Refreshing Our Spirits With Scripture

4.29- What are some good things that can come from sorrow? 10 Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. 11 See what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what concern, what readiness to see justice done. At every point you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter. 2 Cor. 7.

4.28- Worn out people or worn out Bibles There are several things I love about my friend, *.   He knows how to make disciples.   He has three sons that he and his wife raised to love people.   One of their sons I met recently is warm and friendly and a teacher/preacher of Jesus.   One is medical doctor who goes on mission trips to help and heal those in desperate need.   He has another son who I have not gotten to know yet.   *is a big guy with a bigger heart.   He knows how to laugh and make you laugh.   He sits beside me at one of my men’s Bible studies and he ready to listen and ready to comment when the time is right.   He brings his Bible and often brings an excellent commentary on the text we are studying.   He is a man who delights in God’s word.   He delights in giving short answers when some of us want to give longer answers. Someone looked at his Bible yesterday and said, “*., looks like you have been using t...

4.27.17 Love causes parents to do some amazing things for their children.   God is love.   He gave His only Son to save us from the guilt and isolation from our sins.  We were adopted into God’s family through Jesus love as the lamb of God.   Our Passover lamb. We weren’t called into a rebel faction to overturn our government.   Jesus came in a time when the government was much more violent and oppressive than our government right now.    When Jesus was taken by the government to His death, He was quiet and peaceful.    He told His followers to put up their swords. Followers of Jesus Christ make good citizens.   We are salt.   We are light.   We don’t retaliate and take vengeance on those who might attack us.   We pray for them and we extend the love of God for them. God will not fail us.   People will fail us, but God will not.  Psalm 100 1  Shout for joy to the Lord , all the earth...

4.26 Cover up of wicked behavior in the world is as old as Cain saying, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” Clergy, school teachers, coaches, media news people, athletes, CEO’s.   The greater the influence of power and money the more people are willing to overlook abusive behavior.    Matthew 24. 13  but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. 14  And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. 35  Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. 45  “Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? 46  It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns. 47  Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. 48  But suppose that servant is wicked and says to hims...

4.25- Brokenness If you wear a mask over yourself to cover up your hurt and pain, the weight of the mask itself is suffocating. We wear a mask what ultimately gets masked is the power of Jesus Christ in our lives. But when we get real and say I am Jacob wrestling with God. In our unmasked state our weaknesses are clear and Christ is revealed as our strength. Jesus takes the broken shards of our lives and makes a mosaic of grace. He will press our wounds down into his wounds.   Thomas doubts but Jesus is close to allow him to press his doubts down into his wounds. There is no place more important to live an honest, broken life than in our family life. Our brokenness before our children shows them a safe space for us all to take our real selves to the cross. We our children it’s not that we want get it wrong, but what are we going to do with it afterward. “Mama” (or “Daddy”) messed it up, I’m going back to Jesus. In the broken places God is making abun...