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  • 15 hours ago
    Posted by Dion Todd
    Yahweh said to Joshua, "Get up! Why have you fallen on your face like that?" Joshua 7:10 WEB.Joshua lay prostrate before the ark of the Lord all that evening. Yesterday, he had been a mighty warrior. Now Israel had lost the battle at Ai, all because one of the men with him had become greedy and brok...
  • Wed at 3:01 AM
    Posted by Dion Todd
    Now the king of Syria had commanded the captains of his chariots, saying, "Don't fight with small nor great, except only with the king of Israel." When the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, they said, "It is the king of Israel!" Therefore they turned around to fight against him. But Jehoshap...
  • Tue at 3:01 AM
    Posted by Dion Todd
    But Naaman was angry, and went away and said, "Behold, I thought, 'He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of Yahweh his God, and wave his hand over the place, and heal the leper' " 2 Kings 5:11 WEB.Naaman stared at his new skin with amazement when he came up from the muddy wa...
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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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Gospel Amnesia

  • Gospel Amnesia from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo.

    When Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem, they came to a Samaritan village that did not welcome them. The "Sons of Thunder" brothers, James and John, remembered the prophet Elijah calling down fire from heaven and wanted to do likewise:

    (Luke 9:54–56 NKJV)  And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, "Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?" But He turned and rebuked them, and said, "You do not know what manner of spirit you are of. For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men's lives but to save them." And they went to another village.

    James and John were some of the first disciples to follow Jesus. They had been with Him since the beginning. Now years later, they were headed to Jerusalem, where Jesus would be arrested and crucified. Yet here, the brothers had a case of Gospel Amnesia. They momentarily forgot that Jesus hadn't come to destroy lives but to save them. Jesus corrected His apostle's attitude and simply went to another village. 

    James and John had heard Jesus teach the people so many times. They were there when He said:

    (Luke 6:27–28 NKJV)  "But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you."

    (Matthew 5:7 NKJV)  "Blessed are the merciful, For they shall obtain mercy."

    As we sometimes do, the brothers had forgotten to be Christians, "Christ-like." We can know what is right but do what is wrong, and that's never right. At Refreshing Hope, we have been ripped off more by dealing with people in the church than strangers off Craigslist. 

    Today, I grow concerned if I see a cross or fish on a business card. The worst crook we have dealt with had a scripture on his estimates. He talked about Jesus, took us for about $1,500, and said they would return the following day, but he didn't. They wouldn't return our calls, and we had to hire someone else to come and fix their work. 

    We could have taken them to court, but that would also be Gospel Amnesia. There are two choices when someone has wronged you: forgive them or don't. We can choose to make that person pay or forgive them and absorb the cost. In this case, we decided to forgive their debt and never call them again. 

    The Apostle Paul corrected the Corinthian church for using the law against each other. Now there are life-altering cases that have to be settled in court, but if it's a simple dispute that can be forgiven, we should always choose to show mercy. The Lord can restore what was lost and show you mercy in return. 

    (1 Corinthians 6:7–8 NKJV)  Now therefore, it is already an utter failure for you that you go to law against one another. Why do you not rather accept wrong? Why do you not rather let yourselves be cheated? No, you yourselves do wrong and cheat, and you do these things to your brethren!

    Many try and use the Apostle Paul's teachings on grace as a license to sin. A form of greasy grace, but this is not what he taught. Paul made it clear that our actions cannot be separated from our faith. He spoke of people being deceived and unrighteous people who believed they weren't. 

    (Galatians 6:7 NKJV)  Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.

    (1 Corinthians 6:9–10 NKJV)  Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.

    Paul is speaking of continual sinful lifestyles and not a one-time slip-up, though every sinful lifestyle begins with the first time. A tree is known by the fruit it bears, and that takes a while to grow. Smoking one cigarette doesn't make you a smoker, but smoking for ten years certainly does. 

    (1 Corinthians 6:11 NKJV)  And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.

    As with James and John above, we sometimes need to be reminded we are Christians and should behave like it. Treating others like you would like to be treated will take you a long way in the Kingdom of God. The Sons of Thunder would not have wanted someone to call fire down on them. So they shouldn't have been in such a hurry to burn up someone else.  

    Jesus told a parable about a servant that owed a king a zillion dollars, or 10,000 talents. A talent was the highest currency unit, and 10,000 was the highest Greek numeral. When he couldn't pay the money back, the king forgave his debt. 

    Then that man found another servant who owed him 100 denarii, a vastly smaller amount. When he couldn't pay the debt, the one who was forgiven the zillion dollars began choking him and had him thrown into a debtor's prison until he could pay. The king who forgave him learned of this and became furious:

    (Matthew 18:32–34 NKJV)  Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, 'You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?' And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him.

    Then Jesus said something shocking:

    (Matthew 18:35 NKJV)  "So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses."

    You can pray this with me if you like: 

    Prayer: Heavenly Father, I forgive others as You have forgiven me. Please help me be honest and open in my dealings with Your people. I love You, and thank You today. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen!


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21 comments
  • 2
Debi Burton
Debi Burton Heavenly Father, I forgive others as You have forgiven me. Please help me be honest and open in my dealings with Your people. I love You, and thank You today. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen! ❤️
November 14, 2022
  • 2
Liesel  aka  Lisa Wardle
Liesel aka Lisa Wardle

AMEN, Pastor!!!  Thank you so much for today's message and for speaking the word of the Lord!!! I'm lifting up especially my siblings, my 2 brothers and my sister, there was an incident many years ago, and one of my brother's had a little too much wine and spoke negatively about my other brother's wife and how things changed eveer since they got married! It festered between all three of them, when my sister took my brother's side, no one would speak up and talk to one another for a very long time, except when my Mom and then my Dad passed away! I so wish that all 3 of them could have heard your message today! To forgive is a healing process for each and everyone, and it was a tradegy for all of us, especially my beloved Mom and Dad!!! To forgive is the very first step, then follows the forgetting part, this will only happen with the Lord's help and never ceasing prayer!!! (h5)

November 13, 2022
  • 1
Schalk  de Beer
Schalk de Beer

Yes, amen Lord. 

November 14, 2022
  • 1
Celeste Strenn
Celeste Strenn

Amen 

November 14, 2022
  • 1
Dana Rozell
Dana Rozell

In Jesus Name Amen.

November 14, 2022
  • 1
Patricia Walker
Patricia Walker

Amen.  Heavenly Father,  THANK YOU for your forgiveness. Teach me to continue to forgive others.  Amen

November 14, 2022
  • 1
David  Earlywine
David Earlywine

Amen,thank you Pastor Dion.God bless.

November 14, 2022
  • 1
Lynn Brown
Lynn Brown

Praying for healing for Sue. We miss you at the service. Amen.

November 14, 2022
  • 1
Liesel  aka  Lisa Wardle
Liesel aka Lisa Wardleedited: November 16, 2022

Dear Sue, please know that we miss you and Dave!!! May the Lord meet all of your needs including healing according to His goodness and mercy, in the name of Jesus, AMEN!!! (h5)

November 16, 2022
  • 1
Yvette York
Yvette York

Amen Good Morning Everyone 

November 14, 2022
  • 1
Wanda Pennington
Wanda Pennington

Yes Lord, I want to forgive others.. I say I have and pray I have. Amen 

November 14, 2022
  • 1
Kay Collinsworth
Kay Collinsworth

Amen 

November 14, 2022
  • 1
David Krull
David Krull

Amen. Lord show me any unforgiveness I may have in me so I can deal with it. Forgive me my sins and restore unto me the joy of my salvation. In Jesus Name 

November 14, 2022
  • 1
Lynn Brown
Lynn Brown

Father, may my thoughts, words and actions be pleasing to You. And when they are not, please forgive me and help me to forgive others as well! Amen.

November 14, 2022
  • 1
Marisa Jackson
Marisa Jackson

Amen!!

November 14, 2022
  • 1
Maria Melendez
Maria Melendez

Amen !

November 14, 2022
  • 1
David Fabillaran
David Fabillaran

Amen Lord Jesus!

November 14, 2022
  • 1
Nell Neathery
Nell Neathery

Heavenly Father, I love You and thank You today, in Jesus' name, Amen

November 14, 2022
  • 1
Nell Neathery
Nell Neathery

I don't think about have amnesia or Alzheimer's.  Maybe just Old-Timers!!!

November 14, 2022
  • 1
Richard Mondello
Richard Mondello

In Lord Christ Yeshua's name we pray, Amen. 

November 14, 2022
  • 1
Wesley Paulus
Wesley Paulus

Amen! 

November 15, 2022