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.  

Passover Meditation #30 for the Lenten Season 2012

Now you are clean

through The Word

which I+

have spoken

unto you.

John 15:3

Purged out and cleaned out. That's what His+ Word does for the serious-minded Christian who walks according to the SPIRIT and not according to the flesh.

HE+ speaks to us through His+ Word. HE+ is the Living Word. His+ Word should work on our hearts like a purgative works on our bowels.

We do not refuse this purgative. We do not neglect to apply His+ Living Word to our hearts...

...do we?  

Woe to the man who refuses My+ Words. He will not receive anything of ME+. My+ conviction will be lost on him and he will not EVEN SEE THE NEED to repent. Woe to the man who pushes My+ Words away from his life.

My+ Words are meant to heal you and make you whole. They will ONLY do that when you yield under their TRUTH, when you yield under their scrutiny.

Apply My+ Words to your life.

Apply My+ Words to your conduct.

Apply My+ words to your motives. 

Then you will be healed and made whole again, even in those areas of great wounding. You can be made whole NO OTHER WAY.

Come.

Passover Meditation # 29 for the Lenten Season 2012

...Every branch that bears fruit,

HE purges it,

 that it may bring forth

more fruit. 

John 15:2b 

Dear Brethren, receive that which purges you; do not refuse the chastening of The LORD.

Our LORD deals with each one of us in love.

HE+ knows what is operating in the hidden recesses of our hearts. HE+ knows where we oppose His+ values. HE+ knows where we do not submit unto His+ Word. HE+ knows where we take advantage of His+ mercy and indulge in sin.

Pray for and WELCOME the conviction of sin; it is a grace to enable us come clean before HIM+, for without HOLINESS none shall see The LORD.

Yes, attitudes are sin. Stop the entrance of the evil tormenting spirits into your life. Submit your thoughts to the Word and repent when your thoughts are out of line. 

Self-pity is sin. Be mournful about accusing GOD for not "loving you better." See HIS+ hurt for having to deal with whining, complaining you, that HIS+ death while you were yet a sinner was "not enough" to make you happy.

Resentment is sin. Roots of bitterness need to be exhumed and laid upon His+ altar for HOLY fire to consume. Don't let hidden issues poison your being.  

Anger is sin. Dig deeper and you will find the demon of pride propping up your angry stance.

Walk in ways of HOLINESS; let the HOLY SPIRIT purge you, from the inside out.

Because: if it is NOT in your heart... it won't come out your mouth.

If you belong to CHRIST JESUS, the only way you can sin

is

IF YOU

WANT

TO SIN.

Do you WANT to ?

Passover Meditation # 28 for the 2012 Lenten Season

Every branch in ME+

not bearing fruit

HE

takes it away

John 15:2 A

Our LORD, The True VINE+ , was speaking to His+ hand-picked disciples in the Upper Room, His+ discourse to them at the time of the Last Supper.

Here, HE+ was giving forth a stern and serious warning to the Eleven:

If you who are in ME+ are not bearing fruit, My+ FATHER will remove you... yes, even you ... far away from ME+. HE will lift you off and remove you from ME+ and from all the other fruit-bearing branches, at the same time.

No fellowship with CHRIST. No fellowship with others who are remaining on the VINE+. No life... both now  and later, after death.

ALONE. 

NO, hell is not a place to meet back-slapping buddies for a continual card game. NO. There will be the deepest "alone-ness" you can fathom with no relief in sight... ever.

ALONE...  for all Eternity. 

So, Christians all, let's do what we can to bear fruit: sow to the SPIRIT, share the GOSPEL --- using words when necessary ( ! ), grow in grace, forgiveness, and the knowledge of GOD our FATHER and Our LORD JESUS CHRIST. 

Repent ... and break up the fallow ground.   

Passover Meditation #27 for the Lenten Season 2012



The Vine After Pruning



I+,

I+ AM

the True VINE+,

and The FATHER

of ME+

is

the VINEDRESSER.

John 15:1 Green's Greek Interlinear

Our LORD JESUS CHRIST, the True VINE+ of Life, is in this world... planted, rooted, and growing.

In addition, the above verse tells us this True VINE+ is under the direct care of The FATHER.

.

YES ! 

.

Our HOLY FATHER which art in Heaven dresses that True VINE+.

.

The work of vindedressing starts when a master vinedresser, an expert,  evaluates the branches and shoots of the vine.  The master vinedresser knows with the assurance of training and experience which branches and shoots are living, which will produce fruit in the future. This master vinedresser knows this at a glance.

Now, nothing escapes the notice of this Master VINEDRESSER. No scab , no knotty lump, no infestation of insects, fungus, or warped branches escape HIS notice. Not one branch ... too long, too corpulant, or too encumbered... is ignored.

NONE

. 

Even the unruly ones who cannot stay within their moorings are under HIS watchful care.

So... if you are attached

to the True VINE+,

know

that you are ALSO 

under the watchful care

of The Master VINEDRESSER, 

Who notices all...

because HE created all

and knows exactly how

it perfectly should be. 

Does

HE have

the POWER

to bring

those branches

unto perfection

? 

Denying CHRIST: By DISOBEYING HIS+ Word

~ ~ ~

Becoming DISAPPROVED

By CHRIST+

~

No... we don't "earn" our salvation;

But we CAN earn HIS+ disapproval !
~

But I keep under my body,

and bring it into subjection:

lest that by any means,

when I have preached to others,

I myself should be a castaway*.

I Cor. 9:27

*The word castaway is in the Greek actually UN-APPROVED.

~

To continue (Chapter 10:1-4) the thought stated by The Apostle Paul:

Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud and all passed through the sea; and were ALL BAPTIZED unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; And did ALL EAT the SAME SPIRITUAL FOOD; and did ALL DRINK the SAME SPIRITUAL DRINK; for they drank of that spiritual ROCK+ that followed them: and that ROCK+ was CHRIST.

.

So, here we see that baptism by water ( the Red sea) and The HOLY SPIRIT (the supernatural "cloud") was effected for all. We also see here that CHRIST was the spiritual "drink" (His+ Blood), supplied to all. CHRIST JESUS was also the spiritual food, the Bread+ of Heaven, the TRUE MANNA+, referred to in the verses above because JESUS Himself+ explained that to us in John 6:31-35.

~

But with many of them

GOD was not well pleased:

for they were overthrown in the wilderness.

(verse 5)

~

Yes, GOD disapproved of them even though they were baptized and ate of CHRIST'S Body and drank of CHRIST'S Blood... as the Scripture states in those 4 verses. And yes, being "disapproved" means being cast away, or as Our LORD JESUS said, being "cut off from the True Vine+ ." ( John 15)

~ ~ ~

If the toiling, laboring, self-denying Apostle Paul was concerned about becoming un-approved and thus, cast away from CHRIST JESUS... shouldn't we be concerned also ?

+ + +

Why do you look for love

in all the wrong places?

.

Why do you turn to others for love

and shy away from ME+ ?

.

Have I + ever hurt you?

Have I+ disappointed you

or caused you grief?

.

Nay, but rather,

your going your own way

has caused your grief

and disappointment.

.

Do not mistake approval for love.

I+ love you despite

the grief and disappointment

you have caused ME+ .

.

If you will walk in

ALL of MY+ Ways

-- forsaking your own --

I+ will fill up your heart.

.

You have MY+ Love;

Now strive for MY+ Approval*.

+ + +

*Philippians 3:12-14

.

.

Glory be to The FATHER,

Who created thee;

And to His Beloved SON+,

Who saves thee;

And to The Blessed HOLY SPIRIT;

Who sanctifies thee.

+ + +

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

.

<(((><

.

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
+ + +

SELF on the THRONE of your HEART

Here is real Christian art you won't find in an art gallery.

It is from a Brother who, early in his walk, discovered something: the worst enemy that the Christian must fight is... himself.

Self is what gets us into messes. Self is what keeps us from the humility required to walk with CHRIST. Self lauds the fleshly accomplishments which ... in reality... only hinder and distract us from walking with Our LORD. Self keeps us from closeness with HIM+ Who+ desires closeness with us more than all the good activities we fill our days doing. Self sets up our own "do good" program for CHRIST... instead of waiting before HIM+, staying with HIM+, listening to HIM+.

When Self is on the throne of our heart, we are sowing to the flesh instead of the Spirit. Let us not be in the Self-willed bundle, ready to be burned (John 15), who says, "LORD, LORD, didn't we prophesy in thy name... cast out devils... do many wonderful works in thy name?" HIS+ response (Matthew 7) is frightening and it gives a clue as to who will be wailing and gnashing their teeth in the judgment.

...A Self-Portrait, Indeed...

Myself, I would like to put this on as a self-portrait in my profile column... except I cannot figure out how to add a photo to it ! [ If anyone knows how to do this, please advise me in the comments.]

When I first saw his drawing, I literally GASPED! I thought he had drawn my very own face in this picture. Oddly enough, when he showed this picture to someone else, he (not she !) said he thought it looked just like himself .

Is it possible that the spirit of SELF make us all look alike?

[Now that's a frightening thing to ponder. ]