BUILDING SPIRITUAL MUSCLE

BUILDING MUSCLE
 
It is FASCINATING to watch a wise man work out.
He never… I repeat, NEVER… babies himself.

Pentecost is Coming! A personal Pentecost...

is available for all ...

regardless of what the Church Proper does or does NOT experience.

That is good news for the hungry of heart. 

Verily, verily, I+ say unto you,

unless a grain of wheat

falls into the ground

and dies,

it remains alone:

but if it dies,

it produces much grain.

John 12:24, NKJV

Within these Words of Our LORD JESUS CHRIST lies the secret to Pentecost, that great movement of the HOLY SPIRIT which engulfed the lives of the once fear-filled disciples.
 

HE+ tells us how to escape loneliness. HE+ tells us how to bear much fruit. HE+ tells us that HE+ has set in motion the way for us to experience Pentecost.

HOW do we accomplish this?

First, we set ourselves in the way, the path, HE+ directs. That involves some activity... yes, activity... on our part. We must fall to the ground, step 1. How hard is that ?

Then, we make a choice, step 2. We choose to die to Self. How hard is that ?

VERY HARD !

Indeed, we are willing but the flesh is weak and does not want to die. So... how do we "make" ourselves "die to Self ?"

We call upon The LORD for help. Will HE+ help us die ? YES, most assuredly HE+ will because it is His+ Will for each one of us. [ This is one place that His+ Will is not mysterious nor hidden to us. ]

We are "alone" until we die out to Self. Most of us know that our spouses cannot "fill" us up. Most will come to realize that our children cannot fill us up and will, sooner or later, leave the home nest. Some have even discovered the truth that our jobs, careers, work, education, etc., cannot fill us up. Our identity in these things is vaporous at best.

We sadly discover this when we retire or are forced out of our positions by corporate down-sizing, re-organization, our health, or some other contingency. We discover quickly how important and necessary our skills are to the business, company, agency, organization, hospital, or school: they can survive very well without us.

However, Our LORD JESUS CHRIST never, ever  down-sizes. HE+ does not have a "retirement" package! Even if our health plummets and our circumstances change drastically by events we cannot control, we NEVER lose our importance to our work for the Kingdom of GOD.

Indeed, in many instances of major change, we hunker down even moreso with Our LORD and do the unseen foundational work of prayer and focused, single-minded commitment to Our LORD... so vital for victories in spiritual warfare.

We embrace death to Self. It is the only way given to produce fruit for JESUS our LORD... just like HE+ said.  

+  +  +

In the Name of The FATHER

WHO begot us,

And HIS Only-Begotten SON+

JESUS CHRIST WHO+ saves us,

And the Blessed HOLY SPIRIT

WHO sanctifies us.  

Passover Meditation #36 for the Lenten Season 2012

In this is glorified My+ FATHER, that much fruit you all will bear; 

and you all will become

My+ Disciples.

John 15:8 Green's Greek Interlinear

We meet that Plural "YOU" again ! We all are to develop into His+ Disciples.

YES... WE  ALL ARE DUTY-BOUND TO DEVELOP INTO HIS+ DISCIPLES. 

A disciple  is one who trains and disciplines himself to follow ONLY a certain path; all other paths he forsakes. 

In this case, our path, our Way is making JESUS CHRIST the LORD of our Life.  

When we submit to our training, then we practice discipleship. We train to be followers of Our LORD JESUS CHRIST; it doesn't "just happen" any more for us than lifting weights "just happens" for the body-builder.

No.

A body-builder must train his muscles, tendons, and ligaments to lift those weights in a certain prescribed manner or he will hurt himself badly.   

He must train his mind to focus on the task at hand; he will hurt himself if he gets distracted while bench-pressing 250 lbs.

When...

Yes, when 

we

practice...

yes, practice 

discipleship,

i.e., when we

submit unto our training... 

we

will bear

fruit

for JESUS. 

This fruit comes in no other way.

It is fruit that is noticeably peculiar to Christians: it doesn't show how "good" we are... rather, this fruit shows how "good" Our Heavenly FATHER is !

• NO OTHER human beings in this world can bear this kind of fruit except those who are willing to be trained, be discipled by Our LORD JESUS CHRIST.

• NO OTHER human beings in this world can glorify The HEAVENLY FATHER except those who do bear such fruit.

• NO OTHER human beings in this world can bear fruit that is accepted in Heavenly Places  except those whose fruit comes from their attachment to Our LORD JESUS CHRIST.

The husbandman

looketh for the FRUIT.

Passover Meditation #31 for the Lenten Season 2012

Abide in ME+

and I+

in you.

Even as the branch

is not able--

does not have the power--

to bear fruit of itself

if it abides not

in the vine,

So neither can you

if you

abide not

in ME+.

John 15:4 Green's Greek Interlinear

The CREATOR of both vine and man is stating a fact and TRUTH of existence here.

There is simply no way to avoid this:

You have no power, no ability, no way, and no means to bear fruit that will stand the fire of Judgment... 

UNLESS

you abide in HIM+

UNLESS

you do His+ Will

UNLESS

you accept His+ Word 

to cleanse you.  

There must be a union of two in order for fruit to be produced. Spiritually, the union comes when your spirit UNITES WITH CHRIST in the waters of Baptism and in the communing with HIM+ in the taking of the Bread and Wine. Furthermore, your communion with CHRIST JESUS is continual and on-going as HE+ becomes The LORD of your life, your thoughts, your motives, your actions. Much fruit is born from this UNION.

Fruit that is produced from the UNION of your spirit with the LORD'S HOLY SPIRIT is the ONLY FRUIT The FATHER weighs. 

O LORD, please help me to produce THAT fruit that weighs up for Eternal Life.  

BLENDERS...

Blenders ... instead of CHRISTIANS ?

Are we blending into the world...

or are we a distinct people?

There are ways for us to measure ourselves.

.

<(((><

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One of the first signs of a true disciple of CHRIST ~ one who applies discipleship to his own life ~ is the fruit that is growing quietly. The ripening and maturing of the fruit is visible to all who come near. Everbody notices it. The neighbors see it, the friends sense it, the children feel it, the husband or wife become slowly aware of it... everybody notices the fruit of discipleship.

.

<(((><

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What is some of that fruit?

.

Fruit that is Holy makes a distinction between the disciple and the world, which can be seen at a glance. For instance, one fruit of discipleship is the thought-life. Thoughts are made evident to others through conversation, or more apply put, perhaps, through those things NOT said nor discussed. The early Christians were distinct because of how they conducted their conversations ~ and the topics that DID NOT INTEREST them. [Now, that's a thought!]

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<(((><

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Thoughts are apparent through attitudes. Are we defensive? Ready to argue? Grim when things are done NOT our way? These are some of the measuring sticks to see if we qualify as disciples or spiritual babies.

.

Discipleship will change all that. A disciple ~ a true disciple of CHRIST ~ will be so involved in CHRIST JESUS that earthly concerns will not matter too much anymore. PEACE will be one distinct fruit. Irritability will be gone with little effort, you see, when one's mind is on Spiritual things of The LORD. A disciple keeps his mind on things which The LORD deems important.

.

<(((><

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Another measuring stick to see if we qualify as disciples of CHRIST is our visible, silent witness. Many people will not go into a church because they are afraid "they" will "GET" them ! [Who they is, is not quite clear... but to those who are afraid, they is real.] Supposedly, to be "gotten" by a church (?) means that some kind of discomfort is very real in the mind of that fearful person. So, how does one witness to such a person? How could one let him / her know that CHRIST is available to meet the needs of whosoever would come unto HIM+ ?

.

<(((><

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Again, separation from the world is the rule to follow. How do we measure if we Christians are sufficiently separated? This one is simple: we use our eyes. While we are walking in the supermarket or across the parking lot, can someone SEE AT A GLANCE that we follow CHRIST? If not, then we must change our clothing so that a constant visible witness THAT MARKS US AS CHRISTIAN is evident, even without the spoken word.

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<(((><

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This is not radical: we all recognize policemen, firemen, soldiers, and ball team members AT A GLANCE, don't we? We recognize orthodox Jews and orange-clad disciples of an eastern religion at a glance. Even children in Britain and many other countries usually wear uniforms to school to set them apart.

.

The early Christians dressed oftentimes to blend in with the earth, not the crowd. In other words, their simplicity and modesty and lack of adornment marked them as belonging to CHRIST. And they lived in a most pagan era!

.

<(((><

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When we look over the playground, do our little boys stand out as CHRISTIAN by the way we dress them... or do they blend in with the crowd? Are our girls separated from the world SO MUCH SO that you can identify "those girls are from a Christian family" on the playground or in the neighborhood? We know of two families ~ one in Kentucky, one in Alabama ~ who are NOT members of a "group" which tells them what to do. But their walk with CHRIST is such that they dress their children so noticably Christian that anyone looking will know they come from a Christian family. And that simple fact opens up the doors for witness.

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<(((><

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Why is it important for the children to be dressed differently? One important reason is the witness for CHRIST: others who see the Christian children will come looking for their parents if they are spiritually hungry.

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<(((><

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The other important reason is that we are training the children, no matter how young, to be different from the worldlings... instead of blending in with the non-disciples. We train them to be comfortable with a separate identity.

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Yes, we can choose their clothes for them now, but we will not be able to choose the consequences for them later... if we train them up to enhance their "self" identity. Self expression instead of expressing CHRIST is the lesson the children learn, much to our regret in later years. Then we hear the parents' lament, "Oh, what have I done wrong?" And then, it is too late.

.

<(((><

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Being conservative, decent, hard-working, and modest citizens of ANY country is not equivalent to being Christian. Many, many persons live and dress moderately. Many, many persons love their children deeply and work hard. They wouldn't even think of robbing a bank or committing murder.

.

But... they bear no witness for CHRIST JESUS the LORD. In their public talk, walk, thoughts, attitudes, and dress no-one would run to them for spiritual help. No stranger laden with sin and dispair would even imagine that CHRIST may dwell in the hearts of the blenders.

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<(((><

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Instead, a person troubled over his spiritual plight would slip next to a priest, a nun, or even an Old Order Mennonite / Amish to talk with them about their problems. Why? Because they can identify them at a glance!

.

The evangelical Christians who do know CHRIST JESUS simply are blending in with the majority of conservative society today. And the witness is greatly blunted, if not eradicated altogether.

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<(((><

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True, we may not be able to go to the far-out tribes in the Gobi Desert to witness for CHRIST, but we can do those little things at home and in the public ~ right where we live ~ to lift CHRIST JESUS up. The promise is certain because HE+ said it: If I + be lifted up from the earth, I + will draw all men unto ME+ .

.

What, dear friends, is keeping us from doing that?

.

Let us make a decided effort to discipline ourselves to separate from the world and its ways and learn to lift JESUS up as our LORD in everyday things, in everyday life... every day.

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<(((><

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Come out from among them;

and be ye separate,

saith the LORD,

and touch not the unclean thing;

and

I+

will receive

you.

.

(The Apostle, 2 Cor. 6:17,

quoting the Prophet Isaiah )

.

Shake loose the rocks; break up the fallow ground and the hard-packed soil. In our prayer closets, then, let us judge and measure ourselves lest we be judged... and found wanting in the balance.

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<(((><

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In the name of The FATHER,

Who created thee;

The SON+

Who+ saves thee;

and the blessed HOLY SPIRIT,

Who sanctifies thee.

.

Sister Judith Hannah + + +

Beating the Strongman... Step 1

The Epiphany of 2009
[ The Epiphany Season continues to the Passover Season on the Christian Calendar ].
The Manifestation of the CHRIST Child to the Gentiles
or, Wise Men Seek HIM+

Beating the Strongman
Step 1

Our LORD JESUS CHRIST gives us the power

to attain spiritual fruits;

it is our part to embrace the labor.

This is what Scriptures mean when it says to

“walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing…”

Col. 1:10

This is the first step in beating the strongman.

<(((><

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The GIFTS of the HOLY SPIRIT are to HIS+ credit; the FRUITS, however, are laid to our account, through the Grace and Mercy of The LORD. Not to use GOD’S gifts for His+ Kingdom’s work, to do His+ Will, is equivalent to burying what GOD has given us. Note this: HE+ did not give us His+ talents for our benefit, but for the Kingdom’s benefit.

The judgment the servant faced who buried the Master’s one talent entrusted unto him was exactly the same as the branches being cut off from the Vine+… by that very same Master and Husbandman. That servant of The LORD buried his Master’s talent and then absorbed himself in the doings of his own life. He did not trouble himself to be about his Master’s interests. He did not concern himself to work primarily for the one he called “master.”

GOD forbid that any of us take advantage of GOD’S grace and mercy toward us! We were not saved to “better our lives” for ourselves but to live for CHRIST JESUS our LORD.

.

.


Accepting this
is the first step in beating the strongman.

.

.

Do we have faith to believe that IF WE PUT the Kingdom of GOD first, that all things we have need of will be given unto us? [That IS the Word of The LORD, you know.]

Can we believe… have we trust in the fact that… our families will be well cared for IF WE do The LORD’S work first? If properly done according to the will of The LORD, not only will our young ones and spouses be rightly cared for, but they will be concerned about the Kingdom of GOD also, to the glory of GOD our FATHER!

.

.


Acknowledging this truth
is the first step in
beating the strongman.

Let us pray:

Dear LORD and Heavenly FATHER, In the name of Thy Beloved SON+ JESUS CHRIST, we ask for help to seek THEE first and Thy Righteousness. We do this in accordance with the Words of Thy SON+. Help us to turn away from the insistent cares of this life and focus only upon the VITAL, the ONE THING that Thy Beloved SON+ said was necessary. Grant us wisdom and strength to do this, according to Thy Will and leading, to the glory of Thy Holy Name. Amen.

+ + +

The EPIPHANY ~ His+ Manifestation

The Epiphany

Year of Our LORD
1.6.2009

or
Day of the Manifestation
of the CHRIST Child
to the Gentiles
or

Wise Men Still Seek HIM+

.

The Epiphany Season of the Christian Calendar goes from January 6 until Lent begins. We will share a few meditations throughout the Epiphany Season.

Let us pray:

O LORD, we beseech THEE mercifully to receive the prayers of Thy people who call upon THEE in spirit and in truth. Grant that we may both perceive and know what things we ought to do to please THEE, in both our outer man and inner. We thank THEE that THOU hast given us all the power we need over the enemy, for both the outer man and inner.

Help us to fulfill Thy Will, to the pulling down of strongholds and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of and obedience towards JESUS CHRIST, the Only Begotten SON and Eternal Word, Who+ lives and reigns with THEE and Thy Blessed HOLY SPIRIT, ONE GOD, now and forever, world without end. Amen.

<(((>< Now the GOD of Peace,
that brought again from the dead
our LORD JESUS,
that Great Shepherd+ of the sheep,
through the Blood of the everlasting Covenant,

Make you perfect
in every good work to do HIS+ Will,
working in you
that which is well pleasing in His+ sight,
through JESUS CHRIST;
to Whom+ be glory for ever and ever.
Amen.
Hebrews 13:20,21

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<(((><

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Yes, Our LORD JESUS CHRIST gives us the power to attain the spiritual fruit; it is our part to embrace the labor. Not to do so makes us slide into “easy” believism and “cheap” grace… which is a slide that only goes downhill. This is what Scriptures mean when it says to “walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing…” Col. 1:10

.

As ye know how we exhorted and comforted
and charged every one of you,
as a father doth his children,

That ye would walk worthy of GOD,
Who hath called you unto His+
Kingdom and Glory.
I Thess. 2:11,12

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<(((><

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The fruits of the SPIRIT are NOT “given.” We labor to develop those spiritual fruits. We nourish our spirit with SPIRITUAL food. We weed out those hindering thoughts, motives, and actions. We TRAIN… yes, vigorously train… our thoughts to agree with Scriptures and not with our flesh, our family spirits, and this lying world system. We discipline our activities, pruning off important activities so that we have both time and energy for the VITAL work.

Sometimes we have to take a stick to ourselves during this discipline when we willfully break training. But… this spiritual training can be done and furthermore, The LORD EXPECTS us to sow unto the SPIRIT in this fashion. Indeed, there is no other way to sow to the SPIRIT but through a denial of the flesh.
.

The Husbandman looketh for … the gifts?

NO.

.

HE knows where those gifts are and where they come from: His Beloved SON+. The Husbandman looketh for the fruits in our lives, not HIS. Fruits are laid to our credit, through CHRIST, by the power of His+ HOLY SPIRIT.

.

Fruits, by the way, are NOT optional.

Fruits are either there or NOT THERE,

but fruits are not optional.

.

If fruits… that is, the result of our labors in the Kingdom of GOD, by the power of His+ HOLY SPIRIT… are missing, then we are definitely cut off from the Branch+ and thrown into the fire by the Husbandman. See John 15.

As we seek HIM+ during this new year, which promises to bring only more heartache upon the human race, let us diligently and with a determined discipline prepare ourselves for the fight… the “big fight”… not with flesh and blood but with spiritual wickedness in high places.

Believe me, the wicked ones aren’t going ANYWHERE without a fight.

Let us train ourselves, spiritually,

at least as well as Rocky Balboa did for the ring.

The stakes are much higher.

So are the returns.

.

.

In the name of The FATHER,
The SON+,
and the HOLY SPIRIT
+ + +

LENTEN MEDITATION 15

LENTEN MEDITATION 15 ~ ~ ~ The Fruits
For the Year of Our LORD, 2.20.08

Against thee, thee only, have I sinned,
and done this evil in thy sight:
that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest,
and be clear when thou judgest.
Psalm 51:4


We sin so lightly.
It is with a shrug we sullenly turn our face away from Truth and proceed on with “our” program. We don’t care if it hurts HIM+. As a matter of fact, we don’t even want to hear about it.

Have we ever had a friend… or worse, a family member… treat us like that?

Yes, most of us would sadly say.

When we proceed on, headlong and determined, to do something, achieve something, get something, or enter a job or situation… or alas, even a marriage… out of The LORD’S Holy Will, we sin. How do we recognize that it is sin? By the fruit.

Fruit, we see, is The LORD’S great blessing to us. Because human beings are dull of hearing and slow of heart to hear The LORD, we must learn through our senses. We are all tactile learners in this regard. We simply want our own way. Our conniving minds are well-practiced at reasoning out why what we want

"must certainly" be the Will of The LORD for our lives.


Thus, HE+ blesses us with the fruit of our decisions.


Fruit gets our attention better than a sounding trumpet. Why?

The trumpet blast is over and done with quickly, even though the blast may have frightened us or pierced our ears.

Fruit, however, is long-lasting.

That blessed fruit of our decisions

brings deep inner conviction to our souls.

The fruit of walking within His+ Holy Will helps us to grow.

This fruit comes about by taking heed to His+ Word.

We put into practice those things HE+ has told us, for instance, in Matthew chapters 5, 6, and 7. We make our activities to come into order with His+ Word.

What HE+ says in His+ Word

becomes our priorities in our lifestyle.

Did HE+ say, “Seek ye first the Kingdom of GOD, and HIS Righteousness?” Yes, it does. Then we will make serving HIM+ our priority in every area. We will seek His+ Will and counsel before taking a step. We learn what His+ Will is by practicing, practicing, practicing our submission to HIM+, both through the written Word and listening in prayer.

Did HE+ say, “Take no thought for the morrow…”? Yes, HE+ did. Do we repent, then, of taking thought… constant thought… of what we are going to eat, wear, use, pay the bills with yesterday, today, and for many tomorrow’s ?

No...

rather we judge such Christians to be wise and prudent and yes, even Godly.

We do not say, “Wait a minute; he is breaking the Word of God.

He will reap the fruit of anxiety instead of Godly peace.

Let’s pray for him for he got tricked into listening unto man rather than unto GOD.”

Does His+ Word say, “I will put no wicked thing before my eyes” ? Yes, it does. Then we will toss out all books, magazines, tv shows, dvd’s, and computer input which are wicked. Music which promotes the flesh must go also

… which might include some with Christian labels.


Does His+ Word say, “Love your enemies,” or shoot them, Christians ?


Do we take heed to His+ Word
and follow His+ counsel?

It is His+ will that we do;
that is why it is written down for us…
so that we know what HE+ wants us to do!

Should HE+ then give us more direction
for our particulars in life
IF WE IGNORE parts of HIS+ WILL
that IS ALREADY plainly written?

The fruit of listening to the counsel of our own flesh and heart and mind makes us sorrowful, angry, resentful, and bitter. It robs us of our peace in CHRIST. Then, we have many, many other battles to deal with before we get out of that ravine. Unfortunately for us, that ravine most often could have been avoided.

It is with great bitterness to realize we did it to ourselves.


Spiritual fruit, good or bad, hangs around in front of our face, showering us with joy in the inward man or peppering us with constant consequences.

Against thee, thee only, have I sinned,
and done this evil in thy sight:
that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest,
and be clear when thou judgest.
Psalm 51:4


When we sin, when we disregard His+ plain Word to us, when we plunge headstrong into our own program, we hurt ourselves, yes.

But worse, we hurt the great heart of Our Heavenly FATHER and Our LORD JESUS CHRIST.

The Word was written for our good. When we do those things that HE+ wants us to do, those things plainly written and openly printed for all the world to see, then HE+ blesses us with all those things that money cannot buy.

HE+ loves us dearly. It is His+ Will that we be happy and satisfied. Our Precious Savior knows what will bring our greatest happiness. HE+ exhorts and warns us over and over again against grabbing for happiness and security our way. HE+ knows what will cause sorrow down the road for us. HE+ also knows what will produce good fruit, down the road.


HE+ aches with the heart of a good parent after a child who simply will not take heed, will not listen, will not receive correction. That parent doesn’t want the fruit for himself, but rather for the happiness and well-being of his child. When we don’t listen to GOD, we sin against His+ great heart of love for us.


The LORD JESUS CHRIST is indeed our Savior…
if we will let HIM+ save us from ourselves.


Against thee, thee only, have I sinned,
and done this evil in thy sight:
that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest,
and be clear when thou judgest.
Psalm 51:4