NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH

Be Blessed in your day,  2/29/19   Ken <><
From  HISChurch at Kealia,  Friday Gathering

Looking forward to getting together this Friday Evening and talking story in the Holy Spirit.
“There is but one Church of Christ Jesus and all who love and obey HIM are members.”

The Biblical Approach to coming together for “church”  (The work of the people)  or Ecclesia (or Ekklesia) in Christian theology means both: a particular body of faithful people, and the whole body of the faithful. Latin ecclesia, from Greek ekklesia had an original meaning of “assembly, congregation, council”, literally “convocation”.

It is the concept of the round table where most can see each other and all have access to talking or sharing with each other.  (A Forum)  On the other hand the theater seating is for the one way experience of listening.  And of course there should be Elders present to make sure that all that is being taught is GOD’s TRUTH and not fiction.  But a “Round Table” can be both Powerful and Dangerous.  So most established churches avoid the danger but may miss out on the power.

In 1 Cor.14:23-33   Apostle Paul gives a general overview of how “church” is supposed to work.23 If therefore the whole church be come together into one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in those that are unlearned, or unbelievers, will they not say that ye are mad?  24 But if all prophesy, and there come in one that believeth not, or one unlearned, he is convinced of all, he is judged of all: 25 And thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest; and so falling down on his face he will worship God, and report that God is in you of a truth.  26 How is it then, brethren? when ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying.  27 If any man speak in an unknown tongue, let it be by two, or at the most by three, and that by course; and let one interpret.  28 But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church; and let him speak to himself, and to God.  29 Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge.  30 If any thing be revealed to another that sitteth by, let the first hold his peace.  31 For ye may all prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted.  32 And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets.  33 For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.

So the Early Church had 7 levels of experience as in the Tabernacle of Moses,  but was not under the law but guided by the Holy Spirit.  The approach was not a liturgy but a basic guide.  First there was the testimony of the Saints as to their salvation like the sun coming through the Eastern gate of the Tabernacle of Moses in the morning.  Remember Jesus said HE was the door to the sheep fold.  Then there was the teachings of the Elders as the Altar,  Rom.12.   And then the Agape Meal.  The laver in the Tabernacle was for cleaning and fellowship (  A time to share a meal, gain unity and restore fellowship if it had been broken.)  Then the Lords Supper, 1 Cor.10.  Then perhaps a break and then a time of prayer and the ministry of the Holy Spirit in the Body Life Ministry of praying for each other.  And finally what ever needs or questions that were left would be addressed by the Elders.   In the Early Church the Holy Spirit gave powerful signs as to the use of faith in the ministry of Christ Jesus as LORD.
 
And we can see this form in Acts 2: 41-47
  41 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.  42 And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.  43 And fear (awe) came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles  44 And all that believed were together, and had all things common;  45 And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need.  46 And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,  47 Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should (were being in the Greek.) be saved.

And again in Acts 5:14-16

14 And believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women.)  15 Insomuch that they brought forth the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and couches, that at the least the shadow of Peter passing by might overshadow some of them.  16 There came also a multitude out of the cities round about unto Jerusalem, bringing sick folks, and them which were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed every one.


My understanding is that becoming a Christian by making Christ Jesus LORD is the beginning of “being saved” and ultimately “sanctification” or by the finishing our course we are finally saved by enduring to the end of our life in Faith as did Paul in 2 Tim.4:5-8.  I have known many who have been ship wrecked along the way.  Perhaps this is a study for another time.    Yours in HIS great love,   Ken<><
  ( You may access all of the “Worth Considering Blogs” at www.Trinity-Aloha.org )

FEAR

ALOHA FAMILY AND FRIENDS,  Beloved of God.
“WORTH CONSIDERING”   3/27/19   (Across my desk this morning.)

Today’s Scripture
“Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice: for the LORD will do great things.”  (Joel 2:21, KJV)

He Will Do Great Things
God wants to do great things in your life! Notice this verse starts out by saying “fear not.” Fear is the greatest weapon the enemy uses to try to hold you back. Fear is not from God. It is designed to paralyze you and keep you from God’s blessings. Don’t ever let fear be a factor in the choices you make in life. Overcome fear by meditating on the promises of God’s love and goodness. Perfect love casts out all fear. When you understand the love of God, you have nothing to fear. You know the Lord will do great things! Let that sink down into your spirit today. Meditate on this verse and declare it out loud every day. As you study God’s Word, your faith will grow and fear will be gone from your life. You’ll know His love, and you will experience His goodness in every area of your life!

A Prayer for Today
“Heavenly Father, thank You for goodness and faithfulness. Show me Your perfect love so that I may know You. I choose to rejoice in You and trust that You will do great things in my life! In Jesus’ Name. Amen.”

My Comments:
My first thoughts about fear go back to WW2 when I was about 9-10 years old and F D R the then President would come on our little radio with his “Fire Side Chat,” and many times would say,  “The only thing we have to fear, is fear itself.”  Never really understood what he meant but knew he was trying very hard to win 2  big world wars as the same time.  As a nation we came into deep unity to win those wars.  I still have an old balsa wood Mustang P38 prop plane to build, it is still in my closet from the memory of those days.  When I get old, just might get into building that P38.  It was the best of the best in 1942        .

John teaches us in 1 John 4:18 that,  “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.”  Faith is the opposite of fear as per Mark 4:40.  And I often teach that fear is faith going backwards.  Fear tends to bring to pass what you are fearful of.   But GOD is LOVE, fear is not of HIS being at all.  In fact Luke 12:32 expressly tells us to not fear as our Heavenly Father really wants us to have faith and become a part of HIS Eternal Kingdom.  For we have not received the spirit of bondage but the Spirit of adoption so that our Creator can become our Dad,  Rom.8:15.  Even young Timothy had it right in teaching us that GOD did not give us any fear but HE did give us power, love and a sound mind,  2 Tim.1:7,  If we will but step into faith to receive it.

It is really amazing how fear is used is so many ways to manipulate us these days.  Not a day goes by that something or someone does not apply fear to get me to do something their way .  It is very good to get to know the Commandments of Christ Jesus but the idea of going to hell if you don’t do them does not really work very will as eventually the fear wears off and then back to the old ruts again we go.  That is why GOD uses LOVE and Goodness to draw us to HIM.  Might try making notes for a day as to how many times a touch of fear comes into your mind about forcing you to doing stuff.  And then sort it out as to fear or just trying to be obedient to the LORD.  We are designed to be fearless and to operate out of Love, Power and a Sound Mind.  And remember to change a bad habit you need to force yourself into the new good habit about 25 times before it starts to take root and you have a change of heart.  If we love God we will be looking to do the things that please HIM.  And it is in our choice of loving humility and obedience that HE can bless us.

Yours, in HIS great love and wonderful grace and mercy,  Ken<><   (Past “Worth Considerings” may be found at:  www.Trinity-Aloha.org )

CHOICE

CHOICE:   3/26/19

“WORTH CONSIDERING”   (Across my desk today from Joel and well worth considering.”

Today’s Scripture
“There is really only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it—and I won’t take it away from her!”  (Luke 10:42, TLB)

Just One Thing
You can learn a lot from the story of Jesus’ visit to the home of Martha and Mary. While Martha busied herself preparing a meal, Mary sat at Jesus’ feet listening to what He was teaching. When Martha realized that Mary wasn’t helping her, she marched over, interrupted Jesus, and said, “Lord, this isn’t fair. I’m in here doing all the work and she just sits here!” Jesus’ reply must have stunned her: “Martha, you’re stressed out about so many different things. Only one thing really matters, and Mary has chosen what’s best.” In effect, Jesus was telling Martha to slow down and enjoy the moment. He could easily be saying the same thing to you! It’s good to be a hard worker, but it’s important that you know how to put your work aside and enjoy the blessings He’s bringing into your life. If so, look at your schedule today and choose what is best!

A Prayer for Today
“Lord, thank You for wanting to bless me. Give me eyes to see when I should serve and when I should just sit at Your feet and listen. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”

My Thoughts:
The O.T. Prophet Joshua came to mind:  24:14,  14 Now therefore fear the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the Lord.  15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.  16 And the people answered and said, God forbid that we should forsake the Lord, to serve other gods;

Now think about it, was Martha serving other god’s?    The gods of propriety and custom?  After all what would everyone think if the place is a mess when they come to see Jesus?  Was she really a Christian, well no.  This was a time of transition as Christians were born from above after the resurrection of Christ Jesus in the Upper Room.  The thought here is priority.  How do we find GOD’s priority in situations and become more concerned about what HE thinks than what our family, friends and others may think.  When we are born from above and become “Christians” then our first priority should be to seek to know our new LORD’s will for the new life that HE as given us.  Jesus tell us that Mary choose rightly.  And we also are endowed by our Creator with a free will to choose what we will spend our life doing.  And the investment can be for this world or for the next.  St. Paul writes in 1 Cor. 3:11 -15 the following message:  11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.  12 Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;  13 Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.  14 If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.  15 If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

So deeply consider,  would it not the best investment be to send your earthly life on to Christ Jesus for the Eternal Kingdom than to burn up the time in this short life time on earth.  So really, we can choose to send good stuff on ahead.  In fact the only things that we can keep, must be sent ahead.   That is what Christ Jesus was telling us about Mary.   What she was sending ahead could never be taken from her,  the time that she spent with Jesus.   Martha should have stopped and pulled up a chair.   Perhaps we should also pull up a chair once in a while …..?????

Yours, in HIS great love and wonderful grace and mercy,   Ken<><   www.Trinity-Aloha.org
(“WORTH CONSIDERING,”  may be found on a link in our web files for back issues by subject.)

FIRE

“WORTH CONSIDERING”   (A Biblical Challenge,  Look up the scriptures for context,  who is the fire?)
FIRE,   3/25/19
Deuteronomy 5:22 These words the Lord spake unto all your assembly in the mount out of the midst of the fire, of the cloud, and of the thick darkness, with a great voice: and he added no more. And he wrote them in two tables of stone, and delivered them unto me.
Psalm 104:4 Who maketh his angels spirits; his ministers a flaming fire
Isaiah 10:17 And the light of Israel shall be for a fire, and his Holy One for a flame: and it shall burn and devour his thorns and his briers in one day;
Isaiah 66:15 For, behold, the Lord will come with fire, and with his chariots like a whirlwind, to render his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire.
Jeremiah 5:14 Wherefore thus saith the Lord God of hosts, Because ye speak this word, behold, I will make my words in thy mouth fire, and this people wood, and it shall devour them.
Jeremiah 23:29 Is not my word like as a fire? saith the Lord; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?
Ezekiel 28:18 Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffick; therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee.
Zechariah 13:9 And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The Lord is my God.
Matthew 3:11 I indeed baptize you with 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 with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:
Luke 12:49 I am come to send fire on the earth; and what will I, if it be already kindled?
Acts 2:3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.
Hebrews 1:7 And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire.
Rev. 12: 10-12,  10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.  11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.12 Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.

REST

WORTH CONSIDERING    3/25/19

ALOHA FAMILY AND FRIENDS,  Beloved of GOD   (In my mailbox this morning from Joel,  good subject.)

REST

Today’s Scripture
“Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”  (Matthew 11:29, NIV)

Find Rest
Sometimes the pressures of life can cause unnecessary stress. So many people these days lose sleep worrying about things or people in their lives, but God wants us to live a life of rest and peace. When Jesus walked on this earth, He took time away from the crowds. He spent time with the Father. He found rest. He was gentle and humble in heart. Do you ever notice that when you are stressed out or worrying about something, you’re less tolerant of the people around you? You’re more likely to say something you don’t really mean. God wants you to cast your cares on Him so that you can live with a gentle and humble attitude toward others. When you learn to release your burdens and follow the example that Jesus gave, you will be refreshed and find rest for your soul and peace in your heart.

A Prayer for Today
“Heavenly Father, today I choose to cast my cares on You. Teach me, Holy Spirit, to have a gentle and humble attitude. Help me find rest for my soul so that I can love others the way You love me. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.”

My Comments:
Obviously,  this rest is not a guarantee for a long vacation.  Physical labor is given to us as a blessing.  Personally, I like to build things.  Even as a kid I liked to build things.  In Kentucky we would build forts in the attic and basement.  Build dams during the spring rain storms in the stream next to our home.  Of course there were domino’s.  tinker toys, Lincoln logs, play dough, erector sets, Monopoly and such.  By 1947 I was drawing house plans for a general contractor and by 61 had my own Construction Co. so we are not talking about rest as in loafing.  In fact the Bible teaches that a loafer has denied the faith and is worse than an infidel (or a soul that is unsaved), 1 Tim.5:8,  2 Thess. 3:12.  So the ability to work and to create is something that is in the IMAGE of GOD and a blessing.

So what the verse is referring to is the “Rest of Soul”  The blessing to be able to sleep good at night.  That we have no concerns about our past or our future,  that all is in the hands of our loving GOD.  And sometimes we get talked out of the “Rest” by our life style or by watching something on TV that is wrenching.  Sometimes I am watching something rather interesting and positive and all of a sudden it goes sour and south.  Want to see where it goes but learning to turn it off anyway or it could disturb my rest for that night.   Emotional and word fights do the same things.  We are created in such a way that our body runs very well on a blood flow of about 60 beats per minute.  And it slows down at night to around 45.  Physically this is called homeostasis: ” the tendency toward a relatively stable equilibrium between interdependent elements, especially as maintained by physiological processes.”  This allows our body to work at an optimal speed and get the best mileage which is neither fight or flight as with adrenaline.

Our soul (heart,  id,  sub consciousness ) also has a rest speed at which we can more easily make contact with the super natural and touch GOD and have HIM touch us.  This is the real source of power for the Christian.  When our heart and the heart of GOD come together in true UNITY then we get to touch the the supernatural world,  John 17.  Heb. 4:  There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.  10 For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.  11 Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.  12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.  13 Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.  14 Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. 

So take care that you rest in the Spirit and don’t get use to living on adrenaline as it will foul up your ability to Walk in the Spirit and to hear the voice of GOD speaking to your hear.   It has been estimated that 5 minutes of Anger will shut down our immune system for a whole day.  And most of what we tend to get angry about is not even true,  as it never happens.

Yours,  in HIS great love and wonderful grace and mercy,    Ken<><   www.Trinity-Aloha.org

VISION

WORTH CONSIDERING:   3/24/19

KINGDOM VISION:
It would seem by the scriptures below that the folks in the Old Testament got off on looking spiritual by telling the folks what they wanted to hear and not what GOD was trying to say to them at all.   While the scriptures also say for lack of a Vision the people perish it would also seem that the enemy has filled a lot of our vision space with lies.  In fact most visions or prophecies that I study today seem only to be just a bunch of nice words that go nowhere but to make someone look spiritual.

Prophetically we are in the last of the seven church ages with generally the type of church being Laodicea,  meaning voice of the people and not the voice of GOD.  Rev.3:12-21.    Christ Jesus prophesied that it would be the kind of church that would neither hot or cold,  it would be mediocre and that GOD would reject it.  It would think that it was rich and perfect but actually would be poor blind and naked.  It was the only church of the 7 types that Christ Jesus had nothing positive to say about.  In fact Christ Jesus was even outside this church at the door, knocking,  trying to get in. 

So what it really from GOD that is true prophesy? 
Jesus taught that HE would build HIS Church that it would have total power over the darkness.  HE said that HIS Church would do what HE did and even greater things.  HE said that all power in Heaven and Earth was given to Him, John 17:22,  and HE said He would give that Glory (power) to those who came into UNITY with HIM and each other.  HE said that HE came to set the captive free, heal the sick, give sight to the blind, bring the Heavenly KINGDOM to earth and offer GOD’s total forgiveness and redemption.  And that we could join with our Creator in an Eternal Family where we would become in the image of our creator.

So we here at this beginning HOUSE CHURCH at Kealia are seeking to have the same vision and to learn from the Holy Spirit how to walk this Jesus Vision out.  There is but one true Church of Christ Jesus and all who love and obey Christ Jesus are members.  And it does help if you are with others who have the same vision.  As Jesus said,  “How can two walk together except they be agreed.”  and “A house divided against it’s self can not stand.”  So if you are interested in growing with us,  let us know.  We are not looking for members but to be perfected and fitly joined with other living stones,  Eph.4:11-16

Yours,  in HIS great love and wonderful grace and mercy,   Ken<><   www.Trinity-Aloha.org

Isaiah 28:7

But they also have erred through wine, and through strong drink are out of the way; the priest and the prophet have erred through strong drink, they are swallowed up of wine, they are out of the way through strong drink; they err in vision, they stumble in judgment.

In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations

Then the Lord said unto me, The prophets prophesy lies in my name: I sent them not, neither have I commanded them, neither spake unto them: they prophesy unto you a false vision and divination, and a thing of nought, and the deceit of their heart.

In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations

Jeremiah 23:16    Thus saith the Lord of hosts, Hearken not unto the words of the prophets that prophesy unto you: they make you vain: they speak a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of the Lord.

ELECTION

ELECTION     “WORTH CONSIDERING”   3/22/19

ALOHA FAMILY AND FRIENDS,  Beloved of God…  (On my desk this morning,)

Today’s Scripture
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you”
(Jeremiah 1:5, ESV)

Receive Grace
You are approved by Almighty God! When He created you in His image, He stepped back and stamped His “Made by Almighty God” approval on you. You are the apple of His eye, and His favor surrounds you like a shield. You did not choose God, but He chose you and He is pleased with you—His most precious creation. Notice that verse doesn’t say that God approves you as long as you don’t have any faults or as long as you don’t make any mistakes. No, God approves you unconditionally. No matter how many weaknesses you may think you have today, no matter how many times you fall, you’ve got to get right back up again and hold your head high. Don’t allow the enemy to bring strife into your life by deceiving you into thinking that you are not “good enough.” Stand strong in your thoughts about yourself, knowing that not only have you been chosen, but you are approved by Almighty God.

A Prayer for Today
“Heavenly Father, I thank You for Your promise of grace in my life. Thank You for unmerited favor and empowering me through Your Word. I receive Your grace right now and invite Your love to flow through me today. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.”

My Comments:
Simply, in this verse, Jer.1:5,  God is speaking to Jeremiah and telling him that in HIS dimension of time less Eternity and through HIS Foreknowledge,  Rom.8:29 that God saw Jeremiah’s life even before the creation of the universe and consecrated and confirmed him in what God knew that he would do.  This God also did the same with Christ Jesus and all of the Elect,  past, present and future.  And all of this was based upon what God knew before it came to pass.  Before the fist energy went into making the first atom GOD know the ultimate detailed results in creating HIS ETERNAL KINGDOM FAMILY.  The Architect with the plans prior to the completion of the building.

But in our time dimension it is still a matter of free will choice for us.  “Whosoever will, let him take of the water of life freely,  Rev.22:17.  So it is not that the Creator autocratically picked some and rejected others into darkness.  He simple, in love, invited all to come,  gave all a free will to love HIM and righteousness and rejected those who choose the darkness rather than the light.  As each soul is created eternal and can choose either the light or the darkness, that choice is also eternal.

So we can not generally apply Jer.1:5 to everyone and assume that what they do is approved of GOD.  We have the option of being elevated into GOD’s image through Christ Jesus by the Sanctification of the Holy Spirit.   It is our choice to become approved and shielded and by election to be found in Christ Jesus as LORD.  God’s approval is not unconditional.   It is conditional upon a REAL and LIVING FAITH in the finished work of Christ Jesus and a deep solid desire in faith to become like HIM.  It is not greasy grace,  it is a very important choice in life and even as we choose for the light we need the help of the Holy Spirit to die to our Adamic carnal nature,  Rom.7 & 8.  At the final judgment many will call Christ Jesus,  LORD in the judgment and yet not make it. 

Matt.7:21-23:   Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.  22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?  23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

James 2:16-18:   And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?

17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.  18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.  19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.

Any questions, get back to me.   Love to all in Christ Jesus,  Ken<><

(Past issues of “Worth Considering” may be found:  www.Trinity-Aloha.org )


Catastrophic Midwestern flooding costing farmers $1 billion and counting
Catastrophic flooding across the central Midwest has wiped out livestock and probably will prevent farmers from planting this spring.
Spring flooding could be ‘unprecedented’ with 200 million Americans at risk
Spring flooding has already been disastrous, and it’s likely to get worse, federal forecasters announced Thursday. Floods could reach ‘unprecedented’ and ‘potentially historic’ levels.

DIS-UNITY

WORTH CONSIDERING
Interesting Facts concerning Christian DIS-UNITY:     3/21/19

It SEEMS a  fact that there may be 33,000 Christian Denominations is quoted on many websites.   That includes the multiple denominations for many churches based on how many countries that the church is present in.  For example, the Roman Catholic Church, which is a single entity under the authority of the Vatican, counts 242 independent denominations where there is little difference..

Not surprisingly, Protestant Christianity makes up the bulk of different denominations, counting 9,000 mainstream and 22,000 independent for a total of 31,000.  For true denominations involving multiple churches under common leadership, the number is almost certainly less than 2000.  Major ones, with over a million members, probably less than five hundred.

Ryan Burge, a political science researcher at Eastern Illinois University, analyzed data from the survey. He used a Reltrad (religious tradition) classification code to compensate for the oversample of African Americans in earlier waves of data.  According to Burge’s data, 23.1 percent of those surveyed were people of “no religion,” while those who are evangelical — of any race, not just white — represented about 22.8 percent of the tally.  Despite a tiny resurgence in the 2018 data, white mainline protestants, which were once the largest U.S. religious demographic in the 1970s, were at just 10.8 percent of the tally, a far cry from 1975 when they were over 30 percent.


NOTICE THE LIGHT GREEN “NO RELIGION” LINE ON THE ABOVE GRAPH.  In 1972 – 5%,  in 2019 – 23%.
In the light of John 17:20-26 this is why the Church is so powerless.   Notice in reading the Book of Acts concerning LOVE, FAITH, UNITY and  POWER how they go together.  Divisions are mostly due to either Bad Doctrine or a desire to have Authority over the Good Shepherd’s sheep for themselves.

Differences in doctrine, through LOVE is a wonderful opportunity of finding more of God’s Truth for more freedom in Christ Jesus.   Differences should be embraced for healing and seeking unity.  It is obvious that two opposing positions can not both be correct.  So if we can come to a position of humility and obedience to the truth, the truth should win out and unity secured.  There is no Biblical excuse for disunity.  “A house divided against itself can not stand.” Christ Jesus prayed for our UNITY in JOHN 17:20-26.”   So no matter how it looks, UNITY is totally possible.  The Prayers of Christ Jesus will come to pass and:   WE HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO……

Yours, in HIS great love and wonderful grace and mercy,  Ken<><    www.Trinity-Aloha.org

HEART

HEART:   (synonyms:  authority,   backbone,  basis,  core,   important part,  infrastructure,  origin,  primary element,   principal,  root,  source,  underpinning, subconscious,  Id.)  The seat of the emotions, feelings, hate,  fear,  joy and faith….

ALOHA FAMILY AND FRIENDS,  Beloved of God…

WORTH CONSIDERING   3/21/19  (This is possible one of the most profound teaching from Joel Osteen.)

Today’s Scripture
“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”  (Proverbs 4:23, NIV)

Guard Your Heart
Your eyes, ears and mouth are all gateways to your heart. What you watch and listen to goes into your heart whether you realize it or not. Similar to a computer, what you allow into your heart programs your thinking and words, which ultimately determines the direction of your life. Indeed, your thoughts determine actions, attitude and self-image. You can guard your heart by being extremely careful about what you watch and listen to. But beyond that, you have to guard your heart against bitterness and bad attitudes. The Bible says that out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. That means your words show where your heart is. Take inventory today of what you are saying, watching and listening to. As you guard your heart and mind, the springs of life within in you will flow freely, and you will live in the abundance the Lord has in store for you.

A Prayer for Today
“Heavenly Father, today I submit my mind and heart to You. I choose to guard my heart and ask that You guide and direct my everyday choices. Purify me by Your spirit so that life will flow from me in every area. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.”

My Comments:
All that has been created in the universe is the product of faith.  The Bible teaches that all of the atoms are held together by the WORD of GOD’s FAITH.  And  that The Great Creator is seeking to teach us how to become in HIS IMAGE,  Gen.1:27.   So Real Faith is how we enter into HIS dimension of eternity.  This is the application of HEART FAITH,  Rom. 10:9-10.  In fact in Heb.11:1,  Paul teaches us that faith is both substance and evidence.  So if you want to move into God’s Dimension of Eternity to light speed you will have to come into a deep, deep understanding of how that faith works from the heart.  Fact is,  I am still learning on this one.

Some of the Words of Christ Jesus in teaching about faith:  “According to your faith, be it unto you, Matt.9:29.  If you have faith as a grain of mustard see,…. nothing shall be impossible unto you,  Matt.17:20.  Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole, Mark 5:34.  Arise, go they way:  thy faith hath made thee whole, Luke 17:19.  And they chose Stephen, a man full of faith.. Acts 6:5.   …purifying their hearts by faith, Acts15:9.  …sanctified by faith that is in me, Acts 26:18.  The just shall live by faith,  Rom.1:17.  … faith is counted for righteousness, Rom.4:5.   So then faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God,  Rom.10:17

So back to HEART:  Your heart decides what you will treasure, Matt.6:21,  Out of the heart can come both good and evil, Matt.12:35.  Heart faith can be lost, Matt.13:19.   So we are to train our heart to love God with all we have, Matt.22:37.  And we can also harden our heart, Mark 6:52.  And we can talk the talk and not walk the walk, Mark7:16  So faith to change things comes from the heart,  Mark 11:23.  And don’t be troubled, John 14:27.  And the Early Church melted together, Acts.4:32.  
God also gave the Holy Spirit due to heart faith, Acts 15:9.  But the heart can be darkened, Rom.1:21.   And let your giving be from the heart, 2 Cor.9:7,  It is also good to sing to the LORD,  Eph.5:19.   What you do, do with a whole heart to the Lord, Col.3:23.  God wants to establish your heart in holiness, 1 Thess.3:13.  So use your will, 2 Tim.2:22 to have a pure heart.  God really knows your heart, Heb.4:12 so no use hiding out.  And HE will change your heart if allowed, Heb.8:10  So get close to God with a true Heart  and get washed up good, Heb.10:22  Allow God to clean you up, James 4:8. 

Yours, in HIS great love and wonderful grace and mercy,  Ken<><    www.Trinity-Aloha.org

JOY

ALOHA FAMILY AND FRIENDS,  Beloved of God.

JOY     “WORTH CONSIDERING”
    3/20/19   (Across my desk this morning from Joel’s ministry.)

Today’s Scripture
“Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy.”   (1 Peter 1:8, NIV)

Enjoy Life!
If the circumstances of life have taken away your joy, today is the day to get it back. You weren’t meant to live this life feeling drained, depressed and down. God wants you to be excited about your future and learn to enjoy each and every day. Start each morning with a declaration of faith. Quote Psalm 118:24 aloud to yourself: “This is the day that the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it.” The Lord gave you today for a specific reason, so enjoy it and live it in His strength! You have to be determined to enjoy your life even in the difficult seasons. Every day you can choose to enjoy the things that God has given you. Keep giving God praise despite your circumstances, and you will enjoy your life to the fullest today.

A Prayer for Today
“God, thank You for this wonderful day that You have given me. I ask today for the eyes of faith to see myself and my life the way You see me. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.”

My Comments:
This is really simple but difficult to do.   It take REAL faith to live in God’s Eternal World of JOY as the real world.   And this world will need to be viewed as transitional and temporary and as training and testing for that REAL Eternal Kingdom.  That the Truth of the Kingdom of God becomes like finding precious stones in an old dusty mine.  So that we are willing to sell all we have to buy the source of those precious stones,  Matt.13:44. 
 
It is in learning to be a faithful servant so as to enter in to the joy of the LORD,  Matt. 25:23.  With me, one of my favorite things to do is stream trout fishing, no trout in Hawaii.  But the Lord has made me into a fisher of men and now the Joy is in seeing a soul turn from the darkness to the light is far more rewarding than trout fishing ever was,  Luke 15:10.  Christ Jesus came to teach us the Eternal Truth of God that we might be full of the Joy of God,  John 15:11.  It is the WAY OF LIFE that is Eternal that can make us full of Joy,  Acts 2:28.  So true JOY comes from finding out what your true calling is and
in humility, love, obedience and joy through the Holy Spirit completing your course.  There is only one of you,  there are no others.  There is a design plan created by GOD specifically for you.  If you want it and find it and walk it out in your life, you will be full of Joy.   For the Kingdom of GOD is not meat and drink:  but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit,  Rom. 14:17.   Now the God of hope fill you with all JOY and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Spirit,  Rom.15:13. 

And please be in prayer for our little beginning House Church in Kealia:   “The Church of Christ Jesus at Ken’s House.”   85-4554 Mamalahoa Hwy.  Captain Cook, HI 96704.   I call it,  the “True Vine Farm.”  The new barn has a roof now so dry and safe.  Folks are already using it with tent camping and such which is working well especially with the Common area Kitchen and Bathroom.  We are about 4 miles from the “City of Refuge Federal Park.”  

Yours, in HIS great love and wonderful grace and mercy,  Ken<><   www.Trinity-Aloha.org