3/06/2014

Pre-Passover Meditation ~ ~ ~ The LIFE of the Flesh


 Photo by The ORDER OF THE GOOD SHEPHERD+
The Way of the CROSS Leads Home


The Invitatory: 
CHRIST the KING+ has suffered for us; 
O Come, Let us Adore HIM+






Old Testament Lesson: Leviticus 17:12-14
Scriptures courtesy of Biblegateway.com

12 Therefore I said unto the children of Israel, No soul of you shall eat blood, neither shall any stranger that sojourneth among you eat blood.

13 And whatsoever man there be of the children of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn among you, which hunteth and catcheth any beast or fowl that may be eaten; he shall even pour out the blood thereof, and cover it with dust.


14 For it is the life of all flesh; the blood of it is for the life thereof: therefore I said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall eat the blood of no manner of flesh: for the life of all flesh is the blood thereof: whosoever eateth it shall be cut off.


QUIETUDE: A time to Reflect about the BLOOD+

RESPONSE: 

Worthy is The LAMB+. 
Worthy is The LAMB+. 
WORTHY is The LAMB+ that was slain,
to receive power and riches and wisdom 
and strength and honor and glory 
and blessing! 
Amen. 

Lesson from the Epistles: 2 Corinthians 5:10-11
Scriptures courtesy of Biblegateway.com

10 For we must all appear before the Judgment Seat of CHRIST; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.
11 Knowing therefore the terror of The LORD, we persuade men; 

but we are made manifest unto GOD; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences.

QUIETUDE: A time to repent.

RESPONSE:  

LORD, have mercy upon us. 
CHRIST, have mercy upon us. 
LORD, have mercy upon us. 

And let not the enemy exact upon us, 
for our trust is in THEE+. 

AMEN.

The GOSPEL Lesson:
 Mark 9:45- 46  ~ ~ ~ 


The Words of Our LORD JESUS CHRIST ~ ~ ~

"And if thy foot causes you to sin, cut it off: 

it is better for you to enter into LIFE lame, than having two feet to be cast into hell, 

into the fire that never shall be quenched:  

Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched."


The WORD of The LORD.
  
THANKS BE TO GOD !

Meditation ~ ~ ~

Running with the crowd, doing what "everybody else" is doing, having to run to the store to buy the up-to-date and latest item... reflect values not based on The LORD, nor the values of His+ Kingdom, nor ways that please HIM+, our Judge+.

Yet, running... doing.... having...  consume most of our time and energies and thoughts. 

We focus on JESUS our LORD during our 1 of prayer time, perhaps.... and on temporal issues during all the other 15 hours of our wakeful time !

So, we give HIM+ a crumb of our time, a nod each day.

Fasting? Yes. Let's try fasting our time... or better yet, our thought patterns, our focus. 

Do we tithe our TIME? 

HE+ grants each of us 24 hours every day. If we focused only on JESUS the LORD for a "tithe" of our day, we would be in FOCUS ( i.e., prayer, meditation, Bible reading,) for 2.4 hours each day. Powerhouse Christians!

If our focus is on JESUS as LORD, we would be much better equipped to avoid doing things displeasing to The LORD, like eating meat with the blood still in it.

( Remember: HE+ has not changed the rule; we have, in our casual, modern life-style. HE+ still regards the blood of any living creature as sacred. )

If our focus is fixed steadfastly upon JESUS the LORD, our only Mediator+ and Advocate+, then we will truly KNOW the "terror" of The LORD and be willing to pay the price to convince others of the terror of Judgment Day... and the Judgment Seat of CHRIST+  because...  

It is there.

It is real.


It awaits each one 
who professes  
to follow JESUS.

The white throne judgment
awaits all those
whose names 
are not written
in The LAMB'S + 
Book of Life.
( Rev. 20:15 )    





Let us pray: 

O Gracious Heavenly FATHER, in the Name of Thy HOLY SON+ JESUS CHRIST,  WHO+ for the joy that was set before HIM+ endured the Cross, I come to THEE, confessing my negligence of my calling. 

O LORD, THOU+ hast given me every help I need to walk well-pleasing with THEE+.  I have Thy+ Holy Word; every word in it is GOD-breathed, yet I have taken your words casually and not laid them to heart. 

I confess my negligence in persuading those around me of the terror that awaits a person who continually and persistently walks contrary to THEE+, O LORD.

THOU+ art clear when You judge and justified when You speak. 

How can I thank THEE+ enough for providing me a refuge from Divine wrath through Thy+ HOLY BLOOD, as I confess my sins and sincerely amend my ways through the Help of Thy+ Countenance.

With Thy+ Help, O LORD, I will walk well-pleasing in Thy+ sight. 


This I pray in The Name of  JESUS CHRIST our LORD, The Eternal SON+ and WORD+ of GOD our FATHER, through the Blessed HOLY SPIRIT. 
Amen.      





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