Recent Blog Entries
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Bible Study, Acts Chapter 28 from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo. Transcript: Today we are going to study Acts chapter 28 verse by verse, and you can follow along in your own Bible if you like. I will be reading from the World English Bible because it is currently the only modern English tra... -
Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming close to him to hear him. The Pharisees and the scribes murmured, saying, 'This man welcomes sinners, and eats with them.' Luke 15:1 WEBEveryone knows that Jesus came to save the lost sinner, and they were all drawn to Him like a magnet, but the rel...
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So Yahweh blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning. He had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, one thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand female donkeys. He had also seven sons and three daughters. Job 42:12 WEBJob was a very wealthy man who went through a terrible trial, but w...
The Sphere
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When the king saw Esther the queen standing in the court, she obtained favor in his sight; and the king held out to Esther the golden scepter that was in his hand. So Esther came near, and touched the top of the scepter. Then the king asked her, 'What would you like, queen Esther? What is your request? It shall be given you even to the half of the kingdom.' Esther 5:2 WEB
After fasting for three days, Esther risked her life and entered the king's court uninvited. In those days, it was a death sentence to enter the inner court, and unless the king held out his golden scepter, Esther would be executed. The king spared her life and she approached him and made her request. Esther saved her people from destruction. It was a divine appointment, and Esther alone was in a position to do it. There was no one else that could even approach the king, much less have influence with him.
We all have a sphere of influence around us. There are people that you have access to right now, that no one else does. God has put me into various places in order to see one person there saved. Sometimes it was working in a dark, hole in the wall place. At other times it was while playing music in a smoky bar. It is not always pleasant for us when we find ourself in a bad place, but it is the divine purpose that we need to focus on, the big picture.
Remember that Paul led the jailer and his family to Jesus while in prison (Acts 16:30). It was not an accident that Paul was there. Later he was shipwrecked on the island of Malta and led many of them to Jesus (Acts 28). God's wind blew Paul right where he needed to be. God will still place His servants where they need to be today with them crying the whole time: 'Why is this happening?'
I have not always been successful at it and would sometimes fall into murmuring and complaining about my circumstances. Instead of bringing inspiration to others, it brought confirmation to what they already believed: 'He is just another beaten down, powerless Christian.' So try and focus on the bright side, for your life is not an accident, and you are not where you are by chance.
The sooner that you get in tune with God and get His job done, the sooner that you get to move on to the next stage. When you begin to lose sight of the big picture, zoom out, look around you and begin to see why God has placed you where you are. Our life is not an accident.
Prayer: Heavenly Father please help me get in tune with what You are doing here. Let me see my environment through Your eyes. Fill me with Your Spirit and give me a word in season for those around me. Help me see the big picture, in the name of Jesus Christ I pray.
Note: For those interested in capturing or viewing photos of God's creation, here is this week's theme message from Creation Photographers: Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 (NIV) A Time for Everything 3. There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace. "Seasons Change" will be our next fun theme. Show us how the seasons are changing this time of year near you, or even how seasons have changed in your life. The sky is the limit!! (No pun intended) Our themes are open for interpretation so you can get creative You are also encouraged to post anything else that inspires you as well!!! My photos this week show how the season is slowly changing around here from summer to fall, still warm and sunny but now the fruit is ready to bless us Through ALL of life's seasons. May ya'll be blessed with warmth in your home, Love in your heart, Peace in your soul, and Joy in your life. God bless!Here is the link to participate in this group: Creation Photographers group> You can subscribe to our daily devotional here <
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Amen...
Help us Lord....to see the bigger picture. Give us the eyes to see your will being done....
wisom to take the right step and have the right attitude towards all that is happening around us. Wherever You have placed us Lord.....is the right place. Help us to accept and live our best....today and always. Amen!
Amen!!
Amen
Amen Father!
Amen! Father, please help me to see the big picture!
Amen Lord!
Be with me my God. Amen
Thank you Dion for another great message, sadly we live in a fatherless society, people don't want to be inconvenienced it's too much work to parent, mentor, disciple someone. Perhaps this is what Moses faced in the desert when God called the people "Stubborn and stiff necked." Sadly we don't always aspire to see the big picture, that's why we need parents, mentors, and teachers.
Growing up, after my father passed away, I was just looking for guidance and direction, & didn't even know it, but when I would ask those that I looked up to, about life, careers, marriage, spiritual things, all I ever got was "Rocky, you'll figure it out, it will come to you."
I raised my son and daughter by myself, the one thing I could not teach my daughter was femininity, it's the unspoken language, any more than a woman can teach masculinity. The bible says that the Holy Spirit will teach us everything that we need to know, and that is who has taught me. The bible says that the harvest is plenty, but the workers are few.
I agree seeing the big picture is important, that is why those of us that are able to see the big picture have a huge responsibility to teach those around us.
Yes lord walk with me amen!
Amen
Amen Lord
Amen
Prayer: Heavenly Father please help me get in tune with what You are doing here. Let me see my environment through Your eyes. Fill me with Your Spirit and give me a word in season for those around me. Help me see the big picture, in the name of Jesus Christ I pray. Thank you Amen
Yes, help me to see the big picture and to do Your will in my life. Amen.
Please help me not to worry and be anxious .Please be with me God .
Thank you Father Yahweh for placing each and everyone of us wherever we currently are for such a time as this.......
Heavenly Father, place me wherever I need to be to do Your work. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.
Amen!
Amen Lord
To whom it may concern,
I do have a couple of questions, I really don't do social media, so please excuse my ignorance. I notice that there's a number next to my profile picture, what does that mean?
Also, sometimes I see that I can like a post and other times I'm only allowed to reply, can someone explain this to me?
One more the bible quiz points, how does that work?
Thank you
Hi Rocky. The ^ arrows beside a post on the devotional allow people to upvote or down vote it. That is the number beside your picture. The post button is at the very top of the blog. To all the comments below it, you can only reply. Hope this helps :)
Hey Rocky :)! Dion answered a couple of your questions, but on the Bible quiz points question, the total on the side of the home page is a monthly tally. There is also a link there for "All Time Best". On the "likes", the plugin for the comments on the devotionals pages is a separate plugin, so has an "upvote" feature instead of "like". When you are on the homepage or group pages, you can "like". Really, we want to change it all to "like", which is on the to-do list ;).
Amen. Praise God! Thanks Pastor Todd! Heavenly Father please help me get in tune with what You are doing here. Let me see my environment through Your eyes. Fill me with Your Spirit and give me a word in season for those around me. Help me see the big picture, in the Name of Jesus Christ I pray. Amen.
Amen and Amen, Pastor Dion!!! All I can think of is "for such a time like this......." looking at Esther's account, Joseph's, and many other's, and how God mightily used them, and then, I wonder as we all try our best to trust the Lord with all of our hearts, not leaning on our own simple understanding, but in all of our ways acknowledge Him "Proverbs 3:5 + 6", and "let Him direct our paths" what the outcome will be concerning our loved ones, friends, neighbors, and the list goes on ??? There is no limit to what God, our God can do!!!