3/17/2013

PASSOVER Affirmations....

Affirmations of Faith

photo by www.flickr.com
for worship during Guided Meditations.



O Earth, Earth, Earth...
Hear the Word+ of The LORD !

JESUS said, 
I+ 
am
The Way, 
The Truth, and 
The Life; 

No man cometh 
to The FATHER
except by ME+.  

O Earth, Earth, Earth...
Hear the Word+ of The LORD !

Neither is there Salvation 
in any other;
For there is no other Name+ 
under Heaven
given among men, 
whereby we must be saved. 

O Earth, Earth, Earth...
Hear the Word+ of The LORD !

That at the Name of JESUS
every knee shall bow, 
of beings in Heaven, 
beings in earth, 
and beings under the earth,

And that every tongue should confess
That JESUS CHRIST is LORD
to the Glory of GOD The FATHER. 

O Earth, Earth, Earth... 
Hear the Word+ of The LORD !

3/13/2013

Passover DISCIPLINE !

Photo by stsylvesters.org.uk


Dear Readers... I  STRONGLY advise you to develop and practice a DAILY DISCIPLINE of worship.... private, individual worship. 

You do NOT NEED a "group" to gather about you to do this discipline, nor do you need anything more than your Bible and a quiet, hidden nook where you will not be disturbed.... be it woods or barn, basement or attic. 

Don some sanctified garment that you have prayed over and sanctified for this use, asking The LORD to bless it. Head-coverings or hoods,  capelets or simple chasubles,  long dresses or skirts for the sisters; vests or tunics or a simple blanket-type chasuble or robe for the brothers. 

Change your position to standing, kneeling, bowing and even sitting, as you worship. Do the sign of the Cross in the air, on your forehead, across your heart, or from head to chin, or even over your mouth! Otherwise, do the "normal" sign of the cross at appropriate places as you are moved to do so when you pray. 

REMEMBER: The sign of the cross is ANCIENT and is not a sign of "group" membership in the high churches or low. The sign of the cross BELONGS TO EVERY CHRISTIAN. 

Obtain or make a simple wall cross and make a simple strand of Christian prayer beads to help you keep your place and memorize Scriptures as you go. Instructions are plentiful on the Internet. 

One person has made Christian prayer beads out of black and brown wooden beads from an old beaded car seat ! This involves 4 sets of 7 beads ( called "weeks' beads"), with 4 Cruciform beads to separate them.  

A string of smaller wooden beads, this time red beads and some green ones obtained for a dollar from a thrift store item, made the "opening and closing" beads and the Cruciform beads... where is said, 

  • " Worthy is The LAMB+ !"  ... said at  the 4 Cruciform beads 
and at the 3 opening and closing beads: 
  • "Blessed be The HOLY FATHER Who created us, 

  • and His HOLY SON+ JESUS CHRIST our LORD Who+ saves us, 

  • and The Blessed HOLY SPIRIT Who sanctifies us."
Follow some pattern of worship, like the OGS Guided Meditations: 

  • Open with Worthy is the LAMB+! and some set but short Scriptures of praise. [ The idea is for these opening words to be repeated reverently every day, not simply impromptu praises. ] 

  • Invitatory Bead... Come Unto ME+, all ye who labor and are heavy laden, and I+ will give you rest. 

  • 3 verses of Supplications... asking The LORD to bless your worship, such as "Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Thy sight, O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer+. "

  • 3 verses of Repentances ... perhaps from Psalm 51 or the entire Psalm, or other verses that bring you into a spirit of repentance. The prayer beads are useful when doing an entire Psalm.

  • 3 verses of Affirmations of Faith ... such as "Neither is there Salvation in any other; for there is no other name under Heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved" and "At the Name of JESUS every knee shall bow..."

  • 3 verses of Exhorations ... such as "Be still and know that I AM the LORD."

  • 3 verses of Exaltations ... such as "My soul doth magnify The LORD and my spirit doth rejoice in GOD my SAVIOR+." 
These verses need to be PERSONAL to you, verses that have "spoken" to you in times of need, verses that you can easily commit to memory as you worship through the Guided Meditation every day.  I list these verses as an example of what we do at the OGS daily, to give you some idea of the KIND of verses you might include. 

Then move on to pray through out-loud 3 Psalms. OGS does Psalm 27, Psalm 116, and Psalm 23... but these are able to be changed, as per your leading of The LORD. 

After these items are finished, continue on in worship by using the 

  • Agnes Dei, 
  • St. Patrick's Breastplate, or the 
  • Te Deum.  
These are all very ancient hymns of the Christian church. The words are found on the Internet or on this blog in earlier posts. 

RENUNCIATIONS follow the ancient hymns.
Starting this section of worship with : 


"O earth, earth, earth ! 

Hear the Word of The LORD ! " 

 I John 2:15-17, Matthew 4:10, Matthew 16:23 are the verses which contain the very words of Our LORD when HE+ stood against the adversary. 

The last section involve 2 sets of ONLY the very WORDS of Our LORD ( as in a Red Letter edition of the New Testament ) .  The Beatitudes and John 14, using only His+ Words, are good places to start this section. They can be changed from season to season. 

We end this section with The prayer Our LORD taught His+ disciples, when the disciples said, "LORD, teach us to pray."

CLOSING:  A spontaneous prayer of Thanksgiving , by this time, will be pouring from  your heart and lips ! 

This worship through Guided Meditation is not long nor hard. It can be adjusted as per schedule needs, and can be done in parts at different times of the day.  It can be done morning, noon, or evening; late at night, or in the wee hours of the morning. 

It is IMPORTANT, however, that it be done meaningfully and individually. Groups or families can do it, but ...

 INDIVIDUAL, PRIVATE worship 
can never, ever be replaced 
by group worship. 

This is the cost of discipleship and friends, if you do NOT WANT to pay it you will not be ready for what is about to take place on the face of the earth. 

Terrible, un-thinkable tribulation is about to be legislated by the "civil" countries that will make being a Christian one of the most dangerous identities to have. 

Unless, of course, you take the mark of the beast in order to keep _____ : 
( anything you might name ... keep your possessions, houses, lands, bank accounts, credit cards, social security, disability, cell phones, internet, education, health care, car license, insurance,  children.... )

Then, you will indeed avoid the persecution and grief that The LORD has promised is coming for Christians... the last Great Persecution of the Christian Church.   

Yes, you may avoid it until you die... but then, you will stand before the Judgment Seat of CHRIST.  

Eternity lasts a long, long time. 

3/07/2013

PSALM 51... Passover Meditations

PASSOVER MEDITATION on PSALM 51: 14

Photo courtesy of  www.superstock.com

Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, 
O GOD, 
THOU GOD of my salvation, 
and my tongue 
shall sing aloud 
of Thy righteousness. 

King David was in the midst of his repentance after his heinous murder of his faithful soldier Uriah, whom David had purposely killed in battle... in order to cover his own sin with Uriah's wife, Bathsheba. [ 2 Samuel 11:15 ] 

Most of us, however, are NOT kings, we are NOT in charge of battles for Israel proper, and we have NOT purposely set a trap to murder someone to cover our sin.... for which we give thanks.

But yet hearken: When we who know The LORD JESUS CHRIST  continue on doing those things HE+ has brought to our minds , that they are WRONG , have we not crucified The LORD afresh because we have that comfortable, "easy" grace that we can always count on, to cover our sin ?     

Is CHRIST indulgent of our sins ? 

Scripture states this: 

For it is 
IMPOSSIBLE 
for those 
who were once enlightened, 
and have tasted 
of the Heavenly gift, 
and were made partakers 
of the HOLY SPIRIT,

impossible... impossible... impossible

And have tasted 
the good word of GOD, 
and the powers 
of the world to come,
impossible... impossible... impossible 

If 
THEY 
shall fall away,
 impossible... impossible... impossible 
to renew them again 
unto repentance, 
seeing

they crucify to themselves

the SON+ of GOD 
afresh,

and put HIM+ 
to an open shame.
Hebrews 6:4-6

O Heavenly FATHER, 
Gracious to the un-deserving 
and Merciful to those who repent, 
I hang my head in shame 
for taking advantage 
of Thy great goodness to me. 

Please, please do not take from me 
Thy blessed HOLY SPIRIT, 
and please renew a right spirit within me. 
Cast me not out of Thy sight ! 

For, I live for THEE. 
I live for Thy HOLY SON+ JESUS. 
THOU, O GOD, 
art my life and my soul's breath. 

Help me forsake my human excuses 
and weakness of character.

Help me stand 
against my noxious self-indulgences.

Fortify me 
against my old, Adamic nature 
that wants to rule my life again. 

Purge me with hyssop, 
and I shall be clean; 
wash me, 
and I shall be whiter than snow. 

Make me to hear joy and gladness, 
that the bones which THOU hast broken 
may rejoice ! 

Break, O break, 
these bones of sin 
that I may walk well-pleasing unto THEE, 
O Righteous FATHER. 

Accept these, my imperfect prayers, 
for the sake of Thy Beloved SON+, 
The LAMB+ of GOD, 
Our LORD and SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST, 
WHO+ taketh away the sin of the world.

Amen.  

2/27/2013

BEHOLD, the LAMB+ .... #8 ... Supplications for the Guided Meditations

Photo by www.richardliantonioa.com
SUPPLICATIONS.... 

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Thy sight, O LORD, my Strength and my REDEEMER+.  Psalm 19:14

O, send out Thy LIGHT and Thy TRUTH, that they may lead me and bring me unto Thy Holy hill and to Thy dwelling. Psalm 43:3

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


Rubrics: During Guided Meditation,  recite these supplications 3 times,  as a prayer unto The LORD, after the Invitatory. They will position your heart to be ready to receive instruction from The WORD+ during the remainder of the Guided Meditation. 

2/23/2013

BEHOLD, the LAMB+ ... # 7 ... .... Preparing the CHURCH for SUFFERING

Photo by www.flickr.com  



ELOI, ELOI, LAMA SHABAQTANI

My+ GOD, My+ GOD, 
Why hast THOU forsaken ME+ ? 

Why art THOU so far
from helping me,
and from the words
of my groaning ? 

Three times I had this dream, three times in one long night. Big dormitories, with beds on cement foundations, had glaring lights beating down upon the sleeping inmates. Linoleum floors and unmovable beds with shallow mattresses and dark coverlets ... and unmerciful lady sergeants with shrill commands screamed their orders during  midnight inspection. 

+  +  + 

In sickness I awoke, grieving and hurting for the Church: How to prepare the church to suffer ?

How do I help prepare this church age of impotent activities that ALL is NOT WELL, in the eyes of HIM+ with Whom+ we have to do? 

How do I shake the Church loose from the distracting illusion that THIS society ... indeed, this civilization...  will continue on, as ever before ?

How do I convince the Church that men and women will eat, drink, marry, and be given in marriage as ever before... until The LORD rises up and says, 

"ENOUGH !"

and that THAT "enough" is right at the door ?

How do I convince the Church to prepare for suffering ? 

+  +  + 

To prepare for suffering, we look at Our Master+ Who+ suffered for us. What did HE+ do? What did HE+ NOT do

HE+ did NOT concern Himself+ with the affairs of this life: clothing Himself+ in the latest styles, eating fancy, well-prepared food, or involving Himself+ with any activities but those works of His+ Heavenly FATHER.

HE+ DID concern Himself+ with going to mountains and gardens alone to pray. 

HE+ spent much time alone with His+ Heavenly FATHER, when HE+ was much spent during ministry or after attacks by the enemies of GOD. 

HE+ did not have a continual diet of "interaction" with His+ fellow man. Instead, HE+ treasured interaction with His+ Heavenly FATHER, especially as His+ hour of sacrifice drew near. 

Being The Word+ HE+ knew The Word, in Spirit and in Truth, and prayed  The Word often. 

  +  +  +
Do not think to escape the hour of testing I+ have ordained for the Church: you WILL be tested. 

Now is the time to determine to STAND for ME+ as I+ have been tested for you. Now is the time of the preparation. 

You will not be able to hold on to your houses and lands nor those you love. But prepare ALL to stand for ME+ even in the face of suffering. 

QUIET DOWN; remove yourself from fruitless activities and frivolous interaction. LEARN to interact with ME+ first and above all. 

TEACH your children to trust ME+ with all of their hearts. TEACH your children to pray and to plant the Word into their hearts; they will need it to endure. TEACH them along with yourself to be still and seek MY+ FACE. 

Take on the sole identity of "Christian"  and live by The BOOK+. 

I+ will sustain you, even in a prison camp, away from loved ones. Prepare ALL for Heaven. I+ am coming soon . 

Let not your hearts be troubled; 
neither let them be afraid.

Trust ME+; 
I+ will wipe away all tears.

+  +  +    

2/21/2013

BEHOLD, The LAMB+ .... #6 ... Passover Meditation

A Meditation for the Passover Season ....


Photo by www.flickr.com

A Meditation from the Invitatory
from the Morning Guided Meditation Prayers...

Let us hear the Words of Our LORD CHRIST :

" Come unto ME+
all ye that labor and are heavy laden, 
and I+ will give you rest, 

For I+ 
am meek
and lowly in heart, 

And ye shall find rest unto your souls.

For My+ yoke is easy
and My+ burden is light. " 
Matthew 11 


HE+ is meek and lowly in heart, HE+ said. 

That very fact enables the least little trembling soul...  one who is "nothing" in the eyes of the world, "nothing" in the eyes of his friends or family, and "no-where" in regards to the values or standards or possessions of Middle-Class civilization...  to COME UNTO CHRIST JESUS.  

Little souls are afraid of the eyes of the world. They have felt first-hand the scorn of Middle-Class civilization who "have it altogether" and seem to have it ALL. The Little Lesser-than's cannot compete in any area at all, simply to even maintain their dignity. 

CHRIST JESUS, however, RECEIVES SUCH PERSONS !  HE+ is meek, just as HE+ said... so they have a Brother Who+ is ignored and trodden under foot, just like the world has done unto them. 

HE+ is lowly, just as HE+ said... so they have a Brother Whom+ the world has stripped of dignity, just like the world has done unto them. 

Those who are meek, down-trodden, and powerless in this world and at the mercy of others, are delighted to find the Savior+ of the World with them in their earthly struggles. 

Those lowly ones who are treated with contempt by clerks or officials or all with whom they must deal, are delighted to find the Savior+ of the World receiving them with love and joy, restoring to their hearts the dignity refused by this world. 

If we want to reach the little, hungering souls for CHRIST JESUS, then we too need to don the mantle of meekness, taking care that we do not make the little, unfortunate people of this society "afraid" of  unrighteous worldly judgment or  material standards which crush them and make them appear "value-less," robbing them of dignity.  

If we want to reach the little, struggling souls for CHRIST JESUS, then we too need to don the mantle of lowliness that Our LORD had and maintain a humble and low position of ourselves. We need to be convinced that our worldly standards are more despised in the eyes of Our LORD than any hapless poverty-stricken individual.

The little needy ones will flee from the successful, superior "Christian" and hide to protect their dignity. 

Let us therefore IDENTIFY with CHRIST JESUS in meekness and lowliness of heart so that we may BE LIKE HIM+ and win others to HIMSELF+. 

And, when we IDENTIFY with CHRIST in meekness and lowliness of heart on a continual basis, we will have communion with Our LORD on a continual basis. 

Let us pray: 

O FATHER, I am so, so little. I am so very helpless to change anything... even my own wretched self. 

Hide me under the folds of Thy+ Garments, O LORD, and receive me unto ThySELF+. 

This I pray for His+ sake, Who+ was meek and lowly and broken for me, that I need not be afraid of my welcome with HIM+... The LORD and SAVIOR+ of the World, JESUS CHRIST. 
Amen


2/17/2013

BEHOLD, the LAMB+ ... #5

Preparation for the Passover Season


Photo by www.flickr.com

Guided Meditations


Guided Meditations bring you into worship... private, individual communion with The LORD JESUS CHRIST.  If focused on The WORD and if the The Word of GOD is employed during the meditations, then you will enter into a closeness with The LORD that cannot be duplicated.  It is an intensely personal time... a time that exists between you and HIM+ alone.

Outline for Guided Meditations

Now, do remember that this is 
  • 1) not Bible-study time, 
  • 2) not Bible reading time 
  • 3) not simply "prayer" time, and 
  • 4) not even "quiet" time. 
Guided Meditation IS a time of worship, a time of LIVELY-THOUGH-QUIET (!) contemplation of The LORD:  Who+ HE+ is, His+ character, and Who+ HE+ is in relationship to you. 

In essence, through Guided Meditation time, you enter INTO HIS+ PRESENCE+. And there, you will be refreshed and have the restoration of your soul. 

Here is a schedule for a Guided Meditation. There are many ways to do it; this is only one schedule. 

1. OPENING PRAISES
(see previous posts for details)
  • Bless GOD: FATHER, SON+, and HOLY SPIRIT, and blessed be HIS Kingdom both now and forever. Amen 
  • In the Name of The FATHER, 
    HIS HOLY SON+ JESUS, 
    The LAMB+ of GOD,
    And the blessed HOLY SPIRIT. 
  • Worthies: i.e., Worthy is the LAMB+
  • Psalm 93: The LORD reigneth ! HE is clothed with majesty... ( continuing to the end of it )
+ + +

2.  INVITATORY 
(see previous posts for details)
  • Come Unto ME+, all ye who labor and are heavy laden...
  • or... Psalm 95
+ + +


3.  SUPPLICATIONS*
+ + +
4.  AFFIRMATIONS*
+ + +
5.  THREE PSALMS

  • Psalm 23
  • Psalm 27
  • Psalm 116
+ + +

6. AGNUS DEI ( see previous posts for details)
+ + +
7. The BREASTPLATE of St. Patrick
+ + +
8.  The RENUNCIATIONS*
+ + +
9.  The BEATITUDES from Matthew 5
+ + +
10.  WORDS of CHRIST from John, chapter 14 
(all the words spoken by Our LORD but not the narrative spoken by others) 
+ + +
11.  The DISCIPLES' PRAYER ( otherwise known as The LORD'S Prayer or the Our FATHER... ) 
+ + +
12. THANKSGIVING*


During Guided Meditation time do these items of worship slowly and prayerfully, emptying your mind and quieting your soul. Refuse to think of anything else while you are with CHRIST JESUS The LORD during this time. I find I need to repeat each item 3 x in order for it to still my soul.

If you should not have the time to finish, DO NOT RUSH TO DO SO... just prayerfully end your meditation and proceed to the pressing demands of the clock; HE+ knows your schedule better than you do ! Plan to have more time to do them tomorrow.

And lastly, in between items, short LAUDS, such as "Worthy is the LAMB+" , O Come, let us adore HIM+, O Great is THY+ faithfulness!,  should be said. 

During the Passover Preparation ( LENT) season, we do not use HalleluJAH, Alleluia, or Glory in our praises. 

I will post the details of the verses for those items which are starred. 

In the Name of The FATHER, 
HIS HOLY SON+ JESUS, 
The LAMB+ of GOD,
And the blessed HOLY SPIRIT. 
Amen.