May 27, 2012

    Measure Carefully    

Luke 6: 37 - 45

Luke

Stop judging others, and you will not be judged.  Stop criticizing others, or it will all come back on you.  If you forgive others, you will be forgiven.  If you give, you will receive.  Your gift will return to you in full measure, pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, and running over.  Whatever measure you use in giving - large or small - it will be used to measure what is given back to you."

Then Jesus gave the following illustration:  "What good is it for one blind person to lead another?  The first one will fall into a ditch and pull the other down also.  A student is not greater than the teacher.  But the student who works hard will become like the teacher. 

And why worry about a speck in your friend's eye when you have a log in your own?  How can you think of saying 'Friend', let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,' when you can't see past the log in your own eye?  Hypocrite!  First get rid of the log from your own eye, then perhaps you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend's eye.

"A good tree can't produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can't produce good fruit.  A tree is identified by the kind of fruit it produces.  Figs never grow on thornbushes or grapes on bramble bushes.  A good person produces good deeds from a good heart, and an evil person produces evil deeds from an evil heart.  Whatever is in your heart determines what you say.  

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Thoughts.....

Let him that is without sin cast the first stone.  Measure carefully.  Love fully.  Do right.  Give thanks.

And praise the Lord.

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Let Us Pray

Lord God, Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world.  Have mercy on us. 

Lord God, Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world.  Forgive me.  Grant mercy on my life and that of my loved ones. 

Lord God, Lamb of God, grant your peace....the peace that passes all understanding to all of us. 

Lord God, Lamb of God, please do not let my sins affect those I love and please protect them always.  Embrace my loved ones as you have always embraced me.  Heal them in the ways that only you can, mind, body, spirit and soul.  Heal me, too, please. 

Help me to not cast ANY stones.

Help me to not sin.  It is the burden of my soul that there are times I feel I do not love enough or show that love fully to those I love....despite the depth and enormity of love and gratitude in my heart for them. 

Help me to learn so much about you and from you that we become one, as you and the Father are one.  And help me share all that I've learned with the world.    

Let me remember that for every finger I point, there are more coming back at me.  And forgive me when I point. May others forgive me, too. 

Help me to always be fruit producing.

May I always have a good heart....filled with you....the source of love. 

And Lord, if you wouldn't mind, now might be a good time to measure my gifts....may they return running over please. 

Thank you for loving me and those I love.  Take good care of those I love who are with you in heaven.  And please keep a place open for me and the rest of my loved ones on earth, so we can all be together again.  Thank you, Lord.  I love you.  Amen. 

P.S., Lord.  Carry me and those I love when the going gets tough, will you?  Hold us tight....please.  Thank 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

85745

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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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