Refreshing Our Spirits With Scripture

2.1 Leading women loved Jesus and His followers.   Why? We hear people today say that Jesus and His church have been and are bad for the health and blessing of women.   I don’t believe it. Are there some churches were women and discounted and put down?   Yes.   There are because many of those who claim to be Christians are following themselves instead of Jesus. The early Christians lives in a Roman culture were women had no legal independence and couldn’t own property.   In the early church they even had a group of women who were called deaconesses and were to be supported.   Jesus surprised His disciples and a woman by reaching out to her.   Jesus was loved by Mary and He pointed out the outstanding faith of the widow who gave two small copper coins.    He came to the aid of a woman caught in the act of adultery.   His dying words included care for His mother.   Jesus extended honor to women. The Roman culture exposed female infants so they would die.   Pagan widows

1.31- You and I are broken.   We were created to enjoy God’s world and make it better.   We fail in this.   We fall short.   If we admit we are broken we can turn to God and admit it and receive His forgiveness, grace and mercy.   Then we can be motivated and transformed by God’s mercy to be better people. If we refuse to admit we are broken we get worse.   We cling to lies.   We cover up.   We don’t get help from God and people.   Our lives then move from bad to worse.   Then as things developed our sins and their consequences crush us heart, soul, mind and body. It is better to be broken and mended by mercy. It is terrible for ourselves and others to resist and be crushed. Matthew 21. 43  Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a [ m ] people, producing the fruit of it. 44  And he who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; but on whomever it falls, it will scatter him like dust.” 45  When the chief priests and

1.30- We have opposition. That is not unusual. Matthew 21. 23  When He entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to Him while He was teaching, and said, “By what authority are You doing these things, and who gave You this authority?” 24  Jesus said to them, “I will also ask you one [ d ] thing, which if you tell Me, I will also tell you by what authority I do these things. 25  The baptism of John was from what source , from heaven or from men?” And they began reasoning among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say to us, ‘Then why did you not believe him?’ 26  But if we say, ‘From men,’ we fear the [ e ] people; for they all regard John as a prophet.” 27  And answering Jesus, they said, “We do not know.” He also said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things. Acts 21. 27  When the seven days were almost over, the Jews from [ k ] Asia, upon seeing him in the temple, began to stir up all