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Thoughts Archived > Will You Give An Excuse? Think Gift!


7 Apr 2013

 He is not here.  He is risen!

 Luke 24:6

Welcome

to the

Church of the Holy Spirit

 

Current Weekly Sunday Scriptures below!

We're peeling back the layers to get to the truths Holy Spirit wants us to know!

 

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Embracing understanding with open arms...so all may become one.

 

 We welcome and embrace you, loved ones,

throughout the world!

Hello and Welcome....

to our Brother(s) & Sister(s) in the areas of

Austrailia, South Africa and

Pakistan!

Hey, USA, hi! 

We miss all others not with us today and look forward to meeting more!

My site map is not detailed, so, if I've missed someone, or misplaced someone,

let us hear from you via email!

 

PRAY...for all in the world!

'You care for people and animals alike O LORD.' 

Psalm 36: 6b

 

   Who We Are 

The Church of the Holy Spirit is a Christian church.

We believe in God the Father....our Father, Creator

In Jesus, the Messiah....Savior
and in
Holy Spirit, Comforter and Teacher. 

We believe that God made the heavens and the earth, he forgives us of our sins,
 and gave all creatures His son, Jesus,
who died on a cross allowing us to receive eternal life.

We believe Jesus went to heaven, he is now seated at God’s right hand,
 and
that God gave us Holy Spirit to teach, comfort, and guide us.
 
We believe the Bible is the inspired word of God.

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Jesus Christ from Nazareth, the man who was crucified, was raised from the dead by God!

Jesus has now become the cornerstone.

"There is salvation in no one else!  There is no other name in all of heaven for people to call on to save them."

Acts 4: 10 - 12

Holy Bible New Living Translation

  

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Who are God, Jesus and Holy Spirit?

God is our heavenly Father who created heaven and earth.  He lovingly forgives our sins.  God gave us His Son, Jesus, who died on a cross.  He is the Messiah, our Savior and Lord.  He gives us the opportunity to obtain eternal life. When Jesus went to heaven, Holy Spirit was made available to us to comfort, teach, and guide us. 

God in the beginning:  Genesis 1 & 2
Jesus:  Matthew 1, 2 & 3
Holy Spirit:  John 15:26, 16:5-15

 

Are you one with God, Jesus and Holy Spirit?

If you have not accepted the Trinity (God, Jesus, Holy Spirit) into your life to receive all they have to give you, and you would like to, pray this prayer or use your own words from your heart:

“Dear Heavenly Father God, please forgive me of my sins known and unknown.  Jesus, please come into my life, heal me, and make me whole.  Give me a new life in and with you.  I wish to receive all that you have to give.  Baptize me in the fullness of your Holy Spirit, so that I can learn all I can about you, to love you as you love me, and so I can love others.  So I can love myself.  Holy Spirit, please fill me to overflowing with all the fruits and the gifts you have to give me to help me grow in Christ Jesus and share be able to share the Trinity with others.  Thank you for giving me this new life.  Please send other Christians to surround me to help me grow and be strong to defeat Satan and the things of the world.  Help me to be worthy of your love.  Thank you God, Jesus and Holy Spirit.  In Jesus name I pray by and with the power of the Holy Spirit, dear Heavenly Father God.  Amen.” 

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If you have prayed this prayer, or one from your heart, please email us at TrinityMissions@msn.com, so we can agree with you in prayer, praise God, and uplift you with prayer support.  We are thrilled to welcome you into the family of believers and encourage you to find a church home nearby where you can study, grow and fellowship with others.  Someone may need your support as much as you need them.  We are commanded to come together in fellowship to worship His majesty.

If you choose to fellowship with us via the web, we are honored to welcome you to the Church of the Holy Spirit.  We pray you will be enriched and uplifted in the fullness of the Trinity to their glory.  Stay in touch and let us know how you are doing from time to time.  As the website grows, we will have a special page for this purpose, and, you will be able to list prayers for all to see, so that we may come together praying as a body of believers, for ‘wherever two or more shall gather, there will I be.’   Don’t forget to send prayers of thanksgiving, as well as petitions of tears.  

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You are who I call ‘The Promise Children’, as in Romans 9:25-26 NLT:

“Those who were not my people, I will now call my people.  And I will love those whom I did not love before.  And, once they were told, ‘You are not my people.’  But now he will say, ‘You are children of the living God.”

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“The Kingdom of God is near you now.”

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The Apostle Paul gave us a “Prayer for Spiritual Empowerment” in Ephesians 3:14-21 NLT.  It reads

“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.”  

Jesus told us to remain in his love in John 15:9-13 NLT:

“I have loved you even as the Father has loved me.  Remain in my love.  When you obey me, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father and remain in his love.  I have told you this so that you will be filled with my joy.  Yes, your joy will overflow!  I command you to love each other in the same way that I love you.  And here is how to measure it - the greatest love is shown when people lay down their lives for their friends." 

 

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April 7, 2013

  Will You Give An Excuse?  Think Gift!

Luke 14: 15 - 24

 

Luke

Hearing this, a man sitting at the table with Jesus exclaimed, "What a privilege it would be to have a share in the Kingdom of God!"

Jesus replied with this illustration:  "A man prepared a great feast and sent out many invitations.  When all was ready, he sent his servant around to notify the guests that it was time for them to come.  But they all began making excuses.  One said he had just bought a field and wanted to inspect it, so he asked to be excused.  Another said he had just bought five pair of oxen and wanted to try them out.  Another had just been married, so he said he couldn't come.

"The servant returned and told his master what they had said.  His master was angry and said, 'Go quickly into the streets and alleys of the city and invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind.'  After the servant had done this, he reported, "There is still room for more.'  So his master said, 'Go out into the country lanes and behind the hedges and urge anyone you find to come, so that the house will be full.  For none of those I invited first will get even the smallest taste of what I had prepared for them.'"  

 

 

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Thoughts.....

 

 Hello.....to all out there in 'cyber' church!  I pray you are enjoying wonderful weather.  It's a great day in my neighborhood in Tucson, Arizona, USA. 

Years ago I learned that you can be kept from understanding the whole of what you are reading if you get caught up in the lack of understanding of a word.  So let me define the word 'privilege' and the word 'right'.  A 'right' is something you are born with and with which you will die.  A 'privilege' is something bestowed upon you and may be revoked.    

Following along from last weeks lesson....a man was sitting at the table with Jesus and exclaimed, "What a privilege it would be to have a share in the Kingdom of God!"  Think gift.  Given what we have just learned, a privilege [a gift] is something that can be given, but also taken away

I don't know about you, but I've held a feast [Not THE Great Feast obviously, not being God] to which no one came.  I didn't go into the streets, alleys, country lanes, nor did I look behind hedges and urge others to join me.  Perhaps I should have.  I just wrapped up all the food, put it in the refrigerator or freezer, and enjoyed a quiet evening at home that holiday.

Jesus is telling us more than who to invite to a party and what to do in case the original guests don't show up.  Let's 'listen' to him again to 'hear' what he has to say:

"A man prepared a great feast and sent out many invitations.  [Think God]

When all was ready, he sent his servant [Think John the Baptist, Jesus, Pastors, Preachers, Ministers, Priests, YOU, your neighbor, your co-worker, friend, enemy(?)]

around to notify the guests [You, others that you know, the world you may not know] that it was time for them to come.

But they all began making excuses.  [Have you made an excuse to not go to God's Great Feast?]

One said he had just bought a field and wanted to inspect it, so he asked to be excused.  [Have you even/ever asked to be excused from God's Great Feast?]

Another said he had just bought five pair of oxen and wanted to try them out.  [What are you 'trying out' that is getting in the way of being able to go to God's Great Feast?]

Another had just been married, so he said he couldn't come."  [What prevents you from going to God's Great Feast?] 

If you've accepted Jesus as your Savior, and made him Lord of your life, you are God's servant.  THE Great Feast is ready.  Are you insuring that the Christians around you get to THE Great Feast? 

Jesus goes on to say, "The servant returned and told his master what they had said."  [It's REALLY important that you do your part, and let God know that others' aren't doing theirs, despite your efforts, so you will not be held accountable for their actions.  Yes, be a tattle-tail.]

"His master was angry [Say 'angry'] and said, 'go quickly into the streets and alleys of the city and invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind.'  [If you do your part, God will not be angry with you.  But you MUST be obedient to him, and do what he asks, to protect YOUR invitation to THE Great Feast.  He said to 'go quickly'.  GO!]

"After the servant had done this, he reported, 'There is still room for more.'  ['After' implies he was obedient in doing what God had told him to do, AND he reported back.]  [There is always room for more in the Kingdom of God.]  

"So his master said, 'Go out into the country lanes and behind the hedges and urge anyone you find to come, so that the house will be full.  [God has said essentially 'don't stop', 'walk far', 'look around', 'urge all you find'.  He wants YOU to invite everyone to THE Great Feast', so his house will be full.]  [Are you going?!  Have you left yet?!

"For none of those I invited first will get even the smallest taste of what I had prepared for them'"

You see, there are many God has invited to THE Great Feast....in fact....the whole world.  Many may go to church regularly, or, perhaps they [you?] may have gone for a time and drifted away.  Many may be excited at first, and then have that excitement and passion wane.  Many make excuses, some don't bother.  Some haven't even been invited yet.     

Do you consider yourself affluent in God: entitled with rights, gifted with privileges?  Does God?  There MAY be hope! 

Will you be found living in the city, poor, crippled, lame, blind?  Will you be from the country lanes, found behind the hedges?  There MAY be hope! 

Today, God has invited YOU to THE Great Feast!  How will YOU answer him?

Today, God has instructed, directed, guided, told you.....to go out and invite everyone to THE Great Feast.  What will be YOUR response to God? 

God wants to give YOU a gift.  The gift of eternal life.

And he wants you to share with others that they, too, can have this gift. 

Being invited to THE Great Feast is not a right.  It is a privilege.  Just because you go to church, or have gone, or have not gone, but just said the words to accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior, doesn't mean ANYTHING.  If you have accepted Jesus as your Savior, but not made him Lord of your life, do NOT expect the privilege....the gift....of an invitation to THE Great Feast.  Let me be clear, you may have accepted him as Savior, but not made him Lord.  'Too bad, so sad.'  I'm sorry, you won't be assured of....even get a small taste of what God has prepared for you.

EVERYONE is, even I am, at every moment, at risk. 

You see, God knows us by our fruits....and....we must produce fruit for God.  'Fruits' has a two fold meaning in Scripture.  One is intrinsic, bestowed upon us by him through Holy Spirit.  These fruits help us be better Christians, live our life right, help us with interaction with others, and thereby helps us to bring others to THE Great Feast.  See Galatians 5 for these fruits.  We are to use those fruits as gifts in servitude to God and in thanksgiving for him being in our life to further insure we receive an invitation to THE Great Feast.  In doing so, we give back to God.

It's natural to want to give a gift to someone who has bestowed one upon us.  The greatest gift we can give to God is to help insure we, and those already invited, are going to be at THE Great Feast, and, we must invite others....key words here.....to join US.  You, and I, must be as sure as possible that we have the best opportunity to be there.  If our testimony, our life walk, does not align with our mouths, AND with Scripture, God may not give us even a small taste of what he has prepared for us.

The other meaning of fruits is like a tree which is planted, blossoms, and produces much fruit.  Those we invite, who accept Jesus as Savior, and make him Lord of their lives, who live their lives in the strength and conviction of Holy Spirit, like we are all to live, have the best opportunity to attend THE Great Feast.  They are considered fruits that we produce, if we have planted them, watered them, and helped them grow, because they have found God through us and are living their lives in concert with the one who saves.  We are to be the tree that is blossoming new fruit....people on their way to THE Great Feast.  I've always said, God started direct sales and multi-level marketing. 

God wants YOU to be AT THE Great Feast.  Will you go, or will you make excuses?

You know, I've said it a LOT.....'YOUR end time may come before THE end times'.  'Every move you make, every breath you take, every smile you make, every step you take he is watching you.' (I hope I quoted that accurately.)

We have a forgiving God, but we do NOT have a stupid God.  Fool him once......fool him twice.....

Consider who is really stupid, if you think you can fool God by not looking at him while you are sinning, or, think he is not seeing what you are doing. 

No more excuses to God.

Answer God....he's calling you....has invited you.

Be obedient to HIM. 

Receive the privilege....the gift....of being invited to THE Great Feast. 

GO! ....by living your life right.                   

 

 

*** 

 

Let Us Pray

 

God, please forgive me for not giving you all of me.  Instead of all of my heart, my mind, my life, my time, my energy, my focus, my spirit, my love....I try to 'go it alone' with you on the outer fringes.  I expect you to 'be there', I believe you are there, I plan on you taking care of things, and then I 'go it alone'.  I don't say good morning, good night, or even look to you, at you, speak to you, ask you, listen to you, heed any advice you give.  I am not obedient, I am recalcitrant.  I don't even remember what the word recalcitrant means right now, or if it is the right word.  Maybe the word I should use is recreant.  Anyway, whatever it is, what I am trying to say is that I am not always doing the right thing by your standards.  I want to do the right things.  It's just that life gets so much in the way, in so many ways, SO fast, that I don't seem to have time to know that I know, that I know, because you are not ever-present within me....through no fault of yours.  Did you plan that the world would be in such chaos, or is Satan just so out of control?  Golly life is hard.  I want so very badly to be at THE Great Feast, when you have the seating arrangement to include me.  I so look forward to being in your arms with my last breath.  But please DON'T HURRY on my account!  I feel I need to do so much more for you on earth.  Help me....to be better, do better, know which path is the right path, so that I may journey with you all the days of my life and thereafter.  Thank you, Father God, for giving me this life.  For giving me Jesus, Holy Spirit.  For loving me as you do.  And putting up with me when you don't really want to, but do anyway.  That's huge!  I have not loved you with my whole heart, or given you all of my attention.  I can only imagine how painful that must be for you, Jesus, and Holy Spirit.  I am humbly sorry and I heartily beg your forgiveness, while I thank you for your love....and forgiveness.  I have not loved my neighbor as myself....all of you being my closest neighbor because you live within me.  Forgive me and help me to love you more.  Thank you.  But please, no more catastrophes of epic proportion.  It's time to allow me to show you how grateful I can be and give you all the love that can go with that, don't you think?  It would be a nice change!  Maybe you would get a better response out of me for a change.  I'm so overwhelmed with life chaos that it keeps me from honoring you as I should and want to.  A little more peace, a little less negative action please, would allow me to have more time and energy to devote to you.  I'm trying to give you first time and last time in the day.  And every breath in between.  Maybe if I just say your name over and over again all day long with praise, that will be viewed by you as incense to your nostrils and blessings will be showered upon me. You are my God and you are THE awesome God who reigns.  Reign over me and shower me and my family with your protection, love, and blessings, please....please.  Thank you....thank you.   I promise to get all excited and go tell everyone that Jesus Christ IS here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   Holy Spirit come!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I love you!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Alleluia!!!!!!!!!!!!  Amen!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Praise Him from whom all blessings flow.  Praise him all creatures here below.  Praise him all of the heavenly hosts.  Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.  Amen. 

 

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NOTE:  I said it long ago, but let me say it again.  If you are wanting to lead a group, start a church, or are confined in an institution, or live in a country where the Gospel is not preached, and you don't know what to say or how to say it, and yet feel led to share, teach, or preach, please feel free to share what I've written, as long as you include where it comes from, due to copyright laws.  Jesus gave God's love and healing freely, as well as his message.  Our responsibility is to get the Word out to those who need to hear it.  If what I've written....by the power and direction of the Holy Spirit....or what he has said through me....has helped you, it may help others that you know, and you are welcome to share it.  God calls all of us to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the world.  Please share it with the fullness of love that God, Jesus, Holy Spirit....and I....have given it.  Amen! 

 

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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."

 

***

 

There is no better time than now to let God, Jesus, and Holy Spirit know how grateful you are for them being there for you, all they have done for you and will do, and for being fed the Word of God. 

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 people will be able to continue to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ spread throughout the world,

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Please consider donating your best gift possible today.

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Thank you and may God richly bless you!   

 

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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.  I encourage you to pray your own prayers as well.

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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