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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...

Intentional Growth 3: When You Give from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo. During His sermon on the mount in Matthew chapter 6, Jesus mentioned three things His disciples would do: when you pray, when you give, and when you fast. This April, we plan to do a corporate Daniel-type fast, and to prepare us, I am covering some of the basics. Last week we covered "When you pray." This week will be,...

One of the criminals who was hanged insulted him, saying, "If you are the Christ, save yourself and us!" But the other answered, and rebuking him said, "Don't you even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong." He said to Jesus, "Lord, remember me when you come into your Kingdom." Jesus...

Intentional Growth 2 (Prayer) from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo. The Sermon on the Mount that Jesus gave is a goldmine of information. It is like the beating heart of my Bible. It spans 3 chapters, Matthew 5 through 7. I created a playlist of it and put it on repeat to listen to it all day while working, and I learn new things consistently. To prepare us for our upcoming corporate fast in...

The world is passing away with its lusts, but he who does God's will remains forever. 1 John 2:17 WEB.It was my first day of school at Kingston Elementary. Early that morning, my stepmother pulled up to the school, pushed me out of her car, and drove off. Standing there alone in the parking lot, I felt like a fish out of water. Panic, fear, abandonment, and a few other strong emotions rolled over me...

Now when Job's three friends heard of all this evil that had come on him, they each came from his own place: Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite; and they made an appointment together to come to sympathize with him and to comfort him. Job 2:11 WEB.Righteous men have always been hard to find. Yes, under the new covenant, we have forgiveness, and our sins are covered by...

God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way. God relented of the disaster which he said he would do to them, and he didn't do it. But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry. Jonah 3:10'4:1 WEB.It was early morning during a hot summer in the South, and we were digging up a septic tank. After we located and shoveled the dirt off the lid, I grabbed a heavy bar off the truck, and...

Intentional Growth from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo. When trying to learn something new, we must invest the time needed to be successful. For example, when I was first learning to play bass guitar, I spent hours each day practicing. Soon the results of disciplined practice began to show in my playing, and people began to invite me to play in their band. Great musicians, much better than...

Caesar is in the House from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo. Jesus was born during a time of great division and strife. As so many times before, His nation of Israel had once again been conquered by a surrounding enemy. This time it was the Roman empire. Rome was the latest in a long list of nations that had invaded and occupied Israel. All through history, God used "evil" nations to bring...

You gave also your good Spirit to instruct them, and didn't withhold your manna from their mouth, and gave them water for their thirst. Yes, forty years you sustained them in the wilderness. They lacked nothing. Their clothes didn't grow old, and their feet didn't swell. Nehemiah 9:20-21 WEB.When the Israelites came out of Egypt, the Lord gave them His Spirit to teach them. He provided them food, water...