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The Chief Shepherd (again)

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IDOK DEVOTION FOR THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2010

THE CHIEF SHEPHERD

Today’s writing is being put together in sessions even more so than normal – I’m not in my PJs all day today.  In fact, I’m dressed, hair styled, the whole bit already.  I have a fun appointment at 11:00 so I will be cutting out of here shortly.  But I at least wanted to get started. 

Shall we begin? I Peter 5:4 and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away.  [source]

Well, shut my mouth!  Not really.  That says YOU.  Meaning We.  Will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away!!!! Does that mean what I think it means?  We get the crown?  NO. No. No. No!  HE DESERVES THE CROWN.  Not us! Are you thinking what I am thinking? You are, aren’t you? (Revelation 4:10-11) We get them and we will most gladly lay them at His feet.  Oh how gracious of Him to GIVE us the appropriate offering to give BACK to Him!!  I’ve said it and I’ll say it again and again.  HE IS AWESOME!!

1 Peter 5 (New King James Version) 1 The elders who are among you I exhort, I who am a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed: 2 Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; 3 nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock; 4 and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away.  5 Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.”   6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, 7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. [source]

Lets recap. 

He is the Good Shepherd – feeds and tends His Sheep. 

He is the Great Shepherd – died and rose again for His Sheep. 

He is the Chief Shepherd – rewards His Sheep. And not only rewards, but He IS our REWARD. Genesis 15: 1 After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.” (emphasis mine)  [source]

What an honor, a privilege and a HUGE responsibility to be called to ‘shepherd’ the ‘flock’ until Jesus comes!  We cannot pray too much for our Pastors, Evangelists, Teachers and each other – don’t we ALL have someone to ‘shepherd’?  Let us be faithful!  Ya’ll delight me!

Thank You, ABBA, another day of joy with You.  And, LORD, You truly are our REWARD.  You truly are LIFE to us. 

I have some folks on my mind and I think I am not alone in that.  I figure probably all our IDOKs and Readers have matters on their hearts that they are not really talking about but it’s heavy and were in not for You it could not be borne. We are in this moment entrusting You with these things.   With not only these things but all these listed here too; You know the requests are many and varied and we know You are able; we know You care; we know You are love and mercy and grace and that is enough for us.  We trust You to tend and care for each one.

We trust You with our IDOK Troops; You know better than we their needs in every place and we ask only for Your Will to be for each one.

And, ABBA, I ask You now for peace and rest for all our IDOKs and Readers.  And I pray Your Word will accomplish all that You are sending it forth to do in Jesus Name. Amen and amen.

Kathie

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The GREAT SHEPHERD (again)

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IDOK DEVOTION FOR WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2010

The GREAT SHEPHERD

I am REALLY late sitting to write today; it’s scary how close it is to 4 o’clock and supper has not even been planned much less started.  How transparent shall I be??? I’m still in my PJs!  What have I been doing??? Reading – mostly. I am telling you if you think insecurity is not a problem for you, you would not be unlike me before Beth’s book.  But so far this I know, you are a rare, rare specimen of female flesh indeed if you have escaped the land of insecurity.  And I have learned for that matter, so are men – insecure, I mean. Really! So let me again encourage you to get it and read it. 

We have only one place in Scripture to go to see our Savior entitled the Great Shepherd. 

Hebrews 13:20 Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, 21 make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. [source]  Amen to that!  How is it that we do not have peace?  How could we miss it? How could we not walk in this peace that this so GREAT A SHEPHERD purchased for us with His very own Blood?  Lets zero in on some of these words in particular.

Everlasting covenant: That means He is not going to change His mind about it – about you, about me.  The GREAT SHEPHERD has the power to keep on loving you, keep on loving me when we mess up.  He even has the power to teach and train us to mess up less and less!

Make you complete: That means He is not going to leave us like He found us when He saved us.  He is going to keep working with us and in us until He COMPLETES us.  NOW that is GOOD NEWS!  

Well pleasing in His sight: Oh my goodness!  Do we get that? The GREAT SHEPHERD in us makes US well pleasing in ABBA’s sight! Well pleasing! Could there be anything, anywhere, any better than that? Heavenly Days! He is the GREAT SHEPHERD!  Not only does HE tend to us, delivers us from parasites, feeds us, waters us, died for us BUT HE AROSE FOR US. He defeated DEATH for us.  Though we may die, yet we will live!  News Flash! Our Eternal Life does not begin when we close our eyes here on this terrestrial ball and open them in Heaven!  Our Eternal Life began when we said, ‘Yes, Jesus, I will ‘marry’-covenant with You and let You be my Savior!’   So do we believe it?  Then let us get up from here and there and act like we do and it won’t be long till we will be FEELING it, not just knowing it!

Thank You, LORD, You are the GREAT SHEPHERD that lives forever and ever to make intercession for us and we are so grateful.  We are grateful that we can bring every thought, hope, dream, fear, need and want to You and You will tend to us.  You will feed, water and relieve of us guilt, shame, empower us to live victoriously and then when all that is done take us to live with You eternally. It’s more than we can take in but we accept and thank You.

And we come now praying for others; for each one listed here asking for Your best for them; asking for our IDOK Troops to be safe and sound in spirit, soul and body; asking that each IDOK and each Reader be able to hear You speak Your Word to them individually.  I ask for rest and restoration for them and for their greatest desire to be to love You and serve You and, ABBA, this I ask in the Name of Jesus. Amen and amen.

Kathie

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Just Wondering (again)

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IDOK DEVOTION FOR TUESDAY, JANUARY 5, 2010

Just Wondering

I don’t know if I am going any where with this; just making a note right now.  Why do I think I have to do everything important first thing in the morning – reading, writing, praying, drink a bottle of water, exercise, get out of my pjs, brush my teeth, take a shower, wash my hair, dry my hair, etc. etc.?  So I don’t have to think about it the rest of the day? Maybe.  But that won’t work with meditating on Scripture or praying.  I need conversation with Daddy God ALL day long!

And two, I am big on lists, making them but not doing them and then feeling like a failure because I didn’t.  So then I spend time NOT making lists and then find important things go undone and then I feel like a failure.  Where’s the happy medium? I am wondering if today a means to a happy medium is forming.  When I teach and on those rare occasions when I used to speak, I did not use notes.  Sure I wrote the message as I studied The Word and I read it over and over but when I stood to speak, I just opened my mouth and the Holy Spirit drew upon what I had put in and I was as surprised as the audience at what I said.  And you know what? I loved it!  I couldn’t do it any other way.  So I am wondering if that is who I am and the way I am to operate on a day to day basis.  You know…study to show myself approved and just go from minute to minute working with Him from what I have studied?  That would include His Word and notes I make to myself in Sunday School class, in Worship Service, riding in the truck, standing in line, sitting at a basketball game – just anywhere a good thought comes to mind; and then meet with Him with all my notes when I wake up and go from there each day.  My notes and lists would still be useful but I would not feel tied to them and like a failure if everything on the list didn’t get done everyday.  I wonder? 

And three, something that Joyce Meyer said today – we cannot make our lists, prioritize them and be done with it once and for all.  Emotionally, I think that is what I have been looking for.  A one size fits all — once and for all list of do this, do this, do this and you will be skinny, happy and productive. Duh!  She said, and I am, again, paraphrasing, of course, that I might as well get used to it – re-evaluations on a regular basis must be a part of our lives.  Get over it and get on with it!  Life is messy – just do what you know to do day by day to live holy and stay in touch with God; and all the rest will work out – body, soul and spirit.  Hmmm. 

Is this making any sense to anybody? Is there anybody out there like me? Just wondering. And now that I am reading this over a second time… these concepts would be called living in the Spirit rather than the flesh, wouldn’t they?  Ouch!

Galatians 5:16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. (source)

2 Timothy 2:14 Remind them of these things, charging them before the Lord not to strive about words to no profit, to the ruin of the hearers. 15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 16 But shun profane and idle babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness. (source)

Guess I am not wondering any more.  Daddy God has spoken!

P.S.  And ladies and gents, I lie not!  I went from putting the finishing touches on this before beginning the closing prayer, to read an email that just came in and it is a devotional entitled Renewed Day by Day!  I’m not kidding!!  Indeed DADDY is speaking and I am listening!

Thank You, DADDY GOD, for the progress today and thank You that even the failures when given to You become stepping stones to victory. Thank You that I have some stepping stones today and I have some victories too and I couldn’t have done it without You.  Thank You.  Thank You for the good reports I have received today and thank You that You are LORD over the bad ones too.  Thank You that You are tending all that have come to us for prayer today.  You are teaching us the power of prayer and we are grateful.  Doing what I know to do for spirit, soul and body says I should now ask You to bless our IDOK Troops, protect them and guard them and bring them home safe and sound; bless our IDOKs and Readers with peace and rest and wisdom and desire to love You and serve You more; forgive and grant space and grace for the lost to repent and for the saints to grow into consistent obedience and trust You for a good night sleep for us all in Jesus Name.  Amen and amen.

Kathie

 

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Too Tired! (again)

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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