IDOK DEVOTION FOR FRIDAY, JULY 30, 2010

FOR PRAYER AND PRAISE:

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

Feelings.  Nothing more than feelings says the song.  But is there more to our feelings than just feelings?

Matthew 14:14 When He went ashore, He saw a large crowd, and felt compassion for them and healed their sick.

JESUS.  JESUS has feelings!

How many times have we given feelings a bad rap?  As if feelings were somehow imperfect.  Somehow something we were not supposed to have.  Something that we were suppose to suppress and pretend we did not have.  Especially certain ones.

Here’s one we know JESUS had/has — compassion. We also know He felt (feels) anger too. See John 2:13-17 for the account of JESUS driving out the money changers.  It says He was consumed with zeal.  I believe that means He was really into it … His feelings were strong and active.

And then when Stephen was stoned to death, JESUS stood up.  I see Him so moved with feelings about what was happening to Stephen that He stood up.  Stood up in empathy.  Stood up in honor even.  Stood up to welcome Stephen home.  For whatever the reason or reasons,  JESUS had feelings in the matter and He did something!  See Acts 7:55.

Feelings.  We all have them.  Question is what do we do with them.   Do they move us?  That IS the reason we have them, you know.  To move us.  In our opening Text the compassion that JESUS felt moved Him to heal.  In John 2 the anger JESUS felt moved Him to clean ABBA’s house.  Hmmm.  Perhaps some of us need to be moved with anger or some kind of feeling to clean our houses. I’m talking to the ‘preacher’ now.

It’s just a feeling — it will pass, we say.   Yes it will.  But should it?  Should it pass, leaving us unmoved, unchanged? Will it pass and leave us unchanged?  I think not. Perhaps each feeling we experience when it passes, leaves something behind.  Perhaps it moves us to do good and when the good is done we are more like JESUS, more loving, more tender, kinder.  Perhaps we are moved to do evil and when the evil is done we are more like the Evil One, more bitter, colder, harder, more in a ‘protective’ shell than before.  Perhaps the feeling passes and we did nothing with it.  We ignored it.  We denied it. We took no action.  Or was it no action?  Deciding to do nothing, is still a decision and it still has consequences.  What will those consequences of no action be when a feeling demands an action?  A more calloused heart, maybe?

Hmmm. Feelings. Nothing more than feelings.  We know better, don’t we?

ABBA, I’m having some feelings here.  Been having them all morning.  I pray I have and am taking the right actions with them.  I pray the actions I have taken will bless others and not cause them grief or worry.  I pray that more and more I will practice actions that bless others rather than harm them.  I thank You for this lesson.  I thank You for the privilege of sharing it with others.  I thank You for each one who will read it.  I pray it will encourage them to consider their feelings, all of them and take all of them to You before acting upon any of them.  Me too, ABBA. Me too.

And I pray now for our List for Prayer.  I pray each of them will acknowledge their feelings and will seek Your help in sorting them out and determining what course of action to take.

Thank You for Bridgette’s recent report that bone scans and blood tests are fine.  To us that means the cancer is contained. I am delighted with that and I still ask You to remove it and heal Bridgette and in the meantime I pray for peace and strength for her and her family.

And there are others, ABBA, in need; serious need and not all of it is physical health related but rather emotional and spiritual health related; perhaps that is the most serious kind of help needed.  Spiritual health I know for sure is the most important.  Should be our most watched after health and I pray it will become that for every IDOK; for ourselves and our families, friends and others.

And now as I ready myself to schedule this for posting, I dare not forget to pray for our IDOK Troops; for their safety in spirit, soul and body; and for Israel, for peace and protection; and for America, repentance and salvation; and all of it I ask in JESUS NAME. Amen and amen.

IDOK DEVOTION FOR THURSDAY, JULY 29, 2010

I want to tell you (like you don’t know it already) that GOD is AWESOME.  He CONTROLS everything!!! Even my itty bitty life.

Psalm 37: (New Living Translation) ²³ The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives.

Acts 8:1-13 And the persecution of the Early Church was on! JESUS told the Church in Acts 1:8 that they would be witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the remotest part of the earth.  It took persecution to move them out.

What will it take to move us out?  The command was to the remotest part of the earth … we still have not done that.  And now would you not agree that to the remotest parts of the United States of America the Gospel of JESUS CHRIST is needed?  What will it take to get you and me to proclaim the GOOD NEWS to America? Persecution?

So how is today Acts 8:1-13 a testimony to me that FATHER GOD is so in control?  Because the book that led me to Acts 8:1-13 is a book that I had been out of for well over a month and yet when I picked it up again, it was right on target, dovetailing and confirming that getting involved in the rescue of America is the right track for me.  And I dare say for IDOKs everywhere.

I’m telling you!  HE IS AWESOME!  He is in CONTROL of it all!!

So! What’s He speaking to you?  Do you have some ideas birthing in your heads as to what you can do?  If you do and if you will please share them with us.

See if you agree with Beth’s (Moore) Praying of God’s Word Today (page 130 of John 90 Days With The Beloved Disciple): “Like Paul–whom You used, oddly enough, to be a leading cause of scattering the early believers–I want to be able to say that I am grateful for difficult times, knowing that they actually result in the advancement of the gospel (Phil. 1:12) and a fresh sense of dependence upon You.  Therefore, I will not be ashamed when trouble comes, hoping that now as always, with all boldness, You will be highly honored in my body, whether by life or by death (Phil. 1:20). “

Philippians 1: ¹²Now I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel.

Philippians 1: ²⁰I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death.

And ending for today with a question Beth asked me on page 128. “In fact, when has ease and comfort ever drawn you closer to JESUS? Describe your walk with God when things are going smoothly. “

I’m not asking you to share your answer with me, but please do answer to the Holy Spirit.   A world of people are depending on our answers.

Again, we have come to that time we pray.  I’m here and they are there on the other side of their screens in various places, each of us with a calling on us from You.  And perhaps they like me have been talking this for a long time and wondering just when the talking will become walking.  Preparation is important and You are the King of it for this time was prepared by You before the foundation of the world so we trust You to rally us in our respective places to this Call upon us.  To whatever degree we are today prepared we are here and now reporting for service.  Today. Right now in JESUS NAME.  Today right now we invite You to display Your Glory through us in the NAME OF JESUS CHRIST.

And today right now in accordance with Your command we pray.  We pray for people.  People on our List for Prayer.  Our IDOK Soldiers. Our local churches.  Our Pastors and Leaders. Our children. Our grandchildren. Our friends and neighbors. Our spouses, sisters, brothers, cousins, nieces, and nephews.  Every living soul still on this planet that we have ever encountered however long ago.  For all of them and for ourselves we pray for a broken and contrite heart, a heart broken over our own sins and the sins of this Nation and the world; so broken that we will repent ourselves and for them and that You, Holy Spirit, will blow fresh wind and fire on us like we have never experienced before. Do not, LORD, do not allow us to say these words and get up from this screen and go on our comfortable ways and refuse to let You change us. Do Not do not let that happen to us.  I implore You, Holy Spirit, to come in Your Glory and breathe on us until we are consumed by You.  Come, LORD JESUS, Come.  Amen and amen.

IDOK DEVOTION FOR WEDNESDAY, JULY 28, 2010

FOR PRAYER AND PRAISE:

Judy Wilkins is off dialysis and doing well.  For full report see Praises – Answers.

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

I so LOVE it when I know we are on the right track!  But there is more!  When we know we are on the right track we KNOW that if we obey, God will do what He is leading us toward!

Yesterday –  Manhattan Declaration.

This morning (Wednesday) I picked up my Our Daily Bread and read Jeremiah 6:16 Stand in the ways and see, and ask for the old paths, where the good way is, and walk in it; then you will find rest for your souls”. The old paths!  That is what He is calling us to – the old paths will renew and give this Nation LIFE again!  The old paths of righteousness will give renewal, refreshing life to a Nation and to each of us as individuals. THERE IS HOPE FOR US!  We must believe, repent and pray.  I am particularly thinking of this Nation BUT if the Holy Spirit wants to bring this down to your individual heart, LET HIM DO IT!

David McCasland further said in his devotion: “The parts of our lives that we have tried and failed to repair can be restored by the hand of God.  Through faith in Christ, we can be made whole.

But that’s not all!  Then I went to my Journey (LifeWay Publication) and again praying for a nation! This time it was Nehemiah.

So somehow, Nations are accountable for their actions.  God doesn’t look favorably on nations that don’t honor Him or His righteous standards.

But God-honoring people have been able to turn entire nations back to God. Josiah did it with Israel (2 Kings 22).  Jonah did it with Nineveh (Jonah 3). Nehemiah was a servant of a king of a completely different nation, but he turned Israel back to God too (Nehemiah 1-13).  Individual people and their individual prayers for nations are very important.

Even though we may not see how our prayers for our nation work, God wants us to confess and pray on behalf of our nation –so we will.

Amen! So we will.

Lord, turn our nation back to You.  Remove the corruption from our local, state and national government.  Help people to be elected to office who honor You and Your Word.

And to that I say Amen and amen!

ABBA, I am encouraged, grateful, excited, delighted that You are speaking to us.  Yet being delighted and grateful is not enough, we have to DO IT! And that is for what I am praying now.  I pray the Army of Prayers that You are calling will accept Your Call and will be faithful in it.  I pray our IDOKs will accept this Call and will be faithful.  I pray I will.  I pray You will set us on platforms and open means and ways for not only prayer but to put feet and hands, arms and legs to our prayers and get out there and Do Something in the Name and Strength and Anointing of JESUS.

Thank You so much for Judy’s great report!  Thank You for giving life to Ryder.  Again I pray that every day he lives he will give glory and honor to You.  I pray for his family that they will make it their goal to help him honor You.  We pray for Bridgette.  For health directions and for healing by the means of Your Choosing, ABBA. We pray for her mother, her husband, her family, asking that You give them strength and hope and peace.  We pray for all others on our List for Prayer; in each case, LORD, intervene and bring glory to Yourself and rescue, resolution, deliverance, healing, whatever is needed.

And before I send this to post, I pray for America.  I confess this Nation is a Nation that murders babies.  I confess this is a Nation that flaunts the abomination of homosexuality in the streets.  I confess this a Nation drowning in debt and financial irresponsibility. I confess there is murder, rape, incest, pornography, sex trafficking, divorce, fornication, gambling, robbery, hatred, hypocrisy,  lying, cheating, laziness, apathy, idolatry, and more committed every day here in this Nation.  I ask You, ABBA, to arrest these behaviors.  I ask You to have mercy and pour out like we have never seen Your Holy Spirit of conviction for sin. I pray You will convince us of  our depravity of sin, of righteousness in CHRIST JESUS alone and of sure judgment to come on ALL who do not repent.  Father God, please have mercy and grant grace for repentance to the people of America.  Raise up saints to pray and live holy.  Raise up preachers and teachers to deliver Your Gospel to every person in this Nation, to every house, every doorway, every building, street, avenue, ally, corner, under every bridge, and in every cave of darkness.  Wherever there are people move and send someone to tell them JESUS SAVES.  And, ABBA, I pray fear will not keep me from entering these dark places myself to deliver Your Gospel to a soul primed and waiting to hear.   I pray too for Israel, for that Nation to come to the MESSIAH.  Amen and amen in the Name of my Savior JESUS.

I added a New Page to The White Stone today entitled Declaration.

At this new page you will find a link to the website Manhattan Declaration along with my endorsement of the Manhattan Declaration and my commitment to support the Movement with my prayers and participation.

I urge you to pray about doing the same.

Holy hugs, Kat. . .

IDOK DEVOTION FOR TUESDAY, JULY 27, 2010

FOR PRAYER AND PRAISE:

Bridgett’s news was cancer.  I don’t have to tell you she and her family need prayer.  Also pray for Paul Lavallet.

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

I wanted our Tuesday lesson to be put to rest to wait for press much earlier than this; but it  isn’t —  . . .

And I have a KT paraphrase of a quote I heard from Jim Garlow today: The core reason for compromise is a craving for the approval of people rather than a healthy fear of God.

Do you concur?

From Pastor Garlow I also learned today of a campaign toward 40 days of Prayer and Fasting to begin on September 20  and run through October 30, 2010.  That is the Saturday before the November mid-term elections.  The suggestion is to individually discern from the LORD how and from what HE wants one to fast.  I am NOT advocating 40 days of NO FOOD but rather 40 days of something that you can quietly release to the LORD.  Something that will be an actual sacrifice for you;  not something to brag about, not something that others will even necessarily notice; just something that will remind you of the seriousness of the matter and will draw you to prayer for this Nation to repent, for  mid-term election results that will remove the ungodly from political office and replace them with people who at least empathize with  morality as taught in the Bible and will call the Saints of God to repentance.

Are you interested?  Are you interested in sharing this information with others?  If so … ACT on it.

Additionally, Pastor Jim encouraged us to Pray and ACT.  ACT being an acronym for

Affirm our fundamental beliefs.

Conform our lives to what we say we believe.

Transform our culture by strategically entering into a cause that we believe in — one we are called to, be it political, community service, Gospel ministry related – whatever is dear to our hearts.

The information above is based upon these links.

Life Today

Renewing American Leadership

The Manhattan Declaration I haven’t even begun to read this yet, but I will.

If you are moved by any of this, have interest in it and believe ‘numbers’ do mean something,  please let me know.

Titus 3: (King James Version)  ⁸This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men.

Romans 12: (New American Standard Bible) ²And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

Galatians 5: (The Message) ^22-23But what happens when we live God’s way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely.

Philippians 1: (The Message) ^9-11So this is my prayer: that your love will flourish and that you will not only love much but well. Learn to love appropriately. You need to use your head and test your feelings so that your love is sincere and intelligent, not sentimental gush. Live a lover’s life, circumspect and exemplary, a life Jesus will be proud of: bountiful in fruits from the soul, making Jesus Christ attractive to all, getting everyone involved in the glory and praise of God.

Affirm, conform, transform (involved) these verses say it all — You’ve laid it out, ABBA.  It’s all here.   We hear You calling.  I pray we answer YES.  Yes I will affirm what You have given me to believe.  Yes I will submit myself to You so Your Word will conform me to what I say I believe.  Yes, I will get involved so You in me can transform this culture in which I now live.

Bridgett.  The result was not what we wanted.  Not what You wanted either; I believe that, ABBA.  I know You never wanted illness and disease for any of us and yet here on this planet that is what comes to many and often.  Still we pray for Bridgett to be healed of this and in addition I am praying for You to be exalted; to be praised and loved and worshiped in this and for strength and peace and courage to abound in Bridgett and her family.  I pray for Paul, strength and courage there too and for You to be exalted.  We need You, LORD, to be glorified in this.  That ‘s our prayer.

And we pray for the others; our IDOK Troops, asking You to keep them safe and protected; to keep safe in spirit, soul and body; to bring them home safe and sound.  And for the others on our List for Prayer, we pray for Your Will to be done.  We trust Your Will is just what each of them need.  We trust Your Will for each of them is good and loving and kind and gracious and glorious; so it is for this we pray.

We pray too for Israel; for peace and safety; for them to yet walk in the promises You gave them and for them to yet embrace You, LORD JESUS, as their Messiah.  And for Your Church, LORD, I pray we will be instruments of mercy and help to Israel and to America and around the world.  Holy Spirit, send revival to the BRIDE.  Send revival in JESUS NAME and for His sake. Amen and amen.