HEAVENLY INCLINED...: PENTECOST...

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...

PENTECOST...

7 weeks after Easter Sunday, for the Western Churches, The Feast of Weeks/Pentecost is celebrated (In the Eastern church, Pentecost can also refer to the whole fifty (50) days between Easter and Pentecost)---

At this time, we REJOICE in the GIFT of THE HOLY SPIRIT, and the Birth of THE CHURCH!!!

With the GIFT of THE HOLY SPIRIT, the Apostles/Disciples were empowered, given greater courage, and strength to SPREAD the teachings, and message of CHRIST JESUS. Until the arrival of THE HOLY SPIRIT, the Apostles/Disciples had pretty much been holing up behind locked doors, so great was their fear, as well as sadness that CHRIST was no longer physically with them...

I believe that whether fully, or in part, EVERY festival, and HOLY Day concerning THE LORD SHOULD be celebrated, and there IS something to be taken each time we ENJOIN to celebrate HIS name, and GLORY!!!

WHAT distinguishes us from other believers of the Earth? FAITH, and THE HOLY SPIRIT! FAITH in CHRIST JESUS, and HIS GIFT of not only LIFE, but more readily adapted to THROUGH THE HOLY SPIRIT, who is a comforter, guide, mediator, interpreter, and more! WE ARE BLESSED THROUGH THE GIFTS of *GOD*, but especially through our BELOVED CHRIST, and HIS GIFT of THE HOLY SPIRIT!!!

As THE BODY of THE CHURCH, we are bid to go to all ends of the Earth as Ambassadors of CHRIST, and to work diligently via THE HOLY SPIRIT to reach those who belong to HIM, and to perform wonders in HIS name...

Pentecost week began on the 15TH, ending on Sunday, May 24TH. There are varying degrees of celebrating this Holiday, and there are many who don't. It is important for the sake of APPRECIATION for THE LORD'S GIFT(S), which we could not manage well without! How wonderful the depths of HIS LOVE for us THAT HE has PROVIDED for us in ways we can't even fully understand. The Holy Spirit must be constantly attained. He should be received daily. To achieve this, it is necessary to wait prayerfully and expectantly for Him as the apostles did before Pentecost. "All these with one accord devoted themselves to prayer..." (Acts 1:14). This kind of prayerful waiting is essential if we are to receive the Holy Spirit. No prayer is complete unless it includes a petition to the Holy Spirit that He come to dwell in us. Thus, through prayer every day becomes Pentecost. This essentially means that THE HOLY SPIRIT can be grieved, by our sins, and sinfulness, well, let us dig deeper into this: Sin is what hinders the filling of the Holy Spirit, and obedience to God is how the filling of the Spirit is maintained. Ephesians 5:18 commands that we be filled with the Spirit; however, it is not praying for the filling of the Holy Spirit that accomplishes the filling. Only our obedience to God's commands allows the Spirit freedom to work within us. Because we are still infected with sin, it is impossible to be filled with the Spirit all of the time. When we sin, we should immediately confess it to God and renew our commitment to being Spirit-filled and Spirit-led. One statement says we PRAY, the other says we don't PRAY for the filling of THE SPIRIT, because THE SPIRIT is already in us, and what we PRAY for is not to be filled, instead, that we REMAIN IN CHRIST, and HIS WILL, THAT THE SPIRIT IS ACTIVELY working in us, and through us! It is a matter of semantics, which of course is why there are so many denominations in Christianity, but if we lose the need to be right over others, we see that it all is related to the same principles, and end goal:) We PRAY for the will to sin less, and less, and to uphold CHRIST!!!

As we grow into CHRIST JESUS, THE LORD *GOD* ALMIGHTY, we begin to see our dire need for assistance, which HE KNEW even before we were CREATED, and thus, a beautiful, and rich PLAN to accommodate us, of which THE HOLY SPIRIT IS intrinsically mandatory! God’s Holy Spirit empowers us with the love of God, the motivation to obey Him and a sound mind to discern His truth (2 Timothy 1:7; John 15:26; John 16:13). Only those who are led by God’s Spirit are called the sons of God (Romans 8:9, Romans 8:14). These Christians have a pledge or down payment on eternal life (2 Corinthians 5:5) and can look forward to the first resurrection, which is to eternal life in God’s family.

While CHRIST JESUS is THE WAY , THE HOLY SPIRIT IS the connector to *GOD*, the voice of HIS LOVE, the every aid we might need as we journey this plane! THE HOLY SPIRIT IS as a most close Friend we can turn to for every matter concerning our inching closer to our LORD! KEY is to remain OPEN to receiving, and of course, in allegiance to THE LORD, and HIS WILL! As CHRIST said, "I will not leave you as orphans" (JOHN 14: 18), and thus, we have received HIS SPIRIT for the purpose of our Sanctification, and Consecration, as we are brought into ONENESS with HIM, more, more, and more, BRINGING us into REALITY, which IS *GOD*, and *GODLINESS*...

As is written above, let us THE BODY of THE CHURCH, make EVERY day Pentecost, BY ALLOWING THE HOLY SPIRIT OF *GOD* to DO, in us, and through us, HIS WILL! Let us PRAY for greater understanding, knowledge, wisdom, and resistance to what CAN, and DOES hinder THE HOLY SPIRIT! When we do sin, as we surely will, let us repent, and understand our errs, as we USE THE SPIRIT to guide us, and lead us past such! Let us BE JOYFUL FOR this GIFT, and let us aim to remain OPEN to it, in existing conscientiously aligned to our LORD *GOD* ALMIGHTY, and we WILL find all we need to manage this time, this world, and it's obstacles! AMEN!!!

Let us PRAISE THE LORD ALWAYS! Let us WORSHIP HIS HOLINESS! Let us EXALT, and EXTOL HIS MIGHTINESS! Let us REJOICE in HIS LOVE, and CARE for us! Let us HONOUR HIM THROUGH our adherence TO HIS WILL, and WAYS! Let us BLESS HIM BY BEING THE TRUTH which we WERE CREATED in! ALL IS FOR HIS GLORY, which works for the GOOD of ALL!!!

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