HEAVENLY INCLINED...: DAILY CHALLENGE: LOVE...

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...

DAILY CHALLENGE: LOVE...

I wonder if I could go 30 days without forming an opinion about someone, or something, and absolutely, without falter, exist in PURE LOVE, regardless of what I see, hear, or experience?---

WHY should it be so difficult to exist EXACTLY as *GOD* would have me to? It is baffling, because even with knowledge, and understanding, I am still challenged, and incomplete! Ah, indeed, transformation IS a process, one which we willingly adhere to, and TRUST, however, still we stumble as we go; in which case, we repent, we PRAY, we seek guidance, and we ever learn to do better, and strive to embrace the reason why we would stumble at all...

It helps to NOT be wrapped up in the matters of the world, as we are taught (COLOSSIANS 3: 2), this I gather from most days, because the word's ways DO enmesh MORE than necessary, especially when our passions are piqued by what is happening around us, which then, has the power to trip us up as we step away from sound principle and reasoning TO assess, and unfortunately, determine things according to the self! We conclude things by the 'natural' being all too often, which we KNOW is faulty, as it is not rooted in the spiritual TRUTHS!!!

GALATIANS 5: 14...
For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, "YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF."

The gospel is a doctrine according to godliness, 1Ti 6:3, and is so far from giving the least countenance to sin, that it lays us under the strongest obligation to avoid and subdue it. The apostle urges that all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

If Christians, who should help one another, and rejoice one another, quarrel, what can be expected but that the God of love should deny his grace, that the Spirit of love should depart, and the evil spirit, who seeks their destruction, should prevail? Happy would it be, if Christians, instead of biting and devouring one another on account of different opinions, would set themselves against sin in themselves, and in the places where they live.

There IS SO MUCH SCRIPTURE aimed at TEACHING us about LOVE, and TO LOVE, but sadly, it SEEMS to be one of the most difficult accomplishments EVER, albeit we ARE wired TO exist in it as *GOD* bids us to! It IS as one with our natures as is the inclination to avoid it, deny it, defy it, and misuse it; it TRULY IS! It takes EFFORT to LOVE ARIGHT, and to REMAIN IN LOVE no matter what a day in the world hurls our way, though such effort IS OPTIMAL, as well as OPTIMIZING, AND the more we STRIVE TO LOVE as we should, the more it becomes part of us!!!

KEY IS to KEEP developing LOVE, and to grow IN it, while RELYING ON THE LORD as HE LEADS us deeper into it's nucleus! Our TRUTH, and reality ARE fixed IN LOVE, despite our struggle with it!!!

*GOD'S* enemy, OUR enemy IS well-informed, well-versed, and VERY intent ON darkening THE TRUTH of LOVE, THAT we MIGHT be snared, then chained to the world INSTEAD of being FREE IN THE LORD, and LOVE! Hence, the struggle! However, IF we ARE IN THE LORD, we ARE OF LOVE, and ARE ABLE to fuse with it, even though it seems contrary to the way we have been reared, or instructed this far by faulty human ways, and precepts!!!

SUFFERING IS par for the course for those of THE LORD; and as HE suffered, so shall we! Suffering has many descriptors, many layers, many levels, yet, AS HE HAS OVERCOME, SO SHALL WE, IF we REMAIN IN HIM, and LOVE until the end! Suffering is difficulty, discomfort, hardship, misfortune, adversity, affliction, distress, and on the negatives go, AND which ARE common TO the world, and it's ways, but ALSO, TO OVERCOMING! You see, such PERFECTS the being, and PROVES the heart, ULTIMATELY reflecting the soul's placement in eternity! Tests, trials, and tribulations REVEAL THE distinction between HIS own, and the rest, as ONLY those OF HIM SHALL PREVAIL, REGARDLESS of the trips, stumbles, and obstacles, for we ARE enlightened, enabled, empowered, enriched, and encouraged!!!

It is so strange to note how many turn a deaf ear, and a blind eye to LOVE; often with the attitude of smugness! People THINK they ARE LOVING aright, even though the hours of the day EXPOSE the falsehood!!!

LOVE IS DEFICIENT in this time, and IS on the verge of becoming defunct, as more people become lost in the world, and know not THE TRUTH, or as they deny it! Opposition to *GOD*, and to LOVE IS showing itself in diverse ways, and IS CONFIRMING THE NEED FOR *GOD*, and LOVE as the UGLINESS of oppression is heard, seen, and felt the entire globe over!!!

I WON'T ever give up the cause to bring LOVE into it's rightful place; the heart of Mankind, because I LOVE enough to desire that ALL KNOW LOVE, and HOW to become one with it! The more hate, violence, animosity, and other negatives which present themselves in any moment, the more I am convinced that LOVE IS WHAT IS LACKING in this crazy, confused, and deceived world! *GOD* help me in this quest, and may HE help us ALL, because the days ARE more than troubled!!!

LWINSOR © 2017
BIBLICAL, and/or other references marked BOLDLY IN COLOURS