HEAVENLY INCLINED...: THE BODY OF CHRIST: CHURCH...

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...

THE BODY OF CHRIST: CHURCH...

Church; that weekly place we go, for whatever reason, hopefully, to find a greater connection with *GOD*...

Church is not about going to a mortar, and, brick, establishment, though, that is a start, and, a place of communion with *GOD*! Church is not about Saturday, or, Sunday, Church is about every day!!!

Church is that reverent feeling, and, sharing with *GOD*, or, especially, with the Body of the Church, CHRIST JESUS! You know how you feel while you are in Church? Well, that feeling, that character, should accompany you throughout the whole week, as well as, your whole life, as, it IS that spiritual plane of character, which defines Church, or, ONENESS with *GOD*, CHRIST, and, the HOLY SPIRIT!!!

So many go to Church, but, do not come away with, enough of the spirit of reverence, to last them, even a full day, let alone, a week, or, a lifetime! This is the fault of many things, but, we DO have a choice in our growth, be that on the natural plane, or, the spiritual plane! *GOD* has, sort of, provided a scapegoat for us, that old devil, Satan, HOWEVER, the CHOICE we have to BE one with life, or, with *GOD*, lies, solely on us, THUS, it IS imperative to become KNOWLEDGEABLE concerning *GOD*, IF you wish to receive your inheritance! I am not suggesting that you have to do a total life makeover, though, for many that would help; instead, I am suggesting that you need to understand that Church is BEING ONE with CHRIST, and, since you ARE a member of the Vine of Life, you ARE to be fruitful, as well as, EXHIBIT that character, or, characteristics, which allowed you to be WORTHY of your grafting INTO the Vine!!! Please, take a look at ROMANS 6, ROMANS 11:17-24, JOHN 15:1-2, GALATIANS 3...

The natural branches were not spared, that the wild branches of the olive tree might be grafted in, but, this was done with a price, the price of reverent appreciation BY the unnatural branches, that they GLORIFY *GOD*, THROUGH their UNION WITH CHRIST JESUS, that the BODY of the Church, CHRIST be EVERLASTING, in FRUITFULNESS! Fruitfulness MEANS, BEING an EXAMPLE of CHRIST, FOR the world, that LOVE, and, CHARACTER, SHINE as a LIGHT for ALL to bear witness to!!! 1 CORINTHIANS 6:12-20, 1 CORINTHIANS 7:23-24...

Church is ONGOING, it is about spiritual MATURITY TO GLORIFY *GOD* THROUGH CHRIST, BY LIVING as ONE WITH, and, WITHIN, CHRIST, HIS NATURE, and, HIS REVERENCE!!!

Never cease in your being perfected in the name of the *GODHEAD*! JAMES 3:13-17, 1 CORINTHIANS 8:1-2, 1 CORINTHIANS 12:8, PHILIPPIANS 1:9-10, PHILIPPIANS 3:16, COLASSIANS 1:9-10, 2 PETER 1:2-3...

CHRIST enjoined you to HIM, through HIS SACRED SACRIFICE, which MEANS, you are NO LONGER OF this world, and, it's ways, but, instead, OF HIM, therefore, we must be worthy of our grafting in, WHERE the natural branches were pruned out, partly, that the natural branches SEE, THROUGH US, AS ONE with CHRIST, the WHOLE TRUTH, and, the practicality of BECOMING ONE WITH TRUTH, THROUGH LIVING as HE would have us, AS TRUE REPRESENTIVES OF THE CHURCH, CHRIST, FOR THE GLORY OF *GOD*, FOREVERMORE!!! AMEN!!!

REV. LWINSOR © 2011
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