Refreshing Our Spirits With Scripture

 10.4-   Are you a doubter? We used to play a card game called, “I doubt it.” It is a simple card game where the point of the game is to get rid of all your cards. You start with Aces and work down through the values saying what you are putting on the table wit the cards face down. If I were starting I might lay down two cards and say, “Two aces.” If no one says,” I doubt it.” The next person puts down a King and it goes around that way. If you say, “I doubt it.” If they had the cards then you must take those and the stack of cards, but if they didn’t, they have to pick up their fake cards and the stack. This goes on until someone wins. Do you ever hear someone down at church say something from the pulpit and you say to yourself, “I doubt it.” Maybe the preacher is estimating the crowd. It could be that a very positive elder who is not a very experienced music person comments on the last hymn as being great singing and to you it was horrible. These things may be overlooked as human jud

 10.3-   God Makes a Way Exodus 14:19-31 Ken Durham It is one of the most dramatic moments in the human story, fixed for many of us in our minds by Cecil B. DeMille’s “The Ten Commandments.” A slave people, on their way to being a great nation, are being pursued by the very captors who so long held them in slavery. Egypt’s Pharaoh, it seems, has changed his mind and sent his chariots to enslave the Israelites again. Just when it appears that all is lost, that there is nowhere to run, God makes a way. The waters of the Red Sea part and God makes a way for His people where there was no way before. This familiar scene reminds us that God’s deliverance of us is an ongoing process. Just when we think we are free and clear, we realize that captors never let go easily and that we must put our trust in God again. And again. The ultimate deliverance – Jesus’ deliverance of us from our sin and from death – is fully accomplished, complete. In and through Him we ar

 10.2-   The Trouble with Jealousy Judges 1:1-10; 16-19 Constance Robinson Pretty common story. The legitimate brothers, fearing they might have to share, gang up on the older, illegitimate brother, Jephthah, and force him to leave his home in Gilead. Later, the Gilead elders get scared and approach Jephthah, now a strong soldier, and beg him to come and be their leader and fight the Ammonites. His response was normal. “You ran me off. Why ask me to help?” Jephthah finally agrees to fight but with one stipulation. If God helps me win, then He will be the new leader of Gilead. God stood by Jephthah and guided his leadership. Jealous, the brothers kicked him out; desperate, they begged him to come back. Ironic, isn’t it? With God’s help, Jephthah wins big! A little humiliating for the brothers. Do you think they were ever really happy with this situation? Jealousy always sets in motion a continuing series of ruinous circumstances. For jealous peo

 10.1-   No Fear I Samuel 17:32-47 Danny Duncan Have you ever been overwhelmed by seemingly insurmountable odds in your life? Can you remember how you felt? The gamut of emotions runs from fear, anxiety, depression, and despair. You begin to question why this had to happen to you, and you wonder where God is. At one point or another, we will all have the valley in our lives; but, how we react to those valleys determines whether we remain in the valley or rise victoriously to ascend to the mountain top. The Israelites were gripped by fear as the Philistines were on the mountain and they were in the valley. Strike one. Moreover, Goliath, a one man fighting machine, a modern day Rambo, was the champion on the enemy’s side. Strike two. Also, consider that the stakes were very high, the winner takes all. No one in his right mind would fight Goliath. Strike three. So, it seems the Israelites had struck out. The battle was over before it had begun. But wait, en

 9.30-   About police officers and soldiers. Those who are sworn into service to our country as soldiers or police officers have a big responsibility. They have the power of life and death in their weapons they carry. How they look at the people they deal with is fairly important. Try to imagine an attitude change that happened to an officer. He was very hard hearted. He beat up some prisoners because of their work of helping someone. Then there was an earthquake. Then the doors to the prison were opened. He was ready to kill himself because of the consequences that would come to him for the prisoners escape. Some people who had been beaten up by him told him to do himself no harm. He was ready to learn a new way of life. How can I change and be a righteous person? They told to believe in God. He did. He then washed the wounds on their back where he had beaten them. Soldiers and police officers have turned to God for help many times and each of them is totally changed by the ex

 9.29- We want to see Jesus.   He was born in Bethlehem and laid in a manger.   He taught that God’s primary gift He wanted was for us to do justice, love kindness and walk humbly with God.   We uplift God as our guide.   He is the father for the fatherless and the best kind of judge for a widow with needs.   It is not so important who the people spreading the good news of Jesus is.   All are gifts from God and they come and go.   Jesus is the thing.   The gospel.   God’s power behind all of it.   Our role is not to try to impress with our strengths.   It is to be real and honest and speak the truth in love and be willing to exhort and to accept people who seek forgiveness and those who don’t.   To forgive others on the same basis we have been forgiven.   The thing is that we must be honest and ready to correct and discipline when needed. For multiplication there must be planting.   Then we go out and work with those who are in our vocational group.   We trust that God has people

 9.28-   First they came for the communists, and I did not speak out – because I was not a communist; Then they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out – because I was not a socialist; Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out – because I was not a trade unionist; Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out – because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me – and there was no one left to speak for me. Martin Niemoller, prisoner at Dachau 1941-1945    Matthew 23. 23  “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and [ v ] cummin, and have neglected the weightier provisions of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others. 24  You blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!