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Shake the Dust Off Your Feet! Now Showing: Week 1 (July 1st-7th) | Week 2 (July 8th-14th) | Week 3 (July 15th-21st) | Week 4 (July 22nd-Month End)
July 31st: Jesus Christ the Victor! - They took Jesus one Friday evening, put Him on a hill called Golgotha and pierced His side. They put a crown of thorns on His head and said that He was not the Son of God. But Jesus shook the dust off His feet and early Sunday morning arose with all power in His hands. This becomes our paradigm for making it through difficult and trying circumstances. We, like the disciples, need to follow Christ’s simple instructions, let Him lead us where He would have us go; let Him tell us what to say; let Him also instruct us on where and where not to stay; and most importantly, follow His incredible advice and learn how to shake the dust off our feet that hinders us from getting to where we need to be in God. Assignment: Read the Gospel According to Matthew in its entirely. Meditate on the ministry, the death and the resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. July 30th: If They Can Do It… - You are going to make mistakes in life, but you have to shake them off. Did you know that James Earl Jones had a stuttering problem? He stuttered so badly that he did not want to go to school because of the humiliation. But James Earl Jones learned how to shake the dust off of his feet. He just practiced talking. He slowed down his speech and today he is one of the most highly acclaimed actors in Hollywood because He learned to shake the dust off his feet. The Daughters of the American Revolution would not let Marian Anderson sing at Constitutional Hall. But Marian Anderson did not let that defeat her. Instead, she shook the dust off of her feet and ended up singing at the Lincoln Memorial before a crowd of more than 75,000 people and a radio audience of millions. If they can get over those circumstances, then every Christian ought to realize that there is no obstacle that you cannot turn into an opportunity. There is no problem that you cannot turn into a possibility. You just have to learn to shake the dust off your feet. Assignment: Turn on your favorite gospel song. If you don’t have one download Mary Mary’s song “Shackles”. Bring to your mind all of the things that are bothering you and dragging on your mind. Develop your own praise dance where you literally shake the dust off your feet. July 29th: Look Back - Look back and realize that you’ve triumphed because the Lord was with you and brought you through it. When you look back you can celebrate His blessings instead of drowning in a sea of bad memories, because if it had not been for the Lord, you never would have made it to where you are now. Assignment: Spend today reflecting over your life. Marvel on the changes and thank God for His awesomeness. July 28th: Remove the Plank from your Own Eye - When you are dealing with the church you have to understand that the church is both spiritual and human and subsequently, wherever you find human beings you are going to have imperfection. So do not expect more of others what you can't deliver yourself. These people are just like you. They are just as human and natural, and some of them are just as carnal. So you’ve go to learn to rise above it all and shake the dust off your feet. Assignment: Have you been hurt by a member of the church? Are you still carrying this anger and hurt with you? Write a prayer to God asking Him to help you forgive that person. In the prayer, also pray for the well being of that person. July 27th: Be a Good Disciple - At the end of the day there are issues that you are going to have to shake off or else they will build up on you. If you fail to get rid of them, these issues will burden you until you are mired in depression with a reservoir of bad memories keeping you company. You’ve got to learn to shake the dust off your feet because that is what it takes to be a good disciple. Assignment: In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus describes the traits of a disciple. Write down the traits that you read about in Matthew 5:3-10. Pick at least one of them and focus on developing that trait.
July 26th: Rejection vs. Reception - Jesus kept it as simple as possible for the disciples by dividing whatever situation they would face into two categories: rejection and reception. It is this simple for you as well. The fact is there are some people who will receive you and there are others who will reject you because they don’t know you and do not understand the value you bring to them. So shake the dust off your feet because you cannot do anything in a relationship in which only one person is working for the good. Assignment: On a sheet of paper, write down five of your typical behaviors when you feel that you have been accepted. Now think about how you behave when you feel rejected. Make a decision today to operate in your five behaviors of acceptance regardless of your situation.
July 25th: What You Can Expect - Before the disciples went out, Jesus warned them that not everyone was going to be open to their teachings. He told them that not everyone was going to receive them and advised them that when the reception is less than what they expected they should shake the dust off their feet. Expect challenge and opposition; don’t be surprised by it. When you live by God’s standards those who do not live by God’s standards will not receive you. Don’t let this deter you. Assignment: Today do a self-check. Could you be living better? Evaluate your current lifestyle and make sure that you are living by God’s standards.
July 24th: Move On - Do you have friends in your circle who keep bring up the same old stuff? Send them the message that it is time to move on. Tell them that you have heard their stories, but now it is time to talk about the glory. The one who was with you in the making of your story is the same one that can give you the glory in the story. So shake the dust off your feet. Assignment: It’s time to get creative. Have you ever noticed how creative some people are in coming up with a message for their automobile license plates? Come up with your own that shows you are moving forward, away from your past. On a sheet a paper, draw a square. This is your license plate. Inside the square, crate your own license slogan: “GOWITGD” or “MOVIN” or whatever else you can come up with. Put your license plate where you can see it.
July 23rd: Celebrate in Thanksgiving - Every day is a day of thanksgiving. The economy is bad and we’re dealing with sub-prime loan situations. We are in a crisis and talking about a recession. But we are smart enough to know that we’ve got a God who has been with us and seen us through other recessions and depressions. We have a God who we can celebrate. Assignment: Make a list of all of the blessings that you can thank God for. Are you finding that things are not as bad as they seemed? Share this list at your next ministry meeting as a testimony.
July 22nd: Celebrate You! - You need to learn how to celebrate yourself. You are fearfully and wonderfully made and if others do not affirm you then learn how to affirm yourself. The fact that God woke you up and gave you a brand new day should let you know that God cares for you, values you and has placed you on His agenda. Assignment: Wake up today and thank God for who you are. Specifically thank Him for every unique thing about you. Spend today celebrating the person God made you to be.
Week 3 July 21st: O You of Little Faith - In some situations you are dealing with worrying is not going to make any difference, so liberate yourself from your worries because no one can set you free but you. Assignment: Read and meditate on Matthew 6:25 – 34.
July 20th: Life is short - The goal of the enemy is to keep you down, keep you disappointed and keep you dismal and in despair. He will do everything in his power to keep you sad and miserable. But life is too short to go through life with a chip on your shoulder. You have to learn to liberate yourself by putting things into proper perspective. Assignment: Write down all the things in life you have to live for. Are they not worth living life to its fullest?
July 19th: Heal Yourself - You’ve also got to learn how to heal yourself. In Luke 4:23, Jesus says, “Physician, heal yourself.” In keeping with this proverb, you have to shake the dust off your feet so that you can experience liberation and celebration. Assignment: Is your inability to shake the dust off of your feet keeping you shackled to your situation? Ask God to heal you with the gift of liberation and the spirit of celebration.
July 18th: A Set Up for a Comeback - Keep in mind that if you live long enough you are going to be hurt or disappointed. It is a part of the package so get over it. If you live long enough you are going to have some setbacks, but a setback is nothing but a set-up for a comeback. Assignment: Using the Bible Concordance, located in the back of most Bibles, search for scripture that deals with whatever you are dealing with. Memorize that scripture and build up your arsenal. When attacked, draw your weapon, the Word of God.
July 17th: Don’t Block Your Blessing - God has so much more in store for you but until you move through your obstacle, situation or circumstance you will never obtain it. You are at the cusp and you can see the promise God has made you clearly on the horizon, plainly in view; it seems so close and at the same time yet so far. The devil is using every trick in his dirty book to make you shift your focus off God to what is going on around you. Don’t fall for the trickery, don’t stop moving forward, know God is still faithful and His promises are still true. Don't allow yourself to be tricked into blocking your own blessing. Assignment: When the promise God made you is about to manifest itself, the devil really turns up the heat, making every attempt to make you shift focus. So write His promises to you down, read it every day, as often as you can, stay prayed up and continue to move forward.
July 16th: Press towards the Mark - The devil will get in your view and put obstacles and problems in your way to take your focus off of your goal and destination. But you have to keep on keeping on. Like Paul, you have to press towards the mark of the high calling in Christ Jesus and in order to do that you have to be able to shake off the dirt that tries to cling to you. You cannot spend all of your time throwing a pity party, hoping that people will come and feel sorry for you because sometimes life is just not fair. Assignment: Do you know what God has promised you? Seek God to understand His promises for you - trust him, with those promises in sight keep moving towards the mark. Take out your Bible and find three scriptures where God speaks of His promises.
July 15th: Friends are Few - There are people who will smile in your face, but that does not mean they are your friends. Sometimes we incur the deepest hurts from those in our inner circle who utilize their awareness of the most intimate and secret details of our lives against us. But you have to learn to shake the dust off your feet. Assignment: Do you have really good friends. Take the time to thank them for their friendship and today pray especially for their well being and thank God for placing them in your life.
July 14th: Better not bitter - You will bump into people from time to time who will sit under you and then take credit for what you do. But you cannot spend your time in bitterness, nor should you waste energy trying to get even. The best thing for you to do is rise up, shake the dust off of your feet and learn how to remove these people from your path so that you can continue on the road that God has called you to travel. Assignment: Are you still carrying bitterness from the past? Imagine yourself writing your challenger’s names in dust. Now imagine taking out a broom and sweeping them away. Do you feel better?
July 13th: Life is Not Fair - There are a couple of reasons why you need to learn how to shake the dust off your feet. The first reason is because you will discover as you keep getting up in the morning that life is not always fair. I do not care how right you try to live or how generous, kind and compassionate you try to be, life is not always fair. Assignment: Look through the Bible and find one example of someone who “did everything right” but was still treated unfairly by life. Use that person as an inspiration to shake the dust off of you feet from this point on.
July 12th: Hindrance Free - When Jesus sent the disciples to the Gentiles or into other foreign territory where the people did not embrace God, it was believed that they should not even bring the residue of that area back with them. As a result, they had to scrape off the dirt that got attached to their sandals so that they would cleanse themselves of impurities. This is a good spiritual lesson because sometimes you can get contaminated simply by being around certain situations and certain people. Assignment: Make a list of the issues that are contaminating your life. Ask God to remove those contaminates and in faith work to cleanse yourself of them.
July 11th: Navigating Rough Water - You’ve got to learn how to navigate your way through difficult situations and get victory over contrary circumstances. According to Jesus, the best way to do that is to simply learn how to shake the dust off your feet. This advice is applicable to every area of your life, because in life you will come up against frustration, agony, disappointment and despair. You will face heartbreak, trouble, trials and adversity. You may experience sickness, setbacks, pain, betrayal and deception. But through all of this you have got to learn to shake the dust off your feet. Assignment: If you are not already doing so, develop the habit of spending time with God and reading the Word of God, the Bible, daily.
July 10th: Lessons Learned - You must understand that we will not succeed in everything. There are some experiences whereby we will fail. But Jesus gives us permission to learn from our failings. He allows us to wipe the dust off of our feet, get up and go on our merry way. This is good news and it should help someone, because if you do not learn how to shake the dust off your feet, you will find yourself stuck in a rut about matters that means nothing. Assignment: Think back to what you would have considered a failure in your past. List those failures on a sheet of paper. Next to the failures list the lessons. After listing the lessons, think about how these lessons and failures have shaped your future. Can you see that what you deemed a failure then was actually preparation for where you are now? Whenever you are faced with challenging times draw on these memories.
July 9th: Therapeutic Advice - Jesus’ advice is liberating and therapeutic because Jesus says that after you have put forth your best effort and intentions, if it does not work, do not allow that failure to erode or diminish your focus or your relationship and commitment to the things of God. Assignment: Vow that today, no matter the task, resolve to do your very best in all things and give the end result over to God for Him to work out.
July 8th: Shake it off - Jesus instructs His disciples in where to stay. He advises them not to stay with just anyone. He says, “When you go, if there are persons who open their doors and welcome you, that house is worthy; stay with them.” But in dealing with those who did not welcome His disciples, He gave this marvelous and incredible advice: “Simply shake the dust off your feet.” Assignment: Do you need to shake off some dust? Who or what situations have rejected you lately? Write down the names of the situations or people who have left you feeling rejecting. Tear the sheet of paper into tiny dust-sized pieces, put them in a bowl and shake them into the trash can. Now forget about them.
July 7th: Do What Jesus tells you to do - Jesus tells His disciples what to do. He says, “When you go, preach and heal in the name of Jesus.” He instructs them to cleanse lepers and cast out demons in the name of Jesus. Assignment: Has God given you an assignment that you know you cannot do in your own strength? What is it? Write a prayer today asking God to give you the strength to complete the assignment He has given you.
July 6th: Say What Jesus tells you to say - Jesus tells His disciples what to say. Followers of Christ should be mindful that words can wound. Jesus deposits His spirit in us that we may love, forgive and have compassion for others. Speak of His goodness and encourage others daily with kind words. Assignment: Think over the last couple of months. Have you wounded someone with words? Are you prepared to seek forgiveness? If so, embark on the journey of forgiveness today by telling one person that you have hurt that you are sorry.
July 5th: Go Where He Tells You To Go - Jesus tells his disciples where to go and where not to go to find the lost sheep of Israel. He cautions them not to go to the Samaritans or the Gentiles, because the disciples would face hostility there as the Samaritans were still carrying the historical conflict that they were viewed as half-breeds. Assignment: Are there some places that Jesus has instructed you not to go? Have you stopped going? Make a promise to God and yourself today to be obedient to God’s direction in your life.
July 4th: He Who Has Ears, Let Him Hear - Before sending His disciples out Jesus gives His disciples incredible advice and marvelous instructions. The Word of God is a guide for all that we might face in life. It offers guidance, instruction, correction and solutions for every challenge and situation. Assignment: Are you listening to Jesus’ advice and instruction? What is Jesus telling you to do? Write down all of the things that He has been telling you and create a timeline for moving forward with His instructions.
July 3rd: Wait on the Lord - Authority and power cannot be obtained through your works; it cannot be purchased with any amount of money nor is it based on your job title or the amount of degrees you hold. Real authority and power comes from God alone. Assignment: Has Jesus given you the authority and power to serve? Are you obeying? List the ways that you are utilizing your authority and power to glorify the kingdom and share them with your friends in an email. In the email also encourage your friends to use their own authority and power.
July 2nd: Followers of Christ - In Matthew 10:1, Jesus calls 12 men to His side who He calls His disciples. These are His learners and followers. These are the men that Jesus will teach and instruct on the things of the kingdom of God. Just as Jesus called the first 12 to be his disciples, to learn and follow him, Jesus is calling us today. Assignment: Are you a follower a Christ? How must time do you spend learning His ways?
July 1st: Pray Without Ceasing - Only after much prayer should we begin the work of our Father. Prayer was a priority for even Jesus. No matter the task, the size of the crowd seeking His attention, or how busy Jesus was, He made time for prayer. Spending time in honest and sincere prayer nurtures our relationship with God and equips us for what God has called us do. Assignment:Develop or improve your prayer life. Begin each assignment from God with much prayer. Read and meditate on Matthew 6: 5-13. Memorize the Lord’s Prayer if you have not already done so.
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