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Thoughts Archived > The Day Of Pentecost Celebrated


23 May 2010

  He is not here.  He is risen!

 Luke 24:6

Welcome

to the

Church of the Holy Spirit

 

 Current Sunday Scriptures below!

 Archived Scriptures in The Family Room!

Embracing understanding with open arms...so all may become one.

 

We welcome and embrace you loved ones in

Africa, and off the coast in the Guinea Basin,

and the United States of America,

My site map is not detailed, so, if I've missed someone, or misplaced someone,

let us hear from you via email! 

  

   Who We Are 

The Church of the Holy Spirit is a Christian church.

We believe in God the Father, Jesus the Son
and
Holy Spirit the Comforter and Teacher.

We believe that God made the heavens and the earth,
 and gave all creatures His son, Jesus,
who died on the cross to forgive our sins
 and
to give us eternal life.

We believe Jesus went to heaven, he is now seated at God’s right hand,
 and
that God gave us Holy Spirit to teach, comfort, and guide us.
 
We believe the Bible is the inspired word of God.

 

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Who are God, Jesus and Holy Spirit?

God is our heavenly Father who created heaven and earth.  He gave us His Son, who died on a cross to allow our sins to be forgiven and give us eternal life becoming our Lord and Savior.  When Jesus died, Holy Spirit was made available to us to comfort, teach and guide us.

God in the beginning:  Genesis 1:1
Jesus:  Matthew 1, 2 & 3
Holy Spirit:  John 15:26

 

Are you one with God, Jesus and Holy Spirit?

If you have not accepted the Trinity into your life and you would like to, pray this prayer or use your own words from your heart:

“Dear Heavenly Father God, Jesus, and Holy Spirit, please forgive me of my sins known and unknown.  Please come into my life, heal me and make me whole.  Give me a new life in and with you.  I wish to receive all that you have to give.  Baptize me in the fullness of your Holy Spirit, so that I can learn all I can about you to love you, and others, as you love me.  So I can love myself.  Thank you for giving me this new life.  Please send other Christians to surround me to help me grow and be strong to defeat Satan and the things of the world.  Help me to be worthy of your love.  Thank you God, Jesus and Holy Spirit.  In Jesus name I pray by and with the power of the Holy Spirit, dear Heavenly Father God.  Amen.” 

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If you have prayed this prayer, please email us at TrinityMissions@msn.com, so we can agree with you in prayer, praise God, and uplift you with prayer support.  We are thrilled to welcome you into the family of believers and encourage you to find a church home nearby where you can study, grow and fellowship with others.  Someone may need your support as much as you need them.  We are commanded to come together in fellowship to worship His majesty.

If you choose to fellowship with us via the web, we are honored to welcome you to the Church of the Holy Spirit.  We pray you will be enriched and uplifted in the fullness of the Trinity to their glory.  Stay in touch and let us know how you are doing from time to time.  As the website grows, we will have a special page for this purpose, and, you will be able to list prayers for all to see, so that we may come together as a body of believers, for ‘wherever two or more shall gather, there will I be.’   Don’t forget to send prayers of thanksgiving, as well as petitions of tears.  

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You are who I call ‘The Promise Children’, as in Romans 9:25-26 NLT:

“Those who were not my people, I will now call my people.  And I will love those whom I did not love before.  And, once they were told, ‘You are not my people.’  But now he will say, ‘You are children of the living God.”

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“The Kingdom of God is near you now.”

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The Apostle Paul gave us a “Prayer for Spiritual Empowerment” in Ephesians 3:14-21 NLT.  It reads

“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 resources 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.”  

Jesus told us to remain in his love in John 15:9-13 NLT:

“I have loved you even as the Father has loved me.  Remain in my love.  When you obey me, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father and remain in his love.  I have told you this so that you will be filled with my joy.  Yes, your joy will overflow!  I command you to love each other in the same way that I love you.  And here is how to measure it - the greatest love is shown when people lay down their lives for their friends.” 

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 May 23, 2010

 John 1: 29-34 

  The Day Of Pentecost Celebrated 

 

John

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look!  There is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!  He is the one I was talking about when I said, 'Soon a man is coming who is far greater than I am, for he existed long before I did.'  I didn't know he was the one, but I have been baptizing with water in order to point him out to Israel."

Then John said, "I saw the Holy Spirit descending like a dove from heaven and resting upon him.  I didn't know he was the one, but when God sent me to baptize with water, he told me, 'When you see the Holy Spirit descending and resting upon someone, he is the one you are looking for.  He is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.'  I saw this happen to Jesus, so I testify that he is the Son of God." 

 

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Thoughts...

 

Matthew said it, Mark said it, Luke said it, John said it...others did, too.  Often we wonder if something that is said is true.  We sometimes ascertain validity based on how many people state it or remark about it.  It is not enough for some that something is contained in the Bible...the inspired word of God. 

Jesus said, "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."  Acts 1: 4-5   Today is the day this year that we celebrate Pentecost, the day the Believers received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit.  Yes, that is different than John's water baptism as noted above.  John's baptism was for people to turn to God and be forgiven of their sins.  Jesus' baptism was to fill Believers with the Holy Spirit 'and with fire', which meant Holy Spirit would embolden them, empower them, to preach the Gospel and do greater things than he.  We go to humans for water baptism, but we must go directly to Jesus to ask him for the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

Acts 2: 1  "On the day of Pentecost, seven weeks after Jesus' resurrrection, the believers were meeting together in one place."  Note, it does not say 'Apostles', 'Disciples' or 'Followers', it says 'Believers'.  "Suddenly, there was 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."  The first evidence of people having received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit was John seeing what looked like flames or tongues of fire settling on each of the people present.  The second evidence was what is referred to as 'speaking in tongues', when EVERYONE present began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability.  

Everyone was 'amazed and perplexed'. Verse 12.  After Peter explained what was happening and why, he said, "Each of you must turn from your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.  Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.  this promise is to you and to your children, and even to the Gentiles--all who have been called by the Lord our God."  In verse 41 it says, "Those who believed what Peter said were baptized and added to the church--about three thousand in all."   3000 is a far cry from what some churches teach, that only the Apostles received the Holy Spirit.  Some churches believe that when the Apostles died, the church died.  How can the church die if it was not only the Apostles that were filled with the Holy Spirit?  Would God fill the whole church and then kill it?  Noooooo.

So this is a little mixing of what is going on.  Everyone present began speaking in other languages, which was evidence of having received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, and yet, not even all of them had received the 'gift' of the Holy Spirit, which includes forgiveness of sins, nor were they even members of the church.   Hmmmmm.  The plot thickens.  I love Murder She Wrote mysteries......sorry. 

So, what did the 'about 3000' who were baptised do next?  "They joined with the other believers, and devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship, sharing in the Lord's Supper and in prayer.  It doesn't say everyone joined the church.  It said everyone received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit.  This is interesting.  I'm thinking this goes back to the seed parable...where some seed took root and others did not.  

How big is this and why are we still talking about it?  Weeeeellllllllll....as Lucille Ball might have said....check her expression in your memory and think of me right now.  Bless your hearts.  Here's the clincher.  What seed are you?  Some of you may have heard the word of God, even received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, chewed him up and spit him out.  Some may have been watered by others and hung around a bit for effect, but not for long, but really, what is that effort worth?  Others may be going to church and have for years, but because of what they have been and are being taught, cannot receive the Baptism of the Holy Spirit.  They are blocked with untruths, rather than open to what God can do and wants to do.  They are not naive like the people on the day of Pentecost, just receiving.  And others are fully open to being watered and blessed by the Son, willing to receive all God wants to gift them with...in this case the Baptism of the Holy Spirit.

Is the Baptism of the Holy Spirit only about speaking in other languages?  No.  Boldness, persecution, ability to speak and preach, be a missionary, be imprisoned, have a ministry, conversion, arrest, salvation, strength, fortitude, courage....and other spiritual gifts mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12, 13 and 14 are evidence.  [Read all of Acts, too.]  Is it all pretty?  No.  Is it all worth it?  YES!  Are you living as God intended?  Have you received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit?  Have you even received Jesus as your Lord and Savior?   "Examine yourselves to see if your faith is really genuine.  Test yourselves.  If you cannot tell that Jesus Christ is among you, it means you have failed the test."  2 Cor. 13: 5 

Whoever you are, whoever you have been, you can be someone new today.  Ask God to come into your life.  Ask to be forgiven of your sins.  Ask Jesus to baptise you with the Holy Spirit.  And ask Holy Spirit to fill you to overflowing with all that he has to give you.  And don't worry, your hair will not catch on fire.  And you will not have to change.  You will want to change, if you have him firmly ensconced in your heart.  It will be the best choice you will have ever made.  Then celebrate Holy Spirit today!  After all, it is his birth day hopefully in you, and your day of your new birth.  Happy Birthday! 

   

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Let Us Pray

 

Dear God, Jesus, Holy Spirit.  I am excited that I can be filled with the fullness of all you are and can be in my life.  I am thrilled that I have this opportunity to walk hand in hand with you, embraced by your love and comforted by your presence.  I am honored to have been chosen.  "I can only imagine, what it will be like when I walk by your side."  Please, now that I understand and I am willing to receive you, never let me go.  I get why you need to be with me....why I need to be with you.  I get that I didn't know everything before, do not still know it all now, but I am seeing things more clearly.  Help me help others around me have this same understanding.  I want everyone to go to heaven with me when I go, and let's make sure it is not for a long time yet.  I am so very grateful to learn more about you everyday, so that I can love you more, and know how to best serve your needs, while you are seeing that my needs are met.  I love you, God, Jesus, and Holy Spirit.  Please forgive me of my sins, baptise me with the fullness of your Holy Spirit, and fill me to overflowing with your Holy Spirit, so that I may love you more, and perfectly magnify your Holy name, and do greater things than you, as you call me, lead me, and direct me.  Thank you.  In Jesus' name I pray.  Amen.

         

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More love.... 

  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 resources 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

It is time to reach into the community and the world around you to see wherein lies the greatest need.  As you choose to focus on these areas, do so with a servant's heart.  Whether the need is for children, adults, or animals, or any cause in between that will help those in need, ask God how you can best serve his needs, what path you must take, and how long you should persevere.  Sometimes we are to be in the lives of others merely as stepping stones.  Sometimes we are to touch those lives forever.  Whatever journey you are called to take, whatever team you will be a member of, know this:  God is with you always...even til the end of time.  He loves you, is grateful for you, and will help you along life's way, especially if you are helping others along theirs, persevering with a servant's heart. 

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

 

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 Checks or money orders can be made out to

Trinity Missions

or the

Church of the Holy Spirit

and sent to

Trinity Missions

P.O. Box 86076

Tucson, Arizona

85754-6076

 

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

1-866-402-GIFT

10 a.m. - 8 p.m.

Mountain Time

or

TrinityMissions@msn.com

Please note Trinity Missions or CoHS in your subject line.

 

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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Bible Authors and Minister