HEAVENLY INCLINED...: SATURDAY'S SOUNDNESS...

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...

SATURDAY'S SOUNDNESS...

As we mature, we begin to develop soundness; soundness of body, mind, and, spirit, which, leads to a healthier, more vibrant, joyous, LOVING, caring, and, sharing person! It should be noted that SOUNDNESS IS to the WHOLE of THE CHURCH/CHRIST, as the air is to our mortal lives! Soundness is QUALITY of character, behaviours, and, reactions, BASED on the knowledge, and, Wisdom of *GOD*, and which, has endless proprieties, for the self, and, for others!!!

Maturity, could be influenced by age, but, is not always the case! Maturity is found in the person, whom, has grown in understanding, through experience, or, knowledge; has adapted to what is right, healthy, optimal, and, enhancing FOR the spirit, thus, FOR *GOD*, and, all others! LOVE is the lead, the mature follows, and, in this LOVE, the desire to perfect the being in righteousness, after the example of CHRIST JESUS, *GOD*, which means, we develop in ways that allow us to think, act, and, react, without incidents of anger, malice, fury, envy, jealousy, or simply, without negatives of any kind! We learn to think before we speak, act, or, react, while, maintaining HOPE that LOVE WILL prevail over whatever we are faced with! We TRAIN to win the race, while, HONING what is righteous, in EVERY aspect of our being!!!

The mature being knows how to be content, in all matters! The mature being stands IN LOVE, more than any other state of existence, as LOVE IS their state of existence, which, first, diminishes, then, eradicates, all negative states of existence, because LOVE IS POSITIVE, HEALING, WHOLESOME, GOOD, RIGHT, and, EMPOWERED BY *GOD*, being FULL of PROVISION, BENEVOLENCE, and, FURTHER GROWTH, which, touches all encountered, noticed, or, not!!!

HEBREWS 5:12-14...

12/ Although you should be teachers by this time, you need to have someone teach you again the basic elements of the utterances of God. You need milk, (and) not solid food.

13/ Everyone who lives on milk lacks experience of the word of righteousness, for he is a child.

14/ But solid food is for the mature, for those whose faculties are trained by practice to discern good and evil.

1 TIMOTHY 6:11-12...

11/ But you, man of God, avoid all this. Instead, pursue righteousness, devotion, faith, love, patience, and gentleness.

12/ Compete well for the faith. Lay hold of eternal life, to which you were called when you made the noble confession in the presence of many witnesses.

Soundness is like an anchor to a ship; it is necessary, vital, and, life saving! A ship is SO sound, that, on the roughest waters known, and, the toughest storms, imagineable, they are capacitated to reaching their destination! Such should the growing person be; especially, the person growing towards, and, IN *GOD*!!!

In soundness there is principle, morality, ethics, virtues, devotion, deliberation, determination, focus, FAITH, HOPE, PEACE, and, as soundness increases, so does the GOOD which, accompanies it!!!

Our place in this life is to GLORIFY *GOD*, thus, developing soundness of being, is the road to fulfillment of HIS WILL! Life is NOT about us, it is about *GOD*, HOWEVER, WHEN we become ONE with HIM, HE will enrich our lives, in a multitude of ways, granting us simple pleasures, infinite, along with whatever HE deems appropriate for the individual! HE IS A GIVING *GOD*, because HE LOVES without limit, without end!!!

The greatest model of soundness is our LORD, CHRIST JESUS; if you have taken time to study HIM, HIS WAYS, and, HIS nature, soundness is already within your grasp, though, adherence, and, application, remain the claiming factors, to TRUE development!!!

May *GOD* BLESS us all, and, may the PEACE of LOVE, be as our breaths, ever releasing into the whole of life!!!

BIBLICAL, and/or, other references marked BOLDLY IN COLOURS