Worthy is the LAMB+... 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! Blessing and honor and glory and power be unto HIM that sitteth on the throne and unto The LAMB+ for ever and ever. Amen.
8/15/2010
Anger is NOT an OPTION...
8/04/2010
JOINING WITH CHRIST...
Blessed
are the pure in heart;
for they shall see GOD.
Words of Our LORD and SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST,
as recorded by Matthew in chapter 5, verse 8.
.
Did HE+ mean what HE+ said, literally ?
YES !
So... how do we become "pure" in our hearts?
It is OBVIOUS that HIS+ Word here in Matthew 5:8 is given to us... albeit gently... as an INSTRUCTION: that is, it is something concrete for us TO PUT INTO ACTION, it is an activity for us TO DO, a directive from Our LORD JESUS CHRIST for us TO PRACTICE. The Apostles learned from HIM+ and were diligent to teach the Early Church so. Here are their words:
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The Apostle John said, "And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as HE+ is pure." I John 3:3
The Apostle Peter admonishes, " Seeing that ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the SPIRIT unto unfeigned love of the brethren, love one another with a pure heart fervently: " I Peter 1:22
The Apostle James said, " Draw night to GOD, and HE will draw night to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded." James 4:8
So... how do we go about making ourselves "pure?"
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WE DO ALWAYS THOSE THINGS
WHICH PLEASE HIM+.
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We know to flee from sin and youthful lusts. We know to abstain from EVERY appearance of evil. We know how be chaste and modest in our dress. We give NO reason for ANYONE to stumble by eyeing our flesh nor to stumble by coveting, on account of how we visibly present ourselves.
.
But, what about the whisperer, the accuser of the brethren?
Are we zealous to purify our thoughts
coming from the accuser against others?
Or, do we contemplate those accusing thoughts
and then AGREE with them ?
Many, many a Christian marriage
and untold numbers of churches
are floundering
because of the work
of the accuser going unchecked , un-stopped,
.
This "work of the accuser" gets a foothold when we get our feelings hurt. If we are ignored or snapped at, if we are blamed or held in disrepute, if our motives or our words are misunderstood... the accuser steps in to help us "discern" the truth.
How can the father of lies
help us discern ANY "truth" ?
Here, then, is where the Holy Scriptures step in to combat those lies, fortify our emotions, and help us INTERVENE against the wicked spirits , the spiritual "bullies" who are afflicting us and our loved ones [ by getting us to accuse each other ].
Thy Word is very pure:
therefore Thy servant loveth it.
Psalm 119:140
In essence, we turn our back on the accusing lies trying to get us to AGREE with them, and we proclaim His+ Word. (Use the Psalms or other Scriptures. One Christian struggling deeply with hurt had to forcefully read 17 Psalms before the accuser quit her presence ).
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We REFUSE TO AGREE with the accuser, no matter how badly we have been hurt.
Why do Christians refuse to agree with the accuser?
We KNOW it is the evil one who uses unsuspecting flesh to hurt us. The evil one will then lay his evil working to the account of the "unsuspecting flesh". That person who was used to hurt us then has sin laid to his account.
Thus, we learn to "join with CHRIST" to fight the liars from laying siege to the person who brought us hurt or injury. We join with CHRIST to free that person from control of the wicked spirits lying to him/her. Yes, that very person who has done us wrong and is now being accused by our OWN hearts, we fight FOR, not against.
Once the Scriptures are " in the air", in our hearts, in our minds, and IN OUR MOUTHS, the distress and "need" to accuse the person who hurt us, will leave. We will be free and healed from the hurt and the love of CHRIST JESUS will be shed abroad.
With our mouths, we proclaim GOD'S HOLY WORD until His+ Word takes over our emotions.
With our mouths, we list all the RIGHT and GOOD things about the one who hurt us, making ourselves be fair.
With our mouths, we pray for GOD'S richest blessings to come to that person... all those things temporal and spiritual which will lead him to CHRIST or to a deeper walk.
Christians, let's do it!
Let's practice developing
a pure heart,
one that is pleasing unto
The LORD JESUS CHRIST.
+ + +
In the name of The FATHER, Who created us;
HIS Holy SON+ JESUS CHRIST, Who+ saves us'
And their Blessed HOLY SPIRIT, Who+ sanctifies us.
Amen.
7/18/2010
GOD is GOOD!
7/04/2010
CHOOSE this day WHOM ye will serve....
- We see that the two kingdoms are entirely different.
- We see that the difference is because of whom is being served:
GOD or Mammona, a wicked spirit.
- We see in the GREEK that Our LORD JESUS CHRIST said that man does NOT have the power ... is totally UNable... to serve both GOD and Mammona at the same time.
- We see that this servitude is not picked up and laid down; but rather, it is a life-encompassing slavery.
6/24/2010
To the Struggling Monastics...
HE+ did not call you to be monastic
in order to be with a group.
Rather,
HE+ called you to be monastic
in order to
be with HIM+.
HE+ has placed this call upon your life; you will not be happy until you embrace it. There is simply no way around it. And yes, you WILL feel alone in it... but you won't be because you have HIM+. Plus, many, many others have been called to a semi-hermetic, monastic life-style ... hidden from the eyes of the world... but you can't see them or find them. If you could, it wouldn't be monastic, would it ?
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Yes, you may attend a group from time to time or on Sundays for fellowship... but don't give them your heart. Meet them through JESUS. Keep in mind you are not going for you, but for them.
So, do what you can as a semi-hermetic Monastic.
If HE+ calls you to prayer stations throughout the day, DO THEM.
If HE+ calls you to get up in the middle of the night for time with HIM+, DO IT.
If HE+ calls you to read through the entire book of Psalms every week,
then DO IT.
How little these acts of obedience are
compared to what HE+ has done for us!
Furthermore, you don't need a group to do these
(or some such similar things.)
These are simply
individual acts of discipleship,
individual acts of worship,
individual acts of devotion
which HE+ has called you to do.
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And dear ones, reflect on the outside what HE+ is doing on the inside.
Search HIS+ will and don some kind of a habit.
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Sisters, cover your body in some kind of modest apparel: no cleavage, no thighs. Do what you can do to NOT APPEAR LIKE THE FASHIONABLE WORLD. No, you don't have to look frumpy; be dignified, as befitting an Ambassador of the KING+. Give NO WITNESS to the world and its capricious fashions. It won't kill you.
One way to do this is to dress in solids instead of prints or plaids or stripes. Solid colors give a more dignified, more somber appearance. In the hot summer, solid whites or solid beiges are fine, with tops and bottoms being the same or close to the same colors because that looks more monastic, more separated. Avoid colors which draw attention to your Self. It won't kill you.
.
Sisters, seek HIS+ face and don a head-covering of some sort , coming into line with the Word in I Cor. ll. Be brave enough to wear it in public, also, so as to not deny HIM+ in public. It won't kill you. What it will do, though, is set you apart so that hungry, hurting hearts will make a bee-line for you when the coast is clear [i.e., when no-one is looking ] !
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Brothers should also dress in a separate way, covering their bodies with clothing that reflects modesty instead of today's fashions. Solid colors are simply more dignified. Vests are always good. Suspenders help. Shirts with collars (versus Tee's) lend more sobriety.
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The LORD does not want us to learn to cling to each other; that is something we must UN-learn. HE+ does not want us to cling branch to branch, but rather simply to the VINE+ HIMSELF+. Groups distract us; HE+ wants our UN-divided attention... at all times.
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Take heart, little flock. Be of good cheer.
Ye are of much more value than the little sparrows.
Do the Work I + have called you to do, without distress.
You will lack nothing meaningful.
+ + +
5/30/2010
FEARING The LORD... With All Due Respect . . .
5/23/2010
PENTECOST LORD'S DAY !
5/16/2010
TRUE WORSHIP....
4/25/2010
TRUE WORSHIP....
Our LORD gave us a pattern of how to pray, yes, and also how to worship HIM+ in Spirit and in Truth.
The "LORD'S PRAYER" in Matthew 6 is a perfect example of how
Yes, I do believe that HE+ hears the heart-cries of all His+ creation... because HE+ heard mine.
However, we who are now born again in the BLOOD COVENANT should not be "loose" and irreverent when we come before HIM+.After all, we'd show an earthly ruler (king, queen, president, etc.) proper respect or we wouldn't last long in his/ her presence!
How much more so is reverence due to the KING of KINGS, the LORD of LIGHT, the ALMIGHTY GOD, the EVERLASTING FATHER, the PRINCE of PEACE! The Hebrew children were strict to conform to a reverent and holy and PROPER order of worship and sacrifice before the ALMIGHTY GOD. They did not play loose and fast with HIM.
But, to return to the point of Matthew 6, the LORD'S PRAYER:
HE+ gave us that pattern SO THAT we could properly enter into the Divine Presence of both our and HIS+ Heavenly FATHER.
First of all then, to WORSHIP, WE MUST ACKNOWLEDGE that HE is our collective FATHER; no one person "monopolizes" HIM nor is HE a respecter of persons.
We acknowledge that HE is FATHER, the ONE in control, HE Who caused us to be born, HE Who provides for us... both things we like and things we would rather not have to deal with. We acknowledge that this Heavenly FATHER has the right to chastise us so that we are not illegitimate children and thus omitted from the promise, the inheritance of the saints. HE has the right to make us afraid of HIS power and might.
We acknowledge that HE is The FATHER in HEAVEN, not our earthly father.
We acknowledge that HE is Pure and Holy... even HIS very name is HOLY !
The first part of the "LORD'S PRAYER" is the very first part of TRUE WORSHIP, either collectively or privately.
In the next part of the pattern, we forebear mentioning our wants and desires; we FIRST AFFIRM that the FATHER'S KINGDOM and WILL is our greatest desire, above all the issues of our heart.
We TESTIFY that we WANT HIS Kingdom to come, that we want badly HIS Divine will to be accomplished here on earth the same as it is being done this very minute in HEAVEN.
This is TRUE WORSHIP, when we affirm that His Kingdom, His Will, as the very best that could ever happen to this civilization and to us, His children. We tell HIM how we long for HIM and for HIS Day to be seen for what it is... WHO is the TRUE RULER OF THE UNIVERSE !
All this is humbling, to see WHO HE is... and who we are in HIS eyes.
Then, after humbling ourselves and putting away our will, we ask for those things we have need of daily, including forgiveness from HIM and towards others.
The last section RE-STATES WHO actually has all the Kingdom, all the power, and all the glory .... ....not only now BUT FOREVER !
When the human heart does all this, true worship takes place.
+ + +
4/10/2010
IN HIS+ IMAGE...
4/04/2010
CHRIST IS RISEN !
Death hath no more
.
dominion over HIM+ !
.
HE+
.
is the firstborn
.
from the dead;
.
that in all things
.
HE+
.
might have the
.
Pre-eminence.
.
HalleluJAH
3/25/2010
TURN Ye....
3/16/2010
TURN Ye...
they that are far
from THEE+
shall perish:
THOU hast destroyed
all them that
go a whoring*
from THEE+.
Psalm 73:27
"A-whoring" means when you have a husband
and yet cleave unto other menfolk
in a defiling manner.
The Bride of CHRIST ought not to be a whore.
The Bride of The LAMB+ must not
defile the marriage covenant.
+ + +
3/11/2010
TURN Ye....