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The Lord said, "Simon, Simon, behold, Satan asked to have all of you, that he might sift you as wheat, but I prayed for you, that your faith wouldn't fail. You, when once you have turned again, establish your brothers." He said to him, "Lord, I am ready to go with you both to prison and to death!" He said, "I tell you, Peter, the rooster will by no means crow today until you deny that you know me three...

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...

I Will Not Fear from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo. When God calls you to do something, fear is usually the first guardian you will encounter if you manage to overcome laziness and procrastination. It is so important to press on even though we are afraid of what may happen. In 1 Samuel, young David had a calling on his life to become the...

By reason of the exceeding greatness of the revelations, that I should not be exalted excessively, a thorn in the flesh was given to me: a messenger of Satan to torment me, that I should not be exalted excessively. Concerning this thing, I begged the Lord three times that it might depart from me. He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Most gladly...

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...

Now on one of those days, he entered into a boat, himself and his disciples, and he said to them, "Let's go over to the other side of the lake." So they launched out. But as they sailed, he fell asleep. A wind storm came down on the lake, and they were taking on dangerous amounts of water. They came to him and awoke him, saying, "Master, Master, we are dying!" He awoke and rebuked the wind and the...

Let's hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering; for he who promised is faithful. Let's consider how to provoke one another to love and good works, not forsaking our own assembling together, as the custom of some is, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching. Hebrews 10:23-25 WEB. My home state of South Carolina carries this inscription on the state...

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,...

Samson went down to Timnah, and saw a woman in Timnah of the daughters of the Philistines. He came up, and told his father and his mother, saying, "I have seen a woman in Timnah of the daughters of the Philistines. Now therefore get her for me as my wife." Then his father and his mother said to him, "Isn't there a woman among your brothers' daughters, or among all my people, that you go to take a...

Jesus said there was one way to show everyone we are truly His disciples: by loving one another. Love is not a choice, an option, a recommendation, or a suggestion; it is a commandment. Jesus said, "A new commandment I give to you." If we do not love each other, we are disobedient. (John 13:34–35 NKJV) A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as...

For neither from the east, nor from the west, nor yet from the south, comes exaltation. But God is the judge. He puts down one, and lifts up another. Psalm 75:6-7 WEB. During a personal time of revival in my life, I began to fast and pray hard for the Lord to remove anything holding me back from being closer to Him. I was thinking spiritually, but it turns out that the Lord is a bit more practical...

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...

Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming close to him to hear him. The Pharisees and the scribes murmured, saying, "This man welcomes sinners, and eats with them." He told them this parable: "Which of you men, if you had one hundred sheep and lost one of them, wouldn't leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one that was lost, until he found it? Luke 15:1-4 WEB. Jesus Christ...

For from of old men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, nor has the eye seen a God besides you, who works for him who waits for him. You meet him who rejoices and does righteousness, those who remember you in your ways. Behold, you were angry, and we sinned. We have been in sin for a long time. Shall we be saved? For we have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteousness is like...

Walking by the sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers: Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew, his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. He said to them, "Come after me, and I will make you fishers for men." They immediately left their nets and followed him. Matthew 4:18–20 WEB. As Jesus walked down by the seashore, He saw Peter and his brother Andrew. He told them to follow...

Then Jonathan said, "Behold, we will pass over to the men, and we will reveal ourselves to them. If they say this to us, 'Wait until we come to you!' then we will stand still in our place and will not go up to them. But if they say this, 'Come up to us!' then we will go up, for Yahweh has delivered them into our hand. This shall be the sign to us." 1 Samuel 14:8-10 WEB. Vastly outnumbered, Saul and...

Teachings inspired by the Holy Spirit are refreshing, but teachings from men are like throwing a wet blanket on the fire: they quench the Spirit. The Holy Spirit brings freedom, but legalism and men's doctrines bring bondage. Consider these two verses: (2 Corinthians 3:17 NKJV) Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. (Luke 11:46...

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...

For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay no greater burden on you than these necessary things: that you abstain from things sacrificed to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality, from which if you keep yourselves, it will be well with you. Farewell. Acts 15:28–29 WEB. After Jesus ascended to heaven and the gospel began to spread, gentiles (non-Jewish...

Behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from the sky, and came and rolled away the stone from the door, and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. For fear of him, the guards shook, and became like dead men. The angel answered the women, "Don't be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus, who has been crucified. He is not here, for...

Therefore don't be anxious, saying, 'What will we eat?', 'What will we drink?' or, 'With what will we be clothed?' For the Gentiles seek after all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first God's Kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore don't be anxious for tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for...

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...

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...

In Chapter 10 of the Book of Acts, we meet Cornelius, who lives in Caesarea. This stunning Roman city, built on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea, bustled with life and culture. With around 50,000 residents, it served as the home of the Roman Governor, Pontius Pilate. Caesarea was truly a marvel of its time, featuring impressive aqueducts that brought in fresh water,...

Every man who strives in the games exercises self-control in all things. Now they do it to receive a corruptible crown, but we an incorruptible. I therefore run like that, not aimlessly. I fight like that, not beating the air, but I beat my body and bring it into submission, lest by any means, after I have preached to others, I myself should be disqualified. 1 Corinthians 9:25-27 WEB. There are so...

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 103:2-5 WEB. Years ago, I mainly worked in low-end jobs where the only benefit was having...

They heard Yahweh God's voice walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of Yahweh God among the trees of the garden. Yahweh God called to the man, and said to him, "Where are you?" The man said, "I heard your voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; so I hid myself." God said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you...

Also delight yourself in Yahweh, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to Yahweh. Trust also in him, and he will do this: he will make your righteousness shine out like light, and your justice as the noon day sun. Psalm 37:4-6 WEB. Once while performing a deed search on some property, we found a tax lien had been filed against us by the state for several thousand dollars....

The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. Abraham became the father of Isaac. Isaac became the father of Jacob. Jacob became the father of Judah and his brothers. Judah became the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar. Perez became the father of Hezron. Hezron became the father of Ram. Ram became the father of Amminadab. Amminadab became the father of Nahshon. Nahshon...

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...