VESPERS AT THE END OF THE SABBATH: Polishing The Pig!?!

Isaiah 55:7 KJV

Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. 

Sooo, You Ever Polish A Pig, Carman!?! 

Can't Say That I Have Since I Don't Do Pork, And I Never Played Football, Elvin! 

Me, Neither, But That Phrase Seriously Speaks To Me! 

How So!?! 

You Remember That  Scripture About A Pig Going Back To Its Wallowing Pit Right After You Spiff Him Up Real Nice And All!?! 

Yes, I See What You Mean And, Thinking About That, Pigs Are Unclean, Just Like Sin, And If We Extend That There Metaphor, We Done Gots Ourselves The Problem! 

Yes, Indeed, We Do! 

So, Carman, What Do You Think Is Our Problem ... In A Few Words If You Can!?! 

Well, Elvin, To My Mind, You Know That I Went To School Long But Not Regular, That There Polished Pig Of The Football Kind, We Should Definitely Call Sin! 

We Like To Hold That Pig-Sin In Our Hot Little Hands Just To See How It Feels ... Just For The Look-See ... Or So We Say! 

Carman, You Ever Had A Hard Candy In Your Mouth Convinced That You Were Going To Suck On It Until The Last Sliver!?! 

Been There, Done That, Failed Every Time! 

Pig-Sin Is Like That Hard Candy But Without Any Lasting Pleasurable Benefits, And With All The Undesirable Urges For More, Better, Bigger Marked To The Column "Leverage And Loss!" 

You Ever Hear People Talking About Their Pork Chops And Ribs And How Wonderful They Are, And The Pork Board Talking About The New White Meat ...!?! 

...  I Also Read That The Good Lord Said Don't Eat It, Don't Touch It, Because Pigs Are Scavengers! 

So, Who Are You Going To Believe AND Follow!?!  

Playing With Pig-Sin Is ... Transgressive ... Presumptuous ... Just Wrong! 

We Can't Pretty-Up Sin And "Entice" The Lord To Approve It! 

Carman, We Are Not To Tempt The Lord With Our Vanities And Pride! Our Ways Are Not His Ways Nor Our Thoughts His Thoughts! 

We Did Not Create Ourselves! He Created Us And He Said "Don't!" But We Do It Anyhow Because We Are Making Him Over In Our Image! 

This Should Go Over Real Fine On Judgment Day! 

It's A Sorry Maker, Creator, Builder Who Can't Dismantle His Mantle, Breakdown A Build, And Unmake His Makings! 

'Deed! 

It's A Shame How Quickly And Glibly We Ignore The Lord's Good Parts And Choose To Walk Wise In Worthlessness Because, Well, Why Not! 

Don't You Always Hear That The Old Saw Says That "Everybody Is Doing 'It' So Why Not We!?!" 

It Was Foolish The First Thousand Times I Heard It And It Is Still Foolish Today! 

There Ain't No Amount Of Applied Gold Paint, Pearls And Lace And Lipstick Which Can Make Pig-Sin Into Eternal Growth Stock! 

Sighhhh ... 

The Commandments Are A Light So Let's Walk In The Light That Leads To Life! 

You Ever Realize That Folly, Fools, And Foolishness Have Lots Of Fans And Followers!?! 

That Is Easy To Suss Out: The Bar Is Set So Low That Everybody And Anybody Can Walk Over Because No Stepping Up Is Suggested Or Requested! 

I'm Glad That The Lord Has Got Standards: Step In, Step Up, And Stand Out OR Step Down And Fool Around, Ignore The Frown, And Be Thrown Out Bound Into Outer Darkness With Those Who Believed That The Lord Jesus Was Someone They Could Clown! 

That's Imagining Vain Things! 

Lord, Help! 

AMEN!!! 

Peace! 

https://youtu.be/SA73WStmm5g?is=cWfvIY-TZVk_7QZe

VESPERS AT THE END OF THE SABBATH: Leaning Takes Learning!

John 13:23 KJV

Now there was leaning on Jesus' bosom one of his disciples, whom Jesus loved. 

A Favorite Song Of Mine Is Called "Learning To Lean!" 

That's A Favorite Of Mine, Too, Cadence! 

You're Lying, Lexie! 

Nope! I Absolutely Love That Song Because It Taught Me A Great Bible Truth! 

How So, Lexie!?! 

Look At The Song's Title First Of All! Learning To Lean: Learn, Lean! Leaning Takes Learning! Look At Learning! Take Out The "R" And You Get Lean! 

Lexie!?! 

Yes, Dingus! 

Lexie, My Friend To The End, What Are You Going To Do With Or About The "R" So Unceremoniously And Unconscionably Ripped From Its Comfortable Haven Of Rest, Reflection, And Refreshing!?! 

Glad You Asked, Dingus, But You'll Have To Wait A Bit For The Answer! Take A Load Off! Rest A While! All Will Be Revealed! 

Listen Up, People! Come Unto Me All Ye That Labor And I Will Give You Rest! Who Said ...! 

... Jesus Christ The Lord! 

Cast Your Every Care On Him! 

Anybody Who Is Leaning, Aware Or Not, Has A Need, And In That Very Posture Their Learning, And They Are Learning, Is Being Revealed! 

Jesus Christ's Call To Us As Laborers, To Come To Him, To Cast Our Every Care On Him As Those Wearied By Life, Is Not Random Or Useless! 

That Call Is Specific, Direct, Useful, And We Need To Heed To Succeed! 

Brethren, We Are Called From Unfulfilling, Wearying Labor, To The "R" To Be Refreshed In The Redeemer's Rest Here, And Resurrected Into Eternal Rest When The Times Of Refreshing Shall Come From The Hand Of The Lord! 

Beloved, Please Do Not Be Swayed By The Rhetoric Of The Unregenerate World Which Approves Success By Self Aka Lifting Up Yourself With Your Own Bootstraps In The Boots That You Are Wearing Aka Make Yourself Great By Your Own Efforts Leads To Burn Out, Flame Out, Burn Up By Your Own Efforts Aka Do A Satan Special! 

Please Don't Do That! 

Jesus Christ, He Who Saves, Is Our Rest, Resurrection, Life, Our Rock Of Refreshing, The Living Stone, Rock Of Our Salvation! 

We Are Blessed By And In Him ... Alone! 

Peace!!! 

https://youtu.be/ehkg7-SVByk?is=Vf1OS8HiDG1VAhvm

VESPERS AT THE END OF THE SABBATH: What Does Grace Do ... For You!?

1 Peter 1:13 KJV

Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; 

... There Isn't Anything Called Cheap Grace! 

There Are Those Of The Hireling Shepherd Persuasion Who Think Nothing Of Boldly, Basely, Brazenly Lying ... For The Adversary Of Souls ... To The Lord's Purchased Possession To Get Position, Hold Power, And Gain People To Their Place Of Pontificating! 

They Are Wolves In Sheep's Clothing! 

They Are Licensed Liars! 

They Are Jesters Like Judas! 

They Play The Part Failing To See, To Recognize, To Understand, That Their Part In The Play Is Leading Them Post Haste To Perdition! 

Sadly, The Less Than Vigilant Who Followed, Are Following Them, Are Following Them There! 

Lord Jesus, You Are Mighty To Save! You, By Your Sweet Spirit, Are Calling, Wooing, Working Unceasingly To Save Your People From Self, Sin, And Satan, And The Spurious Teachings Of Those Whose Consciences Are Seared By Hot Irons, Who Are Fattening Themselves By Starving The Loving Lord's Lambs And Sheep! 

Brethren, Beware The Salvation Thief AND Be Aware Of Almighty God's Saving Grace Sufficient And Enough And Able To Wash You Clean, And Wipe You Dry And Supple You With Oil Of Gladness, And Wrap You In The Love Of God Which Will, Under No Circumstance, Let You Go To Hell In A Handbasket! 

Listen To The Lamb Of God Who Takes Away The Sin Of The World ... And That Includes Yours, All Of Yours, Which You Confess And Heartfelt Repent! 

Christ's Pardon Cleanses Clean Indeed! 

The One Cleansed Is Strengthened To Remain Clean In, By, And For Christ Alone! 

The Soul Strengthened Is Preserved By Grace Through Faith In Christ Alone! 

The Preserved Soul Is Restored To The Faith Which Cannot Fail! 

Salvation Is Free, And To Be Free in Christ Is To Be Free Indeed! 

We Are Not Restored To Walk In Darkness But To Walk In The Light of Life, To Have Our Minds Enlivened, And To Be Quickened, Made Alive, From The Dead, From Dead Works, From All Things That Defile, That Separate Us From The Love Of Almighty God, Personified By Our Lord Christ Jesus, He Who Is God With Us! 

We Are Blessed! 

We Have The Blessed Hope! 

We Have And We Are In The Heart Of Him Who Alone Saves Us To The Uttermost! 

We Are Bought With A Price! The Cost Was Innocent Blood! He Did Not Stint, He Wasn't Stingy, To Pay The Cost! 

He Gave His All For Us To Have His All For All Time ... And Eternity! 

Cheap Grace!?! 

Not In This Life! 

It Won't Get Anybody Into The Everlasting Life Either! 

Christ's Favor Is Free! His Grace Is Freely Given To Us But It Cost Him Dearly! 

Learn The Difference And Use Your Independence To Accept The Unspeakable Gift And Daily Depend Upon Christ The King! 

Peace! 

https://youtu.be/Ndz-GbCGXQ4?is=DDioe8MmM4x0HuVJ

VESPERS AT THE END OF THE SABBATH: Defending God!?!

Psalm 25:5 KJV

Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day. 

In The Spirit Of Gideon's Father's Defense  Of His Son: The Lord Can Defend Himself: He Is The Eternal God: What Can Puny Man Withhold From Him Or Do To Him!?! 

What Can I, A Mere Mortal, A Child Of The Dust, Blessed Only Because the Lord Condescended To Give Unto Me His Breath Of Life So That I Can Live And Move, And Have Any Being, Do To Force The Almighty God To Give Up His Goods!?! 

I Believe God: I Trust Him: I Love Him: I Honor, Worship, And Obey Him In The Times When I Can Get Over My Self Enough To Hear And Heed The Holy Spirit's Quiet Call To Life And Peace! 

Look, Larimer, I Am Not Going To Act All Religious And Righteous And Pretend That I Have No Need, Because I Do, That I'm Too Blessed To Be Stressed, But I Will Say With An Honest Heart That I Want To Ask The Lord, Just Like Job, 

"Why Are You Contending With Me!?! You Made Me, And You Know My Weaknesses And My Strengths! You Know, Before I Do, When I'm Going To Go Left, Right, Skid, Spin Out, Or Go Bums Up! 

You Know My Why When I'm Asking You When! You Know My Who When I'm Asking You Where! You Know My What When I'm Asking You How! 

Politely, Lord, You Are The Know It All, In It All, Good For All God! You Are The Good For Me, Here For Me, With Me God! 

You're Not A Crypt Keeper But A True And Holy Life Teacher! 

You Are A Secret Keeper: What I Tell You Stays Between Us!  

You Are The Promise Keeper: Your Word Stands Fast Forever! 

You Know Me, My Name, My Nature, So Why, Lord, Why Are You Stretching Me Out Like A Rubber Band!?! 

Oh, Lord, I Know, I Know! I Caused This When I Opened My Big Mouth And Asked, Pleaded, For Ever Increasing Faith! 

Yes, I Know! You're Right ... As Always! I Will Repeat It After You! "How Would I Know If My Faith Is Increased Unless My Present Faith Is Exercised, Tried, And Tested!?!" 

Yes, Lord! I Understand! If I Knew What You Know, I Would Choose To Be Led In The Path That You Are Leading! 

But, Lord ...! 

... There Are No Buts In God! 

Thank You, Father, For Reminding Me That My God Is, That You Are Real! 

I Love You, Lord! 

Thank You For Your Love, Lord! 

AMEN!!! 

Peace! 

https://youtu.be/XLtIylXJ3V4?is=ViMViwSOdebrYtwl