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
.
<(((><
.
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
.
<(((><
.
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
+ + +
