Winding Up As Two Nuts Short Of A Pack!?!

Handling Hardships With Almighty God's Gift Of Grace 

Makes One Hardy To Endure The Trials Of This Life! 

"Ohhh, Sure!" 

Says The One Who Desires To Live The Life Of Riley 

On Easy Street! 

Beloved, 

We All Know That There Is No Human 

Who Would Not Prefer Life On Easy Street! 

The Problem Is That The Introduction Of Sin 

Caused Our Maker, God, And King To Curse Humanity 

With Labor, Work, To Be Able To Eat His Daily Bread! 

Therefore, Anyone 

- From The Womb To The Tomb - 

Who Chooses To Work At Not-Working And Playing To Play

And In Essence

Choosing The Life Of The Hedonist

Constantly Seeking Pleasures Forevermore On This Earth

In This Vale Of Tears

Is 

Standing Up In His Self-Chosen Lot

Directly Against The Will Of Almighty God! 

How Do You Think That Is Going To End!?! 

How Often Have You Seen 

The Disasters Of Living The High Life 

When Its Practitioners Effectively And Efficiently 

Crash And Burn

Flame Out

Or Wind Up As Two Nuts Short Of A Pack!?! 

Dear Ones, 

Work ... As Ordained By The Holy God

Is 

For Our Blessing: 

Choosing To Live On The Party Boat Is Not! 

Choosing To Honor The Lord Is A Blessing: 

Choosing To Honor Ourselves Is Not! 

Idle Hands Are The Devil's Workshop! 

Be Wise And Work Now 

For Night Is Coming When No Man Can Work! 

Live With Love For The Lord 

And

Not For The Pride Of Life! 

Wha' Sweet'n Goat Mout' Does Bu'n 'e 'n 'e Tail! 

Take Heed! 

Jesus Christ Is Lord! 

Peace!

The Devil's Cherry!

Do You Have The Right To Do Wrong!?! 

Are You Letting A Nightshade Sing You A Love Song!?! 

Beloved, 

We Are Clearly Instructed By Our Lord Jesus 

Not To Let Anyone, Spirit Or Flesh, Deceive Us 

So "No!" None Of Us Has The Right To Do Wrong! 

In The Plant Realm

We Have Nightshade Vegetables 

Aka Tomatoes, Potatoes, Eggplant

And 

All Peppers, To Name A Few 

And Also 

The Deadly Nightshade 

Aka Belladonna 

Aka Devil's Cherry! 

Just Because We Like, Love, Salivate At The Word "Cherry" 

It Does Not Give Us The Right To Eat Of 

The Belladonna Plant 

Or To Give Of It To Anyone! 

Dear Ones, 

It Is Amazing To Know That 

There Is A Plant Named To Suit Satan's Character! 

How Sad, Ironic, To Know That His Name, Devil

Is 

Affixed, Prefixed, To A Fruit Aka Cherry! 

Another Forbidden Fruit! 

Our Lord Jesus Christ

Is Keeping The Night-Watch

So That We Do Not Have To Fear

That Nightshade Satan!

Dear Ones, 

Warning Labels Are Slapped On Things 

To Save Us From Ourselves! 

Children Have Parents To Guide Them Aright! 

Humans Have The Savior

The Word Of God

To Guide Us With Kindly Light! 

When Our Foolish Desires Supercede Wisdom And Understanding 

Because 

"I Breathe So Therefore I Am!" 

We Get Into The Realm Of Playing Russian Roulette 

Aka Taking Your Life Into Your Own Hands

For Kicks And Street Cred! 

We Do Not Have The Right 

To Willfully Do Wrong With The Lord's Property: 

We Are Not Our Own! 

Let Us Worship And Bow Before The Lord Our Maker! 

Peace!

Live So That Satan

Has No Part In You!

When Self Matters!

 

Here Are Three Times That 

The Word "Self" Should Freely Utter From Our Mouths: 

Selfless

Self-Surrendered

And 

Self-Controlled! 

Beloved, 

If You Have Surrendered Your Self To Your Savior

Then There Is Less Self 

And 

Definitely More Of The Savior

And 

Self-Control Becomes The "Savings-Card" 

Notably In Constant Use! 

Self-Consumed Dies

Self-Sufficiency Atrophies

Self-Serving Skips Town

And 

Self-Aggrandizement Runs Away From Home 

Because 

Nobody Loves It! 

As Committed-To-Christ Christians

We Must Live With That Hope Which Says: 

"My Change Is Going To Come!" 

This Is Possible 

Because 

The Lord Christ Has Purchased Us 

New Character And New Clothing 

Aka Internal Character And External Clothing 

Aka Christ-Like Character 

And 

The Robe Of Christ's Righteousness! 

This Is Big Doings 

And 

It Can Only Be Accomplished By 

Our Cooperating With Christ 

Through The Working Of The Holy Spirit 

Who Assuredly Leads Us Into All Truth! 

Dear Ones, 

This Is Not A Work For The Faint-Hearted

The Fickle

Or The Fool Who Says In His Heart That 

There Is No God! 

Let Us Not Settle For "Easy Living" 

And 

Leave The Family Of God! 

Anything Worth Having

Is Worth Laboring For!

Know This ...

The Stench Of Self 

Will Never Waft Through The Portals Of Glory 

But

The Heart For Christ Will Find Eternal Rest There! 

Understand This ...

It's Time To Turn Brown Things White Through Christ 

Since There's No Self-Cleaning For Christians! 

Get At It ...

Indulge In Self-Examination Through The Holy Word 

Aka The Lens Of The Lord! 

Peace!

It's A Blessing To Depend Upon Our Father God!

Remind Yourself ...

Independent ... And Still A Runt ... Weak! 

Stunted, Under-Developed ... And Still Fronting! 

How Often Have You Confidently Said That 

You Knew That You Could Depend On Someone To Pamper You 

So That You Could Pridefully Swan About

Aka Glide About Poised And Confident!?! 

Did You Reap The Expected Gain!?! 

Would You Do It Again!?! 

Do You  Understand That Your Gamble On Frail Flesh 

Is 

Always In Vain!?! 

Beloved, 

Remember The Proud Creature Who Thought That 

He Could Run His Life Better Than His Creator Could 

And

Determined That His Self-Serving System Of Governance 

Was Better Than The Unselfish One Set Forth By Almighty God! 

Dear Ones, 

Blinkers Are Placed On Beasts Of Burden 

To Stop Them From Being Distracted 

And 

To Keep Them Focused On Their Scheduled Work! 

We Are Not Beasts: 

Dare To See! 

For Whom

By What Means

And 

For What Purpose 

Have You Declared Your Independence From The Lord!?! 

What Have You Got To Show 

For Unwisely Walking As A Wastrel, A Prodigal

On The Wild Side Of Life!?! 

All Of Us Have ... At One Point Or Another 

Chosen To Be Professor And Student 

In The Self-Directed Program Called Self-Centeredness 

For Which An Honor's Degree In Hard Knocks Was Issued! 

Let's Wise Up Today 

And 

Return To Our Father's House Of Love 

Because 

We Finally Recognize That 

We Cannot Even Walk Without Him Holding Our Hand! 

It's A Blessing To Depend Upon Our Father! 

Please Don't Let Pride Rob You: 

Choose The Eternal Inheritance Over Temporary Independence! 

Peace!

EMERGENCY SIREN: Nobody Wakes Up Dead!

 

For Every Siren That We Hear

There Is A Living Soul In Mortal Distress: 

Neither The Coroner Nor The Mortuary Van

Has Need Of Urgent Progress! 

Beloved, 

None Of Us Knows The Day Or The Hour 

When We Shall Close Our Eyes For The Long Sleep 

From Which No Man's Fabricated Alarm May Awaken Us 

And

For This Reason 

I Bid Us All To Keep Current Accounts With Our Lord Jesus! 

At The Siren's Sound

Please Raise Up Your Heart To The Holy God 

And 

Pray For Our Brethren That 

Our Blessed Lord Will Have Mercy 

And 

Grant Them Strength, Courage, And The Opportunity 

To Confess And Repent Of Known Sin 

And Take Jesus Christ As Their Everlasting Portion 

So That They May Be Blessed 

And 

Saved Into The Living Kingdom

According To Their Will! 

Dear Ones, 

We Who Know And Love The Lord

Please Do Not Relax And Act Carelessly About Your Salvation! 

We Sin By Thought, Word And Deed ... Daily

So Let Us, As We Realize Our Errors

And 

As A Matter Of Habit

Confess And Repent Of All Known Sin ... Every Day! 

Nobody Wakes Up Dead 

But

Everybody Awakens To Face The King Of Glory

The Judge Of All Flesh Who Will Have His Rewards With Him! 

I Sincerely Pray For Us All That 

When The Time Comes

That We All Will Arise From Our Long Home 

To See Our Jesus In All His Glory

In Perfect Peace! 

Dear Lord Jesus, 

We Adore You! 

Please Bless Us

As We Confidently

Raise Our Hearts To You

In Heartfelt Prayer! 

AMEN!

VESPERS AT THE END OF THE SABBATH: Wisely Work Unwaveringly On Your Relationship With Jesus Christ!

If I Walked Up To You And Issued To You My Rules 

And 

Demanded, Commanded, Ordered You To Obey Them 

No Questions Asked, No Answers Given

Without There Being Some Agreed Upon Relationship Between Us

You Would Look At Me As Though I Had Sprouted Two Extra Heads 

And 

Then Insolently Invited Me To Make Like A Tree And Leave 

After Telling Me What I Should Do With My Rules! 

Beloved, 

There Is A Wonderful Quotation Which Says That 

Rules Without Relationship Leads To Rebellion! 

Every Relationship

Be It By Blood

By Faith

By Affection

Or By Interests 

Requires Input To Have Outpouring! 

A Production Line Requires A Designer

A Plan, Power, Equipment

Workers, Raw Materials

A Schedule, A Delivery System

A Repair/Replacement Protocol

And 

Some Sort Of Planned Obsolescence 

Aka We Shutting This Puppy Down In Two Years! 

Dear Ones, 

We Have Our Creator-Savior

The Holy Bible

The Plan Of Salvation

Confession And Repentance

Mercy And Grace

Probation

Intercession

And 

The Great Judgment Day Aka The Second Coming! 

Holding It All Together 

Is 

Our Relationship With Almighty God 

Through Our Decision To Follow Jesus By Faith For Love! 

Are You Following Your Creator's Commands!?! 

Are You Looking To Be Sealed By The Holy Spirit!?! 

Are You Looking Forward To Being In Glory With Your God!?! 

Check Aka Protect Your Relationship With Christ 

And 

Forget About Sinning With Satan! 

Get In

Stay In 

And

Wisely Work Unwaveringly On Your Relationship With Your Lord! 

Peace! 

Happy Sabbath + You Are Never Alone Walking With The Lord!

Yesterday Has You Bitter! 

Today Has You Jaded

And 

Tomorrow Has You Sour! 

With All This "Has-Ing" 

When Are You Going To Permit 

Jesus Christ The Great Physician To Have At You 

Since He Is The Only One 

Who Can Make All Of Your Wrong Things Right!?! 

Beloved, 

Will Your Being Bitter About Yesterday 

Cause Yesterday To Change The Past To Become Sweet!?! 

Will Your Being Jaded Aka Unenthusiastic 

Aka Unimpressed With Today 

Stop It From Passing From Time Into Eternity 

Without Your Approval And Permission!?! 

Will Your Being Sour About Tomorrow Change The Fact That 

Tomorrow's Sun Will Never Rise 

Or Negate The Word Of Almighty God Which Says That 

No Man Aka Human Being Is Promised The New Day!?! 

Dear Ones, 

As Bible-Thumping As It May Sound

Our Wants, Wailing, Demands, And Desires 

Can Never Change Almighty God's Will 

Or Alter His Spoken Or Written Commands! 

We Have To "Come-To" Aka Get Around To 

The Lord's Ordered Way Of Living 

Or Be Ordered Away To The Second Dying! 

Rich Or Poor, Free Or Enslaved

If 

The Lord Has Brought You To Trial Or Test

He Is With You To Overcome 

And 

Emerge Blessed And Benefitted 

As Long As You Remain In The Holy Faith Which Cannot Fail

Trusting And Enduring All Things In Jesus' Name 

And 

For His Sake! 

You Are Never Alone

Walking With The Lord! 

The Decision ... As Always

Is 

Our Very Own To Make 

With No Enticement Or Coercion Allowed! 

This Is A Fix Yuh Face

Fix Yuh Attitude

Fix Yuh Future Moment: Take It! 

Any Questions!?! 

Peace!

Act ... To Be Attached!

King David Said: 

"The Lord Is My Shepherd

I Shall Not Want!" 

The Gospel Song Writer Ralph Carmichael Said: 

"Because The Lord Is My Shepherd

I Have Everything That I Need!" 

Two Statements Of Fact 

Thousands Of Years Apart 

Delineating The Faith And Belief In The One God 

In The Person Of Jesus Christ The Lord

The Creator, Provider, Director, Savior, Deliverer 

Who Loves His Sheep Totally

Without Inhibition

And 

Personally

To The Satisfaction Of The Soul! 

Beloved, 

Do You Co-Sign Aka Agree With And Approve Of 

The Bold Sentiment Expressed!?! 

Does Your Daily Life Say To Others 

And 

Show To Your Keenly Watching Observers That 

You Surely Do Have Confidence In Christ 

And 

Am Not Dismayed By Not Receiving 

What You "Knew In Your Heart Of Hearts!" 

- Whatever That Means - 

That You Had To Have 

But 

Did Not Receive?!" 

Is Your Faith Fickle Or Firm!?! 

Is Your Confidence Cement Or Cosmetic!?! 

Is Your Love Lax Or Latched!?! 

Dear Ones, 

We Have To Believe To Receive: 

We Have To Act To Be Attached! 

We Have To Pray 

If 

We Don't Want To Fall Prey 

To The Lies And Sophistries Of The Devil 

Who Can Sell Ice To An Eskimo 

If

That Eskimo Does Not Solidly Know Of 

And 

Understand The Truth About The Ground

- The Icy Ground - 

Upon Which He Stands! 

Are You Growing Up In The Lord!?! 

Do You Remember That 

"Thus Saith The Lord!" 

Is 

Lie And Liar Repellant 

And 

Fraud Eraser!?! 

Know Your God 

And 

Stick To Your Goal: 

Heaven With Christ! 

We Have To Believe Him Here 

To Belong With Him There! 

Peace! 

Don't Be A Shooting Star!

 

If We Know Anything About Social Media

We Know That The Influencers Aka The Stars

Live And Prosper Through Subscriptions And "Likes" 

Which Determine Popularity And Profitability 

Aka Success And  Prosperity! 

We Also Know That To Get More Likes And Subscriptions

And 

More Money

The Influencers Lie

Make Truth Turn Corners

Indulge In Downright Ridiculous 

And 

Often Dangerous, Even Deadly, Challenges To Remain Relevant 

And 

Trending In The New Public Square! 

Beloved, 

Are You Playing The Game Of Folly

Blind Man's Bluff

And 

Catch-A-Wave To Feel Good

Be Trendy

And 

Be Important In The Eyes Of Those Who Cannot See 

Because 

They Are Willfully Blind

Deliberately Disobedient

And 

Gainsaying 

While Practicing Deceit!?! 

Stop It! 

Dear Ones,

Let Us Not Forget That 

Only What We Do For Christ Will Last 

And

Ever Remember That We Are Striving Against Sin 

To Receive An Imperishable Crown! 

The Hymn-Writer Plaintively Asked: 

"Will There Be Any Stars In My Crown!?!" 

Well May Each One Of Ask If We Will 

"Wake With The Blessed In The Mansions Of Rest" 

But

The Response We Will Receive From 

Our Loving Lord And Master Jesus Christ 

Rightly Depends Upon Our Work And Service 

By Faith In And Obedience To His Will! 

Let Us Cease From Dead Works 

Loving-Up The Loss-Leaders 

And 

Elevating The Deplorable! 

Dare To Live To Wear The Robe That 

Is 

Eternally Relevant: 

Don't Strive To Be A Shooting Star! 

Serve The King: 

Subscribe To Salvation 

And

Get Your Stars From Our Savior! 

Like Aka Love, Peace!

Shooting Stars Flame Out!

The Truth Raises The Dead!

If Jesus Christ Is Our Known Forever-Friend 

And

Satan Is Our Unrelenting Enemy With An Expiration Date

Why, Then, Are We, Through Ungodly Practices

Treating Satan The Adversary As A Bosom Friend 

And 

Jesus Christ The Lord As Our Bitterest Enemy!?! 

If The Truth Of The Lord Jesus Christ 

Is 

Our Hope, Help, And Salvation

And 

The Lies Of  Satan Are For Our Destruction And Damnation

Why, Then, Are We Treating Known-Truth Like Lies 

And 

Known-Lies As The Truth!?! 

Beloved, 

Beware, Be Aware, Be Wary When Those 

Who Are Called To Be Under-Shepherds Of 

The Heritage Of The Living, Holy, God 

Are Asking You To Accept Their Ruminations

Speculations, Suppositions, And Heresies 

As Fact Upon Which To Build 

"A Future Of Bliss" 

On The Earth Which Is Scheduled By The Lord Of Life

The Creator God ... The Judge Of All Flesh 

For An Everlasting Burning 

Aka A Burning Which Will Not Be Put Out By Any Hand

A Burning Which Must Extinguish Itself 

Because 

There Is Nothing Left Within It 

Upon Which The Fire Of God May Feed!?! 

Dear Ones, 

The Truth Is Not Always Palatable, Tolerable

Easily Swallowed, Willingly Accepted

Or Gratefully Embraced 

But

It Will Always Be True, Right, Worthy ... Saving! 

Please Let Us Not Worry About Who Calls Us Straight-Laced 

Via Technicolor Words Oft Used By Sailors And The Like-Minded! 

The Truth Raises The Dead 

And

Lies Bury The Living! 

Think About It! 

Peace!

Choose The Good Part: Peace ... Perfect Peace!

 

King David Uttered The Words 

"I Will Both Lay Me Down In Peace, And Sleep; 

For Thou, Lord, Only 

Makest Me To Dwell In Safety!" 

And

The Prophet Isaiah Followed Him 

By Saying What Kind Of Peace 

And

Why That Peace Was Assured ... Guaranteed! 

Beloved, 

If We Desire The Blessings Of The Eternal God

We Must Be Diligent 

To Sincerely Do Exactly What He Lovingly Asks Of Us! 

When Your Mind Is Stayed Upon Someone

It Is Because There Is Love

A Loving, Committed, Reciprocal Relationship 

Between Consenting Partners 

Who Care About Each Other

And 

Trust The Words "Until Death!" 

Even As They Walk The Lonesome Road Alone-Together! 

Dear Ones, 

Our Trust In The Lord Jesus Christ 

Causes Us To Become Rich ... Without Sorrow! 

The Eternal God's Love For Us 

Brings With It Neither Shame Nor Disappointment 

And

Because It Is A Love That Will Not Let Us Go

It Will ... Paradoxically 

Be A Love That Will Not Force Us To Stay Put! 

The Love Of God 

Is 

The Anchor For Our Souls 

And

Our Trust In God 

Gives Us The Wings And Eyesight Of The Eagle 

And

The Endurance Of The Ox Of The Protected Stall! 

Let Us This Day Think On Him Who Thinks On Us 

Who Are The Apple Of His All-Seeing, Unwearied, Eye! 

Jesus Christ Saves!

Please Trust And Obey 

And 

Be Forever Happy And Blessed! 

Stay Put 

Aka Stay Rooted And Grounded

Steadfast And Sure 

In The Love Of The Lord Christ: 

Rest Your Weary Soul In Him! 

Peace!

Bluntly Shame The Devil!

The Devil Is The Liar 

And

The Father Of Lies 

And

All Who Operate As He Does 

Will Suffer The Same Way That He Will 

Unless They Confess And Repent 

Aka Turn Away From Sin And Sinning! 

Beloved, 

Sinners Are What We Are By Nature 

But

Choosing To Be Nurtured In The Fear And Admonition 

Aka Caring Counsels Of The Holy God 

In The Person Of Jesus Christ The Lord, The King

- The Judge Of All Flesh -

Will See Us Safe, Sheltered, And Protected

Inside The Beloved City 

When ... Effectively And Efficiently

All Hell Literally Breaks Loose On This Planet 

And 

Sin, Sinners, Satan, And All His Cohort Are Forever Destroyed! 

Dear Ones, 

In The Name Of Jesus

Do Not, DO NOT, Don't Rationalize Sin 

To Make Yourself "Feel Better" About 

What Should Make You Seriously Feel Like Death Warmed Over 

And

For The Lord's Sake

Please Do Not Make Inane Excuses For The Wicked, Sinful

Downright Evil Actions Of Others 

By Saying That Their Mum Didn't Nurse Them

Their Dad Didn't Buy Them A Lolly

Society Failed Them

And 

The World Owes Them A Living! 

There Is No Human 

Who Does Not Know Right From Wrong: 

Just Watch A Young Child Lying 

And 

Trying To Blame Their Sibling

Or "Invisible Friend" For Wrong-Doing! 

Let's Valiantly Class Up Our Operating Manual 

Via Input From The Living Word Of The Holy God 

And

Bluntly Shame The Devil Today! 

Do Right! 

The King Is Coming! 

Peace!  

VESPERS AT THE END OF THE SABBATH: Contend ... For The Faith!

In The Living Word Of Truth

There Are Two Meanings For The Word Contend: 

One Is  Condemned 

And 

The Other Is Applauded! 

Beloved, 

If You Stand Firmly As A Child Of God

- A Soldier Of The Cross Of Christ -

There Will Be Those Who Will Hate You 

For Even So Much As Utilizing 

The Breath Of Life Given To You By The Lord Of Life! 

Do Not Contend, Strive, Fight, With These Foes: 

Allow The Living God You Claim To Serve

- Jesus Christ The Lord - 

To Fight Your Battles: 

He Is Better At It That We Will Ever Be! 

Dear Ones, 

The One Time That We Are To Contend 

With Anyone Born Of A Woman 

Is 

- With The Good Lord's Choicest Blessing - 

When We Contend For The Faith 

Which Will See All Of Us 

- Who Love, Trust, Honor, Worship, And Obey The Lord -

Saved And Sealed Against The Great Day Of Small Things

- The Day Of Vengeance - 

Against The Sworn Enemies Of Almighty God! 

Be Encouraged! 

Endure To Overcome! 

Stand Still 

And 

See The Salvation Of The Lord 

All We Who Have Tasted 

And 

Know That The Lord Is Good! 

Let's Choose To Eat Substantially Of The Bread Of Life Today 

And

Be The Salt Of The Earth 

And 

The Light Of The World! 

Peace!