HEAVENLY INCLINED...: TUESDAY'S THOUGHTS: PRIDE, THE THIEF OF GLORY!!!

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...

TUESDAY'S THOUGHTS: PRIDE, THE THIEF OF GLORY!!!

Where does GLORY derive from? From THE LORD, our *GOD*! ALL GLORY is HIS, of which, we bask in! There is no room for vainglory in HIS GLORY, because we understand that ALL GLORY IS HIS, and, the glories we receive, are OF HIM, in the moment, and, ever-after...

Vainglory is from the natural plane, and, is always fleeting, without lasting! It is of the world, and, belongs to the world, fully optimized by the enemy, the oppressor, the deceiver, who knows just HOW to rob us of the very spirit *GOD* has given to us, FOR, and, TO HIS GLORY!!!

*GOD* detests our pride, which once used, has the power to increase, until we, the TRUE self, the spirit, are trapped beneath the puffed egocentric being! Most of our err/sin, derives from pride, though, is totally against the WILL of THE LORD! Thus, we are told to humble ourselves, and to realize, that we are nothing without HIM! HE IS THE AUTHOR, and, CREATOR of ALL in existence, and, no matter what we can do, it is not our ingenuity at work, it is HIM, HIS movement, and, gifts in our lives, THAT HIS WILL be done!!!

How do we curb pride? We begin by acknowledging HIS Sovereignty, HIS Supremacy, HIS Majesty, HIS Brilliance, then, accepting that we are but a particle in the whole of HIS CREATION, and, fading fast!!!

So you have a talent that has taken you to the top; WHERE did that talent come from? From HIM, no chase! HE has endowed EACH being with certain gifts, and, talents, FOR HIS OWN PURPOSE, and while you have worked that talent, or gift, to perfection, it still came from HIM! HE gives, and, HE takes, especially from the proud!!!

When we stand in pride, we are assuming that WE are in control of our lives, straight out, denying *GOD*! As pride works it's evil, we become self-absorbed, and, neglect THE TRUTH, as well as our innate responsibility to this life; people, the planet, nature, and, all therein! Pride STRONGLY desires glory, but, we all know, GLORY BELONGS to *GOD*, so, there comes a point of arrogance, defiance, even a war within, because the spirit which, belongs to *GOD*, KNOWS THE TRUTH! Pride wages war on the whole person, and, against *GOD*! The evil ruler of this world, Satan, is the epitome of pride, and, shares it freely with us, because he KNOWS it is against *GOD*!!!

One thing I have discovered in this life is this: what is OF *GOD* is just, wholesome, right, and, good; all else is of the world, SO, it makes it easier to align to HIM, in this understanding! Pride is a deadly sin, and, ALL of the proud WILL perish, it is BIBLICAL fact, because THE LORD despises the proud, to HIM, they are fools, and, as you begin to understand the far reaching effects pride has on us, and, the world, you will understand WHY HE despises the proud, and, has decreed their lot!!!

SO many negative things we have to deal with in this life, stem from pride, from the proud, from the wrongness therein! Thus, as ONE with CHRIST, our LORD, we ARE to correct, then defeat, pride from our character, and, behaviours! It is NOT easy, for it is the surest snare of the devil, after all, he is enmeshed in it to the point of no return, while the humbled shall bask in glory, *GOD'S* GLORY, eternally!!!

REV. LWINSOR © 2012