Dear Bros in Christ,

Proverbs 27:17 As iron sharpens iron, So a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.

Brothers in Christ, this monthly devotional is sent and meant to be an encouragement to all and to build up and
edify in the Lord Jesus Christ. Oikodome means "Builder". The Lord has put this on my heart to send out a
monthly Iron Man Oikodome {oy-kod-om-ay'} to build up and encourage the men who love and follow Jesus
Christ in their walk with Him.

Romans 14:19 Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may
edify another.
Hebrews 3:13 "But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be
hardened by sin's deceitfulness."

AUGUST 2007
DRAW NEAR NOW

JAMES 4:8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your
hearts, you double-minded.
Sometimes we might draw near to God during a stormy season or when we want just a
piece of Him for that moment or in that time of uncertainty to get us through this area of
a trial or to help us weather a storm. In
1 Samuel 24 David drew closer to God when he was in a major storm of uncertainty he
honored God. He drew so close to God and I believe Gods very heart when he got close
enough to take Saul’s life and yet he cut just a piece of his garment and spared his life,
to let Saul know his heart of honor for God and so that Saul would know that his life was
in the hand of David a good friend on that day and also our Lord, our very best friend …
So David drew closer for a season and stole a piece of Gods heart and the Lord drew
near to David. He was a man after Gods own heart and on that day David took after Gods
heart bursting with such a powerful gesture of love and honor and commitment.
When I read what David did that day in the cave I have to believe it totally honored God
that day… I believe it spoke a lot about David’s character and His heart for God and
brought honor and glory to the Lord and blew Saul away as well with kindness, love and
honor- give us that heart Lord, Jesus… had that been one of us that day in the cave
would we have cut off more than a piece of his garment or would we draw near to God as
David did?

In Matthew 9:20 a woman who had been bleeding for twelve years touched the hem of
Jesus garment. She needed healing and was blessed because she drew nearer to God.
Jesus told her to be of good cheer, your faith has made you well. She knew if she could
just touch His garment if she could just get close enough to her Jesus, her healing would
be in His hands… Bros doesn’t that make you want to get on your knees and draw near
to Jesus and cry out to Him for whatever is ailing you. The faith of this gal is so inspiring
and to see that Jesus was not put off by this gals insistence of getting close to Him. He
blessed her because of her faith and drew near. Trust in the Lord with all your heart, soul,
body, mind and strength… She drew physically near Jesus and He healed her body
physically that day. But her faith drew her spiritually near Jesus and Jesus drew near her
heart and saw her faith and blessed her because she was near…
Contrast these two stories with how Peter who we read in Mark 14:54 followed from
afar and fell, at that distance he was in enemy territory. Peter fell away and left his first
love, he separated from God. He did not acknowledge God fully. Peter had one eye on
God and one eye on the things of this world or one foot in the church and one foot out,
he was a one eyed Pete and a one legged Pete or you could say he was following God
half heartedly or with half a mind or he was double minded. He was on the fence and off
the fence and then back on the fence, it is well known the fence is the most painful and
uncomfortable place to sit and we all know who owns that fence, Satan himself, stay off
the fence bros… If we keep reading in Mark 14 we see in verses 66-72 Peter did not draw
near to God at this point in fact when that rooster crowed the first time Peter was about
as far away from God as you can get. Talk about double minded. But it would take one
more crow of that rooster for Peter to realize he was even further from God than a few
moments ago in fact it would take three denials of Christ, Jesus to get him to see how far
he was away from God… And when Peter had realized that the Lord told him this would
happen, and by the way who would ever think God would use a chicken to let Peter know
he had fallen away from God and denied Him as well. Reportedly chickens have one of
the smallest brains, so that explains why God used a Rooster to communicate His
message and reminder to Peter, isn’t it funny how sometimes we just can’t get it and
God brings it down to our level of understanding so we will get it… And when Peter
thought about it, he wept. Man he was broken about breaking off Jesus like that, what a
way for your heart to get purified, God knows what it takes to purge out that deeply
buried sin so you can cleanse your hands and purify your heart and not be double
minded. Peter thought that this could never happen to him, it was just unthinkable to
think he could deny Christ not once, not twice but three times… How far can we get from
Jesus, bros?

That is why it is so important to not lag or drag behind in your relationship with Him
today, this moment; bros don’t catch the message on the radio because you do not want
to go to church today. Don’t skip that prayer time or personal devotional time with the
Lord because there is a playoff game on TV or you want to sleep in or it’s your only day
off. Don’t dodge the fellowship time with the bros in the Lord. Make time to break bread
with the bros in the body where the Lord has you and get in the Word. Serve the Lord
with all your heart and don’t complain- pray to God for help when you are weak, He will
answer. He knows your need, call on Him today, and see if you draw near to Him, if He
won’t draw near to you, just as His Word says.
All we need is His touch, Matthew 14:34-36 when they had crossed over, they came to the land of
Gennesaret. 35 And when the men of that place recognized Him, they sent out into all that surrounding region,
brought to Him all who were sick, 36 and begged Him that they might only touch the hem of His garment. And
as many as touched it were made perfectly well.
When we draw near to the Lord, and recognize who Jesus is and what He has done for us
may we have the same Zeal and be like these that begged just to touch the hem of His
garment so that they could be made PERFECTLY WELL… He drew near them. As we come
near You today Lord be near us Lord- Amen! Don’t make God send you a chicken bros to
tell you and remind you what He already told you would happen…. Draw Near now,
today’s the day… Right now!

Agape,
Daniel Wright
Iron Man Oikodome
Proverbs 27:17

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