HEAVENLY INCLINED...: THE HOUR OF HIS RETURN 'IS' UNKNOWN, BUT, THE KINGDOM OF *GOD* IS 'ALWAYS' AT HAND!!!

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 HOUR OF HIS RETURN 'IS' UNKNOWN, BUT, THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS 'ALWAYS' AT HAND!!!

It confounds me that SO many of the Cloth; religious leaders, teachers, and, other such, are trying to predict JUDGEMENT DAY! YES, there are signs, but, they have not completely come into view, nor, matured! HOW could a human predict this time, when, CHRIST, HIMSELF said that HE will NOT know UNTIL it is time???

THE KINGDOM IS AT HAND for EVERY human, ALWAYS, because we know NOT the number of our days, nor, when CHRIST will return! Thus we are taught to live as a servant who knows not the return of his master, MATTHEW 24!!!
CHRIST said:
MATTHEW 7: 24-25...
24/ "Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock.

25/ The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock.

WHY waste PRECIOUS time second guessing THE LORD, or, TRYING to figure out the time? How many of us, are REALLY ready for HIM? Are we TRULY humbled, and, obedient? We should USE this time to BE prepared, to BE found worthy, and, for prayer, PRAISE, and, WORSHIP! MAKE HIS HONOUR complete BY becoming fruitful branches! Let us concern ourselves with WINNING the race against time, and, evil, BY studying, learning, embracing, and, honing the spirit to some semblance of perfection, while, being watchful!!!

I know, it depends on the extent of the understanding of Salvation! Some believe, even though they are yet living in ways against HIM, and, HIS WILL, they are good to go! Others, such as myself, believe that we have changing, or, improving to do, in order to BECOME the TRUE self, the spirit; we believe we ought to, out of LOVE for HIM, and, others, exist IN the nearest resemblance of HIM, for HE IS our model, our example, the AUTHOR of THE WORD which says that we ARE to live as is written;

EPHESIANS 4: 22-24...

22/ that you should put away the old self of your former way of life, corrupted through deceitful desires,

23/ and be renewed in the spirit of your minds,

24/ and put on the new self, created in God's way in righteousness and holiness of truth.

See also, ROMANS 6 ROMANS 8, ROMANS 13, HEBREWS 4, GALATIANS 2, 2 CORINTHIANS 5, 1 PETER 2, &, PROVERBS 14...

NOT that we are saved by works, NO! We are saved by GRACE, but that, we BECOME this GRACE!!!

There is sound reason why HE doesn't want us to know the day, nor, the hour of HIS return, and, according to Scripture, I am certain it has something to do with the evidence OF those who find this time worthy of recreating the being, into it's RIGHTFUL self, the spirit! IF everyone KNEW the time, there would be many rushing to become what their hearts have already proven, is untrue! We are to repent, which means, a change of heart, which means, the ridding of worldly ways, in favour of THE TRUTH! So, you see, like the servant who is FAITHFUL to the master, when he is gone for long periods of time, keeping his household running properly, then, has everything in order for his master's return, so too, should be the Children of THE MOST HIGH LORD!!!

LOOK forward to HIS return, of course, but, do not make the mistake of not being ready for that day! Prepare yourself, your spirit, that whatever comes, your rightful place IS in HIS KINGDOM!!!

When we become ONE with CHRIST, we are no longer of the world, and, this means, in ALL respects, not merely in thought! This means we have adhered to the sound principles OF HIS WORD, and, HIS example, and, have followed HIM in letter, and, deed, WHILE SHINING in the darkness, THE TRUTH of our LORD, which is NOT easy, given the constant challenges by the evil of this world, and, the human condition which, finds us overly confident, arrogant, and often, in the path of err!!!

YES, let us prepare ourselves, for THE KINGDOM is ALWAYS at hand, because we will NOT know when our time is gone, nor, when HE will appear!!!

*GOD* BLESS, and, BE with us ALL! MUCH LOVE, and, may we HONOUR HIM, in ALL ways, ALL of our days, for ALL GLORY IS HIS!!!

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

1 comment:

Lynda said...: PHILIPPIANS 2: 12...
So then, my beloved, obedient as you have always been, not only when I am present but all the more now when I am absent, work out your salvation with fear and trembling.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary...
Phillipians 2:12-18
We must be diligent in the use of all the means which lead to our salvation, persevering therein to the end. With great care, lest, with all our advantages, we should come short. Work out your salvation, for it is God who worketh in you. This encourages us to do our utmost, because our labour shall not be in vain: we must still depend on the grace of God. The working of God's grace in us, is to quicken and engage our endeavours. God's good-will to us, is the cause of his good work in us. Do your duty without murmurings. Do it, and do not find fault with it. Mind your work, and do not quarrel with it. By peaceableness; give no just occasion of offence. The children of God should differ from the sons of men. The more perverse others are, the more careful we should be to keep ourselves blameless and harmless. The doctrine and example of consistent believers will enlighten others, and direct their way to Christ and holiness, even as the light-house warns mariners to avoid rocks, and directs their course into the harbour. Let us try thus to shine. The gospel is the word of life, it makes known to us eternal life through Jesus Christ. Running, denotes earnestness and vigour, continual pressing forward; labouring, denotes constancy, and close application. It is the will of God that believers should be much in rejoicing; and those who are so happy as to have good ministers, have great reason to rejoice with them.; October 1, 2012 at 11:26 AM