HEAVENLY INCLINED...: MONDAY'S MEETING OF THE MINDS...

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 MEETING OF THE MINDS...

Sin is in the next blink of an eye, in the next breath, in the next person, in the next thing, in the next place---
well, it is lingering everywhere, fully intent on snaring anyone it can, and, it doesn't always matter how knowledgeable, or devout one is, it has a way of infiltrating, subtly, deviously, and quickly...

ONLY by RELYING ON THE LORD can we battle sin; only by TURNING TO HIM, can we find our way through! PRAISE HIM that we are not left on our own in overcoming, rejecting, or repenting of sin, because we wouldn't be able to; sin, more than not, happens before we are even aware that it 'got' us! We speak before we think, we react without thought, and we are influenced by too much to be able to always be on guard, or totally resistant...

We PRAY to HIM to teach us to understand sin more, that we are better enabled to recognize it as it appears in the hours of this day, and we ask HIM to lead us through, as we IMPROVE our beings along the way, repenting of that which 'got' us stealthily! We TRUST HIM to help us, and to lead us, and to provide whatever necessary to remain IN HIM, and ON THE PATH...

We are triggered by people, by things, by many factors, and are not quite able to detect evil's workings, at all times! In an instant, someone's words, or actions can cause us to stumble, thus to sin, and there is little we can do, except to remain IN THE LORD, repent, and allow HIM to carry us forward...

The enemy appears in people, places, things, circumstances, situations, and conditions all the time; suddenly we are face to face, then, our buttons are pushed, and we are on the launch pad of temptation! NO ONE is near perfect; people, things, and places continually, work on us, and so, sin is ever near...

In this very day, we are up against many opponents of wickedness, whom more frequently, are not recognizable until they strike! Wickedness, and evil are NOT marked quite yet, and so often, we are confronted by such unknowingly, unaware until we are enmeshed! The enemy is cunning, using any means to it's will...

The enemy in people, in particular, is detectable only after the fact, which can be found in young people, all the way through to the elderly; poor, rich, and all in between; they can look like the nicest person in the world, and in fact, many might think they are, but somewhere along the line, their truth shows! All I am saying is, we just don't know who is who, what is what, and are easily misguided, and so, we MUST REMAIN IN THE LORD, and KEEP our thoughts, actions, and reactions aligned, and when we are face to face with the enemy, we must TURN TO HIM IMMEDIATELY for the assistance we NEED to move forward, and free!!!

We ARE going to stumble, trip, and fall, it IS part of growth, and development, PLUS, we are completely surrounded by the enemy, therefore, it would be senseless to imagine we can escape it, BUT we, THROUGH CHRIST, are already VICTORIOUS, IF we REMAIN IN HIM, IN LOVE, and CONTINUE to get UP, forgive, and KEEP our beings FOCUSED UPON HIM, and what is to come!!!

Sin is ever near, but *GOD* is even closer, and IS WAY more powerful, so let us not be swept away!!!

HELP us LORD! Help us as we face the increase of what leads people astray in these times! Help us to resist, help us to overcome, help us to leave YOU as evidence of our footsteps as we move on, and away from such! Teach us to catch ourselves before we step onto the launch pad of sin! Let us not fall into the clutches of what aspires to take us down! On YOU, we RELY LORD, for YOU ALONE, ARE the antidote for all which opposes us! In the name of JESUS CHRIST of Nazareth, we THANK YOU for ALL YOU ARE, and ALL YOU DO, AMEN!!!

REV. LWINSOR © 2014