HAPPY SABBATH + The Joys Of The Flesh?!

Jesus Offered Me Something!
Something Holy And Good
BUT
Between Me
AND
Heavenly Bliss
The Glittering World Stood
With Glamour 
And Clamor
And Sensual Delights
For I - Enticed -
Boldly In Sin Did Delight!

I Knew By The Master
I Was Greatly Beloved
BUT
Delighting In The Joys Of The Flesh
With Pleasure 
I Entered The Flood
Of
Emotions
Enticements
Flatteries
AND
Flames
AND
Did The Holy Quiet
With Gay Abandon
Disdain

UNTIL ...

The Day When
Worn Out
Dismayed
Tired
Spiritually Bereft
Defenseless
Enchained
I Made Petition To The Father:

"If You Would ...?
If You Could ...?
I Know I Should ...
But ...
You Understand
That I
A Mere Human
Behaved Like Weak Man
And ...
Well ...
My Heart ...
My Head ...
I Am Almost Dead ...!
Would You ...?
Could You ...?
Father, Forgive Me!
I Am Behind Life's Wood Shed
AND
I Can Find No Living Bread!"

"Father, Forgive Me!
I Beseech You, Please!?!
I Know I Did Wrong!
I Have No Excuse!
I Was Enjoying The Siren's Thrilling Song!"

"Temptations Were Tumultuous!
Bad Habits Were Long Ingrained
AND
I Was Never Willing To Fight Them, Lord
AND
Now I Am Securely Enchained
BUT
I Know You Can Help Me!
I Know That You Are Wholly Holy True
Unlike The Other
Who Upon Me Did Ravenously Chew!"

"You Are The One Faithful!
You Are The One Holy God!
You Are The True Shepherd
In Jesus' Name
Please Get Me Away From The Fraud!"

"Give Me A New Heart!
Remove The Scales From My Eyes!
Enshroud Me In Your Clothes
AND
Help Me Not To Listen To The Vile One's Lies
About Liberty
AND
License
AND
Right To Do Wrong
To Mark My Own Pathway
Even If With My Own Life I Did Pay!"

"Oh, Lord
Forgive Me!
Let Your Spirit In Me Abide!
I Desire
Forgiveness Of My Sin
AND
Their Blotting Out
Because In You 
I Here AND Now
Do Confide!"

"Renew Me!
Remake Me!
Render Me 
Clean!
I Will No Longer Walk With The Wanton
By Your Grace, Lord
I Give Up The Sin Scene!"

GOD'S JUSTICE & MERCY: Calls For Confession & Repentance

Truth to Tell - I was in a Bit of a Pickle
I Committed Sin
I was Headed for Hell
No "If..."
No "And..."
No "But ..."
My Life was Straight-Up
Living in Duck's Guts!

God Has Very Specific Sentencing Guidelines:

You Sin! - You Die!

I Didn't Know How
To Extricate Myself!
I Knew - For A Fact
That I was Going To Die
For The God of Heaven
Does Not Cannot Tell Lies!

I Tried To See If
I Could Give God A Little "Berry!"

You Know:

A Little Quid Pro Quo! 
(Something for Something)

I Should have Known Better
That This God Was The God Of The Letter
And That His Answer Would Be To Me A Plain:

 "NO!"

I Had Been Around Town
A Time or Two
And So I Knew One or Two People, Too!
I Explained My Plight
I Even Got Into A Fight
AND
Thereafter
I Found Myself Facing 
My 
Darkest 
Night!

I Don't Know
From Whence The Thought Came
But I Uttered A Prayer
Learned From Me Old Gran' Mummy:

"Lord, I Know You Up There

I'm Living In Sin Down Here

Have Mercy - Send Me Some

Even If It's Worth 

Only An Old Bent Penny!"

Now, If I Remember True
Old Gran' Always Tell Trut'
And I Know That She Never Led Me Astray!

I Chose My Own Lot
And Look At What I Got
Fears
Tears
A Runny Nose
And A Stomach Full of Leaden 
Butterfly Knots!

Lord,

Talk To Me!

I'm Finally Ready To Listen -

Hear My Plea!

I Have Nothing Else To Lose

No One Else To Whom I May Turn!

My Ball Ran Out of String

My Bees Lack Honey -

All They Have Left Is Bare Sting

And My Mind Is A Whirl

And Even My Hair

Straight and Curly Got Tight-up Curls!

People Must Understand 
That My Situation Was Desperate
And I Would Have Done Anything
To Get The God To Cooperate
BUT
Almighty God That He Is
Was Having None Of My Fizz!
He Wanted Me
AND
He Was Finally Getting Me -
I Was Down On My Knees!

Now That I Had God's Attention
God Had My Full Attention
God's Truth Came Flooding Into My Soul:

God Is The God Of Justice!

God's Justice Demands Payment For Sin!

Sin Is The Transgression Of God's Law!

God Is The God Of Mercy!

(Sparing Me From Receiving What I Deserve!!)

God's Only Beloved Begotten Son Died ... TO PAY

For My Sin ...!

God's Mercy Gives Me Grace!

(Gifting Me With What I Don't Deserve!)

God Loves Me - A Raw-Mouthed Sinner!

(The Stench and Mark Of Sin Are Upon Me)

God Hates Sin!

(The Line That Separates The Holy and The Human!

(The Thing That Makes Us Profane!)

AND ...

All I Need To Do
To Be Accepted Into Fellowship With The Living God
IS
To Confess My Sin
To Repent For Having Committed My Sin 
AND
Have A CHANGE!
SUBMIT!
SUBMIT 
To A Change Of 
HEART!

PRAYER:

Father, 

I am Sorry!

I am Sorry For What I Did Today Yesterday!

I am Sorry for The Way I Walked

And

For My Associating With The Bad Company

With Whom I Happily Played!

Lord,

I Repent of The Past

My Actions

My Words

And

My Deeds

And, Lord

If You Would Please Heal Me

I Will Serve You

In Whatever Capacity You Need Me!

Make Me Anew

I am Beseeching You, Lord

Clean Me

Renew!

Father, 

I am Through Talking "I Love You!"

I am Through Walking "The Modern Christian" Way

I am Ready, Lord

To Walk In The Way Of Christ

I am Now Really, Really, Listening To You!

Preserve My Soul, Lord

I am - Finally - Truly - Honestly -

With Your Constant Help

Denying All Associations 

With King Fraud!

Lord God Almighty,

I Am Yours

And

By Your Grace

In Jesus' Faith

I Know I Will Fly 

At The End

If I Endure To The End

With King Jesus

And

All The Redeemed Ones

Up Above The Clouds

To Dwell You On High!

I Love You, Lord

Forgive and Bless

In Jesus' Holy Name I Plead

AMEN.