Refreshing Our Spirits With Scripture

11.9- Jesus slept in a boat in a storm not because he didn't care but because he knew how much His Father in heaven did care. Mark 4. 35  On that day, when evening came, He *said to them, “Let us go over to the other side.” 36  [ j ] Leaving the crowd, they *took Him along with them in the boat, just as He was; and other boats were with Him. 37  And there *arose a fierce gale of wind, and the waves were breaking over the boat so much that the boat was already filling up. 38  Jesus Himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they *woke Him and *said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” 39  And He got up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Hush, be still.” And the wind died down and [ k ] it became perfectly calm. 40  And He said to them, “Why are you [ l ] afraid? Do you still have no faith?” 41  They became very much afraid and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey...

11.8-Why was Jesus named Jesus? There is a basic problem that human beings have which I will call free will choice.  For love to mean anything it must be by free will choice.  That opens up possibility for sin to seize opportunity and produce bad desires in our hearts.  This is why Jesus was named Jesus.  He came to save us all from our sins. When he encountered lame people he dealt with their sin, guilt and shame issues before their lack of movement issues.  He called and commissioned the great apostle Paul to turn people from darkness to light, yet Paul himself had a struggle with sin. Matthew 1. 21  She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for [ w ] He will save His people from their sins.” Romans 7.8 7  What shall we say then? Is the Law sin? May it never be! On the contrary, I would not have come to know sin except [ e ] through the Law; for I would not have known about [ f ] coveting if the Law had not said, “ You shall not ...

11.7- Work hard.  Enjoy your work.  Be good to your fellow worker.  Don't be a drunkard or a lazy sloth. Ecclesiastes 5. 18  Here is what I have seen to be good and [ v ] fitting: to eat, to drink and [ w ] enjoy oneself in all one’s labor in which he toils under the sun during the few [ x ] years of his life which God has given him; for this is his [ y ] reward. 19  Furthermore, as for every man to whom God has given riches and wealth, He has also empowered him to eat from them and to receive his [ z ] reward and rejoice in his labor; this is the gift of God. 20  For he will not often [ aa ] consider the [ ab ] years of his life, because God keeps [ ac ] him occupied with the gladness of his heart. Matthew 24. 42  “Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming. 43  But [ af ] be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have been on the ...

11.6- I have a friend named Moses who told me that the way to have your words valued was to speak less. I quoted Abraham Lincoln's words, "Better to keep you mouth shut and have people think you are a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt." Proverbs 17. 28  Even a fool, when he keeps silent, is considered wise; When he closes his lips, he is considered prudent.

11.5- The word of God remains when all else is gone. That beautiful temple in Jerusalem was predicted to be torn down.   The temple in our hearts and the temple in the body of Christ remains forever. What remains is the word of Jesus. Matthew 24. 32  “Now learn the parable from the fig tree: when its branch has already become tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near; 33  so, you too, when you see all these things, [ u ] recognize that [ v ] He is near, right at the [ w ] door. 34  Truly I say to you, this [ x ] generation will not pass away until all these things take place. 35  Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.

11.4- I sought my God but my God eluded me. I sought myself, but myself eluded me. I sought my neighbor and I found all three. Matthew 25. 31  “But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. 32  All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; 33  and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left. 34  “Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35  For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; 36  naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.’ 37  Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see Y...

11.3- Persistence alone is omnipotent. Only God gives the persistence to endure to eternal life. I heard of a student who had problems learning. He was a student with ADD, but he graduated at the top of his law class and also got a MBA at the same time.  How?  He persisted.  He learned out to use his disability to become an ability. Persistence alone is omnipotent. Another example. He was a well known congressman.  He was the son of sharecroppers and laborers.  His parents were Preachers.  He was almost thrown out of school because the teachers at first thought he was disruptive.  He went on to get a law degree and graduate from law school, Phi Beta Kappa.  Elijah Cummings. Persistence alone is omnipotent. Matthew 24. 9  “Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name. 10  At that time many will [ d ] fall away and will [ e ] betray one another and hate o...