HEAVENLY INCLINED...: SUNDAY'S SACRED SCRIPTURES: THE LOVE THAT NEVER FAILS...

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...

SUNDAY'S SACRED SCRIPTURES: THE LOVE THAT NEVER FAILS...

1 CORINTHIANS 13: 8...
LOVE NEVER FAILS; ...

Love never faileth—never is to be out of use; it always holds its place...

It may fail as to the exercise of it, as other graces do; it may be left, but not lost; the fervour of it may be remitted and abated; it may wax cold through the prevalence of sin; it may be greatly damped by the growth of error and heresy, which eat as do a canker; and may be much obstructed by an anxious and immoderate care and concern for worldly things; which are very pernicious to all the branches of vital religion and powerful godliness, and particularly love to God, Christ, and the brethren: but this grace never fails as to its principle; it is an immortal and an incorruptible seed; it lives throughout the most violent temptations, as in Peter; and under the greatest desertions and sorest afflictions, still there is an affection for God; Christ is he whom such a soul loves; and the saints are the excellent in the earth, in whom is all his delight: and it also continues as to its use, and will do so, when faith and hope will loose theirs, even in the other world; for faith will be changed into vision, and hope into enjoyment; but love will be the same, only act in a higher sphere, and to a greater degree, and in a perfect manner...

Charity is much to be preferred to the gifts on which the Corinthians prided themselves. From its longer continuance. It is a grace, lasting as eternity. The present state is a state of childhood, the future that of manhood. Such is the difference between earth and heaven. What narrow views, what confused notions of things, have children when compared with grown men!

Thus shall we think of our most valued gifts of this world, when we come to heaven. All things are dark and confused now, compared with what they will be hereafter. They can only be seen as by the reflection in a mirror, or in the description of a riddle; but hereafter our knowledge will be free from all obscurity and error. It is the light of heaven only, that will remove all clouds and darkness that hide the face of God from us.

To sum up the excellences of charity, it is preferred not only to gifts, but to other graces, to faith and hope. Faith fixes on the Divine revelation, and assents thereto, relying on the Divine Redeemer. Hope fastens on future happiness, and waits for that; but in heaven, faith will be swallowed up in actual sight, and hope in enjoyment. There is no room to believe and hope, when we see and enjoy. But there, love will be made perfect. There we shall perfectly love God. And there we shall perfectly love one another. Blessed state! how much surpassing the best below! God is love, 1Jo 4:8,16. Where God is to be seen as he is, and face to face, there charity is in its greatest height; there only will it be perfected.

Though LOVE is to be perfected at that SACRED time when the Chosen are all together with THE LORD, as we conform more, and more, in this plane, to HIS image, to HIS nature, to HIS likeness, LOVE begins it's work within us, and withstands what is not of LOVE. Though the world LOVES not, LOVE'S HOLY POWERS can melt the waxed cold hearts of humanity, not always, but enough to show itself! For instance, even with the most resistant people, IF we LOVE them in TRUTH, and continuance, that LOVE begins to seep into them; it may not happen for years, and it may not have any immediately direct affect on our relationship with them, but it WILL, at some time, somewhere, somehow, begin to sprout like a carefully planted, and tended seed!!!

The thing with LOVE IS that it needs NO reciprocation in order for it to be effective, or lasting, because it HAS to spiral forth of itself, as it does from *GOD*, then from HIS people; it only exists for the good, and it's expectations are derived from it's BEING forwarded, because it IS natural to it, that it has OPTIMIZING, and POSITIVE effects, in someone, somewhere, somehow, DESPITE what resists it, denies it, and refuses it: AT SOME POINT IT WILL manifest as harvest!!!

LOVE REMAINS no matter what; it allows us to stand strong in it, even if all hell is breaking loose around us! LOVE EMPOWERS, ENABLES, ENRICHES, ENDOWS, ENCOURAGES, and ENLIGHTENS, as it IS *GOD* in action, in TRUTH, visible, and ever touching what is in it's path!!!

LOVE KEEPS one consciously aware of what is right, just, and good, and FINDS one thinking, acting, and reacting according to *GOD'S* WILL, for those who are of HIM, and then, it branches out to PROVE HIM in us, to others, as they witness the goodness in us which flourishes of HIS LOVE which lives in us, and works in us, and exposes it's MIGHTY POWERS towards what IS HIS WILL!!!

Thus, we are TAUGHT the finer details of what EXEMPLIFIES LOVE in us; in other words, we LEARN to LIVE as LOVE, full of goodness, and charity, and all which CLEARLY provides testimony to HIM, and HIS WILL! We no longer act in the futility of the world, we act according to the beautiful POWERS OF GRACE, and are examples of righteousness for the world to see, that LOVE is KNOWN on diverse levels by the world, and that seeds are planted for those intended, for their growth, and development INTO HIM, even if initially, they are resistant, and skeptical! *GOD* IS SUPERNATURAL, and LOVE IS SUPERNATURAL; mysterious, and ALWAYS WORKING TOWARDS HIS WILL, and THE GOOD of ALL, and EVERYTHING!!!

The closer we come to THE LORD, the more LOVE STRENGTHENS us, in a wide array of ways, for it is LOVE which the antidote to all which is wrong with us, with the world! It DOESN'T matter if the LOVE we exhibit is received, is appreciated, or has an instant effect, LOVE CANNOT FAIL, for it IS *GOD*, and IS HIS WILL, and IS WHAT HOLDS ALL OF CREATION TOGETHER, THEREFORE, though we be stuck in places where LOVE is not evident, IT LIVES IN US, and thereby STRENGTHENS us TO live according to HIS WILL, LOVE!!!

LOVE sees PAST what we don't like about others, it is more elevated than the things we dislike, more GRACE-filled than our dislikes, period! As CHRIST died for sins that HE abhors, LOVE REMAINS in sight of what there is to dislike, thus, we do not have to like to LOVE, except for those we share our lives with, such as Spouses, Children, and other close ones, although, sometimes even these are not liked, nor are the things they do, but LOVE REMAINS, you see...

People misunderstand the fact that LOVE NEVER FAILS, because they only know mortal LOVE, which we won't get into, save for the fact that it is more fickle than not, HOWEVER those OF LOVE, and those IN LOVE, by *GOD*, SHOW that LOVE cannot fail as they endure, persevere, and SHARE HIM, no matter what! It is REMARKABLY BRILLIANT, and IS THE MOST SURE FACT OF ALL, and EVERYTHING, because *GOD* IS LOVE, and HE IS ETERNAL, without pause, without doubt, without change!!!

REV. LWINSOR © 2014
BIBLICAL, and/or other references marked BOLDLY IN COLOURS

BLESS THE LORD, PRAISE HIM ALWAYS, WORSHIP HIS HOLINESS, REJOICE IN HIS LOVING CARE FOR US, LOVE ONE ANOTHER, HONOUR HIM IN TRUTH, and SPIRIT, BE THANKFUL, and GRATEFUL, DO GOOD, and BE GOOD, PRAY CONSTANTLY, and EXALT HIM ENDLESSLY!!!