Sowers Reap A Harvest!

Everybody Has Unrealistic Expectations
For Marriage
Family, Work And Friends

But I Can Safely Say
- Without Fear Of Contradiction -
That My Expectations Concerning Christ Jesus
Will Never Comport 

With His Myriad Blessings Vouchsafe To Me

And Neither Will His Blessings
- Ever -
My Hopeful Soul Offend!

Wha' Loss!
Hear De Big Christ'an Talk!
Their Ain't Nobody Like She And She Jesus!

You Know
Every Since She Got Into That "Relationship"
You Would Think She Is Going To Get A Gold Crown!

Of THAT You Can Be Sure
Because
MY Relationship With MY Jesus
Is Personal
And He Promised Me A New Name
A Personal Mansion In Glory
A Gold Harp
A Victor's Palm
And, Yes
A Real-Real Gold Crown!

How Special ...!

... And She Believes Him!

Hold It, Sarah!
You And Cora Had Better Stop Teasing Maylene!
She Is Very Serious About Her Lord
AND

You Two Had Better Wake Up!

There's A Time And Place For Jesting
And This Is Not It!

Awww, Auntie Jen!
We Didn't Mean Anything By It! 

We Were Just Funning
Cause She's Such An Easy Target!

Now, Really!
That Is Just Being Unkind!

Children!
Gather Around!

Yes, Ma'am!

See What You Did?!
You're Always Getting Us In Trouble!

Settle Down!
Nobody Is In Trouble ... Yet
BUT

I Want To Tell You A Story
AND

Then You Will Tell Me The Moral:

There Was Once A Boy Named Samuel
Who Loved The Lord!
He Was Young But Genuine In His Love
And He Walked With God In Accord!

Samuel Lived At God's Sanctuary
In A Town Called Shiloh
With The High Priest Called Eli
And His Two Very Wicked
Worthless Sons
Aka Sons Of Belial
Sons Of The Devil
Who Had Absolutely No Respect
For The Ways Of Truth And Goodness
Nor The Holy Things Of The Eternal God!

Almighty God Was Not Pleased
AND

One Night
- This Was At a Time When A Word From God

To The Nation Was A Thing Rare - 

The Lord Did Something Wonderful
AND

Spoke To Samuel
In His Very Ear!

The Voice Was So Near
That Samuel Thought It Was Old Eli Calling Him!

I Wish Almighty God Would Talk To Me Like That!

He Can
AND
He Does
BUT
You Must Have A Heart
For The Things Of God
And Be Kind
And Obedient
And Truthful
And Faithful
AND
Of A Willing Spirit!

Do You Remember When We Talked About
Being
AND
Becoming
Like The Lord Jesus?!

Yes, Ma'am!

Was Jesus Ever Unkind
Or Malicious
Speaking Spiteful Words
To The People
Even Those Who Were Not Kind To Him
Or Who Were Not Even His Friends?!

Oh, No!
Never!

Jesus Had A Meek ...!

... Kind ...!

... Gentle And Loving Spirit!

Well, Samuel Was Just Like That
BUT
High Priest Eli's Sons
- Hophni And Phineas -
Treated The Things Of God
The People Of God
The Gifts Designated For God
As Unholy Things
As Things Common
As Things To Be Abused
As Things Dirty!

Oh, Dear!

But We Were Just Playing!

We Weren't Even Serious!

Children,
Those Very Words May Be Applied
To How Eli Raised Up His Sons!

Eli, The High Priest Of God

Wasn't Serious About His Leadership!
Eli Wasn't Firm In Disciplining His Sons
AND
His Children
To The Things Of The Earth
AND
From Him
From The Holy God
Ran Away!

They Wanted That Thing Called Fun!

Understand This:

People Don't Become Mean-Spirited
And Unkind
And Profligate
And Wicked

Overnight!

People Learn What They Live
AND
Practicing A Bad Habit
AND
It Not Being Corrected
Chastised
Or Set Aside
Permits It To Become
A Practical Way To Live Life!

It Is Then That What You Should Rule, Rules You!

What You Plant

Is

What You Harvest! 

What You Harvest

You

Shall Eat

And

May Almighty God Help You

If Your Eating

Is Not Sweet

Or

Something That You Consider

Fit

For You To Eat

T

What You Call A Treat!

Ma'am?
What Happened To Hophni And Phineas?!

I Want To Know What Happened To Samuel!

What Happened To Hophni And Phineas
Was Sad
BUT

Just
AND
It Was A Hard Lesson Learned For Their Father
Who Died The Very Same Day
That They Did!
They Died In Battle!

Hophni And Phineas's Untoward Behavior
Prevented
Many A Faithful Soul From Worshipping

Before The Living God
In The Place Appointed!

As For Samuel
The Ever-Present

All-Knowing

All-Seeing God 

Revealed To Him That He Was Bringing
An End To Eli And His Family
Because Eli Had Elevated His Sons Above
The Holy God!

As For Samuel 

He Became A Prophet Called Of God!
He Was Also A Priest!
AND
He Was Also A Judge!

Samuel Was Faithful
Honest

AND
Upright In The Holy God's Sight
AND
He Was That Way Until He Died At A Ripe Old Age!

Eli's Family Indeed Ended!
His Daughter-In-Law Died 

Just After She Gave Birth To A Son!
Before She Died

She Called Him Ichabod

Because
The Glory Had Departed!

Hophni And Phinea's Behavior

Had Resulted In The Ark Of God Being Stolen

By The Philistines!

Okay, Children!
What Can We Learn From This Story:

Evil Habits Grow!
Good Habits Grow!
All Habits Are Present Before The Lord
Just As Before Mortal Men They Show!

God Does Not Like Ugly!

Being Unrepentant Of Evil
Always Gets One Punished!

Doing Good Always Gets Rewarded!

The Living God Does Not Play Favorites!

The Things Of God Are Sacred!

Faith Matters!

Okay. Very Good!
Now ... Is There SOMETHING You Two NEED To Say
To A Certain Somebody?!

Yes, Ma'am!

Maylene, We're Sorry! 
What We Said And Did Was Neither Nice Nor Kind! 

Please Forgive Us!

We Promise That We Won't Treat You Like That Again ...!

... Tell Us Again About Your Relationship With Jesus!

I Want A Personal Mansion!

Heyyyy!
Do You Think Jesus Will Put Your Mansion Next To Mine?!

This IS So Cool!

Come On!
Tell Us More Stories Of Your ...!

... You Mean Our ...!

... Jesus!

Just Remember, Children ...

A Ship Without Moorings

Without An Anchor

In The Sea Of Change

In The Depths Of Decay

Will Assuredly

Be Lost!