Let no man say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God," for God can't be tempted by evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each one is tempted, when he is drawn away by his own lust, and enticed. Then the lust, when it has conceived, bears sin; and the sin, when it is full grown, brings forth death." James 1:13–15 WEB. The peaceful water of the Waccamaw River near our home is as black as coffee....

By faith Noah, being warned about things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared a ship for the saving of his house, through which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith. By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed to go out to the place which he was to receive for an inheritance. He went out, not knowing where he went. Hebrews 11:7-8 WEB. For...

Blessed is the man who doesn't walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the way of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of scoffers; But his delight is in Yahweh's law; On his law he meditates day and night. He will be like a tree planted by the streams of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also does not wither. Whatever he does shall prosper. Psalms 1:1–3 WEB. Though it...

Thank You from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo. Today, I want to highlight the power of being thankful. Jesus, our perfect example, modeled a life filled with gratitude and praise. No matter the challenges you've faced, there's always something to be thankful for—starting with the simple blessing of waking up today. For many, yesterday was...

Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus toward you. Don't quench the Spirit. Don't despise prophesies. Test all things, and hold firmly that which is good. Abstain from every form of evil. 1 Thessalonians 5:16–22 WEB. While traveling through Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with my pastor, we stopped at an old smokehouse restaurant and ordered...

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 8:1–3 WEB. An outcast waited by the roadside, hoping to see Jesus. He was a leper and had a terrible...

Then the devil took him into the holy city. He set him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, 'He will command his angels concerning you,' and, 'On their hands they will bear you up, so that you don't dash your foot against a stone.' " Jesus said to him, "Again, it is written, 'You shall not test the Lord, your God.' " Matthew...

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 18:3–6 WEB. When I was young, I followed an old family...

Therefore let's also, seeing we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let's run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising its shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews...

Then Mordecai asked them to return this answer to Esther: "Don't think to yourself that you will escape in the king's house any more than all the Jews. For if you remain silent now, then relief and deliverance will come to the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house will perish. Who knows if you haven't come to the kingdom for such a time as this?" Esther 4:13-14 WEB. Esther didn't...

Resting While the Storm Rages from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo. Stress is something we all face. Whether it's worries about our jobs, our families, our health, or just the busyness of life, stress can feel like a raging storm that won't quit. We try hard to keep it all together, but inside, we're often tired, overwhelmed, or even afraid. That's...

In the same hour, the fingers of a man's hand came out and wrote near the lamp stand on the plaster of the wall of the king's palace. The king saw the part of the hand that wrote. Then the king's face was changed in him, and his thoughts troubled him; and the joints of his thighs were loosened, and his knees struck one against another. Daniel 5:5–6 WEB. Belshazzar, the King of Babylon, threw an...

One of the criminals who was hanged insulted him, saying, "If you are the Christ, save yourself and us!" But the other answered, and rebuking him said, "Don't you even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong." He said to Jesus, "Lord, remember me when you come into your Kingdom." Jesus...

I have declared the former things from of old; yes, they went forth out of my mouth, and I shown them: suddenly I did them, and they happened. Isaiah 48:3 WEB. There was a time in our life when our business started failing. Our income grew less and less and then stopped completely. After several months with no work, the bills started piling up. We tried everything we could, but nothing seemed to change...

He told them this parable. "Which of you men, if you had one hundred sheep, and lost one of them, wouldn't leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one that was lost, until he found it? When he has found it, he carries it on his shoulders, rejoicing." Luke 15:3–5 WEB. Jesus once told a parable about a man who had one hundred sheep, and one of them got lost. The Shepherd's job was...

If there is therefore any exhortation in Christ, if any consolation of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any tender mercies and compassion, make my joy full, by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind; doing nothing through rivalry or through conceit, but in humility, each counting others better than himself; each of you not just looking to his own things,...

When the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, "It's a ghost!" and they cried out for fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, "Cheer up! It is I! Don't be afraid." Peter answered him and said, "Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the waters." He said, "Come!" Peter stepped down from the boat and walked on the waters to come to Jesus. Matthew 14:26–29...

The Battle of Jericho from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo. After Moses passed away, Joshua led the Israelites across the Jordan River into the Promised Land, and the first city they came to was Jericho. It was a formidable city known for its massive walls. The Lord instructed them to march around the city for six days, and on the seventh...

Surely I have stilled and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with his mother, like a weaned child is my soul within me. Psalms 131:2 WEB. Newborn infants tend to cry a lot. Anytime they want something, they cry for it. During this time, the parents are usually quick to look after them, partly out of love and partly to stop the noise. They may whine when you bring them food and when you take it away....

Yahweh said to me, "Go again, love a woman loved by another, and an adulteress, even as Yahweh loves the children of Israel, though they turn to other gods, and love cakes of raisins." So I bought her for myself for fifteen pieces of silver and a homer and a half of barley. I said to her, "You shall stay with me many days. You shall not play the prostitute, and you shall not be with any other man....

The fool has said in his heart, "There is no God." They are corrupt. They have done abominable works. There is none who does good. Yahweh looked down from heaven on the children of men, To see if there were any who did understand, Who did seek after God. Psalms 14:1–2 WEB. As the cashier counted out my change, I noticed that it added up to more than I had given her. This was decades ago, and I was...

His brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, and they hated him, and couldn't speak peaceably to him. Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it to his brothers, and they hated him all the more. Genesis 37:4 WEB. The Lord gave Joseph a dream when he was just a young boy. In the dream, He showed Joseph that he would be promoted above his brothers one day. Joseph was so excited...

So they took up Jonah and threw him into the sea; and the sea ceased its raging. Then the men feared Yahweh exceedingly; and they offered a sacrifice to Yahweh and made vows. Yahweh prepared a huge fish to swallow up Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. Then Jonah prayed to Yahweh, his God, out of the fish's belly. He said, "I called because of my affliction to...

Our God, will you not judge them? For we have no might against this great company that comes against us. We don't know what to do, but our eyes are on you. All Judah stood before Yahweh, with their little ones, their wives, and their children. Then Yahweh's Spirit came… 2 Chronicles 20:12-14 WEB. When a vast enemy army gathered together intending to sack Judah, King Jehoshaphat didn't know what...

Sunshine and Roses from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo. Something that puzzled me when I first decided to take my relationship with Jesus seriously was that my life suddenly became more challenging. I mean, what's going on with that? "I'm a child of the King! He fights my battles." Uh-huh... For me, it felt like the more I dedicated myself to...

If therefore the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed. John 8:36 WEB. I took one last draw and put the cigarette out. That was over twenty-five years ago and the last time I smoked. I grew up on a farm in the South and worked in tobacco. Everyone I knew smoked. Well, except for one pretty weird guy, and no one wanted to be like him. By the age of ten, I was smoking regularly, just like the...

Also delight yourself in Yahweh, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Psalms 37:4 WEB. I remember when I was about twelve years old and working in the tobacco fields through the summer. Sometimes, it became so hot in the field that people would get sick to their stomachs, and the rest of us would help crop their row. My world seemed very small then. We were poor, and my family was the least...

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 WEB. Young David was probably around fifteen years old and facing the greatest challenge of his life, a man named Goliath. He was a real giant of a man who was just over nine feet tall...

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 4:7–10 WEB. Jesus was a young man, about...

Even the youths faint and get weary, and the young men utterly fall; but those who wait for Yahweh will renew their strength. They will mount up with wings like eagles. They will run, and not be weary. They will walk, and not faint. Isaiah 40:30–31 WEB. I sat down on a bean bag in the corner of the room where I would go and pray, and contemplated how we got here. We had been out of work for months...