January 16, 2011

 1 John 1: 2- 10 

 Forgiveness...Equality....Respect 

1 John

This is the message he has given us to announce to you: God is light and there is no darkness in him at all. So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness.  We are not living in the truth.  But if we are living in the light of God's presence, just as Christ is, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from every sin.

If we say we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves, and refusing to accept the truth.  But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from every wrong.  If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his world has no place in our hearts.

***

Thoughts.....

Scott Kelly, USA Space Station Commander said these words:  "These days, we are constantly reminded of the unspeakable acts of violence and damage we inflict upon one another, not just with our actions, but also with our irresponsible words.  We're better than this.  We must do better."   I agree. 

The above scripture refers to what I call 'Light Living'.  I could also add....'Or Death'.  All fall short of the glory of God because everyone sins.  Many count their sins from a cloudy lens and believe they do not sin.  But God has THE 'do bee' glass.  He knows if you are a 'good do bee' or a 'bad do bee'.   Most of us know when we are honest with ourselves and God.  Most of us think he won't care about the little infractions and so sweep them under the silent guilt rug...the one with these words emblazoned on top:  'heh...got away with that one'.  But he does care and you are hiding nothing you've done against him and others.  He, and they, know and feel the pain...the sorrow of your actions.  And why would you really want to live like that?  Do you think you will not get bitten?  SERIOUSLY NOW.  I would not want to be the one to call God a liar. I am not perfect.  I do not claim to be....but I strive to be/do better...always. 

The positive is that we can be forgiven of our sins...we can live in the truth....we can live in the light of God's presence.  Let's see what else can be said about our topic today....'forgiveness....equality....respect'.

In the story of the Unforgiving Debtor, Peter went to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me?  Seven times?"  "No!"  Jesus replied, "seventy times seven!"

Here is his following parable:

"For this reason, the Kingdom of Heaven can be compared to a king who decided to bring his accounts up to date with servants who had borrowed money from him.  In the process, one of his debtors was brought in who owed him millions of dollars.  He couldn't pay, so the king ordered that he, his wife, his children, and everything he had be sold to pay the debt.  But the man fell down before the king and begged him, 'Oh, sir, be patient with me, and I will pay it all.'  Then the king was filled with pity for him, and he released him and forgave his debt.

"But when the man left the king, he went to a fellow servant who owed him a few thousand dollars.  He grabbed him by the throat and demanded instant payment.  His fellow servant fell down before him and begged for a little more time.  'Be patient and I will pay it,' he pleaded.  But his creditor wouldn't wait.  He had the man arrested and jailed until the debt could be paid in full.

"When some of the other servants saw this, they were very upset.  They went to the king and told him what had happened.  Then the king called in the man he had forgiven and said, 'You evil servant!  I forgave you that tremendous debt because you pleaded with me. Shouldn't you have mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you?'  Then the angry king sent the man to prison until he had paid every penny.

And here is his command:

"That's what my heavenly Father will do to you if you refuse to forgive your brothers and sisters in your heart." 

In your heart....big statement.  Seems simple when it it just words. Harder to place that thought in your heart and let it go.  Reminds me of a 50's or 60's song by a group of girls who sing, "Get the picture?  Yes, we see."

Jesus said in Matthew 6: 14-16:  "If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you.  But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins."  Now that's very easy to understand.  Pretty tough to enact sometimes

In Matthew 7: 1-5, Jesus also instructs us to not condemn others: "Stop judging others, and you will not be judged.  For others will treat you as you treat them.  [He later gives us The Golden Rule which says in verse 12: "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."]  Whatever measure you use in judging others, it wil be used to measure how you are judged [by God].  And why worry about a speck in your friend'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 friend's eye."  Woops folks.  This ought to make you sit down and think for a bit.  And maybe even pray to God. 

So, where do we go from here?  Let's visit Colossians and read what Paul and Timothy have to say.  You may have read this....let's do so again...it's about living the new life...in Christ.  They say: 

"Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits at God's right hand in the place of honor and power [seeing and knowing everything through the 'do bee' mirror].  Let heaven fill your thoughts [not just the place called heaven, but the things ordained that are right...and wrong...by the God of heaven].  Do not think only about things down here on earth.  For you died when Christ died [if you have accepted him as Lord and Savior of your life], and your real life is hidden with Christ in God [if you are asking forgiveness for those things needing to be hidden].  And when Christ, who is your real life, is revealed to the whole world [don't worry, he doesn't tell secrets], you will share in all his glory [but don't be a good do bee for the glory, do it for God's glory]. 

So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you [mighty fast...we never know when our end time will come, which may be different than the end times].  Have nothing to do with sexual sin, impurity, lust, and shameful desires.  Don't be greedy for the good things of this life, for that is idolatry.  God's terrible anger will come upon those who do such things [Listen up!].  You used to do them when your life was still part of this world.  But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language [Not just cussing, but saying stories about others that you do not have the facts about, making things up, or saying things to make yourself look better, or gossiping, etc.].  Don't lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old evil nature and all its wicked deeds [supposedly].  In its place you have clothed yourselves [have you?] with a brand new nature [I hope so...so does he] that is continually being renewed [we all pray] as you learn more and more about Christ [Are you learning more...are you taking the time to get into the Word, the Bible, to see who this guy really is?], who created this new nature within you [he has only if you have asked him into your life....fully...and you are obeying him].  In this new life, it doesn't matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free [wealthy, poor, homeless, lost, alone, strong, empowered, all are the same].  Christ is all that matters and he lives in all of us [he would really like to]. 

Since God chose you to be the holy people whom he loves [He did choose you...have you chosen him?], you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy [not the newest fad or best designer labels], kindness [do I need to say that again.....kindness....read a dictionary], humility [yes], gentleness [really], and patience [big one]. You must make allowance for each other's faults and forgive the person who offends you [ this is a COMMAND].  Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.  And the most important piece of clothing you must wear is love [note the word MUST...another command].  Love is what binds us all together in perfect harmony [and you thought Lionel Ritchie or Michael Jackson, or whoever wrote the words 'perfect harmony'...it's included in "Peace on Earth"].  And let the peace that comes from Christ [from Christ, not life's situations, or feelings] rule in your hearts.  For as members of one body you are all called to live in peace [Praise God!].  And always be thankful [Note this is a sentence unto itself...and a command.]. 

Let the words of Christ [words of Christ], in all their richness live [LIVE] in your hearts and make you wise. Use his [HIS] words to teach and counsel each other.  Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful [THANKFUL] hearts.  And whatever you do or say, let it be as a representative of the Lord Jesus [not yourself], all the while giving thanks through him to God the Father [THROUGH him TO God] [for putting up with you...guiding you, leading you on, and loving you still]."

You know, "You can enter God's kingdom only [ONLY] through the narrow gate" according to Jesus.  He also said, "The highway to hell is broad [Yup], 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 [Will you be one?]."  Matthew 7: 13- 14

This is something pretty big to consider.  Whether you have been one with Christ for a virtual lifetime, or are nearing the choice to become his, or have kind of fallen away for a time, you are a sinner, and the time to enter this narrow gateway of life to God's kingdom is now.  My advice...and those who know me know I am always giving advice...asked for or not...is to climb aboard the soul train (cute, huh?) and enter, or enter again, or request renewal of your membership now.  Like as in NOW.  I heard that....you said, "She is not talking about me, she must be talking about herself."  Heh.  I'm talking about all of us.  And all the more reason about you, if you just had those thoughts. 

So like Paul and Timothy prayed, let me share their prayer for you...and myself.  They said:  "We ask God to give you a complete understanding of what he wants to do in your lives, and we ask him to make you wise with spiritual wisdom [please God...yes].  Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and you will continually do good, kind things for others [It would be about time that we were made better and all kind.]  All the while you will learn to know God better and better [Amen.]."  They go on to pray, "We also pray that you will be strengthened with his [HIS] glorious power so that you will have all the patience and endurance you need [NEED].  May you be filled with joy, always thanking the Father [AND always thank...for everything] who has enabled you to share the inheritance that belongs to God's holy people, who live in the light.  For he has [HAS] rescued us from the one who rules in the kingdom of darkness [satan/the devil], and he has [HAS] brought us into the Kingdom of his dear Son [Jesus].  God has [HAS] purchased our freedom with his blood and has [HAS] forgiven all our sins [IF we have asked him to come into our hearts and have become HIS.].

So how do you measure success?  Dave Longaberger said "Success is not measured by money, but by sel-respect, satisfaction, recognition, concern for others and continual growth."  Let me rewrite that with my thoughts.  "Success is not measured by money [I"ve learned that, have you?], but by self-respect [because I have the Lord in me I must, I am compelled, I am called to respect myself], satisfaction [for knowing I have tried to do everything the Lord has called me to do in the ways he has taught me to do so], recognition [by the only ones who truly matter:  God, Jesus, Holy Spirit], concern for others [his other children...we are all one] and continual growth [in the Word of God, in Christ Jesus, in 'Light Living].  What a great group of guys....Dave and the Trinity. 

Let us all....grant forgiveness, embrace equality, and give respect.   

***

Let Us Pray

God, I am not worthy to receive you, but only say the word and I shall be healed.  I ask you into my life, Lord, "Please come".  And I ask for forgiveness, "Please forgive me".  Enable me to accept others and forgive others, and may we all realize we are all made equal in your eyes.  May I forgive as you forgive, and respect as you respect.  May I love everyone per your definition of love, and in live in perfect harmony with you and others.  I am not perfect, and I am human, and this does not excuse me.  It makes me realize how much work I have to do.  You are my example.  I have a LOT of work to do.  I am grateful for your saving grace, your forgiving mercy, your endless love.  I will fall short, but I will not fall, because my strength is in you and you are in me.  Guide me, direct me, lead me on.  Heavy lessons today, Lord.  I know I have a lot of work to do and I know a lot of others who have a lot of owning up and work to do.  Help me to continue to love them as I continue to pray for them.  All is not lost....they try, as do I.  I only hope they will see themselves, as I have seen myself...as you have seen us, and make changes, but only for your glory, Lord.  By the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, I worship you and worthily magnify your Holy Name.  Thank you for loving me and for dying for me.  I love you.  Amen     

A Morning Resolve *

I will try this day to live a simple, sincere, and serene life, repelling promptly every thought of discontent, anxiety, discouragement, impurity, and self-seeking; cultivating cheerfulness, magnanimity, charity, and the habit of holy silence; exercising economy in expenditure, generosity in giving, carefulness in conversation, diligence in appointed service, fidelity to every trust, and a childlike faith in God.

In particular I will try to be faithful in those habits of prayer, work, study, physical exercise, eating, and sleep which I believe the Holy Spirit has shown me to be right.

And as I cannot in my own strength do this, nor even with a hope of success attempt it, I look to thee, O Lord God my Father, in Jesus my Savior and ask for the gift of the Holy Spirit.

For Today *

Give me strength to live another day;

Let me not turn coward before its difficulties or prove recreant to its duties;

Let me not lose faith in other people;

Keep me sweet and sound of heart, in spite of ingratitude, treachery, or meanness;

Preserve me from minding little stings or giving them;

Help me to keep my heart clean, and to live so honestly and fearlessly that no outward failure can dishearten me or take away the joy of conscious integrity;

Open wide the eyes of my soul that I may see good in all things;

Grant me this day some new vision of your truth;

Inspire me with the spirit of joy and gladness; and make me the cup of strength to suffering souls, in the name of the strong Deliverer, our only Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.   

For the Unemployed *

Heavenly Father, we remember before you those who suffer want and anxiety from lack of work.  Guide the people of this land so to use our public and private wealth that all may find suitable and fulfilling employment, and receive just payment for their labor; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  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. 

It is not how we worship, but that we worship!   

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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 regularly to us or gifting us, so that we can further the work and carry out the will of the Father as proclaimed in Matthew 28:19-20 NLT

 to

 "Go and make disciples out of all the nations

baptizing 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, 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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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 Rhythms 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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*Prayers:  A Morning Resolve and For Today are from Forward Day By Day, as is For The Unemployed, which is from The Book of Common Prayer.

  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.

 *