For WHOM Do You EVANGELIZE ?

Circuit Preacher, from holstonlegacy.com



What?

Know ye not that your body is

the temple of the HOLY SPIRIT,

which is in you,

which ye have of GOD,

and ye are not your own?

For ye are bought with a Price+:

therefore glorify GOD in your body,

and in your spirit,

which are GOD'S.

I Cor. 6: 19-20

For WHOM do you evangelize?

What are you promoting with your life? If you are promoting the life-style of your community, then you are being "your own."

What are you promoting with your conversation, your words? If you are promoting "what you think", then you are still being "your own."

When you realize that YOU have been bought with a PRICE+ ... a PRICE+ that you can never repay with all the riches of this world... you will realize that you indeed are NOT YOUR OWN MASTER.

In the days of the slave markets in the ancient Roman world, slaves would be auctioned off, standing stark naked so their prospective owners could ascertain the value of their purchased property.

The Christians, who refused to attend theaters, sporting events, public baths, and other places that revealed the flesh, would go to the slave market and purchase one of these poor fellow humans.

For CHRIST JESUS, of course, was the purchase made.

The Christian would quickly clothe the nakedness of the new-bought slave... and set him or her free. For the love he bore to CHRIST JESUS, the Christian and his friends would provide the newly-freed slave with the means to make a living and an abode. 

The slave was FREE ! 

There were no strings attached.

The slave could take

his freedom,

his wealth,

his provision, 

...and GO. 

The slave was free to live his life however he wanted to live it. 

OR... 

the slave was welcome to attach himself to the Christian and find out WHY his life was being made so different from all the slaves he left behind in the slave market. 

As a witness for CHRIST JESUS, the Christians did this because... 

CHRIST JESUS 
DID that 

FOR THEM.

HE+ 

set the captives 

free... 

• Free from sin
• free from serving self
• free from being a slave of  human spirits and
• free from the control of the demonic forces.

  Free to follow HIM+ alone

  
  

  
  

~ WORSHIP: GUIDED MEDITATION ~ 

Response: O GOD, THOU knowest my foolishness: and my sins are not hid from THEE. I am NOT MY OWN; I am bought with a  PRICE+.

Before I was afflicted, I went astray: but now have I kept Thy+ Word+.

Response: O GOD, THOU knowest my foolishness: and my sins are not hid from THEE. I am NOT MY OWN; I am bought with a  PRICE+.

It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn Thy+ statutes.

Response: O GOD, THOU knowest my foolishness: and my sins are not hid from THEE. I am NOT MY OWN; I am bought with a  PRICE+.

I know, O LORD, that Thy+ judgments are right, and that THOU+ in faithfulness has afflicted me.

  
Response: O GOD, THOU knowest my foolishness: and my sins are not hid from THEE. I am NOT MY OWN; I am bought with a  PRICE+.

WORTHY IS THE LAMB+ !

Worthy is The LAMB+ Who+ 

has guided my afflictions;

Worthy is The LAMB+ !

Worthy is The LAMB+ Who+ 

 sets me free; 

Worthy is The LAMB+ ! 

Worthy is The LAMB+ Who+ 

allows me to be HIS+ freed slave 
...or to follow my own way;

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. 

Blessing and honor and glory and power

be unto HIM that sitteth upon the Throne 

and unto The LAMB+ 

forever and ever

Amen.  

Monastic GUIDED MEDITATIONS for the Individual...

Photo by the  Order of the GOOD SHEPHERD+

The purpose of a Guided Meditation is to draw close to Our LORD JESUS. That involves becoming very still in the inner man. 

Some have done this by reading 20 Psalms a day because it takes the reading of that many Psalms in order for the stillness to seep into the human spirit. The Psalms act as a buffer to keep the distractions at a distance. 

We need a way to quickly focus on The LORD, to hear His+ still, small Voice.  We need to hear His+ Voice to guide us through the day and to keep us secure in HIM+. But, being human, we oftentimes do forsake doing the Psalms and push on with our demanding activities of the day.

The beauty of these short, guided meditations is that you can tailor make them to fit your own personal needs, to fit the areas of your life about which The LORD is speaking to you, perhaps for a week, perhaps for a season.

From doing these three sections of verses on a theme ( as you will be able to see below ), certain parts of the Word of GOD which you need will become in-grained within your spirit. The ANTIPHON helps you to worship.

The WORSHIP part (“Worthy is the LAMB+…”) also becomes personal to YOU , as you worship HIM+ for Who+ HE+ is, for what HE+ is doing in your life, for making HIMSELF+ known unto you.

When doing GUIDED MEDITATIONS, one can draw into that Quietude of Heart that is needed. 

When entering into that Quietude of Heart that is un-disturbed by distractions, it is then we “commune” with Our SAVIOR+. 

And, at that point, we are nourished in our soul by HIM+. 

GUIDED MEDITATIONS  

~ ~ ~ Supplications ~ ~ ~

( A Pattern for Meditative Worship for the Individual )

ANTIPHON: The humble shall see and be glad: and your heart shall live that seek GOD. Psalm 69:32 [The Antiphon is repeated after every verse.]

Cause me to hear Thy+ lovingkindness in the morning; for in THEE+ do I trust: cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto THEE+ .  Psalm 143:8

ANTIPHON: The humble shall see and be glad: and your heart shall live that seek GOD.

What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the HOLY SPIRIT which is in you, which ye have of GOD, and ye are not your own. For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify GOD in your body, and in your spirit, which are GOD’S.    I Cor. 19,20

 ANTIPHON: The humble shall see and be glad: and your heart shall live that seek GOD.

Order my steps in Thy Word: and let not any iniquity have dominion over me.   Psalm 119:133

[ The Supplications may  be profitably repeated 3 X, slowly, to deepen the Meditation.]

The Worship

Worthy is the LAMB+ Who+ ….. [ To finish the three sentences, simply select an item in the above verses which speaks to your heart and insert it here, to complete each sentence of praise.  Here is an example of how to do this.]

• Worthy is the LAMB+  Who+...  speaks His+ love to me this morning. Amen and AlleluJAH. Worthy is the LAMB+ that was slain…

• Worthy is the LAMB+  Who+... has bought me by His+ Blood. Amen and AlleluJAH. Worthy is the LAMB+ that was slain…  

• Worthy is the LAMB+ Who+... orders my steps in HIS+ Word. Amen and AlleluJAH. Worthy is the LAMB+ that was slain...

Worthy is the LAMB+ 

that was slain 

to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing.

Blessing and honor and glory and power be unto HIM that sitteth upon the throne and unto The LAMB+.

Amen and AlleluJAH !

Glory Be to 

The FATHER,

and to The SON+,

and to the HOLY SPIRIT.

As it was in the beginning,

is now and ever shall be.

World without end .

Amen. Amen.

Behold, The LAMB+ .... #3

Preparation for the Passover Season

Photo by Sonomachristianhome. com

Rubric: 

During "Guided Meditation" times, RESPONSES appropriate for the Passover Preparation Season, ( known as Lent ), are said in between the Psalms, Scriptures, and spiritual songs.  These are mini-phrases of worship.

It is customary during the Passover Preparation Season to omit the words "glory" or "HalleluJAH" in the praises. They are added back into the Christian praises on Resurrection Day. 

Here are a few responses appropriate for the season to add to your "Guided Meditation" booklet. It is good to memorize these responses and use them after Psalms, Scripture readings, or after rising from prayers or other items of worship.

Our GOD reigneth from the Tree*, 

O Come, let us adore HIM+ ! 

And the Government shall be 

upon His+ Shoulders, 

O Come, let us adore HIM+ ! 

Worthy is the LAMB+!

 Worthy is the LAMB+ 

that was slain!
O Come, let us adore HIM+ !

( or the longer version: )

 Worthy is the LAMB+!

 Worthy is the LAMB+ 

that was slain!

  Worthy is the LAMB+ 

that was slain 

to receive power 

and riches 

and wisdom 

and strength 

and honor 

and glory 

and blessing !

Rubric: 

The Gloria is not used during this Passover or Lenten season. In its place, one can start the "Guided Meditation" with this opening, before the guided meditation begins:

Blessed be GOD: 

FATHER, 

SON+, 

and HOLY SPIRIT;

and Blessed be HIS Kingdom, 

for ever and ever. 

Amen.

+ + + 

 * ... "reigneth from the Tree" was in the original verse of Psalm 96:10, according to the early Christian writer, Justin Martyr, Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 1, chapter 73, "Dialogue With Trypho."  

WORTHY IS THE LAMB...

...that was slain

to receive power and riches

and wisdom and strength and honor

and glory and blessing !

+ + +

During this season of the preparation for the GREAT PASSOVER of The LAMB+ of GOD, all serious-minded Christians clean house. We search our hearts for the leaven of the world that has crept in unawares. We search our hearts for the leaven of Self-will that has insidiously re-established itself in our lives. In doing this, we honor The LORD JESUS CHRIST, for HE+ was GOD of the Old Testament as well as GOD of the new, The LIVING WORD+ made flesh Who+ dwells among us.

+ + +

In the Old Testament, The LORD instructed the Israelites to carry a paddle with them in the wilderness. It was to bury their waste products, so that it would be "clean" when HE walked among them (Dt. 23:13-14). In addition, HE instructed them to rid their dwellings of leaven during the Passover season. They assiduously did this because... NOT TO DO IT MEANT THAT THEY WOULD BE CUT OFF FROM THE PROMISES GIVEN TO ISRAEL (Ex. 12:15).

+ + +

Likewise, we must do the same today.

We must make our camp during our earthly sojourn clean,

both from "waste" products ~ what comes out of us ~

and

from what is taken inside of us, what we "eat."

Some like to reinforce both the purging and the consumption

by a strict or restricted form of eating, disciplining the flesh.

It is quite fruitful and very Scriptural to bring the flesh

under submission to the HOLY SPIRIT in this manner.

SOME have found this to be so VERY fruitful

that they have made this a Way of Life.

It draws them closer to The LORD.

+ + +

So, where do we want to go ... closer or farther from The LORD?

If we want to come closer to HIM+ [and we are not currently being persecuted and tortured for knowing HIM+] , we must practice a disciplining of our flesh in order to accomplish the goal to draw closer to CHRIST JESUS Our LORD.

+ + +

During this season, we refrain from saying "glory" and "HalleluJAH" or "AlleluJAH." We substitute instead: "Worthy, Worthy is The LAMB+ that was slain! " We substitute, "Blessed be GOD: FATHER, SON+, and HOLY SPIRIT, and Blessed be HIS+ Kingdom, both now and forever, Amen" for the Gloria Patri. To replace the HalleluJAHs, we say instead: "Bless GOD!" These are little disciplines which serve to remind us of the great sacrifice of Our SAVIOR+ for the sins of the whole world... specifically, ours.

+ + +

Let us pray:

O LORD our GOD, we say we want to walk with THEE+... but we shy away from Self-denial. Help us to value TRUTH so much that we will embrace the discipline, the cross, in order to come closer to HIM+ Who+ is all Truth, Thy Beloved SON+ JESUS CHRIST, The ONE+ Who+ denied HIMSELF+ even HIS+ life's blood in order to give us Life Eternal. Help us to deny our Selves and show us the right way to do it. In the Holy name of Our LORD JESUS we pray. Amen.

+ + +

LENTEN MEDITATION 24--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!

And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth,

and under the earth, and such as are in the sea,

and all that are in them, heard I saying,

Blessing and honor , and glory, and power,

be unto HIM that sitteth upon the throne,

and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.

Amen.