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The Dinner Party from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo. One day, Simon the Pharisee invited Jesus to dine at his house. We do not know why. The Pharisees were a strict sect of Judaism known for their rigorous adherence to the laws of Moses and various traditions. They avoided contact with anything or anyone considered unclean. They criticized...

Having then a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let's hold tightly to our confession. For we don't have a high priest who can't be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but one who has been in all points tempted like we are, yet without sin. Hebrews 4:14 WEB. When kings of old passed through their towns, it was often with a splendid display and ceremony....

He arose, and came to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him, and was moved with compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. The son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.' But the father said to his servants, 'Bring out the best robe, and put it on him. Put a ring on his hand, and shoes...

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 with...

A cheerful heart makes good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. Proverbs 17:22 WEB. Health tip: Don't worry. Be Happy. You can add years to your life and health to your body by merely being joyful and happy. No one should be able to manipulate your joy externally because it should come from inside you. People, places, and things can cause problems, but how you react to events is entirely...

Then I went down to the potter's house, and behold, he was making something 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 Yahweh's word came to me, saying, "House of Israel, can't I do with you as this potter?" Jeremiah 18:3-6 WEB. A friend of mine owned a potter's wheel and...

For you will light my lamp, Yahweh. My God will light up my darkness. For by you, I advance through a troop. By my God, I leap over a wall. As for God, his way is perfect. Yahweh's word is tried. He is a shield to all those who take refuge in him. Psalm 18:28-30 WEB. Total darkness is the complete absence of light. In scripture, it is associated with gloom, despair, and terror in addition to the natural...

When Sparrows Fall from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo. The little sparrow was the cheapest living food sold in the marketplace. You could buy two sparrows for a penny or splurge a bit and get five for two pennies (Luke 12:6), with the penny being the smallest copper coin of the day. Sparrows have drab feathers and are described as 'dull-colored'...

He said to him, "O Lord, how shall I save Israel? Behold, my family is the poorest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house." Yahweh said to him, "Surely I will be with you, and you shall strike the Midianites as one man." Judges 6:15-16 WEB. Gideon was the least in his family, who happened to be the poorest clan in the tribe of Manasseh. Then God chose him to lead a group of three hundred...

This is my commandment, that you love one another, even as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends, if you do whatever I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant doesn't know what his lord does. But I have called you friends, for everything that I heard from my Father, I have made known to you. John...

Then his lord called him in and said to him, 'You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. Shouldn't you also have had mercy on your fellow servant, even as I had mercy on you?' His lord was angry, and delivered him to the tormentors until he should pay all that was due to him. So my heavenly Father will also do to you, if you don't each forgive your brother from your hearts...

I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. I will also give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit within you. I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh. I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes. You will keep my ordinances and do them....

Why does Yahweh bring us to this land, to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will be captured or killed! Wouldn't it be better for us to return into Egypt?" They said to one another, "Let's choose a leader, and let's return into Egypt." Numbers 14:3–4 WEB. When the Israelites approached the land God had promised them, they stopped, and Moses sent out twelve spies to survey it. When...

Again, a second time he went away, and prayed, saying, "My Father, if this cup can't pass away from me unless I drink it, your desire be done." He came again and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. He left them again, went away, and prayed a third time, saying the same words. Matthew 26:42 WEB. On the night that Jesus was betrayed, He knew trouble was coming. He was troubled in His spirit,...

Wild Horses from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo. How would you like to see more divine provision, protection, peace, and rest in your life? There is a way to have less anxiety and worry about what is coming tomorrow. Jesus told us this: (Matthew 11:28–30 NKJV) Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take...

Fearing that we would run aground on rocky ground, they let go four anchors from the stern, and wished for daylight. As the sailors were trying to flee out of the ship, and had lowered the boat into the sea, pretending that they would lay out anchors from the bow, Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, "Unless these stay in the ship, you can't be saved." Then the soldiers cut away the ropes...

...Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be defrauded? No, but you yourselves do wrong and defraud, and that against your brothers. Or don't you know that the unrighteous will not inherit God's Kingdom? Don't be deceived... 1 Corinthians 6:7-9 WEB. A friend of mine once worked as a salesman at a local car dealership. One day a lady came in who was interested in buying a particular car. However,...

You shall seek me, and find me, when you shall search for me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:13 WEB. Remember the game "Hide and Seek"? Many of us played it when we were children. One person covers their eyes and counts down while the others go and hide as best they can. When the countdown is complete, the seeker then searches for the hiders. When I became a dad, I would reverse this game and play...

For even as we have many members in one body, and all the members don't have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another, having gifts differing according to the grace that was given to us: if prophecy, let's prophesy according to the proportion of our faith; or service, let's give ourselves to service; or he who teaches, to his teaching;...

Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time; casting all your worries on him, because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:6–7 WEB. We love to get a tub of buttered popcorn at the movies. It is rare for us to go, but popcorn just seems to make the whole movie experience better. It makes us happy. One day we went to see a movie with some friends at a local theater....

Moses said to Yahweh, "O Lord, I am not eloquent, neither before now, nor since you have spoken to your servant; for I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue." Yahweh said to him, "Who made man's mouth? Or who makes one mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Isn't it I, Yahweh? Therefore, go, and I will be with your mouth, and teach you what you shall speak." Moses said, "Oh, Lord, please send someone...

Wonder Bread from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo. In Matthew 14:16-21 Jesus fed 5,000 men plus all the women and children who were there with only five loaves of bread and two fish. The disciples picked up twelve baskets of scraps afterward. In Matthew 15:33-38 Jesus fed 4,000 men plus women and children with seven loaves of bread and a few...

When pride comes, then comes shame, but with humility comes wisdom. Proverbs 11:2 WEB. The movie "Pride and Prejudice" might have scored good ratings at the theater, but it will not score you points with God. He looks at your heart instead of your clothing. These are two great hindrances to the Holy Spirit moving in your life. And each of us has dealt with one or both at some point. When we are prideful,...

For we were saved in hope, but hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for that which he sees? But if we hope for that which we don't see, we wait for it with patience. Romans 8:24-25 WEB. "Oh, I just can't face tomorrow. I have a bad feeling about this." On and on we go, into a spiral of self-pity and hopelessness. Fear, anxiety, and depression begin to snowball around us, and it soon consumes...

For you formed my inmost being. You knit me together in my mother's womb. I will give thanks to you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Your works are wonderful. My soul knows that very well. My frame wasn't hidden from you, when I was made in secret, woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my body. In your book they were all written, the days that were ordained for me, when...

Jesus answered him, "If I don't wash you, you have no part with me." Simon Peter said to him, "Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head!" Jesus said to him, "Someone who has bathed only needs to have his feet washed, but is completely clean. You are clean, but not all of you." For he knew him who would betray him, therefore he said, "You are not all clean." John 13:8-11 WEB. After spending...

Jesus, looking at them, said, "With men it is impossible, but not with God, for all things are possible with God." Mark 10:27 WEB. Have you ever faced a seemingly impossible circumstance that looked entirely hopeless? Jesus said that ALL things are possible with God. There is nothing out of reach or that He cannot do. The Bible is a possibilities book. It contains so many instances of God creating...

They answered him, "Our father is Abraham." Jesus said to them, "If you were Abraham's children, you would do the works of Abraham. But now you seek to kill me, a man who has told you the truth which I heard from God. Abraham didn't do this. You do the works of your father." They said to him, "We were not born of sexual immorality. We have one Father, God." Therefore Jesus said to them, "If God were...

Devil Cane from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo. Some years ago, we bought an adjacent property that had been neglected for years after my brother passed away. It was mostly reclaimed by the woods and covered in pine trees, thorns, briars, poison ivy, and poison oak. We spent time clearing away the collapsing house and debris, hauling in...

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." Mark 1:35-37 WEB. Jesus often withdrew from the noisy crowds to be alone with His Heavenly Father in prayer. Here, He chose His Apostles, refreshed His strength,...