Love you all, praying for you,
I just love God’s Word. It is a template, the plumb line by which you can test every quote ever uttered. Someone once said. “If you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything.” There may be some truth to that. But the moral of the story is not to stand for something. Be careful where you stand, what you stand for, and who’s standing with you. Taking a stand is not the goal, you might take your stand on something you fell for. That’s why God’s Word is so very important. PRISM – those five things you can do in God’s Word every day – is stand-proof. The more you know God’s Word, the more you know His heart, and the more you know His will. It’s how you know truth, and it’s what makes deception sound funny, and smell bad. If you consume His Word like the “mission-critical to your success” thing that it really is, you will discern between what’s true, and what sounds true. What’s right and what seems right. Praying that you will know God’s Word, so you know truth, so you know His heart, and His love, and His purpose for you, and His purpose in the earth. It gives you a confidence that shifting sand can’t produce. You know Who wins, and you know that what’s right wins in the end. And God alone defines what is right. First who God is. He’s Jehovah, not anyone else. The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, He is Jesus Christ, the LORD of all, the One on whom all of History rests. He is the One True God. The One who will return with the angels of heaven, riding on a white horse, with a robe dipped in blood. For those who are not born again by His Spirit, this seems like a fairy tale, or science fiction, but for those who can see by the Spirit of God, the things of the Spirit, and the promises of God, it is a sure hope. It helps you love others with the love He loves you with. The love He has given you. It gives you faith, and hope, and joy, it’s how you know purpose, and it’s how you can truly enjoy the life that He gives and sustains – your every breath. Praying that you will Know His Word, so you stand for truth, so you stand where He stands, so you have the grace to stand. That’s power and favor to both know the truth, and do it! So you can stand on it, and stand with those who know and believe it. Praying that you will absolutely choose to spend time in His Word. Some days are busy. Set time aside, that He directs, and do it when it’s time. When you have free time, or down time, no matter how little. Come back for more. In some things, “seconds” are not beneficial. One piece of chocolate cake is enough, second’s aren’t helpful. But when it comes to His Word – ‘seconds’ are as good as the first, and sometimes even better. You get what you never would have received, had you not come back for more. There is low hanging fruit, and there is fruit up in the tree. It’s worth the climb. Praying that your love for God’s Word will grow, because your PRISM habit grows. It’s so important. It’s truth and life. Its instruction that guarantees your success. It’s warning that avoids disaster, and its insight that enriches your life beyond what you could imagine. It’s a guaranteed investment that never lacks a return, and it pays dividends for eternity. Praying that you will come back to PRISM every chance you get, that you will speak His Word out loud. That you will declare what it says, and that you will do it. Praying that you will do PRISM in the atmosphere of worship, that you will ask the Holy Spirit to reveal the deep things of God. He surely will, just what you need, at just the right time. Praying that when it comes to God’s Word – you will learn to love it… more than anything else. Love you all, dad
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Love you all, praying for you,
I just love God’s Word. It gives you pillars, pegs to hang your hat on, and your life on. It tells you about God, about you, about His love for you and His plans for you. It tells you what will bring disaster, and what will guarantee your success. It gives you truth, it gives you a power greater than you, and greater than any other. It is truth and life. It is the best thing there is. What God says is good, and never fails. I’m so glad that God is not like man. There is no darkness or evil in him. He doesn’t play favorites, He doesn’t tip the scales, or pay off the refs. But there are some things He favors. In High School at halftime in the locker room, our coach said an interesting thing. “God either wants you to win, or He wants you to lose. But most of the time, He leaves it up to you.” That has stuck with me, forty years later. There is some truth to that statement. There may be times when God wants you or the other team to win or lose. But the times that He leaves it up to you, are still always influenced by what God favors - that applies to a ball game, or a career, or life. Some teams win more often because they have learned to do the things God favors. Some people win more often in jobs, and skills, and relationships and life, because they have learned to do the things God favors – that affect the outcome of things. #1 God favors humility. He opposes the proud, but He gives grace to the humble. #2 God favors the diligent. Someone once said, “The harder I work, the luckier I get.” Diligence is half planning, the other half effort. The key to the first, it God’s plan instead of yours, and the key to the second half, is know who you are working for, and that His grace gives you the power to do it. Diligence, it is the precious possession of a man. That’s why teams with less talent can still win, that’s why the smartest people are not always the CEO or the Company Owner. Belichick’s teams are the most prepared, so his team mostly wins. Great coaches win consistently with teams of less talent, because they prepare at a higher level. Success favors the prepared. And that’s why you have a chance in whatever game you are playing – if you learn what God favors. #3 God favors the wise – and anyone can get some. He makes wisdom available for anybody – no favorites. Wisdom comes from His Word, it shapes your actions, and your thoughts, your plans, your execution, and your perseverance. His Word makes you wise. God favors His Word, and those who read it and take it to heart. His Word brings wisdom, and success comes with it. As well as wealth, honor and life. #4 God favors those who have faith. “According to your faith – be it unto you.” Faith is formed by your words. Faith is counting things that are not (yet) as though they are. Faith doesn’t give up. Faith keeps going. Faith does your job, and leaves the result to God. Faith believes that obeying God’s Word, and that Still, Small Voice of the Holy Spirit – will bring a reward, and that it’s worth it - every time. Praying that you will learn to walk in what God favors. That you will Be Humble, that you will be diligent, in getting God’s plans, and His grace for your best effort. Praying that you will get His plans daily, and do them! Praying that you will live in His Word so His wisdom determines your action. And praying that you will have faith through His Word, so you do everything He tells you to do, and you believe that He will surely do what He said He will do. He plays no favorites, but these are the things He favors. The rest, He’ll show you as you ask Him, and seek, and knock. Love you all, dad Love you all, praying for you,
I just love God’s Word. It is love, and life, and hope, and purpose, It’s a full job description. The greatest gift ever – is Salvation. Jesus dying in your place, so you can live forever with Him in His place, that place called Heaven where He is preparing a place for you. Sometimes people call it “the free gift of Salvation,” but nothing is free – someone had to pay for it. It cost Jesus his life. Receiving it will cost you your life, your old life, which is wonderful to get rid of. It’s entering a new kingdom, its coming under new ownership. The cost to you is nothing compared to what you get – eternal life! And much, much more. It has benefits. If you’re applying for a job, they hire qualified people. But this job you get despite being completely unqualified – actually you were disqualified, to ever be son or daughter of the living God. You get this job, not by your qualifications, but by His. You’re royalty now, and it comes with some responsibilities, but it has great benefits. The salary is eternal life – which means you are infinitely overpaid, plus the benefits are great! If you have ever worked for a large company you know the value of full benefits, not just a paycheck. Health insurance, medical, dental, vision, 401K, company car, paid vacation, company trips, clothes, full expense account. But that is laughable compared to what this job offers. God reminds us in Psalms 103 – Praise the LORD, O my soul, all my inmost being praise his holy name. Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits. He forgives your sins, all of them, he heals your diseases, all of them. He redeems your life from the pit. He crowns you with love and compassion. He satisfies your desires with good things. He renews your youth like the eagle’s. He works righteousness and justice for you, for all the oppressed. He makes His ways known to you, like He did to Moses, He makes his deeds known to you like He did for the children of Israel. He is compassionate, and gracious to you. He is slow to get angry with you, He is abounding in His love for you. He will not stay angry forever. He does not treat you as your sins deserve. He does not repay you according to your iniquities. His love for you is so great, as the heavens are above the earth – for those who fear Him. He removes your sins from you – as far as the east is from the west. He has compassion on you, like a father has on his children, He has compassion on those who fear him. He knows how you are formed, He remembers that you are just dust. He is the LORD, and His love is with you from everlasting to everlasting – for those who fear Him. He righteousness will remain with your children’s children, for those who keep his covenant and remember to obey his precepts. His throne is established in heaven, his kingdom rules over all. You are not fearing God for Nothing! Praying that you will praise Him for His love and His goodness, that you will remember all his benefits, because He said, Don’t forget! Love you all, dad Love you all, praying for you,
I just love God’s Word. It is an invitation to spend time with God. One of the books that has impacted my life is The Five Love Languages by Gary Smalley. These are languages through which we can demonstrate love to our spouse, our children and others. Words of Affirmation, Quality Time, Acts of Service, Physical Touch and Closeness, and Gift Giving all communicate love. They make sure the one we love, really feels loved. It’s how we demonstrate it, not just say it. One in particular, our primary love language - the one we most easily communicate, and feel loved by, comes naturally. But showing love in our spouse’s primary love language is even more meaningful to them. And we should really pursue demonstrating all five to those we love. Have you ever thought of what God’s Primary love language is? Is it Giving? He loved you so much that He gave His Son to suffer for your sins, and to die in your place. Is it Acts of Service, He got up from the table as the guest of honor, and took a towel and washed His disciples feet – and said that’s what we should do for others, not expect them to do for us. Is it Words of Affirmation – as He has given us His Word – the very heart and wisdom and praise of God so that we can know Him, know how much He loves us, and have the mind of Christ (the mind of His Affirming and Encouraging Words). Is God’s primary love language Acts of Service? as He forgives all our sins, and heals all our diseases. Is it Quality Time? When He is never too busy to hear you, or answer your prayer. Never once have you ever gotten a busy signal when you desperately needed to talk to Him. Is it Physical Touch and Closeness – where you can physically feel His presence descend upon you in those times of worship, where His Spirit rests on you, that sweet heaviness of the Holy Spirit that lifts your burdens, and seats you in heavenly places with Him? There is only One whose primary love language is all five. God is love. He made the language. Praying that you will know the love of God. The love that He has for you that will never end. And praying that God will show you how to love Him. Today, God reminded me, of the beginning of the month. And He invited me to not forget Insert #2 This Month. Those simple tools that I was not used to doing at first… He simply said, “PiVAT Monthly Tools are Quality Time with Me.” I had never thought that before. And I know that was His gentle reminder and invitation – to know His love. To spend that quality time with Him so I know His heart, and know His plans. Seeking Him for PiVAT for the Month – and PiVAT for this first week of the month. Asking Him what projects He has for me – specifically, and the milestones and dates that will help me walk in His Grace to complete them. The habits that He has for me daily that will form the character that He is trying to grow in me. The PiVAT Decision Tool, through which I can seek Him about the decisions He knows I will face this month, so I receive the revelation that He gives, and His perfect will. His best way for me instead of me stressing out and trying to make the best decision that I know… when He knows better. PiVAT Monthly Tools take some time… that we normally, and naturally wouldn’t think to spend with Him. Quality Time always takes time. It’s what makes it love – because time is the most valuable thing you have. But as God was revealing to me this morning. That PiVAT Monthly Tools are Quality Time with Me. He reminded me that they are really - Proverbs 16:3 - Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed. That Word commit – galal <gaw-lal’> means to roll down together with – to wallow… like a pig wallows in the mud, until you can’t tell what is pig, and what is mud. This ‘commit your way’ (your plans) to the LORD - means to seek occasion with Him, to constantly be in conversation with Him – until your plans become His plans, because His plan becomes yours. And His plans will always succeed. Praying that you will print out PiVAT Monthly Tools (Insert #2) for this month. You don't have to use every single one, but every one that He leads you in - will be Quality Time with Him. Praying your Quality Time with God this month will increase - always in conversation, just asking for His advice, and rolling down together with Him, so His plans are fully what you do this month. So He can do through you – things you couldn’t even imagine. 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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