PRIDE: Purgative And Preventative

The Soul That Is Inflated With Putrid Pride 
Will Never, Ever ... Without The Holy Spirit's Aid
Be Humble, Meek Or Needy Enough 
To Lower Itself In Prayer 
To Ask For Necessary Help And Comfort 
Or Saving Grace! 

Pride Did Not Profit Satan!

Beloved, 

Pride Is A Purgative 
And
A Preventative 
Which Has No Place At All In The Character 
Or Clothes Closet 
Or Medicine Cabinet Of The True Christian 
Committed To Jesus Christ 
And 
His Holy Cause! 

As A Purgative
Pride Washes Out ... Cancels ... Faith! 

Without Faith

It Is Impossible

To Please The Living God!

As A Preventative
Pride Prevents Us From Humbling Ourselves 
Under The Mighty Hand Of Almighty God 
Who Will Lift Up All Of Us ... Who Are Willing
To The Heights Of His Glory 
In His Time! 

A Humble Heart Displays

A Teachable Spirit:

The Lord Can Work With Such!

Truth Sets A Soul Free ...

Pride Sees Self And Not The Savior 
And
If You Can't See Your Savior
You Won't Seek To Become Like Him! 

Brethren,

We Need Jesus Christ ... The Love Of God
And 
When We Rid Ourselves Of Foolish Pride 
By The Holy Spirit Of Truth
Because Of Saving Grace
We Will ... With Humility ... Pray With Healthy Hearts 
For The Protection, Provision
Peace 
And
Purity Provided To Us By The Prince Of Peace 
Who Is Our Only 
And 
Perfect Peace! 

Pride Presses Us Down To Hell! 
Humility Hoists Us Up To Heaven! 
Learn The Difference
Choose The Right Path ... To Glory
Be Humble ... Like Jesus
And 
Be Forever Blessed! 

No Jesus, No Peace!

Know Jesus, Know Peace!

HAPPY SABBATH + Might, Right And Unfair Fights!?!

Don't Blight Your Eternal Prosperity

By Indulging Known Sin In The Here And Now
And

Don't Wallow In The Mire Like The Unwashed Sow

And

Permit Satan To Exclaim:

"I've Gotcha Now!"

Brethren, 

This Is Not The Time

To Indulge In Complacency!

This Is Not The Time

To Act Indifferent And Spacey!

Your Adversary, The Devil

Is 
Constantly Sharpening His Appetite

Manufacturing New Ways And Means

To Destroy Your Life

In An Unfair Fight!

Back It Up, Brudda Mann!

How Is It An Unfair Fight:

We're Not Fighting In Our Own Strength!

We're Serving The Lord Christ!

He Fights Our Battles!

Okay!
Who Is Satan!?!

A Powerful ... Created ... Being

The Destroyer! 

A Malevolent Spirit

The Wicked Whisperer

The Adversary Of Souls!

Who Is The Lord Christ!?!

The Savior ... Of Every Man

The Kinsman Redeemer

The Creator Of All Living

Be It In The Seen Or Unseen Realm!

Who Are You ... We!?!

Weak, Fallible ... Created ... Beings

Repentant Sinners ... Saved By Amazing Grace

So What Would You Call Those Persons

Who Will Not Follow The Lord Christ

By Taking Advantage Of His Strong Arm!?!

Sinners ...!

... Lost And Twice-Dead Men ...!

... I Call Them Fools

Using Dull Knives As A Nuclear Bomb Deterrent

Blind

Calling Cherry-Bomb Explosions Sparklers

Deceived

Trusting Good-Time Lies

Over Sacrificial-Life's Truth

Condemned ... And Damned

For Refusing To Bow Under The Rod Of Correction

Preferring To Burn

Than On The Straight And Narrow

In Humility To Walk

Forswearing Pride And Arrogancy!

I'd Call Them Toast! 

I Still Don't Get How The Fight Is Unfair!

The Fight Is "Unfair"

Because

The Adversaries Are Unequal:

Fallen Humans Are Not Equal

To Either Sin Or Satan

And

Satan Is Not Equal To God!

Can Flesh ... In Its Own Strength

Fight Against The Spirit Realm ... And Win!?!

Of Course Not!

That's An Unfair Fight!

Sooo,

Can Spirit Fight Spirit!?!

Of Course!

Remember Angel Gabriel's Account Of

The Resistance By The Prince Of Persia For 21 Days!

Okay, So Who Helped To Save ... 

Who Saved The Day!?!

Prince Immanuel

Michael, The Arch-Angel

Jesus Christ The King ... The Creator!

Can The Creature Overcome His Creator

Who Made Him ... Flesh Or Spirit!?! 

Can Satan Overcome The Lord!?! 

Not Likely 

Not Possible

Not In This Life ... Nor The Life To Come! 

Isn't That An Unfair ... Unequal ... Fight!?! 

I'd Say So! 

Satan Picked And Started The Fight
That He Knew He Could Not Win!

Illusions Of Grandeur Will Do That To A Person
Every Single Day!

Poor Thing!

Don't Feel Sorry For Him! 

Satan Would Kill You In A Minute ... A Heart-Beat

If

The Lord Permitted Him To! 

Brethren,

Satan Against The Lord Christ ... The Creator God
Is 
Like Fallen Man Against Rapacious Sin:
It's An "Unfair" Fight 
Because 
It Can't Be Won
By Neither Satan Nor You!

Look, Let's Get Real Here:

Satan Hates Almighty God

Father, Son And Holy Ghost!

Satan Hates You ... You Worship The Almighty
And

He Knows That You Are Desperately Weak 
Without The Saving Grace And Mercy Of Almighty God
Fighting Your Battles For You! 
His Every Effort
Is 
To Separate Us From Our Father God!
Remember How He Stood Between Peter And Jesus!

Yes!
And Jesus Put Him In His Place!

Satan Exercises Cruel Might ... On A Short Leash ... In Time!

The Savior-God Utilizes Saving Right ... In Eternity!

Right Wins No Matter What Might Does ...! 

... Not By Might

... Nor By Power

But By My Spirit

Saith The Lord Of Hosts! 

"Spirit Of The Living God
Fall Afresh On Me!"
I Love That Hymn!

So What Happens To Those Sinners

Who Know Not The Lord!?! 

They're Playing, Partying, With Team Fraud

And

We All Know The End Of That Story:

Team Fraud "Wins" A Berth In The Lake

Burning With Brimstone And Fire! 

I Prefer The ... My ... New Birth! 

With Jesus Christ ... My Creator

Savior, Redeemer, Friend

I Am Climbing Up Higher And Higher:

He Does My Life Defend

And In Him, I Shall Enjoy Life Without End! 

AMEN!!! 

Think About It:

We Are Under Attack
And

Now, More Than Ever

In This Season Of Distress

We Need To Cry Out To Our Heavenly Father 

To Teach Us How To Live

To Show Us The Right Way To Walk To Gain His Approval

And 

To Lead Us Unto His Green Pastures
So That Our Footsteps Do Not Slip

Nor Our Faith Fail

And 

We Slide Into Abject Folly! 

We Do Not Just Get Up And Decide That 

We Are Going To Sin: It Is A Creeping Compromise

A Series Of Little Offsides That 

We Consider NBD AKA No Big Deal That 

Leads Us Into Sin 

So Let Us Endeavor To Guard Our Hearts 

By Permitting Our Lord Jesus To Lead Us

Guide Us, Teach Us

And 

Feed Us On His Holy Truth 

So That We May Reach The Father's House

- The Home Of The Forever-Blessed - 

Safely Secured For Everlasting Peace And Rest! 

Please Let Go Of Self ... That Bold Sinner

And

Hold On To Our Dear Savior For Dear Life: 
Believe, Pray, Trust, Endure

And 

Wait On His Love! 

Glory Awaits Us! 

Satan Has Nothing In You

As Long As You Separate Yourself

From Your Self

And From Sin!

We Are Strongest

When We, Weak

Lean On The Lord Of Life!

Horizontal Missionaries Don't Rise!

So What Was The Big Deal?!

Do You Really Have The Gall
To Ask Such A Question!?!

Yes, I Do!
Now, Answer The Question!

Very Well!

She Was In Here Using Some Language
That No One Wanted To Hear!

Does That "No One" Include You!?!

Well, Yes, Sorta, Kinda ...!

Please Explain!

We Were Talking About Working For The Lord
And Telling The World The Good News
And I Guess We Got Carried Away
Romanticizing The Journey
And Minimizing The Effort Required
To Do A Good Work To Hasten The Great Day
When She, She, She Just Exploded!

She Started Talking About
Self-Denial
Self-Sacrifice
Self-Crucification
And All That Hurtful, Painful Stuff!

Oh, You Mean She Got Beyond
The Televangelist Fluff Of
Fully Equipped Television Studio
Smooth Riding Elite-Class Private Jet
Armed Body-Guards
Fawning Followers
Quarterly Vacations
Lavishly Appointed Primary, Secondary

And Tertiary Homes
Servants Innumerable
Vicuna Wool
Silk Sheets
Diamond Watches
Custom-Made Fragrances
Personal Chefs
Personal Trainers And ...!

... How ... How Did You Know!?!

Been There, Done That!
The Devil 

Is 

The Liar Baiting The Servants Of The Lord
Telling Them That

If

They Do Things His Way
Great ... Will Be Their Reward
And
Many Of Us Are Falling Into The Trap!

But, Why!?!

Just As Man Recoils From 

The Thought And Sight Of Death
Man Recoils From Perceived Pain
And
Assumed Deprivation!

We Have Gotten Away From The Source Of
Our Strength
Our Hope
Our Help
Our Salvation

And

We Have Forgotten
Or Have Willfully Chosen To Ignore The Fact That
He Whom We Serve Pointed The Way

And
It Was Dusty And Dirty
Filled With Self-Denial
Replete With Abuse

Absent Comforts And Ease
Built On Prayer 

And 

Constant Communication With Father
And
No Comfy Chair! 

Simply Put ...

Obedience To The Will Of The Father
Was The Savior's Air!

He Did Not Put On Airs And Indulge Graces!
He Did Not Have An Inside Track With The Leaders Of His Day!
He Was Not In A Back-Pat Relationship
With The Local Bank President
And
He Did Not Have Five Changes Of Clothing Per Day!

He Slept In The Open Air! 

He Was Despised And Rejected
But
His Prayers Were Never Neglected!

He Did Not Choose The Easy Road
And
He Submitted His Will To His Father
- The Ancient Of Days -
And
He Was Crucified
And
He Was Laid In A Borrowed Grave!

That Borrowed Grave Alone
Should Tell You Everything You Need To Know About
Doing A Self-Denying, Self-Sacrificing Work
While Serving A Self-Sacrificing Holy God!

I Don't Understand!
What Do You Mean!?!

Was Jesus Wealthy!?!

No!

Did Jesus Advance-Purchase A Grave!?!

No!

Can You Really Borrow A Grave!?!

No!

Don't You, Yourself, Pay Back What You Borrow!?!

Yes!

Can A Dead Man Do Anything!?!

Of Couse Not!

Is Jesus Christ Still In The Borrowed Grave!?!

Of Course Not!
He's In Heaven

- In The Most Holy Place Of The Heavenly Sanctuary -

Interceding For Us!

Do You Believe In And Trust Jesus!?!

Of Course, I Do!

So, My Young Friend
What, Now, Are You Understanding!?!

It's Not An Easy Road
But With Jesus Christ For Me

With Jesus Christ Beside Me

With Jesus Christ Directing My Traffic
I Will Rise Up To Live With Him
Even If I Get Placed In A Borrowed Grave!

The Grave Cannot Hold Me: I'm His

And The Work Isn't About Me

Or My Comfort
Or My Status In The Eyes Of The Blind World! 

I Am Here To Work
For The Love Of My Master
And I Must ...!

... Must! 

Good Word! I Like It!

I Must Look Up To Live
Because Looking In Will Mean My Death!

I, Now, Really, Truly, Understand!
In And Down!
Out And Up!

If I Look Inward ... I Fall Downward!
When I Look Outward ... I Rise Upward!

I Accept That Striving On And For 

A Horizontal Plain-Prize
Will Not Cause Me To Have Strong Spiritual Muscles!

Even If I Win ... I Lose!

Well Said!

Please Take This To Heart

And

Always Remember That

A Butterfly Struggles Mightily To Get Out Of His Cocoon

Easy Does Not Mean Good

Comfort Does Not Equate With Blessing

Hard Work Does Not Kill

And

A Vertical Climber Rises In Spite Of Himself! 

Pure Gold Emerges From Smelting ...!

... And The Saints Of God And Christ

Emerge Purified

After

Testing, Trial And Perfection

In The Crucible Of The Mortal Strife!

I Get It!

We Must Go Through To Come Through!

OBJECT LESSON: Proud Or Meek

Too Proud To Be Taught
And
Teachable Spirit
Were Squaring Off!

Well, Actually, Too Proud To Be Taught
Was Squaring Up
And
Teachable Spirit Was Walking Off And Away!
Far, Far, Away ... From Folly!

It Has Always Been Like That!

This Is Not To Put Too Fine An Edge On It
But
Too Proud To Be Taught Had A Real Penchant 

For Putting His Stinky Foot In His Big And Loud Mouth!
He Is The Needing-Tutoring Student Who Teaches
Who Certifies The Professor In His Skill-Set!

Please Don't Ask Me How That Came About
Because I Can't Answer That Question!
Sometimes Some Things Just Are!

Put Another Way
That's Just Like Asking Me Why A Perfect Angel
In The Perfect Realm
Thought It Perfectly Normal
To Envy His Creator
- The Perfect God -
And
Being Perfect Foolish

Avidly Sought
- Is Still Seeking -
To Take His Place!

That's An Imponderable Thing!

By Contrast
Teachable Spirit
Gentle, Meek, Seeking Wisdom
Seeking To Cooperate With The God Of Grace
And
Seeing His Need
Humbled Himself Under The Mighty Hand Of The Eternal God
And
Asked Of Him Who Gives To All Men Liberally
The Wisdom Of The Wise!

His Request Was Not Rejected
And
Instruction ... He Did Not Despise!

Too Proud To Be Taught
Thought
Teachable Spirit Too Stupid To Live
And
Sought To Put Spanners In His Works 

At Every Opportunity!

Let's Be Intelligent Here ...

Make No Mistake About It
Too Proud To Be Taught
Is
A Real Tool Of Satan!
A Disposable Tool
But A Tool Nonetheless!

He Does Not Heed Warnings
And
He Considered Instructions
Instruction Manuals
And
Instructors
Are For Saps
Whom He Thought Were
Seeking Always To Prove Something!

Don't Get Me Wrong ...

Now
I'm Not Telling You That Teachable Spirit
Is A Paragon Of Virtue!
Far Be It From Me To Tell Such A Gross Lie!

He's A Man!
He Makes Mistakes
Because
Nature And Nurture Sometimes Rear Up Their Heads
But
All Told
Because He Desires His Heavenly Father's
"Well Done, Good And Faithful Servant!"He Continually Bows His Head In Prayerful Supplication
To Him Who Shepherds And Leads
Guides And Feeds
Saves And Seals
Heals And Reveals!

He Sought
He Seeks After Christ And His Righteousness
And
He Pleads For The Holy Spirit's Indwelling!
Faith Leads Him In The Living Way

And

Grace And Mercy Ensure That For Own-Sin

He Does Not Have To Pay!

He Is Given Over To The God Of Truth

Wholly!

Too Proud To Be Taught

Is

Bent On Having His Own Way

And

He Is So Careless Of His Own Soul's Salvation That

His Daily Prayer Would Do Balaam Of

The Talking Ass Fame

Mightily Proud:

He Boldly Asks Almighty God 

For Insight On How To Circumvent

The Sovereign God's Stated Desire!

He Asks For Permission To Curse

Whom The Good Lord Blesses

And

Pleads For The Lord To Raise Him Up So That He May

- Over Others -

Have Substantial Power!

He Desires To Be On The Upper Bench

Above The Unprofitable One's Stench!

Pssst ...

May I Tell You, Truthfully

That He Is Going To Be Facing In His Near Future

Economic, Spiritual, Social And Physical

Harsh, Harsh, Reverses!?!

You've Been Warned!

Please, Please, Please ...

Do Not Tempt The Living God Holy With Folly

Because

Ultimately

You Are Going To Be Sorry!

Remember ...

Against A Meek And Gentle Spirit

There Is No Law!

Man ... Being Human

And

Fallen Short Of The Glory Of God

Is

Filled With Flaws!

Get Wise And Harken To The Call Of

The Holy Spirit

Who, To Righteousness

Does Your Soul ... Draw!

Self Is A Sinner!

Obedience To Truth

Makes You A Winner!

DESTITUTE OF TRUTH: Abundance Of Truth ... On Parade!?!

 

In The Dark Ages
The Powers That Were
Kept The People In ... Darkness
By Keeping The Truth Chained
Locked Up!

In This Age Of Enlightenment
With Its Information Overload
The Powers That Be
Put The People In Darkness
By Placing Truth 

- In All Its Variants -
In Plain View
Surrounded By Fancy Strobe Lights!

The Outcome Of These Actions
Is In The Preserved Word Proclaimed:

My People Are Destroyed

For Lack Of Knowledge!

Let Me Explain:

Old Truth
True Truth
The Word Of God
Used To Be Real-Real Special

Because It Could Shed Light
So It Was Locked Up
AND
Protected
As Too High For The Lowly
Too Good For The Bad

AND
Impossible To Be Used By
Just Any Common People!

The People Were Dumbed Down
Ignorant
Until ... The Living God Intervened
AND
The People Ignorant
Became People Of The Book
So ... 

Ever Ready Satan Changed His Tactics
To Special Effect
AND NOWTruth
Is As A Free-Range Chicken
Picking Up Food aka Substance
On A Walkabout
On The Fly! 

Have A Look See
AND
Then Have Your Say:

• There IS Truth
• Plain Truth
• Some Truth
• A Lot Of Truth
• Special Truth
• Particular Truth
• Gay Truth
• Lesbian Truth
• Trans Truth
• Common Truth
• Private Truth
• Forgotten Truth
• Fulminating Truth
• High Science Truth
• Secular Truth
• Sacred Truth
• Passing Truth
• Passable Truth
• Borrowed Truth
• Spent Truth
• Truth For The Day
• Truth For The Hour
• Momentary Truth
• Truth To Get Power
• Powerful Truth
• Power-Packed Truth
• Customized Truth
• Illuminated Truth
• Coalition Truth
• Collated From Lies Truth
• Standing Truth
• Moving Truth
• Professed Truth
• Confessed Truth
• Deniable Truth
• Confidable Truth
• Your Truth
• Their Truth
• Our Truth
• My Truth

AND

• God's Truth

AND

All Are "Perfectly" Valid

Authentic
Or
So The Powers Say!

There Is A Saying

A Penny Has No Real Weight
Until You Drop It
From Up High!

The Truth Is
The One Falling Penny Wouldn't Kill You
BUT
You Will Feel Its Passing Touch
BUT
Toss A Tied Up Bag Of Pennies
AND
Watch Out
Your Life Just Turned Into Total Cat's Guts!

The Same Is True With Versional Truth!

Brush Off A Version
A New Version Appears
A Version For Your Tastes
AND

There Is A Truthy Conversion
AND
Soon There As Many Versions
As There Are Tastes 

In Circulation
AND ALL TOO SOONAll That Is For Sale To The Masses
Are Many Tasty Perversions!

We Are Called To Know The Truth Of Almighty God
The Truth That Will Set Us Free
AND
Not To Indulge In Spurious Truth
The Version Of Truth
That Let's Man's Lust
Run And Roam 

Wild
Restraint Free!

Brethren,

Let's Take The Blinders Off
So That Sight Is Unrestricted!
Let Us Go To Jesus For Eye Salve
So That Vision Is Not Conflicted!

Jesus Christ IS The Way
The Truth
AND
The Light That Gives Life
The Same
Yesterday Today Tomorrow
The Rock Of Ages
That Clefts To Provide Protection
AND
Gives Power
To Stand Against Sin And Sinners
In The Trying Hour!

You May Ask General Moses The Deliverer!

There Is Great Difference

Between

Having Information

And

Possessing Knowledge!

What Is In YOUR Possession?!

I'm Rich! + PRAYER: Father, Teach Me Your Ways!

He Who Was Rich In Heaven's Glories
Became Poor
So That We Who Are By Sin
Made Poor
May Become Rich
Through His Purchased-For-Us Salvation!

The Only Problem
With This Scenario
Is That We Poor
Must Acknowledge "It"
Our True Condition
AND
Say So
So That He
Who Has For Us
Treasures In Store
Secure
May Bathe Us
AND
By His Spilt Blood
Make Us Rich!

Many Men Are Made Rich
Out Of Perishable Wealth
AND
They Prefer By Love
What They See
Taste Touch
Smell 
AND 
Feel
AND
It Is This Love
For Things
That Must At Death
Or Change In Earthly Fortune
Be Left Behind
That Leads Many To Consider
Christ's Promised Future Wealth
To Be The Idea
Totally Asinine!

They Live In The Realm
Bird In Hand Worth Two In Bush!
They Live For The Chase!
They Love The Pat On The Back
The Slap On The Tush
Which Says
Rich Man Walking
Flush Man Talking
AND
They Preen In Ecstasy
As For 
MORE
They Go Hawking
As The Mere Mortals 
Upon Their Now-Elevated Visages
Be Jealousy Gawking!

Self
Must Be Sacrificed!
Other
Must Be Lifted Up!
Hope Must Be Applied!
Faith Must Be Subscribed!
Grace
Is The Carry Along!
Mercy
Is The Marching Song
AND
Jesus Christ
Must Be The Banner Held
High
IF
We Desire
To Follow The Lord Christ
Back Through The Eastern Sky!

PRAYER:

Father,

Bless Me To Do Your Will!

Teach Me Your Ways

And, Please

I Humbly Beseech Thee

My Longing Heart Thrill!

Guide Me Along

The Straight And Narrow Way

And

Hear Me

Help Me

Lead Me

Feed Me

When I Call Out To You

Each And Every Day!

Lord,

I Will Go Where You Send Me

Because I Know

You Walk With Me!

I Will Do

What You Ask Me To Do

For I Know

That For The Task

You Will Equip Me!

I Love You, Lord!

I Bless You!

I Offer Up My Praise Not Faint

And

I Ask You, Please

Help Me To Inherit

As You Have Promised 

The Promised Glory Day!

I Offer Up My Petitions

And My Praise

In The Only Name That Matters

The Name Of

Jesus Christ

My Savior

My Master

My Lord

And

My God!

AMEN.