Simon, Are You SLEEPING ?

Lectionary Meditations ~ 

MARK 14: 36-38 

And HE+ said, ABBA, FATHER, all things are possible unto THEE; take away this cup from ME+: nevertheless not what I+ will, but what THOU wilt.

And HE+ cometh, and findeth them sleeping, and saith unto Peter, 

Simon, sleepest thou? 

Couldest not thou watch 

one hour?

Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak.

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Meditation ~ ~ 

Simon Peter had two names:  Simon, son of Jonas, and Peter, the little rock, the familiar name given unto him by The LORD. 

Two names... two names indicate two operations within this beloved follower of JESUS: the human, fleshy man and the Re-generated Man. 

Notice in Scripture WHEN each name is addressed to Peter by The LORD.

Luke 22: 31-32

 And the LORD said, Simon, Simon, behold, the satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:

 But I+  have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.

At Watch for One Hour With The LORD .... 

How can we think to stand for CHRIST JESUS in these perilous times if we do not watch with HIM+ before the battle begins ? 

Do not be mistaken: if we SOW to the flesh, if we are so active and involved with even GOOD temporal things, that we MAKE NO TIME TO WATCH WITH HIM+ for an hour ...   

... we will not be prepared 

to STAND with CHRIST JESUS 

when the wrath of the satan 

is stirred against those 

who follow HIM+. 

Prayer  ~ ~ ~ 

O LORD CHRIST, awake me from my slumber. Arouse the Spirit within me to draw me into wakeful prayer. Help me to be MORE ALERT to the spiritual work you have placed upon me, to fight with the NON-FLESHLY weapons of our warfare. 

Lo, O LORD CHRIST, THOU+ hast given me Thy+ Word that the weapons of our warfare do NOT deal with the carnal but with the spiritual , and thus , are MIGHTY THROUGH GOD to the pulling down of strongholds built by the wicked spiritual entities parading across this globe ... for a short hour. 

Help me to be diligent to use these weapons by staying close to THEE+, O CHRIST, and to hear Thy+ Directions, O Captain of the Divine Heavenly Armies. 

Amen, and thankfully so, through the Authority of the BLOOD of JESUS CHRIST, and with all the Authority His+ Blood and His+ Name grants us, according to His+ Will,  I do pray. 

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A Little FOLLY GIVES A LOT of STENCH

Lectionary Meditations  ~ ~ ~

Ecclesiastes 10:1  ~ 

Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a STINKING SAVOR: so doth A LITTLE FOLLY him that is in reputation for wisdom and honor.

New King James  ~ ~ 

Dead flies putrefy the perfumer's ointment and cause it to give off A FOUL ODOR;  So does A LITTLE FOLLY  to one respected for wisdom and honor. 

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Meditation ~  ~  ~

DEPORTMENT, how we conduct ourselves, is IMPORTANT, according to Scriptures. 

Wise King Solomon himself weakened his own witness and weakened Israel by his folly of having so many wives and concubines. 

A little joking and jesting, a clever remark, a witty saying ...  all these mannerisms DETRACT from the serious deportment needed by a serious man or woman of GOD. 

Is our mind ~ and hence, our conversation, our mode of behavior ~  upon Heavenly things?  Or rather, do we carry of primary importance our clever and witty "interaction" with others ? 

Are we bold and insistent with the sales clerks at the stores or in the shops ? Is our voice less than moderate so that others BESIDES the one we are addressing  have to hear our concerns too ?  

And never forget: a somber demeanor is helped by somber dress.  Quiet colors and dark solids carry more weight in witnessing than loud and sassy and fashionable garments. Modest clothing, not form-fitting nor revealing , carries more weight in witnessing, also. 

A covering on the head of women who are dressed in dresses ( or ample skirts or jumpers), long pants and long sleeves for men, go a long way towards somber dressing befitting a visible Christian witness. 

Here is a rule of thumb:  

When in public, if no-one EVER has come up to you when you are by yourself and asked you to pray for his or her concerns or his/her loved ones... then this is likely true: your public demeanor and dress are OUT OF LINE with Scriptures. You are not bearing a visible witness to CHRIST JESUS. 

No-one recognizes you for being a Christian, alas ! Your visible witness as separated unto CHRIST JESUS has vanished, replaced with only a witness for Self... like the rest of the public.

Prayer ~ ~ ~ 

Dear LORD JESUS, O THOU+ Who+ wast known to weep more than laugh as THOU+  didst walk this earth among men, teach us to not mingle a little folly in our conduct.  

Teach us to set aside the "Old Man" ways that we have developed to serve Self. Help us to reflect THY+  Character, not our Self, as we interact in this fallen world. 

May others see THEE+ and not us...  May others be drawn to THEE+ and not us.... May THOU+  be glorified and lifted up, so that all men may be drawn unto THEE+, the giver of Life, the ONLY Name given under Heaven among men whereby we must be saved. 

This we pray in Thy+ Name, O Blessed SAVIOR, Our LORD JESUS CHRIST... in Whom+ we live and move and have our being. Amen. 

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