Mark 7:6 He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.

KJV

As Cheryl and I were arranging our immigration paperwork in Nairobi, Kenya, we found an indoor cultural and Maasai market with hundreds of vendors. They were selling trinkets, souvenirs and handmade gifts from all areas of Kenya. Of course, every vendor surrounded us, almost pushing us into their shops and begging us to “promote” them.

As an evangelist, I always use every opportunity to witness for Jesus. I would ask each of the vendors if they loved the Lord and if they were born again. Each of them responded with an absolute “Yes”! I asked them if they loved money and they yelled out “Yes, of course”. I am also a teacher of the Word of God, therefore, I explained to them the scriptures about money and God. Jesus said to seek 1st the Kingdom and righteousness, and then everything else will be added to you. We cannot seek food, shelter and money- then seek God and His will afterwards! Most people do not understand the condition of their hearts like Jesus described.

1 Timothy 6:10 For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

KJV

Jesus also said you cannot love God and money at the same time. Only one can be your master, and if you pursue money, then you walk away from the faith and the Lord. So many times, we move away from the Bible and get entangled in the world and its system. We go to church on Sunday and live for money for the rest of the week, which reveals our hypocrisy. We can hide behind the mask of greed and lust for money, while we are sitting in church acting like a Christian. The human mind and heart, from a carnal perspective, is capable of loving one thing at a time. This type of love is human and fleshly, however, Agape- God’s kind of Love is able to love all people, things and places Spiritually at the same time!

I took this feature photo within this market displaying all the tribal masks of Kenya. The Lord inspired me to use this photo as a teaching moment in His Word. Jesus does not want His people to be culturally diversified, but to be changed into His image and conformed to Him and His Word. Too many Christians have adopted traditions and doctrines of men, thus making the Word of God of no effect- Mark 7:13.

In the 1st verse, Jesus made a point to identify that many of His followers were hiding behind a mask of lies. Their lips say one thing, but their heart thinks differently. They are careful to say certain things around certain people and then change their speech and behavior around others. Have you ever noticed some people never mention Jesus or the scriptures during the week, but on Sunday, suddenly, they become “spiritual”? This is hypocrisy and God does not like it. The Lord wants for us to choose a side and then stay there- either hot or cold!

So, in conclusion, be yourself; be who God created you to be. Your face is a template for your identity and it’s not a mask to hide behind. Don’t be ashamed of who you are, but identify with God, your creator and be ready to be visible and transparent to the whole world. People create a mask, a man made object to identify with something other than what God has created. These are signs of immaturity and shame or guilt, none of which come from God. So stay true to your spiritual identity in Christ and do the good works God created you to do 7 days per week, and do not be afraid to mingle with crowds being different than everyone else! God Bless you- Jerry W. Turner