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.

IDOK DEVOTION FOR WEDNESDAY, JUNE 23, 2010

Praise Reports, Prayer Requests and Updates:

We are asked to pray for Brittany Mothershed.  She was hospitalized today with a chronic condition complicated by pneumonia.  Ours prayers are needed and appreciated.

2 Corinthians 9:⁶Now this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.  ⁷Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

In this Text a gift has been promised and Paul is speaking to the Corinthians about the gift and he says that familiar phrase: God loves a cheerful giver.  Does that mean that God does not love the grouchy giver?  Of course not!  Another familiar truth is God is love; He loves everyone.  So why would Paul pen God loves a cheerful giver?  Because He does.  Because our cheerful giving brings pleasure to God.  It blesses Him.   Here’s the picture I received today while thinking about this passage of Scripture.

Imagine giving a gift to someone you dearly love; a gift that you have prayed over, even sacrificed to obtain, and so even just the thought of presenting it to your friend makes you happy.  The day comes and you give the gift.  Immediately she loves it and as you sit and chat about the ins and outs of it, the fellowship is so sweet for the both of you.   To me that’s an inkling of what ABBA means when He says He loves a cheerful giver.  Of course, He loves the giver!  But there’s more to it — He loves the fellowship we have with Him when we give as the woman in our illustration. Do you see it?

Now lets alter that illustration a tad.  Lets say we bring a gift; we don’t really want to and it’s not the best we can do either, not a sacrifice at all.  But we bring it anyway and she accepts, she’s even gracious about it but she knows.  She knows your heart about it.  So tell me, how’s the fellowship?  Now, think GOD.  Think of our gifts to Him.  How’s the fellowship?

Are we cheerful givers?  How is our sowing?  Is it sparingly or bountifully?  And how’s the harvest?  If we want a harvest to cheer about – well we are gonna have to be cheerful when we are planting those seeds; don’t you think?

How many of your remember the old hymn Bringing In the Sheaves? Click here and take a listen.

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

Another day nearly complete, that is the hours have about clicked away; nothing I can do now about how well or not so well I have invested or squandered this day; can only put it under the BLOOD and trust You, ABBA, to love, forgive, reward, renew and empower to go again once we have rested for the night.  I am glad You have given us this lesson and I pray we will take it to heart and stretch ourselves happily to give more; more of ourselves, more resources, whatever it takes to accomplish Your will for each of us.

We pray now for Brittany, asking that You heal her; that she be able to go home  soon and again tend to her family.  We pray for practical helps for her and for peace for Chad and the children and other family members and friends.   I pray too for others on our list and ask that You tend and minister as You know they need.  Thank You for Andrew’s job and I pray for another who desires a job too and ask that You provide it and until You do I pray for peace.  We pray for VBS teachers to rest well and be refreshed to again minister to young hearts and minds.  We pray that young ones will be saved this week.   And we pray for our IDOK Troops.  Please keep them safe and protected.  We pray for Israel for peace and safety and for wisdom to maneuver present waters. ABBA, I am so sorry for the decisions and the attitudes of leaders and people toward Israel.  Please have mercy and help them repent I pray.   And I am reminded of decisions church leaders are making and we pray they will hear You and obey You.  And these things we ask You now in JESUS Name. Amen and amen.

IDOK DEVOTION FOR TUESDAY, JUNE 22, 2010

Praise Reports, Prayer Requests and Updates:

Deuteronomy 4: 15 So watch yourselves carefully, since you did not see any form on the day the LORD spoke to you at Horeb from the midst of the fire, 16 So that you do not act corruptly and make a graven image for yourselves in the form of any figure, the likeness of male or female,

You know what I got from this?  If we don’t SEE, we act corruptly.  What happens when folks are in a hurry and they SEE no patrolman?  That speed limit ceases to refrain the foot from pressing the pedal a little lower.  Am I right?

And this no see and do corruptly is not limited to the interstate, it’s upon every ‘highway’ we travel here.  I am firmly convinced we act corruptly because we have failed and/or have refused in whatever the circumstance or issue that is surrounding us to SEE God in it.  To SEE His will, His character, His Way.  For if we were to SEE Him, really SEE Him with eyes of faith, we would obey.  We would in those circumstances and situations, act righteously rather than corruptly.   And that’s the way I ‘see’ it.

As we close, take this verse, also found in Deuteronomy 4, and know you are loved.

31 For the LORD your God is a compassionate God; He will not fail you nor destroy you nor forget the covenant with your fathers which He swore to them.

39 Know therefore today, and take it to your heart, that the LORD, He is God in heaven above and the earth below; there is no other.

By all means let us take heart, be encouraged and allow the Holy Spirit to open our eyes that we may SEE this compassionate God Who will NOT fail us, nor forsake us.  This God Who is in control of it all.  Especially in this time we are living, it’s better than good to know  HE is in control and we are His!  Oh let us SEE Him that we WILL NOT act corruptly!   Amen and amen.

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

The hour is late, ABBA, and rest is needed so let me quickly say Thank You for giving us insight into Deuteronomy 4.  Thank You for Your Sure Word to us.  Thank You that You will never leave us or forsake us. Please continue to keep our IDOK Troops safe and protected. And again we bring our list of names and ask for blessings for each one. Also praying for the peace and safety of Israel and so many other things on our hearts — we pray Your will be done in JESUS Name. Amen and amen.