"Refined in Holy Fire."
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· 34 viewsThe Lord our God owns everything and is willing to give us everything if we choose to follow His son. When we decide to follow we open the way for the master refiner to begin his work in our lives, our bible studies and devotions are the way in which we submit to his edifing work. But some times the challenges we face can draw us away from the work our Father is doing within us.
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Three ladies had a bible study and were talking about being refined by the fire. They did not understand about being refined in the fire like silver. One volunteered to go to the silversmith and see what that meant. When she went she did not tell the silversmith why she was really there. He proceeded to tell her about being sure the silver was put in to the hottest part of the fire. He explained that was so all the impurities would be burned away. He also said he had to watch it all times to make sue it was not in there too long. If it was there too long it would be ruined. The lady asked, “How do you know when it is done”? His answer was, “That is easy. When I see my reflection”.
The Choice
The Choice
We as God’s people are required to make a choice between good and evil. In other words God is asking us to decide are we going to follow the worlds view of morality which is no morality, or God’s? Will we repent or not?
Return, O faithless children, declares the Lord; for I am your master; I will take you, one from a city and two from a family, and I will bring you to Zion.
Jer
Each of us is called we all have the opportunity to live and serve the Lord our God and to become his Children, think for a minute of Megan Markle; what an honor it is for her to be called to be prince Harry’s wife, but also what a great responsibility. It is for us too and one we should take very seriously because it has eternal ramifications.
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
1 peter 2:9
Our Choice is simple ; Good or Evil. Righteousness or Wickedness. Heaven or the World.
But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”
Anyone who chooses to do the will of God will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own.
Jos
Some may decide to follow the Lord and some may decide the world is more attractive, the Lord spells out what will come of both decisions.
You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.
James 4:4
Wise Choice;
By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward.
When we choose to follow our Lord we are submitting ourselves to his expert refining, removing from us all that defiles us and that begins in His word.
Edification
Edification
God does not hide himself from us he reveals himself through his teachers and Leaders who in turn follow him.
Then I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will lead you with knowledge and understanding.
Jer 3
We are expected to continue in our own personal and corporate bible Studies. Here is what Professor James McConaughy had to say about Bible study:
“To get the most good from your daily reading keep in mind these key words: (1) Think. Keep the mind fixed on the passage. If it is difficult, read aloud. (2) Pray. The heart must be taught as well as the mind. God’s Spirit only can do this. (3) Obey. God’s Word is more than history, more than literature. It is a revelation of His will, a message to the reader… Only those who do what is written in it are blessed. (4) Share. The Gospel is not private property. The things which have been seen and heard must be spoken…The privilege of following a course of Bible study brings with it the responsibility of using the results for God.”
We edify one another as the Spirit edifies each of us , just like the class room some students get the lesson faster than others and in a different way There is so much written about building up one another that we can see the importance of good bible study being done regularly and not just on Sunday Mornings.
Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned—
Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.
Each of us should please our neighbors for their good, to build them up.
Ro
Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.
Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.
Eph 4
But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.
:13
But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.
In the next verse wee see that the word is not a detractor to people but will draw many closer to God.
In those days, when your numbers have increased greatly in the land,” declares the Lord, “people will no longer say, ‘The ark of the covenant of the Lord.’ It will never enter their minds or be remembered; it will not be missed, nor will another one be made.
Je
Why is this so? Because there is no need for the ark any longer the Lord resides inside of each of us and his presence is known to us in our very prayers and the guiding voice inside us. The covenant message lives on in each of us as long as we are willing and ready to share it.
But the key is we need to do as Jesus did and depend on the Spirit to convict we need to always show Love as the word says;
Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.
Eph
This is not done without challenges.
Challenges
Challenges
The wicked vainly challenge God by questioning his authority and that of his church, seeking to resist his power and opposing his people.
See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. For I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess.
Dt.
Part of edification is watching out for each other, Satan can make sin look very good because he targets our emotions which are of the flesh and they can deceive us in very hard to resist ways. When we see a brother or sister about to succumb to sin we need to speak out.
Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.
Warn a divisive person once, and then warn them a second time. After that, have nothing to do with them.
David was Challenged by Nathan, Peter confronted Ananias, Paul challenged Peter.
T
We cannot if we have committed to God allow the world to influence what we do in our Church. But along with doing what we are commanded to do brings pain and in it we may want to become weak in our dealings with sin. Understand God is not weak he Loves us and that is the reason he challenges the sinful, he more than anything wants them to repent. But his sovereignty cannot be challenged his word is our Law.
“Woe to those who quarrel with their Maker, those who are nothing but potsherds among the potsherds on the ground. Does the clay say to the potter, ‘What are you making?’ Does your work say, ‘The potter has no hands’?
Is
If he snatches away, who can stop him? Who can say to him, ‘What are you doing?’
All this is done to refine us and sometime we do feel the heat especially when we have to challenge a brother or sister. If we didn’t love them so much as God loves us it would be easy to just walk away and say nothing giving into the worlds opinion ; “That on them and not me.” the Holy Spirit does not allow us to do that it is the spirits goal to refine us until we too reflect the image of the Master refiner Jesus Christ. Today I challenge everyone to allow our Lord to really begin the process in you, make a renewed commitment to spend more time in study not just at home but here in church, let the Lord use you to increase his flock and grow more fully in understanding. Let us Pray.