Tag: Distraction

Worship Blockers

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

DATE POSTED: Sunday, 2023-03-05
WRITTEN AT: O’Brien, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Matthew 15:16-20
TRANSLATION: Contemporary English Version (CEV)

BIBLE TEXT: 16 Jesus then said: …. 17 Don’t you know that the food you put into your mouth goes into your stomach and then out of your body? 18 But the words that come out of your mouth come from your heart. And they are what make you unfit to worship God. 19 Out of your heart come evil thoughts, murder, unfaithfulness in marriage, vulgar deeds, stealing, telling lies, and insulting others. 20 These are what make you unclean. Eating without washing your hands will not make you unfit to worship God.

OBSERVATION: Isn’t it interesting how Satan distracts us from worship to our God by placing small petty things in our way to get our attention? The Pharisees, who were the leaders of the church in Jesus’ day, were keenly aware of the disciples not washing their hands before meals, but they were blinded to the sins that kept them from a personal, right relationship with God. Unfortunately, things light this may affect to us still today, more than we would care to recognize. Oh, that the Word of God might open our eyes today as we meditate on our Lord. That’s all – just on our Lord.

APPLICATION: As a teenager, I remember a situation where two sons of a prominent church member came to worship services one Sunday while I was at a certain church. One of the ushers immediately ridiculed the young men about their dress code not being appropriate for God’s house, for they wore a casual, short sleeved shirt. There’s no telling how long parents and friends had prayed for these young men to return to church, but the ridicule pushed them further away from the church than they ever were before. Yes, just the dress code prevented a person from hearing the Gospel or worshiping their Lord that day? If you have relatives who live by certain dietary restrictions, especially if they feel there are Biblical reasons, then you have probably been preached at for sinfully eating the wrong things. No doubt there are many other examples where people are considered ruthless sinners because they do not adhere to all earthly church rules. Jesus found the opportunity to speak to religious leaders over an issue very similar to what we experience today. As a child I was trained to always wash my hands before coming to the table to eat, but the Pharisees took this to the extreme by making it a sin if you didn’t wash before eating. But just as in the case of the Pharisees, Jesus is very aware of what the real sin is in our lives. Furthermore, He is teaching us in the Scriptures today, that sin against God has a serious adverse effect on our worship to the only holy and righteous God. But where does sin originate? As I read this teaching by Jesus, my mind immediately went on to think about what a person does when his heart is continually angered over certain things that he feels strongly about. I believe it would be virtually impossible for that person to respond in love, in happiness, in kindness and in a spirit of helpfulness, while sharing the unselfish, unconditional, love of Jesus with everyone they come into contact with. An angry heart invokes angry actions. You will note that Jesus used several other descriptors to help remind us that we will speak or react based on the content of our heart. Unless we fill our hearts with the attitude and character of Jesus Christ, then we cannot except to respond like He would. Take ‘love’ for example – Jesus went willingly to the cross for you and me, even while we were still steeped in sin. When we love like Jesus did, we can do His will and His work, regardless of the circumstances around us, or on what silly thing may have impacted us up to that very moment. To worship God in spirit and in truth, means that we can stand honestly before the King with no regrets, nor worries, about what may have provoked us into temptation. The Psalmist asked God to create in me a clean and upright heart. Perhaps we should seek God’s face in similar fashion so that we may stand before Him in all honesty and truth, with a clean and contrite heart. As we are sincere and true to God, then perhaps we could better enter into personal worship to Him, and treat everyone that we come into contact, with the love and grace of God. This is a day primarily dedicated to worshipping the living and almighty God. Please consider clearing your heart from anything that might hinder our corporate time together where God is the center and object of our worship.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: Our words to God in worship today will come from a heart that may be hardened because of worship blockers. May God cleanse our hearts once again, and make us wholly His, so that we may dedicate our time of worship to Him today, without any distractors or sin that might interfere.

PRAYER: I believe that the only heart that is clean when it comes into the presence of our Holy God, is a heart that has been cleansed by the blood of the Lamb, and one that has sought the face of Jesus for a renewed cleansing from the battle scars of this old world. So Lord, I beg of You to cleanse my heart and renew within me a right spirit, so that I may stand before You in worship without the distractions of this sinful world. Please also touch the heart of my readers so that they also might find peace in knowing You. May they desire a renewed cleansing that would present them faultless before the King of all kings. Forgive us Lord for trying to worship You through our distractions and our sin. May we not only come face-to-face with You in holiness, but may our lives be more usable by You when clothed in Your righteousness. 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!

Why Do You Do It?

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Evidence of Faith, Faith, Faith, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, Salvation, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE WRITTEN: Friday, 2020-05-15
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

BIBLE REFERENCE: 1 Corinthians 10:31-33
TRANSLATION: The Passion Translation (TPT)

BIBLE TEXT: 31 Whether you eat or drink, live your life in a way that glorifies and honors God. 32 And make sure you’re not offending Jews or Greeks or any part of God’s assembly over your personal preferences. 33 Follow my example, for I try to please everyone in all things, rather than putting my liberty first. I sincerely attempt to do anything I can so that others may be saved.

OBSERVATION: In this life we tend to stand tall and announce our rights, and we tend to live out our rights, often without regard to the impact our actions might have on others. As we meditate on these words from Paul, I would suggest that you think about a time when you were guilty of such actions, and if you have been a perfect angel, think about a time when you witnessed another Christian who thought they were exercising their own rights, without regards for you or anyone else around them. Our thoughts for today are: Why do we act like that? and who does it wind up hurting?

APPLICATION: Lord, You were beaten and treated like a criminal, even though you didn’t have to endure any such treatment, for You are God. You hung embarrassingly on a criminal’s cross, even though You had the power to call a legion of angels to rescue You. These are just two ways that you chose to endure, so that others might be rescued from the pits of Hell and instead be redirected to heaven with You and the Father. Because of Your Word, we know that You stand for everything and anything that convinces a sinner of their lost condition. In our Scripture today we read about how Paul acted in the same way as you. Yet we allow the demons of Satan to infringe on our relationship with You and provoke us into actions that are not Christlike. Unfortunately, and regrettably, I remember as a young man I did exactly that which Paul was preaching against. I had relatives who, because of their faith, chose not to eat certain meats or seafood, yet I chose to eat whatever I felt like while in their presence. Fortunately they were strong in their faith and their determination, so they seemed to have ignored my ignorance and immaturity. But I wonder what else Christians and/or churches do today that Paul may have seen the need to correct? We have so much separation because of the day we worship, the foods that we eat, the way that we baptize, the way that we observe communion, and the frequency that we are saved, that I’m sure that unbelievers must be looking in with the thought that they might decide to join God’s army here on earth if they could ever get their act together and appear like they are serving the one true God. Paul offered that we follow him as he follows Christ. Can we truly say that today and still have such a mixed bag of beliefs? Why do we get so hung up on the things that we believe and practice? I know that God wants us to know the Truth, trust in the Truth and imitate the Truth in every aspect of life, but do we need to pull down another church in order to build ours up? Can we not preach/teach the Word of God and let the chips fall where they may? I am convinced that the practices that cause division and distracts the unsaved, are those things that man has allowed to come between us. The Word of God is true, it is powerful, and it can save mankind. Please join me in seeking to make it known to mankind, not the extras that we learn from denominationalism, seminaries or additional books. Let’s share Christ and Christ alone, so that others might be saved. Hell is ugly, and unless we show heaven just as Jesus did, it will also look ugly to the unsaved because of the confusion and division we practice, teach and/or preach. We are Christ’s ambassadors, so let’s show only His good and His teachings to the world, not our own nor those of our church or denomination.

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for all that You provided so that we might have the promise of salvation and the excitement of uniting with You and the Father in Heaven one day! Please work on us – Your stubborn, selfish children who want their own way and who try to add our own twist to what You have clearly taught in Your Word. People need the Lord, and I believe that they are distracted in that journey when they see how badly we do in practicing what You taught, and imitating the One who died for us. Lord, we want Your kingdom to come and Your will to be done, on earth, in our lives, in our churches and in front of those who have yet to accept You as Lord. Please rule and reign through Your children more than ever before, for I believe that Your eminent return is near and I want my readers, my family and my friends to see You in my life and accept You as their Savior. All honor and praise to the lamb that was slain – Jesus, my Savior and Lord! 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!

Concentrate on the Essentials

On By Ed AlgreenIn FaithfulnessLeave a comment

THE HOLY BIBLE (The Message – Titus 3:8-10): I want you to put your foot down. Take a firm stand on these matters so that those who have put their trust in God will concentrate on the essentials that are good for everyone. Stay away from mindless, pointless quarreling over genealogies and fine print in the law code. That gets you nowhere. Warn a quarrelsome person once or twice, but then be done with him.

THOUGHTS: Paul knew that Titus would face the same challenge that we see in many of our church meetings today, because he (Paul) had been there and experienced it personally. I believe that there is so much in the Bible for God’s people to learn, and so much there to help us grow and mature our faith in, that old Satan becomes very upset and throws a wrench in the wheel of pastors’ efforts through ‘chasing rabbits’ and sidelining Godly growth for often meaningless chatter about various world events or even unrelated theological myths and questions. Paul referred to these disruptions as ‘mindless and pointless’, and that really describes the value often achieved from such discussions. I sincerely believe that there is no substitute for the Christian hearing the unadulterated Word of God taught and/or preached. This may become repetitive to the teacher and/or preacher, but for the Christian, or for those interested in learning the truth about God, real ‘meat’ is served and growth in Christ is achieved through such means. I believe it also teaches us that our answers to life’s issues are contained in the Word of God, and He is our source of strength, direction and wisdom. Last evening I participated in a Marriage Enrichment class, and the Bible was interspersed throughout the teaching. That reminded me that I invited God into my marriage on my wedding day, and God is still as necessary in the success of my marriage even today. So it is with life, friend, for I believe that as we allow our God to direct our path and motivate us with His love and His direction, then others will experience His love shining through us in word and deed. It is then that our witness might be relevant to that unsaved friend that we come across during our day. It is then that family members might learn to respect our stand on life’s issues and might actually create a trust between them and us about the sincerity of the relationship we have with God. Paul assured us that being blown away by the distractions will get us nowhere. I believe that we are way too smart to spend our days going ‘nowhere’, so may I encourage you to stand firm in your faith and speak up when you feel like a class is being distracted with useless, mindless discussions and/or quarreling. A day that starts seriously in God’s Word, grows through interaction with other believers, and reinforced by teaching and/or preaching from God’s Word, is a successful day for the believer! Are you there yet, friend? If not, you now have tips on how to correct those things that may distract you in your walk with the Lord!

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank You for Your Word that drew me to the foot of the cross where I begged for forgiveness of my sin and acceptance through the shed blood of Your Son, Jesus Christ. My life since that day of conversion has been enriched by the teaching and preaching of Your Word, not by mindless and/or pointless distractions. Please help me to stay on track in my teaching others about Your love and Your grace in all aspects of our lives. Please give my pastors and/or teachers a very similar goal dear God, so that our time here on earth will be well spent and used to glorify You and/or encouraging others towards the cross where we first found You and accepted You. Thank You for the seriousness of Your life and Your sacrifice so that I might have eternal life. May we be found faithful in sharing that same love, and in directing others to You, so that Your kingdom might be fulfilled. I ask all this in the precious name of Jesus, my Lord, 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!