We
have this treasure in earthen vessels.
Today,
I share some thoughts on the nearness of GOD during this Holy Week,
2020 while the doors to many of our consecrated houses of worship
remain closed to mitigate the threats of Covid-19. GOD is a spirit
who can exist within the consciousness and self-will of created
beings and living creatures. Therefore, the issues of death and
survival are no longer primary for those who are the church. The
body, mind, and spirit of Jesus become the meeting place. There has
been a widespread cancellation of the usual customs, practices and
traditions among Christians to observe a season of remembrance
acknowledging the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Even
so, the indwelling of spirit substance imparted from the makeup of
GOD that glorify and sanctify Jesus Christ are not to be denied,
dismissed, or ignored. It is no error or transgression that men
regularly gather in areas specially prepared to share blessing,
nourish each other’s godly
growth, or together amplify praise and thanksgiving as a single body.
For some divine fullness (we also say Deity; the Godhead; the
Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit) is nearest as we display humility
before GOD, and offer our own heartfelt praise. For others, divinity
is closest to us when we are in our private prayer chamber; and for
many members of the body, God is most near when we are in the throng
where we can minister comfort to those who are hurt, courage to those
who are afraid, love to those rejected, and food to the hungry. As
vessels of divine spirit, the offspring and heirs of GOD, our
physical location is not to be uppermost among our concerns.
Believers in Jesus Christ as their redeemer and savior are to
acknowledge and proclaim an uninterrupted awareness that divinity is
near and active for the benefit of all. It is written: Romans 8:
35-39, King James Version (KJV): 35 Who shall separate us from the
love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or
persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it
is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are
accounted as sheep for the slaughter. 37 Nay, in all these things we
are more than conquerors through him that loved us. 38 For I am
persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor
principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to
separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Consider the following that uses language from the Bible, and a
selection from the music ministry of the King’s
College Choir, the Agnus Dei from Samuel Barber’s
Adagio for Strings:
THE
GOLDEN ARROW: God that made the world and all things therein, seeing
that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made
with hands; Neither is worshipped with men’s
hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life,
and breath, and all things; And hath made of one blood all nations
of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined
the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; That
they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and
find him, though he be not far from every one of us: For in him we
live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets
have said, For we are also his offspring. Forasmuch then as we are
the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like
unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man’s
device. And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now
commandeth all men every where to repent: Because he hath appointed
a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that
man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance
unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead. (Acts
17: 24-31, KJV)
THE
DOUBLE DAGGER: A Habitation of Spirit (04/05/2020); Endure Trials
Through Faith (03/31/2020); On Behalf Of Others (03/26/2020); The
Challenge of Covid-19 (03/22/2020); Leadership By The Church
(03/18/2020); Justified By Church Attendance? (06/21/2019); The Name
“Resurrection Sunday” (04/23/2019); Resurrected With The Lord
(04/16/2017)
(1.)
2nd Corinthians 4: 6-11, King James Version (KJV): 6
For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath
shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory
of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 7 But we have this treasure in
earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and
not of us. 8 We are troubled on every side, yet not
distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; 9
Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; 10
Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that
the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. 11 For we
which live are always delivered unto death for Jesus’
sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our
mortal flesh.
(2.)
Psalms 46: 1-7, KJV: 1 God is our refuge and strength, a
very present help in trouble. 2 Therefore will not we fear, though
the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the
midst of the sea; 3 Though the waters thereof roar and
be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling
thereof. Selah. 4 There is a river, the streams whereof shall
make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles
of the most High. 5 God is in the midst of her; she shall not
be moved: God shall help her, and that right early. 6 The
heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: he uttered his voice, the
earth melted. 7 The LORD of hosts is with
us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.
(3.)
Psalms 89: 14-18, KJV: 14 Justice and judgment are the
habitation of thy throne: mercy and truth shall go before thy face.
15 Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound: they
shall walk, O LORD, in the light of thy
countenance. 16 In thy name shall they rejoice all the day: and in
thy righteousness shall they be exalted. 17 For thou art the glory
of their strength: and in thy favour our horn shall be exalted. 18
For the LORD
is our defence; and the Holy One of Israel is our king.
There
is far more that should be said, correctly examined, and spiritually
apprehended. (For
example, (4.) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWgjwTc3PUw.)
Even
so, I trust this fragment will be useful. Be it unto you according
to your faith.
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THE
BLACK PHOENIX
Washington,
DC
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