Refreshing Our Spirits With Scripture

 11.28- There are seasons of testing that come into any life. This can be a time of maturing that will be very fruitful if we persevere. Stay with the work. Frame it as joy. It will lead to wisdom if we don't fall away because of the pain. Our prayer life will move forward in focus and intimacy with our Father in heaven. Angry words during this time will not produce anything good, but words of lamentation and crying out to God will deepen our love for Him. James 1. 1  [ a ] James, a bond-servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes who are  [ b ] dispersed abroad: Greetings. 2  Consider it all joy, my brothers  and sisters , when you encounter various  [ c ] trials,   3  knowing that the testing of your faith produces  [ d ] endurance.   4  And let  [ e ] endurance have  its  perfect  [ f ] result, so that you may be  [ g ] perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. 5  But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and  [ h

 11.27- As disciples of Jesus we are not friends with this world.  We don't march to the drum of this world.  They play a tune and expect us to dance to their tune, but that is not our calling.  One who is a friend of this world is an enemy of God. Luke 7 31  “To what then shall I compare the people of this generation, and what are they like?   32  They are like children who sit in the marketplace and call to one another, and say, ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a song of mourning, and you did not weep.’   33  For John the Baptist has come neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon!’   34  The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Behold, a gluttonous man and a  [ u ] heavy drinker, a friend of tax collectors and  [ v ] sinners!’   35  And  yet  wisdom is vindicated by all her children.”

 11.26-Prophets have hard things to say to us.  They smooth out the road and open the road of the heart to be open to need a Savior.  We think we don't need any help, but a prophet has the words to remind us that we are not what we should be and we are not what we can be.  They afflict the comfortable.   They are not popular or rich.  They work in the wild places.  They don't have nice clothing, but wear burlap bags for their suit. Luke 7. 24  When the messengers of John had left, He began to speak to the crowds about John:  “What did you go out into the  [ o ] wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind?   25  [ p ] But what did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Those who are splendidly clothed and live in luxury are  found  in royal palaces!   26  But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and one who is more than a prophet.   27  This is the one about whom it is written: ‘ Behold , I  am sending My messenger   [ q ] ahead of You , Who will

 11.25-What is the work of God?  It is having compassion for those in need.  The blind, the lame, the poor.  The grieving.  God comforts at times by raising people up who were assumed to be dead.  The prisoners have no one who really cares for them except people who know God. Luke 7. 18  The disciples of John also reported to him about all these things.   19  And after summoning  [ i ] two of his disciples, John sent them to the Lord, saying, “Are You the Coming One, or are we to  [ j ] look for another?”   20  When the men came to Him, they said, “John the Baptist has sent us to You,  [ k ] to ask, ‘Are You the Coming One, or are we to  [ l ] look for another?’”   21  At that  very   [ m ] time He cured many  people  of diseases and afflictions and evil spirits; and He gave sight to many  who were  blind.   22  And He answered and said to them,  “Go and report to John what you have seen and heard: people who were blind receive sight, people who limped walk, people with leprosy are cle

 11.23-Jesus is a healer who can work long distance.  Time and space is not problem to God who is omnipresent and omnipotent and all wise. You can't get far away from the reach of God's help.  With great faith you know that God can work when you see Him with you.  He is a Spirit.   Luke 7. 7  When He had completed all His   [ a ] teaching in the hearing of the people,   He went to Capernaum. 2  Now a centurion’s slave, who was highly regarded by him, was sick and about to die.   3  When he heard about Jesus, he sent some  [ b ] Jewish elders to Him, asking Him to come and save the life of his slave.   4  When they came to Jesus, they strongly urged Him, saying, “He is worthy for You to grant this to him;   5  for he loves our nation, and it was he who built us our synagogue.”   6  Now Jesus  started  on His way with them; but already, when He was not  yet  far from the house, the centurion sent friends, saying to Him, “ [ c ] Lord, do not trouble Yourself  further , for I am no

 11.23-   Marianna Trench                            Micah 7:18-19                           Larry Wishard It is 36,701 feet deep. It is 1554 miles long and 44 miles wide? What is it? “Who is a God like You, who pardons wrong doing And passes over a rebellious act of the remnant of His possession? He does not retain His anger forever, because He delights in mercy. He will again take pity on us; He will trample on our wrong doings. Yes, You will cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.”                                                                   For about 3,000 years the wise and spiritually healthy people have been trying to remind people that our Creator does not want to destroy us with guilt and shame, but guide us away from self-destruction.     I am told that the Marianna Trench is the deepest part of the ocean. You could put Mount Everest at the bottom of it and it would be 7,000 feet below the surface. That is the depth of the ocean where God has plac

 11.22-   No More Running                                Jonah 2:1-10                                      Adam Holz     On July 18, 1983, a US Air Force captain disappeared from Albuquerque, New Mexico, without a trace. Thirty-five years later, authorities found him in California. The New York Times reports that, “depressed about his job,” he’d simply run away.     Thirty-five years on the run! Half a lifetime spent looking over his shoulder! I have to imagine that anxiety and paranoia were this man’s constant companions.     But I have to admit, I also know a bit about being “on the run.” No, I’ve never abruptly fled something in my life . . . physically. But at times I know there’s something God wants me to do, something I need to face or confess. I don’t want to do it. And so, in my own way, I run too.     The prophet Jonah is infamous for literally running from God’s assignment to preach to the city of Nineveh (Jonah 1:1-3). But, of course, he couldn’t outrun God. You’ve p