HEAVENLY INCLINED...: LAST VACATION OF SUMMER!!!

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...

LAST VACATION OF SUMMER!!!

It is time for that final vacation of the season:)))---

Yep, as Summer begins to fade away, and everything changes, we will take in, and bask in the end of the season! It went by much too fast, but that's the way it is where there are seasons!!!

I WILL be around now, and again; I am working on posts concerning the origin of the Christian Cross, icons, and other symbolism, and how it evolved into permanence in various Denominations, yet is not used in others! There are people in the world convinced that we are commit idolatry in the use of the Cross, and other such, and so, I think it IS important to understand WHY we do use such in diverse ways! Personally, I WORSHIP *GOD* ALONE, and do not venerate anything, or anyone but HIM, still I am curious about the traditions involved in using such...

Throughout the world, ALL religions are handed down with certain beliefs, customs, ethics, ideals, and so forth; this is common to our existence, and for the most part, unless we are constantly seeking TRUTH, we accept them, regardless of their being rightfully WHOLE, or ACCURATE to TRUTH. Parts of EVERY religion are lacking, and yet because they are a part of our heritage, and upbringing, we pretty much accept what we get! There are flaws, gaps, lack of knowledge, faulty perception, misinterpretations, and all sorts of issues, and matters in each religion, which is why we ought to seek to dig as deeply as we can into what we are handed down. Let none of us ever forget that the enemy is working everywhere in the world, in every channel of knowledge there is, but especially in those channels that have the power to save people from said enemy, which means, said enemy IS involved in religions, therefore, altering the roots of TRUTH in order to deceive, confuse, and further remove us from TRUE WORSHIPING...

Complacency doesn't work anymore, and never has; such has contributed to the state the world is in at this time, and through the ages! Being too lax is never a good idea, because it denies that there is an enemy, enmity, and dangers away from *GOD*! We HAVE to KNOW as much as we can possibly take in, then, balance, and adhere ourselves to HIM, and HIS WILL! Christianity invokes a great deal of growing, and maturing INTO CHRIST JESUS, and is NOT done through indifference, complacency, or lacking! We should examine our FAITH, and FAITHFULNESS, often, and note the progress we have made, or not! Into this plays a great many things, including our use of icons, symbolism, and so forth! It is advantageous to KNOW our being IS aligned to our LORD!!!

It is largely, our mentality which determines rightful WORSHIP of THE LORD *GOD*; and if it is riddled by ways of the world, to which Christians are dead, then there comes a point of shedding such ways, and embracing THE WAY, wholly, inasmuch as is feasible, AS we PRAY for guidance, and direction in doing so! TRULY, we ARE carrying worldly ways into our WORSHIP, because that of the ways we have been taught, and so, we ALWAYS strive for as much knowledge as THE LORD WILLS us to have, and in this gain, we MUST discern, and balance, THAT we don't go the other extreme, because extremes ARE a trap, and if we don't understand such traps, well, we will get tripped up...

Anyway, there ARE reasons for everything, and therein, lessons for the diligent to master! The PROCESS of Sanctification IS life-long, and IS SPIRIT LED, and MOTIVATED FOR diverse reasons, some of which we have no clue, but this is where our TRUST, and RELIANCE in THE LORD is manifested!!!

After listening to, and reading some of the criticism concerning our Cross, icons, and other symbolism, I had to stop and wonder, because I for one, AM attached to my Cross, though I do NOT WORSHIP it, instead, it serves as a constant reminder of what my LORD suffered for us, and allows me to also, remember that daily, I MUST take up my Cross in HIS name! SOME of our use of such things ARE derived from paganism, and so, I CAN see that the tradition of heritage, and other such HAVE been handed on to me to place value on this symbol, and I HAVE to discover the root TO why, because I am a curious logistical person, for one, and for another, I wish to PLEASE THE LORD, not err in ignorance, even more!!!

And so, you see, this is a deep well which I have dropped my bucket into, but IS worthwhile for the sake of understanding enough to silence the critique, or to grow past such!!!

Well, I am off to finish up around here, that I can relax, and enjoy my last vacation of the season! May *GOD* BE with us, and BLESS us ALL, and may we BLESS, and REMAIN IN HIM! MUCH LOVE, take care, and HONOUR THE LORD in every way feasible; BE the fruit WORTHY of THE VINE!!!

REV. LWINSOR © 2015