Refreshing Our Spirits With Scripture

6.28- Surprised by Grace Acts 9:1-19 Anne Cetas A woman from Grand Rapids, Michigan, fell asleep on the couch after her husband had gone to bed. An intruder sneaked in through the sliding door, which the couple had forgotten to lock, and crept through the house. He entered the bedroom where the husband was sleeping and picked up the television set. The sleeping man woke up, saw a figure standing there, and whispered, ‘Honey, come to bed.’ The burglar panicked, put down the TV, grabbed a stack of money from the dresser, and ran out. The thief was in for a big surprise! The money turned out to be a stack of Christian pamphlets with an likeness of a $20 bill on one side and an explanation of the love and forgiveness of God offers to people on the other side, instead of the cash he expected, the intruder got the story of God’s love for him. I wonder what Saul expected when he realized it was Jesus appearing to him on the road to Damascus, since he had been

6.27- God of My Strength Judges 7:1-8 Jennifer Benson Schuldt No one could have mistaken the ancient Babylonian soldiers for gentlemen. They were ruthless, resilient, and vicious, and they attacked other nations the way an eagle overtakes its prey. Not only were they powerful, they were prideful as well. They practically worshiped their own combat abilities. In fact, the Bible says their “strength was their god: (Habakkuk 1:11) God did not want this kind of self-reliance to infect Israel’s forces as they prepared to battle the Midianites. So He told Gideon, Israel’s army commander, “You have too many men. I cannot deliver Midian into their hands, or Israel would boast against me, ‘My own strength has saved me’” (Judges 7:2). As a result, Gideon discharged anyone who was fearful. Twenty-two thousand me hightailed it home, while 10,000 fighters stayed God continued to downsize the army until only 300 men remained (Judges 7:3-7). Having fewer troops meant tha

6.26- When I first started on social media about eight years ago I decided to try to be honest about the meaning of my words. I have not always succeeded with this I am sorry to say. The word friend is an example. I need to give some definitions I give to these words. A friend is different to me than an acquaintance. A close friend is different to me than a friend. A beloved, close friend is to me family. I have tried to set my posts so that you do not have to be a "friend" in order to read my "Jesus education type posts". That is meant for general sharing. I have other posts that are telling my own history from my own point of view. All can see these as well and people don't have to see my history from my own point of view. My wife of 53 years doesn't see my history the way I do. That does not negatively affect our love and close friendship, it might make it deeper and better in fact because it is more open and honest. A "social media 'frien

6.25-   When my family would have some communication problems and chaos there seemed to be nothing that helped us except to turn off all media for an unspecified period of time. The father would say firmly, "Shut off all media." The rest of the family would say, "No, I have to watch ....." The father would say loudly and firmly, "Shut off all media." There would be one resistant person who would say, "No, you can't do that." The father would say, very loudly and very firmly, "I pay the electricity and I run this house until you get the courts and the police to take me out of here I am in charge more loudly and firmly than ever, SHUT OFF ALL MEDIA NOW." Eventually, there would be a frustration. Then people would get busy doing more productive things. Going for a jog. Reading. Making some soup. Praying. Then after a while of silence. No radio. No television. No headphones. Nothing but the sound of silence. Even

6.24- Times of difficulty are times to be on guard. There is a temptation to get back to the usual distraction of shopping and spending and religious ceremony of weddings and funerals without deep meaning. We must not become distracted from the work of producing goods and services that help our fellow citizen. We must stay focused on working for justice and mercy for the oppressed. This is our work as good citizens. Once when Jesus describing the destruction of a favorite place of the Jewish people, Jerusalem, He warned them he said, “Don’t go to sleep at the switch. Pray constantly that you will have the strength and wits to make it through everything that’s coming and end up on your feet….” Luke 21.34-36, The Message Luke 21. 29  Then He told them a parable: “Behold the fig tree and all the trees; 30  as soon as they put forth leaves , you see it and know for yourselves that summer is now near. 31  So you also, when you see these things happening, [ s ] recognize th

6.23- Yesterday I attended the Oak Ridge Church of Christ online. The memory of my grandmother, Hazy Agnes Wishard, was strong. She was married in 1899. At 44 years of age she was widowed. She raised eight children and an eight year old grandson who still attends the congregation where she took all her children and her grandchild. She was a follower of Jesus. She pointed her children and grandchildren toward Jesus Christ as the best guide through life. They built a tabernacl e to worship under in about 1915 that still stands. In 1979 I was honored to preach at a revival they had in honor of their 100th anniversary as a congregation. I was able to worship online with the Oak Ridge church where over 30 of her family worshipped together on 6.7.20. 2020 years after Jesus was born. This congregation has used carpenter tools to build a tabernacle as a shade and shelter. Then a building. Then a new building. Then Air Conditioning and many other improvements down t

6.22- We are broken vessels for love. I have a favorite coffee cup I recently dropped and chipped. I threw it away in anger at myself. I wish I had kept it and made sure that it could be repaired or used. It is gone now. There are things I have dropped in my work with my family where the relationship got chipped. Due to forgiveness, grace and mercy there was a chance for repair and now we have peace. Grace, mercy and peace comes from God. He takes the broken pieces of our liv es and glues them back together with grace and mercy and our lives can contain peace. Peace that passes understanding. This is what comes from God because that is who God is. Almost half of the books of the New Testament were written by Saul who became Paul. He opens many of the books sending greetings from God. Grace, mercy and peace to your from God and the Lord Jesus Christ. He sends that to us because that is who He is. Today I will try again to submit to doing things God's way