VESPERS AT THE END OF THE SABBATH: Why Between Two Thieves?!

Once Upon A Time
Long Ago
AND
Far Away
The Savior Of The World
Hung
Between Two Thieves!

At First
They Both Reviled Him!
BUT, THEN
When The One Became Educated
As To Who The Middle Man Was Is
He Cried:

"Lord! When You Shall
In Your Kingdom Come
REMEMBER ME!"

The Crucified Lord
Replied:

"I Say Unto You Today:
'You Shall Be With Me In Paradise!'"

And That Reformed, Regenerated Thief
Was
In That Very Instant
Reconciled
To The Holy God!

He Died 
At Peace
Having Repented Of His Sin!

The God-Man In The Middle
Died Of A Heart
Broken
Borne Down
Covered
In The Sin
Of All Mankind
In All Ages
Past, Present, And
Future!

Interestingly Enough
Everybody Thinks That
Three Men
On Crosses
Was The Extent
Of The Old Story!

It Isn't!

Guilty As Charged:

Left-side Thief 

Jesus Christ, The Righteous - King Of The Jews

Right-side Thief

Both Thieves Were Rare-mouthed Sinners

*********

The Life Of Christ Called To The Thieves:

The Left-side Stiff-necked, Still Reviling Thief

REJECTED THE CALL TO SALVATION

Jesus Christ, The Righteous

The Right-side Convicted-Of-Sin Thief

ACCEPTED THE CALL TO SALVATION

*********

Left-side Thief

Died

IN HIS SIN!

Jesus Christ, The Righteous

Right-side Thief

Died 

JUSTIFIED IN CHRIST!

THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER:

The Physical Arrangement Of Jesus Christ's Position Between The Two Thieves On The Cross Was No Accident! It Is A Clear Pointing To The Close Of Human History As Found In The Words Of Truth:

Matthew 25:31-34 King James Version (KJV)

31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:

32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:

33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.

34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:

There Are Only 

Two Types Of Humans 

At The Close Of Time:

Humans Standing For God

and

Humans Working Against God

*********

No Human Is Permitted The Middle Ground!

So

Your Position Of "No Decision!"

Is

Your Decision ... AGAINST GOD!

Please Do Not Make THAT Mistake!

Are You A Sheep?

Sheep Gladly Follow 
The Good Shepherd's Way!

Are You A Goat?

Goats Of The Own Volition 
Go On Their Own Sweet Way!

So Choose Your Choice Freely

AND
Get In The Salvation Boat 

For

It Is Not There For Our Amusement
Nor For A Happy Pappy Show!

Jesus Christ Is The Captain

The Captain Of The Good Ship!

He Is Also The True Shepherd

AND 
All On Board The Vessel

Are Safe With And In Him!

Be Not Afraid

For The Tossing Of The Cruel Sea

The Captain - Who Is Your Shepherd

Will Take You To The Peaceful Shore
Battered Or Bruised Or Broken
BUT 

Always Safely!

Sheep!

- Not Goats -

Will Gladly Ride On The Boat

For

Sheep Give Heed To Their Known Master

BUT

The Goats 
Constantly Stubbornly Always Away Swing 

AND

Avidly Eat The Life Boat
Which Is There For Their Own Souls' Saving!

Repentance

Is

The Best Course

For

The Sin-Sick Soul!

*********

Answer The Call

AND

Take Your 
Bedeviled Goat Parts 

To Jesus Christ

To Be 

Remade 

As 

Good Sheep Parts 

TODAY!!

My Father's Love

My Father Lives In Heaven
That Far, Far, Distant Shore
But He Is Ever With Me
And Loving Me, To Him
Is Not A Boring Chore!

I Talk To Him Daily
Morning Evening Noon And Night
In Short,  We Talk Constantly
And, No
We Never Fight!

He Listens When I'm Speaking!
He Answers When I Call
And Even When I Say Nothing
My Father Is Ever Always On The Ball!

I Have My Father's Dear Promise!
He Wrote A Letter To Me
And Signed In His Blood
He Promised
He Is Coming To Get Me!

He Closed His Letter To Me
With His Eternal Love
And In The Graphic Closing
He Included Images 
Of The Glorious Home Above!

My Heart Is Eagerly Beating
The Time Is Getting Short
When My Father Shall Breech The Eastern Sky
And On My Own Wings
To His Eternal Home

With Him I'll Praising Fly!

P.S: My Father Promised That I Will Get An Eternal Body
An Eternal White Linen Robe Of His Righteousness
A Very Special New Name
A Victor's Palm
AND
A Gold Crown
Just Made For Me!
I Really Love My Father!

Father!

I Know You Can Hear Me!

Please, Come Soon!

The Nature Of Forgiveness

Thirty Years
Nine Month
Three Weeks
Six Days
Twenty-one Hours
Fifty-two Minutes
AND
Fifty-eight Seconds Ago
My Best Friend
Brother
Mother
Uncle
Cousin
Teacher
Grandmother
Neighbor
Did Something To Me
AND
I Ain't Forget It Yet!

I Forgave Them,  Thank God!
BUT
I Ain't Forget It ... Yet!

Don't Get Me Wrong!
I Know That
To Err Is Human
AND
To Forgive 
Is A Gift To Me From God So Divine!
THAT ASIDE
I'm Just Waiting 
For Them
To Make The Second Mistake
AND
Believe You Me
I'm Going To Unmake Them Backside 
AND
I Swear To God
Every Thing That I've Got Up In My Chest
I'm Letting It All Out
With Both Barrels!

Is That Right!?!

You Betcha!

Ahem! Ahem!

Is Something Wrong With You?!

YOU.

Me!?!?

Yes.

What did I Do?!

Quite A Bit, I Must Say!
Didn't I Hear You Say That You Are A True Bible-Believing Christian!
"King James All The Way!"

Hmmmnn ...

What Did Jesus Tell Peter?

He Said Something About Forgiving Your Brother 70 times 7.

What Did You Learn From That Statement?

Jesus Said Forgive!  He Ain't Say A Thing About Forgetting!!

Really!?!
My, My, My!
You May Want To Go Check Out Your Bible A Bit Better!

Huh?!

Bye, Bye!

Later That Night ...

No-Rest And Cassietta Went To War!

No-Rest Won!

Dear Lord,

Forgive Me My Trespasses 

As I ... Forgive Those ... Who 

Trespass 

Against ... ME

And ...

AND ...

OH, LORD!

Father, If You Forgive Me

How I Forgive People

I ... Am ...

Oh, Dear ...

FATHER !!!

I AM LOST!

Father, I Am So Sorry

For Asking For What I Won't Give

Forgiveness and Forgetfulness From You

While I Deny It To Kith And Kin!

I Am So Sorry, Lord!

I Did Not Understand

But 

Now That I Have Your Word 

Diligently Reviewed

I Understand That

There Is No Forgiveness For Me

If I Don't Forgive Others 

Their Trespasses Against Me, Too!

Help Me, Lord

To Do Unto Others As I Would

That They Would Do Unto Me

And

Help Me To Live

True

To The Light 

You've Given

Plainly 

Into My Carnal Eyesight.

I Love You, Lord.

AMEN.

*******

God's Forgiveness

IS

God's Forgetfulness!!

Psalm 103:8-14 King James Version (KJV)

8 The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.

9 He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger for ever.

10 He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.

11 For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.

12 As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.

13 Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him.

14 For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.

What Is Your Attitude Before God?

I Have Determined
That Whenever I Go To God
I Am Going With An Attitude!

Are You Mad?!

No!  Actually, I Am Really Quite Sane!

Well, Since YOU Say That YOU Are Sane

Please Explain What YOU Mean When YOU Say 

That YOU Are Going To God With An "Attitude!"

The Nerve Of Some People! 

Okay! I Will!

It's Like This:

God Says That He Has Blessings For His Faithful People!
God Says To Us That We Should Ask Him For Blessings!
God Says To Us That We Should Pray To Him ... Without Ceasing!
He Also Says To Ask Gifts Of Him With Our Faith Not Wavering!
God Also Says That His Way Is Perfect!

Are You With Me?!

Yes!  So Far ...!

God Gives Good Gifts aka Blessings!
I Need Blessings!

Right?!

Right!

God Is Not A Liar!
I Am A Fickle Human!

Still With Me?!

I Think So ...!

Here Is My Attitude:

I Go To God Asking For My Particular Blessing
Fully Expecting That I Will Be Blessed!

I Expect To Receive A Blessing Because God Don't Can't Won't Lie!

God Has Got To Give Me A Blessing! - After All, I Rely On Him By Covenant ... In Faith!

• If I Get The Blessing I Asked For,  I Am Thankful! - God Is My Shepherd!
• If I Don't Get The Thing I Call A Blessing But That God Knows Is Not A Blessing To Me,  I Am Thankful! - He Knows Everything!
• When I Receive The Blessing That God Chooses To Bless Me With,  I Am Thankful! - He Is In Everything!
• With God Out Front, I Can't Lose! - He Sees Everything!

I Am Putting The Weight Of My Being Blessed By God On "The God Who Blesses!"

I Can Never -  With My Attitude -  Be Disappointed By - Or In - God!

Put Another Way:

I Will Faithfully Go To God For A Blessing!  That Is My Business!

How God Chooses To Bless Me Is His Business!

Got Any Questions!

Not A Single One!

Here's A Thought For The Road:

Very Often 

The Thing We Summarily Reject 

Is 

The One Thing 

That Would 

Substantially Bless Us

IF

We Graciously Accepted It!

If God 

Acceded 

To Our Every Request 

Because 

We Have Determined 

That It Is 

The Craved Blessing

We Would Take Pleasure 

In Cursing God 

So That We Could Die 

In Shame 

At Our Idiocy

When 

The Blessings 

- Revealed To Be Curses - 

Viciously Bite!

*********

Our Father Really Knows Best!

PERSONAL PUZZLER: A Skimming Pebble

Oh, To Be A Pebble Of Truth
Skimming Over The Pond Of Sin
To See The Ripples There Forming
Waiting
For The Final Ripple
And, Then
For Gravity
To Pull Me In
Knowing Full Well
That The Demons Underneath
Will Ultimately
Physically 
Destroy Me
Yet
Leave Me 
AND
My Message
Unchanged
For
I - And It - Have Been Crafted
By
The Solid Rock Of Everlasting Life!

STAND ON The Promises Of GOD 

And Tell 

What You Believe Will Happen 

By Your Being 

A Skimming Pebble Of God's Truth

On 

The Pond Of Known Sin!

BE ENCOURAGED: The Same God

The Same God Who Created Me
Is The Same God Who Died To Save Me
Is The Same God Who Is In Heaven Preparing A Place For Me
Is The Same God Who Gently Leads Me
Is The Same God Who Graciously Feeds Me
Is The Same God Who Lovingly Chides Me
Is The Same God Who Encourages Me To Reason With Him
Is The Same God Who Pleads With Me To Repent When I Sin
Is The Same God Who Encourages Me To Pray Without Ceasing
Is The Same God Who Encourages To Call On Him Whatever The Matter
Is The Same God Who Encourages Me To Trust In Him For He Won't Permit Satan My Faith And Hope To Scatter
Is The Same God Who Will Lift Me Up When The Winds Of Hate And Strife Doth Me Batter
Is The Same God Who Cautions Me When Sin Doth Me Flatter
Is The Same God Who Protects Me When Life's Billows Roll
Is The Same God Who Will Mark My Grave When For Me Death's Bell Doth Toll
Is The Same God Who Will Comfort Me When Grief Racks My Soul
And Who
- No Matter Who By Constant Complaint Tries To Get Him To Comply - 
Won't Cast Me Out From His Fold
BECAUSE
On Him I Completely Rely!

Jesus Loves Me!

Come What May 

In Him I Abide 

Each And Every Day!

He Is My Portion!

I Will Not Him Deny

AND

With His Blessing

I Will Join Him

On The Way To The Glorious Home

- With Saints And With Angels -

Through The Opened Sky!

There Is No Gain In SIN!

A Siren Is A Sign To Me
Of
My Fallability - The Fall of Adam and Eve Brought Sin To All Their Progeny!
AND
My Culpability -  I Can't Blame Adam and Eve For 
- According To God's Word -
I Sin By Thought
By Word
AND
By Deed!

A Siren Convinces Me
Every Single Day
Of The Insanity Of Sin!

Some Of Us
Do Not Want To Call Sin,  SIN!

Political Correctness Deems SIN As:

Wrong-Doing
Mistake In Judgment
Error In Judgment
Crime Of Passion
Result Of Societal Failure
And, So Much More!

In It All
There Is The Rush To Judgment
Wherein It Is By One Group Said That
The Non-existent Devil 
Made The Handicapped-By-Neglect
Perform The Non-Conforming Deed!

Another Group Says That God Almighty
The Vengeful
Detached
Uninterested
Creation-Of-The-Too-Vivid-And-Uneducated-Imagination
Caused It To Occur 
By His Hands-off Approach 
To Ownership of The Planet And Its Inhabitants!

Thankfully ...

There Is The Third Group!

There Are Uncorrupted-Bible Believers
Who Call God - Faithful and True
Who Call Sin -  Transgression Of God's Law
Who Take Responsibility For Their Own Sins 
By Confession 
AND
Repentance
EVEN THOUGH
That Will Not Negate The Punishment
AND 
Who Realize
AND
Acknowledge That
The President Can't Outlaw Sin!
The Pope Can't Forgive Sin!
Purgatory Can't Clean The Dead Sinner's Sin!
Bowing Before Abominable Idols Can't Gain The Sinner Forgiveness For Sin!
Calling A Dead Person A Saint 
AND
Praying To Them To Intercede For The Sinner 
Can't Absolve The Sinner Of His Sin
AND
They Know That Good Works Can't Clean Sin
AND
They Gratefully Acknowledge
That Jesus Christ - The Righteous
The King Of Creation
He Who Was Once Dead For Our Sin
BUT
Is Alive Forevermore
The Righteous Judge
- Who Was The Lamb Without Spot Or Blemish -
The Only Perfect Sacrifice
IS
Our High Priest Forever
After The Order Of Melchisedec
Without Beginning Or Ending
AND
Is Our Peace
Our Rest
Our Shepherd
Our Hope For Salvation
AND
Glory
Is The One - Alone
Wherein We Can Find Courage 
To Walk True 
Without Sinning
Despite The Batterings Of Life
Mankind's Flagrant Sin
AND
The Hail Of Destruction And Death 
Which Surrounds!

There Is No Gain In SIN!

Jesus Saves

From Death

Hell And The Eternal Grave!

Yes!

JESUS CHRIST SAVES!

Because Of Jesus Christ's Love ...!

Because Of Love  
A Heart Did Break!
Because Of Love 
He Let Them His Life Take
And Satan And His Minions
Did Joyously Celebrate
Because Love They Truly Did Hate!

Because Of Love
A Repentant Soul Will Be Saved!
Because Of Love Confessed 
Sin Can No More The Penitent Enslave!
Because Of Love
I Can Hold Up My Head
Because The King Of Love is Living Not Dead!

Because Of Love
Sin And Death Couldn't Keep Jesus Christ In The Grave!
Because Of Love
Jesus Christ Came Out Living 
From The Cold Grave
And Satan And His Minions
Are Now On A Hate-filled Rampage!

Because Of Love
My Eyes Have Been Salved!
Because Of Love I Will Not Bow To The Golden Calf!
Because Of Love
I No Longer Live My Life Half And Half
And Satan And His Minions Are Seeking To Destroy Me
By Stimulating A National Good-Sin Policy Draft!

But ...

The Lord Is My Shepherd!
I Don't Follow The Multitude!
I Walk To Christ As One Faithful
Even If Doing That Makes Me Walk Alone
And Everyone Label Me 
A Religiously Fundamental Intolerant Prude!

Because Of Love 
I Shall See My King Some Day!
Because Of My Sorrowful Repentance
I Won't For My Own Sins Have To Pay!
Because Of God's Love
I Can Sing: "Hallelujah!" Today
And Pray And Praise Him To The End Of My Days!

PHARISAISM : Walking Wide

One Day
Not Too Long Ago
I Met An Honest-To-Goodness Pharisee!
AND
Believe It Or Not
His Name Is Me!

Now
What Was So Stunning About This Meeting
Is That I Was Standing
In A Mirrored Space
With My Friend
And I -  Me -  Was There 
Plain As Day
To See!

The Experience
Was Troubling 
And 
Humbling!
Self Was In The Fore
And Before One Could Say: "Score!"
Condemnation
That Black-hearted Gully-Bore
Was Calling Another
Something Not Nice At The Core!

I Pointed A Finger At The Mirror!
Three-Finger Was Pointing Back At Me
And That Is When
I Heard Satan
Laughing Uproariously:

"What A Dunce!

Condemning Another

By Pound Versus An Ounce!

How Precious!

Get Ready, Thou Judge!

Upon You I Shall Pounce

And 

You Shall Know 

That You Have Been Trounced!"

I Stood ...  Aghast!

Lord Jesus!
Look What Has Come To Pass!
I Saw Their Mote
But A Beam
A Plank
A Big Piece Of Wood
Is Sticking Out Of My Eye!

I -  Me - Am Become The World's Judge!
Me - The One Who Is Always Making Fudge!
I Am Now Found Wallowing In Sludge!
I Can't See Myself!
I Am Become God
When That That I Condemn
Is What Has Me Walking On
The Razor's Edge!

If I Slip ...
When I Slip
I Shall Fall
And My Head
Will Have Been Recalled
And,  I
Will Have No Opportunity To Recant!

Lord,  Please Forgive Me!

You - The Eternal - Are The True Judge!

Lord,  Get Me Out Of This Self-Manufactured Sludge

And Keep At Your Side

In Your Care

From Which I - By Living Faith -

Shall Never, Ever, Again Budge!

*********

Judging Another

Is Like

Walking Wide

On

A Narrow Ledge!

*********

When We Judge Others

We Condemn Ourselves

So

 Let's Stop Being Pharisees

AND

Remind Ourselves 

That

Almighty God 

Is 

The Judge

AND

Get Off 

The Wind-swept Ledge

AND

Walk Away

From

Sin's Fine-Honed Edge!