HE+ Was PROCLAIMED #3 ... By an EMPTYING of Self... Advent Meditations 2015 for the Monastic-At-Heart

Luke 1:26-27, Greek

And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel 

was sent from GOD 

unto a city of Galilee, 

named Nazareth,

To a virgin being espoused to a man 

whose name was Joseph, 

from the house of David; 

and the virgin’s name was 

Mariam.

Luke 1:35-38 , Greek

And the angel answered 

and said unto her,

The HOLY SPIRIT shall come 

upon thee,

and the power of the Highest 

shall overshadow thee:

therefore also the ONE+ 

being born of you HOLY

 shall be called the SON+ of GOD.

And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth,

she hath also conceived 

a son in her old age:

 and this is the sixth month

 with her, who was called sterile.

For with GOD nothing 

shall be impossible.

And Mariam said,

Behold the handmaid of the LORD;

be it unto me according to thy word.

And the angel departed from her.

Could young Mariam have refused to carry The Hebrew MESSIAH+ ?

Yes.

Mariam was not divine; she was simply Adamic, of the human line of David. She had as much free-will to obey or disobey the Word of the LORD to her as we do. 

At that moment in time, she yielded her entire being to GOD. Her life was instantly changed, and that, for all time.

Her purpose in life was instantly re-directed, instantly re-routed, with no going back.

We all know that Mother-Hood does indeed change a person. Now there is a tiny human being who is totally helpless except for the help Mother gives him. He is totally vulnerable except for the protection of Mother.

But, Mariam's change was greater.

She emptied her life 

in an instant.

Being well-trained in the Commandments of GOD, she knew her life --- as she had hopefully planned it --- was over. Hebrew girls were stoned to death if they were with child without a husband.

This particular young Hebrew virgin accepted GOD'S Will for her life,  turning her care and well-being over to GOD.  Her heart was in accord with Job's words: Even though HE slay me, yet will I trust HIM , Job 13:15a.

If GOD asked great things of her, could she not trust HIM to take care of her through it all ?

Likewise, if The LORD asks an obedience of us, are we willing to empty our lives for HIM+ ?

It is a sure thing that GOD will not share the throne with Self.

How do we come to such a state, where the LORD will ask us to empty our lives for HIM+ ?

We practice.

We practice individually, within the secret place of our hearts.

We practice daily and hourly, if need be.

We practice 

EMPTYING ourselves 

for HIM+.

  

We shun all leadings of Self to aggrandize itself. Rather, we turn to The LORD in humility, asking His+ help to forsake our natural Self-interest.

We practice by training ourselves to STOP OUR DAY in order to worship HIM+ throughout... be it 5 minutes on the hour or some other similar discipline.

We practice yielding 

to His+ Will

… in every SMALL matter, 

through the day.

That is how we monastic-at-heart train ourselves and practice obedience.

Little is written about Mariam's growing-up years or training. Little is written about her adult years that would warrant adulation.

Aside from her carrying The Divine Babe+ in her virgin womb, Sister Mariam's greatest gift to mankind is her example of yielded, total obedience to the Word of GOD, the WORD+ made flesh Who+ dwelt among us.

Let us Pray:

O Life-Giving LORD JESUS, I empty my life out for THEE+.

Fill me with Thy+ Blessed SPIRIT, so that I may learn to please THEE+ in every small matter, that I may be closer to THEE+. Prune away the warped areas, O LORD, and train me to go in the way THOU+ dost will.   

Here is my empty Self; take it for Thy+ good pleasure, O LORD JESUS.

I thank THEE+, O CHRIST, for even wanting me. I join myself  to THEE+ in love.

Holy, Holy, Holy 

LORD GOD ALMIGHTY

WHO+ is, 

WHO+ was, 

and WHO+ is to come.

Maranatha. 

Come, LORD JESUS.  

Amen 

HE+ Came to BE PROCLAIMED... By a MIGHTY ONE... Advent Meditations 2015... for the Monastic-At-Heart

Who was the first to PROCLAIM The LORD'S Coming ?

Luke 1:19

And the angel answering said

unto [ John the baptist],  him

I am Gabriel,

that stand in

the Presence of GOD;

and am sent to speak unto thee,

and to shew

thee these glad tidings.

An angel ! A "MIGHTY ONE OF GOD" was sent to proclaim the Coming of the MESSIAH+ !  Angel-to-man, face to face, Gabriel --- whose very name means "Mighty one of GOD" --- proclaimed these glad tidings to an astonished priest in the Temple at Jerusalem.

Gabriel, who IS    STILL   STANDING in the Presence of GOD, was specifically sent to announce this GOOD news:

NOW the appointed time had arrived for the advent of the Jewish MESSIAH+ Who+ was to Redeem Israel.

This news was the "GLAD TIDINGS" this Divine Messenger, Gabriel, was sent from before the Presence of GOD to bring to this earthly priest of the lineage of Aaron and Levi. 

Gabriel appeared to Zachariah (KJV: Zacharias), this humble and righteous priest as Zachariah performed his role in the Temple at Jerusalem to burn incense.

This Divine Messenger sent directly from the Throne Room of The LORD spoke to Zachariah about the role he, Zachariah, would perform in the Coming of the MESSIAH+,  our LORD JESUS.

 

Luke 1: 13-16

But the Angel said unto him,

Fear not, Zacharias: 

for thy prayer is heard; 

and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, 

and thou shalt call his name John.

And thou shalt have joy and gladness; 

and many shall rejoice at his birth.

For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, 

and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; 

and he shall be filled with the HOLY SPIRIT, 

even from his mother’s womb.

And many of the children of Israel 

shall he turn to the LORD their GOD.

Luke 1:17

And he [ John the Baptist, the son of Zacahriah ] shall go before HIM+

in the spirit and power of Elijah,

to turn the hearts

of the fathers to the children,

and the disobedient

to the wisdom of the just;

to make ready

a people prepared for the LORD.

Gabriel faithfully performed the proclamation to Zachariah the priest of his role to prepare a People for The LORD, the Coming MESSIAH+. 

Zachariah, humble and righteous as he was (Luke 1:6) , met the Angel's  announcement with unbelief, which only lasted a few seconds until he was struck dumb and judgment was pronounced upon him for his lack of faith.

Now, we KNOW our Righteous and Holy LORD is totally all-knowing and totally fair in all His Ways. The LORD knew Zachariah was troubled and feared ( Luke 1:12) at Gabriel's announcement.

The LORD graciously allowed Gabriel to address those fears, showing Zachariah that his prayers had been heard and answered. 

Obviously, only The LORD could hear prayers of the heart; only The LORD could address them. 

Zachariah would also know full well the account of Abraham and Sarah having a child of the Promise when they were past the years of child-bearing.

Thus, our All-knowing and Always Fair LORD knew Zachariah  COULD HAVE CHOSEN TO BELIEVE  the Angel sent to him.   Zachariah had enough witness and comforting words to know this angelic being was Divinely sent by The LORD.

Zacharias CHOSE

NOT to believe.

The LORD knew what Zacharias chose.

HE+ knows 

what we choose, too.

Daily. Hourly. In every instance. With every thought.  In every conversation, HE+ knows our choice: The LORD... or ... Self,  faith ... or ... unbelief,  Righteousness ... or ... sin.   

Let us Pray:

O LORD  GOD, Ruler of the Universe, forgive me for my deliberate choices made apart from Thy+ Will.  I know better.

Thy+ Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. I have no excuse for choosing Self, Sin, Un-righteousness in any form.

Cleanse me of my self-will; I do not demand more proof of Thy+ Love and Thy+ Care for me. I can walk rightly before THEE+, O  GOD,  with what I have at my fingertips: Thy+ Holy Word. 

In Thy+ Light, can I see LIGHT+. 

Help my eye to be single, that my being may be full of Light,  O LIGHT+ of the World, CHRIST JESUS.

In Whose+ Name and by Whose+ Grace I even exist.

Amen. 

  

Advent Meditations 2012

We're going to see The STRENGTH+ of Israel !
Come with us.

ADVENT MEDITATIONS 2012

~ ~ ~ The All-Encompassing GOD ~ ~ ~

Luke 1:26-55

Meditation 7

33 And HE+ shall reign

over the house of Jacob for ever;

and of HIS+ Kingdom

there shall be no end.

Gabriel, the Mighty Angel who stands in the Presence of GOD even to this present moment ... told Mariam there would be no end to the Kingdom over which that Divine Babe+ in the womb would  rule. 

No end in sight! KING+ of Kings and LORD+ of Lords!  That name will be written upon HIS+ vesture and upon HIS+ thigh when The LORD, FAITHFUL and TRUE comes upon a white horse from Heaven Rev.19:11-16. And HE+ shall reign for ever and ever. Hallelu-JAH !

Meditation

O Great KING+ of kings and LORD+ of Lords, Who+ alone delivers from the grip of satan, I bend my knee to THEE+ alone. 

O COMMANDER-in-CHIEF+ of the Heavenly Armies, I choose THEE+ and THEE+ alone to be my CAPTAIN+. 

Help me always to do those things that please THEE+, O STRENGTH+ of ISRAEL, so that I may be found in the ranks of Thy+ Saints when the Last Great Battle on planet earth occurs.  

Increase my obedience, O THOU+ Who+ art my strength, so that I am not found wanting at the Great Judgment Seat of CHRIST. 

+ + +