HEAVENLY INCLINED...: GROWING ON...

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...

GROWING ON...

I got a bit wrapped up in the events of the world in recent weeks, and so, took a short break to shake off some of those effects, that I am reminded of TRUTH OVER all else---

We are taught to keep our minds on matters of THE LORD, and HIS WILL; on that which is wholesome, just, right, and good; whatever is TRUE, honourable, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, and whatever brings us to PRAISE, to WORSHIP! That which is of the world WILL take us captive, distance us from TRUTH, and our LORD; then is used as an opening for err, for sin, for faltering...

When the world seems to be full of wrongs, of awful sufferings, and so forth, we tend to react in more human ways than in spiritual ways, though we MUST retain the WAYS of THE LORD OVER all else, especially when it is most difficult to do so, BECAUSE it is not only THE WILL OF *GOD* that we do so, it IS for our own all around safety, stability, health, and continued progression! That which is of the world IS hell bent on bringing us into it's endless snares, captivating us, and ultimately trapping us, thus we ARE bid to REMAIN IN THE POWERS OF *GOD'S* LOVE, which inspires self-control, as well as the ability to endure, persevere, and withstand what is of this world! There are roughly 100 BIBLE references concerning our thoughts, and the mind, ALL of which point us TO TRUTH which IS that we are NOW OF THE KINGDOM, NOT of the world, hence our thoughts should be RAISED TO THE HEAVENS, TO THE LORD, and NOT limited to this plane...

Staggering IS the aftermath of noting all the wrongs in this world, and as they increase, it DOES cause us to gasp, to ponder, to wonder, and so forth, HOWEVER, we mustn't cling to reactions; instead, we must put everything in a spiritual perspective, PRAY, PRAISE, WORSHIP, HONOUR, and THANK THE LORD FOR the knowledge to be able to do so, THAT we are NOT taken prisoner by what is common to this fading ball of woes! As wickedness, evil, stubbornness, hostility, violence, rebellion, and other negatives increase, we MUST REMAIN ELEVATED on HIGHER GROUNDS IN CHRIST JESUS, our LORD *GOD*, albeit we think, act, and react, and move forward, NOT granting ease to the enemy TO trip, and trap us! NEVER forget, those who COME TO *GOD* ARE going to be tested and tried perpetually AS the enemy IS sure we WILL fall!!!

Anyway, my heart aches for wrongs, for the sufferings, for the total disregard OF the FACT that there IS an alternative TO the ways of the world, and it seems the worse things get, the more disregard for this fact, which then, causes me more anguish BECAUSE I WISH for ALL TO SEE, TO HEAR, TO KNOW, and TO CHOOSE RIGHTLY! Then I grieve a bit, all the while PRAYING, even crying TO THE LORD, while aiming to heal, and move on! I DON'T dwell too long in such matters as I am NOT subject to them, instead I AM subject TO THE LORD *GOD* ALMIGHTY, but that doesn't mean I am exempt from them or their effects, or immune to them; it simply means, I experience, consider, prioritize, then advance, HOPEFULLY with more knowledge, and understanding, as well as greater ability to do so free from the weighty baggage which aims to keep me bound...

It AIN'T easy to navigate this world AS a citizen of HEAVEN, YET WITH *GOD* ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE, and OUR role IS, in part, to FEEL what others cannot, or don't; to LEARN from such, and to LIFT everyone UP IN PRAYERS! WE ARE SO ESSENTIAL TO HIS WILL, in SO many ways, though we often, are way more comfortable NOT engaging, and leaving it up to HIM! WITHOUT US the world would NEVER SEE HIM, and NEVER KNOW THAT HE IS WITH US, and IS WORKING IN us, THROUGH us, and AROUND us; the enemy IS working overtime to ensure it!!!

NOPE, we CAN'T let ourselves be swayed into being sucked up into the vacuum of the evils of this world! We are NOT OF THE WORLD, and so, despite having to experience, and endure the harsh realities of this plane, we HAVE TO REMAIN IN THE LORD, THAT we remain FREE!!!

LWINSOR © 2017
BIBLICAL, and/or other references marked BOLDLY IN COLOURS