Refreshing Our Spirits With Scripture

 5.30- "The only difference between an ordinary person and an extraordinary person is the amount of determination." Wayne Wishard 1 Timothy 4. 11  d ]" style="display: inline; font-size: 0.625em; line-height: normal; position: relative; top: auto; vertical-align: text-top;">[ d ] Prescribe and teach these things.   12  Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but  rather  in speech, conduct, love, faith,  and  purity, show yourself an example  e ]" style="display: inline; font-size: 0.625em; line-height: normal; position: relative; top: auto; vertical-align: text-top;">[ e ] of those who believe.   13  Until I come, give your attention to the  public   f ]" style="display: inline; font-size: 0.625em; line-height: normal; position: relative; top: auto; vertical-align: text-top;">[ f ] reading, to exhortation,  and  teaching.   14  Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you, which was grante...

 5.29- Disagreeing with each other's ideas does not deny each other's dignity. In fact it affirms it. Strong, prosperous countries are places where people can disagree and both can think about the ideas and move forward. When I read about a dissident being taken off a commercial plane flying over Belarus because of his disagreement with the country's leader it made me proud to be an American where at least I know I'm free. Acts 18. 24  Now a Jew named Apollos, an Alexandrian by birth,  [ l ] an eloquent man, came to Ephesus; and he was proficient in the Scriptures.   25  This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he was accurately speaking and teaching things about Jesus, being acquainted only with the baptism of John;   26  and  [ m ] he began speaking boldly in the synagogue. But when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained the way of God more ...

 5.28- There is a difference between being ashamed and shaming someone. If it comes from inside their own conscience and they respond to improve themselves that is good. If they change because someone used bully tactics and "you ought to be ashamed" language there is not a genuine spiritual growth that takes place. The best way for long term, positive change in a human is to appeal to their own thought process by persuasion rather than shaming and exclusion of them. The best teachers reach out to others and use civility and persuasion on people who are treating others with dignity. If someone is using abuse against someone else, then there must be laws that come against them. I believe that generally we need to strive to listen to each other and persuade each other and educate each other in a better way of life. 1 Corinthians 13 13  If I speak with the tongues of mankind and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. ...

 5.27- Respectable is one thing Respectful is another. To the religious bullies and political power brokers Jesus did not care to be respectable. To reach everyone from tax collectors to prostitutes to the religious Pharisees He would show them the respect of teaching them a better way Matthew 23. 23  “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and  [ w ] cumin, and have neglected the weightier provisions of the Law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these  are the things  you should have done without neglecting the others.   24  You blind guides, who  [ x ] strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!

 5.26- Hard work is a good thing.  Jesus teaches that the way to prepare for the future is to treat people well at your work.  Don't be abusive.  Don't get drunk and become a problem at work.  Work hard and pull your share of the load.  Don't load others down and do nothing yourself.  These are good principles to help you be a successful worker.   When you have succeeded at work there will sometimes be even more than enough resources and these can be shared with others.  If you take the extra resources and use them to make things your source of security it is probable that you will be disappointed.  Things are not secure. Luke 12. 13  Now someone  [ j ] in the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the  family  inheritance with me.”   14  But He said to him,  “ [ k ] You there—who appointed Me a judge or arbitrator over  the two of  you?”   15  But He said to the...

 5.25- People who are in power must hear the gospel of Jesus Christ.  He teaches that humans have the ability to hear and understand what is right and wrong.  They have the ability to realize that their are consequences to their decisions.  Because of this reality, human beings are under and obligation to be responsible.  There is available the mercy and grace of God who is love.  He is willing to forgive us for our sins against Him and  against each other.  The good news is that Jesus is the Messiah.  On the cross He extended forgiveness to those killing Him because they did not really know what they were doing.  But when you know better you must do better.  This leader learned about God's ways through the good news of Jesus and the importance of preparing for God's judgment which comes to humans after death. Acts 24. 24  Several days later Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish. He sent for Paul and listened to him...

 5.24- Jesus teaches that the very best thing in life is to listen to God and the teaching about God and life from Jesus.  This is even more important than making sure that every meal is prepared perfectly. Luke 10. 38  As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him.   39  She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said.   40  But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!” 41  “Martha, Martha,”  the Lord answered,  “you are worried and upset about many things,   42  but few things are needed—or indeed only one. [ f ]  Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

 5.23- Jesus teaches His disciples to watch out for people who have been robbed of their possessions.  Try to do all you can to help them.  This is true religion. Luke 10. 25  On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 26  “What is written in the Law?”  he replied.  “How do you read it?” 27  He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’ [ c ] ; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ [ d ] ” 28  “You have answered correctly,”  Jesus replied.  “Do this and you will live.” 29  But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” 30  In reply Jesus said:  “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead.   ...

What are we doing today? We will try to help people through some difficult times we have been going through.  This last 15 months have been a time of testing it seems to me. Sheila and I have found it even more important than usual to take time reflect on the wisdom collected by wise elders through the years and passed along to us. The picture is of Aurthur Abram Wishard whose birthday is 5 days from now. 5.27.73. This picture includes his wife and children except one was not born and he died prior to her birth.  The family was held together through many difficult times because of their love for God. His word and each other. The evil one uses times of testing to get us off track through worry and fearfulness. We isolate from God's people and become weak and disoriented regarding what is important in life. We get disappointed in God and things go from bad to worse. We hope today to do some organizing and cleaning. We will answer the phone calls of family and friends.  Some...

 5.22- The soul of a child is the loveliest flower That grows in the garden of God. It climbs from weakness to knowledge and power. To the sky from the clay and the clod. To beauty and sweetness it grows under care; Neglected 'tis ragged and wild. Tis a plant that is tender and wondrously rare. The sweet wistful soul of a child. Be tender, O gardener, and give it its share Of moisture of warmth and of light; And let not it lack for painstaking care To protect it from frost and blight A glad day shall come when it's bloom shall unfold It will seem that an angel has smiled, Reflecting a beauty and sweetness untold In the sensitive soul of a child. Author Unknown, Given by Gladys Self, Sheila's mother. 18  At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” 2  He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them.   3  And he said:  “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little ch...