HEAVENLY INCLINED...: MONDAY: THE MIGHT OF MENTALITY...

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...

MONDAY: THE MIGHT OF MENTALITY...

CHRIST JESUS' first miracle was to turn water into wine at a Wedding celebration---

For some reason, people jump to the conclusion that HE LOVED HIS wine! This perplexes me, because the message has nothing to do with anything of the sort! We are ever trying to humanize *GOD*, but we must remember that we are made in HIS image, and though HE came to Earth as Man, HE REMAINED sinless, blameless, and PURE! HE experienced being human from the depths of experience, but HE never allowed HIS HOLINESS to be tainted by this experience! I am not saying that HE never drank wine, I am saying that it is HIGHLY unlikely that this first miracle indicates that HE enjoyed strong drink so much that HE changed the water to wine for HIS own indulgence. This miracle was not for the sake of drinkers drinking, it was for the sake of revealing HIS DIVINE POWERS, even over nature...

It is said that Weddings, according to Jewish customs, sometimes lasted a week, and therefore, it would be difficult for the host(s) to determine just how much food, drink, and other they might need! Weddings were not a one night affair as they are these days, and so, it is simply, futile to question the intent of this miracle, which for one thing, correlates with Moses' turning the water to blood as his first miracle, and sign! The Jewish leaders referred to CHRIST as a glutton, and a drunk, because HE spent much time at the table with sinners instead of with them; they were inspired by envy, and by lack of knowledge of HIM, or HIS mission, and hence, that line of thinking is incorporated into this present day...

WHAT does it matter what particular day CHRIST JESUS was born, or what HE ate, or drank, or whether HE had Brothers or Sisters, or any of these details which have NOTHING to do with HIM coming to SAVE us? I just don't understand WHY we have to make THE WORD even more difficult for ourselves, and others to absorb by nitpicking into matters HE OBVIOUSLY omitted, probably for reasons beyond our scope, and perhaps to shorten the span of the whole that we don't get lost in details, and maybe for the testing of TRUE FAITH...

CHRIST JESUS IS THE LORD *GOD* ALMIGHTY, therefore, it is HIS DIVINE NATURE we should seek to understand, for this IS what brought HIM to Earth, in LOVE, to fulfill a PLAN to bring HIS own through the valley of the shadow of death, AND IS that to which we should strive to connect with, that we are BLESSED by every HEAVENLY goodness feasible, AS we journey this plane!!!

YES, HE WAS FULLY MAN on Earth, and yet, NOT SUBJECT to the human condition; HE did NOT fall into the hands of the defiler, instead, came to SHOW the enemy THE TRUTH which IS that HE REIGNS SUPREME FOREVER, and FOREVER, NO MATTER, and to PROVE that HIS own ARE enabled, and empowered TO RESIST what works against HIM, and them!!!

Silly image it is that CHRIST JESUS, THE LORD *GOD* ALMIGHTY, came to Earth, and was a gluttonous drinker, and a poor position in trying to rationalize HIM into our errs! Can't anyone see the hand of the enemy at work in this?! It DOESN'T have the slightest allegiance to TRUTH, nor HOLINESS! Therefore, as we are taught, let us not think like the world, instead aligned to THE HEAVENLY FATHER!!!

CHRIST JESUS IS, WAS, and EVERMORE shall be, a PERFECT entity, FREE of ANY defilement! HE IS, WAS, and EVERMORE shall be THE EPITOME of HOLINESS, RIGHTEOUSNESS, BEAUTY, GRACE, MERCY, and PURITY, REMOVED from ANY question of HIS EXCELLENCE! HE IS *GOD*, and IS ABOVE ALL in CREATION, FULLY, and VOID of ANY probability of lessening in FAULTLESSNESS!!!

Let us concentrate on OUR growth, development, and allegiance TO HIM, and HIS WILL, instead of on speculation! Let us study HIS DIVINE NATURE, and not seek to bring HIM down to ours! HE IS, UNQUESTIONABLY, THE LORD *GOD* ALMIGHTY! Let HIM BE THE PERFECT LORD HE IS, and make no attempt to humanize HIM, that we feel better in having HIM as company in our imperfection! Let us HONOUR HIM WITH THE GLORY HE IS, and ALLOW HIM HIS RIGHT AS CREATOR, AUTHOR, and PERFECTOR OF all, and everything in CREATION! Let us NOT partake in HIS enemy's ploys to DIMINISH HIS WORTH, for it IS FAR HIGHER than we even suspect! Let us HONOUR HIM WITH LOVE FOR HIS PLAN to rescue us from all which works against TRUTH, and let us EXALT HIM, as we LIFT ourselves UP to HIM that HIS works manifest in brilliance for all the world to take note of! Let us PRAISE HIM ALWAYS, as we WORSHIP HIS HOLINESS, and let us REJOICE IN HIS LOVE, and CARE for us! Let us be HUMBLED, GRATEFUL, THANKFUL, and APPRECIATIVE OF HIS HIGHNESS, for HE ALONE, LOVES us, and PROVIDES for us, and LEADS us TO our rightful place to SHARE IN HIS GLORY, for ALL ETERNITY, IF we so desire with ALL our being!!!