DAILY MEDITATION: 04.12.2020

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'Garments of Salvation! '

Deacon Crimson

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First Reading: Isaiah 61: 1- 4; 8 - 11

Second Reading: I Thessalonians 5: 16 - 24

Gospel Reading: John 1: 6 - 8;19- 28

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Key Verse: Isaiah 61: 10

I delight greatly in the LORD; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

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Dear Brethren

Greetings to you in the most caring and loving name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

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Christmas season is a season of joy and happiness. It proclaims God is with us and that man will never be alone. He is offered gift of salvation and eternal life.

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Isaiah 9:6

⁶ For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

John 3:16

¹⁶ For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

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Here in the passage, the Lord is promising of a garment of salvation and the robe of righteousness. In Milon's "Paradise Lost", Milton mentions that our early parents Adam and Eve were adorned with glorious garments. There was no instance for shame as long as they were arrayed with the attire of God's glory. However, as soon as they disobeyed and sinned, they lost the glorious charm and found themselves shameful and naked. In spite of their fall, the God clothed with animal hides. He did not want them to roam naked and be ashamed.

Dress gives a recognition for a person's position, power and self. The dress code identifies the highly esteemed or lowly. Lord Jesus Christ identified himself with the poor and the forgotten society. He chose to be born in a manger. The baby Jesus was wrapped with swaddling cloths (Luke 2:12) .

Salvation is being saved from danger and death.

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Once during the height of the Vietnam war, a convoy of American soldiers found an infant crying under a bridge. The infant's mother lay nearby. Dead. The benevolent colonel understood that after giving birth the loving mother had wrapped the baby completely with her clothes. The mother died of the freezing cold. The little baby was adopted by the colonel. Twenty years passed by, the colonel took the twenty years boy to the same spot where he had found him. The boy cried for the love of his mother. He took off his clothes and lay on the ground paying homage to his great loving mother who sacrificed her life to save him.

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Love of God

In fact, the love of God is greater than the motherly love . Do we really value God's great love? Does his great sacrifice matter for us?

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Isaiah 49: 14 - 16

But Zion said, “The LORD has forsaken me; the Lord has forgotten me!

Can a woman forget her nursing child, or lack compassion for the son of her womb? Even if she could forget, I will not forget you!

Behold, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands; your walls are ever before Me.

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God's love is greater than that of an earthly mother. We may have stained our clothes with sin. Our garments maybe torn and tattered. Yet, God wants to clothe us with the garments of Salvation. As soon as the father saw his prodigal son, he ran towards him. The first thought was to clothe him (Luke 15:22)

Come back to Christ, dear brother or sister, because Jesus wants to clothe you with his grace and righteousness. Jesus lost his own garments on the cross. His clothes were torn into pieces by the heartless soldiers.

Jesus Christ is risen. He is our King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. He wants to see us in heavenly attire. Moreover, if there is spot or stains in your dress He wants to make you clean by His precious and spotless blood. May His Name be glorified.

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Revelations 3: 5

He who overcomes will thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.

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Have you been to Jesus for the cleansing pow'r?

Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?

Are you fully trusting in His grace this hour?

Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?

Are you washed in the blood,

In the soul-cleansing blood of the Lamb?

Are your garments spotless? Are they white as snow?

Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?

Prayer

Loving Heavenly Father, We thank you for sending Jesus. Thank you for the garments of salvation and eternal life. Let your garment cover all our shame and nakedness and make us worthy in your kingdom. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

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May the words of our mouth and meditations of our heart be acceptable in your sight . O Lord!

Amen!

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Memorable Verse

Psalm 132:9

Let thy priests be clothed with righteousness; and let thy saints shout for joy.