February 21, 2010

 Matthew 12: 46-50

  Who's Your Daddy...Your Family?

Matthew

As Jesus was speaking to the crowd, his mother and brothers were outside, wanting to talk with him.  Someone told Jesus, "Your mothers and your brothers are outside, and they want to speak to you."

Jesus asked, "Who is my mother?  Who are my brothers?"  then he pointed to his disciples and said, "These are my mother and brothers.  Anyone who does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother!"

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Thoughts...

Jesus said his Daddy was 'my Father in heaven'.  And anyone who does the will of his Father in heaven is his family.  And what do you say?  Is God your Father?  Are you doing his will?  Are you one of the family of Christ?  Who is your mother?  Brothers, sisters?  What is the will of his Father in heaven?

Looking into Strong's Exhaustive Concordance I find that in the text we are seeking for the term 'will' the greek translation means decision, desire, pleasure.  

Jesus said, "For I have come down from heaven to do the will of God who sent me, not to do what I want.  And this is the will of God, that I should not lose even one of all those he has given me, but that I should raise them to eternal life at the last day.  For it is my Father's will that all who see his Son and believe in him should have eternal life--that I should raise them at the last day."  John 6: 38-40  So we know that Jesus' knew what his Daddy wanted, what his will for his life was.  And what is ours?  Based on this, wouldn't it be to bring people to Jesus, so Jesus can fulfill his Father's will?  But is that the only will of our Daddy for us, 'our Father who art in heaven'?

Jesus explained:  "My nourishment comes from doing the will of God, who sent me, and from finishing his work.  Do you think the work of harvesting will not begin until summer ends four months from now? Look around us!  Vast fields are ripening all around us and are ready now for the harvest.  The harvesters are paid good wages, and the fruit they harvest is people brought to eternal life.  What joy awaits both the planter and the harvester alike!  You know the saying, 'one person plants and someone else harvests.'  And it's true.  I sent you to harvest where you didn't plant, others had already done the work, and you will gather the harvest."  John 4: 34-38  Jesus was nourished by doing the will of God....and from finishing God's work.  Was it physical, or spiritual, or both?  Are you doing his will?  Will you finish your work for him in time?

1 John 2: 17b reads, "but if you do the will of God you will live forever."  What does this mean?

Instead of giving you the answers today, folks, I want you to pray about what God's will is for your life.  What it means to live forever.  You may need to open the New Testament to learn more about what he says about what his will is for you....what he wants you to do for him.  And how he wants you to live.  You could start with Galatians 5: 16-26, 1 John 2: 7-17, Ephesians 5: 15-20, Luke 12: 42-48.  The whole of the New Testament is the inspired word of God on how to do the will of God, and what his will is for your life.  Treasure it.  Reading this book will be the best investment you will ever make.  Your action based on what you read will determine your rate of return.  For Paul tells us that we reap what we sow in Galatians 6: 1-10

Learn who your Daddy is....is it God?  And who is your family?  Is the body of believers who profess Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of their life your family?  Or are the people around you talking, but not walking their talk your family?  Reread Galatians 5: 16-26.  Look first in the mirror.  Then look around you.  Can you help yourself?  Can you help your family?  Will you turn to God?  Then you can.

Don't be like many who "stumble because they do not listen to God's word or obey it, and so the meet their fate that has been planned for them."  1 Peter 2: 8b  Be one of those who "think clearly and exercise self-control.  Look forward to the special blessings that will come to you at the return of Jesus Christ.  Obey God because you are his children.  Don't slip back into your old ways of doing evil; you didn't know any better then.  But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God--who chose you to be his children--is holy.  For he himself has said, "You must be holy because I am holy."  1 Peter 13-16         

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Let Us Pray  

Our Father, you are in heaven.

I hallow, revere and adore you and your name.

May your kingdom come...and surround me, uplift me, embrace me.

May I only do your will, not mine.

On this earth, while I live, like when I will live in heaven.

Give me today my daily bread....who is Jesus.

And God, please, I beg of you, forgive me of all my sins, all those awful things in your eyes that I've done wrong to you, others, and myself.  Some intentional, others not intentional.  I have been wrong.

I do emphatically and forevermore forgive those who have sinned against me, hurt me, defiled me, and who have attempted to abuse and destroy me mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually. 

And do not let me be led, nor follow those who choose to make evil choices and temptations on any level, and deliver me from such as may be my past or my present.

For yours is the kingdom I want to be a part of, unto your power I want to submit, unto you is who I choose to give glory, and to you should all honor and praise be given.

Forever and ever.

Thank you, God, Jesus, and Holy Spirit for loving me and offering me forgiveness of my sins and eternal life.  May I prove worthy of your offering and your love.  I love you.  Please help me to know how to best show you how much I love you and how grateful I am.

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

I am very excited to share that The Gathering will be 'on the ground' soon in Tucson!  I would sincerely appreciate all prayers focused for this cause and for those involved in the greater picture.  As I attempt a new church plant here in the desert, may streams of prayers, love and financial support flow to achieve this cause.  This is a mountain that I am going to climb, and, I expect all believers everywhere to rise up with me to support this endeavor and do the same.  As I endeavor on this journey, I will be better prepared to help you on yours...to raise up a sanctuary for the ever living ever loving Lord God Almighty, Lord and Savior for the world Jesus Christ, and Comforter, Teacher, Indwelling Fire, Spirit Wind, the Holy Spirit.  I pray you will join with me to provide prayer and financial support for this humbling and annointed journey.  To God goes all the honor and glory!   Alleluia!  Amen.          

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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