Refreshing Our Spirits With Scripture

9.15- You will call His name Jesus because He will save His people from their sins. Matthew 1. 21  She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for [ w ] He will save His people from their sins.” Jesus saves us in so many ways.  When I was lost and confused I had a man to sit me down and explain to me how that the reason for my lack of joy was that I was trying to save myself instead of trusting Jesus to save me. I had tried to save myself by being popular with everyone but that didn't work.  Money was another goal I set up for a time as being the way to find joy.  It didn't work. Get rid of a concept of God in my life and I could be free do do whatever I wanted without any judgment and guilt.  That didn't work either.   John 7 and 8 was my reading today and I saw again how many ways Jesus is my Savior. He saves me from relying upon the timing of others for my life. Other people know more about when I should do things than I do, but God knows even

9.14- To follow Jesus is to help the people who are ready and willing to be helped. John 6. 5  After these things there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 2  Now there is in Jerusalem by the sheep gate a pool, which is called in [ a ] Hebrew [ b ] Bethesda, having five porticoes. 3  In these lay a multitude of those who were sick, blind, lame, and withered, [ [ c ] waiting for the moving of the waters; 4  for an angel of the Lord went down at certain seasons into the pool and stirred up the water; whoever then first, after the stirring up of the water, stepped in was made well from whatever disease with which he was afflicted.] 5  A man was there who had been [ d ] ill for thirty-eight years. 6  When Jesus saw him lying there , and knew that he had already been a long time in that condition , He *said to him, “ Do you wish to get well? ” 7  The sick man answered Him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, but whi

9.13- God is generous. We are made in His image so we too should be generous. We are to be generous to our spouses. to our children, to our grandchildren, to our parents, to our siblings, to our extended family. These might be easy or challenging. We are to be generous to our enemies. Matthew 5. 43  “You have heard that it was said, ‘ You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44  But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45  so that you may [ ap ] be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46  For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47  If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others ? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48  Therefore [ aq ] you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. Romans 5. 8  But God demon

9.12-Jesus did not recognize walls.  He broke them down.  Between races and nations.  Jews, Gentiles. Samaritans.  Men. Women. John 4. 9  Therefore the Samaritan woman *said to Him, “How is it that You, being a Jew, ask me for a drink since I am a Samaritan woman?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.) 10  Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.” 11  She *said to Him, “ [ b ] Sir, You have nothing to draw with and the well is deep; where then do You get that living water? Acts 10. 44  While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who were listening to the [ ag ] message. 45  All the [ ah ] circumcised believers who came with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. 46  For they were hearing them speaking with tongues and exalting God. The

9.11- Seventeen years ago today a new day dawned in America.  We had never seen war from outside our country take down buildings like happened on that day. What we needed then and need now is to remember that our trust must always be ultimately in God. Even our pledge reminds us of this. Our country is in trouble to the degree that we align our interests with God's interests. He is interested in those who are weak and powerless being treated properly and not mistreated. James 1. 26  If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not [ ab ] bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man’s religion is worthless. 27  Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained [ ac ] by the world. Isaiah 58 6  “Is this not the fast which I choose, To loosen the bonds of wickedness, To undo the bands of the yoke, And to let the oppressed go free And