Monthly Archives: February 2016

Assurance - Promise, Christian Living

Precious Souls

Gallery Leave a comment

Day 39
327 days remaining after today.

Okay. I want to think this through with you. It comes from Matthew Henry ministering from the Text of Matthew 9.

Precious souls faint when duty is to be done,
 temptations to be resisted, 
afflictions to be borne, 
being not nourished up with the word of truth.

Henry, M. (1994). Matthew Henry’s commentary on the whole Bible: Complete and unabridged in one volume (1658). Peabody: Hendrickson.

Let me unpack this with you the way it has spoken to me. First all souls are precious to our GOD and all us souls have duty(ties) to do; day in and day out, morning till night and beyond there are tasks and chores and work and stuff to get done. With me? And all us souls while we are pushing through these tasks and chores and stuff, we are going to be tempted to do them just to get it done, any ol way will do, or non-ethically, or by some means other than the righteous way. Added to that, afflictions will come and we are expected to bear up under them, to take them in stride, to deal with them. This is the lot of all souls on this planet since the beginning of time. Well, since the fall of man in the garden, actually. So all of us we get this. This is life. Right?

Now we get to the best part of what I think Matthew Henry saw in Matthew 9. Something has been provided. Because without it, all us precious souls will faint! 

With the nourishment of THIS WORD – HIS WORD we live! And we live well! 

I’ll tell ya, this precious soul feels loved and instructed and comforted and  flat-out happy about this little nugget of truth. I am a precious soul. You are a precious soul!  ♥

Here’s our takeaway for the day: He has given us His Word to nourish us and keep us from fainting in this world that is often hard on us, precious souls. :)

Click HERE for a link to open to read Matthew 9. 

ABBA, thank You. Thank You for men of old that loved You and gave themselves to the study and teaching of Your Word; thank You for teaching them and for the recordings of those teachings and thank You HOLY SPIRIT that You continue to teach all us precious souls. Thank You. Thank You for loving us. Thank You for providing every nourishment we need to live well in YESHUA’s mighty name. 

Until Next Time ~ ~ ~ Kathie
Your Prayer requests welcomed
Christian Living, Just Chatty Today

Life in a Shoebox

Gallery Leave a comment

Once a shoe box was a filing cabinet. It housed papers; papers recording life: rent received – or not; places worked, wages earned. A time when folks made do with what was readily available. No dashing off to the store to buy a leather-bound journal to keep such one day to be discarded information. Evidence of necessity then has given way today to a twinge of holy envy for pleasant days of hardship; taken-in-stride-life that grew stewardship, loyalty, inventiveness, godly pride, laughter and sharing. Unopened gifts from the past, shielding our young — what have we done? 

Kathie
Christian Living, Holy Soap Box, Political awareness, Prayers for America . . .

Not So United

Gallery Leave a comment

Day 36
330 days remaining after today.

Nearly Friday again already!

I’ve heard lots of lies today. I watched the News.

I’ve seen the faces of people with eyes that appear to be open but are surely closed for they cannot see or perhaps will not. It’s frustrating! Obviously, since I am expressing it on this screen. I suspect some of you are similarly frustrated. If so, this is what I think we must do: Pray and pray some more. Pray specifically. Take their names to ABBA. Not that He does know – it just helps me to tell on them. :)

Please intercede for these United States of America that are not so united anymore. 

I am grateful for Scripture that assures me this corruption will not stand forever; that those who practice evil will not escape the consequences of their lawless deeds. Please understand I am not asking for lightning bolts to be hurled on their heads; much to the contrary. I desire for them to repent, believe the Gospel of JESUS CHRIST and be redeemed. Even so it must be that if they do not repent, ABBA is just and they will be stopped in His time. I rest in that; even if they barter their way out of orange jumpsuits and handcuffs throughout their life span here, justice will reach them.  

And so, anger subsides.
20 For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God. [source]

I heard something else today. Not Scripture. Chapter and verse. But Biblically sound I think. When I am swept away in anger, most often that is because I am seeing myself as a victim. We must not stay in that place! We are not victims!

We are over comers in Him Who loves us! (Romans 8:37) And this applies, whatever political party is presently corrupting Washington. This helps me. And believe me I need help! 

First of all, then, I counsel that petitions, prayers, intercessions and thanksgivings be made for all human beings, 2 including kings and all in positions of prominence; so that we may lead quiet and peaceful lives, being godly and upright in everything. 3 This is what God, our Deliverer, regards as good; this is what meets his approval. [source]

 ABBA, perhaps I will spare our Readers the name calling, especially since You know. You have heard the names more than a few times. So for now I will ask You to forgive us and heal our land. Like the movie the War Room I ask You to raise up a people; a people that will love You, worship You, obey You and will demonstrate Your Gospel to all the world, especially here in America. I am not happy with the sin and corruption that has brought this present darkness to America, darker than any time in our history and I pray for the LIGHT to dawn. I pray a people will hear You and will pray, seek Your individual will for themselves and will be available to You for what You desire to do through each of us to glorify Your Name and save America. Raise up a People LORD that will obey Your Word and let us see a Leader in the Oval Office that Honors You and the Constitution You gave us for JESUS sake.  

Until Next Time ~ ~ ~ Kathie
Your Prayer requests welcomed
Christian Living, Copy Paste Chew Again

Reminiscing

Gallery Leave a comment
Day 35
331 days remaining after today.

Thursday is coming on strong and my screen is well blank so I have found another old post that seems good for today.

IDOK Devotion for Thursday, April 29, 2010 

Susie.  She’s our dog.   A yellow lab.  She’s nearly 8 and weighs in at about 90 pounds.  So she is no small dog and she’s as strong as an ox … well, perhaps not, but you get my drift.  Susie has the run of the back yard within the boundaries of a fence.  It’s a nice fence.  Made of three boards spanning about 3 feet top to bottom with American Wire attached to the boards on Susie’s side which prevents her from utilizing the space between the boards to escape the confines of the backyard.  However,  the boards and the wire are not the only things impeding Susie from leaving the back yard.  Actually, I have no doubt that Susie could easily scale that fence.  And I am equally certain she would be thrilled to be on the other side.  I know this because she will knock down a small child or mid-size woman to get out the gate when it is opened.  For this reason I do not open the gate.  Okay. Okay. I’ll get to my point.  Why does Susie remain in the back yard barring someone leaving the gate open?  Clearly she has the body strength and height to come over that fence.  So what’s holding Susie back?  Here’s what I think.  Susie does not KNOW she can jump/climb over that fence.

I think we are like Susie sometimes.  God has given us gifts, talents, skills and His own dear Presence to empower us, yet we stay in our comfort zones. We stay within the boundaries erected around us.  Boundaries that when we walk up to them, clearly we have the strength in Christ to get over them.  But we don’t.  Why not?  Could it be lack of knowledge?  And why don’t we know?  Have we not read the Scriptures?  Do we not well know, can we not all quote Philippians 4:13?  I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. And what about Jeremiah 1:19″They will fight against you, but they will not overcome you, for I am with you to deliver you,” declares the LORD. [source]

Is there something that God has put in your heart to do?  Are there some boundaries drawn around your heart, your life that He wants you to scale, to get to the other side of and yet you have not?  Be encouraged.  KNOW — no, BELIEVE.  Believe He in you is enough to do the thing and do it!

ABBA, this is another one of those I want to post right now.   One of those that I think, this is good!  This will ‘preach’. This will resonant with some people.  It’ll light up in someone’s heart and they will be encouraged.   That’s what I think.  And that’s what I am praying for now; that when it reaches the screens of our IDOKs and Readers, they will hear from You.  That You, Holy Spirit, will leap this off the ‘page’ and will encourage someone to BELIEVE You and do great things in Your Name in this world.  Even me, DADDY GOD, even me.   I still don’t know why You let me do this but I am so glad You do.  Thank You.

. . .  So many, so many needs, so many problems; but You are able.  Thank You for taking care of all these.  And, LORD, we ask and we ask and I know that’s okay because You told us to ask and yet in this moment I am thinking wouldn’t it be good to just visit with You and love on You and praise and appreciate You.  Like Beth said this morning just fellowship with You, meaning sometimes we just shut up and listen.  I really want to learn to do that.   So here I go petitioning again… teach us how.   And bless and keep safe our IDOK Troops and their families.   Love on our IDOKs and our Readers and best we know how we are listening in Jesus name.  Amen and amen.

Since the writing of this post in 2010 our Susie has passed away. img_5861We still miss her.

We love You, ABBA, thank You for loving us. Thank You for Your forever faithfulness to us. Your forever love for us. Your forever goodness to us. And, ABBA, thank You for puppy dogs that teach us lessons even now and for photographs. I love You , ABBA. 

Until Next Time ~ ~ ~ Kathie
Your Prayer requests welcomed