Refreshing Our Spirits With Scripture

11.17- Some humans have chosen totem poles as their gods.  They put faces on them and they carve mouths for them, but they cannot speak. Our God speaks.  He speaks through the creation.  He speaks through Scripture. Psalm 115. Psalm 115 1  Not to us, Lord , not to us      but to your name be the glory,      because of your love and faithfulness. 2  Why do the nations say,      “Where is their God?” 3  Our God is in heaven;      he does whatever pleases him. 4  But their idols are silver and gold,      made by human hands. 5  They have mouths, but cannot speak,      eyes, but cannot see. 6  They have ears, but cannot hear,      noses, but cannot smell. 7  They have hands, but cannot feel,      feet, but cannot walk,      nor can they utter a sound...

11.16-  God's got this. We over stress.  We worry.  We don't relax.  Children of God should rest in God. Hebrews 4. 4  Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it. 2  For we also have had the good news proclaimed to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because they did not share the faith of those who obeyed. [ a ] 3  Now we who have believed enter that rest, just as God has said, “So I declared on oath in my anger,      ‘They shall never enter my rest.’” [ b ] And yet his works have been finished since the creation of the world. 4  For somewhere he has spoken about the seventh day in these words: “On the seventh day God rested from all his works.” [ c ] 5  And again in the passage above he says, “They shall never enter my rest.” 6  Therefore since it still remains for ...

11.15- Human beings have hearts that are vulnerable and so need encouragement.  By taking all opportunities to encourage people there is a chance to keep hearts soft and open to love.  Be kind.  Look for opportunities to uplift people.  Hebrews 3. 12  See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. 13  But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.

11.14- We are not as strong as we think we are.  If we have not face the strongest of temptations we don't know what we might do. Mark 14. 27  “You will all fall away,” Jesus told them, “for it is written: “‘I will strike the shepherd,      and the sheep will be scattered.’ [ d ] 28  But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.” 29  Peter declared, “Even if all fall away, I will not.” 30  “Truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “today—yes, tonight—before the rooster crows twice [ e ] you yourself will disown me three times.” 31  But Peter insisted emphatically, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.” And all the others said the same.

11.13- Celebrate beautiful things that people do for others. Mark 14. 3  While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head. 4  Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, “Why this waste of perfume? 5  It could have been sold for more than a year’s wages [ a ] and the money given to the poor.” And they rebuked her harshly. 6  “Leave her alone,” said Jesus. “Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. 7  The poor you will always have with you, [ b ] and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me. 8  She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial. 9  Truly I tell you, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory o...

11.12- The problem with religion that is controlled by men who are tempted by the devil is that they want to destroy those who don't agree with them. Mark 14. 14  Now the Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread were only two days away, and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were scheming to arrest Jesus secretly and kill him. 2  “But not during the festival,” they said, “or the people may riot.”

11.11 If you seek to follow the real Jesus as He is presented in the New Testament gospels, your liberal friends will think you are too conservative, and your conservative friends will think you are too liberal. Matthew 7. 13  “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14  But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.