HEAVENLY INCLINED...: SHAKE OFF YOUR FORMER, FLESHY SELF, AND, PUT ON YOUR NEW, HOLY SELF!!!

Thanksgiving for the LORD's Favor

Psalms 138 (A Psalm of David)
1/ I will praise thee with my whole heart: before the gods will I sing praise unto thee.
2/ I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy loving-kindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.
3/ In the day when I cried thou answeredst me, and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul.
4/ All the kings of the earth shall praise thee, O LORD, when they hear the words of thy mouth.
5/ Yea, they shall sing in the ways of the LORD: for great is the glory of the LORD.
6/ Though the LORD be high, yet hath he respect unto the lowly: but the proud he knoweth afar off.
7/ Though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou wilt revive me: thou shalt stretch forth thine hand against the wrath of mine enemies, and thy right hand shall save me.
8/ The LORD will perfect that which concerneth me:
thy mercy, O LORD, endureth for ever: forsake not the works of thine own hands... AMEN!!!

One CANNOT earn GRACE, it is HIS own ESSENCE; a gift, still, IF one claims to be IN HIS GRACE, we ARE to, or, OUGHT to, be reflections of that GRACE! 2 CORINTHIANS 6:1, tells us not to take HIS GRACE in vain! This means, living in LOVE, morality, ethics, virtue, righteousness, and, spiritual improvement, TOWARDS, spiritual maturity, WHILE, visibly BEING as LIGHTS, beaming OF *GOD*, beckoning the world, TO THE LIGHT! Righteousness MEANS, conduct in conformity with *GOD'S* WILL, and, "Be HOLY because I AM HOLY!", therefore, indicating that knowledge, wisdom, and, effort, DO, apply TO the righteous!!! NEVER forget, we were grafted in, and, if we do not bear fruit, as a dead branch, we will be pruned out, just as were, the natural branches!!!

We are not saved by works, instead, works PROVE HIM in us: they identify HIS own...

IF I claim ONENESS with *GOD*, through CHRIST JESUS, I am DEAD TO THE WORLD, THUS, LIVING as HIM, which is, hopefully, witnessed IN, and, THROUGH, my every thought, action, and, reaction; MEANING, I am, THROUGH CONSCIOUS application OF THE WORD, HIS COMMANDS, HIS WILL, REFLECTING righteousness, not, merely, FAITH! I become, the TRULY FRUITFUL branch, of THE VINE, the TRUE member of THE BODY/THE CHURCH, CHRIST JESUS, and, TESTIFY, then, GLORIFY, BOLDLY, BY my thoughts, actions, and, reactions, HIS name, because, HE IS WORTHY, and, IN HIS LOVE, has SHOWN me, how I OUGHT to exist, to which, I eagerly, adapt, and, comply!!!

MATTHEW 5:48...
So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect

1 PETER 1:14-16...
14/ Like obedient children, do not act in compliance with the desires of your former ignorance
15/ but, as he who called you is holy, be holy yourselves in every aspect of your conduct,
16/ for it is written, "Be holy because I (am) holy."

ROMANS 12:2...
Do not conform yourselves to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect.

Conduct, in conformity to *GOD'S* WILL, marks the righteous; it is NOT because of guilt, or, ancient Laws, but, because of LOVE; LOVE for *GOD*, self, then, others! CHRIST JESUS gave us Commandments to live by, of which, the first is to LOVE *GOD*, with all of your mind, heart, and, soul; the second is, to LOVE one another!

LOVE COMPELS us to LIVE IN HIM, through conduct which conforms to *GOD*; in other words, morality, ethics, doing good, and, being good, and, ever striving to improve the spirit! It is about REFLECTING THE TRUTH, for ALL to bear witness to, FOR, and, TO HIS GLORY, RADIANTLY SHINING OF HIS POWER, GRACE, and, MERCIES!!!

It IS ALL ABOUT LOVE, baby, all about LOVE!!!

MATTHEW 4: 17...From that time on, Jesus began to preach and say, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."

JOHN 14:15..."If you love me, you will keep my commandments.

NOTE: I do not intend to preach, rather to reach; to stir up, awaken, to inspire, and, bring forth, in discussion, that which is, perhaps, dormantly existing in the heart of hearts, thus, little, or, no, sugar coatings, just THE WORD of *GOD*, the TRUTH, along with some of my thoughts. And truth is, I am reminding myself always, as I practice these reminders, in the best of my abilities, and capacities, while RELYING on THE LORD to lead me on that narrow PATH---> MATTHEW 7: 14: "For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it... TO *GOD* BE ALL GLORY...

SHAKE OFF YOUR FORMER, FLESHY SELF, AND, PUT ON YOUR NEW, HOLY SELF!!!

GALATIANS 5:16-26...
16/ I say, then: live by the Spirit and you will certainly not gratify the desire of the flesh.
17/ For the flesh has desires against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; these are opposed to each other, so that you may not do what you want.
18/ But if you are guided by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
19/ Now the works of the flesh are obvious: immorality, impurity, licentiousness,
20/ idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, rivalry, jealousy, outbursts of fury, acts of selfishness, dissensions, factions,
21/ occasions of envy, drinking bouts, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
22/ In contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness,
23/ gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
24/ Now those who belong to Christ (Jesus) have crucified their flesh with its passions and desires.
25/ If we live in the Spirit, let us also follow the Spirit.
26/ Let us not be conceited, provoking one another, envious of one another...

MOST POWERFUL Scripture is this!!!

We ARE bound by the SPIRIT, IF we ARE Children of *GOD*, which means, we ARE to live accordingly! Freed from the condemnation of the Law, but, bound by the SPIRIT/LOVE, and, ALL which is WHOLESOMELY GOOD!!!And, as you CAN see in Verse 21, we HAVE been warned, that if we live in the flesh, we will NOT inherit the KINGDOM of *GOD*! Argue with me all you want, you MUST have WORKS to accompany your FAITH, otherwise, you are simply living in both worlds, which is the same as not living in the SPIRIT! Verse 24 STATES EXPLICITLY, that IF we ARE OF CHRIST, we have crucified our flesh, and, it's desires!

So many Christians feel that they are free to live as they like, and, that FAITH will protect them! How can you know part of the Covenant, but, not the whole of it? ANYTHING that IS OF *GOD* MUST be cleansed, pure, and, HOLY, thus as is written in 1 PETER 1:14:19, we see more evidence of WORKS to accompany FAITH:
14/ Like obedient children, do not act in compliance with the desires of your former ignorance
15/ but, as he who called you is holy, be holy yourselves in every aspect of your conduct,
16/ for it is written, "Be holy because I (am) holy."
17/ Now if you invoke as Father him who judges impartially according to each one's works, conduct yourselves with reverence during the time of your sojourning,
18/ realizing that you were ransomed from your futile conduct, handed on by your ancestors, not with perishable things like silver or gold
19/ but with the precious blood of Christ as of a spotless unblemished lamb...

BE HOLY BECAUSE I AM HOLY, the LORD has spoken! YOU were RANSOMED with the PRECIOUS BLOOD of CHRIST, which, YES, was a GIFT, however, BECAUSE IT IS A HOLY GIFT, IT IS TO BE REVERED WITH HOLINESS, out of HONOUR, RESPECT, REGARD, AND, because you LOVE *GOD* ENOUGH to BE as HE would have you!!!

*GOD* KNOWS that you are not going to have time to become completely HOLY, but again, EFFORT counts! EFFORT is KEY to SHOWING *GOD* the SINCERITY of YOUR COMMITMENT to HIM! EFFORT is as GLORY TO *GOD* for the world to witness! EFFORT also, aids in molding you into one worthy of your place in the BODY of the CHURCH, CHRIST JESUS! YES, HE accepts you as you ARE, and, forgives your PAST transgressions, HOWEVER, WHEN you became ONE with HIM, you agreed to abandon your old, fleshy self, for a NEW, HOLY self, and, by HIS name, in RESPECTFUL SINCERITY, and, LOVE, you best be up to it, which MEANS, LOTS of WORK to be done, CONSTANTLY, and, CONSISTENTLY, by study, devotion, action, and, so forth!!!

To ALIGN to *GOD* is NOT, and, SHOULD NOT, be regarded as submission to GUILT, but, SHOULD BE regarded as a PRIVELEGE, and, our ACTIONS SHOULD BE OUT OF LOVE FOR HIM, and, IN HONOUR of HIS MOST WONDROUS GIFT, CHRIST JESUS! If it is NOT of SINCERITY of the HEART of HEARTS, it is not worth the claim!!!

It IS a MOST HOLY season, let us take on some of that HOLINESS to FURTHER the BLESSED name of CHRIST, and, PROVE HIS NAME TO THE WORLD, by thought, action, and, reaction, by living as the above Scriptures lead us to! AMEN???

REV. LWINSOR © 2011
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*except for BIBLICAL, and/or, other references*