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  • 2 hours ago
    Posted by Dion Todd
    Yahweh opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, "What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?" Balaam said to the donkey, "Because you have mocked me, I wish there were a sword in my hand, for now I would have killed you." The donkey said to Balaam, "Am I not yo...
  • Thu at 3:01 AM
    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...
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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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Catch Me if You Can

  • But Jonah rose up to flee to Tarshish from the presence of Yahweh. He went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid its fare, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of Yahweh. Jonah 1:3 WEB

    It was late one Saturday afternoon when a friend stopped by and invited me to go to church with him the following morning. I had no interest in that. The thought of getting dressed up in a suit and pretending to be someone else on Sunday, did not appeal to me. Besides, I knew some of the people there, and during the week they were often worse than me, even the friend that invited me. He had probably smoked a joint on the way over. Why pretend to be someone you are not?

    I ran from God, evading Him for years, or so I thought. In time, He caught me. One night, while playing music at a party, I met the Lord and suddenly my whole life changed. My friends no longer knew me. Suddenly, I wanted to know all about God and my old interests soon faded away.

    It turns out that you don't have to wear special clothes or pretend to be someone else. You can just be yourself. That is what my friend was doing, the best that he could. It is not a Sunday thing, but more of a Monday through Friday thing. God so loved us that He gave His only Son to save us, just as we are. Sure you should live a life that demonstrates faith in God, but you don't start out perfect. You won't even end perfect, but you will get better.

    When you fall, get up and take another step. Know that God is seeking a personal relationship with you Monday through Sunday. God is not mad at you and when you turn to Him, He will immediately accept you.

    Prayer: Father, I thank You for accepting me just as I am. I want to serve You Lord with all my heart. Please continue to draw me to You. Consume me with Your love and deliver me from the things that hinder me, in the name of Jesus Christ I pray.

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34 comments
  • 2
Rick Doran
Rick Doran Amen!!!   God is Good!
March 5, 2016
  • 2
David and Dianna Wyles
David and Dianna Wyles Amen! Thank you:) Pastor's Prayer: Father, I thank You for accepting me just as I am. I want to serve You Lord with all my heart. Please continue to draw me to You. Consume me with Your love and deliver me from the things that hinder me, in the name of Jesus Christ I pray.
March 5, 2016
  • 2
Penelope Rhome
Penelope Rhome amen amen
March 5, 2016
  • 2
Jeanie White
Jeanie White Yes Lord please continue to draw me close to you. This is truly all I desire. Amen!
March 5, 2016
  • 2
Norman Glaze Sr
Norman Glaze Sr Wonderful! Amen.
March 5, 2016
  • 2
Mike OBryan
Mike OBryan So true!!!!!!!!!! falling is part of life!!
March 5, 2016
  • 2
Joey Smith
Joey Smith Amen, thank you Pastor Dion for sharing the words of the Lord on this beautiful Saturday morning, these are some words I needed to hear. Have a blessed weekend.
March 5, 2016
  • 2
Lorna Smetak
Lorna Smetakedited: March 5, 2016 I used to think that i had to dress up to go to church. Lately, since i got my disability I would look around and see how people would go to church. I don't dress up to go to church anymore because God loves us just the way we are. I dont even wear makeup.
March 5, 2016
  • 2
Dion Todd
Dion Todd It is good to be yourself  :)
March 5, 2016
  • 2
Marisa Jackson
Marisa Jackson When God finds his lost sheep, it's the best feeling in the world.  To know how much he loves you is even greater.  Thank you God for sending your precious son Jesus to be my Savior!  Amen!
March 5, 2016
  • 2
Twila Stierwalt
Twila Stierwalt Pastor Dion, what a great testomony, God does except us right where we are. I to want to please God with this life He has given me.
March 5, 2016
  • 2
Heide Garner
Heide Garner I rember when lived at home my sister would go paper route that I went to help with then sunday take bus to gilroy and gochurch she invited me  I didn,t want give up my sleep then when moved out well as took of baby was n,t mine became mom to my necise decide now want give up sleep so found nice batphist church well hoping make some friends my age what met there were mama who loved on broken women came church gave me ride to church and evental I got involed in the praise team so went  the uncle the new babysitting job then staring date him well they one helped me plan my wedding and when became mom ninemonths later after got married they encoraged me gave me prestent on motherday and  found out was expecting  they made feel loved at the baby shower they threw one specal gift the children paster sew me prayer shall which lavander open lasted and others prayed over me church family somethingbuilt myspirts up  so outside church be good mom  three   felt like lot to become mom so soon  my marrage so thankul got involed church
March 5, 2016
  • 1
Sharon Peterson
Sharon Peterson Amen. Come as you are to the Lord.  
March 5, 2016
  • 2
Sharon Peterson
Sharon Peterson I would love to find a church that doesn't stick you in the back pew, shun you and spend the first 35 minutes announcing their wonderful plans for the week.  What happened to Worship, prayer, communion and just being in awe in the presence of God on Holy Ground?  I miss Church so much.
March 5, 2016
  • 1
Kath Paro
Kath Paro Dion~ Good message this morning.  It makes me grateful for finding my way with my Higher Power who I call God and came to believe he would give me a new life.  I no longer have a mask to show others I'm ok.  My Higher Power has kept me from evi.  He has taken my addictions away from me and blessed me with a life beyond my wildest dreams.  I am so glad you brought these blessings back to the forforont.
March 5, 2016
  • 1
Kathy Banfield
Kathy Banfield I wish my kids would read today's devotional. I'm forever reminding tham that Jesus came to call the sinners, not the righteous!
March 5, 2016
  • 2
Carol Pady
Carol Pady Amen! If we had to be deserving of his love to be saved, I would have never made the grade! I was brought up in he Catholic faith and fell away as a teenager. I told my dad who had converted from a Baptist when he married my mother That I didnt want to pursue being a Catholic, I was unterested in the other denominations and the King James Bible. I never pursued anything except living a carnal life. When I was in my early twenties I was so lost, so low, at the very pit of my carnal self that I could barely look myself in the mirror. I was suffering from the loss of my Dad who took his own life at the age of 49 after my mother ran off with another man. I couldn't get past the grief. I also suffered from rejection, spousal abuse ( my first marriage), addictions and low self esteem. One day as I sat on a couch reading the New Testament Jesus met me there and in an instant I became clean, loved, forgiven, blessed, worthy, and redeemed, a daughter of Almighty God! Over the many years since, almost forty, He has taken me down many roads, some He chose, some I stubbornly chose, yet He never forsake me. I have learned to pray for His guidance and wisdom and to stay on His path. It took many years to get me to where I am today as a Christian. He has been so loving and patient with me. He will do the same for anyone who seeks Him, for anyone He saves! God is always good!
March 5, 2016
  • 1
Carol McCalla
Carol McCalla Amen...Wow!! What a word..Thank you so much Pastor
March 5, 2016
  • 1
Karen Pasquinelli
Karen Pasquinelli AMEN!!! 
March 5, 2016
  • 2
Gloria Nebarez
Gloria Nebarez Amen, he loves me for who I am!
March 5, 2016
  • 1
Tyler Velau
Tyler Velau With respect, Pastor Todd, there were a few parts of the prayer that I didnt really feel that fit. " Please continue to draw me to You. Consume me with Your love" that line... There are a few words there that just sat wrong with me the words "draw" and "consume". Why should the Lord have to draw us near him? If he wanted us to find him, couldn't he just make it easier for us to find him? Or come closer to us?  And consume..... Why would anyone want to be consumed by anything? When a man has had too much to drink and turns violent, could you not say that he was consumed by rage? I know that consumption doesn't always have to be a negative thing, but the context just didn't feel quite right.  Please, don't misunderstand me, I really enjoy the deviotionals and the prayers at the end. I'm not trying to pick a fight here but trying to understand. 
March 5, 2016
  • 1
Dion Todd
Dion Todd John 6:44  No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.
March 5, 2016
  • 1
Diane Symborski✝
Diane Symborski✝ AMEN!!
March 5, 2016
  • 1
Sylvia Todd
Sylvia Todd Hi Tyler! In addition to the supporting scripture that Dion posted, here are my random thoughts ;-). On the "drawing" part, during all the years that I was a non-believer, I always still felt the tug of Him on my heart. That is what I believe the "drawing" is. He does not have to come closer to us, because He is already as close as He can get. We, in our free will, may just not be close to Him...not in the physical sense, but in the sense of relationship. On the "consume", in the example you mentioned, I believe has the context of great obsession. In the the prayer, I take it as "burn away the things that our not of God, and leave the rest", as in a consuming fire. All that said, definitely do not feel obligated to follow every prayer verbatim. There have certainly been some group prayers in my life that I have not connected with. For instance, in 2008, there was one where they wanted us to pray that all the people trying to vote for Obama would not be able to find their way to the booth ;-). I thought that was quite silly, and still do, hehe. We all have our personal walk and personal relationship with Him, so please do let that come first :)!
March 5, 2016
  • 1
Diane Symborski✝
Diane Symborski✝ Amen and Amen!!!   
March 5, 2016
  • 1
Linda Cella
Linda Cella Amen. Wow wonderful message. Thank You Pastor 
March 5, 2016
  • 1
Laura B. Martinez
Laura B. Martinez Part of my morning prayers is that I ask Jesus and God to lead me to them, to use me to spread their gospel and their word. What better leaders could we ask for.
March 5, 2016
  • 1
Janet Marsh-Lord
Janet Marsh-Lord Thank you for this down to earth message. Something we all need to hear. Thank you Lord for loving me and accepting me just as I am. 
March 5, 2016
  • 1
K K
K K Amen!!
March 5, 2016
  • 1
Diane Symborski✝
Diane Symborski✝ Pastor Dion, I want to thank you for all the time you put into each and every devotion that you write from your heart everyday. I've been reading them back when it was Peace Be With You. I do sleep in everyday due to things that you know i'm going threw. It's hard for me to get up early. I get up about by 10:30 a.m or 11:00 a.m. I always look at the time on your devotion first thing before I read. I have been doing that since I started to read them. I would tell myself I use to love getting up that early and enjoy the morning. I keep praying for that day to come again. I just want you to know I enjoy your writting and the time you take for each of us. God Bless You!!! <3 Thank You!!! Diane 
March 5, 2016
  • 1
Terry Smith
Terry Smith I lived in the "fast lane" for 35 yrs. in Ca. and it wasn't until I returned to WI that God caught me.I had been thinking about Him for quite some time and then satan started his antics and I was beside myself. Finally I accepted an invitation to go to a local church and what transpired has changed my life! That Sunday He let me know that I'd be alright that He would take care of me! Tears streamed down my face as I surrendered to His love and grace. Today I gladly serve there and I have a new family of brothres and sisters. I came to the Lord at the ripe age of 63...I was ready finally to do His calling. Thank you pastor Dion and Sylvia and to those many who have sent wishes and prayers.  Blessings to all, Terry Smith
March 5, 2016
  • 1
Lissy Verghese
Lissy Verghese Thank you dear Pastor, for the great message!
March 5, 2016
  • 1
Wesley Paulus
Wesley Paulus Amen! Thank you Jesus!
March 6, 2016
  • 1
Ticardo Williams
Ticardo Williams Amen.  Praise God!  Thanks Pastor Dion!  Lord, Consume me with Your love, and Deliver me from the things that hinder me.  In Jesus' Name.  Amen.
March 6, 2016