Refreshing Our Spirits With Scripture

 4.4- Let us praise the name of the Lord, for at His command we were created. (Psalm 148:5) Obedience flows freely from a heart of love. We serve Jesus when we serve people. Those who follow God are His children. Forgiveness brings joy. Sharing God’s love equals caring for others.

 4.3- Why Me? Mark 14:10-21 Dave Egner British pastor Joseph Parker was asked, “Why did Jesus choose Judas to be one of his disciples?” He thought deeply about the question for a while but could not come up with an answer. He said that he kept running into an even more baffling question: “Why did He choose me?” That’s a question that has been asked throughout the centuries. When people become painfully aware of their sin and are overcome with guilt, they cry out to Jesus for mercy. In joyous wonder they experience the truth that God loves them, that Jesus died for them and that when they decide to change their lives and follow Jesus, they will be forgiven of all their sins. It’s incomprehensible! I too have asked, “Why me?” I know that the dark and sinful deeds of my life were motivated by a heart even darker, and yet God loved me! (Romans 5:6). I was undeserving, wretched, and helpless, yet He opened His arms and His heart to me. I could almost hear Him whisper, “I love you even m...

Easter is an important date to Christians.  Jesus was crucified  on "Good Friday".  It is good that Jesus finished sacrificing His life as the "lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world". Those words spoken by Jesus on the cross "It is finished" and "Father forgive them for they don't know what they are doing". These show us God's love for us.  This why Good Friday is Good News for those of us who believe in Jesus. We have been forgiven and we can forgive others as we have been forgiven.

 4.2- Dangerous Shortcuts Matthew 4:1-10 Keila Ochoa During recent elections in my country, one struggling mom I knew exchanged her vote for a bag of diapers. We had discussed the benefits of each candidate, so her choice disappointed me. “But what about your convictions?” I asked. She remained silent. Six months later her candidate won, taxes went even higher. Everything is now more expensive than before . . . even diapers! In countries around the world, political corruption is not new. Spiritual corruption is not new either. Satan tried to lure Jesus into “selling” His convictions (Matthew 4:1-10). The tempter came to Him when He was tired and hungry. He offered Him immediate satisfaction, fresh bread in seconds, a miraculous delivery, the kingdom of the world and their glory. But Jesus knew better. He knew the shortcuts were dangerous enemies. They may offer a road free from suffering, but in the end, the pain they carry is much worse than anything we can imagine. “It is written...

 4.1- The Go-Between Exodus 20:18-26 Jennifer Benson Schuldt Imagine standing at the bottom of a mountain, elbow-to-elbow with everyone in your community. Thunder and lightning flash; you hear an earsplitting trumpet blast. Amid flames, God descends on the mountaintop. The summit is enveloped in smoke; the entire mountain begins to shake, and so do you. (Exodus 19:16-20) When the Israelites had this terrifying experience near Mount Sinai, they begged Moses, “Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die.” (Exodus 20:19). The Israelites were asking Moses to mediate between them and the Almighty. “The people remained at a distance while Moses approached the thick darkness where God was” (verse 21). After meeting with God, Moses brought God’s messages back down the mountain to the people below. Today, we worship the same God who displayed His staggering greatness on Mount Sinai. Because God is perfectly holy and we are desperately sinful, we c...

Joyful, helpful workers. Three men. All can make you laugh. All spent time as farmers.  All wanted to help more people if needed. Jesus once asked some fishermen if they had caught anything. "No." He told them to change where they were fishing. Then they had good success.   March is nearly over and it includes the birthdate of Reed Wishard on the 9th, dad on the 13th and my brother in law, Bill Luttrell, on the 27th. These three men always remembered by me as fun to work with. Dad and Reed moved to heaven Bill is doing much better after surgery still helping all of us by his encouragement. Thankful in March for those who make work an upbeat place to be.

I notice that my relationship with my kids and grandkids goes better when I can demonstrate in my actions that I love them.  Just because they may feel that I don't like some of their choices does not keep them from knowing that I love them. I think that is the way it is between God and His children.

My hope for the future is based on our creator.  A phrase in our documents. "Endowed by our creator with unalienable rights" Human beings have rights.  They are not given by the government but by God. We are in the protection and control of our creator.   God is using great men and women to establish justice. He uses them to stand for the poor and oppressed.  If you are helping feed the hungry then you are working with God. God will favor you.  If you are hoarding wealth and not being generous you are fighting against the creator of the universe.   We can get good success by just following what God and godly people are doing. God blesses the poor and powerless. God help us to be a blessing. 3,000 years ago a wise man wrote, "Whoever increases wealth by taking interest or profit from the poor a masses it for another, who will be kind to the poor."

Saw a few Texas Longhorns yesterday near Richland Hills and remembered these were owned by my Father.  Psalm 50.10 "I have no need of a bull from your stall or of goats from your pens, for every animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills. I know every bird in the mountains, and the insects in the fields are mine. If I were hungry I would not tell you, for the world is mine, and all that is in it."

3.27 Paul the apostle uses this solution over and over.  This is what flows from The Father, The Son and the Spirit.   This is what He is sending because this is His character.  Are you receiving this? Open your heart.