Refreshing Our Spirits With Scripture

 8.22- Pain produces precious presence and presents. Romans 5. 5  Therefore, having been justified by faith,  [ a ] we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,   2  through whom we also have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and  [ b ] we celebrate in hope of the glory of God.   3  And not only  this , but  [ c ] we also celebrate in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance;   4  and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope;   5  and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. James 1. 2  Consider it all joy, my brothers  and sisters , when you encounter various  [ c ] trials,   3  knowing that the testing of your faith produces  [ d ] endurance.   4...

 8.21- A morning prayer. Lord, Thank you For legs that walk. For eyes that see. Hands that hold. Arms that lift. A mind that remembers. A God who forgives and forgets. In Jesus name.. Amen. 1 Thessalonians 5. 18  in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.  

 8.20- Watched the NFL HOF speeches as usual and then heard a great lesson this morning from Nathan Burrow. Believe in people. Believe in the people you work with. The people you train. The people who trained you. Have a standard that you will have high goals for yourself and others. Watch them grow from it. "Spiritual influencers imagine a spiritual future that you cannot see for yourself." Nathan Borrow John 14.12 12  Truly, truly I say to you, the one who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater  works  than these he will do; because I am going to the Father.  

 8.19-  Jesus became the Savior of the Jews and the Gentiles through His resurrection and appointment of the being the judge of all people.  He knows the secrets of hearts.  He knows the chances each person has in life.  He will make no mistakes in His final judgement of things.  He paid for the sins of all people of all time on the cross.  He is the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.  He is on the cross and He says, "Father, forgive them for the know not what they do."  He also was on the cross and said, It is finished.  The debt of all sins against God are paid off.  He also said on the cross that a thief who died with Him would go with Him to paradise.  This thief had expressed faith in Jesus as the Messiah that He said He was.  He said to Jesus, "Remember me when you come in your kingdom." This is the message that Peter delivered to the first Gentile convert.  This is the basic message all of us nee...

  8.18-Transplants and other science with important additions to my body. When my body is dead I’m not sure if there is anything that can be worth anything passed on. Eyes, liver, kidney, heart, flesh, skin, bones or whatever can be used. I have a donor listing on my DL for that reason. That became very important once I realized how important this can be. I want things given to others that can help them. I want to receive into my body what can help me. Thank God for modern science. I have a couple of extended family members who have needed transplants. 17 years ago today, 8.18.04, we experienced the blessing of a successful transplant in our family. We have been in the waiting room where some good news was received and others who did not get good news about their beloved relatives. There is one transplant that is available for all. God has set it up so that the perfect, pure soul of Jesus Christ was taken from Him and implanted into those of us who have become believers in ...

  8.16 The Cross is a place of tears.  We feel forsaken at times. It's Friday, but Sunday is coming. Larry, “You are 74 years old. What do you think about the recent tragedy in Afghanistan?” “I’m praying for all involved. But, I remember this from my understanding of history. About 30 AD. You are the salt of the world and the light of the world. Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. About 33 AD. During the trial of Jesus, He said that His Father in heaven was in charge, not the local king. The fact according to Jesus is that God our Father in heaven is sovereign over all. As Jesus was being arrested, I suspect this kind of conversation might have happened knowing the nature of us as humans following Jesus. Peter, “I have a sword and I can take off the guy trying to kill you Jesus. Watch this.” The man ducked. He cut off his ear. Jesus said, “Put up your sword. Those who live by the sword will die by the sword.” Then Jesus picked up his ear out of the dirt a...

 8.15- When Jesus came to earth doing good and healing people Acts 10. 39  We are witnesses of all the things that He did both in the  [ aa ] country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They also put Him to death by hanging Him on  [ ab ] a cross.   40  God raised Him up on the third day and granted that He  [ ac ] be revealed,   41  not to all the people, but to witnesses who had been chosen beforehand by God,  that is , to us who ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead.   When Jesus came to earth doing good and healing people He was blunt and bold to called out the hypocrisy of the religious leaders and they killed Him on the cross.  God raised Him from the dead.  He appeared to many witnesses.  Some who had been cowardly before His resurrection became bold and willing to die after they saw the resurrected Jesus. 

 8.14- Its about Jesus who went about doing God and healing.  Acts 10. 37  you yourselves know the thing that happened throughout Judea, starting from Galilee, after the baptism which John proclaimed.   38  [ y ] You know of  Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power,  [ z ] and  how  He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.   Its about Jesus who went about doing God and healing.  God is a healer.  He built our bodies to heal.  He empowers and trains and calls men and women to be healers.   Doctors and nurses spend much time and money to learn what works in healing people.

 8.13- It's about peace.  Jesus was called the prince of peace. Acts 10.   36  The word which He sent to the sons of Israel, preaching  [ x ] peace through Jesus Christ (He is Lord of all)— It's about peace.  Jesus was called the prince of peace.  Jesus said Blessed are the peacemakers.  Peace comes through Jesus who taught His disciples not to kill their enemies, but to pray for them and bless them.

 8.12- According to the teachings I have read about and in the Jewish faith there is an emphasis on God's care for the poor.  I know that Jesus said that when you serve the poor you are serving God.  The poor represent God.  The giving to the poor is a way to show your heart for the things of God.  Cornelius was a gentile man who cared for the poor and God saw His gifts as a sign of an open heart for the message of God's love and mercy.  He sent Peter, a follower of Jesus to speak to him.  Here is the sermon. Acts 10. 34  Opening his mouth, Peter said: “I most certainly understand  now  that God is not one to show partiality,   35  but in every nation the one who  [ v ] fears Him and  [ w ] does what is right is acceptable to Him.  

 8.11- I have a couple of cousins who have covid.  I heard today a friend has covid.  Dallas and Fort Worth have been overwhelmed in our ER's and our hospitals.  Austin has run out of ICU beds. Our security cannot be in our own health.  It cannot be in our nation.  It cannot even be in the security of our world.  The security we can have is God who created this world.  He is a lover of His creation.  We, human beings, were created in His image.  He is love.  He has shown us in the life of His Son Jesus that there is security in Jesus' word. Let us turn to God in prayer and appeal to Him for help and guidance and healing and comfort.  Mark 13.   31  Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.  

 8.10- Believe in people.  Believe in the people you work with.  The people you train.  They people who trained you.  Have a standard that you will have high goals for yourself and others.  Watch them grow from it. "Spiritual influencers imagine a spiritual future that you cannot see for yourself." Nathan Borrow John 14. 12  Truly, truly I say to you, the one who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater  works  than these he will do; because I am going to the Father.   13  And whatever you ask in My name, this I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

 8.9- What is the character of God, our Father in heaven? Jesus said that if we had seen Him we had seen the Father. Jesus said that He observed what His Father was doing and entered into that work with Him. Today in my devotional I ran across a verse that summarized the character of the Father of Jesus Christ. Jonah 4. 4  But it greatly displeased Jonah, and he became angry.   2  Then he prayed to the  Lord  and said, “Please  Lord , was this not  [ a ] what I said when I was still in my  own  country? Therefore in anticipation  of this  I fled to Tarshish, since I knew that You are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abundant in mercy, and One who relents of disaster.

 8.8- Don’t play word games with God.   If God is all wise and He is.   If God is present everywhere and He is.   He if knows the secrets of our hearts and He does.   Why do we play word games with Him and run and hide from Him?   Lying to God about what we have to give in honor and support of our mother and father is not wise. Mark 7. 7  The Pharisees and some of the scribes *gathered to Him after they came from Jerusalem,   2  and saw that some of His disciples were eating their bread with  [ a ] unholy hands, that is, unwashed.   3  (For the Pharisees and all the  other  Jews do not eat unless they  [ b ] carefully wash their hands,  thereby  holding firmly to the tradition of the elders;   4  and  when they come  from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they  [ c ] completely cleanse themselves; and there are many other things which they have received...

 8.7. There are some things that God wants to happen before He is willing to accept a contribution from us. Isaiah 1. 11  “What are your many sacrifices to Me?” Says the  Lord . “I  [ d ] have had enough of burnt offerings of rams And the fat of fattened cattle; And I take no pleasure in the blood of bulls, lambs, or goats. 17  Learn to do good; Seek justice, Rebuke the oppressor, Obtain justice for the orphan, Plead for the widow’s case. Jesus said the same. Matthew 5. 23  Therefore, if you are presenting your  [ n ] offering at the altar, and there you remember that your brother has something against you,   24  leave your  [ o ] offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your  [ p ] offering.  

 8.6- The good news is that we don’t have to react to people in the way they act toward us.   We can change the dynamic movements.   Others may be pushing division toward us but we can stay committed to harmony in our lives. As George Stebbins wrote: Out of bondage, sorrow and night Into freedom gladness and light. Out of sickness into health. Out of want and into spiritual wealth. Out of sin and guilt and into the pure health of life with Jesus. Out of shameful, failure and loss. Into the glorious gain of the cross. Out of sorrows into the balm of Gilead. Out of life’s storms and into the calm. Out of distress and into a Psalm. Out of unrest and arrogant pride. Into God’s will to abide. Out of self into His love. Into the upward flight of the wings of a dove. Out of the fear and dread of the tomb. Into the light and hope of God’s eternal home. Out of the depths of ruin untold. Into the peace of being in Jesus’ secure sheepfold. Eve...