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 and welcome....

 those in the area of the Hawaiian Islands, Northwest Christmas Island Ridge,

United Kingdom,

those in the area of the Phillipines, 

and from Canada!  

We miss those from the Angola Basin or is it the Guinea Basin,

those from the Bahamas, and the Malasian Islands in the area of Java!

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!  Give me a shout out anyway! 

PRAY...for all in the world!

'You care for people and animals alike O LORD.' 

Psalm 36: 6b

   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 1, 2011

 Rewind:  The Aftermath 

Matthew 27: 51b-53

Matthew

The earth shook, rocks split apart, and tombs were opened.  The bodies of many godly men and women who had died were raised from the dead after Jesus' resurrection.  They left the cemetery and appeared to many people. 

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Thoughts.....

How many times have you read this reference above from Matthew?  I've read it numerous times.  Yet, I never quite got the hugeness of dead people rising from their graves and walking around.  Dead people...from graves....not dead anymore....walking around.  Little freaky?  YAH!  Surreal?  YAH!   Astonishing?  YAH!  Shocking?  YAH!  Frightening?  YAH!  Overwhelming?  YAH!  Humbling?  YAH!  Awe inspiring?  YAH!  Painful?  YAH!  Tearful?  YAH!  Thankful?  YAH!  Grateful?  YAH! 

Was Matthew like the gal on TV that sees 'dead people walking'?  Their spirits lost and needing direction?  Or was this 'really real'?  Was it a spiritual death or an actual death?

It is real.  They actually died.  The actually arose from the grave.  They lived anew.  This is the word of God.  We must believe exactly what happened.  This is not a parable.  Nor is it saying 'like', 'maybe', or 'as'.  They 'were' [statement of fact...past tense] raised from the dead.  They 'did' [implied statement] leave the cemetery.  They 'did' [implied statement] go into the holy city of Jersualem.  They 'did' [implied statement] appear to many people.  They were children of God.  "Godly men and women".

So did they breathe?  They would have had to since they were alive.  Did they need to eat?  I'm guessing yes.  Did they need housing?  Clothing?  Help on all levels to start their lives anew?  Of course.  And who would feed them?  House them?  Clothe them?  Help them on all levels to start their lives anew?

Would you? 

That was then....this is now:  Tornadoes have raged through the southeastern states of the U.S.  Whole towns have been destroyed.  Lives lost.  Those who are alive have arisen from the rubble to find nothing left.  They walk, but they don't believe what they see, nor can they fathom the devastation.  They talk, but they cannot understand...the words come...some make sense....most do not.  Families are torn apart.  Pets lost.  Death surrounds them.  The world they know has been destoyed.  They have no vision for tomorrow....they are still trying to breathe through today.  Will they have a tomorrow?   They will if you help them. 

Will you help them?

Jesus said, "Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.  For I was hungry, and you fed me.  I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink.  I was a stranger, and you invited me me into your home.  I was naked, and you gave me clothing.  I was sick and you cared for me.  I was in prison and you visited me.  Then these righteous ones will reply, 'Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you?  Or thirsty and give you something to drink?  Or a stranger and show you hospitality?  Or naked and give you clothing?  When did we ever see you sick or in prision, and visit you?'  And the King will tell them, 'I assure you, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!'  Matt 25:40

"Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, 'Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the Devil and his demons!  For I was hungry, and you didn't feed me.  I was thristy, and you didn't give me anything to drink.  I was a stranger, and you didn't invite me into your home.  I was naked, and you gave me no clothing.  I was sick and in prison, and you didn't visit me.'

"Then they will reply, 'Lord when did we ever see you hungry or thristy or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not help you?'  And he will answer, 'I assure you, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me'.  And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous will go into eternal life."

'What say you?'  What path will you choose?  Will you do for those who need your help the most?  Will you be a righteous one and do for Jesus...in doing for others?    

Tsunamis have raged, tornadoes have overcome, earthquakes have broken....many.

Turn on your television, radio, palm held, computer or laptop.  Open any newspaper or magazine.  There you will find the stories of the broken.

And we read..."And wars will break out near and far, but don't panic.  Yes, these things must come, but the end won't follow immediately.  The nations and kingdoms will proclaim war against each other, and there will be famines and earthquakes in many parts of the world.  But all this will be only the beginning of the horrors to come." Matt 24: 6-8.  "And many will turn away from me and betray each other." v19.  "Sin will be rampant everywhere, and the love of many will grow cold." v12.  "For that will be a time of greater horror than anything the world has ever seen or will see again.  In fact, unless that time of calamity is shortened, the entire human race will be destroyed." v 21-22a.

"But it will be shortened for God's chosen ones."  v 22b.  "But those who endure to the end will be saved.  And the Good News about the Kingdom will be preached throught the whole world, so that all nations will hear it; and then, finally, the end will come." v 13-14.     

I have given you the stories of the dead walking....and the walking dead.  Do you see some similarities?  I pray you will open your hearts to help unburden those who walk today with hearts who are numb, deadened with pain, suffering with unmeasurable loss.  They will be thankful....they will be grateful.  All of you will be blessed.

We are on this earth to emulate Christ.  We do that by suffering and loving, giving and doing, giving up ourself...dying for him.  We do that when we can say as he did to those around us now:  "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest....I am humble and gentle, and you will find rest for your souls."

I pray that you will see the needs of the people in the world today.  Whatever area you live in, wherever you are in the world, there is some place near you to help others.  If not, please consider setting up something to help others today.  It may only be a box at your back door to receive food for humans and animals, or clothes, or a room to receive those in need.  Can't?  That's okay.  Perhaps you could send money.  Even pennies can help those in need.  Imagine if every person gave one penny, how far that would reach.  Or one dollar?  Have more to share?  Every gift is a blessing and is equal in his sight.  There are many agencies in the world for humans and animals.  Google search or call your library to gain more information.

Are you someone who is suffering?  My heart is with you.  There are many agencies to help you.  Hold on...to
God.  He will not fail you or desert you.  I am so sorry you are going through these hard times.  My heart breaks with yours.  And I embrace you and love you in Jesus' name.  Please believe me when I say that you will get through this...there is another day....and another day after that, but then, then, you will rise like an Eagle an soar again.  I know it doesn't seem possible right now.  Your life is in such turmoil and you do not know where to even start.  Start with prayer....that God will send the workers to help you.  And embrace you.  And love you in all the ways they can while helping you gain a foothold.  It's horrible...it's awful.  It's incomprehensible.  But you will survive, though others you have loved may not have.  I am so sorry for your losses.  Someday, it may not be soon, you will thrive.  Believe that, hold onto that.  Someday you will be able to help someone else.  Better days will come again.  But for now, put one foot in front of the other...and keep looking up to God.  You can do this...I believe in you...so does God.  Please receive a major hug from my heart to yours.     

Below is a copy of what I posted as comment to the article by Adam Geller (AP) about the tornadoes in the southeastern part of the United States which was on MSNBC this morning.  I give it to you to enflame you, if the above has not.  It is not much, but it is my way of starting to help....telling others to love...fully....their neighbor as themself.  I will be going through my closet...giving the BEST, not the throw aways.  I've already opened my home to someone in crisis.  I'll be doing more.  Please join me in reaching out....to anyone....anywhere.  

"It's time to come together as a family in the United States...in the world. It's time to get back to who we were.....people who cared....truly cared about one another.  It's time to open our doors to those in crisis and say 'come'.  And love them with all we've got. The Bible commands us to love our neighbor as ourself. Whatever we have, we need to share it. It's time to show God, our neighbors, the world our best.  Open your doors.  Call the Red Cross. Call whomever you can who is in charge no matter what state you live in and say 'come'. Learn about other families and help them through their crisis. Stop fearing your brothers and sisters and start embracing them as you would want to be embraced. Don't have much?  Who cares. They now have nothing.  Open up America.  Open up world.  Give them transportation money, if they need it. Take their pets in with them.  They are God's creatures, too.  The Bible says in Romans 8, 'We, too, wait for the second coming of Christ'....who came first?  The animals were God's first chosen born.  God is in everyone, and if you don't open your doors, you have closed those doors of your life to God. Embrace one another in his name. Reach out NOW! Be blessed while you are blessing others. Step into a new way of living, loving, caring. Open your churches, your homes, your arms. Don't wait...start today!"  

May God richly bless those you help....and you.

***

Let Us Pray

God, Jesus, Holy Spirit, please be with all those who are hurting in the world.  Heal them mind, body, spirit, and soul.  Send your Holy Spirit to embrace them as only he can.  Lord, it's ugly out there right now.  Surround all those in need with others who can help them.  Open doors, homes, finances, hearts, lives, arms to embrace.  Help us become a new world of people who love others with our whole hearts...as we learn to love ourselves anew with you.  May all those in need be richly blessed.  Fill me with your love and your grace, so that I may go forth in your name.  Come into my heart to enflame me with a passion to help others. Show me what you want me to do to help fill the greatest need I can.  May I learn to be more humble as I go forth in your name.  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."

***

  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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  Checks or money orders can be made out to

Trinity Missions

or the

Church of the Holy Spirit

and sent to

Note New Address 

Trinity Missions

P.O. Box 85042

Tucson, Arizona

85754

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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.

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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.

  ***

    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 want to apologize for the appearance of the archived scriptures page.  The server has changed the formatting, and, I was unaware of the import of those changes.  I was not paying attention to detail and I placed the information in the summary section rather than the body, which would allow for choice of topic rather than the whole presentation.  It's a mess, and, I will attempt to correct it without loss later today.  Please forgive my errors.  

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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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