Refreshing Our Spirits With Scripture

Luke 23. 13  Pilate called together the chief priests, the rulers and the people, 14  and said to them, “You brought me this man as one who was inciting the people to rebellion. I have examined him in your presence and have found no basis for your charges against him. 15  Neither has Herod, for he sent him back to us; as you can see, he has done nothing to deserve death. 16  Therefore, I will punish him and then release him.” [17]  [ a ] 18  But the whole crowd shouted, “Away with this man! Release Barabbas to us!” 19  (Barabbas had been thrown into prison for an insurrection in the city, and for murder.) 20  Wanting to release Jesus, Pilate appealed to them again. 21  But they kept shouting, “Crucify him! Crucify him!” 22  For the third time he spoke to them: “Why? What crime has this man committed? I have found in him no grounds for the death penalty. Therefore I will have him punished and then release him.” 23  B...

.9.11 always makes me remember the courage of the firemen in New York who ran into burning buildings to try to rescue their fellow citizens.  Courage is not the absence of fear, but the training to do the  right thing even though we are afraid. Luke 22. 63  The men who were guarding Jesus began mocking and beating him. 64  They blindfolded him and demanded, “Prophesy! Who hit you?” 65  And they said many other insulting things to him. Jesus Before Pilate and Herod 66  At daybreak the council of the elders of the people, both the chief priests and the teachers of the law, met together, and Jesus was led before them. 67  “If you are the Messiah,” they said, “tell us.” Jesus answered, “If I tell you, you will not believe me, 68  and if I asked you, you would not answer. 69  But from now on, the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the mighty God.” 70  They all asked, “Are you then the Son of God?” He replied, “You ...

Luke 22. 54  Then seizing him, they led him away and took him into the house of the high priest. Peter followed at a distance. 55  And when some there had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and had sat down together, Peter sat down with them. 56  A servant girl saw him seated there in the firelight. She looked closely at him and said, “This man was with him.” 57  But he denied it. “Woman, I don’t know him,” he said. 58  A little later someone else saw him and said, “You also are one of them.” “Man, I am not!” Peter replied. 59  About an hour later another asserted, “Certainly this fellow was with him, for he is a Galilean.” 60  Peter replied, “Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed. 61  The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times.” 62  And he we...

Luke 22. 47  While he was still speaking a crowd came up, and the man who was called Judas, one of the Twelve, was leading them. He approached Jesus to kiss him, 48  but Jesus asked him, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?” 49  When Jesus’ followers saw what was going to happen, they said, “Lord, should we strike with our swords?” 50  And one of them struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his right ear. 51  But Jesus answered, “No more of this!” And he touched the man’s ear and healed him. 52  Then Jesus said to the chief priests, the officers of the temple guard, and the elders, who had come for him, “Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come with swords and clubs? 53  Every day I was with you in the temple courts, and you did not lay a hand on me. But this is your hour—when darkness reigns.”

Guest Post from Bob Russell, minister from Louisville, KY When is it right to disobey the law?  Written on September 7, 2015 by admin in Uncategorized I admire the courage of Kim Davis, the Rowan County clerk who has stubbornly refused to grant same-sex marriage licenses in her district. She stated to do so would be to disobey God’s authority. For her, it was a choice between heaven and hell. Gubernatorial candidate Matt Bevin stated he was “absolutely” standing by Mrs. Davis and pointed out she has every right to exercise her first amendment rights – the free exercise of religion. This past Thursday District Court Judge David Bunning ordered Kim Davis imprisoned – which was not exactly a commensurate penalty for her offense.* That prompted former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee to tweet, “Kim Davis in Federal Custody removes all doubts about the criminalization of Christianity in this country.” Kim Davis knows the Bible clearly states that marriage is to be betw...

Luke 22. 54  Then seizing him, they led him away and took him into the house of the high priest. Peter followed at a distance. 55  And when some there had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and had sat down together, Peter sat down with them. 56  A servant girl saw him seated there in the firelight. She looked closely at him and said, “This man was with him.” 57  But he denied it. “Woman, I don’t know him,” he said. 58  A little later someone else saw him and said, “You also are one of them.” “Man, I am not!” Peter replied. 59  About an hour later another asserted, “Certainly this fellow was with him, for he is a Galilean.” 60  Peter replied, “Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed. 61  The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times.” 62  And he we...

Luke 22. 39  Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him. 40  On reaching the place, he said to them, “Pray that you will not fall into temptation.” 41  He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, 42  “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” 43  An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. 44  And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground. [ c ] 45  When he rose from prayer and went back to the disciples, he found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow. 46  “Why are you sleeping?” he asked them. “Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.”

Luke 22. 28  You are those who have stood by me in my trials. 29  And I confer on you a kingdom, just as my Father conferred one on me, 30  so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 31  “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. 32  But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” 33  But he replied, “Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death.” 34  Jesus answered, “I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know me.”