The ROD of IRON...

ADVENT MEDITATIONS for 2014

Courtesy of pravoslavie.ru

Revelation 12:5  And she brought forth a MAN CHILD+, Who+ was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her CHILD+ was caught up unto GOD, and to His throne. ...

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Isaiah 11:1 And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a BRANCH+ shall grow out of his roots: 

² And the SPIRIT of the LORD shall rest upon Him+, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the  LORD; 

³ And shall make Him+ of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: and HE+ shall not judge after the sight of His+ eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of His+ ears:

⁴ But with righteousness shall HE+ judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and HE+ shall smite the earth: with the rod of His+ Mouth, and with the breath of His+ lips shall HE+ slay the wicked.

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A Rod of Iron ?  An unbreakable Sceptre is the picture.   All nations will stand in fear of this Unbendable Rod… and the ONE+ wielding it. 

The demons ruling Herod knew this; Herod could sense their agitating out-rage. 

“Kill that Babe!  Kill that Babe!”  they cried, whipping up Herod to order the slaughter of the little innocents of Bethlehem by his demonized men of war.

The marvel is 

that The LORD JEHOVAH 

refrained 

from slaughtering them !

How great and unfathomable is The FATHER’S love for mankind, for while we were yet sinners, CHRIST died for us . 

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O CHRIST, THOU+ Who+ wast born to give men life, consecrate me to Thy+ use, for Thy+ purpose.  

Help me not to grieve nor hurt Thy+ long-suffering heart anymore.  

I thank THEE+ for Thy+ great mercy to terrible sinners, of whom I am the chiefest.  

Help me not to sin in thought, word, or deed anymore, for there is nothing hid from Thy+ eyes.

I consecrate my heart to THEE+, O dear Long-suffering SAVIOR, because I love THEE.+ 

Help me to love THEE+ to the utmost. 

In The Holy Name of JESUS, I pray. 

Amen  

The WORD+ Incarnate.... 5th Day of Christmastide

GOD is not the God of the dead

but of the living;

for to HIM+

all are alive.

O Come, let us adore HIM+ !

PLEASE NOTE: December 28th on the Christian Calendar is the Remembrance of the Death of the Holy Innocents, the little ones whom Herod put to death in his attempt to slay the Holy CHILD+ JESUS. We will commemorate that today.

From Matthew 2, starting with verse 13:

The angel of the LORD appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young CHILD+ and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young CHILD+ to destroy HIM+.

When he arose, he took the young CHILD+ and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt: was was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was sppoken of the LORD by the prophet , saying, Out of Egypt hve I called My SON+. 

Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently equired of the wise men. 

Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremiah the Prophet, saying, In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children , and would not be comforted, because they are not. 

Meditation

(Collect  for the Death of the Holy Innocents ) 

O ALMIGHTY GOD, Who out of the mouths of babes and sucklings hast ordained strength, and madest infants to glorify THEE by their innocence in death; 

We praise THEE for taking unto Thyself those little lives, the babes killed by Thine enemies, and to comfort them with Thy glory.

O Great Comforter of the Sorrowing, mortify and kill all vices in us, and so strengthen us by Thy grace, that by the innocency of our lives, and constancy of our faith even unto death, we may glorify Thy Holy Name; through JESUS CHRIST Our LORD. Amen. 

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