Recent Blog Entries

  • 7 hours ago
    Posted by Dion Todd
    A Living Sacrifice from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo. Various sacrifices were required under the old covenant. Some of the sacrifices helped feed the priests and those who worked at the temple, but a burnt offering was placed on the altar and completely consumed by fire. You can read about...
  • 12 hours ago
    Posted by Dion Todd
    Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, will be given to you. For with the same measure you measure it will be measured back to you. Luke 6:38 WEB.We once had a prophet come to our church who was scheduled to preach elsewhere but was canceled...
  • Sat at 3:01 AM
    Posted by Dion Todd
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  • March 25, 2022 - led by Lynn Brown
    This is a group for RHM sponsored events like corporate fasts. Everyone is welcome to join and participate in things currently going on in the ministry. We love you and thank you for being a part of Refreshing Hope!
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Misbehaving

  • Then he poured water into the basin, and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him. Then he came to Simon Peter. He said to him, "Lord, do you wash my feet?" Jesus answered him, "You don't know what I am doing now, but you will understand later." Peter said to him, "You will never wash my feet!" John 13:5'8 WEB.

    It had been over three years since Jesus had chosen them to be His disciples. The twelve of them had traveled together, ministered together, ate together, and saw miracle after miracle while following Jesus. Yet, the night that Jesus was betrayed, He poured water in a basin, took a towel, and washed the feet of His disciples. When He came to Peter, Peter said, "You will never wash my feet!"

    The Apostle Peter tended to correct Jesus when He broke out of his envisioned mold. In Matthew 16:22, Peter rebuked Jesus for saying that He would be crucified. In Mark 14:29, they disagreed, and Peter said, "If I have to die with You, I will not deny You!" Then he denied Him, three times. In John 4:27, the disciples marveled when Jesus talked with the Samaritan woman. In Luke 8:25, they marveled, saying, "Who can this be? For He commands even the winds and water, and they obey Him!"

    See, Peter meant well, but sometimes it was his flesh speaking and not the Holy Spirit. The disciples knew Jesus very well, yet, they were always surprised by His actions. Because Jesus didn't always act as they thought He should. They kept trying to build a mental box to fit the Lord in, but He always appeared outside of it. Making God behave was a constant problem for the religious Pharisees and Scribes as well. They seemed to have irreconcilable differences.

    Paul wrote this in 1 Thessalonians 5:19-21, "Don't quench the Spirit. Don't despise prophecies. Test all things, and hold firmly that which is good." Now I have attended churches that lived the exact opposite of that verse. We try to limit what He can do and place God Almighty inside a neat little box to make Him behave as we want. We tell Him what to do as if He was our pet. All that will bring is frustration when He doesn't obey you. We are made in the likeness of God, in His image. Yet, we sometimes behave as if we made Him in ours.

    Leave room for God to be God in your life. Don't try to tell Him how to fix things. No one walked on water until someone did (Matthew 14:29). Donkeys didn't talk to people until one did (Numbers 22:28). To think that, "My Lord would never do that!" limits God to the size of your own mind. To believe that God has to be like you is the ultimate form of pride. God is full of surprises, and the Bible is full of Him surprising people just like us. So don't limit the God of the universe to your experience.

    Prayer: Heavenly Father, please keep me aware of Your Awesomeness. You are the Almighty, incredibly awesome God. The Creator of heaven and earth. The Maker of mankind. Let me never forget this. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen!

    Note: For those following the Creation Photography weekly challenges, here is this week's theme from group leader, Dianna Wyles: Matthew 6:26 "Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?" ~ 'For the Love of Birds' or 'Abundant Provisions' will be our next fun-tastic theme choices and, as always, are wide open for creative interpretation so let the merriment begin! You are also encouraged to post anything else that inspires you as well. My photos this week reflect just a few of my favorite (recent) birding joys, including the owlet and mama, as well as my interpretation of 'Abundant Provisions". I may not always have EVERYTHING I want but I have found I am always provided everything I need, including the abundance of love, family, and friendship surrounding me always. Thank you all for being a part of that very important 'abundant provision'. Have a fantastic week everyone! Grace and blessings be yours always! Here is the link: Creation Photographers


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26 comments
  • 0
Debi Burton
Debi Burton Praise the Lord Hallelujah! Thank you for being in my life and all you do! ❤️
February 22, 2022
  • 2
Kay Collinsworth
Kay Collinsworth

Amen

February 22, 2022
  • 1
Dana Rozell
Dana Rozell

Amen!

February 22, 2022
  • 1
Candy Laventure
Candy Laventure

Praise the Lord. Amen!

February 22, 2022
  • 1
Kevin J. Eck
Kevin J. Eck

Amen!

February 22, 2022
  • 1
Brenda F
Brenda F

Thank you pastor Dion for reminding us that God's plan is not always easy for us to understand. This a great reminder to me since my brother in law recently came home after many months in the hospital and rehab after suffering a brain bleed that has done damage to his brain. This man, a retired minister, iwho  was a gentle, soft spoken, friendly, intelligent person is now blind, confused and yelling all day and night. My sister took an early retirement to stay home to care for him. They live in a different state so helping isn't an easy option. I sat with him this past weekend so my sister could leave the house to get a haircut. Seeing him act like this was very disturbing because it is the opposite of who he really is. I know the teacher is always silent during the test, but I believe I failed the test that day as I couldn't understand why God was allowing him and my sister to go through this. I admit I felt like God had abandoned them, even though my Christian self knows that's not true, I let doubt creep in. Today's devotion is another reminder that God IS ALWAYS PRESENT AND IN CONTROL. Please keep my brother in law joe andy sister Becky lifted up in prayer.

 

 

February 22, 2022
  • 1
Lynn Brown
Lynn Brown

Praying for Joe's healing and strength for Becky. Amen.

February 22, 2022
  • 1
Cathy Webb
Cathy Webb

Lifting Joe and Becky to the Lord for strength and restoration ❤️

February 22, 2022
  • 1
Deng Tembreza
Deng Tembreza

PRAISE THE LORD.  THE LORD IS EVER LOVING AND FAITHFUL GOD.  I Lifted up Joe and Becky in to your hand LORD, IN JESUS NAME AMEN.  

February 22, 2022
  • 1
Patricia Walker
Patricia Walkeredited: February 22, 2022

AMEN.  Heavenly Father, You Are an awesome God. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Thank You. Thank You. Amen

February 22, 2022
  • 1
Yvette York
Yvette York

Thank You Father Amen Good Morning Everyone 

February 22, 2022
  • 1
David Fabillaran
David Fabillaran

Amen!

February 22, 2022
  • 1
Perry Robertson
Perry Robertson

Amen! God You are Awesome! Thank You for loving us when can be so unloveable, There is nothing you cant do! Amen

February 22, 2022
  • 1
David  Earlywine
David Earlywine

Amen 

February 22, 2022
  • 1
Lynn Brown
Lynn Brown

Thank You for being so awesome Father! Amen.

February 22, 2022
  • 1
Mari Kaufmann
Mari Kaufmann

You are an awesome God Amen

February 22, 2022
  • 1
Scott Riegelmann
Scott Riegelmann

Amen thank you Father for all you do

February 22, 2022
  • 1
Wanda Pennington
Wanda Pennington

Amen and Amen 

February 22, 2022
  • 1
Marisa Jackson
Marisa Jackson

Amen!! Alleluia!! Amen!!

February 22, 2022
  • 1
Celeste Strenn
Celeste Strenn

Amen 

February 22, 2022
  • 1
Cathy Webb
Cathy Webb

AMEN! All praise to You, Almighty, incredibly awesome God. Creator of heaven and earth. Maker of me. Father, thank you.

February 22, 2022
  • 1
David Krull
David Krull

Amen yes Lord. Help me never forget this.. You are God. You are Holy. 

February 22, 2022
  • 1
Schalk  de Beer
Schalk de Beer

Amen Lord 

February 22, 2022
  • 1
John Smith
John Smithedited: February 22, 2022

I agree with this.  It reminds me of the following:

"GOD works in mysterious ways."  HE is all knowing which is why we need to trust HIM. HE usually doesn't explain why or else we would not need faith or need to trust HIM.  

Sadly, I learned this the hard way, by not trusting or making assumptions until the reasoning was clear and it was too late.

February 22, 2022
  • 1
Wesley Paulus
Wesley Paulus

Amen!

February 22, 2022
  • 1
Richard Mondello
Richard Mondello

In Lord Yeshua's name I ask this, Amen. 

February 22, 2022