HEAVENLY INCLINED...: WEDNESDAY'S WISDOM...

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...

WEDNESDAY'S WISDOM...

Strangers in a strange land are hardly ever comfortable knowing they are displaced---

1 PETER 2: 10-12...
10+++for you once were NOT A PEOPLE, but now you are THE PEOPLE OF GOD; you had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but now you have RECEIVED MERCY.
11+++Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul.
12+++Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation.

Even the best of men, the chosen generation, the people of God, need to be exhorted to keep from the worst sins. And fleshly lusts are most destructive to man's soul. It is a sore judgment to be given up to them. There is a day of visitation coming, wherein God may call to repentance by his word and his grace; then many will glorify God, and the holy lives of his people will have promoted the happy change.

The apostle, after describing its peculiarly lofty dignity, considers the Christian church in its relation to the non-Christian world, and shows how believers must prove themselves blameless before it by right conduct in the different relations of human life.

I beseech you, as strangers — Or sojourners; and pilgrims — Who have no inheritance on this earth, but are travelling to the heavenly country. The former word, παροικοι, properly means those who are in a strange house, a house not their own: the second, παρεπιδημοι, those who are in a strange country, and among a people not their own. We sojourn in the body; we are pilgrims in this world; abstain from fleshly lusts — Or carnal desires; from inordinate desires of any thing in this country. “The settled inhabitants of a country are anxious to acquire riches, to purchase lands, and to build houses. But they who stay but a few weeks in a country, or who only travel through it, are commonly not solicitous to secure to themselves accommodations which they are so soon to leave. In the same manner, believers, being only sojourners on earth, and travellers to a better country, ought not to place their happiness in the enjoyment of those objects by which carnal desires are gratified, and which are peculiar to this earthly state, but in securing themselves possessions in the heavenly country, the proper habitation of the righteous.” — Macknight.

Which carnal desires, though pleasant to the senses, war against the soul — Against the health, the strength, the liberty, the purity, the usefulness, the comfort of the soul. Having your conversation — Your whole behaviour; honest — Greek, καλην, amiable, excellent, commendable, and honourable, pious and virtuous in every respect. But our language sinks under the force, copiousness, and beauty of the original expressions; among the Gentiles — Your heathen neighbours, who narrowly watch you; that whereas they speak against you as evil-doers — As seditious persons and atheists, because ye do not worship their false gods, and because you join yourselves with what they presumptuously call the impious sect of Christians; they may by your good works — Your unblameable, useful, and holy conduct, your obedience to the just laws of the state, your submission to magistrates, and your patience and meekness when unjustly punished; which they shall behold —

Shall be eye-witnesses of; may not only lay aside their blasphemous reproaches and bitter enmities, but may exchange them for commendations and praises, and so may glorify God — By owning his grace in you, being induced to believe and obey the truth, and to imitate your example; in the day of visitation — During the season in which the gospel is preached among them, whereby they are visited with the offers of pardon and salvation. It is well known that the patience, fortitude, and meekness with which the first Christians bore persecution for their religion, and the forgiving disposition which they expressed toward their persecutors, made such an impression on the heathen, who were witnesses of their sufferings, that many of them glorified God by embracing the gospel.

It does the being good to put into perspective our place in *GOD'S* universe! We are NOT of this Earth, though born into it; we are aliens, sojourners travelling through this time FOR HIS GLORY, and HIS WILL! We are to lend to the world HIS QUALITY(IES), and to exemplify HIS LOVE, as we inspire others who unaware of the richness of THE LORD *GOD*, and HIS GIFTS, to take notice, and to encourage them to SEE even in the dense darkness of this plane!!!

Since we were brought into the world, we TRY to fit into it for some time, but ALWAYS feel distanced from it, even out of place; such IS the effect of NOT belonging to it! Then, as we awaken from the dullness derived from this dark realm, we REALIZE where, and to whom we belong! In which case, we have to peel off layers of accumulated effects of this world, which HAVE hampered, and hindered us, as we RENEW our ONENESS with our FATHER, THE LORD *GOD* ALMIGHTY! HIS enemy, our enemy has done all he can to keep us in the dark, and has jaded our HEAVENLY inclinations, and senses, THEREFORE, as we are aroused TO TRUTH, we spend time RECALLING our REALITY, and stepping into it, all the while noticing more, and more THE WAY home, as our LORD employs endless tools, instructions, and guidances for us to FOLLOW!!!

And we COULD make this our home if we so chose to, and as many HAVE done; forfeiting THE LORD, and their souls, though it is pure folly to do so, for ALL know the fate of the world, and those of it...

We ARE uniquely different, thus separate from the world, SO it is only logical that our ways should indicate this fact! That we are a HOLY people, a CHOSEN race, FURTHER points to our inability to ever fit in the ways of this world, for our very core IS well-versed, even IF it has been under the shroud of deception and oppression as we journey through this time!!!

We must know, and believe, and adapt to where TRUTH is leading us, and to HIM whom is TRUTH, for ONLY then are we enlightened, enabled, enriched, endowed, empowered, and encouraged enough to REMAIN ON THE PATH, because said enemy IS full of devious guile, and knows our every weakness well, which he USES at every opportunity TO chain us down to this realm...

Interesting, me thinks; really interesting, and which answers the uneasiness of the soul! How DEEP the ways of THE LORD, and yet, look how HE manages to bring to our limited beings, ALL we need to navigate the mine fields of this Earth!!!

It is nearly laughable that ANY being in the universe would go up against THE LORD *GOD* ALMIGHTY, who IS WISE and KNOWING, and ALL POWERFUL, and surely, HIS Children should not fall wayside by those who dare, because ONE DAY, HIS DAY, those who dare will eternally suffer their choice to do so!!!

PRAISE THE LORD *GOD* WHO LOVES us SO much that A PERFECT, INCORRUPTIBLE, and INDESTRUCTIBLE PLAN came forth of HIS GENIUS FOR HIS OWN! WORSHIP HIS HOLINESS, and HONOUR HIM BY stepping into it, bit by bit; it IS for our own good, and sake! REJOICE that HE CARES SO much that HE IS PRESENT, and IS AIDING us in making it home! BE THANKFUL, and GRATEFUL for HIS every lesson, discipline, and implement HE HAS bestowed upon us for our safety, protection, and provision! EXALT HIS NAME throughout this world, and time, FOR HE IS, and EVERMORE SHALL BE THE LORD *GOD*!!!

BIBLICAL, and/or other references marked BOLDLY IN COLOURS