Refreshing Our Spirits With Scripture

In Honor of MLK Day: T. S. Elliot said, "The last temptation is the greatest treason: To do the right deed for the wrong reason." Are the disciples of Jesus around the world too comfortable today? Are we too passionate? Are we too passionate about the wrong things? What is the quickest way to get Christians committed to Jesus for the right reasons?   Letter From A Birmingham Jail Whenever the early Christians entered a town, the people in power became disturbed and immediately sought to convict the Christians for being "disturbers of the peace" and "outside agitators."' But the Christians pressed on, in the conviction that they were "a colony of heaven," called to obey God rather than man. Small in number, they were big in commitment. They were too God-intoxicated to be "astronomically intimidated." By their effort and example they brought an end to such ancient evils as infanticide and ...

  Impuslive actions with reflection.  Reflection without action. We have so many opportunities for healing the spirit of people who have almost lost hope in our world.  We can extend mercy and support to our neighbors if we keep our eyes open.  Someone who has lost a beloved son our daugther will cross your path this month.  Someone who has grown up without a father in their life will be near you this week. Jesus' prayer approached God as "our heavenly Father" but what does that mean to people whose Father was always absent and when not absent, engaged in exasperating the child.  This morning I want to remind myself to be the kind of father to my children and grandchildren who reflect something positive about "our Father in heaven".  Fathers can be examples of an ethical life.  Children can see in their mom and dad how to live an honorably. No murder. No Adultery. No stealing.  No lies.  Jesus challenges us all to rid ou...

God is the potter.  We are the clay.  This is the vision of the prophet Jeremiah in chapter 18.  If we allow ourselves to be molded and shaped according to God's vision for our example, it can be a good one.  If, on the other hand, if we resist, then it can be an example to other people of how off track people can get and how messed up humans can be. The hopeful thought is that if you are reading this, you are still being shaped by keeping a mind open to change.  If you're seeking Jesus as your example then this can turn out to be truly Amazing.  The man who wrote the song, "Amazing Grace" had been an immoral slave trader prior to changing to follow Jesus.  On his death bed someone ask him his deepest thoughts.  He said, "I am a great sinner, but I have a great Savior." Intensive Daily Bible Reading If you have ten minutes, read Jesus from the Gospels. (Read prayerfully seeking guidance from Jesus for your personal situation.) If yo...

"Inch by inch, everything's a cinch." From an earthly persective that is the only way to get things done.  But what if we took God seriously.  If we did we would pray prayers that ask for things beyond our imagination to be done by God.  We would trust God to help us to tackle anything.  This year let's determine to keep our hopefulness rooted not in what we can do but in what God can do. Intensive Daily Bible Reading If you have ten minutes, read Jesus from the Gospels. (Read prayerfully seeking guidance from Jesus for your personal situation.) If you have thirty minutes, read Jesus and the New Testament selection. If you have forty minutes, read Jesus, the New Testament and a Psalm selection. If you have an hour, read all the readings. Think of this time as an intimate conversation with your Father in Heaven. Listen for something of His love from His heart to yours today.   Date:1/16/03   Read a chapter of Jesus ...

Most of the time our worry comes not from a shortage of bread, but a shortage of faith in our Father in heaven.  I like how Eugene Peterson translated Matthew 16.7-12 Thinking he was scolding them for forgetting bread, they discussed in whispers what to do. Jesus knew what they were doing and said, “Why all these worried whispers about forgetting the bread? Runt believers! Haven’t you caught on yet? Don’t you remember the five loaves of bread and the five thousand people, and how many baskets of fragments you picked up? Or the seven loaves that fed four thousand, and how many baskets of leftovers you collected? Haven’t you realized yet that bread isn’t the problem? The problem is yeast, Pharisee-Sadducee yeast.” Then they got it: that he wasn’t concerned about eating, but teaching—the Pharisee-Sadducee kind of teaching.   Intensive Daily Bible Reading If you have ten minutes, read Jesus from the Gospels. (Read prayerfully seeking guidance from Jesus for your p...

Depressed.   Downcast. Paraplegic. Blind. Mute.   Depressed.   Obsessed.   Mentally ill.   Since we have chosen to follow Jesus, these are the people we work with. It’s been said that a crisis is a terrible thing to waste.   This certainly seems to apply when it comes to spiritual growth.   They may cry out to God and they may reach out and open their hearts to us in this moment.   In that moment all we may have to give them is God’s mercy and love but with this immediately the scene is changed. They are changed and we are changed.   People who are hungry or thirsty or in need of something material are our teachers.   They have a need. We have something material to give.   We give it to God.   He gives the Spirit of His Son Jesus to the body of people around us and to us.   The best answer may be “yes” or may be “no”. We then thank God for what we have.   We distribute it to the best of our ability.   Aga...

Intensive Daily Bible Reading If you have ten minutes, read Jesus from the Gospels. (Read prayerfully seeking guidance from Jesus for your personal situation.) If you have thirty minutes, read Jesus and the New Testament selection. If you have forty minutes, read Jesus, the New Testament and a Psalm selection. If you have an hour, read all the readings. Think of this time as an intimate conversation with your Father in Heaven. Listen for something of His love from His heart to yours today.   Date:1/14/13   Read a chapter of Jesus : Matthew 14. Read a chapter from Acts:14 Read a chapter from this New Testament Book:Romans 15 Read a paragraph from a Holy Spirit inspired older teacher to a younger teacher:1 Timothy 6.2-10 Read a verse about the beauty of the Word of God:Psalm 119.14 Read a couple of chapters from the Old Testament:Genesis 27,28 Read a chapter from Wisdom Literature:Job 14 Read a Psalm:Psalm 13.a Read a ...

Low information people.   Depressed.   Downcast. Paraplegic. Blind. Mute.   Depressed.   Obsessed.   Mentally ill.   Since we have chosen to follow Jesus, these are the people we work with. It’s been said that a crisis is a terrible thing to waste.   This certainly seems to apply when it comes to spiritual growth.   They may cry out to God and they may reach out and open their hearts to us in this moment.   In that moment all we may have to give them is God’s mercy and love but with this immediately the scene is changed. They are changed and we are changed. People who are hungry or thirsty or in need of something material are our teachers.   They have a need. We have something material to give.   We give it to God.   He gives the Spirit of His Son Jesus to the body of people around us and to us.   The best answer may be “yes” or may be “no”. We then thank God for what we have.   We distribute it to the be...

Jesus taught the concept that how we treat others is how they treat us.  If we are judgemental to them, they will be judgemental to us.  If we are merciful to them they will be merciful to us.  We should be forgiving to others in the way God has been forgiving with us.  We reap what we sow.   Intensive Daily Bible Reading If you have ten minutes, read Jesus from the Gospels. (Read prayerfully seeking guidance from Jesus for your personal situation.) If you have thirty minutes, read Jesus and the New Testament selection. If you have forty minutes, read Jesus, the New Testament and a Psalm selection. If you have an hour, read all the readings. Think of this time as an intimate conversation with your Father in Heaven. Listen for something of His love from His heart to yours today.   Date:1/13/13   Read a chapter of Jesus : Matthew 13. Read a chapter from Acts:13. Read a chapter from this New Testament Book:Ro...