Refreshing Our Spirits With Scripture

11.19- Matthew 6. 25  “For this reason I say to you, [ n ] do not be worried about your [ o ] life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26  Look at the birds of the [ p ] air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? 27  And who of you by being worried can add a single [ q ] hour to his [ r ] life? 28  And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, 29  yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. 30  But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith! 31  Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘...

  We go into a McDonald’s and teach some guys who are wanting to learn.    One of the guys is almost bored with his job again after three years.   The other guy has been given a promotion, but must do his old job and his new one with no additional money. “Show me the money” is on his mind. We get calls from people who are fearful of losing their jobs and wondering what is going to happen.   They wonder where did they fail.   Failure is a push for us to fish deeper.     The shallow water has people who don’t trust us because they know us so well.   They don’t trust us as a helper and so we cannot help them.    Job changes are the ideal place for us to fish deeper.   Jesus called His disciples to work with others who are from their same career field.   Some were fishermen.   Others were doctors, salesmen and women and one a professor of religion and a tent maker.   He worked with other tentma...

11.18- Matthew 6. 16  “Whenever you fast, do not put on a gloomy face as the hypocrites do , for they [ j ] neglect their appearance so that they will be noticed by men when they are fasting. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. 17  But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face 18  so that your fasting will not be noticed by men, but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you. 19  “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20  But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; 21  for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 22  “The eye is the lamp of the body; so then if your eye is [ k ] clear, your whole body will be full of light. 23  But if your eye is [ l ] bad, your whole body wi...

From time to time in the early morning my imagination runs away with me. I imagined that some men and women were thinking and praying about our country getting off track on some basic items.   Things that relate to the health and well being of children and the moral direction of the leaders of our country.   I imagined that some people who follow Jesus wanted to be a salt and light to their nation and so gathered for prayer regarding what to do to help the nation.   They wrote down some important directions they wanted to pray toward. This became the platform of a major group of people who were trying to lead the nation. There was more prayer and through the providence of God a very famous man stepped forward to say he would be willing to lead the nation if the nation saw fit.   He was a very strong man in some ways, but very flawed in other ways.   He was picked by the nation to lead a major party.   He was later picked by the nation to be the...

11.17- Matthew 6. 5  “When you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners [ d ] so that they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. 6  But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you. 7  “And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words. 8  So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him. 9  “Pray, then, in this way: ‘Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. 10  ‘Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. 11  ‘Give us this day [ e ] our daily bread. 12  ‘And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13  ‘And do not lead us in...

11.16- Matthew 6. 6  “Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven. 2  “So when you [ a ] give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be honored by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. 3  But when you [ b ] give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4  so that your [ c ] giving will be in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you. Psalm 9. 9  I will give thanks to the Lord with all my heart; I will tell of all Your [ b ] wonders. 2  I will be glad and exult in You; I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High. 3  When my enemies turn back, They stumble and perish before You. 4  For You have maintained [ c ] my just cause; You have sat on the throne [ d ] judging righteous...

11.15- Matthew 5. 43  “You have heard that it was said, ‘ You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44  But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45  so that you may [ ap ] be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46  For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47  If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others ? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48  Therefore [ aq ] you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. Psalm 8. 8  O Lord , our Lord, How majestic is Your name in all the earth, Who have [ a ] displayed Your splendor above the heavens! 2  From the mouth of infants and nursing babes You have established [ b ] strength Because of Your adversaries, To make the enemy and the reven...

11.14- Matthew 5. 38  “You have heard that it was said, ‘ An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth .’ 39  But I say to you, do not resist an evil person; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. 40  If anyone wants to sue you and take your [ am ] shirt, let him have your [ an ] coat also. 41  Whoever [ ao ] forces you to go one mile, go with him two. 42  Give to him who asks of you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you. Psalm 6. 6  O Lord , do not rebuke me in Your anger, Nor chasten me in Your wrath. 2  Be gracious to me, O Lord , for I am pining away; Heal me, O Lord , for my bones are dismayed. 3  And my soul is greatly dismayed; But You, O Lord —how long? 4  Return, O Lord , rescue my [ b ] soul; Save me because of Your lovingkindness. 5  For there is no [ c ] mention of You in death; In [ d ] Sheol who will give You thanks? 6  I am weary with my sighing; ...

11.13- Matthew 5. 31  “It was said, ‘ Whoever sends his wife away, let him give her a certificate of divorce ’; 32  but I say to you that everyone who [ ae ] divorces his wife, except for the reason of unchastity, makes her commit adultery; and whoever marries a [ af ] divorced woman commits adultery. 33  “Again, you have heard that [ ag ] the ancients were told, ‘ [ ah ] You shall not [ ai ] make false vows, but shall fulfill your [ aj ] vows to the Lord .’ 34  But I say to you, make no oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, 35  or by the earth, for it is the footstool of His feet, or [ ak ] by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King . 36  Nor shall you make an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. 37  But let your statement be, ‘Yes, yes’ or ‘No, no’; anything beyond these is [ al ] of evil. Psalm 5. 5  Give ear to my words, O Lord , Consider my [ b ] groaning. 2  Heed...