Tag: Share Jesus

Embracing Love: Lessons from the Samaritan Woman

On By Ed AlgreenIn Accept Jesus NOW, Acknowledge God, All have sinned, Awesome God, God Cares For Us, God’s Word, LoveLeave a comment

DATE POSTED
Sunday, June 8, 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 John 4:15-19 in your Bible or click on it to read it online in the Living Bible (TLB).

APPLICATION – as inspired by the Holy Spirit
For some background leading up to these particular verses, we must be reminded that Jesus was on an uncommon path to Jerusalem, by way of Samaria. This was a path not usually traveled by the Jews, for they made it a point to stay clear of the Samaritans, whom they distained and whom they felt were illegitimate and extremely distasteful to be around. So I believe that the first key point in our lesson today is to remember that prejudice and hatred for any particular sect of people is a mankind thing, as God made us all, sent His Son for all who would believe on Him, and Jesus died and rose again so that all of God’s children who come to Him (believe on Him and surrender themselves to the lordship of Jesus Christ) will be saved. Friends, I am convinced that Jesus was as comfortable with this Samaritan woman as He would have been with any king or queen from a Jewish nation. I also believe that Jesus wants to have fellowship with you and me because He created us and loves us beyond anything we could imagine. Yes, we have sinned, and yes, we have disregarded the commands of our Master in His Word, but praise God He has not turned His back on us nor joined with others who despise us because of our financial position, our ancestry, or our place in the palace of an earthly leader. Another important note for us to think about is that the Samaritan Woman seems to have conceded to the offer by Jesus for the life-giving water that only He could provide, as to say that if only I could partake of this water You offered, then perhaps I would be able to…… Is that the sort of deal we try to make when parents or close friends are trying to convince us of our need for salvation? Jesus, ‘save me’ and then perhaps these people will get off my back and leave me alone, or ‘save me’ and I will then connect with a much better crowd that I am currently involved in? You know, I come from an area that was bombarded with the threat, and often the damages, of hurricanes each year. The weather man would tell us to prepare, for a hurricane is eminent at our location over the next few days. We didn’t look to find a better deal, or something more fun to do, we started securing our homes, boats and vehicles for the onslaught of a hurricane. Why then do we not listen and adhere to God’s warnings in His Word? Like the weatherman I mentioned above, God loves us enough that He wants us to be prepared for the day that He will call us out of this world. He wants us to be ready for eternity in Heaven, rather than accepting the damnation of Hell. I wonder, have you been obedient to the call of God? If not, I encourage you to read my Footnote carefully and accept my tips on meeting my Savior and Lord. For He desires relationship with you, my friend! The Bible tells us that a home has been prepared in Heaven for those who accept Jesus as their Lord. He has prepared for your arrival my friend. Please don’t disappoint Him.

PRAYER
Lord I am so humbled by Your expression of love for this Samaritan woman that so many of Your own countrymen went to extremes to avoid contact with, because they had placed her in a box – one filled with rejects that they thought could never be worthy of You and Your love. Oh Lord, You chose to do the same for me as You did for that woman, in spite of my unworthiness, yet You loved me and chose me to live with You in Heaven throughout all eternity. But Lord, I’m afraid that we have yet to learn a lesson from Your display of mercy and love for the Samaritan woman, for we still turn up our noses at those who are different than us. We jump to our own conclusions based on our worldly rules of likes and dislikes, but seldom does that ever equal what You have demonstrated and taught us throughout Your Word. Please forgive us Lord, and help us to love like You love us, and help us to always consider others thru eyes of mercy and humbleness of our heart and soul. May it always be obvious that we love others as an expression of the love You demonstrated to us. 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!

A Framework For Worship

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

DATE POSTED Saturday, 2022-08-13
WRITTEN AT: O’Brien, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Pslam 105:1-5
TRANSLATION: Contemporary English Version (CEV)

BIBLE TEXT: 1 Praise the Lord and pray in his name! Tell everyone what he has done.
2 Sing praises to the Lord! Tell about his miracles.
3 Celebrate and worship his holy name with all your heart.
4 Trust the Lord and his mighty power.
5 Remember his miracles and all his wonders and his fair decisions.

APPLICATION: Some churches have a template for their order of service, so attendees know exactly what to expect. Some churches worship based on the leadership of the Holy Spirit, so it may be challenging to prepare yourself for the next item in the order of service! But what about you and me, what prompts us to worship God, and what might that time of worship look like? Here are some ideas given by David:
-> Praise the Lord!
-> Pray in His name!
-> Share with everyone what He has done!
-> Sing praises to the Lord!
-> Talk about His miracles with everyone!
-> Celebrate and worship Him and His holiness from the depths of your heart!
-> Trust the Lord and His mighty power!
-> Remember, remember, remember – His miracles, His wonders and His fair decisions!
I hope that, like me, you meditated slowly on each of the above. I’m sure that we can all relate to these items in an environment like I mentioned above – at church, and I bet you can even reflect on individuals who do at least one of these things really good. But in this devotional, I believe that God would have us consider, and look inward at our personal times of worship. I’ve said it before, and I’m sure many of you will identify with me – there just isn’t time enough in our day. But let me challenge you like one of my peers did to me at one time – substitute the words ‘I don’t have time’ with ‘That wasn’t a priority for me today’. Each statement means the same thing, but the words help God to identify what the problem is. What if God asked you one night why didn’t you worship Him that day? How will you feel telling Him that it wasn’t a priority for you that day? Can you handle Him saying that He didn’t protect, love, heal, or care for you that day because you weren’t a priority to Him? Those words hurt dear friend. Please think on the Lord throughout your day, and consider praising Him in the storms of life, praying to Him whether you are overwhelmed in joy, sadness or just facing the challenges of life. Be bold in telling others how you’ve seen Jesus in your day, for they will be touched by your experiences a lot more than your stories of how others are impacted. Know that you belong to Him, know that He loves you enough to sacrifice His very life for you, and gladly show your appreciation to Him as you worship Him from the very depths of your heart.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: God is very near, and His love for us is from everlasting to everlasting. He deserves our praise – our individual and personal praise, because He is a vital part of the relationship we enjoy with our Master and Lord.

PRAYER: To God be the glory, great things He has done! Jesus, we love you, we worship and adore You, for we glorify You in everything throughout the day You have blessed us with. That’s our promise Lord, and from this day forward, we cement our relationship with You so that our hearts will overflow with our praises and our worship. Forgive us Lord where we have fallen short on this, and even reneged altogether in our appreciation of, and glorification to, You. As Your child, may it be obvious to You and to the world that Jesus rules and reigns in my heart. Please open the eyes and hearts of my readers and listeners to commit to this promise and may they vow to worship You individually every day. As the lost recognizes the change in us, may they also recognize Jesus and desire a personal relationship with You, Lord. AMEN!

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

Open Their Eyes

On 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!

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!

Because Of Your Witness

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Evangelism, Evangelize, Needs, Personal Witness, Praise, Recognize God, Witness, Witnessing, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED Saturday, 2021-11-13
WRITTEN AT: Ormond Beach, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: John 4:39-42
TRANSLATION: Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC)

BIBLE TEXT: 39 Now numerous Samaritans from that town believed in and trusted in Him because of what the woman said when she declared andtestified, He told me everything that I ever did.
40 So when the Samaritans arrived, they asked Him to remain with them, and He did stay there two days.
41 Then many more believed in and adhered to and relied on Him because of His personal message [what He Himself said].
42 And they told the woman, Now we no longer believe (trust, have faith) just because of what you said; for we have heard Him ourselves [personally], and we know that He truly is the Savior of the world, the Christ.

APPLICATION: Having worked in the public eye before, it was challenging to remember that interacting with my customers could have impacted them as much as I am reminded of today. I’ve heard stories of widows or widowers visiting their bank every day so they could associate with friendly employees. I’ve seen very angry people who tend to bury themselves in self-pity. But as a Christian, even though I’ve always heard about the importance of sharing Christ with others, I don’t believe I was ever impacted as much, as what God dealt with me on in meditating on this Scripture today. I remember journaling on this story before, but it suddenly hit me today that the Samaritan woman had a choice to make, based on several things about the message today: 1). She could have returned home quiet and subdued, perhaps embarrassed because she realized that the Master of this universe knew all about her marriages and about her current living conditions; 2). She could have gone about her business as usual without arising suspicion among the town about her sanity in thinking that a Jew would have anything to do with a Samaritan, much less a woman; 3). She could have adopted the new catch phrase that tends to pop up in today’s culture ‘Just asking for a friend’, and she could have pretended that she overheard someone speaking with a friend at the well whom she believed could have been Jesus; or 4). No restraints, just let go and share what you know happened to you at the well. Today, your friends could choose to believe you, or not. Friends, when something exciting or miraculous happens in our day, we want to share that with whomever will stop and listen. This is the option that this woman at the well chose to do, and praise God she did, because look at the immense impact it had on her townspeople! So as we meditate on our God today, I believe that it behooves us to evaluate whether we are diligent in sharing our encounters with God with those that we come into contact with. In today’s society, it seems like we are hesitant to mention the name of Jesus in our conversation anymore, because we don’t want to impose our religion on those we come into contact with. Notice how Jesus not only spoke to this woman at the well, but He asked for her assistance. He wanted communion with her. I am reminded that God knows us intimately. He knows our hurts; our worries; our friends; our sins; our weaknesses; and everything in between. I am convinced that when He blesses us, it could be for many more reasons that to just make us feel special or important. He could have touched our heart in last week’s church service because He wanted to fire us up to tell others about our awesome God and our encounter with Him. The very one(s) that we choose to share that with, could very easily be the one questioning if anyone cares about them, or perhaps wondering if God really does exist. Notice that in spite of the woman’s reputation, the townspeople believed what she shared with them, and they were convinced enough that they wanted a personal encounter with Jesus. The main thing that excited me about this story is that when the people had their personal, one-on-one encounter with Jesus, they thanked the woman for drawing them to this mighty man, but they were exuberant about claiming Jesus as their own personal Savior! Friends, that’s a precise example of what happens when we share Christ with our family and friends, and they finally decide to attend church with us. For it is there that many look at more than our story, but instead they look full into the face of Jesus and experience an intimate, personal relationship with Him. Join me in being challenged to just open up and share what Jesus has done for us. Seminary is not required, just share your personal experience with Jesus! It could make a life-changing difference for others, for all eternity!

BLESSING(S) NOTED: Just as God miraculously reaches in and touches our life, we might help in encouraging others to also seek our God. He could change their eternal destiny, as they find Him and trust Him!

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, You are more precious than silver or anything else in this world, because You saw us in our sin and mire, and You accepted our plea for salvation anyway. We are concerned for family and friends who show evidence of not knowing You personally, please embolden us and direct us to these individuals with the right words to share with them. Lord, I believe Your return is imminent and that it will happen soon! We don’t want to see any left behind, but we need You to do the work and use us if it will help. The Samaritan woman did this, and I believe You can also help us to be a better witness. Use us in Your service Lord, for Your kingdom’s sake. 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 It On

On By Ed AlgreenIn Evangelism, Love, Pass It OnLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE – Deuteronomy 4 ~ Contemporary English Version (CEV) ~ 9 You must be very careful not to forget the things you have seen God do for you. Keep reminding yourselves, and tell your children and grandchildren as well. 

THOUGHTS: Moses was preparing to see his people, whom he faithfully trusted in God to lead out of Egypt over the past 40 years, now he was about to witness them drift off into the land promised to them by God, but without him (Moses)! An exciting moment, but think about how cautious you were when your young adult was about to leave the nest and move out into this big world on their own. Think about the cautions and precautions you tried to cram in at the last minute to make sure that your young adult stayed on track and continued the legacy that you had taught them for the past two decades. Friends, this is a normal part of the cycle of life, for we all reach a time in our life where something had a major impact on our lives, and we have to decide how, or whether we will allow that thing to impact our lives for good. When God created us, He gave us the option of personal choice. Like in the case of our children, God expects that we would take our encounter with Him and allow it to positively impact our lives to the extent that our lives would be changed forever. Fortunately, this is true for many, but for some, unfortunately they brush off the powerful hand of God and decide to do life on their own. For those of us who accepted Jesus as Lord of our lives, we were/are faced with the same challenge as the Israelites faced when they were about to leave the guidance, protection, encouragement and direction of their leader. We must decide what we will do to stay confident in our faith, and we must decide whether we keep this miracle to ourselves. Friends, how will others know, if we don’t tell them? What will help us keep the faith during challenging times, if we don’t keep reminding ourselves of the God who impacted our lives, or look for encouragement of another like person who is going through tremendously good times of answered prayer at that very moment? Unless we do this, Satan will quickly find a very vulnerable opportunity to batter and bombard us with disappointment and disillusionment. This is exactly the reason why it is so important for us to share the experiences of our walk with the Lord. It could very easily make all the difference in the world in the life of one who is down and out. It could make all the difference in the world to one is has only known or witnessed the very negative aspects of life. Your child(ren) will grow up facing the challenges of life using the principles of life that you have taught them – good or bad. Are you currently passing on the good news of the Savior who rescued you from sin and giving you daily strength and encouragement to face every day? Please don’t leave it for the ‘other person’ to do this for you. God has placed us individually where He wants us. We know all too well that He still has a lot to do in this old wicked world. Be reminded that we are His servants with grave responsibilities to ‘Pass it On’ – the wonderful and blessed good news of the One that help us through each and every day.

PRAYER: Just as it only takes a spark to get a fire going, so it could be in the life of one who is lost, if we open our mouths and share the love of our Savior with that lost person. Father, I believe that we need to do this under the inspiration and help of Your Sweet Holy Spirit though, as we want the weaker ones to be inspired by You and not any pretense of our own. Lead us and guide us dear Lord, so that we may pass on the legacy of all the miracles You have performed in our lives, especially the miracle of new birth. Lord, may You therefore impact lives for Yourself through our lives. Thank You Father for loving even me. Please help me to pass Your precious love along to others. For I ask this in and through the precious name of Jesus, AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please speak with a local Bible Teaching pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com so that we can pray with you and give you help and or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Any words underlined above will 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 blogger.nuggetsfromgodsword.org and read more, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, Sebring, FL! 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!