May 20, 2012

  'To Do' List....From Jesus    

Luke 6: 27 - 36

Luke

But if you are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies.  Do good to those who hate you.  Pray for the happiness of those who curse you.  Pray for those who hurt you.  If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn the other cheek.  If someone demands your coat, offer your shirt also.  Give what you have to anyone who asks you for it; and when things are taken away from you, don't try to get them back.  Do for others as you would like them to do for you.

Do you think you deserve credit merely for loving those who love you?  Even the sinners do that!  And if you do good only to those who do good to you, is that so wonderful?  Even sinners do that much!  And if you lend money only to those who can repay you, what good is that?  Even sinners will lend to their own kind for a full return. 

Love your enemies!  Do good to them!  Lend to them!  And don't be concerned that they might not repay.  Then your reward from heaven will be very great, and you will truly be acting as children of the Most High, for he is kind to the unthankful and to those who are wicked.  You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate. 

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Thoughts.....

Good morning!

Sometimes that which we read gets lost in the everything we read.  So I am going to give you Jesus' 'to do' list line by line to make it simple.  Perhaps you will print it and place it somewhere as a gentle reminder, a prayerful touch to get you through your days.  I pray it helps you, as it has helped me.

But if you are willing to listen, I [Jesus] say,

Love your enemies.

Do good to those who hate you.

Pray for the happiness of those who curse you.

Pray for those who hurt you.

If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn the other cheek.

If someone demands your coat, offer your shirt also.

Give what you have to anyone who asks you for it;

And when things are taken away from you, don't try to get them back.

Do for others as you would like them to do for you.

Do you think you deserve credit merely for loving those who love you?  Even the sinners do that!

And if you do good only to those who do good to you, is that so wonderful?  Even sinners do that much!

And if you lend money only to those who can repay you, what good is that?  Even sinners will lend to their own kind for  a full return.

Love your enemies!

Do good to them!

Lend to them!

And don't be concerned that they might not repay.

Then your reward from heaven will be very great, and you will be acting as children of the Most High, for he is kind to the unthankful and to those who are wicked.

You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate.

Don't fret, Brothers and Sisters....no one is perfect....but we all must strive...."...press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God.  Phil 3:14  Trust in Him the way He trusts in you. 

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Let Us Pray

God, Jesus, Holy Spirit please help me fully absorb...take to heart....your 'to do' list.  Thank you for loving me with my imperfections.  Let me not use those imperfections as an excuse to not try....to not strive.  Forgive me for all my sins known and unknown.  Lift me to new heights of understanding, loving, giving, caring.  Please continue to guide me on your path of righteousness.  Help me to love my neighbor as myself.  And help me to realize the closest neighbor is you, followed by those in my home, and then those who surround me elsewhere.  I know I can be more fruitful, bring others to you, please give me more time to achieve this.  Thank you for trusting me to do this....and all those things on your 'to do' list.  May what I do and how I do it bring honor and glory to you, God.  Carry me, please, when I fall.  And when life seems the hardest, give me answers, please don't leave me.  Thank you for loving me and dying for me.  I am extremely grateful.  And thank you for saving my life.  I pray you are/will be glad you did.  I love you.  Amen.      

Lord,LordJesJeJeJJjEJJJ     JJThe LORD is king!  Let the nations tremble!  T***

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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Trinity Missions

or the

Church of the Holy Spirit

and sent to

Trinity Missions

P.O. Box 86076 

Tucson, Arizona  USA

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If you have any questions, we can be reached at:

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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.

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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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