God Uses the Daily to Explain the Eternal

Any of you that really know me, know that I have many interests. One of them has been the process of silver casting. I wanted to know how this was done, so I went to YouTube. Of course, YT had a nice video. While watching this, I felt so impressed about a huge spiritual truth. I will call that truth, "Life in the Crucible". Watch these videos and then I'll share with you what I REALLY learned...




I sat dumbfounded after watching these. Sure, it's great to understand how to cast silver, but more important were the eternal truths that God reminded me of.

During this same period, God reminded me of these scriptures from Revelation 3:14-22:

To the Church in Laodicea
14"To the angel of the church in Laodicea write:
These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God's creation. 15I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! 16So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. 17You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. 18I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see. 19Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent. 20Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. 21To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne. 22He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."

The beauty of putting the silver in the crucible is that it destroys the impurities that the metal has in it and makes it usable and a thing of beauty. We must allow God to show us our impurities and be willing to let Him cleanse us and destroy those impurities. Notice that they are no longer there. How can we say we are His and continue to allow those things in our life that make us unclean in His eyes. Only when the silver is melted and made pure in the fire, is it ready to force into the mold. I thought of how he desires to cleanse us in His holy fire and then, and only then, are we ready to be put into the mold of his own choosing.

So, the obvious questions are:

1. Are we willing to live our lives in the crucible?
2. Are we willing to let Him put us into the mold of His choosing? The Jesus-shaped mold?

Then, followed the study for Sunday's Ladies Bible Study. We discussed the verses above, along with many others from Jesus, Himself. Some hard truths! It appears from scripture that if we are Christians, we will be disciples. It challenges the misconception of, "Thank you, God, for your salvation, but I'm really not interested in obeying you"! It's something we need to assess in our own lives...are we really His?? Do we hate sin and look for ways to avoid it? Jesus tell us, "If you love me, you will obey my commandments". John 14:15

Lots to think about today...

We heard a very inticing message today. So much to consider and pray about. Are we "givers" or "takers". In the modern church, we are one or the other. No middle ground. I think we've all been kicked off of that fence!

In this morning's Bible study we are discussing and praying about some of these questions:

1. According to scripture, can a person really be saved but not be a disciple?
2. Is there such a thing as a lukewarm Christian?
3. What is Revelation 3:15-18 really saying and is it written to a Christian?

These are some profound questions to consider. It could mean the difference in our eternity!

I want to thank so many people God has placed in my life.. my family,friends,Church family.Such a Blessing there have been so many prayers for my Family and myself I so appreciate them and God will bless you when you least expect it. To my Pastor ...you are truly a Blessing every sermon you preach is truly from the heart and it is obvious how on fire for God you are Thank you for being there for me for both surgeries you are Awesome.... Cheryl.. God has truly blessed you in every way ,your teaching and your learning,you listening and your advice thank you for being my friend.Patti thank you for so many times you took the time to answer my questions,,God truly blessed you with a beautiful voice I love to hear you sing keep up the good work. Betty L. you are such a blessing to me a true woman of God you just glow with grace thank you for your prayers and Love... Miss Blanche when God made you he broke the mold... you are such a loving,giving,caring person anyone feels comfortable around you my first time at MABC you asked me to come set with you i was on the back row because I wasn't sure if I would fit in (tattoo's in all) you welcomed me as if I had no tattoo's..The (1 tattoo I really treasure is the one on my heart that says Property Of Jesus Christ.) I sat with you I think about 4-5 weeks then you kicked me off your pew LOL I know it was a God thing that was 7-27-2008 the day I joined MABC and have enjoyed everyday since keep up the good work Hugs. Terri we were brought back together for some reason we know it is God's plan just hasn't reviled it all to us You are truly a Blessing to me and a TRUE BFF I thank God you were here the night my fever spiked because Mike would not know what to tell the Dr You took charge Thank You You are a Loving, Giving,Kind, Caring person with a big heart and you have so many people who love and care for you never forget that.. I don't want to leave anyone out so I want to say to every person In MABC your are there for a reason God planted you there and each and everyone of you are blessings to me Thank You for you kind heartiness your friend and Sister In Christ Ronda

"Jesus Chose To Carry The Pain"

I was reading this in my devotion this morning and felt it needed to be shared. It is a little long but read to the end. ~ Patti

"The day I found out Sanna needed treatment for her third bout with cancer--this time, a tumor in her brain--my heart felt like lead. It was the day before Thanksgiving, but I hardly felt thankful. In my laundry room, as the machine's basin filled with water and I flung dirty clothes into it, hot tears stung my cheeks. I was furious that diseases like cancer are permitted to wreck bodies and lives. I felt hatred as toward an enemy but wasn't sure to whom I should direct it.

Suddenly a thought pierced my anger. It was a still voice, saying, Diane, I am sick to death of it too. An image of Jesus, hanging from a cross, flashed before my mind. It was Jesus, literally sick to death of sin and death and grief and evil. On the cross he absorbed it all.

Although my hatred of the enemy remained, I had a sense it was shared. Jesus felt it himself, a thousandfold and more....Jesus says, 'I'm sick to death of it, too, but remember the ending of the story. It will not always be this way.'

Christ absorbed sin and death--then he conquered it. Death could not hold him. Now he scorns both death and the enemy who causes it. The enemy can wound us, but he has no claim on us if we believe that the blood of Jesus was shed for our sins. In this, there is hope. Wild hope. Glorious hope.

I find comfort in these thoughts, even though I still feel the pain keenly. God grieves over this broken world. But he waits because he is working out good things too. Someday God will shake things down and sort things out and make everything all right....

As I wait for God's long, grand plan to play out to the end of history, I now know where to take my grief and anger and pain. I take it to the One who shares it, absorbs it, and gives back peace, hope and a certainty that all will be well. In that certainty lies the mysterious gift of faith." Author: Diane Eble

Prayer

In my reading this morning I came across the quote. ~ Patti

"Our ordinary views of prayer are not found in the New Testament. We look upon prayer as a means of getting things for ourselves; the Bible idea of prayer is that we may get to know God Himself.".....Osward Chambers

Be the kind of woman that when your feet
hit the floor each morning the Devil says
"Oh Great, She's up!"

My God and King

This was in my devotional reading today and felt it went along with our post of yesterday. ~ Patti

"I will exalt you, my God and King, and praise your name forever and ever....Great is the Lord! He is most worthy of praise! No one can measure His greatness. Let each generation tell its children of Your mighty acts; let them proclaim Your power." ~ Psalm 145:1 3-4 NLT

The Potter's Hand

Play the song, to the right, and listen. So moving.
Here art the lyrics.

Okay, Patti...you're on, Girlfriend! Can you sing it??

Verse:
Beautiful Lord, Wonderful Saviour
I know for sure, all of my days are held in your hands, crafted
into your perfect plan
You gently call me into your presence guiding me by Your Holy Spirit
Teach me dear Lord to live all of my life through Your eyes
I'm captured by Your holy calling
Set me apart, I know you're drawing me to yourself
Lead me Lord I pray

Chorus:
Take me, Mold me, use me, fill me
I give my life to the Potter's hand
Call me, guide me, lead me, walk beside me
I give my life to the Potter's hand

You gently call me into your presence guiding me by your Holy Spirit
Teach me dear Lord to live all of my life through your eyes
I'm captured by your Holy calling
set me apart, I know your drawing me to yourself
lead me Lord I pray

"Food" for Thought

I received this in my email today and thought it worth sharing as "food" for thought...Patti

(Author: John Piper)

After Jesus had fed both the 5,000 and the 4,000 with only a few loaves and fish, the disciples got in a boat without enough bread for themselves.

When they began to discuss their plight, Jesus said, "Why are you discussing the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive or understand?" (Mark 8:17). What didn't they understand?

They did not understand the meaning of the leftovers, namely, that Jesus will take care of them when they take care of others. Jesus said:

"When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?" They said to him, "Twelve." "And the seven for the four thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?" And they said to him, "Seven." And he said to them, "Do you not yet understand?"

Understand what? The leftovers.

The leftovers were for the servers. In fact the first time there were twelve servers and twelve basketfuls left over (Mark 6:43). The second time there seven basketfuls left over—the number of abundant completeness.

What didn't they understand? That Jesus would take care of them. You can't outgive Jesus. When you spend your life for others, your needs will be met.

Get Chiseled!

A Call to Anguish

Dear Sisters,

My roommate from college sent me this. I believe it is a God thing that she sent it. Thank you, Dear Bonnie!

This should drive us to our knees in prayer. This is the true life of a believer.

Worship

Scripture tells us to worship God in spirit and in truth. I wonder though if we understand what that really means. Do we really allow our spirit to be free to worship God or do we hold on to and control our spirit because we are afraid of letting go and letting God move through us, either because of preconceived ideas about what worship should be or what we have been told about how we should "act" in worship? I for one know that I often have a hard time getting past those preconceived ideas and things I have been told. I long to have the freedom to truly worship God as Scripture tells me I should. There have been a few times when I have experienced a small moment of this freedom, but it is not enough. I want more. I don't want to just show up for worship, I want to fully and freely experience true worship.

My Funeral Song

Are You Free to Praise Him??

There Are Times....

There are times, if we allow Him, when the Spirit of God draws us to worship Him in song. This is not just three stanzas and we are done. This is yielding to the Holy Spirit, without fear, as He responds to our pleasing worship. Are our hearts ready to worship Him? Have we spent time before Him, prior to our worship, in order to make sure our hearts are right and pleasing to Him? Have we rushed to get ready for worship? I, personally, believe if we will be careful to prepare, He will respond to us and we will see His mighty hand in our services. Let's be careful not to be so flippant. We need to plan for this more than we would prepare for our most important event in life. The movie is about God, not us! Please leave your comment after you watch all of this video. It made me weep. Let's not settle.

So much love to you, All!!

From Oswald Chambers', "My Utmost for His Highest":

Remember that you have been saved so that the life of Jesus may be manifested in your body (see 2 Corinthians 4:10 ). Direct the total energy of your powers so that you may achieve everything your election as a child of God provides; rise every time to whatever occasion may come your way.

You did not do anything to achieve your salvation, but you must do something to exhibit it. You must "work out your own salvation" which God has worked in you already ( Philippians 2:12 ). Are your speech, your thinking, and your emotions evidence that you are working it "out"? If you are still the same miserable, grouchy person, set on having your own way, then it is a lie to say that God has saved and sanctified you.

God is the Master Designer, and He allows adversities into your life to see if you can jump over them properly—"By my God I can leap over a wall" ( Psalm 18:29 ). God will never shield you from the requirements of being His son or daughter. First Peter 4:12 says, "Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you . . . ." Rise to the occasion—do what the trial demands of you. It does not matter how much it hurts as long as it gives God the opportunity to manifest the life of Jesus in your body.

May God not find complaints in us anymore, but spiritual vitality—a readiness to face anything He brings our way. The only proper goal of life is that we manifest the Son of God; and when this occurs, all of our dictating of our demands to God disappears. Our Lord never dictated demands to His Father, and neither are we to make demands on God. We are here to submit to His will so that He may work through us what He wants. Once we realize this, He will make us broken bread and poured-out wine with which to feed and nourish others.

Embracing Accusation by Shane and Shane

For my dear "Romans" lover. You know who you are!
....listen to the very end.

I can only utter thanks to God, if I can utter anything at all. His perfect love leaves me speechless.

Yearn

Before the Throne of God Above

Sisters by Heart!

Time for Refreshing

Hello, Sisters!

After being away so long, I am thrilled to be back to see all of you and to hear what God is doing in your lives! Also, me being able to return means that Ellie and Natalie are on their way to recovery. Thank you so much for your continued prayers! I still covet your prayers for Ellie's health. She will be on anti-rejection drugs for the rest of her life but she looks fabulous and now they are just trying to tweak her meds and fatten he up! She is loving her feedings, let me tell you!

Saturday is still our new Book Club meeting at 10:00 a.m. at my house. Patti had graciously offered her home (Thanks, Patti!) but since I am back we can go ahead and keep our original plans. Feel free to bring a friend. If you haven't read "Crazy Love" by Francis Chan, not to worry. You should still stop what you are doing and get yourself over here for fun and fellowship! Don't notice the dust bunnies or the unfinished kitchen and join us.
Email me or ask me for directions and I'll be glad to get you here.

Oh, and don't dress up!! Come casual!!! Flip flops are allowed!!! LOL!

Before the Throne of God Above

Before the throne of God above
I have a strong and perfect plea
A great High Priest whose name is love
Who ever lives and pleads for me

My name is graven on His hands
My name is written on His heart
I know that while in heaven He stands
No tongue can bid me thence depart
No tongue can bid me thence depart

When Satan tempts me to despair
And tells me of the guilt within
Upward I look and see Him there
Who made an end of all my sin

Because the sinless Savior died
My sinful soul is counted free
For God, the Just, is satisfied
To look on Him and pardon me
To look on Him and pardon me

Behold Him there! The risen Lamb
My perfect, spotless, Righteousness
The Great unchangeable I AM
The King of Glory and of Grace

One with Himself I cannot die
My soul is purchased by His blood
My life is hid with Christ on high
With Christ my Savior and my God
With Christ my Savior and my God

I was reading my devotional for yesterday and came across a couple of things that I thought were worth sharing.  The first is the following story and the second is a quote about prayer.

"A father left his son a note that read, "Will be in Far East on your birthday, but back Saturday with gift.  What would you like--video game, bike, stereo?'  The boy circled the item he wanted--'Saturday.'

The boy could have chosen any plaything he wanted, but most of all he wanted to know his father.  That's the heart of this familiar spiritual.  "Just a Closer Walk with Thee," that's all we ask.  As Paul said, 'Everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord' (Philippians 3:8).

Fortunately, we don't have an "absentee" heavenly Father.  He is there for us and will grant this request.  He is happy to walk with us, to share our burdens, to guide us safely to the shore of His kingdom.".....From "The One Year Great Songs of Faith"

Here is the second item:

"The first purpose of prayer is to know God.".... Charles L. Allen

I think these items go along with our study in Sunday school.

Patti

Spring and All Things New

Hello, Sisters and Friends!

It's been entirely too long since we have had postings. This is such a great tool, so it's time for a fresh start!

We have been talking about attending the Beth Moore/Kay Arthur event in December. You can go here, to register: http://www.lifeway.com/ev/events_detail_mainpage/0%2C2232%2CE%25253D150%252526M%25253D200979%2C00.html

Let's discuss this on Sunday, before we run out of time. You will be so thrilled by this event...I have no doubt!

Fear or Faith

"Fear knocked at the door...Faith answered...No one was there."  by Unknown

                                                                                     

Patti

Happy New Years

I would like to wish everyone a Happy New Years! I would also like to thank everyone of yall for being a part of my life. I know God has put us all together for a reason. Have a great day everyone.


F.R.O.G.