Gardening Faith: Growing While We Wait for Jesus

On 2025-05-24 By Ed AlgreenIn Accept Jesus NOW, Acknowledge God, All have sinned, Awesome God, God Cares For Us, God’s WordLeave a comment

DATE POSTED
Saturday, May 24, 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 James 5:7-12 in your Bible or click on it to read it online in the New Living Translation (NLT).

APPLICATION – as inspired by the Holy Spirit
With everything being done quicker and quicker these days, there is probably not a better time to be reminded about being patient. Microwavable speeds and Instant Pots in cooking. Supersonic speeds in our military jets. Instant results from medical procedures like blood tests, MRI’s, CT Scans, X-Rays, etc. So, a believer may tend to believe that after accepting Jesus as Lord, you may awake next morning in heaven! Well, guess what, that is so very near what God might do, for only He knows the date of His Son’s return to earth to take away His bride, the church (believers). However, what it seems like the Holy Spirit is teaching us through His servant James is, how we are to act, and what we are to do while we wait for the day we are taken out of this world and into the presence of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We may sing that wonderful old hymn, that never grows old, ‘When We All Get To Heaven’, a favorite of mine, and although that is THE most wonderful day a believer could fix their eyes, heart and mind on, we must believe that Jesus has a plan for our lives while we wait for that day. Let’s be reminded that idle minds could very easily be the workplace of the evil one!
Being from a farming environment, James used an example that the students of his ministry could immediately identify with. And while farming is still a viable example today, I beg you to think of relevant examples in your particular lifestyle and use it as an example to remind you of how productive, or non-productive, you become while you wait. My wife and I recently planted a very small garden, so this farming example is very relevant at this time! Here’s how I could explain it in light of the teaching by James:
–> We added a bag of miracle-grow soil to our gardening spot – For this little garden had been sitting nonproductive for several months with just weeds making their home there. So, we had to prepare the ground. This teaches me that as we prepare to share the love, and new birth found in Jesus, we may want to develop a relationship with the person, or people we feel may need to know Him as Lord. Prepare the ground for the Gospel.
–> We planted our seeds – all the while considering how much space that each particular vegetable would need to grow as the sed caught and the plant matured. In a church setting the method of evangelism stays pretty consistent, but as you survey those to whom you hope to minister, your consideration of their circumstances, education, religious background, and more, may all be varied. So, the Holy Spirit may use various methods in helping you establish a relationship of trust with the prospect first, before inviting them to know your Jesus. Also remember that many times you may plant the seed of faith into someone, but others may witness and celebrate the harvest!
–> Daily nurturing of the new plants – hydration, food (fertilizer), keeping external interference at bay – bugs, weeds, etc. Remember, no blossoms or fruit may show for days or even weeks, yet it is important to provide nurturing, if you expect to see fruit/vegetables at some point. Just as your salvation experience probably didn’t occur without some prior prompting by the Holy Sprit, so it might very well be with the prospect you are praying for and hoping to evangelize. Nonetheless, encourage them and root for them in every step of their walk with Christ.
Notice that all of the above steps teach us patience, as James genuinely reminded us in today’s Scripture. There is never an instant planting to harvesting ratio. Should I have opened the pack of seeds and let them empty on to the unprepared ground, then sat in front of my television each day and then expect to go out and harvest my vegetables, my wife would probably have admitted me to a, insane asylum! James is teaching us that while we wait for the BIG Day for all believers, the day that we see the face of Jesus together with His Father and the Holy Spirit, we must be about our Father’s business. Try fertilizing the soul with nuggets from God’s Word each day. God wants us to flourish in our Christian walk, so that we might be a fresh, growing, productive disciple for the Kingdom while still here on earth. For the unbeliever that may happen across this devotional, or that may be in search of hope from our Creator, please read my FOOTNOTE carefully and consider the helps provided. I have a second page to this blog also, ‘To Know Jesus’. please consider reading through it and the various Scriptures provided to help you understand how to change your life. This is my heart’s cry as I write each of these blog posts.

PRAYER
Dear Jesus, I am reminded that Your garden here on earth is very similar to my vegetable garden. Seeds for some people/plants are newly planted, and we patiently wait for them to grow above ground where they may be seen and recognized by onlookers. Some are growing slowly but need nurturing/encouraged along the way in order to make good, healthy and life sustaining plants/believers. While some are bearing fruit, for which we give You thanks, for only You can truly energize and nurture our plants and believers. Thank You Lord for not only being our Creator, but our sustainer, encourager, strength and everlasting hope while we wait for our time to join You in Heaven. To God be the glory! 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 Bible teaching 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!

Tell Everyone What God Has Done For You

On 2023-01-222023-01-22 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, Salvation, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED Sunday, 2023-01-22
WRITTEN AT: O’Brien, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Luke 8:37-39
TRANSLATION: New International Version (NIV)

BIBLE TEXT: ³⁷Then all the people of the region of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them, because they were overcome with fear. So he got into the boat and left. ³⁸The man from whom the demons had gone out begged to go with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, ³⁹“Return home and tell how much God has done for you.” So the man went away and told all over town how much Jesus had done for him.

APPLICATION: Conversations with a friend at work, or the hairdresser, or a new friend sitting next to you in a stadium, are all varied and open discussion about almost any subject. Telling everyone about a predicted storm coming your way, or about a recent robbery, or the argument between your neighbors – they all seem easy to talk about in mixed and unknown company. However, we tend to crawl back into our corner rather, than tell anyone about the awesome touch of God on our lives during last week’s church service. We are often ready and willing to share the gory details about an upcoming surgery but wouldn’t dare tell anyone about how our surgery was cancelled because ‘Doctor’ Jesus responded to our cry for healing. Why do you suppose this happens? Why do you permit it to happen? Is it not obvious that two of the most evangelistic sermons every preached were: 1). When this healed man went and told his whole township about what Jesus had done in his life? and 2). When the woman at the well left the encounter with Jesus and went on to share her experience with her whole town? If you rushed into town and saved everyone from disaster by telling them about a storm you just saw approaching the town, you would probably be interviewed by many television stations as they lauded you as a hero to the town. Yet there is a storm of unknown capacity on its way, the one that involves the end of life here on earth, and the transition of every soul to eternity. Many will face the doom of eternity in Hell, because they have not considered and accepted Jesus as Lord of their life. Would you rather stand idly by and watch them walk into eternity with Satan and his demons, or would you choose to share with them the Good News of Jesus Christ who saved you from your sin? In Matthew 28:18-20 Jesus gives us the same orders that He gave to the woman at the well, and to the healed demon-possessed man – Go and tell the town what Jesus has done for you. Are you willing to stand firm today and declare that nothing will stop you from following in the footsteps of the two individuals mentioned in this devotional? If not, why not? If you must say no, because you have nothing to share, may I introduce you to the man who saved the woman and man we spoke of in this devotional today? I don’t believe that God called us to memorize Scripture, although that is extremely helpful; Nor to preach the Gospel, as God gave that gift to certain ones, and you may not be one of them. But I am convinced that God wants you to tell your story. How, when, and under what circumstances did you meet Jesus? What has He done for you in response to your prayers, through His Word, and in various circumstances of life? Just share it my friend! Remember, you can’t save anyone, but do as God instructed and enthusiastically watch as God saves them!

BLESSING(S) NOTED: I don’t believe the man and woman I spoke of in my application needed any encouragement or support to tell their joyous story. God has healed our brokenness and sin, and He gave us new life in and through the name of Jesus! Of course we have a story to tell that can change the hearts of the unsaved! Go now into all the world and share your story with the lost and unsaved.

PRAYER: Yes Lord, we do have a story to tell. You were merciful, You accepted my plea for salvation and You set my feet on a new road to heaven where I will spend eternity with You and the Father. Please immerse Yourself within me so that I might have the boldness and the power to tell my story, so that others may be encouraged and drawn to You. People still need the Lord. How dare we say that we are timid, or ashamed, or don’t have the words to say. Being filled with the Holy Spirit is all we need, so open our heart’s and continue to give us a voice to share the same love that You showed to us in saving our soul. Help me to sing it loud ‘Jesus is all the world to me‘ and ‘Down at the cross‘ – glory to Your name! 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!

Open Their Eyes

On 2022-03-112022-03-11 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Evangelize, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, Worship1 Comment

DATE POSTED Friday, 2022-03-11
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Acts 26:17-20
TRANSLATION: Contemporary English Version (CEV)

BIBLE TEXT: 17 The Lord also said, “I will protect you from the Jews and from the Gentiles that I am sending you to. 18 I want you to open their eyes, so they will turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God. Then their sins will be forgiven, and by faith in me they will become part of God’s holy people.”
19 King Agrippa, I obeyed this vision from heaven. 20 First I preached to the people in Damascus, and then I went to Jerusalem and all over Judea. Finally, I went to the Gentiles and said, “Stop sinning and turn to God! Then prove what you have done by the way you live.”

APPLICATION: As I write this blog today, I am receiving notifications about an approaching thunderstorm. On radar it looks serious enough for me to go out and warn the neighbors. Summer time in Florida is always a time for residents to stay tuned to weather reports for possible hurricane developments. We not only go out of our way to tell neighbors of approaching hurricanes, but we jump in to help them secure their property from the ravishes of these dangerous weather systems. Break-ins sometimes happen no matter where we are located. No matter if it’s neighborhood watch teams or just neighbors who hear about this awful crime, we make sure that everyone knows and are best prepared to fend off the criminal, should they approach our home. We do each of these things without giving a second thought to being rejected or cursed out by our neighbors. Yet so many Christians will surrender to accepting this call of God because they fear rejection. Paul didn’t stop his efforts even while in prison, and even when he stood before the king. In fact, he was so bold that further down in verse 28 Agrippa was forced to ask Paul if he was trying to save him also! So what do you suppose might be your greatest fear in doing exactly what God ordered Paul to do? Fear of rejection might definitely play a vital part in your decision to remain silent about the love of God, but it definitely had no role in sharing the above news for the protection of property and people. Might it be that we are too ashamed of the job we have done in living out our salvation, and that we are afraid of embarrassing ourselves with a message that still hasn’t truly affected us yet? Friends, I believe that God will hold us, Christians, accountable for the way that we have hidden His grace, His forgiveness and His many blessings given to us. Deep inside, we seem to have hardened ourselves from boldly telling the world who we belong to, and how badly they need Jesus. How else will we open their eyes? If we know it, if we live it, and if we have a daily relationship with the One who gave it to us, then nothing should be capable of stopping us. Would you be bold enough to drop me a note and share with me what it is that stops you in your mission? Perhaps we can pray one for another in this effort. Perhaps if we could be brave enough to tell another Christian, we will find it easy to share with an unbeliever who Jesus is to us.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: The answer to today’s wars, hatred and envy is Jesus! Let’s be convinced that we know Him, and that those we come into contact with also know Him!

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, we are often frustrated and very afraid of the evil results of Satan’s interference in the lives of our loved ones. Yet we have the answer to this dilemma and we act afraid of sharing the Good News. Please forgive us Lord. Please also fill us with a deeper desire to know You better, and to live in a real and right relationship with You. As this improves, I believe that Your love will overflow from us and we will have a new strength and boldness to share Your love with others. People need the Lord, and I pray that You will help each reader/listener and I to never be a stumbling block in preventing the outflow of Jesus’ love for them. AMEN!

Are You Ready To Go?

On 2021-09-212021-09-20 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Evangelism, Evangelize, Needs, Praise, Readiness, Ready, Ready to Go, Recognize God, State of Readiness, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED Tuesday, 2021-09-21
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Luke 17:26-27
TRANSLATION: Living Bible (TLB)

BIBLE TEXT: ²⁶“When I return the world will be as indifferent to the things of God as the people were in Noah’s day. ²⁷They ate and drank and married—everything just as usual right up to the day when Noah went into the ark and the Flood came and destroyed them all.

APPLICATION: For those who strive to evangelize the lost and guide them into a relationship with Jesus Christ, you will find yourselves much like the disciples, in that you will encourage the lost to accept Jesus today, as He could return anytime after the very moment that you share the Good News. But even in Bible stories, we read about the excuses that people quickly came up with when they are asked to accept the Lord, so I’m sure that the excuses will flow rapidly from the mouths of those that we set out to encourage. For the disciple’er I would suggest that you think back to the days when you tried to encourage your spouse to marry you. Although they may have initially had some doubt, you went through a long courtship to try and convince them that you two belonged together. So let me encourage you to do a little courting of your closest family members, or your dearest friends, so that you may gain their confidence to believe the urgency of the message you want to share with them. Also, let’s remember that Jesus warned His disciples, and us, about the uncertainty of the day and the hour, so getting the message out today could make the difference between eternal life, or eternity and damnation in Hell for that dear person. To the one who might be reading this and you have chosen to ‘wait and see’, I believe that there has never been a time in our history where we are reminded daily how death is knocking on the door of our family and friends almost daily, and without regard to age, gender, health condition, or anything else. Please realize dear friends that your time could be next. Please be ready for the day that Jesus comes back, even if it’s today. Just as airport officials only admit passenger who are ready to travel when the flight departs, so will Jesus have a similar decision when He returns to take us home. Are you ready to go?

BLESSING(S) NOTED: For those who are ready to go, Jesus can come today, tomorrow or anytime and you will be ready to join with the rest of His chosen children to accompany Him into heaven! No greater joy!

PRAYER: Lord, Your warning is clear, and for many we are ready to join with You and the angels in Heaven when You come to take us home. The urgency is also clear for our unsaved loved ones, so in all humility I ask that You bestow upon all Christians the importance of showing how much they care about loved ones, by showing them the only way to Heaven. Lord, with urgency evident to both the evangelist and the hearer, may we be busy about our Father’s work. We may say that we love and care about our family and friends, but may that be apparent by us showing them the way to Heaven. Please forgive us when we fail, or when we are timid, but Lord we depend on Your wisdom and Your strength to guide us every day. AMEN!

Make It Right With God

On 2021-09-142021-09-13 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Forgiveness, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED Tuesday, 2021-09-14
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Psalm 51:10-12
TRANSLATION: Easy-to-Read Version (ERV)

BIBLE TEXT:¹⁰God, create a pure heart in me, and make my spirit strong again.
¹¹Don’t push me away or take your Holy Spirit from me.
¹²Your help made me so happy. Give me that joy again. Make my spirit strong and ready to obey you.

APPLICATION: God knows all about our sin, but Solomon showed us that it is important that when we approach God for forgiveness, that we acknowledge that we are all too aware of our wickedness and that we are coming to the only perfect One who is able to restore our relationship with Him. We must also seek forgiveness from the One whose Holy Spirit resides in the heart of a Christian. It is obvious that this sin committed by Solomon really wreaked havoc on his very spirit, for he asked God to strengthen his spirit again. I believe that there are times when we are so aware of our sin, and so ashamed of our weakness, than we find it tough to go on – especially in a way where we might once again feel innocent enough to share Christ with our circle of friends. You see, others must see Jesus in us and the impact that He is having on us, for them to really believe in whatever we are trying to evangelize. We can only ask like Solomon did, that God might restore a right spirit within us, and help us relive what we felt at the time we accepted Jesus as Lord. Solomon had committed serious sin, and just as he sought out his Master, I’m sure there are times that we feel much like him, as we tend to feel ashamed of ourselves and unworthy to again proclaim the Savior that we represent. I pray that today we might truly reflect on the actions that Solomon took, and take our concerns before the only one that could help us overcome the effects of sin on our life. Let’s be sure to ask God for an opportunity to start all over afresh, and restore the joy of our salvation.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: I believe that God does much like the father of the Prodical son, I believe that He stands with open arms waiting for us to ask His forgiveness and seek a renewed spirit.

PRAYER: Thank You Lord for giving us stories like this one about Solomon, for these examples help us to know that there is hope for all who will call on the name of Jesus, and ask for His forgiveness. Oh how we desire a right spirit within us, especially when we’ve messed up. Lord Jesus, please humble the hearts of Your children to let go of the sins that so easily beset us. We know the answer – it’s Jesus! Please help us to breakdown our pride and acknowledge our sin before You as we seek Your forgiveness and help to overcome the pain from our sin. We are truly hoping as we are renewed, You will once again place us in situations, and before the right folk that need to know more about You and accept Your leadership in their life. AMEN!

Become All Things To All People

On 2021-05-122021-05-12 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Evangelism, Evangelize, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Wednesday, 2021-05-12
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: 1 Corinthians 9:22-23
TRANSLATION: East-to-Read Version (ERV)

BIBLE TEXT: ²²To those who are weak, I became weak so that I could help save them. I have become all things to all people. I did this so that I could save people in any way possible. ²³I do all this to make the Good News known. I do it so that I can share in the blessings of the Good News.

APPLICATION: First of all, let me emphasize that I firmly believe Jesus came to save all people groups of the world, no matter your education status; your skin color; your culture; your financial status; the sin you have committed; etc, etc. Paul saw a challenge, that I believe still exists today – who will tell them? There’s an old proverb that says ‘Birds of a feather flock together’. There may be many applications for that proverb, but I believe the primary fault with it, is that we tend to become a very exclusive group of folk that either worship together, or play together, or visit one another. I almost left out the last option, because so few of us visit one another anymore. So what does this all boil down to? Well, unfortunately, I believe that it points to the idea that we quickly form little groups of like minded, like cultured, like financially, type people. These are the folk that we worship with, visit and feel closest to. However, we also know that God came to seek and to save ALL that are lost, all that are hurting and need a Savior. So if we are His missionaries and His hands and feet on the ground, what will we find to respond when asked about serving or ministering to the unlikely person stuck with living under that nearby bridge, or sleeps outside of the liquor store for the convenience of being there when it opens next morning? How do you suppose you would think about these scenarios if you were to follow Paul’s example? How do you feel like you could reach these unlikely folk for Jesus? Will you have a satisfactory response for Jesus when He questions you about your work on earth, including ministering to all people in need? Please know that our response to God concerning that man we pay a salary to at church to do all of this, will probably not be what God is looking for. We are all called to ‘go into all the world and proclaim the name of Jesus Christ as the only saving grace from our sins’. If you truly want to understand that person from another culture, ask if you could join him for a day, so that you might walk in his shoes and understand the challenges that he faces each day.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank You for Jesus, our Redeemer, Savior and Friend. Thank You for His demonstration of humility in meeting the needs of people from all walks of life. I’m not sure how we got separated from that and have formed such exclusive groups that often do not include all of society, but Lord You have opened my eyes and reminded me of the need to reach the whole world for Your kingdom’s sake. Please give us wisdom and boldness to tear down those walls of division and rejection. You are known for Your love; encouragement; humbleness; caring; and everlasting hope, among many other attributes. Please help us to be imitators of You, and spread these same attributes to all people, without any walls, so that the world might know You and see You lived out in our lives every day. Thank You Lord Jesus! AMEN!

The Miraculous Good News!

On 2020-11-162020-11-15 By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Miraculous, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, Witness, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Monday, 2020-11-15
WRITTEN AT: Paul B Johnson State Park, Hattiesburg, MS

BIBLE REFERENCE: Daniel 4:1-3
TRANSLATION: The Voice (VOICE)

BIBLE TEXT: ¹….May peace and prosperity be yours! ²I am pleased to be able to tell you about all the signs and miracles the Most High God has done for me. ³ How great are His signs; how powerful are His miracles! His kingdom will endure forever; His reign will last from generation to generation.

OBSERVATION: This message was addressed to all world leaders that reported to the him, from a king who could not get a handle on the power of God Almighty. King Nebuchadnezzar had a disturbing dream, but after trying every other source available to him for an interpretation of his dream, and only upon hearing from a stubborn young man (Daniel) that he had imprisoned, but who trusted and believed in God for his wisdom, did the king clearly receive an interpretation of his dream – a miracle in his eyes! The news was worthy of sharing with everyone!

APPLICATION: It was very clear that it was God who gave the king the interpretation, for Daniel was just a humble man imprisoned by King Nebuchadnezzar for refusing to obey his orders, and instead standing firm in his faith. Before I challenge us to look inward and compare our witness with that of Daniel, let’s first look at the initial encounter the king had with Daniel. The king had ordered all the strong, wise and promising men be brought into his palace for indoctrination into the riches of royalty, but for the sake of servant leadership. The food, the lifestyle, the workouts and of course the ways of the king. Daniel was chosen as one of the special men fitting the kings description, but the first thing Daniel had to deal with was the food, for it was quite different from the diet he was directed by Scripture to follow. There is an old proverb ‘when in Rome, do as the Romans do’, but Daniel was not willing to compromise his walk with God – even in his diet. Surely most individuals would have been afraid to speak up about the rich food being offered to them in the king’s palace, but under the inspiration of the God that he served, Daniel asked for a compromise by the guards. I wonder if right from the very start, the king may have been impressed by this young man with principles that he was not willing to compromise? What do we do? All within our power to save our lives and promote ourselves in our jobs or in the environment in which we find ourselves, correct? You know, it may please the boss for a moment, when we compromise our ‘stand’ on a subject to agree with him or her, but imagine what must really be going through the mind of the boss? Perhaps something like: he/she really has no firm principles. They will surrender to my will as soon as I speak, or especially after I throw a few dollar signs in front of them. But what does this type of behavior say to God about your relationship with Him? You often count on God, especially when times are rough. But can He depend on you, and especially on the commitment you made to Him? In Daniel we see similar behavior to that of Joseph, who also interpreted dreams. Neither were push-overs. What might you be considered in the eyes of those who have authority over you? Can they proudly tell the world about a man, or a woman, who is truly faithful to their Lord and, although respectful, will not cross over that fine line of what they believe to be their God-given responsibility and choice?

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for all that You did, and continue to do for me. Lord I am so ashamed that I am not as bold in my witness and testimony as I should be in sonship. I pray that just as Nebuchadnezzar came to his senses and saw the power of God through his humble servant Daniel, that I too might be awakened to Your awesome power and Your mighty works all around me. Please Lord, speak to each reader. May your Word become alive in our lives, and may others know that Jesus Christ is alive and well because they see His wondrous works in and through us. 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!

More Important Than Food

On 2018-12-27 By Ed AlgreenIn Like Jesus, Priorities, PriorityLeave a comment

Thursday, 2018-12-27

Bible Reference: John 4:31-34
Translation: Contemporary English Version (CEV)

Bible Text: ³¹ While this was happening, Jesus’ disciples were saying to him, “Teacher, please eat something.” ³² But Jesus told them, “I have food that you don’t know anything about.” ³³ His disciples started asking each other, “Has someone brought him something to eat?” ³⁴ Jesus said: My food is to do what God wants! He is the one who sent me, and I must finish the work that he gave me to do.

OBSERVATION: Facing a New Year with our priorities in order should go a long ways, provided that we carefully and prayerfully seek God’s direction for those priorities. Jesus told His disciples that for himself, it was more important than food. Let’s consider this in our meditation today.

APPLICATION: There is a saying I’ve heard around churches, “if you feed them, they will come”! That sounds bad, but it is so true of many folk who attend church today! I believe you will even see this proven at weddings where a couple decides not to have a reception, for attendance is generally down, compared to the weddings that offer a feast afterwards at a reception. Why, even to funerals are now followed by a huge reception that attracts most attendees to eat, rather than spend quality time with the mourning family members. It is unfortunate that we have gotten our priorities so twisted. Perhaps as we face the coming of a brand new year, we may look to the Word of God to make sure that our priorities are in order. Here are some examples for us to take note of, and follow as God leads:

John 4:31-34 – In today’s focal passage, Jesus saw an opportunity to speak with unsaved Samaritans, and this was far more satisfying to Him than any amount, or quality, of food that He could physically eat at the time. If it was important to Jesus, should it not be for us also?
Matt. 14:15–17; John 4:8; Luke 18:28 – The Disciples were always concerned about the physical need, particularly food!
Luke 11:11-13 – Jesus taught the disciples to first remember that God will provide exactly what they need, even though their tendency was to worry about food and physical needs primarily. Imagine pleading and pleading for a hamburger, when God wants to give you a ranch where you could have all the beef you want! He will supply our needs, friends! Praise the wonderful name of Jesus!

Friends, when we get our priorities straight and do what Jesus commands in Matthew 6:33 – seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, then perhaps He will see to it that ALL of our need are met, not just our physical needs of nourishment. Perhaps the next time we become so concerned over whether to have a meal in order to attract folk to an event, particularly a church event, we should read Romans 14:17-18 and remind ourselves of what’s important to the kingdom of heaven! Perhaps if we concentrate more on our spiritual needs and the desire of God for our lives in 2019, we will not only trim some fat, but we will gain a whole lot more faith, hope, love for each other, and gain a closer walk with the Lord than we have ever had before. Friends, can we make this our goal in 2019, God being our helper?

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, please forgive us for allowing our priorities to drift away from the most important person, and the most important thing. We are very close to being blessed with a brand new year, where we have the opportunity to make a brand new start in our spiritual lives. We need to draw close to You Lord, for living in this old wicked world has poisoned us into following the ways of Satan instead of the righteousness that would please You, the one who sacrificed Your very own life for us. Please renew within us a right spirit, so that we might get our priorities straight, and may this all happen so that You might be glorified in all things. AMEN!

Tell The World About Jesus

On 2018-12-192018-12-19 By Ed AlgreenIn Evangelize, Share God’s WordLeave a comment

Wednesday, 2018-12-19

Bible Reference: John 1:6-9
Translation: New Century Version (NCV)

Bible Text: 6 There was a man named John, who was sent by God. 7 He came to tell people about the light. Through him all people could hear about the light and believe. 8 John was not the light. But he came to tell people about the light. 9 The true light was coming into the world. This is the true light that gives light to all people.

OBSERVATION: Like John, we have a responsibility to tell about the Light of the word, Jesus!

APPLICATION: Not only was Jesus born through miraculous means, but God also miraculously created a forerunner to tell the world about the Savior that was to come, and his name was John. I believe that God also created others to share the responsibility in John’s absence. If you haven’t guessed already, I believe those partners of John are you and I. No, I didn’t make an error in what I said. I didn’t mean the pastors and preachers and evangelists. I really meant those of us that are saved, filled with the Holy Spirit and prepared spiritually to share the love story about Jesus with those that He loves and that we should care about. There are many stories about John and the extremes he went to in accomplishing his responsibility. I wonder if others who know us, know that we are recipients of the most precious gift of all. I wonder if they know and recognize that because of God’s promise of eternal life, that we are making every effort to convince our family and friends of their need for this Savior of ours! Friends, John was the forerunner of Jesus, and we are the forerunner of His return. The dark world that we live in today is so full of sin and evil in so many ways, that there appears to be no ‘light’ at the end of our ‘dark tunnel’. My desire is to see the light of Jesus blot out the darkness and get the attention of our friends that are so enveloped in darkness, so that they may surrender to the lordship of Jesus, the ultimate Light of the world! But how will they know if we don’t tell them? Like John, we have a responsibility to tell about the Light of the word, Jesus!

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, thank You for using a humble servant of yours to show me the Light of the world! Thank You for being my Savior and my Lord, especially in this dark world in which I live. I am convinced from our scripture today that we are to be partners with John and humble servants of Yours, and to share that Light with all those that we come into contact with. Lord, may your Light shine through my readers and I so that the world may know and believe. I ask these things knowing that there are many that each of us know personally who need You, the Light of the world! Amen!

A God-filled, God-honoring Life

On 2018-09-14 By Ed AlgreenIn Filled With The Spirit, God-honoring, Honor, True witnesses, Witness, WitnessingLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE FROM: Titus 2:11-14 (MSG)

TEXT: ^11-14God’s readiness to give and forgive is now public. Salvation’s available for everyone! We’re being shown how to turn our backs on a godless, indulgent life, and how to take on a God-filled, God-honoring life. This new life is starting right now, and is whetting our appetites for the glorious day when our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, appears. He offered himself as a sacrifice to free us from a dark, rebellious life into this good, pure life, making us a people he can be proud of, energetic in goodness.

OBSERVATION: In the first 10 verses of this chapter, Paul shares with Titus the importance of teaching older men, older women, younger men and younger women, how to live a God-filled, God-honoring life, and the importance of doing so. This teaching has never been more critical than it is for us today, so as we meditate on this, let’s try to apply it – for the kingdom of God is at hand!

APPLICATION: Telling a politician, or a public figure to include something on ‘right living’ in their political agenda, would almost seem hypocritical compared to the backbiting, hatred and name calling they normally do. Telling an evangelist to hit the streets and demand this lifestyle of those coming out of the bars and dance halls would probably be meaningless to a people are already living the best lifestyle they know how to live. But I believe that just as Paul gave this advice to his fellow laborer and Brother in the Lord, and expected him to share this with those that he found in the local church, we too must be prepared to give this advice to our pastors, teachers and leaders of our churches today. The whole reason for this, comes down to our churches empowering our people not just with the awesome power of God’s Word, but also asking its parishioners to live and practice the life that they are being taught from God’s Word. So in effect, we are encouraging each one to become the church to all those that they come into contact with! I believe that it is our responsibility to live like ‘little Christs’, before all those we come into contact with, especially if we are God-filled, and if we are giving every effort to honor God with our speech, behavior and character. I just love the latter part of this Scripture where we are told that God gave up everything, when He allowed His precious Son to die on the cross for us, for He wanted to make it possible and easy for us to make Him proud of us. How do you feel about your day friend? Did you make God proud in everything that you did? Would others conclude that you are a ‘God-filled’ person, and that you honor God through the things that you say and do? The Word says that when we strive towards these things, we develop an appetite and excitement about the glorious day when our Lord will return! God saw the need for Titus to hear these words from Paul, and I believe that He wants us to also get the picture He is portraying for us today about our earthly condition, in preparation for our heavenly celebration and our eternal home!

PRAYER: Oh that your people may know about You Lord! Oh that we, who are called by Your name, will seek Your face, humble ourselves and pray, and allow ourselves to be so filled with Your presence, Your character, Your love and to seek Your Holy Spirit for every decision in life, so that we may be God-filled and so that we may honor You in all things. Please anoint us today with Your power, so that we may look more like You in the eyes of those searching for the Master. 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 could 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 to subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Sebring, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us!

Nuggets From God's Word

Tag: Evangelize