Monthly Archives: November 2009

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Moving On

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IDOK DEVOTION FOR MONDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2009

I am wondering where to begin tonight.  It’s 9:24 PM and this day as we might say is ‘far spent’.  We are about out of minutes for Sunday, November 22, 2009 and when this day passes we will not see it again.  What is done is done and it cannot be undone.  We can learn and move on.  Praise God we can learn and move on!! Anything less will make us miserable.  So if today (yesterday, most likely by the time you read this) there have been happenings or words that you would like to snatch back, grieve not too long; lay them to rest in the capable arms of Jesus and move on to a new day.  Move on with a fresh load of mercy.  Move on with a clean heart before Him. Move on with new courage to make amends if that is His instruction.  Move on with fresh knowledge.  Move on knowing His grace is sufficient even for this.
Lamentations 3: (New King James Version)
22 Through the LORD’s mercies we are not consumed,
      Because His compassions fail not.
       23 They are new every morning;
      Great is Your faithfulness.
       24 “ The LORD is my portion,” says my soul,
      “ Therefore I hope in Him!”
John 16: (Amplified Bible)
33 I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace and confidence. In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration; but be of good cheer [take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted]! For I have overcome the world. [I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.]
2 Corinthians 12: (New King James Version)
8 Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. 9 And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
Deuteronomy 31: (New American Standard Bible)
 6″Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble at them, for the LORD your God is the one who goes with you He will not fail you or forsake you.”
Praise Reports and Prayer Requests
I learned tonight of a young woman named Tammy whose Mother passed away Wednesday; Tammy is presently in Tennessee laying to rest the body of her beloved mother; she needs our prayers.  And another named Mrs. Page, a woman of strength, a woman loved and in need of our prayers.  She is undergoing surgery this Monday morning for removal of cancer cells.
ABBA, thank You that we can move on from disappointments; thank You that we can be forgiven and move on from our sins, to practice holiness.  Thank You that we can learn and obtain mercy and courage to go again and not just on the same plane but step up and up and up from glory to glory in You.  Thank You. We join together now to pray for Tammy and her family as they grieve.  We pray their mourning will be seasoned with sweet memories and even holy laughter as they give You praise for the years with her.  We pray for Mrs. Page and this surgery that it will be textbook perfect; we pray for her recovery; we pray for her to overcome this cancer and live to give You glory and praise. We pray for Vanessa, for treatments to be affective and for her to be made whole.  We continue to pray for Claudia and all that she has put her hands to do since Doug’s passing from here to there and ask that You give her strength and comfort.  And not just these only but each one listed here, we pray You will take special interest in them and they will know in their heart of hearts that You are for them and not against them.  We pray for our IDOK Troops for their protection and safety in spirit, soul and body and for safe returns home for each of them.  Thank You for houses of worship we have attended today and thank You for meeting us there.  Thank You for meeting with us here too and I pray for each of our IDOKs that You will rest and refresh them; infuse them with courage and grace and hope and more love for You and Your Word than they have known before.  Amen and Amen.
A Specific Unspoken.
Unspoken Requests – situations so close you can only speak to Father about.
Children and/or Grandchildren about whom Moms (& Dads) are concerned that their salvation profession may not be true. 
Tammy and family.  Ms. Page.  Donald N.  Vanessa. W.C. and family. Mary M.  Danny and Tina. Ken and Della.  Art and Sula.  Rudon.  Kelly C. Henry P.  Dana and Joey and Children.  Tracey M. Vicki and Bob.  Brady and Chloe.  Patti and family.  Joyce, John & children.  Sparky.  Sean.  Susan R.  Kay B.  Rusty & Romney.  Johnny McK and family.  Katie H.  Amber Johns. Joe-Ann. Vickie and Family. Dennis and Lisa J. Jack. Melanie and Jay M. Susanne M. Alice T. Elaine W and Family. Joni and Todd. Roy and Julee. Glenn R and his family. Holly. Donald 2. Ed G. Debra B. Jon E. Brian. Donald 1. Loyce McM. DeLois. Mollie B. Marzelle. KC. Neolle T. Mary F. MH and J. Caleb and his family – Rob, Vaughn, Whitaker and Donoghue. Dora. Mattie. Brenda and her family. Joshua A. Kim T and her parents. Martha McC. Tamra and Family. Susie.  Rachel and family. Joe and Rose. Darlene’s Sister, Leona. Tammy B and Family. Brian T. Ricky M. Linda and Family. Joe. Michael H. Linda W. Debbie W. Natalie. Jacqueline and Sons (River and Jackson). Sandra. Dot B. Julia O. Ann C. Stan and Jowanna and Family. Susan D. Melissa and daughters. Jason A and his mother. Wayne B. Melinda H. Brennan and his family. Joshua. Heather and Brandon. Darlene and Torkel.. Maggie and Family. Katelyn (H). J Lloyd. Janet and Steve. Bay and family. Bill and Judy.  Larry and Claudia and family. Callie. Ruth. Cynthia. Allyson and Glyn and family. Brittney and Kersten and family. Sheila and Andy. Carrie and Rachel and Jacob and family. Chuck. Helen and Dan and family. Jen and Larry and family. Mollie and family. Andrew and Daughters.
Shay and Emma’s Kids (orphanage in Zambia) Ministry
Ryan, Sarah, Josh & Caleb Bedenkop – missionaries in Arizona.
The Ministry of IDOK
The Peace of Israel.
Revival in America.
IDOKs Military Families.
IDOKs Troops (foreign soil) – Ethan. Christopher. Raul. Robert. Billy. Buddy. Mark. Josh W. James. Bryan. Nick. Brant W. Christopher R. Joshua M. Brent. Justin G. Michael K. Bay N. T. Palin. Bobby G. (added 12/16/08) Tommy T. Kyle N(3/09). Jessica D. (4/09) Sgt. Vince Barrientos (5/2009)  Bill H.  (added 9/24/09) Brandon B.
IDOK Troops leaving shortly for foreign soil: Joey H.   10/21/09.
Serving Stateside: Jonathan. Jasmine B. Shaun. Bay. Lee. George. Travis N. Hawk. Justin G. Tommy W.
Injured: Lukas S. (11/30/08)
Military at home, specifically those emotional-spirit wounds that only God and Time can heal – Adam M. Captain Tran. Josh. John L. Drew. Richard M. Matt P.  (added 9/24/09)  
As I post this it is 48°F and Mist in Al Taqaddum, IQ (Airport) and the time is 7:54 AM AST and on November 23, 2009.
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Unpleasant But Necessary

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IDOK DEVOTION FOR FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2009

Luke 9: 51 Now it came to pass, when the time had come for Him to be received up, that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem,
52 and sent messengers before His face. And as they went, they entered a village of the Samaritans, to prepare for Him.
53 But they did not receive Him, because His face was set for the journey to Jerusalem.
54 And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?”
55 But He turned and rebuked them, and said, “You do not know what manner of spirit you are of.
56 For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them.” And they went to another village.
Just a couple observations today – have you noticed that some folks seem to get things done and others don’t?  I think verse 51 gives us some helpful insights.  Notice first with me that Jesus sensed in His Spirit that the time of His crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension was near.  And what did He do?  He set His face to go to Jerusalem; not in a frantic rush but a determined moving forward.  Also, notice that Jesus delegated tasks. In my sanctified imagination, I see Him sending a couple or more folks on ahead of Him to search out and secure a place for them to rest and a place for them to gather with the townspeople.  I think He wanted to go through Samaria on His way to Jerusalem to minister to the people there.  I think He wanted them to hear the Good News from Him. I think He wanted to ‘love on them’ but they were too full of prejudice and hate to receive.  How sad is that?!  And why was this? Because the people of Samaria understood that He would be crossing their countryside in order to get to Jerusalem and that He was a Jewish Rabbi.  I guess we could say this is another time when there was ‘no room in the inn’. 
So it seems to me Jesus knew how to get things done.  And we are blessed to not only learn from Him the principles of getting things done we can also ask Him to help us get things done His Way. 
We can ask Him for the courage and the will to set our faces toward the ‘Jerusalems’ in our lives – those things that are not pleasant, but oh so necessary to be completed. 
And we can learn to enlist others to help. 
And finally, in this journey of life when we happen upon folks who think becoming a Christian is the quickest way to spoil their fun, let’s offer to them Jesus’ own spoken word, making it personal: He did not come to destroy your life but to save it.  And then let us offer them this word too, telling them there is someone who wants to destroy them but it’s not Jesus.  Jesus says in John 10:10: The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
Amen and amen.  Be blessed this weekend, Treasured Ones!
ABBA, we accept this good news with grateful hearts and we pray the treatments will eradicate the leukemia and that in these months ahead Vanessa will find Your Presence, Your Tending of her to be worth it all.   Lord, thank You that You set Your Face to Jerusalem.  Thank You that Your Face is also set to return for us and as surely as You went to Jerusalem as the Sacrifice for us You will return as King to receive us.  This gives us strength and direction and we are grateful.  I ask that You continue to turn this passage in our minds and that we will glean from it every lesson You would have us learn today.  And not only learn but apply it.   Thank You for our IDOK Soldiers and we pray for their safety and protection.  We pray too that each one of them will come home safe and sound at the appointed time.  We pray for Israel, for peace and safety, and for an awakening to You as their Messiah.  I love that That Day will come.   I long for them to love You, Lord Jesus.  And I pray this longing for people to love You will increase to every ‘man’ in me.  Thank You for our IDOKs, come and ‘love on them’ today; make Your Presence known to them in tangible ways today and all weekend.   And call we Your People to Houses of Worship this weekend where You are High and Lifted Up.  Draw the hearts of men and women, boys and girls to Yourself, Lord Jesus, and bless us with the privilege of ‘preaching’ the Gospel in Word and Action.   We bring now as we prepare to close and send this edition to every person listed here; we bring their sweet faces and their troubled, weary, and needy souls to You and we entrust them to You in Your Mighty and Holy, All Sufficient Name. Amen and Amen.
As I post this it is 61°F and Haze in Baghdad, IQ (Airport), and the time is 3:39 PM AST on November 20, 2009.
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Brats Can Be Re-Trained!

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IDOK DEVOTION FOR THURSDAY NOVEMBER 19 2009

Another day of catch up in my Patriarch study and Joseph has been our person on the scene to educate us as to our own nature and the Nature of our God.   In his younger days Joseph, I think, can best be described as a BRAT, but God had a plan and He worked His plan well and Joseph became a man of integrity, honoring God and saving a Nation from death by starvation.  And, no, we have not gotten to all those scenes yet in our study, but I know from previous studies some of the highlights of Joseph’s journey with Jehovah and I know the ‘brat’ finished well.  That means there is hope for me and per chance in days passed you could have been described as a brat there is hope for you too.
In particular Joseph sat in prison 2 full, long years waiting to be remembered by the Butler in Pharaoh’s house. And this is what Beth, in part, said on page 189 of the work book: “Beloved, what human are we trying to make omnipotent?  Who on this earth have you decided is all-powerful in your life?  Who do you feel dependent upon for a good, solid future?  God means for you and me to cast our utter-dependency only on Him.  His plan does not depend on any human, and certainly not on human memory!  God loves you.  He has well-planned a fruitful life for you.  Nothing and no one critical to your God-planned future can fail to come through once God says it’s time.  No human has the power to overlook what God determines to oversee.  Oh, Beloved, if we get anything at all out of the Joseph saga, it must be the trustworthiness of God’s sovereignty!” 
I love this!  I love the affirmation that God has a well-planned fruitful life for me and for you.  He has commanded for us to be fruitful and He has it all planned out as to how it is to be accomplished. And since ABBA has planned it, He in us CAN DO IT!!  Isn’t that great news on a Thursday morning in 2009?
Genesis 41: 1 Then it came to pass, at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh had a dream; and behold, he stood by the river.  9 Then the chief butler spoke to Pharaoh, saying: “I remember my faults this day.  12 Now there was a young Hebrew man with us there, a servant of the captain of the guard. And we told him, and he interpreted our dreams for us; to each man he interpreted according to his own dream.  14 Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him quickly out of the dungeon; and he shaved, changed his clothing, and came to Pharaoh.
In the fullness of time when God knew Joseph was trained and ready, he was called out of the dungeon.   It is the same for us.  The CALL will come when we are trained and ready; we have God’s Word on it.  What more do we need?
Praise Reports and Prayer Requests
Kathie – Please be in much prayer for Donald Nicholas.  He is having surgery this (Wednesday) a.m. to have a port placed for dialysis.  He is 53 and has congestion heart failure and kidney failure from obesity and diabetes.  He needs comfort that only the Lord can bring him.  In His Name.  Rachel
ABBA, thank You for Your faithfulness; thank You for Your sovereignty; thank You for the plans You have for each of us.  Thank You for this message; I don’t want to forget it; make it alive and active in me I pray. 
We pray again for Donald and ask for mercy; we ask for procedures and medications to do what they are intended to do and for Donald to be relieved and grow stronger and live.   We pray for our IDOK Troops to be kept safe and sound and to come home to their family and friends at the appointed time.  Thank You for the good things we have experienced today and we pray for strength to process and release the hard and bitter experiences.   We pray for each one listed here, we only know a portion of their needs and since You are fully aware, we pray for Your Will to be accomplished.  Amen and amen.
Amen and Amen.
A Specific Unspoken.
Unspoken Requests – situations so close you can only speak to Father about.
Children and/or Grandchildren about whom Moms (& Dads) are concerned that their salvation profession may not be true. 
Donald N.  Vanessa. W.C. and family. Mary M.  Danny and Tina. Ken and Della.  Art and Sula.  Rudon.  Kelly C. Henry P.  Dana and Joey and Children.  Tracey M. Vicki and Bob.  Brady and Chloe.  Patti and family.  Joyce, John & children.  Sparky.  Sean.  Susan R.  Kay B.  Rusty & Romney.  Johnny McK and family.  Katie H.  Amber Johns. Joe-Ann. Vickie and Family. Dennis and Lisa J. Jack. Melanie and Jay M. Susanne M. Alice T. Elaine W and Family. Joni and Todd. Roy and Julee. Glenn R and his family. Holly. Donald 2. Ed G. Debra B. Jon E. Brian. Donald 1. Loyce McM. DeLois. Mollie B. Marzelle. KC. Neolle T. Mary F. MH and J. Caleb and his family – Rob, Vaughn, Whitaker and Donoghue. Dora. Mattie. Brenda and her family. Joshua A. Kim T and her parents. Martha McC. Tamra and Family. Susie.  Rachel and family. Joe and Rose. Darlene’s Sister, Leona. Tammy B and Family. Brian T. Ricky M. Linda and Family. Joe. Michael H. Linda W. Debbie W. Natalie. Jacqueline and Sons (River and Jackson). Sandra. Dot B. Julia O. Ann C. Stan and Jowanna and Family. Susan D. Melissa and daughters. Jason A and his mother. Wayne B. Melinda H. Brennan and his family. Joshua. Heather and Brandon. Darlene and Torkel.. Maggie and Family. Katelyn (H). J Lloyd. Janet and Steve. Bay and family. Bill and Judy.  Larry and Claudia and family. Callie. Ruth. Cynthia. Allyson and Glyn and family. Brittney and Kersten and family. Sheila and Andy. Carrie and Rachel and Jacob and family. Chuck. Helen and Dan and family. Jen and Larry and family. Mollie and family. Andrew and Daughters.
Shay and Emma’s Kids (orphanage in Zambia) Ministry
Ryan, Sarah, Josh & Caleb Bedenkop – missionaries in Arizona.
The Ministry of IDOK
The Peace of Israel.
Revival in America.
IDOKs Military Families.
IDOKs Troops (foreign soil) – Ethan. Christopher. Raul. Robert. Billy. Buddy. Mark. Josh W. James. Bryan. Nick. Brant W. Christopher R. Joshua M. Brent. Justin G. Michael K. Bay N. T. Palin. Bobby G. (added 12/16/08) Tommy T. Kyle N(3/09). Jessica D. (4/09) Sgt. Vince Barrientos (5/2009)  Bill H.  (added 9/24/09) Brandon B.
IDOK Troops leaving shortly for foreign soil: Joey H.   10/21/09.
Serving Stateside: Jonathan. Jasmine B. Shaun. Bay. Lee. George. Travis N. Hawk. Justin G. Tommy W.
Injured: Lukas S. (11/30/08)
Military at home, specifically those emotional-spirit wounds that only God and Time can heal – Adam M. Captain Tran. Josh. John L. Drew. Richard M. Matt P.  (added 9/24/09)  
As I post this it is 46°F and overcast in Al Asad, IQ (Airport) and the time is 7:19AM AST on November 19, 2009.