Tag Archives: Pharisees

Copy Paste Chew Again

The Good Shepherd and His Sheep (again)

Gallery Leave a comment

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

Passion Week

Day 7

1 Comment

Passion Week.

Holy Saturday, as some refer.

It’s the Sabbath. The Disciples are in hiding, we believe. And JESUS? Well, His BODY is in the grave and HE in Spirit is in Paradise delivering the GOOD NEWS to Abraham, Issac, Jacob and all the others who died in faith looking toward the coming of the Messiah.

Luke 23:43
King James Version (KJV)
43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.
via Luke 23:43 KJV – And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say – Bible Gateway.

So we know when JESUS died He went to Paradise.
A place, I believe, at the time was in the heart of the earth; the non-torment side.  Read with me Luke 16:25-26 King James Version (KJV)

25 But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.
26 And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.
via Luke 16:25-27 KJV – But Abraham said, Son, remember that – Bible Gateway.

But there came a time when Paradise was delivered up to Heaven.  And I imagine hell (the torment side) expanded.

I believe Ephesians 4: 8,9, 10 further evidences to us that JESUS went to the Paradise side of Sheol when He died and there He told the Old Testaments Saints that the Work of Salvation was finished. Link the Ephesians passage with 2 Corinthians 5:6 -8 and Acts 1: 9, 10 and 11, I believe we are safe in believing that JESUS delivered Paradise to Heaven, along with the Old Testament Saints and that at the moment a saved soul dies today that One is ushered to Heaven to be forever in the Presence of JESUS.

Ephesians 4:8 Therefore it says,

“WHEN HE ASCENDED ON HIGH,

HE LED CAPTIVE A HOST OF CAPTIVES,

AND HE GAVE GIFTS TO MEN.”

9 (Now this expression, “He ascended,” what does it mean except that He also had descended into the lower parts of the earth?
10 He who descended is Himself also He who ascended far above all the heavens, so that He might fill all things.)
via Eph 4 NASB – Unity of the Spirit – Therefore I, the – Bible Gateway.

2 Corinthians 5:
6 Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord—
7 for we walk by faith, not by sight—
8 we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord.
via 2 Corinthians 5 NASB – The Temporal and Eternal – For we know – Bible Gateway.

The Ascension
Acts 1:9 And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.
10 And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was going, behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them.
11 They also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.”
via Acts 1 NASB – Introduction – The first account I – Bible Gateway.

So we know what JESUS was doing on Holy Saturday. We believe the Eleven and the Others were observing the Sabbath and waiting.

Here’s what the chief priests and the Pharisees were doing:

Matthew 27:62-66
New American Standard Bible (NASB)
62 Now on the next day, the day after the preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered together with Pilate,
63 and said, “Sir, we remember that when He was still alive that deceiver said, ‘After three days I am to rise again.’
64 Therefore, give orders for the grave to be made secure until the third day, otherwise His disciples may come and steal Him away and say to the people, ‘He has risen from the dead,’ and the last deception will be worse than the first.”
65 Pilate said to them, “You have a guard; go, make it as secure as you know how.”
66 And they went and made the grave secure, and along with the guard they set a seal on the stone.
via Matthew 27:62-66 NASB – Now on the next day, the day after the – Bible Gateway.

And the women who loved Him so much, what where they doing? Right after 6:00 PM on Holy Saturday they were buying spices. See?

Mark 16:1
King James Version (KJV)
1And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him.
via Mark 16:1 KJV – And when the sabbath was past, Mary – Bible Gateway.

I doubt if they slept much. They were waiting for the dawn.

For what are you waiting?

There’s been so much to take in this week, ABBA. I’m certain we have only seen a glimmer of the glory You desire to reveal to us. Thank You for the testimony of Your Word that You have given us that we may know the Truth and be made free in CHRIST JESUS. I have some people on my mind but You know; You know better than I what they need and You know the outcome and I am asking for Your Will to be done and I confess I so want Your will to be a certain way; even so, LORD, we are looking to You for strength and faith to abound. And I dare not be remiss to bring others. Rick and Cindy come to mind and others too. Big issues, LORD. Stuff so hard, seemingly not even right; help them walk through it and come out more in love with You than ever before. Be glorified, LORD, in all of it. Amen and . . .   .

We have the God-given Right to do right in this wrong World,
Praying (PFT)!

Celebrations, Passion Week

Passion Week

Leave a comment

Yesterday  (Day 1) we remembered The LORD’s CHRIST, JESUS THE MESSIAH,  and His entry into Jerusalem. The people shouted Hosanna, Hosanna! What a scene!

See (read) the scene again at

Matthew 21

Beginning at verse 6 – JESUS is riding into Jerusalem.

In Luke 19:41-44 see HIM weep over the beloved City.

That was yesterday.

Today we are remembering other encounters. 

See Him teach His Beloved Disciples with a Barren Fig Tree:

The Barren Fig Tree   Matthew 21

18 Now in the morning, when He was returning to the city, He became hungry.
19 Seeing a lone fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it except leaves only; and He *said to it, “No longer shall there ever be any fruit from you.” And at once the fig tree withered.
20 Seeing this, the disciples were amazed and asked, “How did the fig tree wither all at once?”
21 And Jesus answered and said to them, “Truly I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ it will happen.
22 And all things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”
via Matthew 21 NASB – The Triumphal Entry – When they had – Bible Gateway.

See Him cleanse the Temple.

Luke 19: 45 Jesus entered the temple and began to drive out those who were selling,
46 saying to them, “It is written, ‘AND MY HOUSE SHALL BE A HOUSE OF PRAYER,’ but you have made it a ROBBERS’ DEN.”
47 And He was teaching daily in the temple; but the chief priests and the scribes and the leading men among the people were trying to destroy Him, 48 and they could not find anything that they might do, for all the people were hanging on to every word He said.
via Luke 19 NASB – Zaccheus Converted – He entered Jericho – Bible Gateway.

And the last two verses of Matthew 21 oh how sad!!
The Chief Priests.
The Pharisees.
They saw, they heard, they KNEW the Words JESUS spoke revealed their hearts. But they refused to repent.

Matthew 21:
45 When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard His parables, they understood that He was speaking about them.
46 When they sought to seize Him, they feared the people, because they considered Him to be a prophet.
via Matthew 21 NASB – The Triumphal Entry – When they had – Bible Gateway.

ABBA, help us see much this week. Help us see ourselves this week as You see us. Help us repent, help us rejoice, help us praise, help us worship, help us adore You and bring to JESUS the glory He deserves. The glory You deserve, ABBA.  HOLY SPIRIT, we are depending on You to reveal ABBA’s heart and our own hearts as we remember Passion Week. We are depending on You to revive us, to enable us to repent, to quicken us alive – we know You are able, for You raised JESUS from the dead and so will You quicken our mortal bodies today and on that day. Amen and . . .  .

We have the God-given Right to do right in this wrong World,
Praying (PFT)!