But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen. 2 Peter 3:18 (ESV)
What do you think of when you hear the word grow? Plants-Kids-Puppies? Very rarely do I associate this word with God, however the Bible reminds us over and over that we continually develop in our faith.
The Lord has equipped us with tools to embrace an ongoing movement towards spiritual maturity and He has given us a list of qualities He wants us to strive to obtain. 2 Peter 1:8 reminds us that these qualities prevent us from being ineffective and unproductive. What are these attributes you ask? Faith*Goodness*Knowledge*Self-control*Perserverance*Godliness*Mutual Affection*Love (2 Peter 1:5-7)
Scripture also tells us that our faith must go beyond what we believe-faith must be displayed as an action as well. Our life reflects growth or the lack of through our daily way of life. (2 Peter 1:9). Growth requires continual practice and training just like an athlete because the Father wants us to refine our skills and abilities, study His word, and display a deep desire to grow in knowledge. Train and practice-strengthening our spiritual muscles.
As we work towards knowing God intimately and discovering the attributes of Jesus, we become equipped to increase our discernment from what is of him and what is of the enemy. Our growth in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ has a way of heightening our senses to acknowledge things of the enemy and it guards us from being quickly deceived by the world around us.
Chapter three clearly presents growth as “a follower’s responsibility to cultivate it, knowing there is a progression to each bonding aspect with God, including communication with Him.” Growth relies on the intimacy with God and the discipline to carry out Proverbs 3:5. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.”
“Your development is continual and dependent upon the power in Christ.” (see Philippians 2:13) Be encouraged my friend “to stay active and tenacious” by making every effort to growth in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. Cling to His promises and embrace your growth progression.
Come near to God and He will come near to you. James 4:8 (NIV)
Have you ever wondered how to go from reading Scripture to living it out fully?
This past Sunday our pastor, Darren Dye, provided a great example of how to do just that.
He took us from the life of Job to an illustration of living out God’s directives. It was a powerful experience which moved me to action and forgiveness way beyond my imagination.
I was deeply moved by this message and felt compelled to share it with you. Take some time out of your day and just listen. I pray it touches your heart and allows you to apply God’s Word by extending the grace of the Lord.
Hello everyone! What a wonderful three days to be in the Chronological Study Bible and spiraling deeper into God’s love story. I am always amazed at the new insight the Lord provides as I revisit His Holy Word. So many little details fill my mind as I glean from what I have read.
Today Kandi Stewart, a previous co-worker, has agreed to share her takeaway over the role of the Holy Spirit in the creation from her writing on Courage to Conquer Cancer’s Facebook page. When I read over it, I was truly moved by her insight and immediately asked if I could share it with you. She is a dynamic writer, terrific educator, dedicated encourager, and a tough fighter! I hope you are blessed by her writing as much as I was.
God Creates Purpose Out of Chaos
I’ve began rereading the Bible with a focus this year on the Old Testament. Genesis 1-2 is the story of creation I’m sure most are familiar with the story. As I read this, I began wondering what can I take away from this that will make a difference in my life right now. I got stuck on Genesis 1:2 where it says, “Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.”
There in the darkness, in the chaos, was the Spirit of God waiting to turn the chaos into purpose. There was a plan. It was good. But before it was good, it was dark, formless, and chaotic. Isn’t this how we view the tough times in our life? We see them as “dark times”, we can’t figure out what’s going on or what the purpose of our lives are so it seems “formless”, or we feel like we’ve lost control and everything is “chaotic”. Yet, there above it all, sits the Spirit of God waiting for us to call out to the Father and have faith that He will create purpose out of the dark, formless and chaotic moments we find ourselves in. Creation didn’t stop in the first week. Creation is ongoing. God is waiting to create a new creation within us by using every dark, formless and chaotic moment in our lives. No, they aren’t good YET, but He has a plan to turn even this (whatever your “this” is) into something amazing!
I’ve read this part of the Bible so many times throughout my life and have never considered once that God’s spirit was hovering over my life just as it hovered over the dark, formless and chaotic universe waiting for me to call out and ask God to create purpose out of all of this!
Kandi’s bio:
Kandi Stewart is a woman who has lived her life at 100 mph with the windows rolled down. She grew up on the Oklahoma/Kansas state line out in the middle of nowhere where one can see for miles and run free like the wild ponies. She is 100% a middle child raised number 3 of 5 children to Cliff and Linda James. The James traits of stubbornness, hard working, and being a fighter run through her core. Her parents raised her in a strong, Christian home, but after the death of her father at the age of 21, Kandi questioned everything she was taught to believe about God and spent the next 20 years in a push and pull relationship with Him.
Kandi married Jonathan Stewart in 1995 and together they have loved and raised 4 children, Chelsye, Tessa, K’Lee, and J.T. From those children have come 6 grandchildren loved deeply by their Nonna and PaPa. Kandi invests a lot of her prayer time on these children and grandchildren as they journey through the mountains and valleys of life.
In 2014, Kandi was diagnosed with breast cancer and would undergo multiple surgeries and chemotherapy in one of the biggest fights for her life. Remarkably, months before her diagnosis her daughter, K’Lee, shared a dream she had of her walk through Heaven. This dream would forever change Kandi’s relationship with God and her understanding of the Word. It would be this dream where Kandi learned what faith is all about leading her to walk through cancer in the light and peace of God Almighty.
Despite being told she no longer showed signs of disease in 2015, her cancer was still running amuck. This past fall in 2022, Kandi’s cancer returned and she stood again at a fork in the road wondering how God would take this mess and turn it into something beautiful. She’s fought cancer with Joshua 1:9 at the forefront of her mind. It is her battle verse.
Kandi believes we were all created by design, no life without purpose, but sometimes it’s hard to understand the whys behind our existence. For many years, Kandi questioned her existence. Now, she knows God has always had a plan for her life, and it is good even when it looks bad on the surface. Beneath the darkness, the light is waiting to burst out with a display like a Panhandle winter sunset. Kandi chooses to live her life today realizing that the smoke from a fire makes that sunset more gorgeous, the fire refines us, and the grass coming up from the ashes is always the greenest for joy always comes in the morning, or the morning after that, but joy comes.
Thank you Kandi for allow Refining Ministry to feature you and your wonderful insight. Our prayers are with you in your fight. Embrace the journey with God’s refinement.
Happy New Year! Can you believe it? We have entered 2023. Thank you for supporting Refining Ministry this past year and being a blog follower. We hope it has played a part in your spiritual growth and encouraged you in your relationship with the Lord.
We are pleased to announce a new approach to studying the Bible in 2023. After several years of offering Bible studies entitled “Experiencing the Power of God’s Word” and conducting small focused sessions online, we felt led to go beyond the normal cycle of Bible study. Therefore, we are spending the entire year offering an opportunity to enhance Bible literacy through a chronological view for anyone wanting to join us.
Here are some primary reasons:
Build a relationship with God through His Word, process Scripture and gain personal insight.
Digest the material through weekly online meetings with others.
Engage without a workbook to exercise the belief in knowing only God’s Word can produce spiritual growth and change.
Allow the Lord to meet us everyday exactly where we are as we process the greatest love story of all times.
We will use 2023 as a time to focus upon 14 Biblical Eras through the Tyndale Chronological Study Bible (NLT). This is NOT a promotion nor are we receiving any proceeds. We are simply using this as a resource to guide our journey together.
You are invited to join us on the journey through this amazing chronological study Bible! Grab a copy and jump on board. It is a wonderful opportunity to do life together with a group of ladies across the United States! I know several have expressed a desire to read the Bible in chronological order, but wanted a group to stay accountable and encouraged. The time has come!
Personal message us OR send an email to refining.journey@gmail.com if interested. We will be happy to forward the details and online link.
Join us on the journey through this amazing chronological study Bible! Grab a copy today and jump on board as we walk together through the 14 eras in 2023. What a wonderful opportunity to do life together with a group of ladies across the United States!
If you have always wanted to read the Bible in chronological order, this is a great way to stay accountable and be encouraged by like-minded individuals just like you.
Personal message us OR send an email to refining.journey@gmail.com if you are interested. We will send you the online link for Monday night gatherings.
(Just FYI-Mardel had the paperback copy for less than $15.00. Shop around-I got a hardback copy online for less than $18.00)
“Then Jeremiah said to the family of the Rekabites, “This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: ‘You have obeyed the command of your forefather Jehonadab and have followed all his instructions and have done everything he ordered.’ Therefore, this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: ‘Jehonadab son of Rekab will never fail to have a descendant to serve me.’” Jeremiah 35:18-19 (NIV)
We are now in week three of our 2nd series of the Jeremiah study. As we began this week’s meeting, I prayed for God to use His Word to shake us to the core and bring a new light to the book of Jeremiah. I am not quite sure why these words came flowing out so quickly but…God…He answered!
Chapter 35 of Jeremiah is primarily about a group of people known as the Rekabites. This nomadic clan were faithful promise keepers who proved their allegiance over and over. When tempted or presented with a situation to fall back on their pledge, they were steadfast and unwavering. WOW!
We spent some time dissecting the major takeaways from this family. Let me share some of those with you:
The Rekabites were tent dwellers and through this they displayed the understanding that this earth is not our destination in the end. We often get entangled by life and its “stuff”. It can bog us down and even overwhelm. Our material things are here today but gone tomorrow yet we can’t seem to do without, stop wanting more and more, and many times lack the ability to control it all. I am so guilty. I have WAY TOO MUCH and frequently forget that I am only passing through.
This family had made an alliance to set rules and ways of living. They had determined what was best for them and they knew their why when it came to agreeing to these standards. They knew what they were pledging, the reason behind it, and how it was profitable for their living. When was the last time I thought about my values and absolutes?
The Rekabites did not let culture, or the “modern” way of life sway their promises. While the world around them was falling apart and diving deeper and deeper into sin, this family stood firm against conforming to the “in thing to do”. They embraced their values and held tightly to this obedience regarding the established rules for their lives. I often make decisions based on “everyone else”. How am I different from the world in which I live?
The Rekabites were steadfast. When they made their vows to abstain from things not productive for them, they knew how they would answer if temptation ever came. This family was prepared for situation where their faithfulness would be tested. They knew prior to any enticement what they would say and do. They were proactive in being successful when it came to their obedience. Am I steadfast or do I teeter and totter on average?
God honored the Rekabites for their obedience to their word. The Lord desires the same from each of us and craves to see us, His children, committed and unswerving. Our Father has proven His love and faithfulness to us over and over to the point of death. He is loyal, reliable, and constant. What a beautiful Father we have.
I challenge you to study this passage more and listen to a few sermons on the topic. Take some time this week and think about these “principled people”.
Then,
Write down a couple of absolutes for your life. What is one value you have that you will not comprise no matter what?
How is this profitable for God?
What/Who might try to sway you from obedience?
What will it take to be steadfast and faithful in the days ahead?
Once you have decided on a couple of absolutes, take some time to write them down and pray over them. Share them with a friend and ask them to pray for your devotion to be solid in the days ahead. Let God know the desire of your heart when it comes to these values and rules you have set for yourself.
May the witness of the Rekabites touch you in such a way that it also shakes you to the core and causes you to focus on what matters the most…
This is not your home…God’s ways are profitable…culture doesn’t dictate your values…and obedience is possible when you decide to be become a principled person.
Blessing and prayers for you in digesting Jeremiah 35. May you never be the same after reading it.
Photo by KoolShooters on Pexels.com So you will be my people, and I will be your God. Jeremiah 30:22 (NIV)
Medically, no one wants to hear the word terminal-knowing it leads to death or the end. This word can turn our lives upside down and shake us to the core. It seems to change everything once the effects begin to unravel. Life is never the same.
In Jeremiah we find a portion of Scripture in chapter 30 referencing this very medical language. It clearly states, “Your wound is incurable, your injury beyond healing.” (verse 12b) What? Talk about getting straight to the point-there is no beating around the bush here. And to surprise you even more, let me share 12a, “This is what the Lord says:” Words uttered from God.
So, exactly what is this wound, incurable injury God is referencing? What is the disease within where the Lord clearly conveys a terminal effect? We all have it. There is no human cure and it has the power to spread and completely destroy life as we know it. Deadly.
This three-letter illness is SIN. There is no human remedy and the pain is overwhelming. The guilt and shame will devour. The sting of death is its friend and the disease can easily spiral out of control until we are consumed and unrecognizable. In medical terms some might even say, “They are too far gone! There is nothing more we can do.”
BUT GOD…”But I will restore you to health and heal your wounds”, declares the Lord, …” Jeremiah 30:17a. Only God has the antidote-the true cure-Jesus Christ, the Savior! AMEN!
ALL-yes, all have sinned. The very thing that brings pain and suffering. The wounds are deep from it and it can spread like wildfire within a short period of time. It has a major way of destroying lives and those around it.
Many times, we try to find a cure on our own. We attempt to heal the pain and/or find a remedy without the help of the Lord. We enlist in ways to “humanly” become healthy or even find an “earthly” cure, but nothing can restore and heal us from sin except Christ Himself.
Jesus was sent as the new covenant. A chance for healing, restoration, and life eternal. Our antidote so to speak. He made the sacrifice for the ultimate cure! Through His death and pain, we are offered grace in exchange for our terminal illness-sin.
When was the last time you read the plan of salvation?
How have you been able to share this with the world recently?
What could you do to ensure others know of this miraculous healing?
May you be encouraged to stop and give thanks for what God has done for you.
God’s Word says:
ADMIT we have sinned: “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” (Romans 3:23) Sin separates us from the LORD and its outcome is death.
BELIEVE in Christ’s sacrifice: Jesus paid the price for all sins. “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf…” (2 Corinthians 5:21a)
ASK for forgiveness & for Christ to enter your life: “…if you confess with your mouth Jesus as LORD, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved:” (Romans 10:9) The gift of the LORD is eternal life and it is only by grace you can be set free from the terminal effects of sin. (Ephesians 2:8)
Now, go beyond and find a way to share it with the world. Remember, the antidote is for ALL!
Photo by Maria Gulyaeva on Pexels.comArticle from the thoughts of: Robin Gonzales
As we continue our study of Jeremiah, we come to chapter 29-that most famous verse which catches most people’s attention: Jeremiah 29:11 (AMPC) For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome.
It is a verse we have heard often and maybe even relied upon. But what was the context in which it was written? Think about what was actually happening when God makes this statement. The Israelites had been captured by the Babylonians and sent into exile for 70 years. Ouch! However, these Israelites escaped death under God’s wrath and were possibly still receptive to the Lord.
In their exile period they needed God assurances that He had not forgotten them, abandoned them, given up on them, and there was still hope for a better outcome than under the Babylonian’s reign.
Can you relate? Think about low periods of your life regardless of the reason. Life captured and imprisoned by circumstances and strife. You crave just a glimmer of better days ahead.
Isn’t it nice to be assured God provides great hope? Yes, His name is Jesus-the Savior who is the final outcome and our true intercessor. He gives us a brighter outlook despite the difficulties we may experience.
But let me take you beyond this verse to the primary purpose of this article. You see, for me, this was not the verse seizing my attention. It was Jeremiah’s instructions in verse 7. Let’s take a look:
Jeremiah 29:7 (AMPC)
And seek (inquire for, require, and request) the peace and welfare of the city to which I have caused you to be carried away captive; and pray to the Lord for it, for in the welfare of [the city in which you live] you will have welfare.
Jeremiah had just finished telling the Israelites they would be in exile for 7 decades so they needed to go forward, build houses, marry, and raise families. In other words, you are not going anywhere anytime soon–so settle in. He continues telling them to help their city to be at peace and prosperous so that they too would be peaceful and prosperous.
What did that mean for them? Live and work as if it was for the Lord. Submit to the authority God had place over them. In doing these things, all would be well. Yes, even humbling themselves under the Babylonian reign. Jeremiah might have even reminded the captives to display Godly behavior such as grace, mercy, forgiveness, understanding, etc. towards the Babylonians!
Let’s take this a step farther. What does this mean for our daily living? Well, if we think about it-we have all been placed in a city by God himself. You are where you are for a reason. The same can be said about your country, place of employment, school, church, etc. The Father places us in specific areas and wants us to carry out our lives with the same principle He instructed the Israelites thousands of years ago.
We find these same sentiments in the New Testament as a reminder to live in peace, govern ourselves with humility, and work as if it were for the Lord.
Colossians 3:17 (AMPC)
And whatever you do [no matter what it is] in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord.
Colossians 3:23 (AMPC)
Whatever may be your task, work at it heartily (from the soul), as [something done] for the Lord and not for men.
Romans 13:1 (AMPC)
Let every person be loyally subject to the governing (civil) authorities. For there is no authority except from God [by His permission, His sanction}, and those that exist do so by God’s appointment.
1 Timothy 2:1-3 (AMPC)
First of all, then, I admonish and urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be offered on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in positions of authority or high responsibility, that [outwardly] we may pass a quiet and undisturbed life [and inwardly] a peaceable one in all godliness and reverence and seriousness in every way. For such [praying] is good and right, and [it is] pleasing and acceptable to God our Savior.
Let’s reflect:
How often do we pray for our elected leaders to have wisdom, good counsel, good health, strength, rest, peace, protection, help? I know I am lacking in this area. What about you?
I may remember the president or governor or law enforcement or first responders occasionally, but I don’t often think about state representatives, mayors, school board officials, etc. Our entire governing body needs prayer no matter our country, city, workplace, …
I urge you, including myself, as we approach this election in a few days to pray for the candidates, winning or losing, and take a different perspective toward those who are elected-weather or not we chose them. Also, continue to pray for all the leaders in our country all the way down to bosses, pastors, teachers, and parents.
Let’s remember each one of us is responsible for peace and prosperity where we have been placed. (Side note: most of us are responsible for someone else) So with Jeremiah 29:7 in mind, I think we all could use as much prayer and intercession we can get.
Only God can truly say, “For I Know the Plans!” But, it doesn’t let us off the hook to do our part.
Hello friends. Can you believe it is almost November? The winter months are upon us and the smell of pumpkin is in the air.
My husband and I have been busy gathering the last of the harvest the past couple of weeks. Tomatoes, peppers, squash, onions, dill, green beans, parsley, pumpkins, cilantro, etc. All the goodies we have watched grow day after day in broad daylight.
As I wash, chop, freeze, cook, etc. I am reminded of God’s pure light producing healthy fruit in my own life. I love the spiritual growth that comes as I stay under His authority and humbly surrender to His plans. He has a way of stretching me and directing my maturity in ways I have never even dreamed- much like the pumpkin that grew larger than the rest of the crop.
But today I want to truly chat about the dark side. The crop underground and never seen day in and day out. Yep, the carrots! It is always a mystery of the growth until the day of harvest. Year after year, we never know the yield we will receive nor the size of each, yet there is always growth happening below the surface.
Life has often been like this for me. The dark side of life-death, change, health issues, daily struggles, loss, deception, and the list continues-all the things hidden away in my heart which the world sees as agents of destruction while outwardly (on the surface) all seems fine and well. (The tops of the carrots are so pretty and green)
Like our prized carrots, I have learned the secret to growing in the darkness. (Yes, by trial & error)
In the darkness, God is in control. My reliance and focus are on Him because I must rely on faith and His will. He directs my path-growth-size, etc.
My inner transparency is protected from the surface elements the world offers. Yes, this earth has a million and one solutions to our problems, but only the Lord can provide true safety and shelter.
God’s maturity in His children is not always seen as appealing like those red, ripe tomatoes or those luscious squash. What He is doing inside of our hearts is much like the transformation of that small, small seed. Our struggles become a testimony-just like that beautiful carrot-a demonstration of growth in the darkness.
Only God can produce an abundance of goodness from the dark side of life but it is dependent upon our reliance on Him through the trials.
Have you ever had a day where one minute you are praising the Lord and the next minute you find yourself frail and experiencing a moment of despair? Emotions-they can take us on adventures of extreme highs and lows within seconds. We can go from a mountain top to a pit of self-criticism. They can truly manipulate our thinking if we allow it.
Jeremiah knew about this all too well. In Jeremiah 20, he quickly goes from worshiping the Father as a mighty rescuer to blatantly showing major insecurity within himself. He even states, “Cursed be the day I was born! May the day my mother bore me not be blessed!” (Jeremiah 20:14 NIV). Wow, definitely a stark contrast in thoughts and emotions.
Emotions can even be mixed. I have often found myself in sorrow and despair yet praising the Lord. In times of deep grief and major heartbreak, I have found crazy joy which makes absolutely no sense in human terms. There have been times when my heart and mind have been so peaceful when my world was absolutely falling apart.
Feelings are feelings! It is part of how God constructed each of us. He knows us better than we know ourselves, so our emotional displays and expressions do not catch Him off guard. Much like Jeremiah, God wants us to voice the despair and insecurity. He truly wants us to have 100% confidence in Him to be transparent and raw.
Let me share 3 reasons I have found why to express all feelings (good, bad, or ugly) with God:
It is a display of trust. Deuteronomy 7:9 states, “Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments.” When we share our crude feelings with God, it shows a level of faith and dependance. Regardless of how we feel, the Lord is more concerned with where we place our hope. Our transparency shows belief in God’s promise to not allow anything to separate us from His great love no matter the emotions and insecurity running through our veins.
It demonstrates a relationship with the Lord. Deuteronomy 3:24 states, “O Lord GOD, You have begun to show Your servant Your greatness and Your strong hand; for what god is there is heaven or on earth who can do such works and mighty acts as Yours?” Think about where you run first with good or bad news. Are there emotions that come with the news? Sharing information with someone builds a relationship. We go to them because we know they care and the news is just as important to them as it is to us. When we go to God it builds a relationship. He delights in our vote of confidence. He cares deeply about our everyday news, feelings, success, failures, highlights, etc. Let Jeremiah be our example to share ALL that is within us to the one who is in charge of all things-GOD.
It illustrates humility. Proverbs 11:2 states, “When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.” We are often too prideful to admit our emotions due to the conditioning of society. The book of Jeremiah expresses how pride destroyed Judah to the point of no return. They refused to listen to reproof or the sting of truth because they only wanted to experience “good feelings” regardless if they were attached to sinful acts. When we lay ALL emotions before the Lord, we display a heart under God’s authority. We demonstrate a belief in Him as steadfast and master of all our thoughts, emotions, and feelings. It is an opportunity to allow God to sort through them and guide us in dealing with them appropriately.
Remember my friend, God remains your all in all. Trust Him with everything-yes, even with those crazy emotional exploits that seem to come out of the blue. He is the one person who can handle the transparency and give you the discernment with each emotion-good, bad, or ugly. Let this be a pathway to build a relationship with Him. Make a point to chat with Him often and share honest moments.
Who else truly has your back, fights for you on all realms, and never grows tired of loving you?
Refining [Spiritual Growth] 