Refreshing Our Spirits With Scripture

6.15- Richard Beck's Blog, Experimental Theology One of the phrases I use to describe the Christian life to my students is "the long faithfulness." "Faith is a marathon, not a sprint," I tell my students. We need to go about the faith thinking about how to make it sustainable for the long haul. The Christian life is a life dedicated to the long faithfulness. 2 Corinthians 4. 7  But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. 8  We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9  persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. 10  We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. 11  For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body. 12  So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work...

6.14- “The ideal function of knowledge, for the secularist, is to ascertain the best possible description of nature...[But] For most human beings, the purpose of knowledge is not to describe the world, but to help them navigate it...what most of us need are beliefs that help us act in the world, not describe it.” From Richard Beck’s Blog, Experimental Theology, Stephen Asma's book Why We Need Religion Ecclesiastes 7:12 Wisdom is a shelter as money is a shelter, but the advantage of knowledge is this: Wisdom preserves those who have it.

6.13- When we walk with God in His grace, mercy and peace we still fall down.  We have the forgiveness of God to help us in these moments.  God is not interested in condemning us but rather He wants to save us from destroying ourselves and others. 1 John 1. 5  This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 6  If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. 7  But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all [ b ] sin. 8  If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10  If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us. 1 John 2. ...

6.12- God is righteous.  Just.  God is Holy.  He is love.  This love means that He sent Jesus into the world, not to judge the world, but to save the world. John 3. 16  For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Romans 5. 6  You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7  Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. 8  But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 2 Corinthians 5. 14  For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. 15  And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselve...

6.11- God created humans in His image.  That means among other things mankind was given a radical freedom, the freedom of choice.  He used that choice to be a disobedient rebel.  This has caused this world problems ever since. John 1. 11  He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. James 1. 13  When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; 14  but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. 15  Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.    

6.10- Sometimes it is good to start at the beginning. John 1. 1  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2  He was with God in the beginning. 3  Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 14  The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. Hebrews 1. 1  In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, 2  but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. Colossians 1. 15  The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16  For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have be...

6.9- My reading today was Jesus in Luke 15. This is long but meaningful if you have been hurt by your sin. I like what writer Beth Moore wrote: ":Reading through the Gospel of Luke right now in my morning devotionals. Luke 15 this AM. I knew it was coming & still the tears streamed. I would give anything to rewrite my story. I am so scarred from poor decisions in my past. Some of their consequences have nearly killed me.-> I’ve had a heart for Jesus as long as I can remember. Even in childhood He mesmerized me. By 9, I was in Christ & He, in me. At 18, I surrendered to my calling. Every stupid thing I’ve ever done, I did saved & called. Took years for the cycle to break. Regret has been crushing.-> But this Jesus. Oh, but this Jesus. This Jesus that I was taught loved the little children turned out to love mind bogglingly foolish & depraved full-grown sinners, too. This Jesus never let me go. Never changed His mind about me. Never quit...