world needs, is more hatred, anger and evil. Please continue to impress upon your children the importance of filling ourselves with more of You, for what goes into us will bubble out of us with each encounter that we have with others. The world needs You, Lord, not more brokenness from a world that plunders around without you in it. Please touch Your children once again and impress upon each one the importance of sharing Christ with others who have never touched you, or been touched by You. Only You can change a life. Please empower us to help in that respect by allowing Your love to pour forth from us 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!

Looking For Something?

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

DATE WRITTEN: Wednesday, 2021-07-21
WRITTEN AT: Colorado City, TX

SCRIPTURE FROM: Psalm 40:16
TRANSLATION: The Voice (VOICE)

BIBLE TEXT: 16 … may all who look for You
    discover true joy and happiness in You;
May those who cherish how You save them
    always say, “O Eternal One, You are great and are first in our hearts.”

APPLICATION: I will often become concerned when I see a relative or friend sitting with their hand under their chin deep in thought about something, because I’m afraid that they are letting the things of this world get to them. However, there are times that we all stop to ponder what we heard God say to us through the Holy Spirit. For the one who has not surrendered to the lordship of Jesus Christ, they may be confused, for they may not know what is going on. David recognized that in these circumstances, they are simply searching for the God of this universe. They have finally arrived at a state where they are convinced that there is a God who knows exactly what this world needs; the same God who is capable of answering our prayers; the One who loves His creation, in spite of their stubbornness and peculiar ways; and the One who has promised that for those who belong to Him, He has prepared the most magnificent home in heaven where they will spend eternity with He and the Father! I believe that David wished for a minute that he could be available to take the hand of each one of these who is searching for the Savior of the world, although realizing how impossible that would be, so instead he prayed to the One who could be there for everyone who is ready to surrender to Jesus. Wouldn’t this be an awesome prayer for us each day: ‘Oh Lord, for all my friends seeking You today, may they discover true joy and happiness in the only One who could fill them with ultimate peace’. In the remaining part of this very neat verse, David also asks the Father to please touch the hearts of His children who know Jesus, and prompt them to always recognize His greatness and to make God first in their hearts. Think about that friends. When we make God first in our hearts, then we say and do everything that will please Him. Our goals in life become centered around our Savior – Jesus Christ. So much so, that others will see and believe.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: For those who know Jesus, join me in celebrating how great You are, and let us always boast about the One who is first in our hearts!

PRAYER: Thank You Heavenly Father for working in the lives of Your children each and every day. May we all surrender to Your perfect will for us and to the work of the Holy Spirit who is actively working in us. For those who are seeking to know You intimately, please Lord, help them discover true joy and happiness in the only One who can love us perfectly and direct us to eternity in heaven with You. For those who have surrendered to Your lordship, may we always keep You first in our hearts, and liberally share that love that only You can give. 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!

Is God Testing You?

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

DATE WRITTEN: Tuesday, 2021-07-20
WRITTEN AT: Colorado City, TX

SCRIPTURE FROM: Deuteronomy 13:3-4
TRANSLATION: GOD’S WORD Translation (GW)

BIBLE TEXT: 3 The Lord your God is testing you to find out if you really love him with all your heart and with all your soul. 4 Worship the Lord your God, fear him, obey his commands, listen to what he says, serve him, and be loyal to him.

APPLICATION: In my younger days, I worked for a company that relocated me every few years to manage their business on various Bahamian islands. At each island, my wife and I had to face the challenge of ‘going with the flow’, or maintaining our faith, in spite of variances in culture that were quite different for us. In reading today’s Scripture, I now wonder if at those islands we were presented with challenges by God to see if we truly loved Him and were willing to serve Him, even under very diverse situations that we may had found ourselves in? But each of us find ourselves in situations almost daily that we never dreamed we would face. While chatting with friends, someone invariably will turn to bad-mouth a close neighborhood friend of yours. Do you stop them in their tracks, or could that have been a time where God was testing your loyalty to that neighborhood friend? Perhaps God wanted to see how much you would tolerate in hearing your friend belittled or destroyed verbally, before standing up for them? So what does this testing do to those of us involved? Surely it is a test of our loyalty and friendship. But what about the child of God that once heeded to His voice and surrendered their life to His Lordship? What happens when that person faces a challenge in life and is hurt by someone at church? How do you help that person overcome the fear of rejection, and bitterness against the whole Christian faith? Unfortunately this is so prevalent that I believe that each of us have at least one friend or family member who refuses to enter a church door again, because of past hurts. Don’t you know dear friends, that God saw this coming as His precious children entered a land where its people knew every god but the holy God of heaven? Don’t you know that it would have become the inhabitants’ main object to see what these newcomers were made of, and to convert them into thinking the way they did? God certainly saw this coming, so He had Moses sit down and prepare the Israelites for what’s ahead. Unfortunately not a whole lot has changed, for whenever Christians walk outside of their church doors, they are bombarded by a world filled with sin, false gods, hatred, enemies of God, people who have been hurt by someone called by the same name as us – Christian. How well prepared are you to face the opposition? Perhaps it’s your turn to be tested on your love for Jesus – the One who sacrificed His very life so that you might receive forgiveness of sin and face eternal life with He and the Father – God. I believe verse 4 details how we are to stay true to our Lord and Savior – Worship the Lord your God, fear him, obey his commands, listen to what he says, serve him, and be loyal to him. When we practice what God teaches us in His Word, I believe that it is then that friends and family will note the awesome love and power of God at work within us.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: Be the image of God to a lost and dying world. Be strong and depend on the Lord Jesus to live in us and work through us so that the lost might see Jesus – even here on earth.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, we have been placed on this earth as ‘light’ into a dark world of sin, hatred and unbelief. It is often challenging – much like the Israelites were about to face as they entered into the Promised Land, where the inhabitants served every other god except You. But Lord, You gave Moses encouraging words for the Israelites as well as our current generation – worship You, fear You, obey Your commands, listen to what You have to say to us, and to serve You in sincerity and loyalty. Please help us to stay on track with what You ordered through Your servant, so that we may never become distracted with the evil things of this world and its leader. You are our King oh Lord, may it be evident in everything we do to avoid the distractions that Satan sends our way. 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!

Obedience Even Under Dire Circumstances

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

DATE WRITTEN: Monday, 2021-07-19
WRITTEN AT: Van Horn, TX

SCRIPTURE FROM: Matthew 26:52-54
TRANSLATION: Contemporary English Version (CEV)

BIBLE TEXT: 52 But Jesus told him, “Put your sword away. Anyone who lives by fighting will die by fighting. 53 Don’t you know that I could ask my Father, and right away he would send me more than twelve armies of angels? 54 But then, how could the words of the Scriptures come true, which say that this must happen?”

APPLICATION: I wonder… how obedient we might be when we know that the result of our actions, or beliefs, may cause us imprisonment, beatings or even death? One of Jesus’ disciples, Peter, called ‘The Rock’ by Jesus, for his hard and fast stand on what he believed, yet he crumbled under pressure when identified in the kings’ court where Jesus was tried. No doubt Peter knew that he would have been killed or badly beaten if he went along with the identifiers, so instead he lied, and even disowned Jesus, in order to escape punishment for his association. How are you doing in your workplace with this, dear friend? Does your boss and coworkers know that you are a Christian? Or do you act differently at work than you do at church to avoid ridicule? What if your boss said that he would not tolerate Christians in his workplace, will you disassociate yourself with Jesus Christ in order to keep that job? Friends, notice that Jesus was emphatic about doing what God had already prophesied through the prophets. Can you imagine the confusion for saints who believed what the prophets foretold, yet to then hear Jesus pleading with the Father to undo what He had already prophesied? But our God is not a God of confusion. He also knew that this would be extremely tough for Jesus to endure, and any parent will immediately agree that it hurts us more than our children when we see them suffer. However friends, there are often times when we are faced with very big challenges, and like any normal human being, we gather all our friends around us to help us pray that God would find another way to handle our situation. As children of God, shouldn’t we be aiming to be just like Jesus? Should we not submit to God as Jesus did, and instead of calling down angels to defend us, heal us, or protect us, instead we simply say to God that we are prepared to accept whatever He would have for us? Your will be done oh God, on earth as it is in heaven. Just give me the strength to endure and the boldness to claim my God until my very last breath leaves my body. That’s a tall and very challenging order dear friends, but God’s will might be for us to enjoy blessing after blessing, while at times also facing challenges that may compare to that of Jesus. I don’t believe that obedience to God comes with multiple choices on what He is allowed to do in our lives. Just as we said in our marriage vows, we should also say to God – for better or for worse, in sickness or in health….. He has promised never to leave us alone my friend and that He would be with us until the very end. So why worry?

BLESSING(S) NOTED: God has a purpose for each of us, so may we all say: ‘Not my will, but Thine be done, precious Lord’.

PRAYER: In the good times when all is going well, it is easy and very desirable for us to thank You Lord for Your goodness, mercy and love towards us. Today we are reminded that if we have given You full control of our lives, then we may often glory in the cross of Jesus Christ, while at other times we may bear that cross that suspended You at Calvary. Please give us endurance to be committed fully to You right to the very end – in the good times and in the very challenging times. Knowing that You are by our side and guiding our every step will be glory for us. May we never turn back or disown You for as long as You give us breath here on earth. 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!

Diligently Search and You’ll Find HIM

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

DATE WRITTEN: Sunday, 2021-07-18
WRITTEN AT: Van Horn, TX

SCRIPTURE FROM: Deuteronomy 4:29-31
TRANSLATION: The Voice (VOICE)

BIBLE TEXT: 29 But when you’re there, you’ll look for the Eternal your God. If every part of you is invested in the search, heart and soul, then you’ll find Him. 30 When you’re in trouble in those days yet to come because of all these things, you’ll come back to the Eternal your God, and you’ll listen to His voice. 31 He is a compassionate God. He won’t abandon you or destroy you or forget the covenant He made with your ancestors—He swore to them that He’d keep it!

APPLICATION: As a young man who was given the responsibility to take my younger brother out for a walk, I somehow became detached from him and I couldn’t find him. I remember searching every possible place where I thought he would hide, or simple seek out through his curious spirit. There was a fire in my aunt’s backyard, and I remember spending time there praying, because I was sure he must have walked into the fire!! Wow, what if we were desperate enough about finding Jesus? Do you suppose anyone would go to the extent that I did in the search for my brother? Friends, some of you may feel like that’s a far out example, but let me share another story with you. I visited a distant country, and I won’t mention which one, but many of the churches had either closed their doors or they were meeting occasionally with just the few people that may show up. The people had abandoned God to serve other gods – alcohol, sports, hiking, the great outdoors, etc, and because these things brought such joy to them, they saw no need for God or His church. I felt like I was in a land similar to where Moses felt his people would wind up. But friends, you or your relatives may be in a similar situation even in your own country – one that others refer to as a Christian nation. How is that? Unless we turn a blind eye to what is around us folks, we have relatives and friends that don’t have time for God or his church, because of the things they involve themselves in, and many of these things are right in our own neighborhoods. Unless we pray, pray, pray for these loved ones, we could only hope that something will awaken their senses and help them to remember the God who rescued their mom from death due to cancer, or their brother who was saved from a fiery crash because of the prayers of a faithful dad. Friends, I believe that when one is deep into the hold of Satan, much like the Prodigal son was, God will still knock on their heart’s door just loud enough to get their attention. Sometimes, God will place enough evidence in their minds that they will be reminded of the God who loves, cares, heals and saves His children from the pit of Hell into the Kingdom of Heaven. If any reader or listener is in a place where they feel like there is no hope, or that no one loves them, may I suggest that you diligently reach out to Jesus. The Bible says, with everything you have – your heart, soul and mind. Notice the last words of our Scripture today: we are being reminded that God will not break His promise to our ancestors, and that He will hear our cry and save us from our sin and deception. For the one who has a relative in a bad place and you are concerned that they are destined for Hell, let me suggest that you pray diligently for them – in fact, pray with all your heart, soul and mind that God will trigger a thought in their mind, or open their eyes to the love of an all loving God, so that they might seek Him with every bit of diligence possible. If they diligently search for Jesus, they will find Him!

BLESSING(S) NOTED: Jesus never leaves or forsakes us, He is always near when we call on Him. Now if we could only get over ourselves and call on Him!

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, thank You for the sacrifice You made so that we might have life more abundantly and everlasting in a much better place. Please forgive my readers and I when we are sometimes pulled into the world’s way, and especially for those who struggle to return to ‘the only way’ to heaven. Lord, we each have loved ones and friends who are really struggling, or simply refuse, to see the Light – Your truth, Your light and Your everlasting hope. Please direct them to some source that will help them through their abstinence and stubbornness so that their eyes, their heart and their mind will be redirected to the Savior who loves, adores and is waiting to receive them. Lord, we all need You. Please give us strength to overcome when we fall into Satan’s path, for it’s You that we desire, and strive to live for while here on earth. Be glorified through us oh 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!