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The Good and the Bad from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo. (Jeremiah 29:11–14 NKJV)  For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found...

Or who is there among you who, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, who will give him a serpent? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him! Matthew 7:9'11 WEB.Many people I talk with have a problem trusting or drawing near to our Heavenly Father....

Here I Am from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo.  Here I Am. In a time when so many have begun to focus only on the negative, when so many people wonder, "Where is the Lord?", He answers, "Here I Am." When Moses met with the Lord at the burning bush in the wilderness, He asked Moses to return to Egypt and speak to Pharaoh. Moses asked the Lord, "Who do I tell them has sent me?" He told...

I sought for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I would not destroy it; but I found no one. Ezekiel 22:30 WEB.The cities of Sodom and Gomorrah grew more and more wicked. Their scales finally tipped, and their judgment day came. Abraham stood in the gap for them (Genesis 18:24). He pleaded with God and asked Him if He would destroy them if...

Hooked on a Feeling from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo. I feel this, I feel that I feel, I feel, I feel. Feelings rule our society today, and unknowingly shape our attitude and actions. When we begin to speak our feelings, our tongue begins to steer our life. James said it like this: (James 3:3–6 NASB)  Now if we put the bits into the horses’ mouths so that they will obey...

Please Stay Here from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo. There is a story in 2nd Kings where the prophet Elijah tells his servant Elisha to stay behind three times, but Elisha refuses. Later he receives a double portion of Elijah's anointing. (2 Kings 2:1–2 NASB) And it came about when the LORD was about to take up Elijah by a whirlwind to heaven, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal....

After many days, Yahweh's word came to Elijah, in the third year, saying, 'Go, show yourself to Ahab; and I will send rain on the earth.' 1 Kings 18:1 WEB.Some friends once pulled me onto a really high roller coaster with them. We waited for everyone to get on board and get locked in, then the ride operator started it up. The coaster slowly rattled and climbed up the rails. After a pretty long wait,...

Jesus cried again with a loud voice, and yielded up his spirit. Behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from the top to the bottom. The earth quaked and the rocks were split. Matthew 27:50'51 WEB.Under the old covenant, the high priest entered a room in the temple called the "Holy of Holies," once a year on Yom Kippur. The Day of Atonement. The ark of the covenant was kept there. The manifest...

The Hourglass from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo. Jeremiah 31:3 NASB The LORD appeared to him from afar, saying, “I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore I have drawn you with lovingkindness. A "forever" love. That is what everlasting means. It is love that lasts for eternity. God loves each of us, and He knows us by name. He knows how many hairs are on your head (Matthew...

Ripples from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo. (Isaiah 55:10–11 NKJV) "For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, And do not return there, But water the earth, And make it bring forth and bud, That it may give seed to the sower And bread to the eater, So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And...

The Fall of a Dynasty from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo. It took Solomon seven years to complete the first temple. When the work was done, all of Israel was invited to Jerusalem, and they had a long feast that lasted for twenty-two days. Solomon prayed a beautiful prayer of dedication. When he was done, the fire of the Lord came down from heaven and consumed the sacrifices on the altar. His...

So when he had washed their feet, put his outer garment back on, and sat down again, he said to them, 'Do you know what I have done to you? You call me, 'Teacher' and 'Lord.' You say so correctly, for so I am.If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet.' John 13:12 WEBWhen you were invited to dine at someone's house during the time that Jesus...

Brothers, even if a man is caught in some fault, you who are spiritual must restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, looking to yourself so that you also aren't tempted. Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. Galatians 6:1'2 WEBPicture us all climbing a mountain together, the mountain of God. Each of us is different physically and of various ages. Some will have experience...

Ultimate Obedience from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo. Sacrifice. If the Lord asked you to give up, surrender, give away, something precious to you. Would you be willing? In the book of Genesis, Abraham had waited many long years for him and Sarah to have a child. God had made them a promise and even told them that his name would be Isaac (Genesis 17:19). Isaac means "he laughed" because they...

Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, will be given to you. For with the same measure you measure it will be measured back to you. Luke 6:38 WEBOne year as Christmas approached, we felt like doing something special. Looking back, I am sure that it was the Holy Spirit prompting us. He needed us to plant seeds for what He planned to do in our...

For he satisfies the longing soul. He fills the hungry soul with good Psalms 107:9 WEBTemporary pleasures offer temporary satisfaction but often come with longterm repercussions. There are so many things in our lives that promise or would appear to provide satisfaction, but they all fall short of it in the long run. You can eat a good meal, but you will soon be hungry again. Buying something new is...

The Enemy Within from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo. There is a thought-provoking story in the book of Joshua, chapter 9. Moses had passed on. Joshua had become the new leader, and Israel was taking the Promised Land one city at a time with great success. The land was given to Israel because Canaan's inhabitants were exceedingly sinful and had been for hundreds of years. The three principal...

Early in the morning, while it was still dark, he rose up and went out, and departed into a deserted place, and prayed there. Simon and those who were with him searched for him. They found him and told him, 'Everyone is looking for you.' He said to them, 'Let's go elsewhere into the next towns, that I may preach there also, because I came out for this reason.' Mark 1:35-38 WEBIt was early morning...

When the Storm Comes from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo. “The words of Jesus, written in red, so easily ignored, by those who are misled.” That is what came to me while praying over this message. Jesus’ longest sermon, the Sermon on the Mount, spans chapters 5, 6, and 7 in the book of Matthew. Those three chapters contain the core of His message, and all the words there were...

What Would Jesus Do? from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo. What would Jesus do? That has always been a thorn for me each time I hear the phrase. It sounds harmless enough on the surface, but most people do not truly know the answer to that. For example, many have taken up a sword in the name of Jesus, though He didn’t seem to own one. Years ago when I was working my way through Bible...

David abode in the wilderness in the strongholds, and remained in the hill-country in the wilderness of Ziph. Saul sought him every day, but God didn't deliver him into his hand. 1 Samuel 23:14 WEBOnce upon a time after a month long fast, we bought a wood smoker. You could call it a rebound effect. A wood smoker works like an outdoor slow cooker and often takes all day. One of the first things that...

Good to the Bone from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo. Today I want to talk about the goodness of God. He is good through and through. It is His very nature to be good to us, and no one has to help Him. God is eternally and unchangeably good. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are all good through and through. God is good to the bone, and nothing that we do will ever change that. (Nahum...

Mockingbird from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo. Today I want to talk about the northern mockingbird, the “many-tongued thrush” This bird can do an exact imitation of the notes it learns from other birds, as well as some animals. It has the ability to sound like a robin, a cardinal, a bluebird, or a sparrow. It can even mimic cats, dogs, frogs, and crickets. It is a copy cat, and...

I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to walk worthily of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and humility, with patience, bearing with one another in love, being eager to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Ephesians 4:1 WEBI could see by the look on his face that we were making a lasting impression on the visiting evangelist. Some of the praise and worship...

Eagle Wings from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo. Today I want to talk about the importance of waiting on the Lord, for good things happen when we learn to wait on God. A good example is our grandpuppy River, who sits and watches us eat supper in anticipation of something good happening. She has hope that something special is coming her way, that we are going to move on her behalf, and usually...

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, just like I have loved you; that you also love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. John 13:34 WEBIf you study Jesus in the gospels, His defining characteristics were love, compassion, grace, and wisdom. He was humble, kind, and He cared for the people. He touched the outcasts,...

Hang Ten: A New Wave Begins from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo. Lord I wait here all alone, for a whisper from Your throne. I prayed that while waiting on some inspiration to come, unsure what to write about. I was waiting for a word of hope or encouragement, but all week, I had been hearing something else. I waited quietly for a while with my head resting on the keyboard here. Then I heard...

You shall not be scared of them; for Yahweh your God is in the midst of you, a great and awesome God. Deuteronomy 7:21 WEBMoses called the Israelites together right before they entered the promised land, and he told them to not be afraid, for the Lord who is in the midst of you, is a great and 'Awesome' God.The definition of Awesome: adjective - breathtaking, awe-inspiring, magnificent, wonderful,...

The Hiding Place from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo. Today I want to talk about the hiding place. How can you dwell in safety in a world filled with violence, peril, and contagious diseases? I want to examine the scriptures and see what we can learn from them. Let’s begin with Psalm 91: (Psalm 91:1–4 NKJV)  He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under...

He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of Yahweh, 'He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in whom I trust.' For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler, And from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his feathers. Under his wings you will take refuge. His faithfulness is your shield and rampart. Psalms 91:1 WEBIn the...