Refreshing Our Spirits With Scripture

 5.22- Gratitude for the Greatest Gift                       Max Lucado     Gratitude.  It’s being more aware of what you have than what you don’t.  It’s recognizing the treasure in the simple—a child’s hug, a golden sunset.  Most of all, it’s a sense of the greatest gift: The Son of God, Jesus Christ, who took your place.     In the World War II death camp at Auschwitz, Franciszek [FRAN-sih-zeck] Gajowniczek [Guh-JOE-na-zeck] was one of ten prisoners chosen to die.  An angel in the form of Franciscan priest Maximilian Kolbe volunteered to take his place.  You know, you and I have something in common with Franciszek.  We both had a substitute die in our place.  And we both have discovered what it means to be grateful.  For what we have is far greater than anything we might want.  

 5.21- The Alamo                                2 Kings 25:1-7                                           Adrian Rosales     For thirteen days a small mission in the city of Bexar known later as San Antonio, Texas, was attacked. On March 6, 1836, the Alamo was sieged by the army of Mexican General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna. Many brave men died in the battle, but their legacy will forever live.     The fall of Jerusalem came about the same way when Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, marched against Jerusalem with his army. He encamped outside the city and in time sieged it, as Jeremiah foretold (Jeremiah 6:1-...

 5.20- God Forgives                                       Psalm 51                                           Harold Simons     Gentle people have a conscience. But Satan, seeking to separate us from a loving relationship with God, uses our conscience to make us feel guilty and worthless when we sin. He tries to keep us from realizing that God forgives – even the vilest sin.     Consider the wickedness of David. His lusting eyes allowed unclean thoughts to enter his heart, later blossoming into adultery and murder (2 Samuel 11). Yet, God forgave David when he repented. We...

 5.19- Real Heroes                                        Daniel 3:13-28                                  Andy Wall     Did you know that basketball legend John Wooden died at the age of 99? As the head coach of the UCLA Bruins basketball team, Wooden’s teams won 620 games in 27 seasons. His ten national championships during his final 12 years of coaching is a record that will never be equaled by any other college coach. Coach Wooden never made more than $35,000 a year salary and never asked for a raise. He was widely known for his undying love for his wife Nell, his unfaltering integrity, and his faith.     I...

 5.18- The promise is that if we remember that God is generous with us then we can relax and be generous with others. God sees this and provides more so that we can enjoy and provide for others. This principle of the nature of our Father in heaven is repeated many places in Scripture. Love is not a zero sum game. The more we give the more we have. 2 Corinthians 9. 6  Now  I say  this: the one who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the one who sows  [ d ] generously will also reap  [ e ] generously.   7  Each one  must do  just as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.   8  And God is able to make all grace overflow to you, so that, always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed;   9  as it is written: “ He scattered abroad, he gave to the poor , His righteousness   [ f ] endures fo...

 5.17- Common sense is the ability to think God’s thoughts in every situation. It is the refusal to act foolishly and the willingness to make decisions based on God’s wisdom, not my own.   Matthew 4. 4  Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.   2  And after He had fasted for forty days and forty nights, He  [ a ] then became hungry.   3  And the tempter came and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”   4  But He answered and said,  “It is written: ‘ Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes out of the mouth of God .’” 5  Then the devil *took Him along into the holy city and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple,   6  and he *said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down; for it is written: ‘ He will give His angels orders concerning You ’; and ‘ On  their...

 5.16- Live Like Jesus is Coming                      Matthew 25:1-13                            Mike Wittmer     I’m inspired by country singer Tim McGraw’s song “Live Like You Were Dying.” In it he describes some of the exciting “bucket list” things a man did after receiving some bad news about his health. He also chose to love and forgive people more freely – speaking to them more tenderly. The song recommends that we live well, as if knowing our lives will end soon.     This song reminds us that our time is limited. It’s important for us to not put off for tomorrow what we can do today, because one day we’ll run out of tomorrows. This is particularly urgent for believers in Jesus, who believe that Jesus may return at any moment ...

 5.15- Love’s Long Reach                              Psalm 139:1-10                                James Banks      Mary Lee is a sixteen foot, 3,500 pound great white shark tagged by oceanographers off the east coast of the US in 2012. The transmitter attached to her dorsal fin would be tracked by satellite when she surfaced. For the next five years Mary Lee’s movements were observed online by everyone from researchers to surfers, up and down the coast. She was tacked for nearly 40,000 miles until one day her signal stopped – probably because the battery on her transmitter expired.     Human knowledge and technology reach only so far. Those “following” Mary Lee lost trac...

 5.14- A Ready Remedy                       Isaiah 53:1-6                                     Amy Peterson     Following the park guide, I scribbled notes as he taught about the plant of the Bahamian primeval forest. He told us which trees to avoid. “The poisonwood tree secretes a black sap that causes a painful, itchy rash. But not to worry! The antidote could usually be found growing right next to it. Cut into the red bark of the gum elemi tree,” he said, “and rub the sap on the rash. It will immediately begin to heal.”     I nearly dropped my pencil in astonishment. I hadn’t expected to find a picture of salvation in the forest. But in the gum elemi tree, I saw Jesus. He’s th...

 5.13- I have been amazed in thinking lately about the concept of "finishing strong". I have watched close up the finish of life of my parents and Sheila's parents. They all four had more capacity to teach than I had the ability to learn. Especially when it came to teaching me about suffering. They were experiencing things with their body that I had not experienced and so I did not have the capacity to seek the knowledge they had to give to me. This reminds me of God's knowledge of my need of mercy is greater than my own knowledge of my need of mercy. He is full of mercy. His love is higher than the heavens is the theme of the Psalmist. I recently discovered a song called His mercy is more. Greater than my sin is the mercy of God. God wants all people to be rescued from any bad guilt and shame situation they get themselves into. He only asks us to confess the truth and our need and He provides His amazing grace. So I say again that my parents had more to te...

 5.12- Jesus’ vision of who his Father wanted to come to the family celebration surprised a lot of the religious people. He told a story once about some workers getting a surprisingly large payment at the end of the day. There are places where Jesus shows an amazing grace to invite people to paradise with Him. This reminds me that I am not the judge of what God does with people. I can’t see into their hearts and I don’t really know their background but God knows the secrets of their hearts. The rewards that God gives to people in this life and the next are not my business. The work for me to do is to teach and help people to get to know the great love that God has for all them. I was watching the memorial service for a brother who was a great hero of our family and they said his goal in life was to go to heaven and take as many with him as possible. Me too! Matthew 7. 7  “Do not  [ a ] judge, so that you will not be judged.   2  For in the way you judge, you...

 6.11- Push the children of God including yourself, most and firstly yourself to move forward from accepting the grace and mercy of God.   We move forward into service with whatever gifts we have.     Sometimes we serve and complain because others don’t serve in the way we do. Luke 10. 38  Now as they were traveling along, He entered a village; and a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home.   39  And she had a sister called Mary, who was also seated at the Lord’s feet, and was listening to His word.   40  But Martha was distracted with  [ u ] all her preparations; and she came up  to Him  and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do the serving  [ v ] by myself? Then tell her to help me.”   41  But the Lord answered and said to her,  “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things;   42  but  only  one thing is necessa...

 5.11-   Who do you turn to when you realize that you have made a bad mistake? That is a critical decision. A friend who: is willing to help me improve the situation instead of saying, “That’s your problem.” Is understanding. Is sympathetic. Is loving. Is compassionate. Is humble. Philippians 2. 2  Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if any consolation of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any  [ a ] affection and compassion,   2  make my joy complete  [ b ] by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose.   3  Do nothing  [ c ] from  [ d ] selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility consider one another as more important than yourselves;   4  do not  merely  look out for your own personal  interests , but also for the  interests  of others.   5  Have this attitude  [ e ] in yourselves which...

 5.10- God is omniscient. All wise. God is omnipotent. All powerful. God is omnipresent. All present. Without beginning or end. Eternal. The great I AM. Genesis 1. 1  In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.   2  And the earth was a  [ a ] formless and desolate emptiness, and darkness was over the  [ b ] surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the  [ c ] surface of the waters.   3  Then God said, “ [ d ] Let there be light”; and there was light.   4  God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness.   5  God called the light “day,” and the darkness He called “night.” And there was evening and there was morning, one day.

 5,9- Birds are singing this morning reminding me that God knows when one falls. He is aware of me and my circumstances. When Mary called for Jesus to come and heal Lazarus she thought He was four days late but He was on time. Through our rear view mirror, we can see the wisdom of His timing. I will join the birds in singing His praise today. Matthew 6. 25  “For this reason I say to you,  [ q ] do not be worried about your  [ r ] life,  as to  what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body,  as to  what you will put on. Is life not more than food, and the body more than clothing?   26  Look at the birds of the sky, that they do not sow, nor reap, nor gather  crops  into barns, and  yet  your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more important than they?  

 5.8- When Jesus said, "Our Father in heaven" what kind of Father do we pray to? A Father who.. Forgives our sins and heals our diseases Who lifts us out of the pits And crowns us with love and compassion And works righteousness and justice for the oppessed. Psalm 103. 103  Bless the  Lord , my soul, And all that is within me,  bless  His holy name. 2  Bless the  Lord , my soul, And do not forget any of His benefits; 3  Who pardons all your guilt, Who heals all your diseases; 4  Who redeems your life from the pit, Who crowns you with favor and compassion; 5  Who satisfies your  [ a ] years with good things, So that  your youth is renewed like the eagle. 6  The  Lord  performs  [ b ] righteous deeds And judgments for all who are oppressed. 7  He made known His ways to Moses, His deeds to the sons of Israel. 8  The  Lord  is compas...