Weakness Of Self!

It Was A Supremely Beautiful Day!

Whole Heart And Bold Heart

- Brethren In The Faith -

Were In Companionable Silence

Enjoying A Moment's Respite From 
The Myriad Challenges That Daily Face Those 
Who Choose To Walk Wisely With Jesus Christ The Lord

When The Big Boy Of Brighton 

- Weakness Of Self -

Broke Into Their Reverie!

The Interruption Is Anticipated

Expected
And 
Dreaded! 

Bubbles Are Going To Be Burst! 

Pride Is Going To Be Cast Down To The Ground! 

Public Sin Is Going To Be Confronted! 

Feelings Are Going To Be Hurt! 

Tempers Are Going To Flare! 

The Word Of The Eternal God 
Is 
Going To Be Shared

And

The Name Of Almighty God
- For Which He Is Known Jealous -
Is 
Going To Be Vindicated

And

It Is Hoped ... By The Lord's Great Grace

That A Sinner ... Repentant

Will Confess Known Sin To The Eternal God

To Be Saved And Forever Blessed! 

Weakness Of Self Is Blessed! 

His Quiver Is Full! 

His Home Is Allegedly, Supposedly, Apparently, Happy! 

His Wife Is A Willing Servant In The Service Of The Lord

And

He Is Rich In The Pocket!

He Is Also An Ordained Pastor!

Whole Heart And Bold Heart

Have Importunately Prayed To The Lord Over This Meeting

Because Of, Well, Ahh

The Delicate Nature Of The Subject Matter! 

It Started This Way ... 

It Was Being Said By Certain Folk That 
Weakness Of Self Is A Lay Preacher (Wink, Wink)

When A Letter Arrived In The Church Office

Accusing Weakness Of Self 

Of Eating A Box! 

Eating A Box Of What!?! 

Whole Foods Sells Their Food At The Hot Bar 
In A Brown Box! 

Big Deal! 

He Was Eating Out! 

They Thought Nothing More On The Matter

Until A Few Days Later 

When The Evidence Appeared! 

There ... Sail In The Wind
Was Weakness Of Flesh

In Living Color

In Flagrante Delicto! 

The Telephone Rang

And

Whole Heart Nearly Had A Stroke

When It Was Disclosed That

The Evidence Was Also In A National Rag

With Obvious International Reach! 

You May Well Imagine The Fall-Out! 

Fast Forward ... 

Meeting Is In Session
And

Presented With The "Evidence"
Weakness Of Self Decided To Brazen It Out! 

Brethren, 

Don't Be Bold When You're Wrong! 

That's What Got Achan Executed! 

Back To The Meeting ... 

Letting The Holy Spirit Lead

Whole Heart And Bold Heart

Allowed Weakness Of Flesh

To Wax Poetical

And

As Was His Won't 
To Pontificate ... In An Extraordinary Fashion! 

They Did Not Interrupt ... At All

And

That Is When Weakness Of Self 
Became Exceedingly Uneasy

And

Stopped Moralizing
Stopped Justifying!
Stopped Being Sanctimonious! 

He Knew He Was Caught Dead To Rights

And

He Knew He'd Have To 'Fess Up

But

The Scourge Of Every Man
- Pride -
Did A Usual 

When Suddenly ... Quietly ... Firmly

Whole Heart Addressed Bold Heart

And

Started Talking About 

Joseph, Son Of Jacob-Israel
And 
The Potiphar's Whorish Wife! 

Weakness Of Flesh Gasped

And

Turned White Like A Sheet! 

They Waited To Make Sure That He Was Okay

And

Then They Continued Calmly Talking Together! 

Weakness Of Flesh Wanted To Run

But

As He Said Later

He Felt Like He Was Glued To His Seat!

He Also Said That He Knew He Was Done For
When Whole Heart And Bold Heart
Lovingly Quoted

And Then ... With Compassion
Spoke To Him, Thusly:

As People Of The Lord Of Life

Living According To The Holy Word

We Cannot At The Same Time 

Be People Of The World: 

We Only Live In The World As Pilgrims 
Headed Toward The Heavenly Home! 

We Are Striving For Christ-Like Characters 

Which Cannot Be Acquired 

By Being Friends With The World
And

Breaking The Ten Commandments

As That Would Make Us Enemies Of Almighty God! 

We Cannot Serve Two Masters 

So Let Us Endeavor To Serve God Acceptably 

With Holy Trembling And Godly Fear Aka Awe! 

The Commandments Are A Hedge Of Protection: 

Let Us Stay Behind It 
Since It Is Our Soul's Desire
To Be Ever Safe 
And 
Eternally Blessed!

As Regards Weakness Of Flesh

He Was Broken!

He Was Defrocked

But

He Was Not Discarded

Cast Off

Cast Out! 

Seeing The Error Of His Ways

And

Being Convicted Of Sin

And

Convinced Of Righteousness

He Later Stood Up Before The Whole Congregation

Speaking With A Contrite Heart

And
Confessed His Public Sin

Against The Holy God! 

He Acknowledged His Pride

His Unholy Passions

And

Accepting That He Knew Better

And 
Should Have Done Better

He Spoke Through Tears

Of The Sordid Temptations

Pastors And Preachers Face

From The Wiles Of 
Nubile And Voluptuous Women And Girls 
In The Congregation

Who Seem Bent On Doing The Devil's Work 
From The Church's Pews! 

Weakness Of Flesh Did Not Cast Blame!
He Took Responsibility For His Own Actions
And 

He Simply Stated The Facts

And Then

He Said The One Thing That Broke The Church:

I'm Glad This Denouement Happened! 

The Lord Hasn't Left Me To Destroy My Soul That 
He Purchased With His Innocent Blood! 

Lord, 

Please Forgive Me! 

I Am Truly Sorry

For Casting Your Holy Name Down In The Mud

For Giving Satan

Something With Which

To Accuse The Brethren

And

Most Of All, Lord

I Am Sorry, So Sorry

For Crucifying You Afresh! 

Thank You, Father

For Loving This Prodigal

For Not Giving Up On Sinful Me!

Thank You For This Second Chance! 

After All These Years Of Ministry, Father

I, Now, Truly Understand

The Savior's Words To Apostle Peter:

And When Thou Art Converted

Strengthen The Brethren! 

Brethren, 

Pray And Plead For Me! 

I Love The Lord But I Lived For My Flesh! 

I Taught The Word! 

I Did Not Live The Word! 

I Did Not Eat The Flesh Or Drink The Blood Of Jesus! 

I Did Not Consume The Manna Of Heaven 
From Which I Would Have Received Life! 

I Did Not Take To Heart

The Words Of The Sweet Psalmist Of Israel:

Thy Word Have I Hid In My Heart

That I Might Not Sin Against Thee! 

Brethren, 

Were The Lord Not A Merciful God

I Would Have Committed That Sin 
And Immediately Died 

Effectively Closing My Eternal Account With Almighty God
And Consigning My Soul To Everlasting Separation For The Lord! 

I Stand Before You A Sinner ... Saved At Last! 

Unconfessed Sin Is Sin Unforgiven

But I Am Blessed To Be Here Confessing And Repenting

And Acknowledging My Real Need For Jesus Christ
Our Only Savior! 

As I Confess My Known Sin
I Know That He Will Forgive Me

Because He Is Just And He Is Faithful

To Keep All Of His Promises! 

Brethren, 

Do Not Doubt Almighty God: He Means What He Says! 

Do Not Tempt Almighty God: We Are Mortal!

And Do Not Sorrow Over Sin

Because Of The Price That You Must Pay!

Please Express Godly Sorrow Because Sin Is Exceedingly Sinful

And Is An Affront To The Holy God

Who Gave His Best To Save Us At Our Worse! 

Please Don't Accept The Pleasures Of Sin ... For The Season!

Seasons Change

But Sin Will Always Be Sinful

Because There Is No Reason
And No Excuse For It! 

Please, I Beseech You
Do Not Do As I Did And Use Weakness Of Self 
As An Ever-Ready Excuse To Sin 

And Don't Use "Overwhelming" Temptation 
As The Reason For Sin! 
The Lord Makes A Way Of Escape
From Every Temptation That Is Common To Man
So That We Are Able To Stand
And Have Victory Over Sin!

I Sinned Because I Wanted, Desired, To Sin! 
King Solomon Was Right: All Is Vanity
And Vanity Vexes The Soul!

Nobody Forced Me To Sin

Because The Lord Has Made Sure That 
That Can Never Happen! 

We Each Have A Sovereign Will

That Cannot Be Usurped

By Neither Satan Nor The Savior! 

My Sin Is My Own

And Before Almighty God

And In Your Presence

I Sincerely Confess That I Am Guilty

And State With Humility That 

I Repent Of My Sin

And That By God's Grace

And With Your Loving Help ... I Appeal For It

I Turn Away From Sin And Sinning

And I Will Be Walking ... Wiser

With A Humbled Heart

With Shamefacedness 

- Thankfully Not Damned By The Holy God -

Toward New Jerusalem

The Holy City Of God! 

Weakness Of Flesh Left The Altar Of God

Singing:

Father, Lead Me Day By Day

Ever In Your Own Sweet Way! 

Teach Me To Be Pure And True! 

Show Me What I Ought To Do! 

Just So You'd Know ...

The National Rag Did Not Publish 
That Confession And Repentance Is Good For All Souls
That Amends Are Being Publicly Made

And Best Of All

That There Is Singing Up In Heaven

For The Lost Sheep

Who Is Returned Unto The Safe Fold Of Almighty God
- Who Sees, Feels, Knows And Is in All -

Over The Repentant Sinner
 Who Is Finally Come ... HOME! 

Humble Yourself

And

Harden Not Your Heart

So That Where There Is Life In You

There Is Hope

For

Your Soul's Salvation!