What Does "Washing Feet" Mean Today?

In Jesus’ day people wore sandals and walked on dusty roads which made their feet filthy. This made it necessary for their feet to be washed every day. At the last supper, Jesus washed the disciples’ feet and said, “If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash on another’s feet. For I have given you an example that you should do as I have done to you” (John 13:14-15).

Jesus did this to leave us “an example.” Does this mean we should be washing people’s feet today? In those days they walked on dirty roads. Today we ride in cars on paved roads, so there’s no need to wash feet. I know of a church that washes people feet every Sunday because Jesus said this. They miss the point. It’s an example that goes beyond changes in culture.

First, it’s an example of humility. In those days washing other people’s feet was a slave’s job. Jesus said, “A slave is not greater than his master” (13:16) and washed their feet. If no job was too humiliating for Jesus, no job should be beneath us.

Second, it’s an example of serving others. Jesus did not say, “If I wash your feet, you can serve Me by washing My feet.” He said wash other people's feet. In other words, the way we serve God is to serve others. So what does “washing feet” mean today? 

It could mean mowing someone’s yard, cleaning a bathroom, fixing someone’s flat tire, shoveling snow off your neighbor’s driveway, or taking a meal to a sick person. Ask God what He wants you to do. So have you washed any feet lately?  www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com www.makinglifecount.net

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Making Life Count Ministries

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Prattville, Alabama 36068-0174

www.makinglifecount.net  Twitter: @KentCrockett

Nathanael Under the Fig Tree

Nathanael was sitting under a fig tree one day. We don’t know the details but he probably prayed, “Lord, can you see me under this fig tree? Can you hear what I’m praying? If you can, I’ll follow wherever you lead me.”

Sometime after that, Philip comes running to him and says, “We have found Him of whom Moses in the Law and also the Prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth…Come and see.” When the Jesus saw him coming He said, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!” (John 1:45-50)

Although they had never met, Jesus knew everything in his heart. Like a computer program scanning for viruses, He scanned Nathanael’s heart and couldn’t find any deceit. The first words Jesus said to Nathanael must have stunned him: “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” Even though Jesus wasn’t anywhere near the fig tree, He saw him there. This was an unmistakable sign to Nathanael that Jesus was the Messiah and the one to follow.

Nathanael said, "You are the Son of God; You are the King of Israel." Although we usually give credit to Peter as the first to say Jesus was the Son of God (Matt. 16:16), Nathanael was the first disciple to do so. Jesus said, “Because I said to you that I saw you under the fig tree, do you believe? You shall see greater things than these.” Jesus not only saw Nathanael under the fig tree but He also saw his future.

Just as Jesus saw Nathanael under the fig tree, He sees where you are at this very moment. He knows what you’re going through and wants to lead you through this life. He knows what’s ahead in 2018. If you’ll follow Him like Nathanael did, you will see greater things too—both in this life and the life to come. www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com www.makinglifecount.net

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Making Life Count Ministries

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How Did the Shepherds Find Baby Jesus?

You know the story. An angel appeared to some shepherds at night and announced the birth of Jesus saying, “You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger” (Luke 2:12). That’s it? No further instructions? How did they find Him? Maybe it happened something like this…

In April 2001, my friend Eugene needed his car windshield replaced. The repairman would be coming to town on a Sunday so Eugene left his vehicle at his workplace at 7 am. It was a cold morning and a storm was coming, but for some reason Eugene decided to walk home instead of having his wife pick him up. After walking a few blocks it started to lightly rain and he heard a baby crying in the distance.

As he kept walking, the cries grew louder and sounded desperate. He looked at a nearby bowling alley, which was closed, and noticed a baby stroller parked behind the building. Eugene sprinted to the stroller. Inside was a little baby that had turned blue due to the cold. He ripped off his shirt, quickly wrapped up the infant and called 911 on his cell phone. The police came and took the baby to the hospital.

The baby was too far away from the street to hear from inside a car. Only someone walking down the street could have heard the cries. Just minutes after the police left, it started pouring rain with winds reaching 40 mph. If Eugene hadn’t been walking down that street at that precise time, the baby would have died in the storm. Later it was discovered that a little boy who lived in a nearby apartment complex took the baby for a stroll and left her there.

Did God lead Eugene to find that baby? Yes He did. But Eugene didn’t know God was leading him. The Lord put a thought in Eugene’s mind to walk home in bad weather instead of calling for a ride. And that’s how God guided him to the right place to find the baby.

God did something similar with the shepherds. I believe as they hurried into town the Lord put a thought in their minds to turn left at the tax collector’s office rather than right. As they walked down the street they heard a baby crying and followed the sound to find Jesus.

THE LESSON: If someone wants to find Jesus, God will make sure the person will find Him. And He can lead us by putting thoughts in our minds, even if we are unaware of it. For more about God’s guidance & divine appointments read The Sure Cure for Worry.

www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com www.makinglifecount.net

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Making Life Count Ministries

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Prattville, Alabama 36068-0174

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It's How You Say It

You can control how people respond to you by the way you say it. An Army private was serving apricots in the lunch line to the other soldiers. As the first 100 soldiers passed through he asked, "You don't want any apricots, do you?" Only 10% replied they did.

When the next 100 soldiers came through, he changed the question and asked, "Would you like some apricots?" When asked this way, half the soldiers wanted them. He asked the next 100, "Would you like one bowl of apricots or two?"  This time 50% wanted one bowl and 40% wanted two bowls.

Asking negatively brought a 10% response but asking positively brought a 90% approval. By changing his wording he changed their perception of the apricots. It changed from something they didn't want…to something they wanted…to something so good they wanted more.

This shows that relationships can improve or be destroyed by our words. “From the same mouth proceed blessing (building up) and cursing (tearing down)….these things out not to be so.” (James 3:10). We can bless instead of curse by doing 3 things:

1. Check your motive. Jesus said, “The mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart” (Matt. 12:34). Look inside your heart and make sure you’re “speaking the truth in love” (Eph. 4:15).

2. Choose your words wisely. Think before you speak. “There is one who speaks rashly like the thrusts of a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing” (Prov. 12:18). We can actually heal a wounded person’s soul by first thinking, then speaking.

3. Change your tone of voice. “A gentle answer turns away wrath but a harsh word stirs up anger.” (Prov. 15:1). A gentle answer is a soft tone of voice and calms the other person. Harshness is loud and obnoxious, which evokes anger in the hearer. Can you see how lowering your tone can restore a strained relationship?

Remember, it IS what you say, but it’s also how you say it. www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com www.makinglifecount.net

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If enjoy these devotionals would you please consider a year-end gift to Making Life Count Ministries? Gifts are tax-deductible.

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Making Life Count Ministries

P.O. Box 680174

Prattville, Alabama 36068-0174

www.makinglifecount.net  Twitter: @KentCrockett

Are Ghosts Real?

Ghost hunters try to video paranormal images from “haunted” houses in an attempt to prove ghosts really do exist. For example, they’ll claim to see a soldier wearing a Confederate uniform who was killed in the Civil War. They’ll ask questions to the deceased person and record EVPs (Electronic Voice Phenomena) that seem to give an intelligent answer. According to ghost hunters, this is proof the spirits of dead people are still wandering in the place where they died.  

But think about it. How could a ghost wear clothes? A uniform is made of cloth, so how could the material appear as a ghost? What the hunters see and hear may actually be real, but they aren’t ghosts. They’re demons. These demons are called “deceitful spirits" (1 Tim. 4:1) because they try to convince people they are disembodied spirits of dead people.

Demons are fallen angels who were kicked out of heaven for rebelling against God and are now on earth, trying to lead people away from Jesus Christ. They’re also called “familiar spirits” (Lev. 20:6, Isa. 8:19) because they’re familiar with people who lived in the past and can easily impersonate them. They disguise themselves (2 Cor. 11:14) and can pretend to be a Confederate soldier wearing a uniform, or someone else who has died.

Why? They want us to believe that people don’t go to heaven or hell when they die. Hebrews 9:27 says, "It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment." Second Corinthians 5:8 says when a believer dies he or she is absent from the body and present with the Lord. There is no in-between state where a spirit is trapped.

Christians don’t need to be afraid of demons who appear as ghosts because "greater is He (Jesus) who is in you than he who is in the world (demons)" (1 John 4:4) and He has given us authority “over all the power of the enemy” (Satan). www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com  www.makinglifecount.net

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Making Life Count Ministries

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The Lord Make His Face Shine on You

Archaeologists in Israel discovered two small silver scrolls in 1979 that recorded a priestly blessing from Numbers 6:24-26, “The Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up His countenance on you and give you peace.” God spoke this to Moses approximately 1500 BC and the scrolls were dated to the 7th century B.C., which means the blessing was still being honored 800 years later. 

Why was this Scripture so important and what did it mean? Since God told Aaron and the priests to say this blessing over future generations (Numbers 6:22-23), it must have an important purpose. This blessing is an appeal to God to look favorably on His people and to grant His presence, blessing, guidance, and grace.

1. The Lord bless you asks God to extend His favor and bless what we do.

2. And keep you requests God’s protection from evil and harm.

3. The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you suggests that God does NOT shine on everyone or give His grace. He causes His face to shine on those who seek His face and want to know Him. These verses ask God to not hide His face from them (Job 13:24, Psalm 27:9, 44:24, 69:17, 88:14, 102:2, 143:7). Today we’d say, “Please don’t turn your back on me.”

Jesus said, “See that you do not despise one of these little ones for I say to you that their angels in heaven continually behold the face of My Father in heaven” (Matt. 18:10). Jesus informed us that the angels watch over children and at the same time are looking at God’s shining face in heaven. Sometimes we forget God in heaven is that close.

4. The Lord lift His countenance on you is a picture of a father smiling and taking pleasure in his child. When the Lord lifts His countenance upon us, it shows that He is looking on us for our good.

5. And give you peace. Peace calms your soul and keeps your soul from being tormented. Only God can give peace to your soul.

God wants to bless us. He wants to protect us. He wants to smile on us, be gracious to us, and give us peace. But it doesn't come automatically. It happens when we seek to know and please Him. www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com  www.makinglifecount.net

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Making Life Count Ministries

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Imaginary Movies in Your Mind

When was the last time you watched a movie? Not at the mall, but the imaginary movies in your mind. Satan has produced a number of films he wants you to watch. He projects imaginary movies on the screen of your mind, trying to stir up ungodly emotions so you’ll react in the wrong way.

A seat is reserved for you. Admission is free. The popcorn is ready and the show is about to begin. All Satan asks is for you to believe what you see even though none of it has yet happened.

The Worry movie plays in your mind and you see every tragedy happening to you or someone you love. The Angry movie stars foolish people who keep doing things you don’t like, trying to steal your joy. You are the star of the dark Depression movie where you seemingly have lost all hope. The Temptation movie shows you doing something wrong without any consequences. Killers watch the Murder movie before they do the crime. You’ve probably seen the Jealousy movie, Envy movie, and Rejection movie. Have you ever noticed how the movies in your mind never have a happy ending?

This is why 2 Corinthians 10:5 says, "Casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ." Notice we must carry out a two-step process—stop and replace.

STOP THE MOVIE! “Casting down imaginations.” You don’t have to keep watching it. You can turn off the movie by commanding the thoughts to leave in Jesus’ name. You realize Satan has made the movies and you’re determined to shut down his operation. When you take a stand against him, he’ll leave and take his movie projection with him. “Resist the devil and he will flee from you” (James 4:7)

REPLACE IT. “Bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.” It’s not enough to cast down the imaginations. We also need to replace it with right thinking. Don’t leave the lot vacant but build a godly house there. If we’ll dwell on godly thoughts (Phil. 4:8) we’ll be happy both now and in the future.

FOR MORE about the movies in your mind read Slaying Your Giants.

 www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com  www.makinglifecount.net

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Making Life Count Ministries

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Prattville, Alabama 36068-0174

www.makinglifecount.net  Twitter: @KentCrockett