Part 2.... The SIGN of the CROSS ... in the Inner Man

Drawing by The ORDER of the GOOD SHEPHERD+

Part  2 of Byron Miller's Message, Wellspring Mennonite Church,Athens, Tn

Who is in control ? 

Self will rationalize, it will deceive, it will twist facts. 

It will convince us that something is a "GOD-given right." 

How many times have we expressed that, or felt that, or heard that ? 

It is " a GOD-given right," we affirm .... 

in order for Self to retain that place in our heart.

As long as we look at things from our own perspective --- and not FROM GOD'S perspective --- that will be our mind-set.

Self on the Throne asks, "Will GOD punish me if I do that?" or "What is wrong with this ?" That is a pretty popular one: I am sure we have all heard that one and we have probably all said that, from time to time.

Well, What  is wrong with those sentiments, 

with those statements ?

The reality is, we should rather be saying, "Will this honor CHRIST, my Master ?  

" Am I the focus in my life ...or is CHRIST?

Instead, we say, "How will CHRIST enhance or make my life better ?"  --- or perhaps --- "How will CHRIST help me?"  

Now, not that HE+ will not, not that CHRIST does not, make our life better; yes, and we praise the LORD for that.

But... is "making my life easier or more comfortable" to be my focus, rather than building Christ's Kingdom?  

What can I do to honor my LORD and my GOD ? That should be my focus, our focus.

Too many times, though, we view the Christian life as, "What is it doing for me ? " rather than, "What can I do for The LORD ? "  How can I honor Him+ and build His+ Kingdom ?

In Philippians 2.... starting in verse 5

 Let this mind be in you, which was also in CHRIST JESUS:

Who+, being in the form of GOD, thought it not robbery to be equal with GOD: But made HIMSELF+ of no reputation, and took upon HIM+ the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, HE+ humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the CROSS.

While here on this earth, JESUS' ministry and His+ life-focus and everything that encompassed His+ Ministry here, was engulfed ...  was consumed ... with putting forward GOD'S kingdom.

 His+ focus was not on His+ own comforts. 

It was not all about "him," humanly-speaking. 

HE+ was not Self-centered, not even focused on His+ soon return to Heaven with all its glories and all its appeal. 

HE+ said to one would-be follower, "I do not even have a rock to lay My+ head on." And HE+ was the Creator of it all !

Now, can we get that mind-set, 

can we grasp how EMPTY of Self HE+ was ?

Oh Heavenly FATHER... 

How far I have strayed from the straight and narrow path, that for me to live is to empty my Self into Thy hands, unto Thy Will, for Thy good pleasure ! 

O LORD, help me not to be like those foolish maidens , so nonchalant about their coming LORD and Bridegroom.

Grant me the unction to sit quietly before THEE, to listen for Thy Word, to abide in stillness with THEE as my Beloved. 

Show me, O LORD, how to empty my Self and live unto CHRIST. 

How I long to see His+ Face ! 

Through the merits of Thy Beloved SON+, Our LORD and SAVIOR , JESUS the CHRIST, I pray. 

Amen

( To be continued to Part 3 )

xxx

The Sign of the CROSS... in our Daily Lives... Part 1

Drawing by the Order of the GOOD SHEPHERD+

Who is in Control ?

Message by BYRON  MILLER, 

of Wellspring Mennonite Church,

Athens, TN.  

PART 1

Our mind-set, 

our focus, 

the things that we cherish most, 

determine who we are.

Who is calling the shots on my decisions, on how I live, and really, on who I am?

In other words, within my own heart, who is in control of my life?

COLOSSIANS 3 

 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.

 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.

For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.

When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:

Our mind-set ... our focus ... the things that we cherish most ... determine who we are.

So... who are we?  

It talks in Colossians about setting our affections,    setting our focus, setting our ambitions elsewhere.

What do we value most ?   We need to set our affections, our focus, our ambitions on Heavenly, Eternal, Christ-centered things.

Notice in verse 1 it says,

 ... "Be ye risen... " not just have risen, not just were risen. We are not going to be risen. 

Note that the verb is  a present active form, BE RISEN.

Verse 3 says, "For ye are dead." 

Aha ! Does Self within me seem dead to those around 

me?  Is Christ living instead ?

Scripture says, "For ye are dead and your life is hid with 

Christ in GOD." 

Let's look at this another way.

 Who is hid in my life? Is it me that is hid... or is it CHRIST ? Who is most prominent ?

When somebody gets to know you very well, can they see what is driving your life ?

Verse 5 says mortify. "Mortify" is to subjugate by abstinence, discipline, or self-inflicted suffering.

"Mortify therefore..."  That  does not sound like something we are naturally going to gravitate towards, does it ? 

There is one Throne within each of our spirits.

Who resides there ? Christ asks for nothing less than to reside there, to reside on that Throne.

Now, Self  grudgingly gives up anything. 

Though, if forced to do so, Self will usually give up 

ANYTHING except the right  for Him+ to reside there as 

King+, as LORD in control.  

That, however, is what HE+ calls His+ own right, His+ 

own place in the human heart. That is HOME to HIM+.

Thoughts  like, "If I become a Christian, do I have to give up this? " or  "Since I am a Christian, can I still do that ?" are really LORD-SHIP questions. 

They are actually avoiding the real issue of LORD-SHIP in my life. 

Who is in control ?

 

Dear Heavenly FATHER, 

I repent of trying to control my life, my spouse's life, my friends' lives.  

Help me to STOP being so controlling of every thing and every body and to re-focus my energies on performing my own submission to Thy SON+, our LORD and SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST. ... for the glory of Thy HOLY Name. 

This I ask in the NAME of JESUS, my Savior...  the only ONE+ Who+ can save me from my Self.  Amen

The SIGN of the CROSS in our hearts... The Law INCARNATE+

PASCHA Preparation Meditation  
commonly called Lenten Meditation

Meditation upon The Law INCARNATE+ 

And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,  Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say unto them, 
"Ye shall be holy: for I the LORD your GOD am holy." Leviticus 19:1-2

But as HE+ WHO+  hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of life because it is written, 

Be ye holy; for I am holy.

I Peter 1: 15-16

+  +  +

Yes, the LAW is dead. It does not give us LIFE, nor does The LAW of Moses even help us to obey it.

However, it still retains something precious for us.

 It retains GOD'S standard 

of RIGHT vs WRONG.

Even though Our LORD fulfilled the LAW, HE+ did not change the standard of what GOD considers RIGHT and what GOD considers WRONG !

Let us pray: 

O Holy FATHER, I am ashamed of the lack of holy standards in my life.  I see that I do not reflect Thy standard of holiness written in Thy Word, Incarnate in Thy SON+ JESUS CHRIST, and sought for by The Great Husbandman of the Vine+. 

Cleanse me now, that I may truly reflect Thy Character at all times to my family, my friends, and in my mirror. 

I thank THEE that THOU hast wrought for me such a full and cleansing Salvation, through the merits of Thy Holy SON+... the Standard of all holiness Incarnate. 

In Whose+ Name, and by Whose+ strength I come to THEE, O Holy FATHER, MOST RIGHTEOUS.  

+  +  +

The SIGN of the CROSS in the HEAVENS.... the KILLSHOT Eruption

xxx

This is the actual SOHO LASCO 2C picture of the
" KILLSHOT " eruption of a million-kilometer long
filament on the sun, which erupted on the
backside of the sun.... 

not due to " earth getting lucky once again" 
but to the
great Mercy of The LORD !

At the time appointed, something similar to this 
KILLSHOT 
may strike the earth, according to Isaiah 30:26.

How should we then live ? 

Isaiah 30:26

²⁶ Moreover the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold, as the light of seven days, in the day that the Lord bindeth up the breach of his people, and healeth the stroke of their wound.

The KILLSHOT filament eruption recorded on Saturday, Feb. 21, 2015 and released on Feb. 22, is seen on the frames from position of "3 o'clock"  continuing down to "6 o'clock" position. The glare of the sun is blotted out by the filter placed upon the picture so that the bright flares, CME's, and other eruptions on the sun may be clearly seen. 

Here's a picture of the MASSIVE SIZE of this eruption:  

To represent the earth in scale model, put the tip of your tiniest finger at the "5:20 o'clock position", at about 1/2 inch or more from the sun.  That spot would be the earth being IN FRONT of the eruption... and the earth being about 1/4 the size, in scale, of the tip of your tiniest finger. 

The SIGN of the Cross .... brings LIFE in place of Death ! The Pascal LAMB+ Brought LIFE instead of Death. That is why we love HIM+ through our repentance and obedience. ~ ~ ~ Lenten Meditation (Please ignore airplane ).

The SIGN of the Cross ... Being Carried !

The PASCHA Preparation Season  

~ ~ ~ Commonly called Lenten Season ~ ~ ~

The SIGN of the CROSS... being carried !

The LORD, our RIGHTEOUSNESS

+  +  +

We have completed the season when most followers of Y'SHU+ the M'SHIKHA have forsaken their normal routines  and stopped --- at one point or another --- to remember His+ Incarnation, around the time of the Roman taxation of the Jews living under the rule of Rome in Israel  ... most likely after the time of the in-gathering of the fall harvest.

Whatever we choose to call it --- "Christmas" or "Advent" or The Incarnation+ Season --- , we simply remember the approximate time of His+ coming to earth, being born as a babe in a humble setting, and donning the human robe of flesh to become the SECOND ADAM+.

It pleased Our FATHER Who art in Heaven to deliver mankind from sin, death, the satan, Sheol, and the grave through Y'SHU+ the M'SHIKHA. 

Thus, HE+ became Incarnate as the SECOND ADAM+ to suffer human death ... but this human death was unlike any other: HE+ rose triumphant, bodily. 

Death had NO dominion over HIM+. Furthermore, neither did the satan because the wicked one could find NO UNRIGHTEOUSNESS in HIM+. Death, then , could not holdHIM+.

In addition to that wondrous fact, The Risen LORD was pleased to bring all the Righteous Dead out of Sheol withHIM+, taking captivity itself captive and moving it 

up... up... up ... 

out of the heart of the earth and into the Paradise of GOD (ALAHA ), which is in Heaven ... that Heaven in which no un-righteousness dwells.

According to Scripture, however , Our Incarnate LORD didsomething else for us when HE+ submitted to the Crucifixion ... something that some followers of Y'SHU+have missed !

Y'SHU+ the M'SHIKHA 

became the LAW INCARNATE+ 

... as precisely as HE+ had become The WORD+ Made Flesh, The Living MILTHA+ of ALAHA , as the Aramaic / Syriac states.

For, what IS the WORD+  .....

 but the LAW INCARNATE+ ? 

That WORD+ is the LIVING Word+ which became flesh and dwelt among man, full of Grace and Truth.

+  +  +

Yes, the LAW is dead. It does not give us LIFE, nor does The LAW of Moses helps us to obey it.

But wait... it still retains something precious for us. 

It retains GOD'S standard 

of RIGHT vs WRONG. 

Even though Our LORD fulfilled the LAW, HE+ did not change the standard of what GOD considers RIGHT and what GOD considers WRONG !

No, indeed, Our LORD JESUS CHRIST established the LAW.  

So, where did HE+ establish  it ? 

HE+ established the LAW in our hearts !

Let us pray: 

Forgive me LORD, for setting aside Thy+ Holy Word... The Word that was given to me for my perfection, for my understanding of RIGHT vs WRONG. 

Help me to understand where I sin against Thy+ Holiness. Help me to understand Thy+ Ways. 

I humble myself before Thy+ Holy Word, knowing I have fallen short of keeping it hallowed within my heart, that I might not transgress against THEE+. 

Show me Thy+ Standard as I read Thy+ LAW... and Thy+ Standard is JESUS. 

Through Whose+ Holy Name I pray... 

Amen. 

x

The SIGN of the CROSS

The Sign of the CROSS  Ash Wednesday  the beginning of PASCHA  The Preparation Season  commonly known as Lent  .

"The local church’s action is a witness of the 'New Evangelization' in which Pope Francis calls on Christians to proclaim peace in and for the world," says the pastor of St. Mark Catholic Church in Richmond, Kentucky.

From: Vision Vocation Network.org 

 Chritians are being persecuted

 in Iraq ( and elsewhere).

The  Christian sign is represented by the Arabic alphabet character for the letter “N.” 

The “N” stands for Nazarene and was first used by militants to identify property owned by Christians violently forced to leave Mosul, Iraq. Perhaps you have seen the symbol replacing friends Facebook profile pictures throughout the summer?

One of the more impressive signs of solidarity has come from St. Mark Catholic Church in Richmond, Kentucky, which has painted their West Main Street door with this Arabic symbol.

Father James Sichko, pastor of St. Mark, told the Richmond Register: “We are all Iraqi Christians. As Catholic Christians, the members of St. Mark stand together in defiance of genocide, of persecution, of hate and the slaughter of Christians anywhere.” 

Let these images and symbols continue to be a reminder ...

+

+

+

Now is My+ Soul troubled,

 and what shall I+ say, 

"FATHER, save ME+ from this hour?"

But for this cause came I+ unto this hour; 

FATHER, glorify Thy Name...

Meditation: 

   As we come face to face with the activities of those haters of CHRIST JESUS Our LORD, let us identify with our persecuted brothers and sisters.  

In  order to do that, we must FIRST identify with

 Our LORD and SAVIOR, Who+ was persecuted by the haters of GOD ... and Who+ still is. 

The haters of GOD, YHWH, the HOLY ONE of Israel, cannot "touch" Our LORD JESUS now, in the flesh. So, they are directed by demons to attack those who carry His+ Name.

During this PASCHA  season, let us bear the reproaches of them who reproached Our Lord, and suffer along with HIM+. 

Let us suffer along with our persecuted brethren across this dead and dying world. 

We will suffer  ...  if we stand for righteousness. 

Prepare your hearts to do so. 

     

Let us pray: 

O HOLY ONE+ of Israel,  we thank THEE+ for coming for "this" hour,  the hour of Thy+  Death. Help us to show our love for THEE+ by picking up our Cross, our "N" , and dying to Self for Thy+ Name's sake. 

Bless our efforts in this and keep us ever mindful of the dear ones who have already paid the price for following THEE+, and grant them sweet rest at Thy+ FATHER'S throne. 

In the Name of Our Suffering SAVIOR, The LORD JESUS CHRIST, we pray. 

Amen

John 12:26-28 ( Courtesy of Biblegateway.com)

²⁶ If any man serve ME+  let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour.

²⁷ Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour.

²⁸ Father, glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.




*  The "mark" that looks like a dotted U on the door of the church is the Arabic letter that = N in English. It stands for "Nazarene" , which is what they call Christians in Arab lands.