From The Inside Out
by Dion Todd June 30th, 2021
When they had come, he looked at Eliab, and said, "Surely Yahweh's anointed is before him." But Yahweh said to Samuel, "Don't look on his face, or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for I don't see as man sees. For man looks at the outward appearance, but Yahweh looks at the heart." 1 Samuel 16:6-7 WEB.When Saul was chosen to be the first king of Israel, he was handsome and...
The Anointing
by Dion Todd June 27th, 2021
The Anointing from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo.
In Scripture, God commanded certain people and items to be anointed with oil. It set them apart for His use, and it was often done before they took on a new office or role of authority. Some of the things anointed in the Old Testament were pillars, the tabernacle, its furniture, shields, kings, priests, and prophets. It's probably easiest to...
The Game Changer
by Dion Todd June 27th, 2021
But when the kindness of God our Savior and his love toward mankind appeared, not by works of righteousness which we did ourselves, but according to his mercy, he saved us through the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior; that being justified by his grace, we might be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life....
Man On The Run
by Dion Todd June 24th, 2021
Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, "So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I don't make your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time!" When he saw that, he arose and ran for his life, and came to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there. But...
Hello Old Friend
by Dion Todd June 23rd, 2021
In those days Hezekiah was terminally ill, and he prayed to Yahweh; and he spoke to him, and gave him a sign. But Hezekiah didn't reciprocate appropriate to the benefit done for him, because his heart was lifted up. Therefore there was wrath on him, Judah, and Jerusalem. However, Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart, both he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that Yahweh's wrath didn't...
Sons and Daughters
by Dion Todd June 20th, 2021
Sons and Daughters from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo.
I had a great Dad who always managed to have hope even in the darkest times. I remember once when I was little, the engine in his car began knocking, and he had no money for parts. So he jacked it up in the yard and pulled the oil pan off. Then he cut some leather strips from an old boot and used it as a spacer behind the worn-out main...
Skeletons in The Closet
by Dion Todd June 19th, 2021
The man said, "They have left here, for I heard them say, 'Let's go to Dothan.' " Joseph went after his brothers, and found them in Dothan. They saw him afar off, and before he came near to them, they conspired against him to kill him. They said to one another, "Behold, this dreamer comes. Come now therefore, and let's kill him, and cast him into one of the pits, and we will say, 'An evil animal has...
The Grocery Buggy
by Dion Todd June 16th, 2021
As you would like people to do to you, do exactly so to them. Luke 6:31 WEB.We had to park way out in the parking lot that day, and it was hot when we came out of the grocery store. There were no cart returns nearby, and I didn't really feel like taking the buggy all the way back to the building. I saw a few other shopping carts nearby that people had left out in the parking lot. As I contemplated...
The Golden Era
by Dion Todd June 13th, 2021
The Golden Era from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo.
There is a time coming that will be the most glorious the Earth has ever seen, the golden era. A time of complete peace. A world free from war, sickness, and disease. When Jesus Christ rules and reigns on the Earth. Yes, there may be dark days between now and then, but this hope we have and hold onto. Occasionally we need to remind ourselves...
Here Comes the Son
by Dion Todd June 6th, 2021
Here Comes the Son from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo.
Noah was a righteous man in his generation. He lived differently than the others. Though it had never rained on the Earth, the Lord told Noah to build an ark because there was a flood coming. Noah didn't know what day or hour the rain would start, but he believed God, and he started working on that boat. When the rain began to fall, Noah...
Dirty Laundry
by Dion Todd June 6th, 2021
Consider the lilies, how they grow. They don't toil, neither do they spin; yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if this is how God clothes the grass in the field, which today exists and tomorrow is cast into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith? "Don't seek what you will eat or what you will drink; neither be anxious. For...
Yes Jesus Loves Me
by Dion Todd June 5th, 2021
And from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us, and washed us from our sins by his blood Revelation 1:5 WEB."Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so; Little ones to Him belong. They are weak, but He is strong."Many of us learned these words when we were kids. They are so simple, but yet today, so forgotten....
The Pack of Nails
by Dion Todd June 1st, 2021
You shall remember all the way which Yahweh your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, to test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not. Deuteronomy 8:2 WEB.It was summertime. An elder at our church had a leaky spot on his roof, and I was helping him repair it. My dad was a life-long carpenter, and I got to work with...
Making Water into Wine
by Dion Todd May 30th, 2021
Making Water Into Wine from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo.
There is an interesting story in John chapter 2 at the beginning of Jesus' public ministry. Jesus, His Mother, and His new disciples were invited to attend a wedding in Cana of Galilee. Cana was a small town about 8 miles northeast of their hometown of Nazareth.
In Hebrew culture, the wedding celebration was considered the grandest...
Journey of a Packhorse
by Dion Todd May 29th, 2021
Nevertheless I tell you the truth: It is to your advantage that I go away, for if I don't go away, the Counselor won't come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. When he has come, he will convict the world about sin, about righteousness, and about judgment; John 16:8 WEB.When I first started attending church, I often stood with my head down, too ashamed to look around me. Every fiber of my being...
The Door in the Distance
by Dion Todd May 23rd, 2021
The Door in the Distance from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo.
The Lord Jesus Christ appeared to the Apostle John, who lived in exile on a small island called Patmos. Tertullian, an early Christian author, and "Foxes Book of Martyrs," record that the Roman emperor Domitian tried to publicly execute John in the Coliseum by plunging him into boiling oil in front of a crowd. But John suffered nothing...
One Step at a Time
by Dion Todd May 23rd, 2021
By faith, Abraham, when he was called, obeyed to go out to the place which he was to receive for an inheritance. He went out, not knowing where he went. By faith, he lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a land not his own, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise. Hebrews 11:8-9 WEB.In Genesis 12:1, the Lord told Abram to leave his father's house, relatives,...
A Happy Ending
by Dion Todd May 20th, 2021
So Yahweh blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning. He had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, one thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand female donkeys. He had also seven sons and three daughters. Job 42:12'13 WEB.Job was a very wealthy man who went through a terrible trial. He lost everything he had. Yet, when it was over, and Job prayed for his friends, all he had lost was...
Unstoppable
by Dion Todd May 16th, 2021
Unstoppable from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo.
The Apostle Paul had a "thorn in the flesh" that he asked the Lord to remove three times, yet, the Lord refused to do so. He told Paul this: "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Paul wrote about it later in 2nd Corinthians:
(2 Corinthians 12:9–10 NKJV) And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient...
The East And The West
by Dion Todd May 16th, 2021
He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor repaid us for our iniquities. For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is his loving kindness toward those who fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. Psalms 103:10-12 WEB.We drove from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, to Long Beach, California, during our last big road trip. We traveled...
Supply and Demand
by Dion Todd May 9th, 2021
Supply and Demand from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo.
There is a chronic drug addiction problem in our country. Nearly every family has someone or knows someone who is struggling with it. Drugs are everywhere, and the supply is more abundant than ever before. It has become a trillion-dollar-a-year industry.
Why is there such an abundant supply of drugs available? Because there is great demand...
The Kingdom Express
by Dion Todd May 9th, 2021
When they began to sing and to praise, Yahweh set ambushers against the children of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were struck. For the children of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir to utterly kill and destroy them. When they had finished the inhabitants of Seir, everyone helped to destroy each other. 2 Chronicles 20:22 WEB.A great army...
Sweet and Sour
by Dion Todd May 8th, 2021
Yahweh appeared of old to me, saying, 'Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love. Therefore I have drawn you with loving kindness.' Jeremiah 31:3 WEB.There is an old saying that you can catch more flies with honey than you can with vinegar. Yet, when I was growing up in the Bible Belt, most of the things I heard about God were seasoned with vinegar. As in, "God loves you, but He will kill you...
The Benefits
by Dion Todd May 6th, 2021
Praise Yahweh, my soul, and don't forget all his benefits, who forgives all your sins, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from destruction, who crowns you with loving kindness and tender mercies, who satisfies your desire with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's. Psalm 103:2 WEB.Years ago, I mainly worked in low-end jobs where the only benefit was having a job....
Soul Shine
by Dion Todd May 2nd, 2021
Soul Shine from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo.
There is an interesting conversation between Jesus Christ and the Apostle Peter on the night of their last supper together. When you were invited to supper like this, you bathed at home. But as you walked along the dusty roads to go to the banquet, your feet would become dirty. Typically, there was a servant there to wash your feet when you arrived.
On...
A Candle in the Dark
by Dion Todd May 1st, 2021
Arise, shine; for your light has come, and Yahweh's glory has risen on you. For, behold, darkness will cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but Yahweh will arise on you, and his glory shall be seen on you. Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising. Isaiah 60:1-3 WEB.Nightfall came faster than I was anticipating. It was a black night as I made my way through...
Trapped
by Dion Todd April 27th, 2021
For my eyes are on you, Yahweh, the Lord. I take refuge in you. Don't leave my soul destitute. Keep me from the snare which they have laid for me, from the traps of the workers of iniquity. Let the wicked fall together into their own nets while I pass by. Psalms 141:8'10 WEB.A simple but effective trap design that has been used through the ages is the pit trap. Hunters dig a deep pit and place sharpened...
Spiritual Famine
by Dion Todd April 25th, 2021
Spiritual Famine from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo.
Too often, we take the Lord for granted. We will pray later...we will do that later. That is assuming that He gives us a "later." Yet, that is not what is taught in the Bible. Today is the day of salvation (2 Corinthians 6:2). Consider the words of Isaiah:
(Isaiah 55:6 NASB) Seek the LORD while He may be found; Call upon Him while...
The Seed
by Dion Todd April 18th, 2021
The Seed from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo.
We have a majestic oak tree in our yard that is older than me. It would probably take three men to reach their arms around the base of it at the moment. It stands about sixty feet tall, and the canopy is at least sixty feet across. During the hot southern summer, it provides a cool, dense shade underneath. It is home to a diverse group of creatures....
Blood in the Water
by Dion Todd April 18th, 2021
He heals the broken in heart, and binds up their wounds. He counts the number of the stars.
He calls them all by their names. Great is our Lord, and mighty in power. His understanding is infinite. Psalms 147:3-5 WEB.When sharks sense blood in the water, they go into a feeding frenzy. They will attack the wounded and devour them, even if it is another shark. They get so caught up in this frenzy that...