Pre-PASSOVER MEDITATION ~ ~ ~ BEHOLD, the TREE+

Photo by The ORDER OF THE GOOD SHEPHERD+
Our GOD reigns from the Tree. 

The Invitatory: 

CHRIST our MEDIATOR+ 

ever liveth 

to make intercession for us; 

O Come, Let us Adore HIM+.

  

Old Testament Lesson: Exodus 15:21-26 

Scriptures courtesy of Biblegateway.com

And Miriam answered them, 

Sing ye to the LORD, 

for HE hath triumphed gloriously; 

the horse and his rider hath 

HE thrown into the sea.

So Moses brought Israel from the Red sea, 

and they went out into the wilderness of Shur; 

and they went three days in the wilderness, 

and found no water.

And when they came to Marah, 

they could not drink of the waters of Marah, 

for they were bitter: 

therefore the name of it was called Marah.

And the people murmured against Moses, saying, 

What shall we drink?

And he cried unto the LORD; 

and the LORD shewed him a TREE 

which when he had cast into the waters,

the waters were made sweet:

there HE made for them a statute 

and an ordinance, 

and there HE proved them,

And said,

If .  .  .

thou wilt diligently hearken 

to the voice of the LORD THY GOD, 

and wilt do that which is right in HIS sight, 

and wilt give ear to HIS commandments, 

and keep all HIS statutes, 

I will put none of these diseases upon thee, 

which I have brought upon the Egyptians: 

for I AM the LORD that healeth thee.

QUIETUDE: 

A time to Reflect about the 

TREE+ that made the bitter sweet.

RESPONSE: 

HOLY is The LAMB+. 

HOLY is The LAMB+. 

HOLY is The LAMB+ that was slain,

Blessing , glory, honor and power 

be unto HIM that sitteth upon the Throne

and unto The LAMB+ 

Amen. 

Lesson from the Epistles: 2 Corinthians 4:6-10

 Scriptures courtesy of Biblegateway.com

For GOD, WHO commanded the Light 

to shine out of darkness, 

hath shined in our hearts, 

to give the light of the knowledge 

of the glory of God 

in the face of JESUS CHRIST.

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, 

that the excellency of the power 

may be of GOD and not of us.

We are troubled on every side, 

yet not distressed; 

we are perplexed, 

but not in despair; 

Persecuted, but not forsaken; 

cast down, but not destroyed; 

Always bearing about in the body 

the dying of the LORD JESUS, 

that the life also of JESUS 

might be made manifest

in our body.

QUIETUDE: A time to repent of complaining and murmuring about "our lot" in life. 

RESPONSE:  

LORD JESUS CHRIST,LAMB+ of GOD, 

Who+ taketh away the sin of the world,

have mercy upon us.

LORD JESUS CHRIST, LAMB+ of GOD,

BEARER+ of our sins, 

have mercy upon us.

LORD JESUS CHRIST, LAMB+ of GOD, 

SAVIOR+ of the world,

grant us Thy+ Peace.

AMEN.

The GOSPEL Lesson: John 1:29

The next day John saw JESUS coming toward him and said, 

"Behold! 

The LAMB+ of GOD 

Who+ taketh away 

the sin of the world!"

The WORD of The LORD.  

THANKS BE TO GOD !

Meditation ~ ~ ~

Every heart knows sorrow and bitterness. Some sorrows come from the natural consequences of our own choices; some from the choices of others which affect our life in a troublesome and difficult way. 

Some sorrowful conditions we cannot avoid throughout life, like the loss of a limb, the loss of a child or spouse, or the loss of health.

When bitterness about our condition descends upon our hearts, it only deepens the sorrow. We must look for the TREE+ which changes that bitterness into something sweet.

That TREE+ is the Cross of JESUS. 

HE+ turns all sorrow and all suffering into something sweet, if we cast that Cross of HIS+ into the midst of our troubles and hurts. HE+ is able to turn the bitterness of life into blessings ... for us, for all those around us.... if we continually bring the situation hurting our hearts to HIM+ for His+ Touch.

And the key is this: BEHOLD, The LAMB+ of GOD. We are not told to look at ourselves or even at our problems and trials. 

We are instructed to look at the LAMB+of GOD and pray without ceasing!  

If we neglect to do those two things, then we will surely stumble into sin simply from the pain of the situation.

Our words will be sharp, our patience short. 

Our judgment will be irrational, and our decisions will be fraught with error. Fear and frustration will enter in as the mistakes mount up.  

And bitterness will continue to grow.

Self-pity will rear its ugly head and INCREASE the bitterness even more. 

We try to drown our sorrows and bitterness in a bottle of alcohol... or soda pop. We eat more chocolate and sweets than we ought. We go on shopping binges and NEVER stay home... or stay quiet when we are there. 

Busyness, food, social interactions, even ministry, DOES NOT TAKE AWAY sorrow nor does it deal with bitterness. 

Only coming unto The LAMB+ will heal us... laying it all down at HIS+ feet. Yielding to His+ will... and living to please HIM+, from now on, will bring healing to our souls. 

Just as the Word says. 

Let us pray: 

O Gracious Heavenly FATHER, in the Name of Thy HOLY SON+ JESUS CHRIST,  WHO+ for the joy that was set before HIM+ endured the Cross, I come to THEE, full of hurts and wounds, sorrows and bitterness.

Dear LORD, I have not run to Thy+ Cross when I am upset, angry, or hurt. THOU+ knowest  I have avoided dealing with my un-changeable situation in a Spiritual manner, and I have ignored your invitation to "COME to YOU" with it all. 

Help me to trust THEE+ to navigate me through these dark waters and dark days. 

And I am so sorry for complaining and murmuring about my situation ... to you, to others, and always in my heart. 

Change me by Thy+ Holy power. Help me to be thankful for the Cross+ in my life; I know it will draw me to THEE+... if I embrace it as I ought.

This I pray in The Name of  JESUS CHRIST our LORD, The Eternal SON+ and WORD+ of GOD our FATHER, through the Blessed HOLY SPIRIT. 

Amen.   

   

Advent Meditation #18




The Crown of Thorns....  red as blood...

 

And exults my spirit over GOD,

The Deliverer of me.

Luke 1:47 (Gk)

... Of me... yes, even of me. 

Young and chaste, Mariam was blessed, yes, but because she chose the Will of GOD, she faced the accusations of impurity... with ramifications.   Those ramifications were so serious that they could lead to her stoning, at worst.

At best, those accusations of impurity could bring her a life-time here on earth of bitterness and grief, which were at the very root of her name.

The bitterness and grief of accusations of impurity... of separation from family and kinsmen ... of a future filled with shame and innuendos... this was the portion for Hebrew young women who were truly un-chaste... if they were not stoned to death first, that is. 

Then, there followed the bitterness and grief that no decent young man -- or old --- would ask for her hand in honorable marriage. A castaway and ostracized even from Temple worship and the Passover meal awaited an un-chaste Hebrew woman.

This is what Mariam faced for her obedience to The Will of GOD. 

Did she HAVE to accept GOD'S plan? In other words, did she have a choice? 

Scripture is silent about that. But Scripture is not silent about this: JESUS HIMSELF+ had a choice to accept the death of the cross or not. 

What bitterness and grief awaited her? What would obedience to the Will of The LORD cost this chaste young Hebrew woman?

Yet, she gloried in GOD Who purposed this pathway for her entire life. 

Meditation ~~~

Our FATHER, Who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy Name. Thy Kingdom come. Thy will on earth be done... as it is being done in Heaven, O LORD GOD of the Divine Heavenly Armies. 

Train me also, O LORD, unto the obedience that pleaseth THEE. 

Train me, O REDEEMER, to exult in THEE+ when I am given a path of obedience to walk which I would not choose.

Help me not to shrink back and to pretend I did not hear Thy Word to me, to feign I did not see Thy direction pointers, to become dull and unresponsive when Thy Spirit nudged me. 

O Great REDEEMER, I thank THEE+ for setting my feet on a road towards Thy+ Kingdom --- no matter the cost to me --- so I might be saved from the kingdom of darkness. 

Purge me with hyssop --- that bitter herb --- and I shall be clean; wash me and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me to hear joy and gladness that the bones which THOU hast broken may rejoice. 

Yea, my soul doth magnify The LORD and my spirit doth rejoice in CHRIST my SAVIOR+. For HE+ Who+ is mighty hath done great things and Holy is His+ Name ! 

+  +  + 

  

 

Advent Meditations 2012

Advent Meditations

Luke 1:36-37

And behold, thy cousin, Elisabeth,

hath also conceived a son in her old age;

and this is the sixth month with her,

who was called barren.

For with GOD

nothing shall be impossible.

Unexpected comfort is given to the Obedient Servant of GOD, the Hebrew virgin Mariam.  Although being found with child out of wedlock would bring a certain and sure condemnation from others, The LORD planned a way to comfort the Obedient One, confirming His+ Word to Mariam. 

Herein is a lesson for us: No matter how bitter the obedience, The LORD will always send a confirmation to those obeying him.

How sweet that confirmation is in the midst of cross-carrying!

As the Obedient Servant commits his / her life unto the Hand of The LORD, and rejoices,  then The LORD will send His+ Comforter to the suffering, Obedient Follower of His+ will.

And to him [ Gamaliel ] they agreed; and when they had called the Apostles and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of JESUS, and let them go .

And they departed from the presence of the Council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for HIS+ name.

And daily in the Temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach JESUS CHRIST. Acts 5: 40-42

Meditation

Gracious Heavenly FATHER Who maketh the bitterest obedience endurable, help me to embrace the bitter Way of The Cross.

As our SAVIOR embraced the bitter sting of death to open the Kingdom of Heaven to all believers, help me to embrace Thy will when it involves sorrow, suffering, ignominy, and pain.

And, O FATHER, in The Name of Thy Suffering SON+ JESUS, help me to comfort those who mourn and suffer as the result of  preaching Thy Word, as the result of doing Thy Will.

Let me never, ever close my eyes to the suffering of my brothers and sisters who bear in their bodies the scars of the cross... the Cross THOU+ has brought for them to bear.

I thank THEE for allowing me in some small way join our SAVIOR in His+ suffering; I know at the appointed time, HE+ will wipe away all my tears. 

Glory to THEE+, LORD GOD of our fathers; THOU+ are worthy of praise. Glory to THEE+ ! 

Advent Meditations

Mary, did you know.... ?  

ADVENT MEDITATIONS 2012

~ ~ ~ The All-Encompassing GOD ~ ~ ~

Luke 1:26-55

Meditation 8

34 Then said Mariam unto the angel,
How shall this be,
seeing I know not a man?

Poor Girl! She had been with no man carnally... yet she was expected to believe that she would become with child... and bear the scorn and rejection designated for the impure.

Bitterness and grief --- at least socially and perhaps even within the immediate family circle --- was to be young Mariam's bitter portion.  She knew she was innocent, but  even  her betrothed, Joseph, her closest friend, thought she had played the harlot.

Poor, sad, lonely girl with not a friend in the world!

Meditation

O GOD of all mercies, Who+ looketh upon Thy+ children with compassion for their infirmities and weaknesses, help me to do the same.

More love to THEE+ , O CHRIST, is my need today. Then, when I love THEE+  more, I will have more love towards those enslaved by weaknesses, bitterness, grief and fear.

O HOLY CHILD JESUS, I thank THEE+ for embracing the souls of men who are filled with weakness, bitterness, grief, and fear...  just like me.  For, all those --- any of those --- who come to THEE+, O SAVIOR of mankind, THOU+ wilt not turn away.

+  +  +

Advent Meditations 2012

Whom are they seeking?

ADVENT MEDITATIONS 2012

~ ~ ~ The All-Encompassing GOD ~ ~ ~

Luke 1:26-55

Meditation 3

28 And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.

The Hebrew virgin Mariam ~ Bitterness and Grief ~ was visited by the Angel Gabriel, a mighty warrior angel.  Mariam was peculiarly greeted as an honored person.

Not even Daniel was greeted like this when Gabriel visited him, twice! Neither was Zachariah so greeted.

Indeed, this was VERY strange that a simple, "rustic" Galilean young virgin would be addressed so honorably.

"Hail" is used in place of an honorable greeting like, "Cheer!"  or "Health!" or "Be Well!" 

Good news it is indeed when a great and mighty warrior who stands in the Presence of GOD  ( Luke 1:19) greets a little human being like that ! 

It is the ONLY place in Scripture that an Angel so addresses a human being in those terms. The young Hebrew virgin Mariam had HIS divine approval ! 

Meditation:

O GOD Who is the LORD of the most powerful, most divine armies in the Universe, be pleased to look upon this little human being... me.

Gracious ONE Who sent forth Thy mighty Angel to little Mariam, send, I beseech THEE, Thy ministering spirit to encamp round about little me, also.

Return to me an innocent trust, a pure faith,  like Thy chosen Hebrew virgin had, which won Thy approval to bear the CHRIST CHILD...  that approval which was so strongly placed upon this young Hebrew virgin that even the Angels knew it.

Help me with purity, O LORD. Purity of thought, purity of motive, purity of love.

With thankfulness unending, for receiving me, O LORD, I pray this in the Name of JESUS, Thy HOLY SON+, Our LORD.

+  +  + 

ADVENT MEDITATIONS 2012



Wise men seek HIM+...



ADVENT MEDITATIONS 2012

~ ~ ~ The All-Encompassing GOD ~ ~ ~

Luke 1:26-55

Meditation 2



²⁷ To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary.

David, in Hebrew, means "beloved."  Mary, however, is really "Mariam" --- which has its Hebrew root in bitterness and grief.   Some say "strength." Joseph's name means "add."  Strange, yes?

The birth-mother of Our LORD carried the identity of Bitter Grief while she carried the HOLY CHILD JESUS in her womb.

Even though Mariam was of the house and lineage of David, the beloved, The LORD appointed to this Hebrew virgin a name which would encompass strong bitterness and grief, as the Prophet Simeon told her in the Temple after the CHRIST CHILD was born.

The LORD graciously "added" a protection to this Hebrew virgin, appointing Joseph as a GOWRA (from the Aramaic text which means "a male guardian"), to protect Mariam and the Holy Child JESUS Whom+ she carried under her heart, in her womb.

Marrying "Bitterness and Grief" was Joseph's Appointed Cup...  as he became The LORD'S Appointed guardian over his little, divine family.

MEDITATION:

O GOD, Who+ encircles those suffering in bitter grief in Thy+ tender, Nail-Scarred Hands... take the bitterness and grief of my soul's regrets unto THEE+.

And when my cup is Bitter again, send forth unto me a spirit of gentle submission... like the submissive spirit of gentle Mariam... even in the midst of the Cup of Grief THOU+ hast chosen for me.

I thank THEE, O HOLY FATHER, for sending Thy Gentle SON+ Who+ obediently drank the Cup of Bitterness for the good of Mankind ... for the good of me.

+  +  +