Where Do I Find HIM+ ?

CHRISTMAS EVE.... AWAITING THE ADVENT 

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Christmas Eve

Where do I find HIM+ ?

Come to the stable in Bethlehem, kneel down at the manger and await the coming Babe.

Are you despised? HE+ was despised… and rejected of men.

Are you Lonely?  HE+ came unto His+ own… and His+ own received HIM+ not.

Are you afraid ? The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? … For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock.

Is your Life meaningless?   

Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.

In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

Are you tired and sorrowing?  

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake

Is the situation hopeless?

Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest.

Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

 +  +  +

Hasten!  Come to the Stable in the night.

Kneel at the Manger in the shadow of Light.

Open your heart to the Babe at His+ Appearing.

HE+ is little and helpless, too, so softly appealing.

HE+ brings His+ FATHER’S love to you, 

if your heart to HIM+ be true.

Come unto ME+, 

HE+ says, 

and I+ will give you rest… 

I+ alone.   

IF JESUS Had Given Them Rest...

 ADVENT MEDITATIONS for 2014

Courtesy of pravoslavie.ru

 Scriptures courtesy of www.biblegateway.com

Isaiah 11: 10 ~  

And in that day there shall be a ROOT+ of Jesse, 

which shall stand for an ENSIGN+ of the people; 

to it shall the Gentiles seek: 

and His+ rest shall be glorious.

Hebrews 4: 6 - 8 ~

Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein,

 and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief: 

 Again, HE limiteth a certain day, saying in David, 

To day, after so long a time; as it is said, 

To day if ye will hear His voice, harden not your hearts.

 For if JESUS had given them rest, 

then would HE not afterward 

have spoken of another day.

If JESUS had given them rest... 

All those rebellious ones ~ 

... of His+ people, in His+ Camp, in the wilderness, baptized in the waters of the RED+ Sea, eating the Manna sent from Heaven,  under the protection of the ROCK+ that followed them ...   

~ had free choice!  

I Corinthians 10:4

And did all drink the same spiritual drink:

 for they drank 

of that spiritual ROCK+ that followed them:

and that ROCK+ was CHRIST.+

They DIED in the wilderness without being allowed to enter the Promised Land. 

Our LORD has so designed man that EVERY HUMAN BEING is able ... i.e., has the power... to choose WHOM+ or what he will serve with his whole heart, as evidenced in life choices.  

Robots need not apply.  CHRIST JESUS wants no robots. Flesh and blood CANNOT ... is not able... to inherit the Kingdom of GOD; each man , woman, and child must choose it for himself. 

If JESUS would have given those rebellious ones rest, then the rebellious and disobedient forsakers of GOD would have been granted a REST without repentance ! GOD FORBID ! 

Rest WITHOUT  REPENTANCE 

is impossible with GOD. 

It is one thing that GOD will not do for us: repent. We must do this ourselves. 

Those who refuse His+ LORDSHIP ( regardless of church membership rolls ) refuse His+ REST at the same time. 

It is impossible  to enter into His+ Promised Land of peace, joy, and rest without a personal repentance.    

O LORD JESUS, Cleanser of the Repentant, Who+ was made INCARNATE to do that very thing,  lead us to Thy+ cleansing fountain once again. 

Help us to heed Thy+ Call of conviction; take away our blindness to our sin. Help us to see who we are with Thine+ Eyes, O LIGHT+ of the world, for in Thy+ Light, we shall see Light. 

O HOLY FATHER, Who sent forth Thy Only-Begotten SON+ to give the repentant rest in HIM+ Who+ knew no sin, we bless and glorify both HIM+ and THEE. 

We thank THEE+ for the Promised Land, wherein doth righteousness dwell and the souls of men made perfect through the Blood of Thy INCARNATED SON+.

Change our in-born rebellion against Thy+ Word, we humbly ask, as we yield our un-docile and self-willed spirits unto THEE+, for Thy+ great glory. 

O HOLY LIGHT+ made INCARNATE in Our LORD JESUS CHRIST for the suffering of death, fill us with Thy+ same Spirit that we may die to self ... in order for the world to see THEE+ , in Truth.  

In the Name of the Only-Begotten SON+ of GOD, the INCARNATE EMMANUEL... we pray. Amen. 

To HIM+ Shall the Gentile Seek...

 ADVENT MEDITATIONS for 2014

Courtesy of pravoslavie.ru

Scriptures courtesy of  www.biblegateway.com

Isaiah 11: 10  ~  

 And in that day there shall be a ROOT+ of Jesse, 

which shall stand for an ENSIGN+ of the people;

to it shall the GENTILES seek:

and His+ rest shall be glorious.

Acts 11: 7-10 ~  And I heard a VOICE saying unto me, Arise, Peter; slay and eat. But I said, Not so, LORD: for nothing common or unclean hath at any time entered into my mouth.  But the VOICE answered me again from heaven, 

What G0D hath cleansed, 

that call not thou common.

.  

And this was done three times: 

and all were drawn up again into heaven.

+  +  +

What GOD hath cleansed !

. 

O Glorious Day of His+ Appearing !   

HE+ became INCARNATE, offering cleansing, peace, and goodwill toward  the Jews and Gentiles, alike.  HE+ is no respecter of persons.  

HE+ became INCARNATE to obliterate the wall that sin, death, and hell had erected between GOD and His highest creation on earth, man... a wall devised by the satan, the hater of mankind.  

Come, LORD JESUS.  Show Thyself+ in Thy+ Kingly power to all whom THOU+ hast cleansed from sin.  

How we long to see Thy+ Day evidenced once again on earth, as Abraham saw Thy+ Glory. 

How we long to see Thy+ Day evidenced on earth as Moses and Elijah witnessed it, foreseeing the CHRISTUS VICTOR over death, hell, and the grave, once and for all time. 

How we long to see Thy+ Day as Peter, James, and John glimpsed Thy+ Glory on the Mount before the glory overwhelmed them. 

How our hearts long to see THEE+, O SAVIOR CHRIST! 

O CHRISTUS VICTOR, JESUS, Who+ alone is SAVIOR of this dead and dying world, our hearts pant after THEE+ as a doe longs for running streams. Hasten, Hasten the Day of Thy+ Coming to us. 

We thank THEE+ for Thy+ gladsome Promise:

I+ will come again and will take you unto Myself+. 

I bind my heart to THEE+ ... and to THEE+ alone, O LORD CHRIST. 

O CHRISTUS VICTOR, rise up and show Thyself+. Let all those who hate THEE+ ... and Thy+ Rule ...  flee before Thy+ Face, O VICTOR CHRIST !  Let GOD arise, let His enemies be scattered. 

Q:  For who may abide the DAY of His+ coming ?

A:  Whomever each day  abideth in HIM+  !

The ROD of IRON...

ADVENT MEDITATIONS for 2014

Courtesy of pravoslavie.ru

Revelation 12:5  And she brought forth a MAN CHILD+, Who+ was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her CHILD+ was caught up unto GOD, and to His throne. ...

+  +  +

Isaiah 11:1 And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a BRANCH+ shall grow out of his roots: 

² And the SPIRIT of the LORD shall rest upon Him+, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the  LORD; 

³ And shall make Him+ of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: and HE+ shall not judge after the sight of His+ eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of His+ ears:

⁴ But with righteousness shall HE+ judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and HE+ shall smite the earth: with the rod of His+ Mouth, and with the breath of His+ lips shall HE+ slay the wicked.

+  +  +

A Rod of Iron ?  An unbreakable Sceptre is the picture.   All nations will stand in fear of this Unbendable Rod… and the ONE+ wielding it. 

The demons ruling Herod knew this; Herod could sense their agitating out-rage. 

“Kill that Babe!  Kill that Babe!”  they cried, whipping up Herod to order the slaughter of the little innocents of Bethlehem by his demonized men of war.

The marvel is 

that The LORD JEHOVAH 

refrained 

from slaughtering them !

How great and unfathomable is The FATHER’S love for mankind, for while we were yet sinners, CHRIST died for us . 

+  +  +

      

O CHRIST, THOU+ Who+ wast born to give men life, consecrate me to Thy+ use, for Thy+ purpose.  

Help me not to grieve nor hurt Thy+ long-suffering heart anymore.  

I thank THEE+ for Thy+ great mercy to terrible sinners, of whom I am the chiefest.  

Help me not to sin in thought, word, or deed anymore, for there is nothing hid from Thy+ eyes.

I consecrate my heart to THEE+, O dear Long-suffering SAVIOR, because I love THEE.+ 

Help me to love THEE+ to the utmost. 

In The Holy Name of JESUS, I pray. 

Amen  

HE+ Was Born to CRUSH the HEAD of satan...

ADVENT MEDITATIONS for 2014

Courtesy of  pravoslavie.ru

Scriptures courtesy of www.biblegateway.com

Revelation 12:3  And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. ⁴ And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her CHILD+ as soon as it was born.

+  +  +

This satan is ready to devour all flesh, everywhere. That is his self-ordained , self-centered mission. Voracious for human flesh, he knows that his time is limited. Every day brings him closer to the eternal lake of burning fire, which is prepared for the devil and his angels. 

His MISSION: TO DESTROY the people who brought forth MESSIAH+ ...  and the people who received HIM+. 

The satan hates all men created in the likeness and image of GOD, but those two groups are especially targeted for his wrath ... because his time is short. 

+  +  +

         O LORD JESUS, The ONE+ Who+ was born to crush satan’s head and triumph over death ... from satan’s lies and on-slaughts, protect me.  

O VICTOR CHRIST, heal me from the love of lies, and cleanse my heart from the attraction of the values of men, inherited from father Adam.

I bind unto myself this day the mighty name of the Trinity: FATHER, SON+, and HOLY SPIRIT.  O Divine Blood of JESUS, cover me !  

Deliver me from fear of the adversary, whose hungry breath hounds me day by day, deceiving me, trying to lure me to follow my flesh, away from Thy+ protection to crush me. 

THOU+ Who+ came as The Way+ , The Truth+, and The Life+ , save me from my Self, O VICTOR CHRIST; I yield my Self to THEE+. 

In the Name of the Incarnated CHRIST CHILD+, JESUS our LORD, I pray. 

A Great Wonder in Heaven....

 ADVENT MEDITATIONS for 2014

Courtesy of pravoslavie.ru

 Revelation 12  And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars: ² And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.

In the Apostle John’s vision of Heavenly reality, a great , gloriously-clad woman was great with child. She had a crown of 12 stars on her head, and she was crying out with delivery pains.

The 12 tribes of Israel were ordained by the hand of GOD to be the people to bring forth the MESSIAH+ at the appointed time of deliverance.  

HE gave those 12 tribes a new land, a new language, and a new identity: they belonged to HIM. 

HE gave them a new LAW also, which pointed to the MESSIAH+ in every aspect.  

All this “new” –ness was for a purpose. It was given to help His people identify the MESSIAH+  when HE+ became incarnate upon earth.

12... 12... 12...

O Promised ONE+ Who+ broke upon the waters of mankind so many ages ago, grant me Thy+ Law of Life. Help me to so live for THEE+ that I may constantly abide in Thy+  land of Goshen, land of LIGHT+, with THEE+.

 Open my ears to Thy+ Voice, and let me learn Thy+ Heavenly language, O CHRIST.

 Grant me that new tongue which reveals that THEE+, O Promised CHRIST, is living within my heart. 

For Thy+ Name’s sake I pray. Amen. 

And The DAY of Vengeance of Our GOD

ADVENT MEDITATIONS for 2014

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Isaiah 61:1   The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; ² To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;

Luke 4: 19 ~ To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

The LORD JESUS omitted that underlined phrase when HE+ read from the Scroll of Isaiah in the synagogue at the beginning of His+ earthly ministry, as recorded in Luke 4:18- 19.   

There is NO teaching by word or example from Our LORD CHRIST that His+ Followers are to bear the sword of vengeance. 

It is written: “Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the LORD." Romans 12:19 

  

         O JESUS,  our Mighty FORTRESS WHO+ came in the flesh, Who+ would not permit Peter to shed blood to defend THEE+,  turn my heart away from defending myself, in thought, word, or deed. 

Help me, instead,  to focus my heart upon THEE+ and all the anger THOU+ took, for my sake and the sake of all sinners. I praise THEE+ for that. 

Help me to turn and think about Thy+ Kingdom instead of indulging in my smoldering anger and rough attitudes when I am hurt by others. 

Make me into Thy+ pure likeness and image when I am attacked. I yield my Self ALWAYS  to Thy+ defense, O Great SHEPHERD+ and BISHOP+ of my life.

O Gracious JESUS, LORD at Thy+ Birth, help me to have the innocence of a new-born babe. 

This I ask in Thy+ precious, holy Name. Amen.

The Acceptable Year of The LORD...

ADVENT MEDITATIONS 2014

Courtesy of WWW.PRAVOSLAVIE.RU   

Isaiah 61:1 and 2a ~ Scriptures courtesy of www.biblegateway.com 

The Spirit of the Lord God is upon ME+; because the Lord hath anointed ME+ to preach good tidings unto the meek; HE hath sent ME+ to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; ² To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord ...

^{Luke 4:18} The SPIRIT of the LORD is upon ME+, because HE hath anointed ME+ to preach the Gospel to the poor; HE hath sent ME+ to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, 

¹⁹ To preach 

.

the acceptable year of the LORD.

~~ ~ To proclaim the acceptable year of The LORD ~ ~ ~

“The SPIRIT of The LORD is upon ME+ because HE has anointed ME+ to…“  is how Luke 4:18 begins.

Luke 4:19 completes the Words from Isaiah 61: 1 and part of verse 2 which Our LORD spoke about HIMSELF+ and about HIS+ activities on earth when HE+ donned the humble robe of flesh during His+ Incarnation.

We know this anointing came as HE baptized His+ flesh.  The HOLY SPIRIT brought HIM+ to proclaim, to cry out, and to establish the year of acceptance by The LORD.

What, then, was “accepted ?”

Mankind.

By WHOM ?

The HOLY GOD.

With the INCARNATION of the SON+ of GOD, our human spirit and flesh now had a way --- only one way --- given to it to become acceptable unto GOD. 

The Incarnation of GOD’S Only-Begotten SON+ came for one purpose: to crush satan’s head. 

That act would not be done any other way, as determined by our HOLY FATHER.  Man put mankind under satan’s control; a MAN+ had to deliver mankind from that bondage.

CHRISTUS VICTOR is what one segment of brethren call HIM+, significantly.

The literal Hebrew renders it: “… to proclaim the YEAR OF DELIGHT of YHWH .”  Indeed, it was and is HIS good pleasure to rescue man from satan’s bondage.  

So HE sent VICTOR CHRIST, enrobed in humble flesh, to crush satan’s head. 

      Dear Gracious REDEEMER+, Who+ took upon Thyself+ the trappings of human flesh, so clothe me with the garments of Salvation that I may win out over the entrapments of the devil.  

Help me to turn my flesh to THEE+, never to fulfill the lusts thereof.  

Help me to submit my flesh to Thy+ discipline --- the same discipline that THOU+ embraced when THOU+ humbled Thyself+ and came in the likeness of men.  

Then, ACCEPTABLE I will be in Thy+ Sight, O Righteous Savior, and then THOU+ shalt extend Thy+ Robe of Righteousness unto me … even to me.

In the Name of Our Beloved Victorious King+, JESUS CHRIST, I pray.  Amen.