Love you all, praying for you.
I just love God’s Word. It’s practical truth for life. Do you know what’s a good thing to do on occasion? review. God says to examine yourself. It’s good to review what God told you. It’s good to review where you stand financially. It’s good to review your relationship with your spouse. Maybe a getaway to just assess where you are. What’s going well, what could we improve, what should we keep doing, stop doing, or do a little differently… Another thing that’s good to review – your habits. Habits are powerful. Chosen well they can bring great benefit, untended they can keep you from God’s best. Have you ever noticed, the funny thing about habits, they’re only hard until you learn them. After that you don’t even think about it, the habit does the work. Just make sure your habits are wise, and that you have sufficient habits for success. Bad habits are as powerful as good ones. They will take you somewhere – they’ll take you far – in one direction or another. Habits always help you if they are good habits. They ease the load, like the turbo boost on a car or space ship – once it kicks in – you don’t work as hard, it takes over. What if you could just be humble – until your habit is formed? You don’t have to be humble in this thing for the rest of your life – just until the habit is formed, and before you think about it again, you’ll be realizing the reward that it brings. You might even like it – once you learn it. One of the hardest things about establishing a habit, it’s new. But harder than that – it most likely needs to replace something. You sometimes have to undue an old habit, to form a new one. That’s hard. God says leave your simple ways and you will live. When it comes to habits, you may have to leave one to get one. To walk in his way, you have to leave the old way behind. There is always pain involved when replacing habits. But its temporary, and always worth it. Choosing to not do something, that you did before, or have always done, in order to do something you’ve never done before, takes belief and resolve. Belief that it’s worth it, and resolve until the old way is gone, and the new way is what comes naturally. Take a quick example. Let’s say that you sense your schedule has been a little off. You’ve been staying up late, and getting up late. Once you recognize that. You have a choice – is this God prompting me to change? Ask Him, if He confirms, then do it, whatever it takes. In this example, the only two options, go to bed earlier, or get up earlier. So which comes first, the chicken or the egg? (Side note: just to clear this up forever - the chicken came first – God created the animals male and female, He didn’t create eggs, He created the chicken.) But moving on… in this case – If you just go to bed early, you won’t sleep, you slept in late, or took a 3 hour nap – you’re not tired, going to bed early tonight won’t fix it. Eventually, you have set your alarm at the time God told you, and get up when it goes off. The first day might be hard, you’ll be tired, no way around it. But if you won’t get up at the alarm, you will probably stay up late again, and the cycle continues. You have to undue the old way, to walk in the new way. But every habit that God tells you to change, if you change it – the blessing that follows will be well worth the real but temporary pain of change. Then once the new habit is formed – things become easy. You have the wind at your back, instead of against you. Praying that you will be willing to exchange and bad habits for good ones, and any new habits that God has for your good. Habits can make you or break you. They work when you don’t feel like it. Habits are a gift from God, don’t let the devil steal them. Learn to rejoice in the mundane, learn to love the daily, and God will bring you to the wonderful. Habits package the things you have to do, which give you time and greater ability for the things you love to do, the things God has for you! Praying that you will grow in His grace in the habits He has chosen for you! Praying that you’ll review the PRISM Topic – Habits, to review Godly wisdom from others, and the wisdom of God from His Word. The devil always wants to steal habits, if he can trap you in a bad one, he doesn’t have to work as hard… your habit keeps you in the toilet bowl – that circle always brings you down. Praying that you won’t let him trap you in habits that aren’t God’s best. Praying that you’ll choose the habits that make wisdom your practice. So God can always bring you to the next good thing He has planned for you. Love you all, dad
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Love you all, praying for you.
I just love God’s Word. It comes in writing, and sometimes it comes when He speaks in your spirit. But when He does, never will it not align with what He spoke in writing… Here’s what I heard Him say four days ago (to the best of my discernment). “Don’t go from faith to foolish.” I’ve never heard that before, and I asked him, God what is that? And He told me (again, to the best of my discernment) – He said “Believing God for one thing, but neglecting other things.” I was reminded of the time that God said, when you come with your offering to the altar, but there remember that you have aught against your brother (something between you). Leave your gift at the altar, first go be reconciled with your brother, then bring your gift to God. In other words, don’t ask God and believe He will answer you – when you’ve neglected what He told you. I know of people who asked and believed God for a Cadillac or a bigger house, and they got up in church and praised God for a good interest rate. God doesn’t give you a better interest rate. That comes from the other guy, to get you enslaved. God said do not strike hands in pledge, He said His people will lend and not borrow. Why do people borrow? Because they want to buy something God has not provided the money for yet. God isn’t going to lead you into a curse, the only debt He wants for you is the continuing debt to love one another. Its very easy to think something is God, when it’s not Him, it just seems to you like it’s Him. Here is perhaps one way you could go from faith to foolish. Believing God - to - Believing God for. A subtle transition, tricky, and easy to cross over. Do you believe God? Or do you believe God for? Believe God – means – you believe what He promised, you believe that He has a plan for you, you believe that His plan is best, you believe that His way of doing it is best, and you believe that His timing is best. You believe in Him (that He will reveal His plan, His way in His time – and in the meantime you keep your hand to the plow, do what He called you to do as a husband and father, or wife and mother – (or a young person preparing for the future) until He reveals that plan. That’s Believing God… However, Believing God for means you believe God for the plan you hope for, at the time you believed God for. Where in scripture does God work that way? God promised Abraham a son when He was seventy-five, and Abraham believed God, and it was counted to Him as righteousness - the Bible says that. And then he believed God for a son by age eighty. It didn’t happen, so He believed God for a son by age 81, it didn’t happen… (OK, nowhere in the Bible did it say that Abraham believed God for a son by age eighty. But He might have… why do you say that? Since it didn’t happen how He believed God it would, he slept with his wife’s servant girl – to help God with His plan. If something doesn’t happen like you believed God for – you do something else. If you believe God for something specific and a certain time, and it doesn’t happen, you are now at a crisis of faith. Is God not faithful? Did He not keep his promise? Be careful or you might fall for the ole ‘servant girl’ ploy. It never ends well. So what about you? Are you believing God for something – that you saw or hoped for – that He would do it that way? Are you believing God for something at a certain time? Does God not fulfill His promise? (No, that’s not what God promised, that’s just what you believed God for). If you believe God for healing, that’s what He promised. If you believe God for chocolate cake, by the end of the day, you might be disappointed, and if you’re surfing the web for chocolate cake recipes – you are misguided. The time you spend doing it, you could have been doing what God planned for you to do today… You got caught up believing God for, instead of believing God. Praying that you won’t go from faith to foolish. And pray for me too. It’s easy to fall into. So how do you guard against it? Seek Godly counsel (from believers, and obeyers, not doubters) but also – know what God has called you to do in the meantime, and get busy doing it. Praying that you would be fully obeying in this season, and believing God that He will fulfill His promise, in His way, at the absolute best time! That’s part of what makes it so awesome! Love you all, dad Love you all, praying for you.
I just love God’s Word. It’s simple. Not easy. but simple. Believe on the LORD Jesus Christ and you will be saved. Give and it will be given to you. Love the LORD your God with all your heart, and all your soul and all your might. Not easy, but simple. Here’s one: Ps 105 -1 Give thanks to the LORD, call upon his name, make known among the nations what he has done. I love that! Something I can run with. Give thanks, Call on His Name, Give your testimony. When was the last time you gave thanks? How much of a habit is that in your life? Give thanks more, Give a testimony again! The list is endless of what God did for you. There’s no shelf life on any one of them… That testimony is as powerful the next time as it was the first time you gave it. You overcome with it, and others can be challenged and encouraged by it. And when was the last time you called on His Name? Or are you consumed with figuring everything out on your own. Calling on His Name means you are not pursuing solutions on your own, you are calling on His power and His authority, everything He did and will do, everything He said and will say, everything He is, His fame, reputation, and renown – everything about him from beginning to end – but He’s got no beginning and no end! That is His Name. Do you call on it? Is there anything in your life that is beyond your ability? Beyond your understanding, beyond your resources, beyond your discernment, beyond your resolve or courage? Do you call on His Name? Praying that you will do the simple, and leave the difficult to Him. Praying that you will do PRISM today, and every day – it’s how you get the simple instructions He has for you – to be more effective, so you can do the plans that He has for you today. Praying that you will love the simple. That you will give thanks, that you will call on His Name – it’s pretty great, there is nothing higher. And praying that you will tell someone what God did – so you overcome, and they are encouraged that God will do great things for them to! He’s making His Name greater! Everything that He’s about to do just adds to His Name. Call on it, give thanks, and when He delivers you again, tell somebody, and until then, tell them what He’s already done. Love you all, dad Love you all, praying for you,
I just love God’s Word. It’s just the opposite of what we think, or what we want. It’s that old nature - new nature thing… What is humility? Considering God the highest, and others higher than you. What is humility? A guarantee. Humble yourself, and God will exalt you. Sometimes, He cannot exalt you - until you humble yourself. Humble yourself means it’s a choice, you choose to. What is humility demonstrated by? Obedience. Jesus humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross. To be humble, you need to consider someone else higher. First – God – the Highest of all, then your neighbor. Humility always results in 1) obedience to demonstrate it, and 2) honor, (exaltation) the reward of it. The obedience is immediate, the reward isn’t until later. Obedience is your part, exalting is His part, both the how and the timing. Humility is coming under. God’s authority, and the authority of those He has placed over you. Everyone is under authority, just like submission – coming under another’s mission or vision. To come under another’s mission or vision, it takes humility. Everyone is under authority, whether a parent or teacher or boss, or policeman, or a government official, or a spouse. God said we are to submit to one another in love, considering others’ needs and interests more important than ours. To submit to God, you must recognize His authority, know what He said – so you know what to submit to, you need to believe that it’s worth doing, or you wouldn’t submit to it. And you need to be willing to do it. What if you were humble? Humble is willing to do what you don’t really want to do. Because if it was what you wanted, it wouldn’t really be submission. Every time we humble ourselves before God, and those in God given authority, we demonstrate life and love of Jesus, and God can exalt us. Is there any area of your life that you need to humble yourself in? Sometimes, before your spouse, an attitude or opinion, or position that you held to, that is not humble, but prideful. That’s what it means to submit to God, and resist the devil, Submit to God is humility, resist the devil, is to resist pride, and the indulgence of self – the tendency toward sin that is self-serving, but not in the long run. Pleasure, but just for a season. What’s the opposite of humility or submission? Rebellion – resisting God, resisting His authority rather than submitting to it. Rather than resist the devil, resisting humility – joins him. He hates humility, he hates submission, he won’t… but he will… His day is coming. Praying that you will resist the devil, not resist God. Praise God that humility has a reward. God didn’t have to do that – he might have said, just be humble – it’s your duty - with no promise that He will exalt you. But God loves to exalt the humble, he loves to raise up the meek and lowly, those who choose to come under what they don’t have to, but choose to. You’ll come under something, there’s only God’s way or man’s way, and you’ll resist one or the other. Praying that God will help you choose the humility of Christ – so He can exalt you to higher places. Humility starts with His plans for you today, and His Word for you today. Praying that you will submit to Him, and resist the other, the result is as different as the heavens are higher than the earth. It will lead you to the Good that He longs to give you. Love you all, dad Love you all, praying for you.
I just love God’s Word – it challenges your opinions, beliefs and expectations. Has God ever told you to do something? What Has God told you to do? Are you doing it? What’s stopping you? What are you waiting for? Some people wait for the perfect conditions before they do what God told them. That’s why they haven’t done it yet. “I would call that person if I had my own cell phone, or a nicer one.” I would write that person a letter of encouragement if I just had my own stationary. I would fill out that application if I just had my own computer.” In Jerusalem persecution arose in the church. God had already told them to go into all the world and preach the good news and then teach them how to be obeyers… And they were planning on doing it, as soon as they saved enough money to buy that RV… And persecution arose, so everybody had to leave or be thrown into prison. They left - not in the RV, but with the shirts on their back. And as they went, they shared the gospel – everywhere they went. So what has God called you to do? Are you doing it? What’s stopping you? Can you use someone else’s phone to call? Can you just use a piece of paper, instead of your own personal stationary? Could you just tithe on the dollar you earned? You could… God might have things to teach you through the “less than ideal.” When you aren’t an expert yet in sharing your faith – you can share your testimony, you can help them discover theirs. Just praise God on their behalf, for what He did for them, that they might not have even noticed, and they will learn what their testimony sounds like, it will resonate with them. Some people think they just have to ‘make do’ in their present circumstance. No, this is the circumstance God brought you to! He does nothing without purpose. God doesn’t want you to make do! He wants you to become a new you! A better you. What if things never got better? What if you never make six figures in a year? You can still tithe, and give and save. Just do what God told you to do. You don’t need a prayer closet to start praying. Susanna Wesley – the revival preacher’s mother with nineteen children (if there was anyone who had an excuse not to pray – it would be her.) She raised her apron up over her head, and every child learned, “Don’t bother Mommy, she’s praying.” Praying that you won’t wait for the perfect conditions – to do what God called you to do. You become through the imperfect. It’s the less than ideal, that strengthens your resolve, and your perseverance. It’s where you learn faithfulness. What did God tell you to do? What’s stopping you from doing it? Well I would tithe, if I just made enough money… No you wouldn’t, if you don’t tithe off of 10 dollars, you won’t tithe off of a million. Well I would get a job if I had a car, or my own car, or a nicer car. I would do a Daily Call with someone – if I was a little better at this PiVAT and PRISM stuff… No, that’s how you get better! On a Daily Call, iron sharpening iron, overcoming daily with your testimony. So what has God called you to do? Are you waiting on God, when He's waiting on you? Praying that you won’t wait for what God told you to do. Just do it. You don’t need that RV to go on a missions trip – the mission is right where you are. What you are waiting for, might be waiting on you - to just obey in this season. To just be content in this season, so God can prepare you to bear fruit in the next one. Praying that you’ll obey now, that you’ll do what He told you - now. If you do it now, you’ll do it then. Praying that I’ll see you - with your apron over your head… and if you remember, please pray for me too… Love you all, dad Love you all, praying for you,
I just love God’s Word. It teaches you humility that brings exaltation. When pride comes then comes disgrace. A flood is powerful, and so is erosion. A flood comes at once, erosion over time, both can be very destructive. Pride is subtle. It’s not always in your face. Disgrace isn’t just a loss of reputation, it’s also a distance from grace. Grace is pretty valuable. You don’t want distance from it. It’s the power to overcome. Power to say no to sin which could so easily beset you. Power to know and do the best that God has for you! Grace – the power that raised Christ from the dead. That same power is what helps you overcome. So stay away from pride that could distance you from grace. It’s subtle. Most people don’t choose pride consciously. “I am the greatest!” That’s why God says, “Let another praise you and not your own mouth, someone else and not your own lips. When pride comes, its mostly subtle, and it can easily enter if you allow yourself to become self-absorbed. It’s natural to think of yourself, your needs, your wants, your opinions, but it’s not about you. Well, if it’s not about me, than what is it about? God. And others. Everything was created by God and exists through Jesus. God says it’s through Him that everything is held together. And others are who God said to prefer over yourself. Let each one look not only to his own interests but also the interests of others. You’ll be known by how you love one another, not just what you do for or by yourself. I was coming home recently during an incredibly busy day, and was prompted by the Holy Spirit to jump on a prayer call. I knew I didn’t have long, but I could at least pray in the Spirit in agreement with what they were praying in the understanding as the Holy Spirit led them. Even though it was just a few minutes before I had to jump off, it was a huge blessing! I’m glad I listened to that prompting. (It’s also subtle – you have to tune your ear to hear Him, and respond quickly – so He can confirm it.) As I jumped on the call late, and soon had to exit early, a thought crossed my mind. What if the moderator was watching the callers log? Here I jumped online when one person was praying, stayed all the way to the end, but when the moderator picked up where the pray-er left off, my call dropped. What could they have thought? “Did I offend him? Did he disagree with something I said?” No, I only had a few minutes to participate, but thought it was better than nothing. That moderator could have been bothered all day by a slight that didn’t even occur. Like when you were in Junior High School, and you see some kids laughing, and you just know they were laughing at you. No, they weren’t even thinking of you. You just allowed your sense of self-importance to become overdeveloped and over-sensitive. It’s easy to do. It’s pride, but it’s subtle. God said “Each of you, don’t think of yourselves more highly than you ought. But using sober judgment, consider others more important than yourself. One way to do this is always believe the best. Why believe the worst, nine out of ten times you’re wrong - they aren’t even talking about you, they didn’t even say that, or they didn’t even mean it that way. You just ruined your day for nothing. And even if they are, God said a few things about that. First, an undeserved curse, does not come to rest… so it has no effect on you. Second “If God be for us, who can be against us.” Not everyone will like you, what’s that got to do with you, how much God loves you, or what He told you to do? Nothing. He said “In everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” That doesn’t mean give thanks even though people are talking about you. They might not be at all. Just give thanks for every good thing that God gives you – and get going with what He told you to do. Believe the best, rejoice in the LORD always, and again I say rejoice! Praying that you will not be caught up in the subtlety of pride, that you will always believe the best, and leave the rest to God. Not naïve, just faithful. Praying that you will realize, it’s not about you. Praying that God will help you choose the humility that gets you exalted. And when He does it, that you will still view others as more important than you, so you can love them, like God loves them. And that you will know without doubt, how much God loves you! Love you all, dad Love you all, praying for you.
What’s the hardest thing ever? PiVAT before dinner. There are harder things than that! Do you think? Of the last seven days… No, of the last 3 days – how many of the three did you do PiVAT before dinner? It only takes 5 minutes. It’s a conversation with your Heavenly Father, that He is just waiting to have with you, - just waiting for you to ask Him. It is infinite of value, because if you ask Him, He’ll tell you His plans for you for tomorrow, and remind you of what He told you today, so you can finish well… It helps you write down your testimony so you overcome with it. It tells you His plans for you tomorrow – so you can walk in His, not yours. And if you know and do his plans for you tomorrow, you’ll know and do his plans for you the next day, and the rest of your life… if you don’t… you won’t. It’s simple, PiVAT before dinner, five minutes. But it’s the hardest thing ever. Because the devil will do anything to distract you from it. Too tired, too busy, late night at work, kids need dinner, a million reasons to delay that five minutes with your Heavenly Father - the hardest thing ever. But what if you did it faithfully for 3 days in a row, or a week What would that rhythm mean in your life? What fruit would that simple habit produce? You would know God's plans for tomorrow, so you can hit the ground running, you would be reminded of what He told you today, so you can finish strong. You would remember to write down the Testimony of what He did, when you obeyed, and what He revealed when you chose to spend PRISM time with Him in His Word – so your mind is transformed to think like He does. You would have the opportunity to pray over your spouse, or someone else, the most important thing that God told them they need, and the number one thing He told them to do tomorrow. And you would get God’s counsel in the night season, confirming what He told you, or revealing more. Why is it the hardest thing? Because your enemy knows it’s the most valuable. To know God’s plans for you – for your good! The way chosen for you, the way best for you! It will change your life – that five minutes before dinner. Praying that you will be faithful every day. Just don’t eat, until you spend those five minutes with Him. He will honor your faithfulness, He’ll give you grace to do it. Your life will never be the same. Love you all, dad |
AuthorKelly Kamentz - Jesus follower, husband, father, and friend, helping others surrender time, thoughts, money, and testimony, to fulfill their purpose! Archives
April 2024
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