Let me share a little insight that might transform how you apply the principles of this familiar little passage.

“But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things will be added unto you.”   Matthew 6:33

God wants you to live a carefree life; not careless, but carefree. Think about the difference for minute. He has in mind for you a Kingdom centered life that is full of the power, promise, and purpose he ordained for you. He sees a life where your every need is supplied.   Often though  a believers prayers and thoughts are not kingdom focused, but self-centered.  They are filled with requests to obtain something or get completely consumed with pursuing God for some immediate need.   It is possible to become so overly concerned about material things and personal comfort that you lose sight of the bigger picture. You are God’s greatest asset on Earth.  For example, God tells you to do something and instead of doing it immediately,  you set up a prayer schedule to ask for all the things that you think you must have in order to get started instead of just obeying.  You find more ways to stall than the one good reason to get started.  Now don’t get me wrong, I am an advocate of planning and I am persuaded that you must count up the cost before building, but sometimes believers hide disobedience behind the mask of waiting on God. He knows what you have and will never set a requirement beyond what you are able to handle.  Hasn’t he already promised to supply all your needs? If more is needed then your obedience becomes the key to opening up God’s provision.

Jesus knew you would have needs and requirements.  His instructions is to remain Kingdom focused.  The promise is this, when you are kingdom focused God takes complete care of you. He meets all your needs—spiritual, physical, emotional, and material.  He gives you access to his plans for your life. He gives you direction. He gives you certainty.  He gives you peace. First with him, then within, and finally with those around you.  You must be kingdom focused.  Excessive concern for the temporal things of life may be an indicator that your focus may be a little off.   There is a promise for  increase in your life as you focus on the Kingdom. 

 So how do you get or stay kingdom focused?  It essentially comes down to two things:  perspective and obedience.

Gain perspective.  A God-centered perspective involves more than mental assent but forms the foundation of your thoughts, words, and actions. Recognizing and bowing to the authority of God is a critical component of living a successful faith-filled life.  In order to gain proper perspective you must intentionally seek God’s perspective on an issue. God has already taken a position on everything. He is not trying to figure out what to do or how to handle a situation. He has already decided. You must find his position and align yourself with it. The imperative, “Seek ye first the kingdom,” is designed to influence your behavior and your will.   You must investigate how God’s authority can be honored or revealed in a situation. Then you must acquiesce to his authority.  Once you do that, you are prepared to move point two:  obedience.

 Walk in Obedience.  A commitment to obeying God is essential for your success. Let’s be clear, the full benefit of following God will never be realized in your life until you radically obey.   When you gain God’s perspective on an issue set your mind to obeying the truth. Let God’s truth override your own thoughts.  Let his truth put your emotions in check. Let God’s truth be the driving force behind your actions. Commitment to God is an all or nothing situation.  You can’t be “sort of” committed; half-hearted committed locks you out of the blessing.   You can’t try to commit; trying to do something assumes there is an opportunity fail.  When God is a part of the equation there is no failure. Your real decision to obey opens the door for God to send a helper.  The Holy Spirit is given to ensure your successful completion of God’s intent.  He is the, the “Paraclete.” He comes along side you to speak, coach, push, and pull you along. The ministry of the Holy Spirit is more than just speaking in tongues or giving charismatic gifts.  As you raise the level of your obedience an added benefit is that your intimacy level with the Holy Spirit will increase. Finally, you must develop the heart of true worshipper. As David wrote in Psalm 15, you must swear to your own hurt and change not. This means fulfill your commitment to God even when it hurts your feelings or challenges your established thought patterns.  

God is the author of transformation and the keeps every promise, but your obedience is required. Gain perspective and walk in obedience and you will soon experience the spiritual, emotional, physical, and material increase you seek.  

Blessings to you, 

MC

Almost every Saturday, my husband runs with me. It’s really a beautiful thing, especially since he does not share my passion for running.  Okay, truth be told; he runs a little bit, turns around and waits for me back at the house.  According to him I run way too far and far too long, but that’s another story.

This morning we hit the road as usual at o’ dark thirty when something atypical happened. He was apparently inspired to run.  He started out at a faster pace than his norm.  I thought woohoo! Step it up girl. This is going to be a great run.  I must admit, the competitor in me woke up.  In almost the same instance that I considered hitting the accelerator, I was reminded that we were only 4 minutes into what would be a couple of hours of running (at least for me).  I also heard the word, “Discipline.” I calmed down.  A few meters later, I was inspired to share some thoughts about discipline with you.  

Achieving your goals takes discipline. Yes, anointing, talent, opportunities, as well as other things matter, but discipline prepares you to repeatedly perform at a higher level. It prepares you to repeat success.  Discipline makes actions natural and effortless. It takes discipline to set a course and follow through.  It takes discipline to hold on when everyone else says it’s okay to quit, give up or postpone the dream.  It takes discipline to run your race and resist the urge to keep up with others; especially when you feel you have the strength and ability to do it.  It definitely takes discipline to start something new in the face of obstacles.  True discipline insulates you from the pull of inevitable distractions, emotional swings, and even temptations that seek to derail you from achieving God’s best for your life.  In your faith inspired walk, know that the Holy Spirit is the agent and administrator of discipline for your life. He provides the training opportunities for you to learn and rehearse the patterns of success.  Remember to listen to him, obey his guidance, and trust that he will lead you to achieving every goal God has set for your life. Stay on the path he has outlined for you.  When you live a disciplined life, peace, fulfillment, and success will overtake you.

Blessings to you!
MC

2011: Double Anointing– Let the Church Arise!

God intends to bless you beyond anything you can imagine.  In more ways than you’ve even prayed about.  Your life, family, and service will be blessed.  As 2010 comes to a close and you enter 2011, be refreshed and reinspired to passionately pursue His purpose for your life.  You make a difference.  The double anointing is about to show up in undeniable ways in your life.  Tonight celebrate him!

Blessings to you!

MC

Just a few thoughts this morning, before I hit the road…

 You want to live a more satisfying, fulfilling, peaceful, powerful, purpose life?  You must live uncompromisingly according to the Word of God.

Jesus gave his life for the remission of our sins and to prove the validity and power of God’s Word.  God’s word has more power than your will.  It gives more wisdom than your mind could ever conceive.  It is more inspiring than any emotional episodes.  God’s word is powerful and real.  It is given for you. It is to heal you, deliver you, restore you, inspire you, guide you, and the list goes on and on. You must believe it, respect it, and live according to it.

Sometimes we forget that Jesus Christ is the Word of God made flesh.  This means he embodied the actual intellect and wisdom of God.  Often it seems people fixate on their emotional thoughts of the man while forgetting to acknowledge his complete nature.   As you grow in faith and understanding, recognize that humanity and divine combined to give us a pure example of how we are to live.  Jesus was completely committed to doing the will of God- understanding, living and obeying the word. We must possess the same mind.   John 1:1 tells us, “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

Getting closer to God and living an extraordinary life is not some smoke and mirror illusion, nor is it mind over matter.  You cannot think your way closer to him. You cannot experience the powerful effects of his word if you do not believe, understand, or do it.  You must respect, honor, and obey the Word.   Today, hold the Word of God in higher esteem.  Believe it.  Respect it.  Do it.  I know that you will be blessed by it.

Blessings to you!

MC

Reverence for God is more than an idea.  The word itself is classified as both a noun and verb, which leads me to understand that reverence is what you have and what you do.   Reverence for the Lord means to have a deep respect, honor, and adoration toward him and his word. It also means to do the things that demonstrate your respect, honor, and adoration of him.  It is a heart position that produces corresponding action.   Spiritual reverence draws you closer to God and produces wisdom in you.   Wisdom is not only having knowledge, but also the ability to know when and how to apply that knowledge.  Reverence leads to wisdom; which in turn, leads to living a Kingdom focused life.  

I hear the Lord calling us, the body of Christ, to a higher level of reverence for him.  As the world seems to be moving farther and farther from him, we must continue to get closer and closer. We must not be influenced by the world. The world’s influence will cause you to treat the commands of the Lord in a common or unholy manner.  It causes one to live with a form of godliness, but void of the power that life in Christ produces.  You begin to take the acts of worship as just ritual or routine denying the true spiritual power that comes from them. You begin to settle.  You must step away from the world’s influence and realize that God has a greater plan for your life.

Christ wants to be revealed in you and through you.  The obedience and surrender that comes from reverencing the Lord leads to the character of Christ being formed in you.  As a believer you must remember that the world needs more of him and you are God’s greatest asset on Earth. You have a powerful purpose that can only be fully realized by reverencing the Lord.  In fact, your reverence for God should be impacting your life and the lives of others.  Ask yourself these questions:

Is my reverence for God really producing spiritual results?

What spiritual results am I witnessing in my own life?

How does my reverence for God impact others?

Today, make a decision to improve the quality of your spiritual life and expand your influence by reverencing the Lord more.  Hear the call of the Lord for greater reverence and simply respond with “Yes.”  Today determine that you are willing to reverence him more.  Tomorrow I’ll share more on how.

Blessings to you!

MC

The demands and pressures of life may sometimes seem to throw you off track, but remember that peace, power, and an abundant life are yours. You must consistently focus on the Kingdom. 

Join us for Living Kingdom Live- Ramstein on September 18, 2010.

Living Kingdom Live is an inspired workshop that will ignite your faith, deepen your understanding of the Kingdom-focused life, and empower you to live  at new levels.

Agape Christian Faith Center

Ramstein- Meisenbach, Germany

Saturday, September 18, 2010

8:30am- 1:00pm

For more information visit:   www.tinyurl.com/lkramstein  or email: cece@mikaelacade.com

REGISTER NOW   to get your downloadable tickets.

Ciao tutti,

Just a few more days and we head to Houston.

We are really excited about bringing the message of Living Kingdom to the masses: You can live an extraordinary life now!

Hope you  and all your friends will join us for Living Kingdom LIVE!

Come learn the nuts and bolts of  how to live the life God designed for you.

If you want to live with passion and power– don’t miss this incredible workshop.

For more information visit www.tinyurl.com/lkhouston

If you’re not in Houston don’t worry, we’re also coming to Austin, TX and Alexandria, VA this month.

Visit the website to for dates and location in the city nearest you www.mikaelacade.com

We look forward to having an opportunity to serve you. 

 

 Living Kingdom : Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

If you’re ready to live a life of greater spiritual power, success, and fulfillment according to God’s plan, you don’t want to miss this one-day spiritual empowerment workshop. 

God designed an extraordinary Kingdom life for you; I want to help you  live it.

Living Kingdom Live is an experience that will radically change the way you think, see, and live. You will learn the power of Kingdom faith in action.  You will uncover God’s specific design for your life. You will gain the information and tools to live with extraordinary peace and confidence.   

Visit the event homepage  for more information.

I look forward to seeing you soon.

Blessings to you!

MC 

Join us for the next Living Kingdom Teleseminar:

Developing Kingdom Attitude

Tuesday, June 8,2010

3:00pm - 4:00pm ET

If the maxim is true: ”Your attitude can determine your altitude,” then Kingdom attitude is a must in order to climb new spiritual heights. 

Join me as we discuss the components of the Kingdom attitude and the incredible benefits of having it.

I look forward to having you on the call.

Joining the call is free, but registration is required to get your personal access code.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER 

Blessings to you!

MC

Over the past few weeks the Word of the Lord has been sharp and serious.  Humbly, I share a few of these thoughts with you.

Change is required and God’s mercy waits to be released. He is waiting for us to call upon him.  Increased prayer is mandated, especially among spiritual leadership. The priests and the ministers must cry out to the Lord for mercy. 

God is preparing those who are willing to take Kingdom position to manifest all the glory and power of the only true and living God. The preparation involves shaking, pressing, stretching, and whatever other actions of the Spirit are required to reveal that which has been deposited in you.

The Lord desires his people to take personal responsibility for the change he desires to send by calling upon him. You must want change manifested in your life so completely that you are willing to rethink, rework, and remove everything that keeps you from God.  There must truly be the acknowledgement that there is no other possibility, except to call upon him for the manifestation of his power in your life.  It is not possible to sit back and think the same thoughts, do the same actions, speak the same words, and really expect things to change.

God’s promises are already released. They are ready to burst forth like drops of oil. It is the heat and passion that comes from our heartfelt cry that will cause this outpouring.  We must diligently pray for the release of new wine. 

Many are crying out to the Lord for help, rescue, change, and so forth; yet, I cannot say emphatically enough that his response is and has been: “Amend your ways and your actions, and I will cause you to dwell in this place.  Do not trust in the security of vain words and the lure of an imagined relationship with the Lord.” So often words are spoken that sound spiritual to the untrained ear, but it is the heart that really reveals the truth.  God does not look on the outward appearance, but the heart. Psalm 14:1 reveals,” the fool has said in his heart there is no God.” There is no room for lip service when it comes to living for the Lord.  It is not appropriate to sound spiritual but harbor iniquity. This breaks the prayer connection.  Your heart must agree with the words that you speak. When your heart and your words are in agreement, your outward actions are powerful and life giving.    

 The Lord is not moved by tears. 

The Lord reminds us that all we need is in Him.  We access it through understanding and obeying His word. Trust him.  You can have all that you need if you will really set your heart to obey him completely.

Some people are asking, “Why and I am still facing the same issues? There are many possible answers to that question. First, it is possible that some have fallen in love with the idea of calling upon God to rescue them, but then move away from the personal responsibility to do what is right. Second, it is also possible that you have not sought the Lord for clear guidance on what steps need to be taken in order to prevail. Third, it is entirely possible that you have tried to devise your own plan of attack.   Each of these examples falls short of what the Lord wants his people to do.

The Word of the Lord is clear: you are to be dependent on him and his word alone.  Your faith requires that you willingly do the righteous thing at all cost. Sometimes disobedience remains because of fear the “fall out”. You must trust God with your whole life. He alone has the power to overcome consequences, even those brought on by your own choices.  The enemy comes in to make you fearful, but God has given you power, love, and self-discipline.   Make no mistake about it, disobedience grieves the Lord and hinders your change.  It prevents the blessing commanded upon your life from reaching you.  You must decide and commit to radical and complete obedience in everything from your attitude to your actions.

The Lord has released a promise of mercy and healing. His desire is to pour out mercy and reverse loss in the lives of his people.  God wants to restore the years that the locust, cankerworm, palmerworm, and caterpillar have eaten. This promise of restoration gives you a reason to rejoice and trust him even more.  It reminds us to never be afraid. It reminds us that God is the one who can turn your life around.

This promise of restoration brings rejoicing, but don’t get caught in a sea of emotionalism. Remember that the activation of a promise is ultimately tied to your cooperation with God. You must surrender to his will. He will not override yours.  Your surrender will unlock the door to restoration, favor, and peace.

Beloved of God, he desires to do greater things in you and through you that the Kingdom would be expanded.  It is the desire of the Lord to prove first to you and then to the world that he is the only true and living God, the Almighty.    I pray that you hear the Kingdom call.

Blessings to you!
MC