HEAVENLY INCLINED...: THE GLORY OF SERVING...

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 GLORY OF SERVING...

We were not only born to SERVE, but were CREATED to SERVE---

There is no escaping THE TRUTH, we are made to SERVE *GOD*! Servitude is so innately part of us that we WILL serve either rightfully, or wrongfully! Though through the enemy we largely IGNORE our TRUTH, it CANNOT be altered, and whom we serve determines our end...

IF we LOVE *GOD* OVER the self, it is NATURAL to want to SERVE HIM; for HE IS *GOD*, and HAS CREATED us with GREAT intention! Free will was given to the angels, and to us, TO distinguish between the FAITHFUL, and those who serve themselves, which the enemy HAS used in every possible way to shroud THE TRUTH, to twist it, to confuse us with, and to guide us far away from! He detests us with all he has, thus, he HAS devised endless ways to bind us to what is false, what works against us, and what will place our very souls in danger...

CHRIST JESUS, FULLY *GOD*, and FULLY Man, laid aside HIS OWN MAJESTY to come to Earth to SERVE! HE died a most tragic, and awful death FOR US, and TO FULFILL THE WILL OF *GOD* HIS FATHER! HE IS THE EPITOME OF SERVANTHOOD, LEAVING for us THE BEST EXAMPLES of why, and how to SERVE! It IS HIM to WHOM we should look in order to grasp, and exist in right-mindedness!!!

Recall HE said that whoever is the least is the greatest in HEAVEN (LUKE 9: 48)! Foremost, HE was indirectly referring to HIMSELF, though the message speaks volumes of the HUMILITY which SEES us SERVING HIM, and others, while putting the self last; KNOWING that it WILL be rewarded in the long haul, and IS FOR HIS GLORY, and the greater good of others in this time!!!

ALL BIBLICAL PROPHECY referred to CHRIST JESUS as THE SERVANT; HE refers to HIMSELF as a SERVANT; HE acts as a SERVANT; HE CAME TO SERVE ALL!!!

The GREATEST LEADER EVER, THE SON OF MAN, SON OF *GOD*, WAS A SERVANT: it is said that great leadership CANNOT exist without SERVING, and from what we know about our LORD, and SAVIOUR, we SEE THE TRUTH in the SOUND principle of this ideal! ONLY through lowering oneself, can one understand, and relate to others whom they intend to lead! ONLY by placing oneself as LESS important can one hope to lead effectively! SIMPLE IS THE WISDOM OF *GOD* to embrace, though MADE complex by deception, pride, falsehoods, and other effects of the enmity of this world! The enemy of *GOD* HATES the notion of serving, because he wants to be as *GOD*, and be served, thus, in his egocentric sense of entitlement, he works overtime to divert us from THE TRUTH!!!

PERHAPS we have such a distorted view of serving, and servitude due to the ways humans have treated servants! PERHAPS we DON'T SEE the BEAUTY in the concept, NOR THE UNDENIABLE STATURE OF THE LORD *GOD* ALMIGHTY! PERHAPS we NEED to humble ourselves more FOR the LIGHT to SHINE on us!!!

Our PRIDE does NOT want to SERVE, it convinces us we are the ones who should be served; and we KNOW that PRIDE IS what separated us from *GOD*, and keeps us away from HIM! MOST modern societies do NOT understand kingdoms, aristocracy, since there are but a few, HOWEVER, we KNOW from THE BIBLE THAT THE LORD IS SOVEREIGN KING OF KINGS, and RULER OVER ALL IN CREATION; HE IS THE LORD *GOD* ALMIGHTY; THE GREAT I AM; THE MOST HIGH *GOD*; and IS WITHOUT BEGINNING OR END, WHOM WE SERVE as HE HAS CREATED us to, FOR HIS GLORY, and for our companionship, in which we WILL share in HIS GLORY forever, and more! NO ONE else is WORTHY OF SERVING as we SERVE HIM; although we ARE to serve people FOR the sake of their souls ALSO being brought INTO HIM, and THE ETERNAL KINGDOM!!!

It is NOT demeaning to SERVE THE LORD, then others; it DOES ELEVATE the being! CHRIST JESUS was treated negatively all the while HE was on this plane, but HE NEVER felt less than what HE IS, and did NOT react to such in negativity; INSTEAD, HE HELD ONTO THE TRUTH of what HE was accomplishing, AND the GREATER GOOD of HIS SERVITUDE!!!

Our end lot would NOT be favourable IF THE LORD did not SERVE us! IF HE had NOT come to this world to SAVE those of THE KINGDOM, the only alternative is eternal hell! Can we NOT SEE THE BEAUTY of HIS SERVITUDE, and TAKE it to heart for WHAT it IS, and DOES???

In this HOLY season of Easter, we OUGHT to be studying CHRIST JESUS in EVERY aspect of HIS BEAUTIFUL being, while ADAPTING to, and ADHERING TO HIM, HIS WILL, HIS WAYS, and HIS WORD IN the best of our abilities, THAT we begin anew, with MORE ALLEGIANCE TO HIM, and HIS BLESSEDNESS! HE ALONE, TEACHES us, and LEADS us past the faulty ways of the world, and INTO HIS GLORY! NOTHING we learn of this world, save for what directs us to HIM, IS more imperative than what we LEARN FROM HIM! HE HAS BEEN THERE, DONE THAT; IS our LORD, COUNSELOR, MEDIATOR, GUIDE, and ALL WE NEED TO make the journey HOME!!!

SERVING IS DIVINE, SHOWN BY HE WHOM IS EXCLUSIVELY DIVINE, HOLY, PURE, RIGHTEOUS, GOOD, LOVE, and PERFECT! UNLESS we can lower ourselves to BE RAISED, we are NOT FOLLOWING HIM, HEEDING HIM, nor IN HIM! As difficult as it IS to shed the world, it's ways, and it's influences, we MUST for we are NOT of this world; that is IF we claim HIM as our LORD *GOD*! Let us then, LEARN to humble ourselves, strip off the carnal being, step INTO the spirit, SERVE, and REFLECT HIS GLORY; it IS THE WAY of LOVE, and IS that which WILL see us reaping abundantly!!!

REV. LWINSOR © 2016
BIBLICAL, and/or other references marked BOLDLY IN COLOURS