HEAVENLY INCLINED...: DON'T DENY THE MESSENGER...

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...

DON'T DENY THE MESSENGER...

The average person wishes to hear TRUTH that DOESN'T sting their ears, or hearts, or cause them to reconsider their lives, too much! *GOD* COMMANDS those HE has Chosen to speak THE TRUTH, to LITERALLY, scare the hell(the devil, pride, arrogance, etc.) out of people, so that, they are less inclined to choose wrongly, AND, to ULTIMATELY, unleash the PEACE of knowledge! HE has written that fear of HIM, is the first step to righteousness, to FAITH, to FAITHFULNESS, all the way through to LIFE eternal!!!

Of course, this is done in particular ways which inspire, and teach, not leaving the masses shaking, head to toe, still, with LOVING firmness, and continued attention drawn TO *GOD*, and HIS HOLY DECREES, and PRECEPTS, which ARE SOUND, SENSIBLE, PRACTICAL, PRINCIPLED, TRIED, TESTED, and PROVEN to work for the GOOD of ALL in CREATION, and our own well-being! Often, THE LORD has a particular message for an individual, or a few!!!

Amidst the distractions of the world, humanity is prone to forgetting what they just saw, heard, or even felt, and so, THE WORD OF THE LORD is that which, in the correct usage, KEEPS us alert, aware, and mindful, as we go about the hours of the days HE HAS given us! And, SOME instructions HAVE to be DEEPLY rooted, that in times of trouble, in terrible storms, in extreme circumstances, one is NOT shaken to falling away!!!

EZEKIEL 3: 18-21...
18/ If I say to the wicked man, You shall surely die; and you do not warn him or speak out to dissuade him from his wicked conduct so that he may live: that wicked man shall die for his sin, but I will hold you responsible for his death.
19/ If, on the other hand, you have warned the wicked man, yet he has not turned away from his evil nor from his wicked conduct, then he shall die for his sin, but you shall save your life.
20/ If a virtuous man turns away from virtue and does wrong when I place a stumbling block before him, he shall die. He shall die for his sin, and his virtuous deeds shall not be remembered; but I will hold you responsible for his death if you did not warn him.
21/ When, on the other hand, you have warned a virtuous man not to sin, and he has in fact not sinned, he shall surely live because of the warning, and you shall save your own life.

This mission made the holy angels rejoice. All this was to convince Ezekiel, that the God who sent him had power to bear him out in his work. He was overwhelmed with grief for the sins and miseries of his people, and overpowered by the glory of the vision he had seen.

And however retirement, meditation, and communion with God may be sweet, the servant of the Lord must prepare to serve his generation.

The Lord told the prophet he had appointed him a watchman to the house of Israel. If we warn the wicked, we are not chargeable with their ruin. Though such passages refer to the national covenant made with Israel, they are equally to be applied to the final state of all men under every dispensation.

We are not only to encourage and comfort those who appear to be righteous, but they are to be warned, for many have grown high-minded and secure, have fallen, and even died in their sins. Surely then the hearers of the gospel should desire warnings, and even reproofs.

It is NOT the pleasure of HIS Minister's to scare the masses, yet, our pleasure lies in SERVING THE LORD, WHOM COMMANDS that fear of HIM, and HIS PLAIN consequences to good, to bad, ARE known, understood, and embraced, by HIS Children! HE scared the hell out of me, and I am THANKFUL TO HIM, for doing so! There are SO many things I did NOT know, understand, or was never told, which ARE imperative TO HIM, and THE COVENANT of RECONCILIATION, and so, I KNOW the ignorance, and the lack, we share, but which MUST be corrected, FOR THE SAKE OF HIS own, and HIS GLORY!!!

Apostle Paul spent endless, tireless hours devoted to reaching the people, sometimes gently, sometimes harshly; in whatever way was necessary to NAIL the point to the heart! This is very necessary, AS, we ARE a Chosen race, a Royal Priesthood, and so, MUST BECOME worthy of this GRACE, MERCY, and CALLING!!!

It is LOVE which inspires, and leads us to teach as HE COMMANDS us to, that HIS Children TAKE TO HEART, the GIFTS, and BLESSINGS HE HAS set before them, for the enabling of the strength of their knowledge to be able drive away, and resist, ALL which is opposed to *GOD*, to us! It is LOVE which leads us, and PROVIDES knowledge, wisdom, and understanding enough to KEEP US IN THE WAY, NOT guilt!!!

Our LORD *GOD*, CHRIST JESUS IS OUR SHEPHERD, HIS workers, are those who take up the back, pushing on towards HIM, and KEEPING the flocks in one direction, while THE HOLY SPIRIT empowers, enables, enriches, endows, encourages, enlightens, and with searing fire, connects us ALL, to what is *GODLY*, and *GOD*!!!

Don't deny the messenger, be THANKFUL that *GOD* SO LOVES us, that HE has placed them before us!!!

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