Tag Archives: God

Simplify

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sim·pli·fy (ˈsimpləˌfī) Verb – Make (something) simpler or easier to do or understand.

I have been focusing in my last two blogs on casting the cares and not being carriers of them. We are still going to be on that same path even with the title I chose this week.

1 Peter 5:7 (AMP) “Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully.”

The word “care” – Merimna (Strongs #3308) from meiro “to divide” & noos, “the mind”. The word denotes distractions, anxieties, burdens, & worries. Merimna means to be anxious about daily life.

So now that we have done that little word study, let’s move forward with this thought to simplify even deeper. When I talk about simplifying, we could actually take that in so many different ways. It could be in how we are looking at things or how we complete a started task or project. To others it might mean lightening the loads of life. Honestly, the true meaning of simplifying one’s life, is found in them and them alone. We can seek the help of others and we can read all the self help books that are written, but until we first find ourselves, nothing else can eternally be done.

I love Matthew 6:33 (AMP) “But seek (aim at and strive after) first of all His kingdom and His righteousness (His way of doing and being right), and then all these things taken together will be given you besides.”

The focus is to seek the Kingdom and via that journey, we find His ways. When we find His ways, we too then can find our way and by Grace we can complete His calling for our lives. Life was never meant to be complicated, but by decisions made, it becomes that way. By decisions, we can now simplify that which was made complicated. HOW? By casting the cares, anxieties, burdens, and worries that so easily complicate daily life, if we allow it to.

Please leave your thoughts below.

Kingdom Thinking Recap for the week of December 3rd.

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Prasie the Lord for His Mercy truly does endure FOREVER!!!

I simply can’t praise the Lord enough to thank Him for the life He has given me.

I pray your week was blessed but no matter how blessed it was, the best is yet to come!

I pray that the Kingdom Thinking post from last week will echo in your heart and mind and that daily you truly are Kingdom thinkers.

Kingdom Thinking: Stop focusing on what you don’t have but focus instead on what God has blessed you with. Create a thankful list for daily review.

Kingdom Thinking: Never chase a pay check but instead seek first the Kingdom & then obey the direction. Matt 6:33

Kingdom Thinking: DO NOT let need dictate your dreams. Phil 4:19

Kingdom Thinking: The greatest adventure novel ever should be the one you live every day.

Kingdom Thinking: Simplify!!!

The art of learning to cast…

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The art of learning to cast

 

I had a gentleman last week propose a suggestion on my blog post that prompted this week’s post. The suggestion in a nutshell was to tell people “how to cast” and not just telling them “to cast”. Have you ever been to a service or meeting and heard a teaching that just seemed so right but never quite made it home? Well I have!!!! In areas of grace, finances, health, or even relationships, I find teachings that have a great start but they never make the full circle of bringing it home to really be applicable in one’s life. I never want to do that here with the Kingdom Thinking Blog.

So how do you learn to cast? I’m sure any true fisherman would tell you that you can’t just grab a pole and start throwing. There is a seeking of the perfect rod and reel and then the perfect line and finally to the lure and then patiently taking the time to learn and grow. Well honestly, there are some great Kingdom principles in that. God has fully supplied all the tools you need to live a Kingdom life to the fullest; not in just one area of your life, but in every area. BUT, you have to take those tools and patiently study them and allow them to become a part of your life so that you can use them as designed. As a fisherman, you are daily perfecting your casting skills through seeking Him in the Word and trusting Him in your actions.

So how do you cast the cares that so easily weigh you down? First, you must take your eyes off of the cares and get your eyes on Him. When I say “get your eyes on Him”, it is not a reference of looking at a physical man but instead to do as He said in the Word. Matthew 6:33 AMP “But seek (aim at and strive after) first of all His kingdom and His righteousness (His way of doing and being right), and then all these things taken together will be given you besides.” You cannot be the carrier of a problem and a seeker of the Kingdom at the same time. As you seek the Kingdom, you are actually seeking God and as you seek Him you find a peace that truly does surpass all understanding if you allow what you read to seed in you.

Getting back to the fisherman; as long as they are simply carrying the tools of a fisherman and not using them, they will never find themselves in that place to get the perfect catch. It is the same for you; until you let go of the baggage you are carrying, you will never really find yourself in a place of growth and increase. God has so much for you and to live a life not partaking of them is like paying for your dream car or home, but never being able to enjoy them. Here are couple of great casting scriptures to fill your tackle box with:

1 Peter 5:7 (AMP) Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully.

Psalms 55:22 (AMP) Cast your burden on the Lord [releasing the weight of it] and He will sustain you; He will never allow the [consistently] righteous to be moved (made to slip, fall, or fail).

And as you cast, you are perfected by the completed works of Christ at the Cross. Psalms 138:8 (AMP) The Lord will perfect that which concerns you; Your mercy and loving-kindness, O Lord, endure forever–forsake not the works of Your own hands.

I will close with this; a very close friend of mine just texted me with a thought as I was writing this post. This text was perfectly timed because it talked about Galatians 6:2 (AMP) “Bear (endure, carry) one another’s burdens and troublesome moral faults, and in this way fulfill and observe perfectly the law of Christ (the Messiah) and complete what is lacking [in your obedience to it].” Now you must ALL know that when you read the words “the law of Christ” that you are reading about the love of Christ. He is not telling you to carry one another’s baggage, but instead to be carriers of a love for others; a love so great that you can’t stand to see them not whole and complete.

So it’s time to cast from you all the heaviness of life and reel in the fullness of His peace that passes all of your natural understanding. There is no bigger catch!

Kingdom Thinking – Week of November 26th

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Can you say MERRY CHRISTMAS????

I can’t believe that December is here and Christmas and a brand new year are just around the corner. But it’s true and so what do we do? We take this month and make it the best of 2012 and the launching pad for 2013.

The purpose of the Kingdom Thinking blog is to help bring Kingdom Reality to a lost world that truly has no hope without Jesus. So many think they don’t need Him or they can live with a foot in the world and a foot in the Kingdom, but we know how this will workout for them…. BAD!!!!

I pray that last week’s daily post will be a blessing to you in some way and please feel free to share them with all you know.

So away we go!!!!

Kingdom Thinking: Complaining moves no mountains….

Kingdom Thinking: Victory & defeat start in our thoughts but manifest through our words. Prov. 18:21

Kingdom Thinking: If you are able to read this post, then it’s not too late! No better time than NOW for a fresh start and new beginning.

Kingdom Thinking: Don’t be as the nine lepers in Luke 17, but instead give God continual praise for ALL He has done for you!

Kingdom Thinking: Release yesterday to history and do not relive it!

Well that’s it for now, but I know God has some rich Kingdom thoughts for next week.

So eyes up and keeping moving forward for the best is yet to come!

Cast or Carry

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If you have ever gone fishing, you know that there is no catch without first casting. When fishing, as you cast, there becomes a potential to increase.

As a Christian living a Kingdom life, it actually works much the same. As you cast the cares, you create the environment of growth and increase. You are told in the Word, to cast every care. You are not created to carry the load of life; but instead, to cast it over onto the only one that can. Actually, every weight of life has been fully carried and hung on the cross so as you cast it off, you are receiving what Jesus gave His life for.

You must realize that carrying creates a drag, while casting lightens you up to go forth towards your full potential.

Today you must make the decision to cast off that which has been trying to slow you down.

Life has the potential for curves and pot holes and detours, but it’s up to you how you handle them.

So together let’s start casting and reeling in the greatest prize catch ever!

So have you been a caster or a carrier?

Leave your thoughts on this below.

YOU

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Have you ever set back and thought about the “you” that you are? I have, along with questions like, “How did I get here?” and better yet, “How do I get out of the here I’m in now?”

The “who we are” is defined by “Who we know”. Notice I said who and not what! So much of the time, society bases the who by a what, but that is a recipe for failure and defeat if I have ever heard of one.

I had lived a life up until November 1991, filled with failure and much because of what I knew. I could have written the book on ‘stupid’ back then and enjoyed reading it over and over. But because of a young lady and an introduction to my Lord and Savior, my life became redefined by a who and no longer a what.

Now that does not mean life changed completely, because the young lady later became my wife and she would tell you that I spent many more years of finding me in Him and Him in me. Over the last few years, I have been on a personal journey defining for myself the Kingdom of God according to His Word and not via the opinion of man. This is where the Kingdom Thinking blog was birthed; however, I feel that it is the journal of my journey in Kingdom revelation, and I am just sharing it with those that will listen.

Today, who am I? Well, I’m glad you asked. I am one half of the CEO leadership team of Living Water Teaching Ministries International http://www.livingwaterteaching.org . I have traveled coast to coast as well as Internationally, ministering and teaching. I share this position with my best friend; my wife, Debbie. We have walked out the good with the bad and we have dealt with family loss in a way that no one else should have to. I have discovered that most CEO’s have no idea what their titles stand for, but we do. It stands for “serving above all” and this is not found hiding behind a desk; but instead, leading the charge to change so that others can find the real YOU they are destined for!

So who am I is not as important as Whose I am! I am a Kingdom Kid of the most high God. Beyond that, I’m a best friend to the most beautiful lady in the world. I am husband to the most awesome kids ever birthed. I am the CEO of a ministry that has seen over 700,000 come to Christ and graduated over 33,000 Bible School students Internationally. I am a minister to the lost and a teacher to the found. I am a Kingdom coach, helping others find their way out of a dark place into a place called there. I am a man God can and is using to bring Kingdom clarity to all that will listen. I am a entrepreneur, a lover of the outdoors and a lover of life itself. I am all of these and much more because of the Whose I am forever more.

So who are you? I would love to hear your thoughts below. And if you need a guide on your journey, drop me a line to keiths@lwtusa.org and let’s take a Kingdom trip together to find the answers to the real who that you were created to be.

Kingdom Thinking Recap week of November 5th

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I am posting this from the beautiful country of Guatemala.

After an election that did not go the way I thought it would, I was amazed at all the words that flowed forth; words with no faith, and filled with doubt and unbelief. I could see too many Christians with their eyes on man
and not on God.

We have got to trust in God first and foremost and as the Word says:
“casting every care”. We are not made to be carriers but instead casters of the things of life. So right now, make a decision to cast every care and put your eyes on Him once and for all. The purpose of Kingdom Thinking, is to bring Kingdom revelation to the body of Christ.

I pray that as you read through last week’s thoughts, you get a refreshing and re-firing for the new week that is just around the corner.

Kingdom Thinking: Decide today to not be your own source and let God be. It’s first a decision, then an action.

Kingdom Thinking: Your Kingdom success will not be decided at the polls today but was decided over 2,000 years ago on the cross.

Kingdom Thinking: If our eyes are on God then we have nothing to fear!

Kingdom Thinking: At the fiery furnace, their trust in God screamed out louder than the natural power of fire! How loud is your trust in Him?

Kingdom Thinking: We must realize as Kingdom Kids that right living is corrupted by wrong words.

Debbie and I would love to hear from you, so feel free to post your comments, thoughts and praise reports below.

Eyes Up!!!

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When I think about an Air Force fighter pilot, I can’t imagine their focus is on anything other than complete victory and the taking down of their enemy. They have to rely on their talents and tools to fulfill the mission.

The same is true with you; you have been fully equipped with ALL you could ever need to live each day in full victory no matter how the battle may look. I just read Psalms 121 again, but this time it ignited within me. Let’s look at it together.

Psalm 121:1-8 KJV “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth. He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber. Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is thy keeper: the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand. The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul. The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.”

The following are thoughts that came to mind as I read this:
V:1 hills, refers to hills of Zion & Jerusalem which was seen as the dwelling place of God.
V:3 Hebrew word for “keeps” (preserves) is used 6 times which emphasizes the care of God.
V:6 sun & moon represents His 24 hours a day protection over us.
V:7 we are preserved – not that things won’t come but that we can go through them in assured victory. 1 Cor 15:57
V:8 the keeping power of God sustains us 1 Thes 5:23

We must be like that fighter pilot and know who we are and use the equipment we have been given. From Genesis to Revelations, we get Kingdom Revelation of who we are and how to use the equipment that we have been given to live in complete and total victory.

So “eyes up” and be extreme about this day and all that you do for Him!

Please feel free to leave your thoughts, and/or comments below or e-mail me directly at keiths@lwtusa.org .

Kingdom Thinking Thoughts & Ministry Update for the Week October 29th

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I know this is late, but I still needed to post last week’s Kingdom Thinking Recap and ministry update.
 
Debbie and I are preparing to leave this week for Guatemala for our International Directors meetings and also a seminar, along with our Bible Institute Graduation.  This is a highlight each year, as we see new Kingdom warriors step out and into their calling fully equipped with the essential Kingdom tools for discipling a lost and thirsty world.
 
We are already preparing and scheduling for 2013 meetings and if you would be interested in having us at your church, ministry, business, school, etc., then send us an e-mail and we can get you all the details to make this happen.
 
Here is a recap of last week’s Kingdom Thinking Thoughts.  I pray each one comes alive in you as you read them.

Monday – Kingdom Thinking:  Money is much like a hammer.  It’s simply a tool to fulfill a task. 

Tuesday – Kingdom Thinking:  No matter what level of success you attain, NEVER forget Who your true supplier really is. 

Wednesday – Kingdom Thinking:   It’s not IF God will supply any & all your needs, but that He already has supplied them.

Thursday – Kingdom Thinking:  Faith is what you know but trust is the action.  Faith & trust – the twin towers of change for this day. 

Friday – Kingdom Thinking:  God makes impossibilities, possibilities for His kids. 

Debbie and I would love to hear from you with your questions, comments, prayer requests and/or testimonies. We pray you have a truly blessed day and week in all that you put your hands to do!

Kingdom Living, Kingdom Giving

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Let’s talk about MONEY!!!! MONEY, MONEY, MONEY…. I think you get the picture =)

Money is for sure a hot topic. How can I make more, spend less and last but not least, how much should I tithe/sow? If any one topic has been talked about more than most, I would say this is it, both from a Christian perspective and also from a worldly perspective. Marriages are destroyed, businesses are lost, and friendships are sunk because of this one topic.

Now I say this with a great deal of boldness; seeing how the world has done it, shows nothing long term. I can read one day about a company reaching billionaire status, only to read a short time later that it has gone bankrupt. But “go figure”, anything built on a selfish, greed based concept cannot last the tides of time. People are blinded daily by these well dressed sharks on TV and Radio that promise you “3 steps to wealth” if you send them $300. First, most of the time their wealth is made via the $300 people are sending in and not from the crazy idea they cooked up while sitting at home, just like the one who is sending them their $300. If it is a quick route, run the other way!!!

The best way to attain wealth and one with eternal success, assurance, and promise, is in the Bible. I read “give and it shall be given” and “seek first the Kingdom” and I find myself on a path to success like no other. By Kingdom design we were created to be givers. A great example is like a farmer; he sows his seed and that seed brings forth a harvest. The world says “take” while the Bible says “give”. The entire worldly system is based on a “What can I get from you?” mentality. Think about it, the government cannot make it without your support. The guy on the TV with the next get rich quick scheme, can’t get by without your money. But by Kingdom design, God’s system of increase is based purely on sowing and reaping a multiplied harvest. You can read back through history at some of the greatest millionaires and billionaires and they were seed sowers. They knew the power of the seed sown into good ground produced a bountiful harvest.

Many reading this blog have tried the phone cards, real estate, and I could just keep listing the schemes of man. However, I can open the Bible and see by kingdom design how we were created to prosper. The Bible talks about your prosperity more than any other topic. The design for increase is so that others may increase and not that we become a hoarder of the harvest.

So I want to challenge you, start searching the Bible and make note of what it says about your increase and you will notice a pattern. Kingdom increase is just that. It is made to increase the Kingdom and by that, all will finally hear the good news about our Jesus and we simply get to enjoy the reward of it.
I pray God’s richest over you and all you put your hands to do!