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...

It DOESN'T matter the year, people have NOT changed all that much---

Especially in HONOURING *GOD*...

Yep, even today, what was written long ago, can be applied to this very hour! Despite THE WORD being SO evident in the world, there are yet great numbers who deny it/HIM, defy it/HIM, and try to edge around it! FAR TOO many ARE separated from *GOD*, but there is an age old mentality which has survived time; it is that which the evil one spoke back in the Garden; "Surely, you will not die"! Sin separates us from THE LORD, and from THE KINGDOM, but the cunning enemy has twisted it all to appeal to our logic, leaving some convinced that though they continue in 'conscious' sin, they ware within their rights, and are safe from the DAY OF THE LORD...

Sure, we are born sinners, and will exit this world in sin, yet, those who LOVE THE LORD *GOD*, REFUSE to be tied to sins which they HAVE the knowledge, and ability to resist, and overcome! Some sin comes by way of the world, but there are many sins we CAN control, and eradicate from our lives, BELIEVE IT!!!

The fleshy selfishness of the human condition IS VERY difficult to humble, and the enemy knows exactly how to use it to ensnare us, HOWEVER *GOD* TEACHES us HOW to be victorious, and for those ACTIVELY INVOLVED in their SALVATION, HE guides, directs, and protects! We ARE party to a COVENANT, which IS a legal, and binding AGREEMENT between *GOD*, and ourselves, which MEANS we HAVE a role in fulfillment of said contract! *GOD* HAS ALREADY fulfilled HIS role, through CHRIST JESUS, and HAS left us the standard, principles, and precepts by which we might fulfill ours! We WANT, we EXPECT, but we are NOT fair, in that we more than not, are UNWILLING to give in order to receive, and this is true from our relationship with *GOD*, all the way through our very existence in this realm!!!

It is WISE to KNOW THE LORD, our SAVIOUR, HIS WILL, HIS WAYS, and HIS WORD, as much as is humanly feasible, THAT we are NOT led astray by our own ideals, perceptions, and the enemy's influences! *GOD* ALONE IS our STRENGTH, and ABILITY TO OVERCOME what WILL take us down evermore! We MUST learn to RECOGNIZE, ACKNOWLEDGE, and DESIRE TO CORRECT what makes us weak, and endangered in this time! ONLY *GOD* CAN LEAD us through the valley, but we HAVE responsibility to adhere TO HIS LEAD!!!

THE LORD *GOD* is FAITHFUL TO THE FAITHFUL; to those who are SINCERELY SEEKING HIM, and THE KINGDOM! We have NO excuse when we KNOW THE TRUTH, and act as if we don't! Some believe it is alright to continue in 'conscious' sin because CHRIST JESUS nailed sin to the cross, and there IS some TRUTH in that, but it is NOT the end of the story! A person who LOVES *GOD*, LIKE CHRIST JESUS, EXISTS FOR THE WILL OF *GOD*, not for their own! We are to bear our crosses, FOLLOW HIM, and become like HIM!!!

The days we are on this Earth go by SO fast, and this IS our ONE chance to LIFE ETERNAL, and IF we don't prepare for it, or step into THE LORD IN TRUTH, and SPIRIT, what is ahead will NOT be what we would choose IF we could do it all again! BE AWARE OF THE WHOLE TRUTH; it is FAR deeper than mere words; it IS a change of heart towards sin, and the world, BECAUSE we KNOW this is NOT our reality, and that the enemy IS working overtime against us, IN ways that we might not notice IF we are NOT HONESTLY in allegiance WITH THE LORD *GOD* ALMIGHTY!!!

ISAIAH 59: 1-8...
1+++Behold, the LORD’S hand is not so short
That it cannot save;
Nor is His ear so dull
That it cannot hear.

2+++But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God,
And your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear.

3+++For your hands are defiled with blood
And your fingers with iniquity;
Your lips have spoken falsehood,
Your tongue mutters wickedness.

4+++No one sues righteously and no one pleads honestly.
They trust in confusion and speak lies;
They conceive mischief and bring forth iniquity.

5+++They hatch adders’ eggs and weave the spider’s web;
He who eats of their eggs dies,
And from that which is crushed a snake breaks forth.

6+++Their webs will not become clothing,
Nor will they cover themselves with their works;
Their works are works of iniquity,
And an act of violence is in their hands.

7+++Their feet run to evil,
And they hasten to shed innocent blood;
Their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity,
Devastation and destruction are in their highways.

8+++They do not know the way of peace,
And there is no justice in their tracks;
They have made their paths crooked,
Whoever treads on them does not know peace.

If our prayers are not answered, and the salvation we wait for is not wrought for us, it is not because God is weary of hearing prayer, but because we are weary of praying.

See here sin in true colours, exceedingly sinful; and see sin in its consequences, exceedingly hurtful, separating from God, and so separating us, not only from all good, but to all evil. Yet numbers feed, to their own destruction, on infidel and wicked systems. Nor can their skill or craft, in devising schemes, as the spider weaves its web, deliver or save them. No schemes of self-wrought salvation shall avail those who despise the Redeemer's robe of righteousness. Every man who is destitute of the Spirit of Christ, runs swiftly to evil of some sort; but those regardless of Divine truth and justice, are strangers to peace.