LIVING KINGDOM: Converted Christians!?!

Every Converted Christian
HOLDS
Three Positions
In The Kingdom Of God
AND
As Child Of God
Servant Of God
Citizen Of The Household Of God
We Should Be With Christ Of Like Mind!

Wait A Minute!
I'm Confused!
First ... Converted Christian?!
Isn't That An Oxymoron!?!

Actually ... No!
There Is A Biblical Precedent For That!

I'm All Ears!

Do Your Thing, Spray Can ... uh, ahhmm, Bert!

Jesus And Peter Had A Conversation

AND
Jesus Made A Telling Remark
That Should Cause Shock
Give Pause
AND
Encourage All Christians Called To Think

- Seriously Think -

About Our Hoped For Ascendancy
Unto The Great Reward!

WHAT ... Are You Talking About?!

Do You Remember ...

Feed My Sheep
Feed My Lambs
Feed My Sheep?!

Who Could Forget That?!
I Consider That Jesus Christ's Response
To Peter's Three Denials!

You Would Be Right
AND
Peter Understood That!

How Long Did Peter And The Brethren
Walk With
Live With
Eat With
Sleep Together With
Work With The Lord?!

A Grand Total Of
Three And One Half Years

OR
42 Months 

OR

1260 Days!

Would You Call Garrulous Peter A Christian?!

Yes, Indeed I Would!
Peter Loved His Master!

Would You Call Peter
A Faithful Working Christian?!

Without A Doubt!

Would You Call Peter ...?!

... What You're Going To Say
Say Fast!
I've Got Far To Go!

Very Well!

Why Did Jesus Say To Peter:

... And When You're Converted
Strengthen Aka Help
The Brethren ...!

... When You're Converted!?!

Gracious ... !

... Merciful Powers ... !

... Lord, Help Us!

Indeed!

Peter, James And John
Went Every Where With

AND YETPeter Was Unconverted
Even Though
He Had Seen The Transfiguration Of His Master
AND
Had Personally Heard The Voice Of Father God!

He'd Seen 

The Blind Given Sight
The Deaf Receive Hearing
Multiple Dead Raised To Life
Lepers Made Whole
Lame Made To Walk
Demoniacs Unchained
Captive Sinners Set Free
AND
He, Himself
Was Unconverted!

He Was Still Following Self!
He Was Not Yet In Christ
Living Abundantly!

If He Was Close To Christ
AND

Remained Unconverted
That Says Volumes About Us!

Namely?!

• A Change Will Come ... If We Remain Faithful
• Conversion Is A Progressive Work
• The Converted Soul Is To Help Others
• We Are Not To Walk In Pride

For
Denial Of The Lord
Is Waiting In The Shadows!
It's A Very Real Thing
AND
Humility Of Spirit
Is A Blessed
Never A Shameful
Thing!

So Much For Crying Lord, Lord!

No Wonder The Lord Said
That Crying His Name
Will Not Get One Into The Kingdom Of Heaven!

Look At These Contrasting Statements
Made Concerning Two Close Companions Of The Lord:

Being Unmoved By The Touch Of His Master
Judas Went Out ... And It Was Night!

Being Forgiven By The Look Of Compassion From His Master

Peter Went Out ... And Wept Bitterly!

I Get It! I Get It!
Judas Went Out Led By Self ...!

... And Betrayed The Lord ...!

... And Died In Darkness ... Lost!

But Peter ...

Peter Denied His Lord
Heard The Cock Crowing
AND
Remembered Jesus' Warning
AND
Looked Around At His Lord
AND
Saw His Lord Looking At Him ...!

... And The Lord's Look Of Compassion
Understanding
Forgiveness
Broke Peter's Sinful Self ...!

... And Peter Went Out
And Cried Bitter Tears Of Confession And Repentance ...!

... And He Was ...!

CONVERTED!!!

Hallelujah!
Peter Became A Soldier In The Army Of The Lord!
Peter's Tears Broke The Back Of The Fraud!
Peter Was No More Brash
BUT

Became Mindful
Gentle Meek
He'd Done His Repentance In Sackcloth And Ashes
AND
He Knew Of A Surety
That The Journey To Eternal Life
Is A Steady Striving Wearying Walk
Not A Brisk Energetic 100 Yard Dash!

You Should Tell That
To The Prosperity Preachers
Who Are In Race For The Believing Man's
Gifts Of Ready Cash!

May The Living God Forgive Them
Even Though They Know What They Are Doing!

HAPPY SABBATH + On Up To God!

I was walking on Up to God
I met Man
He called Me: "Friend!!"
He implored Me to walk with him for
He knew of all of Life's Best Short-cuts to Journey's End!

He said he had been on Up to God before and
He beguiled Me
With much lying and lore, and
I was mesmerized
As He told me of what it was I was in for!

I had been warned
But I listened and strayed
My walk on Up to God 
Was delayed. Delayed!

I was regaled with stories of Hate and Love
Needs and Greed
He had a Great Knack
I ate swallowed his prepacked Snack!

I walked on in Myself
I didn't look in
I didn't look back
To see that True Companion
Was trailing ... bloody, and crying!

I - for a while - lived
With Company of Lies
I was motivated by 
The Lord of The Dung Flies!

I lived High
I partied Low
I laid on the Ground
I rolled around in mud and loved in black snow!

My New Friends had No Morals
They smelled of The Flame
I didn't
 ... I didn't care!

I really should have known
That Sweet Life doesn't last
It ends in a casket or 
In a full body cast!

There were Regrets and Recriminations
Vexations
Lost Relations, and
Crying, and much wishing
For the Good that was and is now ... past!

My Day of Reckoning came
My Excuse for Folly? - It was lame!
I lived by My flesh, My eyes
I lived for the Praise of the In-World Game!

As for He Who Led Me To Stray
He was laughing - and pointing - at My Decay
And calling Me Fool
After CONvincing Me that his Way of Life 
Was happening, and way, way, cool!

It was then I saw My True State
I was inside the Pig
Gate
Eating that which made the Scavenger Swine salivate!

I thought of on My Father
Who His Servants fed!
Those Servants had much
For He did Reward
And I said in My Heart:

"I will go back to My Father

As His Servant, today!

I know He will Forgive!

He will help and heal My Decay!"

Loaded Down ... Dirty as I was
I ran toward Home! I couldn't stay away, and
My Father met Me in on The Way!
I cried, and I said:

"Father! Forgive Me!

I strayed, and really played!

I wasted My Substance on with The Fraud

Who cast me aside!

Father! He lied and lied

And I have been burnt!

Heal Me!

Help Me!

To You, My Lord, I return

For, Life Lesson, though hard

I have assuredly learnt!"

My Father washed Me - I was Renewed!
My Father clothed Me - the World I eschewed!
I walk ... NOW
On The True and Holy Way
I live for My Father
He's My Lord - The Light of The Way!

I have #TheRewardsOfTheSaints:

Peace

Love

Joy

Hope

Provision

Help of The Angels

and

Saving by The Blood

The Spirit is My Comfort and My Stay!

What more can I say?!

I shall - in Jesus' Faith - Stay in The Fight!
I shall - with His Blessing - walk Faithfully into The Night
And on The Great Day
Coming very soon
I shall Rise Up - Glorified
To The Heavenly Reward
Way beyond the Big Moon!