SWADDLED in Humility ... Incarnation Meditations 2014 ... for the Monastic-At-Heart

Luke 2:7

And she brought forth her Firstborn Son, and wrapped HIM+ in swaddling clothes, and laid HIM+ in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

Swaddling a baby seemed to be a custom in the lands of the Orient. It consisted of enveloping the infant with strips of cloth, wrapping the babe and totally binding him.  The purpose was to limit or restrict movement, to restrain the babe supposedly from hurting himself.

The Royal SON+ of GOD Who+ left His+ Glory, the Glory which HE+ had with The FATHER before the world began, entered the realm of man clothed in this restricted fashion.

From his first hour out of the womb, The LORD JESUS was totally restrained and limited.

The LORD JESUS came to earth ...being found in fashion as a man, HE+ humbled Himself+... to take upon Himself+ the restrictions of a human being. HE+ voluntarily embraced the humility of being as limited as the ones HE+ created, in conjunction with The FATHER'S good Will. 

Can we imagine how demeaning that was? How limited would it be for a Potter to become a clay jar, a vessel of his own creation ?  From Glory with The FATHER, HE+ became a clay vessel to be used by the dirty and befouled hand of man.

Yet, The LORD JESUS came to earth and was appointed to this humility. HE+ agreed with The FATHER'S will BEFORE HE+ left His+ throne in Glory.

HE+ embraced --- before HE+ was born --- His+ swaddling clothes.

Do we ?

Let us Pray:

O LORD JESUS, I call THEE+ "Lord, Lord,"  yet I have rejected the very first step to begin my  intensive walk with THEE+: to embrace the restrictive swaddling clothes, the clothing of Thy+ Choosing.

I shudder to don them daily. I shy away from limitations that restrict my day, my flesh, my thoughts.  I fail to bring them in line with Thy+ Holy Discipline... that discipline which THOU  has chosen for me. 

O HOLY FATHER, THOU Who constrained and limited Thy HOLY SON+ JESUS when HE+ took upon  Himself+ the form of a man,  THOU knowest what is best for me also. 

To bring Glory to Thy Name, I need to heed disciplines of restrictions of my time, my actions, and my thoughts.

I need the discipline of limitations, especially of my  interaction with others, in order to hear Thy+ Voice. I need these disciplines in order to  grow straightly and properly and to be a profitable servant of Thine.

Un-warp me from my crooked ways, O LORD; wrap me securely within Thy+ limitations.

Enfold me within Thy+ Self, THOU+ Who+ hast become my Divine Swaddler+.  I yield my Self unto THEE+.  I am not mine own any longer; I am bought with a price.

Because it is THEE+, O JESUS,  Who+ restricts me, I  embrace the disciplines of  constraints and limitations which THOU+  dost plan for my good.

O HOLY ONE+ of Israel Who+ came as a Babe+ and Who+ was immediately swaddled in humility, grant me Thy+ Grace to be swaddled by THEE+ .

 Let this Divine Humility be according to Thy+ Will and purpose. Let  it become my armor, O GOD. 

In JESUS' name I pray: now unto the KING Eternal, immortal, invisible, the ONLY wise GOD, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen

 

O, INN-KEEPER of Bethlehem ! ... INCARNATION MEDITATIONS 2015

Luke 2:7

And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped HIM+ in swaddling clothes, and laid HIM+ in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

O Inn-Keeper of Bethlehem !

Did you do the Will of GOD? 

Did you do all you could to procure the young, laboring mother a room ? 

Did you not feel any remorse at all, in your decision to avoid inconvenience for you and perhaps some of your clients ?

Undoubtedly, it is hard to face the anger and ire of inconvenient guests who have already paid their money.

After all, one has to consider one's reputation for future business.  Besides, some guests could become a bit unruly when disappointed.

However, If a great king had come along with his entourage, you may suddenly have "found" a room, the nicest one in the establishment. 

You would have roused up the highest-paying guest and, without a twinge of remorse, removed him from the requested room.

Oh, how gold and silver make a difference in daily decisions ! Everybody can understand that, even discomfitted  clients.

Likewise, if a powerful lord with his soldiers had made the request, how quickly you would have found a room... even several ! 

You would have discomfitted even your most loyal customer to avoid the point of the sword. Everybody would understand that, also.

Future reputation ? No problem!

Unfortunately, O Inn-Keeper, you looked upon the outward appearances of your clientele... and made the worst judgment call of your life.

The KING+ of kings was about to be born, but you could not see in the dark, that gross darkness that covered the earth.  You did not know that your time had come to decide for GOD.

The splendor of this Coming KING+ ... and His+ TRUE RICHES... escaped your carnal eye, alas. 

The LORD+ of lords was ready to enter the world outside His+ mother's womb, but you would not have HIM+ in your abode.  You did not see the Divine Heavenly Armies that HE+ commands, did you ?

The Heavenly swords were not unleashed against you, so you had no knowledge of their presence. (Hmm...mm..m. An interesting thought. )

O, Inn-Keeper of Bethlehem !

In your great benefice, did you direct them to a stable, an animal stall ? Perhaps you thought, a birthing woman and her husband did not need anything as good as a place in your inn full of guests that night.

Perhaps birthing a child inside the inn might have created an awkward situation and disturbed your guests who were already grumpy, having to pay more taxes to Caesar.

One must be expedient, you know. After all, you had a business to run and so many clients to satisfy. No more demands were you going to carry that night, especially from these travel-weary, rustic "unknowns."

Thus, O Inn-Keeper, you missed it.

You missed your time. You missed your calling. You missed being a part of the Greatest Birth on Earth. 

You missed welcoming The MESSIAH+.  You missed the KING+ of kings and LORD+ of lords Who+ came to your lowly establishment.

You did not ease His+ entrance into this harsh world.  You did nothing to help His+ Servants as they brought HIM+ forth from the womb of His+ tired, young mother.

Furthermore, you did not proclaim His+ Birth because you hid your face from His+ need.  At the hour of His+ need you absented yourself. Your temporal duties absorbed all your effort.

O, poor, poor Inn-Keeper !

There are some things that money cannot buy: rest, peace, a clear conscience, the love of The LORD our GOD. 

You sold your birth-right for a mess of pottage.

Your time had come. It was a one-time event, never to be repeated. There were no second chances.

O, Inn-Keeper...may The LORD have mercy upon your soul... wherever it is… in Eternity right now.

And, may HE+ have mercy upon mine, opening my eyes to see HIM+ when HE+ comes to my own door, in disguise. 

Standing at the Manger... Incarnation Meditations 2015... for the Monastic-At-Heart

Standing at the Manger...

There, in the lowly, common feeding trough for rough animals, Our LORD was laid.

No, the HOLY BABE+ did not choose the manger HIMSELF+.

Here is what HE+ did choose:

HE+ chose to leave His+ glory ---  that Glory HE+ had with The FATHER before the world was --- and come to earth as a man for the suffering of death, as a man like one of us.

So, His+ entrance into the world placed the nativity of this Royal BABE+ ...

·                   of the scepter-wielding tribe of Judah,

·                   of the princely line of David 

... into a common and lowly room for domesticated farm animals, at the very out-set !

HE+ was a Priest after the Order of Melchizidek, King of Righteousness, a Priest unto whom even Abraham paid tithes.

Even so, it was The FATHER'S good will that HIS Sublime SON+ be born into a humble environment, a setting even considered lowly by the standards of lowly men.

Oh yes, how we yearn to rule with CHRIST!

Do we also yearn  equally as much to be as lowly as HE+ was ? 

Is our goal to be swaddled in humility ?

Do we have such a degree

of humbleness of mind

that conviction falls

on others around us  ?

If not, let us return to the manger and STAND THERE. 

There, let us meditate on our dear SAVIOR'S+ littleness of Self.

Let us Pray:

O Perfect CHRIST, Who+ came in littleness of Self,  look with mercy upon my greatest need.

My need... my great need of humility ... hinders me from hearing Thy+ Voice, from doing Thy+ Will. 

How can I think that THOU+ will use me while I  resist embracing being lowly, the last, the least, the forgotten,  in mine own eyes ?

Help me  truly  to count others better than myself.   Help me truly  to enjoy being inconvenienced by others throughout the day, that Thy+ Holy Will may be accomplished. 

Absorb me in humility like THINE+ own, O CHRIST, that Our FATHER'S good will may flow through me at all times. Let Thy+ great humility grow in me unto a sweet-smelling and acceptable sacrifice offered  back unto THEE+. 

This I earnestly pray, O CHRIST, in Thy+ Holy Name.

Amen

ALL ANGELS of GOD Worship HIM+ ! ... INCARNATION MEDITATIONS 2015 ... for the Monastic-At-Heart

And suddenly, there was with the angels a multitude of the Heavenly Host, praising GOD and saying, GLORY TO GOD IN THE HIGHEST!

This True LIGHT+ which lights every man that comes into the world ... is also worshipped by Angels.

ALL of THEM !

And again,

when HE bringeth in

The FIRST-BEGOTTEN+

into the world,

HE saith, And

let 
ALL the angels of GOD

worship HIM+.

Hebrews 1:6

+  +  +

There are some created beings --- and their earth-born followers --- who do NOT worship CHRIST JESUS ... now...  but soon, VERY SOON, they will wish they would have ! 

That at the Name of JESUS 

every , every, EVERY ...

That at the name of JESUS

every knee should bow,

of beings in Heaven,

and beings in earth,

and beings under the earth;

And that every tongue

should confess that

JESUS CHRIST IS LORD,

to the glory of  GOD THE FATHER.

Philippians 2:10-11

Let us Pray:

O LORD, Glorify Thy name and the name of Thy Holy SON+ JESUS CHRIST this day across the earth.

Gladly I bend my knees in worship to The LORD JESUS and the knee of my heart to HIM+ in work, in thought, while I have my being.

O train me now to stay in Thy+ Presence constantly, so that I may bear witness to JESUS my LORD, in season or out, with words or in silence.

Glory be to GOD: The FATHER , WHO created me, HIS Beloved Only-Begotten SON+ Who+ saved me, and The Blessed HOLY SPIRIT, Who sanctifies me.

In the name of Our EMMANUEL, The LORD JESUS CHRIST, I lift these prayers to THEE.

Amen

EMMANUEL ... INCARNATION MEDITATIONS 2015... for the Monastic-At-Heart

The WORD+ Made Flesh... The Long-Awaited Incarnation... The EMMANUEL+

JOY to the world!

The LORD has COME!

Let Heaven and nature sing!

And the WORD+ was made Flesh,

and dwelt among us,

(and we beheld His+ Glory,

the Glory as of

 The Only-Begotten

of THE FATHER,)

full of grace and truth.

John 1:14

This HOLY ONE+ of Israel Who+ descended into human flesh through the Hebrew virgin Mariam came as EMMANUEL+ ... GOD-With-Us.

This is what EMMANUEL+ means, in application, for mankind.

Through JESUS ... and through HIM+ alone ... are we invited to know The FATHER.

No other entrance exists for mankind to come unto Our FATHER, hallowed be HIS Name, Who is in HEAVEN.

No other Way is open for mankind to COME unto Our FATHER, except through HIS Appointed MESSIAH+.

There is only one TRUTH+.  This is that ONE TRUTH+ given to mankind through EMMANUEL+ :

Neither is there salvation

in any other:

for there is none other name

under Heaven

given among men,

whereby we must be saved.

Acts 4:12

In JESUS, and in JESUS alone, is the Life. That LIFE is the LIGHT of men... the only Life of men.

That LIFE is the TRUE Light; none other exists for mankind.

This is WHO+  EMMANUEL+ is, for  mankind.   

Let us Pray:

Dear Heavenly FATHER,  we praise and glorify Thy Holy Name and the Name of  Thy Holy SON+ JESUS CHRIST, the Word+ Made Flesh Who+ dwelt among us.

We magnify THEE. We worship THEE for Thy Great Glory.

LORD JESUS, O LIGHT of the world, we bow down before THEE+ to be filled with Thy+ Presence.

Glorify Thy+ Name in us as we glorify Thy+ Name here on earth.

Holy art THOU+, O CHRIST; Holy is Thy+ Name, O EMMANUEL+,

Both now and forever, ONE GOD: FATHER, SON+ , and HOLY SPIRIT,  world without end to the ages of the ages. Amen