VESPERS AT THE END OF THE SABBATH: PRAYER: Confession And Repentance Of Sin

Father,
I Come Before You 

My Sin Confessing!

The Wrong Things That I've Done

I'm Redressing

For 

At One Time, Lord

The Good Had To My Mouth No Taste

But

The Bad In My Mouth Was A Pleasurable Delight

And Now

Between Wrong And Right

Within Me

Is A Constant Fight!

You Promised, Dear Lord

That With Our Sin Confession

We Will, Through Your Faithfulness

Receive Remission

But

If We Don't Confess Our Sins

Today

Which Is The Acceptable Time

For Our Salvation

Your Holy Word Says

We Will Have To

For Our Own Pet Sins

Dearly, Eternally

Pay!

Father, 

I Repent

For Having Kept Sin As A Pet Lizard

For That Lizard

 A Roaring Dragon Is Become

And Its Claws Are Extended

And It Is Hunting Me Down!

Lord, Save Me!

Father, I Acknowledge

With No Love Of It

That A Sinner Is What I Am

But

I Believe

- From Your Written Word -

In Your Savings Plan!

I Have My Deposit Book
Jesus Christ The Righteous 

- The Word Himself -

And I Here Place On Him

Everything

That Will Mark Me

A Joyous Member Of

The Unrepentant Goat Herd!

I Beseech You

To Help Me To Walk Upright

In Your Holy Sight

So That My Prayerful, Persevering, Petitions

For Blessing And Assistance

By You, Lord

Will Indeed

Be Heard!

Father,

Please Also Accept

My Confession Of The Sins

Of My Nation And My People

Who Lift Up 

Prosperity

Self-Pleasure

Self-Pride

Self-Actualization

Self-Preservation

Self-Reliance

Self-Serving

But Never People

Nor The Holy God

Who Can Open Wide The Sky!

Forgive Us, Lord!

I Pray, Lord

For Those In Deliberate Sin Walking

Those Who At The Name Of Jesus

Their Fists At Heaven Are Shaking

Those Who Find Pleasure

In Fair-Promise Making

Leaving The Poor

The Widows

The Orphans And The Down-Trodden

In Destitution

Quaking!

Have Mercy On Us, Lord!

I Ask You, Lord

To Open Our Eyes!

Help Us To See Beyond

The Bits And Baubles Of

That Wicked Destroying

Lord Of Dung

Beelzebub Himself

Who Taints All That He Touches

Who Willingly

Gleefully Destroys

All That He Holds In His Clutches

Unless

Repentance For Known Sin

Grants Us

The Master's Healing

Forgiving

And

Thorough Cleansing Touch!

Purify Us, Lord!

Forgive Us, Today

Even This Moment, Lord

As We Pray!

Lift Us Up

So That We Will Uplift You

For

Without Jesus Christ

We Are Lost

Even Though 

He Has Already Paid Our Costs!

Let Not The Sacrifice Be For Naught, Lord!

Grant New And True Sight, Lord

To Those Who Believe

That Membership In A Particular Church

Or Congregation

Or National Group

Will Give Us A Free Pass To Freely Sin

And Still Gain Unencumbered Entry Into Heaven!
You Save Individuals Out Of Sin And Not In Sin!

Correct Our Egregious Errors, Lord!

Forgive Us, Lord

For Taking Your Mercy For Granted!
The Day Is Shortening!

Create New Hearts Within Us, Lord!

Forgive Us, Lord

Who Take Your Free Grace

For A License To Sin 

In The Erroneous Belief That Grace Will Abound!

Forgive Us Our Presumptions, Lord!

Oh, Lord

Help Us To Let Your Holy Spirit

Have His Way In Us!

Let Your Holy Spirit Teach Our Spirits, Lord!

Help Us To Let Go Of Every Known Sin

No Matter What Clothing It Is Wearing!

Help Us To Call Sin By Its True Name

No Matter The Nom de Plume 

Under Which It's Masquerading!

We Readily Acknowledge That The Devil Is A Gross Liar, Lord!

Help Us, Lord

To Fight The Good Fight Of Faith!

Help Us, Lord

Moment By Moment

Hour by Hour

Day By Day

To Humbly Dwell Upon The Name

The Name, Lord

Which Will Not Bring Our Hopes To Shame

The Very Name

Which At One Time

We Ourselves Did Profane!

Help Us, Father, To Honor The Lord Christ!

Oh, Lord, Most Holy

Help Us To Be True

So That

Through The Vanity Of Living In And Loving Sin

 Our Thus Despised Salvation

Will Not Cause Us

To Be

From You

Eternally Lost!

Forgive Us, Lord!

Heal Us!

Cleanse Us!

Teach Us!
Lead Us!

Feed Us And Help Us, Lord 

To Be Living Lights

In This World's Oppressive Darkness!

Please Make Us Free From The Law Of Sin And Death

And 
In That Glorious Day
Take Us Home To Dwell Forever More With Thee!

In Jesus' Holy Name I Plead And Stand!

I Love You, Lord!

AMEN.

Dare To Care!

If We Love God
We Should Be Loving Our Brethren!

If We Love Our Brethren
How Can We Not Love Almighty God
Who Made Us
AND
Gave The Breath Of Life
To Us
Our Brethren
AND
All Others?

We Claim To Walk With God
AND YET
We Haughtily Walk Past
Walk Around
Our Poor Downtrodden
Hungry
Naked Brethren!
This View Cannot Be True!
This Must Be A Mistake
ELSE
Our Claim To Love God
Renders Us
Pharisaical Fakes!

Putting Coals Of Fire
On The "Enemy's" Head
Will Sear His Conscience
If He Is Not Already Dead!
Heaping Coals Of Fire
On Our Own Heads
Over Hearts Grown Cold
Does Not Do Anything For Us
When We Choose To Be
Gold-Plated Hypocrites
Bold!

BUT ...

In The Last Day
All
Will Give A Running Account
Of The Life Spent
AND
The Treasures In One's Personal Account
AND

"But..!"

"Because ...!"

"If ...!"

AND

"I Probably ...!"

Are Not Going To Stop

The Wrath Of God
From Raining Down
On Our Heads
If We're Among
The Unrepentant
AND
The Ungodly
Who Live For
The Pleasure
The Party
AND
Lord Mesmer's Songs!

We Are Blessed
For The Good That We Do
AND
We Are Held Responsible
For The Good
We Could Have Done
AND
Consciously Choose
Not To Do!

If God Gives You
A Box Full Of Biscuits!
Praise God For The Blessed Outpouring
AND
Set A Few Bits Out Of Your Bounty
On The Water
Wherever The Shore You Are Beholding!
Bless A Brother!
Bless A Sister!
AND
Indeed
Bless Yourself!
For
What Good Is A Blessing
Locked In A Box
On The Long-term
Cold Storage 
Save-It-For-Later Shelf?!

Give ... And It Will Come

Back ... To YOU!

Dare To Share!
Dare To Help Another
His Burden To Bear!
Dare To Care
AND
Save A Life
In This Mortal Strife!

God Is Faithful!

He Keeps His Own Accounting

Of Balances Due To Us All

AND

Unlike Earth's Dishonest Pay Masters

God's Promises Are Written In Blood

Not Chalk Powder

Solemnly Masquerading

As Curative Plaster!

**********

God Keeps His Promises!

Trust God

AND

Do Good!

HAPPY SABBATH: JESUS WALKING: Blind Man Calling

I Was Sitting On The Wayside
When I Heard That 
Jesus Was Passing By!
My Heart Reared Up Within Me
AND
Loudly
His Name
I Plaintively Cried!

Those Standing
Between Me And Jesus
Urged Vehemently
That I Cease His Name To Call
BUT
Recognising
My Sick Condition
I More Urgently
His Name Did Call!

Even Though
My Eyes Could Not See Him
My Ears Heard When
In My Vicinity
Jesus The Christ Stopped
AND
He Called Me To Him
AND
Asked:

What Do You Want That I Should Do For You?

Much To My Longing Heart's Delight!

I Cried Out Unto Jesus
With Fervor:

Oh, Lord!
Let These My Blind Eyes See!

AND

Jesus
Having On Me
Great Compassion
Gently Touched My Eyes
AND
Immediately
My No More Blind Eyes
Clearly Saw Him
Who
With Alacrity
Had Wholly Healed Me!

In Joyous Celebration
In Great Gratitude For Healing Grace
In Fullness Of Heart
For God's Favor
I Now Readily Follow Jesus
For
Lack Of Sight
Is No Longer Blocking The Way!

I Now Tell Everybody
That I Meet
The Great Story Of Jesus
Moving Me
From Gross Darkness
Into Holy Walking Bright Light
AND
I Tell Them
With The Simplicity Of Candor
That It Is The Touch Of Jesus
That Has Brought Me
New Light
New Life
AND
Heavenly Delight!

*********

Dear Ones,

The Parable Of The Two Blind Men
(Matthew 20:30-34)
Is A Call To Everyone 
Who Is Seeking After Their Lord!

Take A Long Look At The Sequence Of The Steps 
That All Who Would Be Saved Must Make
To Take A Hold Of Jesus:

• Acknowledge ... Your Condition
• Recognise ... Who Can Heal You
• Call ... Jesus' Name
• Ignore ... The World's Call To Shut Up With Calling The Name
• Most Urgently ... Call Jesus' Name For Your Healing

Now Watch The Movements Of Jesus:

• Jesus Acknowledges...  Our Cries To Him
• Jesus Stops ... Close To Us
• Jesus Calls Us ... To Himself
• Jesus Asks Us ... What We Would Have Him Do For Us
• Jesus' Heart ... Has Compassion On Us
• Jesus' Hand ... Touches Us

Watch What Jesus' Touch Does To Us:

• IMMEDIATELY ... We Are HEALED!

Look At Our Response To Immediate Healing:

• In Gratitude And Love ... We Follow Jesus!

For

Along With Our Physical Eyes Being Open
Our Spiritual Eyes Are Opened As Well
AND
Our Understanding 
Walks Us Unto The Living God 
To Gain Eternal Life!

Ask Jesus Christ For His Healing Touch Today
For
There Is Not Anything
In Our Lives
That By Our Faith In Him
He Cannot Heal
When We Earnestly Pray!

On Good Authority
I Can Say That:

Jesus Is Waiting To Hear From Us

RIGHT NOW

Because He Said:

I Am Not The Potter!

I Am Not The Potter!
I Am In His Hands Just Clay
To Be Molded
According To His Direction
To Be A Vessel
To Be Used
As He
My Molder-Maker
Knowledgeably Says!

I Must Be Placed
In The Fire Of Affliction
To Be Tested
Tempered
And
By God
Tried
To Make Me A Worthy Vessel
To Make My Lord's Heart With Me
Satisfied!

Each Day
I Must Expend Effort
Show Discipline
Be Willing To Engage In Self-Sacrifice
AND
I Must
Through The Aid Of The Holy Spirit
Keep Faith Working
Even As The Spirit 
Teaches Me
Guides Me
AND
Even Chides!

I Must Not Permit Defects
Previously Unknown
In My Character
To Cause Me To Give Up
The Lord
In Shame And Despair
For
The Lord Who Sent Me On My Mission
Can
Any Defects In My Character
Lovingly Repair!

Love
Trust
Belief
Faith
AND
Obedience
Will Take Me
From Quite Wrong To Quite Right!
I Must Therefore Honor
The Master Molder-Maker
AND
In His Tender Ministrations
For My Eternal Good
Take
Patient Delight!

Almighty God
The Master Molder-Maker
Gave Good Gifts Unto Men
So Let Us Bless God
By Using Our Gifts
To Further The Work Of His Kingdom
AND
Not For Making Rifts!

Almighty God

Does Not - Cannot - Will Not

Make A Useless Person

So

There  Must Be Something In Us

That The Lord Can Use

Or

He Would Not Have Made Us

And

Be Willing To Remake Us

IF

We 

His Blessed Salvation

Accept!

*********

Brethren

Let Us Use Our Remolding

To Bring The Lost Souls In!

Should I Let The Savior In?!

I Sat
AND 
I Thought
AND 
I Thought Some More!
Should I Ask The Lord To Search Me?
Should I Let Him Enter
Into My Personal Heart's Door?
Should I Really Bid Him Enter?
Should I Give Him The Grand Tour?
Should I ... Should I Let My Savior Enter?
Should I Let Him Through My Most Private Door?

Should I Let The Savior Try Me?
Should I Make Him Privy To My Thoughts?
Should I Let Him See The Darkness?
Should I Let Him View The Ugly Truth Distorts?
Should I Let Him See My Treasured Hopes?
My Hidden Desires Of The Night?
Should I Let Him See The Passions
Against Which I Constantly Fight?

Should I Let Him See The Real Me?
Insecurities And All?
Should I Let Him See Those Things 
That By Satan I Did Fall?
Should I Bare My Own Soul
To My Maker And My King
AND
Give Him A Carte Blanche
To Fix Me Up
For Once And For All?

I Thought Me A Little Thought
AND
I Got Tired Of The Thinks
So
I Uttered A Simple Prayer
AND
Opened The Door - 
No More High Jinks!

The Master Quietly Entered In
AND
I Longingly Looked At Him
AND
In His Face
I Saw The Blessing
For Which I Had Been Avidly 
Instinctively
Seeking!

In His Beautiful
Marred Face
I Saw Plainly 
His Bold Love
AND
In His Hand Was Marked:

"Come Home To Me, My Love!"

In His Warm Embrace
I Encountered
Perfect Peace 
AND
Sweet Rest
AND
In His Ear
I - Bestirred -
Uttered
Everything
That Had To Be Confessed!

When It Was All Over
I Could Not Let Him Go
AND
In Loving Affinity
He Held Me Close
Asking Me
To Love
AND
Trust Him
AND
Walk With Him Ever
Even Unto Eternity!

With My Heart Strongly Beating
AND
Seemingly
Floating On The Air
I Said:

"Lead Me, Dear Master

Into The Everlasting Way

For Yours Is The Only Voice

My Heart Desires To Hear

AND

Your Presence

Is All

My Soul Desires

To Be Near!"

In Truth
I Here Acknowledge
My Soul Has Found Its Resting Place
Perfect 
For All My Need
I Lean On That Amazing Love
AND
Daily Safely Feed!

What About You?!

Have You 

Opened Your Heart 

To The Master?

TELLING THE FUTURE: No Crystal Ball Required!

If I Could Tell The Future
As Some Would Have Us Believe
I Would Purchase Me Stock In
Eternity
AND NOT IN
Beautify Me!
Charm Me!
Nor
Do Whatever I Please!

I Would Look Around
And Take Notice
Of All The Sorrows Caused By
Love Of Self!

I Would Be Very Careful
Not To Play With
A Fallen Cherub
Masquerading As
Solicitous
Best Friend
Provider
Stray Maker
Rub Me Belly 
Treats Are Free
Rascally Satan
Wannabe God Holy!

I Would Make It My Business
To Go  Into The World
AND PREACH
The Gospel Of The Eternal God
Teaching
Pleading
Warning
Every Single Soul
I Would Meet
Telling Them
- With Sincerity Of Heart -
To Look Up
For
The Sky Is About To
- Like A Scroll -
Roll
Wide Apart
Revealing
The Creator God
The Builder By Trade
Coming To Collect
The Pillars 
For The Temple So Fair!

I Would Tell Of The God
To Whom
Confession
AND
Repentance
Make One
For Heaven 
Firmly Stand!

I Would Tell
The World
About The God Of All Grace
Who
For The Love Of Vile Sinners
By The Shedding
Of His Pure Blood
Took
Our Damnable Disgrace
AND
Place!

AND THEN ...

I Would Tell
The World
Of A Love So Profound
That Caused Divinity From Heaven
To Come Down
To The Cruel Earth
To Bless
To Teach
To Pray For
To Care
To Help
To Heal
To Give To All Men
A Solid Reason
Sin
To Forsake!

I Would Tell
Of The Book Ever New!

I Would Tell Of The Holy Spirit
Who Chides And Teaches, Too!

I Would Tell Of The Angels
Who Direct And Protect
AND
The Home
Near God's Throne
AND
Immortality
AND
True Prosperity
AND
Real Life Lived But Never Alone!

I Would Also Tell Of The Grace 
That Will Permit Us
To See God
Face To Face
AND
The Glorious Expanse
That We Will Traverse
At Eternity's Pace!

But ...

I Do Not Need
To Tell The Future
For
The Future
Has Already Been Told To Me
In The Book Inspired Of Heaven
Containing
History In Advance
Where I Can Turn A Page
AND
At A Glance
Know
Which Beast Is Making An Advance
AND
Recognize
How Close
We Are To
The Devil's Last Dance!

I Will Know The Season
- Never The Day -
When 
At The Sound Of The Trumpet
There Will Be
The Catching Away
To Glory
Of Those Who Lived By Faith Alone
Trusting In God Alone
Walking With Endurance
God's Way
To God's Eternal Home!

I Can Say
That None Will Be Left Behind
Hoping
For God To Come Back
And Take Them
- Second Chance Repentant -
To The Heavenly Way
For They Would Have Done Things
Their Own Special Way
And Will Have To
- For Their Own Sins -
Eternally Pay!

I Have No Need To "Create!"
A Spurious Vision Of The Future
For
God Himself
By Christ Himself
Has Crafted The Future
For Me
Which I Will Receive
IF
I Permit
The Holy Spirit
To Direct 
AND
Teach Me!

So, I Can Say ...

No, Thank You!
I have No Need Of A Crystal Ball
For
I Have The Holy Book
Of
The Eternal Living 
Glorious God Of All
AND
In The Reading
I Will Know
How For Temptation To Sin 
Not To Fall!

No!
I Do Not Need A Crystal Ball!

God's Word Is...!

God's Word Is So Grand
That The Lowly Accept It!

God's Word Is Thought To Be Too Seasoned
So The Lofty Remove The Measure Of Salt!

God's Word Is So Elevated
That The Educated
Eviscerate It As Unknowable
AND
God's Word Is So Plain
That A Child Taught
Will Take It On Board!

Why Is God's Word
So Many Things
To So Many Different People?

What Is It About God's Word
That Causes So Much Hate And Acrimony?

What Is It About God's Word
That Engenders Love In The Faithful Believer?

What Is It In God's Word 
That Makes The Trusting Believer
Wear It Like The Perfect Glove?

God's Word Of Truth
The Transcript Of God's Character
Calls Unto All
Who By Living Truth Choose To Be Led!
God's Word
Is
A Hospital
A Policeman
A Stop Light
A Walkway Light
A Skylight To See Heaven's Light
That Living
AND
Holy Sight!

God's Word Is
Food And Pasturage
Watering Hole And Honey Comb
Oil And Restorative
Curative And Elevator
Bed And Brace
Pillow And Purse
Meat And Milk
Manna
Love Letter
License And Liberty
Corrector And Director
Map And Meter
Measure
Wedding Manual And War Manual
Bridge And Banner
Voice And Victory
Wicket And Ticket
Treasure And Threat
Boot And Crown
Cape And Cause
Symbol
AND
Seal!

God's Word
IS
Enough For Today
Sufficient for Tomorrow
Comfort For Any Sorrow
A Footpath For The Way Narrow
AND
The Wood For Making
Perfect Truth Arrows!

God's Word 
IS 
Alive
But Is Kept Out Of The Dive!
It Is As Tasty As The Honey
AND
The Honeycomb
Of The Beehive
AND
When Avidly Used
Keeps The Soul
Living Right
AND
Daringly Alive!

God's Word Is True!

Get It!

Love It!

And

Live By It

So That Satan

And

His Minions

Cannot Confuse

And

Run And Board* You!

*Overcome