Refreshing Our Spirits With Scripture

 11.8-   As Advertised John 16:25-33 Xochitl Dixon During a vacation, my husband and I signed up for a leisurely rafting tour down Georgia’s Chattahoochee River. Dressed in sandals, a sundress, and a wide brimmed hat, I groaned when we discovered-contrary to the advertisement-that the trip included light rapids. Thankfully we rode with a couple experienced in whitewater rafting. They taught my husband the basics of paddling and promised to navigate us safely to our destination. Grateful for my life-jacket, I screamed and gripped the plastic handle on the raft until we reached the muddy bank downriver. I stepped onto the shore and dumped water from my purse as my husband helped me wring out the hem of my soaked dress. We enjoyed a good laugh, even though the trip had not turned out as advertised. Unlike the tour brochure, which clearly left out a key detail about the trip, Jesus explicitly warned His disciples that rough waters were ahead....

 11.7-   Belonging Isaiah 44:1-5 Tim Gustafson I’d been out late the night before, just as I was every Saturday night. Just twenty years old, I was running from God as fast as I could. But suddenly, strangely, I felt compelled to attend the church my dad pastored. I put on my faded jeans, well-worn T-shirt, and unlaced high-tops and drove across town. I don’t recall the sermon Dad preached that day, but I can’t forget how delighted he was to see me. With his arm over my shoulder, he introduced me to everyone he saw. “This is my son!” he proudly declared. His joy became a picture of God’s love that has stuck with me all these decades. The imagery of God as loving Father occurs throughout the Bible. In Isaiah 44, the prophet interrupts a series of warnings to proclaim God’s message of family love. “Dear Israel, my chosen one,” He said. “I will pour out my Spirit on your descendants and my blessing on your children” (verses 2-3). Isaiah not...

 11.6-  Disciples do their work with passion.  They throw their heart soul and mind into being excellent in the jobs they have been called to do.  Jesus calls us to get into yoke or harness with Him and He will lead when and where we need to go.  He knows the right direction and timing and the doors that are open and they doors that are closed.  To work with God as your guide is to work with excellence and restfulness at the same time. Colossians 3. 23  Whatever you do, do your work [ w ] heartily, as for the Lord [ x ] rather than for men, 24  knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward [ y ] of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve. 25  For he who does wrong will receive the consequences of the wrong which he has done, and [ z ] that without partiality.    

 11.5-  To become a disciple of Jesus is to die to doing things your way and to live to doing things Jesus' way. This changes the mind set.  The mind is set on things above as our Father in heaven wants them to be. He has a way His children choose to live.  It is not the way of the majority of people.  It is a narrow path rather than the broad path that most choose.     Colossians 3. 3  Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2  [ a ] Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. 3  For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4  When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.   12  So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and [ k ] patience; 13  bearing with ...

 11.4-  The mission of a disciple of Jesus is to make more disciples of Jesus.  This can be described in many ways.  For the apostle Paul it was to open eyes.  He wanted the eyes of of people's hearts opened so that they could turn from darkness activities to light.  He wanted to help them experience freedom.  True freedom is freedom to serve God and others with joy and excellence.  The mission of Jesus helps people to leave the dominion of Satan to to come home to God and His love.   When they come home to God with honesty and truth they are able to receive forgiveness and an inheritance along with their brother, Jesus.  Amazing Grace.  Charles Wesley transformed England and America with His work to spread the good news of Jesus' Love Notice these words. Love divine, all loves excelling Joy of Heaven to Earth come down Fix in us Thy humble dwelling All Thy faithful mercies crown Jesus, Thou art all compassion Pure, unbounded l...

 11.3-  Jesus didn't want violence against His enemies.  He told him to put up the sword.  To take up the sword is to take up something that will hurt yourself.  Jesus indicated that prayer was a better weapon to overcome the evil one.  This was not an event coming because of lack of sword power but rather it was the will of God.  It was the plan of God to allow Jesus to be the lamb of God that would give His blood to mark the doorpost of our lives and allow us to live because He was willing to die. Matthew 26. 51  And behold, one of those who were with Jesus [ m ] reached and drew out his sword, and struck the slave of the high priest and [ n ] cut off his ear. 52  Then Jesus *said to him, “Put your sword back into its place; for all those who take up the sword shall perish by the sword. 53  Or do you think that I cannot appeal to My Father, and He will at once put at My disposal more than twelve [ o ] legions of angels? 54  How...

 11.2-  There are things we don't want to face that we have to face.  I remember when Sheila was pregnant with Jeff and the discussions we had about her concern about her first birth event.  The further she got along in the pregnancy the larger Jeff got the more she was concerned.  Near the end of the pregnancy she said to me that she didn't know how it was going to work out, but she knew she was ready to get it on.  The doctors and nurses and especially with the help of the good Lord she did great.  She had to face it and move forward into that birth pain. Jesus was looking at the cross. He asked God the Father about letting this cup pass.  But more than anything He wanted the will of God to be done. The will of God was that He would go to the cross and cry out on the cross for the forgiveness of sins for those who were killing Him. The cross is about forgiveness. We have been love by God with the gift of His Son to provide forgiveness of sins fo...

 11.1  Persecution is harder than we might think.  The rejection.  The pain and suffering.  We may think we are up for it when really we are not as strong as we think.  We need grace and mercy and acceptance in spite of our weakness. Matthew 26. 31  Then Jesus *said to them, “You will all [ i ] fall away because of Me this night, for it is written, ‘I will strike down the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered .’ 32  But after I have been raised, I will go ahead of you to Galilee.” 33  But Peter said to Him, “ Even though all may [ j ] fall away because of You, I will never fall away.” 34  Jesus said to him, “Truly I say to you that this very night, before a rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” 35  Peter *said to Him, “Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You.” All the disciples said the same thing too.     69  Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard, and a servant-gi...

 10.31-  Jesus intended for His disciples to be a loving family.  Families eat together.  Jesus connected the Passover bread to His own body given for others. The cup connected to giving His blood, the lamb of God, for the sins of the world. When we live in the presence of God His joy fills our hearts at meal times and all times. The early disciples gatherings were meetings of joy and food and fellowship The church at Corinth got into some problems when they were selfish with their food and the rich separated themselves from the poor and didn't have common meals together.  They were divided and God didn't want them to be divided. When we eat with God's children we need to examine our hearts to make sure we are aligned with love for God and for them as we fellowship around food.  Food is a hospitality event, but it is also a spiritual event of deep bonding. Food eaten in a good context is good for the heart, soul and body.  Food eaten in selfishness and...

 10.30-  Never betray you family and friends.  These are people who depend upon you to be trust worthy.  When you betray the for money it fills your heart with regret.  The reason God teaches us to avoid certain things like betrayal because it bears such bitter fruits in our hearts.  Don't do it.   Matthew 26. 14  Then one of the twelve, named Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests 15  and said, “What are you willing to give me [ a ] to [ b ] betray Him to you?” And they weighed out thirty [ c ] pieces of silver to him. 16  From then on he began looking for a good opportunity to [ d ] betray [ e ] Jesus.  

 10.29- Jesus you are blessed by the gifts I give to you of my best, my very best.  There are people that believe that giving God your best is a waste because God is a spirit who is invisible.  The disciples thought the best was a waste when Jesus was present with them visibly.  Jesus told them not to bother this woman because she wanted to gift Jesus with her best.  He saw her good deed to him as a blessing to Him and the whole world because it would be retold over and over and indeed it has been. Matthew 26. 6  Now when Jesus was in Bethany, at the home of Simon the leper, 7  a woman came to Him with an alabaster vial of very costly perfume, and she poured it on His head as He reclined at the table . 8  But the disciples were indignant when they saw this , and said, “Why this waste? 9  For this perfume might have been sold for a high price and the money given to the poor.” 10  But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why d...

 10.28-   Light is key to being in a relationship with Jesus.   I’m guessing you have heard the phrase that people are not interested in religion, but they are interested in a relationship with God.   When we live as people of light it is possible for us to have this intimate relationship with God.   God will stand with us when no one else may be willing or able to stand with us.   Jesus teaches us that God is generous and so we can take reasonable risks and invest our resources and grow them.   Ten can gain ten more.   Five can gain five more.   These people believe in God’s love and power to help things work out well.   There are people who do not believe in God’s love and power for the good.   They refuse to risk and refuse to work because they are lazy.   Jesus calls these people lazy and wicked who do not invest because of seeing the Master as hard and harsh and unfair.   They isolate themselves and their resour...