Raising Your Expectations

➤ by Pastor Andy Fulson

Your forward decision will require commitment

What were your experiences of the past year until now? Were they significant, or did they remain unchanged—or perhaps even regress? What did others do better in comparison to your situation?

What matters far more is what God has to say about your achievements. Your own opinion is a self-assessment, but He knows your potential through the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit—the same Spirit that Jesus had.

For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you, Hebrews 13:5

Those who improved their situation had to make a change—that is, they adopted a new way of thinking (Rom12:2) — to achieve tangible results.

Joshua, who took over leadership of the Israelites from Moses, received the following instructions (Jos 1:5–9):

  1. As I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee, Joshua 1:5.
  2. Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them, Joshua 1:6.
  3. Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee, Joshua 1:7.
  4. Turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest, Joshua 1:7.
  5. This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth, Joshua 1:8.
  6. 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, Joshua 1:8.
  7. Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage, Joshua 1:9.
  8. Be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest, Joshua 1:9.

These instructions remain unchanged in the New Testament:

  1. I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee, Hebrews 13:5.
  2. But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus, Philippians 4:19.
  3. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable... that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works, 2 Timothy 3:16–17.
  4. If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him, James 1:5.
  5. And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he hath sent, him ye believe not, John 5:38.
  6. And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive, Matthew 21:22.
  7. Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine, 2 Timothy 4:2.
  8. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you, James 4:8.

It only requires determination to begin and follow through without compromising. In other words, make a decision and remain committed to it.

Your Words Shape Your Success in the New Year


God, the Lord, gave Joshua an additional command alongside all His instructions: This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth, Joshua 1:8. Why? So that neither doubt nor unbelief, would cause the commandments to be questioned.

  1. God said, I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee, — are you convinced that God is eternally faithful to you (Jer 1:12)? Jesus affirmed: Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world, Matthew 28:20.
  2. God said, You will receive what was promised, — are you convinced that God will not withhold what He has promised? James wrote: For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways, James 1:7-8.

And Jesus taught: For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things, Matthew 12:34–35.

Are your words aligned with God's will (Rom 8:1), or are you allowing Satan's intimidation to continue influencing you (Jn 10:10)?

Be determined—progress is essential. Rely on the Lord, who equips you to withstand every setback. Submit yourselves to God, and resist the devil, and he will flee from you, James 4:7.

Nothing remains subject to your failures unless you allow ignorance of the Holy Scriptures to overpower you: Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God, Matthew 22:29.
Instead: Be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might, Ephesians 6:10.

Is Your vision Successful? 


See yourselves as successful! Visualize the planned progress through the renewal of your mind (Rom 12:2) and God's promises, as proclaimed by John the Baptist:

  • Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth, Luke 3:4–5.

Even before a change comes to mind, the Holy Spirit already directs us toward the best path to overcome every challenge—whether it be doubt, mistrust, or ignorance of Scripture:

  • Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you, Luke 10:19.

Trust in what is written:

  • For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord, Romans 8:38–39.

Make it your resolution for your new year to overcome every failing challenge and bring it into obedience to Christ (2Cor 10:5).

The renewal of your mind unlocks God's promised blessings. God will not do for you what He has already equipped you to do. In other words: clear away every obstacle (Mt 3:3) and call those things which are not as though they were already in your possession (Rom 4:17).

And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, Romans 12:2

Assessing Your Ability


Through your confession of Christ, you are renewed (Rom 10:9–10) and have the same Holy Spirit He had:

  • But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his, Romans 8:9.

Even though your spirit nature is renewed through the rebirth (being born again), your mindset remains unchanged until a deliberate transformation is undertaken (Rom 12:2).

This transformation is not just about gaining more knowledge of the Bible but also about seeing yourself in the light of that renewal as He is so are we in this world, 1 John 4:17.

Look into the mirror and speak confidently to yourself. Bear witness to who you are and see yourself as uniquely successful, focused, and determined—fearless and courageous in the likeness of Jesus Christ.

Look directly into your own eyes and declare boldly: “You are successful. You are focused. You are fearless. You are courageous!”

This is the same instruction given to Joshua:

  • 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. Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest, Joshua 1:8–9.

Walk every step of your conviction with confidence, just as the two faithful servants in the Parable of the Talents (Mt 25:14–18). They were bold and focused on success. The third servant, although entrusted with the smallest portion, was given the same responsibility. Unfortunately, he saw himself as insecure and incapable of achieving what was expected of him.

Consider yourselves fully capable of accomplishing what has been entrusted to you through the new birth (Jn 3:3).

Follow the instructions and commandments of the Lord with the authority He has given you and in the power of His might.

See yourselves as equipped (Eph 6:11) with His Word (Rom 12:2) and empowered by the same Holy Spirit that Jesus had.

And since the transformation from glory to glory (2Cor 3:18) continues to grow, you will find success in your endeavors—some thirtyfold, some sixtyfold, and some even a hundredfold.

Then, nothing will be impossible for you, whether day by day or at the start of a new year (Mk 9:23).

From the article, Ein Neuanfang im Leben?, by Pastor Andy Fulson 

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for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee, Hebrews 13:5
And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, Romans 12:2

Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Matthew 28:19-20

Unless stated otherwise, all Bible passages quoted in orange are from the KJV translation.

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