Refreshing Our Spirits With Scripture

 6.5- False gods get exposed. Jesus loved his disciples, but he knew they would have some hard moments. Temptations they thought they could overcome better than others was incorrect as it turned out. When they messed up it had a certain danger to it. They would beat up on themselves and beat up on others. His desire was that they would realize they were off track and turn back to Him and His love and mercy. This would transform them to overcome better than beating themselves up more and more. Notice how Jesus counseled his good friend Peter. I paraphrase, Jesus: “When you fall down and get disappointed in yourself, get up and receive mercy and be transformed into a stronger helper and then help others.” Peter: “Lord, I’m stronger than these other disciples. I will not deny you.” Jesus: “Peter, before your morning alarm clock goes off you will deny me three times.” Peter denied that he even knew Jesus and finally cursed to make it clear he was not a disciple of Jesus. Then he...

 6.4- Wealth is as powerful as dynamite. It can do much good or much evil. 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 them,  “Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not  even  when one is affluent does his life consist of his possessions.”   16  And He told them a parable, saying,  “The land of a rich man was very productive.   17  And he began thinking to himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no place to store my crops?’   18  And he said, ‘This  is what  I will do: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and I will store all my grain and my goods there.   19  And I will say to  [ l ] myself, “You hav...

 6.3- You will find out who your friends are in adversity. 1 Timothy 1. 15  You are aware of the fact that all who are in  [ j ] Asia turned away from me, among whom are Phygelus and Hermogenes.   16  The Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my  [ k ] chains;   17  but when he was in Rome, he eagerly searched for me and found me—   18  the Lord grant to him to find mercy from the Lord on that day—and you know very well what services he rendered at Ephesus.

 6.2= When someone shows you who they are believe them. Positive change is possible for an untrustworthy person, but trust must be regained by long trustworthy choices over a significant period of time. After someone has violated a trust it cannot be given back to them just because they say they have changed. There must be a new type of relationship with actions that demonstrate that they can be trusted without hurting others and themselves. There are no rights without responsibilities. Luke 15. 11  And He said,  “A man had two sons.   12  The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the estate that  [ e ] is coming to me.’ And  so  he divided his  [ f ] wealth between them.   13  And not many days later, the younger son gathered everything together and went on a journey to a distant country, and there he squandered his estate in  [ g ] wild living.   14  Now when he had  [ h ] spe...

 6.1- Our hearts hurt with the people of Buffalo. At least since 1990, we have been drawn into the work of racial reconciliation. Maybe because of our wonderful family God has given us. We worked in DFW and Denver most of our years. In Denver we had some meetings that were focused on unity, peace and love in spite of heartbreak and loss. One of my friends lost his brother to a gang shooting and he was not involved in any gang. He said his family said to him that he must not hate the man or the gang. Bitterness and hate will not overcome evil. Evil must be overcome with good. We have had at least three church and synagogue shootings in my own memory here in DFW. Hate spreads, but love, grace, mercy and peace overcomes evil. We are thankful to have had good support from all kinds of people in raising our family. Patricia Raybon is an author who has done great writing on race and other matters. She lived near us in Denver has impacted our nation with her writing and Sheila an...

 5.31- My parents did not make a difference between worker groups on our farm. I mean by this that there was intention in my dad that all workers ate lunch at the same table regardless of their status in life. Landowner, family member, black, white or brown, speaking English or Spanish all ate the same food at the same table. All worked together and ate together as a statement to all of us that dad wanted to bring everyone together there. We were blessed to have workers in our home yesterday and we had lunch together. One table. One heart. One goal. Get the job done. Thanked the one God for our food in two different languages. Jesus' culture did not have talk between Jews and gentiles, non-jews. Jesus did. Men didn't talk to women in public. Jesus did. One God. One class of people. All human beings created in the image of God. Only two basic commands. Love God. Love your neighbor as yourself. All rules and even good manners hang on this. Thank you Jesus for your excellent exa...

 5.30- God loves cheerful givers in a special way. He also loves those who can offer hospitality without complain 1 Peter 4. 7  The end of all things  [ f ] is near; therefore, be of sound judgment and sober  spirit  for the purpose of  [ g ] prayer.   8  Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins.   9  Be hospitable to one another without complaint.   10  As each one has received a  special  gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the  [ h ] multifaceted grace of God.   11  Whoever speaks  is to do so  as  one who is speaking  actual words of God; whoever serves  is to do so  as  one who is serving   [ i ] by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and  [ j ] dominion for...