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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

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The Good Shepherd and His Sheep (again)

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IDOK DEVOTION FOR TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2010

The Good Shepherd and His Sheep

As I start this I do not know where it is going.  But truth be known that is not unusual and it’s not that I don’t like it that way – I do.  What to write or what to speak from Scripture is an avenue where surprises please me.  

I am deep into reading So Long Insecurities by Beth Moore.  It’s revolutionizing and in my opinion it’s not a book for wimps.  And other than encouraging you to get a copy I will not say much more.  And NO, you cannot borrow mine – there is a limit to my transparency and you should be VERY glad of that!  I’ve probably written more in the margins of the pages of this book than any book in my life.  It looks more like a ‘workbook’ than some of my earlier workbooks with her and I’m only on page 203.  I said I’d hush, didn’t I?  Okay. Moving on.

My dear sister-in-law, Brenda, and I were discussing Jesus the other day and she told me He is described as the Good Shepherd, the Great Shepherd and the Chief Shepherd.  She’s right.  I ran an on-line search in the King James Version and, in part, this is what I found.

Only John’s Gospel names Him as the Good Shepherd and that is found in John 10.  And in John 10 Jesus is talking to the Pharisees.  He has just healed a man blind from birth which brought on a verbal exchange and the Pharisees became indignant about it. And in verse 11 He says: I am the good shepherd.  The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. [source]

He, the Good Shepherd, most assuredly gave His life for us ‘two-legged sheep’. There is no doubt, He did (does) for us what a good shepherd would do for the ewes, rams, wethers and lambs in his charge – he tends them.  He feeds them, waters them, guides them, protects them from all predators, keeps parasites out of their heads and if need be he lays his life on the line for them.  And for us there was that need be, so Jesus laid down His life for us.

John 10: (New King James Version) 16 And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd.  17 “Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. 18 No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father.”  [source] You know WE are those other sheep, don’t you?

And as I am writing, I wonder what do ‘good’ sheep do?  And I think this: Good sheep eat the food given them – all of it – and ask for more.  Good sheep drink the water offered them. Good sheep stay within the boundaries marked by the shepherd.  Good sheep don’t go traipsing off by themselves, off the path the shepherd is leading them on.  Good sheep submit to parasite inspection and are glad to be rid of them. Good sheep trust their shepherd and will loyally follow him to their own death.  Are you drawing any parallels here?  I sure am!  Am I a good sheep?  Are you a good sheep? We’re working on it and we are better than we were.  Aren’t we? Rejoice in this today!  And if you cannot rejoice because you really aren’t getting better; you really aren’t following Him, you can get His RX for those parasites today and begin the healing process immediately. I’m here if you want to ‘talk’ – you got my email address.

Maybe tomorrow we will look at the passages where we see Him as the Great Shepherd.

ABBA, this is good I think.  Thank You.  And I pray it will resonate with our IDOKs and Readers and that we will be able to rejoice at how far You have brought us and that You are not finished with us yet and that You will not stop until we are that Finished Work, that Finished Masterpiece You have in Your Mind and Heart for us to be.   And if perchance there are some out there that have left the path, have not been feeding and watering and have become parasite infested, I pray that You will reveal this to them and I pray they will agree to let You heal them.  And I pray You will send some sisters (and brothers for the guys) alongside to help them – to give them Your counsel, to love them and pray with them, to listen and care about them. I pray this IDOK Body will be the best we can be, not for our glory, but Yours.  Keep us straight, LORD.  Keep us straight!

And, I dare not forget our IDOK Troops, to ask You again today to keep them safe and protect them from snipers of all kinds; those that would harm spirit, soul or body.  You have been so gracious, please keep on giving them Your grace and bring each one of them home safe and sound I pray.   My heart is still with Israel, for their peace, for their safety and prosperity; thank You for keeping Your Hand upon them.  Thank You for Your Hand upon America too.  Thank You for the ‘grassroots’ that are shooting up all over; keep us thick and healthy enough to get the job done but not overbearing so as to harm others who yet don’t believe the Truth.   I pray we who believe in the Roots, the Foundation upon which America came to be will influence more and more people to believe the Truth and that You will restore America.  And, ABBA, even now in closing out this session, keep my heart stayed on You and all our IDOKS and Readers.  And this I ask in Your Name Jesus, our Savior, our Lord and our King.  Even so Come Quickly, Lord Jesus.  Amen and amen. 

Kathie