PRAYING IN FAITH: Loving Christ By Trust!

Jesus Christ

The Creator Of All

Is

The Best Friend

Of

Proved Wicked Man 

- He Is Able To Save Man

And

He Is The Only God Who Can!

Father,

I Have Been Oft' Wicked

But

I Am Now Your Willing Servant

And

I Am Willing

And

Greatly Desire

To Be Saved By You!

I Have Wasted My Substance

On Riotous Living 'Tis True

And

I Am Far From Home

But

You Have Called Me

Called Me To Be Wise

Wise Unto My Own Soul's Salvation

And, Lord

Because You Have Opened My Eyes

And

I Can See My True Condition

I Can Also See

My Real Need

And

I Ask You, Please

Since You Convicted Me Of Sin

To Convince My Heart

 Of All Your Truth

And

Convert Me To Your Way

So That I Am Not Ultimately Become

A Forever-Destroyed Cast Away!

Lord,

Wash Me!

Take Me From The Dry And Thirsty Land

Where No Water Is

And

Lead Me

Guide Me

To Green Pastures

For I Thirst

For A Drink

From The Water Of Life!

I Desire To Be Removed

From The Place Of

The Waters Of Strife

And

Yearn

For The Day When

Hill Zion

I Behold

Able To Touch Your Very Majesty

As A Rightful Entrant

Into The Holy God's Fold!

Grant Me Blessed Grace

And

Grant Me Dear Faith

To Continue On The Right Path

That You Have Me Upon Placed!

Lord,

Please Protect My Eyes

My Ears

My Touch

My Taste

My Smell

And

Please Do Not Permit Me

By Lust And Pride

To Be Felled

For

I Willingly Give You My Will

And

I Willingly Give You My Way

And 

I Fervently Beseech You, Lord

In Jesus Christ's Holy Name

To Help Me To Do All

And

Whatever You Say

For I Now Know

And

I Now Appreciate

That Whatever Is For Your Glory

Will Ever Always

Be For My Best Good!

Teach Me Your Way, Lord

And

Help To Walk Humbly In It

For I Now Know True Love

And

Your Name Is It! 

AMEN.

VESPERS AT THE END OF THE SABBATH: FALSE ACCUSATIONS : Overcoming

In The Face Of Accusation
It Is Normal
Even Expected
That The Human Heart Should Fear
BUT
A Christian
Accused Wrongly For Right-Doing
Should
- In Gladness -
Cheer!

Was Not Jesus The Christ
Falsely Accused?

Yes, He Was! So We Are In Good Company!

The Day Is Here
When Wrong Is Right
When Evil Is Good
When Darkness Is Light
When In The Streets
Truth
Is Cruelly Cast Down
AND
Evil Surmising's Patina
Is On Fleek!

Lord, Have Mercy On Your Children Meek!

Dear Child Of The Father
Listen Unto Me!
Be Not Dismayed
At What Your Blind Eyes Doth See!
Your Body May Feel Real Pain
Your Heart May Hurt
But, Be Assured
Because
In The Eyes Of The Heavenly Father
You Are Smelling Daisies
Not Covered
Buried
In Sin's Light-Quenching Dirt!

So ...

Let Us Trust In Our Father's Provision!
Let Us Bask Beautifully In The Father's Care!
Let Us Rest Assured Of The Great Rejoicing
When 
With New Name In Hand
We Shall Celebrate In The Father's House!
In Anticipation, Let's All Say:

Hip! Hip! Hooray!

The Devil Is The Liar!
Evil Men Do His Dirty Work
BUT
Believing Ones Who
In God's Grace - By Mercy -
Do Firm Stand
Shall
In The Glad Day
With The Eternal Jesus Present
Glorify God
AND
To Heights Unknown Rise
Passing Over What We Now Call Skies!

Earth's Treats Are Sin-Battered Bitter
BUT
The Eternal God's Heavenly Treats
Are
Truly Beautifully
Salvation Sweet!

With God's Grace
Shining On Your Face
There Is Nothing
That The Devil Can Do
From God's Love
You To Displace!

Child Of God
Take Your Torments
Accept Your Lumps
AND

Bear Your Cross

In The Name Of Jesus
AND
With His Faith
You -  As An Overcomer -
Shall Bow Your Head
To Accept
Salvation's Gold Crown!

Charity Suffereth Long
AND

Is Kind!

Be Calm And Considerate

For

Your God Is Divine!
Misrepresentations Of The Faithful
Are His To Unravel
AND

False Accusers

- Always Guilty -
Will Feel
The Reverberation Of His
"You Are Guilty!"
Banging Gavel!

Rabid Sinners Gain All Now

To Lose All Later!

Obedient Saints Lose All Now

To Gain All Later!

Jesus Christ Saves

Fed-Up-With-Sin Sinners

Not

Self-Satisfied

Pretending-To-Be-Saints Saints!

EXPERIENCES: Dis(O)bedience

It Takes A Miracle
A Blessing God
To Nullify A Curse!
It Took Jesus Christ
On The Cross
Dying
The Curse Upon Man Spoken
In Eden's Garden
To Reverse!

Bless God!

It Takes Presumption
On The Part Of Man
To Accuse God
Saying:

That Curse Was Causeless!

When
In All Actuality
None In The Garden
Could Be Considered
Faultless!

The Prohibition Was Clear:

Do Not Eat That Fruit!

Obviously ...

You Can't Eat
Unless You Bite!
You Can't Bite
Unless You Pick!
You Can't Pick
Unless You Reach!
AND
You Can't Reach For The Fruit
Until
You Are At
Or In
The Tree!
AND
You Can't Get To The Fruit Tree
Unless
You Walk
AND
You Won't Walk To The Fruit Tree
Unless Your Thoughts Say:

I Feel For Fruit

Today

This Hour

This Very Moment!

AND

I DON'T CARE

If That Fruit Is Sour

Or Will Edge My Teeth

AND

Tie Up My Tongue

Stain My Hands

AND

My Face

AND

On My Clothing Leave A Trace

AND

In My Mouth Leaves A Scent

AND

In My Belly Leaves A Bitter Burn

AND

At My Sit-Down

Causes Me To Squirm

AND

In The Wash

Waste's Mighty Stench!

In My Mind
- Upon Replay -
Urge Does Recoil
AND
Remonstration 
Strenuously Says:

Disobedience

Does Not Pay

For Willfulness

Knows Not The Story Whole

AND

Selfishness Knows Only

Self's Current Goal!

Why So Bold?!

If Selfish Self
Had Hindsight's Foresight
AND
If Taste Had Waste's Pipeline
AND
Satisfaction Wore Sorrow-For-Sin's Nightgown
Obedience Would Not Wear Presumption's Shoes
Nor Greed's Glasses
Nor Borrow Today's Trouble
To Get Outcome's Tomorrow-Lashes
AND
Painful Gashes!

If You Count The Steps
To Sin
Malice 
Is Here Involved!
Wickedness Is Walking Wild
AND
Wily Satan Does Rejoice!

Be Wise Like That Serpent!
Be Harmless As The Holy Spirit's Dove!
Accept The Lord's Prohibitions
For
He Made You With Love!

Let No:

"Hath God Said ...?"

End With:

"Thou Shalt Not Surely...!"

For
In The End Of Your Big Doings
God's Surely
Will
Of A Surety
Be Done Securely!

There Is No Curse Causeless
AND
There Is No Excuse
For A Man To Be Lawless
For
Holy God's Law
Is 
Eternally Flawless!

Obedience Only Requires A "Yes!"
BUT
Disobedience 
Always Requires 
Much Thoughtful Machination To Process
For
Escape
AND
An Excuse
Become Necessary
AND
Unsurprisingly Start
With The Same "E" 
As The Evil
Which Makes You Vile
To The Lord God Almighty!
Check It Out And You Will See!

Disobedience Leads To Bad Experience
AND
Bad Experience Is A Pay-In Program
Which
- Well Used -
Turns Good-Life Into Refuse
Which Refuse
Into Outer Darkness Goes
Where Crying 
AND
Gnashing Of Teeth
Are Evinced From Those
In Humiliation's Death Throes!

In Christ
There Is No 
"Yes!" And "No!"
In Christ There Only
 "Yes!" And "Go!"
For
Christ IS Neither Fickle
Fadish
Nor A Fiend
BUT
Is The God Of Salvation
Who Desires 
All To Be Clean!

Do Right!
Live Right!
Walk With Him Who Is Sight
AND
Escape Damnation's Long Throng
Who Will Have
A Permanent Night
AND
No Lullabye For A Soothing Song!

Satan Is The Liar
So
Let Him Not Your Commonsense Squeeze
For His Only Gift To You
Is To Ensure That You End Up With
Punishingly Devilish Fleas!

But ...

Know This!
If You
- Having Made The Mistake -
Don't Harden Your Heart
BUT
Cast Your Self
On God's Mercy
AND
Doing Same
Without Fear
Confessing
Repenting
AND
Crying Out 
Because Of Your Shame
AND
Pleading With The Father
For Restoration
In Jesus Christ's Holy Name
He Will
Of A Surety
Bring You Into 
The Rest Home Again!

Don't Be As Some!
Cain
AND
Esau 
Are Of Note Two
Who
Would Not Be Humbled
AND
Were Reprobates
Through And Through!

One Cried 
That His Punishment Was Too Great!
AND
One Cried 
Because By His Own Actions
His Blessing Was Too Small!
BUT
Neither Repented Of Their Behavior
AND
God's Condemnation
Of Both Of Them
Severely
Did Fall!

Contrast Those Two
With
Adam AND King David
AND
Soberly
Also Think Of King Saul!

Adam AND King David
Knew Bitter Repentance
AND
In The Lord's Strength
Went On To Teach The Truth To All!
But ...
Saul ... Unrepentant In Sin
Grieved
The Holy Spirit Of Peace
Away
AND
In Agony Of Spirit
Trusted A Condemned Necromancer
To Get Guidance From The Dead
On How The Living Should Be Led!

The Dead Dead
- By Satan -
Answered
The Living-Walking-Dead
For Saul Was An Empty Man
Condemned
By The Holy God
For Playing Footsie
With The Fraud!

Long Story Short Short ...

Don't Let A Little Covetousness
Turn You Into A Man
Conscienceless
For God
Will Not Hold You 
Guiltless
AND
Your Too-Late Tears
Will Be To You
Profitless!

Think Before You Reach!

With Jesus As Your Leader

Doing The Right Thing

Is Not Hard!

Recall of the Fall + Repentance; and some Musical Refreshment

Recall of The Fall

+

Repentance

I recently sat and did recall

All the things that I've done as a result of the fall

I've lied and cheated, stolen and compromised

Walked in my own way, and often reviled!

I've ignored wise counsel and

Crucified Christ time and again!

I've raised up myself higher than my Creator

And oft' ended up less than I was created!

There's been fornication, adultery, gambling,

Warmongering, hating and despising

Grasping and backbiting!

I've realized that one wrong to do was as good as any other!

No skin off my back

For they were all as light as the proverbial feather!

But then one dry day, reality set in

And nary a dry spot was found under my wet chin!

The conscience that I had long successfully ignored

Soon cast me, without preamble, upon the hard floor

Where revulsion and remonstrance vied

For prominence e'en pre-eminence

Oh, how I blubbered!

How sorrowfully I cried!

Alas, this poor soul

A lot like Cain and Esau

Cried out – not in repentance – but because

I – guilty – was brought to great shame!

Now, I must eat crow!

A dish most unpleasant, or so I've been told

But eat it without seasoning I must

Not even a drop to be left in the bowl!

It was then that I heard Old Ishbel's choice words –

"If you are truly sorry, repent!

If not, don't relent, for

To do otherwise

Is to minimize

Who you've offended, and yourself!"

It was then that I chose to get rid of all the hems and haws,

And get down to the real business of asking the Lord

For the character of gold in the fire of life tried

Righteous clothing made of linen clean and white, and

the anointing of the Salve

To heal my world-scarred eyes.

He said to me:

“Come as you are!

Repent, and be renewed!”

And

“Walk thou in the straight and narrow for

The Spirit will help you!”

So, hear me, I tell you:

“Don't believe your own publicity!”

“Acknowledge your Savior

And He will direct you!”

I endeavored from that day

That for me there would be

No more broad nor illicit high way!

I am trusting The Promising

I am basking in The Comforting

I am treasuring The Holy Word, and

From here on in, you see

Straight will be The Pathway to

Blessing for Me!

Create In Me a Clean Heart

Psalm 51

To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came unto him, after he had gone in to Bath-sheba.

1 Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy loving-kindness:
according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash me throughly from mine iniquity,
and cleanse me from my sin.
3 For I acknowledge my transgressions:
and my sin is ever before me.

4 Against thee, thee only, have I sinned,
and done this evil in thy sight:
that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest,
and be clear when thou judgest.
5 Behold, I was shapen in iniquity;
and in sin did my mother conceive me.
6 Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts:
and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.

7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean:
wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
8 Make me to hear joy and gladness;
that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.
9 Hide thy face from my sins,
and blot out all mine iniquities.
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God;
and renew a right spirit within me.
11 Cast me not away from thy presence;
and take not thy holy spirit from me.
12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation;
and uphold me with thy free spirit.
13 Then will I teach transgressors thy ways;
and sinners shall be converted unto thee.

14 Deliver me from blood-guiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation:
and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness.
15 O Lord, open thou my lips;
and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise.
16 For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it:
thou delightest not in burnt offering.
17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit:
a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

Day By Day

RICHES

RICHES!

Riches without SORROW – only God can give

For the rich man in his greed thinks he'll outlive

The poor, the meek, the beggar in the street

Because he trusts his riches against God to compete!

Riches without FEAR – only God can give

For the rich man in his arrogance thinks he has no need

For child-like faith, or Almighty God in his life

Since with his money he purchases the bodyguards he feeds!

Riches without GUILT – only God can give

For the rich man in his great pride believes

His money entitles him to achieve

Whatever, and whoever, his lusts can conceive to receive!

Ah, rich man, now poor man – if only you knew

The God of Creation is always watching you

To see if your riches will to His Glory attend

Or give you the things that'll cause you into hell to descend!

Repent ye, this day, and to the Lord give your praise

Don't worship the things that fade and rust away

Be kind to the unfortunate, the downtrodden, the weak

And at the first resurrection, up to Heaven, you'll be raised! **BJC**