HEAVENLY INCLINED...: THE WORLD MAY FORSAKE YOU, THE LORD NEVER WILL, SO, HOLD YOUR HEAD HIGH!!!

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...

THE WORLD MAY FORSAKE YOU, THE LORD NEVER WILL, SO, HOLD YOUR HEAD HIGH!!!

When you offer your heart, or assistance to someone, and they subtly, or blatantly reject it, there isn't much you can do, except to PRAY for them, along with asking THE LORD to grant you strength, understanding, and courage to withstand the slight---

Even after decades of being associated with certain people, they may still not know you, nor want to, and when something horrible happens, and you offer your help, or heart, it might very well be rejected, as you are insignificant to such people, in which case, seriously, there is little to be done, and certainly, however difficult it is, one shouldn't let it drain them...

Easier said than done, yet crucial to well-being, and the will to keep on keepin' on! This kind of enmity is very hard to handle, especially if you have never done wrong to them, or have never been told why!!!

Strangers also, shun, snub, and reject others all the day long; it is more prominent now than before! The reasons behind it begin within, hence, not much we can do! I USED to believe that you had to make people aware of their unkind ways by telling them, but THE LORD taught me to tame my tongue, and I tell you what, it sometimes hurts, but I have become very good at containing it!!!

As a soldier have some of us been trained to endure the unpleasant words, actions, and reactions of others, though, it never eases the sorrow of having to do so; nor does it explain why it should be like this! We go forward IN THE LORD, and we continue to improve upon ourselves, as we forgive, and hope for better...

Forgiving does NOT mean we are weak, nor do we forget, nor are we doormats. We just KNOW that IF we expect forgiveness from *GOD*, we are to forgive as well, and it ISN'T that much of a strain, except when the forgiven insists on adding to what you forgave them for, which happens too:))) LOVE RULES even when we might not like someone; we just don't hold their ways against them in the long run, despite having to persevere through them...

Also, even when we have to deal with evil people, we have to remember they also, have purpose to the whole, and while we avoid them like the plague, we PRAY for them, and we forgive them, regardless of not being willing to spend time around them, or other such. It is just ONE WITH THE LORD, and HIS PLAN, AND we can learn LOTS from all these sorts of people, THAT we are better people ourselves by imitating CHRIST JESUS, NOT the high-handed, or wicked of this world. We REMAIN IN HIM, AND ON THE GOLDEN ROAD!!!

Those that treat people like they are unworthy are NOT able to ruin us UNLESS we ALLOW them to, and I, for one, WON'T because I AM WORTHY, and AM SIGNIFICANT, so HELP ME *GOD*! These IMAGINE they ARE elite and mighty, but they have not yet, met THE LORD *GOD*!!!

Time on Earth throws a LOT of ugliness our way, but *GOD* IS SUFFICIENT FOR US; HIS GRACE, WISDOM, and STRENGTH ARE sufficient in leading us through and past EVERY worldly woe, INDEED!!!

IF such people only knew TRUTH they would cease in their folly, but that isn't likely, since most of these kinds of people are too wrapped up in the world to leave it, or their egos behind!!!

YAH, let us PRAY for those who reject others, are mean, are arrogant, are nasty, are haughty, are lost in the world, and let us SHINE OF *GOD* whether they pay attention or not; SURELY someone somewhere WILL notice HIM, and TURN to HIM! And let us ever shake off the hurt, pain, and discomfort as we move forward ON THE PATH OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, FOR HIS GLORY, in which we WILL SHARE ETERNAL! Remember, CHRIST JESUS was rejected, dissed, and humiliated far more than we have been, and HE will NEVER leave, nor forsake us; HIS people!!!

BIBLICAL, and/or other references marked BOLDLY IN COLOURS