The WORD+ Incarnate....the 7th Day of Christmastide

EMMANUEL

Faithful and True,

Judging in righteousness,

Ruling all nations

With a Rod of Iron...

O Come, Let us Adore HIM+ !

Meditation

And I heard a great voice out of Heaven saying, Behold the tabernacle of GOD is with men, and HE will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and GOD Himself shall be with them and be their GOD.

Rev. 21

O EMMANUEL+ , SON +  of the Living GOD, we thank THEE+ for donning the robe of flesh to live among us. 

We thank THEE+ for meeting satan as the Second Adam, and defeating him, so that mankind could escape the father of lies.

Help us, O EMMANUEL+ , to cling to THEE+ , Faithful and True ONE+, Who+ cannot lie.  

Blessed be GOD:

FATHER, SON+, and HOLY SPIRIT.

And, blessed be HIS Kingdom,

both now and forever,

world without end.

Amen. 

The WORD+ Incarnate.... the 6th Day of Christmastide

GOD shall wipe away

all tears from their eyes... 

No more death,

no sorrow, no crying, no pain... 

O Come, Let us Adore HIM+ !

Proper Preface

(adapted version)

Because THOU didst give JESUS CHRIST, Thine only-Begotten SON+

begotten of His+ FATHER

before all worlds;

Who+ was

conceived by the HOLY SPIRIT,

born of the Hebrew virgin, Mariam,

and was 

GOD of GOD, 

LIGHT of LIGHT,

Very GOD of Very GOD,

begotten, not made,

being of ONE SUBSTANCE

with The FATHER,

by Whom+ all things were made.

But, when the fullness of the time was come, GOD sent forth His SON+ , made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. 

And because ye are sons, GOD hath sent forth the SPIRIT of His SON+ into your hearts, crying, ABBA , FATHER ! 

Wherefore, thou art no more a servant but a son; and if a son, then an heir of GOD through CHRIST.

Galatians 4: 4-7    

Meditation

Our FATHER, Which art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy Name.

I thank THEE for the promise of Eternal Life through Thy Precious Gift+ to mankind ...  for every person who will receive that Gift+ of Thy Holy SON+ JESUS.

I sing Thy Praise ! May I never take my eyes from His+ Face !

In the Name of the Precious CHRIST-CHILD, JESUS our LORD, I pray.

  

+  +  +

The WORD+ Incarnate.... 5th Day of Christmastide

GOD is not the God of the dead

but of the living;

for to HIM+

all are alive.

O Come, let us adore HIM+ !

PLEASE NOTE: December 28th on the Christian Calendar is the Remembrance of the Death of the Holy Innocents, the little ones whom Herod put to death in his attempt to slay the Holy CHILD+ JESUS. We will commemorate that today.

From Matthew 2, starting with verse 13:

The angel of the LORD appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young CHILD+ and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young CHILD+ to destroy HIM+.

When he arose, he took the young CHILD+ and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt: was was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was sppoken of the LORD by the prophet , saying, Out of Egypt hve I called My SON+. 

Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently equired of the wise men. 

Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremiah the Prophet, saying, In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children , and would not be comforted, because they are not. 

Meditation

(Collect  for the Death of the Holy Innocents ) 

O ALMIGHTY GOD, Who out of the mouths of babes and sucklings hast ordained strength, and madest infants to glorify THEE by their innocence in death; 

We praise THEE for taking unto Thyself those little lives, the babes killed by Thine enemies, and to comfort them with Thy glory.

O Great Comforter of the Sorrowing, mortify and kill all vices in us, and so strengthen us by Thy grace, that by the innocency of our lives, and constancy of our faith even unto death, we may glorify Thy Holy Name; through JESUS CHRIST Our LORD. Amen. 

+  +  + 

The WORD+ Incarnate.... 4th Day of Christmastide

Behold,

the DESIRE+ of All Nations

shall come,

O Come,

Let us adore HIM+ !

And lo, the angel of The LORD

came upon them,

and the glory of The LORD shone

round about them;

and they were sore afraid.

And the angel said unto them,

Fear not: for, behold, I bring you

Good Tidings of great joy,

which shall be to all people.

And this shall be a sign unto you;

Ye shall find the BABE+ wrapped

in swaddling clothes,

lying in a manger. 

And suddenly, there was with the angel, 

a multitude of the Heavenly Host, 

praising GOD, and saying, 

Glory to GOD in the Highest, 

and on earth

peace,

good will toward men.

Luke 2: 9-14

Meditation and Collect

Grant , O LORD, that , in all our sufferings here upon earth for the testimony of Thy Truth, we may learn to steadfastly look up to Heaven and by faith behold the glory that shall be revealed.  

May we be so filled with Thy HOLY SPIRIT that we may learn to love and bless our persecuotrs by the example of KING+ JESUS, Our EMMANUEL+. 

We remember Thy first Martyr Saint Stephen, who, lifting  his eyes to Heaven, was strengthened to endure unto the end.

We recall that Stephen prayed for his murderers to THEE+, O blessed JESUS, WHO+ standing at the right hand of GOD, is able and willing to succour all those who suffer for THEE+, our only Divine Mediator and Advocate. Amen   

The WORD+ Incarnate ... 3rd Day of Christmas

Our King+ and SAVIOR

now draws nigh;

O Come,

Let us adore HIM+ !

+

Rejoice greatly,

O daughter of Zion!

Shout,

O daughter of Jerusalem!

Behold, your KING+ cometh

unto thee;

HE+ is just,

and having salvation;

lowly,

and riding upon

as ass and upon a colt,

the foal of an ass.

Zechariah 9:9

Meditation (Collect)

O GOD, Who makest us glad with the yearly remembrance of the birth of Thine only-begotten SON+ JESUS CHRIST; Grant that as we joyfully receive HIM+ for our REDEEMER, so we may with sure confidence behold HIM+ when HE+ shall come to be our Judge, Who+ liveth and reigneth with THEE and Thy Blessed HOLY SPIRIT, one GOD, world without end. Amen. 

O LORD, as we remember Thy Holy Humility THOU+ didst embrace in order to be robed in the mortal flesh of men, help us to embrace humility in a holy fashion in order to bear perfect witness unto THEE+.

For Thy+ Name's sake we pray, O Great REDEEMER. 

+  +  + 



The WORD+ Incarnate

CHRIST the KING

ever reigns on High,

O COME

LET US ADORE HIM+ . 

Almighty GOD, Who hast given us Thy only-begotten SON+ JESUS CHRIST to take our nature upon HIM+,  and as at this time to be born of a pure virgin;

Grant that we being regenerated and made Thy children by adoption after repentance and by Grace through the Holy Waters of BAPTISM,

That we may daily be renewed by Thy HOLY SPIRIT;

Through the same Our LORD JESUS CHRIST,

Who+ liveth and reigneth with THEE and the same SPIRIT ever, one GOD, world without end.

Here is the Man+

named "The Branch"

Who+ will be seated

on His+ Throne

and the government

shall be upon His+ Shoulders.

+  +  +

A SAVIOUR IS BORN !

For unto you is born this day

in the city of David

a SAVIOUR+

Who+ is

CHRIST the LORD !

Luke 2:11 

And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
art not the least among the princes of Judah:
for out of thee shall HE+ come forth unto ME
WHO+ is to be ruler of Israel, 
WHOSE+ goings forth have been
from of Old, from Everlasting !
Micah 5:2 

JESUS

knowing that The FATHER

had given all things

into HIS+ hands

and that HE+ was come from GOD

and went to GOD;

HE+ riseth from supper,

and laid aside His+ garments

and took a towel

and girded Himself+.

After that, HE+ poured water

into a basin,

and began to wash the disciples' feet,

and to wipe them

with the towel wherewith

HE+ was girded.

John 13

My LORD has garments so wondrous fine

And myrrh their texture fills;

Its fragrance reached

to this heart of mine,

With joy my being thrills. 

Out of those Ivory Palaces

Into a world of woe, 

Only HIS+ Great

Eternal Love

Made my SAVIOUR+ go.

Hymn by

Henry Barraclough

Charles M Alexander 

Advent Meditation #23

Behold... The Lord, Whom+ ye seek...

shall suddenly come to His+ Temple...

Even the Messenger of the COVENANT
Whom+ ye delight in...

HE hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich HE hath sent empty away. 

HE hath holpen His servant, Israel,

in remembrance of His mercy; 

As HE spoke to our fathers,

to Abraham,

and to his seed forever. 

Luke 1: 53-55

Blessed are they who do hunger and thirst after righteousness; for they shall be filled.

Bless GOD that HE has made a way to fill up the hungry of heart !  HE knows   who calls upon HIM in hunger, in thirst, in anguish of heart.  HE knows  ... and thus, HIS Holy SON+ JESUS knows.  His Beloved SON+ JESUS comes to those who call upon HIM+ in Spirit and in Truth, for The FATHER seeketh such to worship HIM.



What CHILD+ is this ?

GOD, Who at sundry times

and in diverse manners

spoke in time past

unto the fathers by the prophets,

Hath in these last days

spoken unto us by

HIS SON+,

Whom+ HE hath appointed

heir of all things,

by Whom+ also

HE made the worlds;

WHO+,

being the brightness of HIS glory,

and the express image

of HIS ESSENCE,

and upholding all things

by The WORD of HIS power, 

When HE+ had by HIMSELF+ 

purged our sins,

sat down on the right hand

of the MAJESTY

on High, 

Being made so much better

than the angels,

as HE hath by inheritance

obtained

a more excellent Name

than they. 

Hebrews 1: 1-4

The promises of The GOD Who cannot lie are more solid than anything our senses can experience or hearts imagine. 

Those promises are found in His Word and are made true by the Living WORD+ of GOD made flesh, Who+ dwelt among men, at the exact season appointed by The FATHER. 

Since only man is locked into a time frame on planet earth, The LORD's promises to Abraham were and are as living and valid as the day HE made them ! 

Meditation

O Great and Magnificent LORD of HOSTS, we praise THEE and thank THEE for providing a way out of sin and darkness since the beginning of the transgression in the Garden of Eden. 

O LORD, my Life+, help me to trust in Thy fore-knowledge in things concerning my life on planet earth. 

Let my trust become so great that I lose all fear of the loss of everything... except the loss of THEE+, O Great SAVIOR+. 

Come and fill this little temple of my soul with THEE+ , Precious REDEEMER+, and make me ready to meet the last great struggle on planet earth... the world-wide persecution of  Christians.

Grant me Thy+ Grace ... enough Grace to look upon the Promises of GOD and to KNOW WITHOUT A DOUBT that Thy+ Kingdom will certainly be established by the power of Thy Right Hand ... that same Right Hand+ which hath gotten THEE the Victory ! 

Amen. Maranatha.

Come, LORD JESUS. Come.   

Advent Meditation #22

To this end was I+ born

and for this cause came I+

into the world...

...that I +  should bear witness
unto The Truth.
Every one that is of
 the Truth heareth My+ Voice.



HE hath shown strength with HIS arm;

HE hath scattered the proud

in the imagination of their hearts.

HE has put down

the mighty from their seats,

and exalted them of low degree.

Luke 1: 51, 52

Amen and Amen !

Listen to the Word of The LORD, from the Prophet Obadiah, chapter 1:3,4 ...

The pride of thine heart hath deceived thee, thou, who dwellest in the clefts of the rock, whose habitation is high, who saith in his heart, Who shall bring me down to the ground ?

Though thou exalt thyself like the eagle, and though thou set thy nest among the stars, from there will I+ bring thee down, saith The LORD.

And from the Prophet Joel, chapter 3: 

Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision; for the Day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision. 

The sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their shining. 

The LORD also shall roar out of Zion, and utter His Voice from Jerusalem, and the Heavens and the earth shall shake; but The LORD will be the hope of His people, and the strength of the children of Israel. 

And from the Prophet Zachariah, chapter 12... 

And in that day will I+ make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all peoples; all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the nations of the earth be gathered together against it. 

And it shall come to pass,in that day, that I+ will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. 

And from the Prophet Malachi, chapter 3...

But who may abide the day of His+ Coming? And who shall stand when HE+ appeareth?  For HE+ is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap. 

MEDITATION

Come, O  come, and fill this temple with the Glory of The LORD!

We are hungry for Your+ Touch; we love YOU+ very much. We delight to proclaim the Name of JESUS.

 Forgive us, LORD,  for grieving YOU+ and make our hearts anew with the fire and power of Pentecost.

Come, YES, COME... and fill this temple with the Glory of YOU+ , LORD !  

Advent Meditation #21

Behold, The LAMB+ of GOD!

The soldiers... plaited a crown of thorns
and put it about HIS+ Head...

And the mercy of HIM is

unto generations of generations,

to the ones having feared HIM.

Luke 1:50 ( literal Gk)

Fear is the assurance that GOD is bigger than I am. Fear is the assurance that I cannot hide my thoughts or motives from HIM.

Fear is the absolute assurance that HE is not going to excuse my disobediences just because HE loves me !

My parents loved me, but they exacted disciplinary measures when I needed to be corrected and WORDS were not bringing forth the desired obediences. 

HIS WORD does not always change us,

does it ?

His WORD will not change us if we refuse to be corrected by it. 

• If we refuse to line up our lives according to HIS WORD...
•  
• if we set at naught the instructions HE has written in His inspired Word...
•  
• if we think HE will set aside His written Word and not hold us to obeying it...
•  
• if we think HE will excuse us from following the words of The Living WORD+ made flesh...

... then we are headed for disciplinary measures.

Those measures will not be comfortable nor will they stop until the corrections are thoroughly in-grained in us and we have developed the proper fear of GOD. 

As a matter of fact, every facet, every group, in the entire Christian church system will not be excused for teaching as doctrines ANY THINGS that go against HIS WORD or HIS SON+ 'S Words. 

And, there are many. 

JESUS said, " .... Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. 

" But I+ will forewarn you WHOM ye shall fear:  Fear HIM Who, after HE hath killed, hath power to cast into hell: yea, I+ say unto you, fear HIM."

Luke 12: 4, 5 and Mt. 10:28 

MEDITATION

Gracious and Most Merciful GOD, Our FATHER, extend Thy mercy unto me.

I acknowledge my transgressions and my sin is ever before me.

I have ignored Thy Word and refused to apply it to myself. I have refused to be changed by Thy Word and lightly tossed it aside.

I have done the things I ought not to have done and did not do the things I should have done, and there is no righteousness in me.

Behold, THOU desirest truth in the inward parts and in the hidden part THOU shalt make me know wisdom, which begins with the fear of THEE, O GOD.

O LORD, I call upon Thy mercy to wash me so that I shall be whiter than snow... then the bones which THOU hast broken may rejoice.

Cast me not away from Thy presence, and take not Thy Holy SPIRIT from me. Create in me a clean heart, O GOD, and renew a right spirit within me.

These things I pray in the Name of the Un-Blemished LAMB+ of GOD, Who+ taketh away the sins of the world.

Behold, The LAMB+ of GOD!

+  +  +

Advent Meditation #20



And she... brought forth her firstborn son
and wrapped HIM+ in swaddling clothes
and laid HIM+ in a manger...

and when HIS+ hour had come...
the whole band of soldiers...
stripped HIM+ 
and put on HIM+ a scarlet robe...


For The MIGHTY ONE did for me  great things and HOLY is HIS Name.

Luke 1:49 ( literal Gk)

Blessed are the poor in spirit;

for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven.

Are we seeking first the kingdom of Self... or of GOD ? Do we clamor and fight for "our rights" when we are stepped upon... or do we yield, yield, yield at every  opportunity... in order to bring about GOD'S Kingdom ?

[ No, we do NOT yield our members unto sin, and if forced to participate in actual sin, we YIELD NOT and prepare to take the hate, rejection and opposition.]
  

Are we SO poor in spirit, so lacking in Self-seeking, that GOD can do great things for us , to us, and with us ?

If not, then we are not low enough to be used by GOD.

We will never be able to echo The Hebrew virgin Mariam's song:

For HE that is MIGHTY hath done great things for me and HOLY is HIS Name.

MEDITATION

O Gracious LORD of the Poor in Spirit,  I praise THEE+  for being poor in spirit but rich in Grace when THOU+ walked the earth as a man.  Help me to go and do likewise. Amen.  

Advent Meditation #19

This is My+ Body,
Which is given for you...

For HE looked upon the low estate [ humiliation ] of HIS maidservant  for behold from now on all generations shall declare me blessed.

Luke 1:48 ( Gk.) 

 Indeed, all generations shall declare us blessed also, who receive humiliation now when we obey JESUS CHRIST. 

Humiliation is the portion we should expect to receive on earth, before being glorified.

If Our KING+ was rejected, why should we expect any different treatment from the enemies of our LORD and SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST ? 

MEDITATION

O LORD our GOD, KING+ of kings and LORD+ of lords, I bless Thy+ Holy Name... The WORD+ of GOD made flesh.

O Great KING+ Who+ didst don a robe of common flesh to dwell amongst your subjects, look upon my lowliness with compassion and mercy.

My heart, O Sovereign KING+, is needful and pitiful... yet with a hard pride do I cover myself before the eyes of man. I also know my pride is at the root of my anger; I cannot please THEE+ with pride in my heart.   

Help me to exchange this covering of pride and replace it with a quiet ... and deep .... humility.

LORD JESUS, I want nothing to come between me and THEE+... especially this proud bearing.  

I do choose to follow THEE+, my MASTER+ and KING+, Who+ received rejection and humiliation at the hands of high and low, polished and base, Jew and Gentile, strangers and even family. 

I thank THEE+, O blessed REDEEMER, for loosening the grip of pride from my heart, the foundation of my anger. 

I thank THEE+ for Thy+ magnificence... which will be extended unto me ... yes, even to me... if I steadfastly embrace the Cross of my humiliation here on earth. 

My soul doth magnify The LORD and my spirit doth rejoice in CHRIST my SAVIOR ! For HE+ that is mighty hath done great things, and Holy is HIS+ Name ! 

Blessed be GOD: FATHER, SON+ , and HOLY SPIRIT. And , blessed be HIS Kingdom, both now and forever. Amen. 

+  +  + 

Advent Meditation #18




The Crown of Thorns....  red as blood...

 

And exults my spirit over GOD,

The Deliverer of me.

Luke 1:47 (Gk)

... Of me... yes, even of me. 

Young and chaste, Mariam was blessed, yes, but because she chose the Will of GOD, she faced the accusations of impurity... with ramifications.   Those ramifications were so serious that they could lead to her stoning, at worst.

At best, those accusations of impurity could bring her a life-time here on earth of bitterness and grief, which were at the very root of her name.

The bitterness and grief of accusations of impurity... of separation from family and kinsmen ... of a future filled with shame and innuendos... this was the portion for Hebrew young women who were truly un-chaste... if they were not stoned to death first, that is. 

Then, there followed the bitterness and grief that no decent young man -- or old --- would ask for her hand in honorable marriage. A castaway and ostracized even from Temple worship and the Passover meal awaited an un-chaste Hebrew woman.

This is what Mariam faced for her obedience to The Will of GOD. 

Did she HAVE to accept GOD'S plan? In other words, did she have a choice? 

Scripture is silent about that. But Scripture is not silent about this: JESUS HIMSELF+ had a choice to accept the death of the cross or not. 

What bitterness and grief awaited her? What would obedience to the Will of The LORD cost this chaste young Hebrew woman?

Yet, she gloried in GOD Who purposed this pathway for her entire life. 

Meditation ~~~

Our FATHER, Who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy Name. Thy Kingdom come. Thy will on earth be done... as it is being done in Heaven, O LORD GOD of the Divine Heavenly Armies. 

Train me also, O LORD, unto the obedience that pleaseth THEE. 

Train me, O REDEEMER, to exult in THEE+ when I am given a path of obedience to walk which I would not choose.

Help me not to shrink back and to pretend I did not hear Thy Word to me, to feign I did not see Thy direction pointers, to become dull and unresponsive when Thy Spirit nudged me. 

O Great REDEEMER, I thank THEE+ for setting my feet on a road towards Thy+ Kingdom --- no matter the cost to me --- so I might be saved from the kingdom of darkness. 

Purge me with hyssop --- that bitter herb --- and I shall be clean; wash me and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me to hear joy and gladness that the bones which THOU hast broken may rejoice. 

Yea, my soul doth magnify The LORD and my spirit doth rejoice in CHRIST my SAVIOR+. For HE+ Who+ is mighty hath done great things and Holy is His+ Name ! 

+  +  + 

  

 

Advent Meditation # 17

My soul doth MAGNIFY The LORD...

And Mariam said,

My soul doth

MAGNIFY The LORD...

Luke 1:46

Mariam's response to Elisabeth's blessing was to ENLARGE

upon the GLORY of The LORD,

her LORD,

within her young soul.

Her heart and mind were over-flowing like Elisabeth's with laud and praise of 

Glory to GOD in the Highest !

She could hold no more; her cup was running over. Praised POURED out of her very being.  Praises to GOD MOST HIGH. 

We know some of the martyrs did too.

Stephen, the first martyr,

magnified The LORD

even as his murderers

gnashed upon him with their teeth. 

"But Stephen, being full of the HOLY SPIRIT, looked up steadfastly into Heaven,

and saw the glory of GOD,

and JESUS standing

on the right hand of GOD, and said,

BEHOLD, I see The Heavens opened,

and the SON+ of Man

standing on the right hand of GOD ! "  

Acts 7:55-56

MEDITATION

O FATHER GOD, SAVIOR of all Christian martyrs and faithful and true confessors,

I thank THEE for sending

Thy blessed HOLY SPIRIT

to fill the very souls of Thy+ children

with praise. 

We take no glory unto ourselves, O LORD.

Our goodness is nothing apart from THEE+.

We laud and magnify Thy+ HOLY Name, evermore praising THEE+ and saying: 

HOLY, HOLY, HOLY,   

LORD GOD of HOSTS, 

Heaven and earth

are full of Thy+ Glory! 

Glory be to THEE+ O LORD MOST HIGH. 

Blessed is HE+ that cometh

in the Name of The LORD. 

HOSANNA

IN THE HIGHEST! 

AMEN.