IDOK DEVOTION FOR TUESDAY, AUGUST 10, 2010

FOR PRAYER AND PRAISE:

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

I am coming to you this morning with the writings of Sarah Young from her book Jesus Lives.

Trials

THOUGH I BRING GRIEF, I WILL SHOW COMPASSION. No matter what trials you are enduring, you can count on My Love and My compassion–neither of which will ever fail.  I can bring good out of everything I allow in your life, but much of what I do is far beyond your understanding.  My children often misinterpret My ways with them.  When adversity strikes, they tend to feel as if I’m displeased with them.  They don’t realize that My most devoted followers are especially targeted in spiritual warfare.  The devil and his demonic underlings delight in tormenting those who live close to Me.  When you are suffering and your troubles seem endless, remember I am tenderly present in your afflictions.  Instead of lamenting the way things are, search for Me in the wreckage of adversity.  You will not fail to find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.

I want you to experience more fully the greatness of My overflowing Love.  As you open yourself to My compassionate Presence, this Love flows into you more freely.  Like new wine, My Love expands within you, increasing your capacity for Me.  Another way to expand this capacity is to let My Love flow from you to others. I am so pleased when  you do this that I flood you with more of My living Presence.  As you continue this blessed adventure with Me, I fill you with ever-increasing volumes of unfailing Love.

(New American Standard Bible)

Lamentations 3: ³²For if He causes grief, then He will have compassion according to His abundant lovingkindness.

²²The LORD’S lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail.

²³They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.

Jeremiah 29:¹³‘You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.  ¹⁴‘I will be found by you,’ declares the LORD, ‘and I will restore your fortunes and will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you,’ declares the LORD, ‘and I will bring you back to the place from where I sent you into exile.’

This bears pondering:Instead of lamenting the way things are, search for Me in the wreckage of adversity.  You will not fail to find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.

Thank You, ABBA.  I pray, Holy Spirit, You will minister these words to every heart as we have need.  I pray for our IDOK Troops, please protect them, keeping them safe in spirit, soul and body.  And our list of Praying For These, we pray Your Will be done. Thank You, ABBA, for Your Goodness, so undeserved but so freely given to us in JESUS NAME.  Amen and amen.

IDOK DEVOTION FOR MONDAY, AUGUST 9, 2010

FOR PRAYER AND PRAISE:

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

We’ve had a relaxing celebration, home now visiting with a dear, dear friend.

Just a short Passage of Scripture this morning to encourage us.

Psalm 126 (New American Standard Bible)    ¹When the LORD brought back the captive ones of Zion, we were like those who dream.
² Then our mouth was filled with laughter and our tongue with joyful shouting; then they said among the nations, “The LORD has done great things for them.”
³ The LORD has done great things for us; we are glad.
⁴ Restore our captivity, O LORD, as the streams in the South.
⁵ Those who sow in tears shall reap with joyful shouting.
⁶ He who goes to and fro weeping, carrying his bag of seed, shall indeed come again with a shout of joy, bringing his sheaves with him.

For sure, for sure! The LORD has done great things for us.  For all of us.

And are you sowing in tears this morning?  Take heart. We shall reap with joyful shouting . . . if we remember The LORD has done great things for us and He’s not about to stop now!

Listen and take heart — We Will Remember.

Thank You, ABBA, we remember and by Your Grace we shall continue to remember.  And this morning I pray now for all our IDOKs, asking for strength and courage for all  that we may stand and remember even when we are weeping with many tears, even when our legs have buckled and we are only strong on our knees, help us remember Your Goodness.  I especially pray this for the Henderson Family – You could yet raise Brian up but if You choose another way, I pray they will remember that You are Good.  And we pray for others this morning too, for our IDOK Troops and for our list of Praying For These, asking for peace and safety and protection in JESUS NAME. And as I am reminded, those with court appearances, help us remember that You are in Control and in You all is well.  Amen and amen.

IDOK DEVOTION FOR FRIDAY, AUGUST 6, 2010

FOR PRAYER AND PRAISE:

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

You know this is actually Thursday as I prepare for Friday’s devotion. And you know that my intention is to give you a re-run and I am; but I just had to add something new.  This morning in my knee time I prayed for the LORD to make us thirsty for Him; that we would pant for Him as the deer pants for water.  AND SO looking over this devotion written on January 11, 2005 when I saw the words Father make us thirsty I settled on this one.

I must tell you this though – no need for prayers for Vivian today – she and my brother are playing Monopoly in Heaven – well, maybe not playing Monopoly but surely having a glorious time!

I don’t know where we are going with this, this morning but I’m putting it on the screen anyway.  Today is January 11, 2005;  dates and numbers are important to me and today is one of those dates that has special meaning to me but it is also the birthday of an old friend; one that I have not seen in years and actually I have no idea where in this world that she is.  We were close friends in our early teens; we laughed, played Monopoly with my brother Larry till the wee hours of the morning.  Oh, my! That was a long time ago.

And I said all that, I think, to get to this point. When I looked at the date I remembered her and was prompted to pray for her; you know the way we pray for our missionaries on their birthdays.  Well, today I prayed for Vivian on her birthday.  And it thrills me to think that Father would allow me such a privilege and of this I am assured that while I have not thought of her or seen her for many years, He has not forgotten and He knows where she is and what she needs.  Perhaps this will encourage you to pray for your Vivian(s).

Now we can only imagine what Father is doing with this, but one day we will know.  Oh, what a day that will be when we are all gathered to Him!  He is so good to us!!  And this is just a hint of what will be for us.

Revelation 21:¹THEN I saw a new sky (heaven) and a new earth, for the former sky and the former earth had passed away (vanished), and there no longer existed any sea.

²And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, all arrayed like a bride beautified and adorned for her husband;

³Then I heard a mighty voice from the throne and I perceived its distinct words, saying, See! The abode of God is with men, and He will live (encamp, tent) among them; and they shall be His people, and God shall personally be with them and be their God.

⁴God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and death shall be no more, neither shall there be anguish (sorrow and mourning) nor grief nor pain any more, for the old conditions and the former order of things have passed away.

⁵And He Who is seated on the throne said, See! I make all things new. Also He said, Record this, for these sayings are faithful (accurate, incorruptible, and trustworthy) and true (genuine).

⁶And He [further] said to me, It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I [Myself] will give water without price from the fountain (springs) of the water of Life.

Father, make us thirsty for You that we be not ashamed when this day comes to be.

⁷He who is victorious shall inherit all these things, and I will be God to him and he shall be My son.

Just know that we are victorious and we overcame when chose to drink from the Fountain — Jesus Christ Himself. We are forever victorious when we say Yes to Him.

Revelation 22: ¹THEN HE showed me the river whose waters give life, sparkling like crystal, flowing out from the throne of God and of the Lamb

²Through the middle of the broadway of the city; also, on either side of the river was the tree of life with its twelve varieties of fruit, yielding each month its fresh crop; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing and the restoration of the nations.

³There shall no longer exist there anything that is accursed (detestable, foul, offensive, impure, hateful, or horrible). But the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall worship Him [pay divine honors to Him and do Him holy service].

⁴They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads.

⁵And there shall be no more night; they have no need for lamplight or sunlight, for the Lord God will illuminate them and be their light, and they shall reign [as kings] forever and ever (through the eternities of the eternities).

Father, make alive this portion of Your Word this day to the hearts of IDOK; I pray that each will hear the unique message that You have for each one as they read of this place You have and are preparing for us and Father I pray that not one will miss it; that not one will fail to embrace You as Lord and Savior and King and Father I pray for me that You will be first and above all to me; that I will love no one and no thing more than I love You and I am trusting You to make sure it is so.  Thank You Father for Jesus sake.

I still miss you both… especially you, Larry.  It was 45 years ago August 4 that you went HOME.  I’ll be seeing you one of these days. I love you. Kat.

IDOK DEVOTION FOR THURSDAY, AUGUST 5, 2010

Today’s (Thursday) a special day for Jerry and me — it’s 5 years! Five years since he said ‘Huh uh’.   We have the pictures to prove that Pastor Brown lost it when he asked ‘will you’ and Jerry said ‘huh uh’. It was a delightful moment – we all laughed out loud, those of us on the platform and all our friends and family in the pews.

Thank you for indulging me in that trip down memory lane and I ask that you indulge me in a repeat devotion for Friday … I’ll load it for posting before we slip off from some R & R today (Thursday).

And for today’s devotion let me draw from this past Sunday’s Bible Study lesson.

2 Corinthians 2: (New American Standard Bible) ¹⁴But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place.  ¹⁵For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing;  ¹⁶to the one an aroma from death to death, to the other an aroma from life to life And who is adequate for these things?  ¹⁷For we are not like many, peddling the word of God, but as from sincerity, but as from God, we speak in Christ in the sight of God.  source

I am told by those more informed in such matters than me that of our 5 senses, our sense of smell triggers more trips down memory lane than any of the others.  So much so that in a nanosecond with one whiff of a certain scent we can be transported to another place and time with our emotions in full swing.  And I believe these reports because I have experienced it!  You have too, haven’t you?

A certain soap fragrance takes me back 5 years and it’s a wonderful trip! And there are other scents that have plummeted me into a pit of pain, again!  All in a nanosecond.

My point?  Let’s go back to the Text.

The sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him.   We are the fragrance of Christ to God.

Could it be that Father uses these words so we can relate so well and believe and know that He experiences US in pleasant places and moments when WE live in Christ? When we respond and react like JESUS, we smell like Him! And we bring pleasure to the God of the Universe.  Don’t you want that?! I do!

Let us be attentive to our aroma.  Let us make it our aim, goal, and business to smell like JESUS.  It will give ABBA FATHER a wonderful experience and us too!

You can’t smell it but it will give your ears and eyes a really good picture of the celebrating going on around here.  When God Made You, it’s our song, sung at our wedding, the lyrics are framed and on the wall and are written always in our hearts.  Look and listen with us — When God Made You!

Oh, Father, I am so blessed!  Thank You. Thank You! My heart is full and my words are too feeble to express the joy You are to me and the joy You have given me in my beloved, in this ministry, in Your Word, our Family, The Church  — the Bride of CHRIST JESUS. Thank You. I pray for our IDOKs, that each one will rejoice in You today; that each one will rejoice that we are YOUR BRIDE and I pray that we will give off in this world the aroma of LIFE – Your Life.  Amen and amen.

And now we pray again for our IDOK Troops, for their safety and protection; for their determination to live godly in hostile places; for them to have a burning, longing desire within to know You and live for You.  Please bring each one home safe and sound. And I pray for each friend and family member who is waiting for that day, that they will wait in hope and peace, and integrity.

And we pray for our Lists of Names, we envisioned their faces, we have recalled their needs, their hurts, their desires, and dreams, and again we commit these to You.  Particularly today I am remembering mothers (and Dads too) who have empty arms today; only You, Father, can comfort them.  You know just how to do that and I pray each will receive Your comfort today.

 I ask You, Father, to have mercy on us and bring us to repentance.  Please call and raise up an Army of Saints to invade hell and deliver captives. Thank You, LORD, and amen and amen in Your Name.

Revisited 6.16.2023
That smell I spoke of that took me back 5 years — it’s nearly 18 years now and yep, it still takes me back in a nanosecond. I am still smiling!  Praise be to GOD!
And the youtube of the song? It’s a true rendition of us — then and now. I love you, JT always and forever.

Shalom, Kathie