Showing posts with label Creation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Creation. Show all posts

Saturday, December 3, 2022

VESPERS AT THE END OF THE SABBATH: Grace Is Strength And Truth Is Light!




Since God Is Our Refuge And Strength 
And Jesus Christ Is The Word 
And The Word Is The Truth 
And The Word Is God
Then 
Jesus Christ Is God, Our Strong Refuge! 

Since Grace Is Strength 
And Truth Is Light
And Light Is The Life Of Every Man
And Jesus Is The Light Of The World
Then 
Every Man Needs Life
Every Man Needs Jesus Christ
Every Man Needs God Who Is The Author Of Life 
Who Gives Faith Without Which No Man May Please God 
Who Reigns And Rules 
And Has Provided Rules For The Road 
Upon Which Man Must Obediently Travel With Endurance 
If 
He Is To Get Home To God 
Who Is Both Kind King And Righteous Judge 
And High Priest And Advocate 
Who Was Made Sin For Us 
But 
Was Sinless
And Spotless
And Blameless
And Clean To Clean The Spotted
And Pure To Purify The Putrid
And Is Love Loving The Unlovely 
Who Unwisely Reject His Wisdom 
Which Is Truth Pointing To Life 
Which Lights This World Of Sin 
Whereon Dwells Sinners 
Whom He Calls To Receive Salvation From The Friend 
Who, Indeed, Is He Who, Alone, Saves Sinners 
Who, Indeed, Are We All 
Who Must Confess And Repent Of Our Sin 
If 
We Are To Stand Forgiven And Cleansed 
Before The Throne Of Grace 
Which Throne Belongs To Christ Who Is Our Righteousness
Who Is Our Refuge And Strength From In The Beginning 
Where God Created The Heavens And The Earth
The Sea And All That Is In Them 
Whether Fallen Or Standing Firm In The Faith Of Jesus
The King Of Glory
Who Invites Us Willing 
To Enter The Abode Of The Blessed Of God And Christ 
Who Is Our Only Hope For Help, Healing
And 
For Heaven At The Last Trumpet Of God 
Who Is Holy, Just, And Ever True! 

Think About It
And 
Believe And Live! 

Peace!




















Saturday, October 22, 2022

VESPERS AT THE END OF THE SABBATH: Stand Up ... For Jesus!

 

Everybody Wants To Be Known 
By Their Own Peculiar Identifiers! 
What About You!?! 

I Am Female, By Birth And By Living! 
I Am A Christian By Profession And By Practice! 
I Need Jesus Christ To Live, And Breathe, And Be Who I Am
And 
I Say My Prayers Expressing My Need To And For Him
And 
I Don't Care When People Say That 
I Am Following The Pie In The Sky
Never Ever Been Seen
So-Called Miracle-Working Supposed God Known A Human! 

Beloved, 

This Is The Day That The Eternal God Has Made: 
Rejoice And Be Glad! 

We Are Christ's Be Creation And Redemption: 
Celebrate It! 

We Are Christians 
Because 
We Believe The Preserved Word Of The Holy God: 
Exult In It! 

We Have A Mission To Tell The World About 
Christ's Free To All Salvation 
Of Which We Are Visible Beneficiaries: 
Proclaim It! 

Dear Ones, 

Bold Sinners Are Shouting About
And 
Celebrating Their Wickedness, Unashamed And Unafraid! 

They Stand Up To Be Counted 
And 
Wear Their Love On Their Chests 
For All The World To See! 

Will You Stand Up For Jesus!?! 
Will You Wear The Name And That Without Shame!?! 

I Am A King James Bible-Based Christian: 
Pleased To Meet You! 

Peace Be Upon You!  
















Thursday, July 22, 2021

DANGEROUS GROUND: Tread Carefully Before The Lord Of Life!







A Total Stranger Told Me That 
They Had Spent Three Months In The Hospital With Cancer
That Their Name Meant Servant Of God
That Satan Was, Is, Almighty God's Son
That The Holy Bible Was Not The Book
And 
That Nature Is The Book That 
Speaks The Best About Almighty God
And 
That He Had No Use 
For The Holy Men Inspired By Almighty God 
Who Allegedly Wrote The Holy Bible 
Because
The Inspired, Holy, Men Of God 
Are The Modern Day Pastors And Preachers 
Who Abuse And Rape Children!

Beloved, 

The Word Of Almighty God 
Cannot Be Separated From The Person Of Almighty God 
And
Accepting Only The Book Of Nature 
As Your Sole Source Of Belief 
Is 
Treading On Dangerous Ground!

Elevating Aka Worshipping Nature Aka The Creation
Instead Of Worshipping The Creator 
Is 
Idolatry 
Which Is Sin! 

Lucifer Now Satan
Is
A Created Being!

The True Servant Of God 
Is 
Obedient To The Preserved Word Of God 
And 
Does Not Choose To Raise Up An Altar To Folly 
Because 
Folly Makes Him Or Her Feel Good 
In The Crowd Of Disobedient Unbelievers!

Satan Is The Liar
Aka
The Father Of Lies!

Like It Or Not
The Word Of God Will Witness For Or Against Us 
According To Our Chosen Path To Glory! 

Making Car Noises 
And 
Standing In A Garage 
Does Not Make You A Car! 
Being Called A Servant Of God 
And 
Spreading Satan's Propaganda 
Will Not See You Among The Blessed 
And 
Forever Saved! 

Jesus Christ The Righteous
The King Of Glory
The King Of Love
The Light Of Life
The Life Of Every Man
Is
The Truth
The Creator God
The Word Of God
The Word Made Flesh
Who Surely Dwelt Among Us
Is
The Only Way Home
To The Father's House!

Tread Carefully: 
There Is No Knowledge Of Jesus Christ The Lord 
Without The Preserved Word Of God 
Which Testifies About Him! 

The Holy Spirit Of Almighty God
The Spirit That Leads Into All Truth
Inspired Holy Men Of God
To Write Down The Holy Word Of God! 

The Living God Is Not A Liar
And
We Need To Stop Confusing
Those Who Were And Are Called By The Lord Himself
With Those Who Call Themselves! 
Tares And Wheat Will Grow Together
Until The Day Of The Great Harvest! 

Peace! 







Friday, March 5, 2021

HAPPY SABBATH + Make Wrong Things Right!








We Are Children Twice: 
Children Of The Living God By Creation 
And 
Redemption 
And
Birthed Children Of Our Earthly Parents! 
Our Parents Lovingly Desire What Is Best For Us! 

The One Thing That Our Parents Teach Us 
And 
Truly Desire That We Display 
And
We Should Of Our Own Free Will 
And
By Choice Practice 
Is
A Grateful, Thankful, Heart! 

Beloved, 

Our Heavenly Father ... In His Eternal Wisdom
Has Asked Us To Give Thanks In Everything 
Aka For Everything 
Aka Through Everything 
Aka Despite Certain Things! 

Are You A Practicing Thankful Person!?! 

Are You Remembering Your Home Training 
Where You Were Taught To Say 
"Please!" 
"Thank You!" 
"May I ....!"
"How Are You!?!"

Or
 
Are You Departed From The Good Way 
And
Are Living With The Attitude Of 
"Gimme This!" 
"I Deserve That!" 
"Why Didn't I Get The Biggest 
Best Most Expensive 
Prettiest Thingie Out There!?!" 

The Training By Our Earthly Parents Was For A Short Season 
But
The Training Received Of Our Lord Christ 
- Through The Ministrations Of The Holy Spirit Of Truth - 
Lasts For Our Lifetime! 

Are You Present In Class!?! 
Are You Taking In The Training!?! 
Are You Cementing Your Learning By Doing As You Are Taught!?! 
Are You A Teacher's Pet 
Or 
Are You Indulging Self 
And 
Shaming Yourself ... And Your Parents!?!
Dare To Truthfully Answer! 

Living Life
Is
An Opportunity
To Make Wrong Things Right:
Cooperate With The Lord Jesus Christ! 





Sunday, May 3, 2020

The Wonder Of It All!


Wisdom and Instruction: Psalm 139:14 KJV


We Are Made In The Image Of The Eternal God 
And
We Have Been Purchased At Infinite Cost 
By Our Creator Who Knows Everything 
And 
Does All Things Well: He Does Not Make Mistakes! 

We Are The Lord's Own ... Twice
By Creation And Redemption
And
It Is Time That We Recognize And Accept 
And 
Appreciate The Value The Lord Has Placed Upon Our Persons 
And 
Start Living Like The Children Of 
The Great And Glorious King That We Are Called To Be! 

We Were Born In Sin And Shaped In Iniquity 
But
We Are Called To Acknowledge That 
Our Past Does Not Determine Our Future Estate
To Recognize The Wonder That Is Our Creation
To Believe The Love That Bought Us
To Grasp The Hope That Calls Us
And
To Walk In The Light That Shows Us The Way Home 
So That We Shall ... Revived And Reformed
Enter Into The Joy Of Our Lord And Our God! 

Beloved, 

In The Confidence Of The Love That 
Will Not Let You Fail Or Fall Or Let You Go
Straighten Your Knees
Suck In Your Gut
Stick Out Your Chest
Stiffen Your Spine
And
Put Your Tail Bone In The Air 
And 
Humbly Walk Wise Before Your God
And 
Be A Working Prince Or Princess Watching For 
And 
Waiting Upon Your King! 

We, Each, Are Given A Daily Measure Of 
The Faith Of Jesus Christ Which Cannot Fail! 
We Are Asked To Trust The Giver Of This Gift
To Believe The Living Word Holy
And
To Exercise The Gift That Appreciably Grows! 

Brethren,

Let Us Let The Wonder Of Our Existence
The Magnitude Of Our Salvation
And
The Eternal Extent Of Our Redemption
Encourage Us To Stand Up 
And 
Be Counted
Marked Forever ... For Life! 
We Belong To The King! 


You, Personally
Are Valuable To Jesus Christ: 
Live Like You Know It 
And 
Are Glad For It!



Wednesday, October 31, 2018

Victory In Jesus!

By Creation!
By Redemption!
We All Belong To The Lord Christ!
We Are His Gift From The Father
And
It Was For Us That He Yielded Up His Life
- On A Cruel, Shameful, Cross -
So That We, Believing On Him
Shall Not Have To Suffer Loss!

We Have No Need To Wander
No Need Lost To Roam
No Need To Live In Perplexity
Because
Jesus Christ For All Our Known Sins
Did Willingly
And
Lovingly Atone!

Hear The Appeal ...

Please Give Of Your Best To Our Master!
Do Not In Disdain Speak His Name!
Do Not The Multitude Follow
And
Make Almighty God's Eternal Truth 
A Cheap Thing Most Profane!

Turn Away From Useless Things ...

There Is No Need For A Four-Leaf Clover
A Dead Rabbit's Hairy Foot
A "Lucky" Horse-Shoe
Because
The Lord Of Life
Is 
Also The Lord Of Good And Perfect Things
Who Daily Assuredly Faithfully Mercifully
Takes Precious Care Of The Personal You!
Why Do You By Unbelief Doubt Him!?!
Don't You Know That There Is No Safety 
Being Out On A Broken Limb!?!

By Perfect Love
Jesus Christ Does Our Burdens Bear
Because
He Is Touched By The Feelings Of Our Infirmities
So, Please, Approach Unto Him 
With Humble Fervent Prayer!

Decisions Must Be Made ...

Today I Told The Savior Jesus
That If He Shall My Loving Shepherd Be
I Shall His Lamb Be And Faithfully
And
If He Will Of His Bounty Daily Bless
I Shall Ever Sing His Praises
And
By My Own Faithful Expressive Love
I Shall Give Voice Most Joyfully!

Truth Must Be Told ...

Jesus Loves Me!
Get In The Know!
Read A Real Bible Daily!
This Life Is No Pappy Show!

Be Ye Warned ...

Santa, Vile
Is 
The Father Liar
AndThe First Killer
Efficient 
In Perpetrating Grand And Gross Deceits!

His Task Is To Trap And Kill You
So, Please, I Beseech
Utilize Jesus Christ's Holy Faith
- In Childlike Trust - 
And
Boldly Avoid Him
And
In The Fullness Of Time
Under Your Feet
He Shall Be Tiny, Tiny, Dust!

Jesus Christ Is Real
And
Heaven
 - The Home Of The Blessed - 
Is 
Very Real!
So Trust The Lord Christ
And
Smartly Move Away From Sin's Deadly Damnation
To Great And Glorious Salvation
Because
With Jesus In You
You Shall - Of Achieving The Victory - Not Fail!





Monday, October 22, 2018

How Far Will Our Love For The Lord Christ Reach!?!

How Does One Go 
From
Knowing And Doing Truth
To
Ignoring And Stifling Truth
For
The Comfort Of Convenience
Or
The Convenience Of Comfort!?!



I Am Asking My Self A Couple Of Questions:

Would You, Dear Self
For A Loaf Of Stale Bread
Deny The Blessed God Of Creation
Who Is Forever Living 
But
Because Of Your Personal Sin
Was Once Dead!?!

Would You, Dear Self
Doubt The Living Word Of Truth
To Punch A Time Card
And 
Enjoy A Sea-Of-Sin
- Paid For With My Christ-Purchased Soul -
Winter Or Summer Vacation!?!

And I Am Talking To My Self ...

Dear Self,
You Know Of Surety
The Word Of The Eternal God Is True!
You Have Been Forewarned That
Man's Conscience Will Be Forced If He Wants To Eat Bread!
You Have It On Everlasting Authority
That What Was Shall Be
And
What Is Has Been
So, Will You Be Afraid Of Lying, Dying, Man
And 
Of The Savior, The Redeemer, The Forever Friend
Indulge Sinful, Death-Dealing
Can't-Bless-A-Brother Doubt!?!

Need I Remind You, Dear Self, That ...

When You Were Lost
The Good Shepherd Found You! 

When You Knew Pain
The Great Physician Healed You!

When You Knew Sorrow
The Holy Spirit Comforted You! 

When You Were In Danger
The Holy Angels Protected You!

When You Had No Hope
The Lord Of Life Gave You Daily Faith!

When You Were Condemned
The Savior Gave You Of His Free Grace!

And, Now ...

Now That We Are Nearing Home, Dear Self
Will You Turn Aside To Fables
Trusting In Lying Eyesight
Believing The Corrupt Words Spoken 
Into Your Stopped-Up Ears
Speaking Truth In Unrighteousness
Walking Not To Speak Peace But To Start War
Wearing Your Own Idea Of Christ's Righteousness
And
Lifting Up Willful Self By The Hardness Of An Unregenerated Heart!?!

Is Heaven With Jesus Christ Really Your Home!?!

Do You Love Him Who Loves And Cares Sacrificially For You 
And 
Purchased Pardon For Your Soul
Or
Does Your Love Reach Only For  
Who May Provide Your Body With Cassava Pone!?!

Would You Really Choose The Convenience Of The Corporeal Doubt
Instead Of The Tested And Tried Eternal Faith Of Jesus!?!

Dear Self,
What Now, Says You!?!
Can The Lord Christ, Returning, Count On You!?!




Friday, September 28, 2018

HAPPY SABBATH + Man Is A Living Soul! + PRAYER: Thank You, Lord, For The Open Door!





Since Jesus Christ Tasted Death For Every Man
Why Would Any Man Want To Hold Death
In His Bare Hand
To Pat And Part It
To Taste It - No Tea
And
Say To His Own Soul:

I Did It For Thee!?!

Man's Soul Longs For Its Known Creator!
Man's Soul From Wrecking Sin
Daily Longs To Be Free
But
Man's Soul From Man's Body
Cannot Roam Free, Saying:

Man's Heart Is Deceitful

And
Wicked To Boot
And
I Shall Depart Man
Since I Have No Intention
Of
Collecting Lying Sin's Lying Loot!


Man Is A Free Moral Agent!
Man Has Free Will!
Man Has Free Choice!
Man Has The Ability To Accept Or Reject
What His Maker Gave Him
And
With King Fraud, Instead
- Debauched -
To Rejoice!

Man, Also, Has The Ability With His Maker 
To Reason
And
Not To Indulge Wasting-Sin
For Life's Oh, So Short Season!

Man Has The Choice To Make:

Life With The Lord Christ
Or
Damnation With Devil

And
No Man ... Ever Born
Will Have The Opportunity To Ever Say:

I Was Not - Creditably - Of My Choices Informed
So There Is No Reason
For My Known Sin That
I Should Be Asked To Dearly Pay!


The Lord Is Ever Living ...

By The Infusion Of Almighty God's Breath
Man, At Creation
Was Made A Living Soul!
Man Is Man's Soul
And
Each From The Other
Cannot Be Separated
Save At God-Appointed Death
So
Think And Be Wise
And
Grow In Grace-By-Faith Rich
And
Let Jesus Christ's Willing
And
One-For-All
Once-For-All Sacrifice
- To Ransom Your Own Soul -
Be All, Sufficient And Enough
And
Choose To Accept The Infinite-Priced Gift
And
Get For Yourself
- In The Fullness Of His Time -
The Eternal's Gold Standard For 
Enduring-Faith Upgrade
- Immortality And Incorruptibility -
And
The To-Heaven For Eternity With The King Of Creation
The King Of Glory
Gift Uplift!

Isn't It About Time That
You Make The Free-Salvation Transaction
And
Satan
- Of Another Supposedly Sure Trophy -
Royally Stiff!?!

Brother, Sister, Well-Wisher, Naysayer, Friend
Take The Gift!
Take The Gift!
The Uplifter Is Soon Coming!
Take The Gift!

PRAYER:

Thank You, Lord
For The Gift That Is Ever Sure!

Thank You, Lord
For The Grace That Is Ever Pure!
Thank You, Lord
For The Love
For The Truth
For The Open Door
Please Help Me, Dear Father
To Sin Against You No More!

In Jesus Christ's Precious Name
I Humbly Pray And Plead!
AMEN.





Wednesday, February 17, 2016

The Works and Workings of Almighty God






GOD IS NOT A MAN!

Sooo ....

Let's Get Our Minds Around That Fact
AND
Save Our Souls Absolute Distress
For Believing That God Is As Our Selves!


God Cannot Die!
God Cannot Lie
AND
Even Tough It Is Bandied About in The Din
God Cannot - God Will Not 
Save Us While We Continue Reveling In Our Sin!

God Does Not Joke
So God Can't Prank You!
So, Please Make A Note
God Does Not Need Our Up-Vote!

God Cannot Undo The Past!
God Cannot Not Punish Sin!
God Cannot Change
AND
God Has No Love for That Destructive Work That He Calls Strange!

God Loves The Sinner!
God Hates Sin!
God Welcomes All Who Will
Come to Him Their Known Sin Confessing!

God Hears Our Prayers!
God Answers Our Prayers Because 
He For Us Cares
BUT
God Has Nothing For
The Double-minded Man
Who Doesn't Know Whether He Is Going or Coming!

God The Father
God The Son
God The Holy Spirit
Three Distinct Operating Beings
Which Agree As One!
We Creatures Cannot Pit Each Against the Other
As We Do Our Parents Here on Earth
For 
All Seeing
All Knowing
Ever Present
They Are
AND
They have No Gear Called 
Back-back
Turn Around
Change Position
Nor
Reverse!

God IS Love!
God Has No Kid Gloves!
God Reigns In Earth 
AND 
In Glory!
His Footstool Is Earth
AND
His Throne Is In Glory!

God Is Calling You!
God Is Calling Me, Too!
God Will Not Scream!
God Will Speak Quietly
AND
Even Appear To Us In Our Dreams
BUT
Know With All Confidence
That When We Deny The Liar
AND
Give Up The Life of Dirt
God Will Wash Away The Past
God Will Make Us Anew
God Will Help Us To Endure 
Until This Life Shall End
AND
At The Last Trumpet
God Will Raise Us Up Immortal
To Enter Redeemed
In Through Heaven's Glorious Pearly Gate Portals!

God Cries!
God Gives Good Gifts!
God Heals!
God Feels
BUT
God Cannot Steal
FOR
All That He Surveys IS His
AND
If He Were Hungry
He Would Not Tell Us
For We Surely Have Not The Wherewithal To Him Feed!

God Made Us All
AND
He Gives To Us All
A Portion of His Blessings!
We All Know The Who
BUT
We Will Never Know
The What
The When
The Where
The Why
NOR
The How
Of Almighty God's Provision
NOR
What Is Enough
NOR
What Is Sufficient
BUT
We Know With A Certainty
That There Is No Being Who Can Order God
To Become More - Or Less - Efficient
For There Is No One
Who Can Say To God:

"Know What, For A God
You Are Gross
AND
Your Methods Are Grossly Deficient!"


God 

IS

Sufficient 

Unto Himself!


ACCEPT THIS

and

PROSPER

in

HIS LOVE and CARE!!





Saturday, September 20, 2014

Through the Fire




THROUGH THE FIRE


Genesis 1: 26 - Let us make man in our own image and in our likeness.

Genesis 2:19 - Lord God formed all the birds of the air and the beasts of the field and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof.


On any given day, Hilda, Carmen and Sybil could be heard preaching the Bible to any and all who would listen, and to even those who couldn’t be bothered to listen.
They could be heard boisterously uttering phrases like “Too blessed to be stressed!” “Thank God for Grace!” and “I’m glory bound!” and “Bless Jesus, I’m saved!”
You could hear them singing:
Pass Me Not, Oh Gentle Savior; Open my Eyes That I May See; I’m Climbing Jacob’s Ladder; Onward Christian Soldiers; and I am Delivered, Praise the Lord!
But, there was something not quite real about any of them.
If you passed by Sybil’s house on laundry day, you could hear her singing:
I don’t like work, and work don’t like me, and that is the reason that I’m so hungry. Hallelujah, I’m a bum. Hallelujah, a bum again. Hallelujah, give me a hand out to revive me again!”
If you passed by when Carmen’s husband had gotten drunk and beat and curse her and the children, you would know that she had completely forgotten all about the catch phrases that she loved to quote to people when she was on her “Jesus Juice!”
You could hear Carmen asking the Lord to let the day come when she would ask Him to give her five minutes to “out that cretin’s lights” permanently. And that was after she had used enough technicolor phrases to make even a sailor blush!
As for Hilda, when she left off her preaching stint every Wednesday morning outside Dolphus' Shop, she stepped inside for the requisite flask bottle of Cockspur Rum which she said was for when “King Arthur kicking in me old tail!”
Of course, after she had taken a liberal dose of her “medicine,” she set about doing her Christian duty to, as she said, “The poor, morally bankrupt and lost souls.”
Everybody knew that was Hilda-speak for “I am going to give and get the juiciest gossip on everybody in this neighborhood!”
And, of course, there was Ms. Daisy. The most devout of the neighborhood Christians.
Daisy could hardly walk during the week, and needed help to do even the most basic things to keep herself comfortable. But, when Church day came along, Daisy could outwalk and outrun everybody, rain or shine, to be the first one in the Sanctuary. She was the one to speak to if you wanted to know the 411 on “them deceitful people in this church!”
These women had forgotten their examples from the Bible: Noah, Shem, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Joshua, Samuel, Job, King David, Nehemiah, Paul, Dorcas, and on and on.

The Christian’s Lot
The lot of a Christian is hard, often bitter, and contentious. There is no minimizing that.
Look at the Master. He didn’t do anything wrong. He did all that was right in the sight of God and man, and yet, ultimately, he was brutally scourged and finally murdered.
However, with Christ as the only binding example of the Christian walk, we Christians are called upon
1. To be WISE, beyond education, training, situation or circumstance. We must remember that our current situation is NOT our final destination, and we must look beyond what is to what is possible.
2. To be temperate. We must do all things in moderation, including eat, sleep and work and play.
3. To seek to find our innate gifts. Think back to Genesis 2:19. God gives each of us gifts — we only have to seek for, recognize, accept and use, better yet, exploit them. If you want more gifts, remember, first, to use the ones with which you have been blessed.
4. To be our brother, and sister’s keeper. If your neighbor, your husband, or wife, mother, father, brother or sister hurts you, and you can help, even if he or she may have despitefully used you, you are required to assist that person. For, you are to heap coals upon that person’s head and let the Lord take vengeance, which He says is His, and which He will repay.
5. To surround ourselves with positive people, and to set a positive example for those who are otherwise. We must live up to our calling and project a sense of self that is worthy of our Christian calling.
6. To be rounded, a pie, if you will. A bible-thumper does not a Christian make, nor a slice a whole pie. We are to find the things that bring us and others joy, and stop sucking the air out of the atmosphere with our sour looks and pious expressions which only cover very shallow and one dimension beings.
         By way of analogy, I give you Life as told by the Rose:
Rose, that I am, while beautiful to behold and fragrant to the nose, is sheathed in protective thorns to keep at bay those who would mishandle or abuse me.

          As it relates to life, we are to observe, and enjoy, and handle said life wisely, or else the thorns

that are life’s prods to growth with tear us to pieces.
          I also give to you the analogy of the Redwood tree. That giant in nature which grows in community and toward heaven in all majesty.
A Redwood tree will never grow in isolation. It will never reach its potential if left to its own devices. At 1,000 plus feet of height, it needs the community of the brotherhood as support for its growth toward grace, as it cannot grow alone and be called by its real name.
           I also give to you the analogy of the Waterlily. The most fragrant and beautiful salve to the weary and wandering soul who gets life, and attains its regal stature and poise from growing where it is planted, in the dirtiest, dankest, smelliest, swamp imaginable.
In short, that Waterlily has learnt to “grow where it has been planted!” It has found its purpose in life and it lives above its surroundings while being a beacon to the lost, the weary and lone.
Finally, I want us to consider Samuel 16:7 - ... The Lord looketh on the heart.
We must not minimize people just because they are not like us in face, body, clothing, speech, education, living accommodation, financial acumen, bible mastery, or even in smell.
As Christians, we are to be as the Shepherd David:
David took his HARP and played for the soothing of his enemy King Saul’s soul.
David also played ,and sang unto his God of the desires of his heart and his personal observations of the Lord’s creation. David gave thanks and praise while seeing to the welfare of his parents, the displaced of the community; his followers; his army and the stranger within his gate.
David was not arrogant because of his elevation from the sheepfold. He accepted his chastisement when he was convicted of doing wrong in the sight of God and man, and he repented and became that beloved “Man after God’s own heart!”
David always sang of his faith in His Creator and TESTIFIED of His Creator’s saving grace and power.
David, that wise singer, songwriter, harpist, conqueror, builder, and King, after having found his purpose, and after having confessed and was forgiven of his sin, behaved himself wisely in all his ways, and the Lord, God, was always with him. **BJC**