Refreshing Our Spirits With Scripture

 9.11- We talk about current events in the context of the life and teachings of Jesus and other great teachers.   We ask ourselves about our views of the major things happening in our city.   Godly people are going through cruel and ugly things and trying to keep their own dignity in the midst of suffering.   People who have lived a powerful life in both word and deed that go through horrible pain. Jesus is the model of life for many of these godly people who suffering great pain. Jesus said to his disciples that they were foolish and slow to believe the things He had taught them.   The principle from Jesus and other great and wise teachers is that suffering comes before glory. Once people go through deep suffering events they are changed forever.   They are not people pleasers, but God pleasers. They are not centered on the “party life”.   They are tireless in doing things to help the poor and the prisoners.   They know how to be still and rest. They have the quiet strength to s

 9.10- I have marked some in my life that impacted me before I became a disciple of Jesus.   My grandad’s funeral happed during my 16 th year and I was not a disciple of Jesus yet.   I wondered why they had funerals and memorial services because they were just a place to cry over loss. All of the family and close friend funerals and memorials and celebrations of life have mentioned the promises of Jesus that He would rise from the dead and that His disciples would also live beyond death into a life worshipping Him in heaven. Jesus predicted His own suffering and death as well as His resurrection from the grave.   That is good news. Even disciples of Jesus can at times reflect on Jesus alive after the grave and from this world’s perspective it seems like “nonsense”.   We can see the body of the person has not yet been raised. Disciples of Jesus look for evidence of the resurrection of Jesus.   Some find a lot of it and some don’t see much. We wonder about the mystery of death

 9.8 For the last 2022 years there have been the deaths of Godly men and women.  Each one leaves those who know the people with some sense of hurt and mystery about the world our loving God has created.  He experienced love and loss Himself and Jesus teaches us that we can pray and connect our hurt because He has been tempted all points as we have. Acts 6. 6  In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Hellenistic Jews [ a ]  among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food.   2  So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, “It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables.   3  Brothers and sisters, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them   4  and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.” 5  This proposal pleased the

 9.7 What I learned since I last posted. Life is.. like morning fog. Like mourning dew So enjoy the abundant life our creator has given us. If you see a sunrise or a hummingbird take notice. James 4. 13  Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.”   14  Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.   15  Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.”   16  As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil.   17  If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.