SIN: Eschew! Eschew!

Self-Willed Sally
And
Own-Way Chase
Were Known To Be Crabby
When In The Presence Of Straight-Laced!

The Problem Was Simple

And
The Reason Profound
Because
Straight-Laced Lived On And Walked Faithfully 

On The Narrow Way
And
Worked On The Path Of Verity
And
Shopped At "It Is Written!"
And
Permitted No One
From The Path Of Truth And Righteousness
To Cause Him To Turn Around!

Battle Lines Were Meticulously Drawn
And
Straight-Laced
- Watching, Waiting
And
Working For His Lord -
Deftly Drew Out And Finely Sharpened
His God-Given Sword!

He Never Raised His Voice

And 
He Had No Need To Curse

Because
He Wielded The Sword Of Truth!

Listen To Him
Hear Him Cut Unruly-Sin Down
To The Vanquished-Today Size:

Many Are They That Trouble Me!
Many Are They That Rise Up Against Me! 

Many Are They That Say Of My Soul 

There Is No Help For Him In God: 

But Thou, Oh, Lord, Art A Shield For Me

My Glory And The Lifter Up Of My Head!

I Waited For The Lord And He Inclined Unto Me 

And Heard My Complaint!

Blessed Is The Man
Who Walks Not In The Counsel Of The Ungodly

Nor Standeth In The Way Of Sinners

Nor Sitteth In The Seat Of The Scornful!

The Lord Is My Rock And My Redeemer!

Trust Ye In The Lord Forever

For In The Lord Jehovah Is Everlasting Strength!

They That Wait Upon The Lord Shall Renew 

Their Strength, They Shall Mount Up With Wings As Eagles!

They Shall Run And Not Be Wary!

They Shall Walk And Not Faint!

The Naysayers Were Many ...

Whenever Selfish-Selena
Jealous-Judy
Licentious-Lynbrook
Doubting-Dorothy
Impious-Ilene
And
Gainsaying-Gareth
Sought To Gall Him
By Calling Him A Gull For
Believing In The Living Word
By Them Considered A Dead Letter
To A Bunch Of Space Cadets
Straight-Laced Did Not Take Offence!

He Took The Only Action
Sure, Always, To Be Effective:

He Sighed!
He Cried Over The Abominations
And
Dear Lord
He Prayed!

He Prayed For Their Help!
He Prayed For Their Health!
He Prayed Against Their Hard-Headedness
Their Hard Heartedness
And
He Prayed For Their Revival
Their Reformation
And
He Pleaded With The Lord 

For Their Conversion To The Cause Of Christ
And
Don't You Know
One Rather Gloomy Day
A Crack Appeared
In The Wall Of Willing Sinners
Known Viciously Arreared Against Him!

Falene-Pharisee
And
Sarcastic-Cyralene
- Known Rabid Haters Of Straight-Laced -
Banged, Banged ... Knocked Real Hard
- In An Urgent Tattoo -
Upon His Open, Always Open, Front Door!

They Didn't Give Him A Chance To Offer Pleasantries!

They Just Said:

Give Us Water!
Feed Us Bread!
Point Us To The Shepherd
Or Very Soon We Shall Be Dead!

We Offer No Explanation!
Know This: We Need The Living Light!
Satan Has Proved Himself A Gross Liar!
His Way Of Life Is Blight!

Straight-Laced Asked No Questions!
He Simply Uttered:

Thank You, Jesus!

It Was His Heartfelt Prayer
And
He Hugged And Invited His Guests
- Expected, Unexpected -
To Sit Down For The Meal! 

He Pointed Them To His Simply-Appointed Dining Room 

And Fittingly Arrayed Table And Beckoning Chairs!

The Plates Were Plain Truth!
The Knives Were Knowledge!
The Spoons Dug Into Salvation!
The Forks Held Fidelity!
The Cups Were Filled With Confidence In Christ!
The Glasses Told The Surpassing Glory Story
And
In Each Linen Napkin, Clean And White
Were The Words Of Truth And Life
The Aching Soul Sure To Delight!

There Was Grace Before The Meal!

Mercy, The Platter

Did Seasoned Vegetables Various Yield
Showing And Telling That
Mercy Covers All
No Matter The Type
The Stripe!
Mercy ... Is For One And All!

And

There Was A Little Brown Bag
To Hold The Vomitus Of Sin Confessed
A Known Necessity
If
One Willed By The Great King
Truly To Be Blessed!

Repentance Was At The Table!
It Was A Turning-U
Black-Black To Charcoal-Grey
Dirty Beige To Bright White:

It Encourages One Not To Be
The Sin-Slave
And
To The Will Of The Eternal God
Willingly To Cave!

Said Straight:

Jesus Christ IS The Way-Maker!
Jesus Christ IS The Bread-Baker!
Satan Is The Liar, The Faker
And Only You Can Decide
To Be The Narrow-Way Taker!

Turn Away From Self And Sin!
Turn To Jesus Christ And Heaven Win!
Bless The Lord And He Will Bless You
When The Way Of Sin
You Boldly Eschew!

That Hour
That Day
Standing In Faith
On Prayer

Having Hope
Those Two Willingly, Joyfully, Joined
The Heaven-Bound Crew!

Jesus Christ Saves!
He Saved Them
And
He Can
He Will
Save Me And You, Too!

Don't Be Complacent!
Fighting Against Sin
Is
A Moment By Moment
Day By Day Battle
Done In The Strength
In The Faith Of Jesus Christ The Righteous

Our Returning-Soon Savior

Redeemer, Lord And God!

Let's Walk With Him In Total Accord!

 

UNCLEAN SPIRITS: Envy ... Plain Envy!

Precious Pearls

Pasty Pig

AND

Putrid Pennies

Famous Friend

Friendly Fiend

Fractious

False

AND

Fiddly

Blighter, Baxter, Bing

AND

Boss

Outrageous Anger

Cruel Wrath

AND

Secret Praise

Were All In Attendance At

Clear De Aire

Waiting

Some Patiently

Some Worriedly

- None Indifferently -

For Envy ... Plain Envy

To Do The Usual

AND

Blaze!

All The Brethren

Had Individual

Some May Say Peculiar

Some May Say Particular

Issues!

They Intermittently

Cussed Each Other Out

 - Just Because -

AND

As And When Necessary

AND

Made Up Often

- As Appropriate -

BUT

There Had Not Been

A Single Soul

Who Could Hold Their Own Against

Envy ... Plain Envy

Until

Open Rebuke

Into The Family

Had Adroitly

Walked In

Without A Shout

AND

Displaying No Doubt

Unceremoniously

Calmly

AND

Surprisingly Lovingly

Given Envy ... Plain Envy

His Very First Rout!

He Was Not Well Pleased!

But ... I Digress!

Pasty Pig

Always Stepped Upon

Precious Pearls!

AND

Precious Pearls Despised

Putrid Pennies

Because

Well, Because

Pennies Cannot Hold A Light Up To Pearls

Now, Can They?!

High Flying Precious Pearls

Forgot

Ignored

AND

Dismissed From All Consciousness

The Fact That

An Accumulation From

Putrid Pennies

Permits Particular People

To Purchase Pearls

For A Premium Price!

Altercations In The Clan

Caused Chaos

AND

It Is Not Unheard Of

For

The Occasional Crime

To Have Been

Casually Committed

Causing

Considerable Consternation!

But ...

What About Envy ... Plain Envy!

Who, Where, Why ...?!?

What Is He All About?!

Nice! You Called Out His Whole Name!

Envy ... Plain Envy

Is A Hustling Harridan

Who Highjacks Praise

Harasses Effort

Hounds And Hates

Hinders Progress

AND

Highlights Flaws

In Everything

Against Everyone

Anyone

Everytime Anything Excellent

Before Them

As Bounty

Is Placed

Just Because

He Did Not Get It

FIRST!

Envy ... Plain Envy

Is Just Plain Hateful

AND

He Is Past Master

At Getting

Outrageous Anger

AND

Cruel Wrath

To Do His Dirty Work!

Envy ... Plain Envy

Aka Jealously

Is Never Contented

With What He Has

Nor With

What He Gets!

Dissatisfaction Is His Disease!

Discontentment Is His Creed!

Destruction Is His Feed

AND

Hate Is The Strutting Steed

That He Faithfully Leads!

That Is How He Gets "The Feels!"

Remember ...

Envy ... Plain Envy

Jealousy - Same Personality -

Is What Momentarily

"Darkened" Heaven!

Lucifer Wanted

What Was Not His To Have

Nor To Hold

Nor To Know

So He Determined

He Would Have It All

As If His Selfish Desire

Was To The Holy God Of Heaven

Bright Gold!

For His Presumption

Lucifer Received

An ... OPEN REBUKE!

AND

Upon The Earth

He Did Unceremoniously Land!

The Outcome For Lucifer

Is

He Has Been Renamed

Satan - The Adversary

AND

He Was From Highest Heaven Cast Out!

He Can't Go Home Again

AND

Now

He Ever Always

At And Against Frail And Fallible Man 

Plots And Pouts!

Satan Is A Malevolent Spirit!

He Is Powerful

AND

He Is Motivated By Hate!

He Hates What God Loves

AND

In His Dealings With Mankind, My Friend

He Does Not Wear Kid Gloves!

The Continuing Fallout

From That Debacle

Is Still

Disturbing

AND

Destroying

Mankind To This Day

AND

All Who Indulge Satan's Envious Spirit

(Yes ... It Started With Him!)

Will Also Gain And Get

What He Got!

Not A Whole Lot!

Remember Eve!

Remember Cain!

Despise Envy!

Despise Greed!

Embrace Contentment Of Spirit

AND

Let Jesus The Christ

The Eternal God

- Who For Us Died -

In Your Embittered-By-Sin Life

Take The Glorious Lead!