HEAVENLY INCLINED...: A FUTURE DESPITE THE PAST...

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...

A FUTURE DESPITE THE PAST...

Yah baby; right on; uh huh; and AMEN!!!

I sometimes wonder what time would have been like if my past were different; if my earlier years had been normal; if I had not been taken to the very gates of hell, but I don't linger on such for long, because I KNOW *GOD* had plans for my time, bringing me to the present!!!

I was taken up, I was taken down, I was taken all around through this old world, and was taught THROUGH experiencing what works against THE LORD *GOD*! It is strange in retrospect, and yet, it makes great sense, but there is NO better way to appreciate what is OF *GOD*, what is right, just, and good, THEN to HAVE experienced the exact opposite! Such SHOWED me THE WAY, and left me ever indebted, ever grateful, ever THANKFUL, and OH, SO appreciative OF THE LORD, HIS WILL, and HIS WAYS! Me, bound to death, but BY THE GRACE OF *GOD* GIVEN new LIFE breath!!!

I KNEW HIM, and KNEW HE WAS with me along the rocky, craggy, dangerous roads I had to travel to ARRIVE at HIS THRONE, though I SURELY WAS distanced from TRUTH, partly due to HAVING to survive circumstances, from such a young age, and partly because I HAD to SEE the world for what it is IN ORDER for my REALITY to HIT THE HEART, and HONE THE MIND!!!

WHEN the time was right, HE HUMBLED me, in which case, things changed dramatically! It IS as Apostle Paul declared in Philippians 3: 7-8:
7+++But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ.
8+++More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ,

AMEN! I was made/born a NEW being; and what I lost by way of the world, I MORE than GAINED IN my LORD, and HIS PROMISES! It matters NOT that I lost things, even people in the PROCESS of my newness, ALL that matters IS HIM, and HIS WILL, and the ASSURANCE of my soul ENTERING THE KINGDOM! I AM HAPPY in the changes rendered BECAUSE I KNOW now, my place ETERNAL, and that I am NOTHING without HIM!!!

What a PERFECT state of being to KNOW that we are NOT of the world, especially those of us who HAVE SEEN, and EXPERIENCED the world for what it is! How BLESSED we ARE to REALIZE that despite what we HAD to endure to reach this *GOD* GIVEN STATE, we HAVE REACHED THE TRUTH!!!

YES, what we give up, what we lose, what we undergo IS worthy of REJOICING! YES, time IS different, YET it is ALL the sweeter, all the more PEACE filled, all the more wondrous when we glide in the wings of THE ALMIGHTY LORD *GOD*!!!

CONFIDENCE IS FOUND IN THE LORD, and ALL IS WELL IN the knowledge of KNOWING we HAVE a FUTURE SHARING IN HIS GLORY! PRAISE & WORSHIP HIS HOLINESS, and HIS HOLY NAME! HALLELUJAH, ALLELUIA, PRAISE, OH PRAISE THE LORD, WHOSE LOVE IS THE KEY TO ETERNITY!!!