Recent Blog Entries
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"Don't be afraid, for I have redeemed you. I have called you by your name. You are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned, and flame will not scorch you." Isaiah 43:1'2 WEB... -
The Day of Small Things from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo. As with many of my messages, this was a word for me, but I will share it with you as I found it encouraging. I have been building a new social media website for Refreshing Hope behind the scenes for months. It is a massive undertak...
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Now after these things, the Lord also appointed seventy others, and sent them two by two ahead of him into every city and place where he was about to come. Then he said to them, "The harvest is indeed plentiful, but the laborers are few. Pray therefore to the Lord of the harvest, that he may send ou...
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- led by Lynn BrownThis 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!
Bouncing Back
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But some Jews from Antioch and Iconium came there, and having persuaded the multitudes, they stoned Paul, and dragged him out of the city, supposing that he was dead. But as the disciples stood around him, he rose up, and entered into the city. On the next day he went out with Barnabas to Derbe. Acts 14:19 WEB
After healing a crippled man and preaching the good news in the city of Lystra, the people loved Paul and Barnabas so much that they wanted to make sacrifices to them. They said 'The gods have come down among us in human form!' Later, some Jews came and stirred up the crowd, and Paul was stoned, dragged outside of the city and left for dead. He may have actually been dead as they were really good at stoning in those days. When the disciples gathered around him, Paul rose up and went back into the city, then onto Derbe, still preaching the good news of Jesus, with signs following.
The stoning became a part of his testimony. Paul added a lot more to his list and in 2 Corinthians 11:23 wrote 'with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death. Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea.'
Many times in life we get knocked down, especially when we are trying to spread the good news of Jesus, but it will not stop us. You will get back up and take the next step. You are not beaten. You will continue to spread the gospel and this will all become a part of your testimony. Bouncing back after a knockdown is a time-honored tradition for followers of Jesus.
Prayer: Father, I thank You for being there for me. Help me pull my life together and turn this test, into a testimony. I look to You Lord, for my help comes from above. Walk with me today and show Yourself strong in my life, in the name of Jesus Christ I pray.
Note: Good morning! Don''t forget that we will be having a live service tomorrow at 11am EST. The message, titled "Talk to Me", an in-depth teaching on the power of prayer (click on the Watch link on the site menu tomorrow to join - the room will open about 15 mins before the start of the service). In line with that message, the Healthy Living group is hosting a prayer challenge for July. The challenge will focus on our spiritual health, specifically to pray for others each day. We encourage you would post your prayer on the event page, which would allow others to join in with you there! We pray you all have a very blessed, safe and peaceful Independence Day weekend!
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Amen.
And I think I have it rough. Father give me a tenth of the strength that Paul had in proclaiming your word. It goes to show you how self centered I have become in my Christian walk. I forget that I am here for you. It's not about me, it's about you. Father forgive me for losing the big picture in life. Use me as you will. The things I do for myself are in vain. This world shall soon pass away, but you will always be.
When typing this out I was putting "we" in everywhere. Then I stopped and realized that if I put "I" in place of "we" it makes me a lot more uncomfortable and more accountable for "my" actions. When using "we" it seems to soften the blow. But when "I" stand before Him alone "we" isn't going to help.
Thanks for the devotional Pastor Todd. Really got me thinking today.
AMEN! I believe this.
Amen, brother, I join with you in this prayer! I was thinking of a problem the other day, but the Lord showed me a picture of Him vastly towering over the object of the problem, and how ridiculous it was to be bothered by it. While most of us will never experience anything like Paul did, our problems can be big in relation to us, but they are nothing in relation to the Creator of the Universe!
Amen Mark!
Amen mark
A truly driven Man.. Endurance
Amen
Amen! The Christian who is serving others and bearing fruit, in the countries that worship false gods, is often under the attack of the enemy. This is why praying for these pastors, church leaders and missionaries is so important. Satan comes against them to try to prevent them from continuing on. Some are arrested, tortured, beaten, and some lose their lives. Prayer defeats Satan's attempts, as I witness through I COMMIT TO PRAY, a ministries for international evangelists.
In our country the persecution may be in other forms, yet it still comes. This is why we need to pray for Christian pastors and church leaders in America. On a scale much smaller than this, I have experienced the enemy come against me as I lead my spiritually single group and the Fast and Pray friday event. Sometimes problems come against my children, sometimes it is me, sometimes it is my spouse. I see it clearly and immediately I bring it to the Lord in prayer. He calms my spirit and leads us through to a victorious end! Just yesterday, right before the Fast and Pray Friday event, my internet went down. I called and was given an automated response that it would be fixed by 5 PM. I was heartsick and I told Jesus and God that this time meant so much to me. I got on my knees and began to pray some of the prayers that I have during the event in the past and resolved that if the internet stayed down then I would accept it and move on. I brorrowed a mobile device with 4g to post what had happened on the event page and then BAM within 15 minues my internet ws up and running. It is still running. What they said would take 8 hrs took a little over 1 hr. Prayer always is the best. I told my grandson yesterday, don't make prayer a last resort in your life, pray first and then God will lead you to a solution or a breakthrough everytime!
Amen! Gods timing is always right.
Praise God, Carol! I believe the Fast & Pray Friday is an important event for making a difference in the spiritual realm, and agree that we should make prayer our first resort and line of defense! And yes, the front-line Christians in some of the other countries indeed have incredible challenges. We have helped with the website for an organization that brings together such missionaries and pastors, and some of them can't even post their name, because enemies in those countries will look for sites like that to bring them harm. In our country, I believe the greatest enemy is probably apathy and a lack of unity because we don't have the life-threatening dangers that others do - often persecution (though nothing like what is happening internationally) can come from within. If you know that soldiers are going to barge into your church at any minute, that brings a certain automatic unity. Joining you in prayer for all of these who are stepping up to serve Him!
Amen! I would like to encourage Refreshing Hope Ministry members to sign up as a prayer warrior on I Commit to Pray. It has been a blessng to me to serve in this capacity. Many refuges and their famiies circumstances along with imprisoned Pastors are revealed there. I have seen numerous times when prayer helped the incarcerated to be released and protected their families as well.
Amen, Carol, I believe it is one of the most important aspects of our ministry. As with every prayer ministry that we have been part of at local churches, the laborers are few, but mighty in Him!
Agree...thanks
PTL!!
"Prayer always is the best Pray first and then God will lead you to a solution or a breakthrough everytime!"( I love your phrase Carol) Prayers really work. You hear the answer, you feel the answer and sometimes you just do not get the answer at all. And that is when you start to doubt if ever prayers are answered. But my light for HOPE is still burning for it is through my FAITH that my light for HOPE is still burning. GOD loves us so much and just be still and listen to what GOD is telling us. GOD IS LOVE.
Amen, sister!
Amen
God is always with us no matter what we go through. He always uses what we go through for His glory.
Amen, sister!
Amen Twila!
Amen
Amen!! It's the truth for sure and we should always give him sll the glory. Amen. <3
I dislike how I am good then not. I want to bounce back and stay up. Depression in & out. I read count yr Blessings & God is good all the time. Many many blessings! I can't see to find purpose in life for awhile. I know He loves me & when I was in ministry. I try if the time is seaming to be the moment to tell someone about Jesus. I love Jesus. Always remember when we met & the Courtship. Years have gone by & He never changes. I do. After many years, many layers peeled & at the core I am in a funk. He is speaking in His Word. And other ways. I want what Paul experienced as they gathered around him. What a blessing for Paul for all. RHM is a huge blessing for Me. My bandages are soaked for shower boot was not on right. Said never get wet. I am on bed because my husband is out. I think they need cutting off. Doctor said never get wet. Will see. I think they need cutting off & changing.
Amen
Amen!
Thank you for the word of encouragement!
Thank you for such a very encouraging words.
Encourages me to continue bouncing back!
Amen! Thank you for the devotion Pastor Dion this is me trying to bounce back. I agree with the prayer and prayed it for me in Jesus, name Amen> <3
Prayer: Father, I thank You for being there for me. Help me pull my life together and turn this test, into a testimony. I look to You Lord, for my help comes from above. Walk with me today and show Yourself strong in my life, in the name of Jesus Christ I pray.
Amen! Praise God! Thanks Pastor Dion! Father, I thank You for being there for me. Help me pull my life together and turn this test, into a testimony. I look to You Lord, for my help comes from above. Walk with me today and show Yourself strong in my life, in the Name of Jesus Christ I pray. Amen.