Don’t Worry, Trust God

On 2020-08-14 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, Trust, Worry, Worry no more, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Friday, 2020-08-14
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

BIBLE REFERENCE: Jeremiah 17:7-8
TRANSLATION: Easy-to-Read Version (ERV)

BIBLE TEXT: ⁷“But those who trust in the Lord will be blessed.
    They know that the Lord will do what he says.
⁸They will be strong like trees planted near a stream
    that send out roots to the water.
They have nothing to fear when the days get hot.
    Their leaves are always green.
They never worry, even in a year that has no rain.
    They always produce fruit.

OBSERVATION: Upon being reminded and reassured by Scripture that those who trust in Jesus, know that He can and will do what He has promised, I believe we should perhaps ponder ‘then why do Christians worry?’. Let’s examine the awesome power of our God and then the condition of our own heart to see where the gap is that causes us not to trust Him in every circumstance of life.

APPLICATION: The story is told of a daring acrobat that walked across a tight cable that stretched across the Niagara Falls. After successfully walking across, he overheard some of his audience speaking of his abilities, especially after he announced that he would be pushing a wheelbarrow across next. This encouraged him to ask one of those bragging from the audience to voluntarily jump into the wheelbarrow that he would push across. But this was met with rejection as they became very frightened to put their life on the line. Is this what happens to Christians who brag on the power of God, and they boast on their faith in this awesome God, but are unwilling to trust wholeheartedly in God at critical times in their life? Friends, if we truly believe and trust in God, then I believe that we should trust in Him to: 1). Save us from our sin; 2). Deliver us from the evils of this world; 3). Protect us from harm by the evil one; 4). Guide us into all truth, according to His Word, every day; 5) Keep us strong, even when the world seems to be crashing in around us; 6) Calm our every fear to know that the King of all kings and Lord of all lords is in charge of every little, and big, thing around us; and 7) Give us a confident assurance that He is with us and guiding us through every situation, every day. Friends, I know this sounds like a long list, but I also know that it is not exhaustive. The bottom line is that we have every reason to trust God with every aspect of our lives, and to rest assured that He will be our ‘comfort and stay’ through this life and the next! Make a comparison to the trees mentioned in our Scripture today. You will be assured that when you plant your faith and trust deeply in the God that you adore, your strength will come from Him when life seems to be throwing more at you than you feel you could handle. Your peace will come from Him as you reassure yourself that no matter what the world around you is dealing with, you have a God who created the whole world and everything in it, so you know without a doubt that He could calm the stormy seas and the rioting and the hatred that seems rampant in our world. Your strength and reassurance will come from the Source to your roots, so there is no need to worry about who will be president of the U.S. after November, and who will be impacted by this pandemic, for you know who holds tomorrow and you know who holds your hand. Friends, we serve an awesome, all-powerful God. Just as Jeremiah demonstrated with the tree roots, we have no need to worry, for we shall reign victoriously here in earth, or better still, in heaven with Jesus as we bow and worship Him throughout eternity. For the unbeliever who will come across this devotional and may not feel adequate peace, like I’ve just described, please know that you too could have that same assurance. Surrender your life thru the forgiveness of sin offered by my Lord Jesus. The angels in heaven rejoice in heaven when a sinner is saved, and so will I. For help on this big decision, please read through my Footnote, and especially read the Scripture behind the link ‘To Know Jesus’. Feel free to contact me if I could be of help to you. God loves you my friend, and so do I!

PRAYER: Oh Lord, these are days that we need You more than ever before. A worldwide pandemic for which there has been no manmade cure yet, but oh how we rejoice that Christians worship and adore a God who can do all things, including healing of the afflicted. A critical election of world leaders awaits, such as the president of the United States. But in Your wisdom, You have assured Your children that only leaders approved by You who will lead so that Your will is accomplished, only those will be elected. So we have no reason to worry, and no reason to be caught up in the ugliness of politics, You are in control! Thank You for the reassurance You gave to Jeremiah to share with us – we need not worry, for You will accomplish Your will, for Your purpose, and to invoke praise and glory from Your people. We therefore rest in that assurance and thank You in advance for all that You will do in living up to Your Word! AMEN!

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

To Be Called By HIS Name

On 2020-08-13 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Thursday, 2020-08-13
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

BIBLE REFERENCE: Jeremiah 14:7, 9b
TRANSLATION: Easy-to-Read Version (ERV)

BIBLE TEXT: ⁷“We know that this is our fault.
    We are now suffering because of our sins.
    Lord, do something to help us for the good of your name.
We admit that we have left you many times.
    We have sinned against you.
⁹….. Lord, you are with us.
    We are called by your name, so don’t leave us without help!”

OBSERVATION: I wonder, would it make a difference in our behavior if we were called something like Christian Ed, or Christ Child Ed, rather than hiding behind a simple ‘worldly’ name like Ed? Would such a change cause us to reflect more often on whose we are, and make us more determined to accurately reflect the One in whom we have placed our faith and trust? Jeremiah felt like his people had failed at this, and therefore prayed that God would heal his land for His own name sake, even though His people were so unworthy. Are we in similar form yet again today? How would you refer to ‘your land’ before a holy and righteous God?

APPLICATION: Given the fact that in our current times we have benefited from the Bible, and all the direction given in it through God’s commands and His Son’s example while here on earth, wouldn’t one tend to think that we would do a superior job at representing Jesus Christ than any of our ancestors managed to do? Does it frustrate you when you see Christians acting and speaking contrary to the Word of God? What if you, like Jeremiah, had been crying and praying for your family; your church; and your friends to simply live out what they were taught through the Bible and through sermons at church? Would you become extremely frustrated and reach a stage where you are about to throw in the towel when you witness their total disregard? Jeremiah was really burdened for his people who was delivered safely into the Promised Land by God, yet they continued their worship of false gods and ignored the God who rescued them from Egypt, delivered them through the Wilderness into a beautiful land filled with milk and honey. He mourned over their condition, because instead of endless worship to the God who saves, they ran from Him and instead chose to build and worship idols. Jeremiah was so troubled that he often cried over the situation. Oh that we would be burdened for our lost world as Jeremiah was. But I believe that while we may be heavily burdened over the concern for our world, and our people, our souls are refreshed when we read the words of Jeremiah in verse 9, where he reminds God that while he and his people had messed up, yet he pleaded for God to intervene for a people who were called by His name. In our current environment, whenever we hear of a preacher, pastor, priest, elder, deacon or any church official, falling into condemnation because of sin, it not only looks bad on them and their associated church, but many lose hope in the God with whom these leaders claimed that they served. Jeremiah pleaded for God to intervene for a people who were called by His name, so that His name may remain reputable and known as Truth, Hope and Love to a lost world. You see, whether we succeed in our reputation to represent God, or whether we fail miserably, God is still above all, and He never fails. That’s why it is so important that we lift up the name of Jesus in all aspects of our ministry, and allow self to diminish behind the scenes. For although we may fail at one time or another, we. Can rest assured that our God never fails to do all that He has promised. Precious ones, live to look like, and sound like, the One that you represent. Allow the world to see how great God is, not how badly you tend to fail in meeting their expectations.

PRAYER: Oh Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder, consider all Your hands have made and all that You stand for, who am I that I should even be called by Your name? It’s all about You God, so please humble me to simply teach Your Word and live a life that exemplifies You in every way. The world needs You, and they need to see You active in the lives of those who represent You. I pray that my readers and I will never be a stumbling block in the path of one looking for the Savior. I pray instead that we may be awesome examples of You to a lost world, so that they may witness the God we love, in action in every aspect of Our lives. Be glorified today among Your people oh God, and even through those who represent You, for this is my humble plea, in the name of Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior. AMEN!

Seek God’s Wisdom to Live Like He Desires

On 2020-08-12 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, Wisdom, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Wednesday, 2020-08-12
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

BIBLE REFERENCE: Colossians 4:5-6
TRANSLATION: The Passion Translation (TPT)

BIBLE TEXT: ⁵Walk in the wisdom of God as you live before the unbelievers,^[b] and make it your duty^[c] to make him known. ⁶Let every word you speak be drenched with grace^[d] and tempered with truth and clarity.^[e] For then you will be prepared to give a respectful answer to anyone who asks about your faith.

OBSERVATION: Often we tend to look with regret at something we said or did, but wouldn’t it be awesome to recognize the error of our ways before it comes out of our mouth? Unfortunately we tend to speak, or act, based on the content of our heart. But as we meditate today, let us pay careful attention to the Word of God on how we should walk and talk in order to reflect Christ.

APPLICATION: Don’t you tire of hearing some people apologize over and over, often for the same mistakes, hurts and cruel words that caused a rift between you in a previous encounter? Ever stopped to think about what causes such careless and hurtful things coming from the same mouth that is ready to sing God’s praises on Sunday morning? Friends, let me start by saying that I sincerely believe that we speak and act from the bounty of what our heart is filled with. If we fill our hearts with the Word of God, and we allow it to penetrate our hearts so that our hearts will be impacted by God Himself, then I believe that our lips will be filled with the grace, mercy, love, forgiveness and wisdom of the One in whom we believe, and aspire to imitate in our lives. I know, you go to church at least once per week, so having completed your religious obligation, you should be in good shape, right? Well, since a lot of people will tend to think that way, let me present you with a comparison so you could honestly answer that question for yourself: God has blessed us with 168 hours each week. Allowing for an average of 8 hours per night sleep, you are left with 112 hours. If you minus off the 1-2 hours you spend at church, that leaves you with 110 hours each week that you fill your hearts and minds with TV; Family time; Work time; Meal times; etc. When you react to a tense situation, or someone cursing at you, is it any wonder why you will respond based on something you gained during the 110 hours? If your marriage were to survive from a 1-hour per week encounter, will you have enough going your way to avoid divorce? I don’t believe these examples are any different for us than Paul knew of in his church back at Colossae, and that led him to seek God’s heart for these words. Our lesson for today is that we diligently seek God’s face, and ask for wisdom to live each day totally in line with His example, His teachings, His commands and His will. As we do this, it seems obvious that we will talk about the One with whom we are meditating on each day. In fact, I believe we will be so overfilled with God’s presence, and that His Holy Spirit would be granted such authority in our lives, that we will want the world to know about our Savior! Oh that our words will be drenched with grace – God’s wonderful grace; and may each word be tempered with God’s truth and clarity. Perhaps then, others will want to hear of the answers we might give to their many questions about our God! For the reader who will question what this is all about, and the importance of what Paul taught in our verses today, please allow me to guide you towards the One who died so that you might live eternally in heaven. Knowing Christ will cause you to draw closer to Him so that you would reflect Him in every aspect of life!

PRAYER: Thank You for Your Word Lord, and thank You for Your servant who shared His heart even from behind the bars of jail. I pray that each believer who reads this blog today will gain the same desire as Paul, to desire a church and friends that should be attracted to You enough to live like You and then to share that with everyone they come into contact with, especially unbelievers who are searching for truth, and for ’real’ Christians who live like their Master. As Your children, Lord may we always seek to look like You in every aspect of our lives, so that others will desire to know You, and that You will be glorified here on earth. AMEN!

Enough Is Enough

On 2020-08-11 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, Sincere, Sincerity, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Monday, 2020-08-10
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

BIBLE REFERENCE: Jeremiah 11:14-15
TRANSLATION: Living Bible (TLB)

BIBLE TEXT: ¹⁴Therefore, Jeremiah, pray no longer for this people, neither weep nor plead for them; for I will not listen to them when they are finally desperate enough to beg me for help. ¹⁵What right do my beloved people have to come anymore to my Temple? For you have been unfaithful and worshiped other gods. Can promises and sacrifices now avert your doom and give you life and joy again?

OBSERVATION: In my early years of life, I remember when my mom got tired of all the whining, she would say to us kids ‘Enough is enough, and too much is good for nothing at all’! That phrase may not make it into the smartest English professors’ new book, but I though of it this morning as I meditated on our focal verses from Jeremiah! I see a lot of parallels in what God shared with Jeremiah, compared with what all is going on around us today and I wonder how much more God will take before taking similar action to what He did with the Israelites. Meditate with me as we look deeper into this.

APPLICATION: It is unfortunate, but there is an old saying that reminds us that many people don’t look up to God until they are flat on their backs in a serious form of illness and have no other choice but to look up. You may have the same sort of friends that I have, and also like the ones that surrounded Jeremiah in his time. You know, the ones that want absolutely nothing to do with God, or His people, until there is a need in their lives. But let’s put aside our personal feelings about these friends, who still ask us to pray for them in their time of trouble. Let’s think about how God must have felt about the Israelites and how He must feel in our situations today. You see, the God who created us, saw how badly mankind was wandering away from His commands and His commandments, so He miraculously brought His Son into the world to provide a means for us to seek forgiveness of our sin; to cleanse us of our unrighteousness; and to help us see the portals of Heaven. Don’t you see that the thing that God wants most, is that His children would set aside the desires of this world and seek a close relationship with our Master more than anything else in this world? Unfortunately, we are very much like the people of Jeremiah’s day, for we ignore the wonderful grace of Jesus, and the love of our Savior who sacrificed His life for us. However, when troubles come, or unbearable pain, loss, or desperation of life is imposed, the vilest offender – the one who absolutely refused to recognize God in all aspects of life, they suddenly crave to communicate with Him and seek His help. This is why we hear so much about death-bed confessions. While God hears the prayers of forgiveness, and requests for salvation from a sinner, I believe that very much like in the case of the Israelites, He is opposed to the wheeling and dealing we may try to do when we look Him up on an as-needed basis. Because we then tend to continue our life of sin and separation. It is obvious that God was totally opposed to this with the Israelites, and I have no reason to doubt that He is just as upset with sinners today who feel like they could manipulate God. You see, God sent His Son to be our everlasting Savior throughout all of eternity. I believe God expects nothing less from us when we say with our lips that we confess our sins to Him, yet we go on living like the world. He wants us to live up to our commitment throughout eternity. Please let it really sink in: (1) He told Jeremiah not to pray for the wicked people of his time – and this is something that no person alive would want to hear, no matter what they believe, or don’t, for we all want others to pray with us about our troubles and our pain; and (2) In verse 23 of this same chapter God declared that those same wicked people would be destroyed. We have always been taught and encouraged that as long as there is life, there is hope. So we absolutely can’t imagine that while we feel like we could ask God’s people to pray for us, God might be declaring our demise – because of our stubbornness, unbelief, selfishness and determination to live life under our own terms. Friends, we serve a very strong and loving God who is full of grace and mercy, but He is also a JUST God and will do what He says. I believe His desire is that you would accept Him and know Him intimately for as long as He allows you time here on earth. Rejecting Him will lead to destruction, for He will eventually declare that ‘Enough is Enough’. May you make a well informed, choice today, that is pleasing to our God and that will last throughout eternity, for this is my sincere prayer for you.

PRAYER: Dear Jesus, it is challenging for us to comprehend the love that You showed on Calvary for us, because here on earth we tend to be so selfish and we desire only things that will benefit us or our loved ones. But Lord, I pray today that You would use Your Word to speak truth into the lives of my friends and I that will impact us for eternity. Please help us to draw so close to You that Your love will flow through us, especially to those who have yet to recognize You as King. May this be a day that many will come to know You personally, and without any side distractions or urgencies that may hinder them from looking for a ‘higher being’ – a God who loves them sincerely. You are God, and besides You there is no other. Oh that we may have a personal, real and intimate relationship with You here on earth so that You may accomplish Your work even through us. Lord, we want to see You! Please bless us and use us for Your glory, while we wait for Your call to join You in Heaven! AMEN!

From Spiritual Death To The Glories of Heaven

On 2020-08-08 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Grace, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, Redemption, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Friday, 2020-08-07
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

BIBLE REFERENCE: Colossians 2:13-15
TRANSLATION: Easy-to-Read Version (ERV)

BIBLE TEXT: ¹³You were spiritually dead because of your sins and because you were not free from the power of your sinful self. But God gave you new life together with Christ. He forgave all our sins. ¹⁴Because we broke God’s laws, we owed a debt—a debt that listed all the rules we failed to follow. But God forgave us of that debt. He took it away and nailed it to the cross. ¹⁵He defeated the rulers and powers of the spiritual world. With the cross he won the victory over them and led them away, as defeated and powerless prisoners for the whole world to see.

OBSERVATION: What an awesome reminder from Paul, as his words are just as applicable to us today, as they were to the church at Laodicea that he was addressing in our Scripture today. Those who are in Christ, are uniquely blessed, and as we reflect on where we came from, and where our holy and righteous God brought us to, it is way more than we could fathom. While we have nothing to boast about, we have lots to celebrate and praise God for!

APPLICATION: Generally there will come a time where we might reflect on our lives, throw our hands up and just surrender to the idea of finding a solution to fix the dilemma in which we find ourselves. It might be a time that we reflect on our spouse, our children or even our friends, when we surrender to the thought of trying to resolve their issues for them. Sounds silly, right? But isn’t that what many of us wind up doing? Without ever stopping to acknowledge that we personally have a lot of unresolved issues, we decide it’s time to fix all that’s occurring in the lives of those close to us. In our Scripture today, Paul is reminding us that there was once a time in our lives where God heard our cry to Him about the awful pain of sin that burdened us to the point of surrender. At that point God helped us to see that we had been living contrary to His will and His commands, and He called us unto Himself. But still it is very painful to read verse 14, because we are reminded of how awful we were to ignore the will of the Father, and do our own thing instead. Following our own selfish way right in the face of a holy and righteous God so filled with love for us. As a man/woman without Christ, isn’t it obvious dear friend, how toxic our help or advice must have been to others, when we ourselves were in such dire straights with the God of this universe? Why share our misery with someone already overwhelmed with life and the pain of failure? But the bright side of this whole Scripture is that God saw us right where we were at, He called us unto Himself, pointed out our sin to us, and showed us the solution to our problem. Praise God that He loved us that much! He brought us from the path we were heading to eternal damnation (Hell), showed us the path to righteousness and how we could seek redemption for our sin, and He made it clear to us the glories of heaven with the one true God! This whole story reminds us of the total redemption in Jesus Christ, and that our Savior is still available to help those that we love and care about. Yes, we could help, but know that only Jesus could save them. Our responsibility is to openly share the same love of Jesus, that He showed to us. Our friends will clearly see that if God was loving enough, caring enough, and powerful enough to save us, surely He could do the same for them. Just as one beggar will show another beggar where to find food, we too must be willing to show others where to find the ‘gold mind’ that we found – Jesus our Lord!

PRAYER: Just as we would gladly share with a friend how to promote themselves from rags to riches, Lord I pray that we would be elated, and looking for every opportunity, to share the wondrous story of grace extended to sinners just like my readers and I. Oh so unworthy, yet we are a child of the King! Thank You precious Lord that You saw our need and our desperation, and You called us to Yourself. Just as You helped even us in our former state, I pray that You will use us to encourage others to seek You out and accept Your grace as well. Lord, may this be a day that thousands will see the need for salvation, and make the most important decision of their lives. Lord, we long to be at Your feet singing praises to our King

What God Wants

On 2020-08-06 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Love, Love God, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Thursday, 2020-08-06
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

BIBLE REFERENCE: Jeremiah 7:21-23
TRANSLATION: Living Bible (TLB)

BIBLE TEXT: ²¹The Lord, the God of Israel says: Away with your offerings and sacrifices! ²²It wasn’t offerings and sacrifices I wanted from your fathers when I led them out of Egypt. That was not the point of my command. ²³But what I told them was: Obey me, and I will be your God and you shall be my people; only do as I say, and all shall be well!

OBSERVATION: If we reflect on why we perform some of the rituals that we do in our churches, we may need to look no further than back to what our ancestors did. But along the way, we should be careful to reflect on whether God was pleased with what His people did in an effort to please Him. Our Scripture today shows us how displeased God was with the Israelites because they chose to ignore His commands and do their own thing. Do you feel like you are doing any better than that today?

APPLICATION: I bet that one of the worse pet peeves of parenting is, hearing our children respond to us ‘but I thought…..’. You told them to complete a certain chore, and you wanted it done a certain way. However, it was not completed to your satisfaction. Regrettably the child will respond ‘but dad, I thought ……’ And we know that means that they thought they knew a better way! For those who have been a student of the Bible for very long, you have probably found, like I have, that God has done an awesome job at providing instruction for every area of life in His precious Word. However, way too many times we try all of our own ideas before finally conceding to the Bible to see what it has to say. Generally it’s after we have messed up, that we concede and turn to God for help! Friends, our personal ways are filled with selfish ideas about what might please self. But notice how simple God’s commands to the Israelites were: ‘Obey me, and I will be your God, and you will be my people’. Very simple, but recognize the value in this short command. God performed miracle after miracle to change the mindset of Pharaoh, to willingly let God’s people go. The Israelites were present and impacted by all that our God miraculously did, so they had proof of His awesome power. They knew that He was in control of this earth and that nothing is impossible with Him. However, as they journeyed, and when things got tough, they immediately resorted to their old habits and to their former gods. Are we any different today? I believe that God not only said these words through His servant Jeremiah for the good of the Israelites, but I believe that He truly wants us to understand this today, that all He wants from us, is that we obey Him. In fact, this is confirmed in John 14:15-16 where Jesus reiterates that if we love Him, we will obey Him and His commands. Friends, when we truly love someone, we will make every effort to do what they want. God showed us how much He loves us. How far are we willing to go to prove our love for God?

PRAYER: Dear Lord, You gave Your very own Son so that we might be saved and enjoy eternity with You in Heaven. There is no greater love! As we look for ways to say thank You Jesus, we realize that You have already told us how we might show our love for You – simply obey You and the commands You have set out in Your Word. Because of Your love for us, I am convinced that every command given for us to follow were given in love, and for our own good. But Lord, we are so stubborn and selfish, so please tender our hearts once again today so that we may willingly obey and desire to please You in all that we do or say. Please fill us with so much of Your love, that it will overflow in everything we do and it will stand behind every decision we make, so that You will be glorified. Thank You Jesus for first loving us. May our obedience to Your commands show the extent of our love for You, today and every day. AMEN!

How To Endure Hardship

On 2020-08-05 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, God Cares For Us, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Wednesday, 2020-08-05
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

BIBLE REFERENCE: Colossians 1:9-11
TRANSLATION: The Voice (VOICE)

BIBLE TEXT: ⁹Since the day we got this good news about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We ask:
Father, may they clearly know Your will and achieve the height and depth of spiritual wisdom and understanding. ¹⁰May their lives be a credit to You, Lord; and what’s more, may they continue to delight You by doing every good work and growing in the true knowledge that comes from being close to You. ¹¹Strengthen them with Your infinite power, according to Your glorious might, so that they will have everything they need to hold on and endure hardship patiently and joyfully.

OBSERVATION: What do we do at times like we are currently going through where many people that we know might be hurt, or impacted by the effects of COVID 19 – a worldwide pandemic? We tend to try and escape hurting people, but what if we were to pray for one another like Paul and Timothy prayed for the church at Colassae? They specifically prayed that the church might endure hardship patiently and joyfully. Let’s look for some tips from a key spiritual leader in the New Testament, and see if we could help those in need in our church and community.

APPLICATION: My wife had surgery on her knee that forced her into a wheelchair, especially while trying to take care of the family grocery shopping in a major retail store. She was amazed how Friends and acquaintances tried to avoid coming into contact with her. I know, they probably didn’t know how to ask her what was wrong, but don’t you think that we tend to be the same way when we know a needy person is ahead also? It sounds cruel and extremely mean to say that out loud, but I wonder how many are guilty of that. Paul probably knew this might happen to those friends at Colassae as well, but he was overwhelmed over the good news reported by his fellow evangelist, that these folk were loving on others without hesitation and more than anyone could expect from a group suffering hardship. So let’s see how Paul teaches us to help with this, for he prayed that God might:
1. Clearly know the will of the Father – don’t you know that it would be a lot easier to accept your circumstances, if you knew the will of the Father who is watching over you? Wouldn’t that ease a lot of the stress?
2. Learn from their experience – in fact, may they get a clearer understanding of what the Father is achieving through their circumstance. May they have eyes opened to see at the greatest heights and with the deepest wisdom and understanding. Often we are so fixed on our own selfish desires that we struggle to see what is happening in the lives of others;
3. May their lives be a credit to You, Lord – Oh that we might catch a glimpse of how God feels about our efforts to minister here on earth! If only we knew that our lives and efforts are valuable to the Master! Wouldn’t it be a joy to know that someone was praying for you in this respect?
4. May they continue to delight You, God – by doing every good work, and as they learn more about You. May this all serve to draw them closer to You, Father.
Friends, I believe it is obvious that if we follow Paul, in praying like he did, for our brothers and sisters who are enduring hardships, we will actually bring joy to our prayer-life, and reassurance in our faith, as we see God doing His work in their lives. Our friends will be drawn to Christ as they see Him moving in their lives, for way too often we all tend to feel like our lives are a mess, or we are going through hardships, because no one cares. So let me recommend that you pray one for another during these stressful times. Our God never changes, even though we may go through awful times of change.

PRAYER: Precious Lord, thank You for caring for Your children. Surely there are many times that we don’t deserve Your love, for we mess up way too often, but we are children of the King in need of a gentle redirection and meticulous guiding in this challenging life. Please teach us to look at the needs and struggles of others, especially those that may sit next to us in church, or work alongside us every day, or family members, or even close fiends. Please soften our hearts to be like Yours, oh God. The world needs more of You, not the selfish, critical spirit that we may tend to display. We need You precious Lord! Please be our Guide, our Deliverer and our Strength in ever walk of life, especially before our friends who are enduring hardships during this critical time of life here on earth. AMEN!

I Can Do All Things – With The Help of Christ

On 2020-08-04 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Tuesday, 2020-08-04
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

BIBLE REFERENCE: Philippians 4:11-13
TRANSLATION: Living Bible (TLB)

BIBLE TEXT: ¹¹…. I have learned how to get along happily whether I have much or little. ¹²I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of contentment in every situation, whether it be a full stomach or hunger, plenty or want; ¹³for I can do everything God asks me to with the help of Christ who gives me the strength and power.

OBSERVATION: It may be unfair to meditate on this Scripture today if you have never been in want. Knowing that this blog is read around the world, there may be a reader who will meditate on this without ever having everything they needed in every circumstance of life, and this may be challenging for you also. It is strange that God placed this before me this morning, because for the first time in many of our lives we have seen unemployment affect us, and in some cases, some readers may have been in need for the very first time in their lives. Let’s stay focused on our awesome God as we study this passage today, God being our helper.

APPLICATION: I was honored to serve citizens of another country some years ago as part of a missions team from my church. In preparation for serving in another culture, where there were known drastic socioeconomic differences, it was important that we showed the love of Jesus Christ in every aspect of our lives, for we wanted them to know and love our Jesus, more than any other reason we could think of. We didn’t want them to reject us because we couldn’t, or wouldn’t, try to identify and accept their economic status, that caused them to live differently than we do, and eat differently as well. We wanted so badly to meld into their lives, as if we were together around the foot of the cross. A previous team member came and coached us in the months preceding our trip. She told us not to act as if we were rich, or they were poor, for although they may be poorer than anyone on our team, they didn’t know that. I believe that advice stuck with me the whole trip, for I saw kids playing kickball with emptier water bottles, instead of a fancy ball that our parents bought for us. But they were having more fun than we could imagine! In the playground of the orphanage Where we stayed, we saw older kids caring for younger kids and helping them achieve what they wanted. There were no arguments because one kid had on very expensive tennis shoes while the other was barefoot. They accepted each other for who they were. They took pride in caring for their dorm rooms and their bunk beds were clean and fresh. I realized then that if only I could stop spending on credit and accept what I already have, and if I would only share with my neighbor so that we both would have similar clothes, shoes and toys or as in the case of adults – tools, then perhaps we would stop looking down on each other and instead accept them as any other child of the most high God! You see, its challenging to identify with the Scriptures where Jesus said ‘Suffer the little children to come to me’, and know that He really meant ‘just as you are’, and not that He wanted one to amassing more toys, better clothes or more steaks in the freezer In order to be more acceptable to Christ! Friends, many have gone through joblessness this year and this has impacted their food pantry, their car payments and their rent or mortgage payments. However, I am convinced that our supreme God still looks in at the heart of mankind and sometimes sees a child of the King waiting for His return, but there are others who still has a heart where they have chosen to ignore God, and therefore curse Him instead because of the unfortunate circumstances they have found themselves in. Paul shared with us that he has learned to be content in everything that God has asked him to do, through Christ – the same Jesus who, although royalty in every sense of the word, yet He was beaten and crucified just to enable the forgiveness of sin, so that we may approach the Father washed in the blood of the Lamb. Let’s try to not get too caught up in the things we want and the places we want to go. Let’s instead take every opportunity we have to seek the face of Jesus and worship Him in everything, and in all circumstances. He’s the One who died for us, and He’s the One standing with outstretched hands ready to accept us into heaven to be with He and His Father.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, I believe that You will provide all that we need so that we could accomplish all that You have planned for us here on this old earth. Oh that we might say like the apostle Paul, ‘through the power, strength and ability of our awesome Lord and Savior, we could accomplish everything that God has prepared for us to do here on earth’. Lord, it seems more and more evident that Your return will be soon, for our world leaders are about to surrender in their own strength, for they know not what to do next. Thank You for caring for us and loving us so unconditionally. We need You every hour, stay close to our side and guide us through the remainder of our time here on earth. Oh that You might be glorified in everything that we have been a part of. May others be impacted and make decisions to also join hands with You, our soon coming King. AMEN!

The Peace of God

On 2020-08-03 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Needs, Peace, Praise, Recognize God, Trust, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Monday, 2020-08-03
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

BIBLE REFERENCE: Philippians 4:4-7
TRANSLATION: The Voice (VOICE)

BIBLE TEXT: ⁴Most of all, friends, always rejoice in the Lord! I never tire of saying it: Rejoice! ⁵Keep your gentle nature so that all people will know what it looks like to walk in His footsteps. The Lord is ever present with us. ⁶Don’t be anxious about things; instead, pray. Pray about everything. He longs to hear your requests, so talk to God about your needs and be thankful for what has come. ⁷And know that the peace of God (a peace that is beyond any and all of our human understanding) will stand watch over your hearts and minds in Jesus, the Anointed One.

OBSERVATION: When flying in an airplane, I am at peace when I see the pilot and flight attendants at peace. No matter how rough the water might become when traveling on a boat, there is hardly a need to panic if the captain is calm, cool and collective. When you tell friends not to worry, because you are praying for them, you might lose their confidence in the One in whom you are praying, if you lose total control at every little announcement by your doctor or nurse. I believe that there are good reminders in our Scripture today that reminds us that our Lord is always with us, so we have no reason for alarm. His peace is there for us, and in us!

APPLICATION: As I read today’s Scripture I was reminded of all the stress that people are going through these days, and perhaps you are as well. It could be financial stress, since most employers had to close their doors during the height of COVED 19; you may also be stressed over loved ones that may have encountered this dreaded virus; or you may be living in fear of a hurricane or weather condition threatening to impact your area. Whatever it is, I believe that you may be desperately hoping for peace in some form, to help calm your nerves, and be of help to others who are live in fear. If you are anything like me, you probably have times where you want the television off, as the added stress from all that is being reported in the news, feels like it could easily take us over the edge! But Paul was not talking about stress to his parishioners. He was teaching them to be gentle with everyone, and I don’t believe for a minute that Paul meant that we should allow others to run over us if they have no one else to take advantage of them. Instead, I believe that love causes us to act with others just as we would with mom, dad, siblings or a spouse. We give in for, and overlook, their weaknesses, instead of taking offense and lashing out at them. Because we have the love of Jesus living inside of us, His Holy Spirit strengthens us and gives us grace to love others in spite of their selfish attitudes and ungodly attacks on others for no reason. This means that we are willing, and will try in every way, to love others because Jesus loved us even when we were unlovable and deep in sin. Further, Paul asked that we seek God’s face in prayer when we struggle with something or someone. Remember, He’s our Rock and our Provider. He knows all things and loves everyone, so if we are struggling with any of this, we should look to the One who controls it all. I believe that our greatest takeaway today is that the ‘peace of God’ is with us, but because this comes at the end of Paul’s instructions, I believe it means that we could calm our fears and know that God’s peace is with us as we depend on Him and allow Him to be the God over all our anxieties and stress. Friends, for as long as we try to ‘hold the wheel’ and take control over our problems, God will probably allow us to mess up. Won’t you join me today in committing ourselves fully to God, our awesome, all-powerful God, so that He could ‘have the wheel’ and lead us gently on through this challenging life? You see, I believe that as long as we keep trying to take over, we are showing that we do not trust God and we feel like we could do it better. If we say that we trust in God and depend on Him, yet we do not show that the power of God controls us and gives us confidence to trust in Him, then others will soon conclude that they want something a whole lot more stable and/or confident. Friends, I need peace and I believe that you need peace amongst our storms of life. And unless we trust fully in the God of peace, this world will eventually suck us into it’s awful grip. As children of God, we must seek His face to help us overcome!

PRAYER: As I pray dear Lord, I am humming that song ‘The Lord bless you and keep you, make His face shine upon you and give you grace. Amen, Amen, Amen’. Lord, I know You are very capable, please work on my friends and I to surrender our stubborn lives over to You and allow Your peace to envelope us. Not only do we owe this to You Lord, but also to our family and friends who needs this from us also. If we are filled with You and Your grace, and Your peace, then Your gentleness, Your peace, Your love and Your power will exude from us, and the world will know for sure that You’re alive and well. Please keep us in Your grace, and please help us to be accountable to all those we come into contact with, who tests everything we say or do. You are alive and well, may they see evidence of it in every aspect of our life. May our lost and dying world be drawn to You oh Lord, and may we be an influence for that, not a stumbling block. AMEN!

My Determined Purpose Is….

On 2020-08-01 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Needs, Praise, Purpose, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Saturday, 2020-08-01
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

BIBLE REFERENCE: Philippians 3:10
TRANSLATION: Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC)

BIBLE TEXT: ¹⁰[For my determined purpose is] that I may know Him [that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of His Person more strongly and more clearly], and that I may in that same way come to know the power outflowing from His resurrection [^[b]which it exerts over believers], and that I may so share His sufferings as to be continually transformed [in spirit into His likeness even] to His death, [in the hope]

OBSERVATION: What a thought to ponder today! For the non-believer, I’m sure we would hear quite a variety of things that they are determined to accomplish during the time they expect to be here with us. But for the believer in Jesus Christ, how would you respond? Not to me, but to God! I believe that Paul spoke from what was bearing on his heart at the time. Stop and think about what your automatic response might be if you were asked this question while you are out and about today!

APPLICATION: We often become sidetracked with the things of life that just pop up unannounced and unplanned, but our Scripture today shows that Paul was a very committed and determined man, so it is important that we meditate closer on this to see what Paul had to say. He was not content in just telling the church at Philippi what they needed to do, for he said in other Scripture that we could safely follow him, as he follows Christ. In this case he wanted the church to know how serious he was about his intimacy with Christ, and what his determined purpose in life was. I believe that we tend to feel more apt to listen to someone who is practicing what they preach! In the bracketed commentary we see where Paul wanted to become increasingly more intimate in his relationship with God. He wanted to grasp the depth of God’s heart – the One who loves men and women, even though they may have totally disregarded Him. Yes. You see, God was willing to sacrifice His precious and only Son to save dirty, unloving, uncaring, sinners such as you and I, my friend. I believe that Paul went to this depth not only as a man who wanted a closer relationship with the Savior of the world, but also because of all that was displayed by the Master on the cross. For those who need reminding, out of total obedience to the Father, Jesus endured beatings by the authorities, shame and mistreatment as He was marched through the streets of Jerusalem with a heavy cross on His beaten and bruised back. In spite of His power to call a legion of angels to His defense, He suffered through having His hands nailed to a cross and His side pierced with a sword. He hung and died on that cross between two criminals, while His mother looked on painfully. Jesus did this out of mere love for all those He created, who would ever seek redemption of their sin and desire a life dedicated to God. This was no ordinary man, dear friends, and Paul desired nothing more than to know Jesus – yes, to know Him so intimately that he would live the rest of his life imitating the Savior who demonstrated His love in this way. But friend, this is the same Savior who showed such love for you and I also. Are we committed enough to sacrifice our time, our talent, our money and our desires to spend time in His Word getting to know Him better; open up ourselves to Him as we go before Him in prayer; and share our story with all that we come into contact with? If He was the president of your country, I believe you would tell the world of your experiences together. Jesus is the King of the world, won’t you also consider telling everyone about His miraculous touch on your life? Paul wanted to grow into the type person that would love like Jesus did while on the cross. What is your determined purpose in life?

PRAYER: Dearest Lord Jesus, You gave the ultimate for us – life itself, even through the cruelty of the cross. Our ancestor, Paul, shared that he wanted nothing more than to be like You – especially like You demonstrated at Calvary. This leaves us to consider: what are we willing to commit to in appreciation for all that You did out of love for us? Oh God, may there never be any doubt as to whose we are, and as a demonstration of our love and commitment to You, may our actions and our commitment be such that the world will know, and may be encouraged to know, the One in whom we believe, and the One that we serve faithfully every day. Often we are challenged to get into Your Word, or pray, or even attend church, and yes, we could attribute that to lack of time. But Lord, I believe that we find time for the things of our heart. Oh that You may be so prominent in our hearts, that my readers and I will be totally committed to serving You and reflecting Your character and teachings all the days of our life. We need You precious Lord. Please embolden us, and above all, help us to make You a priority in our lives every day. AMEN!

Nuggets From God's Word

Tag: Praise