HEAVENLY INCLINED...: SUNDAY'S SACRED SCRIPTURES...

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 LORD grants us yet another day,
Which we spend however, even in the most foolish way,
Not fully regarding that HIS WORD shall never sway,
Nor that HIS DAY of DAYS will not, forever delay... (lw '16)---

Just as it was way back when, there is NEED for us to open our hearts, our eyes, and our ears TO *GOD*; to acknowledge our errs, to correct them, and to realize that we cannot EXPECT from *GOD* if we are not willing to relinquish our hold on the self, or that of the world...

We SUFFER from our own wrongs, and wrong-mindedness; there is no way to avoid the TRUTH, for THE LORD HAS put before us our role IN HIS WILL, and the steps TO THE PATH of RIGHTEOUSNESS...

The following Scripture finds Isaiah PRAYING on behalf of the people, whom are troubled on every side, and can't quite figure out WHY their fasts, and cries unto THE LORD are not seeing results! There is great denial, even refusal, whether knowingly or not, of the NEED to HONESTLY, and SINCERELY come before THE LORD, in TRUE repentance, void of practiced rituals which are thought to invoke HIM, but which, without earnestness, are merely theatrical!!!

WHILE CHRIST JESUS HAS come to save us from our sins, GRACE does not open up to more, or greater sin; instead, GRACE inspires grace to flow from us, body, mind, and spirit, as we ADAPT TO TRUTH, LOVE, HIS WILL, HIS WAYS, and HIS WORD, which then, evidences HIM in us, via our thoughts, actions, and reactions! Such IS what PLEASES THE LORD, no matter that we might still stumble, trip, and fall, for we ARE WILLINGLY ALLOWING HIM TO TRANSFORM us, and HAVE left the flesh behind in favour of the soul!!!

NOTHING hinders a relationship with *GOD* more than a person's denial of err, or refusal to grow past such! ALL through THE WORD, there IS a trend to heed THE LORD for a while, then to discard HIM entirely in favour of the world, and satiation of the flesh! WHEN one proclaims CHRIST JESUS as their SAVIOUR, their flesh HAS been as crucified, and they are NOW spirit; existing in matters of THE SPIRIT, FOR HIS GLORY, the sake of the soul, and for the good of others! Our FAITH opens UP to FAITHFULNESS, which IS FIDELITY TO HIM entirely, AND to our ROLE IN THE COVENANT which HAS come forth of a LOVE SO PURE, HE CAME to die for our RIGHT TO THE KINGDOM, but in which there IS a NECESSARY surrender, and allegiance to, AS we LEARN WHY our choices, and behaviours HAVE the power to DISTANCE, or ALIENATE THE LORD!!!

Yesterday, today, and tomorrow people WILL whine, moan, and cry BECAUSE they IGNORE THE WHOLE TRUTH, still EXPECTING from THE LORD *GOD*, but are NOT willing to SACRIFICE IN HIS NAME, HONESTLY, and as COMPLETELY as is feasible, AS HE DID FOR US! It MIGHT cause us to suffer TO align TO THE LORD, but that bit of suffering is NOTHING like the suffering we experience in this world, and WILL be cause for JOY ETERNALLY, while those who chose the suffering of the world OVER the suffering of being TRANSFORMED, will suffer evermore...

So, we see that UNLESS we ARE TRULY SEEKING ONENESS WITH THE LORD, our moans and groans are vain! It IS a TWO WAY PATH TO RIGHTEOUSNESS, and HE HAS TO BE THE CENTER OF our attentions, focus, and intentions! Yah, people wail that *GOD* SEEMS to be too far away, or not listening, and yet, many of these only consider HIM WHEN they need something...

There is NO LIGHT WITHOUT THE LORD *GOD*; there is NO WAY past this world without CHRIST JESUS; there is NO TRUTH without acknowledgement, and willingness! It IS a PROCESS, and DOES take time, URGING renouncement of the world, YET IT IS WORTH MORE THAN ALL IN 100 worlds could possibly hope to offer!!!

ISAIAH 59: 9-15...
9+++Therefore justice is far from us,
And righteousness does not overtake us;
We hope for light, but behold, darkness,
For brightness, but we walk in gloom.

10+++We grope along the wall like blind men,
We grope like those who have no eyes;
We stumble at midday as in the twilight,
Among those who are vigorous we are like dead men.

11+++All of us growl like bears,
And moan sadly like doves;
We hope for justice, but there is none,
For salvation, but it is far from us.

12+++For our transgressions are multiplied before You,
And our sins testify against us;
For our transgressions are with us,
And we know our iniquities:

13+++Transgressing and denying the LORD,
And turning away from our God,
Speaking oppression and revolt,
Conceiving in and uttering from the heart lying words.

14+++Justice is turned back,
And righteousness stands far away;
For truth has stumbled in the street,
And uprightness cannot enter.

15+++Yes, truth is lacking;
And he who turns aside from evil makes himself a prey.
Now the LORD saw,
And it was displeasing in His sight that there was no justice.

If we shut our eyes against the light of Divine truth, it is just with God to hide from our eyes the things that belong to our peace. The sins of those who profess themselves God's people, are worse than the sins of others. And the sins of a nation bring public judgments, when not restrained by public justice. Men may murmur under calamities, but nothing will truly profit while they reject Christ and his gospel.