Malachi 3:3 says: 'He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver.'
This verse puzzled some women in a Bible study and they wondered what this statement meant about the character and nature of God. One of the women offered to find out the process of refining silver and get back to the group at their next Bible Study. That week, the woman called a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him at work. She didn't mention anything about the reason for her interest beyond her curiosity about the process of refining Silver. As she watched the silversmith, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest as to burn away all the impurities. The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot; then she thought again about the verse that says: 'He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver.' She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the whole time. The man answered that yes, he not only had to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the fire. If the silver was left a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed. The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, 'How do you know when the silver is fully refined?' He smiled at her and answered, 'Oh, that's easy -- when I see my image in it.' If today you are feeling the heat of the fire, remember that God has his eye on you and will keep watching you until He sees His image in you. Pass this on right now. This very moment, someone needs to know that God is watching over them. And, whatever they're going through, they'll be a better person in the end. Maybe your past isn’t much to brag about. Maybe you’ve seen evil and you have to make a choice. Do you rise above the past and make a difference? Or do you remain controlled by the past and make excuses?
Many choose the convalescent homes of the heart. Healthy bodies. Sharp minds. But retired dreams. Lean closely and you’ll hear “If only…” The white flag of the heart. “If only.” Maybe you’ve used those words. Maybe you have every right to use them. Perhaps you were hearing the ten count before you even got into the ring. Let me show you where to turn. Go to John’s gospel and read Jesus’ words in John 3:6, “Human life comes from human parents, but spiritual life comes from one Spirit.” Your parents have given you genes, but God gives you grace. God is willing to give you what your family didn’t. "A man that hath friends must show himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother." NKJ - Proverbs 18:24
A real friend is one of life's greatest blessings. In this day of temporary relationships, true friendship is rare. How can you find and develop lasting friendships? Proverbs gives us some guidance: To have a friend, be a friend. Go out of your way to show that you are interested in their lives. Ask questions. To cement a friendship, be loyal. Demonstrate your willingness to love them unconditionally, even when your friend is not lovable. Be supportive even when your friend is not popular. To experience lasting friendship, be an encourager. A true friend is someone who tells the truth, but always with your best interests at heart. There is someone who wants to be your friend, who is interested in you, who is loyal and supportive, and encourages you to do your best. That person is Jesus Christ. Decide today to let Him be your best friend. ROMANS 4:17 …God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did;
Many a time, when we look at ourselves, we don’t see what we can become. But when God looks at us, He sees what we can become by His grace. When Jesus first saw Simon, whose name in Greek means “reed”, He changed his name to “Peter”, which means “rock”. But did Peter instantly become someone with the characteristics of a rock—solid, stable and unshakable? No, for a long time, he continued to act like a reed that bends every which way the wind blows. Once, when Peter saw Jesus walking on water, he took a bold step of faith and said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” Then, as he was walking on the water, he saw the boisterous wind, got scared and when he began to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” (Matthew 14:28–30) Another time, he said, “Lord, I am ready to go with You, both to prison and to death.” (Luke 22:33) Then, a few hours later, he denied knowing Jesus not once, but three times. (Luke22:54–62) Yet, throughout his reed-like behavior, Jesus kept calling him “rock” until one day, how Jesus saw him began to take root in him. That day, on the Day of Pentecost, Peter stood up to preach and 3,000 people were saved! (Acts 2:41) Peter had indeed become a rock, a pillar in the early church. That was how Jesus transformed Peter. And that is how God wants us to change the people and situations in our lives. “Pastor Prince, are you telling me to call my wife ‘a fruitful vine’ as in Psalm 128:3? You should see my wife. She looks more like a dried-up sour prune!” My friend, God did not tell us to call those things which exist as they exist. What is the point of stating the obvious? It is not going to change anything. No, God tells us to call those things which do not exist as though they did, and they will! “We were hoping the doctor would release him.”
“I thought the job was in the bag.” Words painted gray with disappointment. What we wanted did not come. What came, we didn’t want. The result? Shattered hope. What kind of God would let me down like this? The foundation of our world trembles. So tear-filled are our eyes and so limited is our perspective. It’s not a lack of faith, but a lack of vision. Our petitions are limited to what we can imagine—an earthly kingdom. We roll in the mud of self-pity in the very shadow of the cross. If we would just remember the heavenly body that awaits us, we’d stop complaining that he hasn’t healed this earthly one. Hope is not what you expect—it’s what you would never dream! 1. No point using limited life to chase unlimited money.
2. No point earning so much money you cannot live to spend it. 3. Money is not yours until you spend it. 4. When you are young, you use your health to chase your wealth; when you are old, you use your wealth to buy back your health. Difference is that, it is too late. 5. How happy a man is, is not how much he has but how little he needs. 6. No point working so hard to provide for the people you have no time to spend with. Remember this - - - - - - We come to this world with nothing, we leave this world with nothing! I have learned to be satisfied with the things I have and with everything that happens.Philippians 4:11
Test this question: What if God's only gift to you were his grace to save you. Would you be content? You beg him to save the life of your child. You plead with him to keep your business afloat. You implore him to remove the cancer from your body. What if his answer is, "My grace is enough." Would you be content? You see, from heaven's perspective, grace is enough. If God did nothing more than save us from hell, could anyone complain? … Having been given eternal life, dare we grumble at an aching body? Having been given heavenly riches, dare we bemoan earthly poverty? … If you have eyes to read these words, hands to hold this book, the means to own this volume, he has already given you grace upon grace. In the Grip of Grace (Max Lucado) James 1:17 ‘Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.’
- The Lord is our everlasting Father. - Your Heavenly Father loves and cares for you. - Every gift that He provides is good and perfect. - We can completely depend on and trust our eternal Father. PRAYER: Lord, what a delight for me to realize that You are my Everlasting Father. You are the giver of every good and perfect gift and I thank You today for all You have done for me. Amen. Jesus said to him, Because you have seen Me, Thomas, do you now believe (trust, have faith) ? Blessed and happy and to be envied are those who have never seen Me and yet have believed and adhered to and trusted and relied on Me. JOHN 20 : 29
FAITH !! Faith .. Faith .. Faith !! .. You are certainly no stranger to the word Faith .. And .. You will no doubt agree that if you have heard one message about faith, you have surely heard a hundred !! And yet far too often you still find yourself unclear and unsure about the very issue of Faith and the significant role it plays in your life. Sadly, in many instances the world has successfully managed to manipulate and deceive you .. Placing you in a position where Faith has become a real source of confusion and insecurity for you. You find yourself asking questions and making statements .. Do I actually have faith ? .. How do I believe correctly ? .. Why do I have so little faith ? .. Why is my faith not working for me ? .. Oh, I wish I could have as much faith as my friend has !! And .. Instead of Living Lives filled with a Godly Faith .. You find yourself merely Existing because your Faith has become so twisted and watered down that you seem to have lost your confidence and your ability to honestly trust, believe and have faith in God !! WHAT IS YOUR FAITH BASED ON ? Do you base your Faith on how you feel and what you can see .. Head Faith ? .. Or .. Do you base your Faith on God’s Word .. Heart Faith ? As God’s child faith is an essential part of your daily life !! .. Not only is faith vital but it is also an extremely powerful tool that you have been blessed with .. If .. You understand it and apply it correctly !! There is a very big difference between living with “Head Faith” and living with true “Heart Faith” .. And .. If you are applying the wrong kind of faith in your life then, the results are going to be that you will find your days and nights filled with frustration and confusion .. And .. That is definitely Not what faith is all about !! What is “Head Faith” ? .. Basically this is a natural human faith .. This kind of faith causes you to base your confidence in God judging by the way you feel or on the things that you see. What is “Heart Faith” ? .. This is the kind of faith that says, I do not care how I feel, and I do not care what my circumstances look like, I put my full trust in what the Word of God is telling me !! .. It might make absolutely no sense to my human mind, but if God has said it or He has promised it, then I know that it will come to pass !! God’s Word has provided you with strong examples about two men .. And .. It describes how one of the men relied on Head Faith while the other man relied purely on his Heart Faith. The two men in question here are Thomas and Abraham .. Lets take a brief look at the differences in the faith of both men. FIRSTLY THOMAS .. Head Faith 25 .. So the other disciples kept telling him, we have seen the Lord! But he said to them, Unless I see in His hands the marks made by the nails and put my finger into the nail prints, and put my hand into His side, I will never believe [it]. 26 .. Eight days later His disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Jesus came, though they were behind closed doors, and stood among them and said,Peace to you! 27 .. Then He said to Thomas, Reach out your finger here, and see My hands; and put out your hand and place [it] in My side. Do not be faithless and incredulous, but [stop your unbelief and] believe! 28 .. Thomas answered Him, My Lord and my God! 29 .. Jesus said to him, Because you have seen Me, Thomas, do you now believe (trust, have faith)? Blessed and happy and to be envied are those who have never seen Me and yet have believed and adhered to and trusted and relied on Me .. John 20 : 25 - 29 AND NOW ABRAHAM .. Heart Faith 17 .. As it is written, I have made you the father of many nations. [He was appointed our father] in the sight of God in Whom he believed, Who gives life to the dead and speaks of the non-existent things that [He has foretold and promised] as if they [already] existed. 18 .. [For Abraham, human reason for] hope being gone, hoped in faith that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been promised, So [numberless] shall your descendants be. 19 .. He did not weaken in faith when he considered the [utter] impotence of his own body, which was as good as dead because he was about a hundred years old, or [when he considered] the barrenness of Sarah’s [deadened] womb. 20 .. No unbelief or distrust made him waver (doubtingly question) concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong and was empowered by faith as he gave praise and glory to God. 21 .. Fully satisfied and assured that God was able and mighty to keep His word and to do what He had promised .. Romans 4 : 17 - 21 Do You Notice The Difference Between Thomas’ Faith And Abraham’s Faith ? You Should Immediately Be Able To Identify The Difference Between The Head Faith And The Pure Heart Faith !! Thomas was told by the other disciples that they had seen and spent time with Jesus after His resurrection .. And .. Instead of Thomas reacting to the news with great joy and happiness, he stated that he would not believe that Jesus was alive unless he was able to physically see the scars in Jesus’ hand and side, and put his hand into those scars. Thomas based his decision on whether he would believe or not believe on what he could feel and see. Now .. When Jesus appeared to His disciples for the second time .. He addressed the issue of Thomas’s faith by inviting Thomas to look at His hands and to put his fingers into the holes in His hands and in His side .. And .. Obviously once Thomas had seen and felt Jesus’ wounds, he could no longer have any doubts that Jesus was truly alive. You must take note though, that although Jesus had shown some patience with Thomas .. He did however make a very powerful statement to him. Jesus said to Thomas .. Now you believe because you have seen me .. But .. Blessed and happy and to be envied are those who have not seen Me, but believe in Me anyway. And that leads us to Abraham !! God had told Abraham that he was going to be the father of many nations .. Now, when God told Abraham this he was already one-hundred years old, and his wife Sarah was unable to have children .. So .. All the physical facts pointed against them having children. But .. Instead of Abraham looking at the facts and judging the situation on what he could see and how he felt .. He ignored the facts and put his faith in God’s Word !! .. Abraham trusted and believed what God told him, and he began to call things which were not as though they were !! .. Abraham’s faith in God and in God’s Word wholeheartedly convinced him that he would be the father of many nations .. And .. The results of Abraham’s faith were that he did indeed become the father that God had promised !! So .. As you can see there is a very big difference between “Thomas Faith or Head Faith “ and “Abraham Faith or Heart Faith” !! Putting All The Fancy Names Aside .. The Most Important Question Here Really Is Which Faith Is True Bible Faith ? .. And .. It is more than safe to say that the faith that Abraham lived by is the kind of faith that God wants you to live by !! Remember that Abraham, Called Things That Be Not As Though They Were .. Well, God’s Word tells you that the definition of Faith is, The Substance Of Things Hoped For, And The Evidence Of Things Not Seen .. And .. Basically what God wants you to know through these two statements is .. You can be so confident of the blessings and the promises that He has made to you in His Word, that you can speak of them and declare them as though they already exist in your life !! Once again it has to be said that God’s Word is not just some old book filled with meaningless stories of days gone by .. God’s Word is exactly that, His Word !! It is His every thought .. His every statement .. His every promise .. His every blessing .. And .. If you use your heart to trust, believe and have faith in what God says .. Instead of believing what the world says .. Instead of believing what you see .. And .. Instead of believing how you feel .. You Will, Will, Will experience God moving in your life in the most magnificent ways !! Apply your “Heart Faith” to every situation and circumstance that you are facing and you will get the desired results .. God’s results !! True faith in God says .. You must always have God’s Word for what you desire to receive from Him !! .. You must believe God’s Word !! .. You must not look at the circumstances that are contradictory to what God says !! .. And .. You must always give God thanks and praise for His answer !! The Bottom Line Is This .. God has given every single one of us a measure of faith .. It is now up to You what You do with it !! You can choose to make the critical mistake of hanging onto your “Thomas Faith” .. A faith that is based on your natural faith .. A faith that refuses to allow you to trust and believe until you can feel or see what you have been requesting from God. OR You can make up your mind to live your life with an “Abraham Faith” .. A faith that is based on God’s Word and God’s Word only !! .. A genuine faith that says and believes that If God Says It, Then It Is !! The hard facts are that you will never, ever get to truly know or understand God if you allow your feelings to command your level of faith .. You will just continue to experience the yo-yo effects of life .. You will be up one day and down the next .. When you feel good then you will believe that God has heard your prayers and requests, but when you feel bad then you will believe that God is just not hearing you .. You will struggle day in and day out, trying to receive spiritual blessings using natural human faith .. IT WILL NOT WORK !! Make Your Mind Up Today That You Are Not Going To Put Up With Natural Human Faith Running Your Life Anymore !! This Very Minute !! .. Yes, Right Now !! .. Firstly Confess And Declare That You Have The Same Faith That Abraham Had .. And .. You Can Because You Do !! Know and understand that it is [really] the people [who live] by faith who are [the true] sons of Abraham .. Galatians 3 : 7 And if you belong to Christ [are in Him Who is Abraham’s seed], then you are Abraham’s offspring and [spiritual] heirs according to the promise .. Galatians 3 : 29 And .. Secondly renew your mindset and get determined .. Very Determined !! .. To take God’s hand and develop a spiritual faith .. A Bible faith .. And .. Start putting your confidence and trust into what His Word says !! If you make this decision and take it seriously .. The guarantee is yours that God will leave you speechless and amazed as He begins to fill your life with every promise and blessing that is yours .. Not only because you are a seed and a descendant of Abraham .. But .. Because God Your Father Adores You !! IF YOU STAY IN THE BOAT THEN YOU WILL ONLY MEET DISCIPLES HOWEVER IF YOU GET OUT OF THE BOAT YOU WILL MEET JESUS !! |
Ana & Andre Schoonbee God uses us to motivate and encourage the body. Authors
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