20 Feb 2011
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,
throughout the world!
Hello....Africa, France, Germany, UK!
Family in the area of the Phillipines...welcome!
We welcome back our friends in the ... is it
the Angola Basin or Guinea Basin?!
Hey, USA, hi!
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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February 20, 2011
Psalm 78: 1-4
Why Jesus....Why Salvation?
Lesson 3 of 4
Psalm
O my people, listen to my teaching. Open your ears to what I am saying, for I will speak to you in a parable. I will teach you hidden lessons from our past -- stories we have heard and know, stories our ancestors handed down to us. We will not hide these truths from our children but will tell the next generation about the glorious deeds of the LORD.
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Thoughts.....
Good morning! Well, we are in week 3 of four of our study, and it feels like we are winding down slowly. But we will be winding back up with excitement. Todays stories have much to offer us. I hope you will read the whole chapter surrounding each of the scripture references to get a complete picture of what happened and what the Lord has to offer us.
I talked/wrote at length a few weeks ago about whether you will be saved or endure. Since then, we have been stepping back and directing our thoughts toward the basics. It dawned on me some may not have the basics as to why one should consider the Lord and salvation in the first place. So for the previous 2 weeks, this one, and one more week following, I will give some prophecy, and some fulfillment, to help those who need it to better understand the reality, the truth, the history with documentation, about Jesus Christ and why salvation. I hope you will get your Bibles out for this study and not dismiss it. It will help you explain to others 'why Jesus...why salvation'. It may help you understand why you should, if you have not, consider what it would mean to your life were you to choose to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. Perhaps you already have. Perhaps you need to rededicate your life now. Pray earnestly and think clearly. He is waiting here for you now opening his arms in love.
If you do not have a Bible, you can access the scriptures on www.NewLivingTranslation.com. The book I will be using uses the New King James Version, but in the interest of attempting to be consistent, I will use the NLT as usual, however, I may provide texts from the NKJV, but will note....providing I remember to transpose accordingly.
Some of the information I am about to provide to you is from The New Evidence That Demands A Verdict Evidence 1 & 2 by Josh McDowell. I am not including everything, but I will give you some basics. I hope you will get a copy of this book and read it in its entirety, which may take a lot of your time, if you choose to study with intensity.
I have broken this study up into a total of 4 weeks, so we have this week, and one more to go, as I indicated above. I hope you will 'hang in there' with me. Some of what you will be reading may be too basic for some, but if you are not utilizing what you know everyday, then you need to be reminded, so to reinforce your talk and walk, and inspire you to 'get on with it'. Some information may go over your head. It's okay. Go slowly through the scriptures and repeat them if necessary. Not everyone is a scholar, but everyone should choose to read the scriptures to learn 'why Jesus...why salvation' to make a choice for yourself, and, hopefully, choosing THE Lord., will then go on to share who he is, that he is, and how wonderful he is. Remember that he will meet us where we are. Here we go....
Prophecies Concerning His Ministry
Special Anointing of Holy Spirit
Prophecy
Isaiah 11:2: "And the Spirit of the LORD will rest on him - the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD."
Fulfillment
Matthew 3:16 "After his baptism, as Jesus came up out of the water, the heavens were opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and settling on him. And a voice from heaven said, "This is my beloved Son, and I am fully pleased with him."
Book notes: Jewish source: Targum Isaiah on Isaiah 11:1-4 says, "And a king shall come forth from the sons of Jesse, and an Anointed One (or Messiah) from his sons' sons shall grow up. And there shall rest upon him a spirit from before the Lord, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge, and of fear of the Lord; and the Lord shall bring him to his fear; and not according to the sight of his eyes shall he judge, nor exercise judgement according to the hearing of his ears. But he shall judge with truth the poor, and adjudge with faithfulness the needy among the people." (Stenning, TI, 40)
Me: Although I gave you this reference previously, I felt it important to reinforce the pattern of history.
Preceded by Messenger
Prophecy
Isaiah 40:3: "Listen! I hear the voice of someone shouting, "Make a highway for the LORD through the wilderness. Make a straight, smooth road through the desert for our God. (See also Malachi 3:1.)
Fulfillment
Matthew 3: 1-3 "In those days John the Baptist began preaching in the Judean wilderness. His message was, "Turn from your sins and turn to God, because the Kingdom of Heaven is near." Isaiah had spoken of John when he said, "He is a voice shouting in the wilderness; 'Prepare a pathway for the Lord's coming! Make a straight road for him!" (See also Matt. 3:5; Matt. 11:10; John 1:23; Luke 1:17.)
Ministry to Begin in Galilee
Prophecy
Isaiah 9:1: Nevertheless, that time of darkness and despair will not go on forever. The land of Zebulun and Naphtali will soon be humbled, but there will be a time in the future when Galilee of the Gentiles, which lies along the road that runs between the Jordan and the sea, will be filled with glory.
Me: Please continue to read the rest of the text through verses 2-5. It then continues with verse 6 saying: "For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. And the government will rest on his shoulders. These will be his royal titles: Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His everexpanding, peaceful governement will never end. He will rule forever with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David. The passionate commitment of the LORD Almighty will guarantee this!"
Fulfillment
Matthew 4: 12-17: "When Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he left Judea and returned to Galilee. But instead of going to Nazareth, he went to Capernaum, beside the Sea of Galilee, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali. This fulfilled Isaiah's prophecy: "In the land of Zebulun and of Naphtali, beside the sea, beyond the Jordan River - in Galilee where so many Gentiles live - the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light. And for those who lived in the land where death casts its shadow, a light has shined." From then on, Jesus began to preach "Turn from your sins and turn to God, because the Kingdom of Heaven is near."
Ministry of Miracles
Prophecy
Isaiah 35:5-6 And when he comes, he will open the eyes of the blind and unstop the ears of the deaf. The lame will leap like a deer, and those who cannot speak will shout and sing! (See also Isaiah 32: 3, 4.)
My note: NKJV reads like this: "Then the eyes of the blind will be opened, and the ears of the deaf will be unstopped. The the lame will leap like a deer, and the tongue of the dumb will sing for joy." They will sing for JOY! Hallelujah!
Me: I love this chapter and feel compelled to print it here in its entirety. It is subtitled: "Hope for Restoration". Isaiah 35:1-10 reads:
"Even the wilderness will rejoice in those days. The desert will blossom with flowers. Yes, there will be an abundance of flowers and singing and joy! The deserts will become as green as the mountains of Lebanon, as lovely as Mount Carmel's pastures and the plain of Sharon. There the LORD will display his glory, the splendor of our God.
With this news, strengthen those who have tired hands, and encourage those who have weak knees. Say to those who are afraid, "Be strong, and do not fear, for your God is coming to destroy your enemies. He is coming to save you." And when he comes, he will open the eyes of the blind and unstop the ears of the deaf. The lame will leap like a deer, and those who cannot speak will shout and sing! Springs will gush forth in the wilderness, and streams will water the desert. The parched ground will become a pool, and springs of water will satisfy the thirsty land. Marsh grass and reeds and rushes will flourish where desert jackals once lived.
And a main road will go through that once deserted land. It will be named the Highway of Holiness. Evil-hearted people will never travel on it. It will be only for those who walk in God's ways; fools will never walk there. Lions will not lurk along its course, and there will be no other dangers. Only the redeemed will follow it. Those who have been ransomed by the LORD will return to Jerusalem, singing songs of everlasting joy. Sorrow and mourning will disappear, and they will be overcome with joy and gladness."
Fulfillment
Matthew 9:35 "Jesus traveled through all the cities and villages of that area, teaching in the synagogues and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom. And wherever he went, he healed people of every sort of disease and illness. (See also Matt. 9:32, 33; Matt. 11:4-6; Mark 7:33-35; John 5:5-9; John 9:6-11; John 11:43-44, 47.)
He Was to Enter Jerusalem on a Donkey
Prophecy
Zechariah 9:9: "Rejoice greatly, O people of Zion! Shout in triumph, O people of Jerusalem! Look, your king is coming to you. He is righteous and victorious, yet he is humble, riding on a donkey - even on a donkey's colt."
Fulfillment
Luke 19:35-37: So they brought the colt to Jesus and threw theeir garmnets over it for him to ride on. Then the crowds spread out their coats on the road ahead of Jesus. As they reached the place where the road started down from the Mount of Olives, all of his followers began to shout and sing as the walked along, praising God for all the wonderful miracles they had seen. (See also Matt. 21:6-11)
Me: Adding verse 38, we learn what they sang: "Bless the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in highest heaven.
Are you getting all this, folks? I pray so. Arise and sing!
"Stone of Stumbling" to Jews
Prophecy
Psalm 118:22: The stone rejected by the builders has now become the cornerstone." (See also Isaiah 8:14 and Isaiah 28:1.)
Fulfillment
1 Peter 2:7: Yes, he is very precious to you who believe. But for those who reject him, "The stone that was rejected by the builders has now become the cornerstone." (See also Romans 9:32, 33.)
"Light" to Gentiles
Prophecy
Isaiah 60:3 "All nations will come to your light. Mighty kings will come to see your radiance." (See also Isaiah 49:6.)
Me: For those who turn to God with belief in worship.
Fulfillment
Acts 13: 46-49: "Then Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and declared, "It was necessary that this Good News from God be given first to you Jews. But since you have rejected it and judged yourselves unworthy of eternal life - well, we will offer it to Gentiles. For this is as the Lord commanded us when he said, 'I have made you a light to the Gentiles, to bring salvation to the farthest corners of the earth.'" When the Gentiles heard this, they were very glad and thanked the Lord for his message; and all who were appointed to eternal life became believers. So the Lord's message spread throughout that region."
Me: I hope you clearly see that not only are we to receive him, but we are to share this wonderful news that he offers salvation to others.
Folks, this is your moment in time. What say you? How will you live your life today...tomorrow...forever? Will it be with Jesus and for him? You've only to say the words...."Jesus, please come into my life today." And he will.
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Let Us Pray
God, I have decided to follow Jesus. I thank you for bringing him into the world, so that I would have the opportunity to be saved and be forgiven for my sin. I am sorry, Jesus, that you had to die to offer this to the world...to me, but I am thankful you have been resurrected and made whole, and sit at God's right hand. Jesus, please come into my life today. Please forgive me of my sins and make me whole. Please show me how to live my life, so I might show you by my actions that I honor you by obeying you....and loving you. Life is not easy, but you didn't come to make life easy. But you have promised us an abundant, victorious life, if we follow you. Some days I am not sure I want some of the abundance I am given, it does not seem very positive. But I am sure you are there when the going gets tough. What was it that Knute Rockne said, "When the going gets tough, the tough get going?" Well, help me get going for and with you. Help me make of the timber of my life a mansion. Lemonade....'if life is filled with lemons, make lemonade'. Works for me...I like lemonade. Some days I wish I didn't have to drink so much of the lemons of life, but lemons are cleansing. So I am being cleansed instead of going through the fire like a bunch of marshmallows. Oooooo....I haven't had marshmallows in a long time. Oh, sorry, Lord, I got a little off track there. Striving, Lord...not there yet. So, Holy Spirit, now that I have asked Jesus into my life....I want to make him fully Lord and Savior. I am counting on you to help me. Please baptize me with the fullness of you. Fill me to overflowing. Let's shake it up! Let's go tell the world who you are, that you are, and how wonderful you are. I'm ready. Let's do it! Keep the firey arrows at bay, surround me with your love and guardian angels, and do the same for all those I love. Keep me and them safe. I know Satan does not like it when we 'get all fire and brimstone on him', so I can expect garbage to happen, however, I will put on my armor to fight against him. Be my armor, Lord. Don't leave me now. Help me to not leave you. After all the trials up til now, I can safely say, we are one. And I am so grateful. I love you, God, Jesus, and Holy Spirit. Thank you so very much for all you've done for me and those I love, and, for all you are going to do for me and those I love. May miracles continue to abound and astound. Bowing down, Lord, but raising up with praise for you, the Almighty of the heavenly hosts. Thank you. I love you. 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....the Trinity!
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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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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
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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 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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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
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