Refreshing Our Spirits With Scripture

Day of Year: 117 Date:4.27.13 Favorite Verse: Mark 1.8 8  I baptized you  with water; but He will baptize you  with the Holy Spirit.” Thought for the day: John said there was no comparison between Jesus and himself because Jesus is the one who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.  On the day of Pentecost it is said that the believers in Jesus should repent and be baptized and they would receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 2.38) If you observe a follower of Jesus possessing deep, gentle love, it is because Jesus gave this to them.  There is as much difference between John the Baptist and Jesus as between a house and the designer and builder of the house. Jesus Reading (Ten Minutes):  Mark 1.1-8 + Rest of New Testament:  1 Corinthians 2.1-5 +Psalm of the Day: Psalm 78.50-72 +Proverb of the Day: Proverbs 14.13 +Rest of Old Testament: 1 Samuel 5,6

Day of Year: 116 Date:4.26.14 Favorite Verse: Matthew 28.18-20 (NIV) 18  Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19  Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20  and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”   Thought for the day: God's Son is Jesus.  He has been given all authority to command His followers what His mission statement is.   It really doesn't matter what a congregation puts down as its mission statement.  If it is not aligned with this mission statement. it will not be as fruitful as it could be . I believe that this may sound radical, but it should be normal.  Our work as followers of Jesus is not to go out and make members of any political party, but to make disciples of Jesus.  This ...

Day of Year: 115 Date: 4.25.14 Favorite Verse: Matthew 28.10 10  Then Jesus *said to them, “ [ c ] Do not be afraid; go and take word to My brethren to leave for Galilee, and there they will see Me.” Thought for the day: Jesus' best known phrase is "Do not be afraid."  Angels also use these four words to help us.  Messengers from God of all kinds in all walks of life  encourage us by saying this in different words but with the same basic message, "Do not be afraid."  I find it very encouraging that this is the teacher whose tomb is empty.  It is this teacher who has great followers impacting this world for good. I heard this morning about a doctor in Afghanistan who was caring for mothers and their babies.  He was killed by a man who was supposed to be guarding him.  The doctor's wife and children were interviewed this morning and said they "forgave" the person who killed him. He was there because of Jesus.  Jesus taugh...

Day of Year: 114 Date: 7.24.14 Favorite Verse: Matthew 27.65 65  Pilate said to them, “You have a guard; go, make it as secure as you know how.” 66  And they went and made the grave secure, and along with the guard they set a seal on the stone. Thought for the day:  I heard someone on radio say something like this:  The way I look at this is, you look at the timeline of humanity, whatever length of time, billion years, 10,000. Whatever number of years human beings have been on the earth, make that a 50-foot string, in your mind.  And on that 50-foot string is a speck of dust which represents the time we're alive.  It may not  even be that big.    Christians believe that our time on earth is to love God and love our neighbor.  The life we have here is a mist or vapor. Easter is about the main thing being our life in all eternity.  The joy of Easter is that the world made the grave of Jesus as...