Do we need to set standards?

Do we need to set standards? Definitely, why? Read on..

(note: it’s interesting to learn some insights from a man’s point of view. )

How to Set Standards by Sean Patrick Si

We all have standards in life. You and me. Some of your standards could be that you don’t want to live at your parent’s house forever, some could be that you want to take a bath twice a day, etc. There are lots of different kinds of standards that we have set – conciously and/or unconsciously.

Where do we get our standards?

Our standards don’t just pop into our heads like an idea. It is made and formed out of lifestyle. Simply put, we get our standards from wants and don’t wants.

We see the lives of other people. We see the lives of our parents, our siblings, our friends. We see the lifestyles of each and every person we meet and know – and from there we then come to a realization of what we want out life to be. You can say that we compare and measure the lives we want with the lives we’re seeing and experiencing now.

There are different kinds of standards:

Some standards you can let go of

These are the standards that you’ve set before you thought about it thoroughly. These are the standards that need changing and that can be improved. These are the standards that you can improve on or that you can leave behind in order to adopt a new one.

For example: You were brought up to always head straight to breakfast. Someone told you to first wash your hands before doing so – you change your standard and now you decide to wash your hands before every meal.

Some standards you keep

These are the standards that are instilled in you. You’ve created and protected these standards with reasoning, belief and decision.

For example: You always pray and read God’s Word after you wake up and before you sleep.

Some standards you have to die for

These are the standards that you believe in with all your heart. These are the standards that you will never let go of no matter what the reason.

For example: Your standard of refusing to deny Christ as your Lord and Savior.

What are the standards today?

I believe that we lack standards in our time today. The world teaches you that standards are a barrier for growth and understanding. The world tells you that having no standard is okay – that way you’re flexible and are true to yourself.

These are all lies.

If you do not have a standard, you’re not becoming more flexible. You’re becoming weak. Without your own standards, the world will set it for you. And the world’s standards will sooner or later destroy your life.

I see a lot of men today without standards – even ‘Christian’ men. Most of them have standards so low that they sit on it and are humming their lives away comfortably. They don’t want to marry because it’s a hassle. They don’t want to work because they can live off with what their parents have anyway. They play computer games all day because they’re good at it. They want sex but they don’t want the committment of marriage. And they think they’re ‘real men’.

Ladies, don’t set your standards low as to settle for men like these. Set your standards high too because real Christian men still exist in this world. You are worth the wait and God will be the one to put him through your way.

Where do you find the right standards?

Where do we look for standards? Do we search for it in friends? Maybe. Do we look for it from billboards? From books perhaps?

The first place to look for your standards is from the creator and designer of your life. He’s laid it all out in His Word. The standards we have to live in come from the Bible. Who would better know the rules and standards that are best for us than the one who created us?

Set your standards

Real men set their standards high – so high that they need to push themselves to jump in order to reach it.

——-

Sean Patrick Si – A Blogger and editor-in-chief of God and You and SEO Hacker. He is dedicated to sharing his faith and wisdom and God to the online community.

Waiting in vain? Why wait?

Waiting is Never in Vain (Part 1) by Jing Ovilla Navarro

There’s a song that keeps resounding in my head when I think about waiting. The lyrics from the famous song of Bob Marley entitled “Waiting In Vain” goes, “I don’t wanna wait in vain for your love.” This is where I derived the title on the topic of waiting for your future partner. All of us will go through a season of waiting to experience love or reciprocate love. I know that we have the power to wait when we know that what we are waiting for is for our own benefit and the benefit of our future generation.

I found out that there are two definitions of the word “wait” that are quite interesting. First, it is to remain and stay without doing anything. This definition is what a lot of us embrace. It’s like being in a plateau, in a catatonic state. Nothing is happening. It’s like your life is put on hold. No drive to do something about your situation. But guess what? This other definition sheds a silver lining. Second, it is about expecting for something to happen.Your waiting takes a detour about your future love life. Someone told me that waiting is not a wasted time. So here are some pointers that you can take from me.

1. Waiting is a preparation.

It is not a question on whether there’s a right person for you but rather, “Am I the right person for him or her?” When you think this way, you have now a better inclination to prepare yourself. You can now examine your self. What are the qualities that people like about me? What are the physical attributes that are worth “paying” attention to or enhancing? Remember that guys always have the first tendency to look rather than know. While girls are more drawn to know rather than look. Right? The best recipient of your love now is your family and friends. What better way to put your love into practice is showing care and concern to your parents and siblings. The way you do it now is the way you will do it in the future. How they respond to you might give you a glimpse on how your partner will react to your affection.

Don’t just give in to peer pressure. Your biological clock is ticking that’s why you jump into someone who shows the first sign of interest without really scrutinizing if he or she’s the one. You can’t hurry love but you just have to wait.

2. Waiting is about patience.

I am pretty sure that you have encountered some good love stories. You wish yours can be that romantic too. So try to really wait. When your love story comes, you can exclaim, ” It was as if I never waited at all’. God will reward you. Waiting is not a science but it is an art. There is no defined attributes to it. It is not time bound. It is how you feel about it. Now that you’re waiting try to make the most out of it. Sometimes we feel like we need to feel pain or suffer for a little bit but embrace it and don’t complain because God has His reasons for letting you wait. It takes discipline not to give in. It takes a lot of willpower to go on living with an excitement that a love affair can actually take place.

The challenge is, “Are you capable of waiting?” So while waiting, make yourself preoccupied. Gain friends especially with the opposite sex. The more you have male or female friends, more opportunity to take notes on what each other want. Get to know their opinion on women and men. What turn them on or what makes them tick. At least you get to sort out your top three list in a girl or a guy. Try to find out the beauty tips of your friends. Listen to their opinion about yourself if you’re not a sore to their eyes but pleasing or nice enough to accept you. Ask for their honest opinion. Be ready to accept what they say and try to improve on their comments. Do something about it. Maybe a change of hairstyle will do the trick. A whole new wardrobe can make heads turn or adding some color to your face can light it up. Take heed to what your family and friends tell you.

Just try to be yourself but with the new and improved version. Some are wishing if they have a voluptuous body or enough muscles, people will like them. But I beg to disagree. I know for a fact that yes, it’s nice to have a pretty or handsome face. But we must realize, they are just a minimal percentage. Most of us just have to be secured with what we have. Deal with what you have and have a positive outlook that only you carry such a face (except of course if you’re twins.) and take note that there’s someone who will take notice of you because they like what they see in you whether outwardly or inwardly. Be secured that you can be appealing. I always believe that there’s only one Adam or one Eve just for you. Just wait for your very own future partner because he or she might be around your circle of friends or you may bump on him or her anytime.

Keep on waiting for true love knows how to wait patiently.

EN2010 Recap

EN2010 RECAP

(July 22-24 at SMX Convention Center)

EN2010 was a blast! Superb and life-changing!

Here’s a recap of the things I’ve learned from the Conference…

Day 1

Grace Aiyedogbon: “The Table Banquet of the Lord.”

Text:    Mark 7:25-30

• “You cannot be offended and anointed at the same time. Move on!”
• “What is on the table? There’s a lot on the table of the Lord – victory, healing, deliverance, anointing, establishment, flourishing, rest, blessing, favor, provision…Do you believe it? Whatever you need is on the table…and it’s all for free!”
• The Kitchen Revelation:   Because of what you know, you will be set free…. The woman received her miracle even though Jesus was not able to go and touch her daughter (Mark 7:29). Her faith enabled her to receive the miracle. That ‘revelation’ caused her to experience a miracle. Our revelation of God (what we know) will set us free.
• “If the crumbs falling from the table cured a demon possessed girl how much more if we partake of the banquet table of the Lord. There is so much more in the table of the Lord. There is healing, deliverance, breakthrough in the table of the Lord. Stop settling for the crumbs – partake of the King’s table.”
• When you drink the ‘blood of Jesus’, you will never thirst again.
• Eat…because the journey is far. Where God is taking us is far.
• Somebody has to leave you someday. If someone left you, it’s because God allowed that person to leave you. Because God knows the next thing He’s about to do in your life…you’re not going to need that person. That’s why you got to move on! Stop thinking about who left you; stop thinking about why you don’t have. Because what God will do is greater and better than who left you or what you’ve lost.

Rice Broocks: “Every Nation. Every Campus.”

Text:    Galatians 2:8-10

• “We must get better at communicating with each other.  Stay connected.”
• “Remember, people like us have been here before.”
• “Change the campus, change the world.”
• The campus is an area that should be given the highest priority.
• We have to crack the campus code.
• We are called to reach the campus.

Why the campus?

1. It is the battle ground where minds and hearts are captured.
2. It is there where leaders are trained.
3. Great movements start in the campus.
4. Values are formed in the campus.
   The philosophy in the classroom will be eventually the philosophy of the nation.

Day 2

Efren Peñaflorida: Unleash The Hero Within

Efren Peñaflorida was named CNN Hero of the Year in 2009, becoming the first ever Filipino to receive such recognition. This award was for his advocacy to educate Filipino out-of-school youth through “pushcart classes,” which teach them English, Math, and personal hygiene—a noble effort that Efren started with a team of volunteers when he was just sixteen years old. Be encouraged with the same hope and fervor that this hero has shared to a growing number of youth whose lives are now made better.

• Paying it forward.
• ‘God can use anyone as long as he pursues the dream and the will God has for Him.’
• Embrace learning and love it for it will embrace you back.
• Be the hero to the next one in need. If you see a need, just do something about it.
• “The hero in you is waiting to be unleashed.”
• Serve, serve well and be happy to serve.

Yesupadam Paidamula:          The Power of the Gospel

He was up next to share his story of being an untouchable being touched by the Lord and His gospel.  What an inspiring testimony.  God is truly in the business of changing lives.  People who tried to stone him eventually became the elders in the church he was pastoring.

• “We have a responsibility to tell this gospel to every nation, every language, every color, every tribe – Jesus is alive!”
• If you are alive today, it is only for this one reason: to share the good news. A message that transforms a sinner to a saint.
• This (the gospel) is the message that transforms, that changes lives of people.
• The gospel is the message of love.

Ptr. Jackie

• “Jesus never asked ‘Do you know?’, Jesus asked ‘Do you believe?’”
• Our problem is that we know a lot but believe so little.
• “I had no money, but I had faith.”
• Share the gospel, share Jesus, get compassion.
• “I’m 100% made in China, but I’m good quality because God made me.”

Darlene Zschech:        Worship

• Worship is our distinct response of a revelation of who Christ is. God can never be praised enough.
• Our unseen life of worship really matters.
• Joy and strength is found in His dwelling place.
• “The worshipper in you needs to rise.”
• “We were never designed to RECEIVE glory.  We were designed to GIVE glory.”
• “We don’t want to raise up celebrities.  We want to make disciples.”
• If you can’t sing well, just sing loud.
• We can’t be too good in what we do. Stay hungry to honor God. Don’t be a professional worshipper, going through the motions.
• Speak the language. Speak God’s language.
• I am a worshipper. I am to worship Jesus. I dont need to be a professional to worship and God forbid we become professional worshippers – just be a worshipper.
• We want to be a people defined by the presence of God.
• “Language must be inclusive.” If the enemy can silence you language, he can silence you triumph. Use you language to declare the glory of God.

Words like…

Together not I…

We not me…

Family not network…

Community not just colleagues…

Friends not slaves…

Disciples not celebrities…

Encouragement not just silence…

Phone calls not just emails…

Honesty not perfection…

Care. The world is crying out – ‘ please somebody care for me!’

Day 3

Jun Vencer: A Discipled Nation

Dr. Jun Vencer — From being a nineteen-year-old whose life was filled with bitterness and misery, Dr. Jun Vencer experienced transformation beyond his expectation when he met Christ. Now, he is driven by a vision to plant a church in every town, believing that everyone who follows Jesus is called to disciple. Discipleship, for him, is the key to transform the nations of the world.

• The church must reflect the presence and the Kingdom of God in the society.
• “If the presence of God is in the church, the poor must be administered to.  We must help the poor and the needy.”
• “I don’t believe in the “acts of God”.  Is it God’s fault that we have major flooding because we didn’t take care of our forests?”
• “We must not neglect ‘being’ in the process of ‘doing.’
• The church has a role in shaping societies through making disciples.
• Without God in us, we don’t have enough love to love ourselves; we cannot love others.
• “The question is more than who is your neighbor? The right question is: Are you a good neighbor?”

7 Blunders of the World:

1. Wealth without work.
2. Pleasure without conscience.
3. Commerce without morality.
4. Politics without principles.
5. Knowledge without character.
6. Science without humanity.
7. Worship without sacrifice.
8. Law without justice.

Steve Murrell: Honor

Steve Murrell, president and co-founder of Every Nation, started his walk with God at an early age of sixteen—all because of a relentless youth pastor who ran after him until he finally gave his life to Christ. Steve came to understand the importance of discipleship from this youth pastor. In 1984, Steve and his wife Deborah went to Manila for a mission trip that never ended. They planted a church which has grown from 165 students to 39,000 members. For 26 years now, discipleship remains the main ingredient of their ministry.  Steve is a natural born follower whose passion remains the same: to honor God and make disciples. He authors the blogs Accidental Missionary and Reluctant Leader.

• “Honor is a sign that reminds us where our place is.”
• No matter what expression, honoring is knowing where our place is. No matter what situation we are in.
• Systems of doing church may change, methodologies may change – but one thing remains the same – we exist to honor God.
• What does it look like to honor God? Generosity honors God. Kindness honors God. The sincerity of our hearts honors God.
• “There are things I dont understand,questions I want to raise.But I should know my place & praise YOU instead.” – Maileen Hern’s tweet
• We need to know our place, in spite of whatever situation we are in.
• It is our place to praise God no matter what’s going on in our lives. We need to give Him praise and honor due His name.

“What brought this diverse people together – every kind of nose shape and hair style – but one in common is they’re all standing before the throne of Christ. It has been great coming together.”

“After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lam.” Revelation 7:9

————-

Every Nation is a worldwide family of churches and ministries that exists to honor God by planting Christ-centered, Spirit-empowered, socially-responsible churches
and campus ministries in every nation.

Need to watch what we say…

THE POWER OF WORDS by Jenn Punzalan

A few days ago, one of my children had an uncontrolled outburst of anger and frustration (in short, a tantrum, haha) and kept on putting herself down with words like “I have no purpose… Why did God have to create me?… I’m stupid…” When she finally calmed down and apologized for her outburst, I brought her attention to this article I came across with months ago that showed the incredible power of our words.

The Power Of Words Over Water

Can water be affected by our words? Dr. Masaru Emoto, a Japanese scientist, believes so. And he has proof.
Dr. Emoto took water droplets, exposed them to various words, music, and environments, and froze them for three hours. He then examined the crystal formations under a dark field microscope. And he took photographs.

The results were totally mind-blowing.
Here’s a photo of ordinary water without any prayer spoken over it. The molecular structure is in disarray.

The photo below is water after the prayer was said. It’s simply breathtaking.

Next, Dr. Emoto stuck a piece of paper with these words: “You make me sick. I will kill you.” Here’s how the frozen water droplets looks like under the microscope…

Below is how water looked like with the words “Love” over it. The difference is amazing.

Wait A Minute—
Aren’t You Made Up Of Water? Yes! 72% of your body is made up of water.
Imagine how your words affect your own body. When you say, “I’m a failure,” or “I’m hopeless,” or “I won’t get well,” imagine how these words weaken your health. Make a choice to say the best words out there. Say often, “I’m wonderful,” and “I’m beautiful,” and “I’m God’s child,” and “God has a great plan for my life!”
It’s not only water. Dr. Emoto also experimented with cooked rice.
He placed one cup of cooked rice in two airtight jars. On one jar, he wrote, “I love you,” and on the other, “You fool.” Everyday for 30 days, Dr. Emoto would say these words to each jar of rice.
After 30 days, the “I love you” rice was still white. But the “You fool” rice was so rotten, it was black. How can you explain this?

I don’t know how accurate this research is, but what I’m sure of is what the word of God says in Proverbs 18:21
“The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.”

We need to watch not only what we say to our kids, but what they say to themselves as well.