This month's Healthful Living challenge focuses on God's love for His creation. As we live in a world that is increasingly stressful, let's meditate on how He loves each person, even those who irritate us the most :). We can post scriptures that inspire us, thoughts on how we can shine more brightly with His love, and support each other through prayer when we are feeling challenged in this area. Many thanks to all who would like to join us in this journey!
Dion Todd
We are having delivery problems with aol.com and yahoo.com subscribers at the moment. Our emails bounce back us, so we can't even email you from here. I have contacted them through their site, but when you submit their crazy long form it goes to a blank white page. I will try again later. I am sorry if you can't receive the devotional using these services. We are working on it: https://senders.yahooinc.com/contact/#sender-support-request
Attending
Sylvia Todd
(owner)
Good morning, everyone, happy Friday :)! We love y'all and pray you have a fantastically blessed day! (A) (L) (#)
Attending
Karen Pietrantonio
Hello everyone! I'm sorry it's been so long since I posted; as we all know, life happens and sometimes it's just a flurry of activity, stress, or busy-ness! And here we are - 12 days before Christmas, and I don't even have all the decorations put up. No baking done, and struggling to find a place to make time for it all. Thank you, everyone, for being an active presence, and for all the prayers and love y'all send our way. Much love to you all!
Attending
Camille Grayson
Love the new way of doing the daily devotional with the video
Billie Marie Hall
My grand baby is in Louisville ky in critical care unit on a ventilator and she is 5 months old and is being tested for the coronavirus I am please asking you all to please pray for her she has been in critical care since last week we had taken her to doctor last Monday and she tested negative for flu everything was negative but she was fighting to breath I please ask that you pray for her and her mom and dad they will only allow them to see her once a day thank you and god Bless you all
Nanette McLane
It's a daily battle with the enemy, but knowing God has my back makes it worth the journey.
Attending
Sandra Colby
I DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED BUT WHEN I ,TURNED IT ON IT BROUGHT ME HERE, HALLELUJAH
Attending
Cathy Webb
The exhortation in the book of Hebrews to pay attention to Jesus and its warning to not drift away from God's truth is intensifying the urgency I feel in my heart. Personal study and prayer are critical for being prepared and ready for Jesus' return.
Attending
Kathy Banfield
Amen! Lord, I invite You into my life today and always!
Attending
Octavia Cruse
Good Evening. Yes I do that a lot wake up 1,2,3,4,5. But now it’s always at 3:00am. Yes you’re right the Holy Spirit do talk and will give you a song in your heart mind. I don’t know if you have smell his spirit it’s so sweet lovely PEACEFUL. JESUS WILL HAVE YOU TO SPEAK TO OTHER PEOPLE. I HAVE Experience that before a lot of times. Yes he will show you people and the spirit that is working behind people. We just have to have an open minded heart. That has been renewed. JESUS BLESS YOU ALL FOR ALWAYS A BLESSED ENCOURAGEMENT. MUCH LOVE ALWAYS. ❤️????
Attending
Scott Riegelmann
I Just wanted to say thank you to all my RHM family and friends for all your LOVE PRAYERS AND SUPPORT over the last few wks for sure, I Love you all so very much!!!
Maybe Attending
Maria Williams
Father please forgive me of my sins. Wash me and I will be clean.
Maybe Attending
Audry Reddy
And to everybody at Refreshing Hope ministries MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!
Attending
Christie Mercier
Happy is the person who learns to wait as he prays and never loses his patience. For God's time is the best time.
Suzy Romaine
Lord, thank you for granting your help to me to get the task started that I needed to do. Thank you for all your blessings each and every day
Attending
Darlene Rego
I just read "Refreshing Hope Stop making it difficult" by Pastor Todd. That touched my heart. I hope to remember what he said here: "We can feel like we are paying for salvation with our works, when it is a free gift that we only have to accept."
Thank you Pastor Todd.
Maureen Germain
Although satan tried to turn things in the wrong direction in the New Year, God had other plans. Praying for all here, many blessings and may this be the year we show, by the light of our own actions, people to come to Our Father as well. Love always prevails. Father, give us strength because it's not always easy as you know. We thank you Father for all things. Let us always be true and just to one another. In Jesus Mighty name. Amen <3
Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. (Romans... moreFinally and Totally Justified
Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. (Romans 8:33)
Paul could have said here, “Who shall bring any charge against God's elect?” and then answered, “No one! We are justified.” That’s true. But that is not what he said. His answer instead is, “God is the one who justifies.”
The emphasis is not on the act but on the Actor.
Why? Because in the world of courts and laws where this language comes from, the acquittal of our judge might be overturned by a higher one.
So what if a local judge acquits you when you are guilty, if a governor has the right to bring a charge against you? So what if a governor acquits you when you are guilty, if the emperor can bring a charge against you?
So here’s the point: above God, there are no higher courts. If God is the one who acquits you – declares you righteous in his sight – no one can appeal, no one can call for a mistrial, no one can look for other counts against you. God’s sentence is final and total.
So hear this, all who will believe on Jesus, and become united to Christ, and show yourself among the elect: God is the one who justifies you. Not a human judge. Not a great prophet. Not an archangel from heaven. But God, the Creator of the world and Owner of all things and Ruler of the universe and every molecule and person in it, God is the one who justifies you.
The point: unshakable security in the face of tremendous suffering. If God is for us, no one can successfully be against us. If God gave his Son for us, he will give us everything that is good for us. If God is the one who justifies us, no charge against us can stand.
Carol Pady: God ... giveth ... liberally, and upbraideth not.
Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no... more God ... giveth ... liberally, and upbraideth not.
Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.
The grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many ... The free gift is of many offences unto justification.
God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved) and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: that in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?
James 1:5; John 8:10-11; Romans 5:15-16; Ephesians 2:4-7; Romans 8:32 less
Among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great... moreYou Are Greatly Loved
Among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ — by grace you have been saved. (Ephesians 2:3–5)
Would you not love to hear the angel Gabriel say to you, “You are greatly loved”?
Three times this happened to Daniel.
“At the beginning of your pleas for mercy a word went out, and I have come to tell it to you, for you are greatly loved” (Daniel 9:23)
“O Daniel, man greatly loved, understand the words that I speak to you, and stand upright, for now I have been sent to you” (Daniel 10:11)
“And he said, ‘O man greatly loved, fear not, peace be with you; be strong and of good courage” (Daniel 10:19).
Take heart. If you have faith in Jesus, God himself says to you, “You are greatly loved.”
We were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ . . . For by grace you have been saved through faith. (Ephesians 2:3–5, 8).
This is better than an angel’s voice. If you are “alive,” you are greatly loved.
From the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast... more Who knoweth the power of thine anger?
From the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? The Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus. Being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us.
God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. That he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.
Psalm 90:11; Matthew 27:45-46; Isaiah 53:6; Romans 8:1; Romans 5:1; Galatians 3:13; 1 John 4:9-10; Romans 3:26 less
“The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark... moreOur Servant Jesus
“The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:45)
Not only was he the servant of his people while he lived on earth, but he will also be our servant when he comes again. “Truly, I say to you, he will gird himself and have them sit at table, and he will come and serve them” (Luke 12:37).
Not only that, he is our servant now. “‘I will never fail you nor forsake you.’ Hence we can confidently say, ‘The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid; what can man do to me?”
Does this belittle the risen Christ — to say that he was and is and will ever be the servant of his people? It would, if “servant” meant “one who takes orders,” or if we thought we were his masters. Yes, that would dishonor him. But it does not dishonor him to say that we are weak and needy.
It does not dishonor him to say that he is the only one who can service us with what we need most.
It does not dishonor him to say that he is an inexhaustible spring of love, and that the more he helps us and the more we depend on his service the more amazing his resources appear. Therefore, we can confidently say, “Jesus Christ is alive to serve!”
He is alive to save. He is alive to give. And he is thrilled to be this way.
He is not burdened down with your cares. He thrives on burden-bearing. He loves to “work for those who wait for him” (Isaiah 64:4). He “takes pleasure in those who hope in his steadfast love” (Psalm 147:11). His “eyes run to and fro throughout the whole earth to show his might on behalf of those whose heart is whole toward him” (2 Chronicles 16:9).
Jesus Christ is exuberant with omnipotent service for the sake of all who trust him.