Tag Archives: New King James Version

New and Old (again)

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

Too Tired! (again)

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

THE (again)

IDOK DEVOTION FOR WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2009

THE

I played long and hard yesterday with grandbabies and I didn’t write a thing, except today’s grocery list.  And this morning even before my feet felt the floor, Scripture came to mind.

6 For unto us a Child is born,
Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

And the CHILD has come and HE is indeed WONDERFUL.  And He is THE Counselor that the entire world should seek and heed.  He is Mighty God (Did we catch that? MIGHTY GOD! You nor I have a problem too big for Him.).  He is the Everlasting Father – no ‘child’ born before or after Him is an orphan, unless that ‘child’ refuses His Counsel.  Isaiah 49: (NASB) 14 But Zion said, “The LORD has forsaken me, And the Lord has forgotten me.”   15″Can a woman forget her nursing child And have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, but I will not forget you.  16″Behold, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands; Your walls are continually before Me.

And no ‘child’ born has to be at war with God, the Prince of Peace has come!  And as to the Government; it does rest upon HIS Shoulder and no other!  I must remember this again and again when I am caused to fret – I must remember THE wonderful Counselor, THE Mighty God, THE Everlasting Father, THE Prince of Peace has come and I am His and He is mine!  And yours too! 

33 I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace and confidence. In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration; but be of good cheer [take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted]! For I have overcome the world. [I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.]

ABBA, these have got to be busy days for all our IDOKs and our Readers, interruptions and schedules and plans not going as envisioned; even this morning getting this edition on the screen; thank You for reminding me that You are Lord even over interruptions and our plans that go awry.  And so I pray as our schedules get more and more crowded that we will have the wisdom to do the imperative and fret not over the other.  And as I get ready to finally post this I pray You will comfort the grieving, heal the sick in body and heart, give peace of mind to the weary and Lord Jesus give us a fresh, intimate revelation of You the GodMan born as a baby.  Forgive us, heal us, renew us and motivate us to Go and Tell.  Please keep our IDOK Troops safe again today.  Again I pray for Israel, bless them and bring them to Your Peace as You subdue their enemies.  I pray for America that You will forgive us and grant space and grace for repentance.  I pray for this American government, it was once a good work and I pray it will be again.  I pray You will take Your Word written here and encourage and bless today for Jesus sake.    Amen and amen.

Kathie