Refreshing Our Spirits With Scripture

5.4-  How long has it been since you have had an evil thought? How long since you said something about someone when they weren't there to defend themselves that they might wish you hadn't said. I suspect that most reading this don't have to admit to some of the other things Jesus said were in human hearts.  What ever is in our hearts that shouldn't be must be cleared up with forgiveness, grace and God's mercy. Matthew 15. 16  “Are you still so dull?” Jesus asked them. 17  “Don’t you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body? 18  But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them. 19  For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. 20  These are what defile a person; but eating with unwashed hands does not defile them.”

5.3-Are you weary? Are you burdened? Do you need spiritual rest? Jesus is your friend.  Take His yoke on you.  Let Him lead you into the work He has in mind for you with Him.  Follow what He is doing.  He is following what God the Father is doing.  You will find yourself not doing what wastes your time and you will find yourself doing fewer things but better things.  Work smart and work hard and take all the time you need for rest.  He gives rest by being humble.  Sometimes we are burdened and burned out because we have taken on the job of fixing everything.  That is not our job.  Our job is to be humble like Jesus and find the rest for our soul that comes with being in a yoke with Jesus as our yoke fellow. Matthew 11. 28  “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

5.2- God is a God of grace, mercy and forgiveness.  Jesus' model prayer had this great line: Matthew 6. 12  And forgive us our debts,      as we also have forgiven our debtors. It makes it clear that we are to forgive as our Father is a forgiving God and expects the same choices to be made by His children.  

5.1- What are the signs that God is a loving heavenly Father who gives us grace and mercy? Matthew 5. 7  Blessed are the merciful,      for they will be shown mercy.

4.30- How great it would be if everyone came from a family and community where fathers were there for their children with grace, mercy and help when they needed it.   It seems to me that these people are in the minority right now.   I hope not.   My father being strong, hard working and always there to provide for me set me up for this prayer, “Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be your name.” making sense to me. Today I went to breakfast with a friend who said it was great that his dad was always there for him.  He would come and rescue me anytime I was in need.  He said, "Once I needed him to come pick me up at 2am and he came and got me.  He was a great dad." The Lord's prayer says that God is our Father in heaven.  If the Bible is your guidebook, then you would get the impression that God is a God of grace and mercy. He intends to save people from the destruction of their sins. Matthew 1. 18  This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came abo

4.29- Do you see a design in the Universe?  I do. It speaks to a designer. I believe Jesus is the instrument, our Father in heaven used to create the universe. I believe that He is a Father who sends grace and mercy out to His creation. I see this in the creation itself. Genesis 1 1  In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2  Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. John 1. 1  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2  He was with God in the beginning. 3  Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4  In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5  The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome [ a ] it. 1 Timothy 1. 1  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2  He was with God in the beginning

4.28- Easter, 2019 Plus One Try to imagine if you were alive in 1636 and someone suggested that it would be good to start a college to provide a better education for ministers. A person could have said, “Why waste money on education for ministers? Their work is really not that significant.” You just missed out on the timely decision to create Harvard University. In 1776 people were going to gather to write a document for the benefit of their country. Were there people who skip ped the meeting and went out to plow their corn. Perhaps, but they would have missed the writing of the U.S. Constitution. There are times of tectonic, plate shifting times that we should be very alert and careful. During these times who we follow is critical. Jesus said, “Follow me.” If you do this, He will make you a fisher of men. Paul who followed Jesus said, “Imitate me as I imitate Jesus Christ.” Peter said about his own life, “We do not follow cleverly devised stories.” John