Refreshing Our Spirits With Scripture

3.7-Jesus is king of peace so the palm trees. Jesus is the King of Kings and Lord of Lord, but a gentle King. He motivates with love instead of fear. He is king over death and Lord of Life. John 12. 12  On the next day the large crowd who had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, 13  took the branches of the palm trees and went out to meet Him, and began to shout, “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord , even the King of Israel.” 14  Jesus, finding a young donkey, sat on it; as it is written, 15  “ Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your King is coming, seated on a donkey’s colt .” 16  These things His disciples did not understand at the first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written of Him, and that they had done these things to Him. 17  So the [ e ] people, who were with Him when He called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead, continu...

3.6- Jesus is the only begotten Son of God.  He was worshipped and this is only appropriate for deity.  He was honest about being God in a body.  The Pharisees claimed this was blasphemy as it was if He was not God, but He was.  The word god is also used in another way as a god.  The gods of this earth will die like men and not live forever like the living God. John 10. 22  At that time the Feast of the Dedication took place at Jerusalem; 23  it was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple in the portico of Solomon. 24  The Jews then gathered around Him, and were saying to Him, “How long [ b ] will You keep us in suspense? If You are [ c ] the Christ, tell us plainly.” 25  Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe; the works that I do in My Father’s name, these testify of Me. 26  But you do not believe because you are not of My sheep. 27  My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; 28...

3.5- To be taught is a privilege.  Those who are taught better can do better.  Education in the things of God is a door opener to many great things.  God in both the Jewish culture and the Christian culture emphasizes education as being very important.  A good education and teaching situation draws people to the love of God. John 6. 45  It is written in the prophets, ‘ And they shall all be taught of God .’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father, comes to Me. 46  Not that anyone has seen the Father, except the One who is from God; He has seen the Father. 47  Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has eternal life. 48  I am the bread of life. 49  Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. 50  This is the bread which comes down out of heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. 51  I am the living bread that came down out of heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; an...

3.4- Bread is the substance of life in many places.  It is the nutrition available to even the poorest of the poor.  It stands for the provision of daily needs for people from their God that is an answer to their constant prayer for daily bread.  Jesus is this core food for us as His disciples.  His life is what we must absorb into our daily life for us to be strong and healthy spiritually. John 6 31  Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘ He gave them bread out of heaven to eat .’” 32  Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread out of heaven, but it is My Father who gives you the true bread out of heaven. 33  For the bread of God is [ i ] that which comes down out of heaven, and gives life to the world.” 34  Then they said to Him, “Lord, always give us this bread.” 35  Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, an...

3.3- Choices have consequences.  To love God and people had good outcomes.  To rebel and choose selfishness and hate is to bring pain upon your life.  God stands with righteousness and justice.  He has ordained authorities in nations to stand for justice with the power of the sword.  They are given a job by God to punish the evil and reward those who do right.  When justice comes down the guilty would often rather die under a fall rock of a mountain than the punishment they get as a consequence of their choices.  Luke 23. 26  When they led Him away, they seized a man, Simon of Cyrene, coming in from the country, and placed on him the cross to carry behind Jesus. 27  And following Him was a large crowd of the people, and of women who were [ f ] mourning and lamenting Him. 28  But Jesus turning to them said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, stop weeping for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. 29  For behold, the days ar...

3.2- Jesus religious life included opportunities for the members of the synagogue to choose a section of the Scrolls to read to the assembly of the people.  Jesus chose a section that focused on God's work being preaching good news to the poor, release to captives, sight for the blind, freedom for the oppressed as the favor of the Lord.  This is our work if we are following Jesus. Luke 4. 14  And Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about Him spread through all the surrounding district. 15  And He began teaching in their synagogues and was praised by all. 16  And He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up; and as was His custom, He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath, and stood up to read. 17  And the [ e ] book of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him. And He opened the [ f ] book and found the place where it was written, 18  “ The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me , Because He anointed Me to preach the ...

3.1- Jesus described the end of a nation as a time when the stars fall out of the sky. I have witnessed three Presidents impeached or nearly impeached.  There were the high times when everyone was thinking how great a person was, then with a trial the ugly parts of their lives came out.  The stars do fall. Mark 13. 24  “But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light , 25  and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers that are in [ m ] the heavens will be shaken. 26  Then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. 27  And then He will send forth the angels, and will gather together His [ n ] elect from the four winds, from the farthest end of the earth to the farthest end of heaven. Isaiah 13. 10  For the stars of heaven and their constellations Will not flash forth their light; The sun will be dark when it rises And the moon will not sh...