HEAVENLY INCLINED...: WHEN DOUBT EXISTS, FAITH IS COMPROMISED...

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...

WHEN DOUBT EXISTS, FAITH IS COMPROMISED...

Some people say that *GOD* never helps them when they call UPON HIM! Are they 100% sure of this claim of doubt???

THE LORD DOES NOT move in our timeline, and, often, HIS work is not known until later on!!!

To doubt HIM is to be UNFAITHFUL, and so...

Would HE proclaim to BE our DELIVERER, our SURE, and PRESENT HELP if it were not so? IMPOSSIBLE, for HE CANNOT lie, and DOES NOT mislead!!!

THE FATHER of ALL CREATION IS FAITHFUL TO THE FAITHFUL; I have NO doubt about this! Sometimes what we ask for is NOT according to HIS WILL, so WHEN we ask for something, it is best to include in our PRAYERS, and petitions, IF it is within YOUR WILL! We HAVE to understand HIS WILL is NOT human like in ANY respect, and works FOR HIS OWN purposes, and reasoning!!!

FAITH is ACCEPTING that HIS WILL SHALL BE DONE, even IF it DOESN'T correlate with our wants, and needs! Even when we are interceding for others, we HAVE to believe that HE knows best, and that, ALL things work according TO HIS WILL, and WAYS! Sometimes we PRAY for a dying person, and HE takes them. Remember the days of our lives are as numbered as the hairs on our head, and ALL HAS been pre-ordained: ALL works according to DIVINE ORDER...

HE IS THE LORD *GOD* ALMIGHTY, and so, HOW could we NOT TRUST HIM? HE IS GENIUS infinite, and unprecedented; HE IS WISDOM personified, and again, unprecedented; HE IS LOVE unequaled, and unprecedented! In fact, ALL HE IS, IS UNPRECEDENTED!!!

I see LOTS of PRAYERS answered, though there are, surely, those that don't seem to be, yet, I REMAIN FAITHFUL, and SOLID IN TRUST OF HIM, because I understand that HE KNOWS BEST!!!

People demonstrate our fickleness, time, and time again! When we don't get what we want, we lose FAITH! When we don't get our way, we lose HOPE! When we don't notice results, we don't BELIEVE! When we don't see HIM in our lives, we forget HIM, and on it goes! Don't we yet realize that in such ways we are proven in HIS sight???

LOVE, and FAITH are 2 areas of IMPERATIVE significance to our relationship with THE LORD *GOD*! Neither should be half-hearted, waning, or inconsistent: they should be ROCK SOLID, UNSHAKABLE, and FOREVER, no matter what!!!

I have to chuckle a bit, when I notice people PRAYING with doubt in their heart! If they DOUBT, WHY are they PRAYING? IF they are at the onset of their relationship with THE LORD, perhaps they are learning, but some have claimed HIM for a LONG time, and still have doubt...

YOU CAN'T ALWAYS GET WHAT YOU WANT, but, IN FAITH, YOU GET WHAT YOU NEED, because THE LORD IS FAITHFUL TO THE FAITHFUL, and DOES PROVIDE!!!

We are taught to be PATIENT, and WAIT ON THE LORD; this is a serious instruction! We are to endure, and persevere, under ALL circumstances, BELIEVING THAT HE IS moving mountains out of our path, so that HE IS GLORIFIED! We are taught that FAITH the size of a mustard seed holds POWER unlimited, and so, KEEP THE FAITH, and RELY ON THE LORD, even when it seems most difficult to do so! PRAISE, WORSHIP, and GLORIFY HIS MAJESTY, THE LORD! BREAK FREE FROM THE SHACKLES OF DOUBT!!!