Refreshing Our Spirits With Scripture

The greater the wickedness in a culture the greater temptation to allow our love to grow cold.  We need to especially be alert to stay passionate in our love for all people.  Each day we encounter people who need our support.  We can see so many bad things on television that our warm love cools off and we can drift into becoming indifferent.

Every day we can choose be patient with our fellow humans and live in joy and spread good attitudes at work.  There are warnings from Jesus to not get drunk and mistreat our Co workers.  God is love and has built bad outcomes into the universe for hurt others.  We need to be self controlled in our responses. There will be times we will need to step in to stop others who are misusing their power to oppress others.  3,000 years ago a wise man wrote. "If you falter in a time of trouble, how small is your strength!  Rescue those being led away to death; hold back those staggering toward slaughter.  If you say, “But we knew nothing about this,” does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who guards your life know it? Will he not repay everyone according to what they have done?"

4.22- Paying taxes this year was postponed because of the pandemic. 4.15 is a red letter date normally.  Christians are taught to render to Caesar what is his. Taxes. Our taxes support the authorities. We also stand for proper laws that protect children and others who are powerless. We are to stand for justice. Good policemen stood against the murder of George Floyd and yesterday his murderer was convicted. This is where the laws of a righteous citizen would lead. All men are created equal. Justice for all regardless of race or ethnicity. God bless America.

 4.21- My favorite things.  Talking to my grandkids.  Having lunch with my kids.  Watching a good movie with my wife.  Thirty minutes on my exercise bike.  Working out with stretching and sit ups and with my weights.  Walking in the water channel at the health club.  Sitting and feeding birds.  Driving through Bear Creek park and watching children fish with their parents.  Driving through Braums and getting a double dip butter pecan ice cream cone. Calls from family and friends that live in distant cities.  Zoom meetings with friends who cannot be together with us personally.  These are some of my favorite things.  Do you know what God's favorite thing is?  It is for sheep who have wandered away from the flock to be brought home safely.  This is heaven's favorite thing. Luke 15. 15  Now all the tax collectors and the  [ a ] sinners were coming near Him to listen to Him.   2  Both the Phar...

 4.20- Somethings that seem to be dead are not. We had a harsh winter storm this year. We had the belief that some of our trees were dead. Some of our rose bushes seemed to have been killed by the cold. Once Jesus said that if you want your life to be multiplied it must die. We must die to ourselves in order to live for others. Planted down in the soil a seed comes back to multiply. So when I saw these roses this week I was excited about the life that comes after a dead time of winter. If we can deny ourselves and serve others it will bless them and long term it will also be blessing to us. John 12. 20  Now there were some Greeks among those who were going up to worship at the feast;   21  these then came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and  began to  ask him, saying, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.”   22  Philip *came and *told Andrew; Andrew and Philip *came and *told Jesus.   23  And Jesus *a...

 4.19- How many times have you prayed for healing and been healed? God is the healer.  He is the one who provides all the things we need. Acts 14. 16  [ m ] In the generations gone by He permitted all the  [ n ] nations to go their own ways;   17  and yet He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good and gave you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons,  [ o ] satisfying your hearts with food and gladness.”   Matthew 14. 34  When they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret.   35  And when the men of that place  [ r ] recognized Him, they sent  word  into all that surrounding district and brought to Him all who were sick;   36  and they implored Him that they might just touch the fringe of His cloak; and as many as touched  it  were cured.

4.19 Life includes major decisions and minor ones. Would you trade your soul for money? Bernie Madoff made off with billions of people's retirement money. He died this week. Do you believe that after death there is more justice from God for unrepentant people. God is the judge and knows hearts. Let us recommit to be people of integrity.

 4.18- Whatever you need is what you should give to others.  I heard this from my friend, Tim Rush, tonight on a devo and he is so right. What you need is what others need and you can give it to them.  Thinking of what you are missing is a good time to think of others who might be missing this and give it to them. Galations 5. 22  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,   23  gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.   24  Now those who  [ k ] belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25  If we live by the Spirit, let us also  [ l ] walk by the Spirit.   26  Let us not become boastful, challenging one another, envying one another.

 4.17- Why should children of God be fearless?  Because Jesus tells them to be. Matthew 14. 22  Immediately He  [ l ] made the disciples get into the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side, while He sent the crowds away.   23  After He had sent the crowds away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray; and when it was evening, He was there alone.   24  But the boat was already  [ m ] a long distance from the land,  [ n ] battered by the waves; for the wind was  [ o ] contrary.   25  And in the  [ p ] fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea.   26  When the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out  [ q ] in fear.   27  But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying,  “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.”

 4.16- The value of understanding that the kingdom of God is inside your own heart and soul cannot be overestimated. In God you have a gentle, humble and restgiving work partner. Matthew 11. 25  At that  [ y ] time Jesus said,  “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from  the  wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants.   26  Yes, Father, for this way was well-pleasing in Your sight.   27  All things have been handed over to Me by My Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father; nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal  Him . 28  “Come to Me, all  [ z ] who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.   29  Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and  you will find rest for your souls .   30  For My yoke is  ...

 4.15- What is the chief duty of man? Some of the older Christian writings say, "To glorify God and enjoy Him forever." I like that saying. A friend in the water exercise channel reminded me it was also a line in the movie A River Runs Through It. Phillippians 4. 4  Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!   5  Let your gentle  spirit  be known to all men. The Lord is  [ c ] near.   6  Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.   7  And the peace of God, which surpasses all  [ d ] comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

 4.14- When we have overestimated our strength and fallen on our faces there is recovery possible. God provides a hand to pick us up. We are then given a new work based on His unlimited strength. John 21. 15  So when they had finished breakfast, Jesus *said to Simon Peter,  “Simon,  son  of John, do you  [ f ] love Me more than these?”  He *said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I  [ g ] love You.” He *said to him,  “Tend My lambs.”   16  He *said to him again a second time,  “Simon,  son  of John, do you  [ h ] love Me?”  He *said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I  [ i ] love You.” He *said to him,  “Shepherd My sheep.”   17  He *said to him the third time,  “Simon,  son  of John, do you  [ j ] love Me?”  Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time,  “Do you  [ k ] love Me?”  And he said to Him, “Lord, You know a...

 4.13- Crying Out to God Psalm 142 David Roper After all these years, I still don’t fully understand prayer. It’s something of a mystery to me. But one thing I know: When we’re in desperate need, prayer springs naturally from our lips and from the deepest level of our hearts. When we’re frightened out of our wits, when we’re pushed out of our comfort zones, when our well-being is challenged and endangered, we reflexively and involuntarily resort to prayer. “Help, Lord!” is our natural cry. Author Eugene Peterson wrote: “The language of prayer is forged in the crucible of trouble. When we can’t help ourselves and call for help, when we don’t like where we are and want out, when we don’t like who we are and want a change, we use primal language, and this language becomes the root language of prayer.” Prayer begins in trouble, and it continues because we’re always in trouble at some level. It requires no special preparation, no precise vocabulary, no appropriate posture. It springs fr...

 4.12- Simply Trusting Psalm 56 Joe Stowell When our children were young, taking them to the doctor’s office was an interesting experience. The waiting room was filled with toys they could play with and children’s magazines I would read to them . So getting that far with them was no problem. But as soon as I picked them up to carry them into the appointment, everything changed. Suddenly the fun turned into fear as the nurse approached with the needle for the needed shot. The closer she got, the tighter they hugged my neck. They would cling to me for comfort, probably hoping for rescue, not knowing that it was for their own good. Sometimes in this fallen world we move from times of peace and tranquility into the painful realm of trouble. At that point, the question is, “How will I respond?” We can be fearful and wonder why God allowed this to happen to us, or we can trust that in the midst of this trouble He is doing something that in the end is for our best, even if it hurts. We wo...

 4.11- A Father Who Runs Luke 15:11-24 Poh Fang Chia Every day a father craned his neck to look toward the distant road, waiting for his son’s return. And every night he went to bed disappointed. But one day, a speck appeared. A lonesome silhouette stood against the crimson sky. Could that be my son? the fathered wondered. Then he caught sight of the familiar saunter. Yes, that has to be my son! And so while the son was “still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him” (Luke 15:20). It is remarkable that the family patriarch did something that was considered undignified in Middle Eastern culture – he ran to meet his son. The father was full of unbridled joy at his son’s return. The son didn’t deserve such a reception. When he asked his father for his share of the inheritance and left home, it was if he had wished his father dead. But despite all that the son had done to his father, he was still his son (verse 24). This parab...

3.10- Could it be difficult for a Holy, pure God to make a way for fellowship and intimacy with rebellious, stiff-necked humans? Yes. To take away the sin would require blood of the lamb of God, His only Son. Forgiveness is possible but difficult.

 4.9- "After the resurrection, Jesus comes back to his failed disciples & instead of bringing up their mistakes, he sends them on mission. In the Kingdom of God, our mistakes don't make us “unusable.” It’s through our mistakes that God demonstrates his incomparable grace in our lives." Rich Villodas John 21.   15  So when they had finished breakfast, Jesus *said to Simon Peter,  “Simon,  son  of John, do you  [ f ] love Me more than these?”  He *said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I  [ g ] love You.” He *said to him,  “Tend My lambs.”   16  He *said to him again a second time,  “Simon,  son  of John, do you  [ h ] love Me?”  He *said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I  [ i ] love You.” He *said to him,  “Shepherd My sheep.”   17  He *said to him the third time,  “Simon,  son  of John, do you  [ j ] love Me?”  Peter was grieved because He sai...

 4.8- It’s Good to Ask Psalm 143:4-11 John Blasé My father has always had a directional sense I’ve envied. He’s just immediately known where north, south, east, and west are. It’s like he was born with that sense. And he’s always been right. Until the night he wasn’t. That was the night my father got lost. He and my mother attended and event in an unfamiliar town and left after dark. He was convinced he knew the way back to the highway, tut he didn’t He got turned around, then confused, and ultimately frustrated. My mother reassured him, “I know it’s hard, but ask your phone for directions. It’s okay.” For the first time in his life that I’m aware of, my seventy-six-year-old father asked for directions. From his phone. The psalmist was a man with a wealth of life experiences. But the psalms reveal moments when it appears David felt lost spiritually and emotionally. Psalm 143 contains one of those times. The great king’s heart was dismayed (Psalm 143:4). He was in trouble (verse 11)...

 4.7- What Kind of Savior Is He? John 6:47-51, 60-66 Anne Cetas Last year, friends and I prayed for healing for three women battling cancer. We knew God had the power to do this, and we asked Him to do so every day. We’d seen Him work in the past and believed He could do it again. There were days in each one’s battle where healing looked like it was a reality, and we rejoiced. But they all died that fall. Some said that was “the ultimate healing,” and in a way it was. Still the losss hurt us deeply. We wanted Him to heal them all – here and now – gut for reasons we couldn’t understand, no miracle came. Some people followed Jesus for the miracles He performed and to get their needs met (John 6:2, 26). Some simply saw Him as the carpenter’s son (Matthew 13:55-58), and others expected Him to be their political leader (Luke 19:37-38). Some thought of Him as a great teacher (Matthew 7:28-29), while others quit following Him because His teaching was hard to understand (John 6:66). Jesus ...

 4.6- It is better to live empowered by love than by fear. 1 John 4. 15  Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.   16  We have come to know and have believed the love which God has  [ d ] for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.   17  By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world.   18  There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear  [ e ] involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love.   19  We love, because He first loved us.   20  If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen.   21  And thi...