Trials Archives – Page 2 of 2

God’s Refining Fire – Part 3

October 24, 2016

“¹⁰For thou, O God, hast proved us: thou hast tried us, as silver is tried.” Psalm 66:10 KJV

Quick Recap

Welcome Back! In Part 3 we will delve into discovering the glorious conclusion to God’s Refining Fire. Throughout this series we have worked on changing our perspective to view our Brewing Ground through the biblical lens of God’s refining fire. This series looks at the actual process of refining silver and how it is used in the Bible to illustrate how we are also refined by God. If you would like, you can review the refinement steps discussed so far in Part 1 and Part 2 of this series.

What’s Next

Well, we have finally made it to the fire; what’s next? The refiner begins by removing the other metals and impurities from the silver. The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia Online explains what is happening during the refinement process:

“After the ore had been reduced to a metallic condition, the lead was separated from the silver by blowing hot air over the surface of the melted metal. The lead was changed to lead oxide which, in a powdered condition, was driven away by the air blast. The resulting lead oxide called silver dross in the Bible. The description of refining in Malachi may indicate that a flux (compare “fullers’ soap,” (Mal 3:2)) was sometimes added to the melted metal to dissolve the oxides of copper, lead, tin and iron as they formed, which left the silver pure.” (Patch; Refiner, Refining)

Refining the Silver

So, let’s take a look at each of these steps and how it is used in the Bible to illustrate God refining us.

The ore is placed into the crucible which is placed directly in the fire.

^“3The fining pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold: but the Lord trieth the hearts.” Psalm 12:6 KJV

Once the ore is in a molten state, the impurities can be removed. Now, as the metal is heated, the lead is turned into lead oxide. This is a powder, referred to as dross, which is blown away from the surface of the silver.

^“25And I will turn my hand upon thee, and purely purge away thy dross, and take away all thy tin:” Isaiah 1:25 KJV

This continues multiple times while the refiner is gradually turning up the heat to release different metals and impurities.

^“6The words of the Lord are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.” Psalm 12:6 KJV

Remember, throughout this whole process the refiner is watching ever so closely. However, if great attention is not used with the time and temperature, the silver can become unusable.

“And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness.” Malachi 3:3 KJV

Finally, once all the dross is removed, the refiner is able to actually see a clear mirror like reflection of himself in the pure silver. The refiner’s constant attention and watchful eye have paid off. The result, pure silver ready to be used to create a beautifully, unique, priceless masterpiece. A piece intended for a particular job; one that requires a special ordered, handmade piece.

“⁴Take away the dross from the silver, and there shall come forth a vessel for the finer.” Proverbs 25:4 KJV

Refined Like Silver

As I was researching for this series, I had an epiphany which I started discussing in Part 2. I was reminded of how Jesus saves and transforms us.

First, Jesus finds and calls you. He begins the mining process and breaks you down into a workable state. This leads up to the moment in which you realize you need Jesus. When you know He is calling you and you long for a change; a chance to live for Him.
Then, it is time to be filtered and washed.

“But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.” 1 John 1:7 KJV
- You are washed and filtered by the blood of Jesus. First, you must believe that Jesus died on the cross for your sins. Next, ask forgiveness for your sins, change the way you are living and repent. Now the most important part – give your life to God and ask Jesus to live in your heart. This is how you are saved and how you are cleansed of all sin by Jesus’ blood. He washes us white as snow. This is how you are given eternal life by the grace of God.
  
  “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” John 14:6 KJV
- After you have asked Jesus to live in your heart, your first act of obedience is to be “washed” in baptism as a profession of your new life with Jesus.
After being broken down, washed multiple times, and filtered – you are ready to be placed in your fining pot or crucible.
Your refiner, God, now places your crucible directly into His refining fire. Welcome to your Brewing Ground. He wants to turn you into His glorious masterpiece!
To get you “masterpiece ready”, God removes the dross multiple times. This dross refers to the ideas, attitudes and people of the world. The things that prevent you from being everything that God created you to be. Mankind was created in God’s physical image. However, through His refining fire, God uses life’s trials to also transform our inner image to portray an inward reflection of Him.

“²⁴And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.” Ephesians 4:24 KJV
Finally, the refiner is able to see His clear reflection in the pure silver. You are now “masterpiece ready”! This pure silver is ready to be used to create your beautiful, unique, priceless masterpiece. Now, part of what makes a true masterpiece is the fact that it is handmade with great precision and detail by a master craftsman. The result is perfectly flawed. This is what makes it a one of a kind piece. This is what makes it priceless and irreplaceable. There is no other like it. This piece was a special order; handmade specifically for a particular job. It has it’s very own calling! This masterpiece is the only one equipped to fulfill this particular job.

Glorious Ending

Don’t get me wrong; being refined is NOT easy. Who likes getting smashed with a hammer again and again; or continually being submerged in water? Next, you are thrown in the fire over and over again. The fire is HOT. It is uncomfortable, maybe even painful. In the moments when you feel it may all be too much, hold onto God and His promises. Remember He is there with you holding you, keeping His eyes on you, protecting you.

^“2When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.” Isaiah 43:2 KJV

Think of what a glorious ending there will be – and there WILL be one! What a beautiful picture this paints of how our creator, God Himself, purifies each of us. It’s about the very intentional and detailed work that God pours into us. It’s about how God saves us and uses life’s trials for His good to refine, change, and cleanse each one of us into our own unique, beautiful, priceless masterpiece with our very own calling. This is how He brews permanent heart change in us to reflect His likeness; change that can not be undone. So, trust God and let Him work. After all, He is THE master craftsman! Trust, transform, and fulfill your calling. You are the only one equipped to fulfill your particular divine assignment. One day you will hear, “Well done my good and faithful servant.” What a glorious ending! One worth Brewing for!

“7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.” 1 Peter 1:7 KJV

Let’s be Refined and Brew Together!

Patch, J.A. (1939). Refiner; Refining. In International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Retrieved from http://www.internationalstandardbible.com/R/refiner-refining.html.

God’s Refining Fire – Part 2

October 17, 2016

^“3The fining pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold: but the Lord trieth the hearts.” Psalm 12:6 KJV

Welcome Back

Welcome back for Part 2 in the series on God’s Refining Fire. God’s refining fire is the very essence of life as a child of God. It explains so much about life and why it is sometimes so hard. It also explains a lot about our relationship with our creator. Let’s change our perspective and view our Brewing Ground through the biblical lens of God’s refining fire.

The Bible references God and His refining fire multiple times throughout the scriptures. In fact, most of the references found in the Bible about refinement refer to silver in particular. Please join me as we take a look at the process of refining silver and how it is used in the Bible to illustrate how we are also refined by God’s refining fire.

Part 1

Part 1 of the series focused on getting the ore. The ore is the particular rock which contains valuable, precious metals which hold an unlimited amount of potential for creating beautifully, unique, priceless masterpieces. In fact, there are different kinds of ore; all which contain multiple types of metals. Refinement is the only way to isolate a particular precious metal and remove all the other metals and impurities in order to find the treasure within. Before you can begin the refinement process, you must first find the ore, mine it, and then crush it and break down into a workable state.

Finding Treasure

The McClintock and Strong Biblical Cyclopedia talks about the process of refining silver from lead sulfide ore in biblical times. It states:

“The lumps of ore were first pounded, and then sifted through sieves into water. The sediment was again pounded, and again filtered, and after this process had been repeated five times the water was drawn off. The remainder of the ore is then melted, the lead poured away, and the silver left pure.” (McClintock, Strong; Mine)

Did you catch that? The ore is washed in order to be ready for the furnace. After the water is removed, the ore is now ready for the fining pot, also known as a crucible or melting-pot. These pots were designed to withstand extreme temperatures in order to be placed directly into the fire.

Refining

^“3The fining pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold: but the Lord trieth the hearts.” Psalm 12:6 KJV

After the crucible is placed into the fire, the refiner watches the silver very carefully. The McClintock and Strong Biblical Cyclopedia provides an illustration of Malachi 3:2-3 which talks about this very process. Let’s start by looking at the verse.

^“2But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? For he is like a refiner’s fire, and like fullers’ soap: ³And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness.” Malachi 3:2-3 KJV

The illustration of these verses describe what the molten ore looks like as it is under the watchful care of the refiner. The McClintock and Strong Biblical Cyclopedia states:

“Mr. Napier (Metals of the Bible, page 24) deduces a striking illustration of Mal 3:2-3, He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver,” etc. “When the alloy is melted upon a cupel, and the air blown upon it, the surface of the melted metals has a deep orange-red color, with a kind of flickering wave constantly passing over the surface. As the process proceeds, the heat is increased and in a little time the color of the fused metal becomes lighter. At this stage the refiner watches the operation, either standing or sitting, with the greatest earnestness, until all the orange color and shading disappears.”.(McClintock, Strong; Mine)

Let’s review the refinement steps discussed so far.

First, the ore must be found, mined, and broken down into a workable state.
The ore is then washed and filtered. What was filtered is broken down more and washed again. This continues until the ore has been washed and filtered 5 times.
The water is removed and the ore is then placed in the fining pot, or crucible.
The refiner places the crucible directly in the fire while keeping a very watchful eye. This is critical; if the molten ore is not watched carefully and kept at the correct temperature, the silver may become unworkable.

Epiphany

As I was researching the process to refine silver and the biblical references to it, I had an epiphany. (Epiphany – One of my favorite words!) It all came together in an instance and reminded me of how Jesus saves.

First, Jesus finds and calls us. He begins the mining process and breaks us down into a workable state. This leads up to the moment in which you realize you need Jesus. When you know He is calling you and you long for a change; a chance to live for Him.
Once you know, it is time to be filtered and washed.

“But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.” 1 John 1:7 KJV
- You are washed and filtered by the blood of Jesus. First, you must believe that Jesus died on the cross for your sins. Next, ask forgiveness for your sins. Decide to repent, change how you are living and turn from your sins. Now the most important part – give your life to God and ask Jesus to live in your heart. This is how you are saved and cleansed of all sin by Jesus’ blood. He washes us white as snow. This is how you receive eternal life. Thank you Jesus!
  
  “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” John 14:6 KJV
- Now, your first act of obedience is to be “washed” in baptism as a profession of your faith.
After being broken down, washed, and filtered – you are ready to be placed in your crucible to remove the impurities.
Your refiner, God, now places your crucible directly into His refining fire. He is right there with you, holding you, and keeping a very watchful eye. Welcome to your Brewing Ground. Your treasure will be found!

The best is yet to come. Join me next Monday for God’s Refining Fire – Part 3; we will delve into discovering the glorious conclusion of God’s Refining Fire.

Until Then – Let’s Brew!

References:

McClintock, J. & Strong, J. (1880). Mine. In McClintock and Strong Biblical Cyclopedia. Retrieved from http://www.biblicalcyclopedia.com/M/mine.html.

God’s Refining Fire – Part 1

October 10, 2016

“7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.” 1 Peter 1:7 KJV

The Vision

The vision that God gave me for Brewing Ground was actually a combination of ideas. It combines life’s battleground (trials) with the actual processes of refining and brewing. It’s about the very intentional and detailed work that God pours into each of us. So, our Brewing Ground is about how God uses our life’s trials for good to refine, change, and cleanse each individual like precious metals into their very own unique, beautiful,

priceless masterpiece.

Next, my vision also adds the idea of brewing. Think about the process of making coffee or tea for a minute. You start with clear, clean, fresh water. You turn on the fire to heat things up; when you reach the right temperature the coffee or tea is added. Once you add the coffee or tea, the brewing process has begun. The coffee begins to spread through the water changing every last drop – Permanently. After you begin this process, the coffee or tea can not be removed from the water. This is what we want to happen with God on our battleground. Through the process of refinement and brewing with His refining fire, we want it to have a Godly permanent change in our heart – a change that can not be undone.

The Refining Fire

God’s refining fire is the very essence of life as a child of God. It explains so much about life and why it can be so hard at times. Also, it explains a lot about our relationship with our creator. Let’s change our perspective and view our Brewing Ground through the biblical lens of God’s refining fire. The Bible references God and His refining fire multiple times throughout the scriptures. Through this series we will take a look at the actual process of refining silver and how it’s used in the Bible to illustrate how we are refined by God.

The Work Begins

Before any silver can be refined it must first be found and mined or taken from the earth. The book of Job talks about the process of finding and mining ore, the particular rock which contains various precious metals.

“28 Surely there is a vein for the silver, and a place for gold where they fine it. ²Iron is taken out of the earth, and brass is molten out of the stone. ³He setteth an end to darkness, and searcheth out all perfection: the stones of darkness, and the shadow of death. ⁴The flood breaketh out from the inhabitant; even the waters forgotten of the foot: they are dried up, they are gone away from men. ⁵As for the earth, out of it cometh bread: and under it is turned up as it were fire. ⁶The stones of it are the place of sapphires: and it hath dust of gold. ⁷There is a path which no fowl knoweth, and which the vulture’s eye hath not seen: ⁸The lion’s whelps have not trodden it, nor the fierce lion passed by it. ⁹He putteth forth his hand upon the rock; he overturneth the mountains by the roots. ¹⁰He cutteth out rivers among the rocks; and his eye seeth every precious thing. ¹¹He bindeth the floods from overflowing; and the thing that is hid bringeth he forth to light.” Job 28:1-11 KJV

Just getting the ore is quite an undertaking. Can you imagine “taking your hand to the rock and overturning the mountains by their roots” piece by piece! That is quite a picture to paint and quite a lot of work! Once you have overturned the mountains and finally have the ore, it must now begin the process of refinement.

Step 1

The first step in the refining process is to take the ore and crush it up. You must reduce the ore to a workable state to be able to remove the precious metals.

“Is not my word like as a fire? saith the Lord; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?” Jeremiah 23:29 KJV

So, just getting the raw material and getting it to a workable state is an extremely hard, time consuming job. Plus, you have done nothing to actually refine it and remove the impurities to allow you to get the gold and silver. So, you may be asking, “why go to all that trouble?” Well, because it holds value! The ore contains valuable precious metals which hold an unlimited amount of potential for creating beautifully, unique, priceless masterpieces. Just like you!

Crushed

Life, at times, can be so hard! Are you feeling beat up by life? Do you feel like you have been broken into a million pieces? Are you feeling crushed?

^“10For thou, O God, hast proved us: thou hast tried us, as silver is tried. ¹¹Thou broughtest us into the net; thou laidst affliction upon our loins. ¹²Thou hast caused men to ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water: but thou broughtest us out into a wealthy place.” Psalms 66:10-12 KJV

Like it or not, the reality is that we live in a sinful, broken world. As a result, bad things happen in life. But, take heart sweet friends! There is hope! Psalms 66:12 tells us there is a glorious ending. Know that God is at work in your life and trust Him. Allow Him to use the terrible things that happen in life for your good. THIS is your Brewing Ground. Allow Him to mine and chip away the excess to get to your vein of silver; to reveal the true value in you! He is turning you into your own beautiful, unique, priceless masterpiece. God KNOWS that you are worth all the work, time, and effort. He created you and knows the potential that you hold. While He is working and pounding away, find your rest in Him. Let Him renew you. Let Him give you the strength to endure.

^“But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” Isaiah 40:31 KJV

And they shall mine and have strength to continue on. Your unique masterpiece is one worth mining and Waiting for.

Let’s Brew!

Still Waiting

October 3, 2016

^“But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” Isaiah 40:31 KJV

There are those days when you feel like you should have just stayed in bed. In fact, there have even been some days you may have been tempted to actually drop everything, go home, and get back in bed for the rest of the day. I’ve had some of those days! You know the kind of days that I am talking about. Those days when it seems like you just can’t catch a break. Let’s set the stage.

You are currently smack dab in the middle of your Brewing Ground. You are in the midst of one of your greatest trials ever. You wake up feeling particularly stressed about your current situation. It seems like it will never end and you are feeling so

weary and emotionally spent! Then, you see the time! “Oh No!” Your alarm didn’t go off; so, you are off to a late start. You are running around like a crazy person trying to get everyone ready. The coffee maker is not working – NOOOOO!!!! Now, the children are messing around, instead of getting ready. One of them has just spilled, what seems to be, a whole gallon of milk all over everything and everyone. How could there have possibly been that much milk in that cup? Everyone now has to change clothes plus the milk has to get cleaned up! This is a point in time when you WANT to cry over spilled milk. It is warranted! You almost NEED to cry over spilled milk for your own personal sanity. What a day – and you haven’t even left your house yet! You finally get everyone ready. Let’s go! As you reach for your keys, panic shoots through your body. You realize that in the chaos of children messing around and milk flying everywhere, your keys have disappeared! “Everyone retrace your steps – find my keys!” By the grace of God the keys are found fairly quickly and you get everyone to their destination in one piece. Victory! Only until you realize that, in all the chaos, you forgot to grab your phone! Of course you did! Why wouldn’t you? Before you can even think about how to solve your phone and coffee problem (not solving them is not an option), someone barges in with a huge work disaster that only you can fix! And of course only you can fix it! AHHHH!!! This is the point when you are ready to head back home and go back to bed! You pray, “Sweet Jesus please come back right now!” You open your eyes and you are still at work. Cue pitiful sigh, “HAAAA!!”

Although it may not seem like it in the moment, the small daily situations and frustrations will resolve themselves and pass quickly. The challenge with these situations is to keep your sanity and your cool. However, your Brewing Ground trial is not a situation that can be fixed nearly as quickly or as easily. It has already been a long road. In fact, God has you Waiting while He is working on your behalf. You are waiting for Him to turn this into one of Your Finest Moments. It will happen! While brewing and waiting, we trust God; but, it is so easy to become stressed, emotionally spent, weary, and exhausted! We have to keep coming back to God and letting go and resting in Him. Remember, He is orchestrating and directing one of the greatest shows of your life – one worth Waiting for! While patiently waiting, you must continue coming back to God to find rest in Him; He WILL renew your strength. This is the only way you will survive!

^“But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” Isaiah 40:31 KJV

As I am reading this verse I can actually visualize eagles gliding through the air with ease. Runners that just keep going, even after crossing the finish line. Walking an entire desert and not fainting. Can you image traversing your Brewing Ground with strength and endurance?! Just wait on God and trust Him and His perfect timing. God will renew not only your physical strength, but also your emotional and mental strength.

“Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.” Psalm 27:14 KJV

There is HOPE! God is with me! I CAN do this! I will trust and wait on Him!

Back to the day when we just want to go home and go back to bed. This is a point in time when you MUST stop everything and pray, clam yourself, regroup, refocus, and know that you will make it through this day! “God thank you that I have children to spill milk. Thank you that there is milk to be spilled! Thank you for extra clothes to change into. Thank you that I have a house to leave. Thank you for a working vehicle with gas to get us to our destinations safely. God, thank you for my job and for giving me the skills I need to do the job! Thank you for today; you still have work for me to do. I still have purpose! Thank You!” (You silently pause as you prepare your heart for this next part.) “God, thank you for my Brewing Ground. I KNOW that you will use it for good. I trust you. But, I am feeling so tired and weary. While I am still waiting patiently, I am coming to you to renew my strength spiritually, physically, mentally and emotionally. Meet me in this moment, in this day, on my Brewing Ground. I can not do this without you! I know this will be one of the greatest shows of my life; one worth waiting for. I can’t wait to see how it ends – It WILL be glorious! Thank You! In Jesus name I pray and claim it. Amen.”

Brew with Renewed Strength!

Wait

September 26, 2016

“Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.” Psalm 46:10 KJV

You find yourself at a fork in the road! You are faced with a life changing situation, need, crisis, disaster, decision, incident, Defining Moment, whatever it is that requires God’s guidance and a decision. You need a plan. You need to know the next step. You need answers. If you are a child of God you are praying and listening, referencing the Bible, seeking Godly counsel, making a list of pros and cons, and evaluating the possible outcome of each road. And you get NOTHING! No clear direction. You keep wishing

God would just text you and tell you exactly what to do and right now. Wouldn’t that be nice! I can’t tell you how many times in my life I just needed Him to text me! But, you find yourself waiting with pressure mounting as you feel that something needs to be done but you just don’t know what to do yet. So, you are still praying, still reading your Bible, still listening to Godly counsel, and still waiting! In our microwave society we tend to feel like something needs to happen and right now. We are so impatient; we get anxious or nervous or frustrated. The pressure continues to mount with something “pending” and not having what we need to “fix” it. God’s response, “Be still, and know that I am God! Wait patiently and rest in Me! I’ve got this!”

^“Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.” Psalm 37:7 KJV

God has a different time table than we do. Sometimes God says wait. You may be thinking, “But, I need to do something!” The job He has given you right then is to wait. While you are waiting, stop and smell the coffee. Give yourself a chance to slow down, be grateful for your many blessing, and be in the moment. What you need to remember about His timing – it is ALWAYS PERFECT! Let’s take a look at Daniel and a time in his life when he waited in prayer for his people.

Daniel and his people had been oppressed and in turmoil for about 70 years due to sin and rebellion. He went to bat for his people and did a bold thing. He sat himself down and continuously prayed for his people for 21 days. He prayed for them asking for their forgiveness and an end to their oppression. During this time, he ate no pleasant bread, meat, had no wine, and did not anoint himself. For 21 days he mourned, fasted, and waited with no response.

“²In those days I Daniel was mourning three full weeks. ³I ate no pleasant bread, neither came flesh nor wine in my mouth, neither did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled.” Daniel 10:2-3 KJV

Then came day 22. An angel of the Lord came to visit him.

^“5Then I lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold a certain man clothed in linen, whose loins were girded with fine gold of Uphaz: ⁶His body also was like the beryl, and his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as lamps of fire, and his arms and his feet like in colour to polished brass, and the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude.” Daniel 10:5-6 KJV

The angel even explained why there was a delay in his coming before answering Daniel’s plea for help for his people.

^“12Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words. ¹³But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia. ¹⁴Now I am come to make thee understand what shall befall thy people in the latter days: for yet the vision is for many days.” Daniel 10:12-14 KJV

Whoa! The first day that Daniel prayed the angel was sent. But, he encountered resistance along the way. The evil spirit that was over the kingdom of Persia tried to block his way and prevent him from completing his job and delivering his message. There was literally a spiritual battle taking place. In fact, God had to send reinforcements – the angel Michael. So, for 21 days a spiritual battle was raging and Daniel was waiting. Daniel, I’m sure at some point in time, had to think that his prayers were not being heard. He had 21 days of fasting, mourning, and no response. Do you think you would have lasted that long or would you have taken matters into your own hands? But, while Daniel was waiting, God was working.

When you are faced with your fork in the road, don’t be in such a big hurry to make something happen that you charge ahead before it’s time. If you do that, you run the risk of messing up what God is working on. While we wait on God’s perfect timing, it is time for us to stay tuned into God. Rest in the fact that while you are waiting, God is working.

^“Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.” Psalm 37:7 KJV

Here is the best part about waiting! While you are waiting, God is already working on your behalf! He is setting the stage. He is gathering all the key people to fill all the necessary roles. He is fighting the spiritual battle for you. He may even be calling in reinforcements. He is arranging everything! Now, you can’t see what is going on backstage and may be getting impatient. But don’t! He is orchestrating and directing one of the greatest shows of your life – one worth waiting for! So pray, listen, read your Bible, get Godly counsel, give your situation to God, rest in Him, be grateful and stop and smell the coffee. Release it into God’s hands and stay in tune with Him. This is your Brewing Ground! When His perfect timing has arrived, He will open a door or whisper to your heart the next step. Just rest in God and patiently wait. It is a show worth waiting for!

Let’s Brew – Patiently!

Claim Your Promises!

September 12, 2016

Side Note Before We Begin:

God really laid this on my heart as I have friends, family, and myself in the midst of war. I hope this encourages and blesses you.

“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” Ephesians 6:12 KJV

One day you are jolted by reality. You are still in the middle of your Brewing Ground fighting the longest war of your life. This is not just a battle; this is a war which is composed of multiple battles all revolving around the same situation. You wonder, “Will it ever end?”

You realize that you are exposed in the middle of enemy territory AND with no map. This has you at a huge disadvantage. The enemy knows the area like the back of their hand – you do not. You have no idea where you are. What you do know, is that you are days from civilization. Your adrenaline surges as you realize that your enemy is closing in on your location; you have no idea where you can even take cover. You have been fighting this war for soooo long and are so tired and weary. All you need is a place to take cover, regroup, think, replenish your supplies, rest. You start to panic as you are realizing there is no way out.

“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28 KJV

Then, peace rushes over you as God reaches out to grab your hand to remind you that He is with you. He reminds you that He knows the way out. He made the terrain and knows your enemy. He knows your Brewing Ground; He knows where the enemy is and what their plans are. He knows where to find cover and regroup. God is your only way out. You must grab His hand, close your eyes, and just trust. This is your ONLY option for survival.

“10 For thou, O God, hast proved us: thou hast tried us, as silver is tried. 11 Thou broughtest us into the net; thou laidst affliction upon our loins. 12 Thou hast caused men to ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water: but thou broughtest us out into a wealthy place.” Psalm 66: 10-12 KJV

As God is leading you, He will take evasive measures in order to avoid and lose the enemy. You will go through fire (scorching desert or forest fire) and water (raging river). You may have to climb mountains, trudge through quick sand, or who knows what else. You may feel like you have been through the wringer; and you have – it’s God’s refining fire. As God is taking you through your Brewing Ground to avoid the enemy and survive your war, He is also refining you. Refining you by removing the impurities. God is heating you up to just the right temperature so that He can then transform you into His masterpiece. He is forming and creating; buffing and polishing. But, this takes a toll. During this time, you may grow weary and only God can offer the relief you need. Let Him lead you to His sanctuary for restoration. He will give you rest.

“23 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. ²He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. ³He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.” Psalm 23:1-3 KJV

God will make sure that you not only survive but thrive. He has so many promises that we can hold onto. I am currently in the midst of my own war that has been raging for years now. Through it all, He continues to lay on my heart a particular promise.

“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28 KJV

Please, do not miss the important parts in this verse. He will work ALL things (not some but ALL) for good for those that love Him, His followers, that have a relationship with Him. War has casualties; people get hurt. God will take the terrible in our life and He will use it for good. But, in the middle of it all – you can’t always see that big picture. You have no way of knowing how God can use it all for good. Sometimes, it just doesn’t seem possible. That is why you have to trust Him. The ending of our war may not come when we want it to. It may not look like we think it should. It may not end the way we want. God is so creative! He has a way of weaving things together in our life in such a way that, once you can see it all, it is so amazing. However, it may look very different from what you thought it would. God is not just full of promises, but also surprises!

Has your war ended? Is it just beginning? Or, has it not started yet? The end to my war is not in sight just yet. Lately, I have found myself very weary and wondering if it will ever end. In response to these feeling God continues to remind me that whatever happens, He will use it all for good. In fact, God has recently been whispering a new promise to me.

“And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise.” Hebrews 6:15 KJV

This verse is actually talking about Abraham and God’s promise to give him a son, Isaac. When I came across this verse God whispered something a little different to my heart. He reminded me to be patient and to keep on keeping on. There Is An End! He not only promises that there is an end, but, by continuing on I can claim, with confidence, all of His promises. Until my war ends, I claim the promise that He is with me always! I claim that He will lead me to still waters if I will trust Him; He will give me rest and help restore me when I am weary. I claim that there IS an end and it will be Glorious! Thank You Jesus! Claim Your Promises!

Let’s Brew!

How Will You Use Your Coals?

September 5, 2016

“Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head.” Romans 12:20 KJV

Who doesn’t love a good campfire! The fun, family, friends, songs, stories, and s’mores – what’s not to love! Did I mention s’mores? So, let’s talk about the fire; the most important part that makes it all possible. Think about the science of fire for a minute. First of all, the fire must be started; this is sometimes the hardest part. Once started, the fire burns. As it continues to burn, it develops coals. Coals are defined as “glowing, charred, or burned pieces of wood or other combustible substance”. If you have ever been to a campfire or seen a fire in a fire pit or fireplace, then you have witnessed the wonder of coals. The coals, these seemingly insignificant charred remains, are essentially

the heart of the fire. This is what produces the necessary heat to keep the fire going as new wood is added, while also cooking and providing warmth.

In a society of convenience and technology, we take for granted how vital fire was for survival long ago; this is still the case in parts of the world today. However, caution is advised! Fire Burns! If care is not taken when dealing with fire, it can cause serious damage to yourself or property. Fire can be devastatingly destructive. However, this damage does also carry with it some benefits. Take for instance forest fires. Naturally occurring forest fires are a part of nature. These fires can quickly destroy acres of land. But, what happens after the initial devastation is what we want to focus on. As the fire burns, it also destroys any disease or pests that are currently damaging the forest. These fires provide the soil with new nutrients. Where there used to be very thick brush and trees, now there is sunlight. These new nutrients and sunlight pave the way for new growth. This offers the forest the opportunity for renewal and a new start. Fire – vital to survival, can be devastating, offers opportunity for renewal and new life – Hmmm. Keeping this in mind let’s read the verse again.

“Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head.” Romans 12:20 KJV

When there is a heated situation between you and your enemy, without a doubt, there is a fire raging which is producing coals. How will you use those coals? When first reading this verse, we tend to want to quickly skip over give your enemy food and drink and go straight to heap coals of fire on their head. I hear it now, “Yes, revenge; someone is finally speaking my language!” (You know revenge has crossed your mind.) Don’t get too excited yet! This verse does NOT give permission to set your enemy on fire! (Now, I hear all your sad sighs.) This is not the route to take; even if we are talking about your arch enemy. I can hear your next response, “But she deserves it; you don’t know what she did to me!” No, no I don’t – but God does; and He knows how to handle it perfectly. In this verse God tells us to give our enemies food when they are hungry and a drink when they are thirsty. Regardless of what they have done, God is calling us to bless them. Let’s look at another verse to double check.

“But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;⁴⁵That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.” Matthew 5:44-45 KJV

Oh Man! Again with blessing our enemies! Well, why would Romans 12:20 talk about heaping coals of fire on our enemies head then? Look closely at the verses; we can find God’s true meaning. It is clear from these verses that God calls us to bless our enemies. If we are obedient, and do this as instructed, God will use our blessings to heap coals of fire on our enemies’. Our job is to bless; it’s God’s job to start the fire. He uses our blessings to set our enemies’ hearts on fire. This is His refining fire for them, so that He may brew something special in their lives. Don’t think for a second that He is not also using His refining fire on us too. Are you kidding – blessing your enemies! That is very easy to say and very hard to do. Especially if you are doing it with a happy heart. OH, I just said it – with a Happy Heart! If we serve our enemies their food and drink with hatefulness, anger, and disrespect – we just doused God’s refining fire with tons of water. Blessing our enemies with a happy heart has us right in the middle of God’s refining forest fire on our own brewing ground. So, how do we get to the point where we can bless our enemies with a happy heart you might ask? You may not be able to do this right away. Matthew 5:44 offers insight about what to do in these situations – Pray!!! Pray for them and keep praying for them! God will begin to brew heart change in you to get you to a place where you can bless with a happy heart. While praying, also ask Him to reveal how He wants you to bless them. Then, pray some more!!

Fire – vital to survival, can be devastating, offers opportunity for renewal and new life. How will you use your fire’s coals? They are vital to the survival of your current enemy situation. Will you throw them at your enemy in revenge and cause devastation? Or, will you give them to God to use for His good, to foster new life. God can and will use this fiery situation as His refining fire to brew something special in them…and you? You might even find that new life has been fostered and your enemy is now a friend. Next step, share s’mores!

Let’s Brew!

What Are You Missing?

August 17, 2016

^“18In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18 KJV

Everyone knows one of those people that everything just seems to work in their favor. It seems like no matter what they do, it goes smoothly. They fly through things with ease and everything just always works. You know the people I am talking about. I happen to NOT be one of those people. It seems that everything for me is always more complicated than it should be. It also seems to take 10 times longer than it should because nothing ever works like it is suppose to. What should be easy, somehow never actually is.

Case in point, painting the door frames. Now you are all thinking “Painting the door frames? What is so complicated about that?” This is my point exactly. There is nothing at all complicated about painting door frames. This should be a very easy job that should not require a lot. For most individuals, this is the case; but, not for me.

We were very blessed that God allowed us the opportunity to purchase a house about 2 years ago. This is actually the third house we have been blessed to purchase. Each has needed different degrees of work done to it. The third, and current, house we purchased was in pretty good shape, a pervious owner had done a few things to it, but it needed more work. It is not a big, fancy house; however, we are so grateful because God blessed us with the perfect house to meet the needs of our family. So for 2 years now we have been working on this house bit by bit.

There were some major things we tackled before we could move in. The whole inside needed to be painted and we had to redo both bathrooms, completely. Including new sheetrock, retiling the showers, new toilets, refinishing the cabinets, new counters and sinks, new mirrors, all new fixtures, and new doors. Whew!! But, this did not take care of everything that needed to be fixed. All the doors in the house needed to be replaced and we haven’t even gotten to the outside of the house which also needs some serious attention.

Now, the problem with all this work is there was not enough money to pay someone to do it all. This meant, we either do it ourselves or it doesn’t get done. Well, not doing the renovations was definitely not an option; so, it was up to us. Let me also take a minute to say that we are not in the business of redoing houses; but, we are somewhat handy. As I mentioned, one of the things that needed to be done was paint the entire inside of the house, which includes the door frames. At the beginning of our renovations, we spent time researching paint and deciding on which would be the best kind to get for great results that would work the best with the time we had. We decided to get the more expensive kind that also has primer built right in it. This way we could get good coverage and have to paint less which would save time since we were on a deadline. Well, can you guess how this worked out for us? Terribly! The paint, which also included primer, was not covering well at all. We ended up having to put about 3 coats of paint on everything!! Can you believe it – 3 coats! Not only did we have to paint everything a million times (only a slight exaggeration), we had to keep going back to buy more and more paint! Then we came to the door frames; this happened to pose it’s own set of problems.

The door frames in the house came in 2 different forms. In one part of the house they were painted and in the other part of the house they were stained wood. We began working with the painted frames by sanding them in order to prep them to paint. Well, do you think it would be that simple? That is normally all you should have to do; but not for us. The old paint was actually chipping and peeling off. Well, you can’t paint over it like that so we began to scrape the paint. We have spent hours scraping and scraping and scraping some more. (We are still not even finished with this part.) In an effort to try and actually make some progress we decided to move on to the stained frames; after all, there was no paint to deal with on them. In preparation for painting these frames, we sanded the frames so the paint would adhere to the wood. As we began painting these, we saw that the paint was NOT sticking. It was peeling off despite having sanded first. So, to fix this problem we would have to remove the multiple coats of new paint, remember we can’t just use one coat, paint the wood with Kilz and then repaint. We just recently have been working on this. Even though we put Kilz on the wood first we still had to put on an additional 2 coats of paint. AHHHH!! See, I am not kidding when I say that we have had to paint everything a million times. We have yet to tackle the painted door frames. At this point we are researching what the best choice will be to remove the old paint. Plus, we still have to paint the new doors; we’ll see how this works. I am thinking positive – smooth sailing ahead.

This seems to be how everything works for me. A simple job, turned complicated and taking 10 times longer than it should. You could all probably tell me a story like this from your life. In the midst of situations like this it is just so easy to get discouraged and focus on the negative. It is so easy to feel sorry for yourself and want to throw a pity party. It is so easy to want to give up. It is so easy to lose sight of God and what He is doing. We get frustrated and set the tone to focus on the negative. After a lifetime of trials on my battlefield; I do try and find the positive; I am glad I have door frames to paint – I could be homeless. But, I am sorry to say that there have been times in my life, I have asked why everything has to be so hard, complicated, and take so long. I sometimes even find myself envying those people that everything is so easy for. I mean who else is going to have so many problems with paint, really? You see, we get so focused on what is going wrong and the mounting irritations and frustrations that we miss seeing the big picture. What is God doing in this situation?

God recently reminded me that I would miss so much if everything came easy. If everything was easy I would miss the opportunity to be thankful. I would miss the opportunity to learn to persevere. I would miss the opportunity to problem solve and try things different ways. I would miss the thrill of FINALLY completing the job, which happens to be so much sweeter. I wouldn’t be able to appreciate what it’s like when something actually goes right. Through these trials on life’s battleground, God is using these situations to brew and refine us. He is creating something more substantial in us with more depth and layers. He is using them for His good. I challenge you, and myself, to view things differently when things are not working as we think they should – because maybe they actually are. Instead of focusing on the negative and missing the bigger more important picture, focus on what you might be missing if things went smoothly. Focus on what God is brewing in you; He is refining you into a beautiful masterpiece. Focus on giving thanks in everything, even frustrating situations, because you know that God is at work in your life and He is there with you? He never leaves you!

^“13For I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.” Isaiah 41:13 KJV

Would you rather miss the frustration of things going wrong or miss seeing God moving in your life?

Let’s Brew!