3.7.25

Good morning!

Purim is coming quickly. Passover is just one month away. A new day is upon us. His mercies are new (Lam. 3:23)! There is breath in your lungs and an opportunity to turn over another new leaf today.

As a peculiar people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation (Ex. 19:3-6; 1 Pet. 2:5-9) we have been given the command/tetzaveh to fill the menorah, the 7 branched lampstand, within our Tabernacle (2 Cor. 5:1-4), which is being made after the heavenly pattern (Heb. 8:1-5), in order to bring light to our world and to those within our house (Matt. 5:14-16).

Starting new disciplines or continuing disciplines takes work; especially when it comes to spiritual disciplines like refilling your lamp (Eph. 5:16-19; Col. 3:16,17).

Inorder to start or maintain a habit you have to consciously give something up. The mind has to be transformed (Rom. 12;1,2), by bringing the body into purposeful subjection (1 Cor. 9:24-27). For as a man thinks, so is he (Prov. 23:7).

This morning, as we continue to prepare for the days ahead I want to encourage you to kick some RAS...that's your Reticular Activation System :-)

We all have this bundle of neurons that vet what comes into your brain and what is omitted. For instance, if you feel unloved (Gen. 37:4), your RAS is going to take every piece of information of your day and confirm that belief in you.If you feel people don't like you at work, then your RAS is going to work all day long to confirm that negative belief! This is where the 'confirmation bias' comes from that we've talked about so often. Our minds love to read, watch, and listen to things we agree with...hence our political issues of the day and many more divisive realities. Reading things you agree with confirms your RAS filter.

The RAS only lets things that you agree with. If this weren't the case and everything in your environment were treated with equal value, your brain would have a melt down with too much information (John 21:25). If you're not where you want to be emotionally, relationally, spiritually, or physically there is a need to reprogram our RAS and kick your RAS.

Many of us have set goals for ourselves for this year, but here on 3/7/25, or the final 30 days of God's prophetic calendar, most have had those slip away. Why does that happen every year to the majority of people? Maybe it's time to reprogram that God-given RAS with a 2-step process. Are you ready? Of course!

Let's say for instance that one of your goals is to improve your self-worth (yes that's spiritual thinking :-) Visualize! Close your eyes, yes, close your eyes and picture what you're going to look like and feel like when your self-worth has improved. Can you see yourself speaking up at work in meetings? Having people listen to you? Going to the gym? Making those phone calls? Sharing your faith? Waking up early? Breaking off bad relationships? You need to kick the old RAS out and reestablish the new.

Now think about what it will feel like in your emotions. Happy, proud, stand taller, grateful that you made the change. Marry the specific change you've made. Become one with it. Can you see it? There you are, raising your hand in a meeting, sharing an insight, signing up another customer, going back to school, or whatever. By doing this you are actually reprogramming your RAS filter.

Does this sound 'new age' to you? Actually, this is very biblical and practical every day...just think of how we use our imagination to create boundaries that prevent us, exalting these barriers, from walking with God (2 Cor. 10:5)...

What's important to know is that your brain doesn't distinguish the difference between reality and imagination. It doesn't make a distinction between the bad that really happened to you and the imagined memory that you're creating. Visualization encodes into your brain as though it's a real memory. That's what changes the RAS.

Neurological research has taught us many things, but here's two to consider: The more you visualize the greater your confidence is going to be.  And when you do this for just 30 seconds a day, visualizing that it's going to be a great day and how it's going to feel, you'll 'shine brighter' to the world (Matt. 5:13-16) then ever before. By visualizing an activity, you actually develop the skill that helps you improve the skill as though you were actually doing it...crazy, but true. This process reprograms the RAS by changing the neurological patterns within our filter system.

Instead of being a light that has a basket covering it, you'll find yourself speaking up. You'll be looking for opportunities to grow spiritually, physically, emotionally, relationally, and financially then ever before.

Go through all your goals. Spend 30 seconds, close your eyes, visualize, what does it look like when you've achieved your monetary goals, when you go to the bank and see it in there, to put a down payment on your dream home, to save enough money, to give to orphanages and more...and in no time, you'll long to fulfill the commandment to wake up and go to bed with a freshly supplied menorah of pure, beaten, oil from the olive (Ex. 27:21).

In time, you'll be more confident and capable. It's time to change that 'GiGo' system of garbage in and garbage out into good in and good out!

Happy 6th day of the week and Shabbat Shalom!

Shalom

Do you want more? Of course! Tonight's zoom call will give you added insights on how to live victoriously and spread your light. It's not a magic potion, it's God's formula for success and intimacy with Him.

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