Showing posts with label cross picture. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cross picture. Show all posts

2/16/2016

Priceless, LOOSENING INSTRUMENT+ ... Passover Meditations for the Monastic-At-Heart... Ephesians 1:7






Meditations  for Pascha
(The Passover Season, 2016)
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Meditations for the Monastic-At-Heart

Now is My+ soul troubled;
and what shall I+ say ...
FATHER,
save ME+
from this hour ?
but for this cause
came I+ unto this hour.

FATHER,
Glorify Thy Name.

Then came there a Voice from Heaven, saying,

I have both glorified It,
and will glorify It again.

John12:27-28

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Meditation Verse
Ephesians 1: 7

In WHOM+ we have redemption through His+ BLOOD, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of HIS grace;

In the literal Greek:

In WHOM+ we have  something to loosen with by the instrument of His+ BLOOD, the sending away of the side-stepping, transgressions, according to the fullness of HIS [ The FATHER'S**] favor.

Re-worded:

In WHOM+ we have a "loosening" instrument, His+ BLOOD,  used for the remission of transgressions according to the fullness of HIS favor.

 ** This is part of one LONG sentence, extending from verse 4 to verse 10 !  The subject, the one doing all these things for us   THROUGH HIS BELOVED SON+ ,
is
The FATHER !

Therefore, the pronoun HIS in verse 7 refers to The FATHER's fullness of favor.

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MEDITATION

The BELOVED+ of The FATHER, our LORD JESUS CHRIST, has provided each one of us an instrument, a tool, for us to be loosened from the deadly grip of our sins.

That Divine  INSTRUMENT  was His+ own BLOOD. No finer instrument exists. His+ BLOOD is totally effective to loosen away the grip that sin has on our hearts, minds, emotions, and bodies.

Interestingly, the word for SIN  [ parapt0ma ] in this verse is NOT the normal Greek word used for SIN, found throughout the LXX and New Covenant.

The normal word for SIN is [ amartyia -- refusing to be a martyr ]. 

The Greek word,  parapt0ma , used in verse 7 is found approximately 18 times in the New Covenant. It means "an infraction, a violation, a transgression."

Thus, WHAT or WHO is being over-stepped, side-stepped, or being fractured ( broken ) ?  This verse does not tell us.

However, it is obvious that "transgression" means that the character of GOD, the character of Our LORD JESUS CHRIST, is being violated in word, deed, or thought.

That is to say...

we have stepped-upon, stepped-around, infringed upon, and over-stepped the boundaries of righteousness as defined by HIM+.    

We have taken advantage of His+ kindness; we have not laid to heart WHAT Our FATHER'S mercy to us cost HIS SON+. We have ignored the Price+ of our Redemption, the loosening from our death-bringing sins.

Transgression involves breaking "the rules" of GOD; after all, HIS rules reflect HIS character, HIS righteous ways.

Now, we DO know what The LORD tells us to do. In Matthew 5, 6, and 7 ( and in other places in Scripture ) there  are clear things we OUGHT to be doing, for HE+ is the LAW  made INCARNATE+.

Thus, whatever HE+ says, do it. ( John 2:5 )


No, we do not CHOOSE to live as sinners any longer. We, however, still have our Adamic, human nature to contend with as long as we are living on earth. We must train ourselves to submit to the Living Word+ of GOD.

BUT AFTER our IMMERSION and the marvelous RE-BIRTH from above ... we now have a Divine, Priceless INSTRUMENT+  which equips us to loosen the grip of sin and transgression from our lives.

In WHOM+ we have a "loosening" instrument, His+ BLOOD,  used for the remission of transgressions according to the fullness of HIS favor.

This wonderful, Life-Giving INSTRUMENT is... His+ BLOOD.

We are bought with a PRICE+;
we are not our own any longer.

The fullness, the richness, of our FATHER'S favor is freely provided to mankind in CHRIST JESUS. Our Heavenly FATHER has given the utmost to help us escape from the grip of our sins.

Do we WANT to ?

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Let us pray:

Gracious Heavenly FATHER, The FATHER of us and of our LORD JESUS CHRIST...

I have foolishly sinned against THEE by ignoring my transgressions and not dealing with them with my WHOLE heart. 

I have allowed myself little indulgences here and there, and worse, I have stifled that still small voice that tells me I am doing wrong. 

I am only fooling myself, for there is NO HIDING place from THEE.  

Against THEE only have I sinned and done what is considered "evil" in THINE eyes.

My sin, my un-GOD-like choices for self-indulgence, my hidden attitudes, have blinded my eyes to my own transgressions against Thy HOLY SON+ JESUS.

I have been remiss in battling my own Adamic nature.

THOU hast done Thy part, O FATHER; help me do mine.

Help me to submit my flesh unto the cleansing BLOOD+ of my LORD JESUS CHRIST  daily... and without guile.

Then I will know the release from death and sin that HIS+ BLOOD obtained for me... and for all who would come to  HIM+... in spirit and in truth.

Create in me a clean heart , O GOD, and renew a Right spirit within me.

For the sake of the ONE+ WHO+ hung on the tree to release me from my sins, I offer THEE my love and my allegiance now and forever, my GOD and my KING+. 

+  +  +
Worthy is the LAMB+.

Worthy is The LAMB+
that was slain.

Worthy is the LAMB+,
slain
from the foundation
of the earth.

Revelation 13:8

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PRAISE and THANKSGIVING
be to The FATHER,
and to HIS Beloved SON+
JESUS CHRIST,
and to the Blessed HOLY SPIRIT.

ONE GOD:
FATHER,
SON+,
and HOLY SPIRIT,
both now and forever,
world without end.
Amen.


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2/14/2014

Hide Not THY+ Face...

GARDEN CROSS
Photo by

ORDER OF THE GOOD SHEPHERD+

Year of Our LORD, 2007

Hide not Thy+ Face
far from me; 

Put not Thy+ servant away in anger. 

THOU+ hast been my help; 
leave me not, neither forsake me, 
O GOD of my salvation. 
Psalm 27:9




When do you "see" GOD ?  When do you "look upon" HIS+ Face ?  Is not this the desire of your heart ?
YES!
For you know this, if you could only see HIM+ face to face, all would be well. Your hurts would cease in His+ Presence, your fears be gone, your body healed, and the empty places in your heart filled. 

When THOU+ saidst, 
"SEEK YE MY+ FACE;" 
my heart said unto THEE+, 
"Thy+ Face, LORD, will I seek." 


You are enabled to SEE HIM+ by the HOLY SPIRIT, the Paraclete, The Divine SPIRIT of GOD Who comes alongside of you to help.  

When does this happen?

This happens when your heart lines up with His+ Will.

What is HIS+ Will for your life?  

      His+ will for your life is simply this:
  
Do not hide your face from HIS+.

When you are angry, go to HIM+... do not carry that burden yourself. Bring your intense concerns and upsetnesses to HIM+. 

HE+ sees them coming, before you do.

But, something CHANGES when you do not hide your angry face from HIM+.  

This is what changes:  You put yourself under HIS+ Divine Covering, His+ Divine Protection from your own angry flesh... and from satan using your anger to beget sin.  

Be angry, but sin not, Scripture teaches.


That sin, even if it does not immediately hurt others, will be an open door that satan will use to hurt... YOU!   

The evil one will send oppression, torment, unhappiness, agitation, and fear in to hurt YOU, through that door you have left open to him. The evil one does not know everything... but he knows what will hurt you and REST ASSURED, he will send it your way through every open door you give him. 

When you bring your anger to HIM+, HE+ will hear you out. HE+ will tell you to sit still for awhile with HIM+. Then HE+ will lead you through that awful valley of anger, until you can see: 
1. the hurt that made you angry 
and 
or
2. the pride that made you angry 
( when pride is stepped upon)

At that point, you must put it ALL on His+ altar, of His+ Will, to do with it all as HE+ sees fitting. 

When you surrender and completely yield to HIS+ Will, you will SEE HIS+ FACE shining towards you!

This is "seen" by the eyes of your heart .... usually !


Therefore, to live a peaceful, secure, and happy life: 

Hide not your face from HIM+ Who+ loves you best...
even when turmoils
beset your heart.