Refreshing Our Spirits With Scripture

12.21-Strong leadership and strong love includes strong discipline. We were told at the beginning of the Cowboy season that we had playoff caliber players and coaches. I’m not sure of this right now. In my opinion and from what I have seen on the field and on the sidelines in the last few games I would say that the leadership of the team is not in good hands. The path to respect is not to threaten action, but to take action. I once watched an NFL coach, Wade Phillips, fire one of his players for being late to practice. I saw it persona lly and then I saw the parts of the firing that went on television. I happened to be at a Broncos news conference in person as anniversary gift to my wife. At the time I had a political talk radio program on a commercial radio station in Denver in the year 1989 with a media press pass.  The player fired for being late was not a superstar, but a marginal player but I’m guessing that him being released for being late made a s

12.20- Words make things happen. Bad things happen. Good things happen. We need to use them well and with proper thought before uttering them. James 3. 3  Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a [ ax ] stricter judgment. 2  For we all stumble in many ways . If anyone does not stumble in [ ay ] what he says, he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body as well. 3  Now if we put the bits into the horses’ mouths so that they will obey us, we direct their entire body as well. 4  Look at the ships also, though they are so great and are driven by strong winds, are still directed by a very small rudder wherever the inclination of the pilot desires. 5  So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things. See how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire! 6  And the tongue is a fire, the very world of iniquity; the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body,

12.19-God's love is boundless and boundaryless. When you attend a Memorial service for a family member, there is great joy that there is love among family and friends that has no racial or ethnic boundaries. When trying to express our hope and comfort it is clear that God's love is boundless and boundaryless. Galations 3. 27  For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28  There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is [ aj ] neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29  And if you [ ak ] belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s [ al ] descendants, heirs according to promise.

12.18- Falsely accusing people is wrong. Refusing to accept people as brothers in Christ when they are is wrong. Do not imitate this behavior. Welcome people as much as possible. 3 John 9  I wrote something to the church; but Diotrephes, who loves to be first among them, does not accept [ f ] what we say. 10  For this reason, if I come, I will call attention to his deeds which he does, unjustly accusing us with wicked words; and not satisfied with this, he himself does not receive the brethren, either, and he forbids those who desire to do so and puts them out of the church. 11  Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. The one who does good is of God; the one who does evil has not seen God. 12  Demetrius has received a good testimony from everyone, and from the truth itself; and we add our testimony, and you know that our testimony is true.

12.17- You cannot buy God's gifts with money. Acts 8. “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money! 21  You have no part or portion in this [ f ] matter, for your heart is not right before God. 22  Therefore repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray the Lord that, if possible, the intention of your heart may be forgiven you. 23  For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the [ g ] bondage of iniquity.” 24  But Simon answered and said, “Pray to the Lord for me yourselves, so that nothing of what you have said may come upon me.”

12.16- My prayer for you in 2020 3 John 1  The elder to the beloved Gaius, whom I love in truth. 2  Beloved, I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers.