Refreshing Our Spirits With Scripture

 3.23- There necessary endings. There are times to move on while even living in the same place. Our lives include certain commitments that are priorities. We are pursuing a lifestyle that is focused on faith, love, justice and gentleness. We don't always measure up to our own goals. We mess up. We must be humble. But certain friends we thought were choosing this same path turned out to have different priorities. Money or politics or multilevel marketing and we had to move on. We actually didn't want to focus on some extreme religious or political figure being right or wrong. We just had to move on. Things begin. Things end. This is the narrow way and it includes tears over necessary endings. 3  There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every matter under heaven— 2  A time to give birth and a time to die; A time to plant and a time to uproot what is planted. 3  A time to kill and a time to heal; A time to tear down and a time ...

3.22- As children of God we understand that he loves us and disciplines us into situations so that we will not rely on ourselves but him. In these spots we are learning to fix our eyes on our trailblazer and the ultimate pioneer and perfecter of our lives. In these difficult times we get rid of hindrances. In spiritual boot camp we throw off any distracting entanglement. We then are ready to run the race marked out specifically for us. This kind if life cannot be shaken. It carries on so that generations want enjoy this kind of life to the end. Hebrews 12 12  Therefore, since we also have such a great cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let’s rid ourselves of every obstacle and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let’s run with endurance the race that is set before us,   2  looking only at Jesus, the  [ a ] originator and perfecter of the faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down ...

 3.21- Your body is more fragile than you think and your soul is more resilient than you think. James 1. 5  But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and  [ h ] without reproach, and it will be given to him.   6  But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind.   7  For that person ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord,   8  being  a  [ i ] double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

 3.19- Bringing up the slop bucket." That is a set of words used when I was doing marriage counseling and one of the two would bring some old grievance that was supposed to be long gone because of confession, repentance and forgiveness. I'm thankful God promises his children that he does have the ability to forgive and forget. A preacher had a sweet little girl in his congregation who was always rejoicing in her ability to talk to God. The preacher felt she was overdoing it. He challenged her on morning after church." If you talk to God and he talks back to you then here is your assignment this week. I want you to ask him what my secret sin is." Next week he asked her? "What is my sin?" She quickly replied, I spoke to him about it. He said you had confessed it to him." "What was it?,"the preacher pushed. The little girl said God said, "I forgot." Hebrews 8 7  For if that first  covenant  had been free of fault, no  [ g ] circumstan...

 3.20- What is the best thing I can do today? There's some blockage or obstacles in the way that makes this impossible. What is the next best thing I can do today? My son asked me what the plan today? Study for a Zoom meeting with my minister friend and learning partner who has worked with me off and on for nearly 50 years, 48 to be exact. Most of those years we didn't have weekly contact but for the last several years we have. We learn with and from each other, laugh at and with each and pray together. He trains some highly intelligent people in Princeton, New Jersey and an old country guy from Bug Tussle,Texas among others. He has refused to let me quit learning and growing. What else dad? Oak Ridge Zoom Bible class at 7pm. What else dad? Not sure but whatever it will be good. A few .minutes later I found out my small group from church is coming at 2pm.today. This great day after 22 days with my grandson. What a full, abundant life I have been given.Thank you God. Acts 2 43...

 3.18- There is placed in humans a need for oxygen and water and love. There is a longing in our hearts for perfect love that was placed there by our creator. If our attitude is negative, pessimistic and down beat we can be thirsty while standing in water that is waiste deep. When we see people through the eyes of love then we see resources to receive life from and to give life to. How can you say you love God and hate people? No. How we love people is how we love God. So today I will see each person who crosses my path as a person who was created in God's image and deserving of respect. I will not allow my self to think of anyone as trash. God don't make no trash. 1 John 3 13  Do not be surprised, brothers  and sisters , if the world hates you.   14  We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers  and sisters . The one who does not love remains in death.   15  Everyone who hates his brother...

 3.17- Making people feel welcome. I hear some parents have spent the ride home from church making their kids feel accused of the wrong choices mentioned in the morning sermon. I never felt that. I learned at church good news was that God our Father was in the forgiving business and satan was in the accusing, tempting and lying business. One thing both my parents insisted was that we make people feel welcome and wanted at our church. When i left church as a kid I was focused Sunday lunch and playing with cousins. God was good then and now. Revelation 12. 7  And there was war in heaven, Michael and his angels waging war with the dragon. The dragon and his angels waged war,   8  and they did not prevail, and there was no longer a place found for them in heaven.   9  And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole  [ d ] world; he was thrown down to ...