Jesus always raised the standard

Many times in life we tend to lower our expectations. This is sometimes considered wisdom especially in relation to dealing with people. However we need to be careful this doesn't become the norm in our life. Yes people will disappoint us, yes Gods timing many times is not ours, but as believers were called to be like Jesus. What was He like?

He lived a lifestyle of expectation, a life of true living faith. He had the ability to believe His Father and also to believe in people. He wouldn't have died for humanity if He didn't.

In one account He told a woman to "go and sin no more" this wasn't just a catchy Jesus saying, it was living faith. When He said "he who believes in me, the works that I do he will do also".

Again He's always challenging, always raising expectation, always believing. This is how we're called to live. Always believing God, always raising our expectation, always trusting the God that is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us.

Always preaching Jesus is the way, always bringing the reality of the Kingdom of God in our midst!

The cost of joy

We all know joy is available to us as believers but did you know there is a price to pay for it. Before you accuse me of being religious let's think about it.

Tell me one thing in life that brings you joy that doesn't cost you something. When I think of my life and the joy in my life I think of my marriage, my daughter, the joy that comes with a family camping trip, even the joy of a new puppy brings incredible cost, I have the scars to prove it. I also know from experience you can't have one without the other.

It's no different in the kingdom of God, to many times we keep the truth of God's kingdom and real life on two totally different planes. Jesus said "the kingdom of Heaven is at hand". It's within us, it's in real life, Jesus died on a cross made out of wood not some sort of mental picture of an abstract cross. His pain was real and His joy was real.

In the kingdom of God there is a price to pay for joy, oh I know we try to mentally grasp some sort of theological joy as we ascend to an academic intangible place that doesn't exist, but this is not what Jesus is talking about.

The joy of the lord is found when we are joined with the Lord, laying down our lives, responding to his call of "come and die". Destiny awaits us if we are willing to respond, true fellowship and unity awaits us if we are willing to lay our lives down together for the gospel. Now is the time to shine, now is the time to advance, if we won't break through that thin veil of intimidation and self love now, how will we ever.