HEAVENLY INCLINED...: WHAT WE MUST DO...

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...

WHAT WE MUST DO...

I feel fortunate to be alive today; there are many, many throughout the world whom have been taken lately. The 'experts' here in the USA are spreading more doom, and gloom, but few people are willing to take heed, or even care anymore! They say the next few months will be a like a category 5 hurricane in respect to increased cases, thanks to the new variants, along with other criteria. That kind of rocked me; I am concerned because there is a tendency to ignore all the matters that will promote, and extend life; not many want to consider how much of this is on us, and our choices---

How prone are we to forego the consolations of the Holy Spirit, for the worthless joys of the enthusiast and hypocrite---

How irrational we are to discount the prominence of THE LORD in this earthly existence, AND, a great many of our woes, of our sufferings derive from such unwise carelessness! HE WAS, IS, and EVERMORE SHALL BE, PLUS, HE IS THE ONE TO RESCUE us, RENEW us, and RESTORE us, so, it makes little sense that many refute HIM, or HIS ABSOLUTE SIGNIFICANCE to EACH BREATH, of EACH MOMENT, of EACH DAY in this realm!

We concern ourselves with matters that are silly, idiotic, and totally unproductive! We partake in things that have only as much weight as the thoughts that allowed them! We WASTE time being involved with the ill workings of this world, AND IF we could flip that energy towards THE LORD *GOD*, well, there would be a POSITIVE, HEALTHY, and THRIVING change all around...

PRAYERS, REPENTANCE, DEVOTION, and LOVE ARE OF VALUE, and CARRY WEIGHT! IF we would SHIFT our attention, and intention, a whole better future would be!

Since the beginning of this pandemic, we have had ample opportunity to TURN TO *GOD* FOR what we need, both to make it through this, and to improve the quality of existence in this time, but no!, people are wrapped up in issues that are nothing more than distractions, and snares of the evil one, and those cohorts! MANY times throughout history, *GOD* HAS restored the people who turn to HIM, and align to HIS WILL, though so few actually believe it, or embrace HIS ALMIGHTY POWERS these days, it seems. People are too busy with all of the lies, delusions, and aggravations thus, their rationale is skewed...

I KNOW that IF we would HUMBLE ourselves, acknowledge ourselves, repent, and PRAY, that HE WOULD DELIVER us from what is closing in on us! It is frustrating as people will NOT heed this, nor HIM, yet they will devote 24 hours to the nonsense of the day; arguing, fighting, and contributing to the unrest, and worse, which is only making things MORE chaotic, and problematic, indeed! You see, when you ignore, or deny, or defy THE LORD, HE is far off, and reluctantly allows us to hit the depths of the bottom THAT we REALIZE HIS POWER TO make things right again...

The ANSWER to our problems IS SO within our reach, but we are LOST as can be in the buzz of the hour! *GOD* IS WAITING, but few are calling on HIM, hence, expect more woes...

We will engage in the most contentious battles, IMAGING that we are able to win them alone, WITHOUT ever admitting that WITH *GOD*, we could! We are smugly arrogant in our pride, and independence, as if that were the way! Over, and over, and over it HAS been proven that our wrong choices work against us, yet, repeatedly, we still believe in self over all else, including THE LORD *GOD* who MADE us, and IS SOVEREIGN LORD OVER ALL, EVERYTHING, and EVERYONE!

In this time, LOVE has all but died out! Sure there is that love associated with lust, power, greed, and the rest of the negative alternates, but TRUE LOVE has nearly disappeared from the face of the earth, and that means darkness, gloom, indifference, and more, paves the direction from now on...

It DOESN'T HAVE to be like this; we ARE better than we exhibit, or pretend not to be! We COULD radically change things for the GOOD IF we WANTED to!

Disaster upon disaster IS at the door, and we are ensuring, in our wrong-mindedness that it WILL affect us, down to the last one! Everyone is SO absorbed in the struggles, and adding to them, causing TRUTH to be taken even farther from us! FEW are those who CONSIDER what is happening, or what the future holds, for the sake of WHAT?, who knows?

The net HAS been cast over the earth, and the earthly; even those who KNOW *GOD*, and better than to be brought low! SOMETHING HAS TO GIVE; IT REALLY DOES, otherwise, well, where we are headed is worse than we could know, and the whole matter is that it CAN be altered IF we STOP the madness, and stand UPRIGHT IN THE NAME OF *GOD*!!!

Very disheartening it is to bear witness as we humans destroy ourselves by ALLOWING ourselves to be captivated by the very things that ARE destructive, and venomous! Despite MANY knowing *GOD* IS THE WAY, reminders, and inspirations fall on deaf ears, and minds too distant to remember, and that is a problem FOR THE CHURCH, and those that SERVE HIM, and others...

Believe it, time IS shorter than you think, and what is to come is nearer than you know!!!

Those who will, PRAY as you have never PRAYED before! May *GOD* hear us, and may HE have MERCY on us!!!

BIBLICAL, and/or other references marked BOLDLY IN COLOURS