Why We Go Through (Part 1)

First off, I want to thank God for allowing me another opportunity to post to my blog. It has been a while since I last posted. If this is your first time on here, welcome. If this is not your first time, then welcome back. I'm just going to jump into the scripture now.

Read Jeremiah 24: 1-7

In this passage of scripture, we learn about a vision that God has given Jeremiah. What God spoke into my spirit about this is that even though the people of God were being exiled, they were being exiled for a reason. This lead me to the question; why do we sometimes go through the things that we go through? I'm going to give you a couple reasons today (with more to come later) why we go through the trials we do.

One reason is for growth. God uses situations to help us grow in Him. What I've come to find out is that a lot of us are spiritually immature. Some of us profess to saved, sanctified, and filled with the Holy Ghost. We act big and bad in Jesus' name. We act as if we have it all together and are in tuned with what's going on, but when we go through something, that all changes. What these "growth trials" do is cause us to experience a life lesson where we can use the knowledge or wisdom learned in future instances. Now that leads me to the next reason.

God uses situations to strengthen our witness. He will use these times to make our witness, our testimony, that much stronger and solidified. I used to simply think that we are blessed to be a blessing, but God reminds me that we go through trials to be a blessing as well. When we experience those life lessons, not only are we to use them for our own growth, but the testimony that comes from it can be used to help draw others nigh to God. There may be someone going through the same thing or something similar to what God just brought you through. They may not know what to do or who to turn to. I encourage you today to use that God given experience that if God can bring you through it, then He can do the same for them.

Now to tie all that in with the scripture. The exiles who God sent from Judah to the land of the Babylonians were exiled with the purpose of being built "up and not torn down." So even in the midst of them being exiled, God was growing them (v 6) and strengthening them (v 7).

That same God is trying to do the same thing with you. He wants to grow and strengthen you. So I encourage you to continue to praise and worship God even in the midst of your trials. Take the lessons learned and grow from them. Use them as building blocks in your continued growth and apply them to your witness to help draw others to Christ.

I pray that this post has been a blessing to all of you that have read it. God bless.

Setting a Higher Standard Part 3 (God's Limitless Blessings)

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.

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.

Having Too Little To Having A Lot

It has been quite a while since I actually posted to the blog. I pray that as I continue to grow in Christ, that I can be a consistent blessing to those who may be reading this.

The other day, I was lead to read Luke 9: 10-17. After reading this, the Holy Spirit spoke to me and told me that we have to get out of that "we don't have enough" mentality. We have to know by faith that we are immeasurably rich in Christ.

If you're not familiar with the scripture, it's when Jesus feeds five thousand with five loaves of bread and two fish. Just looking at the surface of this text, one might read it and think it is simply Jesus performing another miracle. Yes, it was a miracle, but I want you to look deeper into it. The 12 disciples had the mentality of having too little. They even replied to Jesus that feeding five thousand men with only five loaves of bread and two fish was impossible (v 13). Jesus didn't pay their comment any mind and told the disciples to have everyone sit down (v 14).

See, sometimes we have to stop listening to what everybody else is saying is impossible. We have to have faith and do what God has instructed us to do. Believe that if God has called you to do something, then He will make sure that you have everything you need to be successful.  Jesus asked God to bless the food and He did just that. Five thousand men were fed and there were still leftovers (v 17). Take a second and think about verse 17. I get excited thinking about it because after God has blessed us with everything we need to accomplish whatever He oiled us to do, there are still leftover blessings for us to receive.

Now look at it like this, because of Jesus' faithfulness and obedience, His "too little" became a lot plus some. Things are the same way with us. If we can continue to have faith and live in obediently we too can ask God to bless us and He will do so exceedingly and on His perfect timing (not ours). And because God is faithful, we can praise Him right now for those blessings happening. Yes, I said blessings. Not just one, but multiple blessings. If God can do it once, He can do it again and again and again.

Since we are created in God's image, we have to realize our innate Jesus Christ confidence and know that He can take us from the having too little mentality, to having a lot. Ultimately, what it boils down to is our faith. What are you believing God to do in your lives? If you are wavering, then you can't expect anything from God (James 1: 5-8). We have to stand on His word and know that if God said He will do it, then by our faith, it is done.

God bless.