Recent Blog Entries

  • 12 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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The Lost One

  • 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 WEB

    Jesus told this parable about a man that had one-hundred sheep, but one of them got lost. It was a part of His flock at one time, but now it was separated and wandering alone. It was the shepherd's job to find them, bind up their wounds, and bring them back to the flock (Ezekiel 34:4). The sheep were not able to find the way back on their own. They were often scared, possibly injured, and were driven away by another in the same flock. A good shepherd would always go after them.

    Sheep flock together, submit to the shepherd and their protection is in numbers. Sheep tend to be gentle and are easy prey when they are found alone.

    Sadly enough there are goats in the flock of God that will drive His sheep away. We raised goats on the farm where I grew up and I once raised one as a pet. Goats are temperamental, stubborn, and sometimes downright mean to others. They constantly see the grass greener on the other side and will go over the fence, under the fence or through the fence, but they will never willingly stay inside the fence with the others. They can be a friend one moment, but an enemy the next.

    God cares deeply about the wounded that have gone missing, and we are to gently bring them back. No one makes it alone, for very long.

    One night I had a vivid dream that a friend of ours was covered in huge sores. In the dream I had a container of healing salve which I rubbed on their sores and they were so thankful. The salve healed them. I noticed that I had not seen them lately at church, so we called them up and asked them out to dinner.

    During the conversation, I found that they had been hurt badly and had stopped coming to church at all. Somehow, through prayer and the Holy Spirit, we worked through it and they started attending again. The relationships were restored. They were healed and a part of the body again. God used us to go after one that was driven away.

    Be open to going after the lost ones and pray for the Lord to show you the lost that you can reach. If you are a lost one wandering alone, know that God is seeking you and wants to bring you back into His family. Though hard, cold, religion salesmen may have hurt you in the past, it was not Him that did it. He would never hurt you and He still has true shepherds out there that care for His flock.

    Prayer: Father I thank You for finding me. Heal me, restore me, guide me to where I need to be. Teach me what I need to know. I yield my will to You. May Your will be done on earth, and in my life, as it is in heaven, in the name of Jesus Christ I pray.

    Note: Happy Friday! For the next several weeks, we are going to start a weekly to bi-weekly note here called "Group of the Day". We are so blessed by the small groups here and the wonderful people who have stepped up to lead them. You can find any of the groups by clicking on the "Groups" link on the site menu. Without further ado, today''s group is "Creation Photographers"! Creation Photographers is a group that seeks to show the glory and beauty of God's creation through photography. That vision includes the beauty of things created by man, because God created us and put His spark in each of us! ANY level of photography skill is welcome and all are invited to join and enjoy!

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34 comments
  • 3
Schalk  de Beer
Schalk de Beer Amen
October 2, 2015
  • 4
flavio garcia
flavio garcia Thank you jesus.amen.
October 2, 2015
  • 4
Eric Rodriguez
Eric Rodriguez Thanks be to G O D  !   !   !   
October 2, 2015
  • 1
<i>Deleted Member</i>
Deleted Member Amen.
October 2, 2015- Edit- Delete
  • 4
Deanne Rascas
Deanne Rascas Right now God is using me to bring my daughter back to church. She was driven away 7years ago by someone who acted as a "goat". I see Gods plan unfolding and he is using me to bring her back to the flock. I have been taking her daughter to church for some time now and my daughter sees the love and joy that she gets from it. I am so happy tthat God is using me for his purpose!
October 2, 2015
  • 1
<i>Deleted Member</i>
Deleted Member Praise The Lord.
October 2, 2015- Edit- Delete
  • 4
Marisa Jackson
Marisa Jackson Amen!! I once was lost but now I'm find was blind but now I see!  Thanks be to God!!  Thank you Lord Jesus for finding me, and bringing me back to the fold.  Jesus my Savior and best friend.
October 2, 2015
  • 1
<i>Deleted Member</i>
Deleted Member Thank You Jesus.
October 2, 2015- Edit- Delete
  • 4
Sylvia Schmidt
Sylvia Schmidt yeah some times in my life I felt like the shepherd and sometimes the sheep.
October 2, 2015
  • 1
<i>Deleted Member</i>
Deleted Member I know exactly how you feel. God bless you. 
October 2, 2015- Edit- Delete
  • 2
Sylvia Schmidt
Sylvia Schmidt Thank you Tamara. Amen.
October 2, 2015
  • 1
Sylvia Todd
Sylvia Todd I think that's probably as it should be, Sylvia! Sometimes our gifts allow us to lead, and sometimes we lean on other's gifts and follow! Side note, the phrasing made me think of a country song that was something like "sometimes you're the windshield, sometimes you're the bug" ;).
October 3, 2015
  • 3
Carol Pady
Carol Pady Amen! I have been lost a few times, perhaps I have a bit of goat in me. Now I pray for the lost , perhaps with more compassion because I walked in their shoes. He is sure to seek out His lost and bring them back home. Praise God for His continual seeking and His loving forgiveness toward His wayward children.
October 2, 2015
  • 1
<i>Deleted Member</i>
Deleted Member God is so good, He always stands with arms out stretched welcoming His children home.
October 2, 2015- Edit- Delete
  • 1
Carol Pady
Carol Pady Amen! 
October 3, 2015
  • 3
Conchita Bowman
Conchita Bowman Thank you Pastor Dion for another wonderful message.  May God bless you and Sylvia greatly.
October 2, 2015
  • 3
Roseanne Braverman
Roseanne Braverman Thank you for your teachings, for all the hard work you and Sylvia put into this ministry and thank you for being a true shepherd.
October 2, 2015
  • 3
Cynthia Nortey
Cynthia Nortey Amen
October 2, 2015
  • 3
Jeffrey Smith
Jeffrey Smith Amen, Thank you Pastor D! Great word.  
October 2, 2015
  • 3
Karen Pasquinelli
Karen Pasquinelli Amen!!  Right now I feel like the Shepherd
October 2, 2015
  • 1
<i>Deleted Member</i>
Deleted Member God bless you, for being that Shepherd to go after that one lost one. He will bless you abundantly for caring about His lost children. 
October 2, 2015- Edit- Delete
  • 1
Karen Pasquinelli
Karen Pasquinelli Thank you Tamara.  It is not easy but I am not going to give up.
October 3, 2015
  • 0
<i>Deleted Member</i>
Deleted Member Amen, keep on keeping on for Jesus. He loves you so much. God bless you. Love and prayers, Tamara
October 3, 2015- Edit- Delete
  • 1
Karen Pasquinelli
Karen Pasquinelli Thank and God Bless You :)
October 4, 2015
  • 2
<i>Deleted Member</i>
Deleted Member Love this message. (Congratulations to Creations Photography, please keep the beautiful photos coming, they so bless me heart.)
October 2, 2015- Edit- Delete
  • 3
Kathy Banfield
Kathy Banfield I often think of the parable of the lost sheep (and the lost coin) in relation to the world today. In our disposable society, I wonder if most people would simply ignore that lost sheep.Perhaps i sound a bit pessimistic, and I apologize--but I really wonder sometimes! Especially when I'm out walking and come across a lost quarter. Didn't someone miss it? I especially love Pastor Todd's comments about goats! I once "baby-sat" a pet goat for a friend, and it was the strangest creature I ever saw! My poor horse didn't know what to make of that silly animal! Yes, it's true-goats can be friendly one minute and destructive the next!
October 2, 2015
  • 3
Joey Smith
Joey Smith Amen, thank you again Pastor Dion for the wonderful words of the Lord!
October 2, 2015
  • 2
Debi Burton
Debi Burton Thank you for the daily devotional......just what I needed to read!
October 2, 2015
  • 2
Heide Garner
Heide Garner  wow thankyou God I read old one of yours called bumproad it just so happen I,m plannig mynotes for Testmony. I planinng on doing in November  5 th so I think I,m a ruth from bible use this in my Testmony about motherhood.  
October 2, 2015
  • 2
Lissy Verghese
Lissy Verghese Thank you dear Pastor, for the great message!
October 3, 2015
  • 2
Ticardo Williams
Ticardo Williams Amen.  Praise God!  Thank you!   Father, I just ask that You Use me for Your Glory Today.
October 3, 2015
  • 2
Iris Parlin
Iris Parlinedited: October 3, 2015 I have been asked a number of times to attend a certain church, but I just can't seem to enjoy going. I do listen to the sermon most every Sunday. This particular pastor brings politics into his sermons and I don't agree with most of it. Some of his flowing say they don't agree with him but they always go to church. I just tell them I can't seem to get past that. I like him very much as a person and friend. I have been invited to go to another church that I used to attend on a regular basis. I stopped going because they don't have a pastor, just speakers. One of the speakers is on Facebook and I had to unfriendlyr her because what she would put on FB just wasn't right so I stopped going. I may go tomorrow. I'm late at catching up on here. 
October 3, 2015
  • 1
Sylvia Todd
Sylvia Todd I know what you mean, Iris, I'm not wild about churches ranting about politics either. Of course, when something very important is happening, it may be relevant on occasion, but Jesus didn't spend all His time complaining about the Romans. I pray that the Lord guides your steps and opens the door to a local congregation that will feed you and be a place where you can use your gifts to further the Kingdom, in the name of Jesus!
October 3, 2015
  • 1
Melchorita Fahey
Melchorita Fahey Amen! Thank you Pastor Dion for sharing you daily devotional to us.
October 4, 2015