Refreshing Our Spirits With Scripture

 12.4- Rejection.  When you decide to bring darkness to light there is an acceptance that things will not always be easy.  Difficulties and trials are a part of work for the liberation from oppression of people locked in bondage to idolatry.  Jesus came into a world which included slavery and the discounting of groups by other groups.  Many groups hated each other. Jews hated Gentiles and vice versa.  An early Jewish prayer was given by a man who thanked God that he wasn't created as a woman or a Gentile. Wars and sickness and disease were a plague then and now.  Poor hungry people were constantly surrounding Jesus and compassion was the order of every day.  This impact caused the people in charge of the local power structure to be afraid someone was going to take away their place of power and position. He was rejected.  The very cornerstone of all humanity.  God's Son who was born in Bethlehem and laid in a manger grew in wisdom and sta...

 12.3- Jesus chose to be a preacher and a teacher.  He walked on the earth for about 30 years before he started His work.  He was trained by His earthly father, Joseph to make yokes and other carpentry items, but when He wanted to bring light to a dark world He got busy being a teacher and preacher. To enter the work of teaching involves overcoming many dark thing that hurt people and enslave them.  Bad religion is an opponent of pure religion.  Jesus said that those who follow in His footsteps must overcome the problem of fear.  Love for God is essential and so also is the power to love your neighbor as yourself.  Other motives will not carry us through the hard times. Bad religion is a part of the dark world and it must be confronted with light.  One approach is to answer hard questions with other hard questions.  This requires humility and trust in God instead of ourselves.  He will give us the words to say and the right attitude to s...

 1.2- We enjoyed a special time during Christmas day to be with our daughter, Amy. We were able to talk to several other family members who came by and checked in by phone. It is common to refer to "my kids" or "my grandkids" and in reality they are not mine. They belong to God and they belong to themselves as adults and I should have no "ownership" of them except their love and respect for me leads them to partner with me as much as possible. The next major story after Jesus birth is when he decided to separate from the family and engage in discussion with the teachers in the temple. When they found him it is interesting that Mary said to him, "Why have you treated us this way?" Letting a twelve year old separate from his parents for learning may seem irresponsible to some, but this is the family that God chose for his own son. The fact is that my children are not mine to own and possess and smother with my engagement. They are to be trai...

 12.2- I am a better husband when I put Jesus first in my life. 1 Peter 3. 3  In the same way, you wives, be subject to your own husbands so that even if any  of them  are disobedient to the word, they may be won over without a word by the behavior of their wives,   2  as they observe your pure  [ a ] and respectful behavior.   3  Your adornment must not be  merely  the external—braiding the hair, wearing gold  jewelry , or putting on apparel;   4  but  it should be  the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable  quality  of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God.   5  For in this way the holy women of former times, who hoped in God, also used to adorn themselves, being subject to their own husbands,   6  just as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord; and you have proved to be her children if you do what is right  [ b ]...

 12.1- There are so many people who are weary and burdened.  Numbers who are completely lost and have no shepherd or leader for their lives.  They need the Lord as their shepherd.  Matthew 11. 28  “Come to Me, all  [ v ] who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.   29  Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and  you will find   [ w ] rest for your souls .   30  For My yoke is comfortable, and My burden is light.”   Jesus leaders are people who are hospitable.  Titus 1. 1  Paul, a bond-servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ,  [ a ] for the faith of those chosen of God and the knowledge of the truth which is according to godliness,   2  in the hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised  [ b ] long ages ago,   3  but at the proper time revealed His w...

 11.30- Jesus teaches us to take the last place. Luke 14. 7  Now He  began  telling a parable to the invited guests when He noticed how they had been picking out the places of honor  at the table , saying to them,   8  “Whenever you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not  [ h ] take the place of honor, for someone more distinguished than you may have been invited by him,   9  and the one who invited you  [ i ] both will come and say to you, ‘Give  your  place to this person,’ and then in disgrace you will proceed to occupy the last place.   10  But whenever you are invited, go and  [ j ] take the last place, so that when the one who has invited you comes, he will say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher’; then you will have honor in the sight of all who are  [ k ] dining at the table with you.   11  For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who ...