HEAR, O ISRAEL . . . The GREAT SHEMA

THE GREAT SHEMA

HEAR, O ISRAEL !

The LORD OUR GOD is ONE LORD.

I+ and My+ FATHER are ONE. 

HOLY MONDAY ~ ~ ~ The Cleansing of the Temple ~ ~ ~ The Day of the Blood-Red EARTH !

JESUS CLEANSING THE TEMPLE

Drawing courtesy of J.J. Tissot / Sacred Art Meditations

^{Scripture Verses courtesy of  Bibleworks. org,  recorded by Matthew, chapter  21}

⁴ All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying,

⁵ Tell ye the Daughter of Zion, 

Behold, 

thy KING+ cometh unto thee, 

meek, 

and sitting upon an ass, 

and a colt the foal of an ass.

⁶ And the disciples went, and did as JESUS commanded them,
⁷ And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set HIM+ thereon.
⁸ And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way.

⁹ And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying,

Hosanna to the SON+ of David: 

Blessed is HE+ 

that cometh in the name of The LORD; 

Hosanna in the highest!

¹⁰ And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this?
¹¹ And the multitude said,

This is JESUS the Prophet+ of Nazareth of Galilee.

¹² And JESUS went into the Temple of GOD, 

and cast out all them 

that sold and bought in the Temple, 

and overthrew the tables of the money-changers, 

and the seats of them that sold doves,

¹³ And [ JESUS ] said unto them, 

It is written, 

My+ house shall be called 

the house of prayer; 

but ye have made it a den of thieves!

¹⁴ And the blind and the lame came to HIM+ in the temple; and HE+ healed them.

¹⁵ And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that HE+ did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, 

Hosanna to the SON+ of David; 

they were sore displeased,

¹⁶ And said unto HIM+, Hearest thou what these say? 

And JESUS saith unto them, 

Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?

¹⁷ And HE+ left them, and went out of the city into Bethany; and HE+ lodged there.

MEDITATION ~ ~ ~ 

Oh, that cleansing of the Temple of GOD!  

This was the second ... but not the last... CLEANSING of the Temple of GOD that The LORD effected.

I+ and MY+ FATHER are ONE. 

John 10:30

Do we think HE+ will not cleanse the temple of GOD on earth, in us,  AGAIN?  

Yes indeed, the cleansing is appointed, the testing is determined,  and it is moving towards us all, right on schedule... HIS+ pre-determined schedule. 

There is a phenomenon taking place in the Heavens, called the 4 blood-red moons. It is real. 

The times of these lunar eclipses are, scientifically, RIGHT IN LINE with the ancient Jewish calendar of Passover and Sukkoth. ( It would behoove readers to research this on the Internet for themselves. )

Photo courtesy of
 www.earthsky.org

On the night of April 14-15,
the planet Mars – closest in 6 years – will be near the eclipsed moon.
The star Spica will also be nearby.
Illustration via Classical Astronomy.

Above, ^ , is a graphic of what will take place in the skies TONIGHT, starting at 2 a.m. , and lasting for 77 minutes.

Lunar eclipse of March 3, 2007.

 Image by Joshua Valcarcel via Wikimedia Commons.

Courtesy of www.earthsky.org

Photo courtesy of www.earthsky.org

This is what a total eclipse looks like. 

This is the total eclipse of October 27, 2004 via Fred Espenak of NASA. 

We astronomy writers often describe a 

totally eclipsed moon as appearing ‘blood red.’ 

Here’s why the moon turns red during a total eclipse. 

www.earthsky.org

This is the blood red moon from the lunar eclipse in 2004. 

When the eclipse is beginning and ending, the moon is simply dark. 

HOWEVER: when totally eclipsed, the moon reflects light from the earth. It does this for a very short period of time and is breath-taking red. 

Is this how 

The ALMIGHTY 

sees this planet earth ?
.
.  .  .
.
.
...

Blood red ?
A blood-red earth.  

How could HE not see earth that way ? 

Does not the blood of the innocents slain cry out to HIM from the earth...from the blood-drenched battlefields...  from the hidden laboratories ?  

HE Who made the ear, 

does HE not hear ?

HE Who made the eye, 

does HE not see ?  

O earth, earth, earth, 

HEAR the WORD+ 

of The LORD! 

... before it is too late. 

And , "too late" is quickly approaching. 

Come unto ME+, 

all ye who labor and are heavy-laden

and 

I+ will give 

you rest. 

Take MY+ yoke upon you,

and learn 

from ME+. 

For I+ am meek and lowly of heart

and ye shall find rest for your souls.

Let us Pray:

LORD, have mercy upon me, a sinner, condemned to die. 

LORD, have mercy upon me, a sinner, who ignored THEE+  for so long, who turned a deaf ear to Thy+ HOLY Words, who has been pre-occupied with what makes my Self feel good.

LORD, have mercy upon me, a lost or stumbling sheep of Thy+ own fold. 

Destroy me not with this blood-red earth of those who delight to shed the blood of others. Cleanse me of anger, pride, and that horrible self-will. 

LORD, have mercy upon me!   

Bless GOD: 

FATHER, 

SON+, 

and HOLY SPIRIT,

both now and forever. 

Amen.  

ADVENT Meditation # 3.... HE+ Didn't Come Here to Lose...

"You cannot kill ME+. "

Therefore doth My+ FATHER love ME+ 

because I +  lay down My+ Life 

that I+  may take it again. 

No man taketh it from ME+, 

but I+  lay it down of Myself+. 

I +   have power to lay it down, 

and I+  have power to take it again. 

This commandment have I+  received 

of  My+ FATHER.

Words of JESUS, recorded in John 10: 17, 18

Courtesy of BibleGateway.com

~  ~  ~

 " YOU  cannot kill ME,+ "  

JESUS said.

No human being and no demonic being from the unseen realms can ...OR COULD... kill JESUS, 
HE+ informed the world.

"You CANNOT kill ME+, " 

JESUS said. 

No human being and no demonic being from the unseen realms even has ... OR HAD...  power or authority of any kind whatsoever, in this realm or in the Heavenlies, 

to do ANYTHING to JESUS.  

Neither humans nor satan himself nor his demons are even ABLE to do anything to JESUS . 

"You cannot KILL  ME+,"

JESUS said.

No human being nor satan nor his demons can... 

...OR ever COULD , in all of Eternity... 
kill The LORD 

UNLESS HE+ allowed it to happen ! 

( And, for the JOY that was set before HIM+, 
HE+ did allow them to do so. 
But, Bless GOD, none of His+ enemies 
knew what the result was going to be! )

"You cannot kill ME+, "

JESUS said. 

Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?

The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord, and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.

HE that sitteth in the Heavens shall LAUGH !

The LORD shall have them in derision !

Then shall HE speak unto them in His ANGER, and TERRIFY them in His WRATH !

( Literal Hebrew from Jay P. Green's Interlinear ) 
Psalm 2 Courtesy of BibleGateway.com.

O HOLY FATHER, WHO art in Heaven... 

We lift up our hearts in praise to THEE for giving us Thy beloved SON+ Who+ became our form and our nature that we might become Thy children. 

We thank THEE for sending HIM+ Incarnate into the world... HE+ Who+ cannot be killed or see death again.  We thank THEE for giving all power and authority over life and death unto Thy SON+ so that we might live and never die. 

Glory be to GOD ON HIGH, 

and on earth, 

peace, goodwill towards men. 

Amen

Set Apart for The MASTER + ...

My+ sheep hear My+ Voice,

and I + know them,

and they follow ME+.

It is imperative to learn to know HIS+ Voice. We learn to recognize HIS+ Voice when we spend time with HIM+.

. 

.

O My+ people, do not be led astray by the voice of  other sheep , by the voice of  false teachers, or by the voice of your own flesh.

Spend sacrificial,  precious time with ME+,  for I+ will tune your ears to hear My+ Voice. 

Learn to submit the desires of your heart to ME+ and to My+ Word. Learn to fast from the voices of other sheep, seeking My+ Voice, My+ companionship alone.  Learn to guard your heart from teachings which do not match My+ Words. I+ will teach you if you do not understand some Scriptures... if you stay yourself before ME+.

Set apart your time, your life, for ME+.

.

+  +  +

LENTEN MEDITATION 30 ~~~ Through it All

LENTEN MEDITATION 30 ~ ~ ~ The Repair of the Broken

~ ~ ~ or, We Are All Required to Walk
…even in the midst of our difficulties.

Sooner or later, we all have ENORMOUS hurts or difficulties. They come to Christian and non-Christian, alike. Deaths, bodily sickness or injury, divorce, loneliness --- deep, gut-wrenching loneliness--- every human soul knows these heart-aches in one way or another. And then, when joy is finally gone, comes the worst: what is life all about, anyways? And for some, is it worth the struggle?

Our LORD JESUS tells us to walk with HIM+. HE+ does NOT tell us to be joyful. HE+ does tell us to offer up thanksgiving and praise of Who+ HE+ is in the midst of these griefs. Like Job, we recognize His+ Sovereignty at all times and in all circumstances. And then, we are required to walk with HIM+… in as much obedience as if the hurt had not happened.

As we walk with The LORD JESUS through these gut-wrenching sorrows, HE+ comforts us. HE+ also corrects our vision. HE+ corrects where --- or in whom--- we have put our trust. The Psalmist correctly states:

Whom have I in heaven but thee?
and there is none upon earth
that I desire beside thee.
Psalm 73:25

Our LORD JESUS gently but firmly corrects our heart. HE+ corrects the direction we have been leaning. If we have been leaning on things of this life for our happiness, then HE+ will correct that. Temporal things--- earthly security, houses, lands--- are worse than temporary: they are deceitful security… houses built upon the sand.

If we have been leaning on others as the source of our joy, then HE+ corrects that.

Elderly parents, aunts and uncles, will indeed pass away. Brothers and sisters will go at their appointed times. Sometimes spouses are taken. Sometimes the treasures of our hearts, our little ones, are returned home to Their Heavenly FATHER.

We cannot stop these sorrows from occurring.

HE+ wants our primary heart to be with HIM+. There should be nothing greater living in our hearts. HE+ corrects that, in the midst of these common human griefs, and we see our error.


If our job security goes or sickness or disease robs us of our earthly strength, HE+ corrects us here, too. HE+ wants our labor to be in HIM+ and for HIM+. Many a saint has discovered the quietness--- and power--- of the prayer closet while having severe physical limitations to endure daily. With no hope for recovery, they learn to lean on JESUS for their hope. Their strength becomes perfected in their weakness because of JESUS. Their whole identity changes…which is the goal.

HE+ is good at changing our self’s identity from worldling to being CHRIST’S man or woman. HE+ will use whatever means is necessary to do this.


If we walk with HIM+ through these distresses, we discover something grand: we become whole again. HE+ brings healing and joy back into our hearts, no matter what the sorrow, if we walk with HIM+ and remain obedient to His+ Word through these awful human woes.

The LORD JESUS is not unmindful of our sorrow, for HE+ was the king of human sorrow. It is not un-ending comfort and compassion that we need, though; it is healing. Yes, JESUS does have un-ending comfort and compassion for His+ followers, and furthermore, HE+ gives it to us freely and abundantly.

The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy:
I am come that they might have life,
and that they might have it
more abundantly.
John 10:10


But… we must receive His+ correction in order to be healed.



Furthermore, when we go through the healing that obedience to His+ Word brings, His+ love, comfort, compassion, and tremendous JOY will be poured upon us. Yea, His+ very Presence will be there and the sorrowful torments will flee away. We will not have to work at being joyful; HE+ will send it.




As HE+ corrects us, HE+ tells us to bring the needs of our hearts to HIM+ and to HIM+ alone. We take the demands off of others to “be there” for us. We learn to relate to others through CHRIST and for His+ Sake… and for His+ Sake alone.

This is so that they too might come to know CHRIST JESUS our LORD… so that they too might be released from the torments of darkness … so that they too might go forth and bear witness of HIM+ at all times and in all places.

We take to the cross our own emptiness for CHRIST JESUS to fill, not to others. And then, we will be ONE with HIM+.


In the Name of the FATHER, The SON+,

and the HOLY SPIRIT.

Amen.

+ + +