HEAVENLY INCLINED...: ON THE WAY TO JERUSALEM...

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...

ON THE WAY TO JERUSALEM...

Tomorrow is Palm Sunday; the kick off of the HOLY week! A celebration of reverence, reflection, fasting, and, honouring THE GIFT of life, our LORD, CHRIST JESUS! A most wondrous GIFT HE is; an everlasting GIFT, an impacting, and, imperative GIFT, as well as, the TRUEST GIFT OF LOVE, EVER KNOWN!!!

JESUS was nearing Jerusalem, and, was yet, teaching the masses of followers, along the way.
MATTHEW 20:
The Workers in the Vineyard...
1/ “The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out at dawn to hire laborers for his vineyard.
2/ After agreeing with them for the usual daily wage, he sent them into his vineyard.
3/ Going out about nine o’clock, he saw others standing idle in the marketplace,
4/ and he said to them, ‘You too go into my vineyard, and I will give you what is just.’
5/ So they went off. [And] he went out again around noon, and around three o’clock, and did likewise.
6/ Going out about five o’clock, he found others standing around, and said to them, ‘Why do you stand here idle all day?’
7/ They answered, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You too go into my vineyard.’
8/ When it was evening the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Summon the laborers and give them their pay, beginning with the last and ending with the first.’
9/ When those who had started about five o’clock came, each received the usual daily wage.
10/ So when the first came, they thought that they would receive more, but each of them also got the usual wage.
11/ And on receiving it they grumbled against the landowner,
12/ saying, ‘These last ones worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us, who bore the day’s burden and the heat.’
13/ He said to one of them in reply, ‘My friend, I am not cheating you. Did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage?
14/ Take what is yours and go. What if I wish to give this last one the same as you? 15/ [Or] am I not free to do as I wish with my own money? Are you envious because I am generous?’
16/ Thus, the last will be first, and the first will be last.”

The Third Prediction of the Passion...
17/ As Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve [disciples] aside by themselves, and said to them on the way,
18/ “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death,
19/ and hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and scourged and crucified, and he will be raised on the third day.”

The Request of James and John...
20/ Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee approached him with her sons and did him homage, wishing to ask him for something.
21/ He said to her, “What do you wish?” She answered him, “Command that these two sons of mine sit, one at your right and the other at your left, in your kingdom.”
22/ Jesus said in reply, “You do not know what you are asking. Can you drink the cup that I am going to drink?” They said to him, “We can.”
23/ He replied, “My cup you will indeed drink, but to sit at my right and at my left [, this] is not mine to give but is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.”
24/ When the ten heard this, they became indignant at the two brothers.
25/ But Jesus summoned them and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and the great ones make their authority over them felt.
26/ But it shall not be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant;
27/ whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave.
28/ Just so, the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

The Healing of Two Blind Men...
29/ As they left Jericho, a great crowd followed him.
30/ Two blind men were sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was passing by, they cried out, “[Lord,] Son of David, have pity on us!”
31/ The crowd warned them to be silent, but they called out all the more, “Lord, Son of David, have pity on us!”
32/ Jesus stopped and called them and said, “What do you want me to do for you?”
33/ They answered him, “Lord, let our eyes be opened.”
34/ Moved with pity, Jesus touched their eyes. Immediately they received their sight, and followed him.