HEAVENLY INCLINED...: PREPPING THE SPIRIT FOR THE HOLINESS IN WHICH IT WAS MANIFESTED...

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...

PREPPING THE SPIRIT FOR THE HOLINESS IN WHICH IT WAS MANIFESTED...

1 PETER 1: 17-19...
17/ Now if you invoke as Father him who judges impartially according to each one's works, conduct yourselves with reverence during the time of your sojourning,
18/ realizing that you were ransomed from your futile conduct, handed on by your ancestors, not with perishable things like silver or gold
19/ but with the precious blood of Christ as of a spotless unblemished lamb.

1 PETER 2: 11...
Beloved, I urge you as aliens and sojourners to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against the soul.

True Christian freedom is the result of being servants of God. It includes reverence for God, esteem for every individual, and committed love for fellow Christians (1 Peter 2:17)

What is reverence but, venerated, deep respect, and, regard FOR THE LORD, HIS WILL, HIS WAYS, HIS instructions, then, compliance to such? Coupled with humility, this is the invitation for HIS constant presence, benevolence, and, assistance, and, the fertilization of the deeper being to preparing for the Harvest from the seeds of righteousness...

By now, we SHOULD understand those worldly desires that wage war against us, the TRUE self, the spirit!
GALATIANS 5: 13-26...
13/ For you were called for freedom, brothers. But do not use this freedom as an opportunity for the flesh; rather, serve one another through love.
14/ For the whole law is fulfilled in one statement, namely, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."
15/ But if you go on biting and devouring one another, beware that you are not consumed by one another.

16/ I say, then: live by the Spirit and you will certainly not gratify the desire of the flesh.
17/ For the flesh has desires against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; these are opposed to each other, so that you may not do what you want.
18/ But if you are guided by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

19/ Now the works of the flesh are obvious: immorality, impurity, licentiousness,
20/ idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, rivalry, jealousy, outbursts of fury, acts of selfishness, dissensions, factions,
21/ occasions of envy, drinking bouts, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

22/ In contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness,
23/ gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
24/ Now those who belong to Christ (Jesus) have crucified their flesh with its passions and desires.
25/ If we live in the Spirit, let us also follow the Spirit.
26/ Let us not be conceited, provoking one another, envious of one another.

IF we are OF HIM, we are CALLED forth as a Royal Priesthood, a CHOSEN race, who OUGHT to BE VISIBLE reflections OF THE LORD! HE CALLS US TO BE HOLY BECAUSE HE IS HOLY, and, to bear fruit worthy OF THE VINE! When we are in conflict, we are NOT serving HIM, representing HIM, reflecting HIM, nor, are we HONOURING HIM! Nor, are we growing INTO HIM, as, conflict stagnates growth, and, HAS the probability of permanently damaging it...

TIME is at hand TO come INTO HIM! EACH day IS APOCALYPTIC, BECAUSE WE KNOW NOT the hour of our end, nor, the hour of HIS arrival to TAKE HIS people HOME! We have WORK to do, ALWAYS, in HIS name, which, BEGINS with us, and, ends in others!!!

Being FAITHFUL is NOT easy in this world, nor, was it intended to be, as this time IS the time for PROVING the FAITHFUL, for HIS gathering of the WORTHY fruits, separating what is good from what is not, for that time when what is not good, will be burnt as the stubble after harvest...

This is another reason we are taught to look, and, turn TO HIM, OVER all others! When CHRIST CALLED HIS Disciples, HE COMMANDED that they FOLLOW HIM, and, leave their Families, dead, and, others behind, in order to SERVE HIM, and to BE instructed VOID of conflicting influence from others! DEVOTION inspires ONENESS, not fragments!!!

In this HOLY season, let us reflect on our own growth IN HIM, and, wheresoever we find ourselves, let us level UP, and, HONOUR HIM with increased diligence TO HIM, HIS WILL, HIS WAYS!!!

*GOD* BLESS, and, BE with us ALL! May we embrace the heart of HIS LOVE, and, make it our own! May we HONOUR HIM in FAITHFULNESS TO HIS WILL, and, WAYS, FOR, and, TO HIS GLORY, for surely, HIS GLORY IS THE LIGHT OF LIFE! MUCH LOVE, and, the PEACE HE brings, be with us...

REV. LWINSOR © 2012
BIBLICAL, and/or, other references marked BOLDLY IN COLOURS

1 comment:

Lynda said...: ALL which is OF THE LORD, is HEALTHY, and, provides well-being, body, mind, and, spirit; all which is not of HIM, is UNHEALTHY, creating factions, dissension, discord, discouragement, delusion, confusion, and all things, negative...; December 17, 2012 at 9:22 AM