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Photo Courtesy of Astrophotographer Juan Carlos Casado,
3.10.2014 at 5:30 a.m., published on Spaceweather.com
Saariselka, North Finland
Aurora Borealis |
The Invitatory:
CHRIST the KING+
has
suffered for us;
O Come, Let us Adore HIM+.
THOU+ art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof; for THOU+ wast slain and hast redeemed us to GOD by Thy+ Blood out of every kindred, tongue, people, and nation.
Old
Testament Lesson: Leviticus 18:6-25
Scriptures
courtesy of Biblegateway.com
6 None
of you shall approach to any that is near of kin to him, to uncover their
nakedness: I AM The LORD.
7 The
nakedness of thy father, or the nakedness of thy mother, shalt thou not uncover:
she is thy mother; thou shalt not uncover her nakedness.
Thou shalt NOT uncover the nakedness of:
8 thy father's wife
9 thy sister, the daughter of thy father, or daughter of thy mother, ...
10 thy son's daughter, or of thy daughter's daughter, ...
11 father's wife's daughter, begotten of thy father,
12 thy father's sister: ...
13 thy mother's sister: ...
14 thy father's brother, thou shalt not approach
to his wife:
15 thy daughter in law:
16 thy brother's wife:
17 a woman and her daughter, neither shalt thou
take her son's daughter, or her daughter's daughter,
18 a wife to her sister, to vex
her, to uncover her nakedness, beside the other in her life time.
19 Also
thou shalt not approach unto a woman to uncover her nakedness, as long as she is
put apart for her uncleanness.
20 Moreover thou shalt not lie carnally with thy
neighbour's wife, to defile thyself with her.
21 And
thou shalt not let any of thy seed pass through the fire to molech, neither
shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I AM The LORD.
22 Thou
shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.
23 Neither shalt thou lie with any beast to defile thyself
therewith: neither shall any woman stand before a beast to lie down thereto: it
is confusion.
24 Defile not ye yourselves in any of these things: for in
all these the nations are defiled which I cast out before you:
25 And
the land is defiled: therefore I do visit the iniquity thereof upon it, and the
land itself vomiteth out her inhabitants.
QUIETUDE:
A time to Reflect about the HOLINESS of GOD and His+ requirement of Holiness of mankind.
RESPONSE: Psalm 24
Who is this KING+ of Glory?
The LORD strong and mighty,
The LORD mighty in battle !
Who is this KING+ of Glory?
The LORD of HOSTS.
HE+ is the KING+ of Glory!
Lesson from
the Epistles: 1 Peter 1:15-16
15 But
as HE+ Who+
has called you is HOLY,
so be ye holy
in all manner of life-style;
16 Because it is written,
Be ye holy; for I AM HOLY.
QUIETUDE:
A time to repent.
RESPONSE:
LORD
JESUS CHRIST,LAMB+ of GOD,
Who+ taketh away the sin of the world,
have
mercy upon us.
LORD JESUS
CHRIST, LAMB+
of GOD,
BEARER+ of
our sins,
have
mercy upon us.
LORD
JESUS CHRIST, LAMB+
of GOD,
SAVIOR+ of the world,
grant
us Thy+ Peace.
AMEN.
The GOSPEL
Lesson: Mark 8:27-29 ~ ~ ~
Scriptures courtesy of Biblegateway.com
The Words of Our
LORD JESUS CHRIST ~ ~ ~
And
JESUS went out, and His+ disciples, into the towns of Caesarea Philippi: and by
the way HE+ asked His+ disciples, saying unto them,
Whom do men say that I+
am?
And
they answered, John the Baptist; but some say, Elias; and others, One of the
prophets.
And HE+ saith unto them,
But whom say ye that I+ am?
And Peter answereth and saith
unto Him+,
THOU+ art .... The CHRIST !
+ + +
The WORD of The LORD.
THANKS BE TO GOD !
Meditation
~ ~ ~
Whom do you say ... with your life-style, with your values... that The LORD is ?
We are REQUIRED to walk in ways of Holiness. Holiness is precisely defined throughout Scriptures... doing those things that please GOD.
Those ways show to the world exactly WHO+ CHRIST JESUS is. We are entrusted with being precise replicas of the character of Our LORD JESUS CHRIST.
HE+ has shown us EXACTLY what behavior pleases HIM, the HOLY FATHER, and what behaviors are repulsive to Our FATHER Who art in Heaven.
The laws and rules established in Leviticus and other books of Scripture, both Old and New, define what holiness is, in exact terms, in concrete behaviors.
The LORD JESUS has NOT changed HIS+ FATHER'S rules!
Yes, Our LORD fulfilled all the sacrifices listed in Leviticus and other places: the sin offering, the burnt offering, the heave and wave offerings, the grain offering, the peace offering, and the libation offering of wine.
But, His+ Sacrifice did NOT remove from us the necessity for walking in HOLINESS.
Now, we see, we CAN keep the holy ways of The LORD because of His+ Sacrifice.
Yes, because HE+ sacrificed His+ Life for us, we NOW can receive the Blessed HOLY SPIRIT... Who helps us keep those Holy ways of The LORD.
No longer are they merely a set of ancient rules and regulations put upon HIS people.
Because of Our LORD'S Sacrifice of HIMSELF+, these rules and laws are written on our hearts...
... or should be.
Let us
pray:
O Gracious
Heavenly FATHER, in the Name of Thy HOLY SON+ JESUS CHRIST, WHO+ for the joy
that was set before HIM+ endured the Cross, I come to THEE, in repentance for casting aside Thy ways.
Help me to honor THEE, O FATHER, through obedience to Thy SON+ JESUS CHRIST in hallowing Thy Holy Words throughout Scriptures.
I am sorry I have ignored thy Words.
I am sorry I have lived by modern "standards" instead of Thy ways.
I am so, so sorry I have besmirched the character of THEE in front of the world, Oh my Precious GOD, and Thy Holy SON+ JESUS, Who+ died for me.
I see and do acknowledge that my ways, society's "standards," and modern morals ( or lack thereof ) are SIN in your eyes, according to Thy Words.
Cleanse me O LORD, and I shall be clean. Wash me and I shall be whiter than snow.
This I pray
in The Name of JESUS
CHRIST our LORD, The Eternal SON+ and WORD+ of GOD our FATHER, through the
Blessed HOLY SPIRIT.
Amen.
