Set Apart... A Vessel Meet for the MASTER +...

At midnight,

I will rise to give thanks unto THEE+

because of Thy+ righteous jugdments. 

Psalm 119:62

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Some, of course, take this Scripture on face value and set their hearts and their clocks to rise up at midnight and offer Psalms, prayers, and thanksgivings ! Can you just imagine the benefits of peace and joy that must flow to those who do this?

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We strive EVERY hour of the day or night to focus on The LORD. At night, when we arise for a drink of water or to take care of our needs, we give thanks to Our LORD. While sleeping, we give thanks when we turn over or when a noise awakens us and we are still groggy. It becomes a habit to turn every adjustment into an opportunity to remember our Great LORD. .

In that remembering, let us not forget HIS+ righteous judgments. Yes, HE+ will take care of the evil doers in time. HE+ will also take care of HIS+ own who persist in disobedience, leaning on "cheap" grace to get them through.

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Read Numbers 15 and 16. The LORD had commanded HIS+ people to set apart a day of rest... a sabbath... on the 7th day of the week. One man shrugged it off and went to gather sticks. He was caught and put into hold until Moses could ascertain the mind of The LORD. The LORD instructed them to stone that man! 

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What's wrong with picking up sticks ?

Nothing.

What's wrong with disobedience?

EVERYTHING.

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Disobedience will cost you

 your life in CHRIST.

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( See Matthew 7:21 )

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O LORD, with mercy hear my cry ! I have disobeyed THEE+ in innumerable little ways. I have not rendered to THEE+ "first time" obedience as I ought... yet I require that of others.  My tongue, the thoughts of my heart, my relentless judgment of others all cry out against me.

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Help me to extend the same mercy to others as THOU+ dost extend towards me; cleanse me, heal me, and do not hold it against me.  Send my sins far, far away and cover my nakedness with Thy+ Blood, O LAMB of GOD, Who+ taketh away the sins of the world. Have mercy upon me, a sinner.  

+  +  +

Passover 2011

Meditation #3

Set Apart.... A Vessel Meet for The MASTER+ ...

Psalm 119:57

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THOU+ art my portion, O LORD:

I have said that I would keep Thy+ Words.

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Forgive me, LORD, for ignoring Thy+ Word to turn the other cheek,  as THOU+ hast done toward THINE+ enemies. Forgive me, LORD, for hotly refusing to go the second mile, as THOU+ hast done with Thy+ disciples.

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Change me into Thy+ likeness and image, O LORD, as it pleases THEE+. Yes, I have said that I would keep Thy+ words.
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Help me to do what I have promised THEE+, for all Thy+ marvelous benefits towards me. Great is Thy+ faithfulness; The LORD is my portion saith my soul; therefore, I will trust in THEE+.

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I do from henceforth

set apart
my heart

for THEE+, O LORD.

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+ + +  

Passover 2011

Meditation #2

Set Apart...  

Anger is NOT an OPTION...

... but HIDING is .

THOU+ art my hiding place;

THOU+ shalt preserve me from trouble;

THOU+ shalt compass me about

with songs of deliverance.

Psalm 32:7

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We all know how to love our enemies...

if they are outside the home.

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But , what do we do when the hurt comes towards our heart

from within the intimate family circle?

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And, where do we go when that hurt

occurs over and over again ?

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THOU+ shalt hide them

in the secret of Thy Presence+

from the pride of man;

THOU+ shalt keep them

secretly in a pavilion

from the strife of tongues.

Psalm 31:20

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Spouses hurt one another's heart. Siblings hurt one another's heart. Parents hurt the hearts of their children and off-spring hurt the hearts of their parents.

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HURT,

because of the Adamic curse,

is HERE TO STAY

while we are in this body,

on planet earth.

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Some counsel to "up-front" and "honest" with our feelings: i.e., "...when you do (or say) that, it hurts my feelings because...." However, in my own tumultuous life, I have seldom seen honesty like that do anything but cause MORE problems, no matter how calmly it is shared.

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A better way is to follow The LORD'S COMMANDS: turn the other cheek, go the second mile, return a soft answer.

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THOU+ art my hiding place

and my shield:

I hope in Thy Word+.

Psalm 119: 114

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However, in the midst TAKING the hurt... when our heart is bleeding or breaking... it is good to HIDE IN CHRIST+. No immediate verbal response is necessary when we HIDE IN CHRIST+.

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For in the time of trouble HE+

shall hide me in His+ pavilion:

in the secret of His+ tabernacle

shall HE+ hide me;

HE+ shall set me up upon a rock.

Psalm 27:5

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We learn to scurry under the shelter of His+ Wings and take refuge there until the storm is overpast. When we HIDE in CHRIST+, we learn to let HIM+ do the battling; we are silent. We leave the battle in His+ Hands.

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Keep me as the apple of the eye,

hide me under the shadow of Thy+ Wings,

Psalm 17:8

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We cry out to HIM+ in our anguish, for protection. We start forgiving as soon as we collect our wits, even in the midst of the verbal attack. We learn to do spiritual warfare in the midst of the hurtful attack and silently BIND the evil spirits at work, in the name of The LORD JESUS CHRIST+.

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By doing all of this, our hands and our hearts will be too full for us to indulge in our own anger, which only aids and abets the enemy who is attacking us.

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If we slip into an angry reaction,

we are NOT HIDING IN CHRIST+;

we are on our own in the battle.

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So, we must repent if we think anger is an "option" when we get hurt.

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We must learn to

HIDE IN CHRIST+.

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+ + +