Devotional to the Bridegroom - Christ
by ixthis 64 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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ixthis
Grand Duke Konstantin Romanov:
Teach me to love Thee, O Lord,
With all my mind, all comprehension,
To entrust my soul into Thy care
And my life with each heartbeat’s ascension.
Teach me to heed and fulfill
Only Thy merciful will,
Teach not to grumble or complain
Of my toilsome lot.
All whom Thou came to redeem
With Thy purest and holiest Blood, –
With a deep and unselfish love
Teach me to love, O my God.
- K.R. (Grand-Duke Konstantin Romanov) -
myelaine
"Come, Thou Almighty King"
- Come, Thou Almighty King,
Help us Thy name to sing,
Help us to praise!
Father all-glorious,
O'er all victorious,
Come and reign over us,
Ancient of Days.- Come, Thou Incarnate Word,
Gird on Thy mighty sword,
Our prayer attend;
Come and Thy people bless
And give Thy Word success;
Stablish Thy righteousness,
Savior and Friend!- Come, holy Comforter,
Thy sacred witness bear
In this glad hour.
Thou, who almighty art,
Now rule in every heart
And ne'er from us depart,
Spirit of Power!- To the great One in Three
Eternal praises be
Hence evermore!
His sovereign majesty
May we in glory see
And to eternity
Love and adore!...Amen!by Charles Wesley
xo
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ixthis
Oh that is beautiful!! Thank you!!!
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GLTirebiter
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury,pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.
O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.Amen
(attributed to St. Francis of Assisi)
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ixthis
Leavetaking of Pascha
On Wednesday of the sixth week of Pascha, we celebrate the Leavetaking of the Feast. While most Feasts have their Leavetaking on the eighth day, Pascha, the Feast of Feasts, has its Leavetaking on the thirty-ninth day. The fortieth day is the Feast of the Lord's Ascension, which marks the end of the Lord's physical presence on earth. He does not abandon us, however. He has promised to be with us always, even until the end of the age (MT 20:28). As we sing in the Kontakion for Ascension,
"Thou didst ascend in glory, O Christ our God, not being parted from those who love Thee, but remaining with them and crying:
I am with you and no one will be against you."
There is a similar thought expressed in the Troparion for the Dormition: "In falling asleep, you did not forsake the world, O Theotokos."
The services today are celebrated just as on the day of Pascha itself.
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ixthis
C.S.Lewis:
"There are only two kinds of people in the end:those who say to God, "Thy will be done," and those to whom God says, in the end, "Thy will be done."
All that are in Hell* choose it. Without that self-choice there could be no Hell. No soul that seriously and constantly desires joy will ever miss it. Those who seek find. To those who knock it is opened."
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* Hell is the term used by CS Lewis; this word could be interchanged with apostasy.
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ixthis
The Lord said to his disciples,
"Let not your hearts be troubled; believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house there are many rooms; if it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And when I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way where I am going."
Thomas said to him, "Lord, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?"
Jesus said to him,
"I AM the way, and the truth, and the life;
no one comes to the Father, but by me.
If you had known me,
you would have known my Father also;
henceforth you know him and have seen him."
John 14:1-
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ixthis
The dialogue which takes place between the Angels, who express their admiration for Jesus Christ who enters heaven:
"Lift up your gates, ye princes, and be ye lifted up,ye everlasting doors; and the king of glory shall come in.
Who is this king of glory?
the Lord strong and mighty; the Lord mighty in battle.
Lift up your gates, ye princes; and be ye lift up,
ye everlasting doors; and the king of glory shall come in.
Who is this king of glory?
The Lord of hosts, He is this king of glory."
Psalm 23: 7-10 -
GLTirebiter
A reading for the Sunday after Ascension Day (Acts 1:6-11)
When they had gathered together they asked him, "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?" He answered them, "It is not for you to know the times or seasons that the Father has established by his own authority. But you will receive power when the holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." When he had said this, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him from their sight. While they were looking intently at the sky as he was going, suddenly two men dressed in white garments stood beside them. They said, "Men of Galilee, why are you standing there looking at the sky? This Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven will return in the same way as you have seen him going into heaven."
