New Warrior Ministries!: I Pentecost (First Sunday after Pentecost)

I Pentecost

(1st Sunday after Pentecost!)

Greetings in Christ Jesus,

This day is also one of two All Saints Days’ in the year.

Epistle: Galatians 6: 8-14 (“For what things a man shall sow, those also shall he reap.” Sow in the Spirit: glory in the Cross of Christ, not the circumcision of the flesh.)

Gospel: Matthew 16: 24-27 “Then Jesus said to His disciples: if any man shall come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me…for the Son of Man shall come in the glory of His Father with His angels: and then will He render to every man according to his works.” Faith, sin of individuals and nations.

Psalm: 147/148 “praise the Lord, O Jerusalem: praise your God, O Sion. Because He has strengthened the bolts of your gates; He has blessed your children within you. Who has placed peace in your borders: and fills you with the fat of corn. Who sends forth His speech to the earth: His word runs swiftly…” (Altus Prosator may be done for All Saints, or the hymn of the apostles. Also may be Psalm 138/139 O Lord, you test me and know me: You know my sitting down and my rising up: see All Saints Nov. 1st.)

Friends,

We reap what we sow! If we sow to the flesh we will also reap to the flesh. Therefore we have made no heavenly or spiritual gain. If we want heavenly or spiritual gain we must not sow to the flesh, we must become followers of Jesus; deny ourselves and take up our cross.

If we sow to the flesh in order to gain the whole world and in this we lose our own life, how have we made profit? We must lose our life in the flesh in order to gain our life in the heavenly realm. This is the basic teaching of today’s readings.

Praise the Lord; in all things give glory to God through our Lord and savior Jesus the Christ. All of creation praises the Lord. Man who has a mind and free will has chosen to not praise the Lord but to seek power and glory for himself and to lord himself over all that he is able to lord himself over.

These are the ones who are sowing to the flesh. They seek riches at the expense of others. They care nothing for the struggles of anyone else. Some even say; I can do good all by myself I do not need a god to tell me to help others. Look and see how much I give to the many foundations. I am a good person, I need no one to tell me and I answer to no one.

We must be different than this, love God first with all of your heart, with all of your mind, with all of your soul, with all of your strength. Then love your neighbor as yourself. Then we will be sowing to the spiritual things. Do this in the name of our Lord and savior Jesus. Give up yourself when needed to help someone in need. Do what you are able to do, we all do not have money but we may have bread, we may have a bed, sometimes we may only be able to just simply be there for someone who is in pain whether physical, emotional, or spiritual.

If you are married then give up yourself to care for your family, this means also to instruct them in the ways of the Lord and not to neglect their proper upbringing. Work to support them, love them. If you are single then you must be celibate, you will then have even more time to help others who are not within your family.

Pray always, do not chase after entertainment at the expense of time with the Lord. We will become what we begin and strive for here. If we choose to neglect God then we have taken ourselves away from Him today and in the new world we will be separated from Him because we have separated ourselves from Him here today.

Strive for the true prize that awaits us with patience, faith, perseverance, and diligence. Do not neglect the time here today, it will determine the time tomorrow.

God can do all things; there is no situation that we get ourselves into that God cannot help us out of. Don’t think though that if there is some earthly penalty that we must pay that we will escape this because we suddenly come to God for help. We simply must have the faith and believe. Keep in mind however; God's plan is far above ours. We suffer and we have plenty coming based on what God Himself has in store for us whether it is for purging, for testing, or for reward or necessity for our life. God is in control.

We do not know when this will end and the new beginning will be, in spite of the many modern prophets who make a living selling Jesus and the destruction of the world; we have no clue when it will be. In the meantime, it rains on us all, haters and lovers of Jesus. The sun shines on us all, haters and lovers of Jesus. We remain together in this world until that day. So take a lesson from the readings. Continue to praise and worship Jesus the Christ and the Father through Him. Never cease to pray and live according to the gospel. Allow the Holy Ghost to guide you. Love God with all of your heart, with all of your soul, with all of your mind, and with all of your strength; love your neighbor as yourself. You never know whose life you will change because of this love of God in you.

The light has entered the world and the times; they are a-changing.

If one does not have love for the soul of mankind and the desire that all come to the truth than one does not have Christ in them fully.

Little children, love one another; because this is our Lord’s command and if you fulfill this, nothing else is needed. Through love and because of love we will follow all of the commandments that we have been given. They are written on our hearts by the hand of Almighty God. We simply need to see them within us and follow.

Remember; if we confess our sins and repent, he is faithful and just, to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all iniquity.

May the peace of our Lord Jesus the Christ be with you throughout this day and the rest of your life. May the Holy Spirit fill us all to overflowing so that everyone in whose path we cross may receive a blessing from our Lord Jesus the Christ.

Blessings

In Christ.