Living Your Faith Boldly: A Devotional Reflection

On 2025-02-07 By Ed AlgreenIn Accept Jesus NOW, Acknowledge God, All have sinned, Awesome God, Boldness, God Cares For Us, God’s Word, True witnessesLeave a comment

DATE POSTED
Friday, February 7, 2025, and I was blessed to be at Mariposa at Hunter Road, San Marcos, TX when God inspired me to prepare this devotional. My Footnote will tell you how to find and read any and all episodes that I have shared over the years.

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
Read it in your Bible or click Acts 4:5-17 to read it in the Good News Translation (GNT).

APPLICATION – as inspired by the Holy Spirit
I find it interesting how differently we speak about a subject in private with the Lord, vs with a very close family member; with a close Christian friend; with our pastor/church family; with our work family; with those opposed to Christianity; or with government authorities. I believe that we have become way too interested in pleasing our audience and protecting their image or knowledge of us, rather than sharing our thoughts honestly with those we communicate with. It was refreshing to be reminded how Peter and John didn’t hold back what the Holy Spirit wanted them to share with the Jewish Leaders, who had demanded their presence for questioning about a healing that took place the day before. Just as God spoke to me through this interview, I believe it is filled with lessons for Christians, and for those who stand by and watch for our mistakes or misgivings about our faith. What, or in whom do you believe, dear reader? No, it doesn’t matter who’s asking, for I would rather hear how you would respond to Jesus on this question. Yes, I know you could be in a restaurant, or public place filled with people of different religions and some who may have no religion at all, when this question is asked of you. Please remember that God knows what you think in your heart about questions regarding your spiritual condition, but I believe He is anxiously waiting for you to enlighten your company with your innermost feelings about Him – your Creator, and the God of this whole universe. Sure, you may be ridiculed or even questioned some more about your faith, but notice in the Scripture today how Peter responded, knowing full well that the Jewish leaders could easily have taken him into custody or possibly even had him killed. Do you suppose that you would ever fear that type of retribution from your audience? Then what is holding you back? I once took part in a challenge from a former pastor where participants were asked to carry a small wooden cross, about 8″ long, with us for a week – everywhere we went. To work, on to business meetings and even to restaurants for lunch. Can you imagine the looks we received?? However, in the Bible Jesus said that we are to pick up our cross and follow Him daily. Can onlookers see your (spiritual) cross in every part of your life-walk? Normally we wouldn’t carry a physical cross, but can others see that we have accepted the One who hung on the cross for the forgiveness of our sin? You say that you belong to Jesus, but how closely do you follow His commands, obey His teachings and imitate Him while you’re out in your mission field? Wouldn’t it be ‘cool’ to have someone ask you to explain who’s affecting your life and character? That would be a whole lot more impactful than any sermon they may hear or any form of evangelism your church might ask you to participate in. People desire truth through action, not just verbal claims of truth from the Bible.

PRAYER
Thank You, Jesus, for submitting to the cross so that the work of the Father might be accomplished even through Your sacrifice. Because of what You did, my readers and I who have acknowledged You as Lord of our lives, can look forward to life eternally in heaven! We understand from Your Word that this is THE ONLY WAY TO HEAVEN, and praise God, I accepted Your invitation. My deep, sincere prayer is that every reader will be encouraged to listen closely for Your invitation, and they will accept You as Lord of their life. I further pray that we will be so filled with Your goodness, and Your character, based on everything You shared in Your Word, that it will overflow through us in our words, actions and thoughts, regardless of our company or audience. Be glorified in us oh Lord – everything we are and everything we become, so that this may encourage others to seek You out personally. AMEN!

FOOTNOTE
If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please take advantage of the information provided on my page ‘To Know Jesus’. Alternatively, consider speaking with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. One of God’s servants will pray with you and offer help and encouragement as you begin or continue your walk with Jesus. If you would like to read more of my devotionals or subscribe to receive a daily email containing each new devotional, please visit NuggetsFromGodsWord.org. Friends, I encourage you to find a church home near your residence and attend as frequently as possible. Get to know God and allow His people to encourage and strengthen you in your Christian walk while you make every effort to be a blessing to them. God is at work among His people! Please consider being a part of that while also growing in your faith as you worship with fellow believers!

Pass Along What You Have Learned

On 2023-07-13 By Ed AlgreenIn A Lamp unto My Path, Adoration, Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Awesome God, Beyond Description, Blessing, Celebrate God, Needs, Praise, Praise-worthy, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED: Thursday, July 13, 2023, and I was blessed to be at O’Brien, FL when God inspired me to prepare this devotional. My Footnote will tell you how to find, read or listen to any and all episodes that I have shared over the years.

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE FROM THE Living Bible (TLB) IS FOUND IN 2 Timothy 2:2; 9;

THE BIBLE TEXT IS: ²For you must teach others those things you and many others have heard me speak about. Teach these great truths to trustworthy men who will, in turn, pass them on to others.
⁹It is because I have preached these great truths that I am in trouble here and have been put in jail like a criminal. But the Word of God is not chained, even though I am.

MY INITIAL THOUGHTS: We may feel useless if we feel like our teaching or preaching is falling on deaf ears. But some may abuse the knowledge graced to them if they look down on others who may feel not as fortunate. We must not become like the Dead Sea, where its rich waters are not passed on through other tributaries. No matter what may happen to great teachers and preachers, the Word of God remains as strong as when it originated. Join me as we look closer at this humble teaching by an awesome messenger of Jesus Christ.

APPLICATION OF THE WORD: I wonder what crosses our mind first when we think about attending church and listening to a pastor’s sermon! I’ve heard some say that they felt ‘shouted at’ by the pastor and that they would never return to that church. Some feel like a pastor does pretty much like Jesus and preaches in riddles, for they can’t seem to apply his words to their lives. Personally, I’ve heard teachers who explain the Word of God so well, that I become anxious to return and hear another teaching as soon as possible. But let’s try and catch a glimpse of what Paul was passing on to his ‘son’ in the ministry, Timothy. Although I didn’t include verse 1 of this chapter, Paul reminded Timothy that God graced him with the knowledge, opportunity and willingness to minister in His name. Does this help you who may feel inadequate to teach or preach because you didn’t attend seminary, or because you have no line of Bible scholars in your family tree? Friends, I believe that some of the best sermons that have truly touched my heart, came from Godly laypersons who accepted the call to share a few words from a church pulpit. I believe that they got in touch with Jesus and asked Him to open their eyes of understanding and to give them the boldness that they needed to proclaim the Word under the inspiration and power of the One who wrote those sacred words. Friends, I am a firm believer that a man who stands in a pulpit on Sunday and tries to deliver a word that he gained from other scholars, or that he knows must be directed to certain parishioners who went astray during the past week, or to unleash the anger and frustration that has bound that preacher during the week, will ultimately hurt the gospel of Jesus Christ. For it is much like Paul shared in verse 9 above, God, nor His Word has changed because of the circumstances of the week, or because that preacher is bombarded by the works of Satan for whatever reason. When we allow the power of God to envelope us, renew us and give us the wisdom and boldness to pass along what He has graced us with through His Word, and through other teachers that have touched our lives, then Jesus Christ will be magnified and lifted up. And when this happens, the glory of God will fill that place where you are sharing, and others will be touched and empowered to go out from that place and share all that has filled their hearts in that service. Parents pound in their knowledge, habits and wisdom into their kids, so that they might leave home one day and become an example of those parents. So it is with church, let’s plan to attend this week with minds like sponges that will soak up the wisdom of all that God speaks and teaches through His servant in our church pulpit. Others are depending on us and we want them to know and love this Jesus of ours in much the same way that we do. When Jesus fills us, that’s what we can expect to leak out from us in our daily encounters with others. Pastors – preach it and teach it in a way that you would want other good men and women to pass it along to others they come into contact with. Fellow Christians – Unless we know Jesus personally, and fill ourselves totally with Him and His principles, then our witness, our teaching and/or our preaching will be in vain. Don’t be lazy today, get into the Word of God and let it saturate your mind and your person. Don’t be absent, nor distracted on Sunday, listen carefully to what God has ordained for your pastor to share with you, because others are waiting to be blessed by you as they watch your life and listen to your words in great anticipation.

BLESSINGS WORTH NOTING: Oh that we would listen to our pastors preach the Word Of God knowing that we are equipping ourselves to go out and share all that we have learned.

PRAYER BECAUSE OF THE IMPACT OF TODAY’S SCRIPTURE: Thank You for Your Word oh Lord, and for those whom You have graced with the knowledge, power and boldness to share the Word with us. As we are blessed and as we are fed, may we then go on to bless and feed others. Please teach us to stop criticizing our teachers and pastors, but to pray for their boldness in sharing the wisdom You have blessed them with. As we benefit from that wisdom, may we be open to sharing all that we have learned, so that others may be blessed to do the same. May our witness be fruitful, and may we live out our witness, as evidence that You live and reign within us, oh Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer. AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: There’s another page on my website, entitled ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading or listening to this devotional, please go to this 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 you would like to read more of my devotionals, or subscribe for a daily email containing each new devotional, please go online to NuggetsFromGodsWord.org. For my podcast, go online to Apple Podcasts or, using the Apple Podcast app, simply search for Nuggets From God’s Word to hear more episodes, or click ‘Follow’ to be notified of Podcast updates. Friends, please allow me to encourage you to find a church home near by your home and attend as frequently as you could. Get to know God and allow His people to encourage and strengthen you in your Christian walk, while making every effort to be a blessing to them. God is at work among His people! Please consider growing in your faith, as you worship with fellow believers!

God Uses Us To Tell Others About Him

On 2022-07-172022-07-17 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Evangelize, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED Sunday, 2022-07-17
WRITTEN AT: O Brien, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: 2 Corinthians 2:14-16
TRANSLATION: The Living Bible (TLB)

BIBLE TEXT: ¹⁴But thanks be to God! For through what Christ has done, he has triumphed over us so that now wherever we go he uses us to tell others about the Lord and to spread the Gospel like a sweet perfume. ¹⁵As far as God is concerned there is a sweet, wholesome fragrance in our lives. It is the fragrance of Christ within us, an aroma to both the saved and the unsaved all around us. ¹⁶To those who are not being saved, we seem a fearful smell of death and doom, while to those who know Christ we are a life-giving perfume.…

APPLICATION: At a party, men may try to connect with ladies not wearing a wedding band, or who may not be with their husbands. In others words, they look for obvious signs to determine their availability. Yesterday I walked into a pharmacy – it was clean, well staffed, had Christian music piping over its house speakers, had signs of being closed on Sunday and although there was no aroma to smell, yet my spirit detected an aroma of Jesus Christ. When we walk into a room of people that we may not know, they tend to look, smell, listen and feel for the aroma we exude. Sometimes they detect pride, bashfulness, prejudice and perhaps, bitterness. And often these conclusions are met because of things we do, say, pretend or portray. But how would they detect the character and likeness of Jesus in us? Friends, there are some who meditate on the Word of God, and they know about the heart and character of God. But there are others who have in their minds what they think Jesus and/or His representatives should look and act like. The latter will quickly judge us and place us in a virtual box they created. I believe that Paul is teaching us to stop pretending. If Jesus is inside of us, He will shine through in every word we say, in every helpful and unselfish deed we perform, in our warm and friendly smile, and in our unashamed glorification of our Master. To say it in yet another form, it will be evident that Jesus is at work in us and not we ourselves spending every effort to promote self. In verse 17 Paul went on to ask who might fit the qualification, or character, of Jesus? I can only believe that this is something that each of us must answer individually. May God create a humbleness in us that will seek to overstep our selfish desires and instead promote the love, sacrifice and God-like character of our Savior and Lord. No matter how much we try to preach, teach or evangelize the goodness of God, our lifestyle, character and words will always override in the mind of the unsaved we are trying to witness to.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: Our love, character and words that exemplify our Master, will be a sweet aroma to those searching for Jesus!

PRAYER: What an honor to have You live in, and bless us, each and every day, precious Lord! So undeserving, yet You opened our eyes and allowed us to see Your sacrifice and experience Your love. Thank You dear Lord for loving us and treating us as our very own child. May it be obvious to those that we mingle with that Jesus is present, because of Your amazing gift of the Holy Spirit that lives inside of us. Oh Lord, may the words from my mouth, and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to You, and may I be a living witness to the lost and unsaved. Be glorified in me today dear Lord, and also in the lives of those I will interface with. May the lost see life – eternal through their experience with believers today, and may You be glorified. AMEN!

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

Pass Along The Message of Hope

On 2022-05-082022-05-08 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Hope, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, Share, Share God’s Word, Teach, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED Sunday, 2022-05-08
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Psalm 78:2-8
TRANSLATION: Living Bible (TLB)

BIBLE TEXT: ^2-3… I will show you lessons from our history, stories handed down to us from former generations. ⁴I will reveal these truths to you so that you can describe these glorious deeds of Jehovah to your children and tell them about the mighty miracles he did. ⁵For he gave his laws to Israel and commanded our fathers to teach them to their children, ⁶so that they in turn could teach their children too. Thus his laws pass down from generation to generation. ⁷In this way each generation has been able to obey his laws and to set its hope anew on God and not forget his glorious miracles. ⁸Thus they did not need to be as their fathers were—stubborn, rebellious, unfaithful, refusing to give their hearts to God.

APPLICATION: Take a moment to consider the sort of messages that are passed along to our kids? I distinctly remember a few messages my daughter received first hand while in my house: 1). I arrived home from work one day and my daughter asked permission to share something with me that she had learned. She proceeded to recite the ABC’s! I was excited, but as I looked over to my wife, she clarified the question that was obviously written across my face, ‘she heard it repeated so much by ‘Barney’ on TV that she picked it up’! I was thankful, but I was ready to punish myself for not teaching her myself! 2). I was playing ball with her one day, and she wanted me to pitch. After about 2 missed strikes, she turned around and spit, then positioned herself for the next pitch. I asked what that was all about? My young daughter reported ‘that’s the way the players get to hit the ball on TV’! It soon became evident that my daughter was learning more from TV than from her mom and I. But are we unique in that? I wonder if you sat down each Sunday and analyzed what your child(ren) learned from you over the past week, what might that list look like? Did they see you read your Bible? Did they overhear your prayer? Did you drop them to church and showed them that learning about Jesus is for kids, but adults could indulge in anything they want? Has your dinner table discussion been more about the fights you are having with relatives, Facebook updates, and TV shows, than about how God was evident in your life that day? Notice from our Scripture today that Asaph had the privilege of sharing from the history of what his ancestors did. The lives of many were punished and often lost because they ignored the awesome works and power of God, and they became even more reprobate in their every-day life. The miracles performed by God was not discussed, so the younger generation knew nothing of His power and therefore saw no need to call on Him. With a sorrowful heart today, I’m most afraid that this might be the issue with our children today. They are seeing way too much of our disobedience, our hatred, our selfish desires, our refusal to love one another – especially those who should be closest to us, and hardly anything of our miraculous God. Are we really teaching our kids and grandkids to repeat our mistakes, our bad decisions, our hatred for mankind, and our lack of faith? Many of you reading or listening may have gone through a dedication service for your child, or been a part of one for your grandchild. Have you stayed true to the promises you made that day? I firmly believe that if you stop your busy day long enough to refresh yourself on what you promised to God in that baby dedication, you may sincerely seek the powerful hand of Jesus upon your life to make your promises true. Let’s be diligent about seeking God’s favor, and let’s never forget to pass along His blessings to our children. That’s our responsibility! Since they have a similar responsibility, let’s be sure that they pass along the good stuff that God has done for us because of our faithfulness to Him. Like the Israelites, their very lives may depend on it.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: Children will learn from our actions what we know in our heart. Fill our hearts with God, then our kids will come to know our Savior, and our Lord. They lives may be dependent on the role God plays in their life.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, thank You for reminding us through Your Word today the importance of recognizing the key role You play in our lives, and the importance of us setting an example of whose we are. The Israelites lost battles, and lost lives because they refused to recognize Your power available to them. Lord, may we always share Jesus through our example and in our teaching so that our children, and theirs, will know first hand about You and about Your powerful hand. Others are always watching us, Lord. May they always see Jesus in me, for this is my honest and sincere plea. AMEN!

Yet Another Opportunity To See The Power Of Jesus!

On 2021-11-082021-11-08 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, See God, WorshipLeave a comment

Monday, 2021-11-08

Bible Reference: John 11:14-16
Translation: The Passion Translation (TPT)

Bible Text: ¹⁴Then Jesus made it plain to them, “Lazarus is dead. ¹⁵And for your sake, I’m glad I wasn’t there, because now you have another opportunity to see who I am so that you will learn to trust in me. Come, let’s go and see him.”
¹⁶So Thomas, nicknamed the Twin, remarked to the other disciples, “Let’s go so that we can die with him.”

APPLICATION: No doubt, we all have a favorite miracle of Jesus, and perhaps each one speaks miraculously to you in their own way. For some, it may be the very first miracle recorded where Jesus turned the water into wine, but for others it may be when He walked on the Sea of Galilee towards the boat filled with His disciples, and with a very calm voice, He calmed the rough waters. But in our Scripture today we see for the first time that Jesus ignored the request of His very good friends, Mary and Martha, in order to achieve an ultimate goal He had in store for His disciples. He wanted them to catch one more, or a fresh, glimpse of His power as their risen Savior! Adding to the mystery of Jesus’ actions in not responding immediately to the request of Mary and Martha, is the fact that Jesus told His disciples that He was glad that He was not there when Lazarus died. That really seemed callous, doesn’t it? But ponder with me for a few minutes how many may have been saved, or in this case recognized the power of God, versus if Jesus would have instantly healed Lazarus when He got word 4 days earlier, that he was sick to the point of death? I have a situation in my family where it was the result of the death of a nephew, that my dad came to know Jesus as Lord. Was it a good thing that the nephew died? Absolutely not. But the Bible teaches us that the angels in heaven rejoice when they welcome one soul surrendered to the call of God on their lives. Furthermore, God had many years to work in and through my dad to touch other souls that he rubbed up against. As mere earthly mortals, we are devastated when we lose a loved one, whether it’s due to old age, or what we often feel is premature. But would it make us feel any better if, when we get to heaven, Jesus reveals to us how many entered into a personal relationship with Jesus because of our unfortunate loss? Or how He got our attention and caused us to get serious about our relationship with Him? Notice that Peter struggled with the whole scene, because He thought that following Jesus into the city where He was already sought after, would lead to certain capture and ultimate death for Jesus and His followers. We have no record of Peter or his fellow disciples rejoicing over this move by Jesus to go and visit the grave of Lazarus. But, like the disciples, we must learn to trust and follow Jesus where He leads us. I believe that still today He is seeking after His children to trust Him more; worship Him more; have more faith in Him; know that He’s with us when we have a witnessing opportunity; know that His Word will not return void, especially when we stand in front of a class or on the podium of a sanctuary to share the Word of God simply and plainly with folk that came hoping to see Jesus. God never mentioned about us being capable, or any other attribute that folk tend to look for in a first-class preacher or teacher. I believe that if He was able to use uneducated fishermen, tax collectors, doctors and more, to start the whole Christian movement, so wouldn’t He, all the more, use you and I who can often stand and talk on any subject that comes our way. Let’s learn to trust Him Brothers and Sisters. Perhaps if we empty ourselves of ‘self’ and ask God to fill us afresh with His love, His power and His boldness, then perhaps others will see Jesus instead of the wicked men and women that we are. Just like Peter and His companions, let us learn to trust God more – in every circumstance of life. Instead of doubting when we see life for our family and friends going terribly wrong, at least in our opinion, let’s instead look intently on how God might get our attention and minister to us through those unfortunate circumstances.

PRAYER: Dear God, as others look on us today may they see Jesus. Please help us to stop acting like spoiled children, for as we are called to service, so may our lives be fully spent on Jesus. As Jesus went to see Lazarus, He never doubted, or showed any hesitancy, in fact it appeared like You orchestrated the whole event perfectly and with purpose. Others saw the awesome works of the Almighty God. May that be the case with all those that we come into contact with today. There is probably nothing about ourselves individually for others to like, or care about. If there is, then perhaps they will see that thing, instead of the awesome God that we seek to serve, and to have seen through us. Lord, may any personal, likable, thing become invisible to the eyes of the one watching us but need to see You. Please have Your will and way in and through us today, for there may be one that we encounter who may need to be awaken from the death of sin and self destruction. They may see no true value in life. Oh may the joy of the Lord be evident in us, and through us today. This is my humble and desperate plea as my readers and listeners join with me in desiring more of You through Your mighty works almighty King. 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!

Your Monument

On 2021-08-222021-08-22 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED Sunday, 2021-08-22
WRITTEN AT: Hattiesburg, MS

SCRIPTURE FROM: Joshua 4:20-24
TRANSLATION: New Living Translation (NLT)

BIBLE TEXT: ²⁰It was there at Gilgal that Joshua piled up the twelve stones taken from the Jordan River. ²¹Then Joshua said to the Israelites, “In the future your children will ask, ‘What do these stones mean?’ ²²Then you can tell them, ‘This is where the Israelites crossed the Jordan on dry ground.’ ²³For the Lord your God dried up the river right before your eyes, and he kept it dry until you were all across, just as he did at the Red Sea when he dried it up until we had all crossed over. ²⁴He did this so all the nations of the earth might know that the Lord’s hand is powerful, and so you might fear the Lord your God forever.”

APPLICATION: While on business in Belize at one time, we needed to travel from Belize city to another town, but we learned that the roads were flooded. The work-around was that a flat barge had been put in place to take cars and passengers from one side of a river to the other, where they could continue on an alternate route to the other area of Belize. Fortunately, our taxi was able to drive to a point, drive onto the barge, and there were men that pulled the barge across the river along a tight cable. We were under no real pressure to make our trip, but imagine over a million Israelites arriving at the Red Sea with a strong, mean, large army approaching them from behind. They needed a miracle, and they needed it fast. So God mirculaously stopped the flow of water coming down the river, so His people could walk safely across on dry land. Once the pursuing army started their journey across the dry bed, God released the water so that His people would be free of the battle that was sure to ensue. Again at the Jordan River, Joshua faced the challenge of getting the Israelite across a body of water. While experience was on his side, I’m sure he was on the edge of his seat when he ordered the priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant to enter the water. However, sure to form, God brought them to this point, and He wasn’t about to let them down, so He immediately created a huge dam with just one word. For the water flow stopped, and the remaining water exited through its normal flow. Leaving a dry river bed. What would have been your immediate reaction after placing your feet on high ground on the other side of the river? You watched with your own eyes as God acted miraculously in order to accommodate your safety. What if your church saw this kind of miracle, what type service would they have next? I’m sure that Joshua considered many of the things you thought of, but I am touched by his desire to see an ongoing memorial of this awesome event. Can you hear one of the Israelites explaining that to their teenager 10 years later? In the following verses (chapter 5) we read where other nations as far always as the coast were shaking in their boots at the thought of this great army of God heading their way. They knew that if God did it before, He could do it again. For us, we should repeat that previous sentence several times each day, for our God is still alive and He could repeat the same powerful miracles for us! Lord knows we need it just as badly as the Israelites needed it! Let me suggest that we look for ways to establish a memorial at the point where God has particularly met us at our point of need, and miraculously blessed us. It would invoke questions by those who travel by that memorial, and it would certainly create conversation for you every time you pass that way with a relative or friend. Oh that the world may know our God, and believe!

BLESSING(S) NOTED: God will move mountains to bless us and provide for us. Set yourself up for sharing those blessings with others. It may be the one thing that will draw them to the God who loves us and sent His Son to save us from our sin.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, I stand amazed in the presence of my all-powerful, everlasting King. You died for me so that I could be accepted in Heaven one day with the Father. Thank You for reminding me of Your power and Your wisdom in guiding Your people, the Israelites, through 40 years of various obstacles and especially for providing a way for them when there seemed to be nothing but hopelessness ahead. Lord, still today we tend to feel like they did, for we face obstacles much bigger than anything we could accomplish, or have answers for. Oh that we will learn to lean on the history of all that You have done, all that You continue to do in our midst, and the unlimited power that You have to do even more. As we are encouraged today in Your Word, may we now go out and share that encouragement with others who need You. May Your kingdom come, on earth, as it is in heaven. 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!

For Such A Time As This

On 2020-04-17 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, Worship2 Comments

DATE WRITTEN: Friday, 2020-04-17
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

BIBLE REFERENCE: Esther 4:14
TRANSLATION: The Message (MSG)

BIBLE TEXT: If you persist in staying silent at a time like this, help and deliverance will arrive for the Jews from someplace else; but you and your family will be wiped out. Who knows? Maybe you were made queen for just such a time as this.”

OBSERVATION: I believe that if you had just read the title of this blog today you might jump to the conclusion that this is directed towards the expert that has a resolution for Covid 19, or perhaps the cure for cancer, or even the secret to making you rich! However, as you meditate with me on this, I would really like for you to click on the Scripture link above, and see how this phrase is used in context. Are you being asked to do something today because of the unique position you are in, or because of the friends you hang out with? Perhaps! Listen closely to your instructions and stop looking for excuses!

APPLICATION: I was once involved in a boating accident where it appeared like two young men would drown after being hit by my boat. However, God saw to it that a commercial diver was on my boat, and upon impact he immediately jumped into the water and saved the two young men. Was that diver catching a ride with me that day, for such a time as that unfortunate accident? I believe so. On the night that I surrendered my heart to the Lord, there was a gentleman in the audience of my church that knew how bashful I was, and although my wife had already gone to the altar to pray, I continued a tight grip onto the bench in from of me. Through God’s direction that gentleman came over and not only encouraged me to move towards the altar, but made that long walk with me. Was he there, in that place, for such a times as that? I believe so. We are going through some very tough times, where many people are dying, because of the Corona Virus (Covid 19). Where has God placed you during this endless lockdown period? Has He made an appointment for you to share your faith with someone in your place of isolation, or someone who might be in close proximity? I believe that the worse nightmare for you or I would be to lose a loved one that we wish we would have shared our testimony with, or shared the gospel story with. Let’s remember that we can’t save anyone, nor can we give them Jesus, but we are told in God’s Word to share what we have. The Word says ‘go and tell everyone about your Lord‘! As you meditate today, perhaps you will consider how you might respond if a message was sent to you today from God similar to what was sent to Esther: ‘perhaps you were placed right where you are, for such a time as this’. Esther was asked by her adoptive father to act in such a way that could save the lives of her fellow Jews. You might be reminded to act deliberately to help save the lives of those around you who could awake in Hell, where they will spend eternity with Satan and his demons, without knowing about, and accepting the love of our Savior who sacrificed His life just for them. You have the secret resolution that could help save lives, if you are willing to share, right where you are and with all that are with you. Perhaps it all was arranged this way by the Master, for such a time as this! Act now, won’t you, dear friend? Esther acted and was able to see the lives of many Jews saved.

PRAYER: I thank You Heavenly Father for placing us in appropriate places for times such as this. Unprecedented times, so nothing that we could have prepared for and booked our place to stay in advance, while we fight this pandemic virus as a country. I believe that we each have examples how You’ve placed us in certain places before for specific reasons, and in many cases we are able to praise You for working through us in those circumstances. Please do it again Lord? Many of us are stuck in places where we have a captive audience, and many that are in our group may not know the Lord. Oh that this would be a time where You are busy at work, touching the lives of our family and our friends that have no choice but to watch us closely and listen to the words You might share through us. May we be willing servants – like empty vessels that come to You daily and wait to be filled with Your wisdom, Your grace, Your power, Your words and most of all Your love. May they see the Jesus in our actions that we try to share verbally, and may our loved ones accept You as Lord – for now is the day of salvation. Into Your hands Lord, we place our humble lives and willing hearts, for Yours is the kingdom, the power and the glory, AMEN!

Right With God

On 2020-03-25 By Ed AlgreenIn Bible Believing, Encourage, Evangelism, Faith, Faith, Genuine Faith, RighteousnessLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Wednesday, 2020-03-25
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

Bible Reference: Romans 4:20-25
Translation: New Living Translation (NLT)

Bible Text: ²⁰Abraham never wavered in believing God’s promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God. ²¹He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever he promises. ²²And because of Abraham’s faith, God counted him as righteous. ²³And when God counted him as righteous, it wasn’t just for Abraham’s benefit. It was recorded ²⁴for our benefit, too, assuring us that God will also count us as righteous if we believe in him, the one who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. ²⁵He was handed over to die because of our sins, and he was raised to life to make us right with God.

OBSERVATION: No doubt, there are others who struggle with confidence in their faith, because God sure got my attention when I meditated on this scripture today! I believe it is evident that verse 24 simply states that we need to believe in God and His awesome, infinite power in much the same way that Abraham did. But we all know how challenging that is. When something happens that seem impossible to overcome, at least in our eyes, we go into distress mode and shut down, or we go ballistic. Let’s stop and really meditate on the love, power and grace of our awesome God. His Son put His life on the line for our righteousness. Let’s recognize that and savor the thought of such a sacrifice today.

APPLICATION: I believe that if you ask most folk on the street if they believe in God, they will say: ‘but of course – that’s the only explanation for all that we see around us’. So what is the difference between that kind of faith, and the kind referred to by Paul? This might explain – there was a gentleman who had confidence that he could easily walk a tight rope across the Niagara Falls, but one day he said that he would push a wheelbarrow across on the tight rope – with a person inside of it. There were a lot more people than normal who showed up to watch this new feat. A reporter walked around asking folk, who had seen him do similar feats in the past, if they believed the man was capable of this particular feat. Most of them reply positively, but when asked if they would volunteer to ride in the wheelbarrow, there were a lot fewer who would agree! So did they really have faith that the man could successfully accomplish his challenge? To a degree perhaps, but they weren’t willing to put their life on the line for it! We have so much in our favor to support our faith in God, for there are so many examples in the Bible on the evidence of faith and all that it produced. Read the story of Abraham and how, in spite of being a childless father, yet he became the father of many nations because of his ‘faith’. Moses stood at the edge of the Red Sea with thousands of followers behind him and when, through faith, he followed God’s instructions, he and his people saw a way paved for them where there was no other way. There are many more examples of faith in action friends. There is no need to doubt, just listen to God and ‘BELIEVE’! I believe that many of us are living an unfulfilled life without faith. Let me explain – if we are doubting in your faith in God, how could we possibly show others the true wisdom, love and faith of the God that we serve? We must be firm in our faith in order to convince others that our faith, and our God, is real. Having this kind of faith is not just happen-chance, we must draw close to God and allow Him to draw close to us. We must exhibit our faith in God and allow Him to prove Himself to us. Let’s be consistent in meditating on His Word, and speaking with Him regularly. Let’s build and maintain a relationship with God so that we may know Him and trust Him in a personal way. When witnessing to a friend, our testimony is more valuable than gold. They may doubt what we share with them from the Old Testament, but when we tell them about what God has done in our life, how could they possibly question or doubt? So let me encourage you to meditate on those times where you have seen God at work in your life, then use them as memorials that you can reflect back on any time Satan comes knocking with his evil and deceptive ways. Also use these memorials when you speak with a friend about accepting the Lord, for those are personal times you encountered with the Lord – as real as the testimonies spoken of in the Bible, they would be from a personal experience. This will strengthen your faith friend, and it will serve to strengthen the faith of your friends as you witness to them. As always, please ask God to miraculously work in and through you as you go out to be His witness.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, there is so much evidence of Your existence, and Your handiwork, and Your mighty power – yet we doubt. Please forgive us for our lack of faith. I believe that it is impossible to win others to the kingdom, if we have trouble believing, or have little faith, in the One whom we are promoting. So Father, I come before You not telling You anything that is new to You, but simply asking that You might fill me with the confidence of Your mighty power, Your awesome love and Your miraculous works. I pray that You may work on my most inner being to help me gain the faith that I need to be a better witness for You, especially to those in my circles who are dying and going to Hell because they may not have seen real evidence of a ‘real Christian’. Please help me to turn this around in my life, and as my friends meditate on this devotional today, I pray that You may invoke Your Holy Spirit to be very active in their minds so that they too may speak to You about the needs in their lives. Please bear with, and help, us to overcome the weaknesses in our lives. Give is strength to practice our faith and lean on You like never before. This is my humble and heartfelt prayer that I ask in Your precious name, Lord Jesus, AMEN!

The Reason I Live

On 2020-01-23 By Ed AlgreenIn Christian Living, Exemplary Living, Heaven, Holy Living, Living with purpose, Righteous LivingLeave a comment

Thursday, 2020-01-23

Bible Reference: Philippians 1:20-24
Translation: The Living Bible (TLB)

Bible Text: ²⁰For I live in eager expectation and hope that I will never do anything that will cause me to be ashamed of myself but that I will always be ready to speak out boldly for Christ while I am going through all these trials here, just as I have in the past; and that I will always be an honor to Christ, whether I live or whether I must die. ²¹For to me, living means opportunities for Christ, and dying—well, that’s better yet! ²²But if living will give me more opportunities to win people to Christ, then I really don’t know which is better, to live or die! ²³Sometimes I want to live, and at other times I don’t, for I long to go and be with Christ. How much happier for me than being here! ²⁴But the fact is that I can be of more help to you by staying!

OBSERVATION: We are often so sad over the death of a loved one, and rightfully so, for we worry about how we will survive everyday life without them. But in our Scripture today, Paul directs us to consider our value while alive and also after we move from this life to the next. Paul found it very challenging to determine if his life was more valuable here on earth, or with His heavenly Father. As we meditate, let’s not be concerned about what we could get out of either side of heaven, but rather, what we might give – for the sake of the Master.

APPLICATION: Of special note regarding this scripture: Paul is in prison at the time of this writing! So if Paul has the fortitude and determination to live so that He could do more of the Master’s work, even from within four prison walls, how much more those of us who are ‘free’ should be striving to do the Master’s work? Friends, we whine and we complain about so much, but do we should really have the heart of Jesus, or of Paul, in wanting to see as many won to the Lord as possible? In the above scripture, I bolded a few sentences that, I believe, is worthy of note:
* Living means opportunities for Christ – it is only while we have breath in our bodies that we can be witnesses for the Lord, or care about sinners. Let’s not wait any longer friends, we’re on the winning side and it is our privilege, our honor, and our responsibility to share the Good News of our Savior and Lord;
* Living will give more opportunities to win people to Christ – Often we will find that it’s the threat of impending death that gives us incentive to share the love of Christ that lives inside of us. Please allow me to awaken you to the fact that we have no assurances about the next minute. The moment of opportunity is the present. Please share the love of Christ who lives inside of you with all that you care about and/or come into contact with today!
* I can be of more help to you by staying – Only Jesus Christ has power beyond the grave. He is allowing us to remain here on earth so that we can glorify Him and spread the Good News about the Savior who loved us enough to die for us. In a nutshell friend, this is our mission!
Friends, we remain on this earth to be shining examples of our Lord Jesus Christ. It’s not about politics, gossip, sports, the lotto or any other purpose, so use every opportunity with everyone you know, that the reason you live is to represent Jesus, and try to evangelize the lost, before it is eternally too late.

PRAYER: The reason that I live is …….. Lord, as we complete that sentence today in humility and prayer before You, I ask that You will take those completed sentences and correct any misgivings about our mission, compared to the one You have assigned to us. I am pretty convinced that our mission is similar in nature to what Paul shared with the Philippians, because throughout Your Word we are told the importance of surrendering our lives to You, so that we, in turn, may be a blessing to others and convince them of their need for our Savior. Please work on us today and guide us to do Your perfect will, for this is my sincere and humble plea. It’s in Your beautiful and bountiful name that I ask all this, dear Jesus, AMEN!

Nuggets From God's Word

Tag: Witness