Refreshing Our Spirits With Scripture

 10.29- The strongest positive world changers are people who believe that strength is available to them to do whatever they are supposed to do. I believe that the best response to feeling weak is to stop and reflect on what we need to pray for. Can we Hear these words, "What do you want me to do for you?" My answer today was, "Strength" Then I read some words written 2,000 years ago. Yes you can have power in your inner spirit. Yes you can have faith in your heart Yes, you can be rooted and grounded in love Yes you can learn to comprehend the width, length, height and depth of the love of God that surpasses knowledge. Yes you have freedom and confidence to speak to the one who can do more than you can think or imagine. So I choose to receive this strength today. I hope you will also. Larry Wishard 10.20.23 Ephesians 3 14  For this reason I kneel before the Father,   15  from whom every family [ a ]  in heaven and on earth derives its name.   16  I...

 10.28- All the dark, evil wars including the killing of children. These cannot force us as individuals to choose darkness in our own hearts and minds. We can choose to pray for grace, mercy and peace to flow out to all. The hate and killing of children because they are Palestinian or Jewish is dark and evil. I read once that someone who died in a concentration camp had scratched on a wall. "All the darkness in the world cannot put out the light of candle of God's love." Matthew 19. 13  Then people brought little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked them. 14  Jesus said,  “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”   15  When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there.

 10.27- It is not uncommon for people to feel forsaken and alone and yet they really are not alone. Doubts can come that Jesus is real. Doubting Thomas said to Jesus I don't believe you are Jesus unless I touch you and feel your scars. Jesus allowed him to feel and touch. He found out that this was the real Crucified and resurrected Jesus. He worshipped Him. Sometimes the greatest faith is after the greatest doubt. The dark night of the soul leads to a deeper level of living in God's grace. This word to me today from a friend who had lost a beloved 16 year old Godly son in a car wreck. John 20. 24  Now Thomas (also known as Didymus [ a ] ), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came.   25  So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” 26  A week later his disciples wer...

 10.26- Growth. Last week I spoke to a successful counselor who works near a major University filled with professors who have received their terminal degrees, usually a PhD. In the conversation he he said if we are not growing and making changes to get better in our thinking then we are actually dead but not buried. Growth toward better thinking is normal. Living things grow. Have you changed your mind or opinion on anything. Are you in a rut of ignorance and refusal to learn better thoughts? I hope to learn today from people very different from myself. My mutual learning friends grew up in California, Oklahoma, Colorado, Michigan, Tennessee, Alabama, Arizona, North Carolina and even a bunch from Texas All are learners and for that I am thankful. Ecc. 5. 18  This is what I have observed to be good: that it is appropriate for a person to eat, to drink and to find satisfaction in their toilsome labor under the sun during the few days of life God has given them—for th...

 10.25- I read that designers can design an atomic clock that is accurate to losing one second over 15 billion years. Now who would claim there was no designer. The designed order of the universe allowed us to see an eclipse on Saturday and of course it was right on time. The designer of the universe has set in human hearts a vision for eternity when this life is over. There is evidence that all humans of all cultures have this hunger in their hearts. I'm glad the creator and designer has revealed that He is love. Without intentional resistance the beauty of the Milky way on a dark night in the middle of a desert will cause a hunger to worship the creator. Psalm 19. Psalm 19 [ a ] For the director of music. A psalm of David. 1  The heavens declare the glory of God;      the skies proclaim the work of his hands. 2  Day after day they pour forth speech;      night after night they reveal knowledge. 3  They have n...

 10.24- Master carpenter. We have a group at our church called "menders for the master." They are men who love to help people with house repair issues. Items from a wet undersink problem to a woman ditched by her abusive husband into homelessness had a month long house remodel. How much do they charge? Nothing. They work from donations only. They say the Master carpenter is fixing their own life repairs day by day and they are simply doing for others what he has done for them. They were at my home yesterday for nine hours. New back door lock. New outside front and back lights. Shower grab bars. A 75 year old man up on 12' ladder. Constantly laughing and joking as they worked together on a beautiful fall day. This Master carpenter had taught them to love and serve others in the way He served them. All three men have been healed by Him many times. They helped my house and my joy yesterday. Matthew 20. 20  Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Jesus with her sons and, ...

 10.23- Shocking choices are given to human beings. We can make peace or make war. Cain could have seen the excellent love of Abel for his God and rejoiced at their great relationship. He could have learned from it and grew in favor with God and man himself. He didn't. He killed his brother. That evil choice has been followed by thousands of years of people making the choice of taking the life of others. I saw a sad program last evening of a young man who went into the home of an ex girlfriend to steal some guns and was interrupted by the lady of the house who had befriended him as his high school teacher. He killed her and tried to blame her husband. When interviewed in prison he said he was so sorry. He said he would give his life if he could to bring her back. Today we have choices. We can grow spiritually to love people and treat others the way we want to be treated. Growth toward being a peacemaker is normal and available. We will not have the same kind of gifts to share w...

 10.22- What fruits will I pick to enjoy today? I'll have some love some joy some peace some patience some kindness some goodness some faithfulness some gentleness and some self control. With this powering my life today I can do everything I'm supposed to do today. Thank you Father. Galations 5. 22  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,   23  gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.   24  Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.   25  Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.   26  Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

 10.21- When we need rest it is important that we get it. Otherwise, our weakness leads to lack of focus, alertness and more defeat Lack of joy, which our secret power as children of God, does led to herd mentality instead of creative thought. This drift will lead to more low energy and lack of restance to bad thinking. People have had exceptional victory days and then amazing low points surprisingly and suddenly. So I remind myself today: Rest when you should. With God's help you can do some good. A day of complete rest will convince us that God can run the world without our activity. 2 Corinthians 13. 11  Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice! Strive for full restoration, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you. 12  Greet one another with a holy kiss.   13  All God’s people here send their greetings. 14  May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God,...

 10.20- Against all the odds I'm praying for... Spiritual eyesight in a world that is blind Walking in the light in a dark world Clean heart in a dirty world Open ears in a deaf world Humble spirit in an arrogant world Simple life in a cluttered world Childlike heart in an "adults only" world Peaceful heart in a violent world Free heart in an addicted world Repentant heart in a resistant world Rested heart in a weary world. Larry Wishard 10.11.23 Matthew 11. 25  At that time Jesus said,  “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children.   26  Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do. 27  “All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. 28  “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, a...

 10.19- Running the race of life requires staying in your lane. When we look where we are going and give our best effort things go as well as they can. When we look around to see how far we are compared with others we get distracted and do not finish well. Without judging or putting others down or up on a pedestal my life has the very best peace possible for me. Matthew 7. 7  “Do not judge, or you too will be judged.   2  For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. 3  “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?   4  How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?   5  You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

 10.18- The author of life has a plan that so so amazing that it is difficult to believe. For seventy years it was not possible for people to bring open minded free speech into Russia. Then they opened their doors to the world of better thinking. 10.14.93 I was with a group who flew 14 time zones in Siberia, Russia. There I met Earnst. He was a psychiarist, medical doctor, whose job it was to treat people in mental institutions simply because they believe in God. He had heard of the love of God through radio out of Alaska. He studied about God's love and mental health based on grace mercy and peace. He became a Christian. I went back to the same town two years later. He met with me again. "How has your work changed?" "Instead of teaching that trust in God is mental illness I now teach belief in a God of love is mentally healthy. My town newspaper has asked me to write a weekly news column on mental health." Electronic media can pass love. grace and peace. Or it...

 10.17- Seasons. Fall. Leaves show the beauty of what our maker has made. This week a friend called me to tell me about a beautiful bird in a tall tree outside his window. He had been so busy trying to fix himself and others that he had not seen the beauty outside his window. He told me that he needed to relax and quit trying to fix everything and allow seasons to have their growth effects on those in his life. I find season change reminds me not to focus on what great humans have accomplished and to trust the maker of great humans. Fall is here Cool weather. Pumpkin pie. Football. Thanksgiving plans develop. Good times. Acts 14 14  But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of this, they tore their clothes and rushed out into the crowd, shouting:   15  “Friends, why are you doing this? We too are only human, like you. We are bringing you good news, telling you to turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made the heavens an...

 10.16- Exceptional people have chosen to be different in a good way. They convey love and affirmation with genuine smiles and handshakes. They are not thermometers bot thermostats. They set the temperature in any room. They take every thought captive. They know joy is their strength and refuse to let anyone steal it. Learning from failure is a part if the creative process. It is not a flaw in a fruitful life, but a feature. Matthew 7. 13  “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.   14  But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

 10.15- I saw this at Walmart today. Normally I see this vacuum cleaner with Fred driving. Today it was driving itself. Fred had a small oil mop finishing out the corners and the machine was driving itself. Automatic vacuum cleaners. This what I want in my mind. When a bad thought comes in there is a trigger that cleans out that bad thought and overcomes it with a good one. The word "enemy" triggers the word "love, truth. grace and mercy" 1 John 1. 5  This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.   6  If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth.   7  But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all [ b ]  sin. 8  If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.   9...

 10.14- There are champions who when interviewed are prone to concentrate on others. Their honorable opponents, their teammates, their players (or coaches). Winners who focus on themselves do not positively impress me. "I was great because I worked harder and I'm smarter. These people say in defeat, "They cheated." The teacher honors those who are honest about their need for mercy. These rely on meekness to carry them through life rather than arrogance and concept. Real spiritual freedom is discovered when we are forced to be still and know we are not The Master. If we have grace, mercy and deep inner peace we know that we received it. Romans 12 3  For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.   4  For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the...