EARNEST of Our Inheritance ... Passover Meditations ... Ephesians 1:14

Meditations  for Pascha

(The Passover Season, 2016)

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Meditations for the Monastic-At-Heart

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.

Then came there a Voice from Heaven, saying,

I have both glorified IT,

and will glorify IT again.

John12:27-28

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Meditation Verse 

Ephesians 1: 14

WHO is the earnest

of our inheritance

until the redemption

of the purchased possession,

unto the praise of HIS glory.

Note: WHO is referring to the HOLY SPIRIT , keeping in context with the previous verse. REDEMPTION is "loosening away" in the literal Greek.  Followers of JESUS are the "purchased possession."  HIS may be understood to be the GODHEAD.

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Meditation

This special earnest, the deposit, the down-payment ( as it were ) has been given to us, to secure or hold our promised inheritance in the Kingdom of GOD.  This DIVINE DEPOSIT or Pledge to us  is the HOLY SPIRIT Who indwells within us at our conversion to CHRIST.

Then Peter said unto them,

Repent, and be baptized

every one of you

in the name of JESUS CHRIST

for the remission of sins,

and ye shall receive

the Gift of the HOLY SPIRIT.

Acts 2:38

This Divine Guarantee-or has marked us as legal RECEPTORS for an inheritance in the Heavenlies with our name on it. No-one can steal that inheritance from us. No-one can cheat us out of our inheritance, nor do we have to share our portion with another.

However, there is a Divine characteristic of this DIVINE Earnest or down-payment which makes it different than the usual legal transaction of goods or money given for a down payment:  This Divine Earnest  happens to be LIVING!

HE is ALIVE !

  But when the COMFORTER is come, WHOM I+ will send unto you

from The FATHER,

even the SPIRIT of Truth,

WHO proceedeth from The FATHER,

HE shall testify of ME+:

John 15:26

Now, this Living "Breath" from GOD has another Divine characteristic: HE does not speak of Himself, but of JESUS CHRIST. 

Howbeit when HE,

the SPIRIT of Truth, is come,

HE will guide you

into all Truth:

for HE shall not speak of Himself;

but whatsoever HE shall hear,

that shall HE speak:

and HE will shew you things to come.

John 16:13

Now, it is true that no-one can steal our inheritance from us because of this Divine Deposit of The HOLY SPIRIT living within us.

However... we can lose it.

What?

Know ye not

that your body

is the Temple of the HOLY SPIRIT

WHO is in you,

WHOM 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 Corinthians 6:19-20

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Let us pray:

O LORD, we have been so foolish. We have played the harlot with the world.

We have desired things  ... and persons... who have drawn us away from THEE+.

We are finely tuned to our distractions but barely able to discern Thy+ Voice when we need it. 

We are led about by our bodies, our flesh, our earth-centered minds instead of by our Divine Earnest WHO is to lead us into ALL Truth.

We have NOT given to THEE+ Thine own: our body and our spirit. Rather, we have squandered THY goods. We have not been good stewards of what is rightly Thine.

Standing in sore need of cleansing, we ask that THOU wouldst be pleased to restore us unto THEE and take not Thy+ blessed HOLY SPIRIT from us.

We commit anew our bodies and our spirits unto THEE+ , to be filled with Thy+ SPIRIT and used for Thy+ purposes. 

We accept the call to Quietness and Separation from this world and its values and its ways and its activities... distractions, all.

Grant us this cleansing, this renewal, that we may bring praise to Thy+ Glorious Name... and not lose our inheritance.

These things we ask of THEE+, in Thy+ HOLY Name, O CHRIST. Amen.

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Worthy is the LAMB+.

Worthy is The LAMB+

that was slain.

Worthy is the LAMB+,

slain

from the foundation

of the earth.

Revelation 13:8

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PRAISE and THANKSGIVING

be to The FATHER,

and to HIS Beloved SON+

JESUS CHRIST,

and to

the Blessed HOLY SPIRIT.

ONE GOD:

FATHER,

SON+,

and HOLY SPIRIT,

both now and forever,

world without end.

Amen.

SEAL of CHRIST .... Passover Meditations... Ephesians 1:13

Meditations  for Pascha

(The Passover Season, 2016)

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Meditations for the Monastic-At-Heart

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.

Then came there a Voice from Heaven, saying,

I have both glorified IT,

and will glorify IT again.

John12:27-28

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Meditation Verse

Ephesians 1: 13

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,

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Meditation

ALL of us were SEALED...

·                   "ALL"  being those who trusted in JESUS CHRIST

·                   ALL being those hearing the Word of TRUTH in JESUS and about JESUS

·                   ALL being those who trusted in HIM+ as the First Followers did

·                   ALL who personally repented, trusting that The LORD would NOT destroy them if they confessed their sins to HIM+

·                   ALL who personally received the "good news" of the plan of Salvation through JESUS for mankind

SEALED...

In ancient days, important and official documents were sealed with drops of hot, melted wax and then stamped with an engraved implement, oftentimes a ring. This was called a signet ring.

These days, a notary public will stamp official documents oftentimes with an impression in the paper itself as well as the ink stamp for signatures. 

The seals, both then and now, place the LEGAL AUTHORITY of the State, the one in charge, upon that document.

In Ephesians 1:13,

the document being sealed is

... us !

We Followers of JESUS become the letter of CHRIST, the Epistle written by the SPIRIT of the Living GOD , known and read of all men. ( See 2 Corinthians 3:2-3).

WAX...

The properties of WAX vary according to the degree of heat put to it.

When melted, wax can become a runny,  fluid liquid if the heat is too hot or too much.  No-one can stamp an insignia in hot, liquid wax; like water, liquid wax is not solid enough to receive the seal.

If the wax becomes too cold, it hardens and likewise will not take the stamp. The wax simply breaks away, if the stamp is too forceful.

But, when melted to the correct temperature, the wax can be masterfully handled.

At this point when the conditions are right, the melted wax can be dropped or placed upon the scroll or document and stamped with a signet ring or engraved seal... and it will receive the insignia properly.

 RECEIVING the Insignia...

Our conversion to CHRIST is sealed by the HOLY SPIRIT of Promise. We receive HIS+ Insignia upon our spirit... if the conditions are right.

We cannot receive that Divine Seal, 

however, 

if the conditions are not right.

Are we willing to become PLIABLE in Our LORD'S hands, letting HIM+ do with us as HE+ wills ? 

Or... do we tell HIM+ , " Yes... to a point" ... and harden ourselves after a season of yieldedness,  against His+ calling to discipleship  ?

Do we tell HIM+, "Yes..." , but never sit still with HIM+ long enough to learn to recognize His+ Voice over the clamor of our flesh and other "worthy"  distractions ? In our constant running about, we will not be able to receive His+ seal.

Soft, teachable, pliable in His+ Hands... these are the conditions needed to receive the Royal Insignia.

How pliable are we , in Truth ?

If we want to receive the HOLY SPIRIT'S seal of Promise, then we must meet those conditions.

We, alas, will not make it Home without it.

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Let us pray:

Dear Heavenly FATHER, we see we are un-pliable and un-yielded to going deeper with CHRIST.

We say we want to do Thy Will, but we want it only as far as is comfortable for us, only as far as "we" can handle.

Help us, O LORD, to yield the controls to Thy SON+ our LORD.

We do not want to hear those words: "Why do you call ME+ 'LORD, LORD'... but do not do the things I+ say ? "

We yield to THEE+, O CHRIST, all those areas we have with-held from THEE+.

Teach us to say, "Not my will, but THINE+, O LAMB+ of GOD."

In the Name of JESUS CHRIST, the Sacrificial Passover LAMB+ Who+ died for me, I pray.  Amen.

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Worthy is the LAMB+.

Worthy is The LAMB+

that was slain.

Worthy is the LAMB+,

slain

from the foundation

of the earth.

Revelation 13:8

+  +  +

PRAISE and THANKSGIVING

be to The FATHER,

and to HIS Beloved SON+

JESUS CHRIST,

and to

the Blessed HOLY SPIRIT.

ONE GOD:

FATHER,

SON+,

and HOLY SPIRIT,

both now and forever,

world without end.

Amen.

So FOOLISH Was I .... Passover Meditations for the Monastic-At-Heart... Ephesians 1:12

Psalm 73: 22-24.... So foolish was I
and ignorant: I was as a beast
before THEE+ ... 

Meditations  for Pascha

(The Passover Season, 2016)

+  +  +

Meditations for the Monastic-At-Heart

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.

Then came there a Voice from Heaven, saying,

I have both glorified IT,

and will glorify IT again.

John12:27-28

+  +  +

Meditation Verse 

Ephesians 1: 12

That we should be

to the praise of HIS glory,

who first trusted in CHRIST.

The Literal Greek:

... In order for us to be** in praise of HIS glory, of the ones having hoped earlier in the CHRIST.

** eis to einai hAmas =articular infinitive phrase-- eis epainon dogzAs autou tous proAlpikotas en t0 CHRIST0.

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Meditation

The KJV seems to say that the followers of JESUS are living such holy lives that they bring praise to GOD, for His great glory. It also seems to indicate that the First BELIEVERS have done this.

However, the literal Greek seems to say that we followers of JESUS are the ones BRINGING HIGH PRAISES to HIM for His glory, of all the persons who have first hoped in The CHRIST.

EITHER WAY...

followers of JESUS

should be doing both.

We should be bringing high praises unto The LORD for His great glory just like the First Christians did.

In addition, we should be living in such a way that OUR VERY LIVES should be bringing glory unto CHRIST.

Indeed, both are required.

Which

is

the hardest ?

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Let us pray:

O LORD, we have besmirched Thy Holy Name.

Personally and collectively, we have not brought glory to THEE in our words, our ways, our lives, our assemblies.  

We have bickered amongst ourselves over petty issues. We live lives far from HOLY. We have not put THEE first.

We have not followed Thy words on important issues and have rebelled against them, fighting Thy Servants sent to us for correction.

Some of us have ignored baptism, some Communion ... and some have done them "our" way instead of Thy way in Scripture.

Our tolerance of sin and worldly values have besmirched Thy Holiness. We will not stand united for Righteousness.

O LORD, it is no wonder that GOD is NOT "greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints" in our churches today. ( Ps. 89:7)

We have besmirched Thy Glory and THOU hast left us to our own doings, doings that reflect man instead of our LORD JESUS CHRIST. 

So, help us to prepare our hearts for Thy judgment, because of a necessity it begins at the House of GOD.

Let us receive from Thy Hand, O LORD, the chastening determined, that we may by our endurance and steadfast love of THEE, bear unbreachable witness to Thy SON+, our LORD and SAVIOR+ JESUS CHRIST… when troublous times come.  

Have mercy upon us , O LORD.

Have mercy upon us.

Grant us strength to endure

That which is ordained

to come upon this earth.

Amen.  

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Worthy is the LAMB+.

Worthy is The LAMB+

that was slain.

Worthy is the LAMB+,

slain

from the foundation

of the earth.

Revelation 13:8

+  +  +

PRAISE and THANKSGIVING

be to The FATHER,

and to HIS Beloved SON+

JESUS CHRIST,

and to

the Blessed HOLY SPIRIT.

ONE GOD:

FATHER,

SON+,

and HOLY SPIRIT,

both now and forever,

world without end.

Amen.