Conscious Decisions!

Being Of A Sound Mind

I Have Taken The Conscious Position
To Make A Conscious Decision
To Honest-To-Goodness
Truly
- Without Reservation -
Believe In The Almighty God!

Since There Are So Many Other "Things"

Which Distract One

From What Is Truly Important

I Have Consciously
Made Up My Mind
To Trust
The Living Holy God
At His Own Word
Believing
That He IS Who He Says He Is
AND
Trusting His Word ... Again
That
He Will Do What He Says
He Will Do!

The Living God

By Jesus Christ

Said He Could Fix Me
AND
Make Me Fit
To Appear Face-To-Face

- Without Fear Of Instant Destruction -
Before The Consuming Fire
That Is The Eternal God
AND
I Have Consciously Decided
(That Phrase Again)To Take Him At His Unfailing Word
AND
Shall
- In All Things -
Act In My Received Portion Of Jesus Christ's Faith
So That I May Receive
All Of The Memorialized Blessings
Denoted In The Living Word!

Almighty God
In The Very Person
Of Jesus Christ
Who Ever Lives
To Make Intercession
For Me
(And You, Too)"Wrote" A Contract
In Man-Covered-Divinity
AND
Signed AND Sealed It
In Innocent Blood
AND
I
- By The Exercise Of My Faith -
Accede
To The Terms Therein Specified
AND
With Wilful Participation
Know That I Will Receive Power For Living Now
AND
- With Faithful Endurance -

Will Receive The Promised Heavenly Rewards!

I Have Been Burnt
By Contracts Made By Man
BUT
I Cannot
I Will Not
I Refuse To Say
That God - Through Jesus Christ -
Bit Me
By Indulging In
Pay For Play!

Saying Such Will Prove Me A Satan-Inspired Liar!

Up Front, The Living God Said:

Here Are Enunciated The Blessings!

There Is Enunciated The Curse!

You Are By Birth-Right

In Possession Of Free Will

So Choose

Today

How In Your Own Life

You Shall With Deliberation Move!

Today
I Look With Heart
AND
With Good Reason In Head
- Having Talked With My Jesus -
I Have Decided
Not To Live Like A Dead-Head!

I Have Decided
To Accept The Enunciated Blessings

And TherebyCast Behind Me
That Enunciated Curse
AND
Leave All My Tomorrows
In The Hands Of Him
- Who In Himself -
Took My Known Share Of Sin's Curse!

My Faith Is Not Blind
For He Who Bequeathed It
Is Light
AND
Life
AND
With Him As My Guardian
My Guide
AND
My Stay
I Will Have No More Truck With Satan
AND
Of A Surety
For Me
There Is Nothing Called:

"Hell To Pay!"

What Do YOU Say?!

VESPERS AT THE END OF THE SABBATH: Mingling Praise With Petitions!!

Mindy Gottit
Grew Up
Grossly Gratified
Through The Gains Of Greed
Generously Granted To Her
By Grandfather Gottfried
AND
Granny Anne-Gel!

The Gottit's
Were Notorious
For Being Gross Grabbits!
"Thank You!"
Was Not A Phrase
Heard Used Amongst Them
Neither Did It Enter Into Their Minds
To Praise Anyone
For A Benefit That They Received
From Another's Hands!

Yet ...

Believe It Or Not
These Gottit Grabbits
Were Rabidly Insistent
That Every Single Person
- For Whom They Had Done
The Merest Favor -
Had To
Bow And Scrape
AND
Kiss Their Rings
AND
Sing Their Praises Profusely
Else They Be Called
"The Ingrate!"

One Fine Day ...

The Most Important Personage In The Public
D'Lordd
Opened Up His Castle
Stating That
He Would Be Granting Requests
To Those Who Willingly Made Petitions!

D'Lordd's Castle 
Had Twelve -  12 -  Gates
AND
A Note Was Affixed
To Every Single Gate!

The Note On The Castle Gate One Said:

Ask -  And It Shall Be Given!

Seek - And Ye Shall Find!

Knock - And The Door Shall Be Opened Unto You!

Gate TWO Said:

Give Thanks ... With A Grateful Heart!

Gate THREE Said:

By Prayer And Supplication 

Let Your Requests Be Made Known Unto God!

Gate FOUR Said: 

Oh, Give Thanks Unto The Lord For He Is Good!

Gate FIVE Said:

The Lord Bless You And Keep You!

Gate SIX Said:

Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow!

Gate SEVEN Said:

Praise Is Comely!

Gate EIGHT Said:

All Of Your Help Cometh From The Lord!

Gate NINE Said:

Thanks Be To God!

Gate TEN Said:

Hallelujah Is The Highest Praise!

Gate ELEVEN Said:

Oh, Give Thanks Unto The Lord 

For

His Mercy Endureth Forever!

Gate TWELVE Said:

No Good Gift Will Be Withheld!

No Surprise! No Shock ...

The First Petitions Received Came 
Wholesale
From Those Grabbits
The Gottit's!

They Had All Seen
Gate ONE
AND
Like A Ravening Locust Horde
The Grabbit Gottit's Got Their Got's On
AND
Grossly Gluttonous
They Made Their Greedy Requests Known!

Then ...
A Strange Thing Was Seen Occurring ...

The Poor
The Peaceful
The Polite
The Widows
The Oppressed
The Distressed
The Repressed
The Demoniacs
The Manic
A Lawyer
A Thief
A  Law School Teacher
A Tax Collector
The Town Whore
The Hungry
AND
The Needy
Were Seen
Steadfastly 
Walking Around The Castle!

Each Person 
Stopped
Stood Firmly
AND
Faithfully Read
Every Single Note
On Every Single Door
As If Life Itself
Rested 
In The Then Viewed Note
On The Current Door!

As Full Understanding Dawned
They Each Smiled
Raised Their Hands
AND
With Blessed Assurance
Each Went To The Door
AND
Made Their Petition
Unto D'Lordd!

As Time Passed
The Grabbit Gottit's 
Started Spreading Talk 
Around Town
That D'Lordd Was The Liar
That D'Lordd Never Answers Petitions
That D'Lordd Was Full Of Hot Air
AND
That They Wanted Nothing More To Do With 
D'Lordd!

There Was A Fine To-Do
Around The Town
As
Just About Every Body
Who Had Walked Around To D'Lordd's Way
Had Had Their Needs Met
AND
They Were Praising D'Lordd!

Gottfried Gottit
Washed Out His Mouth
On D'Lordd
Until ...
Like A Proverb
A Little Child
Led Him To The Truth!

That Little One Said
In Bell-like Tone:

"If D'Lordd's Words Resided In You

And You 

Had Resided In D'Lordd

Your Petitions 

Would Have Been Received!"

BUT ...

Said Gottfried:

"I Did What Gate ONE Said To Do 
And I Got Bupkiss!"

A Voice Was Heard Asking :

"If You Saw A Gate Marked ONE
What Should That Have Told You?"

"That There Was Another Gate!"
Those Assembled Cried In Unison!

BUT ...

Replied Gottfried:

Going Looking For Another Gate
Required Effort
And I Just Didn't See Why
I Should Walk Around!  
That Is Hard Work 
And I Pay People To Get My Work Done!
Furthermore
ONE Is My Favorite Number
AND
It Becomes My Station In Life!

"Man, You Need To Humble Yourself Before D'Lordd!"

"Did You Open The Door!"

"Door?! What Door?!"

"ALL Who Go To D'Lordd

Must Believe

That He Is 

And That He Is A Rewarder

Of Those Who Diligently Seek Him!"

"Huh?!
Believe!?
Who Said Anything About Believing?"

"I Read That D'Lordd Gives Good Gifts
AND
I Like Presents
AND
The Note Said: ASK!
AND
I Asked! Nothing To It!"

"Didn't You Ever Receive Anything From D'Lordd?"

Yeah! 
Sure!
But It Was Just Something Good That 
I Really, Really, Needed!

 A Voice Was Heard Saying:

He Just Wants The Bread And Fish!!

True!!  True!!

A Voice Asked:

Did You Give "Thanks!" 

And Praise To D'Lordd 

Just Like You 

DEMAND 

That Everybody Give You "Thanks!" 

And Praise For Everything ...

...  Including Their Paycheck 

That They More Than Earned!

Why Should I 
Gottfried Gottit
Say "Thanks!" 
For Something 
D'Lordd Asked Me 
To Ask Him For?!

Why Should I 
Praise D'Lordd 
For Giving Me Something 
That He Offered Me!

Raised In A Barn!!

Who Said That?

I Did!  Said Ma Rainey!
And I Cast Upon Your Head 
Your Charge Against Anybody 
Who Does Not Thank And Praise You 
According To Your Overblown Ideals!
You - Gottfried Gottit - Are An Ingrrraate!!

D'Lordd Gives Unto Us
What
In His Far-seeing Wisdom
Is Best For Us!
He Is Our Sovereign Lord
And
In Gratitude
For His Unmerited Favor Toward Us
We Give Willing Praise And Thanks!

That Gottfried Thinks He Is The Cat's Meow!

And He Believes His Requests Are Good Gifts To D'Lordd!

Suddenly ...

D'Lordd Is Noticed Walking Toward The Assembly!

D'Lordd! 

D'Lordd!

Gottfried! Walk With Me!
But, But, But, I Didn't Do Anything!

Exactly!
Now, Walk With Me!

We May Never Know What D'Lordd Said To Gottfried
BUT
He Is A Changed Man
AND
A Real Change Is Being Seen 
Among The Former Grabbit Gottit's!

They Are Turning Into The Gottit Givvitt's!

They Give Praise!
They Give Thanks!
They Are 
- Out Of Thankful Hearts -
Even Giving Gifts To Others
AND
Doing Missionary Work
AND
(No Need To Gasp)
They Are Exuberantly Giving Glory
To D'Lordd!

As For The Princess
Mindy Gottit
She Is A Work In Progress
For
Old Habits 
- Just Like Bad Attitudes -
Die Hard!

Pssst!

Are You 

Continually Giving 

Unto The Lord

YOUR Personal 

"Thanks!" 

And 

Praise?!

DECISIONS: Blood On The Scale!

The Lord Blessed Me With Life!
Sin Cursed Me With Strife!

The Lord Blesses Me With Hope!
Sin Curses Me With Reasons Not To Cope!

The Lord Leads Me Along The Narrow Way!
Sin Stalks Me Encouraging Me From The Way To Stray!

The Lord IS My Light!
Sin Needles Me To Trust My Eyesight!

The Lord Says He Has Made A Home Far Away!
Sin Says Forget Home!  Let's Play and Be Gay!

The Lord Gives Me Grace To In The Battle Stand!
Sin Touts The Party And Hot Happenings Band!

The Lord Encourages Me In My Walk With Kingdom Talk!
Sin Sets Out Challenges To Make Me Balk In My Walk!


The Lord Says:

"Come Unto Me!

All Your Needs Will Be Met! "

Sin Says:

"Forget Needs!

It's The Wants! Fret! Fret!"

I Got Out My Scale
The One Provided By Mercy and Grace
AND
It Was So Used and Battered
That
In The Polished Shine
I Could See
My Happy
Sad
Needy
Greedy
Sorrowful
Hopeful
Seeking God
Found Jesus
Face!

In That Polished Scale Mirror
Stood A Bright Spot -
Blood Red
Next To A Living Lamb
Most Assuredly
Having Been Bled Dead
BUT
Pointing To Himself
AND
Calling Himself The Eternal Son of Man
AND
Calling To Himself
All
The Sons of  Fallen Man!

The Appeal Is Quite Gentle!
The Caller Gentle ... Real!
The Offer Salvation
Hope Eternal
AND
No More Separating Veil!

I Made My Decision!
My Decision Was Is Uncoerced!
But, Oh, Lord Almighty
Sin Is Standing
At The Ready - Blowing
Up In My Face!

*** Decisions! Decisions! ***

Religions!

Collisions!

Trust God For Direction

AND

Depend On Him For Provision!

Trust In God 

Always

When You Make Your

*** Decisions! Decisions! ***

I Trust God
To Point Direct My Traffic On My Way!
I Pray To The Living God
Night and Day
At Work and At Play!
I Know Not What
Tomorrow For Me Holds
BUT
I Know The God Who Has It All
In His Loving Control!

My Hands May Shake!
My Eyeballs May Sweat
BUT
As Long As I Obey and
Honor God
Sin Loses
AND
The Victory Crown
Will Soon Be Placed
Upon The Head
Of This 
The Holy King's 
Blessed Beloved Pet!

Get Thee Behind Me Satan!