HEAVENLY INCLINED...: KEEP ON KEEPIN' ON: FAITH ALWAYS...

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...

KEEP ON KEEPIN' ON: FAITH ALWAYS...

I am tired; so many things going on around here with cancer(s), upcoming, and post surgeries, and other such, BUT I am NOT weary, and have LOTS of SPIRIT in me! Time, unexpectedly hits us with a seemingly harsh and frequent amount of stuff to deal with, but we are NOT alone, and we HAVE PRAYER, FAITH, and TRUST IN THE LORD, which brings BLESSINGS to the table, realized, or HOPED for---

What else is there to do besides HOLD ONTO FAITH, and persevere? Not much that is optimal, that's for sure! Yah, we could cave in and be overtaken, but then what? More problems, and NO help! You see, when we RELY ON *GOD*, we KNOW HELP is right here, near, and clear, EVEN should we suffer, or worse...

I tell you what, THERE IS ALWAYS HOPE, and if you don't cling to HOPE, then there is no HOPE to be found; the same is true with FAITH, from which HOPE is derived! Part-time FAITH is foolish, and ultimately, endangers one, because when FAITH is denied, or forgotten, or left by the wayside, we are vulnerable to being shackled to what we ALLOW to overtake us, or cause us to doubt! HOW can we doubt THE LORD *GOD* ALMIGHTY, anyway? If we can't put our trust in HIM, then whom can we put it in???

Far too many Christians have the strongest FAITH when things are going good, but as soon as problems pour upon them, they forget THE POWERS INVOKED IN FAITH! When things are bad, people get busy lamenting, or trying to make things better on their own, therefore, without even realizing it, or knowing it, shunning THE LORD, our ROCK, our FORTRESS, our SURE, and PRESENT HELP, our CHAMPION, our PROTECTOR, our HEALER, our SAVIOUR!!!

IF YOU WANT *GOD* TO MAKE THINGS HAPPEN IN YOUR FAVOUR, you sure as heck DON'T SHUN HIM, or FORGET HIS ALMIGHTY POWERS, NO!, you INVOKE them, and WAIT ON HIM!!!

THE LORD IS FAITHFUL TO THE FAITHFUL; these HE KNOWS ARE WITH HIM, thus, HE IS WITH THEM, through it all! Now, we may not always get what we want, or need, but HE ISN'T gonna leave us like lame ducks in a sea of evil dissension, full of deadly waves, and turbulent troubles IF we REMAIN IN HIM throughout!!!

Hey, I get down, I get scared, I get distracted by the things time brings around, BUT, I DON'T ALLOW them to TAKE me from my FAITH, or TRUST IN THE LORD, BECAUSE I KNOW HE HAS my back, and HIS WILL SHALL BE DONE, so, when I am distressed, I PRAY, I HOPE, I HAVE FAITH, I PRAISE, I WORSHIP, and I CLING TO BEING FAITHFUL! There is, for me, NO other alternative, for I AM CONVINCED THAT HE, ALONE, IS *GOD*, and SOVEREIGN LORD OVER ALL, and EVERYTHING, including the matters of my time!!!

I get upset with my LOVED ones, now and again, when they waver in their FAITH, and I tell them to consider the FACT that when they waver, there is NO FAITH, hence, NO HOPE, SO, Man, or Woman UP, ESPECIALLY when troubles are frequent, and numerous!!!

Tests, trials, and tribulations ARE part of being on Earth, and WILL prove us, one way or another, believe it, there IS reason, and purpose in all of this, which ONLY *GOD* KNOWS, and we SHOULD TRUST! We can cry, we can hurt, we can experience, BUT AS we do so, we INCREASE OUR FAITH, and RELIANCE IN HIM!!!

We CANNOT humanize *GOD*, but I tell you what, *GOD* CAN MAKE US ANEW, RESTORE us, and MAKE US AS IS HE, so, WHY not have the kind of FAITH which ALLOWS HIM TO DO SO?! REMEMBER ALWAYS, our TRUTH, our REALITY IS NOT OF THIS Earth, NOR of the flesh, IT IS OF SPIRIT!!!

CHRIST JESUS said, “For truly I tell you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” MATTHEW 17: 20: THIS I BELIEVE, this I hold onto, and this I HOPE to take deeper, and deeper into my heart, mind, and spirit! It is good for us to distrust ourselves and our own strength; but it is displeasing to Christ when we distrust any power derived from him, or granted by him.

LWINSOR © 2019
BIBLICAL, and/or other references marked BOLDLY IN COLOURS