Refreshing Our Spirits With Scripture

 4.4- Let us praise the name of the Lord, for at His command we were created. (Psalm 148:5) Obedience flows freely from a heart of love. We serve Jesus when we serve people. Those who follow God are His children. Forgiveness brings joy. Sharing God’s love equals caring for others.

 4.3- Why Me? Mark 14:10-21 Dave Egner British pastor Joseph Parker was asked, “Why did Jesus choose Judas to be one of his disciples?” He thought deeply about the question for a while but could not come up with an answer. He said that he kept running into an even more baffling question: “Why did He choose me?” That’s a question that has been asked throughout the centuries. When people become painfully aware of their sin and are overcome with guilt, they cry out to Jesus for mercy. In joyous wonder they experience the truth that God loves them, that Jesus died for them and that when they decide to change their lives and follow Jesus, they will be forgiven of all their sins. It’s incomprehensible! I too have asked, “Why me?” I know that the dark and sinful deeds of my life were motivated by a heart even darker, and yet God loved me! (Romans 5:6). I was undeserving, wretched, and helpless, yet He opened His arms and His heart to me. I could almost hear Him whisper, “I love you even m...

Easter is an important date to Christians.  Jesus was crucified  on "Good Friday".  It is good that Jesus finished sacrificing His life as the "lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world". Those words spoken by Jesus on the cross "It is finished" and "Father forgive them for they don't know what they are doing". These show us God's love for us.  This why Good Friday is Good News for those of us who believe in Jesus. We have been forgiven and we can forgive others as we have been forgiven.

 4.2- Dangerous Shortcuts Matthew 4:1-10 Keila Ochoa During recent elections in my country, one struggling mom I knew exchanged her vote for a bag of diapers. We had discussed the benefits of each candidate, so her choice disappointed me. “But what about your convictions?” I asked. She remained silent. Six months later her candidate won, taxes went even higher. Everything is now more expensive than before . . . even diapers! In countries around the world, political corruption is not new. Spiritual corruption is not new either. Satan tried to lure Jesus into “selling” His convictions (Matthew 4:1-10). The tempter came to Him when He was tired and hungry. He offered Him immediate satisfaction, fresh bread in seconds, a miraculous delivery, the kingdom of the world and their glory. But Jesus knew better. He knew the shortcuts were dangerous enemies. They may offer a road free from suffering, but in the end, the pain they carry is much worse than anything we can imagine. “It is written...

 4.1- The Go-Between Exodus 20:18-26 Jennifer Benson Schuldt Imagine standing at the bottom of a mountain, elbow-to-elbow with everyone in your community. Thunder and lightning flash; you hear an earsplitting trumpet blast. Amid flames, God descends on the mountaintop. The summit is enveloped in smoke; the entire mountain begins to shake, and so do you. (Exodus 19:16-20) When the Israelites had this terrifying experience near Mount Sinai, they begged Moses, “Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die.” (Exodus 20:19). The Israelites were asking Moses to mediate between them and the Almighty. “The people remained at a distance while Moses approached the thick darkness where God was” (verse 21). After meeting with God, Moses brought God’s messages back down the mountain to the people below. Today, we worship the same God who displayed His staggering greatness on Mount Sinai. Because God is perfectly holy and we are desperately sinful, we c...

Joyful, helpful workers. Three men. All can make you laugh. All spent time as farmers.  All wanted to help more people if needed. Jesus once asked some fishermen if they had caught anything. "No." He told them to change where they were fishing. Then they had good success.   March is nearly over and it includes the birthdate of Reed Wishard on the 9th, dad on the 13th and my brother in law, Bill Luttrell, on the 27th. These three men always remembered by me as fun to work with. Dad and Reed moved to heaven Bill is doing much better after surgery still helping all of us by his encouragement. Thankful in March for those who make work an upbeat place to be.

I notice that my relationship with my kids and grandkids goes better when I can demonstrate in my actions that I love them.  Just because they may feel that I don't like some of their choices does not keep them from knowing that I love them. I think that is the way it is between God and His children.

My hope for the future is based on our creator.  A phrase in our documents. "Endowed by our creator with unalienable rights" Human beings have rights.  They are not given by the government but by God. We are in the protection and control of our creator.   God is using great men and women to establish justice. He uses them to stand for the poor and oppressed.  If you are helping feed the hungry then you are working with God. God will favor you.  If you are hoarding wealth and not being generous you are fighting against the creator of the universe.   We can get good success by just following what God and godly people are doing. God blesses the poor and powerless. God help us to be a blessing. 3,000 years ago a wise man wrote, "Whoever increases wealth by taking interest or profit from the poor a masses it for another, who will be kind to the poor."

Saw a few Texas Longhorns yesterday near Richland Hills and remembered these were owned by my Father.  Psalm 50.10 "I have no need of a bull from your stall or of goats from your pens, for every animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills. I know every bird in the mountains, and the insects in the fields are mine. If I were hungry I would not tell you, for the world is mine, and all that is in it."

3.27 Paul the apostle uses this solution over and over.  This is what flows from The Father, The Son and the Spirit.   This is what He is sending because this is His character.  Are you receiving this? Open your heart.

 3.26- Contentment Contentment is valuing the simple things in life more than success, riches, or fame. It is resting in God’s daily provision and in His control over the circumstances of my life. 1 Timothy 6. 3  If anyone advocates a different doctrine and does not  [ d ] agree with sound words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the doctrine conforming to godliness,   4  he is conceited  and  understands nothing; but he  [ e ] has a morbid interest in controversial questions and disputes about words, out of which arise envy, strife, abusive language, evil suspicions,   5  and constant friction between men of depraved mind and deprived of the truth, who suppose that  [ f ] godliness is a means of gain.   6  But godliness  actually  is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment.   7  For we have brought nothing into the world, so we...

 3.25- Hide and Seek Ezekiel 8 James Banks “You can’t see me!” When small children play “hide and seek,” they sometimes believe they’re hiding just by covering their eyes. If they can’t see you, they assume you can’t see them. Naïve as that may seem to adults, we sometimes do something similar with God. When we find ourselves desiring to do something we know is wrong, our tendency may be to shut God out as we willfully go our own way. The prophet Ezekiel discovered this truth in the vision God gave him for his people, exiled to Babylon. The Lord told him, “Have you seen what the elders of Israel are doing in the darkness, each at the shrine of his own idol? They say, “The Lord does not see us’” (Ezekiel 8:12). But God misses nothing, and Ezekiel’s vision was proof of it. Yet even though they had sinned, God offered His repentant people hope through a new promise: “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you” (Ezekiel 36:26). For us, God met the brokenness, and rebellion...

 3.24- Our Powerful God Amos 4:12-13 Amy Boucher Pye One day by the seaside, I delighted in watching some kite surfers as they bounced along the water, moved by the force of the wind. When one came to shore, I asked him if the experience was as difficult as it looked. “No,” he said, “It’s actually easier than regular surfing because you harness the power of the wind.” Afterward as I walked by the sea, thinking about the wind’s ability not only to propel the surfers but also to whip my hair into my face, I paused to wonder at our God the Creator. As we see in the Old Testament book of Amos, He who “forms the mountains” and “creates the wind” can turn “dawn to darkness” (verse 13). Through this prophet, the Lord reminded His people of His power as He called them back to Himself. Because they had not obeyed Him, He said He would reveal Himself to them (verse 13). Although we see His judgment here, we know from elsewhere in the Bible of His sacrificial love in sending His Son to save u...

 3.23- Are We There Yet? Deuteronomy 8 Julie Ackerman Link If there is any such thing as a universal question, it may be this: Are we there yet? Generations of children have asked it. They have grown into adults who have to answer the same question when their children ask. Whenever I read the books of Moses, I wonder how many times he heard that question from the Israelites. Before rescuing them from slavery and leading them out of Egypt, Moses told them that the Lord would lead them to “a land flowing with milk and honey>” (Exodus 3:8). He did, but first they spent 40 years wandering in the wilderness. This was no ordinary wandering, however. They were not lost; they were wandering for a purpose. After 400 years of slavery, the children of Israel needed to have their hearts, souls, and minds reoriented toward God. This was accomplished in the wilderness (Deuteronomy 8:2, 15-18), but not before an entire generation died because of their disobedience (Numbers 32:13). In life, it ...

 3.22- Human beings are not creatures of instinct with no powers of self control. The murder of eight in Atlanta is evil, sinful and wrong. Our enlightened society never uses the word that something is sinful. Why? Because they want to structure a world without any judgements of wrong or right. We want our chatter to be morally neutral so our chatter and talk shows are godless gobbledygook good and goofy. Jesus said He didn't come to condemn us but save us. But He said "Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you." John 5. 5  After these things there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 2  Now there is in Jerusalem by the sheep  gate  a pool, which is called in  [ a ] Hebrew  [ b ] Bethesda, having five porticoes.   3  In these lay a multitude of those who were sick, blind, lame, and withered, [ [ c ] waiting for the moving of the waters;   4  for an angel of the Lord went down at certai...

3.21- Building bridges over fences or making gates in them is more costly and uncomfortable than leaving things the same and let others do the painful work of trailblazing. Righteous people stand up for the poor and oppressed. Ephesians 2. 11  Therefore remember that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called “Uncircumcision” by the so-called “Circumcision,”  which is  performed in the flesh by human hands—   12  remember  that you were at that time separate from Christ,  [ i ] excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.   13  But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off  [ j ] have been brought near  [ k ] by the blood of Christ.   14  For He Himself is our peace, who made both  groups into  one and broke down the  [ l ] barrier of the dividing wa...

 3.20- Try to imagine having a 24/7/365 job of always being on call. Add to this visiting every patient that went to the hospital from your church of 1,000 members for 50 years. Now add doing half of the funerals. Never missing a major event of five children, eleven grandchildren, nine great, greats, mentoring many ministers in over 50 years near major Christian University. Leading a family through all the normal mess of life on this earth. Did I mention directing summer church camp for 25 plus years? Did I overlook caring for his aged parents alone as an only child? I might have overlooked crisis phone calls from his brother in law Minister, me? Bill Luttrell had a heart Stent procedure in Abilene Texas on Wednesday morning and last I heard is recovering at home. My sister, Hazanne, and their five kids are doing well helping them. God bless and heal Bill Luttrell. On the left in this picture. 2 Timothy 4. 4  I solemnly charge  you  in the presence of God and o...

 3.19- Where is God working?  Where do you see things happening that seem like a God kind of thing? Sometimes it is a person who pays for the groceries for a family that doesn't have the money. It can be when a elderly person needs someone to help fix up their house. It can be after a natural disaster.  People come from all over to help out. We just got through a hard time in Texas.  Some of our people in  Fort Worth still don't have water after three weeks. America has as much famine in our country as we have had in many years.  People have shared with each other.  Some have gotten food from food banks and share with others when they didn't have much themeslves. John 5. 19  Therefore Jesus answered and was saying to them,  “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless  it is  something He sees the Father doing; for whatever  [ e ] the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner. ...

 3.18- If we do what we have always done, we get what we have always got. Do you really want to get well?  Do you like having someone to wait one you rather than serving others? Sounds like an odd question.  Really we can become satisfied with our disabilities when we could get better if we pushed for more discipline at times.  Do we want it that badly? John 5. 5  After these things there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 2  Now there is in Jerusalem by the sheep  gate  a pool, which is called in  [ a ] Hebrew  [ b ] Bethesda, having five porticoes.   3  In these lay a multitude of those who were sick, blind, lame, and withered, [ [ c ] waiting for the moving of the waters;   4  for an angel of the Lord went down at certain seasons into the pool and stirred up the water; whoever then first, after the stirring up of the water, stepped in was made well from whatever disease with whi...

 3.17- The Battle Psalm 39:1-7 Tim Gustafson As artillery rounds fell around him with an earth-shaking whoomp, the young soldier prayed fervently, “Lord, if you get me through this, I’ll go to that Bible school Mom wanted me to attend.” God honored his focused prayer. My dad survived World War II, went to Moody Bible Institute, and invested his life in ministry. Another warrior endured a different kind of crisis that drove him to God, but his problems arose when he avoided combat. As King David’s troops fought the Ammonites, David was back at his palace casting more than just a glance at another’s man’s wife (2 Samuel 11). In Psalm 39, David chronicles the painful process of restoration from the terrible sin that resulted. “The turmoil within me grew worse,” he wrote. “The more I thought about it, the hotter I got” (Psalm 39:2-3). David’s broken spirit caused him to reflect: “Show me, Lord, my life’s end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting my life is (verse 4). Amid...