August 15, 2010

Matthew 7: 12 

  The Golden Rule   

Matthew

Do for others what you would like them to do for you.  This is a summary of all that is taught in the law and the prophets.

***

Thoughts...

This may seem like a simple sentence, but how many of us follow this rule day by day?  Do you love before you are loved?  Do you give before someone gives to you?  Are you of the mindset that the world owes you something?  Or do you have the heart of Christ?  

This week, think about every aspect of your day.  Think about how you can give of yourself to make the road easier for another.  Think about why you may not have in the past, and why you might want or need to.  Do you want to live for Christ or for yourself?  What can you give yourself in your end times?  This is what Christ is willing to give you....eternal life and forgiveness of sins.  Do you want to go to heaven?

It sure puts things into perspective looking at life this way.  Have you made Jesus LORD of your life?  Are you living for him or for your own selfish desires?  Ask yourself, what can God, Jesus and Holy Spirit do for me that I cannot do for myself?  What can they give me?  What have I got that can help others?  How can I apply that for others?  

Will you lose yourself?  You will want to, if you choose to make Jesus LORD over your life.  He will provide everything you need...based on what he knows you NEED, not what you want necessarily.  

Think you have everything you need and want?  Do you have a place in heaven?  How do you know?

Why would you want to make Jesus LORD?   Think about this.  Why would you?  Maybe because it is time to be forgiven of all your sins?  Maybe because you've had a change of heart and want to made new to start all over again in life?  Maybe because he is the ONLY way to eternal life? 

Will you automatically get to heaven if your sins are forgiven?  NOPE.  You NEED to make him LORD of your life.  How you do this is to obey him, and show him your gratitude, to the point he sees the sincerity and committment of your heart.

"You can enter God's Kingdom only through the narrow gate.  The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose the easy way.  But the gateway to life is small, and the road is narrow and only a few ever find it."  Matthew 7: 13.

Do you want to enter God's Kingdom here on earth and have a Christ centered life?  Accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior today.  Ask him to come into your heart, forgive your sins, make you whole and lead you onward.  Then obey him.  You do this by learning who he is...open the Old Testament to learn about God and why Jesus needed to come.  And then read the New Testament to learn about Jesus, and the glory and gift of who he is, that he is, and how wonderful he is, and all he has to offer you and the world since he came into the world...and left the world....being resurrected into a new life, as can we all.

Then make the right choice...ask him to enter your life.  Don't wait.  Your end times may be at a different time than THE end times.  There is no time to waste.  Do it today!  Then start doing for others in a way that would make your Father in Heaven, and Lord and Savior, proud to call you their child...and willing to call you home, when your time to leave earth and enter heaven is done.

Need to make amends to someone for the wrongs you've done?  Now is the time.  Today is the moment.  Live life to the fullest, which without Jesus as your Lord and Savior is not even worthy to mention.  Receive him now, so you can do for others....first....with Love.                          

***

Let Us Pray

Dear Heavenly Father God, Jesus, and Holy Spirit, forgive me of my sins and make me whole.  Heal me in the ways that only you can.  Show me who you are, that you are and how wonderful you are. Help me grasp this with an everlasting love for you.  Help me learn how you love...so fully...so completely.  Help me do for others...better....and before...they would do unto me.   Help me make you Lord of my life and lead me on.  Help me be the kind of person you would be proud of and willing to call home.  Open wide those pearly gates at my end time, if I have been a good, dutiful, obeying, loving, servant to you and all others.  Help me to not lose sight of you and all you can mean in my life.  Help me also lead others to you as well.  Help me be humble, and righteously angry, when there are injustices to others...and myself.  Help me help all others onward with their load as you have called me.  And let me be sure you have called me to go through a door, before I just automatically go through it.  One thing I have learned is that just because a door opens, does not mean I should go through it.  Let me test the waters to insure they are the healing pools I should enter, being wary as a fox in the event they may be not.  Lift me to new heights of love, that you might be lifted to new heights of glory.  And thank you....for loving me, and caring for and about me, and lingering to see if I might still honor you by making you Lord of my life...for not giving up on me, when the going has gotten tough.  I have never given up on you, but I admit, I have put you on the back burner of life sometimes.  Forgive me, Lord.  Please come into my life fully and completely.  Fill me to overflowing with your Holy Spirit and all the fruits and gifts he has to give me to help myself and all others.  Please help me be a blessing to you and to others.  Thank you, Lord.  I love you.  Thank you.  Amen.                     

*** 

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         

*** 

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

***

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.  

***

***

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."

***

  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!   

 ***

  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.

  ***

    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."

***

***

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.

***

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.

                                                                                                  *