Refreshing Our Spirits With Scripture

 4.19- A life of compassion and mercy is a well lived life. Well done! This can be said at the end of a life of helping the sick, the poor, aliens and homeless. A life of service to others will happen only if one is unafraid of suffering for the purpose of helping others. Justice for Others Yourself totally engaged. This the life of joy. Try to save our life from suffering and pain. Miss the best kind of life. Matthew 16 21  From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life. 22  Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!” 23  Jesus turned and said to Peter,  “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.” 24  Then Jesus said to his disciples,  “Whoe

 4.18- Discipline. Do you like correction? The wise men of the ages have said that fools hate correction. By its nature it is unpleasant at the time, but over time it trains us to be the best we can be. I can't say I have enjoyed the trips to the woodshed, but usually I deserved more correction that I received. The people I have in my life who have been willing and able to give me strong and effective course correction are cherished friends. Proverbs 15. 10  Stern discipline awaits anyone who leaves the path;      the one who hates correction will die. 11  Death and Destruction [ a ]  lie open before the  Lord —      how much more do human hearts! 12  Mockers resent correction,      so they avoid the wise.

 4.17- I like pictures that reflect Sheila's life with our children and grandchildren. About two years ago Sheila began to experience an unusual amount of pain in her abdominal area. We went to see our doctor and began a journey into a different phase of our life. I learned so much about how to cope with pain from Sheila's life. Even her children didn't realize the extent of her pain with her ability to not grumble or complain. When you don't know some people personally you may think they have no heavy loads to bear. Get closer and you find out the peace and light heartedness are not without burdens but perhaps developed by them. Two years after that appointment I read from Oswald Chambers words. "If your burden is weighing on you just now, remember that no power on earth or in hell can defeat the Spirit of God inside a human spirit. To be born again in the Spirit is to gain an inner invincibility. Recall this to your mind whenever you find yourself beginning to gr

 4.16- To not forgive someone is to block the flow of grace in your life. Ephesians 4. 29  Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.   30  And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.   31  Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.   32  Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

 4.15- What is true and what is right is the place to stand firm even if everyone is against us. As one of the patriots said just before the British killed him for his stance. "Do you have any regrets?" "Only that I just have one life to give for my country." This week I was honored to have a man in my home who was rejected by his family for following the ways of Jesus. His heart was filled with love for them and more than anything he wanted them to be blessed by God. Acts 4. 5  The next day the rulers, the elders and the teachers of the law met in Jerusalem.   6  Annas the high priest was there, and so were Caiaphas, John, Alexander and others of the high priest’s family.   7  They had Peter and John brought before them and began to question them: “By what power or what name did you do this?” 8  Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: “Rulers and elders of the people!   9  If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a man

 4.14- Thoughts about O. J. Simpson and lessons from life, death judgment and eternity. The bestselling book of all time is The Bible with over 5 billion copies having been sold. One of the reasons it is a best seller is because it tells the truth about people and their creator. It teaches that the final judgement of all people is not to be done by human beings who cannot know the secrets of the heart. That is known by God alone. What wise humans are directed to do is to observe the fruit of a tree and learn from noticing whether the fruit is good or bad. Justice and consequences of choices is often delivered in this life but not always. Hitler killed millions, but was able to kill himself without facing the justice on this side of death. It is said the Bible that after death comes the judgement for all of us. Great Bible figures like David and Paul saw themselves as great sinners saved by an even greater grace from God who is full of compassion and mercy. Up to the year 65 A.D. Pa

 4.13- Joy is the strength of families that flourish. One of our favorite songs has this line. "My cup overflows". The secret superpower of the runners of the Ironman triathlon of the spiritual journey is a banquet of deep satisfaction regardless of circumstance. Yes, living in this life there are tribulations but in the midst of these there is full abundant joy. A man who was in a inner prison which was a hard place to be after being beaten for doing the right thing. They were overflowing with celebration of life praise and the was an earthquake. A man who was super depressed asked how to live in such a state of upbeat instead of down beat. The answer. Believe in way of life taught by the carpenter who had learned to make an easy yoke for those working with him. Hope in every situation. This our joyful religion. Downbeat religion is not true religion. John 17 13  “I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full me

 4.12- A Rose There are events that happen in a person’s life that can drown them in fear. The tragedy of love in a young person’s life that puts them in a position to be used and abused and cut to the very core of their being. Without being properly cherished they can bleed out the very hope of deep joy in a pure relationship. The hunger stays there in the person for a long time. That need for fulfilling love was placed in them by the creator. He has placed in the heart of humans the ability to cherish those who have been used rather than loved properly. This can open them like a morning mist or dew. This fear causes hyper caution and fearfulness that slows down the growth process. Then as spring follows winter there follows a new season of opportunity to get back onto the dance floor of life and try again. She had her heart broken last year in the spring semester, but in the fall term she overcomes the fear of waking up to the best kind of love a guy can give. He had been taken for