HEAVENLY INCLINED...: THE SENSELESS VORTEX OF SELF...

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...

THE SENSELESS VORTEX OF SELF...

The biggest trap for humanity is the self, because the self cries, waaaaaaaaaa, waaaaaaaaaaaa, waaaaaaaaaa, for MANY reasons, things, and desires, INSTEAD of ACCEPTING that *GOD* REIGNS SUPREME, YES, OVER the self, and ALL in CREATION...

So, when we are in the self, we are mindless of MANY imperatives! We are mindless of *GOD*, we are mindless of others, we are mindless of anything that doesn't please the self! A HUGE trap with a slow motion enclosure, which eventually, seals, and leaves us captured, BY our own self, like a black hole in space that devours all in it's path!!!

When we consider the self the center of life, we negate the TRUE self, the spirit, which, belongs to THE LORD, is NOT self-inclined, and exists for way greater works than the natural, carnal, fleshy self! When we MAKE our self the center of life, we negate TRUTHS that have the power to keep us from the dangerous traps that rob us of our inheritance, and can make time in this realm more pleasantly navigable! When the self rules, we negate the facts of life around us, but mostly, *GOD* IN us!!!

The self is ignorant to a large degree, because it is BLINDED by self-inclination; pride, greed, desire, and a burning need for satiation, therefore, engulfed! ALL of which IS against THE LORD *GOD*, and which, separates us from HIM, as well provokes HIM!!!

Now, *GOD'S* enemy, our enemy, IS ecstatic when humans strive to appease the self, because they are then, farther, and farther removed from the protection, and provision of THE LORD! The enemy knows that the self CANNOT be satiated, no matter the effort, because the self is only a part of the whole of the person, and fact is, what the self chases after, almost disappears AFTER achieving it, because it is OF the world, NOT of *GOD*, and has NO lasting power of pleasure, whatsoever, save for that which has use to the spirit, FOR THE GLORY of *GOD*! So, the enemy works deliberately, to convince the self-inclined of this world, that they are entitled to the fulfillment of all the enticements they can imagine! In which case, because one knows NOT the length of their days, many are trapped in this fool's game, unable to make it right with the ONLY ONE who CAN GIVE them their heart's content, come HIS return!!!

The self doesn't GIVE to anyone, except the self, unless it has advantage to the self, and so, NOTHING worthy, valid, or exalting comes forth of the self-inclined! Whomever is OF *GOD*, and of the spirit, GIVES freely, and SO, HIS WILL CAN BE, and IS FULFILLED! The self is narcissistic, and in LOVE with itself; the *GODLY* spirit, IS LOVE, and SO, spirals FORTH OF LOVE, without self-inclination, yet KNOWING that what it gives, comes back!!!

The self creates it's own black hole, into which it is trapped, and ends eternally! The spirit finds LIFE IN *GOD*, and in HIS PROMISES, HIS BLESSINGS, HIS GRACE, HIS MERCY, HIS LOVE, and HIS endless provisions!!!

To me, there doesn't seem to be much of a choice, because I KNOW that there is only ONE WAY TO TRUE LIFE, and because I have experienced the lack that the self, and the world holds! And, I have seen the bounties that the spirit opens UP to! OH PRAISE THE LORD for guiding us! Can you imagine what it would be like down here without HIM???

I can LOVE myself as *GOD'S* CREATION, and for the GOOD of my spirit, but I should not indulge in self-inclined LOVE, nor the self-LOVE which removes me from the purpose of being HIS CREATION, and from the TRUTH of LIFE! ALL LOVE that I should have, and hold, should be premised UPON HIM, then forwarded for the GOOD of ALL!!!

In short, I am not MYself, I am *GOD*self!!!