HEAVENLY INCLINED...: THE SIN OF OTHERS DOES NOT SECURE MY STANDING: I MUST ASSESS, ACKNOWLEDGE, & REPENT OF MY OWN...

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...

THE SIN OF OTHERS DOES NOT SECURE MY STANDING: I MUST ASSESS, ACKNOWLEDGE, & REPENT OF MY OWN...

Every minute of every day of every week, someone is pointing out the sins of another, without regard to their own; remember the beam in your own eye (MATTHEW 7:3)! NO ONE, NONE is without sin, and honestly, it is not exclusively about sin, it IS ABOUT REPENTANCE!!!

Besides accepting CHRIST JESUS AS THE LORD, repentance is mandatory to a relationship with THE LORD *GOD*, for it is sin which separates us from HIS HOLINESS, while repentance brings us into HIS GRACE, and MERCY, and opens UP to a TRUE relationship, founded on sincerity, respect, regard, knowledge, understanding, and humbleness of the entire being! Repentance is to have a change of heart towards sin; to recognize it, to acknowledge it as sin, and to work to improve the being, that we go forth resisting it as much as is feasible, for the rest of our time in this realm! We are NOT able to resist all sin, though we HAVE the ability to CONTROL our own sinful natures, beginning with honest assessment of what sin is, according to THE LORD, and HIS WILL, and that which we, in our egocentric being, cling to, and imagine is ordinary to this time! Repentance is conformity of conduct according to HIS WILL, and holds no exception for self-inclined pride, and what accompanies such, like uncontrolled desires, passions, urges, and so on...

Sin is universal, repentance is the boundary we cross which takes us closer to our original HIGH status, and brings us back into the presence, and companionship of our LORD...

REPENT for the KINGDOM of *GOD* is at hand, goes deeper than a reminding catch phrase! It is the declaration of PROMISE fulfilled by THE LORD HIMSELF, concerning the people of this Earth; HE PROMISES SALVATION for those who repent, and HE PROMISES death for those who do not! We know NOT when HE will return to take HIS own into eternity with HIM, and establish a new HEAVEN, and EARTH, AND, we know not what will happen in the coming moments of this time, nor when our time is finished, therefore THE KINGDOM OF *GOD* IS ALWAYS at hand, indeed!!!

There are sins I detest in humanity, HOWEVER, I KNOW the measure of sins are not for me to determine, to condemn! Our work, my work is to remind people of the NEED to REPENT, and to point out what IS sin, along with the BEAUTIFUL WORKS of *GOD'S* GRACE, and MERCY, NOT to itemize everyone's sins! Other peoples sins should REITERATE in EACH of us, the necessity to correct our own sins; they should NOT be used to alienate, intimidate, isolate, and otherwise discourage them! IF other peoples sin is so important to us, it should be for the purpose of recognizing, and changing our own! *GOD* IS THE JUDGE, and EACH person WILL stand before HIM, and so, doesn't it make sense that we do so with the advantage of having spent time to improve upon our own selves?!?

THE LORD will come without warning, HE WILL surprise a great many, and they will finally, understand what they have heard, what they have been told, what they have been taught, but alas, for many, it will be too late, BECAUSE HE HAS GIVEN ample instruction, knowledge, advice, and time, which too many disregard, resist, refute, and deny!!!

We can't help people to understand if our objective is to make them feel worse about themselves, INSTEAD, the objective SHOULD BE to point out THE WAY, and the REASONS behind the NEED to REPENT, to change, to grow, to improve, and develop INTO THE spiritual being *GOD* HAS CREATED, and WISHES to spend eternity with!!!

Sin is sin, no matter what, and none is without it! Those who over-indulge in self-inclination NEED to be instructed about WHY this matters, because ONLY then, will it begin to make sense to them, NOT based on guilt, instead on LOVE OF *GOD*, and understanding of HIS WILL!!!

REPENT, and be found blameless before the THRONE OF *GOD*, in all sincerity, in as much knowledge as can be found, and with a heart full of LOVE for HIM, for others, and then, for the spirit, which IS our TRUE self, and BELONGS to HIM, but which could be cast into fire eternal, because free will was taken to extremes, or misunderstood, or greatly deceived by the world, and the worldly powers and authorities who WANT us to remain eternally separated from our LORD *GOD*, and CREATOR...

THINK, LEARN, UNDERSTAND, KNOW, and STEP HIGHER INTO TRUTH, that HOPE is absolute!!!

BLESS THE LORD, PRAISE HIM, WORSHIP HIS HOLINESS, REJOICE IN HIS PATIENT, LOVING CARE of us, BE THANKFUL, and GRATEFUL FOR HIS EVERY GIFT to us, HONOUR HIM BY stepping INTO the spirit, and sharing HIS GLORY with all, PRAY, and EXALT HIM, with word, with heart, with mind, with spirit, with action, and reaction, ALL premised UPON HIS WILL!!!

There is, of course, much which goes with this streamlined reminder! We must understand HIS WILL, HIS WAYS, and what sin is! While we are bid to SHOW others THE WAY; IF they remain unwilling, or if they have the influence to lead us to sin, or have chosen sin OVER THE LORD, then we are best removed from them, AFTER we have attempted to share HIS WILL with them, ALTHOUGH NEVER should we automatically, shun people based on their sin, for that is to judge them, condemn them, leave them to danger, to the devices of the oppressive enemy, and their own ways! A Christians work is to help GUIDE people TO THE LORD, BY example, and LOVE, that they are snatched from the sure fire which is being stoked daily, NOT to deny them, but if they refuse what *GOD* is offering via us, we move on, PRAY for them, and BLESS them in HIS name!!!