Refreshing Our Spirits With Scripture

John 7. 37  On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. 38  Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” [ c ] 39  By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.   They are sourced in heaven's love.   They are generous to the poor.   They free women from oppression. They receive their source of refeshment from God. They give good advice to the poor.  They love even their enemies. They have been redeemed.  Like a car towed for illegal parking.  They have been redeemed. They have Jesus as their minister, priest and High Priest. They leave even their enemies. They are a sight for sore eyes to those who fear God.  They have been worn out by the li...

3.17- Matthew 16. 18  And I tell you that you are Peter, [ b ] and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades [ c ] will not overcome it. 19  I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be [ d ] bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be [ e ] loosed in heaven.” 20  Then he ordered his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah. Bloody Sunday.  Blood on my jeans because I went to church.  I can blame the church.  I touch walls as I walk.  There was an exposed nail in one as I left Bible class Sunday.  They hurt me.   Or. During the Lord's Supper my friend Jerry started praying about my problem with me.  I opened my phone app Bible and life giving words written in Greek two thousand years ago could be read by me in English.  Translated by scholars from church.  I could read it because my first, second grade teachers were ...

3.16- Because God is God and we are not there are many things that are hard to understand.  His ways are not our ways.  His thoughts are not our thoughts.  The Bible was not written by man because he couldn't write it, but if he could write it he wouldn't write it. Most of the people who have followed Jesus as their teacher for a while have tried other things beside Jesus that did not work. John 6. 60  On hearing it, many of his disciples said, “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?” 61  Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, “Does this offend you? 62  Then what if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before! 63  The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit [ e ] and life. 64  Yet there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him. 65...

3.15- James 3. 13  Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. 14  But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. 15  Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16  For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. 17  But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. 18  Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness. Do you ever get the thought that both the major political parties in America and lying and deceiving in their ambition to win.  Is winning elections more important than honesty and justice?  Are there not statesmen and women who can see good in the other people?  They ...

3.14- John 4. 7  When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?” 8  (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.) 9  The Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans. [ a ] ) 10  Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.” 11  “Sir,” the woman said, “you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? 12  Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his livestock?” 13  Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, 14  but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water we...

3.13- After observing thirteen Presidents in my life it is clear we are one nation under God. Not under Trump or Obama. They left office and died. God lives. Presidents who were arrogant and rebellious were humbled by God and by their own choices. Daniel 4.30-36,   30  he said, “Is not this the great Babylon I have built as the royal residence, by my mighty power and for the glory of my majesty?” 31  Even as the words were on his lips, a voice came from heaven, “This is what is decreed for you, King Nebuchadnezzar: Your royal authority has been taken from you. 32  You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals; you will eat grass like the ox. Seven times will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and gives them to anyone he wishes.” 33  Immediately what had been said about Nebuchadnezzar was fulfilled. He was driven away from people and ate grass like the...

John 1. 14  The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15  (John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, “This is the one I spoke about when I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’”) 16  Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. 17  For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18  No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and [ b ] is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known. When I was thirteen or so and later at age twenty I was greatly impacted by a couple of guys I thought of together today as I read these verses.   Bill Luttrell and John Davis.  They were both teachers and ministers who got down close to their students.  They played games and tricks....

3.11- I serve a God who wanted the Nation of Israel to care for the poor and made it very clear to them. My nation has been very active in caring for the hungry since the depression days and the government help kept my own family going at times. I remember as a youngster hearing a tune, "They've got a nest egg just for me and its my social security." During the days of my teaching and ministry years the contributions to my retirement were made by me and the places where I worked. It is about to be the fourth anniversary of my major fall on March 22, 2013 when I broke my knee cap loose from my quad muscle and since that happened I have been able to walk slowly and rehab, but the pace of my movement had do change drastically. Once I asked my dad about the difference between the two parties in America.  This was during my early teens so maybe 1960 time frame.  Sam Rayburn, (D) speaker of the house for many years, was from Fannin county, my home county and most all...

3.10- I can't help but wonder how He raised Jesus from the dead. Luke 24. 24  On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. 2  They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3  but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4  While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. 5  In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? 6  He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: 7  ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ ” 8  Then they remembered his words. 9  When they came back from the tomb, they told all these things to the Eleven and to all the other...

3.9- Jesus turned the values of the world upside down. Luke 22. 24  A dispute also arose among them as to which of them was considered to be greatest. 25  Jesus said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who exercise authority over them call themselves Benefactors. 26  But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves. 27  For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is at the table? But I am among you as one who serves.

3.8- People have problems with getting past their regrets over sin.  Guilt and shame can overwhelm them and be a ball and chain.  God's answer has always been the blood of a lamb for His Jewish children.  For Christians, Jesus is the Passover lamb that takes away the guilt of our sin.  One of the benefits of becoming a Christian is freedom from sin and guilt and shame.  The fellowship with Jesus and His disciples is a joyful dinner together accomplished by the grace and mercy of God. Luke 22. 13  They left and found things just as Jesus had told them. So they prepared the Passover. 14  When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table. 15  And he said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. 16  For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God.” 17  After taking the cup, he gave thanks and said, “Take this and divide it among you. 18...

3.7- The path to a great life. 1 Thessalonians 5. 12  Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to acknowledge those who work hard among you, who care for you in the Lord and who admonish you. 13  Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other. 14  And we urge you, brothers and sisters,  warn those who are idle and disruptive,  encourage the disheartened,  help the weak,  be patient with everyone.   15  Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else. 16  Rejoice always,   17  pray continually,   18  give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 19  Do not quench the Spirit.   20  Do not treat prophecies with contempt 21  but test them all;  hold on to what is good,   22  reject every kind of evil.

3.6- If we learn to be broken and cry out to God for mercy we can have a life of amazing grace.  If we resist the truth we will be crushed in this life and the next by the hypocrisy and lies. Luke 20. 17  Jesus looked directly at them and asked, “Then what is the meaning of that which is written: “‘The stone the builders rejected      has become the cornerstone’ [ a ] ? 18  Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it falls will be crushed.”

3.5- 19  Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. 2  A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. 3  He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. 4  So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way. 5  When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” 6  So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly. 7  All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.” 8  But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.” 9  Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. 10  For the Son ...

3.4- American Founders and Bible Reading Luke 18. 22  When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” The impact of John Adams and John Quincy Adams on our country is hard to overestimate.   This father and son team had major influence on the founding of the country as well as its first few years. 1735 to 1848 is the span of their lives. John Adams wrote to John Quincy Adams regarding Bible reading: “..it is of all books in the world, that which contributes most to make men good, wise and happy—that the earlier my children begin to read it, the more steadily they pursue the practice of reading it throughout their lives, the lively and confident will be my hopes that they will prove useful citizens of their country, respectable members of society, and a real blessing to their parents… I have myself, for many years, made it a prac...

3.3- The kingdom of God is a heart where God is the king. Luke 17. 20  Once, on being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, “The coming of the kingdom of God is not something that can be observed, 21  nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is in your midst.” [ c ]

3.2- The reason religious experts didn't like Jesus. They often try to justify themselves with money or titles of importance instead of depending on the mercy of God. Luke 16. 14  The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and were sneering at Jesus. 15  He said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of others, but God knows your hearts. What people value highly is detestable in God’s sight.

3.1- James 3. 13  Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. 14  But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. 15  Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16  For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. 17  But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. 18  Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.

2.28- James 1. 19  My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, 20  because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. 21  Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.

2.27- Luke 15.32 It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.’” Titus 3.4-7 But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.