September 21, 2022 · 5:42 AM

Refusing To Assimilate

When we go to Israel with our church, part of the trip is to see the sights. The other part is to get to know the people. We visit with Israeli’s, Muslims living in Israel, Christian Arabs, Messianic Jews, Jews and immigrants. The immigrants are brought in and placed in high rise apartment buildings where for a couple of years they are taught the language, the customs and the culture. Once completed, they become citizens. The process works well except for people from Ethiopia. They struggle to assimilate into a first world country. It’s difficult for Ethiopians to go from a rural, agrarian lifestyle to the high paced world of what we are accustomed to live in. They actually have their own building, farm land and a different time table to help them adjust since they don’t readily accept the culture.

In Daniel 1, King Nebuchadnezzar captured Jerusalem and took the best looking, brightest young men of Israel back to Babylon. Daniel was among those captured. The king said, “Select only strong, healthy, and good-looking young men. Make sure they are well versed in every branch of learning, are gifted with knowledge and good judgment, and are suited to serve in the royal palace. Train these young men in the language and literature of Babylon” (NLT). He was trying to assimilate them into Babylonian culture. Most men were indoctrinated, but Daniel and his three friends refused to assimilate. They showed that it is possible to live and learn in a culture without accepting it and allowing it to change your beliefs.

Romans 12:2 says, “Stop imitating the ideals and opinions of the culture around you, but be inwardly transformed by the Holy Spirit through a total reformation of how you think. This will empower you to discern God’s will as you live a beautiful life, satisfying and perfect in his eyes” (TPT). We live in a culture that is trying to get us to change our beliefs, our way of thinking and our way of living. It is trying to get the Word of God to conform to its standards rather than the

other way around. We cannot allow ourselves to be shaped into its mold which is why we must be transformed from the inside out. We can go through all the indoctrination of our culture and still live a life that is holy and acceptable to Christ. In order to have the resolution that Daniel had, we must be empowered by the Holy Spirit and have a steady diet of God’s Word going into our mind. It’s not easy to do, but is necessary as believers to live according to God’s laws and customs rather than the world’s.

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September 20, 2022 · 5:38 AM

Being At His Feet

In Luke 10 we meet Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus. Jesus was their friend and in their home teaching. Verse 39 says, “She (Martha) had a sister named Mary, who seated herself at the Lord’s feet and was continually listening to His teaching” (AMP). Mary seated herself at the Lord’s feet to learn. In those days, only disciples would sit at their rabbi’s feet to learn. Today, as His disciples, we still need to be sitting at His feet to learn from Him. We need to take time away from the distractions of serving and being busy about His work to be poured into. The more you pour out, the more you need to sit at His feet to learn.

In John 11, we run into these siblings again. Only this time, Lazarus has been dead four days. Martha ran outside the village to Jesus to confess, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. Even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give to You.” She went and got Mary. Verse 32 says, “When Mary came [to the place] where Jesus was and saw Him, she fell at His feet, saying to Him, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.” They had the same confession, but different positions. Mary submitted to God’s will by falling at Jesus’ feet. We can speak in faith, and even believe in faith, but we must also submit at the feet of Jesus to His will.

Finally, we meet the family again in John 12. Jesus had returned to their house a week before He was to be crucified. Martha was serving and Lazarus was reclining with Jesus. Then in verse 3 it says, “Then Mary took a pound of very expensive perfume of pure nard, and she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped His feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.” When we worship at the feet of Jesus, it releases a fragrance that fills Heaven. We must take time to honor Jesus with our expressions of worship at His feet. There’s a time to serve, a time to recline, a time to learn and a time to worship. In each instance, Mary was opposed by others for her act at His feet. It didn’t stop her. We can’t let others keep us from the feet of Jesus. It is a critical place all believers must take time to be at. It won’t just happen though. We must be intentional about being at His feet.

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September 19, 2022 · 5:28 AM

Listen With Intention

Almost every one of us are born with the gift of hearing. While we are able to perceive sound, not all of us listen. Hearing is passive while listening is active. I’ve spent many years training people on how to listen. It requires removing or blocking distractions. It also demands that you give your attention to the one speaking. Listening is not an easy task. It’s one of the greatest ways you can show someone that you value them. When people don’t listen, it causes a breakdown in the relationship. When they listen intentionally with the intent to understand, it causes the relationship to grow. All of us could get better at listening.

In John 10, Jesus was talking about the Shepherd and the sheep referring to Himself and to us. In verse 14 He said, “I am the Good Shepherd, and I know [without any doubt those who are] My own and My own know Me [and have a deep, personal relationship with Me]” (AMP). It’s important to note that Jesus points out that His sheep have a relationship with Him. Because of that relationship, He listens to us and we listen to Him. He went into say in verse 27, “The sheep that are My own hear My voice and listen to Me; I know them, and they follow Me.” We must be alert daily to hear His voice and to listen in to what He is saying so that we may follow where He leads us.

God is always speaking to us, but we are not always listening or hearing. We have such busy lives that are full of distractions, it’s hard to hear or listen in. This isn’t just a phenomenon of our modern world. Throughout history people have failed to be intentional with their quiet time. That’s why Jesus told us to go into our prayer closet to pray. Your prayer closet is simply a place where you can get alone, free of distractions to hear God’s voice. You must be able to hear Him before you can listen to Him. If it’s been a while since you have heard Him, find a quiet place today, free from distractions and interruptions so you can listen with intention. It won’t be easy because you will also have to learn to quiet your mind. When you are intentional about listening to your shepherd, you will have a deeper, more personal relationship with Him.

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September 16, 2022 · 5:44 AM

A Life Of Blessings

Early on God established blessings for His people. It was a means of positive reinforcement. He taught us how to live, and if we lived that way, a series of blessings would be ours. All throughout the Bible, the blessings have been described. Some blessings show we have His favor. Other blessings come with prosperity and success. We each have access to receive them into our life if only we will live according to the ways He set for us. I just as He set the option for blessings in front of the Israelites, He sets it before us today. These blessings don’t mean we won’t experience difficulties. They give us His favor even in those times. You can have a life of blessings that He offers, but like any other promise in the Bible, they come as a result of our obedience first.

Here are some Bible verses on God offering blessings.

1. For to everyone who has [and values his blessings and gifts from God, and has used them wisely], more will be given, and [he will be richly supplied so that] he will have an abundance; but from the one who does not have [because he has ignored or disregarded his blessings and gifts from God], even what he does have will be taken away.

Matthew 25:29 AMP

2. Jesus said, “So, you believe because you’ve seen with your own eyes. Even better blessings are in store for those who believe without seeing.”

John 20:29 MSG

3. Since we are his children, we will possess the blessings he keeps for his people, and we will also possess with Christ what God has kept for him; for if we share Christ’s suffering, we will also share his glory.

Romans 8:17 GNT

4. Lord, keep pouring out your unfailing love on those who are near you. Release more of your blessings to those who are loyal to you.

Psalms 36:10 TPT

5. You will experience all these blessings if you obey the Lord your God.

Deuteronomy 28:2 NLT

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September 15, 2022 · 5:30 AM

Think Differently

Several years ago, Apple was floundering as a company. They had lost their soul and direction. They decided to bring Steve Jobs back as the CEO to see if he could turn it around. One of the things he did after revamping their product line was to change advertising agencies. The agency that won pitched him the idea of the now famous “Think Different” campaign. The commercial showed different geniuses from history with a voice that started off, “There are people who see the world differently. They see things in new ways.” While the commercial went on to advertise Apple, it reminds me that you and I as Christians are called to think differently.

Proverbs 23:7 tells that our thoughts determine who we are. We must then learn how to control them or at least stop the negative thoughts that lie to us. 2 Corinthians 10:5 tells us that we must bring every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. We can’t just allow idle thoughts or negative thoughts to float around in our heads. We must capture them and change them. It’s easier said than done, I know, but it starts with challenging the thoughts that don’t line up with what God says. When those thoughts come in, you counter with who God says you are and what He’s promised to us as believers. God knows that one way to change our lives is through changing our thoughts.

Isaiah 8:11 says, “The Lord has given me a strong warning not to think like everyone else does” (NLT). Why would God do that? Because we are called to be and live differently than the world. We are to be set apart and to see the world in a different way. We are to change culture rather than to be a reflection of it. The only way to do that is to think differently and to see the world as God does. He transforms us by the renewing of our thoughts and in turn, we transform the world. Don’t get caught up today thinking and seeing the world the way others do. Pray and ask God to change how you think and see so that it reflects how He thinks and sees. In turn, you’ll begin to fulfill your purpose and help others along the way.

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Throwback Thursday is a feature I’m using to help build some margin into my schedule to pursue other ventures. Each Thursday I’ll be bringing you a previously written devotional that still speaks encouragement to us from God’s Word.

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September 14, 2022 · 5:40 AM

Seasoning The World

I read an article a few years ago about a guy who went through the drive through at a Chick-fil-A in Abilene, Texas. When he picked up his order at the window, he handed the cashier ten $100 bills. The employee was shocked. They had seen people pay it forward before, but never like this. She asked him why he was doing it. He replied, “Monday’s are tough, and I want everyone to have a good day.” Because he paid it forward, they were able to give 88 customers prepaid food. Some people cried because of the blessing. Their day had been rough and this gesture turned it around. One act of blessing made a world of difference in people’s lives.

In Matthew 14, John the Baptist had been killed. Jesus wanted to be alone to mourn His cousin, but people followed Him. Instead of getting mad, He healed their sick and taught them truths. All day long, the crowd grew until there were thousands. By evening, the disciples were ready to disperse the crowd to send them away to eat. Jesus told them to feed the crowd. They knew it would cost more money and food than they had. They looked around and found a boy with fives loaves and two fish. Jesus blessed them, broke them and had the disciples serve them. After feeding the crowd with it, Jesus had the disciples go pick up the leftovers so nothing would be wasted. Over 5,000 people were blessed that day by the boy’s generosity.

In Matthew 5:13 Jesus said, “Let me tell you why you are here. You’re here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness? You’ve lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage” (MSG). Each day we have several opportunities to eave a good taste in their mouth about Godard Christians. You may not have a $1,000 to give, but you have something. God can take whatever you’re willing to give and multiply it in someone’s life in order to bless them. It can be words of life, lunch or anything God puts on your heart. We have to quit thinking about what we don’t have and think about the interaction and how they will see God through us. Go out today looking to bring out the God-flavors in this world. You never know what miracle you will see or what impact it will have.

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September 13, 2022 · 5:36 AM

Building Project

Many times in the New Testament Paul refers to us as buildings, while Peter says we are Living Stones with Jesus as the Chief Cornerstone. We are both buildings under construction and builders. Jude 1:20 says, “But you, my friends, keep on building yourselves up on your most sacred faith. Pray in the power of the Holy Spirit” (GNT). We must be edifying ourselves daily building up our faith and ourselves. We cannot afford negative self talk that tears down what God is trying to get us to build. Shame, self loathing and self condemnation have no place in our minds. We must be working to build ourselves up through the Holy Spirit.

We are also to help each other in this construction project. 1 Thessalonians 5:11 says, “So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing” (NLT). How do speak and treat other Christians? Are your words building up or tearing down? Many times we all get to the point where we need help from the Body of Christ. We need someone else to lift us up, carry the load and to speak life into us. There are believers you know who need you to build them up today. They need a verse that God put on your heart to share, a kind word or a note that says you’re praying for them. Don’t be afraid to reach out and help someone in their building process.

Finally, we’re to allow God room on our job site. Acts 20:32 says, “And now I entrust you to God and the message of his grace that is able to build you up and give you an inheritance with all those he has set apart for himself.” Take time to read God’s Word and to pray inviting God to build on His Son in your life. He uses the best materials and knows just what you need. Make sure He is involved in the day to day operations of your life. We’re all under construction and need His input and help in our life. Remember that unless the Lord builds the house, we labor in vain (Psalm 127:1). Give Him free access to do what He needs to do and your life will be built according to the blueprints He has for you.

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September 12, 2022 · 5:37 AM

The Gatekeeper Mentality

If you’ve ever had to do cold calling for sales, you know that step one is to try to get past the gatekeeper. The person who answers the phone at a business has the job of making sure only good calls get through. They try to protect the boss from as many sales calls as possible in order to protect their time. The disciples fell into this type of thinking when it came to Jesus. When the little children wanted to see Him, they tried to prevent it. I’m sure there were thousands who wanted to get close to Him, so they adopted a gatekeeper mentality.

In Luke 18:35-43, Jesus was about to walk into Jericho. The disciples and a huge crowd were around Him. A blind man heard the commotion and called out to Jesus. The crowd tried to hush him, but he got louder. Finally Jesus heard him and asked him what he wanted. He said, “Lord, I want to see!” (NLT) Jesus healed him and then went into Jericho going throughout the town. As he passed down one street, there was another man who wanted to see, but he couldn’t because of the crowd. Zacchaeus climbed a sycamore tree in order to see Jesus. When Jesus saw him, He offered to go to his house. The same crowd of Jesus’ followers was displeased and let Jesus know it. Zacchaeus wasn’t worthy of Jesus’ time or grace in their eyes.

Jesus responded in Luke 19:9-10, “Salvation has come to this home today, for this man has shown himself to be a true son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.” It was a reminder to them and to us that we are not His gatekeepers. Our job isn’t to keep people from Him, but to lead them to Him. We must lose the mentality that sees people as unworthy or beyond His grace. We all have a need for it and He died so that none would perish. Just because someone sins differently than you, it doesn’t disqualify them from the forgiveness He offers. We need to lose the gatekeeper mentality and usher as many people as we can to Him.

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September 9, 2022 · 5:40 AM

Set Your Mind

I enjoy watching competition shows like America’s Got Talent. When magicians come on, I try to keep my eyes on their hands knowing they rely on distractions to do some of their tricks. Sometimes I even watch it in slow motion trying to see how they pull off these tricks. Even with my utmost concentration, I still miss it at times. I think that’s why the Bible tells us so many time to set our mind and to fix our thoughts. God knows our enemy is great at slight of hand and distraction. He’s trying to get our minds off of the truth in order to fall for his shell game. When we take our mind off of heavenly things, we can fall for temptation, lose trust in God and make wrong choices. It’s critical that you and I set our minds on the truth of God’s Word.

Here are some Bible verses on setting your mind.

1. Brothers and sisters, do not be children [immature, childlike] in your thinking; be infants in [matters of] evil [completely innocent and inexperienced], but in your minds be mature [adults].

1 Corinthians 14:20 AMP

2. For those who are living according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh [which gratify the body], but those who are living according to the Spirit, [set their minds on] the things of the Spirit [His will and purpose].

Romans 8:5 AMP

3. Keep your thoughts continually fixed on all that is authentic and real, honorable and admirable, beautiful and respectful, pure and holy, merciful and kind. And fasten your thoughts on every glorious work of God, praising him always.

Philippians 4:8 TPT

4. So then, have your minds ready for action. Keep alert and set your hope completely on the blessing which will be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed.

1 Peter 1:13 GNT

5. Set your mind and keep focused habitually on the things above [the heavenly things], not on things that are on the earth [which have only temporal value].

Colossians 3:2 AMP

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September 8, 2022 · 5:30 AM

Passing The Test

Whenever I was in school, I remember one teacher who enjoyed giving tests. He would wear a “test tie” on the days he was giving a test, which was really an uncoordinated, loud tie. Sometimes he would wear a red contact lens. Once he opened a bag of chips and started eating them and crinkling the bag during the test. Whenever he gave tests, I made sure I studied because I knew there would be distractions and the test would be more difficult than the other classes. I used flash cards and met with other students to prepare to make sure we passed.

It’s funny that we spend so much time preparing for school tests, but very little time preparing for life’s test. God had so much faith in Job’s ability to pass any test that Satan could give him that he agreed to allow him to be sent through the wringer. Satan even tried to get in his head to distract him with his wife and friends who constantly accused him of wrongdoing. However, Job was prepped for the test, In Job 23:10-11 he says, “But he (God) knows where I am going. And when he tests me, I will come out as pure as gold. For I have stayed on God’s paths; I have followed his ways and not turned aside.”

Job put something inside of him that was greater than any test he would face: God’s Word and a determination to stay on God’s Paths. When life tests us and we aren’t prepared, we may be like Job’s wife and friends who wanted to curse God and die. But if we will determine in our hearts to stick with God and trust what He’s doing in our life, we will pass any test that comes our way no matter how many distractions there are. God has enough faith in you to allow you to be tested. It’s time you trusted your faith in what you’ve been taught so you will pass this test.

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Throwback Thursday is a feature I’m using to help build some margin into my schedule to pursue other ventures. Each Thursday I’ll be bringing you a previously written devotional that still speaks encouragement to us from God’s Word.

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