HEAVENLY INCLINED...: MONDAY'S MEDITATIONS: THE TONGUE OF FIRE...

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...

MONDAY'S MEDITATIONS: THE TONGUE OF FIRE...

JAMES 3...
1/ Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you realize that we will be judged more strictly,
2/ for we all fall short in many respects. If anyone does not fall short in speech, he is a perfect man, able to bridle his whole body also.
3/ If we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we also guide their whole bodies.
4/ It is the same with ships: even though they are so large and driven by fierce winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot's inclination wishes.
5/ In the same way the tongue is a small member and yet has great pretensions. Consider how small a fire can set a huge forest ablaze.
6/ The tongue is also a fire. It exists among our members as a world of malice, defiling the whole body and setting the entire course of our lives on fire, itself set on fire by Gehenna.
7/ For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by the human species,
8/ but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.
9/ With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings who are made in the likeness of God.
10/ From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. This need not be so, my brothers.
11/ Does a spring gush forth from the same opening both pure and brackish water?
12/ Can a fig tree, my brothers, produce olives, or a grapevine figs? Neither can salt water yield fresh.

13/ Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show his works by a good life in the humility that comes from wisdom.
14/ But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth.
15/ Wisdom of this kind does not come down from above but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.
16/ For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every foul practice.
17/ But the wisdom from above is first of all pure, then peaceable, gentle, compliant, full of mercy and good fruits, without inconstancy or insincerity.
18/ And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace for those who cultivate peace.

One of the greatest messages to humanity! The tongue is a small member, but, exists among our members as a world of malice, setting the entire course of our lives on fire!!!

WHO CAN tame the tongue? And, for sure, it is through the WISDOM of *GOD*, and, the embracing of LOVE, that, we can even begin to understand this message, enough to begin to meditate upon it, then, with great effort, begin to TRY to tame it! It is one of the greatest tactics of the adversary, and, no wonder, because we DON'T often THINK before we speak, nor, do we speak often, in HIS LOVE!!!

In less than a second, our tongue can trip us! I never realized just HOW easy it is for us to be snared by our own tongue, but, LORD have MERCY, I have caught myself in the snare! It is truly, freaky, and, makes me wonder...

What can we do about it? LOVE one another, for real, THINK before we speak, and, make sure the mind is full of *GODLINESS*, then, of course, PRAY, and, repent! If it is nearly impossible to tame the tongue, we MUST turn to *GOD* for help, because, with HIM, NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE!!!

The tongue is a muscle, filled with other muscles, and, I guess some people, think they need to give those muscles a good workout, because, there is SO much tongue wagging going on in this world, one could almost, long for silence:)))

I KEEP telling you, there are LOTS of things, which, work TOGETHER, to build up, and, testify to righteousness, in a person! The tongue is, obviously, a major objective to correct, and, master, but, I know for sure, it isn't easy, though, it is NOT impossible; we simply, have to RELY on *GOD*, HIS WILL, HIS WAYS, and, HIS assistance, in such difficult areas!!!

One thing IS FOR SURE, we ARE ABLE, THROUGH THE WORD, CHRIST, and, DELIBERATION, TO ARISE TO THE TRUTH OF WHOM we are, spirit, and, we MUST NEVER relent in believing this, nor, perfecting it, TO, AND FOR, THE GLORY OF *GOD*!!!

REV. LWINSOR © 2012
BIBLICAL, and/or, other references marked BOLDLY IN COLOURS