HEAVENLY INCLINED...: HE IS RISEN, INDEED HE IS!!!

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...

HE IS RISEN, INDEED HE IS!!!

More than mysterious, more than mystical, it IS PERFECTLY POWERFUL: THE LORD IS RISEN!!!

JOHN 20: 1-18...
1+++Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came early to the tomb, while it was still dark, and saw the stone already taken away from the tomb.
2+++So she ran and came to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him.”
3+++So Peter and the other disciple went forth, and they were going to the tomb.
4+++The two were running together; and the other disciple ran ahead faster than Peter and came to the tomb first;
5+++and stooping and looking in, he saw the linen wrappings lying there; but he did not go in.
6+++And so Simon Peter also came, following him, and entered the tomb; and he saw the linen wrappings lying there,
7+++and the face-cloth which had been on His head, not lying with the linen wrappings, but rolled up in a place by itself.
8+++So the other disciple who had first come to the tomb then also entered, and he saw and believed.
9+++For as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead.
10+++So the disciples went away again to their own homes.

11+++But Mary was standing outside the tomb weeping; and so, as she wept, she stooped and looked into the tomb;
12+++and she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had been lying.
13+++And they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.”
14+++When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus.
15+++Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing Him to be the gardener, she said to Him, “Sir, if you have carried Him away, tell me where you have laid Him, and I will take Him away.”
16+++Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to Him in Hebrew, “Rabboni!” (which means, Teacher).
17+++Jesus said to her, “Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.’”
18+++Mary Magdalene came, announcing to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord,” and that He had said these things to her.

Oh, BLESSED day when CHRIST was born, and BLESSED day when HE, in PURE LOVE, died for us, but most BLESSED is the day HE ROSE! What does the Resurrection bring forth from deep within? HOPE? PEACE? LOVE? ASSURANCE? WILLINGNESS? COURAGE? FAITH? TRUST???

Our LORD'S GIFT brings more than we know into our troubled times on this Earth; it brings THE HOLY SPIRIT, which then completes THE TRUTH of THE *GODHEAD*, AND our ONENESS with HIM! We are granted what had been taken from us by enmity; LIFE; not life of the flesh, instead, LIFE of the soul, which was CREATED IN HIS IMAGE for HIS own purposes, one of which that HE would be our *GOD*, and we would be HIS people, eternally sharing in HIS GLORY, and HIS LOVE, which is beyond benevolent, and unceasing in provision, AMEN!!!

We have the TRUTH-FILLED expectation, and aimed desire to RISE WITH HIM; for this IS the greatest GIFT; that we RISE ABOVE that which would chain us to destruction; that we RISE TO our RIGHTFUL inheritance in HIS HOLY KINGDOM, as heirs therein, and regarded as HIS Children! HOW MAGNIFICENT HIS PLAN? HOW MIRACULOUS ARE HIS WAYS? HOW INSCRUTABLE IS HIS WILL that it SAVES us from what the enemy imagines will not???

THE LORD left behind every good mean for us IN HIS WORD, that we are reminded, and kept awake, WHILE we FOLLOW HIM in more than thought! HIS example is our model, to which we melded by THE SPIRIT, IF we REMAIN IN HIM, and seek HIM at all times, in all matters, for RELIANCE IS KEY, as IS TRUSTING FAITH, that we not fail any test of the times...

HE IS RISEN! What JOY this brings to the understanding, and what GLORY it brings upon HIM, and HIS! HE HAS OVERCOME EVERY OBSTACLE OF THIS WORLD, which we CANNOT, but which HE WILL lead us through, and past! We SHARE IN HIS VICTORY OVER EVEN DEATH, for we KNOW HIS POWER, and in it we place our EVERY HOPE!!!

Let us TAKE from this day, the strength of HIS GRACE, and MERCY, and move forward all the more confident! Let us exist AS HE WILLS, and let us SHINE of HIS GLORY which EVERMORE SHALL BE without falter, or fail! Let us be grateful, thankful, appreciative, and more seeking of understanding, as much as is feasible, OF HIS GIFT to us, THAT we ARE inspired, 24/7, 365! Let us PRAISE HIM, WORSHIP HIS HOLINESS and let us REJOICE for HIM, and HIS LOVE for us! Let us EXALT HIM, and SHARE HIM in ALL HIS BEAUTY with the dark, tumultuous world! Let us LOVE as we should, let us PRAY as we should, and let us REFLECT HIM as we can, for who, or what is more worthy???

Remember too, it is NOT about guilt, IT IS ALL ABOUT LOVE, and if we understand LOVE from HIS definition, and example, we KNOW the finer workings of what this entails, represents, and brings forth!!!

HALLELUJAH, HE IS RISEN, ALL GLORY BE TO THE LORD *GOD* ALMIGHTY, FOREVER & FOREVER, AMEN!!!

HE appeared to all of HIS Disciples/Apostles, and then, to over 500 people, which is recorded, and is fact! Defying everything which says it is impossible, HE AROSE, overcame death, and IS THE SOVEREIGN RULER OF ALL, and EVERYTHING, because HIS LOVE IS that POWERFUL, and CANNOT be contained, let alone denied! PRAISE, oh PRAISE HIS name!!!