Love you all, praying for you,
Praying that one of the PRISM Topics you use often during your PRISM – M (Meditate on the Word) is PRISM Topic – Starter Verses. Daily reminders that will establish you in God’s Truth – and direct your life to His success for you. There are a few about plans and purpose that are so important to remember. First God has plans for you – they are way better than yours – for your success. The difference between His way and our way is extreme. It’s the difference between PiVAT – His plans for you, and PiVAT Maybe - your plans for you. Jeremiah 29:11 - For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. There’s even better news! If you just understand the difference between His plans and yours, (PiVAT and PiVAT Maybe) – all you have to do is choose His plans, even just want to choose them, and He will do the rest! He will help you! Psalms 138:8 - The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me, your love O LORD endures forever. Philippians 1:6 - Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Philippians 2:13 - For it is God who works in you both to will and to act according to his good purpose. I just love that verse – God’s love and power will take over for you – even when your “want to" is broken. Every time you do PRISM – M – Meditate on the Word – your mouth is filling your heart, and your words and actions will follow. Isaiah 48:17 - This is what the LORD says – your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I am the LORD your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go.” God wants to teach you through PiVAT and PRISM and your Daily Call this week the way you should go. His plans for you are how He leads you to fulfill the purpose He created you for! That’s why PIVAT Weekly and PiVAT Monthly are so important. It’s just listening and obeying practice. This is not busy work, this is you creating the habit to set time aside to listen to what He longs to tell you - the plans He has prepared for your success! It is crucial that you know and do His will for you this month – the wonderful plans He has for just you - not someone else! These are the plans He has for you – for your good, for your benefit, for your blessing. And why are they so important? Because your obedience this month, will position you for what God wants you to grow in and become – next month. Matthew 7:21 Not everyone who says to me ‘Lord, Lord’ will enter the kingdom of heaven – but only He who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. That’s what Jesus did most of all – the will of His Father. It’s the only thing He did. Followers of Christ do the same thing. Praying that you will get His will for you this week, and this month – so you can do it! He will help you! He promised! Praying that you will stop doing things – and ask Him what He wants you to do – and pursue it with all your heart. Part of that is rest, when He has called you to rest – so you put your trust in him, not your own effort. Let him make the plans, you just obey – there’s joy there, and success there – the only place you’ll find it. And sometimes obedience has a domino effect – sometimes others can’t obey – until you obey. You obedience affects more than just you – it impacts those around you. It’s how you get the testimony that helps you overcome and causes ripple effect in those around you. Praying that you will hear clearly, and obey quickly, so His joy can consume you – so He can fulfill His good purpose in you – this week, this month, today – even in this hour. His yoke is easy, and His burden is light. He will give you grace to do it. Love you all, dad
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Love you all, praying for you,
Are you impatient? Are you selfish? Who told you that? If you are in Christ, there is a permanent and eternal difference between what you used to be, and what you are now. When you are in Christ – what you do doesn’t define you – what He did – does. The devil is always trying to label you with your sin, so you identify yourself with it, rather than identify yourself with Him, your Savior – Jesus Christ – the Sinless One. Praying that you will review the Relationship Topic - Salvation First (It’s the most important thing you will ever do.) Obviously you are a sinner – everyone is. That’s why you must be born again. Meaning, to commit your life to obeying Jesus Christ, and trust God’s promise, that He sent Jesus to die in your place, canceling the debt of sin that you owed. Now you are free from sin’s control, you are no longer a sinner, you are saved by Grace. But you can still choose it. That’s why the devil wants to still label you. Name any sin – if you’ve done that, the devil will try to label you as that - so he can permanently extend the guilt that comes with any poor choice you make. Certainly guilt comes with sin, cause you are guilty, you did it. But if we confess any sin, now that we are in Christ, and repent (think differently - “No, it’s not ok, it’s sin.") confess it and turn from it, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness (I John 1:9). We know that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God - (Romans 3:23) His standard of holiness (the moral and ethical adherence to God’s standard). We were born with a sinful nature. That’s why you don’t have to teach a child how to disobey their Mommy and Daddy, they just do it naturally. They climb the stairs when you told them not to, they sneak a cookie when they know they need to ask permission first. Who taught them that? It comes naturally. Our nature is to sin, to be selfish, to instinctively want to choose wrong, instead of right, man’s way (the way that seems right, or the way that we know is wrong. but we think it will feel good), instead of God’s way (that is good, and feels good forever). Sin is deceptive because it’s only a fleeting temporary pleasure. That feeling is quickly replaced and overwhelmed by guilt and the separation from God that it causes – along with usually a natural consequence piled on top. So if you run a red light – because no one is around. You will feel guilty, unless you’ve hardened yourself to it – you’ve chosen sin so many times it has seared your conscience (I Timothy 4:2). Next – automatically, it will separate you from God, because He is Holy and righteous, and what you just did – is not. And yes you just hit that oncoming car that you didn’t see, and yes those red flashing lights was the cop that pulled out of the parking lot behind the building or the dirt road behind the trees, and saw the whole thing. That's the natural consequence that you didn't think about. And if the last two didn’t happen this time, the first two did. So what is the remedy? 1st Ask God to forgive you – so your relationship with Him can be restored. Second – make sure everyone is ok, third you can apologize to the cop but it won’t prevent you from getting that ticket, or the court date to appear. And yes, your insurance rates will probably go up. That’s the cost of sin. There are always multiple costs of sin – far more reaching and damaging than you were thinking about – in the heat of the moment - when you decided to run that red light. Sin Sucks. It’s never worth it. Saying 'No" to sin, comes from the grace God gives you to say no - (Titus 2:12). God says He will always give you a way out. (I Corinthians 10:13) The only thing required – is choosing that way out, instead of the cheap temporary thrill of sin. (You’ve got grace for it! – just try it). You will be resisting the devil and He will flee from you – just like God promised (James 4:7). If he’s not fleeing, you’re not resisting, or not resisting enough, or often enough. Move your feet, change scenery, stop looking at the cookie jar, go do something else - clean your room instead! Better yet, do what God told you in PiVAT before dinner, to do in this hour - sinning is not what He told you to do right now! God will give you practical ways to avoid sinning. Celebrate every good choice to distance yourself from it. Tell yourself – "Good job! – I will always turn from sin, because I fear God." “God teach me to fear you, give me an undivided heart to fear your Name." (Psalms 86:11) Call someone and tell them, I’m struggling with this temptation, but I will do what is right – pray for me… Before you know it – the light will turn green, God will provide a better option, you can even pray or praise while you are waiting. So if you choose to sin, God will forgive you when you ask, and then you can choose to use the Grace He has given you – the next time. But don’t let the devil label you as a red-light runner. You did it, but what you did isn't who you are. You are now forgiven, hidden with Christ in God. He’s got you. And by His Grace – you got this! The more you choose grace – that helps you say no to sin, the more unattractive sin becomes. Right choices are always worth it. Always. Praise God – you are a right choice maker! Because Jesus was – 100% - and now you are in Him, and He is in you. Forget what lies behind, and push forward to what lies ahead. God doesn’t think about it, why should you? Praise God – He will take you from here! Go back to PiVAT – get back on His plan for you for today. Always come back to PRISM – He’ll remind you of His love for you – His power and His wisdom for you, the way you should go, and how to do it well. Love you all, dad Love you all, praying for you,
God has victory for you today! Not winning over people (you winning, and others losing). God says our battle is not against flesh and blood (people), but principalities and powers. The enemy’s forces of evil, that try to stop or subvert the good that God is, and the good that He has for you. Victory over your human nature, that is selfish, and tends toward sin, rather than surrender to God’s Word, and walking in His very best for you. It’s our tendency to be deceived by the shiny things of life, that are really worthless, and ignore the best things in life, that are always what God has instructed and established. God has overcoming for you today, growing, getting better, avoiding what is harmful and choosing what is most helpful, fruitful and enjoyable – that will bring significance in your life. Victory is always a choice, you choose it before you experience it. We’re not talking about a will to win, but a choice to follow God’s ways instead of the way that seems right, or that everyone else is doing. Victory always starts with obedience. All victory comes from God. I Corinthians 15:57 – But thanks be to God, who gives us victory through our LORD, Jesus Christ. That means when He is LORD not just Savior, victory comes... if He is directing your life – you can walk in victory. Victory – conquest, the defeat of an enemy in battle. The advantage or superiority gained over spiritual enemies, over passions and appetites, or over temptations, or in any struggle or competition. Your enemy’s plan is simple: keep you from God’s presence (where joy and peace come from), keep you from getting His plans (so you are wasting time with your own, which will never bring what you the joy, peace, success and significance you desire), keep you from His Word – which produces every good thing every time in your life, and keep you from your testimony – what God did when you obeyed... which will help you overcome again. God even tells us what victory is. I John 5:4 – For whoever is born of God, overcomes the world: and this is the victory that overcomes the world, our faith. Faith – believing before you see it. Acting like what God said is true. Trusting what God says – trusting it enough to choose it over what you’d rather do by nature, your old nature. So what victory does God have for you today? Not letting your mind go down a wrong path? Someone says something, and you take it personally, you get offended or upset, is it falling into pride? or the devil tries to get you to beat yourself up over mistakes in the past, that if you have confessed and repented, God has already forgiven? Is it your tendency to do things on your own, without asking for His wisdom or help? Is it letting your mouth run, before you think, or pray about it? Is it falling into old habits of thinking or doing, or not doing, that keeps you stuck where you are at, and prevents you from where God wants to bring you? God has victory for you. It starts with your faith. Believing what God says and doing it. First you have to believe Him, then you’ll act on it and do what He says and teaches. Then just keep going, even if you don’t see the results immediately. The more you choose His way, the easier it gets - victory becomes momentum. You can build your faith by hearing His Word, PRISM will help you! praying in the Spirit, taking the first step of obedience, and praising God for the strength to do it, and the results that are coming in His perfect time. And you can build your faith by hearing the testimony of others. Every choice of victory is worth it! Praying that you will be in His presence in worship today, in His Word which brings victory every time, that you would know His plans for you today even this hour, PiVAT will help you - so you are hearing and doing - so you choose victory every time. And if you ever choose something else – know that you can quickly humble yourself, repent, turn, and choose His best – He will give you grace for it. When you’re forgiven, He doesn’t hold your past choices against you, He gives you grace to choose His best right now! That’s victory! It's what you were destined for! Love you all, dad Love you all, praying for you,
I just love God’s Word – Because God is Supreme not only in power and authority but also in wisdom, His Word contains both things to consider and things to chose. It gives the philosophy, depth and nuance as well as the do it, or not. Sometimes I just appreciate the on or off, 1’s or 0’s. Those things that you don’t ponder, you just do, or not... Fish or cut bait, put up or shut up. God’s Word contains it all, at the right time and the right place for the right season. Proverbs 14:1 – The wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down. One thing God taught me that the devil always does – he’s like the birds trying to steal the seed. When God says something the bird-stealing is our immediate reaction to excuse ourselves from that instruction. It’s the tendency to identify someone else that needs it. Well, I’m not a woman, I’m a man, or I’m a young woman, not a woman yet, or I don’t have a house – I rent… So what? Promises are for those that receive them, sometimes – whether directed specifically to them or not… Like the Phoenician woman, who didn’t have a right to the miracle, Jesus wasn’t preaching to her, but to the children of Israel. The woman who touched the hem of His garment, He was heading to heal someone else. But whatever God says if you apply it to you, will yield the same result. You can get what God has for others too! The wise person builds their house, not just the wise woman. The foolish person tears it down. You are either building or tearing down, erecting or destroying, going forwards or going backwards, making progress or experiencing setback. There is no neutral in life. This doesn’t mean rush ahead, when God isn’t moving yet, but even the resting and waiting on Him... is going forward, not backward. Obeying is always building. Delaying is always tearing down. God is a builder, He never tears down, He builds up. Build – to frame, construct and raise, to unite materials into a regular structure for use or convenience, to increase and strengthen, to cement and knit together; to settle or establish and preserve. The wise person builds, the foolish person tears down, even negligence is tearing down, complaining is tearing down, doubting or saying something different that what God said is tearing down, delayed obedience, which is disobedience is tearing down, insufficient effort, lack of diligence, is tearing down. But words of faith and life, quick and complete obedience, honoring and encouraging, believing the best, working even when you don’t get paid, sharing the credit, and taking responsibility. These are building – raising up. So you are either building or tearing down. God wants you to build. But also be careful what you build, be careful how you build, and be careful who you build with. The foolish build, but the wrong thing, or they build on sand, and when the waves come – whatever they built crashes. The rich fool said I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones. He was building but God said, "You fool, tonight you will die and then who will get what you stored up for yourself." Be careful who you build with – Jehoshophat came into unity with the evil King Ahab, and the entire fleet of ships He spent money on to build in partnership with the wicked, were destroyed and never even set sail. So what are you doing right now? You are either building or tearing down. Is it what God told you to build? If not, it will come to nothing. Who are you building with? Do they fear God? God blesses those who fear Him, those who don't, He doesn't. Be careful, yoke wisely. And how do you build well? Acts 20:32 – Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. God wants to build you first, then build things through you. God’s Word is the key. PRISM is the key to becoming a good builder. Build your faith. For without faith it is impossible to please God. Jude 1:20 But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith praying in the Holy Spirit. A builder with built faith is a great builder. His trust is in the LORD the builder and maker of everything. I Corinthians 3:5 – What, after all is Apollos, and what is Paul? Only servants through whom you came to believe – as the Lord has assigned to each his task. Verse 10 “each one should be careful how He builds. No one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ, and if anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work. So you are building something, you’re either building or tearing down. Praying that you will build today – like the wise, who know what God assigned them to build - remembering the real Builder is Him. Praying you will build and never tear down in your thought and words and actions. Praying that you will build what He has assigned you, and build well - that which will last through the fire. Praying that your faith will grow, your obedience will grow and your understanding will grow so you build on The Rock – so you complete your assignment. And God promises – each one will be rewarded according to his own labor. You’re not building for nothing! Love you all, dad Love you all, praying for you,
I just love God’s Word, simple, practical, honest truth. Matthew 7:16 – "By their fruit you will know them (recognize them). Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes? Or figs from thistles? Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Wow – what a point blank verse. Those kind require assessment. What kind of fruit are you bearing right now? The fruit of righteousness or wickedness? Fruit is what you produce, what comes from you. God’s Word says the fruit of our mouth should be praise and thanksgiving, honor and blessing, and commitment to righteousness. You can’t bear different fruit in your actions than you do in your words. Because your words fill your heart and reflect it. Fruit always starts by what your mouth speaks. Equally, you can’t just switch fruit, if you are bearing one kind, there’s a reason. If you want to change your fruit, you have to change your seed – you have to change what is planted in you, if you want to change what comes from you. And if you are planting good seed, and you don’t see the fruit yet, don’t be discouraged or impatient. The farmer doesn’t sow seed one day, and break out the combine the next day. There is a season between seed and fruit. It's called between harvests. Trust God with the timing, just keep sowing that seed. God said don’t grow weary in well-doing. That’s really well planting. Everything you do is a seed. John 15:4 – Jesus said, I am the vine, you are the branches, He that abideth in me (stays, dwells – a given place, state, relationship) who continues, endures, remains present, tarries, remains in me) will bear much fruit: for without me you can do nothing. I just love how God doesn’t just tell us something, He follows it up with how to do it. verse 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you… (that’s how you abide in Him, that’s where your fruit and your fruitfulness comes from) Makes perfect sense, Jesus is the Word of God, so to have His Words remain in you, means you’re remaining in Him. And since His Word will never not produce something, when His Words remain in you – and come out of you (out of your mouth), you are remaining in Him. Those are the "conditions" that produce good fruit. What are you remaining in today? What occupies your looking, reading, watching, thinking? How much of your thoughts are about what God says and does, rather than what other people are saying and doing. Just like you can tell someone by their fruit. Not just their words, but their actions. You can tell the same about you, as can others. Praying that humility will be your DNA, that PRISM – those five things you can do in God’s Word every day – will be your first and continual choice. Praying that worship - that time in God's Presence will be your priority, that prayer will be your continual conversation today. Praying that Praise will be what comes out of your mouth every time you speak. That your love for God’s Word will grow – that it will shape what you say, so it shapes how you think, what you believe, and what comes out of your mouth, and the fruit that comes from your life. Praying that you will share with someone – what God told you today. That you will remain in His Word so you remain in Him, so what you produce is always life. Love you all, dad Love you all, praying for you,
I just love God’s Word, the written law and love letter of God - to you and me. But I also love that He just talks to you – like you talk to a friend. He asked me a question today. What if everything that came out of your mouth today was praise? What would happen? What kind of day would you have? What kind of life would that build? What kind of day would others around you have – if every word out of your mouth today was praise. When someone said something unkind, all you did was praise. When something broke or fell apart, all you did was praise. When it rained on your parade, all you did was praise. What comes out of your mouth? Most people don’t even think about it, but God tells us. What comes out of your mouth is what is in your heart. It’s the overflow. What if your overflow today was praise? No matter what, first thing, only thing, no complaint, no criticism, no accusation, no doubt, or fret or fear, no opinion, no justification of yourself. What if everything that comes out of your mouth today is praise? Psalms 145:21 - My mouth will speak in praise to the LORD. Let every creature praise His Holy Name forever and ever. Psalms 34:1 – I will bless the LORD at all times, His praise will continually be in my mouth. Numbers 22:38 - … Am I able to speak anything at all? The word that God puts in my mouth, that will I speak. Psalms 40:3 – He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the LORD! Psalms 51:15 – O LORD, open my lips and my mouth will declare your praise. Psalms 63:5 – You satisfy my soul as with the richest foods. My mouth will praise you with joyful lips. Psalms 66:17 – I cried out to him with my mouth; his praise was on my tongue. Psalms 71:15 My mouth will tell of your righteousness and of your salvation all day long though I know not it’s measure. Psalms 119:108 – LORD, please accept my freewill offering of praise, and teach me your judgments. Psalms 89:1 - I will sing of the mercies of the LORD forever; with my mouth will I make known your faithfulness to all generations. Psalm 71:8 – My mouth is filled with your praise all day long. NLT - That is why I can never stop praising you; I declare your glory all day long! What if everything out of your mouth today was praise? Praying that you will try a Praise Day... Nothing but praise. That praise would take over. That the praise that He puts in your mouth will come out. If it does, He’ll give you more. He'll come and live in your day - because He said He inhabits the praise of His people. And when He comes - every good thing comes with Him. Love you all, dad Love you all, praying for you
When I was young, a lot of kids liked Now And Laters - zingy chewy candies in sixteen flavors. I don’t know where they came up with the name, perhaps to sell more candy… but in life, Now and Later rarely go together. It’s usually now or later. You can do it now, or you can do it later. But if you don’t do it now, you’re much less likely to do it later. If you do it later, often it never gets done. Later usually becomes later on tonight, or I’ll do it tomorrow, or I’ll do it ‘one day.’ That diet – one day, that prayer life, ‘one day,’ that college education, ‘one day.’ That needed skillset, ‘one day.’ There’s another danger with now and laters. Many people have things for you now. Things they planned for you, that they need you to do right now. But that doesn’t mean that’s what God wants you to do now. God has things He wants you to do now, in this hour… So you are free to do those things that He has for you later. That’s why PiVAT is so important, and equally important the understanding of PiVAT Maybe…. Praying that you will review both… they are life changing. Many people have their time controlled by other people's wants and desires. But that’s not what God has for you. Life is time, once it’s over its over. Many people spend their time by default, or someone else’s fault. God has plans for you for now and later. Plans to prosper you, not to harm you – to give you hope and a future. God has things for you to do in this hour. That’s why God says – write in a book all the things I have told you. The things He has planned for you for today, for now and for later. That’s where the joy is. If you do the things He has for you now, you’ll know the joy in following His plan – letting Him lead you. He said my yoke is easy and my burden is light. Your plans can only get you what you can come up with… Other people’s plans for you – are for their benefit not yours. But God’s plans for you today and this week are for His glory – and your blessing. There is nothing better than doing what has planned for you now… So you are free to do what He has planned for you later. His plans are good, they are for your good, they will prosper you, and enlarge you, they will advance you and bless you. Troubles come in life, but God’s ways are so much better than what you or others have planned, His plans for you and His ways bring joy, and success, they bring His favor, and they bring fruit. So your life is fruitful! Not fruitless. Meaningful, not meaningless. Praying that now and later, you’ll know exactly what God has for you – that you’ll hang out with Him today, doing what He has planned for you right now, and later. Love you all, dad Love you all, praying for you.
How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. This old saying has an element of truth. Have you ever been discouraged, overwhelmed? Have you ever wondered how you are ever going to get over this hurdle, or out of this ditch. Sometimes life has challenges that are tied to many others. It’s easy to become entrenched. Have you ever wondered how things will ever change? Maybe in your marriage, or your kids, or your job or your career? The devil wants you overwhelmed. Because overwhelmed people never start, they never continue, overwhelmed people quit. Joshua 3:7 – And the LORD said to Joshua, “Today I will begin to exalt you in the in the eyes of all Israel, so they may know that I am with you as I was with Moses." God is faithful, He is with you – no matter what you are facing or stuck in. And there’s a secret in this verse. Today and Begin. God is a God of beginnings, just like He is a God of endings. He has something to begin in you today! Today is a good day to begin! It doesn’t matter if it’s unlikely to be fixed in a day. Today is a day to begin. God will help you. If today is too overwhelming, than this hour is the hour to begin. If an hour is too overwhelming right now. Then for 15 minutes or for the next 5 minutes – I will do the first step that God told me to do. There is power in taking the first step. The ten lepers that were healed. Jesus spoke – they obeyed, and as they went – their healing came. The best thing to do about overwhelming things – is ask God what the first 5 minutes looks like, or the first 15 minutes? And just do that. Learn to celebrate the first step – the first step of obedience. Then God will give you grace for the next step. Just 5 minutes or 15 minutes or one hour today. And tomorrow the same. Let God bring momentum to your mountains. Let Him bring progress to your deliverance. Sometimes God sets you free all at once. Sometimes God takes you on a journey that every step brings more freedom. Every little act of obedience brings joy, and overflows to the next step. Praying that PiVAT today – will direct your steps. That you will take just a few minutes with Him, to get His PiVAT for you for this week. Praying that you will never be overwhelmed with anything you face, or that’s facing you. Because compared to the God you serve, this mountain is nothing. It’s just a word away – from being cast into the sea. It’s just one obedience away from being of no consequence any longer. Praying that you will learn to obey today, just the first five minutes - and take joy in the journey. That your mouth with declare your action, His praise, and His promise. Love you all, dad Love you all, praying for you.
I just love God’s Word, it’s so simple. God breaks it down. Sometimes you just have to ask, and He will answer you. Matthew 7:24 – Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. God’s simple. Two things, not even three or four, you could forget, or mix up the order. This is simple. Two things. First – hear, Second – obey – put it into practice. Do what you hear. Do it now! I love that it says put it into practice, not put it into perfection. It’s not perfect the first time you do it. It’s practice. The more you do it, the better you get. You don’t obey perfectly the first few times, you obey imperfectly and He perfects it, He completes it. He gives you the fullness of understanding and the fullness of the fruit that comes with it. Many find it hard to hear – because they are never within earshot. If they get a preacher once a week, that’s pretty much it. That’s why PRISM is so important – that habit of those five things you can do every day in God’s Word. The more you put yourself in earshot, in position to hear – the more you hear. Then the preacher doesn’t tell you something new, He just confirms what God has been telling you all week. And the more you hear – the more opportunity you have to practice putting it into practice. No thing is too little. No thing is too insignificant. Not "I’ll get to it later." Do it now, immediately! That’s how you grow in it. You can’t get better at obeying without getting better at hearing. And you get better at hearing, but putting yourself in earshot, in position to hear what God is speaking – to you. Praying that PRISM will be a consuming fire, a life’s pursuit, where you get so good at hearing that you can get just as good at obeying. So how do you put it into practice? First speak it. Put what He says in your mouth, on your tongue and it will get put in your heart. Speak it into the atmosphere, speak it over you. Declare that you will do it right now – and do it right now! Putting it into practice is not just the doing of this thing, but the habit of doing the first thing you hear from Him! Speak it, Do it, and give your testimony about it. When you hear and do, God does something too. That’s the testimony that comes from hearing and obeying. It’s how you overcome – it’s how you make ‘putting it into practice,’ your lifelong practice. Praying that PRISM has you hearing, that PiVAT has you obeying, and your Daily Call has you testifying your overcoming. Praying that you get really good at these top two. Everything else will follow, all the good, all the blessing, all the promise, all the reward, all the joy, all the hope… The top two are there for a reason, so you build your house on a rock, that firm foundation that is Jesus Christ, so you walk in all the good that He has stored up for those who fear Him. Love you all, dad Love you all, praying for you.
I'm so thankful for God’s Word – it informs us of a different reality. The reality we live in - which is completely different from the reality around us. Some have said to "be like a duck." Their feet may be going like crazy under the water, but they are calm above the surface. Actually Jesus is just the opposite, He’s calm on the inside and the outside, when things are going crazy all around him. He’s taking a nap in the storm, and when the panicked disciples go and wake him – their stress level through the roof - "Teacher, don’t you care that we’re going to drown?" All Jesus did was stand up and say to the wind – “Peace, Be still” and the wind stopped, and the waves died down and it was calm again. All the storm, all the drama, all the stirring, completely gone, vanished, disappeared, as if nothing ever happened. That is the reality you live in as a truster – in Jesus Christ. The wind and the waves may crash, but you can sleep in the stern of the boat. Others are panicking all around you, the fire alarm has been pulled, the mayday has gone out, the panic button has been pushed - but you know the One who speaks to the wind, who tells the waves to calm down, to tells the mountains to be removed, who tells the dead to come to life. Your reality is completely different than the situation you are in. His Word is the final say, not all the voices around you, not the wind or the waves or the mountain, or even the dead. His Word is the final say, and His Word is for you. Praying that His Word will be your loudest voice, because that’s the voice you listen to the most. Praying that PRISM will remind you of your reality. That it will be your go to, and your go back to. That Praise will be the first thing you do. Praying that you will remember whose voice and whose Word, and whose authority is the only thing that matters. Praying that you will rest in the storm, that you will listen for His voice, no more paddling, that you will ignore the other voices, that what He says – is what you say, and what He promises is what you believe. Praying that you will seek Him for wisdom for this moment, and this season, If you ask – He will surely answer and give you all the wisdom you need - without holding back. Love you all, dad |
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