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Now he who betrayed him had given them a sign, saying, "Whomever I will kiss, that is he. Seize him, and lead him away safely." When he had come, immediately he came to him, and said, "Rabbi! Rabbi!" and kissed him. They laid their hands on him, and seized him. Mark 14:44–46 WEB. The evening light had faded, and it was now dark. Jesus and the unknowing disciples had finished their last supper on...

Much like a newborn infant cannot compare in wisdom to a seasoned elder, so too is our understanding of God if we neglect the lessons of the Old Testament. Their experiences and overcoming faith are examples for us today. The Old Testament is not just ancient history - it's God's story for us, full of lessons that shape our faith today. Once, when I was studying the book of Revelation and end-time...

Yahweh restored Job's prosperity when he prayed for his friends. Yahweh gave Job twice as much as he had before. Job 42:10 WEB. There was a man named Job who went through a terrible trial. He suddenly lost everything, including his children, his servants, and his livestock. His wealth vanished. Then he became sick and was covered in painful sores and boils from head to foot. His health vanished. As...

Therefore Jesus answered them, "Don't murmur among yourselves. No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him; and I will raise him up in the last day. John 6:43-44 WEB. Sometimes, I could see from the look on their face that their greatest wish on Earth was for me to stop talking about Jesus. At other times, I have seen people come to me of their own accord and shakily say, "I want...

Though I walk in the middle of trouble, you will revive me. You will stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies. Your right hand will save me. Yahweh will fulfill that which concerns me; your loving kindness, Yahweh, endures forever. Don't forsake the works of your own hands. Psalm 138:7-8 WEB. I have it said that if you want to make God laugh, tell Him your plans. I am not sure whether...

I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you shall go. I will counsel you with my eye on you. Psalms 32:8 WEB. When the Lord was ready to start something new in our life, He began by closing out the old, which happened to be our computer business. It caught us off guard and was a bit scary. We tried giving more, praying more, fasting more, and serving more, but nothing seemed to help. So...

Out of the same mouth comes blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. Does a spring send out from the same opening fresh and bitter water? Can a fig tree, my brothers, yield olives, or a vine figs? Thus no spring yields both salt water and fresh water. James 3:10-12 WEB. Hot, tired, and aggravated, I pulled the starting cord on the weed eater for the forty-third time. Once...

Give thanks to Yahweh with the lyre. Sing praises to him with the harp of ten strings. Psalm 33:2 WEB. She was a Fender twelve-string acoustic guitar, a dark red sunburst, and in perfect tune. When I ran my fingers across the strings, I knew two things. 1: It was the most beautiful-sounding instrument I'd ever picked up. 2: I had to have one. Now, I'm not much of a guitar player, but even running...

In Matthew 12:33, Jesus said that a tree is known by the fruit it bears. By trees, He meant people, and the fruit was their actions and attitudes. This is a common theme in the Gospels. John the Baptist said it like this: (Matthew 3:10 NKJV) And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Then Jesus...

Which commandment is the greatest of all? Jesus answered, "The greatest is, 'Hear, Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one: you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.' This is the first commandment. The second is like this, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than...

They took their daughters to be their wives, and gave their own daughters to their sons and served their gods. The children of Israel did that which was evil in Yahweh's sight, and forgot Yahweh their God, and served the Baals and the Asheroth. Judges 3:6-7 WEB. Centuries ago, excitement was in the air when it was time to go to church. No one wanted to stay home. Their acts of worship were lustful...

You therefore put your belt on your waist, arise, and say to them all that I command you. Don't be dismayed at them, lest I dismay you before them. For, behold, I have made you today a fortified city, an iron pillar, and bronze walls, against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, against its princes, against its priests, and against the people of the land. They will fight against you, but they...

Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, "Oh that you would bless me indeed, and enlarge my border! May your hand be with me, and may you keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain!" God granted him that which he requested. 1 Chronicles 4:10 WEB. We need balance in prayer. Some people are too ashamed of their past to ask God for anything. They feel that they have messed up so bad they are lucky...

They told Esther's words to Mordecai. Then Mordecai asked them to return this answer to Esther: "Don't think to yourself that you will escape in the king's house any more than all the Jews. For if you remain silent now, then relief and deliverance will come to the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house will perish. Who knows if you haven't come to the kingdom for such a time as this?"...

Beloved, don't be astonished at the fiery trial which has come upon you to test you, as though a strange thing happened to you. But because you are partakers of Christ's sufferings, rejoice, that at the revelation of his glory you also may rejoice with exceeding joy. 1 Peter 4:12-14 WEB. I have a testimony I occasionally share where the Lord gave me a horrible job in a brass polishing plant. I started...

Teach a Man to Fish from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo. Today, I want to talk about something crucial for our spiritual walk: listening to the Holy Spirit for ourselves instead of relying on someone else to tell us what He said. It's kind of like that old saying, "Give a man a fish, and he'll eat for a day; teach a man to fish, and he'll...

Joseph's master took him, and put him into the prison, the place where the king's prisoners were bound, and he was there in custody. But Yahweh was with Joseph, and showed kindness to him, and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. Genesis 39:20-21 WEB. Joseph was his father's favorite son, and his older brothers became very jealous of him. Though Joseph had not done anything wrong...

When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, and didn't know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Who are you looking for?" She, supposing him to be the gardener, said to him, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away." Jesus said to her, "Mary." John 20:14–16 WEB. Mary and the disciples of Jesus...

Then David gave to Solomon his son the plans for the porch of the temple, for its houses, for its treasuries, for its upper rooms, for its inner rooms, for the place of the mercy seat; and the plans of all that he had by the Spirit, 1 Chronicles 28:11-12 WEB. David provided Solomon with the plans for the new temple he was to build. Though initially, all of those plans were given to David by the Holy...

One of the criminals who was hanged insulted him, saying, "If you are the Christ, save yourself and us!" But the other answered, and rebuking him said, "Don't you even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong." He said to Jesus, "Lord, remember me when you come into your Kingdom." Jesus...

When they came to Marah, they couldn't drink from the waters of Marah, for they were bitter. Therefore its name was called Marah. The people murmured against Moses, saying, "What shall we drink?" Then he cried to Yahweh. Yahweh showed him a tree, and he threw it into the waters, and the waters were made sweet. There he made a statute and an ordinance for them, and there he tested them. He said, "If...

A man's steps are established by Yahweh. He delights in his way. Though he stumble, he shall not fall, for Yahweh holds him up with his hand. I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his children begging for bread. All day long he deals graciously, and lends. His offspring is blessed. Psalm 37:23-26 WEB. David had the experience of an entire life behind him...

Two Are Better Than One from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo. We sometimes watch a video series called "Alone," where they take people and drop them off in an extremely remote location with a camera and a few items and see how long they can survive. Some people have made it to a hundred days, while others lasted only four hours. What causes...

The world is passing away with its lusts, but he who does God's will remains forever. 1 John 2:17 WEB. It was my first day of school at Kingston Elementary. Early that morning, my stepmother pulled up to the school, pushed me out of her car, and drove off. Standing alone in the parking lot, I felt like a fish out of water. Panic, fear, abandonment, and a few other strong emotions rolled over me as...

Now when Job's three friends heard of all this evil that had come on him, they each came from his own place: Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite; and they made an appointment together to come to sympathize with him and to comfort him. Job 2:11 WEB. Righteous men have always been hard to find. Yes, under the new covenant, we have forgiveness, and our sins are covered...

God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way. God relented of the disaster which he said he would do to them, and he didn't do it. But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry. Jonah 3:10–4:1 WEB. It was early morning during a hot summer in the South, and we were digging up a septic tank. After we located and shoveled the dirt off the lid, I grabbed a heavy bar off the truck,...

Yahweh called Samuel again the third time. He arose and went to Eli and said, "Here I am; for you called me." Eli perceived that Yahweh had called the child. Therefore Eli said to Samuel, "Go, lie down. It shall be, if he calls you, that you shall say, 'Speak, Yahweh; for your servant hears.' " So Samuel went and lay down in his place. Yahweh came, and stood, and called as at other times, "Samuel!...

They went out from there and passed through Galilee. He didn't want anyone to know it, for he was teaching his disciples, and said to them, "The Son of Man is being handed over to the hands of men, and they will kill him; and when he is killed, on the third day he will rise again." But they didn't understand the saying, and were afraid to ask him. Mark 9:30–32 WEB. The office manager nodded and...

While he was still talking with them, behold, the messenger came down to him. Then he said, "Behold, this evil is from Yahweh. Why should I wait for Yahweh any longer?" Elisha said, "Hear Yahweh's word. Yahweh says, 'Tomorrow about this time a seah of fine flour will be sold for a shekel, and two seahs of barley for a shekel, in the gate of Samaria.' " Then the captain on whose hand the king leaned...

God is Able from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo. We often underestimate the power and greatness of God, the Almighty. There's no one like Him - no one as powerful, no one as wise. Yet, too often, we let our circumstances chip away at our hope that God will come through for us. The more we focus on our problems, the bigger they seem, and the...