HEAVENLY INCLINED...: TIME IS UNCERTAIN; LIFE ON EARTH IS FRAGILE...

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...

TIME IS UNCERTAIN; LIFE ON EARTH IS FRAGILE...

Things happen almost before we know what happened, and life changes dramatically with these happenings. Time is fragile, uncertain, and a great reminder of the fact that we are mortal, and our lives are RULED BY *GOD*...

An Elder in my extended Family, has to have her leg amputated today, after having just gone through 2 knee replacement surgeries, which apparently, ruined her leg, as infection set in. She is near 80, and is diabetic, so, it is surprising that they even attempted to fix her knee at all. Her immediate Family is suffering badly, and it is going to change a few of them forever, this I know...

We just DON'T know what is ahead, we HAVE to place ourselves in the hands of THE LORD, for ONLY HE can sustain us, heal us, comfort us, LOVE us, guide us, and take care of us in the way we should be taken care of. NOTHING in this world will grant us what we need when it comes down to it! ONLY THE LORD is our *GOD*, and our sure and present help. The very FACT that we AREN'T PRIVY to what lies ahead SHOULD humble us deeply, indeed...

Too many rely on the world for the course of their lives, and while they might proclaim THE LORD as their SAVIOUR, they don't spend any time with HIM, in HIM, nor do they RELY ON HIM; they are world-trained, world-geared, and worldly as a result, which is wrong, and keeps them distanced from their ONLY HOPE...

TURN TO *GOD* AND HE WILL TURN TO YOU! REALIZE the truth of world; that is holds NOTHING for the TRUE self, the spirit! PRAY, and REPENT, and CHANGE your heart towards this world!!!

JAMES 5: 13-18...
13/ Is anyone among you suffering? Then he must pray. Is anyone cheerful? He is to sing praises.
14/ Is anyone among you sick? Then he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord;
15/ and the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him.
16/ Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.

In a day of affliction nothing is more seasonable than prayer. The spirit is then most humble, and the heart is broken and tender. It is necessary to exercise faith and hope under afflictions; and prayer is the appointed means for obtaining and increasing these graces.

Observe, that the saving of the sick is not ascribed to the anointing with oil, but to prayer. In a time of sickness it is not cold and formal prayer that is effectual, but the prayer of faith. The great thing we should beg of God for ourselves and others in the time of sickness is, the pardon of sin. Let nothing be done to encourage any to delay, under the mistaken fancy that a confession, a prayer, a minister's absolution and exhortation, or the sacrament, will set all right at last, where the duties of a godly life have been disregarded.

THE LORD IS near, and IS forgiving, and IS compassionate, and IS LOVING, though HE DOES teach us through various means; through chastising, through affliction, and so forth, THAT when we are at our lowest, our pride is disabled, and we have nothing left but to NEED HIM, and to RELY ON HIM! It is isn't unjust for HIM to allow us to suffer, it is our ways which lead to suffering, and because HE LOVES HIS own, HE WILL find a way to REACH them, for the shroud of this world, no matter how heavy, nor prevalent CANNOT hinder *GOD*, and HIS WILL!!!

There is a lesson, or lessons in EVERY thing that happens in this time, mostly to SHOW us WHERE our HOPE, and SAFETY lies, which is SOLELY in *GOD*! Of course what we are taught has diverse dimensions, and covers many areas of the human condition, yet with the same intention, TO BRING US TO THE LORD, and ABOVE the world!!!

Let us BECOME ONE WITH *GOD*, let us PRAY, let us GROW past the world, and let us ALWAYS PRAISE HIM, for HE ALONE, IS THE LORD OF LORDS, KING OF KINGS, and SOVEREIGN RULER OVER ALL, and EVERYTHING IN CREATION, and IS OUR ONLY HOPE, our ONLY DELIVERER, our ONLY PEACE! BLESS THE LORD, and WORSHIP HIS HOLINESS; REJOICE IN HIS LOVE, and CARE for us, and HONOUR HIM BY inching ever closer to HIM, and existing IN HIS WILL; FOR HIS GLORY, for our own GOOD, and for the good of others...

MUCH LOVE, *GOD* BLESS, and BE with us, and may we BLESS, and BE with HIM! Take care...OXOXOXO

May THE LORD bring those who are suffering closer to HIM, and may these REMAIN close to HIM after the suffering is gone...

REV. LWINSOR © 2014
BIBLICAL, and/or other references marked BOLDLY IN COLOURS