It is possible to be devoted to the church and yet
not to be devoted to Jesus and his teachings.
However, it is not possible to be devoted to Jesus
and not be devoted to the church.
in fact, if you are devoted to Jesus, you are the church.
Devotion
Pentecost Sunday
Acts 2; 1-4
The Holy Spirit Comes at Pentecost
1 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues[a] as the Spirit enabled them.
Today we celebrate Pentecost (the start of the Christian Church) and the above passage of scripture has to be one of my favourites I must admit. The way the Holy Spirit fills the house and what happened to each of them must of been awesome.
1.
Spirit divine, come as of old
With healing in thy train;
Come, as thou did’st, to sanctify;
Let naught of sin remain.
Chorus
Come, great Spirit, come,
Make each heart thy home;
Enter every longing soul;
Come, great Spirit, come.
2.
Spirit divine, purge thou our hearts
Make us to understand
Thy blessed will concerning us,
And teach us love’s command.
3.
Spirit divine, cleanse thou our souls
With Pentecostal flood;
Breathe into us the life that shows
The Father-love of God.
Holy Spirit Holy Flow
The Holy Spirit, Holy Flow
Is flowing down from head to toe
Like moving waters, rushing wind
From heart to heart, the change within
So fresh like dew in early morn
The Spirit breathes, new life is born
Upsprings the green, it’s everywhere
The flowers form, in beauty rare
And fire a gasp, it’s solemn glow
Is Holy Light, now sent below
And set apart, in firing flame
Our hearts will never be the same
Our lifting heads, and weary eyes
Are seeing hope, new joy arise
Our hands they reach up, to the sky
Receive the rains, from God Most High
Our thirsty hearts, are quenched and filled
Our songs they sound, in joy we’re thrilled
The Spirit comes upon dry land
And rivers flow at God’s command
And flowing here, and flowing there
God’s river’s flow is everywhere
From you to me, and me to you
The Spirit flows in love that’s true
Our hearts they bloom, our hearts are freed
As God the Spirit intercedes
He opens eyes, we start to see
What God had always planned to be.
So Spirit come! Pull up the stops
So in will come the harvest crops
For God the Maker of it all
Will have His harvest in His store.
Amen
Poetry & Art by Lisa Lawlor
In his Name
Colossians 3New International Version
15Let the peace of Christrule in your hearts, since as members of one bodyyou were called to peace.And be thankful.16Let the message of Christdwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdomthrough psalms,hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.17And whatever you do,whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanksto God the Father through him.
God has given to us a new, forgiven life in him. We have no need, therefore to be anxious if we Turn our eyes upon Jesus as it says in the song. The past cannot make us afraid, for we know that that our sins are forgiven.
The present need not trouble us, for we know that the whole world is in God’s hands.
“Do everything…
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Herbert Booth
Biography
Herbert Howard Booth was the fifth ofWilliamandCatherine Booth‘s eight children. Born in1862, he was in his mid-teens when the Christian Mission started by his parents in the East End ofLondonwas transformed into theSalvation Army. Herbert, like his siblings, was thrown into the thick of the battles which raged around the new movement. At the age of 22, after two turbulent years helping his older sisterKateset up operations inFrance, he was put in charge of cadet officer training inEngland.
Song Writing
Herbert wrote many songs that are sung by Salvationists around the world. He was a gifted musician, a key skill in an organisation so immersed in music. He also organised large spectaculars, such as the annual anniversary celebration at the Crystal Palace in London, where attendances at times reached 70,000 and Salvation Army…
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Yield not to Temptation
James 1 New International Version
Trials and Temptations
13 When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; 14 but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. 15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
- Yield not to temptation, for yielding is sin;
Each vict’ry will help you some other to win;
Fight manfully onward, dark passions subdue;
Look ever to Jesus, He’ll carry you through.- Refrain:
Ask the Saviour to help you,
Comfort, strengthen, and keep you;
He is willing to aid you,
He will carry you through.
- Refrain:
- Shun evil companions, bad language disdain,
God’s name hold in rev’rence, nor take it in vain;
Be thoughtful and earnest, kindhearted and true;
Look ever to Jesus, He’ll carry you through. - To him that o’ercometh, God giveth a crown,
Through faith we will conquer, though often cast down;
He who is our Savior, our strength will renew;
Look ever to Jesus, He’ll carry you through.
Our friend Jesus
John 15:15
15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.
1.
Jesus, tender lover of my soul,
Pardoner of my sins, and friend indeed,
Keeper of the garden of my heart,
Jesus, thou art everything to me.
Chorus
Jesus, thou art everything to me,
Jesus, thou art everything to me,
All my lasting joys are found in thee;
Jesus, thou art everything to me.
2.
What to me are all the joys of earth?
What to me is every sight I see,
Save the sight of thee, O Friend of mine?
Jesus, thou art everything to me.
3.
Here I lay me at thy bleeding feet,
Deepest homage now I give to thee;
Hear thy whispered love within my soul;
Jesus, thou…
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In His Presence
Acts 3 17 – 26
17 “And now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers. 18 But what God foretold by the mouth of all the prophets, that his Christ would suffer, he thus fulfilled. 19 Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out, 20 that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, 21 whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all the things about which God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets long ago. 22 Moses said, ‘The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brothers. You shall listen to him in whatever he tells you. 23 And it shall be that every soul who does not listen to that prophet shall be destroyed from the people.’ 24 And all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and those who came after him, also proclaimed these days. 25 You are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant that God made with your fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘And in your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed.’ 26 God, having raised up his servant, sent him to you first, to bless you by turning every one of you from your wickedness.”
What Is Ascension Day and Why Do Christians Celebrate It?
This week marked Ascension Thursday & Sunday. It is when Christ Ascended back to heaven after returning to earth after the crucifixion.
https://www.christianity.com/jesus/early-church-history/church-holidays/what-is-ascension-day.html
Love
1 Corinthians 13 New International Version
13 If I speak in the tongues[a] of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast,[b] but do not have love, I gain nothing.
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonour others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the…
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