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)

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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

JESUS saw Nathanael

coming to HIM+,

and saith of him,

Behold an

Israelite indeed,

in whom is no guile!

John 1:47

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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.

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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 .

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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 the CHRIST,

and to

the Blessed HOLY SPIRIT.

ONE GOD:

FATHER,

SON+,

and HOLY SPIRIT,

both now and forever,

world without end.

Amen.

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Practical WISDOM+ ... Passover MEDITATIONS for the Monastic-At-Heart.... Ephesians 1:8

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

+  +  +

Meditation Verse 

Ephesians 1:8

Wherein HE hath abounded toward us

in all wisdom and prudence;**

Analysis:  HE, again, is referring to The FATHER WHO has given us the fullness, the riches, of HIS Grace ... through HIS SON+ JESUS CHRIST.

** This is  part of one LONG sentence, extending from verse 4 to verse 10. The subject, the one doing all these things for us THROUGH HIS BELOVED SON+  ...  is The FATHER !

Let us look closely at that word prudence.

Vine's calls prudence "practical wisdom." It is a thoughful use of that wisdom and understanding granted unto us. It involves a discretion in applying what we know.

Prudence, in Webster's, is the ability to discipline and govern oneself with the use of reason. 

Thus, this verse is telling us that we have HELP in developing prudence in our daily lives  We have HELP to make decisions that are Right in His+ eyes.  We have HELP by means of this prudence so that we do not stumble into a trap.

So read:

 [The FATHER WHO has given us the fullness, the riches, of HIS Grace  through HIS SON+ JESUS CHRIST...] Which HE abounded unto us in all wisdom and practical understanding.

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Meditation

Our Heavenly FATHER made a way for us to walk in the fullness of Grace, no matter what our level of education might be.

This fullness of Grace comes through HIS SON+ JESUS CHRIST.  In JESUS our LORD, we have already received all wisdom and the knowledge of how to apply this Divine Wisdom in our daily lives. This  prudence is readily available for the asking.

Marvelous !  Marvelous provision for our life here on earth ! A marvelous promise to conduct our lives around the pitfalls of life. 

Through JESUS our LORD, we can now avoid the regrets in life that most human beings make... provided, of course,  that we follow CHRIST JESUS with our whole hearts.

If we ignore Our LORD, if we ignore His+ Words, if we ignore the words His+ hand-picked disciples wrote under the inspiration of The HOLY SPIRIT, we will assuredly pierce ourselves through with many arrows of regret.

We will make decisions based on our flesh and our emotions instead of His+ Divine Wisdom and we will reap sorrow for decisions that cannot be changed. 

The consequences will be ours to live with... a broken marriage that never should have been in the first place, an illegitimate child who is in our lap for the rest of our lives, a constant reminder of our sin.

Perhaps there was a suicide which could have been prevented, or a soul with whom we neglected to share the Gospel message... and then he suddenly died.

These regrets would have been avoided if we had walked in Divine Wisdom and applied Wisdom's discipline and governing of our emotions and fleshly man.

These regrets would have been avoided if we would have submitted our Self to His+ Words. 

These regrets would have been avoided if we would have allowed His+ Spirit to rule us instead of our emotions.

This verse in Ephesians 1:8 tells us that GOD has granted us the POWER to walk in Divine, practical Wisdom guiding our life ... through JESUS CHRIST when we follow Him+ seriously.

In other words, Divine Wisdom is totally available to us in all matters. As a matter of FACT, this Divine Wisdom is not only given to us freely, it abounds towards us !

It comes to us in GREAT ABUNDANCE for the asking !  

How do we receive it ?

WE QUIET OURSELVES

BEFORE CHRIST. 

We humble ourselves when we read our daily Scripture passages and ask: LORD, am I doing this?  LORD JESUS, how do I apply this in my walk with THEE+ ?

If we are SERIOUS about it, The LORD JESUS will show us how to empty our Self of our own values and ways and replace them with His+ values and ways, as stated in Scriptures.

Is Divine Wisdom still elusive?

Then, we must seek His+ Face more deeply.

We ONLY will experience Divine Wisdom, though, if we are good stewards of it. 

Sadly, Divine Wisdom and understanding do us NO GOOD if we refuse to let it govern us... in all things.

Do we WANT

His+ Divine Wisdom

to govern us ?  

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Let us pray:

O Gracious and Life-Giving LORD, I thank THEE for providing for me a way to walk without regrets in my life.

I know that Way+ is through JESUS CHRIST our LORD. 

I thank THEE for granting me Divine Wisdom and the ability to apply it in my life.

I have no excuse for my regrets I have reaped following my own flesh and my emotions, trying to make my happiness my own way.

THOU, O Righteous FATHER, have no fault in the matter. My unhappiness is my own fault, for THOU hast promised to heal me of every wound.

It is all mine for not following Thy Beloved SON+ JESUS CHRIST and letting Him+ govern me, instead of my flesh and emotions ruling my life.  

I confess that I have not been a good steward of the abundance of Wisdom and discernment granted to me in CHRIST JESUS.

I lament some of my choices, my self-made prison of regrets. I repent of taking advantage of Thy "mercy and grace" in order to walk my own way, to do my own will.

O Righteous Redeemer+, I ask for forgiveness and cleansing.

Take not Thy HOLY SPIRIT from me.

I forsake my ways and will wait upon THEE+, now. I will learn to be a good steward of Thy Wisdom.

Do with me as THOU+ choosest, and I will be blest.

In the Name of Thy Beloved SON+ JESUS CHRIST I offer these my imperfect prayers.  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.

+  +  +

Worthy is the LAMB+.