I think that Jesus was really onto something when He washed the disciple’s feet. At the time they were a mess; disillusioned with Him and His insisting on going to the cross to die and they were still vying for kingdom positions at His right hand and His left out of pride. Nothing He could say got their attention or made them look beyond their temporal states with Him and each other. So what does He do? He gets up from that last meal he was to have with them, strips Himself of His clothes in front of them, wraps Himself with a servant’s towel and starts washing their feet.
Needless to say they were humbled. From all that confusion and strife they became focused on the humility of Christ. He was the abject Servant and Divine pattern right up to the moment He was to be betrayed by one of His own and crucified. He drove the lesson home by taking on Himself the form a servant and went on to lay His life down for them.
Finally, that night He said to them, “You call me Teacher and Lord: and you say rightly; for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet; you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him. If you know these things, happy are you if you do them” (John 13:13-17 KJ2000). Herein is our healing and happiness, my brothers and sisters. Always seek a way to wash one another’s feet as “dirt” rises up within your fellowship with one another. If a body’s feet are clean, then the whole body remains clean.
A Wilderness Voice 
I like the thought of ‘as dirt rises up we wash each others feet.” A thought I had listening in church the other day was that the church is a bit like the iron and clay mixed together in Daniel’s vision. There is so much good but so much error and they cannot mix.
The rock not sent by any human is on its way!
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Sandra, very observant on your part. It is truly a mixture and a hangover from Constantine’s Rome (the iron) where he took authority over the church (the clay). See our article at:http://awildernessvoice.com/ClayFeet.html
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Very interesting article on clay feet Michael. Thanks. I got a lot out of it.
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Michael, the Lord has been dealing with me regarding humility. Learning that the highest vocation is that of a slave has been hard for me, but now I understand. I come from a family of very highly educated people (some with theological degrees). Funny though, I learn everything I need to know from the Holy Spirit who guides and teaches everyday. He’s been teaching me since I was a teenager and has never failed me.
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Wanda, Thanks for sharing your life with us. You said so much in so few words. Knowledge, even theological knowledge, makes one proud. And God has to resist the proud and He gives grace to the humble. Jesus always sought the lowest place. Upon finding Himself in the form of a man he took on the life of a lowly servant. Sister, you are on the right track as you learn from and follow Him.
I think that the difference between what we learn from the Spirit in our lives and that which comes from earning degrees is that God accompanies His teaching with the cross of Christ. Even Paul with so much revelation from the Spirit had to go through so much suffering and so many trials. God has no ivory tower saints or “hot house” Christians. We enter into HIS kingdom through much tribulation, but as Christ is revealed in us through all this, it is wroth it.
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‘I think that the difference between what we learn from the Spirit in our lives and that which comes from earning degrees is that God accompanies His teaching with the cross of Christ;
This is so true Michael. Thanks
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Thanks Michael, I am always blessed by your articles. I have been out of denomination and for almost 7 years i have been part of a House Church, but of recent the fellowship became stagnant and borring, it seems i am disatisfy with the whole thing as am convinced that my call is to a city whose builder and maker is God. Please what do we do?
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Hosea, part of being called out of Christendom to that City whose Builder and Maker is God which has Foundations is going through the process of going outside the camp unto Jesus alone who IS that Foundation. We must learn to find our total sufficiency in Him and no other. It is a lonely walk my brother. What are we to do? We are to fix our eyes on Jesus who is the Author and the FINISHER of our faith. We are to be built up upon Him alone. Only as each of us are so stripped of all that is not Him, all that is mere church which we have once been built upon and are built up on Him… only then can we have true fellowship with one another as HIS living stones placed by Him into His temple. This is the process we are undergoing in this hour, my brother. Our Father is the builder of this temple and it will not be shaken.
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Dear Hosea,
I’m not a regular person that often comments on what I read except i feel led. You question captivated my heart and I felt I should say some things.
First I appreciate God for calling you out of “Organised Religion” but one of my questions to those who felt they are “called out” is “into what?”. Let’s be frank here, you have to answer that first. Because, this is one the questions we don’t usually ask ourselves when the Lord is leading us out of Denominations. Sometimes we assumed that God is calling us into another system or local church which is not true.
When you say Boring and Stagnant I will love to know what you mean by that. Let me say this, just as any denomination can be so boring and stagnant so also a local or home church can be if, the relationship with HEAD is missing.
What differentiate the “Called out” Meetings from denominations’ meetings is the preeminence of Christ.
So, I don’t wanna conclude since I don’t know what you mean by boring and stagnant. One thing I do know is “Should a local church(Home Church) shift their attentions from Christ to things though such local church should have no name but as far as God is concern, it has become a system-a religious system that God would once again call out His people from”
Thirdly, one thing I know you can do is to go back to the Lord in prayer and waiting. Pray and wait on Him. I’m He does have answers to your questions and also to that local church issues.
Looking forward to hear from you.
Yours In Christ
JOHN
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Thanks alot my brother, I am encouraged with these words…I read a book that says when you begin to say to brothers and sisters in your fellowship or group “try and be commited”, it means that the fellowship is just a machine that needs to be lubricated from time to time…this perfectly describe the situation we found ourselves, I also read your testimony on how God “killed” a fellowship your were involved in. My prayer is that if God wants to do same to us, then may He give us the grace not to fake or keep managing it. Thanks alot…agape.
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I’m on a couple of forums dealing with the clerical/laity construct and how arrogance is inevitable when one or a few are elevated to the upper chamber of importance over the wee ones. I’ve been writing for months on this. The final result?
The organized church christians cannot begin to grasp what I am saying. Jesus setting the example with the servants towel, with all the other scriptures commanding us not to exalt ourselves over and above others. They just don’t get it. It is totally beyond their comprehension.
A few of them are at least humble enough to ask me for more understanding but the majority are like the Pharisees, arrogant, proud and down right ugly. I’m so tired of hearing that one worn out line ‘brother, sounds like you been hurt. You sound bitter’.
I dip all arrows of truth in honey. Kindness and diplomacy I strive to walk in but that doesn’t even work.
How I keep His love in my heart is to remember that their are those in the system that are like my wife and me when we were in the organization suffering under the bondage. That keeps me in line, thank God for His mercy.
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I am still trying to figure out how to truly be humble. There is a false humility the bible it self warns about and I believe I have done that.
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Fred, as in every area of your life, “Cast all your cares upon the Lord for HE cares for you.” Brother, all good gifts come down to us from the Father. HE is the one who humbles us. Read Hebrews 12:5-11. This is how God brings us into the humility of Christ who also had to learn obedience to the Father through the things He suffered. The only prayer you need is, “Father, do whatever it takes to bring me into the fullness of Christ that you have for me.” Then stand by for things can get rough, but they are never out of His control.
Love you in the Son, Michael
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