HEAVENLY INCLINED...: GRASPING THE CROSS...

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...

GRASPING THE CROSS...

What a profound, and true statement of FAITH! ALL through the ages, since CHRIST JESUS appeared, the trend HAS been to high-five HIM, and the message, then, move along! Yah, HE remains in the background, but the TRUTH of the cross is lost, and ignored, BECAUSE HIS SACRIFICE was to BRING us UNTO HIM IN SPIRIT, and TRUTH, NOT in lip-service, or merely in thought! We, ALSO, were CALLED to DIE to the flesh, and LIVE IN THE SPIRIT...

WITHIN THE Church we have endless examples of this! MANY leaders of THE Church continue in their errs, and even pursue more, as they, before their congregants, thank CHRIST JESUS, but later, delve into their personal, and chosen acts of the flesh, and TOO, many of the people, do the same...

Let me tell you, it is NOT easy to be in groups of Christians whom believe that the high five is enough, and they will NOT listen if you mention otherwise! These ARE those of two-minds, and whom CANNOT fathom parting with the world in favour of THE KINGDOM! They WANT the best of both, which just CANNOT be, yet, they will NOT even bother to know the facts, for then, they might find that TRUTH says they are wrong, and they would have to reassess their FAITH, and their existence according TO HIS WILL, and WAYS!!!

Lusts, greed, and other of the deadly sins URGE people to believe that they ARE alright in doing whatever they want, and that *GOD* wants them to be happy in this world! NOT! *GOD* WANTS us to RECOGNIZE, then adhere to THE FACT THAT THIS IS NOT our home, and that we are citizens of HEAVEN, NOT of the Earth, which IS a game-changer, and a being changer, as well!!!

Denial, and defiance MISLEAD greatly, and yet, ARE SO enabling that even some of the knowledgeable continue towards the slippery slope, from which there is NO return, UNLESS there IS TRUE repentance, which IS a change in conduct, CONFORMING TO THE LORD *GOD* ALMIGHTY, and HIS WILL!!!

The narrative IS that we TURN TO HIM, and that we CANNOT serve any other MASTER, or desire, for in doing so, there IS conflict, indeed! Where two affections come into collision, the weaker must give way. IN TURNING TO HIM, there IS ACKNOWLEDGEMENT THAT we are lost, and NEED HIM TO LEAD us, and to perfect us, according TO HIS PLAN! In this acknowledgement, there IS WILLINGNESS TO be MADE WHOLE, and TO nail our errs/sins on the cross, and BECOME THE NEW BEING, which ISN'T really new, AS THIS IS WHOM HE CREATED us to BE, IN HIS IMAGE, NOT of the flesh...

HOW crazy it is to THINK that one can WORSHIP ARIGHT, while unzipping their pants in lust, partying all the time, or feeding any of many addictions, or greedily satisfying the carnal being! It just DOESN'T work that way! We ARE to surrender the flesh THAT the spiritual being IS SANCTIFIED FOR HIS HOLY USE, in which case, the deadly sins have been cast away, and while this might not happen all at once, we GRIP ONTO HIM, and the cross, AS those sins are eradicated, more, more, and more, until we are PURELY HIS! We ARE TO BE HIS HOLY PRIESTHOOD, MADE WHOLE FOR HIM, AND HIS GLORY, THAT the evil of this world is forever, laid low!!!

People are bored to death THINKING of how their time in this realm would be without their CHOSEN desires being fulfilled, SO, they PRETEND that they are ignorant, OR they BLATANTLY DENY TRUTH, THAT they might continue to do what they WANT, which IS SO obvious, ESPECIALLY TO THE FLAWLESS GENIUS, LORD *GOD*!!!

CHRIST JESUS HAS said that when HE returns, HE WILL sit separating the sheep from the goats, and MANY will ask WHY they are being denied, in which case, THEIR denial of HIM in their days on this planet WILL be the reason, and in that IS the attitude of choice within, meaning better could ALWAYS be done, but many chose to forget, or avoid TRUTH! STILL, they will fight as they are being denied, FOR their ways! Sad, oh so sad! NONE of us will be perfect in this time, BUT we are BID to BE OPEN TO HIM WORKING IN us, that more, and more, WE ARE PROOF OF HIM! There is GREAT PURPOSE, and REASON FOR us TO CHANGE our ways according TO HIM, and HIS WILL, WHICH involves RESCUING souls from death, and darkness, and to SERVE HIM through the masses!!!

See, the difference IS that SOME CHOOSE to BE whom HE CREATED them to be, while the rest CHOOSE to remain the same! Our thoughts, words, actions, and reactions POINT TO TRUTH, no matter how much charade there might be!!!

"BE HOLY AS I AM HOLY", IS HIS COMMAND TO HIS CHOSEN! HOLINESS does NOT involve sating the carnal being, because the carnal is NOT HOLY! ONLY *GOD* can MAKE us HOLY, through CHRIST JESUS, the cross, and the HOLY SPIRIT, BUT we HAVE TO submit to HIM, and partake in HIS WILL...

Religion is worth every thing; all who believe the truth of it, will come up to the price, and make every thing else yield to it. The disciples of Christ must think more how to do well, than how to speak well. In case of great peril, the disciples of Christ may go out of the way of danger, though they must not go out of the way of duty.

Once again, CHOICES matter, and in these needs to be conscientiousness, which is FAITHFULNESS! Whatever our choices, we are slaves to them, be those to FOLLOW, and SERVE THE LORD *GOD* ALMIGHTY, or not, and consequences ensue! It makes NO sense to me to choose to yield to the flesh instead of THE LORD, for the end is death forever! When we yield to THE LORD, LIFE IS ETERNAL, and full of benevolences of every kind...

This old world IS becoming increasingly dangerous, calloused, evil, and hardhearted, therefore, the end could be in the next moment, we just don't know. ALL I wish for is that everyone CONSIDER the contrast, and the importance of knowing the VAST difference between existing carnally, or IN THE LORD *GOD*, for souls ARE at risk, and I wouldn't want ANY to be lost due to ignorance, or defiance, albeit each has FREE WILL, TOO many haven't a clue to the DEEPER effects in choosing wrongly!!!

CHRIST JESUS, BLESS HIM, came to DIE for us, and left THE WAY OF THE CROSS before us, THAT we might accept LIFE, and cast off the heavy yoke of falsehoods, and death, which this world places upon us, VIA our lack of comprehension concerning the evil rule of this realm! HE OFFERS us FREEDOM, HOPE, PEACE, and ETERNAL JOY, IF only we TURN TO HIM, and take up our cross, and FOLLOW HIM SINCERELY, and in compliance TO HIS WILL! HOW WONDROUS HIS GIFT(S), and HIS WAY PAST the trips, and traps which the wicked world aspires to take us down with!!!

TODAY, MAKE the RIGHT choice, and be counted among the BLESSED! Taste, see, and feel the ABSOLUTELY POSITIVE change(s) involved! LET THE LORD LIFT you TO THE HEIGHTS OF WISDOM, and LOVE, and experience well-being such as you've not yet known!!!

LWINSOR © 2019
BIBLICAL, and/or other references marked BOLDLY IN COLOURS