Showing posts with label Leviticus 17. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Leviticus 17. Show all posts

3/06/2014

Pre-Passover Meditation ~ ~ ~ The LIFE of the Flesh


 Photo by The ORDER OF THE GOOD SHEPHERD+
The Way of the CROSS Leads Home


The Invitatory: 
CHRIST the KING+ has suffered for us; 
O Come, Let us Adore HIM+






Old Testament Lesson: Leviticus 17:12-14
Scriptures courtesy of Biblegateway.com

12 Therefore I said unto the children of Israel, No soul of you shall eat blood, neither shall any stranger that sojourneth among you eat blood.

13 And whatsoever man there be of the children of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn among you, which hunteth and catcheth any beast or fowl that may be eaten; he shall even pour out the blood thereof, and cover it with dust.


14 For it is the life of all flesh; the blood of it is for the life thereof: therefore I said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall eat the blood of no manner of flesh: for the life of all flesh is the blood thereof: whosoever eateth it shall be cut off.


QUIETUDE: A time to Reflect about the BLOOD+

RESPONSE: 

Worthy is The LAMB+. 
Worthy is The LAMB+. 
WORTHY is The LAMB+ that was slain,
to receive power and riches and wisdom 
and strength and honor and glory 
and blessing! 
Amen. 

Lesson from the Epistles: 2 Corinthians 5:10-11
Scriptures courtesy of Biblegateway.com

10 For we must all appear before the Judgment Seat of CHRIST; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.
11 Knowing therefore the terror of The LORD, we persuade men; 

but we are made manifest unto GOD; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences.

QUIETUDE: A time to repent.

RESPONSE:  

LORD, have mercy upon us. 
CHRIST, have mercy upon us. 
LORD, have mercy upon us. 

And let not the enemy exact upon us, 
for our trust is in THEE+. 

AMEN.

The GOSPEL Lesson:
 Mark 9:45- 46  ~ ~ ~ 


The Words of Our LORD JESUS CHRIST ~ ~ ~

"And if thy foot causes you to sin, cut it off: 

it is better for you to enter into LIFE lame, than having two feet to be cast into hell, 

into the fire that never shall be quenched:  

Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched."


The WORD of The LORD.
  
THANKS BE TO GOD !

Meditation ~ ~ ~

Running with the crowd, doing what "everybody else" is doing, having to run to the store to buy the up-to-date and latest item... reflect values not based on The LORD, nor the values of His+ Kingdom, nor ways that please HIM+, our Judge+.

Yet, running... doing.... having...  consume most of our time and energies and thoughts. 

We focus on JESUS our LORD during our 1 of prayer time, perhaps.... and on temporal issues during all the other 15 hours of our wakeful time !

So, we give HIM+ a crumb of our time, a nod each day.

Fasting? Yes. Let's try fasting our time... or better yet, our thought patterns, our focus. 

Do we tithe our TIME? 

HE+ grants each of us 24 hours every day. If we focused only on JESUS the LORD for a "tithe" of our day, we would be in FOCUS ( i.e., prayer, meditation, Bible reading,) for 2.4 hours each day. Powerhouse Christians!

If our focus is on JESUS as LORD, we would be much better equipped to avoid doing things displeasing to The LORD, like eating meat with the blood still in it.

( Remember: HE+ has not changed the rule; we have, in our casual, modern life-style. HE+ still regards the blood of any living creature as sacred. )

If our focus is fixed steadfastly upon JESUS the LORD, our only Mediator+ and Advocate+, then we will truly KNOW the "terror" of The LORD and be willing to pay the price to convince others of the terror of Judgment Day... and the Judgment Seat of CHRIST+  because...  

It is there.

It is real.


It awaits each one 
who professes  
to follow JESUS.

The white throne judgment
awaits all those
whose names 
are not written
in The LAMB'S + 
Book of Life.
( Rev. 20:15 )    





Let us pray: 

O Gracious Heavenly FATHER, in the Name of Thy HOLY SON+ JESUS CHRIST,  WHO+ for the joy that was set before HIM+ endured the Cross, I come to THEE, confessing my negligence of my calling. 

O LORD, THOU+ hast given me every help I need to walk well-pleasing with THEE+.  I have Thy+ Holy Word; every word in it is GOD-breathed, yet I have taken your words casually and not laid them to heart. 

I confess my negligence in persuading those around me of the terror that awaits a person who continually and persistently walks contrary to THEE+, O LORD.

THOU+ art clear when You judge and justified when You speak. 

How can I thank THEE+ enough for providing me a refuge from Divine wrath through Thy+ HOLY BLOOD, as I confess my sins and sincerely amend my ways through the Help of Thy+ Countenance.

With Thy+ Help, O LORD, I will walk well-pleasing in Thy+ sight. 


This I pray in The Name of  JESUS CHRIST our LORD, The Eternal SON+ and WORD+ of GOD our FATHER, through the Blessed HOLY SPIRIT. 
Amen.      





3/05/2014

ASH WEDNESDAY MEDITATION 2014

Photo by The ORDER of The GOOD SHEPHERD+

Azaleas Hidden in The Woods

Ash Wednesday Meditation
the first day
of the Pre-Passover Preparations 
for the sacrifice of the Passover LAMB+
commonly known as "Lent"

The Collect from 
The Book of Common Prayer... 

Almighty and everlasting GOD, 
Who hatest nothing that THOU hast made, 
and dost forgive the sins of all those who are penitent; 

Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, 
that we, 
worthily lamenting our sins 
and acknowledging our wretchedness, 

may obtain of THEE, The GOD of all mercy, 
perfect remission and forgiveness; 
through JESUS CHRIST our LORD. 
Amen.

Old Testament Lesson: Leviticus 17:11

For the Life of the flesh is in the BLOOD, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an ATONEMENT for your souls; for it is the BLOOD that maketh an atonement for the soul. 

QUIETUDE: A time to Reflect about the BLOOD+

RESPONSE: 

Worthy is The LAMB+. 
Worthy is The LAMB+. 
WORTHY is The LAMB+ that was slain,
to receive power and riches and wisdom 
and strength and honor and glory 
and blessing! 
Amen. 

Lesson from the Epistles: 2 Corinthians 5:9,10

Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent to be well pleasing to HIM+.  

For we must all appear before the Judgment Seat of CHRIST, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. 

QUIETUDE: A time to repent.

RESPONSE:  

LORD, have mercy upon us. 
CHRIST, have mercy upon us. 
LORD, have mercy upon us. 

And let not the enemy exact upon us, 
for our trust is in THEE+. 

AMEN.

The GOSPEL Lesson: Mark 9:43- 44  ~ ~ ~ 
The Words of Our LORD JESUS CHRIST ~ ~ ~ 

"If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. 

It is better for you to enter into LIFE maimed, 
rather than having two hands, 
to go into Hell, 

... into the fire that never shall be quenched, 

... where their worm dieth not 
and the fire is not quenched."

The WORD of The LORD.  
THANKS BE TO GOD !

Meditation ~ ~ ~

Just how AWFUL is sin ... to you ? Your sin is worse than others' sins, you know.  Do you hate sin in your life so badly that you are willing to cut off your own hand rather than to keep sinning ? 

Few of us are willing to do this. 

Yet, the Promise of Life to those who hate their own sin rightfully is this: your hand will be RESTORED WHOLE again when you Enter the Kingdom of Life Eternal with JESUS ! You will lose nothing that you have discarded in fighting your own sinful flesh when you pass into the Heavenlies. You will be rewarded for every stand you have taken against your own sin. 

As a matter of fact, you WIN ! 

Let us pray: 

O Gracious Heavenly FATHER, in the Name of Thy HOLY SON+ JESUS CHRIST,  WHO+ for the joy that was set before HIM+ endured the Cross, I come to THEE, afraid of the consequences of my own sin in my own life.  

I have not loved THEE+ as I ought.
   
I have not forsaken all.
  
I have harbored things in my heart 
that I KNOW are unworthy of a follower of THEE+.
   
I have lifted up my "know-it-all" spirit 
and done presumptuous sin.

I acknowledge myself to be in need of Thy+ cleansing 
and reformation power.

O, LORD, I am in desperate need of Thy+ cleansing. Change me, O LORD. Have mercy upon me. Extend Thy+ mercy with Thy+ Cleansing BLOOD unto me, a sinner.

This I pray in The Sight of The FATHER, The SON+, and The HOLY SPIRIT. 
Amen.