The Perfume of Christ

On 2020-06-08 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, Worship4 Comments

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

BIBLE REFERENCE: 2 Corinthians 2:14-17
TRANSLATION: Easy-to-Read Version (ERV)

BIBLE TEXT: ¹⁴…. God uses us to spread his knowledge everywhere like a sweet-smelling perfume. ¹⁵Our offering to God is to be the perfume of Christ that goes out to those who are being saved and to those who are being lost. ¹⁶To those who are being lost, this perfume smells like death, and it brings them death. But to those who are being saved, it has the sweet smell of life, and it brings them life. So who is good enough to do this work? ¹⁷Certainly not those who are out there selling God’s message for a profit! But we don’t do that. With Christ’s help we speak God’s truth honestly, knowing that we must answer to him.

OBSERVATION: These verses reminded me that when we share the love, and hope of our Lord and Savior with others, it will seem like a death sentence to some, but to others it will bring life, hope and encouragement. However Paul warned his church, and God is warning us today through this passage, that the gospel will impact our listeners. For some it will smell like death, and for others like life. For this to happen, God’s children must share what’s inside of them. Let’s evaluate if we are openly sharing with others today!

APPLICATION: We associate so closely with family members that we can often finish their phrases in conversation! Many of us are employed, and we know most employees because of something that occurred, or was said during an encounter with them. For those readers who attend church, no doubt you will know many of the attendees, and some may have even become friends, in similar for to what I explained about employees. I believe you might agree with me that we walk away from certain encounters feeling really good about some of the people in the group, while we are still very skeptical of some. For those that don’t speak up, or acknowledge in some way that they were in a setting with you, I believe that you might walk away unmoved, or unaffected by them. But what about the undecided, or the unsaved? Don’t you think that they probably look up to those who appear happy in their relationship with the Lord, hoping that they could better understand what’s different, and how they managed to gain such peace? If we therefore have nothing to share, don’t you suppose that this friend might wonder if they misjudged you, because you obviously have nothing good to share about the Christ they thought lives inside of you? Friends, I truly believe that we have become so afraid of rejection (not wanting to hurt our pride), that we neglect to say or do the perfect will of our Lord. Are we ashamed? Are we embarrassed? Do you suppose that He might be ashamed or embarrassed of us for not sharing the awesome news of the One who rescued us from our guilt, shame and sin? Remember, He sacrificed His very own Son so that we might have the means of entering heaven with Him one day. There is no greater gift than that, my friend! I’m sure that many will respond that they are not a preacher or Bible scholar, so they stay away from trying to preach or witness. Be reminded dear one, that I would recommend that you share your story – about the One who saved you and gave you peace about eternal life. That will be way more powerful than trying to read the first 12 chapters of the New Testament to your listener, and you don’t have to be a theologian to share your story! I would also suggest to any reader that may have the gift of preaching or teaching, that if you avoid sharing the sweet perfume of Christ with those under the sound of your voice, I feel like you have just wasted their time and yours. In 99.9% of cases, they came to hear about Jesus Christ, so give them the truth of the Gospel without wasting their time. Also, the Word of God is intended for Jew and Gentile, rich and poor, man and woman, king and servant, so there is no respecter of persons. Jesus gave His life for all, so let us share His Good News with all, so that they may know and believe in the same Lord and Savior as we do. These verses does not refer to religion, Church denominations, or the like, so share Christ and Him alone – for His glory and our avenue of worship to Him!

PRAYER: Dear Father, thank You for giving us Jesus! Thank You for the awesome sacrifice You made so that we might enjoy eternity with You. There is no better news that we could share with loved ones than this. There is nothing better than meeting people who long to have what we have. Please Lord, make us bold and give us courage to gladly share our story. You redeemed us and made us fit for Heaven! Thank You Jesus! Now help us to share that good news with everyone that we meet. 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!

Last Word – Worship Him and Keep His Commands

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

DATE WRITTEN: Saturday, 2020-06-06
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

BIBLE REFERENCE: Ecclesiastes 12:13-14
TRANSLATION: The Voice (VOICE)

BIBLE TEXT: ¹³And, when all is said and done, here is the last word: worship in reverence the one True God, and keep His commands, for this is what God expects of every person. ¹⁴For God will judge every action—including everything done in secret—whether it be good or evil.

OBSERVATION: When mom or dad warns that this is their last word on the subject, we tend to stop what we are doing, or thinking, and pay close attention! In the last two verses of Ecclesiastes, we are given a similar warning by Solomon. In both cases we receive consequences for our actions after the warnings. No matter what your age might be as you read this devotional, please stop and pay close attention to how you are responding to the warnings given to us by God through His servant, Solomon. It’s a matter of life (eternally – in Heaven) or death (eternally – in Hell).

APPLICATION: In ‘old-school’ parenting, our parents may have stood with a belt in their hand when they warned us that their response to us on a particular request is ‘final’. We knew this meant that if the request is brought before them again, it meant that we had no intention of obeying their first response, because now we are hoping to change their minds to give a more positive response! But what does this all mean to the Christian who searches our God’s Word for the course of action they should take on a questionable subject? Perhaps we read into God’s response that perhaps His response was intended for the neighbor on the other side of the street; or perhaps that we misunderstood what He was actually instructing us to do the first time; or even that we totally ignored what we thought He was saying, since it was so negative compared to what we wanted to hear? Friends, over the years I have learned that in trying to obtain a correct answer to a dilemma, we could pose a question in a certain way so that we receive an answer that we want. Another person with no skin in the game could pose the question in their own way and receive a very different answer! I don’t believe for a minute that God would vary on His response to us, but I do believe that we could very easily tune out parts of the response that we don’t want to hear. The bottom line is, that when we approach the throne of God for help or direction in a matter, we had best put all personal agendas aside, because we are taught in the Word that His ways are not our ways, and His thoughts are not our thoughts. You see, God is all-knowing and He has a plan for us. He knows every little itsy bitsy thought, word or action from us. He also knows what He has in store for us tomorrow and throughout eternity. So when we ask for His permission to go to the North Pole, and He has plans for us to minister to someone in the far South, His GPS directions for us to safely arrive at our destination will look a whole lot different to whatever Garmin might be telling you. In fact, you might even question if He even understood your request! Friends, please join me as we listen closely to Solomon in our study verses today. His last words to us is that we be loyal in worshipping the King of all kings. He’s the One who made us; He has a plan for our lives; and He is already preparing a place for us to occupy when He calls us away from this world of sin and hardships. Secondly, we are to obey the commands of our Heavenly Father. What are those commands? Read the Book, for God has included all of His commands in His precious Word – the Bible. He knew that we would need a Book of Instructions, so He gave us one, and He placed His Holy Spirit inside of us to help us understand and obey His commands. We need no other GPS, for He has directed us in His Word what to do, where to go and what to say. Oh that we would learn to be obedient soldiers/children/servants.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, thankfully You made us, so You know full well how stubborn we are and how we tend to try and do our own thing even when You have the ‘wheel’ and are directing us in the right path. Please forgive us for our human stubbornness and our selfish wills. You have already spoken to many of us and given us Your last word, please help us to be obedient to our Father, our Deliverer, our King, our Savior – the One who loves us more than life itself. May our hearts and our lips be filled with constant praise as we worship You each and every day, and no matter what level of education we may have, I pray that You might impress upon us every day to follow Your commands that You designed for our good. Lord we look forward to being with You some day soon when you are ready for us, but while here on this earth, may we look and sound just like You – the One who created us in His own image and prepares us each day for our heavenly home. AMEN!

Do It Well – While You Can

On 2020-06-05 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Evangelize, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, Share, Share God’s Word, Teach, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Friday, 2020-06-05
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

BIBLE REFERENCE: Ecclesiastes 9:7-10
TRANSLATION: The Voice (VOICE)

BIBLE TEXT: ⁷So here is what you should do: go and enjoy your meals, drink your wine and love every minute of it because God is already pleased with what you do. ⁸Dress your best, and don’t forget a splash of scented fragrance. ⁹Enjoy life with the woman you love. Cherish every moment of the fleeting life which God has given you under the sun. For this is your lot in life, your great reward for all of your hard work under the sun. ¹⁰Whatever you find to do, do it well because where you are going—the grave—there will be no working or thinking or knowing or wisdom.

OBSERVATION: I once heard a senior employee ask ‘What’s the least we could do, and still get by without being fined for missing the mark on that new regulation?’. I am convinced that this is the attitude of many employees who try to do just enough to not be challenged by management. What about your Christian life, do you have it down to a science on the minimum that God might approve of? The wisest king that ever lived was used by God to tell us that whatever we find to do, give it our all, because this might be the only opportunity to do it at all. Let us seek the wisdom of God as we meditate on this thought today.

APPLICATION: Whether you are an employee, or an employer that happened across this devotional, I believe that it doesn’t take long to recognize those employees who: can’t do enough for their employer; while others will do only enough to maintain their job and earn a paycheck; while others really don’t care enough about whether they keep their job or not, for they are just not going to kill themselves over a job! The company/employer will go a long ways in successfully achieving its goals with some employees, while battling to stay in business with other employees. But what about the church? Supposedly filled with people who are trying to live up to the principles taught by Jesus, yet undependable and uncommitted to the work of the Lord. Oops, too harsh? Perhaps, but folk it is time that we take it seriously what Jesus ordered in Matthew 28:19-20, that we are to: 1) Go into all the world; 2) Baptizing those that we come into contact with, and influence; and 3) Teach them to obey all the commands given by the Master. So please allow me to ask you a very pointed, but important question: Since accepting Jesus as your personal Savior, which of the three commands above have you flourished in and which do you struggle in? Does church attendance satisfy either of these commands? What about the banner that you carry that reads: ‘I’m a Christian’ – does your display of that banner count as obedience to either of these commands? Please stop for a moment and carefully analyze how you would rate yourself in responding to today’s Scripture on being a Christian, or obeying the commands of our Savior. Are you doing well with the honor of being a child of God? Notice that Solomon said that you only have today to do it well. When your time here on earth expires and you have been laid to rest, you will no longer have opportunity to Go, Baptize nor Teach those that need the Lord. Is your time well spent now dear friend? Neither in the Matthew reference nor in the Ecclesiastes reference does God give you the opportunity to ask the pastor, or your Sunday School teacher, or your elder, or a good friend to do these things for you. As you meditate today, let me encourage you to think about how you will respond to God when He asks how you did in these areas. Will you be proud to report, or will you be ashamed and disappointed that you never even tried? It’s not too late, ask your pastor how you might get involved in ministry at your church. After you pick him up off the floor he will gladly steer you in the right direction. He wants you to be involved in ministry!

PRAYER: Precious Lord, please forgive us for doing only enough to get by and perhaps look good in the eyes of our pastor. We are reminded that You sacrificed Your one and only Son, Jesus, because of Your love for us. Yet we find excuse after excuse why we can’t do something in your vineyard. We ignore the pleadings from our pastors for help in many areas of ministry. We find it impossible to commit to giving of our time or finances. Please embolden Your church and speak to our hearts once again about the need for ministry right in our own homes, in our neighborhoods, our churches and our country. Oh Lord, how will they know if we don’t tell them. Please help us to be so proud of our Father that we will gladly share about Him and our relationship with Him, so that You may be honored and praised even here on this old earth. AMEN!

My God Will Supply Your Needs!

On 2020-06-042021-03-11 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Thursday, 2020-06-04
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

BIBLE REFERENCE: Philippians 4:18-20
TRANSLATION: Easy-to-Read Version (ERV)

BIBLE TEXT: ¹⁸….. Your gift is like a sweet-smelling sacrifice offered to God. God accepts that sacrifice and it pleases him. ¹⁹My God will use his glorious riches to give you everything you need. He will do this through Christ Jesus. ²⁰Glory to our God and Father forever and ever. Amen.

OBSERVATION: I have a first-hand, real life, current experience that I want to share with you, that truly brings out the truth and promise in our Scripture verses today. I will make up names, in order to protect the names of the real people, because the emphasis of praise belongs to God, as indicated in verse 19 above. I wanted you to know without a shadow of a doubt that our God is real, and that He always does what He promises He will do! There is no God like our God, precious friend!

APPLICATION: While traveling to an appointment yesterday, I was listening to Christian radio. There was a preacher who shared from these verses, and he told myself, and other listeners, that a phrase commonly used by friends today to a friend who is going through a rough time is ‘Hang in there, everything is going to be OK’. Unfortunately, that was a catch phrase that I used a lot when trying to comfort someone experiencing a challenging time. In fact, I had just used that phrase to ‘Jon’ recently, as he had experienced a tragic loss. Like many of you reading this devotional, you may immediately feel sorry for Jon as you turn your thoughts towards him and begin to worry along these lines: ‘where would I possibly find the funds to burry a lost loved one, especially after going through months of unemployment due to Covid’. True to family loyalty, Jon’s family members had already chipped in all they possibly could, to help with the burial arrangements. But I was so touched by that sermon I mentioned above, that I promised God I would do my best to always respond with Philippians 4:19 instead of a vain statement such as the one I have always used in the past. This really impacted my life dear friends. However, I went on to my appointment with a thankful heart that God would supply our needs. In the meantime, God was actively working in the lives of His servants, the ‘Smiths’, to give of their financial means to Jon so that he would be less stressed about finances, and concentrate on the loss of his loved one. That generous gift was given to me for Jon under the understanding that it was from God, so that He might be glorified. I obeyed the request of the obedient servants of God by calling Jon and sharing the good news with him. He could only bow his head in tears, as my call actually interrupted a meeting he was having with his sister at the time discussing how on earth will he ever find the funds to busy his loved one. Children of God, and friends who may be sitting on the sidelines wondering if God is still looking out for us today, let me assure you that God was as real as He has ever been to me yesterday! He orchestrated the sermon; made sure I was listening when the sermon was played on the particular radio station I was listening to; His impressing upon the heart of the Smiths to give to this need; and then opening my eyes to see how this all played out – on a day that was extremely stressful for me. I believe that God had a purpose in sharing this with me. I have already had an opportunity to use God’s Word in communicating with Jon, and I am praying that God will work miraculously in His life, even through this very challenging time. In sharing this message with you today, I believe that God is passing this message on to you, knowing that you might need this today also. Be reminded of this awesome promise dear one, and know that God is able, willing and has promised to always provide for our needs. Please join me in placing your faith and trust in Him, the only wise, true, all-powerful, ever-loving, soon-coming King of all kings and Lord of all lords – Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.

PRAYER: Oh what a Savior! Thank You Lord for Your sacrificial gift on Calvary! Thank You for gifting to us the Holy Spirit to guide, protect and help us along life’s challenging course each and every day. Just as You promised, You have proven that You will meet our every need. Thank You Heavenly Father for who You are, and for accepting even us as Your humble servants and Your redeemed children. Lesson learned! Please remind us each day to share Your love and Your gift with all that we may come into contact with. I know You are alive and that You have a place prepared for my fellow believers and I whenever You call us home to glory! While left here on earth, may we be careful to allow Your love to work through us for Your own praise and glory. Please be with ‘Jon’ today, and all those who are in need, so that You may be recognized, accepted and praised. AMEN!

Recognize and Worship God For His Many Gifts

On 2020-06-01 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Monday, 2020-06-01
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

BIBLE REFERENCE: Ecclesiastes 3:9-14
TRANSLATION: Living Bible (TLB)

BIBLE TEXT: ⁹What does one really get from hard work? ¹⁰I have thought about this in connection with all the various kinds of work God has given to mankind. ¹¹Everything is appropriate in its own time. But though God has planted eternity in the hearts of men, even so, many cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end. ¹²So I conclude that, first, there is nothing better for a man than to be happy and to enjoy himself as long as he can; ¹³and second, that he should eat and drink and enjoy the fruits of his labors, for these are gifts from God. ¹⁴And I know this, that whatever God does is final—nothing can be added or taken from it; God’s purpose in this is that man should fear the all-powerful God.

OBSERVATION: Instead of griping and complaining about our job, or our work, we are encouraged by the wise King Solomon to instead remember that these are gifts from God. In doing so, we will do like any good child, we will worship and praise the Almighty for all that He has blessed us with! So what’s your stance on work – A pain? Something you dread? Something you wish that everyone else had to do, so that you wouldn’t have to? Or are you truly thankful to God everyday for Him blessing you with a job/income/ability to pay your own bills?

APPLICATION: I bet there are many days that you question whether God even loves you – especially when you have to leave a sick child at home, or perhaps you had a car accident on your way to work, yet you have to stay at work and give your boss every possible effort you could muster up. How do I know that? Well, I have also been there and done that! Many times it’s not until you pass by an underpass where dozens of homeless citizens live, that you finally raise the courage to raise your hands towards heaven and give God thanks for blessing you so incredibly. But I want to recommend another way that might help you to daily count your blessings. Try and open the Word of God each morning and read a few verses from His Word. Ask God to enlighten your heart and your soul so that you might see the awesome power and love of His Son, who sacrificed His life for sinners such as you and I. It won’t take many days of devotional time with God before you will begin to realize how awesome our God truly is! This will cause you to look at all the ways that He looks out for you, and all the ways that He provides for your every need. You will be reminded that the very job that you thought would kill you, is actually an awesome blessing from God, and it will become the source of your obedience in tithing and for praise and worship to your generous God. Friends, I am convinced that God provides awesome gifts for us each and every day. My prayer is that as we rise from our beds each day, we will raise up sweet hallelujahs to the King of all kings for having such a love for even us, and for giving unconditionally to us in so many wonderful ways. Perhaps the world may then be convinced that Jesus lives within us, provides generously for us and loves us like no other could possibly love us, until He returns to take us home to glory!

PRAYER: Loving Lord, we are ever so grateful for all that You give to us and all that you provide for us each and every day. Please forgive us when we moan and complain even about the very things that You bless us with. Please teach us to always lift up holy hands in praise and admiration of our awesome God, so that others may see and believe. We love You Lord, and we are eternally thankful for all that You do for us. AMEN!

What Have You Traded For The ‘Glory of God’?

On 2020-05-29 By Ed AlgreenIn Adoration, Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Friday, 2020-05-29
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

BIBLE REFERENCE: Psalm 106:19-22
TRANSLATION: The Voice (VOICE)

BIBLE TEXT: ¹⁹The people made a golden calf in Horeb
    and bowed to worship an image they had made.
²⁰They traded the glory of God
    for the likeness of an ox that eats grass.
²¹They forgot about God, their True Savior,
    who had done great things for them in Egypt—
²²Miracles in the land of Ham
    and amazing deeds at the Red Sea

OBSERVATION: There are certain Scriptures that will convict and challenge us like we would think is not even possible, and this is one of those. I believe that God placed this in His Word strategically to draw our attention to the fact that yes, His children of old traded other material items in place of all that He had done for them, but yes, He also knew that we would not learn from their wrongs and that we would also do the same. I pray that as we study this today we will be challenged to do something about those things that we have allowed to take God’s place in our lives.

APPLICATION: I believe that each of us could analyze our lives and identify several things that we have allowed into our lives that tend to divide, or hinder our attention to God. Let me suggest that you think back to the day that you, Christian brother or sister, surrendered your heart to the lordship of Jesus Christ. I believe that like me, you will find that there was nothing that could get between you and your Savior. For you were consistent in fellowshipping with God each day as you sought to know more about Him, and as you shared your struggles with Him. You wanted to attend every church service and teaching, as you were hungry for the Word of God. We all remember answers to our prayers, and we could clearly recall the miracles of God in response to our prayers and concerns. BUT, something happened that caused a divide in our allegiance. What was that? What is it today that has caused you to wander from God and has hindered your close relationship with Him? For those who have recently reminded themselves of the Israelite’s journey from slavery to the ultimate ‘Promised Land’, you will recall that: there were many miracles performed by God to convince Pharaoh to release the Israelites from slavery; God led Moses and the Israelites by day and by night; God provided food and water for His people; God held the waters of the Red Sea back so that His people could travel across safely by dry land. Yet, as you can read in verse 20 above, they counted all the goodness of God as nothing, and from metal they created their own god to worship. Do we really do this today? Think long and hard about this friends, because I believe that we trade God off for many things in our life. What do we trade God off for when it’s time to assemble ourselves together with other believers (church)? Perhaps sports; the beach; mechanical work on our car; visiting friends; television shows; etc, etc. Why do we not tell the truth about our income, our tithe, or our offerings? Would God approve of the numbers we include on our taxes or our financial statements? What if He truly gave us income based on the amount that we currently tithe, will anything change? Why are we doing things like this? Are we trading worldly values for the gracious and awesome gifts of God to His children? Oh that we may be children of the Word, and may we be faithful to our heavenly God who went all the way to the cross to show His love for us. There is nothing God wouldn’t do for us, except sin. What are you prepared to do for Him?

PRAYER: Precious Lord, You are so good to us! You have demonstrated real love to us, and provided Your Word so that we might be reminded of what You expect from us. Please strengthen us to be strong and powerful as You are. We know that there is no one with greater power than Yourself, yet we settle for the weakness of mankind and everything that this world throws at us. Please forgive us for our littleness of mind, and help us to keep our eyes fixed on the King of glory, the King of all kings. We need You every hour of every day, please teach us to fix our eyes on You and walk full in Your wonderful grace and power, so that You may be glorified through us. AMEN!

A Humble Plea To All My Readers: On June 9th I am scheduled for cervical surgery and I suppose that I will be handicapped for a few months And unable to release a new blog each day. Please pray for my surgeon, all support medical professionals and myself as we go through this surgery, and also pray for a quick recovery so that I could continue the Lord’s work through this blog. I would greatly appreciate the prayers from all who are able, remember and/or concerned for my welfare. Thank you in advance, and may God richly bless you each and every day.

Love Never Gives Up On People

On 2020-05-232020-05-23 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Faith, Faith, Love, Love God, Love of God, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Saturday, 2020-05-23
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

BIBLE REFERENCE: 1 Corinthians 13:7-8
TRANSLATION: Easy-to-Read Version (ERV)

BIBLE TEXT: ⁷Love never gives up on people. It never stops trusting, never loses hope, and never quits. ⁸Love will never end. But all those gifts will come to an end—even the gift of prophecy, the gift of speaking in different kinds of languages, and the gift of knowledge.

OBSERVATION: In one of my Bible translations, the word ‘Love’ in verse 5 of this chapter, was closer defined as the ‘love of God within us’. That helped me look at this chapter in a whole new light, because too often we use the word ‘love’ as it pertains to our spouse, verses the way that we like everyone else. I believe that this opening sentence gives us a bright new way to look at the way that we ‘love’ others, for it tells us that the love of God should shine through us without fail, regardless of how miserable or unloving the other person is. Join me as we think about this today.

APPLICATION: In these verses Paul is reminding the Corinthian church, and believers today, that we are to always believe in the good things of another person that we are challenged to deal with. It’s sad, but way too often we tend to ‘write another person off’ when they don’t act like we do, or talk like we do, or even at times look like we do. And this is especially true if that person crossed the line of trying to correct us or offer advice to us, or disagree with us! Solomon went as far as saying in Proverbs 10:12 that love covers a multitude of sins. Surely as children of God, we are always endeavoring to love our fellow man, so would it not be natural for us to try and work through our differences, because of that love? Perhaps we are guilty of what the Corinthians were doing – they tried to sidetrack the issue by concentrating on some of the other gifts of the Spirit. However, Paul corrected them and helped them understand that the other gifts were given to help us survive the current time, but the one they should be concentrating on, is the one that will last for all times – love. With that in mind, my heart was challenged to think how different our world would be if we dealt with every situation through the lens of ’love’ for one another. So let’s look at a few examples of how this might impact our world: (1) Let’s suppose that our spouse made us very upset, and their action made us so mad that we wanted to walk out on them. But we were quickly reminded by God of His love that lives inside of us, and that we should respond in a way that Jesus, who loves all people, would respond. Do you foresee us calming down and trying to respond in godly love, in spite of our human anger? Don’t you see how that would get is through that rough time? (2) Let’s suppose that our child was expelled from school because of cursing and disrespect for their teacher and most students. We convinced ourselves that our neighbor was right in saying that we raised our child in love and to always give respect for the authorities, so of course we need to impress that neighbor by following through with a large discussion with the teacher and principal of that school and give them a piece of our mind! However, during your devotional time that morning you were reminded of what Paul said in 1 Corinthians 13 about the love of God that resides in you and how you, in return should always demonstrate that love for others. But the question remains, how do you settle this issue and come out on top at your child’s school? Friends, through this period of Covid 19 lockdown, I have been amazed by all the many ways that folk have learned to adjust in their daily lives. Churches have continued to serve their parishioners, banks have continued to serve their customers, children have continued their schooling, etc, etc. I have every reason to believe that if we love, like Jesus first loved us, then we will seek ways to show love in every circumstance of life, even those that seem impossible to us and have raised our blood pressure because of how upset we may have gotten. Folks, all things are possible with the God we love, but we need to get away from our selfish and sinful vendettas and seek the face of God to help us resolve matters in love for each other, and in a way that will be pleasing to God. This is only possible with the child of God, because of His grace, His power and His help. If you have not invited Him to be Lord of your life, then I would encourage you to read through my Footnote and especially drill down on the link ‘To Know Jesus’. Seek Him today while He may be found, dear friends. You can receive the same help offered to believers who obediently seek God in every circumstance of life.

PRAYER: Lord, it is evident that when we take the reins from You and try to do life alone – in our own way, we will follow the example of the world and respond to life’s challenges in ways that pleases the enemy, instead of You. Please be patient with us as You constantly remind us of whose we are. May we take our stance in full obedience to Your leading and in a way that You will be please with and honored. We need You involved in every aspect of our lives, especially the decisions we make and the actions that we take when posed with one more temptation set up by Satan. I am a child of God, and I want to please You in every way and in all things. My readers and I would be eternally thankful for Your guidance, especially when we are tempted to lose it with other humans. Oh that we may be good representatives in every walk of life, with Your help, strength and guidance. AMEN!

The Definition of ‘Love’

On 2020-05-22 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Faith, Love, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Friday, 2020-05-22
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

BIBLE REFERENCE: 1 Corinthians 13:4
TRANSLATION: The Passion Translation (TPT)

BIBLE TEXT: ⁴Love is large and incredibly patient.^[f] Love is gentle and consistently kind to all. It refuses to be jealous^[g] when blessing comes to someone else. Love does not brag about one’s achievements nor inflate its own importance.

OBSERVATION: It would seem appropriate that Webster and other dictionary writers would have simply put as their definition for ‘Love’: See 1 Corinthians 13 in the written Word of God. Let’s take time today to really allow the beginning verses of this chapter to soak in and clarify, or remind us, of the meaning of a word we use and abuse a lot.

APPLICATION: Notice that at weddings where the focus of the whole ceremony, and the whole idea of what brought a couple together, is the subject of ‘Love’. Of particular interest is the ‘go-to’ place for pastors when trying to reiterate the key word that will hold marriages together. I have not been to a ceremony where the best dictionary is taken out to help define ‘love’, but instead the Bible is always used, as the pastor aims to find the most authoritative description of this important word. Because we have so many ways that we use the word ‘love’, it becomes a challenge to really share with a couple what we are actually feel about the subject. You see, in the Bible, there are 5 different words to better define what we are saying in reference to ‘love’, but they can’t be used in a marriage ceremony, because we don’t use these words in our current vocabulary: Ahab; Agapao; Agape; Phileo; and Philadelphia. However, we know from experience that we assume several things when we think of love and we have to be very careful with that. Think about the following: a). If someone gives us an unexpected gift, whether monetary or something else of value – we may tend to think that they really love us; b). If someone really looks out for us and tries to protect us from harm, we may tend to think they love us; c). If someone is always saying nice things to us or about us, we may tend to think that they really love us; etc, etc. However, let me encourage you to read the entire chapter of 1 Corinthians 13 and be reminded of what God has to say about the subject of ‘love’. He used Paul to teach this lesson to the church in Corinth, and He had it included in the Bible so that all those that followed – you and I, could understand what true love is. In just the first 4 verses, Paul shared that he could talk all day long and even in many languages, but if he did it without love in his heart, he would merely be speaking empty words. Paul probably saw where many of his parishioners were good talkers, and they may have even done like we tend to do today, where we may say to a Brother or Sister that we love them, so he wanted them to know that they needed to speak from a heart of love. I would carefully challenge us with the same thought, and I particularly ask God to give me that kind of love and grace to speak from an honest and contrite heart. Paul also wanted to make it plain that even if he may have been gifted with great knowledge and of prophecy, but was void of love for his brethren, he gained nothing at all. God knew that we would get caught up on monetary gifts, so He had Paul address this also. Paul even took it as far as giving sacrificially, even of himself, but he clarified that if he went even that far, and did not do it in love, then he would gain nothing. Friends, I pray that as we meditate on this thought today, that our lives would be impacted by what Paul had to say in the Scripture, and in what God taught us throughout His Word. God showed us what love is, when He permitted His only Son to be sacrificed on a criminal’s cross for our good. I pray that we would learn to love with that kind of passion. Then perhaps, we might understand the true meaning of Love and be able to practice it without a sense of selfish gain.

PRAYER: Oh that we would be able to love folk that may have said something to us or about us that we didn’t appreciate. Oh that we might truly learn the type love that God showed at Calvary – unselfish and sacrificial. Lord, You have shown in Your Word that unless we love with all our heart, our efforts are useless. What the world needs now, is love. May the greatest love ever shown, be portrayed through us as we deal with others today. This is my humble plea for self and for all my readers today, oh Lord. AMEN!

He’s Watching You

On 2020-05-21 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Jesus Loves you, Love of God, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Thursday, 2020-05-21
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

BIBLE REFERENCE: Job 34:21-22
TRANSLATION: The Message (MSG)

BIBLE TEXT: “He has his eyes on every man and woman.
He doesn’t miss a trick.
There is no night dark enough, no shadow deep enough,
to hide those who do evil.

OBSERVATION: Job had been placed through a lot, lost a lot and felt forgotten after going through one test after another by Satan. Although his friends tried to help him snap out of his depressed state, one friend, Elihu, took issue with the way that Job spoke to God about this tough time he was going through. These verses were part of the correction given to Job by Elihu. However, in our time together today, I want us to be reminded of how our loving Father watches out for us, and therefore how applicable these words are to us today.

APPLICATION: In a recent blog I mentioned how differently we may act when we are out of town, on vacation, or otherwise, because we feel freedom in knowing that no one is watching and judging us for what we do, where we go, what we drink, or who we hang out with. I remember as a child I had an accident while doing something, that my mom told me not to do during my early return to school after lunch. I avoided going home to be treated for the large cut on my arm, but instead went to a nearby aunt. That afternoon I went home after school with my arm behind my back, hoping to hide the injury from mom! Don’t we also try to do similar acts with God when we sin? We are tricked by Satan into believing that we could do whatever we please, and that we would never have to tell God about our sin. Notice that Elihu did not tell Job that God is reviewing the acts that he (Job) told Him about, or that he gave God permission to evaluate. I believe that way too often we get caught up in thinking that what we do with our friends, is our own personal business, so outsiders should just bug off and leave us alone. Can you imagine saying that to your mom or dad and expect them to accept that, and even more so, turn their heads from what you are doing that is sure to get you in trouble? But you believe that you could get away with saying something like that to God? I don’t think so! Friends, please allow me to remind you that God created you in His own image, because He wanted you to look and act like Him. He allowed His one and only Son to die a cruel death on a criminal’s cross, so that through His shed blood you might be redeemed and live eternally with the Father in heaven. With that type of love and admiration, do you think for a moment that God is content to see you abuse the wonderful life He gave to you and ignore the opportunity to one day join Him in glory? Absolutely not. God is very much like Elihu shared with Job. He loves you unconditionally, and He is so concerned about your eternal destiny, that He watches your every move. Further, please know that God does not need your permission to watch out for you, and also know that He is aware of your every move – whether you are running around in the brightest sunlight with friends you love and adore, or whether you are surrounded by the darkest night hoping that no one sees what you’re up to. Please know that our Heavenly Father takes His job of loving and caring for us and watching our every move – with or without our permission. After all, how else will He justly judge us on that day when life ceases here on earth? Please know that as long as you have breath in your body, there is still time to accept this precious love of our Savior. Most of you purchase insurance in the event of an accident or disaster. I pray that all of you will seek that assurance for your ultimate destination even today – while there is time to do so. Please also know that there is so much joy in this, because God knows and cares about your condition every moment of every day! There is nothing like the love of Jesus for you and I! I know Him personally, and I pray that you will also commit your life to His keeping – today!

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, we are reminded that You are looking out for us, even though many of us never doubted that. Please humble the hearts of my friends and readers today, so that they may be awaken in the middle of their personal agendas and know that Your love is unconditional and without borders. That nothing could stop You from loving them! Please also awaken us to the fact that although we might tell mom, dad, sister, brother or friend that we will do our ‘own thing’ regardless of what they think, Your love will not permit You to accept such commands from Your own creation. Although it makes me sick to hear friends talk about how they will do what they please, without permission from anyone, I know that You will always care and always love, for You cannot hate that which You have made. For every time that we selfishly feel like we could handle life alone, please remind us of how much You love and care for us, and of Your power to do ALL things for our good. We know that obedience is important and expected, please grant us Your grace and power to be humble and obedient children. AMEN!

Accept and Use Your Gift

On 2020-05-19 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Gift, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, Spiritual Gifts, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Tuesday, 2020-05-19
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

BIBLE REFERENCE: 1 Corinthians 12:7-11
TRANSLATION: The Message (MSG)

BIBLE TEXT: Each person is given something to do that shows who God is: Everyone gets in on it, everyone benefits. All kinds of things are handed out by the Spirit, and to all kinds of people! The variety is wonderful:

wise counsel
clear understanding
simple trust
healing the sick
miraculous acts
proclamation
distinguishing between spirits
tongues
interpretation of tongues.

All these gifts have a common origin, but are handed out one by one by the one Spirit of God. He decides who gets what, and when.

OBSERVATION: In Sunday School and in sermons we hear a lot about the Spiritual Gifts Spoken of by Paul in our Scripture today. However, be reminded from this Scripture that a gift is given to each believer by the Holy Spirit. So what does It mean when one says that they are just an attendee at church, or they are really unimportant, or they don’t run the show? Are they saying that the gift given to them is really unimportant in the whole scope of ministry? Think on these things as we study this Scripture today!

APPLICATION: How many times have you said it, that you are just a pion, or a nobody, that sneaks in the back door, listens to the sermon and quietly leaves to be about your own business. Now, in light of the above Scripture, I believe that it is evident that God saw fit to bless His children with a special gift, for very specific reasons. So when we choose to ignore the gift given to us, and in disobedience try to do something assigned to someone else, or hide our gift because it emanates from simple old me, can you imagine what a disaster that could be for the ongoing work of the Lord? When we ignore our God-given gift, we leave the church body in want. We leave an important part of the ministry undone, because we chose to ignore what God gave to us, to bless the church (others). Don’t you see that we are preventing the church from given praise to their almighty King? Nowhere in the Scripture does God say that He would withhold a gift from someone because they just can’t do anything to help others. In fact, the Word says just the opposite: when we are weak, or when we are incapable God shines through all the more. When we accept Jesus as Lord, we are not only asking Him to forgive us of our sin, but we want Him to give us power and strength and wisdom, so that He could use us for His glory. His Word says that He separates our sin from us as far as the east is from the west, so we can’t use it as a crutch to say that God won’t speak through a liar, or a drunk, or a criminal, or any other worldly sin that we may have been guilty of. He truly cleanses us so that His Father sees a bright and shiny star even in the lowliest of men, for the Father sees the blood of Jesus that was shed for us. So child of God, I pray that you would receive a similar message from this Scripture today as I did. When the church (others) needs a pianist to help keep the congregation in tune during our worship time, may that person be at the piano. When the pastor is ready to preach, may he do so boldly knowing that the prayer warriors that God placed in his congregation is on their job and has been praying for hours before that pastor stands to preach. When the janitor comes to clean the church, may he bless each and every pew as he walks through picking up litter and preparing the books for others to sing from during the next service. When a fellow believer reports the loss of a loved one, may they be overwhelmed with love, as their fellow worshippers obediently accepts the call of the Master to take care of the widows and widowers. Friends, it is evident that the list of gifts mention in the Word is not one that you may choose from, but rather a sample list of gifts that God uses to bless us with, so that we might shine as His children. For those without Christ, may I suggest that you urgently seek His face while you still have time. We know from the Word that Jesus will return at a moment that we least expect, and that it could be today – even before you read all of this devotional. Don’t delay any longer, seek Him now and accept His offer of salvation NOW. Jesus wants to use you for His glory also, and welcome you home to heaven when the Master says ‘it’s time’!

PRAYER: Lord we often say to others that God will take away their gift if they don’t use it, but how often do we sit back when volunteers are needed to complete a task, teach a class or visit a shut-in. Based on Your Word, I believe that You set us aside as warriors in our field, and that You gave us extra power to do Your work in such a way that others would be blessed and that they would sing sweet praises to You. This means that when we allow Satan to sway us towards disobedience and from using our gifts as You intended, that others hurt, or perish, or go without and often have no will to sing Your praises. Precious Lord, what we have is Yours alone, please touch Your children once again and remind us from whence we came. Remind us of Your awesome power, especially when we feel inadequate and unfulfilled. Please have Your will and way in our lives and bless all those that we come into contact with today, so that You may be glorified in all things. AMEN!

Nuggets From God's Word

Tag: Praise