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Thoughts Archived > Your Duty


4 Nov 2012

                                   

 

November 4, 2012

Your Duty

Luke 9: 57 - 62

 

Luke

As they were walking along someone said to Jesus, "I will follow you no matter where you go."

But Jesus replied, "Foxes have dens to live in, and birds have nests, but I, the Son of Man, have no home of my own, not even a place to lay my head." 

He said to another person, "Come, be my disciple."

The man agreed, but he said, "Lord, first let me return home and bury my father."

Jesus replied, "Let those who are spiritually dead care for their own dead."  Your duty is to go and preach the coming of the Kingdom of God."

Another said, "Yes, Lord, I will follow you, but first let me say good-bye to my family."

But Jesus told him, "Anyone who puts a hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God."

 

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Thoughts.....

 

Greetings!

The opportunity for you to VOTE in America is drawing closer.....don't forget to vote on Tuesday!  Also, it's time to change your clocks for daylight savings time for all of mainline US except for Arizona.  Like Arizona, Hawaii does not change their clocks because their location does not make a large difference in sun placement.  Leave it to Arizona to sway a different direction.

Ok, so Jesus is walking a long....was he whistling a happy tune????....when someone told him he would follow him no matter where Jesus would go.  Would you?  Would you lay down your life, say to Jesus, 'Let's go, wherever you want me to go for and with you, I'll go!"

I've done that.  It's caused my life to be interesting at best.  At worst, it hasn't been pretty.  But being in the trenches never is....for anyone.  I have to be honest and say that I am now giving Jesus parameters.....no large bodies of water nearby, no flood zones, no fly zones, no hurricane or major tornado areas, no foreign countries (so much need right here), and the list goes on.  I know, shame on me for binding him, but....even tho' there shouldn't be a 'but'....chalk it up to old age crankiness or practical solutions for survival.  I'm am very practical.  I would not survive marshland, mosquito sanctuaries, severe cold temps on a regular basis, nor extreme high temps.  I am pretty sure he knows all this and I'm emphatically certain he would protect me and heal me, so I would have the stamina to maintain, but honestly, I have become a 'woos'.  Woos....child-like, selfish, weak in my 'old age'.  Not really, more spoiled than anything.  So you see, even Pastors are human.  And need forgiveness.  And strength to carry on.

And carry on, I do.  I do say to him, "Let's go, I'm ready.  It's time for another turn on the journey, don't you think, Jesus?"  "The road is long, with ever a winding turn.....".  Be sure you are leaving yourself open to Jesus, so you, too, can experience the wonderful, even the not so wonderful, moments as you make inroads to heaven's gate. 

A word of wisdom:  the journey may not be what you've dreamed it would be here on earth.  Or it might be more than you ever dreamed possible.  Or had a nightmare over.  But one thing is very certain, God will not leave you or forsake you.  You may get burned (different than Holy Spirit fire), you may be enraptured with heaven's glory.  Either way, if you are doing for and with God, Jesus, and Holy Spirit, you will bring them glory, which will ultimately get you higher on the ladder to heaven.

Jesus said in the second paragraph that he had no home of his own, nor even a place to lay his head.  Understand in this his dedication to press on....to proclaim, heal, gather.  If we are to do even greater things than he, where are we now?  What choices have you been making?  Have you been pressing toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God (Phil 3:14)?  If God were to look down at your life, would he find you preaching the Gospel?  By your words, by your actions?  What is missing, if anything?  On my end it's a housekeeper right now.

God knows that sometimes there are not enough hours in a day.  He knows we could make better choices.  He knows we should not rest until HIS work is done.  And yet how many of us put everything in front of listening to him, talking with him, speaking out for him, living for and with him?  I'm guilty.  Are you?  Can we do better?  We MUST do better.  We MUST press.  We have a duty.  Jesus clearly has told us what that is.

Jesus is not, nor am I, saying that you shouldn't have a home of your own, or a place to lay your head.  But he certainly set a precedence by showing dedication to the cause to bring others to God through him.  Let us all do better.

In the next 3 paragraphs, Jesus asked someone else to be his disciple, the man agreed, but wanted to go home and bury his father.  Jesus told him to let those who are spiritually dead care for their own dead.  He seems to know, like he knew the woman at the well and about the men in her life, that his family is spiritually dead.  He is commenting on those who care more about the dead than the living, also.  Between the first paragraphs and these 3, he is indicating, 'don't worry about yesterday'. 

Then Jesus says something very important....he gives us a directive.  He told the man, and he tells us, what our DUTY is.

Jesus said, "Your DUTY is to go and preach the coming of the Kingdom of God."

Duty:  emphatic principle, mandated, committed action.  Please note, folks, he was NOT speaking to an Apostle of the chosen 12.  And remember, too, that the 12 were not the be all and the end all.  He was talking to a man who had JUST told him he would follow him, but he wanted to go bury his Dad.  Jesus had JUST asked him to be his disciple.  And Jesus' response to him wanting to bury his father was to 'forget about it'.  The man, having merely JUST said he would be his disciple, was told by Jesus that his DUTY was to go preach the coming of the Kingdom of God.  There was no baptism of water, or baptism of the Holy Spirit.  The guy merely said essentially, "ok, let's go, let's do it".  And Jesus told him to go forth....right away.

Folks, if this man, who just said he would follow Jesus, is mandated and bound by duty to go and preach the coming of the Kingdom of God by Jesus himself, where are you in all of this on your faith walk?????!!!!!!  Trust me, it's God, Jesus and Holy Spirit who are calling you today.....telling you....YOU.... it is your DUTY to go and preach.  And don't say, "Oh, that's fine for you, you are a Pastor."  One.  You can't be a Pastor without a flock.  Thank you for being part of the flock.  Two, I am no more, or less, than you in the Kingdom of God.  YOU are no less called, nor no more called than I to preach the Gospel.  We are all equal.  ALL ARE CALLED to preach the Gospel.  And lest you think I've just thrown you a curve ball by diverting from saying 'preaching the coming of the Kingdom of God' and I'm now saying preach the Gospel.... please note....JESUS said, noted in Matthew 28:12....and I quote....."But if I am casting out demons by the Spirit of God, then the Kingdom of God has arrived among you."  He most certainly was casting out demons by the Spirit of God, therefore....THEREFORE....the Kingdom of God HAS arrived!  We are NOW living IN the Kingdom of God!  Let me say that again.  We are now living in the Kingdom of God! 

How are you living your life?  Do you think God does not see how you live?  Scary at my end, how is it for you?  It's time to read scripture daily, so that you know what you are to be talking about.....you are going to be talking about the Lord, it is your DUTY.  That is, unless you've denounced him as a Christian.  Or you haven't accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior.  Please consider doing so, if you have not.  And according to Jesus, that walk starts the moment you accept him.....not years later after years of study and even more of seminary.

Jesus made things simple.  And he kept them simple.  'Jesus said it, I believe him, that's that.'  This is a phrase used a lot in the 70's and 80's.  Perhaps we should return to it.  Please do not be deterred in accepting Jesus as Lord and Savior out of fear of not knowing what to say.  Or fearing public speaking.  He will most assuredly, by his Holy Spirit, tell you what to say.  And you probably do not have to get up in front of kazillions of folks to preach right away.  You should at least start by letting your actions speak as loud or louder than your words.  And it should include, for starters, those around you in your home....your family.  Then to those in your work place, the place you may volunteer, the kid's soccer game, etc.  Probably not a good idea to preach at a cocktail party, but do you need to go to that anyway?  Is Jesus going to be there?  Surely feel free to preach to those who may go.  There really is another way to live, have joy, and have an abundant life.   

In the last 2 paragraphs, another guy told Jesus he would follow him, but he wanted to go home to say goodbye to his family first.  This is an interesting comment to me.  Jesus told him, "Anyone who puts a hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God."  The reason it is interesting is because it is one of the biggy quotes that cults use to prove people should no longer have anything to do with their family when they join 'their' religion, so they can keep them under mind control.  Be wary as a fox....I cannot say this enough lately.

Actually, Jesus is giving the man a warning because families are the first to notice a change in a believer and want them to stay the same.  It provides comfortability to others in the home for everything to be status quo.  Once a person has accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior, and been forgiven of their sins, they are a new person.  (And there is usually a lot of joy.....where they may have been not much.)  A Christian is told to "go and sin no more".  And the new believer earnestly wants to do the right things in life to please God, Jesus and Holy Spirit.  And to stay in the anointed, uplifted, joy filled, peace filled moments....notice moments' is plural....forever.....which makes them more than moments, but a life lived in, of, and with righteousness.  Yet the family NOT saved, will still want to eat the same bad food (as an example...thinking about The Biggest Loser TV show where this gives an example of someone trying to change, and a family choosing to stay the same and draw the one wanting change back into the fold of unchange), gamble the same ways with their life, watch the same garbage on TV, speak the same words, treat people the same way.  Jesus is warning to not get sucked back in to that vortex of non-Christian ways when he goes to visit his family. 

We've learned previously about the seed falling on different types of ground.  This alludes to that.  Don't be the seed that falls on dry soil....and doesn't become rooted.  Be a fox....be wary.  Be a strong Christian....become dedicated to being rooted....read Scripture, pray, listen, enact what you learn from God, follow him, etc.  Remember that the Lord eliminated from his Kingdom those who once knew him, had chosen him as their Lord and Savior, followed him, and then turned away.  He's clear about this.  If you 'boof' as a Christian....cuss, yell, do something that is an 'oops', that's one thing.  But if, as a Christian, in the true sense of the word, you decide to take a wrong turn and become an adulterer, abuser, kill out of hatred, etc., and spend years doing just that, then expect God to want to have anything to do with you, or do for you, you are very sadly mistaken.  You may ACT like you are all wonderful with God, and go to church again and be happy, but God is NOT with you.  Your sins will not be forgiven, there will be no heaven for you.  Scriptures are VERY clear on this.  If you are not a Christian, and were not when you did those things, or more, have hopeYou have a promise from God awaiting you....he will forgive your sins....as far as the east is from the west.  You only have to ask him into your life, forgive you of those sins....and then go and sin no more.  You may not live the life you've been living anymore...this is a directive not a choice.  You may not make the angry choices you've been making.  There will be no more making negative choices or chances in the Kingdom of God for you to be saved, if you put a hand to the plow and then look back.  Get clean, stay clean, receive God.  Make Jesus LORD of your life and it life will be easier.  Note:  I did not say life will be easy.  Look....at the Lord....and you will not need or want to look back. 

Emerson or Thoreau...I think....wrote:  "I have no yesterdays, time took them away.  I may not have tomorrow, but I have today."  If you focus on Jesus today and doing right today (some times moment by moment), which is what Paul also preaches, tomorrow, as today, the Lord will take care of you.  Live your life duty bound for God, Jesus, Holy Spirit and you will receive the mark for the prize of the high calling of God.  You will see heavens door.  You will be received into the arms of God.  As your DUTY, preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ, help the unsaved know the Kingdom of God has come!

And, if you are in America, VOTE!

 

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Let Us Pray

 

God, Jesus, Holy Spirit, how does the song go, "I've learned my lesson well...."?  But it needs to stop there.  I can no longer live to please myself, I must live to please you.  I have a duty to preach that your Kingdom has come!  Today, this very day, you are here amongst us, watching, wincing, choking, smiling.  May I not bring you tears, but joy.  May I join with everyone in heaven and on earth proclaiming your glory.  Father God, I've known for years it is my duty to preach your Kingdom come, your will be done.  And I've done that by example and by word, by the power of your Holy Spirit in me.  And I thank you.  There have been hard days and glad days, but they have all been with you, and for that, I am sincerely grateful.  I cannot imagine my world had you not been in it.  You have saved me from so much, including myself, and poor decision making.  There have been times I've thought I've heard your voice, gone through a door, only to find it wasn't the right door.  It's amazing how Satan tries to sidetrack me.  I've said for years I am a powerhouse for you, Lord, and that Satan keeps trying to knock down the door that is you within me.  He keeps trying to 'take me out' of this thing called life, but, Lord Jesus, thanks to you, God, and Holy Spirit, I prevail.  My life is not always abundant in the ways I expect or like, but knowing I am wrapped in your arms makes life worthwhile and worth living, and it is so abundant in other ways.  Thank you for the part of me that is you, and thank you for the part of me that is me.  I believe we make a pretty good team, and, I cannot wait to see what is ahead, as I dutifully take every day and make the most of it that I can for you and with you.  I know I am due for a turn in the road on this journey of life everlasting.  May it be a joyous, abundant, peace filled turn.  I pray to always keep my eyes fixed on you and the prize of heaven, that I may not waver or lose hope.  I've seen my destiny, let me step fully into those shoes.  I'm ready.  Duty bound.  Thank you for forgiving me of my sins.  Now, let's carry on.....always together.  Know that I love you and I am grateful for you.  For giving me life, forgiving my sins, dying for me, loving me, filling me, carrying me, uplifting me....and making me yours.  Bowing down, Lord, bowing down.  Thank you.  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! 

BesidesBesid   

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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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Bible Authors and Minister