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Tools for Glory (again)

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IDOK DEVOTION FOR MONDAY, JANUARY 11, 2010

Tools for Glory

Luke 18 New King James Version [source]

Luke 18:18 Now a certain ruler asked Him, saying, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”  What’s the first thing that catches your attention here?  For me it’s the ruler’s question.  What shall I DO to inherit eternal life?  That tells me right away that he was not looking for grace.  He was looking for a means to EARN his way into the Kingdom. Or maybe he thought he already had earned his way in and he was just planning on having a little fun with the itinerate preacher.  He began with a little flattery, referring to Jesus as Good Teacher.  And Jesus picked up on that right away and asked him a question.  19 So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God.   So right there Jesus told the ruler, if you really believe I am good then you will believe I am God.  (Hmmm – what does this say about us when we doubt God’s goodness?)  And the ruler either missed what Jesus said or he ignored Him.  Knowing this, Jesus moved on.  20 You know the commandments:  ‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not bear false witness,’  ‘Honor your father and your mother.’” 21 And he said, “All these things I have kept from my youth.” Can you believe it?  Do you think the poor boy really did not know?  Do you think he really thought he had kept the LAW of GOD perfectly?  Do you think he was smugly saying to Jesus, Hey man I got this covered?  And then Jesus applied the ‘rude awakening’.  22 So when Jesus heard these things, He said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” 23 But when he heard this, he became very sorrowful, for he was very rich.  And there it was – what the young man valued above all else – money.  If only he had valued Jesus above all else.  And so the question is did he have money or did his money have him? Was his money a tool in his hands or was he a slave in the clutches of his wealth?  We know the answer.  And why did he go away sorrowful?  In his heart of hearts did he know that his money had him?  Did he know that as long as his money had him, he would not have Eternal Life?  I wonder if he ever really enjoyed his money after this encounter with Jesus. And what does this say to you and me?  Is there anything I have; is there anything you have that instead of being a tool to use for His glory we are using it for our own glory?  Does this mean if I really want to enjoy my possessions, I have to ‘sell out’ to Jesus first?   Yeah, I think it does.

And I think there is a lot more to be said from this passage, but for this fine Monday morning, we shall close. 

Holy Spirit, it’s hard starting this morning; not that we have not already been speaking but private conversation is most often easier than public I think.  And I’m thinking I need some more private this morning but in this moment public is necessary, isn’t it?  ABBA, thank You for answered prayers.  And we pray for our IDOK Troops, You know their needs and You know we want them safe and whole and so we pray for their protection and safety in spirit, soul and body; and we pray at the appointed time they all come home safe and sound.  And with the entirety of those spoken here today and yet presenting each individually, for surely every name, and every member of every family and congregation are known to You and just what it is they need and it is for that we pray.  I ask You to tend to us today, ABBA; to each of our IDOKs and Readers, wherever they are and whatever crosses their lives today and this I ask in Jesus Name.  Amen and amen.

Kathie

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In or Out (again)

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IDOK DEVOTION FOR WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2010

In or Out

2 Timothy 4 (New King James Version) 1 I charge you thereforeagain the therefore, there for because of previous verses which tell us because we have the Scripture and because it fully equips us THEREFORE we are chargedbefore God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: 2 Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. [source] In season and out of season. So far today this is as far as I have gotten with this passage.  I consulted the Greek Lexicon and found what I expected.  We are to be ready to tend to the souls of men, to be equipped and ready to speak the Word of God into their situations at every opportunity we have whether it is convenient for us or not.  To me that means even when I am in a hurry to move on to something I want to do, if the Holy Spirit places a needy soul in front of me I am to stop and minister to them, putting aside my agenda – my want to.  Okay. I expected that. You did too, right? But one of those Greek words prompted other thoughts in me. The text reads in season and out of season.  The Greek word for ‘in season’ [source] is eujkaivrwB which is transliterated eukairos and it means seasonable, timely, opportune; but the Greek word for ‘out of season’ [source] surprised me.  It is ajkairevomai and it is transliterated akaireomai and it means to lack opportunity.  And that stunned me at first.  If we lack opportunity, that means we are without opportunity, right? Yes, I think so.  So this is what I think ABBA is saying to us — because we have His Word, because His Word is completely able to equip us to minister even when we are in a dry spell; even when we are ‘shut up’ we might say; even then He expects us to keep on applying ourselves to study.  He still expects us to be ready to give a reason for our hope, to be ready to minister His Word even when the opportunity to see a soul is remote at best.  Even when we have not had an opportunity in what seems like forever! Still He expects us, He has charged us, to keep on delving into His Word, keep on meditating on it, keep on memorizing Scripture, keep on keeping on living in His Word, to keep on practicing living in His Presence until that time comes when we do have opportunity to minister His Word again. In Season and Out of Season.  This’ll preach!  This’ll keep us ‘Asher’.  (Asher meaning feeling blessed, not just knowing positionally we are blessed!) [source]

Thank You, You did it again, DADDY.  I asked You to speak to me and You did.  I am grateful.  You are too good to me; but, please keep on doing it.  And I want to keep on practicing living in Your Presence.  It’s the best life yet! 

Thank You for the opportunity to pray for_________.  We do not dare thank You for needs for surgery as we know that no disease, illness or injury comes from You.  We do thank You for doctors and procedures; and we thank You most that You are with us in these diseases and illnesses and injuries; that they do not take You by surprise and You are not worried how You are going to make this turn out alright – it is already done with You.  That is good.  Thank You.  So we entrust each One spoken here today to You and wait expectantly to see what You do.     We trust You to send in helps of every kind to perfect this work, DADDY. 

We pray now for our IDOK Troops; they are ever before us and we always desire their safety and well being and their eventual returns home safe and sound.  We trust them to You today and always.

Again we come collectively presenting names, faces, lives and needs asking You to take notice individually.  Asking You to not over look any one of them; we know we often miss needs and faces but You never do.  That comforts us and them.  And I pray that the faces I know You will pass them before me and prompt me to pray not just now but any time they need support or encouragement, when a battle is raging and they need victory.  We want to stand in the gap, DADDY.  And You have equipped us.  Thank You in Yeshua’s Holy and Perfect Name we pray.  Amen and amen.

Kathie

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How Old Am I? (again)

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IDOK DEVOTION FOR THURSDAY, JANUARY 14, 2010

How Old Am I?

I Timothy 4:12 Let no one despise your youth, does that mean don’t act stupid, don’t give other folks cause to know we are foolish beyond our years? but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity. [source]
Does that mean that our chronological age is not an indicator of our maturity?  To the degree that we believe the Word, act upon the Word, love, live in the spirit instead of the flesh, share our faith with others, and maintain purity in our being is that the degree to which we are mature?
 13 Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. [source]

Could this be reading the Word for pleasure, sharing what we have read with others to encourage them? And pay attention to doctrine – doctrine does not come from casual reading, doctrine comes by study.  Doesn’t it? 14 Do not neglect the gift that is in you, I have a gift?
You have a gift! Don’t neglect them – well, how plain is that?! which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the eldership. [source]
I heard Beth (Moore) teaching on this not long ago and she made it clear that the emphasis here is not that hands had to be laid on Timothy for him to receive his gift(s) but simply hands had been laid on him and he did have gifts from God to be used for God.  It’s similar for us, without or without the laying on of hands by certain elders – THE ELDER, Jesus Christ, has laid His Hands on us and gifted us for His glory.  We best not neglect it, huh?
15 Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all. [source]
Young or old the practice is the same – meditate and give ourselves. 16 Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Pay attention, to our own conduct and what we believe. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you.  [source]
And when our conduct and our doctrine lines up with what we have been taught by Jesus and, yes, those following Him, we are saved.  This is not addressing our salvation from hell, but rather our salvation from the ‘hell’ in us – our flesh, our fallen human personalities. Oh to have our personalities SAVED!  And to be sure as we are saved, we do influence others to be saved, from hell and the ‘hell’ within them too.

I remember I was so excited a few days ago when we read this Text together and You talked to me about it, Father.  I pray that as our IDOKs and our Readers read it today that You will speak again; that You will build excitement and encouragement in them too.  I remember that moment when You saved me from hell; it was like a nanosecond deliverance from the kingdom of darkness to Your Kingdom of Light; but the process since then of getting the ‘hell’ out of me has been a long, long process and I know it will not end until I see You, Lord Jesus.  I look forward to the day when You complete me and my whole being (personality) will be saved.  Thank You.  Those two words are so inadequate.

No doubt our IDOKs and Readers have responsibilities and duties waiting for them when they rise to greet this day and I pray for them to be encouraged and to have strength in spirit, soul, and body to do them.   I pray for discernment to KNOW what You have called us to do and what You have not and I pray we will have the COURAGE to say Yes to You and NO to those things that You have not ordained for us, even the good stuff that we like doing, Father. 

And You know I have _________ on my mind this morning and this pain and illness that she is experiencing.  She hurts, Lord, and it is so discouraging to her; it has been a while now.  And, Lord, we are not complaining we are just coming to You with our petitions for healing.  And we rest these petitions with You for all who are spoken here by each one who comes here to read and pray; and for our IDOK Troops, for their safety and protection today in spirit, soul, and body; and we again renew our request that each of them come home safe and sound.  Thank You, Father. 

And we are thinking of the people of Haiti.  We know You are mindful of them and the conditions there; we feel helpless and are without words to pray; but I know You are there.  I know You are there to comfort and restore. Is there more we can do?  Is there a way for us to be hands and feet from this distance; guide us, Lord?  Show us what You want us individually to do in Jesus’ Name and for His Glory, not only for the People of Haiti but here in America and around the world.    Amen and amen.

Kathie

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Friday Notes (again)

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IDOK DEVOTION FOR MONDAY, JANUARY 18, 2010

Friday Notes

I heard Rebecca St. James say today that what you are watching and what you are hearing is feeding what you do.

I heard Joyce Meyer say (my paraphrase, of course)that my purpose (your purpose) for being here on this planet is not to get a husband, or a promotion, or any of those ‘things’ that you or I might be seeking or wanting; my purpose, your purpose, for being here on this planet is to get to KNOW God.   What is staggering about this to me is this purpose is not given to you and me at our salvation in Jesus Christ; it is given to EVERY person EVER conceived. What God wants when He breathes life into every embryo is for that person to get to KNOW Him.  And at that moment, at conception, I believe ALL HELL takes notice and begins to set in motion events and happenings to destroy, corrupt, intercept, stop, foil, and absolutely make it ‘impossible’ for that person to come to KNOW GOD.   This is HUGE to me! This single paragraph sends my thoughts into overdrive, overwhelmed to contemplate all it means and all the ways this knowledge should motivate me to KNOW Him and how this KNOWING Him would affect the way I think, feel, act, and re-act to and about everything!  I usually say, I encourage you but today I am saying I challenge you to ponder this.  I challenge you to take this ‘paragraph’ to Him and ask Him to reveal to you what this means for you personally – how He wants to personally affect you with it.  

Ecclesiastes 12: (Amplified Bible) 13 All has been heard; the end of the matter is: Fear God [revere and worship Him, knowing that He is] and keep His commandments, for this is the whole of man [the full, original purpose of his creation, the object of God’s providence, the root of character, the foundation of all happiness, the adjustment to all inharmonious circumstances and conditions under the sun] and the whole [duty] for every man. [source]

1 John 5:20 (New American Standard Bible) 20 And we know that the Son of God has come, and has given us understanding so that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ This is the true God and eternal life. [source]

1 Corinthians 10: (Holman Christian Standard Bible) 31 Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for God’s glory. [source]


Lord and Father, the song that was sung tonight is true — even though the wrong seems so strong, You are the Ruler yet.  I don’t know how I could live if I did not know that You are the Ruler of all. Thank You.  Not only that it is true but that You have given me faith to know it is true. Thank You. Thank You.   You spoke messages to my heart today through Your servants in the pulpit and through prayers You have answered.  Thank You.  I pray You will take this word here and make it helpful to people.  I pray You will apply Your Word and I pray that we will KNOW You as You desire to be known by each of us. 

I pray for ________, for revelation and for remedy; for strength and restoration for _______.  And the needs spoken here are as varied as the names; meet them where they are and rescue them.  And our IDOK Troops are always our concern, that they be safe; that they be protected from harm and so we renew that prayer yet again.  No doubt they each have needs that we are not even aware of nor can enter into with them, but You can and we pray for You to do that. 

I continue to pray for America, for grace and space to repent; for the voice of the godly to be heard, and for the voice of the ungodly to be exposed for what it is – ungodly. And we still have the people of Haiti on our minds too and the great need there and the great opportunity for You to show Yourself Mighty and for we Your people to show ourselves compassionate – make it so, LORD.  And we have not forgotten, nor shall we forget Israel, Your beloved people and we pray for them, that they come to know Your Peace and I pray You will subdue all their enemies.  And, Father, I ask You to help me digest what is written here and what I have heard today and to be faithful with Your Word and to be faithful to apply myself in pursuing You, to know You, to love You, to glorify You within and without, but, Father, I ask this not for me alone but for every IDOK and every Reader.  Amen and amen.

Kathie

This post is not a blanket endorsement for either of the women mentioned herein.