The Holy Book

1 Corinthians 12 ~ Teamwork

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I wanna make sure you're in the know about good and evil spirits.

2
Before you heard of heaven and El, you worshipped rebel gods in league with Satan.
They told you to gossip, fight and unleash the spite. Love free, get drunk, in death delight.
When we told you Jee is heaven's prince and wants you to be good, you said "curse him and his rules, you bunch of goody two shoe fools!"

3
I want you to know where that stuff comes from.
Everyone has a soul. It can hear two types of spirit voice. The voices of demons and angels.
Demon voices say seek thrills and stir up trouble. It's fun but shuts the holy spirit out.
Angel voices tell you to be good and make world peace. It lets the spirit in.
Jesus is the ruler of the world. In charge of the spirit. Tells it where to go and what to do. It works for him and loves him.
So when folk say "curse Jesus" and stuff like that, you know the holy spirit isn't speaking through them.
But when they say "he's the prince of peace, so let's make peace with all" you know it is.

4
There's just one holy spirit. Sounds dull. But it's not. It's like the rainbow. Has all different colours. Something for all. Gives different sorts of spirit gifts to everyone. Just one spirit, all different gifts.

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Just one kingdom of heaven on earth. Many ways to serve it.

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Just one god who rules the kingdom. Yet many different jobs to do for him.

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The spirit looks different to everyone. Shows itself in different ways. Yet each way is a good way. A way to do good deeds for the good of all.

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Different gifts the spirit gives include:

• Using old wisdom in new creative ways.

• Memorising lots of facts.

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• A faith that can't be shaken.

• Healing hearts with empathy and love.

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• A pure and saintly heart.

• Hearing the voice of El and what he wants us all to do.

• Telling who's speaking from the spirit and who isn't.

• Some can hear the voices of ghosts and angels, but not clearly. So when they speak it sounds like gibberish.

• Some have the skill to unravel what they say.

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Just one holy spirit gives folks all these different gifts.

12
Think of it like this. Your body has all different parts, but there's just one you. The church is like that.

13
Baptism brings new members in. When you get dunked in the pool, it's like drowning. Your old pleasure-seeking self dies. When you rise from the pool, it's like getting reborn as an angel-in-training and virtue-lover.
Don't matter who you are. Jewish or foreign. Rich or poor. Old or young. Guy or gal. You're part of the new church family now.

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It needs you like a body needs its cells. Even if your church job don't seem very glamourous.

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Just think. If your foot said "I'm not as good as your hand" you wouldn't love it any less, would you?

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If your ear said "I'm not as good as an eye" would you stop caring about your ear?

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If your ears were eyes, you'd be deaf. If your nose was an ear, you couldn't sniff.

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El designed the human body. Each part working in harmony.

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If all parts were eyes, your body would just roll around and die.

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It survives as it has lots of parts for different jobs.

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Your eye would never tell your hand or foot it has no need of it.

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Even though a foot is rather dull and scrapes the dust, you love it just as much.

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So you look after it.

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The visible parts, like the face and hands, get lots of attention. But we sometimes forget to take care of our insides as well.

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To stay healthy, every bodypart has gotta work together.

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When your hand gets hurt, you can't scratch itches anymore. So your whole body feels uncomfy. But when it gets massaged, it scratches itches even better than before.

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That's what it's like at church. One body, many parts. One church, many folks with different jobs.

28
Brain cells give orders for feet to follow. Brains go at the body top, feet go at the bottom. So it is in church. There's nine basic ranks:

1. Apostles go at the very top, as they knew Jesus personally.

2. After them, prophets, who can hear the voice of El.

3. Then bishops who learn the writings of the prophets off by heart.

4. Then priests who learn the basics and take orders off the bishops.

5. Saints live holy lives and work for peace in different ways. Their virtues make miracles fall like raindrops from clouds.

6. Doctors of the soul. Can feel people's feelings, banish demons and heal emotional wounds.

7. Kindhearted peacemakers help all sorts live and work together well.

8. Officers do paperwork and manage money.

9. Errand runners and handimen who do the real work, without which we'd all just die.

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Is everyone a prophet or a bishop?

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Is everyone a handiman? No. So don't worry what jobs others have. Just do the one you're good at.

31
There's another gift. A master gift. Something everybody needs, like blood. I'll tell you what it is.