Pursue Excellence

Amen GodSpeaks .... That was the verse I was looking for ... Thanks .

Well tomorrow will be the last Chapter in the Book of Proverbs . I have had a lot of correction , from the Holy Spirit and this Book is a great journey in which to grow in our pursuit of excellence . I trust that each one has been following from Jan 1 to Jan 31 with 31 chapters in Proverbs , Even though we have read it before it was even better to stop , read it verse by verse and see what the Holy Spirit reveals . I have always just read through quite fast.
 
Dusty said:
Amen GodSpeaks .... That was the verse I was looking for ... Thanks .

You're welcome.


Well tomorrow will be the last Chapter in the Book of Proverbs . I have had a lot of correction , from the Holy Spirit and this Book is a great journey in which to grow in our pursuit of excellence . I trust that each one has been following from Jan 1 to Jan 31 with 31 chapters in Proverbs , Even though we have read it before it was even better to stop , read it verse by verse and see what the Holy Spirit reveals . I have always just read through quite fast.
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That's what we should do with any passages. We need to meditate on the Word we read so we can understand and apply it to our lives, not just see how much we can read. The amount is not the goal, but to do what we read.


James 1
22But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
23For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:
24For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. 25But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.


Joshua 1:8
This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.
 
That's what we should do with any passages. We need to meditate on the Word we read so we can understand and apply it to our lives, not just see how much we can read. The amount is not the goal, but to do what we read.
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That's right but I think because of the structure of Proverbs , I have always skipped through it , but this time it was a revelation of what God opened up to me .... personal issues .... unspoken issues and things in my life that needs fine tuning . I see Proverbs now in a whole different light.
 
Proverbs 31 .​

This is the final chapter in the book of Proverbs . and I would like to call it " Lady Wisdom " to be embraced.

This chapter is a mother’s advice to her son when choosing a wife . The wisdom her ( and wisdom being a woman ) is to be embraced by all when choosing a spouse .

The purpose of his chapter is to show the importance of having wisdom in all of our choices that we make in life.

This advice is not only for a son choosing a spouse but for everyone . she gives some of the qualities as being of value such as :

1 --- Value of a noble character ……10….A wife of noble character who can find?
She is worth far more than rubies

2-- Value of hard work …..15 She gets up while it is still dark;
she provides food for her family
and portions for her servant girls.

3-- Wisdom in finances …… 16 She considers a field and buys it;
out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.

4 --- Value of planning ahead ….. 18 She sees that her trading is profitable,
and her lamp does not go out at night.

5--- Value of selflessness . 20 She opens her arms to the poor
and extends her hands to the needy.

In the first verses 2-9 …. The mother tells the King not to spend his time chasing after many women and also not to drink wine because bad decisions cab be made while intoxicated . and to also speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves .

From 10-31 is listed the characteristics a woman should possess. A woman of “ noble Character “ is the personification of wisdom . She extends her hands to the needy . She earns her husband’s respect . She speaks with wisdom because she follows the Lord..

Vs 30 ….. 30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.

“ Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting “ . This is so important and in our day and age where beauty is so emphasized the Lord says ; the beauty of one who honours the Lord ; that beauty is more than skin deep . It comes from the heart. A woman who respect the Lord deserves respect and public recognition .

This concludes the Book Of Proverbs “ The Pearl of Wisdom “ , but does no conclude our journey of pursing excellence in all we do and say .

One question that came to mind : Why is the descrption of a good wife and mother 31: 10 -31 a fitting end for Proverbs ?
 
Excel …

Check … check … How are we doing in our pursuit of excellence ? In my pursuit for excellence it is not just an one area of my life that needs change . And by the power of the Holy Spirit , changes comes about when I yield my life to Him and die to sin .

Christians should be careful what we say as the words from our mouth can either cut or encourage.

I need to excel in my speech , knowledge of the Bible , love , grace and have a giving spirit.

Let’s focus on “ a giving spirit” ….. 2 Cor. 8:7 …. But just as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us- --see that you also excel in this grace of giving.

The last part “ grace of giving “ is a very difficult avenue to travel as many of us want to hang on to what we have . But the Bible says we need to release and loosen our grip on the things of this world for they will pass away and if we are treasuring these things our focus is not on what we are doing for the Kingdom of God . .Where our treasures are , is where our heart is . The Bible also tells us …. Matthew 19:24
Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."

Let go and let God .

Prove this , test this and I can say with all sincerity , my God will supply all your need according to His riches in glory.
Jesus addressed the love of money more than sin or salvation , more than heaven or Hell.

God says in Malachi 3: 10 to test Him in this area of releasing all to Him ( Actually it all belongs to Him in the first place ) and if we do , we will not be able to contain the blessings that follow.,

What is the idol in your life and mine?
What takes first place in your life?

What ever and however you answer these questions is crucial to our “ ‘ pursuance of excellence “

Let’s get our priorities in the right place .
In Acts 4: 32-35 …. All the believers were of one accord and shared everything together .

2Cor. 9:6-15 …. Remember God loves a cheerful giver , not some one who gives because they think they are obligated.

When we do we bless many :
1…. It meets the needs of missionaries
2…. It unites God’s people and brings them together.
3…. It glorifies God
4….. We will be blessed beyond measure …. 2Cor 9:8 …….
And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.
 
More on giving and blessings . I would love to hear how others have been blessed because when we open up our arms and extend them to others , this is an act of unselfishness and Jeus definately wants us to follow this life style .

I can attest to this in my own life . As I give to others there is a deep , deep feeling of joy that I cannot explain and to give to those who cannot give back is even more rewarding cuse Jeus told us when we give in secret , He rewards in secret .... Not that I am looking for a reward and don't even think about it but I see it in all the little things He gives me day by day and Holy Spirit prompts me to go to a certain store where , He knows sales are on items that I need . Those are just some of the blessings .

Also as I give my first fruits to the Lord , my needs are met throughout the month and sometimes , I ask how is that possible , my bills are paid , and I am on a little senior pension . But my God supplies all my needs according to His riches in heaven and I challenge any body to test it and they also will recieve a cup that overflows that you cannot contain . there is a poem that I must look up .. I'm drinking from my saucer cause my cup has overflowed .... Whoa , praise God . He is so good .

Romans 15:13
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Psalm 23:5
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
 
1 Timothy 6:6-11

6But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 8But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. 9People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. 10For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
Paul's Charge to Timothy

11But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness







My question : If we are pursuing excellence , and so we should be, would it not be fitting to say that excellence starts with pursuing God and Him Alone ?

We serve a jealous God who wants all of our love and affection . The passage is taken from 1 Timothy 6:6-11 …. Paul wants us to have God’s blessing in all aspects of our lives and in this passage he is talking about the monetary issues . He is telling us that a lot of times we are controlled by our money and how we spend it or use it . If we know how to spend it God will not only bless us in this life but give us eternal blessings as well .

Persuing excellence in money matters . It matters how much we love it and the things that it generates and are we controlled by all the material things and making more or are we using our money in a spiritual sense . The way we love our money says how much we love our God.

Paul tells us we can have contentment ….. 8But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.
The only way we attain contentment is by letting God control our finances . and Paul goes on to say that we came into the world with nothing and we will go out the same way .

First we need to consider the limited time frame and how that is affecting our relationship with God and how is it affecting us personally I would say in this passage there are three things for us to remember
1…. Remember Eternity
2…. Consider the Destiny
3…… Love with sincerity

Putting money into a proper prospective as Paul explains that Godliness with contentment is great gain . But if we are pursuing things that only last in this life , what will we gain? On the other hand if we are pursing after God , money will be secondary and we will remember our eternal gain.

If we are considering our destiny and choose to pursue God we will submit everything to Him and not fall into temptation . verse .9…… People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction

Ok Some might say there is nothing wrong with money and that is my point . Put into the proper perspective , no there is nothing wrong with money.

The real issue here is a spiritual issue , not a natural issue and Paul points out that by pursuing God we will be content because we are loving God and putting everything in the proper place. Contentment that comes from God is a different contentment than what the world thinks …. It is a deep down spiritual contentment , knowing that we are under God’s love and protection.

When we listen to the devils lies saying that riches will give us happiness , that happiness is temporary and the pursuit of money is satan’s lie . Money is addictive and can cause people to be in bondage …. Eg.. credit cards , loans , bigger homes bigger this or that so then there is a quest for bigger pay check to pay for all this . Verse 10….. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.. Consider the destiny .

Verse 11 …., flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Who will we love ?

Deuteronomy 6:5
Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.
 
I'm Drinking From My Saucer
​
I've never made a fortune, and it's probably too late now.
But I don't worry about that much, I'm happy anyhow
And as I go along life's way,
I'm reaping better than I sowed.
I'm drinking from my saucer,
'Cause my cup has overflowed.

Haven't got a lot of riches,
and sometimes the going's tough
But I've got loving ones all around me,
and that makes me rich enough.
I thank GOD for his Blessings,
and the Mercies HE's bestowed.
I'm drinking from my saucer,
'Cause my cup has overflowed

I remember times when things went wrong,
My faith wore somewhat thin.
But all at once the dark clouds broke,
and the sun peeped through again.
So LORD, help me not to gripe,
about the tough rows I have hoed.
I'm drinking from my saucer,
'Cause my cup has overflowed.

​

If GOD gives me strength and courage,
When the way grows steep and rough.
I'll not ask for other blessings,
I'm already Blessed enough.
And may I never be too busy,
to help others bear their loads..
Then I'll keep drinking from my saucer,
'Cause my cup has overflowed.
Author Unknown ​
 
Dusty said:
Also as I give my first fruits to the Lord , my needs are met throughout the month and sometimes , I ask how is that possible , my bills are paid , and I am on a little senior pension . But my God supplies all my needs according to His riches in heaven .
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It's possible because of what you just said.
He supplies according to His riches in glory, not according to what we have. :) Sometimes we get that backwards
 
Money Matters ; Question ...... Do you have money or does money have you ?

The fact is that life is not about how much you make ; it's about how you spend what you earn . Right ?

So again if we are good steward and want to follow excellence we will want to put everything " under God " and let Him manage all aspects of our life and see how you will be blessed .

When we change our often selfish desires to fulfill His plan , God will show us how to trust Him in every area of our life .

Luke 12:34 - and this is a verse that we all know " For where your treasure is , there your heart will be also .

Money can be problematic if we let it but it is imperative when we are seeking God's heart to place it all in his hands abd trust Him .

Psalm 37:5
Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this:

Proverbs 3:5
Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding
 
I thought this was funny and an example of a very cheerful giver as the Lord tells us we need to give cheerfully .... LOL


Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver...... 2 Cor. 9:7

Generosity and giving are important parts of the Christian faith. But God is more concerned with your attitude in giving than He is with the exact amount that you give
 
The last year or two we started bringing our offerings to the front, because of the verse that mentions bringing your offering to the altar.
 
The Lord wants to bless us and wants all our needs to be met. But the reason for blessing us so much is so we can bless others.

Genesis 26:4
And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed
 
Amen that's right . That is the bottom line and as we bless others really does bless us . Don't ask me how it works but I can say throughout my life it really does work . Maybe it is the fact that when we are blessing others , we are not thinking about ourselves and it takes the focus off the" me" syndrome

By blessing others there is a joy unspeakable when the person or persons come back with gratitude in their hearts and thank you and tell you that is just what they were asking God for . I have had that happen so many times as the Holy Spirit prompts us . Then it just blows you away when the person says .... how did you know .... It is God inspired . It is not me . But what a joy rings in my heart when that happens.

One prompting out of many , I will share . On one of my mission trips there was a little boy who kept on eying my running shoes and after a while I felt the Holy Spirit telling me to give them to him . But I said he is a boy ... what would he want with girls' running shoes . Anyways I gave them to him and he told the missionary that he had been praying for some running shoes and I gave mine to him and they fit him perfectly . And he was so excited that God answered his prayer that it didn't matter that they were girls running shoes. . Well I could have danced right there ..... I was so blessed. God is so good .... Praise His name
 
Its so freeing when we learn the joy of giving instead of giving out of necessity or grudgingly. There is no blessing in that because of our attitude.
 
GodSpeaks said:
Its so freeing when we learn the joy of giving instead of giving out of necessity or grudgingly. There is no blessing in that because of our attitude.
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Exactly but if we have an attitude of gratitude , it spills on others . I am just so over whelmed about how Jesus blesses and the blessings just keep coming . Sometimes it is hard to contain and I have to say my cup is overflowing . I remember this little Sunday School song ..... running over , running over , my cup is full and running over . When the Lord saved me , I'm as happy as can be . My cup is full and running over . ( and we would do all the actions that go with the song )

Footnote ..... and just my funny thought to this .... I suppose I am in my second childhood .... remembering little kids songs .... Ha ha .... Oh well you guys just have to grin and bear it ..... or not read it ...... he he )
 
In our pursuance of excellence in all aspects of our lives we need to focus on missions and evangelism . How do we think the world will change if we forget about all the sacrifices that missionaries make to accept the calling of the Lord and go into lands that are unfamiliar , leaving all their loved ones and church family behind and even their children sometimes . THey in God's eyes are very special people as He commissioned them to go into all the world and preach the gospel . They have humbled themselves and sacrificed for the KIngdom .

OUr co - mission is to stand beside them with our prayers and monies and not forget them by even keeping in contact with them , emailing or as with my missionary friend talking to them by skype . They need to hear from the homeland and catch up on the news and also be encouraged by their home friends and family . It can be a lonely time for them .

Each one of us also has a calling and it might not be on the mission field . We have been called out of darkness into the light . Each one of us has the empowerment of the Holy Spirit to go into our hyways and byways of life and be salt and light . We are living in a hurting world and the world needs Jesus .

So I ask the question : Which takes more faith : giving or going .? Mark 16:15..... He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. So as Jesus commissioned His diciples , we too are His disciples , sharing our faith with our families , co- workers , and yes even strangers on the street.

It is up to you and me to demonstrate our love and our faith so that His work can continue .
 
As we follow in Jesus footsteps in our journey to achieve excellence may we always be reminded that it is the cross before us and that we are in this world but not of this world . This world is not our home . We have a better place prepared for us .

Wow .... Jesus says his father's house has many rooms. He tells us to not be troubled and to trust in God and him for he is going to prepare a place for us in his father's house.

John 14:1-3
Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.

In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be…
 
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