TRUE WORSHIP....

But the hour cometh, and now is,

when the true worshippers

shall worship

THE FATHER in Spirit and in Truth:

for THE FATHER seeketh such to worship HIM.

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Words of Our LORD JESUS CHRIST,

Beloved, Only-Begotten SON+ of The FATHER,

recorded in John 4:23

Do we practice Self-centered or GOD-centered worship ?

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GOD-centered worship stems from a GOD-centered life.

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Do we live for The LORD JESUS... or do we ask HIM+ to bless the many facets of our self-centered life? What is the difference ?

Do we ask healing for loved ones and friends

so they can live radically-transformed lives for JESUS...

or so they can resume their previous manner of a self-serving life ?

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We cannot offer TRUE WORSHIP

unless our life is centered

upon The Living LORD JESUS CHRIST,

HE+ being our goal.

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HE+ will accept no other.

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O LORD JESUS CHRIST, SAVIOR and KING,

I call THEE+ "LORD." Help me to move my life, my Self, off-center and replace it with THEE+ alone. Send Thy+ Grace of conviction of sin to me when I supplant THEE+ with Self.

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Train me in the way I should go, since I haven't trained myself so well. These things I ask, O LORD, THOU+ Who+ art the true Lover of my soul.

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I bless Thy+ Holy Name, O THOU+, Who+ alone doeth all things well and pleasing in the sight of Our HEAVENLY FATHER. Amen.

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In the name of THE FATHER,

WHO created thee;

His Beloved SON+,

Our LORD JESUS CHRIST,

WHO+ saves thee from thy self;

and

the Blessed HOLY SPIRIT,

WHO convinces and convicts thee

of sin,

of righteousness,

and of judgment

to come.

.

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TRUE WORSHIP....

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The LORD gave the pattern.

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Our LORD gave us a pattern of how to pray, yes, and also how to worship HIM+ in Spirit and in Truth.

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The "LORD'S PRAYER" in Matthew 6 is a perfect example of how

to WORSHIP HIM+ in an acceptable way.

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Yes, I do believe that HE+ hears the heart-cries of all His+ creation... because HE+ heard mine.

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However, we who are now born again in the BLOOD COVENANT should not be "loose" and irreverent when we come before HIM+.After all, we'd show an earthly ruler (king, queen, president, etc.) proper respect or we wouldn't last long in his/ her presence!

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How much more so is reverence due to the KING of KINGS, the LORD of LIGHT, the ALMIGHTY GOD, the EVERLASTING FATHER, the PRINCE of PEACE! The Hebrew children were strict to conform to a reverent and holy and PROPER order of worship and sacrifice before the ALMIGHTY GOD. They did not play loose and fast with HIM.

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[Recall what happened to Aaron's sons when they offered strange incense upon the altar or what happened to the unsanctified men who steadied the Ark of the Covenant when David was trying to bring it home.]

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But, to return to the point of Matthew 6, the LORD'S PRAYER:

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HE+ gave us that pattern SO THAT we could properly enter into the Divine Presence of both our and HIS+ Heavenly FATHER.

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First of all then, to WORSHIP, WE MUST ACKNOWLEDGE that HE is our collective FATHER; no one person "monopolizes" HIM nor is HE a respecter of persons.

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We acknowledge that HE is FATHER, the ONE in control, HE Who caused us to be born, HE Who provides for us... both things we like and things we would rather not have to deal with. We acknowledge that this Heavenly FATHER has the right to chastise us so that we are not illegitimate children and thus omitted from the promise, the inheritance of the saints. HE has the right to make us afraid of HIS power and might.

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We acknowledge that HE is The FATHER in HEAVEN, not our earthly father.

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We acknowledge that HE is Pure and Holy... even HIS very name is HOLY !

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The first part of the "LORD'S PRAYER" is the very first part of TRUE WORSHIP, either collectively or privately.

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In the next part of the pattern, we forebear mentioning our wants and desires; we FIRST AFFIRM that the FATHER'S KINGDOM and WILL is our greatest desire, above all the issues of our heart.

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We TESTIFY that we WANT HIS Kingdom to come, that we want badly HIS Divine will to be accomplished here on earth the same as it is being done this very minute in HEAVEN.

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This is TRUE WORSHIP, when we affirm that His Kingdom, His Will, as the very best that could ever happen to this civilization and to us, His children. We tell HIM how we long for HIM and for HIS Day to be seen for what it is... WHO is the TRUE RULER OF THE UNIVERSE !

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All this is humbling, to see WHO HE is... and who we are in HIS eyes.

Then, after humbling ourselves and putting away our will, we ask for those things we have need of daily, including forgiveness from HIM and towards others.

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We ask daily for HIS deliverance from evil and from temptation... yes, who among us is so pure that we are not daily tempted with some unrighteous, some impure, some unholy thing or thought?

The last section RE-STATES WHO actually has all the Kingdom, all the power, and all the glory .... ....not only now BUT FOREVER !

When the human heart does all this, true worship takes place.

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HE+ has placed this pattern in His+ Word

so that we who are hungry for HIM+

can find HIM+.

For, the true children of the Kingdom must worship The FATHER in Spirit and in Truth... for The FATHER seeketh such to worship HIM.

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The Way of The Cross
Pascha Season 2009
Pascha Meditation 2


I must needs go home
by the Way of The Cross;
There’s no other way
but this.
.

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Today, let us set up stations of the Cross. Our friends in the Roman Catholic and high church traditions have been doing this for awhile in their churches. Likely, we can do this more simply and in a variety of ways in our own homes. Perhaps, too, this would be a more effective way because we are at home more than “at” church.

So, here are some suggestions.

#1 Establish a cross station in each or several rooms of your home. It is good to have one at the kitchen sink, for instance, or where you do the laundry or ironing. Don’t forget the bathrooms or outhouses. Establish one at your husband’s desk or work area, also.

At the station, put up a cross. If you don’t have one for the wall or on a stand, then hang a necklace, chain, or cord with a cross on it. Or, tape up a nice picture of a cross from a greeting card from last Resurrection Season or one that your young people have colored or made.

#2 At each of the cross stations, establish a verse, a Psalm, Scripture, or Meditation (such as “Keep a Clear Eye”) to read. If you have children, appoint them to read, write, or find the meditation. These may change daily or weekly, as you see fit.

#3 Find a bell for each station (some old jingle bells do just fine) to ring before and after your prayer. Again, your children will delight to ring the bell to call to worship and to sanctify the end of it.

#4 Learn to make the sign of the cross over yourself and over your children. Begin or end your worship with it… or whenever the Trinity is mentioned in the Doxology… or whenever The Name of The LORD JESUS CHRIST is mentioned.

No, the sign of the cross is NOT a monopoly of the high church tradition, nor did they invent it. The Early Christians made the sign of the cross often, according to the early writings. Like the cross, it belongs to the entire Body of CHRIST, the whole Christian Church. [An up-coming blog will review what the Early Christians said about the sign of the cross and how they did it.]

#5 Worship individually, together after a meal, or at quiet times through-out the day. We at the Order of the GOOD SHEPHERD+ like to keep a schedule. Ours varies from every 3 hours, starting at 6 a.m., to every hour (on some days). However, spontaneous worship works just as well to keep one’s focus on CHRIST. The important thing is not “when” you do it, but that you DO it… either individually or as a family unit. Set a goal: 3 x a day or 6 x a day, etc.

#6 If you work in public, then establish SOME kind of station there too. The visible witness is essential for you to stay focused on CHRIST while in the busy work world, and for others to see. [It strengthens the hidden Christians and it will give you ample opportunity to witness to the hungry ones.]

May The LORD bless us as we return to HIM+ during these brief minutes of worship throughout the day, throughout the Pascha Season; it is the least we can do.

Dear LORD and SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST,

We proclaim Thy Name in our homes, in our hearts, in our lives. We cannot imagine living without THEE+. Pull us ever closer to Thy Great Good Heart so that we might find our home in THEE+.

Receive these, our imperfect prayers, O GOD, in the Name of Our Heavenly FATHER, Who created us; His Beloved SON+, Who saves us; and The Blessed HOLY SPIRIT,
Who sanctifies us.
Amen
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