HEAVENLY INCLINED...: SATURDAY'S SOUNDNESS: FOLLOWING 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...

SATURDAY'S SOUNDNESS: FOLLOWING THE LORD...

MATTHEW 28: 19-20...
19/ Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit,
20^/teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age."

All that I have commanded you: the moral teaching found in this gospel, preeminently that of the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7). The commandments of Jesus are the standard of Christian conduct, not the Mosaic law as such, even though some of the Mosaic commandments have now been invested with the authority of Jesus. Behold, I am with you always: the promise of Jesus' real though invisible presence echoes the name Emmanuel given to him in the infancy narrative; see the note on Matthew 1:23. End of the age: see the notes on Matthew 13:39 and Matthew 24:3.

We are CALLED to be MORE than mere believers, we are called to FOLLOW HIM, which means, we BECOME like HIM, in more than theory, instead, in FULLNESS, to the best of our understanding, and capacity, which HE will assist the FAITHFUL with...

The word Disciple means a learner, not only a pupil, but, a devotee, and follower, a conscious imitator of his teacher...

Generally in Christian theology, discipleship is a term used to refer to a disciple's transformation from some other World view and practice of life into that of Jesus Christ, and so, by way of Trinitarian theology, of God himself. Note the Apostle Paul's description of this process, that the disciple "not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect." (Romans 12:2) Therefore a disciple is not simply an accumulator of information or one who merely changes moral behavior in regard to the teachings of Jesus Christ, but seeks a fundamental shift toward the ethics of Jesus Christ in every way, including complete devotion to God. In several Christian traditions, the process of becoming a disciple is called the Imitation of Christ, and the ideal goes back to the Pauline Epistles.

*GOD* has instructed us to make Disciples of the all the nations, and this is MORE than instructing converts, it means teaching believers to IMITATE the lifestyle of CHRIST JESUS; PRAYING, LOVING, and SERVING as did HE! It is the process of learning to demonstrate the life of CHRIST in our own lives, thereby, GLORIFYING *GOD*, and that the world might be saved...

This means STUDYING THE WORD, CHRIST THE LORD *GOD*, and THE HOLY SPIRIT, THAT, we are enjoined BY HIS instruction, AND BY our own adherence TO HIM, HIS WILL, HIS WAY, HIS WORD! Diligent, and deliberate are those who seek to imitate HIM, and become as ONE with HIM as is feasible, as the spirit awakens, and ARISES to it's TRUTH, as THE TRUE being that HE CREATED!!!

We have RESPONSIBILITY to HIS GRACE, to LEARN, and to align to certain DISCIPLINES, which will see us ever elevated, in this life, and everafter, as it also, has effects upon those in our path, that perhaps, we might be the reflection necessary to encourage others to turn to HIM. It is ALL about HIS GLORY...

CHRIST is THE TRUE VINE, on which we are branches, which THE FATHER prunes, and cleanses, that we can ABIDE IN THE VINE, and bear worthy fruit. We are the salt of the Earth, the reflections of HIS LIGHT, we are the invitor TO HIS WAY, in more than word, instead, in thought, action, and reaction. Our PURPOSE is to encourage THROUGH HIS WILL, and WAY, those trapped in the darkness, and this means BEING a TRUE reflection of HIM!!!

We waste time on the world, and say we are in CHRIST! IF we spent one half of the time we waste on the world, on HIM, great Disciples we would be, and great encouragers we would be, THROUGH the evidence of our thoughts, actions, and reactions! There would be NO question of our LOVE, for it would run as surely as HIS power through THE VINE, to the branches...

Discipleship is DIVINE, and worthy! It is different yes, but, NOTHING IN THIS WORLD can hope to measure up to it! It is LOVE alive, and HIS GLORY RADIATING in a world of darkness! It is often, the ONLY HOPE for some lost in that darkness!!!

This is an area of understanding that could take up a chapter of posts, but, there is need to remind us of our place IN THE COVENANT, that we NEVER forget, COVENANT implies 2 or more parties, and IF we have stepped into the COVENANT via CHRIST OUR LORD, then, we HAVE responsibility, no doubt about it...

REV. LWINSOR © 2013