Refreshing Our Spirits With Scripture

 10.29- The strongest positive world changers are people who believe that strength is available to them to do whatever they are supposed to do. I believe that the best response to feeling weak is to stop and reflect on what we need to pray for. Can we Hear these words, "What do you want me to do for you?" My answer today was, "Strength" Then I read some words written 2,000 years ago. Yes you can have power in your inner spirit. Yes you can have faith in your heart Yes, you can be rooted and grounded in love Yes you can learn to comprehend the width, length, height and depth of the love of God that surpasses knowledge. Yes you have freedom and confidence to speak to the one who can do more than you can think or imagine. So I choose to receive this strength today. I hope you will also. Larry Wishard 10.20.23 Ephesians 3 14  For this reason I kneel before the Father,   15  from whom every family [ a ]  in heaven and on earth derives its name.   16  I pray that out of h

 10.28- All the dark, evil wars including the killing of children. These cannot force us as individuals to choose darkness in our own hearts and minds. We can choose to pray for grace, mercy and peace to flow out to all. The hate and killing of children because they are Palestinian or Jewish is dark and evil. I read once that someone who died in a concentration camp had scratched on a wall. "All the darkness in the world cannot put out the light of candle of God's love." Matthew 19. 13  Then people brought little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked them. 14  Jesus said,  “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”   15  When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there.

 10.27- It is not uncommon for people to feel forsaken and alone and yet they really are not alone. Doubts can come that Jesus is real. Doubting Thomas said to Jesus I don't believe you are Jesus unless I touch you and feel your scars. Jesus allowed him to feel and touch. He found out that this was the real Crucified and resurrected Jesus. He worshipped Him. Sometimes the greatest faith is after the greatest doubt. The dark night of the soul leads to a deeper level of living in God's grace. This word to me today from a friend who had lost a beloved 16 year old Godly son in a car wreck. John 20. 24  Now Thomas (also known as Didymus [ a ] ), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came.   25  So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” 26  A week later his disciples were in the house again, and

 10.26- Growth. Last week I spoke to a successful counselor who works near a major University filled with professors who have received their terminal degrees, usually a PhD. In the conversation he he said if we are not growing and making changes to get better in our thinking then we are actually dead but not buried. Growth toward better thinking is normal. Living things grow. Have you changed your mind or opinion on anything. Are you in a rut of ignorance and refusal to learn better thoughts? I hope to learn today from people very different from myself. My mutual learning friends grew up in California, Oklahoma, Colorado, Michigan, Tennessee, Alabama, Arizona, North Carolina and even a bunch from Texas All are learners and for that I am thankful. Ecc. 5. 18  This is what I have observed to be good: that it is appropriate for a person to eat, to drink and to find satisfaction in their toilsome labor under the sun during the few days of life God has given them—for this is their lot.  

 10.25- I read that designers can design an atomic clock that is accurate to losing one second over 15 billion years. Now who would claim there was no designer. The designed order of the universe allowed us to see an eclipse on Saturday and of course it was right on time. The designer of the universe has set in human hearts a vision for eternity when this life is over. There is evidence that all humans of all cultures have this hunger in their hearts. I'm glad the creator and designer has revealed that He is love. Without intentional resistance the beauty of the Milky way on a dark night in the middle of a desert will cause a hunger to worship the creator. Psalm 19. Psalm 19 [ a ] For the director of music. A psalm of David. 1  The heavens declare the glory of God;      the skies proclaim the work of his hands. 2  Day after day they pour forth speech;      night after night they reveal knowledge. 3  They have no speech, they use no words;      no sound is heard from them. 4  Yet

 10.24- Master carpenter. We have a group at our church called "menders for the master." They are men who love to help people with house repair issues. Items from a wet undersink problem to a woman ditched by her abusive husband into homelessness had a month long house remodel. How much do they charge? Nothing. They work from donations only. They say the Master carpenter is fixing their own life repairs day by day and they are simply doing for others what he has done for them. They were at my home yesterday for nine hours. New back door lock. New outside front and back lights. Shower grab bars. A 75 year old man up on 12' ladder. Constantly laughing and joking as they worked together on a beautiful fall day. This Master carpenter had taught them to love and serve others in the way He served them. All three men have been healed by Him many times. They helped my house and my joy yesterday. Matthew 20. 20  Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Jesus with her sons and,

 10.23- Shocking choices are given to human beings. We can make peace or make war. Cain could have seen the excellent love of Abel for his God and rejoiced at their great relationship. He could have learned from it and grew in favor with God and man himself. He didn't. He killed his brother. That evil choice has been followed by thousands of years of people making the choice of taking the life of others. I saw a sad program last evening of a young man who went into the home of an ex girlfriend to steal some guns and was interrupted by the lady of the house who had befriended him as his high school teacher. He killed her and tried to blame her husband. When interviewed in prison he said he was so sorry. He said he would give his life if he could to bring her back. Today we have choices. We can grow spiritually to love people and treat others the way we want to be treated. Growth toward being a peacemaker is normal and available. We will not have the same kind of gifts to share w