IDOK Devotion for Monday, May 3, 2010

Praise Reports, Prayer Requests and Updates:

We have added Judy Wilkins for prayer.  She lives in Portland, Oregon and she is scheduled for surgery on May 10.

It has been a good weekend and as I sit to write it is late and in truth I am distracted by the lateness of the hour.  But with DADDY GOD’s help something will come to this screen and just may be it will be helpful.  This I know my Pastor nailed it tonight with his sermon.  It was goood!  And it wasn’t that it was new information, it just fit well, settled around me like a warm embrace.  So much so I could have sat in the pew after the sermon was over and just enjoyed my Father’s Presence.   That is not  to say that He is not here now as I sit here and you sit there …. He is!  But wherever and whenever His Presence is like a warm embrace — I want to be there.  I experienced that Saturday morning too when six sisters met to pray.  I have no doubt I was where I was suppose to be Saturday morning — I like that.  I like knowing I am just where I am suppose to be — I don’t always know that with the same certainty.  I’m not sure we can feel that every moment of every day, but when it does happen — ENJOY it and linger as long as you can.

Pastor preached tonight from Luke 23, beginning at verse 39 through 43.  That’s the account of Jesus on the cross and the two thieves on either side.   The one railing on Jesus and the other one receiving salvation.   Pastor asked questions — we didn’t answer aloud.   But I did answer within the walls of my own gray matter. One of Pastor’s questions was — what is my value in this world? He suggested the world values us according to our ability to perform and how we look. Absent the skill and ability to contribute to society what society deems important and look good while you are doing it … means we are not worth much.   As examples he invited us to examine the value (particularly $$$ paid) placed on a teacher of our children and one who can catch a fly ball.   I will refrain from climbing up on that soap box, but you know what I mean and I know what he meant.   Aren’t you glad that God evaluates differently?

So how did I answer the question what is my value in this world?  Obviously you and I are of unfathomable value to God.   JESUS is living proof of that.  If you and I were only disposable globs of DNA, it would have been unfathomably stupid for God to have done what He did and continues to do for us.  Pastor urged us to remember our value — our own and that of others.  All others.   Those who look like us and those who don’t.  Those who like what we like and those who don’t like what we like.  Those who act like we act and those who act like we wouldn’t be caught dead acting — you know what I mean.

The thief on the left and the thief on the right deserved to go to hell.   One did. One didn’t.  Folks we will see today and tomorrow, those who look like us, those who don’t; those who act like us, those who don’t; those who like what we like and those who don’t; ALL of them (including us) deserve to go to hell.  Not just some, ALL.  But NOT one of them does JESUS want to go there.   Do we believe that?  This I know and this is how I answered the question:  I am only as valuable to this world as I am willing to offer Heaven to souls bound for hell.

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

Abba, I am certain I am of unfathomable value to You; else You, LORD JESUS, would not have died and rose again to save me.  And as I answered that question tonight as Brother Roy was preaching,  this is what I think.  I think You, JESUS, are my value to this world – to the degree that the world sees You when they look at me is my value.  And not just me, all of us — famous or not,  beautiful or not, educated or not, professor or janitor, president or garbage collector – to the degree we reflect You to the people around us is the value we are in this world.   My value is totally wrapped up in You.  I ask You to keep speaking this to us.  Somehow I just know there’s so much more for us to believe and see.

Thank You for what You are doing about this oil spill.  Thank You that what was meant for evil, You will turn for good for those who will believe You.  You are so totally AWESOME and I am so glad You let me know You.

We have looked over the list of names and You know how needy they and we all are.   I ask You to minister to each one of them, individually just as he or she needs.  Jason and his mother particularly comes to mind – some tough stuff there – not something that ‘flesh’ can fix.  I pray Jason will let You fix him.  And Andrew, I am so glad You got a plan for him.  I am so glad You are going to encourage him all along this way he is walking right now.  And J.Lloyd, he as the sweetest spirit, he encourages me just being him; I ask You to ‘love’ on him in these days and, LORD, please recover him.  You have been up to some good things for some ones really close – thank You.  I appreciate You being so good to us.  I’m glad Donald is doing so well.  Thank You.

I hear the thunder rolling; thank You.   I am entrusting us all to You — Our IDOK Troops, their families, all our IDOKs and Readers, our respective congregations and our great, great need for revival — all our petitions we bring, ABBA, in the Mighty Name of Yeshua — I love that Name! Amen and amen.

Even though the weekend is upon us, I am hoping some of you will read this post and pray for Gracin.  She is a beautiful little girl about three, I think.   Below is her Mom’s request.  Thank you, love and holy hugs, Kat…

Hello…
Gracin is having surgery on Monday May 3rd at Rex Healthcare at 8:30am. Our check-in time is 6:30am. She is having her adenoids and tonsils removed in hopes of helping with her sleep apnea. She will be staying overnight.

Please feel free to share this with others that you know will pray.
In His hands….Nikki Adams

IDOK Devotion for Friday, April 30, 2010

Praise Reports, Prayer Requests and Updates:

Got word late in the afternoon that Bill’s doctors are amazed at the difference – Bill is picking up his heals today — literally.  Remember yesterday he could not walk.  God is good!!

Potpourri: a miscellaneous collection.  That will be today’s devotion I think.

Beth (Moore) said on Wednesdays With Beth that ‘every wrong will be made right.’  That’s got to encourage somebody today!  Somebody today will surely experience a memory slipping from the closet of her mind; a vivid memory of a malicious deed and words saturated with hate.  And it will hurt again.  Somebody needs to know that DADDY GOD will make right every wrong done to you.  Please take that memory to Him in faith and give Him time to vindicate you and make right what was so wrong! Romans 12:¹⁹Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, “VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY,” says the Lord.

Joyce Meyer had some really good Words on Wednesday too.  And as I think about too good for just a snippet from me.   The title of the message is Taking the I out of Me – Part One.  The date of the broadcast was April 28, 2010… take a listen when you can.

In the meantime, let me give you two statements (paraphrased, of course): The embryo of Christ was placed in us at our salvation. What do embryos do in the womb of their mother?  They grow!  What a spiritual picture! Embryo. Infant. Toddler. Adolescence. Young Adult. Mature Adult.   How’s that for explaining the range of Christians’ behavior?  And I wonder what stage of development I am.  Don’t you?   Some days all in the same day I see me act like a two year old brat and a fairly mature adult — it depends on the issue at hand, the stage of my healing in that area, and how much of His Word I have allowed to abide in me.   Oh, what a patient Father He is!

And she (Joyce) said, Only the Word of God will divide the soul from the spirit. Hebrews 4:¹²For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

Culturally,  two-edged sword means something cuts both ways.  And the Word of God does.  Read it and we’ll find good news and bad news!  But more than that we find it is ALIVE.  And the Word of God in the ‘hands’ of the Holy Spirit applied to the heart of a soul will cut away the cancer of sin  perfectly clean.  Not even the most  skilled surgeon in the land with the best crafted, sharpest, most expensive scalpel known to man can even come close to such precision.

Thoughts and intentions of the heart – as well as I know my beloved, I cannot KNOW his every thought and intention.  I cannot divide and sort through the recesses of his mind and heart; but The Word of God can.   For sure, for sure, only the Word of God can fully know and reveal to me who I am and who I can be.  With such a treasure, such a tool, such a gift so freely given to us, why do we not wear the covers off a Bible every year?  Why – indeed!

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

That’s a good question, ABBA, and there was a time I spent more time between the covers of a Bible than I do now.   I was desperate then, my soul was raw and wounded, broken, scattered, near death.  I don’t want to be raw and wounded and broken and scattered like that again but I am inviting You to give me such a hunger for You and Your Word that I  come to the table to dine with You that eagerly, consistently, abandoning and curtailing other things to be that devoted to You.   This late hour in the day is clear evidence to me that some curtailing went undone today.  But your mercy is fresh, I accept; to do less would be pride, wouldn’t it?  Thank You, LORD JESUS.  You as so good to me.

And we have some names, lots of names and each one of them needs to know and hold tight to Your Goodness.  They need to know that You are good; that You have not forgotten them; that You are not neglecting them; that You ARE for them.  And, Holy Spirit, I pray You will deliver that very message to their hearts and if there are people that You’d like to work with in this, I pray we will hear Your Call to service and will say yes LORD I’ll go.   Yes, LORD, send me.

And that good news about Bill!  Thank You so much.  I pray You will continue his recovery and he will soon be walking well again. We pray for our IDOK Troops; renewing our petition for their safety and well being and for their families to be well cared for and conducting themselves with honor.

Father, You know the concerns that have been made known to this ministry today.   The discouragements that friends have shared and I pray for them, for all of us that You, Holy Spirit, will encourage us; that we will allow You to encourage us. That we will receive Your encouragement.  That we will not look at what others are not doing but trust that You ARE doing something, that You are doing what is needed, what is right; not only in the churches but in the political arenas  too.  Please send revival.  Please, Holy Spirit, gather and bring in one accord Your people all over this world to pray, confess and repent of our sins and pray and pray until You send revival to the Body of Christ and the gift of repentance to the lost around us.  It can’t be too late, LORD, we are still here, please, Holy Spirit, blow on us with fresh wind and fresh fire and this I ask on the merits and in the Name of Jesus. Amen and amen.

We have been asked to pray for Mike Hammons, he is waiting for biopsy results.  Mike has been added to our Praying For These page.

And a praise!  A young couple (Joni and Todd) we prayed for last year when their less than a year old daughter died are having another daughter.  She is due to be born on July 12 and all is going well!!

Holy hugs ya’ll

Kat…