HEAVENLY INCLINED...: EVERY HOUR OF TIME IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE THINGS RIGHT IN THE WORLD UNDER *GOD*!!!

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...

EVERY HOUR OF TIME IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE THINGS RIGHT IN THE WORLD UNDER GOD!!!

See what decaying, perishing things worldly pomp and possessions are, and the power by which they are gotten. God, in his providence, sets up one, and pulls down another, as he pleases. This world is full of wars and fightings, which come from men's lusts---

All changes and revolutions of states and kingdoms, and every event, are plainly and perfectly foreseen by God. No word of God shall fall to the ground; but what he has designed, what he has declared, shall infallibly come to pass. While the potsherds of the earth strive with each other, they prevail and are prevailed against, deceive and are deceived; but those who know God will trust in him, and he will enable them to stand their ground, bear their cross, and maintain their conflict.

This commentary from DANIEL 11, ought to be studied, and taken to heart, as it speaks volumes concerning our missteps, and our mishaps because of our missteps...

Also, in the BOOK OF DANIEL, we find that we ARE just like the ancients in more ways than we realize, and we have gone against THE WILL OF *GOD* as much, if not more than they! Now, here is an example:

DANIEL 9: 8-14...

8+++Open shame belongs to us, LORD, to our kings, our leaders, and our fathers, because we have sinned against You.

9+++To the Lord our God belong compassion and forgiveness, because we have rebelled against Him

10+++and we have not obeyed the voice of the LORD our God, to walk in His teachings which He set before us through His servants the prophets.

11+++Indeed, all Israel has violated Your Law and turned aside, not obeying Your voice; so the curse has gushed forth on us, along with the oath which is written in the Law of Moses the servant of God, because we have sinned against Him.

12+++So He has confirmed His words which He had spoken against us and against our rulers who ruled us, to bring on us great disaster; for under the entire heaven there has not been done anything like what was done in Jerusalem.

13+++Just as it is written in the Law of Moses, all this disaster has come on us; yet we have not sought the favor of the LORD our God by turning from our wrongdoing and giving attention to Your truth.

14+++So the LORD has kept the disaster in store and brought it on us; for the LORD our God is righteous with respect to all His deeds which He has done, but we have not obeyed His voice.

In every prayer we must make confession, not only of the sins we have been guilty of, but of our faith in God, and dependence upon him, our sorrow for sin, and our resolutions against it. It must be our confession, the language of our convictions. Here is Daniel's humble, serious, devout address to God; in which he gives glory to him as a God to be feared, and as a God to be trusted. We should, in prayer, look both at God's greatness and his goodness, his majesty and mercy. Here is a penitent confession of sin, the cause of the troubles the people for so many years groaned under. All who would find mercy must thus confess their sins. Here is a self-abasing acknowledgment of the righteousness of God; and it is evermore the way of true penitents thus to justify God. Afflictions are sent to bring men to turn from their sins, and to understand God's truth. Here is a believing appeal to the mercy of God. It is a comfort that God has been always ready to pardon sin. It is encouraging to recollect that mercies belong to God, as it is convincing and humbling to recollect that righteousness belongs to him. There are abundant mercies in God, not only forgiveness, but forgivenesses.

I have a LOT to say about the state of the world, but some of which is best NOT said out loud! There are a million lessons to be learned, and embraced as we enter these days of contention, which OUGHT to be BIBLICAL in alignment, as what we are doing, and have become is NOTHING new; people haven't changed much from beginning to now, as IS evident as we study THE WORD...

Many say that the people need encouragement, and of course, we do, HOWEVER encouragement IS BEST found in TRUTH, and also, that IS what LEADS us, as well as promotes well-being! We CANNOT continue to simply, appease the longings of the carnal being, we HAVE to step INTO THE LORD, LOVE, TRUTH, and RIGHTEOUSNESS, otherwise, problems, troubles, and conflict...

This IS *GOD'S* world, no matter what anyone might imagine! We WERE CREATED FOR HIS GLORY! FREE WILL HAS ALLOWED us to either FOLLOW HIM OR the world, and that too, IS part of the DIVINE order, for ALL against HIM, and HIS WILL IS exemplary of how NOT to exist, and proof of the TRUTH of the heart!!!

As we study THE BIBLE, we are REMINDED by past peoples and their ways of how NOT to be, and BY CHRIST JESUS, and HIS Disciples of how TO be!!!

What is happening in this mad world today IS consequence of our being distant, and removed FROM THE LORD *GOD*, and HIS WILL, BUT as long as their is this hour, there is HOPE for the future, IF people TURN BACK TO HIM, LOVE, and TRUTH!!!

There WON'T be more of the same in THE KINGDOM; all which is vile, wicked, and evil WILL be separated/eradicated from HIM, and HIS people; then TRUE LIFE WILL BE filled with JOY, and NEVER another affliction! This DOESN'T seem to be inspiring enough for the majority, and so, the fact remains that though THE LIGHT SHINES IN THE DARKNESS, far too many prefer the darkness over THE LIGHT!!!

By nature the CARNAL being is stubborn, proud, and resistant TO what is HOLY, and that IS WHY we have degenerated to this point! People will stomp their feet, plug their ears, and close their eyes to instruction that LEADS them aright, BECAUSE it IS contrary to the fleeting, temporal, so-called pleasures they seek, and so hungrily believe they need! It HAS ALWAYS been like this, and even the most wise, and knowledgeable CHOSEN to lead them have difficulty REACHING, thus TEACHING, as many just don't want anything to do with TRUTH, and ESPECIALLY HOLINESS!!!

Still, we CANNOT leave TRUTH out of the picture, or sermons, for to do so IS to join the world, and we are NOT OF this world, we ARE OF THE HEAVENS, and OF *GOD*, and as partners TO HIS COVENANT, we HAVE duties, responsibilities, and measures to be performed, and taken THAT not all are lost!!!

MANY of the ancient prophets were killed, or bullied, or subjected to bad treatment since the people RESENTED their insistence on existing IN *GOD*, and NOT in the world! What has changed? NOT much that is for sure!!!

BELIEVE IT; *GOD* HAS MADE PROMISES OF BLESSINGS, and OF CURSES, and right now we are witnessing curses being fulfilled as the people HAVE gone far, far, far from HIM, LOVE, and TRUTH! IN this, there is OPPORTUNITY TO CHANGE things for the better, BY TURNING TO HIM, and HIS WILL, YET, how many will? There is just SO much wrong influence, and human perception in the way...

Let us PRAY, and let us improve our every way! Let us take advantage of this moment TO TURN BACK TO THE LORD *GOD* ALMIGHTY! Let us HONOUR HIM BY DOING, and BEING AS HE instructs us to! Let us PRAISE HIM, WORSHIP HIM, and REJOICE IN HIM! Let us BE the NEW being, and FOLLOW CHRIST JESUS to the very end; there IS RECOMPENSE IMMEASURABLE FOR those who DO!!!

BIBLICAL, and/or other references marked BOLDLY IN COLOURS