KNOCKED to the Earth... Passover Meditations for the Monastic-At-Heart... Ephesians 1:1

The First BLOOD of the First PASSOVER LAMB

Meditations  for Pascha

(The Passover Season, 2016)

Commonly called the Lenten Season

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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

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Meditation Verse  Ephesians 1:1

Paul, Apostle of JESUS CHRIST through GOD'S Will, to the holy ones, the ones being in Ephesus and faithful in CHRIST JESUS.

From the literal Greek, Byzantine textform, translation by SJH + + +

Through GOD'S Will, Paul became an Apostle of JESUS CHRIST. He responded to The LORD when he was called. He was found to be faithful.

However, let us remember the FORCEFULNESS of that calling which was put upon "Saul" at the point of Paul's conversion.

Though a meticulously righteous man according to the Law of Moses,  Saul was such a devoted  enemy of CHRIST JESUS that The LORD called him in a special way. Saul received an over-powering vision which made him fall to the earth, trembling and astonished, Acts 9.

Are we as righteous as Saul ?  Do we ALSO need to be knocked to the earth in order to respond to the Living LORD ... totally and with all that is within us ? 

Recently we finished the season of EMMANUEL --- GOD-Who+-is-Alive With us --  coming to earth.

The LORD JESUS took on human flesh, becoming INCARNATE for one purpose: for the human suffering of death.

Undoubtedly HE+ could have vanquished the satan WITHOUT becoming incarnate. But HE+ could not have suffered human death like we do without becoming incarnate. 

And being found in fashion as a man, HE+ humbled HIMSELF+, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the Cross. Philippians 2  

 Again... are we as righteous as that righteous man, Saul, before his conversion to MESSIAH JESUS ? 

Do we ALSO need to be knocked to the earth in order to respond to the Living LORD ... totally...  and with all that is within us ? 

Are we keeping ANYTHING back from our LORD JESUS ? 

Is HE+ The LORD of our time... our thoughts... our spirit ... our activities?

Are we accounted faithful and numbered with the "holy ones" like the Followers of JESUS in Ephesus?

LET US PRAY:

Dear Heavenly FATHER, the GOD and FATHER of Our LORD JESUS CHRIST and His+ faithful followers...

Once again, I find myself in need of Divine Help to empty myself of SELF, in order to do Thy+ Will, O LORD. 

I renounce my Self's indulgence. I renounce my unconcerned satisfaction with my own spiritual growth.  I renounce ignoring the call to Quietness with THEE+.

 Place in me the will to STRIVE to GO DEEPER with THEE+, O CHRIST.

Fearful as I am, grant me an over-whelming vision also... and knock me to the ground if so required.  Pull me to THYSELF+, O HOLY ONE+ of Israel.

Remove from me luke-warmness of heart and languishing zeal. Send the lightening of conviction into my self-satisfied soul; I rebuke my Self, in the Name of The LORD JESUS CHRIST.

Help me to embrace death to Self in every aspect of my being, like Thy+ Apostle Paul, so that I may expend  the rest of my allotted time on earth for THEE+, O CHRIST.

In Whose+ Name I pray, and by Whose+ Merits I am not destroyed in the face of Thy HOLINESS, O Gracious FATHER.  Amen.

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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.

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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