Love you all, praying for you.
Have you ever seen a beautiful diamond? It doesn’t even have to be the most rare, famous or beautiful one. Have you ever just stared at your wedding ring – or the ring God gave you for your wife? Have you ever found yourself staring at it even five or ten or twenty years later? When you see it like the first time... Every time the light hits it – there’s something new? PRISM is like that – Sometimes after spending days in the same chapter – in Praise the Word – God has me start the same chapter over again – and it’s like a diamond I’ve never seen before. Psalms 119:1 - Blessed are those whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the law of the LORD. Fully prosperous – that’s what blessed is. Fully prosperous – in every single way – every last way – absolutely every part of your entire life - prospering completely! That’s what blessed is. Only God can bring that. Only His ways produce that. Fully prosperous are those whose ways (how they walk, how they live their life) are blameless (no blame, no shame) because… (that’s true of them because)... They learn to do that by their walk – being His walk. Their ways becoming His Ways – what He said. And what He told them – is what they do – consistently – and consistent-er – more and more. They walk according to God’s Word because they read it, they speak it, they meditate on it, they commit themselves to it, they rejoice every time they do it, they rejoice every time someone else does it too, they walk with someone, and (a group of someones) closely enough to know and share the victories – even the little ones. It has become their delight. They walk this way because they obey it once, then again… the 1st time and then every time… the first revelation, then the next revelation, then the next. They walk daily with another – that Daily Call – so no sin will ever dull or deceive them (Hebrews 3:13). Verse 2 – Blessed are they who keep His statutes and seek Him with all their heart. Fully prosperous are those who keep (who dwell in, who guard and protect as their priority and preoccupation… who speak forth to meditate on – His principles and desire and search for Him with all their heart. They always keep His Word with them – in their mind, on their tongue (telling God, telling themselves and telling others) so they keep His Word in their heart. It’s what they always talk about, rehearse and review, they are learning to love His thoughts, His heart, His ways. Their love for His Word becomes a love for Him. You can’t love Him without loving His Word, you can’t know Him without knowing his Word, you can’t obey Him (so you’re blameless) without obeying His Word – His Words to everyone, and His Words to you. Praying that God will show you the wonder of His Word – the greatest diamond in the world. Praying the Holy Spirit will shine light every day so you see every new facet, every angle. He will reveal the side you need to see today. His timing is perfect - it's strategic. He has truth for you for today – for what might be coming up in the next few minutes. Praying you’ll come back to PRISM – that the Holy Spirit will increasingly prompt you to come back. Praying that God will show you what PRISM Topic - He wants to soak you in today... so your thoughts become His thoughts, so your ways become His Ways. That’s how you come to know – what fully prosperous really is. Love you all, dad
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Love you all, praying for you.
Psalms 116:7 – Be at rest once more, O my soul, for the LORD has been good to you. Sometimes you just have to speak to your soul. Sometimes your spirit needs to take authority over your soul – your mind, will and emotions. “Be at rest, once more, O my soul. For the LORD has been good to you. He is not man that He should lie, and He said He never changes. If He’s been good, He is good. If He is good, He will be good. It’s who He is, it's what He does. God is good and He has been good to you. He is good and He has good for you. But what if something bad happens? Something sad, something unfair, something you don’t understand? What does that have to do with who God is and what He does? If nothing less than what you think is good – ever happens… then there would be nothing for Him to turn to good. Bad happens, disappointment happens, loss happens, death happens, betrayal happens, injustice happens – we live in a fallen world. But to think that means – if I don’t understand... that God isn’t good, or doesn’t have good for me – is such narrow thinking – a lack of understanding. It’s OK not to know. It’s OK to go through things you wish never happened – even those things which aren’t all your fault, or mostly your fault or which aren’t your fault at all. The Goodness of God, turns bad into good. The Goodness of God turns devastation into healing, sorrow into joy, mourning into dancing. The Goodness of God turns loss into gain. The Goodness of God even turns anger into appreciation, and questions into contentment. Even when you can’t understand why something happened, or what good could possibly come out of this? The God who is Good, who knows what Good is… the God who knows every why, and loves you so much that part of the Good that He is – is to lead you through the why, past the why. Not that the why doesn’t matter – but it’s OK to leave it in His hands… Sometimes it’s time to speak to your soul. “Be at rest… once more, O my soul. The LORD has been good to you. Praying that you will know who He is. Love you all, dad Love you all, praying for you.
One of the many things I so appreciate about God – He teaches us in themes. Some truths can’t be fully understood with a comment. He loves us enough that He doesn’t just tell us His Ways, He teaches us His Ways! Psalm 119:46-47 - I will speak of your statutes before kings and will not be put to shame for I delight in your commands because I love them. Wow so much here. God not only gives truth, when He gives truth, He gives understanding for the doing of it. Share God’s ways with others. You will never be put to shame - God's truth works! When people notice that you live differently (the opposite of how the world lives) explain why – give them your testimony. The testimony of fruit, of results that God gives. You’re not fearing Him for nothing! There are extreme benefits and rewards that accompany obedience. Starting internally – and then being made manifest externally. Someone once said – “They can argue your theology, but they can’t argue with your testimony. Sharing God’s ways means - just asking God for open doors, opportunities to give Him the credit, to put the spotlight on Him. Not untimely, or pridefully, or critically, just sharing the favor that obedience invites - the blessing of God. Then sharing the truth in love - of what produces it. But there’s also a difference between “to speak of His statutes' - and 'to speak of His statutes' that you delight in. One is speaking of what you heard before, the other is speaking of something that you walk in continually – and have come to delight in. When someone is delighted, it’s obvious, unmistakable, compelling – their testimony is overwhelming – irrefutable. When someone is walking in truth and sharing the result it’s hard to argue with it. You can respect differences of opinion and lifestyle. You can respect others’ choices because of their God-given ability to choose. But your delight in God’s Way’s which comes from consistently obeying His Word is powerful. That’s why PiVAT – His way for you today, PRISM – His Ways and Why – and your Daily Call – overcoming in the victory of applying them, so you can delight in them – are so important! For I delight in your commands because I love them (Love is obey. You can’t delight in something that you don’t do). But when you walk in it, you walk in the fruit of it. When you obey – you delight, because He blesses it – He proves His Word true. If you don’t obey, you don’t love it, and His Word is Him. For I delight in Your commands – delight – to be pleased with, have pleasure in, to be inclined towards. Like David said, "I have inclined my heart to obey your word." Inclined – to lean past the gravity point of no return – a foregone conclusion. Why don’t people share His statutes? Because they are not their delight? Why not? Because they don’t obey them, and why don’t they obey them? because they say different, they think different. And they follow what they say, rather than what God’s says - so the results are undelightful - nothing to share. When you don’t obey, you don’t delight. When you don’t obey – His Word doesn’t work. Have you ever heard people say that... Well how would you know? you can't just try it one time, you have to do it with all your heart. The way you develop a deep seeded delight in His commands - comes only from a “burn the ships” kind of obedience. I love the story of Alexander the Great – crossing the sea for a Military campaign, when his forces landed and came ashore – He gave the command to burn the ships. There's no going back now - the only way home – is through these enemy armies. That is a picture of I've inclined my heart to obey your Word. Burning the ships is "not saying one word different" than what God says. The only way you can possibly do that – is to stay soaked in His Word. You can’t share statutes you don’t live by – everyone sees right thought it. But when your "burn the ships" decision to obey – becomes a delight in His faithfulness – the statues that you delight in can become truth and light to others too! Praying that PiVAT has you walking, PRISM has you understanding and your Daily Call has you overcoming - so you can delight in His commands and share the reason for His favor and blessing with others – and the love and the good that He has for them. Love you all, dad Love you all, praying for you.
I’m just so thankful for God’s reminders. Psalms 119:35 - Direct me in the path of your commands for there I find delight. That word delight (chaphets <khaw-fates'>) means to incline, bend (defer to), be pleased with, to have pleasure in. What delights you about His path? You see the results! They are like no other. His love demonstrated to you again and again. His Way works! It brings joy, peace, hope, anticipation. It doesn't mean you're always giddy, and it doesn’t mean you don’t face challenges, less than ideal circumstances, or even deep loss. But it does mean that He walks with you through each situation, and He gives victory at each step – no matter how hard things get. You can still delight in Him. You can see what His path leads to, and what His path leads you in – and you take delight in it - you develop an inclination. He directs you to the path He has for you – the destination that is so well worth the trip. And He directs you in the path – when you’re in the journey… what to do along the way, His commands, not just where you are going but what to do as you're going there. Not just how to get there, but how to get there well. In His path - the PiVAT path He leads you in - there is more delight to be found. There is more delight waiting! Every step with Him is a delight. The journey is as delightful as the destination. There is a fullness along the way – and a wholeness by the time you get there – nothing broken, nothing missing, everything provided. God has delight waiting to be found. You get to delight – by being directed in the path that He commands, and His commands along that path. An important question to ask yourself... What commands are you unwilling to follow? It will change your path, or halt your progress, it will rob you of the delight that He has waiting for you. Praying that you will know His commands, so you can obey and walk in them, so your delight is as much a habit as your obedience. You can trust Him. He never fails you. Love you all, dad Love you all, praying for you.
There's a powerful truth in this passage. Isaiah 28:23 - Listen and hear my voice; pay attention and hear what I say. When a farmer plows for planting, does he plow continually? Does he keep on breaking up and working the soil? When he has leveled the surface, does he not finally plant his seeds – black cumin, wheat barley and emmer wheat – each in its proper way, and each in it’s proper place. The farmer knows just what to do, because God has given him understanding (He teaches him the right way)… Grain for bread is easily crushed, so he doesn’t keep on pounding it. He threshes it under the wheels of a cart, but he doesn’t pulverize it. All this comes from the LORD Almighty; He is wonderful in counsel and excellent in wisdom. What job do you have right now? It doesn’t matter if it’s your dream job or a starter job. What are you doing this week? Have you asked God – through PiVAT Weekly? Getting His plan for you – the best way - that He promised to lead you in? Have you ever thought about asking God to show you how to be excellent at the job you now have? This passage is talking about a farmer, not a priest. God knows secular occupations as well as He knows sacred. Whether you’re a pastor or a pediatrician, a preacher or a package delivery driver, a missionary or a machine operator. God knows the highest level of performance and expertise of your job. He knows how to do it with excellence – better than anyone has ever done it. He’s the master craftsman, the subject matter expert, he’s the grand master of every job, career or occupation. He knows the ins and outs, the secrets and the shortcuts, He knows what works and what doesn’t. He knows the breakthroughs, He can show you what excellence is – the highest level of performance... what it takes, the process, the best timing, the most effective and efficient order, what’s important and what is not, how to do it better. He created whatever job you are doing. He’s the master designer, knower and creator of every best practice of your entire industry, your position or your role. Whether leadership, analysis, research and development, or do-ership… whether sales and influence, whether accounting, or taxes, whether process or law or litigation, EPA, OSHA - it doesn't matter. He created and fully knows everything about your job, industry, marketplace and economy – He’s the epidemy of excellence – and He’s your Dad. Have you ever asked Him to teach you? To give you a master-class in the place you now serve? Most people, most desire their next job – rather than most desire being the best they can possibly be in this job for His glory - hearing God and walking in the Joseph and Daniel anointing that can bring a blessing on the company they work for – even Potiphar’s house. The latter, not the former is what represents Jesus, and reflects what His life was. Praying that you are doing PiVAT before dinner every day like your excellence depends on it – like your hearing depends on it – so He can reveal to you the best order possible. Praying that you are coming back to PRISM all day – like your understanding depends on it – on how best to do it, and how to influence and affect everyone around you in the most positive, productive and successful way possible. Praying that your Daily Call – keeps you overcoming in the obedience of His all-time best practices that He leads you in... that your PiVAT Prayer List helps you be fervent and effectual in asking His help for you and others. Praying that you never miss giving an account with your 4C’s every day – helping you be fully faithful to obey with His money – whether yours personally – or the company’s – so His resources that He has entrusted to you are used for the greatest benefit - for His glory and your success. So you won’t be burdened or consumed by money things – which He can so easily handle for you and direct you in. It's what makes you free to do and be and love – like He has created you for. Praying that you will remember that He knows – that His Ways are the key to your success – that you will ask Him for His best practices so His Name is made great in you – so you are faithful in the place He has put you in right now – so you can fully walk with joy in the Good that He is, and the Good that He has for you. Love you all, dad Love you all, praying for you.
Do you ever consider? Do you ever set aside the time to? Most people are too busy – life is moving too fast, the times they do rest is just a cease or exchange of activity, but they never really take the time to consider - to review, to contemplate, to take advice, to understand, to mentally separate, to put in mind, and put in order – to arrange for the understanding of. I Samuel 12:24 – Above all, be sure to fear the LORD and serve him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things he has done for you. (The New Living says – think of all the wonderful things He has done for you). The day of rest is also the day of considering – what God did last week: what He told you to do, and what HE did when you obeyed. What God did for others as they were faithful to obey, what God revealed to you from His Word each day, and what God confirmed through others through your Daily Calls, and conversations. Sunday’s – God’s day of rest is not just a rest of body, and mind – it’s for renewal, to consider what He just did, and also consider what He is leading you to do. Praying that God will draw your heart to do PiVAT Weekly every Sunday - so you can consider. It helps if you have a PIVAT Small Group - you have to do PiVAT Weekly to be prepared for it... But even if you don't - it is so worth the time. It honors God, it puts Him first - before the week begins. It puts Him in mind - first. It lets you consider - it reminds you of what He said, and what He did when you did what He said. PiVAT Weekly starts with completing your testimony from last week – what God did and revealed as you’re learning to walk each day in obedience. As you review through your Conversation Log – each day’s PiVAT, each day’s PRISM, each day’s Conversations Page of your Daily Call – the testimonies start to add up. He refreshes your mind and heart to remember what He spoke. You see how He leads you day by day – and how His Words to you are not just isolated, they are going somewhere – they are leading your forward – from precept to precept – from glory to glory. It reaffirms your obedience, and inspires you to continue. It helps you consider the great and wonderful things He has done for you - and still has for you! And as you seek Him for this coming week – Monday through Sunday of next weekend… He will reveal everything you need to know right now – to take the first step. He will reveal the rest along the way – as you seek Him early, and obey quickly, and overcome daily with your Daily Call Partner. Praying that you will join a PiVAT Small Group and if you can't find one, that you will begin one. That one hour a week where each Daily Caller shares what God did and spoke this week. It is the most powerful environment of praise, obedience, encouragement and growth – that you will experience. It will add wisdom and joy as you consider not just what God did for you, but what He did for others and what He is doing in all of you. This is the gathering of yourself together – to share the things He said, and He did. It will propel your faithfulness into next week - so you walk in all the good that He has for you. That’s how you sharpen and are sharpened. Your PiVAT Small Group will generate momentum for you. It will add force and speed to your moving forward! Praying that you will consider well - not only what He has done for you last week, but what He will do in you this week, as you grow in obedience, and grow daily with one other, and weekly with several others. This is God’s design to sustain you on His journey - to places beyond what you could imagine – so His goodness and His mercy can follow you all the days of your life. Love you all, dad Love you all, praying for you.
Since the days of Jack and the Beanstalk, perhaps since the beginning of time – there's a tendency in man to wish for a magic pill, whether steroids, diet pills – something that would magically accelerate growth or goals. I pray that you took the opportunity to listen to yesterday’s Daily Huddle – Stay There. About the peace He has established for you – and the constant lure of the enemy to try to get you to leave that place of peace. How His Presence, (Worship), His Word (PRISM – which reveals His Ways), and Obedience (PIVAT – His will for you today) is how you stay in the peace He has established for you. He will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you. God spoke of how there is no peace for the wicked… anytime you disobey - out of intent or ignorance – you could forfeit the peace that could be yours. But have you ever wished there were a magic pill, or steroids or something – that could accelerate that obedience – that could accelerate your mind to be stayed on Him? Actually there is. It's a steroid – that God has designed - that won't make you sick, or impotent, it’s not hazardous to your health. It’s the natural healthy accelerator God has designed to accelerate your success. It’s also something you put on your tongue. Words. Your Words are how you keep your mind stayed on Him. Your Words are how you stay there – in the peace that He has established for you. They are a weapon, they are your sword – His Word on your tongue accelerates your obedience and keeps you in the peace He has established for you. From the fruit of this lips a man’s stomach is filled as surely as the work of his hands rewards him. Get busy speaking – and get busy working. Quick warning, if your mouth and hands are busy – you have a 50/50 chance of success. Because the devil also knows the power of the steroid of the tongue. He wants you to speak death, discouragement, doubt, He wants you to speak something other than what God said, whether by habit, or choice. It’s called perverse – something different. That’s why those who speak and work – on their own thing – their own way – end up leaving that peace – instead of staying there. Those accomplishments that God has for you start with His peace because - if you trust Him, you ask Him, He tells you - your PiVAT for this day, this week and this month – and you run in the path that He has chosen for you. Your steroid on that path is your words. Praying that you will use PRISM Topics – for that Steroid, PRISM Topic Peace, Fear Not, As For Me, Speak Life, Life Purpose and Direction – They will launch the Words of your mouth. When it comes to God’s Word – there are actually several ways you can injest it. Whatever his Word says - you can 1) Thank Him For It (that's Praise) You can 2) Ask Him do it in you – and help you to do it (that's Prayer, petition) you can 3) Speak it out loud – committing yourself to obey and stay (that's declare) you can 4) Share it with others (that's testimony), you can 5) Pray it over yourself (that's asking and receiving), you can 6) Pray it over others (That's Intercession). Praying that you will never take steroids, pills or drugs – which produce death, but that you will always be on the steroids that God has ordained that produce life... Your Mouth – Praising, Praying, and Declaring His Word. Every time you do – you stay in the peace He has established for you – and you accelerate the obedience that brings results – because it puts you in the place where his blessings can flow in your life – and they are ridiculous! God even said – No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has planned for those who love Him. That means you’ve never seen, you’ve never even heard of – in fact, you can't even imagine the GOOD that God has in store for those who obey Him. For you! when your words are accelerating your obedience. Praying for you – that you will pray and you will say – so you always obey and stay in that peace He has established for you. That His peace will rule and reign in your heart – and His Will and His Ways become you. Love you all, dad Love you all, praying for you.
Have you ever felt like something is trying to take you out of your peace, like your peace is slipping? God is so faithful, His Word is true, sometimes we forget, He always reminds us. That’s the God who loves you, your Heavenly Father who wants, and has planned, the best for you – His goodness poured out. For many years now, we’ve been walking in the blessing, the overcoming, of Daily Calls. And having asked that Best Question Ever – so many times on Daily Calls – or to complete strangers… What Do You Need Most From God Today? There are three answers that occur most often. Wisdom, Strength, and Peace. Isaiah 26:12 - LORD, you have established peace for us, all that we have accomplished you have done for us. God doesn’t just give you peace. He is the God of peace. It's who He is - Peace comes with Him - it is Him. His kingdom is righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit - in that order. There’s a purpose to the order, with God there is always order and there's always purpose. First He establishes peace in you, then He establishes it around you. He sets it in order internally and then brings it to order externally. His peace brings His accomplishment. God wants you to accomplish things of His choosing and His timing and His doing so He gets the credit, and you get the blessing. His peace – the complete wholeness and well being that He has for you – enables you to accomplish what He has – that you couldn’t dream. If we are striving to accomplish things on our own, there is no peace there. Maybe some recognition, but no peace. Peace never comes from our own selfish ambitions – not even in things we think we are doing for Him. If peace is missing, accomplishment doesn’t mean much. But in His righteousness, joy, and peace – He can accomplish unimaginable things through us – so His Name will be known and He will be feared. Establish – means to set upright, to set in order, to make permanent, to erect as a permanent thing. He establishes peace in you in His presence, in His Word, and in obedience to His commands and principles. There is always rest in His presence. Increase the habit of spending time in worship, and His peace will remain. God's Word (Jesus) is peace. His Word reveals Himself, His Love for you, the good that He has for you, and reminds you of His unstoppable power that will bring it to pass. That keeps you in peace. Praying that you will review the PRISM Topic – Peace, Fear Not, and Do Not Fret. The absence of peace – comes from fear or fret, ignorance or unbelief (you don’t know God’s promise), or sin... there’s an area or two in your life where you are falling short of His will or His way. Isaiah 48:22 – “There is no peace,” says the LORD, “for the wicked.” That means if there is an area of your life not fully surrendered to Him or in compliance with His blessing - it's blocking your peace. Isaiah 48:18 - If only you had paid attention to my commands, your peace would have been like a river, your well-being like the waves of the sea. There is a direct correlation between Obedience and Stay There - staying in the peace that He gives. Praying that you will know the Prince of Peace – that PRISM will have you soak in His Word, Praying that Worship – His presence – would be your priority. Praying that you will know His commands through PRISM, know the commanded you – through PiVAT, and obey them with all your heart. So that you will never leave the peace that He has established for you. "You will keep in in complete peace whose mind is stayed on you because He trusts in you." Peace is tied to obedience and trust. If you trust you will obey – if you’re obeying, you can trust. He will never fail. He has already established peace for you – so you don’t have to leave it. If you feel it slipping. Give yourself a check-up. Be sure you worship, be sure you stay in His Word, be sure there is nothing in your life falling short of His Word and His Will. Keep your mind stayed on Him, and you will stay there... He will keep you in the peace He has established for you. Love you all, dad Love you all, praying for you.
One of the things I love about God – He reveals things and then He reveals them again. Maybe because we tend to forget, but also because some challenges reappear. The devil is always trying to catch you unawares or un-remembering… So God reminds us what He has revealed. And at other times what He has revealed applies in new ways to the new or greater situation we are now in. He’s so faithful. His Word is true and applies to you - today! Praying that your PiVAT before dinner – is always confirmed by your PRISM all day long. He does it all the time. He walks with you! So blessed by the P4M (Prayer For Me) section at the end of Daily Calls where we write down what the Holy Spirit reveals as we prayer for each other. As Justin was praying the Holy Spirit said… “Jesus, you lead so well, you walk ahead of us – to lead us, you walk behind us to protect us, and you walk beside us – so we’re not alone.” Wow. That is so true. And I couldn't help thinking... if I skipped my Daily Call this morning… I would have never heard that loving reminder from the LORD, I would have missed all that God had for me today - to encourage and strengthen me. Praying that your Daily Call is establishing your overcoming! God asked me something recently. Do you lose it when you lose it? There’s a story in the Bible – of a woman who lost a coin. It was very value, very important to her. Have you ever lost something? Maybe your Driver’s License, or your wallet, a paycheck or an important piece of Jewelry, your wedding ring? What do you do when you lose it? Do you lose it? Do you leave your peace, Does frustration and panic set in? Do you forget who you are, and whose you are? God reminded me – whatever it is that you lost, He is looking at it right now! He sees it exactly where it is, behind the dresser, or between the car seats, or the couch cushions. God gives us opportunities in life – to trust Him - to see Him demonstrate His faithfulness once again. Just because you lose it, doesn’t mean you have to lose it. Stay in His peace – don’t leave it. Don’t let circumstance take you out of the Peace that He is. Know that He sees what you lost – right now – He’s looking at it. Put your trust in Him with your words. Let your mouth re-establish who you are – your full faith and belief – in Him. Ask Him to reveal where it is and what you should do right now. He may have you turn the house upside down, and search in every crevice. If that's what He tells you to do – do it. Or He may have you first finish what He told you to do in this hour, and leave the searching and finding to Him, walking in the confidence that He will bring it to light – in His perfect time. Praying that if you ever lost it, you won’t lose it. Praying that you are so soaked in PRISM in His Word – that whatever happens in your life – is always under the WORD – viewed through It's lens - that your emotions are always controlled by His Promise, not your predicament. He is faithful. The more you fill your heart with His Word – the more His Word will flow out of your heart through your mouth – to affect, influence and overcome whatever you (or anyone He leads to you) – are facing. His Word – will build you - so the only thing you lose, is doubt and fear, frustration and anxiety, needless concern. He is faithful – You can trust Him. He’s good at finding things, and restoring things. His timing is perfect, His love never fails. Love you all, dad Love you all, praying for you.
God reminding me recently about the importance of discernment. It’s a gift from God, one of the things He gives – and you can grow in it! Your quality of life depends on it, your fruitfulness in life depends on it, even the length of your life depends on it. The wise see danger and take refuge, the foolish keep going and suffer for it. When you grow with God you always grow in obedience. That’s how God grows you, and your discernment. He speaks, you hear, you respond. It’s what being a Christ – follower is. Have you ever seen wildlife shows on TV or the internet? Lions and gazelles - it’s a natural picture of the spiritual necessity of discernment. Discernment – is a sensing beforehand – an early warning system. Noah Webster’s original definition - Discernment – the power or faculty of the mind, by which it distinguishes one thing from another, as truth from falsehood, virtue from vice, the power of perceiving differences of things or ideas, and their relations and tendencies. The errors of youth often proceed from the want of discernment. Young animals just keep munching away – completely oblivious of their predators’ approach. But those with discernment – sense it immediately, early. With discernment, before you hear the footsteps of the predator – you hear the flight of the birds – they aren’t hanging around – they’re gone. They know the Joseph principle of dealing with the attack of temptation, they run. They remove themselves from the situation altogether. But even before the flight of the birds – there’s the unusual silence, the ‘quieter than normal’ that those with discernment perceive – their antenna’s are up. In real life – Spiritual life - Where does discernment come from? How do you get it? The Holy Spirit and the Word of God. The Holy Spirit always points to Jesus – the Word. Just as Jesus was the full representation of God in body form, so Jesus is the full representation of God in Book form. Jesus said to his disciples, do you still not understand, if you’ve seen me you have seen the Father. So it is with God’s Word, if you see the Word – you see the Father. That’s why PiVAT and PRISM, 4C’s and your Daily Call are so important to growing in discernment. Discernment saves you from death. On wildlife shows – it saves from physical death, in real life – it saves you from Spiritual death – those things which separate you from God, the attacks, the pitfalls that dull your hearing, and get you off course from the things that He has planned for you – which are so very good. That’s also why doing PRISM in the atmosphere of worship is so important, and praying in the atmosphere of worship is so important. God inhabits the praises of His people by the Holy Spirit – and He reveals the truth of His WORD – both Logos – the written Word, and Rhema the specific instruction that He has for you - through the Holy Spirit. In the wildlife TV shows – maturity is gained with age, but in Spiritual reality – obedience is what ages you. Obedience accelerates your discernment. It’s the response that activates in your life what God tells you through the Holy Spirit. Hebrews 5:13-14 - For everyone who lives on milk is still an infant, unskilled in doing what is right since he is a child. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to discern good from evil. Walking in the Holy Spirit - obeying - brings discernment. It keeps you from dangers, pitfalls, the traps and delays your enemy wants to entangle you with. The Holy Spirit will lead you in PiVAT for today – your Heavenly Father’s plans for you - even this hour, and in PRISM – the confirmation and understanding of them, and His great love for you. That’s also why your Daily Call is so important – it highlights obedience – both yours and theirs – what God said – so you could do it, and the testimony of what God did when you simply obeyed – that testimony which is your overcoming! In wildlife shows I always find myself rooting for the zebra, the gazelle and the buffalo – and probably my favorites are when the tables are turned and the zebra gets in a good hind kick to the chops of the would-be predator. In wildlife, eventually the gazelles and zebra’s are caught. But not in real life – in Spiritual life. Because the Holy Spirit in you is far more powerful than the enemy that tries to attack, distract or trap you. Praying that your worship is growing, that your Word is growing, and your obedience is growing - every day. Praying that you are so consistent with your time, thoughts money and testimony - those PiVAT, PRISM, 4C’s and Daily Call tools that are discernment-growers. They are gifts that God has given to establish obedience and victory in you! - that help you avoid not just the danger but even the temptation – so that nothing slows you down in the joyful purpose that God has called you to. He promised "No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly." Your obedience gives you discernment, it impacts eternity – and impacts others for generations. You are not fearing God for nothing! As He leads, and you follow – He will grow discernment in you, to see the difference between what is good and what is not, and what is best - His way for you and the other way. His Way is so very good. It’s the way to life – the joy full life and the purpose full life that He has for you. Love you all, dad |
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April 2021
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