Straw for the Manger #4....




.... Whereby the DAYSPRING+ from on High
 hath visited us,
To give light to them that sit in darkness
and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the way of peace.

For with THEE+ is the
Fountain of LIFE:
in Thy+ LIGHT
shall we see Light.

+  +  +

Dear Heavenly FATHER...

Remember the Traveler! 
Bring us safely home,
safely home...
HOME+ to JESUS.

O LORD, as we sojourn here through the valleys of human troubles, help us to lift our face to Thy Light.

Help us to walk in Thy Light, as HE+ is in the Light,

then... then.... then

we will have fellowship one with another, and The Blood of JESUS CHRIST His SON+ cleanseth us from all sin.

~  ~  ~

I ask THEE+ to keep me from hiding my sin from THEE+ ,  as did Cain, as did David. Help me to live in the Light of Thy+ Love, in the Light that repentance and Thy cleansing Blood bring into my heart. Help me, O LORD.

Heavenly FATHER,
Remember the Traveler!
Bring us safely Home,
safely HOME+ .
...I'm ready to go....
 ~~~ Fernando Ortega,
Christian worship leader
and Excellent Musician.
.
.

I+ AM the Light+ of the world:
he that followeth ME+
shall not walk in darkness,
but shall have
the Light+ of Life+

  +  +  +



#3 STRAW for The MANGER... Advent Meditation

For the Joy that was set before HIM+
HE+ endured....


Add straw to the Manger for victory in endurance...

HE+ was laid in a rough wooden feeding trough, a manger,  just after entering this life as a man... and HE+ was laid upon rough-hewn timbers, a cross of wood,  as HE+ prepared to depart this life, as The SON+ of GOD.

Neither items of wood were sanded and polished smoothly. The cross was likely as rough-hewn wood always is... jagged, splintery, knotty. The Romans would not have concerned themselves to sand or plane the crucifixion timbers. Even in HIS+ death throes, there was pain and agony un-imaginable.

But, .... for the JOY that was set before HIM+ , HE+ endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the Right Hand of the Throne of GOD.

For consider HIM+ that endured such contradiction of sinners against HIMSELF+ , lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.

Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin. (Hebrews 12)

O LORD,

Help me to endure when someone crosses me , my words, or opposes my plans. Help me to focus on the FRUIT that I want to cultivate in that other person. Help me do those things that will make him hungry for THEE+,  those things that will draw him unto THEE+,  those things that will make him love THEE+ more than love me.

Then, O LORD, Thy+ Joy  will most assuredly rest upon me and I shall be full.

This I ask in the Life-Giving Name of  The SAVIOR Who+ always saw BEYOND the Cross, keeping that joy before HIM+.

+  +  +

In The Name of The HOLY FATHER,

Who created thee;

His+ Life-Giving SON+,

Our LORD JESUS CHRIST,

Who+ joys in thee;

And Their Blessed HOLY SPIRIT,

Who comes alongside to greatly strengthen us.

STRAW for the MANGER .... Advent 2011



And she brought forth her firstborn SON+

and wrapped HIM+ in swaddling clothes,

and laid HIM+ in a manger;

because there was no room for them in the inn.

Advent 2011

STRAW 2

...For the humiliation HE+ endured

for our sakes,

we give THEE thanks...

From the moment HE+ entered His+ birth-mother's womb, Our LORD suffered humiliation... as the good people of Nazareth whispered about His+ seeming "illegitimacy"  even from the beginning.

Being born in a stable, with a manger as His+ first cradle, no loving grandmother or precious aunts around to help with the birthing, Our LORD suffered humiliation even as a rejected Babe +. 

Humiliation was to be His+ portion from the time of His+ birth until HE+ said, "FATHER, it is finished... into THY Hands I +  commit My+ SPIRIT. "

+  +  +

O LORD,

I see Thy+ deep humiliation which was Thy+ portion from the beginning of Thy+ earthly days. Help me also to embrace the low portion, the low seat, the humiliation that others put upon me.

And, help me to embrace it with a Spirit of Humility,  joining myself to the Suffering CHRIST-CHILD+ , with true thankfulness of heart and meekness of soul.... as I enter into every new situation.... even as I interact with old familiar family, neighbors, and friends. 

Forgive me for fleeing from humiliation... forgive me for refusing to  practice humiliation when THOU+ hast sent it to me for my portion for that hour.

Help me with this, O LORD, that I may with a gladsome heart embrace Thy+ Cross here on earth ..... in order to hear Thy+ Words: "Well done,  good and faithful servant! Enter thou into the Joy of Thy LORD !"

In the Name of JESUS, 

The LORD of the Humble of Heart ,

I pray. 

Amen.    

Straw for the Manger is a necessary thing for the CHRIST-CHILD'S first earthbound bed. Let us provide that straw, as a memorial of good works and repentances, to prepare for HIS+ coming, to remember HIS+ first Advent among the sons of men. For every good deed, kind deed, for every turning the other cheek, for every submission of our tongue to CHRIST JESUS, let us put a straw into the empty manger box and prepare our hearts for the Coming of The LORD.

Straw for the MANGER.... Advent 2011



And she brought forth her firstborn SON+
and wrapped HIM+ in swaddling clothes,
and laid HIM+ in a manger;
because there was no room for them in the inn.
Advent 2011
Straw 1

Straw for the Manger is a necessary thing for the CHRIST-CHILD'S first earthbound bed.   Let us provide that straw, as a memorial of good works and repentances, to prepare for HIS+ coming, to remember HIS+ first Advent among the sons of men. For every good deed, kind deed, for every turning the other cheek, for every submission of our tongue to CHRIST JESUS, let us put a straw into the empty manger box and prepare our hearts for the Coming of The LORD.  

STRAW 1

Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the Kingdom of HEAVEN.

Are we living our lives "poor in spirit," ... or do we clamor to have our way in things around the house, on the job, with others at church, etc. ? Do we make certain to give place to others and relinquish our "rights" or our demands , for CHRIST'S sake, Who+ blesses the humble of heart? Are we witnessing for CHRIST in this manner.... or are we the ones who try to control everything and everyone around us?

*

O LORD of the Humble of Heart, 

Help me to stop being "in control" of everything. Help me to work towards what produces GODLY fruit in me, first, and then in others. ... so that others may see THEE+ , not me. Amen.



Seasons of the Year... of the CHURCH Year, that is...

Seasons of the Church Year,

The CHRISTIAN Calendar

We CHRISTIANS do differently.

We see the world develop and go after "holy-days" with all the money and gimmicks the world can offer. There is nothing holy about it all.

The best part is that all of society's worker-bees get to have some time off to rest, relax, play, visit, and see friends and family members. And, for that we DO give thanks.

Here at the Order, we try to redeem the time for The LORD'S purposes and for HIS+ Kingdom. Some of our friends are fasting during this time off. Some are in intense prayer.

We keep "holy-day" with Christian friends, and turn our thoughts and efforts towards The LORD instead of towards the world's parades, games, fashions, and activities.

We try to keep in mind the Church Calendar rather than the world's calendar for these days. Thus, we use our Thanksgiving time to start our Advent wreath and season of preparation for the remembrance of His+ first coming.

Advent, then, becomes a season when we focus on repentance MINGLED WITH JOY.... this joy being that our MESSIAH has come, so many years ago, to take away our sins, to always be with us, our EMMANUEL.

This year, we will be doing a small series of repentance Scriptures to prepare our hearts, as we remember His+ first coming. This is in hopes that we may truly be prepared for HIS+ SECOND COMING, Bless GOD !

Advent colors, by the way, are NOT red and green... but blue, which signifies the Birth of the CHRIST child. Thus, you will not find any red at our hermitage during this season.

For those of us with children, we like to use a Religious Advent Calendar to open a window and read a Scripture. Another activities is to have an EMPTY MANGER and put a straw in it for each kind deed, each charitable thought, each victory over temptation, and each repentance during this season. Thus we do something tangible to prepare our hearts as we "build" the bed of straw in the manger for the coming Christ child in our nativity set. It's a wonderful time, especially for young ones... or those young in heart.

Yes, we Christians do things differently than the world.

I pray you will join us in your hearts and home around the Advent Season of repentances and lighting the Advent Candles in the Advent wreath. May this time be most special to you, as you use it to draw closer and closer unto CHRIST, the only Light of this dark, dark world.