HEAVENLY INCLINED...: EGO & PRIDE...

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...

EGO & PRIDE...

Perhaps our greatest enemy is the ego that is aligned to pride, because this egocentric behaviour called pride IS what *GOD* MOST detests about our human condition, and so, creates a rift between HIM, and us! Not only that, pride, and ego, cause us to act in ways which, prompt, and continue more evil in this world! Ego, and pride fuel many wrongs, and fire up towards others, thus, creating err upon err, sin upon sin!!!

I have never had much an ego, because of the lowly life I was born into, but, I know, for sure, what it is about, and what damages it has the power to afflict us with! The egocentric, and prideful being is one of the favoured targets of the devil, in which case, in many instances, he has a field day with, because there is lack of self-control, humility, understanding of virtues, and a certain comfortableness of his victim with their character, and behaviours, flawed as they are...

HOW can a *GOD* fearing person yet exist in such a state, one might wonder? Well, if they haven't done their share of studying, or, haven't been properly taught, or raised, or, are surrounded by others much the same, and on it goes, they might have difficulty even recognizing their chains, let alone being able to work them off! I can't refrain from saying it over, and over, this is WHY we are TO REMAIN IN THE WORD, until our last breath! The MORE we KNOW, the MORE we GROW INTO THE LORD!!!

PRIDE, and egomania are like black holes, in which exists, vanity, anger, violence, hostility, greed, lust, and all components of pride, and egomania; purely negative poison for the spirit/soul, and extremely endangering to the being, as well as those who are exposed to those so aligned...

Taming the ego, and pride are not easy for those who have lived with such for any length of time, and have become used to them, mostly because most egocentric people of pride will not admit their chains, let alone take responsibility for their existence! They feel that they were made this way for a reason, and quite often feel empowered by their egomania, and pride, USING them, mastering them, and allowing them to rule! Their pride/egomania BLINDS them beyond being able to see themselves as they are!!!

This is WHY *GOD* detests egomania, and pride; because such convinces the person that THEY, by themselves HAVE certain powers to do whatever, and some are even so far gone, that they feel invincible! Is it any wonder that THE LORD disciplines such people, or distances HIMSELF from them, or leaves them to their own choices? They are not only lost in themselves, they are as stubborn, and defensive as it gets! I KNOW some of these people well, and to deal with them is like dealing with a fortified brick wall!!!

Egomania, and pride go beyond confidence; confidence is a whole different matter, though, over-confidence CAN, and DOES lead to egomaniac pride! We should have confidence, first in *GOD*, then in our *GOD* given abilities, though, it should not be taken to even the slightest of extremes, for then, we are on the borderline of wrong!!!

When a person is lost in pride, there exists a mentality that they CAN do whatever they want, with little consequence! They live in denial, in MANY areas, and so, the course of their life is riddled with adverse thoughts, actions, and reactions! *GOD* WILL handle them, in this time, or later! Some of these types of people WILL be punished NOW, in HOPES of their being humbled enough to repent, and be recreated! Some will find out too late, the magnitude of their wrongs...

I know of Families whom raise their Children to believe that they are better than most others, that they are the best looking, best at this, best at that, and so forth, and so, by the time they are Adults, the evidence of their character is pride, and egocentricity! While some of them go to Church, they have NEVER read through THE WORD, nor, are more involved in *GOD* than to go to Church, and so, they have learned wrongly, to place more significance on self, and the world, than on *GOD*! Then, because this how they were raised, if anyone suggests to them that they are erring, or sinning, they become defensive, because it is beyond their grasp of understanding, and frankly, NOT their fault, unless they refuse to change, or grow beyond themselves. Sad, but the way it is with many, especially in this time!!!

Such people rush, exuberantly, to prove to the world their greatness, as they strive for materialism, and status symbolism! Some are very popular, because they have so much, and have learned to use the powers of the ego to gain more, more, more! Their WHOLE life revolves around them, and show! Alas, their time with *GOD* is coming, sooner, or later, and they will be shaken into their reality!!!

Pride is like a drug in people, and a deadly one at that! When it is not checked, known, understood, or confronted, it gets worse, and their destiny is far less than what they see, or imagine. Just sad! So, we PRAY for *GOD* to reach such people BEFORE they are lost in the direness of their egomaniac pride; yes, we PRAY for them!!!

I have witnessed the fall of people of pride, and they REALLY fall hard; how could they not, when they were so high on themselves???

Parents, Teachers, Preachers, Friends, and anyone whom might have influence on the young, OUGHT to be informed about pride, and to TEACH them the endless ill effects of living in it! THE TRUTH says it all: PROVERBS 16: 5...
Every proud man is an abomination to the LORD; I assure you that he will not go unpunished.

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