HEAVENLY INCLINED...: SEASONAL MUSING...

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...

SEASONAL MUSING...

Deep, mysterious, and beautiful IS THE LORD'S PLAN to SAVE HIS own---

From the beginning, until the end, THE PLAN exhibits brilliantly, the LOVE of *GOD* for HIS own, while HE teaches us to step into TRUTH, and bit by bit, OVERCOME, IN HIS NAME, the wicked devices of HIS, and our, evil enemy! At our CREATION, all was perfect according to HIS WILL, but alas, HIS enemy, who is the epitome of pride, and self-inclination; jealous, and vile, came rapidly upon the scene in order for his ego to disprove*GOD*, which the first humans too readily, bit into, and thus, were affected by as their trust in *GOD* was tested, and their personal desires were awakened and enticed...

This enemy, USED THE WORD of *GOD* in SOME semblance of TRUTH, albeit a twisted semblance, which appealed to the senses of those first people! The enemy IS well-versed, intelligent, cunning, and has, through knowledge, the power to DECEIVE us in ways that pique our senses, and at the same time, lessen our sensibility! Despite his imagining that this reiterates his power over *GOD'S*, the opposite is true, for THROUGH his self-absorption, and deception, THE POWERS OF THE LORD *GOD*, CHRIST JESUS, KING, and SAVIOUR of Mankind, IS PROVEN, ESTABLISHED, and ETERNAL!!!

*GOD* gave the angels, and humans free will! IN HIS LOVE, HE is just, and fair: LOVE does NOT demand, instead commands of itself, and so, IN GOOD WILL, HE allows for free will, THAT those who LOVE HIM, and one another, are doing so because of inbred goodness, and NOT because they must! In this free will, a multitude of choices exist, and since evil, since sin came into the picture, these choices are increased, as well as the influences therein, which, WITHOUT *GOD* can lead one far astray, as deception vies for our attention!!!

The enemy used his free will to please himself, and NOT *GOD*, in which case, he was cast to the Earth, and has since, been working diligently to disprove LOVE, goodness, justness, and all which is OF *GOD*, thus us! Pride IS at work, and IS a viable combatant AGAINST THE LORD, and HIS people! AND because so many have NOT CHOSEN THE LORD, or do not KNOW HIM, pride, and it's effects, sin, HAS caused the great many woes in this world! The enemy is SURE that he can take more people away from THE LORD *GOD* than not, and so...

It IS ALL ABOUT CHRIST JESUS, THE LORD, and HIS WILL; it HAS been since BEFORE the foundations of the world were laid, and BEFORE any of us came into existence! SOVEREIGN IS THE LORD, in which case, THE PROOF heads towards TOTAL fruition!!!

SO sure is the enemy, he imagined death on Earth to be the end of all of us, body, mind, and soul, as we let our choices lead us astray, but THE LORD *GOD* HAS SHOWN him his folly, which WAS in motion long before evil had its way with us, and WORKS FOR HIS ETERNAL GLORY, in which not one trace of evil shall remain!!!

CHRIST JESUS came to SAVE Mankind from what is NOT LOVE; from enmity, from suffering, from ALL which opposes *GOD*, and what is *GODLY*! WE WERE CREATED TO SERVE THE LORD *GOD* ALMIGHTY, KING OF KINGS, LORD OF LORDS, AS a HOLY people, AND HIS WILL HAS SHOWN that DESPITE the BEST efforts of the enemy, HIS OWN SHALL ARISE OVER all which is of this world, TO SHARE FOREVER, IN THE GLORY OF *GOD*!!!

Hence, we have CHRISTmas; the celebration of the prophesied, and REALIZED birth of CHRIST JESUS, SAVIOUR and LORD! It IS a time to CELEBRATE HIS LOVE for us, and to STEP INTO that LOVE in TRUTH, and spirit! As we exist in this realm, so troubled, so violent, so FAR REMOVED from LOVE, we OUGHT to be able to SEE THE WAY OF LOVE which IS SO WILLING TO bring us INTO ITSELF, that A PLAN WAS, and IS WORKING FOR THE GOOD OF THOSE WHO SEEK HIM!!!

Opposition, and oppression exist, YES, but NOT because of THE LORD *GOD*, instead because of the DENIAL, and DEFIANCE OF HIM, OF LOVE, and OF OUR TRUTH! IN free will, we HAVE been lured into what is against THE LORD, and us, BECAUSE we are weakened BY our own will OVER HIS! UNTIL we CHOOSE THE LORD, HIS WILL, and HIS WAY, we are lost, vulnerable to the works of inequity, and our very souls are endangered! THE LORD HAS SHOWN US THE WAY, and HAS EXEMPLIFIED it WITH HIS own flesh, and blood, as HE came to the world, and died FOR us, IN ALL HIS GLORY!!!

BLESSED IS THE LORD *GOD* ALMIGHTY, and BEAUTIFUL IS HIS PLAN to SAVE us! WHY anyone would refuse HIM, or HIS PLAN is beyond me, but it happens far too frequently, as the TRUTH of EACH IS PROVEN; right or wrong!!!

We, the members of HIS BODY, THE CHURCH, HAVE work to do FOR the INCREASE of what is OF *GOD*, and the decrease of the lost! NOW in this HOLY season, let us RENEW our allegiance TO HIM, and REFLECT HIM in all we think, say, or do, FOR HIS GLORY, and for more souls to be welcomed into THE HOLY, and ETERNAL KINGDOM OF *GOD*!!!

PRAISE THE LORD, WORSHIP HIS HOLINESS, and REJOICE IN HIS LOVE, GRACE, MERCY, and CARE for us, whom without HIM, would be lost forevermore! YES, REJOICE, BE THANKFUL, BE GRATEFUL, and EXALT HIM EVERMORE!!!

REV. LWINSOR © 2015