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Left Behind from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo. Today I want to talk about being left behind. Not particularly about the return of Jesus Christ to Earth, because that will be a simple enough choice. When He appears in the twinkling of an eye, you will be saved, or you will be dead. You won’t have to decide anything, and you won’t have to worry about being left behind. The decisions...

You are of your Father, the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and doesn't stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks on his own; for he is a liar, and the father of it. John 8:44 WEBWhen I would try and pray, crazy thoughts would begin to run through my mind like: 'God has abandoned you. He doesn't...

But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today exists, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, won't he much more clothe you, you of little faith? Therefore don't be anxious, saying, 'What will we eat?', 'What will we drink?' or, 'With what will we be clothed?' For the Gentiles seek after all these things, for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first God's...

Dreams and Circumstances from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo. Today I want to examine the birth of Jesus and how God guided Mary and Joseph. It all began when the angel Gabriel appeared to a young woman named Mary and told her that she would soon conceive a child when the Holy Spirit overshadowed her. She was engaged to Joseph, a carpenter, but not yet married, so becoming pregnant now made...

When the season for fruit drew near, He sent His servants to the tenants to get His fruit. Matthew 21:34 ESVFor years I waited, yet every door remained closed. When I was about twenty, the Lord told me through a pastor that He had chosen me for ministry and to begin to prepare myself. I already knew it in my heart. His word was a confirmation of what God had already put inside me. Later while visiting...

You shall seek me, and find me, when you search for me with all your heart. I will be found by you Jeremiah 29:13 WEBIt was a very busy morning and I had so much to do. I was under a lot pressure to fulfill the many commitments that I had made, and I was anxious to get the day underway. I had also told the Lord that I would start the morning with prayer time, but when under pressure, I wrestled with...

Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. Isaiah 43:1 ESVIt was almost dark and we had to ride our motorcycles through the swamp to get back home. We had done it many times,...

Good From Bad (Your Worst Day Can Become Your Best) from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo. Today I want to talk about how God can bring good things out of the bad. How He can change your worst day, into your best. How He can change bad situations, into incredible opportunities. He has done it all through scripture, He has done it for me, and He will do it for you. (Romans 8:28 NKJV)  And...

God Almighty from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo. There is a lot of fear and uncertainty in the world today and I feel that many are losing their focus by spending too much time listening to the news, and too little time listening to the Lord. We must remember that what we feed in our mind will grow, and what we starve will die. Things that we focus on grow bigger and bigger. I believe that...

When he came down from the mountain, great multitudes followed him. Behold, a leper came to him and worshiped him, saying, 'Lord, if you want to, you can make me clean.' Jesus stretched out his hand, and touched him, saying, 'I want to. Be made clean.' Immediately his leprosy was cleansed. Matthew 8:1 WEBAn outcast waited by the roadside, hoping to see Jesus. He was a leper and had a skin disease that...

Then I went down to the potter's house, and, behold, he was making a work on the wheels. When the vessel that he made of the clay was marred in the hand of the potter, he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it. Then the word of Yahweh came to me, saying, House of Israel, can't I do with you as this potter?' Jeremiah 18:3 WEBWhen I was young, I followed the family tradition...

Pestilence: The White Horse from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo. Today I want to talk about pestilence in scripture. A hot topic on the news today is the Coronavirus that is ravaging countries. While I am writing this, the cases reported have increased thirteen fold in China, and Italy has now shut down all transportation except to medical facilities and grocery stores. It has become a serious...

Thank you for being a part of Refreshing Hope Ministries. Like everyone else, we have been monitoring the Corona Virus (COVID-19) outbreak and praying about it. As of today, many church services and public gatherings are being canceled around the world. It is a difficult time for many, and fear is on the rise on a global scale. While it is important to take reasonable precautions, both for ourselves...

The House of God from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo. Today I want to talk about The House of God, the place where we go to meet God. When the Israelites left Egypt, Moses met with God in a tent called “The Tent of Meeting” (Exodus 33:7). When Moses went inside, the pillar of cloud would descend on it and the Lord would talk with Moses. Then the Lord gave Moses instructions to build...

Overwhelmed from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo. Today I want to talk about feeling overwhelmed by the things that you are facing. Sometimes life hands us things that seem too weighty, too much to deal with. Let’s begin by looking at a little Bible history. Jeremiah, the Old Testament prophet, prophesied for around forty years, warning backslidden Israel that disaster was coming. As...

May He grant you your heart's desire and fulfill all your plans! Psalms 20:4 ESVIt was so hot in the field that day that people were getting sick to their stomachs and the rest of us had to crop their row. As a young boy about twelve working in the tobacco field, my world was very small. My family was the least of the least and I was in my twenties before I even knew what college was, and we could...

David said, 'Yahweh who delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine.' Saul said to David, 'Go! Yahweh will be with you.' 1 Samuel 17:37 WEBYoung David was probably around fifteen years old and was now facing the greatest challenge of his life, Goliath. He was a real giant of a man that was just over nine feet tall and...

Again, the devil took him to an exceedingly high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world, and their glory. He said to him, 'I will give you all of these things, if you will fall down and worship me.' Then Jesus said to him, 'Get behind me, satan! For it is written, 'You shall worship the Lord your God, and you shall serve him only.' ' Matthew 4:7 WEBJesus was now a young man of about...

Oh, magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt His name together! I sought the LORD, and He answered me and delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to Him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed. This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him and saved him out of all his troubles. Psalms 34:3 ESVDavid was now in the enemies' camp and surrounded by the relatives of those that he had...

Farther Along from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo. Today I want to talk about dealing with things that we don’t understand. There will be times in life when the path becomes dark, and we have to walk by faith. I want to begin in Psalm 119: (Psalm 119:105 NKJV) Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path. The lamp in this Psalm is an oil lamp, which only gives a small circle...

You were made alive when you were dead in transgressions and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the powers of the air, the spirit who now works in the children of disobedience; among whom we also all once lived in the lust of our flesh, doing the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest....

In that hour the disciples came to Jesus, saying, 'Who then is greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?' Jesus called a little child to himself, and set him in the midst of them, and said, 'Most assuredly I tell you, unless you turn, and become as little children, you will in no way enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. Whoever therefore humbles himself as this little child, the same is the greatest in the Kingdom...

Conditionals from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo. Today I want to talk about conditionals in the word of God, blessings, promises, even curses that are triggered by a certain action. It is something that we should always be aware of. God’s laws work much like gravity: you drop a cup and it always falls towards the Earth. Many of God’s promises work like this, an action followed...

One Day at A Time from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo. Today I want to talk about God’s supply chain and how He takes care of us. Too many times we see people confuse God with Santa Claus and their prayer becomes gimme, gimme, gimme. We have received prayer requests that were like this: “Please pray for the Lord to give me a large brick house, fully furnished, and paid for. A new...

Then Yahweh spoke to the fish, and it vomited out Jonah on the dry land. Yahweh's word came to Jonah the second time, saying, 'Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and preach to it the message that I give you.' So Jonah arose, and went to Nineveh Jonah 2:10 WEBJonah landed on the beach and stood up, covered in fish vomit. The giant fish had puked him onto the beach and He probably wanted to go back...

Don't be deceived. God is not mocked, for whatever a man sows, that will he also reap. For he who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption. But he who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. Let us not be weary in doing good, for we will reap in due season, if we don't give up. Galatians 6:6 WEBAs I fell through the air from the top of the building in seemingly slow-motion,...

He Touched Me from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo. Today I want to talk about the unclean, the outcasts, the lepers who lived during the time of Jesus. (Mark 1:40–42 NKJV) Now a leper came to Him, imploring Him, kneeling down to Him and saying to Him, “If You are willing, You can make me clean.” Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and...

Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2:15 NKJV Welcome to 2020! Thank you so much for reading our devotional and for being a part of Refreshing Hope Ministries. I hope that this message finds you blessed, healthy, and happy wherever you are. For the last couple of years, Sylvia and I have managed to...

Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through Me.' John 14:6 WEBWhen people around me started praying for someone, I used to shy away or stand quietly by. If they really had their eyes closed and were praying the way they should have, they should not have noticed me anyway. I always thought 'If they really knew me, they would not have asked for...

I See You from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo. When I was young in the Lord, I felt insignificant in His eyes. I had been beaten down by life pretty good and often the clothes I wore had as well. When I started going to church, I was often surrounded by people wearing suits and driving cars that I could never have afforded, even if it had been financed. I was just a laborer. So I mostly stayed...