January 10, 2010

 1 Corinthians 1: 10-31

  And The Truth Will Set You Free

1 Corinthians

Now, dear brothers and sisters, I appeal to you by the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ to stop arguing among yourselves.  Let there be real harmony so there won't be divisions in the church.  I plead with you to be of one mind, united in thought and purpose.  For some members of Chloe's household have told me about your arguments dear friends.  Some of you are saying, "I am a follower of Paul."  Others are saying, "I follow Apollos," or "I follow Peter," or "I follow only Christ."  Can Christ be divided into pieces?

Was I, Paul, crucified for you?  Were any of you baptized in the name of Paul?  I thank God that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius, for now no one can say they were baptized in my name.  (Oh yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas. I don't remember baptizing anyone else.)  For Christ didn't send me to baptize, but to preach the Good News--and not with clever speeches and high-sounding ideas, for fear that the cross of Christ would lose its power.

I know very well how foolish the message of the cross sounds to those who are on the road to destruction.  But we who are being saved recognize this message as the very power of God.  As the Scriptures say, "I will destroy human wisdom and discard their most brilliant ideas."

So where does this leave the philosophers, the scholars, and the world's brilliant debaters?  God has made them all look foolish and has shown their wisdom to be useless nonsense.  Since God in his wisdom saw to it that the world would never find him through human wisdom, he has used our foolish preaching to save all who believe.  God's way seems foolish to the Jews because they want a sign from heaven to prove it is true.  And it is foolish to the Greeks because they believe only what agrees with their own wisdom.  So when we preach that Christ was crucified, the Jews are offended, and the Gentiles say it's all nonsense.  But to those called by God to salvation, both Jews and Gentiles, Christ is the mighty power of God and the wonderful wisdom of God.  This "foolish" plan of God is far wiser than the wisest of human plans, and God's weakness is far stronger than the greatest of human strength.

Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in the world's eyes, or powerful, or wealthy when God called you.  Instead, God deliberately chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise.  And he chose those who are powerless to shame those who are powerful.  God chose things despisd by the world , things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important, so that no one can ever boast in the presence of God.

God alone made it possible for you to be in Christ Jesus.  For our benefit God made Christ to be wisdom itself.  He is the one who made us acceptable to God.  He made us pure and holy, and he gave himself to purchase our freedom. As the Scriputres say, "The person who wishes to boast should boast only of what the Lord has done."

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Thoughts...

Here's the bottom line:  "...you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus.  And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have been made like him.  There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male or female.  For you are all Christians--you are one in Christ Jesus.  Galatians 3:26-28

There is no Catholic, no Protestant (all who are not Catholic that are Christians).  There is only Christian.  Or that is what God, Christ and Holy Spirit intended with  Christ's birth, death and resurrection.  And yet, all the Christian churches of the world are at war against one another, sometimes with one another, stating they are the one true church.  I even spoke with a gal the other day that said that the Catholic Church was one of the portals to get to heaven.  NO CHURCH is a portal to get to heaven.  JESUS is the ONLY way to get to heaven.  Can I hear an 'Amen'?  You must believe that Jesus was born, died, and was resurrected.  It's not enough to just believe and be baptised.  You must obey.   I've stated all the facts about this in previous 'Thoughts', so I'll not go into that right now.  

What is important is that no ONE is right about how to practice their belief....act out their faith.  The Catholics say you must have communion on Sunday.  The Seventh Day Adventists say you must practice your worship on Saturday.  The Baptists want the Lord's Supper to mean more so they don't hold communion as regularly.  The Jehovah Witnesses don't believe in Christmas...they believe everyday should be a celebration of Christ.  The Mormon's read all about the different levels of heaven and focus on that as important.  The Greek Orthodox pride themselves on not having as many dogmas (rules) than the Catholics.  The Episcopalians state Mary was just a young girl.  The Methodist preach against alcohol and drugs so to keep the mind and body clear and cleansed for Holy Spirit.  Do all these remarks define each of the churches?  NO...not at all.  But they show the differences.  Are all right or all wrong?   It all boils down to wisdom as todays scriptures talk about.  

But most importantly about todays scriptures is the fact that church shouldn't be about the rules.  Church should just be about salvation in Christ Jesus.   It should not matter how you practice as long as you do practice and preach Christ's salvation.  So what if someone wants to take communion every day or holds out believing it more meaningful less often?  Does it matter if Christmas is everyday in someone's heart, rather than a full  blown celebration once a year?  Does that even mean they don't subscribe and practice it everyday in their hearts, if they do celebrate fully once a year?

My brothers and sisters, and those considering becoming part of the family, listen to the words of Matthew in chapter 7: 1-6  as he says, "Stop judging others, and you will not be judged.  For others will treat you as you treat them.  Whatever measure you use in judging others, it will be used to measure how you are judged.  And why worry about a speck in your friends's eye when you have a log in your own?  How can you think of saying, 'Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,' when you can't see past the log in your own eye?  Hypocrite!  First get rid of the log from your own eye, then perhaps you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friends's eye.' 

No one church, no one law of said church will get you into heaven or any faster.  Many who go to church don't believe with their hearts, they hear and it stays in their heads....a faint memory of something said at some point.  How many of you who do go to church can remember all of a sermon, or homily or thought given by the one preaching?  Aren't we all guilty of dozing off, or thinking about last week or next week?  How many of us are so perfect as to recall every word from God whether in a church or from a friend, neighbor or subliminal message spoken to our hearts and minds?  And yet we call ourselves, Jews, Romans, Baptists, Greeks, etc.  And then we hold over others legalities.  "Oh, you can't be a preacher, a minister, you haven't had a bishop or a pope lay hands on you in apostolic succession.  "Oh my goodness" to quote Shirley Temple.  Do you think God cannot call someone today and put the gospel in their mouth to preach to risen Lord?  If they have been given utterance, they have been ordained.  

Paul says in 2 Corinthians 1: 19-22:  Jesus is the one whom Timothy, Silas, and I preached to you and he is the divine Yes--God's affirmation.  For all of God's promises have been fulfilled in him.  That is why we say "Amen" when we give glory to God through Christ.  It is God who gives us, along with you, the ability to stand firm for Christ.  He has commissioned us, and he has identified us as his own by placing the Holy Spirit in our hearts as the first installment of everything he will give us.

And in Acts 1: 4 Jesus is quoted saying, "Do not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you what he promised.  Remember, I have told you about this before.  John baptized with water, but in just a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit."   And, in Acts 2: 1-4 "On the day of Pentecost, seven weeks after Jesus' resurrection, the believers were meeting together in one place.  Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm in the skies above them, and it filled the house where they were meeting.  Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them.  And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability.   Read on folks.  You'll be enlightened.   

The point I am trying to make is that ALL believers can show up....every believer can count themselves present.  All must preach the gospel.  The Gospel.  NOT the rules of any one church or governing body.  It is necessary in every organization to create order and not have chaos to lay out certain guidelines.  God has done that for us in the scriptures.  So whether we worship in the tradition of the Jews, or the tradition of John the Baptist, as long as we worship the ever living, ever present Lord God Almighty, we are preaching the truth and the TRUTH will set us free.  We will not need some special portal to get us to heaven...not some special way of, or tradition of, practicing our religion.  As long as our religion is about faith in Jesus Christ, we can practice that however we best meet him....communion with him...come into union with him, worship him, honor him and adore him.  AND it is our responsibility as he taught us to love one another and accept one another as we are, as we approach him.  Stop point fingers at people...realize that for every finger you point out, there are more turned toward you.  All fall short of the glory of God, but stop giving him reason to not count you in the end.  Let the TRUTH set you free and you will be free indeed.  Remember, it is not how you practice your faith, but THAT you practice your faith.  Honor him today...no more divisive statements....truly love your brother and sister as yourself, and accept where and how they practice their faith.  Be glad  they do, and will be counted...will you be counted?  Has the truth set you free?    

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Let Us Pray

Lord God, Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world.  Please forgive me for not accepting my brothers and sisters in you as myself.  And not loving them either.  I felt my wisdom the only true wisdom.  I thought if people didn't believe the way I believed that they were wrong.  How prideful and foolish of me.  You call all of us and we are all different.  Just like Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, and Paul and the others.  Why should I expect to be the be all and the end all of knowing?  Would the Doctor learn the same as the Fisherman?  Would an Accountant understand the same teaching as the Tent Maker?  You call us all and teach us all YOUR way.  And we worship you how we best can, and find you in the every day of life, how we best can.  Let it be all day everyday, or when it can be, at least it will be, when it can.  Whether on our knees with bowed heads, hands lifted, lying flat on the floor, or arms across our chest, we worship you our way...the best way we know how.  And whether we commune with you everyday or every week or once a every few months....as oft as we do this, we do it in remembrance of you.  And I am so glad I can.  I am so grateful for the freedom in being loved by you, my Savior, my God, my Comforter.  I am so grateful for the freedom to be able to love you...if only in my heart of hearts.  Wherever I am in the world, you will always be in my heart.  No one can take that away from me.  They may chastise me or try to kill me for being a follower, a believer.  They may try to hurt me or break me, but I love you, Lord.  I love you in my heart.  And even if they cut it out, they can't take you out of my soul.  You are my life, my breath, my very being.  Let me not be like others who laugh, or attack, or scoff at how others worship and believe in you.  Let me be always accepting of other Christians, as you have been of me.  Let me even be accepting and loving to those of other religions.  And let me not spare them the opportunity to know you....but let me share you respectfully.  Let me love fully and embrace our differences of how we worship...and praise you that we do worship you, Jesus.  I am ever grateful for your truth that set me free....eternally....as I endeavor to honor and obey you....thank you.  I love you.  Amen 

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  Benediction...Blessing

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 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 this 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

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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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