Carry the Cross

He called the multitude to himself with his disciples and said to them, "Whoever wants to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it; and whoever will lose his life for my sake and the sake of the Good News will save it. Mark 8:34 WEB. If you follow Jesus one day at a time, no power on Earth can stop you from fulfilling...

The Sitting Dead

The Sitting Dead from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo. Jesus Christ was baptized by John in the Jordan River when He was about thirty years old. The heavens opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in the physical form of a dove:(Luke 3:21–22 NKJV)  When all the people were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus also was baptized;...

Cruise Control

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you," says Yahweh, "thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you hope and a future. You shall call on me, and you shall go and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You shall seek me and find me, when you search for me with all your heart. I will be found by you," says Yahweh Jeremiah 29:11–14 WEB. When things begin to go smoothly in our lives and everything...

The Promise Keeper

For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. Romans 11:29 WEB. I know a dad who bought his son a car because he had taken a turn for the better. Not very long after this, his son got a drunk driving charge with it. So the dad took the car back and sold it. I don't blame the dad. I may have done the same, but human gifts are often more of a loan, a bonus, or a reward than an actual gift. If...

The Burning Heart

When he had sat down at the table with them, he took the bread and gave thanks. Breaking it, he gave it to them. Their eyes were opened and they recognized him; then he vanished out of their sight. They said to one another, "Weren't our hearts burning within us while he spoke to us along the way, and while he opened the Scriptures to us?" Luke 24:30-32 WEB. The amplifier buzzed as I unplugged my bass...

Fire in the Rain

Let us acknowledge Yahweh. Let us press on to know Yahweh. As surely as the sun rises, Yahweh will appear. He will come to us like the rain, Like the spring rain that waters the earth. Hosea 6:3 WEB. During the long hot summer in the south, the fields can sometimes get so dry the crops appear dead. A good rain shower is one thing they need to restore life and make everything alright. Once the rain...

The Pig Pen

But when he came to himself, he said, 'How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough to spare, and I'm dying with hunger! I will get up and go to my father, and will tell him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight. I am no more worthy to be called your son. Make me as one of your hired servants." He arose and came to his father. But while he was still far off, his father...

Facing Goliath

Your servant struck both the lion and the bear. This uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, since he has defied the armies of the living God." David said, "Yahweh, who delivered me out of the paw of the lion and out of the paw of the bear, will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine." 1 Samuel 17:36–37 WEB. Goliath must have been a fearful sight to behold when he walked out onto...

You Raise Me Up

You Raise Me Up from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo. King David woke from an afternoon nap and took a stroll around his balcony one evening. He happened to see a beautiful woman bathing at a nearby house. It was the house of Uriah and Bathsheba. The husband, Uriah, was away serving in the military. Now, David had many wives and concubines,...

Circling The Mountain

Then we turned, and took our journey into the wilderness by the way to the Red Sea, as Yahweh spoke to me; and we encircled Mount Seir many days. Yahweh spoke to me, saying, "You have encircled this mountain long enough. Turn northward. Deuteronomy 2:1-3 WEB. The Israelites wandered forty years in the wilderness while God worked out some differences with them. Twice while repeatedly circling a mountain,...

The Counselor

I have said these things to you while still living with you. But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things, and will remind you of all that I said to you. Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you; not as the world gives, I give to you. Don't let your heart be troubled, neither let it be fearful. John 14:25-27 WEB. Soon after Jesus completed...

The Good Shepherd

Jesus went about all the cities and the villages, teaching in their synagogues and preaching the Good News of the Kingdom, and healing every disease and every sickness among the people. But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion for them because they were harassed and scattered, like sheep without a shepherd. Matthew 9:35–36 WEB. When Jesus saw the crowds, He had compassion for...

Poetic Justice

Because Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of all the Jews, had plotted against the Jews to destroy them, and had cast "Pur", that is the lot, to consume them and to destroy them; but when this became known to the king, he commanded by letters that his wicked plan, which he had planned against the Jews, should return on his own head, and that he and his sons should be hanged on the...

Word Mastery

Set a watch, Yahweh, before my mouth. Keep the door of my lips. Psalms 141:3 WEB. David prayed that the Lord would set a guard over his mouth to keep him from saying things that he should not. James said, "If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well" (James 3:3). If you can control your tongue, then you can control the rest of your body. Then...

Do Not Stop Believing

Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it to his brothers, and they hated him all the more. He said to them, "Please hear this dream which I have dreamed: for behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and behold, my sheaf arose and also stood upright; and behold, your sheaves came around, and bowed down to my sheaf." His brothers asked him, "Will you indeed reign over us? Will you indeed have dominion...

Holy Spirit Fall on Me

Holy Spirit Fall on Me from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo. There are pivotal moments in life when things suddenly change, a breakout, a breakthrough. When doing the impossible suddenly becomes easy. Many of these moments in the Bible happened right after the Holy Spirit "fell" on someone. It was life-changing, and they were never the same....

Planting Season

Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, will be given to you. For with the same measure you measure it will be measured back to you. Luke 6:38 WEB. A very anointed preacher from out of state once spoke at our church. It was a divine appointment. Another church had scheduled him to speak but canceled at the last minute. Now he was stranded...

A Prophet Eating Fish

Now Yahweh's word came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, "Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and preach against it, for their wickedness has come up before me." 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...

The Crossroads

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, and your ways are not my ways," says Yahweh. "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:8 WEB. Trying to understand God is a crossroads that everyone comes to at some point. It causes many people to stumble. We do not know, nor can we understand everything God is, what He...

The Cutting Edge

In these days, he went out to the mountain to pray, and he continued all night in prayer to God. When it was day, he called his disciples, and from them he chose twelve, whom he also named apostles Luke 6:12–13 WEB. Jesus prayed all night. Even though He was the son of God, He continually developed His relationship with His Father. Jesus lived as an example to us. Intimacy and infinite knowledge...

The Gift of Today

They traveled from Mount Hor by the way to the Red Sea to go around the land of Edom. The soul of the people was very discouraged because of the journey. The people spoke against God and against Moses: "Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no bread, there is no water, and our soul loathes this disgusting food!" Numbers 21:4–5 WEB. The Israelites slowly...

Dads

Or who is there among you who, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, who will give him a serpent? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him! Matthew 7:9–11 WEB. Many people I talk with have trouble trusting or drawing near to our Heavenly Father....

Lost Donkeys

Lost Donkeys from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo. Benjamin was the smallest and least significant tribe in Israel, and a young man named Saul lived there. Saul was from a wealthy family but his life had been uneventful up to this point, and there was nothing notable to mention. Then, one day, a mundane task arose:(1 Samuel 9:3–4 NKJV) ...

Shake it Off

He said to them, "Wherever you enter into a house, stay there until you depart from there. Whoever will not receive you nor hear you, as you depart from there, shake off the dust that is under your feet for a testimony against them. Assuredly, I tell you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!" Mark 6:10–11 WEB. When Jesus sent the disciples out...

Do Not Be Afraid

While he still spoke, one from the ruler of the synagogue's house came, saying to him, "Your daughter is dead. Don't trouble the Teacher." But Jesus hearing it, answered him, "Don't be afraid. Only believe, and she will be healed." Luke 8:49–50 WEB. Jairus had a twelve-year-old daughter that was deathly sick and couldn't get out of bed. He came to Jesus, fell down at His feet, and begged Him to...

Little Boxes

The donkey saw Yahweh's angel, and she lay down under Balaam. Balaam's anger burned, and he struck the donkey with his staff. 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...

Peer Pressure

Amaziah also said to Amos, "You seer, go, flee away into the land of Judah, and there eat bread, and prophesy there, but don't prophesy again any more at Bethel; for it is the king's sanctuary, and it is a royal house!" Then Amos answered Amaziah, "I was no prophet, neither was I a prophet's son, but I was a herdsman, and a farmer of sycamore figs; and Yahweh took me from following the flock, and Yahweh...

Stand in the Gap

I sought for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I would not destroy it; but I found no one. Ezekiel 22:30 WEB. The cities of Sodom and Gomorrah grew more and more wicked. Their scales finally tipped, and their judgment day came. Abraham stood in the gap for them (Genesis 18:24). He pleaded with God and asked Him if He would destroy the cities...

Burning Down the House

"Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' and don't do the things which I say? Everyone who comes to me, and hears my words and does them, I will show you who he is like. He is like a man building a house, who dug and went deep and laid a foundation on the rock. When a flood arose, the stream broke against that house, and could not shake it, because it was founded on the rock. But he who hears and doesn't...

Glow Plugs