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A Soldier, An Athlete, A Farmer (again)

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IDOK DEVOTION FOR THURSDAY, JANUARY 7, 2010

A Soldier, An Athlete, A Farmer

Okay. On to today’s text – I want to continue examining 2 Timothy with you today for a few moments before we pray. 2 Timothy 2 (New King James Version)

1 You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2 And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. 3 You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. 4 No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier. 5 And also if anyone competes in athletics, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. 6 The hardworking farmer must be first to partake of the crops. 7 Consider what I say, and may the Lord give you understanding in all things.    

            A good soldier does not fraternize with the enemy; a good athlete follows the rules of the sport, and a good farmer enjoys the fruits (and veggies) of his harvest.

            Is any of this easy? Heck no!  It’s all out war, and hard work!  Ask any good soldier. Ask any Olympic Medalist. Ask any farmer at the end of harvest.  He will tell you it was hard work, tough going and sometimes he wondered if he’d ever make it. But he did.  And when you say was it worth it; he’ll say, “oh my yes!  These peaches are so juicy it’ll run right down your arm, and this corn on the cob is the sweetest I’ve ever tasted!”   

            If we want the spiritual maturity we were re-born to have, we will stay out of carnality.  We will not fraternize with our own flesh, the world or Satan.  We will not  bend the rules, we will embrace them as the holy protective boundaries they are, praising God every minute that He has given them to us.  And we will cultivate the soil of our hearts, plant those seeds, water them, feed them, harvest them and then … when our battles are complete, our races are run, our crops are in the barn and we see HIM standing there absolutely, totally head over heels in love with us and He says, ‘Welcome Home.  All that is Mine is yours.’ — It will be worth it all!  Can we say Amen and amen?!

Colossians 3: (New King James Version) 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ. [source]

Well, it took longer than I thought, but I like it!  You are making me smile again today. I love it!  And, ABBA, I love you. Thank You, LORD GOD, for making it so; You are so good to me.  I hear what You are saying in these Wills up here.  If I want spiritual maturity I will follow Your rules, I will not walk in the flesh and I will do the work of a farmer.  It’s all about my ‘want to’ and You know in this moment oh I WANT TO, more than anything.  But You know me and I know me pretty good too – I get entangled!  But, You are helping me get entangled less and less these days.  Thank You.  I love it!  You are so Awesome!  Please don’t let this ‘taste’ leave my mouth.  And, ABBA, I figure there are some other IDOKs out there that want this too and I bet (well, You know) they are like me in that they are prone to get entangled too.  So I am asking You to keep after them too – every one of them that will say amen right about now.   This is fun and I love it but there are needs and we dare not neglect that part of ministry.   Some faces have popped up, some names linger, sweet people, precious people, hard stuff, lonely days and nights, wondering, scarcity, abundance but without peace; all this stuff.  But YOU are faithful and You are able; may it be that each one of them will experience You in faithfulness and power, in healings and restorations, and rescues and just sweet, sweet freedom from sin and bondage.  And protect our IDOK Troops again today, keep them safe, love on them so much they just feel it; move on Your Church with grace and mercy and conviction and the fresh fire of revival. Protect Israel, bring HER to the Land You have prepared for them; have mercy on the US, send conviction and grace to repent to the White House and every House I pray – all in the Name of Jesus, the One and Only. Amen and amen.

Kathie

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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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Up a Tree (again)

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IDOK DEVOTION FOR TUESDAY, JANUARY 12, 2010

Up A Tree

Luke 19:1-10 (New King James Version) [source]

1 Then Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. 2 Now behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich. 3 And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not because of the crowd, for he was of short stature.

Sometimes measuring up is just so hard.  Measuring up to other people’s expectations. Sometimes we even take on other’s expectations of us and we feel even shorter, don’t we?  I do. I compare me to others and most often I see me as too short.  4 So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree I wonder what our sycamore trees look like today.  What do we do to make ourselves feel ‘taller’?  What do we do to feel like we measure up?  to see Him, for He was going to pass that way. 5 And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, Can you imagine?  Wonder what Zacchaeus was thinking. Did he climb the tree to see and not be seen?  And if he did, did he feel like he had been found out?  Was he relieved? Did he still feel too short or did he feel like he had just instantly grown 2 feet when his eyes met Jesus’ eyes?and said to him, “Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house.” 6 So he made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully.Looks like there’s our answer – he received Him joyfully.  Can you imagine Zacchaeus coming down out of that tree and leading Jesus to his house?  Wonder if he thought about whether or not his bed was made that morning – and what the rest of his house looked like?  Probably not; but I might have. 7 But when they saw it, they all complained, saying, “He has gone to be a guest with a man who is a sinner.” Praise ABBA that Jesus comes to sinners! How sad ‘they’ didn’t know they were ‘too short’ too.   8 Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold.” Oh yes I would say Zacchaeus received Jesus that day and not just as a guest but as a ‘Permanent Resident’! 9 And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; 10 for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”  Oh, the beauty of knowing we are too short – that is if knowing we are too short sends us up THE TREE, straight to Jesus and there we receive and believe His good news – that Salvation is ours in Him and Him alone!  Not only our salvation from eternal damnation but from condemning ourselves day after day too.

Romans 8: (New King James Version) 1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. [source]

Thank You, ABBA, You knew I needed that and maybe I am not the only one.  Maybe others have Monday mornings when they feel too short and condemned too.  Thank You that in You, none of us are too short or condemned, and we have Your Word on it.  And thank You that more and more we are standing on Your Word; standing and believing.   I pray for all our IDOKs and Readers, You have given me so many wonderful Sisters and Brothers on the other side of this screen.  I don’t see their faces, but You do.  Even in this very moment You see them, You see their joys and their sorrows and You have the answers, You have the solution to every problem, You have the provision for every need and You are right there and right here to answer and give and provide it all.  And so I pray it will be so experimentally for each of them and me too. I pray it will be so for our IDOK Troops too and their families and not only these but all who are spoken here today – every face, every heart – be open before You for every little detail You want to perfect in our needy souls for Jesus’ Name sake.  Amen and amen.

Kathie