HEAVENLY INCLINED...: ARE YOU FAITHFUL???

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...

ARE YOU FAITHFUL???

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The only way the world is going to change for the better, is to put *GOD* FIRST! Now, millions of people might argue with this statement, but nothing is more factual---

You see, WHEN *GOD* IS FIRST in our hearts, HE is also, FIRST in our minds, then in our ways; therefore, most of what we think, say, or do, FOLLOWS HIM accordingly, SO, we are existing in RIGHTEOUSNESS, WHICH then, begins to blossom, flourish, and thrive all around us!!!

MUCH of what is happening in this hour IS because of the turning away from THE LORD *GOD* ALMIGHTY! There are consequences from within, from without, AND from HIM! When people go in opposition TO HIM, they are now like-minded to the world and it's ways, which for the record, is full of everything BUT righteousness, thus, things get darker, more wicked, and more volatile all the while...

Even people who proclaim CHRIST JESUS as LORD HAVE done a turnabout, although many are not aware of doing so, but that is what happens when we ALLOW the chaos to dominate OVER FAITH, and FAITHFULNESS, and before we know it, we are enmeshed IN the traps which the evil has set before us! This is WHY we MUST take our GIFT of FAITH, and MANAGE it, STRENGTHEN it, and SECURE it, ALWAYS! We are EASILY distracted, absorbed by events, and swayed by matters of the world, HOWEVER IF we spent even a fraction of the time we give to the world ON BUILDING, and ANCHORING our FAITH, we could ENDURE, and PERSEVERE JUST AS THE LORD HAS told us we can!!!

*GOD* IS PREEMINENT, and IS SOVEREIGN, therefore, HE WAS, IS, and EVERMORE SHALL BE LORD OF ALL IN CREATION, REGARDLESS of being ignored, denied, or defied! ALSO, HE HAS SPOKEN PROMISES, and CURSES, in which case, WHAT HE HAS SPOKEN WILL NOT COME BACK TO HIM EMPTY; ALL HIS WORDS WILL BE FULFILLED!!!

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In the order of existence on this Earth, *GOD* IS FIRST, and LOVE IS THE WAY! There is NO denying TRUTH as it SHALL BE FOREVERMORE! IF we were to TRY to exist IN HIM, and LOVE there would be NONE of the conflict we embrace as par for the course, because conflict is NOT OF HIM, INSTEAD of evil, wickedness, and negativity, which HAS been thrown in the mix, THOUGH NOT for embracing by us, INSTEAD for OVERCOMING, and DIMINISHING!!!

THE LORD *GOD* IS THE ONLY ONE WHO WILL LEAD one HONESTLY, EFFECTIVELY, and PRODUCTIVELY! People listen to others more than to HIM, and so, are often left confused, disappointed, and still searching, when all they had to do, IS TRUST *GOD*, and WAIT ON HIM! This is a point of FAITH in which FAITHFULNESS matters, because the results of FAITH, and HIS PROMISES are sometimes obscure, or without our recognition of them; they are intangible, though the effect WILL become tangible, and recognized somewhere in the process! When humans don't see what they hoped for, they lose will, and so, FAITHFULNESS IS FAITH IN ACTION NO MATTER WHAT...

In this current mess that too many call life, there is ONLY ONE TRUTHFUL BEING, and IN HIM do I place my RELIANCE more than ever! HE IS THE ONLY ONE I WILL FOLLOW; there is NOT a being on Earth I could rely on more than HIM, that is for sure! As many have said before me, I repeat, it might be a lonely journey FOLLOWING HIM, BUT I KNOW IT IS THE SOLE SAFE PATH that HE has put before me!!!

We are going to get into the very depths of FAITH and FAITHFULNESS this coming year; it IS imperative that we do so, for we HAVE gone FAR FROM THE LORD, and HAVE misconstrued the whole of HIS WILL, partly because we have been deceived by the world, and partly because we are mesmerized by everything in it!!!

*GOD* GAVE us FAITH; IT IS A GIFT, and NOT to be taken lightly, ESPECIALLY as HE draws near! We ARE TO PREPARE for HIM, which BEGINS WITHIN, then SHINES without! IF we TRULY FOLLOW HIM we will BE JUBILANT IN aligning FAITHFULLY, TO HIS WILL, and WAYS, which in turn, sees HIS HAND forever guiding, directing, protecting, and providing for us!!!