HEAVENLY INCLINED...: O SORROW; TEARS TO SPEND...

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...

O SORROW; TEARS TO SPEND...

A couple of years ago, we lost a LOVED one to cancer, and her Mother also had it; well, now the Mother is leaving us; she is in the hospital/hospice, and the cancer has spread throughout. We have lost at least 5 people now in the past 4 or 5 years, along with other afflictions, and it gets tough to deal with, but by THE GRACE, and GOOD of *GOD*, we endure, and move forward---

Time on Earth is short, it is precious, and is meant to be used for the good, although there is great conflict about that statement! The majority feel it is to be enjoyed to the fullest, which is fine, IF that enjoyment is rooted in THE LORD, and not that of the world, because the end can come just like that, and if you have lived for the self, and not *GOD*, well, you know what HE says about that...

The loss of people brings to LIGHT the many ways we go wrong as we journey here; we learn through that loss how we might better come to, and SERVE THE LORD, as well as others. OK, so I mean some do, and others SHOULD. Whatever the case, when we stop to consider the fleeting years we have, we OUGHT to begin to see that we are fallible, temporal, and very often, WAY off course, THAT we can start to improve, and grow INTO HIM, and HIS WILL! As long as there is this day, there IS HOPE, and there is opportunity TO TURN TO HIM...

The Mother who is leaving us now, is 76, almost 77, so, while some say that she is gone too soon, she has had a long journey, AND has been fighting triple negative, stage 4 breast cancer for at least 4 or 5 years, which has spread to her back, and brain, SO, as sad and painful as it is for us, and her remaining Family, she will no longer suffer the pain, and agony which no one can know but her. She is almost free from that part of the ways of the world; LORD, BLESS, and keep her soul...

Now the healing part will come, and it is going to be hard, because her Children just lost their Sister, a little over 2 years ago, and now, their Mother, in which case, these 2 were the rocks of the Family. There will be LOTS of struggle to move past this, and to understand the fragility of our days. For ALL of these Families that face such sorrow, and suffering, let us PRAY always...

Millions, and millions of people have passed in the past couple of years to Covid-19, vaccinations, and then all of the other diseases, violence, accidents, and other such, so, again, MOST share in these agonizing times more than they realize, yet, each feels as if no one can relate to what they experience in suffering loss. Part of the problem in this world is the closed bubble mindset of Family, and Friends, and the chosen others that make up our circles; everyone FORGETS the tragedies ALL face, or WILL face, and so, empathy is limited, as is the very compassion that SERVES the whole of humanity...

We ARE ALL SO MUCH MORE ALIKE, and HAVE MORE IN COMMON than we imagine, or think, and again, egocentricity, pride, and other anti-LOVE behaviours keep this TRUTH tamped down! It is one of the effects of being raised in the ways of the world instead of IN THE WILL OF *GOD*! There is LITTLE parenting based upon THE LORD, which calls for us to raise good, and *GODLY* Children, and this happened as more, and more complacency, and tolerance towards the world set in, and as greater numbers go astray from THE LORD, or flat out reject HIM...

Something good always is found in what is bad; including lessons that help us to advance in spiritual matters, IF we so choose! Sometimes sorrow wraps around a persons heart, or mind, and makes them bitter, or left numb, and so, they will suffer longer, and if they don't attempt to heal, they may be different always. Affliction IS part of this world; death is part of LIFE; there is NOTHING more evident, or TRUTHFUL, SO, instead of taking everything for granted, and being shocked when things happen, we NEED to be prepared because both ARE one with time! Ahhh, it is sad to watch the battle...

We have tears to spend, we have throats to cry out, we have the ability to RELEASE some of the agony we are hit with, so, we can move on after some time. It is NEVER easy, and when you lose someone so close to you, it will NEVER be the same, still, we go on, and when THE LORD IS WITH us, we have all the more ability to do so! I KNOW the lasting sorrows many face, but I CHOOSE THE LORD as my LIGHT, and as my ROCK, as my SURE AND PRESENT HELP, as my FORTRESS, as my SHIELD, and as my DELIVERER. I find GREAT pleasure in LIFTING my pain, and everything else unto HIM, for ONLY HE CAN, and WILL LEAD me, past and through...