For WHOM Do You EVANGELIZE ?

Circuit Preacher, from holstonlegacy.com



What?

Know ye not that your body is

the temple of the HOLY SPIRIT,

which is in you,

which ye have of GOD,

and ye are not your own?

For ye are bought with a Price+:

therefore glorify GOD in your body,

and in your spirit,

which are GOD'S.

I Cor. 6: 19-20

For WHOM do you evangelize?

What are you promoting with your life? If you are promoting the life-style of your community, then you are being "your own."

What are you promoting with your conversation, your words? If you are promoting "what you think", then you are still being "your own."

When you realize that YOU have been bought with a PRICE+ ... a PRICE+ that you can never repay with all the riches of this world... you will realize that you indeed are NOT YOUR OWN MASTER.

In the days of the slave markets in the ancient Roman world, slaves would be auctioned off, standing stark naked so their prospective owners could ascertain the value of their purchased property.

The Christians, who refused to attend theaters, sporting events, public baths, and other places that revealed the flesh, would go to the slave market and purchase one of these poor fellow humans.

For CHRIST JESUS, of course, was the purchase made.

The Christian would quickly clothe the nakedness of the new-bought slave... and set him or her free. For the love he bore to CHRIST JESUS, the Christian and his friends would provide the newly-freed slave with the means to make a living and an abode. 

The slave was FREE ! 

There were no strings attached.

The slave could take

his freedom,

his wealth,

his provision, 

...and GO. 

The slave was free to live his life however he wanted to live it. 

OR... 

the slave was welcome to attach himself to the Christian and find out WHY his life was being made so different from all the slaves he left behind in the slave market. 

As a witness for CHRIST JESUS, the Christians did this because... 

CHRIST JESUS 
DID that 

FOR THEM.

HE+ 

set the captives 

free... 

• Free from sin
• free from serving self
• free from being a slave of  human spirits and
• free from the control of the demonic forces.

  Free to follow HIM+ alone

  
  

  
  

~ WORSHIP: GUIDED MEDITATION ~ 

Response: O GOD, THOU knowest my foolishness: and my sins are not hid from THEE. I am NOT MY OWN; I am bought with a  PRICE+.

Before I was afflicted, I went astray: but now have I kept Thy+ Word+.

Response: O GOD, THOU knowest my foolishness: and my sins are not hid from THEE. I am NOT MY OWN; I am bought with a  PRICE+.

It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn Thy+ statutes.

Response: O GOD, THOU knowest my foolishness: and my sins are not hid from THEE. I am NOT MY OWN; I am bought with a  PRICE+.

I know, O LORD, that Thy+ judgments are right, and that THOU+ in faithfulness has afflicted me.

  
Response: O GOD, THOU knowest my foolishness: and my sins are not hid from THEE. I am NOT MY OWN; I am bought with a  PRICE+.

WORTHY IS THE LAMB+ !

Worthy is The LAMB+ Who+ 

has guided my afflictions;

Worthy is The LAMB+ !

Worthy is The LAMB+ Who+ 

 sets me free; 

Worthy is The LAMB+ ! 

Worthy is The LAMB+ Who+ 

allows me to be HIS+ freed slave 
...or to follow my own way;

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 upon the Throne 

and unto The LAMB+ 

forever and ever

Amen.  

Monastic GUIDED MEDITATIONS for the Individual...

Photo by the  Order of the GOOD SHEPHERD+

The purpose of a Guided Meditation is to draw close to Our LORD JESUS. That involves becoming very still in the inner man. 

Some have done this by reading 20 Psalms a day because it takes the reading of that many Psalms in order for the stillness to seep into the human spirit. The Psalms act as a buffer to keep the distractions at a distance. 

We need a way to quickly focus on The LORD, to hear His+ still, small Voice.  We need to hear His+ Voice to guide us through the day and to keep us secure in HIM+. But, being human, we oftentimes do forsake doing the Psalms and push on with our demanding activities of the day.

The beauty of these short, guided meditations is that you can tailor make them to fit your own personal needs, to fit the areas of your life about which The LORD is speaking to you, perhaps for a week, perhaps for a season.

From doing these three sections of verses on a theme ( as you will be able to see below ), certain parts of the Word of GOD which you need will become in-grained within your spirit. The ANTIPHON helps you to worship.

The WORSHIP part (“Worthy is the LAMB+…”) also becomes personal to YOU , as you worship HIM+ for Who+ HE+ is, for what HE+ is doing in your life, for making HIMSELF+ known unto you.

When doing GUIDED MEDITATIONS, one can draw into that Quietude of Heart that is needed. 

When entering into that Quietude of Heart that is un-disturbed by distractions, it is then we “commune” with Our SAVIOR+. 

And, at that point, we are nourished in our soul by HIM+. 

GUIDED MEDITATIONS  

~ ~ ~ Supplications ~ ~ ~

( A Pattern for Meditative Worship for the Individual )

ANTIPHON: The humble shall see and be glad: and your heart shall live that seek GOD. Psalm 69:32 [The Antiphon is repeated after every verse.]

Cause me to hear Thy+ lovingkindness in the morning; for in THEE+ do I trust: cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto THEE+ .  Psalm 143:8

ANTIPHON: The humble shall see and be glad: and your heart shall live that seek GOD.

What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the HOLY SPIRIT which is in you, which ye have of GOD, and ye are not your own. For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify GOD in your body, and in your spirit, which are GOD’S.    I Cor. 19,20

 ANTIPHON: The humble shall see and be glad: and your heart shall live that seek GOD.

Order my steps in Thy Word: and let not any iniquity have dominion over me.   Psalm 119:133

[ The Supplications may  be profitably repeated 3 X, slowly, to deepen the Meditation.]

The Worship

Worthy is the LAMB+ Who+ ….. [ To finish the three sentences, simply select an item in the above verses which speaks to your heart and insert it here, to complete each sentence of praise.  Here is an example of how to do this.]

• Worthy is the LAMB+  Who+...  speaks His+ love to me this morning. Amen and AlleluJAH. Worthy is the LAMB+ that was slain…

• Worthy is the LAMB+  Who+... has bought me by His+ Blood. Amen and AlleluJAH. Worthy is the LAMB+ that was slain…  

• Worthy is the LAMB+ Who+... orders my steps in HIS+ Word. Amen and AlleluJAH. Worthy is the LAMB+ that was slain...

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 upon the throne and unto The LAMB+.

Amen and AlleluJAH !

Glory Be to 

The FATHER,

and to The SON+,

and to the HOLY SPIRIT.

As it was in the beginning,

is now and ever shall be.

World without end .

Amen. Amen.

... How Is it, LORD ?

PENTECOST !

Photo by The Order of The GOOD SHEPHERD+

LORD, how is it 

that THOU+ 

wilt manifest 

THYSELF+ 

unto us, 

and not unto the world? 

JESUS answered and said unto him, 

If a man love ME+, 

he will keep My+ Words;

and My+ FATHER will love him, 

and WE will come unto him, 

and make Our abode with him. 

John 14

When the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.

And suddenly, there came a sound from Heaven as of a rushing, mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. 

And there appeared unto them Cloven Tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. 

And they were all filled with the HOLY SPIRIT, and began to speak with other tongues, as the SPIRIT gave them utterance. Acts 2

ASCENSION DAY !

Courtesy of www.Kerrresources.com

And 
no man 
hath ascended up to Heaven, 

but HE+ 
that came down from Heaven, 

even the SON+ of Man

which IS in Heaven ! 

Words of JESUS
before HE+ was crucified
and Resurrected, 

as recorded in John 3:13


Now that

HE+ 

ascended, 

what is it 

but that 

HE+

also descended 

first 

into 

the lower parts 

of the earth ? 

Courtesy of www.Kerrresources.com

HE+ 

that descended 

is the same also that ascended 

up far 

above all Heavens, 

that 

HE+ 

might fill all things. 

Ephesians 4: 9, 10

... Go to MY+ Brethren and say unto them,  

I+ ascend unto MY+ FATHER 

and your FATHER   

and to MY+ GOD 

and your GOD. 

John 20: 17b

...What and 

if ye shall see 

the SON+ of Man 

ascend up where 

HE+ 

was before ?

John 6:62

My Brethren, 

You watch all things temporal but you need to watch things in Heavenly places. Times are changing. Soon, life will not continue on as it has been. Times are changing.  Take heed, lest your heart be over-charged with surfeiting and entanglements of your temporal existence. It will be gone in an instant. 

You do not need new "THINGS;" rather, you need an intense focus upon ME+.

In the days coming, I+ AM the only ONE+ Who+ will be able to keep you safe.

Discard the frivolous, the superficial, the external.... all those things which distract you from ME+. Burn them or give them away. Only you, My+ Brethren, can draw close to ME+. It is not given to those outside of ME+ to be able to draw close to Our FATHER WHO art in HEAVEN. 

Draw close to ME+... close to ME+... to ME+.  

Death Hath NO more DOMINION over HIM+ ... ALLELUJAH !

Order of the GOOD SHEPHERD+

JESUS,
WHOM+ GOD hath raised up, 
having loosed the pains of Death; 

because 

it was NOT POSSIBLE
 
that HE+ should be holden of it ! 

Amen, 
Alleluia ! 

Since by man came death, 
by Man+ came also
the Resurrection 
from the Dead. 

For as in Adam all die, 
even so in CHRIST
shall all be made alive ! 

Yes, even so in CHRIST
shall all be made alive !  

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.

O GOD our FATHER,
Who for our redemption
didst give Thine Only-Begotten SON+
to suffer death on the cross
and by HIS+ Glorious Resurrection
has delivered us
from the power of the adversary.

Grant us so to die daily from sin
that we may evermore live with HIM+
in the joy of His+ Resurrection.

This we ask,
through JESUS CHRIST our LORD,
WHO+ lives and reigns with THEE
and Thy Blessed HOLY SPIRIT,
ONE GOD,
now and forever to the endless ages.
Amen 

Can GOD FORSAKE His Own ?

Drawing by Anon Artist

Precious SAVIOR!

Crucified!

No death is so thorough. No shame is so complete.

First, there was the scourging.

The scourging post was two feet high. An iron ring, placed close to the top, projected from both sides.

Clothing was ripped away... 

from a prisoner so that he stood naked. Roman lictors were

professionals. They confined their labours to the fine, 

brutal art of scourging, and they could beat a victim until 

only the barest spark of life remained in the prisoner.

Wrists were firmly shackled to the iron rings. Then the victim was stretched, face down, with his feet pointing away from the post.

The Roman scourge was a flagra, a short-handled whip consisting of several thin iron chains which ended in small weights.

Scourging was called the "little death". It preceded the 

"big death": Crucifixion.

Even the tension of awaiting the first blow is cruel. The body is rigid. The muscles knot in tormenting cramps. Colour drains from the cheeks. Lips are drawn tight against the teeth.

As the whip descends, the chains fan out across the back, and each link cuts through the skin and deep into the flesh. The weights crash with bruising force into the ribs and curl tortuously around the chest.

When a man is scourged... 

there is pain beyond the memory of pain. 

Sweat bursts from the brow and stings the eyes. 

At each stroke of the flagra, 

a victim's body twitches 

like a beheaded chicken. 

The second stroke 

patterns the back and half of the chest 

with a V-shaped network of small cuts. 

Only the Son+ of God 

could hold back the high-pitched wail 

of unbearable agony.

The very juice of life is torn away with every lash. There is only the blinding, burning pain as cruel whips whistle again and again through the air and across the back and shoulders. The flagra can flay a man alive.

Under Hebrew law, the strokes were limited to 39. 

Roman punishment was not so limited. 

There was only one rule for the lictor who scourged a man about to be crucified: he must not die. A spark of life must be sustained for the agony on the cross.

Men have bitten their tongues in two under such beatings.

Only blessed unconsciousness could bring relief.

The limp body of a victim... 

was cut away from the post. His wounds were washed but 

not otherwise medicated. The next step was the parade to 

the execution ground.

Roman politicians always liked to make examples of condemned men. The long, slow parade along public streets was designed to serve as a warning to others that Rome dealt quickly and mercilessly.

A centurion usually served as the executioner or carnifex servorum.

While four soldiers held the prisoner, 

he placed the sharp five-inch iron spike in the center of the palm of the hand. A skillful, experienced blow would send it through to the wood. Four to five more strokes would hammer the spike deep into the rough plank, and a final blow turned it up so that the hand could not slip free.

A small projection, resembling a rhinoceros horn and known as the "sedile" is fitted solidly through the crotch. This was fitted in order to take most of the weight off the condemned man's hands. Then a nail was driven through each foot.

It was a death reserved for slaves, thieves and traitors.

The wounds in the hands send fire down through the arms.

Fainting only relieves temporarily.

It is darkness and pain; then pain and darkness.

The pain in the back, arms, hands, feet and crotch is a dull, throbbing, horrible, endless pain. The pain builds up. It multiplies. 

It is cumulative.  

There is not one moment of respite.

The cross is planted so that the greatest amount of sunlight will pierce the prisoner's eyes.

Below, the curious crowd wait, fascinated by the torture. The macabre scene is played out slowly. Dying should be a private thing, not a public spectacle. There is something obscene about having a mob of people standing around, waiting for you to die.

Then the thirst begins.

The lips are dry. The mouth is parched. The blood is hot. The skin is fevered. The greatest of all needs at this moment is a drop of cool water.

Water is denied.

At the foot of the cross the death-squad drinks in the presence of the dying man, to add to his mental torment. The sun shines directly into the eyes of the crucified. Even when the eyelids are closed a red glare penetrates. The tongue thickens. What was once saliva is now like unloomed wool. Swelling begins in the hands and the feet. The sedile digs deeply into the genitals. It is impossible to turn, or to change one's position. Muscles begin to twitch.

The real horror is only beginning.

What has happened up until now is child's play.

One by one the muscles of the back gather in tight, knotty cramps. There is no escaping them, no pulling out of them, no gentle massaging hands to ease them away. They move across the shoulders and the thorax. They move down into the abdomen.

After two hours on a cross, every muscle in the body is locked in solid knots and the agony is beyond endurance. Men shriek themselves into insanity.

The pain and symptoms are identical to tetanus (lockjaw or the state of a muscle when undergoing continued contraction).

Man, with all his genius, has never devised a more cruel or more agonising death than that of tetanus - the slow, steady contraction of every muscle. 

Death by crucifixion makes the agony last as 

long as possible.

Each hour is an eternity.

At times the cramps make the neck rigid and the head is held flush against the vertical beam. A man longs for death. It is his only desire.

There are flies, insects, and the yelps of dogs with the smell of blood in their nostrils. Birds of prey, scavengers of the skies, circle lower and lower.

Prayers seem to mock a man, but you either pray or curse.

As the hours pass, the tiny blood vessels which feed the nerves will be squeezed flat, and with the lack of blood circulation comes a numbing paralysis.

A new agony develops ... for those who linger 

on the cross. 

It is the agony of the mucous membrane.

During crucifixion, the mucous membrane 

- that thin, slippery tissue 

which lines and lubricates much of the human body - 

dries to the consistency of fine gravel 

and scrapes the tender tissues of the anus 

(the posterior opening of the alimentary canal).

The dried membranes 

tear at the tortured throat. 

They lie like stones in the sinuses. 

Layers of tissue are ripped from the eyes 

every time 

they are moved or blinked.

On the cross there is no end of suffering. It is only the manner of suffering that changes, and the degree of pain that changes.

As the hours passed, soldiers were inclined to hasten death. They began breaking bones. Standing on a ladder, a practised legionnaire would swing a mallet in a short arc and shatter the right femur (the thigh-bone) instantly. A second, sharp blow would shatter the left thigh. These were new pains.

Could there ever be more intense suffering this side of hell?

Most condemned men died naked.

JESUS WAS CRUCIFIED. HE+ died the most brutal death ever devised by man.

HE+ took my place. It was my sin that sent Him+ there.

JESUS died the most thorough death ever devised. It was designed to allow the slow death-erosion of cell, muscle, emotion, bone, tissue, mind, spirit, blood and heart-beat. 

CHRIST was crucified, states the Scripture. HE+ did it all for you and me...

Thus the victory 

of the Resurrection 

is the most complete victory 

ever recorded.

Up from the grave 
HE+ arose,

With a mighty triumph 
o'er His+ foes;

HE+ arose a VICTOR+ 
from the dark domain,

And HE+ lives forever 
with His+ saints to reign.

HE+ arose! 

HE+ arose!

Hallelujah! 

CHRIST arose!

No further sacrifice for my sins is needed.

JESUS paid it ALL.

1 CORINTHIANS 1:17-24

by C. M. Ward (Sydney)
www.cai.org