What CHILD+ is This?

...While shepherds watch are keeping.

~

Advent 2010

Meditation #4

The shepherds kept their watch ... all through the night. They did this to guard the flock around the clock. Thus, there were those ever-ready men who were awake and on the watch when the Angels appeared unto them, announcing the Advent of their long-awaited MESSIAH+.

~

"What, could ye not watch with ME+ one hour? "

~

"Watch

and pray

that ye enter not into temptation:

the spirit indeed is willing

but the flesh is weak."

~

Do we set aside time to watch and pray,

even one hour,

with Our LORD

... so that HIS+ concerns become our concerns?

... so that HIS+ Will becomes our will?

... so that HIS+ mind will be in us?

~

OR...

Do we think that it just "happens"

that we will somehow know

the mind of CHRIST,

HIS+ will,

HIS+ concerns?

~

Do we think that we are so strong that we can circumvent HIS+ admonishment to "watch and pray" ?

~

Do we think that HIS+ words

that the "... flesh is weak... "

do not apply to us?

~

The "flesh is weak" is what HE+ said to those who walked with HIM+ daily, seeing HIM+ in the flesh, hearing HIS+ words and teachings, watching HIS+ miracles unfold.

~

What would HE+ say to us, today?

~

Do we TRULY think we can spend most of our waking hours

taking care of the temporal ...

yet reap spiritual discernment

and the knowledge of HIS+ will ?

~

"What, could ye not watch with me one hour? "

+ + +

Whose child are you ?

What CHILD+ is This?

...Whom+ angels greet with anthems sweet...

.

Advent Meditation #3

2010

How do we "greet" Our LORD and SAVIOR every day?

.

Do we, with GREAT joy, lift our faces up to HIM+ as we arise?

.

Do we, with glorious anticipation of what HE+ will accomplish in our hearts, meet HIM+ in the morning?

.

Do we, with hearts over-flowing with thanksgiving, bow before HIM+ in worship, as HE+ gives us our very breath, thought, energy, and enabling grace to work in HIS+ camp with every passing moment of this day?

.

Are our hearts filled with anthems sweet as we pick up our cross and die daily to our Self... so that HE+ will rule and REIGN in our lives?

.
O Gracious and Life-Giving FATHER,

We humble ourselves in repentance, knowing we have not greeted Thy HOLY CHILD+ JESUS as we daily rise, in the same fullness of thanksgiving and joy that the angels greeted HIM+ .

.

O THOU, Who provided us a way to LIFE+ itself, forgive our earth-centered hearts. Move them, O LORD, to be focused on HEAVENLY things, constant in season and out, with THEE and Thy HOLY SON+, JESUS CHRIST our LORD.

.

Amen.

Whose child are you?

+ + +

What CHILD+ is This?

Who+, laid to rest in Mary's lap,
is sleeping...

Advent Meditation #2

2010

.

HE+ maketh me to lie down in green pastures;

.

HE+ leadeth me beside the still waters.

HE+

restoreth

my soul.

.

Dear Gracious, Heavenly FATHER, Who ordereth our days aright:

.

Deliver me from discontent. Help me to rest the ordering of my days... my life... in Thy Hands.

.

Forgive my foolish ways of self-pity and complaining. Deliver me from accusing others of rejecting me... when I so badly need to make certain I have no rejection in my heart towards them. Forgive me for accusing even THEE when THOU art, in reality, saving me from my own mistaken and foolish desires.

.

I thank THEE for the green pastures and the rest when I come close to THEE. I thank THEE for the Living Water, so filling and quiet, which flows to Thy Children through CHRIST JESUS, Thy Beloved Son.

.

O THOU, Who respecteth no man's person nor position, I thank THEE for including me in all Thy Promises, through JESUS CHRIST my LORD.

.

In the name of Thy Only-Begotten SON+, in Whom+ we live and move and have our being, I pray. Amen.

~

Whose child are you?

.

.

. . . .

.

.

.

.

What CHILD+ is This?

Advent Meditation 2010

#1

~

... Who+,

laid to rest

in Mary's lap,

is sleeping?

...Who+,

being in the form of

GOD,

thought it not

a thing to be held onto,

to be equal with GOD.

~

Are we being a true child of the TRUE GOD.... or a "little god," trying to be equal with GOD in our own little universe?

~

Dear Heavenly FATHER,

.

We come to THEE to humble ourselves and

repent of trying to be the master of our lives.

~

Please do for us what we cannot do for ourselves.

~

Make us as trusting and as yielded to THEE as

The Blessed Infant JESUS

~

when HE+ was born...

~

and when HE+ was crucified.

~

Amen

~

Whose CHILD are you ?

STOP the Dictator ...

... that lives within us.

.

Have you ever been around a small child who demands his own way?

.

I have.

.

Working in a public school, has trained well my ears to hear the demanding tone of voice of a little child. My eyes have been well-trained to the body language spoken by these UN-trained little ones, as well. Whining, nagging, and demands... all uttered by a 4 or 5-year-old ... are not endearing.

.

Does a little dictator delight a teacher? NO. Furthermore, most teachers I know refuse to reward a little dictator with anything close to his request.

.

.

. . . . . .

.

.

Is there

a mirror

handy?

.

Now, this blog is not about child-rearing.

It is about

dealing with the little dictator within us.

.

When we start demanding from The LORD what we MUST have in order to be happy, we are as endearing as the little spoiled dictators in the public schools.

.

Nagging, whining, pouting, being "unhappy" in our inner man is equivalent to those children who use these tactics to manipulate their poor parents, long-suffering grand-parents, and alas, thread-bare teachers.

.

Yes we DO make our requests and supplications known unto The LORD, with Thanksgiving. But we entrust the disposition of our requests totally in HIS+ capable Hands. Furthermore, we learn to be humble as we yield to HIS+ Will in the matter at hand and await HIS+ good pleasure.

.

We learn to bind our minds to the Mind of CHRIST+. We learn to bind our wills to the Will of CHRIST+. We accept HIS+ Timetable as our timetable.

.

If we do these things when the insistence, when the clamorings, when the demands arise in our inner man, then our Self-man will learn submission as CHRIST did when HE+ was in human form... by the things which HE+ suffered.

.

Even though we are not suffering like HE+ did on the cross, we will wrestle with being unhappy for a season when we don't get our way.

.

And, some of our insistant requests may seem "good" : our desire for ministry, for more provision, for a Godly-mate, for a child, or for a wayward family member to come to CHRIST+ .

.

What really matters is that we have put something else in our hearts that we want BESIDES CHRIST JESUS .

.

The key to being happy

in CHRIST JESUS

is to let HIM+ be LORD

of our desires.

.

.

. . . . .

.

.

.

HE+ has saved us

from our sins;

now let HIM+

save us

from our selves.

.

In the name of

THE FATHER,

Who created thee;

And HIS Beloved SON+

JESUS CHRIST+,

Who+ saves thee;

And the Blessed

HOLY SPIRIT,

Who sanctifies thee.

Amen.

A VIRTUOUS Veteran of Foreign Wars...

is a certain sister we know.

She is a regular "Mary-Martha" type. Although she has never lifted a gun nor given a military salute, she has been on the battlefield . And yes, I can truthfully say a battlefield of foreign wars.

.

First of all, these wars were NOT of her choosing.

.

One of her wars involved supporting her husband through his walk with seizures from a serious health condition. All the while, he ran his own business in construction... sometimes being high off the ground.

.

Was she scared?

Yes.

Was she in tears?

Yes.

Did she call out

to The LORD in faith,

believing that HE+ heard her cry

for her husband?

Yes.

.

.

. . .

.

.

.

Score: 1 victory for her; 0 for the enemy.

.

This virtuous woman home-schooled 2 girls and 4 boys, lively children all, home-schooling at least 4 at the same time. Two are yet being home-schooled. Although this war seemed to be fought on domestic soil, she has had to wrestle with foreign infiltrators and terrorists of the soul, always lurking around with temptations and hidden agendas to destroy the young people "through their minds".

.

Was it easy?

No...

especially not

with housework, laundry, cooking,

gardening, and canning

for such a large household,

along with general child-rearing

... love, counseling, discipline and decisions...

all those things involved with

bringing up children

to the Glory of GOD .

.

Score: 2 victories for Sister; 0 for the enemy.

.

Now that 4 of the off-spring are young adults, she has a new foreign war to fight. With many tears and supplications, she has valiantly fought her fears lest she and her husband's input and guidance of their children to go towards CHRIST were in vain.

.

Her job not ended, she counsels, intercedes, guides and asks for prayer for those young adults, that her labor be not in vain. Looking back, she repents with tears for any mistakes she thinks she might have made in raising the children.

.

Thus, hearing the cry of this vigilant mother's heart, The LORD has seen fit to :

• lead one daughter into Christian school teaching
• another into missionary nursing,
• a son is now in southeast Asia on the mission field
• one son is interested in Christian music, when he is not helping his Dad run the family business
• a studious 16-year-old son not only reads the Early Christian writings, but is making as many sacrifices as he personally can for some native missionaries, preparing his own heart for The LORD'S work.

[The youngest son is still in elementary studies but conducts himself with good deportment. :)]

.

Adding 6 more victories to the scoreboard, that should bring the score to:

8 victories for this TRUE+ veteran of foreign wars;

0 for the enemy.

.

Now, simply because the off-spring are mostly grown and husband is doing well, does this TRUE+ VETERAN of foreign wars think she may rest?

No.

.

Along with carrying their normal amount of church responsibilities, she and her husband have become the HUB for other young men and women their children bring into the family circle. So, at any given point in time, her household ACTUALLY EXPANDS... along with the cooking and baking and cleaning duties... not to mention, the Christian counseling that goes along with such a family-setting for activities. This "Mary-Martha" diligently also sets a good example without words for the young people entrusted into her care.

.

Is this Sister wise?

Yes !

(although she would never

think or say so).

.

She would rather all her children and their friends be active in THEIR HOME rather than out on the streets or in places not befitting Christians. Furthermore, she and her husband enter into as many camping, music, church activities with their young adults as they possibly can... a true family affair, at all times.

.

Score: Un-ending blessings for this sacrificial sister and her husband, for all Eternity.

.

The enemy's score: Less than zero -- in the hole-- to be destroyed and others to be delivered from his grasp through the work of this family's children.

Ah-h, Proverbs 31.

See those Rubies !

Those TRUE+ Veterans

of foreign wars...

.

Can you see them

as The LORD sees them?

+ + +

In the name of The FATHER,

WHO created thee;

His Holy SON+ JESUS CHRIST,

WHO+ saves thee;

And the Blessed HOLY SPIRIT,

WHO sanctifies thee.

Amen.

HOME.... A call to Parents...

Parents, grand-parents, and care givers: teach your beloved little ones what HOME is... in Truth+.

.

Do not allow your children to grow up with an illusionary picture about HOME. It will hurt them.

.

HOME is not a house or belongings, a garden, a farm , nor land. HOME is not a town, a state , nor a country. HOME is not a community of familiar friends, shops, schools, or schedules, either.

.

HOME is where your heart is welcomed. HOME consists of hearts that are open to you and where you are not afraid to have your heart open to others.

.

.

. . . .

.

.

.

Why is this important?

.

Living in comfort is NOT PROMISED by GOD'S Word. At any moment our comfortable level of living can change drastically. Has GOD failed us when that happens? NO. What is promised is that our souls will be kept and our hearts will be secure in JESUS (if we stay with HIM+, that is. ).

.

Recently, we witnessed 4 families leave their homes... built by the labor of their own hands... and their farms and small businesses. They left machinery and harness shops, stocked full of leather goods. They left a shoe-making business and a book-binding business, as well as newly-planted orchard trees, grapevines, and a fruit cellar with shelves and shelves of canned goods for the winter.

.

They left family and friends. They took their grown children and tiny ones alike along on a hundreds-of-miles bus trip to Central America to start anew. They took tents for preliminary shelters.

.

They were following JESUS in this move outside of their native country in order to reach out in an evangelistic effort to give to the unsaved what JESUS had given to them.

.

Yes, they will be able to do an outreach; early reports which filtered back said it had already begun, with good success.

.

But they have done something else: they are teaching their young ones by word AND EXAMPLE that HOME is being with the family, within the Will of GOD.

.

HOME, you see, is not a location. It is a state of the heart. Security comes from doing the will of The LORD.... not from walls and roofs and having a steady income.

.

The little ones along are happy just being with Mother and Father and all the familiar faces of brothers and sisters. Walls mean nothing to them.

.

The older ones not yet married are excited about being allowed to do something for GOD besides attend church meetings. Walls and floors and roofs constitute shackles for them, if that is all they have to look forward to.

.

Mother and Father are happy because the joy of The LORD is resting upon them as they EMBRACE THE SACRIFICE to do the Will of The LORD. HE+ will not forsake them and they know it. They also know they must keep walking in HIS+ Will and not say "NO"... I don't want to give up my comforts, job, security, country, etc., etc., etc.

.

And, they do not practice walking in FEAR. They simply build new walls, floors, and roofs as necessities for their families, but they do not call that HOME.

.

They call HIM+ "HOME"

... because their hearts

are with HIM+.

.

.

. . . .

.

.

.

Where ,

dear Christian friend,

is your HOME?

.

In The Name of The FATHER, Who created thee; and HIS Beloved SON, JESUS CHRIST, Who saves thee; and the Blessed HOLY SPIRIT, Who sanctifies thee. Amen

CHRISTIANS, Get Ready to Walk...

...ALONE.

The season for

ease and personal comfort

in the CHRISTIAN walk is over.

.

Finding companionship in the Fellowship is done.

.

The only Brotherhood is the one anointed by

The HOLY SPIRIT.

.

You will know you are in the right place because...

...you'll be walking alone.

.

Yes, Our LORD JESUS CHRIST

will be there with you,

but if you are in HIS+ Will,

no-one else will be by your side.

.

It is simply what is happening

amongst serious-minded CHRISTIANS now.

.

.

. . . . . . .

.

.

.

Make up your mind to follow ME+.

Do not follow the church crowd,

the group,

or the current "movement."

Yes, continue to reach out

to lost souls,

but beware of the deadness of "organization."

.

The Body of CHRIST is what you belong to

and to Whom+ you will answer

... not the body of man.

The organization of man is not acceptable.

.

Belong to ME+, not to "them."

Follow MY+ Voice, not theirs.

Heed MY+ Words and Mine+ alone.

.

I+ died for you; they did not.

Follow ME+.

Follow ME+.

Follow ME+.

.

.

. . . . . . .

.

.

.

In the Name of The FATHER

WHO created thee;

And HIS+ Beloved SON+ JESUS CHRIST,

Who+ delivered thee;

And the Blessed HOLY SPIRIT,

Who+ sanctifies thee.

Amen.

Whoever Breaks the KING'S + SEAL....

... dies !

.

Whosoever breaks the seal of the authority

of the KING

dies,

regardless of who it is

that breaks it.

.

Why else would King Darius fast and pray

ALL NIGHT LONG

when he was tricked into throwing Daniel into the lion's den?

.

If King Darius of the Medes and Persians

could have broken through HIS OWN SEAL

to free Daniel

he would have.

.

Several Scriptures speak of seals --- sphragizO, in the Greek forms --- and sometimes it means "certified as TRUE or VALID." This is seen in John 3:33 when John the Baptist bears witness unto CHRIST The LORD. Listen to the simple Greek verse when John said , " The one receiving HIS+ testimony has sealed that GOD true is."

.

But other Scriptures indicate that "seal" means SEALED UP with the KING'S + stamp of authority: In WHOM+ ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of Truth, the gospel of your salvation: in WHOM+ also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that HOLY SPIRIT of promise," ... Ephesians 1:13

.

And grieve not the HOLY SPIRIT of GOD, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of liberation [KJV: redemption]. Ephesians 4:30

.

In Revelation, we see the Angel of GOD setting "a seal upon the slaves of GOD on their foreheads" in order to keep them safe from harm during the judgments of GOD. Rev. 7th and 9th chapters.

.

Then we see in Revelation 20 that there is a seal set upon satan, that he should deceive the nations no more UNTIL the seal is allowed to be broken after 1000 years and satan is set free for a short season.

.

SO.

.

Are you sealed unto GOD,

through the HOLY SPIRIT of Promise,

marked by the Blood of the LAMB+

in the True Covenant of GOD ?

.

.

Woe, woe , woe

My+ children,

if you break that seal I+ have put upon you

and walk away from ME+.

.

There is nothing more I+ can do

once My+ Seal is broken.

.

Woe, woe, woe

to him who breaks

the seal of protection

and stamp of authenticity

that I+ have placed upon him.

.

Death comes to everyone

who breaks My+ Seal...

even if it is broken

by the believer's own hand.

.

CHOOSE LIFE+.

.

+ + +

.

.

In the Name of The FATHER,

HIS BELOVED SON+ JESUS CHRIST,

and the Blessed HOLY SPIRIT.

.

ONE GOD, forever and ever,

world without end.

Amen

Denying CHRIST: By DISOBEYING HIS+ Word

~ ~ ~

Becoming DISAPPROVED

By CHRIST+

~

No... we don't "earn" our salvation;

But we CAN earn HIS+ disapproval !
~

But I keep under my body,

and bring it into subjection:

lest that by any means,

when I have preached to others,

I myself should be a castaway*.

I Cor. 9:27

*The word castaway is in the Greek actually UN-APPROVED.

~

To continue (Chapter 10:1-4) the thought stated by The Apostle Paul:

Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud and all passed through the sea; and were ALL BAPTIZED unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; And did ALL EAT the SAME SPIRITUAL FOOD; and did ALL DRINK the SAME SPIRITUAL DRINK; for they drank of that spiritual ROCK+ that followed them: and that ROCK+ was CHRIST.

.

So, here we see that baptism by water ( the Red sea) and The HOLY SPIRIT (the supernatural "cloud") was effected for all. We also see here that CHRIST was the spiritual "drink" (His+ Blood), supplied to all. CHRIST JESUS was also the spiritual food, the Bread+ of Heaven, the TRUE MANNA+, referred to in the verses above because JESUS Himself+ explained that to us in John 6:31-35.

~

But with many of them

GOD was not well pleased:

for they were overthrown in the wilderness.

(verse 5)

~

Yes, GOD disapproved of them even though they were baptized and ate of CHRIST'S Body and drank of CHRIST'S Blood... as the Scripture states in those 4 verses. And yes, being "disapproved" means being cast away, or as Our LORD JESUS said, being "cut off from the True Vine+ ." ( John 15)

~ ~ ~

If the toiling, laboring, self-denying Apostle Paul was concerned about becoming un-approved and thus, cast away from CHRIST JESUS... shouldn't we be concerned also ?

+ + +

Why do you look for love

in all the wrong places?

.

Why do you turn to others for love

and shy away from ME+ ?

.

Have I + ever hurt you?

Have I+ disappointed you

or caused you grief?

.

Nay, but rather,

your going your own way

has caused your grief

and disappointment.

.

Do not mistake approval for love.

I+ love you despite

the grief and disappointment

you have caused ME+ .

.

If you will walk in

ALL of MY+ Ways

-- forsaking your own --

I+ will fill up your heart.

.

You have MY+ Love;

Now strive for MY+ Approval*.

+ + +

*Philippians 3:12-14

.

.

Glory be to The FATHER,

Who created thee;

And to His Beloved SON+,

Who saves thee;

And to The Blessed HOLY SPIRIT;

Who sanctifies thee.

+ + +

Anger is NOT an OPTION...

... but HIDING is .

THOU+ art my hiding place;

THOU+ shalt preserve me from trouble;

THOU+ shalt compass me about

with songs of deliverance.

Psalm 32:7

.

We all know how to love our enemies...

if they are outside the home.

.

But , what do we do when the hurt comes towards our heart

from within the intimate family circle?

.

And, where do we go when that hurt

occurs over and over again ?

.

THOU+ shalt hide them

in the secret of Thy Presence+

from the pride of man;

THOU+ shalt keep them

secretly in a pavilion

from the strife of tongues.

Psalm 31:20

.

Spouses hurt one another's heart. Siblings hurt one another's heart. Parents hurt the hearts of their children and off-spring hurt the hearts of their parents.

.

HURT,

because of the Adamic curse,

is HERE TO STAY

while we are in this body,

on planet earth.

.

Some counsel to "up-front" and "honest" with our feelings: i.e., "...when you do (or say) that, it hurts my feelings because...." However, in my own tumultuous life, I have seldom seen honesty like that do anything but cause MORE problems, no matter how calmly it is shared.

.

A better way is to follow The LORD'S COMMANDS: turn the other cheek, go the second mile, return a soft answer.

.

THOU+ art my hiding place

and my shield:

I hope in Thy Word+.

Psalm 119: 114

.

However, in the midst TAKING the hurt... when our heart is bleeding or breaking... it is good to HIDE IN CHRIST+. No immediate verbal response is necessary when we HIDE IN CHRIST+.

.

For in the time of trouble HE+

shall hide me in His+ pavilion:

in the secret of His+ tabernacle

shall HE+ hide me;

HE+ shall set me up upon a rock.

Psalm 27:5

.

We learn to scurry under the shelter of His+ Wings and take refuge there until the storm is overpast. When we HIDE in CHRIST+, we learn to let HIM+ do the battling; we are silent. We leave the battle in His+ Hands.

.

Keep me as the apple of the eye,

hide me under the shadow of Thy+ Wings,

Psalm 17:8

.

We cry out to HIM+ in our anguish, for protection. We start forgiving as soon as we collect our wits, even in the midst of the verbal attack. We learn to do spiritual warfare in the midst of the hurtful attack and silently BIND the evil spirits at work, in the name of The LORD JESUS CHRIST+.

.

By doing all of this, our hands and our hearts will be too full for us to indulge in our own anger, which only aids and abets the enemy who is attacking us.

.

If we slip into an angry reaction,

we are NOT HIDING IN CHRIST+;

we are on our own in the battle.

.

So, we must repent if we think anger is an "option" when we get hurt.

.

We must learn to

HIDE IN CHRIST+.

.

+ + +