Refreshing Our Spirits With Scripture

 5.5- Pray with submission in areas that God has kept hidden. "The strong are not always vigorous, the wise not always ready, the brave not always courageous, and the joyous not always happy." Charles Spurgeon Luke 11. Pray with submission in areas that God has kept hidden. "The strong are not always vigorous, the wise not always ready, the brave not always courageous, and the joyous not always happy." Charles Spurgeon All reactions: 11 You, Denise Cross, Deborah Sanchez Funk and 8 others All reactions: 11 You, Denise Cross, Deborah Sanchez Funk and 8 others

 5.4- What do you do after someone calls you out? There are Godly men and women who come to a point that a friend must be told a hard truth. They are honest and on target and the discipline is right on target. What do you do? Thank God someone loves you that deeply to correct and keep working with you. Stay with the deep love friends. Say To them as this kind of friend, " I'm not leaving. I'm learning. Now I know I have a unique friend. Where you go, I'm going. Where you work I'm working." My downbeat Larry was speaking to me last last night saying, "You're done." I rested a few hours. Slept. My upbeat Larry spoke to him this morning and and said, "If God is for me who could be against me." Let's get busy with our work of using any means we can to encourage people." Matthew 18 What do you do after someone calls you out? There are Godly men and women who come to a point that a friend must be told a hard truth. They are honest ...

 5,3- There is a work that is easy in the sense that we know it is what we must do. It fits us. This is the work we were designed for. It does not mean there is no suffering involved in it. Farmers, soldiers, doctors, nurses, firefighters, policemen and teachers all do work that fits them but it has parts that require suffering. Jesus said my yoke is easy. Meaning it fits you. There is joy at the work of extending mercy to others but there are difficult times. Matthew 11. 28  “Come to me, all you 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 rest for your souls.   30  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

 5.2- For my friends moving to heaven soon. Precious is the day when God allows one of his children to take their last breath on old earth and their next one in heaven. He promised, and he cannot lie, that Jesus takes them home with him. The apostles who died to spread his good news saw him ascend through the clouds. Stephen and others died seeing him welcoming them across life marathon's finish line. Yes, there is valley to go through to get there but we have a friend who has shown us the way through and turned sadness into hope for us. Our father in heaven says, "I will never leave you or forsake you." That's his promise. Hebrews 13 5  Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you;      never will I forsake you.” [ a ] 6  So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.      What can mere mortals do to me?” [ b ]

 5.1- Openess. Transparency. Open to be known by God, ourselves and others. This was our creators design. Free choice was a part of how he made us. Then we rebel and hide and games get us off track. He puts a drive in us for love, growth and new opportunities for learning. Some of these bring learning through suffering. The people who help us most help us to be truthful, loving and gracious. At peace with ourselves and others. John 17 17  After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you.   2  For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him.   3  Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.   4  I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do.   5  And now, Father, glorify me...

 4.30- There are behaviors that bring failure and regret. Betrayal of friends and family in secret for personal gain is one of these. Loyalty to doing what is right something that needs no cover up and no deceit. Life can train through pain to avoid loser choices. God tells His children that He will be with them through all the circumstances of life and even death to give a victory. It's always the right time to do the right thing. We all mess up. Forgiveness is the key to getting back on track for all of us. I heard my nephew, Keith Luttrell, teach on forgiveness this morning by telling this story: There was a picture of a little child running down the street screaming without any clothes on because her village had been bombed with napalm. This was one of the most seen images of the Viet Nam war. The little girl grew up and learned that forgiveness was the key to a happy life. She said if she ever met the man who dropped the bomb she would forgive him. The man who flew the plane...

 4.29- I have spoken in the last few days with men and women who are ranging from 50 to 80 years plus and something has come up in our conversation that has concerned me. Its about forgiveness. People who have turned away from bad behaviors and moved to a life of trying to do the right things, but the memory of the bad things deeps coming back to them. As children of God He promises to forgive and forget to those who sincerely turn to Him. Still, then after forgiveness why is the memory left in our memory banks. I am not sure, but I believe it remains there in our minds to guide us in helping others to believe in forgiveness and to help us to remember the reality of the words of the song, “Amazing Grace how sweet the sound.” I was thankful to use the bridge of our partnership to remind each of them to be willing to receive forgiveness and pass it along to others as fully as possible. Matthew 18 15  “If your brother or sister [ b ]  sins, [ c ]  go and point out th...