IDOK DEVOTION FOR MONDAY, JUNE 28, 2010

Praise Reports, Prayer Requests and Updates:

I had a confrontation with some watermelon last night that put me out of commission early and kept me up late. However, it lends well to today’s message.

As I was doing some Sunday School prep on Saturday from the Explore the Bible Leader Guide I made this note for us:  Removing Options!  What a difference it would make in our day to day living.

Last night I removed an option from my future food list — watermelon.  It was not removed because I don’t like it.  It is  removed because  of the effect it has on my internal system.

Yesterday’s Sunday School lesson focused on I Corinthians 7 — some heavy stuff there.  The introduction in the Leader Guide and what prompted this devotion read like this: They needed to remove divorce from the options list. And with that I was off and running.

There are some things Christians just need to remove from their options list.  Some of them might not in and of themselves be bad, some may even be  fun — we might like them as I do watermelon.  But watermelon doesn’t have the same appeal to me this morning as it did yesterday afternoon.  In time I may forget and long for watermelon again.  BUT taking watermelon OFF the options table settles the matter.  It removes the temptation.  It’s off the Options for me Table.

In like manner, when we discover by practical experience that certain activities (I’m not talking about moral sins set forth in Scripture — Of course those are off the Options Table for us! But other things that) hinder and disrupt our Internal System (our Spirit Walk with Christ) we owe it to ourselves, to the Body of Christ and most importantly to JESUS to take that OFF our Options Table.   Taking it off the Options Table ends the debate.  It sends the Evil One packing with his suggestions.

Let me give you example.

Shoplifting.

That is not on my Options Table and since it is not, I legitimately shop in peace at any store I go into.  Shoplifting is NO temptation for me.   And there are other actions set forth in Scripture that have been removed from my Options Table.   It’s a freedom thing.  I like it.

So my point is this.  All things set forth in ABBA’s Word as sin, we need to take off our Options Table — remove them, give them no further consideration – we just ain’t doing it. Some of these were really easy for me to remove.  And I dare say that is true for you as well.  Others may be not so easy to remove from the Table, but with prayer, JESUS and we can do it!

Be of good courage today and if some ‘watermelon’ has offended you – Rejoice, take it off the Table and Live!

Romans 13: (New American Standard Bible) ¹⁴But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts.

To review the list of names for prayer, please click here.

ABBA, You are so good to me!! Thank You for this devotion.  I doubly thank You for it.  For the message it is, for the encouragement, for the practical help it is and for the flow of it.  You streamed it.  Thank You.  And I ask You now to encourage our IDOKs and Readers.  To bless them and bring them to their Options Table to know and have courage to remove those things that are hindering them from Knowing You better, from working with You better, from loving others better.  And me too, ABBA, me too.

And please tend as You will to each one named on our prayer list.  And protect our IDOK Troops from all harm today we pray.  And we acknowledge and gladly proclaim we pray in the Mighty and Holy, Blessed Name of JESUS CHRIST, our Savior and our Lord. Amen and amen.

As occurs from time to time in the IDOK Ministry, we have a prayer request that is so private I have been asked to withhold names and details; but prayer is much desired and needed. One sister in the Light is wanting her sister in the dark to come to the Light.  Please ask the Holy Spirit to help you pray for this ‘lost sheep’.

A blessed weekend to you — Holy hugs, Kat…

IDOK DEVOTION FOR FRIDAY, JUNE 25, 2010

Praise Reports, Prayer Requests and Updates:

I am expecting to be brief this morning since it is 6:04 and I am just getting started!  The Grands are still asleep and I hope I don’t shock any of you by my beloved is accustom to taking care of himself for breakfast — I come in for packing lunch.  Enough of that!

Before coming to the screen I read my Journey (A LifeWay Publication) and one statement in particular I want to share with you.

He is always working for the greatest good for the most people for the longest time.

In paraphrase, the piece goes on to say that we should and we can trust the Heart of God.  We may not like or even know what His Hands are doing in a season or moment, but we are safe trusting His Heart.

I urge you to follow the link to this you-tube.  It’s a God-thing, I believe– finding it this morning was quick and easy …the first one!

Trust His Heart.

Psalm 37: ¹Do not fret because of evildoers,
Be not envious toward wrongdoers.
² For they will wither quickly like the grass
And fade like the green herb.
³ Trust in the LORD and do good;
Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness.
⁴ Delight yourself in the LORD;
And He will give you the desires of your heart.
⁵ Commit your way to the LORD,
Trust also in Him, and He will do it.
⁶ He will bring forth your righteousness as the light
And your judgment as the noonday.
⁷ Rest in the LORD and wait patiently for Him;
Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way,
Because of the man who carries out wicked schemes.
⁸ Cease from anger and forsake wrath;
Do not fret; it leads only to evildoing.
⁹ For evildoers will be cut off,
But those who wait for the LORD, they will inherit the land.

To review the list of names for prayer, please click here.

Thank You, ABBA, for Your Grace and Your Love for us, so much more than we have yet to experience.  I pray we will be willing to experience more and more of Your Love for us and that we will stand still long enough in Your Presence to KNOW You more.  And then to be faithful long enough in obedience to experience more and more of You.

I pray this morning for our IDOKs and our Readers, speaking LIFE over them, praying they experience You today in real and tangible ways.  I pray for our IDOK Troops for their safety and protection today.  And for each name on our list – precious souls, needy souls, rebellious souls, LORD have mercy and grant space and grace for repentance.   Not only for those near and dear to our hearts but for those in places of power and leadership.  I pray for Israel, thank You for that great Nation and I pray for peace and safety for them.  And, ABBA, I thank You for America and I pray You will forgive us.  I pray we will turn from our wicked ways; help us Holy Spirit to repent from the ‘Church House’ to the ‘White House’; for Your Word promises if we will repent and turn You will hear and You will forgive and heal our land.  This land so needs healing LORD.  Please Holy Spirit send revival to Your People so this Land can be healed.  Amen and amen in JESUS NAME.

(Forgive the blunders — not much proofreading time this morning)

IDOK DEVOTION FOR THURSDAY, JUNE 24, 2010

Praise Reports, Prayer Requests and Updates:

My Text for the last several minutes has been Matthew 4.  That is the account of JESUS in the wilderness.

¹Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.   ²And after He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He then became hungry.

First I noticed that JESUS was hungry AFTER the 40 days and 40 nights had expired.  The Text is very clear.  It says after He had fasted THEN He became hungry.  JESUS was not concerned with food in those days of fasting.  It was not on His mind; He was not watching His watch wondering when this was going to be over so He could eat.

So as I read I asked Him, ‘what did You do in those 40 days and 40 nights of fasting’?  I believe He answered me.  He worshiped, He communed with His ABBA, our ABBA.  Think about it! Forty days and forty nights of no phone calls, no emails, no office, no clothes to wash, not ONE soul to bother you — just one on one with GOD Himself.   As far as I know from Scripture that was the last time He would have that one on one time with ABBA for that length of time again until He got HOME to Heaven again.  No wonder He was not hungry for physical bread; He was storing up for the long ‘winter’ to come.   Don’t that just bless you?! It sure does me!!

I have less than an inkling of what He was experiencing there; but I do have some taste of it.  There are have been moments  when the worship, the study, the communion in the Holy Spirit was so sweet even the thought of food would have been an ugly intrusion.   Forty days and forty nights!  For now we can only imagine!

And then what happened?  That arrogant, low life, illegitimate (my beloved doesn’t like for me to use the b_ _ _ _ _ _ word) shows up.   But JESUS handled him!

³And the tempter came and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”

⁴But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE, BUT ON EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD.'”

⁵Then the devil took Him into the holy city and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple,

⁶and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down; for it is written,
‘HE WILL COMMAND HIS ANGELS CONCERNING YOU’;  AND ‘ON  THEIR HANDS THEY WILL BEAR YOU UP, SO THAT YOU WILL NOT STRIKE YOUR FOOT AGAINST A STONE.'”

⁷Jesus said to him, “On the other hand, it is written, ‘YOU SHALL NOT PUT THE LORD YOUR GOD TO THE TEST.'”

⁸Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory;

⁹and he said to Him, “All these things I will give You, if You fall down and worship me.”  ¹⁰Then Jesus said to him, “Go, Satan! For it is written, ‘YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD, AND SERVE HIM ONLY.'”  ¹¹Then the devil left Him; and behold, angels came and began to minister to Him.

I do not have an adequate vocabulary to tell you here what this scene stirs in me.  This is GOD here. Almighty God! And what does Satan do?  That arrogant, low-life, illegitimate that he is! Has the audacity to TEST God!  (Where do you think we humans learned it?!!) But that’s not the incredible, amazing; yes — even awesome happening here.  The awesome thing here is that CHRIST JESUS allowed it! (Oh! that we humans would learn this lesson – humility!)  In this scene is ultimate arrogance and ultimate humility.  JESUS CHRIST allowed Satan to speak to Him, even escort Him to the pinnacle of the temple and then to a high mountain — oh my goodness!  I’d wanted to push him off that pinnacle and the mountain!  But JESUS didn’t!  What a lesson for us to learn!  When people strut into our lives, challenging us, what do we do?  We want to push them off their ‘high horse’, don’t we?  We’re wrong, aren’t we?  Humility rather would hold to what we know about ourselves in Christ, speak the Word in firm love and let them flap their tongues, wave their arms and stomp their feet if they want to, while we wait for ABBA to show up and remedy the situation.

What a picture!  GOD Himself with all the power  in the Universe, doesn’t get off into pride and ‘show out’ for Satan.  No, He just showed Satan up for what he is and showed us that IN HIM, we can send that arrogant, low-life, illegitimate packing too! ¹¹Then the devil left Him; and behold, angels came and began to minister to Him.

To review the list of names for prayer, please click here.

Thank You, ABBA, for Your Word.  Thank You, Holy Spirit, for delivering it to us and, LORD JESUS, thank You for putting on skin and coming to our rescue.

And, Holy Spirit, I pray now for our IDOKs and our Readers, help us internalize this message so we can externalize it.   We pray for our IDOK Troops, for their safety and protection today; for their families to be whole and live with honor.  I pray for Israel, for peace and protection; for wisdom and discernment and holy boldness to do what must be done to fulfill Your Prophecies regarding them.

And as we have read the names of our list, some of their faces are familiar faces to me and their cries I am privy to, ABBA, some I am not.  But I know that is not the requirement, coming to You in faith is and we do come in faith; knowing full well that You are good, You are kind, You are able and You are willing to do even more than we asked.   We join together now and agree to receive Your Gifts and Your Will for each one listed.  Asking and believing in Your Name, LORD JESUS. Amen and amen.