Refreshing Our Spirits With Scripture

 1.1.22 We wonder why our path is harder that of other people. We don't know all of their journey. Once a man was told he was going to go through difficult things in his old age. "What about my friend will he also go through this?" He was told that was not his to concern himself with. Judgements about the provision of others is not our business. Our work is to finish our own work. Pray for others in difficult circumstances. Help if we can. Turn ultimate outcomes over to God who is full of mercy and love. John 21. 18  Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to gird yourself and walk wherever you wished; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands and someone else will gird you, and bring you where you do not wish to  go .”   19  Now this He said, signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He *said to him,  “Follow Me!” 20  Peter, turning around, *saw the disciple w...

 12.31- Healthy humans get angry and grieved at each other. That is not wrong. What is important is that we think, feel and reveal what we are thinking and feeling to help each other be all we can be. If someone whom we love reveals to us that they are angry and grieved at our hardness of heart it is important to pray and reflect on what they are saying. They could be an instrument of God to try to help us as a son or daughter of God. It could be an important warning to keep us from hurting ourselves and others further. Mark 3. 3  He entered a synagogue again; and a man was there whose hand was withered.   2  And they were watching Him  [ a ] closely  to see  if He would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him.   3  He *said to the man with the withered hand,  “ [ b ] Get up and come forward!”   4  And He *said to them,  “Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath or to do harm, to save a life...

 12.30- Do the laws of a nation apply to those who are not children of God? Yes. John the Baptist told a king who was involved in an unlawful marriage that he was wrong. Paul asked some court officers if it was lawful for them to beat a Roman citizen. This is the way of a good country is that the leaders can and should be corrected and respond to correction. This why citizenship in a good country is sought after and cherished. Are followers of Jesus supposed to be an influence in the nation where they live? Yes. We are called to be a salt and a light. We can be good citizens by paying our taxes and honoring those in authority and influencing our leaders by voting and by communicating with them when we see them doing something that we believe is right and commending them. If we see them do something wrong we should also correct them. As far myself I will not get involved in social media to write about the views people have on politics because that is not my focus. I need to stay f...

 12.29- The question is not can you fall down? But can you get up? Is there anyone who has helped you get up? Are you willing to help someone get up? Then you are blessed. John 21. 12  Jesus *said to them,  “Come  and  have breakfast.”  None of the disciples ventured to inquire of Him, “Who are You?” knowing that it was the Lord.   13  Jesus *came and *took the bread and *gave  it  to them, and the fish likewise.   14  This was now the third time that Jesus revealed Himself to the disciples, after He was raised from the dead. The Love Question 15  Now when they had finished breakfast, Jesus *said to Simon Peter,  “Simon,  son  of John, do you  [ e ] love Me more than these?”  He *said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I  [ f ] love You.” He *said to him,  “Tend My lambs.”   16  He *said to him again, a second time,  “Simon,  son  of J...

 12.28- There is religion and there is pure religion. Jesus is 100% pure. Jesus did not major in minors. Jesus was merciful to people who were caught hurting themselves. Jesus was strong against those who were hurting others. Today's religion is not pure. Pure religion's focus is on helping the hurting. James 1. 26  If anyone thinks himself to be religious, yet does not  [ z ] bridle his tongue but deceives his  own  heart, this person’s religion is worthless.   27  Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of  our  God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress,  and  to keep oneself unstained  [ aa ] by the world.

 12.27- God's power makes His children feel secure in an insecure place. Our God is to be exalted. His name is to be blessed forever. We pass along our love for God to each generation. He is compassionate and merciful and slow to anger. He is good to all. His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom. We cry out to God and He saves us.  Psalm 145. 145  I will exalt You, my God, the King, And I will bless Your name forever and ever. 2  Every day I will bless You, And I will praise Your name forever and ever. 3  Great is the  Lord , and highly to be praised; And His greatness is unsearchable. 4  One generation will praise Your works to another, And will declare Your mighty acts. 5  On the glorious  [ a ] splendor of Your majesty And on Your wonderful works, I will meditate. 6  People will speak of the  [ b ] power of Your awesome acts, And I will tell of Your greatness. 7  They will burst...

 12.26- Scripture cannot be broken or set aside.  That which lasts through time is something that was given to us by the living God.  If humans try to break Scripture it will only cause them to be broken.  Every time I have decided to go the opposite of the commands of God in Scripture it doesn't turn out well. Great men and women have been people who searched the Scriptures daily to see if the things they were being taught down at church were aligned with God's will as seen in Scripture.  It doesn't matter so much what humans may think, but what does God say through inspired Scripture. John 10. 31  The Jews picked up stones again to stone Him.   32  Jesus replied to them,  “I showed you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you stoning Me?”   33  The Jews answered Him, “We are not stoning You for a good work, but for blasphemy; and because You, being a man, make Yourself  out to be  God.” ...

 12.25- Christmas.   Today a Savior has been born. We know Him as the leader who does not run away when the wolf comes.  Hired shepherds who care more about themselves than the sheep will run away in times of danger.  Jesus is the courageous shepherd who says to His sheep fear not. In the storms of life He comes and tells us not to fear. In the encounters with God and angels we are reminded to not be afraid. The Christmas story is one which brings confidence to the children of God.  Jesus says that He is the shepherd who is so powerful that no one can snatch His sheep from Him.   We are His forever if we want to be with Him.  My Savior today and my Savior forever. John 10. 11  “I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.   12  He who is a hired hand, and not a shepherd, who is not the owner of the sheep, sees the wolf coming, and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf snatches them an...

 12.24- Other religious leaders take away our freedom and our life.  A false religious leader or a cult leader will enslave people instead of free them. The thief of life, the evil one, will use fake and false religion to ensnare people so that they are worst off instead of better off.  The despair and frustration in life will cause some people to look for just any kind of leadership and this leads to death instead of life. Jesus gives us life.  Abundant life.  Overflowing life.  Life everlasting.  It is Eternal life in its never ending.  There is a peace and contentment in this life that cannot be matched by anything this world has to offer. John 10. 7  So Jesus said to them again,  “Truly, truly I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.   8  All those who came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them.   9  I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will...

 12.23- Jesus calls us out. I have heard the phrase so often that a leader is someone who calls people out to be all they can be.  That is the kind of leader that Jesus is.  He calls out His sheep and they go into new places for new pasture and new growth. He doesn't leave them inside the stall or the fold, because nutrition and growth requires movement and leadership into new things. He goes before us. He is beside us and even sent His Spirit to live inside us.  A great leader always is doing or has done many times what He asks us to do.  He goes before us.  There is not a difficult thing that humans go through that He has not gone through. John 10. 3  To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep listen to his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.   4  When he puts all his own  sheep  outside, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice.   5  However, a ...