HEAVENLY INCLINED...: SACRIFICE...

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...

SACRIFICE...

Sacrifice---As another day of Lent comes to an end, I am reminded that in life, I have made many sacrifices, some of them for the sake of others, some for the good of others, some for my own growth, and development, some because there was no choice, some for finding reason in doing so. I have given up this, and that, have done without, have put certain matters on the shelf in order to make others manifest, and so forth! I am no stranger to sacrifice, and still, even as I deprive myself in this HOLY season, of a simple pleasure, or two; it seems so insignificant...

Sacrifices have ALWAYS been offered as part of a relationship with *GOD*, although, they began to change, after HE became frustrated with the lack of integrity with which the ancients did so, and so HE demanded more genuine ones from HIS people, such as unfeigned LOVE, DEVOTION, FAITH, FAITHFULNESS, SELFLESSNESS, MERCY, and so forth; that which evidenced their heart...

CHRIST JESUS SACRIFICED, in a conscious, aware, and purposeful way, and don't imagine that HE didn't feel the effects of doing so; HE did, for which HE PRAYED, and anguished over, but was unselfishly motivated; driven by THE FATHER'S WILL, and by LOVE! HE SACRIFICED in a bold, brave, unprecedented, unfathomable, incomparable, incontestable way for the sake of humanity, while EXPERIENCING the fullness of this SACRIFICE! HE did so with courage, with perfection, with the strength of HIS LOVE!!!

NOTHING I sacrifice can add up to more than a rather vain attempt to step into what HE must have endured, and it humbles me; it really humbles me, because I am unable to perfectly imitate HIS example, and yet, that I want to share what HE experienced, matters! It matters to *GOD* that we are willing to learn, through various means, the depth of humility which HE MASTERED, in order to procure LIFE for us...

It IS important for what lies ahead, as well as to our relationship with THE LORD, that we understand selflessness, sacrifice, humility, suffering, and so forth! It is IN this knowledge of understanding that we begin to adapt to existing IN HIS WILL OVER all else! During the Easter season, Lent especially, the little that we sacrifice, IF done with sincerity, and intent, towards increasing our Devotion, FAITH, and wholesomeness, IS pleasing to HIM! HE KNOWS we struggle to improve ourselves, and especially to be able to REALLY relate to HIS GIFT, so, HONEST application in seeking to do so, matters, indeed! The more we apply to abstinence, giving, acts of mercy, confessing, fasting, the stronger our FAITH becomes, or better yet, the more FAITHFUL we become, thus GLORIFYING OUR LORD...

STRENGTH is what we strive for in CHRIST JESUS' name! Strength in LOVE, in FAITH, in HOPE, in FAITHFULNESS, in GOODNESS, and all which will REFLECT HIM, and so, times such as Lent, HAVE power to add to our COMMITMENT TO HIM; to our relationship with HIM!!!

In this way, we bear more fruits of THE SPIRIT, and thereby, SHARE THE LORD with ALL in our paths, and this is the optimal TRUTH of LOVE!!!

Sacrifice is more difficult when we THINK about it! When we abstain from something, it becomes as the forbidden fruit, because the MIND is easily persuaded by the egocentric, selfish, carnal being, the enemy! PRAYER works wonders as we HONOUR our pledges, and VOWS, along with DELIBERATE study of THE LORD, and the MANY trials, and tribulations HE endured that we might find LOVE, FAITH, and LIFE!!!

REV. LWINSOR © 2014