October Online Study: Jonah
HAGGAI: One Night Study
We Are BACK! Not only that, but we are offering a ONE NIGHT online study for you and your friends. You don’t want to miss this fall event.
Just respond “SIGN ME UP” and we will send you the link and material for the night. If you would prefer to email us, our email address is: refiningjourney@gmail.com.
The first “5” to sign-up will have an extra ticket in the door prize drawing.
Invite someone new who has never experienced a night with the Refining Ministry. If they sign-up and attend, you will receive another ticket in the drawing.
For those “newbies”, we are offering you two extra door prize tickets right off the bat. We would love to have you.
REMEMBER-This is ONLY one night!
What are you waiting for?-signup NOW!
God-I Have Questions
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 to the 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?
Times when you just want to know WHY?
Let God be your Rock just like Habakkuk.
Blessings my friends!
Nahum: A Fatal Blow
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!
How Can Bible Intake Be Visual?
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!)
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.
NAHUM: 3 week study
Dear friends,
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.
In His Name,
Genna Stotts
P. S. – Refining now has a direct email account: refining.journey@gmail.com
Praise & Worship: Ch. 12
Together, let us intentionally Crown the Sword, allow God’s Word to reign over our spiritual walk, and forever posture our lives under the influence of Scripture.
~Love and Prayers…until we meet again.
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)
Crown the Sword: Ch. 11 Scripture Immersed Life
What comes to mind when you reflect upon saturation? Maybe the dog soaked in mud the day after a bath? Or possibly the teenage odor implanted in that once cute room you designed? Could it be the sopping wet towel in the middle of the bathroom floor you requested her to hang up after bath time every single night?
How about Scripture saturation? Where does your mind wonder now?
For many, it takes them to ways they can infuse God’s Word into their day-a chance to plan out methods to instill Bible intake into a busy schedule. Just google the topic—there are tons of suggestions out there—read your Bible during lunch, get up 20 minutes earlier, give up some TV time, listen to an audio Bible while exercising, cooking, showering, waiting, etc. Absolutely wonderful ways to carry out the “attention” stage of AMPS. However, this is a different type of immersion from the saturation found in the AMPS method.
When focusing on the “S” stage, perhaps I should have used synonyms such as fortified, infused, or implanted. Why? Because (yes, I just started a sentence with that word!) this final piece is the life submission in this skeletal Bible intake plan. It is the adeptness to unite Scripture to daily living and opening the door to God’s miraculous transformation. It goes beyond drenching your day with reading and hearing God’s Word. This is the step of faith where we learn to immerse God’s truth into daily circumstances and embrace our sanctification journey.
I once heard this explained as the 12-inch pathway from head knowledge to a heart transplant. It is taking what we read, hear, and learn then letting the power of God’s Word permeate through us and flow into our veins to make us more like Him. This saturation is a time where we grow to become solely dependent upon His truth and use Scripture as essential nutrients needed to cultivate spiritual health.
It requires us to find ourselves in His story and realize those promises and commands are designed to guide our actions as we navigate life on earth. His Word was not intended for us to pick and choose how we can make Scripture fit into our life, but to recognize ourselves in His Word and live life accordingly. God gives us everything we need and He invites us to be part of His wonderful creation. He calls out to His children with an invitation to partner with Him through prayer and application of His Word. He bids us to conform to biblical counsel and come to the foot of His throne for everything. EVERYTHING!
Saturation-a call from the Lord to comply and conform by taking action. An invitation to infuse our thoughts and behaviors with a direct subservient approach-going beyond just claiming Scripture to living it out through obedience to God and submission to His Word. Yes, a very different definition than “saturating” your day with God’s Voice.
This type of AMPS saturation is more of a spiral depth leading to a transformed life.
I pray one day my fleshy being is hardly recognizable because of the miraculous makeover resulting from my relationship with God, relying on His Word, and allowing the Holy Spirit to lead. I cannot do this on my own.
What about you? What will it take to declare God’s attributes and power over the entirety of your existence and every life situation?
The law of the LORD is perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes. The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever. The decrees of the LORD are firm, and all of them are righteous. They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the honeycomb.
Psalm 19:7-10 (NIV)
His Perspective
For everything that was written in the past was written for our instruction, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures, we might have hope. Romans 15:4
We study the Bible because within it are the very words of God. God “breathed out” the Scriptures and inspired men to write His truth. It is an expansion of Himself to all mankind. As Christians, we rely on these words to complete us and equip us for every good work to bring the Father honor and glory. Can you imagine life without them?
The Father employs scripture and prayer to communicate. God is known as an intimate and relational spirit. When we speak with Him and ask for clarification of truth, God reveals wisdom and understanding. Remember, Holy Scriptures are fashioned to feed our souls with everlasting nourishment and refresh our mind. In Matthew 4:4 Christ reminds us, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.”
Not only do we have God’s Holy Word and a direct line to the Father through prayer, but we possess the Holy Spirit. He lives within us as a helpmate. As we read in 2 Peter chapter 1, verse 21 discloses the fact that interpretation of scripture is never attained through human means but from part of the divine Trinity’s promptings. (aka Holy Spirit) Just like Jesus informed the disciples in John 14:26, the Holy Spirit is a gift to us to guide and instruct. We cannot uncover truth in scripture through the use of our human flesh and thinking. Why? God’s ways far outweigh our own and we would be fooling ourselves to believe otherwise. “For is anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.” Galatians 6:3.
God’s word makes known His directives and assurances. They are a road map for righteous living. His perspective and outlook, along with faith-filled reliance on the Holy Spirit, empowers us to grasp His truth and live out God’s will. The bible is our source of truth, yet spiritual development and perception requires trust and dependence on the Holy Spirit AND continual interaction with the Father through prayer. Our reliance on these mutually supporting actions generates clarity and precise scripture meaning. Once clearness is obtained, we can commence to launch God’s truth into our present-day circumstances and daily living. Without God’s viewpoint and the Holy Spirit’s guidance, we are left on our own accord to determine meaning based on our evaluation. How clear of a picture do we get using this method?
Given our current crisis, I would extend the message from Sunday’s service by encouraging you to draw out God’s perspective for Psalm 91. Read it. Meditate upon it. Through prayer and the Holy Spirit’s promptings, allow God to reveal His words for you as a means to cope during a time such as this.
LOVE AND PRAYERS for our world!
Refining [Spiritual Growth] 