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Faith is a Tool. But You Need to Know the Other Side. – Part Two

Gary Keesee • Feb 06, 2018

Initially, after Drenda and I made the commitment to really learn how the Kingdom of God operated, I was still driving a very old, rusted-out, heap-of-a-mess van that would fill the whole road with white smoke when I started it up.

It was embarrassing.

I was so ashamed of that van that I would park it around the corner and walk to clients’ houses. But one night, this particular client followed me out the door.

No way was I starting the van in front of him.

I got in the van, but I wasn’t going to start it and have it sputter and kick out smoke in front of him. So, I just sat there with the window down, talking to him.

But he just kept standing there.

Awkward.

I knew I had to start the car. And, sure enough, like usual, the whole road filled with white smoke. Well, that client just so happened to be a part-time mechanic. He checked the engine and told me what was wrong with it. He said, “Just drive it home and get it fixed.”

Easy for him to say.

What that client didn’t know was that, before I met with him, I had received a call from an attorney who told me I had three days to get him $1,900 or he was filing a lawsuit against me.

Three days.

We had no money for groceries, let alone a lawsuit or a head gasket. We were broke.

So, there I was driving back to my office, and I was talking to the Lord. We had just made the commitment to really learn how the Kingdom of God operated, and I felt stuck. I said, “Lord, I can’t pay this van off. I can’t fix it. I don’t know. Maybe it would be better if it just burned up. I don’t know, Lord!”

Seconds later, I noticed a little bubble rising up on the hood of the car. Minutes later, the whole thing was on fire.

Yes, FIRE!

It only took a few minutes for the fire department to arrive, but it was too late.

The insurance company paid the van off, thankfully. We even had some extra money to pay for groceries and to pay the attorney.

I’ve shared that story many times to illustrate the Kingdom and the power of your words, but there’s an extra detail that I don’t always include: I just so happened to read over my insurance policy.

The insurance policy said we didn’t have to pay the $500 deductible if the damage to the vehicle was caused by fire.

Yep, you read that right.

So, what do you think I did? Do you think I just said, “Oh, well. The insurance company knows what they’re doing. I don’t need that $500.”

No. I took action. I let the insurance adjustor know what the policy said, and they ended up giving us back our deductible.

Getting my deductible back from the insurance company required more than faith. I had to do something; I had to take action.

In Matthew 17, Peter went to Jesus and told Him he needed to pay their taxes. Jesus didn’t tell Peter to “just have faith” to pay their taxes. No, Jesus gave Peter very specific instructions on how to get the money to pay their taxes. He had to go catch a fish and look in its mouth for the coin.

Getting the money to pay their taxes required more than faith. Peter had to do something. He had to act and act quickly.

See, God presents us with opportunities. That’s what He does. It’s our responsibility to have faith for those opportunities and to take advantage of them quickly when they come.

If you’re going to run your race with Him, you’re going to have to have faith, but you’re also going to have to be proactive and prepared and ready to do something.

As a friend of this ministry, there’s so much more I want to share with you about this!

Click on this blog’s offer to get your copy of my brand-new mentorship series, The Other Side of Faith, my new book, Your Financial Revolution: The Power of Rest , and your special bonus!

5 Steps to Release the Kingdom in Your Life

By Gary Keesee • 10 Apr, 2024
Reading Time 2 mins 13 secs – In John 6, we read the story of Jesus feeding 5,000 people with five loaves of bread and two fish. Do you know it? It’s where we see Jesus teaching the disciples how to release the Kingdom of God into the earth realm. Basically, a large crowd was following Jesus, listening to Him teach, and watching Him perform miracles. It got to a point where the people needed to eat, and Jesus asked the disciples what they planned to feed the people. Of course, Jesus knew the disciples would freak out. They couldn’t feed 5,000 people. In fact, they started talking about how it would take more than half a year’s wages to buy just a bite for that many people. Jesus was teaching the disciples, and He was teaching us— the Kingdom of God has all the answers you need . How can you release the Kingdom of God into your life? Here are the five steps Jesus took. 1. Look at what you have. Jesus asked the disciples what they had to feed the people. What do you have in your life that you can give God to work with? Jesus multiplied bread into bread and fish into fish. What do you need multiplied in your life? Find some of it. That’s your seed. Also, remember that money can be named. You don’t sow money to believe for more paper or digital money. Money represents your life and can be named to be the thing you need multiplied. 2. Make sure you’re in faith. “To have faith is to be sure of the things we hope for, to be certain of the things we cannot see” (Hebrews 11:1, GNT). You have to know how to judge whether or not you’re in faith. How? Do you have the right picture? When you close your eyes, what do you see? Do you see yourself with the thing you’re believing for? Can you defend your position? Why do you believe it? Prove it! Because you can be sure that between the “Amen” and the “There it is!” the enemy is going to contend for it, so you better be able to defend it. Do you have joy, expectancy, and peace? Are you in agreement with your spouse? 3. Confess over what you have, and release it in faith. Be specific. Say exactly what you’re believing for and release the seed to God. 4. Get the plan from God. Be ready for new direction, new ideas, and new concepts by revelation from the Holy Spirit. Carry a notepad and a pen. Write everything down. 5. Act quickly! When God gives you the plan, MOVE! It’s wise to have counselors and get wisdom, but you need to act swiftly on any direction you receive from the Holy Spirit.

Want Growth and Success? Here Are 10 Steps to Help Take You There

By Gary Keesee • 13 Mar, 2024
Reading Time 2 mins 34 secs – How can you make sure you’re equipped for the growth coming your way this year? Here are my 10 steps to posture yourself for opportunity and success. 1. Ask yourself how you’re handling your current responsibilities. Don’t run from your responsibilities. No matter where you are or what you’re doing, you should be a success. People will still see the evidence of God even if you think you’re in the wrong spot. 2. Detox your life of the things that keep you from having time to think. We live in a fast-paced world. There are plenty of things that can keep you distracted. But it’s in the moments that you stop to think that you’ll find ways to solve problems, and that’s where the opportunities are. So figure out what is consuming your time. Start saying no to some things. Find time to think. 3. Don’t hang around people who are always losing. I know people hit rough spots, but if the people in your life are chronically losing, it’s time to expand your circle. Hang around people who are better than you are, who don’t see things as impossible, and who have vision. It may be uncomfortable for you, but their influence will cause you to think differently. 4. Write down EVERY idea that you have, no matter how strange it seems. Most people filter opportunities and ideas through what they perceive their ability to be. This means most people discard ideas by the dozens because they don’t think they can do them. But God isn’t limited to what you know how to do. The ideas He gives you might seem so weird to you that you can’t process them fully. Write them down so you have time to think about them. 5. Research. Research. Repeat. You don’t need to know how to do something; you need to know how to learn how to do it. Research until you find what you’re looking for. 6. Count the cost before you jump. A lot of Christians hear God and jump out too soon, resulting in catastrophe. There are seasons for everything. God will prepare you for where He wants you to go. Be patient. 7. Always be in agreement with your spouse. Never, ever march out into battle without your spouse being in total agreement and your faith aligned. 8. Ask God for direction. Ask Him to help you, to show you where to go, and what to do. And always remember that prophecy from other people shouldn’t lead you; it should only confirm what God has already said to you. 9. Commit to never quit. Quitting is not an option. Once you’ve moved, don’t move again until God speaks to you. Stay with it. Walk it out. Don’t quit. So many people have so much potential, but they get uncomfortable and they quit. If you want to win, you should always be stretching. 10. Get ready to embrace bigger things. Your ability to see the big picture will keep growing as you change and grow on the inside. You’ll pick up on even more opportunities. For more principles, check out this FREE video on success.

The Consequences of Strife: Why You Should Never Allow It in Your Life

By Drenda Keesee • 14 Feb, 2024
Reading Time 2 mins 59 secs – A stuffed toy laid in the road at the scene of the accident. As we passed, the Lord spoke to me, “ Okay, this is your last warning. Are you going to continue this? You know you are opening the door to the enemy.” Gary and I had had a disagreement just before we had left the house for our family road trip. And there we were six hours in and we’d barely said a word to one another. Six hours. You think driving from Ohio to Tennessee is a long stretch of highway? Try doing it while giving someone the silent treatment. One word: torture. Then we passed the accident. Gary and I both felt the same conviction when we passed it, especially because it clearly involved children. But... pride. We knew what we were doing wasn’t good. (What kind of example is it to your children to ignore each other?) But neither of us wanted to lay down our pride. I kept hearing the voice of the Lord, and I’d think, No, I’m not going to fix this thing, because then I’ll have to talk to him. It was almost a competition to see who could hold our grudge for the longest. But strife is dangerous stuff. What is strife? Drama, conflict, friction, disagreement, bickering, arguing, bad blood, disputes… whichever words you use to describe it, it’s dangerous. Whether it’s between you and your spouse, you and your child, you and a friend, you and a family member, or you and a coworker, you don’t want to let strife remain in your life. The Bible says that where there is strife, there is confusion and there is every evil work (James 3:16). Our small argument between Gary and I had gone unchecked and had escalated, and neither one of us were listening to the voice of the Lord. And there were consequences for our strife and outright disobedience. About an hour after we passed the accident, a car pulled out in front of our vehicle, and we were in what could have been a very serious car accident. I started yelling the name of Jesus, and God supernaturally protected our entire family. Initially, it looked as though there were going to be serious issues. They told us our son’s spleen might rupture. I was pregnant, and the doctors worried that I might lose the baby. Through all of these things, we stood on the Word of God, and we all came out unharmed, including the young preacher’s son who had pulled out in front of us (he was in disobedience at that moment too). Even in the midst of this difficult situation, through our prayers, standing on God’s Word, and our children’s words to the medical personnel, we had opportunities to minister and impact the little county hospital we had to visit. The enemy tried to take us out, but he lost. We were responsible for opening the door to the enemy. But the name of Jesus is more powerful than our mistakes and circumstances, and that is what kept us protected. You MUST stay on guard and not allow strife in your life, with anyone. How? Here are just three quick tips: Bite your tongue. You don’t have to say everything you think. Don’t lash out or give the silent treatment. Work on communicating with others in a healthy way. Repent quickly and forgive quickly. Take responsibility; admit when you’re wrong. Say you’re sorry and ask for forgiveness. Don’t hold onto hurts. Forgive as you’ve been forgiven by Jesus.
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