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| CHRIST, THE HEAD of The CHURCH |
Meditations
for Pascha
(The Passover Season, 2016)
+ + +
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 1:22
And [The
FATHER ] hath put all things under His+ Feet, and gave HIM+
to be the Head over all things to
the church,
+ + +
Meditation
Our Holy Heavenly FATHER loved HIS SON+ ... HIS obedient
SON+ ... Who+ made Himself+ of no
reputation and took upon Himself+ the
form of a servant and so was made in the likeness of men.
Since The LORD JESUS beat
the satan at the Resurrection, The FATHER gave to
HIM+ dominion and authority over every thing in this world and in the
ages to come.
Everything is under the Feet of JESUS
CHRIST, the Nail-scarred feet.
But there is more...
The FATHER so loved the SON+ that HE also gave HIM+
something else: the headship over the Ekklasia... the Called-Out Ones... the
church.
Our LORD JESUS CHRIST cannot be the Head of the church unless
HE+ is the head of the members of the church.
Thus, those who yield the control of their lives unto CHRIST
JESUS are the ones who are counted as being "in the church."
Regardless of letters of membership, regardless of who or where
or in what group one is baptized, those
who reject the HEADSHIP of CHRIST JESUS in their personal lives are not in the
church.
It is easy to identify individuals who ARE in the church.
These individuals will have characteristics that will remind
everyone of JESUS.
They will, for instance, make themselves of no reputation, like
HE+ did.
This is not a groveling inferior demeanor, but rather, they are
constantly pointing all good reputation towards JESUS Himself+; they will
receive nothing towards themselves.
True Followers of JESUS will go so far as to allow other Servants
to take the credit for work they do for JESUS, knowing for sure and certain
that nothing is erased from their account with The LORD CHRIST.
Knowing this, True Followers of JESUS can safely forget about the
credit due them and rejoice that they can entrust their work to the Keeper+ of
All Accounts.
Another characteristic is that they will conduct themselves like
servants... Servants of the Most High GOD.
In other words, what HE+ says, they do. Without a quarrel,
without a murmur, they obey the commands from their Master+ CHRIST.
They make themselves available unto JESUS at all times, just like
good Servants do who await their Master's command.
So, if The LORD tells His+ Servants to WAIT on HIM+ in the prayer closet, they wait... and they
do it in the prayer closet, not in the dining hall.
If the LORD of that Servant tells him to fast to prepare for the
battle ahead, the Servant does it, knowing that fasting clears the ears of
confusion and distraction. That way, he can hear the Voice of his Master+
clearer and more quickly.
If the LORD of that Servant tells him to secretly give to
someone, the Servant finds a way to give without the receiver knowing where it
came from... thus thanking GOD in Heaven for meeting his needs.
Reputation-hunters will never know who the REAL servants of GOD
are because they keep themselves hidden from the eyes of the world.
But, rest assured, they are NOT hidden from GOD! His+ ears are
VERY open to their prayers.
+ + +
Let
us pray:
Dear Heavenly FATHER, thank YOU for give us Your SON+ JESUS CHRIST
Who+ came to us as one of us.
Thank YOU+, LORD JESUS, for making Yourself+ of no reputation so
that we could learn the way to walk with GOD, the way of power in prayer.
Thank YOU+, O LORD, for showing us that the way of humility is the
way of favor with GOD.
And now, help me to embrace that lowly place too. Help me to forsake accruing a “good”
reputation for my Self… even in my own mind and before my own eyes. Help me to
yield to THEE+ when others take the credit for my work; I make that an offering
unto THEE+, O CHRIST.
Help me to embrace it when others do not treat me with dignity or
common courtesy.
Help me to be meek and not rail with anger or angry words --- even
in my thoughts --- when I am
mis-treated.
Help me to take Your+ Yoke of humiliation upon my Self and learn of
YOU+.
Help me to join YOU+, O LORD JESUS, at the Cross.
This I pray in Thy+ HOLY Name, O LORD JESUS, Who+ has purchased our
rest by Thy+ humiliation.
Amen.
+ + +
Worthy is the LAMB+
Worthy is the LAMB+
Worthy is the LAMB+,
SLAIN from the FOUNDATION
of the earth.
Worthy is the LAMB+
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.
