ADVENT MEDITATION... Day 3

Advent Day 3
The Journey Towards Bethlehem
Year of Our LORD, 12.3.2008

But it is good for me to draw near to God:
I have put my trust
in the Lord GOD,
that I may declare all thy works.
Psalm 73:28
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Drawing near to the heart of GOD… the place of perfect rest… is the goal. Sometimes, though, in the middle of tension peace seems nigh unto impossible. That is why Christians have stress the same as worldlings do. However, our “stress-tests” are designed specifically to bring us into His+ Presence instead of to the doctor’s.

The wise Apostle James tells us something startling: we have steps …concrete steps… to take in order to GET close to His+ heart! It is something anybody can do, at any place, at any time, and at any point in history.

Furthermore, if we DO these things, GOD will respond! [A good example is the conversion scene of Sally Beth Roe in Frank Peretti’s Piercing the Darkness!!]

Draw nigh to God,
and he will draw nigh to you.
Cleanse your hands,
ye sinners;
and purify your hearts,
ye double minded.
James 4:8

Oddly enough, the Apostle James is not speaking here to the pagans, heathen, nor to the worldlings. The Apostle is addressing Christians . In every chapter of his general letter to the Christian community at large, he specifically addresses the recipients of his counsel as my brethren.

But it is good for me to draw near to God:
I have put my trust
in the Lord GOD,
that I may declare all thy works.
Psalm 73:28

The Psalmist tells us whenever we draw near unto GOD, we can perfectly trust HIM+ not to destroy us when we confess our failures, short-comings, weaknesses, and sin. HE+ simply holds our peace until we bring these things unto HIM+. That’s one reason HE+ came … to rescue us from ourselves.

Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts:
for the coming of the Lord
draweth nigh.
James 5:8

O Gracious Heavenly FATHER…establish my heart in Thee. I’m sorry for my fears; I know You already see all that I am. You already know how I’ll re-act, even the words on my tongue before I say them.

Grant this day I do not fall into sin but rather, into Thy Loving Hands. I trust in You to make me right. I trust You not to reject my pitiful, needy, and warped heart. I love Thee+, O Holy ONE+ who tookest upon Thyself+ flesh to become man, in order to help me, from the inside out. Thank you, LORD JESUS CHRIST, for becoming my MESSIAH at such great cost to You. I thank you with all my heart. Amen.

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Glory to the FATHER, and to HIS Beloved SON+, and to HIS Blessed HOLY SPIRIT,

now and forever unto the endless ages. Amen. + + +

ADVENT MEDITATION... DAY 2

Advent Day 2

The Journey Toward Bethlehem
Year of Our LORD, 12.2.2008

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I will go in the strength of the Lord GOD,
Adonai JEHOVAH:
I will make mention of Thy+ righteousness,
even of Thine+ only.

Psalm 71:16

<((()>< .

No, we will not blaspheme.

Nor will we curse nor let wicked things pour forth from our lips.

Some of us have even trained our lips to refuse to jest

and to refuse to make foolish remarks.

But, who can resist “mentioning” what

“we” have done well,

“our” accomplishments?

If we wish to go in the strength of Adonai JEHOVAH, the Psalmist tells us how to do this: we must forget what we have done and make mention only of the righteousness of The LORD our GOD.

As the Psalmist says: “LORD, open Thou+ my lips and

my mouth shall show forth

THY+ praise”

… not ours

and of a certainty,

not mine.



But HE+ giveth more grace.
Wherefore HE+ saith,
GOD resisteth the proud,
but giveth grace unto the humble.
James 4:6

Humble yourselves
in the sight of the LORD,
and HE+ shall lift you up.
James 4:10

Let us pray:

O GOD our FATHER, I have done foolishly.

My lips have uttered my own praises instead of Thine+.

Help me, O LORD, to bring glory unto Thee+ and refuse it for myself… and let me be aware of the snare of the fouler of my soul.

I do love Thee+, O Lover of my Soul, ... more than the praises of men.

For in Thee+ is life and in Thee+ alone is the Light of men. Receive this, my imperfect prayer, and restore my soul in Thee+, through the name of Thy+ Unblemished SON+, our LORD and SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST. Amen.

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ADVENT MEDITIATION... Day 1

Advent Day 1

The Journey Toward Bethlehem
Year of Our LORD,

12.1.2008

If I regard iniquity in my heart, the LORD will not hear me:
Psalm 66:18

John 9: 30-33
The man answered and said unto them,

Why herein is a marvellous thing, that ye know not from whence HE+ is, and yet HE+ hath opened mine eyes. Now we know that GOD heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of GOD, and doeth HIS+ will, him HE+ heareth. Since the world began was it not heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind. If This Man+ were not of GOD, HE+ could do nothing.

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<(((><

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Let us pray:

O LORD, Heavenly FATHER, open up my blind eyes to mine own failings before Thee… help me not to hide them from myself. For surely, LORD, Thou seest both where, in my weakness, I cannot see and where, in my stubbornness, I do not wish to look .

In Thy Mercy, look upon me with favor. Lead me to That Rock that is higher than I. Draw me to Bethlehem once again, to Thyself, with cords of Truth and Love. Feed my starving soul once againg with Thy Divine Bread+, that TRUE BREAD+ from Heaven. Through the merits of Thine Only-Begotten SON+, Our LORD and SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST. Amen

ADVENT... The Journey TOWARDS Bethlehem...

The Journey Towards Bethlehem

Advent 2008
Meditations

As we begin Advent 2008, we do so with the ever-present hope of His+ Second Advent … The Second Coming of CHRIST JESUS

… when His+ feet touch down on the Mt. of Olives.
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<((()><

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Thus, at this point in time, during our Journey Towards Bethlehem… the House of Bread Divine… we have one eye on the ground and one eye on the sky.

Our spiritual journey is taken for one purpose: we NEED to get there, to that place. In other words, whatever is happening in Bethlehem is drawing our hearts to that place… to Someone+ Who is going to be arriving there. We don’t want to miss it.

But, as with all journeys, we must make preparation.

Therefore let us begin Advent 2008 with the SORE acknowledgement that we have fallen short of the Glory of GOD. Our Journey Towards Bethlehem is our craving to regain that glory… somehow, someway.

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.

The ANGEL of The LORD ENCAMPETH...

The Angel of The LORD

encampeth round about

them that fear HIM+,

and

delivereth them.

Psalm 34:7

The BARN-BREAKER

A dear Brother in The LORD, a close friend, experienced a miraculous deliverance this week... and indeed, the miracle is STILL going on. Here is his true story:

Our Brother is an experienced pilot. He flies an ultra-light, a "flying parachute" for business and for fun. As he was flying this week close to his home, a living nightmare happened.

Unbeknownst to him, his chute caught a tree branch then quickly other things happened until... he was slammed at 30-plus miles per hour into the side of a barn!

He was conscious after the impact of the accident. He called his wife. He told her to come quickly, thinking he would be dead before she got there.

He said, " LORD, I think I may be gonna' die. If I am, I hope I'm ready. If I don't, show me what to say [ to others.] "

The medics came quickly, but had to wait on special equipment to extricate him from the side of the barn.

To one side were LARGE, LONG NAILS protruding from the barn... but he hit next to them. One foot higher was the eve of the barn roof. If he'd have hit that eve, he would have been DECAPITATED instantly.

As it was, he sustained a crushed sternum bone and 9 broken ribs, plus two small punctures in his lungs. The medical staff at the hospital was concerned about those punctures and worked on him to keep his lungs breathing at full capacity.

They sent him home from the hospital after being there for only 36 hours... possibly because they have no hospitalization insurance. He works independently as a home remodeler.

So, along with his injuries, came the cost of survival, a cessation of his immediate work, and a likely future of not-being-able to work for some time. He has a wife and toddler at home, whom they plan to home-school and indeed, have already started pre-K activities in a Christian setting in their home.

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WHAT DO YOU SUPPOSE THE LORD DID ?

HE+ had the spectacular accident televised on the evening news across the city. Then, HE+ had his wife's former employer notify them of a TRUST FUND set up to pay their medical expenses AND to sustain them until our Brother can return to some kind of work.

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WHAT DO YOU SUPPOSE THE LORD DID NEXT?

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HE+ had his wife's sister... a physician's assistant (right next to a doctor, in medical status) come to visit from hundreds of miles away. Thus, when our Brother got home from the hospital, THE LORD had somebody WELL-TRAINED IN MEDICAL THINGS there at home, ready and waiting, at no cost to them!

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NOW, WHAT DO YOU SUPPOSE HAPPENED AFTER THAT ?

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As they were dressing our brother to come home from the hospital, they noticed that... with 9 broken ribs and a puncture in his lungs... HE WAS NOT BRUISED! Yes, the doctors WERE AMAZED!

And we were too, with tears in our eyes, at the great faithfulness of GOD the FATHER ALMIGHTY.

Later, his wife told us that the LORD showed her that HE+ came between that side of the barn and our brother.

Let us NEVER UNDER-ESTIMATE the power of the Risen LORD. Let us go on towards King JESUS, giving HIM+ the cream of our time, effort, and strength. We all know the signs of the times: the DAYS ARE NUMBERED for this current civilization.

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Let us walk WISELY, redeeming the time, for the DAY IS FAR SPENT; night is close at hand. Tomorrow is NOT PROMISED... for young and old alike.

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Blessing and honor

and glory and power,

be unto HIM that

sitteth upon the THRONE,

and unto The LAMB+

... FOREVER AND EVER.

amen.

Sharing with CHRIST our Lord and Life

CHRIST suffered for you, leaving you an example.......

To this you were called; because CHRIST suffered for you, and left you an example,that you should follow in His+ footsteps:





Who+ did no sin, neither was any deceit found in His+ mouth:





Who+, when He+ was insulted, returned no insult:





When He+ was made to suffer He+ did not counter with threats;





but commited Himself to HIM that judges righteously:





Who+ in His+ own body, brought your sins to the Cross,





so that all of us being dead to sin, could live in accord with GOD'S will;





BY HIS+ WOUNDS YOU WERE HEALED. First PETER 2; 21 - 24








Glory to the FATHER, and to the SON+, and to the HOLY SPIRIT,


as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen. + + +

Of Whom the World was NOT WORTHY... part 2

Of Whom the World was NOT Worthy…
part 1


Chapter 11, Fox’s Book of Martyrs…


In 1568, three persons were apprehended in Antwerp, named Scoblant, Hues, and Coomans. During their confinement they behaved with great fortitude and cheerfulness, confessing that the hand of God appeared in what had befallen them, and bowing down before the throne of his providence.

They expressed themselves in the following words: “Since it is the will of the Almighty that we should suffer for His name, and be persecuted for the sake of His Gospel, we patiently submit, and are joyful upon the occasion; though the flesh may rebel against the spirit, and hearken to the council of the old serpent, yet the truths of the Gospel shall prevent such advice from being taken, and Christ shall bruise the serpent’s head.

We are not comfortless in confinement, for we have faith; we fear not affliction, for we have hope; and we forgive our enemies, for we have charity.

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Be not under apprehensions for us, we are happy in confinement through the promises of God, glory in our bonds, and exult in being thought worthy to suffer for the sake of Christ. We desire not to be released, but to be blessed with fortitude; we ask not liberty, but the power of perseverance;

and wish for no change in our condition,

but that which places a crown of martyrdom upon our heads.”

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Scoblant was first brought to his trial; when, persisting in the profession of
his faith, he received sentence of death. At the stake he fervently said the Lord’s Prayer, and sung the Fortieth Psalm;

then commending his soul to God,

he was burnt alive.

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Hues soon after died in prison; upon which occasion Coomans wrote thus to his friends: “I am now deprived of my friends and companions;

Scoblant is martyred, and Hues dead, by the visitation of the Lord;

yet I am not alone, I have with me

the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob;

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HE+ is my comfort,

and shall be my reward.

Pray unto God to strengthen me to the end,

as I expect every hour to be freed from this tenement of clay.”

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The judge told him the only alternatives were recantation or death; and concluded by saying, “Will you die for the faith you profess?”

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To which Coomans replied, “I am not only willing to die, but to suffer the most excruciating torments for it;

after which my soul shall receive its confirmation from God Himself,

in the midst of eternal glory.”

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Being condemned,

he went cheerfully to the place of execution,

and died with the most manly fortitude,

and Christian resignation.

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Prayer from the Book of Common Prayer....

O Almighty GOD, Who+ didst give to Thy servants boldness to confess the Name of Our SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST before the rulers of this world, and courage to die for this faith: Grant that we may always be ready to give a reason for the hope that is in us, and to suffer gladly for the sake of the same, Our LORD JESUS CHRIST; Who+ liveth and reigneth with THEE, and Thy Blessed HOLY SPIRIT, ONE GOD, now and for ever and ever. 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.

MEDITATION on The WORD of GOD

PSALM 5:8

Lead me, O LORD,

in THY+ righteousness

because of mine enemies;

make THY+ way straight

before my face.

<(((><

MEDITATIONS on The WORD of GOD

PSALM 5:3

My voice shalt THOU hear

in the morning, O LORD;

in the morning

will I direct my prayer unto THEE,

and will look up.

<(((><

MEDITATIONS on The WORD of GOD

PSALM 4:8

I will both lay me down in peace,

and sleep:

for THOU, LORD, only [alone]

makest me dwell in safety.

<(((><

MEDITATIONS on The WORD of GOD

PSALM 4:3

But know that the LORD

hath set apart

him that is godly

for HIMSELF+:

The LORD will hear

when I call unto HIM+.

<(((><

MEDITATIONS on The WORD of GOD

PSALM 3:3

But thou, O LORD,

art a shield for me;

my glory,

and the lifter up of mine head.

<(((><

Meditations from The WORD of GOD


PSALM 2:12

Kiss the SON,

lest HE+ be angry,

and ye perish from the way,

when HIS+ wrath is kindled but a little !

Blessed are all they that put their
trust in HIM+.

<(((><

MEDITATIONS on The WORD of GOD ~~~ Our Refuge

MEDITATIONS from the WORD of GOD

PSALM 9: 9-10

The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed,

a refuge in times of trouble.

And they that know thy name

will put their trust in thee:

for thou, LORD, hast not forsaken

them that seek thee.

<(((><

MEDITATIONS on The WORD of GOD

...The Rose of Sharon...

MEDITATIONS on The WORD of GOD

Hear The Words of The LORD JESUS CHRIST:

Matthew 6:31-32
Therefore take no thought, saying,

What shall we eat?

or, What shall we drink?

or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?

(For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:)

for your heavenly FATHER knoweth

that ye have need of all these things.

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<(((><

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Judgment seems to be falling upon the world-wide mammon-serving system, the system. IT SHOULD. It is the mammon system which keeps men enslaved, by either love of mammon ...or fear of mammon. Sadly, engendering covetousness is a multi-million dollar business in western civilization and we have all been the victims of its programmed covetousness. The well-planned system of Covetousness as well as mammon will be judged.

Therefore, it is high time we Christians extricate ourselves from mammon’s control. We can only do this through The WORD of GOD, by the power of the HOLY SPIRIT, by serving CHRIST JESUS and doing HIS+ Will. We don’t want to fall under the Divine Judgment most assuredly coming against these kings of the earth and their system of unjust weights and measures or their system of covetousness. They are over-ripe for the judgment coming.

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<(((><

Let us pray:

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Forgive me, O LORD GOD, that I have taken the blessings of food and clothing and shelter for granted so much of my life. LORD JESUS, my KING, turn me away from coveting my neighbors' clothes, houses, lands, cars, modern conveniences, or life-styles.

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Forgive me for feasting my eyes upon magazines, advertisements, and even store windows which engender discontent and covetousness in me. Cleanse me of sowing to the flesh instead of unto Thy+ SPIRIT.

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Cleanse me of allowing mammon to make me afraid. Help me to put Your Kingdom and the furtherance of it above my material wants.

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Help me to live simply for Your Sake+, so that I may bear perfect witness of YOU, My LORD and MASTER+. Re-teach me how to be content and to stop lusting after the things of this world.

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Help me to lay up my security for the future into Your KINGDOM... and Yours alone. It will never fail, like the banks and retirement accounts and all the temporal securities that promise my future well-being, in the kingdom of mammon.

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I give you thanks and praise, O LORD, for removing me from this world's mammon-serving values and putting me solidly into Your KINGDOM. I pledge my allegiance unto YOU, O LORD, both now and forever. Amen.

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<(((><... swim in the waters of your baptism.

MEDITATIONS on The WORD of GOD...

Meditations for Troublous Times

from The LIVING WORD+ of GOD

Hear the Words of The LORD JESUS CHRIST:

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BUT SEEK YE FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD,
and HIS+ righteousness;
and all these things

shall be added unto you.

TAKE THEREFORE NO THOUGHT

FOR THE MORROW:
for the morrow shall take thought

for the things of itself.

Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

Matthew 6:33-34

<(((><

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Our LORD JESUS CHRIST told us how to live in regards to mammon. HE+ lived that way HIMSELF+... setting our example.

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<(((><

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Let us pray:

LORD JESUS CHRIST, SON+ of GOD, I worship You and thank You for providing for me from the beginning of my life unto this very day.

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Forgive me, LORD, for taking all manner of thought for the morrow. Turn me from having one eye on the Kingdom of GOD… and the other on some kind of temporal security!

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Grant me the courage, O LORD, to actually seek first the Kingdom of GOD and Thy+ Righteousness. When my hands are FULL of doing Your Will, I know securely my heart and my soul and my body shall rest, because YOU have promised and GOD is not a man, that HE+ should lie.

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Forgive me for crossing, for transgressing, Your Holy Words, LORD JESUS.

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I acknowledge that YOU+ and YOU+ ALONE are the KING of kings and the LORD of lords. Therefore, I commit my life… and my keeping unto THEE +, KING of all the ages … both now and for all Eternity.

Amen.

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<(((>< ... swim in the waters of your baptism...

ALL HALLOWS' EVE... or halloween ???

REDEEMING THE TIME... for CHRIST JESUS our LORD !

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ALL HALLOWS' EVE is coming at the end of this month. Known as “halloween” to most of us, it has become a demon’s gleeful celebration the night before the Church remembered all the martyrs and confessors in Christian history.

[Confessors, by the way, are those who were imprisoned and usually tortured in some way and/or had their goods plundered for NOT DENYING the Name of CHRIST JESUS before men. The only difference between the martyrs and confessors is that the confessors did not die (immediately) from their tortures.

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Many of them were sent home… barely alive… and died at home from their wounds for the name of CHRIST, a few years afterwards, never recovering sufficiently. Some made it through, like Brother Yun, but carried the scars, and some, the handicap of being crippled or blind or some such life-limiting handicap the rest of their natural lives.]

In the process of time, the Church began to remember these saints, these martyrs and confessors on November 1 every year. It was a day for those Christians who remained to give thanks, think soberly upon life, and re-affirm their steadfastness to STAND for CHRIST in this wicked world.

The old English name for saints was hallows… those who were hallowed. Thus, the reprobate world who loves to mock the Kingdom of GOD made a spite-filled, demonic “holy-day” [ i.e., holiday] to commemorate their dishonorable ones and their deeds of tormenting and torturing those WHO WOULD NOT DENY CHRIST.

In the demonic commemoration, uncomfortable tricks and pranks were pulled on others by people in costumes, imitating demonic pranksters… unless the victims paid off the pranksters with a treat; hence the phrase: “trick or treat!”

As children, most of us enjoyed dressing up in foolish costumes. We enjoyed getting candy from relatives and friends. We enjoyed hollering “trikkertreet”… not knowing what we were alluding to… and most of us would not have even thought of pulling a serious prank on our friends or neighbors, with or without a treat.

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If you see a church group having a halloween party for the children, avoid it. It simply teaches the youngsters to disrespect the real hallowed ones, the true saints, who laid down their lives for The LORD JESUS CHRIST. That church is not spiritually-minded but thinking on things of this world, how the "church" can entertain the youngsters instead of converting them to SERIOUS CHRISTIANITY.

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If you belong to a church or group which simply "must" do something for the young people over halloween, then why not FOCUS on stories, movies, books, and activities--- including serious discussions led by spiritually-minded Christian adults-- about the CHRISTIAN MARTYRS through the ages? Let there be a focus on martyrdom and NOT denying CHRIST. Lead the young people in the various ways of going to the cross NOW... turning the other cheek NOW... not denying CHRIST NOW, in the face of their peers who are not at church. This will redeem the time and be better for them than silly parties and pranks and masks.

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Of course, the adults must set the example first.

Yes, ALL HALLOWS’ DAY (All Saints’ Day) is coming, as well as the eve before it. As Christians… and especially, those of us who have children or work with them in some way… let’s be prepared to paint the Blood of the Passover Lamb over the lintels and doorposts of our house. Let’s remain inside, under the covering of the Holy Blood of The LORD JESUS CHRIST, that we may be found to be well-pleasing unto HIM+.

Going one step further.....

let’s consecrate BOTH the eve before and the next day as a holy day unto Our LORD with some kind of fasting, some kind of reading about the apostles and ancient (and modern) Christians who loved not their lives unto the death. Read these accounts to your children. Read Hebrews chapter 11. Offer up some special prayers …NOT TO THE SAINTS… but rather, for ourselves unto CHRIST JESUS the LORD, that we may learn never, never to deny CHRIST before men, not even in little ways.

Let’s remember the blood of the martyrs and confessors is indeed the seed of the church. Let’s pray that we may be accounted worthy, also.

THE HEAD COVERING... part 2

The Head Covering ….. part 2

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We are continuing on the Head-Covering Teaching from 1 Corinthians 11, picking up from where we stopped. In review, the first 3 verses establish the Godly governing order in the Christian home and church: man is the head of woman, CHRIST JESUS is the head of man: GOD is the head of CHRIST.

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Every man praying or prophesying,

having his head covered,

dishonoreth his head.

1 Cor.11:4

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Verse 4 today is straightforward and easy to understand… in the KJV. Some modern scholars, however, dislike this rendition BECAUSE the Greek text literally says… “Every man praying or prophesying having down over the head dishonors his head”.
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Upon careful reading, WHAT is “hanging down over the head” is missing in the Greek text. It is grammatically an “understood” element [according to the classic Greek New Testament Lexicon, BADG, p. 405, under kata.]
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It is understood to be a cloth covering and has so been understood in the Early Christian writings of the first 200 years as well as by all the Christian church up to the last few decades!
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Tertullian, a well-known Christian apologist, wrote (circa 211 A.D.) about a soldier who was somehow a Christian. He would not put the Roman laurel band or wreath as a crown on his head because he was Christian. He was martyred because he wouldn’t deny CHRIST before men. Keeping in mind 1 Cor. 11 regarding the head covering issue for both men and women, let us hear what Tertullian said to the church when he gave instruction as to wearing a “band” or crown, as awarded by the Roman government for various government honors:
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Much less may the Christian [man] put the service of idolatry on his own head — nay, I might have said, upon Christ, since Christ is the Head of the Christian man — (for his head) is as free as even Christ is, under no obligation to wear a covering, not to say a band.
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But even the head which is bound to have the veil, I mean woman’s, as already taken possession of by this very thing, is not open also to a [laurel] band. She has the burden of her own humility to bear. If she ought not to appear with her head uncovered on account of the angels, much more with a crown on it will she offend those (elders) who perhaps are then wearing crowns above.
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For what is a crown on the head of a woman, but beauty made seductive, but mark of utter wantonness, — a notable casting away of modesty, a setting temptation on fire? Therefore a woman, taking counsel from the apostles’ foresight, will not too elaborately adorn herself, that she may not either be crowned with any exquisite arrangement of her hair.
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What sort of garland, however, I pray you, did He who is the Head of the man and the glory of the woman, Christ Jesus, the Husband of the church, submit to in behalf of both sexes? Of thorns, I think, and thistles, — a figure of the sins which the soil of the flesh brought forth for us, but which the power of the cross removed, blunting, in its endurance by the head of our Lord, death’s every sting.
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Yes, and besides the figure, there is contumely [contempt] with ready lip, and dishonor, and infamy, and the ferocity involved in the cruel things which then disfigured and lacerated the temples of the LORD+, that you may now be crowned with laurel, and myrtle, and olive, and any famous branch, and which is of more use, with hundred-leaved roses too, culled from the garden of Midas, and with both kinds of lily, and with violets of all sorts, perhaps also with gems and gold, so as even to rival that crown of Christ which He afterwards obtained.
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For it was after the gall HE+ tasted the honeycomb, and HE+ was not greeted as King of Glory in heavenly places till HE+ had been condemned to the cross as King of the Jews, having first been made by the FATHER for a time a little less than the angels, and so crowned with glory and honor. If for these things, you owe your own head to HIM+, repay it if you can, such as HE+ presented HIS+ for yours; or be not crowned with flowers at all, if you cannot be with thorns, because you may not be with flowers.
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Ante-Nicene Fathers, VOL 3. TERTULLIAN, PART FIRST, SECTION 4, entitled: The Chaplet or De Corona (Of the Crown), Chapter 14, pg. 102
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But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth

with her head uncovered dishonoreth her head:

for that is even all one as if she were shaven.

For if the woman be not covered,

let her also be shorn:

but if it be a shame

for a woman to be shorn or shaven,

let her be covered.

1 Cor.11:5-6

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No woman I know is happy about going bald or being bald, as some dear ones have endured with chemotherapy treatments. Every woman who has had to endure baldness has gone to great lengths via wigs or hair-pieces or scarves or hats to avoid looking freakish. It is a great sorrow to her.
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The Apostle here is teaching the church that BEFORE GOD, a woman praying or prophesying unveiled is as outlandish TO HIM+ as a bald woman is to normal society. If she refuses to cover her head properly, then she is to be made bald. It’s a good antidote. She’ll cover her head then, and without a struggle, no doubt!
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There are some teachings out there that affirm the head covering IS hair. That cannot be because substituting “hair” in the above verses for covering makes the entire verses of no sense.
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Next blog on this topic will show WHY … the Biblical reasons… WHY The LORD governs the home and church this way.