Tag Archives: New American Standard Bible

Friday Notes (again)

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IDOK DEVOTION FOR MONDAY, JANUARY 18, 2010

Friday Notes

I heard Rebecca St. James say today thatwhat 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 in 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 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 am continuing 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

Tongues

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5 So too the tongue is a tiny part of the body, yet it boasts great things. . . . 9 With it we bless Adonai, the Father; and with it we curse people, who were made in the image of God. 10 Out of the same mouth come blessing and cursing! Brothers, it isn’t right for things to be this way.

via James 3 CJB;NASB – Not many of you should become teachers, – Bible Gateway.

Immediately upon reading and with it we curse people the probing, convicting question came: does that include me?
The flavor of the question was not do I curse people. Much to the contrary, the question was ‘Do I curse myself with my own words’?

I am well familiar with the answer. Are you?
And what shall we do about it?
And does it not seem rather humble to assess myself in the negative?
To be forthcoming with my perceived deficiencies? Nay, He says! Tiz putrid pride, my beloved, that you would condemn what He has purchased by His own Blood.

A centuries-old discipline was to wash the child’s mouth with soap when foul words were spoken.

I believe I experienced such discipline this morning.

I am a blessed and beloved child.  I have sisters and brothers, don’t I? 🙂

I could perhaps should, wait until Monday to post this as who knows I may have nothing to write for Monday; but, I’m not. 🙂

Happy Saturday, my Friends!

Be Hidden in CHRIST,

Pups

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This excerpt from my You Version Reading Plan prompts this post.

Two puppies were thrown into a backyard wading pool by their playful master. One yelped hysterically while the other romped and played in the cool water. The master observed that the difference was not in the pool but in the pups.

via Day 348 – Draw Near – 365 Guides to Greater Intimacy with God | YouVersion.com.

Same pool. Same water temperature. Same environment, but what a difference!

Lets say we are pups.  How will we respond when we hit the water today? How have we already responded thus far?

The pups’ master in our little story we assume loved his pups; he is characterized as playful; meaning throwing them into the pool was a benevolent act. An act not to harm them but to give them an opportunity to enjoy being a puppy. Perhaps he had a plan; a plan to take them on a journey that included a much larger body of water – the pool was preparatory.

We have a Benevolent Master and He has a plan: that we enjoy being a human AND He definitely has us on a journey and He definitely prepares us for the next large body of water. Question is . . .

Which pup am I? Which pup are you?

The MASTER speaks:

John 10:10 The thief comes only in order to steal, kill and destroy; I have come so that they may have life, life in its fullest measure.

via John 10:9-11 KJV;CJB – I am the door: by me if any man enter – Bible Gateway.

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.

via Jer 29:11 NASB;CJB – For I know the plans that I have for – Bible Gateway.

Be Hidden in CHRIST,

ABBA, thank You for this story, thank You for the prompt, thank You for the lesson; thank You for forgiveness since I already messed up BUT in this moment I can begin again and not only me but all of us; thank You for being more than benevolent toward us! I pray for each person who comes here to read and pray or just to read for whatever reason; I pray, HOLY SPIRIT, all will experience You as a benevolent, playful, serious, all-wise, loving, kind, perfect Master, Savior, Friend and ABBA.  And with our praises and our thankfulness we come with our petitions for Others and as we bring their names and faces before You we trust You to do all things well concerning them. {Jamie, Terri, Jill, Nicole, Dori, Kerri, Lance, Anna, John, Valerie, Perry, ________} And we pray for Others to receive strength to repent and believe on and in JESUS name. 

 

Gather

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Mark 15:43 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

43 Joseph of Arimathea came, a prominent member of the Council, who himself was waiting for the kingdom of God; and he gathered up courage and went in before Pilate, and asked for the body of Jesus.

via Mark 15:43 CJB;NASB – Yosef of Ramatayim, a prominent member – Bible Gateway.

And he gathered up courage and went.

Isn’t that an intriguing phrase? He gathered up courage and went.

Joseph of Arimathea, I have read, was a member of the Sanhedrin; a powerful body of men who had already as a whole spoken out against JESUS. Yet Joseph gathered up his courage and went to Pilate and asked for the dead body of JESUS to lay in his own tomb. Let us ask the HOLY SPIRIT to revel to us the potential bodily and professional harm that meant to Joseph.

And then let us ask: Do I need to gather up courage and go and do a courageous act of love and devotion?

and he gathered up courage and went
 

HOLY SPIRIT, yes reveal to us that we too can gather up courage from You, Your Word, and the Testimony of Others and we can do that thing we have been afraid to do; that holy and godly thing You have called us to. I pray for each of us in our respective places and our respective callings that we will allow You to encourage us and that we will rise up and go forward in JESUS name.
And, ABBA, our thoughts and concerns are with Loved Ones with illnesses and ravaging diseases – some at the point of death it seems – do Your perfect Will, ABBA, and we will give You glory.

Be Hidden in CHRIST,

 

Goodbyes

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My soul is sad as I sit to write. It was 15 years ago that we tackled legal issues together for our mutual lawyer/boss. She was spunky, only a little more than a year older than me and yet somehow I always felt much her junior. She knew her way around the office and she was good to me. Yet the day came when I moved on to greener pastures and tonight I learned my friend moved to the Golden Shore quite peacefully on April 27. Ramona fought a good fight and she kept the faith. Her family celebrated her life on Thursday (National Day of Prayer). I wish I had known. I miss her – just knowing she no longer shares this terrestrial sod with me makes me sad; but I will see her again. And I will see her again for only one reason – she said YES to JESUS and so have I. Have you?

10 Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.”
13 Jesus answered and said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again; 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.”

via John 4 NASB;CJB – Jesus Goes to Galilee – Therefore when – Bible Gateway.

9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; 10 for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. 11 For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed.”

via Romans 10:9-11 NASB;CJB – that if you confess with your mouth – Bible Gateway.  Romans 10:9-11 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Ramona is not disappointed.  If you were to slip from this earth today — do you know where you would spend eternity?  You can know. This very day you can know.  I John 5:13 Questions? Click HERE for email address. 

Be Hidden in CHRIST,

Thank You, ABBA, for the sweet assurance of Ramona’s testimony. Thank You that she lives on and I pray her testimony continues to bring others to repentance and salvation in You LORD JESUS alone.