VESPERS AT THE END OF THE SABBATH: Accidental Victory!?!

vic·to·ry

ˈvikt(ə)rē/

noun

plural noun: victories

1. an act of defeating an enemy or opponent in a battle, game, or other competition.

   
   

   "an election victory"
2. 
   
3. 
   

The Baby Walks
Victoriously

BUT

First He Had To Stand Up!

His Mother Roared In Triumph

For

Her Child Walks

Confidently

Strongly

Steadily

Placing Foot In Front Of Foot!

The Boy Rides

And Rides

In Circles

Daringly

AND

Free

BUT

First

He Had To Gain Balance

AND

Ride Straight

Before He Could Ride 

In Circles

Victoriously!

The Young Lady's Hormones Were Raging!

The Young Man's Libido Was Sprung

BUT

They Had Promised The Master

That They Would Wait

Until

She Had Been Dedicated To Him

On The Day That She Wore

Her Pristine White Wedding Gown!

The Battle Was Fierce!

The Promise Paramount!

Their Faith In The Master

Would Carry Them To The Great Day

To Hear

The Pronouncement:

"She To You Now Belongs!"

AND

The Battle Long Fought

Was Won

Because Of One Prayer

AND

Walking Day By Day

Trusting God To Bless The Way

AND

Their Victory Did Hallow 

Their Beautiful Wedding Day!

The Sinner Turned To Become A Saint

After Many Feints

BUT

With Turning To The Master

Wobbly Steps Became Straight
AND

He Was Soon Steadfastly Walking

AND

Trusting God 
At His Word

AND

Accepting Guidance From The Holy Spirit

All The While Truly Believing That God Sees Every Action

AND

Hears Every Word!

He Did Trust 
AND
He Obeyed!

He Believed God 
AND
He Daily Prayed

For

The Mercy

AND 

The Grace Which Are Available

To Help Him
From The World

To Turn Away!

One Step!

Two Steps!

Three Steps!

Four!

Soon Walking

Then Running Without Being Weary

Then Rising Up With The Wings Of An Eagle

Above The Earth

BUT

It All Started

With Faith

Then Belief

Love

Then Trust

AND

Suddenly

Obedience

Became The Thing Marked:

"I Must!!"

Accident Has Not Victory!

Victory Requires A Plan 

AND

Work!

Let Faith Cause You To Work

Out Of Love Of Him

Who Made You 
AND
The Beautiful Earth!

Trust God - He Is Faithful!

Live For Jesus - Who For You Died!

Be Comforted - Of The Holy Spirit

Whose Temple You Are

AND

Wherein He Abides!

There Is No Need To Walk In Your Own Strength

For

There Is Grace 

Sufficient

For Each And Every Day

AND

Faith ... Which Gives The Victory

Through Jesus Christ The Master

Our Savior Redeemer

AND

Our Friend!

Jesus Christ Is Coming

To Claim His Very Own

For He - Himself 
Has Conquered

Death, Hell The Grave
AND
Sin's Benighted Throne!

Jesus Said His Father Works

AND

That He Who Must Work, Too

SO

We Who Love And Trust In Him

Must

Get Up!

AND

Get Out!

AND

Work!

For That, Dear Ones Is 

God's Written Gospel Truth!

Victory Over Sin

Is In Sight

BUT

We Must Go Out

- By Jesus' Faith -
To Claim It

FOR

It Will Never Walk Toward Us

BECAUSE

We Must Work 
- Faithfully -
For It!

No Victory Over Sin?!

 

Jesus Is My Shepherd!
I Don't Follow The Goat!
I Take The Time From The Master
AND
I Seek Faithfully
By Standing On The Holy Word
- In This World Of Wickedness -
To Stay Afloat!

Distractions Are All Around Me!
Even Things That Should Never Be In The Public's Face
AND
I Must Endeavor To Stay Focused
So As Not To Become A Christian Disgrace!

Unfaithful Hireling Shepherds
Are Trying To Convince God's People
That There Is No Getting Victory
- In This Life -
Over Sin
AND
I Shake My Head And Ask Wryly:

Who Inspired The "Holy" Word
From Which The False Shepherds Are Teaching?

How Much Are They Being Paid 
To Sell This Offal
That Unsuspecting Believers Are Buying?

"No Victory Over Sin!"
Is A Gross And Satanic Lie
AND
Is One Used By The Devil
To Cause Many With Unconfessed Sin
To Be Lost Forever
When They
Unrepentant
Die!

Jesus Saves The Sinner
Out Of His Sin!
Jesus Will Never Permit 
An Unrepentant Sinner
The Pearly Gates To Enter In!

Please ...

Do Not Listen To The Blind Guides
Who For A Pittance
Are Peddling Bold Lies!
Guard Your Eyes
AND
Your Heart
Out Of Which Comes 
The Actions That Direct Our Lives
AND
Trust The Lord To Be Faithful
To His Promise
To Give To All 
Faithful
Obedient
Enduring
Believers 
New
AND
Eternal Life!

By Beholding
We Are Changed
So ...
Behold The Good Master
Our Lord Jesus Christ
AND
Become Permanently Estranged From The Devil
AND
You Will 
Lead By The Christ Enter Into 
God's Eternal Life!

Where's Your Faith?!

I Was Given A Great Gift!
It Was A Measure Of Faith!
I Touched It!
I Kissed It!
I Tried It Out Once
AND, THEN
I Put It High Up
On The Treasured Items Shelf!

One Day
I Had An Experience!
That Experience Called Into Question My Faith!
I Said To My Self:

"Hey! We Have Faith!"

BUT
Then I Remembered, And Said:

"Ohhh! But It Is At Home
On The Treasured Items Shelf!"

I Got Over That Experience!
Or So I Thought!

Time Passed

And Then ...

Astoundingly
One Experience
AND
Another Experience
Boldly Showed Up
This Time
Right Inside My Front Door!

The Nerve Of These Experiences!

Shocked
Dismayed
Shaken
AND
Nerves Frayed
I Reached For My Gift Of Faith
Only To Realize
Belatedly
That I Had Securely Tucked It Away!

"Oh, Faith!
Where Are You?
I Need You Right Now!
Wherever You Are Hiding
I Command You
To Come Out Right Now!
I'm Having A Conniption
A Calf
AND
A Cow!
Oh, Lord!
Please Help Me!
Lord, Help Me!
I Vow
To Keep Faith With You!
To Keep My Faith
On With Me
Starting ...
Starting ...
Starting ... RIGHT NOW!

I Learned A Hard Lesson!
Faith Is Not For Show!
Faith Is For Exercise!
One Must Let Faith Grow
For
Faith Unused
Is Faith That Is Dead
AND
Unused Faith
Is As Useful As
A Feather Made Of Lead!

From That Day Till This Day
I Have Bound My Faith
To My Life!
I Have To Daily Exercise My Faith
For
Living
In This Life
Is Constant Constant Strife!

I Say My Prayers
To My Father
Humbly 
In Jesus Christ' Name
Exercising The Faith
That He Gave Me
Vowing Daily
To Use This God-Given Measure of Faith
Until I Enter The Day I Enter The Grave!

I Have Needs!

Without Faith

In Jesus Christ

My Faith Is Fruitless

My Striving Is Useless

AND

Salvation For This Sinner Saved

Is Profitless

AND

Waiting For The Trumpet Call Of God

Is Pointless!

The Law Of God As A Thing

HUMANS!

We Have A Problem!

As Far As I Am Concerned

This Is How The Story Goes:

Walking Around
Doing As I Was Well Pleased
I Committed No Sin!
I Had No Heart Ache
Nor Knew Of Disease
UNTIL ...
That Grave Morning
The Law Of God Was To Me Revealed
AND
I Knew
Of A Certainty
That Obeying That Law
AND
That God Pleasing
Meant
That I Would Be
Me Displeasing!

That Was Not Going To Work
For
I Always Put Me First
AND
This Law Of God Thing
Was Putting The Critical Order Of Things
Into An Impractical To Me
Reverse!

I Am Important!
No Body Comes Before Me
AND
This Two Tablet
Ten Commandments
- Not Suggestions
Nor Recommendations -
First Four Commandments For God
Last Six For Family Friends
In Short, The Whole Community
Feels Like Coarse Sand Paper
Crossing Over A Truly Delicate
Deliciously Fine-Tuned
Human Body!

This Law Of God Thing Is A Kill Joy!
I Can't Unsee
Unhear
Unknow
What I Now Know
AND NOW
I Have A Responsibility!
The School Master
You Know - The Law
Says So!

When I Commit Sin
I Must Repent To God!
I Must Do All In The Faith Of Jesus
Who Died To Reconcile Me
To God The Father
From The Fatal Flaw!

Fatal Flaw?!

SIN!

Sin?!
What's So Fatal About That?
We Live! 
We Have Fun!
Time Passes!
We Die! 
End Of Story!

Not So Fast!
You Are Quite Wrong!
Sin aka Lawlessness aka Iniquity
IS
The Transgression Of God's Laws!

The Penalty For Doing Sin Is Death!
Judgement!

Eternal Death aka Body Plus Soul In Hell 

Aka Eternal Separation From God!

You Burn Until You Are Consumed 
AND
The Length Of Time Burning
In The Lake Of Brimstone And Fire
Depends On The Depravity Of The Sinner!

To Get Out Of Suffering Eternal Death
We Need A Savior!
Blood Must Be Spilt!

Jesus Offered Up Himself!
His Father Sent Him To Pay Our Price!
He Got What We Deserved
AND
We Get What We Don't Deserve!

We've Got To Accept The Offering
Or
We Will Still Die!

You Hear About The Mansions!

What Mansions?!

In God's House!

Jesus Is Preparing A Place
In His Father's House
For His People!

Are You A People?

Believe It!

What Do I DO To Get What You've Got?

Believe Jesus' Salvation Is Fee Free!
Acknowledge Sin!
Confess Sin!
Repent Of Sin!
Walk In Jesus' Faith!
Walking In Your Own Way Relent!

Sounds Doable!

Doable ...
BUT
Not In Your Own Strength!

You've Got To Get The Holy Spirit!
Let Him Of You Take Control!
Accept The Eternal Gifts Offered!
Heaven Must Be The Only Goal!

I Hear That!
Gold Is My Favorite Color!

I Said Goal!

I Heard You!
I Accept That
And I Desire God's Gold!

So ...

My Goal Is God's Gold!
Without Jesus
I Will None Get
So I Will
Out Of Love
Cling To Jesus Christ
AND
My Eternity Is By God Set!

I Get God!

God's Got Gold!

I Get Gold
Because I've Got God
Who Is Good
And Who
For My Sake
By Jesus
On The Cross Stood!
His Blood Has
My Peace Purchased!
My Peace Is Mine
Because I His Living Word Obey!
I Shall By Grace
Walk Holy
AND
Won't Have It Any Other Way!

Problem Solved!

Jesus Saves!

FOLLOWING JESUS: Come And See!

I Was Walking Behind Jesus
He Turned To Me And Asked:

What Are Seeking?

I Answered Him
Saying: Master!

And Excitedly Asked:

Where Do You Live?

His Gentle Face Gazed Upon Me
And I Distinctly Heard His Reply:

Come And See!

Those Words
So Deliberately Spoken
Were Calling Out To Me!

He Could Have Replied:

Why Are You Asking?

But,  Instead
He Asked Me To Follow Him
... Freely!

Without Fear Or Trepidation!
Without Thought Of The Outcome
I Walked 
Faithfully
With Him
To His Abode
Knowing
That I Wanted Him To Be My Teacher
For His Words Touched My Soul!

I Could Have Visited His Home
And Quickly Left
BUT
He Was Drawing Me
- I Could Feel The Tug In Chest -
And, So
I Spent The Best Part Of The Day With Him
And, Honestly I Do Tell
My Soul Had Found Its Rest!

He Spoke To Me!
My Heart Did Respond!
He Taught Me Plain!
I, Indeed, Now Knew Calm
And When Time To Go Back To My Reality
I Felt So Torn
That I Started To Cry!

He Touched My Hand Softly!
It Felt Like A Passing Gentle Breeze!
I Cried Out And Asked Him:

Can I Stay With You Forever,  Please?!

He Said:

Yes, But In Spirit
For You Can't In Your Earthly Tabernacle Live Here!
Be Faithful!
Judge Righteous Judgments!
If You Have A Loaf Of Bread
With Somebody Please Share!
And
One Day
Most Glorious
An Incorruptible Tabernacle From Me You Will Wear!

Until Then
Bless -  Don't Curse!
Like The Serpent Be Wise
But As The Dove You Must Fly!
Your Self You Must Deny
And
You Will Join Me Forever
By And By!

Plant Good Seed In Your Garden
And
Water Them Well With The Truth!
Shun Evil Companions
And
Train Up Your Children In Their Youth!

Be Not A Man-Pleaser!
Keep Your Shoulder To The Gospel Plow!
You Will Be Tried In Life's Crucible
But
I'll Be Always There To Comfort And Guide You
And
This Beloved
Is My Covenant Vow!

There Is A Final Test For All Mankind
And
If You Walk Faithfully
And 
Endure To The End Gracefully
At The Judgement Day
EVEN If You Had Died
You Will Immortal Rise
Holy
And Fly Through The Sky
To The Holy City
Where You'll Forever Reside
Safe
In Mansions That Forever
Abide.

Believe On Me
AND
You Will Be Saved!

I Felt As Though I Had Already Died
And Gone To Heaven!

I Walked Away
Saying
Soon, Soon
One Glad Morning
My Savior Will Take Me Way Past The Moon
I Will
With My Own Wings Fly
High
High
Beyond The Known Sky!

Heaven Awaits!

I Slept With Peace.

Every Believing Christian 

"Sees" 

Heaven!

Every Believing Christian 

Knows 

That Heaven Awaits

AND

Even Though We Long To Go Home

We Know 

We Must Faithfully Endure 

To The End Of This Life

To Obtain The Promised Reward!

*********

No Cross - No Crown!

*********

To Arrive Safely At Home

We Must Keep Jesus In View

So 

Let Us Keep Reminding Ourselves

That We Are ThisClose To Home

And

Just Keep On

Praying and Plodding On

For

"One More Day!"