Refreshing Our Spirits With Scripture

 9.26- It is 36,701 feet deep. It is 1554 miles long and 44 miles wide? What is it? Micah 7. 18 Who is a God like You, who pardons wrongdoing And passes over a rebellious act of the remnant of His [o]possession? He does not retain His anger forever, Because He delights in mercy. 19 He will again take pity on us; He will trample on our wrongdoings. Yes, You will cast all [p]their sins Into the depths of the sea. For about 3,000 years the wise and spiritually healthy people have been trying to remind people that our creator does not want to destroy us with guilt and shame, but guide us away from self-destruction. I am told that the Marianna Trench is the deepest part of the ocean. You could put Mount Everest at the bottom of it and it would be 7,000 feet below the surface. That is the depth of the ocean where God has placed the sins of His children who have come to Him with a sincere request for forgiveness. I pray this morning that all of God’s children will receive forgivenes...

 9.25- When I have problems and there is no immediate solution in view I remember a few words Paul was given. God said, "My grace is sufficient for you, my power is made perfect in weakness." 2 Corinthians 12. 7  Because of the extraordinary  greatness  of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to  [ b ] torment me—to keep me from exalting myself!   8  Concerning this I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might leave me.   9  And He has said to me,  “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.”  Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast  [ c ] about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.   10  Therefore I delight in weaknesses, in  [ d ] insults, in distresses, in persecutions, in difficulties, in behalf of Christ; ...

 9.24- Yesterday my tire light came on. Usually it means nothing. I reset it and went on without checking all my tires. This morning as I was driving to get my car inspected a fellow drove up beside me and pointed to my back right tire. I said thanks. I was five minutes from my Discount tire place. I made it. I knew my tires were getting worn and was planning to replace them but had been postponing it till a convenient time. Now was a convenient time. Once Paul was talking to a powerful leader about becoming a disciple of Jesus. He spoke to him about judgement coming to him. He told Paul no that he would decide later at a more convenient time. There is no convenient time to turn over your life to God. To release control and let God lead is not convenient. When is the the time to release control. Now. Today. But it is not an easy decision and we tend to postpone it. Life pushes into a corner and says. Now. Thank you God. Acts 24. 10  And when the governor had nod...

 9.23- Love and lavish giving go together. Nothing as lavish as one who lays down his life for his friends. Over 300 first responders gave their lives on 9/11. 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 and scatters  the flock .   13  He flees  because he is a hired hand and does not care about the sheep.   14  I am the good shepherd, and I know My own, and My own know Me,   15  just as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.   16  And I have other sheep that are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will listen to My voice; and they will become one flock,  with  one shepherd.   17  For this reason th...

 9.22- Yesterday as watched a mom and therapist work in water with a special needs woman and I saw all three of them smiling it made me smile. Some disability shows the glory of God and the deep love of people. John 9. 9  As  Jesus  passed by, He saw a man  who had been  blind from birth.   2  And His disciples asked Him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he would be born blind?”   3  Jesus answered,  “ It was  neither  that  this man sinned, nor his parents; but  it was  so that the works of God might be displayed in him.   4  We must carry out the works of Him who sent Me as long as it is day; night is coming, when no one can work.   5  While I am in the world, I am the Light of the world.”   6  When He had said this, He spit on the ground, and made mud from the saliva, and applied the mud to his eyes,   7  and said to him,...

 9.21- If your religion is long on prayers and short on helping those in need then you might need to change to pure religion. It is focused on helping those in need. False religion teaches that the rich are godly and the poor are ungodly. The truth is not quite so simplistic. If we are blessed with good health and education it is to be used to give a hand up. God humbles the exalted and uplifts the hum

 9.20- I watched a two year old girl jump in deep water and she was not worried about anything. She couldn't swim but dad was standing and stable. She knew and trusted him. He caught her.. We can be generous because our Father in heaven is more generous. Matthew 6. 25  “For this reason I say to you,  [ q ] do not be worried about your  [ r ] life,  as to  what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body,  as to  what you will put on. Is life not more than food, and the body more than clothing?   26  Look at the birds of the sky, that they do not sow, nor reap, nor gather  crops  into barns, and  yet  your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more important than they?   27  And which of you by worrying can add a single  [ s ] day to his  [ t ] life’s span?   28  And why are you worried about clothing? Notice how the lilies of the field grow; they do...