Refreshing Our Spirits With Scripture

8.9- During difficult times. 2 Timothy 3. 3  But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. 2  For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3  unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, [ j ] haters of good, 4  treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5  holding to a form of [ k ] godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these. 6  For among them are those who [ l ] enter into households and captivate [ m ] weak women weighed down with sins, led on by various impulses, 7  always learning and never able to come to the [ n ] knowledge of the truth. Remember who taught you about Jesus. Remember Scripture. When others speak against me, I will keep meditating on Your word. Psalm 119. 23  Even though princes sit and talk against me, Your se...

8.8- My country is a work in progress.   I am a salt and a light for it to improve constantly. Because Paul was a citizen of Rome there were some things they could not do to him. Acts 22. 25  But when they stretched him out [ k ] with thongs, Paul said to the centurion who was standing by, “Is it [ l ] lawful for you to scourge a man who is a Roman and uncondemned?” 26  When the centurion heard this , he went to the [ m ] commander and told him, saying, “What are you about to do? For this man is a Roman.” 27  The [ n ] commander came and said to him, “Tell me, are you a Roman?” And he said, “Yes.” 28  The [ o ] commander answered, “I acquired this citizenship with a large sum of money.” And Paul said, “But I was actually born a citizen .” 29  Therefore those who were about to examine him immediately [ p ] let go of him; and the [ q ] commander also was afraid when he found out that he was a Roman, and because he had [ r ] put him in chains. Ac...

8.7- N o longer any mourning. When I think of my peak, joyful experiences I would not want them to be lost. God can make sure they are not lost because He is all powerful and all wise. Think of your most joyful moments.   Could it be you wedding day or the 60 th anniversary of your wedding day?   For some it might the birth of a child that you didn’t think you could have.   I suspect some when it became clear that the cancer had been overcome and was now in remission.   I know people who would say it was when their child received their hard fought for Phd.   I once hear a young minister describe one of his greatest moments was a trip to Israel with his father who had helped inspire him to want to be a teacher of the good news of Jesus. Think of those peak experiences.   If heaven didn’t include those you might mourn over that loss.   It is a blessing to know that there will be no mourning in heaven.   Makes me want to finish my work and t...