August 23, 2009

I Peter 5: 8-11

Prowling Devil

Be careful!  Watch out for attacks from the Devil, your great enemy.  He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for some victim to devour.  Take a firm stand against him, and be strong in your faith.  Remember that your Christian brothers and sisters all over the world are going through the same kind of suffering you are.

In his kindness God called you to his eternal glory by menas of Jesus Christ,  After you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation. All power is his forever and ever . Amen. 

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Thoughts...

Peter says in 1 Peter 5: 6-7, 'So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and in his good time he will honor you.  Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about what happens to you.  In 12b he says, 'My purpose in writing is to encourage you and assure you that the grace of God is with you no mattter what happens.'    In 14b he states, as do I, 'Peace be to all of you who are in Christ.'

'In Christ'.  Are you 'in Christ'?  Are you one with him and obeying him?  This is the key.

There are times in life when the Devil lion wants to eat you alive and destroy you.  Don't let him.  Rebuke him and move on.  Get out from where he is at....move away from evil.  Let the Lord restore the trauma, the hurt, the pain.  Realize those in Satan are suffering more than you in the Lord.  Pray for them, if you can.  If you can't, call on others to do so.  And ask for prayer for yourself.  The Lord heals all wounds.  And believe in the Lord, 'you can do all things in Christ who strengthens you'.  Phil 4: 13.   Joyce Meyer says, 'Believe your guts out.' 

Paul says in Philippians 4: 6-9 :  'Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything.  Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.  If you do this, you will experience God's peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand.  His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.  And now, dear brothers and sisters, let me say one more thing as I close this letter.  Fix your thoughts on what is true and honorable and right.  Think about things that are pure and lovely and admirable.  Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.  Keep putting into practice all you learned from me and heard from me and saw me doing, and the God of peace will be with you.'     

Job tells us in Job 28: 28, 'And this is what the Lord says to all humanity: "The fear of the Lord is true wisdom; to forsake evil is real understanding." 

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Let Us Pray  

God, Jesus and Holy Spirit, please....get me through this life....into your arms....at the end of each day...at the end of life....no wait....keep me in your arms always, and, then carry me home.  I need you always in my life, Lord.  In case I haven't told you how much, hear me now by what you feel that I am feeling.  I am sorry you are suffering more for me.  I am sorry there are those in the world who say they are yours but do not act like you are anywhere remotely in their life except in front of strangers.  How sad for them, Lord.  How sad for those of us being used as prey and made victim to their shenanigans.  Protect their families, Lord.  Oh, Lord, I know....I KNOW....I have victory in you, Jesus.  Let me indeed be victorious in living a life with you.  Be fully in me....come now, if you have not already.  Send the fullness of  your Holy Spirit that I might overflow with all the love and gifts you have to give.  And Lord, help those others not fully of you.  Send a multitude to correct them and help them be released from the snares of the Devil.  So that they may perfectly love you and worthily magnify your holy name, too.  Thank you God, Jesus and Holy Spirit for being my dwelling place....my port in the storms of life.  May you become that for all others, too.  I love you.  Amen.      

Hear my song today O Lord:

On Eagle's Wings

You who dwell in the shelter of the Lord / Who abide in His shadow for life / Say to the Lord:  "My refuge, my rock in whom I trust."

And He will raise you up in Eagle's Wings / Bear you on the breath of dawn / Make you to shine like the sun, / And hold you in the palm of His hand.

The snare of the fowler will never capture you / And famine will bring you no fear / Under His wings your refuge / His faithfulness your shield.

Refrain

You need not fear the terror of the night / Nor the arrow that flies by day / Though thousands fall about you, / Near you it shall not come.

Refrain

For to his angels He's given a command / To guard you in all of your ways / upon thier hands they will bear you up / Lest you dash your foot against a stone.

And He will raise you up in Eagle's Wings / Bear you on the breath of dawn / Make you to shine like the sun, / And hold you in the palm of His hand.  And hold you in the palm.....of his hand.  

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Please read Psalm 91 to further understand how loved and protected we are when we live in the shelter of the Most High Almighty God.

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Benediction

Let us hear from Paul as he prays:  

When I think of the wisdom and scope of God's plan, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth.  I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resouces he will give you mighty inner strength through his Holy Spirit.  And I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in your hearts as you trust in him.  May your roots go down deep into the soil of God's marvelous love.  And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love really is.  May you experience the love of Christ, though it is so great you will never fully understand it.  Then you will be filled with the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

Now glory be to God!  By his mighty power at work within us, he is able to accomplish infinitely more than we would ever dare to ask or hope.  May he be given glory in the church and in Christ Jesus forever and ever through endless ages.  Amen.  Ephesians 3:14-21 NLT         

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Scroll down to read Jesus' Prayer of Thanksgiving...'The Unforced Rythms of Grace'.

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Definition of a Christian:  Anyone who believes in God, Jesus and Holy Spirit, and accepts Jesus as Lord and Savior.  Regardless of church name or religious affiliation.  

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If you feel that the Church of the Holy Spirit has inspired or helped you, we'd like you to prayerfully consider tithing regulary to us or gifting us, so that we can further the work and carry out the will of the Father as proclaimed in Matthew 28:16 NLT

 to

 "Go and make disciples out of all the nations

baptising them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you.  And be sure of this:

I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

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  Our NEW Current Cause

My family and I, and the church, are in crisis and could desperately use your prayers and financial support.  Due to medical concerns, employment crisis, and economic devastation,  I do not have funding to meet everyday expenses right now for the church, or family, and home, nor those necessary to keep this website afloat, for those shut-in or needing spiritual support, nor the ability to help others along the way.  But I am confident that, with your help, balance can be achieved.  As God touches your heart, I hope you will pray earnestly for the church, my family and me, and send any amount of money you can to help.  Please note 'Church and Family' on your check, and, I will see that all funds get divided appropriately.  The church, I and my family, as well as to those to whom we reach out, will be sincerely grateful for anything you can do to help.  

Please accept my sincerest thanks....and may God bless you!

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Church of the Holy Spirit

and sent to

Church of the Holy Spirit

P.O. Box 86076

Tucson, Arizona

85754-6076

If you have any questions, we can be reached at:

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As we grow, you will have options for allocating your gifts.

In the meantime, we hope you will trust us to direct them to where the need is the greatest.

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    One last thing....

 Jesus' Prayer of Thanksgiving

'The Unforced Rythms of Grace'

 "Abruptly Jesus broke into prayer:  "Thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth.  You've concealed your ways from sophisticates and know-it-alls, but spelled them out clearly to ordinary people.  Yes, Father, that's the way you like to work."

Jesus resumed talking to the people, but now tenderly.  "The Father has given me all these things to do and say.  This is a unique Father - Son operation, coming out of Father and Son intimacies and knowledge.  No one knows the Son the way the Father does, nor the Father the way the Son does.  But I'm not keeping it to myself; I'm ready to go over it line by line with anyone willing to listen."

"Are you tired?  Worn out?  Burned out on religion?  Come to me.  Get away with me and you'll recover your life.  I'll show you how to take a real rest.  Walk with me and work with me - watch how I do it.  Learn the unforced rhythms of grace.  I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn how to live freely and lightly.

  Matthew 11:  25-30

  The Message

And the people said,

"Amen."

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I now write most prayers in the position of ' I ' (first person) because most people are sitting at their computer alone, not in groups, and it allows those reading and praying to personalize the prayer as coming from them going to God.  Variations may appear on holidays when families may wish to use the prayer provided.

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Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996.  Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189.  All rights reserved.

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