HEAVENLY INCLINED...: THURSDAY'S TRIUMPHS: SELF-CONTROL IS VICTORY...

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...

THURSDAY'S TRIUMPHS: SELF-CONTROL IS VICTORY...

One area of life that is pertinent, in ALL matters, but especially in a relationship with *GOD*, then with anyone else is self-control! As I listen to, or hear the news of the day, the root of most of the problems within society stem from lack of self-control.

I too, have had my days of lack of self-control, and looking back, I see that BECAUSE I lacked it in some areas, I paid prices for that lack! I was reading an article today about the dysfunction of the ancients in THE WORD, and how their vices, and lack of self-control damaged them, nearly destroyed them, or did destroy them, and well, it is not any better in these times...

There are at least 69 BIBLE verses concerning self-control, ranging from control of the mind, all the way to resisting evil, and over 30 verses about self-discipline! PROVERBS 25: 28 is quite profound: A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls!!!

YES, it IS tough to maintain self-control in this crazy world, and sometimes we ALL want to be as free, wild, and self-indulging as we can be, but I CAN testify to the FACT that reckless abandon of control does NOT pay off; perhaps it satisfies a time, a phase, an urge, but generally, there IS a price to be paid for lack of control! Even the things that seem the easiest in this life, can be tough, whether that is now, or later; something to think about! When we are impulsive, compulsive, and careless, we are near the edge of consequences of the negative sort...

It DOES take effort of the whole being to refrain from wild abandonment of self-control, and it IS hard work, but, in the morning, there is PEACE, and thankfulness for having survived the discomfort of being strong!!!

1 JOHN 2: 16-17...
16/ For all that is in the world, sensual lust, enticement for the eyes, and a pretentious life, is not from the Father but is from the world.
17/ Yet the world and its enticement are passing away. But whoever does the will of God remains forever.

HOW do you suppose that the enemy is so ever able to trip us? Through the weakness of our self-control! Eve did not have more self-control than to tell him what *GOD* said, then he, in one sentence, was able to sway her! Some argue that it isn't fair that we are this weak, but, know what?, we HAVE been given the capacity, and ability THROUGH THE LORD TO OVERCOME our weakness(es), and RETAIN self-control! I know it FOR SURE NOW, and wish I had known it before I made the mistakes I made, but, I suspect that was part of my journey home. EVERY time we cave into our weaknesses, we are losing sure footing, and are on the edge of that very steep decline that we DON'T want to slide down to!!!

Lust lives in the mind, primarily, and feeds the body, just as does greed, anger, and all other DEADLY errs! We ALLOW our minds to take us on fantasy trips which we believe need to be fulfilled, though, ultimately, they hold quite the opposite of fulfillment! Read the news, watch the world; people are trippin' all over the globe, because they cannot control themselves! Example: look at the number of Sports people who are being arrested, giving up dream lives because they cannot control themselves...

While we are imperfect, that is not a license to make matters worse, or resign to that state! *GOD* DID NOT CREATE us to be overtaken by ourselves! HE CREATED us to OVERCOME the world, FOR HIS GLORY, in which we WILL also, be glorified, and exceedingly, at that!!!

The world is NOT a playground, it is a testing ground for the FAITHFUL, STRONG, and WILLING! THE LORD observes, and hears EVERYTHING, and KNOWS our TRUTH!!!

ROMANS 8: 5-8...
5/ For those who live according to the flesh are concerned with the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the spirit with the things of the spirit.
6/ The concern of the flesh is death, but the concern of the spirit is life and peace.
7/ For the concern of the flesh is hostility toward God; it does not submit to the law of God, nor can it;
8/ and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

We can't accomplish much without self-control, and then, that control must be ongoing, in order to secure those accomplishments, such as holding a job/position, maintaining a relationship with *GOD*, a Spouse, Family, and Children, studies, and on it goes! We witness people who had enough temporary self-control to obtain fame, and fortune, then, they gave up the self-control, committing crimes, get busted for selling crack, murder, and all sorts of life damaging issues, brought on by their arrogant lack of control! Perhaps some believe that money will sustain them no matter what, who knows? The point is, they lose even more than they gained, as they spend the rest of their lives in prison, or broke, or worse: the consequences of their lack...

Self-control is CRUCIAL, and VALID! It is SOUND, and SENSIBLE! It should be taught from the first year onward, and encouraged forever, especially for those that WANT to make it home to THE KINGDOM! Any time we struggle, we have an ADVOCATE IN HEAVEN to turn to, and to ask for help: HE WILL STRENGTHEN those that seek strength, AMEN...

REV. LWINSOR © 2013
BIBLICAL, and/or other references marked BOLDLY IN COLOURS

HEBREWS 12: 11...
For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.