Refreshing Our Spirits With Scripture

 7.2- Midnight musing. There are times when we are caring for a sick and dying loved one that we don't know what we have left to surrender. Then the words of an old song come to us in the dark of the night. "I surrender all." Matthew 19 16  And someone came to Him and said, “Teacher, what good thing shall I do so that I may obtain eternal life?”   17  And He said to him,  “Why are you asking Me about what is good? There is  only  One who is good; but if you want to enter life, keep the commandments.”   18  Then  he *said to Him, “Which ones?” And Jesus said,  “ You shall not commit murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not give false testimony ;   19  Honor your father and mother ; and  You shall love your neighbor as yourself .”   20  The young man *said to Him, “All these I have kept; what am I still lacking?”   21  Jesus said to him,  “If you want to be  [ k ] complete, go  and  sell your possessions and give to  the  poor, and you will

 7.1- Why? A man was asked why he would want to be a minister? No financial security. People dividing up and hating each other spending their timing judging people and the gossip, slander and religious word games without genuine repentance. He said it was the encouragement he found "when people find God and hope is reignited in their life." John 10 10  “Truly, truly I say to you, the one who does not enter by the door into the fold of the sheep, but climbs up some other way, he is a thief and a robber.   2  But the one who enters by the door is a shepherd of the sheep.   3  To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep listen to his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.   4  When he puts all his own  sheep  outside, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice.   5  However, a stranger they simply will not follow, but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers.”   6  Jesus told them this figure of sp

 6.30- When I reflect on who have shown exceptional love and care for me it is someone who has been in a desperate situation and overcome through God's Amazing Grace. They say they have received a life saving infusion of spiritual stem cells from Jesus. Their unique concern is not actually sourced in them but in God's love. They say their best work happened after most thought they were done. They had a second wind that came to them as a surprise from a spiritual source. Want to see God turn tragedy into triump look at the helpers. John 15. 15  “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.   2  He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes [ a ]  so that it will be even more fruitful.   3  You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.   4  Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. 5  “I am

 6.29- Longer days now shorter. Want more light? Know better, do better. Moses, "We have walked in circles long enough". Moses was a leader who first picked up on the voice telling him it was time for the children of God to move forward. Doing the same thing in the same way that doesn't work is insanity. We never change our good news that God is love, but needs and methods change. Jesus moved from towns that wouldn't change to those who were ready for positive growth. Paul said "I must press on to grab hold of that for which God got hold of me." We will have to adjust our path but we must move forward. Philippians 3. 7  But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ.   8  What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ   9  and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that

 6.28- You can move your heart from being troubled to being peaceful. Think that when life on earth is over that life in the next place is absolutely perfect for you. Remember that life here is limited so live it fully. Be present each day to receive the beauties and joys deep into your heart and soul. Know that life is the journey and the destination. There is a way of life that is healthy for you and those close to you. We know that wise people pray and ask our Father in heaven for what they need and want. There is spiritual vision that goes beyond our physical vision. Love is shown in loyalty and betrayal needs to be avoided. These choices lead to a peaceful heart instead of a troubled heart. John 14 14  “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God [ a ] ; believe also in me.   2  My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?   3  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and

 6.27- Hang in there When we get into a life crisis it is both a problem and an opportunity. It is an opportunity to cast all of our cares on to our Father in heaven at a new and deeper level than ever before. We get to see that with God's help we are more resilient and creative than we had ever imagined. James 1 2  Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, [ a ]  whenever you face trials of many kinds,   3  because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.   4  Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.   5  If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.   6  But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.   7  That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.   8  Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do. 9

 6.26- Full of hot air. Versus. Full of love, joy peace and service a a practical nature. Each day we choose to be people who listen to wisdom and refuse to practice it. Or We can listen to wisdom and practice wisdom deeds in our daily life. One of the most wise teachers who ever walked on earth said that to listen to wisdom and not practice it was like building a house on a sand and expecting it to survive a wind storm. On the other hand if you listen to wisdom and follow it by doing it in your daily practice then you are building the house of your life on a solid rock foundation. That life can handle a terrific windstorm and be at peace because the anchor peers are driven deep into the rock bed of daily practice of wise deeds carried out with perseverence and constistency. Matthew 7 24  “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.   25  The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and