VESPERS AT THE END OF THE SABBATH: Christian Lightweight: The Exercise Class

I Had Gotten Fat By Being Lazy!
I Had Become Lazy
By Being Selfish And Own Way
AND, NOW
Christian Was I
In Name Only
- Not By Nature -
AND
I Wasn't Worth A Hill Of Beans
Nor A Row Of Yams
On The To-Jesus High Way!

My Prayers Were Of The Diet-Light Version!
I'll Give You An Example!
Let's See If You Agree
AND
If These Ideas As Prayers Sound Familiar
You'll Know That You Should At Exercise Class Be Joining Me!

• "Thank You, Lord!"
• "I Love You, Lord!"
• "Thanks For My Food, My Head, And My Bed!"
• "I Am Glad That I Am Not Like Those Other Christians, Lord!"
• "Lord, I Need A ...!"
• Lord, Could You Send Me A ...!"

The Handwriting On The Wall Of My Soul
Was Clear
When It Said:

In Tribulation

You Are Going To Fold!

You Have No Stored Resources!

Your Battle-Muscles In Jesus Christ

Are Flabby And Weak

AND

At The First Sign Of Real Trouble

You Are Going To

Blubber

AND

Fold Up

AND

Against God

AND

His People

Speak!

I Was Seriously Shocked!
I Was Grossly Humiliated!
I Was Damnably Ashamed!
I Was Revoltingly Distressed!

I Really Love My Jesus!
I Really Really Do!
I Thought My Self A Success
But
Seriously?
Has My Life Been All A Christian-like Jest?!

You Know It!!

Lord Jesus, Have Mercy On Me!

I Have Been Indulging

In A Round Of Gross Folly!

Take Me!

Teach Me!

Turn Me To The Right Way!

I Desire Your Leading!

I DO NOT Wish You To Be By Me Betrayed!

NOW ...

That Is A Prayer From Your Heart!

Go One More Step!

Think Jacob - Not Esau

And

Ultimately

All-Out

Wrestle With Your Lord!

Confess Your Sins!

Of Known Sins You Must Repent!

Go Boldly To The Throne Of Grace

AND

Your Gross Heart Rent!

Commune With Your Savior!

Lock Arms Against The Adversary Of Your Soul!

Indulge Yourself In Mortal Conflict

AND

Don't Let Go Of The Master

Until You Get A New Name

AND

The Blessing

As Reward!

Well ... Long Story Short ...

I Found My Self In The Bunny Class!
I Had To Learn All About Exercising Hope:

I Hope!
I Know How Hope Feels!
I Know Hope Somewhat Well!
I Have No Hope!
I Am Hopeless!
I Am Somewhat Hopeful!
AND
I Have Hope!
AND
I Am Hoping!
In That Class
I Learned
What It Means To Wheeze!

My Next Class
The Intermediate Workout
Aka Iron Man -  To The World
But
To The Believing Christian
"Hold To God's Unchanging Hand!"
Brought Me To My Knees!

In That Class
I Really Learned To Pray!
I Went From:

What Faith?
Inherited Faith!?
Faithless!
Mustard Seed Growing!
Faith Almost Full!
Faithful!
Happy Heart Overflowing And Full!

I Had Arrived At
Faith And Works!
That Is No Bull!

I Was Getting Happy!
I Was Singing!
I Even Pulled Off A Happy Dance

WHEN ...

The Drill Sargeant
Life Kicker
Buckled On His
"Life Is A Bastard!"
Weighted
Burden-Carrying Pants!

I Was In Total Shock!
I Couldn't Decide
Whether To Cry
Wheeze
OR
Just Pray

SO ...

I Called On Jesus Christ
The Holy Sacrifice
My Lord And My God
The Payer Of My Fee

My Shepherd And The One Like Whom I Want To Be

AND
I Learned Of
AND
Leaned On The Holy Spirit
Instead Of Inanely Crying:

"Why Me, Lord?! "

Patience?!?

Patience!!

Lord, I Need You!
Wait On Me.

Lord, I Am Weak! Help Me!
Wait On Me, Child.

Lord, I Don't Know What To Do!
I Am Calling, Lord!
I Am Trusting ...
LORD! I TRUST YOU!

Wait On Your Lord!
In Him Is Your Reward!
Wait Meekly And Pray!
Your Lord Won't Cast Your Hope Away!
Wait
Watch And Pray!
His Living Word Obey
And
At The Appointed Time
You Will Have Nothing For Which To Repine!

I Learned Of Patience
Whose Root Says Pay!
I Paid Pay My Dues Daily!
I Pay!
I Don't Play
With
Faith
Hope
Nor Prayer!

I Know That If I'm Not Prayed Up
That I Will Preyed Upon
AND
I Choose
To Wrestle With Jesus
AND
Peniel
Stand Upon!

I Have Patience ... With My Lord
Not Because I Want To
BUT
Because I Must!
I Don't Envy The World's Traffic!
I Don't At Delay Make A Fuss!
I Hope!
I Pray!
I Have Faith
And
In Patience Wait
For
In The Living Loving
Holy
All Seeing
All Knowing
Ever Present
Always Available To The Believing Child
Holy God
I Trust!

Lord, I Want To Be

A Bleeding Heart

Believing Christian

Not A "Christian"

With A Callused Heart

Because

A Hard-hearted Christian

Is One For Whom

Heaven's Light Is Dark!

TRUTH: Warning: Men Will Cry!

... For God

Hmmm ...

So Loved The World

Yawnnnnn ...

That He Gave

Stretchhhhhhh ...

His Only Begotten Son

Cough! Cough!

That Whosoever Believeth In Him

Steupse!

Should Not Perish

Eye Roll!

But Have Everlasting Life!

Snoooooooooooore!


AND ...?!

Here We Have
A Fallen Man
Unconcerned With His Soul's Salvation
Uncaring Of Salvation's Plan
And The Sweet By And By
Just Enjoying
A Tired Slumber
Not Mindful
That There Is Something
That He Must
Ponder
Remember!

** He Who Is **

Dismissive Of 

Unmindful Of 

Unconcerned About 

Will Cry When

Erases The Separating Line!

*******

Please

Do Not Let

This Story

Be Your Swan Song!

HAPPY SABBATH: The Lived In Face

In The Old Days
Before It Was The Thing
To Spackle And Fill
Dermabrade
And Do Botox
It Used To Be Said Of A Person
With A Weathered Face
That
His Her Life Is Written In Their Face!

I Was Always Enthralled With This Idea 
And Really Loved The Road Maps Produced!

I Was Am Enamored With The Lived-In Face!

The Face Marked
Marred
With The Evidence Of A Life Lived
With Its Trials
Tribulations
Hopes Achieved
Hell Endured
Victories Won
Failures Overcome
Pleasures Enjoyed
Pains That Annoyed
Satisfaction In Arriving At Salvation
Sorrow For Sin That From Jesus Drew You Away
Pride When Children Excelled And Kept Shame At Bay
Love In The Home
Joy In The Lord
Worry That Made One Humble Self Before God In Prayer
Triumph That Made One Sing Praises To God
Confidence In The Living Word Spoken From The Sacred Desk
Knowledge That Peace And Rest Are Found In Him Who Loves Us Well And Best
Assurance That He Who Paid Our Price Will Carry Us Home Across The Divide
Peace In Knowing That Our Holy God Is Real And Alive
AND
That We Can Ever Always
What's In Our Hearts
To Him Confide!

There Is Faith In Him
For
The Living And The Loving
The Crying And The Dying
AND
There Is The Assurance Of The Knowledge
That The Record Of Life
Shows That We Have Confidence 
In The Finished Work Of Christ On The Cross!

There Is No Fearing
That Hope For Heaven Is Loss
For The Living Lord
Is
The First
The Final Boss
AND
We Are Satisfied
With How God Made Us
Knowing That If We Sow To Eternity
Our Promised
Purchased
New Life Will Be
Youthful
IMMORTAL
ETERNAL
Unmarred
Unmarked
PERFECTION!

Alas ...

The Face Of Today
Without Rhyme Or Reason
Is Plain
Plastic
Ever New
Always Tight
Severely Unmarred
BUT
Still Marked:

• Knows Not The Living God!
• Never Lived In For Real!
• Never Had A Root Crop Just Shale!
• Never Been Tilled Nor Irrigated!
• Never Been Manured!
• Never Had A Waiting For Any Reason!
• Never Known A True Growing Season!

How Sad
That To Show
You Have Lived Honestly In Your Body
Is To Show
To The Wicked World
That You Are

A Penniless Nobody!

God Bless The Child

Reared

To Invite

The Spirit Of The Holy God

In His Inside

To Abide!

*********

Better A Warm Face

Of

Life-Carved Flesh

Than A Factory Face

Of

Brittle Cold Porcelain Perfection!

A Simple Prayer Of The Heart

Father,

Thank You For A New Day!

I Can Hear The Birds Singing!

I Can Hear The Wind Blowing

And

I Can Hear

On My Pillow

The Very Beating

Of My Own Heart!

Lord,

I Beseech You

That In All My Listening

Let Me Ever Hear

That Still Small Voice

Of 

Your Holy Spirit

Sweetly Calling My Name

And

Help Me To Always

Swiftly Answer 
"Yes, Lord!"
To Your Call!

I Love You, Dear Father!

AMEN

LESSON LEARNED: SIN Is Not My Friend!

Hands Down
The Most Interesting
Entertaining
Solicitous
Engaging
Open "Friend"
I Have Ever Had
On The Journey
Along The Street Of Life
Is Sin!

I Kid You Not!

Sin Was The Jolliest
Most Adventurous
Daredevil
Up-For-Kicks Acquaintance
That I Have Ever Had!

No Suggestion Was Considered 
Too Bland Or
To Boring
Because Sin Put His Spin On Everything
AND
Life Then Became
GRAND!

I Had New Hills To Climb!
I Had New Balls To Bounce!
I Had New Rocks To Roll!
I Had New Thrills From Which To Get Spills!

I Had
Newer!
Bigger!
Better!
Boundaries To Breach!

I Had More Gains From The Many Pains!

There Was Never The Same Thrill
Never The Same Store
Just More and More ...!

UNTIL ...

My Mind Started
Asking
Asking
Asking Why?
What For?
What's Right?
AND
Saying:

                                               That's Wrong!                             No!
                      Don't!
                                                                               Stop!
      Stand Still!
                                         Run Away!
                                                                                                God Sees You!
                   Haven't You Yet Had Your Fill?



THEN ...

The Day Came
When Fun Sin
Wasn't Funny Any More
AND
Doing Wrong No Longer Made Me Feel Strong
AND
I Hated
Hated
Hated What I Had Become
Because ...!

Because Why?!

Because Loving The Wrong Is Not You!

You Don't Belong

With That Crew

That Lives In The Loo

Besmirched

Branded

Waiting For The Death Plane ...

Which Is Coming In For A Landing!

BUT ...

No!

This Child Is Mine!

Come, Child!

Say Your Prayers!

You Know My Name!

Call On Me, Now!

I AM Your Way Of Escape!

Suddenly ...

I Really See
That Sin Is Not My Friend
BUT
A Fiend
AND
The Enemy
Of Anything Desiring 
By Jesus Christ
To Be Made Clean!

Lord Jesus!

It's Me!

I Have Need Of You!

Help Me, I Pray!

I Can't Last Another Day!"

AND ...

That Is When
The Blinders Fell Off
AND
I Tore Off The Black With Sin Cloth
AND
Spit Out Sin's Once Pleasant 
Soul-Tickling Bubbles And Bewitching Froth!

Satan's Sin Is No Man's Friend!

Christ's Salvation
Is
FREE
From The Friend To The End!

Doing Wrong Needs No Effort
BUT
Doing The Right
Requires
Making
A Conscious Decision!

PRAYER: Father, I Made No Agreement With Hell!

Lord, I Bring Before You My Adversary

Satan

The Enemy Of My Soul

Who Daily Seeks To Entrap Me

With His Pet Snares

Licentiousness And Idolatry!

Satan

Is Malicious!

He Seeks To Make Me Foul Up

With Constant Temptations

Saying

That No Matter What Unrighteous

Unholy Thing I Do

It Is Not Sin

For

You Are Love

And To Heaven You Will Surely Take Me Up!

Lord, You Blessed Me With Ability

And I Can For Myself

The Living Word Read!

Love And Justice

Mercy And Grace

Are All Parts

Of The Holy God To Whom I My Heart Yields

And I Am Not To Presume Upon Love

To Elevate Mercy And Grace

For Your Justice Demands

That Sin Be Put Away From Your Face!

Lord, I Have Made

No Covenant With Death

Neither Have I Made An Agreement With Hell!

You, Lord, Are The Savior Of My Soul

And

I Desire

That

Of This Situation

You Take Complete Control!

Wash Me!

Clean Me!

Heal Me!

Take Control!

My Desire Is To Be Named In Your Book

When You Call Up The Roll!

I Desire To See You As My King

Not As My Judge

And The Destroyer Of Unrepentant Souls

So, Father

Have Mercy!

Save This Weak Dependent On You Soul!

Father,

I Give Me To You!

Please Hold Complete Sway

For

I Am A Child Willing

To Do Whatever You Say

For It Is For My Soul's Good

Forever

And Always!

I Love You, Lord!

AMEN.

The License Renewal

My Life Driver License
Had Come Up For Renewal!
I Hemmed!
I Hawed!
My Life Was In Upheaval!
I Had Walked In My Own Way!
Sometimes I Even Prayed As I Played
- Until Now That Is -
Well Knowing That
If I Continued Thus Walking
Driving
High Flying
AND
At Doing Sin Not Balking
I Was Staring Eternal Darkness
Separation
From The One
In Whose Peaceful Pastures
I Should Be Comfortably
Joyously
Restfully Partaking!

I Was Miserable!
Do What Thou Wilt
Had Been The Call
Of My Rebellious Way
Where
Do It If It Feels Good
Have Fun In The Sun
Do Dark Deeds In Darkness
AND
Wipe Your Mouth
It Is Nobody's Business
If They Weren't There When You Had Some
Reigned Supreme!

I Got To The Renewal Station!
I Had My Renewal Payment In Hand
When Right Beside Me
Was A Man With Holes In His Hands!
In Shock I Looked Up
Down
And Saw A Tragically Scarred Face
AND
Holes In Bronzed Feet
AND
Through The Rents In His Garment
A Gaping Hole
Deep!

Instinctively
I Reached Out!
I Touched Him!
I Looked And I Saw
Tears In His Eyes
AND
I Started Crying Too!

My Stomach Had A Million Butterflies
BUT
I Didn't Care!
This Stranger
Well Known
By All And Sundry
- Rejectors And Acceptor Alike -
Was The One Who For Lost Souls
Was Always In A To-The-Death Fight!

I Asked:
Are You Here About Me?

He Answered:
I Am Pleading For Your Life!

I Cried:
But I'm Just Here To Renew My Life Driver License!

He Cried:
Please Don't!
That Renewal Has A License Is Lease
Feeling Is Grease Rider!
It Is Going To Cost You
Your Life Now
AND
Eternal Life
When Earth Comes To Journey's End!

I Went White Purple
In Shocked Disbelief!

I Exclaimed:

But ... BUT ...
Pastor Says
That All You Desire From Us Is A Little Faith
A Little Belief!

He Stated:
Faith Without Work Is Dead!
Swallowing Hot Coals Will Kill You Dead!
Ignoring The Salvation Of Your Soul
Won't Make Death
Any Less True
And
Denying The Penalty Of Death For Sin
Is Not Going To Force Me To Save You!

I Already Paid For Your Salvation!
I Already Gave My Life For Yours!
I Paid So You Don't Have To
And 
My Blood Gives You Heaven's Gold!

Discard The Wilful One's Artful License
Stop Right Now
And
In My Name
To The Father Prayer!
Confess Your Sins And Repent
And Invite The Holy Spirit
To Take Up Residence
And With You Forever Stay!

Please!
I Beseech You!
I Am Pleading To Save Your Soul!
Life's Pleasures Are Fleeting!
Life's Coins Are Like Burning Coals
And
As Coals Have A Shelf Life
So Will You
If Heaven Is Not For You The Sole Goal!

I Offer Pleasures For Evermore!
I Offer Gold That Is Tried!
I Offer Life Everlasting
Across The Separating Line!

I Ask For Your Willing Obedience!
I Ask You To Walk In My Straight Narrow Way!
I Ask You To Please Come With Me
BUT
You Can Only Come
If You Believe In Me And Trust Me
To Guide You In The Holy Way!

Your Life Will Not Be Easy!
You Will Be Hated
Oppressed
And
Often Distressed
BUT
If You Walk With Me
You Will Always Be Blessed
And Have Rest!

Please Give Me Your Life Drive License!
Let Me Be Your Shepherd Today!
I Love You!
I Need You!
From The World Turn Away!

I Though For A Brief Moment!
I Saw My Life Through His Eyes!
I Gave Him My RIGHT Hand
The Hand With The Old License And Renewal Money
AND
His Garment Changed
Right Before My Eyes!

He Stands The King Before Me!
I Stood Striking Tall
For I Knew If I Looked Behind Me
He'd Be Standing There
As My Judge
AND
The Judge Of Those Who
Reject The Salvation Call!

We Talked For A Long A While!
I Nodded Acceptance!
I Acknowledged That The Path Will Be Hard
BUT
Come What May
I Know I Have An Advocate With My Heavenly Father
AND
I
Consciously
With Christ
From Sin
Deliberately
Prayerfully
Walked Away!

My Motto

From That Day Onward Is:

Not I But Christ!

I Am Glad

That I Took The Steps Toward Christ!