Refreshing Our Spirits With Scripture

3.31- Last Easter maybe you didn’t know how much you would need this Easter. Some of you lost a mother suddenly who was not supposed to pass for another few years. Could someone be reading this that had a father here last year, gone from this earth this year? I wonder if some member of your family got a cancer diagnosis and was gone in less than a year. Maybe some of you were still in the shock of a death of a fatal accident that happened a year or so ago and hardly experienced Easter at all last year. You were not out of your shock and into the sting and empty heart. If you have lost someone recently I want to say to you there is one who understands loss. His Son hung upon a cross and breathed his last breath. They took down His body and laid it in the grave. Many did not understand what had just happened. Peter had denied he even knew Him. Some went sleep as he prayed intensely. His own disciples did not understand what was happening here. Then on Easter...

3.31- Peter had been a friend of Jesus.  He said he would stand with Him even if he had to die with Him.  He was not as strong as he thought he was.  He had regrets later about denying his friendship. John 18. 15  Simon Peter was following Jesus, and so was another disciple. Now that disciple was known to the high priest, and entered with Jesus into the court of the high priest, 16  but Peter was standing at the door outside. So the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out and spoke to the doorkeeper, and brought Peter in. 17  Then the slave-girl who kept the door *said to Peter, “You are not also one of this man’s disciples, are you?” He *said, “I am not.” 18  Now the slaves and the officers were standing there , having made a charcoal fire, for it was cold and they were warming themselves; and Peter was also with them, standing and warming himself. 25  Now Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. So they sai...

3.30- 3.24.18 Time magazine reported The French police officer who swapped himself for a female supermarket employee being held hostage had already received a lifetime of accolades by the time he walked unarmed into the store under attack by an extremist gunman. Known for his courage and sang-froid in life, Lt. Col. Arnaud Beltrame was honored as a national hero Saturday after his death from wounds the day before. After agreeing to the hostage swap, Beltrame surrendered his weapon — but kept his cellphone on, allowing authorities outside the Super U market in the southern French town of Trebes to hear what was happening inside. Thanks to Beltrame’s quick thinking, special police units heard gunshots inside the store Friday and stormed the building immediately, killing the attacker. Put the sword into the sheath.  The answer for many of us in our thought to violence is more violence.  Jesus told Peter to put up his sword.  An eye for an eye leaves t...

3.29- Mr., Mrs., Mss, Public school teacher or College Professor I ask you Do you build up people’s faith or tear it down? Do you believe in teaching real, truthful history to your students? Do you teach the importance of self-control and focus and hard work to resulting self-confidence? Do you teach that faith traditions lead to wisdom or do you denigrate them? Do you teach that character is taught first by example? Do you teach the importance of loyalty to your family? Do you teach the value of duty to your country ahead of living in a comfort zone? 1 Timothy 4. 11  [ d ] Prescribe and teach these things. 12  Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, show yourself an example [ e ] of those who believe. 13  Until I come, give attention to the public reading of Scripture , to exhortation and teaching. 14  Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you, which was bestowed on you ...

3.29- There is a temptation in this world to lose our identity as created in the image of God and coming to the earth as a gift of God.   Jesus helps us to know where we came from and where we are going which gives us good direction regarding what we should do while we are here.   John 13. 13  Now before the Feast of the Passover, Jesus knowing that His hour had come that He would depart out of this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them [ a ] to the end. 2  During supper, the devil having already put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, to betray Him, 3  Jesus , knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come forth from God and was going back to God, 4  *got up from supper, and *laid aside His garments; and taking a towel, He girded Himself.

3.28- If you will not do these things you cannot be fruitful.  Die to yourself and follow Jesus.  Take up your cross and follow Jesus deny.  Yourself.  Consider yourself dead to your own views and take up Jesus' views.  Jesus is Lord. John 12. 23  And Jesus *answered them, saying, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24  Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Luke 9. 23  And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me. 24  For whoever wishes to save his [ n ] life will lose it, but whoever loses his [ o ] life for My sake, he is the one who will save it. 25  For what is a man profited if he gains the whole world, and loses or forfeits himself? 26  For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of ...