HEAVENLY INCLINED...: MONDAY'S MEDITATIONS: THE WORLD CAN'T KEEP THE *GODLY* DOWN...

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...

MONDAY'S MEDITATIONS: THE WORLD CAN'T KEEP THE GODLY DOWN...

It is, by *GOD'S* LOVE, a new week, and Monday. A Monday that carries LOTS in it's hours! The long weekend saw MANY incidents, problems, and violence: plane crashes, a runaway train that has done some extreme damage, shootings, fires, collapsed buildings, and on it goes. Many of the events over this past weekend are thought provoking, and heart wrenching. Let us PRAY, PRAY, PRAY...

Some things that happen in the course of a day are beyond our control; they just happen, like the freaky accidents with the plane from Seoul, and the train whose cars loosened in Canada! Others happen because of people; as too many have trouble keeping passions, anger, and other such in check, or control. One thing is for sure, the world over, there was something to remember from this past weekend...

As life unfolds, and things happen, we NEED to be reminded of the FACT that life is NOT in our hands; our time is uncertain, fragile, and precious! Life belongs to the GIVER of LIFE, THE LORD *GOD*, and ONLY HE knows the number of our days, which ARE short enough anyway, therefore WORTHY of making them HONOURABLE, and favourable that come HIS DAY of DAYS, we are embraced BY HIM, and not by the unthinkable...

Such times as the ones we are witnessing, and experiencing have TEACHINGS within; wake-up calls, and so forth! There IS always something worthwhile to be found in a day, and it's events, as we REALIZE THE GIFT OF TIME we HAVE BEEN ALLOTTED! When things go wrong, when bad things are nearby, when chaos ensues, we get lost in the effects of such, and lose our sight of *GOD*, and so, FURTHER endanger ourselves as the enemy rushes in...

When things happen, yes, it is natural to react, but, *GOD* HAS to be in the forefront of these reactions, and we need to PRAY UNTO HIM, as we react, HOLDING ONTO what is good in the midst of what is not! This is HOW we remain IN HIM, enabled, empowered, and encouraged enough to ARISE from what is of the world, and has the potential to shackle us extremely. Some people will get REALLY angry AT *GOD*, BLAMING HIM for allowing bad to happen; this is NOT going to make things better, NOR is there any substantiation in reactions of this sort! When we move an inch away from *GOD* in bad times, our FAITH IS being proven for what it is, forsaken, and shakeable, as we abandon HIM to wallow in what is happening! If you have to blame, put it on our enemy, as adversity IS his game...

The tears fall from my eyes as I see, hear, and feel the events of these times, but, I KNOW that *GOD* IS in the midst, and IS working FOR THE GOOD OF ALL! I PRAY, and weep, but, I BELIEVE IN HIM, and THE GOOD OF HIS WILL OVER ALL ELSE! I stand FIRM IN FAITH, and RELY ON HIM to grant me the strength, and the courage to move PAST what comes of these times; again, some that just happen for no apparent reason, and then others by the errs of people...

The world IS messed up; it IS troubled, it IS full of negatives, and it's effects, BUT, we DON'T live for the world, we live FOR *GOD*, and it IS within our ability to ARISE from EACH, and EVERY thing of this world, TO HIM! If we didn't HAVE HIM, then of course, we would have no choice except to be enveloped by the world's woes, but PRAISE HIS NAME, WE DO HAVE HIM TO GUIDE US PAST what is of the world, and TO DELIVER US, and to HEAL US, and to MAKE THINGS RIGHT in our beings! STAND IN FAITH, and BE STRONG IN HIM!!!

I went to sleep in grief, I woke up in gratitude, and thanks! That is the hand of THE LORD working through me, as I struggle to make sense of the senseless; I TRUST HIM to do so, thus, HE puts a necessary, and most welcomed PEACE into my heart, and being, that I AM ABLE to ALWAYS carry on, no matter what is occurring around me! For this, I PRAISE HIM, I WORSHIP HIM, I EXALT HIS HOLY name, and I REJOICE IN THIS GIFT OF TIME HE HAS GIVEN ME, that perhaps, I can be as HIS worker of GOOD, and help to make what is wrong around me, more right!!!