Refreshing Our Spirits With Scripture

 12.18- Holding people in prayer while the great healer heals them. Since 1974 I have noticed there is a stirring in human hearts to get unstuck from our ruts that don't get us toward the best version of ourselves that we can be. I would be with these men in close growth relationships at least an hour per week but usually more. Some friends were given to me who extended grace and mercy. Some are in heaven now and some are still working on earth. These men held me in prayer and encouraged me to quote, "be a man and grow up." These men finished their work and went home. This morning, some of these come to mind. Joe Millican, Wayne Power, Howell Gibbs Tinker Rich, Chuck Hess, Dennis Crawford, Jeff Palmer, Felix Stalls, Doyle Thomas, Fred Adam's, Bob Hines, John Petree, Max Sommer, Irv Eggert, Joe Lemmons, Richard Petitte, Tom Petitte and Verner Ulrich and more. These men and others have teamed up with God to hold me accountable in close partnership and God and challenged...

 12.17- Humans who are asked by God to do big, even impossible tasks like, marriage. Parenting, teaching or building an ethical business surrounded by unethical businesses. These require walking by faith not by sight. In the midst of the project we can go through different stages. 100% belief stage. O % belief stage. An admixtures of belief and unbelief stage. My project is helping Sheila and myself to finish all the stages of our life on earth with a walk closely with God. There are stages of getting closer to the finish that you are not sure you have the strength to drink the final cups of suffering. I think that is where honest conversation with God and ourselves is so critical. They go like this sometimes: Me: God I'd like to skip this part because I don't have the strength and courage. God: You are promised that i will be with you and my wisdom will guide you and I will give you everything you need at the moment you need it and often not before. Me: I have some belief and...

 12.16- Jamaica is a country that has some great food traditions at Christmas. Everyone is giving homeade goodies to strangers. After Christmas lunch they take baskets of food to the homeless before they open their own gifts How do you get a gift to someone not coming personally this Christmas? Maybe someone will be here who can take it to them. You can do in their honor what they would have done. Christmas joy is special giving to the poor, the prisoners, the sick, the forgotten. Some of you have given shoeboxes of joy to the poor on the other side of the world.. Some taken a name from the Salvation Army giving tree. Ln one of the teacher's stories, there were some people in heaven, who didn't know what gifts they had given to him. When you gave a gift to the least of people you gave it to me. The drop box to mail to the Prince of Peace is blessing the powerless. Christmas time and all the time. Matthew 25 31  “But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the...

 12.15- 800 years before the first Christmas, a man named Isaiah wrote down some names the son of God would be called. Wonderful counselor Mighty God Prince of peace. Such expectations fulfilled in this baby leaving heaven's perfect peace to enter the spiritual warfare on earth. He gave this peace that passes understanding to Jamie Winship. He became a "peace officer" in an east coast town. He started to pray and listen in prayer. What should I know? What should I do? God gave him wisdom. All people have a beautiful sense of striving for justice created within them. He eventually was successful in shutting down gang wars. Was hired by the state dept. to go to Bagdad, Iraq was work for peace. He was speaking about how the Prince of peace is the answer internally to bring peace to a person, home or nation. Every human created was created in God's image. I pray all can become who we were meant to be. Men and women who are peacemakers because there is the blessing. Isaiah...