Love you all, praying for you,
Have you ever noticed how important decisions are in your life? The decisions you make? There are small decisions and big decisions, and what you do with the little ones… what you choose, and even how you arrive at these decisions, usually indicates what you will do with the big ones. Some decisions require seeking the LORD – other decisions should be no-brainers, Have you noticed that some people keep seeking God on things He’s already been clear about? The difference between successful and unsuccessful people – rich and poor – good and evil – skilled and unskilled – comes down to the choices they make. One person’s decisions opens doors of opportunity, another person’s decisions perpetually lead to loss. Prisons are full of people who made poor decisions, wrong choices. Poor decisions always get you in a prison of some kind… penitentiary, dead end job, miserable marriage, disrespectful children, missed opportunity, success-limiting circle of friends, unfulfilled dreams. All these are the result of uninformed or un-submitted decisions. Even getting up in the morning – and what time you do – is a decision. Life is full of them. Some people choose well, others do not. So how do you improve your decision making ability? So the life you live reflects the decisions of the wise, not the ignorance or rebellion of the foolish? The good news is past doesn’t equal future. Oh Praise God! What you decided in the past doesn't prevent you from choosing well now. It might make it more challenging or difficult, but not impossible. God is the God of the impossible anyway – so you’re positioned perfectly. Any habit is just one choice away. He won’t hold your past against you, if you ask Him for wisdom - He’s ready to help you right now. You are often presented with two roads – which lead to completely different places. So how do you get better at decisions that prevent delays or failure and accelerate your success? God says above all else – get wisdom. That means PRISM – His Word - is Step 1. It is an investment in good decisions and good decision-making ability on a daily basis - so you already have it when you need it! When you - Praise the Word – and the Holy Spirit comes and inhabits it, that’s who leads you into all truth. The best poor choice prevention – is walking in God’s will for you – PiVAT will reveal what His plans are for you today! – PRISM will reveal how to do them, why they work, and how much He loves you. 4C’s will help you obey with the resources God has entrusted you with, so the resources God provided are still available for the decisions He wants you to make, and so your giving at His direction can release more when you need them. Read the Word – that required training of kings – will give you wisdom, God’s truth, and multiple examples of the wise, and wise decisions, as well as the foolish and the result of their ignorance or disobedience. Insight from the Word – that’s the wisdom book the (good decision book, the good choice training book) - that you need to live out of and feed on daily – if you want to become skilled in making wise decisions. It will impact your life and generations that will follow you. Wisdom will always prosper you. Humility and the Fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom. Study the Word – that’s God downloading through the Holy Spirit the specific details of what wisdom looks like for you in your life and your present situation. (If you ask Him, and do PRISM with your spirit, not with your mind). God’s timing is impeccable. If you are faithful in PRISM – it’s the way God can give you the wisdom you need – for today - when you need it! So your decisions are His best for you, not what you or others think – might work… Praying that you will get addicted to wisdom, because you are humble, you fear God, and you pursue it. You can get it by asking - and then walking in it! Praying that you will make a habit of bringing every decision you face – to the One who holds all wisdom in His hand, and gives it to those who ask. Your PiVAT Decision Tool will really help you. It’s discovering God’s will for you – using the methods He prescribed. God not only will give you the right decision, He will lead you in how to discover it, to hear clearly and correctly – so you can move forward with joy, or wait on His best, or His best timing. Praying that your first decision is to seek wisdom, so your other decisions follow suit. Praying that PiVAT and PRISM, your 4C’s and Daily Call – establish you in the testimony that comes from the wisdom of obedience, so that you're not just successful, but fruitful. So God gets the glory and you share in the blessing. Love you all, dad
0 Comments
Love you all, praying for you,
I just love God’s Word. It connects things that need to be connected, it reveals things that must go together, that precede and follow each other. Proverbs 19:11 – A man’s wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense. Just like God, His wisdom is always so opposite of ours. Have you ever prayed for patience? God gives a secret in this verse. You might want to pray for wisdom. It’s the thing that brings the thing. If someone lacks wisdom, they can never be patient... because the wise are patient - and they don’t have wisdom If you get wisdom – patience comes with it. Have you ever noticed, the time you need patience the most, is yesterday, before something happens, not after you’ve already lost what little patience you had. There is nothing you can really do to get patience. You can’t go and buy some, you can’t build it, you can’t manufacture it – it just comes out under pressure. You demonstrate it, or you don't. But you can build wisdom, you can seek it and find it. God said to do it above all else... And if you do – patience will come too. Patience helps brings the good to you, it makes the good better, and the better best. Patience – the suffering of afflictions, calamity, provocation or evil with a calm, unruffled temper; endurance without murmuring or fretfulness. Those who are patient are unflappable, un-ruffle-able – cool under pressure, calm when others panic. The patient have a fortitude within that doesn’t depend on what happens around them. Maybe because they know and trust - Who is really in control. You can’t get patience, it just gets revealed. But you can get wisdom – and wisdom will give it to you. Praise God – He has wisdom for the asking. That one thing I really appreciate about PRISM – it’s wisdom-seeking and wisdom practice every day. You can actually have too much of a lot of things, but you can’t have too much wisdom. Praying that you will ask God for it, spend time where He gives it, praying that above all else – you will get it. So you can get all that comes with it. Praying that you’ll keep coming back to PRISM all day long – to get everything God wants to deposit in you – through His Word. Love you all, dad Love you all, praying for you,
I just love God’s Word. It is truth, completely, exclusively. Everything God says is true because everything God is – is true. There is no falsehood in Him. One thing I really appreciate about PRISM – is Praise the Word – a life altering, never be the same again, never stop doing it the rest of my life – habit. His Word will never give you nothing back... It always produces wisdom and knowledge and understanding in you – no limits. Every time you read it. He has something for you. If you want even more – you can get you some. He’s waiting for you! Psalms 141:1 – O LORD, I call to you; come quickly to me. Hear my voice when I call to you. May my prayer be set before you like incense; may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice. What a prayer to God. We know God does that – He hears the moment you call. And He answers when you call. He promised. But why is David starting with that? Was He in trouble, under attack, something went wrong, he screwed up big time this time? There is no indication of that in this chapter – other chapters make that clear. This time David is intent in asking for help. For what? He wanted his prayers and his hands – to be pleasing to God - that when he lifted his hands – God would be pleased just like He was with the fragrant aroma of incense, and the giving of the evening sacrifice. David wasn’t needing something from God – he was sincere about wanting to give something to God. That God would be pleased with him! And I wondered, are my prayers like incense before God? – Is he pleased with my prayer. Do I give him more than my latest grocery list of requests. David here is doing something this evening - Prayers and Hands. He’s had a long day at work, he’s got the kids to take care of tonight, and give his wife a break, he’s still got the grass to cut, or the car to pick up from the repair shop… but his evenings – aren’t just wasted, they are invested. He’s wanting his prayers to be a fragrance before God. That means most of his prayer – is pouring out on God, not asking God to pour something out on Him. Pouring out on God - what He’s worth! David's prayers are praise, and adoration and thanksgiving before any petition. And in the evening – He comes back to God. He doesn’t run to just chores, or downtime, or relaxments… (that’s not a word, but you know what I mean). David's heart was to please God. So he went on to ask, for something beyond his prayers and his hands. He was thinking of God in the evenings – even after a long, hard day. And then he says – Set a guard over my mouth, O LORD; keep watch over the door of my lips. Let not my heart be drawn to what is evil to take part in wicked deeds with men who are evildoers; let me not eat of their delicacies. David knew that if his heart was to please God - it couldn't be drawn to other things - so He was asking God to help him. I wonder if David knew how prophetic his prayer was, that the Lamb of God would come to take away the sins of the world, that one sacrifice for us all, so our prayers can be the incense, and our lifted hands can be like the evening sacrifice. David knew the connection between prayer and lifted hands – and mouth and heart. He can’t just worship with his prayer and his hands, and not have his mouth under the control of the Holy Spirit as well - so His heart isn't drawn away. Set a guard over my mouth, not set a defense. A defense is what you need when someone attacks you. A guard is what you do beforehand that prevents people from even wanting to attack you – they look for an easier target. David is saying set a guard over my mouth – keep watch over my lips – because lips draw the heart to what is good or evil. Then he says let me not take part in... why did he say that? He wasn't there when evil people did what evil people do. But David was revealing that what you say you are in a way taking part in... (and then you eventually will.) Some things that others do, are not worth mentioning or talking about. Why participate, what extend the notoriety of evil? Why give it screen time in your mind or conversation? Let me not eat of their delicacies… he’s not talking about eating eating donuts and pastries made by a not very nice person… he’s talking about what his mouth says, not what his mouth eats. What his mouth feeds on in the words that come out, not the food that goes in. Praying that you'll be like David - that your heart will come back to God in the evening - that your prayers will be like incense, that your hands will be lifted up, that your words would be guarded, but employing them with truth, and praise, and promise, and thanksgiving. So that God would be pleased with your heart – and your prayers, and your hands. That your words would always fill it with His Word – so everything you say will be an aroma that pleases God, so your hands will be clean and lifted up like the evening sacrifice. Love you all, dad Love you all, praying for you,
I just love God’s Word – it tells us truth, it gives instruction, it exposes the enemy, and exposes deception. One of the devil’s key strategies – is to push us to extremes. If he can't stop us, he'll try to push us. If you have received Christ – as your LORD, not just your Savior, and you are learning to walk with Him, in His plans and His will and His purpose for you, the devil will try to keep you in motion. The first motion He wants you to be consumed with is making motions. I make a motion that we do this, I make a motion that we do that – have you ever known someone like that – their ideas engine is always running, almost as if they are trying to prove something to others, or maybe themselves. A motion is a suggested course of action. In a corporate or organizational setting, someone makes a motion, and then another person 'seconds' it. Some people want to make motions to God, and want Him to second it... They are always making a motion to God – always wanting to give Him ideas of what His plans should be. If he can't trap you in that, the other kind of motion the devil tries to trap you in is going through the motions. Just doing the action, but not knowing the purpose, or pursuing God's desired result through it. Sometimes life has motions that repeat. It’s easy to tune out going to work every day, commute time, bus ride, or subway ride, work day activities, even long trips, or weekends at home. God doesn’t want you always making motions, any more than He wants you just going through the motions. He wants you motion-less – so the motion comes from Him - and the 'second' comes from you. Praying that you will let him make the plans, they are better anyway. Way better. He doesn’t need your suggestions or your plans. The more you are motion-less, fear-less, fret-less, stress-less, the more you learn to ask Him, and follow His plans. His yoke is easy, His burden is light, His joy is full. Motion-less isn’t dormant, complacent, lacking movement, it's just hearing and obeying, more than talking and doing. It’s just movement by His direction for His purpose. Even the 'going through the motions' things in life – have Divine purpose. If you ask Him, He’ll tell you. What does God have for you, on this bus ride, or this commute? What does God have for you on this lunch break, or this board meeting, or this staff meeting? Does He want you to listen with full attention on others? Does He want you to look for every opportunity to encourage, or see the positive, the bright side, or the opportunity hidden beneath the challenge? Does He want you to just stop and praise Him, spend time in His presence, give Him your full attention between the other motions of the day? Praying that you will be motion-less today. Not pushing your own plans, and not being lulled to sleep by those things that you have to do every day, but fully trading in your plans for His, and fully asking and fully expecting Him to bring His fullness of life and fullness of joy – to every motion that He has called you to. Praying that you will have less motion, more surrender, more hearing, more obeying, more rejoicing and more fruit. Praying that your day will so fruitful. It’s not so much what He has you doing today – but knowing what He has for you to do in it. What He wants to do through you, and what He wants to bring you to. Love you all, dad Love you all, praying for you,
I just love God’s Word – it’s so practical, and so opposite. It gives you specific instructions on how to live, and how to conduct yourself, that is counter-cultural, that doesn’t make sense to the mind, but is at rest in your spirit. God speaks of secrets. Some things are meant to be secret. Why do people do what is right? Because God said? Is that enough? Because it makes them feel good? What about what God said, that doesn't always make you feel good? Because when others see them do good things – they are impressed with them, which makes them feel good? It's surprisingly easy to get caught up in the recognition, more than the obedience. Coming out of the LORD’s prayer, ending with 'Forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors.' God’s forgiveness is free, but also has requirements. Matthew 6:14 For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. It’s not a bait and switch, it’s not a gift with a catch, this is what is good and right and honorable people do, who are pleasing before God. Is your heart to forgive others? - because you have been - so - forgiven! It’s not a trade, it’s just what Godly people do because they love God. They forgive like their Father does. Then Jesus goes on to speak about secrets. Verse 16 – “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting, I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. Ouch – fasting is not fun nor easy, but God said these people are fasting for nothing. They are more interested in what people think of them, than what I think of them. They want the praise of men, more than they desire the praise of God. Getting God’s praise, may not be as immediate. Sometimes the rewards for obedience come over time, it can take a while, sometimes the reward is in eternity, while the obedience and sacrifice is down here. Jesus continued. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you. Whether giving or fasting or even sharing a testimony. Have you ever heard someone share something that was a testimony – but it really was more about them, and their sacrifice, or what they went through… rather than pointing all the glory to God? The same with prophecy – some people want to be the messenger God uses, more than they want to see His Word to set people free, and set their course. Praying that you'll ask God if any step of obedience in your life – is starting to be tainted by the approval of people. Any time God gets the glory through our life – we always share in it. Just don’t take it, always point it to Him alone. Praying that you will fast and give, and prophesy and share – as the Holy Spirit leads you – and place no value on the approval or confirmation, or adulation you receive from men. So people’s opinion of you is never – your only reward. That God’s reward for you on earth and in heaven can flow into your life – because everything you do in obedience to Him, is for His glory alone. Praying that He will grow greater and you will grow smaller – that He will be seen, and you will be unseen, so your impact can be greater. Your Heavenly Father loves you. If you give Him all the glory – He will not let you go unrewarded. Love you all, dad Love you all, praying for you,
Have you ever been rained out? Rainy days can be a little depressing, like the little league rained out game... all those sad little faces in a line with their gloves – completely dejected. Sometimes rainy days come in life. They can be disappointing, they can change your plans, some people even begin to question if God is still there, or still loves them. Like questioning if the sun is still there – on a rainy day. Oh it’s still there – shining as brightly as ever – tomorrow morning you will see, but it just feels like that right now. Is it raining in your life today? As with anything in life – we are always faced with a choice. We choose what we look at and focus on. We even choose how we think, and how we respond. The game is cancelled, there’s no changing that… but what we do, we can absolutely change. Sometimes God allows rain – to change our plans. And you can know for sure, even in the rain, God is good – He has good for you. Sometimes it’s helpful just to stop and consider, sometimes God has another thing for you to do, instead of this thing that you were going to do. But in my PiVAT before dinner, I was going to cut the grass today! or play outside today. First, God isn’t obligated to tell you every last thing that’s going to happen today. It doesn’t mean you didn’t hear Him, and those times that you may not have heard perfectly or completely, He is still good! This is a journey! You’re learning to tune your ear to hear His voice, and in this moment – the Holy Spirit will tell you what your Father in Heaven wants you to do. Sometimes if the game is cancelled – you get to go to Dairy Queen! Not as good, but not bad... Sometimes a downpour brings the perfect opportunity for a mudslide! Now that's fun! One of the all time move classics – Singing In The Rain – reminded us of the power of a different perspective. Rain isn’t always bad. Rain-outs are the perfect opportunity to check in with God – and get His new instructions. Sometimes its just fun to play in the rain. And even when rain isn’t fun, it still helps things grow - including you. How do you view rain – as a loss or a gain? God said rain is a part of His blessing, the former and latter rains that He gives. His presence and His Spirit fall like rain. Praying that you would always seek God in the rain – He's got something for you. Praying you'll spend time with Him... Praying that you will always know how much He cares for you, that rain would always help you grow – and that you would be OK with the rainy days that come – knowing the sun is still shining, and God’s good will always find you. Praying that you would take the opportunity to dance in the rain, to trust through the rain, and to give thanks to your Heavenly Father – even in the rain. That you would know how much He loves you – how He’s growing you, and leading you. That when it rains – you would always be reminded of how faithful He is, that you would always praise - in the rain. Love you all, dad Love you all, praying for you,
When was the last time you stopped everything and re-evaluated? God am I fulfilling the purpose you have for me in this season? Am I in the right place, doing the right thing, with the right people, and with the right heart? Does what I'm doing reflect what You are doing? Is the stuff I have, the stuff you want in my life? Do the things I have - that occupy my mind, that occupy my time, that occupy my space, and occupy my finances – reflect what you are calling me to do in this season? Are the things in my life right now, the things that you want to be there? Everything comes down to purpose. It’s what you are obeying God in. Not a list of do’s and don’ts – but the next step that He leads you - to fulfill the purpose for which He created you in your generation - and to train up the next. Have you ever identified a Roadblock – that won’t ever change – unless you change the foundational way you view life or your daily responsibilities and opportunities? World travelers who have experience, don’t carry the luggage of the lady in “Romancing The Stone.” The three suitcases, high heels, all of the things that you thought you needed, sometimes encumber you, not enrich you. Experienced travelers have learned the secret of traveling light. They bring only what they need – useful things, not unnecessary. Obviously you don’t live out of a suitcase, but when it comes to life, are the things that occupy you – an encumbrance or an enrichment? PiVAT and PRISM will reveal God’s plan – and your obedience helps you walk in it. But how quickly you get there, and how freely you move – depends on how light you are, how single-minded you are. If you asked Him, what might God say are some things in your life that need to go – to lighten the load – to make you more nimble, more steerable, more suitable, and more useful to the purpose that this trip is for, or this leg of the trip requires? I remember the scene of the film where the lead actor chucks her suitcase over the cliff – much to the chagrin of the leading actress, or knocks the heels off the pumps she was wearing – instantly converting them into useful flats… Sometimes God does that in our life – when are hanging onto some extra luggage, that slows us down, and steals our focus. He’s trying to tell us, that extra luggage has become baggage. Praying that if there is anything in your life that doesn’t fit this season, that doesn’t need to be there, that you will ask God, and be willing to chuck it, if He tells you. Praying that you would know what God wants for you in your life right now. Whether physical, relational, natural or spiritual. So you can move quickly, move freely, move purposefully, and move joyfully. Even when it’s time to rest – if you’re looking around for all your stuff, or are tripping over it – you lose the moment to enjoy the sunrise or sunset, the wind in the trees, or the light dancing on the water. Praying that you will always pick the right traveling partner. If you’ll trust Jesus with your time – He’ll set your course, if you trust Him with your mind – His Word – will enlighten the path ahead of you. Praying that you will ask Him if you have the right luggage for this trip, and the right companions, so He can tell you what’s needed, so you can focus on the road ahead of you, the beauty all around you, the horizon in front of you and the blessing of those He has ordained to walk with you – that nothing unnecessary would hinder you – so your purpose is fulfilled, and your joy will be full. Love you all, dad Love you all, praying for you,
What is a road block? An obstruction that halts progress. Something that, if not removed, prevents you from moving forward. Where do roadblocks come from? Sometimes God, sometimes life, sometimes the enemy. Sometimes they're subtle, distractions can become roadblocks. Weeds that start growing eventually take over completely, or shaving eventually clogs the drain. Other times, they're sudden. A fallen tree blocks the trail, fallen rocks block the highway. Unless they are removed, you won’t get any further. Sometimes obedience has roadblocks. That which is required to get to the good that God desires you to walk in, is blocked by an obedience preventer. It could be a task that God told you to do, a project that is needed, or a new habit required - that you haven’t done. Or an old habit that is or became harmful that you haven't stopped. Tarsus is a roadblock. God said Nineveh, and until you go to Nineveh, nothing in your Tarsus life will work. Sometimes it’s a relationship or relationships. This is not who God wants you to marry. Why are you investing time in someone else’s spouse. It’s keeping you from yours, its stealing from yours and its keeping them from theirs. These are not people who want to obey God like you - and as long as they continue the influence they have in your life, you will never grow. Sometimes it’s a habit that you won’t start, or a habit God never told you, or a habit you are hanging onto - which has outlived it's time. God told you to be faithful with His money, to Give An Account Daily, or be faithful in a Daily Call, to Overcome Daily, but you haven’t started, and you aren’t today either. God never told you to spend time on that, but you did it, and now it's trapped you. Or that time taker - was for that season, but that season is passed. Time wasters can be a roadblock, Prayerlessness can be a roadblock, What God has told you to begin, you have not set the time for. You haven’t asked Him, or He told you but you didn’t do it. Why do Roadblocks remain? Because they are not removed. Why aren’t they removed? Because you don’t remove them. Why don’t people remove them? Because they are doing something else - instead of removing them. You won’t move the logs off of the Rail Road Tracks – because you’re too busy listening to the radio, or re-arranging the dining car, or reading the book you brought with you for the trip. Why won’t you move the rocks from the road? because you think they are too heavy for you, or you need someone to help you. Why won’t you remove the tree from the path, because you are watching butterflies, or you’ve even decided to go back the way you came, instead of removing what is keeping you from your future. Some roadblocks God brings – to change your direction. He brought an angel with a flaming sword to block Balaam's path. Some roadblocks are tests to see if you’ll continue or not. (A man came to Paul with His hands bound foretelling what awaited him, and even his friends pleaded with him not to go. It didn't matter to Paul - He knew where God was leading Him - and he trusted Him with the future). Some roadblocks the enemy brings – to block you from God’s best. What keeps roadblocks in place? Lack of awareness (you don’t really see it as a roadblock). Lack of will – you know what you should do, you just haven’t made the decision to do it. Lack of commitment – you haven’t asked God – and and put a time to it - the specific time He told you - to get out of the car and remove the fallen tree. Or Lack of persistence. You started, but didn't finish, you got tired, or got distracted again. Roadblocks just like roadblocks in life, often require an “all in” commitment. You have to stop the things you are doing or always do to do this big thing that God told you to do. Sometimes those things you always do, aren’t what God wants you to do. Other times, they are, and God will have you come back to them, but right now – it’s time to move this road block out of the way – so you can continue on your journey of obedience with Him. Some road blocks are completely out of your control, and you need God to remove them all by Himself. But those are rare in comparison. Most Road Blocks will remain, until you remove them, until you start them, until you stop doing them… For Gideon, the road block was fear, for the rich young ruler, it was money, for Jonah it was perceived injustice, for the sluggard, it’s usually laziness, for Solomon it was wives, for the rich fool it was greed. For the man given one talent, it was accusation against God. Not everyone will remove the road block, Solomon didn't, the Rich Fool didn't – it cost him His life. Praying that God will remind you – of that thing that until you do it, or stop it - is preventing your progress. That you would Ask God, if He directs - ask someone else to help you – whether recognize it or remove it. That you would stop all the other things you are doing – to do this thing that God told you to do – so you can then continue on the path He has for you – so you can do what God tells you to do, and get to where God wants to bring you. Love you all, dad Love you all, praying for you,
Have you ever thought of the words or phrases that have to do with time? Timeless, on time, timely, untimely, out of time, all the time, just in time, in due time, never enough time, timed, well-timed, squander time, appointed time, set time, in the course of time, it takes time, overtime, start time, lunch time, quitting time, vacation time, summer time, wintertime, springtime, planting time, harvest time, lifetime, use of time, waste of time, lost time, timekeeper, lost in time, passing of time, sense of time, time to, time past, time to come, at that time, appropriate time, make time, set aside time, in due time, out of time, time past, time to come, first time, second time, third time, What time is it? Game Time! Or even words that have to do with time… early, late, premature, seasonable, unseasonable, patient, impatient, procrastinate. That’s quite a lot! What does God say about time? God appoints the time. The times of people and nations, He appoints set times for things He has planned. If you know His plans, you'll know His time. And the LORD appointed a set time, saying tomorrow the LORD shall do this thing in the land. Deuteronomy 1:18 – And I commanded you at that time all the things which you should do. Time is an interesting and most precious commodity. God says there is a time for everything under the sun. He said Jesus is returning at the appointed time, that only the Father knows. He will take up his church out of this world, at the appointed time, in the blink of an eye. What you do with time, says a lot about you, it determines who you are, and whose you are. Skill is built over time - and time is a choice. One important thing - when you give your life to Christ, you give Him your time. You can always get more money, but you can’t get more time. Once it’s past, you cannot recover it, you can only try to make it up. Or make up for it. I’m so thankful that God gives us an understanding of time. He says humble yourself in the sight of the LORD, and He will lift you up in due time. That’s a perfect time, an appointed time, the fullness of time. Praying that PiVAT, PiVAT Weekly and PiVAT Monthly – is your habit - so you know how to obey with time. They are how you hear his voice, and know His plans for you. Praying that you will be so aware of PiVAT (which are His plans for you) versus PiVAT Maybe (which are your plans for you) - Because if you obey with time, you will obey with life, and if you do what it’s time to do now, you will be able to do what it is time to do then. The question with time, is really - whose time is it? Your time is God given. Have you ever thought of what He’s given it to you for? You can spend time, or invest time, you can obey with time, or disobey with time. Most people don’t disobey with time, they just don’t obey with it. Not that they refuse to, they just don’t think about it. Perhaps the greatest waste in all of life, is the waste of time - because that truly is - a waste of life. So what is a waste of time? It means different things to different people. What some people think is a waste, others feel is worth it. But in truth, the only waste of time, is spending it on what God didn’t tell you to do. If He didn’t tell you to do it at this time, for this amount of time, that is the only waste of time there is. If He told you to do it at this time, nothing He tells you will ever be a waste or wasted. Most time wasters, aren’t doing what God told you not to, but what you did different or longer than He told you. He told you to take a lunch break, but not a two hour lunch break. He may have said - you can just relax and enjoy a show, but not binge watch the entire season… In the end, when you stand before God to answer for your life, you will really answer for what you did with time. His time, the time He gave you. The question to ask is – Who makes your time decisions? Many people don’t let God make their time decisions because when it comes down to it… they don’t really trust Him. They don't really believe that He is good, or has good for them. Does your child trust you? So why wouldn't you trust God? He's a way better parent than you! Do you trust Him with your time? Is it really my time or His? If you think time is yours – you decide. If you realize time is His – you let Him decide. So what time is it? What is it time for? Ask Him, He will surely tell you. Praying that you will trust him with time, that you will not waste time, that you will know that time is limited and time is short, that time is life. Just because you are time aware – doesn’t mean you are a slave of time. That’s a misnomer, no one is a slave of time, it’s just a measurement. People are slaves of desires, not time. Others say you need to manage time, be productive with it, make the most of it, don’t spend it, invest it… That’s better than the alternative, but if God didn’t say it, it’s a mis-investment. What we think is a productive use of time, may be completely worthless to God. Praise God – He’s outside of time - He sees the whole thing at a glance. He thinks of eternity – time without end. We think of temporary – time with end. His plans for you are good, and they are delivered in time. The greatest blessings are timely. That’s what makes them such a blessing. He has good for you at the right time, the best time! Praying that you will trust God enough to let him lead your time. Praying that PiVAT will be a joy, not a chore – people who doubt or dread PiVAT - are the ones doing PiVAT with their mind, not their spirit. Or they aren’t fully doing or completing what He said. They didn’t hear him, or they didn’t do it, or they did it partly, or they overdid it. God promised, my yoke is easy and my burden is light. His plans in his time – bring joy – not burden. Praying that you will have a timechange – that you would be willing to give up your time, anything He doesn’t want you to spend time on, and everything He has set for this time. It’s what a surrendered life is. Praying you will love him all the time! So the Good that He has planned – can come to you in His time. Love you all, dad Love you all, praying for you,
I just love God’s Word. One of the Books I love the most is Proverbs. You can learn wonderful things through stories, some books of the Bible give stories. Not only can you glean principles, but you can see how to implement them, and the result that follows, through stories. But sometimes it’s good to just get it straight. Right between the eyes. That’s what Proverbs does. Straight wisdom, no chaser. Mic Drop. You can do it, or ignore it – at your own income or expense. Proverbs 12:1 – Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid. Wisdom isn’t wordy, it doesn't flatter you. It’s more like a 2x4 than spaghetti. It will tell it to you straight. Here's what God says: You can’t have wisdom and knowledge without discipline and correction. If you hate correction (which means to despise, have little use for, ignore, place little value on) you won’t walk in wisdom or knowledge – you can’t. All you can do is walk in false wisdom. That which is assumed to be knowledge, the wisdom of the world – is foolishness in the eyes of God - compared to God’s true wisdom. True knowledge comes first and only through knowledge of the Holy One. He holds all wisdom and knowledge and understanding – and gives it to those who will listen. That’s why PRISM is so important. It opens your eyes, removes blinders, gives discernment, and protects you from deception. Correction sometimes doesn’t come unless you seek it. Do you hate correction or love and desire and invite it? Why wait for punitive correction? Why not seek ongoing correction - so you only need adjustments instead of reversals. If you’re not seeking correction, you don’t really love it. If you’re not open to it, welcoming it, you really don’t value it that much. You cannot say you love wisdom and you love knowledge without loving discipline. To love someone is to be with them all the time, in mind if not body… To love something is to do it continually whether running, or drinking coffee, those who love it do it every day. Discipline is not just correction or a change of course – discipline is ongoing establishment in the right course. Permanence in the patterns that lead to righteousness. Only God is righteous, so any pattern that helps you hear from Him is the discipline that loves wisdom and knowledge. So what patterns has God called you to? What patterns help you to seek Him and His will for you – and find Him? Do you love them, or do you easily fall out of rhythm? You can also easily come back – just make the adjustment, so you don’t need to make a reversal. Praying that PiVAT and PRISM is your discipline - to know His heart and get His plans - a friend today said, Taking the time to do in-depth PRISM - "That's how I get my next footstep in my thoughts and time." Praying that your Daily Call – that overcoming testimony – establishes your overcoming! God promised it would. Praying that 4C’s has you knowing and doing what God tells you financially – so you walk in freedom, never bondage. And praying one more thing for you... that you will seek correction – before God has to send it. Praying that you might ask one friend today – maybe your spouse or a sibling or any obeyer that knows you - that you trust… if God would have any correction or adjustment that He might lead them to share with you. Not opinions or projection, only what the Holy Spirit would prompt them to share. If you love the adjustments, and love the patterns - your consistency will grow and the fruit of God’s will for you is always His best! Love you all, dad |
About This BLOG
Daily Huddle - Archives
April 2021
Categories |