Pre-Passover MEDITATIONS for the Lenten Season

Photo by The ORDER of The GOOD SHEPHERD+
 Azaleas Hidden in the Woods

The season known commonly as Lent in the Christian church calendar is the season of fasting and repenting of one's sins during a 40-day period preceding Holy Week and The Resurrection.  

The word "lent" itself is from the German, according to Wikipedia, and it simply means "spring" ~ ~ ~ derived from the Germanic word "long" , relating to the "longer" days when springtime arrives after winter. 

Thus, the word "lent" or "lenten" is a secular term and the name LENT has nothing to do with Christianity, in and of itself, nor does it even mean "repentance." 

Therefore, we at the Order of the GOOD SHEPHERD+ have re-named this season of repentance with a term associated with What Happened at this season of the year in the ancient Holy Calendar: "Pre-Passover Preparations."    

Repentance --- removing the old leaven as was commanded before the Passover Season --- is certainly the central theme of this important Christian season leading up to Holy Week.

During Holy Week, we remember Our LORD'S death and sacrifice for our transgressions, HIM+ being bruised for our iniquities. We remember the chastisement of our peace was upon HIM+, and that with HIS+ stripes --- not ours --- we are healed.

During this season in which we remove the old leaven of malice and wickedness, we search our hearts before GOD, asking HIM+ to show us areas hidden to our own deceitful hearts, areas where we need to repent.

It starts with Ash Wednesday, with the acknowledgement that WE INDEED ARE SINNERS... and have need of a SAVIOR+. 

CHRIST OUR PASSOVER 

IS SACRIFICED FOR US

THEREFORE, LET US KEEP THE FEAST. 

Not with old leaven, 

neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness

but with the un-leavened bread 

of purity and Truth. 

Let us search our hearts... beginning now.  

Behold, The LAMB+ .... #1

Preparations for the Passover Season...

Photo by Sonomachristianhome.com

During this Lenten Season we will be focusing on WORSHIP during times of Private, Individual Meditation... in order to draw near to The LAMB+ of GOD Who+ taketh away the sin of the word. 

In order to do this, we will learn to practice "Guided Meditation" during Quiet times of prayer. Recommended Quiet Times are early in the morning, 9 a.m., noon, 3 p.m. ( the hours of the Crucifixion ) and  / or 6 p.m. 

During this season, it is GOOD to practice fasting of some sort: fast some sleep times, some entertainments, some foods or days, fast from temporal activities and normal friendly "interaction" via emails or phone... in order to MAKE IT A PRIORITY to sit quietly with HIM+ Who+ is the LAMB+ of GOD. 

Thus, during this particular Season of the Preparation for Passover,  the posts will be about how to come into worship during devotional times within the individual prayer closet. 

The Guided Meditations may be printed out and made into a personal prayer booklet.  Each one is MOST effective if prayed aloud, very slowly, meditating on Who+ HE+ is. 

It is recommended that each Guided Meditation will be prayed through, contemplatively, 3 times. Spontaneous prayer, worship, and most likely, tears of healing will follow such a Meditation.

Psalms or other Scripture verses can be added at will. 

So, on this Ash Wednesday, our first Guided Meditation will be the familiar "spiritual song"... 

Agnus Dei... The LAMB+ of GOD. 

O  LAMB+ of GOD,  

LORD JESUS CHRIST, 

Who+ taketh away the sin of the world...

have mercy upon us. 

O LAMB+ of GOD, 

LORD JESUS CHRIST, 

Bearer of our sins... 

have mercy upon us. 

O LAMB+ of GOD, 

LORD JESUS CHRIST, 

SAVIOR of the world... 

grant us Thy+ Peace.

Rubrics: 

This is to be repeated 2 X, slowly and reverently, pausing between the phrases, in order to become quieted enough to be aware of  His+ Presence.+  

The 3rd time through, replace US with "me",  OUR with "my" or your name. 

In The Name of The FATHER, 

HIS HOLY SON+, 

Our LORD JESUS CHRIST, 

and The Blessed 

HOLY SPIRIT. 

Amen.  

MEDITATIONS on The WORD of GOD

PSALM 5:3

My voice shalt THOU hear

in the morning, O LORD;

in the morning

will I direct my prayer unto THEE,

and will look up.

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MEDITATIONS on The WORD of GOD

PSALM 4:8

I will both lay me down in peace,

and sleep:

for THOU, LORD, only [alone]

makest me dwell in safety.

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MEDITATIONS on The WORD of GOD

PSALM 4:3

But know that the LORD

hath set apart

him that is godly

for HIMSELF+:

The LORD will hear

when I call unto HIM+.

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MEDITATIONS on The WORD of GOD

PSALM 3:3

But thou, O LORD,

art a shield for me;

my glory,

and the lifter up of mine head.

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Meditations from The WORD of GOD


PSALM 2:12

Kiss the SON,

lest HE+ be angry,

and ye perish from the way,

when HIS+ wrath is kindled but a little !

Blessed are all they that put their
trust in HIM+.

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MEDITATIONS on The WORD of GOD ~~~ Our Refuge

MEDITATIONS from the WORD of GOD

PSALM 9: 9-10

The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed,

a refuge in times of trouble.

And they that know thy name

will put their trust in thee:

for thou, LORD, hast not forsaken

them that seek thee.

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MEDITATIONS on The WORD of GOD

...The Rose of Sharon...

MEDITATIONS on The WORD of GOD

Hear The Words of The LORD JESUS CHRIST:

Matthew 6:31-32
Therefore take no thought, saying,

What shall we eat?

or, What shall we drink?

or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?

(For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:)

for your heavenly FATHER knoweth

that ye have need of all these things.

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Judgment seems to be falling upon the world-wide mammon-serving system, the system. IT SHOULD. It is the mammon system which keeps men enslaved, by either love of mammon ...or fear of mammon. Sadly, engendering covetousness is a multi-million dollar business in western civilization and we have all been the victims of its programmed covetousness. The well-planned system of Covetousness as well as mammon will be judged.

Therefore, it is high time we Christians extricate ourselves from mammon’s control. We can only do this through The WORD of GOD, by the power of the HOLY SPIRIT, by serving CHRIST JESUS and doing HIS+ Will. We don’t want to fall under the Divine Judgment most assuredly coming against these kings of the earth and their system of unjust weights and measures or their system of covetousness. They are over-ripe for the judgment coming.

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Let us pray:

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Forgive me, O LORD GOD, that I have taken the blessings of food and clothing and shelter for granted so much of my life. LORD JESUS, my KING, turn me away from coveting my neighbors' clothes, houses, lands, cars, modern conveniences, or life-styles.

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Forgive me for feasting my eyes upon magazines, advertisements, and even store windows which engender discontent and covetousness in me. Cleanse me of sowing to the flesh instead of unto Thy+ SPIRIT.

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Cleanse me of allowing mammon to make me afraid. Help me to put Your Kingdom and the furtherance of it above my material wants.

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Help me to live simply for Your Sake+, so that I may bear perfect witness of YOU, My LORD and MASTER+. Re-teach me how to be content and to stop lusting after the things of this world.

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Help me to lay up my security for the future into Your KINGDOM... and Yours alone. It will never fail, like the banks and retirement accounts and all the temporal securities that promise my future well-being, in the kingdom of mammon.

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I give you thanks and praise, O LORD, for removing me from this world's mammon-serving values and putting me solidly into Your KINGDOM. I pledge my allegiance unto YOU, O LORD, both now and forever. Amen.

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<(((><... swim in the waters of your baptism.

MEDITATIONS on The WORD of GOD...

Meditations for Troublous Times

from The LIVING WORD+ of GOD

Hear the Words of The LORD JESUS CHRIST:

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BUT SEEK YE FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD,
and HIS+ righteousness;
and all these things

shall be added unto you.

TAKE THEREFORE NO THOUGHT

FOR THE MORROW:
for the morrow shall take thought

for the things of itself.

Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

Matthew 6:33-34

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Our LORD JESUS CHRIST told us how to live in regards to mammon. HE+ lived that way HIMSELF+... setting our example.

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Let us pray:

LORD JESUS CHRIST, SON+ of GOD, I worship You and thank You for providing for me from the beginning of my life unto this very day.

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Forgive me, LORD, for taking all manner of thought for the morrow. Turn me from having one eye on the Kingdom of GOD… and the other on some kind of temporal security!

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Grant me the courage, O LORD, to actually seek first the Kingdom of GOD and Thy+ Righteousness. When my hands are FULL of doing Your Will, I know securely my heart and my soul and my body shall rest, because YOU have promised and GOD is not a man, that HE+ should lie.

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Forgive me for crossing, for transgressing, Your Holy Words, LORD JESUS.

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I acknowledge that YOU+ and YOU+ ALONE are the KING of kings and the LORD of lords. Therefore, I commit my life… and my keeping unto THEE +, KING of all the ages … both now and for all Eternity.

Amen.

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<(((>< ... swim in the waters of your baptism...