Anointed By The Holy Spirit

Ascension Day; Acts 1:1-11 KJV; In Baptism we are anointed by the Holy Spirit and empowered to go and share the Good News of the Kingdom through Jesus Christ our Savior and Lord. 

 

Live More Fully As Christ Lives

Romans 12:1-5 KJV; We are all one in the Body of Christ. May we live to serve God and one another even as does Christ.

Members Of His Body

Colossians 2:6-19 KJV; 7th Sunday after Pentecost; Through Christ our sins have been put to death and we have been raised into the Body of Christ.

Heirs Of God Most High

2nd Sunday after Pentecost; Galatians 3:23-4:7 KJV; Children of God through faith in Christ Jesus.

Gifts To Edify The Body

Ephesians 4:1-16 KJV; 11th Sunday after Pentecost; Gifts are given to individuals to grow and edify the Church.

Help Us To Know The Love Of Christ

Ephesians 3:14-21 KJV; 10th Sunday after Pentecost; Help Us to Know Christ and his love that we might love one another as he loves us.

Be Not Conformed To This World

Romans 12:2-8 KJV; Be not be conformed to this world. Use your God given gifts to help those in need.

Worship Together

Psalm  95:1-7a KJV; Worship the Lord alongside other brothers and sisters in Christ.

Pentecost Sunday 2023

Acts 2:1-21 KJV; Pentecost Sunday; The beginning of the Season of Pentecost. Empowered by the Holy Spirit we go out to share the Good News that the Church might grow and be edified.

I Give Thanks For You

Ephesians 1:15-23 KJV; Ascension Day; I give thanks for meeting and knowing those who themselves are overjoyed in the love and the hope they have in the Lord.

Our Help Comes From The Lord

Psalm 121 KJV Where else would help come from but from the Lord?

One In Christ

Galatians 3:22-28 KJV; There are no divisions in the Body of Christ. All who believe in him are united in him.

A New Year In Christ

2 Corinthians 5:16-21 KJV; Celebrate the new year for in Christ you have been made new. You do get a new start every single day!

As Family Gather Together Often!

Matthew 12:48-50; Hebrews 10:24-25; Whether birth families or families of God it is needful to gather together often.

Bless The Words Of Our Lips

Psalm 19:14 KJV May all that we think and say be acceptable to the Lord.

Who Is Welcome At Your Table?

Luke 15:2 KJV; Who is welcome at your table? Who is welcome at the Lord's Table?

By Grace Through Faith Alone

Ephesians 2:8=10 KJV We do good works not because they will save us rather because by God's grace we have already been saved.

Not Me; But We Who Are In Christ

Reading from Colossians 3:1-11 KJV with brief meditation. We ought to quit focusing on ourselves. It's not about me. It's about we, the Body of Christ. It's about Christ loving others through us.

Many Gifts Of The Spirit

One Body In Christ

Serving Together.
Worship in Laskela, Karelia, Russia (2002)
Russian Interpreter, myself preaching, Rev. Antti Lepisto as Finnish Interpreter
Two interpreters makes for a very long sermon; yet, by serving together all heard the message 
in their own language.

I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,

With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;

Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;

One Lord, one faith, one baptism,

One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. 

                                                                            (Eph 4:1 KJV)

Only one!  There is only one Body in Christ! There is only one Body in Christ who worships and serves the one Father by the power of the one Spirit of God.

We, all who believe that Jesus who is the only begotten Son of God, born of a virgin, lived and died on the cross for them and yet lives again in and through us all, are members of his Body.

Yet, there are many divisions within the visible church on earth. Not only individuals; but, whole congregations and even denominations, over the centuries, have turned to themselves to micromanage faith; to micromanage mission; to micromanage evangelism! Way too often we do not reach out because we who are in the church consider our own particular ways of being the church more important than being the Body of Christ.

Christ's ministry was to reach out to others. He proclaimed the Good News of the Kingdom of God. He healed the sick. He fed the hungry. He did all this with hand's on! He came to this earth as a true man for our sakes; to serve us. After teaching us many things, his ultimate act was to usher in the Kingdom of God for us by dying on the cross so that we might be forgiven our sins and live life as citizens of the Kingdom. But, before he ascended to that Kingdom he gave us a command. He told us to go and make more disciples by teaching about everything he had said and done and baptizing others.  There is only one Body in Christ. We are that Body. Christ continues to work in and through and above us all to continue serving others. 

But, if anyone thinks that we should stand aside though while false teachers and prophets proclaim a Gospel that Jesus did not proclaim, think again! Jesus did call out the false teachers and prophets. He did call out sinners. But, he loved them all. He loves us all enough to suffer and die a cruel death that we might live. We too love are to love all people. We ought to love them enough to call them out if they are teaching another gospel.

The faithful will work together to continue the mission of the Body of Christ reaching out to all people. We cannot isolate ourselves from the whole Body of Christ. There is only one Body and every member is needed for the Body to be fruitful. There is not one member more important than another that the other should be cast aside.

The Body of Christ serves others in unity by the power of the Spirit of God.  It is not we who do the work of our Father; but, God himself who is above all, and through all, and in us all. 

May God help us to drop the egos and the isolation so that we may love and serve one another as members of the Body of Christ.

God's Peace be with you all.  Pr. J.