HEAVENLY INCLINED...: DENOUNCING CHRISTIANITY: RUNNING FROM THE LORD...

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...

DENOUNCING CHRISTIANITY: RUNNING FROM THE LORD...

Lately, I have been hearing, seeing, and reading about people who have denounced Christianity, because they feel it is premised upon guilt, due to the condemning, over-zealous. Well, we ARE ALL guilty, born into sin, and will die in sin, HOWEVER, that is NOT the message of CHRIST our LORD! LOVE is HIS message, HIS legacy, HIS example! It is NOT about guilt, at all, it is about REALIZING that ONCE we ACCEPT HIM as our LORD and SAVIOUR we are DEAD to the world, and it's holds on us! We are ONE WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT, and IN that oneness, we ACT accordingly TO HIS WILL, in as much righteousness as we can, WHILE holding ON in FAITH, endurance, and perseverance to the end!!!

It ISN'T that I won't yet sin, or be guilty, it IS that I STRIVE to ALTER my behaviours, and character, TO ALIGN TO THE LORD! It ISN'T that I won't trip, stumble, fall, it IS that I GET BACK UP, and KEEP my sights on the prize, NOT on the world, and it's ways! It is NOT easy for us to live in righteousness, therefore, it DOES involve effort, and constant vigilance, BECAUSE we ARE EASILY distracted, deceived, deluded, and confused! STAYING IN THE WORD, IN THE LORD, DIMINISHES the likelihood of more, or greater err!!!

We GIVE UP pride, envy, lust, and other erroneous behaviours to APPEASE THE SPIRIT, because it is no longer necessary to appease the egocentric being! You think this is EASY? NO WAY, NOT AT ANY TIME, thus, there IS effort involved! It ISN'T about guilt, it IS ABOUT LOVE OF THE LORD, our *GOD*!!!

HE says, "If you LOVE me, you will keep my commandments", and "Be HOLY because I am HOLY"! You think that this is something we simply, step into, void of ANY work on our part? It DOES involve work, body, mind, and spirit, but, it IS WORTHY!!!

Guilt is NOT the problem, PRIDE is, even arrogance! We ARE sinners saved by GRACE, and sin DOES yet exist in us, SO, guilt is merely a way to REALIZING WHO we are in the whole of DIVINITY! It is said that there is NEED for us to CONTINUE confessing our sins, repenting of them, which means a change of heart towards them, and PRAYING TO HIM; we are NOT ABOVE our sins in GRACE, instead, we are HUMBLED by them, and WORK them through, in HOPEFUL perfecting of the spirit!!!

One Man wrote that he feels much better now that he is released from the guilt of Christianity, but he is sorrowful about his eternal future! How sad is this??? How very sad!!!

Granted, there are more than a few self-righteous, hypocritical Christians in this old world, and some of them are teachers, leaders, and so forth, that DO enjoy exhorting, and correcting others, but, this is another reason to STAY IN THE WORD, so that we KNOW when we are in need of rebuking, repenting, and so forth, THAT we are ENABLED to ward off the over-zealous of the FAITH...

There are MORE than enough, self-appointed judges, who exhort the heck outta others, without taking much time to go within, or look in the mirror, and PRAY for HIS WISDOM! Exhortation HAS it's role in THE CHURCH, BUT NOT as it is being wielded all over the place. ALL exhortation, rebuking, and encouragement should be done in gentleness, quietness, and kindness, so that, there is no reason for anger, discouragement, bitterness, and so forth! We are NOT to foster bitterness of ANY kind! Where there is HOLINESS, there is PEACE; they are enjoined forever!!!

IF it were about guilt, dear people, NONE would receive THE GIFT of LIFE! No, it is far deeper than that, and MUCH MORE KIND!!!

People of the FAITH should work on their OWN salvation, daily, and as needed HELP others along the way, VOID of judgement, or any mentality/behaviour that has the potential to PUSH people away from CHRIST! Do we not understand to PUSH someone away from HIM, is accountable for???

Oh, that the Apostles were yet in the world to teach LOVE, and the optimizing components therein, and to quell the dissensions in THE CHURCH!!!

*GOD* BLESS, and BE with us ALL! May we NEVER lose sight of our REALITY, of our HOPE, of our FAITH, and may we LOVE as we OUGHT to, exemplifying our LORD *GOD*!!!

REV. LWINSOR © 2013

2 comments:

Lynda said...: HEBREWS 3: 14-15...
14/ We have become partners of Christ if only we hold the beginning of the reality firm until the end,
15/ for it is said: "Oh, that today you would hear his voice: 'Harden not your hearts as at the rebellion.'"

JAMES 3: 1...
Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.

JAMES 1: 12...
Blessed is the man who perseveres in temptation, 6 for when he has been proved he will receive the crown of life that he promised to those who love him.

MATTHEW 10: 28...
And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

1 CORINTHIANS 15: 58...
Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.

EPHESIANS 2: 10...
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

1 JOHN 4: 1...
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.

1 TIMOTHY 1: 15...
The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.; January 24, 2013 at 12:33 PM
Lynda said...: 2 CORINTHIANS 5: 14...
For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died;; January 24, 2013 at 12:36 PM