HEAVENLY INCLINED...: WE THE CANVAS ON WHICH THE LORD REVEALS HIMSELF...

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...

WE THE CANVAS ON WHICH THE LORD REVEALS HIMSELF...

HOLINESS; the NATURAL state of HIS Chosen! It ISN'T that one can MAKE themselves HOLY, it is that a conscious decision brings us into being SO ONE with *GOD* that HIS HOLINESS settles in! I DON'T spend my days TRYING to be HOLY, THE LORD WILL complete that in me, AS I come closer, and closer to HIM...

I DO spend my days STUDYING HIS WORD, WILL, and WAYS that I AM ever aligning THROUGH improvement, BY understanding, and assent TO HIM, which then, OPENS UP the optimization OF HIM/THE HOLY SPIRIT WORKING in me, through me, and all around me! I DO spend my time IN HIM, that my journey TO HOLINESS is more, and more rid of obstacles, hindrances, and self! I DO spend my time contemplating, pondering, and taking HIS WILL, WAYS, and WORD TO the depths of my being, THAT I am in spirit, OVER flesh! I DO spend my time considering the very things I THOUGHT were normal to my existence, which in fact, separated me from HIM; I spend my time REALIZING that which DOES take me from HIM, and keeps me in the world, BECAUSE I LOVE HIM, and because I DON'T have ANY desire greater than to BE WITH HIM!!!

NEVER shall I be self-righteous, I lived too long in the shackled murkiness of deception to imagine that I am righteous! NO! My AIM is to, despite the wrong in me, to OVERCOME these wrongs, WHILE heading TO MY RIGHTFUL INHERITANCE! My AIM is to GAIN SUFFICIENT knowledge, understanding, and wisdom to step OUT of the old self, and INTO the new self, WHILE bearing fruit WORTHY OF THE VINE, and to become SOME semblance of HIS LIGHT, TO inspire, and encourage others to do the same, BECAUSE I LEARNED in the past, from the afflictions of the world, that the world is NOTHING, and THE LORD IS EVERYTHING, and BECAUSE ALL GLORY IS HIS!!!

I have NOTHING to prove to the world, the proof of my existence resides IN THE LORD! I have GIFTS of HIS own GRACE that HE bids I share with the world, THAT anyone interested, will TURN to HIM as well! Even at this point, I am NOT sure of what these GIFTS are, yet I, IN FAITH, move through time, WITH HIM as my guide, willingly allowing HIM TO work through me! I am but a vessel, an instrument OF HIM, to which I give no resistance, for HE IS THE LORD *GOD* ALMIGHTY, and I TRUST HIM entirely!!!

My EFFORTS towards perfecting the spirit are geared in LOVE, and in HOPE; these efforts are NOT in vain, nor, in vanity, as REGARDLESS of my every, most fervent effort, IT IS HIM IN ME, that is bringing about change, improvement, and maturity, ACCORDING TO HIS WILL!!!

HE IS THE MASTER, THE TEACHER, I am the student, UNTIL HIS return! I will NEVER know enough, I will never be wise enough, I will never be the fullness of my purpose UNTIL that DAY of DAYS; I am as a canvas, a work in progress, ONLY to be complete BY THE MASTER! I HAVE submitted TO HIS hand, to HIS WILL, HIS WAYS, and HIS WORD, THAT HIS work is not met with anything negative, or defiant, because I KNOW it IS WORTHY! I can't wait to see HIS RECREATION of ME, because magnificent ARE HIS works ALL around me!!!

I am RUNNING the race for THE CROWN of LIFE, and it is NOT an easy one to contend in, though, as I RELY UPON HIM, there IS GREAT advantage, and provision! I am running because HE CHOSE me to enter the race, therefore I KNOW I AM OF HIM! The training is rigorous, it is constant, it is tough, YET, it is FREEING, energizing, and inspiring! I HAVE stumbled, even tripped, a time or two, but, I CANNOT let ANYTHING deter my determination, as I KNOW the alternative, and NO WAY JOSE!!!

Oh PRAISE THE LORD *GOD* ALMIGHTY, FOR HIS LOVE of us!!!

REV. LWINSOR © 2013