WORTHY IS THE LAMB...

...that was slain

to receive power and riches

and wisdom and strength and honor

and glory and blessing !

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During this season of the preparation for the GREAT PASSOVER of The LAMB+ of GOD, all serious-minded Christians clean house. We search our hearts for the leaven of the world that has crept in unawares. We search our hearts for the leaven of Self-will that has insidiously re-established itself in our lives. In doing this, we honor The LORD JESUS CHRIST, for HE+ was GOD of the Old Testament as well as GOD of the new, The LIVING WORD+ made flesh Who+ dwells among us.

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In the Old Testament, The LORD instructed the Israelites to carry a paddle with them in the wilderness. It was to bury their waste products, so that it would be "clean" when HE walked among them (Dt. 23:13-14). In addition, HE instructed them to rid their dwellings of leaven during the Passover season. They assiduously did this because... NOT TO DO IT MEANT THAT THEY WOULD BE CUT OFF FROM THE PROMISES GIVEN TO ISRAEL (Ex. 12:15).

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Likewise, we must do the same today.

We must make our camp during our earthly sojourn clean,

both from "waste" products ~ what comes out of us ~

and

from what is taken inside of us, what we "eat."

Some like to reinforce both the purging and the consumption

by a strict or restricted form of eating, disciplining the flesh.

It is quite fruitful and very Scriptural to bring the flesh

under submission to the HOLY SPIRIT in this manner.

SOME have found this to be so VERY fruitful

that they have made this a Way of Life.

It draws them closer to The LORD.

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So, where do we want to go ... closer or farther from The LORD?

If we want to come closer to HIM+ [and we are not currently being persecuted and tortured for knowing HIM+] , we must practice a disciplining of our flesh in order to accomplish the goal to draw closer to CHRIST JESUS Our LORD.

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During this season, we refrain from saying "glory" and "HalleluJAH" or "AlleluJAH." We substitute instead: "Worthy, Worthy is The LAMB+ that was slain! " We substitute, "Blessed be GOD: FATHER, SON+, and HOLY SPIRIT, and Blessed be HIS+ Kingdom, both now and forever, Amen" for the Gloria Patri. To replace the HalleluJAHs, we say instead: "Bless GOD!" These are little disciplines which serve to remind us of the great sacrifice of Our SAVIOR+ for the sins of the whole world... specifically, ours.

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Let us pray:

O LORD our GOD, we say we want to walk with THEE+... but we shy away from Self-denial. Help us to value TRUTH so much that we will embrace the discipline, the cross, in order to come closer to HIM+ Who+ is all Truth, Thy Beloved SON+ JESUS CHRIST, The ONE+ Who+ denied HIMSELF+ even HIS+ life's blood in order to give us Life Eternal. Help us to deny our Selves and show us the right way to do it. In the Holy name of Our LORD JESUS we pray. Amen.

+ + +

OF Whom the World was NOT WORTHY...

Of Whom the World was NOT WORTHY…

Introduction to All Saints’ Day

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During this up-coming All Saints’ Day and the dark-spirited halloween season which precedes it, let us focus our attention upon something edifying, something which engenders Life in CHRIST. Let us look at the PRICE many have paid to obtain the PRIZE of the high calling of GOD in CHRIST JESUS.

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Stephen, the first martyr for CHRIST JESUS, who loved not his life unto the death, is the first example of a CHRISTIAN dying rather than denying the LORD JESUS before men. After facing the angry mob of his fellow countrymen, Stephen gave them the Truth about their history, their sins, and their Messiah.

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This courageous and innocent lamb fell asleep in The LORD, having been stoned to death as he was sharing. On his way to The LORD JESUS, Stephen forgave his murderers… among whom was standing a zealous, angry, and implacable Pharisee by the name of Saul of Tarsus. He was powerful and dangerous. Stephen’s death was instrumental in Saul’s conversion, spiritually-speaking. Read about Stephen in Acts, chapters 6 and 7.

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Christians, during these troublous times, let us NOT be intimidated by the evil afoot, but rather let us spend our energies REDEEMING the time for CHRIST, growing secure and mature in CHRIST JESUS our LORD.

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Considering the martyrs and confessors of CHRIST JESUS, let us focus on those who were willing to PAY the PRICE. These are the worthy ones who sealed their testimony with their blood. These are the worthy ones throughout the ages who loved not their life unto the death, for their love of The LORD JESUS CHRIST.

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Instead of teaching our children and fellowman about ghosts and goblins and Charlie Brown’s Great Pumpkin, let us Christians teach our children about these fellow Christians who went before us…"for the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church."

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Why do we even want to do this?

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We want to school our hearts to go

and do likewise,

should we ever be put to the test.

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We want our children to be willing to die for CHRIST

rather than deny HIM+...

and remain for a short season

upon this troubled earth…

but lose their souls for all Eternity.

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We ourselves want

to endure unto the end

so that we may obtain the prize too.

<(((><

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…from the Book of Common Prayer

Grant, O LORD, that in all our sufferings here upon earth for the testimony of Thy Truth, we may steadfastly look up to Heaven, and by faith behold the glory that shall be revealed as did Stephen.

And, being filled with the HOLY SPIRIT, we may learn to love and bless our persecutors first by the example of THEE+, O CHRIST and then, by Thy faithful witness, Stephen, who prayed for his murderers to THEE+, O blessed LORD JESUS, Who + standest at the right hand of GOD to succour [help] all those who suffer for THEE+, our only Mediator+ and Advocate. Amen.

LENTEN MEDITATION 29--- Accounted Worthy

Lenten Meditation 29 ...Accounted Worthy to Obtain That World

for the Year of Our LORD, 3.5.08

And Jesus answering said unto them,

The children of this world marry,

and are given in marriage:

But they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world,

and the resurrection from the dead,

neither marry, nor are given in marriage:

Neither can they die any more:

for they are equal unto the angels;
and are the children of God,

being the children of the resurrection.

LUKE 20:34-36

The LORD'S comments and explanations were in response to the clever Sadducees' questions about "...whose wife was she... in the resurrection... after seven brothers had her to wife ?" HE+ told them their error and set them straight about how it would be in the Resurrection. HE+ will set us straight, too, if we will receive it...

LENTEN MEDITATION 25 ~ ~ ~ A Worthy Walk

For the Year of Our LORD, 3.1.2008

Let us learn,

strive,

endeavor,

make the effort,

set the priority,

run as though to win the prize

~ ~ ~ to reach the mark of the HIGH CALLING OF GOD

IN CHRIST JESUS, our LIFE.

This is not an option; it is our love's work... our bounden duty... a duty borne out of a heart of love for our LORD and Precious Savior JESUS CHRIST.


It is not works for Salvation; it is works AFTER Salvation, that we might be known as children of GOD. These works should be the fruit of our union with CHRIST JESUS, not only our determination. The LORD'S Grace is sufficient to supply our every need. Indeed, His+ strength is made perfect in weakness. None of us are lacking in weakness ! Thus, if yielded unto HIM+, none of us should be lacking in perfect strength, right?

Let us be mindful of the Apostle's words:

That ye might walk worthy of the Lord

unto all pleasing,

being fruitful in every good work,

and increasing in the knowledge of God;
Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power,

unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness.

Colossians 1:10,11


Ye are witnesses, and God also, how holily and justly and
unblameably we behaved ourselves among you that believe:
As ye know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every
one of you, as a father doth his children,
That ye would walk worthy of God,

who hath called you unto his
kingdom and glory.

I THESSALONIANS 2:10-12

O LORD JESUS CHRIST: Help me to walk worthy of You, unto all pleasing, that my basket of offering may be full and without blemish when I stand before the Great Judgment Seat of CHRIST. Help me not to take advantage of Your kindness and long-suffering. Help me to grow up, in THEE+, and become a mature, responsible Christ-bearer, before GOD and man. Help me to become a workman unashamed, both rightly dividing the Word of Truth and rightly applying it to my life. I praise THEE and worship THEE, O HOLY FATHER, with all that is within my little heart. Grant Your strength to be made perfect in my weakness... through Your Beloved and Obedient SON JESUS CHRIST... in the power of Thy Blessed HOLY SPIRIT. Amen.

LENTEN MEDITATION 24--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!

And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth,

and under the earth, and such as are in the sea,

and all that are in them, heard I saying,

Blessing and honor , and glory, and power,

be unto HIM that sitteth upon the throne,

and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.

Amen.

A WORTHY PRAYER

Almighty GOD, the fountain of all wisdom, Thou knowest our necessities before we ask and our ignorance in asking: Have compassion on our weakness, and mercifully give us those things which-- for our unworthiness we dare not and for our blindness we cannot-- ask; through the worthiness of Thy Son JESUS CHRIST our LORD, Who+ lives and reigns with Thee and the HOLY SPIRIT, one GOD, now and forever. Amen.

This worthy prayer was found amongst the prayers in the Book of Common Prayer, Proper 11, Collect for the Eighth Sunday after Pentecost.