Monthly Archives: July 2013

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Wandering (again)

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IDOK Devotion for Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Wandering
          If I have seen it before I have forgotten.  So it is new this morning.
Exodus 20:2-4 (NKJV)
2 “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
            3 “You shall have no other gods before Me.
          In verse 2 I see the word ‘bondage’. Verse 3 commands us to have no other gods before Him?  I am learning more what that means. For me, one thing it means is when I deny the Truth within me to please someone else, I have bowed in worship to a false god and it is as surely bondage to me as was building bricks in Egypt to Israel. ABBA, came down and delivered Israel from Egypt.  But obviously they were still in bondage, they still had other gods before them – hence 40 years of wandering!
          I’m tired of wandering! I want all my idols gone and all my chains of bondage broken.  And I know Who can do it.  I know Who is doing it – link by link.  All praise and glory to JESUS – the Greatest of ALL Liberators!
          Philippians 3:13-15 (NKJV)
13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead,
14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
15 Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind; and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you.
Amen and amen – LORD anything to the otherwise, moment by moment reveal it to us and by Your Grace we SHALL turn away from it!  And all IDOKs and Readers said AMEN? Amen.        
            Holy Spirit, I ask You to do Your Thing with this.  It’s a fast written one but I pray it will linger long and will be an instrument of transformation in each of us.   We entrust each name spoken here.  We expect great things in each life and each situation because You only do Great, LORD.  We entrust our IDOK Troops for peace and safe keeping today.  We entrust the Call to Prayer to continue and grow and build strength in Your People.  We entrust the government and the people of America to You.  We entrust the People of Israel to You.  We lay it all before You this morning and we believe You are able.  We not only believe You are able, we believe You are willing – LORD JESUS, You have shown this.  Thank You.  Amen and amen.
Kathie
Copy Paste Chew Again

Rejoicing with the Choir (again)

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IDOK Devotion for Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Rejoicing With The Choir
          As I was backing out of our drive this morning, I noticed an attractive, modestly dressed, young woman walking toward me, so I stopped, let down the window to hear her invitation and to receive her written inducement.  It was to gather with others and commemorate the anniversary of Jesus’ death.  This commemoration will be held Tuesday, March 30 at 8:15 PM and I am warmly invited.  At this meeting, all will be given Scriptural answers to these questions: How did Jesus, by His death, provide a ransom? Why was this necessary?  For whom did Jesus lay down His life? And what can His death mean for you?
          I received her pamphlet because it would mean she would have one less to give to someone else and because I was on a tight schedule – too tight to engage her in conversation. Perhaps I won’t be so busy next time.  I’ve had some experience with Kingdom Hall Witnesses and have yet to find one that is willing to hear but that does not mean I should not try.  Does it? I’m glad I smiled and waved at the others in her party on my street too. Perhaps next time I will do more.   I think it would be spiritually criminal for any Christian to be unkind to a Kingdom Hall Witness.  But Christians’ conduct toward Kingdom Hall Witnesses is not my major point here.  I read the invitation.  I heard what she said and there was not one word about Jesus’ resurrection.  And I am now about to ‘preach’ to the choir, or maybe we will term it ‘rejoice with the choir’. 
          I submit to you that without Jesus’ resurrection, His death would be meaningless. His death alone will not ransom anyone.  His death alone leaves me in my sins and bound for Satan’s hell. 
          I Corinthians 15 (NKJV)
            12 Now if Christ is preached that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?
13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen.
14 And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty.
15  Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up—if in fact the dead do not rise.
16 For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen.
17 And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins!
18 Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.
19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.
20 But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.
          I serve a risen Savior, I know that He is living whatever man may say … He lives.  He lives.  Christ Jesus lives today.  He walks with me.  He talks with me along life’s narrow way.  He lives. He lives.
          Do some rejoicing today – Jesus lives in His flesh and bone RESURRECTED body and He will return for everyone who has received Him as Savior and Lord in that SAME BODY in which He ascended.  ALL who do not believe this and rest themselves in this Truth, are of all men the most pitiable!
          If you would like more information as to the doctrine of Kingdom Hall Witnesses relative to Jesus’ Resurrection, please see the web page at this link:
http://www.equip.org/perspectives/the-resurrection-of-jesus-what-do-jehovah-s-witnesses-believe   
            Holy God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, thank You that I KNOW You and I know You arose, LORD JESUS, as much as I know I am sitting here in this chair and that You will return even as You left.  That You are the ONLY GODMAN and one day Your FACE I will see.  And not me alone but every man, woman, boy and girl that has said yes to Your gift of salvation, having received Your Righteousness in exchange for their sins.   Cause me grow to never being quiet about this gift another day that I have left here.  And I pray for our IDOKs that not one of us will shut up about it.  
I pray now for rest and refreshing of spirit, soul and body for our IDOKs and Readers and every name listed here.   Again I pray for the protection and safety of our IDOK Troops.  You have been so gracious and so kind to us in this and I thank You for such grace.  Thank You, ABBA.  And now as I prepare to send this message, I pray it shall go where You want it to go and do what You want it to do in Your Name Jesus and in Your Name alone.  Thank You LORD.  Thank You.  I love You too.  Amen and amen.
Kathie
Copy Paste Chew Again

Guard Your Heart (again)

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IDOK Devotion for Thursday, March 18, 2010
Guard Your Heart
          As I read Philippians 4:6 and 7 today:

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God, and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.,  

I asked how important is it to guard my heart? I found the answer at
Proverbs 4:22 (NIV) 23 Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. 
Above all else – pretty important, wouldn’t you say?  From there I went to Proverbs 24 and right in the middle of all of it I found this:
17 Do not rejoice when your enemy falls,  And do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles; 18 Lest the LORD see it, and it displease Him, . .  .    .
Shall we apprehend from this that when someone has done us wrong and that old adage ‘what goes around comes around’ is manifested in their lives, if we rejoice over their calamity we have failed to guard our hearts?
Hard to take, isn’t it?
That is until we read that failing to guard our heart by indulging in unholy gladness displeases our LORD.
Is not this reason enough in ALL circumstances to guard our heart?
A rhetorical question: what am I doing to guard my heart today?
What are you doing to guard your heart today?
          Now let me give you some feel-good verses and close for today.
          Psalm 3:2-4 (NASB)
2 Many are saying of my soul, “There is no deliverance for him in God.” Selah.
3 But You, O LORD, are a shield about me, My glory, and the One who lifts my head.
4 I was crying to the LORD with my voice, And He answered me from His holy mountain. Selah.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y284YvkYrZo&feature=related

 I confess, my LORD, I have not done all things well today but You have been faithful and I am grateful.  I am grateful that You are a shield about me.  I am grateful that You are teaching and training me to guard my heart and I am grateful that I am learning.  Thank You.  I am grateful for the work You have done in our IDOKs and Readers.  I am grateful that You tend us completely, You offer comfort to the grieving and I pray we accept; You offer wisdom and discernment to honest seekers and I pray we receive Your Counsel; You offer healing to broken souls and I pray we say yes; You heal our illnesses and infirmities, thank You.  And now we ask You specifically for each soul and each situation listed here for Your Will to be done.  We pray for our IDOK Troops to be protected in spirit, soul, and body today.  We pray for their families back home to be of good courage. I pray for Israel to know Your Peace, for their enemies to be subdued. And, ABBA, I present myself and all who will agree that You take a reading on our hearts, see what’s there, see what pleases You and what does not, please convict and provide us with grace and wills to renounce anything in us that offends Your Holiness and cause us to turn from it in Jesus Name and for His sake.  Continue to call Christian Churches to become Houses of Prayer. Save America from Her sins.  Empower us as Your Witnesses to refuse to be silent – let us speak and serve You with boldness today and forever more. Amen and amen.

Kathie