No "TRIX" in THIS MEDIATOR+ ... Passover Meditations for the Monastic-At-Heart --- Ephesians 1:9 ... A MYSTERIOUS PLAN

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 1:9

Having made known unto us the mystery of HIS Will, according to HIS good pleasure which HE hath purposed in HIMSELF:**

** We are still in that one long sentence extending from verse 3 to verse 12. Thus, the subject of this sentence, the ONE doing all this is still The FATHER.

+  +  +

Meditation

What was the mystery of HIS Will ?

HIS Will is to have fellowship with man.  That is no mystery. It is how it all started out in the Garden in Genesis.

Our FATHER Who art in Heaven is holy.  That is no mystery, either. Hallowed be HIS Name.

We sons of Adam are unholy.

And that certainly holds no mystery!

So, what is the mystery of HIS Will ?

The mystery was how to reconcile unholy man to our HOLY FATHER Who art in Heaven. 

Anything un-holy disintegrates when it comes in contact with the VIBRANT Holiness of GOD, as we have seen in Old Testament examples like David retrieving the Ark.

Our FATHER'S Holiness never is compromised.

NEVER.

HE gave Moses a Law and that Law had to be kept... perfectly.

There was a problem: Adamic man cannot keep 613 Laws perfectly, even if he could remember them all. 

So, the problem was resolved 

via a 

MEDIATOR+.

The Divine MEDIATOR+ had to be able to reconcile two opposites into one, in unity of heart, mind, and being.

As all mediators of peace do, this Divine MEDIATOR+ offered to both sides an offering neither could resist.

To His+ Holy FATHER, HE+ offered His+ Blood. It was accepted.

To the repentant sons of Adam, HE+ offered pardon and cleansing by that same Blood+.

The FATHER now could receive any person COVERED by HIS SON'S+ Blood... which is the true Hebrew meaning of Atonement... a KIPPUR… a divine covering.  

CHRIST,

The Perfect MEDIATOR+ !

HEBREWS 9 : 14-15

How much more

shall the Blood of CHRIST,

Who+ through the Eternal SPIRIT

offered himself

without spot to GOD,

purge your conscience

from dead works to serve the Living GOD?

And for this cause

HE+ is the MEDIATOR+

of the New COVENANT,

that by means of death,

for the redemption

[ i.e., loosening away]

of the transgressions that were

under the First COVENANT,

they which are called

might receive the

promise of Eternal Inheritance.

No Compromise with Holiness, ever.

For there is one GOD, and

one MEDIATOR+

between GOD and men,

the man CHRIST JESUS;

I Timothy 2:5

JESUS CHRIST is the ONE
MEDIATOR+ .

There is NO OTHER, 
according to Scriptures.    

Isaiah 43:11

I,

even I,

am the LORD;

and beside ME+,

there is no SAVIOR.

Is  this a  MYSTERY ?   It should not be.

It should not be a mystery to the Jews who read the prophets.  It should not be a mystery to those who indulge in mariolatry, either.  It is plainly written in the Sacred Texts for all to see.

We do NOT come to The Heavenly FATHER through the Hebrew virgin's image of Maryam ( Aramaic spelling) ... or even the thought of her.  She was of our same Adamic nature just like the rest of mankind.

Scripture says she was blessed, not "immaculate."  Scripture says plainly that she had children by Joseph, her guardian-husband, after the Virgin Birth of CHRIST JESUS. 

Our LORD JESUS Himself+ refuted worship of Maryam in Luke 11. Hear the words of our LORD CHRIST:

And it came to pass,

as HE+ spake these things,

a certain woman of the company lifted up her voice,

and said unto HIM+,

Blessed is the womb that bare thee,

and the paps which thou hast sucked.

But HE+ said,

Yea rather,

[ Gk: on the contrary ]

blessed are they

that hear

[ Gk: hearing ]

the Word of GOD,

and keep it

[ Gk: guarding ]

Luke 11:27-28

Hear what the Word of the LORD says to Jeremiah, the Prophet in chapter 7: 16-19 :

Therefore pray not thou for this people, 

neither lift up cry nor prayer for them, 

neither make intercession to ME:

FOR I WILL NOT HEAR THEE.

Seest thou not what they do in the cities of Judah

and in the streets of Jerusalem?

The children gather wood,

and the fathers kindle the fire,

and the women knead their dough,

to make cakes

TO THE QUEEN of HEAVEN

 and to pour out drink offerings unto other gods,

that they may provoke me to anger.

Do they provoke me to anger?

saith the LORD:

do they not provoke themselves

to the confusion of their own faces?

NO. There is NO HELP from any "Queen of Heaven," virgin or not.   There is simply NO "mediatrix"  found in Scripture, neither in the Old Covenant or the New.

THUS...

"she"  should not be found

in our hearts... 

or in our churches, 

either.   

+  +  +

Let us pray:

O Holy FATHER, THOU Who lovest mankind and created us to be in constant communion with THEE, have mercy upon us.

We have strayed from Thy Way like lost sheep. We have been content to be far from THEE through our day.

We have missed the mark of the high calling in CHRIST JESUS.

Forgive us, LORD, for turning our ears away from Thy Word and doing the bidding of our own flesh...  which WANTS to agree with the doctrines of men.

Help us to return to a Way of Holiness, a path of Holy Living which putteth THEE first.

We RENOUNCE and forsake all the false "go-betweens" and come to the ONE TRUE MEDIATOR+, CHRIST JESUS.  

O, Cover us now with His+ Blood, the Blood of the Everlasting Covenant from  the Divine MEDIATOR+, The LORD JESUS CHRIST.

Help us so to walk before THEE in SPIRIT and in TRUTH that our LORD JESUS is seen as the ONLY MEDIATOR+ to be hailed.

HE+, Scripture tells us, is the only ONE+ full of Grace  ... and Truth.  Amen

+  +  +

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.

Worthy is the LAMB+.

The Standard of Nathaniel ... Passover Meditations for the Monastic-At-Heart

The Standard of Nathaniel ( Nathanael )

   

Meditations  for the Pascha Season

(The Passover Season, 2016)

+  +  +

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

JESUS saw Nathanael

coming to HIM+,

and saith of him,

Behold an

Israelite indeed,

in whom is no guile!

John 1:47

+  +  +

MEDITATION

Guile: deceitful cunning, duplicity, stratagem, trick ( bait), decoy, wile.

Not making a pretty picture of one's character, guile is something NOT wanted in a friend.

Nathanael ( or rather, Nathaniel, in the Aramaic of that day ) is a Hebrew name meaning, "gift of EL, gift of GOD."

Indeed, Nathaniel had a gift from GOD:  he had no guile in his character. He did not simulate.

He did not pretend nor feign to be something he was not in order to persuade others to think a certain way about him. Nathaniel was who he was. Period. Nathaniel did not change to ward off someone's bad reaction to him.

 Guile ? He had none of it. So much was he lacking in this character flaw that The LORD JESUS pointed it out when HE+ first  saw Nathaniel coming to HIM+.

Would the LORD JESUS be able to point to us in the same way, as a man without guile? 

Are we a person who does not pretend we are someone we are NOT when we want something... either a good opinion or a favor or to ward off a bad reaction?

Let's make this practical.  Let's apply the Standard of Nathaniel to some of life's situations.

GIFT-GIVING is a good place to examine ourselves for guile.

Do we dislike "anonymous" giving ? After all, the gift would still be going to the same person. The same needs would be met in the recipient.

Do we give gifts for a return?

Maybe we do not want a gift in return, but maybe... we crave attention and that is a good way to obtain it. Do we crave thanks ? Maybe we want a good opinion of ourselves in the eyes of others?

Or... in our OWN eyes ? 

Do we give gifts as an insurance policy... because we do not want any guilt bothering us if we do NOT give that wedding or shower or birthday gift?

Maybe we give to gain interaction with someone, a foot in the door, so to speak ? Do we give in order to buy friendship, in order to have someone like us ?

Now, let's look deeper at our interaction with others.

Do we long for and  crave interaction with others so that we feel good about ourselves ?   Do we like interaction because it fills up that emptiness inside of us... instead of allowing the LORD JESUS to fill us ?

Do we do "ministry" and / or "fellowshipping" because we are so led to pour out Life to others... or because we cannot become still before The LORD ?

Does life become "dull" for us if we have no interaction with anyone except The LORD for a few days?

Do we befriend a person for them... or for us ?

GUILE: pretense, feigning, cleverness used to obtain what we want,  behavior not truthfull ... in short, a lie.

+  +  +

LET US PRAY:

O LORD CHRIST, I have been weighed in the balance and found wanting. I have used my skills of communication to obtain what I want, guile-fully.

I have not lived like Nathaniel.

Instead, YOU+ would say of me, "Beware!  A person with guile... a person who fakes his way ... he is not who he appears to be ... be on guard when he smiles or speaks ! "

In the Name of The LORD JESUS CHRIST, today and from now on,  I RENOUNCE all guile in my life

I am sorry for giving gifts looking for a return ... in thanks or interaction.  I am sorry for using interaction with others for my own self instead of for their good.

Help me to listen to YOU+, O LORD.

Help me to run to YOU+ instead of to others when I am empty. 

Convict me when I am really wanting to take instead of give... gifts, fellowship, or ministry.

Help me to give gifts at YOUR+ bidding instead of mine. Make me to stop giving out of guilt, but only out of sincerity of heart.

Most of all, help me to be stark honest in all areas before YOU+. Then show me how to live without guile before others so they may see YOU+ and not me.

So, Dear SAVIOR+, I commit to wait until YOU+ lead me before I give a gift.  I commit to wait for YOUR+ leading before barging ahead with interaction or "fellowship" get-togethers.

I commit to wait in my prayer closet until YOU+ bring the interaction with others that YOU+ want me to have.

Thank YOU+,  O LORD, for helping me see this.  Help me to stand firm.

In YOUR+ Holy Name, O LORD JESUS,  I pray.  Amen .

+  +  +

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 the CHRIST,

and to

the Blessed HOLY SPIRIT.

ONE GOD:

FATHER,

SON+,

and HOLY SPIRIT,

both now and forever,

world without end.

Amen.

+