VESPERS AT THE END OF THE SABBATH: The Voice Of The Martyr Stephen!

The Life Of Stephen 

- The First Martyr For The Faith Of Jesus Christ - 

Should Inspire Everyone Of Us Who Trusts In The Lord 

For Our Eternal Salvation! 

Beloved, 

Stephen's Life Accused Those Who Knew Not The Lord 

And

He Was Hated For It! 

Stephen's Ways Pleased The Lord 

And

The Lord Blessed Him With The Heavenly Vision 

As His Days' End Visibly Approached! 

Dear Ones, 

In The Earthly Court

As Long As The Judge Is Seated

Both Accuser And Defendant Have Opportunity To Speak 

But

When The Judge Stands Up

Judgment Has Been Rendered 

And

The Case Is Over! 

Stephen Saw Jesus Christ Standing At The Right Hand Of God 

And 

He Went To His Long-Sleep Knowing That 

The Lord, The Judge Of All Flesh

Had Rendered Judgment Against Wicked Men 

And 

In His Favor! 

Dear Ones, 

Hold On To Your Blessed Hope In The Lord! 

The Wicked May Escape Justice On Earth 

But 

They Cannot Escape The Court Of Heaven! 

Please Dare To Live Your Life 

With Heaven Ever Always In Your View! 

In The Name Of Jesus

Pray And Please Almighty God 

And 

He Will Surely Bless You To All Pleasing! 

Peace! 

Heap Those Coals Of Fire!

It Is Said That Revenge Upon One's Enemies 

Is 

Best Served Cold 

Aka Unexpectedly 

And 

With Vicious Stopping-Power! 

To Almighty God's Chosen People

The Answer To This 

Is 

"Nuh Uh!" 

"Nope!" 

As Blessed And Highly Favored Children Of 

The Eternal Who Grants Grace And Inhabits Glory

We Are Called To Be Mind-Bogglingly Kind 

To Those Who To Us Are Not Even Close To Being So! 

Oh, The Beauty Of The Unexpected Kindness 

When Your Enemy Needs Help 

And 

You're The Only One Available To Help 

And 

You Actually, Willingly, Graciously

- For The Love Of God - 

Provide That Help With A Tender Look 

And 

A Gentle Touch! 

What Bliss Is Yours To Have And To Hold! 

Remember, Beloved, 

This Is The Way Of The Savior 

And 

If We Desire To See Him In Peace

This Must Be Our Way! 

We Were Once Enemies Of The Almighty 

And 

He, By Jesus Christ The Righteous

Granted Us The Unimaginable Kindness 

... His Life For Yours ... And Mine! 

There's No Repayment Possible: 

Choose, Instead, To Obey His Blessed Call 

To Be Set Apart For Holy Use 

... To Sanctification ... To Perfection! 

Dare To Smile With The Lord 

In The Face Of The Scorn And Abuse Of Your Enemies: 

Chase Away Evil 

With Your Hand Dripping With Goodness That Shines

With The Light Of Love! 

Peace!

There Are No Shortcuts To Glory!

Beloved, 

We Are Warned And We Are Encouraged: 

Godly Lives Lived In The Lord Christ 

Call Forth Persecution 

And

Staying The Course With The Lord Christ 

Leads To The Crown Given By The Lord Christ! 

There Are No Shortcuts To Glory! 

We Need To Know The Living God That We Believe In

What It Is That We Are Striving For

The Tricks Of The Trade Of Our Adversary, Satan

And 

The Ways And Methods Of Our Savior-King

Jesus Christ The Lord

Our Great Example! 

Let Us By Grace Through Faith 

Never ... Ever

Seek To Battle Our Known Enemies In Our Own Strength

Using Their Tactics 

And 

Following Their Rules! 

The Lord Jesus Christ

Is

Our Shepherd

Our Refuge

Our Strength!

We Are Christians

Servants Of The Eternal God

Children Blessed 

And 

Diligent Students Of The Living Word! 

Our Enemies Will Be Many 

And 

Their Tactics Truly Evil 

So Let Us ... As Missionaries For The Lord Christ 

Become Humbly Determined

Enduringly Committed

And 

Faithfully Striving For The Prize That 

Is 

The Upward Call 

While Maintaining A Light Hold 

On The Things Of This World! 

Covet No Man's Gold, Silver Or Raiment 

And

Choose ... At All Costs 

To Permit The Holy Spirit Of Truth 

To Teach, Guide 

And 

Chide Aka Correct You 

As You Walk Toward Our Forever Home! 

Truth Wins! 

Peace!

Choices, Chances, Changes!

Teach The Living Word To Others 

And 

Better Learning Of The Word For Yourself 
Is 

The Result! 

Those Who Live By The Faith Of Jesus 
Cause Their Gift Of Faith To Be Seated Deeper 

And 

Take Up More Space In Their Lives: 
What We Use Grows
And 

What We Refuse We Lose! 

We Can't Have Faith Unless We Believe That He Is Real
And
We Can't Please The Lord Without Working Our Faith!

Beloved, 

Life With The Lord Christ 
Is Not 
Complicated! 

He Has Made It Plain: 

We Will Be Hated By Evil People For His Sake: 

We Will Be Rewarded By Almighty God ... By Christ Himself

Who Is Bringing His Rewards With Him 
For Our Total Faithfulness To Him! 

Question Is ...

Will We Be Traitors ... To Our Creator And Savior 

To Achieve Temporary Peace With His Enemies 

Or 

Will We Be Loyal To Him For Life

Live In His Perfect Love

Endure The Temporary Hate

And 

Live With Him In Eternal Peace 
At The Time Of His Appointing!?! 

Choices, Chances, Changes ...

Loving God 

Is 

A Personal, Private, Heart-Engaged Decision! 

If We Desire To Live With The Lord Christ

We Must Live Like Jesus Christ Did 
When He Walked Amongst Us! 

Perfection Is Our Goal

So Remember That 

We Come To The Lord Dirty 

But

We Cannot Remain That Way! 

Our Lives, Loves, Attitudes, Desires 
And 
Decision-Making  

Must Change! 

Faith In Jesus Christ The King

Is 

Our Firm Foundation 

And 

Love For Him 

And 

Obedience To Him 

Is 

The Cement That Keeps It All Together! 

Jesus Always Saves: 

Trust Him And Be Truly Blessed! 

Let's Make Peace With Our Father Who Is In Heaven! 

PRESENT TRUTH: The Commandments Of Almighty God

The Commandments ... The Word Of God
The Always Present Present-Truth 
For This Age In Which We Live
Are A Firm Foundation For Our Feet
An Unbreachable Roof Over Our Heads
And 
A Hedge Of Protection Around Us 
From Our Known-Rabid Enemy! 

Our Jesus Christ ... The Living Of God
Is 
Not A Mercenary For Hire In A Foreign Legion
- Off To Make His Fortune 
Off The Blood And Guts Of Our Enemies - 
Who Tried And Failed To Overcome! 

Our Jesus ... Our Champion
Is 
God Almighty, King Forever
Conqueror ... Battle-Scarred: Victorious! 
He Has Given To Us His Unfailing Word To Read 
And 
Believe
To Trust ... And Daily Use As Our Defence! 

"Thus Saith The Lord...!" 
Is 
The Word For Our Own Blessing 
And
The Curse 
To Heap Upon The Damned-For-Eternity Head Of Satan
Our Published Enemy! 

Beloved, 

Cheer Your Heart With A Song Of Zion
And 
Bless Your Life By Knowing 
The Eternal Word Of Truth That Always Saves! 

Hide The Word ... Hide Jesus, In Your Heart 
And 
Live Safely As A Saint Of God 
In His Perfect Love Which Casts Out Fear! 
Be Faithful ... And Be At Peace!

Satan Is The Liar

The Father Of Truth-Reversed!

His Words Are Filled

With The Poison Called Known-Sin

And

All Who Follow Him

End Up Being Blighted And Cursed!

Dedicated To God!?!

I Really Like His Statement:

Sin ... Will Find You!

Sin ... Will Bind You!

Sin ... Will Blind You!

And

Sin ... Will Grind You!

I Like Hearing You Say It
But Why Did He Say It
And What Does It Mean?!

Oh, Sorry!
He Was Talking About Samson The Judge
Being Led Astray By His Eyes
His Appetite For Flesh
And
Courting
Even Sleeping
With The Enemies Of God
And
Ultimately
Ending Up Dead!

It's Like This ...

Samson Was Dedicated To Almighty God
A Nazarite By Birth
But 
He Chose For His Tasty Morsels
That Which Was Forbidden
By His Lord
The Eternal God!

Samson Abused His Gift Of The Holy Spirit
And 
Grieved The Holy Spirit Away
And 
He Didn't Even Know
That The Spirit From His Person Was Missing
For
To The Depths Of Sin
He Had Sunk Real Low!

He Betrayed His God! 
He Was Bound! 
He Lost His Hair! 
He Was Made Blind! 
He Was Made To Grind Wheat
For The Enemy
- The Enemies Of God -
But
He Came To Needed Repentance

And
He .. On His Feet

Served The Philistines

A Magnificent Defeat

More Grand 
Than When He Ranged About The Land

Free

To Do As He Pleased!

Doing Sin Is A Conceit
But

To Please The Living God 

From Sin

Beat A Hasty Retreat

And Then

The Devil Cannot You Defeat!

That's Sweet! 

Better To Be A Coward
And 
Depart From Sin
Than To Be Bold
And 
To The Lake Of Fire
Burning With Brimstone
Be Cast In!

That Sounds Like A Worthy Goal
And A Sure Way To Save One's Soul!

Brother, The Half Has Not Been Told!

PRAYER: Lord, Let Your Will For My Life Be Mine!

Father, 

Oh, My Father

Help Me To Hold Fast In My Grasp

The Outstretched Arm

So That In The Days Of My Troubles

I Do Not Have To Cast Around

To Find An Anchor

To Which To Tie My Tossing Ship Fast!

Father, 

Rid Me Now

Of Any Traits Of Character

That Will Cause Me

In My Elder Years

To Become

Anxious

Angry

Bitter

Jealous

And Envious

Imagining

Slights And Hurts

From This And That Friend Foe

Sister Brother

Daughter Son

Earthly Father And Dear Mother!

Save Me, Lord

From That Troublesome Woe!

Help Me Let Them Go!

Lord, Make Them Go!

It Is Not My Desire

To Give Place To The Wily Foe!

It Is My Desire, Dear Father

That My Fruit For Heaven

Should Ripen Sweet

At The End

Of Its Season Of Growth

AND

I Beseech You

In The Holy Jesus' Name

Help Me

Shelter Me

Manure 

Water And Prune My Tree

So That

Whether I Die

Or Remain Alive

When The Lord Christ Shall Come

I Shall Rise Up To Meet My King 

And Hear:

"Faithful, Profitable Servant

Well Done!

Into The Pearly Gates

You Are Welcome To Come!"

Remember The Brethren

In The Near And Scattered Folds!

Call Them

Lord, Call Them

To Come In From The Cold

To The Great Fold Of Safety

Behind The Protective Hedge

So That The Evil Ones

Will Not Consume Them

Using Them For Mere Merchandise

On Some Merchant Of The Earth's

Never-Satisfied Shelf!

Father,

Thank You! 

I Bless You

For The Comfort Found Only 

In Holy Spirit Of God! 

I Thank You For The Angelic Protection

That You Provide Against The Fraud

And The Enemies Of God!

I Thank You For Daily Care

Daily Grace

Daily Faith

And

I Thank You For The Forgiveness For Sin

That Takes Condemnation

Off The Rugged Path

That My Foot Does Trace!

I Thank You For My Blessings

Innumerable

Invisible

Immense!

I Thank You For The Myriad Mercies Of Favor

Spent

And

Those Not Yet Spent!

I Thank You, Lord 

For The One Gift

That "Thank You!" 

Cannot Cover! 

The Gift Of The Son

On Cruel Calvary

The Life Of Christ Jesus

My True Love

My Soul's Only Lover!

Oh, Love

That Will Not Let Me Go

Love Me

So That In Your Character

I May Grow More And More!

Love Me, Lord

Lead Me

Into The Glorious Light

So That That Light

The Light Of The World

The Only True Light

That Leads To

And

Gives

Eternal Life

Will Be My Day Light

My Night Light

And

The Light Of My Life

Unto And Ever After

The Day That The Saints Of God

Shall Take Flight

To Eternal Life!

Into Your Hands, Lord

I Give Unto You ... Me!

Let Your Will

And

Your Ways Be Mine

So That Forever Will, Thereby

Be Mine

With

My Savior Jesus Christ 

The Lord God Holy Divine!!

I Love You, Lord!

Hope For Heaven

Is Beating In My Chest

And

In That Hope

The Name Of My Lord Christ

I Do Publicly Confess!

Remember Me

Is My Plea

For In Jesus' Name

I Humbly Plead!

AMEN.