HEAVENLY INCLINED...: SUNDAY'S SACRED SCRIPTURES: FOR THE LOVE OF *GOD*...

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...

SUNDAY'S SACRED SCRIPTURES: FOR THE LOVE OF GOD...

Whatever we lack, whatever we truly need, THE LORD *GOD* has in store for us! This is particularly true of LOVE! HIS LOVE has unrelentingly, unceasingly, unwaveringly existed for HIS people, since before the foundations of the HEAVENS, and the Earth came to be! HIS LOVE has been put to the test more than anything else in this CREATION, and yet, HIS LOVE for us is the same, since then, and for all eternity. This is WHY it is IMPERATIVE to LEARN the workings of HIM, and HIS LOVE, that, we are able to begin to exist, function, and grow in this amazing LOVE, and then, move forward, and UPward in this LOVE!!!

Human LOVE is fickle, often self-motivated, self-inclined, selfish, and here today, gone tomorrow, for no other reason than a change of mind! So, what do we do? We search the planet through, seeking someone whose LOVE will be solid, sound, and true, but we rarely consider that the beginning of LOVE comes from *GOD*, and from within! IF we want the kind of LOVE we can't really seem to find, we SHOULD turn to HIM, for HE IS LOVE, and as we grow in HIM, HE WILL provide abundantly, in all areas of our lives...

We are, largely, doing things in reverse! *GOD* IS FIRST, and FOREMOST; then, WITH HIM, and THROUGH HIM, the rest falls into place, according to HIS WILL! LOVE IS IMPERATIVE TO HIM, and HE WANTS EACH OF US TO EXPERIENCE THE FULLNESS OF LOVE, FROM HIM, down through the matters of this life! So, IF HE is our PRIMARY source of LOVE, LOVE will naturally be a part of our lives, despite the lack of LOVE around us! IF HE IS FIRST in our lives, HE WILL PROVIDE for us, and this includes having LOVE in various relationships in our lives...

THE LORD *GOD* LOVES with a LOVE that is almost unexplained! It is almost indescribable, but thanks to HIS WORD, we can gather the depths, heights, width, and span of HIS LOVE! We can LEARN the WISDOM of HIS LOVE, to a degree that we can incorporate HIS LOVE into our lives, which then, BLESSES us, in it's fullness...

HE NEVER withholds LOVE from us, we remain distanced from HIS LOVE, because of many things, one of which is, we are SO busy seeking perfect LOVE in all the wrong places, and faces! HIS LOVE is right here, and HE appeals to us to step into HIS LOVE, BECAUSE HIS LOVE is OH SO GLORIOUSLY ENDOWED!!!

Throughout history, from Adam until now, HIS LOVE HAS been manifest, and is present amongst us! All that has happened from Adam until CHRIST JESUS, has happened because of HIS unchanging, pure LOVE for us! HIS LOVE IS FAITHFUL, SURE, and EMPOWERING! NO other LOVE could measure to HIS! HIS LOVE IS WHAT WE MOST NEED, and certainly, most need to imitate, yet, here we are, in this late date, rummaging the world for what already IS!!!

ZEPHANIAH 3: 17...
The LORD, your God, is in your midst, a mighty savior; He will rejoice over you with gladness, and renew you in his love, He will sing joyfully because of you,

DEUTERONOMY 7: 6-9...
6/ For you are a people sacred to the LORD, your God; he has chosen you from all the nations on the face of the earth to be a people peculiarly his own.
7/ It was not because you are the largest of all nations that the LORD set his heart on you and chose you, for you are really the smallest of all nations.
8/ It was because the LORD loved you and because of his fidelity to the oath he had sworn to your fathers, that he brought you out with his strong hand from the place of slavery, and ransomed you from the hand of Pharaoh, king of Egypt.
9/ Understand, then, that the LORD, your God, is God indeed, the faithful God who keeps his merciful covenant down to the thousandth generation toward those who love him and keep his commandments,

Throughout time, THE LORD *GOD* has wept for us, for our lack of embracing HIS LOVE for us, and because we don't return HIS LOVE, yes, in the OLD, and NEW TESTAMENTS, HE has shed tears for us, in our misguided, stubborn, and ignorant ways...

JEREMIAH 13: 15-17...
15/ Give ear, listen humbly, for the LORD speaks.
16/ Give glory to the LORD, your God, before it grows dark; Before your feet stumble on darkening mountains; Before the light you look for turns to darkness, changes into black clouds.
17/ If you do not listen to this in your pride, I will weep in secret many tears; My eyes will run with tears for the LORD'S flock, led away to exile.

HOSEA 6: 6 (MATTHEW 9:13 & MATTHEW 12: 7)...
For it is love that I desire, not sacrifice, and knowledge of God rather than holocausts.

HE WANTS a TRUE, FAITHFUL RELATIONSHIP with HIS people, and LOVE is the deciding factor in this relationship, as it is with all relationships, though a relationship with HIM, is like the gateway to elevated relationships for all eternity, here, onward...

LOVE EXISTS IN EACH OF US, in righteous ways, yet, because of the oppressor, we know not this LOVE as we could! As we enter the season of Easter, let us REALLY take time to consider LOVE from HIM forward! Let us TRY to understand, then embrace, and put to use HIS LOVE in our lives! Life IS all the sweeter with HIM, with LOVE!!!

PRAISE *GOD* FOR HIS faultless, flawless, impeccable LOVE for us, and WORSHIP HIM for the continuance, and FIDELITY of HIS LOVE for us! THANK HIM for this LOVE, and be grateful that it REMAINS! One day, *GOD* WILLING, I WILL find the right formula for explaining HIS LOVE to the point that it ROOTS, deeply, if in only a few, because I am CONVINCED THAT NOTHING IS MORE IMPERATIVE!!!

REV. LWINSOR © 2013
BIBLICAL, and/or other references marked BOLDLY IN COLOURS