It is that time again–to gear back up andcontinue the online Bible study series, Major Wisdom through the Minor Prophets. This month’s study will only be three weeks and focus on one chapter a week.
Together we will embrace Bible intake and discuss our reflections from personal readings via Zoom. Weekly, we will uncover the original meaning from the author and uncover the takeaways for each of us individually. Digging into Scripture with like-minded sisters in Christ is a powerful experience.
Come join us for three weeks-one hour a week. Zephaniah will begin July 12th at 6:00 p.m.
July 12th –Chapter 1
July 19th –Chapter 2
July 26th –Chapter 3
Please email the Refining Ministry, refining.journey@gmail.com by July 11th if you would like to participate. We will send you the link and additional materials for the study once we hear from you.
Let us know if you have any questions! Also, if you know of anyone who might be interested in attending, please forward this information to them.
Hello! Yes, it has been longer than normal since the last posting. I pray you and your family are doing well and embracing the new summer season. In the words of our sweet little Jude, “It is hot, hot!” So, enjoy, kickback, and take joy in the pool, sprinkler, air conditioner, etc. This too shall pass.
Refining ministries has begun a season of study entitled, “Major Wisdom through Minor Prophets”. This month we are diving deep into Habakkuk. I refer to him as the “why bird”. He was a bold prophet-brave enough to address God with his questions and honest concerns. Although I am not sure he liked the response he received, Habakkuk felt confident enough to layout his true thoughts before God.
While reflecting on our group discussions, I had to question myself about my faith when it comes to asking the Lord hard questions. Oh, I often ask for things-healing, comfort, renewal, restoration, self-discipline, etc. for others as well as myself. Yet, I don’t regularly ask why God is doing what He is. So, I had to ask myself “Why not?” What can I learn from Habakkuk to strengthen my relationship with the Lord?
Let me share my revelations:
1. Habakkuk was very secure in his relationship with God. He brought his concerns directly to the one who is in charge. (Habakkuk 1:2) He didn’t hop on Facebook and ask his social network. Habakkuk wasn’t one to run to the nearest neighbor and complain about God’s delay based on his timetable. This prophet went straight to the best source-the Almighty Father-the maker of heaven and earth.
Lesson one: Go to God first!
2. Habakkuk was raw and open about his deepest thoughts. (Habakkuk 1:2-4) He didn’t beat around the bush or try to sweet talk his way around asking. Straight to the point was his approach. Let’s get down to business and spill out what is troubling the heart.
Lesson two: Don’t waste God’s time-get tothe point & share your deepest concerns.
3. Habakkuk wasn’t shy about expressing the fact he could not understand God’s ways. He immediately began asking why. What is taking you so long to end this awful behavior and destruction? He asked GOD boldly-the God of the universe. Wow-the thought of doing this is not as comfortable for me as it seems to be for Habakkuk. But why not? God has our back and loves us so much. God is big enough to handle our questions no matter what they may contain.
Lesson three: If you don’t understand God’s ways, ask why? He is willing to listen.
4. The Lord answered Habakkuk with a reply which was shocking to him. (Habakkuk 1:12-17) God will respond, but we may not like the answer. God knows the future and is working out all things according to His plans. His ways are not ours nor do they often align with our human understanding. However, we must be willing to embrace the Lord’s perspective.
Lesson four: Be willing to see the situation through the eyes of God.
All this in just Chapter 1! Major wisdom through a minor prophet’s boldness to go to God first, get straight to the point, ask God why when not understanding, and be willing to see the situation through the eyes of the Lord. What knowledge to take to heart when having questions about issues in life. I have many!!!
What about you?
How do these four points assist you in dealing with difficulties you incur?
I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the Lord. They will be my people, and I will be their God, for they will return to me with all their heart. Jeremiah 24:7 (NIV)
It has often been said that the power of one can cause earthshaking results. The power of one can begin a ripple effect continuing for generations to come. Remember, …if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move… – Matthew 17:20. Why?-because of your trust in the Power of the ultimate One!
My heart aches for those struggling in their faith. I have been there! It almost caused me to throw in the towel! I felt hopeless. PERIOD! Hopeless. I promised God (even while I was in the dark pit) that I would make a change and I would even be an agent of change for those who struggled in their faith and spiritual maturity. I decided my dash would matter!
I hear you loud and clear–how can one person really make a difference. Let me just say-I am living proof that through the Father all things are possible! I can barely recognize the person God is refining let alone believe I am still alive. If you had told me three years ago where I would be today I would have told you “You have the wrong person!”
You too have the power of one. It begins with your spiritual growth and commitment. Then it continues with your investment in just one. The impact of your life can leave a legacy from your extension of God’s love and grace.
Let me encourage you to take a deeper leap of faith:
Come to the Ladies retreat in July. This opportunity will give you lots of encouragement and practical ways to stay connected to God.
2. Tell someone about it! Encourage them to go. Pay for their gas to get there and back. Get out of your comfort zone and move those mountains! Someone’s life depends upon it.
3. Can’t go yourself. Pray! We need your prayers. Watch someone else’s children, house, pets, etc. so they can attend.
4. Our earthly time is unknown. Please make use of your dash.
For this reason you also must be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will.
Photo by Mike on Pexels.com “The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in Him.” Nahum 1:7 (NIV)
Happy Friday my dear friends. I hope you have an exciting weekend planned. They always go by so fast.
Refining ministries have been conducting short studies over minor prophets via Zoom. We take one chapter a week, read it on our own, dig into deeper meaning through personal resources, and then come together and discuss. This has been a delightful experience.
Over the past three weeks we have been focusing upon Nahum. I know—I hear you—why in the world Nahum? I thought the same thing when we studied Obadiah and now when my mind wonders into the judgement zone, I remind myself of the takeaway from Obadiah. The powerful messages that have surfaced from many overlooked books in the Bible has been transforming thoughts, actions, and hearts!
Today, I would like to share with my learning from Nahum.
Let me start with a bit of history: After studying all three chapters, I was appalled from the evil and violent empire of Assyria. They had become a force to be reckoned with and gained major worldly power and possessions through oppression and direct disobedience to God. Their destruction and deception gained them outward attractiveness because of the status they displayed. Nineveh, the capitol, felt protected by its enormous wall and had allowed their ego to reach great heights. They had overtaken the ten northern tribes and were working on a plan to obtain the two southern ones. Disgusting cruelty and gross acts can barely scratch the surface of the levels they went to gain worldly power.
Nahum warns Nineveh that their time is up. God’s justice is coming and His righteous anger will be carried out in the days ahead. They refused to take refuge in the Lord. They wanted to worship their gods and trust in themselves. In chapter 3, verse 19 Nahum tells them, “Nothing can heal you; your wound is fatal. All who hear the news about you clap their hands at your fall, for who has not felt your endless cruelty?” Their lust of being “top dog” and doing whatever it takes to get there has now caused a fatal blow to their existence. OUCH!
Our sweet Father gives us a choice of how we want to live. Also, He is the only one who knows our inner part (heart). His goal is to remove sin in our lives and bring inner peace. (Deut. 4:24; 5:9). So, when I went to the Lord in prayer to get His perspective on Nahum, this is what He revealed to me:
What choices am I making that may lead me to destruction?
Who have I possible destroyed, injured, or scarred with my words or actions?
How can I abstain from allowing worldly ways to creep into my life?
Is Chapter 2 a prescriptive of a pathway I am traveling?
Am I obsessed with power, little gods, or anything else which will lead me to sin and a hardened heart?
OVERALL TAKEAWAY:
Put my trust only in God. (Nahum 3:8-10)
Deal with sin because it cuts off my fellowship with God.
Failure to follow God leads to painful consequences. Possibly, a fatal blow!
Yes, all this from the little book of Nahum. Powerful-life changing wisdom and advice! Come join us June 14th as we begin a new three-week study over Habakkuk. I promise you too will have a mighty takeaway and you will always remember Habakkuk. Major wisdom through minor prophets is worth embracing!
We are so excited to continue an online Bible study series, Major Wisdom through the Minor Prophets. Each month we are focusing on one minor prophet by walking through a chapter weekly. The monthly study in June will only last three weeks.
Together we will discuss and reflect on our readings via Zoom. In each study, we will dig deep into Scripture and practice embracing the AMPS Bible intake method. Feel free to join us for a month at a time. Habakkuk will begin June 14th at 6:00 p.m. Again, this study will only last three weeks and each meeting will only be one hour in length.
June 14th–Chapter 1
June 21st–Chapter 2
June 28th–Chapter 3
Please email the Refining Ministry by June 11th if you would like to participate in this study. We will send you the link and additional materials for the study once we hear from you. Let us know if you have any questions! Also, if you know of anyone who might be interested in attending, please forward this information to them.
Hello! How are you this last full week of May? Good news-a three day weekend is on the way for many. The month of May seems to be a busy time with graduations, Mother’s Day, end of summer year, etc. However, it has been nice to enjoy some of these occasions in a somewhat “normal” setting this year.
In the education world, tapping into all modalities of learning is essential. Educators have to be creative in making the text come alive and extending opportunities for those digesting the material to do the same. This is no different for each of us when studying Scripture and ensuring our Bible intake sticks. Making those mental connections and embedded the overall message into our schema is necessary to ignite the transformation of our heart and mind.
Transparency moment: Scripture exposure has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. Yet, most of my life it has gone in one ear and out the other. Oh when I first hear or read a promising message, I am so inspired and feel two inches taller, but once life slaps me around a couple of times (usually less than 24 hours later) I seem to be clueless. Why didn’t the takeaway stick?
God has captured my attention in recent years concerning engaging in His Word and allowing it to transform. (the capture was a three letter word-PIT!) I have always equated the Bible as a life manual and valued the power of its words, yet the struggle to infuse my innermost parts with Scripture was very real.
I have read, heard, and tried all kinds of advice-read more, study more, pray more, add in-depth Bible studies to your routine, buy a Bible dictionary, purchase a set of concordances, download this application, get assess to these Bible translations, mark all these websites as your favorite, follow Bible scholars regularly, listen to online sermons, go to conferences, join this Facebook group, etc. These are all terrific ideas and suggestions, but when I first wanted to make a significant change in my Bible intake-adding a million different things without addressing what would really make Scripture stick for me personally just made my life even more complicated. I didn’t know where to focus-everything was over the top good! I wanted engagement not involvement. I just made the issue a frustrating and exploding PROBLEM.
So I began embracing simplicity. Taking bite-size portions daily and setting myself up for success. I could not process the fire-hose information coming towards me. It took me addressing my attempted failures and laying the issue at the feet of God. The Holy Spirit opened my eyes to see the answer was really simple-get out of the way and let Him lead.
Today, I want to share with you one way I have found to make God’s Word a visual in my life. If you wrestle with making the Bible come to life, I pray you are encouraged to embrace new ideas and are filled with God’s discernment to what will work best for you. Start small and give the Holy Spirit the permission to guide your efforts so the transformational power can ignite and change you inside out.
ONE WAY I MAKE SCRIPTURE VISUAL:
I pause and pray before reading God’s Word.
I read/reread and intensely study one chapter in the Bible weekly.
After praying and meditating over the information, I narrow my focus to a verse/s I feel the Holy Spirit is drawing me to fully digest.
I write out the Scripture.
The physical act allows me to take ownership.
It brings my focus to the words within the verse/s.
I seem to remember the Scripture from writing it.
The product becomes a snapshot of God speaking directly to me.
Sometimes I am drawn to one word within the copied Scripture.
I display it for a week and read it throughout my day.
I add my own flair to it. (can’t exactly call it art-lol!)
This is what must be done: When he sits down on the throne of his kingdom, the first thing he must do is make himself a copy of this Revelation on a scroll, copied under the supervision of the Levitical priests. That scroll is to remain at his side at all times; he is to study it every day so that he may learn what it means to fear his God, living in reverent obedience before these rules and regulations by following them. He must not become proud and arrogant, changing the commands at whim to suit himself or making up his own versions. If he reads and learns, he will have a long reign as king in Israel, he and his sons. Deuteronomy 17:18-19 (MSG)
Here is an example:
Steps I took:
I read Chapter 2 of Nahum.
I wrote out the verse which stood out to me to take ownership. (I choose two colors to distinguish the two thoughts presented.)
Then I selected one word which stood out to me. (I circled restore)
I displayed the card in a prominent spot. I read it over and over throughout the week and let it saturate my thinking.
We had a horrific hailstorm which wiped out our tender garden plants and many of the flowers we had planted. After walking through the yard to access the damage, restoration came to mind. I began to ponder the promise of God’s healing after the “destroyer” laid everything to waste. My mind went straight to a blossom. So, I took the card & drew a flower. It was a symbol of God’s promise, the beauty we find when we take refuge in Him, and the healing He will extend.
The card is a visual reminder of the message the Lord gave me. At the end of the week, I wrote my overall takeaway on the back of the card.
If you are a “visual” learner-start with just writing out Scripture once a week and allow it to saturate your thinking. Please do not make it complicated. You just need a Bible and a willingness to let God’s Word change you. Investigate ways to make the Bible come to life for you. Ask God for His discernment and help. You will be amazed at what He will reveal.
Share your thoughts. I would love to hear what you do routinely. Blessings and prayers to you, my friend.
“Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.” James 1:15 (ESV)
Violence, destruction, cruelty, heinous crime, unbelievable loyalty to killing, hate, injustice…when will it ever stop? Throughout history, we see examples of sin manifesting itself into hearts and becoming full blown issues in the world. Take a look at current times. The news is painted with scene from Israel as rockets enter the land and citizens scramble for shelter. And why? How can this be? What causes differences to escalate to levels such as these? What is the root cause of this ongoing behavior?
We probably all would agree on the three letter word: Sin. However, what is sin? 1 John 5:17a (KJV) says, “All unrighteousness is sin…” 1 John 3:4 (NLT) states, “Everyone who sins is breaking God’s law, for all sin is contrary to the law of God.” And, not to be a Debbie Downer, sin entered mankind through Adam and Eve therefore, this issue is a struggle for all humanity.
In chapter one of Nahum, we find our precious God defined as Holy, righteous, and the perfect representation of purity and light. The supreme authority, able to judge the hearts, minds, and actions because He is all knowing. There is none greater than Him although the enemy has tried. (Isaiah 14:12-15). Nahum reminds us that God is loving and patient, but there comes a time when He says Enough Already!
When reflecting upon this, gardening comes to mind. We have several large clusters of ornamental grass throughout our flowerbeds. There are years when last year’s growth isn’t cut down soon enough and new growth begins to appear. Unfortunately, the dead stalks begin choking out the current sprouts and effect the overall production. It can cause the grass to not fill in completely and be all it could possibly be. So, at some point we have to deal with it and say Enough Already! (As you can tell from the picture above, we got a little behind on the task.)
Sin has a way of choking out our spiritual growth as well. In Romans 6:23 (KJV) we read, For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Sin can slowly creep into our lives and eventually take over if we don’t stay on top of it. Much like the grass, once it gets out of control it is a hard task of dealing with it. Little by little, pruning and separating useless debris from productive areas is not for the faint of heart. It is never fun and exposes more than we ever knew was there. (Just like the two wheelbarrows full of dead stalks removed.)
God is slow to anger and very patient with us. He loves us beyond measure, but we must know that at some point He will utter the words, Enough Already! Nahum 1:3 (ESV) The Lord is slow to anger and great in power, and the Lord will by no means clear the guilty. His way is in whirlwind and storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet.
Our sweet Lord has given us free will and wants us to draw close to Him. God provided His Son as a sacrifice and extends the gift of forgiveness if we are open to receive. John 3:16 (KJV) For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
He went even farther by giving us His Word as a roadmap to living and the Holy Spirit to guide us daily. The Father wants us to deal with our sins and stay under His authority. It is not an easy task and it does require discipline and dedication to live life according to God’s ways. But–oh the reward, the transformation, the renewal, the fruit, and the list goes beyond our human comprehension. Jeremiah 24:7 (NIV) I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the Lord. They will be my people, and I will be their God, for they will return to me with all their heart.
Is there a part of your life you can identify as Enough Already! I know there is for me.
Psalm 86:5 (ESV) For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you.
Psalm 86:1-17 (ESV) Incline your ear, O LORD, and answer me, for I am poor and needy. Preserve my life, for I am godly; save your servant, who trusts in you—you are my God. Be gracious to me, O Lord, for to you do I cry all the day. Gladden the soul of your servant, for to you, O Lord, do I lift up my soul. For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you. Give ear, O LORD, to my prayer; listen to my plea for grace. In the day of my trouble I call upon you, for you answer me. There is none like you among the gods, O Lord, nor are there any works like yours. All the nations you have made shall come and worship before you, O Lord, and shall glorify your name. For you are great and do wondrous things; you alone are God. Teach me your way, O LORD, that I may walk in your truth; unite my heart to fear your name. I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart, and I will glorify your name forever. For great is your steadfast love toward me; you have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol. O God, insolent men have risen up against me; a band of ruthless men seeks my life, and they do not set you before them. But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness. Turn to me and be gracious to me; give your strength to your servant, and save the son of your maidservant. Show me a sign of your favor, that those who hate me may see and be put to shame because you, LORD, have helped me and comforted me.
I want to let you know about an online Bible study series I am excited to be facilitating! It is called Major Wisdom through the Minor Prophets. Each segment will focus upon one minor prophet by walking through a chapter weekly. These monthly studies will begin in May and continue throughout the remainder of the year. During the summer months, each series will only last three weeks. This will give you a break between each segment and allow you some time to saturate your life with the learning from each series.
Together we will discuss and reflect on our readings via Zoom. In each study, we will dig deep into Scripture and practice embracing the AMPS Bible intake method. Feel free to join us for a month at a time. We will begin Nahum on May 17th at 6:00 p.m. Again, this study will only last three weeks and each meeting will only be one hour in length.
May 17th-Chapter 1
May 24th-Chapter 2
May 31st-Chapter 3
Please email the Refining Ministry by May 10th if you would like to participate in this study. We will send you the link and additional materials for the study once we hear from you. Let us know if you have any questions! Also, if you know of anyone who might be interested in attending, please forward this information to them.
Today I would like to introduce you to Stephanie Pavlantos, author of Jewels of Hebrews. She has been married for twenty-nine years, together they have three children, Matthew, Alexandria, and Michael. Stephanie loves animals and has dogs, ducks, sheep, and chickens. Come learn more about her and the background information about her book Jewels of Hebrews. You will be blessed.
“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.” Matthew 13:44 ESV
Hello! My name is Stephanie. I’m a scientist and a researcher. I worked in cancer and AIDS research, and later I worked as a Histotechnologist in a hospital pathology lab. Researching comes naturally to me, as does teaching. Teaching is my first love. I taught biology, chemistry, and anatomy in homeschool co-ops, and the Lord called me to teach Bible studies over twenty years ago. Researching the biblical languages, culture, and history are exciting to me.
So when the Lord put a man who spoke and taught Hebrew in my life, I had to know more. The little he shared with my husband and me intrigued me. I began researching everything I could find about Messianic beliefs, the Hebrew alphabet, the culture, and the Feasts. I saw things I had never seen in scripture through rabbis and rabbinical/ Messianic books I found.
When the Lord led me to write a study on the book of Hebrews, I loved the Hebrew-ness of it. I loved the first four verses of chapter one and how the author described Jesus, or Yeshua. I knew I would have to use the name Yeshua because I saw His Jewishness in this book, and I was eager to show others.
After writing the first six chapters, the Lord gave me a theme: Jewels. I found a website on the biblical meaning of the different colors of gemstones. Amazingly, of course, there was a color that fit each of the chapters already written. It came together like someone already planned it.
One thing that floored me about the Hebrew letters is how different they are from our alphabet. We have the letter “b,” but Hebrew has the letter bet. Their letters are words, and those words have meaning. Bet means house or tent. We write the word manna with the letters mem and nun or מך (reading right to left). Mem can mean water or something that comes down from heaven, and nun means life (and can mean fish). John 6:32-33 says, “Jesus then said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.’”
In this verse, Jesus gives the meaning of the true bread, which is the one who comes down from Heaven to give life. That is the definition of manna. The Gospels are full of Hebrew idioms and proverbs that Jesus referenced when he spoke. In Matthew 6:22-23, Jesus says, “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!”
A Hebrew saying is, “Give with a good eye” or give generously. A bad eye is a selfish person. That’s why verse 24 says, “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.” You will find these and other gems like them in Jewels of Hebrews.
To introduce each chapter, I tell a story of a famous gem or piece of jewelry. I base each chapter on a specific stone like the amethyst, ruby, emerald, topaz, pink diamond, or other colored precious gem. Each color stands for a characteristic of Jesus, i.e. ruby stands for blood, salvation, redemption, or sacrifice. Your job as you read, and work through that chapter of Hebrews is to find the verses which deal with those characteristics. All the while you are learning about the Old and New Testament, Hebrew language, culture, and the Jewishness of Jesus.
In this study, you will see Jesus as the High Priest, Savior, and Jewish rabbi He was and still is. Jewels of Hebrews is an expositional thirteen-week study for individual or group study. Within the study there is teaching, fill-in-the-blank, and reflection.
Here is an excerpt from Chapter 1- Amethyst.
The first verse in which the Holy Spirit spoke to me was John 1:29, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” He revealed that John (the Baptist) prophesied about Yeshua. It may seem like a no-brainer now, but at the time it was a revelation. I had not seen John in that light before. After that, I looked forward to the Holy Spirit showing me insights I did not “see” in Scripture.
Reading Scripture is more than a ritual to check off our list. It should be an exploration. The Father wants us to experience his Word. Like a treasure map where X marks the spot, the Bible is our map to find the hidden secrets of the which leads us to Yeshua. Imagine God guiding us along His path of love, encouragement, and wisdom every time we open His Word. He is eager to show us his Son’s heart, love, and selflessness, so we will treasure Yeshua as God does. The author of Hebrews highlights seven characteristics and actions of Yeshua, which set him apart from everyone else.
Today, we will study the first two in Hebrews 1:2-3.
He is “the heir of all things.” What is an heir? Merriam-Webster defines an heir as “one who inherits or is entitled to succeed to a hereditary rank, title, or office, heir to the throne. Turn to Psalm 2:8 and Daniel 7:13-14.
What do these two passages state concerning Yeshua’s inheritance?
Have you ever inherited something? We often think inheritance means receiving something of value like money, furniture, or land. But we can also inherit good and bad traits from our family, a problem or money pit. Yeshua inherited a kingdom from his Father, a kingdom full of nations and people who will serve him now and forever. This is the kingdom Yeshua refers to in the Gospels when he teaches on the kingdom of God.
Read Daniel 7:13-14. In these verses, the Son of Man is Yeshua, and the Ancient of Days is God the Father.
How is Yeshua’s dominion (sovereignty) and kingdom described?
“Through whom [God] created the world.” Read John 1:1-3. How does John refer to Yeshua?
Who is Yeshua with? Who is he said to be?
Verse 3 declares all things were made through him and nothing was made without him. “[He] was God, and he was at the beginning with God.” (John 1:1-2) The Word is both the spoken word and the Word made Flesh. (John 1:14) God spoke and still speaks; His words will never pass away (Matt. 24:35). His Word is power, and his words are powerful. God spoke and created all things. He spoke by the prophets, and he spoke by his Son.
Read the following explanation about God’s Name, Elohim. I hope it adds to your understanding of the Trinity and God’s Name.
God is referred to as Elohim in Genesis 1—the account of creation. This name for God in the Hebrew language is אֱלֹהִים, and it consist of five consonants (read right to left). Hebrew is both a written and pictorial language. Each letter represents a picture or symbol adding to its meaning. The first letter of Elohim is an Aleph, or א. It illustrates an ox and stands for leader or father. The next consonant, depicted by a shepherd’s crook, is a Lamed or ל, and it symbolizes the son or shepherd. The third character is a Hey or ה, and it portrays a man with his arms raised. It represents the Holy Spirit or revealer. The fourth consonant, signifying a mighty deed or life, is a Yod, or י, while the last letter is a Mem or מ, and suggests separation of the waters. This name for God is a plural, masculine word, and this one name contains the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit pictured as the mighty Creator. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are one yet separate. They are equal and interdependent on each other. All three exhibit qualities of the Creator. God may be the Designer while the Son creates. Like an architect who designs and draws the blueprints and the engineer who builds what he sees on the plans. We never want to say God is “one entity,” or has “one characteristic.” It’s not good to limit any one person of the Godhead by a specific trait or “duty.” The Trinity is like a multi-faceted, priceless diamond reflecting each other’s beauty. Individually and together, they possess everything good, holy, and perfect.
Stephanie Pavlantos is passionate about getting people into God’s Word. She has taught Bible studies for fifteen years and has spoken at ladies’ retreats. She is ordained with Messenger Fellowship in Nashville, TN. Stephanie works for Besorah Institute for Judeo-Christian Studies in the Student Services department as well as teaching online classes.
She is published in Refresh Bible study magazine, Charisma magazine, and CBN.com. She is also a contributor to http://www.VineWords.net, Feed Your Soul with the Word of God compilation by Lighthousebiblestudies.com, and Love Knots compilation by VineWords Publishing.
You can visit her blog at http://www.stephaniepavlantos.com and other social media sites at twitter @DPavlantos and http://www.facebook.com/stephaniepavlantos. Her Bible study, Jewels of Hebrews, won a third place at Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference (2018), an Honorable Mention at the Florida Christian Writers Conference (2019) and is a finalist in the Selah Awards at the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference (2021).
Refining [Spiritual Growth] 