Influence: Blessing And Cursing + PRAYER: Lord, Lift Us Up!

... No Matter How Dull Of Hearing
How Tone Deaf You Become
You Will Hear 

The Still Small Voice Of Almighty God Calling!

There Is No Place From It
That You May Run!

You ... By Personal Choice
- Exercising Free Will -
May The Entreaty Of The Holy Spirit
Boldly Refuse
BUT
There Is No Way That You May
Unchallenged
Say:

I Did Not Get The Intent

Because The Words Partially Heard

Left My Spirit

Just A Mite Confused!

You May Abuse Your Own Soul

AND
Aggravate Your Own Spirit
BUT
The Only Way The Holy Spirit Of Truth
Will Not Your Name Call
Is
If You Grieve Away That Great Spirit
By Plain Words
Clear Actions
Bold Blaspheming
AND
On The Great Liar
Avidly Leaning!

To Trust Satan
Is

To Doubt Aka Disbelieve
Distrust
The Creator!

This Is Dangerous Territory

AND
He Who Causes A Brother To Fall
Will Have To Give The Accounting
Unto The Vengeful Judge!

Simply Put ...

Faith Is For Those Who Choose
To Hope In The Merits

Of

The Lord Christ!

Doubt Is ... For Those Who Choose 

Not To Give Credence

To The Hope Of Belief

In The Lord Christ

AND
It Must Be Recognised That
Both Are Ably
Energetically
Assuredly Propelled
By Their Companions Of Influence
Who Either Laud Or Denigrate
The Power Of The Living Holy God Who Is
- Even Now -
In This Earth's Late Hour
Still In The Eternal Life Gift-Giving Business
AND
Offering Free-To-All Grace
Readily-Available Mercy
Sure-And-Assured Salvation
Relief From Sinning
AND
The Cold Grave's Permanent Release!

The Power Of Influence ...

Influence Matters!
Be It Good Or Bad
Influence Has The Power
To Cause One To Do Good
Walk Holy
AND
To Choose Life
OR
To Imbibe Evil
Consume Despair
Spin One's Wheels
In The Tortured Sea Of Churning Doubt
AND
Lie Upon A Bed Of Why-Bother Lettuce
Covered In A Cheap There-Is-No-God Vinaigrette
Served By The Damned Hand Of Satan
The Fraud
The Wannabe God!

Doubt Is Addicting!

Likewise Is Hope!

Belief Is Addicting!

So Is Despair!
So Is Ungodly Fear!
So Is The Call:

Let Us Almighty God Willfully Disobey!

Sooo ... We Have A Great Problem!

No, We Don't!
We Have A Great God
Who Has Already Defeated The Adversary
AND
Who Has Already Made Provision
For Those Who Choose
To Trust And Obey The Lord Christ
AND
To Look Up To The Holy Hill
- The Mount Of Our God -
The Unshakeable Mount Zion
AND
Not At The Lost Cause That Is The Flesh Pots
The Pleasure Palaces Of
The Condemned Valley Of
Modern-Day Sodom And Gomorrah!

I Like How You Align That
For One Simple Reason:

A Hill

A Mount

Must Be By Choice

- By Willing Effort -

Climbed

But The Valleys

The Flat Plains

Have No Such Requirement!

Walk Your Walk

And You'll Arrive At A Destination

Just Fine And On Time!

Indeed!
Note You Said At "A" Destination
Which Is Not Necessarily "The" Destination
You Will Have Chosen!

If You Just Continue ... 

• Doing You
• Doing Business As Usual
• Ignoring The Fact That Salvation Requires Personal Change
• Depending On Carnal Eyes

AND

• Slavishly Following Sinful Self

AND 

• Committedly Imbibing The Unprofitable Traditions Of Fallen Man

It Only Serves To Condemn One's Self
To Never Touching
The High Holy Eternal Loving Giving
Blessing Savior's Helpful
Healing Hand!

Brother,
That Is A Thought That My Heart Cannot Stand!
I Am Following My Jesus
The Son Of God
The Savior Of Man
Because It Is My Soul's Desire
To Live Forever With Him
In The Heavenly Land!

Brother,
Let Me Shake Your Hand!

We Are Following The Lord Jesus All The Way Home!

That, Brethren Beloved

Is

The Best Plan!

PRAYER:

Heavenly Father,

Hear This Our Prayer!

Bless Us, We Beseech You

To Use Our Influence

To Gain Friends For Christ Jesus

And

By Your Holy Spirit's Moving

Residents For The Courts Above!

Help Us To Be True

To Be Faithful

To Be Kind

And

Help Us Not To Cause Others

To Choose Not To Walk

On The Straight And Narrow Path

Because Our Influence

Is

Not Of The Kingdom Holy

Not Of The Realm

Of

The God Gracious And Divine!

Teach Us Your Ways

And

Help Us To Daily Walk In Them

And

Bless Us To Lift Up Jesus Christ

So That Others May See

That He Is The Truth

The Light

And

The Only Way To Eternal Life!

Lift Us Up, Father

So That We May Lift Up Others

Is Our Heart's Plea

Even As We Ask These Few Mercies

In Jesus Christ's Holy Name!

AMEN.

IT'S NOT AN EASY ROAD: Walking ... Steady!

On The Rough Road Through Real Life
I Am Walking 
- By Jesus' Faith -
From Death-Dealing Sin
To Sure Salvation
On The Straight And Narrow Path
With Him Who
IS
The Only Way!

It Is Not An Easy Road
For
All Who Will Reach Heaven
Will Many, Many, Dangers Meet
Because
Satan D. Fraud
The Adversary Of Souls
IS
The Kinker Of The Silver Cord
The Breaker Of Truth-Transmissions
The Bender Of Soul-Securing Rules
The Purveyor Of Putrid Pastimes
The Voice Of Accusation
The Bird Of Prey
The Dialer Of Damnation
The Inciter Of Violence
The Cause Of Crime
The Denier Of The Holy One Divine
AND
The Cause Of The Separating Line
AND
The Hill Which
Every Enduring Faithful Overcoming Christian
MUST
Climb!

On The Hill That Is The Devil
Entrapment
Is In The Way!
So Is Doubt
Ungodly Fear Care
Disappointment
AND
Friends Family Fiends
Who Do Not
Faith And Belief In Christ Share!

There Are Past Associations
AND
Old Habits That Die Hard
AND
Beguiling Scents Of Yesterday
AND
The Taste For Tastes
That We For Sure
Did Wittingly Discard!

There Is The Siren-Sound Of Sadness!
There Is The Callous Call Of Things Best Left!
There Is The Gritty Grunt Of The Graceless Gathering
AND
The Tawdry Talk Of The Masterful Mind-Masking Monk
Looking To Block Our Path Into The Rock Cleft!

BUT ...

All Who Have Committed
By Prayer Obedience
Love Hope And Trust
- With Confession And Repentance
Of Known  Sin -
To Ascend Hill Zion Where Abides Christ
Our Lord God
Word Immutable
Holy Savior
Light Of Life
Redeemer
Known To Be Blessing Kind
Have 
The Outpoured Indwelling
Holy Spirit Of The Eternal God
For A Guide
AND
To Teach And Chide
On Right Paths
AND
The Protection
AND
Influence Of Holy Angels
Whose Goal
Is To Get Us ... SAFELY HOME!

We Have Mercy
Grace
Truth
Faith
Love Hope
Pardon For Sin
AND
Christ's Hand To Hold
As We With The Arduous Journey Cope!

The Derailer Is In Front! 
Adversaries Are Behind
AND
Naysayers And Saboteurs
Are On Every Side
BUT ... JESUS CHRIST
Our Way
The Truth
AND
Our Light Which Gives Life
Is With Us
Making God With Us The Majority
Though Myriad Are Those
Who Seek To Hobble
Even Destroy
Our Will
AND
Rabidly Trample
On Our Right To Personal Liberty
AND
Liberty Of Conscience!

Do Not Forget ...

That At The Border
Of The Land Of Promise
That
Lust
- Of The Eye
- Of The Flesh
AND
The Pride That Ruins Lives
Have Set Up Shop
With Spiced Wine
With Rainbow-Persona-Striped
AND
Stripped Women
Singing The Sordid Song
AND
With Promises Of Surpassing Glory
IF
With Them
You Will Sit Down To Eat
AND
Rise Up To Play
Corrupting One's Self
AND
Causing One's Name
From The Lamb's Book Of Eternal Life
To Be Blotted Out
Everlastingly
Taken Away!

The Word For The Wise ...

When You Study
AND
Learn
To Know Your Very Real God
The Counterfeit
Cannot Caress
Possess
Nor Impress
BUT
Will
Address
AND
Oppress You!

Victory
IS
In
Through
By
With Christ Jesus!

Be Fastidiously Firm ...

With Shiloh For Peace
AND
Using Emmanuel For The Ladder
Climb Over The Devil!
Ascend The Zion Mount!
Jesus Christ IS Our Wings
The Perfect Wind
The Bread Of Life
AND
The Blessing Fount!

Climb As The Known Understood 
Tried Tested Enduring Overcoming Triumphant 
So-To-Be-Celebrated Winner!
The Victory Won ... Already
Is Ours ... Already
So Walk In Faith
For LOVE!

Walk, Friend
Rock Steady!

Our God IS Love!

Let's Strive To Join Him

In

The Glorious Courts Above!

PRAYER: My Heart Does Rejoice

Father,

In You,  My Heart Does Rejoice

For

Your Faithfulness Is Real!

Lord, I Can Set My Clock By You

Knowing

That Your Promises Will Never Fail!

I Thank You, Lord

For My Little Faith!

I Thank You, Lord

For In You I Know I'm Safe!

I Thank You, Lord

For

My Daily Bread

And

For A Safe Place In Which To Lay My Head!

I Ask You, Lord

For Ever Increasing Faith

A Contrite Heart

And

A Willingness To Use It!

Grant Me Grace

For The Day At Hand

And

Help Me

Never To Put My Confidence In Man!

Lord, Lift Me Up!

I Desire Upon Mount Zion To Stand!

I Love You, Lord

AMEN.

The Baby Picture

The Baby Picture

Today I saw a photo of a Baby

His brains - like cottage cheese - were falling out

He was surely worse for wear

Since his mama pushed him out

This baby's crime it was confessed

Was that he was the child of a Christian

His killing was a message sent

To those upon whom their blade could be bent!

I ask you fair, I tell you proud

The message was received e'er loud

The only purpose it served you see

Was to harden my resolve to with King Jesus be!

What purpose have I to live?

What reason have I to love

When those who would dictate my pace

Want my soul to be their slave?

Listen well, I tell you true

I'll only be a slave to the One who

Gave His life to ransom mine

That's JESUS CHRIST, the Lord Divine!!

So If your Soul IS enslaved to Satan

You chose your lot – I have chosen mine!

My Lord and my Almighty God

Is coming very soon, triumphantly

His ransomed children to take take home

Forever safe, no more to roam!

We'll live in mansions bright and fair

Wearing the bright crowns that Jesus promised

On heads immortal, ever young, ever strong

Singing Redemption's Song in the Gathered throng!

So do your worse for that's your best

You cannot a saint's soul distress

You may our bodies burn, oh yes

But victory is the crown we've earned I must stress!

Oh Calvary, Mount Zion strong

Sing out loud our battle song

Saints dead long, saints alive and strong

Praise our God

We're to Glory bound!

VICTORY IN JESUS!!