KEEP a CLEAR EYE ~ Ash Wednesday Meditation ~ 2023 LENTEN --- PASSOVER Preparation SEASON 2023

 LISTEN !

Keep a CLEAR EYE toward Life’s end.

The TEMPLE of the Anti-Christ ~ Passover Preparation #7

JEWISH GRAVES ON MOUNT OLIVES

ARE WE READY FOR THE BUILDING OF THE THIRD TEMPLE?

And an UNHOLY “oneness” , ABOUT TO BE UNVEILED.

Wise Virgins, 

it is high time for us to FILL our lamps with oil ~ that sanctified Oil of the HOLY SPIRIT. 

LOVING the Things The LORD LOVES

Loving the things The LORD Loves

What "things" could Our LORD possibly love ? 

HE+ loves those things which bring us closer to HIM+. 

HE+ loves those things which make us more like HIMSELF+.  

This is a repost from a Lenten Meditation . . .  

Do You Have The DIVINE WEDDING GARMENT ?

What  is  PRECIOUS to The FATHER?

The BLOOD of HIS SON+,

The LORD JESUS CHRIST.

PROFANING The BLOOD+ of CHRIST

How is it possible that we should count the BLOOD+ of the Covenant an "unholy" thing , a common thing, a profane thing , a “garment” that can be tossed away ? 

How do we do this awful thing ?

Let’s look at our thoughts.

What Does The FATHER Love ?

HE loves HIS SON+, JESUS CHRIST our LORD. 

HE loves JESUS totally  and has given HIM+ Dominion over all things.

DID JESUS KNOW Judas was a thief ?

ELISHA and Gehazi and the Leprosy of Naaman

This he [ Judas ] said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein. John 12:6

 Q:  If the disciple John knew that Judas was a thief, then did The LORD JESUS  know it ? 

Judas, it seemed, did not believe that JESUS CHRIST  was the SON+ of GOD , in truth. 

Unlike Peter, Judas did not BELIEVE into HIM+. 

This must be the case with Judas --- regardless of his being an eye-witness to all the miracles of JESUS and being included in the Teachings of JESUS first-hand. 

If Judas WOULD have received the Witness to the FATHER that JESUS testified, then Judas would have known something else: 

Judas would have realized 

that he could never hide 

his sly and evil thieveries 

and his deadly, traitorous scheme 

WITHOUT The LORD 

knowing full well what Judas was doing.

   If Judas really would have believed that HE+ was the SON+ of GOD, Judas would have known the truth of Psalm 139 ... GOD knows our down-sitting and up-rising and every word on our tongues. 

But NO... Judas thought he was hidden.  He thought he was more clever that the others disciples. 

Judas thought GOD did not see what he was doing! 

Judas did not recall the Old Covenant Prophet Elisha and his servant Gehazi after Naaman the Syrian had been healed of leprosy. 

Naaman offered to pay Elisha for his "services" , but Elisha wisely refused to take payment. Gehazi, though, schemed to take advantage of the situation and procure those gifts ... for himself. 

Elisha asked Gehazi: 

"Where did you go ? " 

Gehazi promptly lied to the Prophet: 

"Thy servant went nowhere." 

Elisha said, " Went not mine heart wither when the man turned again from his chariot to meet thee ? 

Is it a time to receive ? ... and Elisha listed even all Gehazi's hidden plans for temporal goods which Gehazi dreamed to obtain !

Now the leprosy of Naaman shall cleave unto thee and unto thy seed for ever." 

Naaman's leprosy attacked Gehazi who thought he could succeed in "fooling GOD." 

+  +  + 

CHURCH, we had better monitor ourselves.  We had better engage TOTAL HONESTY before we are placed on the balance scales of the unchanging, immutable, ever-present Word of GOD. 

NO secret yearnings. NO hidden schemes. NO "pet" sins. NO "godly" appearance, yet our heart is far from HIM+. NO pretense in our walk. 

If we say we "love our neighbor as ourself" then we had better do for them AND THINK of them in the same way we would want ourselves to be treated. 

Do we not yet realize GOD knows our thoughts ?

Are we not yet convinced that The LORD sees into our hearts DEEPER than we do ... or will acknowledge, even to ourselves ?

 

What kind of hidden pride exists in our bosom when we lift ourselves up over the people we know and think we are "better" than they are ? 

If we say we follow The LORD JESUS CHRIST, then we will be wrestling with our hearts until we DO His+ words... from our hearts. 

 All have sin. But now, we have an ADVOCATE+ Who+ is able to help us walk well-pleasing in His+ sight. 

Because HE+ has ENABLED us to do so, we had better DO RIGHT.  We have no more excuse. 

+  +  +

LET US PRAY: 

O LORD, I have walked like a Judas and a Gehazi, thinking YOU+ did not know the thoughts of my heart.  

GOD, forgive me !  I am not fit to be Your+ friend nor Your+ servant.   

Shine the Light of Your+ holiness into the secret recesses of my being and help me to see WHAT YOU+ SEE.  I will look at it, without flinching. 

Cleanse me. Make me fully WHOLE... fully YOURS+. 

In the HOLY NAME of the only-Begotten SON+ of GOD, the LORD JESUS CHRIST I offer this my imperfect prayer. Amen.   

 

Moving Towards CHRIST our PASSOVER .... LOVE Your Neighbor

REMEMBER:You are dust, 

and to dust you shall return.

REPENT, and believe the GOSPEL+. 

+  +  +

Most HOLY and Most Merciful ABBA... 

We confess to THEE and to one another and to the whole communion of saints in Heaven and on earth and before Your Heavenly Host... 

that we have sinned

by our own fault

in thought, word, and deed; 

by what we have DONE

and by what we have

LEFT UN-DONE. 

 As it is written:

Thou shalt love The LORD thy GOD, The ELOHIM, with ALL thy heart, with ALL of thy soul, and with ALL  thy mind, and with all of thy strength.  

This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it:  Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. 

On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets. There is no commandment greater than these.
( Matthew 22: 37-40 and Mark 12: 29-31, combined.)

So now, we confess to THEE, O LORD:

We have failed 
to love our neighbor 
as ourself.  
+ + +

Do we wish to be favorably thought-of by our friends, at all times?

Do we wish ourselves to be given the "benefit of the doubt" when hard choices have to be made ... and our friends hear about them ? 

If we become busy, do we want our friends to be "hurt" because of our SEEMING neglect of them ? 

If we become unavoidably taken with pressing duties and responsibilities, do we want our friends to feel like we are then giving THEM the "cold shoulder" and ignoring their friendship ? 

THEN.... if we wish our friends to be understanding, let us not harden our hearts towards them, when their duties call them away from interacting with us.

Do we love our neighbor as ourselves in the every day contingencies of life ? 

If WE DO NOT WISH to be: 

• ill-thought of when others hear of the hard choices we have had to make
• accused as neglectful of our friends when other duties press
• labeled as ignoring our friends when we are simply laden with an overload of cares... 

Then let us learn to tell the accuser of the brethren: 

BEGONE , you lying torment !  

Furthermore, let us make it an iron-clad RULE: 

When the accuser of the brethren tries to make us agree with him that we are being slighted by our friends and family  ~  that is a call to prayer for them ! 

If the accuser still badgers us about how they have "hurt" us by ignoring our friendship ...

THEN  let us fortify our prayers for them by fasting a meal or a day in their behalf.  

In this way we send notice to the adversary of our souls when he brings his lies to make us feel "hurt" when none was intended. 

In this way we train ourselves to be more watchful of accusing thoughts towards our friends and neighbors --- surely an indulgence of self-pity ( and / or bitterness, resentment, anger, etc. ) on our part. 

If we take heed to the accuser's thoughts hurled at us, we will have an AUTOMATIC CALL TO PRAYER for our beleaguered friends who may not have time for us.

THEY MAY NEED THOSE PRAYERS RIGHT AT THAT TIME that we are clamoring for their attention ! 

Thus, by prayers and fasting, we defeat the sly wiles of the devil and refrain from "joining the chorus of bullies" that are ranged against our friends. They are NOT neglectful: they are beleaguered ! 

We are able, with our corrected perspective now, to strengthen the Body of CHRIST with our hidden support. 

Ourselves, we REPENT... ashamed to have followed the father of lies instead of our good Master+ The LORD JESUS CHRIST, Who+ loved all.   We learn to love as HE+ loved, not accuse. 

LET US LEARN, then , to love our neighbors as ourselves, instead of reproaching them in our hearts when we feel "neglected." 

JESUS SAID: 

Therefore 

all things whatsoever ye would 

that men should do to you, 

do ye even so to them: 

for this is the law 

and the prophets. 

Matthew 7:12

+  +  +

 Let us pray:

O dear Heavenly FATHER, I have sinned against my friends.  They have meant me no harm. Nor have they even tried to neglect me. I have accused them of not caring and I am so ashamed of myself. 

Help me to stop this self-pity when my friends become busy or over-whelmed with life. 

Help me to fill my heart and my time with THEE+, O Righteous FATHER.  Help me to not be so focused on my needs that I neglect my busy friends. 

Let my prayers for THEM fill my heart instead of reproaches towards them.

I repent of my self-centeredness. I rebuke the accuser of the brethren; let him not control my thoughts. 

And LORD, when I am empty, help me to turn to THEE+ instead of to my friends.  Help me to turn to THEE+ for every need of my heart.  Then I will be fully supplied to be there for my friends, when they should have a need. 

This I pray in the Name of Our LORD JESUS CHRIST  Who+ held nothing back from me. 

Praise, honor, and glory are THINE+, O LORD !
 
 Amen. 

+  +  +

 Create in me a clean heart, 

O GOD and renew a right spirit within me. 

Cast me not away 

from Thy+ Presence; 

and take not Thy HOLY SPIRIT

from me. 

Restore unto me 

the joy of Thy+ SALVATION; 

and uphold me with Thy free spirit.

Psalm 51

+  +  +

Ashes to Ashes,

Dust to Dust

in sure and certain hope

of the Resurrection

unto Eternal Life

through

JESUS CHRIST

our LORD.

+ + +

With ALL thy STRENGTH

REMEMBER: You are dust, 

and to dust you shall return.

REPENT, and believe the GOSPEL+. 

+  +  +

Most HOLY and Most Merciful ABBA... 

We confess to THEE and to one another and to the whole communion of saints in Heaven and on earth and before Your Heavenly Host... 

that we have sinned

by our own fault

in thought, word, and deed; 

by what we have DONE

and by what we have

LEFT UN-DONE. 

 As it is written:

Thou shalt love The LORD thy GOD, The ELOHIM, with ALL thy heart, with ALL of thy soul, and with ALL  thy mind, and with all of thy strength.  

This is the first and great commandment.

So now, we confess to THEE, O LORD:

We have FAILED to love THEE 
with ALL of our strength.

+ + + 

We all want to be "strong" , not weak, in mind, in spirit, in heart, and in body. 

However, human strength at its best is sheer weakness in the eyes of The ELOHIM. We are only strong in the eyes of weak men who are naturally-minded, focused on this transitory and temporary life. Natural strength passes away with the sunset. 

Scripture tell us: 

HIS+ Strength is 

made perfect

in weakness. 

Therefore, the sooner we accept this TRUTH, the more we may draw upon HIS+ Strength.  

The more honest and humble we become about our own natural power,  the more joyous we grow in our weakness. 

 

  And HE+ said unto me,

My+ Grace is sufficient for thee: 

for My+ Strength is 

made perfect 

in weakness. 

Most gladly 

therefore will I 

rather 

glory in my infirmities, 

that the power 

of  CHRIST+

may rest upon me.

  Therefore I take pleasure 
in infirmities, 
in reproaches,
 in necessities,
 in persecutions, 
in distresses 
for CHRIST'S+ sake: 

for when I am weak, 
then am I strong.

2 Corinthians 12: 9-10

+  +  +

 Let us pray:

O LORD My+ GOD, I have been on the wrong track; I have sought human strength and prowess.  I have foolishly set my energies to achieve all that my natural man could achieve in my own strength. 

Help me to forsake the zest for fake, transitory strength and set my energies towards KNOWING YOU+,  instead.

Change my view of weakness. Change my idea of REAL STRENGTH. 

Melt me. 

Mold me.  

Fill me with Your+ Strength.

Use me. 

In my weakness, I come to YOU+.  Establish Your+ strength in my weakness, O LORD,  however it pleases YOU.+   

 In The Name of The LORD JESUS CHRIST I pray .

Amen. 

+  +  +

 Create in me a clean heart, 

O GOD and renew a right spirit within me. 

Cast me not away 

from Thy+ Presence; 

and take not Thy HOLY SPIRIT

from me. 

Restore unto me 

the joy of Thy+ SALVATION; 

and uphold me with Thy free spirit.

Psalm 51

+  +  +

Ashes to Ashes,

Dust to Dust

in sure and certain hope

of the Resurrection

unto Eternal Life

through

JESUS CHRIST

our LORD.

+ + +

With ALL our MIND

REMEMBER:

You are dust, 
and to dust you shall return.

REPENT,

and believe the GOSPEL+. 

+  +  +

Most HOLY and Most Merciful ABBA... 

We confess to THEE and to one another and to the whole communion of saints in Heaven and on earth and before Your Heavenly Host... 

that we have sinned

by our own fault

in thought, word, and deed; 

by what we have DONE

and by what we have

LEFT UN-DONE. 

 As it is written:

Thou shalt love The LORD thy GOD, The ELOHIM, with ALL thy heart, with ALL of thy soul, with ALL of thy mind, and with ALL  thy strength.  

This is the first and great commandment.

So now, we confess to THEE, O LORD:

We have FAILED to love THEE 
with ALL 

of our Mind.

+ + + 

Where do we stop stray dogs from entering our home?

  AT THE DOOR of our house.  

Likewise, our MIND is a DOOR.  We stop temptations to sin, derogatory thoughts, urges to rebel against rules --- domestic home rules, public ordinances, and GOD'S HOLY ways --- at the DOOR of our MIND. 

But The LORD has given us a WATCH-DOG :  His+ Word. It will keep the "stray dogs" of the world away from  our MIND.   Let us honor this Divine Protector well, and set it to WATCH OVER THE ENTRANCE.

  Casting down imaginations, 

and every high thing 

that exalteth itself 

against the knowledge of GOD, 

and bringing 

into captivity every thought 

to the obedience of CHRIST;

 2 Corinthians 10:5

Let us Listen to the Apostle's admonishments about what to DO with our MIND:
  

 Let this mind be in you, 

which was also

 in Y'SHU+ the M'SHIKHA:

Who+, being in the form of GOD, 

thought it not a thing to be held onto 

to be equal with GOD:

But made HIMSELF+ of no reputation, 

and took upon HIM+ the form of a servant, 

and was made in the likeness of men:

And being found in fashion as a man, 

HE+ humbled himself, 

and became obedient unto death, 

even the death of the cross. 

Philippians 2: 5-8

+  +  +

 Let us pray:

 Heavenly FATHER, take my mind away from worldly concerns. YOU already know the things I have need of  before I ask. 

Your Word is TRUTH.  Sanctify my mind, so that I agree with Your Word in thought and in purpose and in deed.  


Grant me an understanding of Your Word so that I can replace my earth-bound thoughts with Your Word. 

I ask to have the Mind of CHRIST, as promised, so that I may perfectly love YOU and worthily magnify Your Holy Name, through The LORD JESUS CHRIST. 

Amen. 

+  +  +

 Create in me a clean heart, 

O GOD and renew a right spirit within me. 

Cast me not away 

from Thy+ Presence; 

and take not Thy RUACH ha KADOSH 

from me. 

Restore unto me 

the joy of Thy+ SALVATION; 

and uphold me with Thy free spirit.

Psalm 51

+  +  +

Ashes to Ashes,

Dust to Dust

in sure and certain hope

of the Resurrection

unto Eternal Life

through

JESUS CHRIST

our LORD.

+ + +