HEAVENLY INCLINED...: THURSDAY: TOWERING TRUTH(S)...

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...

THURSDAY: TOWERING TRUTH(S)...

NEHEMIAH 8: 10...
Then he said to them, "Go, eat of the fat, drink of the sweet, and send portions to him who has nothing prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength."

It was a good sign that their hearts were tender, when they heard the words of the law. The people were to send portions to those for whom nothing was prepared. It is the duty of a religious feast, as well as of a religious fast, to draw out the soul to the hungry; God's bounty should make us bountiful. We must not only give to those that offer themselves, but send to those out of sight.

Their strength consisted in joy in the Lord. The better we understand God's word, the more comfort we find in it; the darkness of trouble arises from the darkness of ignorance.

There are roughly 100 BIBLE verses about JOY IN THE LORD, to which I testify, no matter what is going on, JOY by way of HIM, PREVAILS, along with a certain PEACE, which adds to the all over, all under feeling of happiness of REMAINING IN HIM, despite what the world hurls our way to cause pain, agony, suffering, and tears! THE LORD IS OUR STRENGTH, and UNTO HIM we raise our voices in PRAYER, PRAISE, WORSHIP, HONOUR, and then, REJOICING!!!

We TRUST HIM! We BELIEVE IN HIS UNRIVALED, IRREVOCABLE POWERS, because we ARE OF HIM, and KNOW therefore, that HE DOES LOVE, and CARE for us, even when it seems improbable, or far off! This produces a JOY that is difficult to explain, but yet which ASSISTS in our journey through this world!!!

HE IS FAITHFUL to the FAITHFUL, indeed: though too many people want blink of the eye proof of this fact, and expect the HEAVENS to open up to their every wish! WAIT ON THE LORD! What does this mean? The stronger self exhorts his weaker self not to despair, but to wait upon God. Wait at his door with prayer; wait at his foot with humility; wait at his table with service; wait at his window with expectancy. As if expecting new measures of help. There is a story of a young Woman who spotted a Monk sitting beneath a tree, perfectly still---so full of reverence, and tranquil sturdiness, that she paused to watch him. Later she sought him out, and asked him HOW he could sit so still, so patiently in the moment, because she found it difficult to accept the idea of doing nothing. He replied with a broad grin on his face, "There you go, young Lady, you've bought into the cultural myth that when you are waiting you are doing nothing!" Then he looked deeply into her eyes, and said that he hoped she would hear what he was about say, all the way down to her toes---"When you are waiting, you are not doing nothing, you are doing the most important thing there is; you're allowing your soul to grow up; if you can't be still, and wait, you can't become what *GOD* CREATED you to be!" AMEN!?!

There are about 60 verses concerning WAITING ON THE LORD, which DOES play into our JOY, and STRENGTH in HIM, for we UNDERSTAND that HIS timing is NOT as ours, AND that HIS WILL PREVAILS OVER all else, and sometimes while we are waiting on HIM, we find that what we THOUGHT we needed, or wanted at that moment past, was NOT in our best interest, nor so imperative! WAITING brings WISDOM, as in that time, there in a much greater likelihood of being so close to HIM, that we instinctively SENSE HIS WILL in the matters at hand!!!

Today's people don't LIKE to wait for anything, nor for anyone! The world rushes around preoccupied with an overload of thoughts, emotions, goals, desires, and so on, RARELY taking time to tap INTO *GOD*, and HIS INEXHAUSTIBLE benevolence! We are raised selfishly, HE TEACHES us to be SELFLESS, OFTEN through waiting on HIM!!!

JOY IS ours IN THE LORD, and IS part of FAITH, because while there might be NO tangible reason to be JOYOUS, in the strength, courage, and HOPE which HE brings to us, there IS reason!!!

REV. LWINSOR © 2015
BIBLICAL, and/or other references marked BOLDLY IN COLOURS

BLESSED IS THE LORD *GOD*, and SAVIOUR who attends to HIS own with such LOVE! PRAISE and WORSHIP HIM always, and HONOUR HIM in ALL ways, ALL of the days, while KEEPING in DIRECT communication with HIM, while ever moving forward in TOTAL FAITH!!!