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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

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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

Copy Paste Chew Again

Circuit Breakers (again)

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IDOK DEVOTION FOR FRIDAY, JANUARY 15, 2010

Circuit Breakers

I opened my Our Daily Bread (Radio Bible Class publication) devotional for today, (Thursday, January 14, 2010), read the Scripture and read the devotional thought by Cindy Hess Kasper, and her words ‘That’s because the power for living comes from God and not us’.; all of a sudden were highlighted by the Holy Spirit.  I knew He was speaking and I was/am so glad to listen.  There are many things in this life I love, but hearing from Him and sharing what He says is without rival, my greatest joy.  But that’s not the point here; so I will move on.  The power for living comes from God, not us. So if I feel powerless I really need to immediately check what it is that has kicked the breaker.  Cindy’s devotion says it is sin and she is right.  Sin is what cuts the lines of fellowship.  And notice I said ‘fellowship’ not ‘relationship’.  For since I am in Christ, I have eternal relationship but the fellowship is hindered when sin interrupts the circuits – the breaker kicks.  And when this happens we can and should immediately activate I John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. [source] And the power (fellowship) will be immediately restored.  So in areas of my life wherein I feel powerless, in those areas where I experience defeat after defeat; in those areas where I have a sense of hopelessness to change, it is time for me to go to the Breaker Box and flip the switch, because the power for living comes from HIM, not me.  I hope this energizes you as it has me today.   It’s a breath of fresh air sweeping out the stale! Because the power for living, for overcoming, for success, for triumph, for wisdom, for discernment, for making right choices, the will to say NO, the will to say YES,  you name it — ALL comes from Him, it’s not us!   

1 John 4: (Holman Christian Standard Bible)    4 You are from God, little children, and you have conquered them, because the One who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. [source]

Many hours with its thoughts, deeds and events have come and gone since the writing of this, ABBA, but Your Truth is still Truth.  And it always will be; that is so good!  And I am so grateful to believe it and know it.  Thank You.   I am relieved and grateful for answered prayer.  And, there are other Sweet Ones that have not been feeling well this week that I am thinking of too, I see their precious faces and I ask You to make them well.   And, there may be little faces in Haiti without moms or dads and there are moms and dads without little faces and on and on relationships that have been taken away and, ABBA, there is no doubt that no human on this planet is as grieved about this as You are; not one caring soul on this planet even comes close to caring like You and because that is true You are there and You are working there to restore and heal and I pray the restoration and healing will be received and I pray that the material help that nations are sending will arrive and be delivered properly and I pray there will be no lack.  There are some IDOKs who are traveling today, I pray for safety and protection from all harm for them, for vehicles to function properly and for kind people to encounter along the way and, ABBA, if a word of Witness is needed, I pray it will be given.  And, ABBA, others are coming to mind and You know who they are and You know the concern and You know what it is needed and I pray it will be done.  And on and on goes this list of dearly loved people and I ask that You tend each one of them. We pray for our IDOK Troops, You have been so gracious to each of them and we pray for more grace for them today, for continued safety and protection in spirit, soul and body and all these things we ask in Jesus’ Mighty and Holy Name. Amen and amen.

Kathie