July 10, 2011

Christ Jesus Our Hope

1 Timothy 1:1c

1 Timothy

 JesJeJeJJjEJJJ     JJThe LORD is king!  Let the nations tremble!  T ...Christ Jesus our hope.   

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Thoughts.....

Paul called Jesus our hope.  Our hope for salvation.  Our hope to help us live a good life.  Our hope to help us live a fulfilled life.  Our hope to help us obey him.  Our hope to plain old get through life some days. The following scriptures this week and the next few weeks will be to give you hope.  Hope, who is Jesus, and hope in Jesus.  To help you keep on keeping on.  To assure you he is ever present and ever willing to be your everything...to carry you through every storm of life....to hold you in his arms in salvation.  And to receive you into his arms upon your last breath.  Strengthening hope.

2 Timothy 3:

In speaking to Timothy...and also to us...Paul said:  "...in the last days there will be very difficult times.  For people will love only themselves and their money.  They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful.  They will consider nothing sacred.  They will be unloving and unforgiving, they will slander others and have no self-control, they will be cruel and have no interest in what is good.  They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God.  They will act as if they are religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly.  You must stay away from people like that. 

They are the kind who work their way into people's homes and win the confidence of vulnerable women who are burdened with the guilt of sin and controlled by many desires.  Such women are forever following new teachings, but they never understand the truth.  And these fight the truth just as Jannes and Jambres fought against Moses.  Their minds are depraved, and their faith is counterfeit.  But they won't get away with this for long.  Someday everyone will recognize what fools they are, just as happened with Jannes and Jambres."

Paul goes on speaking to Timothy saying, "But you know what I teach, and how I live, and what my purpose in life is. You know my faith and how long I have suffered.  You know my love and my patient endurance.  You know how much persecution and suffering I have endured.  You know all about how I was persecuted in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra - but the Lord delivered me from all of it. Yes, and everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.  But evil people and imposters will flourish.  They will go on deceiving others, and they themselves will be deceived. 

But you must remain faithful to the things you have been taught.  You know they are true, for you know you can trust those who taught you.  You have been taught the Holy Scriptures from childhood, and they have given you the wisdom to receive the salvation that comes by trusting in Christ Jesus.  All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives.  It straightens us out and teaches us to do what is right.  It is God's way of preparing us in every way, fully equipped for every good thing God wants us to do."

2 Timothy 4:1-5:

Paul continues saying, "And so I solemnly urge you before God and before Christ Jesus - who will someday judge the living and the dead when he appears to set up his Kingdom:  Preach the word of God.  Be persistent, whether the time is favorable or not.  Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with good teaching. 

For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to right teaching.  They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever they want to hear.  They will reject the truth and follow strange myths.

But you should keep a clear mind in every situation.  Don't be afraid of suffering for the Lord.  Work at bringing others to Christ.  Complete the ministry God has given you."

Peter says in 1 Peter 2:15:  "It is God's will that your good lives should silence those who make foolish accusation against you.  You are not slaves; you are free.  But your freedom is not an excuse to do evil.  You are free to live as God's slaves.  Show respect for everyone.  Love your Christian brothers an sisters.  Fear God.  Show respect for the king." 

[Our King is Christ Jesus!]

As Paul said, I also say, "How thankful I am to Christ Jesus our Lord for considering me trustworthy and appointing me to serve him."  May you choose to live this as well.  1 Timothy 1:12

And last but not least, "May the Lord be with your spirit.  Grace be with you all.  2 Timothy 4:22 

If you have time, please read todays scripture references in the King James Version....you will find these same words even more impactful. 

May the Lord bless and keep you.

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Let Us Pray

Dear Heavenly Father God, Jesus, Lord and Savior, Holy Spirit, Comforter and Teacher, today is yet again, another first day of the rest of my life....with you.  May I continue to live it to always honor you.  Help me to keep my chin up when others attempt to abuse me and attack me as I do for you and them in your name.  Help me please continue to show them your through my actions as I reach out to help in your name.  Continue to guide me and direct my steps in the best ways to show your love, your gift of salvation.  Please increase my ability to discern the good spirits from the bad, and instill you where I can.  And learn to walk away when I cannot.  Exit strategies are not my strong point, but you Lord had them clearly established.  I will learn to dust the dirt off my feet and walk away.  And where and when you call for me to do good again, I will pick up your cross and journey forth....as you carry me with your strength.  Thank you for being there for me, for dying for me, and giving me the opportunity to receive eternal life, if I but obey you.  Thank you for forgiving me of my sins.  Help me to show my gratitude to you by the way I live and the choices I make.  I bow down to you, Lord.  And I love you.  Thank 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 Rhythms 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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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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