August 21, 2011

 Live For God With Your Whole Heart  

1 Peter 4: 1 - 11

1 Peter 

So then, since Christ suffered physical pain, you must arm yourselves with the same attitude he had, and be ready to suffer, too.  For if you are willing to suffer for Christ, you have decided to stop sinning.  And you won't spend the rest of your life chasing after evil desires, but you will be anxious to do the will of God.  You have had enough in the past of the evil things that godless people enjoy - their immorality and lust, their feasting and their drunkeness and wild parties, and their terrible worship of idols.

Of course, your former friends are very surprised when you no longer join them in the wicked things they do, and they say evil things about you.  But just remember that they will have to face God, who will judge everyone both the living and the dead.  That is why the Good News was preached even to those who have died - so that although their bodies were punished with death, they could still live in the spirit as God does.

The end of the world is coming soon.  Therefore, be earnest and disciplined in your prayers.  Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins.  Cheerfully share your home with those who need a meal or a place to stay.

God has given gifts to each of you from his great variety of spiritual gifts.  Manage them well so that God's generosity can flow through you.  Are you called to be a speaker?  Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you.  Are you called to help others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies.  Then God will be given glory in everything through Jesus Christ.  All glory and power belong to him forever and ever.  Amen.

 JesJeJeJJjEJJJ     JJThe LORD is king!  Let the nations tremble!  T*** 

Thoughts.....

Good morning wonderful people of God and guests!  Welcome!

Some days it seems that God is so present with us.  This morning the scriptures speak so clearly that it feels like I am going to be redundant in anything I might say.  That is why I like the New Living Translation so much.  It says things so plainly and clearly that I don't need to say more.  But ... big but ... God and I always have something more to say.  And say and say and say some days.  And some days, what is said is enough. 

Have you ever had someone say something and you've asked them to repeat it so you can grasp the thought?  And they say it a totally different way and you lose the ability to grasp what you trying to the first time around?  Well, I sincerely hope that I am able to illumine the scriptures, rather than muddy the waters for you.  And, if what I am writing seems to be doing that for you, forgive me.  Just go back to the scriptures and reread them.  Maybe that's all you need to hear that day.  But don't use it as an excuse to not listen to what God may be saying through me to you on top of what he has already said through the Bible, or to ignore what I might say to you.  You might learn something.  Whether you wanted to or not....you might need to learn it.  And I learn volumes imparting it.  Someone once said, 'Whatever you can get through you, you can get to you.'   So please give me more reasons to continue learning.  I want to know all I can about everything God has to offer.  

In todays scripture, Peter is talking about living for God and he gives some directives.  He says that since Christ suffered, we, too, must be willing to suffer.  He suffered physical pain.  We will suffer physical pain.  He tells us we must arm ourselves with the same attitude that Christ had.  Be ready to suffer.  Be willing to suffer.  If we are willing to suffer for Christ, then we have stopped sinning.  Hence, you won't be chasing after evil desires.  And you will be anxious to do the will of God. 

Anxious to do the will of God?  Yes.  What is the will of God?  Whatever he tells you it is beyond the basics of living for him, loving and giving and doing that you already know.  If you have been reading your Bible and reading what I have written for the last 3 years on this site, you should know what God's will is by now.  For your life?  Have you bothered to ask him?  I cannot tell you what he will tell you.  I can give you the basics, as I have over the years, but if you are asking me now, you are trying to take an easy way out.  You need to go to him directly and ask him what he needs from you, and what he needs for you to do with your life.  If you don't want to go to him, I can only surmise that you do not want to face him.  Which brings us full circle to what we were starting to discuss.

Stop your evil ways.  Be anxious to do the will of God, not anxious about having sinned and not willing to confront him, and hear what he has to say to YOU about it.  Peter goes on to state that folks who choose to do the will of God will have had enough of the evil things [done] in the [your] past [?!] that godless people now enjoy - immorality and lust,  feasting and drunkeness, and wild parties, and terrible worship of idols.  Immorality and lust is worship of the body....usually includes someone else's body, too....a worshiping of it.  Feasting and drunkeness.....Did you know that being overweight is a sin?  It's a sin of worshiping the idol of food and self.  It's a lust unto itself.  It's also a disease of malnutrition, by the way.  The body is not getting the proper food it needs, and so it craves more hoping it will eventually be fed what it does need.  Drunkeness comes under the same category.  It's a sin, it's a worshiping of an idol...the body and the bottle, and is also a disease of malnutrition.  God feeds the body and the soul.  Someday I may write on God's nutrition.  I give seminars on such, in case your church or community organization is interested. 

"Wild parties and their terrible worship of idols.  This could allude to Satanic worship, but hey, if you are not FOR God, you are for Satan.  So, if you are not doing FOR GOD, you are doing for....WITH Satan.  Soooo...those parties whereby you are being sexual, drinking, drugging....gettin' wild and crazy....welllllll....that's considered a form of Satanic worship....worshiping idols, all those I just listed and perhaps more.  I lead a sheltered life, I do not want to imagine what more might be.  I have not always been so sheltered, but I have never gotten wild and crazy that's for sure.  And I like it this way.  Very calm, very inner-peace filled, very Spirit embraced....with joy.  God is wonderful.  If you haven't turned your life over to God, Jesus and Holy Spirit, now may be the time.  Try him, you'll live him....more than that....you will fall in love.    

Peter goes on to say, "Of course, your former friends are very surprised when you no longer join them in the wicked things they do, and they say evil things about you.  But remember that they will have to face God, who will judge everyone, both the living and the dead."  Let me tell you.......this can happen in the 'best' of churches, too.  And if you are truly one with Christ, the pain will diminish, as will the sorrow.  And those who have been evil, WILL face God.  And it won't be pretty.  You keep your head up, shoulders back, and move forward with the only one that matters, the only God who gives eternal life, and forgives sins.  'Keep your nose clean' as they used to say, 'and you'll be allright'.   No idol or other god matters.  Only THE God who made the heavens and the earth.  Only Jesus Christ who died for you to make your life free.  Only Holy Spirit who feeds your soul with the word, the truth, and brings you the light....Jesus. 

This next part of the paragraph may throw you.  Peter says, "That is why the Good News was preached even to those who have died - so that although their bodies were punished with death, they could still live in the spirit as God does."  We learned recently through Scripture that Jesus spoke to the dead in their graves and they came out of their graves.  These were the people who did not have a chance to know Jesus on earth because they died before he was born.  God wasn't kidding when he said he sent Jesus for ALL mankind.  And there are many today who have not heard the word of God, not given the salvation message that he lives and what it can mean to their life.  And they will die.  I believe from everything I've learned, that God is an equal opportunity kind of guy.  That he gives the same opportunity he gives you and I who are living, to those who have died who have not heard, who have not accepted the salvation message.....who have not accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.  I believe, based on Scripture, that this occurs with everyone that dies.  Like a screening/opportunity process occurs at 'the pearly gates'. 

Does that mean you can hang out and do what you want in the meantime?  Nope.  You've heard the Word of God.   You now have responsibility and accountability.  Say yes to God or to Satan.  You cannot be warm, you must be hot or cold.  Hot for Jesus now, or cold in death.  Fess up and choose up. 

"The end of the world is coming", Peter goes on to say.  I heard that.  You said, "Oh, people have been saying that for years, and look how old the Bible is and here we are today."  Heh...Heh...Heh....'listen up', folks.  Here's the deal.  YOUR end time may come before THE end times and it does not matter which is which.  "Is you goin' up, or is you goin' down?"  Make your choice now...before it's too late.  Remember......responsibility and accountability.  

"THEREFORE, be earnest and disciplined in your prayers."  That means BE earnest, BE disciplined, PRAY.

"Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins."  START to show deep love and THEN CONTINUE to show deep love for each other. 

"CHEERFULLY share your home with those who need a meal or a place to stay."  God doesn't care if it is a human creature in need or another one of his creatures.....we are all creatures in his eyes.  Feed the birds, if that is all you can do.  Water the weeds.  Invite the homeless, 2 legged or 4 legged or similar.  They all can grow into wonderful blessings for God and bring him glory.

"God HAS given gifts to each of you from his great variety of spiritual gifts.  MANAGE them well, so that God's generosity CAN flow through you."  And if he hasn't because you haven't accepted him as Lord and Savior, he sure wants to.  Hint, hint.  DO is an action verb. 

"Are you called to be a speaker?  Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you."  OHHHHH....be careful of this one.  Know when to speak and when not to.  Know when to exhort, and do it with kindness.  We can be exhorters and not go to radical extremes.  The proverbial 'screaming me me' vs a kind word or word of knowledge spoken with gentleness can mean the difference in being heard and being shut out.  How would God say what you are about to say?  There is a time to be firm.  And a time to be gentle.  There is never a time to choke someone with your knowledge and demand they believe as you do.  You will NEVER win anyone to Christ, or to what is right that way....providing your way is right....and accurate.  The statement, "Know the truth and the truth will set you free" covers a multitude of life situations.  Just because you've heard something doesn't mean it is true.  And just because what you hear supports your thoughts, does not mean what you heard OR your thoughts are right.  If what you are saying and how you are saying it does not align with God or God's way of doing things, then you need to STOP right away and reassess.  Know that you know, that you know, that you know, before you speak.  Check out what you've heard.  Be absolutely sure of what you are saying or you could be labeled a liar, or extremist, and then you will never be found credible, or claim integrity of the highest moral value....and that my friends is important to God.  Nor will the Gospel message from you ever be heard.  In those moments, 'I'd rather see you than be you' and I'd rather not listen to you at all.  Nor would God want to hear what you are saying.

"Are you called to help others?  Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies.  Then God will be given glory in everything through Jesus Christ.  All glory and power belong to him forever and ever.  Amen."   If you are called to help others, do you choose who you will help of whom God puts in your path?  Do you put parameters around who you will help?  'I'll do this, if they'll do that?'  Are you a 'tit for tat' person?  Do you do without expecting anything in return?

I learned a lesson recently.  Pretty painful one.  I was always taught the importance of gratitude.  I've always expressed and shown my gratitude.  I've always given without expecting anything in return.  I recently laid my life down and saved another's life...literally.  I did not receive a thank you.  I did not receive financial reimbursement for all I had expended in saving their life, saving all their belongings, and all the expenses surrounding such.  I did not put parameters around this person or situation.  I did not expect anything.  I thought they were going to die....even the Doctors did.  But when they lived, and I didn't get a thank you, I was very saddened.  Had this person died, I would not have received reimbursement, and yet since they lived, I was crushed that they didn't feel compelled to immediately pay me back.  Why?  In my humanness, I believed that everyone should act as I had been taught.  Show gratitude.  Do unto....  This person will never do unto me.

God showed me something.  I now know what God goes through every single day that I don't respond with a thank you for everything he has done for me that day, starting with living and dying.  I get that I am not showing my gratitude to God enough....at all some days?  Am I reimbursing him...what do I give him in return for what he has given me?  Surely I say thank you to him every day......don't I?  Do you?  Are you receiving what he gives you every day?  Are you grateful and expressful for that to him?  What are you giving back to him?  He showed me his pain through my experience.  He showed me how much it hurts him when even those who call him Lord, don't say thank you and reimburse him in all the ways they can.  We, the world, are a bankrupt society.  We take and take and take from God, from others, and do not pay back what was given us....let alone give more....or say thank you.  We don't EVEN consider paying it forward, giving BEFORE being asked.  We are morally corrupt.  We are spiritually destitute.  Emotionally a mess.  Mentally at a loss.  Physically dying.  NO WONDER God has SUCH a hard time with us.  Individually and as a group.  He keeps trying to get our attention and we just keep on going our merry way.  Christians and non-Christians.  To what end?  

WORLD.....PEOPLE.....What are we ALL thinking?!  To what end....I say again?  Shame on me and shame on you.  Shame on all of us who don't realize the precious gift God has given us in his son Jesus.   Shame on all of us who abuse the gift of him and all life and gifts he has given us.  Shame on us for not saying thank you.  Shame on us that we are not living a life to bring HIM glory and honor. 

Do you realize what a simple thank you would mean to someone who surrounds you?  Do you realize what a simple thank you could mean to God, Jesus, Holy Spirit?  Do you realize what it could mean to your life were you to thank them?  What if the whole world stopped for 3 seconds and said 'Thank you God, Jesus, Holy Spirit"?  Three for three.  Imagine............... 

I have a tendency to want to start a Three for Three Day around the world.  But EVERY milisecond we should be thanking them!  We should not wait....ever!  Say it now.....say it all the time....every day.  Just say thank you.  And show them now.  Let them feel it in their heart from yours.  Give them a life....as they have given you.

Make a better choice today.   Live for God with your WHOLE heart.  You and he will both be glad you did.  And remember.......always say, 'Thank you."                            

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Let Us Pray

Forgive me, Lord.  I have not loved you with my whole heart.  I have not loved my neighbor as myself.  I am heartily sorry and I humbly repent.  Please forgive me. Thank you.  Thank you!  Thank you for everything you have done for me and given me....lived, died, given me life, forgiven me...daily...given me the opportunity for eternal life and an abundant life....so that I can help others, not just bask.  Help me to give back to you first, and then to others.  Let me do it selflessly and with love.  Let me not get ahead of you and your will for my life, but be aligned with you.  Give me discernment, please.  Turn up that knob, Lord.  Adjust that vertical and horizontal control in my life.  And give me wisdom.  Not everyone who professes you as Lord really is yours, Lord.  THIS has been a tough lesson to learn, also.  As has been the lesson of ingratitude.  But thank you that I have learned it.  It has brought me peace.  Your peace.  For which I am also thankful.  Thank YOU.  For all that you are and for all that you've done and given me, thank you.  Please help me be a better steward of the gifts you give me.  And help me, that I may bring you, God, glory in everything through Jesus Christ, my Lord, to whom glory and power belong forever and ever.  Amen.  I love you.  And, thank you, again.  Amen, again.  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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