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Stop It! (again)

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IDOK DEVOTION FOR FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2010

STOP IT!

I am looking at Colossians 3 today. Colossians 3 (NKJV): 8But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth.  [source]  Here we are commanded to put off certain things.  In Kathie Whitestone Thompson paraphrase: STOP IT! 

Of these five things to put off, anger is listed first. I suspect anger is listed first because if we do not STOP IT, it will lead to all the others.  Ephesians 4 (NKJV): 26“Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, 27 nor give place to the devil. [source] Obviously there are occasions when anger is appropriate; to not be angry in certain situations would indicate a malfunction in our ‘wiring’.

So what is anger? Can we describe it?  We certainly recognize the various expressions of it, don’t we? Free Dictionary On-Line defines it this way: A strong feeling of displeasure or hostility. My On-Line Greek Lexicon defines it this way as a NOUN: the natural disposition, temper, character movement or agitation of the soul, impulse, desire, any violent emotion.  As a VERB it is defined like so: to stretch one’s self out in order to touch or to grasp something, to reach after, to desire, to give one’s self up to.   [source] [source]

I am getting mind pictures here. I have a little book that I have read to my grandbabies many times.  It’s the story of Mary and Martha told in a manner to captivate the attention of young children and its cartoon type illustrations just seal the deal for them.  You know the story.  Martha is in the kitchen working her little fingers to the bone and Mary is in the den lounging with Jesus.   Angry Martha is drawn with red hair (imagine that!) and a dark puff of smoke rising from her head, a beet red face, eyes bulging and perspiration popping off her cheeks, as she stands with her hands on her hips, her torso leaned slightly forward and her feet strategically placed so as to withstand the force of a bull coming at her.  Do you get the picture? Do you see agitation of the soul that is about to reach out and touch somebody — if not with the spoon she is holding in her hand at least with some ‘filthy communication’?

So in Martha we see an example of inappropriate anger.  Let us now look at an example of appropriate anger.

John 2 (NKJV):13 Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 And He found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers doing business. 15 When He had made a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers’ money and overturned the tables. 16 And He said to those who sold doves, “Take these things away! Do not make My Father’s house a house of merchandise!” 17 Then His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for Your house has eaten Me up.”  [source]

So what is the difference?  SELF.  Martha’s anger was all about what she perceived to be an injustice done to HER.  Not so with Jesus. His anger was not about getting ‘satisfaction’ for Himself but about righting wrongs, about restoring the Temple to the use His Father intended.  It is my considered opinion that had Jesus not been angry about what was happening in the Temple, He would have in that moment committed SIN.

So next time we sense anger building within, and if we know in our gut that we have unction from ABBA to be ‘His Arm’ to right a wrong, then by all means let us pick up some cords and start plaiting!  Otherwise, STOP IT right there!  

One more practical test as to whether or not we have unction from the LORD to plait that whip – if we WANT to do it, I mean we just got happy juices bubbling over to do it – it’s FLESH!  And we better STOP IT immediately!

I appreciate this, LORD.  I see more clearly that ever why You did what You did in the Temple.  Thank You.  And I pray to be more and more like You.  I pray to leave any defense of me to You but when You bring me to know and witness wrongs that You desire to work through me to correct, then I pray I will not sin against You by refusing to put on Your Anger and deal with it as You direct.  You know I don’t like confrontation.  But, LORD, please don’t let me shrink back in fear from it when You ask me to confront wrongs and injustices.  And I pray this for our IDOKs and Readers.  We don’t want to sin against You by refusing to be angry about what You are angry about.  And we don’t want to sin against You by taking on vengeance either.  So, this is our prayer and we are expecting You to train us to walk in it. 

Thank You.  You are so good to me. I love you.  I am so grateful when You remind me and prompt me in prayer.  We renew again our prayers too for our IDOK Troops – for their safety and protection, for their hearts to not be afraid but trusting and relying upon You for peace and courage and wisdom.  For all names spoken here we pray for them to know Your Tending, Your Ministry to them.  We renew again our prayers for peace and protection for Israel; for repentance for America; for the overthrow of and defeat of unholy Bills on Capitol Hill; for the salvation of lost men and women in places of influence and authority in all offices of Federal, State, County and City Governments; and that Christians in all these places will be courageous and refuse to compromise Your Word; we pray for some holy anger, LORD, not for self satisfaction but for the defense of the innocent and the defenseless.  And to not be political for politics sake but for the evangelizing of the souls of man and the edifying of Your Church.  I am grateful for this message and I pray it will fulfill every purpose You desire, ABBA. Amen and amen in the Sweet and Perfect Name of Your Holy Son, Jesus.

Kathie

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Say Something! (again)

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IDOK DEVOTION FOR MONDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2010

Say Something!

Just a quick word as I move into some study time this cool, damp, wonderful Friday morning.  Just now I picked up the notes I made while Margaret Kennedy was speaking last weekend.  Her introductory Scripture was John 17:3And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.  [source]

And her introductory comment was that God wants us to KNOW Him.  And since He does, He is all about making Himself known to us.  He is NOT into hiding from us. Nor does He hide His will for us from us.  (Truth is we are the ones who do the hiding – we humans have been doing that since the Garden of Eden – but that’s another train and we are not getting on it today!) True, many things about God are mysteries to us. Yet, I dare say some of those mysteries are not due to Him secluding Himself from us but rather our failure to open our eyes and hearts to see what is right in front of us.  So what I am saying is what I heard from Margaret – that for us to KNOW God we have to RESPOND to Him.  My notes say:  that GOD wants us to respond to Him. And for me to be free, to live free, I must respond to Who He reveals Himself to me to be.  And for Him to reveal Himself to me I have to quiet my soul.  That is I must Stop, Look, and Listen to Him and FOR Him and then RESPOND to Him according to what He reveals.  And when I do He will reveal more and more and more of Himself to me.

I know we know, but just for black-and-white clarification here’s my online dictionary definition of the word respond: to say something in return; make an answer

Do you see what I see?  When we open our Bibles and we read, we are expected to say something in return; and make an answer.   And when we consistently do that we will KNOW Him – more and more we will KNOW Him.   Is this making sense to anybody?

A lot of hours and a lot of being and doing has gone on since putting those responding words on the screen.  Holy Spirit, You know all the needs in all the lives spoken about here and so I think I can only pray to do what is best, LORD.   And there are still other hurts and other illnesses and other disabilities; take our prayers, help us offer them up in faith and love, and see You glorified in them all.  I pray for rest for our IDOKs and Readers.  I pray for peace for them.  I pray for them to KNOW You.  I pray for them to desire above all things to KNOW You; to practice daily, moment by moment, living in Your Presence.  We pray for our IDOK Troops, again for their protection and safety; for their well-being in spirit, soul, and body; for them to be free of malice in a hostile world and for each one of them to come home safe and sound in spirit, soul, and body at the appointed time.  Thank You for being You and for allowing us the privilege of loving You and this greatest of all adventures, knowing You through Jesus our Savior. Amen and amen.

Kathie

Copy Paste Chew Again

Nail Gunk (again)

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IDOK DEVOTION FOR WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2010

Nail Gunk

I hope you all do not tire of me bringing our devotion time together from my journaling in my 90 Days with Jesus the One and Only.  In 2003 these IDOK Devotions were born as I one morning quickly shared a nugget from my quiet time study with a few close girlfriends – it seems good that I not stray from that practice too much.

So this morning I read this: I can’t get away from the picture of You bowing before Your disciples and washing their feet.  But help me also not be able to get away from Your following statement to them: “If I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.  And then I read: Show me those who need their feet washed today, and help me follow through.

And yes I added my own Amen to that, saying yes this is the prayer to pray.  Who in my world needs their feet washed by me?  And am I willing to do it? And does it make a difference to me who? Would I wash some feet happily and some not? 

I know the answer to that.  I knew it when I asked.  And in the course of the conversational prayer this helpful revelation came in the form of another question: And is that because I would be focusing on the wrong feet?  Is it that I should see any feet as YOUR FEET?  And we know the answer to that.  And no doubt it will work – if we will practice. Matthew 25: (New King James Version) 40 And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’ [source]

And that being written I am thinking, FEET.  Of all parts of the body to wash – the feet — the part in that time that got SO dirty with all the crude of those dirt paths they walked.  And in sandals, for crying out loud!  Oh my goodness the gunk under the nails must have been — yuck!  The LORD sure knew what He was saying.  We may not be asked to literally wash the feet of others but I dare say we know some folks whose conduct is ‘nail gunk’ for sure!  And so as we encounter their ‘nail gunk’, shall we remember that humbling ourselves to forgive them and minister to them according to the direction of the Holy Spirit is as washing the Feet of Jesus? ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’ [source]  Truthfully, would not you consider it an honor and a privilege to kneel and wash His feet?  Luke 7 (NKJV):36 Then one of the Pharisees asked Him to eat with him. And He went to the Pharisee’s house, and sat down to eat. 37 And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil, 38 and stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil.  [source]

Should it be any less a privilege and an honor to in His Name wash the feet of our Sisters and Brothers?  Something to ponder, I think.

ABBA, I am glad to be here again with our IDOKs and Readers.  This lesson I think is not the easiest to digest; so I pray You will help us be willing to chew on it long enough to get the nourishment from it that You desire for us to have. We want You to be glorified and magnified in the lives of each One whose name we speak here today.  And we pray too for our IDOK Troops for their safety and protection in spirit, soul and body.  Thank You for the plans You have for us; Thank You that You make Your Will for us known to us and I pray we will exercise the courage You have placed in us to do Your Will. I pray for our IDOKs and our Readers, for rest and refreshing.  I pray for our local churches that a desire for individual and cooperate prayer will be renewed and revival will come and Jesus will be exalted.  Amen and amen.

Kathie

 

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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