Struggles to OBEY ?

PASSOVER MEDITATION

for The 2017 Preparation Season

to commemorate

The Great --- and FINAL --- Passover

 " CHRIST our PASSOVER

is Sacrificed for us,

therefore,

let us keep the feast... "

Romans 5

+  +  +

JESUS said,

" All authority 

is given unto ME+

in Heaven and in earth."

Matthew 28:18

LET US PRAY:

O Heavenly FATHER, I thank THEE that every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that JESUS CHRIST is LORD...  even all the beings in the Heavens, all beings and creatures upon this tired earth, and all beings under the earth.

Forgive me, O LORD, for my own struggles to obey, for my struggles to forgive, for my struggles to issue love to my enemies. Yes, even my struggle to issue love to those who love me.

How long, O LORD, must I be "ever learning" yet never able to put into PRACTICE Thy+ Truths without a struggle ?

I cry to THEE+ to help me put Self upon Thy+ Cross before the battle to obey begins.  Help me to grow into JOYFUL obedience... that kind of obedience that DELIGHTS to obey instead of reluctantly knowing that I "must" (sigh) obey THEE+, O LORD .

Therefore, I humble my Self to Thy+ LORDSHIP, even in these small matters that affect my soul and spirit.

Then perhaps, in due season, it may be said of me also, " The effectual , fervent prayer of  a righteous man availeth much."

THOU+ hast turned for me

my mourning into dancing:

THOU+ hast put off my sackcloth,

and girded me with gladness;

To the end that my glory

may sing praise to THEE+,

and not be silent.

O LORD my God,

I will give thanks unto THEE+ for ever.

Psalm 30: 11-12

JESUS CHRIST the LORD

" WHO+ 

gave Himself+ for our sins,

that HE+ might deliver us

from this present evil world,

according to the will of GOD

and our FATHER. "

Galatians 1:4

CHRIST Our PASSOVER

PASSOVER MEDITATION

for The Preparation Season

to commemorate

The Great --- and Final --- Passover

~ 2017 ~

 " CHRIST our PASSOVER

is Sacrificed for us,

therefore,

let us keep the feast... "

Romans 5

+  +  +

JESUS  said,

" All authority is given unto ME+

in Heaven and in earth."

Matthew 28:18

LET US PRAY:

O GOD our Heavenly FATHER, I thank THEE and praise THEE for sending us a SAVIOR+ Who+ is CHRIST the LORD ... the ONE+ Who+ saves me from my Self.

Forgive me, O LORD, for not yielding to Thy+ Authority. In so many ways --- starting with food and drink, to sleep times, and even dress --- I have not followed Thy+ leading, O CHRIST.

My ear has been deaf, my eye turned elsewhere, my feet chose my own way  when I wanted to indulge Self.

I have not yielded my tongue to THEE+ many times. And worse, the thoughts of my heart have oftentimes not come under Thy+ Authority.

I cry to THEE+ to come and rule and reign over this world, yet I  myself push away Thy+ Rule over me... even in these little, inconsequential matters that have nothing to do with the state of the world.

Or... perhaps, DO these matter

more than I realize,

O LORD ?

Therefore, I humble my Self to Thy+ LORDSHIP, even in these small matters that affect my soul and spirit.

Grant me cleansing from my Self-indulgent ways.  Help me to focus my entire being on pleasing THEE+ now. 

Then perhaps, in due season, it may be said of me also, " The effectual , fervent prayer of  a righteous man availeth much." 

+  +  + 

THOU+ hast turned for me

my mourning into dancing:

THOU+ hast put off my sackcloth,

and girded me with gladness;

To the end that my glory

may sing praise to THEE+,

and not be silent.

O LORD my God,

I will give thanks unto THEE+ for ever.

Psalm 30: 11-12

JESUS CHRIST

" WHO+ gave Himself+ for our sins,

that HE+ might deliver us

from this present evil world,

according to the will of GOD

and our FATHER. "

Galatians 1:4

DID JESUS KNOW Judas was a thief ?

ELISHA and Gehazi and the Leprosy of Naaman

This he [ Judas ] said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein. John 12:6

 Q:  If the disciple John knew that Judas was a thief, then did The LORD JESUS  know it ? 

Judas, it seemed, did not believe that JESUS CHRIST  was the SON+ of GOD , in truth. 

Unlike Peter, Judas did not BELIEVE into HIM+. 

This must be the case with Judas --- regardless of his being an eye-witness to all the miracles of JESUS and being included in the Teachings of JESUS first-hand. 

If Judas WOULD have received the Witness to the FATHER that JESUS testified, then Judas would have known something else: 

Judas would have realized 

that he could never hide 

his sly and evil thieveries 

and his deadly, traitorous scheme 

WITHOUT The LORD 

knowing full well what Judas was doing.

   If Judas really would have believed that HE+ was the SON+ of GOD, Judas would have known the truth of Psalm 139 ... GOD knows our down-sitting and up-rising and every word on our tongues. 

But NO... Judas thought he was hidden.  He thought he was more clever that the others disciples. 

Judas thought GOD did not see what he was doing! 

Judas did not recall the Old Covenant Prophet Elisha and his servant Gehazi after Naaman the Syrian had been healed of leprosy. 

Naaman offered to pay Elisha for his "services" , but Elisha wisely refused to take payment. Gehazi, though, schemed to take advantage of the situation and procure those gifts ... for himself. 

Elisha asked Gehazi: 

"Where did you go ? " 

Gehazi promptly lied to the Prophet: 

"Thy servant went nowhere." 

Elisha said, " Went not mine heart wither when the man turned again from his chariot to meet thee ? 

Is it a time to receive ? ... and Elisha listed even all Gehazi's hidden plans for temporal goods which Gehazi dreamed to obtain !

Now the leprosy of Naaman shall cleave unto thee and unto thy seed for ever." 

Naaman's leprosy attacked Gehazi who thought he could succeed in "fooling GOD." 

+  +  + 

CHURCH, we had better monitor ourselves.  We had better engage TOTAL HONESTY before we are placed on the balance scales of the unchanging, immutable, ever-present Word of GOD. 

NO secret yearnings. NO hidden schemes. NO "pet" sins. NO "godly" appearance, yet our heart is far from HIM+. NO pretense in our walk. 

If we say we "love our neighbor as ourself" then we had better do for them AND THINK of them in the same way we would want ourselves to be treated. 

Do we not yet realize GOD knows our thoughts ?

Are we not yet convinced that The LORD sees into our hearts DEEPER than we do ... or will acknowledge, even to ourselves ?

 

What kind of hidden pride exists in our bosom when we lift ourselves up over the people we know and think we are "better" than they are ? 

If we say we follow The LORD JESUS CHRIST, then we will be wrestling with our hearts until we DO His+ words... from our hearts. 

 All have sin. But now, we have an ADVOCATE+ Who+ is able to help us walk well-pleasing in His+ sight. 

Because HE+ has ENABLED us to do so, we had better DO RIGHT.  We have no more excuse. 

+  +  +

LET US PRAY: 

O LORD, I have walked like a Judas and a Gehazi, thinking YOU+ did not know the thoughts of my heart.  

GOD, forgive me !  I am not fit to be Your+ friend nor Your+ servant.   

Shine the Light of Your+ holiness into the secret recesses of my being and help me to see WHAT YOU+ SEE.  I will look at it, without flinching. 

Cleanse me. Make me fully WHOLE... fully YOURS+. 

In the HOLY NAME of the only-Begotten SON+ of GOD, the LORD JESUS CHRIST I offer this my imperfect prayer. Amen.