HEAVENLY INCLINED...: HOLINESS IS WITHIN OUR POWER, THANKS BE TO THE LORD...

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...

HOLINESS IS WITHIN OUR POWER, THANKS BE TO THE LORD...

HOW do we strive for, achieve, and maintain HOLINESS in a world far from HOLY???

Deliberately, diligently, constantly, and consistently, we FOCUS UPON THE LORD, HIS WILL, and WAY! We study, we ponder, we absorb, we reason, we correct, we take on HIS WILL as the beacon which guides us, and we PRAY, we PRAISE, we WORSHIP, we REJOICE, and we ALWAYS seek to HONOUR HIM, in ANY given!!!

It ISN'T easy, ALTHOUGH, we HAVE the WHOLE of THE *GODHEAD* as our example, help, mediator, and advocacy! We are SANCTIFIED through CHRIST, having been REBORN, and NOW BELONG TO *GOD*, CONSECRATED for LOFTY purposes; HOWEVER, some are yet as Children, immature, and yet carnal! SANCTIFICATION IS an ONGOING PROCESS, as we struggle towards perfecting the being, and surrendering the egocentric, flesh which hinders us, and complicates the process! Within SANCTIFICATION, and CONSECRATION lies HOLINESS, which is cleansed, purified, and undefiled! Generally speaking, for the believer, this begins with removing what is unclean from the mind, and the heart, and adapting to what IS CLEAN, and OF *GOD*...

We begin to SEE sin for what it is, a dangerous disadvantage, and separation from *GOD*! We tweak our minds, and fill our hearts with LOVE OF HIM, then of others! LOVE PROVIDES exceedingly, the motivation to REMAIN IN HIS FAVOUR, as well as the tools that grant us the POWERS we need to resist, and overcome what is not of HIM. We REALIZE that we are NOT of the world, and that the world's hold on us, is superficial for the most part, as the world, it's enticements, and holds are temporal, and WILL not exist after HIS return! HE OFFERS US LIFE ETERNAL, IF we make the choice to FOLLOW HIM, LOVE HIM, and HONOUR ALL THAT HE IS!!!

The enemy IS going to mess with us, and the more we inch closer to our TRUTH, he will create even more challenges, BUT, for those who are STRONG, and SOLID IN their pursuit of *GOD*, THE LORD, and HIS HOLY SPIRIT SHALL be with us, in EVERY manner, and matter! We ARE MADE FOR *GOD*, thus, WE ARE EQUIPPED to ARISE to our RIGHTFUL place in HIS HOLY KINGDOM! HE has left NOTHING to chance, and certainly, will NOT leave us without the means to achieving what seems impossible, because with HIM, NOTHING is impossible, and IS ALL FOR HIS GLORY, as HIS people becomes VICTORIOUS OVER what could take them eternally away...

We DEVELOP IN HIS WILL, with FAITH like a mountain, and LOVE ever flowing of us, from it's source, THE LORD *GOD* ALMIGHTY! We CONSIDER at ALL times, our thoughts, actions, and reactions as we go through the maze of time, and deception! We THINK quickly, PREMISED ON *GOD*, HIS WILL, and WAY, as we are confronted by what is of the world! And we PRAY, oh, we PRAY for HIS assistance in ALL times!!!

ONENESS with *GOD* is a lifestyle of choices based on what is just, right, and good! Our beings become reflections of HIM, and HIS WHOLESOME PURITY! While we may never be pure, we are being purified IF we contend for what is to come! We train our tongue to wait until we THINK, we train our actions, and reactions to wait until we THINK, and we move DELIBERATELY through the murk before us, ever careful, and aware, that we are not bound by what is not of *GOD*! We surely, will stumble, though, we KEEP on KEEPIN' on, IN HIM, HIS WILL, and WAY, NOT allowing the obstacles, the delusions, the confusion, the lies, and falsehoods to settle in, but CONSTANTLY recalling HIS WILL, that NO binds can detain us, or worse...

It TRULY helps to understand HOLINESS, being SANCTIFIED, and CONSECRATED, as well as the depth, breadth, and heights of LOVE, not to mention the imperatives of FAITH, and remaining FAITHFUL! We HAVE ALL the necessary knowledge, and tools within our grasp, we only have to utilize them, embrace them, and hold onto them ALL the time, thanks BE UNTO THE LORD *GOD*, who SO LOVES us that HE manifests THE WAY for HIS own to return to HIM, now, and eternally! PRAISE HIM, and WORSHIP HIS HOLY name!!!

REV. LWINSOR © 2013