HEAVENLY INCLINED...: THE PAST BROUGHT ME TO THE LORD...

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 PAST BROUGHT ME TO THE LORD...

As we grow, and develop; as we age, especially for those who have come into CHRIST our LORD, the past has a way of popping up, and thrashing us about a bit---

It is the work of the enemy, as he tries to convince us that we cannot live UP to our LORD---

Hopefully, we hold fast to TRUTH; that which is our TRUTH NOW, not back when! Hopefully, we examine ourselves to see just how far we have come! Hopefully, our hearts are sincerely repenting of the past, and we forgive ourselves, as well as others! Hopefully, we ACCEPT *GOD'S* GRACE from the very soul, and move forward in that, while understanding that HE HAS forgiven us, and IS working us into a new being! Hopefully, we won't cower, and won't lose heart as the past is brought up! Hopefully, we can say, convinced, that we are no longer slaves to that past, instead, we are SERVANTS of THE LORD *GOD* ALMIGHTY!!!

Unsettling it is when we are going along well, and then, in dreams or in other ways, the past resurfaces! YET, for myself, all of this SHOWS me the great distance I have covered in my walk with *GOD*. I HAVE come A LONG WAY, and I DID leave that person behind when I set foot upon THE PATH! *GODLY* sorrow of our past WILL be present as we begin to realize, and understand the fact that we WERE living away from HIM at one time, but that sort of sorrow furthers our advancements in HIS name, and KEEPS us IN HIS WILL! We NOW know the differences which separated us from HIM, and this IS what the evil one will play on, as he tries to sway us, and make us feel as if we are still far from our LORD: even using people that we have known for some time, or those closest to us, to remind us how we use to exist, and were!!!

I am no longer the person I was back when; I AM A NEW CREATION, and YES, it IS evident, IF anyone takes the time to SEE, HEAR, and CONSIDER the very noticeable differences in me! Of course, lots of people who have known you for some time, if they have NOT also grown, would rather you stay the same with them! This too, is of the enemy, and which, creates many dilemmas, but we SEEK THE LORD, and AIM to REMAIN in what we now know, and whom we now are! Sometimes this means saying goodbye to certain people, for they are toxic, even if they aren't aware of it! We use *GOD* SENSE, and keep on keepin' on, NOT being pulled to the left, to the right, or backwards!!!

Then, there are those who just have to tell you that they MISS you the way you were before! I don't really understand this, but I KNOW it is a tactic of the enemy! I DON'T miss the old me, though there some things of the past I might miss, they are NOT great enough to cause me to feel loss for them, BECAUSE what I HAVE GAINED is OH, SO WONDROUS, and OH, SO GOOD for my entire being!!!

Also, people, for some odd reason, are very adept at recalling the wrongs someone did, but not all the good, which might far outweigh their errs! This is just like the fact that it is SO easy for people to cling to the negatives of this day, but not the positives; clinging to the wicked ways of the world, and not able to cling to *GOD*, and so forth! Such things perplex me beyond words, and hurt my reasoning powers so much that I have learned not to dwell on them...

ANYWAY, who you are today, and hopefully, you are now of THE LORD, is what matters! The past is gone, and while it left traces, scars, lessons, and helped shape you into a NEW, IMPROVED person, it's chains have been broken; that is IF you are IN CHRIST!!!

HOLD FAST to TRUTH, and to GRACE, and to HIS MERCY! DON'T let enmity come between HE, and the you HE HAS REGENERATED! We are NEW people IN HIM, and while we CAN'T deny who we were before, except for particulars, maybe some measures, and lessons, we ARE TRANSFORMED BY HIM, and ARE now spirit!!!

May *GOD* BE with us as we journey to THE KINGDOM! May we ALLOW HIM, through PRAYER, RELIANCE, FAITH, and allegiance, to supply our every need as we navigate this time! May we BLESS HIM, PRAISE HIM, WORSHIP HIM, and REJOICE IN HIS LOVING CARE for us as we grow MORE, and MORE, and MORE INTO HIM, and the TRUTH of our existence, which IS for HIS GLORY, and PRAISE!!!

REV. LWINSOR © 2015

THE FATHER, SON, and HOLY SPIRIT MADE it possible for us to be REFRESHED with TRUTH, and to find our way HOME! AMEN!!! GIVE THANKS! EXALT HIM! BE HIS REFLECTION in TRUTH, and SPIRIT; it is not in vain that we do so! And be ever mindful that HE CAUSES ALL things to work for the good of those who LOVE HIM: HE IS FAITHFUL TO THE FAITHFUL!!!