Refreshing Our Spirits With Scripture

 5.1- Feeling Small                             Matthew 6:25-32                                       Bill Crowder     Many movie critics consider David Lean’s Lawrence of Arabia one of the greatest films of all time. With its seemingly endless vistas of the Arabian deserts, it has influenced a generation of filmmakers – including Academy Award-winning director Steven Spielberg. “I was inspired the first time I saw Lawrence ,” said Spielberg. “It made me feel puny. It still makes me feel puny. And that’s one measure of greatness.”      What makes me feel small is creation’s vastness – when I gaze at an ocean, fly over the polar ice cap, or survey a night sky sparkling with a billion stars. If the created universe is so expansive, how much greater must be the Creator who spoke it into being!     God’s greatness and our feeling of insignificance are echoed by David when he declares, “What are mere mortals that you should think about them, human beings that you should care for them

 4.30- Who do you turn to when you realize that you have made a bad mistake?   That is a critical decision. A friend who:   is willing to help me improve the situation instead of saying, “That’s your problem.” Is understanding. Is sympathetic. Is loving. Is compassionate. Is humble. Is able to avoid returning insult for insult but instead returns a blessing. Is fearless. Is full of grace and peace from God the Father of Jesus Christ. Is hospitable, loving what is good and holds firmly to the word of God. Larry Wishard 4.27.22

 4.29- Jesus was called the lamb of God. Revelation 14. 14  Then I looked, and behold, the Lamb  was  standing on Mount Zion, and with Him 144,000 who had His name and the name of His Father written on their foreheads.   2  And I heard a voice from heaven, like the sound of many waters and like the sound of loud thunder, and the voice which I heard  was  like  the sound  of harpists playing on their harps .   3  And they *sang  [ a ] a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders; and no one was able to learn the song except the 144,000 who had been purchased from the earth.   4  These are the ones who have not defiled themselves with women, for they are celibate. These  are  the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These have been purchased from mankind as first fruits to God and to the Lamb.   5  And no lie was found in their mouths; they are blameless. 2 Timothy 4. 4  I solemnly exhort  you  in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus,

 4.28- During the lead up to major cultural and national change it is true that people will keep on buying and selling and marrying and overeating and overdrinking.   People keep on using their place of family and work to either build up people or abuse people. Suddenly our lives can change. A war. An earthquake. A job loss.   A heart attack or stroke.   A fall.   A car wreck.   We must get our security from that which is secure.   The words of Jesus remain after 2022 years. Use the time you have left whether it is 100 years or 100 days to build up people in your family and work places and your will have no regrets.   Treat people the way you want to be treated. Reward come from good choices.   Proverbs 24. 10  If  you show yourself lacking courage on the day of distress, Your strength is meager. 11  Rescue those who are being taken away to death, And those who are staggering to the slaughter, Oh hold  them  back! 12  If you say, “See, we did not know this,” Does He wh

 4.27- We are living in a time of chaos and disorder. Since 3.11.20 we have been fighting a pandemic. On 1.6.21 we had an attack on our capitol that was the first time we have not had a peaceful transfer of power in our democratic government. A democracy depends upon a certain amount of mutual trust in each other playing fair. We expect our elections to be conducted with honesty and fairness. This was challenged by both major parties and bad things happened to our government leaders in that some were threatened with being hanged. Some people were beaten up and one was killed in the attack on our congress. I am 75 and this was the closest I believe we have come to a change in our government through a violent attack on the capitol. Then a potential WWIII starts to develop in the Ukraine. These are times when we need to remember certain truths. Watch out for deception from false speakers whether they are politicians, preachers or news people. Wars and rumors of them are not new, bu

 4.26-   Imperfect, Yet Loved                           Luke 7:36-50                                    Albert Lee     In Japan, food products are immaculately prepared and packaged. Not only must they taste good but they must look good too. I wonder if I am purchasing the food or the packaging! Because of the Japanese emphasis on good quality, products with slight defects are often discarded. However, in recent years wakeari products have gained popularity. Wakeari means “there is a reason” in Japanese. These products are not thrown away but are sold at a cheap price “for a reason” – for example, a crack in a rice cracker.     My friend who lives in Japan tells me that wakeari is also a catchphrase for people who are obviously less than perfect.     Jesus loves all people – including the wakeari who society casts aside. When a woman who had lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at a Pharisee’s house, she went there and knelt behind Jesus at His feet, weeping (Luk

 4.25- Phone Zone                              I Thessalonians 5:16-24                                Bill Crowder     One of the benefits of cell phones is that we now have virtually unlimited access to others. As a result, many people talk on the phone or text even while driving – sometimes resulting in terrible car crashes. To avoid such disasters, many areas of the world have made distracted driving illegal. In the United States, highway signs are popping up to remind drivers of special cell phone zones where they can pull off the road to safely talk and text to their heart’s delight.     While it is a good idea to restrict mobile phone communication for drivers, there is another kind of communication that has no restrictions: prayer. God invites us to call on Him whether we are coming, going or sitting still. In the New Testament, Paul’s words advise each person who wants to communicate with God in “pray continually” (I Thessalonians 5:17). Paul brackets this divine open-door