Not too long ago, I talked about setting a higher standard. A standard in which we do not set ourselves but is set for us according to the word of God. God has called us to be victorious (Isaiah 41: 9-10). Knowing that we are victorious by His means, we must also realize that we have access to God's limitless blessings. If we can get to a place where we really focus on God, we can receive everything that is due to us.
One scripture in particular that directly tells us this is in Matthew 6: 33. Jesus tells us to, "Seek the Kingdom of God ABOVE ALL ELSE, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need." Clearly this scripture tells us that God can and will give us everything we need if we get to a place where we are earnestly seeking Him (earnestly meaning serious in intention, purpose, and effort). Now, with that some might ask, "How is that part of setting a higher standard?" Look at the words in all capitals. It says "ABOVE ALL ELSE." This means that whatever we may have been seeking (more money, bigger house, newer car, etc.), we have to seek the Kingdom of God more than that. His Kingdom is at a higher standard than those of earthly possessions. So when we are seeking God's limitless blessings, our standard is not how much we seek the "things" we believe we need but how much do we seek His Kingdom. Compared to what God can give us, focusing on those "things," is below the standard in which we are called to live up to.
What it boils down to, is changing our standard of focus and making it higher. We can focus all day and all night on getting more, bigger, better, newer "things." At the end of the day, however, it fails in comparison to setting a higher standard of focus, which is seeking the Kingdom of God and letting him shower you with blessings.
I hope this post has been a blessing and encourages you to set a higher standard and focus on God and letting his limitless blessings rain upon you. God bless.
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Friday, July 29, 2011
Focused Faith
One of the enemies ultimate goals is to distract you from obtaining or reaching your goals in Christ. Or I should say distract you from realizing your anointed potential and God's plan for your life. Well, how does the enemy do this? Often times the "debil" uses the people who are closest to you, trying situations, places, and even your own inhibitions or fears as distractors. *Yes I said debil. He doesn't get any respect from me.*
For those who realize this and know whose they are and what their God given assignment is, ought to start praising God now. All the hell you've been through or are currently going through just means that you're that much closer to your BLESSING! You're that much closer to your BREAKTHROUGH! You're that much closer to your VICTORY! And that nasty, dirty, little punk debil is trying to distract you with everything he can to stop you from praising God in advance for what's about to take place. You have to stay focused on God and the assignment He laid before you.
As a lot of us know, some things are easier said than done. So how do you stay focused on God and his assignment for your life? Well, here is one way...see that 66 book love letter sitting next to your bed or on your desk? Yeah, that one. The Bible. The Bible is a handbook on how to handle life. Look in Ephesians 6: 16. Talking about the Armor of God, Paul says, "In all circumstances take up the shield of faith." Wow. Just this one verse says so much. What this is saying is that in order for you to stay focused you have to put your faith in front of you to block the distractions. Now here's the catcher. With the foreknowledge of the distractors coming your way, you should just keep your faith in front of you at all times. Let me say it like this...your faith should be so much in front of you, that is all you see and what others see when they look at you. In doing this, you will be in line with the Word of God by walking by faith and not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7). Now speak to your faith. Build it up. Despite what the situation looks like. Despite who or what's trying to distract you, your faith says.......(fill in the blank).
Last thing and I'm going to stop. At the end of Smokie Norful's song "God did It," he starts saying two simple words that can and will strengthen your faith. He says, "But God!" Think back to your last blessing. Out of what circumstance or trial did you receive that blessing? Think about all the negative things that were said or that you thought about yourself and add BUT GOD to the end of it. I personally get excited when I say it. It just reminds me that if God blessed me one time, He can and will do it again. Hallelujah!!!
JUST STAY FOCUSED.
God bless.
For those who realize this and know whose they are and what their God given assignment is, ought to start praising God now. All the hell you've been through or are currently going through just means that you're that much closer to your BLESSING! You're that much closer to your BREAKTHROUGH! You're that much closer to your VICTORY! And that nasty, dirty, little punk debil is trying to distract you with everything he can to stop you from praising God in advance for what's about to take place. You have to stay focused on God and the assignment He laid before you.
As a lot of us know, some things are easier said than done. So how do you stay focused on God and his assignment for your life? Well, here is one way...see that 66 book love letter sitting next to your bed or on your desk? Yeah, that one. The Bible. The Bible is a handbook on how to handle life. Look in Ephesians 6: 16. Talking about the Armor of God, Paul says, "In all circumstances take up the shield of faith." Wow. Just this one verse says so much. What this is saying is that in order for you to stay focused you have to put your faith in front of you to block the distractions. Now here's the catcher. With the foreknowledge of the distractors coming your way, you should just keep your faith in front of you at all times. Let me say it like this...your faith should be so much in front of you, that is all you see and what others see when they look at you. In doing this, you will be in line with the Word of God by walking by faith and not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7). Now speak to your faith. Build it up. Despite what the situation looks like. Despite who or what's trying to distract you, your faith says.......(fill in the blank).
Last thing and I'm going to stop. At the end of Smokie Norful's song "God did It," he starts saying two simple words that can and will strengthen your faith. He says, "But God!" Think back to your last blessing. Out of what circumstance or trial did you receive that blessing? Think about all the negative things that were said or that you thought about yourself and add BUT GOD to the end of it. I personally get excited when I say it. It just reminds me that if God blessed me one time, He can and will do it again. Hallelujah!!!
JUST STAY FOCUSED.
God bless.
Draw nigh
I know that on the last post I said that there was to be a continuation of the "Setting a Higher Standard" series, but God put something in my spirit that I needed to share. There has been a song in my heart for a while now. Every time that I hear this song my heart goes into a position of praise. The song is called, "Praise is What I Do" by William Murphy III. Really, my heart is in a place of permanent praise now simply because of the goodness God has displayed to me and my family's life. However, this song does move me.
In the song he sings, "Praise is what I do when I want to be close to you." Another part of the song goes, "Praise is what I do. Even when I'm going through, I learned to worship You." Here is the thing that God spoke to me and told me; that despite your circumstances or issues (whether it be financial, physical, mental, or whatever) when you praise God, you are pushing yourself closer to him. That's why this song moves me, because in the past and even now, I realize that I have to praise my way through and push myself closer to Him. I can't sit back and be quiet about God's grace, mercy and love. I have to outwardly praise God whether I'm in the four walls of the church or not.
God doesn't want the physical motions of praise or the talk of praise. Anybody can go through the motions or say the "key" words. What God really wants is your heart. It says in Deuteronomy 6:5 to "love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength." Now, in order to complete this task, we must first draw nigh to God (James 4:8). The word "nigh" means near in space, time, or relation. So when you draw nigh to God, you are drawing near in space, time and relation. Now because you are in relation to Him, you can truly do what Deuteronomy 6:5 says. Let's be honest. Most of the time people only try to get closer to God because we've tried to do things on our own and couldn't do it. After we come to this realization of not being able to make it without God, then we must do what Jesus tells us in Matthew 6: 33. We have to "seek first his kingdom and his righteousness..." By doing this, we are drawing nigh to God. In our seeking of His kingdom and righteousness, we are seeking Him. And when you diligently seek God, he will show himself true and bless you more than you can even imagine.
God bless.
In the song he sings, "Praise is what I do when I want to be close to you." Another part of the song goes, "Praise is what I do. Even when I'm going through, I learned to worship You." Here is the thing that God spoke to me and told me; that despite your circumstances or issues (whether it be financial, physical, mental, or whatever) when you praise God, you are pushing yourself closer to him. That's why this song moves me, because in the past and even now, I realize that I have to praise my way through and push myself closer to Him. I can't sit back and be quiet about God's grace, mercy and love. I have to outwardly praise God whether I'm in the four walls of the church or not.
God doesn't want the physical motions of praise or the talk of praise. Anybody can go through the motions or say the "key" words. What God really wants is your heart. It says in Deuteronomy 6:5 to "love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength." Now, in order to complete this task, we must first draw nigh to God (James 4:8). The word "nigh" means near in space, time, or relation. So when you draw nigh to God, you are drawing near in space, time and relation. Now because you are in relation to Him, you can truly do what Deuteronomy 6:5 says. Let's be honest. Most of the time people only try to get closer to God because we've tried to do things on our own and couldn't do it. After we come to this realization of not being able to make it without God, then we must do what Jesus tells us in Matthew 6: 33. We have to "seek first his kingdom and his righteousness..." By doing this, we are drawing nigh to God. In our seeking of His kingdom and righteousness, we are seeking Him. And when you diligently seek God, he will show himself true and bless you more than you can even imagine.
God bless.
Friday, April 22, 2011
Setting a Higher Standard Part 2
First let me mention that I did not fully explain what setting a higher standard really means. Setting a higher standard doesn't mean setting higher goals for yourself according to what you believe YOU can accomplish. What I'm talking about is setting a higher standard according to the word of God and not man. Setting a higher standard according to the word of God takes the focus off of what man thinks he can "accomplish," and places it on what God can (and will) do through and in him.
Last post, I talked about setting a higher standard. Another step to setting a higher standard, that is, after knowing whose you are, is humbling yourself before God. A lot of times we naturally want to brag about the things we have accomplished. We say, "I did this," or "I did that." Essentially what we are really doing is trying to exalt ourselves. When we do this, we begin to take on a spirit of carnal or fleshly validation. What I mean by this is, we seek to validate ourselves or what we're doing by constantly bragging about it. What we are also doing is seeking a "well done" from man and not God. By doing this, we allow a separation between us and God to take place. In Psalm 138: 6, the psalmist, David, says the Lord, "cares for the humble, but he keeps his distance from the proud."
We cannot continue to brag or boast about what we think we have accomplished and expect God to honor it. Instead, we need to give God the glory he deserves in our successes. In 2 Corinthians 10: 17 it says, "...'If you want to boast, boast only about the Lord." I also like how the God's Word translation says it. It says, "Whoever brags should brag about what the Lord has done." Nowhere does it say brag about what you have done, but about what God has done. Simply put, without Him, we could not accomplish half of the things pre-destined for us.
When we humble ourselves, we are telling God that we cannot accomplish anything without Him and we want him to get all the glory. Essentially we are submitting ourselves to God and admitting to our dependency on Him. Now, some might ask, "How does humbling yourself set a higher standard?" Simply put, when we do this, we allow God to raise us up to the level that He has already set for us. That level that He will raise us up to is part of His higher standard, the higher standard according to the word of God.
I hope this post has been a blessing to you. God bless.
UP NEXT.........Setting a Higher Standard Part 3 (God's Limitless Blessings)
Last post, I talked about setting a higher standard. Another step to setting a higher standard, that is, after knowing whose you are, is humbling yourself before God. A lot of times we naturally want to brag about the things we have accomplished. We say, "I did this," or "I did that." Essentially what we are really doing is trying to exalt ourselves. When we do this, we begin to take on a spirit of carnal or fleshly validation. What I mean by this is, we seek to validate ourselves or what we're doing by constantly bragging about it. What we are also doing is seeking a "well done" from man and not God. By doing this, we allow a separation between us and God to take place. In Psalm 138: 6, the psalmist, David, says the Lord, "cares for the humble, but he keeps his distance from the proud."
We cannot continue to brag or boast about what we think we have accomplished and expect God to honor it. Instead, we need to give God the glory he deserves in our successes. In 2 Corinthians 10: 17 it says, "...'If you want to boast, boast only about the Lord." I also like how the God's Word translation says it. It says, "Whoever brags should brag about what the Lord has done." Nowhere does it say brag about what you have done, but about what God has done. Simply put, without Him, we could not accomplish half of the things pre-destined for us.
When we humble ourselves, we are telling God that we cannot accomplish anything without Him and we want him to get all the glory. Essentially we are submitting ourselves to God and admitting to our dependency on Him. Now, some might ask, "How does humbling yourself set a higher standard?" Simply put, when we do this, we allow God to raise us up to the level that He has already set for us. That level that He will raise us up to is part of His higher standard, the higher standard according to the word of God.
I hope this post has been a blessing to you. God bless.
UP NEXT.........Setting a Higher Standard Part 3 (God's Limitless Blessings)
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Setting a Higher Standard Part 1
This is long, long overdue, but welcome to 2011. This is the year where you leave all the drama and craziness from last year in the past. Take the lessons learned from last year, apply them, and keep it moving. This should be a year of realizing your true potential in God and having a Jesus-like swagger about it.
The fact of the matter is, that we have to set a higher standard for ourselves. Where that begins, is knowing who and whose we are. In Isaiah 41: 9-10, God tells us that we are his. In verse 9, He says, "...For I have chosen you and will not throw you away. (10) Don't be afraid, for I am with you.....I will hold you up with my victorious right hand." Now this couldn't be more clear cut and to the point. God chose us before we were even a twinkle in our parents eyes. Within His intricate plan for our lives, He called us to be victorious even in the midst of trial or tribulation. So why shouldn't we set a higher standard for ourselves and know that even before the trial, we are victorious. Not victorious based on our own strength or works, but based on His grace, mercy, and plan for our lives. God says in Jeremiah 29: 11, "For I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope."
So really, the underlying question would be, what standard are we setting for ourselves? Are we just going through the motions? Are we just half-stepping it or procrastinating? Are we living life victoriously, which is what we are called to do? Now, living victoriously is not simply about whether you win in every aspect of life. Living life victoriously means that you are living with an attitude that no matter what happens, you know you will soon be the victor and not the victim.
By having this attitude and knowing that God has chosen us for something special, we are already setting the beginning parts of a higher standard. So I would like to end this post with a couple questions. Are you satisfied with living by mediocre self-standards or are you ready to set a higher standard and live victoriously?
I hope this post has been a blessing to you. Come back again for "Setting a Higher Standard Part 2." God bless.
The fact of the matter is, that we have to set a higher standard for ourselves. Where that begins, is knowing who and whose we are. In Isaiah 41: 9-10, God tells us that we are his. In verse 9, He says, "...For I have chosen you and will not throw you away. (10) Don't be afraid, for I am with you.....I will hold you up with my victorious right hand." Now this couldn't be more clear cut and to the point. God chose us before we were even a twinkle in our parents eyes. Within His intricate plan for our lives, He called us to be victorious even in the midst of trial or tribulation. So why shouldn't we set a higher standard for ourselves and know that even before the trial, we are victorious. Not victorious based on our own strength or works, but based on His grace, mercy, and plan for our lives. God says in Jeremiah 29: 11, "For I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope."
So really, the underlying question would be, what standard are we setting for ourselves? Are we just going through the motions? Are we just half-stepping it or procrastinating? Are we living life victoriously, which is what we are called to do? Now, living victoriously is not simply about whether you win in every aspect of life. Living life victoriously means that you are living with an attitude that no matter what happens, you know you will soon be the victor and not the victim.
By having this attitude and knowing that God has chosen us for something special, we are already setting the beginning parts of a higher standard. So I would like to end this post with a couple questions. Are you satisfied with living by mediocre self-standards or are you ready to set a higher standard and live victoriously?
I hope this post has been a blessing to you. Come back again for "Setting a Higher Standard Part 2." God bless.
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