HEAVENLY INCLINED...: TUESDAY: TURNED UPWARD THOUGHTS...

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...

TUESDAY: TURNED UPWARD THOUGHTS...

THE OLD TESTAMENT is like a vault of lessons; like an ocean of principles; like a mountain of knowledge---

People defy, deny, and often, belittle the ancient writings which comprise the historical BOOKS of THE OLD TESTAMENT, because therein are wars, wrath, and lots of woes; EACH of which exist TO teach, and reach us! There is GREAT misunderstanding concerning the wars which took place in those times, which has caused MANY people to come away with odd perceptions of our LORD *GOD*! Most of the wars depicted were to pave THE WAY for HIS Chosen people whom HAD ever suffered at the hands of others; they were oppressed, enslaved, and considered inferior by most, PLUS, most of those enemy nations WERE SO UN*GODLY* HE HAD to rid of them, ACCORDING TO HIS WILL, and PLAN! ALSO, people have ALWAYS been prone to violence, and warring with others...

From THE OLD TESTAMENT we derive HOW to LOVE *GOD*, what FEAR of HIM is, HOW to HUMBLE ourselves unto HIM, HOW to RELY ON HIM, TRUST HIM, and TURN TO HIM, no matter what! We learn to PRAY from the heart, via the PRAYERS of MANY! We LEARN from these BOOKS in DIVERSE ways, as within, there are endless foundations on which to build in order to BE CLOSER TO THE LORD, and TO FOLLOW HIM, as well as to build UP the WHOLE assembly OF HIS people; THE CHURCH!!!

Just because we are not under the law does NOT mean there is nothing to take from the older works! There is history, there is wisdom, there is knowledge, there is genealogy, there is inspiration, there is poetry, there are wondrous novellas, there is thought provoking lessons of LOVE, of JUSTICE, of ENDURANCE, of PERSEVERANCE, of FAITH, of FAITHFULNESS, of TESTAMENTS, COVENANTS, HIS PROMISES for the FAITHFUL, HIS WRATH, HIS CURSES, and on the list goes, EACH of which take us to a HIGHER point of understanding, as we are MADE HOLY through Sanctification, and Consecrated FOR HIS LOFTY use! Somewhere it is written that we should STUDY the ancients, that we find out the good paths to take! I think this is JEREMIAH 6: 6! We CAN LEARN from our studies what is right, what is good, what is just, YES, even from the rebellious, the hard-headed, and the defiant, as such lessons SHOW us THE WAY more clearly, and more soundly!!!

Oh that men would be wise for their souls! Ask for the old paths; the way of godliness and righteousness has always been the way God has owned and blessed. Ask for the old paths set forth by the written word of God. When you have found the good way, go on in it, you will find abundant recompense at your journey's end. But if men will not obey the voice of God and flee to his appointed Refuge, it will plainly appear at the day of judgment, that they are ruined because they reject God's word.

Me, I LOVE THE WHOLE BIBLE, and I pore through ALL of it, over, and over again, ALWAYS coming away with one more piece of information than I had before, because as it is, there IS ever a message appealing to the heart, and the soul of the seeking! I know I have said it before, but with each reading of THE BIBLE, there IS something we didn't notice before, or skimmed over too fast, or did NOT take in! It IS AMAZING, which I suppose, IS attributed TO HIS SUPERNATURAL PRESENCE IN THE WORD!!!

The GREATEST lesson which enjoins ALL of HIS people AS ONE UNTO HIM is that of TOTAL RELIANCE ON HIM, and UNMOVABLE TRUST, from which FAITH FLOURISHES, and INVOKES HIM, then BLESSES us through it all!!!

Since the beginning of time on this Earth, people have balked at HIM; they have felt that HIS WAY is FAR too great for us to manage, but this is proof of selfishness, because TRUTH IS WE WERE CREATED IN HIS IMAGE, and HIS WILL, which MEANS we ARE ENABLED, ENDOWED, ENRICHED, ENLIGHTENED, EMPOWERED, and ENCOURAGED IF we are so inclined, for we ARE Children OF THE MOST HIGH, and SOVEREIGN LORD, *GOD* OVER ALL, and EVERYTHING, KING OF THE HIGHEST KINGDOM, and PARTAKERS OF ALL HE IS, UNITED TO HIM BY HIS LOVE, GRACE, MERCY, WILL, and COVENANT OF RECONCILIATION! People WANT to take one or two sentences, and make this the bulk of their knowledge, of their HOPE, of their share in HIM, but SERIOUSLY, THE WHOLE of HIS BOOK EXISTS for our sake, TO LEAD us SAFELY through the valley, and what is yet to come, which IS going to be a perilous time for ALL on Earth as the END of EVIL IS rendered by the wrath, and hand of THE LORD *GOD* ALMIGHTY!!!

Partial knowledge endangers the very being! One CANNOT expect to withstand what is to come without KNOWING what is to come, and so forth! THE WHOLE OF THE BIBLE WORKS TOGETHER FOR HIS GLORY, AS HIS people ARE LED TO THE KINGDOM, VIA HIS laws, COMMANDMENTS, statutes, precepts, decrees, ordinances, all of HIS WILL; AND IT IS ALL ABOUT CHRIST JESUS, our SAVIOUR WHOSE LOVE IS GREATER than all else!!!

REV. LWINSOR © 2016
BIBLICAL, and/or other references marked BOLDLY IN COLOURS