THE TEST --- Passover Meditations for the Monastic-At-Heart ... Ephesians 2:2

HIS+ Test ... and ours.

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 2:2

[ from verse 1... in trespasses and sins... ]

Wherein in time past ye walked

according to the course of this world,

according to the prince

of the power of the air,

the spirit that now worketh

in the children of disobedience:

Literal Greek:

... In which [trespasses and sins]

in time past you all walked

according to the age of this Kosmos (world)

according to the FIRST HIGH RULER

of the authority of the air , of the spirit

of the one now energetically working

in the sons of disobedience.

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Meditation

THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS; NO , NOT ONE.

We ALL have had our behavior controlled by the evil one, the evil prince of the authority of the very air surrounding planet earth.

The evil high prince tries to control the ages, the eras, the eons,  of this world. The satan is energetically and actively working to control ALL flesh, in order to destroy GOD'S highest creation.

The control is given to him through the sin of Adam, when Adam and Eve agreed with the satan in their behavior instead of agreeing with the LORD. 

It continues. 

Daily, in every age, the control is yielded over to the evil high ruler  by the sons of Adam who will not yield unto The LORDSHIP of JESUS CHRIST.

True, some have never even heard the name of JESUS CHRIST... to the shame of the church proper.

But of those who have --- including the global leaders as well as the common people of the "civilized" world --- the vast majority refuse to YIELD to being controlled by JESUS CHRIST.

Sadly enough... much of the church proper also REFUSES to AGREE with Our LORD JESUS CHRIST. Many in our congregations fall short of giving JESUS the control over their thoughts, their tongues, or their time.

Thus, their lives are NOT UNDER HIS+ LORDSHIP.  They do not call HIM+ "Master" in their hearts.

The result?

All who are NOT controlled 

by the LORD JESUS 
are then controlled 
by the satan. 

Every act of DIS-obedience brings a further strengthening of the power of the disobedient prince of the power of the air.

As more and more people agree with the satan, the spirit of disobedience is strengthened and pits itself against the Followers of JESUS.

Even "decent" and "up-right" persons who refuse to YIELD to the LORDSHIP of JESUS CHRIST ... are actually under the control of the satan ! 

Like the pharisees of old, they are good "enough" as is and simply do not need a Savior+ ... because they have no sin; they are righteous in and of themselves.

Our LORD JESUS told the very righteous Pharisees who knew the Scriptures and kept the Law of Moses meticulously ...

"You will die in your sins."

The only person born without sin was Our LORD JESUS CHRIST.

Even so, Scripture teaches, HE+ had the power TO CHOOSE TO SIN if HE+ had wanted.

The LORD JESUS could have agreed with the satan during His+ temptation after 40 days of fasting, when HE+ was so very, very weakened in His+ body. 

Even unto the very END of His+ ministry, JESUS was tested. HE+ had the free will to call to His+ Heavenly FATHER and receive more than 12 legions of angels ... instead of taking up the Cross of Crucifixion.

No, The LORD JESUS CHRIST 
did not come 
as an automaton... 
a "Righteous Robot."

Rather, HE+ came in the form of a Servant --- a Servant of the Most High GOD --- and was made in the likeness of men.

HE+ was tempted --- tested --- in all areas like as we are, yet without sin. Hebrews 4:15 ...

For we have not an HIGH PRIEST+

WHO+ cannot be touched with the

feeling of our infirmities;  
but was in all points tempted
 like as we are, 
yet without sin.

Our LORD had the same choices as we do, facing HIM+ constantly, when HE+ walked on earth:  to do The FATHER'S will ... or to go His+ own way.

Because HE+ came as the Second Adam and was made in the likeness of men, HE+ constantly had a choice:

What was easier on His+ flesh, His+ emotions, His+ Self...

--- OR ---

to do what The FATHER 

wanted HIM+ to do 
to accomplish the Work 
to beat the satan, 
loosening man from 

the satan's IRON-CLAD grip.

What did HE+ choose ?

And HE that sent ME+ is with ME+:

The FATHER hath not left ME+ alone;

for I + do always those things

that please HIM.

John 8:29

I do always those things that please My+ FATHER, is what JESUS said.

And being found in fashion 
as a man

HE+ humbled Himself+

and became obedient 
unto death,

even the DEATH 
of the CROSS.

How often do WE deny the flesh in order to please The FATHER?

How often do we seek the UNcomfortable conditions surrounding our FATHER'S Will rather than  what is comfortable for us ?

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Let us pray:

Dear Heavenly FATHER, we say "Thy Will be done on earth as it is in Heaven," but we do not do it, neither collectively nor individually.

We labor so strenuously at our jobs that we do not have any strength left over to do Your Work , Your Will, Your Way.

We hide our faces from the hard choices we must make in order to do Your Work, O FATHER. 

We have neglected to do even the easy, at-home tasks of fasting, praying, and sitting in QUIETUDE before THEE... much less doing anything more that would require a denial of our comfortable, chosen life-style.

O LORD, we badly need the fire.

Help us --- help me --- to choose Thy Will, to choose the Cross with its rough conditions, for Thy Name's sake.

Help me ... help us all ... to deny our Self in order to expend our lives in labor for Your Kingdom, in accord with Your Will and purpose for our lives.

In the Name of JESUS CHRIST Thy SON+ Who+ chose the rough Cross for my sake, I pray.  Amen.  

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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.