HEAVENLY INCLINED...: RAISE YOUR HEART & RAISE THE BAR: THE SNAKE PIT IS FULL!!!

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...

RAISE YOUR HEART & RAISE THE BAR: THE SNAKE PIT IS FULL!!!

This is another day which THE LORD *GOD* ALMIGHTY GAVE us, and no matter what the world does to this 24 hours, it is yet worthy, and OUGHT to be used for good---

Do you have any idea how much PRECIOUS time we waste on matters of the world? It is astounding in retrospect, and IS a trap! Granted some of the matters of this world DO require our attention, HOWEVER, we go far beyond the necessity of noting what is going on; we become absorbed, which is counter-productive, as well as it keeps us distanced from THE LORD, and HIS WILL...

Christians are taught/expected to keep their thoughts on that ABOVE, NOT on the world (COLOSSIANS 3); which we FAIL time, and time again, BECAUSE we are NOT FOCUSED ON THE LORD, or what is to come, instead, we are swept up in the earthly events before us, and MANY of these aren't worthwhile, let alone healthy to our well-being!!!

FOR SURE, MOST commands of *GOD* ARE those we struggle with, yet, that is alright, as long as we are struggling to improve, we are doing according to HIS WILL! Our battles against the world are known by HIM, thus TO HIM we should appeal, and RELY ON HIM for assistance, and resolution. ONLY HE CAN LEAD us past, and through the valley of contention, and so, TO HIM we RAISE our every worry, and our every concern! We PRAY, we PRAISE, we WORSHIP, and we REJOICE, KNOWING HE IS THE ANSWER for each cry; for each anxiety; for each dilemma!!!

IF we were wise IN HIS NAME, we would move forward through the day's hours unruffled by the chaotic mess before us, but being yet human, the effort persists, which we CAN resist IF we apply HIS teachings, and our HONEST FAITH!!!

Evil is increasing because people are caught up in the charade; distracted to the point of being so trained on the action that they don't notice the nets being laid, nor the intent with which they are being placed, and so, before one realizes it, they have ALLOWED the enemy(ies) to cast another wicked spell, which is vast, and potent enough to ensnare too many!!!

You see? WITHOUT *GOD* we are helpless! We are lost! We are weak! We are prey! And the evil will become more villainous since they THINK they are winning!!!

A PERFECT case scenario of WHY the Christian MUST REMAIN FOCUSED ON *GOD*, and HIS WILL, and HIS WORD, indeed! WHEN we HEED HIM, and ARE KNOWLEDGEABLE, we ARE protected, empowered, encouraged, enabled, endowed, enriched, enlightened, thus SAFE THOUGH the world rattles around us!!!

HOW can we don our armour if we aren't knowledgeable, or are too BUSY to do so? This armour WILL take us through the battle between evil, and good, and WILL LEAD us to our REAL HOME, as THE LORD IS HE WHO has melded it into an impenetrable shield FOR HIS people!!!

Raging crisis's loom before us, and you CAN surely SEE that they are intensifying, so, our role IN HIM IS to endure until the end, WHILE REMAINING in HIM, LOVE, and DOING GOOD, and BEING GOOD, FOR HIS GLORY, and the good of others, as well as INSPIRING the lost to SEEK HIM THAT they are snatched from the fiery ordeal to come, which has begun...

CHRIST JESUS IS THE CORE OF our HOPE, and our SALVATION, and our SAFETY, therefore, HE IS THE FOCAL POINT NOW, and ALWAYS, as we navigate this pit of asps!!!

BIBLICAL, and/or other references marked BOLDLY IN COLOURS