Refreshing Our Spirits With Scripture

The Christian Chronicle, a newspaper for followers of Jesus, recently interviewed one of the most successful writers in the Biblical arena.  I was impressed with the interview and noted especially these words. “ The Christian faith spread in the early centuries, despite the Romans trying to stamp it out, because of ‘ordinary’ people living in an extraordinary way: --caring for people—especially the poor—even when they were not related to them; giving people medical treatment, education and so on (which had been reserved for the rich or the elite before.)   People were astonished.   They didn’t know it was possible to live like that! Another particular point was the early church’s insistence on sexual holiness.   Again, people had no idea it was possible or desirable to live like that.”   N. T. Wright, Christian Chronicle, 4/14, P. 23 “ many assume that Christianity is about a big bully in the sky who basically hates us but   ...

Two Bibles, Russian and English, on the table as I studied with a Russian psychiatrist.  The Bible has been translated into more languages than any other book.  Living eleven time zones apart, we were in the same time zone of the heart. As this man heard the story of the book of Job explained, he said, "This is like honey to my heart."  He had seen much suffering of the innocent in his days. Day of Year: 96 Date:4.6.14 Favorite Verse: Matthew 24.35   35  Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away . Thought for the day: Jesus Reading (Ten Minutes): Matthew 24.32-41 + Rest of New Testament: Romans 11.25-32 +Psalm of the Day: Psalm 68.1-6 +Proverb of the Day: Proverbs 13.10,11 +Rest of Old Testament: Joshua 12,13

Day of Year: 97 Date:4.7.14 Favorite Verse: Matthew 24.49 48  But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, ‘My master is staying away a long time,’ 49  and he then begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards. 50  The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. 51  He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Set up the bridge to forever by treating your co-workers well.  Every day is the day to treat others the way you want to be treated.  Without any self control, people can become drunk and say and do things to others that they normally would not do.  So live each day realizing that it could be your last. The golden rule sets us up for today and every day. Thought for the day: Jesus Reading (Ten Minutes): Matthew 24.42-51 + Rest of New Testament: Roma...

I'm a big believer in participation in sports, but not so sure about couch potato spectator sports.   I love to watch the sports teams in towns where I have lived.   Cowboys, Mavericks, Rangers, Broncos, Nuggets and Rockies.   March madness has been great and to have the final four in North Texas is a hoot.. My grandsons are extremely active in sports and not as much into just watching.   I love to go to Atlanta to watch them play.   Jared, my 15 year old grandson, is on his Wheeler High School varsity soccer team. Jordan, my twelve year old grandson, plays both offense and defense on his East Cobb Middle School football team.   Why do I love sports? In addition to learning to be a team player, there are these advantages in sports participation. Self indulgence is not permitted. Self control is necessary.   It sets up a willingness to compete and strive to surpass others who may not have as strict a training    ...