HEAVENLY INCLINED...: SUNDAY'S SACRED SCRIPTURES: COME NOW, LET US SET THINGS RIGHT...

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...

SUNDAY'S SACRED SCRIPTURES: COME NOW, LET US SET THINGS RIGHT...

One of my favorite Bible verses is: ISAIAH 1:18...
Come now, let us set things right, says the LORD: Though your sins be like scarlet, they may become white as snow; Though they be crimson red, they may become white as wool. In some translations it says, Come now, let us reason together...

*GOD* LOVES us SO much, that despite our rebellion, and, reckless abandon, HE is ALWAYS willing to work it through with us, and, for us, as is evidenced in the GIFT, CHRIST JESUS, and, in HIS unending patience, as HE witnesses the senselessness of our existence on this realm! MANY times HE has PROMISED to overlook our errs, our defiance, and, our arrogance, IF we TURN to HIM in obedience! HE wants us to understand, and, embrace HIS AUTHORITY, and, POWERS, then, respect them, revere them, and, abound in them! HE has to deal with some absolute off the wall human conditions, which, were/are founded on little more than egocentricity, because of ignorance, and, wrongful upbringing, because of deception, delusion, and, the confusion the evil one has shrouded logic, and, sensibility with! ALL HE has ever said, or, done, HAS BEEN OF LOVE for us!!!

Thus, HE sits, observes, and, listens, with a heart full of emotion for HIS people! It is a good thing that HE is *GOD*, as, NONE of us would have taken the kind of bunk HE has had to endure from HIS Beloved Children! If we could, simply, THINK with a mind of LOVE, we could SEE what HE has had to endure from us, and, perhaps, we would begin to reason in soundness, instead of self-inclination!!!

EZEKIEL 33:11-20 & 30-32...

11/ Answer them: As I live, says the Lord GOD, I swear I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked man, but rather in the wicked man's conversion, that he may live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! Why should you die, O house of Israel?

12/ As for you, son of man, tell your countrymen: The virtue which a man has practiced will not save him on the day that he sins; neither will the wickedness that a man has done bring about his downfall on the day that he turns from his wickedness (nor can the virtuous man, when he sins, remain alive).

13/ Though I say to the virtuous man that he shall surely live, if he then presumes on his virtue and does wrong, none of his virtuous deeds shall be remembered; because of the wrong he has done, he shall die.

14/ And though I say to the wicked man that he shall surely die, if he turns away from his sin and does what is right and just,

15/ giving back pledges, restoring stolen goods, living by the statutes that bring life, and doing no wrong, he shall surely live, he shall not die.

16/ None of the sins he committed shall be held against him; he has done what is right and just, he shall surely live.

17/ Yet your countrymen say, "The way of the LORD is not fair!"; but it is their way that is not fair.

18/ When a virtuous man turns away from what is right and does wrong, he shall die for it.

19/ But when a wicked man turns away from wickedness and does what is right and just, because of this he shall live.

20/ And still you say, "The way of the LORD is not fair!"? I will judge every one of you according to his ways, O house of Israel.

30/ As for you, son of man, your countrymen are talking about you along the walls and in the doorways of houses. They say to one another, "Come and hear the latest word that comes from the LORD."

31/ My people come to you as people always do; they sit down before you and hear your words, but they will not obey them, for lies are on their lips and their desires are fixed on dishonest gain.

32/ For them you are only a ballad singer, with a pleasant voice and a clever touch. They listen to your words, but they will not obey them.

Now, see the allusion/connection with The NEW TESTAMENT; CHRIST, *GOD* in the flesh...
EZEKIEL 36:21-38...

21/ So I have relented because of my holy name which the house of Israel profaned among the nations where they came.

22/ Therefore say to the house of Israel: Thus says the Lord GOD: Not for your sakes do I act, house of Israel, but for the sake of my holy name, which you profaned among the nations to which you came.

23/ I will prove the holiness of my great name, profaned among the nations, in whose midst you have profaned it. Thus the nations shall know that I am the LORD, says the Lord GOD, when in their sight I prove my holiness through you.

24/ For I will take you away from among the nations, gather you from all the foreign lands, and bring you back to your own land.

25/ I will sprinkle clean water upon you to cleanse you from all your impurities, and from all your idols I will cleanse you.

26/ I will give you a new heart and place a new spirit within you, taking from your bodies your stony hearts and giving you natural hearts.

27/ I will put my spirit within you and make you live by my statutes, careful to observe my decrees.

28/ You shall live in the land I gave your fathers; you shall be my people, and I will be your God.

29/ I will save you from all your impurities; I will order the grain to be abundant, and I will not send famine against you.

30/ I will increase the fruit on your trees and the crops in your fields; thus you shall no longer bear among the nations the reproach of famine.

31/ Then you shall remember your evil conduct, and that your deeds were not good; you shall loathe yourselves for your sins and your abominations.

32/ Not for your sakes do I act, says the Lord GOD--let this be known to you! Be ashamed and abashed because of your conduct, O house of Israel.

33/ Thus says the Lord GOD: When I purify you from all your crimes, I will repeople the cities, and the ruins shall be rebuilt;

34/ the desolate land shall be tilled, which was formerly a wasteland exposed to the gaze of every passer-by.

35/ "This desolate land has been made into a garden of Eden," they shall say. "The cities that were in ruins, laid waste, and destroyed are now repeopled and fortified."

36/ Thus the neighboring nations that remain shall know that I, the LORD, have rebuilt what was destroyed and replanted what was desolate. I, the LORD, have promised, and I will do it.

37/ Thus says the Lord GOD: This also I will be persuaded to do for the house of Israel: to multiply them like sheep.

38/ As with sacrificial sheep, the sheep of Jerusalem on its feast days, the cities which were in ruins shall be filled with flocks of men; thus they shall know that I am the LORD.

Oh, what humanity has put their CREATOR through! Not entirely our fault, but, fault DOES lie IN the fact that we KNOW, but still, do NOT recreate ourselves FOR HIS GLORY! LOVE complies, LOVE is obedient, LOVE is for the good of others, not for self, thus, IF we embraced LOVE, we would no longer grieve our LORD, *GOD*! The present generation is no closer to *GOD* than were the ancients; this calls for great understanding, and, acceptance of imperfection IN the spirit, which, BELONGS to *GOD*, and, exists to SERVE HIM, THEN, after all is done on this planet, and, HE comes to take HIS people home, the recompense is beyond explanation! We DO have the advantage of CHRIST as our Advocate, and, Mediator, but, there IS responsibility to this, as well! We have a tendency to want instant fulfillment, reward, and, what we feel we have earned, but, THE PROMISES of *GOD*/CHRIST indicate that on that DAY of DAYS, we shall claim our crowns, inheritance, and, bask in the GLORY of BEING home with HIM, IF we have been FAITHFUL TO THE COVENANT of RECONCILIATION!!!

I can so relate to HIM: Come let us set things right! Come let us reason together! What an awe-inspiring *GOD* we serve, and, LOVE!!! PRAISE HIS HOLY name, and, WORSHIP HIM with ALL you have!!!

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