Faith

Last Sunday, I had the opportunity to preach for a church that supported me very early in my speaking ministry. Grateful to Pastors Johnny and Stacey Brown of [Inspired Life Church](https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100076003537326) (Charlotte, NC) for providing me an opportunity to come back and say thanks to a wonderful group of people who invested in me during college.

I had a great time teaching and God met us at the end of the sermon with prophecy and spoken blessings.
It’s not the same as hearing the sermon live, but I wanted to share my actual sermon outline for those interested in reading on their own.

## Sermon Details
- Title: Take The Next Step
- Scripture Text: Luke 4:14-15, 22-26, 28-29 (KJV)
- Key Verse: Luke 4:25-26

### **Points**
1. **Premise: Jesus has the power to save everyone.**
    1. Salvation can be defined as redemption, healing, deliverance, removing guilt, etc.
    2. Luke 14:14 (NLT) “Then Jesus returned to Galilee, filled with the Holy Spirit’s power. Reports about him spread quickly through the whole region.”
    3. Luke 5:17 (KJV) “And it came to pass on a certain day, as he was teaching, that there were Pharisees and doctors of the law sitting by, which were come out of every town of Galilee, and Judæa, and Jerusalem: and the power of the Lord was present to heal them.”
    4. God’s power to heal will match the expectation of the audience (even if it’s an audience of one)
2. **Revelation: Doubt is the only limit to God's power.**
    1. Mark 6:5 “And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them.”
    2. Faith makes life seem unfair because God doesn’t just “give miracles away”
    3. This explains why we often see one person out of many being healed throughout the Bible
    4. I.e. woman with the issue of blood (Luke 4:43-44)
3. **Tension: Sometimes things will work out for you while everyone else is suffering.**
    1. Luke 4:25-26 (NLT) “Certainly there were many needy widows in Israel in Elijah’s time, when the heavens were closed for three and a half years, and a severe famine devastated the land. Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them. He was sent instead to a foreigner—a widow of Zarephath in the land of Sidon.”
    2. The widow was a gentile. She was from Sidon. Sidon was the land that should have went to the tribe of Asher, but they failed to conquer the Canaanites (Deuteronomy 20:17, Judges 1:31). Queen Jezebel was also from Sidon.
    3. This woman didn’t “deserve” the blessing because she was not a “widow of Israel”
    4. Jesus won’t reject any one who comes to him in faith.
4. **Action: Take the next step.**
    1. You don’t need more faith!
    2. ‭‭Luke‬ ‭17‬:‭5‬-‭6‬ ‭KJV‬‬ “And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith. And the Lord said, If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you.”
    3. The quantity of our faith is not the problem, it’s the activity of it.
    4. Obedience develops and activates our faith. This was the difference between this widow and the others.

### **Final Thoughts**
When God communicates, He does so in spirit, for He is spirit. This method allows Him to inform or warn a group of people simultaneously. He may use non-physical methods such as dreams, an audible voice, echoing in our conscience, influencing our thoughts, or visions. However, God will not force us to listen or act upon His prompting. It is clear that if we do not take the next step, meaning to follow those promptings, we will miss the miracle that He has pre-planned for us. Taking those steps is how our faith is activated and strengthened. Often, we reject God’s prompting to do simple things, only to discover later that when the need arises, we are unprepared to move a larger mountain.

If you have follow up questions or request prayer, hit me up at [marcus@marcusbattle.com](mailto:marcus@marcusbattle.com)


Obedience

Take The Next Step

> “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.” -James‬ ‭4‬:‭8‬ ‭KJV‬‬

A large part of Bible Study is understanding the language of the writers. While God is the author, his words are transcribed by humans, in their time, for all times to come.

This means that it wouldn’t make sense for God to have inspired the writers to use 21st century slang that they didn’t understand. He gave them words for their era, that their audiences would read, hear, and immediately understand. For those of us after, it means that sometimes we need to take another look at what the audiences heard when the scriptures were written.

A perfect example is this phrase “draw nigh.” We don’t use the word “nigh” in our everyday conversations, so it’s important that we understand what they meant by it. We could read other translations and deduce that another way to say it means “draw near.”

However, while that paints a better picture, it only proposes more questions. How do you get near to God who is an invisible spirit?

That’s what we’ll actually answer in the next few moments, but first, let’s see what James, the brother of Jesus Christ meant when he said this. To understand, we’ll look at the Greek, as that’s the language his letter was written in.

“Draw nigh” is the Greek word _engizō,_ which means to “make near” as in approaching. The first thing I’d like to point out about this word is that it is a verb. Therefore the recommendation from James was actionable.

Now this action may look different from person to person, but it’s important to note that there is an expectation to do something.

### A closer relationship with God is our responsibility

The first thing I’d like to note is the recipient of this command is us, the reader. James is clearly telling his audience that they must first approach God.

There have been times in my life when I have felt distant from God and placed the responsibility on Him. My prayers have often questioned his presence. “Doesn’t he know how bad things are? Doesn’t he see what they did?” See, all of the action is on him to fix things.

James is commanding all readers, including us to take the first step. Whatever the quality of your relationship with God is the result of your decisions. Specifically, you apprehension.

What happens when we view an image on our phone and something too small catches our attention? We zoom in. The closer we zoom in, the clearer we see.

Too many humans suffer because they won’t get closer to God. Why? Because getting closer to God not only allows us to see Him cleaner, but it also allows Him to see us. Truthfully, most of us don’t want to be seen. We just want God to be a repair man and fix our problems.

Choosing to get close to God is also choosing to see ourselves. Look back at the scripture:

> “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you.“

He will move closer to us. Wait a second. This is a good time to stop for reflection.

**Reflection: Do you want to get closer to God, or do you want God to get closer to your things?**

The difference is that if our prayers are centered around God coming to us, then we miss the beauty that he has given us access to come to Him. We actually have the right to approach the King of Kings.

### God wants us to approach him confidently.

What confidence would you live with if your dad was a world renowned celebrity? You would consciously live knowing that you can always ask your dad for his influence.

How much more confidence is God trying to give you? This is why it’s important that we don’t approach him like slaves, but rather sons and daughters. Servants can’t approach the King, but sons and daughters can.

This imagery is echoed in Hebrews 4:16:

> “This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.” -Hebrews‬ ‭4‬:‭15‬-‭16‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Yes, God desires that we approach him with humility and reverence. Simultaneously, he doesn’t want us to approach him with timidity for God has not given us a spirit of intimidation. It’s out of his character. [2 Timothy 1:7]

### Remove barriers. This is how we get closer to God.

The second thing I’d like to highlight is that _engizō_ is a derivative. That means that it comes from another word and like a child, has a greater meaning.

_Engizō Comes from the Greek adverb engys, which means to squeeze or throttle. Many words in the Bible have imagery associated with them. Engys is no different. It paints a picture of hands squeezing in a chilling manner. I know this sounds negative, but in context of scripture, James is trying to communicate emotion._

Let’s revisit the scripture one more time.
> “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you.“

Using the Greek definition definitions of the words to substitute, we can see clearly what James was saying to his audience — Approach God as if you’re trying to squeeze next to Him. For me, this paints a picture of hugging you’re best friend who you haven’t seen in a while.

My daughter actually demonstrates this scripture daily. It’s wild, but I trip over her almost every day lol. Why? Because she has a tendency to get so close to me that she begins to walk in step with me until the point that I don’t even realize she’s right under me. She gets so close to me that I literally lose her and can’t see her anymore. I find that she does it the most when we go into new environments. Her desire for safety places her literally underneath me. She fully understands what it means to draw near to her father.

This brings me to my last point: remove barriers. In order to embrace someone and be next to them, you literally have to decrease space by removing anything that’s in the way. No one would want a hug from a long time friend from across the room. No one could give a hug with a handful of groceries. Relationship infers access and proximity. The fact that James suggests we _can_ be close to God, infers that he wants us to and has given us access to.

Of course, we should state the obvious: God is a spirit, therefore getting close to him has little to do with what we do with our physical bodies and more about what we do with our spirit. Drawing close to God is often reduced to a form of external worship — lifting out hands, crying, clapping, dancing — but those actions don’t automatically express proximity to God.

> “And so the Lord says, “These people say they are mine. They honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. And their worship of me is nothing but man-made rules learned by rote.” -‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭29‬:‭13‬ ‭NLT‬‬

In the book of Isaiah, God expresses that sometimes the relationship we claim is not the one we have. So how do we know we’re getting closer to a God we cannot see? The answer is in the previous verse: purify our hearts and remove sin from our lives.

If you don’t feel as close to God, it’s likely due to ignored sin in your life. Before you assume that I’m referring to a grade A list of sins, consider the following verse:

> “You may believe there’s nothing wrong with what you are doing, but keep it between yourself and God. Blessed are those who don’t feel guilty for doing something they have decided is right. But if you have doubts about whether or not you should eat something, you are sinning if you go ahead and do it. For you are not following your convictions. If you do anything you believe is not right, you are sinning.” -Romans 14:16

In short, whatever action we’re doing in our life without faith is sin. Sin creates the space that prevents us from embracing God. You might not be committing crimes, but how is your trust of God in your finances? Do you worry about facing tomorrow? Do you have an overwhelming feeling of death? Life lived in fear is sin because it’s not lived by faith.

In conclusion, let’s consider the remaining portion of James 4:8.

> “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.” -James‬ ‭4‬:‭8‬ ‭KJV‬‬

James concludes this verse with an appeal for sinners (those living without faith) to cleanse their hands. Likewise, he calls on the double minded or those with conflicting beliefs to purify their hearts by picking a side.

Getting closer to God can seem like an impossible feat, but I’ve found that to be true when I’m trying to use rituals such as more prayer, more fasting, more reading to “get God’s attention.” I’ve later learned that often, God is just asking for my trust in Him, and that truth brings me closer to Him as I see him as Father and me as son.

**Reflection: What sin is preventing you from getting closer to God?**

If you have questions, comments, or prayer requests, email [marcus@marcusbattle.com](mailto:marcus@marcusbattle.com).


Relationships

James 4:8 - How To Get Closer To God

Can you imagine waiting for someone to open the door to your house and the keys are in your pocket?

There you are. Outside. Waiting. Your voice is increasing in volume as you’re trying to get the attention of someone on the inside to give you access. You need to get inside so you frantically search for another way in. No one is responding. Why? Because they know you already have access. “I lost my keys” you yell. And still, there’s little movement towards opening the door because anyone who can hear knows you should be able to get in. You finally pause and realize that your keys were in your pocket the entire time. Feeling calm, the fear of being locked out subsides and you open the door.

Sounds silly, but it happens frequently in our relationship with God. We enter our prayers asking Him to open — or close — doors that we have the keys for.

Everyone knows the panic of losing their keys and the peace of finding them. Have you considered how often this happens in your spiritual life? How often you’ve misplaced keys and are banging on heaven’s gates to give you access to areas he’s already cleared you for?

God’s reminder for you today is that He has already given you the keys. You have the keys to lock and unlock relationships, chapters, and seasons.

Any door that has been shut will open to you when you use your words in faith. This is a law of the kingdom of Heaven with God’s full support.

Once, Jesus was quizzing his students on their interpretation of who he was. He wanted to see if they realized what door they had been standing in front of. Eleven of the students used old answers for a new question. They knew they hadn’t ever seen anyone like Jesus before, but their doubt made them play it safe and give the wrong answers. These answers were the wrong keys.

> “Some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say Jeremiah or one of the other prophets.” ‭‭[Matthew‬ ‭16‬:‭14‬ ‭NLT‬‬]

Well, the door (Jesus) didn’t open (give the, access to more revelation). So Jesus asked again, directly. “Who do YOU say that I am?” Only Peter tried a new key. He knew that the other answers didn’t work. So he replied “You are the Messiah, the son of the living God.” [Matthew 16:16 NLT]

Peter was the only student who used the key of faith, and as a result, the door opened. He now had keys. Keys here means authority and power of various kinds. His acknowledgement of Christ gave him access to authority and it’s the same for us today. Your faith in God will give you access to areas you should be disqualified for.

> “And I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. Whatever you forbid on earth will be forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven.” ‭‭[Matthew‬ ‭16‬:‭19‬ ‭NLT‬‬]

Heaven backs you when you operate in faith. It’s not just done here in the earth, but the courts of heaven won’t let it be appealed by Satan himself!

The kingdom of God is present with you. Right here in the earth. That means it affects your reality.

Everything in the kingdom of God is voice activated. You have not because you ask not. [James 4:2-3] Ask and it shall be given to you. [Matthew 7:7] If any man lacks wisdom, let him ask. [James 1:5]

Close mouths don’t get fed. The world is loud, so speak up, In Jesus’ name. Amen.

If you have questions or comments, email me at [marcus@marcusbattle.com](mailto:marcus@marcusbattle.com) and if you think someone else can benefit from this study, share it with them.


Authority

Matthew 16:19 - I Lost My Keys

Most Americans are trying to figure out how to make it to the next paycheck. Recent surveys in 2022 found that an average of 63% or three out of five Americans are living paycheck to paycheck.

Feeling the pressure of inflation and rising costs of every day needs, I had to take an intentional moment to pray and realign my faith with reality.
This morning while meditating I found myself in a very common passage of scripture, 2 Corinthians 5:7.

> “For we live by believing and not by seeing.” ‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭5‬:‭7‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Moments of lack are not new. While we may feel them to different degrees and at different stages of our lives, they’re not new.

Moments of lack wake us up to the reality that we didn’t get here by ourselves. It’s always taken faith. It’s always been us and God.

It’s amazing that God can bless us until the point where we forget how good He’s been. King David wrote of this conundrum himself.

> “Let all that I am praise the Lord; with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name. Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things he does for me.” Psalms‬ ‭103‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭NLT‬‬

In Psalm 103, he shows us that humans have to remind themselves to not forget the good or benefits that God provides!

How do we forget? Because God’s goodness empowers us to the point that we are conditioned to believe it’s our own ability in control.

Moses had to caution God’s people against this same mindset after their exodus from slavery. He warned them to never conclude that anything outside of God’s grace made them successful.

> “He did all this so you would never say to yourself, ‘I have achieved this wealth with my own strength and energy.’ Remember the Lord your God. He is the one who gives you power to be successful, in order to fulfill the covenant he confirmed to your ancestors with an oath.” Deuteronomy‬ ‭8‬:‭17‬-‭18‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Depending on people is hard, but depending on God is life. It is God who has brought us this far and continues to make us successful, even in bad economies.

So what do we do? How do we deal with the stress and reality of lack? We first acknowledge that the end of our ability, is the end of our sight. In order for us to walk by faith, metaphorically, our vision has to be blinded.

Rejoice! You’re in a great place when your prayers outline your weaknesses and inadequacies. This is the opportunity zone. The opportunity to see faith come alive and God perform the next miracle in your life!

This is why Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5:7 that we are walking by faith. We are living by believing and not by seeing.

Once we acknowledge that it’s not our ability in play, we can acknowledge the seeds of faith that God has already given us.

So how do we trust God when we don’t have enough? Invest!

Wait. I’m not talking about the stock market or giving in an offering plate. I’m talking about getting the ideas in your head that God have you, out into the world. A wise farmer doesn’t wait until perfect conditions to sow. They sow seed when most are inside because they understand the seeds of today are the solutions of tomorrow.

> “Farmers who wait for perfect weather never plant. If they watch every cloud, they never harvest.” ‭‭Ecclesiastes‬ ‭11‬:‭4‬ ‭NLT‬‬

It may seem like it’s the wrong time to go back to school, start a business, finish the book, learn to code, or lose weight. Your finances and friends may probably tell you that you’re irrational to do so right now. But in God’s wisdom, the right time to invest in yourself and your future is when it’s the wrong time in the earth. This is literally why more millionaires are made during recessions during any period of time. Because they see opposite of what everyone else sees.

Seeds don’t die until they’re planted. Your idea won’t grow until it gets out of your head. In real life it will look like hard work. But that’s okay. It’s worth it to believe. You might still struggle while you’re planting. You might still be losing money. That’s how farming works in real life. It’s dirty, hard, costs, and is filled with delayed gratification. If you choose to wait until another time, it will be too late.

Remember, God can only grow what we plant. What you invest now will pay you later.

Here’s a quick recap as you enter this week:
- Praise God for the wealth you have (however great or small)
- Acknowledge your dependency on God’s goodness
- Invest in spite of what things look like

Need prayer or additional insight? Email [marcus@marcusbattle.com](mailto:marcus@marcusbattle.com)


Investing

How to Trust God When You Don’t Have Enough

Did you know that the average person receives forty-six notifications a day to their phone? While that’s only two per hour, it doesn’t include the persistent news we get from text messages, TV, Googling, and conversations.

I love technology and how it enables us to be more connected, but the frequency in which we’re receiving information makes it harder for us to process our own personal lives while filtering the world. Deaths, wars, layoffs, stocks, and failures are just a few of the things we have to process. Occasionally we are fortunate to add some good news to the mix, but it’s often and quickly overshadowed by another misfortune.

Unfortunately, if we’re not conscious and intentional about processing the daily influx of information, we’ll find ourselves cold, numb, and apathetic to life itself. To be clear, by information, I don’t just mean digital. I’m actually more focused on the information from our day to day relationships, even the voices we hear when we look in the mirror.

Long before French author Anthelme Brillat-Savarin penned “tell me what you eat and I will tell you what you are” in his 1826 book “Physiologie du Gout,” King Solomon witnessed that our thinking dictates who we are.

We’ll explore Solomon’s wisdom in this Bible Study, focusing on the premise that you are what you think. If you are struggling with your identity and how you view yourself, it’s my prayer that you’ll see how this struggle is directly related to the information you allow into your life.

## **Preparation**
Before proceeding to the next section, complete the following steps to get the most benefit:
- Pray for understanding and growth
- Get something to write or record your questions and own personal revelations
- Try to read uninterrupted for the next _7 minutes (approximate reading time)._

## Study
Believe it or not, but this study will only focus on one scripture: Proverbs 23:7. Yes, we’ll look at others, but I always aim to break down one verse and one point. I guess we could call it a one-on-one 😅.

Before we begin, it would be helpful to **read Proverbs 22:1-3,6-8 for some context**. Here are the scriptures if you don’t have access to your Bible at the moment:

> 'When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, Consider diligently what is before thee: And put a knife to thy throat, If thou be a man given to appetite. Be not desirous of his dainties: For they are deceitful meat.' Proverbs 23:1-3 (KJV)
> 'Eat thou not the bread of him that hath an evil eye, Neither desire thou his dainty meats: For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; But his heart is not with thee.' Proverbs 23:6-7 (KJV)
### 
### How does information influence our identity?
Much of the introduction to this chapter highlights the importance and application of prudence – the quality of being cautious – in new relationships. While this introduction is revelatory in itself, Solomon hides some keen insight into understanding _how_ information influences our identity within the first few verses. Let’s begin by taking a look at our key scripture, Proverbs 23:7.

> “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; But his heart is not with thee.” ‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭23‬:‭7‬ ‭KJV‬‬

If you’ve been alive within the past 100 years then you’ve most likely heard this scripture or some variation of it. Outside of religion, this is one of the most shared proverbs within humanity. So much so that James Allen popularized it in 1903 with his classic self-help book “As a man thinketh.”

James Allen, along with many other philosophers and theologians have long used this proverb to teach the **_power of thought –_** how we can create our own destinies by modifying the way we think and process information.

While I generally agree with this, I wanted to use this Bible Study to help us see how this scripture works and enlighten us to how information from relationships forms who we are.

**So what does “thinketh” actually mean?**

Thinketh is the Hebrew verb saar (_šāʿar, Stron’s # H8176) — pronounced shaw-ar’ (or shaw-air)._ It \*\*means to split or open (as in a door)_._

Honestly, when studying, I wasn’t expecting for the definition of shaar to be “split open.” I expected for it to be “having an idea or opinion about something.” While there is a hint of that within the definition, holistically this is not the case or spirit of the word.

Saar is a denominative verb which means that it is _derived from a noun._ Saar comes from the noun Shaar (shah-ar or sha-air) meaning gate. One source elaborates that this gate is “the entrance into the city as well the activities carried out there such as marketing and judging.”

Notice that at this gate there is judgement. Gates historically are used to protect the cities or people within, but in ancient middle eastern culture, they were also used as civic centers. Proverbs 31:23 gives an example of this.

> “Her husband is known in the gates, When he sitteth among the elders of the land.” Proverbs 31:23 (KJV)
> 
In the infamous Proverbs 31 breakdown of a virtuous woman, we find her husband at the gates of the city, stationed there with the other reputable men.

According to Deuteronomy 21:18-21, parents with troubled children could even bring them to the elders at the gate for judgement and discipline.

> “Then all the men of his town must stone him to death. In this way, you will purge this evil from among you, and all Israel will hear about it and be afraid. The parents must say to the elders, ‘This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious and refuses to obey. He is a glutton and a drunkard.’ In such a case, the father and mother must take the son to the elders as they hold court at the town gate. ‘Suppose a man has a stubborn and rebellious son who will not obey his father or mother, even though they discipline him.’” Deuteronomy 21:18-21 (NLT)

_Whew! Thank God for grace that we are no longer being stoned to death for disobedience._

Putting this together, the gate is where judgment is made. In reality, the judgement of the gatekeeper determines the safety of every inhabitant. If he chooses wrong or processes information incorrectly, his error can result in the death of everyone inside. This is why Solomon uses this imagery when discussing the matters of the heart in Proverbs 4:23.

> “Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.” ‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭4‬:‭23‬ ‭NLT‬‬

When you open the gates of a city, you let something in or out. In either direction, you must guard it. You must be sure that whatever comes in is safe or else it will spoil everything valuable on the inside.

This brings me back to my premise: You are what you think. More specifically, **you will become what you let in and out of your heart.**

This is who we are. Our very identity and the course of our life is controlled by the judgements we make about new information and people. If your judgment is to hold on to unforgiveness, then you will become bitter. If your judgement is to give people a chance, then you will be known as a peacemaker. Let joy in, you’re happy. Let peace in, you’re calm. Let love go, you’re mean. Let optimism go, and you’re prideful. Let low self-esteem go, and you’re confident.

Looking back at our passage of scripture, this man thinks or opens the gate of his heart in a way that is suspicious. Note that this is different from him being prudent or exercising reasonable caution. He is distrusting of new people. He is prejudice that they are unworthy of his riches. He is unfriendly. He wants to be open but the way he thinks (opens the gate in judgement) doesn’t allow him to even receive the love he wants. **_Ouch._**

His true identity is revealed at the end of verse seven. There he offers his guests food and drink but it’s with great hesitation. He represents himself as a giver, but his vision is evil, most likely because of his personal history, so his character is evil. “Eat and drink, saith he to thee; But his heart is not with thee.” In other words, he doesn’t mean it. Giving from the heart is outside of his character and who he is. Some translations even define this man as stingy so you can visualize the face of someone giving that really doesn’t want to.

This is what verse six means when it says he has an “evil eye.” Because of the way he **thinks,** his vision of others has been affected. He himself has also been polluted as something has entered through the gates of his heart and stayed longer than it should have.

> “Eat thou not the bread of him that hath an evil eye, Neither desire thou his dainty meats:” Proverbs‬ ‭23‬:‭6‬ ‭KJV‬‬

This is why even though he is sending an invitation to eat and drink, his countenance shows that he doesn’t really mean it.

> “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; But his heart is not with thee.” ‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭23‬:‭7‬ ‭KJV‬‬
## 
## Reflection
Ultimately, some part of our lives and how we view ourselves is largely influenced by the information we process. We have become the lies told by others, the insecurities projected onto us, the voices we’ve listened to in our own heads, and the unforgiveness that we make comfortable in our heart.

Do you struggle to understand who you are? If so, take a moment, preferably in prayer or meditation, and process how you judge. How you make decisions is how you think. What you think becomes who you are.

Do you desire a new identity? Take some time in prayer with a counselor or mental health professional and unpack the things in your heart you allowed to stay beyond expiration.

There is hope. There is a different way to think that leads us to blessed lives.

> “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:” Philippians 2:5 (KJV)

During your meditation, ask yourself the following questions:
- What information have I processed incorrectly about people?
- Is my framework for meeting new people keeping me from experiencing God’s love?
- Who have I become?

Take the next few days and meditate on Proverbs 23:7, Proverbs 4:23, and Philippians 2:5.

If you have questions or comments, email me at [marcus@marcusbattle.com](mailto:marcus@marcusbattle.com) and if you think someone else can benefit from this study, share it with them.


Identity

Proverbs 23:7 - You Are What You Think

I’m re-learning that dissatisfaction is a sign of lost focus. 

If you’re not careful, dissatisfaction subtly suggests that God has played favorites with humanity and purposefully mistreated you.

Consider this paradox: The more we look at other people’s lives, the more we forget our own.

No matter how much God has blessed you or I, the moment we take our eyes off of our own blessings, is the moment Satan takes advantage of our heart. 

This is why daily thanksgiving is important. It keeps our perspective fresh and hearts aligned with gratefulness for what God has done and will do in OUR OWN LIVES.

Take a moment today, count your blessings, and tell God “THANK YOU” 

> “Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things he does for me. He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases. He redeems me from death and crowns me with love and tender mercies. He fills my life with good things. My youth is renewed like the eagle’s!” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭103‬:‭2‬-‭5‬ ‭NLT‬‬


Focus

Dissatisfaction is a Sign of Lost Focus

Let’s be honest. Our definition of forgiveness usually means “I’m good as long as I don’t see them.” 😅

Some of our relationships aren’t forgiven, they’re just out of sight. 

Hatred is premeditated. It follows the logic of “next time I see them I’m going to \_\_\_\_\_”. If you’ve already decided what you would do to get them back if you saw them again, their offense still controls you.

Before the New Year, let’s normalize taking back all peace from those who have robbed us, dead or living.

“…. Let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.” Hebrews‬ ‭12‬:‭1‬ ‭NLT‬‬


Forgiveness

Hatred is Premeditated

We leave seasons with less than what we started with.

Trees are the same way.
The fruit they entered Summer with, is gone by Fall.

Just because you lost something in this season,
doesn’t mean you’ve lost your purpose.

There is life after this.
You will produce again.
This is not how the story ends.

Remember, everything that’s lost ain’t missing. 😉

“Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭8‬:‭18‬ ‭NLT‬‬


Maybe They Didn't Mean To?

Every Christian is not a preacher, but every Christian _can_ preach (publicly proclaim or teach). Understanding this difference heavy influences your relationship with God and what you believe about the gift he’s given to you (or if he’s gifted you at all).

If you believe that God only empowers people to speak, you’ll accept the idea that only preachers are important to God. This is one of the biggest misconceptions that I believe has been taught to people about their gifts. See by nature, we as humans use our gifts to define our identity. If you can sing, you accept that you’re a singer. If you can paint, you accept that you’re a painter. This means that thousands, if not millions of humans have concluded that because they don’t "do public speaking," their gift in God’s world is somehow inferior.

I’ve personally counseled many people about their purpose and discovered that many are confused about their “why” in life, simply because sermons don’t publicize the importance of God’s gifts in everyday life. They have concluded that unless you’re preaching, your life isn’t effective.
## God doesn’t always talk, verbally
It’s important to consider that all of God’s gift are not expressed orally. In fact, 81% of the New Testament was not even shared through speaking, they were letters written! Even the 10 commandments were given in written form before they were spoken.

In the same year that I became a Christian, I simultaneously discovered that I had a gift to understand technology and create the future. The problem was that the only gifts I heard about in Sunday School were all centered around making you a better preacher. As a result, it took over 20 years to realize that I had a gift from God to code. (Yes, God empowers humans to create the future. _See [1 Chronicles 12:32](https://www.bible.com/bible/116/1ch.12.32.nlt)_). I didn’t know that he had equipped me with the skills to understand tech and gave me an opportunity to improve the lives of others with it.
## There aren’t enough Sundays for everyone to preach
Before I prove my point with scripture, let’s do some simple math. There are 52 Sundays in a year and the average local church may have one mid-week service. That’s 104 opportunities for someone to preach at church in a year. According to a study published in 2011, the average church in America has less than 75 members. So if you attend a church this size, you would have at best one chance to preach in a calendar year if your gifts were just for church. That does not scale well at all if the church actually grows beyond 100.

But what about preaching outside the church? Again, with this logic, you are suggesting that whatever job, career, or family someone has, it is inferior to being called to preach. Can’t a job or art be a calling? Was not Michelangelo called to paint the Sistine Chape ceiling?

If the premise of God gifting someone, is that he only empowers you to preach, what does the painter do with the brush in their hand? What does the mechanic do with their tools? What about the introverted or those not gifted for public speaking?

I’m suggesting very plainly to you that God has given you a gift, skill, or talent that brings him honor and improves the lives of others outside of Sunday morning. That his will is for every human to make an impact on someone else’s life, whether they’re scrubbing toilets in an office building, leading the conference call in the meeting room, or designing the blueprints for the next phase.
## So what else is there to do?
My purpose in sharing this insight is not to give you a list. A list can often be limiting in discovering whether or not God is doing something new with you. For me, coding didn’t exist when the Bible was written. However, there is one scripture that proves my point and provides guidance for those in search of a higher meaning within life.

> “Then the Lord said to Moses, “Look, I have specifically chosen Bezalel son of Uri, grandson of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. I have filled him with the Spirit of God, giving him great wisdom, ability, and expertise in all kinds of crafts. He is a master craftsman, expert in working with gold, silver, and bronze. He is skilled in engraving and mounting gemstones and in carving wood. He is a master at every craft!” - ‭‭[Exodus‬ ‭31:1-5‬ ‭(NLT)‬‬](https://www.bible.com/116/exo.31.1-5.nlt)

Wow! God was very direct in his conversation with Moses. This man was given the spirit of God to create. Not to prophesy, preach, or communicate anything orally, but rather to demonstrate God’s creativity through crafts!
## Every gift should honor Him
God has invested something valuable inside of you. It may not be for the church building or a Christian conference. That however doesn’t mean it’s any less valuable or unusable.

God can inspire you to:
- Paint a picture
- Fix cars
- Build a house (Jesus was a carpenter)
- Fly a plane
- Start a company
- Or in my case, code

Whatever you do, you have a responsibility to do it in a way that honors God (or reflects his qualities). The gift you have may not make you a preacher, but it still may be used to tell others about God’s goodness.

> “So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” - [1 Corinthians‬ ‭10:31‬ (‭NLT‬‬)](https://www.bible.com/116/1co.10.31.nlt)

My challenge to you today is to assess what you do exceptional well, and start calling it a gift. If you’re confident in that area, begin praying about how God can use your exceptionalism to bring him honor, every day!

Want to talk about this further? Hit me up privately at [marcus@marcusbatte.com](mailto:marcus@marcusbattle.com) or publicly on Twitter at [@themarcusbattle](https://twitter.com/themarcusbattle).

Marcus Battle

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