Tag Archives: Jesu

Copy Paste Chew Again

Just Wondering (again)

Gallery Leave a comment

IDOK DEVOTION FOR TUESDAY, JANUARY 5, 2010

Just Wondering

I don’t know if I am going any where with this; just making a note right now.  Why do I think I have to do everything important first thing in the morning – reading, writing, praying, drink a bottle of water, exercise, get out of my pjs, brush my teeth, take a shower, wash my hair, dry my hair, etc. etc.?  So I don’t have to think about it the rest of the day? Maybe.  But that won’t work with meditating on Scripture or praying.  I need conversation with Daddy God ALL day long!

And two, I am big on lists, making them but not doing them and then feeling like a failure because I didn’t.  So then I spend time NOT making lists and then find important things go undone and then I feel like a failure.  Where’s the happy medium? I am wondering if today a means to a happy medium is forming.  When I teach and on those rare occasions when I used to speak, I did not use notes.  Sure I wrote the message as I studied The Word and I read it over and over but when I stood to speak, I just opened my mouth and the Holy Spirit drew upon what I had put in and I was as surprised as the audience at what I said.  And you know what? I loved it!  I couldn’t do it any other way.  So I am wondering if that is who I am and the way I am to operate on a day to day basis.  You know…study to show myself approved and just go from minute to minute working with Him from what I have studied?  That would include His Word and notes I make to myself in Sunday School class, in Worship Service, riding in the truck, standing in line, sitting at a basketball game – just anywhere a good thought comes to mind; and then meet with Him with all my notes when I wake up and go from there each day.  My notes and lists would still be useful but I would not feel tied to them and like a failure if everything on the list didn’t get done everyday.  I wonder? 

And three, something that Joyce Meyer said today – we cannot make our lists, prioritize them and be done with it once and for all.  Emotionally, I think that is what I have been looking for.  A one size fits all — once and for all list of do this, do this, do this and you will be skinny, happy and productive. Duh!  She said, and I am, again, paraphrasing, of course, that I might as well get used to it – re-evaluations on a regular basis must be a part of our lives.  Get over it and get on with it!  Life is messy – just do what you know to do day by day to live holy and stay in touch with God; and all the rest will work out – body, soul and spirit.  Hmmm. 

Is this making any sense to anybody? Is there anybody out there like me? Just wondering. And now that I am reading this over a second time… these concepts would be called living in the Spirit rather than the flesh, wouldn’t they?  Ouch!

Galatians 5:16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. (source)

2 Timothy 2:14 Remind them of these things, charging them before the Lord not to strive about words to no profit, to the ruin of the hearers. 15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 16 But shun profane and idle babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness. (source)

Guess I am not wondering any more.  Daddy God has spoken!

P.S.  And ladies and gents, I lie not!  I went from putting the finishing touches on this before beginning the closing prayer, to read an email that just came in and it is a devotional entitled Renewed Day by Day!  I’m not kidding!!  Indeed DADDY is speaking and I am listening!

Thank You, DADDY GOD, for the progress today and thank You that even the failures when given to You become stepping stones to victory. Thank You that I have some stepping stones today and I have some victories too and I couldn’t have done it without You.  Thank You.  Thank You for the good reports I have received today and thank You that You are LORD over the bad ones too.  Thank You that You are tending all that have come to us for prayer today.  You are teaching us the power of prayer and we are grateful.  Doing what I know to do for spirit, soul and body says I should now ask You to bless our IDOK Troops, protect them and guard them and bring them home safe and sound; bless our IDOKs and Readers with peace and rest and wisdom and desire to love You and serve You more; forgive and grant space and grace for the lost to repent and for the saints to grow into consistent obedience and trust You for a good night sleep for us all in Jesus Name.  Amen and amen.

Kathie

 

Copy Paste Chew Again

New and Old (again)

Gallery Leave a comment

IDOK DEVOTION FOR THURSDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2009

New and Old

Well, here we are – the last day of 2009.  Lord, willing we will wake up in the morning to a New Year.  A milestone often used to start again – a new diet, a new reading program, a new card ministry, a new visiting schedule, a new budget, and on and on we can go with ‘new’ things to start and that’s good.  Until the ‘new’ wears off.  And when the new wears off if something ‘old’ doesn’t kick in the pounds will not come off and the cards won’t get mailed and the visits won’t be made and the spending will continue as before and etc. etc. etc. And what’s the ‘old’ that is needed?  Persistent Praying Perseverance. I believe without this old standby we are sunk in doing any of these ‘news’ we fancy ourselves doing.

Ephesians 6: (New King James Version)  (source)

18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—

But I’m not finish yet. Persistent Praying Perseverance is what we need to bring into this New Year to make it a successful one but there is one thing in particular we need to leave behind here in 2009 – un-forgiveness.   As I was reading and writing yesterday in my Jesus, 90 Days with the One and Only, a concept came to mind — Forgiveness is not designed by God to make us doormats, but Doors.  Doors for Him to come through and to touch, to change, to heal and yes to correct and even arrest bad behavior – but none of that will be accomplished if we perceive ‘forgiving’ as demoting us to a doormat.  Doormats take what is dumped and scraped and stomped into them and they just lay there – taking it, holding it and getting dirtier and dirtier and before long just plain worn out! Not so with Doors.  Doors have control.  They let in and they keep out. I believe that is what ABBA intends for us.  I believe that forgiveness is a grand and holy ‘door’ He offers us which allows us to let Him come into our lives and through our lives do great and mighty things. And it begins with forgiveness – He forgiving us and we receiving His forgiveness and we then forgiving others.  You see forgiving the unforgivable opens the door for ABBA to come and pick us up, to lift us up above the dirt of a doormat and enables us to control how we respond to what knocks on the door of our lives.  And in Him we can respond with holy dignity and heavenly discernment or in some cases not respond at all – just leave it to Him to do our talking for us.  Again, I say, doormats take what is dished out to them; doors open and close and holy doors open themselves to God and close themselves against sin and un-forgiveness.  Now please, please understand me here, forgiveness is not synonymous with fellowship.  Forgiving the unforgivable does not mean we ‘break bread’ with them, it just means we spiritually, emotionally and even physically (in a manner of speaking) deliver them to ABBA and let Him do as He pleases with them – we trust and we rest in ABBA that He will do what is right and whatever that is we say ‘amen’.

2 Corinthians 14 Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? 15 And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever?      (source)

That’s it. That’s my formula for 2010, be a Holy Door and not a doormat.  I am certain wrapped and tucked in that simple statement is the adventure of a lifetime, searching and discovering the unfathomable love and creativity and fun of the God who loves us and who will never fail us or forsake us or ask us to do anything that will devalue or harm us.  I love you and lets pray and I’ll see you in 2010 – January 4, 2010.

DADDY GOD, I am grateful for this simple statement that shouts and whispers volumes to me.  And I do, ABBA, want to be a holy door beginning today, I want to let You into every secret corner, compartment and crevice of my heart and mind and I want You, Holy Spirit, to sweep it clean, get out all the gunk and dirt out and polish and shine my heart and soul so You can do what You will with me.  I want You to be at home and comfortable and not in the least offended within me.  Amen and amen; make it so, Lord.

And, ABBA, we pray for every name spoken here, bless them with peace and hope and we pray each one will know they are loved unconditionally by You and You are worthy of their trust and devotion and in all this that You are meeting every need they have.  Please continue to keep our IDOK Troops safe and sound.  Please continue to move Israel to Peace and prosperity and the LAND that is theirs.  Please continue to have mercy on America, on Washington and those there, please continue to raise up people to shout and stand for what is right and take back this country for Jesus Name Sake.  ABBA, we pray for the overthrow of evil tyranny in this country.  We pray that terrorist of every sort and kind will be revealed and stopped and, ABBA, however You will have us enter into this work with You, give us courage and will to do it in the Mighty and Holy Name of Jesus Christ the Righteous. Amen and amen.

Kathie

Copy Paste Chew Again

Too Tired! (again)

Gallery Leave a comment

IDOK DEVOTION FOR WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2009

Too Tired!

Anyway, ‘too tired to find the right words’ is hanging with me today, not sure why, and not sure what will come of it, maybe Wednesday’s IDOK; we’ll see.

‘Too tired to find the right words’.   Let’s see — too tired would be our condition (often, I think); to find would be an action, and the right words would be, oh that would be good any time; oh, yes, any time — that would be good!  So let’s imagine we are in a conversation, a conversation, shall we say, that becomes ‘warm’, really warm.  It is then, it would behoove us to FIND the right words, but alas we don’t.  And we don’t, because? Say it with me, we are too tired!
Too tired of hearing the same complaints, again.  Too tired of giving the same instructions, again!  Too tired of feeling rejected, again!  Too tired of cleaning up her/his mess, again!  Too tired of being the one to say I’m sorry, again!  TOO TIRED!  And why is that?  Why are we too tired?
And of what are we really too tired?  Probing questions, aren’t they?  And there is One who will help us individually answer them, if we are finally ‘too tired’ to keep on trying to live this Christian Life in our own strength, by our own wants and whims.
Oh to be ‘too tired’ to keep on keeping on in my own flesh!  Could it be that is what the Holy Spirit is waiting on?
Could He be waiting on us to get ‘too tired’ to resist Him anymore?
Gee!  I didn’t see that coming, but it’s good! 

Romans 8:12-14 New Century Version (Source)

 12 So, my brothers and sisters, we must not be ruled by our sinful selves or live the way our sinful selves want.13 If you use your lives to do the wrong things your sinful selves want, you will die spiritually. But if you use the Spirit’s help to stop doing the wrong things you do with your body, you will have true life.  14 The true children of God are those who let God’s Spirit lead them.

And here is a dear brother who was not too tired to find the right words. And why? Because rather than resisting the Holy Spirit, he was filled with Him.  Now that’s the way to die and live!  Acts 7 (NKJV)

51 “You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do you.

54 When they heard these things they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed at him with their teeth. 55 But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, 56 and said, “Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!”

57 Then they cried out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and ran at him with one accord; 58 and they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul. 59 And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60 Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not charge them with this sin.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

Father GOD, as we come to complete this post and to pray You know the heavy hearts that are coming before You now.  You know the nights and days before us; You know our needs before we even think of them, even before we know our needs, You know and have made provision to provide for us above and beyond; thank You.    We pray for our IDOK Troops, for their safety and protection, and for safe returns home.  And I pray for each of our IDOKs and Readers that they all be given the gift and grace of a good and restful night’s sleep and a refreshed morning and a renewed desire to worship and work in Your Vineyard.  I pray You will inspire and move us into Your harvest for Jesus’ Name’s Sake.  Amen and amen.

Kathie

Copy Paste Chew Again

Perfect vs Persistent (again)

Gallery Leave a comment

IDOK DEVOTION FOR MONDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2009

Perfect vs Persistent

We are not fully back to normal around here, whatever normal is. We have had days filled with love, laughter, and lots of food, and this morning it’s quiet, for a little while anyway, unless you count the sound of the washing machine and distance traffic.   I like it! My beloved is safely to work and I am slowly getting started – no surprise to you since you don’t have an IDOK yet.

Hebrews 10:12-14  12 But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, 13 from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool. 14 For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.

Luke 10:41-42  41 And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. 42 But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.” (source)

Psalm 36:7  7 How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God!
Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Your wings. (source)

Thank You, ABBA, for these days we have enjoyed; thank You for the love and laughter we are now treasuring.  And thank You for the food we relished and thank You now for the courage to ‘pay’ rather than ‘play’ in our consumptions.  Just a few more days and we will mark a new year and we are already thinking about promises we may make to ourselves; don’t let us do that again. Don’t let us make promises we cannot reasonably keep; don’t let us set ourselves up for that guilt; You’ve told us already that is not what You want for us.  Get us passed that mental trap of waiting until January 2 to begin or next week or tomorrow; help us begin today, doing just one thing we know would bless You, others, and ourselves. Again, we pray for protection from all harm for our IDOK Troops, we pray for heart and mind peace for each of them in hostile places; we pray for Peace for Israel and to see them occupy the LAND You have given them; we pray for America, for space and grace to repent; we pray for each name written here with every need of spirit, soul, and body and we ask You to grant relief from pain and healings and rescues as You will for Jesus Name Sake.  Amen and amen.

Kathie