ANXIETIES ... OR ... YIELDING ?

Passover Meditation 

for The 2017 Preparation Season

to commemorate

The Great --- and FINAL ---Passover

 " CHRIST  our PASSOVER

is Sacrificed for us,

therefore,

let us keep the feast... "

Romans 5

+  +  +

JESUS  said,

" All authority is given unto ME+

in Heaven and in earth."

Matthew 28:18

 LET US PRAY:

O GOD our FATHER,

Blessing and Honor and Glory and Power belong unto THEE and to Thy HOLY SON+ JESUS CHRIST our SAVIOR+ Who+ loved us and gave His+ Life for us... that I might love HIM+ and give my life , in love, to HIM+.

My life belongs to THEE+ . Forgive me, O LORD, for not giving it over to THEE+ as I should.

Forgive me, O LORD, for with-holding my "all" from THEE+, for "protecting" my interests instead of DOING THY+ WILL at all times.

THOU lookest upon the inner man as well as the outward behaviors. I can hide nothing from Thine Eye, for ...

 THOU Who 

created the eye,  

shall HE not see ?

Forgive me of harboring anxiety and thus, un-belief. I think I must work out everything on my own, overlooking  Thy+ willingness to help me ... if I submit my life unto THEE+.

THOU+ ALONE can bring forth victory in those things on this earth which are so important to my heart, both in relationships and in temporal matters. 

I cry to THEE+ to help me root out anxieties that accompany my grasping what  I want --- be they friendships, positions, or material goods.  I know this grasping causes the sin of unbelief to bring oppression into my soul.

Change me, O LORD. Make Thine interests become mine; I know all my interests are in clear view before THEE+. 

Help me to value what is most important to THEE+. 

Help me to turn from those things THOU+ dost hate.

Turn my heart to things ETERNAL of Thy+ Kingdom; remove from me my love --- and anxieties --- over things temporal.

I know THOU+ wilt allow me to have whatsoever draws me closer to THEE+ , O Righteous SAVIOR+ JESUS CHRIST  because THOU+ art my happiness.

Therefore, O Gracious LORD, I yield "my" interests unto THEE+.

And with that, I yield to THEE+ all things --- and all persons --- causing me anxiety, concern, and worry. Even all those nameless anxieties floating around inside of me, I bring under Thy+ LORDSHIP.

LORD, I believe ; 

help THOU+ mine unbelief !

With all the thanksgiving and praise that is within me, I BLESS THY+ HOLY NAME, LORD JESUS !

+   +  +

THOU+ hast turned for me

my mourning into dancing:

THOU+ hast put off my sackcloth,

and girded me with gladness;

To the end that my glory

may sing praise to THEE+,

and not be silent.

O LORD my God,

I will give thanks unto THEE+ 

for ever.

Psalm 30: 11-12

Amen and amen.

JESUS CHRIST

" WHO+

gave Himself+ for our sins,

that HE+ might deliver us

from this present evil world,

according to the will of GOD

and our FATHER. "

Galatians 1:4

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. 

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

.

We all know how to love our enemies...

if they are outside the home.

.

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

from within the intimate family circle?

.

And, where do we go when that hurt

occurs over and over again ?

.

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

.

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.

.

HURT,

because of the Adamic curse,

is HERE TO STAY

while we are in this body,

on planet earth.

.

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.

.

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

.

THOU+ art my hiding place

and my shield:

I hope in Thy Word+.

Psalm 119: 114

.

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+.

.

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

.

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.

.

Keep me as the apple of the eye,

hide me under the shadow of Thy+ Wings,

Psalm 17:8

.

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+.

.

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.

.

If we slip into an angry reaction,

we are NOT HIDING IN CHRIST+;

we are on our own in the battle.

.

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

.

We must learn to

HIDE IN CHRIST+.

.

+ + +