HOLY WEEK ~ 2023 ~ HE+ CHOSE the CROSS ~ HOLY MONDAY

 And it came to pass, when the time was come that HE+ should be received up,  HE+ stedfastly set His+ face to go to Jerusalem, ^{Luke 9:51} 

Advent Meditations 2012



JOY+ to the world...



MEDITATION 12

And Mariam arose in those days

and went into the hill country with haste,

into a city of Judah;

and entered into the house of Zacharias,

and saluted Elisabeth.

And it came to pass that,

when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mariam, the babe leaped in her womb;

and Elisabeth was filled

with the HOLY SPIRIT.

Luke 1: 39-41

Do we leap for joy when we hear the name of JESUS .... when we hear someone exalting HIM+ ?

Do we rejoice so much that we are filled with the HOLY SPIRIT, as Elisabeth was ?

O House of Joy ! For even the babe in Elisabeth's womb knew when to leap for joy!

Meditation

O LAMB that was slain.... for the joy that was set before THEE+ , THOU+ didst endure the Cross, despising the shame.

Me, I am lacking endurance, O LORD , as THOU+ knowest. Instead of enduring, I run and hide. I turn my attention to "other important things". I hide in books, DVD's, duties, and even fellowship.

Increase my steadfastness, O MIGHTY ONE+, and help me to engage the battle against my flesh, to endure until the victory is sure and certain. Keep me from avoiding the Cross THOU+ hast chosen for me.

When I have endured, Thy+ Joy will be my portion and THEN, my joy will be full. 

I thank THEE+ for enduring the Cross so that I, when I endure my little cross, I may have JOY, also. 

Joy to the World!  Yes, JOY cometh by the means of the Cross. Yes indeed, JOY+ to the world!

In the name of JESUS I pray. Amen. 

Advent Meditations 2012

Advent Meditations

Luke 1:36-37

And behold, thy cousin, Elisabeth,

hath also conceived a son in her old age;

and this is the sixth month with her,

who was called barren.

For with GOD

nothing shall be impossible.

Unexpected comfort is given to the Obedient Servant of GOD, the Hebrew virgin Mariam.  Although being found with child out of wedlock would bring a certain and sure condemnation from others, The LORD planned a way to comfort the Obedient One, confirming His+ Word to Mariam. 

Herein is a lesson for us: No matter how bitter the obedience, The LORD will always send a confirmation to those obeying him.

How sweet that confirmation is in the midst of cross-carrying!

As the Obedient Servant commits his / her life unto the Hand of The LORD, and rejoices,  then The LORD will send His+ Comforter to the suffering, Obedient Follower of His+ will.

And to him [ Gamaliel ] they agreed; and when they had called the Apostles and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of JESUS, and let them go .

And they departed from the presence of the Council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for HIS+ name.

And daily in the Temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach JESUS CHRIST. Acts 5: 40-42

Meditation

Gracious Heavenly FATHER Who maketh the bitterest obedience endurable, help me to embrace the bitter Way of The Cross.

As our SAVIOR embraced the bitter sting of death to open the Kingdom of Heaven to all believers, help me to embrace Thy will when it involves sorrow, suffering, ignominy, and pain.

And, O FATHER, in The Name of Thy Suffering SON+ JESUS, help me to comfort those who mourn and suffer as the result of  preaching Thy Word, as the result of doing Thy Will.

Let me never, ever close my eyes to the suffering of my brothers and sisters who bear in their bodies the scars of the cross... the Cross THOU+ has brought for them to bear.

I thank THEE for allowing me in some small way join our SAVIOR in His+ suffering; I know at the appointed time, HE+ will wipe away all my tears. 

Glory to THEE+, LORD GOD of our fathers; THOU+ are worthy of praise. Glory to THEE+ ! 

A REFLECTION OF CHRIST JESUS...

Christian marriages, as we all know, are to reflect to the world CHRIST and HIS+ BRIDE, the church. So often, however, they reflect a battle of Selves.

.

Far from reflecting CHRIST JESUS, the marriage partners do well if they can spend one day together without arguing. Oftentimes, one ... or both... partners live lives of deep and bitter dispair.

.

How, then, would CHRIST

have us to behave

if we are caught*

in such a situation?

.

Yes, "caught" is the correct word here because people change. Oftentimes a couple will start out thinking they are equally yoked, as per Scripture. One may be more spiritually-minded than his partner, but that is often overlooked by the couple in love and sadly, by their church elders and parents.

.

Yet, even if the marriage partners are VERY equally yoked, people go through changes. If the marriage partners change together, in the same direction, then the marriage will stay intact. But if they don't change in unison, then the enemy wreaks havoc in their midst... unless one of the partners chooses to go deeper with CHRIST JESUS.

.

HE+ is the only way

for a dis-jointed marriage

to correct itself.

.

The Cross is set in stone and dirt,

The uprights made of coarse, hewn wood.

Established there, upon our hurt,

It is the Way HE+ trod.

The Cross is set within my heart;

The uprights hold my soul.

It is established for my good,

Now I call it home.

+

O LORD JESUS CHRIST,

With my whole heart I cry unto THEE+. I pour out my troubles before THEE+, O THOU+ Who+ knewest great affliction and sorrow. When my spirit is over-whelmed within me, I will look only to THEE+ Who+ alone can see in the darkness. Even though no-one cares for my soul, I will say THOU+ art my refuge and my portion in the land of the living. O Rock of Ages, I will hide myself in THEE+until these troubles be overpast. Keep me as the apple of Thine+ eye.

.

O Gracious ONE+ Who+ will not let me go... I yield my life, my love, and my broken dreams unto THEE+, knowing I can entrust them all into Thy+ keeping. Correct the vision I have of myself and why I am in this marriage union. Conform me and my marriage into what THOU+ wouldst have it to be... to bring glory unto THEE+ ...and to reflect Who+ THOU+ art unto this dead and dying world.

.

In Thy+ Holy Name, O LORD CHRIST, I pray, and in the name of Thy Holy FATHER, and Thy HOLY SPIRIT, I worship and praise Thy+ Holy Goodness to me and to all the sons of men.

.

+ + +

.

A Return to Discipleship...

A Return to Discipleship...

...is not an option.

.

<(((><

.

Discipleship is what keeps the train on the track. It is what keeps us moving forward, on toward CHRIST.

.

.

Some Christian Believers have discovered discipleship through a submissive obedience to the leading of the HOLY SPIRIT. Others have stumbled across the necessity of discipleship purely by accident... when they have been frustrated with ~AND REJECTED~ their bone-dry "walk" with CHRIST. Still others have been pushed to it by sorrow, injury, illness, or handicap.

.

.

One thing is certain: there is no growth without a determined, purposeful discipleship.

.

.

WRONG.

.

In all truth, there really is growth... but not towards CHRIST. The growth will be towards the world in dress and thought, towards secret and open indulgences of the flesh, towards deadness and numbness and coldness towards CHRIST. In our daily busy-ness of mind, body, and duties... is our on-fire effort going toward something(s) other than CHRIST ?

.

.

Many of us have come so far from the old man. Is it worth losing what we have gained in CHRIST through so many tears and renderings of our flesh...

...to let it slip away

due to

spiritual laziness?

.

.

Are we content with this ?

.

.

Making the effort toward a determined discipleship is NOT SALVATION BY WORKS: it is simply staying on track towards The LORD JESUS our King.

.

Now, here's the scary part:

.

HE+ won't keep you on track...

.

...unless you make the effort.

.

<(((><

.

.

And HE+ said to them all,

If

any man

will come after ME+,

let him deny himself,

and take up his cross daily,

and

follow

ME+.

.

~ The Word of The LORD,

recorded in Luke 9:23

+ + +

.

In the name of The FATHER, Who created thee~

The SON+, Who+ saves thee~

And

The Blessed HOLY SPIRIT, Who sanctifies thee.

.

Sister Judith Hannah + + +