HEAVENLY INCLINED...: THURSDAY'S TRIUMPHS: TRIUMPH...

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...

THURSDAY'S TRIUMPHS: TRIUMPH...

Don't you know that WITH *GOD*, no matter what we face in this moment, we are NOT bound to it for long?! Don't you know that when you lift UP to HIM, HE IS going to lift you UP, as well???

PSALM 3: 4...
But you, LORD, are a shield around me; my glory, you keep my head high.

An active believer, the more he is beaten off from God, either by the rebukes of providence, or the reproaches of enemies, the faster hold he will take, and the closer will he cleave to him. A child of God startles at the very thought of despairing of help in God.

See what God is to his people, what he will be, what they have found him, what David found in him.
1. Safety; a shield for me; which denotes the advantage of that protection.
2. Honour; those whom God owns for his, have true honour put upon them.
3. Joy and deliverance. If, in the worst of times, God's people can lift up their heads with joy, knowing that all shall work for good to them, they will own God as giving them both cause and hearts to rejoice.

When darkness closes in on us, THE LIGHT is nearby to sear through it; to rescue us, to comfort us, to LIFT us HIGH ABOVE what is of the world! Our problems are worsened by our attachment to them, our wallowing in them, and our emotional reactions to them; our problems are lessened WHEN we TRUST in, and BELIEVE IN THE LORD'S DELIVERANCE, and we RELY ON HIM for resolve, or at least, HIS hand in guiding us through!!!

WITH THE LORD, we are TRIUMPHANT OVER the world, because HE has conquered the world, and has TAUGHT us by HIS OWN WORD, and example, HOW to do so! FAITH, PRAYER, and BELIEF invoke HIS MIGHTY deliverance; they are powerful antidotes to whatever we might be going through, or facing...

We are HIS own people: consider the care HE gives to ALL in CREATION, and REALIZE that HE will even MORE care for us! If our FAITH in HIM wanes with pressure, with dilemma, with troubles, with trials, with tests, with tribulations, we are not setting ourselves up to receive...

HE KNOWS us, and our capacities, and so, KNOWS that we ARE able to go forth in courage, and good cheer, despite what is happening to us, around us, and in us, for HE has CREATED us in such a way, to BE resilient, strong, and courageous, AND WHEN we CALL ON HIM, we SHOW HIM that we KNOW HIM!!!

Times bring change, change brings discomfort, discontent, fear, and other negatives that DON'T belong to THE LIGHT; instead, they belong to the world, therefore, at the onset of whatever comes, let us REMEMBER that we ARE CHILDREN OF THE LIGHT, and EMPOWERED BY THE SOVEREIGN, and ALMIGHTY, LORD *GOD*! May the PEACE of HIS LOVE be with us!!!

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