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The Wedding Garment from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo. What is the Spirit saying to the Church today?: "People get ready, for the marriage supper of the Lamb is coming. Prepare your hearts!" This is what came to me while praying over this message. As usual, it was a clue to look deeper at something. So I began to look over all the references to weddings and suppers, and I learned a few things...

Little Town of Bethlehem from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo. What would it be like to live in the perfect will of God? There is probably no better example than His Son, Jesus Christ, and the parents who raised Him. So let's do a quick recap of our Savior's birth. What was it like when the Son of God was born? Jesus' parents lived in the tiny insignificant town of Nazareth. They were poor,...

Your Will Be Done from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo. Too many times when we pray, we give God Almighty instructions as if He works for us. It's something I had to learn to stop doing. When you take a moment and think about it, how absurd is it for us to tell Him what to do? We often see prayer requests like, 'Pray that I get "this" job, this car, or this house!' But the Lord may have something...

Looking Back on 2021 from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo. Thank you for being a part of Refreshing Hope Ministries and taking time out of your day to read or watch this message. I hope this finds you blessed, warm, safe, and happy, wherever you happen to be. This is our year-end newsletter, and I wanted to take some time to update you on what has been happening behind the scenes here at Refreshing...

Alone and Afraid from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo. It is a perilous time to live on Earth. There is a worldwide pandemic of sickness constantly mutating with millions already dead and no end in sight. Nations teeter on the brink of financial collapse. There is violence, wars, rumors of wars, and earthquakes in various places. People are distanced from others, alone, and afraid. Welcome to...

High Fidelity from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo. Jesus told His disciples a parable about stewards waiting for their Master to come home. He was gone to a wedding celebration, which could last several days in Hebrew culture. So they were to watch and prepare for His return, though they didn't know the exact time. The faithful steward was dressed and ready, even if the Master came during the...

If Tomorrow Never Comes from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo. For many years I was captivated by the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. I studied charts, timelines, and scriptures and posted them on the wall like an ongoing investigation. I was anxiously waiting for the Lord to return. Then He began to impress on me how fleeting our lives are in His timeline. The Lord is not in a hurry...

Holes in My Moneybag from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo. There are many things in scripture that have been misunderstood or blown out of proportion over the centuries. Two of them are prosperity and abundance. There are many promises of God concerning these, but it's a bit deeper than "name it and claim it" or "blab it and grab it." We have to be submissive to Him and obedient for His promises...

Rocky Ground from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo. One day, Jesus told a parable about a farmer who went out to sow seed. In those times, farmers would first scatter the seed and then come back and plow it into the ground. In a nutshell, Jesus Christ was the farmer, the seed being sown was the word of God, and the soil was the listener hearing His words. (Luke 8:5–8 NKJV)  "A sower...

The Freedom Trail from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo. One morning when Jesus was teaching in the temple, the scribes and Pharisees were trying to trap Him in His words. They often tried to trap Jesus in no-win scenarios, but He was living wisdom. Once, they asked Him if it was lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not (Matthew 22:17). If He said yes, He would become an enemy of the Jews and be...

Christ in You from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo. After the fall of Adam in the Garden of Eden, a great chasm separated God and mankind. At first, the Lord anointed prophets and judges to guide the people like Moses, Deborah, and Samuel. He spoke through them, but later the people didn't like what He had to say.  So the people began stoning His prophets and sawing them in half. They...

Faith in Action from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo. One day when Jesus came ashore after crossing the sea of Galilee, Jairus, the ruler of the synagogue, came to meet Him. Jairus begged Jesus to come and heal his daughter, who was at the point of death. Jesus went with him, but on the way, a life-changing event happened for someone else. There was a woman in the crowd who had been hemorrhaging...

Abundance from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo. There is a coming wave of blessing over the Lord's people. The world will begin to see the difference between the wicked and the righteous in the days to come. It's time for the bride to shine. (Malachi 3:17–18 NKJV)  "They shall be Mine," says the LORD of hosts, "On the day that I make them My jewels. And I will spare them as a man...

I AM Coming Again from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo. On the night of the last supper, after Judas Iscariot had left the room, Jesus had a discussion with the eleven apostles who remained. He knew Judas had left to betray Him and that His time left on Earth was short. So He said these words to comfort His disciples: (John 14:1–6 NKJV)  "Let not your heart be troubled; you believe...

Tears in a Bottle from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo. Hezekiah, the king of Israel, became deathly ill from a boil, and the prophet Isaiah came to see him. He didn't bring good news. When Isaiah left, Hezekiah prayed and wept bitterly. The Lord spoke to Isaiah before he got out of the courtyard. (2 Kings 20:4–5 NKJV)  And it happened, before Isaiah had gone out into the middle...

The Storm Comes from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo. We live near the coast of South Carolina, and every year we have to prepare for hurricane season. When a major storm comes through, it can be devastating. The electricity may be out for a week, and the roads are often closed because of flooding or blocked with downed trees and power lines. We make certain we have a good supply of batteries,...

The Great I Am from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo. Moses had been a shepherd for forty years in the land of Midian when the Lord appeared to him in a burning bush. The bush was self-sustaining and wouldn't burn up. The Lord told Moses He had heard the cries of the Israelite people who were enslaved in Egypt. Then He said, "Come now, and I will send you." (Exodus 3:10). Then an interesting...

The Point of No Return from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo. Jesus chose twelve men out of thousands of disciples, and He named them apostles (Luke 6:13). He taught them all things, gave them power over unclean spirits, and the ability to heal all manners of sickness and disease. (Luke 9:1–2 NKJV)  Then He called His twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over...

In a Little While from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo. When Joseph was a young boy of about seventeen years, God gave him a dream showing that he would be a ruler one day. But when Joseph told his brothers about it, they became jealous and angry. (Genesis 37:5–8 NKJV)  Now Joseph had a dream, and he told it to his brothers; and they hated him even more. So he said to them, "Please...

Wisdom in the Workplace from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo. What if there was an edge you could have that would set you apart from anyone else in your field? If you had deeper insight and understanding than your peers, that caused you to stand out from the rest. Would you be interested? There is, and it's called wisdom. Wisdom is probably best defined as "the practical use of knowledge."...

The Cornerstone from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo. After Jesus made a whip of cords and drove the money changers out of the temple in Jerusalem, He had an interesting conversation with the Jewish leaders. They asked for a sign, and He told them this: (John 2:18–21 NKJV)  So the Jews answered and said to Him, "What sign do You show to us, since You do these things?" Jesus answered...

The Shepherd Calls from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo. Jesus Christ said He was the Good Shepherd and that He calls His sheep by their name. He knows the name of each of us. Isn't that beautiful? He knows you, and He speaks to you. We get to hear His voice. (John 10:1–5 NKJV) Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way,...

Let It Rain from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo. There is the sound of abundant rain in the heavens, and the clouds are heavy. Sylvia and I went out shopping this week. It was a sunny morning, but the moment we opened the house door, it started raining. It seemed localized. There were small patches of rain that tended to follow our car. Yet, long stretches of perfectly dry highway. We passed...

Rise! from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo. What if you knew today was your last one, and you would be standing before the judgment seat of Christ in a matter of hours. Would that affect how you lived your life right now? It shouldn't. I feel too many times, we are focusing on our immediate worldly needs while ignoring the eternal. Then it slips up on us, just like Christmas. I mean, the Lord...

The Ladder from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo. For many years, I was a painter, and if it has anything to do with painting, I have probably done it. I've painted houses, hospitals, hotels, schools, factories, cars, and crow-footed plaster walls in 200-year-old mansions. For a year, I walked on stilts and cut in ceilings day after day while we remodeled oceanfront high-rises. I grew used to...

How Low Can You Go from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo. (James 4:10 NKJV)  Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up. One Sunday morning, several years ago, I was working at the coffee counter at our local church when the Lord gave me a word for a member of the praise team. It was just a single sentence that dropped into my spirit when I saw him come in that...

Let the Wind Blow from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo. Jesus had thousands of followers. Some were with Him occasionally, while others almost constantly. In Matthew 14:13, Jesus miraculously multiplied food and fed over 5,000 people who had been listening to Him teach. Out of all those followers, Jesus chose twelve, and He named them Apostles. Then there was an inner three, Peter, James, and...

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...

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...

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...