Refreshing Our Spirits With Scripture

7.3- Faith gets us through the tribulations that are so necessary. Acts 14. 22  strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying , “Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.” 23  When they had appointed elders for them in every church, having prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed. Acts 14. 14  But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of it, they tore their [ k ] robes and rushed out into the crowd, crying out 15  and saying, “Men, why are you doing these things? We are also men of the same nature as you, and preach the gospel to you that you should turn from these [ l ] vain things to a living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them . 16 [ m ] In the generations gone by He permitted all the [ n ] nations to go their own ways; 17  and yet He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good a...

6.13- Joy is the settled assurance that God is in control of all the details of my life, the quiet confidence that ultimately everything is going to be all right, and the determined choice to praise God in all things. Kay Warren There are two parts to thinking like Jesus. The first half of this mental shift is to stop thinking immature thoughts, which are self-centered and self-seeking. The second half is to start thinking maturely, which focuses on others, not yourself. Thinking of others is the heart of Christlikeness, and the goal of spiritual growth. This kind of thinking is unnatural, counter- cultural, and rare. The only way we will learn to think this way is by filling our minds with the Word of God. Rick Warren The Purpose Driven Life Journal

6.12- Fiery Trials James 1:2-12 Bill Crowder Fire can be one of the worst enemies of trees. But it can also be helpful. Experts say that small, frequent fires called “cool” fires clean the forest floor of dead leaves and branches but don’t destroy the trees. They leave behind ashes, which are perfect for seeds to grow in. Surprisingly, low-intensity fires are necessary for healthy growth of trees. Similarly, trials – pictured as fires in the Bible – are necessary for our spiritual health and growth (I Peter 1:7, 4:12). James wrote, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything” (James l:2-4). It is in the season of trial that God’s purposes are often realized, for there the conditions are right for us to grow into spiritual maturity. This gr...

6.11- Ruler of the Waves Job 38:1-18 Sheridan Voysey King Canute was one of the most powerful men on earth in the eleventh century. In a now-famous tale, it is said that he ordered his chair to be placed on the shore as the tide was rising. “You are subject to me,” he said to the sea. “I command you, therefore, not to rise on to my land, not to wet the clothing or limbs of your master.” But the tide continued to rise, drenching the king’s feet. The story is often told to draw attention to Canute’s pride. Actually, it’s a story about humility. “Let all the world know that the power of kings is empty,” Canute says next, “save Him by whose will heaven, earth and sea obey.” Canute’s story makes a point: God is the only all-powerful One. Job discovered the same. Compared to the One who laid Earth’s foundations (Job 38:47), who commands morning to appear and night to end (verses 12-13), who stocks the storehouses of the snow and directs the st...

6.10- Keep on Asking Luke 11:1-13 Jonie Yoder I heard a woman say that she never prayed more than once for anything. She didn’t want to weary God with her repeated requests. The Lord’s teaching on prayer in Luke 13 contradicts this notion. He told a parable about a man who went to his friend’s house at midnight and asked for some bread to feed his unexpected visitors. At first the friend refused, for he and his family were in bed. Finally he got up and gave him the bread – not out of friendship but because the caller was so persistent (verses 5-10). Jesus used this parable to contrast this reluctant friend with our generous heavenly Father. If an irritated neighbor will give in to his friend’s persistence and grant his request, how much more readily will our heavenly Father give us what we need! It’s true that God, in His great wisdom, may sometimes delay His answers to prayer. It’s also true that we must pray in harmony with God’s will. But...

6.9- Grandmother Wishard’s work principles. It’s okay to be poor. Most of God's children around the world are poor. Many of them have more joy in life than the rich who don't know how to enjoy life. It’s important to work hard and be careful not to waste resources. When we mess up or famines and crop failures come we must change and work harder and think smarter and live cheaper. We must get a better education for our heart, mind and soul. If we can get a high school, college or graduate education that is good, but the emphasis must be on the excellent, useful work skills and not the letters after our names. We must be more grateful and worship God more consistently to have more joy in life. Resources will be entrusted to us because of our success. We must use our opportunities well and as we advance in our financial freedom we must keep associating with those who are not free. This encourages them and helps us to stay humble and grounded. If an inheritance comes to us i...

6.9- The Power of Simple Words II Peter 1:12-21 Randy Kilgore Raucous laughter marked the guests in my father’s hospital room: Two old truck drivers, one former country/western singer, one craftsman, two women from neighboring farms and me. “. . .and then he got up and busted the bottle over my head,” the craftsman said, finishing his story about a bar fight, The room bursts into laughter at this now humorous memory. Dad, struggling for breath as his laughing fought with his cancer for the air in his lungs, puffs out a reminder to everybody that “Randy is a preacher” so they need to watch what they say. Everything got quiet for about two seconds, then the whole room exploded as this news makes them laugh harder and louder. Suddenly, about forty minutes into this visit, the craftsman clears his throat, turns to my dad, and gets serious. “No more drinking and bar fights for me, Howard. Those days are behind me. Now I have a different reason t...

6.8- Our Covering Romans 3:21-26 Anne Cetas When talking about faith in Jesus, we sometimes use words without understanding or explaining them. One of those words is righteous. We say that God has righteousness and that He make people righteous, but this is a tough concept to grasp. The way the word righteousness is pictured in the Chinese language is helpful. It is a combination of two characters. The top word is lamb. The bottom word is me. The lamb covers or is above the person. When Jesus came to this world, John the Baptist called Him “the Lamb f God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29). We need our sin taken care of because it separates us from God whose character and ways are always perfect and right. Because His love for us is great, God made His Son Jesus “who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God: (II Corinthians 5:21). Jesus, the Lamb, sacrificed Himself and shed His blood....

6.7- Excitement ran high at the gate of the temple. A crippled man, well known to the crowd of people gathered there, was now leaping, walking and praising God. The group’s attention turned to the two rather ordinary looking men who were receiving the special attention of the cured man. Peter and John quickly disclaimed personal credit for the miracle that had occurred. Peter diverted the group’s attention to the source of the power that had occasioned the healing – Jesus. Consider Peter’s graphic description of our many-faceted Savior. He was glorified by God and yet is described as a servant.  He is the Prince of Life, yet He was put to death. He is the Holy and Righteous One, but men had preferred a murderer to Him. He is the Christ, whose suffering confirmed His anointing by God. He is the Prophet in whom God’s promise to Abraham saw fulfillment. Just as Peter’s listeners on that day so many years ago, we need our attention turned to J...