5/27/2012

Pentecost ! The Power of The Coming ONE+ !


Almighty GOD, on this day THOU opened the way of Eternal Life to every race and nation by the promised out-pouring of Thy Blessed HOLY SPIRIT through tongues of Holy Fire bestowed upon Thy Servants gathered together in that Upper Room so long ago. 

That great out-pouring engulfed Thy Servants and with great and several manifestations of tongues, THOU encompassed them with Thy POWER, enabling Thy Servants to shed abroad the Good News of Thy great Salvation.  



Now, O Great LORD, shed abroad this Gift of Thy HOLY SPIRIT in flames of Holy Fire so that Thy Servants living today may be emboldened to fight the foe of darkness and unbelief in this dead and dying world, redeeming the time and proclaiming the Gospel of Our LORD JESUS CHRIST... using words when necessary.

+  +  +

Today marks the 50th day
in times past 
since the Resurrection of Our LORD JESUS CHRIST.
This day the HOLY SPIRIT
came in fire.
This day HE bestowed
His manifold graces
upon the disciples
and sent them through the world
in great power,
with no fear of death .

Hadn't they just seen The Risen LORD ascend into the Heavenlies in His+ Glorified Body?

Hadn't they heard His+ gladsome words:

"Why are ye troubled,
and why do thoughts arise in your hearts? Behold, MY HANDS AND MY FEET,
that it is I+ Myself+; 
Handle ME+ and see.
For a spirit
has not FLESH AND BONES
AS YE SEE ME+ TO HAVE ."

Amen and Hallelujah ! 

Baptize us, O LORD,
  • in Thy sanctified water,
  • with Thy Holy power,
  • with Thy Holy tongues,
  • to preach the Gospel,
  • to tell all nations this Truth:  

Believe and be baptized in the Name of The LORD JESUS CHRIST for the forgiveness of your sins... and you TOO will receive the gift of the HOLY SPIRIT.


5/24/2012

Pentecost is Coming ! Seek HIS+ Face !


O GOD of the First Pentecost,

Who at that time poured forth Thy HOLY SPIRIT with Power and Might upon those faithful ones seeking THEE in one accord; Grant us a pulling together as one, seeking THEE together in love and unity, to  proclaim Thy Power and Great Glory to the Unreached and Reached alike;

through the merits of CHRIST JESUS Our Risen LORD, WHO+ liveth and reigneth with THEE in the unity of The Same SPIRIT HOLY, ONE GOD, world without end.

AMEN

5/23/2012

Pentecost is Coming! A personal Pentecost...

is available for all ...
regardless of what the Church Proper does or does NOT experience.
That is good news for the hungry of heart. 

Verily, verily, I+ say unto you,
unless a grain of wheat
falls into the ground
and dies,
it remains alone:
but if it dies,
it produces much grain.
John 12:24, NKJV

Within these Words of Our LORD JESUS CHRIST lies the secret to Pentecost, that great movement of the HOLY SPIRIT which engulfed the lives of the once fear-filled disciples.
 
HE+ tells us how to escape loneliness. HE+ tells us how to bear much fruit. HE+ tells us that HE+ has set in motion the way for us to experience Pentecost.

HOW do we accomplish this?

First, we set ourselves in the way, the path, HE+ directs. That involves some activity... yes, activity... on our part. We must fall to the ground, step 1. How hard is that ?

Then, we make a choice, step 2. We choose to die to Self. How hard is that ?

VERY HARD !


Indeed, we are willing but the flesh is weak and does not want to die. So... how do we "make" ourselves "die to Self ?"

We call upon The LORD for help. Will HE+ help us die ? YES, most assuredly HE+ will because it is His+ Will for each one of us. [ This is one place that His+ Will is not mysterious nor hidden to us. ]

We are "alone" until we die out to Self. Most of us know that our spouses cannot "fill" us up. Most will come to realize that our children cannot fill us up and will, sooner or later, leave the home nest. Some have even discovered the truth that our jobs, careers, work, education, etc., cannot fill us up. Our identity in these things is vaporous at best.

We sadly discover this when we retire or are forced out of our positions by corporate down-sizing, re-organization, our health, or some other contingency. We discover quickly how important and necessary our skills are to the business, company, agency, organization, hospital, or school: they can survive very well without us.

However, Our LORD JESUS CHRIST never, ever  down-sizes. HE+ does not have a "retirement" package! Even if our health plummets and our circumstances change drastically by events we cannot control, we NEVER lose our importance to our work for the Kingdom of GOD.

Indeed, in many instances of major change, we hunker down even moreso with Our LORD and do the unseen foundational work of prayer and focused, single-minded commitment to Our LORD... so vital for victories in spiritual warfare.

We embrace death to Self. It is the only way given to produce fruit for JESUS our LORD... just like HE+ said.  

+  +  +
In the Name of The FATHER
WHO begot us,
And HIS Only-Begotten SON+
JESUS CHRIST WHO+ saves us,
And the Blessed HOLY SPIRIT
WHO sanctifies us.  

5/17/2012

ASCENSION DAY 2012

PHOTO by The ORDER of The GOOD SHEPHERD+

CHRIST the SON+
of the Living GOD
is seated at
the Right Hand
of The FATHER.

HALLELUJAH!

CHRIST the SON+
of the Living GOD
ever liveth
to make intercession
for us.

HALLELUJAH !

CHRIST the SON+
of the Living GOD
is coming again
in flaming fire,
to take vengeance on them
who know not GOD
and obey not
the Gospel of
Our LORD JESUS CHRIST.

HALLELUJAH !

CHRIST is risen!
CHRIST JESUS
is risen indeed!

+  +  +


5/07/2012

A Letter to Mom....

Dear Mom,

     I never realized until I wrote in your Mother's Day card that motherhood never ceases.

I always thought that once we children were out on our own, that your "job" was done. Maybe it was, as far as cooking and laundry and cleaning goes. But, motherhood didn't cease; it simply shifted gears.

     I cannot envision a time when you might not be there for us. Even fighting through life together as a family, you have been at the heart of it.

      I am glad you are helping Sammy [ a younger brother, aged 45 ] to survive. I think you will have no regrets on your heart for assisting him however you can. What he does with it is not your responsibility nor accountability; it is his.

So, when you give him --- food, funds, truck, or laundry services --- he stands accountable to The LORD for his use ( or abuse ) of what he has been given. You have done your part as a conscientious mother. If Sammy wastes your gifts, do not worry about it. Your part is to give as wisely as possible in order to help.

     The LORD sees it all. HE+ is like a good parent. HE+ gives to each one of us. Our family in particular, and for no reason of our own, has been blessed with health, enough funds, and many creature comforts of this life. We have never lacked daily food, clothing, schooling, nor many fun things in life... not to mention a roof over our heads.

     The LORD has blessed dear Dad with strength over the years to provide plus a conscientious heart to take care of us all. Many, many families do not have a Dad like that.

   The LORD gives and gives. But, what do we do with His+ gifts? Do we do like Sammy often does and squander it all away ? 

     Like a good parent, HE+ fulfills His+ role in leading, guiding, and providing... even through adulthood if we never leave His+ house. It is not His+ responsibility nor accountability what we do with what HE+ has given us: it is solely ours. Remember the Parable of the Talents, Mom ?

    It brings joy to your heart when Sammy turns to thank you sincerely, with tears in his eyes for helping him, doesn't it ? Your heart rejoices when you see him spend his money on good things: his food, heat and electric bills, paying off obligations.

     How sad you are when he uses your funds for self-indulgence! How sad Our LORD is when we do the same !

You would be over-joyed to give our youngest brother even more... if you could be assured that he'd use it profitably, wouldn't you ?  Our LORD is like that, too. HE+ gives us gifts no money can buy when HE+ is assured we will use them profitably. Otherwise, HE+ simply cannot entrust us with very much.

     Just think about this. We have eyes to see: do we use our vision to read His+ Word ? We have ears to hear: do we listen to His+ music, His+ sermons, His+ words every chance we get? Are our minds given over to His+ thoughts ? 

We have communication skills: do we use our voices to glorify Our LORD JESUS throughout our day ? 

HE+ has granted us family: do we tell them of His+ love through our love, through our kind words, through our yielding to each other? HE+ has granted us a home: is it filled with His+ HOLY SPIRIT and thanksgiving --- especially when things vex us --- throughout the day? Are we training our selves as well as our children to handle disappointment with thanksgiving when things do not go our way ?

Indeed, what have each of us done with His+ gifts to us that no money can buy nor replace should our vision, voice, hearing, or mind be gone ? 

What, indeed, have we done with Our LORD JESUS CHRIST each day... this day

     Like thoughtless, untrained, unruly children have we all behaved, thinking His+ gifts were granted because... well, because we are great. HE+ 's the great one ! HE+ gives when we think it is our own prowess that has obtained what we wanted... giving when we "drink it up" and abuse His+ gifts, using them to support our self-indulgent quest for that elusive "happiness." 

     However, that happiness will never be fulfilled that way. Mom, we will never feel good about ourselves until we "feel good" about Our LORD in a very personal way... so personal that we would rather have JESUS than anything this world has to offer. ( Remember that song ?)

When we would rather have JESUS, then we will have that assurance of a berth in Heaven when we fly away. And, fly away we all must, some day. 

So, do not be weary in well-doing, Mom, even though you are not thanked very often for it... even though your well-doing is used to promote Sammy's bad habits instead of his right living.

You are in good company because Our LORD JESUS CHRIST does the same with our family, and indeed, with all mankind. 

A Man+ of Sorrows
and acquainted with grief
and we hid
as it were
our faces from HIM+
and we esteemed HIM+ not. 

No, HE+ is not shown in Scripture to be a laughing man, but a sorrowful one. 

But, there is coming a day when all that is going to change, Mom ! There is hope for tomorrow and wayward sons repent and return home everyday, like the prodigal that they are. Then there will be time for rejoicing with the angels when one lost sheep is found. 

Hold on to HIM+, Mom. HE+ will never let you down! Walk with HIM+ , His+ way.

Love to you, now...
In JESUS, Who+ alone is life, both here and beyond the grave ....