PRAYER: Lord, We Believe Your Word!

Oh, Lord

Great And Glorious

We Come Before You

Hearts Heavy

At The Plight Of Our Nation's People!

Lord, What Is To Become

Of This Prodigal People

Who Relish A Diet Of Pig Swill

And Reject The Lush Banquet

Arrayed On Zion's Hill;

Who Studiously Walk By Blind Sight;

Who Consider The Faith Of Jesus A Pox And A Blight;

Who Wallow In Flights Of Fantasy;

Who Enjoy Playing Pat-A-Cake

In The Whispy Web Of The Fabled Spider Anansi;

Who Thrill At The Experiencing Of The Mind-numbing Pill

And Laugh Uproariously

At All That Is Worthy A Toilet To Fill;

Who Play With The Fraud

And Believe Themselves To Be God;

And Who Consider The Confessed Children Of The Living God

To Be Kin To Demon Frogs?

Lord, Have Mercy Upon Them In Their Distress!

Oh, Lord

We Who Love And Believe In Your Beloved Son

Are Denigrated

And Denied

And Despised

And Abused

And Accused

Because:

We Don't Indulge In Thrills And Spills For Fun;

We Refuse To Play Russian Roulette With The Known Loaded Gun;

We Acknowledge That Sin Has No Degrees

No Matter Its Color

And That It Separates Us From The Holy God

We Daily Seek To Please;

We Know That An Elevating Love Of Self Is No Green Grass

And That It Puts Us In The Position

Of Requiring Your Sending Unto Us A Balaam's Talking Ass;

We Recognize That Self-Medication

Puts Us Up High On A Rotten Tree Limb;

We Refuse To Live To Experience Fleeting Thrills That Will Ultimately Kill;

We Choose To Accept And Know The Creator God Who Lives

Who Loves Us And Who Causes Us To Grow;

And Because

We Choose To Live By The Intangible Faith Of Jesus Christ The King

And Sing Praises To Him As We Look With Great Hope 

For The Sky Break Heralding His Returning!

Father,

Give Unto Us Strength For Our Journey

And Courage For The Way We Must Walk

Even In The Face Of Gross Opposition

To Humbly Keep The Holy Faith

To Be Able To Disagree

And Not Be Disagreeable

As We Share The Truths Of Heavenly Light

And Freely Available Salvation Unto Eternal Life!

Let Not The Spirit Of Fear Overcome Us!

Father,

Pity Us By Your Mercy

Comfort Us With Your Grace

And Let The Indwelling Holy Spirit

Direct Correct And Chide Us

And The Holy Angels Protect Us

Until The Day When In This Fleeting Life

We Have No More A Place!

Oh, Father,

Let Our Love For You Be Not Fair Weather

Neither Let It Be Wasted On The Accursed Other!

Bless Our Faith With Holy Sight

Unto The Day When There Shall Be

No More Night!

And, Lord

In That Day Of The Trumpet Of God

Call Us Forth From Death

Unto Eternal Life

For We Believe Your Holy Promises

And We Trust You To Honor Your Promise

To Get Us Home Safely

Through Jacob's Time Of Trouble

The Coming Prophesied Strife!

Oh, Lord

We Love You Indeed

And In The Name Of Jesus Christ The Righteous

With These Petitions We Plead.

Oh, Lord, Hear!

Oh, Lord, Do For Us What Only The Holy God Can Do!

AMEN.

Oh, That Men Would Praise

The Eternal God Of Love

The Giver Of True Life!

PRAYER: Lord, Let Your Seed Grow In Me

Dear Lord,

Your Word Is Blessed Seed!

I Pray That In My Soul

It Be Welcomed Indeed

Finding Fertile Soil

Not Stony Ground

So That At Life's End

You Won't At Me Turn Away 

With A Dread Denying Frown!

Lord,

Let Your Seed Blade

Blossom And Grow!

Let Fair Stalks Of Grain

Be Not Ornamental

But A Food Source

That You Are Blessed To Own!

Let Your Heart Sing

And

Let Heaven Rejoice

That This Sinner Saved

Will Be Redeemed By The Conquering Christ

At The Trumpet Blast

At The Day Called Last!

Until That Day

Dear Lord, Bless Me

To Stand For Gospel Truth

Fundamentally

Not Opinion

Not Theory!

Not Flights Of Fancy 

Colored Rainbow Bright

But Truth

Unvarnished

Filled With Holy Spirit Insight

So That I May Walk In Your Eternal Light!

Father,

Grant Me The Grace For Today

And

Today's Measure Of Faith, Too!

Grant Me Wisdom And Understanding

And

The Peace That Passes Understanding, True!

Bless Me With Salved Eyesight

Tried Gold

And A Righteous Robe

White

Made Special For Me By You

And Grant Me The Courage I Need

To Go On My Errands For You!

Lord,

I Am Your Child!

Let Me Be To You A Servant True!

Let Me Honor Your Holy Name

As I Live And Speak Joyously Of You!

I Seek Not Man's Baubles

Nor His Costly Array

But I Seek To Do Your Bidding, Lord

So Please Bless Me

As In Faith

I Walk The King's Highway

Now And For Always!

I Love You, Lord

And I Make My Petition

In The Blessed Name Of Jesus Christ

Who For Me Died On That Cruel Cross!

AMEN.

PERSONAL PUZZLER : A Fractionated God!? + PRAYER: Lord, Please Bless My Walk

I Dressed And Left
For Work Today
BUT
Only Went Halfway!
I Clocked In
AND
I Earned My Pay
AND
At The End Said:

Lord, What A Blessed Day!

I Kept This Up
For Many A Day
Glorying
In Anticipation
Of A Shopping Spree
AND
Rested Each Night
Full Of Hope
Of My Earned Rewards
Oh, Soooo Pleasantly!

In The Fullness Of Time
I Drew The Check That Is Mine
AND
Hurriedly Went Off
To Cash It
BUT
There Was Waiting For Me A Shock
For There Had Been
No Beneficial Time On The Clock
AND
My Un-Earnings Showed
Upon Me A Blot
AND
What I Deserved
Is Exactly What I Got!

NOTHING!

Nothing
IS Exactly What
Each Faithless Man Will Receive
Of The Glories
That God
For His Faithful Children Has Prepared
For There Will Be No Glory-Payments Made
For Non-Work Done While Vacationing
Comfortably
On The Clock
In The Cool And In The Shade!

But ... WHY?!

YOU Actually Dare
To Ask Why?!?!

Yes, I DO!

I Sing The Songs!
I Read The Word!
I Teach The Bible Class!
I Walk Among The Herd!
I Pray!
I Sometimes Stray
But I Am Human
Without A Doubt
And I Never Forget
That Jesus Christ IS Real
And I Never Fear His Name To Talk About!

Sounds Good!

BUT ...

You Fornicate!
You Adulterate!
You Steal!
You Lie!
You Lift Up Your Self!
You Don't Put God Into Your Heart
But Place Him On The What-Not's Bottom Shelf!

You Turn Up For Work
But You Know Not The Product Line
AND
You Sell Others A Bill Of Goods!
You Don't Show Them That Almighty God
Can The Human Heart Refashion
AND
To Himself Have It Ever Incline!
You Serve Yourself
AND
For The World You Repine
AND
Running After Fool's Gold
You Act Quite Asinine!

Your Talking Has No Walking
AND
Even If You Walked Straight
In Front Of Men
In The Face Of God
Your Walk Has A Clear And Damning Fault!
You Are A Faithless Steward!
You Work Without Faith And Belief
AND
You Live By Outward Appearance
Which Only Mere Men
- To Truth Blinded -
Will Believe!

In Man's Workplace
You May Have Someone
Clock In Your Time Card
Or You May Show Up For Work
And Sweat
By Looking In The Face Mirror Hard!
You May Deceive The Earthly Pay Master
BUT
Not The Eternal God
AND
All Such Attempts Will
- Unrepented -
Receive The Salary Of The Fraud!

If God Is The Lord
Serve Him!
If The Fraud Is Your Lord
Serve Him!
BUT ...
Please Do Not Believe
It Is Possible
To Straddle
Heaven And Hell
For That, Beloved
Is The Mark
Of How Old Satan Fell!

Self Service
In
God's Service
Is
An Impossibility
AND
All
Who Attempt It
Will Drink Of 
The Fire And Brimstone Shandy!

You Sinned
So Repent
AND
Ask To Be Converted
AND
Ask For The Indwelling Of The Holy Spirit
AND
Walk Faithful
- Not As One Unstable -
For God IS The Rock Of Our Salvation
AND
In Him
We Can From Sin
Walk Away Able And Stable!

Body Conversion

Without Soul Conversion

Avails A Man Nothing

Save Condemnation

In The Day

Of Christ's Glorious Appearing!

*********

A Man 

Attempting To Fool God 

Shows A Fool 

Fooling Himself!

*********

With God

It Is All In 

Or

Everything Out!

For

Some Of This

And

Some Of That

Results

In A Lucifer-like Rout!

*********

God Does Not Do Fractions!

*********

PRAYER:

Oh, God Divine

Repentance Is Mine

Accept It

For In Jesus' Name

I Give It!

Help Me

By Faith

To Walk Straight

With Assurance

Towards Heaven's Pearly Gates

And Bless Me

So That I Will Have The Right

To Walk Through It!

Have Mercy, Lord, On Me

For In Jesus Christ's Holy Name

I Plead!

I Love You, Lord!

AMEN.

GRACE: From Root To Fruit!

Every Body Wants To Be A Strong Tree
Growing In Luscious Array
Showing To All The World
Roundly
That They Are Blessed
AND
By The Holy God Paid!

Strangely, Though ...

Some Body Seems To Have Forgotten
That Strong Trees
Need To Have Good Root Stock
AND
A Tree
Planted In Shallow Ground
Will Surely
- When Afflicted -
Energetically Fall To The Ground!

Dear Christian Brother And Sister
Let's Look Seriously Unto Ourselves
And Ask:

From Whence Comes Our Rootstock?

And 

What Kind Of Fruit Sits Upon Our Heart's Store Shelf?

The Bible Tells Of The Fruit Of The Spirit!
The Bible Calls Jesus Christ The Root Of David
And The Branch

And ...

If We Are Thinking Clearly
We Will See
That To Get To Fruit Bearing Potential
We Must Have Jesus Christ In Our Hearts!

Without Jesus Christ
There Is No Root!
Without The Root
There Is No Holy Spirit!
Without The Holy Spirit
There Is No Fruit
AND
When This Is The Case
Jesus Christ, Himself
Calls For The Cutting Blade
AND
That Is The Gospel Truth!

To Get The Fruit Of The Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit Must Be In Our Insides!
To Get The Holy Spirit In Our Insides
We Must Ask Jesus Christ In Us To Abide!

So ...

With This Being The Case
Let Us Not Drop Out Of The Race!
Let Us Confess All Known Sin
Repent Of Past Actions
Invite The Savior Jesus
To Enter In And Not Our Feeble Hearts Abandon
AND
We Must Daily Ask For The Indwelling
Of The Holy Spirit Of Grace
Pleading For The Daily Portion Of Overcoming Grace
Whereby We Can The Problems Of The Wicked World Face
AND
Do Not Let Us Let Up
On Our Pleading With The Lord
For In The Doing
We Will Receive The Great Award!

BUT ...

Let Us Not Forget
That NOW! Is The Acceptable Time
For 
Tomorrow Is Not Promised
AND
Temporal Time
Is In A Dire Decline!

Soon ...

Time Will Be Finished
AND
The Records Will Be Read
AND
All Who Are Righteous
Will Be Righteous Still
AND
Whosoever Is Filthy
Will Be Filthy Still
AND
All Fruit-less Fruit Trees
Will Be Firewood
As The Holy God Wills!

Request And Receive

The Lord Jesus Christ!

Request And Receive The Holy Spirit!

Request And Receive

The Fruit Of The Holy Spirit

AND

In The Fulness Of Time

Attend The Heavenly Banquet

For You Will Have Been 

By The Eternal God Filled!

Put God First!

Honor! Love!
Trust! Worship!
AND
Obey!
Mark The Way To Walk In Fellowship
If We Say God Is Our Lord
When We Pray!

If We Love God
We Will His Commandments Keep!
If We Trust God
We Will Walk In His Ways
No Matter The Way Steep!
If We Honor God
We'll Give
The First Fruits Of Our Increase 
To Help Further The Work Of The Kingdom To Come
AND
If We Worship God
It Will Be With More Than Just Our Tongues
Which In Our Mouths Live!

When We Obey God
God Repays Us
- As Only The Holy God Will Do -
With Treasures Of Peace And Rest Here
AND
Unimaginable Treasures
In The Blessed Kingdom Fair
It Is Promised That We Will Share!
We Will Have No Reason
To Doubt The Payment Of Rewards
For All Will Reap Of His Own Labor
Including The Wicked Fraud!

Honor! Love!
Trust! Worship!
AND
Obey!
Are Not Highminded Concepts
Like Those With Which
The Illuminated Intelligentsia Plays!
These Concepts
These Ideals
Are The Currency Of The Kingdom Not Made With Hands
AND
Are Eternal
Just Like The Godhead
Grand!

Talk Is Cheap!
It Requires No Sweat!
Lying Is Expensive
AND
Gets Us Caught
In Satan's Net Wide And Deep 
BUT
If We Call
The Father
The Son
AND
The Holy Spirit
Almighty God
We Will Do These First Works
To Claim The Reward
Payable At The Coming Of Him Who
Will Claim His Peculiar Treasure
At The Sounding Of The Trumpet Of the Holy God!

Add Endurance
To The Ideals
In The Trial Of Our Faith
For With The Grace Of God
Mercy Shows Its Lovely Face
AND
God's Great Love
Being Ever In Place
We Will Have Nothing To Fear
When God's Justice
Is Executed Against The Wilful Wicked
AND
The Unbelieving
For Whom In Glorious Heaven
There Is No Prepared Place!

Why Would You Choose To Die?

Believe In The Lord Christ
AND
Live!

Keep God's Commandments!
Setting Aside The Lusts Of Carnality
AND
Fear God
Which Together
Is The Whole Duty
Of Humanity!

Keep A Song In Your Heart

And

In Jesus Christ

Be Strong

As You Go On God's Errands!

*********

A Glorious Home In Heaven Awaits!

VESPERS AT THE END OF THE SABBATH: Personal False God

I Once Had A Personal False God
That Daily I Worshipped Lovingly In My Big Wall Mirror!
I Winked!
I Waved!
I Smiled!
AND
I Embraced It
For My God
For Me
Always Would Deliver!

I Was Born With The Sin Nature
AND
I Was In Wilful Opposition To The Living God
Who
- It Appeared To Bright Me -
Desired Just Because He Gave Life To Me
That I Put His Will Before Mine
AND
That My Heart To His Heart Ever Be Inclined!

It Wasn't Working!

You See ...

The King James Bible Told Me
That My Life Is A Gift
AND
The World Tells Me
I Owe No Man Anything But
"Thanks!"
For The Present
So ... I Could Not Understand
Why The Gift Giving God
Wanted More Than "Thanks!"
For His Gifting My Life To Me!

It Seemed Kind Of Greedy To Me!

Then, One Day ...

It Was Brought To My Attention
That The Creator Of My Life
Made Me For His Own Pleasure
AND
His Having Given Me My Life
AND
My Free Will
Was For Me To Give Back To Him Freely
So That He
In Turn
Would Make Me His Peculiar Treasure
AND
In The Fullness Of His Time
When
With My Permission
He Has My Character Refined Into His Image
AND
I Have Endured To The End
All The Tests In This Life That Are Mine
That The Giver Of The Best Gifts
Will Remake Me
AND
Take Me
To His Heavenly Home
Where God's Eternal Light Shines!

Huh?!

Hmmm  ...

Ahhhmmm ...

Uh huh ...

Alrighty Then! Yes! Yes!
I Feel You!

So ...

What About The False God
That You Had In The Wall Mirror?!

It And I
Are Ever In A Battle!
I Must
By Prayers To God
Cause The God Of Self
Daily To Fall!
It Is A Constant Struggle
AND
At Times
I Get Well And Truly Bruised
BUT 
I've Chosen The Gift Giver
For My Leader
AND
Self Has No Choice But To Lose!

I Once Couldn't See My Own Sin
For Self-God Was A Lying One In The Din!
I Placed My Self Before My Soul's Salvation!
I Had Made Peace With The Fraud!
I Was Interesting!
I Was With Self Smitten
AND
I Was A Blinded Fool
Used By Satan Like A Cheap Tool!

I Behaved Just Like Satan!
I Could Only See Self!
I Loved Me To Distraction!
I Cared Not For My Soul's Health!

BUT ...

One Glad Day
A Chink Appeared In The Mirror
AND
A Wrinkle Was Revealed In My Face!
A Wrinkle Was Exposed In My Spirit
AND
Mirror-God Couldn't Fix The Chink Nor The Wrinkles
AND
I Knew Then That A Non-Fixing God Is A Disgrace!

I Bowed My Head And My Heart!
I Stepped Out Of The Den Of The One Dark!
AND
I Apologized To The God Who Gave Me Life
For All The Times I Did Of Him Snark!
I Removed "Constant I" From My Vocabulary
AND
Instituted 
"Yes, Lord!"
"... You, Lord!"
AND
By Faith
This Child Is Avidly Seeking After The Gift Giving God
Who Provides
Without Our Having To Ask!

Thank God For Grace!

Forsaking Sin + PRAYER: Lord, I Come

When We Forsake Sin
We Have The Assurance Of The Approval Of God!
We Have No More Need
To Sorrow Or To Fret
For The God Of Heaven
Paid Too High A Price
To Let A Repentant Soul's Heart Be Out To Let!

Have No Fear Of The Devil
For He Is A Way-laying Fraud!
He Desires All To Follow Him Into Perdition
Unable Ever
To Return Home To Father God!

Let Not Circumstance Bind You!
Let Not Love Of Friends Confine You
AND
Let Not Love Of The Lights
Of A Sinful Fallen World Blind You
Out Of The Sight And Sound
Of Him Who Joyfully Created You!

Almighty God Is Faithful!
His Holy Word Is Sacrosanct!
He Accepts All Repentant Sinners
Even Those Who Believe That He Won't And Can't!

PRAYER:

Lord, I Come To You Today

Burdened With, And Sorry For My Sins

For Which Your Beloved

With His Holy Life 

Once For All Did Pay!

With Your Grace, Lord

And Unfailing Mercy

I Forsake The World

And Humbly Seek 

To Ever Hear And Obey

The Quiet Voice Of God

And Desire To Be Made

As One Repulsive

In The Sight Of The Fraud!

I Know My Way Will Be Difficult!

I Know That I'll Be Tempted 

By The Big, Bright, And Beautiful Broadway

But

Because I Take The Lord For My Shepherd

I Will Not Be Believing

The Winsome Words Of The Leopard!

Oh, Lord

Lift Me Up So That I May Lift Up

The Life Of The Lord Christ

For A Beacon In This World Full Of Darkness!

In Jesus' Worthy Name I Plead And Stand!

I Love You, Lord!

AMEN.