Refreshing Our Spirits With Scripture

7.6-Chaplain to a King or a Senator, Remember. I have read that my great, great grandfather, George Wishart, was a chaplain to the king of England in 1748. I don't know if this is true or not. I do know that by God's Amazing Grace I have been a chaplain/supporter in times of crisis to some unusual people. A senator, a police chief in city of 300,000 people, a couple of school leaders in charge of 30,000 students. Even today I get to be supported by and a supporter of 40 working men who are out on the field of life call ed the "NFL" National Family Leaders, in our family lingo. Big league teachers, family leaders and church leaders who are up for criticism every day. A good chaplain is -A person of joy. -A reminder to the person of their best values. -One who stands and resists bad religion and bad poltitics. -A well read, growing person. -Comfortable in their own skin. -Forgetful of pas failures and successes. -Seeking maturity for all knowing it...

7-6 The reason we don't heal and help more people is we filter our coffee which is ok, but we also filter our sick people as to the kind which we are willing to heal and help. James 2  My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism. 2  Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in filthy old clothes also comes in. 3  If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” 4  have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? 5  Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him? 6  But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not ...

7.6- True freedom is not freedom to do what we want, but rather freedom to do what we ought. My neighbor, Ronnie, saw me taking out my trash can and ask if she could do this for me. I said, "Yes, if you would like to." For the six years she has done what she could to help and serve us. 2,000 years ago Jesus used His freedom to wash his betrayer, Judas' feet. His buddy, Peter, wrote, "Use your freedom to serve others." I think I remember my college English teacher making us memorize a line, "Stone walls do not a prison make, nor iron bars a cage." The prison is me, me, me, selfishness. 1 Peter2. 16  Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves. 17  Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor. 18  Slaves, in reverent fear of God submit yourselves to your masters, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those ...

7.6- Yesterday I was unkind to a door to door lawn services salesman. Beyond that I was even harsh and unloving. As soon as I closed the door my wife corrected me in a very good way. I agreed I was wrong. I was leaving my home shortly and I looked for his truck and him hoping to apologize. I still hope to do so. The prayer Jesus gave me is important to me this morning. “Father forgive me of my sins as I forgive others.” Help me to be forgiving. Matthew 6. 5  “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 6  But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7  And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8  ...

7.4-  Some people only consider telling the truth when under oath and then it is common to hear.  "I don't recall." A man or woman of integrity will say the same thing under oath that they say all the time.  The truth or nothing and all.  Period.  End stop. Proverbs 12. 17  An honest witness tells the truth,      but a false witness tells lies.

7.3- Humility has to do with God increasing and us decreasing.   God is wise.  Humans who do not reflect God are not.  Satan wants to convince us that we know what is right and wrong.  Listening to Godly people gives wisdom.  Ignoring advice from men and women who know God and know us is foolish. Proverbs 12. 15  The way of fools seems right to them,      but the wise listen to advice.

7.2- When we call to ask for help it is important the tone, the volume and the words we use.  I was with my friend,  Jeff, to ask how to get a small service matter done to my car.  I was willing to pay a fee to get it done and did not expect it to be complimentary.  He said, "Call them and tell them what help you need and why and simply asked what it would cost?"  I happened to have a friend who owned and another one who worked in the business he mentioned.  I did what he said.  I told him what I needed.  "What would that cost?" "Nothing.  Get on down here." I drove down to the shop.  He came out.  Took my car.  Did the small service matter.  Although I demanded to share with him something which he graciously received I was blessed by him and my friend who had structured my words. Proverbs 12. 14  From the fruit of their lips people are filled with good things,      and the work of thei...

7.1- When we realize we have done something wrong we can use honesty and humility to begin the repair of our integrity and reputation.   We must not blame others.  We must not make excuses because everyone does it or others are worse.  We must admit the truth and get started righting the wrong. Proverbs 12. 6  The words of the wicked lie in wait for blood,      but the speech of the upright rescues them.

6.30- Do you have a friend that can keep your secrets?  You are blessed.  This must be someone who can listen without judgment and preaching to you.  It cannot be someone who piles on to the guilt you already feel.  It needs to be someone who can keep you wise about how to stop the damage you are doing to yourself and others.  But especially someone who will not betray your confidence. Proverbs 11. 13  A gossip betrays a confidence,      but a trustworthy person keeps a secret.

6.29- You get to decide how to react to your neighbor.  You can criticize what they do our find a way to build a bridge.  We received a note in the mail from a neighbor who had been derided for letting her grass get too high.  Someone had tapped a note to the mail box and left an unsigned letter that she must mow her lawn.  She wrote this note back to all of us that her father and grandfather had been deathly ill lately.  She explained that another neighbor had just mowed it for her.  This is what being a good neighbor was all about.  Not an unsigned letter. Proverbs 11. 12  Whoever derides their neighbor has no sense,      but the one who has understanding holds their tongue.

6.28- Grace is God's unmerited favor.  With some thought, prayer and observation we can find words that a clear and communicate in a way that finds favor with God and people.  It has no become popular in our culture to be radical and offensive in our communications.  This may be popular with the world, but it is not the way of grace and truth. Proverbs 10. 32  The lips of the righteous know what finds favor,      but the mouth of the wicked only what is perverse.

6.27- I think it was Mark Twain who said that the difference between the right word and the wrong word was lightening and a light bug. Proverbs 10. 20  The tongue of the righteous is choice silver,      but the heart of the wicked is of little value.

6.26- Wednesday I went to the health club to work out with weights to improve my leg strength and balance.  Two different guys came up to me who normally just say hi, but this time both of them took extra time to tell me about themselves and ask about how I was doing.  This surprised me and I was greatly uplifted and encouraged.  If you had asked them did they do anything special to help people today they would probably say, "No." Proverbs 10. 21  The lips of the righteous nourish many,      but fools die for lack of sense.

6.25- I often watch politicians on television talk around in circles to avoid saying a few simple words that are, "I was wrong." Proverbs 10. 19  Sin is not ended by multiplying words,      but the prudent hold their tongues.

6.24- I made a mistake. I used two clean cups, inside and outside. I put in fresh coffee. I put in milk that was out of date when I had fresh milk. It didn't look right. It didn't taste right. What should I do? Pour in more fresh milk? No. Pour out the coffee. Pour out the milk. Get clean cups. Get fresh coffee. Get fresh milk. It looks good. It tastes good. Application life lesson. More later maybe... Mark 7. 18  “Are you so dull?” he asked. “Don’t you see that nothing that enters a person from the outside can defile them? 19  For it doesn’t go into their heart but into their stomach, and then out of the body.” (In saying this, Jesus declared all foods clean.) 20  He went on: “What comes out of a person is what defiles them. 21  For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder, 22  adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. 23...

6.23- What if you knew you had exactly one hour to tell the most important people in your life what you think would be the most important things for them to know and that would be all you would ever be able to tell them. What would you tell them? I would tell them that God loved them. I would tell them I loved them. I would tell them I hoped they would love God, others and themselves. I would tell them that God is love. I would tell them that the way you see what love actually is is by reading the life of Jesus. Romans 5. 5  Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we [ a ] have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2  through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we [ b ] boast in the hope of the glory of God. 3  Not only so, but we [ c ] also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4  perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5  And h...

6.22- It doesn't matter what the future holds as long as you know who holds the future. Matthew 6. 25  “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26  Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27  Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life [ e ] ? 28  “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29  Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30  If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31  So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What ...

6.21- Love your neighbor as yourself. Be gentle with your neighbor as yourself. Proverbs 15 A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. The tongue of the wise adorns knowledge, but the mouth of the fool gushes folly. The eyes of the Lord are everywhere, keeping watch on the wicked and the good. ...

6.20- The story could have gone like this: the foolish boy ran out of money and friends. In the stinky pig pen he came to his senses and decided to go home work for his dad. His dad had moved on with his own life and pride in the other son. The boy found him at work. Begged for a job. His father said okay but I will be watching you closely before you get on permanent. That wasn't the way Jesus described the perfect Father. Luke 15. while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. And bring the fattened calf

6.19-Christians are weak. So what? All of the work that is good work is not for a boast for all of it is God’s work and His power.   There is nothing to boast of except Jesus. Really the boast is in God’s strength and the weakness of those of us who are called to do the work of God. We are weak.   We are affected by the insults that come to us.   Pained by the hardships that come to us.   Persecutions break our hearts.   We are not some kind of robots.   We have humans who are stressed with difficulties.    In such times we cry out to God. He tells us that His power is made perfect in our times of weakness.   So we look at times as weakness when God’s grace and perfection will be even more clear to us. 2 Corinthians 12  I must go on boasting. Although there is nothing to be gained, I will go on to visions and revelations from the Lord. 2  I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the thi...