Love you all, praying for you,
Have you ever dreaded something? Have you ever just not wanted to do something that you know is coming soon, or that you should do, and you just don’t want to? A job, or a project, starting that term paper, a tough conversation, or cleaning out the garage? You just don’t feel like it, and you find yourself, dreading it? Next to fear, dread just might be… the biggest waste of time ever. It’s bad enough that you have to do it, but spending more time thinking about it? Your enemy is laughing. The devil wants to steal your mind, steal your time, the devil wants you dreading things because if you’re dreading something, you aren’t doing what God has for you right now, you’re thinking about something that hasn’t even happened yet. Not to mention, what you dread, you don’t do well. Your dread is likely directly proportional to poor performance. Some things are not your favorite thing to do in life. Even great jobs, or jobs you love, have things that you don’t love about them. Some things are unavoidable. Some things you have to do even if you don’t want to. The only thing worse than having to do what you really don’t want to do. Is to give it more time than is required. To dread something you don’t want to do, just increases it’s negative effect on you. If it’s something you are procrastinating. Do it now! Don’t wait. Do the hardest thing first. Get it done. Get it over with, so you can get to something better. If it’s scheduled at a later time, change your mind. Think about it differently, the opposite of the way you have been… Ask God to help you do it with excellence. Better than you have ever done it before. Even if there’s nothing good about it, you can get good from it. God turns everything for good. Your attitude about something is what makes it good or bad, far more than the thing itself. So you don’t want to do it, but you have to. Do you really? Some things we think we have to do… we dread it because God never told us to do it. If we are meeting other’s expectations rather than God’s expectations – that’s a fail-proof plan for a miserable life. Be sure God wants you to do it. But if He does, if it’s your responsibility. Just ask God to help you do it with excellence. Front load, prepare, do it better than you ever have before. You may find that it is more enjoyable than you think. Or it still sucks, but excellence always has a benefit. It speaks to your character, it reflects your Father, and God says this. Whatever you do, do it with all your heart. (Col 3:23) Whatever you put your hand to… do it with excellence. Work at it with all your heart. Do your very best, do it with excellence, for the LORD not for men. Ask God to show you how to do it better. The mindset and effort with which you prepare for this thing – carries over to the next thing. Excellence always travels well. If you’re excellent in this, you will be excellent in other things. And if you learn to be excellent in what you do not like to do, you will become even more effective in the things you love to do. Diligence is never wasted, faithfulness is never fruitless. You honor God with your diligence, and if your outlook changes, your results will change. Change your Mind! Put some praise on it! Be thankful for this thing, God said in everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus, concerning you. (I Thes 5:18) Everything. Even this thing. Have you thanked Him for this thing that you don’t really want to do? What you dread, may be just what you need, to prepare you for what is ahead. Successful people are successful in everything they touch, whether it’s their favorite thing to do or not. God can multiply your effort, He sees your heart. Your attitude starts with a decision, and is formed and shaped by your words. When facing a battle – run to it. Dreading something is running from it. Welcoming something is running to it. God may have a new level of excellence for you – that will not just change the result of this thing, but the result of every next thing. You can trust Him, His grace is enough, and excellence is the spirit of Christ in you. There is a joy in obedience, there is fruit in faithfulness, there’s joy in every trial, and success starts right now. Praying that you will run to the battle. That you will replace dread, with excellence. Ask God, He will show you! How you do something is as important as what you do. It honors Him. Love you all, dad
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Love you all, praying for you.
Friday’s are good days. Even if you have to work the weekend, there’s just something about Friday’s that make you feel good. You start to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Have you ever noticed, Friday’s are like a Skyline 3-Way? Next time you’re in Cincinnati, you need to get one. Just like you are three things – A father, a son, and a husband, or a mother, a daughter, and a wife... Fridays are the last day of the week, the first day of the weekend, and the prelude to the coming week. Fridays are a great time to take inventory, to go back to PiVAT Weekly – and be sure that everything that God told you to do this week, you finished with excellence, full obedience, and joy. Even if you didn’t do PiVAT Weekly this week, technically the week isn’t over until Monday starts. You can still do PiVAT Weekly even if it’s Friday, it’s not over til it’s over. Better late than never, God can make up for lost time. God can do in a day, what you couldn’t do in a week, and you definitely don’t want to miss what He had for you this week! And if nothing else, get one more rep in, before Getting God’s plans for you through PiVAT Weekly for next week. Vision is so important. Without it, you perish, you cast off restraint. (Pr 29:18) With vision – you get to things ahead, and you leave other things behind, that are worthless and useless, because you are fully focused on God’s best. Vision sees the future, and moves you towards it. Vision is a great sin-repellent. The best way to avoid sin is to be fully engaged in what God has for you. Not only what God has for you today, but you'll start to see in your mind what is yet to come. If you are moving towards God’s vision for you, you are moving away from every other thing that would prevent it or keep you from it. You just don’t have time for distractions, delays, wrong turns, fruitless pursuits, you’re too busy obeying! You’ve got places to go, and people to see, you have Good things just waiting for you, and you can’t wait to get there. Sin is always a vision killer. It keeps you from it, because it keeps your mind from even considering it. Sin isn’t just bad things, sin is anything less than His Thing for you. Sin is like the alligator trying to eat you. Don’t just keep trying to slowly back away, you’re still in range of it’s teeth. Sometimes you have to get in the car and drive away. Sometimes you have to leave Florida, and get to Alaska – and your alligator problem will be over. Some things you need to leave behind, to get to the things ahead. God’s vision for you – is not just hope for the future, it’s the first step for right now. Praying that you will revisit PiVAT Weekly, that you will fully finish God’s vision for you this week, and fully know His vision for next week, so you walk in everything He has for you. It’s really good. Better than you think. There’s nothing else like it! Love you all, dad Love you all, praying for you,
I just love God’s Word. It tells you things that you don’t do, maybe that you have never done, that you should learn to. Psalms 89:15 - Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you, who walk in the light of your presence, O LORD. Blessed – fully prosperous are those “who” (not everybody) only those who.. have learned. This is a learned thing, it does not come naturally, its unnatural, you have to learn it, practice it, keep doing it, so you get good at it. It’s something you have to learn to do… to acclaim You. So what does acclaim mean. Not testify, or give credit for… (although we should do that daily – it’s the testimony you overcome with!) Acclaim means – a clamorously joyful shout, a battle cry, a shout of victory! Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you. Who walk in the light of Your presence. That place of worship and praise in His presence, is where you learn your victory shout! It’s where you learn how to be clamorously joyful. It’s the light of His presence – that gives the battle cry, the shout of victory. The light from His presence directs your steps to where your victory comes, so you can learn the shout of victory – to be clamorously joyful – like David. Have you ever learned to acclaim Him? Many people don’t know the shout, because they’ve never experienced the victory. Nor have they put everything on the table – to be worthy of that kind of response. To open your mouth, to make some noise, to shout victoriously in the Name of The LORD, the Almighty God! There is a blessing that goes with it. There is a blessing for those who make it a habit of being in His presence, so they can learn the joyful shout – where they can learn how to be clamorously joyful. Webster. Acclaim: A shout of joy – acclamation. Shouting and clapping – making some noise, loudly sounding the attack, loudly sounding the victory. Like Tom Brady sprinting to the end zone screaming at the top of his lungs – “Let’s Go!” After every successful play, and after every Super Bowl win. It’s the visceral physical reaction of victory, that results from the battle cry storming into the battle. Acclamation. How do you learn it? Walk in His Presence, it’s where victory comes from - get directed. And then Fully Do what He directs, so you get victory. Learn to Acclaim Him – to shout for joy – there’s a blessing in it. Some people are uncomfortable doing it. They’re not fully invested. They haven’t put in the effort that elicits it. They haven’t given everything they have to get it, that’s why it’s uncomfortable to the self-conscious. But for those who have laid their life down, who have given everything, who have burned the ships and are not turning back… they don’t care. They know what it takes, and they know what it means, it means something to them. They have learned to acclaim Him. They’ll sound the battle cry, they will give the shout of victory! They appreciate what God has done, “Let’s GO!” They realize the significance, and the volume and intensity of their reaction – is commensurate with the miracle, with the victory. Their volume, and exuberance, and clamor - matches what God did. Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim Him. That means they are in His presence, they have gotten His plans and His direction, they have obeyed him completely - and they have won some victories. They are fully invested, and that is why - what other people think doesn’t matter to them. They are operating on another level, they have learned to acclaim Him with every ounce of strength they have. When is the last time you gave the battle cry, or the shout of victory? Have you learned to acclaim Him? If you do, there is a blessing waiting for you, that only those who have learned to acclaim Him will understand. Not everybody wins the Super Bowl. Praying that you will learn to acclaim Him, so the blessing that God has for those “who…” is given to you. Love you all, dad Love you all, praying for you,
I just love God’s Word. It is hope for you. Have you ever felt hopeless? One of the worst things in life… is to have no hope. When hope is gone, the reason to live is gone. Have you ever felt hopeless? Notice I didn’t ask, “Have you ever been hopeless?” You can feel it, but that doesn’t mean it’s true. If you know Jesus, you have hope. If you don’t know Him, you are hopeless without God, that’s why you feel it. But you aren’t. God loves you and will keep inviting you to put your trust in Him, to give your life to Him. The devil want to keep you from God, and keep you from hope, but he’s a liar, he’s the reason people are hopeless – without Jesus, the One who is hope. Down thirty-five to nothing in the fourth quarter - it’s hopeless. "It could happen." That’s not hope, that’s a wish. Hope is an expected good end - it’s more than a wish, it’s an expectation of good. God is the God of hope. No, you won’t win every game, but you will win in life. If you follow His Ways, there is hope, if you put your hope in Him, you’ll have hope – that does not disappoint. If you have hope, it doesn’t matter what you are going through. You know that He will see you through, that He’s right there with you, that His Word is true, His love for you never fails, His faithfulness to you reaches the skies. Things may be dark right now, but it is always darkest just before the dawn. If you keep obeying, and believing and praying and persevering. If you keep declaring – “My hope is in the LORD, God, the maker of heaven and earth.“ If you keep doing what He told you to do, reject and forsake your old ways, and follow in obedience the next step He has for you – your life will remain in hope. Even the fool has hope, the only one with almost no hope, is the one wise in his own eyes. (Pr 26:12) The Bible says there is more hope for a fool than for him. But there is still hope, if he will humble himself and turn. Put your hope in God, humble yourself every day and fully obey what He told you to do, in this hour. You might be where you are because you have not done something God said, or God told you. Or there are things you are doing, that prevent Him from bringing you what He wants to bring you, and where he wants to bring you to. Still, it’s not hopeless. Put your hope in God, trust in Him, obey what He says, ask Him the first step, and do it, and He will reveal the next. There is a way out from here, there is a way home from here. Don’t look at the waves around you, or the mistakes of the past, look to Him – and take that first step. He’s the God of hope, He has hope for you, that does not disappoint. You can expect good from the One who is Good when you walk in the good that He has for you. That other stuff that seems good, is not, it’s pleasure for a fleeting moment, just lies that sound like truth, not the good that God has for you. Your Heavenly Father, if you have received His Son Jesus, and given up your life to His control... He is the hope of the world, He has hope for you. He’s the God of all hope, you are not hopeless, this is not hopeless, just put your hope in God, put your trust in Him, ask Him to reveal the first step – and take it. He will bring you to good. He will turn this thing around for your good. He has good for you – and His love for you endures forever. This isn’t hopeless, He is the God of all hope. With Him you can expect a good end! Love you all, dad Love you all, praying for you,
I just love God’s Word – it cuts through the crap. It strips things down to the basics. It’s untainted, unvarnished truth. It is challenging, that’s why it’s not always fun to hear. That’s why God says, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. I love that God’s Word says things by which you can understand other things. Proverbs 22:6 - Train up a child in the way they should go, and when they are old they will not depart from it. It might seem for a while like they forgot, but they will come back to what they were trained in. This is equally true… train up a child in the way they shouldn’t go, and when they are old, they will not depart from it. (Only God can save them.) If you have children, you do or you probably will. Be careful how you train. And your biggest training is when you’re not training. The interesting thing about training a child... They will do what you do, more than what you say. That’s why every parent in their life has seen their kid do something, and in shock and horror ask them… “Who taught you that?” Where did you learn that?” (Well… it was you). You can say all day, but they will do what you do. That’s why the best thing you can do is work on you. Get God’s Word in you, Be instant in obedience, be constant in prayer. Be quick to praise, and quick to forgive, quick to overlook, and diligent in what He tells you to do. Your training them, starts with training you. As a Father one of the best things you can ever do for your child, is love their Mommy. The same applies with other people. What you do screams louder than what you say. How you treat people is how they remember you, not what you accomplish. How they feel about themselves when they are with you – is how they view you and remember you, not what you accomplish that you think will make them look up to you. Actions speak louder than words. How do you make sure your actions match your words? There is only one way. His Word has to be in you. His Word is what He has written, (The Bible by His Spirit) and what He tells you (The still, small voice, by His Spirit). Know His Word and His plans. Ask Him and fully do what He planned for you today. It’s why PiVAT is critical to your training, because it is your regular conversation with God, asking for His plans, which He can’t wait to give you. It will include loving people, you wouldn’t have normally thought to invest in today, or take time for, or pray for. His plans for you are His Word to you - His present word. PiVAT before dinner is that daily conversation with Him, that puts you in position – to hear what He wants you to do – that is so much better than what you would come up with, or think is best. Then, know His Written Word that transforms your mind - your view of God, and your view of yourself, and your view of everyone around you. PRISM is how God speaks to you every day through His Written Word that is unchanging from generation to generation. It’s God’s truth, and wisdom, and love for people, just like His love for you. Whatever you do – you are training someone. Someone is watching. They don’t listen to what you say, they watch what you do. How you handle adversity, setback, victory, success and failure, how you respond to how others treat you, what you do when no one’s looking, what you do when things go wrong, what you do when others wrong you, what you do when everyone is doing something else, how you treat those who are different than you, who are less than you and who are greater than you. They’re watching. That’s why His Word for every day, and His Word for you today is so important. It trains you in what is right in the way you should go, so others can see the way that they could go. So others who watch what you do, and what you say, can be drawn to the good that God is, and the good that He has for them. Praying that you will remember those who are watching, that by watching you they can be trained up in the way that they should go: in faith, praise, humility, obedience, diligence, so that when they are old, they will still walk in the same victory that you do. Love you all, dad Love you all, praying for you,
Have you ever grown tired of the overwhelming evil around you? Have you ever just had enough of those who seem to keep getting away with it? Absolute lies and deception, and oppression? Have you ever wanted God to just come back already and destroy all the evildoers? (It will happen, of that you can be sure. (Nah 1:2-3) As sure as He will save all those who call on Him, who repent of their sin and turn to Him.) (Acts 16:31) But how should you think of those who get away with evil? Who seem to live their whole life hurting and harming people, lying and stealing and oppressing others and getting away with it, never being held to account? David struggled with the same thing. He said, “Until I entered the sanctuary of the LORD, then I discerned their end. Surely you place them on slippery ground, you cast them down to ruin.” (Ps 73:17-18) How did Jesus not hate those who hated Him for no reason? He said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Stephen as he was being stoned to death – for simply telling the truth about Jesus, and what He saw in the vision God revealed to him – said the same thing about the wicked hypocrites as they were murdering him… “Father, lay not this sin to their charge.” (Don’t hold this sin against them.) How do you do that? First, Remember what God did for you. You used to be blinded just like they are. And if it weren’t for the mercy of God to you… you would still be lost, blind, believing lies, thinking you were doing right, when in fact you were wrong, upside down but didn’t know it, ignorant of truth, devoid of life, thinking you were free, but fully enslaved – destined for destruction and separation from God for eternity – just like them. If you remember what Jesus did for you, it will give you a different perspective of them. Jesus told a parable of a man who owed a huge debt – tens of thousands of dollars. A price he could not pay back – no matter how hard he worked. The laws then were different from now. You couldn’t cheat people, and just declare bankruptcy, you had to pay back what you owe. Even if you had to work for them as a slave for the rest of your life. They could even put you in prison – debtors prison until you paid back every penny, and how are you going to do that? Yet this man’s master, (Every one in debt has a master, they are a slave to the lender), his master forgave him – of the entire debt! Wiped it clean, he no longer owed a penny. As he left with this life-crushing burden completely removed from him, he saw outside on the street a man who owed him $100 bucks. He got so angry he grabbed him by the throat and demanded his money. They told his master what this wicked servant had done. The master enraged, called him in and demanded from him… “I forgave you all of that debt, and you could not forgive the one who owed you practically nothing?” He called the Jailer and had the wicked servant locked away until he should pay back every single penny of what He owed. Jesus said, “Forgive others, like God forgave you.” The second thing that helps to love the un-loveable. Realize they are just blinded. They are just being deceived and controlled by your enemy, the real enemy. It’s not them, they are just being deceived, it’s the devil. He hates God, it’s not about you. Even those who persecute you – if you see them as just sheep being completely deceived, and remember that you were just the same as them, you can see the real enemy. Not people, our battle is not against flesh and blood, not other people, but principalities and powers, that are the kingdom of your enemy the devil. Finally, ask God to see people like God sees them, with love and compassion. If you see them not how they are acting towards you, in their self-righteous sin and rudeness, but see them as someone that God loves enough to send His Son to die for… just like He died for you… God can give you a love for even someone that hates you, and is trying to harm you. Remember, even in death the righteous have a refuge. (Pr 14:32) And no matter what unkind or unjust thing someone has done to you, you would never wish hell on them. People have no idea, they can’t even imagine or comprehend the horror of what hell really is. What it is to be in outer darkness for all of eternity, with no light, and no love, no kindness, just hatred and blame, and torture, and darkness… where the heat is unbearable, the stench of sulfur is choking, where the maggots never die, the fire is never quenched, and the pain and torment do not end. It never will, a place completely and utterly without hope. Trust God, Love God, thank Him for His great mercy shown to you. That’s where you were headed, until God revealed the truth to you, and believing in Jesus’ death on the cross for your sins - saved you. Ask God to help you see others as He sees them, and love them like He loves them. And you will be able to live ‘above the game’ you will be able to see and operate on a different level. You will view this life through your ‘Kingdom of God’ lens, as the very temporary place that it is. Life here is just a blink. Life in eternity is forever – infinite – without end. Praying that you will love God, hate sin, and love people, even the un-loveable. Praying that God will help you see people and love people, even sinners, like God loves them. Love you all, dad Love you all, praying for you,
I just love Gods Word. No matter how awkward, or uncomfortably direct. I love that it tells you the truth, and it even gives you a template and structure for it. It doesn’t have to use every word in the English language, to cover every possible variation or situation or nuance. It tells you the principle – it’s your job to apply it across the board. Proverbs 22:24-25 – Do not make friends with a hot-tempered man, do not associate with one easily angered, or you may learn his ways and get yourself ensnared. This is not about anger management. Do not associate with anyone who is not Godly, who does not have the Fear of the LORD as their first priority. Do not associate with a prideful man – God opposes them, their fall is soon coming. (Pr 16:18) Do not associate with a greedy man, eager to get rich – they are unaware that poverty awaits them. (Pr 28:22) Do not associate with a lustful man – they are slaves. (Romans 6:16) Do not associate with a complainer (a negative man, a grumbling man), it displeases the LORD and will shorten their life. (Num 17:10) What they complain about like what they fear will always find them, they will never rise above it. Do not associate with a fearful man, they are paralyzed, disobedient. (Isa 41:1) Do not associate with a slanderous man, who constantly speaks ill of others, God hates it. (Pr 6:19) Do not associate with a lazy man, they are destined for poverty. (Pr 10:4) The ways of all of these – will ensnare you just as much as the way of a man who is easily angered – better to control your temper than to take a city. (Pr 16:32) Do not associate with those who are ensnared by sin. Or you too will be ensnared by what ensnares them. No one is perfect, but you can tell those who are obeyers and those who are not. Who you associate with – you will become like. If they do not seek after the fear of the LORD, if they do not seek to walk with God, hear his voice, and fully obey. You will become ensnared by what ensnares them. Don’t focus on who not to associate with, just something to be aware of. Instead seek out these men (or women, if you are a woman) to associate with. Associate with a humble man – God will exalt them. (James 4:10) If they’re not humble, it doesn’t matter what else they are. Associate with a diligent man, they will prosper. (Pr 10:4) Associate with a giver, a generous man – for much more is coming to them. (Pr 11:25) Associate with a kind man – they lend to the LORD, and He will repay them. (Pr 19:17) Associate with a pure man – they will see God. (Mt 5:8) Associate with a man who is faithful to his wife, and children. They will leave a legacy. Associate with a man who fears God, who obeys in this hour – they are not fearing God for nothing. Associate with a faith-filled man whose words are faith and belief, and hope, and eternal destiny – this pleases God. (Heb 11:6) - Associate with a joyful man – they have the strength of the LORD. (Neh 8:10) Associate with a kingdom-minded man whose ambition is to win souls, not money or fame. They are wise. (Pr 11:30) And you will learn his ways, and become like him, you’ll be enriched by what enriches him, you will sharpen each other, and strengthen one another, and overcome together. Even the world knows you are your four closest friends. Choose wisely, choose for eternity. Praying that you will run after God with those who seek Him with all of their heart. Love you all, dad Love you all, praying for you.
I just love God’s Word. It is insight and instruction. It leads you to a deeper level of understanding, so you are not just doing, but you know the significance of it, the reason for it, and the benefit that it brings. So you can operate with new authority, and walk in new victory. It gives instruction and explanation so you don’t just do it, but understand why. Psalm 88:9 – I call to you, O LORD, every day; I spread out my hands to you. This was a David’s habit, a man after God’s own heart. It was something he thought was important enough, that he did it every day. Psalm 119:48 – I lift up my hands to your commands which I love, and I meditate on your decrees. Psalms 141:2 – May the lifting of my hands be like the evening sacrifice. One of the postures of worship – is the lifting up of our hands to the LORD. It is a powerful thing. Psalms 63:4 – This is how I will bless you as long as I live: I will lift up my hands in your name. Psalms 143:3 – I lift up my hands to you. I thirst for you like a parched land thirsts for rain. Nehemiah 8:6 – and Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God. And the people answered, Amen, Amen, with lifting up their hands: and they bowed their heads and worshipped the LORD with their faces to the ground. Psalms 134:2 – Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, and bless the LORD. There is something about lifting up your hands, that speaks to God, that reaches Him, that draws Him. It’s important enough to do every day. What does it mean to lift up your hands? First, it is Praise. Psalms 9:1 I will praise you O LORD with my whole heart. Praise that word 'Yadah' literally means to throw out the hands – to extend your hands. When you lift your hands – it is a physical expression of Praise. It is worshipping God. And He comes to inhabit the praises of His people. The second thing that extended hands means, Surrender. If you lift up your hands you are surrendering to His will and His way. You are coming under his mission, it is a physical expression of submission. A physical demonstration of a mental recognition, that His ways are better than my ways, that His plans are better than mine, that He knows what I don’t know, and that His love for me endures forever. The third thing that extended hands means. It is a physical expression of a desire for intimacy. What does a child do the first thing when Daddy comes home from work. They run to him and lift up their hands! What are they saying? "Daddy Hold me!" "Pick me up!" "I want to be closer to you." When you lift up your hands in praise, and surrender, and in a desire to be close to Him. God brings himself close to you. It’s the intimacy that positions you to hear his voice, to go with Him where He goes. It’s the place of protection, of acceptance, and of closeness with Him – who not only loves you, He has everything you will ever need, and everything He gives is good. Praying that you like David, will lift up your hands every day, in Praise, in Surrender, and in Closeness to your Father, so you grow in your love for Him, and learn to know more of His great love for you. Love you all, dad Love you all, praying for you.
Have you ever thought the “fuls” in life? Some are for you, some are not. I find it interesting a sentence with the same words can have two different meanings. Ful’s that are for you, and ful’s that are for you. 'For you' means – they are in your favor, to your advantage, for your good! You want these. 'For you' means – they are what God has for you – chosen for you, selected for you – because they are in your favor, to your advantage… Whatever He has for you – you want these. Some fuls are not for you. Don’t be prideful – God opposes the proud, but He gives grace to the humble. Don’t be slothful, laziness ends in slave labor, diligence is the precious possession of a man. Don’t be revengeful – Vengeance is mine declares the LORD. Plus He can do it better than you can anyway. Don’t be forgetful – if you forget what God did, you will stray from His will, you’ll start grumbling and complaining, instead of praising and believing. Don’t be neglectful – don’t neglect the Word of God it’s the wisdom and power you need! Don’t be doubtful – He who doubts is like a wave tossed by the wind. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved, and believe His promises – for they will surely come to pass. So what are Eleven ‘ful’s’ that are for you. Thankful, Grateful, Thoughtful, Mindful, Prayerful, Careful, Helpful, Faithful, Hopeful, Joyful, Successful. Thankful – it’s something that you can do, that you can be full of. In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus, concerning you. (I Thes 5:18) Can’t get more clear than that. Develop a habit of giving thanks, and you will be thankful. Grateful – it’s the heart attitude of appreciation first to God and then others. Everything you have is because of God, and others have helped you along the way. A heart of gratitude is what God has for you. Therefore since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be grateful and worship God in reverence and fear in a way that pleases him (Heb 12:28) Grateful people are the best to be around, they appreciate every good thing that God gives, it’s contagious. Give thanks with a grateful heart. It attracts blessing. Even you as a parent, are drawn to a grateful child - you will surely give them more. Those that are unappreciative, first need to learn to be grateful for what they have, before they get more. Praying that you will develop an attitude of gratitude! Every good and perfect gift comes from your Father in heaven. Count your blessings, it will increase your gratitude, so you become grateful. Thoughtful – this means to consider. Examine yourselves to see if you are in the faith. (2 Cor 13:5) God says we are to consider our ways. Take the time to stop and consider how you live, to be sure you are walking fully in the life that God has for you. Mindful – is different than thoughtful. Thoughtful is to give thought to, to consider, mindful is – be sure your mind is full of His Word, His commands, His promises, His instructions, Mindful is to always remember, to keep them top of mind. Prayful – Pray without ceasing. (I Thes 5:17) Keep praying, pray in the Spirit, pray in the understanding, Ask God what He wants you to pray, and keep praying. The prayer of a righteous man and woman – avails much. (James 5:16) It helps! It’s significant, it makes a difference. Careful – this is a little different than thoughtful, and mindful, this is Careful – circumspect, guarding yourself. If you think you are standing, be careful so you do not fall. (I Cor 10:12) This means to be on your guard. Be careful to do all that God told you to do, so you stand firm, so you don’t become naïve to the devil’s schemes. Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of the wicked and fall from your secure position. (2 Pet 3:17) Helpful – God has always helped you, He’s always come alongside you. Be helpful to others – it is an exercise in humility – preferring others over yourself. It demonstrates the love of Jesus. There’s a difference between wishing someone well, and showing up to help them. Don’t just say God bless you, help them, serve others. Show up. Look for ways to help them. It’s love in action. Be helpful. Faithful – this is simply to fulfill your duty – to love God with all your heart, and fully do everything He has called you to do, trustworthy. To the faithful you show yourself faithful. (Ps 18:25) And I will raise up for myself a faithful priest, who will do according to what is in my heart and mind. I will establish his family, and they will walk before my anointed one forever. (I Sam 2:35) Well done, my good and faithful servant. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge over many things, enter into the joy of your Lord! Hopeful – The LORD delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love. (Ps 147:11) Hope is an expectation of a good end. As for me, I will always have hope, I will praise you more and more. My mouth will tell of your righteousness and of your salvation all day long, though I know not it’s measure. (Ps 71:14-15) Part of hope is telling of what He has done – all day long. Knowing that you haven’t seen nothing yet, the best is yet to come. When it seems like it’s taking forever, and the devil wants you to think He forgot, or doubt that He said it or doubt that He will really come through. That’s the time to put your hope in God. His promise is sure, His Word is true, you will see it come to pass. Stay in his Word and you’ll be hopeful. Joyful – Count it all joy my brothers when you face trials of many kinds, knowing that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish it’s work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. (James 1:2) Rejoice always, again I say rejoice. Rejoice means to take joy again, choose joy and you’ll be joyful, operate in it, live in it, restart it. Choose it, Take it again for yourself. The joy of the LORD is your strength. (Neh 8:10) Joy is a fruit of the Spirit, and joy is a choice. So pray in the Spirit and you’ll stay in the Spirit, and joy will come. Obedience brings joy, (Matt 25:21) so the more you obey, the more joy you get, and the more your joy will remain. Rejoice in the LORD! Choose joy. It’s how you remain joyful! It’s a ‘ful’ that He has for you! Successful. God created you for success, He made you to be an overcomer. He delights in the prosperity of his children. Just like you do – be even more. Joshua 1:8 – This book of the law shall never depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. God has success for you! You get it by soaking in His Word. His plans are for you to be successful. Praying that you will walk in these eleven fuls that God has for you. That you will be Thankful, Grateful, Thoughtful, Mindful, Prayerful, Careful, Helpful, Faithful, Hopeful, Joyful, Successful. And the secret to all of them? Be Spirit-ful. If you are full of the Spirit – if you are led by the Spirit of God, instead of by your own thoughts and ways, the Holy Spirit will lead you into every ful that is for you. Praying that you will be filled with the Spirit – that you would be Spirit-ful – so God can fill you with every other ‘ful’ that He has for you. Love you all, dad Love you all, praying for you,
I just love God’s Word. It gives principles and promises. It is absolute truth for us to walk in. Here is God’s promise. He has victory for you today! You can have victory in the big things, the small things, even the mundane. “For the LORD gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. He holds victory in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, for he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones.” (Pr 2:6-8) “No weapon formed against you will prosper.” (Isa 54:17) “He delights in the prosperity of his people.” (Ps 35:27, 106:5) He fulfills his purpose in you. (Ps 57:2) He gives you more grace. (James 4:6) Unmerited favor and Divine power not just to say “No” to the things that are not from him, but He gives His grace - which is unlimited power to fully do everything He has assigned for you in this hour. God has victory for you today! In football, at the end of the game, teams go into ‘victory formation.’ When the end is sure, and time is almost out. They have close linemen, and backs next to the quarterback, who takes a knee and runs out the clock. That means victory is already won. That’s what God has already done for you. What He has purposed will surely come to pass. All you need to do is stay in His victory formation, and follow His plan. God’s Way is a little different. What if you could start in that victory formation before the game even begins, so you make sure you do it at the end? You can! God’s victory formation is for the beginning as well as the end of the game. So what forms your victory? #1 Declaration, #2 PiVAT, #3 PRISM, #4 Praise, and #5 Prayer. Declare the victory that God has for you today. Believe it, and you will walk in it. Declare it, and you will walk in it. “God, I declare Your victory in my life today. I will do everything You tell me to do in this hour. I will set before my eyes no unclean thing, I will obey everything that You tell me to do, and that you tell me to say. I will follow Your plans, and come back to Your Word, I will praise You for grace, and power to do everything You tell me to do. I will praise You with my testimony! I will pray in the Spirit and with the understanding, for myself (building my faith), and interceding for others. I will give You glory for everything You do today. I will be watching for it! I will not fear, I will not doubt, I will not complain, I will not turn, only praise, I will be instant in obedience, constant in praise. I will walk in humility, and share Your love with others, as You open the door of every opportunity.” Declaration is powerful – it sets your course, it’s the start of your victory formation. You can declare in first person, in prayer to God, or in third person, just declaring to yourself, using the word “Him” instead of the word “You” – talking to Him in prayer. Praying that you will declare the victory that He has for you today, so you lock yourself in – to walking in it. If you make a wrong choice, either delayed obedience, distraction, or lost opportunity when the Holy Spirit prompts you… just repent immediately, ask God what to do next, go back and do what you missed, or keep going to the next thing He has for you – whatever He tells you. God can make up for lost time, and will give you another opportunity to walk in His victory for you. Come back to PiVAT all day. It’s easy to get off track, or on your own track, or do what you think you have to, rather that what God is telling you. Every day brings distractions, but if you keep coming back to PiVAT - His plans (double-check with Him, He loves the conversation), write the testimonies so far, of what God did as you just obeyed!) He will lead you step by step so you leave nothing on the table from today. So your progress is sure, and your joy is full. Keep coming back to PRISM – His Word for today - Soak in it – especially M: Meditate on the Word. Take that PRISM Topic with you – the one He told you for today - the power of God’s Word on a single subject. Praying that you will review the PRISM Topic - Starter Verses. That remind you of the victory that He has for you every day! Keep coming back to Praise and Prayer – with every change of venue, or activity today. Every time you are in the car, between appointments, come back to Praise and Prayer. It will keep your eyes on Him, and will keep your eyes open, looking for the next opportunity to overcome with your testimony, and help others discover theirs… To love others, with the love that God longs to show them – through you. Be diligent in every task He has for you, it’s the precious possession of a man or woman. Diligence in what He tells you makes the victory formation work. Redeem the time. Celebrate every victory, every good choice, every time you choose His Way, instead of any other way. And you will walk in the Victory that He has for you today. 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
November 2024
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