HEAVENLY INCLINED...: *GOD* & THE NEW YEAR...

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...

GOD & THE NEW YEAR...

The New Year! What is it that makes us revere this so much???---

All I know is that it is another GIFT of time, though we are wise to remember that we have no control over the hours, so that time might last a year, or years more, or it might not! NONE of what we celebrate concerning the New Year is anything more than what we want it to be...

ONE thing that OUGHT to lead this New Year is THE LORD *GOD* as we TRUST in HIM, and RELY ON HIM to do so! HE IS PREEMINENT, and our FIRST order of this GIFT of days MUST be to place HIM FIRST OVER EVERYTHING else, as ONLY in this way WILL there be Blessings, good will, and good tidings...

In the beginning, and now, near the end, NOTHING shall prevail without *GOD*; HE WAS, HE IS, and HE EVERMORE SHALL BE, AMEN! WHATEVER you need, IS found in HIM, though HE is NOT like a magical being granting wishes; instead, HE IS A FATHER to CREATION and IS the source, and core of LOVE, in which case HE BLESSES those who BLESS HIM, and others; those that TURN TO HIM FOR REAL, and COUNT ON HIM for EVERYTHING!!!

The New Year is best filled by what *GOD* CAN GIVE, rather than chasing after what the world might offer; HIS GIFTS ARE LASTING, HEALING, PRODUCTIVE, COMFORTING, and FULL of GOODNESS! What you seek IN HIS NAME IS that which WILL provide for you in ways you never expected, or hoped for; THE LORD IS ALMIGHTY and CARES for HIS people, but realize, it IS a two way deal, even though it is true HE will forgive you more than you care to change to please HIM...

CHRIST JESUS came into the world to lead the exodus TO THE KINGDOM; NOTHING on Earth has power to grant us anything other than what is worldly, carnal, and fleeting! IN HIS NAME we are URGED to get in line, ON THE PATH, and FOLLOW HIM, WHILE REFLECTING HIS BEAUTIFUL NATURE, HIS LOVE, HIS GRACE and HIS MERCY, LEAVING the pulls of the world behind, and appreciating what lies ahead! EVERY minute of every hour of every day IS a fresh start to do so...

Humanity WASTES much of their *GOD* GIVEN time on Earth on matters that have NO REAL significance, except to the egocentric being! We glorify people in various ways, as well as things, and places, FAR more easily, and consistently, than we do THE LORD, which IS a problem, now, and forever!!!

When the clock struck midnight on New Year's Eve, it WAS *GOD'S* doing! As the day approached it WAS HIS GIFT to us! Should we finish out the year, it WILL BE HIS WILL fulfilled, not ours, though we pretend like we are all-powerful, all-knowing, all, and everything, and I tell you, IT IS TIME FOR A SHIFT in the self-inclination into which we have been reared, for it KEEPS us FROM our TRUTH, THE LORD *GOD* ALMIGHTY!!!

May we ACKNOWLEDGE ourselves FOR REAL, and work to improve upon what we know is faulty, and flawed within, and NOT blame others for our shortcomings, or problems. There is NO victimization IF we are ONE with THE LORD, instead there is the knowledge of BEING MADE WHOLE AS we journey home!!!

In 2022, I feel that people need to set aside a while to study themselves, and to recognize whom they are, as TOO many are utterly convinced that THEY are superior, but really, they know better; they simply refuse to check themselves, or to remember themselves, while they relish being in the seat of self-proclaimed judge of the world, AS IF! We CAN DO BETTER, and SURELY, we MUST DO better, because we are taking this globe down in destruction rapidly, AND without recourse, or being able to alter the consequences...

*GOD* IS THE ANSWER; HE IS THE ANTIDOTE: HE IS THE WAY: HE IS THE TRUTH: HE IS THE LIGHT, and we BETTER get WITH HIM WHILE there is time, because HE IS ON THE MOVE, and we know NOT when HE WILL APPEAR TO TAKE BACK HIS world!!!