ALONE: Easy - Not Old-time - Religion

I Met Easy Religion!
Just Like THAT
We Almost Became Eternal Best Friends!
I Didn't Have To Work At It!
I Just Coasted Along
For There Was Nothing In It 
About It
To Offend!

Easy Religion
Was So Much Fun!
In His Presence
I Could Kick My Heels Up
Until
I Stumbled And Fell Down!
There Was No Condemnation
So
I Did Not Even Have About Me To Look Around!

There Was No Laboring
With Easy Religion!
No Talk Of Faith Without Work
Being Dead!
No Loving A God To Exclusion
AND
No Setting Aside Self
Less That God Doth Upon You Frown!

I Was Living It Up
AND
Loving It!

No Cares!
No Tears!
No Why's?
No Wherefores!
No Ifs, No Ands, Nor Buts!
No Waits!
No Weights!
AND
No Worries!

All That I Was Required To Remember Was:

God Is Love!

Life Is Good!

Things With Easy Religion

Were All Well And Good - Or So I Thought -
Until One Glad Morning
Night Before
Early Last Week
When
I Found Myself With BIG ABLE  Problems
And Suddenly 
Desperately
Realized That
With Easy Religion
I Had No One
With Whom I Could
In My Moment of Deep Distress
Honestly
Urgently
Fervently Speak!

"Easy Religion!"
"Be A Bud!" I Said.
"I Need Your Comfort!
Things With Me Are Dread - Not Sweet!
Life Just Got Up In My Face
And In My Way!
Come On!
Help Me!
I Need Your Comfort!
Help Me! 
Please, Help Me!
I Know Fear!"

Easy Religion - Quite Calmly - Replied:

"Sorry, Ducks!
I Got My Golf To Go Out And Play!
Make An Appointment!
Or You Can Even Talk To God - I Won't Be Offended!
I Just Can't Fit You Into My Schedule Right Now!
Let Me Know How Things Turn Out!
I'll Cross My Fingers For You!
Gotta Run!
Gotta Catch The Light!
Sun's Coming Out!"

Devastated ...
I Turned To The Bible I Had For So Long
Willingly Rejected!

Devastated ...
I Turned To The God To Whom I Used To Pray
Before Feel-Good Theology
Swept Me Away
AND
Believe It Or Not
He Did Not Reject Me!
He Did Not Turn Me Away!

Forgotten God Encouraged Me
Telling Me That 
We Can
AND
Should
Talk A Lot!

He Said To Me:

"Dear Child,
Just Because Someone Has A Big Voice
It Does Not Mean They Have Anything
Worth Saying That You Need To Hear!"

"Just Because Their Lives Seem Tranquil
It Does Not Mean That They Don't Walk Around
With Mortal And Moral Fear!"

"Just Because They Don't Seem To Work
That Does Not Mean They're Not Working!"

"It Just Means That They Are Not Working For Me!"

"Just Because They Have Great Elocution
It Does Not Mean That Their Word Is Not Dirty!"

"Dear Child,
In The Kingdom Of Light
There Is No Dark Night!
The Residents There Walk Around Without Fear
For
They Know That I AM Faithful, And
That Their Well-being Is By Me Blessed!
They Have Faith In My Holy Word!
They Trust Me And In Me!
They Run Not With The World's Herd
AND
Peace Is Theirs
For They've Set Aside Self
AND
The Lusts Of Their Flesh Are 
- By My Spirit -
On The Fleshly Things Forgotten Shelf!"

They Have Faith!
They - In Faith - Work
AND
Try As He Might
Satan Cannot Get Them
Even If He Against Them
Goes Berserk!"

"What Is Mine I Keep
AND
The Holy Angels Surround All My Beloved Ones
Whether In Valley Low
On Mountain High
Or Crossing Jagged Hill Steep!"

"They Are Always In Prayer
Like David
And
Daniel!
They Know That I AM Only A Prayer Away
AND
They Have Rest
Sweet Rest
For They Surely Know That For Them I Do Care!"

"Now, Beloved
Put Aside The World!
Cast Away Your False Pride
AND
Give Me Your Heart!
I Will It Renew
AND
I Will
- With Your Permission -
Keep It Clean And Right  - True!"

"Give Me Your Flesh!
Live In The Spirit!
I AM Here!
My Love Has No Limit!
Work In Faith Until Earth's Night Comes
AND
You'll Join With ALL The Redeemed
In The Kingdom Where The True Riches Come From!"

"Remember, 
Faith Without Works Is Dead!
Don't Cast Away Your Hope!"

"My Word Does Not Change!
With Me There Is No Redo!
Work -  The Night Comes!
Live Right!
Let Us In Accord Be One
And I Won't Have From My Door To Shoo You!"

The Easy Church

The Church That Does Not Preach
Nor Teach

About

Sin
Confession
and 
Repentance

Death, Hell and Judgment

Personal Sacrifice and Temperance

Faith and Works

AND

Working Out 
Your Own Soul's Salvation

Through 
A Personal 
Faithful

Committed Relationship 
With 
Jesus Christ

Is 
No Church 
of
The Living God!

*********

The Self 

Before

The Savior

Is

A Labor

Without Loving Savor!

One Walks

Alone

Dressed

For The Liar

Fuel

For Damnation's Fire!

VESPERS AT THE END OF THE SABBATH: Contentment

Greed for Money Makes Men Mad

Madness for Money Makes Men Mean

Money Meanest Makes Men Murderous

Enough to Pick a Cold Corpse Clean!

The Bible States it Well that

Love for Money is The Root

Of All Evil that Can Be Seen!

So Use Money for Its Intended Purpose

And Men Will Not be Ravening Locusts!

Little With Contentment is Our Goal

Those of Us who Call Jesus Christ, Lord!

Our Little with God's Contentment 

Makes Bitter Herbs Preferable

To Great Strife with Much Meat!

Please Learn This and Daily Repeat!

Teach Me To Pray?!?!

Hi! Wanna perfect formula that will get all your prayers answered?

Why? Is something wrong with how I pray?

Well... not wrong, but not exactly right either! 

Oohh?!

Yes! Are you getting all the things that you pray for? 

No.

Then, don't you want to know how to make sure you get what you pray for from God? 

No.

Why not? 

 Because I don't "need" to get all my prayers answered for the things I think I want.

You're kidding! Right? 

No, I am not!

Jesus said to pray without ceasing.
He said let our requests be made known.
He said that we don't know to pray as we should.
He said the Spirit intercedes for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
And He gave us a model by which we ought to petition God.
He said to pray to God in His Name.
He also said to ask, and to ask to receive according to God's will for our lives.
He also said to believe that we receive and we will.
And He said to ask nothing wavering - no doubting!

God said that He will provide for our needs - not the luxuries of our wants!

I learnt my lesson long ago about praying for things, and getting them, and then being bitterly sorry afterward, and then blaming God for my cock-ups!

 I am content with what I have, and I pray about things just so I can talk to God about everything in my life, not because I want everything that my greedy eyes see!

God said that I should, in all my ways, acknowledge Him, and that He will direct my paths so I tell Him about everything in my life!

He is my Friend and my Father, and I trust him, and so we sometimes just talk, and just because I pray about something doesn't mean that I need it!

Oh, really!?

And what's wrong with my just telling things to my Friend?

We don't have "fill in the space," nor particular Monday, Wednesday, Friday, nor between two and five and six and nine, morning or evening sessions, to have a request heard and answered!

Oh, my!

I trust God's Word - I am His child - and He is my God.

I bow to His will, and He protects me from my own folly, and provides for my daily needs.

I pray from my heart - not from a plan!

I bow before my God for He is not man
To fool me, confuse me and lead me astray
He sits on His Throne
And I meet with Him there.

I open my heart - He looks deep inside
He clears out the cobwebs, deceits and the lies
He gives of His love - my burdens He bears
And He has no need of spit 'n polish
Nor graces and airs!

Really!?!

Really.

God needs me to be honest
Open and true
Not behave like an idiot
Who has not a clue
Who follows the world's ways
Who lauds the wisdom of man
Who has forgotten that the Good Book proves
That Jesus Christ died to save man!

I don't need your theses
Your prayer shawl nor holy oil
For you are wearing a card hat
That's covered in tin foil!

I won't attend your next seminar!
I won't buy your book
For you are nothing but
A fancy liar, and a old crook!

I'm not paying for your mansion
I'm not paying for your sweet ride
You need to get on your knees
And in Jesus Christ confide
That you've lost your way
That you've been trusting in your own eyes
That you need to be converted and need to
Stop telling your bold-face lies!

Jesus said: 

"Come to me as you are!

I know how you feel!

I, too, have been tested

And I can reveal 

That I overcame the world so

That sin's flag may no more be unfurled;

That big lusting eyes just give you a whirl 

But, afterward, you'll fall on your bed curled up in despair

So, come unto Me and be healed."

Open your heart to Him
Deny yourself, let Him enter in
No formula, just say "Lord, I give in!"
And He will be your everything
Not things, bought, sold, and decaying
Trust Him!
Speak from your heart!
Live for His Tomorrow!
Learn from Him today
And, on Judgment Morning
You will really see that prayer - from your heart
Truly pays ... in spades!

So, sorry! YOU can't teach me what to say when I - to My God - pray!