Holy Spirit Study # 1

1. Psalm 51:11
• American Standard Version
  Cast me not away from thy presence; And take not thy Holy Spirit from me.   
2. Isaiah 63:10
• American Standard Version
  But they rebelled, and grieved his holy Spirit: therefore he was turned to be their enemy, and himself fought against them.
3. Isaiah 63:11
• American Standard Version
  Then he remembered the days of old, Moses and his people, saying, Where is he that brought them up out of the sea with the shepherds of his flock? where is he that put his Holy Spirit in the midst of them?
4. Matthew 1:18
• American Standard Version
  Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found with child of the Holy Spirit.
5. Matthew 1:20
• American Standard Version
  But when he thought on these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.
6. Matthew 3:11
• American Standard Version
  I indeed baptize you in water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you in the Holy Spirit and in fire:
7. Matthew 12:32
• American Standard Version
  And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him; but whosoever shall speak against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, nor in that which is to come.
8. Matthew 28:19
• American Standard Version
  Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit
9. Mark 1:8
• American Standard Version
  I baptized you in water; But he shall baptize you in the Holy Spirit.
10. Mark 3:29
• American Standard Version
  but whosoever shall blaspheme against the Holy Spirit hath never forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin:
11. Mark 12:36
• American Standard Version
  David himself said in the Holy Spirit, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, Till I make thine enemies the footstool of thy feet.
12. Mark 13:11
• American Standard Version
  And when they lead you to judgment, and deliver you up, be not anxious beforehand what ye shall speak: but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye; for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Spirit.
13. Luke 1:15
• American Standard Version
  For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and he shall drink no wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb.
14. Luke 1:35
• American Standard Version
  And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Spirit shall come upon thee, and the power of the Most High shall overshadow thee: wherefore also the holy thing which is begotten shall be called the Son of God.
15. Luke 1:41
• American Standard Version
  And it came to pass, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit;
16. Luke 1:67
• American Standard Version
  And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying,
17. Luke 2:25
• American Standard Version
  And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; and this man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Spirit was upon him.
18. Luke 2:26
• American Standard Version
  And it had been revealed unto him by the Holy Spirit, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord's Christ.
19. Luke 3:16
• American Standard Version
  John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but there cometh he that is mightier than I, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you in the Holy Spirit and in fire:
20. Luke 3:22
• American Standard Version
  and the Holy Spirit descended in a bodily form, as a dove, upon him, and a voice came out of heaven, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.
21. Luke 4:1
• American Standard Version
  And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan, and was led in the Spirit in the wilderness
22. Luke 10:21
• American Standard Version
  In that same hour he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou didst hide these things from the wise and understanding, and didst reveal them unto babes: yea, Father; for so it was well-pleasing in thy sight.
23. Luke 11:13
• American Standard Version
  If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?
24. Luke 12:10
• American Standard Version
  And every one who shall speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but unto him that blasphemeth against the Holy Spirit it shall not be forgiven.
25. Luke 12:12
• American Standard Version
  for the Holy Spirit shall teach you in that very hour what ye ought to say. 

My Comments: I am doing a Women’s study on the person the Holy Spirit. I thought you all might like to read some passages I will be posting for the next few days. I will not make too many comments yet I would like you to keep in mind that God is one yet He is three persons The Father, Son and Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost in some translations. Noteworthy is in the original Greek it was often translated Wind as well.

We cannot see the wind around us but we do feel its presence and see how it moves things. The same is true of the Holy Wind. His presence is always felt and we see how He moves now, and in the Bible we see how He moved in the past as well.

Abba Father help us to open our eyes and hearts to Your truths and especially in this study, the truths of the person on the Holy Spirit who You gave to us to comfort, guide, and impart knowledge. Thank You for sending Your Holy Spirit in the past and into us so we will know Your truths. In Jesus name we pray through the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Rebishka

Love God first and love your neighbor!

Ten Commandments from the Old Testament:

1. You shall have no other god’s before Me.
2. You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.
3. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain.
4. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of the Lord you God; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter, your male or your female servant or your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.
5. Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be prolonged in the land which the Lord your God gives you.
6. You shall not murder.
7. You shall not commit adultery.
8. You shall not steal,.
9. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
10. You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife or his male servant or his female servant or his ox or his donkey or anything that belongs to your neighbor. Exodus 20:3-17 and Deuteronomy 5:7-21

From the New Testament:

Jesus said, “You shall love the Lord Your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.” “You shall Love your neighbor as yourself.” “On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 22:37, 39

Jesus said, “Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is one Lord; and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.” And: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” “There is not other commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:30 and 31

And in John 13:34 is the commandment Jesus gave to those who are His.

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

John 15:10-17

“If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandment’s and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full. This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. You are My friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you slave, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you. You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you. This I command you, that you love one another.”

My Comments: As a child going to school in California I remember going for part of the day to a couples home down the street from the school. We were walked there and it was something that in those days was sanctioned by the public school.

At the home of this nice couple we were taught the Bible and the Commandments of the Father. We had to memorize verses in order to earn a Bible. I did not earn a Bible as memorizing was a difficult thing for me, but I did try. We sang songs and read the Bible and were loved on by that sweet couple. I do remember I learned the Ten Commandments though and they stood me in good stead growing up. Not to say I always did the right thing all the time though I did know right from wrong.  I am very thankful for those two being a part of my early life.

When I think how our children are loosing out on learning about the Bible, God and the Ten Commandments in the public school system I am saddened. And it is not just in school that America misses out on learning truth. The Ten Commandments that our laws were founded on and our courts were governed by, have been removed due to a minority of people forcing their removal. The more we move as a country away from God and His commandments the weaker and the more corrupt our country gets.

Our children are growing up without morals that the Commandments fostered and nurtured in the generations that preceded them.  Our children run the streets and form gangs at alarming rates because they do not have the “family” to guide them and teach them wrong from right. Families knew what was right because they had God’s word to guide them. Now they have the Government telling them and they see the government being caught in lies and deceptions and they are confused. When the commandments of God guided them they were not confused.

Jesus came not to abolish the law or the Prophets, or get rid of it but “to fulfill” (Matthew 5:17) the law. He brought love. The Law was to point us to Him and He points us to the Father. When we accept His gift of Salvation we are no longer under the law and do not have to have animal sacrifice or any other because Jesus was the ultimate Sacrifice once and for all time.

He laid down His life for us in the greatest gift of Love ever. He willingly allowed Himself to be crucified for us. And because He did go to the Cross for us in our place we can become Children of God the Father by confessing our sin and accepting the free gift of Salvation that Jesus obtained for us. Because we are Justified by Him and have put on His Righteousness when we accept Him as our Savior and only way to the Father then out of Love for Him we keep His Commandments, to Love God completely and our neighbor as ourselves.

In loving Jesus, Abba Father we keep the Commandments of the Father as our guide for what makes for a good relationship with Him and our neighbor. The Commandments become our map to living and walking in relationship with God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit and the more we live a life that is pleasing to God the stronger our walk with Him gets and the more we hear from the Holy Spirit who came to dwell in us when we accepted Jesus as our Savior. The Commandments are no longer burdensome because it is a joy to serve the Father in all we do. Children now days do not know that joy because all the restraints have been removed that is why they live in the "Me" world.

The world without the guidelines of God is a world without a rudder, it is a world where children actually feel unloved because there are no guidelines other than, "do whatever you feel is right or makes you feel good." That is the lie Satan spoke to Eve, the lie criminals tell themselves when they take what is not theirs, be it a persons life, goods off of the store shelf/rack, rape, or whatever gives them a thrill for the moment. But the fleeting "joy" they feel is never enough because it is not from God.

When one lives for God one finds the true Joy of serving Him and serving others. Being His is true Joy. 

Abba Father, thank You for giving us the guidance of Your Ten Commandments so we will be able to live our lives to glorify You.  I pray You prick all hearts with Your commandments so people will know their need for salvation. My hearts desire if for my family and loved ones and the whole world to come to You through Your Son Jesus Christ.

Thank You Jesus for Your wonderful love. Thank You for showing us how to follow the commandments of the Father and how to love our neighbor.

Thank You Holy Spirit for opening our hearts to the truth and for Your guidance.

I pray we all will love more and love and serve each other as Christ loved and served so the world will see Him in us and desire to follow Him. In Jesus name I pray all to the Father, Amen.

Rebishka

Remember what Jesus did for you

John 19:31-42,  (NKJV) The Holy Bible, New King James Version Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.

31 Therefore, because it was the Preparation Day, that the bodies should not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. 32 Then the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and of the other who was crucified with Him. 33 But when they came to Jesus and saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs. 34 But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out. 35 And he who has seen has testified, and his testimony is true; and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you may believe. 36 For these things were done that the Scripture should be fulfilled, “Not one of His bones shall be broken.”[a] 37 And again another Scripture says, “They shall look on Him whom they pierced.”[b] 38 After this, Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly, for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus; and Pilate gave him permission. So he came and took the body of Jesus. 39 And Nicodemus, who at first came to Jesus by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds. 40 Then they took the body of Jesus, and bound it in strips of linen with the spices, as the custom of the Jews is to bury. 41 Now in the place where He was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid.42 So there they laid Jesus, because of the Jews’ Preparation Day, for the tomb was nearby.

Footnotes:

1. John 19:36 Exodus 12:46; Numbers 9:12; Psalm 34:20
2. John 19:37 Zechariah 12:10

1 Corinthians 11:23-26, (NKJV)

23 For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; 24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” 25 In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying,“This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.

Romans 3:21-26, (NKJV)

21 But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22 even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, 26 to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

Romans 1:20, (NKJV)

20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse,

1 Corinthians 1:20-25, (NKJV)

20 Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. 22 For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; 23 but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks[a] foolishness, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

1 Corinthians 2:10-16, (NKJV)

10 But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. 11 For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. 13 These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 14 But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. 15 But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one. 16 For “who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ.

1 Corinthians 10:1-4, (NKJV)

Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, 2 all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, 3 all ate the same spiritual food, 4 and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ.

1 Corinthians 15:1-7, (NKJV)

15 Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, 2 by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve.6 After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. 7 After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles.

1 John 1:7-9, (NKJV)

7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

1 John 2:1-3, (NKJV)

My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 2 And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.3 Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments.

Galatians 5:16-26, (NKJV)

16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders,[b] drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. 24 And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

Colossians 1:15-23, (NKJV)

15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. 17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. 18 And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.19 For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, 20 and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.  21 And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled 22 in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight— 23 if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister.

My Comments: I look back over my life and I always knew God was there and doing things for me and never gave much thought, except for at Easter time, as to what Jesus did for me and it was never an in depth thought. I knew there was God the Father, Son (Jesus) and Holy Ghost and they were all one yet did not know that I could only go to the Father through the Son until just before 911 when I learned what being Born Again was all about and accepted Jesus as my Savior. He filled me with His Holy Spirit and I have never been the same since though I had a lot of growing to do (still do). We need to read His Word thoroughly with the Holy Spirit guiding us to understand the Word (the Word is Jesus). Then we will grow closer to God the Father and we need to remember all He is teaching and has taught us. 

Growing up in the Greek Russian Orthodox Church as I did in Alaska and coming from a family from the Priest hood, I did not have deep thoughts about Jesus' sacrifice. I did not understand Slavonic (the language spoken at Church) though my Grandmother explained many of the words especially the common prayers and songs yet it was my communion with God that grew in my heart not the theology of the Orthodox Church. Maybe they gave thought to Christ's sacrifice and knew Him better than I. I cannot speak for them only myself.

The church had many Icons (pictures of saints and Jesus and such) all over and like the Catholics the congregant lite candles in front of them and said prayers to them for help etc. They did not read their Bibles, the Catholic usually did not either, so their understanding of the Word came from Priests who told them what to believe. In my case many were Alaskan Natives and they came out of superstition and animism beliefs in their history so praying to many was natural. I praise God He has shown me Jesus his precious Son and made me to understand that praying to Him (God) through the Son (Jesus) is what I must do.

Jesus gave up Heaven to come to earth to take on the sin of the whole world so that we may have Eternal Life with God. What a wonder that Jesus would give up and go through so much pain and suffering so I and the whole world may live with the Father. There is no life without accepting the Sacrifice of Jesus the Son of God. When we choose Jesus' sacrifice and righteousness we choose life. If we do not choose Him we choose death in Hell with Satan who becomes our god which is what he has always wanted when he tried to usurp God and was cast out of Heaven.

Abba Father has used many through a long period of history to record His Word and it is all about Jesus. We study His Word and gain knowledge, insight, understanding and wisdom so we can live our lives to glorify Him. We need to read and reread the Words so they will be in us as Jesus is in us. We remember His Sacrifice in Communion (He is not Sacrificed again and again as some religions teach and we do not eat His real body or drink His real blood it is a symbolic act of remembrance as He told us).

During the taking of the bread and drink we remember His Sacrifice and what He went through for our Salvation and we confess our sin and know He has Sanctified us through His Sacrifice on the Cross. And because of His Resurrection we will overcome death and be raised to be with Him in Heaven where He stands before the Father in our place. Praise God we belong to Jesus. We are His eternally. We are alive in Him and He in us.

Loved ones I pray you will choose life. When we turn to God the Father through His Son Jesus Christ and accept the salvation He attained for us we choose life. When we choose our own road our own life. (like "I did it my way") we choose not to be with God and that way is death for which there is no coming back from once our body leaves this world. He gives us till we die in this body yet loved ones I pray you will not wait that long. You would miss out on great joy and peace by waiting. Search the Word and ask Him who has done so much to guide you through His Holy Spirit as you read the Word and He will show you the truth of His Word. Open your Heart and take the leap of faith and accept Him as Savior and He will open up life to you as He did for me just before 911.

My heart cries to You Abba for all who need Your salvation through Your Son Jesus and I pray You will guide them and open their hearts to Your joy and peace and that they will accept Your Son's sacrifice and grace. Which cannot be bought by good acts or pretense and only through the faith of believing on Your Son Jesus. Thank you Abba for all You have done to bring them to You and open their eyes, unstop their ears and soften their hearts that they may have life everlasting and be filled with the Holy Spirit who will teach all who come to Jesus what the Word says and give them understanding and guide them in knowledge and wisdom. I pray all through Your Son Jesus our Savior, in union with Your Holy Spirit. Amen
Rebishka

Our mouths can be cruel or loving

Acts 17:13-14, New King James Version (NKJV)
The Holy Bible, New King James Version Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc., 
"But when the Jews from Thessalonica learned that the word of God was preached by Paul at Berea, they came there also and stirred up the crowds."

Heb 10:24-25, (NKJV)
  "And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching."

Ephesians 2:10, (NKJV)
"For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them."

John 3:16-18, (NKJV)

16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. 18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

My Comments: In families, communities even in the International scene we see gossip being spread like a cancer to hurt and destroy others and relationships. We also, see it in churches the one place one would think it would not be yet because we have so much pride and want to be thought of more highly than we should we say things that damage others and their relationships.

True there are often reasons we say for telling what we know. That person cheated on their spouse, that child stole and went to detention, that person lied to me. You name it I am sure you know things you have heard or even said about someone. Should you have? If it would cause the harm of another and not bring them into right relationship with their Savior then probably “No.’” Yet is it needed to have attention brought to it like when Paul told the Church of Corinth that allowing incest to continue was not what they should do? Then probably “Yes," we should say something. 

Everyone had talked about it because it got back to Paul. The Leaders at Corinth should have talked to the two people to bring them into right alignment with God’s Commands. But it would not have been told as children tell. It was to be told lovingly so the couple would stop and be welcomed back into the fellowship with the Church. Never another word would or should have been said about it to anyone. In this story of Paul writing to the Church of Corinth we just know the man was accepted back but we do not hear what happened to the women. He came back to the family of God.

It is important for us to be in relationship with our families and those we worship with. Both require interaction between members for growth and strength and lifting up. We are cautioned to not forsake the gathering because God made us to need interaction with Him and with others. Both interactions help grow us.

It is about bringing the family of God back into right relationship with God through lovingly talking to them. Then if need be the consequence of exclusion is applied so the person will with remorse, repent to God and then relationship is restored. We are all sinners. We all fall. We then confess our sin to God, this is repentance, and we again have right relationship with God. We are His workmanship and we are created in Christ Jesus when we accept His gift of Salvation and it is for us to do good works in His name. What good works can we do if we are hitting on people to make ourselves feel better about what sinners we are? We cannot do good tearing others down!

This same thing applies to families, countries and the world. There are things at each level that is to be shared in order for people to not fall for lies yet one should be careful what they repeat or start themselves and weigh the consequences. We only are told to go to Believers. To the world we show the right way to live as Christ Jesus and we pray they will want to know our Lord so they will find reconciliation with God the Father who loves them and wants them to come to Him through His Son who He sent to obtain salvation for them as well as for us.

Abba Father, help us to always go to you when we are tempted to repeat things we have heard or even seen. Help us to be loving when we go to a Brother or Sister about what we perceive they may be doing that offends You. Give us the words we should say to them and help us to know if we should go to the Elders or our Pastors when we have done all we can to help bring our Brothers and Sisters into right relationship with You. Help us to always pray about all situations and only act when You prompt us to do so. Not because we want to “bring someone to their knees,” or pay them back for hurting us or someone else, or whatever reason we might give ourselves to give us permission to gossip. You are God and we are not, let us never forget this. When we are tempted to repeat things close our mouths and give us a way of leaving a gossiping situation.

Thank You Jesus for coming to save us from sin and for taking sin upon Yourself in our place. Help us to love others as You love them. Fill us with Your Holy Spirit so we will learn from Him all that we should in Your Word and will not fall to temptations.

 In Jesus name we pray in union with the Holy Spirit. Amen

Rebishka

Forgive as you are forgiven

Genesis 50:17, English Standard Version (ESV)
¹⁷ ‘Say to Joseph, “Please forgive the transgression of your brothers and their sin, because they did evil to you.”’ And now, please forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of your father.” Joseph wept when they spoke to him.
Psalm 79:9, New King James Version (NKJV)
⁹ Help us, O God of our salvation, For the glory of Your name; And deliver us, and provide atonement for our sins, For Your name’s sake!
Psalm 130:4, (ESV)
⁴ But with you there is forgiveness, that you may be feared.
Matthew 6:12, (ESV)
¹² and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
Luke 6:36-37, (ESV)
³⁶ Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful. ³⁷ “Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven;
Matthew 18:21,(ESV)
²¹ Then Peter came up and  said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?”
Matthew 18:27, (ESV)
²⁷ And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt.
Matthew 6:14-15, (ESV)
¹⁴ For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, ¹⁵ but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Luke 7:47,  (ESV)
⁴⁷ Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.”
Luke 23:34,  (ESV)
³⁴ And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And they cast lots to divide his garments.
Luke 24:47(ESV)
⁴⁷ and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.
2 Corinthians 2:10, (ESV)
¹⁰ Anyone whom you forgive, I also forgive. Indeed, what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, has been for your sake in the presence of Christ,
Ephesians 1:7, (ESV)
⁷ In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace,
***Ephesians 4:32, (ESV)
³² Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
1 John 1:9, (ESV)
⁹ If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Colossians 2:13-14, (ESV)
¹³ And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, ¹⁴ by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.
Hebrews 9:22, (ESV)
²² Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.

My Comments: We are all born into sin and we all have let sin ruin our lives to one degree or another and there is a price to pay but the Gospel the Good News is Christ died for our sin while we were still sinners. He made Himself sin for us and obedient unto death. He made sure we could be forgiven. He has forgiven us everything. He has given Himself for our redemption.

When we who have wronged the God of the Universe have been forgiven so much how can we not forgive others for what they have or have not done in our lives? Forgiveness is a action not a feeling. We forgive and like God we forget and give love. God’s greatest gift to us was His Love and our greatest gift to others is Love. Love let’s us forgive others. I know this can be hard. Especially for people who have been abused by parents or spouses or even other relatives. Especially if that hurt is sexual. Forgiving because God forgave us is paramount even in these circumstances and it does not mean a person needs to put themselves in a position where abuse continues nor does it mean we do wrong by bringing these type of things into the eyes of the law. Yet even if we do it we do it with love and not hate or anger. Remember when we sinned though there was forgiveness there were consequences for our actions.

God sent His Son to be the resurrection and the life and if we believe in Him we shall have eternal life. He rose again to give us new life. He forgives and because He forgave us we are able to forgive others. In forgiveness there is mending, healing and joy.

Abba, may we always remember what You have done for us even in the midst of painful situations so we may be merciful as You are merciful and forgiving. May we have Your Love in our hearts and have Your compassion and be tenderhearted towards all as You have been and are with us. May we have patience to allow You to work not only in our lives but in the lives of others especially our loved ones. Thank You Most High for all Your Love and forgiveness, In Jesus Name in union with the Holy Spirit I pray, Amen.
Rebishka