TRUE WORSHIP....

.

The LORD gave the pattern.

.

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

to WORSHIP HIM+ in an acceptable way.

.

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.

.

[Recall what happened to Aaron's sons when they offered strange incense upon the altar or what happened to the unsanctified men who steadied the Ark of the Covenant when David was trying to bring it home.]

.

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.

.

We ask daily for HIS deliverance from evil and from temptation... yes, who among us is so pure that we are not daily tempted with some unrighteous, some impure, some unholy thing or thought?

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.

.

HE+ has placed this pattern in His+ Word

so that we who are hungry for HIM+

can find HIM+.

For, the true children of the Kingdom must worship The FATHER in Spirit and in Truth... for The FATHER seeketh such to worship HIM.

+ + +

IN HIS+ IMAGE...

If one receives Genesis 1:26-27 as Truth,

one is able to understand sin.

.

"And GOD said,

Let US make man in OUR image,

after OUR likeness...

So GOD created man in HIS own image,

in the image of GOD created HE him;

male and female created HE them."

No-one wants to be thought of as being truly and totally "bad." Every person clings to the self-illusion that there is SOMETHING worthwhile about himself... enough good to "out-weigh" the bad.

.

I discovered this when I worked in a prison. From the boy-rapist to the double-ax murderer and all those in-between, each man thought he was not totally bad and that his "good" self out-weighed the bad he might do or have done... or would do in the future !

.

SIN'S nature is deceitful,

.

Scripture says,

.

and it lies to one's heart.

.

The LORD JESUS, however is TRUTH+ and there is no unrighteousness in HIM+. GOD is not a man, that HE+ should lie.

.

In light of that, how is it that we... who are so sinful...

are made in the image of GOD ?

What does that mean ?

.

SIN is when we don't look like Who+ GOD is.

.

SIN is when we don't reflect HIS+ character.

.

SIN is when we bear witness to the flesh,

the world, and the devil ...

instead of to Our Holy FATHER,

Who art in Heaven.

.

.

This is the resounding reason why fornication, adultery, and homosexuality is forbidden in Scriptures and by all the Holy Men of old. Those sins especially BREAK the image of GOD that mankind was created to reflect TO OTHERS, both visable and invisable, as a testimony to HIS+ purity and holiness.

.

.

Those who participate in SIN become abusers of GOD's image in front of others. They have broken the true reflection of GOD's character and are giving forth a wrong image of WHO GOD IS. Thus, the judgment of GOD falls upon them now with diseases and many, many social and spiritual consequences... and it will fall upon them throughout eternity.

.

Some Christians of old warned against

"breaking the type."

.

What they meant is that there were always severe consequences in Scripture when one broke the type... the type of CHRIST, that is, the image of GOD, that man was created to reflect, untarnished.

.

.

"Breaking the type" is why Moses couldn't enter into the Promised Land after he disobeyed The LORD and smote the ROCK+ twice. He broke the type, the pattern, the image of CHRIST in front of the congregation when he became angry.

.

.

The LORD Who+ loved Moses would not permit HIM+ to enter into the Promised Land, regardless of whether HE+ loved Moses or not.

.

.

FRIGHTENING !

.

Thus, when we are tempted to sin, we should lay to heart the seriousness of breaking the image of GOD in which we were originally made and have been RE-BORN into through the Blood of CHRIST JESUS.

.

Let us walk in HIS+ image.

.

+ + +

CHRIST IS RISEN !

HE+ is risen, indeed !

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

TURN Ye....

.

. . .

.

They were not estranged

from their lust.

But while their meat was yet in their mouths,

.

The wrath of ELOHIM

came upon them,

and slew the fattest of them,

and smote down

the chosen of Israel.

.

Psalm 78:30, 31

Turn us again, O ELOHIM,

and cause Thy Face to shine;

and we shall be saved+.

Psalm 80:3

+ + +

In the name of The FATHER,

WHO created thee;

His Beloved SON+,

Who+ died for thee;

and the Blessed HOLY SPIRIT,

Who

convicts and convinces

of sin, of righteousness,

and of judgment to come.

+ + +

TURN Ye...

For lo,

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.

+ + +

TURN Ye....

Therefore, also now,

saith The LORD,

TURN ye even to ME+

WITH ALL YOUR HEART,

and with FASTING,

and with WEEPING,

and with MOURNING.

.

And rend your heart,

and not your garments,

.

and TURN unto The LORD your GOD:

.

for HE+ is gracious and merciful,

slow to anger,

and of great kindness,

and repenteth HIM of the evil.

(that is, HE calls back the judgment about to descend.)

.

Joel 2:12-13

+ + +

The HELP ME's...

 

LORD JESUS CHRIST, Eternal SON+ of GOD The FATHER,

please be merciful to me,

a sinner.

.

LORD JESUS CHRIST My KING+,

help me not to sin.

.

LORD JESUS CHRIST my Life,

help me to deny myself and take up the Cross daily and follow THEE+,

O LAMB+ of GOD,

in the straight and narrow way that leadeth unto Life;

which THOU+ hast marked out for us

with Thine own feet.

.

LORD JESUS CHRIST my Light,

help me to partake of Thy Divine Nature,

and to be conformed to Thy Image and Likeness.

.

LORD JESUS CHRIST my Master,

help me to love like THOU+ lovest,

to keep Thy Words,

to abide in Thy love

as THOU+ hast kept Thy FATHER'S Words

and abidest in HIS love.

.

LORD JESUS CHRIST my Light,

help me to be Thy disciple

with every fiber of my being,

with every moment of time allotted to me,

and to follow THEE+,

O LAMB+ of GOD,

wherever THOU+ goest,

both now and forever,

to endless Eternal Ages.

Amen.

.

+ + +

WORTHY IS THE LAMB...

...that was slain

to receive power and riches

and wisdom and strength and honor

and glory and blessing !

+ + +

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.

+ + +

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).

+ + +

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.

+ + +

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.

+ + +

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.

+ + +

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.

+ + +

ALL THEY THAT SEE ME+...

...laugh ME+ to scorn...

~ In Preparation for the Great Passover ~

Lenton Season Meditations

+ + +

Turn ye even to ME+, saith The LORD, with all your heart, and with fasting; and with weeping, and with mourning; and rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto The LORD your GOD... Joel 2:12

+ + +

from the Book of Common Prayer, Old Version, p. 125 ~

O LORD, Who+ for our sake didst fast forty days and forty nights; Give us grace to use such abstinence, that, our flesh being subdued to The SPIRIT, we may ever obey Thy godly motions in righteousness, and true holiness, to Thy honour and glory, Who+ livest and reignest with the FATHER and the HOLY SPIRIT, One GOD, world without end. Amen

+ + +

I am a Worm...

Meditations for the Preparation

of the Great Passover

.

Psalm 22

But I+ am a worm and no man;

a reproach of men,

and

despised

of the people.

.

+ + +

.

Are we also worms

for His Sake ?

.

Are we also reproached of men

for His Glory ?

.

Are we also despised of the people

for His Truth...

as was Our LORD?

.

+ + +

.

If not, why not?

.

+ + +

.

In the name of The FATHER,

Who created thee;

and

His Beloved Son+,

Our LORD JESUS CHRIST,

Who+ saves thee;

and

The Blessed HOLY SPIRIT,

Who sanctifies thee.

.

+ + +

.

LORD, have Mercy...

+ + +

O LORD, help me not to take advantage of THEE...

nor of Thy+ mercy.

.

Lower my Self-esteem; I'm not always right.

.

Grant me enough humility

.

To see my weakness,

.

and

.

My own fallibility.

.

I don't always know

.

and seldom do I see the whole picture.

+

.

Help me be still

.

and quiet before THEE+.

.

Help me to wait

.

Upon Thy+ Movement.

.

Always Thy+ Grace

.

is sufficient for me.

.

.

For, when I am weak,

.

THOU+ art strong.

+ + +

.

In the Name of The FATHER,

Who begot thee,

And His Beloved, Only-begotten SON+,

Who+ saves thee,

And the Blessed HOLY SPIRIT,

Who sanctifies thee.

+ + +

A REFLECTION OF CHRIST JESUS...

Christian marriages, as we all know, are to reflect to the world CHRIST and HIS+ BRIDE, the church. So often, however, they reflect a battle of Selves.

.

Far from reflecting CHRIST JESUS, the marriage partners do well if they can spend one day together without arguing. Oftentimes, one ... or both... partners live lives of deep and bitter dispair.

.

How, then, would CHRIST

have us to behave

if we are caught*

in such a situation?

.

Yes, "caught" is the correct word here because people change. Oftentimes a couple will start out thinking they are equally yoked, as per Scripture. One may be more spiritually-minded than his partner, but that is often overlooked by the couple in love and sadly, by their church elders and parents.

.

Yet, even if the marriage partners are VERY equally yoked, people go through changes. If the marriage partners change together, in the same direction, then the marriage will stay intact. But if they don't change in unison, then the enemy wreaks havoc in their midst... unless one of the partners chooses to go deeper with CHRIST JESUS.

.

HE+ is the only way

for a dis-jointed marriage

to correct itself.

.

The Cross is set in stone and dirt,

The uprights made of coarse, hewn wood.

Established there, upon our hurt,

It is the Way HE+ trod.

The Cross is set within my heart;

The uprights hold my soul.

It is established for my good,

Now I call it home.

+

O LORD JESUS CHRIST,

With my whole heart I cry unto THEE+. I pour out my troubles before THEE+, O THOU+ Who+ knewest great affliction and sorrow. When my spirit is over-whelmed within me, I will look only to THEE+ Who+ alone can see in the darkness. Even though no-one cares for my soul, I will say THOU+ art my refuge and my portion in the land of the living. O Rock of Ages, I will hide myself in THEE+until these troubles be overpast. Keep me as the apple of Thine+ eye.

.

O Gracious ONE+ Who+ will not let me go... I yield my life, my love, and my broken dreams unto THEE+, knowing I can entrust them all into Thy+ keeping. Correct the vision I have of myself and why I am in this marriage union. Conform me and my marriage into what THOU+ wouldst have it to be... to bring glory unto THEE+ ...and to reflect Who+ THOU+ art unto this dead and dying world.

.

In Thy+ Holy Name, O LORD CHRIST, I pray, and in the name of Thy Holy FATHER, and Thy HOLY SPIRIT, I worship and praise Thy+ Holy Goodness to me and to all the sons of men.

.

+ + +

.

A LITANY for REPENTANCE...

From Psalm 51

.

and

.

Adapted from The Book of Common Prayer

.

This picture was found in an old tract, perhaps a Chick Tract?

If any viewer knows where it came from,

please email me at the address in the blog header,

so I may give proper credit.

.

.

Most Holy and merciful FATHER, In the Name of Thy Beloved SON+, JESUS CHRIST, our LORD:

.

We confess to THEE and to one another,

and to the whole communion of saints

in Heaven and on earth and before Thy Heavenly Hosts,

.

That we have sinned by our own fault

in thought, word, and deed;

by what we have done,

and by what we have left undone.

.

+

.

We have not loved THEE with our

whole heart, and mind , and strength:

.

Against THEE, THEE only, have I sinned,

and done this evil in Thy sight.

.

We have not loved our neighbors as ourselves:

.

Against THEE, THEE only, have I sinned,

and done this evil in Thy sight.

.

We have not forgiven others, as we have been forgiven:

.

Against THEE, THEE only, have I sinned,

and done this evil in Thy sight.

.

We have been deaf to your call to serve, as CHRIST served us:

.

Against THEE, THEE only, have I sinned,

and done this evil in Thy sight.

.

We have not been true to the mind of CHRIST:

.

Against THEE, THEE only, have I sinned,

and done this evil in Thy sight.

.

We have grieved Thy HOLY SPIRIT:

.

Against THEE, THEE only, have I sinned,

and done this evil in Thy sight.

.

+

.

We see our past unfaithfulness to THEE and Thy HOLY WORD:

.

We confess this as sin, O LORD.

.

We see the pride, hypocrisy, and impatience in our lives:

.

We confess this as sin, O LORD.

.

We see our self-indulgent appetities and ways:

.

We confess this as sin, O LORD.

.

We see the times we have taken advantage of others:

.

We confess this as sin, O LORD.

.

We also have taken advantage of Thy Mercy, O LORD:

.

We confess this as sin, O LORD.

.

+

.

We admit to our own anger and temper:

.

I acknowledge my transgressions,

and my sin is ever before me.

.

And to our envy of those more fortunate than ourselves:

.

I acknowledge my transgressions,

and my sin is ever before me.

.

We see our intemperate love of worldly goods and creature comforts

and how we cling to worldly values:

.

I acknowledge my transgressions,

and my sin is ever before me.

.

We see our dishonesty in daily life and work:

.

I acknowledge my transgressions,

and my sin is ever before me.

.

We admit our negligence in prayer and worship,

and our failure to commend the faith that is in us.

.

I acknowledge my transgressions,

and my sin is ever before me.

.

+

.

O LORD, accept my repentance for the wrongs I have so foolishly done... for all false judgments, for uncharitable thoughts toward my neighbors... for not taking Thy WORD to heart ... for committing these sins which have so grieved THEE+ .

.

Cleanse me, O SAVIOR CHRIST, and create in me a clean heart and renew a right spirit within me.

.

Restore unto me the joy of Thy+ Salvation, and uphold me with a willing Spirit.

.

+

.

Almighty GOD, The FATHER of our LORD JESUS CHRIST... O THOU Who desireth not the death of a sinner, but rather that he may turn from his sin and live...

.

I thank THEE for pardoning me, as I truly repent .

.

I thank THEE for giving me through JESUS Thy SON+ the means of Grace and the hope of Glory.

.

And to THEE+, HOLY ONE+, I pray I will learn to please THEE+ and that the rest of my life hereafter may be pure and holy... so that at the last, I may indeed be welcomed into Thy+ Eternal Joy. Amen.

.

+ + +

.

In the name of THE FATHER,

THE SON+,

and THE HOLY SPIRIT:

both now and forever,

Amen.

The Difference between GRACE and MERCY...

The Un-merited Favor of GOD...

... is the common definition of mercy and sometimes, of grace, also. That definition, however, fits every dealing of Our LORD towards man. The baptism of the HOLY SPIRIT is the un-merited favor of GOD towards man. Salvation itself is the un-merited favor of GOD towards man.

+ + +

The difference between GRACE and MERCY has always puzzled me.

But recently, The LORD showed me the difference in a personal, peculiar way.

It happened like this.

During a recent trip, I briefly visited a cherished friend of mine whom I hadn't seen in a couple of years. We communicate frequently though and looked forward to this brief visit which I was able to fit into my schedule.

But when I arrived at her house, her welcome was much less than cordial. Her comments were sharp and her tone was abrasive. As a matter of fact, I assured her I had brought my own lunch and she wouldn't have to bother about my food at all!

As it turned out, we met a couple of mutual, old college friends who just happened to arrive in town the same time I did. I thought it was the hand of The LORD!

+ + +

After our pleasant repast together, our mutual friends left and my friend and I shopped for groceries.

Disastrous!

As she snatched my grocery list from my hand to "assist" my shopping, we nearly created an argumentative scene in the store . It was an unbelievably distressing situation for me, for it seemed whatever I did angered her.

With great effort, we parted civilly, but my... I had no burning desire to repeat a visit to see her again.

Yes, for weeks afterwards, I pondered what had happened ? I felt like I had stumbled into a hornet's nest. I pondered why those things happened. How was I to relate to this old friend of mine in the future?

Then she called. She called to tell me about a mutual friend being in the hospital. In the course of our conversation she started to cry about the elderly she knew who had died. No, she did not apologize about her behavior during our visit. She did not even think anything she did was wrong. And no, I did not confront her because earlier The LORD had showed me she simply didn't see what she did. In fact, she was totally ignorant of how she carried herself towards me. Worse, she would have been crushed to think I was upset with her or thought what she did was hurtful ! Thus, I set aside any thoughts of an honest confrontation, and tried to minister to her.

And that, dear friends, is GRACE.

GRACE covers us when we do things to hurt the LORD, in our ignorance.

GRACE takes the hurt we blindly dish out to The LORD.

But, if we walk in Truth and daily search our souls to see if we are pleasing unto The LORD, HE+ ... in due season... will show us our sins, our hurtful ways, our abrasive behaviors that do NOT reflect a CHRIST-obeying Christian.

So then, what is MERCY ?

Mercy is what HE+ extends to us after we see how we have acted.

After we REALIZE what we've done,

how badly we have behaved,

how we have ignored CHRIST JESUS and HIS+ Words...

in short, how we have hurt HIM+...

after we hang our hearts in shame,

then HE+ extends MERCY to us,

and we do NOT get

what we rightfully deserve

for hurting someone...

that SOMEONE+ being the ONE+

Who+ died for us miserable sinners.

Can we not imagine the punishment we should incur for hurting someone innocent, who never hurt us? Can we not imagine the punishment we should incur for hurting HIS+ Royal Person?

It is HIS+ Mercy

that stands between us...

and utter destruction.

+ + +

So foolish was I and ignorant; I was as a beast before THEE+. Nevertheless, I am continually with THEE+: THOU+ hast holden me by my right hand. THOU+ shalt guide me with Thy+ Counsel, and afterward receive me to glory. Psalm 73: 22-24