Refreshing Our Spirits With Scripture

3.30- It is normal for people who are disciples of Jesus to be discounted, mocked and made fun of.   This world did not like Jesus’ teachings and life when He was here and they still don’t.   Those of us who try to follow Him do not live up to His kind of love.   This causes a dissonance.   We need to be humble, knowing that we don’t know enough to be judges of the heart and soul of people.   For this reason and others, He told us not to judge by mere appearances. He told us not to judge others, but to focus in improving our own lives. If we have an impact in this world, there will be some who are friends, some who are not. There will be some who are clearly against our path of life.   This should be no surprise.   Even good friends can give us bad advice. Three Thousand Years Ago: Proverbs 25. Do not exalt yourself in the king’s presence,      and do not claim a place among his great men; 7  it is better for him to say to you, “Come up here,”      than for him to

3.29- Have you ever loved someone so much that it hurts? I have heard moms say that about their children when they are sleeping so innocently. John 17. 20  “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21  that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22  I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— 23  I in them and you in me— so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. If you were loved by your parents and you passed that on to your kids and grandkids, then you are a very blessed person.   You know the feeling of deep love for your beloved. Jesus was praying that His disciples could know that the Father in heaven loved them even as He had loved Jesus.   Wow! Can you imagine givi

 3.28- Teach your children while you can.  The window of their learning passes so fast.  I remember stages of life with my kids and grandkids that they were constantly asking questions about everything.  Such fun to try Deuteronomy 6. 6  These are the commands, decrees and laws the Lord your God directed me to teach you to observe in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess, 2  so that you, your children and their children after them may fear the Lord your God as long as you live by keeping all his decrees and commands that I give you, and so that you may enjoy long life. 3  Hear, Israel, and be careful to obey so that it may go well with you and that you may increase greatly in a land flowing with milk and honey, just as the Lord , the God of your ancestors, promised you. 4  Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. [ a ] 5  Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6  These commandments that I gi

3.27- Pruning can lead to new growth and beauty.  Look for it. We see it when we prune our crepe myrtle bush and our roses.  Snip.  Snip.  I wonder if this is going to work.  Will this kill this plant? When within a few weeks there is lovely new growth. My life is the same way.  Yesterday I wrote about our move from Denver to Fort Worth being inconvenient, but the reality is it helped us and improved our lives in certain ways.  In the last couple of years our son had to come to Denver to help us with some difficulties.  His job is here in Fort Worth.  We could do our work of ministry in Denver or Fort Worth.  People everywhere need encouragement. Last month and this month I got to go back to Denver and spend some good times with old friends there.  We have gained a bunch of new friends here in Fort Worth and North Richland Hills.  Keeping good, Christian friends is not a zero sum matter.  The more love in friendship is a double blessing. Sometimes God has to say "No&quo

3.26- Some things are never convenient. Our lives get into a groove and we like where we live and where we work.   We like our current friends and neighbors.   We like that which is convenient .   My doctor, mechanic, plumber and handyman were people I had known and trusted for many of the thirty years I lived in Denver.   I woke up on Sunday morning, 3.24.13 thinking I would be in the house where I had lived for 30 years for another 30 months or more.   On the other hand, Sheila and I had talked about some “precipitating event” would happen to change our lives radically. Move the calendar forward to 3.24.19 and we have a different doctor, mechanic, plumber and handyman.   We now live in Fort Worth rather than Denver.   It was inconvenient to make the changes yet we have greatly enjoyed our move back to North Texas.   Some of the friendliest people in the world live here in my opinion. Sometimes the nest must be stirred.   We cling to what we know and refuse to move forwar