What CHILD+ is This ?

...Whom+ shepherds guard...

Advent 2010 ~ Meditation #6

+

Rough...

but valiant...

were those shepherds guarding the Temple flocks pastured at Bethlehem.

~

Well-trained in their gruelling work, the shepherds delivered, nourished, and guarded the lambs around the clock. The unblemished lambs were set apart for sacrifices in the Temple... for both the daily morning sacrifice at 9 a.m. [ the hour of crucifixion] and the daily evening sacrifice at 3 p.m. [that same hour when Our LORD finished the Last Sacrifice+ ]

~

Wielding staff and rod, those rough but valiant men would have laid down their lives for their lambs... around the clock, day and night.

+ + +

Do we ...

lay down our lives for the little flock The LORD has entrusted unto each one of us, in our small circle of influence?

~

Do we ...

stand between them and the destroyer... the one seeking to destroy their souls through wiles, sin, trickery, error, or injury ... around the clock ?

~

Do we ...

allow ourselves to be inconvenienced or to be without food for a season or to be separated from worldly pursuits in order to spiritually defend HIS+ little lambs, under our influence ?

~

Do we ...

guard and correct HIS+ lambs with gentle love, with tough love, with whatever is required to get them through life and moving safely towards The GOOD SHEPHERD+ ?

~

Do we...

risk rescuing HIS+ lamb, valiantly going after the lion or wolf who has attacked it and dragged it away from the flock, to devour it ?

~

Do we ...

spend sufficient time with the GREAT SHEPHERD+ and BISHOP+ of our souls for HIM+ to train us how to skillfully wield the un-carnal weapons of our warfare... which are mighty through GOD to the pulling down of strongholds ... in order to defend HIS+ lambs ?

~

Do we...

make certain our words, our lives, and our examples are providing spiritual nourishment at all times for this little flock ? Have we become a spring of Living Water+ flowing from The LORD through our hearts to HIS+ lambs unceasingly?

+ + +

.

Feed My+ lambs.

Feed My+ sheep.

Feed My+ sheep.

+

Why do ye call ME+

"LORD, LORD"

and do not

the things

which

I

say

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?

.

Whose child are you?

+ + +

TURN Ye...

For lo,

they that are far

from THEE+

shall perish:

THOU hast destroyed

all them that

go a whoring*

from THEE+.

Psalm 73:27

"A-whoring" means when you have a husband

and yet cleave unto other menfolk

in a defiling manner.

The Bride of CHRIST ought not to be a whore.

The Bride of The LAMB+ must not

defile the marriage covenant.

+ + +

A LENTEN PRAYER...

Forgive them all, O LORD:

Our sins of omission and our sins of commission;

The sins of our youth ...

and the sins of our riper years;

The sins of our souls and the sins of our bodies;

Our secret and our more open sins;

our sins of ignorance and surprise,

And our more deliberate and presumptuous sins;

The sins we have done to please ourselves

and the sins we have done to please others;

The sins we know and remember,

and the sins we have forgotten;

The sins we have striven to hide from others

and the sins by which we have made others offend;

Forgive them, O LORD,

forgive them all for His+ sake,

Who+ died for our sins

and rose for our deliverance,

And now stands at Thy Right Hand

To make intercession for us,

JESUS CHRIST our LORD.

Amen

Prayer found in Bayley Thompson's Hymn Book,

Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs

attributed to Wesley, slightly adapted by OGS.