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Making Water Into Wine from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo. There is an interesting story in John chapter 2 at the beginning of Jesus' public ministry. Jesus, His Mother, and His new disciples were invited to attend a wedding in Cana of Galilee. Cana was a small town about 8 miles northeast of their hometown of Nazareth. In Hebrew culture, the wedding celebration was considered the grandest...

Nevertheless I tell you the truth: It is to your advantage that I go away, for if I don't go away, the Counselor won't come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. When he has come, he will convict the world about sin, about righteousness, and about judgment; John 16:8 WEB.When I first started attending church, I often stood with my head down, too ashamed to look around me. Every fiber of my being...

The Door in the Distance from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo. The Lord Jesus Christ appeared to the Apostle John, who lived in exile on a small island called Patmos. Tertullian, an early Christian author, and "Foxes Book of Martyrs," record that the Roman emperor Domitian tried to publicly execute John in the Coliseum by plunging him into boiling oil in front of a crowd. But John suffered nothing...

By faith, Abraham, when he was called, obeyed to go out to the place which he was to receive for an inheritance. He went out, not knowing where he went. By faith, he lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a land not his own, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise. Hebrews 11:8-9 WEB.In Genesis 12:1, the Lord told Abram to leave his father's house, relatives,...

So Yahweh blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning. He had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, one thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand female donkeys. He had also seven sons and three daughters. Job 42:12'13 WEB.Job was a very wealthy man who went through a terrible trial. He lost everything he had. Yet, when it was over, and Job prayed for his friends, all he had lost was...

Unstoppable from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo. The Apostle Paul had a "thorn in the flesh" that he asked the Lord to remove three times, yet, the Lord refused to do so. He told Paul this: "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Paul wrote about it later in 2nd Corinthians: (2 Corinthians 12:9–10 NKJV)  And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient...

He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor repaid us for our iniquities. For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is his loving kindness toward those who fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. Psalms 103:10-12 WEB.We drove from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, to Long Beach, California, during our last big road trip. We traveled...

Supply and Demand from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo. There is a chronic drug addiction problem in our country. Nearly every family has someone or knows someone who is struggling with it. Drugs are everywhere, and the supply is more abundant than ever before. It has become a trillion-dollar-a-year industry. Why is there such an abundant supply of drugs available? Because there is great demand...

When they began to sing and to praise, Yahweh set ambushers against the children of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were struck. For the children of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir to utterly kill and destroy them. When they had finished the inhabitants of Seir, everyone helped to destroy each other. 2 Chronicles 20:22 WEB.A great army...

Yahweh appeared of old to me, saying, 'Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love. Therefore I have drawn you with loving kindness.' Jeremiah 31:3 WEB.There is an old saying that you can catch more flies with honey than you can with vinegar. Yet, when I was growing up in the Bible Belt, most of the things I heard about God were seasoned with vinegar. As in, "God loves you, but He will kill you...

Praise Yahweh, my soul, and don't forget all his benefits, who forgives all your sins, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from destruction, who crowns you with loving kindness and tender mercies, who satisfies your desire with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's. Psalm 103:2 WEB.Years ago, I mainly worked in low-end jobs where the only benefit was having a job....

Soul Shine from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo. There is an interesting conversation between Jesus Christ and the Apostle Peter on the night of their last supper together. When you were invited to supper like this, you bathed at home. But as you walked along the dusty roads to go to the banquet, your feet would become dirty. Typically, there was a servant there to wash your feet when you arrived. On...

Arise, shine; for your light has come, and Yahweh's glory has risen on you. For, behold, darkness will cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but Yahweh will arise on you, and his glory shall be seen on you. Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising. Isaiah 60:1-3 WEB.Nightfall came faster than I was anticipating. It was a black night as I made my way through...

For my eyes are on you, Yahweh, the Lord. I take refuge in you. Don't leave my soul destitute. Keep me from the snare which they have laid for me, from the traps of the workers of iniquity. Let the wicked fall together into their own nets while I pass by. Psalms 141:8'10 WEB.A simple but effective trap design that has been used through the ages is the pit trap. Hunters dig a deep pit and place sharpened...

Spiritual Famine from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo. Too often, we take the Lord for granted. We will pray later...we will do that later. That is assuming that He gives us a "later." Yet, that is not what is taught in the Bible. Today is the day of salvation (2 Corinthians 6:2). Consider the words of Isaiah: (Isaiah 55:6 NASB)  Seek the LORD while He may be found; Call upon Him while...

The Seed from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo. We have a majestic oak tree in our yard that is older than me. It would probably take three men to reach their arms around the base of it at the moment. It stands about sixty feet tall, and the canopy is at least sixty feet across. During the hot southern summer, it provides a cool, dense shade underneath. It is home to a diverse group of creatures....

He heals the broken in heart, and binds up their wounds. He counts the number of the stars. He calls them all by their names. Great is our Lord, and mighty in power. His understanding is infinite. Psalms 147:3-5 WEB.When sharks sense blood in the water, they go into a feeding frenzy. They will attack the wounded and devour them, even if it is another shark. They get so caught up in this frenzy that...

The righteous cry, and Yahweh hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles. Yahweh is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves those who have a crushed spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but Yahweh delivers him out of them all. Psalm 34:17-19 WEB.I grew up as the least of my family, who happened to be the least of another family. I was the youngest of thirteen children...

Prayers That Move Things from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo. When David and his men returned home, they found their village of Ziklag burned to the ground. All their families and belongings had been taken away by the Amalekites in a raid while they were gone. They wept until they could weep no more. Some of the men spoke of stoning David to death. It was a dark day, and things were looking...

to provide for those who mourn in Zion, to give to them a garland for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of Yahweh, that he may be glorified. Isaiah 61:3 WEB.Have you ever felt so down, so sluggish, that you begin to ask yourself, "What is the point of it all?" There are many things in this...

Arise and Shine from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo. Happy resurrection morning! It's a great day to be alive. This week has been slammed unexpected work and things breaking. We are a few days into our Intentional Growth Corporate Fast, and all hell seems to be breaking loose with our network equipment here. Air conditioners pouring water into the house, routers going offline, and databases...

Come now, and let's reason together, says Yahweh: Though your sins are as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool. If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the good of the land Isaiah 1:18 WEB.I grew up in the country and have always loved ATVs, four-wheel drives, dirt bikes, off-roading, and mud bogging. For a while, a group of us would...

For our citizenship is in heaven, from where we also wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will change the body of our humiliation to be conformed to the body of his glory, according to the working by which he is able even to subject all things to himself. Philippians 3:20-21 WEB.We have a large oak tree in our yard, and each year, a fresh batch of caterpillars is born into the world. For a...

They shall make an ark of acacia wood. Its length shall be two and a half cubits, its width a cubit and a half, and a cubit and a half its height. You shall overlay it with pure gold. You shall overlay it inside and outside, and you shall make a gold molding around it. Exodus 25:10-11 WEB.The Ark of the Covenant was about the size of a small seaman's chest, built from acacia wood and overlaid with...

Intentional Growth 5: The Challenge from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo. We have been covering growing in godliness during the "Intentional Growth" series by doing things intentionally instead of just hoping something good will happen. If you want to get better at something, you practice. That is how you learn to play guitar, piano, sing, write, paint, or a million other things. You learn by...

Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonished, and rose up in haste. He spoke and said to his counselors, "Didn't we cast three men bound into the middle of the fire?" They answered the king, "True, O king." He answered, "Look, I see four men loose, walking in the middle of the fire, and they are unharmed. The appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods. Daniel 3:24-25 WEB.Shadrach, Meshach, and...

When the south wind blew softly, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, they weighed anchor and sailed along Crete, close to shore. But before long, a stormy wind beat down from shore, which is called Euroclydon. When the ship was caught and couldn't face the wind, we gave way to it and were driven along. Acts 27:13-15 WEB.The Apostle Paul was a Roman prisoner scheduled to stand trial before...

When the Clock Strikes from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo. (I planned to wrap up my series on "Intentional Growth" this week, but while praying, the Lord interrupted me and changed my message. Lord willing, we will continue the series next week.) (2 Corinthians 4:16–5:1 NKJV)  Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being...

Intentional Growth 4: When You Fast from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo. During His Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 6, Jesus mentioned three things we were to do in secret that would be openly rewarded. He used the words, "When you..." 1. When you pray. 2. When you give. 3. When you fast. (Matthew 6:3–4 NASB)  "But when you give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your...

They took their daughters to be their wives, and gave their own daughters to their sons and served their gods. The children of Israel did that which was evil in Yahweh's sight, and forgot Yahweh their God, and served the Baals and the Asheroth. Judges 3:6-7 WEB.Centuries ago, when it was time to go to church, there was excitement in the air. No one wanted to stay home. Their acts of worship were lustful...