VESPERS AT THE END OF THE SABBATH: ENCOUNTERING CHRIST: Be Salt!

The Old Saw Says: 

"Whatever Is In The Olde Goat

Is In The Kiddie!"

 

We Act According To Our Nature 

And 

We Live What We Learn

And Then 

As Consenting Adults 

- Wisely Or Unwisely -

We Eagerly Practice Patiently 

What We Willingly Choose To Pursue! 

Beloved, 

We May Have Been Born With Sinful

Variable, Changeable, Natures 

But

When We Encounter The Lord Christ 

And 

Place Our Hands In His Holy Hands

And

Choose To  Follow Him 

Through The Diligent Exercise Of 

Enduring, Working, Faith 

And 

Unceasing Prayer 

With The Holy Spirit Doing The Effectual Good Work In Us

We Get Rid Of The Old Sinner Man

And

Become A Blessed Saint Of God And Christ 

As, With Enduring Patience, We Await The Day 

When Our Change Comes 

And 

We Become Like Him Who Created Us! 

We Are What We Eat 

And 

We Get Fleas From Where We Sleep!

We Have Free Will And Free Choice

And

No Created Being Can Make You Serve God

And

No Created Being Can Make You Serve The Devil! 

The Lord Of Life Won't Make You Serve Him

And

The Damned Devil Can't Make You Serve Him! 

Let Us Choose Our Walking Path Wisely And Righteously! 

Let Us Endeavor From This Day Forward

To Make The Exercise Of Faith 

And

The Practice Of Constant Praying 

Our Steady, Unchangeable, Diet!

 

With The Great God's Grace Covering Us

Let Us Freely Choose To Pray More 

And

Let Us ... With Confidence

Dare To Request An Increase In Our Daily Gift Of Faith

Which Shall Surely Be Tried: 

What Jesus Gives That We Utilize Can Never Fail Or Fail Us! 

Beloved, 

Let The World Know Whose Child You Are

And

Show Them The Light That Is Guiding Us

To The Glorious City Of The Forever Blessed! 

Be Salt! 

Jesus Christ's Peace

Is

Pure!

HAPPY SABBATH + EXERT YOUR PRIVILEGE: Wrestle With Your Lord!

Strangely, We Can Always Find Time To Gossip

To Cuss-Out People

To Belittle People

And

Even Find Time To Tear-Down Our Own Selves! 

We Say That We Love The Lord Christ

And 

Most Assuredly Know That 

He Answers Humble, Heartfelt, Prayers Of Faith 

And Yet

With The Myriad Needs Known Abundant In This Mortal Life

We Dismally Fail To Make Good Use Of

Our Access To The God Of Grace

The King Of Glory 

And

Sunnily Neglect To Reach For 

The Extended Hand Of Help And Healing That

Is

Always Just A Prayer Away! 

We Rob Ourselves Of The Grand And Glorious Pleasure Of 

Grasping The Great Good Given To God's Faithful People

Because 

We Find Time To Talk Turkey And Baloney

Instead Of Truth And Blessing! 

Beloved, 

Our Priorities Are Skewed! 

Our Interests Are Pitiable 

And 

Even Downright Lawless 

Because

We Are Short-Changing Ourselves By Neglecting Our Prayers 

Aka Our Intimate Moments With Our Forever Friend

Our Father In Heaven! 

Remember, Remember

Don't Ever Forget ...

There Is Much That We May Receive From The Hand Of God 

But 

Will Not Receive 

Because 

We Do Not Ask For Our Godly Desires Through Prayer! 

Prayer 

Is As

Opening Your Heart As To Your Very Best Friend

So, Pray

  Ask In Faith

    Believe The Preserved Word

      Persist In Prayer

        Trust The Giver

          Align Your Desires With The Word Of God 

And

              Keep Your Hand Out ... And Your Heart Open! 

The Lord Our God Ain't A Lying, Dying, Man

And

He Doesn't Bad-Talk Us 

For Asking For His Good And Perfect Gifts

As He, Himself, Has Asked Us To Request: 

He Cherishes The Gift Of Our Trust! 

Let's Stop Starving Our Own Souls

And

Militantly ... But Humbly ... Get The Business Done!

Prayer Is An Oasis

So, Pray, Pray, Pray

And

Infinitely Enjoy 

The Fabulous Feast Of The Forever-Blessed!

Do A Jacob

And 

Wrestle With Your Lord

And

Get Yourself

Your Free Name-Change!

STRENGTHEN THE WEAK KNEES: No Need To Feel Depressed Or Hopeless!

It Is Very Easy To Become Depressed Or Hopeless 

Until We Remember That 

Whatever Is Done Unto Us By Our Adversary

Falls Squarely 

On The Holy Head Of Our Lord Jesus Christ! 

Beloved, 

Roses Have Thorns

Days Have Nights

Laughter Follows Sorrow

Salvation Kills Sin

Light Chases Darkness

And 

Jesus Christ 

Is 

Near And Coming Again! 

Strengthen The Weak Knees ...

Let Us Of The Household Of Faith 

Choose To Accept, Understand 

And 

Remember That The Holy Spirit

Is

Our Comforter, Teacher And Corrector

And That 

It Is By The Gift Of Daily Faith Daily Received That 

We Believe In Jesus ... In The Word Of Truth

And Thereby 

We Are Then Able To Experience Perfect Peace 

In The Midst Of The Constant Storms Of Life! 

By The Lord's Great Grace Shown Towards Us

We Are Able To Have Joy

For It Is Jesus Christ, Alone

Who Causes Us To Have Joy ... True Happiness

In And For Daily Living! 

Carnal Logic Says: 

"Take What You Want

And

Pay For It!" 

Jesus Christ, Our Savior And Redeemer, Says: 

"Take Me

For I Have Paid

For All That You Need!" 

I Beseech Us All, Brethren

Dare To Steadfastly Hold Unto 

Almighty God's Unchanging Hand! 

Dare To Take The One Needful Step Toward King Jesus: 

He Is Reaching Out To You 

Even As He Is Holding You Close To 

And 

In His Heart

And 

Please Let The Holy Spirit Start

Continue 

And 

Finish The Good Work In You! 

Enjoy Jesus ... Peace!

HUMBLE YOURSELF: Fix Your Face And Your Attitude!

Pride 

Is 

An Ugly Emotion To Display No Matter Who You Are 

Or 

What You Supposedly Have In Your Possession 

And

It Is An Even Uglier, Deadlier, Emotion 

To Display In The Presence Of The Holy God

To Whom We Are Indebted For The Very Air That 

We Breathe To Even Live One Single, Solitary Moment! 

Beloved, 

The Lord Of Life Says To Us: 

Come Boldly And Without Ceasing 

And

By Prayer And Supplication, Pleading

Make Your Requests For Care, Comfort

Food, Friendship And The Future Home

Hope, Help And Healing

Grace, Goodness And Relief From Grief! 

With Love

The Lord Chastises Those Who Are His Very Own

And 

Our Being Angry At Almighty God 

Does Not Negate His Love Nor His Provision 

So, Please, Do Permit Pride To Stop You 

From Letting Your Requests Be Made Known Unto God 

Who Provides For You According To His Riches In Glory 

And 

Not According To Your Need! 

Please Dare To Be Humble 

No Matter Who Calls You Stupid

And

Dare To Pray Passionately 

No Matter Who Calls Our Holy God A Fairy Tale! 

Our Enduring Faith Will Be Rewarded Above All Imagining: 

Humbly Pray, Willingly Obey

And 

Ardently Press On! 

Please Watch Your Mouth

Fix Your Face

And 

Correct Your Attitude

And 

Take Your Assigned Place! 

Jesus Christ 

Is 

Always The Answer: 

Humility Exalts!

Choose To Walk Through

This Vale Of Tears

In Perfect Peace

With

The Prince Of Peace

Lovingly Leading!

TEMPORAL HAPPINESS: Heavenly Joy!

To Be Blessed Of God 

Is 

To Have The Favor Of God 

And 

In This Blessedness 

Is 

True Happiness

Real Joy ... Joy Unspeakable! 

Sad To Say, Though

In The Realm Of The Flesh

Happiness ... Earthly Joy

Depends On Our Personal Circumstances 

Always Being Of The Favorable Sort:

Money In The Bank Aka Disposable Income

Abundant Food Always On The Table

New Clothing Aka Fashionable Clothing

Nice Car

2.2 Children

Corner-Lot House

White Picket Fence

Fat Cat And Lazy Dog

Exotic Vacations Three Times Per Year

The Good Job

And 

Perfect Health And Home Life! 

Beloved, 

When We Choose To Be Happy ... Joyful

Because

Of Circumstance And Situation

We Are People Most Miserable 

Because 

Of The Changing Scenes Of Our Lives! 

History Bears Record ... 

Remember The Martyrs Of The Holy Faith 

Who Were Burnt Alive

Eaten By Dogs And Torn Apart By Lions

Drowned

Sawed Apart

And 

Even Had Their Skins Taken Off Their Bodies 

And 

Used To Bind Books Which Are Still Available  Today!

 

These Faithful Few All Died Singing About

Praying To 

And

Praising God! 

They Died Happy ... Joyfully Happy

Because 

Their Joy Was In Jesus Christ The King! 

I Pray That We All 

Will Choose To Live In The Faith That Cannot Fail: 

Sight Of Eyes

Sound In Ears 

And 

Feeling On Skin Always Lie! 

Beloved,

Let No One Steal Your Joy In Jesus 

Or Your Crown Of Life! 

Look Up To Jesus 

And 

Not Inward To Self And Sin! 

Gold Is Tried: 

Endure Your Test! 

Keep The Faith! 

All Tests End:

Dare To Pass Your Test In Jesus' Name

Because

No Matter The Earthly Outcome

Jesus Christ Always Utterly Saves! 

Jesus Christ

Is

The Joy Of Living!

Forgive Us, Lord, As We Forgive Others!?!

Everybody Loves The Lord's Prayer

And 

Blithely Repeat It 

Without Pausing To Think About The Words 

"Forgive Us ... As We Forgive ...!" 

We Love To Talk About 

"Do Fuh Do!" 

When We Are The Doer 

And 

Foolishly Forget That 

We Are In Debt To Almighty God

Because 

We Have Trespassed 

Aka Gone Where We Should Not 

Aka Committed Sin Against His Holiness! 

We, All, Are Treading On Dangerous Ground 

When We Pray For Forgiveness 

And

Walk Around Holding Grudges Against People

- Be They Friends, Family Or Foes - 

While Daringly Saying: 

"I Will Never Forgive Them!" 

Beloved, 

Are You The True And Living Holy God Of Grace And Mercy!?! 

Do You Hold Life And Eternity In Your Hand!?! 

If Your Answer Is 

"No!" 

I Beseech Us All To Back-Back To Go Forward! 

The Lord Jesus Christ

Immediately After Teaching His Disciples 

How To Pray 

Then Warned Them Graphically 

About The Content Of Their Prayers 

And 

Their Attitude! 

To Err Is Human: 

To Forgive Is Divine! 

We Who Desire The Lord's Forgiveness 

For Our Sins Against Him 

Must First

Forgive Those 

"Who Done Did Us Wrong!" 

Let Us, Therefore

Be Obedient So That 

We Shall Be Blessed Of Our God! 

By Faith

In Truth

For The Love Of God

Dare To Extend Your Hand In Fellowship

Even If It Figuratively Gets Chopped Off! 

The Lord Of Earth And Glory 

Reads Hearts 

And

He Promises New Life And New Bodies! 

Do Right! 

Eternal Blessings Await The Obedient Enduring Faithful!

Peace

Is

Like The River Glorious!

Putrid Pride Perverts Good Character!

Are You Like The Pharisees Who Spoke And Fasted With Pride 

Or

Are You Like Christ Jesus Who Spoke Peace 

And 

Ate His Food With Humility

Willingly Choosing To Be With The Sinners Who Saw 

And 

Expressed Their Personal Need Of 

Their Personal Savior!?! 

Lest We Forget

The Lord Asks Us To Humble Ourselves 

Under His Mighty Hand 

And

In His Own Time He Will Lift Us Up! 

Pride ... Putrid Pride ...  Perverts Good Character

And 

We Ought To Constantly Remember That 

It Was Putrid Pride That 

Caused Satan's Fall From Saving Grace! 

We Should Never Forget That It Is False Pride That 

Causes Us To Elevate Our Sinful Self 

Before We Spectacularly Fall 

And 

Our Shame Is Exposed! 

We Have Nothing About Which To Practice Pride 

Save Jesus Christ The Lord ... Our Lord

So Let Us Be Wise And Consider, Understand

And 

Remember That 

The Only Thing That We Take From This World 

Is 

Our Name ... Our Character 

Good, Bad, Ugly Or Indifferent! 

Beloved, 

The Only Character That Will Enter Heaven 

Is 

The One That Is Totally Like Christ's 

So, Please, I Beseech Us All

By The Grace Of God 

And 

With An Obedient, Willing Spirit

Get Rid Of The Unholy Habits 

And 

Ugly, Offensive, Prideful Attitudes: 

Jesus Christ Cleans And Saves! 

Powerfully Pursue Peace!

VESPERS AT THE END OF THE SABBATH: STOP DECEIVING YOURSELF: I Commend You To Jesus Christ The Lord!

I Thought I Was Doing The Lord A Favor

By Permitting Him To Bless Me!

I Said A Prayer According To Need, Want

Wish, Desire, Out Of Covetousness

Greed, Discontent And, Again, Need

And 

Waited For The Lord To Deliver For Me Right Away

Because

I Wanted What I Wanted When I Wanted It!

Truth Is

Of More Guts Than Sense, I Surely Had Me A Lot!

I Was Like A Pig On Speed In Slop! 

Feed My Need Was My Screed! 

I Mean, After All

He, The Lord, Owns The Cattle On A Thousand Hills!

He Says The Earth Is His!

He Says That He Is The Shepherd

And That I Should Not Want!

He Said That If He Were Hungry He Wouldn't Tell Me

So That Means He Doesn't Need Anything From Me, Personally

Because 

He Has Told Me To Ask Him For What I Want

And 

He Will Give It To Me Because ... As He Says

He Loves Me ... Sacrificially!

He Said To Trust Him

Because 

He Is My Refuge And Strength!

He Said Test Him Love

And 

See That He Will Do Abundantly More

Than I Can Think Or Ask For

So That's What I Did!

What I Did Not Do Very Often

Or, If At All, With Any Gratitude 

Was To Say:

"Thank You, Lord!

I Love You, Lord!

I Love Being In Your Presence, Lord!

Lord, Please Draw Me Nearer!

Lord, Please Draw Nigh!"

One Day, I Looked In My Big Mirror

And 

What Did I See!?!

Nothing But A Big Wriggly Blood-Sucking Leech!

I Had Religiously Taken 

My Access To The Lord Of Life For Granted!

I Took Sustenance But Gave None In Return

And Suddenly

I Realized An Uncomfortably Inconvenient Truth

That Made My Heart Lurch

And

My Life's Blood To Run Ice Cold:

If The Lord ... The King Of Love

Removed Me From The Source Of My Life

From My Prosperity In Him

I Shall Become ... Dust

Which ... With Even A Light Wind

Just Blows Away ... Away ... Away ...!

In Shame, 

I Turned To The Gift Given

The Blessed Gift Called Healing Prayer!

Comeuppance Led Me From Self

To Aggressively, Drastically, Turn Away!

I Heard

Give ... And It Will Come Back To You

Good Measure

Pressed Down

And Running Over!

I Heard

Lean Not On Your Own Understanding!

I Understood

Everything That I Do For Christ Prospers

Because 

It Is Blessed!

I Finally Learnt That 

It Is More Blessed To Give Than To Receive

And

I Felt Relief

And

Experienced Release

Because

At Long Last I Knew ... I Know ... That

I Am Allowing The Holy Spirit Of Truth 

To Do A Good Work In Me

And

I Am Awaiting The Great Day When

The Lord Will Finish What He Has Started In Me!

I Am Blessed 

And 

I, At Long Last, Truly Know It! 

Brethren, Beloved,

I Serve The Risen Savior Who Provides For Me Every Day! 

No Matter My Position, I May Approach Unto Him By Prayer! 

He Encourages My Promotion To Hill Zion

The Blessed City Of The Eternal God 

And 

By The Protection Of The Holy Angels Excelling In Strength

He, Moment By Moment, Protects Me From The Wiles

Deceits And Gross Machinations Of Satan

The Devil

The Piercing Serpent

The Condemned And Damned God-Fraud! 

I Encourage You To Follow My Master, My Savior

My God, My Redeemer And My King

And 

You Shall Find Out For Yourself, My Dear One, That 

His Sacrificial Love For You Knows No End! 

I Commend You To Jesus Christ Our Lord 

Who Personally Loves You 

And 

Offers You The Position In His Heart 

Which Provides You Life ... Eternal Life

The Life Of Love And Peace That 

Has Nothing Called ... The End! 

 

HAPPY SABBATH + Faith Must Work!

Are You Faithful Faithful!?! 

Is The Practicing Of Your Faithfulness 

The Direct Fruit Of Your Profession Of Your Faith In Jesus!?!

 

Are You Doing Right In The Light 

But Are Dirty In The Dark Night!?! 

Would You ... Could You ... Honestly Say That 

If You Joined The Underground Staff Tomorrow 

The Next Sound You Would Hear From The Lord Is: 

"Come Forth And Come Up Hither!?!"

Beloved, 

Faith Without Corresponding Works ... Actions

Is 

A Dead Faith! 

Faith Must Act! 

A Cheapened Faith Requires Nothing Of Its Owner 

Save The Payment Of Useless Words That 

Cannot Hold Up Under The Strain Of 

The Test Which We Must All Meet 

And 

Pass 

If 

We Are To Enter The Heavenly Promised Land! 

We Must Acquire Holy Characters 

Like That Of Our Dear Savior 

Who ... In The Midst Of His Stormy Time Of Testing 

Stood Firmly On The 

"Thus Saith The Lord!" 

Let Us, Therefore, Remember Always That 

The Lord Is Faithful

The Gifts Given Are Good And Perfect 

And

The Promises Given Are Sure And Secure! 

Be Faithful, Not Fearful! 

Be Trusting And Truthful! 

Do Love And Walk Right 

And

Ever Remember That 

You Are A Child Of The Day And Not Of The Night! 

The Lord Equips His Called:  

Obey The Will

And

Humbly Answer The Call

And 

Do Not With Your Purchased And Sure Salvation 

Unwisely, Unwisely, Play! 

Let Your Faith Work As Faith Must! 

Remember, Remember

Don't Ever Forget ...

Wherever The Good Lord Sends You

Rest Assured That He, Himself, Is With You!

Walk In Faith

And

Work With Endurance

As You Abide In Eternal Truth!

Peace With Prince Shiloh

Is

The Heavenly-Paradise Special!

OUT OF DARKNESS INTO LIGHT: The Lord Knows ...!

Beloved, 

It Will Do Us All Good To Remember Well This Text 

And 

Live Our Daily Lives In The Knowledge That 

Whatever We Do In The Darkness 

Shall Surely Come To Light! 

Mankind May Hide His Dark And Terrible Deeds 

From His Brethren

But 

They Can't Ever Be Hidden From The All-Seeing Eye Of 

The Ever-Present, All-Knowing, Eternal God! 

Adam And Eve Tried 

And 

Failed At Hiding From God: 

They Lost Their Paradise Home 

And 

We Are Still Suffering The Effects Of That Lost! 

Adam And Eve's Son, Cain 

Tried To Hide The Innocent Blood Of Abel

- His Righteous Brother -

But 

The Earth ... Holding No Secrets For Any Man

Revealed The Blood! 

Cain Lost His Home 

And 

The Hope Of Redemption 

Because 

He Chose Self Over His Savior: 

He Lost The War In The Battlefield Of The Mind! 

I Beseech Us All

Please Do Not Think That We Can 

Over-Power Sin And Satan

Outlast Time

Or

Outwit Almighty God! 

We Are Mere Men ... Mortal

Given To Malice And Misdeeds! 

God Is Mighty

And 

Merciful

And 

Means Exactly What He Says!

Let Us, Therefore

By Grace ... Through Our Gift Of Daily Faith 

Make Wrong Things Right 

So That In The Day Of Accounts

Our Record Of Sin Shall Say: 

"PAID IN FULL!" 

Let's Choose To Repent Now 

To Avoid The Rush To Regret Later! 

Dare To Do Right! 

Peace

Is

Presently Possible

With The Lord Our God

The Prince Of Peace

Prince Shiloh!

DON'T PREY: Pray!

 

Being A Committed Christian Is Hard 

But 

Also Quite Satisfying

Because 

We Walk Under The Banner Of The Prince Of Peace 

Who Gives Us Oh His Peace That 

Passes Human Understanding! 

Our God Does Not Sleep 

For He Walks Too And Fro Among His People 

Over Whom Holy Angels Excelling In Strength Keep Watch 

As They Protect Them From The Schemes Of The Devil! 

Fret Not Thyself Because Of The Evil-Doers! 

Our God Keeps Detailed Records 

And 

No Wrong Done Against The Lord's Faithful 

Shall Go Unpunished! 

Beloved,

Please Keep Your Eye On The Heavenly Prize! 

Keep Your Hand On The Gospel Plow! 

Keep A Song Of Zion In Your Heart 

And 

On Your Tongue 

And 

Let Your Life Read Like 

The Living Truth That You Treasure! 

Let's Ever Remember That 

There Is No Law Against A Meek And Gentle Spirit

The Very Spirit That Our Lord Manifested 

On His Earthly Sojourn! 

Please Let The Holy Spirit Teach, Guide 

And 

Comfort You On This Pilgrim Journey! 

Judgment Day 

Is 

Coming For All Unrepentant Evil-Doers 

So By Grace ... Through Faith

Please Make Sure That You Are Not Among Them! 

Choose To Speak Peace 

And

Committed To The Cause Of Christ

Confidently ... Diligently

Go Faithfully On Our God's Errands! 

Truth Wins! 

Don't Prey: Pray! 

YOU OWN IT: Give The Lord Real Praise!

If We Look Closely

We See In This Text Ownership! 

Peace Belongs To The Lord: 

He Gives To Us A Gift Of His Peace! 

Praise Is Ours To Freely Gift To The Lord! 

Interesting Thing, Though

All That We Call Ours Comes To Us As Gifts From Our God 

So, In Truth And In Fact

What We Are Substantially Giving Back To Our Lord 

Is 

Gratitude! 

What The Lord Gives 

Is 

Given For Good! 

How We Choose To Use It ... By Our Free Will

Says An Awful Lot About What We Have Learned

- And Are Practicing - 

From This God Who Only Gives Good And Perfect Gifts 

To Bless Us! 

Giving Our God Praises Blesses Our God 

And

Blesses Us 

Because

By So Doing

We Are Rising Up Higher And Higher! 

Beloved, 

We Can't Fool The Lord! 

Feint, False, Praise 

Is 

An Abomination 

Because 

It Minimizes The Recipient 

And 

Brands Us As Deceitful 

And 

Untrustworthy

And 

Stagnant In Our Growing In Grace 

As Recipients Of Unmerited Favor! 

We Can't Earn The Lord's Favor 

And

We Can't Buy The Lord's Gifts 

And For Sure

We Can't Exchange The Lord's Good And Perfect Gifts 

To Receive Better From Another More Profitable Source! 

There Ain't None! 

Please Let Us Endeavor Today 

To Abundantly Lavish Praise Upon Our Lord And God

Savior, Redeemer 

And 

Forever Friend 

Like It Is Going Out Of Production 

And 

You Desire To Be The Last Giver Of Praise 

Left Standing At Power Down! 

Giving Praise To Our God Brings Peace!