HEAVENLY INCLINED...: FAITH THAT KEEPS US STANDING IN *GOD* REGARDLESS...

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...

FAITH THAT KEEPS US STANDING IN GOD REGARDLESS...

As chaos, the forces of negativity, and evil increase, can your FAITH withstand, and survive the trials, tests, and tribulations? Is your FAITH anchored IN, and TO THE LORD *GOD* ALMIGHTY, or is it grounded in the flesh? Is your FAITH STRONG enough to bring GLORY TO *GOD* no matter what, like with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego?---

SO important, and imperative IS the message in DANIEL 3, for this IS the sort of challenge we will face as the evil comes to a head, and by evil, we are ORDERED to follow what is NOT of THE LORD *GOD*! The 3 men involved in this lesson have been threatened by Nebuchadnezzar to worship his golden statue, or they will be placed into an incinerator/furnace, and their reply is:

“Nebuchadnezzar, we are not in need of an answer to give you concerning this matter.

If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to rescue us from the furnace of blazing fire; and He will rescue us from your hand, O king.

But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods nor worship the golden statue that you have set up.”

AND HERE IS the gist of their reply, their FAITH, and their STRENGTH IN THE LORD:

True devotion calms the spirit, quiets and softens it, but superstition and devotion to false gods inflame men's passions. The matter is put into a little compass, Turn, or burn. Proud men are still ready to say, as Nebuchadnezzar, Who is the Lord, that I should fear his power?

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego did not hesitate whether they should comply or not. Life or death were not to be considered. Those that would avoid sin, must not parley with temptation when that to which we are allured or affrighted is manifestly evil. Stand not to pause about it, but say, as Christ did, Get thee behind me, Satan. They did not contrive an evasive answer, when a direct answer was expected.

Those who make their duty their main care, need not be anxious or fearful concerning the event. The faithful servants of God find him able to control and overrule all the powers armed against them. Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst. If He be for us, we need not fear what man can do unto us. God will deliver us, either from death or in death. They must obey God rather than man; they must rather suffer than sin; and must not do evil that good may come. Therefore none of these things moved them.

The saving them from sinful compliance, was as great a miracle in the kingdom of grace, as the saving them out of the fiery furnace was in the kingdom of nature. Fear of man and love of the world, especially want of faith, make men yield to temptation, while a firm persuasion of the truth will deliver them from denying Christ, or being ashamed of him. We are to be meek in our replies, but we must be decided that we will obey God rather than man.

YAH, IMPERATIVE lesson, and the foundation on which CHRIST JESUS TEACHES us to FOLLOW HIM, KEEP OUR EYES ON HIM, and ENDURE UNTO THE END!!!

It IS DIFFICULT, especially now in this generation of partial teaching, and human perception which has tainted, or lessened BIBLICAL interpretations; we are UNSURE, UNSTABLE, and NOT YET ANCHORED, STILL we CAN be, and MUST AIM to be, for ALL HELL IS breaking loose, and ONLY THE FAITHFUL SERVANT WILL survive the times!!!

FAITH IS A GIFT from THE LORD *GOD* ALMIGHTY, still it is one which calls for our commitment, allegiance, and constant improving of our ways. FAITH IS RELIANCE ON *GOD* in EVERY aspect of our existence on this Earth, AND for what is to come! FAITH IS TRUSTING HIM in ALL matters, and in EVERY circumstance, for HE IS THE LORD *GOD*, and we DO exist according to HIS WILL, FOR HIS GLORY, and HIS purpose! FAITH IS QUIETING the flesh, and the calming of the spirit, no matter what! FAITH IS that which finds us FAITHFULLY FOLLOWING HIM EVEN WHEN we have NO clue! FAITH IS diligence, determination, dedication, devotion, and deliberately BEING, and DOING what HE expects of HIS own!!!

FAITH IS becoming who HE intends us to be, despite the world, and its ways attempting to stop us along THE WAY! We REMAIN IN HIM, and HE REMAINS IN us! Regardless of what is happening to us, or around us; regardless that we experience emotionally, or deeply, we TURN TO HIM, WAIT ON HIM, TRUST IN HIM, and RELY ON HIM, AS we USE HIS WISDOM, and PRAYERS TO still the being!!!

The sparks of the fires of hell HAVE been stoked, and we ARE in times which WILL fan the flames, HOWEVER, IF HIS people STAND STRONG IN HIM, and SHINE OF HIM, what is destined won't be able to shake many loose...

WORTHY IS the work involved IN FOLLOWING HIM, and HIS WILL, AND in modeling ourselves after CHRIST JESUS! We WON'T be able to be perfect in our quest, but that we WANT TO speaks volumes TO *GOD*, and IS INSPIRATION to a darkening, dangerous, and distraught world!!!

BIBLICAL, and/or other references marked BOLDLY IN COLOURS