HEAVENLY INCLINED...: A TERRIBLE DAY IN CONNECTICUT...

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...

A TERRIBLE DAY IN CONNECTICUT...

Oh my! I have been gone since I posted earlier today, totally unaware of the tragedy in Connecticut! How awful for those Families! It just breaks my heart! Parents TRUST their Children are safe in School, and, Teachers, as well as other Faculty members should feel safe in their workplace, though, in recent years, there have been some mind boggling scenarios! Then, on top of it, the 20 year old shooter was a Teacher's Child! His Brother said that he had a history of mental illness, and, ironically, 2 of the 3 guns used/found in this act of violence were registered to his Mother, whom he killed before he went to her place of employment...

28 precious lives, of which 20 of them were very young Children, between the ages of 5 & 10, along with 8 others! Can you imagine what this will do to those Children who survived this? Many of these Children were in close proximity, to the shooter. When he walked into one classroom and, shot the Teacher, a 6 year old boy, grabbed his Friends, and ran! Parent who came to the School, said that it was a horrendous scene! The Governor of Connecticut said that evil visited this community today...

Yes, evil DID visit this community today, though, we CANNOT let it remain victorious! WITH *GOD*, we can OVERCOME what evil did today!!!

I was just reading stories of Mother's talking about the effects it is having on their young Children, and, even older ones; the questions they are asking, the crying, the fear, and, so forth! This is going to be with some of them, a lifetime, and, I pray with all my heart, there is LOTS of support for them, that, they can begin to heal, and, move past this tragedy...

How do we help others heal from such devastation? We stand BY them, for as long as it takes, we PRAY, and, we offer EVERY kind of support we can to them! We encourage them, though, this is a LONG, drawn out process! THE LORD HAS to be kept in the midst of this, especially for the grieving Families, because given the fact that the majority was very young, there are going to be all sorts of questions concerning DIVINE help! There is going to be, at least, some falling from FAITH, and, some being angry with *GOD*!!!

Church leaders, and, other members of the Community, need to offer the best of their expertise in this time, and, I pray they are well versed, and, enabled to do so!!!

We DON'T KNOW why such things happen, but, we must never forget, that evil is the proof of the world, and, the world IS the testing ground of the FAITHFUL! FAITH is KEY to surviving such, and, TURNING to THE LORD is imperative; not only for those suffering, but, for ALL of us, for their sakes!!!

I am deeply distressed by this news, it is beyond comprehension, yet, I will TURN to THE LORD, and, will remain in prayer for this community, these Families, and, for ALL of us...

REV. LWINSOR © 2012