IDOK DEVOTION FOR MONDAY, JULY 12, 2010

Praise Reports, Prayer Requests and Updates:

As I sit to write for Monday, it is now Saturday morning, late morning, and I have been preparing for Sunday School, reading in I Corinthians 12 and 14.  And there is way, way too much in those two chapters to write about in a week of IDOKs! So I shall attempt to share just a little this morning.

Making a Distinct Sound.

1 Corinthians 14:⁷Yet even lifeless things, either flute or harp, in producing a sound, if they do not produce a distinction in the tones, how will it be known what is played on the flute or on the harp?  ⁸For if the bugle produces an indistinct sound, who will prepare himself for battle?

An orchestra consists of many instruments; to name only a few: there are flutes, harps, pianos, organs, drums, etc. etc., even bugles.  Each instrument has a distinct sound, a recognizable sound all it’s own.  When it is blown, strummed, whatever the means to elicit the sound, it is distinct.

And so it should be with you and I.  When sounds are elicited from us by whatever means – gentle stroking or a thrashing – the sound we make should be distinctly CHRISTIAN.  Be it flute, harp, guitar, drum or bugle, whatever instrument we are in the Body of Christ, let us sound distinctly in our gifting and calling otherwise the symphony JESUS is desiring our lives to individually and collectively be will at the very least be off key or worse so totally distorted the symphony is mocked and disdained by the hearers.  Am I making sense here?  Is the sound distinct?

How foolish and confusing would it be (if it were even possible) for a piano to attempt to sound like a drum?  So if I am a bugle in the Body of Christ, I need to sound like a bugle.  I need to send out the message for my brothers and my sisters to prepare for battle.  If I keep silent, they are not warned and they are harmed. If I am a harp and a brother or sister needs comfort  and soothing peace; what happens if I refuse to sound in their hearing?

What about you?  What instrument are you? And are you making your own distinct sound in the Body of Christ and to the world?  If not, why not?

I prompted of one more verse before I close this post.

I Corinthians 14:3 But one who prophesies speaks to men for edification and exhortation and consolation.

All of us, each instrument in JESUS Orchestra, is  called in a general sense to prophesy.  Meaning, in distinct ways each of us is called and expected to be one who is  moved by the Spirit of God and hence His spokesperson, to solemnly declare to men what he has received by inspiration to speak, having power to instruct, comfort, encourage, rebuke, convict and stimulate his (her) hearers. (This definition was taken from my online Greek Lexicon.)

Put another way: every word that comes out of our mouths (or our fingers  :) ) should either edify, correct, or comfort those who heard us.  Any words we speak failing to meet that criteria to edify, correct or comfort means  we are not making the distinct sound we were called to make, whatever instrument we are in JESUS’ ORCHESTRA.

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

ABBA, it’s on the screen and soon to be ready to schedule to post.  Another message to go out there, that if I fail to practice I am a hypocrite.  And, DADDY, You know I don’t want to be a hypocrite.  The last thing I want is to be fake before You or others.  And in You, I can and by Your grace I am learning.  Thank You for Your love and patience with me.  And I pray the same for each of our IDOKs and Readers.

We are continuing to pray for Julie and her family; continuing to ask You to heal her, to remove all traces of harm from her.  We continue too to pray for each one on our List for Prayer.  We trust each name, need and situation to You for resolution and restoration as needed and as will Lift up, Glorify and Exalt, You, LORD JESUS.

We pray again for our IDOK Troops to be protected from hostile and friendly fire; to be mindful of You in their midst and to be first and foremost Your Servants and secondly ambassadors of this Nation.

I pray we shall finish out this day with Your Distinct Sound to ourselves and to each other.  I pray for Pastors and Teachers and Singers to prepare well for tomorrow and that You Holy Spirit will lift up and exalt JESUS in all our congregations.

Instruct, correct, convince and comfort each of our IDOKs and Readers as needed I pray, and particularly me included.  Amen and amen.