Love you all, praying for you,
 
I just love God’s Word.  It gives warning.  Some people dread or resent warnings.  As if God is mad at them or picking on them.  The wise in heart welcome warnings.  They are thankful that God loves them enough to warn them.  God gives warnings to protect us from doing something that will cause setback or judgment.  He warns us to protect us from bad and lead us to good.  There is one thing that will always get you in trouble – an untamed tongue.  God gives warning.  Don’t say it.  If it doesn’t build, don’t say it.  Only a fool gives full vent to his anger.  Someone else could be completely in the wrong – leave that to God.  But a careless word uttered by you, either grumbling or complaining, speaking against God’s anointed, slander, or a critical spirit, will be counted against you.  If you let your tongue be controlled by the flesh, instead of yielding it to the Holy Spirit – you will end up having to humble yourself and seek forgiveness of God and others you have negatively impacted with a careless word.  We will give account for every idle word – so don’t let your words be idle, unsubmitted, careless.  Don’t say it.  Just keep silent.  If it’s not praise, don’t say it.  If it’s not thanksgiving, don’t say it.  Negative feelings are given life by your words – why extend them? Instead say nothing, count it all joy, offer the sacrifice of praise.  Praying you will review the PRISM Topic – Speak Life, and PRISM Topic – Shut Up.  God commands us to use our tongue for good, and absolutely refrain from saying any harmful thing.   Praying that you will sow the seed of your words for good.  That if anything other than praise, thanksgiving or building bubbles up in your flesh, that you would walk in the Spirit, Pray in the Spirit – Praise in the Spirit – and you won’t fulfill what your flesh desires.  Don’t say it!  You don’t need to.  Say Life instead.  You’ll save yourself trouble and embarrassment.  And with every declined opportunity to speak ‘less than’ life, you can turn it into a speak life moment instead.  If you do your life will reflect the good that comes out of your mouth, the good that God has for you and others. 
 
Love you all,
dad

Love you all, praying for you,
 
I just love God’s Word – it is so practical.  It tells you what it takes to succeed.  Proverbs 21:5 – The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty.  Proverbs 12:14 – From the fruit of his lips a man is filled with good things as surely as the work of his hands rewards him.   Use your mouth, and get to work.  But before you work, work.  Some people work, only to find out they are working on the wrong thing, or the way they are working, is futile, lacking the plan or strategy crucial for success.  The plans of the diligent lead to profit.  Work before you work.  If you were as diligent in your planning as you are in your working – it would lead to much more profit.  Diligence in planning is diligence with God.  Commit your way to the LORD and your plans will succeed.  You can work hard and long to no avail.  But if you first work at getting His plans for you – your efforts will not be in vain.  Commit, roll down together with Him, spend that PiVAT time before dinner, and check back with Him first thing in the morning, and throughout the day…so your plans are His plans.  Those are the ones that will succeed.  So you know what He’s not calling you to put effort in, as much as what He has called you to work on with all diligence.  He will lead you in this hour.  It’s not a burden, it’s a joy and blessing.  His yoke is easy and His burden is light.  He multiplies your effort, if you will first put in the effort to seek His face, His will and His plans.  Praying that today you will work before you work.  That you will be diligent in the planning, and then be diligent in the doing.  So everything you put your hand to, is what He directs in His perfect time, in the way that works the best, and brings the most wonderful result.  So you will profit in every way, in the Spirit first, which overflows into the natural. 
 
Love you all,
dad 

Love you all, praying for you,
 
I just love God’s Word.  It gives secrets. It tells you how to get to good! It tells you how to flourish!  What does it mean to flourish?  To open, to expand, enlarge or shoot out, to thrive, to grow luxuriantly, to increase and be prosperous.  Psalms 52 – But I am like an olive tree flourishing in the house of God.  (Where His presence dwells, that place of worship, where He reveals himself and all of His glory and truth and love.)  Then it tells you how.  I trust in God’s unfailing love for ever and ever.  I will praise you forever for what you have done; in your name I will hope, for your name is good.  I will praise you in the presence of your saints.  The first secret of flourishing is the word “but” – something easily glossed over, like ‘therefore’, but it indicates a change, something different, an exact opposite – that which distinguishes one thing from another.  Different from what – the verses (and example mentioned prior) David was exposing the deceitful tongue which loves evil rather than good, falsehood rather than speaking truth, which loves every harmful word… But.  David rejects this – He does the opposite.  He rejects any harmful word - this is the Fear of the LORD!  The beginning of flourishing.  Hating evil, refusing to speak any harmful word.  Instead, He is like that olive tree flourishing in the house of God.  So to flourish.  1) Fear God  2) Be in His house and His presence  3) Trust in His unfailing Love.  You grow your trust through your PRISM time in His Word, and Obeying what He tells you in His plans for you each day.  So you do it, so He can prove himself faithful again and again – trustworthy, it’s how your trust grows.  See the PRISM Topic – Trust! And your trust will grow 4) I will praise you forever for what you have done.  If Praise becomes your practice – you will flourish. The list of what He’s done in others and in your life, is enough for you to praise Him forever.  5) In your name I will hope, for your name is good.  His Name is everything He is, was and will be, everything He did and does and will do, everything He said, is saying and will say – which is what He will surely do – that’s His Name.   In Your Name I will hope – It’s worthy of your hope.  Praise the Names of God and the Jehovah Names of God – as a start to putting your hope in His Name.  And every time you obey – He moves and adds to His Name – your obedience helps you know His Name by experience.  You put your hope in God with your Words – just like David just did.  See PRISM Topic- Hope, and your hope will increase!  Speak it – like David it’s how you put your hope in God.  6) I will praise you in the presence of your saints.  There is a power in corporate worship and praise, don’t neglect it.  It’s how you flourish – with others in the body of Christ – giving Praise to His Name.  Praying that you will Fear God, Choose His house and His presence, practice praise, hope in His Name, and praise Him together – so you flourish in His house, so your life will expand, increase and prosper.  All glory goes to Him!  And eternal blessings come to you. 
 
Love you all,
dad

Love you all, praying for you,
 
I just love God’s Word, it establishes truth in you.  It guards you and guides you.  It saves you and establishes you.  It warns you, and gives you options from which to choose.  Psalms 52:3 – You love evil rather than good, falsehood rather than speaking the truth.  You love every harmful word, O you deceitful tongue.  Surely God will bring you down to everlasting ruin…  Who is this talking about – not someone else, without the Fear of the LORD this could be you.  For every word that comes out of your mouth, to yourself or others...  Is this word helpful or harmful?  Does it build up or tear down?  What you say is what you get.  Your words create your life.  Your words limit you or launch you, they enslave you or empower you, they restrict you or release you.  What is your plan for your words today?  If you don’t have a plan for them, they will take their own course.  God’s plans for your words are better than your plans.  Ask Him what His plans are for your words today, and begin to invest them right now.  Are they doubt or faith, complaint or praise, fear or victory?  Above all else guard your heart… Your words direct your heart and your words reveal it.  Out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks.  And the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked, who can know it?  An unplanted heart, an unseeded heart cannot produce blessing.  Only a changed heart can.  God’s word plan for you is to fill your heart today with His truth and love and light and life – so your heart overflows with kind words, gentle words, words of gratitude and thanksgiving, faith and promise and praise, kindness and blessing.  Praying that you will know his word plan for you today – so your words fill your heart, frame your future, bring Him glory and bless others. 
 
Love you all,
dad

Love you all, praying for you,
 
I just love God’s Word.  It tells you how.  Psalms 50:23 – He who offers thank offerings honors me, and he prepares the way so that I may show him the salvation of God.   So that – in order that, enables that, makes possible, opens the door to.  Because of this… that can happen.  Do you need Salvation, for God to save you?  Your life, your health, your hope, your dreams, your reputation or honor, your marriage, or family, or ministry, your purpose, or destiny?  Do you need God’s deliverance from harm or tragedy, from sin or disease or addiction, or from your enemies that surround you and want to bring you harm?  Do you need God to save you from defeat, or from anything the devil intends for evil concerning you?  Do you need God’s salvation?  Do you need God’s deliverance?  Do you want to honor God?  Then offer thank offerings, the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and you will honor God.  This honors God and this makes way for, opens the gate for God to show you His salvation… the salvation of God.  If you need God’s salvation, or need God’s deliverance you are likely consumed with the struggle you need His deliverance from.  The offering of thanksgiving changes your focus to His character, His history, His power, and His promise.  Thank Him for who He is, The Creator, Savior, and Sustainer.  Thank Him for everything He did for others.  Thank Him for everything He did for you.  Thank Him for everything He promised… He will surely do it.  He will surely bring it to pass – your eyes will see it. See it now by faith… everything He promised.  It is as good as done.  When He says it, He will surely do it.  See the PRISM Topic – Thankful 100 – one hundred things to be thankful for that are not money or stuff.  A thank offering is a complain-blocker.  You will never grumble or complain if you are giving a thank offering.  Never grumble or complain.  It never changes anything and God hates it.  Don’t dishonor Him by complaining, instead offer a thank offering.  It honors God, and prepares the way for your next Salvation.  Praying that you will honor him today…  With thanksgiving!
 
Love you all,
dad

Love you all, praying for you.
 
God spoke to me through my time of worship this morning.  God said “In this busy season of your life, worship me three times each day.  Do your PRISM for today in those three times in worship.  Before breakfast, before lunch, and before dinner.”  As the live worship set was playing, someone was praying for God to heal our land – quoting that verse.  “If my people, who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and forgive their sin, and heal their land.”   Humble yourself and pray – adore him, confess your sins, and give an offering of thanksgiving - lifting your requests to him, that’s a demonstration of humility.  Humble yourself.  Seek my face – that’s worship – seeing Him for who He is, the loving, all powerful, all giving, all forgiving, all gracious and merciful and Almighty God!  Turn from your wicked ways – anything that he didn’t assign for you to do right now - that’s wicked, less than he said, than He directed for you, anything different from His will…  Then – I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land.  Healing cannot come until forgiveness comes.  And forgiveness cannot come until there is a turning – a thinking differently.  A thinking about sin, the way God sees it, as a grievous evil.  Something that is wholly incompatible with His Holiness and His presence.  And then God revealed a secret.  Every time you turn to something, you turn from something.  The best way to turn from something, is to turn to something.   When you turn to sin, anything that is the lust of the eyes or the flesh or the pride of life – you really are turning from God, and His Word, and His good, and His best.  But every time you turn to Him, every time you choose worship, His presence, His praise, His Word, His Spirit… His presence, you automatically turn from sin.  Praying that God will draw you to more times in his presence of worship, not just more time with Him, more times with Him.  The more you turn to Him throughout the day, the more you turn from the things that are not from him, that do not lead to his truth, and His good, His power and His favor and His blessing.  Praying that you will turn to – so you turn from.  If you only turn from one sin, you could end up turning to another – the list of possibilities is endless.  But every time you turn to Him, you turn from everything that would displease him, and hinder you.  Praying that you would learn to turn.  That you would turn like Daniel – three times a day.  And His schedule and responsibilities and career were far greater than yours.  Every time you turn to Him, you turn from every unclean thing, every wicked thing, every less than His best for you – thing.  Praying that you will turn more – to Him, so His thoughts become your thoughts, so His glory fills you with wonder, so His thoughts consume you, and His power fills you, and His joy overflows in you, so He can hear and turn, and forgive and heal.    
 
Love you all,
dad

Love you all, praying for you,
 
I just love God’s Word.  It ignites sobering questions.  What do you promote?  You’re promoting something…  Proverbs 17:9 – He who covers over an offense promotes love, but whoever repeats a matter separates close friends.  How often do you mention when someone disappoints you or offends you?  Do you ask others, “Is it just me or are they being rude.  Was that offensive? Or am I missing something?  Did that disappoint you?  What foolish and worthless questions.  Three things will happen, #1 – They’ll say, “No.”  And you will look petty or foolish or both.  Or #2 ) It didn’t cross their mind before you said something, “But now that you mention it, that is kind of rude, how disappointing, that’s because they just think they’re better than everyone…”  And you have just won them over – not to Salvation and Obedience, but to gossip and slander, and offense taking.  You have succeeded in inciting division among brothers – which God hates.  Or #3 – They will say “I was thinking the same thing!” And you have just encouraged them in repeating offenses.  So as soon as you’re done with this conversation, they will surely repeat the matter to someone else, multiplying the dissension and division that separates friends and family which disgusts God.  Good one!  The way you cover over an offense is don’t mention it ever again. Let it go!  If someone else does… use your voice to change the conversation to believe the best, to give them the benefit of the doubt, or create the doubt that they meant to offend…  We don’t know what they meant or what they are going through.  And God may have told them to do something different, or differently than your opinion.  Shhh!  Not your business.  Instead redirect the conversation to Praise and Faith and Testimony and Life!  It’s covering over any offence that tries to creep in… that ‘weed seed’ the devil tries to sow through willing suckers who love to talk about the shortcomings and failures of others, while completely ignorant of their own.  What are you promoting?  You are promoting something, either you are promoting love, or you are promoting division and dissension among brothers and sisters.  Praying that you will stop yourself before you ever repeat a failure of another. Even something that disappointed or offended you.  It is fruitless to do so.  At least it is good fruit – less.  Praying that you will use your influence to believe the best, give the benefit of the doubt, and always redirect those offense-repeat conversations to something else.  To life and praise and hope and promise. That you will always be the bringer of good news.  That the abundant life of God’s Love will always be promoted by your words.  God will see and hear, He will be pleased, and what you sow, you will surely reap. 
 
Love you all,
dad

​Love you all, praying for you,
 
What if three times today – you set aside time for His Presence?  Psalms 48:9 – Within your temple, O God, we meditate on your unfailing love.  God said He does not dwell in temples made with hands, Heaven is his throne and earth is his footstool, so what building can you build for Him?  Jesus said the time is coming and now is when true worshippers will worship him in Spirit and in truth.  By the Holy Spirit in His presence, and in the Truth of His Word.  What if like Daniel set aside three times a day, you would come back to His Presence three times today – no matter how busy it is.  What if you didn’t do anything else of those down time activities, whether food or media until you first spent that time with Him. In His presence we meditate on His unfailing love.  And if you know God loves you – what impact does this little challenge you face really have on you.  Verse 14 – For this God is our God for ever and ever; he will be our guide even to the end.  His presence is the place of his unfailing love, exceeding joy, wisdom, contentment, peace, revelation – everything you need today – is found in Him.  He is your guider and provider and equipper and supplier.  He will never leave you for forsake you, we tend to do that, not Him.  Praying that your PRISM time in worship today will be strengthening for your spirit, mind, body and soul.  That nothing will take priority over His presence.  It’s where you are changed into His image more and more.  Praying that you’ll get there today.  And go there again. 
 
Love you all,
dad

​Love you all, praying for you,
 
I just love God’s Word.  It contains wisdom – that if you will apply it will change your life and your legacy forever.  I’m so thankful for that wisdom book – Proverbs – and PRISM (those five things you can do in God’s Word every day) that keeps me coming back to it every day.  Praying that your PRISM time is your priority so God can change your thoughts to His thoughts which are so much higher.  I’m so thankful for extracts – not just a verse in your PRISM time that God can reveal His insights, but even an extract from a chapter – that short list of takeaways that can be so powerful when applied as action steps.  Proverbs 15 is one of those chapters that is great for extracts.  Several verses speak of the tongue, and it’s power.  Surely, what you say is what you get, and if there ever was anything to invest wisely, it’s your tongue.  Proverbs 15 tells you what you should invest your tongue in, it tells you how to employ it wisely.  Proverbs 15:1 – A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.  Are your words gentle or harsh? Invest wisely.  Verse 2 – the tongue of the wise commends knowledge.  Commend, to speak in favor of, to recommend, to represent as worthy of notice or regard.  Your tongue should always advance knowledge.  And it can only do that if you are faithful in your PRISM time in God’s Word every day.  That’s why its best to Do PRISM out loud. What you say is more important than what God says.  Not heresy, practicality.  It doesn’t matter what God says, you believe and do what you say. That’s why it’s so important to invest your tongue – to speak out loud what God says – so you grow to believe it and do it.  Train your tongue so your tongue trains you.  And God’s Word is always the best training.  #3 - verse 4, the tongue that brings healing is a tree of life… Do the words out of your mouth make people feel better?  Do they bring healing?  It’s a wise investment.  #4 – verse 5 - a fool spurns his father’s discipline, but whoever heeds correction shows prudence.  You heed correction with your tongue.  That’s why if you have children, it is crucial to train them to respond with, Yes Mommy, Yes Daddy, Yes Sir, I will obey.  Your tongue is the rudder of your body.  If you teach a child’s tongue to activate their obedience – it will pay dividends for the rest of their life.  You heed correction with your tongue – before and after.  David said “I will obey your word.”  He said it before the correction or instruction came, and when it does come – He says the same.  Your tongue activates your obedience - a wise investment.  #5 –  verse 8 - The LORD detests the sacrifice of the wicked, but the prayer of the upright pleases him.  The wise invest their tongue in prayer.  Praying the heart of God is a wise investment.  Ask Him, He will lead you. And be sure choose the fear of the LORD, why cancel your prayers.  #6 Investment verse 15  All the days of the oppressed are wretched, but the cheerful heart has a continual feast.  The wise invest their tongue in thanksgiving.  It is the verbal expression of a cheerful heart.  If you make this a habit, you will always be feasting!  #7 Tongue Investment -  What not to invest in.  A hot-tempered man stirs up dissension, but a patient man calms a quarrel.  Most invest their tongue in venting, critigue or criticism.  A wise man’s tongue investment – is knowing when not to invest.  Save your cash until the market drops.  Don’t invest in complaining, or disagreement.  Keep your tongue still.  Sometimes the best investment is the one you don’t make.  #8  The wise invest their tongue in asking for counsel – first from the Holy Spirit and then from others.  Verse 22 - Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.  Rather than talking (which limits your capacity to learn new things), they ask for advice from Godly counselors and area experts and sift it through Word of God by the Holy Spirit.  #9 The right word at the right time.  A wise tongue investment comes from seeking God’s truth and God’s timing.  Verse 23 - A man finds joy in giving an apt reply – and how good is a timely word.  Verse 28 – The heart of the righteous weighs its answers, but the mouth of a fool gushes folly.  Wait before you speak.  It’s how you give an apt reply.  If you ask first, the Holy Spirit will lead your replies.  You’ll get the joy of the perfect response, and a timely word.  And the more you soak in God’s Word through your PRISM time with Him, the more ready you are to give that accurate, helpful, wise, and timely word to someone who really needs it.  God will use you to share his truth and life with them.  Be humble, stay in God’s Word, and let the Holy Spirit – guide your tongue investments into others – that’s the healing and life that God wants to give!  #10  Redirect your thoughts – invest your tongue to redirect your thoughts, if they are straying from purity of motive, or intent.  Verse 26 – the LORD detests the thoughts of the wicked, but those of the pure are pleasing to him.  Invest your tongue to keep your thoughts pure towards God, and others.  Your tongue controls your thoughts. It can stop a wrong direction or thought-path in its tracks – and move it onto the highway that God has for your mind.  The highway of righteousness in your thought-life so your heart is filled with His Word and your thoughts stay on His track.  And #11 – tongue investment  verse 30 – A cheerful look brings joy to the heart, and good news gives health to the bones.  A wise tongue invests in sharing good news.  You should always be the bearer of good news.  Speak it to yourself and others.  Invest your tongue in your testimony – of what God did, invest your tongue in His promise – of what He will surely do.  And everyone will love to see you coming – because your words are always health and life and joy – wherever you go.  Your words create your life – Praying that you will invest wisely. 
 
Love you all,
dad

​Love you all, praying for you,
 
I just love God’s Word – it addresses real life problems and reveals the opportunities.  Have you ever been frustrated? Frustration is simply an emotional unrest due to circumstances or people.  Things don’t happen like you would have preferred.  That’s the first kind of frustration – the second kind of frustration is an action against you.  An outside force – either God or the devil.  If you’re frustrated first make sure its not God frustrating you.  He’ll send a storm if you’re heading to Tarshish, He frustrates the plans of the wicked.  That’s not always the other guy… it could be you!  He will frustrate wicked plans, plans that are not His.  He does it in his love for you.  So your frustration might be your own doing, or your own lack of doing. Doing your plans not His.  But if you are in the center of His will, if you are walking in that PiVAT relationship with God, trading your plans for His, you can be sure the devil will try to frustrate your plans.  Ezra 4:4 – then the local residents tried to discourage and frighten the people of Judah to keep them from their work.  They bribed agents to work against them to frustrate their plans.  This went on during the entire reign of Cyrus King of Persia and lasted until King Darius of Persia took the throne.  Sometimes the devil is the one trying to frustrate the plans that God has for you.  So how to you address frustration that you experience or feel?  What will frustrate you today?  What will you complain about?  Frustration means you’re not working or operating at full capacity, and it’s hard to be filled with the Spirit when you are filled with frustration.  Frustration steals your full capacity.  Complaining never helps anything, it delays your progress and will bring failure and demise.  First, Ask God to help you.  Cast all your cares on Him, because he cares for you.  Second, Get counsel.  Plans are frustrated for lack of counsel, but with many counselors they succeed. Third – No time is wasted – if your eyes are on the LORD – that’s something God just told me through my Daily Call this morning.  He said to exhort one another daily.  So He can sharpen you each day!  Fourth – Adjust your expectation – It may require more effort, or a delay of something else – to complete this assignment.  Fifth – You are responsible for you not what happens or what others do.  Work harder.  If you worked as hard as you complained, it would be done by now.  Sixth – Choose praise and thanksgiving, and frustration will cease.  Ask God for the way of escape, the way forward in the middle of this situation.  Nehemiah was facing more than you…  His frustration could have been far higher than yours.  Nehemiah 4:16 – From that day on, half of my men did the work, while the other half were equipped with spears, shields, bows and armor.  The officers posted themselves behind all the people of Judah who were building the wall.  Those who carried materials did their work with one hand and held a weapon in the other, and each of the builders wore his sword at his side as he worked.  But the man who sounded the trumpet stayed with me. Then I said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, “The work is extensive and spread out, and we are widely separated from each other along the wall.  Whenever you hear the sound of the trumpet, join us there.  Our God will fight for us!  So we continued the work with half the men holding spears, from the first light of dawn til the stars came out.  Nehemiah adjusted his expectations, He doubled his effort, and He spoke faith, and he understood the power of momentum.  God is able to refocus your frustration which leads to failure – into faith which leads to victory.  Praying that your thanksgiving and praise, leads you to God’s solutions.  This is a testimony in the making. 
 
Love you all,
dad