3/30/2023

# 26 LENTEN MEDITATION ~ 2023 ~ for the Preparation of the GREAT PASSOVER ~~~ 6th Hour Prayer in the Temple ~ WALKING AND LEAPING AND PRAISING GOD !


“ Silver and gold have I none,

BUT what I have, I give unto thee .

In the Name of JESUS CHRIST of Nazareth,

RISE UP AND WALK ! ”

 

This series of Lenten / Passover Meditations will reflect the 6th Hour Prayer ( noon ) . Today, many liturgical churches continue to observe these ancient prayer hours.  They were based upon the prayer hours in the Temple in Jerusalem.

The 6th Hour Prayer occurred at the same time that the earth was darkened at Noon, on the day The LORD JESUS was Crucified.

6TH HOUR (NOON) PRAYER

Heavenly FATHER, We come before YOU at this 6th hour of the ancient day to honor Your Beloved SON+, our LORD. . .  Who+ at this hour remained on the Cross for our sakes, suspended between earth and Heaven, in patient suffering, from the hour of the Morning Sacrifice until this hour . . . to make a perfect sacrifice for us.

We thank YOU that at this hour of His+ patient suffering, YOU sent forth darkness to cover the whole earth . . . as a sign that could not be over-looked nor ignored by anyone.

We praise YOU for sending the LIGHT+ of the world, Your beloved SON+, and for His+ perfect obedience and perfect submission to Your WILL for our sakes, showing us how to come to YOU, through HIM+.

We also thank YOU for His+ perfect endurance . . .enduring the Cross, despising the shame . . . yet, while being numbered with the transgressors,  HE+ made intercession for them.

We see Your perfect mercy as Your SON+ took the repentant thief into Paradise with HIM+  that very day, granting him life while HE+ Himself+  was dying for our sakes as the PASSOVER LAMB+.

+  +  +

We give YOU glory for every Word of Life Your SON+ spoke from the Cross through His+ parched mouth, so that the disciples standing nearby could hear them

. . . and later, we ourselves could hear His+ Words from the Cross, through them.

Help us with the cross, as Your SON’S+ disciples, and to follow His+ Example of forgiveness, of endurance, of patient suffering

. . . and to be His+ disciples in every thought, word, and action.

We ask these things in the Name of Your SON+, JESUS CHRIST our LORD,

Who+ lives and reigns

with YOU, O HOLY FATHER,

in the unity of Your HOLY SPIRIT

. . . one GOD forever,

world without end.

Amen.

Here endeth the order

of the ( Noontime) 6th HOUR PRAYERS.

+  +  +

The timeless WORDS of Scripture !

Throughout every age and every society, His+ Word holds TRUE.  Discipleship today costs just as much as discipleship did when The LORD JESUS prepared His+ Twelve. 

If it isn’t costing us ,  then something is gravely amiss in our walk because discipleship requirements have never changed.

Is this a clue for why the Church is NOT seeing signs, wonders, and miracles confirming GOD’S WORD as it is being shared ?

Some say and alas, even teach, that “signs, wonders, and miracles”  ceased when the Apostles ceased.

However . . . it seems closer to the TRUTH that the Church is NOT LIVING like the Apostles did. 

Can ANY of us truthfully say,

“ Silver and gold have I none,

BUT what I have, I give unto thee .

In the Name of JESUS CHRIST of Nazareth,

RISE UP AND WALK ! ” ?

 


No, we cannot  say that.  YES, we DO have “silver and gold” and the things that they buy.

Appropriately, that is all we can give because we DO NOT LIVE like the early disciples and Apostles of JESUS CHRIST and thus, WE DO NOT HAVE A SHARE in their life-changing power.   

We do not live as even modern-day Apostles like Brother Yun of the Chinese house churches who saw many signs and miracles go forth when he and the church prayed . . . as he and the church SUFFERED.  

And they HAVE suffered greatly, not having “silver and gold” even to purchase daily necessities . They were busy about spreading the Gospel and thus persecution befell them, to make their sacrifice for The LORD JESUS even more precious in His+ sight.  

Indeed, they had their eyes upon JESUS and not upon this world.

+  +  +

Act 3:1  Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour.  3:2  And a certain man lame from his mother's womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the Temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple; 

3:3 Who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms.   3:4 And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us.  3:5 And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them. 

Then Peter said,

Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the Name of JESUS CHRIST of Nazareth

RISE UP AND WALK! 3:6

3:7 And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. 

3:8 And he leaping up stood, and walked,

and entered with them into the Temple,

walking, and leaping,

and praising GOD !

3:9 And all the people saw him walking and praising GOD3:10 And they knew that it was he which sat for alms at the Beautiful gate of the temple: and they were filled with wonder and amazement at that which had happened unto him. 

3:11 And as the lame man which was healed held Peter and John, all the people ran together unto them in the porch that is called Solomon's, greatly wondering. 

3:12 And when Peter saw it, he answered unto the people, Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? or why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk? 

3:13 The GOD of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the GOD of our fathers,

hath glorified HIS SON+ JESUS;

Whom+ ye delivered up, and denied HIM+ in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let HIM+ go. 

3:14 But ye denied the HOLY ONE+ and the JUST+, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you; 

3:15 And killed the PRINCE+ of LIFE, whom GOD hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses

3:16 And His+ name through faith in His+ name hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know: yea, the faith which is by HIM+ hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all. 

+  +  +

Once the Apostles had their undivided ATTENTION --- and they were CONVINCED that GOD was exactly WHO HE said HE was  ---  evangelism was not a hard task. 

+  +  +

“ Silver and gold have I none,

BUT what I have, I give unto thee .

In the Name of JESUS CHRIST of Nazareth,

RISE UP AND WALK ! ”


 

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